dulge tho'ts of a removal from among us; for having carried on the work of the Ministry among us for near ten years past without any such fixed support, now calls upon us to settle affairs with him, which we ought to do, otherwise must expect that he will remove from among us. Further, that since a number of the Inhabitants of the westerly End of the District of Haverhill are very conveniently situated to joyn with us, from which considerations your Petitioners humbly pray-That a Township may be incorporated out of the District of Methuen with such an addition out of the Westerly end of the District of Haverhill as may be sufficient to support the Gospel among us and carry on our other Town affairs. And your Petitioners shall ever pray. Meth. District, Jan. 1, 1749. Letter from Daniel Peaslee to Thomas Packer, EsqTM SIR-When I was at your House I desired that you would represent our difficult cirumstances to his Excellency and Council and endeavor to obtain a Township by taking part of Haverhill District and that the Line should be Southeast from the South Easterly Corner of London Derry being a Red Oak near the widow Patee's Corn Mill; however having more fully examined that Line find that it will extend too far Easterly upon the Line between the Provinces, for having drawn a Plan which I herewith send you, the Easterly line of which is South Twenty three Degrees East from the above said Tree, but upon scaning this Plan find that this is as much too little as the other was too much, and accordingly should be oblig'd to you if you would use your endeavours that the above said Line should be from the above said Tree, South Thirty four Degrees East. What we aim at and desire to have are those Inhabitants that were by the settlement of the Massachusetts Bay Government, but are cut off by the Province Line, of Mr. Bach ellers Parish. Sir-I herewith transmit to you a Petition of Sundry of the Inhabitants of Methuen District to be laid before the Governour and Council and as this represents our small number so we desire that all those who have been of late years obliged to pay taxes to the support of the ministry &c. to Methuen District, whose number is but small, together with those Inhabitants on the westerly end of Haverhill as above specified should be incorporated into a Township: Sir, we are ignorant whether any thing further will be necessary; for which reason we should be obliged to you, if you will send up if any thing is. Sir,Excuse this Trouble, Your endeavors to serve us will lay a fresh obligation upon this People and more especially upon Your Humble Servant, Methuen District, Jan. 24, 1749. To Thomas Packer, Esq. DANIEL PEaslee. [The Plans above referred to may be found in MS. Town Papers, Vol. VI. pp. 173-183. ED.] Petition for redress of grievances, 1756. To his Excellency the Governor, The Honourable his Majesty's Council, & the House of Representatives in General Čourt assembled: The Humble Petition of us the Subscribers, Sheweth That your Petitioners formerly Inhabitants of the District of Methuen now of Salem were included in Windham & s District at the same time, and accordingly were taken in both valuations for Windham & Methuen District but obliged by Act to pay Province taxes to Windham, which we did pay in the years 1743, 1744, 1745, 1746, 1747, 1748, 1749, 1750, 1751, 1752, for which years there are arrears due from the District afores to the Province which by Act of Court are to be paid in the years 1755 & 1756; but no arrears due from Windham,-but we being since included in Salem are taxed to sa arrears due from the District afores, by which means your petitioners are greatly injured in the Premises. Therefore your Petitioners humbly pray that the aboves difficulties may be removed & your Petitioners redressed in s grievances & your Petitioners shall ever pray. Salem, Feb. 2, 1756. Read & order'd to be sent down to the Hon House Theod. Atkinson, Sec'. Province of In the House of Representatives, Feb 26, 1756. This Petition being read, Voted, That the prayer of y Petition be granted, & That the Petitioners be exempted from paying any arrears of Province Tax to Salem before the year 1753, it appearing they had paid their Province Tax to Windhamn. Andrew Clarkson, Clk. Province of Windham, Jano 28, 1756. New hire} These may Certify whom it may concern that we the under subscribers having been Constables for the Parish of Windham from its first incorporation untill the year 1752, and have in our several terms of serving Received the Province Tax from every person assessed in the Lists committed to us that then lived within the original Bounds of Windham, as witness our hands. James Gilmore, in 1743 1744 Alex Park, in 1745 A List of the men that served as Constables in Windham, since it was first Incorporated untill the year 1752. Another Petition for redress, &c. To his Excellency the Governor, the Hon" his Majesty's Council & house of Representatives in General Court assembled. The Humble Petition of us y subscribers, sheweth That your Petitioners Inhabitants