USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Hampton Falls > History of the town of Hampton Falls, New Hampshire : from the time of the first settlement within its borders, 1640 until 1900 > Part 1
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ـ اليقبيه
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مجمد
الشريعة
JOHN FRENCH JOHNSON
LIBRIS
TAQUA PI
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ORGA
1905
15.19
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THE LAMSON COLLECTION UNIVERSITY OF N.H. DIMOND LIBRARY DURHAM, N.H.
AMESBURY, MASS.
Warren Brown
HISTORY OF THE TOWN
HAMPTON FALLS
NEW HAMPSHIRE
FROM THE TIME OF THE FIRST SETTLEMENT WITHIN ITS BORDERS
1640 UNTIL 1 900
BY WARREN BROWN
MANCHESTER, N. H. PRINTED BY THE JOHN B. CLARKE COMPANY
1900
PREFACE.
IN my boyhood I listened with interest and pleasure to hear my grandfather, Jacob Brown, Messrs. Benjamin Sanborn, Moses and Reuben Batchelder, Dea. Jeremiah Hobbs of Hampton, and other old men talk about the happenings, manners, and customs of their youthful days, and hear them relate the tales which had been told them by their parents of men and things in the carlier settlement of the country. During the past half century great changes have come about, which have drawn attention away from matters of this kind. The daily newspapers, magazines, and periodicals, with other things of interest rendered available by easy and rapid com- munication, have tended to draw attention away from these things until the traditional history of the past was in danger of being lost. unless it could be collected, written up, and published in a form where it could be preserved. With this purpose in view the writer has collected the material which appears in this work. In the winter of 1896-92, I visited Dea. Emery Batchelder many times. He was the only person living at that time who was acquainted, to any great extent, with the traditional history of the town; he had it as it had come down in his family from father to son for five generations; he took great interest in such things and his knowl- edge was very full and complete. By comparing the notes obtained from him with the record books, I am able to locate nearly all the families whose names appear upon the record. The information thus obtained enabled me to get at other things much easier, and opened a way to much valuable matter. Had this work been de- layed for six months much of our history would have been forever lost, as Mr. Batchelder died soon after. To him this town will always be indebted for the preservation of much useful and val- uable information which could at that time have been had from no other source.
3
HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
I am under great obligation to many persons who have rendered assistance in collecting material, and for the free use of their books and papers which have shed much light upon the past history of the town. Among these are Mr. C. G. Toppan of Hampton, who loaned me the manuscript of the partially written history of Hamp- ton, prepared by his father. E. W. Toppan, Esq. From this much valuable material was obtained, together with many sketches of the early inhabitants. The Toppan manuscript was prepared with great labor and expense, and there can be no doubt of its reliability. I am under obligation to John T. Batchelder for the use of the papers which have accumulated in the generations of his family (among them was found the first Thanksgiving proclamation issued by Governor Weare in November, 1284, and which appears in this work); to Ezra S. Stearns, late secretary of state, for valuable infor- mation and assistance, and for the concise and well-written chap- ter on Meshech Weare; and to the many others whom I have con- sulted, that have been more than willing to assist me in the work. The neglect of many families to register the marriages and births which occurred renders any extended genealogie work impossible; if attempted, only partial and imperfect work could have been done. As many of our families are recorded in Mr. Dow's history of Hamp- ton it is not so serious a loss. To take the place of this and to impart information of valne, I have introduced the articles upon the "Homesteads," giving all the information obtainable under this head in a readable form. It is not impossible that some names and dates may be found incorrect, but there is no intention to misstate, or to make things appear different from what they were. In the article upon "Old Time Customs." nearly every thing there de- scribed has been seen by the writer, and much of it written from memory. There was danger that nich which enters into this book would be lost if the work was much longer delayed. A great deal was copied from the only originals in existence, and these were widely scattered, and not much pains taken to preserve them. Within fifty years the church records have been destroyed, and other books belonging to the town have disappeared, and there is no reason to suppose that loss and disappearance would not con- tinne to go on. By collection and publication the past history will be in no danger of being lost, and will be valnable for reference.
