History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire, Part 54

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1200

USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire > Part 54
USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire > Part 54

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

"Stoddard June 18 1776

"John Dutton Joseph Dodge

Jonathan Bennett

Isaac Kenney

Reuben Walton

Daniel Kenney

Moses Kenney Samuel Parks

Benoni Boynton

Ebenezer Wright

Thomas Adams John N Mather

Joel Gilson

Timothy mather

William Dutton Richard Emerson

John Joyner Zachariah Adams

Asa Adams Isaac Barit."

Moses Bennett

The following, relative to a disputed line, was addressed to the General Assembly, 1776 :

" The Humble prayer and petition of the Select men of Marlow and Stoddard, met to agree on some method to proceed in relating to a Contested Strip of Land claimed by both Towns-Came to the following agreement. viz: We humbly pray the General As- sembly would give us their advice in this Difficult matter and during the Dispute between Britain and the Colonies that is Wheather Stoddard shall Tax to their Western Bound called the patent or Curve Line -or Wheather marlow shall Tax to their Eastern Bound-or so far East as to in Clude all that first settled under their Charter for as we Expect to pay Taxes with the rest of our Breathern so Each Town claiming a right to Tax a few famileys will soon create Confutions and Divitions which we would by all means indevour to avoide, praying att the same time that the words (every person) might be Left out in their answer if they are pleased to give one-as was incerted in their former answer for as We appre- hend will give no Satisfaction-for this reason-one man will say he is under Stoddard when he is under marlow-and another will say he is under marlow when he is under Stoddard-so we pray that the ad- vice may Set some Bound for to gide us in this matter -that thereby we may Shun the Difficulty that has

subsisted between the said Towns for some years past -and as is Duty Bound Shall ever pray-

" Dated att Stoddard may ye 24th 1776-

"STEPHEN GEE Select men

" NICODEMUS MILLER of

" ABISHA TUBS marlow

" ALEXANDER SCOTT Select men

" NATHANIEL EMERSON [ of Stoddard."

The following is a petition of inhabitants living on the disputed land in 1776 :

" To the Honourable Counsel and House of Repre- sentives for the State of New Hampshire-

" We your Humble purticioners Beg Leave to In- form your Honours that we are in Great Dificulty by Reason of being taxed to two Towns Viz Stoddard and Marlow Altho we be Long to Stoddard and Live East of the Patten Line yet the Town of Marlow has taxed us a Considerable Number of years we Humbly beg your Honours to take the matter into Considera- tion and order where we shall pay our taxes for we are not able to pay to two Towns as we your Humble Purtitioners In Duty Bound Shall Ever Pray-

" John N mather Dan Brockway

Ebenezer Farley Timothy Mather

Stephen Twitchel Isaac Barritt"

Ephraim Brockway

The following, relative to the disputed line. was addressed to the General Assembly in March, 1777 :

" Humbly Shew-

"The Subscribers Freeholders & Inhabitants ot Stoddard in the County of Cheshire in said State-

"That your petitioners with Others entered into & upon a Certain Tract or parcel of land bounded Westerly on the Patent Line, so called, Easterly on the Society land, so called, and northerly on Monad- nock Number Eight and southerly on Monadnock Number Six of the Contents of about Six Miles Square called Monadnock Number Seven-

"That in November 1774, the said Inhabitants prefer'd a petition to the then Governor and Council of said province, setting forth among other things, their Situation, and praying that the said lands might be Erected into a Township, and the Inhabitants thereof Incorporated into a Body Politiek, to have Continuance and succession forever-which petition was Granted, and Letters Patent in due Form ac- cordingly passed-

"That in the Year last passed the Selectmen of the Towns of Marlow and Stoddard Unknown to

335

STODDARD.

your Petitioners Applied to the General Assembly for Advice and Directions Touching the Taxation of a Number of your petitioners who they said were settled under the Late Kings Grant of Marlow-That the order made in Consequence thereof Very Sensibly Affects them and is likely to create Great uneasiness which is the Bane of New Settlements-

