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 25
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Well, thought he, I am outwitted : but he travelled on, and seeing an old deserted mill, he thought he would turn in there for the night, and he concluded the safest place to sleep would be in the hopper. He had not been there long, before he saw a light approaching the mill, and soon there entered a man and woman, with two cooked fowls and a silver tankard of beer. The man and woman being very familiar, the soldier thought that he would like to see what was going on, and raising his head for this purpose, the hopper fell and came down with a crash. The two persons fled, leaving the fowls and the tan- kard of beer. Our hero got up, made a good supper of the fowls, put the remainder in his pouch, and with morning departed on his journey.
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THE HISTORY OF MANCHESTER.
WILLIAM GAMBLE AND MICHAEL MCCLINTOCK.
William Gamble came to this country in 1722, aged fourteen years. He and two elder brothers, Archibald, and Thomas, and a sister, Mary, started together for America, but the elder brothers were pressed into the British service upon the point of sailing, leaving the boy, William, and his sister to make the voyage alone. William was saved from the press-gang, alone by the ready ex- ercise of " woman's wit." The Gambles had started under the protection of Mr. and Mrs. Michael McClintock, who resided in the same neighborhood, and were about to emigrate to New England. Upon witnessing the seizure of the elder brothers, Mrs. McClintock called to William Gamble, " Come here, Billy quickly," and upon Billy's approaching her, she continued,"snug- gle down here Billy," and she hid him under the folds of her capacious dress ! There he remained in safety, until the gang had searched the house for the boy in vain, and retired in high dugeon at their ill success.
Upon coming to this country, the McClintocks came to London- derry, and finally settled in that part of Chester near London- derry, upon the farm now owned by the heirs of Gen. McQues- ton. They were industrious, thriving people, and Michael and William, his son, built the first bridge across the Cohas, and also another across the Little Cohas, on the road from Amos- keag to Derry. These bridges were built in 1738 and were probably nearwhere bridges are now maintained across the same streams, on the " old road to Derry." The Mcclintocks were voted twenty shillings a year for ten years for the use of these bridges.
Alexander, son of William McClintock, subsequently married Janet Gamble, daughter of William Gamble, whom his grand- mother by her great presence of mind had saved from the clnthc- ches of the press-gang. The McClintocks moved to Hills- borough where their decendants now reside.
William Gamble upon his arrival in Boston, went to work on the ferry from Charlestown to Boston. Here he remained two years. During this time, he had no more than supported him- self, and he went back into the country and worked at farming for some years. At this period he made a visit to Londonderry where he married a widow Clark. At Londonderry, he found a cousin, Archibald Stark, and concluded to remain in this neighborhood. Accordingly he "made a pitch," upon the west side of the Merrimack, in what is now Bedford ; but after a short time he determined to settle in Chester, and " spotted out," the farm now owned by Samuel Gamble, his great grand-
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JOHN MCNEIL.
son, and Isaac C. Flanders, Esq. This was probably about 1733. Here he built a log house upon the east side of the brook that passes through the farm of Samuel Gamble, Esq. The path from Namaoskeag Falls to Londonderry, and running by spotted trees, passed near his house, and crossed the Cohas below the Hazeltine Mills. Here he resided laboring incessantly upon his farm until the breaking out of the Indian war of 1745. During this war he joined several " scouts," and upon the com- mencement of the " old French War," in 1755, having lost his wife, he enlisted in the regular service, and was in most of the war, being under Wolfe on the " Plains of Abraham." After the fall of Quebec, he came back to Derryfield, and went to work upon his farm. Soon after, he married Ann, the eldest child of Archibald Stark. By her he had two sons, William and Archibald. William Gamble, Senior, died suddenly of cramp, Dec. 28th 1785, aged 77 years. His wife Ann, died Jan. 25th 1805, aged 84 years, being unfortunately burned with the house, then owned by her son Archibald.
Archibald and Thomas Gamble, the elder brothers of William, after serving some time in the British army, deserted, came to this country and settled in Virginia, where their descendants reside at the present day.
Mary, the sister, that came over with William, married William Starret, and settled near her brother, upon the farm now owned by Archibald Gamble, Esq. Their son, David Starret, was an active business man; was town clerk from 1767 to 1775, and then again from 1777 to July 1779, when he remov- ed to Francestown.
