Gambar halaman
PDF
ePub

Seal of Londonderry Charter

Charter of Londonderry.

George by the Grace of God of Great Britain France & Ireland King Defender of the Faith &c.

TO ALL PEOPLE to whom these presents Shall come, Greeting: Know ye, That we of our Especial Knowledge and meer motion for the due Encouragement of settling a new plantation by and with the advice and Consent of our Council have Given and Granted and by these presents as far as in us lyes, do give and grant in Equal shares unto Sundry of our Beloved Subjects whose Names are Entered unto a Schedule hereunto annexed That Inhabit or shall inhabit within the said Grant within our Province of New Hampshire all that Tract of Land within the following Bounds Being ten miles square or so much as amounts to Ten miles square and no more-Beginning on the North East Angle at a Beach Tree marked which is the south East angle of Chester and Running from thence due South on Kingstown Line four miles and an half and from thence on a West Line one mile and three Quarters and from thence South six miles and an half and from thence West north West nine miles and an half, and from thence North Eleven miles and an half from thence north north East Three miles from thence East South East one mile and from thence South South West to the South West Angle of Chester and from thence on an East Line Bounding on Chester Ten miles unto the Beach Tree first mentioned. And that the same be a Town Corporate by the name of Londonderry to the persons aforesaid forever, provided Nevertheless and the True Intent and meaning of these presents is any thing to the contrary Notwithstanding, that Nothing in this our said Grant shall extend to or be understood to extend to Defeat prejudice or make null and void any claim Title or pretence which our Province of the Massachusetts Bay may have to all or any part of the Premises Granted as aforesaid or the Right Claim Property or Demand of any Private Person or Persons by Reason and means of all or any part of the said Granted Premises falling within the Line as Boundaries of our said Province of the Massachusetts Bay. To Have and to Hold the said land to the Grantees and their Heirs and assigns forever upon the following Conditions, Viz1 1st That the Proprietors of every share Build a Dwelling House within three years and settle a Family therein and Break up three acres of Ground and plant or sow the same within four years and pay his or their proportion of the Town charges when and so often as occasion shall require the same.

2 That a meeting House be built within four years.

3dly That upon Default of any particular proprietors in Complying with the Conditions of this Charter on his part such delinquent proprietor shall forfeit his share to the other proprietors to be Disposed of by Vote of the Major part of the proprietors. And in case of an Indian Warr within four years more after the said Warr is ended for performance of these conditions the said men and Inhabitants also Rendering and paying for the same to us our Heirs and successors or to such officer or officers as shall be appointed to Receive the same the annual Quit Rent or acknowledgment of one Peck of Potatoes on the first day of October yearly for ever Reserving also to us our Heirs and Sucessors all mast Trees Growing on said Tract of Land according to the acts of Parliament in that behalf made and provided and for the better order Rule and Government of the said Town We do by these presents grant for us our Heirs and successors unto the said grantees that yearly and every year upon the fifth day of march for ever except upon the Lords day and then upon the monday next following they shall meet elect and

choose by the Major part of the electors present all Town officers according to the Laws and usage of the other Towns within our said province for the year ensuing with such power privilidges and authoritys as other Town officers in our province aforesaid do Enjoy as also that upon every Wednesday in the Week for ever they may Hold Keep and enjoy a market for the buying and selling of goods Wares and Merchandize and all Kind of Creatures, endowed with the usual priviledges, profits and Immunities as other market Towns usually hold possess and enjoy and Two Fares annually for ever the first to be held or kept within the said Town on the Eighth day of October next and so De anno in annum for ever and the other on the eighth day of May following in like manner provided if it should so Happen that either of the days fall on the Lords then the said Fares shall be held and kept the day following, and that the said Fare shall have hold and possess the libertys, Priviledges and Immunities that other Fares in other Towns usually possess Hold & Injoy.

In Witness whereof we have Caused the seal of our said Province to be hereunto affixed. Witness, Samuel Shute, Esq Our Governour and Commander in Chief of our said Province, the 21st day of June Anno Domini 1722, and in the Eighth year of our Reign.

By advice of the Council.

Copy Examined,

Theodore Atkinson Secry.

SAMUEL SHUTE.

Richard Waldron, Cler.

The Schedule of the names of the Proprietors of London

[blocks in formation]

derry.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

Daniel McDoughty 1-2
Samuel Huston 1.
John Shields 1-2

James Rodgers 1-2

Joseph Simmons 1.

Elias Keyes 1.

John Roby 1.

[blocks in formation]

I-2

John, Peter and

Andrew Cochran (

James Grage

Samuel Graves &

Robert Boise

James Ackin 1

I

I.

William Ackin 1
Edward Ackin 1.
John Wallace 1.
Benjamin Willson 1-
Andrew Todd 1.
John Bell 1.
Capt Cargill for \

I.

2 Servants
George Clark 1-2
Thomas Clark 1-2
Nehemiah Giffen 1-2
James McGlason 1-2
The parsonage Lot 1.
John Barnet Jr. 1.
John McConey I
John Woodbourn 1

John Maclarge 1-2 ?

Benning Wentworth 1.

Richard Waldron Jr. 1.

[ocr errors]

Lieutenant Governor Went

worth 1.

Robert Armstrong 1.

Robert Auchmuty 1.

Memorandum over & above what is already given in this schedule is added to Mr M Gregore 250 acres, to Mr M Keen 250, to Mr David Cargil 100 acres to Mr James Grage 150, to John Goffe 100, for good service and to the Two last mentioned, viz Grage and Goffe a mill Stream within the said Town for their good Services in promoting the settlement of the said Town.

