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HISTORICAL SKETCHES
OF
PETERBOROUGH
NEW HAMPSHIRE
M. L.
Gc 974.202 P44h 1248479
aya 10 0m
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
GEN
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 00056 0877
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7
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2019
https://archive.org/details/historicalsketch00unse 13
Historical Sketches of
PETERBOROUGH NEW HAMPSHIRE
Portraying events and data contributing to the history of the Town
PUBLISHED BY PETERBOROUGH HISTORICAL SOCIETY 1938
Loadspeed - 10.00
1248479
CONTENTS
PAGE
Annals of Peterborough, by Jonathan Smith 157
Annals of Peterborough, 1828, by Jonathan Smith 171
Peterborough in 1840-41-42, by Jonathan Smith 174
Tribute to the Memory of Mrs. Clara Foster Bass .
315
Descriptions on Gravestones in the two Old Cemeteries on the East Hill in Peterborough, N. H. 63
Churches and Religious Activities
Ecclesiastical History of Peterborough, 1822, by Rev. Elijah Dunbar 7
.
First Presbyterian Church of Peterborough, 1856 9
Union Evangelical Church of Peterborough, 1886 16
The Call of the Church to Zephaniah Swift Moore, by Jonathan Smith .
199
Rev. David Annan and his Ministry, by Jonathan Smith . 205 The Ministry of Abiel Abbott, D.D., by Jonathan Smith . 217 Recollections of Peterborough Churches in the early Forties of the Nineteenth Century, by Elias H. Cheney . . 238
Educational
The Peterborough Academy, 1836-1903, by James F. Brennan 17 The Old Peterborough Lyceum, by Jonathan Smith . 163
The Peterborough Dramatic Club, by Jonathan Smith . 167
School Houses in Peterborough and Description of District No. 5 by Ezra M. Smith . 149
Sketch of the Fire Department and the Aquarius Engine Company by Col. Charles Scott 131
Historical Society
The Early History of Peterborough Historical Society, by Mrs. Jennie H. Field . 297
Peterborough Historical Building
271
Corner Stone Addresses .
. 301
First Public Library, by James F. Brennan . 251 Life in Peterborough during the Civil War, by Jonathan Smith . 255 Military
Scraps of Early Military History of Peterborough, by James F. Brennan 53
Old Peterborough Artillery Company 60
Peterborough's Revolutionary Soldiers, by James F. Brennan 277 Name of Town
What was the Origin of the Name of our Town, by James F. Brennan 43
The Origin of the name of the Town of Peterborough, N. H., by Jonathan Smith . . 49
Old Peterborough in England, by Mrs. Jennie H. Field
309
Tablets
The Unveiling of Catherine Putnam Tablet in Putnam Grove, Old Home Day, August 24, 1915 225
Tablet Unveiled at the Unitarian Church
. 289
Dedication of the General James Miller Tablet, Address by Jonathan Smith, August 23, 1915. . 231
A Topographical and Historical Account of Peterborough, N. H., 1822, by Rev. Elijah Dunbar 1
The "Old Street Road" in Peterborough, N. H., by Jonathan Smith 33
The Tree Society, by Jonathan Smith 169
The Walkers of Peterborough, by Franklin Benjamin Sanborn . 141
A TOPOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF PETERBOROUGH, N. H., 1822.
By Rev. Elijah Dunbar, A. M., Honorary Member of the New York Historical Society.
feed [From the "Collections, Topographical, Histo- rical and Biographical, relating principally to New Hampshire. Edited by J. Farmer and J. B. Moore," published at Concord, N. H., by Hill & Moore in 1822, reprinted by H. E. and J. W. Moore in 1831. This series of historical essays was collected before the New Hampshire Histo- rical Society came into existence, that society not having been formed until May 21, 1823. This article, with foot notes and note by the editor, printed under date of August 1, 1822, is copied from pages 129-140, also another by Rev. Elijah Dunbar, on the "Ecclesiastical History of Peter- borough," from pages 55-56, collected as Vol. I "N. H. Historical Collections," which has be- come a very rare and valuable volume, carefully preserved in the State Library at Concord, N. H.]
