USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Exeter > Accounts of Exeter (1750-1800) > Part 2
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The town of Exeter is situated at the head of the tide, on a branch of Piscataqua river, by the natives called Squamscot, or Swamscot, about fourteen miles, as the road runs, southwesterly from Portsmouth, the capital of the State; and at nearly the same distance northwesterly from Newbury-Port, in Massachusetts.
The first settlement was made in the year 1638, by a number of emigrants from Braintree, then a part of Boston, under Mr. John Wheelwright, who had previously purchased of the aboriginals an · extensive tract of land, now constituting a large part of the counties of Rockingham and Strafford. "Judging themselves without the jurisdiction of Massachusetts, they combined into a separate body politic, and chose rulers and assistants, who were sworn to due discharge of their office, and the people were as solemnly sworn to obey them. The laws were made in a popular assembly and formally consented to by the rulers. This com- bination subsisted three years." "In the year 1642, finding themselves comprehended within the claim of Massachusetts, and being weary of their inefficacious mode of government, they petitioned the court, and were readily admitted under their
*"'A Topographical Description of Exeter in New Hampshire," by Dr. Samuel Tenney, Corresponding Member of the Historical Society, Mass. Hist. . Coll. vol. IV.
This house has since been moved to No. 65 High Street and is now occupied by Mr. Dana W. Baker.
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jurisdiction. William Wenborne, Robert Smith, and Thomas Wardhall, were appointed their magistrates, and they were an- nexed to the county of Essex."
Exeter having been long a frontier town, the inhabitants were frequently harrassed by the savages, in the successive wars, in which the country was engaged with them: but they suffered far less than those of most other places equally exposed; and the settlement was never broken up. Their progress in population, however, appears to have been rather slow; for in the year 1680, when New-Hampshire became independent of Massachusetts, the qualified voters in the town were only twenty. Exeter was originally so extensive that three towns have, at different times, been detached from it; viz. Newmarket in the year 1727, Epping in 1741, and Brentwood in 1742. Their united population now amounts to about twice that of the parent town.
The first CHURCH was formed immediately after the settle- ment of the town, in the year 1638, under the Rev. Mr. John Wheelwright. "It consisted of eight persons, who, with their minister, had been dismissed from a church in Boston." In the year 1643, Mr. Wheelwright removed to Wells, in the Province of Maine. The succession of ministers since is as follows :
Aet.
Rev. Samuel Dudley, settled in 1650, deceased in 1683 77
Rev. John Clarke, settled in 1698, deceased in 1705 35
Rev. John Odlin, settled in 1706, deceased in 1754 72 Rev. Isaac Mansfield, settled in 1776, removed in 1787
Rev. Woodbridge Odlin, settled in 1743, deceased in 1776 . 57 Rev. William Fred. Rowland, in 1790
About the year 1745, a new society was formed, over which the Rev. Daniel Rogers was settled in 1750. He died in 1785, Aet. 79, and was succeeded by the Rev. Joseph Brown, in 1792.
As this separation was attended with a violent convulsion, it was followed by a series of mutual injuries and resentments, which greatly interrupted the harmony of society for many years. The actors have now all become extinct, without having communi- cated their prejudices to their descendents: In consequence of which; good neighborhood, harmony, and sociability, are re- established; and perhaps the United States do not afford an in-
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stance of a town, whose meetings for transacting publick business are conducted with more good humor, decorum, and unanimity, than those of Exeter. For this happiness, we are, in some measure, indebted to the good fortune of having among us no man of in- fluence, who will condescend to head a party.
Exeter is bounded northerly on Newmarket and Stratham; easterly on Hampton and Hampton-falls; southerly on Kensing- ton and Kingston; and westerly on Brentwood and Epping. It is of an irregular figure, which might square upwards of four miles. The body of the town lies about the falls (which separate the fresh from the tide water) principally on the western side of the river. It consists of about 120 houses, irregularly scattered over an area of nearly a mile in length, and generally about one eighth of a mile in width. The whole town, when the federal census was taken, contained 1722 inhabitants. Its population was nearly the same before the revolution. The compact part of the town is more populous than at that period, but the skirts are thinned in proportion. In justice, however, to the fecundity of the inhabitants of Exeter, it ought to be observed, that emigrants from it have, at all periods, been pretty numerous. They, or their descendents, may be found scattered over most parts of the state, besides many in Vermont and the district of Maine. Add to this that Gilmantown, now the second in population in New- Hampshire, was settled by emigrants from Exeter.
