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. IV, Part 108

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: 878

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. IV > Part 108

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Fiachra Ealg, one of the Princes of O'DOWD Hy-Fiachra in Connaught, brother of Eocha Breoc, was the ancestor of O'Dubhda, a name which has been anglicized Doody, Dowd, Dowde, O'Dowd and Dowda. All those bearing these names are theoretically, if not literally descended from the one ancestor.

(I) James O'Dowd was born in Ireland, where he was a farmer. He removed to England, and for some years worked in the cotton mills. He migrated from England to Quebec in Canada, and from there moved to the United States. He was a Democrat in politics, and a Catholic in religious faith. He married, in Ireland, Mary Moran, a na- tive of the same county, by whom he had nine chil- dren. She died in 1898. Their children were : John H., James, Patrick, Michael, Matthew, Thomas and three others who died young.

(II) John H., eldest child of James and Mary ( Moran) O'Dowd, was born in Ireland, June 17, 183.3. He was educated in private schools, and accompanied his parents to England, where he worked in the mills, and then removed to Canada, where for twenty years he was engaged in farm- ing. In 1856 he settled in Manchester, New Hamp- shire. and for twenty-five years was employed in the Manchester boiler house. He removed to Ports- mouth in 1864, and afterward was engaged in farm- ing for twenty-five years. In political sentiment he was a Democrat, and in religious faith a Roman Catholic. He married (first) in January, 1858, Mary Carr, who was born in Ireland, and died May 8. 1870, the daughter of Thomas and Bridget (Mc- Carty) Carr, natives of Ireland. He married (sec- ond) Bridget Dodd, who was born in Ireland, and came to America. The children by the first wife were: John T .. James L., Michael Matthew, Frank, Catherine M., and Mary A. Those by the second wife were: Charles W., Andrew and Mary A.

(III) John Thomas, eldest child of John H. and Mary (Carr) O'Dowd, was educated in the public schools. He worked in the print works, and later learned the painter's trade. In 1878 he be- came a member of a ball club. He went to Man- chester and worked as a painter one year, and worked the following year in the Manchester Mills. January 1, 1881. he became a member of the Man- chester Fire Department, and was a driver of a hose wagon for five years and nine months follow- ing. In April, 1888. he enrolled as a member of the Manchester police force and for two years walked a night beat. and the two years following was a day officer. In 1896 he was appointed in- spector and sergeant, and has since served as such. Sergeant O'Dowd has distinguished himself in the Manchester public service as an efficient and reli- able officer. He is a Republican and a Catholic. He is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Golden Cross, and treasurer of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, fraternal insurance or- ganizations. He married, in Manchester, Novem- ber 21, 1883, Minnie F. McDonough; daughter of

LEmuel FLiscom

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John and Mary ( Willis) McDonough. Their chil- dren are: Francis G., Alice M. and Richard M.

The Steeles of this sketch are of good

STEELE old, honest Scotch stock, like the im- migrants who peopled portions of New Hampshire, and the southern colonies two hundred years ago.

(I) Matthew Steele was born in the north of Scotland, and came to America and settled in Peacham, Vermont, where he bought a large farm upon which he lived until his death. He married Lillian Calderwood, who died in Peacham. Their children were: Anna, Agnes, Robert, Alexander, Charles, Isabella, John, George, and Mary.

(II) Charles David, fifth child and third son of Matthew and Lillian (Calderwood) Steele, was born July 18, 1872, in Peacham, Vermont. He at- tended the schools of his native town until he was fourteen years old, and then went to Woodville, New Hampshire, where he apprenticed himself to a butcher, and learned the trade. Subsequently he bought out his employer and conducted the business until 1894, when he removed to Manchester and opened a grocery store and meat market on Chest- nut street, which he has since successfully carried on. He is a member of St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church, and in politics is a Republican. He is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He married Millie May Pennock, who was born in Woodsville. They have three children, all born at Manchester : Harold, Howard and Nigera.

LISCOM Hon. Lemuel Franklin Liscom, fifth child and third son of Lemuel (2) and Emerancy (Horton) Liscom, was born February 17, 1841, on his father's farm, at the north part of Hinsdale, New Hampshire.

