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 85

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 85

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(VI) Frederic Daniel. first son and fifth child of Daniel F. and Sarah E. (Farley) Runnells, was educated at Dartmouth College, from which he graduated with the class of 1893. He graduated from the Boston University Law School in 1808 and was admitted to the New Hampshire bar in

March, 1899. Returning to Nashua he opened an office in that city, where he has since pursued the practice of his profession with energy and gratifying success. In politics he is a Republican. Public questions have received his careful consideration, and he has responded to the call of his party to serve the public, and was a member of the constitutional convention of 1002, and has discharged the duties of police commissioner since his appointment to that office, January 1, 1904.

Like most of the English surnames, LYMAN this has passed through many changes in settling down to the present ortho- graphy. It has been written Lehman, Layman, Lye- man. Lawman, Lemon, Leman, and de Le Man. The French, supposing the name to be derived from l'aiman, have written it L'aiman. In America the name has taken the forms: Liman. Limen, Limon. Limmon, Lemon. Leamond and Lemond. The first fifty years of the occurrence of the name in the town and church records of Northampton, Massa- chusetts, it was generally written Liman. Early in the eighteenth century it took the form Lyman, which has since obtained. The first record of any landholder of this name in England is in Domesday Book, where Leman is mentioned as having held lands in parcery of King Edward.

(I) Richard Lyman, the immigrant, and patri- arch of all the Lymans of English descent in Amer- ica, was born in High Ongar, Essex county. Eng- land, about twenty-five miles southeast of London. The dates of his hirth and marriage are unknown. He married Sarah Osborne, daughter of Roger Osborne, of Halstead in Kent. He sold his lands in the parish of Ongar in August, 1631, and em- barked with his wife and children on the ship "Lion." William Pierce. master, sailing from Bristol for New England. The wife of Governor Win- throp, and Eliot (afterward the Apostle to the Indians), were on the same ship. Ten weeks later. November 2, they arrived at Boston. where they were received with salutes of many guns and fed on the fat of the land. Richard first became a settler in Charlestown. Massachusetts, and with his wife united with the church at what is now called Roxbury, John Eliot being the pastor. June II. 1635, he was made foreman by the general court, and October 15, 1635, he and his family joined the company of one hundred persons, constituting the company of Rev. Thomas Hooker, and went to Con- necticut, where the party founded Windsor. Hart- ford and Weathersfield. The journey from Massa- chusetts was made in about fourteen days, the dis- tance being more than one hundred miles through a trackless wilderness. They drove with them about one hundred and sixty head of cattle and subsisted largely on the milk of the cows. Richard Lyman suffered greatly in the loss of his cattle on this journey, which strayed and were never found again. His name is on the list of the original proprietors of Hartford. 1636. His relative proportion of the land obtained from the Indians was a fair average of that of the other proprietors. The house lot on which he settled. as appears on the ancient plat of Hartford for 1640, was on the south side of what is now Buckingham street. between Main and Wash- ington streets. His will, the first on record at Hartford, is dated April 22. 1640, and the inventory of his personal estate was made September 6. 1640. He died in August. of the same year. The children of Richard and Sarah (Osborne) Lyman, were :

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William ( died young ), Phillis, Richard ( died young), William, Richard, Sarah, Anne (died young), Jolin and Robert.

(II) Lieutenant John, eighth child and fifth son of Richard and Sarah (Osborne) Lyman, was born in High Ongar, September, 1623 and came to New England with his father. In 1654 he settled in Northampton, Massachusetts, where he resided till his death August 20. 1690, at the age of sixty-seven. He was in command of the Northampton soldiers in the famous Falls fight above Deerfield, May 18. 1676. His epitaph was rudely cut on his gravestone as follows: "Lieutenant John Liman aged 66 yer Dyed Augst the 20th 1690." He married Dorcas, daughter of John Plumb of Branford, Connecticut. Their children were: Elizabeth, Sarah, John, Moses. Dorothy, Mary, Experience, Joseph, Benjamin and Caleb.

