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. II, Part 107

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: 874

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. II > Part 107

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(V) Parker Cross, sixth child and fourth son of William W. and Nancy (Brown) Hancock, was born in Franklin, October 26, 1843. He received his education in the common schools and in the Franklin Academy. At nineteen years of age he went to Concord, and for two years was in the em- ploy of Charles Austin, organ manufacturer. Re- turning to Franklin he became secretary and hook- keeper for Walter Aiken, manufacturer, and filled that place until the death of Mr. Aiken, in 1893, and continued his duties the two following years for Mr. Aiken's sons and successors. In 18So Mr. Han- cock and Mr. George W. Griffin organized the firm of George W. Griffin & Company, manufacturers of scroll and hack saws, the only concern of the kind in this section of the country. Since 1895 he has devoted his entire attention to this enterprise. Mr. Hancock is a Democrat in politics. He is a mem- ber of Merrimack Lodge, No. 28, Independent Or- der of Odd Fellows, of Franklin, and is also a Thirty-second degree Mason and Knight Templar. He married, in Franklin, May 22, 1866. Jennie M. Burgess, born in Houlton, Maine, February 5, 1847, daughter of Bethuel and Mary (Sturtevant) Bur- gess, of Houlton, Maine. To them have been born

four children: Arthur M., November 4, 1874, a graduate of Brown University, class of 1897, now a foreman for G. W. Griffin & Company. George L., January 8, 1877, a graduate of Dartmouth College, class of 1901, now in the employ of the Franklin Needle Company, of Franklin. Walter A., May 25, 1885, a student at Dartmouth. Dorothy, February 5, 1887, a student at Wellesley College.

HUNTINGTON The majority of Americans bearing this name are descend- ed from an English emigrant, who was prevented by the inevitable hand of destiny from reaching the land of civil and religious liberty for which he had departed from the land of his birth. The Huntingtons of New England took root in both Massachusetts and Connecticut, and are now widely distributed throughout the United States. Men of this name, descendants of the emi- grant just referred to, have figured prominently in legal, ecclesiastical, financial and business circles, and the name of Samuel Huntington, of Connecti- cut, who represented that colony in the famous gathering at Philadelphia whose deliberations cul- minated in the Declaration of Independence July 4. 1776, is the ninth in the list of delegates who signed that instrument, which must for all time be con- sidered the most sacred document in the archives of the nation. Probably the most modern repre- sentative of the name was the late Dan. Hunting- ton, D. D. Protestant Episcopal bishop of the dio- cesc of Syracuse, New York.

(1) Simon Huntington, his wife, who was before marriage Margaret Baret, of Norwich, England, and his three sons-William, Simon and Samuel, sailed for New England in 1633. He died of small pox during the passage, and his family probably landed in Boston. The earliest reference to them on this side of the ocean is found in the records of the First Church in Roxbury, Massachusetts, where- in is an entry in the handwriting of the Rev. John Eliot as follows: "Margaret Huntington, widow. came in 1633. Her husband died by the way of small pox. She brought children with her." It is quite probable that she was again married, in 1635-36, to Thomas Stoughton, then of Dorchester, and removed to Windsor, Connecticut.

(II) William, probably the eldest son of Simon and Margaret (Baret) Huntington, was of Salis- bury, Massachusetts, in 1640, and later resided in Amesbury. He appears to have been quite promi- nent in both places, owning considerable real estate, and he died in Amesbury in 1689. He married Joanna Bayley, daughter of John Bayley, who went from Salisbury to Newbury in 1650. John Bayley was a passenger on the "Angel Gabriel," which was wrecked on the coast of Maine, having on board a considerable number of emigrants who found their way to the settlements in Massachusetts. William Huntington was the father of John, James and Mary.

(III) John, eldest child of William and Joanna (Bayley) Huntington, was born in Amesbury. in

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August, 1643, and died there about the year 1727. The maiden name of his wife was Elizabeth Hunt, and his children were: Hannah (died young), Mary, Elizabeth, Hannah, Sarah, Susannah, Wil- liam, Samuel and Deborah.

