USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Hillsborough > The history of Hillsborough, New Hampshire, 1735-1921, Volume 1 > Part 15
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So a shoe, and it must be a new one, was obtained and laid upon the bed of coals in the deacon's own fireplace. When it had been heated to the proper pitch one of the young men ran at the top of his speed with the red-hot charm held firmly in the jaws of a pair of huge tongs. The shoe was then dropped about mid-
I71
WITCH STORIES.
way along the side of the off runner, and left to sizzle and sputter as if in combat itself with an evil spirit. Once more the deacon shouts to his oxen, this time with a ring of confidence in his voice; once more he plies the cruel spur in the end of his six-foot goad; once more the faithful oxen spring to their yokes as if to do or die! Lo! the sled moves! The horse shoe had broken the spell. Amid the encouraging cries of the spectators, the load is drawn to the top of the hill before the panting oxen are allowed to stop. Some of the younger men of the party rush post-haste to see if Aunt Jenny was suffering from any burns or pains resulting from the conflict with a hot shoe. Deponent doth not say if the poor old lady cursed with evil powers was found suffer- ing any ill effects from the affair or not, but tradition, which may not be true, does say that two horse shoes were found where only one had been known to lie. The second, or strictly speaking the first, for it had a prior claim to the place, was found to have been firmly imbedded and frozen into the ice, with its corks up! These sharp pointed instruments had caught deeply into the wood of the shoe to the sled, and been held immovable until the red-hot shoe had melted the other free, all of which goes to prove that a horse shoe heated very hot has the power to allay the mischief of a witch.
A young woman had incurred the enmity of Aunt Jenny without knowing it, and upon one occasion she remarked to her that she was going to ride over to her sister's that afternoon, the day was so beautiful. Aunt Jenny, with her peculiar manner of speech, replied, "Meb-be ye'll nae gie." The horse the young lady was intending to ride was in the barn, and with a laugh at what she considered the old woman's foolishness, she ran home to put the saddle upon the animal and start so as to get back before the day was too far spent. Upon entering the barn the horse, usually as docile as a lamb, was dashing madly about, gnashing its teeth and withal acting so furious that she dared not enter the build- ing. Opening the door a second time, after the horse had be- come a little more quiet, the animal resumed its wild antics and in the midst of them flew out of a small window and ran down the road at a terrific speed. It required half a dozen nearly all of the afternoon to catch the creature, and as it was then too late for its mistress to go on her journey, it became as docile as ever.
172
HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH.
Aunt Jenny, whose name was Mrs. Jenny Gilchrist, has been described as "a small, lean, sallow, shrivelled old woman, whose later life had been embittered by some loss or wrong done her in her younger years." Surely she must have been an ideal witch. The unfortunate woman seems to have been a victim of her own evil ogries. One of the sheep of a neighbor's flock showed sign one day of symptoms of hydrophobia, and the owner resolved to put the creature out of its suffering by the use of a heavy club. No sooner had he dealt the fatal blow than Aunt Jenny fell prone upon the floor and was taken violently ill. A woman went to watch with her that night, but was admonished by friends not to leave the sick one out of her sight for a moment, as witches were believed never to allow any one to witness their death. Near midnight, however, something happened to draw the attention of the watcher to another part of the room, and when she looked back the spirit of Aunt Jenny had fled. Peace to her ashes !
There were other reputed witches in this vicinity, and numerous other cases similar to the ones given might be cited to prove their existence. But it is not a pleasant phase of life, though this delusion under a milder form and different names exists to-day with the human race; always will, till man's mind is freed of the grossness of earth.
HEADS OF FAMILIES.
The taking of the first census was quite an event in local communities and no doubt was not very complete. The following was the return for Hillsborough of the census taken in 1790.
Free white males
16 years and up-
wards, including
head of family.
Free white males
under 16 years
of age.
Free
males, including head of family.
