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. III > Part 38
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(II) Thomas, eighth son and fifteenth child of John Bryant, was born July 15, 1675, in Scituate. and died in that town in 1748. His will was proved December 23 of that year. From this will it is estimated that his estate must have been worth more than ten thousand pounds. He was a dis- tinguished man of his time, served as selectman, justice of the peace, and was representative to the legislature in 1725, 1730 and 1733-34. He was married August 28, 1707, by Joseph Otis, justice of the peace, to Mary, daughter of Gershom Ewell, of Scituate. and granddaughter of Henry Ewell, a soldier in the Pequod war. Their children were: Benjamin. Mary, Seth, Thomas, Peleg, Hannah, Lemuel and Nathaniel, all born in Scituate.
(III) Seth, second son and third child of Thomas and Mary (Ewell) Bryant, was born February 12, 1714, in Scituate, ard moved to Marsh- field about 1736. He died there in 1772. his will being proved August 7 of that year. In this document he is called "gentleman," and the inventory of his estate placed its value at one thousand fifty-nine pounds. He was married August 17, 1736, to Eliza- beth, daughter of Ebenezer and Deborah (Randall) Barker, of Scituate. She was a great-granddaugh- ter of Robert Barker, of Pembroke, and great-great- granddaughter of William Randall, of Scituate. She died February 7, 1788. Their children, born in Marshfield, Ruth, Nathaniel, Seth, Joseph, Charles and Vashti.
(IV) Charles, fourth son and fifth child of Seth and Elizabeth (Barker) Bryant, was born July 20, 1751, in Marshfield. He probably settled in Maine, or southeastern New Hampshire. His wife, who belonged in Newcastle. Maine, was named Jerusha. There is a large settlement of people of this name in southwestern Maine. but the records in that state as well as in New Hampshire are very defective on this name and fail to establish the lineage of the family herein traced. It is probable, however, that the Bryants of Strafford county are
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descended either from this family, or from those of the Saco Valley. in Maine.
(\') Micajah Bryant is said by family tradition to have been born in New Durham, New Hamp- shire. The vital records of the state show that he was born May 14. 1798, and recorded in the ad- joining town of Middleton; the same record taken from the town of Middleton shows that his wife, Tryphena Perkins, was born September 19, 1799. Mr. Bryant was a farmer in New Durham, and died there about 1866. No record of his marriage to Tryphena Perkins appears, but that is a matter of family knowledge and can be taken as reliable. They had three children: Charles Dudley, Sarah and John.
(VI) Charles Dudley, eldest child of Micajah and Tryphena ( Perkins) Bryant, was born at New Durham, December, 1823. After leaving the com- mon schools he learned the shoemaker's trade in the neighboring city of Dover, New Hampshire, and worked there about eight years. He then came to the Winnepesaukee region, carried on the shoe business for ten years at Belmont, and for thirty years in Laconia. After that he bought a farm and retired to Northfield, where he died in 1892. He was a Democrat in politics, and belonged to the Odd Fellows. He married Meribah T. Cotton, daughter of Simon Cotton. She was born at Gil- ford, September, 1822, and died at Tilton, May 24, 1906. They had seven children: Charles Albert, born November, 1843; Emma Frances, born Sep- tember. 1846; John Fred, mentioned below ; George, born November, 1852; William Curtice, born Oc- tober, 1855; Edward Heard, mentioned below; and Marietta, born 1859, died aged four years.
(VII) John Fred, third child and second son of Charles Dudley and Meribah (Cotton) Bryant, was born at Laconia, February 5, 1850. He was educated in the common schools of Belmont. He bought the Dexter House at Tilton, New Hamp- shire, and managed it for twelve years. He then remodeled the house, and conducted it for several years as the Lovering Hotel. He took a position as traveling salesman for C. I. Hood & Company until 1904, when he went into the meat and grocery business with his brother Edward in Tilton. In politics he is a Democrat. He belongs to the Grange, and is a member of Doric Lodge, No. 78, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Tilton, and Mt. Horeb Commandery, Knights Templar, of Con- cord. He attends the Episcopal Church. He mar- ried, January 1, 1907, Mary A. Parker, born in Leeds, Province of Quebec, July 28, 1856.
(VII) Edward Heard, fifth son and sixth child of Charles Dudley and Meribah (Cotton) Bryant, was born June 30, 1857, at Belmont, New Hampshire. He was educated in the common schools of Belmont. In 1904 he went into business with his brother John, at Tilton. He married Ella Flora Dow, daughter of True Perkins Dow, of Moultonboro. They have two children : Hellen Richmond, born February, 1887, and Morris Per- kins, born February, 1890.