The material which enters into the history of this town is first-
5
PREFACE.
class, and is excelled by no towns which I have ever examined, and only needs to be presented in a readable form to be very interesting. Some may think that too much attention has been given to common everyday matters, but in a staid old town like this startling events are not frequent : but in the long lapse of years, the aggregate of everyday events amounts to a great deal, and becomes interesting and valuable history, in which we all can take a commendable pride. It has been my purpose to give the facts, without comment or preju- dice, with no attempt to color them, and to allow the readers to form their own conclusions of men and things with no assistance of mine. Too many works of this kind are marred and injured by the evident purpose of the writer to make unduly prominent some church or family rather than to write impartial history. All this I have carefully tried to avoid. Not being identified with any of the churches, I have no interest to favor that of any seet or denom- ination, but have been glad to do honor to all the noble men and women of every denomination who have labored to suppress evil, and by whose work and example the community has been benefited and people led to higher and better lives, and am willing to judge them, not by their profession, but by their fruits. I have not ad- mitted anything to the pages of this book without first being satisfied of its authenticity and correctness, having exercised great care in this respect, and have in no case drawn upon my imagina- tion to bridge over vacant places, nor have I allowed myself to arrive at too easy conclusions, which there is often a temptation to do when the writer may wish to prove some matter which may be in doubt. The portraits of the older men which appear were not inserted because some of them were my kindred, but because they are the representatives of a former generation of long ago, and to show how the men of that time looked. These pictures were taken about as soon as the process was perfected enough for practical use; the men were far advanced in years when the pictures were taken. It is impossible to produce lifelike pictures of any persons who ever lived in the town who were older than those here represented.
It is to be hoped that the reader may take as much pleasure in perusing these pages as the writer has in collecting them, and that the examination may not be without profit and some degree of sat- isfaction.
WAARREN BROWN.
HAMPTON FALLS, July 1, 1899.
CONTENTS.
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH AND PARISH
Page 13 128
LIST OF MARRIAGES
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
151
MILITARY RECORD .
238
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS
268
CHECK-LIST OF 1814
273
FIRE ENGINE COMPANY
275
AGRICULTURAL FAIRS
278 288
PROVINCE RATES, 1709 AND 1727
290 296
COLORED PEOPLE
298 299
STATE LINE
THROAT DISTEMPER
SMALLPOX
CEMETERIES
EARTHQUAKE
MURDERS
315
TOWN HALL
318
TOWN MEETING
323
VOTES PASSED
327 330
CATTLE UPON THE HIGHWAYS
WEARE BANK
MILLS
SALT MARSIE
332 335 341
STORES .
344
BLACKSMITHIS
348 351
MILK BUSINESS
353
ROCKINGHAM ACADEMY
356
ROADS
366
TOWN COMMON
382
LOCAL NAMES
386
TOWN LANDING
390
RAILROADS
394
SURPLUS REVENUE .
COLLECTOR'S WARRANT IN 1756
301 303 307 310 313
LIBRARIES
SHOEMAKERS
8
HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
SHIP BUILDING
399 401
STORMS
407
SECRET SOCIETIES
413
TOWN BOOKS .
416
TOWN OFFICERS
419 429
ROBIESTOWN
433
THE MOULTON ELM
440
WEARE MONUMENT
441
WARNING OUT
444
THE EASTERN STAGE COMPANY
446
EMIGRANTS FROM HAMPTON FALLS
451
LIST OF RATES, 1747, 1768, 1787, 1800
454
LIST OF PERSONS TAXED IN 1830
469
INVOICE OF 1850
.
472
EXTRACTS FROM JOURNALS KEPT BY AND WARREN BROWN
DAVID BATCHELDER
476
JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER
500
OLD-TIME CUSTOMS
501
SCHOOLS
524
SCHOOLHOUSES
529
POSTOFFICE
533
SOME PECULIAR CHARACTERS
538
HOMESTEADS
542
TAVERNS
NORFOLK COUNTY
ILLUSTRATIONS.
WARREN BROWN
Frontispiece. Page 62
ROCKY HILL MEETING-HOUSE
REV. SERENO T. ABBOTT
82
WILLIAM BROWN
92
ELDER GEORGE MOORE PAINE
98
REV. ZEBULON JONES
100
REV. A. M. BRIDGE
104
LEVI LANE, EsQ.
108
FRANK B. SANBORN
128 150
REV. JOHN WHEELWRIGHT
164
RESIDENCE OF JOHN BATCHELDER
196
GOV. WEARE MANSION .
200 200
CAPT. JOHN S. GODFREY
252
RESIDENCE OF WARREN BROWN
272
THOMAS BROWN
312
RESIDENCE OF THOMAS BROWN
314
JOHN W. DODGE
332
JOHN B. BROWN
334
HON. GEORGE H. DODGE
338
A VIEW OF THE MARSII
342
ROCKINGHAM ACADEMY .
356
REV. LYSANDER DICKERMAN
360
WALLACE D. LOVELL
398
THOMAS LEAVITT, ESQ. .
