Granted a Tract of Land equal to Six Miles Square bounded as therein Expressed to A Number of our Loyal Subjects whose Names are Entered thereon to hold to them their Heirs and assigns on the Conditions therein declared to be A Town Corporate by the Name of Chesterfield as by referrence to said Charter may more fully Appear And Whereas the Said Grantees Have represented That by the intervention of an Indian Warr since the making the Said Grant it has been Impracticable to Comply with & fullfill the Conditions aforesaid & Humbly Supplycated as not to take advantage of the Breach of Said Conditions but to Lengthen out & Grant them some reasonable Term for the Performance thereof after the Said Impediment Shall Cease Now Know Ye that We being Willing to Promote the End Proposed have of Our Farther Grace & favour Suspended our Claim of the forfeiture which the Said Grantees may have incurrd and by these Presents do grant unto the said Grantees their Heirs and Assigns the Term of one Year for Performing & fullfilling the Conditions Matters & things by them to be done-which term is to be renewd annually until his Majtys Plenary Instructions Shall be receivd relative to the Incident that has Prevented a Complyance with the Charter According to the True Intent & meaning thereof In Testimony whereof We have Caused the Seal of Our Said Province to be hereunto Affixed Witness Benning Wentworth Esq Our Governour and Commander in Chieff the Eleventh Day of June in the 33a Year of Our Reign Annoq Domini 1760 By his Excellencys Com'and with advice of Council Theodore Atkinson Sec'y Province of New Hamp B Wentworth Recorded According to the Original under the Province Seal the 12th Day of June 1760 Theodore Atkinson Sery CHICHESTER. [Granted, May 20, 1727, to Nathaniel Gookin and others, and named from an English town. Pittsfield was set off and incorporated March 27, 1782. See IX, Bouton Town Papers, 123; XI, Hammond Town Papers, 352; Index to Laws, 93; sketch, by D. T. Brown, Hurd's History of Merrimack County, 1885, p. 235; Baptist Churches in N. H., by E. E. Cummings, 1836, pp. 7, 9; Lawrence's N. H. Churches, 1856, p. 362; Stewart's History of the Free Baptists, 1862, p. 375.] *1-3 PROVe [CHICHESTER CHARTER, 1727.] *GEORGE by the Grace of God of Great Brittain France, and Ireland, King Defender of the faith &ca TO ALL PEOPLE to whom these Presents Shall Come Greeting KNOW YEE that we of our Special Knowledge and mere motion for the Due Encouragement of Chichester Settling a New Plantation By & with the advice & Consent of Our Council Have given granted And by these presents as far as in us Lyes, do give & Grant in Equal Shears unto Sundry of our beloved Subjects whose names are Entred in A Schedule hereunto Annexed that Inhabit or Shall Inhabit within the Sa Grant within our Province of New Hampshire, all That Tract of Land within the following Bounds Viz-to begin on the South West Side of the Town of Barnstead and from thence running South Westerly on the head of the town of Nottingham untill Eight miles be *1-4 Accomplished And *Then North West Eight miles, Then North East Eight Miles Then South East by the Sd Town of Barnstead to the place where it first began & that the Same be A Town Corporate by the name of Chichester to the Persons afores forever To HAVE & TO HOLD the s Land to the S Grantees & their heirs And Assignes forever and to Such associates as they shall admit, upon the following Conditions (1) That the Proprietors within three years build or Cause to be built Sixty Dwelling Houses & Settle families in the Same & Clear Three Acres of Ground fit for Planting or mowing & that Each Proprietor pay his Proportion of the Town Charges when & So often as Occasion Shall require the Same 2dly That A meeting house be built for the Publick Worship of God within the term of four years— 3) That upon Default of any Perticular Proprietor in Complying with the Conditions of this Charter upon his part, Such Delinquent Proprietor Shall forfiet his Shear of the S4 Land to the Other Proprietors which Shall be Disposed off According to the Maj Vote of the Sa Proprietors At A Legal Meeting 4) That A Proprietors Shear be reserved for a Parsonage and another for the first Minister of the Gospell that Shall be there Settled & ordained And Another Proprietors Shear for the Bennifit of A School in sd Town PROVIDED nevertheless that the Peace with the Indians Continue for the Space of Three years but if it Should Happen that A War with the Indians Should Com'ence before the Expiration of the afore Sa Tearm of Three Years That then the S4 