OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SALFORN GRANTS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE TERRITORY BY THE GOVERNMENT OF MASSACHUSETTS. ACWORTH. [This town was probably Number 3 in the line of towns from Merrimack to Connecticut River, granted by Massachusetts, Jan. 16, 1735-6. Granted by New Hampshire as Burnet to Col. Sampson Stoddard and others, Dec. 28, 1752, and named in honor of Gov. William Burnet. Regranted as New Burnet, Nov. 17, 1761, to Stoddard and others. Incorporated as Acworth (sometimes spelled Ackworth), Sept. 19, 1766, and named in honor of Lord Acworth. The charter was renewed May 30, 1772. See New Hampshire charters, following; IX, Bouton Town Papers, 1; X, Bouton Province and State Papers, 398, 400, as to participation of this town in the movement by western New Hampshire towns in conjunction with towns in Vermont, for a new state composed of towns on both sides of the Connecticut River, or other rearrangement of state lines by a union of western New Hampshire towns with Vermont, or annexation of Vermont towns to New Hampshire; XI, Hammond Town Papers, 1; Index to New Hampshire Laws, 9; History, by J. L. Merrill, 1869, pp. 306.] [Mass. House Journal, June 24, 1737.] A Petition of Joseph Weld, Joseph Ruggles, and Ebenezer Pierpont, a Committee of the Grantees or Proprietors of the Township Number Three in the Line of Towns, shewing that upon a careful view of the said Township, it appears to be so Mountainous and Rocky &c. that is not fit for making a Settlement, which was their full Purpose, praying they may be released from their Obligations, and obtain a new Grant in Lieu thereof near the Great Menadnuck's for the Reasons mentioned. Read and Ordered, That the Petition be continued to Tuesday next the 28th currant. [Mass. House Journal, June 28, 1737.] A Petition of Joseph Weld and others, a Committee of the Grantees of the Township Number Three in the Line of Towns, praying for an Exchange &c. on Account of the roughness of the said Township, as entered the 25th. Read again, and after some debate, Ordered, That the Petition be referred to the next sitting of the Court for further Consideration. [Mass. House Journal, July 1, 1737.] A Memorial of Joseph Weld, and others, a Committee of the Grantees of the Township Number Three in the Line of Towns, praying that for as much as their former Petition in the present Session for an Exchange of said Township, which proves very mountainous Land is referred over for Consideration, that one or more of the Court's Committee for laying out the Line of Towns, with some of the Petitioners to wait on them, may in the mean time be directed to take a careful View of the said Township, the Charge to be paid out of the Grantees Money remaining in the Hands of the Court's Committee paid at the admission of the Grantees; in order that a true Information may be had of the Quality of the said Township, when that Affair shall come under consideration again. Read and Ordered, That the Prayer of the Petition be granted; the Charge of the Committee's View to be paid out of the surplusage of the Grantees Money, as within mentioned. Sent up for Concurrence. [Mass. House Journal, Dec. 3, 1737.] A Memorial of Joseph Weld and others, a Committee of the Grantees of the Township Number Three in the Line of Towns, praying they may obtain a Grant of a Township adjoyning to the Line of Towns, and lying upon the Township Number Six and Seven, in consideration of the extraordinary meanness and barrenness of the said Township Number Three, formerly granted them, and as agreable to the Petition, as entred the 24th of June last. Read and Ordered, That this Petition be considered on Wednesday the seventh currant. [Mass. House Journal, Dec. 7, 1737.] A Memorial of Joseph Weld and others, a Committee of the Grantees of the Township No. 3, praying as entred the 3d Currant; read again, and Ordered, that the Consideration of this Memorial be referred to the next May Session. Sent up for Concurrence. [Mass. House Journal, Dec. 16, 1737.] A Memorial of Joseph Weld and others, a Committee of the Township Number Three in the Line of Towns, praying that their former Petition to the Court in their present sitting, may be