KINGSTON
The town having been notified, chose as their agent, Capt. Henry Dow, to go to New Castle the next day, May 18, 1694, to appear before the governor and council, "to manifest the town's earnest desire that no township might be granted to any persons." any portion of which should "come within seven miles of Hampton Meeting-house westward, upon a straight line." This "desire" was a reasonable one, for originally the township extended several miles farther west than this, and though no settlements had hitherto been made there, yet several thousand acres of the land had been laid out and assigned by lot to the proprietors of the common lands. Indeed, a considerable portion of the New Plantation lay more than seven miles west of the Meeting-House. The proposition of the town, indeed, appeared so reasonable, that it was assented to at the time by James Prescott, Senr, in behalf of the petitioners.
The prayer of the petitioners was granted, and on the 6th of August, 1694, the new town was incorporated, by the name of Kingstown, the grant including the present towns of Kingston, East Kingston, Danville (formerly Hawke), and Sandown, Hampton having laid out and disposed of a part of this territory, difficulties afterwards arose, and the town was involved in lawsuits, which will be more particularly noticed in another place.
NEW CASTLE'S PETITION REJECTED
After the hearing in May, the case "was laid aside for farther consideration;" and it does not appear that it was brought up again, The assembly was dissolved the 2nd of November following.
Some of the people of Portsmouth, having expressed a desire for a more direct road than the one then travelled between that town and Hampton, Capt, Henry Dow and Sergt.John Marston were chosen on the part of this town, March 15, 1697, "to see if they could find a nearer way." Their report has not been found.