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 51

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 51

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William L., second child and eldest son of Wil- liam and Belinda (Rogers) Rowell, was born in Gorham, New Hampshire, October 31, 1834. At ten years of age he was taken with his father's family to Lancaster, and lived on the farm with them until 1849, when he learned the trade of car- penter with the late O. E. Freeman, and was em- ployed by him until 1855, after which he conducted the business of carpenter and builder, in addition to that of real estate, settling estates before the probate courts and bankrupt estates before the United States court. In 1878 he retired from the more laborious occupations, and in 1905 became collector for the law firm of Drew & Jordan, and is now ( 1907) still serving in that capacity. Mr. Rowell is a man of patriotic spirit, being'a descend- ant of Revolutionary stock, his grandfather being in the service in 1812, and six of the Rowells in the battle of Bunker Hill, under General Stark. He enlisted from Lancaster as private in Company A. Seventeenth New Hampshire Volunteer Infan- try, October 18, 1862, and was mustered into the

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United States service November 22, 1862, and ap- pointed a sergeant the same day. He served until April 16, 1863, when he was mustered out. He has always taken a decided interest in all matters pertaining to the Grand Army of the Republic, and was a charter member of Colonel Edward E. Cross Post, No. 16, which was originally organized Janu- ary 16, 1869. Through the efforts of Mr. Rowell interest was aroused in what was once called Meeting House Common, which was graded under his direction and many of the trees were planted by him, which was finally placed under the care of Cross Post about 1884, and is now a delightful park. For many years Mr. Rowell served as a member of the board of fire wards. He also served as a member of the board of health for several years, overseer of the poor many years, and is now ( 1907) a trustee of the cemetery. He is a member of North Star Lodge, No. 8, Free and Accepted Masons of Lancaster; North Star Royal Arch Chapter, No. 8, and North Star Commandery, Knights Templar. He filled all the chairs in the lodge except treasurer, master, and was a delegate to the grand lodge, and also many offices in the various bodies. He is one of the eight trustees of the North Star Corporation, which owns the Masonic building in Lancaster, and as manager has had the custody of the building since its purchase in 1884.

William L. Rowell married, at Lancaster, New Hampshire, April 4, 1856, Martha A. Le Gro, born in Jefferson, New Hampshire, April 10, 1837, daughter of David and Sarah (Hodgdon) Le Gro, of Jefferson, and granddaughter of Dr. Samuel Le Gro, one of the first settlers of Lancaster. The Le Gros were of French origin, direct descendants of Sir Thomas Le Gro, of Crostwick, England, who was knighted by James I at the Charter House in 1603. Dr. Samuel Le Gro, the old settler, was born in Somersworth, January 23, 1767. He studied medicine with Dr. Kiteridge, of Ports- mouth, and moved with his family, consisting of a wife and four children, from Lebanon, Maine, to Lancaster, New Hampshire, in the winter of 1796- 97. After a blustering journey of thirteen days through the White Mountain Notch, they arrived at his home in Lancaster, known as Le Gro Hill, on the Jefferson road. The house built by him is still standing, but was recently sold after having been in the Le Gro family for more than one hundred years. Dr. Le Gro practiced medicine all through the country, riding horseback with his leather saddle-bags across his saddle. He used to go to Portsmouth on horseback after his medi- cines, except roots, herbs and barks, which he used to quite an extent in his practice. On April 4, 1906, Mr. and Mrs. William L. Rowell celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their wedding at their home on Pleasant street, and many friends called to offer congratulations. The minister who per- formed the wedding ceremony, Rev. Josiah Hooper, pastor of the Methodist Church at that time, is still living at Mill Village (1907), at the age of eighty- seven years. A pretty incident of the day was the placing of a beautiful diamond ring by Mr. Rowell on the finger of his bride of fifty years in anticipa- tion of their seventy-fifth anniversary. Four chil- dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. Rowell, namely : Amos Fremont, see forward. David Eugene, regis- ter of deeds of Coos county, now ( 1907) serving as master of the Masonic Lodge. Carrie, married Gilbert E. Lane, of Lancaster. William L., Jr., an ex- pert monotypist, employed in Boston, Massachu- setts.

