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 14
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ISAAC PAGE
Probably he was the brother of Ezekiel, and son of Abraham. He was assessed here from 1746 to 1753, and from 1778 to 1802. He probably took his brother's place at the ferry until 1754, when he moved to the south-west cor- ner of Londonderry, which was annexed to Nottingham West in 1778. His residence at the north-east part of the town was not far from his brother Ezekiel's. His name appears in the tax lists from 1778 to 1802.
ABRAHAM PAGE, JR.
Abraham Page, Jr., was undoubtedly the son of Abra- ham, Sen., born about April, 1715. He was assessed here rom 1749 to 1801, inclusive.
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NOTTINGHAM WEST AND FAMILIES
For several years at the first his residence was at the east part of the town, near the North Pelham road. After- wards, and for many years previous to his death, he owned and occupied the farm later owned by Nathaniel Haselton, and now owned by Arthur W. Haselton.
The house stood on the east side of the road, a short distance south of the present house of Arthur W. Hasel- ton, where the cellar is yet visible. He was a captain of the militia for many years. He was one of the selectmen for ten years, eight of which he was chairman of the board. He was the moderator of eleven annual town meetings, and was a representative to the General Court of New Hamp- shire in 1775 and 1776. Tradition says that Captain Abra- ham Page brought up Nathaniel Haselton, after he was twelve years old. This Haselton bought the homestead farm of Captain Page, in consideration of two hundred and thirty-four pounds-deed dated April 1, 1795-at the same time giving Mr. Page a life lease of the premises, to insure the support of himself and his wife, Elizabeth. March 31, 1773, he conveyed to Timothy Smith a farm of one hun- dred acres, more or less, which was occupied by Mr. Smith until his death in 1802. This farm was that which was later owned by Captain Isaac Winn, afterwards known as the "Jim" Barrett place. March 18, 1773, he conveyed to Page Smith a farm of seventy acres, more or less, adjoin- ing his own farm on the north, which was later the Jeffer- son Smith homestead, and later still owned by Nathaniel Wentworth. His wife Elizabeth died March 6, 1782, in her 68th year.
He married next, December 4, 1784, Dorothy Hadley.
He died April 18, 1802, aged 86 years, 11 months and 27 days.
No births of children of Captain Page are found re- corded.
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HISTORY OF HUDSON
SAMUEL PAGE
Samuel Page, probably another son of Abraham Page, was assessed from 1751 to 1773, inclusive.
Esther, his wife, died July 30, 1757, in the 28th year of her age.
He next married Sarah, daughter of Ephraim and Eliz- abeth (Butler) Cummings, born in Nottingham, May 12, 1736.
After his second marriage, he lived on the south side of Bush Hill, not far from the home of his father-in-law, Ephraim Cummings.
He probably removed from this town in 1774.
HENRY SNOW
Henry, son of Joseph and Bridget Snow, born Novem- ber 17, 1725, was assessed from 1746 to 1764, when he re- moved to Plymouth, N. H. He lived in the east part of the town, not very far from the residence of Onesiphorus Marsh. He was one of the selectmen in 1760. He died in Plymouth, May 11, 1770, in his 45th year. His wife, Miriam, died in Plymouth, May 13, 1813.
JOHN SNOW
John, son of Joseph and Bridget Snow, born January 11, 1723, was assessed from 1744 to 1751. After his fa- ther's death, he resided for a time with his mother at Chase hill on the Bush Hill road.
DANIEL SIMONDS
Daniel Simonds was assessed from 1743 to 1765. He resided in the east part of the town. Very little is found upon the records here relating to him. His wife's name was Martha, and the records show that they had seven children born to them while they resided here. They re moved from town about 1765.
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NOTTINGHAM WEST AND FAMILIES
WILLIAM TAYLOR
William Taylor settled in this town about the time that it became Nottingham West. He was assessed here from 1746 to 1772, inclusive, and for the years 1777, 79 and 1781. For a time he owned a farm half a mile below Tay- lor's Falls Bridge, and bordering on the river opposite Taylor's Falls. This fall in the river, which was consider- able, is now covered by the flowage of the water from the dam at Pawtucket Falls at Lowell. It was probably named for this William Taylor.
His house was on the east side of Lowell road, a little distance north No. 2 turnout, where the cellar is yet visi- ble. This place was owned by the Marshalls for many years, a large part of it is now owned by Frank M. Winn. He probably removed from town.