"That as your petitioners are settled within the undoubted Limits of Stoddard aforesaid they are unwilling to be taxed Else where and the Application aforesaid to the Late General Assembly was prema- ture ;- That the Right to the Soil your petitioners are Willing to Contest with any person at Common Law-

" Wherefore your petitioners humbly pray that Your Honours would not hold them to pay taxes to the Town of Marlow where they do not belong- (and as they are within a Town Corporate are under the Regulations of Law). That your Honours would not Interfere in their Title nor do anything that may seem to Affeet the same; your petitioners pray-

" Oliver Parker

John Dutton

Jonathan Bennett

Joel Gilson

Amos Taylor

John N mather

Daniel Kenney Moses Bennett Zachriah Adams

Timothy mather

Salvenus Beekwith

Thos Adams Reuben walton

Benjamin - -

Joseph Dodge Jr

Moses Kenney

Joseph Dodge

John Joyner

Elijah Morse

Samuel Parks Joseph O Taylor

William Dutton

Isaac Barit

Isaac Kenney

Eph™ Adams "

ACTION OF THE LEGISLATURE.

" In the House of Representatives March 21> 1777-

"The Committee of both Houses on the petitions of Marlow and Stoddard made report that it is their Opinion that the Inhabitants living on the Lands in dispute between the Towns of Marlow and Stoddard do abide by the Resolve made by the General Court of this State on the 12 Day of June 1776, respecting Taxation until the matter in dispute be settled by Law or Agreement as therein mentioned-but that the said Inhabitants do Military duty in the Town of Stoddard as has been usual, signed Nichº Gilman Chairman which Report being read and Considered, Voted that the same be received and accepted and that the said inhabitants govern themselves accord- ing.

" Sent up for concurrence

" JOHN DUDLEY Speak™ p tempr

" In Council the Same Day read and concurred " E THOMPSON Seey "

The result was in favor of Stoddard, their claim to all territory as far west as the curve- line of Mason's patent being allowed, thus tak- ing portions of the towns of Marlow and Gil- sum.

RELATIVE TO AN ALLEGED ILLEGAL TOWN- MEETING.

" We the Subscribers Inhabitants of the Town of Stoddard Being Desirous of peace and unity-att all Times. But more Especially in these Days of Trou- ble and rebuke-When not only those who formerly Stiled them Selves our Parents. But our own Domes- ties are Levying war against us-and using all means to Bring us into and keep us in Divitions-which we would use all Lawfull means to put a Stop to, and to Cultivate good order and harmony among us and as authority is allways the only means whereby any part of the Community. when Greavd Can Lawfully have Redress-

"We therefore Humbly pray the Honble General assembley for the Colony of New Hampshire, Would be Graciously pleased to Condecend to give us ye inhabitants of poor pensive Stoddard their advice- in Regard to our annual march meeting-held in this Town the 28th Day of march Last past-the people being Legally Warned and met-the Votes Ware Called for-for a moderator-a motion Was made- Wheather it would not be Best and Quicker to Chuse him by nominating and Lifting up ye hand-the Question was accordingly put by one of the former Select men-past in the affermitive-and no objection made-after ye moderator was Chose-a nother motion was made to have all ye oather Town officers Chose by nominating and Lifting up the hand-ye modera- tor accordingly put ye Question and it passed in the affermitive-and no objection made in ye Least-and if there is any Law how to Chuse Town officers We Look upon this way to be ye Law-and if there is no Law we think the Town has a right (and it is neces- sary) to Say how they will proceed for that year or for that meeting-but we went on and Chose all our Town officers in peace Without any objection and after ye Choice of all ye officers was made-there Came on a Despute about a publick meeting house Spot-now there has been a Divition about ye meet- ing house ever Senee yr Town was Settled and when ever there was any thing to be acted upon Concert -

