would consent to submit this matter to the judgment of an unbiased Committee of the Courts appointing, without laying it under any restrictions at all; which is a proposal that we have often made them; and what we would now be glad to do— And, therefore, we take this opportunity to humbly request that the Honourable Court would send a Committee upon the business above Mention'd, free from all confinement, excepting that of reason & Conscience-And your humble Petitioners will, as they are in duty bound, ever pray &c Newtown Janu” 1. 1771. William Rowell ) Select men for Newtown NORTHFIELD. [Set off from Canterbury and incorporated as a parish June 19, 1780. A portion of the town was combined with other territory to form the town of Franklin Dec. 24, 1828, but the same territory was reannexed to Northfield July 3, 1830, and again restored to Franklin June 26, 1858. Two farms were severed and annexed to Franklin June 27, 1861. See papers under title Canterbury; XIII, Hammond Town Papers, 70; Index to Laws, 408; sketch, by L. Hunt, Hurd's History of Merrimack County, 1885, p. 517; centennial address, by Lucian Hunt, 4, Granite Monthly, 16; Stewart's History of the Free Baptists, 1862, p. 375; Lawrence's N. H. Churches, 1856, p. 401.] NORTH HAMPTON. [Set off from Hampton as North Hill Parish Nov. 17, 1738. Incorporated as North Hampton Nov. 30, 1742. The line between this town and Rye was established Dec. 17, 1792. See papers under title Hampton; XIII, Hammond Town Papers, 76; Index to Laws, 407; sketch, Hurd's History of Rockingham County, 1882, p. 407; Life of Henry Dearborn, by H. A. S. Dearborn; discourse, 1821, 20th anniversary of author's settlement in ministry, by Jonathan French, 1822, pp. 11; Reminiscenses of 50 Years Pastorate, 1851, by same, 1852, pp. 46; sketch, by same, 14, Mass. Historical Society Collections, 189; Lawrence's N. H. Churches, 1856, p. 106; 150th Anniversary of Formation of North Hill Parish, by T. V. Haines, 1889.] NORTHUMBERLAND. [Granted as Stonington Oct. 20, 1761, to John Hogg and others. Regranted Jan. 25, 1771, to Daniel Warner and others, and incorporated as Northumberland Nov. 16, 1779. Parts of Stark were annexed July 13, 1855, and June 26, 1863. See XIII, Hammond Town Papers, 88; Index to Laws, 408, 524; sketch, by E. F. Bucknam, Fergusson's History of Coos County, 1888, p. 539; Baptist Churches in N. H., by E. E. Cummings, 1836, p. 21; Northern New Hampshire, by G. F. Bacon, 1890, p. 67.] Stonington P. S. [STONINGTON CHARTER, 1761.] *Province of New-Hampshire. GEORGE THE THIRD, *2-285 By the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, KING, Defender of the Faith &c. To all Persons to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting. KNOW ye, that We of Our special Grace, certain Knowledge, and meer Motion, for the the due Encouragement of settling a New Plantation within our Said Province, by and with the Advice of our Trusty and Well-beloved BENNING WENTWORTH, Esq; Our Governor and Commander in Chief of Our said Province of NEW-HAMPSHIRE in New-England and of our CoUNCIL of the said Province; HAVE upon the Conditions and Reservations herein after made, given and granted, and by these presents, for Us, Our Heirs, and Successors, do give and grant in equal Shares, unto Our loving Subjects, Inhabitants of Our said Province of New-Hampshire, and Our other Governments, and to their Heirs and Assigns for ever, whose Names are entred on this Grant, to be divided to and amongst them into Seventy equal Shares, all that Tract or Parcel of Land situate, lying and being within our said Province of New-Hampshire, containing by Admeasurement, about Twenty four thousand Acres, which Tract is to contain Something more than Six Miles square, and no more; out of which an Allowance is to be made for High Ways and unimprovable Lands by Rocks, Ponds, Mountains and Rivers, One Thousand and Forty Acres free, according to a Plan and Survey thereof, made by Our said Governor's Order, and returned into the Secretary's Office, and hereunto annexed, butted and bounded as follows, Viz. Begining at A Maple Tree which Stands on the Easterly Side of Connecticut River and is about Thirty Miles on A Straight Line from Ammonusek Rivers Mouth and from thence Notherly up Connecticut River as that runs about Nine Miles on a A Strait Line to an Elm marked Standing on the Southerly Side of the Mouth of A Small Brook runing into Connecticut River & carrying that Breadth Back between Two East Lines so farr as that A Parrellel Line to the Strait Line from the Maple afore Said to the Elm afore Said will make the Contents of Six Miles Square And that the same be, and hereby is Incorporated into a Township by the Name of Stonington And the Inhabitants that do or shall hereafter inhabit the said Township, are hereby declared to be