Original Proprietors. Jacob Canfield Ephraim Brockway Nehemiah Royce William Matson John Bettenham Proprietors by purchase. Sam Royce Right. Ezra Selden Benjamin Lee MERRIMACK. [Incorporated 2 April, 1745. ED.] Petition for a tax on non-resident lands. To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq. Gov & the Honble his Majestys Council & House of Representatives in Generall Assembly Convened at Portsmouth the 9th of April 1754. The petition of the Inhabitants of the Town of Merrimack Humbly Shews. That their settlement is in its Infancy the greatest part of the Inhabitants settled since the late war and have been at Large Expence in clearing and making of roads that they have Built & Have to maintain three great Bridges over Souheeg River besides many over severall other large Streams in that Town at the Expence of near a Thousand pounds besides other necessary Town charges which has all been Loaded on the few Inhabitants there settled and are now a going to erect a meeting house in s town the Burden whereof will be exceeding Heavy & a discouragement to persons settling there if the tax must wholly be Raised on Poles and estates. That theres a considerable quantity of unimproved Lands in sd Town owned by non-resident Gentlemen who has never been at any expence in Bringing forward the settlement or Otherways whereby the Inhabitants has been eased; That the settlers by their Labour & Industry has Increased the Vallue of such Lands more than four double to what they would have been & they must still greatly increase on the Florishing of the sd Town. Wherefore we Humbly pray that your excellency & Hon's would please to grant that all the lands Belonging to nonresident prop. in that town whereon settlement is not made may be taxed at Sixpence per acre for one year to be Improved for and Towards building a meeting house and two pence per acre for the next four years for and towards the support of a minister and your petitioners as in Duty bound shall ever pray. PHINEHAS UNDERWOOD CHEARITY LUND JOSEPH BLANCHARD jun Prov. N. Hamps. In council April 16th 1754 Select Read & ordered to be sent down, to y Honble House of Represents. Theod Atkinson, Secy. Province of In the house of Representatives April 16th 1754. New Hamps Upon reading the within petition, Voted that the Petitioners be heard on the within petition on the third day of the sitting of the Gen Assembly after the last day of June next, and that the petitioners at their own cost Insert the substance of the sd petition and orders thereon in two of the public papers viz' In the News Boy print and the Tuesdays paper three weeks successively, that any person or persons may shew cause if any they have, why the prayer of the petition should not be granted. In Council, Eodin Die Read & Concurr'd. Matthew Livermore, Clerk. Theodore Atkinson Secry. Province of In the House of Representatives Dec 14th 1754. Upon the motion of Mr Jonathan Lovewell that the foregoing within petition might be revived, Voted that the petitioners be heard on the within Petition on the third day of the sitting of the General Assembly next after the twentyeth day of January next and that the petitioners at their own cost Insert the substance of the said petition and orders thereon in one of the public news papers two weeks successively that any person or persons may shew cause if any they have why the prayer of the petition should not be granted. December 14, 1754. The above vote Read and Concurred. Theod. Atkinson Secry. Matthew Livermore Clerk. Province of Voted, That the prayer of s petition so far as relates to the six pence Pr acre to be Improved for & toward building a Meeting House be granted, that the Meeting House be built as soon as Conveniently may be & the acctts thereof laid before the Gen1 Assem3, & that the petitioners have Liberty to bring in an act accordingly. In Council Eodm Die. Hen. Sherburne Jr. Clr. P. T. Read & Concurr'd in appearing to the Board that advertizment agreeable to vote had been issued. Theodore Atkinson, Secry. Petition for dividing the State into Counties. To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq. Gov' & the Hon his Majestys Council & House of Representatives in Generall Assembly Convened at Portsmouth ye 9th of April 1754. Wee the subscribers Inhabitants of the Province of New Hamp' on the West side of Merrymac River, Would most Humbly Remonstrate, That the extent of the settlements in this Province is upwards of One Hundred miles Westward from Portsmouth the Place where all the Courts are held. That the Difficulties of Travill & expence to and from Portsmouth on all County Emergencies Lays the Western Inhabitants under Insuportable Disadvantage as well as Occasioning great delay to the Parties & Jurors who necessaryly attend the courts of Judicature, by which the Government is Greatly Impoverish That we Humbly apprehend these Grievances might be in some good meas" Redress" by dividing the Government into Two Countys. Which also would be a means of a great Increase of Inhabitants & Improvements in the Western parts of this Province. Wherefore we Humbly pray That your Excellency & Honors would take the premises into consideration & Divide the province into two Countys by such dividing Line & with such Powers and Authoritys as in your wisdom shall be tho' Best, and as in Duty Bound shall pray. Merrimack Names. Jon Cumings, Jr Zachariah Stearns Daniel Stearns William McCluer John McClencke Hugh Giles Robert Murdough James Cowans Thomas Vickere Jr Samuel Vose John Thome John Roby Petition of Inhabitants of Merrimack to be attached to Col. Goffe's Regiment. To the Honourable John Goffe Esq' Col° of the ninth Regiment of Melitia in the Province of New Hamp The Humble suplication of The Inhabitants of that part of Merrymac formerly Souhegan East, Sheweth, That your suplicants are exceeding Desireous if it might be granted to us to be under your Comand as our Col'no, & apprehend that as souhegan River was formerly the bounds between old Dunstable and the Souhegans as may appear pr the Plan & and there is at Least thirteen or fourteen Companys in Col Lovewills Regiment to the southward of said River, And that if the affair were fairly Represented to his Excellency our Governor your Honr might easely obtain our suplication-would pray your favour and Interest in behalf of this our Suplication with our Governor and shall as in duty bound ever pray. Benja Baxter Thomas Vickere Jr John Stewart Alexander McCaly James McCalley William Alld James Cowan Robert Griffin Samuel McConihie John McConihie William Henry John Henry Jr Robert McCormick Mathew Miller MONADNOCK NO. 7. Petition for an Act of Incorporation. To His Excellency John Wentworth Esq Capt General Governor & Commander in chief in & Over the Province of New Hamp The Hon his Majesties Council for said Province. Humbly shew, Jonathan Blanchard & Oliver Parker agents Legally chosen for the Freeholders & Inhabitants of that Tract of Land in said Province Known by the name of Monadnock number seven. That your petitioners Entred into and upon the premises under a Title from the Proprietors of Masons Right so called & have with great Toil & Labour form'd very considerable settlements therein. That the Tract of land afores contains about six miles square, & is well situated for a Township that they have built a Meeting house & have had preaching occasionally for eighteen months Last past that they Labour under difficulties for want of an Incorporation which if obtained would greatly Promote the Public good. Wherefore your Petitioners humbly pray they may be Incorporated into a Body Politick to have continuance & be Invested with all the Powers Priviledges & Immunities that other Towns in said Province by Law Exercise & enjoy, And your Petitioners as in Duty Bound shall ever pray. JOHN BLANCHARD |