Kerr, Robert
1
1
McClary, John McClintock, John
1
5
5
McClintock, Alexander
1
2
4
1
3
4
Wiley, Timothy Taggart, Robert
1
2
1
Eaton, Abnathan
1
3
Clark, Silas
2
1
2
fe-
white
1
2
5
I73
HEADS OF FAMILIES, 1790.
Free white males
16 years and up- wards, including
head of family.
Free white males
under 16 years
of age.
Free
males, including
head of family.
Ayers, William Hartwell, Samuel Jones, Moses
1
4
3
1
3
3
Kendall, Joshua
1
3
Killam, Daniel
2
3
1
Kimball, Benjamin
2
3
5
Little, Ezekiel
1
1
Little, George
1
2
5
Lacy, Samuel
2
1
Morrill, John
1
3
1
Monroe, Thaddeus
1
3
1
Meads, Benjamin
1
1
2
Meads, John
1
1
Murdough, Samuel
1
3
3
Mc Niel, Jane
1
2
2
Nelson, Moses
1
1
4
Nichols, John
2
2
Nichols, Joseph
1
2
5
Preston, Jedidiah
2
3
3
Parmiter, Nathaniel
1
2
4
Robbins, Peter
2
1
2
Robbins, Zaccheus
1
2
2
Rolph, Daniel
1
1
2
Robinson, Samuel
1
1
Richardson, Jonas
1
1
3
Symonds, Joseph
1
1
6
Symonds, Nathaniel
1
Sargent, Jonathan
1
3
5
Sprague, John
1
1
1
Shattuck, Abiel
1
3
Taggart William
2
2
4
Taggart, James
1
3
3
Train, Ephraim
1
3
1
Wilkins, Nehemiah
1
3
5
Jones, Joel
2
2
3
Wilkins, Andrew
2
3
4
Wheeler, Oliver
1
4
5
Wilkins, Asaph
1
1
2
fe-
white
-
5
McNiel, Daniel
1
1
2
174
HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH.
years and Free white males 16
upwards, includ-
ing
family.
Free white males
under 16 years
of age.
males, including head of family.
Andrews, Solomon
1
2
1
Barnes, Asa
1
2
5
Bixby, Andrew
3
1
Bixby, John
1
1
2
Elliott, Roger
1
1
Fick, Elijah
1
3
1
Gibson, John, Jr.
2
Gibson, John
2
3
5
Goodell, David
2
2
3
Gray, Ephraim
3
1
3
Green, David
1
3
Hutchinson, William
2
I
3
Jones, Benjamin
3
3
4
Jones, Abel
1
3
Karr, James
1
2
3
Karr, Thomas
1
2
Karr, Thomas, Jr.
1
2
Livermore, David
1
1
2
Little, William
1
2
3
McCally, John
1
1
4
Miller, Thomas
2
2
6
McNiel, John
2
2
2
McCally, James
3
3
Murdough, Thomas
1
2
Marshall, David
1
1
4
*Pierce, Benjamin
1
1
3
Parker, William
1
2
2
l'atton, Robert
1
1
Preston, Samuel
2
2
4
Pope, Samuel
1
3
2
Parker, Silas
1
1
1
Richardson, Parker
2
2
3
Stowe, Mary
Stevens, Calvin
1
4
4
Smith, John
1
1
3
Shedd, John
1
1
2
Steele, Moses
2
2
Taylor, Samuel
1
3
4
*NOTE .- Besides those listed above, there was one free negro, who lived with Benjamin Pierce.
fe-
Free white
of
head
1
3
175
VALUATION OF TOWN, 1795-
and
of
upwards, includ- ing head
family.
Free white males
under 16 years
of age.
Free white
males, including
head of family.
Town, Enos
1
2
2
. Taggart, Archibald
2
1
6
Taggart, Joseph
1
2
4
Talbert, William
1
1
5
Temple, Benjamin
1
1
Wheeler, Fortunatus
1
1
3
Miller, Farrar
1
2
3
Wiley, George
1
1
Love, William
1
1
2
Jones, William
1
1
Wiley, John
1
1
2
VALUATION OF HILLSBOROUGH FOR THE YEAR 1795.
