USA > New Hampshire > Coos County > History of Coos County, New Hampshire > Part 54
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CHAPTER XLIII.
Organizing under the Grant-First Recorded Civil Officers-Important Sale of Lands, 1795- Col. Joseph Kimball-Proprietors' Meeting, December 3, 1800-Committee and its Powers-Ab- stract of Proprietors' Records-First Draft of Lots-Names of Grantees with number of Lot.
RGANIZING under the Grant .- We will here notice the first organ- ization of the proprietors, and, in a subsequent place, the first "town meeting " of the actual settlers.
There are no recorded transactions of the original owners in possession of the town prior to 1792, on the 3d day of April, when they were called together by the published notification of John Calfe, justice of the peace, at the request of certain of the proprietors representing more than one- half of the shares of the township. They met at the inn of Capt Benja- min French, in the town of Dunstable, Mass., and Col. Samuel Adams- the irrepressible Samuel-was chosen moderator of the meeting. Capt. Jonas Minot was chosen proprietors' clerk and treasurer, and the proprie- tary records for the next ten years are mostly in the hand writing of Mr. Minot, and were very well kept. Capt. Robert Foster. Col. Samuel Adams, and Mr. Josiah Melvin were chosen assessors, and Mr. Nathan
456
HISTORY OF COOS COUNTY.
Barrett, collector. These were the first recorded civil officers of the town- ship. Capt. Barrett served with distinction in the Revolution. He was a young officer of the militia, and was one of the wounded at the memor- able fight on Concord Common on that 19th of April, 1775. Capt. Barrett was connected by marriage with the family of Mr. Minot, hence his inter- est in the town. The Orin Chase farm immediately south of the village is well remembered as the "Old Barrett Lot." There was little business done at this preliminary meeting of the proprietors. save to vote a tax of " twenty shillings, lawful silver money, upon each original right of land in said township of Whitefields," and choose an agent (Capt. Jonas Minot) to "survey, cnt roads, settle the lines with other claimers. introduce settlers to the amount of twenty," by giving "not more than one hundred acres to each of said twenty settlers, and see about building mills, &c."
Perhaps the most important meeting of the proprietors, between the date of the grant and the coming of the actual settlers, was that of May 21, 1794, accepting of ratifying and confirming all previous proceedings under the charter, including the survey and place of Henry Gerrish, the draft of ninety-four lots by Rev. Stephen Peabody in 1776, as per schedule, but not including the locating of the western boundary, which they had been led to suppose should be about three miles farther west. This would have included most of the John's river valley and the Dalton hills within the boundary of Whitefields; but the final adjustment of lines between the towns proved the Gerrish survey correct, and the coveted valley of the John's and the western horizon of hills remained upon the Apthorp side of the line, the seemingly doubtful corner locating itself out of reach in the midst of the little lakelet known as " Blake's pond," which now supplies "Brownsville " with water.
June 18, 1795, occurred the most important sale of lands in Whitefields prior to the coming of its pioneer settlers. Some of King George's grantees had fled the country and were proscribed by act of the General Court of 1788. Some went to war at the call of their country and never returned; most of them failed to respond to the tax-call of the collectors; so, after re- peated unpaid assessments, the land must be sold to satisfy the inevitable tax-gatherer. This was done in accordance with the laws for such emer- gencies established; and. at this tax-sale, holden at the old "way-side inn " of Capt. Benjamin French, in Dunstable, first appears in connection with the affairs of the township, one of its first and most enterprising settlers, Col. Joseph Kimball. He bought the tax-claims of eleven original rights, among which was that of Peter Green, Esq., embracing the hill lot upon which is now located the famous " Mountain View House " of William F. Dodge & Son.
The last, and one of the most important of the " down country " meet- ings of the original proprietors of Whitefields, was holden at Atkinson on
457
TOWN OF WHITEFIELD.
the 3rd day of December, 1800. It was convened by the action of Major John Burns, who journeyed from Concord, Mass., to Atkinson, to take the necessary legal steps to warn the meeting; and this is the first appearance of Major Burns in connection with the affairs of the town; and it is also the last meeting at which any of the grantees took an active part. Rev. Stephen Peabody was chosen moderator of the meeting, he being the last of the original ninety individual owners. A committee was chosen at this meeting consisting of Burns and Peabody, Jonas Baker and Capt. Jonas Minot, "to make arrangements of what is best to be done for the good and interest of the proprietors."
