His Hon' the Lieut. Govt laid before the Board a letter directed to him, bearing date ye 27th Xbr, 1722, from his Excellency Gov Shute, importing that there is a great deal of difficulty and delay in the affairs of ye Govermt for want of a sufficient number to fill up his Majestys Council, and therefore that he had recommended Jno. Frost, (1) Esq., for one, till such time as they are filled up from home; which letter being read, the said Jno. Frost, Esq., was sent for to the Board, to whom was administered ye oaths, instead of ye oaths of allegiance and supremacy, and the abjuration oath, and ye oath of a Councillor, and ya by ye [P. 5.] advice of ye Council took his place at ye Board accordingly.

In Council, May 21st, 1723.

Voted, That Mark Hunking and Rich Wibird be of the Committee from the Board to joyn wth so many of the House of Representatives to examine the claims and Demands and audit the accounts of all persons to be laid before the Gen' Assem. at this Sessions, and that they make their report as soon as conveniency will permit.

Rich Waldron, Cler. Con.

(1) Hon. JOHN FROST was of New Castle. He was a native of Kittery, Me., born in 1681, and was the son of Major Charles Frost, who was slain by the Indians on the Sabbath, July 4th, 1697, as he was returning from meeting, and grandson of Nicholas Frost, an emigrant from England, born at Tiverton, about the year 1589, and settled at Sturgeon Creek, in Eliot, 1636, where he died in 1663. This grandson, Hon. John Frost, in 1702 married Mary Pepperill, sister of Sir William, the baronet. Established at New Castle, he soon rose to eminence. He was a member of his Majesty's Council, at one time commanded a British ship-of-war, afterwards pursued the profession of a merchant, and was much distinguished and highly useful in civil life. His place of residence was on an eminence, westerly of the Prescott mansion (since the Almshouse), commanding a view of the spacious harbor, the river and its tablelands, with the lofty Agamenticus in the distance. His family was numerous and highly respectable. He died February 25, 1732, aged fifty-one years.-See Rambles about Portsmouth, p. 86, and Farm. Belk., p. 411.

Rob Armstrong, Esq., presented a Memorial to ye Board und his hand, setting forth that he had been falsely represented to the Honble ye Lords of ye Treasury, and therefore praying that his character might be cerifyed by the Honourable Board, &c., as pr ye Memorial at large, on file. Whereupon, It was resolved to give the s Armstrong ye following certificate (namely), That during our acquaintance wth the sd Robt Armstrong, Esq., ye Memorialist, and his abode in this Province, he has behaved himself as a loyal subject and faithfull officer, and in no way inclined to ye Pretender, nor any of his adherents, by anything that has ever occurred to our knowledge.

By order of y Lt. Gov' & Coun.

R. Waldron, Cler. Con.

Col. Hunking presented to the Board a return of Stratham south-east bounds, signed by himself and James Jaffry; the same was ordered to be filed wth ye Report of ye committee appointed to settle all ye town bounds in ye Province.

The Committee appointed by ye Gen1 Assem. the first day of June, 1723, to survey Lampry River and report ye most commo

(1) THOMAS PACKER, whose name appears here for the last time as a member of his Majesty's Council, was a physician-“One of the earliest surgeons of Portsmouth who had been regularly bred to the profession. He was born in London. He came to this country a young man, resided a short time in Salem, and then removed to Portsmouth. There being no physician here at that time of much repute, he united the practice of physic with that of surgery, and attained some eminence in both. He held the office of Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Lieutenant-Colonel in the Militia, and Judge of Probate for the Province, for many years. As Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, he was superseded in 1695; and from the other two offices, was dismissed by the President and Council the beginning of the year 1697. He was appointed Councillor in 1719, which office he held till his death." [Farmer puts his death in 1723.-ED.] Adams' Ann. of Ports., p. 154.

dious place for building a bridge across sd river, this day made their Report to the Board as follows:

Committees Report.

Ordered, That the Clerk serve the selectmen of Dover wth two copys of ye said report, and direct them to serve the selectmen of Exeter with one of the sd copys, and withal to lett the sd selectmen of Dover know that his Honour the Lieut. Gov' and Council expect that a suitable bridge be built assoon as possible at the place mentioned in ye sd Report, wch they have accepted, and that they communicate the same to the sd selectmen of Exeter, in order to that town's bearing their proportionable part of the charge of said bridge, as to right and justice doth appertain. Rich Waldron, Cler. Con.

Pro. N. Hamp❜.

At a Council, Jan. 22, 1723-4. Col. Plaisted and Capt. Frost appointed Justices of Peace, and sworn and ordered to be inserted in the Commission of the Peace accordingly.

His Hon' presented a Commission to Sam1 Penhallow, Esq., to be Treasu' of this Province, and acquainted him that he had ordered ye Clerk to prepare a bond for him to sign wth two sureties for his fidelity in ye office, &c.