(IV) William, seventh child and eldest son of John and Elizabeth ( Hunt) Huntington, was a lifelong resident of Amesbury. He married Mary Goodwin, January 27, 1708-09, and he was probably the same William Huntington who was married the second time on December 19, 1725, to Mary Colby, a widow. He was the executor of his father's will. Ile was the father of nine children, all born in Amesbury, their names were: John, Lydia. Mary, Sarah, Elizabeth, Deborah, William, Timothy and Judith.

(V) John, eldest child of William and Mary (Goodwin) Huntington, was born in Amesbury, January 5, 1709-10. He resided at the homestead of liis grandfather. His wife, who was before mar- riage Abigail Jones, was a member of the Society of Friends, and their children, some of whom mar- ried among that sect, were: John, Mary, Merriam, Susannah, William, Sarah and Elizabeth.

(VI) John, eldest child of John and Abigail (Jones) Huntington, was born in Amesbury, Au- gust 15, 1737. He married Hannah Wood, who bore him ten children, namely: Jacob, Benjamin, Moses, John, Hannah, Mary, Abigail, Daniel, Sarah and Judith.

(VII) Benjamin, second child of John and Han- nah (Wood) Huntington, was born in Amesbury, April 24. 1760. In early manhood he went to Weare, New Hampshire, and purchased one hun- dred aeres of land lying about a mile west of Clif- ton Grove, which is still known as the old Hunting- ton farm, and he resided there for the remainder of his life. He also bought land in Henniker. The maiden name of his wife was Elizabeth Buxton, and they reared a large family of children, namely : Hannah, born December 13, 1781, married Jonathan Purington, of Lincoln, Vermont; Jacob, the date of whose birth will be found elsewhere; Sarah, born October 9. 1785, became the wife of Robert Gove, of Deering, New Hampshire; Betsey, born Feb- ruary 14, 1788, married Timothy Matthews; Thomas, born February 20,

I791. married Anna Johnson ; Anna, born

in the latter part of 1791, married Daniel Buxton ; Lydia, who died young; John, born August 5, 1797, married Peace Purington; and Benjamin, born Oc- tober 17, 1799, married Sally Buxton for his first wife, and for his second wife Mary A. Beard.

(VIII) Jacob, second child and eldest son of Benjamin and Elizabeth ( Buxton) Huntington, was born September 3, 1783. At the age of nineteen years he went to reside upon a tract of one hundred acres of land in the southern part of Henniker owned by his father, and after purchasing it in small lots he enlarged the property by the addi- tion of adjoining land, leaving at his death, which occurred July 15, 1857, a good farm of one hundred and sixty acres. He was noted for his physical

strength and power of endurance, also as a staunch Whig and a leader in the Anti-Slavery movement, which latter was prompted by his belief in the Quaker doctrine, and he was instrumental in estab- lishing the Friend's Meeting at what is known as the Friend's Settlement in Henniker. His first wife, whom he married May 4, 1809, was Huldah Gove, of Weare, who died October 20, 1819. On February 1, 1823, he married Mehitable Hedding. whose death occurred March 4. 1827. In October, 1829, he married for his third wife Lavinia B. Breed, daughter of Theophilus Breed, of Lynn, Massachu- setts, and she died October 3, 1859. The children of his first union are: Elijah Brown, born June 15, 1811; Elizabeth, born March 29, 1813, married Jacob Huntington, probably a relative, and died September 16, 1838; Sarah G., born May 31, 1815, died June 15, 1834; and Robert G., born May 21, 1817, died October 22, 1819. Of his second marriage there were no children. His third wife bore him four children, namely: Franklin Theophilus, who will be again referred to: Huldah G., born March 23, 1834, married Joshua Buxton, and died in 1905; a son who was born July 25, 1838, and died Septem- ber 27 of the same year; and Joseph John, born March 16, 1840, married Mary T. Gordon, and has three children : Henry, Alice and Arthur.

