USA > New Hampshire > Belknap County > Biographical review : containing life sketches of leading citizens of Stafford and Belknap countries, New Hampshire > Part 56
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David Wallingford, second, was born in Milton in 1801, and the active period of his life was devoted to agricultural pursuits. He owned and occupied the farm which his son, Samuel W.,. now cultivates, and he died in 1879. He represented this town in the legis- lature, and served as a Justice of the Peace. In politics he supported the Republican party. He wedded Mary Ann Tasker, a native of Strafford, N. H. ; and of their ten children three are living : Samuel W., the subject of this sketch; David W., of Rochester, N. H. ; and Emma F., who married George Drew, and lives in Fall River, Mass.
Samuel W. Wallingford was educated in the
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common schools and at Lebanon, Me., Acad- emy. He served an apprenticeship at the shoemaker's trade, which he followed in this town as a journeyman until 1870. He then went to Brooklyn, N. Y., and was instructor of shoemaking at the King's County Penitentiary for eight years. In 1878 he returned to his native town and settled on the homestead, which became his property on the death of his father. He owns one hundred and forty acres of land situated on Plummer's Ridge, and as a general farmer he is energetic and successful. Politically, he is a Republican. He served as Tax Collector eight years, was elected to the legislature in 1870 and again in 1892, and in 1896 was chosen Chairman of the Board of Selectmen.
Mr. Wallingford married Mary B. Plummer, daughter of 'Enoch W. Plummer, of this town. He is connected with the Masonic fraternity, being a member of Unity Lodge, F. & A. M., of Union, N. H. The family attend the Con- gregational church.
ILLIAM T. WENTWORTH, a prosperous agriculturist, owning about two hundred acres of land in the town of Dover, Strafford County, was born April 11, 1832, in Hiram, Oxford County, Me., son of Stephan and Lois (Trickey) Wentworth, thrifty farming people of that locality. He received his education in the common schools of his native town, attending in the winter season when his services were not needed on the farm. When but seventeen years old he left the parental roof-tree to seek his fortune.
Making his way to Dover, Strafford County, this energetic lad began working on farms by the month, and was so employed for two years. He was then engaged in teaming for a time.
In 1856 he invested his savings in the pur- chase of a pair of horses and a wagon, and began teaming on his own account. He as- sisted in building the Granite State Trotting Park in 1857, and in constructing the branch of the Portsmouth & Concord Railroad between Candia and Manchester in 1860. Next year he accepted a position in Boxborough, Mass., with Trickey & Jewett, lumbermen, and for the following three and a half years he had charge of a gang of men in the woods. Then, after spending a short time in Dover, he went South to Maryland, where he remained five months, having charge of the building of a portion of the Dover & Delaware Railroad. Returning to Dover, N. H., after this, he was for the suc- ceeding three years engaged with James Little- field in buying and selling lumber. He then went to Locke Mills, Barrington, where he and F. P. Trickey ran a saw-mill and pail and tub factory for four years. In connection with the lumber business he was engaged in stone quarrying for some ten years, carrying on a good business. He and David Cate, in partnership, filled the contract for building two miles of the Elliot Bridge Road in 1880; and in the same year he and C. H. Trickey filled the contract for rebuilding the Granite State Trotting Park. Having sold out his quarry at an advantage, he accepted, in 1881, the position of Superintendent of the Strafford County Almshouse, an office which he filled seven years. Mr. Wentworth then bought his present farm of one hundred, and fifty acres. This he has since managed with success, carry- ing on general farming and dairying. He is also the owner of about fifty acres of land, for the most part under timber.
On November 12, 1856, Mr. Wentworth married Miss Lucinda P. McDonald, of Chat- ham, N. H., a daughter of Frederick Southgate and Susan (Abbott) McDonald. The only
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child born of the union is Frederick W. Went- worth, now an architect of Paterson, N. J. In politics Mr. Wentworth is an adherent of the Republican party. In 1868 and 1869 he rep- resented his town in the State legislature, be- sides which he has also been Selectman of Dover. He was Councilman for two years, Alderman for the same length of time; and he likewise served as special police officer for many years. Hle is a member in high stand- ing of several local organizations. These are : the Wecohanet Lodge and Prescott Encamp- ment, I. O. O. F .; the Improved Order of Red Men; the Golden Eagle Lodge; and the local Grange. In religion he is an earnest believer in the creed of the Universalist church.
