Prov: New Hamp June 27th 1738 The above Named Deborah Jones personally appeared and made Oath to the truth of the above deposition taken in perpetuam rei Memoriam before Shad Walton [Certificate and Depositions, 1.38.] [Masonian Papers, Vol. 1, p. 47.] By His Excellency JONATHAN BELCHER Esq' Captain Gen[seal] eral & Governour in Cheif in & over His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England. I DO hereby Certify that Samuel Thaxter, William Dudley, Thomas Palmer, & Anthony Stoddard Esq's are Justices of the Peace & of the Quorum for the County of SUFFOLK within the Province aforesaid, & that William Pepperell Esq' is a Justice of the Peace and Quorum, & Richard Cutt Esq' a Justice of the Peace for the County of York in said Province, which said Justices are impowered by Law to take the Proof of Matters upon Oath; And that full Faith & entire Credit is & ought to be given to their respective Acts & Attestations (as contained on the Papers hereunto annexed) both in Court & without. IN TESTIMONY whereof I have Caused the Publick Seal of the Province of the Massachusetts Bay aforesaid to be hereunto affixed, DATED at Boston the twentieth day of July 1738. In the twelfth year of His Majesty's Reign. By His Excellency's Command. J Willard Sec'ry. Rockingham Records Received 18th March 1789. J Belcher Sam Brooks Recorder. The Honorble Sha Walton of New Castile in ye Province of New Hampsh' Esq aged Seventy Eight years being Sworne Do on Oath declare that he well knew Robert Mason Esq' otherwise calla Robert Tufton Mason Esq' who I understood was One of ye Kings Council for New Hampsh' & Claimer of the Soil of the Sa Province & have heard that the Sa Robert Leased out much of ye Land in 8d Province & have seen one made to my Father George Walton Late of Sd New Castile, and that he had two Sons John & Robert Tufton Mason they coming altogether from England about ye year 1680 or 1681 & that his younger son Robert Marry with Mrs Katharine Wiggen and were reput to be man & wife & had Children yo first born was a Son calla John who I understood follow the Sea and further I have heard & did understand that the sd John & Robert sons as abovesaid went a Voyage to Virginia where John was Drowned & was never Marryed as ye Depont ever heard of and that ye Sa Robert was Lost going a Voyage from New Hampsh' to the west indias upwards of forty years Since Sha Walton York ss / July 10th 1738: this day ye above nam Sha Walton EsqTM personally appeard & Made Oath to all above written taken in perpetuam rei memoriam before m W Pepperrell Justices of y* peace Rockingham Records Reed 18th March 1789 Sam' Brooks Rdr Margret Pastry Aged abt 64 years Testifieth & Saith that she Well Knew Robert Tuffton Mason Esq' the Claimer of the Province of Newhampshire abt the Years of 1686: when s Edmund Andros was Govern of the Territory of New England in the Regin of his Majs K: James the second And that the s Robert wth sev1 other Gentlem" went with the s St Edm Andros to his Goverment of New York & Albany, And that ye Deponant was Inform'd that the s Robert Dyed at sopas upon Hudsons River between the Cittys of New York & Albany in his s Journey Province of the Massachusetts Bay Margrett Pastree Then Personally appearing before mee the Subscriber one of His Majestys Justices of the Peace for the Province above named Mrs Margerett Pastree the above Depont & made oath to the Truth of the Declaration by her Subscribed Rockingham Records Received 18th March 1789. Wm Dudley Sam' Brooks Rdr Mrs Elizabeth Allcock aged Seventy one years being Sworne do's on Oath declare that she knew Robert Tufton Mason Esq' & that he came over in this Countery upwards of fifty years past & that there was two Young men wch came here that was his reput Sons calla John & Robert Tufton Mason & I have heard that he Claimd ye Province of New Hampsh' & that his younger son Robert Marryd with Mrs Katharine Wiggin & were reputa to be man & wife & had Children the Eldest of wch was a Son calla John who I understood follow ye Sea, and I never heard that John Son of ye above sa Robert was ever Marryed York ss: July: 10th 1738 Eliza Allcock this day the above namd Mrs Eliza Allcock personally appeard & made Oath to all Above written taken in perpetuam rei memoriam before Wm Pepperrell Justices of ye peace Rockingham Records Received 18th March 1789. Sam1 Brooks Rdr The Deposition of Susanna Martyn late Tufton Mason is as followeth That in the Year of our Lord 1711 I was Marryed to John Tufton Mason of Boston Marriner, Some Time before of Portsmouth in the Province of Newhampshire, who was Son of Robert Tufton Mason of the Said Province, by his Wife