Society Land
Hillsborough County, New
Hampshire
Below are transcripts of documents related
to Society Land, transcribed, by Ann
Mensch, from the source below. Spellings, punctuation, etc. are
typed as they appear in the source.
State of New Hampshire. Township Grants of Lands in New Hampshire
included in the Masonian Patent, issued Subsequent to 1746 by the Masonian
Proprietary, Arranged and Presented in Alphabetical Order and Comprising
All from N to W Inclusive, with Plans, Bibliographical Citations, and Complete
Indexes. Albert Stillman Batchellor, Editor of State Papers.
(Compiler). Concord : Edward N. Pearson, Public Printer, 1896.
[This tract of land originally comprised all
the territory now included in the towns of Deering, Antrim, Hancock, Bennington,
Francestown, and the north part of Greenfield. The name probably
arose from the fact that this territory was not granted in townships, but
was reserved and divided equally among the members of the "society" or
syndicate of proprietors of the Masonian Patent. The name Cumberland
was also sometimes applied to it.
Francestown was the first town in the Society
Land district to be incorporated. This was done June 8, 1772, and
New Boston Addition was included within its lines. Then followed
Deering, Jan. 17, 1774; Antrim, March 22, 1777; and Hancock, Nov. 5, 1779.
These towns covered the entire tract except a small piece in the southern
part, and this was combined with Lyndeborough Gore and enough of Peterborough
and Lyndeborough to make a small township, and incorporated as Greenfield
June 15, 1791. Bennington was composed of parts of Greenfield, Francestown,
Deering, and Hancock, and was incorporated Dec. 15, 1842. It lies
nearly in the centre of the original Society Land.]
[Petition
of Peter Prescott and Others, 1752.]
[Masonian Papers, Vol. 7, p. 176.]
To the Proprietors of ye Right of John Tufton
Mason Esqr in ye
Province of New Hampshire--
Gentlemen--
Wee the Subscribers and associates to ye
Nomber of One Hundred
being Desireous of Removing into this Province and Making Settle-
ment of Some of ye waste, within your Patent, applyed our
Selves to
The Hon'ble Joseph Blanchard Esq who Encouraged us to Succeed
in our Desires If Two Towns could be found Capable of Settlement
within the Line of Towns by you Authorized for him to Grant, Where-
upon at a Considerable Expence we have Made Search and find yt
on
that Line further then is already Granted, is not Capable of Settle-
ment, unless Some Stragling Farms. But Still Desireous to pursue
our first Intentions, Could there be a place had, capable of Making
a
Good Settlement in time, have made Inquiry, & at Present hear yt
there is a tract of Land Lying on ye East and adjoyning
to Monad-
nock No 6 : and No 7 : tho Something Broaken
yet Probable to Make
a Settlement on for two Small Towns could we obtain a Grant on
Reasonable Conditions (and inasmuch as Sundry of us had purchased
before the Settlement of ye Province Line) Many Rights in
ye New
Towns Now fallen in this Province, with Expectation to Make Settle-
ment had it not been for that Disappointment which for Charge and
Purchase has Cost Sundry of us Much Mony which Reasons give us
the freedom to ask at this time and are Ready on your Approving of
our Request within Nine Months after ye Grant to Allot out
the
whole Land Granted Ready to Draw the Lotts and Settle in Each
Town Thirty famelys within two years after ye Grant and
the Remain-
ing Fourty famelys in Such reasonable time afterwards as you Shall
Direct.--And in as much as ye Distance & Expence of
Travil is Such
yt must attend our Personal application, Desire that this
our request
may be offered by ye Abovesd Joseph Blanchard
on our behalf, and
that you will favour us with an answer by him And beleive us to be
Sincere in our application and Give Leave to Subscribe our Selves
Gent
Your very Humble Servts
Peter Prescott
John Fox
Stephen Hosmer Jur
Charles Bulkeley
|
[Draft of Lots, 1753.]
[Masonian Proprietors' Records, Oct. 17, 1753, and Maonian Papers,
Vol. 7, p. 180.]
Mr Robert Fletcher having agreable
to a Vote of this Propriety of
ye 8th November 1752, by the Direction of Joseph Blanchard
Esqur
Surveyed and divided the Tract of Land lying Westerly on the Man-
adnocks No 6, & No 7, northerly on the South
line of the Line of
Towns so called Easterly on Wear's Town & New Boston Southerly
on Salem Cannada Peterborough & Manadnock No 3, and having this
day returned his Plan of Said Survey therein particularly describing
the Several lines of the Several Divisions and the Same having been
laid before the Proprietors at this Meeting---
Voted--That the Said Plan and the Several
Divisions therin by
the Several lines described be and hereby is approved & accepted
and
to Ascertain the Said Several Divisions to the Respective Proprietors
in Severalty,--Therefore
Voted that the Same be drawn for im'ediately
in one Draft, by
Lott, and that when So drawn for, that each Proprietor be and her-
by is entituled in Severalty, to the Lots (being of ye two
Divisions)
drawn by, or to him, agreable to the Several Numbers as entered on
Said Plan,--
Pursuant to the next preceeding Vote The Draft
of Lots of the
Divisions in the Tract of land described in said Vote, are drawn for,
to Said Proprietors as follow's--vizt
1st drawn Lots No 13--To Mr
John Rindge
2 .
. . 5--To Danll
Peirce Esqur & Mary Moore
3 .
. . 11--To John Thomlinson
& John Tufton Mason
Esqur
4 .
. . 12--To Thomas Packer Esqur
5 .
