History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Part 110

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1168

USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire > Part 110

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The water-power in this town is very limited, and no extensive manufacturing interests have ever been located within its borders ; consequently the inhabit- ants of Hudson have always been, and are still, principally engaged in the pursuit of agriculture. It is essentially an agricultural town, and while, perhaps, it would not be classed among the best in the county, it is as good or better than the average.

The city of Nashua furnishes a very convenient market for much of the surplus products of the town, while Lowell, Mass., with a population of more than sixty thousand, is but about five miles distant from its southern boundary.

The grant of the old township of Dunstable by the General Court of Massachusetts, October 16 (Ok Style), 1773, included all of Hudson.

Londonderry was settled by Presbyterians of Scotch origin, from Ireland, in April, 1719. A tract of land not to exceed ten miles square was conveyed to them by a deed dated October 20, 1719, from John Wheelwright, grandson of the original claimant of the same name under the famous "Wheelwright Deed." The General Court of New Hampshire incor- porated the town of Londonderry, July 21, 1722. The boundaries of the town, as described in this charter, brought the southwest angle of Londonderry within less than two miles of Merrimack River, at a point about northeast from Taylor's Falls bridge, and from there the line ran due north by the needle eleven and one-half miles.

This covered nearly ten thousand acres within the lines of Dunstable as granted by Massachusetts forty- nine years before, and about four thousand six hun- dred acres of this land are within the present limits of Hudson.

Some controversy followed between the proprietors of Dunstable and Londonderry in relation to the ownership of the land included in both towns, and long known as " Londonderry Claim."

This controversy did not reach a final settlement until the province line between Massachusetts and New Hampshire was finally established, in 1741, when-as these lands all fell within the limits of New Hampshire-the original boundaries of Lon- donderry were recognized and sustained by the Gen- eral Court of that province.

The first and only grant of land within the present limits of this town, made prior to the incorporation of Dunstable-so far as I have been able to learn -- was five hundred acres laid out to Joseph Hills, of Malden, and surveyed by Jonathan Danforth in 1661.

This survey was not acceptable to the court by rea- son of its being " in three places, and so much length on the river."

This grant was made, as stated by Mr. Hills, in his request for a second survey, " on a double considera- tion, for £33 68. 8d., laid down in England, and for services to the country."

A second survey was ordered by the General Court, and a return made, of which the following is a copy :

" According to the order of the General Court, the 14th Day of the 4th month, 1662, There is added nnto the farm of Mr. Joseph Hill, of Mal- den, One hundred Acres of land joining to the former Parcel, Back- ward from the River ; thence the Buttings and Boundings of his farm are as follows :

" Layed out to Mr. Joseph Hills, of Malden, 500 acres of Land in the Wilderness, On the Easterd Side of Merrimack River.

"One Parsel of the Same, containing 450 Acres, Joineth to Said River'; Beginning at Wattiannack Right Over Against the Island which Lyeth at the mouth of Nashuay River, Running up Merrimack 450 Poles by the River ; thence Running half a point Northard of The East 148 Poles, cut- ting Across a Small Brook which Bounds it on the North, near Merri- mack; thence Running South and by East 406 Poles unto a Pine Tree marked II ; from thence the closing Line to Merrimack is 106 poles, all of which is Sufficiently Bounded by Marked Trees, the form of which Does Better Appear by a Plat Taken of the Same.

" Also one Other Parcel of the same, about 50 Acres of Meadow, Lyeth South East of the former Parcel, about 2 Miles Distant from it, Lying under the North East end of a great hill called Discovery hill. Also Bounded by other great hills on the North West and North East ; A Brook Running through the Same.

" Also there is Another Meadow added unto this Parcel.

" This was Laid Out By

"JONATHAN DANFORTH. "Surveyor."

The first tract of this land, containing four hundred and fifty acres, commenced on the river about sixty rods above Taylor's Falls bridge, and extended up the river to the little brook on the farm now owned by Tyler Thomas, and included the best intervale lands in town.

