A list of the Freeholders in favor of Mr Bird and the Sum of ye vallue of the yearly encome of the Real Estate At a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Dunstable in the Province of New Hampshire on Tusday the fifteenth day of September 1747 Extract from the votes of said meeting a vote proposed as followeth Whereas this Town of Dunstable at their meeting y 31st of august last made Choice of the Revd Mr. Samuel Bird for the Settled minister of this Town and did not at the same meeting settle any sum to be paid him for his yearly salary-Therefore it is voted and agreed that the full sum and Quantity of one hundred ounces of coin silver Troy weight Sterling alloy or the full value there of in Bills of Publick Credit be paid annually to the said Mr Samuel Bird for his Salary and to Commince at the day that he is ordained Pastor of the Church of Christ in this Town of Dunstable and that the same be assessed on the Inhabitants of this Town and paid to him annually so long as he shall continue in said office. Unanimously Voted in the affirmative. Jon Lovewell Town Clerk At a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Dunstable in the Province of New Hampshire on Tuesday the fifteenth day of September 1747 Assembled according to Law Extracts from the votes of said Meeting then a vote was proposed as followeth Where as this Town of Dunstable on the 31st of August last voted and chose ye Revd Mr Samuel Bird for the Settled minister of this Town and Joseph Blanchard Esq Henry Adams John Lovewell Ju' Joseph French Jon French Jon Combs Josiah Swan Sylvanus Whitney Ephraim Butterfield Thomas Blanchard Joseph Butterfield Richard Stratton Ephraim Adams Thomas Adams Phinehas Adams Samuel Searles William Lund Jur. Phineas Lund & John Combs having manifested their dissatisfaction with the Choice and unwillingness to attend his Ministry therefore voted and agreed that said Persons and their Poles for the time being Lyable by Law to be rated and such Tenants for the time being as shall live on their Estates unless such Tenants shall give their attendance at said Mr Birds meeting be and hereby are Excused and discharged from all rates and Taxes what so ever that shall be raised and assessed on the Inhabitants of this Town for the Settlement Salary or Support of the said Mr Bird and all other their Estate Real and Personall while in their Possession equally discharged also for the Erecting and finishing a Meeting house where the said Mr Bird shall Preach always Reserving as the Condition of this Grant or vote that the Persons discharged as afore said do not vote in any affair Relating to the Said Mr Birds Settlement Salary or Support or the placing Ordering or Building the said Meeting house and in case any of them for the future do thus act in any of the affairs as afore said then the afore going vote to be void as to such person also provided that when any of said persons shall give their Generall attendance on said Mr Birds Ministry the afore said vote where by they are excused to be void as to such person voted in affirmative A nother vote Proposed as followeth Where as this Town of Dunstable y 31st of August last made choice of ye Rev Mr Samuel Bird for the Settled Minister of this Town and having determined to set a Meeting house for the Publick Worship of God near the Common Road of passing through said Town viz. the Road that passes by Thomas Harwood to Nashua River Bridge and Thomas Patch Joseph Farley David Hobart Amos Phillips Benja Parker Elathan Blood John Willoughby Jason Russel Simeon Blood Garsham Hubart & John Butterfield having represented their Circumstances to this Town viz. their liveing near the westerly line of this Town so that if the Meeting house should be Built near said road they say it will in no meashure accommodate them and that they cannot with any Convenience attend the Meeting also that they have lately before they ware Incorporated in this Town paid their proportionable part in Settling ye Revd Mr Daniel Emerson now in Hollis where they can now attend with much More Convenience then they can at a Meeting in this Town provided it be near said Road said Persons therefore desire that they may be Excused from paying any thing towards Building a Meeting house near said road and from paying anything towards Settling and Supporting said Mr Samuel Bird so long as he preaches near said road and provided they Constantly attend at said M' Daniel Emersons Meeting on Lords days and pay their proportion to his Salary and make the Same appear to this Town and that if this Town of Dunstable Should at any time agree upon a place and Build a Meeting house near the Center of this Town or if a Comtee from the Gen" Court should settle the Place for said House that then they be not any longer Excused from paying as aforesaid Now therefore this town of Dunstable having Considered the Reasons offered by said Persons moving them to Desire to be Excused from paying as aforesaid it is Voted & agreed that said Thos Patch and the other persons beforementioned by Name be Excused from paying anything towards Building a meeting House and Settling and Supporting Said Mr Samuel Bird in case the said House be Built near Said Road and that so long as he continues to preach there and no longer and it is provided that if at any time this town agree upon a Place and build a meeting House near the Center of this Town or that when ever the Place Shall be Settled by the Gen" Courts Comtee that then this Vote whereby said Persons are Excused be Null & Void and it is further provided that said Persons Constantly attend said Mr Emersons meeting on Lord's days and pay their proportion to his Salery and bring Certificate from the Officers of the Church in Holles and the Select men of that Town that they have thus done and Deliver the Same to the Select men of this Town for the time being from time to time whenever there shall be any money raised for the Building a meeting house or the Support of the Minister as aforesaid and that