USA > New Hampshire > The history of New-Hampshire. Comprehending the events of one complete century and seventy-five years from the discovery of the River Pascataqua to the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety, Vol 3 > Part 17
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APPENDIX.
No. I.
An original Letter of Doctor COTTON MATHER to GEORGE VAUGHAN, Esq. agent for New Hampshire in England ; relating to Whelenight's ! Indian deed. Vol. I. p. 10.
3d. 1 mo. 1708.
SIR,
YOU demand my thoughts upon the
date of the inftrument in which the Indian Sa- chems of Pafcataqua convey to Mr. Whelewright and his friends the country, whereof your people are the prefent poffeffors. 'How a date in the year ' 1629 could confift with the true time of Mr. ' Wheleright's coming into this country ?'
I cannot but admire at the providence of Heaven, which has all along ftrangely interpofed, with moft admirable difpenfations, and particularly with ftrange mortalities, to flop the proceedings of the controverfy about Mafon's claim upon you, juft in the moft critical moment of it .* There feems to have been as remarkable a difplay and inftance of that Providence, in the finding of this inftrument juft before the fitting of your laft court, about this affair ; and after it had been, for very many years, difcourfed of among the good men who knew of fuch an inftrument ; but with regret concluded it loft and gone beyond all recovery.
I fuppofe you are making your application to thofe, who will be far from the opinion that do- minion is founded in grace. Titles to lands are not more or lefs valid according to the profeffion of
* Referring to the death of Robert Mason in 1688, and of Samuel Allen in 1705.
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chriftianity in the owners. There is no proteftant but what will acknowledge that pagans have titles that are incontestable, and that they have not, by their paganifm, forfeited their titles to the firft chriftians that fhall therefore pretend to them.
Let the date of Whelewright's inftrument be what it will, there feems to be an inftrument of fome fuch importance on Mafon's part, neceffary to render Ma- fon's claim effectual.
When the Kings of England have given patents for American lands unto their fubjects, their vir- tue and juftice has been fuch, that they have not therein defigned ever to give away the properties of the natives here ; but always intended that their fubjects here fhould honestly agree with the natives, for what lands they fhould get under the protection of thefe patents, before they fhould call them their own. Briefly, you expect a decifion of your cafe, where Indian titles will have a due confideration.
I confefs when I was firft informed of the date which your inftrument bears, I thought that it muft be a forgery, but I muft now give you my fecond thoughts upon it. .
The very aged gentlewomen, his two daughters, I look upon as very incompetent witneffes to de- termine the time of their father's firft coming over into America. I have difcourfed with the more fen- fible and capable of them, namely, Mrs. Pierfon, who tells me that her father's coming over with his family was in the fame fhip with Mr. Samuel Whit- ing, the minifter of Lynn, and others, who, we are all fure, came in the year 1686,* but fhe tells me fhe is not fure her father never vifited America be- fore, only fhe does not remember fhe ever heard him fpeak of it. And yet there are fhrewd indica-
* Mr. Wheleright is first mentioned in Winthrop's journal in 1636, as brother to the famous Anna Hutchinson, the patronoss of Antinomian tenets.
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tions of the gentleman's being here, before the year which they tell us of ; I fuppofe you are furnith- ed with them.
Your inftrument cannot be invalidated, but by fome demonftration that Mr. Wheleright was at home in Lincolnfhire, all the year 1629. We know there were many voyagestaken, between England and chefe parts of America, before that year. In the year 1624, we find Mr. Roger Conant managing a plantation, very little to the fouthward of Pafcata- qua. It is no improbable thing, that fuch an active and lively man as Mr. Whelewright, might ftep over hither to fee how the land lay, before his tranf- portation of his family .*
The inftrument of 1629, has upon it fuch irre- fragable marks of antiquity, that if it be a forgery, it muft be a very ancient one. It has almoft as ma- ny marks of 1629 as there be years in the number, of which you need no recitation of mine ; you are much better able than I am, to amplify upon them.
About an hundred and twenty years ago, there were found certain manufcripts, in fome vaults, near Granada, in Spain, which, it was affirmed, were fifteen hundred years old ; and they fang to deum for the difcovery. But the Dominicians pref- ently difcovered them, from the language and the intent of them, to be a modern fraud of the Fran- cifcans. All the wit of man cannot perceive the leaft fymptom of a modern fraud in your inftru- ment. The gentleman who lit upon it, is as honeft, upright and pious a man as any in the world, and would not do an ill thing to gain a world. But the circumftances of the inftrument itfelf, alfo, are fuch, that it could not be lately counterfeited. If it were a forgery, Mr. Whelewright himfelf muft be privy
Șce Vol. I. Appendix p. ix.
