USA > New Hampshire > The history of New-Hampshire. Comprehending the events of one complete century and seventy-five years from the discovery of the River Pascataqua to the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety, Vol 2 > Part 1
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Gc 974.2 B41h v.2 1784639
M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
1
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01092 3057
840
THE HISTORY
OF
' NEW-HAMPSHIRE.
COMPREHENDING .
The Events of one complete Century and seventy-five years from the discovery of the River Pascataqua to the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety.
CONTAINING ALSO,
A GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE STATE,
WITH
SKETCHES OF ITS NATURAL HISTORY, PRODUCTIONS, IMPROVEMENTS, AND PRESENT STATE OF SOCIETY AND MANNERS, LAWS, AND GOVERNMENT.
. BY JEREMY BELKNAP, D. D. Member of the American Philosophical Society held at Philadelphia, for pro- moting useful knowledge, and of the Academy of Arts and Sciences in Massachusetts.
THE SECOND EDITION,
WITH LARGE ADDITIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS, PUBLISHED FROM THE AUTHOR'S LAST MANUSCRIPT.
ILLUSTRATED BY A MAP.
Tempus edax rerum, tuque invidiosa vetustas Omnia destruitis : vititaque dentibus œvi Paulatim lenta consumitis omnia morte. Hæc perstant. OVID.
THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY CHICAGO
Val 2
VOL. II.
BOSTON : PUBLISHED BY BRADFORD AND READ. 1813.
240
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1784639
DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS, TO WIT :
District Clerk's Office.
BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the eighteenth day of June, A. D. 1813, and in the thirty-seventh year of the Independence of the United States of America, BRADFORD & READ, of the said District, have deposited in this Office the title of a book, the right whereof they claim as Proprietors, in the words following, to wit :
The History of New Hampshire. Comprehending the events of one complete century and seventy-five years from the discovery of the river Pascataqua to the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety. Containing also, a geographical description of the State, with sketches of its natural history, productions, im- provements, and present state of society and manners, laws, and government. By JEREMY BELKNAP, D.D. member of the American Philosophical Society held at Philadelphia, for promoting useful knowledge, and of the Academy of arts and sciences in Massachusetts. The second edition, with large additions and im- provements, published from the author's last manuscript. Illustrated with a map
Tempus edax rerum, tuque invidiosa vetustas Omnia destruitis : vititaque dentibus œvi Paulatim lenta consumitis omnia morte. Hæc perstant. OVID.
In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, entitled, "An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned ;" and also to an Act entitled, "An Act supplementary to an Act, entitled, an Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of such copies during the times therein mentioned ; and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other Prints."
WILLIAM S. SHAW, & Clerk of the District 5 of Massachusetts
2899
PREFACE.
WHEN the firft volume was printed, I had not feen the 'Political Annals' of the American Colonies, publifhed in 1780, by George Chalmers, Efq. This gentleman, being in England, was favored with fome ad- vantages, of which I was deftitute ; having accefs to the books and papers of the Lords of Trade and Plantations, from the firft eftab- lifhment of that Board. He feems to poffefs the diligence and patience which are neceffa- ry in a hiftorian ; but either through inad- vertence or want of candor, has made fome mifreprefentations refpecting New-Hamp- fhire, on which I fhall take the liberty to remark.
In page 491, fpeaking of the firft Council, of which Prefident CUTTs was at the head, he fays, ' they refufed to take the accuftomed 'oaths, as the Englifh law required, becaufe ' liberty of confcience was allowed them.' In the firft volume of my hiftory, page 144, I have faid, ' they publifhed the commiffion 'and took the oaths ;' for which I cited the
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Council records ; and on recurring to them, I find the following entry, in the hand writ- ing of Elias Stileman, Secretary.
'January 21, 1679-80.
' His Majefty's Commiffioners, nomynated ' in faid commiffion, tooke their refpective 'oathes, as menconed in faid commiffion.'
That the oaths were really taken, is a fact beyond all difpute ; but if there is any ground for what Mr. Chalmers is pleafed to call a re- fufal, it muft have been refpecting the forms of fwearing ; which was ufually done here by lifting the hand, and not by laying it on the bible, as was the form in England. Was it a forced conftruction of the claufe refpect- ing liberty of confcience, to fuppofe, that this indulgence was granted to them ? What other ufe could they have made of this liberty, than to act according to the dictates of their con- fciences ? Is it then confiftent with candor, to publifh an affertion, fo worded as to admit the idea, that thefe gentlemen refufed to obey an effential part of the duty prefcribed by the commiffion, which they undertook to ex- ecute ? Or is it confiftent with the character which he gives of the Prefident, CUTTS, p. 492, that ' he was allowed to have been an ' honeft man and a loyal fubject ?' The com- miffion required them to take the oaths of allegiance and fupremacy, and an oath of of-
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fice, which laft is recited in the commiffion ; but not a word is faid of the mode and form, in which the oaths fhould be taken ; neither was it faid that they fhould be taken 'as the ' Englifh law required.' They were there- fore left at their liberty, to take them in any form which was agreeable to their confcience, or their former ufage.
