History of Bedford, New Hampshire, from 1737 : being statistics compiled on the occasion of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the incorporation of the town, May 15, 1900, Part 108

Author: Bedford (N.H. : Town)
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Concord, N. H. : The Rumford Printing Co.
Number of Pages: 1202

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After leaving college he became associate instructor in the asylum for the deaf and dumb in Hartford, Conn., where he remained till 1824, when he resigned his office and took charge of a similar institution in Canajo- larie, N. Y. There he married Miss Mary Morris, an amiable lady, and soon returned to Bedford, N. H., where he pursued and completed his pre- parations for the ministry, and was licensed by the Presbytery of London- derry in 1827. It was during this brief residence in his native town that the pastor of the church first became acquainted with Mr. Orr, and was deeply impressed with his high intellectual and moral worth. During this period he preached occasionally, but nowhere for any length of time, except Tyngsboro, Mass., and Amherst, N. H., in the former of which places he also instructed in the academy; but his impaired health did not allow him to assume a pastoral charge.

His wife died soon after the birth of her youngest child, and about this time he accepted the office of city missionary in Washington, D. C. His second wife was Matilda, daughter of Dr. Samuel Kidder of Medford, Mass. It was while engaged at Washington that he became deeply inter- ested in the African race, and was appointed agent of the American Col- onization society, and afterwards secretary of the African Education so- ciety, and editor of its public journal.

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Subsequently he was employed as a reporter of the United States senate for the National Intelligencer, and in this capacity wrote those letters in the New York Commercial Advertiser, under the signature of "Hampden," and those in the Boston Courier, under the signature of "Timoleon," which were widely circulated, and are still resorted to as political documents of great permanent value. Prostrated by a disease which, it was believed, too severe application to study produced, and which had been undermin- ing his constitution for many years, he returned in the spring of 1842 to New England; resided a year in Medford, and then went to Amherst, Mass., where his disease, which was consumption, gathered strength and terminated his life on the 28th of April, 1844, in the fifty-first year of his age.

Mr. Orr was a man of extraordinary powers of mind. His mental con- stitution was wonderfully adapted to the most abstruse subjects in phil- osophy and mathematics. The compiler of this brief sketch well remem- bers his last visit at Bedford.

He was most interesting and affectionate to all his friends, and at the same time, with those who could enter into his thoughts, he poured forth the most profound and lofty speculations. During that visit his favorite topic was the theory of creation. He believed that God had always been actively benevolent, that there had been some objects on which to spend his beneficence; hence, he carried the existence of matter back to an in- definite period, in external ages, and without making it co-existent with God, gave it a sort of indefinite past duration.

Mr. Orr's correspondence was with some of the most gifted minds in the country, as Professor Fisher, previous to his lamented death, Dr. Bow- ditch, and others, to whom he communicated his views respecting the for- mation of the universe.

His publications were numerous, and were given to the public princi- pally through journals and newspapers of the day. In the Washington Mirror of 1835-'36 he published twelve articles on various mathematical and philosophical subjects, signed "O .; " also, in the same periodical, "Strictures on Dr. Newman's Theory of Gravitation." In the Boston Courier and United States Telegraph of 1836 he published a number of philo- sophical questions and essays; ten essays on infinites and other mathe- matical and philosophical subjects, signed "O." in the Boston Courier in 1839, and several articles in Professor Sillman's Journal of Science and Art.

Mr. Orr, amid these profound speculations, was not deficient in poetry, as his "Ennui," published in New Haven in 1818; his "Christmas Eve," in Hartford, 1820; " Farewell to Georgetown," in the American Spectator, 1830; and the "Student's Family," in the United States Telegraph, 1833, abundantly testify.

With other subjects he was also conversant. He left a MSS. commen- tary on the Prophecy of Daniel, another on the book of Revelation, also, a political manual, incomplete.

The inquiry may be made, Was Mr. Orr's knowledge entirely theoret- ical, or did he reduce it to practice? In reply, it may be said that the ap- plication of the air-tight principle to the common stove originated with him, and to him we are indebted in part for all the subsequent improve- ments in warming our houses and economy in the consumption of fuel.

But more than all, Mr. Orr was a religious man. His life was pure, and his aims elevated. His departure from life was most triumphant. " He had lain in great weakness and distress many days," to quote the sermon already alluded to, " and when he was dying, said, 'Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Glory, glory to his sovereign grace, in that I will rejoice -oh, I will rejoice-it is my only hope-it is the hope of the world. God is merciful; he is good. Oh, salvation is all of grace, free grace. All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come, but I hope, if it be God's will, I may go to-day-on God's holy Sabbath. I know not how I could employ myself among fallen spirits, for I could not help sing-

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ing Glory to God. I want to be with Christ. I want to see his glory. Glory, glory to God in the highest.'"

