of making Town Officers and Laws, that being a frontier place they may the better subsist by Government amongst them, and may be more strong and full of Inhabitants: That your Petitioners being descended from and professing the Faith and Principles of the Establist Church of North Britain and Loyal Subjects of the British Crown in the family of his Majesty King George and incouraged by the happy administration of his Majesties Chief Governour in these provinces and the favourable inclinations of the good people of New England to their Brethren adventuring to come over and plant in this vast Wilderness, humbly Expect a favorable answer from this honourable Court and your Petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray &, Subscribed at Nutfield in the name of our people Sep' y 21st 1719. By JAMES GREGG Petition for Bills of Credit, &c. To his Excellency the Governour and Honourable Council of New Hampshire in General Court assembled at Portsmouth Apr. 18th 1721. The humble Petition of the People of Nutfield, Humbly sheweth, That your petitioners are sensible of the Goodness of God and Care and Protection of his Excellency the Governour and Council of New Hampshire in supporting and defending their plantation for which they render them unfeigned Acknowledgments of duty and respect, That your Petitioners are in a Growing condition having already Exceeded the number of three hundred and sixty souls of which there are one hundred and thirty Effective men capable to bear Arms for his Majesty King George, as his Excellency the Governour and Council may think fit to Employ them. That altho' your petitioners have Exhausted their money in Subduing the wilderness yet they are Carrying on all the parts of good Husbandry and building a House for the worship of God; That your Petitioners want to be incorporated, that the affairs of their settlement may be managed with greater advantage. May it therefore please your Excellency and your Honours to give order that our people which are already so numerous may not be too much Confined in respect of room by any newer settlement in our Neighbourhood, that Bills of Credit May be lent out unto them upon due Security in some term of years to be paid again without interest in Hemp and other product of the land in such a summ as may incourage their Husbandry and especially their building of a meeting House, and that they may be duly invested with town Priviledges by Royal Authority, And your Petitioners as in duty bound shall ever Pray &c. David Cargill John Richey James Lindsey Rob McKeen Gabral? Bar Hugh Montgumery Samuel Morison Abraham Homs John Blair James Morison Andrew Spavid ? Arch: Clendinen John Blair John McConochey? Seal of Londonderry Charter Charter of Londonderry. George by the Grace of God of Great Britain France & Ireland King Defender of the Faith &c. TO ALL PEOPLE to whom these presents Shall come, Greeting: Know ye, That we of our Especial Knowledge and meer motion for the due Encouragement of settling a new plantation by and with the advice and Consent of our Council have Given and Granted and by these presents as far as in us lyes, do give and grant in Equal shares unto Sundry of our Beloved Subjects whose Names are Entered unto a Schedule hereunto annexed That Inhabit or shall inhabit within the said Grant within our Province of New Hampshire all that Tract of Land within the following Bounds Being ten miles square or so much as amounts to Ten miles square and no more-Beginning on the North East Angle at a Beach Tree marked which is the south East angle of Chester and Running from thence due South on Kingstown Line four miles and an half and from thence on a West Line one mile and three Quarters and from thence South six miles and an half and from thence West north West nine miles and an half, and from thence North Eleven miles and an half from thence north north East Three miles from thence East South East one mile and from thence South South West to the South West Angle of Chester and from thence on an East Line Bounding on Chester Ten miles unto the Beach Tree first mentioned. And that the same be a Town Corporate by the name of Londonderry to the persons aforesaid forever, provided Nevertheless and the True Intent and meaning of these presents is any thing to the contrary Notwithstanding, that Nothing in this our said Grant shall extend to or be understood to extend to Defeat prejudice or make null and void any claim Title or pretence which our Province of the Massachusetts Bay may have to all or any part of the Premises Granted as afforesaid or the Right Claim Property or Demand of any Private Person or Persons by Reason and means of all or any part of the said Granted Premises falling within the Line as Boundaries of our said Province of the Massachusetts Bay. To Have and to Hold the said land to the Grantees and their Heirs and assigns forever upon the following Conditions, Viz' That the Proprietors of every share Build a Dwelling House within three years and settle a Family therein and Break up three acres of Ground and plant or sow the same within four years and pay his or their proportion of the Town charges when and so often as occasion shall require the same. 21 That a meeting House be built within four years. 