That upon their Petition to this Great and Honourable Court in October last [the 9th] praying that a Certain Tract of Land belonging to Lancaster Stow and Groton with the Inhabitants thereon may be Erected into a Distinct and Seperate Township (and for Reasons therein Assigned) your Excellency and Honours were pleased to Order that the petitioners Serve The Towns of Lancaster Groton and Stow with a Copy of their said Petition that they may shew Cause if any they have on the first Thursday of the next Sessions why the prayers thereof may not be granted.

And for as much as this great and Hon’ble.  Court now Sitts by Adjournment and the next Session may be very Remote And your Memorialists have attended the Order of this Hon’ble:  Court in serving the said Several Towns with Copys of the said Petition And the partys are attending and Desirous the hearing thereon may be brought forward y’e former order of this Hon’l Court notwithstanding.

They therefore most humbly pray your Excellency & Honours would be pleased to Cause the hearing to be had this present Session and that a Certain day may be assigned for the same as your Excellency & Honours in your great wisdom & Justice shall see meet.

     And your Memorialists as in Duty bound Shall Ever pray.

    JONAS HOUGHTON
    SIMON STOON JUNER
    JONATHAN WHITNEY
    THOMAS WHELER

In the House of Rep’tives Dec’r 17, 1730 Read and in Answer to this Petition Ordered That the Pet’rs give Notice to the Towns of Lancaster Groton and Stow or their Agents that they give in their Answer on the twenty ninth Inst’t. why the Prayer of the Petition within referred to may not be granted.

     Sent up for Concurrence

     J QUINCY Sp’kr: 

     In Council Dec. 18, 1730; Read and Concur’d.

     J WILLARD Secry

     [Massachusetts Archives, cxiv, 6-8.]

The next dismemberment of the Groton grant took place in the winter of 1738-39, when a parcel of land was set off to Littleton.  I do not find a copy of the petition for this change, but from Mr. Sartell’s communication it seems to have received the qualified assent of the town.

To his Excellency Jonathan Belcher Esq’r Captain General & Governour in Chief &c the Honorable Council and House of Representatives in General Court assembled at Boston January 1, 1738.

     May it please your Excellency and the Honorable Court.

     Whereas there is Petition offered to your Excellency and the
     Honorable Court by several of the Inhabitants of the Town of Groton
     praying to be annexed to the Town of Littleton &c.