USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > New London > A history of the town of New London, Merrimack county, New Hampshire, 1779-1899 > Part 7
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72
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Alaxandrea Joyning on the Souuth westerly Sid of Said Alaxandr and the June ye I : 1773 This Plan Sheweth ye Number of Lotts in the addition of
Easton side of the Patten Line to Grate Sunipe Pond then by Said Pond to fisherfield then Easterly on fisherfeald to Parryton North Line then Down Par- rytown Line Easterly to a Beach Tree marked thence North 39 Degrees East
to a beach tree which is the Corner of Said alaxandra : it is Divided in to 137
Layd Down by a Scale of one Mild to one Inch and as Convenant as the Land
wold alow I Laid Tew Senter Squars of Ten acrs Each for Publick Uses as marked in the Plan the Ponds are as near as Posable Laid in their Shape and Bignes and the Streems Drawd as thay Run throw Said Land Said Streems Run Easterly from the Patten Line mesured by me
Jeremiah Page Svayar of Land
John Tolford and Robart Mcmrphey Jun" Cheen man
Lotts Each Lott Containing 150 acrs Numbered as is Set Down in the Plan
: 23
26: 20:21
The Patter Line is north 39 Degrees East 3236 Rod from Grat Funthe
65
THE PIONEERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
In the plan the range lines (which in 1896 by reason of the variation in the declination of the magnetic needle are north 45 degrees east instead of "North 39 Degrees East" as they were in 1773) are continuous ; the lot lines on the ranges are dotted. Lots 43, 55, and 86 were laid out in " two Peacs Each by Rea- son of Ponds Taken away Land out of them." The range lines were run and marked. The ends of the lot lines on the ranges were indicated on the range lines by spotted trees and stakes. Frequent references to the lot numbers on this plan are made in the following sketches of the New London pioneers.
Mr. Hammond has also furnished copies of other old docu- ments relating to New London, and one of these supplies the reason why, as mentioned on p. II, " the names of Heidleburg and New London were used indiscriminately " by the town's earliest inhabitants, and why the London (England) map of New Hampshire published in 1768, and the Blanchard and Langdon map prepared at Portsmouth in 1761, designated the territory of this section as " Heidleburg." It is a transcript from the Masonian Papers (Vol. VII, p. 91), and is nothing less than a grant by the Masonian proprietors to William Symes, Esq., and others, of the tract of land lying southwest of the origi- nal Alexandria, and " said Tract or Township is Calld Hiddle- burg." The date of this charter is June 5, 1753.
The Pioneers and Their Families.
ACHILLES, HENRY .- Tradition has it that there was a Henry Achilles with Burgoyne when he surrendered (Oct., 1777) to General Gates at Saratoga, and that with the disbanding of the army Achilles wandered about the country, seeking a home in " the land of the free," and finally settled in N. L. So much for tradition, for there is no mention of a Henry Achilies in the town records until the year 1800, when the name is given in the list of tax-payers. This Henry is the one mentioned by Elder Seamans in his diary as " Henry Achilles, Jr.," on the occasion of his marriage, May 8, 1798, to Patty, dau. of Lieut. Thomas and Joanna (Foster) Burpee, b. at Rowley, Jan. 12, 1781. They res. at the Lieutenant Burpee homestead for a time, but in 1800 were living on Summer street, in the house built and previously occupied by Lieut. Benjamin Woodbury and occupied to-day (June 1, 1896) by Mrs. Gilman Smith. 6
66
HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
Achilles had a farm later in the parcel of land disannexed from Wendall in 1804, and reappears in the N. L. tax-list in 1805. The next year he sold this farm to Isaac Messer, and the story has been handed down how his wife refused at first to sign the deed, but was brought to terms by the gift of a silk handker- chief. Achilles then lived in the Low Plain district for two years, where Patty Achilles d., March 20, 1809, aged 28. In 1810, Achilles, who had m. (2) Elisa Smith, and Theodore Abbot, who had just m. Polly Burpee, a younger sister of Patty, bought a lot of 108 acres in the edge of Springfield (just north of George Fisher's), Henry giving a bonus of three days' work and a gallon of rum for the northerly half. In 1812 he returned to N. L., and lived in a log house a little northeast of the four corners near Belden Morgan's,-a spot still marked by ancient apple-trees. His second wife had considerable repute as a fortune-teller, and brewed many a cup of tea for maidens anxious as to their matrimonial prospects. Henry Achilles last appears in the 1813 tax-list, when he had sold off all his stock, but retained his land, which was in lot No. 87. It is not known certainly what became of the family, but the land was taxed to Elisa Achilles as a non-resident for three years, and then passed to Jonathan Rowell. Long years afterwards a stranger called at the blacksmith-shop of John M. Dow, an- nounced himself as a son of the Henry Achilles who used to live in N. L., and having visited the cemetery carried away a chipping of slate from the well-preserved headstone of his young mother, Patty Achilles. Henry Achilles's children were,-
