USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire > Part 74
USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > History of Cheshire and Sullivan counties, New Hampshire > Part 74
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Nathaniel Harris, of Watertown, Mass., was appointed to call the first meeting of the pro- prietors of No 2. Afterwards it was called Great Meadow, which name it retained until it was chartered by the New Hampshire Legisla- ture, when it took the name it now bears- Westmoreland. The grantees under the Massa- chusetts charter were " Daniel How, Jethro Wheeler, Thomas Chamberlain, Moses Wheeler, Harriden Wheeler, Jr., Jethro Wheeler, Abner How, Josiah Foster, Joshua How, Meshach Taylor, Benjamin Alldridge, Jonathan Hil- drith, Joseph How, Daniel How, Junr., Nathan - iel Wooster, Jeremiah Hall " and possibly others. I know of no record whatever of any action taken by the grantees of No. 2. The presumption is that they did act, and that the records of their doings have been lost. Feb- ruary 2, 1737, No 2, with other townships adjoining, were placed in Hampshire County, " in order to have their title recorded, the King's peace preserved and common justice done."
So far, the only inhabitants of "No. 2" con- sisted of a few families of Abenaquis, or Abena- kees Indians, a small sub-branch of the Five Nations. It is said the meaning of this name is the Pines. Their wigwams were in the north part of the town, on land now owned by Robert E. Green, beside a small brook afterward known as the Wigwam Brook. They remained for a brief time only, and on terms of amity with the pioneer white settlers.
broken ; beneath the genial rays of a spring- time sun the ice and snow had disappeared ; bud and leaf gave coloring to awakening nature, and the forest was teeming with the songs of the early spring birds. It is the spring of 1741. Embarked in four large bark canoes, came slowly up the river from Northfield the first settlers of No. 2. They land near the mouth of a stream afterward known as Mill Brook. The leader of the four families, Dan- iel How, selects the site of his future home, where now lives Fred G. Parker. Jethro Wheeler, another pioneer, selects the site for his dwelling just north of the railroad bridge, east of the house of John C. Farnham. The other two settlers, Philip Alexander and Thomas Crissen, locate between these two. It is certain that settlements were made at two other places in the township soon afterwards. Peter Hay- ward settled near the Ashuelot River in 1764. Upon "Canoe Place," since known as Canoe Meadow, father and son, both bearing the name of Jonathan Cole, and others, settled soon after the coming of How and others. The site of Cole's house was a few rods south of the house of Abel B. Cole, and it is worthy of mention that this pitch of Cole has always remained in pos- session of his descendants. The Cole family has been a prominent one in the town af- fairs in every generation. A few rods north, upon land of George R. Perry, was built a block-house, to which the settlers upon this meadow and vicinity could flee for refuge in times of danger. The first mention we find of "Canoe Place" is in a diary of Captain Kel- logg, who was commanding at Northfield No- vember 30, 1724.
Tradition attributes the origin of the name from the custom of the Indians to secrete their canoes in the ravine near its southerly extrem- ity. This meadow was a famous spot for the Indians, and was one of their camping-grounds on their journeys up and down the river. Here game of all kinds abounded ; here food was
Four years pass away ; the long winter is easy to obtain and of good variety ; and this
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spot naturally became a favorite resting-place for the red man. Upon the west the river abounded, in those early days, with shad and salmon ; on the south the mountain resounded with the peculiar notes of the wild turkey. Hence the origin of its name. The brooks were teeming with innumerable trout leaping in the summer sun, and the curious beaver busily plied his unique workmanship, while through the forest gamboled the active deer.
The block-house, as constructed in those early times, was more suggestive of strength than of architectural beauty. They were built of logs, or, rather, squared timbers, laid hori- zontally one above the other in the shape of an oblong or square, and locked together at the angles in a manner of a log cabin. This struc- ture was roofed and furnished with loop-holes on every side, through which to observe and at- tack the enemy. The upper story usually pro- jected over the lower, and underneath this pro- jection other loop-holes were out to enable those within to fire down on the assailants in case of a close approach.
Of a similar construction were the houses of Daniel How and Jonathan Cole, and their re- spective associates. Strange as it may seem, portions of Howe's block-house are now in existence, preserved intact from the mutations of time. Howe's house was stockaded by hay- ing a circle of logs around it, set upright in the ground, for the purposes of defense.
