USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Gazetteer of Cheshire County, N.H., 1736-1885 > Part 65
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" The will of Thomas Jewell, of Brantray. My soule I commit into the the hands of Almighty God in ye mediation of Jesus Christ, and my body to the dust. All ye estate which God has given me, I doe give to my wife for to be hers as long as she is a widow, and so remainds ; but if she shall marry, then to divide its into three parts ; and two parts to be divided among my children and the third to be hers. I do by this will give power to these two friends herein mentioned, namely, William Neadam and Tho. ffoster, to tak the care and oversight of all this my estate, for my wife and children's good, according to your best wisdom to be ordered, dated the 10, second month, 1654."
The probate records show that administration was granted to Grisell, the widow of Thomas Jewell, July 21, 1654. In 1860, Messrs. Pliny Jewell, of Hartford, Ct., (born and reared in Winchester, N. H.,) and Rev. Joel Jewell, of French's Mill, Pa., compiled a register of the descendants of Thomas Jewell, which contains the names only of those born of the males of his line, and so far as can be ascertained, they then numbered 1,878. Asahel, born August 2, 1744, died at Winchester, April 30, 1790, son of Archibald, born April 8, 1716, at Plumfield Ct., who was the son of Joseph, born in June, 1673, who was the son of Joseph, born in Massachusetts, in 1642, who was the son of Thomas, who was born in Hingham, Mass., who was the son of Thomas, born in England, not far from the year 1600, as before stated. Asahel Jewell "came to Winchester, as near as can be ascertained, in 1765, and built a house
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TOWN OF WINCHESTER.
on the east side of the highway, a few rods from the school-house in school district No. 13. He was the first tanner in the town, and his tannery was on the brook, about twenty rods northerly from his dwelling. His first pits or vats were troughs dug out of the trunks of trees, and the bark was prepared by pulverizing it with a hammer. Later he enlarged his tannery and crushed the bark with a huge stone, something like a mill-stone, which was placed upon the edge, pierced with a hole in its center and placed upon an axle- tree and a sweep to which a horse was attached and made to revolve on this. axle around on a floor on which the bark was placed, and thus crushed by the weight of the stone. Still later he put in an iron mill and such machinery as the increasing business demanded. In 1767, November 5th, he married Hannah Wright, who bore him five sons and five daughters. Three of the sons settled in Winchester and remained during their lives, viz. : Asahel, Jr.,. born May 16, 1776, married Hepzibah, daughter of Moses Chamberlain, who came from Duxbury, Mass., on horseback, his wife riding behind him, on a pillion and carrying her infant daughter, who became Mrs. Asahel Jewell, in. her lap.
Asahel Jewell, Jr., learned the tanners trade of his father, and succeeded him in the business, where he continued until 1803, when he purchased the place where his son Asahel L. now lives (the Jewell place) and built a tannery which was considered large for those times, which he successfully managed. with the farm included in this purchase, and also a large tract of land sur- rounding the old homestead, originally purchased by his father. Here he lived till his death, August 29, 1834. He was one of the prominent men of the town, and was often called to offices of trust by his appreciating towns. men. Early in life he was captain of a company of cavalry, composed of the influential men of this and several of the adjoining towns, was select- man several years, and collector of taxes, and was a member, as were all his brothers and sisters, of the Congregational church, of which his father was a deacon. The children of Asahel, Jr., were Pliny, born September 27, 1797, who married Emily Alexander, and was also a tanner. At the age of twenty- one years he formed a partnership with his father, who gave his attention mainly to his farming interests after that time. In 1848 or 1849, Pliny sold his interest here and removed to Hartford, Ct., where he instituted the manu- facture of leather belting and gradually increased the business, till finally he organized the mammoth belt company of P. Jewell & Sons, which is still doing a business, the largest of the kind in the United States. His sons were Harvey, born May 26, 1820, in Winchester, a lawyer of Boston, a graduate. of Dartmouth college, and many years a member of the common council of Boston, and in the legislature of Massachusetts several years, and speaker of the house four years. He died in Boston, December 8, 1881. The second son of Pliny, Pliny, Jr., born in Winchester, September 1, 1823, also a tan- ner, worked at his trade in Boston a short time, when he went to Newbury, N. Y., and taught music for a few years, but later became a member of the:
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belt manufacturing company of P. Jewell & Sons, and is now an active mem- ber of that firm.
