USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Book of biographies. This volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Grafton County, New Hampshire > Part 44
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John W. Peck succeeded his father in the man- agement of the homestead and has devoted his time principally to farming. He was a model farmer of his day; the farm was cleared and all the available ground put under cultivation; large and substantial barns were built for the accom- modation of the choice herds of cattle and sheep which he always kept. He sold the mill, and it has long since been supplanted by modern mills at Scytheville. He was a very active man and worked up to the last few moments before his final breaking down occurred; his death was caused by over-work, and took place when he was sixty-eight years old, in 1863. His wife sur- vived him a few years. In his carly manhood he supported the Democratic party; afterwards he allied himself with the Free Soil party, finally voting with the Republicans. He was among those worthy citizens to whom public office
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offers no allurements; he served one term as selectman. The following children benefited from his home-training: Eliel; Solon Alonzo, the subject of this sketch; Sela F .; John W .; and Parthenia.
Our subject, after the years of his youth spent in assisting his father and in attending the schools of his neighborhood, taught school for. ten winters, working on the farm in the summer. He remained on the farm throughout his parents' lives, and was ever a kind and thoughtful son. After their decease he sold off the greater por- tion of the farm, and it is now built upon by beautiful and tasty residences; it forms one of the prettiest additions to the village, and borders on Mascoma Street. Mr. Peck has for several years been identified with the well-known insur- ance firm of Dewey, Peck & Co., whose office is located in the Whipple Block. Mr. Peck has been president of the Savings Bank of Lebanon for the past ten years, serving as a trustee previous to that time.
He is a stanch and uncompromising Repub- lican and served as selectman from 1859 to 1866; as representative in the State Legislature in 1866 and 1867; as collector in 1869, and again as se- lectman from 1870 to 1887. He joined the Mas- coma Lodge, I. O. O. F., in 1848, and is at pres- ent the oldest living member.
He married Sarah W. Hubbard, daughter of Orrin and Catherine Hubbard of West Lebanon; she was born in 1828. Mrs. Peck has presented her husband with two children: Eliel, born Feb. 26, 1856, married Emma McLane, and is a wealthy farmer and merchant of Kimball, Minn .; Alice H., born Sept. 7, 1860, married Henry M. Day, who is interested in the insurance firm of Dewey, Peck & Co. He resides with his father- in-law; he is one of the best of the young busi- ness men of the town, and is never behind the times in matters of business. Our subject has retired from much of the active business life of the town, because of his growing years; he is ex- tremely popular among all classes and counts his friends by the score. His portrait, which is shown on another page, is a correct delineation executed from a photograph of those features which are so familiar to the residents of the town of Lebanon, and will be of great ser- vice in keeping his memory alive for future gen- crations.
CHARLES F. CARR, a carpenter residing in Woodsville, who is employed in the bridge and building department of the B. & M. R. R., was born on Briar Hill, in the town of Haverhill, Grafton Co., Jan. 10, 1831, in the same house in which his father before him first saw mortal light. He is a son of Deacon Daniel and Rhoda (Bag- ley) Carr.
The Carr family is not only of long continu- ance in America, the ancestor of the American branch having come over in the Mayflower, but also dates its origin as an English family from the time of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. Among the company of William the Con- queror's followers was one named Karre; he set- tled in the north of England, whence his de- scendants spread over into Scotland as well as into different parts of England and Ireland.
Although the English and Irish modified the Norman spelling Karre to Carr, while the Scotch have it Kerr, yet in all the ten modes of spelling the original pronunciation has been retained.
As the spelling of the names has varied in divers localities, so have the colors of the coat of arms; but the original arms-three mullets or etoiles on a cheveron-have remained the same from the olden times to the present. The crest, also, (a hart's head) has been subjected to vari- ous changes.
The first known ancestor of Charles F. Carr, the subject of this sketch, was George Carr, who was born in London, England, about 1599, the youngest of four brothers. He married Lucinda Davenport, and came to America in 1620 on the good ship Mayflower, as the ship carpenter, bringing his young wife with him. The young pioneer located with the Pilgrims at Plymouth, where his wife died in the terrible winter that followed. A few years later Mr. Carr removed to Ipswich, and from there to Colchester (now Salisbury), Mass., with the first settler. He was granted an island in the Merrimac River for use as a home, and also as a shipyard. The island was known as Carr's Island, and was the home of the family for several generations; the posses- sion of the island gave them the exclusive privi- lege and monopoly of the ferry business at that point in the river. This ferry, at the death of George Carr, was considered to be worth £400. Two members of the family met their death by drowning while attending the ferry. The large
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house on Carr's Island, which had sheltered many generations, was destroyed by fire May 9, 1797. George Carr, the founder of the family, died in Colchester (now Salisbury), April 4, 1682. His second wife, Elizabeth, passed away at the same place May 6, 1691.