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التاجر 20.11
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o it. But he was always a gentleman of the moft Infpotted morals imaginable ; a man of a moft un- lemifhed reputation. He would fooner have un- dergone martyrdom, than have given the leaft con- hivance to any forgery.
There was a time, in the year 1637, when he was perfecuted with too much violence, in the Maffa- chufetts Colony, but it was only for a difturbance made about certain fpeculations, which were thought to be of an antinomian tendency. His worft ene- mies never looked on him as chargeable with the leaft ill practices.
The blinding heat of thofe troubles procured an order for his remove out of the colony. "Fis remark- ed in the books then publifhed, that he did not go' to Rhode-Ifland, the moft inviting part of the coun- try, whither all they went who were cenfured at the fame time with him. No, he removed then into Hampfhire, which would invite one to think that- he had a peculiar intereft in that Province.
I have heard, that when he was a young fpark at the Univerfity, he was noted for a more than ordi- nary ftroke at wreftling ; and that afterward wait- ing on Cromwell, with whom he had been contem- porary at the University, Cromwell declared to the gentlemen then about him 'that he could remember ' the time when he had been more afraid of meet- ing Whelewright at football, than of meeting any "army fince in the field ; for he was infallibly fure " of being tript up by him.'
I know not whether the inftrument of his now, in your hands, will have as good an efficacy as the owner had. You will doubtlefs think it has, if, in wreftling with your adverfaries, it trip up their caufe, and give them a fall. I fhould abhor, that the caufe of my beft friends, and a very good caufe, ever fhould be ferved by any indirect means ; yet
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I verily think this inftrument ought very much to be confidered, and to have a very great weight al- lowed unto it.
Sir, I with you a good voyage, and a good iffue, and fubfcribe,
Your fincere fervant, CO. MATHER.
P. S. I forgot to tell you that when my parent lay at Plymouth, bound for New-England, on March 24, 1691-2, Mr. Sherwell, a minifter then living there, told him that his grandfather and one Mr. Coleman and another, had a patent for that which Mr. Mafon pretended unto at Pafcataqua. You may do well to inquire further concerning it.
No. II.
Lieut. Governor VAUGHAN'S Speech at the Council Board, Sept. 24, 1711. (Vol. II. 2. 22.)
GENTLEMEN,
OU cannot but believe that I am in- formed of many things fpoken to my prejudice. When private whifpers, defamatory to me are hand- ed forward, I pafs them over with flight and difre- gard, and believe that every thing hitherto defign- ed againft me has turned to my advantage, and will ftill do fo. But when matters are carried farther, wherein the honor of the Crown, and the intereft of the King's Majefty is efpecially ftruck at ; when re- venge's mother utters bold challenges, raifeth batte- ries, and begins to cannonade the powers eftablifh- ed by my sovereign, I acknowledge myfelf alarmed, which I fhall in no wife tolerate or endure ; as I am honored of the King, I will do my utmoft to fup-
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port it, and not let his commiffion be vilified at the Fate fome will have it. To have a due deference paid to it, is what the King requires and expects, ef- pecially from his minifters ; and to have them flu- dious of leffening the authority therein granted, is an aggravated fault, and I cannot but wonder at the arrogance and pride of thofe who do not con- fider I am a fuperior match, as being armed with power from my Prince, who doth execution at the ut- terance of a word, and I hope none will be fo flur- dy as to difpute it. If I foar too high, the fall will not crufh them : If they run too faft, their repent- ance may be timely.' What I have to fay to you, Mr. Penhallow, is in grofs, and is, that your bufi- nefs, for a long time, has been to fow difcord in the Commonwealth, and your endeavours to propagate confufion and difference in each town within the government ; when avowed principles oblige you to fodder, as much as in you lics, the affections of magiftrates and people, thereby to divert all things which naturally produce diffenfions, tumult and feuds, the particulars I have, and fhall tranfmit to my Lord the King, in whofe name, and by virtue of whofe power, I fufpend you, Samuel Penhallow, from fitting, voting, and affifting at the Council Board, till his Majefty's pleafure fhall be known.
No. III.
