USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > New London > A history of the town of New London, Merrimack county, New Hampshire, 1779-1899 > Part 15
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7. George, b. Sept. 3, 1807; m., Jan. 16, 1832, Mrs. Abigail (Hill) Chadwick, of West Newbury, Mass., b. May 20, 1807. George was a farmer, and lived at Wilmot Flat until after the death of his wife, Sept. 8, 1880; since then has divided his time between his two children :
(1). Mary Anstice, b. April 18, 1834; m., Oct. 5, 1851, Dan- iel M., son of James Hazen of Sutton, b. May 1, 1830, and res. at Wilmot Flat until after 1857. Mr. Hazen then moved his family to Cambridge, Mass., where with two sons he does a large business in manufacturing " Hazen's Chocolates and Bonbons." Children : (a) Frank Pierce, b. July 9, 1852 ; m., Oct. 27, 1880, Florence E. Carr of
GEORGE SHEPARD.
I55
THE PIONEERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
Springfield, Mass., b. Oct. 10, 1852, and res. in Cam- bridge. (b) Kate, b. Dec. 26, 1855 ; m., April 20, 1880, Herbert F. Sparrow of Cambridge, b. July 27, 1856, and res. in Cambridge. Children : (a) Marion Hazen, b. Dec. 26, 1881 ; (b) Mildred, b. March 2, 1888. (c) Mary Emma, b. Aug. 30, 1857; m., Feb. 1, 1883, Henry C. Hall of Cambridge, b. Aug. 28, 1857; d. Jan. 10, 1892. Child : (a) Ralph Hazen, b. July 7, 1886. (d) George Emery, b. March 15, 1859; m., July 28, 1884, Carrie S. Shaw of Bangor, Me., b. Feb. 10, 1861 ; does business with his father in Cambridge. Children : (a) Thaxter Daniel, b. July 1, 1886; (6) Frank Shaw, b. Aug. 14, 1888 ; (c) Frederick, b. May 25, 1890; (d) Harold Shep- ard, b. Aug. 8, 1891 ; (e) Mary Eunice, b. March, 1894. (e) James Will, b. Oct. 15, 1860; m., April 27, 1885, Harriet Maria Carr, of Springfield, Mass. ; res. in Boston, and is Eastern manager of the New York Biscuit Co. (f) Daniel Edgar, b. Nov. 10, 1862 ; d. in infancy. (g) Fanny Shepard, b. May 26, 1866; d. in infancy. (h) Abbie Shepard, b. July 17, 1868 ; d. March 12, 1885.
(2). George Edward, b. March 28, 1840 ; m. (1), Mary Almeda, dau. of Green Johnson of Wilmot, b. Sept. 28, 1839. Mary d. Oct. 14, 1883, and George m. (2), Carrie, dau. of Daniel and Frances Seamans of N. L., b. July 21, 1849. He is a lumber-dealer and res. in Franklin.
8. Sylvester Foster, b. Sept. 27, 1810; m., March 31, 1834, Catherine, dau. of Wait Barrett, a soldier of the Revolution ; was a merchant, and res. in Albany. Sylvester d. July 3, 1863 ; Catherine d. Aug. 7, 1894. Children :
(1). Sarah Josephine, b. Jan. 8, 1835 ; m., April 23, 1857, John Howard Hickcox, b. Aug. 10, 1832, at Albany. Child : (a) John Howard, Jr., b. May 9, 1858 ; m., April II, 1881, at Washington, D. C., Lula Lee Hughlet of Vir- ginia. They have,-(a) Helen Howard, b. Nov. 24, 1882 ; (b) Charles Kingsley, b. Feb. 10, 1886; (c) Wallace Os- wald, b. Dec. 29, 1890.
(2). Isadore Jane, b. June 16, 1838 ; d. Aug. 9, 1855.
(3). Sylvester Barrett, b. July 25, 1841 ; was an adjutant in the Civil War, and killed in battle, June 14, 1863, at Port Huron, La.
