this Province by getting ye duty of yr lumber to be taken off, & am pleased I can acquaint you that I am not without hopes of having it done in a short time. Gent-I have nothing further to recommend to you but dispatch in the affairs before you. Adjourned to the 8th instant, 10 o'clock, A. M. Pro: N. Hamp❜. At a Gen' Assem. held at Portsm by adjornm', Oct. 8th, 1718. Present in Councill, His Excellency Sam' Shute, Esq., Gov", His Hon' John Wentworth, Esq., Lt. Gov", [P. 114.] Mr. John Buss* of Oyster River p'ferred a Petition humbly desireing his Excellency, ye Councill & Representatives to order a competent maintenance for him during life; wch was sent down to the low' house by Rich Wibird, Esq. Adjorned to 3 o'clock, P. M. Pro: N. Hamp". Mett again according to adjornm'. Present in Councill as before. Capt. John Gillman brought Mr. Buss's Petition to this board, with a vote thereupon, wch was concurred wth in Councill. The Petition is on file,† & ye vote as follows: The Petition of John Buss of Oyster River being read, wherein he setts forth his necessitous circumstances: Voted, That the Selectmen of Dover be advised to do their duty & take care of the sd John Buss, & supply him wth what he is in necessity of, according to ye law of this Province; and that the Selectmen of Dover pay him twenty pounds out of the town stock to be paid quarterly from year to year. Oct. 8, 1718. Eodem die. Voted a concurrence. Josh Peirce, Cler. Assem'. Rich Waldron, Cler. Con. Adjorned to ye 9th instant, 10 o'clock, A. M. As early as 1651, a parish was formed at Oyster River, and among other persons employed to preach was JOHN BUSS, a physic'an, who was many years a preacher, but dever settled in the ministry. Here he preached and practiced physic a number of years. See note p. 614. †The petition not now to be found,-ED. Pro: N. Hamp'. At a Gen' Assembly held at Portsm by adjornm1, Oct. 9th, 1718. Present in Councill, His Excellency Sam' Shute, Esq., Gov', His Hon' Jno. Wentworth, Esq. Lt. Gov', Lt. Col. James Davis & Capt. Jno. Gillman came to this board & prayed that the House of representatives might have a conference wth ye Councill: It was answered as soon as there was a Quorum they should be notifyed to give y' attendance, according to their desire. Adjorned to 3 o'clock, P. M. [P. 115.] Pro: N. Hamp'. Mett again according to adjornm. The House of representatives were notifyed that there was a Quorum of the Councill, and that now they might give their atten. dance at the Councill board, upon a conference, according to their desire in the morning. They came accordingly, & the matter in conferrence was, The charges brought in agst the Pro: & laid before that house relating to Kenniston & Fox, imprisoned on suspicion of murther. The conferrence being ended, ye representatives withdrew to their own house. Mr. Sam' Jordan preferred an account to this board, of his Expences in being sent eastward to speak wth the Indians, wch account being read was sent down to the House of representatives pr. Sam' Penhallow, Esq.; wch was returned wthout any vote thereabout, and given the Lieut. Gov', &c. Jotham Odiorne, Esq., brought up ye following votes to y board. Voted, That Mr. Speaker Packer, John Gillman, Esq., Jotham Odiorne, Esq., & Capt. Hugh Reed be a committee of this house to joyn such as may be chosen of the upper house, to appoint a proper place for execution of criminals, & to order a gallows to be erected for that end. Josh Peirce, Cler. Assem1. In Councill. Voted A concurrence: & that his Hon" the Lt. Gov', Col. Atkinson, Col. Walton and Capt. Wibird, Esqs, be of ye Committee for that service. Oct. 9, 1718. Rich Waldron, Cler. Con. The Committee's return abt ye Gallows is as follows: By virtue of the within vote, we the subscribers, think the proper place for punishing criminal offenders to be at the late usual place near ye present goal; & that for a gallows, it be in the old town train-field of Portsmouth, between Messrs. Wm. Cotton & Edward Cate, their houses. [P. 116.] Capt. Eliphalet Coffin & Mr. Tristram Coffin preferred a petition to this board for cutting of an Intail, &c., wch was read. Col. Atkinson p'ferred a petition to this board signed by himself, Col. Walton, Capt. Odiorne & Capt. Reed, in behalf of the town of N. Castle, concerning a gore of land lying between Hampton and New Castle; wch petition being read was sent down to the House of representatives, who upon reading s petition in sa house, voted ye grant of said petition; which, being sent to the Councill, was there non-concurred wth the sd petition & vote on file. Mr. Hezekiah Jennins p'ferred a petition to this board, signed by himself and others, for a confirmation of their land lying upon the line between