BENJAMIN TYNG
Benjamin Tyng, son of Eleazer and grandson of Jona- than Tyng, born in Dunstable, now Tyngsborough, Janu- ary 26, 1722, resided for a few years at the south part of the town, near Deacon Abel Merrill's. He was assessed from 1743 to 1747.
JAMES WASON
James Wason, a Presbyterian emigrant from London- derry, settled on the east side of the road at the summit of Bush Hill in 1740, where he remained until his death, which occurred August 22, 1799, in the 89th year of his age.
His name appears on the tax lists of 1740 for the first time. The farm was afterwards owned by Samuel Wason, and for many years was known as the Walker farm, and still later it was owned by Armstrong.
He was born in the parish of Ballymena, County of Antrim, in the north-east part of Ireland in 1711, and came to this country with his brother Thomas in 1736. He was married in Portsmouth, N. H., to Hannah Caldwell of that place, in the year of his arrival, 1736. The Caldwells who
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HISTORY OF HUDSON
settled near him on Bush Hill, probably were kinsmen of his wife. Hannah, wife of James Wason, died April 16, 1786, aged 80 years. Both are buried in the Blodgett Cemetery, where their head stones still remain. Mr. Wa- son was an active citizen in the affairs of the town. He was one of the selectmen in 1747, and held many other of- fices. He seems to have been a very firm believer in the creed of the Presbyterian church, and sometimes refused to pay taxes for the support of Rev. Mr. Merrill, who was a Congregational minister, while at the same time the Presbyterians were taxing themselves for the mainte- nance of a pastor of their own persuasion, who preached to them at the North meeting-house.
CHAPTER XV
THE FIRST MEETING-HOUSE
Under charter of January 4, 1733, "The inhabitants of said town of Nottingham are hereby enjoined and re- quired, within the space of three years from the publication of this act, to procure a learned orthordox minister, of good conversation, and make provision for his comfortable support."
If, by the conditions of the charter, it was understood that the town was enjoined to settle an "orthodox minis- ter," within three years from the date of the charter, those conditions were not strictly complied with.
Yet those inhabitants, though few in numbers, did not forget their duty to appropriate money and supply a minis- ter to preach the Gospel. June 12, 1733, they raised sev- enty pounds "of money for carrying on ye public worship of God." September 11, 1733, "Voted to have preaching until March." March 6, 1734, "Voted a Hundred Pound Rate for to be raised for to hire a minister to preach ye Gospel."
Samson Stoddard was probably the first minister em- ployed. We find in the account of John Snow, the first treasurer of the town, the following: "March 18, 1734, Paid to Mr. Samson Stoddard for preaching the gospel 35-10-5" "May 11, 1734, Paid to Mr. Samson Stoddard for preaching the gospel 4-2-0" "Dec. 15, 1734, Paid to Mr. Samson Stoddard for preaching the gospel 30-7-7"
We also find in the next account which is without date, but was probably about a year later, the following:
Paid to Mr. Isaac Richardson for preaching the gospel. 16-0-10 Paid to Mr. Thomas Skinner for preaching the gospel., 14-0-0 Paid to Mr. Ebenezer Wyman for preaching the gospel, 12-5-0
183
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HISTORY OF HUDSON
Probably these four were the only ministers employed to preach here, until the settlement of the Rev. Nathaniel Merrill.
The building of a meeting-house began to be agitated by the inhabitants of Nottingham very soon after the town received its charter ; but it appears from the records to have been a difficult matter for them to settle upon a site.
At a town meeting, held at the house of Ensign John Snow, September 11, 1733, it was "Voted that ye select- men measure from ye lower end of this town, beginning at Dracut Line, so up ye River as far as Natticook Line, and so round ye town, and also to find ye Senter of ye Land."
At the same meeting adjourned to November 5, 1733, it was "Voted that ye meetinghouse should stand ye East side of Littlehales Meadow at a heap of stones at ye Root of a pine tree."
At a town meeting called for the purpose of locating and building a meeting-house, and raising money for the same, held December 26, 1733, at 9 o'clock A. M., "Voted to adjourn the meeting for one hour and a half for the Town to go and view ye land in order for setting the meeting- house and also it was put to vote, Whether the town would establish and confirm their former vote and build a meet- ing house on the place voted for the fifth day of November 1733, and the vote past in the negative."
The town also voted to choose a new place "for to set and build a meeting house on, and also the Town voted that they would build and set a meetinghouse in Notting- ham not exceeding fifty poles to the South from the pine tree that Capt. Joseph Blanchard measured to and marked, December the 24th day in the year 1733."
