Town and Parrish in General Assembly-That Tho Bell & Rich Jenness Esqrs. wer chosen or said to be chosen for the Purpose above mentioned w yo' Petition Conceive was Illegal for that Sundry Persons were admitted to Vote at said Meeting which were not Qualify'd as the Law Directs in Such Cases together with some other Illegal Practices used In order to obtain Said choice which may be made appear when the Hon House shall be pleased to order A Hearing thereon wh we pray may be Granted as Early as will Suit with the Priviledges and Interests of those Libertys of which your HonTM are the Guard, and yo' Petiti" further pray y upon the Proof of this their Complaint y' the said Thomas Bell & Rich Jenness Esqrs. may be Dismist the House and y the said Town of New Castle and Parrish of Rye may have the Liberty of an other Choice and yo' Petits ass in Duty bound shall Ever Pray.

Petition for aid in behalf of the Ministry.

To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esqr. Capt. General Governor & Commander in Chief in & over His Majesty's Province of New Hampshire the Honble His Majesty's Council & House of Representatives for Said Province in General Assembly Convened May 27th 1748

The Humble Petition of Joseph Newmarch & Matthew Livermore Esqrs. as agents for the Town of New Castle in Said Province Shews

That by an Act made & pass'd in the twelfth year of His Late Majestys Reign Entituled an Act for the Settling & Establishing of two Parishes in the Town of New Castle, Among other things it is Enacted that in Consideration the

Meeting house at the Island is Conveniently Situated for the Soldiery Posted at his Majestys Fort William & Mary to Repair to for the Benefit of the Gospel-Ministry that there be twenty four pounds paid annually out of the Excise towards the Support of a Gospel Minister on the Said Island. That the said Grant has not been duly Complied with & paid which as the said Town & the Minister there have had hopes & Expectations of & Really wanted has been Detrimental to both and having a just claim to by the said act think that a farther Delay of the payment thereof will be keeping them ought of their Right & Still a greater Injury as the Nominal Sum is not a third part of the Real value it would have been if Seasonably & annually paid. Wherefore your Petitioners in behalf of their Principals Humbly Pray that the premises may be considered that they may be heard thereon & have leave to shew what is now justly due upon the said Grant & that the same and all arrearages thereof & whatsoever is due may be paid without further Delay and your Petitioners as in duty bound Shall ever Pray &c.

Coun1 Eodem Die

JOSEPH NEWMARCH
MATTHEW LIVERMORE

read & ordered to be sent down to the Honble House

Theodore Atkinson Secy

Prov of New Voted That ye Petitioners be heard on this Petition on

In the House of Representatives 28th May 1748

Hampshire

June 34 1748

Fryday next at three o'clock P. M.

D. Peirce, Clr.

Voted That the Petitioners be heard on this Petition ye Third Day of ye Setting of next Gen' assembly.

D. Peirce Clr.

Rev. Mr. Blunt's Petition.

To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq Province of Governor & Commander in Chief In & over N. Hamp His Majestys Province of New Hampshire The Honorable His Majesty's Council and House of Representatives for said Province in General Court Convened. The Petition of John Blunt of New Castle in the Province of New Hampshire Clerk Humbly Shews

That in the year of Our Lord 1726 a Law was pass'd by the General Assembly of this Province wherein (among other things) it is Enacted that In Consideration that the Meeting House on the Great Island is Conveniently Situated for the Soldiers Posted at His Majesty's Fort William & Mary

that twenty four Pounds per annum be paid out of the Excise towards the Support of a Gospel Minister on the said Island," by virtue whereof & of your Petitioner's sustaining that office there, he humbly conceives he has a just claim to the payment of the aforesaid Sum annually from the_time of his Settlement in that Capacity, & that no Legal or Rational objection has ever been or can be made to the payment thereof so long as the Said Law Remains in being & full force which he also Conceives to be the Case & consequently that the non payment thereof yearly but much more the delay of doing it for so long a time as it has been your Petitioners Right is manifestly a Great Injury to him.

That your Petitioner thinks he has the same Claim to the aforesaid Sum of money as he would have had to any Real Estate Granted by the Same Authority which is no more weaken'd because not paid as it became due than in the case of a Real Estate because one that has no Right Keeps the Possession a few years which no man would pretend to, And that Denying a due Compliance with the acts of the Governm is not only a Breach of Public Faith, but of very ill Example to those who are the subjects of the Good & wholesome Laws of the Province.