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In the fame page (491) he fays ; ' An Af- ' fembly was foon called, which, by means ' of the ufual intrigues, was compofed of ' perfons, extremely favorable to the projects ' of thofe who now engroffed power.' And in a note (page 507) ' the Council tranfmit- ' ted to the towns, a lift of thofe who fhould ' be allowed to vote.'
With what propriety can it be faid that thefe gentlemen engroffed power, when they were commiffioned by the King ; and it is acknowledged, that not only their appoint- ment, but their entering on office, was con- trary to their inclinations ?
That the perfons chofen into the Affembly fhould be 'favorable' to the fentiments of the Council, or of ' the wife men of Bofton,' was not the refult of any intrigues ; but be- caufe the majority of the people were of the fame mind. As to fending 'a lift of thofe ' who fhould be allowed to vote ;' the true ftate of the matter was this. The commif- fion provided for the calling of an Affembly,
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within three months after the Council fhould be fworn, by fummons under feal, 'ufing 'and obferving therein fuch rules and meth- "ods, as to the perfons who are to choofe the ' deputies, and the time and place of meeting, ' as they (the Council) fhall judge moft con- ' venient.' The mode which they judged moft convenient was, to order the felect men of the four towns, to take a lift of the names and eftates of their refpective inhabitants, ac- cording to their ufual manner of making taxes, and fend it to the Council. The Coun- cil then iffued an order, appointing the per- fons therein named, to meet in their refpective towns, and elect by a major vote, three per- fons from each, to reprefent them in a gen- eral Affembly, on the 16th of March ; and in the order, there is this provifo, ' Provided " that wee do not intend that what is now donc ' be prefidential for the future, and that it ' fhall extend noe farther, than to the calling ' this firft affembly.'
Now as the rules and methods of calling an affembly, and the perfons who were to choofe deputies, were left to the difcretion of the Council ; what more proper method could they have taken, than to call for a lift of the in- habitants and their eftates, and by that means to determine, who were qualified in point of property and habitancy to be electors ? And as the numbers were few, and the perfons
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well known, was it not as proper to name them at once, in the writs, as to eftablifh qualifications, and appoint other perfons to judge of thofe qualifications ; efpecially when there was no law in force by which they could be judged ? It is obfervable that each voter was ordered to take the oath of alle- giance, if he had not taken it before ; and in the lift of names in the book, a mark is fet againft feveral perfons, who did not take the oath ; and another againft thofe who did not appear at the election. Has this the ap- pearance of intrigue ?
In page 492, he fays, ' they were extreme- ' ly flow in conforming to prefent requifi- ' tions, and paffed no laws during the firft " feffion.' Having again confulted the rec- ords, I find in the Journal of the Council this entry, ' At a general Affembly held in Portf- 'mouth, the 16th of March, 1679-80. Pref- 'ent, &c. Sundry laws and ordinances made ' at this feffion are in another booke, for that 'purpofe.'
In that other book, a body of laws is recor- ded, in the fame hand writing, viz. of Stile- man the Secretary, which bears the follow- ing title ; ' The general laws and liberties of ' the Province of New-Hampfhire, made by ' the general Affembly in Portfmouth, the ' 16th day of March, 1679-80, and approv- ' ed by the Prefident and Council.'
It appears from the books, that this Affem-
PREFACE.
bly held four feffions within the year, viz. on the 16th of March, the 7th of June, the 12th of October, and the 7th of December. As there is not a particular date to each law, but the whole code bears the date of the firft fef- fion in March ; it may fairly be inferred, that the bufinefs was begun in the firft feffion, and continued through the other three ; and when completed, was immediately fent to England ; for Mr. Chalmers himfelf tells us, that 'the " laws which they tranfmitted, in conformity " to their Conftitution, had not the good for- ' tune to pleafe, and were difapproved of, by " the Lords of the Committee of Plantations, 'in Dec. 1681.'
From this ftatement it may be concluded, that they were not flower in 'effaying their ' legiflative talents,' than the neceffity of pro- ceeding with due deliberation required ; and that there was no juft caufe for the reproach which he has caft upon them.