I. Tryphenia, b. Aug. 4, 1799.
2. Alford, b. Aug. 9, 1801.
3. Alburtons, b. April 12, 1803.
4. Henry, b. Nov. 21, 1806.
5. Samuel B., b. Jan. 11, 1812.
ADAMS, BENJAMIN .- Benjamin, the second son of John and Sarah (Brocklebank) Adams, mentioned below, was b. Feb. 19, 1751. He appears to have located first on Minot's (Colby) hill, probably at the southeasterly end of Alvin F. Messer's "ridge" in lot No. 59. In 1801 he was in the western school district, a little east of Belden Morgan's on the opposite side of the highway. He was quite prominent in town and church matters. He removed later to Tunbridge, Vt., but both he and
67
THE PIONEERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
Judith, his wife, are buried in the N. L. cemetery. Benjamin d. Feb. 25, 1819, aged 68 ; Judith d. Nov. 15, 1823, aged 75. Their children were,-
I. Benjamin, b. Sept. 1, 1773 ; m. and moved to Tunbridge, Vt., in 1799, where he d. in October, 1825.
2. Judith, b. Feb. 12, 1775 ; m. David Hobson, April 13, 1799, and res. in N. L.
3. Matthew, b. Dec. 17, 1778; m. Rebekah Dow about 1801 ; res. with his father and paid taxes in 1801 and 1802 ; no further record.
4. Elizabeth, b. Sept. 10, 1780.
5. Mary, b. May 21, 1782 ; m. Levi Harvey, Jr., April 30, 1801, and res. in N. L.
6. Hannah B., b. Aug. 18, 1786 ; d. July 27, 1829.
7. Theophilus, b. Feb. 18, 1789 ; m., about 1807, Jemima, dau. of Robert and Jemima Knowlton, and res. in N. L.
8. Jeremiah, b. April 15, 1793; removed to Massachusetts and m., but res. afterwards in N. L.
ADAMS, JOHN .- The oldest representative of the Adams fam- ily in N. L. was the John Adams who came from Rowley, Mass., soon after 1780. This John was the fourth child and eldest son of John and Sarah (Pearson) Adams, and the fourth generation from Robert Adams of Newbury, Mass. He was b. in Rowley, April 12, 1721 ; m. three times, and raised a large family, five of his sons-John, Benjamin, Solomon, Moses, Jonathan-locating with him in N. L. John was se- lectman in 1786 and 1788, and held several minor offices. According to the town records he was on the " Baker place," lot No. 107, in 1784, and probably built the house whose foundations can still be seen near the " Brocklebank," the spa- cious summer hotel erected in 1896 by the present owner of the "Baker place," Fred Baxter Gay. John Adams d. Sept. 28, 1803, at the ripe age of 82. His first wife was Sarah Brock- lebank, by whom he had,-
