USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Gazetteer of Cheshire County, N.H., 1736-1885 > Part 41
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96
342
TOWN OF NELSON.
Henry D. Holmes's chair-stock and cider-mill, located on road 17, near the center of the town, came into his possession in 1883. He manufactures a large amount of chair-stock and cider, and also does a great deal of threshing in the season, and also has facilities for manufacturing one hundred and twenty-five gross of clothes-pins per day.
John H. Osgood's saw-mill, on road 7, is located just north of Nelson vil- lage.
Frank B. Hardy's saw and shingle-mill is located on road 4, on the out- let of Munsonville pond. Asa Stone first utilized this site for a mill about sixty years ago.
Henry D. Taylor's saw-mill is located on road 15, upon a sight first utilized at a very early date.
On the 6th of October, 1761, a meeting of the grantees was held at the house of Robert McClandenen, in Londonderry, N. H., at which Thomas Packer was chosen moderator, and Thomas Packer, Jr., clerk of the proprie- tors. At this meeting it was voted, among other things, that the township be divided into quarters, by lines running through the center, that the quarters be numbered, and that ten acres be laid out near the center of the town for the purpose of building a meeting-house, and for other public uses. On the 19th of October, 1763, Breed Batchelder, then of Brookfield, Mass., received a deed from Jonathan Blanchard, of Dunstable, N. H., of 2,135 acres of land in the southwest quarter of the town. The consideration named in the deed was sixty pounds sterling, and the deed was recorded in New Hampshire records in May, 1765. Mr. Batchelder afterwards became the first permanent settler in the town, and his homestead was the place now owned and occupied by Gil- man Nims, of Roxbury, which was a part of this tract of land purchased of Blanchard He was born in Beverly, Mass., in 1740. His father, John Batchelder, afterwards removed to Brookfield, where he died, leaving consid- erable property, and by administration papers it appears that Breed settled his estate about the year 1763. In 1758, at the age of eighteen, young Batch- elder was in the army under General Abercrombie, in the expedition against Ticonderoga, where he kept a journal, which is still preserved. Possessed of a great deal of energy, of character and perseverance, and having served in the army, and had some intercourse with the world, he acquired an education superior to that generally obtained by the young men of his time. In 1762 we find him a surveyor of land, as appears by his minutes, which testify to the intelligence and capacity of the young pioneer. In 1764 he appears, by deeds, to have been a resident of Keene, and by tradition of his descendants, we learn that he came to Nims's in Keene,-the nearest settler to his land- (where Brigham Nims now lives, in Roxbury), and boarded for a time while he was clearing his land and preparing a home on his own premises. On the IIth day of March, 1766, Breed Batchelder married Ruth Davis, of Rutland, Mass., and was published as belonging to Keene, at that time. The same year he built a large and heavily-timbered barn on his homestead, which is
343
TOWN OF NELSON.
still standing, and was, without doubt, the first framed barn built in town. A house had previously been built on the place, on the opposite side of the road from that now occupied by Gilman Nims, (where his sugar-house now stands), and there is a tradition in the neighborhood that another man liad been on Batchelder's place and built a cabin, and that he suddenly disappeared, leav- ing all of his effects, which were taken possession of by Batchelder, except one hammer, the iron handle of which is still in the possession of Brigham Nims, of Roxbury, with whose ancestors it was left. Many of Mr. Batchel- der's papers have been preserved, and among them is found the indenture by which, on the 27th of June, 1767, "Josiah Billings, of Monadnock No. 6," bound out his son, Ebenezer Billings, as an apprentice to "Breed Batchelder, gentleman." By the town records it appears that Batchelder was afterwards paid for labor on the highway in June, 1767, and from the record of births, we find that his daughter, Betsey Batchelder, was born in this town on the 24th of August, 1767, and was the first child born in town. The Gazetteers state that the town was first settled in 1767 ; but, from the facts and circum- stances above stated, it is altogether probable that Batchelder settled in 1766, and others came about the same time. Those who appear to have been here in 1767, were Josiah Billings, who lived near Batchelder ; Joseph Stanhope, (a half-breed Indian), and Abraham Griffiths, who lived in the northeast quarter, Dr. Nathaniel Breed, who settled where John Osgood now lives, Abijah Brown, who lived where the old orchard is, above the lead mine, east of Mr. Osgood's, and James Bancroft, who settled in the south part of the town, on the hill north of the late homestead of Joel Bancroft. Dr. Breed was probably the first permanent settler within the present limits of the town, He was a regularly educated physician,-had practiced medicine in Eastham, on Cape Cod, and afterwards at Sudbury, Mass., from which place he came to this town. He brought his family here in 1768, and soon after removed to the south part of the town, to the place now owned and occupied by Welling- ton Seaver. He built a mill directly east of the house-one of the first in town-and from him "Breed pond" derived its name.