In page 494, he gives this account of the character of the people of New-Hampfhire. ' When CRANFIELD arrived, he found the * Province containing four thoufand inhabit- ' ants, extremely poor from the devaftation ' of the Indian war. But when he fpoke con- ' temptuoufly of the country which he had ' been fent to rule, he feems not to have re- * flected, that all Colonies had once known " the like paucity of numbers, the fame weak- 1 ' nefs, and the fame poverty ; animated only
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' by a difimilar fpirit from that of New-Hamp- ' fhire, which now difdained that independence 'on ber neighbours, that other Provinces had ' contended for, with enthufiafm. And oth- 'er plantations, actuated by very different 'maxims, had not complained, even in their ' weakeft days, of their inability to defend ' their frontiers, againft the attacks of a foc, 'that has never proved dangerous, except to ' the effeminate, the factious, or the cowardly. ' When New Plimouth confifted only of two ' hundred perfons, of all ages and fexes, it ' repulfed its enemies and fecured its borders, ' with a gallantry worthy of its parent coun- ' try ; becaufe it ftood alone, in the defert, ' without hope of aid.'
That the people of New-Hampfhire ever deferved the character of effeminate or coward- ly, can by no means be admitted. Innume- rable facts evince the contrary beyond a doubt. Had this author ever refided among them, efpecially in time of war, he would have thought quite otherwife of them.' That the native favages have 'never proved a dan- " gerous foe, to any but the effeminate, the ' factious and the cowardly,' is an affertion totally unfounded. Their manner of attack- ing was always by furprife, and the braveft and beft men may fometimes be deficient in vigilance, where no fufpicion of danger exifts.
If the people of New-Hampfhire ' difdain- ed independence,' let it be confidered, that
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they had been, for about 40 years, connected with Maffachufetts, to their mutual fatisfac- tion ; and the propofed 'independence' which he means was but another name for fubjec- tion to a landlord. When independence, in its genuine meaning, became neceffary, in 1776, they freely joined with their brethren in afferting it, and in bravely defending it.
Without any difparagement to the firft fet- tlers of Plymouth, who, from the year 1643, were protected by a confederacy of the four New-England Colonies, it may with truth be faid, that the people of New-Hampfhire were never behind them, in vigorous exertions for their own defence, when they were conduct- ed by officers in whom they could place con- fidence ; but in Cranfield's time, there was no war with the Indians ; though he at- tempted to frighten them into an apprehen- fion of danger, from 'the Indians, to ferve his own purpofes.
The account which Mr. Chalmers gives of Cranfield's adminiftration differs not very materially from mine, except in one inftance.
He reprefents ' the minifters as very atten- ' tive to him, becaufe they deemed him gain- ' ed over to the Independents.' I have met with no evidence of this ; the deception, if any, muft have been very fhort lived.
Mr. Chalmers fays nothing of the profe- cution of Moody, and of Cranfield's endeav-
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ours to ruin him, for his non-conformity to the Church of England ; but tells us that he 'deemed it unfafe, to remain any longer 'among the minifters, who ruled an enthufi- "aftic people, with the fame fway as did the ' popifh clergy during the darkeft ages ;' and that in his letters to England, he ' gave warn- 'ing, that while the clergy were allowed to ' preach, no true allegiance would be found " in thofe parts.' This may be confidered as a corroborating evidence of his bigotry and intolerance. Truth obliges me to add, that his opponents were not deficient in thofe un- happy qualities, which were too much in fafhion among all parties in that age.
Mr. Chalmers concludes his account of New-Hampfhire in thefe words. 'Being ex- " cluded from the charter granted to Maffa- ' chufetts, it has continued to the prefent time, 'a different, though inconfiderable fettlement ; 'irregular and factious in its economy, afford- 'ing no precedents that may be of exemplary ' ufe to other Colonies.' What juftice there is in this remark, the reader will be able to determine, from the following portion of its hiftory, which, after much unavoidable de- lay, is now fubmitted to his perufal.
Bofton, Auguft 1, 1791 ..
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CONTENTS.
CHAP. XIII.
THE adminiftration of Governor Shute, and his Lieutenants, Vaughan and went- worth. Page 17.
