Almsbury on the 25th day of July last, a vote passed impowering your Petitioner to make application to your Excellency & Honors for an Incorporation of said Township. Your petitioner therefore humbly prays that the said Township of New Almsbury may be incorporated by the following Bounds, viz. Beginning at a Place called & known by the Name of Contoocook, thence running north fifteen degrees West six miles, then running from each end of this line West five degrees South six miles, then crossing & running over on a strait course from one end of these last mentioned lines at the end of the said six miles to the other, so as to make up the Quantity of six miles square and no more.” Your petitioner begs leave to suggest to your Excellency and Honors that the said Township consists of upwards of fifty Families & settlers, that they have had a Minister settled & have paid Province taxes two years, and that their Roads are in want of repair. He therefore most humbly prays that your Excellency & Honors will grant the Prayer of this his Petition, and as in duty bound he will ever pray. Portsm" 3 Septem' 1774. FRANCIS DAVIS. WEARE. [This town was incorporated September 21, 1764, and received its name in honor of Hon. Meshech Weare. ED.] Petition of Inhabitants of Hale's Town, now Weare. Province of New Hampshire S To his Excellency Bening Wintworth Esq Capt. General and Governor and comander in Chief in and over this his Majesty's Provence of New Hampshier, the Honnourable his Majesty's Counsel. the Humble Pettition of the Inhabitants of that Tract of land known by the name of Hails Town, otherwise called Col Weares Town, Humbly shewith: That your Pettitioners are under grate disadvantages for want the Prviligs of other Towns in this Provence in chusinge Town officers and laying out and manding High-Ways, gitting and supporting a Minister and maney other things that are Netsetry for the good and Bennfit of the Town: Where for your Pettitioners Humbly pray your Excelency and Honors to in Corprate us into a Town granting us all the Prebilidgs and Immunitys of other Towns in this Provence, and your Pettitioners as in Dutey Bound shall ever pray. Dated at Hailes Town this 3 day of April, 1764. Asa Heath Josiah Brown Jeremiah Allen Jacob Jewell Abraham Johnson WENTWORTH. [Wentworth was granted Nov. 1, 1766, to John Page, Esq. and others. The paper which follows was found in a mutilated state. It appears to be a List of those who had original Rights in the Township of Went worth and made improvements thereon. See MS. Vol. VI. p. 393. ED.] Those original Rights in the Township of Wentworth * is improvement made on, viz. Revd Mr. Webster. WESTMORELAND. [Formerly called Great Meadows; was settled in 1741. ED.] Petition of Inhabitants. The Petition of the Inhabitants now resident at the Great Meadows on Connecticut river with other the inhabitants below on the said River, to the Gentlemen Petitioners for the Equivalent Land lying on the western side of the said River, conven'd at Worcester May the 13th 1752. GENTLEMEN-We have made this place the constant and settled place of our abode for several years before the last French and Indian War and have sustained many distressing losses from the French and Indian enemy during the time and continuance of the s war; Particularly our houses were burned, our cattle kill'd, some of our persons captivated and others put to death; we were confined to the small inclosure of a Garrison or Fort in which we were harried with the continual Incursions of the Enemy; wee were deprived of the advantage of our cropps by reason of the constant lurking of the Enemy, and not having souldiers sufficient for so small a number of Inhabitants to remain unmoveable were obliged to withdraw and desert our habitation which we enjoy'd peacably not as tenants to any gentlemen whatsoever, but in freehold as others of his Majesties faithful and loyal subjects; and upon our leaving our Fort immediately the Enemy burn'd the same down to the ground to our greater Damage with near the one half of our goods then present on the spott. After our departure we remained in the warrs for subsistance for ourselves and familys who was then without habitation. And now we are informed of the goodness of the Gentlemen Petitioners for the said Equivalent land in which we abide, that there is room left for such as wee to come in with them as proprietors to the said land, and hereupon wee send that we may have the same conferr'd on us, which we do now request and petition for hoping as this is seasonably sent to the proprietors by the first opportunity wee had, do hope you will please to take into deep consideration these our past difficulties afore mentioned, and but just hinted at, you'll do by us accordingly, as also, inasmuch too, as we were absent but part of the space of two years from the said land; and wee do also Certify you, gentlemen, that wee were at the entire cost and expence of our Fort ourselves without the help of any person or persons whatsoever, but particularly Major Willard or any of his Relations whatsoever, which we are ready further to confirm by our Oaths; and forasmuch as some of us hath been settled on the spot for near fourteen years past without molestation or hindrance, and some of us hath lost three houses past and now live in the fourth house, to our further Expence ;-Therefore wee humbly Leave the same with you Gentlemen and hope to hear an answer from you to our satisfaction, wishing and praying you the full and perfect grant according to your petition, and conclude ourselves, Gentlemen, your most Humble and Obliged Petitioners & ser These now living (JOSEPH PERRY at the Great Meadows. PHILLIP ALEXANDER Dwelling (JOHN ALEXANDER To the Gentlemen Petitioners for the Great Meadows. WILTON. [The first settlement in this town was made in 1738, by three families from Danvers, Ms., two by the name of Putnam, and one by the name of Dale. The town was incorporated. June 25. 