Biographical review; this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Rockingham County, New Hampshire, Part 57

Author:
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Boston [Mass.] Biographical review pub. co.
Number of Pages: 658

USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Biographical review; this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Rockingham County, New Hampshire > Part 57

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Mr. Langley then removed to Manchester, N. H., and for six years was employed under Overseer Farrington on the Amoskeag corpora- tion. He then removed to Deerfield, but sixteen years ago returned to Manchester, where he resided until his death. He never fully recovered from the effects of his army service, and was able to do but little work. He possessed a wide circle of friends who mourn his loss. His life was an object lesson in patriotism, and his memory will not soon be forgotten by his many acquaintances. He left a widow and one daughter, Mrs. C. H. George, of Manchester. Mr. Langley was a member of Louis Bell Post, Grand Army of the Repub- lic, of Manchester, N. H.

ATHANIEL A. WALCOTT, who oc- cupies a prominent position among the rising young business men of Portsmouth, N. H., was born De- cember 14, 1868, in the city of Boston, son of Aaron F. and Harriet (Adams) Walcott. Among his emigrant ancestors were the "Mayflower" Pilgrim, Henry Sampson, who settled in Duxbury, Mass., and Francis

Adams, a native of Chester, England, who settled in Plymouth, Mass., about 1700, and in 1727 removed to Kingston, Mass., where he was a prominent citizen. Mr. Walcott is a member of the Sons of the American Revo- lution by virtue of his descent from John and' Ebenezer Adams, of this stock, who served in the War for Independence.

Aaron F. Walcott was for several years engaged in the wholesale grocery business in Boston, having a successful mercantile career. At the outbreak of the late Civil War he en- listed as a private in the First Massachusetts Light Artillery, but was transferred the same year to the Third Light Battery, of which he was appointed Second Junior Lieutenant, and a few months later was promoted to the rank of Senior First Lieutenant of the battery. He served gallantly until the close of the war, when he was brevetted Captain. Captain Walcott was an active participant in twenty- six engagements of the Rebellion, among them being the three days' battle at Gettysburg. He had the love and respect of the brave men under his charge, who, when the battery was mustered out of service, presented him with an elegant gold badge, on which were en- graved the names of the various battles in which they had fought. In politics he is a Republican; and for the past eight years he has been Deputy Sheriff of Cook County, Illinois. He is a member in high standing of the U. S. Grant Post, No. 28, Grand Army of the Republic, of which he was Commander two years, in this capacity having charge of the Chicago delegation of men that assisted in transferring the body of General John A. Logan from Washington to Chicago. He married Harriet Adams, daughter of Nathaniel Adams, of Boston ; and they became the par- ents of three children, namely : a daughter, Mrs. J. Otis Colby, living in Melrose, Mass. ; Nathaniel A. ; and Charles Francis Adams Walcott, who is engaged in the furniture busi- ness at Newburyport, Mass.

Nathaniel Adams, Mr. Walcott's maternal grandfather, was born in Kingston in 1812. Ile was a son of Charles and Mary C. (Samp- son) Adams, and was of the fifth generation in lineal descent from Francis Adams. Many of his kinsmen were seafaring people; and one

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of them, Captain William Adams, left two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to the Bos- ton Marine Relief Association. Nathaniel Adams was for many years engaged in business in Boston as a contractor and builder. Among the prominent public buildings that he erected are the old Tremont and Parker Houses and the old Boston & Lowell Depot; and in com- pany with his brother he built the Boston City Hall, the long block on State Street, and Tufts College. Of the latter institution he was a liberal benefactor. He also built the Miles Standish monument at Duxbury, toward the erection of which he contributed thousands of dollars. He was prominently identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which he held the office of Noble Grand of the State; and one of the lodges was named for him. He was likewise a Free Mason, be- longing to the Joseph Warren Lodge at the Ilighlands. He was a member of the Shaw- mut Avenue Universalist Church, which he attended regularly. He was associated with many of the leading enterprises of his day, and was president of the company formed for the laying of the Atlantic cable, and personally received the congratulatory message sent by Queen Victoria, the first sent over the wires, and which is now in the possession of a brother of Mr. Walcott, the special subject of this sketch. The coat of arms of the Adams family is still preserved.

