Vote Adj the G Assembly to the 2d Wednes' in Augt next bro't up rd & Cond M Weare IIII Mr King IIII Mr Ashley IIII Mr Wentwh II Mr Blanchd II Mr Walker IIII [6-95] [Petition of Joseph Davenport, Agent, 1778.] State of New Hamp'? To the honble Committee of Safety for said State Humbly Sheweth Joseph Davenport Agent for the Grantees of the Township of Lyncoln in ye County of Grafton and State afores That the said Grantees on the 31st day of January 1764 at very considerable charge obtained from the former Governor Benning Wentworth a Grant of the lands within the limits of said Township upon the Conditions and Reservations in the same Grant specified. — That afterwards about the Year A D 1769 the late Governor John Wentworth without any Notice to the Grantees of sd Lyncoln, without Judgment of Law, or formality of Trial, pretending the former Grant of said Lands was forfeited, regranted the same with other lands adjoining by the Name of Morristown to persons not named in the first Grant.who claiming Title thereto in consequence of said regrant have entered and made some Settlements thereon and seem determined to hold said lands from the first Grantees. By means whereof much Uneasiness and Dispute have arisen between the first and second Grantees to the great hindrance of the Settlement of sd lands, to the Injury of the first Grantees, and Disturbance of the public Peace. Which unhappy Dispute Considering the present unsettled State of legal Proceedings in the County of Grafton aforesd will probably be of long duration, and the said first Grantees deprived of their just Right; unless your honors by Virtue of the Authority Vested in you in Consequence of a late Vote of the General Assembly of this State speedily interpose - Wherefore Your Petit' prays that this matter so interesting to said first Grantees and important to the public, may be taken into your serious Consideration, and that you would direct to such mode of Proceedings as may effectually restore them to their former Possession of said lands & enable them to enjoy the same agreeable to the Design of the original grant without further Interruption And your Petit' as in Duty bound will ever pray &c Joseph Davenport July 10th 1778 [6-96] [Committees of the House at August session 1778. — ED.] [6-97] [Vote of the inhabitants of Kingston, recommending Major Samuel Philbrick for appointment as Justice of the Peace, August 31, 1778. ED.] [6-98] My dear Love [Letter from J. Fisher to His Wife.] New York 13th Octor 1778 I was preparing to have come to you, my dear Children Parents and Friends in obedience to your and their kind wishes and to gratify my own most earnest Inclinations. But I unhappily find myself under the necessity of returning to England where the very ill State of my Brother's Health and the critical Situation of his Affairs which you know are of the last consequence to me require my immediate Presence and Attention. I am unable however to bear in my present Health and Spirits the Idea of another Separation from all I hold dear how short soever it may be; I therefore must entreat you will not lose a Moments time in coming to me with such of my dear Children as you think proper and our good parents think most adviseable. On this occasion you will consult your own Feelings and Happiness the Comfort and Consolation of our Parents during our Absence. which I trust will not be long, and the welfare, Education, and Age of our dear Children. I shall consent to and be happy in whatever will make you so, and I therefore leave the whole arrangement to you, our indulgent Parents and kind Friends. - with respect to the Furniture you will do as you think best, only you will remember that we shall want Beds on our Passage, which you will put on board the Flag, with what other things you may think proper, useful, and save us Expence during our Stay in England. It is of absolute Necessity also, that you bring with you our two Servants, Esther and John Haley, without whom you and the Children cannot do on your Passage and it is impracticable to get any Person here; whether you will bring them with you to New London, or send them by the Flag, tho' I should think the former preferable, must be left to our friends. Judgements. I imagine however, that you had better bring with you or rather send before you to New London to the Care of Nathaniel Shaw Esq', a Waggon with our Cloaths linnen & under the Charge of Michael, or John Haley, but all this I must leave to better Judges of Convenience, our Friends, on whom my own sincere Regard and Esteem leads me to depend that they will give you every kind Aid and assistance for your Expedition and Accommodation. For I must urge you in the strongest manner to make all possible Dispatch, as the Season of the Year is already so far advanced, and I fear losing a very safe and commodious Conveyance. I propose therefore meeting you at New London the last Day of this Month, by which time at farthest I hope you will be able to arrive there. This is a most severe and trying disappointment to me who depended so much on embracing my loved Parents and Friends, and again renewing those happy Hours with them which my Heart is so much bent on enjoy ing, and which a tedious absence had so