The SOIL, in different parts of the town, is various. On the eastern side of the river it is generally of a good quality. The centre of the town consists of an extensive sandy plain, inter- sected by several ravines, into which it is drained by numerous springs, forming, in the course of half a mile, a considerable brook. This plain, when properly manured, produces excellent crops of indian corn; and is remarkable for not requiring to be fallowed. Some parts of it have been annually planted ever since the settle- ment of the town. One gentleman, lately deceased, dropped the seed for more than sixty successive crops on the same field, which will still, in a good year, yield thirty bushels to an acre. The skirts of the town, on the western side of the river, are a mixture of very good, indifferent, and very poor land. On the river, near
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the centre of the town, is a considerable body of low interval. It has hitherto, either through negligence or mistaken ideas of its quality, been so little attended to, that it has produced only an inferior kind of English hay: But some experiments, lately made, ' demonstrate, that, by proper treatment, it might be converted into as valuable a tract of land as any in the county. Upon the whole, although the soil of Exeter is not so generally good as that of several neighboring towns, yet there is a good proportion of land capable of producing plentiful crops of most kinds of vege- tables, usually cultivated in this part of the country. The general growth of timber is oak, pine, beech, and hickory, with several species of maple, birch, elm, etc.
The principal STREAMS by which the town is watered, are Squamscot, commonly called, by the inhabitants, Great River, to distinguish it from another much less, (and, by people in the neighboring towns, Exeter River) and Little River. The principal branch of the former arises in Chester, and after running through Sandown, Poplin, Brentwood, and a considerable part of Exeter, affording many valuable mill-seats, tumbles over a fall of 20 or 30 rods in length, and meets the tide in the centre of the town. It then spreads into a spacious bason, which, at high water, is a very great ornament to the place. Little River arises in Brentwood, and makes a junction with Great River about a third of a mile above the town. Over the falls are thrown two dams, affording seats for four double-geered corn-mills, four saw-mills, two oil- mills, and one fulling-mill. There are four corn-mills, two saw- mills, a fulling-mill, a paper-mill, a slitting mill, and a furnace, on several other falls. Of all these, the corn-mills and fulling- mills alone can commonly work in the summer.
The town is plentifully furnished with STONES. They are of the hard grey kind; and may, with sufficient labour, be wrought into handsome underpinning for houses. Many parts of the town abound in clay, suitable for bricks and earthern ware. The former might be made for exportation in any quantity; especially as there is a plenty of pine wood for burning them, within a small distance of the clay banks; which in some places extend to the borders of the river, so that the bricks might be thrown from the
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kiln into a boat. Of the latter, a sufficient quantity is made to supply a pretty extensive district of country. On a small stream, in the western part of the town, is a body of marle, so highly valued in Europe as a manure; but how extensive, I have not been able to learn.
The first settlers of Exeter, like those of all the other towns on the lower falls of the various branches of Piscataqua river, devoted their principal attention to LUMBERING. Of all honest em- ployments this is well known to be one of the worst. It serves to keep those engaged in it in a perpetual state of poverty; while, at the same time, it commonly ruins their morals, and induces a premature old age. Though one of the most laborious pursuits, it seems to be of a peculiarly fascinating nature; for every other kind of business is made to yield to it; and agriculture itself is pursued only as an auxiliary. The only gainers by this favorite employment are the traders, who purchase, and the merchants, who export the lumber. Of these many have made handsome estates. Fortunately for Exeter their lumber has been, for many years, exhausted. Nor is there much left in Newmarket, Epping and Brentwood, the towns detached from it. The alteration pro- duced in the face of this tract of country, within the last twenty or thirty years, in consequence of the failure of this business, is very great; and fully equalled by the improvement observable in the morals, manners and fortunes of the inhabitants. Before the late war, the taverns in Exeter (of which it always had a sufficient number) were every night thronged with people from this and the neighboring towns, who seldom all retired sober. Our publick houses are now orderly, quiet habitations, only for the purpose of accommodating travellers, and people, whom business at the courts of law, or at the publick offices, bring into town. There is no place which does not contain some idle, dissolute, and intemper- ate people; but the general mass of the inhabitants of the district of which I am speaking, having long since relinquished lumbering, with its attendant vices. are now employed in agriculture and the mechanick arts. In consequence of this, they are improving their estates by their industry, economy, and good-husbandry; and securing their reputation and happiness by the regularity of their lives.