Katherine whose Maiden Name was Wiggin, and with whom this Depon' was well acquainted, and has been often at her Home in Newhampshire Dureing her Life, & while She was the Wife of the Said John, and has heard her former Husband Said Tufton Mason often Complain to his Mother that the Papers and Evidences of his Title to the Lands of Newhampshire were Secreted from him, and that he Suffered great Injustice by being kept out of his Right, which Grieved my Said Husband very much. I have farther often heard him Declare that his Father Dying when he was Young, his Mother the aforesaid Katherine, Bound him out to a Master of a Ship one Eliot in Order to follow the Sea, and being for the most part of his Time, from Nine Years old until I Marryed him, at Sea, was the Reason he knew little of his Father's Concerns, and Claims to the Province of Newhampshire, And although he desired of his Mother to be let into the Knowledge thereof, yet She Denyed it, Seeming always rather In clin'd to keep him in Ignorance, in Order, as the Depon' understood, to Serve her Daughter, my Said Husbands Sister. and the Depont further Says that John Tufton Mason my Said Husband, had born of my Body his Eldest Son John; the 29 of April 1713. And the Deponent further Declares that her Said Husband John Tufton Mason being at the Havanna in the Spannish West Indies in the Year 1718 there Dyed Suffolk: ss: her Susannah S Martyn mark Boston July 19th 1738. Mrs Susannah Martyn personally appearing made Oath to the truth of the above declaration by her Signed, taken in perpetuam rei Memoriam Before Thos Palmer Justicis Pacs and Anthony Stoddard of Quorum Rockingham Records Received 18th March 1789 Sam Brooks Rdr The Deposition of Joseph Sherburn Jun' of Portsmouth in the Province of New Hampshire Marriner Son of the within Named Henry & Sarah Sherburne. Testifieth & saith That he well knowns. John Tuftan of Boston Marriner now about twenty five Years of Age whom he has known from an Infant about Six Months Old & who was the reputed Son of John Tuftan Masou sometime of Ports mouth and last of Boston Marriner, with whom also he was very well Acquainted and who dyed at the Havanna about twenty Years ago. That the said last mentioned John Tuftan Mason was the reputed Son of Robert Tuftan Mason by his Wife Catherine, whose Maiden Name was Wiggin. And that he hath always heard from those that were well acquainted; that the said Robert Tuftan Mason was the Son of Robert Tuftan Mason Esq' formerly of London who Claimed the Province of New Hampshire. Suffolk ss. Jos Sherburn Boston July 4th 1738. Capt Joseph Sherburne personally appearing made Oath to the truth of the above declaration by him Signed, taken In perpetuam Rei memoriam [Samuel Tha]xter Just: of Pac } [seal] [Certificate and Depositions, 1738.] [Masonian Papers, Vol. 1, p. 48.] By His Excellency JONATHAN BELCHER Esq' Captain General & Govern' in Cheif in and over His Majestys Province of New Hampshire in New England. I DO hereby Certify that Shadrach Walton and Richard Waldron Esq's are Justices of the Peace & of the Quorum, & Joseph Simpson & Moses Leavit Esqrs are Justices of the Peace within the Province of New Hampshire aforesaid, which said Justices are impowered by Law to take the Proof of matters upon Oath; And that full Faith & entire Credit is and ought to be given to their respective Acts & Attestations (as contained in the Papers hereunto annexed) both in Court & without IN TESTIMONY whereof I have Caused the Publick Seal of the Province of New Hampshire afores to be hereunto affixed; DATED at Boston the twentieth day of July 1738. In the twelfth Year of His Majesty's Reign By His Excellency's Command, Richd Waldron Secry Rockingham Records Received 18th March 1789. J Belcher Sam' Brooks Recorder Henry Sherburn of Portsmouth In New Hampsh' In New England aged seventy two years, and Sarah his wife aged sixty nine, and Susanna Johnson of Greenland in said Province aged Sixty four years, personally appeared before us the Subscribers and voluntarily made oath, that they were acquainted with Robert Tufton Mason of Portsmouth aforesaid, who departed this life upward of forty years agoe; That in the time of their acquaintance with him, he was Married to Katharine Wiggin, sister of the abovementioned Sarah and Susanna, and that It was reputed that the said Robert had several Children by the said Katharine his wife, one of which was John Tufton Mason who was reputed the first born of the said Robert, and further, that the said John Tufton Mason departed this life about twenty years agoe Taken In perpetuam Rei Memoriam— Corm { Rich Waldron Moses Leavit } Justices of the peace |