(4). Harriet Aurelia, b. April 25, 1843 ; m., April 26, 1860, Worthington Frothingham, b. in 1831. Children, b. at Albany : (a) Walter Dudley, b. March 6, 1861 ; m. Jessie Marsh of Albany. They have,-(a) Catherine Shepard, b.
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
November, 1892 ; (b) Charles, b. 1894. (b) Isadore Shep- ard, b. Aug. 24, 1864 ; m., Feb. 16, 1884, Clarence C. Chapman of Albany. They have, - (a) Worthington Frothingham, b. April 17, 1885 ; (b) Isaac. (c) Worth- ington Wolcott, b. Feb. 2, 1876.
(5). Anna Rosaltha, b. April 11, 1845; m., May 14, 1868, Thomas Van Dekar Wolcott, b. Waterford, N. Y., in 1843. Children, b. at Albany : (a) Maud, b. Oct. 17, 1869 ; (b) Frank Stebbins, b. Feb. 8, 1873, d. July 10, 1891 ; (c) Thomas Van Dekar, Jr., b. June, 1880.
(6). Kate Pauline, b. Nov. 6, 1847; d. July 28, 1850.
(7). Frank Augustus, b. June 24, 1849.
9. Thomas Burpee, b. Feb. 15, 1813; m. (1), June 1, 1840, Eleanor Morse Sheldon, b. May 7, 1822, dau. of Benjamin S. and Anna M. Sheldon of Sweden, Monroe county, N. Y. He was a grocer and farmer, and res. in Orleans, Erie, and Genesee counties, N. Y. Eleanor d. at Clarendon, Orleans county, Nov. 9, 1847; and Thomas m. (2), Oct. 1, 1849, Mrs. Hannah L. (Smith) Hubell, dau. of Lysander R. and Clara Smith, b. in Sardinia, Erie county, Sept. 16, 1824. Thomas d. at Buffalo, Erie county, Aug. 7, 1893. Children, by Eleanor Morse (Sheldon) Shepard :
(1). Ellen Augusta, b. in Royalton, Niagara county, May 7, 1841 ; m., Feb. 12, 1861, Nelson Pingrey of Sardinia. Child : (a) Thomas Shepard, b. in Elma, Erie county, Jan. 25, 1867; m., Feb. 25, 1892, Elizabeth Weston Stewart ; res. in Elba, Genesee county, and have (a) Isa- bell Anna, b. May 1, 1894.
(2). Isabell Adell, b. Clarendon, July 9, 1847 ; m., Dec. 29, 1864, Willard Lougee, of Alden, Erie county ; res. in Batavia, Genesee county, where she d. Sept. 17, 1880.
IO. James G., b. Jan. 4, 1816. Went from N. L. to Nashville, Tenn., where he was engaged for several years as editor and publisher of the Nashville Union; he then went to Attica, N. Y., where he has since res. He has always taken a deep interest in the welfare of his fellow-men, and endeavored to elevate them and make them better. In 1868 was a presi- dential elector, and cast the vote of his district for Horatio Seymour. James m., Sept. 14, 1843, Mary A. Cogswell, b. Oct. 13, 1817, dau. of William Cogswell of Rochester, N. Y. Mary A. (Cogswell) Shepard d. in Attica, Dec. 19, 1876. Child :
(1). Mary Caroline, b. March 9, 1845 ; m. Jan. 4, 1870, Bur- ley Smith, son of Augustus A. Smith of Manchester, Mass.
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THE PIONEERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
Children : (a) Florence Shepard, b. Alexander, N. Y., Nov. 14, 1870; m., Sept. 6, 1893, J. Holland Rudd, son of O. B. Rudd of Clion, N. Y. They have (a) Joseph H., b. Nov. 20, 1894. (b) Elizabeth B., b. Attica, Sept. 21, 1873. (c) Burley, b. Attica, May 17, 1876. (d) James A., b. Attica, Nov. 22, 1880.