An original Letter from Sir WILLIAM ASHURST to Dr. INCREASE MA- THER,
REV. SIR,
I HAVE your letter of 12th Auguft laft, which I would have fooner anfwered, but that I underftood that there has no fhip gone to you this winter. I am pleafed at what you write of your Gg
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Lieutenant Governor, that he acquits himfelf wor- thily, and is a friend to the civil and ecclefiaftical conftitution. Iaffure you, if I had not known this to be his character (not from your agent, but from other impartial and difinterefted hands) you had never feen him in that ftation. I have no perfonal difrefpect to Col. Tailer ; on the other hand I wifh him in his private capacity much happiness and prof- perity for his deceafed uncle's fake, whofe memory I efteem and value ; but when the intereft and wel- fare of the public is before me, I never fuffer myfelf to be influenced by any partial confiderations ; and who can think it proper, that the fecond poft in the government fhould be filled by one who not content with diffenting from the eftablithed churches by his conftant practice, did engage, at the head of a party in a concerted defign, to fubvert their foundations ?
I do not know but fuch a procedure may recom- mend him to fome people, but it muit needs difqual- ify him to you and me, who know on what princi- ples New-England was firft fettled, and what were the pious motives which prevailed on the firft plant- ers to forfake their native land, and plant a wilder- nefs.
I hope I have done as well, in getting the Lieut. Governor of Newe-Hamb/bire difplaced, who prefented a memorial, when he was here, to the King and min- iftry, to bring New-England into the land tax of Great-Britain, and propofed, that a receiver fhould be appointed by the Crown, to gather in the money. For a native of New-England to be the author of fuch a memorial, is a monftroas offence ; and if you fuffer fuch people to be cafy among you, yet they fhall never efcape my refentment while I have any intereft or power at Court.
I am very glad that you are ftill ufeful in your advanced age. To preach conftantly at fourfcore,
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and to fo large an audience, and without notes, is a rare example, and fcarcely to be found in hiftory. For myfelf, I am ten years thort of you, yet I think I have great acknowledgments to make to divine Providence, for the meafure of health I enjoy, and the opportunities I have of being yet ferviceable in feveral ftations. I conftantly attend at the excife of- fice, where I have the honor to fit as a commiffioner, and at the court of aldermen, where I am the fenior in rank, though not in years. Befides thefe employ- ments I have vacant hours for the fervice of my country in general, and my friends in particular ; but I can tell you with a great deal of truth that 20 part of my life has given me more Satisfaction than that wherein i have ferved the intereft of New-England, ef- pecially my favourite work, the propagation of the gofpel among the natives, in which difpofition I hope I fhall continue to my life's end.
I refer you to the prints for public news. You'll, hear various reports about the unhappy divifions in the royal family ; which all good men are forry for. I have nothing to fay upon that fubject, only that the King acts in every thing with a prudent and fteady refolution becoming the character of a great and wife prince.
I am, Sir, your affectionate friend, and fervant,
W. ASHURST. London, March 10, 1717-18.
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No. IV:
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The humble Apology of the People of Nietfield to his Excellency SAMUEL SHUTE, General, Governor and Commander in Chief of his Majesty's Provinces of the Massachusetts Day and New Hampshire in New- England.
May it pleafe your Excellency,
THE fubfcribers having feen a copy of your Excellency's letter to Captain White and Cap- tain Kimbell, find themfelves under a neceflity of vindicating themfelves from the charges given in againft them ; it being allowable by the law of na- ture and of nations, to the greateft criminals to de- fend themfelves when they juftly plead in their own vindication. We were furprifed to hear ourfelves "termed Irifb people when we fo frequently ventured our all for the Britifh crown and liberties againft the Irifh papifts, and gave all tofts of our loyalty which the government of Ireland required, and are always ready to do the fame here when demanded. Though we fettled at Nutfield, yet we ufed no violence in the manner of our fettlement, feeing no body in the leaft offered to hinder us, to fet down in a defolate wilder- nefs ; and we were fo far from hindering the English that really had a mind to plant with us, that many of them are now incorporated with us. After our fet- tlement we found that two or three different parties claimed Nutfield, by virtue of Indian deeds, and we were given to underftand, that it was neceffary for us to bold the foil by fome right purchased from the na- tives. Accordingly we made application to the Hon. Col. Wheelwright of Wells, and obtained his Indian right ; which we have to fhew. His deed being of minety years ftanding, and conveyed from the chief