As early as 1771 several families had taken up their residence within the township, in addition to those already mentioned. Samuel Cook, Beriah Wetmore, Thomas Upham, and John Stroud, had settled in the eastern and northeastern part, John Farwell where Darius Farwell now lives in Harrisville, Richard Farwell, Derby place, and John Frink, John LeBourveau and John Proutee, and probably several others, were somewhere in town, but the par- ticular location of each is not known.
On the 5th of February, 1772, a meeting of the proprietors of Monadnock No. 6, was held at the house of "Ensign Breed Batchelder, Innholder in said town," and was the first town meeting held in town. The meeting had been legally called by Thomas Frink, Esq., of Keene, a justice of the peace, upon a petition signed by Breed Batchelder, John Frink, and Nathaniel Breed, and the warrant was published three weeks in the New Hampshire Gazette, in
344
TOWN OF NELSON.
January, 1772. Thomas Fink was chosen moderator. A vote was passed dismissing the proprietor's clerk-Thomas Packer, Jr.,-and Breed Batchel- der was chosen in his place. Breed Batchelder's account for surveying the town and making the plans, amounting to thirty-two pounds nine shillings, was accepted and allowed. Breed Batchelder, Abijah Brown and Thomas Upham were chosen a committee to settle the town lines with all the towns adjoining. A tax of six shillings on each settling share was raised for defray- ing proprietor's charges, and twelve shillings for the use of highways. Abijah Brown was chosen collector. It was also voted to clear four acres on the ten acres reserved for public use, and build a "duty meeting-house." On the 2 Ist of April, another meeting was held at the same place, at which John Le- Bourveau was chosen moderator, and Nathaniel Breed, Breed Batchelder, and John LeBourveau, assessors. Breed Batchelder was chosen highway sur- veyor for the west half of the town, Beriah Wetmore for the southeast quar- ter, and John Proutee for the northeast quarter.
From the records of births in the town books, it appears that Abigail Breed, daughter of Dr. Nathaniel Breed, was born on the 16th of June, of that year, and was the first person baptized in town. The ceremony was performed in October following, by Rev. Stephen Farrar, of New Ipswich.
On the 8th of June, 1770, Thomas Packer Batchelder, son of Breed Batch- elder, was born, and was presented with a lot of land, by Thomas Packer, for being the first male child born in town, and also with another lot for receiv- ing the name of the donor.
Probably the first highway in town laid out and built by authority, was the one leading from Keene to the center of the town, passing Batchelder's house, as Batchelder was one of the committee in 1767 to lay out highways, and was paid for work on the highway in that year and those following. But the first of which we have any record is the one described as leading " From Dublin line near Mr. Wood's mill to the meeting house," and is identical with the old road from the outlet of Breed pond, running by the Derby, Chase and Seaver places to Nelson Center, excepting that opposite N. W. Hardy's it turned up the hill, and ran directly over the top of the hill northwest of his house, passing down on the other side probably to the west of the buildings on the "Newell place." It was laid out in July, 1773, by Nathaniel Breed, and Aaron Beal, proprietor's committee.
Samuel Griffin, Esq., was the first of the name to settle in Nelson, then called Packersfield. He was the son of Samuel Griffin, Esq., of Bradford, Mass., and a descendant of one of two brothers, who came from Wales about two hundred and fifty years ago. History states that young Samuel enlisted as a " minute man " from Temple, N. H., in 1775, and was in Reed's regi- ment at the battle of Bunker Hill. His name first appears in the town re- cords of Packersfield in 1779, and those records show that, besides being a deacon in the church, he held all the important offices, being selectman and town clerk at the same time. He represented not only Parkersfield in the
I. H. Melville
345
TOWN OF NELSON.