118
CHARLES T. BROWN
428
MAP OF NORFOLK COUNTY
430
MOULTON ELMI
440
LEVI SANBORN
468
MAJ. JEREMIAH GODFREY
ELMFIELD
482 500 520
THE PILLORY .
THE STOCKS
522
THE BILBOES .
523
THOMAS GREENLEAF MOULTON .
546
9
.
ALICE BROWN .
THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION
10
HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
DEA. EMERY BATCHELDER
560
JACOB BROWN
564
DALTON'S DEED TO BATCHIELDER .
566
MOSES BATCHELDER
566
DALTON'S DEED TO HILLIARD
568
RESIDENCE OF MRS. JOHN W. DODGE .
588
LEAVITT HOMESTEAD
606
AGREEMENT OF BATCHELDER AND HILLIARD WITHI DALTON
614
HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
DESCRIPTION OF TOWN.
HAMPTON FALLS is situated in the southeastern part of Rocking- ham county, New Hampshire. It is bounded on the north by Exeter and Hampton, east by Hampton, south by Seabrook, and west by Kensington. Its geographical position, as determined by the United States coast survey, Weare monument, is, latitude, 42º 54' 57.87"; longitude, 70° 51' 34.54".
Its altitude above sea level, as found in the survey of the pro- posed Exeter & Amesbury Railroad, below the dam at Weare's mills is 41 feet; above the dam, 61 feet. The larger part of the area of the town is not more than fifty feet above sea level. The highest point in the town occupied by buildings is where Henry Johnson lives, on the Exeter road, within half a mile of the town line.
The area of the town is 7,400 acres, 5,786 of which are improved land. There are 1,000 acres of salt marsh in the town. The area of Hampton is 8,130 acres: North Hampton, 8,465; Kensington, 2,045.
Hampton Falls was formerly a part of Hampton. It did not have an act of incorporation making it a separate town at once, as most towns did. Its separation from the parent town was a gradual one. In 1909 a new parish was formed, a meeting-house built, and a minister settled. In 1718 permission was given to choose town or parish officers, and a representative. Our first town meeting was held and our town records began in 1718. In 1726 each town voted to raise their minister rates separately; up to that time they had been raised together. From that time Hampton Falls became an independent town and completely separated from the old town of Hampton. Hampton Falls was called a parish until the time of the Revolutionary War, and Falls was generally written with a small "f" until about the same time.
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14
HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
In 1232 on all lands south of Taylor's river, including what is now Kensington and Seabrook, there were 256 polls, 144 two-story houses, 46 one-story houses; whole amount of invoice, €9,515: tax, £90 16s. 3d.
At the same time in Hampton, including North Hampton, there were 257 polls, 142 two-story houses, 29 one-story houses; whole amount of invoice, €9,974 14s .; tax, £99 12s. 6d. The two towns at that time paid more than one sixth of the province tax.
The population in 1685, all south of Taylor's river, was 212. Of' the present town, in 1775, the population was 645; in 1790, 541: in 1800, 519; in 1810, 570; in 1820, 572; in 1830, 582; in 1840, 656; in 1850, 640; in 1860, 621; in 1870, 679; in 1880, 678; in 1890, 623. Number paying a poll tax in 1783 was 106.
The surface of the town is undulating, and the soil generally fer- tile, producing good crops. The inhabitants have generally and are now engaged in the cultivation of the soil. Not much manu- facturing has ever been done in the town except the making of shoes.
Cock and Great hills are composed of glacial drift, and not of ledge. The hills over the line in Essex county, Massachusetts, are of a similar character.
This town, like Hampton and Seabrook, is drained directly into the Atlantic ocean by Taylor's and Falls rivers, and their tributaries. The extent of this watershed from east to west is about six miles, and from north to south ten or twelve miles.
In 1770 Hampton Falls was a leading manufacturing town in the state.
HISTORY OF CHURCH AND PARISH.
THE history of the church in most of the country towns is inti- mately connected with the history of the town itself, and would in many instances include a greater part of the town's early history, so closely were church and other matters blended in those early days.
