USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Haverhill > The history of Haverhill, Massachusetts, from its first settlement, in 1640, to the year 1860 > Part 65
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Mr. How died February 9, 1842, in the 85th year of his age. Many yet living have ample cause to remember him with love and respect. To the poor, he was no ordinary friend. His hand was always open to their wants, and they never failed to find relief in his charities, His enter- prise furnished employment for many an humble individual, whose wages were regulated by no miserly standard. He was a " father of the town," in the highest sense of the title, and will long be remembered for his sterling worth.
" The first Bank in the town, was incorporated in 1814. The Savings Bank was not established until 1829.
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Isaac Redington How, son of David How, Esq., was born in Haverhill, March 13, 1791. He graduated at Harvard 1810, and after pursuing his legal studies with Hon. William Prescott, of Boston, commenced his pro- fession at Haverhill, and acquired in it a highly respectable rank. But his taste and inclination led him, mainly, to literary pursuits, and he gradually avoided his practice in the law. He was a constant and severe thinker, and wrote much for the press. He was especially interested in whatever related to the mechanics and the arts, and in these matters his mind was far in advance of his age. He was never selfish or partizan in his character, or committed his conduct or opinions to the dietation of others, but aimed at truth, and the general good. He was a useful and respected citizen, and a high-minded, intellectual, christian gentleman. He died at Haverhill, January 15, 1860.
JOHNSON, JOUN, the first of this name who settled in Haverhill, was a son of William, a brick-maker of Charlestown, Mass. He came to Hay- erhill in the fall of 1657, with his wife, Elizabeth, who was a daughter of Elias Maverick, of Charlestown, and one child, John, who was born August 3, 1657. He settled near the corner of what is now Main and Water Streets, and a part of his original house-lot is still in the posses- sion of his lineal descendants." As a blacksmith's shop in those days was one of the most public places in a town, it is quite probable that his set- tlement in that place was a prominent reason why the principal business of the town became located in that vicinity. Besides the house-lot and other town accommodations given him, February 9, 1659, to encourage him to settle here, he bought parcels of land, at various times, until he became quite a large land-holder, but at the time of his death he had sold and given away to his children, all but about seventy-five to one hundred acres - some of which was situated in the town of Charlestown.
Mr. Johnson was an active and useful citizen, and became the founder of one of the largest and most respectable families in this town. He represented the town in the General Court, in 1691; was one of the dea- cons in the church ; and an officer in the militia. At the terrible slaugh- ter of the inhabitants by the Indians, August 29, 1708, he was killed at his own house, and buried in the old burying-ground, with the other offi- cers in the militia, near Mr. Rolfe, their pastor.
Mr. Johnson was married three times, - first, to Elizabeth Maverick, October 15, 1656, who died March 22, 1673-4; second, to widow Sarah Gillo, of Lynn, March 3, 1674-5, who died July 24, 1676, at the time
G See page 88.
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her twin-daughters were born ; and third, September 8, 1680, Katherine, widow of John Maverick, and formerly Katherine Skipper, of Boston, who was killed by the Indians at the same time as was her husband.
He had at least ten children: John, born August 3, 1657; Elizabeth, born November 16, 1659 ; Ruhama, born September 10, 1661; William born November 14, 1663; Sarah, born August 2, 1665; Ruth ; Ruth, born February 14, 1669; Timothy, born June 31, 1672; and Mary and Rebecca, twins, born July 17, 1676.
Timothy, son of John, married Ann Maverick, and died September 21, 1696, leaving one child, Elizabeth, who married Dr. Joshua Bailey, by whom she had Ann, Mary, Sarah, Elizabeth, Mary, Anna, (who was the first wife of Enoch Bartlett, by whom she had one child, Bailey, who was the Hon. Bailey Bartlett,") and Abigail, (who married Isaac Osgood, from Andover).
