USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Troy > An historical sketch of Troy [N.H.] and her inhabitants, from the first settlement of the town in 1764 to 1855 > Part 3
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*The son of John Mixer of Framingham.
+He purchased his lot of Ebenezer Tiffany of Attleborough.
CHAPTER III.
THE EARLY SETTLERS CONTINUED, FROM 1768 TO 1780.
FROM this time to 1780, a period of twelve years, but very few immigrated to these townships, owing without doubt to the controversey with Great Britain, and the unsettled affairs of the country, the people thinking more of throwing off the British yoke and establishing their independence, than of seeking for themselves homes in the wilderness. Nevertheless the population gradually increased, and the following, it is believed, were the most of. the immigrants who settled here during the period under consideration :
BENJAMIN TOLMAN,
JOSHUA HARRINGTON,
JACOB NEWELL,
DUNCAN CAMERON,
MOSES KENNEY,
JOHN BRUCE,
HENRY MORSE,
THOMAS CLARK,
DANIEL LAWRENCE,
AGABUS BISHOP.
DANIEL CUTTING,
ABNER HASKELL,
JOSEPII CUTTING,
JOSEPH FORRISTALL,
REUBEN WARD,
JOHN GODDING,
ICHABOD SHAW,
ALEXANDER PARKMAN,
PETER STARKEY,
JOSEPII NURSE,
JONATHAN LAWRENCE,
DANIEL FARRAR.
Benjamin Tolman, a brother of Thomas, before men- tioned, was probably born in Dorchester, but resided some years in Attleborough, from which place he re- moved to Monadnock No. IV. about the year 1770, and built a log-house on the farm recently owned by Levi
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HISTORY OF TROY.
Daggett. He married Hepzibeth, daughter of Jacob Newell, and resided here till 1780, when he removed to a new house which he had built on the north side of the road 75 or 100 rods west of Timothy Fife's. A brush fence now occupies the place of the cellar, and the old well may still be seen beneath a large stone in the wall by the side of the road. At the time he commenced on the Daggett farm there was no road in that part of the township, so that he had to clear and make one for him- self, and this he did without following the direction of stake and stone, set with exquisite care by a court's committee, and if it was not in every respect what is re- quired by fast men at the present day, we have no knowledge that it was ever complained of, or that the town had to pay damages for injury to horse or carriage. It was considered in keeping with all other conveniences of life, in the day when men seemed to understand the true import of "getting their living in the sweat of the brow," and before many of that class of animals, prop- erly denominated drones, had found their way into this region, to thrive upon the product of honest industry. Mr. Tolman appears to have possessed no very strong attachment to any particular locality, for in 1790, we find him selling his last place of residence to one Sweet- land, and removing to the lot composing the farm now owned by his son Stephen, where he built another log- house, and commeneed anew to clear the land. Here, with the exception of one short interval, he spent the re- mainder of his days.
Jacob Newell* was the second settler in what is now the village. He came from Attleborough in 1769 or '70, and purchased, most probably of William Barker, the land comprising the farms now owned by William Harris, William Whitcomb, Stilman Newell, Bemis and
*Ho was the son of Jacob Newell who settled in Attlebo- rough in 1715.
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HISTORY OF TROY.
Clark and Stephen Wheeler; and he also obtained pos- session of another lot, or a part of a lot, embracing what is now occupied by that part of the village, north of the line between the two townships. He built a log-house. near the spot now occupied by the residence of Calvin Bemis, where he lived several years and cleared the most of the land in the vicinity of his dwelling. And in the mean time he purchased of Thomas Tolman an in- terest in the new grist-mill, how large an interest we are unable to learn, but very likely, one fourth part, as we find a deed of such a part from Jacob Newell to Joshua Harrington, and dated the "27th day of May. 1776, and in the 16th year of the reign of George the 3dl." A few years later he sold his house* with sever- al acres of land to Ebenezer Tolman and built another house on the lot comprising the farm now owned by William Whitcomb, and here he resided the most of the time till the close of his life.
Moses Kenney came from Marlborough, Mass. about the year 1772, and purchased the farm then owned by Joseph Tiffany, where he resided till 1778, and then sold to Moses Cutting and moved to Vermont. His res- idence here was so short, and he had so little to do with public affairs, that his name seldom appears upon the records, and we know nothing of him after he left the township.