Amos Fremont, eldest child of William L. and Martha A. (Le Gro) Rowell, was born February 1, 1857, died August 3, 1903. He was educated in the public schools of Lancaster, and after the com- pletion of his course went to St. Johnsbury, Ver- mont, where he passed a few years in fitting for the trade of job printer. His tutor was his uncle, one of the best men at the business in Vermont. On his return to Lancaster he worked at his trade, and later, with Cyrus Bachelder purchased the Coos Republican, but abandoned it after five years. Job printing and sign painting, at which he was very skillful, took his time until 1890, when with Charles R. Bailey he purchased the Lancaster Gasatte. In 1897 he purchased his partner's interest, and con- ducted the business ably until his death. Mr. Rowell was a Knight Templar, a Thirty-second degree Mason, serving as master of his lodge, and a Knight of Pythias. He was a communicant and strong supporter of the local Episcopal Church. When death came to Amos F. Rowell, the band of newspaper men in New Hampshire lost a brother whose record might well be copied, teaching gener- osity, fairness, fraternity and public spirit to a degree that has never been excelled if equalled. The business and social record of Mr. Rowell com- manded and demanded the deep respect and rever- ence of his townspeople. As an editor he was ever ready to further all causes deserving support, abet- ted movements of public benefit, was generous to churches, organizations and charities, and absolutely opposed to the small, petty comment and criticism characteristic of too many weekly papers. As a man he was open-hearted, sympathetic, reserved and · genial. Among the mourners at his funeral services were business men who remembered his staunch integrity, friends who remembered his past kind- nesses and words of cheer, and men of secret fra- ternities who remembered how he not only as- sociated with them but also worked with them.

This family, which has been repre- ENGLISH sented in New England since the first part of the eighteenth century, furnished hardy pioneers to subdue the forest and spread civilization in Vermont in or soon after Revolutionary times.

(I) David English was born in England in 1661, and died in England, September 6, 1704, aged forty-three. May 27. 1688, being then twenty-seven years of age, lie married Elizabeth Arnold, by whom he had five children : Richard, Elizabeth, Solomon, Reuben and Sophia.

(II) Richard, eldest son and child of David and Elizabeth (Arnold) English, was born in Eng- land, June 6, 1690, and died in Rhode Island, March, 1776, aged eighty-six. He emigrated to America in 1710, on the brig "Swallow" and landed at New- port, Rhode Island, February 17, 1712. He mar- ried Mary Hinksman, of Newport, Rhode Island, and they had one child, John, whose sketch fol- lows.

(III) John, only son of Richard and Mary (Hinksman) English, was born in Newport, Rhode Island, August 8, 1713, and died October 18, 1758. He married, November 9, 1737, Abigail Newcomb. who died January 28, 1785. Their children were : Alice, died young; John, died young; Richard, Alice, John, Abigail, died young; Mary, Abel, Ze- phaniah and Joel.

(IV) John (2), fifth child and third son of John (1) and Abigail (Newcomb) English, was born March 22, 1745. He married (first) Hannah

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Longfellow, who died childless. He married (sec- ond), October 31, 1771, Christiana Coggswell, who died April 3, 1796. Their children were as follows : llannah, Abigail, Ann, Olive, died young: Mary, John, died young; Zephaniah, Olive, Charles, John, Abel and Sophia.

(V) John (3), tenth child and fourth son of John (2) and Christiana (Coggswell) English, was born December 17, 1789. lle was a farmer by oc- cupation and resided in Waitsfield, Vermont, where he died aged seventy. He married Mary, daughter of Benjamin Carey, of Hartland, Vermont. She died aged eighty years. Their children were: An infant; Melvina, Verona and John W., whose sketch follows.

(VI) John Waldron, youngest child of John (3) and Mary (Carey) English, was born in Waits- field, Vermont, June 13. 1824, and died in Littleton, May 23, 1891. He was a life-long farmer. When fifteen years old he accompanied his parents on their removal to Hartland, where he remained till he was twenty years old. He then obtained employment in the Amoskeag Mill at Manchester, New Hamp- shire, where he worked five years, part of the time as overseer. With his savings he bought a farm in Hartland, Vermont, where he made his first home and resided a few years. He then sold out and removed to South Woodstock, Vermont, where he stayed until 1866, when he removed to Little- ton, New Hampshire. There he bought a farm in the northern part of the town, on which he lived fifteen years, then sold it and removed to a small place near Glenwood Cemetery, where he did some- thing at farming, and for fourteen years, until the time of his death, was sexton of the cemetery. In religious belief he was a Universalist. He was a Democrat in politics, and held the office of select- man, 1869, 1873, and was supervisor in 1880-81-82- 83, and was for years justice of the peace. He was a member of Burns Lodge, No. 66, Free and Accepted Masons, of Littleton.

