HAMPSHIRE, NEW, one of the United States of Ame rica, is bounded on the north by Lower Canada ; on the east by Maine and the Atlantic ; on the south by Massa. chusetts ; and west by the Connecticut It lies be tween lat. 42° 41', and 45° 1 I', N. and between Ion. 40', and 72° 28', W. Its length is 168 miles : Its breadth, bounding on Massachusetts, is 90, and on Ca nada 19 miles. On the eastern boundary it has about 18 miles of sea coast. The state is divided into six counties : viz. Coos, Grafton, Cheshire, Hillsborough, Rockingham, and S rafford. These are again divided into two hundred and thirteen towns. The first settlement made in New Hampshire, was at the mouth of Piscataqua, in 1623. In the same year, Dover, eight miles higher up the river, was established. Several germs of settlements were subse quently planted along the coast. The several towns pre served a friendly intercourse with each other, in their re spective employments of fishing, trading, and planting ; and each governed itself until the year 1641, when they voluntarily came under the government of Massachusetts. This union subsisted nearly forty years but, in 1679, the report of certain commissioners, appointed by the British government to enquire into, and determine a controversy between the successors of Sir Ferdinando Georges and Captain John Mason, and the colony of Massachusetts, being unfavourable to the latter, a separation took place; and a new and distinct government for New Ilampshire was instituted. A governor and council of royal appointment; and an as sembly, representing the people, were constituted the ruling power ; and the now government went immediately into operation. In the year 1680, Mason, a grandson of Captain John Mason, arrived from England, with a manda mus, requiring the council to admit him to a seat at the board. He soon entered on his real errand ; endeavouring to persuade some of the people to take leases of him ; threatening others if they did not ; forbidding them to cut firewood and timber ; asserting his right to the province ; and assuming the title of lord proprietor. His agents ren dered themselves obnoxious, by demanding rents of the people, and threatening to sell their houses for payment.
These proceedings raised a general tumult. Petitions were sent from each town, and from many individuals, to the council for protection ; who, taking up the matter ju dicially, published an order, forbidding Mason or his agents, at their peril, to repeat their proceedings. The contru-ersy between Mason and the council became so serious, that he deemed it expedient to quit 'the colony, and return to England. On his representations and solicitation, Edward Cranfielcl was commissioned lieutenant governor and com mander in chief of New Hampshire ; with power to call, adjourn, prorogue, and dissolve general courts ; to have a negative voice in all acts of government ; to suspend any of the council, who in consequence thereof would be ren dered ineligible as representatives of the people ; to ap point a deputy governor, judges, justices, and other offi cers; and to execute the powers of vice-admiral. The government was administered so flagitiously by Cranfield, that his authority was openly resisted by the people ; and he at length left New Hampshire and proceeded to Bar badoes. Towards the close of the reign of Charles the second, the charter of New Hampshire was merged in a commission issued to Joseph Dudley, appointing him pre sident of his majesty's territory and dominion of New England ; William Stoughton, deputy president ; and twelve others, counsellors. Their jurisdiction extended over Mas sachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and the Naraganset. In 1686, a commission issued to Sir Edmund Andross, appointing him captain general and governor in chief of the same territory, including also the colony of Plymouth. In 1689, in consequence of the tyranny of Andross's go vernment, a revolution took place at Boston ; and the peo ple there revived the government as it existed before the commission of Dudley. The people of New Hampshire supported the revolution, united once more voluntarily with Massachusetts, and continued this relation for three years. The consolidation, however, was not sanctioned by the crown ; but the old governments were restored.