1884.]
��TJie Boiindary Lines of Old Groton, — /.
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��hath of late extended their Town lyne into it, takeing away a considerable part of it ; and Especially of Meadow (as wee are Well informed) Wherefore wee above all o"" Neighbour Towns, stand in the greatest need of Enlargement ; having but a pent up smale Tract of Land and very little Meadow.
Whence we humbly Pray the great & Gen" Court, that if said Nashoby may be sold by the Indians wee may hg.ve allow- ance to buy, or if it be allready, or may be sold to any other Person or Persons, that in the whole of it, it be layed as an Addi- tion to vs the smale Town of Stow, it lying for no other Town but vs for nighness & adjacency, togeither with the great need wee stand of it, & the no want of either or any of the above named Towns. Shall it Pleas the great & Gen" Court to grant this o Petition, wee shall be much more able to defray Publick Charges, both Civil, & Ecclesiasticall, to settle c Minister amongst vs in order to o"" Injoyment of the Gospel in the fullness of it. Whence hopeing & believing that the Petition of the Poor, & needy will be granted. Which shall forever oblidge yo"" Petition^ to Pray
&c:
THO: STEEVENS. Cler:
In the Towns behalfe [Massachusetts Archives, cxiii, 330.]
This petition was granted on October 21, 1702, on the part of the House of Representatives, but negatived in the Council, on October 24.
During this period the territory of Nashobah was the subject of consid- erable dispute among the neighboring towns, and slowly disappearing by their encroachments. Under these circum- stances an effort was made to incor- porate a township from this tract and to establish its boundaries. The fol- lowing petition makes a fair statement of the case, though the signatures to it are not autographs :
To His Excelcy : Joseph Dudley Esq : Cap*: Generall & Gov: in Chief in and
��over Her Maj'ies : Province of Mass« : Bay in New-England, Together with ye Honbie; the Council, & Representatives in Genii : Court Assembled on the 30^11 of May, In the Tenth Year of Her Maj"es : Reign Annoq Dom' : 171 1, — The Humble Petition of us the Subscribers Inhabitants of Concord, Chelmsford, Lancaster & Stow &c within the County of Midd in the Province Aforesd.
Most Humbly Sheweth
That there is a Considerable Tract of Land Lying vacant and unimproved Be- tween the Towns of Chelmsford, Lan- caster & Stow & Groton, as s^ Groton was Survey'd & Lay'd out by Mr. Noyce, & the Plantation CalPd Concord Village, which is Commonly known by the Name of Nashoba, in the County of Midd^ : Aforesd. & Sundry Persons having Made Entrys thereupon without Orderly Applica- tion to the Government, and as we are Inform'd, & have reason to believe, diverse others are designing so to do.
We Yo"^ Humble Petitioners being de- sirous to Prevent the Inconveniences that may arise from all Irregular Intrusions into any vacant Lands, and also In a Regular manner to Settle a Township on the Land aforesd, by which the frontier on that Side will be more Clos'd & Strengthened & Lands that are at Present in no wise ben- eficiall or Profitable to the Publick might be rendred Servicable for the Contributing to the Publlick Charge, Most Humbly Address Ourselves to your Excy : And this Honourable Court.
Praying that your Petitioners may have a Grant of Such Lands Scituate as Aforesd. for the Ends & Purposes aforesd. And that a Committee may be appointed by this Honble ; Court to View, Sur\-ey and Set out to Yo. Petitioners the sd. Lands, that so Yo"". sd. Petitioners may be enabled to Settle thereupon with Such others as shall joyn them In an orderly and regular manner: Also Praying that Such Powers and Priviledges may be given and confered upon the same as are granted to other Towns, And Yo' Petitioners shall be Most ready to attend Such Directions,
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