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HISTORY
OF
WOLFEBOROUGH
( NEW HAMPSHIRE )
BY
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN PARKER
Hoc solum fælix, haec jucundissima Terra, Agrestem gaudet, gravem reddetq; Laboren; Frumentum et Tritticum largedat fertile campum. Winnipesocke Palus ( quamvis sis Nomine rudis) Primum inter Stagna praeferres in Ordine Famœ, Luciolis, Truttis aureisq natantibus, undis. H: A: Antigal
- INSCRIPTION ON PROPRIETORS' RECORDS.
PUBLISHED BY THE TOWN A.D. MDCCCCI.
974.2 P
PRESS OF CAUSTIC & CLAFLIN CAMBRIDGE MASS.
INTRODUCTION.
1137035
I
N the preparation of this volume, one thing, above all others, has been kept in mind-accuracy. The work is a history in fact as well as in name.
The author, during his long life, was privileged to come face to face with most of his living sources of information. All other matters considered are based upon authen- ticated records and documents. Although Mr. Parker was not permitted to see the completion of his life work, his ideas in this particular have been strictly adhered to by those who succeeded him. The story of a historic town, as told in succeeding pages, is a true story and, we confidently assert, an unusually interesting one.
The town first took action in the matter in 1898, when Messrs. Edwin H. Lord, Albert B. Rust, and Frederick W. Prindle were appointed a committee to confer with the author. As a result of their interested and painstaking labors, this volume, published under an appropriation of the town, is now offered to the public.
The book is not particularly rich in genealogies. Much valuable material of this sort remains unused among the author's papers. Not because it lacked value, not because it was uninteresting, but for the sole reason that the scope of the work forbade its incor- poration therein.
This history of Wolfeborough, then, written by one who for more than three-fourths of a century lived in and wrought for the town, is respectfully presented to those who, by right of birth or adoption, proudly call themselves her sons and daughters.
THE EDITOR.
CHAPTER I.
DISCOVERY OF PISCATAQUA RIVER-NEW ENGLAND-COUNCIL OF PLYMOUTH-GORGES AND MASON-LACONIA-FIRST SET- TLEMENTS AT PISCATAQUA-NEW HAMPSHIRE-MASON'S GRANT-DEATH OF MASON AND HIS HEIRS-LAND SOLD TO SAMUEL ALLEN-YOUNG MASON'S CLAIMS AND THE DISPOSAL OF THE PROPERTY.
B EFORE proceeding with the particular history of the town of Wolfeborough it may not be uninteresting or unprofitable to briefly consider the titles by which the lands in this and many other towns in the state of New Hampshire are held. It is well known that the European governments claimed the right to hold such lands as might be discovered on the American continent by their subjects. In 1614 that remarkable voyager, Captain John Smith, while examining the coast from Penobscot River to Cape Cod, discovered the Piscataqua River, which he de- scribes as "a safe harbor with a rocky shore." On his return to England he published a description of the country with a map of the sea-coast, which he presented to Prince Charles, who gave to the region the name of New England.
In 1620 King James constituted a council of forty persons- "noblemen, knights, and gentlemen, by the name of the Council Established at Plymouth, in the County of Devon, for the Plant- ing, Ruling, and Governing of New England in America." They were a corporation with perpetual succession, vacancies being filled by election of the majority. Their territory extended from the fortieth to the forty-eighth degree of north latitude. This charter was the foundation of all grants that were made of the
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HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
country of New England. Two of the most active members of this Council were Sir Ferdinando Gorges and Captain John Mason.
In 1622 Gorges and Mason obtained a grant of all the lands between the rivers Merrimac and Sagadahock, "extending back to the great lakes and river of Canada," which they called La- conia. They, having formed a co-partnership with several Eng- lish merchants, the following year commenced settlements on the Piscataqua River. In 1629 Mason obtained a patent from the Council of Plymouth for the land "from the middle of the Piscataqua River, and up the same to the farthest head thereof ; and from thence northwestward, until sixty miles were finished : also. through Merrimac River to the farthest head thereof; and so forward, up into the land westward, until sixty miles were finished; and from thence to cross over land to the end of sixty miles accounted from Piscataqua River, together with all the islands within five leagues from the coast." This tract of land was called New Hampshire. A straight line from the two inland points indicated would pass through the town of Wolfeborough; while a curved line, as it was claimed it should be, would probably be as far north as Moultonborough. The territory included with- in these lines is but a small part of that which now constitutes the state of New Hampshire.