He attended the town schools and then completed his studies at Kimball Union Academy, Meriden, New Hampshire. August II, 1862, he enlisted in Company A, Fourteenth New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry, and belonged at different times to the Third, Sixth and Nineteenth Army Corps. He was much of the time on duty at the national capitol, along the Potomac, and at Harper's Ferry ; was then transferred to the Department of the Gulf, and was on the Red River expedition, and up the Mississippi. He was also at the siege of Petersburg, at the battle of Deep Bottom, and the second battle of Malvern Hill. In August, 1863, he was transferred to the Shenandoah Valley. under Sheridan, and served in eight engagements. Later he was transferred to Savannah, Georgia, where he belonged to Battery B, Heavy Artillery, in the defenses of Savannah, Georgia. He was one of the soldiers present at the capture of President Jeffer- son Davis, a body of infantry having been sent from the east and cavalry from the west, to make the pursuit and capture. He assisted in trans- fering President Davis through Augusta to the gun- boats. He was discharged at Savannah, Georgia, July 8, 1865, retiring from the service with rank of orderly sergeant. He was confined to the hospital but five days during his term of service.

Mr. Liscom returned north after the expiration of his term of enlistment, and located in Boston, Massachusetts, securing employment in the shops of the National Bridge and Iron Company, for which business he had partially fitted by the course in engineering taken at the academy. He worked in the engineering department, and in the office of the company, and secured a thorough mastery of

the details of the business. Ile became superin- tendent of construction, and in that capacity had charge of the building of the train sheds of the old Boston and Lowell railroad, and of the Boston and Providence railroad in Boston, Massachusetts. He was also employed by the Keystone Bridge Company, Edgemore Iron Works, and by others. Ile put in the first iron bridge on the Vermont Central road, at Dog River; and erected the first three iron cantilever bridges constructed in this country, on the European and North American railroad, in New Brunswick. He also had charge of the construction of many fine bridges and build- ings, including the iron work of the Boston post- office, and of the Art Museum in Boston, and did much other work of that character during his twen- ty-five years of service, acting as his own en- gineer.

Mr. Liscom was receiving a salary of twenty- five hundred dollars a year and had flattering pros- pects of advancement; but in 1880, his father being well along in years, he resigned his position and re- turned to the old homestead in Hinsdale. Previous to this time he had bought up tracts of timber as opportunity occurred, and had quite extensive lum- ber interests. He engaged in farming, and finally bought out his father's property and started a saw mill. At present he owns about four hundred and fifty acres of forest, partly pine, and in 1906 cut and sawed the lumber on one hundred and fifty acres. For years he has made a specialty of raising hay and tobacco, selling about eleven tons of the latter product each year. He has devoted much time and effort to his tobacco crops, taking pride in obtaining a good quality of leaf, not only on his own farm but throughout the tobacco growing districts in the Connecticut Valley around Hinsdale. A few years ago he cleared up about twenty acres of an upper level pasture and planted it all to tobacco, building an immense barn.

Mr. Liscom is a Republican in politics, and for years has taken an active interest in public measures. In 1891-92 he represented his town in the legislature, and was clerk of the committee on roads, bridges and canals. In 1893-94 hie was returned to the general court, and served as chairman of the public improvement committee. He was also a member of the committee on State Library. While in the legis- lature he formed the first Farmers' Legislative Council ever organized in the state, its object being to give weight and influence to the agricultural element. He was one of the first to advocate mov- ing the Agricultural College to Durham, in order to secure the Benjamin Thompson school fund and he has always been a warm friend and sup- porter of the college in the matter of securing ap- propriations and other advantages. He also intro- duced a bill providing for an electric road from Hinsdale to Brattleboro, Vermont, and used all his influence to secure its passage. It was defeated, however, through the influence of the railroad; but on being introduced a second time both parties agreed to leave the discussion of the question to the supreme court.

In 1896 Mr. Liscom was nominated for senator in the 14th District by acclamation, and was elected to the senate by the largest majority ever given a candidate in that district, his vote being two thou- sand and fifteen to his Democratic opponent's six hundred and eighteen, a vote far exceeding that cast for governor. During this term of service he was chairman of the committee on claims; also served on the committees on revision of laws, military affairs, and roads, bridges and canals. Here he

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introduced a bill to give the Connecticut River Power Company a franchise to build a water system across the river between Brattleboro, Vermont, and Hinsdale, New Hampshire, for generating electricity and other power.