The second tract, of fifty acres, was in the large meadow known as "Hills' Meadow," and the last tract was on the brook east of Otternick Pond.

This Joseph Hills was from Malden, Essex County, England ; was in Charlestown, Mass., in 1638; removed to Malden, where he was freeman in 1645 ; was Rep- resentative for Malden 1647, 1650-56, and Speaker of the House in the earliest year.

He was a lawyer, leader of the militia of the town and a man of much note; his descendants in this town at the present time, under different names, may be numbered by hundreds.

459

HUDSON.

He was married four times, and died in Newbury February 5, 1688, in the eighty-sixth year of his age.

In his very lengthy and explicit will, dated Sep- tember, 1687, he disposed of his "farm " in Dunstable in the following manner :

To his daughter Hannah, the wife of Abial Long, he gave ninety acres of upland at the south end and ten acres of meadow.

To his son Wait he gave forty-five acres of upland, next to that he gave to Hannah, and five acres of meadow, with the little island at the mouth of the Nashua River, and his six-acre piece of meadow.

To his grandchildren, Hannah and Elizabeth Blanchard, he gave forty-five acres of upland and five acres of meadow ground, next to that he gave to Wait.

To his son Gershom he gave a like quantity of upland and meadow, next to said Blanchard's.

To Hannah Vinton and Samuel Greene, his grand- children, he gave each forty-five acres of upland and five acres of meadow, next to that he gave his son Gershom.

To his granddaughter, Elizabeth, daughter of Ger- shom, he gave forty-six acres of upland and five acres of meadow, next to that given to Vinton and Greene.

All the remainder of his farm in Dunstable, both upland and meadow, he gave to his son Samuel.

This Samuel Hills, son of Joseph by his second wife, and father of the first settlers of this town, was born in Malden July, 1652; married, May 20, 1679, Abigail, daughter of David Wheeler, and had chil- dren in Newbury,-Samuel, born February 16, 1680; Joseph, July 21, 1681 ; Nathaniel, February 9, 1683; Benjamin, October 16, 1684; Abigail, September 2, 1686, died young; Henry, April 23, 1688 ; William, October 8, 1689; Josiah, July 27, 1691; John, September 20, 1693; Abigail, June 27, 1695; James and Hannah, twins, February 25, 1697 ; and Daniel, December 8, 1700.

Three of these sons, according to tradition, were the first settlers in what is now Hudson, but from the records two only can be traced,-Nathaniel and Henry. They built a garrison and settled on the north part of the "Joseph Hills' farm," willed to their father, Samuel. This was known as the "Nathaniel Hills' Garrison," and for nearly twenty years it was the extreme northerly outpost, it being an unbroken wilderness between here and the Canada settlements. The exact date of this settlement is not certain, but the best evidence now to be obtained places it in 1710, which cannot be very far from correct.

The garrison stood about twenty-five rods east of the Litchfield road, on the farm now owned by Clifton M. Hills, one of the descendants, about twenty rods east of the house, where a depression in the ground records the location of the first settlement in Hudson.

The original farm, as willed to Samuel Hills, con- I her age. 30

tained about eighty-nine acres, and included the north part of the Pierce farm, the C. M. Hills farm and the south part of the Tyler Thomas farm, to near the mouth of the little brook at the river.

Nathaniel Hills also bought of Jonathan Tyng nine hundred acres of land between the north end of the Joseph Hills farm and the Brenton farm, on the north, which extended east from the river more than two miles.

This included "Hills' Row," and this last tract was all in Litchfield-as incorporated in 1734, unless, as seems probable, the east end extended into Lon- donderry-until Nottingham West was incorporated by the General Court of New Hampshire, July 5, 1746. These lands have always been known as "Hills' Farms."

Captain John Lovewell and his party spent the first night at "Hills' Garrison " when on their march to Peqnawket.

Nathaniel was the only one of the brothers mar- ried for several years after they settled in the garri- son, and his wife, Sarah, was the only white female resident.

