[5-243] [Relative to Taxation by Massachusetts, 1731.] To his Excellencie Jonathan Belcher Esq' Cap Generall and Commander in Chief in and over his Majties Province of New hampshire to the honble the Councill, and house of Representatives Now Conven'd in Gen" Assembly The humble Petition of Samuell Graves of Kingstown in newhampshire for himselfe and in Behalfe of the Proprietors of the Said Town of Kingstown Most humbly Sheweth That your Petitioner is an Inhabitant of the Said Town of Kingstown on part of that Town that Lyes Neare seventeen Miles Dew North from the River Now Caled Merrimack: Yet So it is that the People In habiting Havereill in the County of Essex in the Massachusets Bay pretending Right to the Soile where your Petitioner Liveth: (and alsoe to a Great part of the Said Town of Kingstown) which lyes Some five, Some ten Miles, and Som fifteen, Sixteen, or Seventeen Miles North from Said Merrimack: and the Goverment of the Masachusets assumes Jurisdiction over all the Dimentions affore Said: and hath Taken y Petetion' by vertue of the writs and process out of the Courts of that County of Essex: and he hath been Detained in the County Goale in Ipswitch in Sd County of Essex above Seventeen Weeks-and Since Your Petitioner has at his Great Expence Discharged himselfe : yet Since yt his Neighbour Jeremiah Clough that Joynes upon y' Petitioners Land fifteen or Sixteen Miles to the North of the Sa River Merrimack : hath been taken by process out of the Courts belonging to the Said County of Essex : & there put In Goale and forc't to find pledges & suerties to Answer in the Courts of the Said County of Essex Notwithstanding the Said Courts Cannot pretend any Jurisdiction So far Northward of the Said River Merrimack and tho' your Petitioner Did Exhibit a Petition in his own and the afforesaid Cloughs Name to the Gen" assm of the Mass" praying that they might have Some Relief. and that things might Rest till the Setlem of the lines: yet Could have no Redress-and was answered they would not Estop themselves unless this Province would Do something first (or be tyed as well as them from any prosecution) Your humble Petitioner Most humbly prayes that your Excellcie, Councill & house of Representatives will In y Wisdom as Seems most meet proceed to Do Something that may put a Stop to any further proceedings untill Such Time as the Lines May be Setled-and your Petitioner Shall Ever pray May the 4th 1731 Samuel Graves [5-244] [Petition of Inhabitants of the Easterly Part for a New Parish, 1738.] To his Excellency Jonathan Belcher Esq' Capt Gen" and Gover in Chief in and over his Majesties Province of New Hamps in New England, And to the Honble his Majesties Council and Representatives in Gen" Court Assembled May ye 2d 1738 The Petition of Sundry of the Inhabitants of Kingstown in the Easterly part thereof, In the Province afores Humbly Sheweth That Whereas divine Providence (which Sets Bounds to all our habitations) hath placed us at a great Distance from the place of Publick worship up in Town And so rendered our attendance there very Difficult & often Impracticable for our families-This has put us upon Building a New Meeting House Among our Selves to Accommodate our women & Children as well as our Selves that we might More Conveniently attend the Publick worship of God And with more Ease & Comfort Enjoy the word & Ordinances and Means of Grace which are So Necessary to our Spiritual Edification and Eternal Salvation Upon which we being desirous to Maintain the worship of God among our Selves at our own Cost And Charge applyed our Selves to the Town to Set us off to be a Distinct Parish or Precinct from them But they not Duly ConSidering our Difficult Circumstances have unreasonably rejected our request; Wee therefore now humbly Apply our Selves to your Excellency and Hon" for relief And pray that this Honble Court would please to Consider and Compassionate our Difficult Case and Make us a Distinct Parish or precinct by fixing a Parish Line, or Polling off our persons & Estates who are Subscribers hereunto that we may be Discharged from paying to the Ministry or School in the other part of the Town and enjoy the Powers & Priviledges of a Distinct Parish by our Selves; We have paid our part of the Towns Extraordinary Charge in Building A New Meeting House, and Settling a new Minister, & buying a Parsonage House & Land Among them; And they are Numerous And Sufficiently able to Carry on without us, It Seems