OHN' H. SMITH, a successful farmer of Laconia, was born in New Market, N. H., October 11, 1839. A son of Charles and Betsey (Jones) Smith, he is of the fourth generation descending from one of four brothers who came over with the early settlers. His paternal grandfather had five children - Eliphalet, Charles M., Mary, Lou- isa, and Sally. Mary successively married a Mr. Williams and Benjamin Clement, and re- sided in Moultonborough, N. H. ; Louisa mar- ried Zeblin Bowley, of Exeter, N. H. ; Sally married Joseph Cram, of Lowell, Mass. ; and Eliphalet married a Miss Leavitt. Charles Smith, the father of the subject of this sketch, married Betsey Jones, and they moved to Sandwich, N. H., where he engaged in farming for a time and also ran a boat on the Piscataqua River. His trade was that of a stone-mason. In politics he was a Republican, and always voted with that party. At the time of his death he was fifty-two years of age. He was the father of eleven children ; namely, Charles G., John HI., Eliza J., Lydia A., Edward I.,
Susan M., George W., Benjamin F., Jo- sephine, Georgiana, and Adelaide. Edward, Benjamin, Georgiana, and Adelaide are un- married, and George W. is deceased. Eliza married Jacob G. Webster; Lydia married Moses E. Hoyt; Susan is the wife of Wesley W. Burnham; and Josephine of Joseph E. Berley. George was for some time in the paper collar business, but toward the close of of his life was a mechanic and inventor. Charles and Benjamin are in Boston, Mass. ; where they are prosperously engaged in the business of driving artesian wells.
John H., the subject of this sketch, after attending the schools of Sandwich, engaged in the stone business, and later in general farm- ing, which he continued up to 1888. He then went to Boston, Mass., where he joined his brothers in their business. Much of his time is now spent in travelling. In 1863 he mar- ried Emeline Perkins, a daughter of Josiah and Lydia (Johnson) Perkins. John Perkins came to America with his wife Judith and five children in 1631; they were fellow pas- sengers of Roger Williams. In 1633 they removed to Ipswich, Mass. William Per- kins, born in England in 1616, a near rela- tive of John, came also to this country, and died in New Market, N. H., in his one hun- dred and sixteenth year. He was a direct ancestor of Mrs. Smith. A descendant of his, John Perkins, born about 1700, was a large landowner in New Market. John's son, Richard, born in New Market about 1738, mar - ried Molly Parsons about 1760. They had eight children - Andrew, Lydia, Molly, Jo- siah, John, Sally, Eunice, and Abraham. He died there in 1779. His widow moved to Meredith with her son, Josiah.
Josiah, born in 1767, was grandfather of Mrs. Smith. He was a shoemaker by trade and became a large landowner. He was Dea-
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con of the First Baptist Church in Meredith. He had eleven children - Andrew, Josiah, Sally, Eliza, Mary, David, John, Richard, Jesse, Lydia, and Abraham, all of whom grew to maturity and raised families. Josiah Per- kins (second), Mrs. Smith's father, was a hale and hearty man, fond of his occupation of farming and of all outdoor sports, particularly hunting, fishing, and bee-hunting. He was also a great reader, especially of historical works, and had an intimate knowledge of the Bible. A favorite motto of his was: "Never let your work drive you, but keep ahead of your work." He had a remarkable memory. An hour before his death, which occurred August 21, 1883, when he was ninety-one years old, he repeated the names of his ten brothers and sisters; and just before he ex- pired, he inquired of a neighbor, "Who were the captors of Major André?" The neighbor not being able to tell, he repeated their names. . He had six children, of whom three died when young. Those who reached maturity were : John, Sarah, and Emeline. John died years ago, and Sarah became the wife of George Hunt, of Belmont. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have had four children, namely: Elmer H., who married and at present resides in Belmont ; Charles II., who is living at home, engaged in farming; Mabelle J., who married Joseph L. Smith, a carpenter; and Nellie M., who died at the age of two years. Mr. Smith is a member of Chocorua Lodge, No. 51, I. O. O. F., at Lake Village. In politics he is a Republican, and always votes with his party.
OSES NASH, late a worthy citizen Laconia, Belknap County, N. H., was born in Amherst, Mass., November 29, 1812, son of John and Sally (Lewis) Nash. When a young man he
left the place of his birth and settled in Bel- knap County, New Hampshire. Forming a partnership with his brother, they carried on a general merchandise store in New Hampton. After a few years he removed to Concord, N. H., and entered the employ of J. R. Hill & Co., harness-makers, whose trade he had previously learned. He remained with them for about twenty years, when he retired from active business. After residing in Concord for about three years longer, he went to La- conia to live with his daughter, Mrs. Ellen May Tilton, and died there January 17, 1892.