John, (a blacksmith, and who was also called Lieut. Johnson,) son of John and Elizabeth (Maverick) Johnson, was also married three times, - first, to Mary Mousall, September 8. 1680; second, to Lydia Clement, February 19, 1689 ; and third, to Mary, daughter of a Joseph Johnson, May 17, 1697. He died March 9, 1723-4. His children were - John, 1683 ; Thomas, 1685, (ancestor of most of the Johnsons of Haverhill and Bradford) : William ; Lydia, 1689 : Nathaniel, 1691 : Mary, 1693-4; Sarah, 1695-6; Elizabeth, 1699; Timothy, 1701; Rebecca ; Maverick ; Hannah, 1707 ; William, (who succeeded his father as blacksmith) 1709 , Abigail, 1711-12 ; Samuel, 1715-16.
Thomas, son of John, Jr., and Mary (Mousall) Johnson, settled on the northeast side of Kenoza Lake, where Daniel Hoyt now lives, which farm was given him by his father. He married, first, Ruth Bradley, November 13, 1706, who was killed by the Indians the same day ;; and second, Rachel Ordway, who died 1764. Mr. Johnson died July 22, 1754. His ten children were - Lydia, 1707 ; Ruth, 1710; Daniel, 1711-12, who with his brother, Maverick, had the homestead ; Maverick, 1714, one of
* Hon. Bailey Bartlett married Peggy, daughter of John White, Jr., of this town, and had Anna B., born 1787, who is the widow of the Hon. Wm. Jarvis, of Weathersfield, Vt .; Elizabeth, 1789, married Hon. Joseph E. Sprague, of Salem ; Margaret, 1790, married Dr. Rufus Longley, of Haverhill ; Harriet died unmarried ; Sarah L., 1793, married Hon. J. E. Sprague above (for second wife) ; Bailey, 1794, now resides in Lawrenee, Mass .; Katherine, 1793; Edwin, 1796 ; Mary; Abigail O., inarried Rev. Moses Kimball, of Weathersfield, Vt .; Charles L., 1802; Mary A., 1804, married John Tenney, Esq., of Methuen, Mass. ; Fred. A. ; Franeis, 1806 ; and Louisa, IS09, who married Oliver Carleton, of Salem.
t Mr. Johnson's grandfather was slain in 1708, but the savages spared their infant, - which was prob- ably the same child that Mirick says was in the arms of its step-great-grandmother, when she was killed.
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whose children was the late Col. John Johnson, of the Rocks' Village, who died 1861; Nathan, 1718; Peter, 1721, who settled near his father; Seth, 1723, who settled on the farm next south-west where Joshua Lake now lives ; Rachel, 1726; Anna, 1728, and Moses, 1730.
Captain Daniel, son of Thomas and Rachel (Ordway) Johnson, mar- ried, first, April 3, 1734, Susanna Bixby, of Boxford, and second, Widow Susanna Russell, in 1779. He died in March, 1794. His children were -Deacon Elias, 1735, who built the house (1772) and settled on the place now owned by John B. Nichols, Esq., and where his son Daniel afterward lived and died; Captain Timothy, 1737, an officer in the Revo- lution ; Lydia, 1739; Susanna, 1743; Mary, 1749 ; and Rachel 1753.
Seth, son of Thomas and Rachel (Ordway) Johnson, married Hannah Greeley, March 25, 1756, and had seven children, viz .: Thomas, 1757; Thomas, 1760, who settled near Cottle's Ferry, where he erected and owned a grist-mill; Nathaniel 1762; Seth, 1764, settled in Campton, N. H .; Nathaniel, 1767, who settled near Cottle's Ferry, and one of whose sons, Joseph, married Mary, daughter of Joseph and Deborah (Williams) Chase, of East Haverhill; John, 1772, a blacksmith, who finally settled in the village, and died September 3, 1843 ; and Benjamin, 1774.