Peterborough is situated in latitude 42º 52' N. bounded N. by Hancock and Greenfield, E. by Greenfield and Temple, S. by Sharon, and W. by Jaffrey and Dublin. It lies mid-way between Am- herst and Keene, being 20 miles distant from each-from Portsmouth 75, from Boston 60, from Concord 40, and from Washington-City 510. The town was granted by Massachusetts by their re- solves of the 16th January and 16th of June, 1738, during the administration of his Excellency Jonathan Belcher, to Sam- uel Haywood and other proprietors, on the usual conditions. The actual survey was completed May 21st, of the same year, on the plan of 6 miles square.
The first settlement took place as early as 1742, by William Robbe, Alexander Scott, Hugh Gregg, William Scott, and Samuel Stinson 1. Some of these had brought their families into the settle- ment, but they were compelled to retire in 1744, on occasion of the war which then commenced and did not terminate till 1748. They returned after an ab- sence of 5 years. A large accession of settlers from Lunenburgh, Londonderry and other places soon joined them. The first child baptized in this town was Catharine, daughter of Hugh Gregg, the now aged and venerable mother of Gov.
James Miller, in 1743. The first male child born here was John Ritchie, Feb. 22, 1751, who died in the service of his country at Cambridge, in 1776. The first settlers of Peterborough were Scotch Presbyterians, natives of Ireland or their immediate descendants. Wholly unused to the clearing and cultivation of wild lands, they endured great hardships. Their nearest grist mill was at Town- send, 25 miles distant-their road a line of marked trees. There were no settle- ments on this side Keene or Amherst, and from Peterborough to Canada was a continued forest. To sleep in safety, they resorted to a log garrison-but, hap- pily, were never disturbed by the natives. The woods were filled with deer and other game; the river stored with salmon and other fish.
Peterborough lies in a N. E. direction from the Grand Monadnock, and is bounded on the east by a chain of hills called Pack Monadnock. The river Con- toocook runs in a northerly direction through the centre of the town, affording several good privileges for mills and fac- tories. A branch from Dublin, originat- ing partly from waters near the Monad- nock and partly from a large pond in the S. E. corner of Nelson and the S. W. corner of Hancock, affords a never fail- ing supply of water, and furnishes those noble falls on which are situated several factories, and particularly the long known mills and factories of the Hon. Samuel Smith. There are extensive and valuable meadows on this branch, above these falls; and the soil, generally throughout the town, is excellent. In its natural state, the forests in the vicinity of the southern branch were composed of large and lofty pines-the hills, on the east, crowned with majestic oaks, and the in- termediate lands principally clothed with hard wood and other valuable timber.
Thomas Morrison commenced his settle-
I ment in 1744.
2
Peterborough Historical Society Collections.
In the centre of the town, is a high hill on which stands the present and where stood the first meeting house, at an ele- vation of 200 feet above the river. The chain of hills on the east is distinguished by two principal summits. Between these summits is a depression of a quarter part of the mountain's height. About 60 rods W. of the ridge or summit of this depression, on an embenchment of the mountain, is a pond of about 9 acres ex- tent, very deep and replenished with fish, at an elevation of 200 feet above the site of the meeting house. There is also an- other pond near the foot of the southern summit of 33 acres which contains no fish, and from which, during the dry season, there is no visible outlet. The southern summit terminates abruptly at the southern extremity with marks of violent disruption, forming what is termed the Notch in the Mountain. The county road passes through this aperture. The hill rises again in Sharon; and the chain, with some depressions and varia- tions, continues for several miles. There are rocks, in several places, which afford indications of sulphur, and crumble, on being exposed to the action of the sun and air. Iron ore of an excellent quality has been discovered-but, as yet, in small quantities.
Besides the medicinal plants, common here, when a new settlement, but now seldom seen, Cohush, Ginseng, (panax trifolium) &c. there is found here in a singular piece of meadow which nearly overspreads a pond, of about an acre's extent, large quantities of a rare and valuable plant, or root, called Buck Bean, (menyanthes.) This pond or meadow is surrounded on all sides by sand hills and pines-and the depth of the water has never been ascertained.
