USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Hudson > History of Hudson, N.H., formerly a part of Dunstable, Mass., 1673-1733, Nottingham, Mass., 1733-1741, District of Nottingham, 1741-1746, Nottingham West, N.H., 1746-1830, Hudson, N.H., 1830-1912 > Part 12
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To the Honorable Council and Assembly of the State of New Hamp- shire, convened on the Eleventh day of Feb'y Inst. at Exeter within and for said State.
The petition of us the subscribers being Inhabitants of the south- westerly part of Londonderry, Humbly shews that we your petitioners live very remote from that part of Londonderry where all Business of a public nature is transacted, nor is it but very seldom that we can hear of the pub- lic meetings of said Town, and should we hear of such meetings the dis- tance is so far that but very few of us could Attend at all, & those who do, must do it at considerable expense having eight or ten miles to Travel for that purpose.
That it very often happens, that when any material Business is to be transacted meetings are held without our knowledge, by which we lose the privilege enjoyed by Others.
And as our Situation is much Nearer to the middle of Nottingham West it would be greatly for our Interest to be Annexed to that town, which we think will not prejudice Londonderry, as we pay no part towards supporting the Gospel in that town, but do it in the town of Nottingham West where we have helped to build a Meeting House and settle A Min- ister, and the chief of Other Town Charges will diminish in proportion to the deduction made in consequence hereof.
Your petitioners therefore would most humbly pray that your Hon- ours, will take the premises into consideration and give us leave to bring in a bill to Annex the south-westerly part of Londonderry as described by a map of the same to be shown the day of hearing, to the town of Not tingham West, agreeable to a Vote of the said town of Nottingham West for that purpose, or otherwise as your Honours in your Wisdom shall see meet.
And we your petitioners as in Duty Bound shall ever pray.
Feb. 3d 1778.
Levi Andrews
John Smith
Isaac Page Philip Marshall
Hugh Smith
William McAdams
Hudson Town Records.
151
"LONDONDERRY CLAIM"
Josiah Burroughs
William Graham
Thomas Smith
Ebenezer Tarbox
Moses Barret
Joseph Hobbs
Simeon Robinson
W. Eleanor Graham
David Lawrence
John Marshall
Ezekiel Grele
Richard Marshall
Simeon Barret
Joseph Steele
Sampson Kidder
James Barret
David Peabody
Benjamin Kidder
William Hood
George Burrows.
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.
In the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and seventy eight
An act to annex divers inhabitants of the southerly part of London- derry to, and incorporate them with the Town of Nottingham West.
Whereas Moses Barret, Ezekiel Grele, David Peabody, George Bur- rows, David Lawrence, Sampson Kidder, Richard Marshall, Benjamin Kidder, Hugh Smith, William McAdams, Joseph Hobbs, Thomas Smith, Levi Andrews, John Smith, Josiah Burrows, Ebenezer Tarbox, Simeon Robinson, Simeon Barret, John Marshall, James Barret, William Hood, Eleanor Graham, Joseph Steele, Isaac Page, Philip Marshall, and William Graham have petitioned the General Assembly for said State setting forth that they live very remote from that part of Londonderry where all the business of a public nature was transacted, that it was seldom that they could hear of the public meetings, and when they did the distance was so great and the expense so very considerable, few could attend.
Whereby they were deprived of the priviledges others of the Inhabi- tants of Londonderry enjoyed; that their situation was much nearer to the Town of Nottingham West, and that it would be greatly for their in- terests to be annexed to that Town which they prayed might be granted them the prayer of which petition upon full hearing of the parties thereon appearing reasonable.
Therefore be it, and it is hereby enacted by the council and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened ; That the land contained within the following bounds, Viz :
Beginning in the South boundary of Londonderry, at the North East corner of Nottingham West, Thence running North 5 degrees East, fre- quently crossing Beaver Brook, four hundred and twenty four rods to a large pine tree marked standing by said Brook. Thence North twenty degrees west seven hundred forty rods to a large Black Oak tree marked standing about 4 rods East of Simeon Robinson's House.
