Genealogical and family history of the state of New Hampshire : a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation, Vol. I, Part 53

Author: Stearns, Ezra S; Whitcher, William F. (William Frederick), 1845-1918; Parker, Edward E. (Edward Everett), 1842-1923
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: New York : Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 858

USA > New Hampshire > Genealogical and family history of the state of New Hampshire : a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation, Vol. I > Part 53

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sults. His robust constitution enabled him to ward off in a great measure the infirmities that usually indicate the sunset period of life, and at the time of his death, which occurred in Winchester, July 3. 1871, at the ripe old age of nearly ninety- eight years, he was a remarkably well preserved man. He possessed a vivid recollection of the ex- citing events connected with his early boyhood in Pennsylvania; the horrors of Indian warfare: the gruesome spectacle of seeing the savages enter the garrison with white men's scalps hanging from their shoulders : the sufferings from a lack of water and other vital necessities during the long tramp through the forest, on which occasion the travelers were marked in such a manner as to protect them from hostile Indians: and even as a nonogenarian he frequently related these incidents to interested

listeners. It is generally believed that he was the last survivor of the Wyoming Massacre. The maiden name of his wife, to whom he was married October 15, 1798, was Mary Fassett. She was born in Richmond, New Hampshire, January 3, 1778, and died in Winchester, March 13, 1829. Their children were: Joab F., Lite. Noah, Asa, Eliza- beth A., David A., Anna, Lucy. Mary, Dennison C. Amos Adams married ( second) Thankful Hiscock, by whom there was no issue.

(III) Noah (2), son of Amos and Mary (Fas- sett) Adams, was born in Winchester, June 2, 1804. Learning the cooper's trade he followed it in con- nection with farming, and his entire life was spent in his native town. His death occurred October 30, 1853. On May 29, 1832, he was married by Jonathan Blake. Jr., to Eunice Stearns, born in Warwick, Massachusetts, March 17, 1809. The children of this union are : Mary E. and Ebenezer S.

(IV) Ebenezer Stearns, son of Noalı (2) and Eunice (Stearns) Adams, was born in Winchester, February 27, 1833. He began his education in his native town, continued his studies in Warwick. Massachusetts, and concluded them in Richmond, New Hampshire. He assisted his father upon the farm until the latter's decease, when he acquired possession of the homestead and has ever since re- sided there, devoting his energies largely to agricul- ture with profitable results, and also to palm leaf hat manufacturing. He removed from the home- stead farm to his present place of residence in 1894, since which time he has been living in retirement. In his palm leaf hat manufacturing business Mr. Adams put the leaf out to the braiders to make into hats. He had as many as a hundred braiding for him at times. The hats were sold at Winchester, Fitchburg and North Dana, but principally to Hon. N. L. Johnson, of Dana, Massachusetts. Mr. Adams used to go through the state of Vermont putting out leaf at the stores and buying hats at wholesale for him. He began this business about fifty years ago. He has rendered his share of service to the town in a civic capacity, having been a member of the board of selectmen for four years, is a justice of the peace, and in politics is a Demo- crat. His fraternal affiliations are with the Ma- sonic Order.

On January 27, 1861, Mr. Adams was married in Richmond to Rosetta Palmer, born in that part of Reading, Massachusetts, which is now Wakefield, July 2. 1839, daughter of Elihu. Horsford and Nancy (Drew) Palmer. One daughter born of this marriage, Ethel M., wife of Reuben E. Ham- mond, of Winchester. A son born of this marriage, Clarence Adams Hammond, died at the age of three years.

Mary E. Adams, sister of Ebenezer S. Adams. married Daniel R. Spaulding, of Fitzwilliam, and thirty years later, .1. G. Beebe. also of Fitzwilliam.

Zenas Adams was born at Goffstown,

ADAMS New Hampshire, in 1787, and in early life went to reside in Manchester. In 1835 he removed to Pembroke, where he died in September. 1853. The major part of his life was devoted to agricultural pursuits. He emphasized his patriotism by serving as a soldier in the second conflict with Great Britain (1812-15), and he ac- quired an honorable record in the army. He mar- ried Lydia Baker, who was born in Manchester, November 22. 1793. Their children were: Mary Jane, Idetta, Nathaniel Baker, Elizabeth McCurdy and Lucy Ann.