JOHN McNEIL.
John McNeil came to Londonderry with the first emigrants in 1719.
The McNeils of Scotland and in the North of Ireland were men of known reputation for bravery, and Daniel McNeil was one of the council of the City of Londonderry, and has the honor, with twenty-one others of that body, of withstanding the duplicity and treachery of Lundy, the traitorous Governor, and affixing their signatures to a resolution, to stand by each other in defence of the city, which resolution, placarded upon the market house, and read at the head of the battalions in the garrison, led to the successful defence of the city.
John McNeil was a lineal descendant of this councilor. Be- coming involved in a quarrrel with a person of distinction in his neighborhood, who attacked him in the highway, McNeil knocked him from his horse, and left him to be cared for by
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his retainers. This encounter, though perfectly justifiable on the part of McNeil, as his antagonist was the attacking party, made his tarry in Ireland unpleasant, if not unsafe, and he em- igrated to America, and settled in Londonderry. Here he es- tablished a reputation not only as a man of courage, but one of great strength, and neither white or red man upon the borders, dared to risk a hand-to-hand encounter with him. Measuring six feet and a half in height, with a corresponding frame, and stern unbending will, he was a fit outpost, as it were, of civili- zation, and many are the traditions of his personal encounters during a long and eventful border life. His wife, Christan, was well mated with him, of strong frame and great enier- gy and courage. It is related that upon one occasion a stranger came to the door and enquired for McNeil. Christian told him that her "gude mon" was not at home: upon which the stranger expressed much regret. Christian enquired as to the business upon which he came, and the stranger told her he had heard a great deal of the strength of McNeil and his skill in wrestling, and he had come some considerable distance, to throw him. " An troth mon," said Christian McNeil, " John- ny is gone, but I'm not the woman to se ya disappointed, an' I think if ye'll try mon, I'll throw ya meself." The stranger not liking to be thus bantered by a woman, accepted the chal- lenge, and sure enough, Christian tripped his heels and threw him upon the ground. The stranger upon getting up, thought he would not wait for "Johnny," but left without deigning to leave his name.
A large rock in the bed of the Merrimack directly west of the north end of No. 1, Amoskeag New Mills, and about four rods from the east bank of the river, is now known by the name of " Old McNeil." It received its name from John McNeil, and in this wise. McNeil in attempting to cross the river at this place, in the spring of the year, when the ice was thin and weak, fell through into the river near this rock. With the ut- most presence of mind he waded towards the shore until tie could touch both the bottom and the ice, when bracing his broad shoulders against it, with an almost superhuman effort, he raised the surrounding ice, broke through it, and getting up- on the firm ice, thus escaped from drowning. This incident, together with the fact that this rock; from its height usually protruded through the ice, suggested and continued to it, the name of " old McNeil." This rock was a noted mark and guide for the rivermen. When "old McNeil" was out of sight, six or eight " shots" of lumber could be run over Merrill's falls.
FRASER A, Willard
GIANT JOHN MNIEL.
John Me Viel
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JOHN MCNEIL.
When he showed his head three inches, four " shots" could be run, and when his head was out of water six inches, but one could be run. Thus has John McNeil been kept in remem- brance ; but not thus alone, for his name, borne by a lineal de- scendant, himself possessing many of the traits of his ancestor, has become identified with one of the brightest pages of American history. John McNeil moved to Suncook, ( now Pembroke ) and was a resident there in 1747, the 26th of May of which year his name, is found attached to a petition to the Governor and Council for assistance against the Indians, who had made an attack upon that settlement on Monday the 26th previous. It is probable that he lived there with John Knox who had mar- ried his daughter, and that he died and was buried in Sun- cook.
His son Daniel, moved to Hillsborough in 1771, where his descendants are among the most respectable citizens of that town.
John McNeil, son of Daniel, was born in Derryfield, in March 1757, five years after the incorporation of the town, and moved to Hillsborough with his father. John was a private in Capt. Isaac Baldwin's company which was of Stark's regiment in the mem- morable battle of Bunker's Hill, and assisted Capt. Baldwin from the field when he was mortally wounded. Lieut. McNeil serv- ed in the war several years. He died, Sept. 29, 1836, aged 79 years. He married Lucy, oldest daughter of Isaac Andrews, Esq., of Hillsborough. Their children were Mary, born July, 6, 1779 ; Solomon, born January 15, 1782 ; John, born March 25, 1784, and Lucy, born April, 1786, and who died in infancy. Mary married James Wilson, Esq., of Hillsborough.
