Grantees under the Governm of the Massachusetts, yet by virtue of such a Long Seizin in a Country so exposed where the Difficulty of Improving of Lands has been vastly beyond what it is near other settlements where the settlers have with a resolution & Courage scarce Parallell'd Maintain'd their Possessions against all Discouragements & made an useful settlement now in a condition to succour the neighbouring Infant Plantations they seem to have a Legal Right to hold the same Exonerated from all other Duty, than what Loyal Subjects owe to their Prince & the Government under which they live For they have Purchased the Estates they claim here at a Dear Rate upon a just Computation at Least they Humbly Conceive it must be allow'd that in Equity they ought so to Enjoy them: Wherefore they pray That your Excellency would be pleased to Incorporate the settlers upon & the Lands called Northfield within the Province of New Hampshire in consideration of the Premises with other particular Tracts laid out for farms to Particular persons (whose names are Distinguished in said List) adjacent there unto, Into a Township & Invest them with the Rights & Privileges which other Towns Enjoy in said Province if your Excellency & Honours can by any means grant the same But if not that you would be Pleased to grant the said Lands & Farms to the said Claimers in Proportion & according to their Respective claims with such other Lands not. claimed to such Persons as you shall Judge proper and Incorporate the whole as aforesd as that will greatly Facilitate the Further Cultivation & Improvement of said Lands and your Petitioners in Duty Bound shall ever pray &c. EBENEZER Hinsdale. [No date.] Petition of Proprietors and claimers of land in Northfield south of the Province line. Province of New Hampshire To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq. Governour & Commander in Chief in & over his Majesties Province of New Hampshire & to the Honble his Majesties Council for sd Province: The Petition of the Proprietors claimers of Land lying within his Majesties Province aforesaid heretofore Part of the Propriety & Town of Northfield as the same was granted by the Province of the Massats Bay but by the dividing Line of the Province now falls to the North of the said Dividing Line, Humbly shews that your Petitioners have long esteemed the sa Tract of Land their own Property but being informed by your Excellcy and Honours that the same is his Majesties to be granted to such of his subjects as are desirous to take a grant upon his Majesties Terms Conditions & Reservations, We Humbly pray that we may have a grant of the same so as not to interfere or destroy our former survey & laying out, which we hope considering our long Possession & the great Charge & cost we have been at in defending the same will give us the Preference to any others of his Majesties subjects and your Petitioners as in Duty bound shall ever pray Aug 29th 1753. Ebenezer Alexander Jonathan Belding Samuel Hunt Isaac Mattoon Nathl Mattoon Azariah Wright Ebenezer Severance Benjn Brooks Daniel Brooks Saml Merriman Seth Field Ebenr Field, Jr Moses Field Paul Field Joshua Lyman Zeb'dh Stebbins John Stratton Eleazer Stratton Hezekiah Stratton Jr Nathl Dickinson's Heirs Moses Dickinson Nathl Dickinson Willm Orvis Stephen Belding Asahel Burts, Heirs Aaron Burt Abraham Elgar Saml Root Simeon Alexander John Hollon Bildad Andras Joshua Holtons, Heirs Joseph Pettys, Heirs Jonathan Morton Petition of Ebenezer Hinsdale for protection against the Indians. Hinsdale Decemb' 24th 1755 To His Excelly Bening Wentworth Esq. Capt Gen & Commander in Chief in & over his Majestys Province of New Hampsh To the Honourble his Majestys Councill & House of Representatives when In Gen" Court Assembled. The petition of Ebenezer Hinsdale of Hinsdale in the province of New Hampsh' In behalfe of himself & others of said Town, Humbly Sheweth that the said Place is the first Town above the Massachusetts line on Connecticut River a part of which has been under Improvement for sixty or seventy years past; That they have now made Considerable Improvements Even above any Town Ship In the province of New Hampsh' on sd River; That they have been formerly Protected by the Province of the Massachusetts Bay but have Lately been much Neglected as not being within their Line of Jurisdiction; That of late we have been kindly cared for of your Excelly & Honours which Imboldens us to pray to you for yo' further care. We look upon ourselves one of the most Exposed places in these parts In as much as the desent from Crown Point by the way of Otter Creek & down west River (out of the way of our Forts at Lake George &c) Is as Easey by West River to us as by Black River to Charles town the uppermost Settlement on Connecticut River. It is Evident from the Numerous attacks made on this place at the close of the last Warr, and their Repeated strokes on us the last Summer that we are a people much Exposed & Stand in as special need of your Protection as any Place what so ever, and without it we cannot long continue here. I have Compleated the best fortification in these parts as will be allowed by any who have seen it. It appears hard to give it up to his Majestys Enemies, Never the less I must be obliged to Resign it with out your assistance In the Protection of it. We are in Constant fear of an Enemy desending upon us. since the forces are drawn off in a great measure from Lake George In as much as those Forts maintain'd there stand not in the Way of the Enemies usuall Desent upon these frontiers. We therefore Intreat you will afford us a speedy & Steady Protection & we as in Duty bound will ever pray. EBENEZ HINSDdale, In Council Jany 2d 1756, Read & recommended & ordered to be sent Down to the Honble Assembly Theod' Atkinson, Secry. Petition of Daniel Jones of Hinsdale for remission of taxes. To his Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq. Captain Generall and Governor in chief in and over his Majestys Province of New Hampshire and to the Honorable his Majestys Council and House of Representatives in Generall Court Assembled, June 25th 1766. The petition of Daniel Jones of Hinsdale within said Province of New Hampshire in Behalf of the Inhabitants of that part of Hinsdale which lieth within The province of New Hampshire aforesaid, Humbly shews That by his Majestys Order in Council of July 20th 1764 Connecticut River is the Dividing Line Between the Province of New Hampshire & New York By which settlements Near one half of y Poles and Rateable Estate within the Town of Hinsdale are taken into the Province of New York. By which means the Inhabitants of that part of said Hinsdale which lieth within the Province of New Hampshire have been obliged to pay for y year past towards the province tax that whole sum of money or proportion of the province tax that used to be Laid on the Inhabitants & Rateable Estate of ye Town of Hinsdale on Both sides of Connecticut River. Your Petitioner therefore in Behalf of the Inhabitants of y° town of Hinsdale within said Province of N. Hampshire Humbly prays your Excellency and Honors woud remit to said Inhabitants that part of the Province tax. that would have been laid on ye Inhabitants of Hinsdale on the Western side of Connecticut River had they have remained to ye Province of New Hampshire for y" year past & also to assess them for the Future in the same proportion with other Towns within said Province all which is humbly submitted by DAN JONES. June 5th 1766. Province of New Hampshire, In Council 4th July 1766, Read & Ordered to be sent down to the Honble house. T. Atkinson Jr. Secry. At a Legall meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Hinsdale held at Hinsdale on ye 30th day of October 1765, Voted, that Daniel Jones Esq. Messrs Thomas Taylor & Daniel Shattuck the Selectmen of said Town of Hinsdale or Either of them is hereby appointed and desired to prefer a petition to the Generall Court for the province of New Hampshire desireing an abatement of the province Tax for the present Year and for the Future as a Considerable part of said Town of Hinsdale that used to be Taxed for the support of the Province of New Hampshire is Now within the province of New York The above is a True Coppy of Record Extracted from the Records of the Towh of Hinsdale within the province of New Hampshire. Pr. Dan Jones Town Clerk, for said Hinsdale. Decem' 9th 1767. |