Memorial of the Town of New London

To The Honorable the General Assembly of His Majesty’s Colony of Connecticut to be Holden at Hartford in Said Colony on the Second Thursday of May A.D. 1759

The memorial of the Town of New London in said colony by their agent John Richards humbly showeth

that a considerable part of the land contained within the bounds of the town of said New London, namely the Mohegan and Indian lands were only added into the bounds of said town that the English inhabitants thereon living might be in the jurisdiction of some town, the said Town of New London not having one inch of property in said Mohegan or Indian lands.

That there hath been in former years much controversy and disturbance among the possessors and English inhabitants living thereon concerning their claims and interests therein, and for the quieting of the same, this Honorable Assembly many years since appointed a committee of certain gentlemen to go upon the said land to view, enquire, settle, and make their report to Your Honors how they find things, which committee did go to said lands and heard the inhabitants thereon respecting their claims, etc., and made report to Your Honors, which report was ratified and confirmed by Your Honors with this conditional clause added that said committee should by themselves or others by them appointed lay out convenient and necessary highway for the inhabitants, which committee by the first gentlemen appointed did lay ways out in said lands to be pent highways, and the inhabitants have been contented therewith for many years till within some few tears now past, many of said inhabitants grow uneasy with the said way being pent up and want said ways laid open that they may pass freely and without troubles, and many difficulties seem now to have arisen respecting highways in said Indian lands or North Parish in said New London and the Town of New London, taking the matter into their consideration, have thought it better to try to accommodate said differences that are arisen and still likely to arise respecting said highways by applying to this Honorable Assembly that a committee might be appointed by Your Honors of two gentlemen disinterested to come and view and hear all parties aggrieved and make report to your

Honors at your next sessions in October.  Whereupon, your memorialist humbly prays that this Honorable Assembly would appoint two gentlemen, which may be entirely disinterested, to come to New London and hear all parties respecting their differences about highways in said parish or Indian lands and report to Your Honors in your next sessions in October for your approbation at the cost of the said Town of New London, or in some other way as in your wonted goodness and wisdom prevent and accommodate the many differences that may probably arise thereon and Your Honors’ memorialist as in duty bound ever Pray, etc.

John Richards

New London, May 15, 1759

Legislative Action:        In the Lower House, granted the prayer of this memorial and a bill in form may be brought in accordingly.  Test, Jabez Huntington, Clerk.  Concurred in the Upper House. Test, George Wyllys, Secretary

No. 51 / Memorial Town of New London / May 1759 / Entered  / Passed Lower House / Passed Upper House

Cataloguing:                108