Marshall Jewell, third son of Pliny, born in Winchester, October 20, 1825, has a national reputation. He received his early education in the common school of his native town. Much of his public life is well known to the people of the United States. He too was a tanner, and later on one of the firm of P. Jewell & Sons. This very remarkable self-made man had a mind of great ability as a business manager, as well as talents of the highest order in the execution of the numerous positions of public trusts which he ably and honorably filled. Suffice it to say he was Governor of Connecticut two terms, minister to Russia, and postmaster-general of the United States. While in Russia he learned the process of making the celebrated Russia leather, and conferred a lasting benefit on our country by introducing its manufacture here. He was an extensive traveler, having visited all of Europe and Pales- tine, Egypt, and Turkey in Asia. He died in Hartford, February 10, 1883.
Lyman B Jewell, fourth son of Pliny, was born August 29, 1827, in Win- chester. He located as a wholesale commission merchant in Boston, with a branch store in New York, was burned out by the great fire of 1872, when he removed to Hartford and joined the firm of P. Jewell & Sons, where he now is. Charles A. Jewell, fifth son of Pliny, born March 29, 1841, entered the firm of P. Jewell & Sons, at the age of twenty-one, and is now one of its active members.
Asahel L., son of Asahel, Jr., was born November 16, 1810, on the "Jewell- place," which he now owns and where he has always lived. He is a highly respected farmer, and has given his attention to his farm, which he has con- stantly improved. About thirty-five years ago he made a successful experi- ment by sowing the seeds of the white pine on a field of two and a quarter acres, which is now worth many times its original value. This experiment has elicited much interest in other localities, and has received the notice of the commissioner of agriculture, at Washington. Mr. Jewell married Mary Atherton, February 10, 1836, and they were parents of six children, only two now living, viz .: Harvey, who resides with his father on the homestead, and Martha (Mrs. Albert D. Crombie), who resides in Maple Wood, near Boston, Mass. Asahel L. Jewell and his son Harvey are the only male representa- tives of this very distinguished family residing in Winchester.
Joab F. Adams, oldest son of Amos Adams, born in Winchester, October 17, 1799, was a farmer and died April 22, 1885. He married twice, first, Lucretia Herrick, of Brooklyn, Ct., no children ; second, Mary Richardson, of Marlboro, N. H., July 23, 1845, and they were parents of children as fol- lows, who grew to adult years : Sarah Lucretia (Mrs. James Byers), resides at South Grove, Ill .; Charles Edward, resides at Brightwood, Mass .; and Frank Leslie, who resides in this town.
Silas Taft, born in Uxbridge, Mass., settled in Richmond at a very early day. His son Ephraim settled in Winchester as early as 1760, on the place
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now owned by Daniel Vary, and raised a family of five children, dying at the age of eighty-four years. Rufus, son of Ephraim, inherited the homestead, where he died at the age of fifty-six. He married Catherine Newell, of Rich- mond, who bore him twelve children, two now living in this town. Sewell, born in 1809, married Diana Goodell, of Orange, Mass., had seven children, viz .: Sophia (Mrs. David Stearns) ; Zina G., married Ella H. Gay, of Swan- zey ; Edson S., married Hattie Bullock ; Mary J., deceased : Lester H., now in the far west ; George R., resides with his parents, and Emma L., also with her parents. The daughter of Rufus Taft living in town is Mrs. Mary Cass, a widow.
William, Henry and Simon Rixford, of English descent, whose father was probably born in England, came to Winchester from Grafton, Mass., about 1782. Simon never permanently settled here. William married Lucy Wil- son, of Northboro, Mass., and brought his wife, one child and his aged mother with him. He settled on the farm where A. A. Putnam now lives, and built his log house on the opposite side of the road from the present dwelling. The first season he cleared about ten acres of land, built the log cabin, and the next spring came with but one horse, which brought on its back father, mother and oldest son, Luther, then an infant. His children were Luther, Lucy, Ephraim, William, Sally, Artemas, Harriet, Solomon and Finis. In time he built the present residence, which has been remodeled, and is now in good condition. When he first settled here there were no laid out roads, only paths on which he could ride on horse-back, and the early settlers were per- mitted to make a " pitch " and build a cabin wherever they might choose a location. Added to the hardships and deprivations attending their pioneer life, was the depredations on their flocks of sheep by the bears and wolves. Many times he was obliged to leave his bed at night, seize a fire brand, and thus armed drive the wolves from his door. The nearest grist-mill at the time of his settlement was at Northfield, Mass. Hither he and his neighbors wended their way with a bag of corn or rye, the more fortunate carrying it on horse- back, the less fortunate, on their shoulders. This cabin was furnished with a Dutch fire-place of ample dimensions to take logs full eight feet long, and so large as to require them to be drawn to the hearth, going in at one door and out at another opposite. Their oldest son, Luther, married Sally Capron. He first settled in the village of Ashuelot, and was of the firm of Rixford, Fairbanks & Allen, in the manufacture of cotton yarn, which was then woven in hand-looms by the wives of farmers. He was also an extensive manu- facturer of scythes. Later he removed to Highgate, Vt., and continued the scythe business, about forty years ago. There he died, in 1869 or 1870, and the business is continued by his youngest son, Oscar A., being one of the largest concerns of its kind.
