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 24
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THE HISTORY OF MANCHESTER.
principal towns, and were frequently at Boston ; and once when insulted there, the person who insulted them was bound to his good behaviour. They appeared grave, serious and de- vout ; and the rank they had sustained commanded respect. Whalley had been one of Cromwell's Lieutenant-Generals, and Goffe a Major-General. It is not strange that they should meet with this favorable reception, nor was this reception any con- tempt of the authority in England. They were known to have been two of the King's Judges; but Charles the second was not proclaimed, when the ship that brought them left Lon- don. They had the news of it in the Channel. The report afterwards, by way of Barbadoes, was that all the Judges would be pardoned but seven. The act of indemnity was not brought over till the last of November. When it appeared that they were not excepted, some of the principal persons in the Goverment were alarmed; pity and compassion prevailed with others. They had assurances from some that belonged to the General Court, that they would stand by them, but were ad- vised by others to think of removing. The 22d. of Februa- ry, 1661, the Governor summond a Court of assistants, to con- sult about removing them, but the Court did not agree to it.
Finding it unsafe to remain any longer, they left Cambridge, the 26th following, and arrived at New-Haven the 7th of March 1661. One Captain Breedan, who had seen them at Boston, gave information thereof upon his arrival in England. A few days after their removal, a hue and cry, as they term it in their diary, was brought by the way of Barbadoes ; and thereupon a warrant to secure them issued, the 8th of March, from the Gov- ernor and Assistants, which was sent to Springfield, and other towns in the western part of the colony ; but they were beyond the reach of it."
The Governor adds in a long marginal note, "They were well treated at New-Haven by the ministers, and some of the magistrates, and for some days seemed to apprehend themselves out of danger. But the news of the King's proclamation being brought to New-Haven, they were obliged to abscond. The 27th of March they removed to New-Milford, and appeared there in the day time, and made themselves known; but at night re- turned privately to New-Haven, and lay concealed in Mr. Da- venport, the minister's house, until the 30th of April. About this time news came to Boston, that ten of the Judges were ex- ecuted, and the Governor received a royal mandate, dated March 5th, 1660, to cause Whalley and Goffe to be secured. This greatly alarmed the country, and there is no doubt that the
175
JOHN GOFFE.
court were now in earnest in their endeavors to apprehend them ; and to avoid all suspicion, they gave commission and in- struction to two young merchants from England, Thomas Kel- lond and Thomas Kirk, zealous royalists to go through the col- onies, as far as Manhados, in search of them. They had friends who informed them what was doing, and they removed from Mr. Davenport's to the house of one Jones, where they lay hid until the 11th of May, and then removed to a mill, and from thence, on the 13th, into the woods, where they met Jones and two of his companions, Sperry and Burril, who first conducted them to a place called Hatchet-Harbor, where they lay two nights, , until a cave or hole in the side of a hill was prepared to con- ceal them. This hill they called Providence Hill : and there they continued from the 15th of May to the 11th of June, some- times in the cave, and in very tempestuous weather, in a house near to it. During this time the messengers went through New-Haven to the Dutch settlement, from whence they return- ed to Boston by water. They made diligent search, and had full proof that the regicides had been seen at Mr. Davenport's and offered great rewards to English and Indians who should give information, that they might be taken ; but by the fidelity of their three friends they remained undiscovered. Mr. Daven- port was threatened with being called to an account, for con- cealing and comforting traitors, and might well be alarmed. They had engaged to surrender, rather than the country or any particular person should suffer on their account; and upon inti- mation of Mr. Davenport's danger, they generously resolved to go to New-Haven and deliver themselves to the authorities there. The miseries they had suffered, and were still exposed to, and the little chance they had of finally escaping, in a country where every stranger is immediately known to be such, would not have been sufficient to have induced them. They let the Deputy-Governor, Mr. Leete know where they were ; but he took no measures to secure them; and the next day some persons came to them to advise them not to surrender. Having publicly shown themselves at New-Haven, they had cleared Mr. Davenport from the suspicion of still concealing them, and the 24th of June went into the woods again to their cave. They continued there, sometimes venturing to a house near the cave, until the 19th of August-when the search for them being pretty well over they ventured to the house of one Tompkins, near Milford meeting house, where they remained two years, without so much as going into the orchard. After that they took a little more liberty, and made themselves known
4
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HISTORY OF MANCHESTER.
