[Depositions of Jeremiah Bacon and Samuel Gunnison, Oct. 6, 1803.] [Masonian Papers, Vol. 2, p. 74.] 1 Jeremiah Bacon of Hancock in the State of New Hampshire, aged forty nine years Testify & Say that I resided in the Town of Washington in Said State about Seventeen years and then and ever Since have understood that the curve line of Masons Patent was the west line of Washington, but had neaver been on any part of it untill the last week when I was call'd upon by Isaiah Kidder to perambulate Said curve line & the west Line of Washington-and that I together with Joseph Blanchard Esq & Cap Samuel Gunnison entered on the Service on friday the 30th day of September last and proceeded to the south west Corner of S4 Washington which was the N. W. corner of Stoddard and was a Beach tree marked on the South Side, 7, and on the north Side, 8, we marked a Beach Tree by it 1803 & JB we then proceeded northward a Course of N. 28. E and Soon found a well marked line, many of the trees were marked at three different times one Set of Markes appeared to be very antiant & at the distance of about half a mile from Said corner we found a Hemlock tree markd H N,, and on persuing said line about half a mile further we found a beach tree marked JA H which tree we marked JB & 1803 and pursuing the Same line a Little further found a beach tree marked 1769 M P L 27 miles & 209 rods we mark it 1803 J K J B and about twenty rods further we found a hemlock tree marked we chop'd into the mark and found it marked at least fifty years ago, by counting the Granes which had grown over the Spot after it was made and persuing the Same line found many Trees Spotted in like manner of equal Antiquity-we Soon after, on the Same line found a tree marked 1772 we also mark it J B & 1803 we Still pursu'd the Line with the compas the Caurse aforesaid, over Brussy land where but few trees were Standing and Crossed Ashuwelot river, and came to marlow road and Sit my Compass and found the line wou'd go over a burnt Hill on Which very few trees were Standing and those were dead-But beyond that Hill we found the Same Line Marked as before mentioned and Freequntly with three Spots on a tree this line we pursued to the turn pike road (and Just before we came to the road we marked a Large Burch tree) and Struck it by a Small bridge Sixty two rods east of the Gate kept by Vina Byngham, on the last mentioned part of the Line we found Several of the markd trees Lately Chop'd into on the Spots and by Counting the Granes grown over the marks found they had been Spotted at least fifty years ago—we then proceeded from the Said bridge on the s line found it well marked for near half a mile and there were trees marked Chop'd into as aforesaid whech appeared to be as autiantly marked as those on the other Side of the road, we then came to cleard land which we cross'd and found the line as Soon as we came into the woods and follow'd it up a Brushey Hill which we assended keeping the course of the Line till we came into the Woods, on the top of the hill where we found the marks again and following the Line Came to A beach tree marke Number 3, & 4, which I suppos'd to be the corners of two, 360 acre Lots Lying in Washington then came to an ash tree marked for the Original Corner of Camden as we Suppos'd-which we marked J B 1803, S G,, E T, then proceeded on the Same Line thrô clear'd land in the Possession of Carys heirs and partly thrô, the woods by the old marks to the original Corners of Fishersfield and Washington being a beach tree Fallen down with a heap of Stones round the Stump-the tree was marked J P,, 1771-we marked a Beach tree Just by it S G,, ET the old marks on it were Z C, E T & 1773 and Just by this mark we Chop'd into an old mark on the Same line and found the Granes which had grown over the Spot to Count at Least fiftyProceeding on the Same line we found a Beach tree marked 45,, which we Suppos'd to be a Corner of a Lot in fishersfield then came to Some Clear'd land interspersed with woods and Always found the Same line & marks where the Trees were Standing-and Still following the Same line about one mile found a beach tree on the Line marked 1769, 37, miles M P L,, R F,, JP and we marked it S. G.. E T 1803, then proceeding on the Same Line we found the Stump of a Tree the corner of Lot N° 7 a five hundred acre Lot in fishersfield and proceeded a Little further we marked on the Line a Large maple tree we marked it J B.. 1803. S. G. T, and proceeding farther on the line marked as afore mentioned we found an old road now much Grown up with Brush-and then proceeding farther on the line Some times in Clear land and Some times in the woods the Line being well marked where there were trees, came to a Birch Tree Marked M P 9, &, M P 10, being the corners of two, 500 acre Lots in Fishersfield the Said old road continuing nearly Parrellel with the Said line-and Still continuing thereon came to a large red Oake in the Said line antiantly marked which we marked J, B, S G,, E T,, 1803 Proceeding further on the Same line found Goshen Corner being a Birch tree marked B,, W, S G, and we marked a beach tree by it J B, S G E T,, 1803, and Still proceeding on the Same Line to the road Leading from Fishersfield to Unity by Deacon Gunnisons young apple trees-being on the Said Line and Still proceeding on the same line to a large maple tree & a Hemlock Growing Just by new port road which we marke with Several Large Blases— then Proceeded on the Same Line which we found well marked till we came to a Burnt Hill and near the top of the Hill on the Line found a Beach Tree marked 1769 M PL 42 R F which Tree we marked J B, S G., E T, 1803, then on the Line to Sunnepee pond where I Set the Compas the Course of the Line which intersected a Small Island in the pond at the distance of about half a mile and I the Said Jeremiah Bacon do further testify & Say that in perambulating the aforesaid Line, I in General found it well marked and in many places renew'd and the line and the Courses first run so well agreeing with the Marks (which appeared very antiant) that I have not the least Doubt of it's being the Original line as Run by the Said Blanchard for Masons Patent Line as much as fifty years ago Dated octo 6, 1803 Jereb Bacon I Samuel Gunnison of Fishersfield aged forty Six years Testify & Say that I Attended the Whole perambulation of the Line herein before mentioned from Stoddard N,, W,, corner by Washington & Fishersfield to Sunnepee pond and well remember the whole proceedure and can fully Attest to the whole truth of the Same in every particular matter of Fact herein before related-I also Further testify and Say that I have resided in fisherfield for more than twenty years last pass'd and have heard and Known the Said line all the time well against the Lots from N°. 