XIV. The fourth Indian war, commonly called the three years' war, or Lovewell's war.
XV. Wentworth's adminiftration continued. Burnet's fhort adminiftration. Belcher fucceeds him. Wentworth's death and character. 68
XVI. Dunbar's Lieutenancy and enmity to Belcher. Efforts to fettle the boundary lines. Divifions. Riot. Trade. Epifco- pal Church. Throat diftemper. SI
XVII. State of parties. Controverfy about lines. Commiffioners appointed. Their fef- fion and refult. Appeals. Complaints. 98
XVIII. Revival of Mafon's Claim. Accuf- ations againft Belcher, real and forged. Royal cenfure. Final eftablithment of the lines. Spanifh war. Belcher's zeal and fidelity. His removal. Examination of his character. 124
XIX. The beginning of Benning Went- worth's adminiftration. War opened in
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Nova-Scotia. Expedition to Cape-Breton ; its plan, conduct and fuccefs, with a de- fcription of the ifland, and of the city of Louifburg. 142
XX. Projected expedition to Canada. Alarm by the French fleet. State of the frontiers. Peace. 175
XXI. Purchafe of Mafon's claim. Contro- verfy about reprefentation. Plan of ex- tending the fettlements. Jealoufy and re- fentment of the favages. 200
XXII. The laft French and Indian war, which terminated in the conqueft of Cana- da. Controverfy concerning the lands weftward of Connecticut river. 219
XXIII. Beginning of the controverfy with Great-Britain. Stamp-act. Refignation of Benning Wentworth. 245
XXIV. Adminiftration of John Wentworth the fecond. New attempt to force a rev- enue from America. Eftablifhment of Dartmouth College. Divifion of the Prov- ince into counties. Death of Benning Wentworth. Complaint of Peter Livius againft the Governor. Its iffue. Progref's of the controverfy with Great-Britain. War. Diffolution of British government in New-Hampfhire. 265
XXV. War with Britain. Change of gov-
ernment. Temporary Conftitution. In- dependence. Military exertions. Stark's expedition. Employment of troops dur- ing the war. 298
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XXVI. Paper money. Confifcations. State Conftitution. Controverfy with Vermont. 326
XXVII. Popular difcontent. Efforts for pa- per currency. Tender-acts. Infurrection. Dignity and lenity of government. Fed- eral Conftitution. 352
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CHAP. XIII. ;
The administration of Governor SHUTE, and his Lieutenants, VAUGHAN and WENTWORTH.
GEORGE VAUGHAN, Efq. was the fon of Major William Vaughan, who had been fo ill ufed by former Governors, and had fuffered fo much in the caufe of his coun- try, that the advancement of his fon, to the office of Lieutenant Governor, was efteemed a mark of particular favor, from the Crown to the Province, and a fingular gratification to the parent, then in the decline of life. The Lieutenant Governor had been employ- ed by the Province, as their agent in England, to manage their defence againft Allen. There he was taken notice of, by fome perfons of quality and influence, with whom his father had been connected ; and by them he was recommended as a candidate for the honor to which he was now advanced.
After he had arrived, and opened his com- miffion ; Dudley, though not actually fuper- od. 13. feded, yet daily expecting Burges to fucceed him, did not think it proper to come into the Province, or perform any acts of govern- ment ; fo that, during a year, Vaughan had the fole command. In this time he called an Nov. 8. Affembly, who granted him the product of the impoft and excife, for one year, but refuf- ed to eftablifh thefe duties for any longer time ; upon which he diffolved them, and Auguft 21. called another ; to whom he recommended, in a ftyle too peremptory, the eftablifhment Records. Affembly
1715.
1716.
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HISTORY OF
1716. of a perpetual revenue to the Crown ; a mat- ter in which he had been fo much engaged, MS letter of Sir W. Athurft to Dr. 1. Mather. that while in England, 'he prefented a me- ' morial to the King and Miniftry, to bring 'New-England into the land tax of Great 'Britain; and propofed that a Receiver fhould ' be appointed by the Crown.' The Affem- bly was of opinion, that the public charges might be defrayed in the ufual manner, by an equal tax on polls and eftates ; and de- clined laying an impoft, or entering on any, but the common bufinefs of the year, till the arrival of a Governor.
08. 17.
1717.
Jan. 10.
Jan. 23.