Solomon, Major General, is now living at Hillsborough. General Soloman McNeil, married Nancy M. the second daugh- ter of Gov. Benjamin Pierce. Gen. John McNeil married Eliza- beth A. the eldest daughter of Gov. Pierce-she is still living. Gen. John McNeil was a distinguished officer in the war of 1812. He entered the service as a Captain, March 12th 1812. August 15, 1813, was promoted to Majority ; July 15, 1814, was breveted a Lieut. Colonel " for his intrepid behavior on the 5th of July in the battle of Chippewa ;" was breveted a Colonel July 25, 1814, " for his distinguished valor as a commander of the 11th regiment of infantry on the 25th day of July in the battle of Niagara ;" was promoted to the rank of Lieut. Colonel, Feb. 24, 1818; to the rank of Colonel, April 28, 1826; and was breveted Brigadier General, July 25, 1824 after ten years of faithful seivice as brevet Colonel. In April 1830, Gen. Mc-
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THE HISTORY OF MANCHESTER.
Neil retired from the service, having been appointed by Gen. Jackson, Surveyor of the port of Boston. This last office he held nutil the day of his death, which happened at Washington, Feb,, 23, 1850.
At the battle of Niagara, at the head of " the bloody 11th," Gen. McNeil, then a Major, received a wound in the knee, from a grape shot. The limb was dreadfully shattered, still McNeil retained his saddle, and cheered on his men, until faint- ing from the loss of blood, his situation was observed by his soldiers, who held him in his saddle and thus took him from the field. This wound crippled him for life. At the battle of Chippewa, only twenty days previous, Major McNeil led his re- giment into battle.
It is a fact worthy of note, that a Captain of thirty should have been promoted to a Majority, and have received two bre- vets in less than a year, and the brevets of Lieut. Colonel and Colonel in the brief space of twenty days. Gen. McNeil was about six feet and six inches in height, of good proportions and a military air, which was not lessened by a stiff knee; and when in the saddle or on foot, was one of the best looking of- ficers in the service. Of his bravery and gallantry no mention need be made, as the honors of his government eloquently speak of both of these qualities.
The only son of Gen. John McNeil was a graduate of West Point and was wounded in the Florida War, while leading an attack upon an Indian Camp, on the 10th of September 1837. He lived till the following night when he expired at the age of twenty years and six months, lamented by a large circle of friends. Lieut. Benjamin P. McNeil, the second son of Gen. John, was attached to the U. S. service, a Lieutenant in the ar- tillery corps, and died at Boston, June 12th, 1853.
Gen. McNeil had two daughters, Elizabeth Andrews Ben- ham, who married Capt. G. W. Benham, of the United States Army and who now resides at Hillsborough, and Frances who also resides with her mother at Hillsborough.
In October 1735, the throat distemper prevailed in this town. This was the most fatal epidemic that ever prevailed through- out New England. We have no means of knowing how many deaths occurred in this town, and only know from tradition that it prevailed here. Aged people have told of its victims here, and the number of graves, as well as their apparent size in the Burying Ground near the first meeting house, and which was first used in this year, and used only a few years for such pur- poses, would seem to agree with tradition, that there was a
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THROAT DISTEMPER.
fatal epidemic among the children of the township at this pe- - riod.
The throat swelled with white and ash colored specks, an efflorescence appeared on the skin ; there was a great debility of the whole system, and a strong tendency to putridiry. Its first appearance was in May, 1735, at Kingston in this State.
"It was said to have originated with a man by the name of Clough, who in April of that year had a swine taken sick with a complaint in his throat, and died. Mr. Clough skinned the hog and opened it. Soon after he was taken sick with a com- plaint in his throat and died. Early in May the same year two children of Dea. Elkins were taken with the cynanche malig- na and died suddenly. Immediately after some children of a Mr. Webster died with it. From these points it soon spread every way, raging through most of the families, not according to the effects of contagion, or qualities of soil, but to appearan- ces entirely fortuitous, until most of the families lost nearly all their children under ten years of age. The disease was so suddenly mortal that death often took place in twelve hours after the attack. It is related of children that while sitting up at play they would fall and expire with their play thing in their hands."*
"During the summer, it spread through the town ; of the first forty who had it, not one recovered. In August, it appeared in Exeter, an adjacent town, where 127 died ; in September, at Boston, fifty miles south, where 114 died ; in Byfield, fifteen miles south of Kingston, October 23d; nor was it known in Chester, an adjoining town, till this month.