In 1744 war broke out between- France and England. War between these nations was al- ways attended by a renewal of Indian hostilities. The valley of the Connecticut River became the scene of pillage and of murder. It was at once utterly unsafe for the scattered settlers of No. 2 to reside in their respective homes. Accord- ingly, the settlers of No. 2, Putney and West- minster united to build a stockaded fort upon the Great Meadow, in Putney, upon the site of the house formerly owned by Colonel Thomas White, near the landing of the ferry. Leading to this ferry (the first one in town) was
a road to the Howe settlement. This fort was named Fort Hill. It was of oblong form, eighty by one hundred and twenty feet, built of yellow pine timber hewed six inches thick and laid up about ten feet high. Fifteen dwellings were erected within it, the wall of the fort form- ing the back wall of the houses. These were covered with a single roof, which slanted up- ward to the top of the wall of the fort. In the centre of the inclosure was a hollow square, on which all the houses fronted. On the north- east and southwest corners of the fort watch- towers were placed. A great gate opened on the south, toward the river, and a smaller one toward the west. The fort was generally gar- risoned by ten or twelve men. A cannon was furnished by the Massachusetts government that survived the fort many years. On a cer- tain Fourth of July occasion, within the memory of many of our older citizens, this old cannon was " brought out " at the South village by the boys, to utter its voice in celebrating the glories of the day. It was loaded excessively and wadded with grass, sand and various other materials suggested to the fertile imagination of boyhood. Upon being fired it exploded, and a fragment of the cannon was embedded in the house of Mrs. Burcham. Upon the comple- tion of the fort several of the inhabitants of No. 2 joined the garrison. These were David How, Thomas Chamberlain, Isaac Chamber- lain, Joshua Warner and son, Daniel Warner, wife and son, Harrison Wheeler, Samuel Minot, Benjamin Aldridge and his son George, who afterward became a general. Colonel Jo- siah Willard, who owned the meadow, gave the use of the land as a consideration for building the fort and defending it during the war. The land was portioned out to each family, and the families were accustomed to work on their farms in company, that they might be better prepared to assist one another in the event of a surprise by the enemy. It was no rare event to hear the shouts of the Indians in its vicinity during the night. At one time they laid an ambush at
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
the north end of the meadow ; but the settlers, who were at work on an adjacent island, were fortunate in being warned by a dog of their presence, and escaped in a direction contrary to that by which they had come.
On the 5th of July, 1743, a party of Ooron- dax Indians, from Canada, appeared upon the meadow. William Phips, an inhabitant of Great Meadow, as he was hoeing corn near the southwest corner, was surprised and captured by two of these Indians and carried into the woods to the west. While ascending the steep hill-side, about half a mile from the fort, one of his captors returned for something left, leaving the prisoner in charge of his com- rade. Watching his opportunity, Phips struck down his captor with his hoe, which he had re- tained, and, seizing the gun of the prostrate savage, shot the other as he was ascending the hill. Phips thereupon started for the fort, but before reaching it was seized by three others of the same party, killed and scalped.
Phips, but a short time previous, had married Jemima Sartwell, daughter of the owner of Sartwell's Fort, a lady whose beauty, goodness and sufferings afterwards come down to us, through the mists of many years, as " The Fair Captive."
On the 12th of October following a body of French and Indians attacked the fort at mid- day. A brisk fight was carried on for an hour and a half. One Indian was known to have been killed, and, doubtless, others, as it was the custom of the Indians to conceal their dead. The fort was defended with so much spirit that the enemy were not able to take it or materially to injure it.
They killed however or drove away nearly all the cattle in the vicinity. Nehemiah How, who was chopping wood about eighty rods from the fort, was taken by the Indians as they came. His capture was effected in full sight of the fort, but it would have endangered the lives of all in the garrison to attempt a resene. As they were leading him away by the side of the river they per-
ceived a canoe approaching containing two men. Firing, they killed one of them, David Rugg, but the other, Robert Baker, made for the oppo- site shore and escaped. All three of these men belonged to the garrison. Proceeding far- ther, they passed three other men, who, by skulking under the bank, reached the fort in safety. One of them was Caleb How, the prisoner's son. Arriving opposite to Number Four they compelled their captive to write his name on a piece of bark and there left it. After traveling seven days to the westward they came to a lake, where they found five canoes laden with corn, pork and tobacco. Suspending the scalp of David Rugg upon a pole, they em- barked in the canoes and proceeded to Crown Point, from whence How was taken to Quebec, where he died. Belknap, in his History of New Hampshire, speaks of him "as an useful man, greatly lamented by his friends and fellow- captives." Soon after these occurrences the fort was evacuated and went to decay. While a treaty of peace between the hostile powers was signed at Aix-la-chapelle, October 7, 1748, the natural ferocity of the Indians had become so in- flamed that they kept up their forages into the next season. Meantime the long contention between Massachusetts and New Hampshire, respecting their boundary line, having been decided by the King, and thereby a large slice severed from the former and given to the latter province, in- eluding the township of Number Two, created the necessity of a new charter from the New Hampshire government. Upon the close of war settlement was rapid. At Portsmouth, in the Council chamber, on February 10, 1752, were assembled the Governor and his Council. The business that called them together was the consideration of sundry petitions from various towns lately severed from the Old Bay State, praying for incorporation under the New Hampshire government. Among them was one signed by Daniel How and Thomas Chamber- lain and others from Number Two.
