History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire, Part 100

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1200

USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire > Part 100
USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire > Part 100

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).

"Istly. That every grantee, his heirs or assigees, shall plant and cultivate Five acres of Land within the Term of Five years for every fifty acres Con- tained in his or their share or proportion of Land in said Township, and Continue to Improve and Settle the Same By additional Cultivations, Penalty of the Forfeiture of his grant or Share of Land in said Township, and of its Reverting to us, our heirs and Successors, to be by us or them Regranted to such of our Subjects as shall Effectually Settle and Cultivate the same.

" 2dly. That all white and other pine Trees within ye s'd Township fit for Masting our Royal Navy be Carefully Preserved for that use, and none to be Cut or Felled without our Special License for so doing first had and obtained, upon the Penalty of the Forfeiture of the Rights of such grantee, his heirs and assigns, to us, our heirs and successors, as well as being subject to the Penalty of any act or acts of Parliament that now and hereafter shall be Enacted.

CLAREMONT.

"3dly. That before any Division of s'd Land be made to and among the Grantees, a Tract of Land, as near the Centre of ye s'd Township as the Land will admit of, shall be Reserved and marked out for Town Lots, one of which shall (be) allotted to each Grantee of the Contents of one acre.

"4thly. Yielding and paying, therefore, to us, our heirs and successors for the Space of Ten Years, to be Computed from the Date hereof, the rent of one ear of Indian Corn only, on the Twenty-fifth day of December, annually, if Lawfully Demanded, the First payment to be made on ye 25th Day of De- cember, 1764.

"5thly. Every Proprietor, Settler or Inhabitant Shall Yield and pay unto us, our heirs and successors, yearly and every year forever, from and after the expiration of Ten Years from the above s'd 25th Day of December, namely, on the 25th Day of December, which will be in the Year of our Lord 1774, one Shilling Proclamation Money for every hundred acres he so owns, settles or Possesses, and so in pro- portion for a greater or lesser Tract of ye s'd Land, which money shall be Paid by the Representative Persons above s'd, their heirs or assigns, in our Council Chamber at Portsmouth, or to such officer or officers as shall be appointed to Receive the same, and this is to be in Lieu of all other rents and services whatsoever.

" IN TESTIMONY whereof, we have caused the Seal of our s'd Province to be hereunto affixed.

" Witness Benning Wentworth, Esq., our Governor and Commander-in-Chief of our said Province, the Twenty-sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord Christ 1764.

"(Signed), B. WENTWORTH. " By his Excellency's command,

" With advice of Council, "T. ATKINSON, JUN'R, Sec'y."

NAMES OF THE GRANTEES OF CLAREMONT.

Jonathan Hawks, Samuel Field, Henry Bond, Simon Chamberlain, Elijah Alexander, Ebenezer Dodge, Jonathan Cass, Joshua Hide, Nathaniel Heaton, Gideon Ellis, Jonathan Grimes, Joseph Cass, John Scott, William Richardson, John Pierce, Thomas Lee, Stephen Putnam, Timothy Taylor, Benjamin Freeman, Oliver Fairwell, John Searles, Oliver Fair- well, Jr., Ephraim Adams, Phineas Wait, Samuel Wells, John Hunt, William Smead, Colonel John Goffe, Esq., Daniel Jones, Esq., Hon. John Temple, Esq., Mark H. Wentworth, Esq., Theodore Atkin- son, Jr., Colonel William Symes and Solomon Davis.

The Governor's reservation, which he invariably made in his grants, and also reservations of lands for other purposes, as appears by the records, were as follows :

"His Excellency, Benning Wentworth, Esq., a Tract of Land to contain 500 Acres, as marked B. W. in the Plan, and also a small Island lying in the River, opposite s'd 500 acres, which are to be accounted two of the within Shares; one which shares for the Incorporated Society for the propaga- tion of the Gospel in foreign parts; one whose share for a Glebe for ye Church of England, as by law established; one whole share for ye first settled (minister) of the Gospel, and one share for the Benefit of a school forever, in said Town forever."