now considered, for the Reasons mentioned. Read, and the Question was put, Whither the Petition shall be sustained. It pass'd in the Negative. [Mass. House Journal, June 15, 1739.] A Petition of Joseph Weld, Joseph Ruggles, and Ebenezer Pierpont, a Committee of the Proprietors of the Township Number Three in the Line of Towns, shewing the Land in said Township Number Three, on a View of it in the Years 1737 and 1738, is so rough and mountainous, as renders it unfit for Settlement, altho' the said Proprietors have been at upwards of three hundred and fifty Pounds Charge in using Methods for Settlement, pray ing they may be allowed a Grant of a new Township in lieu of said Number Three, for the reasons mentioned. Read and Ordered, That the Petition lie on the Table. ALSTEAD. [This town was probably Number 4 in the line of towns from Merrimack to Connecticut River, granted by Massachusetts, Jan. 16, 1735-6. Granted by New Hampshire as Newton, Dec. 28, 1752, to John Towle and others. Regranted Aug. 6, 1763, to Samuel Chase and others, and incorporated as Alstead. The charter was renewed Jan. 25, 1772. See New Hampshire charters, following; IX, Bouton Town Papers, 5; X, Bouton Province and State Papers, 394, 398, 400, as to movement for union with Vermont towns; XI, Hammond Town Papers, 21; Index to Laws, 17; historical sketch, Hurd's History of Sullivan County, 1886, p. 114.] [Petition of Proprietors of No. 4, for Equivalent Grant, 1770.] [Mass. Archives, Vol. 118, p. 410.] Province of the To the Honorable THOMAS HUTCHINSON Esq Massachusetts Bay Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief of His MAJESTY'S said Province, the Honorable Council, and House of Representatives, in General Court Assembled, March 15th A D, 1770. The Petition of the Subscribers Humbly Sheweth, That Some of Your Petitioners and the Predecessors of the others Obtain'd a Grant, from the Great & General Court of a Township of Land, Several Years Since, Which was then Laid out between the Rivers of Connecticut and Merrimack in the Line of Towns; That the House Lots in said Township were Alloted to the Proprietors, and some further Orders of the General Court Relative to the Settlement of said Township were (by the said Proprietors) Performed to the Satisfaction of a Committee from said Honorable Court, as may Appear by the Proprietors Book of Record Sign'd by the Honorable William Dudley EsqTM Chairman of said Committee. And that said Proprietors were Resolutely Pursuing all other Proper Measures in order for a Speedy Settlement, but very soon after to their great Damage and Disappointment, and after the Payment of One Hundred and Eighty Pounds to the Committee aforesaid, and a further Expence of more than Double that Sum, besides Expence of Time, they were Deprived of said Township, by its being Set off to the Province of New-Hampshire by the Determination of His Majesty King George the Second, in the Settlement of the Boundaries of the Provinces aforesaid; And your Petitioners must Remain Remediless in the Premisses without the Interposition of this most Honorable Court, they therefore most humbly Pray that Your Honors would be pleased to take the Same into Your wise Consideration, and According to Your known Justice and Clemency, to Grant them another Township in Lieu of that which they were deprived of, as a Retaliation for their great Loss, and Your most humble Suppliants (as in duty bound) shall ever Pray. Joshua Fuller Samuel Jackson on the Right of Capt Samuel Jackson Thaddeus Trowbridge on the Right of William Trowbridge Stephen Harris on the Right of Thomas Harris David Sanger on the Right of David Sanger Ephraim Burridge on the Right of John Burridge Nathaniel Smith Samuel Shattuck William Coollidge Amos Livermore on the Right of Oliver Livermore Josiah Goddard William Park on the Right of Richard Park William Park Ebenezer Brown Jonas Coollidge on the Right of Jonas Coollidge Nathaniel Spring Christopher Grant Jun' on the Right of Christopher Grant Samuel Fuller on the Right of Isaac Fuller Jonathan Learned on the Right of Ebenezer Goddard William Dana Jonathan Learned Seth Storer on the Right of Jonathan Bemis Nathaniel Stone on the Right of Moses Hastings Josiah Mixer Daniel Robbins |