Richard Emerson Asa Adams

Benoni Boynton

336

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

ing a meeting house-a Quaril insued-and So it was now. nothing Done but Disputing and hard words-a motion was made to have that article Dis- mised or ye meeting adjorned-but Could not be ob- tained-ye moderator Calling on them to proceed and Do business or he would adjorn ye meeting-Which after a While more Spent in Talk and Nothing Done. ye moderator Declaird ye meeting Stand adjornd to the Second Day of may next-and no Sort of objection made all rested in peace till Sª 2ª Day of may-ye Select men being Sworn-and had Taken ye List or Valuation of the Town and now there is a party risen up against the meeting Saing it is invailed and on this reason that ye officers ware voted in by nomina- ting and Denies. all ye authority of Town officers oliver parker a Common Tore being ye ring Leeder- and We Supose about fourteen or fifteen have Sent to ye General Cort to have ye Said meeting Disanuld and Void-But we pray ye Sd meeting may Stand good for many reasons-as ye Town has proceed in their public Business in many instances-and it Would put ye Town into ye utmost Confution to have ye meeting put by and as in Duty Bound Shall ever pray for your advice we are your Humble Consti- tuants-

" Alexander Scott Robart Prockter

Silas Wright John Robbe

Thoms Adams

Abel adams

Caleb Wright James Willson

David Robbe John Farley

John McDonald Amos Taylor

Isaac Temple

David Willson

John Jackson Allan Speir

Amos Butterfild

John Taggard

Abram morrison

Ephraim Brockway

David Scott

Robert Blood

Nathaniel Emerson

Silvanus Bikwith

James Scott John Tenny "

Richard Richardson

JOIIN ROBBE, WOUNDED SOLDIER, 1778. " Peterborough Jany 1, 1778. " May it please your Honors

" Permit me address yon in behalf of Sargt John Robbe of Stoddard, in the County of Cheshire, and State Aforesaid, the said Robbe being in the Engage- ment at Benningtown, under my Command, was there much Wounded & Disabled from Getting his Future Support beg Leave to Recommend the said Robbe to the Favour of the said state as your Honors in your Wisdom shall think fitt-am with due Bespect

"your Honors most Hum1 Sert

" JOHN STARK, BD G

" To the Hon'ble Council & Assembly for the Stat . of New Hampshire-"

John Robbe appealed to the inhabitants of Stoddard January 28, 1778, to ask the Legisla- tore for assistance, which they voted to do at a meeting February 2, 1778. They also by vote recommended Mr. Robbe very highly. In House of Representatives, May 23, 1778, voted that said Robbe was entitled to half pay and thirty pounds for extra expenses.

"State of New Hampshire May 23ª 1778 " To Gilman Esq' R. G. Pursuant to a Vote of Council & Assembly pay Joth" Blanchard for John Robb Six pounds towards sª Robb® Expences in be- ing cured of a wound rd at Bennington-

" M. WEARE Prest "

RICHARD RICHARDSON, SOLDIER, 1782 .- In a petition dated Stoddard, November 5, 1782, Richard Richardson stated that he " was out in the service of his country in the first three years' service in the present war." He further stated that he was paid in State notes, and held one for £43 18s., and one for seventy-three dollars, which he wanted paid.

SOLDIER'S ORDER, 1784. "Stoddard May 25th ye 1784

"To the State Treasury of New Hampshire pleas to Pay Mr. Jacob Copling the ballance Due to me for the year 1781 and his Receipt on the back of this or- der Shall be your discharge from me you will find my name in Capt Caleb Robinsons muster roles

" JOSIAH HARDY " RETURN OF RATABLE POLLS, 1783.

" Stoddard December ye 3ª 1783 then apeerd Isreal towns Ephraim Adams and James Scott Selectman of Sd Stoddard and made Solem oath that att present there is in ye town of Sª Stoddard one hundred and four Rattebel

" Before me " J Rounsevel Just pece."

RELATIVE TO THE FORMATION OF SULLIVAN, 1786. "Stoddard Decr 4th 1786

" at a legal meeting this day

" Voted not to oppose the southwest corner of this Town being set off Keen, Packerfield, Gillsom &c

"Attest : " ELEAZ" BLAKE T: Clerk-"

" Stoddard Novm' 10th 1786

"This may ceertify, to whom it may concern-that we the Subscribers-have receiv'd of M' Ezra Osgood a Petition Sent to the General Court by a number of the Inhabitants of the Souwest Part of Stoddard

" WARD EDDY 1 Select men

"PETER WRIGHT ) of Stoddard"

337

STODDARD.