Traditions have been handed down showing the heroism and bravery of this woman, and that once, at least, in the absence of all the men, the garrison was saved from falling into the hands of a party of hostile Indians by her fearless courage and stratagem.

She lived to a great age, and died in 1786, aged one hundred and two years.

Nathaniel Hills died April 12, 1748, aged sixty-five. Henry Hills died August 20, 1757, aged sixty-nine.

Another brother, James Hills, removed from New- bury to this town in 1737, and from these three brothers-all of whom left children-the numerous family of Hills of this town have descended.

Two other garrisons were built at or before the time of Lovewell's war,-Joseph Blodgett's and John Taylor's.

The Blodgett garrison was located about two and one-half miles below the mouth of the Nashua River, some distance west of the present River road, on the farm now owned by Philip J. Connell, which is a part of the original Blodgett farm.

We have it from tradition that the first white male child born in town, was a son of Joseph Blodgett.

Joseph Blodgett was one of the first settlers, if not the first, after the IIills.

We find recorded upon the old Dunstable records the following births : Joseph Blodgett, born February 9, 1719; Ebenezer, January 3, 1721 ; Rebecca, Feb- ruary 3, 1728 ; Jonathan, December 5, 1730. And on the Nottingham records: James Blodgett, born Feb- ruary 17, 1734,-all children of Joseph and Dorothy Blodgett.

Joseph Blodgett died December 3, 1761, in the seventy-fourth year of his age, and his widow, Doro- thy, died March 6, 1778, in the eighty-fourth year of

460

HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

The descendants of Joseph Blodgett are numerous in this town.

The John Taylor garrison was on that part of the Joseph Hills farm willed to Gershom Hills, now owned by Charles W. Spalding, and was located between the present Litchfield and Derry roads.

The exact spot where it stood is still known, and pieces of timber which entered into its construction are preserved by Mr. Spalding.

But little is known of this John Taylor, and none of his descendants are supposed to be residents of this town at the present time.

His name does not appear upon the town records later than 1742.

It is recorded in the Dunstable records that Eliza- beth Taylor, daughter of John and Sarah Taylor, was born December 10, 1710, and that they had a son born January 16, 1726.

It has been thought that the falls in the Merrimack, about eighty rods below Taylor's Falls bridge,-now covered by the flowage from the dam at Lowell,- derived the name from this John Taylor.

Another, the Fletcher garrison, was located in what was the town of Nottingham, a short distance south of the State line, now Tyngsborough, Mass.

CHAPTER IL.

HUDSON-( Continued).

The Charter of Nottingham-First Town-Meeting and Town Officers- Short Biographical Sketches-The First Meeting-House, Hills Farms Meeting-House-Incorporation of Litchfield-Boundaries-Settlement of Rev. Nathaniel Merrill.

Ix 1731 the inhabitants residing on the east side of the Merrimack petitioned the town of Dunstable to be set off from that town as a separate township, and by a vote of the town of Dunstable, March 2, 1732, the petition was granted, to take effect "when the Gene- ral Court shall judge them capable."

Leave was obtained from the Assembly of Massa- chusetts, and the new township was incorporated Jan- uary 4, 1733, under the name of Nottingham.

The township of Nottingham, by the terms of this charter, included " all the lands on the easterly side of the river Merrimack belonging to the town of Dun- stable," and extended from Dracut line, up the Mer- rimack, about seventeen miles, and included Litch- field, about one-third of Pelham, nearly all that part of Tyngsborough on the east side of the Merri- mack and all the present town of Hudson, excepting that which was included in the "Londonderry Claim," already mentioned.

The charter required "that the inhabitants of said town of Nottingham are hereby enjoined and required, within the space of three years from the publication of this act, to procure a learned orthodox minister, of good conversation, and make provision for his com- fortable and honourable support."

If, by the conditions of the charter, it was under- stood that the town was enjoined to settle a minister within three years, those conditions were not strictly complied with.