Nathaniel A. Walcott attended the English High School of Boston, afterward going to Chicago, where he was employed by J. B. Farwell & Co., one of the largest dry-goods houses in the country, for four years as sales- man. Coming then to Portsmouth, Mr. Wal- cott formed a partnership with R. S. Marge- son in June, 1890, and under the style of the Portsmouth Furniture Company carried on a substantial business until March, 1895. Mr. Walcott then purchased his partner's interest in the furniture business, which he has since conducted alone, meeting with excellent suc- cess. While in company with Mr. Margeson they were also engaged in the undertaking business, under the firm name of Margeson & Walcott; and, when the latter purchased his present business, he disposed of the undertak- ing branch.

Mr. Walcott was married in 1891 to A. Maude, daughter of R. S. Margeson, of Rox- bury, Mass. ; and they have two bright and interesting children. In politics Mr. Walcott is a straight Republican, but takes no active part in public affairs. Socially, he is a Mason, being a member of St. John's Lodge, No. 1, A. F. & A. M., and of Washington Chapter, No. 3, Royal Arch Masons, and De Witt Clinton Commandery, Knights Templars.

OHN PORTER WEEKS, an extensive farmer of Greenland, Rockingham County, N. H., was born here on Janu- ary 24, 1844. His parents were Deacon William and Louisa (Porter) Weeks.

Leonard Weeks, the earliest-known ances- tor, came to New Hampshire from England, and settled about 1660 in what is now Green- land, Rockingham County. His son Joshua was the great-great-grandfather of John Porter Weeks, the subject of this sketch. Joshua Weeks's son William was the father of Major William Weeks, who served in the Continental army during the Revolution. He is said to have been one of Washington's staff officers. He was Paymaster in 1776 and later. (See New Hampshire State Papers, Revolutionary Rolls.)

Deacon William, son of Major William Weeks, and the father of John Porter, was a native of Hopkinton, N. H. On May 26, 1835, he married Louisa, daughter of the Rev. Huntington Porter, of Ryc. They had five . children; namely, Ann L., Ellen M., Sarah P., George W., and John l'orter. Ann L. died on July 8, 1889. Ellen M. lives at the old homestead. Sarah P. died on February 10, 1895. George W. met with a tragic death, being killed at the Bay Side Railroad Crossing on January 7, 1893. He left a widow, Mrs. Sarah L. Robinson Weeks, and one son, William.

John Porter Weeks was the youngest of the family. Ile was born on the old homestead, and lived with his parents until September 16, 1861, when he enlisted in Company K, Fifth New Hampshire Volunteers. He was mustered into service at Concord, N.H., on October 12, 1861, going thence to Virginia,

JOHN P. WEEKS.

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where he remained in camp at Alexandria during the winter of 1861-62. He was the youngest man of the company, but he was pro- moted to Corporal the same year. While in the army, he was taken siek, first with the measles, and then with lung fever, which obliged him to go to the eamp hospital and Fortress Monroe, where he later rejoined his regiment. Mr. Weeks was then taken ill with typhoid fever, which confined him for three weeks in the hospital at David's Island, N. Y. After a furlough he was discharged on aceount of disability. He served as Corporal, but was discharged as Sergeant. He and his brother, George W., then took charge of the home farm, and in 1878 erected a fine house and barn, all new buildings on the west side of the road. Mr. Weeks owns three hundred aeres of land, carrying on general farming and dairy business. In polities he affiliates with the Republican party, having been Chairman of the Republican Club for twenty-five years. He is also a member of the Grand Army of the Republie.

