USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > New London > A history of the town of New London, Merrimack county, New Hampshire, 1779-1899 > Part 8
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Walter P. Flanders, Esq., paid this tribute to a special tendency of his mind: "Without culture, except what he absorbed from the scanty libraries within his reach, he was naturally the embodiment of a perfect mathematician and astronomer, and was a man of great possibilities. He had invented a complete system of logarithms, whereby he could
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at any time solve the cubic contents of cone, prism, sphere or section thereof, with perfect ease and accuracy."
Josiah Brown had by his wife Sarah,-
I. Betsey, b. Oct. 3, 1794; m., Dec. 12, 1815, John Brown, and res. in N. L.
BUNKER, BENJAMIN .- Benjamin Bunker was a son of Eli Bunker of Barnstead. He m. Betsey Daniels of Lee, and lived for a time in Pembroke, from whence he came, in 1796, to N. L. with his wife and three oldest children. He res. first on the Hiram Sargent place, lot No. 68, in a house built by John Ordway not far from the present cosy cottage of " Lakeside Farm." After a while he sold this homestead to Eliphalet Woodward, and began a clearing northeast of his first location, on the hill known to-day in local topography as Bunker hill. He was a man of enormous muscular strength, and among other traditions of his powers of endurance it is related that when he built his house on the hill he carried the boards there- for up the rugged hillside on his back. Another story that has been handed down runs thus: His grists were ground at Sunapee, and thither one day went Benjamin with two bushels of golden corn slung over his shoulders. Arriving at the mill, he found there was no chance for his grain to be ground that day, so leaving his corn he returned home. It was perhaps the next day that he reappeared at the mill with a second lot of maize on his back, and that night brought home the meal from the four bushels of corn-about two hundred-weight. The children of Benjamin and Betsey (Dan- iels) Bunker were,-
I. Nathaniel, b. Dec. 2, 1789 ; m., about 1808, Ednah, dau. of Eliphalet and Martha (Gage) Woodward, b. March 20, 1787, and res. in N. L.
2. David, b. Oct. 30, 1791 ; m. Judith York, and res. in Epping. Two children, Sally and Adeline.
3. Isaac, b. Oct. 13, 1793; m., Jan. 14, 1823, Sally, dau. of Nathaniel Richardson of Candia, and res. in N. L.
4. Benjamin, b. Jan. 8, 1796; m. Betsey, dau. of Paul and Sally (Story) Perley of Springfield, b. March 25, 1800, and res. in N. L.
5. John, b. Aug. 28, 1797; m., Jan. 3, 1825, Cynthia Hall, b. Jan. 5, 1800, and res. in N. L.
6. Betsey, b. Aug. 3, 1799 ; she was swinging, and falling was thrown down the open cellar stairs and killed, Jan. 15, 1811.
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7. William, b. May 27, 1801 ; was twice m., (1) to Lovie York (2) to a cousin of Ralph Waldo Emerson, and res. in Lowell' By his first wife he had Jane, Elizabeth, Marcia, Ellen ; by his second wife, Clara, Emma, Etta.
8. Ezekiel, b. Oct. 5, 1803 ; m. Eliza Scribner of Vermont, and res. in New York. He had Oscar, Olive N., Fanny, Lavinia, Charlotte, Ann Eliza, Cortland.
9. Hannah, b. April 17, 1805 ; m., June 24, 1828, Benjamin Hall ; res. for a short time in N. L., then moved to New York, where she now (1896) lives at the advanced age of 91 years. Children : Abiel E. (b. N. L., March 18, 1829), Rhoda, Robert, Martha, Mary, Sarah A., Charles W., George P.
Io. Sally, b. April 9, 1807 ; never m .; a nurse ; worked in N. L. and other places, more especially in Concord.
II. Rhoda, b. Feb. 5, 1809; never m., and lived with her sister, Mary, in North Sanbornton (Gaza).
12. Mary, b. June 18, 1811 ; m. Augustus Robinson, and res. in North Sanbornton (Gaza). Children : Mary, m. Cyrus Swain of Sanbornton ; Frank, m. and res. in Boscawen ; Ellen, d. young.
