History of Carroll County, New Hampshire, Part 35

Author: Merrill, Georgia Drew
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Boston : W.A. Fergusson & Co.
Number of Pages: 1124

USA > New Hampshire > Carroll County > History of Carroll County, New Hampshire > Part 35

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).

At a meeting of the town proprietors, held at the house of John Stavers, in Portsmouth, on the fourteenth day of November, 1759, of which Daniel Pierce, Esq., was appointed moderator, and David Sewall, elerk, it was voted "that the

284

HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY.

township, in honor of the late lamented and illustrions General Wolf, deceased, be called WOLFBOROUGH." General Wolfe had recently fallen at the head of the English army, in a successful engagement with the French on the Plains of Abraham, near Quebec. The error in the orthography of Wolfe's name was transferred to the name of the town. This has been variously written Woolf- borough, Wolfsborough, and now Wolfeborough.

At this meeting of the proprietors, Daniel Rindge, George Meserve, and A. R. Cutter were appointed a committee to procure a survey and division of the township into four parts. A tax was assessed for defraying the cost of surveying and other current expenses.

The survey and division of the town was made by Walter Bryant, Jr, who constructed a camp for shelter near the present site of the South Wolfeborough woolen manufactory. Its exact locality is still pointed out. The work was completed in 1762. The grantors drew the northern quarter of the township, which was the least valuable division. This was afterwards known as the "Lords' Quarter." This title is now, however, applied to a district comprising the northwestern portion of the division.

At a meeting of the proprietors in April, 1762, Paul March, John Wentworth, and A. R. Cutter were appointed a committee to settle five families in the township, and were authorized to grant a tract of land to the same not exceed- ing one thousand acres, and to pay each settler a sum not exceeding two hun- dred and fifty pounds old tenor.

January 19, 1763, the committee on settlements was authorized to settle seven additional families, "provided that the expense of settling the seven fam- ilies did not exceed fourteen hundred acres of land and fourteen hundred pounds old tenor." On the seventeenth of October following, the same committee, with the addition of Daniel Pierce, was instructed to make a road in said township.

In March, 1764, this committee was directed to grant one additional thou- sand acres of land to encourage settlements, and in May were instructed to publish in the newspapers notices of the favorable terms which were being offered to settlers in Wolfeborough, and also to procure a survey for a road. This road was "spotted " by John McDuffee and "cut" by Josiah Miles the same season. The next year Miles built bridges across most of the streams over which the road passed. This was called the Miles road, and is in the main the same as that from New Durham to Tuftonborough through Wolfe- borough village.

Up to this period no success had attended the efforts to effect a settle- ment in the township. The proprietors now granted full discretionary power to the committee on settlements, and voted additional sums of money for accomplishing the object. Still failing to secure settlers, they, in October, 1765, voted to lay out their portion of the township into twenty-four shares

285

TOWN OF WOLFEBOROUGH.

of equal value, reserving one hundred acres around the falls on Smith's river for a mill privilege, and a tract of 1,050 acres in the south part of the town for Elisha Bryant and others, who proposed to become settlers. It is said that Bryant and three sturdy sons afterwards came to the place, and converting the camp formerly occupied by Walter Bryant into a dwelling, commenced felling trees. They, however, remained but a short time. The elder Bryant complained that the limpid stream flowing near his temporary domicile furnished an unpalatable beverage. The tract was divided into seven lots, and was evidently intended for seven families. It subsequently reverted to the proprietors.

A contract was made with Paul March to procure a survey of the town for twenty-five pounds, lawful money. The survey was immediately commenced by Walter Bryant, Jr, and completed within the year.

On the nineteenth of February, 1766, the proprietors met at the inn of Captain Zachariah Foss, in Portsmouth, for the purpose of drawing their respective lots of land. It appears that after the twenty-four lots had been laid out, there remained a tract bordering on Tuftonborough, and extending from the lake to the " Lords' Quarter," 302 rods wide at the easterly end, 186 rods at the westerly, and comprising 1,750 acres. Of this tract Daniel Pierce, by agreement, took one thousand acres, afterwards known as the Great Lot, and gave to the proprietors a quitclaim of his right as a grantee, and also as a grantor. It was thus that the lots numbered eleven and fifteen in the grantors' quarter came into the possession of the grantees.