legislature, but Stoddard also, when those towns were classed together, while for some years all marriages in town are recorded as having been solemnized by him. He married Sophia, daughter of Rev. Jacob Foster, the first settled minister in town, and had three sons, one of whom died in infancy, and eight daughters. He died January 21, 1811, aged fifty-five years. Samuel Grif- fin, Jr., was the eldest son of Samuel Griffin, Esq., hence his name, which had been borne by the eldest son for many generations. He was born May 30, 1784, married Silence Goodenow, and was prominent in town affairs both in Nelson and Roxbury. He rose to the rank of major-general in the state militia, acquired a competence, and died childless at the age of eighty-three. Nathan Griffin, second son of Samuel Griffin, Esq., was born November 25, 1785. He was active in educational and religious matters, as well as town affairs, was a noted teacher, and held important offices in the town. He married Sally, daughter of Nehemiah Wright, a soldier at the battle of Bunker Hill. They reared three sons and four daughters. He died at the age of eighty-seven. His wife died in 1881, aged ninety-four. Samuel Griffin, son of Nathan, went to Wisconsin and died there, leaving one son, Alvaro N. Gilman, son of Nathan, married Harriet, daughter of Col. Rufus Atwood, was a man of ability and a deacon in the church, like his ancestors. He had the honors and labors of town offices heaped upon him, and was very active in the cause of common schools. He died at the age of forty-two.
Archelaus Wilson, a farmer, came from New Ipswich and settled in Pack- ersfield, now Nelson, about the time he was married, in 1777 or 1778 His wife was Sarah Morse, of Shrewsbury, Mass. He settled about a mile and a half northwest of where Nelson Center now is. Capt. Asa, the eldest son, inherited his father's farm, but devoted his time largely to the carpenter's trade and to sawing lumber. He lived to be over ninety years old, and reared a f : mily of six children-five sons and one daughter. He died in 1869, hav- ing been selectman and captain of the militia. His eldest son, Asa E., learned the tanner's trade, and, in 1825, went to Massachusetts where he remained ten years. He afterward lived in Antrim and in Sullivan, N. H., where he carried on the tanning business over twenty years, during which time he brought up four children. He represented the town two years and was a deacon in the Congregational church over forty years. His first wife was Almira Breed, granddaughter of the first settler of Packersfield. His second wife was Elizabeth Hunt.
John Atwood came from England, served in the Revolutionary war, and was one of the first settlers in town. He had two sons, Philip and Josiah, and one daughter, who married a Mr. Griffin. Josiah served in the war of 1812, married twice, first, Huldah - -, who bore him three sons and three daughters, and second, Lydia White. The sons lived in New Hampshire and the daughters married and went to Vermont. Philip Atwood occupied the old homestead upon which his grandfather settled. He married Eunice Farwell a d brought up eleven children,-five daughters and six sons, of
346
TOWN OF NELSON.
whom Varanes C. is the eldest. He and his brother Milan W. served in the war of the Rebellion, where the latter died. Varanes C. carried on the tailoring business in Nelson many years. Winslow W. is a farmer, and Oriel P. is a carpenter in Greenfield, Mass. Maria T. married Amos Blanchard, of Greenfield, Mass., and Lydia A. married Nelson Robbins, and is now a widow residing in Nelson. Samantha A. married William Robb and resides in East Sullivan.
Philip Atwood, a soldier of the Revolution, was born in Woburn, Mass., January 4, 1756. He married Ruth Gates, of Bolton, Mass., and came to Packersfield where eight children were born to them. He died in 1841. The names of his sons were Silas, who died in Sullivan, N. H., John, who went to New York, and Rufus. The latter was twice married, and his sons, who lived to manhood, were Silas, George W., and Rufus G. He was a colonel in the state militia, a teacher of some note, and a man of very up- right character. He moved to Nashua, N. H., where he died. His son, George W., a young man of much promise, also died there. Silas, son of Rufus, lived for many years in Harrisville, and married a daughter of Hon. Milan Harris of that place. He also lived some years in Woonsocket, R. I., where he was a deacon of the church to which he belonged ; but his health failing, he returned to Harrisville, where he died. Rufus G. lived in Nashua and in Nelson for some years, where he was engaged in the wooden-ware business. He moved to Keene where he enlisted in the N. H. Vols., and where he died in 1864, of consumption. His two sons, Charles and Don F., are all the male representatives of Philip Atwood's family now living, except- ing a son of John Atwood, who lives in Winsconsin.
Josiah Whitney, the first of the family who came to this town, located in Packersfield among the earliest settlers. His father was a general in the Revolution.
