USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Biographical review; this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Rockingham County, New Hampshire > Part 24
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Mr. Perkins was Town Supervisor for a num- ber of years. He has been annually chosen Selectman since 1893, receiving a majority of one hundred and fifteen votes at the last elec- tion. In national politics he is a Republican. Ilis religious belief is that of the Congrega- tionalists. Lillian and Mary, his oldest daugh- ters, are members of the Second Congrega- tional Church of Exeter.
REDERICK A. PIKE, formerly a well-known business man and prosper- ous farmer of Hampstead, and for two years a member of the New Hampshire legis- lature, was born in Camden, Me., in February, 1818. Being but a small boy when his father died, young Pike went to Chester, N. H.,
where he was brought up and educated. In carly manhood he came to Hampstead, and engaged in the lumber business in this town. Ile also became the owner of a farm of forty acres, which he conducted in connection with the lumber business for the rest of his life, dying at his home in Hampstead, January 25, 1883. He was an industrious and progressive man and a sterling citizen, respected and es- teemed by the entire community. He was a leading spirit in the Democratic party in his section, was twice elected Representative to the legislature, and served his constituents and the general public with ability and credit. He was particularly interested in educational matters, having been one of the incorporators of the Emerson High School in this town; and he served as one of its trustees up to the time of his death.
He married on October 23, 1851, Mary A. Garland, who was born in Hampstead, August 28, 1820, a daughter of Benjamin B. and Mary (Calef) Garland. Mr. and Mrs. Pike had no children. Mrs. Pike, who survives her husband, is now residing with her brother, John W. Garland. She is a pleasant and in- teresting old lady, sincerely beloved by a large circle of friends and acquaintances, and has bcen united with the Congregational church for many years.
APTAIN DAVID ANDERSON, who is also familiarly known as Elder An- derson, is one of the oldest residents of Londonderry, having been born here, April 21, 1816. He is a son of James and Nancy (Campbell) Anderson, his father having been a native of Londonderry, and his mother of Litchfield, N. H. The first of the family to emigrate to this country was James Anderson, who was of Scotch- Irish parentage, and came in 1719 from the north of Ireland, and settled in Londonderry, N. H. The old Anderson homestead has been in the family for over a century and a half. From this James Anderson the descent follows, through James (second), Jolin, and James, to David. John Anderson was among those valiant Revo- lutionary soldiers who fought for American liberties in the decisive battle of Bennington.
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David Anderson received a district school education, and until reaching the age of twenty years lived upon a farm. He then began to learn the shoemaker's trade, and followed it for a quarter of a century. He finally gave it up, and, resuming the occupation to which he was reared, has since carried on general farm- ing with profit. On October 13, 1842, Cap- tain Anderson was married to Miss Persis Tenney, who was born in Londonderry, Octo- ber 4, 1823, a daughter of David and Persis (Plumer) Tenney. Their union has been blessed by the birth of five children, of whom three - Helen F., Eliza G., and George V. - have passed away. The two living are: Persis T., wife of Alberto C. Brown, of Lynn, Mass. ; and Mary J., wife of Mathew Campbell, of Litchfield, N. H. Captain Anderson is a pub- lic-spirited citizen. He is a Republican in politics, and has been a stanch supporter of that party since its organization. When a young man, he was for a period of four years Captain of a militia company, which he drilled at regular intervals. In 1842, the year of their marriage, Captain Anderson and his wife became members of the Presbyterian church at Londonderry. Ten years later he was ordained as Ruling Elder in the church, and still officiates in that capacity. They have a large circle of friends and acquaintances.
AMUEL S. CHASE, an esteemed resident of Stratham, was born in this town, May 3, 1817, son of An- drew and Sally (Clark) Chasc. The family is of English origin. Thomas Chase, great-grandfather of Samuel S., was an carly settler in Stratham. His children by his wife Lore were: Sarah, born September 26, 1744; Mary, born December 15, 1746; and Dudley Leavitt, born January 4, 1751. Grandfather Dudley L. Chase, who was a native of this town, kept a hotel here in his early days. He also owned a good farm, which he carried on with energy until his death, which took place at an advanced age. Ile was known as a stirring man and a useful citizen, firm in his convictions, and always ready to speak his mind. He was a stanch patriot during the troubles that culminated in
the Declaration of Independence, and he served as a Major in the Continental army during the Revolutionary War. He married successively a Miss Ayers and Mrs. Mary (Ayers) Davis, both daughters of Perkins Ayers. By his second marriage, which took place September 24, 1780, he became the father of three children, namely: Nancy, who was born January 23, 1781; Betsey, who was born January 8, 1784; and Andrew, the father of Samuel S.