In June, 1635, the Plymouth Council was required to surrender its charter to the king. Mason, however, had taken the pre- caution to have his former grant confirmed previous to the sur- render. He immediately commenced making arrangements to send men and supplies to New Hampshire, a step rendered neces- sary by the lanquishing condition of the settlements on the Piscataqua. His death, which occurred within the year, pre- vented the accomplishment of his purpose. In his will, after be- queathing several legacies, he devised the residue of his estate in New Hampshire to his grandson, John Tufton, and his lawful issue ; the legatee, in any case, being required to take the sur- name of Mason.
7
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
In 1638 the widow of Mason, who was also his executrix, at- tempted to carry out his plans of settlement through an agent, but, finding that the expenses exceeded the income, gave up the attempt ; and for the time the property became valueless. In 1641 the few settlements in New Hampshire came under the juris- diction of Massachusetts. In 1652 Joseph Mason, an agent of the executrix, made an attempt to recover the interest of the estate in the territory, but failed of accomplishing his purpose.
John Tufton, the first named residuary legatee in Mason's will, died in infancy, and, consequently, Robert Tufton, at the death of the widow, succeeded to whatever rights the family might still possess in the New Hampshire property. He assumed the sur- name of Mason, and on the restoration of Charles the Second, ap- plied to the throne for redress. The response was favorable, but no immediate beneficial results followed. Becoming discouraged, he, in 1674, seriously thought of alienating his right to the crown. This scheme was, however, abandoned, and the following year he again petitioned the king for the restoration of his property. The matter was referred to the proper law officers, and it was finally determined that Mason had a legal right to the lands which he claimed. This decision eventually led to the separation of New Hampshire from Massachusetts, which event took place in 1680.
Mason, having been appointed one of the council of New Hampshire, repaired to the province, when commenced vexatious disputes between him and the individual landholders in relation to titles. He died in 1689, leaving his sons, John and Robert, heirs to his claim-and his controversies.
In 1691 the two heirs sold their rights to Samuel Allen, a Lon- don merchant. Allen had the address to successfully defeat an attempt which was then made to re-annex New Hampshire to Massachusetts, and to secure the appointment of his son-in-law, John Usher, to the office of lieutenant-governor of the province.
A change of claimants did not render the settlers any more acquiescent, and they as resolutely resisted the demands of Allen
8
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
as they had previously those of Mason. At length a compromise was proposed ; and arrangements were being made to effect an amicable adjustment of the matters in dispute, when Allen died. His son and heir renewed the controversy, but soon died. His other children being minors, no further effective efforts were made by the family to substantiate its claim.
When John and Robert Mason sold their claim to Samuel Allen in 1691, it was supposed that there might be a flaw in the transfer. No notice was taken of this, however, during the lives of the two Masons. John, the elder, died without issue. Robert married in New England, and had a son, who, after the death of his father, conceived hopes of invalidating Allen's purchase and re- covering his paternal inheritance. He, however, died before he had obtained sufficient means to prosecute his claim. His eldest son, John Tufton Mason, arrived at his majority in 1738, at which time a controversy in relation to jurisdiction between the province of Massachusetts and that of New Hampshire was in agitation. The politicians of Massachusetts, conceiving that it might be for their advantage, advised young Mason to assert his pretensions. They purchased of him a quit-claim of nearly four thousand acres of land lying within the border towns of the province, and paid the expenses of a voyage to England, that he might better prose- cute his claim. The agents of Massachusetts, afterwards learn- ing that by pressing the claim of Mason they might prejudice the court in relation to their own interests, released him from further obligation to them.
Thomlinson, the ever-watchful agent for New Hampshire, be- ing apprised of this action, entered into an agreement with Mason for the release of his claim to the provincial assembly. A variety of circumstances conspired to prevent the ratification of this agree- ment, and in 1746 he conveyed his whole interest in New Hamp- shire lands to Theodore Atkinson, Mark H. Wentworth, Richard Wibird, John Wentworth (son of Governor Benning Went- worth), George Jaffrey, Samuel Moore, Nathaniel Meserve,
9
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
Thomas Packer, Thomas Wallingford, Jonathan Odiorne, Joshua Pierce, and John Moffat for fifteen hundred pounds. Atkinson had three shares; Mark H. Wentworth, two; and the other ten purchasers, one share each. These persons were styled the Pro- prietors of Mason's Patent, or the Masonian Proprietors.
CHAPTER II.