Henry Morse came from Charlestown, Mass. in the year 1773, and settled in Swanzey, on a lott of land which has since been severed from that township and joined to Troy, and is known as the Jonathan Clark farm. We are informed that he had been an inn-keeper some time before he came to Swanzey ; and undoubtedly
*The log-house at this time had been displaced by a framed one.
+He bought his lot of one Jonathan Willard ; the deed was dated 1766, but it was not acknowledged till 1773.
4*
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HISTORY OF TROY.
selected his location with the view of engaging in his fa- vorite occupation. And for the time the selection was regarded as very judicious, for it was on the main thor- oughfare from Swanzey to Boston, and as there was no public house in the vicinity, with proper management he must necessarily do a lucrative business. And the re- sult for a few years, showed the wisdom of his calcula- tions: and the house first built, being found too small to accommodate his increased business, in 1778, was dis- placed by one larger and more commodious, and the same that now stands on the farm. Mr. Morse kept the house till the time of his death in 1786.
Daniel Lawrence was a native of Weston, Mass. where he passed his minority with his parents on a farm. In 1773, he married Elizabeth Graves of Sudbury, and the following year leaving his wife in Weston he came to Monadnock No. V. and purchased of Jonah Harrington lot No. 5, in the 6th range, which included the most of the farm now owned by his son John. He built a log- house near the site of the present buildings, and doubt- less intended to remove there with his family the follow- ing year; but the Revolutionary war breaking out, he changed his plans and entered the army. Arriving at
Cambridge about the middle of June, he was among the number detached from the main army to fortify Bunker Hill, and he fought under Prescott in that memorable battle. At the expiration of eight months he received an honorable discharge, returned to Weston, and made preparations for removing to the place he had selected for his future residence. In the spring of 1776, after a toilsome journey* with his wife and one child he took possession of his log-house. He cleared the most of the land composing that farm, and erected a part of the pres- ent buildings; but from the fact that his name seldom
*He came as did the most of the other settlers, with an ox team.
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HISTORY OF TROY.
appears upon the records of the town, we infer that he had but little to do with public business; but we are in- formed that he was an industrious farmer, and, at the time of his death which occurred in 1832, was possessed of considerable property.
Daniel Cutting came from Framingham and settled in Monadnock No. V. sometime in the year 1773, but we have not learned in what part of the township. II 1779, he purchased the farm then owned by Jonal: Harrington, and built a saw-mill where Capt. Silsby's peg-mill now stands. He resided here about sixteen years, the most of his time being divided between his farm and mill; and possessing more than an ordinary business capacity, it is said that he managed both to good advantage. Judging from traditionary reports and from what little is recorded of him, we should suppose him to have been a man of considerable energy and pub- lic spirit, and deserving the confidence of his fellow-men. He took an active part in the business transactions of the town, and it appears that his services were very accep- table to the people. But having been called to experi- ence severe affliction in the loss of his wife, and his fam- ily circle being broken up, in 1795, he removed back Framingham.
Joseph Cutting, brother of the preceding, came here in 1775. And we should suppose from the manner in which he left Framingham that he had no idea of devot- ing his life to the service of his country, and that he possessed but little of the spirit of the Revolution. On receiving intelligence that he had been drafted to enter the army, he fled from his native town, and, after wan- dering about incognito for some time, directed his steps towards Monadnock. When he had advanced so far as to be relieved from the fear of being recognized, he pur- sued a more open course, and, on one occasion observing a group of men in the distance, he ventured among them
44
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HISTORY OF TROY.
to learn the subject of their deliberations. But what was his surprise to see posted upon the walls of a build- ing a large bill offering $20 reward for the arrest of Jo- seph Cutting. His self possession did not however de- sert him, but he simply remarked that as he was nearly destitute of money he would like to capture the fugitive and obtain the proffered reward. As he did not excite suspicion he was permitted to pursue his journey, and he soon reached the place of his destination, where he felt
that he was beyond the reach of his pursuers.