I. John, b. Sept. 29, 1749 ; m. Molly Brocklebank, and res. in N. L.
2. Benjamin, b. Feb. 19, 1751 ; m. and res. in N. L.
3. Sarah, b. March 23, 1753; m. James Brocklebank, and res. in N. L.
4. Lois, b. Nov. 15, 1754 ; m., Nov. 15, 1774, Daniel Perkins of Boxford, Mass.
John Adams m. (2) (published May 24, 1755) Elizabeth Kilborn of Rowley, and had,-
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
5. Elizabeth, b. Jan. 29, 1756.
6. Jane, b. May 25, 1757 ; m., Dec. 13, 1781, John Sawyer Blais- dell of Newbury, Mass.
7. Solomon, b. March 4, 1759 ; m. Molly Bancroft, and res. in N. L.
8. Jedediah, b. Jan. 18, 1761 ; d. Oct. 31, 1765.
9. Mary, b. Nov. 23, 1763 ; m. (published June 2, 1783) Silas Plummer of Haverhill, Mass.
Sept. 28, 1764, John Adams m. his third wife, Mrs. Meribah Stickney, widow of Samuel Stickney of Bradford, Mass. She d. in N. L., July 21, 1803, at the age of 77, and lies in the vil- lage cemetery with her last husband. They had,-
10. Moses, b. July 21, 1765 ; m. Dolly, dau. of Benjamin and Apphia Perley, of Rowley, Mass., and res. in N. L.
II. Jonathan, b. Sept. 27, 1767 ; m. Phebe, dau. of Capt. Samuel and Jane Brocklebank, and res. in N. L.
ADAMS, JOHN, JR .- John Adams, Jr., first child and oldest son of John and Sarah (Brocklebank) Adams, b. Sept. 29, 1749, was published with Molly Brocklebank (possibly a sister of Capt. Samuel Brocklebank), Dec. 22, 1776. They res. in Rowley until 1783, when they removed to N. L. and settled in the near neighborhood of the elder John, who was on the " Baker place," lot No. 107, which would seem to have become the property of John, Jr., after his father's death in 1803. He held numerous town offices, being first chosen constable in 1789. John d. March 15, 1821, aged 72 ; Molly d. July 27, 1840, aged 87. Their children were,-
I. Betsey, b. Rowley, Aug. 23, 1778 ; was blind, and never m., making her home in later years with her youngest sister, Polly (Mrs. Seth Freeman Sargent); she d. Jan. 8, 1850, aged 7 1.
2. Hepzibah, b. Rowley, Feb. 20, 1780 ; was nearly blind, and d. at the homestead, of cancer, May 16, 1830, aged 50.
3. Patty (Martha), b. Rowley, Feb. 19, 1782 ; m. Daniel Bickford, Nov. 27, 1806, and res. in N. L.
4. Jane, b. N. L., April 8, 1784 ; m. Robert Coburn, of Wheelock, Vt., Nov. 26, 1807, and res. on the A. J. Kidder farm in Springfield. They had,-
(1). Betsey, never m., and d. in 1872, of cancer, at J. Johnson Sargent's.
(2). Asa, went to Littleton, where he m. and had children.
(3). Joan, m. Mr. Marshall and went West.
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THE PIONEERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
(4). John, went to Penacook, where he m. twice but has no children.
(5). Irene, never m., and is deceased.
(6). Cyrus, went to Willimantic, Conn., m. and had children.
(7). Hattie, m. three times, her last husband being Jeremiah Haines, and d. in Bristol.
(8). Charles, went to Fall River, Mass., m. and had one child.
5. Hezekiah, b. June 20, 1786 ; m., Dec. 17, 1812, Peggy (Marga- ret) Stinson, dau. of John and Nancy Stinson, and res. in N. L.