John and Nathaniel Osgood came here from Andover, Mass., the former about 1791 or 1792, and the latter a little later. John was a blacksmith, and had his shop on road 8, about half a mile from the present village. He married twice, first, Lydia Heath, in May, 1792, and second, Betsey Rice, in October, 1802. He brought up three sons, John, Josiah and Horatio, the last two re- maining in Nelson as farmers. Josiah married Hannah M. Rice, and brought up two sons of a family of four. He represented Nelson two years in the New Hampshire legislature, and died April 3, 1869. His eldest son, Dau- phin W., a graduate of New York university, became a physician and a mis- sionary to Foochow, China, where he died August 5, 1880, leaving a wife and four children. J. H. Osgood, the second, is a blacksmith, farmer and lum- ber manufacturer in Nelson. He married Delia, daughter of George Hardy, has three children, has filled most of the local offices, and is the present town treasurer. Horatio Osgood married Hannah Dinsmore, of Sutton, Vt., who bore him three children. He lived in Nelson until 1870, when he moved to Hancock, where he died in 1882, and where his widow and daughter Lydia
347
TOWN OF NELSON.
now reside. He was chosen to all the offices in the gift of the town. His son John, resides in Weare, Mass. Nathaniel married Abigail Wilson, of Temple, N. H., in 1801, and their eldest son, Samuel, was born in 1803. Nathaniel was deacon of the Nelson Congregational church from 1829. to his death in 1852. He reared a family of four children, two of whom were sons, Samuel and Orlando. They spent their lives on the old homestead where A. Davis now lives. The former brought up four children of seven born, was selectman, and died November 1, 1865. George W., the only one now living, served in the civil war and was mustered out as a lieutenant. He was super- intendent of schools three years, justice of the peace ten years, and is reckoned among those worthy of a place among the "poets of New Hampshire." He has twice married, first, Roxana B. Pierce, second, Nancy L. Tolman, and four of his six children are now living.
Willard Jewett was born in the house which Charles Tarbox now occupies, on road 5. His father, Isaac, who was born in Hollis, N. H., July 5, 1763, was one of the earliest settlers here, having for his guide, when he moved, only a few marked trees. He cleared a little ground and lived alone all one summer, but went after his wife in the fall. He had a family of ten children, four of whom are now living. Axa married Samuel Parker, is now a widow and resides at Peterboro, N. H. Anna (Mrs. Anna Dodge), is a widow, and lives in Randolph, Ohio. Harvey is in Rock River, Illinois, and Willard, who is seventy-eight years old, resides here on road 13. He has always lived here except four or five years when he resided in Boscawen, N. H., is a far- mer, and has been selectman several years. He married twice, first, Elvira Blodgett, of Nelson, who bore him two children, both of whom are dead, and second, Mary Kittredge, by whom he had eight children, only two of whom are living. Frank K. is a farmer, and was born on the farm where he now lives. He has held every town office, having been selectman seven years, and town clerk the same length of time. He represented Nelson and Rox- bury in the legislature in 1881 and 1882, has been justice of the peace eight years, and has settled a great many estates, his judgment being greatly val- ued. He married Louise M. Stacy, of Gill, Mass., and has had four chil- dren, two of whom are living and at home. Charles Jewett, son of Willard, lives in Sullivan, N. H.
Josiah Melville, the first of the family in Cheshire county, came from Con- cord, Mass., previous to 1792, with his wife, Sarah (Minot), to whom he was married January 28, 1790. His name was originally Melvin, but was changed by legislation, at his request, June 15, 1811. He was a soldier in the Revolution and was one of the guards at the execution of Major Andre. He had a family of three sons and one daughter, was engaged in trade, and was probably one of the first merchants in Packersfield. His store was lo- cated on the brow of the hill, just south of the present village. He also manufactured potash. He died January 8, 1818, aged fifty-nine years. His youngest son, Henry succeed him as a merchant and carried on the business
348
TOWN OF NELSON.
until his death, in April, 1838, which was occasioned by the premature dis- charge of a blast in a rock near his house. His age was forty-three. He was justice of the peace, and the second postmaster of the town, the first having been his uncle by marriage, Dr. Simon Goodell. He was also town representative and president of the Manufacturers bank, of New Ipswich. He was an efficient promoter of social and religious enterprises, and at the time of his death was connected with the woolen manufacturing at Harris- ville. His wife was Lydia, daughter of Josiah Whitney, who had twelve children, Lydia being next to the youngest. She was born July 6, 1795, and bore five children, of whom Josiah H., is the only one living. Sarah M., the eldest, married Dr. Leonard French, bore one son, Leonard, who is a physi- cian with his father, in Manchester. After the death of Sarah, Doctor French married her sister, Anna M., who bore him one son, Henry M., who is now a phsician in Concord, N. H. Caroline L., the third child, married F. W. Wright, of Ashby, Mass., and had two sons, one of whom died in his youth, and the other, F. D., is a farmer in that town. Mary J. Melville, the youngest, married Rev. Samuel H. Tolman, and had two children, one of whom, Mary M., resides in Manchester. Josiah H., the second child, and only son of Henry, has spent his life in his native town and upon the same farm where his grandfather located and had his store. He married, Oc- tober 15, 1857, Nancy R., daughter of Thomas D. Nesmith, of Antrim, who bore him three children, Henry, Arthur N. and Caroline L. Josiah H. rep- resented the town in 1865 and 1866, and was a member of the constitutional convention of 1876. This son Henry graduated from Dartmouth college in 1879, and from Harvard Law school in 1884, he being the orator of his class. He is now a lawyer in New York city. Arthur N. died at the age of twenty-one. Caroline L. is a student at Cushing academy.