He let
himself to the settlers as he had opportunity and soon accumulated a little property, and built a house on the lot now owned by William Whitcomb, and a few rods west of the present buildings. After the war he emerg- ed from his retreat, engaged himself to a young lady in Bolton, and the time was set for the marriage. Phine- has Farrar was employed to move them up, and it being mid-winter and excellent sleighing, he easily reached Bolton, but the marriage ceremony was not to come off till the next day; and being detained longer than he an- ticipated Mr. Farrar decided to visit his kindred at Sud- bury. That night commenced one of the most remark- able snow storms of which we have any account in New- England. The roads became impassible and remained so for weeks, and Mr. Farrar had to leave his team and come home on snow-shoes; and it was not till April that he was able to release the bride and bridegroom from their snow-bound position. Mr. Cutting lived in the house he first built a short time, then purchased the lot comprising the farm now owned by Jotham H. Holt, and built a house on a swell of land about 30 rods west of the house now standing on the farm. In 1795, he built the house in which Mr. Holt now lives, and resided there till his death in 1823.
Moses Cutting, another brother, came here at an ear- ly period, but the precise date we have not been able to
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HISTORY OF TROY.
fix, although it must have been prior to the year 1775. In 1778, he purchased of Moses Kenney the Abel Gar- field farm as before mentioned, and moved there with his family. After living there about twelve years, he sold that farm to John Colburn of Lincoln, and bought the lot since known as the Samuel Farrar farm, and built the house now owned by Lovell Rugg. He lived here in his usual quiet way, seldom taking any part in pub- lic affairs, but his time was mostly improved in cultivat- ing his farm, although he is said to have possessed great mechanical ingenuity, and could make almost any thing that had ever been accomplished by human skill. He died in 1834, and, being a member of the order of Ma- sons, was buried with Masonic honors.
Reuben Ward came here in 1774, and purchased the farm then owned by Richard Roberts, as before noticed. It is said that he came from Marlborough, Mass. and that both he and his wife inherited a large property from their ancestors, so that he had ample means for paying for his farm, and for making any desirable addi- tions or improvements. He bought the most of the land lying between the Ward brook-as it was afterwards called-and the lot* owned by Daniel Lawrence, also the land composing the farm now owned by Henry A. Porter, and a part of the farm since owned by Daniel Cutting, Jr. His whole attention was given to the management of his farm, and every thing about him was conducted with strict regard to economy; and it is said that he had but little to do with his neighbors, would seldom borrow or lend, but would contrive to satisfy all his wants from his own resources. His plans were laid after mature deliberation, and he was usually successful in carrying them out, and at the time of his death which
We have since learned that the Ward farm extended some distance west of the brook and included land now owned by E. J. Spaulding, A. Starkey and Charles Carpenter.
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HISTORY OF TROY.
occurred about the year 1795, he was considered the most wealthy man in Marlboro'.
Ichabod Shaw, brother of Jonathan before mentioned, came to Monadnock in 1774, and bought the lot com- prising the farm now owned by George Farrar and A. B. Harrington. His history, like that of most of the settlers at that time, is involved in much obscurity. We learn that the first clearing on that farm was the result of his labor, and that he built a small house near the site of the present buildings. Here he resided with his family till 1797, when he sold his farm to - Kenney and moved to Vermont.
Peter Starkey was a grand-son of Andrew, who set- tled in Attleborough in 1708. Andrew had three sons, John, Andrew and Thomas, and it is supposed that Pe- ter descended from the latter, whether so or not, he was born in Attleborough in 1754, and spent the most of the early part of his life in that town. Early in 1776, with his wife and four younger brothers, John, Benjamin, Enoch and Joseph, he came to Monadnock No. V. and purchased of Joseph Tiffany a lot of land upon which he built a house not far from where Abel Garfield now lives. He resided there until 1787, when he exchanged locations with John Wright, who had a few years before purchased the farm upon which Benjamin Tolman first settled. This has long been known as the Starkey farm, and the most of the improvements upon it, including all the present buildings, were the result of his industry. He lived here until his death which occurred in Feb., 1821. John Starkey, Peter's brother, married Mary Godding. Benjamin was never married but he lived with his brother Joseph, who married a Morse and set- tled in Richmond, on the farm recently owned by Luke Harris. Enoch settled in what is now called the "Crocker pasture," not far from where Luther Whitte- more now lives, but the only relic of the residence now
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HISTORY OF TROY.
to be seen is an excavation once constituting the cellar. Jonathan Lawrence came to Marlboro',* in 1777, and bought of his brother Daniel, the lot constituting the farm now owned by his grandson, Joseph E. Lawrence. He married a Miss Moore of Sudbury, and lived several years in a log-house near where the present house now stands. After he had cleared a considerable part of his land, and brought it into a cultivated state, he built a more convenient house, and the same that now stands upon the premises. As we cannot find his name in the record of any public meeting, we suppose he was strictly a private man, and never took part in the business of public assemblies.
