That the Contents of Monson are at least five miles Square and the Land as good as Land Generally is in this part of the Country and is now become considerably settled and increases dayly in Improvement and inhabitants, and are now able to Reap the Benefit of an incorporation if they might Obtain such a favour as they now consist of at least eighty five Familys. That your Petitioners are not unacquainted of a certain Petition's Now being before this Assembly Signed by a number of persons residing in what was formerly Monson, Join'd by a Number Living in Amherst (according to the first Charter) Praying for Certain matters as in the said Petition is Mentioned and as the Matters Contained in these Petitions are of much importance to both setts of Petitioners a Consideration of this their request Previous to a final determination of the Petition above aluded to may Produce such a Law as will reconcile all parties and promote their Weal, Peace and Concord. Your Petitioners therefore most Humbly pray that your Honers will Take the Premises (in all its parts) under your wise Consideration and Give them Leave to bring in such a Bill as will Place the Antiant Town of Monson in its former Situation as to Boundaries, and invest them with such Priviledges and imunities as other Towns in this State hold and do Enjoye Your Petitioners can't think a Motion of this kind will be opposed by either of the Towns of Hollis or Amherst as they are large both as to extent and inhabitants, & should your Petitioners be so fortunate as to have a Bill passed in their favour as to an incorporation they will be Willing still to pay towards suporting the Gospel in the respective Towns they now belong to till they shall Maintain Preaching among themselves a very Considerable part of the time and as this Honerable Assembly can have no other thing in view but the Peace and good Order of all parts of the State they represent your Petitioners are encouraged to hope for a grant of their Request in such a way and manner as shall seem best to your Honers and your Petitioners as in Duty Bound shall ever pray &c Dated Amherst May 23d 1782. Josiah Kidder juner Jonas Shattuck Nehemiah French Ebner Gibson Benj. Messer Eleazer Usher Joseph French John Stearns Joseph Wood Timothy Emerson Junr. Ivory Hovey Jonathan Lovejoy William French David Duncklee Oliver Bowers David Wallingford Jerathmeel Colburn Simeon Blood William French j? John Stearns Jun" William Patten juner Edward Foster Stearns Needham Joshua Clark John Whiting Josiah Kidder John Dutton Abraham Leman Jonathan Spaulding William Peacock Benjamin Emerson We the Subscribers think the foregoing requested incorporations will be more for our and the public good than the privileges asked for in a former petition now depending before this Honorable House to which we were subscribers, and therefore humbly request that the same may be granted in preference to the matters contained in the said former petition. STEPHEN How SAMUEL How. Dated May ye 23d 1782. ATKINSON AND PLAISTOW. [For a number of papers relating to these towns see Plaistow, on subsequent pages, Atkinson was one of the first towns incorporated under the administration of Gor. John Wentworth. The charter bears date 3d September, 1767.-ED.) A Petition from Plaistow. To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq' Governor and Commander in Cheaf in and over his Majesties Province of New Hampshire in New England, and to the Honourable His Majesties Councill, and to the Honourable House of Representatives in Generill Court assembled &c. the Humble Petition of us the Subscribers inHabitance of the North West Part of the town of Plaistow in sa Province Humbly sheweth that we are so Remote from the Place of the Publick worship of God in said town of Plastow that we cannot attend the same without Great Difeculty and whereas we are very convenient to the Place of the Publick worship of God in the town of Hampstead, we therefore Humbly Pray your Excellency and Honours to take our Dificult Case under your wise Consideration and if in your wisdom you should think Proper to Set of sd Northwest Part of sd town of Plastow the Line to Run from the Pine in Cloughs meadow (so called) South westerly to a white oake tree near Cornet John Ingalls barn thence on the Southerly side of his Land to his Southwest Corner bounds and from thence Still South westerly to the Bridge over Providence brook near John Curriers house at Salem Line and so by Salem Line to Hampstead Line & so to the first Bounds and Annex us to the s' town of Hampstead you will Greatly oblige your Humble Petitioners and they shall as in Duty bound Ever Pray &c. Dated Plastow april y II: 1766. John Kelly Benjamin