then very unreasonable for them to deny us our request, and we have been at an Extraordinary Charge to Build A Meeting House and to procure preaching for Some time as well as to Maintain a School among our Selves at our own Cost. and hope God will Enable us Still to do it Cheerfully and prosper us in so good an Undertaking which tends so much to promote religion and the best good of our families & Children; And we pray that your Excellency and Hon" would in your great Wisdom and Goodness Encourage us in so good a design and Accordingly Grant our request So Shall we as in duty Bound Ever pray &c Isaac Godfrey 43 Philemon wells Ebenezer Bachelder James Tappin John Darling Jun' [It was set off and incorporated as Kingston East Parish, November 17, 1738-ED.] [5-245] [Petition for a Grant of Land, 1738.] To his Excellency Jonathan Belcher Esquire Commander in Chief in and over his Majesties Province of New Hampshire and to the Honourable his Majesties Council The Humble Petition of us Inhabitants of Kingstown, Most Humbly sheweth, That with Earnest desire of Enlarging the dominion of the Supreme of the English Territories; and to Accomodate our 2 162 Posterity under the most happy Administration on Earth: WE have exposed our Persons and Families Goods and Fortunes to the Ravage and Insults of a barbarous Enemy, and many of our dear Friends and Relatives have lost their Lives in the Enterprize, and Others undergone a long and Sore Captivity and some of them redeemed with vast Labour and difficulty and great Expence which has so impoverished many of us that We have been Obliged to sell much of our Lands to the Inhabitants of Other Towns in which distressing and Calamitous Wars we have been their Barrier, and thro' the unhappy Disputes arising between this and the adjacent Province much of our Lands has been Seized and Setled by the Inhabitants of the neighbouring Province which has caused Some of us Inhabitants great Tryalls and Perplexities in being harrassed with Uncomfortable & Chargeable Lawsuits; On These and several other Motives we did humbly Request a Tract of Land near adjoining to Ammiskeeg Falls which has laid upon File near Fourteen Years, thro' the unsetled state of this Province in respect to the Line. WE Have been at the Charge of sending a Number of Men to view the Inland and to give us a plan of a suitable Tract of Land which may be indisputable and thro' the Guidance of Providence they have found such a spot between Winnepeseokke & Pemissewassett Rivers. WE Therefore humbly Request the favourable and Compassionate consideration of your Excellency and Honours in the Grant of a Township there of Ten miles square or of such other Dimensions and Quantity as in your Wisdom may seem meet, and your Petitioners as in duty bound shall ever Pray &c. Ebenezer Stevens Francis Batchelor Peter Sanborn Samuel Bean Joshua Woodman Samuel Judkins [5-246] [Action of Town-Meeting, 1742.] At A Legal town meeting held by the Inhabetance and freeholders of kingston ye second day of march: 1741/2: 15 ly voted that sq. Ebe' Stevens Jedidah Philbrock & Jeremiah webster are Chosen a committe to bring forward the petition which is allready Laid before the governor & Councel by sd town of kingston or to prepare any other petition for sd town to the sd govrner & Councel This is a true Copey taken out of kingston book of Reackords as a test by me [5-247] Tristram Sanborn town Clerk for kingston [Petition for Lands, 1750.] To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq' Governour & Commander in chief in & over his Majestie's of New Hampshre & To the Hon his Majestie's Council of sa Prov. The Petition of Jedediah Philbrick of Kingston in said Province, Humbly Sheweth, as well on his own behalf as on the behalf of his Associates That your said Petitioner &c-have lived in a Frontier Town during some of the late Wars exposed to all the Dangers & Difficulties of such a Situation of which your Excellency & Honours we doubt not will be thoroughly sensible upon the bare mention without enumerating of them And we never yet having had any Grant of Lands made us as many of our Neighbours and fellow Subjects have had & we being desposed to cultivate & improve some of the wast Lands of this his Majestie's Province aforesaid Humbly hope & pray that y Excellency & Honours would be pleased to grant to us & our Associates (a list of which is herewith humbly presented or such as your Excellency & Honours shall be pleased to join |