History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Part 121

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 121

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).

In 1692 he went to England to complete his educa- tion as a lawyer, and became student at the Middle Temple, where he remained until he was admitted as a barrister. Receiving from the Lords of Admiralty a commission as advocate-general of the Court of Admiralty for the provinces of Massachusetts, Con- necticut and Rhode Island, he returned to Boston in 1697.

He removed to Salem in 1699, where he resided the remainder of his life. About this time he married the daughter of William Brown, of Salem, one of the wealthiest and most influential men in the province. Brown had been a judge of the Court of Common Pleas and a member of the Council. His son

505

LYNDEBOROUGH.

Samuel was afterwards chief justice of the same court, and William Brown, judge of the Superior Court at the time of the Revolution, was his grand- son.

In 1703, Judge Lynde entered public life, and ever afterwards continued to take a leading part in public affairs. He represented the town of Salem several years in the General Court, after which he was elected to the Council, of which body he was a leading mem- ber for nearly a quarter of a century. He was ap- pointed to the bench of the Superior Court of Massa- chusetts in July, 1712, when Judge Sewall, who tried the witches, alluding to his appointment, remarked, " That he hoped they would hereafter have the bene- fit of Inns of Court education superadded to that of Harvard College."

There had been twelve judges appointed to this court previous to Judge Lynde, not one of whom had either studied or practiced law. He was, therefore, the first lawyer elevated to the bench in Massa- chusetts, and probably in New England.

In 1729, Chief Justice Sewall resigned, and Judge Lynde was appointed his successor, and filled the office until the time of his death, which occurred January 28, 1745. The Boston Evening Post, noticing his death, briefly closes the record of his life as fol- lows :

"Inflexible justice, unshattered integrity, affability and humanity were ever conspicuous with him. He was a sincere friend, most affec- tionate to his relations, and the delight of all who were honored with his friendship and acquaintance."

Lyndeborough : Its Past and Present-Dr. Her- rick's Poem .- In the Canada expedition of 1690 were a large number of Massachusetts men, mostly from Salem, that State. To fifty-nine of these Salem men and Captain Samuel King, Massachusetts, for their services, granted a tract of land, which they called "Salem-Canada," the first name being in honor of the town from whence they came, the second in re- membrance of the expedition in which they joined.

The grant of Salem-Canada was six miles square. Had it been kept without mutilation, it would have been one of the best townships in the county for farm- ing purposes. Its south line came as far south as the meeting-house in East Wilton, and thence west, by the needle, until it struck "province land," or, as it was afterwards called, "Peterborough Slip," southeast of the County Farm. It appears from the record- book of the Salem-Canada proprietors that, about the year 1750, Joseph Blanchard, Esq., of Salem, Mass., was appointed agent for the heirs claimants of Tufton Mason. It also appears that there was a mis- understanding between him and the Salem-Canada proprietors, which was brought to a settlement in the following manner : The Masonian claimants of No. 2, (now Wilton) were to take a strip from Salem-Canada four hundred and ninety-eight rods wide and five miles long, and the said Salem-Canada was to receive of " province lands," on the north, equivalent to make

up twenty-eight thousand acres, which was the orig- inal Salem-Canada grant.

"The effect of this," writes Dr. Herrick, in 1858, " was a lingering curse for Lyndeborough." It car- ried the centre almost two miles farther north than it was located, near what is now South Lyndeborongh. It shoved the north line the same distance farther north, which brought the mountain almost in the centre and opened the way for a series of depredations on our territory from that day to this."

Eighteen years after the grant, Benjamin Lynde, Esq., purchased the grant and considerable of the ad- joining territory, and gave it the name Lyndeborough, which it has carried just one hundred and twenty-five years.

The first settlers in what is now Lyndeborough were Cram, Putnam and Chamberlain, descendants of whom now reside in town. But the first settler in Salem- Canada (now Wilton) was John Badger. He pitched his camp in the spring of 1738, and died the next winter. His nearest neighbors were those by the name of Cram. It was to them that the wife of Badger took her lonely way, in the night-time, on snow-shoes, the distance of over two miles, with no guide but marked trees, to get help to bury her hus- band, leaving her little children in bed with the in- junction that they must keep quiet while she was gone, so as not to wake their father. The fact that he was dead she wisely kept from them.

