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 113

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 113

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of John and Miranda (Gannet) Gray. She died at Conway, 1899, leaving one child, Albert Watson Head. He was born, 1873, in Lakeport. He mar- ried Abbie Young and they have no children.

FOSS The name of Foss appears to have been of Dutch or German origin and was origi- nally Vos, a word signifying fox. It is probable that the first that took the name was so nicknamed because of his shrewdness or cunning, or because he used the fox as a sign at his place of business. The name was early implanted in New England and is still most numerously repre- sented, especially in New Hampshire.

(I) John Foss, the ancestor of those bearing the name, is said by tradition to have arrived at Bos- ton on a British war vessel on which he was em- ployed as a calker. While the vessel was lying in Boston harbor, he deserted by jumping overboard and swimming ashore. He soon settled in Dover, New Hampshire, where he first appears of record May 14, 1661, when he witnessed a deed. His first wife was Mary Chadburn. His second wife, Eliza- beth, presumably the widow of John Locke and daughter of William and Jane Berry, was ap- pointed administratrix of his estate January 8, 1699. He received a deed of land in Rye in 1668. His children were: John, Humphrey, William, Han- nah, Joshua, Hinckson. Mary, Benjamin, Thomas, Jemima, Elizabeth and Samuel. (Joshua and de- scendants receive extended mention in this ar- ticle ).

(II) John (2), son of John (1) Foss, probably married Abigail, daughter of Jolin Berry, as he re- fers to Berry in a deed as his father-in-law. In 1710, being feeble, though not aged, he disposed of most of his property, deeding land to his son John in Greenland, to sons Joshua and Zachariah lands in Rye. He was in Newcastle in 1696, was selectman there in 1698, and paid a minister's rate there of one pound and fourteen shillings in 1701. His chil- dren. of whom six settled in Barrington, were : Isaac, Zachariah, John, Samuel, Nathan, Hinkson, Ichabod, Abigail, Joshua and Priscilla.

(III) John (3) Foss, third son of John (2) Foss, was married March II, 1745, to Tabitha Sar- gent, daughter of Ensign Jacob and Judith (Har- vey) Sargent. He removed from Greenland to Chester, and settled on lot 105 in the "Addition" on Great Hill, where he died November 14, 1745. His wife was granted letters of administration thirteen days later. She became the second wife of Heze- kiah Underhill, whom she survived, and died Au- gust 24, 1803. The inventory of John (3) Foss' es- tate was made June 6, 1746, and amounted to seven hundred, eighty-nine pounds and nine shillings. He left only one child.

(IV) David, only child of John (3) and Tabi- tha (Sargent) Foss, was born October 12, 1744, in Chester, and settled near his birthplace, on lot 107, where he died December 8, 1786. He was married in 1767. to Anne Richardson, and their children were : Elizabeth, Hannah, John, Anna, Tabitha, Abigail, Jonathan, Joseph, Daniel and Lucretia.

(V) Joseph, third son and eighth child of David and Anne (Richardson) Foss, was born October 30, 1782, in Chester, and resided for some years in Stratham, New Hampshire. He remained there until past middle life and then moved to Tufton- boro. where he was an early settler. He married a Clark, and they were the parents of five children : Joseph, mentioned below : Dolly, who married James Doe; Ann, who married Thomas French ; John and Jerry. John had five children : Sarah, Jacob Clark,

Frank, Charles and Albert. Jacob Clark was the only one who left children. He had one son Fred, who married and has four children: Walter Clark, aged thirty; Nora Marion, aged eighteen; Willard Roy, aged cight, and Clyde Bernard, aged three years.

(VI) Joseph (2), eldest child of Joseph ( I) Foss, was born in Stratham, and when a young man went to Tuftonboro, where he followed farming till his death. He died in 1852, at the age of forty years. Ile married Nancy Sargent, and they had children : Thomas, Andrew, Isaac, Minnie, Nancy, James, Alice and Joseph.

