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 30
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* Farmer & Moore's His. Coll. Vol. II. pages 322, 323, and 324.
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ship, were under the command of Capt. John Goffe, as appears by the following roll.
"A muster Roll of men under the Command of John Goffe Capt., employed in scouting, and guarding the Souhegan, Mon. son, and Stark's garrisons, anno, 1748.
Capt. John Goffe, Serg't. Henry Saunders, Serg't. Caleb Emery, Sent. Daniel Wilkins, Moses Lovel!, Isaiah Cutting, John Bradbury, Timothy Clemens, Richard Stanton, John Bar- ret, Stephen Danforth, Wincol Wright, John Karkin, Joseph Taylor, Thomas Taylor, Jonathan Farewell, Samuel Houston, John Hamblett, John Heuce, David Emerson, Jonathan Corliss John Mclaughlin, John Nevens, Isaac Page, James Richardson, Hugh Blair, John Pollard, John Lund, Benj. Smith, Noah John- son, Ben Thompson, Philip Richardson, John Annis.
These men were continued in service from April 10 to Octo- ber 5, "scouting and guarding," and during a portion of this same time, from May 28 to Oct. 5, Capt. Goffe had command of a company of forty-four men who were "scouting upon the frontiers," as appears from the following roll.
A Muster Roll of the Company in His Majesty's Service un- der Command of John Goffe, employed in Scouting on the Frontiers of New Hampshire, Anno Domni 1748.
Capt. John Goffe, Lieut. John Webster, Ensign Na'l Smith, Sergt. William Peters, Caleb Emery, Sent. Nathan Lovejoy, Moses Danforth, Reuben Abbot, Joseph Eastman, Phineas Good- well, Enoch Fastman, David Evans, Joseph Burbank, Stephen Call, Joseph Pudney, Samuel Abbot, Samuel Rogers, Isaac Chandler, Jr., Amos Abbot, Joseph Walker, Jacob Hoyt, Wm. Coarser, Simeon Rumvill, Samuel Shepherd, John Little, John Robertson, Timothy Knox, John Wood, Enoch Webster Jo- seph Davis, Na'l Abbot, Sampson Colbee, James Peters, Thom- as Stickney, Na'l West, Jeremiah Dresser, Ephraim Carter, Ralph Blaisdell, Georg Bean, Thomas Blaisdell, John Page, Elish Batchelder, John Cram, Ben Norton, John Chandler Jr.
'This company was undoubtedly ordered out at this time in consequence of the appearance of the enemy, the 1st day of May at Rochester, where they killed the wife of Jonathan Hodgdon, "as she was going to milk her cows."
This fact of having a double command shows the confi- dence that was placed in Capt. Goffe, and it is doubtless owing much to his vigilance, that this frontier suffered so little during the war, and especially during the year 1748. The last of May of this year, the Indians fell upon a scout that had been sent out to Lake Champlain, from Number Four, as they were re-
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REVIVAL OF MASON'S CLAIM.
turning home, and killed six of the party. The next month they attacked Hinsdale's fort, and killed three men and took seven prisoners. The 16th of the same month they attacked forty men under Capt. Hobbs on West River, killing four of his men, wounding four more and forcing him to leave the ground. The same party on the 14th of July killed two men and took nine prisoners between Fort Hinsdale and Fort Dum- mer. But the treaty of Aix la Chapelle, betwixt France and England this year, put a stop to these inroads of the savages, as they were instigated almost wholly by the French.
CHAPTER XIII.
Masonian claim revived .- Intrigue of Massachusetts .- Send John Tufton Ma- son to England .- Their agent dismisses him .- Thomlinson agrees to buy his claim on the part of New Hampshire .- Mason returns to America. - Attempts to negotiate with the N. H. Assembly .- Fails .- Sells to a com- pany of private individuals .- The Mascnian Proprietors quitclaim lands in incorparated towns .- People of Harrytown are quieted in possession of their lands .- Suits of Flint and Chamberlain. - Town Privileges granted to Sou- hegan East .- Chartered by the name of Bedford .- No. IV granted by the Masonian Proprietors .- Early settlers of No. IV. or Goffstown .- The Martins. Keep a Ferry .- Story of a catamount .- And of a bear .- Masts .- Uncanoo. nucks .- Joe English .- His escape .- His death .- Bear killed .- Catamount hunt .- Kalmia Latafolia .- Rhododendron .- County Farm .- West Vllage.
