About Lincoln > Lincoln Charter 1764

Province of New-Hampshire GEORGE, THE THIRD , By The Grace of God, of Great-Britain, France And the Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith &c. To All Persons to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting, Know ye, that We of Our Special Grace, certain Knowledge, and meer Notion, for the due encouragement of settling a New Plantation within our said Province, By and with the Advice of our Trusty and Well-beloved BENNING WENTWORTH, Esq; Our Governor and Commander in Chief of Our said Province of New-Hampshire, in New-England, and of our Council of the said Province, HAVE upon the Conditions and Reservations herein after made, given and granted, and by these Presents, for Us, Our Heirs, and Successors, do give and grant in equal Shares, unto Our loving subjects, Inhabitants of Our said Province of New-Hampshire, and Our other Governments, and to their Heirs and Assigns for ever, whose Names are entered on this Grant to be divided to an amongst them into Seventy one equal Shares, all that Tract and Parcel of Land situate, lying and being within our said Province of New-Hampshire, containing by Admeasurement 24000 Acres, which Tract is to contain Six Miles square, and no more; out of which an Allowance is to be made for High Ways and unimprovable Lands by Rocks, Ponds, Mountains and Rivers, One Thousand and Forty Acres free, according to a Plan and Survey thereof, made by Our said Governor's Order, and returned into the Secretary's Office, and hereunto annexed, butted and bounded as follows, Viz. Beginning at the North Westerly Corner Bounds of the Township of Peeling thence Running by Peeling South fifty five Degrees East about Seven Miles to the North Easterly Corner Bounds thereof, then Turning off & Running North Thirty Degrees East Six Miles, then Turning off & Running North about fifty eight Degrees West about seven Miles & three Quarters to the North Easterly Corner of Landaff a Township this Day Granted then Turning off again & Running South about Twenty four Degrees West to the Bounds began at And that same be, and hereby is Incorporated into a Township by the Name of Lincoln And the Inhabitants that do or shall hereafter inhabit the said Township, are hereby declared to be Enfranchized with and Intitled to all and every the Priviledges and Immunities that other Towns within our Province by Law Exercise and Enjoy: And further, that the said Town as soon as there shall be Fifty Families resident and settled thereon, shall have the Liberty of holding two Fairs, one of which shall be held on the And the other on the annually, which Fairs are not to continue longer than the respective following the said and that as soon as the said Town shall consist of Fifty Families, a Market may be Opened and kept one or more Days in *3-91 each week, as may be thought most advantageous to the Inhabitants. Also, that the first Meeting for the Choice of Town Officers, agreeable to the Laws of our said Province, shall be held on the Second Tuesday in March next which said Meeting shall be notified by Mr. James Avery who is hereby also appointed the Moderator of the said First Meeting, which he is to Notify and Govern agreeable to the Laws and Customs of Our said Province; and that the annual Meeting for ever hereafter for the Choice of such Officers for the said Town, shall be on the Second Tuesday of March annually, TO HAVE and to hold Tract of Land as above expressed, together with all Privileges and Appurtenances, to them and their respective Heirs and Assigns forever, upon the following Conditions, viz. That every Grantee, his heirs or Assigns shall plant and cultivate five Acres of Land within the Term of five Years for every fifty Acres contained in his or their Share or Proportion of Land in said Township, and continue to improve and settle the same by additional Cultivations, on Penalty of the Forfeiture of his Grant or Share in the said Township, and of its Reverting to Us, our Heirs and Successors, to be by Us or them Re-granted to such of our Subjects as shall effectually settle and cultivate the same. That all white and other Pine Trees within the said Township, fit for Masting Our Royal Navy, be carefully preserved for that Use, and none to be cut or felled without Our special License for so doing first had and obtained, upon the Penalty of the Forfeiture of the Right of such Grantee, his Heirs and Assigns, to Us, our Heirs and Successors, as well as being subject to the Penalty of any Act or Acts of Parliaments that now are, or hereafter shall be Enacted. That before any Division of the Land be made to among the Grantees, a Tract of Land as near the Centre of the said Township as the Land will admit of, shall be reserved and marked out for Town Lots, one of which shall be allotted to each Grantee of the Contents of one Acre. Yielding and paying therefore to Us, our Heirs and Successors for the Space of Ten Years, to be computed from the Date hereof, the Rent of one Ear of Indian Corn only, as the twenty-fifth Day of December annually, if Lawfully demanded, the first Payment to be made on the twenty-fifth Day of December, 1764. Every Proprietor, Settler of Inhabitant, shall yield and pay unto Us, our Heirs and Successors yearly, and every Year forever, from and after the Expiration of ten Years from the abovesaid twenty-fifth Day of December, namely, on the twenty-fifth Day of December, which will be in the Year of Our Lord 1774 One Shilling Proclamation Money for every Hundred Acres he so owns, settles or possesses, and so in Proportion for a greater or lesser Tract of the said Land; which Money shall be paid by the respective persons abovesaid, their Heirs or Assigns, in our Council Chamber in Portsmouth, or to such Officer or Officers as shall be appointed to receive the same; and this to be in Lieu of all other Rents and Services whatso-ever. We Testimony whereof we have caused the Seal of our said Province to be hereunto affixed. Witness BENNING WENTWORTH, Esq; Our Governor and Commander in Chief of Our said Province the 31st Day of January in the Year of our Lord CHRIST, One thousand Seven Hundred and 64 And in the 4th Year of Our Reign. B. Wentworth By His EXCELLENCY's Command, With Advice of COUNCIL, T Atkinson Junr Secry Province of New Hampr Janry 31-1764 Recorded according to the Original Charter under the Province Seal T Atkinson Junr Secry His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq a Tract of Land to Contain five Hundred Acres as Mark'd B.W. in the Plan which is to be Accounted two of the within Shares, One Whole Share for the Incorporated Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in foreign Parts One whole Share for a Glebe for the Church of England as by Law Established, One Share for the first Settled Minister of the Gospel One Share for the Benefit of a School in said Town forever. Province of New Hampr Janry 31-1764 Recorded According to the Back of the Original Charter under the Prove Seal. T Atkinson Junr Secry