(II) Nathaniel Baker, only son of Zenas and

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Lydia (Baker) Adams, was born in Goffstown, Oc- tober 13, 1823. The active period of his life was spent upon a farm in Pembroke, and his death oc- curred in that town June 6, 1883. He was married. December 22, 1853, to Eleanor Batchelder French, daughter of Moses French, of Deerfield, this state, and was the father of five children: Charles Sum- ner, who will be again referred to; Mary Ella, born May 16, 1859; Jessie Fremont, born March 30, 1862, married Mailand E. Prescott, son of John M. and Mary (Lake) Prescott, of Pembroke; John Frank, born August 3, 1864: and George French, born February 16, 1867, died in Boston, April 22, 1892.

(III) Charles Sumner, eldest son and child of Nathaniel B. and Eleanor B. (French) Adams, was born in Pembroke, February 5, 1857. He was reared and educated in his native town, and from his youth to the present time has been engaged in gen- eral farming in Pembroke. He owns one hundred and sixty acres of fertile land which he cultivates with profit, and ranks among the progressive and well-to-do farmers of that section. Politically he supports the Republican party, and his religious affiliations are with the Congregationalists. He is actively interested in the Patrons of Husbandry and a member of the local Grange, No. 11. On August 6, 1885, Mr. Adams was joined in marriage with Nellie Jane Cate, daughter of Andrew Jackson Cate, of Allenstown. New Hampshire. Mr. and Mrs. Adams have four children: Nate, born Jan- uary, 1887; Kate, born September, 1890; Pearl, born August, 1894; and John, born April, 1902.

(I) Hon. Francis M. Adams was ADAMIS born in Boston, February, 1816. He was educated in the Boston public schools, graduating from the Latin School, and took high rank as a scholar, displaying a special aptitude for the study of modern languages. When a young man he entered the Boston police depart- ment, but subsequently withdrew in order to accept an appointment as messenger for the governor's council, in which capacity he served three succes- sive administrations, and he afterwards occupied a similar position in the supreme court. About the year 1850 he entered the service of Suffolk county as a deputy sheriff, and retained that office through successive reappointments for the remainder of his life, which terminated in December, 1883, as the re- sult of an accident. In his personal appearance Mr. Adams was exceedingly attractive. Tall of stature and powerfully built. his commanding presence was emphasized by an ease and natural grace of car- riage which universally won the admiration of all with whom he came in contact, and his personal characteristics were equally commendable. He com- prehended his duties as a public official from the basis of lofty ideals, and his invulnerable integrity insured their prompt execution. Prominent among his many admirable qualities was his bountiful love for his family and his zealous devotion to their wel- fare and comfort. His chief delight consisted in the imparting of his knowledge of languages and other branches of polite learning to his children, whose love and affection for their parents was only equalled by their respect and veneration, and these were in no sinall measure shared by his friends, of- ficial co-workers and fellow citizens in general. He is still remembered by the older residents of Bos- ton, who speak of him in terms of the highest re- gard, and a veteran official at the Suffolk county court house in reference to him, said : "The recall- ing of Mr. Adams to my mind awakens in my mem- ory many pleasant recollections of him." In poli-

tics he was in early life a Whig, and subsequently a Democrat. Mr. Adams married Susan Hinckley Nye, who was born in Barnstable, Massachusetts, July 12, 1823, daugliter of Captain Nathan and Sarah H. (Hinckley) Nye, the former of whom, a well-known shipmaster of his day, was lost at sea during a voyage from France to Rochelle, New York. Mrs. Adams' mother, who was a descendant of Thomas Hinckley, the first governor of Barn- stable Plantation. devoted considerable time and energy to church work, and accomplished much in propagating the principles of Christianity. Hon. Francis M. and Susan H. (Nye) Adams were the parents of six children: Mary E., William H., Helen M., Annie C., Elizabeth L., and Frederick G., died aged fourteen years.