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Sagamores between the rivers of Merrimack and Paf- cataqua, with the confent of the whole tribes of the Indian nation, and well executed, is the moft authen- tic we have feen ; and the fubfcribers could not in reafon think that a deed which is not twenty years old, of land which is not fufficiently butted and. bounded, from an obfcure Indian, could give any right to land which had been fold fo many years before, by the right owners. And the fubfcribers hope they will be excufed from giving away fo good a title, for others that cannot pretend rationally to be fo well fupported ; and which they always re- fufed to warrantee and make good againft other claims. The dutiful applications which we have made to both courts, if we be incorporated, in what- foever province we fall to be, will witnefs for our refpect to his Majefty's government. If affidavits have been given againft one of our number as ufing fome threatening expreffions, we hope it will not be imputed to the community. If our accufers be per- mitted to come up in troops, as they have done and violently demolithed one of our houfes, and de- ftroyed part of our hay, and threatened and infult- ed us with impunity, to the great terror of our wives and children, when we fuffered patiently, and then accufe us to our rulers of violence, injuftice, fraud, force, infolence, cruelty, difhonour of his Majefty's government, and difturbance of his Majefty's fub- jects, injuries and offences to the Englifh, and the like, when we know ourfelves to be innocent, we think it hard meafure ; and muft have recourfe to God, who forbiddeth to take up a bad report againft our neighbour, and will, we hope, bring forth our righteoufnefs as the light, and our judgment as the noon day. If we be guilty of thefe diforders, we know we are liable to a legal trial, and are not fo weak as to fuppofe ourfelves to be out of the reach
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of your Excellency's government. The fubfcribers hope that if any other accufations come in againft them, they will be allowed an equal hearing before they be condemned ; and as we enjoy the liberty of the gofpel here, which is fo great a mercy, fhall improve it, for God's glory ; and as he has taught us, be dutiful to his Majefty's government, fet over us, and, if poffible, live peaceably with all men, fhall be defirous of peaceable neighbours, that want to fettle with us, and to help us to fubdue a part of this vaft and uncultivated wildernefs ; and shall not ceafe to pray for the divine bleffing on your Excel- lency's perfon and government.
Done at Nutfield, Feb. 97, 1719-20, and
fubfcribed by JAMES M'GREGORE, &c.
No. V.
An original Letter of Governor SHUTE to Me. VENHALLOW. Boston, Feb. 2, 1718-19. SIR,
DR. COOKE having again over his cups treated me very fcandaloufly, I have complained to the council who I don't queftion will do me juftice.
It will be of fervice to me to have a certificate to fhew how drunk he was that night that he and Col. Goff broke into our company at young Gerrith's, for I remember that you and Mr. Bridger told me that he ftay'd fo long after we were gone, as to get fo drunk that be cou'd neither go nor fland ; if this be ftrongly certified, I believe it will give him a good lift. Pray my fervice to the Lieut. Governor, the council and your family.
I am, Sir, your humble fervant,
SAMUEL SHUTE.
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No. VI.
T' his Excellency JONATHAN BELCHER, Esq. Capitain General and Com- mander in Chief in und over his Majesty's Province of New-Hampshire in Nrw-England. To the Honouruble the Council and Representatives in Genenal Court assembled, The Comfilaint and Petition of HUGH ADAMS, Clark, the Gospel Minister and Pastor of the Church at Dur- Lam within said Province,
HUMBLY SHEWETH,
FORASMUCH as your complainant petitioner hath been more than one and twenty years laft paft a labourer in the word and doctrine of Chrift fincerely to the utmoft of his ability amongft that people, although the good laws of this faid province fo far have required of them ; and their own contract or agreement with him, voted by them in the firft weck of the month of April, anno 1717, as by a copy of the record of Oyfter river parifh or faid town, as alfo by the evidences of fome of their then felect men and committee may appear in order for his fupport, with a competent falary of one hundred and four pounds during his miniftry there, even then when filver money was not of more value than ten ihillings per ounce an- nually, to be paid as then underftood in the real value thereof, and not only in the bare name of fo much, and unanimoufly agreed by their then com- mittee, to be paid punctually each year, one half of laid falary, i. e. 452 at the end of or within cach fix months, i. e. the firft week in October and April, with other material articles of faid agreement for his maintenance among them, which alfo hath oblig- ed them thereunto, yet have they not in any one year of faid time of three apprenticefhips fince their faid contract, been honeft nor faithful by the pay-
