To the Honble Henry Sherburne att Portsmouth Esqr. Mr. Speaker. New Market Jans 7, 1766 Having seen a Petition which is to be prefer to the General Assembly for a Removeal of the Bridge that was to be maid a Cross Exeter River Near the Lower ferry (so called) between New Market and Stratham and am doubtfull whether Ever a bridge will be built at the place whare the act has Proposed tharefore hope the Generall Court will adhear to the Petitionors and a nother Reson for the bridge to be above is that Merss Shut and Mattoon has Given from under thire hands to open a Road from the upper ferry to the main Road which is a Great advantage to the North End of New Market furthermore as the back Settlements Increas the bridge is much more wanting. With Submiston I am your Humble Serv Joseph Smith P. S. What cased me to write you is to Let you know the Reson as above why I Incline the upper place. J. S. Sundry Inhabitants of New Market &c. Petition for a Lottery. To His Excellency John Wentworth Esq. Governor and Commander in chief in and over his Majesty's Province of New Hampshire, The Hon his Majesty's Council & House of Representatives for said Province in general Assembly convened Feb. 23 1768. The Humble Petition of Sundry of the Inhabitants of Newmarket Stratham & other Places in said Province Shews That in the twentieth year of His late Majesty's Reign George the Second, an Act of this Province was pass'd, granting Liberty for Building a Bridge over New Market River a little above the Place where the Ferry is kept, from the Land of Andrew Wiggin to land of Robert Smart, according to the Direction in said act, which Bridge it was Propos'd should be built by Subscription, and about two thousand Pounds old Ten' accordingly was subscribed, but the Subscription money was not to be paid before the Bridge was built, there is no fund provided for defreying the first necessary Expence, which must be considerable and such a Building cannot be compleated merely on Credit. That the Sum aforesaid is insufficient to effect the Design and very few Persons now appear willing to join the Subscribers so that there is no Prospect of Success in this Affair by Subscription especially considering all future Subscribers will expect the same Terms of suspending the Payment. That as there are several Examples of raising money for such Purposes by Public Lotteries many have tho't it a very feasible method and giving a fair Prospect of Success in this Case, and many Persons wou'd contribute in this way, who wou'd refuse to do it in any other: as building said Bridge will be a public Benefit, and is therefore on that account worthy of Encouragement and much to be wished to be well executed. Your Petitioners therefore humbly pray that they may have Liberty to Set up a Public Lottery to raise money to erect and compleat said Bridge and for the future maintaining of the same, under such Regulations and managed by such Persons as in your great Wisdom you shall Judge proper, And they will as in Duty bound ever pray &c Josh Young John Mead John Smart Timy Murray John B. M. Hanson Danl Rogers John Smith Jams Smith Junr Stephn Jenkins Stephn Wille Jur. Saml Doc Zebuln Doe Jur. John Folsom Jun. Josh Ham Enoch Remmick John Burleigh Juni. Ichd Bracket Philip Fowler Jeremy Bryent Province of In the House of Representatives Feb 23 1768 The foreNew Hamps going Petition being Considered Voted That the Petitioners have Liberty to bring in a Bill for a Lottery to Raise money for building the Bridge mentioned in the Petition, to be subject to the Restrictions and Regulations Mentioned in the Act for Granting Liberty for building said Bridge by Subscription Pass'd in the year 1747 M. Weare Cl In Council Feby 24 1768 Read & Concurr'd Geo King Dep Sec' Act to raise money by Lottery for a Bridge over Exeter River. Anno Regni Regis Georgii Tertii magnæ Brittanniæ Franciæ et Hiberniæ octavo. An Act for granting Liberty To Set up & Carry on a Public Lottery to raise Money for the Building & Maintaining a Bridge over Exeter River so called from Stratham to New Market in This Province. Whereas in & by an Act passed in The twentieth year of his late Majesty's Reign Liberty was granted for the building a Bridge over said River at a Place & in The Manner therein expressed which not having been Carried into Execution many of the Inhabitants of this province have lately petitioned the General Assembly setting forth the great Benefit it would be to the province in general if that Design was executed, which has hitherto been delayed for want of Money & praying Leave to raise Money by a public Lottery for that purpose, which having been duly Considered & the Proposal appearing to be for publick Advantage Be it therefore enacted by the Governour, Council & Assembly that the persons hereinafter named be & hereby are authorized & permitted to set up & Carry on a publick Lottery to raise Money for the End aforesaid in so many Classes & Drafts as they shall judge proper not exceeding in the whole the Sum of one Thousand Pounds Lawful my of said province provided the said Lottery be drawn & finished within the Term of Two Years from the passing of this Act. And Andrew Wiggin & Walter Bryent Esq