to several persons in whom they could confide, and each of them frequently prayed, and also exercised, as they termed it, or preached at private meetings in their chambers. In 1664, the commissioners from King Charles arrived at Boston. Upon the news of it, they retired to their cave, where they tarried eight or ten days. Soon after, some Indians in their hunting, dis- covered the cave with the bed ; and the report being spread abroad, it was not safe to remain near it. On the 13th of Octo- ber, 1664, they removed to Hadley, near one hundred miles distant, travelling only by night ; where Mr. Russel the min- ister of the place, had previously agreed to receive them. Here they remained concealed fifteen or sixteen years, very few persons in the colony being privy to it. The last account of Goffe, is from a letter, dated Ebenezer, the name they gave their several places of abode, April 2, 1679. Whalley had been dead sometime before. The tradition at Hadley is, that two persons un- known, were buried in the minister's cellar. The minister was no sufferer by his boarders. They received more or less re- mittances every year, for many years together, from their wives in England. Those few persons who knew where they were, made them frequent presents. Richard Saltonstall, Esq., who was in the secret, when he left the country, and went to Eng- land in 1672, made them a present of fifty pounds at his depar- ture ; and they take notice of donations from several other friends. They were in constant terror, though they had reason to hope, after some years, that the enquiry for them was over. They read with pleasure the news of their being killed, with other Judges, in Switzerland. Their diary for six or seven years, contains every little occurrence in the town, church, and particular families in the neighborhood. They had indeed, for five years of their lives, been among the principal actors in the great affairs of the nation : Goffe especially, who turned the little Parliament out of the house, and who was attached to Oli- ver and to Richard to the last ; but they were both of low birth and education. They had very constant and exact intelligence of every thing that passed in England, and were unwilling to give up all hope of of deliverance. Their greatest expectations were from the fulfilment of the prophecies. They had no doubt, that the execution of the Judges was the slaying of the witnesses.
They were much disappointed, when the year 1666 had passed without any remarkable event, but flattered themselves that the Christian era might be erroneous. Their lives were miserable and constant burdens. They complain of being ban-
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JOHN GOFFE.
ished from all human society. A letter from Goffe's wife, who was Whalley's daughter, I think worth preserving. After the second year, Goffe writes by the name of Walter Goldsmith and she of Frances Goldsmith, and the correspondence is carried on as between a mother and son. There is too much religion in their letters for the tastes of the present day ; but the distresses of two persons, under there peculiar circumstances, who ap- pear to have lived very happily together, are very strongly de- scribed.
Whilst they were at Hadley, February 10, 1664-5, Dixwell, another of the Judges, came to them ; but from whence, or in what part of America he first landed, is not known. The first mention of him in their journal, is by the name of Colonel Dix- well ; but ever after they call him Mr. Davids. He continued at Hadley some years, and then removed to New Haven. He was generally supposed to be one of those who were obnoxious in England; but he never discovered who he was, until he was on his death-bed. I have one of his letters, signed James Davids, dated, March, 23, 1683. He married at New Haven, and left several children. After his death, his son, who before had been called Davids, took the name of Dixwell, came to Bos- ton, and lived in good repute ; was a ruling elder of one of the churches there, and died in 1725, of the small pox by innocu- lation, Some of his grandchildren are now living. Colonel Dixwell was buried in New-Haven. His grave stone still re- mains with this inscription,-" J. D. Esq., deceased March 18th in the 82d year of his age, 1688."
It cannot be denied, that many of the principal persons in the colony greatly esteemed these persons for their professions of piety, and their grave deportment, who did not approve of their political conduct. Mr. Mitchel, the minister of Cambridge, who showed them great friendship upon their first arrival, says in a manuscript which he wrote in his own vindication ;
" Since I have had opportunity, by reading and discourse, to look a little into that action for which these men suffer, I could never see that it was justifiable."