At Byfield, only one died in October, in November two died, in December ten, in January seven, in February three, in March six, in April five, in May seven, in June four, in July nine, in August twenty-five, in September thirteen, in October eight, in November four ; the last of which died on the 23d, so that in just thirteen months 104 persons died, which was about the seventh part of the population of the parish. Eight children were buried from one family, four of them in the same grave ; another family lost five children. In other places, from three to six children were lost out of a family. In some towns one in three, and others one in four, who were sick, died. In Hampton Falls, 20 families buried all their children; 27 per- sons were lost out of five families, and more than a sixth part of the inhabitants died. In the province of New Hampshire alone, which then had only fifteen towns, not less than 1000
*Farmer & Moore's His. Coll. p. 143.
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THE HISTORY OF MANCHESTER.
persons, of whom nine hundred were under twenty years of age, fell victims to this terrible malady."*
Thus near one tenth of the entire population of the Province was cut off in a single year, a melancholy blow, from which the colony was long in recovering.
CHAPTER XI.
Controversy with Massachusetts .- Commission meet at Hampton .- Commit- tee from New Hampshire report .- Another attempt to state the lines .- Fail- ure to accomplish the object .- The Scotch Irish take part in the controver- By .- Appeal to the King .- Massachusetts commences granting townships in New Hampshire .- Grant of Pennacook .- The Narraganset townships .- The grantees meet in Boston .- Grant of five additional townships to them .-- Location of these townships .- Narraganset No. II, III, IV, V, & VI .- Grants of Bow and Canterbury .- Grant of Tyngstown .- Petition of Hil- dreth and Shepley .- Tyngstown annexed to Middlesex County .-- Excise up- on the fisheries at Amoskeag .- Major Hildreth builds the first mill .- First Meeting house .- Its location .- New Hampshire sends an agent to England .- His instructions .- A Commission appointed by the King to settle the ques- tion of the lines .- It meets .- Legislatures meet at Hampton and Salist.ury. Gov. Belcher and suite visit " Skeag."-Finesse about the lines .- Appeals carried before the King .- The lines established.
At this period, the controversy with Massachusetts as to our southern and western lines, had become one of absorbing inter- est throughout the Province. Massachusetts had pursued a vacillating policy as to her claim ; at one time extending her north line nearly to "Mr. Weare's house" in Hampton, at anoth- er, as far north as Pennacook, again to the " Endicott tree" three miles north of the forks of the Merrimack at Franklin, a fourth time to a point three miles north of the outlet of Winnepe- saukee, and then before the Lord Chief Justices of the King's Bench, abandoned all claim to any land three miles north of the Merrimack to the farthest head thereof. This hearing before the Chief Justice, was in 1677, and as the decision dispossess- ed Massachusetts of all the settled part of the territory, little was said as to the subject of lines for some years. The less so,
*History of New England, pages 309 and 310.
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BORDER DIFFICULTIES.
as the excitement and confusion consequent upon various changes in the government of both Provinces, and an Indian war, lett little opportunity, had the desire existed, to attend to. that subject.
But in 1696, the matter of the divisional lines, began to be. again agitated. The inhabitants living upon the south bounda- ry were much excited upon the subject. Many of them were claimed and taxed by both Provinces, and the result was, that most of the people thus situated, refused to do service, or pay taxes any where. To remedy the evil, the government of New Hampshire made a proposition to that of Massachusetts to run the line, and a committee was chosen for that purpose,, but Massachusetts refused to accede to the proposition. The com- mittee on the part of New Hampshire, proceeded with compe- tent surveyors to run the line according to the charter, and af- terwards took legal measures to enforce the laws of the Prov- ince against all delinquents above the line so established. But matters only became worse, as officers were often resisted, and difficulties even arose between the officers themselves of the two Provinces. At length, pending the suit between Allen and Waldron in 1706, a proposition was again made to run the line, and a committee from Massachusetts, met one from New Hamp- shire for that purpose, but not agreeing as to the construc- tion of the charter, they parted without accomplishing their ob- ject.