When Governor Shute came to the chair, feveral of the old Counfellors were laid afide, and fix new ones appointed, all of whom were inhabitants of Portfmouth. That town, at the fame time, was unhappily agitated by a controverfy, which had for fome years fub- fifted between the two parifhes. This had not only imbittered the minds of the people, but had prejudiced fome of the members of the Council and Affembly ; fo as to effect the proceedings of the Legiflature, and break the harmony, which had been preferved in that body, during the preceding adminiftration. The Governor, in his firft fpecch to the Af- fembly, took notice of their divifion, and ad- vifed them to unanimity. They thanked him for his advice, but remonftrated againft the removal of the old Counfellors, and the confining of the new appointments, both in the Council and the Judicial Courts, to refi- dents in one town, as being contrary to former ufage, and giving an advantage, to the trading, above the landed intereft. This, they faid, was the reafon that an impoft could not now
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be obtained, and that the whole burden of 1717. taxes was laid on the hufbandman, and the laborer, who had been greatly impoverithed by the late war. The Governor wifely a- voided an anfwer to this remonftrance, by putting it on the Council, who were a party in the controverfy. The Council, in their anfwer, acknowledged that the Province had Jan. 2º. been much diftreffed by the war ; but had in a great meafure recovered ; that there would have been no oppofition to an impoft, if the Reprefentatives had agreed to an act of ex- port, according to the practice in England ; that the King had a right to appoint his Counfellors, from any part of the Province ; that it was an affront to the prerogative to find fault with the exercife of this right ; and that it was moft convenient for the affairs of government, efpecially upon fudden emer- gencies, that the Council fhould refide near the feat of government. This anfwer might have appeared decent enough if they had not added, that they were ' gentlemen of the ' beft quality, and greateft ability to ferve the 'government, in that ftation ; and had as ' good or better eftates in land, and land fe- ' curities, than any in the Houfe, and not in- ' ferior to the gentlemen who were laid afide.'
While thefe altercations were in hand there was a great complaint of the fcarcity of mo- ney, and fome expedient was judged neceffa- ry to fupply the place of current coin. A propofal was made to iffue ten thoufand pounds in bills, on loan, for twenty-three years, at five per cent. on land fecurity. In Jan. 24. this both Houfes agreed ; but the next day the Council propofed to enlarge the fum to
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1717. fifteen thoufand pounds, to which the Houfe would not confent. The Governor then or- dered the Houfe to attend a conference with the Council ; they defired to know on what fubject ; he gave them no anfwer, but com- manded their attendance. Having confer- red about the propofed loan to no purpofe, the circumftance of afking on what fubject they were to confer was deemed an affront, and ferved as a pretext for diffolving them. The next affembly was more pliant, and iffu- ed fifteen thoufand pounds, on loan, for elev- en years, at ten per cent.
Affembly Records.
A controverfy alfo arofe between the Gov- ernor and Lieutenant Governor about the power of the latter, in the abfence of the former. Vaughan contended, that when the Governor was prefent in his other Province, he was abfent from New-Hampfhire, and confequently that the adminiftration devolv- ed on him. The pofition was a metaphyfical truth, but the inference was to be meafured by political rules. Shute alleged that his commiffions, being publifhed and recorded, in New-Hampfhire and Maffachufetts, he had the power of commander in chief over both Provinces, during his refidence in ei- ther ; and thought it an abfurdity to fup- pofe, that the King had appointed the Gov- ernor commander in chief, for five or fix weeks only in the year, and the Lieutenant Governor during the reft of the time ; and that if the Lieutenant Governor fhould hap- pen, in that time, to ftep over the Province line, the fenior Counfellor muft take the chair ; this he faid would make the Province 'a monfter with three heads.' The contro-
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verfy was foon brought to an iffue; for 1717. Vaughan received an order from Shute, while at Bofton, to appoint a faft, which he did not obey ; he received another to prorogue the Affembly, inftead of which he diffolved them, without the advice of Council. He required the opinion of the Council on the extent of his power, but they declined giving it. Pen- hallow, the Governor's chief friend, was a warm oppofer of Vaughan's pretenfions, and incurred fo much of his difpleafure, that he publicly charged him with fowing difcord in the government, and fufpended him from Sept. 24. his feat in Council. On hearing this, Shute hafted to Portfinouth, and having fummoned the Council, ordered the King's inftruction to him for fufpending Counfellors to be read, and demanded of Vaughan whether he had any inftruction which fuperfeded it. He anfwered, No. The Governor then afked the Council's advice whether the fufpenfion of Penhallow was legal ; they anfwered in the negative. He then reftored him to his Council feat ,and fufpended Vaughan. Minutes.
The Affembly, which Vaughan had affum- ed the right to diffolve, met again, and ap- proved the proceedings againft him, juftify- ing the conftruction which the Governor had put on his commiffion, and his opinion of the extent of the Lieutenant Governor's power ; which was 'to obferve fuch orders, as he ' fhould from time to time receive from the ' King or the Governor in chief.' The Rep- refentatives of Hampton prefented a remon- ftrance ; in which, admitting the Lieutenant Governor's opinion that 'when the Gover- 'nor is out of the Province, the Lieutenant
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