This committee was enabled to report progress from time to time as to the particulars of laying out and making a road through the town, a re- survey and a general allotment, followed by a re-assignment to each in- dividual title, and, finally, on December 25, 1801, it was " voted that twelve settlers may go on to settle in said Whitefields on or before the month of May next, on condition they build houses, and are in separate families, on or before that time, by paying the proprietors Nine Shillings per acre for each one hundred acres to a family, or receive said lot as a part of his or their rights at his or their election, and continue settlement for the term of five years making progressive improvements; and that Col. Joseph Kim- ball may put on two families. Maj. John Burns two, Samuel Minot four, and Jonas Baker one family, completing said number."
Thus, for more than a quarter of a century after receiving a local exis- tence and a name by the will of the crown of England, were its affairs al- lowed to slumber, and not a settler's axe had yet awakened the forest echoes of Whitefields. During the first four years of the present century, how- ever, its four awakening spirits, Burns, Kimball, Minot and Baker, were busy locating the first settlements, marking roads to accommodate them, running and marking the outlines of the township, distributing the lands to the ancient titles in accordance with the latest allotment by Capt. Jere- miah Eames, Jr., in June and September, 1802, and laying the foundation for a future organization.
" Abstract of Proprietors' Records. Proceedings of Proprietors .- The first proprietors' meet- ing was held at the Inn of Capt. Benj. French in Dunstable, April 1, 1792, pursuant to a call of IIon. John Calfe, J. P. Col. Samuel Adams was chosen Moderator; Capt. Jonas Minot, Proprietors' Clerk; Capt. Robert Porter, Col. Samuel Adams and Josiah Melvin, Assessors; Mr. Nathan Barrett, Collector; Capt. Jonas Minot, Treasurer. It was voted to raise a tax of 20 shil- lings Lawful silver money on each original right of land in said Township of Whitefields, to pay the expense 'of allotting out, and surveying sd. Township,' & bringing forward its settlement, cutting and making roads, and this tax to be assessed and collected as soon as may be. Capt. Jonas Minot was chosen agent for the proprietors to act as he thinks best for their interest, and is impowered to survey, cut roads, settle the lines of the township with other 'claimers,' or as he thinks just and right, to introduce settlers into the township to the number of twenty, but he is not to give more than one hundred acres to each of these twenty settlers, to see about building mills, etc., and to report from time to time to the Proprietors. November 12, 1792. The Proprietors
30
458
HISTORY OF COOS COUNTY.
voted to raise a tax or three shillings on each lot of land ' already severed,' and six shillings on each right of common land in the township of Whitefields to pay the proprietors' debts and expenses of their meetings and for the forwarding of the settlement of the township. At a Proprietors" meeting held April 25, 1793, at the Inn of James Dow, Atkinson, N. H., Nathaniel Peabody, Esq., Mr. Nathan Barrett and Mr. David Page, Jr., were chosen Assessors; Mr. Jonas Minot, Treasurer; Jonas Minot, Collector; also, voted a tax of ten shillings on each lot, and twenty shillings on each original right of common land, those persons who have heretofore paid or advanced any part of former taxes to be credited accordingly, on proving payments. Jonas Minot was continued as. agent. Various meetings were held at Exeter, Atkinson, Dunstable, etc .. with little result for some years-The rights of ' delinquent ' tax payers were sold for the assessed taxes; some were re- deemed; some became the property of the purchasers. August 20, 1793. The agent was voted 'six shillings per day, and horse hire and expenses for all and every service he has or may perform for this propriety, together with all monies he may pay for this propriety in any case whatsoever." May 24, 1794. Col Henry Gerish was chosen Collector. The next day the