BURPEE, ASA .- There came to N. L. from Rowley, Mass., about 1786, a shoemaker, who not only intended to work at his trade in the new settlement, but had grit and perseverance enough to clear a farm and establish a long-enduring name in his adopted town. He pitched his camp on the southeasterly slope of the eminence now called Burpee hill, and lived on his first location (now Miss Catherine Whittemore's), though in a new house, until his death. Asa was a man of strict integrity, temperate, industrious, hospitable ; was very musical, had keen wit, and was as willing to take a joke as to give one. He m. Mary, dau. of Benjamin and Apphia Perley of Rowley, and they were the parents of three sons and six daughters. The sons inherited their father's many good qualities, and the daughters were of religious habit, modest in deportment, had a great sense of propriety, were fine singers, and well skilled in all kinds of handiwork, from spinning and weaving to the stitching and embroidery of that date, and had the ingenuity to invent new and tasteful patterns in the latter class of work. They were economical, good managers, and, best of all, good home-makers. With one exception the sons and daughters all lived and d. in N. L. Asa d. Oct. 15, 1843, aged 83
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years. His wife d. July 27, 1833, aged 73 years. Their chil- dren were,-
I. Thomas, b. Rowley, Dec. 13, 1782 ; m., July 8, 1810, Mary, dau. of Capt. John and Mary Woodman, and res. in N. L.
2. Rebekah, b. June 28, 1784; m., June 19, 1819, William Lov- erin of Springfield. They res. in Springfield and had four children :
(1). Perley, never m .; res. in Springfield.
(2). Sally, never m .; res. and d. in Springfield.
(3). Edwin. m., res., and d. in Springfield ; no children.
(4). Dolly, m. Oliver Nichols ; res. in Springfield, and had one child, Harry, who now owns and res. on the homestead.
3. Dolly, b. N. L., June 28, 1787 ; never m .; d. about 1835.
4. Perley, b. June 4, 1790; m., Dec. 31, 1816, Judith, dau. of Joseph and Anna (Heath) Colby, b. Nov. 17, 1796, and res. in N. L.
5. Delia, b. May 11, 1792 ; m., Dec. 24, 1816, James H., son of Joseph Pillsbury of Wendall, and res. in N. L.
6. Apphia, b. May 13, 1795; m., Nov. 15, 1815, Capt. Jonathan, son of Jonathan and Mary (Messenger) Everett, and res. in N. L.
7. Azubah, b. Jan. 27, 1797 ; d. March 16, 1856, unmarried.
8. Sally, b. Aug. 14, 1799 ; d. Aug. 21, 1799.
9. Abial, b. Oct. 1, 1800 ; m., May 20, 1828, Mary, dau. of Daniel and Rapsima (Messenger) Woodbury, b. Feb. 19, 1806, and res. in N. L.
BURPEE, CALVIN .- Calvin was the youngest of the three Burpee brothers who settled on Burpee hill. The earliest mention of him in the town records is in 1788, when he was chosen hogreeve. He m., April 2, 1793, Ruth, dau. of Lieut. Samuel and Sarah (How) Messer, and res. in a house on or near the site of Fred Farwell's present residence. In 1812 he moved to Grantham, and d. there. His children, b. in N. L., were,-