Some of his last words were addressed to his wife, who gave expression to the sentiment in some verses, of which the following is the first:

" O keep me not, dearest, keep me not here, Visions of glory are circling me near, Angels are watching and waiting for me, My spirit is struggling, and longs to be free.

My home, oh, 'tis pleasant-I soon shall be there,

All pure and all holy-untortured by sorrow, by sin, or by care."

The impression has formerly been that men of philosophical and mathe- matical genius are not generally Christians. But is this true? Newton was a Christian. Locke was a Chrisiian; and so was our own Bowditch. His dying scene was beautiful. " On the morning of his death," says his pastor, "when his sight was very dim, and his voice almost gone, he called his children around his bedside, and arranging them in the order of age, pointed to and addressed each by name, and said, ' You see I can dis- tinguish you all, and I now give you my parting blessing. The time is come. Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word.' These were his last words. After this he was heard to whis- per, in a scarcely audible tone, the words 'pretty, pleasant, beautiful.' But it cannot be known whether he was thinking of his own situation as pleasant, in being surrounded at such a time by those he loved, or whether he had caught a joyful glimpse of the spiritual world."

ANN ORR.

Of the four daughters of George Orr, Ann was the third, and was born 1782, Sept. 21. In her home, which through life she looked back upon as an exceptionally happy one, she was trained to industry, frugality, and obedience to and respect for those in authority. She also had such advan- tages for school instruction as the town afforded. Children's books were scarce, but she had the Bible, and when quite young she learned the Westminster Assembly shorter catechism. Later on she committed to memory the larger catechism, with scripture proofs, which, to say nothing of the rules of faith and practice and the theological knowledge obtained, might be considered of as much use in strengthening the mind as a course in the higher mathematics.

When she had become of some note as a teacher in her own town, she was called to a neighboring town to teach. One evening she was with some ladies who had enjoyed the advantages afforded by distinguished ladies' seminaries. After talking of their different alma maters, one said, "Miss Orr, where did you obtain your education?" Her answer, terse and true, was, "In the chimney corner, by the light of a pine knot."

She did not, however, undervalue their advantages. She took a just measure of herself, not only of what she was, but of what she failed to be, and never assumed to be what she was not.

After the period of childhood was past, her own and her father's friend, Hon. John Orr, gave her free access to his library, which contained many of the standard works of that day. She gladly availed herself of that privilege, and we may imagine her in her favorite "chimney corner " reading just such books as her mental palate craved, as she had history, biography, theology, and poetry from which to choose.

She read them in such a way as to make the ideas her own, and so stim- ulated her mental power and enriched and strengthened her mind, as to enable her to grasp with appreciation the great questions of the nineteenth century, and to take her place in the front rank of noble, intellectual Christian women.

She commenced teaching 1801, May 1. Of the success attained in her

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vocation, we may judge by the demand of the public for her services. For forty-five consecutive years we find her at her post, and of each of the three remaining years of her life she taught either a private or a family school.

She was deeply interested in the moral and religious welfare of her pupils. Her religious teaching was not obtrusive, but she improved her opportunities. In the later years of her life she received from her pupils an appropriate and elegant gift, as a testimonial not only of what she had done for the donors, but in recognition of her lifework. The idea was started by three gentlemen past middle age, residing in Boston, who had been her pupils, representing together the pulpit, the bar, and the medi- cal profession. . Rev. Silas Aiken, D. D., J. O. Barnes, Esq., and Dr. Gregg. Their testimony that her lifework had not been in vain added much to the comfort of her last years.

Christian principles dominated her life, and she was active in all Chris- tian work. In the Sunday-school she was a prominent teacher; in the inquiry room, her pastor's aid; and was often called to the sick and dying to give spiritual counsel and comfort. She loved the church of which she had so long been a member, and labored for its best interests, its purity, and its honor.

The last time she left her home it was to walk to the church to attend the Thursday prayer-meeting. The next week, on Friday, Nov. 9, 1849, after a severe illness of six days, she was released from her earthly labors.

" Hope was changed to glad fruition, Faith to sight, and prayer to praise."

Her funeral service was attended at the church on Sunday, when Rev. Thomas Savage preached from the text: " Be ye therefore steadfast, im- movable, always abounding in the work of the Lord."

PARKER.

This family have traced their ancestry to the remote progenitor, who in the eleventh century entered England with William the Conqueror.