Mr. Weeks has been twice married. His first wife, to whom he was married on April 26, 1870, was Miss Ellen, daughter of the Hon. Charles Hateh. She died on June 16, 1874. On September 14, 1876, he married Laura A., daughter of Nathan R. Foss. Mr. and Mrs. Weeks have three children - Mabel P., born on July 11, 1878; Carrie F., who was born on March 26, 1881 ; and Alice HI., born on November 12, 1882. Mr. and Mrs. Weeks are members of the Congregationalist church, where he has served as Deaeon sinee the death of his father. Their children are the seventh in deseent from Leonard, the early aneestor; and they are now living on a part of the land owned by him more than three cen- turies ago.

EORGE BROWN WEBSTER, who is numbered among the oldest citi- zens of Rockingham County, his birth having oceurred May 31, 1813, is one of the most thrifty and prosperous farmers of East Kingston, his native place, and one of its most honored and respected eitizens.

His father, John Webster, was born in this

town, Mareh 27, 1772, and died here October 5, 1848, his entire life after marriage having been spent on the farm now owned and occupied by his son, George B. Webster. John Webster, a tanner as well as farmer, was an honest, in- dustrious man, and labored hard to rear and educate his children. He married Judith Brown, who was born in South Hampton, N. H., August 27, 1775, and died March 7, 1876, at the remarkable age of one hundred years and seven months. They had a family of five children, all sons, George Brown, the subjeet of this sketch, being the only survivor. Of the other four the following is a brief rec- ord: Jeremy, born October 21, 1803, died October 8, 1834; John Currier, born Septem- ber 8, 1805, died Mareh 10, 1857; George, born in April, 1810, died May 15 of the same year; and Calvin, born May 24, 1811, died August 19, 1847.

Mr. Webster is the representative of one of the old New Hampshire families, and can trace his ancestry in a direct line back to one Thomas Webster, a life resident of Ormsby, Norfolk County, England, whose son Thomas eame to America. Thomas Webster, seeond, married in 1656 Sarah Brewer, and died at Hampton, N. H., in 1718. They had, besides several daughters, five sons, as follows : Thomas, third, born in 1665; Ebenezer, born in 1667; Isaae, born in 1670; John, born in 1673; and Joshua, born in 1676. The two older sons were granted land in Kingston, N.H., this county, in 1694, and settled here in 1700; and the next two in order of birth, Isaae and John, were made frecholders, and assigned lots of land in 1705, and at various times afterward. Daniel Webster, the dis- tinguished statesman and orator, was a great- grandson of Ebenezer, of this third generation of Websters, who was one of the earliest set- tlers of East Kingston. Colonel Ebenezer, of the fifth generation, and his father, Eben - ezer, of the fourth, were both born in East Kingston. Thomas, third, the eldest son of Thomas, second, married; and his son Ben- jamin, born August 24, 1701, was the first ehild born in Kingston.

Captain John Webster, the fourth son of Thomas and Sarah (Brewer) Webster, was a mariner, and lived in various towns in Massa-

BIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW

chusetts, but finally settled in Rye, N. H., then within the limits of Hampton, dying there between 1725 and 1735. He was a very prominent man, and active in town affairs. He married Abiah Shaw, who bore him eight children, namely: Jeremiah, born December 21, 1703, settled in East Kingston, and there spent his life, being very active and influential in town and church matters; Joshua and Charity, twins, born in 1706; John, born in 1712; Thomas, born July 1, 1715; Caleb, born in March, 1719; and Abiah and Eliza- beth. Thomas and John left their native town, and lived in neighboring towns of this State.

Jeremiah, son of Captain John and Abiah (Shaw) Webster, and the next in line of de- scent now being considered, was married, June 19, 1724, to Elizabeth Ladd, and had a family of twelve children, several of whom died young, three passing away in one month, May 26, 27, and 28, of the year 1735. The surviv- ing children were: Jeremiah, born in 1743; Jonathan Ladd, born August 16, 1745; Nathaniel, born November 11, 1748; Dolly, born in May, 1754; and Eliphalet, born February 24, 1752.