He married Susan M. Smith, daughter of Jacob and Louisa C. (Robinson) Smith. Her great -grandfather, Jeremiah Smith, was an early settler of Laconia, coming here from Exeter, when the road was indicated, for a por- tion of the way, only by blazed trees. He gave the use of the field adjoining his house for a training-ground to the company of militia that was wont to assemble there. John R. Smith, son of Jeremiah, married Rhoda Blais- dell, and they had five children. He lived to be ninety years old. His son Jacob lived to be eighty-six. To Jacob and Louisa C. Smith three children were born - Susan M., Ellen L., and Sarah A. Sarah married John Gar- land. Ellen, who taught school for a while, became the wife of Morrill B. Doe, son of Augustus Doe. Susan M. became the wife of Moses Nash, as above stated. She died sud- denly of diphtheria, January 29, 1887, aged fifty-five years, leaving one child, Ellen M., now the wife of Arthur A. Tilton. Her bus- band, who is a son of Carlos Tilton, of An- dover, N. H., was for some time assistant agent for the American Express Company at New Market and subsequently became agent. After their marriage he came to the Smith homestead, which was bequeathed to Mrs. Til- ton, and where they now reside. She repre-
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EDGAR A. WILLAND.
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sents the fifth generation of the family that has occupied it. Mr. Tilton is a member of the Uniform Rank, Knights of Pythias, of Laconia. Mrs. Tilton possesses an heirloom in the shape of a cocoanut shell, which was brought to Laconia by Jeremiah Smith, her great-great-grandfather. It is a tradition in the family that it was found useful for holding West India rum. She has also a clock now over one hundred years old, which she values highly.
HON. STEPHEN G. NASH, nephew of Moses Nash, and son of his brother John, was a well-known attorney in Boston. He was born in New Hampton, N. H., in 1822. In 1842, when only twenty years of age, he was graduated from. Dartmouth College, after which he took up the study of law, and began practising in Boston about three years later. He was an unusually brilliant student, and won distinction as a lawyer, being for many years Judge of the Superior Court of Suffolk County. He made two trips to Europe, visit- ing many interesting places. At his death he bequeathed to his birthplace, New Hampton, a library completely furnished, together with his own private library, and also endowed the institution with the sum of forty-five thousand dollars.
IDWARD A. WILLAND, the superin- tendent of the Strafford County Farm in Dover, was born May 11, 1846, in Berwick, Me., son of Nathaniel 11. Willand. Nathaniel Willand was a tanner, which occu- pation, together with that of farmer, he fol- lowed for many years, successively in Berwick and Rochester, N. H. He removed to the latter town in 1846. On the breaking out of the late Civil War he promptly responded to the call for volunteers, by enlisting in Com-
pany I, Fourth New Hampshire Volunteer In- fantry, for a year, being mustered into service at Concord. At the close of his term of en- listment his patriotism prompted him to re-en- list for three years. Thereafter he served until the cessation of hostilities, taking part in many of the important battles of the cam- paign. From the time of his discharge until 1871 he was employed as cook on a merchant vessel, running from London to the West Indies. Returning then to New Hampshire, he made his home in Rochester until his death, which occurred May 28, 1876. He married Hannah F. Hubbard, of Berwick, who bore him four children, as follows: James H., who died in infancy; James H. (second), who died at the age of eight years; Edward A .; and Emma.
Edward A. Willand was reared and educated in Rochester, this State, attending the public schools until he was thirteen years old. He then attended the Biddeford High School for two years. After this he served an appren- ticeship of three years with a carpenter, be- coming especially expert in making sashes, doors, and blinds. The following two years he worked at his trade in Boston and Dover. Afterward he was engaged for fifteen years with E. G. & E. Wallace, tanners and shoe manu- facturers of Rochester. Locating then in Dover, Mr. Willand was elected the first regular police officer at Sawyer's Mills. Three years later he was elected Assistant Marshal of Dover. This office he resigned in 1893, to accept his present responsible posi- tion, the duties of which he is discharging to the satisfaction of all concerned. Before com- ing to this city he had been Chief of Police in Rochester before it became a city.
Mr. Willand was married in Dover, Decem- ber 25, 1867, by the Rev. James Thurston, to Miss Calista A. Chesley, daughter of Samuel
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and Maria (Hanson) Chesley, of Barrington. Mr. and Mrs. Willand have two children, namely : Ella M, a graduate of the Dover High School, and also of the Salem Normal School, having been the valedictorian of her class, and now a teacher in the Hale School ; and Blanche E., the wife of Frank E. Varney. Politically, Mr. Willand has been identified with the Republican party since coming of age, and is one of the most zealous supporters of its principles. He is a Mason of high standing, belonging to Humane Lodge, No. 21, of Rochester; to Temple Chapter, No. 20, of Rochester; to the Dover Lodge of Perfec- tion; and having taken the degree of Scottish Rite. He is likewise a member of the Im- proved Order of Red Men, Wanalancet Tribe; and of Dover Senate, K. A. E. O.
