USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Manchester > History of Manchester, formerly Derryfield, in New-Hampshire : including that of ancient Amoskeag, or the middle Merrimack Valley, together with the address, poem, and other proceedings of the centennial celebration of the incorporation of Derryfield at Manchester, October 22, 1851 > Part 17
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79
102
THE HISTORY OF MANCHESTER.
ans that the Merrimack made an elbow at Pawtuckett, and that from its source to that place it ran nearly north and south, they began to claim a portion of Mason's grant, and to push their northern line father north than the three miles named in their charter. Thus as early as 1631, they took possesion of Winnecowett, the south part of old Hampton and built a " bound house" there, for the purpose of defending their northern limits, or of taking possession of the territory claimed .*
And in 1633 or thereabouts, the Lords Say and Brook with others purchased the Hilton patent. These men were of the same religious views of the people of Massachusetts, the Governor and Magistrates of which colony wrote to them, ad- vising and encouraging the purchase, for the express purpose of throwing obstacles in the way of Mason and his colony .- This they most effectually accomplished as the sequel will show.
These proceedings with others, naturally engendered hos- tilty on the part of Mason and his friends, and he entered into measures with the Government in England, for the purpose of limiting the power, and thwarting the intentions of the Massa- chusetts colony. Meantime he prosecuted the affairs of his infant colony with renewed vigor and in 1634 sent over a large and valuable accession to the settlement, as before suggested, in servants, cattle, and stores. But death put a stop to all his schemes of aggrandizement. Capt. Mason died on the 26th of November, 1635, leaving his manor of Mason Hall to his grand son Robert Tufton, and the residue of his property in New Hampshire except two thousand acres of land for the sup- port of a " preacher of God's word," and a grammar-school, to his grandson John Tufton, on condition that they should take the name of Mason, which c ndition they complied with .- After the death of her husband, Mrs. Anne Mason, the execu- trix of his estate, attempted to prosecute the business of the set- tlement, but the returns not meeting the outlay, she abandoned the attempt, and sent directions to her agent, Col. Francis Nor- ton, to dispose of her personal property.t
He succeeded in getting possession of some of it and drove an hundred head of cattle to Boston and sold them ; but most of the tenants who had arrears of pay due them, kept the prop- erty in their possession, personal as well as real, claiming and holding houses, and lands as their own.}
* See Appendix No. 22, Belknap's History.
t See files in Secretary's office.
# See Farmer's Belknap pg. 23.
1
t
1
- C t
C
103
MASSACHUSETT'S NORTHERN BOUNDARY.
But in 1636, Mason's affairs being in confusion, the Massa- chusetts colony began to talk of pushing their northern bound- ary still farther north than their bound, or possession house, at Hampton. At this time, some of the persons who had been sent out of Massachusetts on account of their Antinomian prin- ciples, took refuge at Dover. Upon this, Governor Winthrop wrote to Capt. Wiggin the Governor or Agent of Dover, and the Rev. Mr. Burdet and others of that plantation, that if they re- ceived any persons they had "cast out " it would be much re- sented, and threatening them, if they should receive such ex- iles, "they should survey their utmost limits and make use of them." *
Again in 1638, the Rev. John Wheelwright having been " cast out, " with his associates, and having settled down at Exeter, which tract of land they had previously purchased of Passaconnaway, Runnawit and others, they found that portion of the territory known as Winnecowett, settled upon by the people of Massachusetts. It seems also that certain Indians still claimed Winnecowett, and to quiet them, as well as to ob- tain in their estimation a good title to the soil, they purchase d the tract of the Indians for a valuable consideration. After completing their title to the lands at Winnecowett, they noti- fied the people to desist from farther occupying said lands, and also the colony of Masachusetts, that " they intended to lot out all these lands in farms except " they "could show a better title " +
Upon this a committee was sent up the Merrimack to exam- ine its source and course, who reported, as Winthrop has it, that they " found some parts of the Merrimack about Penkook, to lie more northerly than forty-three and a half," and so con- tinues Winthrop, " We returned answer to them (Wheelwright and his associates) that though we would not relinquish our in- terest by priority of possession, for any right they could have from the Indians, yet seeing they had professed not to claim any thing which should fall within our patent, we would look no further than that, in respect to their claim.
