USA > New Hampshire > Colony, province, state, 1623-1888: history of New Hampshire > Part 18
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Religion and education received prompt attention, and in 1752 a vote was passed that a meeting house should be built "within five years from May next ensuing." The house was finished in 1767 and remained twenty-five years, when it was removed to make way for a more pretentious edifice. The first school- master who taught in Dunbarton was a Mr. Hogg - commonly called "Master Hogg." The first female teacher was Sarah Clement. With the facilities now afforded for mental culture, we can hardly conceive of a more disheartening task than the acquirement of an education under the adverse circumstances of the eighteenth century. In these schools very few of the scholars possessed text books, so the teacher gave out the pro- blems and the pupils were expected to return the answer with- out a repetition. The way must have been blind indeed, but their victories over the "hard sums " and difficult passages were conquests of which they were justly proud, and which fitted them to win even greater laurels in the contest for liberty.
For several years the nearest grist-mill was at Concord, to which the settlers carried their grists upon their backs in sun- mer, and in winter drew them upon hand sleds through a path marked by spotted trees. From the forest trees these hardy pioneers made mortars in which to render the corn fit for making samp, the use of which they had learned from the Indians. Among the impediments which the early settlers encountered in clearing and burning over the land were the "King's trees."
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These trees were marked by the King's surveyors for use in the royal navy, and any damage which occurred to them subjected the offender to a considerable fine. Notwithstanding the diffi- culties, hardships and privations which compassed them round about, these sturdy foresters seem to have lost none of their good courage, and that they were wont to enjoy themselves upon occasions, is manifest from the frequent occurrence of horse-races, while huskings, flax-breakings, apple-parings and house-raisings were joyful scenes to the people of those days. A few of their industrial pastimes are still in vogue. It was customary in olden times, at raisings and upon other occasions when people assembled in numbers, to assist voluntarily in per- forming tasks which required the strength of many, to keep up good cheer by trials of strength and gymnastic exercises. Among these pastimes wrestling matches were, perhaps, the most popular, and men who had distinguished themselves in this art were known to each other by reputation, although residing in distant towns. It was the habit of such notable individuals to travel many miles to try a fall at wrestling with other champions, although entire strangers. An anecdote ex- emplifies this species of wrestling, although the result was not, perhaps, satisfactory to the knight who came so far to obtain a fall. A person called at the house of John McNiel, of London- derry, in consequence of having heard of his strength and prowess. McNiel was absent, which circumstance the stranger regretted exceedingly -as he informed his wife, Christian, who enquired his business - since he had traveled many miles for no other purpose than to "throw him." " And troth, mon," said Christian McNiel, "Johnny is gone; but I'm not the woman to see ye disappointed, an' if ye'll try, mon, I'll throw ye meself." The stranger not liking to be bantered by a woman, accepted the challenge ; and sure enough, Christian tripped his heels and threw him to the ground. The stranger upon getting up thought he would not wait for "Johnny," but disappeared without leaving his name.
Derryfield was incorporated in 1751.
Four towns were incorporated in south western New Hamp-
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shire in 1752. Of these Winchester, granted by Massachusetts as Arlington, had been settled a score of years. During the Indian war all the houses of the settlement were destroyed, and the people took refuge in a garrison-house.
Walpole, formerly Great Falls, was settled in 1749, by Colonel Benjamin Bellows and associates, to whom the charter was issued. In 1755, at the head of twenty men, Colonel Bellows cut his way through a large force of Indians, and entered the fort from which the party had been absent on a scout.
Chesterfield was not settled until some nine years after its charter was granted.
Richmond was settled within five or six years after its charter was granted.
The Gregorian rule was early adopted in most Catholic coun- tries, and also in many that were Protestant. Scotland made the change in 1600. But many Protestant countries hesitated, not wishing to follow the Roman church too nearly, even when they knew she was right. But in 1751, an act of Parliament was passed providing that in 1752 the change should be made ; and eleven days were accordingly dropped from the calendar to make it agree with the Gregorian rule. This act also became the law of the colonies in America. This was the great change in this country and in England, from the old to the new style.
