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 Hill 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 Junʳ
William Blood
Jeremiah Lawrence
Stephen Eames
Enoch Hunt
Eleazer Flegg
Samuel Cumings
William Blanchard
Gideon Howe
Josiah Blood
Samuel Parker
Samuel Farle
William Adams
Philip Wolrich
[Massachusetts Archives, cxiv, 274, 275.]
Province of the Massachusetts Bay
The Answer of yᵉ Subscribers agents for the Town of Groton to yᵉ Petition of Richard Warner & others praying that part of Said Town with part of Dunstable may be Erected into a Distinct & Seperate Township.
May it please your Excellency & Honʳˢ
The Town of Groton Duely Assembled and Taking into Consideration yᵉ Reasonableness of said Petition have Voted their Willingness, That the prayer of yᵉ Petition be Granted as per their Vote herewith humbly presented appears, with this alteration namely That they Include the River (vizᵗ Nashua River) over wᶜʰ is a Bridge, built Intirely to accommodate said Petitioners heretofore, & your Respondents therefore apprehend it is but Just & Reasonable the same should for the future be by them maintain'd if they are Set of from us.
Your Respondents Pursuant to yᵉ Vote Aforesaid, humbly move to your Excellency & Honʳˢ That no more of Dunstable be Laid to Groton Then Groton have voted of, for one Great Reason that Induced Sundry of yᵉ Inhabitants of Groton to come into Said Vote was This Namely They owning a very Considerable part of the Lands Voted to be set of as aforesᵈ were willing to Condesent to yᵉ Desires of their Neighbours apprehending that a meeting House being Erected on or near yᵉ Groton Lands & a minister settled it would Raise their Lands in Vallue but should considerable part of Dunstable be set of more then of Groton it must of course draw the Meeting House farther from yᵉ Groton Inhabitants wᶜʰ would be very hurtfull both to the people petitioners & those that will be Non Resident proprietors if the Township is made.
Wherefore they pray That Said New Township may be Incorporated Agreeable to Groton Vote vizᵗ Made Equally out of both Towns & as in Duty bound Shall Ever pray
Natᵉˡˡ Sartell
William Lawrence
[Massachusetts Archives, cxiv, 278, 279.]
At A Legall town Meeting of the Inhabitants & free holders of the town of Groton assembled December yᵉ. 24ᵗʰ: 1739 Voted