Philbrick Nathan Watts Thomas Little Benjamin Richards Jun. John Ingalls Reuben Mills Ezekiel Belknap James Little John Morrill Moses Kelly Thomas Chaney junr. Moses Brown Thomas Whitaker Benjamin Emery Moses Whitaker Province of In Council June 26th 1766 Read & Ordered to be Sent New Hamps down to the Honble Assembly T. ATKINSON Jun' Sec'y. Moses poor Province of Voted That the Petitioners be heard on the within Petition the second Day of the siting of the General Assembly After the first Day of September next and that the Petitioners at their Own Cost Cause the Selectmen of Plastow to be Served with a copy of this Petition and order of Court that they may shew Cause if any they have why the Prayer thereof Should not be Granted M. WEARE Cik. In Council Eodem Die Read & Concurr'd T. Atkinson Junr. Secry. To the Selectmen of the town of Plastow :-Gent? We the Subscribers Desire that you would Put into the warning of our Next Town meeting To See if the Town will Joyn with that Part of our Parish that Live on the South Side of the Province line to Chuse a Committee to fix a place for a meeting House To Stand that shall be most convenient for the sa town & Parish in so Doing you'll much oblige your Humble Petitioners. Aug 10th 1764 John Knight Benj« Hale Abel Merrill Joseph Knight William Bradly Enoch Noyes Abel Merril ju' Oliver Knight John Merrill Stephen Knight Joshua Knight 1 Request of the Inhabitants of Plaistow to the Selectmen, 1764. We the Subscribers Desire that you would forthwith warn a meeting of the Inhabitants of sd town & Put into the warning of sa meeting to see if the Town will Joyn with that Part of our Parish that live in Haverhill & vote that the meeting House for our s' Parish Shall Stand in the Center of the same: if not voted; 2 To see if our town will vote to Sett a meeting House in the Center of sd town: if not voted 3 To see if the town or Parish will Chuse a committee to Place the meeting House for us according to their Discretion In so Doing you'll greatly oblige your Humble Petitioners Moses BELKNAP. Abner Plumer Peter Harriman Ezeknap Belknap John Harriman Moses Kelly Moses Greenough Stephen Dole Joshua Knight John Ingalls John Dow Reuben Mills Stephen Whittaker Joshua Kelly John Morrill Benjamin Emery Micajah Morrill John Stevens Thomas Whitaker Nathal Watts Stephen Knight John Dow Jun' Ebenezer Knight Richard Brown Benjamin Richards William Brown Daniel Richards Samuel Little Benja Richards Jun Joseph Little Benj Stone Jun Leonard Harriman Aaron Copp Nehemiah Heath Robert Greenough Edmund Page Thomas Whitaker Stephen Whitaker Benj. Richards Jun. Tristram Knight John Morrill Oliver Knight Miciah Morrill John Kelly Jon Poor Énoch Noye's Daniel Poor Jun. Benja Hale Stephen Knight Benj Stone Oliver Knight John Trusell Asa Page Jonathan Hunt Joseph Noyes Stevens Merrill Samuel Little Joseph Smith John Dole Petition to be set off as a Parish. To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq: Captain General and Commander in Chief of His Majesty's Province of New Hampshire; To the Honourable His Majesty's Council, and the Honourable House of Representatives. The Petition of the Inhabitants of the Westerly part of the Town of Plastow Sheweth, that by reason of the many & great difficulties they undergo in attending the Publick Worship of God, at the Meeting House where it now stands, through the great distance of their dwellings therefrom, and that MeetingHouse is not large enough to Acommodate more than One Half of the Inhabitants of said Town And as it would be greatly to the Benefit of your Petitioners and prevent Strife and Discord among the Inhabitants, and also tend to the advancement of the Gospel, your Petitioners humbly request that the Westerly Half of said Town may be set off as a Distinct Town, or Parish, the Dividing Line to run as followeth, Viz. Beginning at the North East corner of Benjamin & Ebenr Hale's Land, from thence running a straight Line to the Bridge near Ebenezer Eaton's, from thence running by the Brook unto the Road near David Bryant's and from thence running by said Road unto the Province Line. Your humble Petitioners desire your Excellency and Honours to take our Case into your wise Consideration and grant us that Relief and Benefit which to your Wisdom Shall Seem meet. And your Humble Petitioners as in Duty bound Shall ever Pray Plastow May ye 20 1766. N. Peabody Stephen Knight Nathaniel Page Ebenezer Chaplin Joseph Page Asa Haseltine Joseph Noyes John Knight Thomas Noyes Nath Knight Benja Hale Joseph Knight John Merrill Joshua Knight Samuel Little John Brown Enoch Noves Richard Brown Ebenezer Knight John Knight Jr. Oliver Knight Stephen Dole Moses Whittaker Daniel Hadley |