Pope Gregory XIII ruled from 1572 to 1585. He was born at Bologna, February 7, 1502, and was known as Hugo Buon- compagni. He was first a lawyer, then a priest, and finally Pope of Rome. He was a man of enlarged and liberal views, great energy and zeal, and very remarkable ability. Among his other distinctions was that of the correction of the Julian calen- dar, and the promulgation of that known by his name, the Gregorian Calendar.
Pope Gregory XIII ordered that ten days be suppressed from the calendar, so that the 11th should be the 21st of the monthi. This was done by making the 5th of October, 1582, the 15th, which would bring the equinox on the same day on which it fell in the year 325, when the first Council of Nice was held.
Up to the year 1600, the difference between the old style and
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the new was ten days; but the year 1600 being a leap year, under both systems, the difference continued to be ten days only to the year 1700, which would have been a leap year by the old or Julian, but was not so by the new or Gregorian rule. This made the difference eleven days after that year up to the year 1800. Since the year 1800 another day is to be added to the difference between the old style and the new, making twelve days now, and after the year 1900 the difference will be thirteen days.
But the change was more than this. Up to this time, since the twelfth century, as we have seen, the year commenced in England on the 25th of March, and the same was true in the Provinces. This act of 1751 provided, also, that beginning with 1752, the year should begin with January. It was customary to write dates that occurred prior to 1752, between January I and March 25, so as to indicate the year by both the old style and the new -as, January 20th, 1740-1. This date by the old style would be in the latter part of 1740; but by the new, the same date would be early in the year 1741. This would only show the difference in the year, but not in the day of the month.
Russia is said to be the only Christian nation that has not adopted the Gregorian calendar. A person in Russia, writing to a person in France or England, or other country having adopted the new style, would date their letter April 1, or June 27, 1883, which shows the difference in the day of the month between the old style and the new. 1
Hinsdale was incorporated in 1753. Before the southern boundary line of the province was determined it formed a part of Northfield, Massachusetts, which was granted and settled as early as 1683 ; and it included the town of Vernon, Vermont, until the erection of the Hampshire grants into a State. It was known as Fort Dummar for many years. The inhabitants suffered severely from the Indians in 1746, 1747, and 1748, and again in 1755, losing many of their number.
During the year Keene and Swanzey, Upper and Lower
II. E. Sargeant.
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Ashuelot, were incorporated, as also were Charlestown, Number Four, and Westmoreland, Number Two, or Great Meadow. Keene had been settled as early as 1734; two years later a meeting house was built. In 1745 the town was attacked by Indians ; and the next year the inhabitants, who had taken refuge in the fort, beheld their houses and church burnt, while they defended themselves within its walls. In 1747 the settle- ment was abandoned and was not occupied again until 1753. In 1755 the town was again inflicted by an Indian attack.
Swanzey was settled at about the same time as Keene, and suffered so much from Indian depredations from 1741 to 1747 that the inhabitants abandoned their settlement and returned to Massachusetts. Many of them returned about three years later and soon afterward were incorporated.
Charlestown, Number Four, was settled by Massachusetts people soon after its grant was made and a fort was built in 1743. The town suffered much loss from Indians in 1746, and the next year the place was abandoned by the inhabitants, but a garrison was stationed at the fort to protect the frontiers. The charter was granted to the original settlers, who had returned to their deserted homes in the meanwhile.
Westmoreland was first settled in 1741, and underwent the usual hardship of the Indian war, which soon followed ; but the mischief done was of no great magnitude.
1 While the trial of the Bow case was going on, a warrant was issued by the government of New Hampshire, May 30, 1753, for raising an assessment of sixty pounds on all polls and estates ratable by law within the township of Bow ; and another warrant, July 26, 1753, for raising thirty-one pounds four shillings, to be collected and paid in on or before the 25th of December next ensuing. The persons on whom these taxes were to be assessed were, with perhaps three or four excep- tions, inhabitants of Rumford.
