USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Bedford > History of Bedford, New-Hampshire, being statistics, compiled on the occasion of the one hundredth anniversary of the incorporation of the town; May 19th, 1850 > Part 10
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31
" At a Great and General Court or Assembly, for his Majestie's Province of the Massachusetts Bay, begun and held at Boston, upon Wednesday, the Thirty-first of May, 1732, and continued by adjournment, to Wednesday, Fourth day of April, 1733, and then met.
" April 26, 1733.
" A Petition of a Committee for the Narragansett Soldiers, showing that there are the number of Eight Hundred and Forty Persons, entered as officers and soldiers in the late Narragansett War. Praying that there may be such an addition of Land granted to them, as may allow a Tract of six miles Square to each one hundred and twenty men so admitted.
" In the House of Representatives, Read, and Ordered that the Prayer of the Petition be granted, and that Major
.
107
SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN.
Chandler, Mr. Edward Shove, Col. Thomas Tileston, Mr. John Hobson, and Mr. Samuel Chandler, (or any three of them,) be a Committee fully authorized and empowered to survey and lay out five more Tracts of Land for Townships, of the Contents of Six miles Square, each, in some of the unappropriated lands of this Province ; and that the said land, together with the two towns before granted, be granted and disposed of to the officers and soldiers or their lawful Representatives, as they are or have been allowed by this Court, being eight hundred and forty in number, in the whole, and in full satisfaction of the Grant formerly made them by the General Court, as a reward for their public service. And the Grantees shall be obliged to assemble within as short time as they can conveniently, not exceeding the space of two months, and proceed to the choice of Committees, respectively, to regulate each Propriety or Township, which is to be held and enjoyed by one hundred and twenty of the Grantees, each in equal Proportion, who shall pass such orders and rules as will effectually oblige them to settle Sixty families, at least, within each Township, with a learned, orthodox ministry, within the space of seven years of the date of this Grant. Provided, always, that if the said Grantees shall not effectually settle the said number of families in each Township, and also lay out a lot for the first settled minister, one for the ministry, and one for the school, in each of the said townships, they shall have no advantage of, but forfeit their respective grants, anything to the contrary contained notwithstanding. The Charge of the Survey to be paid by the Province.
In Council read and concur'd. Consented to, J. BELCHER."
" A True Copy of Record :
Examined, Per
SIMON FROST, Dep. Secretary."
"It is hereby Certified, that by an order of the Great and General Court, pass'd the eighteenth of April, 1734, Seven years]from the first of June, 1734, was allow'd the Narragan- set Claimants.
Attest :
SIMON FROST, Dep. Sec'y."
By referring to the Proprietors' Book of Records, it will be found the above conditions of the Grant were complied
108
HISTORICAL NOTICES OF BEDFORD.
with, as respects provisions for the gospel, though a minister was not settled till after the act of incorporation.
The following documents will not be without interest to those who have a taste for such investigations, especially as they bear on the history of the township.
" Province of New Hampshire :
" At a meeting of the Proprietors of the Lands purchased of John Tufton Mason, Esq., in the Province of New Hamp- shire, at the Dwelling-house of Sarah Priest, widow, in Portsmouth, in said Province, on the ninth day of November, 1748, by adjournment :
" Voted,-That the rights of the original Proprietors of Souhegan-East, otherwise called Narraganset, No. 5, be and hereby are confirmed to them, according as the Lots have been already surveyed and laid out, excepting and reserving only seventeen shares or Rights, as according to said laying out ; the particular rights or Shares so excepted and reserved, to be determined and ascertained hereafter; but that the particular rights and shares of Maj. Edward White, and the Rev'd Doctor Ebenezer Miller, be not among the excepted and reserved rights as aforesaid, but that their said rights and shares among said Proprietors as aforesaid, be hereby granted and confirmed to them, their heirs and assigns.
Copy examined,
Per GEORGE JAFFREY, Prop. Clk."
The following paper, as explanatory of the last, may be introduced, though the date carries us beyond the present period.
" Province of New Hampshire :
" At a meeting of the Proprietors of the lands purchased of John Tufton Mason, Esq., in New Hampshire, held at Portsmouth, in said Province, on the seventh day of December, 1750 :
" Voted, -That the proposed reserved seventeen shares in Souhegan-East, (so called,) otherwise called Narraganset, No. 5, be drawn for at this meeting, and that the particular home-lots as heretofore surveyed and laid out by the claimers under the Massachusetts Government, that shall be drawn by any particular person or persons, shall be to the respective person by whom drawn, and to whom entered, to have and to hold the same in severalty, to them, their heirs and assigns
109
SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN.
respectively, forever. And that the other divisions in said Tract of land, as heretofore surveyed and laid out, as aforesaid, belonging unto the home-lots respectively, shall be to the said persons, respectively, who draw the said home- lots, to have and to hold the same, in severalty, to them, their heirs and assigns, forever, in the same manner, and upon the same conditions as they hold in severalty the sundry tracts or parcels of land voted to be held in severalty by a vote passed by said Proprietors at a meeting by them held on the 25th day of July, 1750."