At length, the troubles with the people near the line of Mas- sachusetts, growing more frequent and serious, in 1708, New Hampshire again proposed to settle the difficulty as to the lines, and chose the same committee on their part, that had acted in that capacity two years previous. Massachusetts acceded to the proposal, and chose on their part the same men who had act- ed upon the last committee. The Commission met at Hampton, on the 4th of May 1708, but the gentlemen from Massachusetts claimed "to ye brooke at Widow Heathe's" in Hampton, far. beyond three miles north of the Merrimack. This was in di- rect opposition to their disclaimer before the Chief Justice of the King's Bench in 1677, and a renewal of their original claim. The committee from New Hampshire made three distinct prop- ositions for settling the border difficulties, but neither was ac- cepted, and the commission broke up without accomplishing, anything.
The committee from New Hampshire made the following, report to the Governor and Council.
PROVINCE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.
To the Governor and Council of the province above sd, we-
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whose names are underwritten being ordered to meet a Com- mittee of the province of the Massachusetts bay, to consider and Judg of the distance from the brink of the River unto the families sayd to be in dispute and to propose to which of the provinces we think it Reasonable sd families should pay taxes and doo service during the war as more at large appears by the order bearing Date may 26 1708 &c.
Persuant to sd order we met the Committee of the other province on the fourth day of this instant July 1708 at the house of Mr. Henry Ambros, and after some debate we found the proposals made by the Committee for the other province to be such that we Could not Comply with, nor any way agreeable to playn words of the Royal Charter, after which we the Com- mittee for this province made our proposals, which we here offer to lay before the Government of this province together with the Reasons of the same &c.
1. That the line Run Eleven or twelve years since, (by a warrant from the Government of this province,) shall be the parting line between the provinces until the Massachusetts Goverment Consent to state the bounds according to the Roy- al Charter, for the Reason following, viz : for that the Govern- ment of this province did sundry times Request the Govern- ment of the Massachusetts bay to Impower a Committee to Join the Committee of this province to Run the line above sd : which they saw not good to doo, whereupon the government of this province ordered a Committee to meet their Committee at a certain Day and If they would not attend, then to proceed to Run the parting line between the provinces, and we the subscri- bers were part of the Committee for this province, and are now assured it was done with all the care Immaginable we having good artizans to survey and perform that affair, and made Re- turn thereof to the Governor and Council of the province, the charge whereof was not less than ten pounds and that the Mas- sachusetts would not Cum to se their measure was their fault and not ours, Ergo, that bounds ought to be the bounds until they Consent to Run a new which we ever offer to do on our part at their demand &c., this offer they accept not off.
2dly. About two years since we the Committee of this prov- ince met the Committee of the other province who were the same persons, (viz) Col. Noyse, and the other gentlemen at the house of sd Ambros in order to proceed to state the bounds, but could not agree about the meaning of the charter, where- upon we made our application to his Excellency the Governor together with our aligation Requesting that the words of ther Charter might be interpreted &c.
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BORDER DIFFICULTIES.
But we the Committee for this province did then and doo still offer to Joyn with them of the other province in measuring out the land three miles in latitude on the north side of the River to Run a paralell line with the brink of the sd River as we understand is the plain meaning of sd Charter, the dooing of which will not take more time than 2 or 3 days, to extend to the westward of the houses said to be in dispute and we will proceed to perform the same with artists and Instruments and men to attend the dooing of the same as soon as they choos, this they Refused to accept off, Ergo, the ould line oug' t to stand, no blame on our side.
3dly. for sake of peace we offer to Joyn with them to measur from any of ye houses in dispute upon a south point to the River, and if ye house or houses be not more then three miles from sd River then to pay taxes and do service to their province, if more then ye like to this province, the measuring might have been done in 3 or 4 hours the same day, this also they refused to accept.
By all which it is most evident that the Reason of the bounds not being stated, is the Gentlemen sent as a committee from ye other province is not willing to do it and that the foremention- ed bounds ought to be the bounds until they Consent to Run a new is our opinion; and further yt the town of Hampton do assert their town bounds, being ye bounds of ye province, by assessing and other service imposed on the families sd to be in dispute, unless inhibited therefrom by authority.
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