The southwest part of the town was set off September 27, 1787, combined with portions of Keene, Gilsum and Nelson, and incorporated into the town of Sullivan.

PETITION FOR AUTHORITY TO LEVY A SPECIAL TAX TO BUILD A MEETING-HOUSE AND REPAIR ROADS, 1787.

" The Memorial of your Petitioners Humbly Shew- eth that : being Chosen a Committee by The Town of Stoddard, to Petition the General Court that a Tax of one penny pr Acre Annually to be laid on all the Lands in said Stoddard for three Years : to be Appro- priated Towards Building a Meeting House and re- pairing the Publick Roads Leading from Hancock to Marlow : likewise from John Taggards to Washing- ton line: Also from Israel Townses Esq'. to Packer- field line, the leading Road to Keen-The first third part of Said tax to be Asses'd in the Year 1788-

" Your Humble Petitioners as in Duty Bound shall ever Pray-

" May 21th Anno Domini : 1787 " ISRAEL TOWNE " EPHRIAM ADAMS " JACOB COPLAND

Committee "

This petition was granted September 27, 1787.

COMMITTEE TO LOCATE A MEETING-HOUSE, 1787.

" Your humble pertisioners Beg leave to inform Your honours that the Town has Laboured under Dificalty for a Number of preceeding Years In re- guard to agreeing upon a Meeting house Spot. at a Leagal Meeting of the Freeholders and other Inhabi- tents of the Town of Stoddard Quallified to Vote in Town meeting Leagally warned and met for the fol- lowing purpose (Viz)

" Voted to Chose a Committee finally to Determine where the Meeting house Shall be arected in this Town and for the same purpose Nominated Esq" Penniman of washington and Sam1 Griffen Esq" of Packerfied. Likewise m" John Muzzey of Dublin we Your humble pertisioners pray That the above said Committee may be appointed & Impowered accord- ing To the afour Said Vote and we Your humble pertisioners as in Duty bound Shall Every pray " PETER WRIGHT | Selectmen in

" ISRAEL TOWNE ) behalf of the Town "Stoddard, September 8th, 1787."

THEIR REPORT.

" We Your Committee Within Named haveing Repaired to the Town of Stoddard, and Viewed the

Situation of said Town, & the Inhabitants thereof beg leave to report that it is our opinion that the Meeting- house there to be erected, be placed on the fifteenth Lot in the Ninth Range upon a Tract of land Given to ye Town of Stodard by John Tenney for a Meeting- house Spot burying Yard &c and We have Erected a Stake and Stones upon sª Common for ye Bounds of Said Meetinghouse

"p" THOS PENNIMAN, for ye Committe " octo" ye 31ª 1787"

PETITION FOR AUTHORITY TO LEVY A TAX ON NON-RESIDENT LANDS, TO BUILD A ROAD, 1794.

" A Petition in behalf of the Inhabitants of the Town of Stodard in said State Humbly Sheweth

" That your Petitioners are Situate on the Hight of land Betwixt the great Rivers Connecticut and Mire- mac where the land is very Mountanious and Rocky : which Causes our Roads to be Extremely Deficualt to make & Repair the Same: And whereas the Commit- tee appointed to lay a Road from Hales Bridge in Walpole to Macgregores Bridge in Gofestown: Hath laid out anew Road through the Said Town of Stod- ard which will be of Great Utility to the Public if opned and made Passable : But will lay an unsup- ortable Burthen on the Inhabitants in Said Town : as it passes through a large tract of unimproved land owned by Nonresidents and Remmote from the Set- tlement : which will Raise the Value of the land through which it Passes ! and it appearing Reasona- ble that the owners of Said land Should assist in Oppening and Making passable the Same: and the like privildges Being granted to other Towns in Sem- meril Situation : We your Petitioners Humbly pray your Honnours to take our Case under your wise Consideration and grant that an Act may pass im- powering the Said Town of Stodard to lay a tax of two pence pf acre on all the land in Said town for the Sole Purpose of Making Passable the Roads and Bridges in said Stoddard : And your petitioner as in Duty Bound will Pray

" NATHA" EMERSON "January 1 1794"

Granted June 11, 1794.