(VII) Isaac, third child of Joseph (2) and Nancy ( Sargent ) Foss, was born in Tuftonboro, in 1839, and died there May 18, 1887. He was a far- mer and carpenter. He married, in 1861, Amanda D. Ham, daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Tib- betts) Ham. They had six children: Albert L., John A., Eugene C .. Annie M., Alice G., and Min- nie. Albert L., born May 3, 1862, a real estate broker in New York City: John A., March 19, 1864, a butcher in Stanford. Connecticut; Eugene C., mentioned below; Annie MI., October 1, 1869, married Virgil P. Hersey: Alice G., January, 1871. wife of Marvin L. Blaisdell; Minnie, December 25, 1874, died December 10, 1905.

(VIII) Eugene Clark, third son and child of Isaac and Amanda D. (Ham) Foss, was born in Tuftonboro, February 18, 1866. At twelve years of age he went to work on his father's farm for him- self, and at nineteen he became a clerk for F. W. Emery & Company. for whom he worked five years, and he worked twenty years in one other store for Emery and J. B. Moon & Co. In July, 1905. he established himself in the hardware business in partnership with Henry Evans, the firm taking the style name of Henry Evans & Com- pany, and has since that time been successfully engaged in that line. He is a member of Tribe No. 9, Improved Order of Red Men. He married, June 6, 1891, in Rochester, Laura Frances Clark, born September 26, 1861, daughter of Jacob Clark, of Rochester. They have had two children born to them: Erving E., born March 20. 1895, died March 17, 1899, and Bernice E., born May 20, 1901.

(II) Joshua, fourth son and child of John (I) Foss, settled in Barrington, where he died at the age of ninety-nine years and six months. He mar- ried Sarah Wallis and their children were: Thomas, Nathaniel, John, Job, Wallis, Jane, Han- nah, Mark and George. (Mark and George and descendants receive mention in this article).

(III) Job, fourth son and child of Joshua and Sarah ( Wallis) Foss, married, November I, 1750, Sarah Lang. A tame Indian stayed at his house one night, and the board to which he was tied caught fire and came near burning a child and the house. His children were: Sarah, Hannah, John, Dorothy, Job, Joshua, Mary, Ebenezer and Com- fort.

(IV) John, third child and eldest son of Job and Sarah (Lang) Foss, was baptized June, 1757. and died January I, 1819. He was a Revolutionary soldier, and his name is found on the roll of Cap- tain Joseph Parson's company, mustered in at Ports- mouth, November 22, 1775. which proceeded to Cambridge "and served until the evacuation of Bos- ton," as an endorsement attests.

He married, March 6. 1783, Sarah Tucker. Their children were: Job. Robinson, Betsey, Olive, Sarah, Richard, Anna Partridge.

(V) Job (2), eldest child of John and Sarah (Tucker) Foss, was born in 1785. He married,

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March 22, 1809, Patty Berry, and they had six children : Olly, Elizabeth W., Alexander, Sally, Oliver and Jeremiah.

(VI) Elizabeth W., second child of Job and s'atty (Berry) Foss. was born in May, 1811, and married Thomas Green. (See Green I, second family).

(III) Mark, sixth son and eighth child of Joshua and Sarah (Wallis) Foss, resided in the town of Rye, where he was born and was married November 28, 1745, to Amy Thompson. He removed to Strafford, and his last residence was on Strafford Ridge. His children were : Nathaniel, Mark, Abigail, John, George, Joshua and Timothy (John and descendants receive mention in this article).

