Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-03-27
OLD DOCUMENT.
sHEPARDsFIELD PLANTATION, NOW HE
BRoN, AND NEwRY.

Communicated by J +. Pratt, NJ D., Chelsea
To the Honble the Senate and the Honble
the House Of Representatives OF the Com
mon,cealh Of Massachusetts, in General
Court assembled
The Petition of John Caldwell, Job
Cushman Daniel Bullen William Bar
rows and Samuel Paris, all of Shepards-
field so called, Plantation not incorpor-
ated, but within the County Of Cumber-
land and Commonwealth aforesaid, A
committee chosen and appointed by the
Inhabitants of Said Plantation, in the
name and behalf Of Said Inhabitants
humbly Sheweth-
That your Petitioners with the rest of
said Inhabitants generally entered upon
said Plantation under low circumstances
encouraged thereto by having the benefit
of being credited considerable length of
time for their lands therein purchased
That they went on to Said Lands under
many difficulties while the same was
bowling wilderness, having Road to
cut and clear thro a very rough part of
the country ten miles in length. That
the proprietor of said Plantation being
under no obligations to do the same nor
10 build Meeting House, and no Lots
of Land within said Plantation being re-
served for publck use and the said pro-
prietor being under no obligation to do
the du,ys which are common in such
cases Your Petitioners besides the labour,
Fatigue and expence usually attending
the Settlement Of New Countryes have
been obliged at their own expence and
labour, to make and repair their roads,
Bridges, and Causeys, maintain their
Schools, wholly at their own expence,
not only so, but many Of them have never
yet received any Deeds for their Lands,
Notwithstanding all which the Honorable
General Court Of this Commonwealth has
seen fit to lay Tax upon them for the
term Of four or FIVE years successfully
now last past. Which Taxation your
Petitioners conceive was began TO be laid
upon them at an earlier period than is
usual in such cases, The oldest or first
settlers upon said Plantation having been
settled no longer than about six years be-
fore the above Taxation began which
your Honours Petitioners imagine would
not have been done had they Honorable
Court afore said been fully acquainted
with the circumstances of said Plantation,
and your Petitioners further beg leave to
inform your Honours that for two or
three years last past they have laboured
under peculiar Disadvantages, their crops
of grass, grain, and corn being in great
measure cut off and Destroyed by
Droughts Grasshoppers and untimely
frosts which together with other bur-
thens too tedious to particularize have
reduced your Petitioners TO great Straits
and render them wholly unable to pay
the Said Taxes without being reduced
thereby to poverty and want.
Whereupon your Petitioners humbly
Pray your Honours to take this their pit
ifull case under your Wise and judicious
consideration and that your honours in
your Supreme Wisdom and Clemency
will graciously be pleased to free and ex-
cuse them and the rest of the Inhabitants
OF said Plantation from the payment of
all the Back Taxes and altho, they hope
in some future time to be able TO bear a
part in the public Tax which when they
are able they will cheerfally do, They as
in duty bound will ever pray.
Dated at Shepardsfeld the Eighteenth
Day of January in the year of our Lord
one Thousand Seven hundred and Nine
~ one. Signed
John Caldwell
Daniel Bullen
Job, Cushman
sam Paris
VIM Barrows
To the Honorable the Senate and The House
Of Representatires IN General Court As