Litchfield & merrimack and principally included within said Towns & Conceive themselves Entitled in proportion to their Intrests to all the priviledges & Immunities within the Bounds of said Farm wheither by Land or Water-and Humbly Conceive the public as well as themselves wou'd be Greatly Injured if the prayer of that Petition should be Granted. As it is not Likely the ferry will be tended in the manner it Ought to be while under the direction of Colo Thornton as heithertoo he has paid little Attention to it Notwithstanding he mentions the ferry to be the main Inducement to his buying the_farm-neither should we be willing an Exclusive right of Ferrying there should be Granted to any person in such a manner as to become a part of his Estate. it is suggested in said Petition that the Court of General sessions of the peace in the County of middlesex Appointed Jonathan Cumings to keep said ferry and that Cumings sold it to Col Lutwyche. we dont know that the General sessions of the peace for the County of Middlesix Granting Licence to Cumings to tend said ferry Gave him a right to the ferry or in any manner Intitled him to Convey the same to any person whomsoever—we denye that Cumings sold it to Col° Lutwyche as not the Least mention is made thereof in Cuminges deed to Lutwyche it is also mentioned in said Petition that said Lutwyche Obtained from the Governor of New Hamp' a Grant of said ferry to him his Heirs & Assigns forever and that the said Petitioner is the Legal Owner thereof If so it seems needless to Trouble your Honors with a petition as he may have remedy at Common Law if he is Disturbed in his property we Cant Conceive your Honors will Indulge Petitioners in matters that can be properly Decided in a Leagal way else where and further we beg Leave to Inform your Honors that Col° Thornton has commenced a Suit against us on this very matter which is now pending; and to be Call'd to Answer at this Court and at a Law court at one and the same time Appears Rather Vexatious, that should your Honors make any regulations Concerning the said ferry we beg we may be considered and that a ferry may be Established on the east side of said river for the sole use and Benefet of the proprietors and Owners of sd Brintons farm This Petition will be Presented and Inforced by our Counsell who will represent us in what is further needful in the premises which we doubt not will have a patient hearing all which is submitted to your wise & Impartial Judgment and Determination and your petitioners as in duty bound will Ever pray Litchfield march 4th 1784 Daniel Kendall Benjamin Blodget William Reed Samuel senter William Whittle Wentworth Claggett James Russell Simeon Chase [The exclusive privilege of keeping a ferry at this place was granted by, Gov. Benning Wentworth, July 8, 1776, to Edward Goldstone Lutwyche, and managed by him until April 20, 1775, at which time he left the place and went to the enemy in Boston. His mother, Mrs. Sarah, continued the ferry until it was taken possession of by the committees of safety of the towns of Merrimack and Litchfield; they were, however, on the third of November, 1775, directed by the legislature to give up the ferry to Mrs. Lutwyche. The following extract from the records of the committee. of safety of the state, Sept. 10, 1778, indicates that she died. not long prior to that date: Appointed Col° Nichols, Mr Underwood & Majr Chase to take an Inventory & possession of the Estate of Sarah Lutwyche, De." An act passed April 14, 1784, granting to Matthew Thornton the exclusive right of keeping a ferry over the river within the distance of two miles above or below his house.-ED.] [R. 2-271] [Nathaniel Garfield, Quarter-Master, 1779.] The Petition of Nathaniel Gearfield of Merrimac in the county of Hillsborough Gentleman That your Petitioner in August last went a Volunteer in the last Campaign to Rhode Island in 1778, and there served as Quartermaster of the Brigade of New Hampshire Volunteers under the Command of Brigadier Gen1 Whipple and expected to have been made up in a Staff Roll accordingly, but by some means was Neglected, and have never received any pay for said service * In behalf of the Petitioner Moses Nichols [Nov. 6, 1783, said Garfield petitioned for an allowance for a mare lost in said service.-ED.] [R. 2-273] [Soldier's Order, 1782.] Merrimack July 8th 1782. To the Treas of the State of New Hampshire S For value Rec Please to pay Capt William Barron the whol of my wages for serving under Col Jonson at Coos Witness my hand Abel Davis £8, 7, 9 [R. 2-274] [Relative to William Cowen, Soldier.] [In a petition dated June 3. 