I. Stephen, b. Jan. 12, 1799.
2. Hiram, b. Feb. 24, 1801.
3. Varnum, b. Oct. 23, 1803.
4. Heman Bostwick, b. July 24, 1806.
5. Joseph Colby, b. Jan. 17, 1809.
BURPEE, LIEUT. THOMAS .- About 1787, Thomas Burpee came from Rowley, Mass., and built a log cabin near the site
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of Ai Worthen's residence. Later he built a frame house on . the same site as Mr. Worthen's, and still later he built for his son, Moses, the house which formed the basis of the present William S. Carter dwelling. He gained the title of lieutenant in the militia of his day, having the innate Burpee fondness for martial exercises. He was twice married,-(1) to Joanna, whose last name was probably Foster, and (2) to Sarah .. Both marriages were contracted before Thomas came to N. L., Thomas, Jr., Sarah's oldest child, having been b. at Rowley, while Mary, her second child, was b. in N. L. in 1791. Lieut. Thomas Burpee d. Sept. 12, 1839. The children of both wives were,-
I. Sally, b. Rowley, Feb. 26, 1775; m., Jan. 8, 1793, Ebenezer, son of Lieut. Ebenezer and Jane (McCordy) Shepard, b. 1767, and res. in N. L.
2. Abigail, b. Feb. 25, 1777 ; d. May 30, 1794.
3. Jeremiah, b. April 28, 1779 ; m. Betsey, dau. of Jesse and Dolly (Crocker) Blake, and res. in N. L.
4. Martha (Patty) b. Jan. 12, 1781 ; m., May 8, 1798, Henry Achilles, Jr., and res. in N. L.
5. Joanna, b. Dec. 5, 1782 ; m., Nov. 20, 1803, Edward Chad- wick, said to have been of Wendall.
6. Thomas, b. Aug. 26, 1787 ; m. Lydia, dau. of Jesse and Dolly (Crocker) Blake, and res. in N. L.
7. Mary, b. N. L., Sept. 29, 1791 ; m. (1), June 27, 1809, Theo- dore, son of Stephen and Mary (Gile) Abbot, and res. in N. L., Springfield, Sunapee; m. (2) Jacob Worthen, and res. in Sunapee.
8. Samuel, b. Jan. 1, 1793 ; m., Feb. 1, 1816, Sarah, dau. of Na- thaniel and Mary Fales, b. Feb. 21, 1794, and res. in N. L.
9. Anna, b. Feb. 5, 1795 ; m. Horatio, son of Nathaniel and Mary Fales, b. March 19, 1792, and res. in N. L.
10. Nathan, b. March 5, 1797 ; d. August, 1797.
II. Moses, b. Sept. 5, 1798 ; m., Sept. 14, 1823, Lavina Currier, b. Claremont, Oct. 12, 1800, dau. of Timothy and Jane (Mitch- ell) Currier of Acworth, and res. in N. L.
12. Nathan, b. April 4, 1801 ; m., Jan. 3, 1825, Lois, dau. of Dan- iel and Lois (Goodwin) Savary of Sutton, b. April 1, 1802. The "History of Sutton " says of him,-" Mr. Burpee was a man of stern independence of character, and was much re- spected by the people of this, his adopted town." His chil- dren were,-
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
(1). Emily, b. Oct. 10, 1825 ; d. March 17, 1826.
(2). Sally S., b. Aug. 7, 1827 ; d. March 5, 1833.
(3). Hannah S., b. July 23, 1829 ; m., Sept. 25, 1849, Thomas W. Nelson ; both d. April 24, 1851.
(4). Alma, b. Nov. 5, 1831 ; m. Orrin Humphrey ; res. in Sutton, and had a son George.
(5). Orson, b. March 19, 1834; m. (1) Mary Ann Prichard, (2) Alma Sanborn, (3) Jennie Rowe.
(6). Nahum, b. Feb. 16, 1837 ; " a young man of much promise, enlisted early in the war, and died during his term of ser- vice," Oct. 31, 1861.
(7). Orra, b. Aug. 20, 1839 ; m. Abbie Gee, and had Charles, George, Walter, Frank.
(8). Thomas, b. Nov. 12, 1842 (or 1843) ; m., Nov. 24, 1869, Hattie A. Buck, b. Dec. 17, 1845.
13. Abigail, b. Sept. 4, 1804 ; m. David B. Colcord, b. Oct. 29, 1802, and res. at George's Mills ; had one dau., and d. soon after. David afterwards res. at Sutton.
