Page:1898 NB Magazine.djvu/373

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
8
THE NEW BRUNSWICK MAGAZINE

improvements had been effected by Hazen and White during his absence. This much, however, is clear that William Hazen indignantly declared he would take no steps whatever to procure the grant for David Fletcher; and he and Mr. White having concluded that James Simonds was endeavoring to procure possession of the lands eastward of the second grant to their exclusion, determined to consult their own interests. This they did in the following manner.

James White had occasion, as deputy sheriff of Sunbury county, to apprehend one William Graves for debt, and in so doing learned that he was entitled to a grant of 2,000 acres of land as a lieutenant who had served in the late French war, but had bartered his claim to Nehemiah Beckwith for a trifling consideration.[1] Mr. Beckwith, acting for Graves, had secured a warrant of survey for his 2,000 acres upon any ungranted and unpromised lands. Shortly afterwards a survey was made for Graves on the main branch of the Oromocto river, but it was found the lands there had been promised to others. Mr. Beckwith caused a second survey to be made upon the Rushagonish stream, but with no better success, the lands as before -had been promised to others. On the 8th March, 1784, William Hazen purchased from Mr. Beckwith his interest in the lands promised to Graves and procured the following letter to the surveyor general at Halifax:

Fort Howe, 20th March, 1784.

Sir,—As a warrant remains in your office for survey of land for me, I must request you will please to order such lands to be surveyed as William Hazen, Esq'r., may point out, that a grant may be obtained of the same. I am Sir, etc., etc.,

To Charles Morris, Esq'r.William Graves.

  1. ↑ The following document will explain the transaction referred to above:— "County of Sunbury, January 20th, 1781.—For and in consideration ofLieutenant William Graves giving me a bond and engaging to give me a warrantee deed of 2,000 acres of Land, that he is entitled to by being a Lieutenant in the late war, if he or I can obtain a Grant, I promise and engage to pay unto the said William Graves, if said Grant is obtained, £4 and twenty bushels of good merchantable corn, and 1 to be at the expence of said Grant.
    Witness my hand
    Nehemiah Beckwith.    Witness present
    Јno. Roche.
This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.