GRANT OF TOWNSHIP-KINGSWOOD-ADMISSION OF ASSOCIATES -HOW THE NEW TOWN WAS NAMED-THE MILES ROAD -ELISHA BRYANT FELLS TREES-FIRST MEETING OF TOWN PROPRIETORS-TOWN NAMED, SURVEYED, AND DI- VIDED-EFFORT TO PROMOTE SETTLEMENT-TERMS UNDER WHICH LAND COULD BE ACQUIRED-SEPARATION INTO LOTS-DESCRIPTIVE BOUNDARIES-BOUNDARIES OF SUB- DIVISIONS AND ADDITIONS.
O N the fifth day of October, 1759, the principal part of the territory now embraced within the limits of the town of Wolfeborough was granted to certain persons by the following instrument :-
Prov. of New Hampshire-At a Meeting of the Proprietors of the Lands purchased of John Tufton Mason, Esq., or the Pro- prietors of Mason's Patent so-called holden at the House James Stoodley, Inn-holder at Portsmouth, the fifth day of October, Anno Domini, 1759.
Whereas sundry young Gentlemen of the Town of Portsmouth in said Province have applied to said Proprietors and repre- sented that they are disposed to make a settlement of a new Plantation and to advance all such Sums of Money from Time to Time as should be necessary to a Vigorous Prosecution of that Design if they could obtain the Title of said Proprietors to a suitable Tract of Land for that Purpose and thereupon have requested such a Grant, and said Proprietors being willing to encourage a proposition so likely to be of public Utility, there- fore
Voted That there be and hereby is granted unto William Earl
IO
II
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
Treadwell, Henry Apthorp, Ammi Ruhamah Cutter and David Sewall all of Portsmouth aforesaid and such others as they shall admit as Associates with them and their respective Heirs and Assigns forever all the Right, Title, Estate, Property & Demand of said Proprietors of in and into a Certain Tract of Land in the Province aforesaid Equal in Quantity to thirty Six square Miles Bounded as follows Viz: beginning at the North Easterly corner of a Tract of Land granted by said Proprietors to Jonathan Chesle & others known by the Name of New Dur- ham then running North forty Eight Degrees East on the Head or uper Line of a Tract of Land called Middletown and on that called Salmon falls-Town or as those head Lines run join- ing thereon and running so far as that a Line runing from thence Six Miles North West and then South West to Win- nepiseoky Pond and then by the side of said Pond joining thereon untill the aforesaid Corner first mentioned bears South East and then running South East to the said Corner makes up the aforesaid Quantity of thirty Six square Miles, Excepting and reserving as is herein after Expressed and on the Con- ditions and limitations and Terms herein after declared to have and to hold the said granted Premises with the Appurtenances to them the said William Earl Treadwell, Henry Apthorp, Ammi Ruhamah Cutter and David sewall and their Associates' their several and respective Heirs and Assigns forever on the Terms reservations Limitations & Conditions following Viz .- First that the said Tract of Land be at the Cost of the Grantees and their Associates laid out as soon as may be into four equal Parts both for Quantity and Quality and one of the said Parts to be determined by Lot be & hereby is Excepted and reserved to the said Proprietors and their Assigns, which Quarter Part shall be also laid out at the Expense of the said Grantees and their Associates when requested by said Proprietors into twenty Shares or Lots three of which shall be for the following Public Uses Viz. one for the Use of a School, one for the Use of the
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HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
first Minister of the Gospell who shall Settle there the other for the use of the Ministry of the Gospel who shall settle there forever, and the other Seventeen Lotts to be for the Use of the other Persons to whom they shall fall by Lot hereafter to be drawn their Heirs and Assigns by which Method also the afore- said Lots for Public uses shall be determined and all necessary Public or General High ways shall be laid out in the said re- served Quarter at the Expense of the said Grantees and As- sociates, no High way to be less than two Rods wide and all the Shares Lots and Divisions in the said Quarter Part shall not be liable to any Charge in setling and carying this Proposal into Execution untill the same shall be improved by the respec- tive owner-
Secondly the said Grantees shall have ten Families setled on said three Quarters of said Tract of Land within three Years after a Public Peace shall be concluded between the English French and Indians and within Eight Years after such a Peace to have forty Familys settled there and a Convenient House built for the Public Worship of God and all necessary High ways shall be laid out thro' the said Land of the Breadth aforesaid, all the said Matters and Things are to be done at the Charge and Ex- pense of the Grantees and their Associates, Provided that if after such a peace a war with the Indians should again com- mence before the Expiration of the several periods before Limited the like Time shall be allowed as before specified after that Impediment shall be removed-Moreover all White Pine Trees fit for his Majesty's Use in the services of the Royal Navy are hereby reserved to his Majesty's Use his Heirs & Successors for that Purpose that are or hereafter shall be grow- ing on said Land-And in Case the said Grantees and their Associates shall neglect and omit to perform the Articles Mat- ters or Things before mentioned by them to be done or that shall be added by Agreement between said Proprietors & them according to the true Intent and meaning hereof and within the
13
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
Time limited for that Purpose ; it shall & may be lawfull to and for said Proprietors and they are hereby authorized either by themselves or any of them their Agent or Agents or Attorneys in their Name to Enter and take possession of said Granted Premises & become Reseized thereof & be again instated as in their former Estate and as if this Grant had never been made -And further it is agreed and this Condition Added that the Grantors Lots shall not be subjected to any Town or Parish Charges or Tax neither by Act of Assembly or otherways until they shall by them be respectively Setled or Sold by the Grantees and their Associates shall keep and save them wholly indemnified from the same, and also that neither the Grantors nor their Heirs shall be by Virtue of this Grant bound or held to Warrant the said granted Premises to the Grantees nor their Associates. And that there be also reserved in the most con- venient Place in the said three Quarter parts of said Tract hereby granted, Ten Acres of Land, to be laid out by the said Grantees and their Associates, in, or as near as can be in a Square, for Public Uses for the Benefit of the Inhabitants of the whole Tract herein described Viz. for a Training Field, Burying Ground and any other Public Use.