The surface of the town being much varied with hills, vales, meadows, great swells of land, brooks and rivulets, while the larger streams are broken by falls and rapid in their course-the air and waters are pure; the inhabitants remarkably healthy; no sweeping sickness has ever been experienced to any considerable ex- tent. The first settlers generally attained
to more than eighty years-several to al- most an hundred-and it is supposed there are now living here more than thirty persons whose ages would average 75 years.
The oldest on the catalogue of longevi- ty (except the late Mrs. Cunningham who deceased in her 99th year) is Mr. John Morrison, who died June 14, 1776, in the 98th year of his age. Mr. Morrison re- tained his faculties till within a short time of his death. He was remarkably intelligent and his memory very reten- tive. He, with his parents and family, were in the City, and his age 10 years, at the famous siege of Londonderry. The trying scenes he witnessed in youth, a peculiar native eloquence, his pleasing urbanity of manners, venerable age and correctness and respectability of charac- ter, rendered his society interesting and instructive. To this day, a strong tradi- tionary impression of the horrors of that siege and of the happy consequences of the victory of the Boyne, (1690,) inspires a deep hatred of religious bigotry and endears the memory of William 3d, who on that memorable day, when Schomberg had fallen at his side, led the army to battle and bravely exposed his person to the storm of war. Nothing material oc- curred to interrupt the prosperity of the settlement, after the return of the set- tlers in 1749 till the war of 1755. Several of the young men in this place, were then enlisted in Rogers' company of Rangers. On the 13th March, 1758, six of this num- ber fell in one unfortunate moment, by an Indian ambuscade, near Lake George ; viz. John Stewart, Robert M'Nee, John Dinsmoor, Charles M'Coy, David Wal- lace and William Wilson. Alexander Robbe and Samuel Cunningham, after- wards captains in the militia, alone es- caped of this brave, but unfortunate band. The loss of so many young men in an infant settlement was very sensibly and severely felt. But it is a matter equally remarkable, that during the revo- lutionary war, out of the numbers, who occupied, occasionally, the post of dan- ger or were enlisted in the service, though several perished by sickness, not one
3
Dunbar's Sketch of Early Town History.
died in battle. No less than 17 from this place were present at the battle of Bun- ker's hill, and 25 at Bennington.
The town of Peterborough was incor- porated in 1760. From the first settle- ment the people were occasionally sup- plied with preaching by ministers belong- ing to the Presbytery and by neighboring Congregational clergymen. A Presby- terian minister by the name of Johnston came with the first settlers and tarried with them about a year. Another by the name of Harvey supplied the desk for a time. Rev. John Morrison, the first set- tled minister, was born at Pathfoot in Scotland, May 22, 1743; graduated at Edinburgh, Feb. 1765; arrived at Boston in May, the same year, and was ordained at Peterborough Nov. 26, 1766. He re- linquished his connection with this so- ciety in March, 1772-visited South Caro- lina, returned, joined the army at Cam- bridge in 1775 and immediately after the Bunker hill battle went over to the King's army in Boston and died at Charleston, S. C. Dec. 10, 1782. Rev. David Annan, the second settled minister, was born at Cupar of Fife in Scotland, April 4, 1754, came to America in youth, was edu- cated at New-Brunswick College, N. J., was ordained for Peterborough and at the call of the people here by the Presbytery which met at Walkill, N. J. Oct. 1778, and was dismissed from his pastoral con- nection with this society, at his own re- quest, by the Presbytery of Londonderry at their June session here, in 1792, in the 14th year of his ministry. After preaching in various places he returned to visit his relatives in Scotland in 1801, passed over to Ireland and died there in 1802. The church embodied in the congregational order and ordained their present minis- ter, Oct. 23, 1799.