(I) Hubbard Winslow Bryant, son of Wil- liam Bryant, was born in Dorchester, Massachu- setts, and now resides in Portland, Maine.
(11) Edwin Scanton Bryant, son of Hubbard W. Bryant. was born in Portland, July 24, 1876. He attended the public schools of Portland, pre- pared for college in the high school, entered the University of Maine in 1894, and was graduated in
1898. Having a thorough knowledge of civil en- gineering, he at once went to Berlin, New Hamp- shire, and for two years was assistant city engineer of that city. The following year he was in the em- ploy of the Berlin Mills Company. In 1901 he was elected city engineer and inspector of buildings of Berlin, and has since filled that position by annual re-election. In addition to the city's business he does a large amount of engineering and surveying for patrons in and about Berlin. He is a member of the Episcopal Church.
AIKEN This name is of ancient Scotch origin, and during the religious agitation which so violently disturbed the peace and tranquility of Scotland in the seventeenth century, its bearers were identified with the Covenanters. With others they went to Ireland in order to escape the controversial strife, which interfered with their religious rights to such an extent as to seriously jeopardise their personal liberty, and many of these sturdy zealots afterwards came to New England. Among the latter were the founders of the Aiken family of New Hampshire. The family as a whole are noted for their industry, thrift and progressive tendencies, and, as will be seen later on, some of them have won national distinction as mechanical geniuses and inventors.
(I) Edward Aiken emigrated from the north of Ireland early in the eighteenth century, and settled in Londonderry in 1722. He was accompanied to this country by his two brothers, James and Wil- liam. His wife's name was Barbara. It is reason- ably certain that Edward and Barbara Aiken had three children, although one account says that they had only one son.
(II) Nathaniel Aiken married Margaret Coch- ran and lived with his father at Aiken's range in Londonderry. Whatever conflict of authority there imay be regarding other facts of Nathaniel's life and family connections, all writers agree that he was born May 14, 1696, and married, December 1, 1726, Margaret Cochran; and that he had twelve children, among whom were his sons James and John. James Aiken, brother of Nathaniel and second son of Edward and Barbara, married Jean Cochran, and among his children were sons James and John.
(III) Thomas, son of Nathaniel Aiken, was born in Londonderry, and in early manhood settled in Deering, New Hampshire.
(IV) Matthew, son of Thomas Aiken, was born in Deering, March 21, 1766. He resided for a time in Peterboro, New Hampshire, and probably went from there to Pelham, this state, where he followed the saddler's and harness-maker's trade, and was considered a workman of the first rank. He died in Pelham, September 8, 1812. July 8. 1,94, he married Sally Hackett, who was born in Ports- mouth February 3, 1771, daughter of Colonel Hackett, who constructed the first frigate for the federal government during the revolutionary war. She survived her husband many years, her death having occurred March 18, 1848. The children of this union were: James Gilman, Herrick, Sally, Emma and Alfred.
(V) Herrick, second son and child of Matthew and Sally ( Herrick) Aiken, was born in Peterboro, June 8, 1797. He was a mechanic of unusual ability -ingenious, resourceful and creative-and was awarded several medals for his inventions, which included a spiral brush, a leather-splitting machine,
Halla stilim
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and other valuable appliances. He first established himself in business as a manufacturer of machinery at Dracut, Massachusetts, but removed to Franklin, New Hampshire, in 1838, and in addition to carry- ing on quite an extensive enterprise he found ample opportunity for experiments in developing his ideas. He was the first to conceive the practicability of the cog-rail for use on mountain railways, made the ascent of Mount Washington on horseback for the purpose of familiarizing himself with the exact grade and the other difficulties to be overcome, and constructed a working model of his plan, but was unable to convince railroad men and capitalists of its feasibility. His plan was afterwards adopted, however, but not in his lifetime. He also con- structed a screw propeller some years before that appliance came into general use. Ile died November 7. 1866. On February 5, 1830, he married Ann Matilda Bradley, who was born in Saco, Maine, August 28, 1810, daughter of Isaac Bradley, of Dracut, and a descendant in the fifth generation of the renowned Hannah Duston, whose thrilling adventures as a captive among the Indians forms an interesting episode in the early history of Haver- hill, Massachusetts. Ann Matilda become the mother of five children, namely: Walter, Jonas. James, Francis Herrick and Charles Lowe.