Copy of Record Examined Per Geo. Jaffrey, Proprietors' Clerk."
The foregoing instrument shows how Treadwell, Apthorp, Cut- ter and Sewall became the proprietors of the original township of Wolfeborough. Twenty-one days after receiving the aforesaid grant, they admitted with them twenty associates by the following conveyance :-
To whom these Presents shall come, Greeting :
Whereas, the Proprietors of Mason's Patent so called for the Encouraging the Settlement of a new Plantation, on the fifth
14
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
Day of October Instant Granted and conveyed unto us Wil- liam Earl Treadwell & Henry Apthorp Merchants Ammi Ruhamah Cutter physician and David Sewall Attorney at Law all of Portsmouth in the Province of New Hampshire all the Right Estate and Demand of said Proprietors to a Certain Tract of Land equal in Quantity to thirty Six square Miles Bounded as follows (The boundaries are the same as in the grant) to Have and to Hold the said Premises with their Ap- purtances to us and our Associates & our Respective Heirs and Assigns under the Reservations and on the Conditions and Limitations Expressed in the said Grant as may more fully ap- pear by reference thereto.
Now know ye, That We, the said William Earl Treadwell, Henry Apthorp, Anımi Ruhamah Cutter and David Sewall for carrying on & making the said settlement have admitted as As- sociates in the said Grant Daniel Peirce, Esq., Paul March, Gentlemen ; John Rindge, Daniel Rindge, John Wentworth, George Meserve, Robert Odiorne, Jotham Rindge, Samuel Moffatt, Thomas Wentworth, Merchants ; George King, Henry Rust, John Parker, Isaac Rindge, Mariners; Joshua Brackett, Gentleman, All of Portsmouth ; William Parker of Kingston in said Province, Gentleman; Nathaniel Peasely Sargent of Haverhill, County of Essex, Province of Massachusetts Bay, Attorney at Law; Daniel Tredwell of New York, Province of New York, Gentleman; Thomas Darling, Master of the Mast- ship, called the Strafford and John Long, Master of the Mastship called Winchester both lately residing in said Portsmouth.
In consideration of the Sum of Five Shillings to us in hand paid by them the Receipt whereof to our full satisfaction we do hereby acknowledge Have given granted bargained & sold and by these Presents Do give grant bargain Sell Convey and Con- firm unto them our said Associates all our Right Title Interest
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HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
Estate and Demand which we have by Virtue of the said Grant of in & unto Twenty, Four-and-Twentyeth Parts of three Quar- ters of said Tract of Land Excepting only Ten Acres which is to be held in Common for Public Uses To Have and To Hold the said Granted & bargained premises with the Appurtenances tinto them the said Associates viz. To Each of them one four & Twentieth Part aforesaid & to his Heirs & Assigns Forever on the same Terms Limitations and Conditions mentioned in the Grant to us ; by us and our Associates to be performed & Done they doing Paying and performing each his Respective Share and Proportion thereof And Whereas our Share Part & Propor- tion of said Land which Remains to us being four twenty fourth Parts of the said three Quarters is in Common un- severed we hereby mutually agree to divide, and by these Pres- ents do sever divide & make Partition of the same to each, one fonr & twentieth Part of the said three Quarter Parts to hold, to each his Heirs & Assigns in Federalty, forever, In Witness whereof we have hereunto Set our hands and Seals the twenty fourth Day of October Anno Domini 1759.
