[LANCASTER CHARTER RENEWed, 1769.] *Province of New Hampshire S Lancaster extended L. S. GEORGE the THIRD by the grace *1-347 of God of Great Britain France and Ireland KING Defender of the ffaith and so forth. WHEREAS We of our special grace and mere motion for the due encouragement of setling a new Plantation within our Prov: of New Hampshire in New England by our Letters Patent or Charter under the Seal of our said Province Dated the 5th day of July Annoque Domini 1763 in the Third year of our Reign; a Tract of Land equal to six miles square bounded as therein expressd (& since survey'd, admeasured, marked & ascertained by our Order to Isaac Rindge Esq' our Surveyor Gen1 of Lands for our said Province) Granted to a number of our Loyal subjects whose Names are enter'd on the same to hold to them their Heirs and Assigns on the Conditions therein Declared, and to be a Town Corporate by the name of Lancaster, as by referrence to the said Charter may more fully appear. And whereas the said Grantees have represented unto us that by reason of the great Inconveniencies which occur in the Settlement of New Townships so remotely situated from any other Townships or Settlements that can afford any Assistance hath render'd it impracticable for the whole number of Grantees to perform that part of the Conditions that relates to the Cultivation of such a proportion of the said Grant. That there are a Considerable number of Families now resident on the Premises, which affords them hopes of a final Settlement without delay. And humbly supplicating us not to take advantage of the breach of said Condition, but to lengthen out, and grant them some further Time for the performance thereof. Now KNOW YE that we being willing to promote the end proposed Have of our further Grace and favour suspended our Claim of the forfeiture which the said Grantees may have incurr'd, and by these Presents Do Grant unto the said Grantee their Heirs and Assigns the further Term of Five Years from this Date for performing and fulfilling the Conditions, matters and things by them to be done as aforesaid.-Except the Quit Rents, which are to remain due and payable as express'd and reserv'd in the Original Grant or Charter. *IN TESTIMONY whereof we have caused the Seal of *1-348 our said Province to be hereunto affixed Witness John Wentworth Esq' our Governor and Commander in Chief of our aforesaid Province This 20th day of September in the 9th year of our Reign Annoque Domini 1769. By his Excellency's Command with advice of Council Theodore Atkinson Sec Prove of New Hampshire 16th Nov 1769 J' Wentworth. Recorded according to the Original Grant under the Province Pr Theodore Atkinson Sec Seal. [GRANT TO JOSHUA BARKER, 1773.] *4-174 *Province of New Hampshire S Capt Joshua Barker's Grant P. S. GEORGE the third by the grace of God of Great Britain France and Ireland King defender of the Faith &ca To all to whom these Presents shall come greeting WHEREAS We have thought fit by our Proclamation at St James's the seventh day of October in the third Year of our reign Annoque Domini 1763 among other things to testify our Royal Sense and approbation of the conduct and Bravery of the Officers and Soldiers of our Armies and signified our desire to reward the same and have therein commanded and impowered our several Governors of our respective Provinces on the Continent of America to grant without fee or reward to such reduced Officers as have served in North America during the last War and to such private Soldiers as have been or shall be disbanded there and shall personally apply for the same such quantities of Land respectively as in and by our aforesaid Proclamation are particularly mentioned subject nevertheless to the same Quitrents and Conditions of cultivation & improvement as other our Lands are subject to in the Province in which they are granted. And Whereas Joshua Barker of Hingham in our Province of Massachusetts Bay Esq' had our appointment as Captain and served in America during the late War and is now reduced and he having made personal Application & sollicited for such Grant agreable to our said Proclamation KNOW YE that We of our special Grace certain Knowledge and meer Motion to signify our approbation as aforesaid for the encouragement Settlement and cultivation of our Lands within our said Province of New Hampshire in New England, Have and by and with the advice of our trusty and well beloved JoHN WENTWORTH Esq' our Governor & Commander in chief of our said Province of New Hampshire and of our Council of the same agreable to our aforesaid in part recited Proclamation and upon the Conditions and reservations hereafter mentioned given and granted and by these Presents for Us our Heirs and Successors do give & grant unto the said Joshua Barker and to his Heirs and Assigns *forever a certain Tract or Parcel of *4-175 Land situate lying and being in our Province of New Hampshire aforesaid containing by admeasurement three thousand and Twenty Acres of Land as by a Plan or Survey of said Tract exhibited by our Surveyor General of Lands for our said Province of New Hampshire and returned into the Secretary's Office of said Province of New Hampshire a Copy whereof is hereunto annexed may more fully appear butted & bounded as follows viz-Begining at a