One hundred and twenty-one years ago, on the 23d of April, the town was incorporated. The town is di- vided by mountain and hills from east to west, and has no large streams; the soil is deep and strong, the pas- turage excellent and the farms well adapted to fruit. It is sixty miles from Boston, on the line of the Boston, Lowell and Greenfield Railroad, being first greeted by the regular locomotive's shriek on the morning of January 1, 1874. The advent of the locomotive was heralded by the ringing of bells and cheers of the citizens. Previous to the railroad the south village was connected with Wilton by a daily stage line.

A small Baptist society was organized about 1829; meetings had previously been held in a school-house. The first clergyman of this society was Rev. Joseph Elliott. Seven members constituted the first organi- zation. Deacon David Putnam, Moses Pearsons and Benjamin Holt were the first male members; they were strictly devoted to their cause and creed. Fol- lowing them were Micah Hartshorn, Thomas Kidder, Joseph Chamberlain, Elijah Upton, Albert Hardy, Deacon John Hartshorn and others, all of whom have passed away. The present church building was soon erected and partially finished. Services were held for years with no pews; but, by the energy of the church, from time to time pews were put in. Public donations provided the organ, cupola, etc. By private contribu- tions Lnther Cram provided lumber for the belfry, J. H. Tarbell & Son the church-bell ; the latter par- ties also put up the horse-sheds near the church, do-

506

HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

nating them to the public. The elegant vane was given by E. B. Badger, who is a friend of every good cause.

For only a short period was there but one regular store in south village at one time, though a few minor ar- ticles are now kept for sale at the post-office. The store has been kept by several parties. The first pro- prietors were Holt & Hardy ; second, Hardy & Stephen- son; third, Cram & Daniels; fourth, Burns Wallace; fifth, Peter Smith; sixth, G. P. Fletcher; seventh, J. H. Tarbell; eighth, William W. Young; ninth, J. H. Tarbell & Son; tenth, C. F. Tarbell, the present proprietor. The first store was moved from across the street to the place where the store of C. F. Tarbell now stands; it was then oc- cupied by Holt & Hardy, who built the present store. To make room for it, the original store buildings were moved across the street to where the church now stands ; it was subsequently moved near the four cor- ners; it was afterward moved on to the Forest road and is now occupied by W. N. Cheever, the blacksmith, who has been knight of the anvil in South Lyndebor- ough for seventeen years. He remembers when he had seventy-five yoke of oxen to shoe, but few oxen are now owned in town.

Among the important industries of South Lynde- borough is the glass-works, which employs forty-five men. All kinds of bottles, from the common ounce bottle to the carboy containing fourteen gallons, are made here. The silex from which the glass is made is taken from a ledge about a half-mile distant. The wares manufactured here are sent all over New England and the Canadas.

North Lyndeborough is a small village connected by stage with Milford. It has a post-office. John H. Goodrich, the postmaster, was born in Lyndeborough March 28, 1835; always a farmer, was appointed post- master when the office was established, May 17, 1857, twenty-one years ago, probably the oldest postmaster in office about here. Has been selectman, collector of taxes in town, also is secretary of the Grange, of the Town Insurance Company, of the Town Library, school district and Republican Club. His father was grandson of the Rev. Sewall Goodrich, one of the first ministers of the town.

The first clergyman of the place was Rev. John Rand (Congregational), who was settled in 1757 and was dismissed in 1763. In 1768, Rev. Sewall Good- rich was settled; he died in 1809.

After Rev. Sewall Goodrich, Rev. Nathaniel Merrill officiated until 1835; then Rev. Jacob White; then Rev. William Richardson, one year; then Rev. Ivory Kimball, a few years; then Rev. Erastus B. Claggett, twenty-four years; then Revs. Smith, Jones and Har- low, for a year or so each. Rev. W. L. Clark ac- cepted an engagement, and moved to the Centre, but died, about one week after taking up his residence there, of pneumonia.

There is a post-office at the Centre, kept by P. J.

Boutwell. There are two libraries in town,-the Franklin, having five hundred volumes, and the South Lyndeborough, containing about four hundred volumes.