(IX) Franklin Theophilus, eldest child of Jacob and Lavinia B. (Breed) Huntington, was born in Henniker, August 21, 1830. After concluding his studies at the local academy he turned his atten- tion to agricultural pursuits, and for many years cultivated a farm of one hundred and twenty acres in the southerly part of the town. In 1903 he retired and is now residing with his son in the vil- lage. At one time he was engaged in lumbering and teaming. In polities he is a Republican. His religious affiliations are with the Society of Friends. He married Lavinia Gove, daughter of Zacheus and Hannah Gove, and reared two children: Laura Etta, born May 22, 1854, and is now the wife of John Willis Fowler, of Newbury, New Hampshire ; and Dana Everett, whose birth is recorded in the succeeding paragraph.

(X) Dana Everett, only son of Franklin T. and Lavinia (Gove) Huntington, was horn in Henniker, December 13, 1857. He attended the Clinton Grove Seminary, also a private school in Henniker and his educational opportunities were therefore excel- lent. Commencing the activities of life at the home- stead he has made agriculture a profitable occupa- tion, but has varied the monotony of farm life by engaging in the lumbering business, carrying on both with gratifying success. He cuts and hauls a considerable amount of timber annually, necessi- tating the employment of from thirty-five to forty men and a number of horses. Some three years ago he moved from the homestead to the George Rice farm, which is located about a half mile west of llenniker Village, and carries it on jointly with lis son-in-law, Harry Hatch, keeping from thirty to forty dairy cows and a dozen horses. His hay crop averages about sixty tons per annum, and the

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present year he planted four acres of fodder corn.

Mr. Huntington is one of the most prominent residents of Henniker, and participates actively in civic affairs, having served as a selectinan for the years 1895-98-1900-1901; represented his district in the state legislature in 1899 and 1900; has been supervisor for six years and highway commissioner for four years. In politics he is a Republican but prefers to act independently, supporting the candi- dates who in his estimation are best qualified to hold public office, irrespective of party. He belongs to the Patrons of Husbandry, and was formerly master of Bear Hill Grange.

He was married for the first time August 13, 1879. to Laura A. Woodward, of Antrim, New Hamp- shire, daughter of Sylvester Woodward. She died in 1885, leaving one daughter, Edna L., who is now the wife of Harry Hatch, and their children are: George and Kendall J. Hatch. For his second wife Mr. Huntington married Cora E. Gale, daughter of William H. Gale, of Lynn, Massachusetts. The children of this union are: Bessie M., now attend- ing a Friends' School in Providence, Rhode Island; William F., now in Warner, New Hampshire; Lavinia G., Phebe E., Evelyn G. and Etta L.

LADD A family tradition, which is apparently well founded, asserts that the name of Ladd is of French origin, and that it has existed in England from the time of the con- quest (1066). From Le Lade, which was undoubt- edly the original French spelling, its orthography has been subjected to numerous evolutionary changes, viz: LeLade, Lad, Lade and Ladde, to its present form of Ladd.

(I) The first of this name in America was Daniel Ladd, of Wiltshire, England, who took the required oath of allegiance in order to sail in the ship "Mary and John," Robert Sayres, master, from London, March 24. 1633-34, for New England, and landed at Nantasket in Boston Harbor. He did not settle permanently in Dorchester as did most of his fellow-passengers, but went to Ipswich, where in 1637 he was granted six acres of land, upon which he erected a dwelling, and in 1644 he sold his property there to one Henry Kingsbury. Prior to that date (1639) he had removed to Salisbury, Massachusetts, where he was granted one or more acres for planting purposes, but he shortly after- ward went to Haverhill, Massachusetts, as one of the first settlers in that town. and he resided there until. his death, which occurred July 27, 1693. The christian name of his wife, who accompanied him from England, was Ann, and she died February 9, 1694. Chase, in his "History of Haverhill," says that Daniel Ladd owned and cultivated several farms and was very prominent among the original proprietors. In 1646 he was taxed forty pounds, and in 1659 was granted permission with Theophilus Shatwell to erect a saw-mill on Spigott (Spicket) river. In 1668 he was one of the selectmen, and at the breaking-out of King Philip's war (1675) he, with others was appointed to designate what houses