proprietors voted to accept the survey of one hundred and four lots of land, of seventy-five acres each lot, as laid down by Henry Gerish, Esqr., on the plan returned as surveyed by him to the proprietary clerk's office- ' Altho' the proprietors do not expect to except of or be confined to the outermost lines of said plan-as the boundaries of said Township of Whitefields, they, the proprietors, supposing the line on Lancaster should be continued south, fifty-nine degrees west, about three miles further than is- laid down on said plan '-They also confirmed the first draft of lots made by Rev. Stephen Pea- body, and ratified his work; voted to raise a tax of five shillings on each granted lot, and one of ten shillings on each original common right; authorized the collector to pay Henry Gerish sixty- one Pound seven shillings for the abovementioned survey, out of this amount when collected; chose Jonas Minot agent to petition the General Court for a Committee to settle the lines of said township so far as they run on unlocated land, and instruct him to join with other towns ' or other ways' to effect the settlement of the town lines as the case may in his opinion require. At the same meeting the Collector or Treasurer was authorized to give the following credits :- Original right of Benj. Johnson 14 shillings, 6 pence; Benj. Newell, 14 shillings, 6 pence; Phinehas Hodg- don 10 shillings; Farrington 10 shillings; Henry Oliver 14 shillings 6 pence; Samuel Swan 14 shil- lings, 6 pence; Nathan Waite 10 shillings; Aaron Newell 10 shillings; Holton Johnson 14 shillings, 6 pence; Samuel Cate, 14 shillings, 6 pence ;- a sum total of £6-6-0. The proprietors also voted ' to give credit to James Barr, Collector, when he comes and settles with the Treasurer, his coming in due season, for the amount of 2 Pounds, 10 shillings, credited by Col. Gerrish in his account.' also voted ' credit be given to Abraham Safford for 2 pounds, 17 shillings, credited by Col. Gerrish in his acompt, if he comes and settles with the Treasurer or agent soon for the moneys he has col- ected and respecting his tax bill.' "
" First Draft of Lots .- Draft of one lot to each original right drawn May 23, 1776, by Rev. Stephen Peabody for the Proprietors as follows: Jonah Lang, No. 80; William Farrington, No. 64; Samuel Cate, Jr., No. 96; Minister, 104; Benning Wentworth, 11; David Woods, 74; Ephraim Pickering, 62; Jeremiah Clough, Jr., 21; Timothy Nash, 13; Jonathan Dix, 29; John Stevens, 2; Paul Wentworth, 87; Henry Gerrish, Esq , 91; William Simons, 35; Joseph Hart, 56; Peter Green, Esq., 73; Ichabod Weeks, 7; Samuel Cate, 15; Jeremiah Clough, Esq., 43; Samuel Swan, 61; Samuel Swan, Jr., 52; Holton Johnson, 79; John Hurd, Esq , 58; John Holden, 33; Samuel Lang- don, 18; Aaron Sargent, 27; Josiah Harris, 24; Mathew Harrington, 39; James Merrick, 25; Jose Merrick, 81; Jonathan Bailey, 34; William Norton, 22; Edward Marden, 31; Eleazer Richardson, 41; Samuel Nutter, 63; Josiah Harris, 12; Benj. Hurd, 44; Nathan Johnson, 67; Benj. Rand, 75; Joseph Hurd, 32; David White. 60; Joseph White, 94; Samuel Bartlett, 14; Benj. Hurd, 40; Aaron Newhall, 10; John Flagg, Esq., 9; Increase Newhall, 68; John Lewis, 28; James Gibson, 8; Leavitt Clough, 70; Nchemiah Rand, 30; School lot, 101; Isaac Hurd, 36; Eliphalet Neal, 55; Nathan Waite 23: Samuel Pickering, 76; Thomas Clough, 3; Seth Sweetser, 57; John Hodgdon, 69; Patrick Dougherty, 100; Samuel Harris, 37; Church of England, 78; Phinehas Merrick, 83; Benj. Johnson, 16; Abner Hains, 1; Henry Oliver, 4; Stephen Peabody, 26; John Cockran, Esq., 59; Phinehas Hodgdon, 84; Wm. Frothingham, 82; Stephen Greenleaf, 86; Society, &c., 5; Josiah
459
TOWN OF WHITEFIELD.
Moody, 6; Jonathan Moody, 17; Obed Merrick, 89; Thomas McDonough, 51; Aaron Merrick, 88; Jeremiah Gibson, 90; Samuel Boltwood, 66; Nehemiah Eastabrook, 99; Roger Bartlett, 92: John Marshall, 65; Jeremiah Belknap, 95; Henry Clough, 71; Col. Stephen Gerrish, 97; Moses Randall, 19; James Bradislı, 72; Benj. Sweetser, 102; James Bradish, 53; David Woods, Jr., 103; David Gardner, 77; Wm. Harris, 20; Benj. Newell, 93; Thomas Rand, 98.
