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 111

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 111

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HOLDEN

This family, like many others of this state, springs from a Puritan ances- tor, and existed in Massachusetts for

generations before it was represented in New Hampshire. The ingenuity, industry and sound busi- ness integrity of the later generations have given its members honorable and influential positions in the communities where they reside. The immigrant ancestors were sons of a "younger son," the brother of an English Lord. While Richard Hloulding (the ancient spelling of the name) was being escorted to jail by the sheriff for attending a Dissenters' meeting, his uncle appeared riding in his coach, and thus accosted the officer : "'Tis a pity to carry this poor young man to prison; he is my nephew." Through this influence the sheriff agreed to release his pris- oner on condition that he agree to attend no more dissenting meetings. The young man was silent, upon which his uncle became incensed and thus addressed him: "These men act like gentlemen in offering to release you; therefore, comply with their

request !" After some deliberation he promised to attend no more Dissenters' meetings in that country, and was accordingly released. He immediately set about preparing to join the Puritan colonists in America, and the passenger list of the ship "Francis," which sailed from Ipswich, England, in April, 1634, contained the names of Richard Hould- ing, aged twenty-five, and Justinian, twenty-three.

(I) Richard Holden, born about 1609, settled in Watertown, Massachusetts, upon arrival in Amer- ica, and died there March 1, 1698. His wife, Martha Fosdick, died December 6, 1681.

(II) Samuel Holden, son of Richard and Martha (Fosdick) Holden, was born June 8, 1650, and died in 1739. He married Anna - -, born in 1659, died 1731.

(III) Samuel (2), son of Samuel (1) and Anna (possibly Lawrence) Holden, was born July 23, 1699, died October 12, 1761. He married Elizabeth Dix, born May 3, 1679, died January 10, 1774.

(IV) Samuel (3), son of Samuel (2) and Eliza- beth (Dix) Holden, was born October 13, 1729, and died March 12, 1800. He married, June 16, 1757, Martha Call, born April 20, 1734, died De- cember 13, 1830.

(V) Asa, son of Samuel (3) and Martha (Call) Holden, was born December II. 1773, and died May 29, 1856. He was a shoemaker, and also car- ried on a small farm. He had a large family of boys, and he bound out several of them to service as was the general custom in those days. He mar- ried January 1, 1801, Nancy Wyman, born Novem- ber 5, 1777, died December 11, 1833.

(VI) Daniel, son of Asa and Nancy (Wyman) Holden, was born at Billerica, Massachusetts, April 20, 1809, and was the fifth of the eight children of his parents. At the age of nine, Daniel was bound out to service to Dr. Sylvanus Plympton, of Wo- burn, Massachusetts, to remain until he should be eighteen years old. Dissatisfaction with his treat- ment caused him to run away to his home when he was thirteen, and with characteristic decision and energy he refused to return to the employ of the doctor. He was employed for several years by the farmers of Billerica, and obtained what education he could in the common schools till he was thirteen years old, and then his scholastic education stopped. When twenty years old he left Billerica and obtained work in the flannel mill of H. G. Howe, of Tewkes- bury, with the view of earning enough money to set himself up in farming. He was first employed at eight dollars per month with board, and later at twelve dollars per month, his wages being raised on account of faithfulness and industry. Ile soon obtained a complete knowlege of the process of flannel manufacture, and at the end of three years, when only twenty-three years of age, he engaged to run mill for his employer by contract. In 1837 he was appointed superintendent of the Chelmsford Company in that part of Lowell which was then Dracut, where he remained until 1847. In that year he removed to West Concord, New Hamp- shire, and in company with his older brother, Ben- jamin F. Holden, began the manufacture of woolen

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goods. Benjamin died November 29, 1874, up to which time the partnership continued. In 1874 a corporation was formed under the name of Con- cord Manufacturing Company, of which Daniel Holden became treasurer and agent. While in partnership with his brother in carrying on the mills in Concord, he accepted, in 1853, the position of superintendent of the Saxonville Mills in Framing- ham, Massachusetts, and held that place for three years. In 1856 he returned to Concord and resumed his position as manager in the partnership with his brother, which had not been severed by his absence. In I891 a new mill was crected at Penacook, and in 1903 the entire business was moved to that point by his sons, who succeeded him in its management. He passed away at his home in West Concord, April II, 1899, aged almost ninety years.