But Rev. Sampson Stoddard was employed to preach soon after the charter was granted, for which services he was paid, March 18, 1734, £35 10s. 5d., and he received nearly as much more during the same year.

An order from the General Court of Massachusetts, dated April 4, 1733, directed to " Mr. Robert Fletcher, one of the principal inhabitants of Nottingham," au- thorized him to "assemble and convene the Inhabit- ants of said Town, to choose Town officers to stand until the annual meeting in March next." A war- rant was accordingly issued by Mr. Fletcher, and the first town-meeting was called to meet at the house of Ensign John Snow on the 1st day of May, 1733, at ten o'clock, A. M.

The following is a full list of officers elected at this meeting :

Captain Robert Fletcher, moderator ; Henry Baldwin, town clerk ; Henry Baldwin, Captain Robert Fletcher, John Taylor, Joseph Snow, John Butler, selectmen ; Joseph Hamblet, constable ; Nathaniel Hills, tithingman ; Joseph Perham, Joseph Winn, Eleazer Cummings, survey- ors ; Thomas Colburn, Jonathan Perham, field-drivers ; Phineas Spald- ing, Jolın Hamblet, hog-reeves.

The first tax-list, for 1733, was composed of the following names :

Captain Robert Fletcher, Ezekiel Fletcher, Daniel Fletcher, Joseph Perham, Jonathan Perliam, Jeremiah Colburn, Zaccheus Spalding, Deacon Joseph Perham, James Perham, Captain Joseph Butter- field, Hugh Richardson, Samuel Gould, Ensign John Snow, Phineas Spalding, Zaccheus Lovewell, Thomas Pollard, Eleazer Cummings, William Cummings, Eleazer Cummings, Jr., Ebenezer Spalding, Nathaniel Hills, Ephraim Cummings, Joseph Snow, Thomas Col- burn, Joseph Blodgett, Nathan Cross, John Taylor, Jabez Davis, Henry Hills, Edward Spalding, Benjamin Adams, Aquilla Underwood, Samuel, Moores, Thomas Wartels, Captain Robert Richardson, Ebenezer Wright, Edward Lingfield, John -, John Butler, John Butler, Jr., Samuel Butler, Joseph Hanıblet, Jr., Josiah Winn, Henry Baldwin, Thomas Cummings, Joseph Wright, James Walker, Joseph Hamblet, Joseph Winn, John Hamblet, Jonas Proctor, Benjamin Hassel, William Harwood, Samuel Murdough, Robert Walker.

This list contains fifty-five names, of which the first twelve all lived in that part of the town which is now in Tyngsborough, eight, beginning with Benjamin Adams, in what is now Litchfield, and the seventeen last, commencing with the name of John Butler, were all, or nearly all, residents in what is now Pelham.

Thus it seems that the tax-payers then residents within the present limits of Hudson numbered only about eighteen.

Joseph Winn soon after settled near the river.

Space will not admit of giving any lengthy account of these early pioneer settlers; yet, as their descendants comprise a very large percentage of the present population of Hudson, a brief sketch may prove of interest to many of the inhabitants of the town.

Thomas Colburn was son of Thomas and Mary Colburn, of Dunstable, born April 28, 1702.

Samuel Sewell, of Boston, conveyed to him, April

461

HUDSON.

21, 1726, three pieces of land on the east side of Mer- rimack River, containing in all seven hundred aeres.

The first tract described contained about two hun- dred acres, bounding on the river, about three miles below the bridge; it was the one on which he settled, and a large part of it is yet owned by his descendants.

"Capt. Thomas Colburn died Aug. 30, 1765, in the 64th year of his age.

"Thomas Colburn, Jr., son of Capt. Thomas Colburn and Mary, his wife, died Ang. 30, 1765, in his 4th year.

" Both killed by lightning."

Children of Thomas and Mary Colburn,-Thomas, born November 12, 1761; Isaac, January 25, 1763; Zaccheus, February 16, 1765.

Thomas Pollard also settled upon a farm bordering on the river, about one-half mile above the Colburn place.

