d for by Benjamin Prescott, lay in the
territory now belonging to Pepperell; but this is a mistake. The only
unappropriated land between Dunstable and Townsend, as asked for in the
petition, lay in the angle made by the western boundary of Dunstable and
the northern boundary of Townsend. At that period Dunstable was a very
large township, and included within its territory several modern towns,
lying mostly in New Hampshire. The manuscript records of the General
Court define very clearly the lines of the gore, and leave no doubt in
regard to it. It lay within the present towns of Mason, Brookline,
Wilton, Milford, and Greenville, New Hampshire. Benjamin Prescott was at
the time a member of the General Court and the most influential man in
town. His petition was presented to the House of Representatives on
November 28, 1734, and referred to a committee, which made a report
thereon a fortnight later. They are as follows:--

A Petition of _Benjamin Prescot_, Esq; Representative of the Town
of _Groton_, and in behalf of the Proprietors of the said Town,
shewing that the General Court in _May_ 1655, in answer to the
Petition of Mr. _Dean Winthrop_ and others, were pleased to grant
the Petitioners a tract of Land of the contents of eight miles
square, the Plantation to be called _Groton_, that in taking a Plat
of the said tract there was no allowance made for prior Grants &c.
by means whereof and in settling the Line with _Littleton Anno_
1715, or thereabouts, the said Town of _Groton_ falls short more
than four thousand acres of the Original Grant, praying that the
said Proprietors may obtain a Grant of what remains undisposed of
of a Gore of Land lying between _Dunstable_ and _Townshend_, or an
equivalent elsewhere of the Province Land. Read and _Ordered_, That
Col. _Chandler_, Capt. _Blanchard_, Capt. _Hobson_, Major _Epes_,
and Mr. _Hale_, be a Committee to take this Petition under
consideration, and report what may be proper for the Court to do in
answer thereto.

[Journal of the House of Representatives, November 28, 1734, page
94.]

Col. _Chandler_ from the Committee appointed the _28th._ ult. to
consider the Petition of _Benjamin Prescot_, Esq; in behalf of the
Proprietors of _Groton_, made report, which was read and accepted,
and in answer to this Petition, _Voted_, That a Grant of ten
thousand ei