TITLE: Rochester Signers & Non-Signers 1776 Revolutionary War Proposal SOURCE: "History of the town of Rochester New hampshire from 1722 to 1890 by Franklin McDuffee, A.M. edited and revised by Silvanus Hayward Published by John B. Clarke Co., Printers, Manchester, ©1892 (pgs 60-63) SUBMITTED BY: C Parziale 7/20/00 ***************************************************************************** "To the Selectmen of Rochester: COLONY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE In Committee of Safety, April 12, 1776. In order to carry the underwritten resolve of the Honorable Continental Congress into execution, you are requested to desire all males above twenty-one years of age (lunatics, idiots, and negroes excepted), to sign to the Declaration on this paper; and when so done, to make return hereof, together with the name or names of all who shall refurse to sign the same, to the GENERAL ASSEMBLY or Committee of Safety of this Colony. M. WEARE, Chairman In Congress, March 14, 1776." Resolved, That it be recommended to the several Assemblies, conventions, and Councils or committees of Safety of the United Colonies immediately to cause all persons to be disarmed, within their respective Colonies, who are notoriously disaffected to the cause of America, or who have not associated and refused to associate to defend by Arms the United colonies against the hostile attempts of the British fleets and armies. (copy) Extract from the minutes. Charles Thompson, Sect'y" "In consequence of the resolution of the, Honorable Continental Congress, and to show our determination in joining with our American bretheren in defending the lives, liberties, and properties of the inhabitants of the United Colonies, We, the Subscribers do hereby solemnly engage and promise that we will to the utmost of our power, at the risk of our lives and fortunes, with arms, oppose the hostile proceedings of the British fleets and armies, against the United American Colonies." Henry Allard, William Allen, Samuel Alley, John Beargin, Stephen Berry, Jonathan Bickford, Lemuel Bickford, French Bradstreet, John Brewster, Thomas Brown, Jr., Moses Brown, Thomas Brown, James Chamberlin, Samuel Chamberlin, William Chamberlin, Ebenezer Chesley, James Chesley, Job Clements, hunking Colebroth, Eleazar Coleman, Abraham Cook, John Cook, Benjamin Copps, Joshua Cossen, Jabez Dam, Abner Dame, Joseph Dame, Zebulon Dame, Thomas Davis, Zebulon Davis, James Deering, Joshua Downing, Gershom Downs, James Downs, Moses Downs, Thomas Drew, Joseph Drown, Samuel Drown, Solomon Drown, William Evans, Josiah Folsom, Benjamin Fost, Benjamin Fost, Jr., James Foster, David French, James French, Simon French, Benjamin Furber, Richard Furber, Jr., Richard Furber, Samuel Furber, Thomas Furber, Daniel Garland, Dodovah Garland, Ebenezer Garland, Avery Hall, Aaron Ham, Ephraim Ham, John Ham, Jonathan Ham, John Ham, Jr., Thomas Ham, William Ham, John Hammett, Moses Hammett, Jacob Hanson, Mark Hartford, Joseph Haven, Benjamin Hayes, Daniel Hayes, Ichabod Hayes, Joseph Hayes, Moses Hayes, Jr., Moses Hayes, Wentworth Hayes, John Heard, John Reuben Heard, Jr., Reuben Heard, Alexander Hodgdon, Alexander Hodgdon, Jr., William Hodgdon, Benjamin Hoitt, Enoch Hoitt, Ebenezer Horn, James Horn, Moses Horn, Peter Horn, James How, Caleb Jackson, James Jackson, Cornelius Jenkins, Stephen Jenkins, John Jenness, Aaron Jennis, David Jennis, William Jennis, Jr., Moses Jennis, Paul Jennis, William Jennis, Joseph Jiles, Joseph Jones, Samuel Jones, Daniel Kimball, Charles Knight, Joseph Knight, William Knight, James Knowles, John Knowles, David Leighton, Isaac Libbey, Paul Libbey, Edward Lock, Josiah Main, James McDuffee, William McDuffee, William McNeal, Samuel Merrow, Jr., Samuel Merrow, Abraham Morrison, Jonathan Morrison, John Nute, Samuel Nute, Jotham Nutter, Richard Nutter, Daniel Page, Joseph Page, Barnabas Palmer, Diamond Pearl, Joshua Pearl, Thomas Peevey, Solomon Perkins, Jr., Solomon Perkins, Jonathan Pinkham, Ebenezer Place, George Place, John Place, Ebenezer Place, Jr., Richard Place, Beard Plummer, John Plummer, Joseph Plummer, Samuel Plummer, Thomas Plummer, John Randall, John Richards, Jonathan Richards, John Richards, Jr., Lemuel Richardson, Ebenezer Ricker, Moses Roberts, Thomas Roberts, Timothy Roberts, Samuel Robinson, Daniel Rogers, James Rogers, James Rogers, Jr. Benjamin Rollins, Ichabod Rollins, Ithamar Seavey, Samuel Seavey, Ebenezer Tebbets, Edmond Tebbets, Edward Tebbets, Henry Tebbets, James Rogers, Tertius, Joseph Thompson, John Trickey, John Trickey, Jr., William Trickey, Joseph Tucker, Benjamin Twombley, Jonathan Twombley, Samuel Twombley, Samuel Twombly, Jr., Elijah Varney, Caleb Wakeman, Joseph Walker, Joseph Walker, Jr., Richard Walker, Robert Walker, Daniel Watkins, Nathaniel Watson, Jr., Nathaniel Watson, Ebenezer Wentworth, Elihue Wentworth, Ephraim Wentworth, Isaac Wentworth, James Wentworth, Josiah Wentworth, Nicholas Wentworth, Reuben Wentworth, Richard Wentworth, Turner Whitehouse, George Willand, Daniel Wingate, Samuel Wingate, Jr., William Wingate, John Woodman, The following persons refused to sign: James Allen, Benjamin Bickford, Solomon Clark, Ichabod Cossen, Benjamin Dame, Samuel Downing, Jona Ellis, Morris Ellis, William Ellis, Nathaniel Garland, Benjamin Heard, Joseph Heard, Tristram Heard, Jonathan Hodgdon, Daniel Jenness, Joshua Knight, Abraham Pearl, Thomas Trickey, Edward Varney, Stephen Wentworth, Samuel Wingate, John Witherell, The undernamed persons are of the Society of Friends, and do not choose to sign: Moses Austin, John Cloutman, Thomas Cloutman, Jonathan Dame, Muzzey Gould, Benjamin Meeder, Jonathan Meeder, Joseph Meeder, Nathaniel Meeder, David Tebbets, Elijah Tebbets, Ezekiel Tebbets, John Tebbets, Joseph Tebbets, Elijah Tebbets, Jr., Robert Tebbets, Isaac Twombley, David Varney, Ebenezer Varney, Moses Varney, Jr., Mordecai Varney, Moses Varney, "Thus, *one hundred and ninety-eight persons in Rochester(N.H.) signed this agreement, twenty-two belonging to the Society of Friends "did not choose to sign," and twenty-two others refused to sign. This placed every man as a friend or an enemy to his country, and informed the committee of Safety what individuals to watch or disarm." * Transcribers Notes- due to the modern conveniences of data bases I made a count of 244 people ... the totals of 198 + 22 + 22= 242 that leaves two names unaccounted for in the original count of this document. **************************************************************************** * * * * Notice: Printing the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. * * * * The USGenWeb Project makes no claims or estimates of the validity of the information submitted and reminds you that each new piece of information must be researched and proved or disproved by weight of evidence. 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