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I would not be understood to mean that our farmers are remark- able for neat husbandry; the reverse of which is too true; but that agriculture is in a flourishing state, compared with its situation at any period before the revolution. Our cultivated lands, though naturally equal in goodness, will not bear a comparison with those of the counties of Essex, Middlesex, and Norfolk, in Massachu- setts. This observation is applicable to the whole of the original settlements in New-Hampshire. In some towns, however, in this tract, there are visible marks of the progress of good husbandry ; owing, perhaps to the fortunate circumstance of their having in them several gentleman-farmers, who read, observe, and reason. The influence of such men is very observable in their vicinity; and the want of a sufficient number of them scattered throughout our towns, is an evil seriously to be lamented. The scarcity of this class of cultivators, in New England, has probably arisen from two circumstances-the small number of gentlemen of independ- ent fortunes among us, and the little esteem in which agriculture has been holden by such as have not been obliged to pursue it. Till very lately it has been considered as a mean and contemptible business, below the dignity of a gentleman to engage in, and fit only to be pursued by the most ignorant and clownish of the human race. Fortunately, these ideas, which must have originated in the stupid noddles ot half-polished people, are going out of repute; and men of the first character for talents and accomplishments now think it no indignity to cultivate the soil. When agriculture shall be generally considered in its proper light, as being not only the most necessary, but one of the most reputable and elegant of all employments; when it shall be fashionable for gentlemen of the highest ranks (for ranks there ever will be in society) to value themselves on being (as they may with propriety be considered) a kind of humble assistants to the Deity in the work of creation; and when to enjoy the godlike pleasure, they shall after having obtained their competency, devote part of their time to the direc- tion of the various operations of husbandry; then shall we, probably, see a spirit of enterprise and emulation infused into our farmers, which will be productive of the highest advantages to agriculture, and to the various employments with which it is
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connected. From the present flourishing state of our country, and the prevalence of just sentiments of the importance of this brand of business, we may contemplate this period as at no great distance; and every liberal and truly publick-spirited mind must anticipate it with pleasant emotions.
From the SITUATION of the body of the town, which is flat, and considerably lower than the surrounding lands, strangers would naturally suspect it to be unhealthy. But it is, in fact, re- markably otherwise; few places in the country affording so little business for physicians. Fevers of all kinds are far less frequent than in the neighboring towns. The common contagious epi- demicks, as far as I can judge from my own observation, are mild and benign. The consumption seems to be the most prevalent disorder, occasioning about one third of the deaths in our annual bills of mortality. Whether this is an unusual proportion for New England, or not, I am unable to determine. Notwithstanding the general healthiness of the place, I do not know that it has been uncommonly productive of instances either of longevity or fecundity. A single example of each, however, may be produced. Benjamin Hayley died, four or five years ago, aged about 100 years. He lived on the banks of the river, where it is many rods wide, and, till within three or four years of his death, was accustomed, once in every summer, to dive from a wharf, and swim across and back again. The last time he attempted it, some of the family, being apprehensive that he had not strength sufficient for the enterprize, accompanied him in a boat; but he proved their fears to be unfounded, by performing it as usual. The family of Gilman has ever constituted a considerable proportion of the population of Exeter. They are from hence dispersed over various parts of the state, in a greater plenty, perhaps, than any other name among us. In addition to this, there are about 600 of the name in Gilmantown, which has been settled but thirty odd years. This numerous family proceeded from one pair, who were among the early settlers of Exeter. It is probable there may be many in- stances of as numerous a progeny proceeding from one stock in the same period; but I am not acquainted with any, in which such numbers, and of the same name, can be found together.
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In regard to the WEATHER, one observation presents itself, which is probably of general application; at least within a certain distance from the sea coasts; viz, that the easterly or outwinds are much more common than formerly. In this vicinity they pre- vail most in the months of April and May. This may arise from the opening of the ground to the sun, by the settlement of an ex- tensive country, back of us, which was formerly an uncultivated desert. Among the most obvious effects in this change in the weather, are many cheerless days to valetudinarians, and a fre- quent destruction of the fruit of our trees while in embryo. This circumstance ought to induce people, who are forming new plan- tations of fruit trees, to choose a situation as little as possible ex- posed to these chilling blasts. When a natural defence is unat- tainable, perhaps its place might be supplied by planting a thick grove of quick-growing forest trees, to the eastward of the place designed for the orchard, several years before the trees are re- moved from the nursery. In many towns this is an object worthy of attention, independantly of the protection which such groves would afford to the fruit trees; as wood and timber have already become very scarce. They would, at the same time, be an orna- ment to the farm. Et decus et tutamen.