Deacon Thomas, son of Seth and Hannah (Greeley) Johnson, who set- tled near Cottle's Ferry, married Lydia Noyes, of West Newbury, and died January 13, 1845. His children were Hannah, 1786 ; Frederick, October 26, 1789, who settled in West Bradford, and married Nancy, daughter of Joseph Chase"; Nathaniel, 1794, a farmer in East Haverhill; Leonard, July 27, 1796, a shoe manufacturer, resides in Bradford; Fran- cis, 1798, unmarried; Louisa, 1804; Lucinda, 1806 ; and Mary Brick- ett, 1812.
John, son of Seth and Hannah (Greeley) Johnson, married Sarah, daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Wingate) Bradley, of Haverhill, August 27, 1795. She died September 26, 1831, aged 62 years and 11 months. Their children were, - Andrew, born October 7, 1796, married Ruth, daughter of Wm. Edwards, of Haverhill ; Samuel, born January 5, 1798,
" The children of Frederick and Nancy Johnson, were, Leonard, horn 1815, died unmarried at Honolulu, Sandwich Islands, in 1852; W'm. Fred. born 1816, resides in Muscatine, Iowa, married, first, Sarah Ann Vanderbuilt, and second, Sarah Proctor ; George, born October 14, 1818, an extensive shoe-mannfacturer and dealer in leather in Boston, resides in Bradford, who married Emma Eldredge Hodgskins, of Newbury- port, and has Geo. Hazen, born December 3, 1848, Herbert Morris, born December 8, 1850, Emma Ann, died young, Frederick Wm., born October 24, 1853, Helen Louise, born July 7, 1855, Alice Rebecca, born July 12, 1856, and Allan Macfarlan, horn January 13, 1860, died August 22, 1860; Ann Maria, born October 13, 1820, married John Girdler of Manchester, Mass., both deceased ; Hazen W., born 1812, died 1839 ; James T., died young ; Emeline L., born 1826, died 1841; Abby Hazeltine, born March 25, 1828, is Preceptress of Bradford Academy ; and Charles Everett, born November 1, 1830.
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J H.Bufford's Title. Boston
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married, first, Sally, daughter of David Gleason, second, Abigail S. George, and third, Mary, widow of Samuel Russell, and died November, 1845; Sally, born February 8, 1801, died unmarried in 1822 ;. Hannah, born July 8, 1803, married Tappan, son of Joseph and Deborah Chase; Wash- ington, born August 22. 1805, a blacksmith," married Harriet, widow of Samuel S. Burr, of Haverhill; Abigail, born February 14, 1808, died unmarried, August 29, 1841; Nathan, February 15, 1810, married first, Elizabeth H., daughter of John Whittaker, second, Abigail, daughter of Wyded Sawyer, and third, Lois Ann, daughter of Joshua Davis; and William, born January 10, 1813, married Maria L. Anderson, of Hamp- stead, N. H.
LONGLEY, DR. RUFUS, was a native of Shirley, Mass. Having pur- sued the preparatory studies at Lawrence Academy, in Groton, he entered Harvard University, and remained there about two years, but left College, with a number of his Class, before he had completed his collegiate course. An Honorary degree was subsequently conferred on him by that Institu- tion. Having completed a full course of medical studies, and received a medical degree from Dartmouth College, he commenced the practice of his profession in Haverhill, in 1812. His talent, manly bearing, and profes- sional ability, soon won the respect and confidence of the people, which he retained undiminished to the close of life. He was an eminently useful citizen, taking a lively interest in the well-being of the community, and his fellow-citizens were glad to place him in municipal offices whenever he would accept them. In politics, a decided and consistent yet liberal dis- ciple of the school of Washington, he was always active and zealous in the support of the principles to which he was attached; but although favorably known through the County, his professional engagements would not allow him to be a candidate for political office, except that he yielded to the wishes of the District and was chosen one of the Harrison Electors of President in 1840. Such was the confidence in his integrity and ability that a full share of the responsibilities of this community were devolved upon him. He was for many years President of the Savings Institution, and also of the Merrimack Bank, which latter office he held at his decease ; he was a prominent member of the Merrimack Lodge of Free-masons in this place, and was its Master from 1817 to 1826, and also from its re-organization, in 1852, to his death, in 1854. It may be mentioned, as a somewhat remarkable fact, in his forty-three years of pro- fessional experience, that his first patient in the town was also the last to
See page 88,
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receive a professional visit from him. Mr. Longley died March 12, 1854, aged 66 years.