Pursuant to the above vote, the following draft of the said seventeen shares reserved in Souhegan-East, (so called,) otherwise called Narragansett, No. 5, were voted to be recorded in the following manner, as they were drawn at this meeting.
Drawn to. Home-lots. " Ist, Theodore Atkinson, Esq., No. 39, on Merrymack.
2d, Messrs. Meserve, Blanchard, Green and March, No. 61, on Merrymack.
3d, John Moffit, Esq., No. 89, on Merrymack.
4th, John Kinge, No. 76, on Merrymack.
5th, John Wentworth, Jr., Esq., No. 83, on Merrymack.
6th, George Jaffrey, Esq., No. 20, on Babosook.
7th, Mark H. Wentworth, Esq., No. 41, on Merrymack. 8th, Thomas Parker, Esq., No. 95, on Merrymack. 9th, John Ordiorne, Esq., No. 69, on Merrymack.
10th, William Parker, Esq., No. 1, on Merrymack.
11th, Mary Moor and Daniel Pierce, Esq., No. 79, on Merrymack.
12th, Matthew Lacimon, Esq., No. 1, on Piscataquog.
13th, Joshua Pierce, Esq., No 66, on Merrymack.
14th, Samuel, Sally, and Clement March, Esq., No. 75, on Merrymack.
15th, Thomas Wallingford, Esq., No. 17, on Babosook. 16th, Richard Wibird, Esq., No. 31, on Merrimack.
17th, Jno. Tomlinson, and John Tufton Mason, Esq., No. 35, on Merrymack.
A true Copy of record,
as attested by, GEO. JAFFREY, Prop. Clk. Portsmouth, May 1st, 1796.
Transcribed, June 15, 1796."
110
HISTORICAL NOTICES OF BEDFORD.
It may, perhaps, seem to some readers superfluous to introduce papers of this kind, but it should be remembered that to the future antiquary or historian, they may have great value. The Proprietors' Book of records, preserved in the archives of this town, is becoming quite a relic of antiquity. It is bound in parchment, and is in a good state of preserva- tion. They held their meetings in Boston, at " Mr. Luke Vardy's," also, " at the house of Peletiah Glover, at the sign of the three horse-shoes, near the Common."
One Vote of the Proprietors may be given, showing they had some regard for the religious welfare of their township: -" Feb. 15th, 1748. Voted, - That one third of the time, Preaching shall be to accommodate the inhabitants at the upper end of the town; one other third part, at the lower end of the town ; the last third, about Strawberries hill ; - all in such houses as said committee shall think proper for each part of the inhabitants." - The committee referred to, were some of the settlers of the place.
We now approach the period of the first settlement of the town. The country was then in a wilderness state, and it required men of strong arms and stout hearts to be pioneers in such an enterprise. Wild beasts roamed where now are cultivated farms and smiling orchards. The following incident, among others, has been handed down from those early times. One day, Robert Walker and Matthew Patten went out in the month of March, to hunt for bears, near Uncanoonuck hills. Finding none, they concluded to return home, and as they were retracing their steps, they came across a catamount track. The track being along their way, they followed it on, till it turned off, and they followed it no further. Just then Walker's dog took the track, and they had not gone far before they heard the dog bark; Walker says, " There, my dog has treed the vermin, and if I don't go and shoot him, he will kill my dog." Patten tried to persuade him off, but in vain. He found the catamount, crouched on the limb of a tree, swinging his tail backward and forward, evidently meditating a spring upon the dog. He levelled his gun and fired; the ball took effect just below the ear, broke his neck, and he fell dead. It was said the tail was long enough to girt and tie in a bow-knot around the body. Robert Walker was said to be a very stout, robust man, as appears from the following circumstance that is related. He was once at Amoskeag Falls, when a man and his wife undertook to cross over from Derryfield side. The man, not
111
SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN.
being a good oarsman, went down stream, the canoe ran on a rock and stuck fast, which prevented them from going over the falls. There they were, within sight of a number of persons, but no one ready to give assistance. At length, Walker stripped himself, swam to the rock, placed the canoe bows up stream, seated the man and woman near the middle of the canoe, and then with almost superhuman strength shoved the canoe off, springing into it at the same time, and taking his paddle brought them safe to the shore, to the great joy of themselves and all the spectators. This Robert Walker came from his Uncle Stark's, (father of Gen. John Stark,) in Londonderry, where he had been living, and joined his brother James, in his camp on the bank of the Merrimack, making turpentine and cultivating corn in summer, and hunting wild game in winter. They soon came over this side the river; James to what is now the farm of Lieut. Josiah Walker, and Robert to the place where the late Mr. Jesse Walker lived and died.
