USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Surry > History of the town of Surry, Cheshire County, New Hampshire : from date of severance from Gilsum and Westmoreland, 1769-1922, with a genealogical register and map of the town > Part 1
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University of new Hampshire Library
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF SURRY
CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE
From date of severance from GILSUM and WESTMORELAND 1769 --- 1922
with a GENEALOGICAL REGISTER AND MAP OF THE TOWN
by FRANK BURNSIDE KINGSBURY
Member of New Hampshire and Vermont Historical Societies; Son of American Revolution; Author of descendants of the daughters of Nathaniel Kingsbury, 1904; Marshall Family Record, 1912.
Published by the town of SURRY, NEW HAMPSHIRE 1925
THE CONCORD PRESS CONCORD, N. H. 1925
COPYRIGHT BY
TOWN OF SURRY, NEW HAMPSHIRE. By
HOLLIS W. HARVEY
CLARENCE H. FRENCH
GEORGE H. JOSLIN
MRS. ELLEN H. HARVEY
J. V. STILLINGS MRS. GRACE E. STILLINGS
Town History Committee.
i
FRANK B. KINGSBURY
ii
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
PAGES
GENERAL HISTORY 5-14
Name and incorporation-Situation and Boundary-Surface and Geology, Mineralogy-Ashuelot River-Brooks and Spring-Hills and Landmarks-Wild Animals-Birds and Fish.
CHAPTER II.
INDIAN HISTORY 15-18
CHAPTER III.
EARLY HISTORY AND CHARTER 19-29
CHAPTER IV.
EARLY HISTORY (continued) 30-40 Proprietors' Records-Boundary Lines-Lots and Ranges- The New Hampshire Grants.
CHAPTER V.
ROADS, HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES 41-60
CHAPTER VI.
CENSUS AND VOTERS' LIST 61-85
Population census-Revolutionary War census-First United States Census, 1790-Inhabitants' census, 1806-Voters in Surry, 1825-Census of 1840-Industry Census, 1850-Voters in Surry, 1922.
CHAPTER VII.
MILITARY HISTORY 86-114 - Surry during the Revolutionary War-Militia-New Hamp- shire State Militia-Surry Militia Company in 1808.
CHAPTER VIII.
MILITARY HISTORY (continued) 115-133
War of 1812-War of the Rebellion-World War-Liberty Loans-Elliott Community Hospital.
CHAPTER IX.
CIVIL LISTS 134-169
Town Officers-County Officers-State Officers-Town Topics -The Village Water System-Surry Fire Company-Law- suits-Miscellaneous Items.
iii
CHAPTER X.
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY 170-208
Old Congregational Church-The Church Bell-Early Church Records-Rev. Perley Howes' Ministry-The Minister's Tax -Orthodox Congregational Church-The Crane Meeting- house-The Baptist Society-Universalist Society-Spiri- tualists-Salary Tax for 1803.
CHAPTER XI.
EDUCATIONAL HISTORY 209-242
Schools-Common School Association-Surry Literary Club -Surry Social Library-The Reed Free Library-Music- Old Home Week Association-Masonic Order-Surry Grange -Reform Club-Professions.
CHAFTER XII.
INDUSTRIES 243-254
CHAPTER XIII.
CASUALTIES
255-261
Fires-Crimes-Tornado.
CHAPTER XIV.
REMINISCENCES 262-274
CHAPTER XV.
FAMILY HISTORIES 275-337
Cellar-holes-House-sites-Dwellings-Mills-Shops-Places of Historical Interest.
CHAPTER XVI.
CEMETERIES 338-406
The Village Burying Yard-Unmarked and Unknown Graves -The South Cemetery-The Southwest Burying Yard-Pond Road Cemetery.
PART TWO.
GENEALOGICAL REGISTER 407-973
GENERAL INDEX 974-
INDEX OF PERSONS
INDEX OF PLACES
iv
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PAGE
Baxter-Shaw Homestead
310
Harvey Homes .
298
Hayward Homestead
277
Holbrook Tavern .
313
Joslin Homestead
325
Lily Pond .
265
Perkins Coat of Arms .
794
Perkins Homestead
306
Porter Residence .
297
Nathan D. Reed Farm . .
