BOSCAWEN.

[Granted by Massachusetts as Contoocook, Dec. 8, 1732, to John Coffin and others, of Newbury, Mass. The grant was confirmed by the Masonian Proprietors Jan. 10, 1758. Incorporated as Boscawen April 22, 1760, and named in honor of Admiral Edward Boscawen of the British navy. The charter was renewed Oct. 7, 1763. Webster was set off and incorporated July 4, 1860. This division was attempted in 1791, when the inhabitants of the west part of the town asked to be set off and incorporated by the name of Bristol.

See Massachusetts charters preceding and Masonian Papers in following volumes; IX, Bouton Town Papers, 57; XI, Hammond Town Papers, 193; Index to Laws, 62; sketch, Hurd's History of Merrimack County, 1885, p. 169; Descriptive and Historical Account, by John Farmer, 20; Mass. Historical Society Collections, 71; Indian Troubles, 2, Farmer and Moore's Historical Collections, 375; Chronological Register, by Ebenezer Price, 1823, pp. 116; Centennial Celebration, 1876, pp. 27; History of Boscawen and Webster, by Charles Carleton Coffin, 1878, pp. 656; One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of Settlement, 1883, pub. 1884, pp. 211; Memorial Addresses on Life and Character of William Pitt Fessenden, 1870; Memoirs of John Adams Dix, by Morgan Dix, 1883; Lawrence's N. H. Churches, 1856, pp. 348, 355.]

*Province of New Hamp S

P-S

[BOSCAWEN INCORPORATED, 1760.]

George the Second by the Grace of 1-220 God of Great Britain France & Ireland'

King Defender of the Faith &ca

To all to whom these Presents Shall come Greeting Whereas Our loyall Subjects Inhabitants of a Tract of Land within Our Province of New Hamp' known by the Name of Contoocook have Humbly Petitioned Boscawen & requested that they may be errected & incorporated into a Township & Infranchized with the Same Powers & Previledges which other Towns within Our Said Province by Law have and Injoy and it appearing to us to be conducive to the Gen" good of our Said Province as well as to the said Inhabitants in Perticular by maintaining good Order and Encouraging the Culture of the Lands that the Same Should be don

Know Ye therefore that We of Our Special Grace Certain Knowledge & for the Encouraging and Promoting the good Ends & Purposes afores by & with the Advice of Our Trusty & well beloved Benning Wentworth Esq Our Governour & Com❜ander in Chieff & of Our Council for Said Province of New Hamp* Have

erected & ordain'd and by these Presents for us our heirs & Successors do will & ordain that the Inhabitants of the Tract of Land afores or that Shall Inhabit or Improve thereon the Same being Limited & Bounded as follows Beginning at the Southerly Side of Contoocook Rivers Mouth where the Same falls into Merrimack River & running thence on A Course West Seventeen Degrees South Seven Miles & One Hundred Rodds Measured from A Forked white Pine near the Mouth of Contoocook River to a Pitch Pine & Heap of Stones & from s Pitch Pine & heap of Stones Running North Seventeen degrees West Seven Miles to A forked Beach Marked & thence on a Course East Seventeen degrees North to Merrimack River to a heap of Stones & thence by the River (as the Same runs) to the Mouth of Contoocook River again where it began Shall be and by these Presents Are Declared and Ordain'd to be a Town Corporate and Are hereby Errected & Incorporated into A Body Politick & Corporate to have a Continuence two Years Only by the Name of Boscawen with all the Powers and Authoritys Previledges Immunities & *1-221 Franchises which *Any Other Towns in Said Province by Law hold & Enjoy always Reserving to us Our Heirs & Successors all white Pine Trees that are or shall be found growing & being on sa Tract of Land fit for the Use of our Royal Navy Reserving to us Our heirs & Successors the Power & Right of Dividing Said Town when it Shall Appear Necessary & Convenient for the Benefit of the Inhabitants thereof Provided Neverthe Less and it is hereby Declared that this our Charter and Grant is not Intended or Shall in any manner be Construed to Extend to or effect the Private Property of the Soil within the Limits aforesaid And as the Several Towns within our Said Province of New Hampshire are by the Laws thereof Enabled & Authorized to assemble & by the Majority of the Voters Present to Choose all Such Officers & Transact such affairs as by the Said Laws Are declared We do by these Presents Nominate & Appoint Colonel Joseph Coffin Esq to Call the first Meeting of said Inhabitants to be held within the s Town at any Time within 60 days from the date hereof giving Legal Notice of the Time & Design of holding such meeting after which the Annual Meeting of said Town for the Choice of Such officers & management of the Affairs aforesaid Shall be held within the Same on the first Tuesday of March Annually In Testimony whereof we have Caused the Seal of Our Said Province to be hereunto affixed Wittness BENNING WENTWORTH Esq Our Governor & Com'ander in Chieff of Our Said

Province of New Hampshire the Twenty Second Day of April in the Thirty third Year of Our Reign and in the Year of Our Lord Christ 1760

By his Excellencys Com❜and with Advice of Council

B Wentworth

Theodore Atkinson Secry

April 23a Recorded from a Plan on the Back of the Original

Charter

Theod' Atkinson Ser

[BOSCAWEN INCORPORATION RENEWED, 1763.]