(II) Captain William Hinckley Nye, second child and second son of Francis M. and Susan H. (Nye) Adams, was born in Jamaica Plains, Mass- achusetts, October 22, 1851. At thirteen years of age he enlisted in the United States navy as an ap- prentice. In September, 1867. he was transferred from the United States frigate "Sabine" to the sloop-of-war "Ossipee," belonging to the North Pacific squadron. In this vessel he sailed to Alaska, and was a witness to the formal transfer of Alaska by the Russian government to the United States, and is now (1907) one of the four survivors of those who were present on that occasion. He subse- quently entered the merchant marine service, en- gaged chiefly in the Californian trade, and attained the rank of captain. During the fifteen years he spent as a mariner he made fifteen trips around Cape Horn, three around the world, and visited nearly every point of commercial importance on the globe. After leaving the sea and the perils of a sailor's life he settled in Campton, New Hamp- shire, engaged in mercantile business, and is now proprietor of the largest general store in the village of Campton, where for the last twelve years he has served as postmaster. He is active in political affairs, and popular as well, and served as a member of the New Hampshire legislature from Campton, 1900-01. He is well up in Masonry, being a mem- ber of Olive Branch Lodge, No. 16, Free and Ac- cepted Masons, of Pemigewasset; the Royal Arch Chapter : Omega Council, Royal and Select Mas- ters ; and Pilgrim Commandery, Knights Templar, of Laconia, and Edward A. Raymond Consistory. He is also a member of Bektash Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of the Mystic Shrine, of Concord. He married, July 10. 1879, in Campton, Sarah Flor- ence Cook, who was born in that town October 18, 1854, daughter of Joseph and Eliza (Kenrick) Cook, and granddaughter of General Moody Cook, also of Campton. Four children have been born of this union: Helen Eliza, February 15, 1880; Lucy Cook, March 20, 1882, who died August 12, 1884; Marion Frances, May S. 1885; and Ida E., January 19, 1887. All were born in Campton except Helen E., who was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

ADAMS (I) Philip Adams was born in 1825,

in Gaspé Basin, Providence of Quebec, and was a hunter and fisher most of his life. In 1874 he removed to Haverhill, New Hampshire, and settled on a farm which he tilled until few years before his deatlı,

which occurred in Haverhill. In politics he was a Democrat, and in religious faith an

Episcopalian. He married Rosanna Cremere. who was born in Guernsey, Province of Quebec. and died in Haverhill. They were the parents of fourteen children : Philip, Rosanna, Beamon, Nich-

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olas, Thomas, Elizabeth, William, Alfred, Joseph, Ambrose, John, Agnes, Isaac, and Patrick. The last two children died young.

(II) John Benjamin, tenth child and eighth son of Philip and Rosanna (Cremere) Adams, was born at Gaspé Basin, Province of Quebec, April

3, 1864, and came with his parents to Haverhill, New Hampshire, when eight years old. He was educated in the common schools of Haverhill, and later apprenticed himself to a builder, whose trade he learned. Three years later he removed to Laconia, where he worked at his trade for hire the ensuing ten years, and then went into business for himself. For fourteen years he carried on business successfully. Ile attends the Baptist Church, votes the Republican ticket, and is a member of Lodge No. 5, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. of Laconia. He married Nellie Brown, who was born in Campton, June, 1800, daughter of David Brown, of Campton.

EASTMAN The very numerous family of this name which has spread throughout New England and many of the middle and western states is the progeny of a pioneer of Salisbury, Massachusetts, and many of the later generations in New Hampshire are descended from the first of the name at Concord, who was the principal settler of this town. This family has many prominent representatives in its various generations. The earliest known record of the ancestry of the Eastmans of this country is the will of John East- man, of Ramsey, county of Southampton, England, dated September 24. 1602.