The following is a copy of their petition :
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WESTMORELAND.
" The Petition of the Subscribers hereunto most humbly Shews-That sundry of your Petitioners, Sometime viz, about Seven years before the last Indian War, Settled under the massachusets at a place call'd Number Two laying on the East side of Connecticut River about fourteen miles above Fort Dummer (which by the late Running of the Boundary line be- tween New Hampshire and the Province of massa- chusets Bay falls within the Province of New Hamp- shire) where they layd out their substance and that at their own cost and Charge for their Defence against the French and Indian Enemy on the opposite side of the River they built a Fort-that after the Indian War broke out they were obliged to leave their Hab- itations and lost Considerable of their Substance- that since the late Peace with the Indians they have returned to the sd Place That Sundry of your Peti- tioners are Children of Such as Set down at said place at first and expended their money in making the first settlement there-That your Petitioners have been at least one hundred and fifty Pounds old Ten" Charge the last fall in making and Clearing Roads- That as they have No Incorporation-They labour under Insuperable Difficulty not being in a Capacity to raise any Moneys for any public use or service- And That unless they are enabled so to do, they shall be under an unavoidable necessity of leaving the said place and thereby loosing all they have been out there-
" Wherefore your Petitioners most humbly pray your Excellency and Honours to make a Grant of the sª Tract of land called Number two to your Petitioners And such others as your Excellency and Honours shall think proper so as to make up the number sixty four in all-and your Petitioners as in duty bound shall pray &c "Jan'y 30:th 1750
" Daniel How Jethro Wheeler Thos Chamberlain Amos Davies Amos Davis jun" Jonas Davis Samuel Davis Ebenezer Davis moses Wheeler isaac chamberlain Josiah Chamberlen Hariden Wheeler Junr Jethro Wheeler Simeon Knight martin Severance John Brown
William Moor Joshua How Beniamin Knights Silas Brown meshach Taylor John Alexander Daniel Shattuck Sener Enoch Hall Simon Hall
Thomas Chamberlain Joshua Chambrlain jedidiah Chamberlain Job Chamberlain Aaron Davis beniaman alldridge Jonathan hildrith
Abner How
Joseph How
Josiah Foster
Daniel How Junr Nathaniel Woods
Samnel Foster
michal gibson Jeremiah Hall
John Sheilds Danil Sheilds
Isaac Stone
"Severall of them have 2 & 3 rights apeice there- fore they have Entred Some of their Children as Chandler How Wheeler &cª
" Mcmº
" Maj Willard
"Coll Willard 5 Rights
" Maj" ffowle- 3 rights
"Philip alexander an original Grantee & Settler
"richª Ward an old Grantee to be Entred
This petition was forwarded to the Governor and his Council in 1750.
The charter was granted February 12, 1752. The prayer of this petition alike with the others was granted, and Number Two received a new incorporation under the name of West- moreland, in honor of Lord Westmoreland, an intimate friend of Governor Wentworth.
THE CHARTER.
"Province of New Hampshire, George the second. (Seal). By the Grace of God, Great Brittain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of ve faith, &c. To all Persons to whom these Presents shall come.