Thence North Eighty degrees west six hundred rods to the East side line of Litchfield, to a Poplar tree marked standing in the edge of Fine meadow, and including the houses and lands belonging to William Gra- ham, William Steele, William McAdams, Simeon Robinson, and Ebene- zer Tarbox, lying to the Eastward and Northward of said tract, according
152
HISTORY OF HUDSON
to the plan thereof exhibited with said petition, and including any lands lying contiguous to said North and East Bounds belonging to Samuel Anderson and Thomas Boyd lying within the same.
Then from said Poplar tree South in the East Bounds of Litchfield and Nottingham West about two miles and three quarters to a corner of Nottingham West. Thence East, South East in the South Bounds of Londonderry and the North Bounds of Nottingham West, two miles and three quarters of a mile to the place began at.
Which lands as before described with the buildings thereon, and ap- purtenances thereof, (Except as before Excepted) shall be annexed to and considered as part of the Town of Nottingham West.
And all the inhabitants living upon and within the above mentioned bounds (except as before excepted) their Heirs and Successors shall be incorporated with, and belong to the Town of Nottingham West, and shall be entitled to all Town priviledges as other inhabitants of said Not- tingham West are.
Provided nevertheless that the inhabitants and lands hereby dis- annexed from Londonderry and annexed to said Nottingham West, shall stand chargeable with their part of the State tax until a new proportion of State tax is made, (as well as the tax that is or shall be assessed for the present proportion of continental soldiers,) and with all taxes made or charges incurred before the passing thereof, by said Town of London- derry, as tho this act had not been made, anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding.
And be it further enacted, that the inhabitants and lands so annexed to the Town of Nottingham West, shall be deemed and reputed to lie and be within the County of Hillsborough in the State aforesaid, and not within the County of Rockingham, as heretofore reputed. And that the persons so joined to said Nottingham West, their Heirs and Successors shall belong to the same regiment to which other inhabitants of said Not- tingham West do or shall belong, and that nothing in this Act be taken or construed to effect property but only to alter the lines of jurisdiction.
State of New Hampshire. In the House of Representatives, February ye 28th 1778.
The foregoing Bill having been read a third time, Voted that the same pass to be enacted.
Sent up for concurrence.
JOHN DUDLEY, Speaker Pr. Tmpr.
In Council March 6. 1778 :-
This Bill read a third time & voted that it be enacted.
JOSIAH BARTLETT President, P. T.
JOHN A. ROBINSON
153
"LONDONDERRY CLAIM"
A true Copy Examined by
E. THOMPSON,
Secry.
A True Entry pr.
SAMUEL GREELE, Town Clerk .*
By the annexation of "Londonderry Claim," March, 1778, the area of the Township of Nottingham West was in- creased by about four thousand six hundred and twenty- seven acres, or more than seven square miles, exclusive of those lands belonging to the farms of certain persons living near the boundary line, and which were in part east of such boundary, but which were wholly included within the town of Nottingham West, as provided by the law of annexation.
The corner described as "a large Pine tree marked, standing by said brook" (Beaver Brook), was undoubtedly at or very near the angle in the east line of Dunstable as surveyed by Jonathan Danforth in May, 1674, and which he described as "a pine tree marked : F : standing within sight of Beaver Brook." It had been the north-west corner of Dracut, previous to the settlement of the Province line in 1741, as claimed and conceded by the committees appointed to renew the bounds between Dunstable and Dracut, De- cember, 1723, which has been mentioned.
The line running from this ancient corner, "North twenty degrees west, seven hundred forty rods to a large Black Oak tree standing about 4 rods East of Simeon Rob- inson's House," was probably intended to follow the east line of old Dunstable as given by Jonathan Danforth in 1674, which reversed would be N. 22 1-2 degrees W.
The number of families was increased by twenty-seven at least, and the number of tax payers by thirty-nine. The names of these tax payers, as they are found upon the list of June 13, 1778, are as follows :
* Hudson Town Records.