£
S
d
£
S
d
James Eaton
2
1
6
Jacob Spaulding
1 2
6
George Little
4
15
1
Jonathan Dwinnell
13
2
Ezekiel
6
11
Jonathan Knights
17
6
Isaac Holden
1
8
1
Samuel Ellinwood
1 12
10
Timothy Wiley
1
1
5
Abiel Shattuck
1 13
8
Daniel Bennett
1
7
5
William Shattuck
1 18
William Coughlin
16
10
Ebenezer Harriman
1
John Craige
8
Zebediah Shattuck
12
3
Jedidiah Preston
1
14
2
Timothy Burnham
15
8
Joshua Easty
1
19
9
Joseph Garey
2
16
William Easty
2
Thaddeus Munroe
1
15
2
Johnathan Easty
10
3
Darius Abbott
1
8
4
Daniel Rolfe
5
4
Calvin Abbott
8
Smith Robertson
11
2
Nathaniel Cooledge
1
9
5
George Booth
1
4
6
Nathaniel Cooledge, Jr.
12
William Booth
1
12
6
Isaac Chandler, Jr.
2
Edmund Perkins
1
5
9
James Taggard
1
7 º
8
Asaph Wilkins
14
6
John Nichols
1
1
4
Moses Nelson
1
3
3
Aaron Foster
1
1
John Curtis
1 14
2
Joseph Nichols
1
3
Samuel Lacy, Jr.
8
Samuel Lacy
12
Benjamin Kimball
1
6
Daniel Holden
1
6
7
Abraham Kimball
12
3
Jonathan Sargent
2
6
5
Asa Barnes
18
3
David Green
8
Joseph Taggart
1
16
3 David Green Jr.
1 15
3
fe-
Free white males
16 years
176
HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH.
£ S d
£
d
Joel Stowe
1
2
Reuben Killicut
1
14
3
Thomas Murdough, Jr.
14
William Ayer
1
7
4
Thomas Murdough
2
Josiah Stowe
3
Samuel Murdough
1
9
6
Elijah Fish
1
10
8
Samuel Pope
19
3
Nathaniel Parmenter
1
1
Archelaus Towne
1
8
2
Stephen Styles
15
John Towne
1
2
8
Elijah Beard
1
4
9
Abrham Jones
15
6
David Marshall
15
5
Joel Jones
2
12
10
Edward Sargent
1
2
11
Daniel Kellom
1
2
8
William Dickey
1
14
2
Timothy Gray
1
10
11
John McNiel
2
11
10
Samuel Danforth
12
7
William Little
19
2
Paul Cooledge
1
5
7
John Taylor
15
5
Ephraim Train
1 13
1
Roger Elliott
19
11
David Bacheldor
15
5
John Smith
1
5
5
Kneeland Abbott
1
9
5
Samuel McAdams
1
12
3
Uriah Cooledge
1
8
6
Samuel Gibson
1
17
2
Moses Abbott
4
Alexander Cunning- ham
1
1
William Hooper
8
4
William Parker
10
11
Calvin Stevens
2
3
9
John Shedd
2
5
Jones & A Blood
1
14
William Hutchinson
1
14
11
Benjamin Smith
1
3
1
Thomas Miller
1
4
3
Widow McColley
4
James Wilson
1
1
8
Jonathan Danforth
1
3
Thomas Kellom
1
6
Benjamin Gould
17
1
Asa Andrews
1
2
6
Elisha Goodell
8
William Talbert
1
5
9
Luther Smith
8
Andrew Jones
9
Bray Wilkins
5
5
Jacob Gould
2
1
Nehemiah Wilkins
1 17
11
Nathan Howe
2
6
10
John Dutton
3
18
11
Samuel Robbins
7
9
Benjamin Dutton
1
18
11
Eliphalet Bradford
1 17
1
Fisher Gay
11
4
John Wiley
9
Benjamin Mead
1
9
9
Joshua Kendall
1
6
4
John Mead
8
Samuel Taylor
1
3.