At present Lyndeborough has no physician, though the memory of Dr. Israel Herrick is still cherished. He was born in Wilton July 9, 1794; was fitted for college in Tamworth, N. H., but never entered; studied medicine with Dr. John Wallace, in Milford, and Dr. Asa Crosby, in Gilmanton, and graduated at Dart- mouth Medical College December, 1820. Commenced the practice of medicine in Lyndeborough February 11, 1821, and remained there until March 20, 1828, when he moved to Milford and practiced there almost two years. From thence he went to Mason village (now Greenville) and stayed two years. From Mason village he went to Deering, and practiced there until the fall of 1834, when he returned to Lyndeborough and practiced until he died, February 18, 1866. Dur- ing the last twenty years of his life he was a faithful adherent to the homeopathic law of cure. He was a conscientious and successful physician, and an upright and honorable man. He always did what he thought was right, regardless of what others might say. The physician now having the leading practice in this place is a native of the town. He is a skillful physi- cian and is deservedly popular. We refer to Dr. W. A. Jones, who was born in Lyndeborough January 19, 1829. He received an academic education in Fran- cestown ; studied medicine with Dr. Israel Herrick ; attended two full courses of medical lectures at the Cleveland Homeopathic College, from which he re- ceived his diploma in February, 1854. He commenced the practice of medicine in Wilton, May 4, 1854; stayed there three years, then he removed to Lyndeborough, where he remained until 1871. He then returned to Wilton.

SCRAPS ABOUT LYNDEBOROUGH, BY DR. HERRICK, IN 1858. " Our town is a regular erescent-like swell, Made up of mountain, and hill, and dell, With here and there a small level spot, Sufficient to build a snug, humble cot, A barn and a shed, with a yard for the kine, A coop for the hens, and a pen for the swine. The surface is stony, and hard, and rough, The tilling of which is toilsome and tough, Discounting to man, and beast, his food ; If only the proper labor is made, With plow and harrow, shovel and spade,

Crowbar, bush-hook, axe and hoe, Laid on smart by a freeman's blow. Our ancient domain was ample and bold, Such as yeomen delight to purchase and hold, And build up a home for themselves and the brood Very soon to come forth, for the great publie good. Thirty-six square miles, with a southeru decline, Well timbered and watered, with prospect sublime, Was the price paid King, with his bold soldier clan, To hunt and shoot down his red fellow-man, And Frenchmen to boot ; 'twas a sov'reign say, And flunkeys, as now, were quite sure to obey. But this goodly grant was soon to be marr'd By godly neighbors ; and hackled and scarred, That they might enlarge their seanty dominions, And gratify will, as well as opinions.

507

LYNDEBOROUGH.

First, Wilton came in for a two-mile slice To make up a town, so snug and so nice, With Mansonian lands, which they had on hand, And then take a notable public stand. Next Temple presented a Blood-y 1 request, And after contention, 'twas thought to be best To let them take off a three-cornered bite, And keep it, rather than quarrel and fight. Next Greenfield requested a rather large strip, To make up a town with their barren old ship, And rather than see them look meagre and sullen, And get their subsistence from sorrel and mullein, We granted their prayer, as is plain to be seen, And let them have lands that looked healthy and green. Frances-town next crav'd a very small bit, To make her phylacteries come snug to a fit, And give her proportion, as plump and as fair As the maiden 2 whose name they so cheerfully bear. Mont Vernon came last, with a ilunkerish leer, Which spoke rather plain it was troubled with fear, Lest wrong should get worsted, in that little town, And right get on top and hold Hunkerdom down. So they yok'd up their team, with two yearlings of ours, And worked for small wages, with dreadful late hours ; llad conference meetings, were anxions in mind, And put up a prayer, peradventure to find If General Court, then Hunkerdom's god, Would just condescend to put forth a nod Of gracious consent ; poor souls ! not to know That favours like this would readily flow From such a high source; pshaw ! it never said nay To the meanest short prayer, when the Devil's to pay. Their ends were all answer'd ; they got some choice plats, Where Hunkers are bred as natural as rats ; And yet they may find, in times of herearter, Instead of a prize, they only caught a Tartar. Thus we have been pinched and hackled all raw, Which leaves us in shape of a circular saw With a piece broken off ; and yet we are here, And keep on our course in hope, without fear. With this slight digression, we'll pick up our traps, And hasten along with the rest of our scraps. Our streams of water are nothing but rills, Greatly deficient for driving of mills, Except when swollen by showers or thaws, And then you may hear the clatter of saws Cutting up himber, yea, fingers and paws ; Yet, not a spoonful of meal's to be had, Though hens, ducks and turkeys, yea women, run mad, And cackle, and scold, quack, gobble and squall, For grain can't be ground, the streams are so small. Churches we've two, and preachers the same, Where sinner and saint, the blind, halt and lame, May go and get good to their souls, if they will, And learn to avoid the eternal down hill ; Where old ' Nickey Ben,' that famous old rip, Stands ready to give them a crack with his whip. One Doctor ! good luck ! now I'm free to engage, Were there none, few would die, except of old age. No Lawyer 3 save one e'er yet had the pride To think he safely our yeomen could ride ;

1 The late General Blood, with his well-known shrewdness, got up a petition, put it through the Legislature, and procured the grant.