(III) Moses (1), fourth child and second son of John and Dorcas (Plumb) Lyman, was born in Northampton, Massachusetts. February 20, 1662, and died February 25, 1701, aged thirty-nine. His wife's baptismal name was Ann, and she is said to have come from Long Island. She married (second) Jonathan Rust. Their children were: Ann, Moses, Ilannah, Martha (died young), Martha, Bethia, Sarah, Elias. Only three of these children lived o adult age.

(IV) Captain Moses (2), second child of Moses (1) and Ann Lyman, was born February 27. 1689, and died March 24. 1762. aged seventy-three. He married, December 13, 1712, Mindwell Sheldon, who died May 23, 1780, aged eighty-eight. Their children were : Moses, Elias, Theodosia, Phebe, Noah. Isaac, Simeon, Ilannah, Seth and Job.

(V) Deacon Elias, second son and child of Cap- tain Moses (2) and Mindwell (Sheldon) Lyman, was born September 30, 1715, and died in 1803, aged eighty-eight. He was early chosen a deacon of the church and was a delegate to the provincial congress, at Concord, Massachusetts, October II, 1768. With several of the town he was one of a committee of correspondence ; and in 1775 was a member of the provincial congress which met at Cambridge. He was a frequent member of the legis- lature, and one of the committee of safety in the Revolutionary war, in addition to many important offices in which he was employed during his long and useful life. lle has been described as having been in old age tall, stout, and venerable in form, grave and sedate in demeanor and reverentially re- garded by his family and friends. His descendants are very numerous, exerting a commanding influ- once in the various occupations and professional pursuits of life. He married Anne Phelps of North- ampton. Their children were: Stephen, Timothy, Eunice, Aune, Elias, Noah and Joel.

(VI) Deacon Stephen, eldest son of Dea- CO11 Elias and Anne ( Phelps) Lyman, was born in Northampton, September 8, 1742. and dlied December IL, ISTO. Soon after his birth he was taken by his parents to Southampton, where he lived till about 1767; he then removed to Aterri- field (afterward named Chester), where he lived and cleared the land which was then a wilderness, being one of the first settlers in the town. The fol- lowing account gives a vivid description of the con- ditions of life in Mr. Lyman's time. "Dea. Stephen and his bro. Timothy began public life together as the first settlers of Merryfield. now Chester, a moun- tain town 17 miles west of Southampton, their na- tive place. Tall, stalwart. young men, with strong

hands and hearts, they went out into the wilds to- gether and cleared from the native forest adjoining farmns on which they lived through life. Their way was through an unbroken forest with no track for their guide but that of the bear and the deer. A single camp chest contained their frugal outfit, a few loaves of Boston brown bread, a cheese, a ball of butter, and two or three tow shirts, each grasping one handle of the chest with one hand and carrying his ax in the other, they set forward in 176%. for their wild mountain land home. As they rested at fre- quent intervals they marked the trees with their axes to guide their way back to their native place. Their farms were given them on condition that each one, within the space of three years from June, 1702, should build a dwelling house on his lot 24 ft. by 18, and 7 feet stud, and have " acres well cleared and brought to English grass, or ploughed. and actually settled by a family on the farm and continue such family for a period of six years, and within 8 years settle a Protestant minister. Stephen and Timothy are recorded among those who organ- ized the Congregational Church in Chester, No- vember 14. 1769. of which the former was a deacon." Stephen Lyman married, October 23, 1770, Anna Blair, of western Massachusetts, who died Decem- ber 16, 1778, and ( second), July 10, 1786, Hannah Clark of Southampton. His ten children were: Gaius, Crispus, Stephen, Clarissa, Noah, Burnham, Chester, Anna. Electa and Samuel.