Up to this time a town meeting had never been held by the inhabitants of Bow proper ; and on the 30th of June, 1753, a special act was passed, appointing Daniel Pierce, Esq., to warn
I Rev. Dr. N. Bouton's History of Concord.
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and call a meeting of the inhabitants of Bow - the preamble to said act setting forth that the "inhabitants had never held a meeting as a town." The meeting was accordingly notified and held July 25, 1753. But unexpected difficulties were here encountered.
The selectmen reported to the governor : "Though we are ready ( and that with cheerfulness ) to obey every order of government, yet that we are at a loss as to the boundaries of said Bow, and consequently do not know who the inhabitants are that we are to assess said sums upon. That the proprietors of Bow, in running out the bounds of said town, have, as we conceive, altered their bounds several times ; and further, that one of those gentlemen that purchased Captain Tufton Mason's right to the lands in said Province, has given it as his opinion that said proprietors have not as yet run out the bounds of said town agreeable to their charter, but that their southeast side line should be carried up about three quarters of a mile further toward the northwest ; and there is lately ( by his order ) a fence erected along some miles near about said place, designed ( as we suppose ) as a division fence between said Bow and land yet claimed by said purchasers.
" And that, on the other hand, the inhabitants of Pennycook, formerly erected into a district by a special act of the General Assembly of this Province ( though they object nothing against submitting to order of government) refuse to give us an invoice of their estates ( that is, such of them as we have asked for the same ), alleging that they do not lay in Bow, and that this said Assembly did as good as declare in said district act."
The next step, February 12, 1753, on the part of the inhabi- tants of Rumford, was to appoint Rev. Timothy Walker and Benjamin Rolfe, Esq., to represent "to the King's most Excellent Majesty in Council, the manifold grievances they labored under, by reason of the law suits commenced against them by the proprietors of Bow, and by being for several years past deprived of all corporation privileges :" in August follow- ing, a petition was preferred to the Massachusetts government, representing their grievances and asking " such relief as in their
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great wisdom they should see fit to grant." In answer to which latter petition one hundred pounds were granted.
Deputed as an agent for the proprietors of Rumford, Rev. Mr. Walker sailed for England in the fall of 1753, and pre- sented "to the King's most Excellent Majesty in Council," a petition, drawn up, as appears, by himself, from which extracts are taken and which "most humbly sheweth -
"That the lands contained in said town of Rumford were granted by the government of the Province of the Massachu- setts Bay, in the year 1725, and were supposed, according to. the construction of the Massachusetts Charter and the deter- mination of his Majesty King Charles the Second, in 1677, to lay wholly within the said Province, though bounded on New Hampshire, seeing no part of said lands extended more than three miles from the river Merrimack towards New Hampshire. Your petitioners and their predecessors very soon engaged in bringing forward the settlement of the above granted lands, though in the midst of the Indian country, and near thirty miles beyond any English plantation, and have defended them- selves more at their own cost than at the charge of the public, through the late war with ye French and Indians ; and from a perfect wilderness, where not one acre of land had ever been improved, they had made a considerable town, consisting of more than eighty houses, and as many good farms ; and your humble petitioner, Timothy Walker, was regularly ordained the minister of the church and parish in said town in the year 1730, and has continued there ever since.
"Your petitioners beg leave further to represent to your Majesty, that at the time of the aforesaid grant they had no apprehension that their bounds would ever be controverted by the Province of New Hampshire ; but it has so happened that by your Majesty's late determination of ye boundary line between ye two Provinces, the whole of the aforesaid township falls within the province of New Hampshire. Soon after the aforesaid determination, your petitioners made their humble application to your Majesty in Council, that they might be restored to your Province of the Massachusetts Bay, which
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your Majesty was pleased to disallow ; but your humble petitioners have dutifully submitted to the government of your Majesty's Province of New Hampshire ever since they have been under it, and with so much the greater cheerfulness because they were well informed your Majesty had been graciously pleased to declare that however the jurisdiction of the two governments might be altered, yet that the private property should not be affected thereby.
