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ACT OF INCORPORATION

Thus far, the separation of the Falls parish was for church and school purposes only. All other interests were in common with the whole town; nor were they free to act quite independently even in these two, as the foregoing records show. The parish of Hampton Falls had been set off, and the line dividing it from the old parish established; a meeting house had been built, a church formed, a pastor ordained: but the annual town meeting brought all together. With the limited exception already given, one board of assessors made out the taxes, which the constables collected.

This partial separation, however, was leading surely to the formation of a new town; since around their own church and school the sympathies of the people would cluster more and more, as the old ties were sundered, and their attendance at the north side became less frequent. The isolated position of the new parish also, separated from the old by acres of salt marsh, would tend to the same result. It is not, therefore, surprising, that after a few years, a petition to this end was presented.

We come now to that petition and the action of the General Assembly relating to it, which is said to be the only act of incorporation that Hampton Falls ever obtained.

At a General Assembly at Portsmouth, May 12, 1718: [Vol. III: 732] "Major Peter Wear, Esq., & Messrs. Tillton and Wait p'ferred a petition to this board directed to his Excellency the Gov^r and Council, w^ch being read & considered, the following vote was past thereupon:

In Councill, 12th May, 1718.

The Petition of Peter Wear, Esq., of the New Parish of Hampton, and several other of the Inhabitants of the said Parish, praying they might be separate from y^e old parish at their general town meeting, and that they might be empowered to call a meeting amongst themselves for chusing town officers, &c., [The petition however expressly says; "& both Parishes to remain as one Town, as formerly, in our Propriety of Lands -- & as to our Ministry, as it hath bin alredy ordred by the general Court."] being read and considered:

It is allowed that the s^d new parish at Hampton have liberty to call a publick Parish meeting annually, to choose selectmen and such officers as may be convenient, to manage their parish affairs, and to choose one representative to send to the Gen^l Assembly as they shall have a lawful p'cept for so doing; but as to their common land, maintaining their minister, & paying their proportion to the Prov: taxes, they remain as they were formerly.

Richd. Waldron, Cler. Con.".

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