SIMON FROST Dep’y Sec’ry

     In the House of Rep’tives Dec 28. 1739 Read and Concur’d.

     J QUINCY Sp’kr: 

     Janu’. 1:  Consented to,

     J BELCHER

     [Massachusetts Archives, cxiv, 272, 273.]

While this petition was before the General Court, another one was presented praying for a new township to be made up from the same towns, but including a larger portion of Groton than was asked for in the first petition.  This application met with bitter opposition on the part of both places, but it may have hastened the final action on the first petition.  It resulted in setting off a precinct from Dunstable, under the name of the West Parish, which is now known as Hollis, New Hampshire.  The papers relating to the second petition are as follows:—­

     To His Excellency Jonathan Belcher Esquire Captain General and
     Governor in Chief in and over His Majesty’s Province of the
     Massachusetts Bay in New England, the Honourable the Council and
     House of Representatives of said Province, in General Court
     Assembled Dec. 12’th, 1739.

     The Petition of Richard Warner and Others, Inhabitants of the Towns
     of Groton and Dunstable.

     Most Humbly Sheweth

That Your Petitioners dwell very far from the place of Public Worship in either of the said Towns, Many of them Eight Miles distant, some more, and none less than four miles, Whereby Your Petitioners are put to great difficulties in Travelling on the Lord’s Days, with our Families.

Your Petitioners therefore Humbly Pray Your Excellency and Honours to take their circumstances into your Wise and Compassionate Consideration, And that a part of the Town of Groton, Beginning at the line between Groton and Dunstable where inconvenient to Erect a Township in the it crosses Lancaster [Nashua] River, and so up the said River until it comes to a Place called and Known by the name of Joseph Blood’s Ford Way on said River, thence a West Point ’till it comes to Townshend line &c.  With such a part and so much of the Town of Dunstable as this Honourable Court in their great Wisdom shall think proper, with the Inhabitants Thereon, may be Erected into a separate and distinct Township, that so they may attend the Public Worship of God with more ease than at present they can, by reason of the great distance they live from the Places thereof as aforesaid.

     And Your Petitioners, as in Duty bound, shall ever Pray &c.

    Richard Warner
    Benjamin Swallow
    William Allin
    Isaac Williams
    Ebenezer Gilson
    Ebenezer Peirce
    Samuel Fisk
    John Green
    Josiah Tucker
    Zachariah Lawrence Jun’r
    William Blood
    Jeremiah Lawrence
    Stephen Eames

    “[Inhabitants of Groton]”

    Enoch Hunt
    Eleazer Flegg
    Samuel Cumings
    William Blanchard
    Gideon Howe
    Josiah Blood
    Samuel Parke
    Samuel Farle
    William Adams
    Philip Wolrich