A small number has ever since re- mained who prefer the presbyterian mode. The congregational church, ani- mated by a spirit of conciliation and de- sirous to accommodate their brethren, have ever been in the habit of commun- ing with them once a year in their mode; and they have always, hitherto, con- tributed to the regular support of the
congregational worship; attending, usu- ally, on public services. The professors of the standing order, including the Presbyterians, constitute a church of about 200 members. Till of late years, there were no sectarians in this place. A small Baptist society has been formed, of which scarcely a solitary individual was born here. They may amount to 15 persons. None have excused themselves from the support of publick worship as Methodists or Universalists. Mr. John Ferguson commenced the first school, taught in this place, about the year 1751. Spelling books had not then been intro- duced. Besides the Bible, the school books were these-the primer, the psalter and the testament. Mr. Ferguson was the town clerk, was much respected and continued liis useful labours till his decease, May 3, 1769, in his 65th year.
The first representative of Peterbo- rough was deacon Samuel Moore, elected in 1775. William Smith, Esq. was dele- gated to the Provincial Congress in 1774. The gentlemen first separated to the of- fice of deacons or ruling elders were Wil- liam M'Nee, William Smith, Esq. Sam- uel Moore and Samuel Mitchel. These all adorned their profession and died in faith. They were consecrated by Rev. Robert Annan of Boston, in 1778. The gentleman first commissioned here as justice of the peace was Hugh Wilson, Esq. a respectable magistrate. The late venerable William Smith, Esq. sustained this office with reputation for many years. His son, the late highly respect- ed and much lamented John Smith, Esq. long filled the seat of justice-was many years the representative and officiated as ruling elder; a man of great benevolence, liberal and enlarged views, singular in- tegrity and uncommon penetration. Pe- terborough has produced a goodly num- ber to adorn the bench, the bar and the pulpit-the legislature, the hall of Con- gress and the chair of state ?. And hero-
2 The following is a list of the graduates from Peterborough at the several Colleges, since 1787. Hon. Jeremiah Smith-late Chief Justice and Governor.
Hon. James Wilson-late M. C.
4
Peterborough Historical Society Collections.
ism has flourished here as in its native soil3. It might be invidious to speak of living merit-let a memorial of departed worth be exhibited. We barely mention the brave Col. Andrew Todd, dis- tinguished in the wars of 1744 and 1755, as le resided till near the close of life at Londonderry and made this place the re- treat of his old age, and his dormitory. Suffice it to say, he entered deeply into the feelings of our revolutionary patriots and gave this as his parting charge to a grandson marching to Bennington- "Never turn your back to the enemies of your country." The taper of life now glimmered in the socket, and he expired Sept. 15, 1777, in his 80th year. Capt.
Hon. John Wilson-late M. C. from Maine. Jesse Smith, M. D. Professor at Cincinnati, Ohio.
Reuben D. Mussey, M. D. Professor at Hanover. Rev. Messrs. Walter Little, William Ritchie, James Porter and Joseph Bracket.
Attornies or students at law-Stephen Mitchel, John Stuart, Charles J. Stuart, Jonathan Smith, James Wilson, jun. and 4 young gentlemen by the name of Steele .- Amasa Edes, preceptor of the Academy, New Ipswich-Charles White, a young man of superior talents, designed for the ministry, died at sea in returning from New- Orleans.
3 The following is a list of the soldiers from Peterborough in the war of 1755.
In 1755. * James Turner, Samuel Wallace, Wil- liam Swan.
In 1756. Thomas Cunningham, Samuel Cun- ningham.
In1 1757. Charles M'Coy, John Stuart, David Wallace, William Wilson, Robert M'Nee, John Dinsmoor, (slain 13th March 1758) Alexander Robbe, Samuel Cunningham, (escaped) Alexan- der Scott, Thomas Cunningham, (not in battle.)
In 1758. William Scott, *Jeremiah Swan, Sam- uel Stinson, Alexander Scott.
In 1759. Robert Wilson, Daniel Allat, John Taggart, William Scott, George M'Leod.