3 That upon Default of any particular proprietors in Complying with the Conditions of this Charter on his part such delinquent proprietor shall forfeit his share to the other proprietors to be Disposed of by Vote of the Major part of the proprietors. And in case of an Indian Warr within four years more after the said Warr is ended for performance of these conditions the said men and Inhabitants also Rendering and paying for the same to us our Heirs and successors or to such officer or officers as shall be appointed to Receive the same the annual Quit Rent or acknowledgment of one Peck of Potatoes on the first day of October yearly for ever Reserving also to us our Heirs and Sucessors all mast Trees Growing on said Tract of Land according to the acts of Parliament in that behalf made and provided and for the better order Rule and Government of the said Town We do by these presents grant for us our Heirs and successors unto the said grantees that yearly and every year upon the fifth day of march for ever except upon the Lords day and then upon the monday next following they shall meet elect and choose by the Major part of the electors present all Town officers according to the Laws and usage of the other Towns within our said province for the year ensuing with such power privilidges and authoritys as other Town officers in our province aforesaid do Enjoy as also that upon every Wednesday in the Week for ever they may Hold Keep and enjoy a market for the buying and selling of goods Wares and Merchandize and all Kind of Creatures, endowed with the usual priviledges, profits and Immunities as other market Towns usually hold possess and enjoy and Two Fares annually for ever the first to be held or kept within the said Town on the Eighth day of October next and so De anno in annum for ever and the other on the eighth day of May following in like manner provided if it should so Happen that either of the days fall on the Lords then the said Fares shall be held and kept the day following, and that the said Fare shall have hold and possess the libertys, Priviledges and Immunities that other Fares in other Towns usually possess Hold & Injoy. In Witness whereof we have Caused the seal of our said Province to be hereunto affixed. Witness, Samuel Shute, Esq Our Governour and Commander in Chief of our said Province, the 21° day of June Anno Domini 1722, and in the Eighth year of our Reign. By advice of the Council. Copy Examined, Theodore Atkinson Secry. SAMUEL SHUTE. Richard Waldron, Cler. The Schedule of the names of the Proprietors of London John Moore 1. Share Abel Morril 1. James Morrison 1. Robert Willson 1. Randel Alexander 1. John Mitchel 1. Archibel Clandinins 1. James & John Doak 1. James M Keen. & Son 2. James Anderson 1. James Nickels 1. James Alexander 1. Alexander Nickels 1. Coll John Wheelwright 1. David Morrison I. William Humphry 1. Edward Procter I. Samuel Morrison 1. James Nesmith 1. John Blare 1. James More 1. James Clarke 1. James Grage & Sons 2. and John Rickey Daniel M Doughty 1-2 James Rodgers 1-2 Joseph Simmons 1. Elias Keyes I. John Roby 1. 1-2 John Senter 1. Jenet, Samuel and John M Keen I Lieutenant Governor Went worth 1. Robert Armstrong 1. Robert Auchmuty 1. Memorandum over & above what is already given in this schedule is added to Mr M Gregore 250 acres, to Mr M Keen 250, to Mr David Cargil 100 acres to Mr James Grage 150, to John Goffe 100, for good service and to the Two last mentioned, viz Grage and Goffe a mill Stream within the said Town for their good Services in promoting the settlement of the said Town. Province of New Hampshire Richard Waldron, Clr. of the Council June 21st 1722. Admitted Proprietors and Commoners in the town of Londonderry with the Persons mentioned in the Schedule His Excellency Governor Shute, a Home Lot and 500 acres. His Honour Lieutenant Governour Wentworth a Home Lot & 500 acres Samuel Penhallow Esq. 1 share. Mark Hunking 1 share, George Jaffrey 1, Shadrack Walton I Richard Wibird 1, Thomas Westbroke, 1, Thomas Packer 1, Archibald Mcpheadris 1. Province of New Hampshire Copy Examined, Richard Waldron Clr of the Council. Enter'd and Recorded according to the original the 15th Day of June 1743. Pr. Theodore Atkinson, Secry. Copy Examin'd, p. Geo: Jaffrey, C. P Theodore Atkinson, Secry |