The birth of James Carr, fifth in a family of ten children born to his parents, took place in Salisbury, Mass., April 28, 1650. He married Mary Sans in Newbury, Mass., Nov. 11, 1677, and was made a freeman in 1690; he passed his life and died on Carr's Island, Aug. 5, 1726.
John Carr, fourth in a family of eight, was born in Newbury, Mass., Aug. 26, 1684, and married Elizabeth Chase in Newbury, Mass., Dec. 14, 1708.
Daniel Carr (one of twins, who were the youngest children in a family of eleven) was born in Newbury, Mass., July 13, 1734. He married as his first wife Betsey Chase. He was united to his second wife, Elizabeth Chase, Oct. 19, 1772, and died in Haverhill, N. H., April 12, 1822. Elizabeth Chase was born in 1741, and departed this life in Haverhill, Jan. 24, 1819.
Capt. Daniel Carr, the fifth child in a family of eight born to his parents, was the eldest child by his father's second wife, and was born in New- bury, Mass., July 28, 1773. He married Eliza- beth Worth in Newbury, Nov. 19, 1795, and set- tled in North Haverhill, N. H., soon after mar- riage. Elizabeth Worth was born in Newbury, Nov. 2, 1768, and died in North Haverhill, Sept. 18, 1836. Capt. Carr died in the same place, Nov. 10, 1852.
Deacon Daniel Carr, who was for many years a deacon in the Baptist Church, was second in a family of eight children; he was born in North Haverhill, Jan. 31, 1798, and died in the same place April 13, 1879. He married Rhoda Bagley l'eb. 9, 1823; she was a daughter of Nathan and Hannalı (Ford) Bagley of Topsham, Vt .; she was born in that town Aug. 7, 1799, and died Jan. 20, 1843. To her were born nine children, of whom Charles F. Carr, the subject of this sketch, was the fifth. By a subsequent marriage our subject's father added four more children to the home circle, making thirteen children in all.
Charles F. Carr attended the common schools until he was fourteen years of age. His mother having died when he was twelve years old, he made his home with his father's cousin, John
Carr, Jr., under whose instruction he learned the carpenter's trade. After four years of faithful service as apprentice he became a journeyman carpenter at the age of eighteen, and has followed that trade ever since. For many years he has been employed at his trade as house carpenter, and for the past two years has been employed on the B. & M. R. R., and is now connected with the bridge and building department.
Mr. Carr was married Nov. 25, 1855, to Kate M. Mason, who was born in New Hampton, N. H., Oct. 13, 1835. Her parents were Ward and Mary (Sleeper) Mason. The latter was a daugh- ter of Nathaniel Sleeper, a soldier of the Revo- lution, whose wife was a Miss Levitt. To Mr. Carr and his wife five children have been born, who are as follows: Emma R., deceased; Mary M., the wife of F. C. Gale, an engineer on the B. & M. R. R., residing in Woodsville; Elmer E .; Lewis; and Orville G., who lives in. Woodsville, and is associated with his father in the service of the B. & M. R. R. Both our subject and his wife are members of the M. E. Church. He is a Re- publican in politics. During the existence of the orders of Good Templars and Sons of Tem- perance, Mr. Carr was identified with them. He enlisted in the army at the period of the Civil War as a musician, but owing to disabilities was never sent to the front. He is a member of the G. A. R.
In the old cemetery of North Haverhill lie three generations of Daniel Carr: Daniel Carr, the great-grandfather of our subject; Capt. Daniel Carr, our subject's grandfather ; and Dea- con Daniel Carr, Charles F. Carr's father.
GEORGE E. MUZZEY, proprietor of the Fair View House, of Canaan, one of the most pleasantly located summer boarding-houses in this county, was born in Newport, N. H., July 8, 1836. He is the son of Nehemiah and Saralı (Chase) Muzzey, and grandson of Benjamin Muzzey.
Our subject's grandfather was born in Croy- don, N. H., and followed for a livelihood black- smithing, stone-cutting, and abutment laying. He settled in Sunapee, N. H., but later in life moved to Newport, where he died at the age of
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BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, GRAFTON COUNTY.
eighty-four. His children were: John, Lydia, Hannah, Nehemiah, Benjamin, Daniel, Charles, and George. Nehemiah Muzzey was born in Sunapee, N. H., and learned the trade of stone- cutting under his father, and worked with him at that trade for several years. He moved to Newport; dying at the age of forty-eight. His death was caused by consumption, which was contracted in the following manner: He was a member of the fire department of Newport, and when running with his company to aid the town of Claremont, he caught a severe cold, which set- tled on his lungs, and resulted in his death, as above stated. His wife died at the age of fifty- eight of cancer. He was in religious views a Bap- tist. Only two children were born to him: George E., the subject of this sketch; and John, who lives at Braintree, Mass., and has charge of the carpentry work on the railroad. Our sub- ject's mother was married after her husband's death to T. S. Lathrop, and had two children: Henry and Ella.