1762, and derived its name from an ancient borough in Wiltshire, Eng. Before incorporation it was called No. 2. ED.] Province of Deed from Joseph Blanchard, Esq. New Hampshier ( Pursuant to Power and Authority granted & vested in me by the Proprieters of Lands purchased of John Tufton Mason Esq' in the Province of New Hampshier by their votes passed at their meeting held at Portsmouth in said Province the 16 Day of June A: D. 1749: I DO, By these Presents, on the terms and conditions hereafter express'd, Give and Grant unto Thomas Read, Esq Rob' Fletcher, Jun., Joseph Blanchard, Jun., Oliver Colburn, Oliver Ferwel, John Usher, Thomas Spalden, John Lovel, jun. Peter Powers, Humphrey Hobs, John Combs, Joseph Blodget, Sam Fowl, Josiah Swan, Ezra Carpenter, Jonathan Cumings, Thomas Parker, jun John Farnum, Will Foster, Rev Mr. Thomas Parker, Josiah Butterfield, Anthony Emery, Benjamin Parker, jun. Nehemiah Abbot, Sam Greeley, Benjamin Ferwell, Oliver Whiting, Joseph Richardson, BenjTM Ferley, John Kindall, Abraham Kindal, David Adams, Joseph French, Elizur Blanchard, Zacheus Lovwel, Sam Ferley, Will Cumings, Jonathan Powers, Sam Cumings, Archelus Dale, Jacob Putnam, Nathan Putnam, John Dale, Stephen Heriman, John Shed and Ephraim Putnam:-all the rights title and property of the Grantors aforesaid, of, in, and to all that part of a Township or Tract of Land in the Province of New Hampshier afore s, containing Five miles square, Lying on the branches of Souhegan River, between Peter-Borough & Monson, Bounded as follows: Beginning at the South West Corner of the Premises at a White Pine Tree which is the North West Corner of the Township No. 1, and runs from thence North Five Miles to a White Ash mark'd; from thence East Five Miles to a Stake and Stones: from thence South five miles to a Chestnut Tree Mark'd; from thence West Five miles to the white Pine tree first mentioned: Which s Township is laid out & Drawn for & ascertained to each Grantee respectively; Also, two Lots for encouragement of or Building of Mills, and three shears for Publick use, Viz. one for the first settled minister, one for the Ministry, and one for the School there forever: which said shares and Lots to be the same as drawn and allready entered in the Schedule and Plan hereunto annexed, unto them respectively & to their heirs and Assigns; TO HAVE and to HOLD, on the following terms and condition and Limitations, and on them only, that is to say, That a Meeting-house be built on the Lot No. 11 in the Fifth range, and that in the South West Corner of s Lott there be six acres of Land in a square for me Reserved, & apropriated for the Publick use of those who Do or shall hereafter Inhabit in sa Township; that the remaining lands not entered to the Grantees in the Schedule & Plan as afore specified in the Bounds of the Township, be and hereby are reserved to & for the use of the Grantors of the Premises, their Heirs & assigns forever, free and clear from all charges, tax or Incumbrance of settlement, untill their or any of their Parts are improved respectively by their or some some holding under them; the aforesaid named Grantees exclusive of their Publick Lotts, shall carry on, perform and make settlement at their one expence in the following manner, viz. That there be all Necessary High ways laid out in said Town where they will be most convenient, without any pay or allowance to those Grantor, Grantors or Grantees, through whose Land the same shall go, that the Grantees build a convenient house for the publick worship of God there, and finish the same at or before the last day of Nov 1752 for the use of those who shall then or afterward inhabit there; that they the s Grantees after Five years from the Date hereof maintain Preaching there; that there be on some one Lot of each of Forty of said Grantees shears, 3 acres of Land cleared enclosed and fits ted so far as is Profitable for mowing or Tillage, at or before the las Day of November 1751, and each of the said Lotts to be cleared aafores to be settled, having a House of sixteen feet square at the least, and seven feet stud or more, with a chimney and a cellar finished and fitted for a comfortable dwelling therein, at or before the last day of May 1752, & some family or person inhabiting or Residing in sd dwelling House, & they or some other in each of their stead continue residing there untill the last of May 1755; that the owners of the said Forty settling shears have on each of their Rites respectively three acres of land more in like manner fitted, at or before the last day of November 1752; and the like quantity anually for two years next coming; that the remaining Five Rights or shears of the Grantees aforesaid, viz. Oliver Ferwell, Benjamin Ferwell, Joseph Blanchard, jun. Elizur Blanchard, and one Right of Robert Fletcher jun. Excused from the duty of building improving or settling untill the last day of Nov 1755, and then to have the whole performed as others at that time; that each of the s Grantees at the executing this Instrument, pay their thirty Pounds cash old Tennor to Defray the Necessary charges arisen & arising in bringing forward the settlement, to be Disposed in the hands of such person as they shall apoint, being a Resident and Freeholder in said Province; that the aforesaid Grantees or their Assigns, Assess such |