Joshua Harrington was a native of Framingham, where he spent his early life. In 1776, he married Elizabeth Brigham of Shrewsbury, and came to Fitzwill- iam+ and lived, a few years, in the house with Thomas Tolman. About the same time he bought the saw-mill, and a part or the whole of the grist-mill built by Mr, Tolman, and one or the other of these claimed and re- ceived the most of his time and attention. In a few years, however, the saw-mill was converted to other pur- poses, but the grist-mill was kept in operation by him or one of his sons till 1834, when the location was sold to Luke Harris and the mill was removed. In 1787, he bought of Thomas Tolman 53 acres of land, which in- cluded the most of the farm now owned by his son Eli- jah, as well as the most of the building lots in that part of the village east of Nurse and Wheeler's mill-pond. He then built the house now constituting the low part of that owned by the aforesaid Elijah Harrington, and in this he resided till the time of his death, Sept. 20, 1834.
*Marlboro' was incorporated Dec. 13, 1776.
+We find that Mr. Harrington made his first purchase in Monadnock No. V. and it consisted of lot No. 6 in the 6th range and the deed was dated 1774.
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HISTORY OF TROY.
He is represented as being a very industrious man, a good citizen, about the medium height, but quite corpu- lent, and towards the close of life he was so infirm that he could perform but little labor.
Duncan Cameron was by birth a Scotchman, but in carly life he enlisted in the British army, and, at the commencement of hostilities with the colonies in Ameri- ca, was sent to this country and attached to that divis- ion of the British army cammanded by the unfortunate Gen. Burgoyne. In 1777, he accompanied the expedi- tion of that officer from Quebec to the Hudson, and took an active part in the battles of Bennington and Stillwater, and was among the number surrendered to General Gates on the 19th of October. This closed his military career; but instead of returning to England he chose to remain in this country and share the fortunes of the people whose liberties he had been hired to crush. The next year he came to Fitzwilliam, purchased the land upon which Phinehas Farrar had made some im- provements, and commenced in earnest the business of
farming. And we have reason to suppose that he was quite as successful as a farmer, as he had been as a sol- dier. Of Mrs. Cameron we have but little positive in- formation. That she was living with him soon after he made his purchase in Fitzwilliam there is no doubt, but whether she was a native of this country or of foreign birth cannot now be known. They resided here till about the year 1798, when they removed to Vermont. After they left the town, the house in which they had resided remained vacant a few years, and was then set on fire and consumed.
John Bruce was born in Sudbury where, after passing his minority, he married a Mary Joslin and resided till about the year 1775, when with his wife and eight chil- dren he came to Fitzwilliam, and settled on the premises which had been before occupied by Mixer, to whom al-
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HISTORY OF TROY.
lusion has already been made. He lived here till 1782. when in felling trees he was accidentally struck by a limb and killed. Some of his children, as will hereafter be seen, became worthy citizens of the town.
Thomas Clark came from Wrentham, Mass. in 1779. and purchased of Thomas Tolman a lot of land situated in a valley in the north-west part of Fitzwilliam, or what is now the south-west part of Troy. He built a log-house near the brook which passes through the val- ley, married and at once took possession of his rudely constructed dwelling. In some respects this was a little different from the most of the log-houses at that time. Instead of a stone fire-place and chimney at one side, or in one corner of the room, there was simply a stone fire-place in the centre, without a chimney or any thing else to conduct away the smoke, but this was allowed to escape through an opening for that purpose in the roof. His time was mostly employed in clearing and cultivat- ing the land, but his income from this source not being sufficient for his support, he improved such fragments of time as could be spared from his farm, in the manufac- ture of wooden ware, such as mortars, spools, plates. bowls and trays; and these he carried away and ex- changed for articles of food and clothing. Being pros- pered in most of his undertakings he soon acquired the ineans for building a more convenient house, and of liv- ing in more comfortable circumstances. He died in 1818, quite advanced in years; and few men have left a better example, or been more generally beloved.