(VII) Noah, fifth child and fourth son of Dea- con Stephen and Anna (Blair) Lyman, was born October 2, 1778, and died December 11, 1866, aged eighty-eight. He resided a few years in Norwich, Massachusetts, then about 1812 removed to Colum- bia, New Hampshire, where most of his children were born. For a gun and a horse he bought a large tract of wild land, on which he lived through life. lle married, (first), March 10, 1804, Clarissa Granger. of Worthington, who died June 30, 1828: and (second), Olive French. Ile had thirteen children, the last two by his second wife. They were: John S .. Elias, Elvira, Stephen. Wharton, Noah, Calcb. William G., George B., Clarissa A., Charles C., Olive and Mariana.

(VIII) John Scott, eldest child of Noah and Clarissa (Granger) Lyman, was born October 30, 1801, in Northampton, and went to Columbia when about twelve years old. lle was a farmer and car- penter, and erected frames for buildings. Ile took an active part in town politics, and was deputy sheriff of Coos county for some years. He married Emily Schoff, January 27, 1831, and they were the parents of five children: 1. Diana, married Chase 11. Smith. 2. John, born July 4, 1834, killed at hat- tle of Cedar Mountain, August 20, 1862. 3. P'ru- dentia A., born April 26, 1836, died young. 4. Cas- sandana, born January 10, 1838, married, November 28, 1867, Samuel Austin, of Roxbury, Massachusetts. 5. Lucretia A., born October 24, 1839, married Bela Vining. John Scott Lyman married second. Caroline Matilda, widow of Stephen Lyman, and daughter of Levi and Caroline ( Cleveland) Smith. of Ilanover. Now Hampshire; she-

had by her first marriage three daughters Lucia, Adeline and Phebe D. To John Scott and

Caroline (Smith) Lyman were born three children :

William C., mentioned below: Elvira, born March 30, 1848, died young; Horace G., born Sep- tember 23, 1851, lives at Lakeport.

(IX) William Caleb, eldest child of John Scott and Caroline Matilda (Smith) Lyman, was born

William b. Lyman

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June 20, 1845. on the farm where he now resides. He was educated in the common schools. He owns and conducts the homestead farm, and also works as carpenter. He is successful in business, and is held in high esteem by his fellow-citizens. He is a Republican in politics, and has served as select- man three terms, 1879. 1897. 1898. He was also a member of the legislature in the session of 1907. He is a member of Stratford Lodge, No. 30, Knights of Pythias, and of Jewell Grange No. 245, Patrons of Husbandry, of South Columbia. He married, December 30, 1880, Ella S. Cook, who was born October 16, 1857, daughter of John Cook, of Coltim- bia. They have one child. Lena, born May 21, 1890.

James Freese, the progenitor of the FREESE Freeses of New England, was born about 1641. He received a seat in the meeting-house at Amesbury. Massachusetts, in 1667; common rights in 1669; and took the oath of alle- giance December 26. 1677. He built vessels in "Jamaco" about 1678. He married Elizabeth by whom he had a son James, who according to Savage was probably the one who was killed by the Indians in 1689. James (2), Lieutenant, was mar- ried. and left a son Jacob.

(I) Jacob, son of James (2) Freese, was born September 29, 1685. He settled at the landing at Hampton, where his grave is still marked by a stone with legible inscription. He married Rachel, daughter of Joseph and Rachel ( Partridge) Mer- rill. about 1710, and died November 5. 1727. . His wife was born April 27, 1687. Their children were Joseph, Benjamin, Jonathan, Jacob, Rachel, Eliza- beth. Anna and Catharine.

(II) Jacob (2), fourth child of Lieutenant Jacob (I) and Rachel (Merrill) Freese, was born Oc- tober 10, 1716, O. S. He removed from Hampton to Epping. married there, and had a son Andrew.

(III) Andrew Freese, son of Jacob Freese, was born in Epping, October 1, 1747, and removed to Deerfield, October 19. 1775. He married Shuah Thurstin, of Epping, who was born February 8, 1748. Their children were: Sarah, who died young ; Sarah, Anna, Jacob (3), Gordon and Dudley. He died October 19, 1814.