The line was continued through Jonathan Ladd Webster, the eldest of the sons above named. He married Judith Currier, and the record of their children is as follows: Dolly, born November 7, 1769; John, born March 27, 1772; Jeremy, born September 10, 1774; Anna, born in 1777; Molly, born in 1779; Ruth, born in 1780; Jonathan, born November 6, 1782; Judith, born in 1785; and Elizabeth, born in 1791. The eldest son, John, the father of George Brown Webster, married Judith Brown, as above mentioned, and had a family of five children. John Cur- rier, the second son born to the parents, mar- ried Mary Guilford, and settled in Lynn, Mass., where he reared his family, which in- cluded two sons, Jeremy and Samuel, and four daughters. Jeremy, who is of the eighth generation from Thomas Webster, of Ormsby, England, married Jane Kelley, who has borne him five children, these being of the ninth generation.

George Brown Webster received good edu- cational advantages, and was graduated from the English department of Phillips-Exeter

Academy in 1832. Going to Hackettstown, N.J., in 1833, he there engaged in teaching for nearly two years. Then on account of a death in the family he was called home; and for the succeeding ten years he carried on gen- eral farming and tanning in the summer season, and taught in the district schools of this vicinity winters. In 1844 and 1845 Mr. Webster had charge of a school in that part of Lynn, Mass., that is now called Swampscott. He afterward engaged in a retail grocery busi- ness in Manchester, N. H., for two years; and then, on the death of his brother Calvin, he returned to East Kingston to assume charge of the ancestral homestead, and care for his par- ents. Here he has since lived. He owns one hundred and fifty acres of valuable land, which, under his intelligent and systematic management, has been highly cultivated and improved. Besides raising the usual crops of this locality, he carries on a large dairy busi- ness, and raises some stock. Mr. Webster has ever taken a deep interest in political matters, and is now an adherent of the Repub- lican party, which he joined on its formation. He uniformly does his duty at the polls, hav- ing missed but few elections since casting his first Presidential vote in 1836 for the Whig candidate. For many years he has served as a member of the School Committee, was Se- lectman four years, and has filled the office of Justice of the Peace for forty years. He was one of the Directors of the Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Company for twoscore years, and for a long time was President of the Squamscot Savings Bank of Exeter, of which he is now one of the Trustees.

Mr. Webster was married, July 6, 1846, to Martha Tilton Rowe, who was born February 4, 1819, in East Kingston, a daughter of Jo- seph F. and Mary (Thayer) Rowe, both na- tives of this county, the father having been born in Kensington, and the mother in Kings- ton. After their marriage the parents settled in East Kingston, where they continued their residence through life. Mrs. Webster comes of pioneer stock on both sides of the house, her paternal grandfather having been Dr. Ben- jamin Rowe, a prominent physician of Kensington; and his father, also Dr. Ben- jamin Rowe, Sr., was likewise a well-known

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medical man of this county, in which he was engaged in the practice of his profession for many years. On her mother's side Mrs. Webster is the grand-daughter of Elihu Thayer, D.D., one of the early pastors of the Congregational church in Kingston.

Mr. and Mrs. Webster have four children; namely, Emma, John, Joseph, and Eliza Janc. Emma, born June 21, 1847, resides in Brent- wood, being the wife of Francis H. Gowen. John, born November 19, 1849, and now en- gaged in mining in New Mexico, married Miss Annie Armstrong. . Eliza Jane, born Decem- ber 9, 1854, is the wife of Charles G. Gooch, of Exeter. Joseph R., born February 16, 1852, lives with his parents, and assists in carrying on the farin. He married Mrs. Cora M. Carter, who was born in Boston, Mass., February 12, 1849, but lived in the town of Newton, this State. This son, who has always remained on the paternal homc- stead, is a man of prominence in the town, and has served in various public offices, having been Town Clerk and Selectman, and is now a member of the Board of Education. He is an Odd Fellow, belonging to the Exeter Lodge, and is also a member of the grange, Patrons of Husbandry, at Kensington.