Agabus Bishop is said to have come from Wrentham, Rhode Island, but we have no certain knowledge of him till 1778, when he purchased of Thomas Tolman the lot of land a little west of that upon which Benjamin Tol- man first settled. Here he commenced, as did nearly all the first settlers, by clearing and building a log- house. And when he moved his family he came in a 5
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HISTORY OF TROY.
very unusual manner. Instead of coming with an ox team as had nearly all who preceded him, he came with a horse and wagon; and for some years this was the on- ly horse in that part of the township. An animal so rare was in great demand, and it probably carried to the mill the most of the grain raised in that neighborhood for some years. Mr. Bishop built a framed house about the same time that his neighbor Clark built his, and in this he resided till his death which took place about the year 1798.
Abner Haskell was a native of Harvard, Mass., but came to Fitzwilliam in 1778, purchased the lot of land and built a log-house near where Howard T. Clark now lives. The log-house stood four or five rods south-east of the site of the present house. Mrs. Haskell was a sister of Reuben Ward. In a few years Mr. Haskell built a more commodious house* and other buildings to correspond, and after raising up two sons and as many daughters, he died quite advanced in years, and his son Joseph, succeeded to his inheritance.
Joseph Forristall was born in 1758, at Holliston, Mass., where he spent his early years on a farm. At the commencement of the war with England he entered the army, and was stationed at Ticonderoga, but at the expiration of three month he received his discharge and returned to Holliston. In 1778, he married Hannah Millen who was born in 1764. Soon after their mar- riage his father-in-law, Millen, came to Fitzwilliam and bought 120 acres of land, and gave his son-in-law a deed of one-half of it, with the understanding that he should pay for the other half, whenever he should acquire the means. This land was situated in what is now the south part of Troy, and includes the farm now owned by John Kelley. In the fall of the same year Mr. Forristall and
* This house was burned in 1830, and his grandson William, built the present house.
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HISTORY OF TROY.
his father-in-law came here, made a small clearing, put up the frame of a house and boarded the outside, and made such an arrangement as enabled him (Forristall) to remove here with his wife early the next spring, and they resided in the house as first built till fall before laying the floor. Having been reared in comfortable circumstances, the rude manner of life to which they were here subjected was doubtless somewhat trying to their sensibilities, but possessing strength, courage and energy, they soon smoothed the roughness of their lot and made themselves a comfortable home. A neat and commodious house took the place of the dingy hut, and fields of grain that of the "deep tangled wild wood." By industry and economy they soon acquired a compe- tence, and-as we shall see when we come to speak of the descendants of the first settlers-they brought up a large family of children, and lived to an advanced age. Mr. Forristall built two houses on that farm; the first being the small house already mentioned, and which was occupied till 1809, when he built the house now on the premises. Few men with equal means have accom- plished more than did Mr. Forristall. True, he did not amass great wealth, as have many who have been engag- ed in the mercantile business, but every dollar he pos- sessed was the result of honest industry. He rendered to the world an equivalent for all his demands; fraud and speculation had no place in his code of life. Such a man does not live in vain; though he make no noise or ostentatious display, yet he is sure to make his mark both upon the world of matter and of mind. Mr. For- ristall died April 12, 1848. Mrs. Forristall died May 2, 1849.
The Godding family about the year 1779, removed from Attleborough, Mass. to Fitzwilliam, N. H. and set- tled on land now constituting the farm recently owned by Albert Pratt. The family at that time consisted of
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HISTORY OF TROY.
nine persons-the mother, the widow of John Godding, and eight children-four sons and four daughters. John was the oldest of the sons, he purchased the farm and moved his mother and the rest of the family. The old- est child was a daughter and was twice married; her first husband's name was John Starkey; her second, Jacob Newell, who has already been mentioned. She and both her husbands lived and died in what is now Troy. Another daughter married Bethuel Bishop and removed to Shrewsbury, Vermont, where they died. The third married Isaac Jackson, who built a house on land now owned by Amos Knowlton, and is known by the name of the "Samuel Farrar hill pasture." They lived there several years and then moved to Wallingford, Vermont, where they died. The fourth married Jesse Bishop, and they settled near the corner of the road north of Thomas Clark's.
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