II. Benjamin Franklin, b. June 18, 1823 ; never married. En- listed in the Civil War from California, and d. at the Sol- diers' Home, Hampton, Va., July 29, 1893.
SHEPARD, JESSE .- The pioneer settler on the Frank W. Todd place was Jesse Shepard, second son of Lieut. Ebenezer Shepard. Jesse was b. in Dedham, Mass., Nov. 12, 1769, and was about 20 years of age when his father moved to N. L. Feb. 3, 1793, he m. Hannah, dau. of Laban and Hannah Hannah (Heath) Paige of Dunbarton, b. Dec. 28, 1770. (Paige) Shepard had two sisters who m. into N. L. families,- Mary, wife of Greene French (then of Sutton), and Sally, first wife of Ezekiel Sargent. Jesse shared the family influ- ence in town matters, and was a member of the church. His oldest dau., Roxana, went to live with her aunt Stead in Albany, N. Y., and there m. a young English Methodist min- ister. One evening, while visiting her old home in N. L., her father took the young man to make a call upon a neighbor. They entered into a lively conversation, when the father said, " Where do you get so much information?" "From the pa- pers," said 'Squire Woodbury. "Then I shall have papers for my boys," said Mr. Shepard. Forthwith papers were sub- scribed for, including the "Missionary Herald," then in its infancy. Hannah (Paige) Shepard d. Feb. 25, 1813, aged 43, and Jesse m. (2) Mrs. Hannah Pattee, mother of Daniel Pattee, who was living on the Fred Fowler place. Jesse d. April 14, 1824, having been spared to see his children grow up to honorable manhood and womanhood and settled in homes of their own. His widow m. Adams Morrill of Warner, March 22, 1825. The children of Jesse and Hannah (Paige) Shepard were,-
I. Paige, b. March 13, 1795 ; d. in early manhood.
2. Roxana W., b. March 20, 1797 ; m., Oct. 26, 1819, Thomas S. Barrett of New York, b. May 31, 1794. He was a phy- sician and Methodist preacher, and res. in New York city,
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
where he d. Dec. 1, 1853; Roxana d. March 4, 1873. Children :
(1). Aurelia S., b. Sept. 3, 1820 ; d. June 4, 1845.
(2). Hannah R., b. Feb. 4, 1822 ; m. William Ryer of New York, b. Oct. 13, IS17. He d. Dec. 21, 1870; she d. Dec. 18, 1887. They had one child, who d. young.
(3). Mary R., b. May 28, 1826 ; m., Nov. 18, 1846, Edward K. Sutton of New York. Children : (a) Clara B., b. April 24, 1848; m., Oct. 21, 1870, Charles A. Macy, and res. in New York. (b) Henry K., b. Oct. 31, 1849 ; m., June 21, 1881, Mary J. Coulson, and res. in London, Eng. They have one child, (a) Estelle C. (c) Mary Louise, b. May 22, 1853 ; d. Sept. 25, 1854.
(4). H. Elizabeth, m. Charles Wright of New York, who d. in 1882; Elizabeth d. in IS80. Children : (a) Jennie S., b. April 14, 1862 ; d. July, 1862. (b) Frank E., b. Feb. 16, 1864 ; d. April 29, 1875. (c) Estelle R., b. July 27, 1865 ; m., March 2, 1886, Charles L. Camman, Jr., of New York. (d) Charles, b. Jan. 31, 1868.
(5). Susannah, m. Samuel Mackrell of New York. Children : (a) Cora W., b. Feb. 21, 1856; d. Jan. 15, 1890. (b) Eva L., b. June 17, 1860.
3.3Harriet, b. Dec. 30, 1798; m., Dec. 30, 1817, Levi Fowler of Sutton, b. Nov. 20, 1793, son of Benjamin and Sarah (Stevens) Fowler. Levi was a farmer, and res. in Sutton, where he d. Sept. 18, 1860; Harriet d. June 21, 1863. Children :
(1). Hannah S., b. Nov. 12, 1818; d. Oct. 6, 1850.