315
Scriptures Mill
.
308
South Schoolhouse, No. 10
280
Surry Mountain .. 264 .
Surry Village, Looking North .
291
Toll Gate Site
·
303
Village Hotel
.
292
Carpenter Homestead
323
Willard Streeter Residence . 305
V
LIST OF PLATES
PAGE
Lyna and Joseph Allen .
422
George W. Britton
482
John Langdon Britton
479
Isaac Brown
493
William and Abigail Carpenter .
508
Dr. Jasper H. Carpenter .
514
Mason A. Carpenter
515
Benjamin Currier Crosby
557
Henry T. Ellis
596
Eliphaz Field
605
Francis F. Field
609
Nancy (Robbins) Grimes
838
Eliza Harvey
664
George K. Harvey
665
Jonathan Harvey, Jr.
663
Peter Hayward .
677
Peter B. Hayward
678
Benjamin Hills
684
Elijah Holbrook .
691
George W. Holbrook
692
Edward H. Joslin .
725
George Joslin
726
Cyrus Kingsbury .
746
Josiah Kingsbury
742
William Henry Porter
810
David Reed 4
824
Samuel Robinson .
842
Dr. Samuel Thompson
903
Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Vincillette
912
Hollis Wilcox
947
Thankful Robbins Wilcox
948
William Wallace Wilcox . .
.
950
vi
Frontispiece
Edward A. Kingsbury
744
Frank B. Kingsbury
PREFACE
While all details are not necessary, a general review of conditions that led to writing this history may be of interest.
In every town there is always one person at least who is imbued with love for his native town. Even as a school boy Francis F. Field was interested in the early history of Surry, and from old people collected reminiscences which he jotted down on odd scraps of paper. Because of his effort to estab- lish the last resting place of early inhabitants many unmarked graves that never could have otherwise been known can now be placed on record. He wanted a town history written, and endeavored to turn public opinion along that line. In 1881 there was an article in the warrant to see if the town would "prepare and publish the early history of the town." For four suc- ceeding years the same article appeared in the annual town warrant, but at no time was any favorable action taken. During an interview in the winter 1903-04 the writer urged Mr. Field to write and publish a history; for a de- cade more it was hoped and desired that he would undertake the task, but lack of interest in earlier days, his increasing years and other reasons de- terred him, and realizing that he could not do the work, with due consideration he generously, and much to my surprise, turned over to me on August 20, 1915 all his papers and notes pertaining to the town under condition that, "in case anything is put into print proper mention be made of said Field's ma- terial." Five days later, and before I had time to examine the material, it was announced at Surry Old Home Day, and without my consent, that I would "prepare a town history for publication." At Old Home Day the next year a few subscriptions were secured to assist on the history.
At the town meeting, March, 1917, two hundred dollars was voted to help the work along and a town History Committee was appointed. At the an- nual town meeting, March, 1919, it was voted:
"That the town appropriate the sum of $700.00, one-third thereof to be raised by taxation the present year and one-third the following year and the balance in the third year and the Committee on town history already appointed is hereby authorized and empowered to make such contract and arrangement with Frank B. Kingsbury for the finishing of said history up to the printing as in the judgment of said Committee shall be for the interest of the town, paying therefore cut of the above mentioned sum and the selectmen are hereby authorized to enlarge said committee by the appointment under their hands of additional numbers whenever they may deem it expedient."
The time required for the author to complete the manuscript has taken many months more than was anticipated, he regrets the delay, numerous causes, for part of which he is not responsible, have retarded progress.
Hollis W. Harvey, Clarence H. French, George H. Joslin, Mrs. Ellen H.
vii
Harvey, J. V. Stillings and Mrs. Grace E. Stillings comprise the Town His- tory Committee and they have carefully read the manuscript, and in their hands rest all further details; the writer is responsible only for the preparation of the manuscript which he has endeavored, without any claim to literary tal- ent, to have as complete and free from error as possible.