6. Irene, b. Jan. 19, 1791 ; was blind, and never m .; d. at the homestead, May 20, 1813, aged 22.
7. Thomas, b. Feb. 25, 1796 ; d. March 6, 1797.
8. Polly, b. Aug. 29, 1799 ; m. Seth Freeman Sargent, Nov. 16, 1823, and res. in N. L.
ADAMS, JONATHAN .- Jonathan was the youngest son of John and Mrs. Meribah (Stickney) Adams, mentioned above, and was b. Sept. 27, 1767. He came to N. L. with his father, and, March 24, 1789, m. Phebe, dau. of Capt. Samuel and Jane Brocklebank, b. July 3, 1769. He settled near his father's, probably at the John Ellis place in lot No. 108. He was one of the singers chosen by the town in 1788 to assist in the church services. Phebe bore him three children, and d. Feb. 27, 1807, after Jonathan had removed to Tunbridge, Vt. He m. (2) Abigail Weymouth, b. Feb. 29, 1776. Jonathan d. in Tunbridge, Feb. 28, 1842 ; Abigail d. Feb. 1, 1864. The three children of Jonathan and Phebe (Brocklebank) Adams- Rebekah, Rapsima, and John-are the first recorded in the town's first book of vital statistics.
ADAMS, MOSES .- Meribah, the third wife of the older John Adams, mentioned above, bore him two sons, Moses and Jona- than. Moses was his tenth child and fifth son, b. July 21, 1765, so that he was but a youth when he came to N. L. Later, he made a home on the " Glengae " farm, lot No. 95, now owned by Capt. Baxter Gay. Quite a tract on this lot had been cleared already by David Howe of Boston, but there was no house on the clearing. Adams took his deed from Howe, and built a house and barn quite a distance south of the present " Glen- gae," which was built by Benjamin W. Gay some years subsequent to his purchase of the farm. Moses Adams lived afterwards with his oldest son, Moses, in the present George
70
HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
W. Tilton house, a short distance east of the old home. Moses was twice married, his first wife being Dolly Perley of Box- ford, Mass., dau. of Benjamin and Apphia Perley of Rowley, whom he m. March 18, 1790. She bore him three children, and d. Jan. 19, 1799, aged 37. Moses m. (2), Nov. 17, 1799, Hannah Flanders, who d. Oct. 4, 1840, aged 67 ; Moses d. March 24, 1858, aged 93. His children were,-
I. Anna, b. Jan. 29, 1791 ; d. March 19, 1813.
2. Moses, Jr., b. Aug. 22, 1792 ; m., Dec. 29, 1819, Betsey, dau. of John and Nancy Stinson, and res. in N. L.
3. Cyrus, b. July 7, 1795 ; was "of Grafton " May 11, 1820, when he m. Nancy Stinson (sister of Betsey, his brother's wife), and res. there.
4. Hannah, b. March 20, 1803 ; m. Dec. 31, 1833, Benjamin Perley of Springfield, son of Paul and Sally (Story) Perley, and d. July 8, 1841.
5. Belinda, b. May 8, 1808 ; d. Aug. 10, 1810.
6. Myra, b. Aug. 17, 1811 ; never m .; d. at Grafton, aged about 70 years.
ADAMS, SOLOMON .- Solomon was the third son of John Adams, and the third child by his second wife, Elizabeth Kilborn. He was born March 4, 1759, did good service in the Revolutionary war before he was twenty, and was pub- lished with Molly Bancroft of Rowley, Aug. 18, 1779. Com- ing to N. L. with his father and brothers soon after 1780, he cleared the land around Bucklin's corner, on lot No. 108, a little northeast from his father's house on the "Baker place." He first built a barn on the southwesterly side of the field opposite the C. W. Bucklin house, but finding no water there after several trials, changed his location to a spot near the willow tree which is still standing at the corner. Solomon lived here several years, and then sold his farm and buildings to Ebenezer Sargent, who made his home in the old house while he was erecting the dwelling which has been remodelled and practically rebuilt recently by Charles W. Bucklin. The Adams house was removed to a spot on the same farm, beyond the John Ellis house and on the opposite side of the road, near a lane running north, and was occupied by Reuben Fellows. After the sale of his farm to Ebenezer Sargent, Solomon removed to the Caleb Segur house on Pleasant street, lot No. 80, the " Red Gables " of to-day as transformed by Maj. Will-
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THE PIONEERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
iam A. Messer. Molly (Bancroft) Adams's funeral was attend- ed by Elder Seamans, April 25, 1797, he preaching a sermon from II Cor., iv : 17, 18. The children of Solomon and Molly (Bancroft) Adams were,-