"October 29, 1794. The Proprietors at a meeting held at Dunstable, N. H., voted Jonas Minot 2,600 acres of land in the township of Whitefields to be taken in 100 acre lots at his election in such parts of said Township as he shall choose, on condition that he shall cause the same to be settled within two years from this date: or any proportionable part of said quantity, according to the average number of twenty settlers for the whole quantity: which he shall cause to be settled within said term of two years. One of the conditions of the purchase of lots sold for delinquent taxes was the payment, by the purchaser to the proprietors' agent, Jonas Minot, at Concord, N. H., after the time of redemption allowed by law to the original owner had expired, of two shillings and nine pence on each lot of land, exclusive of the cost of the deed, if one be given. The same amount was to be paid on each common right bid off in the same manner.
" September 28, 1802, the proprietors met at the Inn of Nathan Field, in Bath. Samuel Minot was elected clerk; Hezekiah Smith, Maj. John Burns, Col. Joseph Kimball, assessors; Hezekiah Smith, collector: Samuel Minot. Treasurer. The plan of survey made in 1779 bv Henry Gerrish was found defective, as ' he did not sufficiently mark the bounds or outlines of the several lots, and by reason of length of time, and other causes the lines cannot now be traced, therefore the pro- prietors vote to nullify the acceptance of his survey, and accept the survey made in June and Sep- tember, 1802, by Capt. Jeremiah Eames, Jr .; and to divide the lands of the township according to this survey, except the extending the outlines to Lloyd's Hills (Bethlehem), this to be done here- after. This was done September 29, 1802, and at same meeting Maj. John Burns was voted Lots No. 3 in Ranges 3, and 4, if he pays to the proprietors $300, and gets a settler on each of said lots. Ebenezer Brown, Esqr, was chosen to draw two lots for each original right which was done as follows :-
Names of Grantees with Number of Lot and Range .-
LOT. RANGE. LOT. RANGE.
LOT. RANGE, LOT. RANGE.
Josiah Moody
17
23
5
24
Samuel Swan, Jr ..
13
22
17
21
Thomas Clough
13
25
17
24
Eleazer Richardson
9
25
10
23
Leavitt Clough ..
11
19
1
19
William Farrington.
12
19
7
20
Jonathan Moody
9
19
5
2
Holton Johnson
9
22
15
21
Jonathan Bailey
.10
19
1
15
Henry Oliver
.13
24
7
25
Jonah Lang.
2
24
3
24
Matthew Farrington
3
6
1
9
Nathan Johnson
1
5
2
25
John Stevens.
1
16
4 11
Eliphalet Neal.
15
24
15
22
Jonathan Dix
18
25
1
4
William Norton
1
22
16
21
Stephen Greenleaf
1
21
12
20
Samuel Swan
14
24
8
25
Nathan Wait
4
3
8
8
James Merrick
8
21
7
21
Samuel Nutter
2
1
6
23
Phinehas Merrick
5
10
17
22
David Gardner
2
3
6
7
Jose Merrick
4
5
8
9
Timothy Nash
1
2
2
7
Obed Merriek.
5
3
2
4
Samuel Boltwood
9
20
8
20
William Frothingham
15
23
6
24
Benjamin Newell
4
8
1
11
Samuel Cate.
.12
21
11
21
Aaron Newell.
1
24
4
24
Samuel Cate, Jr
13
23
8
24
Ichabod Weeks
6
19
19
25
Phinehas Hodgdon
3
20
14
20
Jere. Clough, Jr., Esqr
1
18
1
17
Samuel Langdon.
8
19
6
3
James Gibson
10
25
16
23
Jeremiah Clough.
11
24
5
25
John Holden
7
19
7
4
Peter Green, Esq.
11
20
16
20
Aaron Sargent, Jr.
12
24
6
25
John Flagg, Esq
10
22
7
22
Benjamin Johnson
12
23
4
23
Aaron Merrick
15
19
14
19
John Lewis.