Many people have generously aided in securing material for the Geneal- og.cal Register which would otherwise have been inaccurate and unsatisfac- tcry. Acknowledgment for the assistance rendered by the History Commit- tee is hereby given, and especially to Mrs. Ella E. (Patten) Abbott of West- moreland and Keene; Mrs. Bertha (Perkins) Britton, New Haven, Conn .; Mrs. Jennie Ball Foster, Los Angeles, Calif .; Charles M. Scovell, Haverhill, Mass .; Carlos E. Barron, Westminster, Mass .; Sewall F. Rugg, Chesterfield; Charles C. Buffum of Keene, Register of Deeds; to my wife who has compiled the grave-stone records and has done much research work, and also to Samuel Wadsworth of Keene for his excellent work on the map of the town.
It has been the constant aim of the writer to narrate facts and present a reliable history. May it in some degree serve its purpose to perpetuate the deeds of our fore-fathers, to keep from oblivion the memory of the old home- stead. That it prove both satisfying and pleasing to the sons and daughters of Surry, is the desire of the author.
Surry, N. H., 1923.
FRANK B. KINGSBURY.
viii
INTRODUCTION
Aside from some historical data gathered by the late Francis F. Field no at- tempt had been made by any one, to the writer's knowledge, to arrange and put in legible form the events pertaining to this town, and the compiler of this History little realized in the beginning the labor, time and research nec- essary, for to attempt writing a comprehensive and reliable history of a town more than one hundred and sixty years after its first settlement is a difficult and laborious undertaking, comprehended only by those who have accom- plished such a task.
Chiefly among the sources of information have been the old Proprietors, town and church records; Cheshire County Register of Deeds; file of New Hampshire Sentinel; Rev. Perley Howe's private records; Mr. F. F. Field's data; local town histories and numerous traditions.
The reader naturally desires to learn of early conditions; charter and in- corporation, when and from where came the first settlers and sites of their log cabins. Would that we might portray a clear and true picture of early Surry; the land, the pioneers and their rude cabins-we fail! It is now im- possible !
In 1730 this part of New England was a vast wilderness through which prowled the lynx and wild-cat, the howl of the wolf echoed over the hills, the bear came forth from his cavern den in search of food, while the deer leaped from danger to safety. Song of birds filled the air, flocks of pigeons dwelt in the trees, whistle of hawk and hoot of owl were daily heard, wild turkeys roamed the woods, and the beaver labored to build his hut. Giant elm, sturdy oak, great maple and monarch pine, which had never felt the woodman's axe, covered the land. Towering over and above all was majestic mountain, granite bear-den, pinnacle and conical, bald hill, with other highlands to the north and west.
Up the river in search of fish and game came the red-men marking their own path. When weary of travel they camped on the brow of the hill at Whoppanock. Then came the white-men, who, taking the natural course, fol- lowed the old Indian trail. In 1732 the first settlement was made in Winches- ter, the next year at Swanzey, Keene in 1734; in the Connecticut river valley Westmoreland followed in 1741, and after eight years more Walpole in 1749. After the termination of the French and Indian war in 1760 new settlers began arriving to take up the land; within two years they had entered the territory of Gilsum and Alstead. The fertile Ashuelot valley, then a part of Westmoreland and Gilsum, was entered. Within a few years citizens banded together, a new town was carved out, and on March 9, 1769, incorporated as Surry.
On June 8, 1753, Peter Hayward, then of Woodstock, Conn., bought five tracts of land in Keene. Subsequently he purchased additional land, all of
3
which lay in Keene adjoining Surry line. In 1762, he was living in that part of Westmoreland, now Surry, but documentary evidence, thus far, has not been found to substantiate the tradition that he was the first settler on Surry soil; it is with keen regret that the compiler of this work, after much time and research, feels obliged to make the above statement. There still remain Colonial records which when examined may reveal the true conditions, for it is probable that the doughty, honest, intrepid, old Peter was "the pioneer settler." Tradition says he built his first log cabin east of the highway about 20 rods north of the present Samuel L. Newton dwelling, which is known to have been erected by Peter about 1764.
William Hayward, Jr., Peter's brother, came about 1762 and settled where Frank E. Ellis now resides. John Johnson, whose wife was a sister of the Hayward brothers, came from Woodstock, Conn., prior to 1762, and probably settled on the late Edmund Woodward farm. In the spring of 1764 Mr. John- son sold his farm to Jonathan Parkhurst and removed to Winchester.