During his long business life, Mr. Holden de- voted himself almost entirely to the development of his business, rarely permitting himself to be drawn into public affairs. As a citizen of Concord, how- ever, he felt it his duty when called upon to serve the city, and was alderman in 1874 and representa- tive in the legislature in 1865-66 and 1875. A keen desire for knowledge made him a constant and in- dustrious reader from boyhood, and he also made use of another great avenue of knowledge, travel. He delighted in the study of astronomy, and his library included the standard authorities on that subject. He was also a deep student of the Bible, and was no mean expounder of his faith in the ul- timate salvation of all mankind. He was very firmly fixed in his principles, and could hardly tolerate the existence of a Democratic party, as opposed to his own, the Republican. He did not care for money, and his moderate competence was the result, rather, of his never-tiring diligence, than of superior busi- ness judgment or of greed for gain. He possessed a large and strong body, which enabled him to out- wear all others in severe application and, while somewhat belligerent in disposition, avoided quar- rels and was widely respected as a man and citizen.

Mr. Holden married (first), in 1834, Sarah Haynes, born September 14, 1814, in Sudbury, Mass- achusetts, and died January 25, 1843, in Dracut, same state, leaving four children. She was a daugh- ter of Reuben and Roxy (Puffer) Haynes, of Sudbury. Her children were accounted for as fol- lows: George E., born January 1, 1835, in Lowell, died May 24, 1874, at West Concord. Saralı Jane, born November 3, 1838, in Dracut, died in Burling- ton, Massachusetts, November 23, 1861. Wyman Washington, born November 6, 1840, in Dracut, resides at Bethel, Vermont. Lucy Lavonia, born July 15, 1842, in Dracut, passed away April 29, 1903, in West Concord. Mr. Holden married (second), June 10, 1844, in Lowell, Massachusetts, Roxana Haynes, sister of his first wife. She was born December 28, 1817, in Sudbury, and died March 4, 1900, at her home in West Concord, being survived by five of her seven children, noted as fol- lows: Farwell P., born in Dracut, Massachusetts, June 21, 1845, died March 28, 1902, in Penacook. Edward Daniel, born in West Concord, July II,

1848, died March 19, 1902, in Lowell. Ella Roxana, born in West Concord, May 6, 1850, died December 26, 1902, unmarried. Paul Reuben, born in West Con- cord, April 6, 1852. Louisa Puffer, born in Saxon- ville, Massachusetts, May 20, 1855, died in West Con- cord, July 17, 1857. Grace Edith, born in West Con- cord February 7, 1857, died in West Concord, Au- gust 13, 1881, unmarried. Adam Putnam, born in West Concord, March 17, 1861.

(VII) Paul Reuben, fourth child of Daniel and Roxana (Haynes) Holden, was born April 6, 1852. He was educated in the public schools and graduated from the high school of Concord. Im- mediately after leaving school he entered his father's mill, and gradually worked his way up to a thor- ough knowledge of the business. He was elected treasurer of Concord Manufacturing Company of Penacook in 1899, and has since held that position. He is a trustee of the Merrimack County Savings Bank, and of the City Public Library. He is a member of the Universalist Church, and in matters political votes the Republican ticket.

(VII) Adam Putnam, seventh child of Daniel and Roxana (Haynes) Holden, was born Novem- ber 17, 1861. He acquired his education in the pub- lic schools of Concord, graduating from the high school in 1881. His life has been principally spent in attending to the business of the mills his father and uncle founded, and which he has thoroughly mastered in all its details. He is a trustee of the New Hampshire Savings Bank. He married, Oc- tober 15, 1903, Harriet Sophira Sawyer, of Napa, California.

MURPHY This is one of the ancient Celtic names that has given to this country much of its best blood, and is borne by many of the most enterprising, successful and energetic citizens of the nation. In Chicago the most eminent surgeon bears the name, in New York it is identified prominently with public affairs, and merchants, manufacturers and artisans without number are known by this patronymic everywhere.

The first of a prominent Concord family in this country was Bartholomew Murphy, a native of Kill- conda, county Cork, Ireland, who came to America when a young man. His parents were buried in Killcrea Abbey, in county Cork. He was em- ployed in youth as a farmer and coachman, and after his arrival in this country soon settled at Concord, and was employed for many years in rail- road construction. Of good habits he was never idle, but death took him soon after he was fifty years old, about 1870. He married, in Concord, Mary McCue, born about 1818, in Dunemore, county Donegal, Ireland, and came to this country while young. She lived to a good age, dying July 8, 1900, in Concord. She was the mother of four children, two of whom died in childhood. Left with young children to care for, by the death of her husband, she had a hard struggle to keep her little family together, but she was industrious and frugal, and lived to see her living sons established well in life, and to be tenderly cared for by then. The younger,

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Jeremialı B., has for many years been connected with the business conducted by his brother, and is a capable business man. He is a bachelor.