This answer was altogether mysterious, and was probably in- tended as such, to cover some ulterior design. For if they claimed the land to "Penkook," as the language of the reply
· Winthrop's His. N. E. Vol. 1. pg. 276.
+ Winthrop's N. E. Vol. 1. pg. 290.
# Winthrop N. E., Vol. 1, pg. 304.
104
THE HISTORY OF MANCHESTER.
seems to imply, a line passing east upon the latitude of Penna- cook, would take in, not only Hampton, Exeter and Dover, but the greater part of the County of York, in Maine. But this in- definite answer was doubtless made to Wheelwright and his associates, to set them at ease, while by negotiation or other- wise, they might get some color of title to their lands.
In 1639, they sent another committee " to find out the north- most part of Merrimack river."* At this time the north line was established at a great pine, three miles north of the forks of Merrimack, in Franklin. They were induced to take this step doubtless from the fact that the people of Dover, in spite of their remonstrances, continued to receive the exiles "cast out" by Massachusetts, and had elected one of the most obnoxious of them, Capt. John Underhill, as their Governor.
The people of Massachusetts thought this against good neigh- borhood, and determined to make good their claim to the lands at Piscataqua, at the first fitting opportunity. Meantime they exercised jurisdiction over the people at Hampton, but left those on the Piscataqua to govern themselves. But policy prevented their pressing their claim any farther north, at this time, as a line extended east and west through the forest, three miles north of the forks of the Merrimack, not only included the most of New Hampshire but a large portion of Maine ; and although they might have been successful in claiming New Hampshire, as it were deserted by the heirs of the deceased proprietor ; yet in asserting their full claim to that, they must also have claimed the south part of Maine, and that was a position they did not wish to assume at that time. The grant to Gorges had lately been confirmed to him by the King, and the Lord Proprietor, as well as the proprietors of Lygonia, were altogether too powerful men, and of too much influence at Court, to be bearded with impunity.
Under these circumstances they very prudently refrained from pressing their claim, and entered upon a system of finesse and negotiation, to get the government and the patents at Piscataqua into their own hands.
Meantime the policy of Massachusetts in encouraging their friends, Say, Brook, and others, to purchase the Hilton patent began to develop itself, for certain individuals at Dover, compris- ing those sent over by them, and who were friendly to the in- terests of Massachusetts, made a proposition to come under the jurisdiction of that government, and in September, 1639, sent a
* Hutchinson's His., Vol. 1, pg. 104.
t
S
105
DIFFICULTIES AT DOVER.
committee of three to Boston, to agree upon terms of union. After some negotiation, terms were agreed upon, and a " treaty was brought to a conclusion," stipulating that Piscataqua "should be as Ipswich and Salem, and have Courts there ;" but it was understood that this treaty was not to take effect un- less the people of Piscataqua agreed to it .* Upon the return of the committee the people rejected their agreement. Most of the people went against the union, for the reason that the pro- prietors mostly lived in England, and they wished to consult them upon a matter of such moment to them. Others consult- ed their own interests in their opposition ; among them Capt. Underhill, who had been chosen Governor in place of Burdet, and did not care to lose his place any more than to come under the government of Massachusetts, where he had been guilty of many misdemeanors, for which he had been banished. He, however, true to his character, wrote the Governor of Massachu- setts, laying the blame of the rejection upon others at Dover, but his duplicity in the matter was fully exposed.+
After the expulsion of Burdet from Dover, and the election of Underhill as Governor of the plantation, he procured the ser- vices of Hanserd Knolles to preach at Dover, who was his friend and supporter, and had been prohibited from preaching, by Mas- sachusetts, and at Dover by Burdet.
In the fall of 1640, a Mr. Larkham came to Dover from Mas- sachusetts, where he had arrived during the previous summer, from England. He soon eclipsed Knolles, and raised so much of a party as to displace him. Many of the people became dis- gusted with Larkham's arbitrary assumption of power, restored Knolles to his office, who excommunicated Larkham. Underhill, of course, supported Knolle's' party, and through him sought to ingratiate himself with the government of Massachusetts. In fact, as early as December, 1639, Underhill it seems, made the attempt to gain once more the good graces of the people of Mas- sachusetts, and having obtained a safe conduct, repaired to Bos- ton, where he made a public confession of his faults, but with such apparent insincerity that the "Church presently cast him out." To this he seemed to submit, and while he remained in Boston "he was very much dejected." But upon his return to Dover " he gave not that proof of a broken heart, as he gave hope of at Boston."} Again soon afterwards he repaired to
* Winthrop's His. N. E., Vol. I, pg. 319.