Luther was the father of ten children, only one of whom, Minerva (Mrs. Abel H. Cook), now resides in Winchester. Lucy married Jeremiah Pratt, a farmer, and settled in town, where she lived till her death. She was the
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mother of nine children, none of whom now live in the town. Her youngest son, Robert W. Pratt, residing in Keene, owns the old homestead, and his. daughter and her husband, Horace N. Conant, occupy the place. Ephraim died in South Carolina. Capt. William married Betsey Willard, daughter of Lieut. Amos Willard, and settled on the old homestead, and in the log house where he was born. He assisted his father in building the second residence, his father then taking the new house. William, in 1812, built the house where his son Willard now lives, and removed to it, where he continued about twenty-five years, and then returned to the old homestead, but still owned the place which he left in the care of Willard. Here he continued the remainder of his life, dying at the age of sixty-nine years, an honored and reliable citizen and neighbor. He was the father of three sons and three daughters, viz .: Eliza (Mrs. Clark Dodge), a widow resides in Keene ; Emily, twice married, first, Willard Farrington, and second, Ebenezer Clark, of Keene, died in Keene ; and William, Jr., and Willard, twins reside in town.
William married Sarah J. Cook in 1845, settled on the original homestead in company with his younger brother, Lucius, which partnership continued until the death of Lucius, December 1, 1882. Their business interests, therefore, were identical, and they lived as one family. Lucius married Adaline J. Cook, in 1842, sister of Mrs. William Rixford. They remained on the homestead about twenty years, when, soon after the death of John Cook, they removed to his farm, where they lived the ensuing eighteen years. About a year after the death of Lucius, the family moved to their present fine and commodious dwelling, on a beautiful and moderately elevated pla- teau, overlooking the pleasant village of Winchester. These brothers car- ried on an extensive business in buying, fattening and marketing cattle, in con- nection with their large farming interests. Since the death of Lucius, Will- iam sold the Cook farm, but still owns six or seven hundred acres. William Rixford has no living children. Those of Lucius are Sarah E., residing at home, and Webster L., an active and enterprising merchant in his native town. Willard, twin brother of William, married Rhoda Combs, and resides in the house built by his father. Of his five children only two are living, Mary, (Mrs. Melvin Stebbins), in Keene, and Henry W., half owner of the farm, resides with his father. Harriet, daughter of Capt. William, married Job Buffum. of Richmond, now of Boston, and had one daughter. Mrs. Buffum died in Keene. Sally, daughter of William, Ist, married Nathaniel Lawrence, died at the old home, was the mother of ten children, none now living in Winchester. Artemas, son of William Rixford, Ist, married Rachel Prime, of Swanzey, was a farmer, settled finally where his son Bradley now lives, resided there thirty or forty years, and died at the age eighty-two years. His children were five sons and two daughters. His son Bradley resides on the homestead, and his two sons, Artemas and Charles. The other child of Artemas residing in town is Emeline (Mrs. Charles Foster). Solomon, son of William, Ist, married Olive Evedon, located at Pond village, (now Forest
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Lake), and engaged in lumbering and rafting on the Connecticut, went to Barre, Mass., and eventually died at the home of his daughter, Harriet, (Mrs. A. J. Stearns), in Brattleboro, where his aged wife still lives. They were the parents of four children. Finis, daughter of William, Ist, married Robert Pratt, settled in town on a portion of the Jeremiah Pratt homestead, and at last removed to Albany, N. Y., where she died, leaving no children. Harriet, daughter of William, Ist, married Benjamin Flint, settled first in this town, lived some years in Ohio, but died at the home of her daughter Lucy (Mrs. True Rice), in Royalston, Mass. She was the mother of eight chil- dren.