Enfranchized with and Intitled to all and every the Priviledges and Immunities that other Towns within Our Province by Law Exercise and Enjoy: And further, that the said Town as soon as there shall be Fifty Families resident and settled thereon, shall have the Liberty of holding Two Fairs, one of which shall be held on the And the other on the annually, which Fairs are not to continue following the said and that as soon as the said Town shall *2-286 consist of Fifty Families, a Market may be opened and kept one or more Days in each Week, as may be thought most advantagious to the Inhabitants. Also, that the first Meeting for the Choice of Town Officers, agreable to the Laws of our said Province, shall be held on the fourth Tuesday of October Current which said Meeting shall be Notified by Mr John Hogg who is hereby also apppointed the Moderator of the said first Meeting, which he is to Notify and Govern agreable to the Laws and 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 of March annually, TO HAVE and to HOLD the said Tract of Land as above expressed, together with all Privileges and Appurtenances, to them and their respective Heirs and Assigns forever, upon the following Conditions, viz. longer than the respective I. That every Grantee, his Heirs or Assigns shall plant and 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 said Township, and continue to improve and settle the same by additional Cultivations, on Penalty of the Forfeiture of his Grant or Share in the said Township, and of its reverting to Us, Our Heirs and Successors, to be by Us or Them Re-granted to such of Our Subjects as shall effectually settle and cultivate the same. II. That all white and other Pine Trees within the said Township, fit for Masting Our Royal Navy, be carefully preserved for that Use, and none to cut or felled without Our special Licence for so doing first had and obtained, upon the Penalty of the Forfeiture of the Right of such Grantee, his Heirs and Assigns, to Us, our Heirs and Successors, as well as being subject to the Penalty of any Act or Acts of Parliament that now are, or hereafter shall be Enacted. III. That before any Division of the Land be made to and among the Grantees, a Tract of Land as near the Centre of the said Township as the Land will admit of, shall be reserved and marked out for Town Lots, one of which shall be allotted to each Grantee of the Contents of one Acre. IV. Yielding and paying therefor to Us, our Heirs and Successors for the Space of ten Years, to be computed from the Date hereof, the Rent of one Ear of Indian Corn only, on the twentyfifth Day of December annually, if lawfully demanded, the first Payment to be made on the twenty-fifth Day of December. 1762 V. Every Proprietor, Settler or Inhabitant, shall yield and pay unto Us, our Heirs and Successors yearly, and every Year forever, from and after the Expiration of ten Years from the abovesaid twenty-fifth Day of December, namely, on the twenty-fifth Day of December, which will be in the Year of Our Lord 1772 One shilling Proclamation Money for every Hundred Acres he so owns, settles or possesses, and so in Proportion for a greater or lesser Tract of the said Land; which Money shall be paid by the respective Persons abovesaid, their Heirs or Assigns, in our Council Chamber in Portsmouth, or to such Officer or Officers as shall be appointed to receive the same; and this to be in Lieu. of all other Rents and Services whatsoever. In Testimony whereof we have caused the Seal of our said Province to be hereunto affixed. Witness BENNING WENTWORTH, Esq; Our Governor and Commander in Chief of Our said Province, the Twentieth Day of October In the Year of our Lord CHRIST, One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty one And in the First Year of Our Reign. B Wentworth By His EXCELLENCY'S Command, With Advice of COUNCIL, Theodore Atkinson Secry Province of New Hamp' Octob' 20th 1761 Recorded According to the Original Charter under the Province Seal Theodore Atkinson SecTy *2-287 *The Names of the Grantees of Stonington Viz— John Hogg Reuben Herriman Ebenez Noyse George Hadley John Hale Ebenez' Mudget Simeon Goodwin Henry Trew Stephen Emerson Rich Champney His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq a Tract to Contain Five Hundred Acres as Marked B: W: in the Plan which is to be accounted Two of the within Shares one whole Share for the incorporated Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in foreign Parts one Share for A Glebe for the Church of England as by Law Established One Share for the first Settled Minister of the Gospel & one Share for the Benefit of A School in Said Town— Province of New Hamp' October 20-1761 Recorded from the Back of the Original Charter of Stonington under the Province Seal Theodore Atkinson Secry |