Rambles about Portsmouth. Sketches of persons, localities, and incidents of two centuries: principally from tradition and unpublished documents. By Charles W. Brewster.

168 RAMBLES ABOUT PORTSMOUTH.
tants of the said Towne, That yearly and every year upon
the said first Tuesday of March, forever, they, the said men
and inhabitants of our said Towne, or the major part of
them, shall elect and choose three men, Inhabitants and
householders of our said Towne, to be overseers of the
poor and highways, or selectmRen for our said Towne for
the year ensuing with such powers, privileges and authorities as any overseers or selectmen within our said province have and enjoy."
For the privileges enjoyed as an incorporated town, it is
further stated that there shall be paid " the annual quitt
rent or acknowledgment of onne Pepercorn in the said
Towne on the five twentieth day of October yearly forever.'"
Soon after the settlement of Great Island, a fort was
built upon Frost Point, to serve as a protection to the
harbor. It was an earthwork "made with certain great
gunns to it," and in the year 1660 was mentioned in the
documents of that day as the means of distinguishing
Great Island from other islands in the vicinity. It was
several times remodeled, and for many years prior to the
war of the Revolution, was called Fort William and Mary,
named in honor of the King and Queen of England. In
the eleventh year of the reign of Charles the first, of Englapd, the Island together with the Fort came into possession
of Mistress Anne Mason, widow of John Mason, of Lon,
don, who, at the time of his death, was engaged in mercan.
tile pursuits. Portions of the island were afterwards
deeded to Robert Mussel and other individuals, by her
agent, Joseph Mason of "Strawberry Bapk"^ on the river
of the " Pascattaquack."
At the time of the passage of an act in 1774, by George
III. forbidding the exportation of gunpowder to America,
the Fort was garrisoned by Captain Cochran and five men,
and the ships-of-war Scarborough and Canseau were daily
expected to arrive with several companies of British
soldiers to re-inforce the garrison. On receipt of the news