MARSII. This is the name of an ancient family in the town, whose descendants have become numerous and gone out into every part of our wide land.
Onesiphorus, who was the son of George Marsh who was admitted a " freeman " in the Mass. Colony, in 1635, and settled in Hingham, im- migrated to this town within ten years of its settlement. He located at what was long called " Marsh's Hill," a mile west of the village. He left at least three sons and two daughters, - Onesiphorus, Jr., John, Thomas, Mary, and Abigail. Thomas died 1690, of - as it is called in the town records - the " Canada pox ; " the other children married and had large familes.
John married, November 16, 1688, Lydia Emerson, and had ten chil- dren: Elizabeth, born August 13, 1689 ; Sarah. born June 2, 1691 ; John, born August 19, 1693 ; Thomas, born October 23, 1695; David, born Jan- uary 21, 1698; Jonathan, born June 15, 1700; Mehitabel, born July 20, 1702 ; Abigail, born May 28, 1705; Hannah, born November 27, 1707 ; and Ephraim, born April 2, 1710. Lydia, the wife of John, died in 1719, and he married widow Mary Eaton, in 1720. In 1721, he was chosen deacon of the First Parish Church, and died November 24, 1734.
David, son of John, married Mary Moody, of Newbury, August 1722, and had twelve children : Elizabeth, born June 29, 1723; Mary, March 12, 1725; Judith, May 5, 1727 ; Cutting, March 20, 1728 ; David, March 27, 1731; Moses, February 9, 1732; Jonathan, May 25, 1735; Enoch, August 3, 1737 ; Nathaniel, December 31, 1739; John, Novem- " ber 2d, 1743; Lydia, February 5, 1745 ; and Abigail, April 3, 1747. David, senior, was chosen deacon, instead of his deceased father, in 1737. and filled the office until his death, November 2, 1777. Mary, his widow, long survived him, and died May 12, 1794, in the 91st year of her age. This family presents a rare example of long life in all its members. The shortest lived one, Enoch, lived to be G8 years old ; and the average of the twelve was eighty-two years and one month. Perhaps the cause lay in the temperance, frugality, and industry, of which they were all bright examples. Their parents removed, about 1731, from Marsh's Hill to the village - to the site adjoining, on the north, the Centre Church, and still in possession of a descendant.
Moses, son of David, married Rebekah Walker, February 6, 1759, and had twelve children : Lydia, born June 23, 1760, died aged 8 years ; Moses, born December 21, 1761; Mary, born August 23, 1763; Lydia
Fari Harsh
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born July 28, 1765; David, born July 26, 1767; James, born October 6, 1769 ; Nathaniel, horn August 11, 1771, died young; Nathaniel, born July 1. 1771 ; Rebekah, born February 11, 1777; John, born February 10, 1780 ; Jonathan, born July 30, 1782; and Samuel, born January 19, 1786. Of this once numerous family, only Samuel, the youngest, sur- vives at the present ; he resides in New York, and enjoys, amid active pursuits, comfortable health. The father died October 20, 1820, and the mother, January 15, 1823, the former aged 88, and the latter 84. Most of the children also lived to an advanced age. David, whose likeness is here inserted, copied from a portrait painted when he was about 77 years old, died August 30, 1854, in his 88th year. While he passed his long life in the humble paths of mechanical, mercantile. and agricultural occu- pations yet no one of the name is more worthy to be contemplated by his numerous relatives, as a model .of every virtue. Many, on seeing the likeness, will recall pleasant recollections of events long since passed away.