In 1760. Samuel Gregg, John Taggart, Samuel Cunningham, William Cunningham, Moor Stin- son, Henry Ferguson, John Swan, William Scott Solomon Turner, John Turner, *John Hogg, *David Scott. N. B. The two last broke out, in returning, with the small-pox and died at home. The others asterized, died in Camp.
List of soldiers from Peterborough at Bunker 11il1, 17th June, 1775. Capt. Wmn. Scott, Lieut. *Wm. Scott, *George M'Leod, James Hackley, *John Graham, David Scott, James Scott, Thomas Scott, David Robbe, *Randal M'Alester, Jolın Taggart, Samuel Mitchel, Thomas Morri-
William Scott, son of Alexander Scott, one of the first settlers, was born at Townsend, Mass. in May, 1743. He was noted not only for military enterprize but for his success in the forest-his victo- ries over the bear and the catamount. In 1758 and 1759 he was a soldier in the war in Canada. He was a Lieut. in the battle of Bunker Hill in the regiment commanded by Col. (afterwards Gen.) Stark. He had gone on the preceding night with the first party to throw up the entrenchments. He was severely wound- ed by a shot which fractured his leg soon after the first landing of the enemy. He fought resolutely till the retreat-when, being one of the last who attempted to
son, David Allat, Thomas Green, Joseph Hender- son, Richard Gilchrist. N. B. Those asterized, were wounded .- Ensign William Cochran, John Swan and Jonathan Barnet were on duty but not in the battle-Rev. Mr. Morrison remained in in camp and excused himself from accompanying his friends, alleging that the lock of his gun was so injured as to be useless. Shortly after, he passed over to Boston. M'Alester and Green were severely wounded. Green in a fainting and almost expiring state, was saved by his friend Gilchrist, who transported him on his back from Bunker hill to Medford.
Soldiers from Peterborough in the revolution- ary war.
1775. At Cambridge, 26. 1775. Nov. for do. (6 weeks) 16. 1776. (for 3 years, and during the war) June, for Ticonderoga, II. 1776. Aug. for New-York, 7. 1776. Dec. for do. 8. 1777. May, for Ticonderoga, 8.
At Bennington Battle the soldiers from Peter- borough and New Ipswich formed a company under the command of Capt .- of New-Ips- wich, and Lieut. Samuel Cunningham of Peter- terborough. Several miles from the main army, they fell into an ambushment of tories. Cun- ningham's coolness and consummate address supplied the want of numbers and of an equal, open contest. With the voice of a lion he called on one of the officers to bring up a body of 500 men to flank the enemy. The tories fled, left be- hind them their baggage and plunder,-and an open unmolested road to the army. In this en- counter Hon. Jeremiah Smith, then a private, and several others were wounded.
1777. Capture of Burgoyne, 25. 1778. At Rhode- Island, 10.
None of these died in battle. A number died of the diseases of the camp and the fatigues of war. Of these, four perished at Cambridge, and 3 detached from Cambridge to Canada, on the re- treat subsequent to the fall of Montgomery.
5
Dunbar's Sketch of Early Town History.
leave the ground, he received four addi- . tional wounds and fell. He was cap- tured, conveyed to Boston,and lodged in the jail-where the severity of his suf- ferings were, in some degree, alleviated by the friendly offices of the Rev. Mr. Morrison, and he eventually recovered- though the other wounded officers, his companions, died-was taken to Halifax on the evacuation of Boston, 17th March, 1776, and was there rigorously confined till the 19th June, when, by undermining the prison, he with several others es- caped, and on 19th of August arrived at Boston. Having joined his regiment at New-York, he was in Fort Washington at its surrender, Nov. 16, 1776, and was the only person who escaped. The enemy did not take possession of the fort till the next morning. In the night he swam the Hudson, there a mile in width, not- withstanding the season and the dis- tance.
Lieut. Scott received a captain's com- mission Jan. 1st, 1777, in Col. Henley's regiment, Massachusetts line, after- wards Col. Henry Jackson's. Burgoyne was now making a rapid progress in the North, while Capt. Scott was at Boston on the recruiting service. He repaired to the post of danger as a volunteer, and contributed his services on that inter- esting occasion towards those happy re- sults so ardently desired, so gloriously realized.