Deac" Stephen Boardman, Cornet Thomas Wiggin, Lieut Joseph Young & Lieut. John Burley, or the major part of them are hereby appointed to be managers of said Lottery who shall be under oath to be administered by any Justice of the peace to the faithful Discharge of that Trust & shall duly pay all benefit Tikets according to the Tenor & True Meaning of their Scheme & shall refund all sum and sums of Money that shall be paid for Tickets in Case the said Lottery shall not be drawn and Compleated within the Term aforesaid. And the said Managers or the Major part of them are hereby appointed & authorized to apply the Money which they shall so raise by Causing the said bridge to be built agreable to the Act aforesaid with this Difference that The Passage of twenty eight feet shall be where the deepest Water is instead of the Passage of forty five feet as mentioned in said Act & the forty five feet to be in the next birth on the side of New Market, and the Passage for Vessels may be made in any manner that shall be more Convenient than that propos'd in said Act & they shall Cause the said Bridge to be finished within one year after the said Lottery shall be finished & they shall be allowed their reasonable Demand for their Time & Trouble as the General Assembly shall Judge proper to whom they shall render their Account of their proceedings & all Charges & Demands Concerning the Premises & if any money shall remain after the Bridge shall be finished it shall be applied for the Support & Repairs thereof as the General Assembly shall Order. And be it further enacted, by the authority aforesaid that there be a Convenient high Way each side of said Rivers from the Country Road to said Bridge when built in the Town of Stratham, to begin where the South East end of said Bridge shall be & from thence to run South easterly Thro' the Land of Andrew Wiggin Esqr. to the Country Road as the Road now goes, & in New Market To begin where the North West End of said Bridge shall be & from thence to run Northwesterly a straight Line to the Country Road near the Southerly side of Philip Fowlers Garden, the said Road in both Towns to be three Rods wide & to be under the same regulations as tho' it was laid by the quarter Sessions. The owners of the Land giving the Land for that purpose which they have engaged To do provided they may have Liberty to hang & Maintain Two Gates on each side which Liberty is hereby granted. Province of In the House of Representatives February 26th 1768. New Hampre This bill having been read three times it passed to be Enacted In Council March 3d 1768 P. Gilman Speaker This Bill was read three times & pass'd to be enacted Geo King Depy. Secy Assented to J'WENTWORTH e To His Excellency John Wentworth Esq Governor & Commander in chief in & over his Majestys Province of New Hampshire the Hon His Majestys Council & House of Representatives for said Province in General Assembly Convened the 31 day of March 1772 The Humble Petition of Sundry of the Inhabitants of New Market Stratham & other places in said Province Shews, That they find by experience that the Plan for building a bridge of New Market Lower Ferry place is not so well suited for that Design as the upper ferry place called the New fields, that the Tydes by reason of the Several points of Land runs so much across the River that the Rafts will almost unavoidably be thrown on to the Piers which will necessarily occasion damage either to the Piers or the rafts add to this the Length of the distance to be built will occasion near double the cost that wou'd be necessary to compleat the work above. That your Petitioners humbly conceive that every advantage for Effecting Such a design, is so evidently on that side of the Question which of the two places is the best in Preference of the upper place, that your Petitioners are at a Loss what reasons determined the case as it is. That as the place where it is begun is fixed by an act, your Petitioners Suppose it cannot be changed without another act for that purpose otherwise the People concerned would have altered the design have erected it at the New Fields & it is probable have finished it there by this time. That it is supposed with the advantage of the materials already provided three hundred and fifty pounds will be sufficient to finish it that they have Set on foot a Subscription to Raise that sum which on the View of a Change of the Place will be soon full that if Liberty shall be granted to Erect the bridge at the Newfields there will appear a number of Persons to give sufficient Security that the whole work shall be compleated within One Year after such Liberty shall be granted. Wherefore your Petitioners most Humbly Pray that they may have Liberty to Erect the bridge Proposed at the place called the New Fields may have the Property of the materials already provided as they are we suppose paid for or given gratis to the Public for the use of the undertakers or those who were to carry on the work and that they may have leave to bring in a bill accordingly and they will as in duty bound ever pray &c James Hill Henry Wiggen Naihn Rogers Ebenezar Stanwood Jonathan Colcord John Neal Michael Shute Josiah Adams Samuel Gilman Junr |