11
Nathaniel Heywood
1
14
3
John Gibson
1
18
9
Joseph Symonds
2
3
6
Moses Steele
5
14
1
William Symonds
2
3
7
William Love
3
1
4
Samuel Bradford
1
6
10
John McClary
1
19
9
Samuel Bradford, 3d
1
1
11
Benjamin Jones
1
64
4
Samuel Bradford, Jr.
1
1
11
Nathan Kendall
3
4
Daniel McNiel
2
5
9
David Wright
8
Isaac Andrews
1
13
2
Ebenezer Nichols
1
1
3
John Andrews
1 13
2
John Gibson, Jr.
8
Abraham Andrews
17
2 Enos West
8
Jesse Kendall
18
Photograph by MANAHAN.
KITCHEN IN OLD GILBERT HOUSE.
Photograph by MANAHAN.
JOHN GILBERT HOMESTEAD.
177
NON-RESIDENT-PROPERTY, 1795.
£ S d
S
d
James Miller
3 8 9 William Fowler
8
Benjamin Pierce
3 13 9 John Sprague
9
6
John McColley
1 8
1 Isaac Chandler
8
Farrah Miller
8
Joshua Atherton 2 10
William McClary
11
John Campbell
10
Gideou Knowlton
9
9 Samuel Patten
2
William McColley 11
4
John Stewart
4
Total valuation of the inhabitants is £258 10 s. 6 d.
Calvin Stevens, James Eaton, Samuel Bradford, 3d
Selectmen.
A true Coppey Pr Calvin Stevens T Clerk
VALUATION OF THE NON-RESIDENTS, 1795.
Peter Hill
3d Div. West End of No. 44 85 acres
3
9
David Williams 3d Div. Part of No. 42
50 acres
2
3
Parker Richardson 3d Div. 50 acres
2
3
Edward Fugger
3d Div. 14 in 42
100 acres
4
6
Nathan Kerr
60 acres
2
8
Widow Marsh
2d Div. No. 31
100 acres
4
6
3d Div. No. 10
200 acres
9
3d Div. No. 16 West End
30 acres
1
3
Nathan Austin
50 acres
2
3
Heirs of Abraham Coughlin
2d Div. No. 17
50 acres
2
3
Heirs of Sarson Belshor
2d Div. No. 57 East part
50 acres
2
3
2d Div. No. 52
400 acres
4
6
3d Div. No. 32
200 acres
9
3d Div. No. 9
200 acres
9
3d Div. No. 14, West part 100 acres
4
6
3d Div. No. 26 South part 100 acres
4
6
Joseph Henshaw
3d Div. No. 12 in 42 100 acres
4 6
3d. Div. No. 12 100 acres
4
6
2d Div. No 57 East half 50 acres
2
3
2d Div. No. 45
100 acres
4
6
2d Div. No. 2
100 acres
4
6
2d Div. No. 52
100 acres
4
6
3d Div. No. 31
200 acres
4
6
3d Div. No. _ 1
200 acres
9
3d Div. No. 4 West half
100 acres
4
6
6
8
3d Div. No. 45, North part 146 acres
178
HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH.
