[Information from Joseph Blanchard, 1748.]

[Masonian Papers, Vol. 1, p. 68.]

I am of Opinion that the two towns that Goffe and Stark, Are Selling, may Perform ye Duty (if Strangers take it) for 2 thirds the Land, Salem Canada for 3 Quarters N° 6 in the South line of towns, between N° 7: Called Hills Borough) and Hopkinton Called N° 5, for 2 thirds, and the Originall Grantees under Masstts Would Readily Comply with them Conditions Salem Canada & Sa N° 6. I Believe I Could Negociate the towns Lay'd out More Northward I am a Stranger to. Peters Borough New Boston Halestown Hopkinton & Hills Borough & Sowheegun West are all towns of Excellent Good Land And they Will I Expect Apply by their Agents to you & Compound for them Selves

I am of Opinion ye Setlements Ought to begin next Spring, the next Sumer fit 2 acres for plowing And two for mowing and Build a house and by Next November have an Inhabitant on each Setling Right that they Continue there and each Succeeding year for three years more subdue & fit for plowing or mowing the like Quantity Stocking the mowing Land with Grass, and Manure the tillage And On Omision of any part for either Year the Land to Revert & to be granted to Other Setlers, that Each Setler pay Such Rates for the Mending Roads Building a Meeting house Setling & Supporting A minister, or Other necessary town Charges As Shall by y Major part of ye Inhats be equally assessed for Sd Uses within-Blanckmonths after notice, or his lands forfeited-or so much as will pay the Rate And Charges/

Conditions fraimd Somthing like this will be necessary

the House 7 feet Stud 18 feet Square Room a Celler & Chimneyor Other like Dimensions

I Bought 2 Rights In Gorehams town & if it Should be the pleasure of ye Props to let me Setle on the Condition of other Setlers one Share in the town Capt Goffe takes the Care of And One in Starks town I Shall readily do Com'on Duty. Shall Esteem ye favour (if otherwise.-will not Complain

N B. the Revd Mr Thos Parker of Dracut & Col: Stoddard of Chelmsford, had Each of them one Right in Gorehams town if there be room to Admit them as Setlers would be of Service/

These Broaken Scraps of minits may haps Serve to keep in your Remembrance, Some of these things / And desire You would keep it for yr Own Information till I Can prepare Somthing from these things more plain J B

Mr. Jaffrey

That they Likewise as Conditions of grant in Some proper, time, Build a Meeting house And Setle a minister & prohibtion of Breaking the Course of fish in Any Stream

[Deposition of Margaret Pastree, July 25, 1748.]

[Masonian Papers, Vol. 1, p. 72.]

Margrett Pastree aged about 74 years, Testifyeth & Saith That She well Knew Robert Tufton Mason Esq' the Claimer of y Province of New Hampshire about the year of 1686 when Sir Edmund Andrews was Governour of the Territorys of New England in the Reign of his Majesty King James the Second, and that the Said Robert with Severall Other Gentlemen was with ye Said Sir Edmund Andrews to his Government of New York & Albany and that the Deponent was Informed that the Said Robert Died at Sopas upon Hudson's River between the Cities of New York and Albany in his Said Journey, and further Saith that she knew two young men named John & Robert who were Called and Reputed the Sons of y abovementioned Robert Tufton Mason Esq'

Suff ss

Margrett Pastree Boston, 25th July, 1748

Margaret Pastree the above Deponant made Oath to the Truth of the foregoing Declaration by her signed In perpetuam rei memoriam

Cor Edwd Hutchinson

John Ruck

Justices of the

} Justices of the quorum

[Joseph Blanchard's Obligation, Nov. 5, 1748.]

[Masonian Papers, Vol. 1, p. 78.]

Gent the Prop's of Masons Grant &c

Portsmouth Nov 5th 1748

Whereas I the Subscriber have this day Rec" your Request & Authority to Lay out into townships the Lands As therein described And to Admitt Setlers at my descretion And On Such Conditions on your behalf as I Shall think Equitable I hereby Oblidge my Self

to Reserve on Quarter part at the least And As much more as the Expediency of the Setlement will Allow of &c the township to be Allotted out & the Setlers at the whole Charge therein And will Constantly Acquaint You with my proceedings thering

I am Yr Hum Sert

Jos: Blanchard

[Letter from Joseph Blanchard, Nov. 30, 1748.]

[Masonian Papers, Vol. 1, p. 80.]

The venerable Society of Mason Hall

Gentlemen

In Pursuance of your desire I have proceeded to measure the Lands directed to make Setlement on, and find enough for five townships; have not time to transmitt you a plan but shall Send it next week I have Wrote to the Props Clerk of Groton and the Propr Clerk of townshend, Intimating ye Authority you gave me, Particularly that at my Discretion I was to Admitt Inhabitants, and if they inclined to Setle I should Accommodate them as far as I Could in faithfullness to my trust provided I had their Answer in twenty days to the Same purpose I have Wrote Coll° Berry one of ye Principal Props of New Ipswich & to Severall of the Prop of Rowley Canada desireing them to Comunicate it to their props Desireing a positive Answer-This has Sufficiently Allarm'd the vicinity, And Application has already been made for twice the Quantity of Land you Left with me to dispose of All the Inhabitants of New Ipswich And Rowley Canada (both which fall within my Diocess) have Applyed, to be Continued As Setlers under Your Conditions And many others of ye Props of each town, I apprehend I Shall Quietly Succeed, unless Coll° Berry be Poutey & Sullen on Behalf of New Ipswich, Which Since I have entered upon it Desire under your directions my Liberty may be Continued to Setle with him, or Any Others that Shall be Obstinate: I can readily Compound that the Eighteen Shares proposed As Owners to Draw one third of Each town Clere, have proposed to Equalize the towns Quantity for Quallity, And the Setlers to Draw lotts which towns to fall into, a Sufficient Sum of money Advanced on entrance to pay the Charge of Survey Roads a Meetinghouse and for preaching the first Six months to begin the Setlement next June at furthest if peace In Six months from Drawing their Lotts to have Housen built And Inhabit there, and so to make a progressive Improvement for four years Stating a