In partnership with his brother, John, he did business for nearly fifty years on Merrimack Street, in a store on the river-side, just east of the residence of John Plummer, while their residences were on the opposite side of the street -the fifth and sixth houses from Little River. There they manufactured hand-cards for carding wool, before machines for that purpose, driven by water, were introduced here. After their introduction, and during the second war with England, they began to make the machines also, and the cards with them. They made, probably, the first carding machine used in this part of the country, for Mr. Marland, of Andover, and under his direction. Subsequently, they sent many into New Hamp- shire and Maine. They were engaged, too, for some years, in the earlier stage of the business here, in the manufacture of shoes. And, in the long course of their business, the example of David and John Marsh became proverbial, not only for the fairness of their dealings and their promptness to meet all obligations, but likewise for the brotherly kindness which marked their intercourse with each other.
MERRILL, HON. JAMES CUSHING, son of Rev. Gyles Merrill, was born in Haverhill, September 27, 1784, and graduated at Harvard College in 1807. He settled in Boston as a lawyer, and was afterward Judge of the Police Court in Boston. He married, November 28, 1820, Anna, daugh- ter of Dr. Nathaniel Saltonstall, by whom he had four children. Judge Merrill died October 4, 1853. His widow still resides in Haverhill.
MINOT, HON. STEPHEN was born in Concord, Mass., September 28, 1776, and graduated at Harvard College, in 1801. He studied law with
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Hon. Samuel Dana, of Groton, and was admitted to the Middlesex bar, in 1804. He practiced his profession about one year in New Gloucester, and Minot, Mc., and then removed to Haverhill, where he continued to reside until his death, April 6, 1861. In 1810, he purchased a water privilege at Methuen village, and soon after crected the first cotton mill at that place, which he continued to operate for several years. He was at one time County Attorney for Essex, and was Judge from 1811 to 1820.
His mind was clear in its perception and logical in its conclusions. Firm in purpose, exact and punctual in method and habits, of strict integ- rity, fearless in spirit, he was ever prompt to say or do whatever his judgment approved. He was a liberal supporter of the institutions of religion, whose ministrations he attended with great regularity, as long as his infirmities would admit. Of great regularity and temperance in his manner of life ; in his private relations, a true, affectionate, generous friend. In conversation, he was genial, and rich in anecdote. During the latter part of his life, having withdrawn from professional labors, he spent much of his time in mathematical studies, in which he took great delight, and in reading the Latin classics. The late George Minot, Esq., a sound and able lawyer, of Boston, author of Minot's Digest, a work well known to the profession, was his youngest son.
MOOERS, GEN. BENJAMIN. As Gen. Mooers was a native of Haverhill, we copy the following obituary notice of him from the Plattsburg (New York) Whig, of the 24th February, 1838: -
" Died in this village, on the 20th inst., Major General Benjamin Mooers, in the 80th year of his agc.
The venerable man whose loss the public are called to mourn, was born in Haverhill, Mass., April 1st 1758-and consequently would have been, had he lived to the first of April next, eighty years old. In 1776, when he was eighteen years of age, he entered the army as a volunteer. In the summer of this year, he was at Ticonderoga, at which place he read, for the first time, the Declaration of Independence, adopted by Congress on the 4th of July of that year. In the winter following he was appointed ensign in the 1st Congress Regiment, or as it was usually termed 'Con- gress' own.' This was a favorite regiment, made up mostly of Canadian refugees - said to be as brave and gallant a corps as any in the army. This regiment was commanded by Col Moses Hazen," a gallant officer, who subsequently rose to the rank of Brigadier, but retained through the war the Colonelcy of his regiment of 'Congress' own.' Ensign Mooers was soon after promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and Adjutant of the
· Also a native of Haverhill.
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regiment in which capacity he served until the end of the war. The regi- ment to which he was attached was not an idle one in the great struggle which was then going on, and consequently Adj't Mooers saw much mili- tary service. Besides various other active duties, he was present at the surrender of Gen. Burgoyne at Saratoga, and at the siege of Yorktown, and at the surrender of Lord Cornwallis.