long deprived me of. -I I have sent by Mr Hale a few things for my poor little ones - I have also sent to my good Father and Mother a few Articles that I thought might be acceptable to them and my Friends. I beg my best Respects to all those whose Friendship and Regards will be ever dear to me. My most grateful Duty to our Parents to whose tenderness and Indulgence I owe so much and for whom I feel on this occasion more than I can Express. Embrace for me my dear Children Adieu my dear Love. God bless, keep, and direct you. [6-99] I am ever, your truly affecte faithful Husband [Petition from Londonderry, 1778.] J Fisher To the Honorable the Council, and House of Representatives of the State of New-Hampshire convened at Exeter, this Petition humbly sheweth &c. - Whereas, the Town of Londonderry was formerly divided into two Parishes, we the Subscribers living on the Westerly side of the present line, on Account of local Circumstances, find it inconvenient to continue in the West - Parish; and therefore humbly pray that we may be annexed to the Easterly Parish And your Petitioners as in Duty bound shall ever pray &c. Londonderry 31st October 1778 Nathaniel Aiken James Aiken James Ewins James Ewins Jun' Andrew todd John Aiken [6-100] [Vote of the Town on the Foregoing.] Londonderry Nov2 ye 2a — 1778 Gentlemen of the Council and House of Representatives by these few lines we would let you know that we Recd your Citation to appear and Shew Cause if any we had why the Prayer of a Petition of a Number of the Inhabitants of this Town Now in Court Should or Should not be Granted and we haveing Laid the matter before our Constituents in a Legal Town meeting Partly for that Purpose Called and held it was voted unanimously that the Same be Carried into final Execution Saving only that it is humbly Conceived that the Division line between the two Parishes in this town which was made on a Certain occaision will not a Present answer well which we humbly Submit to your hon's wisdom and we remain your Hon's Humble Servants — James Nesmith Ju' Select Clerk [6-101] [Eben Hazard to the House of Representatives.] Portsmouth Dec 21st 1778 Gentlemen, Agreeable to my Promise made the Committee of the House respecting the Establishment of a Post Office at Exeter, I have conversed with Mr Noble upon the Subject, and find it will not be in my Power at present to comply with the Wishes of the Honorable House. Newbury Ferry, at this Time of Year, so often delays the Rider, that it is with Difficulty he can arrive here in Season for the Eastern Post, and, should he ride through Exeter, the Difficulty would be much encreased, if a seasonable Arrival would not be rendered impracticable thereby. For these Reasons, Gentlemen, it will be out of my Power to do any Thing respecting this Matter, notwithstanding my ardent Desire to gratify the House in their reasonable Request. Some Gentlemen of the Committee hinted at the Expediency, if not Necessity, of a Post from Portsmouth to the interior parts of the State, for the Purpose of circulating the Laws, and Intelligence with Regularity and Exactness; which they apprehended would be very beneficial to the Towns which lie at a Distance from the Continental Post Road, and advantageous to the State in general. Should your Honors think fit to adopt such a Plan, it will give me particular Pleasure to contribute any Assistance in my Power towards forming and completing it in such a Manner that the Rider to Portsmouth may correspond exactly with the Continental Post, and the Riders through the interior Parts of the Country with each other, which will prevent Confusion and Delays. And, as soon as the Emoluments of the General Post Office are sufficient to defray the Expences I will recommend it to Congress to take that Road also under their Charge, whereby it will become a Continental, instead of a State Expence. I am, Gentlemen, Your most obedient & very hum1 Serv [See Vol. VIII., p. 815. — ED.] [6-102] Eben Hazard [Certificate from Selectmen of Boothbay, Mass.] To all whom it may concern This may certify that the bearers hereof Messrs Samuel Brown & John Murray have for many years been inhabitants of this town; reputed men of integrity; and approved friends of the liberties of America, and being now bound to the westward on the business of procuring bread-corn to supply the distressed inhabitants of this town at the present season of extremity, are hereby recommended to the countenance & protection of Government & to the encouragment of all friends of their Country especially in whatever may be necessary to promote the design of their journey, the failure whereof would greatly aggravate the distresses of many poor families in this place: Given at Booth bay the 30th of December 1778 by Wm McCobb Jno Murray Selectmen of said town Pastor of the Church there [6-103] [Petition from Murray and Brown of Boothbay, Mass., 1779] To the Honorall the Council & Honor the house of Assembly of the state of New Hampshir: The Petition of Samuel Brown & John Murray Humbly sheweth That your Petitioners are inhabetents of Boothbey in the County of Lincoln & state of Massachusetts bay that Severity of the drought in Summer last has Cut off the Crops in Said Town to so Great a de |