NEWINGTON.

The township was a portion of the Dover and Squamscot Patent, and was called Bloody Point Parish" for some years. A dispute arose concerning the boundary lines between this parish and the parish of Greenland, and a committee was appointed, May 12, 1714, "to ascertain the limits of said Parishes." (See page 65, ante.) Bloody Point was named Newington, the same day, by the governor. It had been separated from Dover as a parish about one year previous. When it was fully incorporated with town privileges I am unable to ascertain. Some writers give the date as 1764, but there is no act relative to the matter on record in the secretary's office in that year, and I am unable to find any manuscript authority for the statement. In May, 1764, John Knight and John Pickering, as agents for the town of Newington, petitioned to have the line straightened between said town and Portsmouth.

Newington was represented by John Knight, Jr., in the H. of Rep. in 1755, and by John Fabyan in 1745, at which time it had a set of town officers, from which I think it must have been invested with town privileges prior to that date.

June 26, 1821, a small portion of the town was severed, and annexed to Portsmouth.

[7-204] [Concerning Irregularities in a Town-Meeting,

1737.]

To His Excellency Jonathan Belcher Esq' Gov' and Commander In Chief in and Over His Majesty's Province of New Hamp' the Honble His Majestys Council and House of Represen, for said Province in Gen' Court Convened

The Petition of Sundry of the Free-holders & Inhabitants of the Town of Newington in said Province in behalf of themselves & others of said Town-Humbly Sheweth

That on the twenty ninth Day of March Inst the Annual Town meeting of the Inhabitants of Newington aforesaid was observed & held at which meeting there was much Contest and Disorder.

That such Irregularities & abuses were there Tolerated as ought not to be Suffered in any Civil Society, many Persons being Suffer'd to be voters who had neither freehold nor any other Estate in the Town and others who (afterwards) boasted they had put in four or five votes to a man-That many Persons objected against for not having Sufficient Estate to Entitle them to vote were yet allow'd to be qualified voters-whereby the affairs of the said Meeting were Transacted & Determined in such a manner as is Contrary to the minds of many of the Free holders of the Town, and to the Gen' Interest of the said Town & in Particular in removing a certain high way-Wherefore your Petition" Humbly pray that in yo' Great wisdom you would Explain the Law relating the Qualification of voters in Town meetings, that we may have no further Disputes of that Sort that you would declare the meeting afores" void, & order another for the Choice of Town officers & the other matters

This name was originally Hate-evil.

Transacted at the Same, that so the said abuses may be removed, & Discountenanced-& yo' Petition" Shall ever pray

[In H. of Rep., Aug. 18, 1737, the proceedings of said meeting were declared to be void, and the old board of selectmen were authorized to call another meeting.-ED.]

[7-205] [Additional Petition concerning the matter.]

Whereas there was a petition preferred to the Gen" Court Setting att Portsmo in Newhamp' on the 1st of Apriel Last past (by Sundry of the freeholders & Inhabitants of Newington in the province of Newhamp' aforesaid) Setting forth Sundry Abuses & Irregularitys which were Tolerated att a Town Meeting held att sd Newington on the Twenty Ninth Day of March Last, And wee the Subscribers Not having An Oppertunity of Signing said petition with the then petitioners Doe now Joyn with them in praying the Assistance of the honble Court (for the Reliefe of the Town as sett forth in s petition) and yo petitioners as in Duty bound Shall Ever pray

[7-206] [More Irregularities in Town-Meeting, 1745.] To the Honble the House of Representatives for the Province of New Hampshire Assembled the 24th Day of Jan' 1744-5

The Humble Petition of Sundry of the Freeholders & Inhabitants of Newington In Said Province Shews

That Monday the 21st Instant was the Day Appointed for the Choice of A Suitable Person to Represent the said Town in the General Assembly Pursuant to a Notification Issued by the

Select Men of said Town for that Purpose Agreeable to which a Meeting was held but not Governed & Managed According to Law Nor Order & Decency

That two Persons were Nominated Viz George Walton Esq and Mr Lemuel Bickford for whom the Voters where Near Equally Divided Untill two Persons Appeared and put In their Votes In favour of the said Walton who where not Qualified Voters to which Several of Your Petitioners Objected & Told the moderator they were not Voters which He Denied Affirming They were and Declared the said Walton was the Person Chosen to Represent the said Town the Objectors Demanded (as Soon As they could Speak) That the matter might be determined by ye Poll & so Discover'd weither any Persons Voted who were not Qualified and tho This was Requested by A Greater Number Then the Law In that Case Deems Sufficient Yet it was Absolutely & Arbitrarily Denied & Refused by Him & Insisted On That the said Walton was the man ChosenThat Your Petitioners Apprehend it to be a Great Infringment of the Rights of the Voters to Refuse to Have any Doubtfull matter Determined by the Poll as well as a Breach of the Law In that Case Provided-And that as this Is an affair of Consequence to the People Greater Care at Such meetings ought to be Taken Than In Common Cases & Every Person has a Right to Be Patiently Heard by the moderator to Propose His Objection against the Proceedings and the Greater the Number Is that make any Motion, the Greater Regard ought to be Had to it and when it Is Suggested that Persons Vote who are not Qualified It Is a Matter Not Slightly much Less Arbitrarily to be Pass'd Over-Especially In this Case where all the Voters ought to be freeholders Wherefore your Petitioners Humbly pray that the said Walton may not be Allowed to Represent the said Town that the Management of the said Meeting may be Inquired into and the Legallity of the Choice Aforesaid Tried and an Order Past for a New Choice if it Shall be found to be Illegal and Your Petitioners as In Duty Bound Shall Ever Pray

[George Walton was dismissed from the H. of Rep. and a new election ordered, at which John Fabyan was elected.-ED.]

[7-208]

[Deposition of Hate-evil Nutter.]

The Deposition of Hatevil Nutter of full age Testifieth and saith that on the 29th Day of March Last past being the Anual Meeting for the parrish of Newington: there was att said Meeting Verry Irrugaler Carrings-on of the Affars of the business of sd Meeting by Sundry being Tolerated as Voters that two that never were Rated in the Town and Some that had no Estate there known by which means they Obtain'd a Vote for the Choice of the Selectmen And upon the Acco1 of Such Irruglarities Several of the ffreeholders Desired: a Dissission of the Matter by a pole but was Denyed that privelidge

[7-207]

[Relative to a Road laid out in 1656.]

Newington March 5th 1748

We the Subscribers Select Men of ye Town or Parish of Newington aforesaid have this day perambulated the Bounds of ye Road or high way granted by the Town of Dover in the year 1656-which takes its beginning at or near a place called Jeffrey Rag his house (as by Dover Town Book will more fully appear reference their to being had) in manner following viz beginning four poles to the northward of a Stone wall between the Land of Sam" and Jn° Huntriss and Samuel Rawlins late of Newington aforesaid Deceased and running as the Fence runs to the head thereof keeping the distance of four poles from every part thereof and then South Sixty Six degrees west to the Road that lead's from Portsmouth to bloody point ferry then crossing the last mentioned road and running four poles distance from the fence on the south side of Joseph Rawlins Orchard and keeping that distance from the Fence through all the length of Sam" Rawlins Land aforesaid to the north West Corner thereof and then through the land of ye Honorable John Downing Esqu' South Sixty two degrees thirty minutes west to a hemlock tree standing in the Eastermost Corner of the Parsonage land which s Hemlock Stands in the line between Portsmouth & Dover as it runn's from Canneys Cove to Hoggstye Cove and then keeping the line between the said Towns till it Comes to the old Road leading from Greenland to bloody point ferry