(IV) Nathaniel, eldest child of Mark and Amy (Thompson) Foss, was born 1747, in that part of Barrington, which is now Strafford, New Hamp- shire. He settled in the present town of Strafford, on a road known as Pig Lane, which leads from Strafford Ridge to Bow Pond Road. He pur- chased a strip of land between the two roads, one rod wide, for a way to his mill. He built the first gristmill below Bow Pond, anld here he lived and died and was buried. He was a Revolutionary sol- dier, and served as an ensign in Captain Robert Pike's company, Colonel Senter's regiment, enlist- ing June 26, 1779, and served six months and twelve days. He was also a sergeant in Captain Parson's company from September 19, 1781, to October 3 of the same year. His grave is annuallly decorated by his patriotic descendants. He married. Mary Jen -· ness, of Rye, who was born in 1750, a daughter of Captain Nathaniel and Hannah (Dow) Jenness, and their children were: Elisha, John, Richard, Jonathan, Sarah and Nathaniel.

(V) Richard, third son and child of Nathaniel and Mary (Jenness) Foss, was born April 4, 1783, in Strafford, which was then a part of Barrington. He continued to reside in that town, and died Jan- uary 13, 1824. He married Mary Tuttle, who was born November 15, 1784, and survived him more than thirty years, dying September 7, 1855. Their children were: Richard, Nathaniel, Lydia, Mahala, Daniel, Dennis, Eliza, Esther and Sarah.

(VI) Dennis, fourth son and sixth child of Richard and Mary (Tuttle) Foss, was born Jan- uary 5, 1819, in Strafford, and removed to Dover in 1874. He resided for many years at Bow Pond, in Strafford, and owned a sawmill and engaged in the manufacture of lumber. He also operated a gristmill and was a merchant. Removing to Dover, as above noted, he engaged extensively in the manu- facture of doors, sash and blinds and other similar lumber products, and achieved notable success. He died in Dover, December 24, 1899, near the close of his eighty-first year. He was married, December 16, 1845, to Hannah Peary, born August 21, 1832, in Barrington, and died in Dover, April 28, 1904. Their children were: Alonzo Melvin, Sarah Ellen (who died in infancy) and Laura Emma. The lat- ter married (first) Walter Leighton Woodman, and resided at Bow Pond, later at Dover. She is now the wife of James S. Burton, of Manchester, New Hampshire.

(VII) Alonzo Melvin, only son of Dennis and Hannah (Peary) Foss, was born July 23, 1847, in Strafford. He received his education in the public schools of his native town, passing through the high school. After leaving school he was employed two years in a grocery store at Strafford by Hon. John W. Jewell, after which he was partner in a general store for seven years with his father. and removed with the latter to Dover in 1874, and aided in found-

ing the present manufacturing business. He was early associated with his father in the management of the manufacturing business and has succeeded to its charge. He has been active in developing the best interests of Dover, and is at present among the leading citizens of that city. The manufacturing business established by himself and father has grown to large dimensions. It now occupies a three-story mill, covering ground surface 100x85 feet, and is fitted with the most modern and im- proved machinery for its purposes. Among the spe- cialties of the plant is the production or large pack- ing boxes for the cloth mills of Dover, and a gen- eral line of similar goods for the trade. At first they engaged solely in the manufacture of boxes, together with a general grain business, and later added the production of doors, sash and blinds.

Mr. Foss has taken an active part in the social and political affairs of the city and served several years as a member of its school committee. In 1893 he was electd mayor by a large majority and in the two succeeding years was re-elected by increased majorities. He is intimately acquainted with the needs and resources of the city, and is qualified to aid in every worthy movement for its development and welfare. He is a man of progressive ideas and of the most upright moral standard, and his busi- ness success has been achieved through the best methods, and his character is thoroughly estab- lished. He has passed through the various degrees of Free Masonry, being a past master of Strafford Lodge of that order, past high priest of Belknap Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, past deputy master of Orphan Council, past eminent commander of St. Paul's Commandery, Knights Templar, and mem- ber of Bektash temple, Ancient Arabic Order No- bles of the Mystic Shrine. In 1906 he was appointed grand standard bearer of the grand commandery of the Knights Templar of the state. In 1905, Mr. Foss received the thirty-third and highest degree in Free Masonary in the Supreme Council Northern Jurisdiction, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite. He is a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Boston, and is also a past exalted ruler of Dover Lodge, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. On January 1, 1905, he was appointed a mem- ber of Governor McLane's staff. with the rank of colonel. His services and associations above .men- tioned indicate clearly his political affiliation with the Republican party.

