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 33
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Next east of the Merrimack river, and extending from Litch- field betwixt that river and the west line of Londonderry and Chester, to where the line of Chester intersected with the same, was the strip of ungranted land called Harrytown. This strip of land was but little more than a mile in width at any point. It was widest opposite the extreme point of The Peak. Thence
0
265
CHARTER OF DERRYFIELD.
northward it narrowed to a point in the distance of two miles. To the south it narrowed to a few rods in width on the south bank of the Cohas, and then again increased to sixty in width, until it reached the north point of Litchfield, upon the bank of the Merrimack, when it again began to decrease in width, and narrowed to a point in the distance of a mile and a quarter, be- twit Litchfield and Londonderry.
These several portions of territory containing some 35 square miles, as will readily be seen, formed a township of very irreg- ular shape, and its soil was as irregular and diversified as its shape.
The name of Derryfield is said to have been derived from the fact that the people of Londonderry had been accustom- ed to turn their cattle to pasture upon the hills and meadows within its limits.
Agreeably to the charter, on the 9th of September 1751, John McMurphy Esq., of Londonderry, issued his warrant as fol- lows :
"Whereas His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq., Gov- ernor, and Commander in Cheif in and over the Province of New Hampshire, with the advice of the honorable his Majes- ty's Council, was pleased to make and erect part of the town- ship of Londonderry, and a tract of land belonging to the pur- chasers of John Tufton Mason Esq., right of the waste lands into a township by the name of Derryfield, and at the same time have appointed me the subscriber to hold the first meeting in said township for choice of town officers, By virtue of which these are therefore to notify and warn the proprietors, freehold- ers, and inhabitants of said Derryfield, qualified by law to meet at the house of Mr. John Hall in said town inholder, upon Monday the twenty third day of this instant, September at twelve o'clock. 1st, to chuse their town officers, for the pres- ent year, and for so doing this shall be your sufficient warrant, given under my hand, this ninth day of September, in the twenty-fifth year of his Majesty's Reign, Anno Domo, 1751.
To Mr. John Hall of Derryfield.
John McMurphy."
The meeting was held accordingly and the record was as follows :
"Province of New Hampshire.
At a meeting of the proprietors, freeholders and inhabitants of Derryfield, assembled at the house of John Hall in said
266
THE HISTORY OF MANCHESTER.
town. At this first meeting upon Monday the twenty-third day of September, Anno Dom'o, 1751, by His Excellency's direction in the charter for said township, dated September the third, 1751, according to the direction in said charter, by His Excellency's command, I the subscriber issued a notification for choice of town officers upon the afforesaid day, and the affore- said house, and the people being assembled,
Voted, John Goffe, first Selectman. William Perham, Ditto Selectman.
Nathaniel Boyd,
Daniel McNeil, 60
Elieza Wells,
3dly, for town clerk, John Hall.
4thly, Commissioners for assessment, to examine the Se- lectmen's account,
William McClintock,
William Stark.
5thly, for constable, Robert Anderson.
6thly, for tything men John Harvey,
William Elliot.
7thly, for surveyors of highways,
Abraham Merrill, John Riddle,
John Hall.
8thly, for Invoice men,
Charles Emerson,
Samuel Martin,
9thly, for Haywards, Moses Wells, William Gamble.
10thly, Deer keepers,
Charles Emerson,
William Stark.
11th, for culler of staves, Benjamin Stevens.
12thly, for surveyor of boards, planks, joist and timber, Abraham Merrill.
Recorded by me,
JOHN HALL, Town Clerk."
Thus the town was organized under the charter.
The next town meeting was holden the 16th of November following and mainly for the purpose of raising money to de- fray the expenses of obtaining the charter. On the 4th of No-
267
CHARTER OE DERRYFIELD.
vember, the meeting was called by warrant of the Selectmen ; the second article of which was
"2. To rase money to defray the charges that Mr. John Hall has been at in obtaining a corporation for said town and to chuse a committee for examining and allowing his ac- counts."
At the meeting held Nov. 26 1751, upon the second article of the warrant, it was "Voted, that Mr. John Hall be paid all the money that a committee upon the examination of his accounts shall allow to be his just due for obtaining an incorporation for this town, and the committee's names are as followeth :
John Goffe. William McClinto. William Perham."