He was son of Thomas and Sarah Pollard, of Bil- lerica, who had ten sons and five daughters.

Children of Thomas and Mary Pollard, - John, born September 20, 1727; Ebenezer, December 4, 1728, was at the battle of Bennington ; Thomas, Sep- tember 17, 1732, died September 7, 1756; Dorcas, January 12, 1735, died young ; Amos, March 2, 1737; Rachel, March 26, 1739; Mary, June 10, 1741, died young ; Samuel, July 10, 1743; Timothy, August 24, 1745, a soldier in the Revolution.

Thomas Pollard died July 23, 1769.

Joseph and John Snow lived at the south part of the town, and, as is supposed, about two miles from the river.

Joseph Snow was chosen constable for the east side of the river March 2, 1724. (Dunstable records).

John Snow was the first town treasurer, and died March 21, 1735.

Joseph Winn was from Woburn, and a descendant of Edward Winn, an early settler of that town.

He bought land on the river upon which he settled between the farm of Thomas Colburn and that of Thomas Pollard.

A part of the original farm is now owned by Paul T. Winn, one of his descendants.

He had several children, and died August 25, 1781, in the eighty-fourth year of his age.

His wife, Elizabeth, died September 17, 1778, aged seventy-three years. His descendants are numerous.

Nathan Cross and Thomas Blanchard were taken prisoners by a party of Mohawk Indians when em- ployed in getting turpentine north of the Nashua River, and about three-fourths of a mile west of the Merrimack, September 4, 1724.

They were taken to Canada, where they remained in captivity several months, when they effected their release and returned home through the wilderness in the spring of 1725.

After his return Cross found his musket in a hollow log, where he had placed it with his dinner on the day of his capture.

This musket has been preserved by the family, and

not long since was presented by one of the descend- ants to the Nashua Historical Society.

Mr. Cross had but a short time before come to this country.

April 22, 1724, Joseph Butterfield conveyed to him forty-five acres of land on the east side of Merrimack River, two pieces of meadow and the little island at the mouth of Nashua River, it being the same land willed by Joseph Hills to his son Wait.

Soon after his return from Canada he built a house and settled upon this farm.

The children of Nathan and Sarah Cross, as found recorded, were Peter, born September 28, 1729; Sarah, June 26, 1731; and John, son of Nathan and Mary Cross, born October 9, 1735. He died Septem- ber 8, 1766.

This family became numerous in this and the ad- joining towns.

The names of Eleazer Cummings, Eleazer, Jr., William, Ephraim and Thomas appear in the list.

They were all descendants of John Cummings, Sr., of Dunstable, who was son of Isaac Cummings, an early settler from Scotland, in Topsfield, Mass.

John Cummings was one of the proprietors of Dun- stable, was elected one of the selectmen April 7, 1680, and was one of the founders of the church in the same year. He was one of the selectmen and town clerk for many years.

He married Sarah Howlet, and had children,- John, Nathaniel, Sarah, Thomas (born 1659), Abra- ham, Isaac and Ebenezer.

William Cummings was son of John Cummings, Jr., born April 24, 1702; married Sarah, daughter of Wil- liam Harwood.

He settled on that part of the Joseph Hills farm willed to Hannah and Elizabeth Blanchard, next north of the Cross farm.

His children were Sarah, born November 10, 1728; Ebenezer, January 29, 1730; John Harwood, April 24, 1733 ; and Dorcas, December 18, 1737.

He was a deacon of the church, and died September 9, 1758.

Ephraim and Thomas Cummings were brothers, and sons of Thomas Cummings.

Thomas did not long remain in town.

Ephraim Cummings was born March 10, 1706, and married Elizabeth Butler.

He lived on the Pelham road, on the south side of "Bush Hill."

His children,-Peter, born December 8, 1733; Sarah, March 12, 1736; David, May 20, 1738; Elizabeth, October 26, 1740 ; Ephraim, April 9, 1743 ; Hannah, April 29, 1745 ; and Priscilla, July 7, 1747.