But there arose another cause of disquiet to the people of this township and the Province during this period. A new claimant appeared for the lands, or rather an old claim was re- vived in the person of a new man.
After the sale of the Province of New Hampshire to Allen in 1691* by John and Robert Mason, they returned to Amer- ica. John died childless, but Robert married and had issue. of which was John Tufton Mason. He had hopes of invalida- ting the claim of Allen on account of some informality attending the purchase, but died at Havana in 1718, leaving two sons, John Tufton Mason, and Thomas Tufton Mason. The title to New Hampshire was supposed to be in their children. Ac- cordingly the eldest coming of age about the time of the con-
*See ante page 121.
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THE HISTORY OF MANCHESTER.
troversy about the lines, the politicians of Massachusetts brought him forward to lay claim to his inheritance of New Hampshire. The government of Massachusetts thought by thus doing to drive New Hampshire from her position, as that the people of the Province would rather have the lands in contest owned by Massachusetts even, and to be granted to the people of either Province, rather than to have the Masonian claim revived, which would in any event harrass them, and if successful, would place the Province in the hands of individuals, to be sold in the market to speculators, those men having little care for the interests of the Province. In this Massachusetts mis- judged, for although there was a small portion of the people of New Hampshire ever in the interest of Massachusetts and ready to do her bidding, yet the majority of the people had become so exasperated at her "engrasping policy," that they would doubtless have rather incurred the risk of paying quit rents to a proprietor, than to have yielded the point as to the lines in her favor, or to have again become part and parcel of her government. But New Hampshire was reduced to no such alternative. The huckstering policy of Massachsetts had at length become well known to the Board of Trade and to His Majesty's Council. And when John Tufton Mason arrived in England in the charge of the Agents of Massachusetts, to press his claim, their counsel, the king's solicitor, advised them to keep the claimant out of sight, as if he appeared under their auspices it would prejudice their cause with the Lords of the Royal Council. They accordingly paid his expenses and dis- missed him. Young Mason was now left in London among strangers and without resources.
This transaction soon came to the knowledge of the Agent of New Hampshire, Mr. Thomlinson, who at once entered in- to a negotiation with Mason, which resulted in an agree- ment that he should release his interest to the assembly of New Hampshire upon the payment of one thousand pounds New England currency. This was an adroit stroke of policy on the part of Thomlinson, and had a favorable effect upon the Lords of the council, and went far in determining the con- troversy as to the lines in favor of New Hampshire.
After the final adjustment of the lines in 1741, Mason re- turned to America, but did not move in the matter of his agree- ment with Thomlinson until 1744, when Governor Wentworth laid the writing before the Assembly. But the Louisburg ex- pedition being in hand, no attention was paid to the affair. Meantime, Mason himself engaged in the expedition, and while
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SALE OF MASON'S CLAIM.
absent, such action was had against him in the courts of law in New Hampshire as broke the entail, and he had the right to sell his estate. In 1746, he gave distinct intimation that he would sell the estate to other parties, if the Assembly did not ratify the agreement made by Thomlinson.
At length after much of finesse and intrigue, the Assembly appointed a committee to complete the purchase with Mason But they were too late, as Mason on the same day, the 30th day of January 1746, had sold his interest to a company consis- ting of twelve gentlemen, to wit: " Theodore Atkinson, Rich- ard Wibird, John Moffat, Mark Hunking Wentworth, Samuel Moore, Jotham Odiorne, Jr., and Joshua Pierce Esqrs .; Nathan- iel Meserve, George Jaffrey Junr., and John Wentworth Junr., gentlemen, all of Portsmouth ; Thomas Wallingford of Somers- worth in said province Esq .; and Thomas Packer of Greenland in the Province aforesaid Esq. *
* To ye said Theodore Atkinson three fifteenth parts thereof to him, his heirs and as- signs, and to ye sd Mark Hunking Wentworth, his heirs and assigns two fifteenth parts thereof, and to each of the other grantees one fifteenth part each."