Francis Cook came to Winchester, from Kingston, Mass., as near as can be ascertained about 1782, and permanently settled on the farm now owned by Joel Fosgate, in the northern part of the town. He experienced all the' pri- vations and hardships, incidental to a life in the woods, until, by his energy, perseverance and industry, he changed his farm of forests to productive, cultivated fields. He married Ruth Berse, of Massachusetts, who bore him thirteen children, of whom four sons and eight daughters arrived to a mature age, viz. : Ruth, married Silas French, settled in Glover, Vt., finally returned to Winchester, and resided with her daughter, Mrs. Russel Follet, where she died ; Mary married Samuel Torrey, settled in Westmoreland; Thomas married first, Relief King, and second, Orilla Baldwin, who was the mother of four children. He was a farmer and dealer in live stock, settled in Win- chester, where he died, aged eighty-six years. Sally married Roswell Stowell, settled in Chesterfield, where she died early, leaving a family of five children. After Mrs. Stowell's death, Mr. Stowell married her sister Lydia, who died in Chesterfield ; Harriet married Daniel Tuttle, located in the eastern part of Winchester, had eight children, died at her home, and one daughter, Sophro- nia, widow of Edmund Doolittle, resides in the northern part of this town ; John married Mary Jackson, resided with his father a few years, and followed his trade as carpenter and manufacturer of lumber. He later bought the farm now owned by Elijah Baker, about a mile northwest from Winchester village, and then engaged wholly in farming. He was interested in the wel- fare of his town, and though not a politician was a decided Democrat, and was selectman six years, although his town was a Republican stronghold. He died at his home, in 1860, aged sixty-one years. Mrs. Clark survived her husband only ten months, aged fifty-seven years. Their children were Adaline J. (Mrs. Lucius Rixford), a widow residing at Winchester. John Jr., married twice, first, Adaline S. Butler, and second Rachel Kelton, was a highly respected and influential citizen, a merchant in his native village, where he died in 1860, aged forty-one years. Sarah J., (Mrs. William Rixford), re- sides at Winchester. Finis, daughter of Francis Cook, never married, owned the old homestead, and died in town, aged fifty-one years .. Prudence, daughter of Francis, married Sylvanus Stowell, made her home in the state of New York, where she died. Francis, Jr., married Catharine Taft, settled
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in Winchester, was a farmer, late in his life removed to Swanzey, where he died, and where his aged widow resides. They had four children, their only son, Andrew B., is a farmer in Swanzey. Frinda, youngest child of Francis, married Willard Jackson, settled on a farm in Winchester, and died here. She had a family of seven sons and ( ne daughter, and three of her sons now reside in Winchester, viz. : Charles, a farmer, DeLos, a teacher of music, and Frank, residing with their aged father in the village. The only daughter, Jane, resides with her father. The first born son of Francis died in child- hood.
Abram Randall, one of the pioneer settlers of Richmond, came from Rhode Island and settled in the northern part of the town, in the vicinity of Sandy Pond, at an early date. He was the father of ten children. His son Stephen married Esther Hammond, of Swanzey, and settled as a cloth-dresser on Roaring brook, in Winchester, which business and the management of his large farm he continued till he died, in 1839, aged sixty-four years. He was twice married and was the father of twelve children, of whom the only one liv- ing in Winchester is Stephen P., a farmer, residing on Elm street, and who married, first, Laura Ward, who was the mother of four children, only one of whom, Adelaide, residing with her father is now living ; second, Martha A. Smith, now living, has no children.
Henry B. Swan, son of Robert and Elizabeth Swan, was born in Richmond, September 19, 1819. He married Eliza A. J. Howard, of Townshend, Vt., .. December 12, 1849, and settled in Winchester. He is an extensive manu- facturer and dealer in palm-leaf hats, also a farmer. He has the confidence and respect of his townsmen, and has been placed by their suffrages in many offices of trust. He has held the position of selectman five or six years, and represented his town in the state legislature three terms. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Swan now living are Frederick H., who married Abby M. Doolittle, in 1879, and resides in Winchester ; Dora E., Jennie T., and Myrta H., all teachers, and Willie H., residing with their parents.
Reuben Field, born in Oakham, Mass., in 1782, came to Winchester, as near as can be ascertained, about 1800, and settled in the southwestern part of the town. In 1803 he married Experience Burt. Seven of their children are now living, viz .: Lenacy (Mrs. Hutchins),a widow, aged eighty years, living in the northern part of the town ; Luvy, (Mrs. Cutting), a widow, resides in Coleraine, Mass .; Pliny B., resides in the northeastern part of Winchester, is a farmer ; Sarah (Mrs. Davis), deceased; Nathan, a farmer, resides in the north- ern part of the town ; Minerva (Mrs. Snow), resides in Hinsdale village ; and Jonathan B., resides also in the northern part of the town. Reuben Field served his country as a soldier in the war of 1812, and was stationed at Fort Independence, near Boston. He died in town, at the advanced age of eighty two years.