Benjamin Rice was born in Rutland, Vt., where he married Betsey Oliver, who bore him six children. With this family he came, in 1814, to Nelson, where he had three more children born to him. He spent the last years of his life in Roxbury, where he died, in 1834, aged seventy. His wife died April 3, 1858, at the age of eighty years. Mrs. Hannah M. Osgood, of Nel- son, Mrs. Eliza Davis, of Keene, mother of Almon A. Davis, of Roxbury, Mrs. Mehitable Lovell, of Marlboro, and Mis. Lucy Buckminster, of Waltham, Mass., all widows, are daughters of Benjamin Rice.
John Greene was a German from the province of Hesse, was impressed into the service at the age of fourteen, and served under the English colonel, Baum, at the battle of Bennington, during the Revolution. He was confined in the old church at Bennington with other prisoners, and after his release came to New Hampshire and settled in the town of Stoddard. He made a clearing in the southwestern part and had a farm of 150 acres He was twice married and had three sons and three daughters. Samuel, born in 1793, lived on the homestead, married Mary Ball, a native of Shutes- bury, Mass., and brought up five sons and one daughter, viz .: Nancy (Mrs.
349
TOWN OF NELSON.
William Loomis), of Ackworth ; Alonzo, a chair dealer of Keene; Alden, a chair manufacturer of Norfolk, Conn .; Silas B., located in Cold River, a grain dealer and station agent, and Sidney A., of Munsonville, a merchant and postmaster. Samuel C. Green died in 1869, aged seventy-six. His brother, John, Jr., settled in Deerfied, N. Y., where his daughter now lives. Amos went to Lowell, Mass., where two daughters now live and where four sons were born. Two of the daughters of John, Sr., Betsey and Mary, mar- ried two brothers by the naine of Henshaw. Mary has one son, Albert, a tanner in Keene. Betsey had one son and three daughters born in Massa- chusetts. Anna, the third daughter of John, Sr., married Jesse Pike, of Stoddard, moved to Marlow and had one son and four daughters. The son lives in Cambridge, Mass., and the daughters are Mrs. Luman Weeks, Mrs. Harvey Fisher, of Keene, and Mrs. Elisha Buss, of Marlow.
Asa Spaulding was born in Hancock, N. H., May 11, 1796, and about 1820 he came to Nelson and worked a tannery for Col. Asaph Harrington one or two years. He then bought the tannery and carried on the business until 1857, when he left and occupied his time in farming. He married Betsey W. Whitney, of this town, who was born here January 4, 1800, and had a family of five children, two sons and three daughters. His daughters are dead, but his sons, Sylvester M. and Alfred, are living. They both r side in Keene, the former having a boot and shoe store there, and the latter a fancy goods and notion store. Asa Spaulding was captain of a militia company there, and was known as Captain Asa. He was a member of the orthodox church, and took great interest in church matters. He was much esteemed and highly respected by all who knew him. He died December 6, 1869, and his wife died in March, 1869.
Noah W. Hardy is a descendant of an early one of their family, who at one time had charge of the port of Boston, and who married a native of one of the adjacent Indian tribes. Noah W.'s grandfather served in the Revolution, and was doing guard duty at the time of the capture of Maj. Andre. He married Jerusha, daughter of David Kimball, of this town, who was also a soldier in that war, and was for many years deacon of the Congregational church here, hence was known as Deacon Hardy. Noah W., son of Noah, 2d, was born here in 1820, on road 18, upon the farm now owned by Charles C. Brooks. He was one of a family of ten children, five of whom now re- side in the county, viz .: a sister of Noah W., and his three brothers, E. Pres- cott, Silas and Frank B. Noah W. has been town agent, selectman, repre- sented the town in 1871 and 1876, has been a director of the state agricul- tural society eight years, justice of the peace fourteen years, was census enumerator in 1870, and has been a member of the Republican state com- mittee five years. He married for his first wife, Maria R., daughter of Oliver Stone, of Nelson, who bore him five children, and for his second wife, Mrs. Sarah E. Wilson, of Swanzey. E. Prescott and Silas reside in Keene. The latter is a prominent lawyer, has been judge of the probate eight years and
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.