At the close of the war in 1783, he, with two other officers and 8 privates of his regiment (now disbanded) left the head quarters, at New- burgh, and came to this country, then a perfect wilderness. There was not at this time a civilized inhabitant within the borders of this county.
Gen. Mooers has been a citizen of this county ever since he first landed, now nearly fifty years."
He was the first Sheriff of this county -and represented the County in the Assembly of this State four terms. He has also served four years in the Senate of this State, and was chosen President pro tem of that body. He became an officer in the militia at an early day, and finally rose to the rank of Major General, in which capacity he was in the service of the United States in 1812; and, with the detached militia, commanded at the siege of Plattsburg in 1814, with so much credit to himself as to merit the commendation of the legislature of his state, and the presenta- tion of a sword. For thirty-eight successive years Gen. Mooers was the treasurer of the County.
In all the charitable and benevolent institutions of the day, General Mooers was always conspicuous - was President of the Clinton County Bible Society, and of the County Temperance Society.
General Mooers sustained all the relations of life without reproach. As a citizen his example is worthy of all imitation. As a husband, father, neighbor or friend, he was kind and affectionate, but just. As a subject of the laws of his country, he obeyed with alacrity all their obligations, moral, civil and social. As a military man, he combined the rare qualifi- cations of moderation and firmness. In his civil employments, he always acted with sound judgment and uncompromising principle ; and he never failed to secure the good will of those with whom he acted, or of his con- stituents."
NEWELL, HARRIET, Harriet Atwood, afterward Mrs. Newell, was a daughter of Moses Atwood, an extensive and respected merchant of Hav- erhill, where she was born October 10, 1793.º Of a cheerful disposition
" The house in which she first saw the light is still standing, and is the one next west of the First Parish Church. It is partly occupied by Robert Willis, Esq., whose wife is a sister of Harriet Newell.
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and ardent feelings, she early manifested a strong love of books, and & thirst for mental improvement. In the summer of 1806, she attended Bradford Academy, and while there, a powerful religious awakening, in which she was a participant, visited the school. During that revival, the subject of our sketch became hopefully pious, and engaged in the work of her Master with all the ardor for which she was so greatly distinguished a few years subsequently.
In the fall of 1810, when she had just completed her seventeenth year, her attention was first turned to the subject of missionary labor among the heathen. Under date of October 10, of the above year, she thus writes : -
" A female friend" called upon us this morning. She informed me of her determination to quit her native land for ever, to endure the sufferings of a christian amongst heathen nations, to spend her days in India's sul- try elime. How did the news affect my heart ! Is she willing to do all this for God ; and shall I refuse to lend my little aid, in a land where divine revelation has shed its brightest rays ? I have felt more, for the salvation of the heathen, this day, than I recollect to have felt through my whole past life."
A few days later, she had her first interview with her future companion in life. She thus speaks of it : - " Oct 23, Mr M introduced Mr Newell to our family. He appears to be an engaged christian. Expects to spend his life in preaching a Savior to the benighted pagans."
(Rev. Samuel Newell was a graduate of Harvard College, and pursued his studies for the ministry, at Andover. In June, 1810, he and four other young men, ¡ consecrated their future labors to the cause of foreign missions, and offered their services for this object to the General Associa- tion of Massachusetts, then in session at Bradford. This offer led to the establishment of the " American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions," under whose direction they placed themselves.)
In the following April, Miss Atwood received a formal proposal from Mr. Newell to become his wife, and with him devote her life to missionary labor. The letter called for an immediate answer. She was then in Bos- ton, but immediately hastened home, to ask a mother's advice. Of the interview, she thus writes: - " Dejected and weary, I arrived at the dear mansion where I have spent so many happy hours. My dear mother met me at the door with a countenance that bespoke the tranquility of her mind. 0 With tears in her eyes, she said ' If a conviction
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