"We whose names are underwritten are holly against and do enter ouer desent against the Towns proseeding to build a meeting house in the plase voted for December the 26th day 1733.
Capt. Robert Fletcher, Samuel Gould,
Daniel Fletcher,
Ezekiel Fletcher,
JAMES B. MERRILL
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THE FIRST MEETING-HOUSE
Zaccheus Spaulding, Jeremiah Colburn."
All the dissenters above recorded, resided in the south part of Nottingham, which later, by the adjustment of the Province line, fell into Massachusetts. Their protest was probably due to the vote of the town to locate the meeting- house farther north than they deemed in justice to all.
Also as the sun was setting the meeting was adjourned for half an hower ; and also the Town voted that they would build a meeting house forty feet Long and thirty five feet wyde and twenty feet between joints ; and also the town made choice of James Perham, Joseph Hamblet Elea- zer Cummings, Capt. Robert Fletcher & Thomas Colburn a committee to accomplish and set up the above frame by the time voted for, and also the town voted that the meeting house shal be raised by the first day of May next.
There must have been considerable time spent in dis- cussion, or otherwise, at that meeting, as it was called for the special purpose to act upon the matter of building a meeting-house, and convened at nine o'clock in the morn- ing, being still in session at sunset.
At the annual town meeting March 6, 1734, after the election of the necessary town officers, and voting to raise money to defray the regular expenses, provision was made to hire a minister "to preach the gospel," it was "Voted yt ye committee yt was chos to git ye meeting house frame should put king posts into ye meeting house, and also ye Town voted they would except ye meeting house frame 21 feet high between joints."
The meeting was adjourned to the following day, March 7, and after an animated discussion, a recess was taken for two hours "to view ye land in order to agree upon a place to build a meeting house on, and also ye Town voted a rate of 50 pounds to be added to ye 40 pounds yt was raised for finishing ye meeting house frame, which forty pounds was raised December ye 26, 1733.
"These two Rates to be made in one Rate: and also ye Rate above mentioned is to pay for ye meeting house frame & for finishing ye meeting house.
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HISTORY OF HUDSON
"Joseph Hamblet, James Perham : Joseph Winn: John Butler: Zaccheus Lovel: was chosen a committee for to finish the meeting house.
"Voted yt they would board and clapboard & shingle & lay the loar flor of ye meeting house, and also glaze ye meeting house.
"Also voted yt ye committee should accomplish ye above menshond work by ye last of September.
"It was put to vote wether the Town would build a meeting house on ye South place voted for, or ye North place voted for, and ye Town voted yt they would set & build a meeting house on ye North place voted for, upon a little hill where was laid up a heap of stones in ye land of Thomas Colburn not exceeding fifty polls to ye south from ye Pine tree yt Cap. Joseph Blanchard meashered to and markt December 24, 1733."
Capt. Joseph Blanchard, a surveyor, was employed by the selectmen to find the center of the town, and the pine tree marked by him was undoubtedly considered the cen- ter, at least running north and south. The road from Dracut to Litchfield was not laid out at that time, but was accepted by the selectmen February 15, 1734.
A part of this road is now known as the "Back Road," or "Burns Road," and it leads over Burns hill, past the Wason farm, now owned by J. F. Wilson, and by the old place of Rev. Nathaniel Merrill, now owned by Leonard Marshall, across Musquash brook, and by the Timothy S. Ford place, and past the site of Ensign John Snow's house, where all the town meetings, with one exception, were held until the meeting-house was erected, until coming to the Lowell road laid out in November, 1822.
At a town meeting held May 27, 1734, it was voted to reconsider action taken at the previous meeting, relative to to the site of the meeting-house and voted to locate the house on "ye land of Thomas Colburn, at a heap of stones that was laid up this day not far from said Colburn's South- erly Dam." It was decided that the building should be
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THE FIRST MEETING-HOUSE
raised the 5th of the following June, and the committee should provide for the raising.
John Taylor, Eleazer Cummings, Nathan Cross and William Cummings, all of whom lived at the extreme northerly part of the town, opposed this new location, as it was half a mile south of the center of the town. Not- withstanding the opposition, the meeting-house was con- structed so far that a meeting was held in it October 3, 1734, when the committee was voted one hundred pounds "for finishing ye meeting house."