Any one attempting to write the history of this town would find themselves seriously handicapped by the absence of the church records. The church records of Hampton Falls were said by those who had examined them to have been very full and complete, and kept in excellent shape and condition during the entire time of the town ministry. These records were destroyed by fire when the house occupied by Rev. Mr. Bridge was burned in 1858. but fortu- nately a small book kept as a sort of diary of church events during the ministry of Messrs. Cotton and Whipple, the two first pastors of the church, was preserved. It is in their handwriting, and con- tains the church covenant, the names of those who organized the church, those who were baptized and admitted to membership. all the marriages consummated by them. and a pretty full record of the doings of the church until Mr. Whipple's health had become too much impaired to keep it. This record covers a period of nearly forty-five years. The handwriting of Mr. Cotton is easily read. being written in a round, legible hand; that of Mr. Whipple is written very fine, and cannot be easily or correctly read without the aid of a reading glass. This little book is unique in character and considered a great curiosity by lovers of the antique. It is of great value, containing. as it does, much information of great interest not now elsewhere to be found, which but for its fortunate preservation must have been forever lost. After Mr. Whipple's death until the end of the town ministry, what we know of the church history is mostly gathered from the town records, and it is neither full nor complete. We have reproduced largely from this little book to show the nature and amount of the work done and the influence of the church at that time. This book contains about two hundred
15
16
HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
pages with a title page at each end, Mr. Cotton's records being written from each end. On one of the title pages is written:
The Chh. Records off Hampton falls. Beging January 2d 1712 By Theophilus Cotton Pastor of That Chh
Turning the book over and beginning at the other end, we find on page 2:
Hampton, August 16, 1726, Died, the Revd mr Theophilus Cotton, Pastor of the Second Church of Hampton-after a faithfull Diseharge of that offiee for nigh 15 years & was Deeently Buried the 18 following att the Charge of the Parish
1 The Revd Theophilus Cotton was Ord: Jan 13th N. S. 1712 & Dyed Aug 27th 1726. A space of 14 years, 7 months & 14 Days.
2 The Revd Joseph Whipple was ord. Jan 15th N. S. 1727 & Dyed Feb 17th 1758-A space of 30 years, 1 month & 2 Days.
3 The Revd Josiah Bayley, was ord. Oct. 19th 1757 & Dyed Septr 12th 1762-a space of 4 years 10 months & 24 Days.
4 The Reyd Paine Wingate was ord Dec 14th 1763 & resigned his Pastoral Relation March 18th 1776. A space of 12 years, 3 months & 4 Days.
The history of the church in this town from the first settlement of Hampton in 1638 until a new parish was formed on the south side of Taylor's river in 1:11 is identical with the church history of the old town. The people living upon the south side of the river were regular in their attendance upon church service at the meet- ing-house in Hampton. Revs. Stephen Batchelder, Timothy Dal- ton. John Wheelwright. Seaborn Cotton, and John Cotton were as much the ministers of this town as of Hampton. There is not much known of the church history during these men's ministry. If any records were kept they have been lost. So the amount of reliable data during that time is very small. We do know that our people were taxed to the full amount of their polls and estates to support the minister in the old town. Christopher Hussey, Nathaniel Weare, and Samuel Shaw, who lived on this side of the river, were elected deacons at different times. Samuel Shaw resigned the office of deacon in the old church to accept a similar position in the church of the newly formed parish.
17
HISTORY OF CHURCH AND PARISHI.
There is no definite knowledge of the exact time when the first church was built in this town. The first record we find of anything looking in that direction was in 1665, when liberty was given the inhabitants of the Falls to build a house for their shelter, etc., and to set it near the old pound (which was upon the hill). Again, we find that the house for shelter and relief was for use on the Lord's day, and was to be used on that and other days when they should have occasion for it. The people living on the south side of Tay- lor's river were constant attendants at church on the Sabbath. This was a matter of principle with them, and they placed great value on the privileges of the sanctuary. But there were serious obstacles in their way to interfere with this privilege. Between their homes and the old church at Hampton was a long stretch of salt marsh with only an apology for a road; this was overflowed and impassable during high tides. Had there been as good communica- tion as at present, there would probably never have been any church built or new parish formed, unless the increase in population should have required it. From this house, built in 1665 and used for social and prayer meetings, gradually grew the church.
The church when built was near the site of the Weare monument, and appears to have been a plain unfinished building, neither elap- boarded nor plastered, and was used for religious services some time before the settlement of the first minister, Mr. Cotton. The erec- tion of the church and the maintaining of the service was done by voluntary contribution without help from the old parish.
At a town meeting in Hampton April 30, 1206,-
Voted to repair the walls of the meeting house, Earth all the clay walls and daub them, and wash them over with white lime. Mend the glass windows and cause Shetts to be made. To shingle it anew, and lay the floor over the beams, and to make a rate to pay the same.
Nathaniel Weare, Joseph Cass. John Gove, and twelve others enter their dissent, not because they are opposed to the repair of the meeting-house, but because they are engaged in building a new meeting-house on the Falls side.