In MANUFACTURES this town promises to make a respect- able figure. Its local situation is peculiarly favourable. It is sufficiently remote from any of those large market towns, which, like a whirlpool, absorb whatever comes within their vortex; and is surrounded by a tract of country producing the necessaries of life in abundance. Hence living is cheap, house-rent is commonly reasonable, and the people in general are in habits of industry and economy. In addition to these circumstances, the town is situated on navigable water, by which the importation of raw materials, and the exportation of manufactures, are facilitated. Before the revolution, ship-building was a very profitable branch of business, to the merchants at least. The vessels were sent, with cargoes of lumber, to the West-India Islands, the produce of which they took on freight to Great-Britain, and there sold. Notwithstanding the loss of this market, there are annually built, in the town, four or five vessels of different burthens, the river being capable of floating down those of 500 tons. Next to ship-
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building, the trade that brings most money into the town, is the saddler's. It is asserted, that a greater quantity of saddlery is manufactured here than in any town, this side Philadelphia. Part of it is shipped, and part goes into the country.
The only regular manufactory is that of sail-cloth and twine. This was established about four or five years ago, by Thomas Odiorne, Esq. It is calculated for eight spinners of warp, and they commonly employ about the same number of weavers. The weft is spun in private families. The legislature allow certain immunities to the persons and stock employed in this manu- factory, as being the first of the kind established in the state, and pay a bounty of seven shillings per bolt on the duck manufactured. Notwithstanding the embarrassments which this in common with all such establishments as depend principally on foreign artists, usually have to encounter, and the general prejudice in favour of imported duck, the business is supposed to be tolerably profitable. It is now in the hands of four young gentlemen, who, having their fortunes to make, will probably carry it on with spirit. As they have now a competent knowledge of the business, and a handsome stock, their success is not doubtful.
The quantity of linseed oil, annually manufactured in the two mills before mentioned, is very considerable. At some periods this has been very lucrative, and is always a profitable branch of business. It might be carried on to a much greater extent, were there not a frequent deficiency of water.
There was formerly, at the falls in this town, an alewife FISH- ERY, which afforded an abundant supply of that kind of fish, for the inhabitants of the town and vicinity. But for want of sluices in the dams, by which they might ascend the fresh river, and gain proper places for spawning, they have, for many years, almost disappeared. There was also, till within thirty years, a good bass fishery, through the whole course of the river. But very great numbers having been imprudently, or rather wantonly, taken in one season. they almost totally left it. For several years past, they have been returning to their old haunts, though in small numbers. Could people be restrained from taking them through the ice, it is thought that the river might again be replenished
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with them, and the fishery restored. The legislature has passed an act for their preservation; but, through the inattention of those, whose duty it is to guard the laws from violation, it is feared that the generous intention will be frustrated. Laws of this kind not duly enforced, serve only to favour the vicious and irregular, at the expense of the conscientious part of the com- munity .* Three or four miles below the falls are taken a few oysters of a small size, but good relish.
The attention of the town of Exeter to the EDUCATION of the rising generation has, for many years, been exemplary. The sum of money annually raised for the support of schools is now about £180. Of this, about two thirds are expended by the select- men in the compact part. The skirts are divided into four dis- tricts, which draw their proportion of the money, and lay it out in hiring English masters, at such seasons as they judge most con- venient. For many years the town supported two latin schools. Since the establishment of the Academy, to be mentioned here- after, one of them has been discontinued, and its place supplied by an english school. During the summer half of the two last years, an experiment has been made of combining these schools, and placing them under the direction of the latin master, each in- structor performing a distinct part of the duty, and in separate apartments. For want of a suitable building, they are, during the other part of the year, disconnected. The misses attend only through the former period, and are not intermixed with the boys. The success of this experiment has induced the town, at their last annual meeting, to make provision for rendering the system perma- nent. For the instruction of small children (none being allowed to attend the publick schools, who are incapable of reading in classes) and for teaching needle work, etc., there are six or eight private female schools; and for two years past, there has been one for instruction in drawing, tambouring, embroidery, painting
*"It is said by some, that fish which are spawned in rivers, and descend to the sea. return to those rivers only, where they are spawned. If this principle be true, the breed might be renewed by bringing some of the bass, which are caught in Merrimack river, alive, over the land, to the nearest part of the waters of Piscataqua, a distance not more than twelve miles. This must be done be- fore the spawning season, and might very easily be accomplished." Dr. Belknap's History of N. Hampshire, Vol. iii. p. 178. [This is Dr. Tenney's own note.]
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on satin, etc. The number of children annually instructed in these schools is great, and their proficiency in general, such as does honor to their instructors.