I. Capt. James Parker came to this country from England in 1634. He m. 1645, March 23, Elizabeth Long of Woburn, Mass., and became one of the early settlers of Groton, where he was very prominent in the affairs of the town. He was one of the first board of select- men chosen 1662, and continued in that capacity most of the time until 1669; was representative to the general court 1693. In 1662 was deacon, the next year sergeant, and later captain, being active in the Indian wars. Was chosen selectman of Dunstable, though not a resident of the town.

II. Capt. Josiah, son of Capt. James1, b. in Groton 1665, served in the war against the Indians. He m. Elizabeth Foxton of Boston, and became a resident of Cambridge; he d. 1731.

III. Rev. Thomas, son of Capt. Josiah2, b. 1700, Dec. 7; graduated at Harvard college 1718; settled in the ministry at Dracut, 1721; d. 1765, March 18. He had five ch .: Thomas4, John4, William4, Mat- thew4, and Jonathan4.

IV. Capt. John, son of Rev. Thomas3, settled in Litchfield and served in the War of the Revolution, commanding a company of rangers at the battle of Bunker Hill. He m. a descendant of Rev. John Cot- ton, the second minister of Boston, and had seven ch .: Lydia5, m. Thomas Whittle; Nabby5, m. William Parker of Bedford (Piscata- quog); Polly5, m. John Boies and went to Maine (see Boies); Sally5, m. James Martin; Lucy6, m. John Tufts; John5, m. Letty Moor; William5, m., 1st, Hannah Aiken, 2d, Widow McGaw.

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HISTORY OF BEDFORD.

IV. William, son of Rev. Thomas3 (killed in the mill yard, see Casual- ties); m. Mehitabel Baldwin of Boston; they had four ch .: Bet- sey5, m. John Barber of Boston; Pollys, m. Jonas Varnum of Dracut; William5; John5, who went to sea and was lost.

V. William, son of William4, b. Litchfield, 1755, Jan. 21; d. 1819; m. Nabby Parker, b. Litchfield, 1765, Oct. 25, dau. of Capt. John Parker; she d. 1846, June. He was known as the father of Squog (see biography). They had ten ch .: Susan6, b. 1783, Oct. 21, d. 1844, m. Jonathan Palmer; Daniel6, b. 1786, Sept. 20, m. Polly McAfee; William6, b. 1789, April 28, m. Susan Whittle; Betsey6, b. 1791, Sept. 23, m. James Parker; Isaac, b. 1794, June 23, m. Jane Poor; Robert6, b. 1797, May 13; Gilman6, b. 1800, July 7, d. 1846, m. Ann Hills; John6, b. 1803, May 7; Mary,6, b. 1806, May 11, m. L. F. Harris; Edward6, b. 1809, March 22, d. 1815, April 8.

VI. Robert, son of William5, b. in Bedford, 1797, May 13; m., 1st, Char- lotte Chamberlain; m., 2d, Mille Rand, b. in Bedford, 1795, April 29, dau. of Dea. Jonathan Rand; he d. 1844. Ch. by 1st mar .: George Washington7, b. 1823, Aug. 16; Charlotte Ann7, b. 1825, Aug. 14, m. Henry Sanderson and res. in Bedford; Robert?, b. 1826, Aug. 6. Ch. of 2d mar .: Mary A., m. John Cayzer and res. in Manchester; Philander P.7, m. N. T. Folsom, M. D., res. in Manchester, had. ch .; Francis Wayland7; Emily J.7, m. Orson C. Tolman and res. in Nelson, had a dau, Grace.8

VII. Francis Wayland, son of Robert6, b. 1837, Oct. 9; d. 1902, March 10; m., 1st, Phenie Hall, who. d. 1871; 2d, Frank Stuart of Boston. The remains of himself and his second wife were cremated, and the ashes are deposited in the family lot at West Manchester. He had one dau. by his first wife, Annie, who d. at the age of 19, and is buried by the side of her mother in West Manchester (see biog- raphy).