14. Harris, b. Aug. 30, 1808 ; m., May 15, 1832, Hannah Savary (sister of Lois), b. Dec. 18, 1807, and res. in Sutton ; "was much esteemed as a citizen, and, as the town records show, many times held offices of trust and responsibility." They had,-Frank, b. July 21, 1833 ; m., Nov. 7, 1856, Lydia Page ; d. Oct. 16, 1864, of diphtheria. Frank's son, Willie P., b. May 30, 1858, also d. of diphtheria, Oct. 11, 1864.
BURPEE, THOMAS .- On Saturday, May 31, 1800, Rev. Job Seamans attended the funeral of Thomas Burpee, father of Asa, Lieut. Thomas, and Calvin, who res. with his sons on Burpee hill. The Elder preached from Ps., xxxvii : 37, " Mark the perfect man," etc., and in his diary remarks,-" Father " Burpee was 82 years of age : a member of this Church. I " know of no man to whom the text is more applicable, than " he. I say of him now, as I used to say of him when living, " I think he approached the nearest to perfection of any man " with whom I am acquainted." Thomas Burpee was proba- bly a native of Rowley, Mass., and a descendant of the emi- grant Thomas, who appeared in Rowley as early as 1651.
CHAMBERLAND, EDMOND .- Regarding the life and untimely death in N. L. of Edmond Chamberland, Rev. Job Sea- mans says in his diary, under date of March 25, 1800,- " Edmond Chamberland, a young man, who lately came into
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THE PIONEERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
" this town, and sat up his business of Blacksmithing, was " taken with a violent distemper ; and, on Thursday 27th about " 12 o'clock, he expired. Friday P. M. his Funeral was " attended : and I preached from Jeremiah, ix : 21, ' For death " is come up into our windows', etc. There was a large num- " ber of people attended; the Corps were carried into the " meeting-house. As he was one of the Society of Free- " masons, he was interred in their order."
CHANDLER, JOSIAH .- Surveyor of highways in northeast district (Wilmot) in 1794. Josiah Chandler and Sarah, his wife, had, b. in N. L.,-
I. Benjamin, b. April 7, 1791.
2. David, b. Sept. 27, 1792.
CHENEY, ELEAZER B .- Elected tithing-man, 1795. He may have removed to Hopkinton, as Elder Seamans makes mention of preaching a " lecture at M' Cheney's in Hopkin- ton," June 13, 1796.
" CHRITCHET'S, NEIGHBOUR."-Under date of May 12, 1790, Elder Seamans has this entry : "I attended the Funeral of neighbour Chritchet's Infant." The use of the word " neigh- bour " would seem to indicate that Chritchet was living not far from Elder Seamans. Perhaps he was a connection of the Critchetts who settled in Sutton about that time.
CLARK, JONATHAN .- " Voted to abate the arrearages of Jonathan Clark's taxes," March 8, 1784, is the only available information concerning this man prior to 1800; but he may have been identical with the Jonathan Clark who was a resi- dent of the town from 1808 to 1810. This later Jonathan had an eighth of an acre of land, and buildings valued at $24. In 18II this same property was taxed to Jonathan Everett, Jr., and there is no further record of Clark.
CLEMENT, BENJAMIN MOODY .- Robert Clement, b. 1590, at Coventry, Warwickshire, Eng., d. at Haverhill, Mass., 1658, and was one of the twelve men who purchased the land for that township from the Indians. His branch of the Clement family in England were followers of Cromwell. He was a man of means, and came to America in his own vessel, locat- ing first at Ipswich, Mass., and later at Haverhill. From this
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
Robert, through two successive Roberts and two generations of Nathaniels, came Benjamin Moody Clement, b. Hopkinton, 1763, who, young as he was, made a record of a few months' service in the Revolutionary war. He m., Sept. II, 1791, Rachel, dau. of Jonathan Herrick of Hopkinton, b. Manches- ter, Mass., and res. in Hopkinton until 1796. Removing dur- ing that year to N. L.,-perhaps through the influence of the Colbys-he settled on the present Dea. Seth Littlefield place, and is reputed to have been the pioneer on that farm. It is well that Benjamin Moody Clement became a resident of the town thus early, and that he remained here, for he was a most worthy citizen in every respect, a kind neighbor and faithful friend,-a man eminently fitted to leave a lasting impression for good on any community. Benjamin d. March 17, 1842 ; Rachel d. May 22, 1838. Their children were,-