George E. Muzzey came to Canaan when four- teen years of age, with his mother and step- father, and in that town finished his education. At the age of twenty-one he was married to Miss Elizabeth D. Preston, daughter of Alpheus Pres- ton, a farmer and speculator of the town of Canaan. Shortly after his marriage, our subject bought a farm in the northern part of this town known as the Goss place, and after carrying on agricultural operations there for six years, dis- posed of it and built a home in the village of East Canaan, and followed teaming there for ten years and built the structure known to-day as the "Canaan Inn," where his wife carried on milli- nery twenty-five years, turning over the business at last to her daughter. When Mr. Muzzey had finished teaming he bought the Dalton farm, and in 1891 built a cottage, situated only a short dis- tance from the depot, on the rise of ground which overlooks the village and valley, and also com- mands a broad open view of Mt. Cardigan, while in the west at a distance of sixty miles the Green Mountains of Vermont are plainly in view.
In 1895, Mrs. Muzzey added to the cottage, already located on the property, barns and a sum- mer house, known as the Fair View House, which is fitted out with all the modern conven- iences, and with a broad piazza. The verdant lawns surrounding the place abound in beautiful
walks, through groves of various timber, and fine wide drives. There is also a secluded spot, rich in rustic beauty, which is called the Lovers' Lane. The first season finished with forty boarders, which speaks well for the attractions of the place, and for Mr. and Mrs. Muzzey's careful attention to the wants of their guests. It is no exaggeration to say that more hospitable people can not be found than our hosts of the Fair View House
Mr. Muzzey is a stanch Republican and served thirteen years as surveyor, and twelve years as contable in the town. He is a member of Social Lodge, F. & A. M. The marriage of our subject resulted in two children: Nellie, who died at the age of two years; and Charles, who died at the age of eighteen months. An adopted daughter, Lillie B., whom they have reared, educated, and given the care and love they would have ex- tended to their own children had they lived, mar- ried O. B. Sargent, and resides in Canaan.
JOSEPH NELSON CHESMAN, an engi- neer on the B. & M. R. R., residing in Woods- ville, was born in Coos Co., N. H., Jan. 25, 1872, and is a son of Roswell W. and Malancy F. (Pierson) Chesman, and a grandson of Joseph M. Chesman. Roswell W. Chesman, a far- mer and a surveyor, died in 1884, at the age of fifty-five. Malancy F. Chesman, who was born in Lisbon, is now aged sixty-five. Six children were born to our subject's parents: George W., who lives at Pawtucket, R. I .; William E., who lives at Burling Falls; Clara M., the wife of J. G. Hicks of Chicago, Ill .; Marietta, who married C. W. Brown of Lancester, N. H .; Flora, deceased; and Joseph Nelson, the subject of this sketch.
Our subject was reared at Lancaster, N. H., securing his schooling in that village. He was thrown upon his own resources at the age of six- teen, and at the age of eighteen he began firing on the B. & M. R. R. After six years experience on the road he was given an engine, June 29, 1896, and has held the throttle since. June 5, 1894, he was joined in the bond of matrimony with Maud A. Coburn of North Haverhill. She is the daughter of Daniel and Fannie (Bisby) Coburn; Daniel Coburn is a son of Jonathan Coburn; and Fannie Bisby is a daughter of
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James and Martha (Heywood) Bisby. Our sub- ject has been presented with one child, Ralph WV., born Oct. 12, 1894. Mr. Chesman is a free silver Democrat, and was an ardent supporter of W. J. Bryan for President in the campaign of 1896. Mr. Chesman is well liked by all of his acquaintances.
ARTHUR E. DAVIS, the liveryman of Woodsville, was born in Marshfield, Vt., June 6, 1859; he is a son of Solomon W. and Lucy A. (Luther) Davis, and grandson of Joseph E. and Polly (Kimball) Davis. Joseph E. Davis was born, reared, passed his life, and died on the farm which was cleared in the pioneer days by his father, John Davis.
