Petition of Selectmen of Chester 15 Oct. 1726. To the Honble John Wentworth Esq' Lieut" Goven' Comand in Chief in & over His Majties Prove of New Hamp' And to the Honble the Council for Said Province. The Humble Petition of Clem' Hughes, Rob Smith and John Sanborn Selectmen of the Town of Chester Humbly Sheweth That Capt Tobias Langdon, Capt Tim° Gerrish & John Smith appointed by yo' Hon's sometime Since to be a Comittee to run yR Head Line of Exeter (wch is the Dividing line between s Exeter & Chester afores") did not attend the Directions of y' Honours in that affair but followed the Directions of ye Select men of said Exeter therein, and having run sd line to ye sd Selectmens mind, made their return to ye sd Selectmen instead of doing it to yo' Hon's so that that line is as yet unsettled to the great prejudice of the aforesd Town of Chester Yo' Petition's Therefore Humbly pray yo' Hon's to appoint a Comittee to run the two miles that Exeter is to run upon a W by N. point above Dover and from thence upon a Straight line to a Beach Tree (on Kingston Side Line) appointed & marked in the year 1718 to be ye bounds for Exeter on y side, by the Grand Comittee appointed by the Genal assembly to fix ye bounds of each Town within this Province which Straight line is ye Dividing line between Exeter & Chester, And that yo' Hon's would please to Direct Said Comittee to run said Line with all Convenient Speed and yo' Petition' as in duty bound Shall Ever pray Portsm° Oct 15th 1726. CLEMENT HUGHES Province New Hampshire Report on Petition for a road. Pursuant to a Vote of the General Court Bareing Date May 26th 1743 To us the Subscribers a Committee appointed by the General Court to go up to Chester and Londonderry to View a highway formerly Laid out by Chester and Londonderry and recorded in Each Town and also a Nother way Petitioned for by Chester, and to make Report of our Doeings therein to the Genal Ass att their next sessions Wee haveing been up and Viewed Both Ways and Doe find that the way formerly Laid out from Londonderry to Chester, Between the lands of Mess James Colwell and Patrick Duglass to Derry Northeasterly line And then on a Straight line through the land of Brown of Chester to meet the Road, that leads by Deacon Dearbourns to Chester Meeting house is the Most Convenient way for accommodation of Both Towns aforesaid and for Travellers in General Dated this 22d Day of Sept. 1743. In the House of representatives May 26th 1743. John Downing Jr. The within Petition read & a former Petition of the Select men of Chester read relating to the same affairs and the Petitioners & the Select men of Londonderry respondents heard by the Council and Voted That their be a Comittee Sent to View the highways Viz That which is Laid out & that which is Petitioned to be Laid out and the sd Comittee to make returne to the General Assembly at their next Sessions which place is most proper for a high way and upon the Comittees returne to Consider who Shall pay the Charge And that George Waldron & richard Jennes Esq be a Comittee from this House to Joyn such as the Honble the Council Shall appoint to do the Service above s James Jaffrey Cler Ass Eodem Die Eodem Die Assented to Theod Atkinson Secy. Copy Ex1 B. WENTWORTH Theodore Atkinson Secy. In the House of Representatives 7br 23d 1743 The within Return read, and accepted And Voted That the Highway, as therein mentioned & Described, be the Kings High way, and that all obstructions in or on said high way be Removed, and that the same be allowed to be a Publick Road, and that the Petitioners of Chester pay the Charg of the Comitee that went on the Spot Each pson thirty Shillings (old Tenor) pr Diem for their Labor & Charge, And that the said Petitioners of Chester pay the said Charge to some or one of the said Comitee within thirty days after the Date hereof. In Council September 23d 1743 read & Concured Eodem Die James Jeffrey Clr Assm Theodore Atkinson Secy Assented To B. WENTWORTH Memorandum the High Way Laid out and Recorded from Chester to Londonderry by Sam Browns the length is one mile and a Half and sixty Rhods The way by Kars mills as was showed to us but not Laid out was two miles and fifty two Rhods dated at Chester August ye 23d 1743 Sam Emerson Į Chare men The Highway that is Laid out and Recorded, went acrost Samuel Browns Land as we measured; He Promised to give said Land for a High way to the town of Chester without any other Satisfaction than not to Have sd High way goe by his house The way by Karrs mills as we measured went first acrost James Col wells Land (2ly acrost Capt Morses Land-31y acrost John Karrs Land (4 acrost John Karr Junr's, Land (51y acrost Rob' Gillcreast Land (61y acrost John Karr Junr's Land. Chester Petition in relation to the Ministry. To his Excellency Jonathan Bolcher Esq' Governour & In and Over His Majesties Province of New Hampshire, The Honorable His Majesties Council and House of Representatives in General Court now Assembled at Portsm° The Petition of the Town of Chester Humbly Sheweth That whereas after the Revd Mr Eb' Flagg was settled in said Town by Vote according to ye directions of the Law to be the Gospel Minister, A considerable number of persons Petition the General Court for an explanation of the law of Liberty Supposing they being Presbeterians were exempted from paying to Mr Flag which was then explain'd in their favour. Since which they have accordingly proceeded in a cordial manner, and have endeavour to take the best method the present Circumstances will admit to Rais money for the Respective ministers, as follows at a Town Meeting warn'd for that purpose when met they Voted Separately Mr Flaggs Salary; and the