RELATIVE TO THE DISPUTED LINE BETWEEN THIS TOWN AND MARLOW, 1798.

" The Petition of us the subscribers Humbly shews that the General Court at their session in June A D 1797 set off the south East Part of Marlow under the Jurisdiction of the Town of Stoddard, And we Your Petitioners living on sª Land being fully pursuaded that thair Honours would not have subjected us to so unreasonable a burthen had thay known our situa-

338

HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

tion & the true circumstances we are under the one part setling under Marlow have been at Great Ex- pence to defend our persons & Properties from the unjust demands made & Extorted from us by the Town of Stoddard and the other part being made to believe by the Unrighteous persuasions of Stoddard Proprietors that the Lands were theirs and thereupon we purchased of them at A Very dear rate, which took at that time of many of us all our properties And after living many Years in this Rough wilder- ness have been at the expence of every thing but life, And now we find that marlow holds their right of soil it being decided by Law And those of us that Purchased of Stoddard have to Purchase our Lands over again at A great price & have been subjected to A Large bill of cost in Disputing the title & the Town of stoddard Refusing to pay any Part of sd expence and we being fully sensible that stoddard cannot have any Accurate survey or knowledge of those Lands Layed out under Marlow And that Stoddard and Marlow both Claim the Jurisdiction to part of sd Land on Account of their being two Curve Lines which will keep the Inhabitants in Vexetion & con- fusion. And being fully sensible that it will be for the Good & peace of us the Inhabitants to continue as we Really were within the Jurisdiction of Marlow And being fully sencible that stoddard left off two Ranges of their lots on their East line to Extend to the west on Marlow as the Proprietors of stoddard by that Conduet thought to git about nine or ten of Mar- low setlers to count for Stoddard in order to fulfil their Charter which we flatter ourselves will not be Justified. And Stoddard will be a much larger Town without any part of Marlow than Marlow will be they holding the whole within their Charter, And there- fore on every principal of right, And for ourselves And offspring to injoy any degree of comfort we think it our duty to humbly pray your Honours to Repeal the foregoing Act And let us remain in and under the Jurisdiction of Marlow As your Petitioners in duty bound shall ever pray.

"' November 7th 1798

" Aaron Matson Bani Henry

Ebenezer Blake Nathen

Sam1 Messinger Ephraim Brockway

John HIenery Jr Ephraim Brockway Jur

Nathaniel Gilson Joseph Brockway

Timothy Bailey Isaac Barritt

Ziba Henry Jesse Farley "

ANOTHER DOCUMENT RELATIVE TO THE DISPUTED LINE, 1796.

"The Petition of the inhabitants of the Town of Stoddard states that in the year of our

Lord seventeen hundred and fifty-Three the Town of Stoddard was Granted to Sampson Stoddard and others by the Masonian Proprietors and was bounded westward upon the head line of Maso- nian patent; that in the year Anno Domini 1773 they received their Charter of incorporation from his excellency Benning Wentworth Esq" which gave the Town of Stoddard jurisdiction over a cer- tain tract of land seven miles square lying east of said Patent or head line-that in the year Anno Domini 1762 the Town of Marlo was granted and incorpora- ted which Grant intersected the Town of Stoddards Grant nearly Two miles whereby each Town had concurrent jurisdiction over the same territory-and thereupon application was made to the provincial assembly of New Hampshire to settle the Jurisdic- tional line between said Towns-And said assembly in the year A D 1776 resolved that said inhabitants should pay their taxes to the Town of Marlo but should do military duty in the Town of Stoddard- That in the year A D 1777 application being made to the General assembly a second time to settle the aforesaid dispute they recommended by a special re- solve mentioning the Town of Washington and all other Towns in similar circumstances (of which Stoddard was one) that the inhabitants living on said strip or disputed Grant should pay their taxes to the Towns lying east of the head line of Masons patent untill the same should be further settled and established by law-That in the year A D 1784 The Town of Marlo petitioned the General assembly for an abatement of their taxes in consequence of the re- solve of the General assembly which passed in the year 1777-upon which petition the General assembly then resolved that the Town of Marlo be abated one fourth part of all their taxes from the year A D 1777 to the year 1784-and the Town of Marlo have ever since that period relinquished all jurisdiction to the same land and have ever since omitted and refused to make return of the same in their valuation-That the same has been uniformly since the year A D 1777 returned by the Town of Stoddard and set to their valuation-That large sums of money have been as- sessed sinee that period upon the inhabitants living thereon, and many lots of land there lying have been sold by the Collectors of Stoddard at publick vendue for the non-payment of taxes assessed thereon-In the year A D 1792 the Original Proprietors of Marlo finding that the Masonian Proprietors had extended their bounds upwards of twenty miles farther west- ward than their original grant warranted-and in- tending to avail themselves if possible of the invalid- ity of the act which passed the General assembly in the year 1777-giving jurisdiction to Stoddard-