This town has the happiness of being the seat of the best en- dowed academy in the United States. It was founded by the liberal donation of the Hon. John Phillips, LL.D., in the year 1781. Mr. William Woodbridge was publickly inducted into the pre- ceptorship in May, 1783; who resigning the place in 1788, was succeeded by Mr. Benjamin Abbot, the present preceptor. His salary is £150 per annum; and he has an assistant, who usually receives about half this sum. The number of students is from 40 to 60. They are instructed in the english, latin, and greek lang- uages, writing, arithmetick, music, elocution, composition, prac- tical geometry, the first principles of geography and astronomy; and occasionally in some other branches of science. The institu- tion is under the direction of the following board of trustees.
The Hon. John Phillips, LL.D .* John Pickering, LL.D. Samuel Phillips, LL.D. Paine Wingate, Esq. Oliver Peabody, Esq. The Rev. Benjamin Thurston. Benjamin Abbot, A.M.
*Mr. Phillips died since this account was written.
The donation, constituting the original fund for the support of the Academy, consisted in wild lands in several settled townships, in this state, valued at £2000. About half these have been sold. To this were added, in the year 1787, £4000 in specie notes on interest; and in 1789, £2000 more. Some other donations have been made since, so that the fund at present is estimated at about £12,000. The interest of the £2000 last mentioned, is appropriat- ed to the charitable purpose of paying the board of poor scholars, whose talents and characters entitle them to publick patronage, while they are preparing for college. A building has lately been erected, in a healthy and agreeable situation, for the accommoda- tion of the students, and at the expense of the fund. The school
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room is calculated for about ninety; and for neatness and con- venience is thought to exceed all others known in the country. The second story forms a spacious room for exhibitions, and a small one for a library. The building is of wood, 76 feet in length and 36 in width, raised on two courses of hewn stone, and has on the top an elegant cupola. The whole is executed in a style that does honour to the institution, and to the taste of the gentlemen who planned it.
The other PUBLICK BUILDINGS are a very handsome and convenient court-house, of nearly the same dimensions as the academy, erected, at the expense of the county, and town, in the year 1792; and two meeting-houses, which have nothing to recommend them but an appearance of antiquity.
The General Court usually holds a session in this town once in two or three years. The District and Circuit Courts of the United States, as well as the Superior Court, and Court of Common Pleas for the county of Rockingham, sit here and at Portsmouth alternately. And here, ever since the revolution, have been kept most of the publick offices of the state and county.
Exeter, though at present rather over-stocked, is a tolerably good stand for TRADE; and, from its situation, many have sup- posed it must in time be a populous place. But when we consider the natural difficulty of navigating a small, crooked river, aug- mented by two bridges, and the vicinity of two large commercial towns, where country produce, being in greater demand for the consumption of their inhabitants, will commonly command a higher price, and find a quicker sale than here, we can hardly look on this as a probably event. We have hitherto employed five or six vessels in foreign trade, principally to the West-Indies. If we can keep the number good, it will be as much as can reasonably be expected. If the town shall ever become much more populous than at present, it must be by the introduction of manufactories, conducted on a large scale. Whether this be a desirable event, those, who are acquainted with the advantages and inconven- iences experienced by large manufacturing towns, can best determine. It is undoubtedly of great importance to the publick, that all classes of people be able to procure constant employment;
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and such manufactories as provide it for those already fixed, in any place, are so far advantageous. But whether it be good policy for a town to increase its population, by drawing common labour- ers to it, is doubtful. This, at least, is certain, that the morals of the inhabitants of country villages, which, in New-England, are tolerably pure, would run a great hazard of being contaminated and depraved, by an intermixture of too many foreigners of the lower class of manufacturers, who, it is well known, are too generally idle, intemperate, and disorderly.
Of NEW-HAMPSHIRE at large, it may be observed, that its numbers, its wealth, and its respectability, are rapidly increasing; that its resources for the support of government are such as will, with prudent management, effectually preclude the necessity of heavy publick taxes; that the inveterate party spirit, which agi- tates and disgraces some states in the Union, is here utterly un- known; the odious distinctions of whig and tory, federal and anti- federal, being entirely out of use: that the class of citizens, who modestly pretend to possess more political wisdom, sagacity, and patriotism, than the legislative and executive branches of the federal government combined, have made little progress in any attempts to sow the seeds of disaffection and sedition among their brethren: that the state is progressing, though with great caution and circumspection, in liberal policy ; and that its situation is, in every respect, more prosperous and flourishing than at any former period. It may, with truth, be added, that this situation is very generally acknowledged to be one of the many happy effects which have resulted from the adoption of the federal constitution, and from the enlightened policy, which has so conspicuously directed its administration.
Exeter, April 20, 1795.
. .
F 84226.25
5 990H
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