(IV) Jacob (3). fourth child of Andrew and Shuah (Thurstin) Freese. was born in Deerfield, October 29. 1778. He married Eunice. daughter of Benjamin James, and died August 14. 1843. She was born February 20, 1783. and died July 3. 1865. Their children were: Andrew; Benjamin; Joseph Warren, who died young: Jacob (4), died young ; Jackson; Eunice James ; John McCleary, and Clara Ann, who is unmarried and lives on the homestead in Deerfield.

(V) Jackson, fifth child of Jacob and Eunice (James) Freese, was born May 13, 1816. and grew upon his father's farm. In his younger days he was employed as teamster for the factory company from Pittsfield to Dover, and also in Massachusetts. Re- moving to Newmarket he was for a time watchman, and subsequently kept an inn two years at Northi- wood. In 1852 he went to Pittsfield, and was stage driver from Pittsfield to Dover till 1871. During this time he never had an accident, never carried a note book, never missed an errand. and was never late unless on account of storms. One morning he carried the mail on foot for five miles from Barn- stead. He had a host of friends, and the road was always made clear so that he could pass by. After 1871 he was occupied in farming till his death. July

21, 1896. He was a member of the Second Advent Church, a Democrat, and represented his town in the legislature, 1860-62. May 25, 1849, he married Martha E., daughter of Joseph H. and Maria M. (Smith) Hanscomb, of Deerfield, who was of Eng- lish descent. The children of Joseph H. and Maria M. Hanscomb were: Martha E., who was born in Lyman, Maine, June 9, 1827, and when eight years old moved to Newmarket, New Hampshire; Charles H. Hanscomb, Rhea S. and Lucinda L.

(VI) George Edwin Freese was born in North- wood, February 7, 1850. When two years old his parents removed to Pittsfield, and he was educated in the schools there. He was a jeweler by trade. He married Mary, daughter of James Young, April 29, IS7I. He died April 25, 1875, leaving one son, Courtland Frank Hearl. The brothers and sisters of Mrs. Freese were John P. Young, James Bachel- der, Charles Frank, both of Pittsfield, and Addie B. Loud ( widow), of Boston, Massachusetts.

(VII) Courtland Frank Hearl, son of George E. and Mary (Young) Freese, was born January 9, 1872, in Pittsfield, in the same house in which he now lives, still sleeping in the same room. He was educated in the schools of Pittsfield, learning the harness trade under B. M. Tilton, and remained with them till 1886. Eventually he purchased the business, and in 1901 he purchased the business of the Globe Manufacturing Company, making fire- men's waterproof quick-hitch suits, formerly doing business in Lynn. Massachusetts. The company is represented in every state in the union, and also Cuba.

Mr. Freese was married on the anniversary of his birth, January 9, 1893, in Pittsfield, to Dora M. Smith, of Chichester, daughter of James W. and Elizabeth (Fellows) Smith. He and his wife are members of the Second Advent Church. He is su- perintendent of the Sabbath school, and clerk of the church. They have one child, George Edward Freese, born October 19, 1893. Mrs. Freese has two sisters, Mabel Wentworth Smith, of Lynn, Massachusetts, and Arvilla Brown Smith, of Pitts- field.

About 1719 many Scotch-Irish, or

DARRAH Ulster Presbyterians, began to come to America. This was "The begin- ning of the largest exodus from Europe to America that ever took place before the nineteenth century." says John Fiske, the famous historian. More than half of the Presbyterian population of Ulster came to this country, where it formed more than one- sixth of our entire population at the time of the Declaration of Independence.