With a strong affection for the old place, Senator Liscom still resides on the old homestead of his father. The old mansion he occupies is one of the show-places of the town, and was crected in 1759 by Squire Jones. It was, in the early days of its magnificence, the residence of Governor Hunt; later of his daughter, Mrs. Anna Marsh, who founded the Brattleboro Retreat for Insane, at Brattleboro, Vermont. This old mansion is a square, hip-roofed, two-story building, constructed after the fashion of the better class of colonial residences, and is older than the American Revolution. The main part of the building remains as originally built, but during her residence Mrs. Marsh added a wing, which was fitted up as a drawing room in a manner to excite the admiration of the neighborhood; it had an arched ceiling, and its furnishings were costly and elegant; and here she was accustomed to enter- tain parties from Brattleboro and vicinity. The garden was laid out in elaborate design to suit her esthetic fancy. The house is well preserved, and the original clapboards riven out of pine logs and shaved by hand, still cover it; the nails used in the con- struction of the house were hand-made.

People whose memories extend back for seventy or eighty years or more, can recollect when the great deer park belonging to the estate was one of the chief show-places of the town, the great resort for pleasure drives. It was a noble range of wood- land, with magnificent trees, greenest grass, a brook winding through the glades, and all kept in neatest trim. This estate formerly belonged to Colonel Hinsdale, one of the founders of the town and its foremost man, who in 1742 built Fort Hinsdale (the old cellar hole of which is now indicated by a depression about twenty rods back from the old mansion in an orchard) on top of the first terrace back of from the Connecticut river, a site overlook- ing a long stretch of the river and surrounding country. It was one of the town's main defenses against the Indians. Colonel Hinsdale also erected " the grist-mill (now the saw-mill) still standing on the place.

Senator Liscom has one of the largest farms in town, some two hundred and fifty acres, much of it timber growth. Small crops of corn, potatoes and other farm products are raised, besides hay and tobacco, the staple crops. Farming and lum- bering, together with dealing in ashes and other fertilizers, have constituted his business, but he now feels that the time has come when advancing years demand a husbanding of strength and vigor, and so is planning to reduce farm labor to a mini- mum and take life a little easier. He still con- tintes, however, to give the best of his strength and talent to the interests of his fellow citizens. He was active in securing the erection of the new iron bridge, three hundred and twenty feet single span, over the Connecticut river opposite Brattleboro, Vermont, and was its Inspecting Engineer ; he drew the specifications for super and substructure. In the New Hampshire legislature of 1907, in the interest of the town of Hinsdale, county and state, he, with others, secured five amendments to the charter of the Connecticut River Power Company to construct a dam across the Connecticut river be- tween Hinsdale, New Hampshire, and Vernon, Ver- mont, which dam is now under construction, and is

rated as one of New England's greatest water powers.

Senator Liscom is not a member of any church. but sees good in all, and is a generous supporter of local religious and educational institutions, and. is a staunch temperance man. He is a member of Golden Rule Lodge, No. 77, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of Hinsdale ; also of Royal Arch Chapter, No. 4, of Keene, New Hampshire; Saint John's Council, No. 7, Royal and Select Masters, of Keene; and Hugh de Payne's Commandery, Knights Templar, of Keene; also of Sheridan Post, No. 14, Grand Army of the Republic; Tribe, No. 27, Improved Order of Red Men, of Hinsdale; and of Wantastiquet Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, Hinsdale.

Senator Liscom married, in Truthville, New York, February 21, 1872, Dollie Amelia Mason; she was born in Fort Ann, New York, December 7, 1848, to Orrin T. and Sarah Ann (Otis) Mason, giving her a good old colonial and patriotic an- cestry. Mrs. Liscom was of most lovable disposi- tion and noble character. She had great artistic ability, and continued her art studies and painting during her married life. By her death, from pnen- monia, March 2, 1896, Senator Liscom suffered an irreparable loss. Two daughters were born to them-Flora Dollie, January 22, 1875; and Mary Edith, October 31, 1878. Flora D. married Charles Victor Stearns, and they reside in Somerville, Massachusetts; they have one son, Charles Liscom, born May 8, 1905. Mary E. married Burton P. Holman, and lives in West Nutley, New Jersey.

The study of family history, if useful for 110 other purpose, is of value in yielding data that will give a clearer insight into the settlement and development of this great land, and show how its history has been made. As indicative of the various streams of settlers whose immigration and subse- quent development have made New Hampshire what it is, Senator Liscom's connection with representa- tives of the old pioneer families of New England might well be cited. His paternal ancestor, from whom the family originated in this country, was Philip Liscom, who represented an ancient English family of the Celtic-British stock. He first appears in Milton, Massachusetts, in 1700, and married, December 24, 1701, Charity Jordan, daughter of John Jordan, of Milton, likewise of English an- cestry. In 1708 Philip Liscom removed to the old Ponkapoag Indian Reservation in Dorchester ter- ritory, south of the Blue Hills, and it was here that he and his descendants lived for almost ninety years. This section is now the Ponkapoag District of Can- ton, Massachusetts, but in those days it was the South Precinct of Old Stoughton, which was set apart from Dorchester, 1728. Philip Liscom bought a large farm of some seventy-five acres, part of the old Fenno Farm which had recently been pur- chased from the Indian chiefs. He was a prominent man; constable in 1718; traded considerably in tracts of land; and when he died, June 27, 1743, his estate was inventoried at two thousand one litin- dren and forty-five pounds, about eleven thousand dollars.

