The number of families there, says Edward Johnson, was about sixty, and "they have 450 head of cattle." And "for the form of the toune, it is like a flower-deluce, two streets of houses wheeling off from the maine body thereof; the land is fertile, but filled with swamps and some store of rocks; the people are about 60 families; being gathered together into church covenant, they called to office the reverend, grave and gracious Mr. Doulton, having also for some little space of time the more ancient Mr. Bacheler to preach unto them also."

"The first town meeting," says Mr. Dow (Hist. Address, 25 Dec., 1838), "of which any record remains, was held October 31, 1639. William Wakefield was chosen town clerk. The freemen, instead of proceeding to lay out the township into any definite number of shares, appointed a committee, whose duty it should be, for the space of one year, 'to measure, lay forth, and bound, all such lots as should be granted by the freemen there.' The compensation allowed this committee was twelve shillings for laying out a house-lot, and, in ordinary cases, one penny an acre for all other land they might survey.

"A vote was also passed, imposing a fine of one shilling on each freeman, who, having had due notice of the meeting, should not be at the place designated within half an hour of the time appointed."

Every public meeting was to "be opened and closed

with prayer by the moderator, unless one of the ministers was present, upon whom he might call to lead in that exercise."

"When any person was to speak in meeting, he was to do it standing, and having his head uncovered.

"When an individual was speaking, no other one was allowed to speak without permission; and no person was to be permitted to speak, at any meeting, more than twice, or three times at most, on the same subject.

"When any article of business had been proposed, it was to be disposed of before any other business could be introduced.

"Penalties were to be exacted for every violation of any of these rules."

In making grants of lands, "respect was had, partly to estates, partly to charges, and partly to other things;" hence "the principal men in the town, received grants of the largest tracts of land."

"It was voted that no manner of person should come into the town as an inhabitant, without the consent of the town, under the penalty of twenty shillings per week, unless he give satisfactory security to the town."

10th Dec., 1639. "Liberty is given to William Fuller, of Ipswich, upon request, to come and sit down here as a planter and smith, in case he bring a certificate of approbation from the elders."

8th, 10th mon., 1662. "It is acted and ordered, that henceforth no man shall be judged an inhabitant in this town, nor have power or liberty to act in town affairs, or have privilege of commonage, either sweepage or feedage, but he that hath one share of commonage, at least, according to the first division, and land to build upon."

"In the latter part of the year 1640, the town passed a vote, appropriating the meeting-house porch for a watchhouse, till another could be procured."

ANCIENT

DOCUMENTS AND RECORDS

RELATING TO NEW-HAMPSHIRE,

SUBSEQUENT TO MASSACHUSETTS' JURISDICTION,

From 1641 to 1879.

[NOTE. A considerable portion of the Papers which follow were first copied, under authority of the Legislature of New-Hampshire, 1827, by JOSHUA Coffin, Esq., of Newbury, Mass., from the Massachusetts Colony Records, before they were printed. The papers thus copied by Mr. Coffin have been carefully compared with the printed Records, and revised by the Editor. They are designated by reference to the volume and page of the Manuscript from which copied, at the end of each paragraph. These papers, however, were found, on examination, to be only a part of those Records which relate to New-Hampshire; and the Editor has copied all else that could be found in the printed Records, placing the date, volume and page at the beginning of each paragraph.

Other valuable papers are herewith included, copied by the Editor from the Documentary Colonial History of New-York, and other sources to which he had access, all which are properly distinguished and credited. ED.]

1641, 2 June. Mass. Coll. Rec., vol. 1, p. 332.

Whereas the lords and gentellmen patentees of Dover & other tracts of land upon the ryver of Pascataque have passed a grant of the same to this Court, to bee forever annexed to this jurisdiction, with reservation of some part of the said lands to their owne use in regard of propriety, it is now ordered that the present Governor, assisted with 2 or 3 of the other magistrates, shall give comision to some meete persons to go to Pascataque, & give notice hearof to the inhabitants there, & take order for the establishing of government in the limitts of the

said patentees, & to receive into this jurisdiction, all other inhabitants upon the said river as may & shall desire to submit themselves thereunto.*

The 14th of the 4th mo. 1641.

Whereas some Lords, knights, gentlemm & others did purchased of Mr Edward Hilton, & of some merchants of Bristoll two pattents, one called Wecohannet or Hilton's point commonly called or knowne by the name of Dover or Northam, the other pattent set forth by the name of the south part of the ryver of Pascataquack beginning at the sea side or near thereabout & coming round the said land by the river unto the falls of Quamscott as more fully appear by the said grant: And whereas also the inhabitants residing at present within the limitts of both the said grants have of late & formerly complained of the want of some good government amongst them & desired some help in this particular from the jurisdiction of the Mass Bay, whereby they may be ruled and ordered according unto God both in church & commonweal, and for the avoyding such insufferable disorders whereby God hath been much dishonored amongst them. Those gentlemen whose names are here specified, George Willis gent, Robt. Saltonstall gent, Will. Whiting, Edward Holliock, Thomas Makepeace, partners in the said pattent do in behalfe of the rest of the patentees dispose of the lands & jurisdiction of the premises as followeth, being willing to further such a good worke have

"The settlements on Piscataqua river and its branches were formed into distinct governments, so that there were existing at the commencement of this year, four separate republics, independent of each other; namely, Portsmouth, Kittery, Dover, and Exeter." Ad. Ann. Ports., p. 28.

Winth., 2 vol., p. 34, 1641. "Mr. [Hugh] Peter and Mr. Dalton, with one of Acomenticus, went from Pascataquacke with Mr. John Ward, who was to be entertained for their minister; and though it be but six miles, yet they lost their way, and wandered two days and one night without food or fire in the snow and wet. But God heard their prayers wherein they earnestly pressed him for the honor of his great name, and when they were even quite spent, he brought them to the sea-side, near the place where they were to go to-blessed forever be his name."

hearby for themselves & in the name of the rest of the pattentees given up & set over all that power of jurisdiction or government of the said people dwelling and abiding within the limitts of both the said pattents unto the government of the Massachusetts Bay, by them to be ruled & ordered in all causes criminall and civil as inhabitants dwelling within the limitts of the Massachusetts government & to be subject to pay in church & commonweale as the said inhabitants of the Massachusetts bay do & no other. And the freemen of the said 2 pattents to enjoy the like liberties as other freemen do in the said Massachusetts government, & that there shall be a court of justice kept within one of the 2 patents, which shall have the same power that the courts of Salem & Ipswich have, Provided always, & it is hereby declared that one of the said pattents, that is to say that on the south side of the ryver of Pascataquack, & in the other pattent one third part of the land with all improved land in the said pattent to the lords & gentlemen & other owners shall be & remain unto them, their heirs & assigns forever as their proper right & as having true interest therein saving the interest of jurisdiction to the Massachusetts, and the said pattent of Wecohannett shall be divided as formerly is exprest by indifferent men equally chosen on both sides, whereby the plantation may bee furthered & all occasions of differences avoyded.

And this honored court of the Massachusetts hearby promise to bee heelpful to the maintenance of the right of the Pattentees in both the said Pattents in all the legall courses in any part of their jurisdiction.

Subscribed by the fore named gentlemen in the presence of the general court assembled the day afore written. C. Rec., vol. 1, pp. 304 and 5.

Whereas the lords & gentlemen patentees of Dover & other tracts of land upon the river of Pascataque have passed a grant of the same to this court to be forever annexed to this jurisdiction with reservation of some part of the said lands to their own use in regard of propriety. It is now ordered that the present Governor assisted with 2 or 3 of the other magis