The first settlement of the township was in 1737. As early as the winter of 1735, a man by the name of Sebbins,* came from Braintree, Massachusetts, and spent the winter in what was then Souhegan-East. He occupied himself in making shingles, and the spot he selected for this purpose, was South of the old grave-yard, between that and Sebbins' pond, on the North line of a piece of land that was owned by the late Isaac Atwood. In the spring of the year, he drew his shingles to Merrimack River, about a mile and a half, on a hand-sled, and rafted them to Pawtucket Falls, now Lowell. The pond already noticed, and a large tract of land around the same, still goes by his name.
In the fall of 1737, the first permanent settlement was made by Robert and James Walker, brothers; and in the following spring, by Matthew and Samuel Patten, brothers, and sons of John Patten; and soon after by many others. The Pattens lived in the same hut with the Walkers, until they built one of their own, near where. Joseph Patten used to live. They commenced their first labors near the bank of the Merrimack, on a piece of ground known as Patten's field, about forty rods North of Josiah Walker's barn. The Walkers were immediately from Londonderry, N. H. The Pattens never lived in Londonderry, though they belonged to
* This name, Sebbins, or Sibbins, is spelt according to the pronunciation, and may be a corruption of the real name.
112
HISTORICAL NOTICES OF BEDFORD.
the company ; they were immediately from Dunstable. The father, John Patten, with his two sons, Matthew and Samuel landed at Boston, stopping there but a short time ; thence they came to Chelmsford, and thence to Dunstable, where he stayed till he came to Bedford. The second piece of land cleared, was on the Joseph Patten place, the field South of the first Pound, where the noted old high and flat granite stone now stands.
With few exceptions, the early inhabitants of the town were from the North of Ireland, or from the then infant settlement of Londonderry, N. H., to which they had recently emigrated from Ireland. Their ancestors were of Scotch origin. About the middle of the 17th century, they went in considerable numbers from Argyleshire, in the West of Scotland, to the counties of Londonderry and Antrim in the North of Ireland, from which in 1718, a great emigration took place to this country. Some arrived at Boston, and some at Casco Bay, near Portland, which last were the settlers of Londonderry. Many towns in this vicinity were settled from this colony ; Windham, Chester, Litchfield, Manchester, Bedford, Goffstown, New Boston, Antrim, Peter- borough and Acworth, derived from Londonderry a consid- erable proportion of their first inhabitants.
"Many of their descendants," says Rev. Dr. Whiton, in his History of the State, "have risen to high respectability ; among whom are numbered four Governors of New Hamp- shire ; one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence ; several distinguished officers in the Revolutionary War and in the last War with Great Britain, including Stark, Reid, Miller and McNeil ; a President of Bowdoin College, some members of Congress, and several distinguished ministers of the Gospel."
President Everett, in his life of Gen. Stark, thus notices the colony, -" These emigrants were descended from the Scotch Presbyterians, who in the reign of James, were estab- lished in Ireland, but who professing with national tenacity a religious belief, neither in accordance with the popular faith in Ireland, nor with that of its English masters, and disliking the institutions of tithe and rent, determined to seek a settlement in America. The first party came over in 1718, and led the way in a settlement on Merrimack River. They were shortly succeeded by a large number of their country- men, who brought with them the art of weaving linen, and first introduced the culture of the potatoe into this part of
113
SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN.
America, and furnished from their families, a large number of the pioneers of civilization in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine ; and some of the most useful and distinguished citizens of all these states." These quotations will not, it is hoped, be thought superfluous, when it is considered how large a proportion of the early inhabitants of the town were of Scottish origin. They were, as they are justly represented in the address of Col. Barnes, a well-principled, frugal, hardy, and industrious people, who brought with them a sound attachment to religious institutions. " And it is interesting to notice the similarity between the pilgrims of Plymouth, and the emigrants from the North of Ireland, as respects the motives which led them to emigrate. It was no worldly ambition, it was no unhallowed thirst of gain, that in either case appears to have led these hardy men to leave the com- forts and endearments of their native land, and come to this western wilderness. It was, we may believe, in both cases, for the enjoyment of the rights of conscience and religious privileges, that they came across the Atlantic, and settled down in these forests." - [Historical Sketch of Bedford, by Rev. Thomas Savage .- 1840.]