Governor Wentworth's share was located in the southwesterly corner of the town, and included what has long been known as the Isaac Hubbard farm, now owned and occupied by Isaac H. Long, a grandson of Isaac Hubbard, and by the widow of the Rev. Isaac G. Hubbard, D. D., who was a son of Isaac Hubbard, Esq. The island referred to in Connecticut River is known as Hubbard's Island. A portion of the school lands are situated on the east side of Broad Street, beginning at Sugar River, and extending southerly to and including the present residence of the widow of George W. Blodgett. Of the land reserved for the Society " for the propagation of the gospel in foreign parts," one hundred acres lie in the north part of the town, and are owned by Solon C. Grannis, Esq., and others. About one hundred. acres of the glebe land are located on the northerly

Josiah Willard, Esq., Samuel Ashley, Jeremiah Hull, Josiah Willard, Jr., Thomas Frink, Esq., John Ellis, Samson Willard, Abraham Scott, Henry Foster, Solomon Willard, Jonathan Hammond, William Heaton, Prentice Willard, Samuel Ashley, Jr., James Scott, Samuel Scott, Oliver Ashley, Abijah Willard, Micah Lawrence, Abel Lawrence, Michael Metcalf, Ephraim Dorman, James Lord, William Willard, Jeremiah Powers, John Arms, David Field, | side of what is called the new road from Clare-

HISTORY OF SULLIVAN COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

mont to Newport, about three miles from Clare- mont village, and was purchased several years ago by the Monadnock Mills Corporation. Another portion of the glebe lands lies near Union Church, West Claremont.

As appears by the records, the first meeting of the proprietors of Claremont was held at "ye house of Lieutenant Hilkiah Grout, inn-holder, in Winchester, on Monday, ye second day of Fehru- ary, A.D. 1767." An organization was formed, as provided by the charter. The first act is recorded as follows : " Voted, 1stly, and choose Secretary Samuel Ashley Moderator for this meet- ing. 2d, Voted and chose Colonel Josiah Willard proprietors' clerk." They then laid out the Governor's two shares :

"Beginning at ye southwest corner of ye Town, on the bank of ye river, running East 12 deg. south on ye line between Claremont and Charlestown, 360 rods, to a pillow of stones; then runs West 12 de- grees North, 260 rods to ye river, and then runs down ye river as that runs to where it begins, includ- ing the Island in said river opposite ye two shares aforesaid."

It was afterwards ascertained that the tract thus laid out did not contain the required quantity of five hundred acres, and an addition was accordingly made of a triangular piece of land on the casterly side of the lot first set off. At this meeting shares were set off by metes and bounds to many of the proprietors. They then appointed William Parker, of Portsmouth ; Samuel Livermore, of Londonderry ; Josiah Willard, of Winchester ;

"all of ye Province of New Hampshire, Esqs. and Samuel Ashley, of Winchester in s'd Province, agents and attorneys for ye Proprietors in all suits and Controversies moved or to be moved for or against s'd Proprietors and in their behalf to appear, plead and pursue to find judgment and Execution, with full power of Substitution and power to compound and settle such actions and controversies wherein s'd Proprietors are or may be concerned, the s'd Pro- prietors hereby ratifying, confirming and holding valid whatever s'd Agents and Attorneys, or any two

of them, shall legally do or cause to be done in or about the Premises."

This precautionary step was, doubtless, taken to meet whatever difficulties might arise in the progress of the settlement of the town. So far as records or traditions inform us, there was no im- mediate prospect that the proprietors would be molested in the settlement and disposal of the township. There were but few squatters, and these were generally content to receive, as full compensation for all improvements each might have made, a deed of sixty acres of land in such locations as the proprietors might select. Among the squatters were David Lynde and Moses Spafford, who were the first settlers within the limits of the town as described by the charter. In 1763, Elijah, son of Moses Spafford, was born, being the first native English child born in town, according to the New Hampshire Gazetteer. Ac- cording to the same authority, Lynde and Spafford settled in Claremont in 1762. In 1763 and 1766 several other inhabitants arrived, and in 1767 a considerable number of the proprietors, and others from the towns of Farmington, Hebron and Colchester, in Connecticut, made settlements in different parts of the town. Lynde and Spafford built a rude cabin in the easterly part of the town, and began the work of clearing the forest, and continued to make improvements for several years, until they were induced to accept sixty acres each from the proprietors for their improve- ments. Lynde's tract was in the vicinity of Green Mountain, so called, and Spafford's was in the west part of the town, which is now owned by Mrs. Charles Leland.