Philip (2) was born February 15, 1704, in Old Stoughton; died there October 24, 1772. He was a farmer and land trader, and served in the Crown Point expedition of the French and Indian war, 1755-58. He married, December 8, 1724, Desire Syl- vester, of Scituate, fourth in line from Richard Syl- vester, the emigrant ancestor. probably of French stock, settled in England in the time of the Con-

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queror. Desire's mother was a Stetson, descended from Cornet Robert Stetson, prominent in Old Plymouth Colony.

Philip Liscom (3) was born June 23, 1731, in Stoughton; died there February 8, 1774. He was a farmer, and later kept a tavern in Stoughton. He served in the Crown Point expedition of the French and Indian war, 1755. He was a member of one of the singing societies which flourished in Stoughton at that time, later becoming merged into the Stoughton Musical Society (still existing) one of the oldest societies in the country. He married, November 16, 1752, Miriam Belcher, daughter of Samuel and Mary ( Puffer) Belcher. She was a descendant of Jeremy Belcher, a proprietor of Ips- wich, Massachusetts, who came in the "Susan and Ellen" from Wiltshire, England, 1635. The line spread into Lynn and later to Stoughton. The

Belcher line intermarried with other old pioneer families, Holbrooks of Roxbury; and Farnsworths of Dorchester from the old family of Lancashire, England.

Lemuel (1), son of Philip (3), born April 8, 1767, was the youngest of the five children. Miriam (I) born August 25, 1753, married July 1, 1772, Jo- seph Wright, of old Dedham stock, who later set- tled in Hinsdale, New Hampshire. Samuel (2) born September 14, 1755, was later a resident of Attleboro, Massachusetts, and a soldier from there on the Lexington Alarm: married September 25, 1776, Deborah Read. In 1803 he removed to and set- tled in Halifax, Vermont, where his descendants lived until about 1870, when they removed west. Hannah (3) born May 3, 1757, married December 9, 1773, Jeremiah Fisher, also of old Dedham, Mas- sachusetts, stock, who likewise later settled in Hins- dale, New Hampshire. Eunice (4) born April 29, 1765; married September 29, 1785, Benjamin Tower, of the old Scituate family, who likewise later set- tled in Hinsdale, New Hampshire. Lemuel Ist (5) probably removed to Hinsdale with his relatives about 1790. Here he married, September 26, 1796, Submit, daughter of John Barrett, of Hinsdale, who was probably a descendant of the Benjamin Barrett families of Old Deerfield, Massachusetts, who repre- sented an ancient Norman family settled in England at the time of the Conquest. Jolin Barrett was an early settler in Hinsdale, and held town office. Lemuel Ist was a farmer and breeder of horses, also ran a flatboat on the Connecticut river be- fore the days of railroads. When a lad of nine years he assisted in carrying supplies to Dorchester Heights for the use of the Continental army while besieging Boston. He was an early settler in that part of Hinsdale, New Hampshire, which is now Vernon, Vermont. Subsequently he bought a farm on the Chestnut Hill road where he lived for a time ; then resided on the Brattleboro road, and finally settled in the locality known as Slab City. His farms were small and remote from market; he was troubled by Indians, and he had all the unpleasant experiences of a pioneer. He died July 7, 1836, and his wife died October 25, 1839. Both are buried in the old Dummer burying ground at North Hins- dale. Mrs. Liscom was a fine Christian woman, and brought up her family to be honorable and re- spected men and women. They had a family of nine children. Mary (1) born January 4, 1798; married, December 23, 1823, Henry Reed, a resident of Brat- tleboro, Vermont. Lemuel (2). Gratia (3) born July 20, 1801 ; married January 29, 1837, Williard Arms of Brattleboro, Vermont. Philip (4) born June 24, 1803: married May 1, 1824, Philena Bas- com. He had a large farm in West Brattleboro,