(2). George S., b. May 20, 1821 ; m. (1) Maria Hildreth of Henniker, who d. in July, 1879 ; had one child (a) Har- riet E., b. March 8, 1850. George S. m. (2), July, 1880, Katie Moore of Wilton, where he now res.
(3). Charles A., b. Jan. 15, 1823; res. in Sutton ; m. (1), Dec. 2, 1850, Catherine L. Harvey, of Jeffersonville, Vt., b. Jan. 23, 1823. Children : (a) Mary Esther, b. June 28, 1854 ; d. June 9, 1871. (b) Katie, b. March 4, 1856 ; m., Jan. 7, 1883, Job Cross, son of William Cross of Goshen, and res. in N. L. (c) Charles L., b. April 5, 1858 ; m., Nov. 23, 1881, Maria S., daughter of William Coburn of Sutton, and res. in Antrim. Catherine (Har- vey) Fowler d. Feb. 27, 1872, and Charles A. m. (2) Mrs. Eliza (Nelson) Hart of Sutton. He was a successful farmer, and his farm, on the main road from N. L. to
MR. AND MRS. MOSES SHEPARD.
I59
THE PIONEERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
Sutton and just across the N. L. line, was one of the best in town. He was master of the Sutton grange several terms, and d. January, 1896.
(4). J. Wesley, b. Nov. 9, 1826 ; d. June 30, 1858.
(5). A daughter, b. Nov. 9, 1828 ; d. Dec. 10, 1828.
(6). Marietta R., b. Sept. 8, 1836; m., May 9, 1867, Charles Holmes of Georgetown, Mass. Children : (a) Helen A., b. March 31, 1870; (b) Howard F., b. March 5, 1871 ; (c) C. Atherton, b. Oct. 6, 1873 ; (d) Alice M., b. Feb. 15, 1881 ; drowned December, 1895.
(7) . Harriet A., b. Sept. 26, 1839 ; m., April 24, 1863, Wil- liam W. French of Enfield ; d. June 21, 1863. Children : (a) Sherman B., b. July 22, 1864 ; m., July 7, 1887, Emma B. Lewis of Boston, and res. in Enfield ; (b) Arthur L., b. Sept. 30, 1866 ; d. Jan. 28, 1887.
(8). Ann Elizabeth, b. Jan. 12, 1843 ; d. March 17, 1845.
4. Moses, elder of twins, b. Jan. 18, 1802 ; m. Phoebe Dow of Dunbarton, b. Dec. 7, 1802. The mild, black-haired Moses (Aaron's hair was red) pined for the wilds of Maine, where finally he settled. He longed to preach the Gospel in its simplicity, which he did for a number of years. A friend once said to him, " I suppose you do not get much for preach- ing?" He replied, " It is worth half to hear." Moses res. in Bangor, Me., where he d. June 6, 1860; Phoebe d. 1874. Children :
(1). Hannah, b. Sept. 15, 1824 ; m., Dec. 5, 1844, Benjamin Ham, and res. in Bangor. They have eight children.
(2), Mary P., b. Oct. 10, 1826 ; m., Dec. 3, 1846, James E. Emerson, and res. in Bangor. They have seven daugh- ters and one son.
(3). Henrietta D., b. Oct. 10, 1828 ; m., Dec. 2, 1845, Rev. Hiram Skillin, and res. in Bangor. Five children.
(4). Aurelia, b. Nov. 21, 1830; m., Sept. 17, 1855, S. F. Smith ; present residence, Winneconne, Wis. Three children.
(5). Phebe A., b. March 13, 1833 ; m., 1854, Edwin Drew, and res. in Bangor. Four children.
(6). Jesse Turner, b. 1835 ; d. 1837.