1784, Timothy Taylor and Jacob McGaw, selectmen of Merrimack, stated that one William Cowen, a soldier in the Continental army from the town of Merrimack, had by mistake been credited to the town of Amherst.-ED.] [R. 2-276] [Petition in behalf of James Taylor, 1785.] To the General assembly of the State of New Hampshire Humbly shews James Taylor late of Merrymac in said state that your Petitioner served in the Regim' Commanded by Lieu* Col Stephen Peabody at Rhodisland as Quarter master of that Regiment during the Continuance thereof and as Sundry officers of that Corps have had an allowance of Depreciation (so called) he prays that he may be Considered in the same way as others are of that Regiment June 2d 1785 Tim Taylor In Behalf of James Taylor [7-83] [Relative to the Election of Representative, 1762.] To the Gen Assembly of the Province of New HampTM now held at Portsmouth in sd Prove The Petition of the freeholders of Merrime in sd Province Humbly Sheweth that on the fourth Day of March Instant the freeholders of sd Merrimac and Monson was assembled at sd Merrimac to Elect a person to Represent them in the Gen Assembley and Joseph Blanchard Esq' was Declared to be Elected Representative for sd Towns But the Election of him was Illegal for the vots of some persons who had an Estate in sa Merrime where the sd Choice was Sufficant to Qualify them for voters according to Law was Refused and and others Allowed to vot in s Election who was Not Quallified according to Law the Election of sd Blanchard was not made by a majority of voters who Had an Estate in s Merrim as the Law Requires But by Persons from Monson Hollis & Amherst who had no Estate in sd Merrime our Being joined with Monson in the Choice of a Representative instead of being a previlidge Strips us of all that Previlidge which By Law we ought to Enjoy in that Respect for Being Called to Meet together and Act Contrary to a positive Law of the Prove puts us in the utmost Confusion when Mett we theirfor pray that sa Meeting may be Declared nul and sd Election set aside because Illegal and that all the other Elections of the Like Kind may be set asid as unlawful Elections and that the Persons thus Elected Contrary to Law may be dismissed with sa Blanchard (viz) John Goffe Esq Cap' Sam' Grele Cap' Jonathan Cotton & M Jo Wright that they who are thus Elected Contrairy to Law May Not Be Suffered to sit in the Hon' Assembly to pas Laws and votes for others we Dont Beg for favours without Right but pray that we may be Defended in our Lawfull Rights and Previlidges and for the Due Execution of Laws so far as lyes in your power that we may Share in the Common Hapiness of the Province Laws Under the Goverment of So Good a King as we Now Enjoy And we Desire that the Carictore and Conduct of sa Blanchard May Bee Enquired into and Considered which we Judge is Such as renders him unfit of a Sate in the Gen' Assembly and that he May Be Desmis for that if Not for the other Reasons and we as in Duty Bound Shall Ever Pray The township was granted by the Masonian proprietors March 21, 1770, and incorporated by the legislature March 4, 1778. In 1785 the inhabitants of the north part of Middleton, and those of a portion of Wolfeborough, attempted to get set off from their respective towns and be incorporated into a separate town. The scheme did not succeed, being strongly opposed by Wolfeborough and the south part of Middleton. In 1794 the matter was again brought before the legislature, and the town was divided by an act passed Dec. 30 of that year, the north part being incorporated into a town by the name of Brookfield. The town was settled by men from Rochester and Lee. [7-62] [Petition for an Incorporation, 1773.] Province of New Hampshire To His Excellency-John Wentworth Esquire Captain General, & Commander in chief in & over said Province of New Hampshire &c &c and to The Honorable His Majestys Council for the Same The Humble petition of a Number of the inhabitants & proprietors of the Township of Middletown in the County of Strafford & province aforesaid being a tract of land granted by the proprietors of Masons patent so Call'd on the 21st day of March A D 1770-Most Humbly sheweth that great progress is made & is still making towards the Compleat Settlement of said tract of land, and that the inhabitants & proprietors thereof have been at great expence & Charge in making public roads through said Township for the benefit of His Majestys Service-Your petitioners therefore prays that your Excellency and Honours would be pleas to incorporate said tract of Land into a Township with such privaledges as other Towns enjoy |