Heirs of James Bowdwin farm Peabody & Choate
1,222 acres 2 15
125 acres
5
7
John Rindge
3d Div. No. 1
2,700 acres
4
6
Tomlinson & Mason 3d Div. No. 2 in 47
100 acres
4
6
William Parker
3d Div. No. 8 in 30
100 acres
4
6
George Jaffrey
3d Div. No. 15 in 45
110 acres
4
6
Pierce & Moore
3d Div No. 12 in 42
100 acres
4
6
Joseph Pierce
3d Div. No. 4 in 28
100 acres
4
6
John Moffatt
3d Div. No. 9 in 41
100 acres
4
6
George Atkinson
No. 7 in 30
100 acres
4
6
M. H. J. Wentworth
No. 11 in 41
100 acres
4
6
Solley & Marsh
3d Div. No. 17 in 43
100 acres
4
6
Richard Wibird
3d Div. No. 10 in 4
100 acres
4
6
Mr. Bridge
3d Div. No. 33 West part 100 acres
4
6
Widow Moore middle part of the farm
52 acres
2
4
Jeremiah Green
877 acres
1 10
4
Isaac Jones part of the Green farm
100 acres
4
6
Henry Spaulding
192 acres
8
8
Joseph Towne
3d Div. No. 23 North part 100 acres
4
6
Brown Burt
3d Div. No. 6
100 acres
4
6
John Perkins
2d Div. No. 20 and 21
150 acres
6
9
Ebenezer Weston
2d Div. No. 55
100 acres
4 6
Daniel Nichols
3d Div. No. 12 North part 63 acres
3d Div. North part
63 acres
3d Div. No. 16
100 acres
3d Div. No. 15 North part 40 acres
3d Div. No. 6 West part
70 acres
Total 376 acres 12 4
Total valuation of Non-Residents amounts to
£15 10 s 11 d Calvin Stevens James Eaton
Samuel Bradford, 3d
Selectmen.
A true Coppey Pr Calvin Stevens T. Clerk
The holders of the larger percentage of the non-resident land in Hillsborough were creditors of John Hill. Among these were Ex-Governor James Bowdoin, 1,400 acres ; Oliver Peabody, 300 acres ; Col. Jabez Huntington, Conn., 1,400 acres ; Jeremiah Green, Boston, 1,700 acres; Lord Proprietors, 1,600 acres; be- sides several smaller owners of'from fifty to three hundred acres.
Besides these creditors were the heirs and family creditors as follows: William Hill, Esq., son, of North Carolina, 2,842 acres; Widow March, daughter, 1,426 acres; Mrs. Garven
1
,
-
179
TITLES OF NON-RESIDENTS.
Brown, daughter, 1,026 acres ; Capt. Sarson Belcher, Boston, and Joshua Henshaw, sons-in-law, respectively 1,622 and 1,390 acres. In all these amounted to 15,000 acres.
John Hill had always offered the land in Hillsborough to actual settlers at the nominal price of fifty cents an acre, and it is very doubtful if his activities here really afforded him any great financial benefit. In order to carry on his various specula- tions he had been obliged to realize money on the unsold land that he had a few years before his death. Upon his decease this land passed into the hands of his creditors, as mentioned above.
In the end many of these properties held by non-residents did not prove very profitable. Following the close of the Revolu- tion there seems to have been a "cleaning up" of many titles. Among these we find a Colonel Wallingford's rights were ad- vertised and sold for a small sum by John Costello, of Berwick, Me., December 16, 1780. Stephen Holland's title in Hillsborough was confiscated and sold in Londonderry, January 4, 1781. Heirs of John Hill brought a suit against Joel Stow and Joseph Taggart relative to titles to land, and the town chose Benjamin Pierce, Esq., agent to defend the town. Nothing seems to have come of this claim. The last trace of these titles of non-residents disap- peared within the memory of men living to-day.
CHAPTER IX.
THE STORY OF CAMPBELL'S GORE.
Hillsborough's Part in the Settlement of Windsor-When Surveyors Fell Short-How the Grant of a Township was Lost-James Camp- bell's Plight-His Loss the Gain of Others-Appeals for Incorpora- tion Ignored-Hillsborough Expected to Give of Her Territory- List of Signers from Both Localities-Objections-Voters in Campbell's Gore-Finally an Act of Incorporation-A Title that Came Too Late.