+ Winthrop's His. N. E., Vol. 1. pg. 327.
* Winthrop's His. N. E., Vol. 1. pg. 327.
106
THE HISTORY OF MANCHESTER.
Boston " to tender satisfaction to the Church," " but the Church would not admit him to public speech. So after one week he returned home."*
But persevering in his plan, in September, 1640, having ob- tained another safe conduct, " by means of the elders and others of the Church of Boston," he repaired to Boston during " the time of the Court of Assistants," and upon a lecture day, by leave of the ministers, again made a public confession, and at its close, asking "the Church to have compassion on him, and to deliver him out of the hands of Satan, was received into the Church again." Soon after, he went into the General Court and there confessed his misconduct, asking pardon, and was released from his banishment.+
How Underhill should have obtained a safe conduct to Bos- ton, " by means of the elders and others of the Church of Boston," when they would not permit him to speak in their meeting a few months previous, and how he was so readily received again into the Church, and relieved from his banishment, upon his confession, would be a mystery, were not the fact known, that upon going home, Underhill became a strong advocate for a union of the plantations at Piscataqua with that of Massachu- setts ! !
His proceedings forth with produced the utmost confusion in the colony, and for their better government, a majority of the peo- ple on the 23d of October, 1640, entered into a combination, or " body politic" for the purpose of enjoying " the benefit of his Majesty's laws," and all such laws as should be " concluded by a majority of the free men."# Underhill attempted to "rend this combination," and " contrary to his oath and fidelity,' " went from house to house, and for his own ends, by flattering and threatening, got some hands to a note of their willingness to submit themselves under" the government of Massachusetts.§ Some of the magistrates of Larkham's party cited Underhill to appear before them, and answer for his conduct in " secretly en- deavoring to persuade the inhabitants to offer themselves to the government of Massachusetts, whose favor he was desirous to purchase by these means, as he knew that their view was to extend their jurisdiction as far as they imagined their limits
* Winthrop's N. E., Vol. 1, pg. 328.
t Winthrop's His. N. E., Vol. 2, pg. 13 & 14.
Į Belknap, Appendix No. 13, pg. 438.
§ Ms. letter of Larkham, Waldron, Wentworth, Haynes, and others to the Governor of Massachusetts.
107
DIFFICULTIES AT DOVER.
reached, whenever they should find a favorable opportunity."* Underhill collected together his forces to attack Larkham's party ; but they being in the minority, declined a contest. Meantime they had sent to the mouth of the river for assistance, and Williams, the Governor at Portsmouth, came up to Dover with a party, a Court was formed of which Williams was judge, and Underhill and his party were found guilty of riot, and were fined and banished the colony. Underhill had also sent for assistance, and what was not a little singular, he had sent to Massachusetts for that assistance ; which goes to show that he thought he had been engaged in a work pleasing to them, if not with their knowledge and understanding. This was in February, 1640. March 4th following, the leading inhabitants of Dover, sent the following letter to the Governor of Massachusetts, explanatory of Underhill's conduct, and of their objection to coming under the Government of Massachusetts :
" NORTHAM, 4 i month. (1. 40.)
HONOURED SIR :- We, the Inhabitants of Northam, make bould to trouble you wth these few lynes, Certifyinge you that whereas wee suppose Captaine Underhill hath informed you and the rest of your brethren of the Matechusheth baye, that wee are all willinge, voluntarily to submit our Selves to your Gov- ernment upon fformer Articles propounded ; truth it is wee doe very well aprove of your judicious wayes, and shall be very joyful, yu please God to enlarge us, that wee may be free from other ingagements and prmises wch some of us are obliged in to the owners or patentees, from whom under his Mat's Letter Patents we enjoy our free liberty, wch causeth us not for present to submit to any other government than that wch wee have already entered into combination to observe according to the King's Mat's lawes, until such time as the owners come over to us, wch wee suppose will be about three months hence, and then our prpositions Considered as the Lord shall direct us, wee will labour more to satisfy you. But for the proceedings of Captain Underhill seeking to undermyne us, and contrary to his oath and fidellyty as we suppose intrusted to him, hath went from house to house, and for his own ends, by flattery and threatening, gotten some hands to a note of their willingness to submitt themselves under your goverument, and some that have no habitation, to bring his purposes to pass ; we doubt not but you are to well acquainted with his stratagems in plotting his
*Belknap, pg. 26.