Since the termination of the French and Indian War, in 1760, the Indians had not troubled the settlements along the Connecticut River. Game and fish were very abundant, and occasionally they resorted in small numbers to their old hunting and fishing-grounds, but their visits were few and short. Probably they never occupied the territory in this vicinity as a permanent or habitual abode, as no relics of the race have ever been discovered in the neighborhood which would indicate it. At the

CLAREMONT.

time referred to a single Indian still lingered in the neighborhood. Tradition has it that he had been chief of a tribe, who were once lords of the soil, but now were either exterminated or had re- moved to Canada. But he seemed determined not to relinquish the possessions of his ancestors to the aggressive paleface. Though he continued to re- main here for several years after the settlement of the town, and at last died on what he termed his own soil, yet he sought no intercourse or friendship with the new occupants, but followed his favorite pursuits-fishing and hunting. It was known that he had borne a conspicuous part in the bloody and devastating expeditions against Charlestown, Keene and other English colonies, and it was feared that he might be still lurking about, watching an op- portunity to enact similar scenes. The story of his tragical end was furnished by Mr. L. A. Grannis to George Ticknor, Esq., who prepared with great labor and pains several chapters of the annals of Claremont, which were printed in the National Eagle in 1854, then being published by the author of this history, who has drawn largely from them, believing them to be as reliable as anything attain- able at this day.

Though a solitary Indian, he seemed inflated with that jealousy against the whites so peculiar to his race. When the frame of Union Church was being raised, in 1773, he was present, and expressed great displeasure at the presumption of the new- comers in thus erecting so large a building, and threatened to shoot any white hunter who should intrude on his hunting-ground. At last he became so furious, maddened, probably, by a too free use of " strong water," that it became necessary to con fine him. Be that as it may, the threat proved his destruction. Among the strong and vigorous men assembled there was one of gigantic size. and matchless strength, and, more than all, whose spirit felt no fear. His quick ear caught the threat of Tonsa, and he at once resolved to hunt on his ground, and it is said that previous to this day they were enemies. Shortly after this scene the white hunter, with loaded gun in hand, visited the forbidden ground alone. As soon as he had

arrived at the spot he gave a shrill whistle, which was quickly answered by a whistle which, from its peculiar sound, he knew came not from a white man. . The same sound was repeated and an- swered. Rapidly he advanced in the direction of the sound, and soon came in sight of his foe. At the same time he was seen by Tonsa. And now began the struggle for victory. Each summoned all his art and skill to secure an advantage which would betray the life of one to the other. Fiercely they rushed forward, leaping over fallen trees and now dodging behind standing ones, and using those stratagems so familiar to the backwoodsman and the savage. Now they had come within shooting distance. At once they raised their guns and simultaneously fired. The shot of the white man took effect, and Tonsa fell. Beneath one of the tall pine-trees which grew luxuriously on his beautiful hunting-ground the victor buried him, and his resting-place no man knew precisely until May, 1854.

On the twentieth day of that month Mr. Josiah Hart, while digging on land of John Tyler, Esq., discovered a skeleton, which, from its immense size, was supposed to be that of Tonsa. It is hinted that the more timid hunters, on being assured by their strong brother that Tonsa would trouble them no more, breathed more freely, and even ventured to go to his favorite haunt. This was on the north side of Sugar River, where the farms of Messrs. John Tyler, Dr. S. G. Jarvis and the late Dan- ford Rice are situated. The strong hunter, to those acquainted with the men of those times, and who have heard the story, will be remembered as being a man by the name of Tim Atkins. Thus fell Tonsa, the last Indian of Claremont, a noble specimen of his race.

In 1767 the proprietors, as we have already seen, began to take active steps toward the settlement of Claremont. At a meeting of the proprietors at the house of Colonel Josiah Willard, on the eighteenth day of March, Captain Enos Atwater, Captain Benjamin Brooks, Colonel Josiah Willard, Esq., Jotham Hitchcock and Asa Lent were appointed a committee to " lott out ye remaining part of said

HISTORY OF SULLIVAN COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Town in such manner as they shall judge proper, and return a plan thereof to the proprietors." It was also "Voted and agreed that Benjamin Tyler have two acress of Land for a Mill Yard and Con- venience for Building Mills in the most conve- nient Place on Sugar River in Claremont, with ye Privilidge of s'd Stream, on Condition the said Tyler doth Build a Mill or Mills and Keep the same in Repair for ye space of Ten Years." In the same year Mr. Tyler erected a saw-mill and grist-mill in what was then " the most Convenient Place on Sugar River in Claremont." The mills and dam were built on the same spot where sim ilar works have since been maintained in West Claremont. This enterprise was a very important one, and imparted new vigor and gave a decided impetus to the progress of the settlement. As yet there were but few inhabitants, and these lived in rude cabins scattered along Sugar River and about " Jarvis Hill." Both houses and barns were built of logs roughly hewn and hastily put together; the floors of earth, pounded hard, and their chimneys made of sticks laid in elay. These habitations, however, quickly gave place to more convenient and inviting ones. Excellent timber was abundant, and the activity of Mr. Tyler was soon apparent in the erection of framed houses. The proprietors had not generally taken up their residences in town, and it does not appear that the principal one, Colonel Josiah Willard, was ever a resident here for any considerable length of time. He was a large landholder in Keene and Winchester, where the first meeting of the proprietors of Clare- mont was held.