This Committee made their report to the selectmen, Dec. 21 1751, as follows :
"Derryfield, December ye 21, 1751.
To the selectmen of Derryfield, Gent, We the subscribers, being a committee chosen by the town of Derryfield to ex- amine and allow the accounts of Mr. John Hall, that we should find justly due to him for his obtaining a corporation for said town, we have set upon that affair and upon a critical examina- tion of the accounts of said John we find that he has expended in money and time, at a reasonable, or rather moderate allow- ance, amounts to the sum of two hundred and fifty one pounds old tenor, and accordingly we judge it highly reasonable that he should have the said sum with all possible expedition.
Certified by us the day and year above.
William McClinto, John Goffe, William Perham,
Committee Men."
At the same meeting the following votes were passed.
"3dly. Voted, to Rase 24 pounds old tenor, to be rased to paye fore Priching for this present year.
4thly. Voted, to Rase 12 pounds old tenor to defray the charges that may arise the present year."
It does not appear from the records, whether Mr. Hall's ac- count was paid, or whether a preacher was employed, but it is to be presumed that the votes were carried out by the select- men. The amount raised for preaching seems small in these days of high salaries, but when compared with the amount
268
THE HISTORY OF MANCHESTER.
raised to cover the expenses of the town and considered in con- nection with the resources of the town, twenty four Pounds is no inconsiderable sum.
The selectmen went to work with energy, their principal business being to lay out highways. Roads had been laid out by Chester and Londonderry leading to Amoskeag Falls through the parts of those towns now forming a part of Derryfield, but these legally stopped short at the lines of those towns next the ungranted land known as Harrytown. They continued on through Harrytown to Amoskeag, but as far as they run through that ungranted land, they had been built by private individu- als, as there was no authority to lay out or construct them short of the Legislature.
These roads although trodden for many years, of course had to be laid out anew by the Selectmen of Derryfield. Then in that part of the new town known as Harrytown, there were no roads aside from those leading from Chester and Londonderry to Amoskeag Falls, save one leading up the river from Amos- keag Falls past Archibald Stark's. Of course new roads had to be laid out and built for the accomodation of the people liv- ing off these roads, centering at the Falls. Accordingly we find that eleven highways were laid out and recorded betwixt the 3d day of October 1751, and the 22d day of February 1752. Of these, eight were in part, or wholly new roads.
In laying out these new roads, it is evident that the Select- men intended to make the part of the town near John Hall's house, the common centre of business, as the roads mainly con- verge to that point. Public good or private interest may have demanded such action ; at this time, it is difficult to determine which had the most control of this action. As however, there was little business done at "the centre" near Hall's, and no public building there, it is fair to presume, that private interest had as much to do, as that of the public, with the action of the Selectmen.
We are the more ready to presume this, when we see that in a few years, the laying out roads, locating the meeting house, finishing the same, and other town matters had produced so much division in the town, as toc all for the interference of the Legislature. But of this in its place.
The year 1752, is noted for the introduction of the Grego- rian style of reckoning time throughout the British dominions! According to Herodotus, the Egyptians first formed the year, making it contain 360 days, which they divided into twelve months of 30 days each. Afterwards, 5 days were added,
1
1
f 1 1
1
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OLD AND NEW STYLE.
and this year was introduced into Greece by Thales. The first calendar was again corrected by Romulus, who divided the year into ten months, commencing with the first day of March, and ending with December, or the tenth month. In this time, Romulus thought the sun passed through all the seasons. His year contained only 304 days, apportioned into the months as follows, viz :
March, 31
Sextilis, 30
April, 30
September, 30
October, 31
November, 30
December, 30
Numa Pompilius corrected the calendar of Romulus, by adding the months of January and February, adding 51 days, and making the year contain 355 days. His new months, January and February, Numa placed before March, and com- menced his year with the 1st day of January. Numa's year then, consisted of twelve months, of different number of days, thus ;
January, 29
Quintilis, 31
February, 29
Sextilis, 29
March, 31,
September, 29
April, 29
October, 31
May, 31
November, 29
June, 29
December, 29
May, 31 June, 30 Quintilis, 31
The alterations and corrections of the year were in the hands of the Roman Pontiffs, and they made such sad work in the mat- ter, that Julius Cæsar the dictator, undertook the correction of the year. At this time the winter months fell back to the au- tumn, and those of autumn to the summer, &c. To remedy this matter, he added 23 days between the 23d and 24th days of February, and also 67 days between November and Decem- ber, making that year to count 445 days. This done, he in- stituted a solar year of 365 days and 6 hours, and every fourth year he ordered the 24th day of February to be reckoned twice, thus adding a day to the month of February every fourth year. The 24th day of February, according to the Roman calendar, was called the sixth of the calends of March, hence the year in which a day was added to February, was called Bissextile, from the Latin word Bis (twice ) and Sextus (the sixth ) because the sixth calends of March, or 24th of February was reckoned twice. Prior to this time, the month following June, had been
22
270
THE HISTORY OF MANCHESTER.