Presbeteryans voted a Salary for the Revd Mr. Jn° Wilson their Minister the Selectmen Sign'd the Respective warrants to ye Constable or Collectors to collect the Same if this Method be agreeable we Humbly pray yo' approbation. But if anything in our proceedings hitherto is short of what is Necessary in the Law we humbly entreat a favourable construction and pray that the presbeterians may be Qualify'd Lawfully to proceed for the future. Also if it be Necessary for Mr Flags hearers to proceed in any other method than hitherto pray for particular direction as to yo' Excellency and Honours shall appear needful Also we pray that ye day of the annual meeting may be altered to som other day of ye week to escape interfering with the Fast? which will oblige yo' Humble Petitioners JOHN CALFE JOHN TOLFORD EPHRAIM HASSELTINE ENOCH COLEBY Province of In the House of Representatives New Hampshire the within Petition Read & Vot That the Prayer of the within Petition be granted in the following manner Viz. Vot That the Two Congregations in Chester viz: that are called Congregationalists and those that are called Presbyterians have power to act Seperate in Raiseing money for Support of yr Ministers Respectively for Defraying the Charges of building & Repairing their meeting houses and that they have power to Chuse Wardens Seperate to assess all persons and their Estates belonging to their Respective Congregations as aforesaid Toward Defraying Such Charges as shall be Raised for the aforesaid uses Seperate in Just & Equall Proportion, to such Tax & Taxes as they shall Vote from time to time at their Respective Meetings And that they have power to Choose Collectors Seperate to Collect the said Taxes and that they have Liberty to bring in a bill accordingly and that John Calf, Eph Hazilton Enoch Coleby, be impowered to call the first meeting for the Congregationalls and that Capt Sam Ingolls John Tolford John Carr be impowr'd to call ther fist meeting for Presbetering meeting August 6th 1740 In Council Eodem Die James Jeffrey Cl' Assm Read & Concurred Ricd Waldron Secy Same day Assented to J. BELCHER Petition for aid of soldiers. To the honourable Captins of Chester Greeting Whereas there is a Considerable number of famelis scattered in the wilderness in the out skirts of Chester Some lives four miles and a half some three and a half (& 6 from any help) we are so scattered that we think we are very unfit to live as we have dund nevertheless we would be willing to imitat something of the spirit of the people of Zebulon and Naphtleen who Joperded their lives in the high places of the field and whereas we have a velow for our loss and libertise we Earnestly beg that your honours would look upon us in our Destrees and help with some suldiars a certain number we are not willing to name your selves Knowing our surcumstances and how it is with us believes you will help us this way more then we with prudence could name and in so doing your Poore pettioners will ever Pray if no help Coms we must leave our houses and homs and goe lik scattered Sheep. James Besford Jebesh French Jonas Clay John Clay To the Hon1 Capts of Chester, greeting. Whereas we ye Subscribers live Remote from the town and for some years past have been obliged to leave our places for want of a sufficient number of men to Keep a garrison which has been greatly to our damage and we being desirous to live here if we can have three or four men to help support a garrison We Remain yours to serve, Ithamar Cary Zachariah Butterfield Stephen Webster Aaron Butterfield Philip Grifen To the Captains of Chester: We the subscribers earnestly Requests your Aid and assistance in pettioning the General Court for some help yourselves Knowing how we are scattered And how far a Distance from the metting house some 7 some 8 some 9 miles from it Gentle men we are your humble ser vants William Ollcot? William McClintok Nathaniel Boyd Micheall McClintok. Tolford & Wells' Petition. To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq' Captain General Governor and Commander in Chief in and over the Province of New Hampshire the Honourable his Majestys Council and House of Representatives in General Assembly Convened the Tenth day of May 1748 The Petition of John Tolford and Thomas Wells of Chester in the Province of New Hampshire in behalf of the Inhabitants of sd Chester most humbly Shews That the s Town of Chester is exposed to the Indian Enemy and sundry of the Dwelling houses in sd Town so exposed that unless there be more men to defend them than the Town itself can afford they will unavoidably be obliged to leave them and their lands also That thereby the Enemy will gain an advantage and the Frontier be bro't nearer the Center That Sundry Persons who live in the outskirts of said Town have pray'd for help as by their respective Petitions hereunto annexed and herewith presented may more fully appear. Wherefore your Petitioners Most humbly pray your Excellency and Honours to allow such a number of men for the Defence and protection of sd Town as in your great wisdom shall be tho't reasonable In Council May 11 1748, read & Sent Down to the Honble House Theo. Atkinson Secy JOHN TOLFORD Minutes of Chester town meeting Mar. 29, 1753. At a meeting of the free holders and Inhabitants of the Town of Chaster held at Chaster the 29th Day of March 1753 Capt. Abel mors being moderator for said meeting amongst other things Voted that the after mentioned tract of Land may be Incorporated into a Parash Beginning at Londonderry Line at a Stake and stones being the South west Bound of Land Sold to Thomas Cochran by the proprietors of said Chaster and run strate to a pitch pine tree being the |