Jan. 26, 1762, William Barron bought an 104 acre tract of land of John Johnson and doubtless settled near where now stands the J. N. Keller cottage, formerly the Jonathan R. Field place. Benjamin Whitney was another early settler, and Charles Rice appears to have settled during the summer of 1760 near where Merrill D. Carpenter now lives, while Woolston Brockway came to the George A. Hall place about 1761.
Owing to the destruction of both the Proprietors' records and the Lot and Range table of Westmoreland we are especially handicapped in locating where the pioneers settled in the south part of Surry. In the north part, we are more fortunate, as there still exists a copy of the old Lot and Range maps of Gilsum.
The genealogical register has required months of work, travel, and an ex- tensive correspondence; conflicting names and dates have frequently appeared but it has been the constant aim of the author to have as few errors as pos- sible. The map and chapter on present and former residences will be appre- ciated by many and we trust add to the value of this history.
The author desires to thank all who have assisted in this work and es- pecially the Town History Committee, Hollis W. Harvey, Clarence H. French, George Henry Joslin, Mrs. James E. Harvey, J. V. Stillings and Mrs. J. V. Stillings.
FRANK B. KINGSBURY.
4
History of Surry
CHAPTER I.
NAME AND INCORPORATION-NATURAL HISTORY-WILD ANIMALS,
BIRDS, ETC.
NAME AND INCORPORATION
Surry, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, was incorporated on Thursday, March 9, 1769, deriving its name from Surrey, a county in the southern part of England, from which, it is understood, the ancestors of many of the early settlers of Surry emigrated during the first half of the seventeenth century. March 19, 1771, the county was incorporated and named Cheshire, deriving its name from a county in the western part of England, celebrated for the manufacture of cheese. The county was divided near its middle July 5, 1827, the northern portion being given the name of Sullivan.
New Hampshire, one of the thirteen original states, received its name about 1630, from the county of Hampshire in England, the home of its first grantees.
SITUATION AND BOUNDARY
The town of Surry is situated in latitude 43º 1' N., and longitude 72° 20' W. It is bounded on the north by Walpole and Alstead, east by Gilsum, south by Keene, and west by Westmoreland and Walpole. It is 6.7 miles from Keene, and 52 miles southwest from Concord.
In general, it is oblong in form, approximately three and one-fourth miles wide from east to west, and five and one-half miles long from north to south. It contains about 12,212 acres, and is one of the smaller towns in the county, and lies a little northwest of its center.
SURFACE AND GEOLOGY
The surface of this township is exceedingly picturesque and pleasing, hav- ing within its narrow limits valley, upland and rugged mountain scenery. Through nearly the length of the town, from north to south, extends the arable valley of the Ashuelot; the river, entering from Gilsum near Surry's northeast corner, flows northwesterly to Shaw's Corner, where it turns abrupt- ly to the south. In this valley are located many excellent farms, providing the principal wealth of the township.
On the west the valley gradually rises to the highlands that form the di- vision of the waters of the Ashuelot from those of the Connecticut River, and the boundary line between Surry and Westmoreland and Walpole. On the
6
HISTORY OF SURRY
east its rise is abrupt and rugged, terminating at the summit of Surry Moun- tain, the barrier which contributed to the formation of the town of Surry.
SURRY MOUNTAIN
The early deeds speak of this mountain as a "great mountain." It extends about four miles in a north and south direction, and from its top is obtained a splendid view of the village, valley, and the hills to the west, and the Green Mountains in Vermont. Nearly every occupied house within the township can be seen from one or more points on the mountain. It is notable not only for the rugged scenery it presents, but as a geological study and for the valu- able minerals it is supposed to contain.
Tradition has it that the Indians knew and utilized lead deposits here more than a century and a half ago, and that a party of Spaniards once came here and carried away with them gold ore. The Indians are said to. have obtained bullets by simply cutting off pieces of lead from a ledge, the locality of which they alone knew.
It is told of Capt. David Fuller that, while crossing the mountain to his work in Gilsum, he found lead which he cut off with his axe and used for bul- lets, but that he could never find the spot a second time.
Less than a hundred years ago, after long continued fires in the woods on the west side of the mountain, places were seen where streams of molten lead had run down the rocks.
GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY
A detailed knowledge of the geological formation and mineral resources of this town is not deemed of utmost importance in a work of this nature, yet some brief mention of conditions will be of interest, and should be recorded. Of Surry it is said :
It forms a part of the great mineral belt, extending from New Bruns- wick through Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, a part of western Massachusetts and eastern New York, sinking at the Hudson to appear again in southern Pennsylvania and western Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina. In Surry there have been left almost in juxtaposition, deposits of gold, copper and galena. The gold is associated with perites of iron, occasionally appearing as free gold, the silver in the form of black sulphurets and argentiferous galena flecked in spots with gray copper-or hidrate of silver-and the copper as live carbonates, sulphur- ets, and native, many specimens of the copper being very beautiful oc- curing as leaves, fern shaped, and minute wires interwoven with crys- talline quartz.
Prof. C. H. Hitchcock in his works on the geology and glacial drift in this part of New Hampshire gives the following information concerning Surry and vicinity :
We find Surry Mountain composed of rock that is more like mica schist than gneiss; though it sometimes has the character of a mica- ceous gneiss, and sometimes, though rarely, contains fibrolite. On the west side of the mountain, east of the village of Surry, about three-
7
HISTORY OF SURRY
fourths of the way up, there is a vein, sometimes two or three feet wide, that carries galena, zinc-blende and pyrrhotite. It appears also near the north end of the mountain, at nearly the same level. The southern extremity of Surry Mountain is the limit of this band of the fibrolite rock southward. The rock of Bald hill-which seems to be an exten- sion of Surry Mountain northward, although cut off from it by the deep valley of the Ashuelot River,-resembles very closely the White Moun- tain gneiss, and probably belongs to the same group of rocks as Surry Mountain. The quartzites, quartz schists and quartz conglomerates of Gilsum, Surry and Keene are among the most interesting of any we have examined, but they require more careful study than we have been able to give them to understand fully their relations to the other rocks. Then there is the quartz of Mine Ledge, that extends south into West- moreland and Keene.
In the southwest part of the town, a few rods easterly of the Britton place, there is a limited outcrop of quartzite, which is very near the quartz, and there are two beds of quartzites in Keene and Surry which have been dis- covered "separated by a wide band of gneiss from the central group." The same kind of rock appears in Newport and Grafton, forty to sixty miles farther north.
Surry Mountain has always been thought to be rich in ore, but mining operations have met with but indifferent success.
There is abundant evidence of the "Glacial Period" within the borders of this town, not only on the surface of ledges, but from the large number of boulders found scattered about in numerous places. Geologists tell us that this section was covered during this period with a vast field of ice, that the sheet even passed over the summit of Mt. Washington, 6,200 feet above the sea level. Hence, during the "great ice age," the territory now embraced in the town of Surry was completely covered. It is known that the ice moved southeasterly from the St. Lawrence valley. The true course of the "drift" over Bald hill has been discovered from "scratchings" found on the rocks, and is "South 23° East."
Further evidence of the glacier has been found on the surface of a large ledge, a few rods easterly of the old road that crosses the northwest corner of the town. Here the action of the ice mass with its huge fragments of de- tached rocks has ground and polished the outcropping ledge until its surface, after being exposed ages upon ages, still retains its finish and glistens in the sunlight.
Many rocks in the form of boulders were deposited within the limits of this town during the glacial period; they vary in size from a few hundred pounds to many tons each.
BUTLER'S ROCK
This boulder is said to have come from Ascutney Mountain in Vermont, and is at the north end of the town, about one-fourth mile north of Shaw's corner. The approximate dimensions are twenty feet in length, width and height; it probably runs six or eight feet below the surface.
There was a house before 1835 on the west side of the road, opposite this
8
HISTORY OF SURRY
boulder, occupied by Mr. Butler, and for many years this rock was known as "Butler's Rock," although since about 1876 as "Ascutney Boulder."
* BRITTON BOULDER
In a pasture in the southwest part of the town, some forty rods east of the dwelling house of Walter H. Britton, can be seen a boulder worthy of special mention. It is composed largely of white quartz, wholly unlike other rocks found in town. Like most boulders, its general form is spherical; it is about twelve feet in diameter and rests on the surface of the ledge much like a huge apple on a small platter; about it are several fragments of rock, once evident- ly a part of it.
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