Eleazer Cummings, Jr., as he is recorded, was the son of Abraham Cummings, born in Woburn April 9, 1704; married Rachel Proctor.

He lived on the south part of the ninety aeres of the Joseph Hills farm, willed to Hannah Vinton and Samuel Green.

462

HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

The house in which he lived was at the foot of the hill, east of the causeway, on the farm now owned by Josiah K. Wheeler.

He had two children,-Eleazer, born December 15, 1730, and Abraham, June 1, 1734.

He died in 1735, and it seems that his wife died before, and that he married a second time, as the name of his widow was Mary.

Eleazer Cummings was a son of Nathaniel and Elizabeth Cummings, born October 19, 1701, and from him all now living in this town by the name of Cum- mings have descended.

By decd dated August 1, 1728, Benjamin Long and Hannah Rogers conveyed to him all that part of the Joseph Hills farm willed to their mother, Hannah Long, containing ninety acres, at the south end, below the Cross farm, and extending to within about sixty rods of Taylor's Falls bridge.

He soon after erected a two-story frame house, in which he lived.

He married, July 28, 1734, Mary Varnum, of Dracut.

About that time he established a ferry across the Merrimack, and opened a tavern.

It was said by his son Eleazer, who died December 1, 1843, that this was the first tavern in town, and the first regular ferry between this town and Dunstable.

His wife died September 17, 1759, aged fifty-three years. He married again, July 12, 1764, Phebe Rich- ardson, of Litchfield. Their children,-Eleazer, born June 16, 1765, and Phebe, July 8, 1768.

He died December 8, 1780, and his wife died De- cember 7, 1788.

The Spaldings were descendants of Edward Spal- ding, of Chelmsford.

Zaccheus, who lived south of the State line, and Phineas were brothers, and nephews of Ebenezer.

Phineas probably lived in the north part of the town.

Ebenezer, who was the ancestor of all the Spal- dings now residents in town, and Edward, his son, lived upon that part of the Joseph Hills farm willed to Elizabeth, daughter of Gershom Hills, containing forty-six acres, and it seems by deeds that he owned another piece north of it, or all of what is known as the "Pierce farm."

He was ason of Edward Spalding, and born in Chelmsford January 13, 1783.

He married Anna - and had children,-Edward, born March 8, 1708; Bridget, December 25, 1709; Experience, March 22, 1711 ; Reuben, March 27, 1715 (died young) ; Stephen, May 28, 1717 ; Sarah, Novem- ber 27, 1719; Esther, February 22, 1722; Mary, May 4, 1724; Reuben, July 26, 1728 ; and Anna, November 30, 1731. The majority of these children were born in Chelmsford.

Zaccheus Lovewell was a brother of Captain John Lovewell, and lived near the river, a little north of the State line, until 1747, when he removed to Dunstable (now Nashua.)

Jabez Davis was a Quaker, and is supposed to have lived on that part of the Joseph Hills farm next north of that owned by Eleazer Cummings, Jr.

Within a few years after the town was incorporated other families settled liere by the names of Greeley and Marsh, from Haverhill; Merrill, from Newbury ; Wason, Caldwell, Chase, Hale, Hardy, Burbank, Burns, Hamblet, Page, Frost, Barrett, Kenney, Rob- inson, Searles, Burroughs, Carkin, Nevens, Houston and others, many of whose descendants are now resi- dents.

Very soon after the town was organized, as was common with other new towns, the question of build- ing a meeting-house engrossed the minds of the in- habitants ; but a serious difference of opinion existed in respect to a location. September 11, 1733, the town instructed the selectmen " to measure from the lower end of the town, so up the river as far as Natticook line, and so arround the town ; and also to find the centre of the land."

November 5th, "Voted, that the meeting-house shall stand the east side of Littlehale's meadow, at a heap of stones at the root of a pine tree."

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History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Part 110

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis Number of Pages: 1168

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1168