ley line." Thus it will be seen that, with the ex- ception of the shares of the Governor and Council, Willard and Ashley were the actual owners of the entire township, and their object was to find pur- chasers, which, it seems, was not difficult, as settle- ments were made quite rapidly after the year 1767. But as late as 1787, Willard was the owner of fifteen shares, equal to four thousand eight hun- dred acres. This is on the supposition that the town was divided into seventy-five equal shares, according to the provisions of the charter. Whether such division was ever actually made does not ap- pear from any known record, though the shares set off to the Council included each three hundred and twenty acres.

The method first adopted by the proprietors in laying out the township into lots, was to set off fifty acre meadow-lots for tillage, the same quan- tity of upland for pasturage and three-acre lots for house lots. They next proceeded to draw by lot, taking care to have several more lots of each kind than there were persons to draw, so that if any were dissatisfied with the result, they might relinquish those assigned by the drawing, and se- leet from those remaining. The first meeting for the selection of lots was in Winchester, April 14, 1767. The committee appointed at the former meeting, having performed the duty imposed upon them acceptably, were " desired by a vote to lay out ye Glebe for ye Church of England and ye School in some Convenient place, ye whole Right together." This was accordingly done, and the whole were located in the west part of the town. Exchanges were afterward made, so that we now find the glebe lands and school lands situated in various parts of the town. A tract was also set off for a fair and market-ground. This included the burying ground in the West Parish, and, it is be- lieved, the grounds about Union Church.

The Willard and Ashley line, beginning on the easterly line of the town, at a distance of five hun- dred and fifty rods from its southern extremity, extended westerly, parallel with the south line of the town, to Connecticut River. Ashley's tract was limited on the south by the share of John On the eighth of March, 1768, was held the first town-meeting in Claremont, not exactly in accord- ance with the terms of the charter, which provided that "the first meeting for the choice of Town Officers agreeably to the Laws of our said Prov- Temple, and on the north by the line just de- scribed. It comprised a tract varying not much from four hundred rods in width through the town from east to west; Willard's claim was all that part of the town north of the " Willard and Ash- | ince shall be held on ye Second Tuesday of March

CLAREMONT.

next [1765], which s'd meeting shall be Notified by Samuel Ashley, who is hereby also appointed the Moderator of s'd first meeting." But in view of the mutual interest of the Governor and Willard and Ashley in the town, the latter two gentlemen probably felt secure in acting when and in such manner as their convenience and interest might suggest. They were in no hurry for the settle- ment of the town, as they looked upon it as a val- uable acquisition, both for the purpose of agricul- ture and manufacturing, and they therefore deter- mined to be governed in their proceedings by the degree of earnestness manifested by those who sought to purchase. Another object was to in- duce such persons to settle as would be sure to be loyal and faithful subjects of the Crown.

The first town-meeting, above-named, was held at the house of Captain Benjamin Brooks, in the vicinity of Jarvis Hill. Ten voters were present. There were twelve families in town; but, as their number was small, their needs were few, and by choosing one man to fill several offices they suc- ceeded in forming a proper town organization. This is the record :

" At the same meeting, Captain Benjamin Brooks was chosen Moderator. At the same meeting, Joseph Ives was chosen Town Clerk. At the same meeting, Captain Benjamin Brooks, Ebenezer Skinner, Ben- jamin Tyler, Thomas Jones and Amos York were chosen Selectmen. At the same meeting, Benjamin Brooks, Jr., was chosen Constable."

At a subsequent adjourned meeting, " Amos York and Benedick Roys were chosen tithing- men. At the same meeting, Asa Lent and Eben- ezer Skinner was chosen Surveyor of Highways. At the same meeting, voted to raise a Rate of Ten Pounds, Lawful money ($13.33), to defray Town charges. It was also voted to take off two acres of land from North-west corner of the Fair for a Burying-Place."

