Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1904-04-07
A MOST IMPORTANT FIND.
Discovery OF the Long Missing Omcial
Records or Early Vermont Conven-
tions-They Are Reproduced in
Facsimile by senator Proc
tor, for Distribution in
0ur Sfntc.

of unique and absorbing interest. The
settlers in the Now Hampshire Grants
n hundred and thirty or so years ago,
being In open resistance by force
Province OF New York. and FESTIVE UNI
der the claims OF the provinces of New
Hampshire and Massachusetts, had
reached determination to set UP for
themselves In an Independent common
wealth. The organization necessary to
carry out this purpose was effected in
the series Of conventions composed Of
delegates from the towns. Tho official
records of these conventions, of such
surprising interest and importance,
should of course have been sacredly
State but they never have been SO pre-
served. What is more the very existence
of them has been a matter of doubt for
many years and almost up to the pres
ent time. The discovery of them makes
an interesting story.
Last summer Mr.. Albert $. Batcheior
a prominent lawyer of Littleton, ~ H..
much Interested in the history of his
State to which he has made important
contributions, informed ex-Judye and ,X-
Senator jonathan Ross of ST. Johnsbury
that h had seen among the manu-
scripts in the congressional library at
Washington some manuscript sheets Of
some records of the Vermont conven-
lions, which would bear looking into
Judge Ross passed this Information over
to Senator Proctor, who, accompanied by
Secretary Darling of the navy, examined
the sheets and was struck with their
evident historical value. The senator
thtreupon set himself to the task, (Which
he has pursued for six months or more
with untiring industry and entire Sue
cess of establishing their genuineness
as the long-lost official records of the
conventions, and incidentally Of tracing
them from their original possessor to
their present though we trust not final.
been at the further labor and expense
of having photolithogra phic copies made
of the manuscript sheets, forty in mum
bor, with accompanying documents; has
appended clear, careful and most inter-
esting statement OF the results of his re
| searches, and has had the whole hand
, somely bound for presentation to the pub
lie libraries. and county clerks offices in
Vermont and to individuals especially
interested in the history Of our State. 1t
is a very valuable piece of public service,
which will enttlc Mr. Proctor to the
| hearty and lasting thanks of his fellow
citizens.
Without forcstalling or diminishing the
interest OF the senator's statement. We
may mention some facts, old and new,
connected with this matter
| The secretary OF most of the early con-
veutions-lra Allen having been the sec.
rotary OF two or three OF them--was Or.
Jonas Fay. then Of Bennington. later of
charlotte III this county, and still later
OF Pawlet, Vt. DR.. Fay was one of the
master spirits Of the Green Mountot,
boys. and is reputed to have been the
author OF the famous Vermont Dcc,ar,-
ton Of Independence, in the prcparation
OF which ne probably had the assistance
OF The fertile brain and facile pen of Ira
Allen. DR., Fay wrote a clear and hand.
some hand and the records now repro.
duced are unmistakably in his hand.
writing. OF which many other specimen,
are extant, He wrote out these orlcia
records for permanent preservation II
an account book OF folio size; but TO,
some unexplained reason failed 10 com
plete the recording OF the latest of III,
conventions comprised IN his accoun
book. held at Windsor. June 4. l777.
There have been various publication.
in part or whole. OF these records. Tb
records OF the convention which adonte
the Vermont Declaration of independents
ard Of that which adopted the name n
Vermont for the new commonwealth wcr
printed in the Connecticut Courant in Marc
and June, l777. having probably been fur
nished to that paper by DIR. Fay Proba
bly, few Vermonters ever saw those pul
Ucl'iona.
dix to Volume II of the sec
onG ,u.u" ui Wiliams's History of Yer
mont he printed part of the proceeding
of the convention which adopted the Vel
mont Declaration of Independence, take
by him. as he says, from the original rec
ords in the hands of Jonas Fay" 'rhj
was reprinted from Williams by Governo
Slade in his Estate Papers"
: In June. 1876 the Burlington FIRE.