. . 4--To John Wentworth
Esqur
6 .
. . 15--To Richard Wibird Esqur
7 .
. . 9--To the Right of
Jotham Odiorne Esqur Deced
8 .
. . 14--To Theodore Atkinson
Esqur --
9 .
. . 1--To Mark Hunking
Wentworth Esqur
10 .
. . 2--To Samuel Solly
& Clement March Esqur
11 .
. . 6--To George Jaffrey
Esqur
12 .
. . 3--To Nathll
Meserve Joseph Blanchard Esqur
mr Joseph Green & Paul March--
13 .
. . 8--To Thomas Wallingford
Esqur
14 .
. . 7--To John Moffatt
Esqur
15 .
. . 10--To Joshua Peirce Esqur
|
|
[Plan of Society
Land, 1753.]
|
![Plan of Society Land, 1753 [map]](Societylandmap.jpg) |
| This Plan of the Royal Society Lands copied from a survey originally
taken by Robert Fletcher Esqr
John Parker junr
Portsmouth May 1778
Pursuant to the Request & Desire of Coll
Blanchard Esqr I have laid out into fifteen Equal shares all
that Land on Contoocook River between the place called Keyshis Farm on
the North & the great FAlls so called against the Crotched Mountain
on the South in the following manner (Viz). The Interval Land divided
for Quantity & Quality into fifteen equal shares & so much upland
adjoyning as to make up the quantity of Five hundred Acres to each share
and where the land is not so good there is added so much in Quantity as
is equal to five hundred acres of the best which is marked & delineated
herein, & the Interval Lotts on Contoocook River & the upland adjoyning,
belonging to the same share is numbred with the same Number which Numbers
are from one to fifteen, And all the Land comprehended within the following
bounds (viz) Westerly on Menadnock Number six & Number seven
Northerly on the South line of the line of towns so called Easterly on
Weare's Town and New Boston--Southerly on Salem Canada and Petersborough
is Divided into fifteen equal shares for Quality and numbred one to fifteen,
The first Number of said shares begining on the west side of Contoocook
River joyning to Peterborough North line, And the number of said shares
succeed in order to Number seven. Northwardly to the South Line of
the Line of Towns, And the other Eight shares being on the East side of
the River, Number eight on the Eat side of Contoocook River adjoyning upon
the North Line of Peterborough West of New Boston, And the number of the
other shares suceed Northerly to the said South Line of the line of Towns.
The Crotched Mountain lying in Number eight & number Nine is left as
common, it is no part of said shares--
Portsmouth October ye 17th
1753 by me
Robert Fletcher Surveyer
This is a Copy of the Plan of the Society land
(So called) as rendered by Robt Fletcher Surveyor October 17th 1753--attest
N. B. the mountains Rivers and Brooks are
not exactly of ye Size nor laid just as in ye original,
by nearly so--
Geo : Jaffrey Proprs Cl : |
[Petition for Bridge,
1774.]
[Masonian Papers, Vol. 7, p. 182.]
October ye 12th 1774
To the Honorable The Lord Proprietors of Society
Land So
called A petition Humbly Shewing the Whereas a Number having
begun to make Settelments on the West side of Contookook River
have been at great cost Clearning a Road from Francess Town line
over Sd River thro' No 5 N. W. cosing No 7 & 9 &
10 thro the great
right to the mills on Esqr Jaffreys Lot also
from No. 5 West thro' the
great Right No 3 to Limrick Road it being the Straight course betwixt
the County Towns from Amharst to No. 4 Crossing near the Center
of Sd land A bridge is absolutly Needed at that place as
it is about
half way betwixt Petersborrough and Hillsborrough and will best Sute
the publick & the major part of the inhabetents and advance your
intrests It belonging wholly to the few Setlers to build sd Bridge
we
depend upon your generous assistance to enable us without appression
to Compleat the Same
This is the earnst request of your Petitioners
| William Smith |
James Aiken |
John Duncan |
| Joseph Boyd |
Robert Anderson |
John Anderson |
| William Anderson |
William Gregg |
Archibald Macmurphy |
| James Aiken Junr |
George Gregg |
Joseph Gregg |
| James Gormon |
John Archibald |
John Mackay |
| John Aiken |
Henry Parkinson |
Robert Macmurphy |
| George Duncan Junr |
Jonathan Adams |
David Brewster |
| William Betty |
Thomas Craig |
William Adams |
| Abiel Upton |
Jacob Basford |
Andrew Todd |
| William Severns |
Charles Cooe |
Jonathan Reed |
| John Duncan |
George Duncan |
John Duncan Junr |
| William Duncan |
William Duncan Junr |
Abraham Duncan |
| James Duncan Junr |
Daniel Macmillan |
Isaac Brewster |
| James Neysmith |
Benjamin Gregg |
James Miltimor |
| Samuel Gregg Junr |
Rober Dinsmoor |
James Gregg |
| John Cochran |
Matthew Dickey |
Alexander Huchinson |
| James Gregg Junr |
John Mackeen |
Thomas Christy |
| Robert Macfarland |
John Mackeen Junr |
Robert Mackeen |
| Samuel Taylor |
David Mackeen |
George Moor |
| George Moor Junr |
John Hall |
Isaac Cochran |
| Isaac Butterfield |
William Miltimor |
Robert Adams |
| John Hunter |
William Clark of Ackworth |
|
| George Duncan Ackwth |
John Duncan Ditto |
|
| Jonathan French Do |
John Marsh |
|
[Endorsed] Febr 22 To lay for farther Consideration |
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Copyright 2002, by Ann Mensch.