He was married. October 12, 1868, to Clara Salome, daughter of Frank and Alice Jane Foss, of Barrington, New Hampshire, whose ancestry fol- lows hereinafter. The children of this union were two in number, the second of whom Minna Nut- ter, died in infancy. Ina G., the first, was born No- vember 8, 1869, and was married November 8. 1891, on her twenty-second birthday, to E. Frank Boomer, of Dover. They have three children: Minna Ger- trude, Marjory Ramsdell and Evelyn. Mrs. Foss is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

(III) George, youngest child of Joshua and Sarah (Wallis) Foss, was born 1721, in Rye, and died 1807, at the age of eighty-six years. He was married April 3, 1746, to Mary Marden, who was born September 30. 1726, daughter of James and Abigail (Webster) Marden. He was a Revolu- tionary soldier and resided in Barrington, one mile from the present Strafford line. His children were: Judith, Rachel, John, Abigail, George, William, Richard, James, Mary, Samuel and Nathan.

(IV) Nathan, youngest child of George and Mary (Marden) Foss, was born August 13, 1766,

Eli H Ino

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in Barrington, and resided in Strafford. He was married March 7, 1790, to Alice Babb, who was born June 6, 1769, and died May 20, 1859, alinost ninety years of age. Their children were: Polly, Sarah, James Babb. George B., Eliza, Nathan, Richard and Harriett.

(V) George Babb, second son and fourth child of Nathan and Alice (Babb) Foss, was born Au- gust 16, 1798, in Strafford, and died August 18, 1869. He was married April 17, 1818, to Sally Drew, who, was born May 10, 1798, and died Jan- uary 4, 1881, in her eightieth year. Their chil- dren were: Stephen Drew, Lydia Drew, Nathan, Richard, Alice Jane, and Sarah Ann.

(VI) Alice Jane, second daughter and fifth child of George B. and Sally (Drew) Foss, was born December 10, 1830, in Barrington, and was married March 14, 1850, to David Franklin Foss. He was a son of Ephraim and Lucinda (Herson) Foss, and was born October 26, 1826. Their children were : Clara Salome, Clayton, Sarah and Susan.

(VII) Clara Salome, eldest child of David F. and Alice Jane (Foss) Foss, was born May 30, 1851, in Barrington, and was married to Alonzo Melvin Foss, as above noted.

(IV) John, son of Mark and Amy (Thompson) Foss, was born May 6, 1757, in Strafford, and was a farmer residing on Strafford Ridge. He married Sarah Blake, who died December 17, 1822, and both are buried in the burying ground in the rear of Strafford Academy. John Foss was a soldier of the Revolution, enlisting July 10, 1781, in Captain Joshua Woodman's company and was mustered out the September following. * His children were: Sarah, Betsy, Jonathan, James, Priscilla, Abigail, John B. (V) Jonathan, eldest son of John (2), was born at Strafford Ridge, March 22, 1790. He there owned a farm which he exchanged in 1817 for one of twenty-seven acres in Centre Barnstead, owned by Colonel W. Lyford. This alleged farm was covered with timber which he cleared off, and the village of Centre Barnstead now occupies the site. When Jonathan Foss took possession of this land there was upon it a small house, a shed, and a one-horse gristmill. Here he lived and continued to engage in agriculture until his death in 1876, at the age of eighty-six years. His marriage occurred in Straf- ford, the wife's name being Margaret Bean. She died in the course of a year, and he married (sec- ond), in Barnstead, widow (Alice) Ham, a daughter of Nathaniel and Dolly (Marshall) Nutter. She was a native of Newington, New Hampshire. Their chil- dren were as follows: Eli H., James L .. Jona- than, Nancy, Margaret, Dorothy, Mary Ann and John. Eli H., is mentioned at length below ; James L. lives in Barnstead and married Eliza Blake; Nancy married Nathan Aiken; Margaret married Samuel G. Shackford; Dorothy married Levi C. Scruton; Mary Ann married Jeremiah Hackett.