.18
24
5
6
David Wood
14
23
7
24
Edward Marden
18
23
8
23
David Waite.
4
1
4
2
Henry Clough
3
7
9
10
David Wood, Jr
2
16
2
6
Abner Hains
1
25
9 23
460
HISTORY OF COOS COUNTY.
LOT. RANGE. LOT. RANGE.
LOT. RANGE. LOT. RANGE.
Moses Randall.
13
19
5
19
James Braddish, Jr
2
17
7
5
Jeremiah Gibson.
4
10
1
23
Seth Sweetser.
11
23
3
23
Henry Gerrish, Esq
13
6
Benjamin Sweetser
9
21
3
21
William Simon.
8
22
14
21
William Harris.
5
8
1
1
Capt. Stephen Gerrish
20
13
20
Josiah Harris, Jr.
4
9
5
23
Sammel Pickering.
1
21
2
21
Nehemiah Easterbrook
6
22
5
22
Joseph White.
1
14
6
6
Benjamin Rand.
10
20
15
20
Increase Newell
14
25
2
25
Roger Bartlett.
11
25
9
24
Joseph Hart.
2
1]
8
7
Samuel Bartlett
1
13
7
6
John Hurd, Esq.
6
20
5
20
John Cockran, Esq.
3
22
2
22
John Hodgdon.
4
7
10
10
Benning Wentworth
17
25
16
25
Benjamin Hurd ..
3
8
19
24
Thomas McDonough
12
25
16
24
Benjamin Hurd, Jr
2
2
2
8
Paul Wentworth
5
4
6
4
Joseph Hurd.
.16
22
14
22
Rev. Jerome Belknap
1
6
1
10
Isaac Hurd.
2
19
2
18
John Marshall
3
2
6
8
Josiah Harris
5
9
2
23
Rev. Stephen Peabody
4
20
1
20
Samuel Harris
3
11
7
7
Ephraim Pickering.
3
5
9
9
Nehemiah Rand
2
12
7
23
Glebe for Church of England 4
19
3
19
Thomas Rand.
10
21
13
21
Prop. Gospel in Foreign parts 4
1
10
9
Patrick Dougherty
6
21
5
21
School right.
10
24
4
25
James Braddish
12
22
11
22
Minister right
15
25
3
25
From the time of this draft of lots until 1809 the proprietors held occa- sional meetings at Bath, Franconia and Lancaster, to take action to cor- rect mistakes, make up deficiencies in certain lots, substitutions, etc., etc. The last meeting was held at Lancaster, July 11, 1809, when the common land was appropriated for the second division of all the rights not pre- viously satisfactorily arranged.
CHAPTER XLIV.
" What's in a Name"- Rev. George Whitefield - Whitefield - Petition for Incorporation, Etc .- First Town Meeting and Officers, 1805 - Major John Burns - Capt. David Burns, Etc .- Col. Joseph Kimball - John McMaster - First Innkeeper, Asa King - Col. Joseph Colby - First Merchant, William Dodge- First Inventory - Early Roads.
W HAT'S in a Name .- Error as to the spelling of the name of the town came in early, and this has given rise to doubts expressed by some as to its origin, or as there is a reason for every estab- lished fact, its why and wherefore. It is true that in the original grant, as copied. the name has a plural ending and also many times thus appears in some of the earlier records, but it was clearly on account of early clerical lapsus pennae, or lack of knowledge of the true intention or application of the name. To call it Whitefields in 1774 would have been a misnomer, as
461
TOWN OF WHITEFIELD.
there was no place for a field of white throughout the dark, boughy wil- derness within its borders.
No intervals existed, suggestive of what might become White-fields; black forests everywhere prevailed, save upon its highlands, which were thickly covered with maple, beech and birch.
The writer has in his possession several musty documents relative to early affairs in the town, of dates from 1778 to 1802, and, in most cases, Whitefield is used without the plural ending. One of these is a deed from one Stephen Cogan conveying the "right of land in township of White- field so-called, being the same I purchased of Timothy Nash." This Nash was an original grantee, and the only one, we believe, who lived in the vicinity. He settled, about 1764, upon the Connecticut (we think), in the present town of Lunenburg, and doubtless knew that the land he was granted, and which he reconveyed, lay in Whitefield without an "s."