Maple Tree being the Northeast Corner of Dartmouth, so called, from thence runing North five degrees East six hundred and twenty rods to a Beech Tree, from thence South sixty nine degrees West ten rods to the North East Corner of Lancaster, thence by said Lancaster five Miles and one hundred and fifty rods to a Hemloc Tree standing in Dartmouth Line, from thence running by said Dartmouth East five Miles to the Bounds first mentiond TO HAVE & TO HOLD the said granted Premises as above expressed to him the said Joshua Barker his Heirs and Assigns forever upon the following Terms conditions and reserva tions viz FIRST That the said Grantee shall clear and make passable a Road through the said Tract of Land four rods wide fit for Carriages &c as shall be at any time hereafter directed or ordered by the Governor and Council aforesaid which Road is to be completed in one Year from the date of the order or direction aforesaid on penalty of forfeiture of this Grant and of its reverting to us our Heirs and Successors SECOND That the said Grantee shall settle or cause to be settled Five Families in five Years from the date of this Grant in failure whereof the Premises to revert to us our Heirs and Successors to be entered upon and regranted to such of our Subjects as shall effectually settle and cultivate the same THIRD That all white and other Pine Trees fit for masting our Royal Navy be carefully preserved for that use and none to be cut or felled without our special Leave and licence for so doing first had and obtained on penalty of the forfeiture of the right of the Grantee to us our Heirs and Successors as well as being subject to the Penalties prescribed by any present as well as future Act or Acts of Parliament *4-176 *FOURTH That the Grantee yield and pay therefor to us our Heirs and Successors on or before the first day of January 1774 the rent of one Ear of Indian Corn only if lawfully demanded FIFTH That the Grantee his Heirs and Assigns shall yield and pay unto us our Heirs and Successors yearly and every Year forever from and after the expiration of nine Years from the aforesaid first day of January 1774 ONE SHILLING proclamation Money for every hundred Acres he so owns settles or possesses and so in proportion for a greater or less Quantity of the Land aforesaid which Money shall be paid by the respective Proprietor or Settler as aforesaid in our Council Chamber in Portsmouth or to such Officer or Officers as shall be appointed to receive the same SIXTH That any part of the Premises appearing well adapted to the growth of Hemp and Flax or either of them shall be cultivated with those useful Articles of produce in the Proportion of ten Acres in each and every hundred of these granted Premises within Ten Years of this date. And these to be in full of all other rents & services IN TESTIMONY whereof we have caused the Seal of our said Province to be hereunto affixed Witness JOHN WENTWORTH Esq' our aforesaid Governor and Commander in chief the twentyfirst day of October Anno Domini 1773 and in the thirteenth Year of our reign By his Excellency's command with advice of Council J. Wentworth Theodore Atkinson Secy Recorded according to the original Charter under the Province Seal this Twenty first day of October Anno Domini 1773 Attest Geo: King D: Sec *Province of New Hampshire-Portsmouth 18th October *4-177 1773 This certifies That this Plan begining at a Maple Tree being the North East Corner of Dartmouth so called, from thence runing North five degrees East Six hundred and twenty Rods to a Beech Tree, from thence South Sixty nine degrees West Ten Rods to the North East Corner of Lancaster, thence by said Lancaster five Miles and One hundred and fifty Rods to a Hemloc Tree standing in Dartmouth Line from thence runing by said Dartmouth East five Miles to the Bounds first mentioned contains Three thousand and twenty Acres of Land and is a true Copy of an original Plan or Survey of said Tract as taken and returned to me by Cap' Hubartus Neal Dep❜ Surveyor Copy examin'd by LANDAFF. Attest Is: Rindge S G1 [Granted Jan. 31, 1764, to James Avery and others. Regranted to Dartmouth College Jan. 19, 1770. Incorporated Nov. 11, 1774. Settlements were made to some extent under the Dartmouth College grant. After the Revolution, the first grantees claimed that the forfeiture was illegal, and by the decision of the courts, the college lost its title. A portion of Lincoln was annexed July 2, 1845. All that part of Landaff northwest of Ammonoosuck River was annexed to Lisbon June 23, 1859. Easton was set off and incorporated July 20, 1876. See Masonian Papers in following volumes; IX, Bouton Town Papers, 464; X, Bouton Province and State Papers, 277, 398, 400, as to participation in movement for union with Vermont towns; XII, Hammond Town Papers, 361; Index to Laws, 277; Sketch, Child's Gazetteer of Grafton County, 1886, p. 396; Baptist Churches in N. H., by E. E. Cummings, 1836, p. 12; Stevens's Memorials of Methodism, 1852, p. 145; Lawrence's N. H. Churches, 1856. p. 581; History of the Administration of the Law in Grafton County, by A. S. Batchellor, Child's Gazetteer of Grafton County, 1886, p. 41; History of Dartmouth College and Hanover, by Frederick Chase, 1891, vol. 1, p. 603; History of Dartmouth College, by B. P. Smith.] |