David Edward, elder son of Bartholomew and Mary (McCue) Murphy, was born October 15, 1859, in Concord, and was only eleven years old when his father was taken away. He received a grammar school education, and was obliged to begin to sup- port himself at a very early age. He subsequently spent considerable time in an evening school taught by Professor George E. Gay, of Concord. With native talent, he has readily absorbed knowledge by contact with the world, and is reckoned among the leading citizens of his native city at the present time. When fourteen years old he was employed by F. B. Underhill & Company, dry goods merchants of Concord, and thus began a most successful mer- cantile career. He was busied in carrying hundles and making himself generally useful, gradually working up until the firm of Underhill & Com- pany sold out-a period of six years-when he en- tered the employ of their successors as a clerk. Here he remained some years, and then entered the em- ploy of another concern where he remained two years. In 1886 he saw an opening for business on his own account, and started what has since grown into his present large mercantile establishment. He began with a moderate stock of goods, employing four clerks. The demands of the trade have twice necessitated the enlargement of his store, which is now one of the leading mercantile establishments of the state, employing twenty-five clerks regu- larly, and as high as fifty in busy season, and hand- ling all kinds of goods usually found in a large general department store. Besides his mercantile business Mr. Murphy has an interest in the financial factors of Concord, and is trustee of the Union Guarantee Savings Bank, and vice-president of the Concord Board of Trade. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus, and has served as an officer of the state organization of that fraternity.' He is a self-made man, and still young. His success in life is due to his uniformly courteous treatment of those he meets and his careful attention to detail.

He married, April 26, 1905, Katherine L. Pren- tice, daughter of Edmund Ashley and Mary Fanny Prentice, of New York.

This old New England name is sup- CALEF posed to have been of Scotch origin, and was originally written Calfe in the colonial records. The family, of whose existence previous to the settlement of Robert Calef, the im- migrant, in Massachusetts, we have no knowledge, was made very prominent in the first century of Massachusetts history by the conspicuous positions of Robert, the father, as an author, and Robert, the son, as a leading inerchant.

(I) Robert Calef came to America in 1638 from England and settled in Roxbury, where lic died April 13, 1719. Very little is known of him. Robert Calef was the author of "More Wonders of the In- visible World," in which he emphatically denounced the witchcraft theories of Cotton and Increase

Mather and others, which brought about a very spirited controversy. Doubts have been expressed as to whether Robert, the immigrant, or his son Robert, the merchant of Boston, was the author of this work. Hon. Arthur B. Calef, late of Middle- town, Connecticut, who made a study of the Calef family in America and collected many family records, wrote in 1899: "There is no reason to believe that the son Robert was the author, both by reason of his probable youth, and also because there is a copy with the autograph of the author in the Lenox Library, at New York, which was presented by Robert the elder to Governor Bell- ingham, and the writing corresponds with that of Robert the immigrant, as seen on the records." Robert was a man of great ability, clear discern- ment and high moral courage. His name has de- scended to posterity for the able and decisive inan- ner in which he exposed the outrageous proceed- ings against persons accused of witchcraft. His action at the time helped to put an end to the out- break and prevented a recurrence of its horrors, which its instigators attempted to revive; thereby he undoubtedly saved the lives of many innocent persons. His wife, Mary, survived him, and died November 12, 1719. Their children were: Joseph, John, Jermiah, Robert, Martha and Mary.

(II) John Calef was a clothier and lived in Newbury, Massachusetts, where he signed a peti- tion for the grant of Nottingham, New Hampshire. He is believed to have been a descendant of Robert Calef. He was one of the original grantees of Chester and sold his right to Tristram Knight and Thomas Pike of Newbury in January, 1725. He had in 1724 bought half the right of Amos Cass, and settled upon that. Cass had built a house on Lot No. 100, and here Calef lived as early as 1734 In that year he purchased one and one-half lots adjoining, and had an amend- ment laid out in 1735, consisting of eighty acres and in the same year received from the pro- prietors a grant for building a fulling mill. He built the mill but moved it later. In 1745, he sold two home lots to Towle of Exeter. He was chosen one of a committee, March 9, 1734, to adjust the selectmen's accounts, and subsequently held various. offices. Ilis will was dated March 11, 1748, and was proved May 25, of the same year, indicating the time of death. He was married in 1702, to Deborah King, of Boston, and their children were: John, Deborah, William, Mary, James, King, Joseph, Dan- iel and Robert.