7. to Sunnepe pond and always heard it Called Masons Patent line as run by the before named Joseph Blanchard many years ago— dated octor the 6th 1803 Samuel Gunnison State of New Hamp 1 october 6th 1803--then Personally County of Hillsborough appeared Jeremiah Bacon and Samuel Gunnison Subscribers to the foregoing depositions who being duly Cautioned to testify the Truth the Whole Truth and nothing but the Truth-by us the Subscribers-made Solemn oath to the Truth of the forgoing depesitions as by them respective Subscribed that they respectively Contain the Truth the whole Truth and nothing but the truth concerning the matters they respective relate to—(the Same being written on the five Preeceeding pages which are Each Subscribed by the above named deponants)-these depositions are taken in Pepetuam Rei memoriam Before John Duncan Justices of the Peace [Deposition of Joseph Blanchard, April 7, 1804.] [Masonian Papers, Vol. 2, p. 75.] I Joseph Blanchard of Thornton, in the State of Newhampshire, aged seventy four years, testify and say, That about the year 1751, my father, Joseph Blanchard Esq', then of Dunstable, now Deceased, fitted me out with a party of men to run and mark the west line of Mason's Patent. I sat out on the business sometime in the month of October, with the following persons. viz James Whitney, Isaac Patch, Oliver Blodget, Jonathan Farwell, Samuel Butterfield, Jonathan Snow and Josiah Brown. These are all dead. John Renall and John Stearns were also with me, and are now alive. I was furnished with a Map of the Patent made by the late Daniel Pierce Esq', as I suppose on which was laid down the Curve Line, and the three first courses I was to run which was from the southwest corner of the Patent, and from thence I calculated the rest.—I began to measure Westwardly on the Province Line, at the South-West corner of Ringe, the distance from the Sea to that place being then ascertained. I measured from thence about 4 miles; then went Northwardly according to the direction given me, till I run measured and Spotted a Line all the way till I came to the West side of Newfound Pond, being sixty seven miles from the Southwest corner of the Patent, and within about five miles of Merrimac River.-On my return I made a plan thereof, which I suppose was returned to the Proprietors of the Patent.— I further testify, that about four years ago I was called upon by the Proprietors of Stoddard to see if I could find the Line I had formerly run for the Patent, or Curve Line. They shewed me the Southwest corner of the town of Stoddard. A person by the name of Lock, who had lived there many years, shewed me a Beech tree, near Stoddard corner, which he said was in the Patent-Line, and said it was the 20 mile Mark. The tree was fallen down, and on examining, I found it marked J B, and the figures appeared to be 20 and 1751. Though by age they were rendered imperfect, yet I had not the least doubt of their being made by me when I run the Line.I then being satisfied with respect to the Line, proceeded Northwardly with a number of the Inhabitants of Stoddard, and set my Compass the course of the Line as formerly run, which, went over cleared land for half a mile, came into the woods, where I found the Line, and several of Fletcher's particular marks on the trees, with the date of 1769, and the initials of his name marked thus R F. Between Stoddard Southwest and Northwest corners, several trees were chopped into on the Marks and several had fifty Growths or Granes over the spots others had better than thirty Granes grown over the Spots, which seemed to agree with my Running the Line, and Fletcher's renewing the Marks. On this line, and near Stoddard Northwest corner, I found a tree fallen down, which the people said was formerly marked and Lettered. I examined, and found it marked thus, J B, and several figures on it, but age had made them unintelligible. I further testify, that I attended a second perambulation of the West line of Stoddard, with Committees from Stoddard and Marlow, and two Surveyors mutually chosen by those Committees to ascertain the Line run by me for the West line of Mason's Patent; and the line which those surveyors should report to have been run by me, was to be considered the standing line between those towns in future. In this perambulation more antient marks were found, than the first time I went on it.— I further testify and say, that John Pierce Esq' of Portsmouth requested me to meet him at the house of Esq' Penniman in Washington on the 28th day of September last.-I met him at one Farnsworth's, just by Penniman's, at the time he requested, and I, together with Jeremiah Bacon, Capt Samuel Guuneson and Isaiah Kidder, went to the Northwest corner of Stoddard, which is the Southwest corner of Washington, which appeared to be a small Beech tree marked 7 on one side, and 8 on the other. I marked a Beech tree just by it J B and 1803, and, proceeding Northwardly, found a line well marked, and often the trees had been marked three times. The course of this line the Surveyor said was North 28 Degrees East.-About half a mile from the corner we found a tree marked H,, N.*-A little further we found a Beech tree marked J, A, H..—I marked it J B: 1803, and pursuing it a little further we found a Beech tree marked 1769, M P L 27 miles and 209 rods. I marked the same tree J B, 1803. Kidder marked it I K.-About twenty rods from this tree we chopped into the spot on a large Hemlock tree, and found the Growths over the spot to count more than fifty, and in pursuing this line we found many trees were marked of equal antiquity. We then found on the line a tree marked 1772. I marked J B & 1803.-The Surveyor followed the line with the compass over brushy land, and crossed Ashuelot River, and came to Marlow Road. The line run over a large hill. The trees were killed by fire and the hill almost bare.-The course being pursued, came into a thick wood, where the marks were found again, and they continued to the Turnpike Road, and came to it sixty two rods east *for H Neal |