During the interval between the closing of the Revolution and the beginning of the new century, when affairs both local and national had so far shaped themselves as to form a tangible government, here and elsewhere, a matter of interest and im- portance to Hillsborough was being agitated by a considerable portion of its inhabitants, as well as others who were outsiders. The subject was a small section of country lying on the southwest border, which had been an object of anxiety, expense and sus- pense to a small group of people for over half a century. At this distant day it might be difficult to find the original records, and the early historians fail to mention it, but it is evident there was a promise made if not a grant to James Campbell of London- derry and others of that and adjacent towns of a tract of land designated as Number Eight, which is frequently mentioned in the early deeds of Hillsborough. This tract was better known as Campbell's Gore. The reason for this was the fact that when the adjoining grants had been made only a very limited section was left. No one had stolen a township, nor had any wrong been at- tempted, but the loss of territory was due to the fact that in mapping out the different townships two surveyors were em- ployed, one starting at the Maine line on the east and the other at the Connecticut River on the west. This couple in running their lines met at Hillsborough or Number Seven, when it was found that only a small, three cornered, wedge-shaped gore of land was left! The bit of left-over real estate which should have been a respectable township to be placed on the map as
180
181
PLIGHT OF JAMES CAMPBELL.
Number Eight, was designated as "Campbell's Gore," an apology for a township grant. Of course the honorable surveyors might have done worse and not left enough of these hills and valleys on which the grantee could have written his name.
Be that as it may, in the midst of the border wars which so startled the few inhabitants of Number Seven that they were glad to get away, Mr. Campbell, after more than ten years of patient waiting, petitioned the General Court as follows :
PETITION OF JAMES CAMPBELL, 1748.
Portsmouth October 20th 1748
To the Gentlemen Proprietors of Mason's Right in Lands in ye Provs of New Hampshire Gentm
I the Subscriber in behalf of my selfe and others Inhabitants of Chester & Londonderry do petition your favour to grant to such a Number of us and in Such manner as shall Seem meet to you a tract of Land or Such part thereof as you shall think fit Scituated & lying Chiefly to ye North of ye road leading from New Boston So called to Hillsborough So called; and in order thereto, do propose to preferr to the Said Proprietors a plan of ye Scituation & extent of the Said tract of Land with a List of the men's Names who will be Your Petitioners, by ye Second day of November next, in ye mean time pray the Said tract of land may nor be otherwise disposed of and you will greatly Oblige me & others your friends &c
Masonian Papers, Vol. 8, p. 132.
James Campbell
For some reason no attention was paid to the supplications of the grantees of the little plot of land they had fondly hoped to possess, notwithstanding the expenses which had been incurred in surveys and laying out lots, and the grant of Number Eight was unrecognized, so another attempt was made to secure the desired territory, which met with no better success.
Unfortunately the early records of Windsor, and such papers as related to the original tract denominated Campbell's Gore, were destroyed by fire in 1850, so the historian has to grope his way in darkness in trying to ascertain the course of affairs fol- lowed by the pioneers. It is certain that, notwithstanding the inattention made to their appeals for assistance, several families settled here within three years after James Campbell sent his last petition.
182
HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH.
Throughout this period would-be purchasers of land in this district seemed quite numerous, as it was looked upon as very desirable land. In keeping with the grasping nature of those in control before the Revolution, 28 lots in this small tract of land had been reserved for them, two lots to fifteen beneficiaries, the two lots needed to make up the full number being taken from Bradford. But all of these titles vanished as "scraps of paper" when the War for American Independence turned in favor of the colonists. There were then about ten families in this section, and during the Revolution the handful of inhabitants did their duty, the following men serving to the credit of adjoining towns: Joel Richards, Stephen Wyman, Thomas Stickney, Jonathan Swett, Asa Dresser, Nathan Barker and John Gordon. Doubtless there were others.
The character of the settlers and the situation in the Gore is well illustrated by the words of Col. John Goffe, that veteran scout and trainer of Rogers and the Starks in their preparation for the border wars, who in an appeal to the proprietors in 1779, declared them to be "resolute fellows that could give Mason's proprietors no better name than Tories."