of Salem paid our Proportion of the Province Taxes to Windham in those several years in which the District of Methuen were not taxed to the Province, & that the Selectmen of Salem for the year past taxed us to the said District Province Rate laid upon s District upon Acc' of arrears due from them, by which means your Petitioners are injured in the Premises; your Petitioners therefore pray that you will be pleased to give order that your Petitioners should be eased in the Premises & your Petitioners shall ever pray. Salem, July 5th, 1756. Sam Crowel Jon Morgan William Leech John Giles Council, October 13, 1756. Israel Woodbery William Sanders Abial Barker Hugh Campall Read & Ordered to be sent down to the Honble House. Province of Theo. Atkinson Sec. New HampIn the House of Representatives, Octo1 14th, 1756. The within Petition being read, Ordered, That the Petitioners be heard on said Petition on the third day of the sitting of the General Assembly next after the first day of Nov next ensuing & that the Petitioners at their own cost & charge cause the Selectmen of Salem in said Province to be served with a copy of said Petition & this order of Court thereon, to appear & shew cause if any they have, why the prayer thereof should not be granted. In Council, Eod" die Andrew Clarkson, Clk. Read & concurr'd Theodore Atkinson, Sec". (A true copy) SALISBURY. [Salisbury was originally granted by Massachusetts and was known by the name of Bakers-Town. It was afterwards granted by the Masonian proprietors, 25th October 1749, and was then called Stevens-Town from Col. Ebenezer Stevens, a distinguished citizen of Kingston, many years a representative of that Town. It was incorporated by Charter from the government of New Hampshire, March 1st 1768, when it took the name of Salisbury; it originally included that part of Franklin which lies west of the Merrimack river. ED.] Province of New Hamp A guard provided for Salisbury as a frontier town. (1) At a Special Convention of the members of the Gen1 Assembly at Portsmouth on the 22d day of Augt 1754 in pursuance of an order from his Excellency the Governor, to the Sheriff of sd Province to summon the Members to Meet, as on file: Whereas his Excellency the Governor by his Message of the twentyfirst Instant takes notice of sundry Hostilities committed upon sundry (1) See Prov. Pap. Vol. VI. pp. 26, 27, 296-309. ED. of his Majesty's subjects at a place called Stevens-Town within this Province by Indians (suppos'd to be of the St. Francis Indians) anď that the Inhabitants on the Frontier are much exposed and so put in fear, that they stand in need of Protection and help :-Therefore it is agreed upon by the members of the House of Representatives that there be the number of sixty men enlisted or Impress'd (and his Excellency is hereby desired to give orders for the enlists or Impress y1 number) for the protection and defence of the Frontiers, not exceeding the space of two months, and that the allowance for their pay subsistance and amunition be the same as at the latter end of the last Indian War, and in order for a fund therefor, it is further agreed that there be so much of the Bills of Credit of ye Interest of the Twenty-five Thous and Pounds loan in the hands of the Treasurer, borrowed as will be sufficient for the same; and that for the Replacing the same in the Treasury it is further agreed, That there be a tax layd on the Polls and Estates within this Province agreeable to the last proportion to be payd by the 30th day of Decembr 1755, and that there shall be a Tax Bill for that end as soon as the Gen1 Assembly shall be in a condition to act in a legislative capacity. Meshech Weare, Speaker. Petition for aid in settling Salisbury. To His Excellency Benning Wentworth, Esq' Capt. General, Governor & Commander in Chief in and over his Majesties Province of New Hampshire, and to the Honble his Majesties Council and House of Representatives in General court Assembled: The Petition of the Proprietors & Settlers of a Tract of Land in the Province afores comonly called Stevens-Town, humbly Sheweth : That the s Proprietors have been at great expence in settling s Tract & encourageing the same, and in the late Wars have been at considerable cost to defend the same by Building a fort thereon & paying soldiers to keep the same, even at our own private expence; and there are now many families settled and many more settling; We have also Built a Saw Mill & are building a grist Mill, & yet there are costly duties to be performed, such as the building a Meeting-house, settling a Minister &c. And the sd Petitioners being in no capacity to raise money for the Defraying these & other incidental charges; We, therefore Humbly pray that your Excellency & Honours will be pleas'd to add to our cost & labour this further encouragement to settle the waste lands, viz. To make an Act according to your Excelly's & Honours Wisdom that will enable the s Proprietors & settlers to raise moneys for the carrying on their settlement & defraying other Necessary charges that |