SCAR FOSS of Barnstead, one of the most wideawake and prosperous busi- ness men of Belknap County, was born in Barnstead, November 17, 1845, a son of Eli H. and Mary A. (Furber) Foss.
Jonathan Foss, his grandfather, was a native of Strafford, N.H. He first married Miss Margaret Bean, of Strafford, who died in the following year. Subsequently, he came to Barn- stead, married Miss Alice Nutter, and settled on a farm, distant about a half mile from Centre Barnstead, where he carried on farming until his death at the age of eighty-six. By this mar- riage he had seven children, namely : Eli H., James L., Jonathan, Nancy, Margaret, Dorothy and Mary Ann. James L., now living in Barn- stead, married Eliza Blake; Nancy married Nathan Aiken ; Margaret married Samuel G. Shackford ; Dorothy married Levi C. Scruton ; Mary Ann married Jeremiah Hackett.
Eli H. Foss, who was born July 16, 1819, married in 1843 Mary A. Furber, of Alton.
She was a daughter of Edmond Furber, a well- known business man and a leader in church work, who lived to be ninety-five years old. At the time of her death she was seventy-four years of age. Eli H. Foss, now living in Barn- stead, learned the trade of blacksmith of Asa Garland, of North Barnstead, and followed that business in Barnstead for fifty years. He moved to Barnstead Centre in 1844, and re- mained there until 1852, when he went to Cali- fornia, where he spent five years in mining. In the fall of 1864 he enlisted in the Eighteenth New Hampshire Volunteers, and served in the Civil War until its close. He has always been a Republican, and for several years was Town Treasurer. His children are : Oscar, Mary Ann, Nellie D., and Estie. Mary Ann married John Chesley ; Nellie D. is the wife of Reuben G. York ; and Estie is married to Emery Tuttle.
Oscar Foss received his education in the common schools and at Pittsfield Academy. He attended the latter institution in the winter season, spending the remainder of the year in his father's blacksmith shop, learning the trade. At the age of twenty-one he purchased a half- interest in a mill business with Nathaniel Blais- dell. At the end of a year he bought out his partner, and has since carried on the business alone, receiving the greater part of the trade from the locality. Not confining his attention to this particular mill, however, he has been quite extensively engaged in buying lots, putting up temporary mills, and preparing the lumber and shipping it to different large cities. His first trial in this direction was the purchase of a timber lot in Northwood. Since then the busi- ness has greatly increased. In 1895 and 1896 he had five mills in operation. He handles large amounts of cord wood and lumber, has now in one place twelve thousand cords, and he owns standing timber estimated at four million feet. When he started in the mill business, he was
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obliged to go into debt for the most of his con- tracts and real estate purchases. At the time the Barnstead shoe shop was built, he was one of the leading promoters of the enterprise ; and he is now the owner of the plant. Whenever the question of bringing new business into town arises, he is the one chosen to confer with and to influence desirable parties to locate here. He was one of the prime movers in getting the railroad and telephone. As an individual he has done much for the welfare of the town. Mr. Foss has from the first been a stanch Re- publican and a very active worker for the prin- ciples of his party. When he became a voter, the vote of the town showed ninety-nine Re- publicans to three hundred and one Democrats. For the first time since then the Republicans had a majority in 1896. He has been Town Treasurer, and in 1895 he was elected to the office of Supervisor.
On November 5, 1871, Mr. Foss was joined in marriage with Miss Sarah U. Young, a daughter of Oliver H. Young, and a grand- daughter of Jonathan Young, who was one of the early settlers in Barnstead. Oliver, who was a carpenter by trade, was born on Beauty Hill, but afterward removed to Barnstead Centre. He enlisted in the Twelfth New Hampshire Regiment, and served three years in the Civil War. As a Justice of the Peace he writes deeds and does other legal duties.
B ENJAMIN PARKER PEIRCE, of . Dover, the agent of the Bellamy Mills Company, was born Septem- ber 9, 1825, on Silver Street, Dover. He is a son of the late Andrew Peirce, who was a long-time resident of this city and its first Mayor. His mother, Abigail (Osborne) Peirce, had thirteen children ; namely, Re- becca, Abigail, Clarissa, Mary, Lydia, Joseph,
John, Elizabeth, Benjamin P., Jacob K., Mary, Olive, and Harriett.