VI. John, son of William5, b. Bedford, 1803, May 7; lawyer; m. 1832, Dec. 25, Eliza Goffe, b. in Bedford, 1807, Oct. 15, dau. of Theodore Goffe. He came to the River road, Bedford, to live in 1848, and d. there 1881, Feb. Of him the librarian of the Manchester library remarked at the time of his death, " He has read more books than any man in Manchester." Eliza, his wife, d. 1898, Dec. 2, having lived most of the ninety-one years of her life on land granted by England to her ancestor, Col. John Goffe, for distinguished ser- vices in the Colonial wars. They had two ch .: Charles Irving7, b. 1838, March 10; Frances Eliza7, b. -

VII. Charles Irving, son of John6 and Eliza (Goffe) Parker, b. 1838, March 10; m. 1862, May 19, Frances Avery of Carrollton, Ill., b. 1842, June 24; they had three ch .: Adela Frances8, b. 1864, Feb. 26, at Virden, Ill .; John Edward8, b. 1865, April 15, at Virden, Ill., m. Adah Barbara Slater, res. Chicago; Mabel Lillian8, b. 1876, July 10, at Danville, Ill. (see biography).

VIII. Adela Frances, dau. of Charles I.7 Parker; m. 1885, June 30, Elmer E. Kendall. They have five ch., all b. in Chicago (see Kendall).

VII. Frances Eliza, dau. of John6; m. 1863, March 26, Col. Edward L. Bailey, and res. in Bedford. They have one son, Lewis8.

VIII. Lewis (Bailey), son of Frances Eliza7, is principal of Rock Rimmon school in Manchester. Res. in Bedford. He m. - , and has three ch .: Parker9, Fleming Smith9, John9.

IV. Matthew, son of Rev. Thomas3, b. in Litchfield; m. and had a son James.5

V. James, son of Matthew4, b. 1774; m. Betsey, b. Bedford, 1791, Sept. 23, dau. of William and Nabby Parker. He d. 1822, March 26. Ch .: Henry C.6, b. 1813, Jan. 22; Jannet M.6, b. 1821, May 2, d. 1822, April 16. Mrs. Parker m., 2d, James Walker, of Bedford; had two sons, James P. and Charles H. (See Walker).

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GENEALOGIES .- PARKER.

WILLIAM PARKER, ESQ.

This gentleman, a native of Litchfield (see genealogy), moved to this town in 1785. He had been in the Revolutionary service, and was stationed one winter in Charlestown, on Winter Hill. He built a small house, which stood near the schoolhouse, No. 5; worked first at shoemaking, and there his oldest son and second child was born. While engaged there he used to walk out about twilight, at evening, and seat himself on the side hill, near the present mansion house, and there he would contemplate the future prospect. It was then all woods, there being only one house at the Mills, and one where Deacon McQuesten lives, and another east of James Har- vel's on the interval.

While sitting there he had a view of the travel from Concord to Boston, and also down the Mast road, turning off each way to Concord and Boston. Some little lumber lay on the landing, on a little spot cleared off to roll in masts. Here it occurred to him that some day, ere long, it would become a place of business. The land was owned by old Mr. Samuel Moor. He thought, if he was able, he would purchase an acre, so as to command the four corners where he built his tavern house, where his stable stood, where his store stood, and where his house now stands. Accordingly, he applied to Moor to know what he would take for an acre of land, and let liim select it anywhere he chose. Mr. Moor would sell on this condition, one acre for $100, and a pair of calf-skin boots. Parker wanted the land but he was poor, and did not know how to raise the money. He went to one Amos Martin, and offered him one half in common if he would take hold and help him buy the acre. Martin at first agreed to do so, but on reflection thought the land too high and backed out. Not so with Parker. He persevered, closed the bargain, took his deed, and paid promptly, ac- cording to his agreement. He moved the little house he had built near the schoolhouse to the spot where the tavern now stands, added a little to it, and resumed the business of shoemaking, which he now united with a little store of spirits and tobacco.

As his business increased he took an apprentice, laid up money, was soon able to purchase, in his way, about six or eight thousand of boards, at four dollars per thousand; rafted and sent them to Newburyport; sold them for eight dollars; made a handsome profit; and laid out the money in the purchase of more boards, which he sent off with equal success. Here was the starting point in his lumber trade, that brought him so much prop- erty. In this way he added to his acres, and added to his trade, and a very few years found him in possession of a store of goods.

He soon became popular as an honest trader, and this multiplied his customers. All this time his tavern was open to travelers, and being in a central place he had as much company as he could accommodate, and money was coming in from all quarters.

He always paid punctually, and in this way raised his credit in Bos- ton, so that he could get trusted for any quantity of goods. "I have known," says his son-in-law, "his creditors, when settling up his bill where he purchased his West India goods, to hand him at the close fifty dollars," no doubt in order to retain his custom.

In 1796 or 1797 he built his large tavern house and added to his store, his business all the time increasing. He established his brother-in-law, William Parker, in trade in West Goffstown; he was known as " Farmer Bill." That being a good place to get lumber in exchange for goods they soon became wealthy.

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HISTORY OF BEDFORD.