(7). Elizabeth, b. April 22, 1837; m. Chandler Ratcliff. Three children.
(8). Theresa, b. July 11, 1842 ; m. T. J. Thomson of New York city. Two children.
5. Aaron, younger of twins, b. Jan. 18, 1802 ; m., Oct. 4, 1825, Sarah H. Tenney of Hopkinton, b. Aug. 25, 1805. Aaron
160
HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
was sent to the academy in Hopkinton, where he met with Miss Sarah Tenney ; and after returning to his home, he still felt a desire to visit the place frequently. His brother Moses had attractions in Dunbarton (Miss Phæbe Dow), so on Sat- urday the young men would set off in a chaise, to return on Monday. Dunbarton being the more distant point, Phæbe's father had to " put up the horse." After his marriage, farm- ing not being congenial to Aaron, he went to Catskill, N. Y., where he engaged in mercantile pursuits. His three daugh- ters were successful teachers in New York for a number of years. Aaron d. May 30, 1873 ; Sarah d. Aug. 27, 1889. Children :
(1). Henrietta C., b. July 9, 1826; m. Isaac Charlock of New York. Children : (a) Sarah Louise, b. May 29, 1854 ; d. Sept. 21, 1879. (b) Marie Ella, b. Feb. 22, 1856 ; m., 1876, Elwyn Weld, and res. in New York. They have (a) Clarence W. (c) Annie Maria, b. Jan. 19, 1860 ; d. Jan. 20, 1864.
(2). Mary T., b. Feb. 10, 1834 ; m., 1861, George W. Kier- sted. Children : (a) Edna H., b. March 21, 1862. (b) H. Howard, b. Sept. 30, 1864 ; m. Minnie Timbrook, and res. in New York. Children : (a) Hazel, b. Sept. 8, 1888 ; (b) Chester Howard, b. Aug. 1, 1890.
(3). Emily A., b. May 22, 1842.
(4). Edwin Jesse, b. Sept. 29, 1846; d. March 21, 1852.
6. Betsey P., b. Dec. 11, 1803 ; m., May 9, 1820, Isaac Mastin, Jr., of Sutton, b. Nov. 26, 1795, and res. in Sutton. Isaac d. at Sutton, in 1871 ; Betsey d. at Boston, March 29, 1875. Children :
(1). Roxana S., b. Aug. 25, 1821 ; m. Jacob Edson of Boston. Children : (a) H. Aurelia, b. Aug. 28, 1845 ; m. Charles Perkins, and res. in Boston. They have,-(a) Frank, (b) Helen. (b) Arthur Winslow, b. 1864; d. 1868.
(2). Harriet E., b. July 26, 1825 ; m. Alexander Carlton of Boston, who d. in 1876. Children : (a) Henrietta F. (b) Mary E., m. G. F. Sawyer, and res. in Boston. They have,-(a) George T., (b) Ernest A., (c) Herbert A., (d) Grace M, (e) A. Chester, (f) Mabel F. (c) Anna L., m. W. H. Carey ; has two children living and two deceased.
(3). John S., b. Dec. 11, 1828 ; deceased. 7. Aurelia, d. in infancy.
SHEPARD, DEA. JONAS .- In 1800 Jonas Shepard of Newton, Mass., occupied the James Minot place (now " Willow Farm")
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MR. AND MRS. AARON SHEPARD.
16I
THE PIONEERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
in the West Part. Later he lived at the old orchard on the James P. Dixon farm, where he built a house on the site for- merly occupied by Ebenezer Shepard, Jr. The late Henry R. Gates remembered distinctly how at that house Deacon Shepard kept time with an hour-glass. April 3, 1812, Jonas was made a deacon of the Baptist church, and served in that capacity till his death, May 9, 1825, aged 55 years. His widow, Eunice, m. (2), Dec. 28, 1826, Joseph Messer, the pioneer settler on Morgan hill (his second wife). Eunice d. Feb. 16, 1841, aged 71 years. Jonas was the son of Jonathan Shepard.
