The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1909-08-19
Ancient Prints Of Historical Interest

AaCAeuI 1IIuto VI uI6tOIlCdl Interest.
Miss Georgia A. Hill has treasured
among other family heirlooms a copy
of the Journal of the New Hampshire
legislature for a session in 1888, the
title page reading as follows:
A JOURNAL
OF the
Proceedings
OF the
Honorable House OF Representatives
OF the
State OF New Hampshire
AT their seffion, begun and held at Portf-
mouth, on Wednesday the hrft day OF
February, A. d. One thoufand, feven
hundred and eighty fix, and In the tenth
Year OF the Independence OF America.
1t will be noted that the and 8
are the same, in the small letters, the
style of types which seems to have
been in universal use In those days.
In the upper right hand corner of
the title page is written the name of
"Col. James Ill.," the great grand
father of the Miss Hill above mention
ed, who was member of the New
Hampshire legislature at the "seffion"
referred to. The session was then
held at Portsmouth and continued
from February 1855 TO March 4th.
BY the last entry in the record it APP
pears that it was adjourned to meet
on the 4th of May following at Con-
cord, which is the present capital of
the state.
The doings of the two branches of
the New Hampshire Legislature, in
the "tenth year American Independ-
ence," make an interesting record.
One may search from first to last
without finding mention of any rail
road, wild lands are not spoken of
and laws regulating labor, or the re-
lations of labor and capital seem to
have caused the law makers of that
early day no concern whatever.
Some precedent for the law introduc-
ed in the last Maine legislature, Civ
ing the governor power to remove
delinquent county officials, may be
found in an act passed in New Hamp-
shire, March 6, 1886, as follows:
"That his Excellency, be requested
to remove from the office of Justice
of the Peace for the county of Rock
ingham, Jeremiah Gilman, Esq, of
Plastow, as person unsuitable to fill
that important Office"
Jeremiah seems to have surrender
ed without struggle as the record
does not indicate that he appears to
contest his removal.
Colonel James Hill came from Eng
land to America in colonial times.
Besides the renown he gained as
member of the New Hampshire Leg
islature, he was known as an officer
in the Continental Army, from which
comes his military title, and was
otherwise regarded as distinguish
ed citizen of New England. He be-
queathed his legislative journal to his
son, Amos Shepherd Hill, who in the
days of his early manhood, came to
settle in this section. He lived for a
time ON what is now known as the
Albert Leighton farm, on the south
side of the river. Randall, the father
of Miss Georgia. to whom the Journal
has descended, was born on the Leigh
ton place in 1916. There were Is
children in the family and he was the
the next to the eldest. The family
home was afterward the farm now
owned by Eugene Swain. Randall's
only descendants in this vicinity are
Miss Georgia, above mentioned, an
other daughter, Mrs. Chas. Herrin,
and son, Fred r. The latter, whose
farm is a part of the home adjoining
the Swain farm, has the sword carried
by his great grandfather, Col. James
Hill, and other much priced relics of
that old time soldier and legislator.