1700s New Hampshire Petition for New Meeting House

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/31/2006

Thirty three signers from the Town of Windham [New Hampshire] petition for a new Meeting House. Manuscript, ink, 1p., 7.25” x 12.25”, on folded folio sheet. Watermark, “Andover”. No date, but many 18th Century names and appears to be for new meeting house (church) built in Windham, 1798. A few of the signers have the same name as those appearing on Revolutionary War rosters, including David Gregg (Gen. John Stark’s Brigade, thumb shot off, Battle of Bennington) and Elijah Sargent (a Battle of Lexington Minute Man in Major Bodwell’s company. This Elijah Sargent was b. 1739 in Methuen, MA and died 1798, Windham, NH.) But fuurther research is needed. Among the signers: Gain Armour; Asa Senter; David Gregg Sr; Elijah Sargant; Alexander Morrow; Samuel Armor; Benjm Thom; Joseph Smith; John Clyd; John Clyd Sr; Jona Marble; Isaac Emerson; John Simpson; and George Davidson. The petition reads, “We the undersigned finding that peace cannot be obtained in the Town of Windham without building a Meetinghouse in a different place from where the present one now stands, and as the enjoyment of peace is superior to almost any other temporal blessing, do hereby, pledge our words and Honours, that we will join in building a Meetinghouse on the Parsonage in said Town, between what is commonly called the pond Bridge, and bridge East of Decn [Deacon] Sergents, where the ground is now staked out Providing a majority of the Inhabitants of said Town will join to build at said proposed place.” Light soiling and toning. Archival tape repairs on verso of horizontal fold split (entire length) and lower portion of two vertical folds. Entirely legible in dark ink.

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