416

CONTROVERSY RESPECTING THE NEW HAMPSHIRE GRANTS.

the Regulation established by the above mentioned Order in Council hath been hitherto strictly andduly observed : And I do further certify, that I have not made any Return of the Survey of anyLands known to be held under any Grant of the Government of New Hampshire , Eastward of theRidge of Mountains commonly called or known by the Name of the Green Mountains in order to begranted, unless for the Grantees or Persons holding or claiming under the Grants of New Hampshire ,except eight Tracts of Land, containing five hundred Acres each, allotted by the late GovernorWentworth tor himself, four of which Tracts were surveyed for Lieutenant Thomas Elherington , andthe other four of which Tracts were surveyed for Lieutenant William Leslie , reduced Officers, whohad both served in North America during the late War. Given under my Hand, this fourth Dayof March, One Thousand Seven hundred and seventy-one.

Alexander Coldf.n, Surveyor-General. •

PUBLIC DISORDERS FOMENTED BY N. HAMPSHIRE.

A. City of New York ss— Ebenezer Cole Aged Fifty nine, being duly sworn maketh oath. Thatbetween Seven and Eight years ago he purchased some Rights in a Tract of Land called Shaftsbury,under a Grant thereof by the late Governor of New Hampshire —That he settled thereon six yearsago last spring, and was one of the first who settled in Shaftsbury under the Grant aforesaidThat between this Deponents Purchasing and Settlement above mentioned, Governor Colden issuedhis Proclamation of the 28 th Dec 1763, which was soon publickly known in that part of the Country.

B. That he has resided there ever since, and well remembers that Gov r Colden and the late Gov-ernor of New Hampshire notified by Proclamation the Kings Determination of the Boundary betweenthe Provinces of New York and New Hampshire , both of which Proclamations were publicklyknown in that Part of the Country.

C. That the Time this Deponent settled there as afs d there were but two Persons settled to theNorthward of him, or any Grants of New Hampshire to the Westward of the Green Mountains, tho’this Deponents House lays within thirteen miles of the North Bounds of the Massachusets Bay.That at the Time of the notification as aforesaid of his Majestys Determination, this Deponent be-lieves there might be about Twenty five Persons settled to the northward of Shaftsbury and not more,and about as many in Shaftsbury, all but one of whom this Deponent believes were Purchasers,and not original Grantees.

D. That by far the greater Part of the Settlers at this Day which this Deponent believes are atleast Five to One to the number of Settlers at that Time , are purchasers since the notification of theDetermination of the Boundary at very small Rates, and who have seated themselves there under theNew Hampshire Grants knowing the claim of this Province, and his Majesty’s Determination afore-said, a considerable number of whom have purchased on condition never to pay the Purchase Moneyexcept the New Hampshire Title is made good this Deponent having been witness to some of thoseContracts himself. And that many of them have settled within the ancient Grants of the Provinceof New York, well knowing at the Time they were within the said ancient Grants, and againstadvice given them to the Contrary by this Deponent and others. And this Deponent saith that hedoth not know that any one Person is settled on the Lands granted to him by Governor Wentworth.

E. That within a Short Time after the notification of the Royal Determination as afs d theInhabitants in general of that Part of the County claiming under New Hampshire concluded to keep