After availing himself of the advantages afforded him by the schools of his native city, he completed his education at the Franklin Academy. On leaving school, he entered the jewelry store of William Knox, with the inten- tion of learning the watchmal er's trade; but, as his health failed after two years of this work, he was obliged to give it up. Going then to Boston, he was employed for a time in the piano manufactory of Parkhurst & Town- send. Here, too, his health again failed ; and he was forced to seck employment that would keep him in the open air. This he found in selling pianos for the firm, at which he continued for a year. Afterward he was engaged for three years as travelling salesman for Thomas H. Dodge, a manufacturer of agricultural implements at Worcester, Mass. Then he travelled for two years in the interests of Elias Thomas, a wholesale dealer in groceries. He subse- quently sold groceries on the road for ten years for the firm of Charles Mclaughlin & Co., of Portland, Me. At the end of that time Mr. Peirce accepted his present position, that of agent for the Bellamy Mills Company. In this capacity he has entire charge of the firm's extensive business. This comprises the grinding of grain and feed of all kinds and the manufacture of lumber. Their estab- lishments include a well-equipped saw-mill. Understanding his business thoroughly, and being a prompt and agreeable man, and fair and upright in all his dealings, Mr. Peirce has built up a fine business in this local- ity. He also finds time to carry on gen- eral farming with profit on his snug farm of forty acres.
Mr. Peirce was married May 23, 18.47, to Miss Elizabeth A. Twombly, who was born May 23, 1828, at Dover, daughter of the late
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William and Mary (Ricker) Twombly. Mr. and Mrs. Peirce have had four children, as fol- lows: Mary J., now deceased; William H., living in Dover, a painter for Sawyer's Woollen Mill's; Frederick P., deceased; Edith A .. who married Edward E. Vinal, and lives in Melrose, Mass. Mr. Vinal has charge of the Wade Read Company's wholesale grain busi- Mr. Peirce has always been an active worker in the Republican ranks. He was a member of the State legislature in the years 1861-62 and 1895-96, and he was again elected in 1896 for the years 1896 and 1897. He also represented Ward Four in the City Council for four years, being President of the Board for half of that time; and for four years he was Justice of the Peace. Mr. Peirce is a member of the Masonic order, belonging to Strafford Lodge, Belknap Chapter, and to Orphans' Council. He is likewise connected with Dover Grange, and Eastern New Hamp- shire Pomona, Patrons of Husbandry.
TVORY H. KELLEY, a prosperous farmer of the town of Madbury, has been a lifelong resident of the homestead which he now owns and occupies. He was born there, March 17, 1838, son of William and Parmelia (Demeritt) Kelley. The father, who was born and bred in Dover, when a lad of sixteen years, shipped as a sailor on a mer- chant vessel, and thereafter was engaged in seafaring for fourteen years, visiting many foreign ports. He subsequently bought the farm now in the possession of his son Ivory H., and was occupied in tilling the soil until his death, which occurred March 12, 1870, in the seventy-sixth year of his age. His wife, Parmelia, died in 1877, aged eighty-eight years. They had seven children, one of whom died in infancy. The others were: Sarah F. ;
John; Julia; Abbie; Ivory H. ; and George W., who died in August, 1885.
Ivory H. Kelley received his education in the district schools of his native town. In his boyhood he was trained to the business of farming, in which he became so capable that, as soon as he came of age, his father kept him at home to assist in the management of the place. Mr. Kelley now owns the entire home- stead farm. Since he came into possession he has enlarged it from eighty acres to two hun- dred. He has managed in a painstaking man- ner, expending all of his energies upon its improvement, so that it is now one of the finest estates of its size in this section of the county. His success as a general farmer is recognized by all.
The marriage of Mr. Kelley with Miss Martha Pendexter, daughter of Edward and Martha C. (Stickney) Pendexter, of Madbury, was contracted December 6, 1876. Their three children are: Florence, Martha S., and William E. Mr. Kelley is quite active in the political field, voting with and supporting the Republican party; and, although not an aspirant for official honors, he was Town Treasurer for one year and Town Clerk for three years. He is a member of Mount Pleasant Lodge, I. O. O. F., of Dover.
SRAEL H. LOCKE, an extensive and thriving agriculturist of Madbury, Straf- ford County, and a capable business man, was born March 9, 1829, in Barrington, son of Eben Locke. Mr. Locke is of pioneer an- tecedents, being a direct descendant of John Locke, who was prominently identified with the early history of this section of New Hamp- shire, and who fell a victim to the Indian's tomahawk at Rye Beach,. To Eben Locke and his wife, Susan Ham, nine sons were
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