should be garrisoned. His children were: Eliza- beth, Daniel, Lydia, Mary, Samuel, Nathaniel, Eze- kieł and Sarah. (Mention of Samuel and descend- ants is made in this article).

(II) Nathaniel Ladd, third son and sixth child of Daniel and Ann Ladd, was born in Haverhill, March 10, 1651. When a young man he settled in Exeter. New Hampshire, where he was married July 12, 1678, to Elizabeth Gilman, daughter of Hon. John Gilman, founder of the well-known New Hampshire family of that name. Hon. John Gil- man was a member of the Provincial council under Governor Cranfield, a delegate to the assembly and speaker of the house. For alleged implication in Gove's rebellion against Governor Cranfield, Nathaniel Ladd was examined December 6, 1683, by Judge Barefoot, who accepted the surety of friends for his future good behavior. and he was never brought to trial. In the summer of 1690 he volun- teered in the New Hampshire contingent of an ex- pedition fitted out in Massachusetts to protect the settlers in Maine from the aggressions of the In- dians, and being severely wounded at or near Cape Elizabeth. he returned to Exeter, where he event- ually died from the effects of his injuries. He was the father of seven children: Nathaniel, Elizabeth, Mary, Lydia, Daniel, John and Ann. (Samuel and descendants are noticed at length in this article).

(III) Nathaniel (2), eldest child of Nathaniel (1) and Elizabeth (Gilman) Ladd, was born in Exeter. April 6. 1679. He was a millwright by trade, which he followed in connection with farm- ing, and he also dealt in real estate. He resided in Stratham for a number of years, but returned to Exeter, selling his farm in the former place to his son Paul in 1747, and his brick house in Exeter. a part of which he gave to his son Elisha in 1742, was standing in 1888. His first wife was Catherine. daughter of Edward Gilman, of Exeter; his second wife was Rachel Rawlins, who died in Stratham, July 22, 1717, and his third wife was Mrs. Mary Mercy Hilton, nee Hall, daughter of Kingsley Hall, of Exeter, and widow of Dudley Hilton. His chil- dren of his second union were: Nathaniel, Daniel. Edward and Elias, and those by his third marriage were: Josiah, Paul and Love (twins), Dudley and Mercy.

(IV) Edward, third son and child of Nathaniel Ladd, was born June 22, 1717. He resided in Bel- mont, New Hampshire, and his death occurred July 5, 1789. He married Catherine, daughter of Samuel and Abigail (Gilman) Thing, and she died Febru- ary 10, 1773. The children of this union were: Abigail, born December 7, 1734, died in 1747. Ed- ward, born April 13, 1736. Thing, born July 5, 1738. Nathaniel. born December 25, 1740. Samuel, who will be again referred to. John, born Septem- ber 19, 1746, died April II, 1770. Abigail, born July 21, 1749, died April 19, 1754.

(V) Colonel Samuel, fifth son and child of Ed- ward and Catherine (Thing) Ladd, was born Feb- ritary 21, 1744. He was a resident of Belmont, now Gilmanton, and died April 9, 1801. November 10,

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1768, he married Abigail Flanders, who died June 8, 1803. having been the mother of nine children. namely: Samuel, born December 4, 1769, married Polly Davis. John, born March 25, 1771, married Mehitabel Gale. Edward, born March 22, 1773. married Hannah Holt. Abigail, born January 21, 1777, became the wife of Stephen Perley, and died October 3. 1798. (see Perley V). Jonathan, the date of whose birth is given in the succeeding par- agraph. Dudley. born December 23, 1780, married Abigail Plummer. Mchitabel, born April 5, 1783, became the second wife of Stephen Perley. Thomas, born May 26, 1785, married Eunice Lyford.