Along with this tide of immigration, which in part came to Londonderry, New Hampshire, was the Darrah family. The name of Charles Darrah, first and second, appears first in the early records of that town. Arthur Darrah, first. second and third, were also property owners at the same period. From there the family removed to Litchfield, where they "sustained important offices" from an early date. During this period the Revolutionary war began. Immediately upon hearing of the battles of Lexing- ton and Concord, Robert, William and Arthur cn- listed, joining the Londonderry militia, and hurried to Boston, where they took part in the battle of Bunker Hill and the siege of Boston which followed. William remained in the service during numerous campaigns. going to Quebec under General Mont- gomery, and afterward is recorded in Revolutionary

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rolls as promoted in Colonel Nichol's regiment of militia, and finally, in 1777. in General Washington's Life Guard. Lieutenant James Darrah, first, was also enlisted subject to general orders in colonel's place, 1780.

( 1) Robert Darrah settled in Litchfield, where he married Miss J. McKean, and had children : Elizabeth, Robert, John, James, Polly. Peggy, Jane and Naomi. Ilis wife died and he married ( second) Miss Blood. Their children were: David and Samuel.

(11) Lieutenant James, son of Robert and J. ( McKean) Darrah, was born in Litchfield, 1754, and settled in Bedford, 1700. He married Miss S. Kid- der and had eight children: Sarah, Jane, James, John. Robert K .. Isaac. Polly, and Thomas M.

(III) James, eldest son of Lieutenant James Darrah, came to Bedford, New Hampshire, with his father, and together with his brother cleared a tract of land, living for a time in a log cabin, and later building the house in which his son was born. He married Suhmit Walker. daughter of Isaac Atwood. They had fourteen children: Sarah K .; William ; Clarissa : Sophia P .; Nancy: Ismena: Esther : Han- nah; Mary; James: Lucinda T .: John H. : Adaline P .: Polila P. William and Hannah died infants; the other twelve married and had families.

(IV) James, tenth child and second son of James and Submit (Walker) Darrah, was born March 15, 1818. in Bedford, New Hampshire. He was reared on a farm, which vocation he followed through life, being one of the substantial and suc- cessful agriculturists of his native town. His entire life was spent upon the home farm, and he died 1875. at fifty-seven years of age, in the same house in which he was born. He married first, Frances Blood. and had a danghter, Mary Frances. He mar- ried second. Cynthia W. Wallace, daughter of George O. and Olive (Wilkins) Wallace, of Bed- ford. born May. 1827. She died September 29, 1901 .. The children of this marriage were: Charles James. see below. Ella C., died at nineteen years. Will- iam W., living in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, where he is manager of a large estate. Fannie A .. a teacher in Cambridge, Massachusetts, public schools. Jessie M., died aged twenty-six years.

(V) Charles James, eldest child of James and Cynthia W. (Wallace) Darrah, was born May I, 1846. He grew up on his father's farm. and was educated in the district school, and later at the Mer- rimack Normal Institute and New Ipswich Appleton Academy. In the winters he taught school and as- sisted on the farm the remainder of the year until he was twenty-one years of age. He then came to Manchester and was engaged as a clerk in the gro- cery business, in 1870, and followed it for ten years. Then he engaged with E. M. Slayton as traveling salesman, continuing in this for ten years. In

1889 he entered the employ of William Corey, manu- facturer of kniting machine needles, in Manchester, becoming manager of the factory, which position he has since held. This company was made a stock company in 1890, and since then he has also dis- charged the duties of treasurer of this concern. Under his management the business has increased more than double. In ISSo they employed forty- eight hands, and now (1007) employ over one hun- dred. the business being in a flourishing condition.