(VI) Walter, eldest son of Herrick and Ann M. (Bradley) Aiken, was born in Dracut, October 5, 1831. His early education was pursued in the public schools, and these preliminary studies were supplemented with courses at educational institu- tions in Gilmanton, New Hampshire, and Tilton. At an early age he became an apprentice in his father's machine shop, where his genius for me- chanical invention was fully developed, and when twenty-two years old he secluded himself in a pri- vate laboratory occupying a portion of the upper part of the establishment for the purpose of en- gaging exclusively in creative work. Here he turned his attention to the application of machinery to knitting, and as a pioneer in that field he continued to develop his ideas, which at length culminated in the production of an automatic knitter capable of producing a completed seamless stocking in less than five minutes. These wonderful machines he put to a practical demonstration in a hosiery fac- tory operated by himself, and with them was able, together with a small force of operatives, to turn out two hundred and twelve thousand dollars' worth of goods annually. Having placed his manufactur- ing enterprise in good running order, his attention was diverted to other important undertakings in the line of improvements, and in due time had the gratification of putting into operation his father's scheme for a cog-railway to the summit of Mount Washington. In collaboration with Sylvester Marsh he developed the original plans, designed the loco- motive, placed the line in successful operation, and gave his personal attention to its management for the remainder of his life. He also erected the Summit House and the United States Signal Ser- vice Station on Mount Washington, and for a number of years owned and managed the Hotel Hamilton, at Hamilton, Bermuda. In politics Mr. Aiken was a Democrat. During the civil war he went to the front in a New Hampshire regiment, and subsequently represented Franklin in the lower branch of the state legislature several terms. He was made a Mason in Meridian Lodge, Franklin, in 1863, and passed upward through the various
subordinate bodies to Mount Horeb Commandery, Knights Templar, Concord, which he joined in 1867. His residence in Franklin was one of the hand- somest and most conspicuous family seats on the Sanbornton side of Winnipiseogee river, and is low occupied by his son James.
In 1853 Mr. Aiken married for his first wife Susan Colby, daughter of Jolin Colby, of Warner. His second wife, whom he married January I, 1867, was Mary Dodge of Hampton Falls. His busy and useful life terminated December 12, 1893, and he was survived by a widow and two sons- James, who will be again referred to; and Fred- erick, born November 4, 1855.
(VII) James, eldest son of Walter and Susan (Colby) Aiken, was born in Franklin, February 15, 1854. His preliminary studies were concluded in New London, New Hampshire, and he completed his education at Dartmouth College. He shortly afterward went upon one of the large western cattle ranches, where he remained some two or three years, and after his return to New England he served an apprenticeship at the machinist's trade in Connecticut. Subsequently to his father's death he and his brother succeeded to the manufacturing business in Franklin, under the firm name of Walter Aiken's Sons, and conducted it successfully until 1904, when they sold the enterprise to Messrs. M. T. Stevens & Sons. Although practically retired from active business pursuits, he is interested in various industries and financial enterprises, being a director of the Mayo Knitting Machine and Needle Company, the Franklin Light and Power Company, and the Franklin National Bank. Politically Mr. Aiken acts with the Republican party, and was chosen a member of the first city council in Frank- lin. He is a Master Mason, affiliating with Meri- dian Lodge, also the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and Walter Aiken Council, American Mechanics, named in honor of his father.
On May 20, 1880, he was united in marriage with Myra Cole, daughter of Nathan and Sarah ( Sanborn) Cole, of Hill. The children of this union are: Bertha, born October 24, 1884; Annie B., born July 5, 1890; and Frank, born December 16, 1892.
James Aiken and his brother John, the latter of whom died in 1756, went from Londonderry, New Hampshire, with Hugh Riddle, who had married their mother, Ann Aiken, and settled in Bedford, New Hampshire, on lands deeded to him in 1756 and in which he was described as "James Aiken, Tanner, Watertown, Massachusetts Bay." In Bed- ford he carried on his trade and farming and filled many important town offices. There is reasonable ground for the belief that this James Aiken was the son of Nathaniel Aiken and grandson of Ed- ward and Barbara (Edwards) Aiken, although the relationship cannot be traced with certainty. Ed- ward Aiken emigrated from Ulster in the north of Ireland, his ancestry being previously from Scot- land, and settled in Londonderry, New Hampshire. He was born in 1660 and married Barbara Edwards about 1719.