A few years after the first settlement, the inhabitants petitioned to be incorporated, and in 1750, the town, which had been called Souhegan-East, or Narragansett, No. 5, was incorporated under its present name, and within its present limits, its territory originally extending South, to Souhegan River. What circumstance led to the choice of Bedford, as the name, is not certain. It has been suggested, with probability, it might have been in compliment to the Duke of Bedford, who corresponded with Benning Wentworth, Esq., Governor of the Province at the time of the act of incorporation.
SOUHEGAN-EAST VESTED WITH TOWN PRIVILEGES.
April 11, 1748. - Gov. Wentworth informed the Council of "the situation of a number of persons, inhabiting a place called Souhegan-East, within this Province, that were with- out any township or District, and had not the privilege of a town in choosing officers for regulating their affairs, such as raising money for the ministry," &c.
" Upon which, his Excellency, with the advice of the Council, was pleased to order that the above-mentioned 15
114
HISTORICAL NOTICES OF BEDFORD.
persons, living at s'd place, be and hereby are empowered to call meetings of the s'd inhabitants, at which meeting they may, by virtue hereof, transact such matters and things as are usually done at town or Parish meetings within this Province, such as choosing officers, raising money for paying such charges of the s'd inhabitants, as shall be voted by a majority present at any such meeting. Provided, never- theless, that nothing herein contained, shall be construed, deemed, or taken as a grant of the land, or Quieting any possession. And that this order may be rendered beneficial to the s'd inhabitants, tis further ordered, that Capt. John Goffe, Jun'r, call the first meeting, by a written notification, posted up at a public place amongst the inhabitants, fifteen days before the time of the s'd meeting, in which notification the matters to be transacted are to be mentioned; and after that, the Selectmen may call meetings, and are to follow the rules in so doing, that are prescribed by law, for Town and Parish meetings. This Vote to continue and be in force till some further order thereon, and no longer."
CHARTER GRANTED TO SOUHEGAN-EAST, IN 1750.
"At a Council holden at Portsmouth according to his Excellency's Summons, on Fryday, May the 18th, 1750: - Present : - Ellis Huske, Theodore Atkinson, Richard Wi- bird, Samuel Smith, John Downing, Samuel Solley, and Sampson Sheaffe, Esquires : - A petition signed Samuel Miller, William Moore, and others, presented by John Goffe, Esq., and Mr. Samuel Patten, praying for a charter of Incor- poration of the inhabitants of a place called Souhegan-East, in this Province, being read, and Joseph Blanchard, Esq., in behalf of the town of Merrimack, also at the same time appearing, and the parties being heard on the said Petition, and agreeing where the line should run, in case his Excellency, with the advice of the Council, should think proper to grant the Petitioners a Charter of Incorporation. Mr. Goffe and Patten, upon being asked, declared that the sole end proposed by the petitioners, was to be incorporated with privileges as other towns, by law, have in this Province.
" Upon which the Council did unanimously advise that his Excellency grant a Charter of Incorporation, as usual in such cases."
115
SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN.
The following is a copy of the Petition before mentioned.
PETITION FOR INCORPORATION.
"To his Excellency, Benning Wentworth, Esq., Governor and Commander-in-Chief of his Majesty's Province of New Hampshire, and to the Honorable, his Majesty's Council, assembled at Portsmouth, May 10, 1750.
" The humble Petition of the subscribers, inhabitants of Souhegan-East, so-called, Sheweth, That your Petitioners are major part of said Souhegan ; that your petitioners, as to our particular persuasion in Christianity are generally of the Presbyterian denomination : that your petitioners, through a variety of causes, having been long destitute of the gospel, are now desirous of taking the proper steps in order to have it settled among us in that way of discipline which we judge to tend most to our edification; that your petitioners, not being incorporated by civil authority, are in no capacity to raise those sums of money, which may be needful in order to our proceeding in the above important affair. May it therefore please your Excellency, and Honors, to take the case of your petitioners under consideration, and to incorporate us into a town or district, or in case any part of our inhabitants should be taken off by any neighboring district, to grant that those of our persuasion, who are desirous of adhering to us may be excused from supporting any other parish charge, than where they conscientiously adhere, we desiring the same liberty to those within our bounds, if any there be, and your petitioners shall ever pray, &c.