The close of the Revolutionary War found the few rugged families in Campbell's Gore, if relieved of the sufferings of strife, still laboring under certain difficulties from which regularly in- corporated towns were free. It is true they were law-abiding citizens and hence could get along peacefully without a govern- ment, but troubles from many sources arose, not the least being that with non-residents, so a petition was signed by a dozen of the citizens and sent into the General Court asking for authority to tax outsiders, to enable them to build a much needed bridge.
No attention seems to have been paid to this petition, but the inhabitants had already organized themselves into a com- munity government, levied taxes, not forgetting on this special occasion the outsiders or non-residents who owned land within the territory, so the bridge was built, the first one of importance in town. After considerable discussion among the inhabitants of the southwestern part of Hillsborough and those of the unfortu- nate little plot of country granted to a man who had not lived to enjoy its fruitage, the following document was sent to the General Court in 1790:
183
PETITION FOR INCORPORATION.
Petition of Inhabitants of Campbell's Gore and Part of Hills- borough for Incorporation, 1790:
To the Honourable Senate, and house of Representatives in Gen- eral Assembly convened at Portsmouth, within & for the State of New Hampshire-
The Petition of us the Subscribers being Inhabitants of a track of Land, called Campbell's Gore-and also of Sundry of the Inhabi- tants, living in the Southwest part of the town of Hillsborough-Most humbly Shews-That the said track of Land first Mentioned, con- taining but About 3000 Acres, which is to small ever to become a town or parish Sufficient to Maintain the Gospel or carry on Publick business, and its Situation is such, that it cannot be Joined to any Lands for its Relief, except a track of Land, Lying in the southwest part of said Hillsborough on which a number of your Petitioners reside, and are desirous of being United with the Inhabitants of Campbell's Gore, by an Incorporation vesting them with such town privileges and Immunities as other towns in the State hold and do enjoy-That the whole town of Hillsborough contains about 26000 Acres, and the part hereby requested to be Joined to the said Gore contains only about 6000 Acres-That should the prayer of this petition be granted will then contain about 20000 Acres, a Quantity Sufficient to afford Ample support for a Minister & remain a respectable town, and we cannot see any Ill convenience that will attend the granting this Request, as the town of Hillsborough have Erected a new Meeting house and have Setttled a Minister of the Congregational Standing, the old parish of Hillsborough being the greatest Majority carries all Votes to their Liking, & we being Presbyterians cannot Join with them- Although we have helped to defray all charges, and not willing to make any Difficulty in a new Country, and as Opportunity now presents to Join said Gore, to be releaved from our present bondage, we trust they will make no Opposition in this our request, which we hope will appear to your honours very Reasonable & draw a small part of your Attention on the Premises-Your petitioners therefore most humbly pray, that an Act may pass the Honourable Assembly, Incorporating into a town the said Gore, with the Southwesterly part of Hillsborough, according to the following Directions and Boundaries (Viz) Beginning at the Southeast corner of Lot Nº 39 in the third Division (so called) being the south bounds of said Hillsborough, thence North about 15 Degr West, in the east bounds of the Wester- most range of the said third Division, Lots to the Northeast corner of Lot No 6 in said Division, thence south Eight Degr and an half West, to the North West corner of said Lot Nº 6 thence Northerdly about 30 Rods to the Northeast Corner of Lot No 58 in the Second
184
HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH.
Division, thence Westerdly in the North bounds of said Lot Nº 58, Nº 27 and No 16 to the West bounds of said Hillsborough-Then pur- suing the North west and South Lines of said Gore as the same are now reputed to be, till it shall come to the South west Corner bound of said Hillsborough, thence Easterdly in the South Line of Hills- borough to the place of beginning-Your petitioners therefore most humbly pray, that a Committee be sent on said premises viewing our Situation, and setting of so much as said Boundaries specifies, or any other Lines, as they in their Wisdom sees fit-And Your petitioners as in Duty bound will ever fervently Pray &c &c &c-
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