154
HISTORY OF HUDSON
Andrews, Levi
Marshall, Samuel
Barrett, James
McAdams, Robert
Barrett, Moses
McAdams, William
Burroughs, Benjamin
Ordway, Nehemiah
Burroughs, George
Page, Ezekiel
Burroughs, Josiah
Page, Isaac
Burroughs, Josiah, Jr.
Peabody, Capt. David
Burroughs, William
Porter, Daniel
Graham, Wid Eleanor
Robinson, Douglas
Greele, Capt. Ezekiel
Robinson, John
Hobbs, Joseph
Robinson, Peter
Hood, William
Robinson, Peter, Jr.
Hills, Nathaniel
Robinson, Simeon
Kidder, Lt. Benjamin
Richey, James
Kidder, Elder Sampson
Steele, Joseph
Lawrence, David
Steele, William
Lawrence, David, Jr.
Smith, Daniel
Marshall, John
Tarbox, Lt. Ebenezer
Marshall, Philip
Tarbox, Henry
Marshall, Richard
With the exception of two minor changes made at the north-east part of the town, between Hudson and London- derry, the present boundaries of Hudson remain the same as were those of Nottingham West, subsequent to the an- nexation of "Londonderry Claim," in 1778. The first of these was made by an act of the legislature passed June 27, 1857, which established the south-east corner of Lon- donderry, and the most easterly corner of Hudson, about one hundred and twelve rods farther northerly on Beaver Brook, from the old "Dracut Corner," which was assumed as a bound between the two towns in 1778. The line run- ning from the new corner north 27º 121 west, six hundred and ninety rods to the original corner, established in 1778, about four rods east of "Simeon Robinson's House," and from that to the corner at Litchfield line as before.
This change in the boundary line between London- derry and Hudson, was effected principally for the purpose
155
"LONDONDERRY CLAIM"
of establishing a definite and permanent boundary between the two towns.
By the act of 1857, all lands adjoining the boundary lines on the east and north became a part of Londonderry; and all lands adjoining the same lines on the west and south became a part of Hudson. There were about two hundred acres in the tract between the two lines, the greater part made up of those farms and lands lying east and north of the boundary lines of 1778, but which were made a part of Nottingham West by the act of annexation of that year. In consequence of this situation Hudson ac- quired very little land from Londonderry by the last change of boundaries.
By the act of annexation, 1778, "Beginning in the south boundary of Londonderry, at the North East corner of Nottingham West, Thence running North 5 degrees East, frequently crossing Beaver Brook, 424 rods to a large pine tree marked, standing by said Brook," the line between Windham and Nottingham West was made straight, each town including a small amount of land upon opposite sides of the brook. This remained unchanged until July 2, 1862, when the legislature established the line between Hudson and Windham, in the centre of Beaver Brook, from the north-west corner of Pelham, about 320 rods to the south- east corner of Londonderry, as established in 1857.
While it is impossible to ascertain at this time the exact increase in the population of Nottingham West by the annexation of the "Londonderry Claim," it has been shown from the records that as many as thirty-nine tax- payers were added to the list and at least twenty-seven families.
It would seem to be within the bounds of reason to estimate the average number in the families, at that time when larger families than to-day was the rule, at not less than seven persons each. At this estimation the addition would be not less than two hundred. The population of the town at different periods has been as follows:
156
HISTORY OF HUDSON
POPULATION
In 1767, a provincial census made the number of in- habitants 583 whites, with two slaves.
In 1773, a census taken by the order of Governor John Wentworth, in October, gave the following result:
Nottingham West.
Men, unmarried, from 16 to 60, 41
Men, married, from 16 to 60, 88
Boys, 16 and under, 150
Men, 60 and upwards, 14
Females, unmarried,
179
Females, married,
100
Widows,
16
Male slaves,
2
Female slaves,
2
Total,
592
In September, 1775, another census was taken by or- der of the New Hampshire Convention, when the town was credited with a population of 649. Men in the army, 22; slaves, 4; an increase of 54 persons in less than two years.
In 1786 another census was taken "In obedience to Resolve of the General Court of ye March 3d 1786 for numbering ye inhabitants, we have Numbered ye Town of Nottingham West and find 1010 souls.