(VI) Jonathan, fifth son and sixth child of Colonel Samuel and Abigail (Flanders) Ladd, was born January 21, 1779. He was one of the first settlers at Meredith Bridge. where he became a prosperous merchant and an extensive farmer and real estate owner. In politics he acted with the Democratic party and was an ardent admirer of General Jackson. He died March 16, 1826. On February 17, 1808, he married Rachel, daughter of Colonel Dudley and Martha (Swain) Prescott, and she died in 1815. He married (second), April 17, 1816, Betsey Lawrence. The children of his first union were: Susan Augusta, born February 16. 1810, became the wife of Andrew Watkins. Lucian A., born March 1I, 1812, died December 29 of the same year. Those of his second marriage are : Lucian A., of whom more later. Olive Jane, born June 7, 1824. She was married first to Dr. Knowles, of Northfield. New Hampshire, and second to Dr. D. S. Prescott, of Franklin, New Hampshire.

(VII) Lucian Augustus, eldest son and child of Jonathan and Betsey (Lawrence) Ladd, was born in Laconia, then Meredith Bridge, August 18, IS21. From the public schools of Laconia he went to the Guilford, New. Hampshire, Academy. but was prevented by impaired health from completing the regular course at that institution, and relinquishing his studies at the age of eighteen years he sought and obtained recovery by working in the open air upon the farm which he had inherited from his father. His diligence, good judgment and sound common sense induced his guardian to give him the control of his property some two years prior to his majority, and this display of confidence on the part of his legal protector served to stimulate the youth to still higher achievements in order to prove beyond question his ability to manage his farm without assistance. With a view of obtaining better facilities for carrying out his ideas relative to general farming he sold his property some two years after taking possession of it, and purchased another farm in the vicinity; he made excellent use of the more ample opportunities afforded him for gratifying his ambition to excel in the raising of staple farm products, as well as the breeding of fine cattle. For many years he specialized in the rais- ing of corn, having planted as many as sixteen thousand hills of large and twenty-five thousand hills of a smaller variety in one season, and he was long noted for his success in that branch of

agriculture. When the editor of the Portsmouth Gasette offered a prize of one hundred dollars in. gold to the farmer who could produce one hun- dred bushels of shelled corn to the acre, he became a competitor, and planting his hills twelve inches apart, according to direction of Governor Hill, he not only succeeded in winning, but his yield ex- ceeded the required amount by nearly seven bushels. This agricultural exploit gave him a wide reputa- tion. and at the request of the editor of the Gazette- he prepared for that journal a treatise on the suc- cessful cultivation of corn, which proved exceed- ingly valuable to farmers throughout the New Eng- land states. Having improved the fertility of his land and brought it to the highest state of cultiva- tion obtainable, he never allowed it to deteriorate, and as a result his annual yield of hay and other products were always large and of a superior quality.

After laboring continuously for nearly seventy years, at the expiration of which time he found himself the possessor of nearly two hundred and fifty acres of land, Mr. Ladd retired from the ac- tivities of life and is now enjoying a well earned rest at his home in Laconia, having reached the ripe old age of nearly four score years and ten. This burden of years does not impair his faculties. His excellent memory has frequently proved valu- able to those seeking information relative to local events which transpired in the early period of Laconia's history, and he is now the only person living who can give an account of the erection and dedication of the Congregational Church at Mere- dith Bridge, which occurred sixty-six years ago. The house he now occupies at Meredith Bridge, in which he was born, was built over a hundred years ago by Jolin A. Harper. an early congressman from this state. Some of the original paper hangings still adorn the walls and are in an excellent state of preservation. Mr. Ladd is the oldest person now living who was born and has always resided at Meredith Bridge.