(I) Roger Eastman, as investigation shows. was the first of the name in America. He was born in Wales, in 1611, and died in Salisbury, Massachu- setts, December 16, 1694. He came from Langford, county of Wilts, sailing from Southampton, April, 1638, in the ship "Confidence," John Jobson, master, bound for Massachusetts Bay Colony. On the ship's papers he was entered as a servant of John Saunders. It is believed that his real rank was higher than appears, but was concealed on account of the emigration laws or for political reasons. The name has been spelled and mis-spelled in divers ways, Easman being one of the commonest diver- gencies. Roger Eastman received lands in the first division in Salisbury in 1640-43, and his minister's tax in 1650 was eight shillings and three pence. From Salisbury the members of this family dis- persed in various directions, the major part settling in the southern towns of New Hampshire and the northern towns of Massachusetts. Members of the third generations pushed farther north and settled on the Merrimack. Roger Eastman married Sarah Smith (the surname is uncertain, however), who was born in 1621, died in Salisbury, Massachusetts, March 11, 1697. They were members of the church in . Salisbury in 1694. Their children were: John. born January 9, 1640; Nathaniel, March 18, 1643; Philip, October 20, 1644: Thomas, September 11, 1646; Timothy, September 29, 1648; Joseph, No- vember 8. 1650; Benjamin, December 12. 1652; Sarah, July 25, 1655; Samuel, September 20, 1657 ; and Ruth, January 21, 1661. (Mention of Philip, Benjamin, Samuel and descendants occurs in this article).

(II) John, eldest child of Roger Eastman, was born January 9, 1640. in Salisbury, and died there March 25, 1720. He subscribed to the oath of al- legiance and fidelity in 1677, was made freeman in 1690, and represented Salisbury in the general court of Massachusetts in 1691. He was married Octo-

ber 27, 1665, to Hannah Heilie, who lived but a short time thereafter. He was married (second), November 5, 1670, to Mary, daughter of William Boynton, of Rowley. She was born May 23, 1648, in that town and received from her father the gift of a farm, as did each of his six other children. He was a teacher, also a tailor and planter and was a large holder of lands in Essex county. John Eastman's children were: Hannah, John, Zach- arial, Roger, Elizabeth, Thomas (died young), Thomas and Joseph. ( Mention of Roger and Jo- seph and descendants appears in this article ).

(III) Zachariah, third child and second son of John and Mary (Boynton) Eastman, was born in Salisbury, August 24, 1679, and died in Ipswich, where he lived most of his life, November 18, 1732. He married first, May 1, 1703, Martha Thorn, of Ipswich, who was admitted to the church in Salis- bury, July 28, 1706. She died June 6, 1718, and he married second. Phebe West, who died March 3, 1723. He married third, September 3, 1724, De- borah Pillsbury, widow of Reuben Whittier, by whom he had seven children. The children by the first wife were: Jeremiah, Martha, Abigail, Jacob, and Ruth ; by the second wife: William, Mary, and Benjamin : by the third wife : Timothy, and a daugh- ter who died young.

(IV) Jeremiah. eldest child of Zachariah and Martha (Thorn) Eastman, was born in Ipswich ( Massachusetts), March 30, 1704, and settled in Byfield. He married, February 10, 1725, Lydia Brown, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth ( Brown) of Salisbury. Their children were: Lydia, Han- nah, Martha, Jeremiah. Meriam (see below), Mary, Ephraim, Phebe, and Benjamin.

(V) Miriam, fourth daughter of Jeremiah and Lydia (Brown) Eastman, was born February 28, 1740, in Byfield, and became the wife of Josiah (3) Sawyer. (See Sawyer, V).

