Jan the 27th 1741. In the house of Representatives. The within Petition Read, and voted that the Petitioners serve the Executors or adm's of the Late Reverend M Thomson, with a coppy of the Petition and votes thereon, that they may appeare at the Gen Assembly as soon as Possible (& bring a coppy of the said Mr Thomsons will or letters of administration), and to shew cause (if any they have) why the prayer of the Petition may not be granted, and if they cannot appeare while assembly is now sitting, then to appeare the 34 day of the siting of the next sessions of Gen Assembly. James Jeffrey Clr. AssTM B. WENTWORTH. In the House of Representatives March the 12ta 1741-2. Upon Reconsidering the above vote of the House of the 27th Jan. last past, Voted that the Petitioners Serve the Ex" or Adm of the Late Reverend Mr Thomson (Late of Londonderry Cle Deceased) with a coppy of the Petition and the order of the Gen' Assembly thereon to notifie the said Ex or adm ́ afforesaid to appear at the Gen assembly next thursday at ten of the clock in the forenoon, to shew cause (if any he or they have) why the Prayer of the Petition may not be granted, & if the Gen Ass shall not then be sitting then to appeare the 3 day of the sitting of the Gen' Assembly next sessions. James Jeffry Čler. Ass In the House of Representatives March the 10th 1741-2 The within petition Read, The Petitioner James Reed appear'd & Robert Boyce Esq adm to the Rev Mr. Tomsons Estate appeared the Parties heard & Voted, That the Prayer of the Petition be granted and that James Rodgers, John Wallace & Thomas Couchran be authorized & Impowered to make Division of the Land mentioned in the Petition: and that the Petitioners have liberty to bring in a Bill accordingly. James Jeffry Cler. Assu In Council Eod. Die R. Waldron, Secry. Eodem Die Assented to B. WENTWORTH. Petition of inhabitants of old and new Parishes of Londonderry. To his Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq. Governor and Commander in chief in and over his Majtes province of New hampshire the Honourable his Majesties Councill for said Province and the house of Representatives in Generall Assembly Convened. The Petition of Sundry of the Inhabitance of Londonderry in the province of New hampshire belonging to the old and new parishes humbly Sheweth. That whereas in february in the year 1739-40 there was a new parish sett off in this town by the Generall Court, Granting Liberty to fourty famelyes that lived within the Bounds of the said new parish still to Remain members of the old parish with their estates and at the same time granted Liberty that fourty famelys that lived within the Bounds of the old parish Should become members of the new parish With their estates if they saw cause. Which accordingly was performed and that still their was some few famelys and single persons in Both parishes that was not contented because they were obliged to pay there parish Tax where they properly belonged and went to the contrary parish to the publick worship, and that whereas freedom and Liberty is most to be Desired especially in Religious affairs and whereas every christian ought chiefly to study those things That will be most for the advancement of the Redeemers Kingdom out of a consious consern for those persons that they might obtain their freedom and liberty as well as the Rest of the people of this town the Two parishes chose each of them a committee to see to accomodate that affair who is the Subscribers to this petition and was legaly chosen for Said End, and accordingly we meet and after some conversation about the affair we came to a mutuall agreement that all persons who had a mind to become members of the new parish should on a certain day then appointed meet the two committees and sign their names to said agreement which is two tedious here to Insert and those that had a mind to become members of the old parish had the same liberty and accordingly at the Day appointed the people came and signed their names only their is a saving clause in said agreement that we did not Intend any Infringment on the Court Act Relating to the fourty famelys belonging to each parish; Wherefore your petitioners humbly prays your Excellency the Honourable the Councill and house of Representatives that you would be pleased to pass an act to establish this our agreement, & that those persons. with their estates who hath already signed their names with us may become members of the old and new parish as they have signed, and that you would be pleased to Incorporate the new parish into a town & have priveledges as other towns except it be about highway work and taking the Invoice for the payment of the publick tax. Likewise that you would be pleased to explain the former act Relating to the fourty famelys that is to say whither on the sale of any of those fourty estates the purchaser shall be obliged to pay his parish tax where the estate was signed unto, or whither he may be at his Liberty to go to the other parish if he sees good. Also that all trangent persons who shall come to sojourn in this town shall have liberty to sign there names in three months after there arrivall with the Selectmen of the parish where they design to Belong and shall be oblidged to pay there taxes there and your petitioners as in Duty bound ever shall pray. In the House of Representatives 9hr the first 1741. The within Petition Read and parties heard, and Voted that the Prayer of the Petition be so far Granted as concerns the signers mentioned in the agreem mentioned in the Petition and that the new Parish be made a perticular Precinct by the name of and y they have the prevelidges as other towns or Parishes have by the Laws of this Province