I. Alexander, who d. young.
2. Solomon, b. 1780 ; m. Mary, dau. of Joseph and Phebe (Fel- lows) Collins of Springfield, and res. in N. L.
3. Mary, who m. late in life David Barnard of Enfield, where they res.
4. Abigail, who m. John, son of Dea. Zebedee and Chloe Hayes, and res. in N. L.
5. Susan, never m .; d. at the Stephen D. Messer house, July 31, 1847, aged 65 years.
6. Emily, m. Ezekiel, son of Peter and Ruth (Nichols) Sargent (his second wife), and res. in N. L.
7. Eliza, never m .; d. Oct. 10, 1853, aged 67 years.
Solomon Adams m. (2), Jan. 7, 1800, Mary, dau. of Peter and Ruth (Nichols) Sargent, b. Oct. 11, 1771. Solomon d. in March, 1834, and the headstone of his grave bears this in- scription, "Ensign Solomon Adams, A Soldier of the Revolu- tion." Mary (Sargent) Adams, d. in April, 1845. Their chil- dren were,-
8 .. Peter, m. Jemima Whittier of Newport, moved to Orange, and d. there, leaving several children.
9. Daniel, m. (1) Eliza Williams of Sunapee. (Eliza was a sister of Mrs. Henry Gates, and a daughter of Job Williams who m. Mary Leighton of Portsmouth and res. near Job's creek on the Lake Sunapee shore.) Daniel m. (2) Calista Richardson ; m. (3) Mrs. Sophronia Webster of Claremont ; d. in Spring- field, having had five children, one of whom, Augusta, m. Rev. Lucien Adams, a Congregational missionary to Turkey in Asia, where Augusta d.
10. Lois, m. Gilman Sawyer, and res. and d. in Springfield. Two children, Emily and George.
II. Zebedee, never m .; d. in Springfield.
12. Augustine, unmarried, and d. in Springfield.
13. Chloe, who d. in Springfield, unmarried.
14. Sarah, d. young.
AUSTIN, DAVID .- " David Astens" was at N. L., 1784. He may have been a son of John Austin, below.
AUSTIN, JOHN .- In 1779 two surveyors of highways were chosen in N. L. One of these was John Austin (Asten), who
72
HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
was elected to the same office again in 1786. Tradition locates this pioneer near Lake Pleasant, and there are in George R. MacFarland's pasture on the southwest side of the highway, lot No. 32, northerly section, the distinct traces of buildings about whose occupancy residents in that vicinity remember nothing. The location is a comfortable one, pro- tected by the hill above from the winds of winter, and near by is a never-failing spring of the purest water. There John Austin may have lived. The younger Austins, David, John, Jr., and Hannah, probably were children of this John. Hannah became the first wife of John King, of King's hill, Sutton. She had one child, Hannah, b. Sept. 28, 1786. Mrs. King d. Oct. 27, 1786, aged 18 years, and was buried at the West Part.
AUSTIN, JOHN, JR .- New London had, in 1786, five survey- ors of highways, Capt. Eliphalet Gay, Edmund Davis, Lieut. William Hutchins, John Austin (Asten), and John Austin (As- ten ), Jr. The last named had been surveyor the preceding year, together with Jedediah Jewett, Lieut. Samuel Brocklebank, Nathaniel Everett, and John Adams, Jr. Considering the location of John, Jr.'s, colleagues during these two years, it will be seen that his residence must have been on the north- easterly side of Lake Pleasant, probably near where Mason W. Emery now lives. He is presumably the John Austin who m. Patty, dau. of Lieut. Samuel and Sarah (How) Messer, and a few years thereafter removed to Rochester, Vt.