known as Quintilis or the fifth month, but in honor of Ju- lius Cæsar, it was called July. The year thus corrected, is known as the Julian year. The year continued thus until the time of Pope Gregory XIII, with the exception of the altera- tion of the month Sextilis (or sixth) to August, in honor of the Emperor, Octavius Augustus, who entered upon his first con- sulate in that month.
"The Julian computation, is more than the solar year by eleven minutes, which in one hundred and thirty one years amounts to a whole day. By this calculation the vernal equi- nox was anticipated ten days from the time of the general council of Nice, held in the year 325 of the Christain era, to the time of Pope Gregory XIII, who therefore caused ten days to be taken out of the month of October, in 1582, to make the equinox fall on the twenty-first of March, as it did at the time of that council, and to prevent the like variation for the future, he ordered that three days should be abated in every four hundred years by reducing the leap year at the close of each century for three successive centuries to common years, and retaining the leap year at the close of each fourth centu- ry only.
This was at the time esteemed as exactly conformable to the true solar year, but it is found not to be strictly just, because that in four hundred years it gets one hour and twenty min- utes, and consequently in 7200 years a whole day."
All the Catholic States of Europe at once adopted this style of reckoning time, which was called the Gregorian or "New Style." But the protestant countries were loth to introduce the "New Style," probably for no better reason than that it was of Popish origin, and they held on to the Julian or "Old Style," commencing the year with the month of March.
Of course this produced much confusion of dates, as a majori- ty of Europe and the French colonists in America, commenced their year with the 1st day of January. To obviate this con- fusion, the Protestants adopted the practice of using a double date as to the year for all time betwixt the 1st of January and the 24th of March each year. Thus the catholics in writing on the fifth day of January 1752 dated their papers January 1, 1752. But the Protestants holding on to the "old style" reckoned January, February and the 24 days of March as be- longing to the end of 1751, or the beginning of 1752, and they in expressing January 5, 1752, wrote it thus, January 5, 1751-2, (Seventeen hundred fifty one or two.) The confu- sion this produced in reading dates of the different countries,
271
OLD AND NEW TENOR.
may readily be imagined. At length in 1752, inconvenience overbalanced bigotry, and after 170 years from the introduction of the "New Style" by Pope Gregory XIII, the British Parlia- ment adjusted the calendar. At this time the error had be- come 11 days, and the act of parliament provided that 11 days should be taken from September of 1752, by calling the 3d day of that month the 14th, thus shortening September of that year to 19 days ; by commencing the year 1754 with the 1st day of January, and providing that every fourth year after there should be a day added to February. This was called "New Style" and soon became the prevailing method of reck- oning time throughout the Protestant countries.
The want of a currency was the source of much trouble to the colonists. What little European specie was brought into the country by emigrants, or from exports, was soon sent back in the way of trade, or was kept from circulation in private coffers. Trade betwixt the colonists was carried on by barter ; peltry, corn, beans &c., passing as ready cash.
The Indian currency, "Wampum," was adopted to some con- siderable extent. This was "of two sorts, one white, which they make of the stem or stock of the perriwinkle, when all the shell is broken off; and of this sort, six of their small beads which they make with holes to string their bracelets, are current with the English for a penny. The second is black, inclining to blue, which is made of the shell of a fish, some English call hens, poquahock ; and of this sort, three make an English Penny. One fathom of this their stringed money is worth five shillings."
Such currency was taken for taxes. In fact the government was obliged to take the produce of the farmers in payment of their taxes, or get nothing. Specie was out of the question, for although Massachusetts established a mint, as early as 1652, yet it had but little effect in supplying the place of a circula- ting medium in New Hampshire. So that when a tax was levied, the articles in which payment was to be made were enumerated upon the tax list of the constable.
