CONTROVERSY RESPECTING THE NEW HAMPSHIRE GRANTS

165

AFFIDAVIT OF JONATHAN WHEATS.

Albany ss: Jonathan White of Shafsbury curaing this evening past the House of John Blackelyof Shafsbury aforesaid the said Blakely Called out hew comes there the Deponent answered JonathanWhite, well whatdis the Mahomet say, the deponent answered not much, then the said John Blakelyasked the Deponent what he thought of the Proclamation, the deponent answered I dont think muchof it for I believed it all before I saw it—the said Blakely answered and said its a Damn thing andthe Governor may stick it in his ARS—the said John Blakely told the Deponent repeatedly that ifever the land should get Back to New Hampshire that every man that was a Yorker should be ruined,and hove off the land. One Joshua Beats of Shafsbury aforesaid did in like manner told the deponantthat if the Yorkers got the land and drive them off they would come every year and destroy all andevery Persons substance that would ofer to Settle upon the lands &° the deponant says that inGeneral the Inhabitants are more inraged against the Government since the last Proclamation wasPublished then ever they were before and that a number of them are determined to fight till theydie ; and that they will not submit to the authority of this Government ; asigning for a reason thatif they should submit to the authority of Government they shall lose their lands, but as long as theyshall [bej joined togither they would hold the land and keep off the Yorkers and farther saith not.

Jonathan Wheate.

Sworn before me at Fowlis in the County of Albany aforesaid this 28 th day of January 1772.

John Munro Justice.

JUDGE LORD TO GOV. TRION.

Putney Febr r y 16 th 1772

May it please your Excellency

By my letter of 29 th of January Last pass’t, I informed your Excellency of a Great Riot thathapened here, composed intirely of People from the side of New Hampshire —Likewise Informed Iwas inquiring thereof, taking Depositions therefor (Being apprehensive Inquiry by- a Jury was notpracticable at that time) but since that time finding Inquiry by a Jury would not be unsafe I there-fore undertook it with the assistance of M 1 ' Thomas Chandler jun r & M r William Willard two of hisMajs Justices of the Peace for this County. To be short. Five of the principal Rioters came &submitted themselves to the Law (before any warrants Issued against them) Their sensability oftheir fault the apparent signes of Repentance with their submission would hardly fail of Excitingcompassion. Furthermore I am to inform your Excellency That the Rioters have ben & paid &satisfied the judgement on which the Fieri Facias issued and made ample satisfaction to all personsinjured by them. And good order is now restored in this County as formerly—And I apprehend ona more Solid Basis, People now seeming to be sensible that disturbers of the Peace must pay Dearfor their Folley.

And Inasmuch as in a foregoing Riot, it has been Represented That, they receive encouragementin their Rebellion from New Hampshire side of the River & c . I tho’t it Proper to subjoin theFollowing, viz* That I cannot find, in this Riot, any Gentlemen, Majestrate or officers wereVon. iv. 59