BEATLE, JOSEPH .- The taxes of Joseph Beatle (or Beattie) for 1799 were abated to Levi Harvey, Jr., constable and collector for that year, on whose list they were, provided that Beatle did not return so they might be collected. There is no other mention of him in the town records.
BROCKLEBANK, CAPT. SAMUEL .- It would seem that the parents of Capt. Samuel and James Brocklebank, who were residents of N. L. in May, 1783, must have been the John Brocklebank and Sarah his wife who are buried in the village churchyard, having one headstone with a two-fold inscription. John d. June 1, 1795, aged 77 years ; Sarah d. Sept. 20, 1803, aged 83 years. The family came from Rowley, Mass., and the first locations of Samuel and James were quite near each other,- Samuel's in Job Cross's four-acre field, James's on the Anthony
73
THE PIONEERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
Philbrick place, and both close by the Adamses, who were rela- tives and had also come from Rowley. In the early years a road was laid out from Capt. Samuel Brocklebank's along the northerly side of Fred Baxter Gay's " Baker place," and contin- uing along the line between Capt. Baxter Gay and Dea. Edwin F. Messer, entered the present highway near George W.Tilton's, then followed practically the course of the present street to the Four Corners. Part of this road was certainly built, and perhaps all of it, but relative to the northwesterly end there was some difficulty. It was a topic considered, and acted on favorably and unfavorably, in several town meetings, and the fact that Captain Brocklebank moved before 1800 to the E. A. Todd place in the West Part, makes it look as if the question of the road at his former location was not settled satisfactorily to him. At this latter place he passed his remaining years. It was he who was concerned with Dea. Ebenezer Hunting in the mill controversy with Levi Harvey, Esq. The children of Capt. Samuel and Jane Brocklebank were,-
I. Samuel, b. June 12, 1765 ; m. Mary, dau. of Levi and Betsey (Randlett) Harvey, Feb. 8, 1791.
2. Jane, b. June 28, 1767.
3. Phebe, b. July 3, 1769 ; m. Jonathan, son of John and Meribah Adams, March 24, 1789, and res. in N. L.
4. Sarah, b. July 15, 1771 ; never m. ; familiarly known as " Aunt Sally;" res. for a long time in the house which stood former- ly between E. A. Todd's and the Roberts house on the same side of the highway, and d. April 11, 1859.
5. Polly, b. Nov. 13, 1773 ; m., Nov. 21, 1793, James Eaton of Sutton.
6. John, b. Feb. 24, 1776.
7. Hannah, b. Feb. 21, 1779.
8. Lydia, b. Sept. 12, 1781 ; m., March 7, 1805, Lieut. John Gage of Wendall.
9. Betsey, b. July 16, 1784 ; m. Enoch, son of Edmund and Lydia, or Jane (Morgan), Davis, and res. in N. L.
IO. Nancy, b. July 21, 1786 ; d. Jan. 23, 1797.
BROCKLEBANK, JAMES .- James Brocklebank was in N. L. as early as May 2, 1783. His wife, Sarah, did not accompany him, but came with two little ones a year later. James came from Rowley, Mass., and made a clearing on the present Anthony C. Philbrick farm. It was in a house belonging to
74
HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
him that Elder Seamans lived from the time he brought his family to N. L., in July, 1788, until Christmas day of the same year, when he moved into a house opposite the present Chris- topher C. Gardner buildings, which was afterwards burned. James was a resident of N. L. until 1809, when he purchased the James King estate in Sutton and removed to that town. Sarah (Adams) Brocklebank was a dau. of John and Sarah (Brocklebank) Adams, b. March 23, 1753. Children :
I. John, b. Rowley, March 13, 1779; res. with his father until 1808 ; no further record.
2. Moody, b. Nov. 3, 1783 ; d. in service during War of 1812.
3. Sarah, b. N. L., Dec. 27, 1785 ; m., Nov. 28, 1805, Samuel Huntoon of Andover.
4. Lois, b. March 11, 1787; m., Nov. 21, 1811, Phinehas, son of Nathaniel Smith and Sarah (Clough) Messer of N. L., and res. in Springfield.