I. Benjamin, b. Hopkinton, Dec. 17, 1792 ; d. Oct. 13, 181I.
2. Rachel, b. Hopkinton, Sept. 10, 1794; m., May 7, 1818, Dan- iel, son of Jonathan and Mary (Messenger) Everett, b. May 9, 1791, and res. in N. L. and Salisbury.
3. John, b. N. L., June 6, 1797 ; m., Oct. 4, 1820, Fannie, dau. of Penuel and Hannah Everett, b. Haverhill, Mass., Dec. 18 1796. When he attained his majority his father made over the home farm to him, and though himself living on the An- thony C. Philbrick place, he carried it on until 1821, when he resigned it to his younger brother, Baruch Chase, and re- moved to Bangor, Me., and became a merchant. Children :
(1). Calista H., m. Dr. Alvah Rowe, and res. in New York city, where she d. in July, 1892. Their only child, Fanny, d. at the age of 30.
(2). Julia, m. Abram Moore of Bangor, and res. there; no chil- dren.
(3). John Franklin, d. in childhood.
4. Baruch Chase, b. April 7, 1799 ; m., Sept. 29, 1822, Sarah, dau. of Joseph and Dolly (Smith) Wood, b. July 7, 1799, and res. in N. L.
5. Nathaniel, b. Jan. 13, 1801 ; was a physician ; m. Mary Wheeden of N. L., and d. early. His son and only child, Edwin, was a Methodist clergyman in New York, who also d. early and left two children.
6. Joshua H., b. May 21, 1803 ; m., at Hopkinton, Jan. 1, 1828, Eliza, dau. of Levi and Polly (Adams) Harvey, b. at N. L., Jan. 2, 1803. He was a Baptist clergyman, having prepared
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THE PIONEERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
for the ministry at New Hampton. His first pastorate was at Hill, where he remained several years. Removed to Thet- ford, Vt., in 1839, preaching there for ten years with great success. After his pastorate at Thetford closed, he retained a residence in that classic town, and for nearly twenty years supplied various pulpits in Vermont and New Hampshire. His wife's death, April 4, 1867, broke up the Thetford home, and thereafter he passed his winters in Boston and summers in N. H. and Vt. He did a great deal of missionary work in and around Boston, where he was called " Father Clement," and was also largely instrumental, when more than 75 years of age, in strengthening the weak Baptist society at Chester. At this place he labored for two years, aiding materially in building and equipping a new meeting-house, and leaving his people rejoicing and gratefully affectionate. He loved the place so well that when taken ill, in early summer of 1883, he went back there to draw his last breath. The work which Rev. Joshua H. Clement did along strictly religious lines will reach on and on through years and years to come, but not only there will his influence be felt : he was an early and indefatigable worker in the anti-slavery cause, and a persist- ent advocate of temperance. His dau., Mary (Clement) Leavitt, was the first " round-the-world " W. C. T. U. mission- ary, one whose zeal and devotion to temperance work will cease only when life ends, and a woman after her father's own heart. Often, with her and her dau., Edith, both sweet singers, he went to some of the haunts of the less reputable denizens of Boston, and the three tried to preach and sing and pray the poor men and women to a better life. Joshua d. June 29, 1883. Children :
(1). Eliza A., b. Sept. 6, 1828, m. Edward Head of Boston, who d. in California, May 6, 1890, a judge of the superior court, San Mateo county, leaving two children, one of whom, Katherine, m., Oct. 6, 1880, Josiah Royce, Ph. D., profes- sor of philosophy at Harvard college, and res. at Cam- bridge, Mass. Professor Royce is a very able young man, and well known in scholarly circles. They have,-(a) Christopher, b. April 11, 1882 ; (b) Edward, b. Dec. 25, 1886 ; (c) Stephen, b. May 26, 1889.