(VI) Eli Ham, eldest child of Jonathan and Alice (Nutter) Foss, was born in Center Barn- stead, July 16, 1819. His education consisted of at- tendance at the common schools of four weeks each year, the full length of term then taught. Shortly before he was twenty-one he went to learn the blacksmith trade with a Scotchman named John Hendrick. of Pittsfield, for twelve dollars per month. After a time he went to Boston and worked as helper, receiving sixteen dollars per month for swinging the heavy sledge. After three years of this employment he returned to the home farm to assist his father, and soon resumed his work at the anvil at Centre Barnstead, completing the days of

his apprenticeship with Asa Garland. In 1846 he built a shop opposite where he now resides, which burned a year later. He rebuilt and for nearly fifty years carried on his trade there. In 1852 he started from Boston for the theh newly discovered gold fields of California. He sailed on the ship "Mary Merrill," carrying one hundred and sixty passengers, touching at Rio Janeiro and Buenos Ayres for water, rounding the Horn, making a stop at Valparaiso for another supply of water and reaching San Francisco in one day less than six months from the date of leaving Boston. Go- ing to the placer mines, he worked at mining for sonie time, but preferring to work at his trade, he went to Redwood where he received one hundred dollars per month as a smith. He remained in California five years and returned to New Hamp- shire via Panama route in 1857. Resuming his trade at Barnstead he labored at it until 1864, when he enlisted in Company C, Eighteenth New Hamp- shire Volunteer Infantry, and participated in the battles of that year and the one following, around Petersburg, Virginia. At the close of the war he again returned to his forge, and followed his voca- tion until he retired from active life. From the date of the formation of the Republican party he has been a Republican, and was elected by that party to the office of town treasurer, which he held six years. Mr. Foss was born with a strong liking for adventure and travel, and has been an active participant of two of the great events of the world's history-the early mining in California, and the war between the states. He was always rated high as a mechanic and was not excelled by any other smith in this region. He has always stood well as a citizen and made an excellent record as the cus- todian of the people's money. For forty years lie · has been a member of Fraternal Lodge, No. 91, Free and Accepted Masons, and is now the only survivor of those who lived in Barnstead in pioneer days. Arrived at the age of eighty-seven years, he has never yet used spectacles. He mar- ried, August 23, 1844, Mary Ann Furber. born March 12, 1818, daughter of Edmund and Deborah ( Walker) Furber, of Alton, both members of pio- neer families of Centre Barnstead. Edmund Fur- ber was a well known business man and a leader in church work. He lived to be ninety-five years old, dying in the year 1894. Mrs. Foss died Octo- ber 25, 1888, aged seventy years. The children of Eli H. and Mary Ann (Furber) Foss were: Os- car, Mary Ann, Nellie D., and Estie. Oscar is mentioned at length below: Mary Ann married John F. Chesley, and has two children : Harry O., a physician, and Nellie D. married Reuben G. York ; Estie married Emory L. Tuttle, and has one child, Lloyd Foss, of Lynn, Massachusetts.