FRANCIS WAYLAND PARKER.

In the educational circles of the country there was no more familiar name during the last part of the nineteenth century than that of Francis Wayland Parker. He was a zealous student of the subject of education, a progressive thinker, and a man who had the courage to make application of his convictions, however much they might clash with time-honored methods. His long connection with public schools gave him splendid oppor- tunity to put the results of his study to practical test.

He was born in Bedford in 1837, the son of Robert and Mille (Rand) Parker, and grandson of William Parker, who has been called the founder of the village of Squog. His love for and interest in teaching came to him naturally; his maternal grandfather, Jonathan Rand, was the first re- corded teacher in Derryfield, now Manchester, and his mother was a famous teacher. His father, a skilful cabinet-maker, died when Francis was but six years of age, and his circumstances were such as made it a struggle for him to acquire an education.

At eight years of age he was taken from school and bound out to a farmer of Goffstown, where he remained five years, at work upon the farm, and attending school only a few weeks each winter. He then went to the academy at Mont Vernon, earning enough money at odd jobs out of school hours to pay his board. He went from there to Hopkinton acad- emy, and when sixteen years of age taught a winter term of school at Cor- ser hill in Boscawen. He continued teaching for several winters, serving several terms at Auburn. When twenty-one years of age, he taught the village school at Hinsdale, and came from there to be principal of the grammar school at Piscataquog.

In 1858 he was chosen principal of the school at Carrollton, Ill. His ex- periences there were very interesting. He had in one room about one hundred and twenty-five pupils, ranging in ages from twelve to twenty- five years, with one assistant. He remained there two years, when he re- signed to go to war.

His ancestors had a noble war record. His great-great-grandfather was Major John Goffe of Revolutionary fame, and his grandfather had been a drummer-boy with John Stark at Bunker Hill. He enlisted as a private in the Fourth New Hampshire regiment, but before the regiment was mus- tered he was made first lieutenant of Company E. In the following win- ter he was made captain, and in 1864 was placed in command of the regi- ment. At Deep Bottom he was suddenly given command of a brigade, and during the attack was severely wounded in the chin and neck. For weeks he lay in the hospital. After his release he was promoted to the position of lieutenant-colonel, taking full command of the regiment after the battle of Fort Fisher, in which Colonel Bell was killed.

When mustered out in 1865, Aug., he accepted the principalship of the grammar school at Manchester, where he remained three years. He then went to Dayton, O., where he entered prominently upon his work of reform in educational methods. He was strongly opposed by the people and the other teachers, but he had the loyal support of the board of edu- cation, and was chosen principal of the Normal Training school there, of which he was made assistant superintendent in 1871. His wife dying, he resigned this position, and left for Europe, for the purpose of studying further the science of education. He spent two and a half years at King William's university at Berlin, and then under a private teacher, took a two years' course in Hegelian philosophy. During his vacations he traveled over the continent, visiting schools. He returned to America in 1875, and accepted the superintendency of schools at Quincy, Mass. It was here that his reputation as a foremost educator became established. During the three years, over thirty thousand visitors inspected the schools under his charge, and Charles Francis Adams, one of the school board,

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wrote two pamphlets regarding the work done, which were given wide circulation. In 1880 he was chosen one of the supervisors of schools of Boston, which position he held for two years, when he decided to aban- don superintending to come into closer contact with practical instruction. He declined the offer of the superintendency of the schools of Philadelphia, but accepted the principalship of the Cook County Normal school at Chicago, where he rounded out his long professional career in the educa- tional field. He was bitterly opposed by the conservatism of citizens and teachers, but he persevered in his new and scientific methods of instruc- tion until the victory for educational progress was securely won.

Colonel Parker was the author of "Talks on Teaching," "Practical Teacher," "How to Study Geography," "Outlines in Geography," " Tract on Spelling," and " Talks on Pedagogics." He visited every state in the Union on his lecture tours. Among the subjects of his lec- tures were: "The Child and Nature," "The Child and Man," "Artist or Artisan-Which ?" "Home and School," "The Ideal School," and " Edu- cation and Democracy." He was twice married (see genealogy).

CHARLES IRVING PARKER.

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History of Bedford, New Hampshire, from 1737 : being statistics compiled on the occasion of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the incorporation of the town, May 15, 1900, Part 108

Author: Bedford (N.H. : Town) Publication date: 1903 Publisher: Concord, N. H. : The Rumford Printing Co. Number of Pages: 1202

Author: Bedford (N.H. : Town)
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Concord, N. H. : The Rumford Printing Co.
Number of Pages: 1202