(2). Mary G., b. Sept. 22, 1830; m. Thomas Leavitt, a real- estate broker of Boston; three children : (a) Amy, res. Washington ; (b) Agnes, res. Boston; (c) Edith, m., Feb. 4, 1886, Charles Strongman, broker's clerk, of Boston, and
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
res. at Stoneham, Mass. They have,-(a) Ruth, (b) Clem- ent, (c) Bessie Talbot.
(3). Calista H., b. July 29, 1832 ; m. Newton Talbot, publisher, of Boston. Her only child, Bessie, d., aet. 13 yrs.
(4). Joshua H., b. Sept. 25, 1835 ; d. Aug. 2, 1857, in Vt.
(5). Rufus H., b. Jan. 25, 1837 ; m. Carrie Davis of San Fran- cisco ; was in mercantile business; d. Oct. 21, 1879. Chil- dren : (a) Alice, m., July 21, 1890, Edgar Fisher of Oak- land, Cal .; they have one son, Clement. (b) Herbert, physi- cian, res. in San Francisco. (c) May, res. in Oakland.
(6). Lyman H., b. July 5, 1840 ; m. Frances Marcy of Milford, and is clerk at U. S. mint, San Francisco. One child, Ethel.
(7). Arabella M., b. March 23, 1843 ; m. Capt. William Kirby, and res. in Jacksonville, Ill. Children : (a) Clement, law clerk, res. at Jacksonville ; (b) Henry, in business in Ne- braska ; (c) Marion, res. at home; (d) William, res. at home.
(8). Helen I., b. March 19, 1845 ; m. Dr. Fred. Huse of San Francisco, where she res.
(9). Charles H., b. Feb. 28, 1847 ; m. Bella Ware in California, and res: at San José, where he practises law. Three chil- dren : Edith, Earl, and one now deceased.
7. Rufus, b. Jan. 28, 1806 ; m. Minerva Allen of Billerica, Mass .; was a wholesale dealer in West India goods at Boston, but removed to Concord quite early in life on account of impaired health ; a man of warm heart and great hospitality; held various responsible offices in Concord, and was mayor of the city when he d., Jan. 13, 1856. Minerva (Allen) Clement d. as Mrs. Thomas Sawyer, Nov. 23, 1893, at Lowell, Mass.
8. Job S., b. Dec. 12, 1807 ; m., Sept. 7, 1855, Mary L., dau. of Rev. Willard and Amanda (True) Kimball. Rev. Willard Kim- ball was a Baptist clergyman, b. at Hopkinton. Mary L. was b. at Royalton, Vt., March 5, 1829. Job S. was a Boston merchant, and d. at Newton, Mass., March 5, 1867, leaving one child, Willard K., b. Boston, July 1, 1863, who is now professor of Greek in a western college.
9. Jonathan H., b. July 28, 1810 ; m., Jan. 27, 1842, Nancy M., dau. of Col. John Smith of Salisbury, who d. April 24, 1893, at Derry ; was a merchant at Salisbury for 30 years, as the successor of Samuel Greenleaf, doing a very large business ; afterwards removed to Concord, and then to Derry, where he d., Jan. 26, 1893. Six children :
(1). John Franklin, b. Jan. 27, 1843; d. Sept. 14, 1848.
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(2). Ellen Frances, b. Oct. 29, 1846 ; d. Sept. 30, 1848.
(3). Francis Herrick, b. Aug. 21, 1848; m. Sybil H. Kilburn of Grafton; res. at Manchester, in express business; has an only dau., Carrie Belle.
(4). Walter S., b. Jan. 20, 1852 ; m. Martha A. Langmaid of Chichester; res. in Derry, farmer ; five children,- (a) Rufus W., (b) James H., (c) Clarence E., (d) Ray A., (e) Helen E. These sons of Walter are the only Clement descendants of Benjamin Moody Clement left in New England, and must be depended on to perpetuate the family name in this section.