He married (first), March 27, 1850, Mary E. Colby, who was born in Henniker, August 28, 1825, and died in Hartland, Vermont. August 16, 1851. He married (second), July 16, 1852, Melissa Hub- bard, who was born in Littleton, August 7, 1828, daughter of Amos and Abigail (Smith) Hubbard, both of whom were born in Chesterfield, New Hampshire. Amos Hubbard bought a tract of land covered with the virgin forest which he cleared and made into a fine farm on which he erected good buildings. Hle lived to be ninety-two years old. His wife died aged sixty-six years. John W. and Melissa English had three children: Frank C .. died young: Fred H., mentioned below: and Eu- gene G., born December 10, 1865, who married Fanny Wilson, and now lives in Spokane, Wash- ington.

(VII) Fred Hubbard, second son of John W.

and Melissa (Hubbard) English, was born in Woodstock, Vermont, January 8, 1858. At an early age he was brought to Littleton, New Hampshire. After attending the district and high schools of Littleton, where he received a practical education, he was in the employ of Charles E. Tilton, of Til- ton, New Hampshire, as general overseer of his estate for three years. In 1877 he formed a partner- ship with Fred E. Thorp, and as Thorp & English they carried on the stove and tinware business for one year. Mr. English then sold out his business, and returned in 1879 to Littleton, where he bought the interest of Charles Taylor in the firm of South-

worth, Lovejoy & Taylor, and for the ensuing three years was a member of the firm of Southworth, Lovejoy & English, dealers in general merchandise. Mr. English disposed of his interest March I, 1883, and bought out H. F. Green of the firm of Eaton & Green, and for the next three years was a member of the firm of Eaton & English, dealers in groceries and provisions, and having full charge of the busi- ness, his partner being away most of the time. In 1886 F. P. Bond bought Mr. Eaton's interests and the firm of English & Bond was formed which con- ducted a flourishing business until January 1, 1901. Mr. English then bought his partner's interest and has since enlarged the store and increased the stock until now this is considered the largest store in the state north of Concord devoted exclusively to the sale of groceries and provisions.

Mr. English is a clearheaded and successful business man, and for years has been active in the business circles and municipal affairs of the town. He formerly owned the Littleton Machine Com- pany, was director of the Littleton Shoe Company, was joint assignee of the company with James H. Bailey, and sold the company's property to Sears- Roebuck & Company of Chicago, is secretary and treasurer of the Jaune River Lumber Company, of Littleton, and a director of the Littleton National Bank. He is a staunch Democrat; has been select- man two years, overseer of the poor two terms, member of the board of health three years. member of the board of education twelve years, justice of the peace fifteen years. is a member of the Littleton sinking fund committee, member of the board of trustees of Littleton Library, clerk of the board of trustees of Littleton Hospital, and chairman of the building committee, and was chairman of the com- mittec on building the Kilburn school building. He is a member of Burns Lodge, No. 66, Free and Accepted Masons, of which he was secretary six years; Franklin Royal Arch Chapter, No. 5. of Lisbon ; Omega Council, No. 9. Royal and Select Masters; St. Gerard Commandery, Knights Temp- lar, of Littleton, of which he is a past eminent commander ; and Edward A. Raymond Consistory. Thirty-second degree, Sublime Princes of the Royal Secret, of Nashua, of which he is senior warden. He is also a member of Bektash Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of Concord. He is a member of the executive com- mittee of the Littleton Musical Association. a mem- ber of Coshockee Club, and was secretary of the Littleton Driving Park Association for twelve years.

He married. in Lisbon, New Hampshire, July 31, 1882, Claribel Richardson, who was born in Lisbon, New Hampshire, 1859. daughter of Edward B. and Verona (Dailey) Richardson, of Lisbon.

(1) John Richardson, the great-grandfather of Mrs. English, was born in Rhode Island, and settled in Lisbon, New Hampshire, in the carly part of the last century, place unknown. He owned and culti- vated a large farm and operated a grist and a lin- seed oil mill. He was a Whig, and he and his family were members of the Methodist Church. He married Olive Dailey, a native of Rhode Island, and they were the parents of a large family.

(2) David, son of John and Olive (Dailey) Richardson, was born in Lisbon, New Hampshire, 1706. He was educated in the district schools of Lisbon and Littleton, New Hampshire, and suc- ceeded his father in his farming and milling. He married Priscilla Albee, daughter of Alex. Alhee, of Littleton. They were the parents of eight chil-

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dren : Hannah, Charles, Eliza, Caroline, Alhee, Byron, Edward B., next mentioned, George C.