108
THE HISTORY OF MANCHESTER.
owne designs, wch wee refer to your grave judgments. Some of those that subscribed to his note have this day utterly prtest- ed against their owne act, for he hath raysed such a mutinie amongst us wch if we take not Course for the stoping thereof it may Cause the effusion of blood, by reason he hath by his de- signes privately rent the combination as much as in him lyeth, Contrary to his Act, that is that wee should continue in the same govmnt except an agreement or cause shewed to the Con- trary in open Court, agreed on by the maior p'te. thus Much we thought good to acquaynt your wor'p, wthall beseeching your favourable construction, hoping you will weigh our Case in Equity, and Conscience, and not any way to enforce us to any act whereby wee should break pr'mise or Covevant wth the pa- tentees or amongst ourselves whchin soe doinge we should sinne greatly. wee heartyly desire your prayers for us, and comit you to the prtection of the Almightye at yor - - to be comanded.
Thom Larkham,
William Waldern,
sign
John ffollett,
John [+] Tuttle, of
Robert Varney,
henry beck, mrk
Thomas Durston,
Thomas Roberts,
Thos. [T] Layton, of
Samuel haines,
Edward Starbuck,
Bartholomew Smith, William Pomfrett, John Dam, William furbur, mrk
Barthol'ew [+] Hunt, of
William Storer,
mrk
John [H] Hall, of
Richard Waldern, Edward Colcorde,
sig
Robert [R] huckins of Richard Pinkcom, Thomas Tricky,
Phillip Swaddon.
From this letter it would seem that the leading men of Dover supposed Underhill was in correspondence with the government of Massachusetts, and was doing their work while he "raysed such a mutinie," and was rending "the combination as much as in him lyeth !" Also that the proprietors of the Hilton Patent were expected from England in about three months.
To make sure of a claim of jurisdiction over the patents at Piscataqua, the government of Massachusetts had already en- tered into a negotiation with the gentlemen in England who owned those patents, for a surrender of the jurisdiction of their patents. This negotiation was nearly completed ; but still it was the policy of the Massachusetts government to bring about a voluntary submission on the part of the inhabitants of those patents, to their government. Hence the correspondence with Underhill.
m
h
tl
t
William Jones,
109
DIFFICULTIES AT DOVER.
Hence too, upon the application of Underhill for assistance, they sent down a committee of three persons, the noted Rev., Hugh Peters, of Salem, the Rev. Samuel Dalton, and another, to examine into the state of affairs ; in the words of Winthrop, " to understand the minds of the people, to reconcile some dif- ferences between them, and to prepare them."* Prepare them for what ? Why, for the event that Governor Winthrop and the magistrates of Massachusetts had long labored to bring about, the surrender of the jurisdiction of the patents upon the Piscataqua to that government, and which they knew would transpire as soon as the proprietors should arrive from England, whose ar- rival was expected in a few weeks.
The government of Massachusetts managed this affair with much adroitness. Underhill had been playing the part of the blustering emissary, till he had thrown the colony into the great- est confusion, and now milder measures and wiser heads were to be used. Accordingly a committee of ability and standing were sent down to Dover, who had the address to settle the dif- ferences among the people, "and to prepare them." The im- mediate result of their mission was this, "that the one party revoked the excommunication, and the other the fines and ban- ishment." +
The prospective result of it was, that the people of Dover were quite willing to agree to the surrender of their jurisdiction to Massachusetts, as soon as the proprietors had arrived in this country, and had made the necessary disposition to carry that long agitated project into effect.
This mission was doubtless performed in the early spring of 1641, as snow was upon the ground, and the committee travel- ling on foot, upon their return, they got lost in the woods, and "wandered two days and one night, without food or fire, in the snow and wet." #
At the same time many of the people of the lower patent upon the Piscataqua, known as Portsmouth, were anxious to come under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts. The alleged reason of their anxiety was, their want of any stable government ; but another reason was doubtless equally weighty with them, and which was, that there was a claimant for the lands upon which many of them lived.
It will be borne in mind that Capt. John Mason was one of the principal proprietors of the patent of 1631, as also the pro-
* Winthrop's N. E. Vol. 2. pg. 28.