Solomon A. Davis and his wife lived in Marsh- field until our subject was seven years old, when they removed to Corinth, Vt., which was his home until he attained his majority, and there he attended the district schools until about seven- teen years old, finishing with a term at Barre Academy of Barre, Vt. The summer he was seventeen he worked in a brick-yard, and from that time till he was twenty-one he lived on the farm engaged in assisting in the usual farm work. He then went into the business of manu- facturing brick, and was interested in that in- dustry for six years. For the three ensuing years he was a resident of Groton, N. H., carry- ing on a profitable business in lumber. From there he came to Woodsville, Nov. 23, 1887, and at once set about establishing a first-class livery ; the result is all that could be wished, and the ex- cellent patronage he received yields him abund- ant returns for his pains.
He is a Republican in his politics, and has been honored with several positions of trust, hav- ing served six years as deputy sheriff, a number of times as selectman, and as special justice of the police court.
On Feb. 24, 1892, occurred the solemnization of the marriage between Mr. Davis and his bride, Miss Hattie Thomas Swift, daughter of Solon and Theodora (Hurlbutt) Swift. Mr. Swift is a farmer of Cavendish, Vt., his native place. Mrs. Davis's mother was a native of Haverhill, where her father, Elijah Hurlbutt, was a very carly settler.
ELISHA L. ANDREWS, a leading carpen- ter, contractor, and builder of the village of Woodsville, N. H., was born in the town of War- wick, Athahaca Co., Province of Quebec. He is a son of Elisha E. and Mary (Armstrong) An- drews, grandson of Elisha Lyman and Betsey (McLean) Andrews, and great-grandson of Elisha Edwards Andrews.
Both the grandfather and the great-grand- father of our subject were born in Claremont, N. H., and removed to Canada at an early date. The father of our subject was born in the Domin- ion of Canada, Jan. 11, 1819; he was united in marriage with Mary Armstrong, April 14, 1846. She was born in England, April 18, 1818, and died May 3, 1895. The following children were born to them: Mary Elizabeth; Sarah Adelaide; Margaret Elmyra; William Edgar; Mary Jane; Lucy Ann, deceased; Cordelia Garnette; and Elisha L.
When Elisha L. Andrews was four years old his father moved to the town of Shipton, Wolfe Co., Quebec, where our subject attended school till he was fourteen years of age. Two years later he began working for a company that was constructing a saw-mill, and this was the first building he ever assisted in framing and was only seventeen years of age when it was finished. After working in the mill a short time, subse- quent to its completion, he served a three years' apprenticeship at carriage-making. He then went home and worked and lived on the farm for two years. His next employment was at car- riage-making in Danville, Province of Quebec, for three years. He then worked for a school slate company, erecting their factory at Slating- ton, Quebec.
In 1887 Mr. Andrews removed to Woodsville, and did his first work as a carpenter in that place on the Central Hotel. About the year 1891 he commenced contracting and building on his own account, and has since been busily employed with all the work that he cares to undertake. In October, 1895, he bought the grist and moulding-mill in the south part of Woodsville, where he makes mouldings and other inside furnishings for buildings. In the summer of 1896 our subject built himself an ele- gant residence adjoining his mill property.
Mr. Andrews was joined in marriage Nov. II, 1877, at Danville, Canada, to Louise Morrill.
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BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, GRAFTON COUNTY.
Her parents, who were originally from this side of the Canadian border, were Christopher and Catherine (Alger) Morrill. Chistopher Morrill was the son of Joseph and Jane (Robinson) Mor- Till: Catherine Alger was the daughter of Lyman Alger, who married a Miss Wier. To the parents of Mrs. Andrews were born nine children, who were named as follows: Nelson; Christy; a girl, unnamed; Louise; Mattie; Minnie; Emeline; Lyman, and Edward. Our subject and his wife have reared five children: Chester Darwin; Iva Rosetta; an infant, deceased; Frank Elisha, de- ceased; and Pearl Louise.
Mr. and Mrs. Andrews are both members in good standing of the M. E. Church of Woods- ville. Mr. Andrews is a Republican, politically ; socially, he is a member of Moosehillock Lodge, No. 25, I. O. O. F. His brother was a member of one of the volunteer companies called out during the Fenian raids. Mr. Andrews, himself, was a member of the volunteer militia for seven years in Quebec, and was called out for service in the quieting of the Orangemen troubles at Montreal; the troops were not needed, happily, for the troubles were settled peaceably. He has been a member of the Fire King Hose Co., of Woodsville for many years, and was foreman for the year 1896. Our subject received his full naturalization papers in 1892 entitling him to the full privileges of a citizen of the United States.
