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 8
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Thomas Cummings3, (John2, Isaac1), born in Boxford, October 6, 1658; married December 19, 1688, Priscilla, daughter of Samuel and Mercy (Swan) Warner, born Sep- tember 25, 1666. He died October 23, 1722, and was, buried in the ancient cemetery at South Nashua, where his head stone still remains.
Children: Priscilla4, born October 1, 1689; died Sep- tember 13, 1728; Mary4, born April 25, 1692; married Lieut. Oliver Farwell, born 1691, who was killed by the Indians at Natticook, September 5, 1724, aged 33; Thomas4, born
* Killed by the Indians and remained unburied until November 28.
t Twins.
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HISTORY OF HUDSON
October 24, 1694; died June 2, 1695; Sarah4, born Septem- ber 15, 1696; Ann4, born February 6, 1699; Thomas4, born April 10, 1701; Jonathan4, born July 3, 1703; settled in Merrimack, N. H .; Ephraim4, born March 10, 1706, settled in Hudson; Samuel4, born April 12, 1708.
Nathaniel Cummings8, (John2, Isaac1,) born in Boxford September 10, 1659; married April 14, 1697, Abigail Park- hurst, of Chelmsford, and settled in Dunstable. His widow was living February 23, 1729, with her son John, who gave a bond for her support.
Children: John4, born January 14, 1698; Nathaniel4, born September 8, 1699; Eleazer4, born October 19, 1701; Joseph4, born May 26, 1704.
Abraham Cummings8, (John2, Isaac1,) born in Boxford, removed with his father to Dunstable about 1680. He married February 28, 1687, Sarah Wright, of Woburn, where the births of his children are recorded, with the ex- ception of Josiah's, which is recorded in Dunstable.
Children : Abraham4, born October 7, 1690; Joseph4, born September 1, 1692; Sarah4, born February 10, 1694; Jacob4, born January 3, 1696; Josiah4, born July 12, 1698; Eleazer4, born April 9, 1704.
Eleazer Cummings4, (Nathaniel3, John2, Isaac1,) born in Dunstable, October 19, 1701, settled on the southerly end of the Joseph Hills farm which was willed to Hannah Vinton and Samuel Green, containing ninety acres.
The deed dated August 1, 1728, was as follows:
To all people unto whom this Deed of sale shall come, Benjamin Long, Hannah Rogers and Thomas Rogers, Jun., Husband of said Han- nah Rogers, all of ye town of Newbury, in ye County of Essex, in ye Province of ye Massachusetts Bay in New England, sendeth greeting.
Know ye that for and in consideration of ye sum of two hundred and fifty Pounds money to us in hand paid, and by bond secured to us before the signing and sealing hereof, Have given, granted, bargained, sold, and do by these presents fully, freely and absolutely give, grant, sell, alienate, confirm and make over unto Eleazer Cummings, Sen., in ye County of Middlesex in ye Province above named, A certain parcel of land lying in ye township of Dunstable, being ninety acres of upland and ten acres of
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Meadow, being originally the land of Mr. Joseph Hills, late of Newbury, deceased, which land and meadow is at that end of said Hills farm lying next to Chelmsford, and was given to our honored mother, Hannah Long by ye last will and testament of her Honored father Joseph Hills.
The said ten acres of meadow is bounded as followeth, Viz. South- westward by meadow about eighteen poles, Southeasterly by upland about fifty poles and about 11 poles by meadow, bounded northeasterly by meadow about 38 poles, bounded westerly by upland in crooked lines about fifty-two poles to a white oak tree marked by a rock, thence it is bounded by upland in a crooked line about 36 poles. The Southeast and Northeast corners are stakes, the South west and North west corners are rocks and stones layed upon them.
To Have and to Hold all of the above mentioned ninety acres of up- land and ten acres of meadow together with all the privileges and apper- tenances thereon or in any ways thereunto appertaining, to him the said Eleazer Cummings his heirs Executors Administrators assigns forever, to his and their proper use, benefit or behoof forever.
And we the said Benjamin Long, Hannah Rogers and Thomas Rog- ers, for ourselves our heirs executors administrators, do promise, covenant and grant to and with the above said E eazer Cummings, his heirs Ex- ecutors Administrators and assigns, that before ye signing and sealing hereof, we are the true sole and lawful owners of all ye above bargained premises, and have ourselves good right, full power, and lawful authority to make this sale in form and manner as aforesaid, And that ye said Elea- zer Cummings, his heirs and assigns shall have, hold, use, occupy, possess and enjoy all ye above demised premises, with the appurtenances, free and clear from all former or other sales, gifts, grants, thirds dowers, wills, mortgages, or any other incumbrances whatever.