(V) Jeremiah (2), fourth child and eldest son of Jeremiah and Lydia (Brown) Eastman, was born in Byfield, Massachusetts, November 28, 1732, and died in Deerfield, New Hampshire, in 1802. He resided for a time in Kingston, and removed, in 1762, to Deerfield, New Hampshire, where he set- tled on a large tract of land on the southeast shore of Pleasant Pond. He was one of the foremost men of his town, and an ardent patriot. In 1772 and in 1774 he was a member of the board of se- lectmen, in 1775 he was elected town clerk, and held that office continuously for twenty-five years ; from 1775 to 1781 inclusive he was elected a dele- gate to represent the parishes of Deerfield and Northwood in the congress at Exeter. He was elected to the general assembly at Concord, in the years 1783-4. He was also one of the signers of the Declaration made April 12, 1776, in response to a call from the committee of safety. He was a member of the church in Deerfield, and as active in church matters as in other public affairs. He was one of the committee to fix the site of the meeting house in 1776, and in 1770 one of the committee to build a church. His will is dated March 27, 1798. He married Hannah Quimby, and they were the parents of several children: Jacob, Ephraim, Ben- jamin. Sarah, Lydia, Enoch, and Jeremiah.

(VI) Ephraim, third son and fifth child of Jeremiah and Hannah (Quimby) Eastman, was born March 15, 1768, baptized in Deerfield, May I, 1768, and died in 1853. He removed about 1792 to .Andover, where he spent the remainder of his life. He married, October, 1800, Lydia Robie. of Weare, who was born April 23, 1777, and died July 26. 1843, daughter of John and Mary (Eastman) Robie.

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Their children were: Mary, Versal Ransom, Royal Friend, Hiram, Butler. John Langdon, Ephraim, Lydia, George, Jeremiah, and James Monroe.

(VII) Royal Friend, third child and second son of Ephraim and Lydia (Robie) Eastman, was born March 30, 1805, and died April 9, 1868. He was a farmer and resided in Andover. He married first, November. 1833, at Andover, Sophronia Mayo, born in Andover, January 1, 1814, died August 22, 1840, daughter of John and Lydia (Laha) Mayo, of Andover. He married second, Nancy A. Lang- ley, who was born January 1, 1815, and died March 4. 1896. Two children were born by the first wife: Helen Mar, who never married; and John Robie, whose sketch follows.

(VIII) John Robie, only son of Royal F. and Sophronia (Mayo) Eastman, was born in Andover, July 29, 1836. He attended the common schools, and the academies at Andover and New London, passing from the latter to Dartmouth College, where he was graduated; from the Chandler Scien- tific School in 1862 with the degree of Bachelor of Science, after two years' attendance there. In 1877 his Alma Mater conferred on him the honorary de- gree of Doctor of Philosophy. From 1853 to 1862 he taught school several terms, and in that way earned money to defray to a considerable extent his expenses in school. After leaving Dartmouth he passed the required examination and was ap- pointed assistant in the United States Naval Ob- servatory at Washington, D. C., November 7, 1862. The assistant astronomer of the Naval Observatory recommended his promotion, and on February 17, 1865, he was appointed professor of mathematics in the United States Navy, with the rank of lieutenant- commander, a position he held until his retirement in 1899. He was employed in astronomical ob- servations, computations and research for thirty- six years, from 1862-1898. He prepared most of the published work in the annual volumes of the government observatory from 1874 to 1898. He was in charge of the meridian circle work at the observatory from 1874 to 1891; observed total solar eclipses August 7, 1869, at Des Moines, Iowa; De- cember 23, 1870, at Syracuse, Sicily ; July 29. 1878, at West Las Animas, Colorado; and May 28, 1900, at Barnesville, Georgia. He was in charge of the eclipse party at West Las Animas, Colorado, and of the party which observed the transit of Venus at Cedar Keys, Florida, in 1882. He prepared and edited the second Washington Star Catalogue, which which contains the results of nearly eighty thous- and observations made at the United States Naval Observatory, between 1866 and I891. He was re- tired for age July 29, 1898, with the rank of captain in the United States Navy, but retained on active duty until October 12, 1898. Was promoted, June 29, 1906, to rank of rear admiral in the United States Navy, on the retired list. Returning to New England he has resided in Andover, New Hamp- shire. He is the author of "Transit Circle Ob- servations of the Sun, Moon, Planets and Comets." published in 1903, and for some time has been pre- paring a history of his native town. which is now (1907) nearly completed. In 1905 he was a repre- sentative from Andover in the New Hampshire legislature. In 1907 he was appointed member of the New Hampshire state board of equalization.