After they were declared traitors, they certainly would have been sent to England, if they could have been taken. It was generally thought they had left the country; and even the consequence of their escape was dreaded, lest when they were taken, those who had harbored them should suffer for it. Mr. En- dicot, the Governor, writes to the Earl of Manchester, that he supposes they went towards the Dutch at Manhados, and took shipping for Holland ; and Mr Bradstreet, then Governor, in
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THE HISTORY OF MANCHESTER.
December 1684, writes to Edward Randolph, " that after their being at New-Haven, he could never hear what became of them." Randolph who was sent to search into the secrets of the gov- ernment, could obtain no more knowledge of them than that they had been in the country, and respect had been shown them by some magistrates. I am loth to omit an anecdote handed down through Governor Leverett's family. I find Goffe takes notice in his journal of Leverett's being at Hadley.
The town of Hadley was alarmed by the Indians in 1675, in the time of public worship, and the people were in the ut- most confusion. Suddenly, a grave elderly person appeared in the midst of them. In his mien and dress he differed from the rest of the people. He not only encouraged them to defend themselves, but put himself at their head, rallied, instructed, and led them on to encounter the enemy, who by this means were repulsed. As suddenly the deliverer of Hadley disappeared. The people were left in consternation, utterly unable to account for this strange phenonemon. It is not probable they were ever able to explain it. If Goffe had been then discovered, it must have come to the knowledge of those persons, who de- clared by their letters that they never knew what became of him."
Gen. Whalley died about the year 1678, and Gen. Goffe the year following.
It has been claimed that John Goffe of Londonderry was a grandson of Gen. Goffe, but this is altogether improbable. The connection, if any, must have been collateral. True, Gen. Goffe had one or more sons, but there is no evidence showing that a son of his was ever in this country. Unerring circum- stances show to the contrary.
The retreat of the father was well known to his family, cer- tainly to his wife, and as the utmost pains had been taken to apprehend him on the part of the royalists, it is not at all pro- bable that his son would have been permitted to come to this country, openly bearing his father's name, and almost in daily contact with those who would have been glad to have destroyed the regicide, lest the presence of the son should have led to the apprehension of the father. And it is not at all probable that either of his children came to this country ; on the contra- ry, it is evident from a letter, written by Gen. Goffe to his wife, in 1674, that his son was then in England. Now John Goffe, of Londonderry, came to this country in 1662 or 1663 and was a member of Dr. Increase Mather's church in 1676. These facts show that he could not have been a son of Gen. Goffe.
179
JOHN GOFFE.
Yet he may have been a nephew, and the fact, that his imme- diate descendants continued the family names of Stephen, John and William, would seem to indicate that he might have been a descendant of Rev. Stephen Goffe, of Stanmore, who had those names in his family.
John Goffe came to Londonderry as an agent for the Scotch Irish emigrants. He was a man of some considerable business capacity, and performed his stipulated duties to the satisfaction of his employers, as is shown by the fact that he had a spe- cial grant in the charter for his "good services in promoting the settlement of said town," the closing stipulation of the char- ter reading thus :
"Moreover and above what is already given in this schedule, is added,
To Mr. McGregore,
250 acres. 250
:6
Mr. McKeen,
Mr. David Cargill, 100
! !
Mr. James Gregg,
150
Mr. Goffe,
100
for good services, and to the last two mentioned, namely Gregg and Goffe, a Mill Stream within the said town for their good services in promoting the settlement of said town."
Mr. Goffe was the first town, or rather proprietors' clerk. He was chosen in 1719 and served in that capacity until March 1723, having been chosen Town Clerk at the organization of the town under the charter of 1722. Soon after the organiza- tion some difficulty ensued betwixt him and a portion of the proprietors, in relation to his acts while Agent and Clerk. It was alleged that his son John Goffe, Jr.'s, name was introduced improperly among the grantees and that a " transcript of land" was improperly recorded in his own favor. The subject of the alleged improper record was referred to a Committee, March 5, 1731, with directions to commence a suit at law against him, but it does not appear that the committee had any action upon the subject, or that a suit was commenced against him. This fact would seem to show that upon investigation, there was no cause of action, The difficulty however in relation to the in- sertion of his son's name in the schedule attached to the char- ter, continued, and the town refused to lay out any land to John Goffe, Jr. Upon this he brought a suit against the town. This action was brought some time prior to May 18, 1731, as on that day a warrant was posted calling a town meeting to act upon the subject. This was the first notice of the matter on record. The town defended the suit stoutly, but after six
180
THE HISTORY OF MANCHESTER.