This sale created great excitement throughout the Province, and well it might. The people had thought that the difficul- ties settled with Massachusetts, and Mason's title extinguished according to the agreement with Thomlinson, all controversy as to title would be at an end ; but now by neglect of their representatives, if not by collusion on the part of some of them, Mason's interest had passed into the hands of private individuals. And the transaction was the more suspicious from the fact that some of the grantees were members of the Council or Assem- bly, and most of them were of the family connections of the Governor. In short, there can be no doubt of the fact that New Hampshire lost the title to Mason's claim by sheer man- agement of speculators and huckstering politicians. The gran- tees were aware of the excitement that would arise on account of their underhand purchase, and very prudently lodged a deed of quitclaim at the registry office to all lands within the towns that had been granted and settled. Chester and Londonderry were among the towns quitclaimed, and the people of Amos- keag who resided within the limits of those towns, were quiet- ed in the possession of their lands. But those of them, who resided upon the ungranted lands called Harrytown, and the Nar- raganset Townships, found themselves without a title to their lands and at the mercy of private individuals. The grantees of Mason, or as they were called the "Masonian Proprietors,"
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THE HISTORY OF MANCHESTER.
conducted themselves however with much generosity towards actual settlers upon their ungranted lands, and the people of Har- rytown and the Narragansett Townships, by the payment of no exorbitant sums of purchase money were soon in quiet possess- ion of these lands as well as their more fortunate neighbors, who happened to have settled within the limits of a granted townships.
Thus, after twenty five years of almost continual controversey as to the title of these lands, the people at Amoskeag found themselves in quiet possession of them with a few exceptions. These were a few people from Massachusetts who commenced their settlements under the grant of Tyngstown and whose lots extended into Londonderry as surveyed and claimed. Some of them, supposing that the west line of Londonderry as sur- veyed, extended farther than their charter would allow, and that their lots were entirely out of the actual chartered limits of Londonderry, refused to pay the proprietors of that town for their lands. Thereupon writs of ejectment were brought against them and a long course of litigation ensued, with va- rious results.
There were two suits, Londonderry vs Chamberlain, and Londonderry vs Flint, that enlisted the feelings of the entire people in this section of the State. The former case was "in court" for near a quarter of a century, and during its pendency and that against Flint, the township of Londonderry was sur- veyed four times by as many noted surveyors, by the order of the Governor and Council as a Court of Appeals, and neither two surveyors succeeded in locating the west line of London- derry in the same place. In the end, the defendants gained their cases, as upon a correct survey of Londonderry, it was found that her "10 miles square and no more" were obtained before coming to the land claimed of Chamberlain and Flint ! But these suits tended to increase the breach already too wide, betwixt the English and their Scotch Irish neighbors.
In granting Tyngstown, fand Narragansett Townships IV, and V, there can be no doubt of the fact, that Massachusetts, had in view the securing the fisheries upon the Merrimack at Amoskeag to that Province, and the people of that Province. They were looked upon as a most valuable and desirable ac- quisition. The people in their immediate neighborhood well knew their value, and hence the more fear among them that there might be difficulty in getting titles to the lands from the new proprietors. But their fears were groundless, for the Ma- sonian proprietors not only took early measures to give titles
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SETTLEMENT OF BEDFORD.
for small consideration to those who had settled upon their lands as before suggested, but they readily regranted those town- ships to settlers upon them, that had been granted by Massa- chusetts. Thus by following a liberal policy as to the lands, they gained friends, while they made no enemies. Souhegan East, or Narragansett No. V, had been granted by Massachusetts in 1733, and had been settled mostly by the Scotch Irish, har- dy and substantial farmers, from Londonderry in the Province, and just across the Merrimack, or directly from the north of Ireland.