(III) Joseph, fifth son and seventh child of John Calef, was born October 31, 1718, in Newbury, and settled in that part of Chester which is now Auburn, on additional Lot No. 64, and his house stood for about a century and a half. Ile died December 21, 1793. He was married, September 30, 1746, to Elizabeth Jewell, of Amesbury. They lost five young children, who died of throat distemper. On one or more occassions, while they were at the grave with one child, another died. Their surviving off- spring were: Jonathan, Joseph and David.

(IV) David, youngest son of Joseph and Eliza-

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beth (Jewell) Calef, married Mary Haselton in 1792, and lived for a time on the paternal homestead. Subsequently he exchanged farms with James Emerson, and resided in Londonderry. Both he and his wife lived to the age of eighty-four years. They had John, Johnathan, Stephen, Mary, Betsy and Ruth.

(V) John, eldest son of David and Mary ( Hasel- ton) Calef, was born January 4, 1798, in Chester, where he grew up. When a young man he went to Goff's Falls and worked in a saw mill, where he acquired a knowledge of machinery. By industry and prudent care of his earnings he was enabled in time to become the owner of a mill, operated a carding mill and also wove woolen cloth. In 1850 he sold his mill to Waterman Smith and purchased a farm about a mile and a half above Goff's Falls, where he engaged in farming on a large scale. His land lay in the intervale along Merrimack river, and included the hills east of his home. In partner- ship with Cyrus Moore he engaged largely in lum- bering operations and was often employed by others to survey timber. His judgment was considered very good, and through that and his services as justice of the peace, he was universally called "Judge Calef." He was strictly temperate, a hater of to- bacco and the friend of good order in everything. Of genial nature and always in good humor, his companionship was eagerly sought, and his friends were limited in number only to his acquaintances. He was a lieutenant of militia, was a regular at- tendant of the Methodist Church and represented the town in the legislature. He was an old line Whig and one of the founders of the Republican party. He had nearly completed eighty-five years of life when he passed away, December 25, 1882. He was married about 1825, to Eliza Webster, who was born October, 1805, in Manchester, a daughter of David and Elizabeth (Palmner) Webster also natives of Manchester. David was a son of Enos Webster, who had three hundred and twenty-one acres of land on the east side of the Merrimack river, a part of which was subsequently owned and occupied by "Judge" Calef. The latter was the Father of five children: Rufus, the eldest, died in Man- chester, at the age of fifty years; Eliza Jane died, unmarried, at the homestead; Mary Ann is the widow of James M. Miller, residing in Manchester ; Caroline is the widow of C. C. Webster, and resides on the paternal homestead (see Webster VII) ; Sarah Harriet, the youngest, died at the age of seven years.

(VI) Rufus, eldest child of John and Eliza (Webster) Calef, was born in 1826, at Goff's Falls, and became a partner with his father in the opera- tion of a mill there. During the civil war he was a clerk in the office of the paymaster general of the army at Washington and was subsequently a yard foreman of the Blood locomotive works in Man- chester. During his last years he operated a steam laundry in that city, where he died April, 1876. He was a member of the Masonic Fraternity and a sound Republican. He was married in 1851, to Nancy A. Martin, who was born in Norwood, New

York, and died in Washington, D. C., 1865. She was the mother of three children. Of these, Arthur went to the south and his fate is now unknown to his family; John F. is mentioned further below ; Martha Caroline died in infancy.

(VII) John Franklin, son of Rufus and Nancy A. (Martin) Calef, was born November 1, 1857, in Manchester, where he now resides. For several years he has been employed as a traveling salesman and makes his home on the homestead of his grand- father, John Calef. He was married, February 15, 1882, to Rosa Ellen Doyle, who was born at South Royalton, Vermont, a daughter of James and Sarah (Shurtleff) Doyle, natives respectively of Ireland and Bridgewater, Vermont.

There is a family tradition MONTGOMERY that this family was founded by an immigrant who landed at Portsmouth, but the family tradition also says that he was born in Scotland or Northern Ireland, which makes it quite probable that he came with the large body of Scotch-Irish immigrants which landed on these shores in the fall of 1718. Many of these spent the winter on the Maine coast, and they and their children settled, to some extent, in the vicinity of the Piscataqua river.