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ment thereof in the juft value, nor in due feafon, fo as that the hire of his minifterial labours fo much and long being kept back by their facrilegious fraud, hath been crying in the ears of Chrift the Lord of fabbaoth, fo to expofe them and their covenant and filent neighbours in this faid province, unto the curfe denounced which hath been fo long and often executed in fuch a variety of deftroying, terrifying and impoverithing judgments of God, too many herein to be enumerated, and fo much thereof evi- dently occafioned by faid 'parifh and town, being therein fo long tolerated with impunity, as an Achan in the camp ; and as the feven fons of Saul, in the days of King David ; and as Jonah in the fhip of the commonwealth of this province aforefaid. And efpecially whereas the principal article in the faid contract infifted on by their faid minifter, wherein their then felect men and committee agreed, by manual vote and voice (nemine contradicente) but was not entered by their then parifh clerk, John Smith, who deceafed anno 1722, with or after the other articles hereof in the record rolls of their then parith of Oyfter river, or fince town of Durham, and fince yearly on very fervent intreaties to have the fame articles entered upon their records and obferved for the yearly performance thereof for the future, whereunto neverthelefs they have been in- exorable beyond all reafon and juftice, hitherto in difregarding faid above hinted article, viz. That each year one half of faid falary of £104, which is £52, fhould be paid in to him or his order at or be- fore the end of each fix months or half year, i. e. the firft week in October and April, which com- mittee vote or vow of theirs, has never yet, in any one year of the twenty-one years of my miniftry amongft them, been performed : But moftly defer- red until at leaft three months after faid former half
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ear's harveft was ended, when the price of provi- ons was raifed at leaft twenty-five per cent. dearer han at harveft or in gathering thereof ; which de- inquency of theirs in faid twenty-one years hath been to the damage of faid minifter above £520 n faid parifh and town, cipecially where he has been neceffitated, rather than ftarve, to borrow con- liderable fums of money upon fix, ten, fifteen and wenty per cent. intereft yearly, and running on in- ereft upon intereft, yet unto this day, to his im- poverithing oppreffion, and finking difcouragement ; and reduced his falary of £104 of late years to the name thereof, when in prefent value as the altered prices of all neceffaries for livelihood are about two hundred per cent. dearer than when their faid con- tract was made. His falary now is fcarce more in real worth than 436 each year, although their rate- able heads, families, cattle and lands have increafed treble their ability more than at firft agreement. Alfo this year, 1738, the majority of faid Durham inhabitants have ftopped their ears at the cry of the poor at their two publick town meetings, although it is threatened they fhall cry themfelves but fhall not be heard.
Therefore now the oppreffing neceffities of the complainant petitioner conftrain him to pray he may be regarded by this great and General Court affem- bled in thefe his following requefts, as Chrift Jefus Immanual, to encourage each of his faithful minif- ters, teftifyeth faying, 'He that heareth you, hear- eth me.'
1. Requeft that the records of faid parifh, named Oyfter river, and now chartered town of Durham, may be fo far impeached as that the faid article may be entered by the prefent town clerk, Lieut. Samuel Smith ; and accordingly that he may be fummoned to bring Durham's town-book of rolls,'
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and likewife Capt. Francis Matthews, the former town clerk, to bring the record rolls of faid Oyfter river parith if yet in his poffeffion ; and likewife Lieut. Abraham Bennick and Mr. Sampfon Doc, then of the felectmen and committee for faid parifh in that year 1717, to give in or renew their oath or affidavit, each of them for confirming the truth of faid articl'c.
2. Requeft that the petitioner's faid falary of £104 may be enacted for the future during the re- mainder of his miniftry in faid town, to be made good in full value as really as in name, and to be paid in due feafon according to the requeft and ar- ticle aforefaid, with fufficient penalty for any delin- quency thereof, which, as written in the divine law moral, is the fifth part of the principal, to be added unto it as evident from Lev. v. 15, 16. Num. v. 6, 7, 8.
3. Requeft that delinquency from the payment of any lawful fettled minifter's falary within faid province, may be enacted a criminal cafe, or mat- ter prefentable by any grand juror, upon complaint made to him at each or any court of feftions quar- terly, as in the Maffachufetts province government, which I perceive by Pfalms xli. 1, 2, 3, is the prin- cipal reafon why they have been hitherto proportion- ably fpared from the throat peffilence and other im- poverithing, more than New-Hampfhire.
4. Requeft that Daniel Davis of faid Durham, may be fummoned and judged by this moft Hon- ourable Court of New-Hampfhire province afore- faid, for his fundry years, trefpafling upon and in- clofing within his fence and detaining fo forcibly from faid minifter feveral years previous poffeffion thereof, fundry acres of upland, and falt marth and thatch bed, belonging to the glebe land or parfon- age, poffeffed by, improved for, as alfo granted to,
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