SHEPARD, JONATHAN .- Jonathan Shepard, father of Jonas, also res. in the West Part in 1800, but seems to have had two or three different locations. His first wife d. Aug. 26, 1808, and he m. (2) Mrs. Mary (Gile) Abbot, widow of Stephen Abbot. Jonathan Shepard and his daughter Susanna united with the church May 10, 1795, having presented letters from the church at Newton, Mass. Susanna m., Jan. 5, 1796, Amasa, son of Peter and Ruth (Nichols) Sargent, b. March 6, 1770, and res. in N. L. The Martha Shepard who m. Ebene- zer Haseltine, Sept. 6, 1792, was not of the Lieut. Ebenezer Shepard family, and was probably a daughter of Jonathan. Jonathan Shepard and his wife Mary were granted letters to the Baptist church of Lebanon and Enfield in 1817.
SLACK, JOHN .- Among the numerous families who removed from Attleboro, Mass., to N. L., was that of John Slack. His wife, whom he m. Dec. 13, 1781, was Betty Ide, dau. of John Ide, who also came from Attleboro. His first location was on the present Austin Morgan place at Low Plain. Later he exchanged clearings with Dea. Zebedee Hayes, and res. for a time on the Daniel S. Seamans farm, in a house which stood northwest of Mr. Seamans's residence, but soon after 1800 removed to Lunenburgh, Vt. His son John H. was the first college graduate from N. L. John Slack had at least three sisters : Hannah, m. Penuel Everett, Jan. 16, 1783 ; Mindwell, m. James Mills of Lunenburgh, Vt., Feb. 7, 1796; Molly, res. at Josiah Brown's and d. Nov. 30, 1818, aged 67 years. Chil- dren of John and Betty (Ide) Slack :
I. Zerviah, b. Oct. 9, 1782 ; d. Dec. 7, 1783.
2. Molly, b. Oct. 27, 1784 ; d. March 6, 1785.
3. Nabby, b. Dec. 18, 1785 ; d. Nov. 16, 1786.
12
.
162
HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
4. Betsey, b. March 31, 1787; m., Feb. 28, 1805, Spencer Clark, and res. in N. L.
5. John H., b. June 6, 1789 ; graduated from Dartmouth college in ISII, and res. in N. L. ; read law, and practised some ; m. Lydia Hastings (sister of Hiram). Removed to Andover about IS17.
6. Comfort, b. April 25, 1796 ; d. May 1, 1796.
7. Manley Gates, b. July 25, 1797 ; d. Feb. 3, 1815.
S. Armasinda, b. Jan. 25, 1799 ; m., May 4, 1819, Enoch Tur- rill of Andover, and res. in Lunenburgh, Vt.
SMITH, DAVID .- David Smith, a soldier of the Revolution, whose marriage intention with Catharine, oldest dau. of Lieut. Ebenezer and Jane (McCordy) Shepard, b. Dedham, Mass., June 4, 1763, was published April 20, 1782, came to N. L. from Dedham, Mass., with his father-in-law about 1790, and settled at Low Plain, on the farm afterwards occupied and still 'owned by Austin Morgan. He had a blacksmith shop oppo- site the house, and being both blacksmith and veterinary was more familiarly known as "Doctor" Smith. He was a highly respected citizen, held several town offices, and was a member of the church, baptized by Elder Seamans, July 12, 1794. David d. about 1825. The children of David and Catharine (Shepard) Smith were,-
I. Catharine, b. Dedham, March 15, 1783 ; m., Sept. 23, 1802, Ja- cob, son of Samuel and Sarah ( How) Messer, and res. in N. L.
2. Hannah, b. (presumably at N. L.) April 21, 1785 ; m., May 22, 1804, Joel, son of Joel and Dillah (Delia) Fletcher, b. Bumfield, Mass., March 22, 1784, and res. in N. L.