There are but three towns, we believe, in all New Hampshire whose titles were not suggested by the parties interested, either from the names of older places, or in memory of individuals or families. Nor is Whitefield the only one that has suffered from misspelling or misinterpretation. Bretton Woods, now Carroll, was originally granted to Sir Thomas Went- worth, Bart. (and others), whose country seat was " Bretton Hall " at Bret- ton, England. The grant was "Britton Woods," an evident error.
When in 1804 the pioneers of Whitefields petitioned the General Court to be incorporated as a town. with intent to settle any complications that might arise from the dual orthography, and to inform the rest of the world that Whitefield was the desired and proper title, they asked to have the insinuating "s" forever dropped, which was accorded December 1, 1504. It has always been the supposition, and the writer has no doubt that it was the intention of the grantor, either in accordance with his own idea, or by the expressed wish of some of those upon whom this grant was be- stowed, that the name thereof was to commemorate that of the Rev. George Whitefield, the light of whose life had but recently been extinguished, and whose name was then, at the date of the grant, a household word in the vicinity where the grantees resided. It is a fact that he was a welcome guest at the Wentworth mansion, and that the governor held the itinerat- ing ecclesiastic in high esteem, although he was proselyting followers from the established church. The last week of his life was passed in New Hamp- shire, during which time he preached four of his unique sermons, all de- livered in the open air, for there was no church large enough to hold the crowds who came to see and hear him. His last discourse was at Exeter, the day before his death, where, in God's free, vast temple, he preached for two long hours to a crowd of interested listeners. At Newburyport, on the following day, was his next appointment; but, during the night, he
462
HISTORY OF COOS COUNTY.
was seized with an asthmatic paroxysm of which he died suddenly in his fifty-sixth year.
Mr. Whitefield was born at Gloucester, England, took the degree of A. B. from Pembroke college, and was ordained in 1736 by the Bishop of Gloucester, and, in 1740, was admitted to priestly orders. He made seven different voyages between England and America, always in the cause of religion and humanity. It was said of him that " no clergyman ever pos- sessed the powers of oratory in a higher degree or led a more useful or vir- tuous life." Upon the day of his death, September 30, 1770, all the bells of Portsmouth tolled from eleven o'clock till sunset.
The house where Whitefield died is still standing, upon School street in Newburyport, and is pointed out to visitors as one of the objects of interest in that historic old town. The church, beneath whose sanctuary lie the ashes of this founder of the Calvinistic order of Methodists, is hard by, and a cenotaph, placed above the dead by an eminent friend of the preacher, tells the story of his life, labors and virtues.
"Whitefield .- Petition for Incorporation, 1804 .- To the Honorable the General Court of the State of New Hampshire
"Humbly Sheweth your Petitioners inhabitants of the Township of Whitefields in the County of Grafton in the State of New Hampshire that many difficulties they labour under would be removed were they vested with priviledges of incorporated Towns-therefore they pray the Tract of Land Situate in said County of Grafton Now Called Whitefields Bounded as follows -- Beginning at a Beach Tree on the Southeast Corner of Lancaster being in Northeasterly Line of Apthorp and running South twenty six degrees East one mile and one hundred Eighty rods to the Northeasterly Corner of Apthorp thence on the Easterly line of Apthorp South fifty-six degrees West four miles one hundred and twenty rods to the North west Corner of Lloyd Hills thence on the Northerly line of Lloyd Hills South fifty eight degrees East five miles ten rods to the West Line of Britton Woods thence on the West Line of Britton Woods North two miles one hundred sixty six rods to the North West Corner of said Britton Woods then on the North Line of Britton Woods East three miles and one half to the Westerly Line of Dartmouth then on said Westerly line of Dartmouth North five miles two hundred and sixty rods to the Easterly line of Lancaster then on said Easterly Line of Lancaster South sixty nine degrees west five miles fifty rods or to the first mentioned Bound may be incorporated by the name of Whitefield -- and as in Duty Bound Shall ever pray
"Whitefields May 25th 1804.
"John Burne John Mcmaster amasa Dutten
Aaron Bailey Jur David Burns Joseph Kimball
Jesse Kelsa William Burne Simon Sanborn
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