He was the first president of the Washington Academy of Sciences, 1898: president of the Phil- osophical Society of Washington, 1889: vice-presi- dent of the American Association for the advance- ment of Science, in 1887 and 1892; and in the latter year was president of the Cosmos Club, of Wash-

ington. He was president of Dartmouth Alumni Association in Washington for several years, and has been an alumni trustee of Dartmouth College since 1900. In politics he is a gold-standard Dem- ocrat. Professor Eastman has been from early manhood a deep thinker and an industrious student, and his professional accomplishments have brought him much credit in the world of science. He is a dignified, courteous gentleman of tall, erect and commanding figure, and though past seventy-one years of age, he possesses the springy action of youth; and when on his farm, drives his oxen while holding the plow, and turns a furrow with scientific accuracy, an accomplishment few men attain.

He married, December 26, 1866, Mary Jane Am- brose, of Boscawen, who was born March 6, 1840; daughter of Samuel A. and Dorothy (Atkinson) Ambrose.

(III) Roger (2), third son and fourth child of John and Mary (Boynton) Eastman, was born February 26, 1682, in Salisbury, and resided in Amesbury, Massachusetts. His will was made and probated there in April, 1743, and his widow's will about ten years later, which indicates approximately the time of their deaths. He was married January 5. 1710, to Hannah Kimball, daughter of John Kim- ball (see Kimball, III). Their children were: Roger, Hannah, John, Mary, Jonathan, Nathaniel, Abigail, Miriam and Samuel. (The last named re- ceives mention, with descendants, in this article).

(IV) Roger (3), eldest child of Roger (2) and Hannah (Kimball) Eastman, was born April 12. 17II. in Amesbury, Massachusetts, and settled in that town. When the province line was established in 1741, his farm was proven to be in Newton, New Hampshire. His will was made March 24, 1771, and allowed September 19, 1791. His wife's name was Rachel and their children were: Thomas, Ste- phen, Ichabod, Samuel, Isaac, Nicholas, Hannah, Judith and Jennie. (Mention of Ichabod and Sam- uel and descendants appears in this article).

(V) Stephen, second son of Roger (2) and Rachel Eastman. was born March 27, 1744, in New- ton, New Hampshire, and died in Lyndon, Vermont. He resided in Newbury until 1778, and then re- moved to Bow, New Hampshire, where he pur- chased a tract of land at the base of Wood Hill. He signed the association test there. After he was eighty years old it was his custom, on each Sab- bath, regardless of weather, to walk six or eight miles and return. He was a shoemaker by occupa- tion. and wished his son and namesake to follow that trade, but this was distasteful to the latter and he started out at the age of fifteen years to clear and till his father's farm. At first this was a great grievance to the father, but the family seemed to prosper from this time on and he ultimately deeded his farm to the son in the hope and expectation that the latter would support himself and wife in their old age. It is quite apparent that both father and son were self-willed and stubborn. When the time came to build a new house there was a dis- pute as to which way it should face. and the son soon left his parents and went to Vermont. He still retained the deed of the farm, and after living a few years in Vermont he decided it was best for his father and younger brother, who was then liv- ing at home, to remove to Vermont. Finding it impossible to persuade them he sold the farm on which they lived and they were compelled to move therefrom, and so reluctantly accepted the home provided for them in Lyndon, Vermont. They were, however, prosperous and the removal proved to be a good thing. Stephen Eastman was married

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Genealogical and family history of the state of New Hampshire : a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation, Vol. I, Part 53

Author: Stearns, Ezra S; Whitcher, William F. (William Frederick), 1845-1918; Parker, Edward E. (Edward Everett), 1842-1923 Publication date: 1908 Publisher: New York : Lewis Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 858

Author: Stearns, Ezra S; Whitcher, William F. (William Frederick), 1845-1918; Parker, Edward E. (Edward Everett), 1842-1923
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: New York : Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 858