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��THE GRANITE MONTHLY.
��to himself, through the raeduim of rinother person."
This Peter Livius was the only mem- ber of the governor's council, consist- ing of eight members, who was not connected, either by marriage or natural ties of blood, to the governor's family, and it is more than probable that special distinctions and official perquisites were not distributed to his ■especial favor ; hence the envious dis- sent.
This allegation of Mr. Livius was not sustained before the King and his council, and the complaint was dis- missed.
It is a well known fact that Gov.
John Wentworth was an extensive land owner. As early as 1767, in the township of Wolfeborough, on Lake Winnipiseogee, he had begun for him- self ail extensive plantation, upon ■which he expended large sums. Here he built an elegant house for those times, where he entertained sumptu- ously. But for the political changes which soon followed, this would no doul)t have been made as famous a country-seat as that of many an ancient English baronial establishment. It was one of Gov. Wentworth's brilliant schemes for internal improvement, to connect the lake at this point with tide water, by means of a canal, and thus make this the head of navigation in New Hampshire ; and the author of the "Wentworth Genealogy" informs us that there is on file, among the gov- ernor's official correspondence, at Hali- fax, a letter dated April 5, 1758, which says : " a road may he easily made from Quebec to Winnipiseogee, on the northern parts of this province, which would immediately communi- cate with all the populous and most fertile parts of New England at one third of the distance, trouble, time and expense of any other route. You ■will readily see the matter on any map. If it should take j^lace, as I have sug- gested, into New Hampshire, I will endeavor to clear as much of the road as this province can be prevailed upon to provide for."
��But all these enterprising plans of Gov. Wentworth for his own aggrandize- ment and for the improvement and building up of his native state, failed with the failure of his efforts to recon- cile the conflicting elements which severed the provinces from the mother country, and he was forced to retire from the situation, followed by the con- fiscation of his estates, proscription of person and loss of home and friends. But he never lost his interest in the land of his birth, for in a letter to Rev. Jeremy Belknap, from Nova Scotia, dated May, 1791, he says, "if there is any thing partial in my heart in this case, it is that New Hampshire, my native country, may arise to be one of the most brilliant members of the confederation, as it was my zealous wish, ambition and unremitted endeavor to have led her to, among the provin- ces, while under my administration. My whole heart and fortune were de- voted to it, and I do flatter myself not without some prospect of success."
In 1795 John Wentworth was created a baronet, and resided in a palatial residence known as the " Prince's Lodge," a gift of the Duke of Kent, located at Halifax, N. S. He administered the government of that province from 1792 to 1S08, and died there in 1820.
After leaving New Hampshire, in 1775, his feet never trod upon Repub- lican soil. He lived and died a mon- archist, although always sincerely lov- ing his native land.
There were probabi}' few towns granted by the ^Ventvvorths in New Hampshire where the "reserve me and I '11 reward you " policy was more dis- tinctly marked than in the lists of the original grantees of Whitefield and some of the neighboring towns. Among those of the former which was the last township granted in New Hampshire under monarchical rule, were two of the surname of Wentworth, Penning and Paul, both said to be of Ports- mouth.
This Penning was a cousin to the then ruling governor, and a relative of
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