Signed Sealed and Delivered
in the presence of us
Joseph Wiggin William Parker
William Earle Treadwell H. F. Apthorp A. R. Cutter David Sewall
Province of New Hampshire-October 26th 1759 then the within Named Henry Apthorp Ammi Ruhamah Cutter & David Sewall Personally appearing acknowledged this Instrument to be their free Act & Deed
Before William Parker Justice of Peace.
The organization of Kingswood, a town chartered by Gov-
16
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
ernor Belcher, October 20, 1737, embracing within its limits a portion of the territory included within the boundaries of Wolfe- borough, may now very properly be considered. This town was situated north of Rochester and Barrington, and comprised Middleton (including Brookfield), New Durham, New Durham Gore (now Alton), and parts of Gilmanton, Wakefield, and Wolfeborough. The boundaries of the tract were as follows :-
"Beginning at the southeasterly corner of Barnstead, and from thence to run the same course as Barnstead's easterly side-line runs to Winnipisioky Pond ; from thence upon a right angle till it comes to the boundary-line between our said province of New Hampshire and that which was formerly called the province of Maine; from thence on the same boundary-line runneth to' the northeasterly corner of the town of Rochester; from thence by Rochester and Barrington head-lines to the bounds first men- tioned."
The sixty proprietors to whom the town was granted were Eleazer Russell, Nathaniel Rogers, Matthew Livermore, Thomas Peirce, William Parker, Benjamin Walton, Samuel Hart, Joseph Molton, John Cut, Thomas Wright, John Ayers, Solomon Cotton, Daniel Jackson, Jr., Samuel Sherburne, merchant, Henry Sher- burne, Jr., ditto, William King, John Sherburne of Little Harbor, Joseph Sherburne, son of Joseph Sherburne, Esq., Nathaniel Men- dum, George Rogers, Joseph Whipple, John Ross, Charles Frost, N. Castle, John Shackford, Jr., John Wood, William Frost, Ben- jamin Miller, Daniel Moulton, Benjamin Gambling, John Pray, Solomon Pike, Nicholas Whidden, John Fellows, Thomas West- brook, Daniel Rogers, Samuel Sherburn, Innholder, Elliot Vaughan, Peter Grely, Ichabod Plaisted, Thomas Newmard, John Kennard, Henry Sherburne, Jr., of the Plains, John Dennet, son of Ephraim Dennet, Esq., Moses Dennet, Joseph Langdon, Samuel White, George Pierce, Joseph Jackson, Moses Noble, Sharach Walton, Esq., George Jaffrey, Esq., Ephraim Dennet, Esq., Joshua Pierce, Esq., Joseph Sherburn, Esq., Jotham Odi-
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HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
orne, Esq., Henry Sherburne, Esq., Richard Waldron, Esq., Theodore Atkinson, Esq.
By the conditions of the grant the proprietors were each to build a dwelling-house, and settle a family in the town within five years. They were also to build a meeting-house within the same time, and settle an orthodox minister within seven years. Should wars occur, the time for doing these things was to be extended. They were to reserve three hundred acres of land for the first ordained minister that should settle in the town, a like quantity for the second, six hundred acres for parsonages, and three hun- dred acres for schools. The proprietors were to pay the govern- ment an annual quit-rent of ten pounds of hemp, if demanded, and reserve for it all mast trees. The committee designated by the governor to call the first meeting consisted of Nathaniel Rogers, Eleazer Russell, and Matthew Livermore. Rogers was chosen moderator, and Livermore, proprietors' clerk.
At subsequent meetings a tax to meet current expenses was assessed. John Fellows was appointed tax-collector, and Henry Sherburne, Esq., treasurer. The committee that called the first meeting was authorized to make surveys and secure settlers. Subsequently, Sherburne, Livermore, and Richard Waldron were appointed a committee to make arrangements for settling the town by giving to sixty persons each a lot not to exceed three hundred acres of land. They were also to lay out three lots of the same size,-one for the first minister, one for a parsonage in the district first settled, and one for a school in the same district. Each proprietor was also to have a similar lot. The settlements were to be located in the southern part of the grant. It is not known that any effective measures were adopted to secure the contemplated object. The scheme proved a failure, and in 1739, when Governor Belcher was removed, the charter was annulled. It is possible that a few persons located in the southern part of the grant and remained until New Durham was organized, as a road had been cut from Dover to Lake Winnipesaukee in 1722,
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