L AVID H. ELKINS, late a success- ful contractor and builder of Mil- ton, Mass., whose widow, Mrs. Mary E. Elkins, now resides with one of her sons at Hampton Falls, was born in Hampton, N.II., June 5, 1831, his parents being David B. and Mary (Batchelder) Elkins. Hle was a representative of one of the longest established families of English extraction in New Hampshire.

The founder of this branch of the Elkins family in the New World was Henry Elkins, who came early to Boston, where he engaged in business as a tailor, and in 1635 was admitted as a freeman. Removing to Exeter, N.H., he was one of the signers of the Combination in 1639. In 1650 he removed to Hampton. Ilis wife, Mary, died in March, 1659; and he survived her about nine years, dying No- vember 19, 1668. His will, now in the pos- session of the family, was made in 1667. By

it he divided his property between his two sons, Gershom and Eleazer, giving the larger portion to Gershom. The last clause of the will reads, "I do appoint my son, Gershom Elkins, to be my lawful executor to this my last will and testament, who is to take care for my comfortable subsistence while I live, and for my decent burial at my death, in a Chris- tian manner and custom ; and for ye confirma- tion of this my last will and testament I have hereunto set my hand and seal ye 27 day of April, 1667. Sealed, signed, and confirmed in ye presence of Henry Dalton and Mehitable Dalton.

Gershom Elkins was born about 1641. He married Mary Sleeper, daughter of Thomas Sleeper, and by this union had five children. Gershom Elkins was chosen Deacon of the Hampton church on November 26, 1706. He was Representative from the town of Hampton in 1708. His will was dated June 9, 1714, and proved March 5, 1718. Thomas, son of Deacon Gershom Elkins, was born in 1682. He married February 8, 1711, Hannah, daughter of Seth Fogg; and they had six chil- dren. Henry, son of Thomas Elkins, was born March 9, 1728. He and his wife, Mary Moore, of Loudon, whom he married probably in 1757, had ten children. He was appointed Captain of the First Company in the Third Regiment of Foot of Rockingham, March 26, 1771. Jeremiah, son of Captain Henry Elkins, was born February 14, 1770. He married Mary, daughter of Deacon David Batchelder, of Hampton Falls, and settled at Bride Hill, where he engaged in general farm- ing until his death at the age of forty-one, March 10, 1811. He had five children, namely: Betsy, born in 1794, who married Thomas Roby, of North Hampton; Mary, born in 1796, who married first Jonathan Locke, second Ira Page; David Batchelder, born in 1798; Lydia, born in July, 1802, who married Simon Roby; and Henry, born in 1 800.

David B. Elkins was educated in the dis- trict schools of his native town of Hampton : and he remained on the paternal estate all his days, successfully engaged in agriculture. With him lived also his brothers and sisters, fellow-inheritors of the estate, whom he in-

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vited to make their home on the old place after he assumed the management of it. He was a man of sterling character, ever willing to help his fellow-men. In religious belief and sentiment he was a Congregationalist, and was a member of the church of that persuasion at Hampton, in which he officiated for a num- ber of years as Deacon. He met his death by falling from a beam in the barn, November 25, 1854, at the age of fifty-six. His de- parture was a great loss to the Congregational church. He was deeply mourned by his wife and children and the community at large. His wife, Mary, daughter of John Batchelder, of North Hampton, died in August, 1870. Their children were: Mary Batchelder, who married Albert S. Wilson, of Kittery; David Henry, born June 5, 1831; Daniel Webster, born March 18, 1833, who married Annie M., daughter of David Walker; John, born April 26, 1840, who died young; and Sarah Eliza- beth, born April 28, 1843, who married first Fabyan P. Drake, of Hampton, second Will- iam Fernald, of Kittery. Mary Elizabeth, daughter of Daniel W. and Annie M. Elkins, and the wife of Robert Paterson, of Ports- mouth, now owns the old homestead.