" Samuel Miller,
William Moor, John Riddell, Thomas Vickere, Matthew Little, James Moor, John Tom, James Kennedy,
John Mclaughlin, William Kennedy,
Fergus Kennedy,
John Burns, Gerard Rowen,
John McQuige,
Patrick Taggart,
John Goffe, John Orr,
Robert Gilmoor, Richard McAllister,
John Moorehead,
James Walker,
James Little,
Robert Gilmoor, Senior,
David Thompson,
James McKnight, Hugh Riddell, Daniel Moor,
John Clark,
Robert Walker,
Matthew Patten.
A
John Bell, John Mclaughlin, Senior,
Thomas Chandler, John McDugle, Samuel Patten, Alexander Walker, Gan Riddell, Benjamin Smith,
116
HISTORICAL NOTICES OF BEDFORD.
These are to certify, that we, the above subscribers, do commission John Goffe, Esq., and Mr. Samuel Patten, to present this petition, in order to obtain incorporation for us, according to their instructions from us, the subscribers.
JAMES LITTLE, Clerk."
[Dated,] May 10, 1750.
" Province of New Hampshire.
" George the Second, by the Grace of God, of Great Brittain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c.
To all to whom these Presents shall Come, [L. S.]
Greeting :
" Whereas, Our Loyal Subjicks, Inhabitants of a Tract of Land, within Our Province of New Hampshire, aforesaid, Lying At or near A Place called Sow-Hegon, on the West side of the River Merrimack, Have Humbly Petitioned and Requested to Us, That they may be Encted and Incorporated into A Township, and Infranchized with the same Powers and Privileges which other Towns, within Our sd Province, by Law Have and Enjoy, and it appearing to Us, to be Con- ducive to the General good of Our said Province, as well as of the Inhabitants in Particular, By maintaining good Order, and Encouraging the Culture of the Land, that the same should be done, Know Ye, Therefore, That We, of our Especial Grace, certain Knowledge, and for the Encourage- ment and Promoting the good Purposes and Ends aforesaid, By and with the Advice of Our Trusty and well beloved Benning Wentworth, Esq., Our Governour and Commander In Chief, And of Our Council for sd Province of New Hampshire, Have Encted and Ordained, And by these Pres- ents, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, Do will and Ordain that The Inhabitants of a Tract of Land, aforesaid, Or that shall Inhabit and Improve thereon hereafter, Butted and Bounded, as follows, (Viz :) Beginning at a place three Miles North from the Bridge over Sow-Hegon River, at John Chamberlain's House, and thence to Run East, by the Needle, to Merrimack River, to a Stake and Stones, and to extend that Line West, until it Intersect a Line Known by the name of the West Line of Sow-Hegon East, and from thence to Run North, Two Degrees West, about three Miles and an
117
SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN.
half to a Beach Tree, marked, called Sow-Hegon West, North East corner, thence South, Eighty Eight degrees West, by an old Line of marked Trees to a Chestnut Tree, marked, from thence North, Two Degrees West, Two miles, to an Hemlock Tree, marked, called the North West Corner of said Sow-Hegon East, thence East, by the Needle to Merrimack River, to a Stake and Stones, thence Southerly, as Merrimac River runs, to the Stake and Stones first mentioned. And by these Presents, are Declared and ordained to be a Town Corporate, and are hereby Encted and Incorporated into a Body Pollitick and a Corporation, to have Continuance forev- er, by the Name of Bedford, with all the Powers and Author- ities, Priviledges, Immunities, and Infranchizes, to them the said Inhabitants, and their Successors for Ever, Always reserving to us, Our Heirs and Successors, All White Pine Trees growing and being, Or that shall hereafter Grow and be, on the sd Tract of Land, fit for the Use of Our Royal Navy, reserving also the power Of dividing the sd Town, to Us, Our Heirs and Successors, when it shall appear Necessary and Convenient for the Benefit of the Inhabitants thereof. It is to be understood, and is accordingly Hereby Declared, that the private Property of the Soil is in no manner of way to be affected by this Charter. And as the several Towns, within Our said Province of New Hampshire, are by the Laws thereof, Enabled and Authorized to Assemble, and by the Majority of Votes to Choose all such Officers as are mentioned In the said Laws, We do by these Presents, Nom- inate and Appoint John Goffe, Esq., to Call the first Meeting of the said Inhabitants, to be held within the sd Town, at any time within thirty days from the Date hereof, Giving Legal Notice of the Time, Place and design of Holding such Meeting ; After which, the Annual Meeting in sd Town, shall be held for the Choice of Town Officers, &c., for ever, on the last Wednesday in March, annually.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.