And furthermore we the above said Benjamin Long, Hannah Rogers and Thomas Rogers, for ourselves and our heirs Executors and Admin- istrators do covenant and promise to and with the above named Eleazer Cummings his heirs Executors Administrators and assigns to secure war- rantise maintain and defend all and every part of ye above demised prem- ises against the lawful claims of any person or persons whatsoever.
In witness and for confirmation of all above written we the above named Benjamin Long, Hannah Rogers and Thomas Rogers have here- unto set our hands and seals, this first day of August, in ye second year of ye reign of our Sovereign Lord, George ye Second, King of Great Britain, &c, Anno Dom. 1728. signed sealed and delivered BENJAMIN LONG, [SEAL] in presence of us Witnesses.
JOHN HUSE,
HANNAH ROGERS, [SEAL]
THOMAS ROGERS, JR. [SEAL]
MARY ROGERS.
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Essex, Newbury the first day of August, 1728, the within named Bem- jamin Long and Hannah Rogers and Thomas Rogers, Junior, Personally acknowledged this instrument, and Sarah Long - gave up her right of dower in and to the same, before me
EDWARD SARGENT Justice of the Peace.
Sarah Long above named is the wife of Benjamin Long, acknowl- edged before me
BENJAMIN SARGENT Justice of the Peace.
Cambr, July 15, 1730.
Received and entered in the Registry of Deeds for said County Lib.
31 Pa 450-1.
Attest
IRA FOXCROFT. Reg.
This farm of ninety acres, and later known as the Cum- mings farm, was bounded southerly by the south line of the Joseph Hills grant, commencing at the Merrimack River about 60 rods above Taylor's Falls bridge, thence easterly to near the south-west corner of the Spruce Swamp, so called, about 106 rods. It included the farm of Aldon E. Cummings, which was the north half of the original farm, and also the greater part of the homestead of Kim- ball Webster, with the north part of the homestead of the late Mrs. Sarah H. Whittier.
Mr. Cummings invested all his capital in the purchase of his farm, and did not immediately erect a house. He was engaged quite extensively, during that part of the year suited to the business, in gathering turpentine.
This was done by "boxing" the large white pine trees with a hatchet made for that purpose, and called a "turpen- tine hatchet." These boxes, as they were called, were made by cutting a cavity into the trunks of large trees in such a way that it would hold a considerable quantity of the liquid turpentine, which would gather in them in warm weather, in the spring and summer season.
This was removed from the boxes, stored in barrels, and sold for use in the Royal Navy of England.
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Mr. Cummings, then a single man, while engaged in the turpentine business, improving his land for a farm, and erecting a two-story dwelling house for his future residence boarded with Mr. Nathan Cross, on the farm adjoining his own upon the north.
How long this continued is not known, but probably two or three years, or until he had completed his house so far as to be habitable. After the completion of the build- ing, and until his first marriage, which may have been two, or more years, he resided in his new house alone, being his own cook and housekeeper.
At that time a band of friendly Indians resided, at least a part of the time, on the small island at the mouth of the Nashua river, which at that period, and for more than a hundred years later, was an island in fact, but which now forms the point between the Merrimack and the Nashua.
He related that many nights while alone in his house he could hear the Indians carousing all night, and on cross- ing the river in his canoe the next morning he would find nearly the whole band intoxicated.
Possibly it is now known to but very few, that a band of Indians from Maine, said to have been of the Penobscot tribe, visited the same island in 1834. They paddled their bark canoes along the coasts of Maine and New Hamp- shire, and up the Merrimack river.
There was a considerable number of men, women and children, and they remained a long time during the summer and autumn of that year. The writer, then about six years of age, distinctly recalls the fact of crossing the river in a boat with his mother, and visiting the Indian camp com- posed of quite a number of real Indian wigwams. She traded ears of green corn for small fancy baskets made by the squaws. Here, about the junction of the two rivers -the Merrimack and the Nashua-and on both sides of the Merrimack, had long been a favorite location for the Indi- ans, and fields upon these fertile alluvial intervales had been cultivated by them for many years for the production
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of corn and other vegetables, especially on the east side of the river.
Here also they buried their dead. The writer, in 1859, when excavating for the cellar over which his house was built, and where he now resides, 1912, soon made the discovery that he was at work in an ancient Indianburying ground. This is situated nearly opposite to, but a little be- low the mouth of the Nashua, on a sandy knoll not more than twelve or fourteen rods from the east bank of the Merrimack.