At an adjourned meeting held at the meeting-house December 3, 1735, it was "Voted that they would build a pulpit and also voted that they would build a body of seats leaving room for an alley in ye middle of ye meeting house up to ye pulpit. "Voted that they would leave room round the outside of ye body seats for to build pews and an alley round convenient to pass along. "Voted to build stairs up galleries and lay ye gallerie floors and build a gallerie rail in the fore seats."
There has been considerable speculation among the old residents of Hudson, and some difference of opinion has existed in regard to the exact location of the first meeting-house of Nottingham. The only description of the lot upon which it stood, in addition to what has already been given, recorded in the town books, is in the record of a town meeting held at the meeting-house May 20, 1736, and is as follows:
Mr. Thomas Colburn gave ye Town a piece of land around the meet- ing house so long as a meeting house may stand upon it, Beginning at ye North East corner of ye meeting house at a heap of stones, and so run- ning West to a heap of stones by ye highway laid out to Dracut line, & so running by said highway South to a heap of stones, so running East to a rock with stones upon it, and so running North to the first mentioned bound.
This record proves conclusively, that the building was located on the east side of the road leading from Dracut to Litchfield, as laid out February 15, 1734, and now called the "Back Road."
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HISTORY OF HUDSON
Four different locations were made by the town before the matter was settled. This was owing to the difficulty of fixing a site which would be most convenient to all con- cerned. The geographical center of the town, as we have seen, found by Captain Blanchard's survey in 1733, was about half a mile north of Musquash Brook, in a north and south line. Finally the location selected, as I believe after having given the matter considerable study and research, was on the same lot, and very near the same position now occupied by school house Number One, which is on the east side of the Dracut Litchfield road, a short distance north of Musquash bridge .*
The meeting-house stood end to the road, and was forty feet in length from east to west, and thirty-five feet wide. It was twenty-one feet between joints, with king posts. There were three entrances or outside doors; one at the center of the east end, one at the center of the south front, and a third at the center of the west end. The gal- leries were on the east, south and west sides. The gallery stairs for the women were at the south-east corner, and for the men, at the south-west corner of the house. The pulpit was at the center of the north side, and the broad aisle ex- tended from the front door on the south to the pulpit. This last was elevated several feet, and reached by a short flight of stairs on the west side.
Pew lots were leased to John Taylor, Henry Baldwin, Joseph Hamblet and Joseph Snow, on the south side; Elea- zer Cummings, Joseph Perham, Ezekiel Fletcher and Dan- iel Fletcher, on the west side; Robert Fletcher and John Butler, on the north side; and Joseph Butterfield, Thomas Colburn and Ezekiel Spaulding on the east. The minis-
* The first location, voted November 5, 1733, was on the east side of Littlehale's meadow. December 26, 1733, this selection was shown to be unsatisfactory, and it was voted to build a meeting-house "not exceeding 50 poles to the south of a pine tree which Capt. Joseph Blanch- ard measured to and marked Nov. 24, 1733." This was not satisfactory to those living at the south end of the town. Accordingly, March 7, 1734, a location near the first one selected, "on a little hill where was laid up a heap of stones in the land of Thomas Colburn" was voted. Then, May 27, 1734, this decision was reversed, and though there still were dissenters to the choice, the site described was accepted .- K. W.
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THE FIRST MEETING-HOUSE
ter's pew was on the north side, west of the pulpit stairs. An aisle extended around between the pews and the body of seats. The men's seats were west, and the women's seats east of the broad aisle. The pews were probably five feet square, with a few a little longer one way. The own- ers were required "to seal up the pews six or seven feet."
Very little reference is made in the town records to the meeting-house, subsequent to the leasing of the pews in 1736, until after the settlement of the Province line in May, 1741. By this decision more than four thousand acres of the south part of Nottingham, and many of its most prom- inent citizens, remained in Massachusetts. By the in- corporations of Nottingham West, July 5, and Pelham, July 6, 1746, four thousand and five hundred acres were also taken from what constituted old Nottingham. On the other hand, Nottingham West included the northerly part of "Hills Farms," containing about one thousand acres, that had formerly been a part of Litchfield, as it was incor- porated in 1734.
These changes in the boundary lines completely upset the calculations of the builders of the old Nottingham meeting-house, which now stood within two miles of the southern limits of the town, and did not accommodate the majority of the inhabitants of the town. Accordingly soon after receiving its charter "The Town voted to move the Preaching to Mr. Benjamin Whittemore's house in said Town."
Benjamin Whittemore at that time owned the farm now occupied by Augustus F. Blodgett, and which extend- ed so far north as to include the land now belonging to the Blodgett cemetery. The Whittemore house is understood to have been at, or near, the same place where the Blodgett house now stands.