they & they only of said Persons who thus do be Excused as aforesaid and it is further provided that Said Persons do not act in any affair relating to the Meeting house or the Minister in this town and when ever they or either of them do, this Vote whereby they are Excused to be Void as to the Persons that Shall thus Act. Unanimously Voted in the affirmative Jonathan Lovewell Town Clerk Petition relating to an illegal town meeting. To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq' Governor and Commander in Chief in and over the Province of New Hampshire. To the Honourable His Majestys Council for said Province & House of Representatives in General Assembly Convened The Petition of Joseph Blanchard, Joseph French John Butterfield Jason Russell John Lovewell Jun. Benjamin French Phinehas Lund Thomas Patch, Ephraim Butterfield Amos Phillips Joseph Farley Joseph Swallow, Gideon Henry Sam uel Sarles, Henry Adams Josiah Swan Jonathan French, Joseph Butterfield, Thomas Blanchard, Elnathan Blood, William Lund, Sylvanus Whitney, Phinehas Adams, Ephraim Adams Thomas Adams, Gershom Hobart, John Willoughby David Hobart, Phillip Woollen and Simeon Blood most humbly Sheweth That your Petitioners are Inhabitants and Freeholders in the Town of Dunstable in the Province of New Hampshire. That on the twentyeth day of June 1747 Jonathan Lovewell and Thomas Harwood, Two of the Selectmen of said Dunstable issued out and granted a Warrant in writeing under their hands unto John Alld Constable of said Town therein and thereby requiring the said Constable to Notify and Warn all the freeholders & other Inhabitants in said Dunstable Qualified to Vote in Town affairs to Convene and meet at the House of Jonathan Lovewell Inholder in said Dunstable on Monday the sixth day of July then next at one of the Clock in the afternoon, among other things To make Choice of a Minister for the Supply of the said Town and to Give the Minister that should be chosen such encouragement as should then be agreed on or do any thing in order for the Setling a Minister in said Town as should then be agreed on. That the s Constable made his Return of said Warrant and that he had notifyed and warnd all the within mentioned to meet at time and place and for the occasions within mentioned That in Consequence of the Said Warrant and Notification There was a Meeting of the Inhabitants of the said Town of Dunstable at the House of the Said Jonathan Lovewell in Dunstable aforesaid on the said sixth day of July afores That at said meeting a Moderator was chosen-And then it was voted that the said meeting Should be adjourned to the last Monday of August then next to meet again at the same Place at two of the Clock in the afternoon and the said meeting was accordingly adjourned. That on the said last Monday in August afo res at a meeting of the Freeholders and other Inhabitants of said Dunstable at the place aforesd. in Consequence of the said Adjournment one Mr. Samuel Bird was chose for the Settled Minister of said Town That at a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Dunstable afores on the fifteenth day of September 1747 (Tho' the warrant for calling said meeting was to warn all the freeholders and other Inhabitants in said Dunstable to meet) among other things it was voted that the said Mr. Samuel Bird his yearly Salary as Settled Minister of said Town should Be one hundred ounces of Coined Silver Troy Weight Sterling alloy or the full value thereof in Bills of public Credit and to Commence at the Day he shall be ordained Pastor of the Church of Christ in Dunstable That sundry Persons not freeholders in s Town voted in & for the Choice of said Minister & for said Salary. That your Petitioners humbly Conceive that the said Meetings and the Votes past at said Meetings relating to the Choice of the said Mr. Bird to be the settled Minister of said Town and also to the fixing and Setling of the afores Salary on him as Minister aforesaid are contrary to an act of this Province Entitled An Act for the Maintenance and supply of the Ministry within this Province. That nigh Two thirds of the freeholders in said Town are against the said Mr. Birds being the minister of Said Town That the said Two Thirds of said Freeholders own near three fourths of the Estate in said Town that must Support and maintain him the sd Mr Bird upon an assessment. That your Petitioners look upon themselves to be under great difficultys at present and that they shall be still under greater if the Said Votes are allowed and held to be lawfull valid and binding-Wherefore your Petitioners most humbly Pray your Excellency & Honours that they may have a hearing on the Premises and that in the mean time the said Town of Dunstable may be ordered and enjoined not to do or act any thing farther in Consequence of the said Votes And that your Excellency and Honours will make and declare the said Meetings & the Votes afores to be illegall null and void or grant your Petitioners Such other Relief as you shall see meet and reasonable and your Petitioners As in Duty bound Shall ever Pray &c JOSEPH FRENCH for himself Nov. 21st 1747 and Behalf of the other Petitioners In Council Nov 21, 1747 read & ordered to be sent Down to the Honble House Theodore Atkinson Secy Province of In the House of Representatives 21st Nov. 1747 Voted That ye Petitioners be heard on this Petition ye Second Day of ye Setting of ye Gen' Assembly after the first of June next & that the Petitioners at their own Cost serve ye adverse Party with a Copy of this Petition & this order of Court that they may have Liberty to shew Cause if any they have why the Prayer of ye Petition should not be granted In Council Eodem Die read & Concurred Theodore Atkinson Secy Nov. 21. Consented to Prov of B. WENTWORTH. D. Pierce Clr. New Hamp} In the House of Representatives 9th March 1747–8. Voted That the farther Hearing of ye annexed Petition be deferred 'til ye Second Day of ye Sitting of ye Gen1 Assembly after ye tenth of April next D. Pierce Clr. |