The remaining 750 acres of this tract, together with lots twenty-two and twenty-three, were granted to Paul March on condition that he should waive all other claim to a right as a grantee and settle nine families thereon by the fifth day of the following October. This tract, which embraced 1,670 acres, extended from Tuftonborough line to the Varney road. Here were made the first permanent settlements in town, but not at so early a date as that agreed on, and it is evident from subsequent proceedings of the proprietors that some portion of the tract came again into their possession.

Having completed these arrangements with Pierce and March, the drawing commenced.

Drawing of Lots. - The lots were drawn in the following order : -

No. 1 of 640 acres

18 7 642 4 560 21 600 15 600 13 480 12 550 600

by Jonathan Rindge. " John Rindge. John Wentworth. John Lang. 19 560

Nath'l P. Sargent. John Parker.

Henry Rust.

George King.

Thos. Wentworth.

286

HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY.

No. 8

648 acres

Daniel Rindge.

642

Henry Apthorp.

480

Daniel Treadwell.

600

. Robert Odiorne.

20 710

Wm. E. Tredwell.

600

Wm. Parker, Jr.

550

Joshua Brackett.

650

George Meserve.

440 550

Thomas Darling.

648

Samuel Moffatt.

648

Isaac Rindge.

648

A. R. Cutter.

It was required by the Masonian Proprietors that their quarter should be divided into twenty shares, or lots, at the expense of the grantees. Fifteen shares in all the Masonian grants were for the purchasers of the patent, two for their attorneys, and three for public purposes. In this case, however, their reservation was divided into eighteen shares, which were drawn as follows : -

Lot No.

for the Ministry. John Wentworth.

Joshua Pierce.

. George Jaffrey.

Thomas Packer. John Moffatt.

14 11

D. Pierce and M. Moore.

Mark H. Wentworth.

F 18 7

The First Minister. John Rindge.

13 8

Solley & Marsh. Meserve, Blanchard & Co.

Robinson & Mason.

Richard Wibird.

3 16 1

Jotham Odiorne.

The School.

Theodore Atkinson.

These lots, with the exception of one, averaged about three hundred acres. This contained five hundred.

At the meeting for drawing lots, it was voted that each proprietor should settle one family on his "right " on or before the first day of March, 1769, or forfeit two hundred acres of land. On the twenty-second day of the following May it was voted to grant to George Meserve forty-five pounds, lawful money, the mill lot, and Mill Island, on condition that he should erect a sawmill and a gristmill at the falls on Smith's river, the sawmill to be completed by the last of November, and the gristmill in two years from the date of the grant.

Thomas Wallingford.

David Sewall.

287

TOWN OF WOLFEBOROUGH.

Meserve erected a sawmill and perhaps an inferior gristmill, but not within the time specified in the agreement. The sum of money stipulated was paid him in 1768, but his claim to the mill privilege and Mill Island was declared forfeited.

When the survey of the township was made by Bryant in 1765, he estimated the Neck at 1,200 acres, and divided it into two lots, numbered fifteen and twenty-four. The former was drawn by Henry Rust, the latter by John Parker. Subsequently, when an actual survey of it was made, it was found to contain only 547 acres. In July, 1766, the whole tract was confirmed to John Parker, and it was voted to grant to Henry Rust as much land (out of the 1,050 acre tract once granted to Elisha Bryant and others, and now declared forfeited) as would make his share equal to one of the other proprie- tors. Six hundred acres were laid out for him, which was really a very valuable lot, including as it did the falls on the outlet of Middle pond.

During the summer of 1767, the first trees for a permanent settlement were felled by Benjamin Blake and Reuben Libbey. Here happened one of those casualties so common to new enterprises. They were felling the last tree they designed to cut, when Libbey's leg was broken. Blake set the bone as well as he was able, and placed Libbey beside a log, sheltering him from the rays of the sun with brush. He left him their small remnant of food and a bucket of water, and set out for Gilmanton. He was absent two days. Libbey, in the meantime, having drunk the water left him, suffered greatly from thirst as well as from the swarms of annoying insects. On the evening of the second day help arrived, and an examination by the medical attendant showed that Blake's surgery required no emendation.

In the spring of 1768, Benjamin Blake, William Fullerton, Joseph Lary, and James Lucas commenced settlements. Blake arrived a little before the others, and with the aid of his wife erected a log house, in which he resided with his family eighteen years. He was from Epping, and commenced operations on the lot of land now occupied by his great-grandson. Fullerton, Lary, and Lucas came from Suncook (now Pembroke). Fullerton settled on the farm now occupied by Rev. Seth Hinckley; Lary on that occupied by James Wiggin, and Lucas on that now in the possession of I. B. Manning. These persons settled under the patronage of Paul March, and received each one hundred acres of land on the Miles road and fifty acres on Pine Hill.

