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��TJie Boundary Lines of Old Groton. — //.

��and Honourable Court in October last [the 9th] praying tha, a Certain Tract of Land belonging to Lancaster Stow and Groton with the Inhabitants thereon may be Erected into a Distinct and Seperate Township (and for Reasons therein As- signed) your Excellency and Honours were pleased to Order that the petitioners Serve The Towns of Lancaster Groton and Stow with a Copy of their said Petition that they may shew Cause if any they have on the first Thursday of the next Sessions why the prayers thereof may not be granted.

And for as much as this great and Honbie. Court now Sitts by Adjournment and the next Session may be very Remote And your Memorialists have attended the Order of this Hon^'e : Court in serving the said Several Towns with Copys of the said Petition And the partys are attending and Desirous the hearing thereon may be brought forward ye former order of this Honl Court notwithstanding

They therefore most humbly pray your Excellency & Honours would be pleased to Cause the hearing to be had this present Session and that a Certain day may be assigned for the same as your Excellency & Honours in your great wisdom & Justice shall see meet

And your Memorialists as in Duty bound Shall Ever pray

JONAS HOUGHTON SIMON STOON JuNER JONATHAN WHITNEY THOMAS WHELER

In the House of Rept'ves Dec 17 1730 Read and in Answer to this Petition Ordered That the Pefs give Notice to the Towns of Lancaster Groton and Stow or their Agents that they give in their Answer on the twenty ninth Instt. why the Prayer of the Petition within referred to may not be granted

Sent up for Concurrence

J QuiNCY Spl^r :

In Council Dec. 18, 1730; Read and Concur'd

J WiLLARD Secry

[Massachusetts Archives, cxiv, 6-8.]

The next dismemberment of the

��Groton grant took place in the winter of 1738-39, when a parcel of land was set off to Littleton. I do not find a copy of the petition for this change, but from Mr. Sartell's communication it seems to have received the qualified assent of the town.

To his Excellency Jonathan Belcher Esqr Captain General & Governour in Chief &c the Honorable Council and House of Representatives in General Court assembled at Boston JanT. i. 1738.

May it please your Excellency and the Honorable Court.

Whereas there is Petition offered to your Excellency and the Honorable Court by several of the Inhabitants of the Town of Groton praying to be annexed to the Town of Littleton &c.

The Subscriber as Representative of said Town of Groton and in Behalf of said Town doth hereby manifest the Will- ingness of the Inhabitants of Groton in general that the Petitioners should be annexed to the said Town of Littleton with the Lands that belong to them Lying within the Line Petitioned for, but there being a Considerable Quantity of Proprie- tors Lands and other particular persons Lying within the Line that is Petitioned for by the said Petitioners. The Sub- scriber in Behalf of said Town of Groton & the Proprietors and others would humbly pray your Excellency and the Honorable Court that that part of their Petition may be rejected if in your Wisdom you shall think it proper and that they be sett off with the lands only that belong to them Lying within the Line Petitioned for as aforesaid, and the Subscriber in Behalf of the Town of Groton &c will as in Duty Bound ever pray &c.

NATHANIEL SARTELL

[Massachusetts Archives, cxiv, 300.J

yohn yeffries. Esq ; brought down the Petition of Peter Lawrence and others of Groton, praying to be annexed to Littleton, as entred the 12th ult. Pass'd in Council, viz. In Council Jatiuary /[th 1738. Read again, together with the Answer of Nathanael Sartell, Esq ; Representative

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