5. James, b. March 16, 1790; m. Sally, dau. of Isaac and Ruth (Wells) Bean of Sutton, where he res. and had at least one child, John.
6. Theodore, b. June 28, 1791 ; d. Feb. 27, 1874.
7. Fanny, b. Dec. 8, 1793; m., Oct. 25, 1818, Timothy, son of Isaac and Ruth (Wells) Bean, and res. in Sutton ; d. Feb. 6, 1882. Three children,-Calista, Sarah, John C.
BROWN, JOSIAH .- The name Josiah Brown has been handed down though three generations of honorable men, though the last of the three is the only one who became a citizen of N. L. The first Josiah lived in Haverhill, Mass., and about the year 1728 m. Miss Rogers of Newbury, Mass., a traditional descend- ant of John Rogers the Christian martyr. They had a son Josiah, b. in Haverhill in 1734. At the age of 23 he m. Lydia, dau. of Dea. Thomas Stevens of Amesbury, Mass. This was the Dea. Thomas Stevens who with sixty other men in 1735 obtained the original grant of the territory now embraced in the town of Warner, and gave to it the name of New Amesbury in honor of their Massachusetts home. The second Josiah was a farmer, and res. in East Haverhill, where his son, the third Jo- siah, was b. Feb. 11, 1767, and where his wife Lydia d. in 1775. He d. at Newbury, Mass., 1795. Three months after the third Josiah had attained his majority he came to N. L. In those early days, when both men and women found ample occupation for their time, his trade of carpenter and joiner stood him in
JOSIAH BROWN, ESQ.
75
THE PIONEERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
good stead in supplying the needs of the growing community. His first work was on the new meeting-house, and being a single man he was allowed to sleep in the gallery. Later he invented a winnowing-mill for cleaning grain, which took the place of all other machines used for that purpose wherever it was introduced. He made and sold his machines for many years, and they were also manufactured by others in various parts of New England. Josiah Brown m. twice. His first wife was Sarah, dau. of Rev. Job and Sarah (Easterbrooks) Seamans, b. Nov. 12, 1770, to whom he was m. Aug. 15, 1793. He res. for a time on the Ransom F. Sargent place, and then moved to Colby hill. Sarah d. June 20, 1826, and Josiah m. (2), Sept. 9, 1827, Rhoda Seamans (sister of Sarah), b. Feb. 3, 1777, who d. Jan. 17, 1870. The 'Squire Brown house was situated on the highest point of Colby hill, lot No. 66, near the site of the burned academy, and his broad and fertile fields lay along either side of the travelled road. After the farm became the property of the academy part of the house was moved away, and became the nucleus of Mrs. Celia Gardner's present dwelling. Josiah d. July 14, 1854.
Rev. Oren Tracy, in a sketch of the life and character of this worthy man, makes this summary : " Mr. Brown came to New London when the town was new and all its interests in a forma- tive state. His influence was widely felt, and of the happiest character. By the purity of his heart and the elevated charac- ter of his conversation, the ingenuousness of his manners and the integrity of his life, he not only secured the respect and confidence of all, but contributed largely to the formation of those virtuous and good habits for which the people of the place have long been distinguished. Few men have carried themselves through life and in all the relations of life with such equanimity, cheerfulness, integrity, courtesy, and kindness- and it is only justice to say that few men possess equal mental and moral worth."
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