The same year Thomas Taylor and Thomas Piper settled under the same conditions as Blake, Fullerton, Lary, and Lucas. Taylor remained but a short time, and the lot came into the possession of Jonathan Chase. Jacob Folsom soon after purchased the place, and it is now occupied by his grandson, John G. Folsom. Samuel Meader occupies the lot on which Piper settled. Wentworth also sent men to make an opening on his lot in 1768.

Four proprietors failed to put families on their respective lots seasonably,

288

HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY.

and two hundred acres of each lot were forfeited. October 11, 1769, these forfeited lands were granted to " His Excellency, John Wentworth, Esq., on condition that he complies with the terms of settling said rights within twelve months from this date." The governor eventually obtained possession of the whole of these four lots and also of others. The same year the proprietors built, or perhaps only " cut," several roads. This was the case with three miles of the proprietors' road to Conway. It was several years before this was completed. This is the road which passes through Cotton valley over Hawley hill and Trask mountain towards Ossipee Corner.

October 11 it was voted " that the mill-stream and privilege which had been granted George Meserve was, on account of conditions broken by him, forfeited and reverted to the proprietors." March 28, 1770, the same was granted to Dr A. R. Cutter and David Sewall, " on condition that they have a good gristmill built to the acceptance of the proprietors in eighteen months from date, and that they keep said mill and the sawmill in good order and repair." Cutter and Sewall retained an interest in the property for several years. There were yet a few hundred acres of land unappropriated, and the road building com- mittee was authorized to give to each settler fifty acres, except to an investor.

At the same time "Captain Henry Rust, Dr A. R. Cutter, and John Parker were appointed a committee to apply to the governor and council to incor- porate the township." They were successful, and a charter was granted August 21, 1770.

CHARTER.

Province of New Hampshire, George the Third, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland. The Defender of the Faith, &c.

To all people to whom these presents shall come, Greeting :

Whereas our loyal subjects, inhabiting a tract of land within our said Province of New Hampshire, known by the name of Wolfborough, have humbly petitioned and requested us that they may be erected and incorporated into a township, and enfranchised with the same powers and privileges with other towns within our said province, and which they by law hold and enjoy ; And it appearing unto us to be conducive to the general good of our said province, as well as to the said 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 special grace, certain knowledge, and for the encouragement and promotion of the good end and purpose aforesaid, by and with the advice of our trusty and well beloved John Went- worth, Esq., our Governor and Commander-in-Chief, and of our Council for said Province of New Hampshire, have erceted and ordained, and, by these presents, for us, our heirs and suc- cessors, do will and ordain, that our loving subjects residing on the tract of land aforesaid, or that shall hereafter reside and improve thereon; (the same being butted and bounded as follows: Beginning at the northeasterly corner of a tract of land called New Durham, then running north forty-eight degrees, east on the head or upper line of a tract of land called Middleton, and on that called Salmon Falls town or East town, or as those head lines run, joining thereon, and running so far as that a line running from thence six miles northwest, and then southwest to Winnipiseokee Pond, and then by the side of said pond joining thercon, until the aforesaid corner first mentioned bears southeast; and then running southeast to the

289

TOWN OF WOLFEBOROUGH.

said corner, which completes thirty-six square miles, the content of said Wolfborough;) shall be, and by these presents are declared and ordained to be a town corporate, and are hereby erected and incorporated into a body politiek and corporate, to have countenance and succes- sion forever, by the name of WOLFBOROUGH, with all powers, authorities, privileges, immu- nities and franchises, which any other towns in said Province by law hold and enjoy ; Always reserving to us, our heirs and successors, the full power and right of dividing said town when it shall appear necessary and convenient for the inhabitants thereof ; also reserving to us, our heirs and successors, all white pine trees which are or shall be found, growing and being within and upon the said tract of land, fit for the use of our royal navy. The said inhabitants by these presents shall have and enjoy the liberty and privilege of holding an annual Fair or Mart within the said town; which Fair shall be held and kept on the first Tuesday following the twenty-first day of September annually.