He was with Gen. Sullivan at the bat- tle on Rhode-Island and served in the army with his two sons till he resigned in 1781; and entered on the naval service on board the Dane frigate and served in that and other ships of war till the peace. His son David died in the 6th year of his service; the other4 still sur- vives.
In 1792, Capt. Scott's courage and humanity were severely tested in a most perilous conjuncture, thus narrated in the news from Philadelphia under date of July 2d.
"Yesterday at half past three o'clock,
commenced a most tremendous hurri- cane which lasted 15 minutes." The writer after describing the scene in gen- eral terms proceeds to state-"a boat from this city to the Jersey shore was overset within 50 rods of Cooper's wharf. There were in the boat Capt. Scott, Mr. Blake, his wife and four small children, a young woman and Mr. Betis, in all 9 persons-none of whom could swim but Capt. Scott. The captain, by the most astonishing and praiseworthy exertions, was able, providentially, to save them all. He swam ashore with one child hanging round his neck and one to each arm, and he returned to the boat amidst the boisterous waves raging in a furious and frightful manner and brought the others who had with much difficulty held by the boat, safe to the land."
In 1793, he had an appointment in the suite of Gen. Lincoln and the other com- missioners who went to settle a treaty with the six nations of Indians at or near Sandusky - when his health was im- paired. In 1796, he was connected with a party in surveying lands on the Black river, near Lake Erie and in the vicinity of the smaller lakes. This party was at- tacked by the lake fever and the captain returned with a division of the sick to Port Stanwix. Finding it difficult to pro- cure anv to go back after the sick per- sons left behind in the wilderness, he de- termined to go himself -- though strongly dissuaded by the physician who affirmed that he could not return alive. Capt. Scott replied, "I think I shall-but if not, my life is no better than theirs." He succeeded in his benevolent attempt, but died on the 10th day after his return at Litchfield, N. Y. Sept. 19, 1796, in his 54th year.
Lieut. William Robbe, seventh son of William Robbe and Agnes Patterson, his wife, was born at Sudbury, Mass., No- vember 22, 1730, and came with his fa- ther and family to Peterborough when he was 10 or 12 years of age. His mother had supposed herself cured in her youth of the King's Evil by a man reputed to be a seventh son, who traversed Ireland, as it was said, at his majesty's expence,
4 John Scott, Esq. who has kindly furnished these facts.
6
Peterborough Historical Society Collections.
and performed, it was believed, the most marvelous cures in that obstinate disor- der, by gently rubbing the diseased per- son in the throat with his naked hand, and, instead of taking a reward, bestow- ing a piece of silver. The first fruit of Mrs. Robbe's marriage was a daughter- then seven sons in succession-then an- other daughter. Mrs. Robbe fully be- lieved her son William, by the circum- stances of his birth, endued with the power of curing the King's Evil. She was a woman of most excellent and amia- ble spirit, and once put her life to the ut- most hazard by applying her mouth to the wound on the leg of a young man, pro- duced by the bite of a venomous serpent, and sucking out the poison5. The young man was saved and lived to be a great blessing and ornament to society-and she escaped uninjured. She charged her son to attend gratuitously on all who should apply to him for relief and to give each a piece of silver. Lieut. Robbe never refused his assistance to any who applied-but the applications becoming numerous and frequent, occasioned no small expence of time and money. At length, he determined to remove to a more retired situation, and had actually removed his goods to a house and farm he had purchased at Stoddard-then a new settlement. On the first night after his arrival, the house from some unknown cause, took fire and consumed his prop- erty-and the misfortunes he sustained in regard to his cattle and crops soon in- duced him to return and resume his form- er course of incessant trouble and ex- pence. He met with no more misfor- tunes, always enjoyed a comfortable sup- port and lived to a good old age. 'He was a man of a very amiable, disinterested disposition, of modest, unassuming man- ners and of inflexible uprightness .- When questioned as to his supposed extraordi- nary powers, though he acknowledged the undeniable effects which in many cases almost immediately followed the
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