NEW LONDON CENTENNIAL ADDRESS.
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��NEW LONDON CENTENNIAL.
��ADDRESS OF HON. J. EVERETT SARGENT.
��Upon this paper I find the names of the different towns entered, with the names of the soldiers and the date of their mustering in. Under the head- ing " New London " is the name " Fran- cis Coums, 1 781, April 23." The town is also credited in another place on this paper with one man for the year
1 781, ^60.00; one man for the year
1782, ^60.00 ; one man for the year 1 783, ^54.12. We find that the army was disbanded November 3, 1 783 ; our independence having been secured by treaty before that time.
At the annual town meeting in March, 1 783, held at the house of Lieut. Levi Harvey at the mills in said town, said Harvey was chosen moderator, Ebenezer Hunting, town-clerk ; Samuel Brockle- bank, Levi Harvey and Ebenezer Hunt- ing, selectmen ; Peter Sargent, consta- ble ; John Morgan and others, surveyors of highways.
Voted, To concur with the Council and House of Representatives for this state that the present government be contin- ued in full force until the 10th dav of June, 1784, according to their resolve passed the 27th of February, 1783.
Our constitution was adopted only to continue during the war with Eng- land. The war had virtually ceased in January, 1783, but our state recom- mended that the government be continu- ed until the meeting of the Legislature in 1784, when the new constitution took effect.
Voted, To Mr. Nathaniel Everett one pound, five shillings and six pence, it . being for expense in removing Mr. Am- brose from New Plymouth to Perrys- town ; also, voted that the selectmen give security to Levi Harvey for the purchase of land and defending of priv- ileges for a mill, according to former
- bond ; and also, that " grinding days
��this year be Tuesdays and Fridays of each week."
Thus we see that at first the only cur- rency was the depreciated continental money, a pound of which was only equal to a shilling in silver, and three of either were equal to a bushel of corn or a day's work.
- Peter Sargent, my grandfather, who
was first elected constable in 1 783, was born in Amesbury, Mass., married Ruth Nichols of Amesbury or Newbury, and removed to Hopkinton, N. H., before 1760, where he had a lara;e family, and then removed to New London with his family in 1781. Most of his children settled in New London.
We find that the Rev. Samuel Am- brose, who had been living at Plymouth (then called New Plymouth), had visited Perrystown in 1 781, and preached to them a while, and that he finally re- moved there in February, 1782, and that he preached to the people in New London a portion of the time, in con- nection with the people of Sutton, for several years, the town contributing something annually towards his support, until they were able to settle a minister for' themselves. It appears, also, that Levi Harvey had built a grist- rhill at the outlet of Harvey's pond, being the only grist-mill in town, and that two days in each week were assigned as grinding days.
In 1 784, the town voted to raise twenty-five dollars for Mr. Ambrose for his services the year past ; also, to open a road from Kearsarge Gore to Protect - worth, upon the request of the latter place ; also, voted to lay out one hun- dred days' work in opening said road this season, and also to " raise ten gal- lons of rum, on the town's cost, for the opening of the road before mentioned." This was the main road from Sutton to
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