"The first settlement of the township was in 1737. As ear- ly as the winter of 1735, a man by the name of Sebbins, came from Braintree, Massachusetts, and spent the winter in what was then Souhegan-East. He occupied himself in making shingles, and the spot he selected for this purpose, was South of the old grave-yard, between that and Sebbins' pond, on the North line of a piece of land that was owned by the late Isaac Atwood. In the Spring of the year, he drew his shingles to Merrimack River, about a mile and a half, on a hand-sled, and rafted them to Pawtucket Falls, now Lowell.
In the fall of 1737, the first permanent settlement was made by Robert and James Walker, brothers; and in the following spring, by Matthew and Samuel Patten, brothers, and sons of John Patten ; and soon after by many others. The Pattens lived in the same hut with the Walkers until they built one of their own, near where Joseph Patten used to live. They com- menced their first labors near the bank of the Merrimack, on a piece of ground known as Patten's field, about forty rods North of Josiah Walker's barn. The Walkers were immediately from Londonderry, N. H. The Pattens never lived in London- derry, though they belonged to the company ; they were im- mediately from Dunstable. The father, John Patten, with his two sons, Matthew and Samuel, landed at Boston, stopping there but a short time ; thence they came to Chelmsford, and thence to Dunstable, where he stayed till he came to Bedford. The sec- ond piece of land cleared, was on the Joseph Patten place, the field South of the first Pound, where the noted old, high and flat granite stone now stands.
This Robert Walker came from his Uncle Stark's, (father of Gen. John Stark,) in Londonderry, where he had been living, and joined his brother James, in his camp on the bank of the Merrimack, making turpentine and cultivating corn in summer, and hunting wild game in winter. They soon came over this side the river ; James, to what is now the farm of Lieut Josiah
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THE HISTORY OF MANCHESTER.
Walker, and Robert to the place where the late Mr. Jesse Wal- ker lived and died .* "
In the fall of 1748 the Inhabitants of Souhegan East be- gan to agitate the subject of obtaining town privileges, and title of their lands from the Masonian proprietors. According- ly agents were sent to Portsmouth for this purpose, and with success as appears from the records.
The Masonian Proprietors had the following action upon the subject.
"Province of New Hampshire :"
"At a meeting of the Proprietors of the Lands purchased of John Tufton Mason, Esq., in the Province of New Hampshire, at the dwelling-house of Sarah Priest, widow, in Portsmouth, in said Province, on the ninth day of November, 1748, by ad- journment :
" Voted, That the rights of the original Proprietors of Sou- hegan-East, otherwise called Narraganset, No. 5, be and hereby are confirmed to them, according as the lots have been already surveyed and laid out, excepting and reserving only seventeen shares or Rights, as according to said laying out ; the particular rights or Shares so excepted and reserved, to be determined and ascertained hereafter ; but that the particular rights and shares of Maj. Edward White, and the Rev'd Doctor Ebenezer Miller, be not among the excepted and reserved rights as aforesaid, but that their said rights and shares among said Proprietors as afore- said, be hereby granted and confirmed to them, their heirs and assigns.
Copy examined,
Per GEORGE JAFFREY, Prop. Clk."
Soon after, the subject of town privileges came before the Governor and Council, and the following action was had, as appears by the "Council minutes."
"April 11, 1748. Gov. Wentworth informed the Council of the situation of a number of persons, inhabiting a place called Souhegan-East, within this province, that were without any township or District, and had not the privilege of a town in choosing officers for regulating their affairs, such as raising mon- ey for the ministry," &c.