Tearm of three years Shall be Allowed the Proprietors after the Expiration of the War for the Performance of the afore Sd Conditions, rendring & paying therefor to us our heirs and Successors, or Such officer or officers as Shall be appointed to recieve the Same *The *1-5 Annual Quit rent or Acknowledgement of One pound of Hemp in the Sa Town on the Last Wednesday in March Yearly forever (if Demanded) reserving alsoe unto us our heirs & Successors all mast Trees growing on on Sa Tract of Land, According to Acts of Parliament in that Case made & Provided And for the better order rule & Governm' of the Sa Town: We do by these Presents for our Selves our heirs and Successors Grant unto the Samen & Inhabitants, or those that Shall Inhabit Sa Town That yearly & Every year upon the Second Wednesday in March forever Shall meet to Ellect & Chuse by the Major part of the Proprietors then Present Constables, Selectmen, & other Town officers According to the Laws & usages of our aforesd Province with Power Previleges & Authority as other Town officers with our affores Province have & Enjoy : & for the Notifying & Calling the first Town meeting we do hereby appoint Peter Wear Esq John Sanburn & Jacob ffrees to be the first Selectmen & they to Continue in S respective office as Selectmen untill the Second Wednesday in the month of March which will be in the year of Our Lord one thousand Seven hundred & Twenty Eight & untill other Select men Shall be Chosen & Appointed in their Steed in Such manner as is in these Presents Expressed In Testimony whereof we have Caused the Seal of our Sa Province to be hereunto affixed WITTNESS John Wentworth Esq our Leiutenant Governor & Comander in Chieff in & over our sa Province at our Town of Portsmouth in our sa Province of New Hampshire the Twenteth day of may in the Thirteenth year of Our reigne Anno Domini 1727 By order of his Hon' the Lt Gov with advice of the Council R Waldron Cler Con J Wentworth A Schedule of the Proprietors of the Town of Chichester Christo Page Nath" Heally Benja Perkins Nath" Longfellow James Levit Benja Lampreve Hunking Wentworth Richard Waldron Jun' George frost Joseph ffrost Wilem Odiorne John Took Jun' Wm Pepperrell Jun1 Addmitted Associates his Excelency & Hon' Samuel Shute Esq John Wentworth Esq Each of them 500 Acres & a home LotColl Mark Hunking Coll Shad" Walton George Jaffrey Coll Tho Westbrook Archa Mcpheadris Rich Wibird John ffrost Jonathan Odiorne Esq's R Waldron cler Con Each a Proprietors Shear Entred & Recorded According to the Original this 25th Day of November 1742 Theodore Atkinson Secry CLAREMONT. [Granted Oct. 26, 1764, to Josiah Willard and others, and named from the country seat of Sir Robert Clive. The Governor's reservation in the southwest corner was granted by him to Col. Joseph Wait Feb. 12, 1772. See X, Bouton Province and State Papers, 394, 398, 400, as to participation in movement for union with Vermont towns; XI, Hammond Town Papers, 363; Index to Laws, 105; sketch, Hurd's History of Sullivan County, 1886, p. 40; History, by O. F. R. Waite, in preparation; sketch, by J. N. McClintock, 3, Granite Monthly, 173; Early History, by O. F. R. Waite, 14, Granite Monthly, 112; same, in pamphlet, 1893; The Tories of 1766 and 1776, by F. A. Briggs, 4, Granite Monthly, 173; By the Beautiful Mountain, sketch, by G. H. Moses, 16, id, 103; War History, by O. F. R. Waite, 1868, pp. 300; Dedication of Soldiers' Monument, 1869, pp. 48; Industries, by Simeon Ide, 1879, pp. 36; Batchelder's History of the Eastern Diocese, P. E. Church, 1876, p. 172; Centenary P. E. Church, 1871, pp. 19; Historical Sketch of the M. E. Church, by M. V. B. Knox, 1882, pp. 49; Rededication, sketch, by O. F. R. Waite, 1892; Baptist Churches in N. H., by E. E. Cummings, 1836, pp. 11, 18; History of the Catholic Church in America, by John G. Shea, 1890, vol. 3, pp. 119, 144, 465; Memoirs to Serve for the Future Ecclesiastical History of the Diocese of Boston, by Bishop Fenwick; Catholic Memoirs of N. H. and Vt., by Bishop DeGoesbriand, 1886, p. 24; Lawrence's N. H. Churches, 1856, p. 428; Manuals of Congregationalists, Baptists, and Universalists; Centennial of Union Church, 1871; Historical Sketches by C. B. Spofford, pp. 16; Revolutionary Soldiers of Claremont, by same, in press; Grantees of Claremont, pp. 23, (also 15, Granite Monthly, 206, 241, 282, 318,) and Chronological List of Town Officers, etc., 1767-1893, pp. 15, comp. by same, 1893; Monograph of Union Mark Lodge, by same, 1891, pp. 26; History of Sullivan Lodge, by same, 1891; Col. Samuel Ashley, by same, 1892.] |