Certain Quantity for each year & for them by Indenture to your Lordships on failure at any time of any part to Surrender the Whole under a Sufficient Penalty; by the Same Indenture to pay by the Setlers all town Charges, untill Your lotts are Improved and so fait them to become Chargable According to the Incombe; In Case a Lawsute Should Arise from Other Claimers you to be at that Charge, (which I had not your Speciall Authority for) excepting that your Quitclaim to be their title with Severall Other Contingent Articles of Duty On their part which all who have Applyed readily Concur with

if this be not Acceptable or any thing further Occurrs to your minds for my Direction you may Write by Capt Goffe & may be Assured of my faithfull Complyance I have Likewise proposed An Injunction that they Joyn with the non Setlers in Applying to the Gov & Council for an Incorporation And as Soon As I have Answer from the Massachusetts Claimers Shall fill up the lists of ye Severall Towns

The Writings I'm not Capable of forming, shall depend on them being done at Portsmouth.-The Props of Souheegun West, Since I was at Portsmouth have Divided their Com'ons & I hear bid Defiance to your Title, if no Notice be taken of them I apprehend it will have An ill effect Phaps create you a Squable with many other towns, and your Setting up your Bristles early might put an end to it. (but as to yt you know best what to do.) I have Nothing to add but Wish you Success in the Affairs before you And rest Y1 Hum1 Sert at Com'and

Dunstable Nov 30th 1748.

Joseph Blanchard

To the Hon' Theodore Atkinson Esq moderator &c please to Com'unicate the afore written

Yrs ut Supra

J B

[List of Petitions for Grants, Dec. 7, 1748.]

[Masonian Papers, Vol. 1, p. 81.]

Pursuant to a Vote of ye Proprietors appointing us y Subscribers a Committee to Examine ye Petitions that have been preferr'd to ye Proprietors, and prepare a Plan of Said Petitions with ye numbers of Petitioners-we Make Return as follow's-vizt

old Hampton No 1 Petition from old Hampton Town m' Jno Lovett for no certain place or Terms qt 39 Petitioners

Hampton No 2 Petition from Hampton m' Jon Lovett for no certain place or Terms 60 Petitioners

No Hampton No 3-Petition from North Hampton Dan" Marston & John Lovett for no certain place or Terms 60 Petits

Hampton No 4 Petition from Hampton m' John Sandborn for on certain Place or Terms qt 60 Petitioners

Hampton Falls N° 5 Petition from Hampton Fallsm' Meshech Wear Sam" Prescutt & Benja Hiliard for a Township at or as near Amosceeg Falls or as near thereto as possible or a tract at ye north westerly corner of ye Town to be granted to Stark &ca &c but on no certain Terms qt 47 Petitioners

Portsmo° No 6. Petition from Portsm° m' Hunks Wentworth for a Township on Merrimack River or as near as may be conveniently on no certain Terms qt 240 Petitioners

Portsm° N° 7. Petition from Portsm°m Hunks Wentworth for a Township called Souhegan West or Contocook or N° 5 if not them where may best suit ye Props no certain Terms q' 90 Petitioners

Portsm° No 8 Petition from Portsm° Coll° Jn° Wentworth for a Township at Winepissiokee Pond upon no certain Terms qt 53 Petititioners

Exeter No 9-Petition from Exeter Geo: Creighton & Jer Veasy for a Township requesting no certain place or upon certain Terms-qt 80 Petitioners

Stretham N° 10. Petition from Stretham Cap Geo: Veasy for no certain place or Terms qt 60 Petitioners Rhye No 11: Petition from Rhye

Jona Towle Franis & Rich" Jennes 3d for no certain place or Terms q' 80 Petitioners

Kingston No 12 Petition from Kingston Rich Hubbard & Dan" Young for a Township bounding upon y Crotch at northern side of Winepisseoke River-upon no certain Terms q' 57 Petitioners

Kingston No° 13 Petition in behalf of Kingston Major Eben' Stevens & Jedediah Philbrick for a Township joining northerly on Contocook on ye west side of Merimack upon no certain Terms no particular number of Petitioners

Kingston No 14 Petition in behalfe of Officers & Soldiers of Cape Breton Expedition John Lad & Jona Young for no certain place or Terms & no particular Number of Petitioners

Exeter & Hampton N° 15 Petition from Exeter Hampton &a Joseph Rawlins for a Township in no certain place-upon reasonable Terms qt 60 Petitioners

Chester & Londonderry N° 16 Petition from Chester & Londonderry by James Campbell for a Township to as many Persons as ye