and that James Barrett & daniell Toms personally appeared & maid oath that in Carying the Chain in the within Survay that they had don it Justly & truly accord to the Best of their Scill and Judgment Before me John Flint Justice of peace WALPOLE. [This town was Number 3 in the line of towns on the east side of Connecticut River. Granted by Massachusetts, Nov., 1736, to John Flint and others. Granted by New Hampshire, Feb. 13, 1752, to Benjamin Bellows and others, and incorporated as Walpole. Named from an English town. It was also sometimes called Great Falls and Bellows-town. The charter was renewed March 12, 1761. The privilege of a ferry across the Connecticut at this place was granted to Benjamin Bellows, Aug. 18, 1773. Col. Enoch Hale, of Rindge, was authorized to build a toll-bridge over the Connecticut at Bellows Falls, Dec. 31, 1783. A tract of land from the north part of the town was combined with a part of Charlestown to make up the town of Langdon, Jan. 11, 1787. See New Hampshire charters following; X, Bouton Province and State Papers, 394, 400, as to participation in movement for union with Vermont towns; XIII, Hammond Town Papers, 592; Index to Laws, 566; sketch, by M. A. Bellows, 4, Massachusetts Historical Society Collections, p. 124; Walpole As It Was And As It Is, 1749 to 1879, by George Aldrich, 1880, pp. 4c4, particularly p. 20, as to grant of Walpole territory by authority of New York; historical sketch, by same author, Hurd's History of Cheshire County, 1886, p. 405; History and Antiquities of the Name and Family of Kilbourn, by Payne Kenyon Kilbourne, 1856, pp. 444 and 44, particularly p. 81, as to settlement of Walpole by John Kilbourn; Narratives and Traditions of the Bellows Family, by Emily R. Barnes, 1888, pp. 384.] [Mass. House Journal, Oct. 14, 1730.] A Petition of John Flint Esq; and others, Inhabitants of the Towns of Concord, Groton, Littleton, Lexington and Westford, praying for a Tract of Land of six Miles square on the West of Monadnock, on the Easterly Branch of Ashawelet River, or in any other Place as shall be thought fit, for the Ends and Reasons therein mentioned. Read, and referred to the next Session for further Consideration. [Mass. House Journal, Dec. 3, 1735.] On the Petition of John Flint, Esq; and others of Concord, Groton, Littleton, &c. praying for Lands, as entred the 14th. of October 1730, and referred, which was read and accepted, and the House came into the Grant of a Township of the contents. aforesaid, on the East side of Connecticut River below the great Falls, on the same Conditions of Settlement with the former Grant. Sent up for Concurrence. [Mass. House Journal, Sept. 27, 1739.] A Petition of Benjamin Reed, Samuel Whittemore, and Nathanael Ball, a Committee of the Proprietors of the Township Number Three, lying on the Eastward side of Connecticut River, for and in behalf of said Proprietors, praying the Favour of this Court that they may be allowed three Years longer to fulfil the Conditions of the Grant of said Township, for the Reasons mentioned. Read and referred to the next sitting of this Court. [Petition of Proprietors of Walpole for Equivalent Grant, 1772.] [Mass. Archives, Vol. 118, p. 610.] Province of the Massachusetts-Bay To His Excellency Tho Hutchinson Esq' Capt General & Govr in Cheife in and over his Majesties Province afores & to the Hon1e his majesties Council & house of Representatives in Gen1 Court assembled at Cambridge May 1772-Humbly shews That the great & general Court for sd Province at their sessions in Nov 1736, did grant To Jno Flynt Esq' & others a Township of Six miles Square on the East side of & adjoining to Connecticut River, Called by the name of N° 3.-That Sa Court did fully Impower the s Jno Flynt Esq' to assemble the Grantees of sd Township No 3.-in order to Choose a Comtee to allot out and Divid the Sa Lands & to pass such Votes & ordors as they sha think most Conducive for the Speedy fullfillment of the Conditions of sa Grant -That sa Props did accordingly proceed & Choose a Comtee for the purposes aforesd & with great Expence of Time & mony lay out sa Township, & allot out the same agreeable to the ordor of the sa Cort-That sd Props did after Wards with great Expence of Time and money as aforesd proceed & lay out Convenient Roads Clear Land & Endeavour the bringing forward the Settlement of sd Township untill the Indian War prevented their farther proceedings & afterwards your Petitioners were intirely Dispossessed of the same by the Running of the province Line to their great Detriment & Loss-Wherefore your Petitioners in behalf of themselves & sd proprs of sd Township humbly pray y' Excellency & hon's would take their Case into yr wise Consideration & make them a grant of some of the