2 Societies' Land was originally a large grant of land, from which Francestown, Deering and Bennington were made up. It is said that among the proprietors of Societies' Land there was one by the name of Deering, and that he had a beautiful daughter by the name of Frances ; and in compliment to her the two towns were named. It is not known to the writer that this circumstance was ever on record. It was related to him many years ago by the late Russell Tubbs, Esq., of Deering.

3 About forty-five years ago Esq. E-y opened an office in this place ; had no business and went to making wooden measures. He was good at that ; for in the granaries of many of our careful farmers you may find sets of measures made by this wise lawyer.

And he was thrown off with his ill-gotten treasures To earn his own broth by making peck measures. A full Baker's dozen of Squires have we,

Who serve for the honor, instead of the fee ; But Justice ! bah ! their number's so small, "Tis safer to say we have just none at all. School-houses we've nine, tho' one at a peep Would surely be taken as shades for the sheep, Instead of a place where the tender young mind Should learn to shoot forth, 'as the twig is inclin'd.' Yet, some are now getting the better of self, Believing that mind is quite equal to pelf ; And give, by refitting, those shades such an air, As makes the whole district with wonder to stare, And two-penny souls half determined to swear. We've a pond of small size, surrounded with bogs, Well stored with Leeches, Pickerel and Frogs, Bull-paddocks, Water-snakes, Shiners and Pouts, Suckers and Pollywogs, Turtles and Trouts, Enough in all conscience to get up a treat, For half of the bipeds that come short of meat. We've a Town Hall, too, of modern eut, Where Orators, Poets and Sporters can strut ; Where Lyceums meet, great questions to settle, And brave Politicians to show off their metal ; And Singers to sing, and laugh and prattle, And boys to run, and scream, and rattle, As if the imps in the old black pit, Were all seized at once with colic of fit. Half a century gone by, or nearly that space, California fever broke out in this place ; By some cantrip slight, the fact had been told, That Scattaquog's 4 bowels were filled with gold. So at it they went, to digging and blowing, To carting and wheeling, shov'ling and hoeing. From Winter to Spring, through Summer and Fall, And all that they got was just nothing at all. So many who now are raving for riches, From Mexican hills, will return poor as witches. And wish they had staid on their own native soil, To gather their gold by slow, patient toil. The red man free once ranged our hills To shoot down the deer, or fish in our rills ; Little dreaming that he and his blood must give place, With his land and his hut, to a white, selfish race, And turn their sad face to the West for to roam, No more to return to their sweet, native home. Near our speck of a pond was his summer retreat, Where he feasted on fish, if the chase gave no meat, And gathered the grape, the wild pear and cherry, That he with his friends might be joyful and merry, 'Twas here, too, he sickened and died, And here he was buried,5 close down by the side Of this little pond, and the tall, waving trees Sang his requiem, mov'd by the soft Western breeze. Fain here would our muse gently cower her wing, Nor 'tempt furthermore to flutter or sing,- Yea, fain would avoid the sad task to fulfil, But oh ! the vile serpent, the " worm of the still." That reptile's been here, with his poisonous breath, Beguiling its victims to premature death ; Gently and softly the heart he coils round, "Till all the affections forever are bound.

4 The name of the eastern spur of our mountain. About the com- mencement of the present century a company was organized in this town, through faith in the divining-rod, to mine for silver. Much time and money were expended for naught. The excavation, though now partly filled up, is plain to be seen.