That as your Petitioner in his Settlement had some Regard to the aforesaid grant it has been a Considerable Disappointment to him that it has not been punctually complied with as every Gentleman upon the least attention to the Circumstances of the said place must needs allow.

Wherefore your Petition' most humbly Prays that Effectual Provision may now be made for the payment of what is in arrearage & due to him agreeable to the aforesaid Grant, & for the due & Seasonable payment thereof for the future, and your Petitioner as in duty Bound shall ever pray.

JN° BLUNT.

March 1741

In the House of Representatives March the 10th 1741-2
The within Petition Read and Voted that the Petitioner be heard on
Thursday next at three of the Clock in the afternoon

James Jeffry Clr. Assm

Rich Waldron sec.

Same day A: M:

assented to

B. WENTWORTH

An acco' of the Persons y Voted at the Election of Representatives

for the Town of New Castle and Parrish of Rye att New Castle on the 2nd Day of Jany 1748 wth the Petiti annexd to this Referd too as Persons who Ware not Qualify'd to Vote in Said Choice and are as Followeth

Petition of New Castle relating to a Lottery to build a Bridge.

To his Excellency the Governour of New Hampshire, The Honourable his Majestyes Council, and House of Representatives, in General Assembly conven'd.

We being appointed a Committee by the Inhabitants of the Town of New Castle in said Province, to Petition the said General assembly for the Priviledge of a Lottery in Order to enable us to build a Bridge over Little Harbour River as set forth in our Petition now before you, beg leave to offer these following Reasons for the same viz:

1. The only Barrier or Forte, by Sea, belonging to this Province is in New Castle, or on the Island called great Island, and the only Place by Sea, which is in danger of being Attack'd by a foreign Enemy.

2. We the Inhabitants of said Island, ordinarily, have not more than Men enough to take care of our wives and Children, and to convey them to a Place of Safety, in case of a Sudden Invasion.

3. It will be really Necessary for the Safety of this Province, more Especially for the Towns adjacent to said Island, That we be so accommodated as that a Suficient number of men from the main may with speed and Conveniency, come to us for our defence and safety, in case we are suddenly invaded by a foreign Enemy.

4. We have not a sufficient number of Boats neither can we Expect that the Province will at their charge Provide and Keep in repair such a Number as may be Necessary to convey so many men to us as we shall need, in Case we are Distressed by an Enemy. Therefore

5. It is absolutely necessary that a Bridge be built over Little

Harbour-River from Saunders Point on the Main to said Island. And then

2. With regard to us the Inhabitants of said New Castle or great Island, We would observe, The flourishing and Prosperous State of any Town in a Province more Especially of a Barrier-Town, is for the good and wealfair of the whole Community.

3. Altho' said Island is a Barrier Town, yet, we, the Inhabitants, are but in low Circumstances considering our Long Standing.

4. The only way which we can think of at Present to retrieve our Circumstances, and to Enable us the better to bear a Part in the Defence and Support of the Government, is that we may have a free and Open Communication with the Inhabitants on

the Main

5. And this. appears to us, can only be effected by building a Bridge over said River, and then the Inhabitants on the Main can bring and sell to us the Necessaries of Life, which will save us a great deal of time and expence; and which must if rightly improved by us increase our wealth and strength, and be no ways detrimental to our Neighbors.

Therefore for the Reasons above said with what we have suggested in our Petition now before you we Earnestly desire that the Prayer thereof may be Granted.

N. SARGENT
JO FROST

New Castle April ye 25 1757

Committee for the Inhabitants of New Castle.

New Castle Petition for a Lottery to build a bridge. Province of To his Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq' N. Hampshire J Captain General Govenour and Commander in Chief in and over his Majestys Province aforesaid, The Honourable his Majestys Council and House of Representatives for said Province.

The Petition of us the Subscribers Humbly sheweth, Whereas your Petitioners for many years past have been great sufferers for want of a better Conveniency of passing from the great Island to the Continent and at some seasons of the year it is almost if not quite impracticable to pass to the Main and so for the People on the Main to come to us which is the reason why the Country People bring not to us the Necessaries of Life to Vend as otherwise they would do and our poorer