(5). Abbie Maria, b. Sept. 9, 1855 ; d. Sept. 6, 1864.
(6). Nellie Medora, b. May 19, 1859 ; res. at Derry.
10. Mary H., b. Nov. 12, 1812 ; m. Pelter Whittemore of Salis- bury ; d. Derry, April 22, 1890.
II. Benjamin M., Jr., b. Dec. 10, 1816 ; d. Aug. 11, 1818.
COLBY, JAMES B .- This son of Anthony Colby of Hopkin- ton, and brother of Joseph Colby, Esq., of N. L., was the pioneer on the Dea. Edwin F. Messer farm. He did not remain here long, but in February, 1797, returned to Hopkin- ton with his family. James Colby had by his wife, Susanna (Story) Colby, a son, Moses, b. Dec. 13, 1796, in N. L. Moses became a farmer, and was a man of considerable promi- nence in Hopkinton. He was a captain of militia, and a repre- sentative to the legislature in 1844, chosen to oppose "the railroad interest in the controversy then prevailing." There was also an older son, James Colby, Jr., who took possession in 1810 of the farm in N. L., which had up to this time been taxed to " James Colby, Hopkinton."
COLBY, LIEUT. JOSEPH .- Hon. J. Everett Sargent, in his address at New London's centennial, expressed the opinion that few men in N. L. have had " a wider or a better influence in the town" than Joseph Colby. No one attempts or wishes to gainsay this ; on the contrary, every one endorses the state- ment most heartily. Joseph Colby was b. in Plaistow, March 24, 1762, and lived there until about 21 years old, when he removed to Hopkinton with his father, Anthony Colby, who was the thirteenth settler in that town. While at Hopkinton, Joseph m. Anna Heath of Hampstead, Dec. 21, 1785. The young couple found their way to N. L., March 10, 1786, and established themselves in a log cabin which had been previ- ously occupied, probably by Thomas Whittier. The cabin
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HISTORY OF NEW LONDON.
stood only a short distance east of the present Stephen Dean house on Pleasant street, and was near the intervale where the Penacooks had cultivated their little plat of maize. By utiliz- ing this and the Whittier clearing, and bringing in the land on the westerly side, Colby was not long in securing a large and fertile farm, from which, however, he soon retired, and set up his home anew in the house which stood formerly a little east of Christopher C. Gardner's residence and on the opposite side of the highway. The family numbered three now, for the presence of a little child, Joseph, Jr., had graced the humble cabin early in 1787. In this house the Colbys lived only a short time, when the place was sold to Elder Job Seamans, and Joseph took his wife and child to the commodious dwell- ing which he had built on the clearing which now constitutes the fair-ground and the so-called Ausborn French place. The house was the one now occupied by Henry Quimby, and here Sarah (Colby) Herrick, Anthony Colby, and Judith (Colby) Burpee were born. In 1800 Joseph took possession of the present Colby homestead on Main street, and there he lived until his death, April 19, 1843.
Joseph Colby had a natural taste and talent for real-estate transactions. He was for several years the agent of Capt. Jonas Minot of Concord, Mass., that original proprietor who owned one third of all the lots in the town of N. L. as bounded at the date of its incorporation, and in that way became thor- oughly acquainted with the location and value of the various building-spots and prospective farms, and well fitted to under- take dealings on his own account. He was the first store- keeper on Minot's hill (the Colby hill of to-day), was a justice of the peace, and in many respects was for forty years the man of business to whom his fellow-citizens and acquaint- ances looked for advice and assistance in their private affairs, and to whom they always delighted to entrust public business. He was equally influential in church and town matters. Prob- ably no other man has served on so many church committees as he did. He was a selectman many times, was the first repre- sentative to the general court, and served the town successively in that capacity from 1803 to 1816 inclusive. When Wilmot was set off from N. L., in 1807, it was through Joseph Colby's personal influence, enlarged by four years' previous service as
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