Greeting : Know ye. That we of our special grace, certain knowlidge and mere motion, For ye due En- couragement of settling a New plantation within our said Province By and with ye advice of our trusty and well beloved Benning Wentworth, Esq. our Govenor and Commander-in-Chief of our said Province of New Hampshire in America and of our Council of ye said Province have upon the conditions and Reservations hereinafter made given and granted and by these Presents for us our Heirs and successors Do give and grant in equal shares unto our loving subjects Inhabit- ants of our said Province of New Hampshire and his Majesty's other governments and to their Heirs and assigns forever whose Names are, Entered on this grant to be divided to and amongst them into seventy- two equal shares. All that Tract or Parcel of land situate lying and being within our Province of New Hampshire containing by admeasurement Twenty- three thousand and forty acres which Tract is to con- tain six miles square and no more, out of which an allowance is to be made for Highways and unim- proveable Lands, Rocks, Mountains, Ponds and Rivers
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HISTORY OF CHESHIRE COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
one Thousand and Forty acres free, according to a plan thereof made and presented by our said Gover- nor's orders and hereunto annexed. Butted and Bounded as follows, viz. : Beginning at a stake.and stones at the Northerly corner of Chesterfield and running from thence South seventy-eight degrees East by Chesterfield to a stake and stones in Ashuelot Line; from thenee Northerly by Ashuelot Line to ye Northwest corner of ye upper Ashuelot (so called) ; thence North eighty-five degrees East Four miles to a stake and stones ; from thenee North by ye Needle so far as that line runs parellel with ye first men- tioned Line, will include between Connecticut River and ye Easterly Line aforesaid, the Contents of six miles square and if ye same be and is incorporated into a township by the name of Westmoreland and that the Inhabitants ye do or shall hereafter inhabit said township-are hereby declared to be Enfran- chised with and intitled to all and every the Privi- leges and Immunities ye other Towns within our said Province by Law exercise and enjoy, and further that the said Town as soon as there shall be Fifty Families Resident and settled thereon shall. have ye Liberty of holding Two Fairs one of which shall be held on ye - and ye other on ye - annually which Fairs are not to continue and be held longer than ye respective days following the said respective Days and as soon as ye said Town shall consist of Fifty Families a Market shall be opened and kept one or more days in each week as may be thot most advan- tageous to the Inhabitants, also that ye first Meeting for ye Choice of Town officers agreeable to ye Laws of our said Province shall be held on ye second Wednes- day in March next, which meeting shall be notified by Mr. Thomas Chamberlain who is hereby also ap- pointed ye moderator of ye said first meeting which he is to notify and govern agreeable to the Laws and customs of our said Province and ye annual Meeting forever hereafter for ye choice of Such officers of said town shall be on the second Wednesday in March annually. To have and to hold the said Tract of Land as above expressed together with all the Priviledges and appurtenances to them and their respective Heirs and assigns forever upon the following conditions, viz .: That every Grantee his Heirs or assigns shall plant or cultivate five acres of Land within ye Term of five years for every Fifty aeres contained in his or their share or Proportion of Land in said Township and continue to improve and settle ye same by addi- tional cultivations on Penalty of ye Forfeiture of his grant or share in ye said Township and its reverting to his Majesty his Heirs and successors to be by him or them regranted to such of his subjects as shall
effectually settle and cultivate ye same. That all white and other Pine Trees within ye said Township fit for Masting our Royal Navy be carefully preserved for that use and none to be eut or felled without his Majesty's special License for so doing first had and obtained upon ye Penalty of the Forfeiture of ye Right of such grantee his heirs or assigns to us our Heirs and Successors as well as being subject to the penalty of any act or acts of Parliament yt now are or hereafter shall be enacted. That before any Division of ye said Lands be made to and amongst ye grantees, a tract of Land as near ye eentre of ye Township as ye Land will admit of, shall be reserved and marked out for Town Lotts one of which shall be allotted to each grantee of ye contents of one aere, yielding and paying therefor to us our Heirs and successors for ye space of Ten years to be computed from ye date here- of, the Rent of one ear of Indian corn only, on the first day of January annually if lawfully Demanded, The first Payment to be made on ye first Day of January next following ye Date hereof. Every Pro- prietor, Settler or Inhabitant shall yield and pay unto us our Heirs and successors yearly, and every year forever from and after ye expiration of ye ten years from ye Date hereof namely, on ye First Day of January which will be on ye year of our Lord Christ One thousand seven Hundred and sixty-two, One shilling Proclamation money for every Hundred acres he owns, settles or Possesses and so in Proportion for a greater or Lessor Tract of ye said land which money shall be paid by ye Respective Persons abovesaid their Heirs or assigns in our Council Chamber in Portsmouth or to such officer or officers as shall be appointed to receive the same and this to be in Lieu of all other Rents and services whatsoever. In Testi- mony hereof we have caused ye seal of our said Prov- ince to be hereunto affixed. Witness, Benning Went- worth, Esq., our . Governor and Commander-in-Chief of our said Province the Twelfth day of Febry in ye year of our Lord Christ 1752 and in ye 25th year of our Reign.
"B. WENTWORTH.
"By his Exeelleney's Command with advice of Council.
" THEODORE ATKINSON, Sec'y."