Portsmouth and Hampton, which was read & sent down to the house of representatives pr. the clerk; & ye hearing suspended till ye next Spring sessions. William Duly and John Davis being apprehended for desertion, by virtue of his Excellency the Govs warrt & brought to the Council board, it was there, Ordered, That the sd Wm. Duly be publickly whipt fifteen. stripes, to be well laid on his naked back, to morrow at 10 o'clock forenoon, & that Jn° Davis pay 20s. as a fine to the King, & each pay his costs & stand committed till sentence be complyed with. Rich Waldron, Cler. Con. Adjorned to ye 10th Instant, 3 o'clock P. M. Pro: N. Hamp". At a Gen1 Assem3 held at Portsm° by adjornm, Oct. 10th, 1718. Present in Councill, His Excellency Sam' Shute, Esq., Gov', His Hon' Jno. Wentworth, Esq., Lt. Gov', Maj. Gillman and Capt. Peirce brought up the house of representatives' Answer to his Excellency the Gov's speech, as follows: May it please your Excellency: We are of opinion that 'tis highly necessary that the Fort at N. Castle be repaired, & have chose a Committee for that end; as also, that all due care be taken by the same Committee, to repair the Goal, & that a place of Execution be appointed & gallows erected. [P. 117.] And our regards to the Lieut. Gov' are such that we would willingly demonstrate them by a generous present; but ye publick charges are so great, that we have no other view but ye excise of this province till next May, provided ye honble ye Councill may be p'vailed wth to come into it. We thankfully acknowledge yo' Excellency's early care to prevent any vile design of the Indians, by sending out Capt. Moody with a scout to cover the frontiers. But inasmuch as yor Excellency was pleased to ord one-third part of sd scouts out of this Province, we humbly pray that this may be no precident for the future; this Province being but about ye twelfth part in capacity with the Massachusetts. We rejoice in yo' Excellency's favour relating to the duty of our lumber being taken off, & humbly pray, that yo' Excellency will please to continue the same to us. And as to the p'sent business of this sessions, we shall use all possible dispatch to shorten it. Oct. 10, 1718. Tho. Packer, Speaker. Voted A concurrence wth ye second paragraph of the foregoing Answer to the Gov's speech (viz.), That the Lt. Gov' have the excise till next May. Rich Waldron, Cler. Con. Maj. Gillman and Capt. Peirce brought ye following account & vote to this board: An account of what was allowed of the several charges arising in the Province by John Kenniston & John Fox, &c. Mr. Treasurer's account brought in & filed Mr. Treasurer's Acet, for repairs of ye prison, &c. . £42: 9: 9 14: 15: 0 1: 5:0 27:11: 9 Voted, That the above accounts be paid out of the Treasury, & that his Excellency be desired to give order for the same. Josh Peirce, Cler. Assem. In Councill. Oct. 10, 1718. Voted a concurrence. Rich Waldron, Cler. Con. [P. 118.] The Committee appointed to view the Fort and prison, &c., made their return to this board, wch being read & past, was sent down to the House of representatives for concurrence, pr. the clerk. Adjorned to the 11th Instant, 9 o'clock, A. M. Pro: N. Hamp'. At a Gen' Assemy held at Portsm° by adjormt, 8hr 11th, 1718. Present in Councill, His Excellency Sam' Shute, Esq., Gov', His Hon' Jno. Wentworth, Esq., Lt. Gov', Ordered, That the clerk of the Councill send notifications to Dover & Exeter, to be published on the meeting house doors, That any person that has any objection to make agst cutting off the intail on ye land of Peter Coffin, Esq., dec", (1) made to his grandsons, Eliphalet & Tristram Coffin, their heirs, &c., may appear at ye next spring sessions of Gen' Assem. & object acordingly. The Clerk was sent down to the House of representatives with a vote for a Committee to regulate the Excise. Col. Mark Hunking, Esq., p'ferred a petition to this board, signed by sundry Inhabitants of Portsm° & New Castle, agst a bridge between the Great Island & the Main land, as on file. It is ordered the hearing be suspended till the Spring Sessions. Maj. Peter Wear, Esq., brought up ye two following votes to this board: (1) See Biog. Notice of Peter Coffin, Esq., in Coll. N. H. Hist., vol. viii., pp. 377-380. He was the eldest son of Tristram Coffin, of Salisbury and Haverhill, and last of Nantucket. Peter was born in Devonshire, Eng., 1630, first settled in Dover, afterward in Exeter; for many years was one of the Councill; at different times held office, as Justice of the Peace, Justice of the Superiour Court, and in 1697 was Chief Justice. He was a man of integrity, sound judgment, of wealth, and of great influence in the Province. He died in Exeter, March 21st, 1715, aged 85. |