unappropriated Lands of this province adequate to their Loss and your Petitioners as in Duty bound shall Ever Pray Sam' Whittemore The Names of the Grantees of Walpole vizt Benjamin Bellows Benja Gary Jona Bradstreet Jun' Joseph Win William Nutting Eben' Harris Levi Willard Thom Stearns Jno Wentworth Jun Copy Theod' Atkinson Secry In the House of Representatives June 29, 1773 on the Petition of Sam' Whittemore & others In behalf of themselves & others Propriators of a Township of the Contents of Six Miles Square, Granted to John Flint Esqr & others on the East Side of Connecticut river known by the name of N° 3 It appearing that the Propriators of Sa Township Expended Much Labour & Money in Clearing Roads & bringing forward the Settlement of Sa Township, & that the whole of Sa Township fell within the limmits of Newhampshier on Runing the line between this Province & Newhampshier for which the Grantees have Receiv'd no Consideration from this Province or the Province of Newhampshier Therefore Resolved in lieu thereof, there be Granted to the Petitioners & the legal Representatives or assigns of the origanal Grantees, a Township of Seven Miles Square in the unapropriated lands belonging to this Province Provided that the Grantees within Six years Settle thirty families in Sa Town And lay out one Sixtyfourth part of Sa Township for the first Setled Minister, and one Sixtyfourth part for the Ministry & one Sixtyfourth part for the Grammer School and one other Sixtyfourth part for the use of Harvard College Provided also that the Sd Township be lay'd out on Such a part of the unapropriated lands belonging to this Province (excepting the Tract petition for by the proprietors of Suncook) adjoyning to Some former grant to the Eastward of Saco River, & that they return a plan thereof into the Secretary's office, by a Surveyor and Chainmen under oath within twelve monts for Confirmation Sent up for Concurrence T Cushing Spk' In Council June 29th 1773 read & ordered that the Consideration of this Grant be referred to the Next Sitting of the General Court Sent down for Concurrence Thos Flucker Secr In the House of Representatives June 29, 1773 In Council June 29th 1773- Jno Cotton D. Secr'y [In February 1774, Samuel Whittemore and Amos Lawrence again petitioned the General Court, and were granted the township of Baldwin Me., under the same conditions as above expressed.] [GRANT TO JONATHAN BELCHER.] [Mass. House Journal, Jan. 5, 1735-6.] Two Plats containing one thousand acres of Land lying on each side of Connecticut River, viz. six hundred acres thereof lying on the East side of the River, and begins at two Butter nut Trees marked J. B. standing on the Bank of said Connecticut River at the lower end of the third Interval Meadow from Cold River, from whence it runs an East Line one hundred thirty-four perches, then North four hundred and seventy perches to a Corner, thence West ninety five perches to a Butter nut Tree marked J. B. on the bank of the River; the Plat containing four hundred acres being opposite to the former tract on the West side the River of Connecticut, beginning at two white Pines marked J. B. about one hundred and thirty perch above the Brook in the lower part of the second Interval Meadow below the Great Falls, from thence West two hundred and twenty perch, thence South three hundred and five perch, thence East thirteen degrees and thirty minutes North, two hundred and seventy perch to a Pitch Pine on the bank of the River, formerly surveyed and laid out by Ebenezer Hinsdale, Surveyor, and two Chain men on Oath, to satisfy a Grant of the Court to His Excellency the Governour, as equivalent for what was laid out at a place called by the name of Merry Meadow, but not confirmed, was now presented for allowance to satisfy a Grant of one thousand acres of Land made to His Excellency in the present sitting of the Court, for the reasons therein mentioned. Read and Ordered, That these Plats be and hereby are accepted, and the Lands therein delineated and described, and lying on each side of Connecticut River, be and are hereby confirmed to His Excellency JONATHAN BELCHER, Esq; Captain General and Governour in Chief in and over His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay and to his heirs and assigns for ever, in satisfaction of a Grant of this Court in their present sitting of one thousand acres of Land made to His Excellency, for the Services of His Brother Mr. Andrew Belcher, deceas'd, in the Canada Expedition Anno 1690, provided the Plats exceed not the quantity of one thousand acres of Land, as it lays on each side of Connecticut River, and does not interfere with any former Grant, anything contained in the form of the return notwithstanding. Sent up for Concurrence. |