"Upon which, his Excellency, with the advice of the Coun- cil, was pleased to order that the above-mentioned persons, liv- ing at said place, be and hereby are empowered to call meet-
# See His. Bedford pages 111 and 112.
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SETTLEMENT OF BEDFORD.
ings of the said inhabitants, at which meeting they may, by virtue hereof, transact such matters and things as are usually done at town or Parish metings within the Province, such as choosing officers, raising money for paying such charges of the said inhabitants, as shall be voted by a majority present at any such meeting. Provided nevertheless, that nothing herein con- tained, shall be construed, deemed or taken as a grant of the land, or Quieting any possession. And that this order may be rendered beneficial to the said inhabitants, tis further ordered, that capt. John Goffe, Jun'r, call the first meeting, by a written notification, posted up at a public place amongst the inhabi- tants, fifteen days before the time of the said meeting, in which notification the matters to be transacted are to be men- tioned ; and after that, the Selectmen may call meetings, and are to follow the rules in so doing, that are prescribed by law, for Town and Parish meetings. This Vote to continue and be in force till some further order thereon, and no longer."
The people of Souhegan East continued these "town privil- eges" until May 10, 1750, when they presented a petition to the Governor and Council, praying for an act of incorporation and for other purposes which was as follows.
" To his Excellency, Benning Wentworth, Esq., Governor and Commander-in-Chief of his Majesty's Province of New Hampshire, and to the Honorable, his Majesty's Council, as- sembled at Portsmouth, May 10, 1750.
"The humble Petition of the subscribers, inhabitants of Sou- hegan-East, so-called, Sheweth, That your Petitioners are ma- jor part of said Souhegan ; that your petitioners, as to our par- ticular persuation in Christianity are generally of the Presby- terian denomination ; that your petitioners, through a variety of causes, having been long destitute of the gospel, are now desirous of taking the proper steps in order to have it settled among us in that way of discipline which we judge to tend most to our edification , that your petitioners, not being incor- porated by civil authority, are in no capacity to raise those sums of money, which may be needful in order to our proceeding in the above important affair. May it therefore please your Ex- cellency, and Honors, to take the case of your petitioners under consideration, and to incorporate us into a town or district, or in case any part of our inhabitants should be taken of by any neighboring district, to grant that those of our persuation, who are desirous of adhering to us may be excused from support- ing any other parish charge, than where they conscientiously
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THE HISTORY OF MANCHESTER.
adhere, we desiring the same liberty to those within our bounds, if any there be, and your petitioners shall ever pray, &c.
" Samuel Miller, John Mclaughlin,
William Moore,
William Kennedy,
John Riddell,
Fergus Kennedy,
Thomas Vickere,
John Burnes,
Mathew Little,
Gerard Rowen,
James Moor,
John McQuige,
John Tom,
Patrick Taggart,
James Kennedy,
John Goffe,
Robert Gilmoor,
John Orr,
Richard McAllister,
John Moorehead,
James Walker,
James Little,
John Bell,
Robert Gilmoor, Senior,
John Mclaughlin, Senior,
David Thompson,
Thomas Chandler,
James McKnight,
John McDugle,
Hugh Riddell,
Samuel Patten,
Daniel Moor,
Alexander Walker,
John Clark,
Gan Riddell,
Robert Walker,
Benjamin Smith,
Mathew Patten."
The petition was presented by Capt. John Goffe and Mr. Samuel Patten.
Upon the petition the following action was had in the Coun- cil as appears from the records.
"At a Council holden at Portsmouth according to his Excel- lency's Summons, on Fryday, May the 18th, 1750: Present : Ellis Huske, Theodore Atkinson, Richard Wibird, Samuel Smith, John Downing, Samuel Solley, and Sampson Sheaffe, Esquires : A petition signed Samuel Miller, William Moore, and others, presented by John Goffe, Esq., and Mr. Samuel Patten, praying for a charter of Incoperation of the inhabitants of a place called Souhegan-East, in this Province, being read, and Joseph Blanchard, Esq., in behalf of the town of Merri- mack, also at the same time appearing, and the parties being heard on the said petition and agreeing where the line should run, in case his Excellency, with the advice of the Council, should think proper to grant the Petitioners, a Charter of inco- poration. Mr. Goffe and Patten, upon being asked, declared that the sole end proposed by petitioners, was to be incoporated with priviliges as other towns, by law, have in this Province.