3. David, b. April 2, 1787.
4. Artemis, b. Jan. 11, 1789.
5. Painey, b. July 28, 1791 ; is perhaps the Caleb P. Smith of N. L. who m. Eliza Ann George of Franklin in November, 1836.
6. Rebekah, b. April 26, 1793.
7. Jason, b. Feb. 2, 1795 ; d. Feb. 26, 1816.
8. Nathaniel, b. April 12, 1797 ; went to Portsmouth in Capt. Silas Call's company in the War of 1812, and was "of Sutton" Jan. 29, 1823, when he m. Betsey, dau. of Jonathan and Betsey (Sargent) Herrick, b. March 12, IS00.
9. Ira, b. Jan. 16, 1799; m., June 27, 1822, Amanda, dau. of Jesse and Phebe (Farmer) Dow, b. Sept. 21, 1798, and res. in N. L. on the home place.
10. Matilda, b. Sept. 13, 1801.
II. Cynthia, b. July 29, 1803.
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THE PIONEERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
STEVENS, NATHANIEL.' This signer of the petition for incorporation, dated Jan. 22, 1779, resided probably near the Newbury line. There is no mention of him on the town records.
STINSON, JOHN .- The first settler on the hillside northeast of Gay corner (where Benjamin Emory Burpee lived at a later date) was John Stinson, who with his wife and five children came to N. L. from Dunbarton in 1799, and located on the farm where he lived, died, and was buried. The Stinsons have been represented in N. L. by sons and grandsons (or their widows ) until within a few years. John d. May 26, 1812, aged 55 years ; Nancy d. May 3, 1834, aged 74 years. Their children were,-
I. James, b. Hillsborough, Aug. 30, 1789; m. Sarah, dau. of Rev. Robert Dickey of Wilmot, and res. in N. L.
2. Margaret, b. Dunbarton, Sept. 24, 1791 ; m., Dec. 17, 1812, Hezekiah, son of John and Molly (Brocklebank) Adams, b. June 20, 1786, and res. in N. L.
3. Jane, b. Nov. 2, 1793 ; m., Oct. 29, 1815, Joseph Kimball, 'and res. in N. L.
4. William, b. May 26, 1796 ; m. Miss Dickey, and res. in Wilmot.
5. Nancy, b. Aug. 20, 1798; m., May 11, 1820, Cyrus, son of Moses and Dolly (Perley) Adams, b. July 7, 1795, and res. in Grafton.
6. Betsey, b. N. L., Feb. 21, 1802 ; m., Dec. 29, 1819, Moses, son of Moses and Dolly (Perley) Adams, b. Aug. 22, 1792, and res. in N. L.
STRAW, BENJAMIN .- Benjamin Straw, who was the successor of Capt. Amasa Sargent on the Ransom F. Sargent place, oc- cupied it about sixteen years, when he sold to Gideon Wilkins and removed to the West. His father was Moses Straw, who with his mother was living with him in April, 1800, when Mrs. Straw d. His wife was Ruth Hutchins, b. Jan. 17, 1775, dau. of Lieut. William and Abigail (Flood) Hutchins. Children :