The James Aiken who went with Hugh Riddle from Londonderry to Bedford married and had eleven children, the second of whom was named Margaret Cochran, which was the name of the wife of Nathaniel Aiken and also the family name of the wife of James Aiken, Nathaniel's brother. Again, it appears that Hugh Riddle married the
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widowed mother of James and John Aiken, and she was the Ann Aiken, of Coneord, New Hampshire, whereas Margaret Cochran was the name of the mother of James and John Aiken who were Na- thaniel Aiken's sons. Wherefore, in view of the difficulties which have been encountered in con- necting these early branches of the Aiken family, this narrative must begin with James Aiken, of Londonderry and Bedford, and who is referred to by the family genealogist and historian as "Aiken No. 2."
(I) James, presumably a son of Edward and Barbara Aiken, was born probably in 1732 in Lon- donderry, New Hampshire, and died in Bedford. New Hampshire, May 13, 1787. He became one of the prominent men of Bedford, filling many import- ant public offices and served as captain in the Ameri- can army during the Revolutionary war. He en- listed as a private in Captain Joshua Abbott's com- pany of Colonel Stark's regiment, on June 13, 1775, and served in the same company as late as No- vember 5. 1776. He was with his company in the battle of Bunker Hill. In that battle Stark's regi- ment was opposed to the British Twenty-Third Regiment, well known as the "Royal Welsh Fusi- liers." Prince Albert in 1848 presented to this regiment a new stand of colors, and said: "In the American war the Fusiliers were engaged in the first unhappy collision which took place at Lex- ington. It also fought at Bunker Hill and Brandy- wine. At Bunker Hill its loss was so great that it was said only one officer remained to tell the story." When Captain Aiken enlisted in June his crops were in the ground and he left the farm to the care of his wife and children, the oldest of whom was eleven years and the youngest eight months old, and they did all the work, including the harvesting of the crops in the fall. In August, 1778, Captain Aiken went to Rhode Island as captain of a com- pany in Colonel Moses Kelley's regiment, under General Sullivan. In June, 1780, he went to West Point. New York, in command of a company in Colonel Thomas Bartlett's regiment, and was there when the fort was betrayed by Arnold. Ile enlisted June 29 and was discharged October 24, 1780. ( From Harry W. Gilchrist's sketeli of the revolutionary services of Captain James ,Aiken. ) Captain James Aiken married, November 17. 1763. Margaret Waugh, born September 23, 1741, died in Bedford, New Hampshire, September 1, 1838. She was a daughter of Robert Waugh who sailed from Port Rush, Ireland, July 22, 1737, and landed at Boston, Massachusetts. November I of the same year. Their children were : Ann, Margaret Cochran, Robert, Sarah, Andrew, Ruhamah, James, Mar- garet, Hannah, Jane and Achsalı.
(II) Andrew. fifth child and second son of Captain James and Margaret (Waugh) Aiken, was born in Bedford, New Hampshire, December 26, 1770, and died in Newport, New Hampshire, July 28, 1856. The early part of his business life was spent in Bedford, and after his marriage he lived on a farm near that of his father. He was one of the committee on ministry in Bedford parish. In 1813 he went with his family to Newport, where he secured a "fine old mansion" with two hundred acres of land overlooking the village. The land is still owned in the family. He married in Bed- ford. December 29, 1797, Martha McAllaster, born December 25, 1774, a twin, daughter of William
and Jerusha ( Spofford) McAllaster ( see McAllas- ter), and in the year in which he went with his family to Newport, William, Benjamin and Apphia S. McAllaster also removed to that town. Andrew and Martha (McAllaster) Aiken had nine chil- dren, viz .: Frederick, born in Bedford, December 28, 1798, see forward. William McAllaster, born December 10, 1800, died January 19, 1866; married (first). in 1826, Elizabeth Locke; married (sec- ond) Margaret Nichols. Sarah, born June 24. 1803, died August 15, 1842; married, August 21, 1827, Jeremiah Newell, who died in Newport, February 15, 1838. Ann Riddle, born September 5, 1805, died January 21, 1871; married, November 3, 1824, Naylor Starbird. Martha Mary, born Bedford, No- vember 29, 1807, died in Washington, D. C., Janu- ary 6, 1866; married, July 19, 1831, Sawyer Bel- knap, parents of Admiral George Eugene Belknap, U. S. N .. now retired. David, born December 12, 1810, died January 3. 1820. Margaret Ann, born September 20, 1813, died January 25, 1893: married (first), May 22, 1838, Jonathan W. Clement; mar- ried (second), October 7, 1851, Leonard M. Kim- ball; married (third), February 19, 1865, Frederick N. Bissell. Caroline, born January 13, 1816, died September 24, 1816. James Breck, born June 23, 1819. died, Boston, May 6, 1879; married, November 27, 1845, Mary Jane Perkins.