It is very true that human remains were in but few of the many graves discovered-probably not more than half a dozen. No account was taken of the number of graves opened, but I believe we dug out more than thirty in all. They were nearly all of a comparatively uniform length and depth-from two and a half to thee feet deep and from four to nearly five feet in length. There was seen a thin streak or vein of a black substance at the bottom of the graves opened, which would seem to indicate that after a grave had been opened a fire was first kindled in it before the body was placed therein. The black vein in the bottom made it very easy to discover the ancient graves, even when noth- ing else remained visible.
The material of the earth throughout the entire exca- vation was fine sand.
The legs of the bodies buried were folded back at the knees, as I have found to be true of all Indian burials that I have discovered in this section of the country. This ac- counts for the shortness of the graves.
In one grave, I found the bones almost perfect, and covered with pine bark which was in a good state of pres- ervation. When the bark was lifted the straight, black hair was plainly to be seen about the head, but after exposure it soon disappeared, or immediately turned to dust. In
another grave was the skeleton of an adult almost perfect.
In several others, traces of bones were visible. Buried a few inches above such remains of bones or charcoal in
CHARLES E. CUMMINGS
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one of the graves was found the back part of a box tortoise shell which was in perfect condition, and which may have been used as a drinking vessel by the Indians, or for some other domestic purpose. In several graves were found chips of flint and in several others round or oval, smooth stones of from one to two pounds weight, each of which was slightly nicked on four sides, as though having been slung as a war club or for some other purpose.
Probably this spot had been used by the Indians on both sides of the Merrimack as a burial place for their dead, perhaps for many generations. Only a small portion of the burying ground was dug over. How far it extended outside of that I have no means of knowing.
Many stone implements have formerly been found upon this sandy knoll, which extends north and south par- allel with the Merrimack for several hundred feet. Con- siderable quantities of pottery have been found by the writer along the bank of the river.
Mr. Cummings, finding, as he did, these corn fields all ready for the plow, had a comparatively easy task, during the first years of his settlement here, to produce corn and other vegetables sufficient to supply his needs. He mar- ried first, July 28, 1734, Mary Varnum, born in Dracut, June 28, 1706, O. S. The house erected by Mr. Cummings was located very nearly opposite the mouth of the Nashua River upon a rise about twenty rods almost directly north of the present dwelling house of Kimball Webster. The house was of solid construction, two stories high on the front or south side, and one story on the back side. It was about forty feet long and thirty feet wide, and was in- habited until 1847, and was demolished in 1848. A de- pression is still plainly visible where it stood.
Mr. Cummings very soon established a ferry across the Merrimack, which was probably the first public ferry in this town. The ferry landing on the east side of the river was almost directly opposite the point of land be- tween the two rivers at their junction, where a depression
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is still noticeable in the bank. The old ferry road up the river bank on the west side, just below the mouth of the Nashua, is also very plain to be seen.
He also opened a tavern at his house, which he kept for several years.
At that time the road from the Cummings' ferry passed easterly, south of Mr. Cummings' house, and still easterly to the next rise, and then northerly to near the place where Mr. Cross' house stood, which will be described later, and then easterly across the small spring brook, thence north- erly and easterly to what is now the Derry road, a little north of the Catholic Cemetery. His wife died "Septem- ber 17, 1759, aged 53 years 2 months and ten days." "We lived together twenty and five years and 1 month and 20 days." (Copy of original record written by Eleazer Cum- mings).
They had no children.
He also recorded on the same paper : "July 12 day 1764, married to my second wife."
He married, second, Phebe, daughter of Josiah and Phebe Richardson of Litchfield, born January 19, 1728. They had two children, Eleazer5, born June 16, 1765, and Phebe5, born July 8, 1768. Mr. Cummings died December 8, 1780, aged 79 years, and his widow, Phebe, died Decem- ber 27, 1788, aged about 60 years.
They were buried in the Blodgett Cemetery, where their head stones still stand with inscriptions that are plain and easy to be read.
He was chosen one of the selectmen at the second town meeting, March, 1734, and was later chairman of the board.
Mr. Cummings, while he lived, gave his nephew, Elea- zer Cummings, son of his brother Nathaniel, whom he brought up, a farm in Londonderry; and also is said to have given another young man who had lived with him for several years-John Carkin-land for a farm, probably in Lyndeborough.