339

STODDARD

Commenced Two actions of ejectment to recover pos- session of those lands which were sold at vendue by the collectors of Stoddard-and upon which lands the Proprietors of Marlo had paid no taxes for upwards of twenty-five years-In which actions the Original Proprietors of Marlo recovered possession against the vendue purchasers under Stoddard in consequence of a defect in the act which passed in the year 1777 giv- ing jurisdiction to the Town of Stoddard-We there- fore pray this Honorable Court to take into their wise consideration the circumstances and situation of the Town of Stoddard and if legal and constitutional to establish and confirm the doings of the Selectmen of Stoddard and ratify the assessments which have hitherto been made-And also to settle the Jurisdic- tional line between said Two Towns and give the Ju- risdiction of the strip so-called to the Town of Stod- dard if consistent with the Interest and happiness of both Towns-And also to settle the Jurisdictional line between Gilsom and Stoddard'

" And your petitioners as in duty bound shall ever pray-

"Stoddard Dec 6th A D 1796

" JACOB COPELAND Agent for Stoddard "

The line was established in favor of Stod- dard June 16, 1797.

CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH .- This church was organized September 4, 1787, with seven members. The first settled pastor was Rev. A. Colton, October 15th, 1793, and re- mained until October 1, 1795. He was succeed- ed by Rev. Isaac Robinson, D.D., January 5, 1803. He died in 1854 and was succeeded by Revs. Josiah S. Gay. S. L. Gerould, Savage, Ricket, Colburn, Southworth, and the present acting pastor, J. H. Thyng.

HISTORY OF SULLIVAN.

CHAPTER I.

This town lies north of the central part of the county and is bounded as follows :

North by Gilsum and Stoddard; east by Stoddard and Nelson ; south by Roxbury and Keene, and west by Gilsum and Keene.

The town was incorporated September 27, 1787, and comprised territory severed from Stoddart, Gilsum, Keene and Packersfield (now Nelson). It was named in honor of Gen. John Sullivan, who was at that time President of the State.

By an act approved January 10, 1794, the west line of the town was " lengthened out and continued south into the town of Keene 157 rods further than by the act of incorporation."

July 7, 1874, a few acres of land were sev- ered from this town and annexed to Gilsum.

The following is a copy of the petition for incorporation, addressed to the General Court in 1786:

" Humbly shew your Petitioners, The Subscribers, Inhabitants of the Towns of Keene, Packersfield, Gil- som, and Stoddard. That they live remote from the centre of their respective Towns and by reason of dis- tance and bad roads are deprived of their town privi- leges-That they cannot enjoy these conveniences of publie worship-That some of their duties as mem- bers of their several towns are by their situation very burdensom .- That if they might be incorporated into a seperate and distinct township it would be highly advantageous to them, and no detriment to the towns to which they now belong-That they are encouraged to hope that no objections will be made to their being thus incorporated unless by the town of Gilsom, and that those objections may be easily obviated.

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History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire, Part 54

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis Number of Pages: 1200

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1200