excepting the choice of assembly man which shall be chosen as formerly By the whole Town, and as to the forty familys formerly Polled off in either new or old pish, that their persons or estates stand as they are and likewise their successors in the several estates either by Descent or purchase to Remaine the same having sign according as the Petition mentioned and as to any new Comers that is Tradesmen or ministers & that Shall Signifie to the clerk of the Town within 3 months after they come there to live, where they will belong, and that all children & Servants when they become Rateable shall pay where their parents or Masters pay, and that the Petition's have liberty to Bring in a Bill accordingly. James Jeffrey Cler. Ass In Coun. March 13th 1741-2 Same day R. Waldron Assented to, B. WENTWORTH. Petition of selectmen respecting Parish bounds. To His Excellency Bening Wentworth Esq. Governour and Commander in Chief in and over his Majo Province of New Hampshire and to the Honie his Majs Council of said Province. The Humble Petition of the select men of the town of Londonderry in the province aforesaid most Humbly sheweth, That your petitioners Laying upon or near to the boundery line of the province and so a grait part of our town always disputed in the Law by which your petitioners yet labors in enumerable difiquelty which is attended with large expence and yet some of the desturbers of our peace and not our peace only but of the peace of other towns and also of the province itself, have as we understand petitioned for a part of our town on the East part of our town to be annexed to a new parish or town of there own forming by which if granted would in a measuer destroy our old parish and cut a grait many mens estates to pieces. May it therefor pleas your Excelency and Honors to take our case into your consideration and not to brake in on our town in any ways which if don will render our town for ever miserable and your petitioners as in duty bound shal ever pray. Deatted at Londonderry, February y 10th 1746-7 HUGH WILLSON ADAM CLENDININ Select men Province of Petition to be Taxed in Nottingham-West. The petition of Sundry Inhabitants now within the lines of Londonderry whose names are entered on the Back hereof most humbly shews, That whereas by the unhappiness of the line formerly not being Known and agreed to by this and the Massachusetts Province the grant of Dunstable and Londonderry Interfered, by which means wee and the chief part of our Lands fall within Londonderry That when we began our settlements there, we was part of the town of Nottingham, and considered as such both as to Duty & Priviledge. That by the late Incorporation of the lands adjoining to Londonderry we were not considered in their Resettlement and Building their meeting house" Neither is the settlement of either of the meeting housen in Londonderry which are sett on the Northeasterly part of that town ten miles from the greatest part of us from some of us eleven and that none of us live within nine miles the Road we pass to the nearest of their meeting housen. That upon our application to this Hon Assembly sometime since we obtained the favour to be Dismissed from the Taxes Londonderry had then assessed us and in the future till the further order of this assembly. That altho Nottingham and Litchfield meeting housen are under their last Regulation sett about three miles nearer than Londonderry yet the travill is so far that it is very difficult for us to attend their great part of the year, yett Nottingham has been the place wee have attended the ministry when the season was such we could travill. That the distance we are from Londonderry renders it Impracticable for us and our familys to attend there on Lords days and their Known numbers and Riches leaves no room for pretending to need us to support that charge. Nottingham has hitherto favoured us with Liberty to meet with them and are still willing without our being taxed to the support of their minister. That we shall chearfully amongst our selves in the Winter season hire as much as our abilities will admit till we may by some future opportunity be Better accomodated. Wee justly expect and are Willing to pay to the support of Government (an Invaluable priviledge) what our Equitable part is & shall be. That ever since we have been settled, have & still do keep and maintain Good Hyways thro all that part we claim where they have been found of convenience & are Willing to continue so to do: Wherefore we Humbly pray that your Excellency & Honours would be pleased to take these premises into your consideration & to grant that wee may be altogether freed and not subjected to any Tax or assessment in Londonderry, and that wee may be so far sett of and annexed to Nottingham west as to be taxed with them to the province charges; and as in duty Bound shall ever pray. Ebenezer Spalding Joseph Kidder Richard Marshall George Burroughs Gorge Burroughs Jr William Butterfield Ezekiel Page Leonard Cumings Stephen Spaulding John Kidder Moses Barret Nathaniel Hills David Lawrence Stephen Lowell. Joseph Kidder Prov. New Hamps In Council Jan. 9th 1754, read & Ordered to be sent Down to the Honble House of Representatives. Province of) In the house of Represeniatives January the 9th 1754. New Hamp Upon reading the within Petition Voted that the Petitioners be heard on the within Petition on the third Day of the sitting of the General Assembly next after the 1st day of March next & that the Petitioners at their own cost serve the select men of Londonderry with a Copy of this Petition & of the order thereon that they may shew cause if any they have why the prayer of the petition should not be granted Matthew Livermore, Clerk. |