Feb: 24. Ye bond signed pr Mr. Penhallow, Rich Wibird, Esq., and Benj. Gambling, (1) Esq., as on file.

At a Council, July —,

[P. 9.]

Mr.

Present,
Lt. Gov.
Mr. Jaffrey,

Mr. McPheadris.

Ordered, That ye Treasurer provide necessary for 40 men to be detached for a cruice after ye Eastern Ind".

(1) Benjamin Gamblen (or Gambling), Esq., was a gentleman of property in Portsmouth.

Capt. Jno. Salter & Tho" Mannery appearing at ye Board by order of his Hon', and being examined of a late cruise they were imployed in after ye Eastern Ind"; upon which there appeared that there was just cause to suspect them guilty of horrible cowardice: whereupon it was ordered, yt ye sd Salter and Mannery appear at ye Council Chamber on ye 12th of Augst next, at 10 o'clock A. M., to undergoe a proper & regular tryal by a Court for that end to be appointed, & yt..

[P. 11.] Pro: N. Hamp". At a Council held at New Castle, y

26 July, 1729.

Present, His Honour John Wentworth, Esq. Lieut. Gov

Sam'. Penhallow

Mark Hunking

Geo. Jaffrey

Esqs.

Shad. Walton
Richd. Wibird.

Ye Indian Scooner first discovered under ye Eastermost Green Island to ye Westward of Munpomecus [?] last Fryday, between 3 & 4 o'clock P. M. & that Capt. John Salter was then abt a league & distant to ye Eastwd & to windward withall, & yt ye Deponent tack'd his vessel to speak wth his Consort Salter & came up wth him, & spoke wth him in less than an hour, & then told that under yonder Green Island were the Enemy they came to seek for, and asked him if he would go & see him;-to which Capt. Salter replyed, he would; & upon sa Salter's so saying ye Deponent shot along ahead of him toward ye Ind" scooner, & Salter follow'd on; but being at some distance behind, ye Deponent asked his men if yy were willing to run down upon ye scooner and board ym, and some of his people reply'd, it was best to stay for Salter: then the Deponent wore his shallop round to speak with Salter again, & haled him, & desired him to bring too in order to attack the enemy; ye Deponent plainly seeing ye Indns on board ye scooner, & supposing that Salter did the like; upon which Šalter wore also and said that he would have ye Deponent take the first fire, & that the Deponent said he was willing & would never leave him. Upon which Salter pray'd y Deponent not [P. 12] to take the wind from him-that the scooner dogged the shallops abt an hour & 1.

That when ye Deponent offered to go if 10 men would stand by him, ye people generally that were forward said yy were not willing to fight whout Salter;-& yt he supposed Hooker & Hooper were there.

John Hooker, sworn.

Benja Yeaton - Benja Libby.

That they heard Mannery say, if after Salter was gone, yt if 10 or 11 would but come aft & hold up their hands & stand by him, he would fight ye scooner; yet but they themselves were not willing wthout Salter.

Joseph Cowel:

That he was not willing to fight wthout Salter was there.

Wm. Packer:

That he heard Mannery say, if 11 men would come aft & hold up their hands to stand by him, he would fight ye Indus in ye

scooner.

Jn° Jones:

That he was not willing to fight after Salter was gone, but he heard Mannery say something abt 11 men, but he would not say certainly what.

Immanuel Martin:

That he was not willing to fight after Salter was gone.

[P. 13.]

Sam' Emery:

Y he heard Mannery say, if 11 men would stand by him, he would fight ye scooner, but yt himself was not willing without Salter.

Tho. Barns:

That he was not willing to fight after Salter was gone.

Andr Barns:

That he heard Mannery say, if 11 men would stand by him, he would tack upon ye scooner and fight them; but yt he himself was not willing.

[P. 14.] Pro: N. Hamp'. At a Council at Portsmouth, 7br 26th,

1724.

Present-His Hon' John Wentworth, Esq., Lt. Gov

His Honour ye Lt. Gov' laid before ye Board a warrant signed GEORGE R. & by His Majties Command, Hollis, New Castle, Dated at Kensington, ye 9th day of July, 1724, for admitting and swearing Arch MacPheadris, Esq., to be of ye Council of this Province. And another for John Frost, Esq., signed as afores, and dated ye 10th day of July, 1724.

And another for Jotham Odiorne, Esq., signed as afores, & dated ye 11th of July, 1724.

And the s Arch MacPheadris, Esq., John Frost, Esq., being sworn before, Jotham Odiorne, Esq., (1) was sworn & admitted to be of the Council accordingly.

(1) Hon. Jotham Odiorne was, in early life, a resident of Newcastle; but afterwards lived in a house on Market street in Portsmouth, which was burnt in the great