Mr. Darrah is a member of the Democratic party. and has served as alderman from the Fourth ward. lle was made a Mason in 1879 in Lafayette Lodge, No. 41, and subsequently a member of Mount Iloreb

Royal Arch Chapter, No. 11 : has been thrice illus- trious master of Adoniram Council, No. 3, Royal and Select Masters; and is also a member of the Calumet Club. of Manchester, of which he has been president. Mr. Darrah is a pleasant gentleman, a good citizen and a thorough business man who has achieved success through his own efforts. He mar- ried. December 9, 1874. Caroline A. Cook, born in Provincetown, Massachusetts. November 3, 1853, daughter of Harvey and Susan Cook, of Manches- ter. They have two children: James Harvey, born October 21, 1880, now a traveling salesman with a New York concern, and Mabel, horn June 28. 1882, graduate of Manchester high school and normal school at Bridgewater. Massachusetts, now a teacher at Arlington, Massachusetts. Two other children died young.

(III) Isaac, sixth child and fourth son of Lieu- enant James and - - (Kidder) Darrah, was born in Bedford, and was a farmer. He married Rachel Watts, of Londonderry, and had eight children : Isaac W .. Martha W., Mary Ann. Sarah S., Rufus F., Wingate MI., Calista and Juliet.

(IV) Wingate Milton. third son and sixth child of Isaac and Rachel (Watts) Darrah, was born in Bedford. May 3, 1831. and died in Bedford. Novem- her 8. 1900. He was educated in the common schools of Bedford and at the academies at Hampton and Fast Andover. At the age of twenty-one he left the paternal homestead and for a time was employed as a section hand, and later as a brakeman on the railroad. After eight or ten years' service in the latter employment he removed to Lawrence, Massa- chusetts, and worked for George Horn, slate and gravel roofer, for four years. From that place he went to Haverhill and started in the same line for himself. After three years of successful business there he returned to Bedford to take charge of the home farm, on the death of his father and mother. lle resumed the roofing business in Concord later, and at a still later date extended the business to Manchester, where he had an office. He was very assiduous in his attention to his work, and did a large and flourishing business in various parts of the state, and left a very comfortable property at his death. Ile became the owner of the old homestead his grandfather had owned. a place of one hundred and sixty-eight acres, in Bedford, to which he added some outlying pieces of woodland. He resided there at the time of his death. fle was a Republican in politics and a steadfast friend of public education. For some years he held the office of district school committeeman and clerk. For two winters he con- ducted a private school, and donated tuition to those who were not able to pay for it. He was a member of no religious organization, but attended service at the Baptist Church, Manchester. He married. July 27. 1856. Sarah E. Batchelder, who was born in New- market. July 6. 1838, daughter of Samuel and Eliza J. (Durgin) Batchelder, of Newmarket, both par- ents being natives of Northwood. They were the parents of nine children: Edison B., Frank P .. Walter E .. Fred C .. George W. Minnie W., Jennie E .. Mertie M., and Sadie M. The first two and the fourth are deceased. The fifth and sixth reside in Concord, the latter being the wife of Harry D. Ilutchinson. The last three reside with their mother in Manchester.

(V) Walter Everett. third son and child of Wingate M. and Sarah E. (Batchelder) Darrah. was born in Methuen. Massachusetts, November 24, 1863. He was educated in the public schools and at

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MeGaw Institute at Reed's Ferry, and later at Pinkerton Academy, Derry. His youth was spent on the farm upon which he resided until 1876, when he removed to Concord. Learning the art of roofing with his father, he was associated with him in the work, to the management of which he succeeded after his father's death, and has carried it on with a vigor that has made his name and work well known throughout the state and a large part of New En- land. The following list comprises some of the buildings he has covered: The railway station at Manchester ; the Mt. Washington Hotel; the New Manchester Mill; several buildings of St. Paul's School; the Sulloway Mills at Franklin; the Elm Woolen Mills at Tilton; the Mayo Knitting Ma- chine Company's building, and the Franklin Needle Works buildings, at Franklin; Dexter Richards Sons' Company's Mill at Newport; J. A. Henry's pulp mill at Lincoln, all in New Hampshire; the grand stand of the athletic field of Bowdoin College. Brunswick. Maine; the school house at Revere, Massachusetts ; the First National Bank of White River, and the bridge at Stewartstown, Vermont.

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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 85

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