Province of New Hampshire

Richard Waldron,

Clr. of the Council

June 21st 1722. Admitted Proprietors and Commoners in the town of Londonderry with the Persons mentioned in the Schedule His Excellency Governor Shute, a Home Lot and 500 acres, His Honour Lieutenant Governour Wentworth a Home Lot & 500 acres Samuel Penhallow Esq. 1 share. Mark Hunking 1 share, George Jaffrey 1, Shadrack Walton 1 Richard Wibird 1, Thomas Westbroke, 1, Thomas Packer 1, Archibald Mcpheadris 1.

Richard Waldron

Clr of the Council.

Province of Enter'd and Recorded according to the original the New Hampshire 15th Day of June 1743

Copy Examined,

Pr. Theodore Atkinson, Secry.

Copy Examin'd, p. Geo: Jaffrey, C.

P Theodore Atkinson, Secry

Petition about running the lines.

To the Honourable the Lieu' Governour and Council of New Hampshire.

The humble petition of James MacKeen and James Greg in the name of the people of Nutfield, Humbly Sheweth.

That your Petitioners are deeply sensible of the divine goodness in disposing the Honourable Lieu' Governour and Čouncil of this Province from time to time to father and support our settlement.

That our Plantation is very numerous for the time, that our first divisions are filled with Inhabitants, and that we are ready to lay out and fill up Second divisions.

That we find ourselves too much confined in respect of room by the lines of Dunstable and Haverill and having no other way to enlarge ourselves but to the Northward, we did on the eighteenth day of April last run a line from the most northerly Angle or corner of Haverill a mile and half Westward, and then turned Northward; That the people of Cheshire have lately run a divisional line too close upon us and have cut off diverse of our homestedd divisions; which was the more surprising to us in regard it was done without our Knowledge. Tho' the people of Cheshire were ordered by the honourable Lieut Governour Wentworth, before they did run the additional line, which themselves had consented to run west North west from the Peke of Haverill, to give us advertisement.

May it therefore please your honours to give orders for the running of a West north west Line from the said Corner of Haveril as a mean between our Line and that of Cheshire, and that our second divisions which we are now ready to lay out and fitt up along the said line may not be disturbed in their settlement. And y Petitioners as in duty bound shall ever Pray &.

Province of

Petition relating to common lands.

New Hampshire (

To the Honble John Wentworth Esq. Lieut Gov & Comander in Chief in & over his Majey Province of New Hampshire & to the Honble ye council & house of Representatives in Gen" Court assembled.

The petition of us y subscribers, Inhab & prop' of Londonderry within his Maj Province Most Humbly Sheweth.

That in y year 1722, By the special Grace & bounty of this Govern, yo Pete & Sundry others of his Majestys Most Duty full Protestant subjects were embodied into a Township & favoured with a Charter for ye Town by y name of London

derry and were thereby entitled to all ye Priviledges, Right &c Imunitys yt other Towns in ye sd Province usually hold & enjoy, y' in May 1723 the s town voted y' three men should Lay out ye wants of homesteads and amendments & to y' David Cargill, Wm Aiken & Jn MacMurphy were appointed ye three men, on y 20 of Jany 1723-4 it was also voted y committee before appointed to lay out wants of homestead & amendm shall lay out ye same quantity, quality Distence & Conveniency considered, yt on ye 6th of March 1726-7, Andrew Todd, Wm Aiken & Jn Mc Murphy were Chosen a comittee for laying out ye wants of Homesteads, Highway Land & Amendm's tho y Petit humbly observe there were some y' put in their disent agast ye same, yt yes committee with taking any previous oath to ye true & faithfull Discharge of y trust reposed in them as affores proceeded in their work, but with what equality & justice will appear to yor hon from very many Instances to long to be enumerated in y body of this petition; but by a paper here to annexed with reference thereunto being had more fully will appear y after yes Comittee had thus with any regard to proportion & Justice; but in so doing served not only y interest of yselves but of such others who were so happy as to gain their fav' at y Expence of Many of ye old prop Interest & Just Right & Title in such comon & undevided lands as they thus unequally laid out yt ye sd Lott layers with' even acquainting yes town with these their s" proceedings for approbation, or according to Law equity & Good Conscience they ought to Do, gave to such persons as they laid out to Coppy of thair respective Lotts, who Imedately recorded ye same in y Province & Toun Records, y most of y substantial & well thinking prop' of ye sd Town being Justly alarmed at these extraordinary & unprecentall proceedings at a town meeting Sometime in August last, Voted y Actings & Doings of y sd Comittee to be null & void as by s Vote more fully will appear to y hon' whereupon It was to be hoped yt ye same would put an end to ye unhappy distractions & Divisions of s Town. But so it is: and so a prop' y' this Day had a part Interest thro out ye whole town, tomorrow has not half ye Interest & ye next Day regains his sa Right & Interest & ye day following is stript of ye same & all this done with any act of his own but by a majTM Vote Pretended and thus Right & property is evidently rendered uncertain & fluctuating & misera est Servilus ubi fus est vacuum & by ye same doctrine& Rule ye Maj' vote may give or lay out all y right and property of y minority from them

That yor petit endeavoured to Conciliate these differences by having ye same determined by Indifferent who should examine ye Justice & equality of ye sd comittee in their several

« SebelumnyaLanjutkan »