I. Hannah Harvey, b. Sept. 21, 1800.
2. Alva, b. June 9, 1803.
3. Oriel, b. March 7, 1805.
4. Olive, b. Sept. 5, 1807.
5. Benning Smart, b. June 20, 1814.
TRUSSELL, JOSEPH .- Joseph Trussell, a nephew of Moses, the pioneer of 1774, was the first of that name to become a
164
HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
permanent settler. He was the son of John Trussell of Hop- kinton, and was b. January, 1769. Joseph came to N. L. in 1798, and Nov. 3 bought of Nathaniel Fales parts of the origi- nal farms of Ebenezer Hunting and John Lyon, 91 acres in all, for $600. He settled at or near the site of the log cabin built by Hunting, and there built the frame house which remained in the possession of his descendants until the decease of his son John, April 1, 1883. His first wife was Anna Hooker, who d. Dec. 3, 1813 ; and Joseph m. (2) Miriam, dau. of Philip and Hannah (Hadley) Sargent of Sutton. Joseph d. April 18, 1816; Miriam d. April 1, 1860, aged 78 years. Children of Joseph and Anna (Hooker) Trussell :
I. Lois, b. Feb. 28, 1800 ; m., Sept. 2, 1824, Wesley P., son of Jeremiah and Betsey (Blake) Burpee, b. Dec. 13, 1801 ; res. in N. L.
2. John, b. June 22, 1802 ; never m. ; d. April 1, 1883.
3. Priscilla, b. March 28, 1804 ; m. Daniel Atwood, Jr., of Pel- ham, and res. there.
4. Joseph, b. Feb. 1, 18II ; m. Feb. 26, 1840, Helen Mar, dau. of Samuel and Martha (Sargent) Kezar of Sutton, b. April 14, 1816, and res. in N. L.
TRUSSELL, MOSES .- The man who made the first clearing in what is now the town of N. L. deserves mention in the first period of its history, although he did not become a permanent resident until a quarter-century later than the date of incorpora- tion. Through Moses' youngest son, Luther Montgomery Trussell, the data concerning the origin and descent of the Trussells was preserved in the family register, and was made available through the courtesy of Rev. William F. Trussell of Dodge Centre, Minn., grandson of Ezekiel Knowlton Trussell, an older brother of Luther. The earliest known ancestor was Henry Trussell of Liverpool, Eng., master of a ship trading with the American colonies. His son Henry, b. at Liverpool about 1670, m., in 1691, Hannah Wade; was a farmer and sailor ; and res. at Haverhill, Mass. The youngest of their five children was Moses, b. 1703 ; who m., in 1740, Jane Mills, and res. in Plaistow. Moses, b. Sept. 14, 1753, was the youngest of their seven children, and when he was but four years old his father d. ; but the family continued to reside on the farm until 1770, with the exception of the oldest son, John
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THE PIONEERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
(father of Joseph of N. L.), who had m. and was then living in Hopkinton.
Early in 1774, Moses with two companions set out from Hopkinton for Heidleburg, then without a single inhabitant, and felled trees four weeks on land in the West district, now [1860] owned by Monroe and Charles Jewett. [This latter statement differs somewhat from the commonly accepted ver- sion of the Trussell venture, which is given on p. 8, but its authority entitles it to careful consideration at the least.] The cleared land was planted to corn, and the young explorers went on to Claremont, intending to locate farms there. Moses did so, but the others decided to look farther. When Moses on his return visited his Heidleburg clearing he found his crop had been harvested by the wild animals.
At the time of the battle of Concord and Lexington, in April, 1775, Moses was in Hopkinton, and on hearing the news of the battle and the call to arms at once sought his brother John. They soon decided that one of them should enter the army, and Moses quickly settled the question of which one should go by saying,-" You have a family : I have not. If I should fall it would not be so serious a loss as it would should the same happen to you. I have no gun : give me your gun, and I will go!" He enlisted in Captain Baldwin's company, Colo- nel Stark's regiment, and joined the army at Mystic on the 17th of June. He fought behind the famous " rail fence " at Bunker hill, and not hearing the order to retreat was the last man to leave the fence, and although hotly pursued escaped unhurt. After crossing the " neck " it was ascertained that Captain Baldwin was wounded and missing, and Moses and two companions volunteered to search for him. It was in this perilous venture that his left arm was taken off by a can- non ball. He sat down on a log, had his arm dressed, then picked up his brother's gun and again crossed the "neck." After a few weeks in the hospital at Mystic, where he was cared for by his mother, he returned home with her. John Trussell's gun, which Moses used at Bunker hill, is a treasured family heirloom, now in the possession of Rev. William F. Trussell.
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