Andrew Chase was born in Stratham, March 10, 1787. He learned the carpenter's trade, and settled in Roxbury, Mass., where he be- came one of the prosperous builders of his day, and was prominently identified with the early growth and development of that town. In 1837 he retired from business, and, return- ing to Stratham, bought the Jonathan Leavitt farm, which he later enlarged by adding some adjoining land. He was an active member of the Christian Baptist Church, and in his later years he supported the Republican party in politics. His wife, Sally, who was a native of Stratham, became the mother of eleven chil- dren ; namely, Sarah, Dudley, Andrew, Mary, Miltimore, Samuel S., Benjamin C., James, Levi, John W., and Susan. Of these the only survivors are: Mary, the widow of Horace Littlefield, of Prospect, Me. ; and Samuel S., the subject of this sketch. The mother lived to the age of seventy-one years; and the father died in 1875, at the age of eighty-eight.
Samuel S. Chase was but a year old when he went with his parents to Roxbury, Mass. After acquiring his education in the public schools, he learned the carpenter's trade with his father. He continued to reside in Rox- bury after his father's retirement, and was con- nected with the building interests of that place for many years previous to its annexation to the city of Boston. In 1874 he relinquished business pursuits and returned to Stratham, where he now occupies a part of his father's farm. The property contains fifty-eight acres of excellent land, and the buildings are in a good condition.
On June 4, 1840, Mr. Chase was united in marriage to Elizabeth Curtis, who was born in Dover, N. H., Jannary 4, 1819. She is a daughter of William and Betsey (Knowlton)
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Curtis, the former of whom was a ship carpen- ter by trade, and resided in various places dur- ing his period of activity. He was the father of five children. Of these three grew to ado- lescence ; namely, Mary, William, and Eliza- beth. Elizabeth, now Mrs. Chase, is the only survivor. She has had two children - Asher Moore and Elizabeth Edla. Asher Moore, born March 24, 1841, served in the Fourteenth Massachusetts Battery during the Civil War, and died January 12, 1874, leaving a widow and two children - Charles E. B. and Asher St. Clair. Elizabeth Edla, who was born February 2, 1844, died at the age of fifteen years. Both parents attend the Universalist church. In politics Mr. Chase is a Democrat. He was for one year a member of the Board of Aldermen from Ward 5 in Roxbury. He was upon the Board of Engineers for some time. He served as Assistant Engineer of the fire department for six years, and he was Captain of a militia company. During his residence in Stratham he has been quite active in public affairs, and has served one year as Town Treas- urer. He was initiated into Masonry at Washington Lodge of Roxbury. His life has been a busy and successful one; and he has carned ease and affluence, in which he is spending his declining years.
OLONEL ALBERT L. EASTMAN, who died at his home in Hampstead, N. H., in 1891, was one of the many successful business men whom the Granite State has given to the world. He was born in Hampstead, October 17, 1815, son of Tappan and Susan R. (Boynton) Eastman, the former a native of West Hampstead, N. H., the latter of Newburyport, Mass. His father's father was a native of West Hampstead, and died there at an advanced age, his father's mother also living to be full of years. They were the parents of four children, our sub- ject's father being the second.
Tappan Eastman was born in November, 1789, being the second of a family of four children. He learned the shoemaker's trade, and worked at it for a number of years in his native town, also managing the farm on which Colonel Eastman's widow is now
living; and he was successfully engaged in the manufacture of shoes in the town of Woburn, Mass., for about eight years, retiring to his homestead in Hampstead in 1841. There he spent the remainder of his life, en- gaged in farming, and doing a little shoemak- ing. He was a progressive and industrious man, temperate in all his habits, and was highly esteemed in the community. A loyal Republican, he was prominent in town affairs, but made no effort to attain public office. He died in September, 1864, in his seventy-fifth year. His wife passed away in April, 1883. Both were members of the Baptist church in Woburn, Mass. They had but one child, the subject of this sketch.