(3) Edward B., son of David and Priscilla (Albee) Richardson, born in Lisbon, New Hamp- shire, 1835, now living. He was educated in the schools of Lisbon. He learned the machinist's trade and was employed in various places. He married, in 1858, Verona Dailey, of Lisbon, who was born in Lyman, New Hampshire, 1840, daugh- ter of Russell and Betsey (Barrett) Dailey, of Ly- man. Four children were born of this marriage: Clarihel, Clarence E., Marshall D. and Angie M.

This old English family is not very ILSLEY numerously represented in New Hamp- shire, but it has descendants in the state who have contributed ably to the development of its social, moral and material welfare, and are now numbered among its most conspicuous citizens. After a residence of more than two hundred years in Massachusetts, the line herein traced is found in New Hampshire.

(1) William Ilsley came from Wiltshire. Eng- land, in the month of April, 1638, in the ship "Con- fidence" of London, two hundred tons, John Jobson, master. With him came his wife Barbara, his brother John, and Philip Davis, his servant. Wil- liam and John were entered in the ship's list as shoemakers, but in the records in Essex county William is mentioned as "yeoman" and John as a "barber." The occupation of shoemaker is applied to William once, after his settlement in Newbury, when he received a grant of land from the town. In the passenger list of the "Confidence" the family name of William and John is spelled Ilslbey, which carries no significance when we consider the cus- tom of the period in spelling surnames in the man- ner most convenient to the scribe who wrote it; and at one time and another during the colonial period the same name was rendered in perhaps twenty or more different ways.

William Ilsley settled in Newbury, Massachu- setts, and in many respects was one of the promin- ent characters of that town as well as one of its first settlers. At the time of his embarkation in England, in 1638, he was twenty-six years old, hence the year of his birth was 1612. After reaching this country he appears to have directed his steps at once to Newbury, for he is not mentioned else- where, and there his name appears on the common- ers book of records as the grantee of various par- cels of land at different times, which he dealt in quite extensively, indicating that he possessed means. On March 16, 1670, he, with a number of others, signed a petition to suspend the Rev. Thomas Par- ker from his ministerial duties, the specific charge being that he created a dissension in the church. The case was brought to the notice of the court and on trial, May 29, 1671, was decided against the petitioners, of whom there were forty-one, and as a penalty for thus persecuting their spiritual ad- visor and head of the church, the principal com- plainant was fined twenty nobles, and the others less amounts, William Ilsley's fine being one noble, or six shillings six pence.

An inventory taken of the property. housing, lands, goods, chattels and effects of William Ilsley. of date July 22, 1681, amounted to one thousand and one pounds three shillings. According to the inventory William died on the date mentioned, aged, Savage says, seventy-three years, which is an error if his age was twenty-six at the time of his em-

barkation. His wife's name was Barbara, with whom he married in England. Her age is men- tioned in the ship's list as then twenty years, hence she was born in 1618; but in a deposition given in court in 1663 she gave her age as fifty years, which would make the year of her birth 1613. The chil- dren of William and Barbara were all born in New- bury, their names being: Mary, John, Elisha, Wil- liam, Joseph, Isaac, Sarah and one other, a son who died in extreme infancy.

(II) Joseph (1), son of William and Barbara Ilsley, was born October 30, 1649, and died October 15. 1704. He took the oath of allegiance and fidelity and was made freeman, May 25, 1669, and, accord- ing to one authority, again took the oath in 1678. He was buried in a field at Old Town then used by the family as a burial ground by the Doles, Plummers and Ilsleys. "An inventory of ye Estate of Mr. Joseph Ilsley of Newbury, deceased, taken and appraised as bills of credit by us the subscrib- ers on ye 21st day of October which totaled £2,066.2."

Joseph Ilsley married, March 3, 1681-82. Sarah, only daughter of George and Alice ( Poore) Little (see Little, II). She was born in Newbury, No- vember 24, 1661, and died October 15, 1724. In his will Joseph bequeathed one-half of his property to his wife, made provision for his daughters Mary and Lydia, who were then unmarried, gave one lot to his grandson Enoch, and the remainder of his estate to his son Joseph. According to tra- dition Sarah Ilsley, wife of Joseph, was very cor- pulent, at least in her later years, and a huge chair, said to have been made expressly for her use, was handed down through several generations of her descendants. The children of Joseph and Sarah, all born in Newbury, were: Mary, Joseph, Lydia and Sarah.