HIBBARD S. SLEEPER, a dealer in farm implements, living in North Haverhill, was born March 12, 1836, and is a son of Hiram and Sarah S. (Mason) Sleeper, and a grandson of Nathaniel and Susan (Levit) Sleeper. The father of Nath- aniel Sleeper was a Quaker, who emigrated from England. Nathaniel Sleeper spent his years in agricultural occupations, and was held in high respect by his acquaintances for his sterling worth.
Hiram Sleeper, our subject's father, was born in Meredith, N. H., Nov. 24, 1808, and departed this life in North Haverhill, July 31, 1895. He was a carpenter and plied his trade in Lowell, Mass., many years, also engaging in work in Concord and Franklin for some time. His re- tirement took place when he was seventy-five
years of age, making his home afterwards for the remainder of his days with his son in North Hav- erhill. He was a member of the M. E. Church, becoming a communicant at the age of fifteen years. In politics he was one of the first Free- Soilers in the State, and was very prominent in the Free Soil organization in the town of Mere- dith. Upon the birth of the Republican party Mr. Sleeper became an earnest advocate of its principles. He married Sarah S. Mason, daugh- ter of Francis and Comfort Mason, the former of Stratton and the latter of Ports- mouth, N. H. Mrs. Sleeper was born in Mere- dith, Sept. 18, 1809, and is still living in Nortlı Haverhill with her son, Hibbard S. Sleeper. She reared three children: Francis S., born March 13, 1833; Hibbard S .; and William H., born Aug. 18, 1841, and died in Lowell, Mass., Feb. 24, 1857.
Hibbard S. Sleeper attended the schools of New Hampton and North Haverhill, N. H., and the Academy of Newbury, Vt., until his eigh- teenth year. At that time his parents were resi- dents of Lowell, Mass., so he took advantage of the splendid opportunity to learn the machinist's trade in the factories of that town, and worked at his trade for five years. Subsequently he worked for the Boston & Lowell R. R. in the shops and on the road for two or three years. His next employment was as a dealer in produce, buying and shipping to Boston, Lawrence, and Lowell, Mass., Manchester, N. H., and occasion- ally to the cities of Rhode Island. For the last ten years Mr. Sleeper has sold farm implements through the towns of Bath, Haverhill, Piermont, and Benton.
His first marriage took place in 1860, when he was united to Ellen M. Kelsey, daughter of Or- lando and Miranda Kelsey of Lisbon, Grafton Co., N. H. One daughter, Nellie B., was the issue of this union; she married Thomas E. Blif- fin, a teacher of a class in drafting in Boston. On Christmas day, 1867, at Wells River, Mr. Sleeper was again united in marriage, this time to Elizabeth E. Watson, daughter of John H. and Caroline A. (Smith) Watson. Mrs. Sleeper is a member of the Baptist Church of Franklin, N. H. Our subject is a member of Grafton Lodge, No. 46, F. & A. M., of Haverhill. He is a Republican in national politics, and has served as tax collector of the town.
GEORGE F. PETTENGILL.
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BOOK OF BIOGRAPHIES, GRAFTON COUNTY.
GEORGE F. PETTENGILL, superintend- end of schools of the town of Enfield, and a farmer and teacher, was born in the above town Sept. 10, 1849. He is a son of Frederick and Nancy (Burnham) Pettengill, grandson of Zach- eus and Judith (Sanborn) Pettengill, and great- grandson of Matthew and Mary (Hall) Petten- gill.
Matthew Pettengill came from England with two brothers when about eighteen years old and settled at Salisbury, N. H., where he married and began life; after a number of years' residence there he came up to the southeast corner of the town of Enfield and took up 600 acres of land, which were granted him by King George. With his sons he began a clearing, felled the trees and cleared the land and sowed the field with grain; returning in the fall, they followed farming sev- eral seasons before he brought all of his family there and made a permanent home, being shel- tered at first in a rude structure built of logs, but later they lived in a house, which was very pretentious for those times and that locality. In his part of the county he laid out the roads which took the place of paths, whose location and direction were located by cuts on the sides of the trees. The barn on the farm, where our subject resides, was built by Matthew Pettengill over 100 years ago and is still doing excellently. To each of his sons he gave a good farm and helped them to build their farm buildings. He (lied about seventy years old, having been pre- ceded by his wife at an earlier date. His sons were: Zacheus, Carlton, Matthew, and Jonathan. Zacheus Pettengill was born in Salisbury, N. H., and helped his father clear their new farm in Enfield; he received 200 acres from his father, and built his farm-buildings near where A. J. Buswell lives, dying at the age of thirty-six of consumption; his wife lived to be eighty-two years old. Their children were: Benjamin S., Frederick, Eliza, Cynthia, Judith, and Hannah.
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