The names of the grantees of Westmoreland are as follows :
" Thomas Chamberlain, Benja. Aldridge, Daniel How, Jethro Wheeler, Daniel How, Jun'r, Caleb How, Abner How, Josiah Willard, Oliver Willard, Samuel How, John Arms, Valentine Butler, Samson Willard, John Fowl, James Fowl, Nathaniel Woods,
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WESTMORELAND.
Jeremiah Hall, Timothy Harrington, Josiah Foster, Edward How, Samuel Minot, John Fowl, Jur., Philip Alexander, Richard Ward, Nathaniel Harris, Corne- lius White, Ebenezer Turner, Samuel Livermore, Samuel Williams, Moses Hastens, John Chandler, Simeon Alexander, Ebenezer Hubbard, Joseph Har- ington, John Rugg, Thomas marshal, Ebenezer Hins- dale, Samuel Hunt, John Alexander, Enoch Hall, William Moor, Jethro Wheeler, Ju'r., Fairbanks Moor, Ju'r., Joseph Bellows, Herridon Wheeler, Isaac Chamberlain, Josiah Chamberlain, Joshua Chamber- lain, Amos Davis, Jedediah Chamberlen, Jonathan Cole, Mical Gilson, Simeon Knights, John Brown, William How, Jonathan Cummings, Ju'r., John Chamberlain, John Taylor, Daniel Pearce, His Ex- cellency Benning Wentworth, Esq., one tract of land to contain Five Hundred acres which is to be ac- counted two of ye said shares, one whole share for in- corporated Society for ye Propagation of ye Gospel in foreign parts, One whole share for the first settled minister of ye gospel in said Town, One whole share for a Glebe for the ministry of ye Church of England as by law established. Samuel Wentworth, of Boston ; Theodore Atkinson, Richard Samuel Smith, John Downing, Samson Sheaffe, John Wentworth, Ju'r., Esq., Stephen Chace, of New Castle."
Of these grantees we have very limited knowl- edge. It is certain, however, that but a small por- tion of them were ever actual settlers. A num- ber of names were placed in the list of grantees in reward for public and military services. Others were included through favoritism, and other reasons, no doubt. The grant was not satisfactory to the petitioners, inasmuch as it did not include as much territory as the old grant of No. 2 by some eight square miles. A strip two miles wide and four long was severed from its northern boundary and included in the grant to the Walpole petitioners. April 29, 1752, the following petition was forwarded to the Governor, but without avail :
"May it please your Excellency with the Honour- able Counsil to Condesend to hear the humble Pete- tion of the Propriators and Inhabitants, of the Town of Westmorland.
" The Province of the Massachusetts Enjoying the land on this part of this River which they then Claim'd as their property, consonant with which sup- posed Title wee petetioned for this Township, and be- ing granted, wee immediatly proceeded to a Settlement
about Fourteen years since, when by the Running the Line of the Provinces wee fell within the Limmitts of your Excellencys Government, and by Renewed Pe- tition made to Your Excellency for a Renewed grant of the Land, wee have been favour'd with the same, but as wee Suspect not according to the Intention of Your Excellency and Honourable Counsil, for Major Willard and M' Bellows hath not Conform'd to our Original Grant from the Massachusetts nor according to our Intention, which was to abide by our Original Lines, which are at present destroy'd, for the upper line is removed near Two milles lower down the River from whence our grant first took place, in which lay our Meadows or entervails, with our second divisions and all our Improvements on them whith the best part of our land and extending our line two milles lower down Includeing barren and Rockey Hills, no ways commoding the town, and then stretching the Line upon the north side of the Upper ashawhelock, which leaves us the barren land and mountains be- twixt us, which Lyeth so far distant from the Body of the Town, that will never Commode the same, and these our Grievances wee fear will disable this town, either for the maintaining the Gospel, or sufficient Inhabitants to withstand the Indians, now wee pray- eth for the Restoration and Confirmation of our Orig- inal Lines.
"Wee would advertise your Excellency and the Honble Counsil that when M' Bellows went with a Pe- tetion for Nobr 3 Called walpole, he enter'd a number of names leaving out the names of the Old propriaty of that Town, and particularly them that had Cleard part of their land, and built also, Offering them but Eaqual Encouragement with others never labouring there, and depriving them of their labour without sat- isfaction for the Same, and he went in with his Peti- tion which being granted him, he is suppos'd to have purchas'd of them whose names were inserted for a Small Consideration, and now will give but the small Encouragement of fifty Acres of Upland to each Set- tler, without any Entervail, and this Prejudices people against settleng there, having before interrupted the former propriarty in their Settleing and now discour- aging them after great expence, which wee fear will be Very detrimental to the Settleing of his and our Town-
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