years of litigation, Mr. Goffe obtained a judgment against the town, and in 1738 they adjusted the matter with him by lay- ing him out a home lot of sixty acres, and paying his costs, amounting to twenty-six pounds and eight shillings. This result, coupled with the fact that the committee to prosecute the father, never took any action in the matter, shows pretty conclusively that the whole charge against John Goffe, Senior, had no foundation in substance. Yet his enemies made the most of the matter and succeeded in keeping him out of any public employment.
Mr. Goffe's farm in Londonderry proved to be next to worth- less, as upon making a clearing, its position was such, that it was subject to frosts, and he could not succeed in raising Indian corn, to him a Massachusetts man, an indispensible pro- duct. Upon this, his son, John Goffe, Jr., invited him to move to the Cohas Brook and live with him, where he had plenty of good land for corn and other purposes. He accepted the invi- tation, taking the principal charge of the farm of his son, who from his connection with public affairs, had little time to devote to farming .* This was probably in 1722, as before suggested. He resided with his son until his death, August 9, 1748, at the age of 69 years. His only son, John, became a distinguished officer in the French and Indian wars.
BENJAMIN KIDDER.
Doubtless came here about 1722, with his father-in-law, John Goffe, as he was a grantee of Londonderry in that year. He probably was originally of Billerica. He entered in the Com- pany under the famous "Captain Lovewell," in the expedi- tion against Pequauquauke, and while on the march and in the neighborhood of Ossipee Lake, was taken sick, as related in the preceding chapter. It is probable, that he did not Iong survive the hardships and exposure of this expedition. His son, John Kidder, was named as a legatee in the will of his grandfather, John Goffe, Esq., made in 1748.
EDWARD LINGFIELD.
Of Edward Lingfield, very little is known. He married a daughter of John Goffe, Esq., and settled here about 1722, as before suggested. He was a corporal in Lovewell's expedition, was one of the thirty-four men who marched from Ossipee Lake to Pequauquauke, and took part in that famous battle ; where he fought with great bravery. He was one of the nine men in that battle "who received no considerable wounds." After his return from that expedition, he received an Ensign's commission, as a reward of his heroic conduct in the battle of
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ARCHIBALD STARK.
Pequauquauke. The time of his death is unknown. His son Benjamin was a legatee named in his grandfather Goffe's will, and it is probable that his father had died before that time. ARCHIBALD STARK.
Archibald Stark, was born at Glasgow in Scotland in 1693. Soon after graduating at the University, he moved to London- derry in the north of Ireland, becoming what was usually de- noted a " Scotch Irishman." There he was married to a poor, but beautiful Scotch girl, by the name of Eleanor Nichols, and emigrated to America. He at first settled in Londonderry, where he remained until some time in 1736, when having his house burned, he removed to that portion of land upon the Merrimack, then known as Harrytown, upon a lot that had been granted to Samuel Thaxter, by the government of Massa- chusetts, and which was situated upon the hill upon the east bank of the Merrimack, a short distance above the falls of Na- maoskeag. Here he resided until his death. An educated man, Stark must have had a strong desire that his children should enjoy the advantages of an education; but in a wilder- ness, surrounded by savages, and upon a soil not the most in- viting, the sustenance and protection of his family, demanded his attention, rather more than their education. His children however were instructed at the fireside, in the rudiments of an English education, and such principles were instilled into them, as accompanied with energy, courage and decision of character, made them fit actors in the stirring events of that period. His education fitted him rather for the walks of civil life, but yet we find him a volunteer for the protection of the frontier against the ravages of the Indians in 1745-and for the protection of the people in this immediate neighborhood, a fort was built at the outlet of Swager's or Fort Pond, (near Rodnia Nutt's, ) which, out of compliment to Mr. Stark's enterprise in building, and garrisoning, the same was called Stark's fort.
