Chapter 2 - Exeter Under the Mass Government from History of Exeter, Rockingham County, NH (1888)
From: Ida Ransom - [email protected]

Source:  History of Exeter, New Hampshire by Charles H. Bell,
          publisher J. E. Farwell & Co, Boston, Mass., 1888

Page 44                            CHAPTER II.
              EXETER UNDER THE MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNMENT.

     By the spring of 1643 an the New Hampshire plantations, except
Exeter, were under the sway of Massachusetts.  Hampton had
orignally been settled from that colony; Dover and Portsmouth
had been induced to submit themselves to her rule, partly by her
claim that they fell within her patent, but more, perhaps, by the
favorable terms which she held out to them.  That church-mem-
bership was a prerequisite to the privilege of voting in civil affairs,
was a cardinal doctrine in Massachusetts. This was now surren-
dered, and the citizens of the New Hampshire towns were to be
allowed the elective franchise without reference to that quailifica-
tion;  a proof of the price which the Bay Puritans were ready to
pay, to purchase an extension of their jurisdiction.
     Exeter was the 1ast to yield.  A large part of her inhabitants
felt that they had been treated with harshness and injustice by the
authorities of Massachusetts, and some of them utterly refused to
submit again to her dominion but quitted the place to avoid it.
A petition, however, was forwarded in May, 1643, to the Massa-
chusetts General Court, that Exeter might be received within their
jurisdiction.  It was subscribed by Thomas Rashleigh, Richard
Bulgar, William Wenborne, Thomas Wardell, Samuel Walker,
Christopher Lawson, John Legat, Henry Roby, Thomas Biggs,
William Cole, Thomas Pettit, Robert Smith, John Cram, Nathan-
iel Boulter, Robert Seward, Abraham Drake and William Moore.
Eleven of these were signers of the Combination.  The petition
itself has been destroyed, and we can only infer its contents from
the reception it met with.  It could not have been an uncondi-
tional surrender to Massachusetts, but must have stipulated for
some terms which her rulers were unwilling to grant.  The Gen-
eral Court answered curtly, that "as Exeter fell within the Massa-
chusetts patent, they took it ill that the petitioners should capit-
ulate with them."  In other words the Exeter people must accept
such conditions as Massachusetts chose to impose.

Page 45

     Immediately afterwards a second petition was forwarded,
couched in language sufficiently humble, as follows:

     To the Right Worshipful the Governor, the Deputie Governor and
the Magistrates, with the assistance and deputyes of this honored
Courte at present assembled in Boston.
     The humble petition of the inhabitants of Exeter, who do
humbly request that this honored Court would be pleased to
appoint the bounds of our Towne to be layed out to us, both
towards Hampton & also downe the River on that side which Capt.
Wiggons his farm is on, for he doth Clame all the land from the
towne downwards, on the one Bide, & Hampton on the other side
doth clame to be neere us, that we shall not be able to subsist to
be a Towne except this honored Court be pleased to releave us.
And we suppose that Capt. Wiggens his farme and a good way
below it, may well be laid within our Township if this honored
Court so please.
    Also we do humbly crave that the Court would be pleased to
grant that we may still peaceably enjoy thouse small quantitie of
meddows, which are at Lamperell river that Dover men now seeme
to lay clarne to, notwithstanding they know we long since purchased
them & allso quietly possest them with their consent.
     Likewise we do humbly request that this honored Court would
be pleased to establish three men among us to put an Ishew to
small differences amongst us, & one to be a Clarke of the writes,
that so we might not be so troblesom to the Courts for every small
matter.  The three men which we desire the ending of Controver-
sies are Anthony Stanean, Samuel Greenffield & James Wall &
we do desire that John Legat may be the Clarke of the writes.
Thus leaving our Petition to your Judicious Consideration & your-
selves to the Lord, we rest and remaine ever ready to do you our
best service.
     Samuel Greenfield*                       Henry Roby
     Anthony Stanyan                          Richard Carter
     Thomas Wight                             William M[oore]
     Nathaniel Boulter                        James Wall
     John Tedd*                               Humphrey Willson
     Robert Hethersay                         Ralph Hall
     John Legat                               John Bursley
     Abraham Drake                            Francis Swain
     Thomas Jones*                            John Davis
     Nicholas Swain                           Balthazer Willix
     Thomas King*                             John Smart