ASA DAVIS JOHN HASELTON, JR. ISAAC MERRILL
Selectmen."
It appears by the two last censuses, September, 1775, March, 1786, a period of ten and one-half years, which in- cluded the time of the Revolutionary war, the population increased 361. If 200 of this number was due to annexa- tion of the "Londonderry Claim" to Nottingham West, the excess of births above deaths and by immigration was 161, or an average of 151% persons annually.
157
"LONDONDERRY CLAIM
According to the successive censuses taken by the United States government since 1790, the population at the end of each decade has been :
1790, 1064, increase since 1786, 4 years 54
1800, 1267, increase in ten years 203
1810, 1376
109
1820, 1227, decrease "
149
1830, 1282, increase "
55
1840, 1144, decrease «
138
1850, 1312, increase " 66
168
1860, 1222, decrease "
90
1870, 1066,
60
66
156
1880, 1045, 66
21
1890, 1092, increase
47
1900, 1261,
66 169
1910, 1344, 66 66
83
It will be seen, that, provided the population of the town in 1800 was twelve hundred and sixty-seven, and that in 1900, it was twelve hundred and sixty-one, there was a net decrease of six within the century.
The largest number as shown at any decade was in 1810, when the number of inhabitants reached thirteen hundred and seventy-six, or one hundred and fifteen more than in 1900, which shows a net decrease of about eight and one-third per cent within ninety years.
During the fifty years from 1850 to 1900, there was a large decrease in the number of children, with an increase of the number of adults.
The number of rateable polls as enumerated in 1850 was 269, while in 1900 they had increased to 331, or 2312 per cent; and in 1905 the number was 373, an increase from 1850 of 104, or about 39 per cent in 55 years-about 151% per cent of which has been made within the last five years, which would tend to show quite a rapid increase in the population of the town at the present time.
158
HISTORY OF HUDSON
ADOPTION OF NEW NAME
At the annual town meeting at the North Meeting house, March 9, 1830, the warrant contained the following article: "To see if the town will request the selectmen in behalf of the town to petition the next General Court to alter the name of this town. "If so to see if the town will vote that the same be called by the name of Auburn, if not to designate some other name by which it shall be called."
Under the article it was "voted to request the select- men to petition the legislature to alter the name of the town. "Chose a committee consisting of Col. Joseph Greeley, Dea. Moses Greeley, Col. William Hills, Dea. Asa Blodgett and James Tenney to report a name. "Voted to adjourn this meeting to next Saturday at 10 o'clock in
the forenoon. "Met according to adjournment. "Voted to accept the report of the committee chosen to desiginate a name by which to call the town, which name was that of Hudson.
"REUBEN GREELEY, Town Clerk."
July 1, 1830, Thomas B. Wason, Representative, an act was passed by the state legislature in answer to the re- quest of the town to change the name from Nottingham West, which it had borne for eighty-four years, to Hudson.
CHAPTER XIV
NOTTINGHAM WEST AND FAMILIES
In answer to the request of a majority of the inhabitants of Nottingham as expressed by vote at the District Meet- ing, March 10, 1746, the General Court of New Hampshire, July 5, 1746, incorporated the town of Nottingham West, there being already a Nottingham in the east part of the State.
The following is copied from the original charter: PROVINCE OF NEWHAMPSHIRE.
George the Second by the Grace of
PROVINCE God of Great Brittain France and
SEAL OF Ireland King Defender of the Faith. NEW HAMPSHIRE To all whom these Presents Shall come GREETING.
Whereas Sundry of our Loyal Subjects Inhabitants of a Tract of Land within the Ancient Boundaries of a Town called Old Dunstable in our Province of Newhampshire on the easterly side of Merrymack River hereinafter described.
Have Humbly Petitioned and Requested of us That they may be erected and Incorporated into a Township and Infranchised with the same powers Authorities and Prive- leges which other Towns within our said Province by Law have & Enjoy. And it appears to us to be conducive to the General Good of our Said Province, as well as of the Said Inhabitants in particular, by maintaining good Order and Incouraging the Culture of the Land, That the Same should be done.