The town meetings were also moved from the meeting- house to the houses of Samuel Greeley and Benjamin Whittemore, until a second meeting-house was built in 1748.
It appears from the records, that considerable difficulty arose between the citizens of Nottingham West and those
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HISTORY OF HUDSON
former inhabitants of Nottingham who, through the settle- ment of the Province line and the incorporation of Pelham, had become residents of Tyngsborough, Mass., and Pel- ham, N. H., all of whom had paid their proportionate part of the cost of building the house of worship. Out of the thirteen that were granted leases of pew lots, and built pews in the meeting-house, six had become residents of Tyngsborough, and three had been placed in Pelham, leav- ing only four of the original number residents of Notting- ham West.
At a town meeting held November 24, 1746, it was "Voted to pull down the old meeting house," and Captain Colburn, John Marsh, Major Lovewell, John Marshall, Jos- eph Winn, Roger Chase, George Burns, James Hills and Eleazer Cummings were chosen as a committee to carry this vote into effect.
For reasons that may be conjectured this committee, consisting of nine of the most influential and substantial men of the town, did not fulfill the purpose of their elec- tion. So at a meeting September 21, 1747, nearly a year later, they were commanded to "pull down the old meeting- house forthwith." In order to clear the way for the ac- complishment of this purpose, Doctor Chase and James Wason were chosen to "notify Massachusetts and Pelham with the Town's interest."
This committee, for some reason failing to succeed, November 21, 1747, it was "Voted to impower the com- mittee formerly chosen to treat with Pelham and the Mas- sachusetts Province which once belonged to Nottingham, to agree with the several proprietors belonging to said meeting house." Still unsuccessful, May 18, 1748, the town chose Ezekiel Chase, Esq., Mr. John Marshall and Mr. John Marsh "a committee to treat with the proprietors who are interested in the old meeting house who belong to Pelham and the Massachusetts Province."
In the meantime action was being taken towards build- ing another house, as will be explained further on, and at
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THE FIRST MEETING-HOUSE
the first town meeting held in this new church building, August 31, 1748, it was
Voted to remove the seats and pulpit & Dn (Deacon) seat out of ye old meeting house & place ym in the new house, and put up some of the old glass windows. Chose Mr. George Burns, Mr. John Marshall, & Dea- con Roger Chase a committee to effect ye foregoing work.
October 26, 1748, Capt. Thomas Colburn, Samuel Bur- bank and James Marsh were chosen to "pull up the old floor in the old meeting house, and the breast work, and take out the nails."
At a town meeting, January 30, 1749-
A unanimous vote was passed to give the old meeting house, all that is remaining, excepting window frames, casements & Glass & Pews, (ie) all their right and interest in and to the same, Excepting what is before Excepted, as a Present to the Rev. Mr. Merrill, his heirs and assigns.
With this action the records of the town close, as far as it was concerned in the old meeting-house, but the his- tory of the old building is revived in the Town Records of Pelham, where on March 6, 1748-9, it was "Voted to buy the Nottingham West meeting house of Mr. Merrill," and April 10, 1749, a committee was chosen to take down the old structure and remove it to Pelham "by a work rate." Still no immediate action seems to have been taken, for two and one-half years later, October 2, 1751, it was again voted to remove the house. Two weeks later the town "Voted to board and shingle the meeting house with con- venient speed." This indicates that in the interval the building had been moved, and that an effort was being made to finish it. This was duly accomplished, and the building was occupied as a meeting-house in Pelham until 1785, or fifty-one years from the date of its being built in 1734.
At a meeting in Pelham, May 27, 1789, it was voted to sell the old meeting-house at public vendue, "in such a way and manner as shall be thought most likely to fetch its full value, in order to pay the town debts." With this pa- thetic closing of a checkered career, the history of the pio- neer meeting-house in Hudson is brought to an end.
CHAPTER XVI
THE SECOND MEETING-HOUSE
Very soon after the incorporation of the town of Not- tingham West, in 1746, the question of building a new meeting-house, in order to satisfy the requirements of the altered situation of the inhabitants, began to be agitated. The same difficulty was met in regard to settling the ques- tion of the best location, as had to be considered in the selection of the site of the first house of worship. At a town meeting October 20, 1746, it was --
Voted to choose Major Zaccheus Lovewell, Doct. Ezekiel Chase, John Marshall, James Hills, Benja Frost a committee, with Colonel, Blanchard, to find the center up and down of this Town.
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