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FIRST PETITION FOR A PARISH

The original settlement around the "meeting-house green" be came, in time, too limited for the increasing population, which spread out, not always in close proximity to the old homes, but now and then in isolated spots whose present condition or future prospects seemed desirable. Such a settlement grew up in the north part of the town. Naturally, the interests of these families clustered largely about their own locality. As numbers increased, the new ties were strengthened, the old ones correspondingly weakened. Why, they began to ask, should they be at the inconvenience to take the long way to the old church every Sabbath? Why not have a church and a pastor of their own?

As early as 1719, therefore, they petitioned the government to form a new parish in that part of the town. The selectmen also appeared at the council board, to make their objections. After a hearing on both sides, the council ordered that the prayer of the petitioners be granted, and that Mark Hunking, Shadrach Walton, Nicholas Gilman and John Gilman, Esqrs. be a committee to determine the boundary line between the old parish and the new.

The committee made their report on the 29th of May, as follows: "That the said Parish at the north end of Hampton aforesaid, should take its beginning at the North Tree betwixt Hampton and Portsmouth, and to measure three miles south from said North Tree, and there to make a bound mark; and from thence east-south-east, two degrees east down to the sea; and from said bound mark three miles to the south of said North Tree aforesaid, west-north-west two degrees west, till they meet Hampton line which runs betwixt said North Tree and Stratham;" and these lines, when run out, to be the boundaries of the parish. The project, however, failed at that time, as sit was not acted upon by House of Representatives, and no further attempts were made to form a new parish til 1734, a period of fifteen years. In the meantime, about eighteen hundred acres of this tract had been annexed to Rye.

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