(I) Among the immigrants who came in the famous expedition in 1718 were Hugh Montgomery and his wife, Jean. They were probably natives of Northern Ireland, horn of Scotch parents or of Scotch descent. They settled with many of their compatriots in Londonderry, New Hampshire. Their children were: Elizabeth, Mary, Hugh and Daniel.

(I]) Hugh (2), elder son and third child of Hugh and Jean Montgomery, was born July 29, 1726, in Londonderry, New Hampshire, and is un- doubtedly the Hugh Montgomery, who settled in Barrington, then sometimes called New Portsmouth, where he was a farmer and owned a large tract of land. He was the first town clerk of Barrington, and filled that office during the years 1753-54-55- He married a Miss Mcclintock.

(III) John, son of Hugh Montgomery, was born in Barrington and spent his life in that town.

(IV) Jonathan, son of John Montgomery, was born in Barrington, and resided there. He owned a large farm said to have been a mile square, after- ward known as the Montgomery estate. He mar- ried in Barrington, March 13, 1777, Mary Hayes.

(V) John (2), son of Jonathan and Mary (Hayes) Montgomery, was born in Barrington. He was a farmer, a man of good education and taught school winters. He married Abigail Pit- man, of Barnstead.

(VI) Colonel David Knowlton, son of John (2) and Abigail ( Pitman) Montgomery, was born in Strafford, November. 1807, and died in Portsmouth, February 14, 1889, aged eighty-one. He was edu- cated in the common schools of his native town, and in Strafford Seminary. He inherited the upper half of the old Montgomery estate on which he resided. Besides carrying on his farm he was

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engaged in the general merchandise business in Strafford, Barnstead and Dover. Being a man of large means and much interested in military af- fairs, he raised and equipped the Strafford Rifle Company of Strafford. of which he was captain for some years, finally resigning. He was afterward appointed adjutant and colonel of militia. He was an energetic, public-spirited and popular man. He was married September 17, 1835, in Strafford, by Rev. John Winkley, to Mary Ann Winkley, daugh- ter of Deacon John Winkley, of Strafford. Their children were: John Samuel, David Henry and Loring Porter.

(VII) David Henry, son of Colonel David K. and Mary Ann (Winkley) Montgomery, was born in Strafford, April 1, 1839, and died in Roxbury, Massachusetts, November 13, 1885. He lived on his father's farm in early life, but while still young removed to Portsmouth and became a clerk in a grocery store. In 1865 he opened a music store on Daniel street, where he carried on business about six years, and then removed to Market street, and remained until 1878, when he removed to Pleasant street, and continued in business at what is now known as the Montgomery store. He was a cap- able business man, and left a good estate. He mar- ried Abigail Garland Perkins, of Rye, New Hamp- shire.

(VIII) Horace Perkins, second son and second child of David H. and Abigail G. (Perkins) Mont- gomery, was born in Portsmouth, December 21, 1866. He was educated in the public schools of Portsmouth and at Colby Academy, New London. His father died when he was nineteen years old, and he returned home to take charge of the estate. In 1896 he bought the music store which he has conducted until the present time. He is vice-presi- dent of the Merchants' Exchange, and a director of the board of trade. In politics he is an Independent. He is a past master of St. Andrew's Lodge, No. 56, Free and Accepted Masons ; a member of Washing- ton Royal Arch Chapter, No. 3: also a past grand of Osgood Lodge, No. 48, Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

He married, in North Andover, Massachusetts, June 23, 1897, Josephine Battles, born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, November 12, 1865, daughter of Joseph P. and Sarah (Oliver) Battles, of North Andover, Massachusetts. They have one child, David Kemble, born February 14, 1905.

Primeval solitude prevailed over WALDRON the greater part of the Granite State when the ancestor of the fam- ily written of in this article settled in Concord.

(I) Isaac Waldron must have been in Rum- ford, formerly Penny Cook, now Concord, as early as his marriage in 1742. He first appear's in the records. March 2, 1743, when his son Jacob was born. There are records of him at Rumford, June 14, 1744; March 8, 1745, as "field driver": May 15, 1746, on duty at garrison house. 1751, December 23, Isaac Waldron is mentioned as grantee, resi- dence Nottingham West, now Hudson; 1761, Sep-

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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 111

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