David H. Elkins acquired his intellectual equipment for the cares and burdens of life at the district schools of Hampton and at Hamp- ton Academy. At the age of twenty-one he left home, going first to Woburn, Mass., where he worked two years at the carpenter's trade, and then to Milton, Mass., working with John H. Burt, of that place, until the death of his father called him home. The three succeed- ing years he spent in Hampton, where he and his brother carried on the farm. In Septem- ber, 1859, his brother took the farm; and he removed with his family to Milton, Mass., where he was successfully engaged as a builder and contractor until his death.

He was joined in wedlock with Miss Mary Evelyn White, a daughter. of Benjamin and Mary (Green) White, formerly residents of Phillipston, Mass. Her father moved to Mil- ton in 1842, and died there March 26, 1870. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Elkins was blessed in the birth of eight children, as fol- lows: Addic M., who was born at Hampton, August 29, 1857, and who lived to be but six

years of age; Benjamin W., born November 20, 1859; David H., born February 18, 1861; Lizzie E., born April 25, 1864; Albert W., born July 8, 1866; Mattie L., who died an in- fant of two months; John W .; and Herbert G .- all of whom, with the exception of the first mentioned, were born at Milton, Mass.

Benjamin W. Elkins married, November 19, 1892, Miss Isabel Brown, daughter of George C. and Laura Brown, of Hampton Falls. They live on the farm to which the family re- moved December 11, 1880. David was united in marriage, October 25, 1883, with Miss Alice Brown, of the same town, daughter of John J. and Mary R. Brown ; and they now reside at Amesbury, Mass., where he is em- ployed by the firm of Charles Wing & Co. They have four children, namely : Marion G., born January 28, 1886; Gertrude Alice, born August 18, 1888; Marguerite W., who is a twin sister of Dorothea R., born in February, 1891. Lizzie Elkins was married to Everett A. Weare, son of G. Austin and Mary L. Weare, and is at present a farmer of Seabrook, N.H. They have one child, a daughter, M. Evelyn Lorena, born December 6, 1886. Al- bert W. Elkins, who is a carpenter by trade, received in marriage, October 9, 1889, the hand of Miss Alice M. Chace, a native of Sea- brook, and daughter of John N. and Mary Abbie Chace. They have two children - David Harold, born April 25, 1893 ; and Ray Chace, born February 25, 1895. John W. Elkins and his brother, Herbert G., have never married. The former went to South Norridgewock in December, 1894, and is there engaged in farming. The latter served an ap- prenticeship as joiner at the Kittery navy yard, where he is at present employed. In December, 1880, they came to Hampton Falls, and purchased the George H. Dodge place in the village, which their brother Ben- jamin now operates.

In political belief and action Mr. David H. Elkins was identified with the Republican party, of whose principles he was a stanch supporter and vigorous advocate. His death occurred December 16, 1874, at Milton, Mass. ; and his mortal remains were there in- terred. This record of Rockingham County worthies justly incorporates a sketch of the

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life of Mr. Elkins, who through enterprise and industry achieved success in business, and by his admirable qualities won the re- spect and confidence of all those who came within the circle of his acquaintance. Mrs. Elkins, having reared her children to tread the paths of virtue, to fill places of usefulness and honor, still lives to enjoy the fruit of her so- licitous toil, to be the object of their fond and grateful care, and of the cordial esteem and good will of the community in which she dwells.

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Biographical review; this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Rockingham County, New Hampshire, Part 57

Author: Publication date: 1896 Publisher: Boston [Mass.] Biographical review pub. co. Number of Pages: 658

Author:
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Boston [Mass.] Biographical review pub. co.
Number of Pages: 658