"Upon which the Council did unanimously advise that his Excellency grant a Charter of Incorporation, as usual in such cases."
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SETTLEMENT OF BEDFORD.
The next day a Charter was granted by the Governor nam- ing the township Bedford, which charter was as follows.
Province of New Hampshire.
" George the Second, by the Grace of God, of Great Brittain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c.
To all to whom these Presents shall Come, [L. S.]
Greeting :
"Whereas, Our Loyal Subjicks, Inhabitants of a Tract of Land, within Our Province of New Hampshire, aforesaid, Ly- ing At or near A Place called Sow-Hegon, on the West side of the River Merrimack, Have Humbly Petitioned and Request- ed to Us, That they may be Encted and Incoporated into A Township, and Infranchized with the same Powers and Privil- eges which other Towns, within Our sd Province by Law Have and Enjoy, and it appearing to Us to be Conductive to the General good of Our said Province, as well as of the Inhab- itants in Particular, By maintaining good Order, and Encour- aging the Culture of the Land, that the same should be done, Know, Ye, Therefore, that We, of our Especial Grace, Cer- tain Knowledge, and for the Encouragement and Promoting the good Purposes and Ends aforesaid, By and with the Advice of Our Trusty and well beloved Benning Wentworth, Esq., Our Governor and Commander In Chief, And of Our Council for sd Province of New Hampshire, Have Enacted and Ordain- ed, And by these Presents, for Us, Our Heirs and Successors, Do and will Ordain that The Inhabitants of a Tract of Land, afore- said, Or that shall Inhabit and Improve thereon hereafter, But- ted and Bounded, as follows, (Viz :) Beginning at a place three Miles North from the Bridge over Sow-Hegon River, at John Chamberlain's House, and thence to Run East, by the Needle, to Merrimack River, to a Stake and Stones, and to extend that Line West, until it Intersect a Line Known by the name of the West Line of Sow-Hegon East, and from thence to Run North, Two Degrees West, about three Miles and an half to a Beach Tree, marked, called Sow-Hegon West, North East cor- ner, thence South, Eighty Eight degrees West, by an old Line of Marked Trees, to a Chestnut Tree, marked, from thence North, Two Degrees West, Two Miles, to an Hemlock Tree, marked, called the North West Corner of said Sow-Hegon East, thence East, by the Needle to Merrimack River, to a Stake and Stones, thence Southerly, as Merrimac River runs, to the Stake and Stones first mentioned. And by these Presents, are Declared and ordained to be a Town Coporate, and are hereby Encted and Incoporated into a body Pollitic and a Cor-
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THE HISTORY OF MANCHESTER.
poration, to have Continuance forever, by the Name of Bed- ford, with all the Powers and Authorities, Privileges, Immuni- ties, and Infranchizes, to them the said Inhabitants, and their Successors for Ever, Always reserving to us, Our Heirs and Successors, All White Pine Trees growing and being, Or that shall hereafter Grow and be, on the sd Tract of Land, fit for the Use of Our Royal Navy,Preserving also the power of dividing the sd Town, to Us, Our Heirs and Successors, when it shall ap- pear Necessary and Convient for the Benefit of the Inhabitants thereof. It is to be understood, and is accordingly Hereby Declared, that the Private Property of the Soil is in no manner of way to be affected by this Charter. And as the several Towns, within Our said Province of New Hampshire, are by the Laws thereof, Enabled and Authorized to Assemble, and by the Majority of Votes to Choose all such Officers as are mentioned In the said Laws, We do by these Presents, Nom- inate and Appoint John Goffe, Esq., to Call the first Meeting of the said Inhabitants, to be held within the sd Town, at any time within thirty days from the Date hereof, Giving Legal Notice of the Time, Place and design of Holding such Meet- ing ; After which, the Annual Meeting in sd Town, shall be held for the Choice of Town Officers, &c., for ever, on the last Wednesday in March, annually.
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