At a Council and General Assembly in Portsmouth, December 3, 1209, the following petition of the inhabitants of the south part of Hampton was read at this board, viz .:
To his Excellency Joseph Dudley Esqr. Governor and Commander in Chief, in and over her Majesties Province of the Massachusetts Bay,
18
HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
and New Hampshire, and the Honorable the members of the Councel and Representatives convened together in General Assembly now Sit- ting. The humble address and petition of her Majesties loyal and dutiful subjects belonging to the South part of Hampton in Said Prov- ince of New Ilampshire commonly called Hampton falls, most humbly Sheweth
That your petitioners being of that distance from the publick place of the worship of God at the Town and soe many difficulties in going, and many times no passing over the causeway by any means, that it hath caused your petitioners to be at the charge of building a Meet- ing House upon our side of the Town and have had a minister for some time, and doing all by free contributions ourselves, and the other part of the Town being the major part of the Town, Rates us in the full proportion according to our estates to the repairing the Meeting House, and parsonage, and to the minister there which is burdensome to us, and we are not able to settle a minister with us for want of some better settlement in the matter. We therefore pray that in your wisdom you will grant us some relief in the matter, cither that the Town, and we on our side may maintain two by raising our rates in general together, or that we may be freed from the paying to the Town-and have power given us to make a Rate for the subsistance of one with us.
This was signed by fifty-six citizens.
Upon a full hearing of both parties in council upon this petition the 3d of December, 1:09,-
Voted that the contract and agreement of the Town of Hampton, for the maintainance of Mr. John Cotton, their present Minister be and herby is ratified and confirmed. And the town directed to pro- ceed for the raising and payment, of the same, as in all time heretofore. That the petitioners and such others as are joined with them on the westward of Tailer's River-have power at a meeting once a year for that end to choose among themselves three persons to be Assessors for raising the sum of for the maintainance of Such learned and orthodox minister to officiate in the New Church at Hampton as they Shall agree to call to the service there, with the advice of Mr. Cotton their present minister-that the affairs may proceed with such peace and friendship as becomes religion and good order. And that the assesment upon Said Petitioners and inhabitants on the said Western Side of Tailer's River, being Signed by said Assessers shall be col- lected by the Constables at all times and paid into the minister for his support as in all other towns and preeincts in the Province.
Past by the Council "Cha: Story Secretary."
After the passage of this act, the new parish lost no time in pro- curing a minister. The one who had hitherto preached to them
19
HISTORY OF CHURCH AND PARISH.
was probably Thomas Crosby, the schoolmaster who resided with them, but who was not qualified to administer the communion. Ile was the son of Rev. Seaborn Cotton's second wife by a former mar- riage. They now engaged the Rev. Theophilus Cotton, a graduate of Harvard College in 1201, youngest son of Rev. John Cotton of Plymouth, who was a brother of Rev. Seaborn Cotton of Hampton.
Rev. Theophilus Cotton was born at Plymouth May 5, 1682. He was a nephew of Rev. Seaborn Cotton, a cousin of Rev. John Cotton, and an unele of Rev. Ward Cotton. all of whom were settled over the church at Hampton at different times. He was also a cousin of Rev. Dr. Cotton Mather of Boston. He married Mary, widow of Dr. Gedney of Salem and a daughter of Mr. Gookin of Cambridge. They had no children. He finished his course at Harvard at the age of nineteen. Of the next eight years of his life we know noth- ing. He probably studied theology with his father and preached. as opportunity offered. He came to Hampton Falls sometime be- tween December 3, 1709, and May 13, 1:10, and preached nearly two years before the church was organized.
On the 9th of December, 1711, forty-nine members of the old church at Hampton were dismissed in order to form the Hampton Falls church, and four days afterwards, amid the solemnities of a day of fasting and prayer, the new church was organized with twenty-one male and thirty-five female members. Four weeks later, January 2, 1712, Mr. Cotton was ordained. The salary was at first sixty pounds and firewood, with use of the parsonage of thirty acres,-to which, a few years after, twenty pounds and more land were added.
The Hampton minister, Rev. John Cotton, died soon after. The people of Hampton Falls preferred the following petition, addressed as before:
To His Excellency etc. Most humbly Sheweth-That your petition- ers having formerly laid before yr Excelleney and Council the great want of having one Settled among us on our Side of the town in the work of the ministry-and now by Gods good Providence have obtained the Reverend Mr. Theophilus Cotton among us in the work. And God by his awful stroke of Providence having removed by death the worthy and Reverend Mr. John Cotton to our great lamentation, we do therfore pray, That we may be set off. from the town, from being at any charge as to procuring and maintaining a minister there-And that we may have power given us to make a tax or Rate from time to time as shall be for the support of our minister with us. And that
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