Provided nevertheless, and it is hereby declared that this charter and grant is not intended, and shall not, in any manner, be construed to affect the private property of the soil within the limits aforesaid ; and, as the several towns within our said province, are, by the laws thereof enabled and authorized to assemble, and, by the majority of the voters present, to choose all officers, and transact such affairs as in the said laws are declared; - We do, by these presents, nominate and appoint Mr Jotham Rindge to call the first meeting of said inhabitants, to be held within the said town, on the 28th day of September inst., giving legal notice of the time and design of holding such meeting; after which the annual meeting of said town shall be held therein for the choice of said officers, and the purposes aforesaid, on the last Tuesday of March annually.

In testimony whereof, we have caused the seal of our said Province to be hereunto affixed.

Witness, our truly and well beloved John Wentworth, Esquire, our Governor and Com- mander-in-Chief aforesaid, the twenty-first day of August, in the tenth year of our reign, Anno Domino Christi, 1770.

By His Excellency's command, with advice of Conneil.

J. WENTWORTH. [L. S.]

Agreeably to the foregoing charter, the inhabitants, being duly notified, met on the twenty-eighth day of September, 1770, and made choice of the following officers : " Mr James Lucas, moderator ; Mr Jotham Rindge, town clerk : Captain Thomas Lucas, John Sinclair, and Jacob Sceggel, selectmen ; Thomas Taylor, constable ; Benjamin Blake, Samuel Tibbetts, Aaron Frost, and Benjamin Folsom, surveyors." At the annual town meeting held at John Sinclair's on the twenty-fifth day of March, 1771, Thomas Lucas was elected moderator ; John Flagg, town clerk ; and Lucas, Seeggell, and Sinclair, select- men ; Ithiel Clifford, constable ; Benjamin Folsom and Samuel Tibbetts, sur- veyors of highways; Benjamin Folsom and Thomas Piper, fence viewers ; Benjamin Folsom and Thomas Piper, hog reeves. It was voted to build a. pound on Samuel Tibbett's lot; the same to be twenty feet square and seven feet high. This pound was built by Andrew Wiggin, Jr, for twelve shillings, he having made the lowest bid for the contract. Samuel Tibbetts was chosen pound-keeper, to which office he was reelected for many years. Pound-keepers and hog reeves were much more important officers than now. Cattle and swine being allowed to roam at large in the woods, it became necessary to have definite regulations in regard to them. Hence the relative importance of these

290

HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY.

offices. The ramblings of domestic animals rendered them so familiar to the wild tenants of the forest, that deer have been known to herd with young cattle and follow them to the farmyard.

Fair. - In the charter of the town permission was granted to hold an annual fair. This was held for quite a number of years, commeneing on Tuesday and continuing throughout the remainder of the week, during which time the festivities were kept up without intermission. This festival was held in a publie inn kept by Joseph Lary. Jockeys from distant towns were accustomed to visit the place on these occasions, and antiquated nags, rejuve- nated by the pharmaceutie skill of the triekster, would change owners half a score of times. The road fronting the diminutive tavern was used as a race- course, and horse and foot races, wrestling, throwing quoits, and other gymnastics occupied the day, while the night was spent in telling stories, card-playing, and dancing. The more staid portion of the population visited these scenes but little. Confined to severe labor during most of the year, as were the people generally, and unrestrained by the influences of religious training, it is not strange that in a time of relaxation from toil they should give unbridled license to fun and frolie. Though obstreperous their mirth and rough their sports, quarrels seldom occurred. They sought pleasure, rude though it might be, and would not have this marred by brawls. At length, however, the questionable character of these fairs led to their discontinuance.

At the annual meeting in 1773, " John Sinkler " was chosen town clerk, and as a literary curiosity, the record of that meeting is inserted verbatim et literatim. It is, however, proper to observe that the records of the town were generally well kept, and that "Mr Sinkler" served as town elerk only one year.

Province of New hamsher County of Starford.

At the aneuil town meting of the freeholders and inhabetens of the town of Wolfsborough met at Jolm Sinklers the 30 Day of march 1773

I Voted thomas Lukes moderator 2 John Sinkler town clerk 3 Bengmon folsom 4 thomas tayler 5 James Connor Selekmen 6 Joseph Lary Constable 7 thomas Lukes Benjamin folsom sevairs of high ways 8 thomas Piper Bengmon folsom hog Reeves 9 Bengmon Blake Jorge Woodhouse fence viewers 10 thomas Piper Jonathan Harsey Dear Keepers.