Abel Eaton was born in Sudbury, Mass., March 8, 1766. He married Elizabeth Thompson, March 22, 1792, and after living in Chesterfield and in
35*
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Winchester several years, died in Woodstock, Vt., June 10, 1842. He was?a shoemaker by trade. Loren, son of Abel, was born in Chesterfield, February 22, 1804, married Melona, daughter of Amos Chamberlain, of Winchester, and located in that town, where he was engaged in manufacturing for twenty- five years. He then moved to East Greenwich, N. Y., where he carried on the same business. His wife died June 27, 1840. While on a visit to his son, O. S. Eaton, of the town of Sawnzey, he died, December 30, 1867.
Thomas Wheelock came to Winchester, in 1795, and settled where his. granddaughter, Mrs. Harriet (Wheelock) Fassett, now lives. He married Mary Watts, of Alstead, was a farmer, but opened his home as a tavern, which was kept as such for many years. He was the father of ten children, four of whom died young. Or those who grew to maturity, Abigail married Joel Fosgate, Phineas married Mrs. Wilson, Thomas married a Miss Scott, John died at the age of twenty-one, one went west, and William married Harriet Porter, of Connecticut, and was the father of Mrs. Albert A. Fassett, now re- siding on the old place, the house being over 100 years old.
David Bolton, from Fitchburg, Mass., married Phebe Kemp. Of this family, David A., born in 1813, married Mary G. Morse, in 1835. Of his six sons and five daughters, eight are living, viz .: John A., of this town; Mari- ette, who married Charles Davis, and resides in the same neighborhood ; James H., born in 1844 ; Amos, born in 1847 ; Charles H., who resides in Northfield, Mass .; Addie, who married A. H. Holton, of Indiana; Ida M., who married J. M. Shaw, of Hinsdale; and Bell, who married Walter R. Holton. James H. married Emily M., daughter of Sydney and Elmira (Po- land) Carlton, in 1877, has two sons and one daughter, namely : Hiram O., Mary E., and Arthur H. He lives on the home farm with his father.
Abel Davis, a native of Leominster, Mass., married Cynthia Sylvester, and came to this town in 1786. Abel, Jr., born in 1777, located on the place where his son Charles now lives, and reared three sons and four daughters, viz .: Abel, born in Warwick, in 1813; Cynthia, born in Winchester in 1816, married John Nutting, of New Ipswich, N. H., and died June 18, 1867 ; Delana married Mirrick Sylvester, became a widow, and then married Daniel Mossman, of Westminister, Mass .; Oliver B. resides in Washington Territory ;. Ann B., born July 13, 1823, married Benjamin Mossman, of Barton, Vt .;. Catharine is the widow of Charles H. Walker, of Ashuelot ; Charles, born in 1828, married Mariette Bolton, and has had born to him four sons and six daughters, as follows: Lizzette, Charles F., M. Lizzette, Frank C., Eva V., Leon O., Lura C., Cora L., Elwin A. and Stella. Mr. Davis lives on the homestead, south of Ashuelot village.
Daniel Locke Picket, an Englishman, was a soldier in the British army during the Revolution, but deserted and joined the American forces, where he did good service and drew a pension. He located in Winchester about 1782, near the site of Swan's saw-mill, was a farmer and veterinary surgeon,. and died in 1823. His son Hosea, born in town, in 1792, married Sarah.
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Whipple, and reared twelve children. Hosea G. was born here in 1823, mar- ried Elizabeth Barney, and has born to him six sons and four daughters, of whom W. M., Hosea E., and Gertie, reside at home. Mr. Picket is proprie- tor of a stave-mill on Picket brook.
William A. Morey, son of James A., was born in Holyoke, Mass., in 1845, and married Ella A. Plummer in 1865. He has had born to him three chil- dren, two of whom, Hattie E. amd Arthur W., are living. Mr. Morey was a soldier in the war for the Union, and resides on the R. Combs homestead.
David Read came to this town, from Uxbridge, Mass., about 1781, and had born to him two sons and three daughters. Rufus, born in 1774, married Kerziah Ware, and reared six sons and three daughters, one of whom, Henry P., is living. The latter, born November 19, 1821 ; married Sarah B. Briggs in 1855, and has had born to him two sons and two daughters, viz .: Henry W., Albert J., Lizzie M., and Lelia K. who is a school teacher. Mrs. Read died in 1870. Mr. Read was a soldier in the late war, serving three years in Co. E, 6th N. H. Vols. Albert J. married Maggie Magner, June 15, 1883, has one son, and resides with his father, David.
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