CHAPTER IX
PIONEER FAMILIES, CONTINUED
Upon effecting their release from the Indians, through their own efforts, Messrs. Cross and Blanchard, as has been already mentioned, returned to Dunstable. On his way back, the former went to the hollow log where he had placed his musket, with his dinner, on the morning of the attack of the Indians, to find the weapon just as he had left it. This firearm was long owned by Mr. Levi S. Cross of Nashua, and has been preserved as an heirloom in the Cross family.
A few months previous to the captivity of Nathan Cross, Joseph Butterfield of Dunstable, "in consideration of the sum of four hundred and Ten Pounds of Good and Current Money of New England," conveyed to Mr. Cross that part of the Joseph Hills farm that was willed by him to his son-in-law, John Waite. This contained forty-five acres, adjoining the land bought by Eleazer Cummings, being the next farm north, with meadows and other lands. The description, copied from the original deed, is as fol- lows :
A certain Peace or Parcel of Land Scituate Lying and being in the township of Dunstable aforesd on the East side of Merrimack river Lying in a farm Commonly Called & Known by ye Name of Hillses farm being forty-five acres be the same so much more or less bounded as followeth viz Beginning on Merrimack River at an oak tree Marked B & W and from thence up sd River about fifty pole to another tree marked so from thence Running Partly North East to another tree marked so from thence southerly about forty poles to Mr. Longs Corner thence Westerly by the Land of Long to Merrimack River to the sd tree where we began or however the same is otherwise bounded or reported to be bounded. as also another Distinct Parcel of upland being an Island Lying on the west side of Merrimack River in the Mouth of Nashua River as it is Common- ly called being about four acres be the same so much more or less being bound round by water and also a certain parcel of Meadow Lying in the
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HISTORY OF HUDSON
Town aforesaid on the East side of Merrimack River Containing six acres be the same so much more or less and lying near a pond called Watannanack Pond and is bound round wh Great pines marked with J and H and on all other points however otherwise bounded as also five acres more of Meadow which Lyes in a Great Meadow Commonly called and known by the Name of Hillses Great Meadow, which is not as yet Laid out to sd Butterfield.
This deed was dated April 22, 1724, and signed by Joseph and Sarah Butterfield, witnessed by Eleazer Tyng and Moses Colburn ; acknowledged before Eleazer Tyng, Justice of the Peace, and "Entered in the Registry of Deeds for Middlesex, the 26 of May, 1725. Lib. 25, Fol. 85-6"
" Rec'd 26th April, 1748, Province of New Hampshire, Recorded Lib. 35 Fol. 231
D. PIERCE, Register."
Mr. Cross settled upon his land and erected a house probably as early as 1728. This dwelling was located about forty rods west of the Derry road, upon a rise of ground, a little south-westerly and near the bank of the small spring brook in land now owned by Charles A. McAfee.
Nathan Cross was in Capt. Joseph Blanchard's com- pany, scouting on the Merrimack and Connecticut rivers, during the French and Indian war in 1754, twelve weeks and two days. He was probably twice married, as we find recorded in the Dunstable records the births of children of Nathan and Sarah Cross:
Peter, born September 28, 1729; Sarah, born June 26, 1731; married Joseph Blodgett.
On the Nottingham records is recorded the birth of John Cross, son of Nathan and Mary Cross, born October 9, 1735.
Nathan Cross died September 8, 1766.
The farm remained in the Cross family for nearly one hundred and fifty years. The west part of the Catholic Cemetery covers a piece of what was the Cross farm, and the land of George H. Abbott was once the north side of the Nathan Cross farm.
William Cummings4, youngest son of John Cummings8, Jr., and Elizabeth (Kingsley) Cummings, born in Dun-
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stable, April 24, 1702, a cousin to Eleazer Cummings4, be- fore mentioned, settled on the next farm north of that of Nathan Cross. This homestead contained forty-five acres, which was the same devised by Joseph Hills to his grand_ children, Hannah and Elizabeth Blanchard. He probably settled here after the end of Lovewell's war, and at about the same time that Nathan Cross settled on his farm ad- joining.
With his cousin, Josiah Cummings4, he is supposed to have been in the second expedition of the famous Captain John Lovewell against the Indians, that left Dunstable, January 29, 1725, and which marched triumphantly into Dover, and later into Boston, with ten scalps stretched on hoops and elevated on poles, for which a bounty of £100 for each scalp was paid.
William and Josiah were both also in the party of Captain Lovewell, in his last and fatal expedition that left Dunstable about the 16th day of April, O. S. or April 27th N. S., which numbered forty-six men. After they reached Contoocook, William became lame, and returned, with Josiah to accompany him, as has been related in a former chapter.