" But notwithstanding this your Majesty's most gracious declaration your poor petitioners have for several years past been grievously harassed by divers persons under color of a grant made by the government and council of New Hampshire in the year 1727, to sundry persons and their successors, now called the Proprietors of Bow.
" Your petitioners further humbly represent, that the said grant of Bow was not only posterior to that of Rumford, but is likewise extremely vague and uncertain as to its bounds, and its being very doubtful whether it was the intent of the governor and council of New Hampshire that it should infringe upon the Massachusetts grant of Rumford; and notwithstanding the grant of Bow has now been made so many years, there are but three or four families settled upon it, and those since the end of the late French war; the proprietors choosing rather to distress your petitioners by forcing them out of the valuable improvements they and their predecessors have made at the expense of their blood and treasure, than to be at the charge of making any themselves. But your petitioners' greatest mis- fortune is, that they cannot have a fair, impartial trial, for that the governor and most of ye council are proprietors of Bow, and by them not only ye judges are appointed, but also ye officers that impanels ye jury, and the people also are generally disaffected to your petitioners on account of their deriving their titles from the Massachusetts ; and all the actions that have hitherto been brought are of so small value, and, as your petitioners apprehend, designed so that by a law of the Province there can be no appeal from the judgments of the courts to your Majesty in council ; and if it were otherwise the
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charges that would attend such appeals would be greater than the value of the land, or than the party defending his title would be able to pay ; and without your Majesty's gracious interposition your petitioners must be compelled to give up their estates, contrary to your Majesty's favorable interposition in their behalf.
" Your petitioners further beg leave humbly to represent, that, while they were under the government of Massachusetts Bay, they enjoyed town privileges by an act specially made for that purpose in the year 1733, and expressly approved by your Majesty in the year 1737; but the utmost they could obtain since their being under New Hampshire has been erecting them into a district for a short term only ; which term having expired near four years ago, they have been without any town privileges ever since, notwithstanding their repeated applications to the governor and council; and they are not able to raise any moneys for the support of their minister, and the necessary charges of their school and poor, and other purposes ; nor have they had any town officers for the upholding government and order, as all other towns in both the Provinces of New Hamp- shire and the Massachusetts Bay usually have. Under these our distresses we make our most humble application to your Majesty."
While in England the first time Mr. Walker succeeded, so far as to obtain a hearing of the case before his Majesty, which should take place the ensuing winter. He engaged Sir William Murray, afterward Lord Chief Justice Mansfield, as his counsellor and advocate, with whom, it is said, he formed a particular acquaintance. But it was necessary for him to go again. Accordingly, in October, 1754, Benjamin Rolfe, Esq., presented a petition to the General Court of Massachusetts, in which he acknowledged the receipt of one hundred pounds sterling the previous year, and asked for still further aid.
While the proprietors of Rumford sought pecuniary aid from the government of Massachusetts, the proprietors of Bow also applied for the same purpose to that of New Hampshire, and obtained a grant of one hundred pounds to aid them in carrying on the suit.
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After the exploration of Field and others it was more than a century before we again hear of white men within the limits in Coos County. The English were pushing their settlements up the valleys of the Connecticut and the Merrimack, trappers penetrated the wilderness far above the settlements, and they often met the Indians on these hunting excursions and evidently were on friendly terms with them. But the French as well as the Indians were becoming jealous of the extension northward of the English settlements. As the English contemplated laying
WHITE MOUNTAIN SCENE.
out two towns in the spring of 1752, which should embrace the Coos meadows, the Indians remonstrated and threatened. It is probable, however, that their threats were not known to all the settlers, for four young men from Londonderry were hunting on Baker's River, in Rumney ; two of these, John Stark and Amos Eastman, were surprised and captured by the Indians,
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April 28, 1752. They were taken to Coos, near where Haver- hill now is, and where two of the Indians had been left to kill game against their return. The next day they proceeded to the upper Coos, the intervales in the south-west part of Coos County, from which place they sent Eastman with three of their number to St. Francis. The rest of the party spent some time in hunting on the streams that flow into the Connecticut,
SCENE IN COOS COUNTY.
and they reached the St. Francis June 9, when Stark joined his companion, Eastman, but they were both soon after ran- somed and they returned to their homes. From this and other circumstances, it is altogether probable that John Stark, after- wards so famous in American history, was the first white man who ever saw the broad intervales of the Upper Coos.