Albert L. Eastman attended the Pinkerton Academy at Derry, N. H., and also the Put- nam School at Newburyport, where the poet Whittier was one of his schoolmates. Shortly after leaving school, he obtained a clerkship in a general store in Haverhill, Mass. This was the initial step in his mercantile career. He was afterward for several years in the employ of T. D. Whitney & Co. of Boston, some years in a store of the same kind in Louis- ville, Ky., a short time in Philadelphia, Pa., and a number of years connected with the well- known firm of Arnold, Constable & Co. of New York City. In 1843 he established there the house of Eastman, Townsend & Sheldon, importers of silks, laces, and trimmings, a house that soon took rank among the best and most reliable concerns of the kind in the coun- try, and was the centre of a large trade for a number of years. In 1856 some changes were made, and the firm reorganized under the name of Eastman, Bigelow & Dayton, Colonel East- man still being the moving spirit of the enter- prise. By his good judgment and remarkable ability he kept his business constantly on the increase, successfully weathering the gales of financial disaster, coming through the panic of 1857 almost unscathed, and steadily ac- cumulating property, so that at his death he was owner of much valuable real estate in New York. In 1881 he retired to his early home in Hampstead, where he died January 12, 1891.
Colonel Eastman was active in politics as a Republican. He was Representative from
ALBERT L. EASTMAN.
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Hampstead to the General Court for three terms, the last in 1881, and was Colonel of Governor Cheney's staff; and he was one of the electors at large for President Garfield. As a Mason, he was a member of St. Mark's Lodge, A. F. & A. M., No. 44, of Derry, N. H.
He was married June 29, 1881, to Mrs Mary E. Irving, daughter of Deacon Jonathan and Clarissa (Page) Kent, of Hampstead. Deacon Kent, who was for many years prominent in the Congregational church of Hampstead, died in 1874. His wife, a member of the same church, passed away in 1865. They were the parents of nine children, Mary E., Mrs. East- man, being the youngest. Mrs. Eastman has one child by her first marriage, Henry Albert Irving, who is living in Hampstead. She is a member of the Congregational church in this town. Her home on the old Eastman estate is one of the pleasantest in a locality where pleasant homes are the rule, and the sweet breath of the open fields rises unhindered to the boundless sky, where the crowded condi- tion of city life is unknown, and the world- weary worker feels a happy sensation of expan- sion and rest.
EACON DANIEL SMITH, a prom- inent and well-known resident of Brentwood township, was born here, February 16, 1823, son of Deacon Daniel Smith, Sr., and Hannah (Tuck) Smith. His great-grandparents, who emigrated from Englaml to America in the middle years of the last century, resided in Exeter, this State, for a time, after which, in 1752, they came to Brentwood, where they afterward spent their last days. Ilis grandfather, Caleb Smith, born in Exeter, was a mere lad when he came with his parents to Brentwood. His home here was situated on the road running from Kingston to Epping. Deacon Daniel Smith, Sr., spent his entire life in Brentwood township. He was an industrious, enterprising man, who was comparatively successful in his undertakings. He was a carpenter, and for a time was en- gaged in the Brentwood cotton-mill, the first factory of the kind erected in New England. Subsequently he bought the homestead now
owned and occupied by his son Daniel, and there followed general farming, besides work- ing at his trade, until his death in 1845. He married Hannah Tuck, who was born in Brent- wood, and they became the parents of nine children. Of these six have died; namely, Susan (whose death occurred in February, 1896), Emeline, Mary, John T., Benjamin F., and Elizabeth. Those now living are: Daniel, the subject of this sketch; Ferdinand E., re- siding in Alabama; and Mary A., the wife of J. W. Moulton, of Hampton Falls, this county. All the children had good educa- tional advantages for the time, having made their advanced studies in academies, and some being graduates of high schools. The mother, who was sedulously cared for by her son in her widowhood, died in 1866.
Deacon Daniel Smith was the fifth-born of his parents' children. He remained on the home farm until nineteen years of age, when he began to learn the carpenter's trade. He afterward worked at this craft for three or four years in Boston. On the death of his father he returned to the old homestead, where he has since lived. The farm comprises sixty acres of land. Deacon Smith, who has made the more important improvements, has also managed it with signal success, raising chiefly hay, grain, and potatoes. In politics he affili- ates with the Republican party. He repre- sented his district in the State legislature for two years, and was Selectman three years.
Deacon Smith has been twice married. In 1847 he was united to Lydia A. W. Barker, daughter of Benjamin and Lydia Barker, of Exeter. She died in 1851, having borne him two children. One of these died in infancy ; and Emma F., who finished her education at the Robinson Seminary, Exeter, lives with her father. Having remained a widower for nearly a score of years, Deacon Smith married again in 1869, when the bride was Miss Mary E. Moulton, of Hampton Falls. She died in 1889, leaving two children -Fannie N. and Sarah M., both graduates of Mount Holyoke Seminary. Fannie N. is now the wife of Dr. John Whitmore, sub-principal of the high school at Lynn, Mass. ; and Sarah M. is teaching in the public schools of Brockton, Mass. Deacon Smith and daughters are men-
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bers of the Baptist Church at Exeter, which he serves in the capacity of Deacon.