(VII) Oscar, eldest son and child of Eli H. and Mary A. (Furber) Foss, was born in Barnstead, November 17, 1845. He obtained his education in the public schools, and at Pittsfield Academy, at- tending the latter institution in the winter season and spending the remainder of the year in his father's blacksmith shop, learning the trade. At the age of twenty-one he bought a half interest in a saw mill business with Nathaniel Blaisdell. At the end of the year he became sole owner of the business, which he has since greatly enlarged and sold. Mr. Foss has not only manufacturd a great deal of lumber. but he has bought numerous lots of standing timber and by means of portable mills has prepared the lumber for market in various large cities. His first purchase was in Northwood, and since that time the business has been greatly

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enlarged and he now owns and operates a few mills in various districts. He had five mills operating in 1895-6-7-8, and millions of feet of standing tim- ber and large quantities of cord wood and lumber. He began business with a capital consisting of a good reputation, good business capacity, and a little money. His success in business soon enabled him to command all the financial assistance required from others and his success has been continuous and sat- isfactory. He has been a promoter of business en- terprises and a leading business man in his town for years. He was one of the chief promoters of the Barnstead shoe shop, of which he was owner. He was one of the prime movers in getting the rail- road and telephone lines to Barnstead. As an in- dividual he has done much to promote the growth of business enterprises in the town, and is always chosen to head the delegation to induce desirable business to locate there. He is a stalwart Repub- lican and through his influence many changes have been wrought in the politics of Barnstead. When he became a voter, the vote of the town showed ninety-nine Republicans to three hundred Demo- crats. In 1896 the Republicans for the first time had a majority of the votes. He was elected town treasurer in 1892 and served one year, and in 1896 was elected supervisor and has filled that office two years. In 1898 he was elected county commis- sioner, having the largest vote of the board of Bel- knap county, and was re-elected in 1900 for two years. In 1906 he was elected representative. He married, November 5, 1871, Sarah Ursula Young, born December 3: 1851, a daughter of Oliver H. P. and Emily J. (Tuttle) Young, and granddaugh- ter of Jonathan Young, one of the early settlers of Barnstead. Oliver Young, born on Beauty Hill, learned the carpenter's trade and followed that vo- cation for years. After a time he removed to Barn- stead Centre. He was a member of Company B, Twelfth New Hampshire Volunteers, and served three years in the Civil war. He held the office of justice of the peace for thirty years in his later life, and while an incumbent of that office wrote many conveyances, mortgages and other legal in- struments, besides attending to the duties of justice.

TRULAND This name was originally spelled Trolin and the family is originally from Ireland, where they were en- gaged in the linen industry. The name was changed to Truland when John and James came to America. (I) Philip Truland was born in county Derry, Ireland, in the seventeenth century. He spent his life in his native land, passing away about the year 1827-28. His wife, Elizabeth (Murray) Truland, came to the United States, 1840, and located in Lowell, Vermont, where she spent the remainder of her life, dying at the advanced age of one hun- dred and five years. The children of Philip and Elizabeth Truland who came to the United States wore : John, James,

Thomas, Daniel, William, Eliza and Mary. They all located in Lowell, Ver- mont, and spent a large portion of their lives there. John subsequently moved to Illinois and died there ; James, Thomas and Mary died at Lowell : Daniel died at Lancaster. New Hampshire, 1904: Eliza died at Freeport, Illinois, about 1895. Elizabeth (Murray) Truland, the mother of these children, was born in county Derry, Ireland, on the first Sunday of June, 1780, and died in Lowell, Ver- mont, 1885.

(II) William Truland was born in county Derry, Ireland, June 25, 1822. He came to the United States in 18440, with his mother. In his native land

he was engaged in the linen industry, and during life in the United States followed the occupation of woolen operative in Lowell, Vermont, and Lit- tleton, New Hampshire. He married, at Water- ville, Vermont, 1848, Mary McGourty, born in county Leitrim, Ireland, April, 1827, and seven chil- dren were born of this marriage: Frank W., Louis Joseph. Eliza Jane, James, John, Mary and one who died in infancy. Frank W. and Louis J. have been interested in the job printing business at La- conia for over thirty-five years. William Truland (father) died at Littleton, New Hampshire, August 17, 1870.

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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 113

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