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Notwithstanding the threatening attitude of the French and Indians a company was organized in the spring, 1753, to survey or lay out a road from Stevenstown (Franklin) to the Coos meadows. Captain Lacheus Lovewell was commander, Caleb Page surveyor, and John Stark guide. There has been much speculation in regard to the organization and object of Captain Lovewell's company, but in the account here given I have followed Mr. C. E. Potter.
The best known of all the expeditions to the Coos County was that of Captain Peter Powers. They commenced their tour Saturday, June 15, 1754. Starting from Concord, they followed the Merrimack River to Franklin, the Pemigewasset River to Plymouth, Baker's River to Wentworth, and then they crossed over on to the Connecticut via Baker's Pond. They were ten days in reaching "Moose Meadows," which were in Piermont, and on June 3 they came to what is now John's River, in Dalton ; this they called Stark's River. They went as far north as Israel's River, named by them Power's River, in Lancaster, when they concluded to go no farther with a full scout, but Captain Powers and two of his men went five miles further up the Connecticut, probably as far as Northumberland, where they found that the Indians had a large camping place, which they had left not more than a day or two before. On July 2 they broke up their camp on Israel River and began their march homeward. The knowledge we have of this expe- dition is derived chiefly from a journal of Captain Powers, in the Historical Sketches of Coos County by Rev. Grant Powers. The journal of Captain Powers is fragmentary and meagre, and the comments made by the author of the sketches have not given us any additional light, but have rather added obscurity to the original narrative.
Grant Powers says that the object of the expedition was dis- covery ; but if Captain Powers' company was the one referred to by Governor Wentworth in a message of May 4, 1754, and in one of Dec. 5, 1754, they certainly went to see if the French were building a fort in the Upper Coos. As this was the only expedition fitted out during the year that went in this direction,
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it is quite certain that this is the one to which the message referred. But it is something to be able to say that Captain Peter Powers, with his command, was the first body of English- speaking people who camped on the broad intervales of Coos County.1
Somersworth was set off from Dover in 1754.
2 During the French and Indian wars small bodies of soldiers were often employed to " watch and ward " the frontiers, and protect their defenceless communities from the barbarous assaults of Indians, turned upon them from St. Francis and Crown Point. Robert Rogers had in him just the stuff required in such a soldier. We shall not, therefore, be surprised to find him on scouting duty in the Merrimack Valley, under Captain Ladd, as early as 1746, when he was but nineteen years of age ; and, three years later, engaged in the same service, under Captain Ebenezer Eastman, of Pennycook. Six years afterwards, in 1753, the mus- ter rolls show him to have been a member of Captain John Goff's company, and doing like service. Such was the training of a self-reliant mind and a hardy physique for the ranging service, in which they were soon to be employed.
In 1749, as Londonderry became filled to overflowing with re- peated immigrations from the North of Ireland, James Rogers, the father of Robert, a proprietor, and one of the early settlers of the township, removed therefrom to the woods of Dunbarton, and settled anew in a section named Montelony, from an Irish place in which he had once lived. This was before the settle- ment of the township, when its territory existed as an unsepa- rated part only of the domain. He may, quite likely, have been attracted hither by an extensive beaver meadow or pond, which would, with a little improvement, afford grass for his cattle, while he was engaged in clearing the rich uplands which sur- rounded it.
Six years only after his removal (1755), he was unintention- ally shot by a neighbor whom he was going to visit ; the latter mistaking him for a bear, as he indistinctly saw him passing through the woods.
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