AMUEL W. EMERY, a well- known and respected citizen of Portsmouth, Judge of the Police Court, was born in this city, March 30, 1863. He was educated in the public schools; and, after graduating from the Ports- mouth High School, he entered the office of W. C. Harriman, and took up the study of law. On April 24, 1884, he was admitted to the bar at Exeter, N. H. He commenced the practice of his profession in January, 1885. Mr. Emery is a Republican in politics. He - was City Solicitor of Portsmouth for the years 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, and 1890, and served as County Solicitor of Rockingham County from July 1, 1887, to July 1, 1891, inclusive. On December 1, 1894, he was appointed Judge of the Police Court of Portsmouth, and still holds that position. He is a member of St. Andrew's Lodge, No. 56, A. F. & A. M .; also of Damon Lodge, No. 9, Knights of Pythias.
A UGUSTUS D. BROWN, the pro- prietor of a large undertaking and insurance business in Epping, was born May 20, 1843, in Deerfield, this county, son of Alfred A. and Sarah ( Young) Brown. Alfred A. Brown, born in this county, was here reared to farming pur- suits, in which he was engaged throughout his life. His last years were passed in Deerfield, where his death occurred in 1854. His wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Young, sur- vived him several years.
Augustus D. Brown had but limited oppor- tunities for obtaining an education. But eleven years old when his father died, he was thereafter obliged to work for his living. He secured work on a neighboring farm, and from that time until eighteen years of age was engaged in tilling the soil. . Having learned shoemaking, after this he was subsequently foreman of the Epping Shoe Factory for four years. Then he was engaged in the clothing business for fifteen years, after which he be- came a copartner with his uncle in the furni-
ture and undertaking business. His uncle, the late Jesse M. Young, died in April, 1895. Since that time Mr. Brown has been sole pro- prietor of the establishment, and has managed the business with eminent success. He has a well-selected stock of goods, is one of the most experienced and skilful embalmers in the county, and his high reputation brings him patronage from quite an extensive district. In politics he casts his vote irrespective of party lines, but in accordance with his own opinion of men and measures. He has served the community as Town Treasurer, and for a number of years has been a member of the Board of Health. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Sullivan Lodge, No. 19, of Geneva ; and he has affilia- tion with the Epping Lodge, No. So, of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
On December 20, 1871, Mr. Brown was married to Miss Helen Morrison, of Chicago, daughter of the Rev. John Morrison, an emi- nent divine. They have had two daughters, one of whom, Hattie, died at the age of eigh- teen months. The surviving daughter, Miss B. Helena Brown, is a bright and active member of the social community in which she resides. Mr. and Mrs. Brown, with their daughter, are members of the Congregational church. Mr. Brown has been a member of the church Exec- utive Committee for ten years. He has also been Secretary of the Sunday-school, and is now Warden. His reputation is that of a man of high integrity, much public spirit and generosity.
IMON L. CHESLEY, of Ports- mouth, formerly a prosperous mer- chant of Rye, was born in this town, April 1, 1821, son of Simon and Olive (Elkins) Chesley. Ilis grand- father, Lemuel Chesley, was a native and life- long resident of Lee, Strafford County, where he had a good farm. Lemuel married Nancy Woodman, of whom it is related that she was once carried into captivity by Indians, that she escaped, and, after suffering extreme pri- vations for two weeks in the woods, with nothing to eat but the carcass of a skunk, she finally reached the home of a white settler.
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She and her husband reared seven children. Simon Chesley, the father of our subject, ac- quired his education and the blacksmith's trade in Lee. The latter was learned under the instruction of his brother. After working at it for fifteen years in his native town, he re- moved to Rye, settling in the part now called Chesley's Corner, and established a forge .. He had reached the age of sixty-seven years at his death. He married Olive Elkins, and with her reared five children, namely : Sam- uel, who lived to be sixty-seven years of age; John, who died about the age of fifty ; Eliza, who lived to be seventy-eight ; Hannah, who died at the age of forty-five; and Simon L., the subject of this sketch
Simon L. Chesley obtained his education in the district school. The sea, to whose voice he had listened from infancy, seemed to invite him; and, as soon as he had closed his books, he immediately entered upon the call- ing of a sailor. A few years of practical experience sufficed to dispel his youthful illu- sions regarding a sea-faring life; and he re- turned to the home farm a wiser, if a disap- pointed, man. He then went to Quincy, Mass., and learned the trade of stone-cutting, after which he was employed for two years by Mr. Wetherbee, of Boston, Mass., as foreman. Believing that he could do better in trade, he opened a twelve-foot store in Rye, and gradu- ally built up a good business, making addi- tions to his store as his trade demanded it. At one time he had a branch store in Boston. He was in partnership with his brother Will- iam until the death of the latter. Since that time he has been sole proprietor. He recently moved to Portsmouth, this county. Mr. Chesley is an able and energetic business man, and his record is such that he has the confi- dence of all who deal with him.