Know Yee Therefore, That We of our Especial Grace certain Knowledge, and for the Encouraging and promot- ing the Good Purposes and Ends aforesaid, By and with the Advice of our Trusty and well beloved Benning Went- worth Esqr., our Governor and Commander-in-chief, and our Council for Said Province, have Erected Incorporated and Ordained, and by these Presents for us our Heirs and Successors, Do will and Ordain That the Inhabitants of
159
160
HISTORY OF HUDSON
the Tract of Land aforesaid (Bounded as follows Viz.) Be- ginning at the River Merrymack on the East Side thereof where the line that parts the Province of Massachusetts Bay and New hampshire crosses the Said River and runs from Said River East ten Degrees South by the Needle two Miles and Eighty Rods. Then North twenty Degrees East five Miles and Eighty Rods to Londonderry South Side Line. Then by said Londonderry Line West North West to the South West Corner of Londonderry Town- ship, then North on Londonderry West Side Line one Mile & Eighty Rods, then West by the Needle to Mer- rymack River, then on Said River Southerly to the place begun at, and that Shall the Same, be and by these Pres- ents Are declared and Ordained to be a Town Corporate, and are hereby Erected and Incorporated into a Body Poli- tic and a Corporation to have Continuance for Ever by the name of Nottingham West, with all the Powers and Authorities, Priveleges, and Imunities and Franchises which other Towns within Said Province or any of them by Law Have and Enjoy.
To HAVE AND TO HOLD the Said Powers and Author- ities, Imunities and Francheses to them the Said Inhabi- tants and their Successors for Ever. Always Reserving to us our Heirs and Successors all White Pine Trees Grow- ing and being, and that shall hereafter grow and be on the Said Tract of Land-for the use of our Royal Navy.
Reserving also the Power of Dividing the Said Town to us our Heirs and Successors when it shall be thought Necessary or Convenient for the Benefit of the Inhabitants thereof. And as the Several Towns within our Said Prov- ince are by Laws thereof Enabled and Authorized to As- semble, and by the Majority of Votes to choose all Such Officers as are mentioned in the Said Laws, we do by these Presents Nominate and appoint Zaccheus Lovewell, Gent, to call the first Meeting of Said Inhabitants to be held within Said Town at any time within thirty Days from the Date hereof, giving legal Notice of the Time and place and design of holding Such Meeting.
In Testimony whereof we have Caused the Seal of our Said Province to be hereunto affixed.
Witness Benning Wentworth, Esqr., our Governor and Commander in chief of our Said Province the fifth day of July in the Year of our Lord Christ one thousand Seven
161
NOTTINGHAM WEST AND FAMILIES
hundred and forty-Six, and in the Twentieth year of our Reign.
B WENTWORTH
With His Excelencies Command
With advice of Council.
THEODORE ATKINSON, Secretary.
Entered & Recorded According to the Original, This 16th Day of September, 1746.
Pr THEODORE ATKINSON, Sect'y Pa 35 & 36.
The boundaries as described in the charter excluded all of that part of Pelham-nearly one-third-formerly in- cluded in the district of Nottingham, with about twenty families by the name of Baldwin, Butler, Douglas, Gage, Gibson, Hamblet, Nevins, Richardson and Spalding; and included a part of the south side of Litchfield as previously bounded, about one mile wide on the Merrimack, but some- what less at the east end, with the families of Nathaniel Hills, Henry Hills, Nathaniel Hills, Jr., Henry Hills, Jr., James Hills, Ezekiel Hills, Samuel Hills, Thomas Marsh, John Marsh, Jr., Joseph Pollard, William Taylor, and some other inhabitants.
In a petition to the Governor and Council, by Nathan Kendall, in behalf of the inhabitants of Litchfield, August 22, 1746, it is represented,
That by some mistake or misrepresentation, the boundaries given in said charter are different from what the intention was, as they conceive, for part of that which was called Litchfield on the easterly side of said river is, in fact, taken into Nottingham and incorporated as parcel of that town, and what is left of Litchfield is much too small for a town and can't possibly subsist as such, and there is no place to which it can be joined, nor from which anything can be taken to add to it.