(III) Joseph (2), only son of Joseph (1) and Sarah (Little) Ilsley, was born August 14, 1684, and died in 1773. He made his will November 23, 1770, and it was admitted to probate May 31. 1773. He gave to his wife Rebecca three cows, all his household goods not otherwise disposed of and "the use of a horse to carry her to the public worship of God, or else when so often as she shall see fit to go;" to his son Joseph, his executor, "all my stock of creatures of all sorts excepting the cows already given to my wife and two acres of salt marsh land, known by the name of Pare Puden Loot;" "to son Thomas five shillings besides what I have already gieven him ;" "to son Stephen five shillings;" "to son John five shillings": "to son Anthony my field laying on the hill known as the Emery lot, also a feather bed and my marsh land at Plum Island ;" "to my four daughters Sarah, Rebecca, Jerusha and Judith all my household goods after my wife's decease, also all the money that son Joseph owes me to be equally divided between them;" "to grandson Paul Ilsley ten pounds when he arrives at the age of twenty- one years." Joseph Ilsley married, November 28, 1717, Rebecca Noyes, daughter of James and Han-

nah (Knight) Noyes. She was born January 12, 1684-85. Their twelve children were: Parker, Sarah, Rebecca, Elizabeth, Jerusha, Joseph, Thomas, Stephen, Judith, Paul, John and Anthony.

(IV) Thontas, son of Joseph (2) and Rebecca (Noyes) Ilsley, was born May 2, 1732. He mar- ried, December 2, 1760, Hannah, daughter of George and Mary (Lambert) Jewett, of Rowley. Their children were : Jewett, David, Thomas, Lambert and Rebecca.

(V) Jewett, son of Thomas and Hannah (Jew-

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ett) Ilsley, was born March 19, 1763, and died July 12, 1845. lle married Fanny Dole, of Newbury, Massachusetts, born November 12, 1763, and died July 13, 1823. Their children were: Mary J., Pea- body, William and Wingate N. Ilsley.

(VI) William, third child and second son of Jewett and Fanny (Dole) Ilsley, was born March 3, 1790, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and died in that city November 20, 1870. He was a soldier of the second war with Great Britian and was sta- tioned at Fort McClary Kittery, Maine. He mar- ricd (first), May 2, ISII, Mary Jackson, who died August 28, 1820; married (second), September 7, 1823, in Lynn, Massachusetts, Sarah Breed, born in Lynn, October 28, 1788, and died December 29, 1857. By his first wife William had five children, William, Washington, Mary J., Caroline and Sarah An; and by his second wife he had two children Wingate Newhall and Lucy Ann Ilsley.

(VII) Wingate Newhall, only son and elder child of William and Sarah (Breed) Ilsley, was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, July 6, 1834, and for more than thirty years previous to his death was closely identified with the business life of that city. He was educated in Portsmouth public schools, and after leaving school was employed as clerk by John H. Pickering, flour merchant. Later on he went to Boston and entered the retail dry goods establishment of Wainwright & Gear in the capacity of clerk, remained there a few years, and in 1876 returned to Portsmouth and started a re- tail dry goods store on Market street, of which he was proprietor. He continued in active mercantile pursuits about thirty years, and afterward engaged in the general insurance business, in the latter con- tinuing to the time of his death, October 18, 1900.

Mr. Ilsley was a reliable, straightforward busi- ness man, careful of his own interests and con- siderate of the interests of others, often helping them with timely suggestion and advice and fre- quently with still greater material assistance. In Portsmouth he held a prominent standing in fra- ternal and social circles, and was a member of St. Andrew's Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Ma- sous, Rose Croix Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, Davenport Council, Royal and Select Masons, and DeWitt Clinton Commandery, Knights Templar, having been treasurer of the latter body for thirty years previous to his death. He also was a member of Sons of the Revolution, and an attendant at the services of the Unitarian Church.

Mr. Ilsley married, January 28, 1849, Mary Pickett, daughter of Samuel Pickett, of Beverly, Massachusetts, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Their children are: Sarah Jewett Ilsley (Mrs. Wil- liam Augustus Hall, resides in Boston) and Annie Carnes Ilsley.

YOUNGMAN The name Youngman is seldom found in the biographical records of New England, and it is not known when the first of the name came to this country. It was a tradition in the family that the first settler was a Scotch sea captain who came over in carly colonial times. The name has appeared occasionally in England, Germany, and the United States for many years. A century and a quarter ago several families of this name were living in Boston and vicinity. Only one family, it is said, now resides in Massachusetts.

(1) Francis Youngman, cordwainer, was the first of the name known in New England from

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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 51

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