He was married in 1858 to Susan N. Green, daughter of John Green, of Rye, and has two sons. These are: William, who has gradu- ated from Bryant & Stratton's Business Col- lege in Boston; and Frank, the elder, who married Miss Ella Moulton, of North Hamp- ton, and has one child, Mildred. Mr. Chesley cast his first Presidential vote for James K. Polk in 1844. He is very popular among the Democrats of his native town, always carry-
ing a Democratic vote, and has served for some time on the Town Building Committee. During the late war he was active as a re- cruiting officer.
R UFUS W. WEEKS, a general farmer of Greenland, was born in this town on August 20, 1819, son of Stephen M. and Mary S. (Gookin) Weeks. Ichabod Weeks, his grandfather was also born here on September 16, 1738. When a young man, he came to the farm now occupied by Rufus W., and lived there many years. He was a noted physician, had a large and lucra- tive practice, and was generally respected. Dr. Weeks was three times married. After his death his remains were interred in the Greenland Cemetery.
Stephen M. Weeks was born on the home farm in 1781, lived there all his lifetime, served the town as Selectman and in other im- portant offices, and died in 1878. His wife Mary, who came from Portsmouth, N. H., had six children, namely : Charles M., a physician, who died in Georgia; Caroline, a very fine artist, and the painter of the portraits of Gov- ernor Bartlett and Dr. Bartlett, which are now in the State House, who died in 1873; Stephen M., Jr., deceased; Nathaniel, a sca captain, also deceased; Ichabod, who died in 1856; and Rufus W., the latest born, and the only survivor. Both parents are also deceased, the father dying at the age of ninety-seven, and the mother in her ninety-fourth year. They were highly respected members of the Congregational church.
Rufus W. Weeks was born on the home farm, and there remained with his parents until he was seventeen years of age. Ile then went to New York City, where he was em- ployed for two years as clerk. After this he returned home for a short stay, and then went to Kalamazoo, Mich. Two years later he re- turned to take charge of the old homestead, which is a valuable farm of one hundred acres. Mr. Weeks is an enterprising farmer. He carries on general farming and fruit-growing, and keeps also a dairy. In politics he is a Republican. He has been Selectman seven different terms, member of the School Com-
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mittee for a number of years, and in 1860 he was elected as Representative to the State legislature. On June 24, 1861, Mr. Weeks was united in marriage to Miss Ellen J. Belk- nap, of Sherbrook, Canada. They have had four children : Belknap, who married Miss Bessie Cole, and lives in this town; Goldwin I., a music-teacher, who died July 21, 1891 ; Arthur H., a farmer of Greenland ; and Rufus W., Jr., a student in the Boston Medical Col- lege. Mr. and Mrs. Weeks are members of the Congregational church.
J OHN GARDINER GILMAN, of Exe- ter, a prominent man of affairs, was born on November 26, 1820, his birth- place being in what is now the heart of the city, covered by dwellings, churches, and blocks of stores. His parents were Captain Nathaniel and Elizabeth (Gardiner) Gilman, the former of Exeter, the latter of Philadel- phia, Pa.
His first ancestor in this country was Ed- ward Gilman, a native of Hingham, Norfolk County, England, who was born about 1587. He was made a freeman in Hingham, Mass., in 1638, and a few years later removed to Exeter, N. H., where his three sons, Edward, second, John, and Moses, settled in 1647. The second Edward, from whom the subject of this sketch traces his descent, was born in England in 1617. He came to Exeter from Ipswich, Mass., was accepted as a townsman, and erected mills on the Squamscot. An active and judicious man of enterprise, he was very prominent and popular. He was married in Ipswich to a daughter of Richard Smith. John Gilman, son of the first Edward, was known as Councillor John, being a member of the Governor's Council. In 1693 he was Speaker of the House of Representatives. John Gilman died in Exeter at the age of eighty-four.
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