11 Voted to Raise five Pounds Lawfull money for a scoole

12 Voted that the Rods Be Repaired By arate.

13 Voted Cornel henery Rust Capt thomas Lukes Commety men

14 that the Seleckmen By A Book to keep their A Counts in

15 thomas Piper Culler of Lumber

16 Samuel Tebbetts Chose Pound Keeper

17 Jacob Scegil Chose Juery men.

It will be seen that there was then a town officer termed deer-keeper, whose business was to prevent the destruction of that animal at unseasonable

291

TOWN OF WOLFEBOROUGH.

times. This was the first instance in which the town voted to assess a tax, although it is pretty certain that the selectmen had previously made small assessments. Jurors at this period were chosen at town elections.

The first legal instrument issued by the town authorities now extant was a highway surveyor's warrant. Ilere is a copy of it : -

Province of Newhamshire County of Starford. To Capt. Thomas McLucas one of the Sevars of Wolfborough for the Corant year Greating

You are in his Majesty's (name) Required to Lavy and Coleck of the Inhabitance and Estats as they are Set Down in this List of Rats Delivered to you the total to the amount of thirteen Pound five shillings and Sixpence Lawfull Money which Money you are to Coleet of sd Inhabitanes and Estats in Labor at Two Shilings Pr Day which you are to lay out on the Main Road from Tuftinborough Line to Birch Camp So Coled and if any of said Inhabitans Shall Neglect or Refuse to Pay the above Sum or Sums Given to you in sd List you are to Distraint on the Goods Chatels or Estats and them safely Ceap the Spase of four Days at the charge of the owner or owners of sd Goods and Chatels and if sd owner or owners Shall Not Pay sd sum or sums within said Fore Days you are to expose and sell at Publick Vendue, to pay sd sum or sums with Incidental Charges as the Law Directs, and Return the over Plush money if any there be ameadtly to the owner or owners. Dated at Wolfborough this 2 Day of September 1773 and in the 13th year of His Majesty's Reign.

Benj. Folsom, Thomas Taylor, & Selectmen. James Connor,

In November, 1773, the proprietors voted to raise thirty pounds, lawful money, "towards building a meeting-house not less than 30 by 40 feet," and appointed Colonel Henry Rust and Dr A. R. Carter a committee to attend to the matter. At the annual meeting in March, 1774, the subject was brought before the citizens of the town, who voted not to raise any money for that purpose. Hence the attempt to build a meeting-house at that time failed.

In 1774 Matthew Stanley Parker was chosen town clerk. He held the office several years. At this election tithing-men, auditors, and cullers of lumber were added to the list of town officers. The town also voted to raise five pounds for a school, to be added to the sum raised the preceding year for that purpose. It is somewhat doubtful if this or the other sum was ever expended. Probably neither was ever collected. In August of this year the town voted to raise six pounds, six shillings, to hire a minister at the rate of twenty-one shillings a week.

From 1770 to 1775 Wolfeborough enjoyed great prosperity, and there was a large increase in its population. In the northeast part Governor Wentworth was making extensive improvements. His agents gave employment to many laborers, and persons of rank and property were proposing to become citizens. Substantial families were likewise settling in the southwest part, and it seemed probable that it would become one of the most important towns in the province. But in 1775 a great change took place. Governor Wentworth, its principal

292

HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY.

patron, was compelled to abandon his estate and leave the country. Many of his political adherents pursued a similar course. Persons of wealth who through his influence had settled in town left it; and others who contem- plated making it their place of residence abandoned the purpose. Laborers who had found constant employment and ready pay now sought other sections of the country, or awaited the slow though sure return of labor bestowed in converting the dense forests into fruitful fields. The unsettled condition of the country, arising from the revolt of the people against the regularly consti- tuted forms of government, rendered it difficult to enforce such rules and regulations as were conducive to the general welfare.

At a town-meeting held March 13, 1775, it was voted to raise fourteen shillings, that sum being the town's proportion of the expense of sending dele- gates from the colony of New Hampshire to the Continental Congress; and at the annual meeting, held on the twenty-eighth of the same month, it was voted to raise fifteen pounds for the purpose of hiring preaching the ensuing summer. These sums were assessed by the selectmen, but could not be collected, as a portion of the people refused to acknowledge their authority.

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.

History of Carroll County, New Hampshire, Part 35

Author: Merrill, Georgia Drew Publication date: 1889 Publisher: Boston : W.A. Fergusson & Co. Number of Pages: 1124

Author: Merrill, Georgia Drew
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Boston : W.A. Fergusson & Co.
Number of Pages: 1124