5 In the fall of 1848, as workmen were removing a sand mound at the west end of " Badger " Pond, so called, the bones of an Indian were dis- interred. Others may yet rest there. The first settlers of this town found around this pond many domestic and other implements of Indian construction. There is no evidence that they ever made this region a permanent residence, but very probably it was a favorite hunting-ground

508

HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Father and Mother, fond hearts have been pained, To see their loved offspring so foolishly chained ; Sisters have wept for a Brother's sad fate, Who fain would avoid, when, alas ! 'twas too late. The place where this reptile was kept to decoy The doom'd one from virtue, honor and joy, Alas ! oh, alas ! no tongue can e'er tell The sorrows that flow from this offspring of hell ; If once he succeed in wounding the brain,

The doom'd one will seek him again and again ; Will sacrifice freely companions of youth, Probity, honor, religion and truth, Father and Mother, health, children and wife, Sister and brother, yea, e'en his own life. Alas ! he will peril his own precious soul If he but for once can quaff from the bowl The poisonous liquid so sure for to kill, That comes from that reptile, the "worm of the still." Our muse is a blundering, careless old jade, -

The fact is, she never yet half learn'd the trade.

What should have come first is left until now ;

We hope the fair ladies won't scowl up their brow.

We have lots of them here,-some young and some old, Some handsome, some homely, some modest, some bold, They all are adopting the modern plan,

When dress'd, to resemble a broad, open fan,

Or rather a tunnel, with generous crop At the nose, and a something stuck on near the top. Some want to get married, some say they do not,

But this is a fib, I will wager a grot, Not want to get married ! I'd just as soon think A miser would flee from the rattle of chink ; Or our little pond, with all its live stock, Should start up the mountain, to take a short walk.

Live single ! when Widowers, Bachelors and Beaus Stand ready and fix'd in their best Sunday clothes, To give them a call, and make quite a stop,

Yea, e'en to hitch up, and the question to pop !

Not want to get married ! 'tis all fudge and feign ;

They just kind o' say so, their object to gain, And then, oh, " by crackey." they'll put on the clips, And make ye stand round like a basket of chips.

Yet some are more honest,-are willing to own That going through life's crooked path all alone Was never design'd, in Nature's great plan, To be the sad lot of woman or man.

And so they are willing to join in and go Through Time's little journey of sorrow and woe ;

With him they have promis'd to love from the heart,

Till death the fond union asunder shall part. Then ho ! ye single old scissors, don't cry !

But lift up your heads, your redemption is nigh ;

Another good half you can get without fail,

And then cut like something, -so here ends our TALE."

JOHN BADGER, the subject of this notice, was born in England, and with two of his brothers, Joseph and Eliphalet, came to America not far from the year 1728-29. His father was wealthy, and a year or two before he came to this country he was sent to Scotland to collect demands there due. It was here that he be- came aquainted with Mary McFarland, whom he eventually married. When he related to his father this circumstance of his attachment, he forbid his son to form any such alliance, on account of a strong preju- dice which then prevailed between the English and Scotch. To put his son outside of such an in- fluence, he sent him with his brothers, as above- named, to America. They first located themselves for a time at Nottingham.1 This wise plan of the father,

however, was soon frustrated. There was an under- standing between him and his Scotch Mary, and she soon followed him to this country and landed at a settlement near the Kennebeck River. He soon met her there, and it is the belief of a granddaughter of his, now living in Lyndeborough, that they were there married. In the course of a year they came back to Nottingham, where they remained a number of years. From here they migrated to that part of Salem-Canada township which afterwards became Wilton. He located his cabin about one hundred rods east of that ancient dwelling, the first framed house erected in Wilton, which was occupied for three generations by the name of John Dale, and is now owned by S. H. Dunbar, Esq. The swell of land on which he settled has ever since borne the name of " Badger Hill."

He moved into his cabin in April, 1739, and died in February, 1740, of consumption. Though the plowshare has passed over the spot where his cabin stood, there are many now living that can point it out. His family was composed of his wife and four chil- dren. The names of his children were, David, Robert, Mary and Betsey, who was the youngest, and died young, in consequence of injuries received by the burning of a house in Nottingham.

The mother and children, after the death of the father, moved back to Nottingham, where the chil- dren were put under the guardianship of a Judge Batten, or Patten. David and Robert both settled in Lyndeborough, a little north of the pond which now bears the name of " Badger Pond." Mary married David Cram, whose father was one of the first settlers of Lyndeborough, and where Badger's wife went to get help to bury her husband Those three lived to a great age, and reared large families, the descendants of whom, of the fourth, fifth and sixth generations from John Badger, are widely scattered over New England and many of the Western States.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Part 121

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