He was Deacon of the church for many years, and was a prominent man in the affairs of the town. He was elected one of the selectmen in 1736 and in 1748. He mar- ried Sarah, daughter of William and Esther Harwood, born in Dunstable June 26, 1706. He occupied the farm until his death which occured August 29, 1766. His wife died in 1769.
The old Cummings house stood east of the Derry road, and a little north of the house of the late Lucien M. Tolles. It is probable that a temporary house may have been built by him some forty rods further west, where he at first resided.
The children of William and Sarah (Harwood) Cum- mings, as found recorded on the Dunstable records, are:
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HISTORY OF HUDSON
Sarah, born November 10, 1728; Ebenezer, born Jan- uary 29, 1730; John Harwood, born April 24, 1733; Dor- cas, born December 18, 1737.
And on the Nottingham records are:
Rebecca, born March 17, 1740; Joseph, born October 15, 1742; Thaddeus, born May 17, 1745.
The next farm north and adjoining the Deacon Wil- liam Cummings farm was the John Taylor garrison place, containing forty-five acres, an account of which has already been given.
Eleazer Cummings4, Jr., as he was designated on the records, was a son of Abraham Cummings8, born in Wo- burn, April 9, 1704, and was a cousin to Eleazer and Wil- liam.
In 1733, when the first tax list was made up, he was a resident, and was occupying the south half of the ninety acres of land that Joseph Hills devised to his grand-chil- dren, Hannah Vinton and Samuel Green.
This farm was next north and adjoining the John Tay- lor garrison farm, later the Marsh farm, and now, 1912, the westerly part, and some of the easterly part, being owned by the heirs of Josiah K. Wheeler. The Elijah R. Reed house is on a part of the same farm; and a small part of his farm, and some of the land of James A. Philips, includ- ing the place where his house stands, also the land of Menzell S. French.
The Eleazer Cummings, Jr's., house was located just north of the present highway, at the foot of the hill, be- tween the house of Josiah K. Wheeler and that of Elijah R. Reed. The house was quite near the road, not far east from the present boundary line between Mr. Wheeler and Mr. Reed, and the old cellar was visible until within recent years. He married, September 4, 1729, Rachel Proctor of Londonderry. He seems to have married a second time, for at his death his widow, Mary, declined to administer on his estate, and his brother Josiah, then of Litchfield, was appointed administrator instead, November 19, 1735.
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Daniel Proctor, of Chelmsford, brother of his deceased wife, Rachel, was appointed guardian of the two children. Eleazer of "Actown," one of these, selected the same per- son as his guardian, as did Abraham of "Chelmsford," Au- gust 29, 1748. Mr. Proctor made report of his guardian- ship in 1751.
He was assessed in 1733-4 and 35. His widow, Mary Cummings, was assessed in 1736.
His estate at the probating of the will is described as "a homestead of fifty-five acres and one-third of twenty acres of meadow"-part of the Joseph Hills farm.
The children of Eleazer Cummings, Jr., and Rachel (Proctor) Cummings as recorded were:
Eleazer, born December 15, 1730; Abraham, born June 1, 1734; died May 13, 1756.
He died in 1735, but his death is not recorded.
Probably he did not settle here until after his marriage in 1729, when he was about twenty-five years ot age.
Jabez Davis appears to have occupied the next farm north of that owned by Eleazer Cummings, Jr., it being the north half of the ninety acres devised by Joseph Hills to his grand-children, Hannah Vinton and Samuel Green, and later the Fitch P. Marsh farm, and still later the Carl- ton farm. That part of the original farm east of the high- way has been long separated from the west part, which is principally intervale land, and is now owned by Abram Feryall, who also owns the Pierce farm adjoining on the north.
Jabez Davis was a Quaker, as appears from an article in the warrant for the annual town meeting for March 10, 1735, which reads as follows:
"To see if the town will vote to abate Jabez Davis of part of his Rates as towns usually do Quakers."
He was assessed herein 1733-4-5-6 and 7. He proba- bly removed from this town about 1737.
Upon the record is found the birth of Thomas Davis, son of Jabez and Ruth Davis, born April 8, 1733.
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HISTORY OF HUDSON
The date of his settlement here is not known, but evi- dently it was after the close of Lovewell's War in 1725.
In 1738 and 1739 the farm was assessed to Robert Mc- Keen, and in 1740 and 1741 to Jeremiah Carlton. The tax list for 1742, the first year after the settlement of the Province line between New Hampshire and Massachusetts, cannot be found, and probably there was none made for that year.
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