wer

Plundering Refugees, The Season for a Number of years
Past have been Verry unfavourable, and the Drought so
severe that the Peoples Attention has been more than Ever to
Coltivate their farms; yet they have not been able to Raise
above half enough of Bread for their Consumption, and the
resque of Importation being so Great, & many Dispos’d to
take advantage of the necessities of others, there by the Price
of the Necessities of Life has been raised So high that People
were in the Greatest Difficultys & obliga to part with Evry
Commodity they had to Dispose at the Buyers Price, So
that Corn has been sold for four Dollars and more and other
articles in Proportion — Our hay has also been Cut of with
the Drought for several years So that our Stoks ar Greatly
Diminished by what they were at the Begining of the War,
& at Present there is Such a Scarcity of Bread that hardly all
the Lumber we have on hand Can procure us bread for the
Season, A Cord of wood not fetching above half a Bushel
Corn — Besides the Debt Contracted by Individuals thro the
occasions by the war, The most part of the State Taxes, for
some years have not been Discharged, & the Town is utterly
unable to Discharg the Same, & if your Honours should now
exact from us these Taxes it would utterly Ruin the Town
and Give Such a Crush to the town, as it Could not for many
years Recover of & Put it out of its Power for the future to
pay Such a Proportion of Taxes for Defraying the Expences
of Government as otherwise it might, we would therefore beg
your Honours would take our Distressing Situation under
your Serious Consideration and Discharge us of these Taxes
that were Due before Peace was made & your Petitioners as
in Duty bound Shall Ever Pray -
Philip M: Ulmer)

Selectmen of
Joshuah Howerd

Waldoborough
Jacob Ludwig
Waldoborough May:13: 1783

Memorial Grantees Townships No. One to Six.

To the Honorable Senate and the Honorable House of Repre

sentatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts — in General Court Assembled — The Memorial of the Grantees of the Townships No One — Four-Five- & Six lying to the Eastward of Mount Desert or Union River in said Commonwealth by their Committees, the Subscribers thereof —

Humbly sheweth

That the said Townships were granted to your Memorialists by the Honorable General Court of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, now Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on the 27th January A. D. 1764; upon this condition — viz— That your Memorialists should within a limited time, obtain a confirmation of said Grants from his Majesty the then King of Great Britain &c: The said General Court not having then authority to make an effectual Grant of any Land between the River Sagadahock and the Province of Nova Scotia (within which bounds the Townships aforesaid are included) until his Majesty should signify his approbation of the same — But thanks to an over-ruling Providence, it is, by a successful termination of the late War with Britain, become unnecessary to apply to Britains King to ratify the Acts and Doings of our General Assemblies — Your Memorialists therefore, with heartfelt satisfaction turn their backs upon his Authority — and address your Honors as the rightful Sovereign of the Commonwealth

Your Memorialists now consider this provisional Clause of their Grants as nul — and of no force or effect. and doubt not your Honors will so determine it — and that therefore — according to the true intent and meaning of our Honorable Grantors the said Townships are the proper Right in Fee of your Memorialists — subject only to the Terms of Settlement as expressed in said Grants,

These Terms have in some Degree been complied with but the unwillingness of the said King to confirm the Grants has discouraged many of your Memorialists from settling their Rights.

They have nevertheless had their Towns surveyed and partly laid out in Lots — In doing which as well as in Prosecution of other measures for promoting their settlement — and their application to the ga King for his approbation of their Grants, they have been at great Expence - Your Memorialists therefore humbly pray – That your Honors would renew the Grant of said Townships -- and give them a further time to fulfil the Conditions of the same

And your Petitioners as in duty bound will pray-
Eben" Thorndike, Committee for Township No One
Peter Woodbery, Committee for Township No four
Sam' Freeman, Committee for Township No five

John Armstrong, Committee for Township No six
Cape Elizabeth May 20, 1783

At a Meeting of the Committees of the Townships No 1 N° 4 & 5 & 6 at Mrs Mary Parkers in Cape Elizabeth the 20 May 1783

Voted Cap Eben Thorndike Chairman for No 1
Voted M' Jno Armstrong Do for No 6
Voted Sam' Freeman Esq" Do for No 5
Voted M' Peter Woodbary Do for No 4

Voted the above Chairmen Sign the Petition for Confirmation of the above Towns in Behalf of the whole

Attest. George Deake Clerk Prob In Senate June 10th 1783

Read & thereupon Order'd that this Memorial & paper accompanying the same be Committed to the Committee of both

IIouses appointed the 4th inst upon the Petition of Enoch Bartlett & ors. to consider the same and make report thereon Sent down for Concurrence

S Adams Presid'

Statement of Account.

State of the Account of Joshua Stone Agent to the Estate of Thomas Wyer late of Falmouth in the County of Cumberland Mariner — an Absentee Allowance for his Services including his time &

Expences after a small Schooner belonging

to said Estate - -------- -£3.. 18 Time & Expences of the Commissioners

3.. 9 Sundry Probate Fees

1.. 6..6

£8.. 13.. 6 Cumberland Ss Allowed by yo Judge of Probate for said County May 26, 1783 and recorded by

Sam' Freeman Reg Boston May 28th 1783

Petition Joseph Bertheaume.

To the Honorable The Senate and The House of Representa

tives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in General

Court assembled. The Petition of Juniper Bertheaume Recollect, Instructor of the Penobscot Tribe of Indians, Humbly Shew,

That by a Resolve of the Honorable the General Court of this State dated November 11th 1780, Your Petitioner was granted, a Sum of five pounds new Emission per month, and

two rations per day, for his service in establishing the said Tribe, until their further order. That in consequence of that resolve, your Petitioner was paid his monthly Salary and daily rations to the 1st July 1781. That last year Your Petitioner came down again in expectation of receiving his salary and rations, then due agreeable to the above mentioned Resolve, but rations were not to be had, and your Petitioner was paid the Estimated value with a note of this State, which your Petitioner was oblidged to sell at a very low rate, to provide part of a few necessary supplies. That deprived of sufficient means to maintain himself Your Petitioner has lived a most wretched life last winter, and undergone many and many hardships, too long and too painful to mention. That your Petitioner's wants being most urgent, your Petitioner is again come down, in hopes of receiving a more effectual relief, and has accordingly the honor of Petitioning the Honorable the General Court, that the Honorable the General Court may be pleased to issue proper orders, that Your Petitioner may be paid of his Salary and rations, or the same may be made good to him, in a manner adequate to his maintenance, and agreeable to your Justice, and as your Petitioner is entirely destitute of means, order that a certain sum be appropriated to pay your Petitioner's board and lodging during his stay in Boston, and your Petitioner impressed with a sense of gratitude will for ever pray

F' Juniper Berthiaume Recollect

Common Wealth of Massachusetts

In the House of Representatives June 4th 1783 On the Petition of Juniper Barthiaume Recolet, Instructor to the Penobscot Tribe of Indians

Resolved that his Excelency the Govourner with the advice of Council be and he is hereby requested to Draw on the Treasurer in Favour of the Petitioner for seventy four