Voted That the prayer thereof be Granted & the petitioners have leave to bring in a Bill accordingly In Council Jany. 23d 1765 A. Clarkson Clerk T. Atkinson Junr. Secy. Read & Concurred Petition of Abiel Foster about Town records. Province of New Hamp To His Excellency John Wentworth Esq' Governor in chief in & over said Province The Honourable the Council and House of Representatives in General Assembly conven'd The Humble Petition of Abiel Foster of Canterbury in the County of Rockingham Clerk, as agent for & in behalf of the Proprietors of Canterbury aforesaid Sheweth that a vast Number of Papers containing the Votes and Proceedings of said Proprietors touching their most important Concerns as Proprietors, and by which, many Estates in said Canterbury have been conveyed and are now held by some Neglect or Omission of the Clerks of said Proprietors, have not been recorded. Upon the Discovery of which said Proprietors appointed a Committee to collect, inspect, examine and see that the same should be recorded in the Proprietors Books. The said Committee according to their appointment carefully examined said Papers and found them to be in the hand writing of the former Clerks of said Proprietors most of them among the files of said Proprietors to have all the Marks of original fair & Genuine Minutes and Entries some made thirty years ago, which Papers the Committee have within six months past caused to be recorded in the Books of said Proprietors, the Record of which Papers contains Eighty Pages in folio or more. And as the same Papers were not attested by any of the former Clerks of said Proprietors, tho' they appear to be truly made as aforesaid, Your Petitioner humbly conceives that the Interposition of your Excellency and Honors will be necessary to authenticate the Same. Wherefore he humbly prays in behalf of said Proprietors that a Committee of the General Court may be appointed to inspect and examine s1 Papers and Records lately made and to report thereon, and that s Papers and records may be authenticated by your Excellency and Honors either by act or Resolve of the General Assembly or in any other way that your Wisdom may suggest And your Petitioners as in Duty bound will ever pray &c ABIEL FOSTer. January 19th 1774. Petition of Inhabitants of Canterbury to be set off from Bow. Province of New Hamp To His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq' Captain General Gov & Comm in Chief in and over His Majestys Province of New Hampre, The Honble His Majestys Council and House of Representatives in General Assembly Convened June 14th 1764. The humble Petition of Archelaus Moor Gent. Henry Elkins W Gault, Enoch Webster, William Curry, Wm Moore Joseph Mann Husbandman Ann Curry widow & Stephen Gerrish Gent. Sheweth That your Petitioners are Settled on a Tract of Land in form of a Gore which until lately was deemed a part of the Town of Canterbury in said Province, and lays between that and Bow; But upon running the Canterbury Line about 12 years ago, the said Gore was found to be Land in right of Mason's Patent, And Thereupon the Proprietors of the said Town of Canterbury have Chosen a Committee to Treat with Mr. Mason's Representative, about the Purchase of the said Land That your Petitioners are very desirous of being annexed to the Town of Canterbury, rather than Bow, as they are within Two miles of Canterbury Meeting House, and are distant six Miles from that of Bow, and also as they have several Family Connexions in Canterbury Your Petitioners therefore humbly Pray your Excellency and Honours That the aforesaid Gore of Land may be by An Act of the General Court annexed to and Incorporated with the said Canterbury & partake of all the Priviledges thereof And your Pet's shall Ever pray &c In Council June 14th 1764 W. CLAGETT for Petrs. Read & Ordered to be sent down to the Honble House T. Atkinson, Jun. Secy. Province of Ordered That the petitioners be heard thereon the Second Day of the Sitting of the General Assembly after the first Day of July next & that they at their own Cost put up notification at all the public places In Canterbury & Bow, Incerting therein the substance of this petition, & order of Court thereon that any persons Concerned therein may appear & Shew Cause if any they have why the prayer thereof should not be Granted In Council June 15th 1764 Read & Concurred Province of T. Atkinson Jun. Secy A. Clarkson Clerk New Hamp In the house of Representatives Jano 23a 1765 This petition being Read Voted That the prayer thereof be Granted & the petitioners have leave to bring in a Bill accordingly In Council Jany. 23a 1765 A. Clarkson Clerk T. Atkinson Junr. Secy. Read & Concurred Petition of Abiel Foster about Town records. Province of New Hamp To His Excellency John Wentworth Esq' Governor in chief in & over said Province The Honourable the Council and House of Representatives in General Assembly conven'd The Humble Petition of Abiel Foster of Canterbury in the County of Rockingham Clerk, as agent for & in behalf of the Proprietors of Canterbury aforesaid Sheweth that a vast Number of Papers containing the Votes and Proceedings of said Proprietors touching their most important Concerns as Proprietors, and by which, many Estates in said Canterbury have been conveyed and are now held by some Neglect or Omission of the Clerks of said Proprietors, have