(III) Frederick, eldest son and child of An- drew and Martha (McAllaster) Aiken, was born in the town of Bedford, New Hampshire, December 28, 1798, and died in the town of Newport, New Hampshire, December 1, 1875. For many years he was prominently identified with the best inter- ests and history of Newport, for several years en- gaged in mercantile pursuits in the store of James Breck. He eventually acquired the old Aiken homestead farm on Pine street and lived there in comfort until the time of his death. He was a man of excellent character, superior business capacity and was greatly respected in the town and county. He married, January 31, 1856, Elmira Carr, born October 18, 1820, daughter of David and Sarah (Severns) Carr, and granddaughter of Thomas Carr, first of Boscawen and afterwards of New- port. Frederick and Elmira (Carr) Aiken had two children: Addie Jane, born November 15, 1857, died November 30, 1875. Frederick W., born February 17, 1862, now living in Newport, New Hampshire.
(IV) Frederick William, second and only sur- viving child of Frederick and Elmira ( Carr) Aiken, was born on the old homestead farm in Newport, and received his education in the Newport high school. In business life his principal occupation has been farming, and besides his considerable interests in that direction has been and still is some- what of a public man in the town and otherwise closely identified with various enterprises of the locality. He served three terms as selectman and was chairman of the board of selectmen in 1900 and 1901. In 1902 and 1903 he represented New- port in the general assembly of New Hampshire. He is a stockholder and director of the Newport Savings Bank. On February 24, 1891. Frederick WV. Aiken married Katie E. Herrick, born in New- port, May 14, 1869, daughter of Timothy and Maria (Hoban) Herrick. both of whom were born in county Mayo, Ireland (see Herrick, II). Mrs. Aiken is a woman of education and refinement, of
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decided literary tastes and a thorough student of history and the lives of all great American states- men, scholars and philanthropists from the time of Franklin and Washington. Her studies in the di- rection indicated are for the mutual welfare of her- self and her children, especially the latter, to whom she is entirely devoted. Her collection of books and pictures of Newport alone is extensive and interesting. She was born in the brick house now occupied by her mother and lives in the house which was the first parsonage in Newport. Frederick William and Katie E. ( Herrick) Aiken have three children: Charles Francis, born February 13, 1892 ; William Frederick. August 22, 1893; Arene May, November 25, 1902.
PALMER The various religious wanderers or solitary reeluses, though belonging to a system long faded from the modern English life, find a perpetual epitaph in the direc- tories of to-day. The name Palmer relates dis- tinetly the manner in which the first of its owners derived his title to it, for forlorn and weary he had battled against all difficulties, and trod the path that led to the Holy Sepulcher-"The faded palmi branch in his hand showed Pilgrim from the Holy Land."
(1) Walter Palmer, tradition says, was born in some town or village in Nottinghamshire, England, and died in Stonington, Connecticut, November 19, 1661. The first authentic record of him is found in Charlestown, Massachusetts, May 14, 1634. Abra- ham and Walter Palmer, both citizens of Charles- town, were made freemen by the great and general court of Massachusetts Bay. In the "Book of Possessions," compiled in 1638, "The Possessions of Walter Palmer within Charlestown are given as two acres of land in the East Field putting south on the Back street," with a dwelling house and "other appurtinances, five aeres of arable land, milch cow commons six and a quarter, four acres, more or less, in the line field, eight acres of meadow lying in the Mystic Marshes, four aeres of meadow lying in the Mystic Meadows, five acres of woodland in Mystic field, five acres of meadow on the west of Mount Prospect, three acres of meadow on the northeast of Mount Prospect, thirty acres of woodland, eighty- six acres of land scituate in the waterfield." In the first division of lands on the Mystic side, Walter Palmer and his son John received their proportion about 1643. On the 24th day of the eighth month the men who had agreed to found a new town met in Weymouth to prepare for the settlement of a place which was to be at Seacunke. Walter Palmer and William Cheseborough, who were thereafter closely associated, were of these.
In 1645 this settlement was assigned to jurisdiction of Plymouth Colony, and Walter Palmer was its representative in the general court. The name Seacunke was changed to Rehoboth. At this time Walter gave the value of his estate as four hundred and nine- teen pounds. In 1653 Cheseborough and Palmer removed to the newly selected place of Wequeto- quoc, afterward called Southerton and now Ston- ington, Connecticut.
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