+ Belknap, pg. 26.
# Winthrop's His. N. E., Vol 2, pg. 292
12
110
THE HISTORY OF MANCHESTER.
.
prietor of the whole of New Hampshire, by his patent of 1629 -and that many of the people sent over by him had laid claim upon his death, not only to the personal effects of their em- ployer in their possession, but to the land on which they resid- ed. Now Norton, the attorney of the executrix of Mason's es- tate, had already been among them, and claimed the personal property belonging to her deceased husband ; and the heir to his estate was ready to prosecute his claims whenever fitting op- portunity should arrive. Under such circumstances, it was natural that the people who lived upon Mason's territory with- out title to their lands, and of course were opposed to his claim, should seek the protection of Massachusetts, the people of which government had laid claim to his lands, and, of course, would continue their opposition ; hence they readily heard the argu- ments of the partisans of Massachusetts, and were ready to be taken under the jurisdiction of that government.
Accordingly when the proprietors arrived from England, about the first of June, 1641, they found the people of their patents fully prepared to pass under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts; and on the 14th of that month an instrument passing the jurisdiction of both the Hilton and Portsmouth or Rendezvous patents to Massachusetts, was duly executed in the presence of the Gen- eral Court, and provided that Massachusetts should have " ju- risdiction of government of the said people dwelling or abiding within the limits of both of said patents, to be ruled and ordered in all causes, criminal and civil, as inhabitants, dwelling within the limits of Massachusetts government, and to be subjected to pay in Church and Commonwealth, as the said inhabitants of Massachusetts Bay do, and no other; and the freemen of the said two patents to enjoy the like liberties as other freemen do in the said Massachusetts' government ; and that there shall be a Court of Justice kept within one of the two patents, which shall have the same power that the Courts at Ipswich and Salem have." *
The contract coming before the General Court in October, 1641, in form, on the 9th instant, the Court passed the following order :-
" Whereas it appeareth that by the extent of the line accord- ing to our patent the river of Piscataquack is within the juris- diction of the Massachusetts, and conference being had at several times with the said people and some deputed by the general court for the settling and establishing of order in the
* Hutchinson's His., Vol. 1, pgs. 98 & 99.
1
111
DIFFICULTIES AT DOVER.
administration of justice there ; it is now ordered by the general court holden at Boston this 9th day of the 8th month 1641, and with the consent of the inhabitants of the said river, as follow- eth. Imprimis, That from henceforth the said people inhabit- ing there, are and shall be accepted and reputed under the government of Massachusetts, as the rest of the inhabitants within the said jurisdiction are. Also, that they shall have the same order and way of administration of Justice, and way of keeping courts, as is established at Ipswich and Salem. Also, they shall be exempted from all public charges, other than those that shall arise for or from among themselves, or from any ac- tion or course that may be taken to procure their own good or benefit. Also, they shall enjoy all such lawful liberties of fish- ing, planting, and selling timber, as formerly they have enjoyed in the same river. Mr. Simon Broadstreet, Mr. Israel Stough- ton, Mr. Samuel Simonds, Mr. William Tyng, Mr. Francis Williams, and Mr. Edward Hilton, or any four of them, where- of Mr. Broadstreet or Mr. Stoughton to be one, these shall have the same power that the quarter courts at Salem and Ipswich have. Also, the inhabitants there, are allowed to send two deputies from the whole river to the court at Boston. Also, Mr. Broadstreet, Mr. Stoughton, and the rest of the commis- sioners, shall have power at the court at Piscataquack to appoint two or three to join with Mr. Williams and Mr. Hilton t) govern the people as the magistrates do here, till the next gene- ral court, or till the court take further order. It is further or- dered, that until our commissioners shall arrive at Piscataquack, those men who already have authority by the late combination to govern the people there, shall continue in the same authority and power, to be determined at the coming of the said com --- missioners, and not before."
Two propositions for union were entertained by the General Court.
1st. If the " patents at Piscataquack were taken under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts upon the voluntary submission of the inhabitants, then they were to choose their own Magis- trates."
2d. If they were taken as being within the line of Massa- chusetts, then they were to " be as Salem and Ipswich," to " have such liberties for falling trees, &c., as they had enjoyed," and were " to have Courts there as Ipswich and Salem had." *
The second proposition was the basis of their reception, as the
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.