Petition of the Selectmen of Stockbridge to the Massachusetts General Court

Selectmen of Stockbridge Petition

To his Excellency John Hancock, Esq., Captain General, Governor, and Commander in Chief, the Honorable the Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of the Massachusetts

We the subscribers, 1 Selectmen of the Town of Stockbridge, finding that Messrs. Isaac Ball, Jonathan Ball, Samuel Hatch, and Hans Venniger, have made considerable preparation, for erecting a gristmill and sawmill on the river in this town.  The land on each side of the river, against the place where they propose to erect the mills, they hold under three Indians belonging to this town, namely, Joseph Shauquethqueat, Benjamin Waunchnawwet, and David Naunauneekkaunuck, their title to which land has not been confirmed by the General Court.

The necessity of more mills (especially gristmills) in this town is the only reason of our troubling Your Excellency and Your Honors with this, our earnest request that the lands they hold under the Indians aforesaid may be confirmed, as without a confirmation, they may be prevented from going on with their design of erecting mills.  The place, we are informed, is judged convenient for a dam (which but few places in the river are) and the situation is such that it would be very convenient for us and others to have mills at that place kept in repair.  And we beg leave to add that we humbly conceive it would be a public benefit.

• 1. Deleted Text: Inhabitants