HILLSBOROUGH. [This town was Number 7 in the line of towns from Merrimack to Connecticut River, granted by Massachusetts, Jan. 16, 1735-6. Granted by the Masonian Proprietors, Jan. 26, 1748-9, to John Hill and others, and named in honor of Col. John Hill. Incorporated Nov. 14, 1772. See Massachusetts charters preceding; IX, Bouton Town Papers, 379; XII, Hammond Town Papers, 203; Index to Laws, 241; Annals, from first settlement to 1841, by Charles James Smith, 1841, pp. 72; sketch, by Frank H. Pierce, I, Granite Monthly, 369; sketch by Harry Brickett, Hurd's History of Hillsborough County, 1886, p. 391; Baptist Churches in N. H., by E. E. Cummings, 1836, p. 17; Lawrence's N. H. Churches, 1856, pp. 180, 182, 184; Life of Franklin Pierce, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1852; Biographical Notices of Physicians, by B. H. Phillips, 1, N. H. Repository, 215; The Birthplace of a President, by F. M. Colby, 4. Granite Monthly, 69.] [HILLSBOROUGH INCORPORATED, 1772.] *Province of New Hampshire S Hillsborough | { L. S. *4-120 GEORGE the Third by the grace of God of Great Britain France & Ireland King Defender of the Faith, and so forth. TO ALL PEOPLE to whom these Presents shall Come. GREETING. WHEREAS Our Loyal Subjects Inhabitants of a Tract of Land, within our Province of New Hampshire aforesaid, commonly called and known by the Name of Hillsborough, containing by estimation about Six Miles Square, have humbly Petitioned & requested us that they may be erected & Incorporated into a Township & enfranchised with the same Powers and Priviledges which other Towns within our said Province by Law have and enjoy And it appearing unto us to be conducive to the general good of our said Province as well of the said Inhabitants in particular by maintaining good Order & encouraging the Culture of the Land: That the same should be done KNOW YE, that We of our special Grace, certain knowledge and for the encouragement and promotion of the good purposes & Ends aforesaid by & with the advice of our Trusty and well beloved JOHN WENTWORTH Esq' Our Governor & Commander in Chief of our said Province & of our Council of the same, have erected & Ordained & by these Presents for us our Heirs and Successors do will & ordain that the Inhabitants of the said Tract of Land & Others who shall improve & Inhabit thereon hereafter, the same being butted and bounded as follows. Viz' Beginning at the South East Corner, at a Beech Tree marked 7, from thence South Eighty four degrees & thirty Minutes West about Six Miles by the Society Lands so called to a Beech Tree marked 7 and 8, from thence North Fifteen degrees West about Six Miles by Common Land so called to a Beech Tree, 7 and 8 mark'd, from thence North Eighty four degrees & Thirty Minutes East about Six Miles to a Beech Tree marked 7, from thence about Six Miles by the Town of Henniker to the Bounds first mentioned; be and they are hereby declared to be a Town Corporate by the Name of HILLSBOROUGH to have continuance for Ever, with all the Powers and Authorities, Priviledges, Immunities and Franchises, which any other Towns in our said Province by Law hold & enjoy to the said Inhabitants or those who shall hereafter inhabit there, and to their Successors for Ever ALWAYS reserving to us our Heirs and Successors ALL WHITE PINE TREES that are or shall be found being and grow*4-121 ing within and upon the said Tract of Land, fit for the use of our Royal Navy RESERVING also to us our Heirs and Successors the Power of dividing said Town, when it shall appear necessary and convenient for the Inhabitants thereof Provided nevertheless and 'tis hereby declared that this Charter and Grant is not intended & shall not in any manner be construed to affect the private Property of the Soil within the Limits aforesaid And as the several Towns within our said Province are by the Laws thereof enabled & Authorized to Assemble & by the majority of the Voters present to chuse all officers and transact such Affairs as in the said Laws are declared. We do by these Presents nominate and appoint Mr Isaac Baldwin to call the first Meeting of said Inhabitants to be held within the said Town at any Time within Thirty days from the date hereof, giving legal Notice of the Time & Design of holding such Meeting; after which the annual Meeting for said Town, shall be held for the choice of said Officers, and the Purposes aforesaid on the last Thursday of March Annually. IN TESTIMONY whereof we have caused the Seal of our said. Province to be hereunto Affixed Witness our aforesaid Governor & Commander in Chief the Fourteenth day of November in the 13th Year of our Reign Annoque Domini 1772. By his Excellency's Command with advice of Council. J' Wentworth. Theodore Atkinson Secy Recorded according to the Original Grant under the Province. Seal this 14th November 1772. Attest' HINSDALE. [This town was included in the original grant of Northfield, Mass. Incorporated as Hindsdale September 3, 1753, and named in honor of Col. Ebenezer Hindsdale. September 26, 1753, the governor decided that the east line should extend to Chesterfield, thus taking off a portion of Winchester; and the town was incorporated on that date. On the establishment of the State of Vermont and the final determination of its jurisdiction, the town lost all of its territory west of the Connecticut. See Massachusetts charters preceding; IX, Bouton Town Papers, 382; X, Bouton Province and State Papers, 398,400, as to participation in movement for union with Vermont towns; XII, Hammond Town Papers, 212; Index to Laws, 242; sketch, by J. M. Stebbins, Hurd's History of Cheshire County, 1886, p. 357; sketch, Child's Gazetteer of Cheshire County, 1885, p. 181; Baptist Churches in N. H., by E. E. Cummings, 1836, pp. 8, 13; Lawrence's N. H. Churches, 1856, p. 270.] HINSDALE CHARTER, 1753.] *Province of New Hampshire P-S *1-173 George the Second by the Grace of God of Great Brittain France & Ireland King Defender of the faith & ca To All Persons to whom these Presents Shall come Hindsdale Greeting Whereas Sundry of our Loveing Subjects before the Settlement of the Dividing Line of our Province of New Hampshire aforesaid and our Other Government of the Massachusetts Bay had by Permission of our Said Government of the Massachusetts Bay Began A Settlement of A Tract of Land at A Place called Northfield Lying Partly on the Dividing Line between the Provinces and Partly on Connecticut River on both Sides of said River and made Sundry Divissions of and Improvements upon the said Tract of Land and there remained untill this Time and our Said Subjects being Desireous to make an Imediate Settlement on the Premisses & haveing Petitioned our Governour & Council for his Majesties Grant of the Premisses to be So made as might not Subvert & Destroy their former Surveys & Laying out in Severalty made thereon as aforesaid Now KNOW YE That We of our Especial Grace Certain Knowledge & mere Motion for the Answering the End Above said and for the Due Encouragement of Settling the Said Plantation By & with the Advice of our Trusty & well beloved Benning Wentworth Esq our Govern & Com'ander in Chieff in & over our Said Province of New Hamp' in America and of our Council of our Said Province Have upon the Conditions & Reservations herein after made GIVEN & GRANTED and by these Presents for us our heirs & Successors Do Give & Grant unto our Loveing Subjects Inhabitants of our said Province of New Hampshire and our Other Governments in New England and to their heirs and assignes for ever whose names are Entred on this Grant to be Divided to and Amoungst them into So many & Such Shares & Proportions as they now hold or Claim the Same by Purchass Contract Vote or Agreement made Amoungst themselves All that Tract or Parcel of Land Scituate Lying & being within our Said Province of New Hampshire Containing by admeasurement Twenty three thousend & forty Acres which Tract is to Contain Six miles Square & no more out of which *1-174 an *Allowence is to be made for highways and unimprovable Lands by Rocks Mountains Ponds & Rivers One thousend & forty Acres free. According to A Plan thereof made & Presented by our Said Govornours Orders and hereunto Annexed Butted & bounded as follows (Viz) Begining on the Dividing Line of the Provinces at the South West Angle of Winchester and runs Notherly on Winchester Line till it comes to An Angle in Said Line thence Turning Westerly & Runs Still by Winchester till it comes to Connecticut River thence Notherly by Connecticut River Aforesaid on the West Side thereof till it comes to Venters Brook thence West 10 North two hundred & fifty Rods to A Stake & Stones thence to turn off at right Angles & run South 10 West till it comes to the Divideing Line aforesaid thence to the Divideing Line Cross Connecticut River to the Bounds first mentioned and whereas within the Bounds afores there is Included A Strip of Land Lying on the West Side thereof Run'ing from the Province Line Northwardly to Venters Brook Parte of which was not heretofore claimed by Any Private Person nor included within the Bounds or Claim of Northfield aforesaid which Said Parte of Said Strip of Land is Given & Granted to Such of the Grantees as Live now in New Hampshire to them their heirs & Assignes as abovesaid & upon the reservations aforesaid to be by them Divided in Such methods & Proportions as the Major Parte Shall Agree upon And that the Same be And hereby is Incorporated into a Township by the Name of HINDSDALE and that the Inhabitants that Do or shall hereafter Inhabit the said Township Are hereby Declared to be Enfranchized with & Entituled to All & Every the Previledges & Immunities that Other Towns within our Said Province by Law Exercize & Enjoy and further that the Said Town as Soon as there Shall be fifty families there Shall have the Liberty to open & keep A market one or more Days in each Week as may be thot most Advantagious to the Inhabitants also that the first meeting for the Choice of Town officers & other affairs Agreable to the Laws of our said Province Shall be held on the Twenty fifth Day of September instant Which Meeting Shall be Notifyed by Cap' Orlando Bridgman who is hereby Also appointed the Moderator of the said first Meeting which he is to Notify & *Govern Agreable to *1-175 the Laws & Customs of Our Said Province and that the Annual Meeting for ever hereafter for the Choice of such officers for the Said Town Shall be on the Second Tuesday in March To HAVE TO HOLD the Said Tract of Land as above Expressed togeather with all Previledges & Appurtenances to them & their respective heirs and assigns forever upon the following Conditions (Viz) That every Grantee his heirs and assignes Shall Plant or Cultivate five Acres of Land within the Term of five years for every fifty Acres Contained in his or their Share or Proportion of Land in the Said Township and Continue to Improve & Settle the Same by Additional Cultivations on Penalty of the forfeiture of his Grant or Share in the Said Township and its reverting to his Majesty his heirs & Successors to be by him or them Regranted to Such of his Subjects as Shall Effectually Settle & Cultivate the Same That All White & Other Pine Trees within the Township fit for Masting our Royal Navy be carefully Preserved for that use and none to be Cutt or fell'd without his Majts Especial Lycence for So doing first had & obtained upon the Penalty of the forfeiture of the Right of such Grantee his heirs or assignes to us our heirs & Successors as well as being Subject to the Penalty of Any Act or Acts of Parliament that now Are or hereafter shall be Enacted also reserveing the Power of Adding to or Divideing the Said Town so far as it Relates to Incorporations only to us Our heirs & Successors when it Shall Appear necessary or Convenient for the Benefit of the Inhabitants thereof-Also Subjecting the |