Cornish, Sullivan County, New Hampshire from 1823 Monthly Literary Journal

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Topic:  Historical Facts Relating to Cornish, N.H.
Source: Collections, Historical and Miscellaneous and Monthly Literary Journal by J. Farmer and
        J.B. Moore, Volume II, Concord, 1823, pages 153-156Historical Facts relating to Cornish, N.H.
        [Communicated by H. Chase, Esq.]    

The town of Cornish was granted June 21, 1763, to Rev. Samuel M'Clintock, of Greenland, and 69 others. 
The first meeting of the proprietors was holden at Greenland on the 15th of August, the same year. The 
first meeting of the free holders and other inhabitants of Cornish was holden at Cornish, March 10, 1767.  
The town was settled in 1765, by emigrants chiefly from Sutton, inMassachusetts. When they arrived, they 
found a camp, for many years known by the name of "Mast Camp." It was erected for the accommodation of a 
company of men employed in procuring masts forthe Royal Navy.  They had procured a great number of masts. 
The settlers found a Mr. Dyke and his family in this camp.  Capt. Daniel Putnam, afterwards a respectable 
inhabitant, and for many years clerk of the town, had also resided here the winter previous. Rev. James Welman, 
who graduated at Harvard College in 1744, was settled over the Congregational church in Cornish in1768.  
He continued in the ministry here about seventeen years. The first meeting-house waserected in 1773, on the 
site where the Episcopal church now stands.  It was erected by the town,and was for many years, occupied by 
the Congregational, and afterwards by the Episcopal Society.
    At an adjourned meeting, holden March 18,1777, a system of regulations was adopted for the government of 
the town, till otherwise directed by lawful authority; and among other things, the town "voted that the province 
laws published in1771 should be adopted."  This meeting also appointed Samuel Chase, Esq. "to administer oaths 
to such as should be chosen into office," and voted that "the selectmen should be a committee of safety."
    At an adjourned town meeting holden April 15, 1777, "for the purpose of raising men to go into the 
Continental service, Joseph Vinson, Jonathan Currier, Moses Currier, John Whiton and Nathaniel Dustin agreed 
to go into said service for 60l. exclusive of 26l. public bounty.  It was proposed and voted to add 4l. to the 
26l. already allowed to each man as a bounty, who shallappear and enlist into said service, and 15l. per year
so long as they are holden in said service.
    The first record of the choice of a juror is Sept. 26, 1721, when Dyer Spalding was chosen Grand Juror,
to attend the court of sessions to be holden at Keene. At a meeting holden Jan. 6, 1778, for the purpose of 
choosing a representative, the town voted that it was inexpedient to choose one.
     At a meeting holden May 19, 1778, Moses Chase, Esq. was chosen a delegate to attend the convention, to 
be holden at Lebanon, on the 3d Wednesday of said May. He was instructed to act according to the dictates of 
his own judgment, "not doing any thing to bind the town." In the warning for this meeting is an article "to 
see if the town will choose a delegate to represent them at a convention, to be holden at Concord, agreeably 
to a precept."
    At a meeting, holden June 2, 1778, the town voted to comply with the recommendation, contained in the vote 
of the convention, holden by adjournment at the house of Israel Morey, Esq.of Orford, Jan. 28, 1778. This 
recommendation was, "that the towns represented at said convention direct the Selectmen to form lists or 
assessments of all estates, as well real as personal, and of all rateable polls in their respective towns, 
agreeably to the method gone in the state of New-Hampshire, and pay them into the town treasury of towns to 
be disposed of thereafter as the towns should judge proper."  At the same meeting, it was voted by the town to
join the state of Vermont agreeably to a vote passed in Convention of United Committees, holden at Lebanon, 
May 2, 1778."
    At a town meeting holden for that purpose, August 11, 1778, William Ripley was chosen a Justice of the Peace. 
At a town meeting holden Dec 3d, 1778, Moses Chase, Esq. was chosen a delegate to represent this town in a 
convention, to be holden at the meeting-house in Cornish, on the 2d Wednesday of the same December. This measure 
was adopted in consequence of a circularfrom the "Committee of the Protecting members of the General Assembly of 
the State of Vermont,"signed by "Joseph Marsh, Chairman."  This circular is addressed to the inhabitants of the 
New-Hampshire Grants. It recommends that "they take the unsettled and difficult situation of the political state 
of said grants into their wise consideration, and devise some measures speedily to be pursued whereby they may 
be united and settled in some regular form of civil government,"and requests every town in said grants "to elect
 one or more members to meet at the meeting-house in said Cornish, on the said 2nd Wednesday of December, to 
consult and agree upon measureswhereby we may be united together, by living and remaining a distinct state on 
such foundation that we may be admitted into confederation with the United States of America, or (if that cannot
be effected by reasonable measures,) to claim the jurisdiction of the government of New-Hampshire."
    On the 10th day of May, 1779, the town voted that the "Assembly of New-Hampshire might extended their claim 
and jurisdiction over the whole of the grants, submitting to Congress whether a new state shall be established 
on the grants."    At meeting holden March 9th, 1779, an article for the consideration of the meeting was to 
see if the town should hear an address sent from the Assembly of New-Hampshire.
    At a meeting holden July 19th, 1779, the town chose "Col. Jonathan Chase an agent to attend the Convention 
to be holden at Dresden,* on the 20th of the same July. At an adjournment of saidmeeting, holden August 30, 
1779, present 14 voters, the declaration of Rights and plan of Government for the State of New-Hampshire being 
under consideration, it was unanimously voted toreject the same.     A meeting was holden Sept. 16, 1779, to 
appoint "some meet person" as a member of a "Convention to be holden at Concord, on the 22d day of the same 
September, and it was voted not to appoint any person to attend said Convention."
    At a meeting holden November 13, 1780, "Col. Jonathan Chase was chosen to represent the town in Convention 
to be holden at Walpole, on the 15th of November, 1780."    At a meeting holden December 18, 1780, Samuel 
Chase, Esq., Col. Jonathan Chase and William Ripley were chosen to attend a Convention to be holden at 
Charlestown on the 3d Tuesday of January, 1781; and the proceedings of this Convention were approved by the 
town at a meeting holden February 7, 1781.  At an adjourned meeting holden April 18, 1781, it was voted to choose
three men as listers agreeably to the laws of the State of Vermont. At another meeting warned andholden the same 
day, it wag voted that the Selectmen chosen that year govern themselves according to the laws of the State of 
Vermont.
    At a meeting holden May 31, 1783, William Ripley was chosen a delegate to sit in the Convention to be holden 
at Concord on the 1st Tuesday of June, 1783. At a meeting holden November27, 1783, Moses Chase, Esq. was chosen 
to represent this town in the General Court, to be holdenat Concord, on the 3d Wednesday of December, 1783.

* A name given to the district belonging to Dartmouth College; but now disused.