*1-260 Province of New Hampshire

GEORGE the Third by the Grace of God of Great Britain France & Ireland King Defender of the Faith &c

WHEREAS Our Late Royal Grandfather King George the Second of Glorious Memory did of his Special Grace & upon the Petition of the Inhabitants of a Tract of Land in our said Province known by the Name of Boscawen & for the Maintaining good order & Encouraging the Culture of the Land there by his Letters Patent or Charter under the Seal of of our said Province dated the 22a day of Aprill in the Thirty Third Year of his Reign, & in the Year of our Lord 1760, did Erect & Incorporate into a Body Politick & Corporate by the Name of Boscawen the Inhabitants of the said Tract of Land, or those that should thereon Inhabit thereafter which Tract is Butted & Bounded as in the said Patent or Charter is Express'd & was to have Continuance until the Expiration of Two Years & no longer, which time being now Elapsed & the Inhabitants having again Petition'd to have the said Charter Priviledges Renew'd & it appearing Necessary to Answer the good End Proposed as well as to Enable the Inhabitants afores to Assess & Collect their Rates & Taxes

KNOW YEE that we being Willing to Promote the good end Proposed, have of our farther grace & Favour by & with the Advice of our trusty & well beloved BENNING WENTWORTH Esq. our Governor & Commander in Cheif & of our Council for said Province Revived & Regranted & by these Presents do Revive & Regrant unto the said Inhabitants & their Successors on the said Tract of Land, all the Powers & Authoritys Priviledges & Immunity's & Franchises in the said Charter mention'd, as they Enjoy'd the same while that Charter was in force, & to have Continuance until we shall approve or Disallow the same & signify such our Approbation or Dissallowance, & to Obviate any dispute that may arise about the Authority in calling a Meeting of the Inhabitants &c, the Select Men or those that were appointed to that Office & served therein the last time or the Town Clerk are hereby Authorized in the usual form & Method to Notify & call a Meeting of the s Inhabitants for the Choise of Town officers & other Affairs of said Town

In Testimony whereof we have Caused the Seal of the Province afores to be hereunto Affixed-Witness Benning Wentworth Esq.

our Governor & Coma in Chief this 7th Day of Octo' in the 3d Year of our Reign Anno: Domini 1763—

By his Excellencys Com'and

with Advice of Council

Theo: Atkinson Jun Secry

Province of New Hamps' Octo' 8. 1763

B Wentworth

Recorded According to the Origional under the Prov. Seal

T: Atkinson Jun Secry

BOW.

[Granted by Lieut. Gov. John Wentworth, May 10, 1727, to Jonathan Wiggin and others, and was so named on account of a bend in the river within the town limits. A portion of Bow was combined with Suncook and Buckstreet to make the parish of Pembroke, Nov. 1, 1759. Two tracts of land were severed from Bow, and annexed, one to Concord, and the other to Pembroke, Dec. 13, 1804. A portion was severed and annexed to Allenstown, June 22, 1815.

See Masonian Papers in following volumes: IX, Bouton Town Papers, 62; XI, Hammond Town Papers, 209; Index to Laws, 64; sketch, by Harrison Colby, Hurd's History of Merrimack County, 1885, p. 263; Baptist Churches in N. H., by E. E. Cummings, 1836, pp. 12, 16; Lawrence's N. H. Churches, 1856, p. 357.]

L. S.

Bow

[BOW CHARTER, 1727.]

*GEORGE By the Grace of God of Great Brittain *1-7 ffrance & Ireland King Defender of the ffaith &ca—

TO ALL PEOPLE to whom these Presents Shall Come Greeting Know ye that we of our Special Knowledge & mere motion, for the Due Encourage

mt of Setling a New Plantation, By & with the Advise & Concent of Our Council have given & Granted And by these Presents as far as in us lyes do give & Grant in Equal Shares unto Sundry of our beloved Subjects whose names Are Entred in a Schedule here unto Annexed that Inhabit or Shall Inhabit within the sd Grant, within our Province of New Hampshire all that Tract of Land within the following Bounds VizBeginning on the South East Side of the Town of Chichester & runing nine miles by Chichester, And Canterbury And Carrying