On July 21, 1843, Mr. Ladd married Mary Jane Smith, daughter of Charles Smith, of Gilmanton. The children of this union are: Charles Smith, born June 13, 1844. married Lillia Good. Ann Frances, born August 5, 1849. Frederick Y., born July 27. 1851, married Zoe M. Porter. Clara Jane, born June 2, 1853.

(11) Samuel, second son and fifth child of Daniel and Ann Ladd, lived in the west parish of Haverhill, and his house stood on the site of the- present church there. Chase's "History of Haver- hill" says : "Feb. 22d, 1698, this Samuel Ladd with his son Daniel. and Jonathan Haynes with his son Joseph, who lived in the western part of the town, had started that morning with their teams, con- sisting of a yoke of oxen and a horse each, to bring home some hay which had been cut and stacked the preceding summer in their meadow in the extreme western part of the town. While they were slowly returning, little dreaming of present danger, they suddenly found themselves between

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two files of Indians who had concealed themselves in the bushes on each side of their path. There were seven of them on each side, with guns pre- sented and cocked, and the fathers seeing that it was impossible to escape, begged for quarter. To this the Indians replied, 'boon quarter. boon quarter.' (Good quarter). Young Ladd, who did not relish the idea of being taken prisoner, told his father that he would mount the horse and endeavor to escape, but the old man forbade him to make the attempt, telling him it was better to risk re- maining a prisoner. He cut his father's horse loose, however, and giving him the lash the horse started off at full speed, and though repeatedly fired at by the Indians, succeeded in reaching home and was the means of giving an immediate and general alarm. Two of the Indians then stepped behind the fathers and dealt them a heavy blow upon the head. Mr. Haynes, who was quite aged. instantly fell, but Ladd did not. Another of the savages then stepped before the latter and raised his hatchet as if to strike. Ladd closed his eyes, expecting the blow would fall, but it came not, and when he again opened his eyes he saw the Indian laughing and mocking at his fears. Another immediately stepped behind him and felled him at a blow. The In- dians on being asked why they had killed the old man, said they killed Haynes because 'he was so old he no go with us,' meaning that he was too aged and infirm to travel; and that they killed Ladd, who was a fierce, stern looking man, be- cause 'he so sour.' "

Thus it was that Samuel Ladd died February 22. 1698. His wife, Martha Corliss, whom he mar- ried December 1, 1674, was a daughter of George Corliss, and she bore her husband ten children : Daniel, born November 19, 1676, married Susannalı Hartshorn. Lydia, September 25, 1679, died May 22. 1684. Samuel. May 22, 1682, married Hannah Hartshorn. Nathaniel, September 9, 1684, married Abigail Bodwell. Ezekiel, February 14, 1686, mar- Tied Jemima Foster, of Boxford. David. April 13. 1689. married Hepziba Hazen. Jonathan, April 13, 1689, married Susannah Kingsbury. Abigail, Sep- tember 29. 1691, married Samuel Roberts. John, June 22, 1694, married Mary Merrill. Joseph, May 16, 1697, died June 9. 1697.

(III) Daniel Ladd, of Haverhill, eldest child and son of Samuel and Martha (Corliss) Ladd, was born November 19, 1676, and died June 15, 1751. At the time his father was killed by the In- dians he was made prisoner by them and carried to Penacook, New Hampshire. His first attempt to escape was defeated through his indiscretion in try- ing to secure a hatchet from a wigwam in which was a sick squaw, and after that he was bound hand and foot. laid on his back, with one foot tied to a tree, and was kept in that manner fourteen days. His face, too, was gashed and powder was put in the wounds, making a permanent discoloration. He was kept a prisoner some years, but eventually escaped and returned to his home in Haverhill. He married, November 17, 1701, Susannah Harts-

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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. II, Part 107

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: 874

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: 874