One of the first acts of a public nature was the laying out of a highway to Newport, and Captain Benjamin Brooks and Benjamin Sumner were chosen a committee for that purpose. They began about half a mile south of the middle point of the

west line of the town, and proceeded easterly in a straight line to Sugar River. The course was not varied by hills or valleys. The width of the highway was uniformly ten rods. This road passed through what is now the south part of the village, near the Stevens High School building. It was the custom to reserve strips of land ten rods in width between adjacent tiers or divisions of lots, with the intention that whenever lands might be taken for actual highways, the owners of lands so appropriated could be compensated from the "reservations." Hence it is found that the one-hundred-acre lots generally contain one hun- dred and five acres each.

In 1769 the settlement of the town had so far progressed that husbands, who had provided con- fortable cabins, sent for their wives and children, and single men began to consider the subject of matrimony. Mr. Barnabas Ellis and Miss Eliza- beth Spencer were the first couple married in the town of Claremont, in accordance with the usages of civilized society. There being no magistrate or minister in town, the Rev. Bulkley Olcott, of Charlestown, was sent for and officiated at the nuptial ceremonies. As there were no roads through the wilderness, the messenger who was sent for Mr. Olcott, being a brother of the bride, was to act as pioneer for the clergyman, and to procure a quantity of new rum to be used on the occasion. "The whole town were invited to the wedding, and as many as could come with con- venience attended." The place of assembly was a log cabin, which, though rude, seemed to claim some degree of prominence over the surrounding habitations, from the fact that it contained three rooms, besides a clean spruce ladder, which con- ducted to a chamber above, carpeted with brush poles. The loving couple were seated in two plain oak chairs, while the guests occupied benches, stools and blocks. In front of the happy pair was a chair and stand, upon which was placed a Bible and hymn-book and a full glass of the sealing beverage. The parties being seated in order, the minister approached the stand, and, taking up the glass with becoming dignity,

HISTORY OF SULLIVAN COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

lessened it of its contents, adding graciously,-" I wish you joy, my friends, on this occasion." A chapter from the Bible was read, after which a hymn was sung, the minister reading a line, and those present singing each line as read. The mar- riage knot was then tied, a long prayer was of- fered and the ceremonies closed. Toasts, jokes and merriment followed, interspersed with black- strap. Mr. Ellis was one of the first inhabitants, having settled here in 1767. He purchased a tract of land in the west part of the town, where he lived until 1837. His house was nearly on the same spot on which that of the late William Ellis, his youngest son, stands, and where the latter died, on September 29, 1880, at the age of sev- enty-three years. Barnabas Ellis was a man of some prominence, and filled several offices in the town. He held a lieutenant's commission in the Continental army, and performed service in the expeditions against Forts Ticonderoga and Crown Point, beside taking the lead of several scouting- parties in search of Tories and Indians. William Ellis represented Claremont in the New Hamp- shire Legislature two years, and held several town offices.

In August of that year (1769), at a meeting of the proprietors, it was,-

" Voted to lay out a third Division of upland, con- taining one hundred acres in Each Lot in the best Lands and in the best manner they can.

" Voted and chose Misures Jeremiah Spencer, Ben- jamin Sumner and Asa Jones a committee to lay out ye Lotts. Voted, that the afore said Committee shall have full power to Rectifye any mistakes in the for- mer Layings out Bouth in Lotts and in Highway."

In October, 1770, Governor Benning Went- worth died, leaving no children, and bequeathing to a young wife, whom he married in his declining years, nearly all of his estate, instead of constitu- ting his nephew, John Wentworth, a son of Mark Hunking Wentworth, his principal heir, as it was generally supposed he would do. John Went- worth succeeded his uncle in the office of Gover- nor. Being thus cut off from his uncle's estate, he determined, if possible, to oust the latter's

widow from the possession of property and rights bequeathed to her by the will of her husband. Long-forgotten claims against the late Governor's estate were revived, suits at law were commenced, and, in some instances, forcible entries were made upon the lands devised. Soon the new Governor began to turn his attention to the reservations made by his deceased uncle in his grants of town- ships. He at last submitted the question to the Council, " whether the reservations of five hun- dred aeres in several townships, made to the late Governor Benning Wentworth, in the charter grants, conveyed the title to him." The Council determined this question in the negative. The Governor then asked whether they would advise him to grant the said tracts to such of His Majes- ty's subjects as should settle and cultivate the same? To this they gave their assent. Seven of the councilors on this occasion were relations of the Governor.

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History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire, Part 100

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis Number of Pages: 1200

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1200