Mr. Stark had seven children, four sons, and three daughters. His four sons, William, John, Archibald and Samuel were noted soldiers in the Indian and French wars, and the three oldest had distinguished themselves as officers in the notable corps of Ranger's, prior to their father's death. The second son, John, became the famous partisan officer in the Revolution, and as a Brigadier, won unfading laurels at the battle of Bennington. Mr. Stark died the 25th day of June, 1758, aged 61 years.
JOHN HALL.
John Hall came to this country probably after 1730. He tarried some time in Londonderry, and then moved upon a
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THE HISTORY OF MANCHESTER.
lot of land, near the west line of Chester, and in that part of the town, afterwards set off to form the town of Derryfield. He was an energetic business man, and for a series of years, trans- acted much of the public business of this neighborhood and town. His farm comprised the farms now owned by Messrs Wilson & Cheney, Isaac Huse, and George Porter. His first house, a log one, was built upon land now owned by George Porter. He kept a public house until his death. The original frame house built by him, but added to according to business and fashion, until little of the original could be recognized, was standing until 1852, when it was destroyed by fire. It had al- ways been kept as a public house and generally by some one of the name.
Mr. Hall was the agent of the inhabitants for obtaining the charter of Derryfield in 1751, and was the first town clerk un- der that charter. He was elected to that office fifteen years- and in one and the same year, was Moderator, first Selectman, and Town clerk. These facts show the estimation in which he was held by his fellow townsmen. The time of Mr. Hall's arrival in this country, or of his removal to Chester is not known. He married in Londonderry Miss Elizabeth Dickey, January 4, 1741. Upon his marriage, he moved into a house with Colonel Samuel Barr, where he lived some years, and dur- ing which time some three or four of his children were born. He then moved to Chester, probably in 1748 or 1749. While living at Londonderry in the house with Mr. Barr, his son Daniel Hall was born, July, 28th 1744. This event had been anticipated some months, by the birth of a daughter to Mr. Barr, January 4th, of the same year. The intimacy thus commenced by the parents was continued, and their children, Daniel Hall and Jean Barr, at mature age, were united in marriage. Their offspring comprises most of the people by the name of Hall in this neighborhood. Samuel Barr, with two brothers, John, Ga- briel, and a nephew, James, came to this country about 1723, from Bellymony, county of Antrim, Ireland. He was a man of ability and soon became of much influence in the town. He was frequently Moderator and Selectman and in 1741-2 was representive at the Provincal Assembly ; and again elected to the same office in 176 1 and the six years next following. He also had command of the Regiment in this section, when such a command was an honor, and conferred alone for merit as a man and a soldier.
John Barr, the elder brother of Samuel, was in the celebrated iege of Derry, and for services there rendered in common with
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JOHN HALL.
the other defenders of that city, was exempted from taxation by act of Parliament throughout the British dominions. In consequence of this honorable tribute to his courage, John Barr's lands in Londonderry were exempted from taxation until the subversion of British power in this Province by the Revolution. There were several other men of Londonderry who were in the siege of Derry and entitled to like exemption from taxation. Of these were Rev. Matthew Clark, William Caldwell, and Abraham Blair. The farms owned by these soldiers, and their descendants were known as the "exempt farms."
An heir loom is now in the possession of the Barr family, obtained in the following manner.
After the siege of Derry many of the soldiers were marched out of the city by orders of Gen. Kirk, under the pretence that a certain amount of money was to be distributed among them, but they were disbanded without pay or provision, and had to get home the best way they could. John Barr was among them and started for Bellymony, weak from the effects of a long siege, and faint for want of food. In the evening he came to a house, went in and requested to stay all night. 'The woman of the house said she could not entertain him. "But," says he " I have got in and unless you are stronger than I, I shall stay." He noticed two fowls roasting before the fire. The woman be- came very pleasant and full of conversation. She said she wanted to make a rope, and asked if he could assist. He said he could. She got the flax and crank, and they went to work. He twisted and stepped back toward the door. When he got to the door, he asked if it was not long enough. She said no, he stepped out of the door ; at which she threw the rope out and shut the door, fastened it, and put his gun and pack out of the window.
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