The petition was not a success, and Litchfield has con- tinued to "subsist" as a town, with very few changes of its boundaries, from that time to the present.
The town of Pelham, by its charter, included that por- tion of the town of Dracut that by the settlement of the Province line fell into New Hampshire, and the east part of Nottingham, as before described.
162
HISTORY OF HUDSON
The first town meeting under the new charter, called by Zaccheus Lovewell, was held at the house of Samuel Greeley, July 17, 1746, at which Zaccheus Lovewell was elected moderator; Samuel Greeley town clerk; George Burns treasurer, and Samuel Greeley, Zaccheus Lovewell and Eleazer Cummings selectmen.
The first tax list under the new charter, dated October 31, 1746, contained the following names:
Ezekiel Chase,* 1 Maj. Zaccheus Lovewell,* 1
Capt. Thomas Colburn,* 1
Lieut. Joseph Winn,* 2
Thomas Pollard,* 3 Joseph Blodgett,* 1
Benjamin Thompson,
1 Dea. Samuel Greeley,* 1
Samuel Greeley, Jr.,
1
Thomas Burns,* Samuel Gould,
1
Joseph Gould,
Benjamin Tyng,*
1 Dea. Abel Merrill,* 1
Daniel Merrill,*
1 Samuel Jewet,* 2
Ebenezer Dakin,*
1
George Burns,* 1
Samuel Huston,*
1
Samuel Burbank,* 1
Jonathan Hardy,*
1 Joseph Winn, Jr.,
1
Ephraim Cummings,*
John Caldwell,*
1 Joseph Caldwell, 2
Robert Glover,
1 Joseph Snow,*
2
Thomas Kenney,*
1 Ebenezer Blodgett, 1
James Marsh,
1
Onesiphorus Marsh, 1
Benjamin Frost,*
1 Daniel Simonds, 1
Ezekiel Page, 1 Isaac Page,
1
Abraham Page,
1
Ebenezer Taylor,
1
Josiah Dutton,
1 Eleazer Cummings,* 1
Nathan Cross,*
2 William Cummings,* 1
John Marshall,*
2 John Marsh,* 1
Josiah Cummings,*
1 Edward Spalding,*
1
Roger Chase,*
2 Nathaniel Hills,*
2
William Taylor,*
1 William Casson,
John Bradbury,
1 Ezekiel Greeley,*
1
Henry Hills,*
1 Isaac Cummings,
Joseph Pollard,*
1 James Hills,*
2
1 James Wason,* 1
John Mitchell,*
1 John Huey,* 2
163
NOTTINGHAM WEST AND FAMILIES
Ezekiel Hills,* 1 John Marsh, Jr.,* 1
Thomas Marsh,* 1 Charles Darrah,* 1
Arthur Darrah,
1 Henry Hills, Jr.,* 1
Samuel Hills,
1 Nathaniel Hills, Jr.,*
1
Henry Snow, 1 John Snow, 1
David Lawrence, 1 John Carkin, 1
Widow Mary Spalding,
William Campbell, 1
John Woodard,
Capt. Robert Fletcher,
Zaccheus Spalding,
Robert Nevins.
Thus it will be seen that eleven of the resident tax- payers paid twenty-three poll taxes, or for twelve others more than their own, making the full number of residents in town subject to be assessed for poll or property tax, to be seventy-nine.
The names of the twelve whose taxes were paid by others are not given, but they were probably the sons or hired men of those to whom the taxes were assessed.
From the list of the resident taxpayers in 1733, Ensign John Snow and Eleazer Cummings, Jr., had died, and Jabez Davis, Ebenezer Spalding and John Taylor had removed from town.
A brief sketch of some of these early residents, not previously noted in this history-who became prominent and influential citizens of the town, and whose families be- came numerous-may prove of interest to their many de- scendants.
EBENEZER BLODGETT
Ebenezer Blodgett, son of Joseph, was born at the Blodgett garrison, January 3, 1720. He was assessed here from 1744 to 1763, inclusive. His residence, while he re- mained in this town, was upon a part of his father's home- stead.
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