Vermont, still held by his son John. John (5) born January 6, 1800; married September 13, 1837, Eliza Amidon of Boston, Massachusetts. Ile resided in Boston for a time, but returned to Brattleboro, where he died. A daughter, Mrs. Lizzie Ranney, resides in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a son, George, lives in West Brattleboro. Levi (6) born June 6, ISO8; married September 6, 1832, Mary Odiorne Akerman of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He re- moved to Boston, and engaged in the pianoforte business. He has descendants residing in Ded- ham, Massachusetts. Sophironia (7) born AAugust 24, 1810; married March 31, 1834, Enos Crosby, of Brattleboro. Charles (8) born September 24, 1813; married June 1, 1842, Elizabeth Sartwell. Ile was in the coal business, but went to California in '49 and settled in Arcata, where he has numerous de- scendants. Samuel (9) born February 19, 1810; died in Boston, November 1, 1835.

Lemuel 2nd (2) was born October 9, 1799, ill that part of Hinsdale which later became the town of Vernon, Vermont. At an early age he went to Boston, Massachusetts, and entered the employ of Lyman & Ralston, coal dealers, at the North End, the first firm in that city to deal in hard coal. Some years later Mr. Liscom started in the same business for himself, being the second anthracite coal dealer in the city. His coal was brought from the Lehigh mines in Pennsylvania. The Boston people were skeptical about the combustibility and heat-produc- ing qualities of anthracite coal and many believed it to be nothing but stone. One person to whom Mr. Liscom sold some coal, not understanding how to burn it, had the coal man arrested for selling worthless stone for fuel; but Mr. Liscom was able to show the utility of the fuel and the honesty of the transaction, and was found not guilty and discharged from custody. He subsequently found it convenient even in summer to keep a hard coal fire burning in his fire-place to convince skeptics of its utility as fuel. He shipped the first cargo of coal to Lowell, Massachusetts. After eight suc- cessful years Mr. Liscom had accumulated a small fortune, and returning to Hinsdale, married. He went back to Boston, staying only a year on ac- count of his wife's delicate health. He finally set- tled in North Hinsdale on the old Marsh Place (earlier mentioned), which he bought upon settling in Hinsdale, and for which he took a deed October 10, 1835. He engaged in farming and lumbering, and was among the first to take up the raising of tobacco in the valley ; he raised large and profitable crops on the lower meadows. He was at first a Whig in politics, later a Republican; he took an active part in town affairs, serving as selectman for several terms; was also justice of the peace. In religious faith he was a Baptist, and took a prominent part in the affairs of his church. He was a teacher of vocal music. He died July 5, 1886.

Mr. Liscom's marriage to Emerancy Horton, of Hinsdale, took place September 20, 1831. Mrs. Lis- com was a daughter of Hezikiah and Sally (Burn- ham) Horton, of Scotch and English descent, and of kin to Lord Burnham at one time a member of parliament.

The Hortons and Burnhams were old settlers and lived up the valley behind the Mine Mountain Range. Hezikiah Horton's father was Stafford Horton, who died February 7, 1813, and his wife, Eunice (Martin) Horton, died February 8, 1813, one day later ; both were buried at one funeral in the North Church burying ground. This Eunice (Martin) Horton was the woman who, when a child of seven years, rode horseback with her mother

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through the primeval forests by trail to the raising of the first frame house in Hinsdale, known as the Marsh Place.

The Hortons were an ancient family in England, of Roman origin.

Walter Le Ventre came to England at the Con- quest (1066) in the train of his cousin-german, Earl Warren, and at the survey ( 1080) was made lord of the Saxon villages of Burnham, and of other manors. From these manors he took the name "de Burnham." It was probably never used as a sur- name until after the Conquest (when surnames came into fashion) changing later to just "Burnham." In Saxon days it was probably just a place-name, so commonly found in England to-day.

From the best information obtainable at the present day, it appears that the three brothers- John, Thomas and Robert, sons of Robert and his wife, Mary (Andrews) Burnham, of Norwich, Nor- folk county, England-came to America early in 1035; that they came in the ship "Angel Gabriel," in charge of their maternal uncle, Captain Andrews, the master of said ship; that they were wrecked on the coast of Maine; that with the freight thrown overboard to relieve the vessel at the time of the disaster was a chest (containing valuables) belong- ing to the three boys; that the boys came to Chebacco (Ipswich) in the colony of Massachusetts Bay, with their uncle, Captain Andrews, who, hav- ing lost his ship, settled there, the boys remaining with him. John and Thomas Burnham served (boys as they were) in the Pequot expedition, 1636-37.

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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. IV, Part 108

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: 878

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: 878