not been recorded. Upon the Discovery of which said Proprietors appointed a Committee to collect, inspect, examine and see that the same should be recorded in the Proprietors Books. The said Committee according to their appointment carefully examined said. Papers and found them to be in the hand writing of the former Clerks of said Proprietors most of them among the files of said Proprietors to have all the Marks of original fair & Genuine Minutes and Entries some made thirty years ago, which Papers the Committee have within six months past caused to be recorded in the Books of said Proprietors, the Record of which Papers contains Eighty Pages in folio or more. And as the same Papers were not attested by any of the former Clerks of said Proprietors, tho' they appear to be truly made as aforesaid, Your Petitioner humbly conceives that the Interposition of your Excellency and Honors will be necessary to authenticate the Same. Wherefore he humbly prays in behalf of said Proprietors that a Committee of the General Court may be appointed to inspect and examine s1 Papers and Records lately made and to report thereon, and that s Papers and records may be authenticated by your Excellency and Honors either by act or Resolve of the General Assembly or in any other way that your Wisdom may suggest And your Petitioners as in Duty bound will ever pray &c ABIEL FOSter. January 19th 1774. Province of In the house of Representatives Jan 19th 1774, Voted that the Petitioner cause the substance of said Petition to be printed in the New Hampshire Gazette three weeks successively and that any party having any Objection may be heard thereon the third day of the sitting of the Gen' Assembly after the 20th of February next Wm Parker Clr. Assembly In Council Jan3 19 1774. Geo' King D. Sec. NOTE. This Petition was renewed April 5th, 1774, and acted on as follows. [ED.] Province of New Hamper In the House of Representatives April 9th 1774 Voted, That the Pethioner be heard on this Petition on the second day of the Siting of the General Assembly after the tenth Day of May next and that he Cause the Substance of this Petition and Order of Court to be Printed three weeks Successively in the New Hampshire Gazett that any Person may Shew Cause why the Prayer of the Petition Should not be Granted In Council eodem Die Read & concur'd Geo King D. Secy M. Weare Cl Province of In the House of Representatives May 13th 1774 New Hamps The within Petition being Consider'd and the Parties heard thereon by their Council Voted That Samuel Cutts Esq Col' Christopher Toppan and John Giddings Esq' be a Committee of this House to Joyn with Such as the Honble the Councill Shall appoint to inspect and Examine the Papers and Records mentioned in the Petition and Report thereon to the General Assembly M. Weare Clr CHARLESTOWN, [Originally Number-Four, was first granted by Massachusetts, Decr, 31, 1735. It was incorporated by Charter during the administration of Gov. Benning Wentworth, 2 July, 1753. ED.] Letter from No. 4 to Colonels Willard and Hinsdale. No. 4. October 19th 1743. Honred Gentlemen We the Inhabitants of this Township being apprehensive that we are very much Exposed and in hazard In case of a War between y nations and are Sensible that we are not Capable of Defending our selves in Case of a rupture by Reason of ye smallness of our numbers and Distance From Neighboring Plantations and places of Defence are in Continual Fear Lest we should be Surprised by ye Heathen and although we are makeing ye best Preparation we Can to Secure ourselves yet we are Fearfull we shall not be be able to Stand our Ground but must be obliged to Leave our Habitations and Repair to places of more security If we Cannot be Supported by ye Government.-We therefore Earnestly Desire yo' Hons that you would Improve yo' Interest with ye Gov ernours Either of ye Massachusetts or N. Hampshire (which you shall think most Proper) that we may have such a supply of men posted here as they shall think Necessary for our Defence to be Employ'd Either in Scouting or otherwise as they shall Judge most proper. Lieunt Witherby is Willing to Come among us with a Company of Men, If he Can obtain order and Encouragement from the Government. We pray you would Write to Either Governour as your Discresion shall Direct you on our behalf and In our names submitting our Case to yo' Prudence praying you would do what you can for us and as speedily as may be and thereby will oblige Benjamin Willson Yo' Most Humble & Obedient servants David Farnsworth Petition of John Spafford. To his Excellency Benning Wentworth Esqr. Governour and Commander in Chief in & over his Majes Province of New Hampshire and to his Majtles Council for said Province & the House of Representatives now Conven'd in General Assembly John Spafford for himself and about thirteen familys Lately Settled on the East Side of Connecticut River being known by the name of No. 4 humbly Sheweth That your Petitioners have lately made a Settlement there and at their own Charge hath Built a Large & Strong Garrison and have twenty five men or thereabouts, and have good plantations there and a good prospect of a Considerable p'cll of Graine now growing on the Land. But so it is theire Settlements being so much exposed to the Indians, and not above Eighty miles from the French Fort on the Lake where the |