These usually embraced the most marketable products of the farmer, and it was optional with the tax payer, to pay in produce at the stipulated rates, or to pay cash ; a quarter, or one third even, being abated if paid in cash.
Thus upon the tax lists issued by Governor Cranfield and
272
THE HISTORY OF MANCHESTER.
his Council in 1682, the articles to be taken in payment and their prices were thus enumerated :
"Mer'ble.
Pine Boards at any convenient landing place, 26s per M.
Ditto White Oak Pipe Staves, at
50s
Ditto Red Oak Pipe Staves, at
35s
Beef,
2d per lb.
Pork,
3d
Indian Corn,
3s per bush.
Wheat, at
5s
Pease, Malt,
5s 6
fish, at price Curr't.
And whosoever shall pay ye Rates in money
shall be abated one third parte."
Such a state of things was embarrasing. At length in 1690, the ill-stared expedition against Canada left the New England Provinces in debt, and the General Court of Massachusetts, to meet the difficulty, authorised the issue of £7000 in denomi- nations from 5s to £5. These "bills of credit" circulated in the other provinces. New Hampshire being united with Mas- sachusetts had the advantages and disadvantages of this cur- rency. The bills soon began to depreciate in value, and in the following year the General Court took measures to sustain the currency, but without avail.
Their bills continued to depreciate. This state of things brought peculiar hardships upon a deserving class of the community. The soldiers in the preceding wars, the wives and children of such as had perished in those wars, a no small portion of the community, were paid in this currency, and suffered much in consequence of its depreciation.
Various expedients were resorted to for relief, but they were of no avail.
New Hampshire was in debt, but luckily for a series of years, she kept aloof from Bills of Credit. At length, Indian wars and the preparations for the Canada expedition under Nichol- son had so increased the debt of the Province, that the people demanded some relief, and the Assembly determined upon an issue of Bills of Credit. The act authorising the issue was as follows :
"Portsm', 5, December, 1709. In the House of
Representatives, Voted unanimously, That there be four thousand Bills of Credit Raised and Brought into the Treasury
3s 66
S
273
OLD AND NEW TENOR.
of this province, And from thence Issued for the payment of the Debts of the province, And that Major Wm. Vaughan, Samuel Penhallow, Mark Hunkin Speaker, Theodore Atkinson Esq., and Mr. Secretary Story may be a Committee forthwith to goe to Boston to obtain leave of the Government there to Impress and perfect the said four thousand pounds in Bills and to sign the Same, Vnless, which wee Rather desire, they can Obtain of the Government of the Massachusetts to lend us the said Sum of four Thousand pounds of their Bills, and take security Vpon our ffund and Act of the Assembly made by this present Session for the Raising of five thousand pounds in five years next coming for the Support and payment of said Bills, and the Said Wm. Vaughan, Samuel Penhallow, Mark Hunkin, Theodore Atkinson, and Charles Story Esq., are here- by Impowered as a Committee of the General Assembly of this province, to doe and perform what is necessary for the ffin- ishing this affair and procuringe the Bills abovesaid as soon as is possible, that the debts of the province may be discharged. Samuel Keais Clerk."
This bill finally passed after amendment, so that three in- stead of four thousand pounds in bills were raised.
The Province issued their own bills, but it cannot now be ascertained, how these bills were printed, yet it is probable merely with common type, as no plate for the emission is to be found, while the plates for all the other emissions are preserved in the Secretary's office at Concord. This was the first emis- sion of paper money in New Hampshire.
The bills were to be redeemed by December, 31, 1714.
These bills from New Hampshire were redeemed in Boston, as our bank bills are at the present time, as appears from the following notice in the Boston News Letter :
"Her majestie's government of the Province of New Hamp- shire, have ordered a certain sum of their bills of public cred- it to be deposited in the hands of Mr. James Pemberton of Boston, merchant, to whom all persons, that have any of the said bills, which are worn out and unserviceable, may repair to have them exchanged."*
There was again an emission in 1714, of the following de- nominations, 1s, 1s-6d, 5s-6d, 15s, 25s, 30s, £3-10s. These were followed by emissions of the same denominations in 1717, 1722, 1724, 1725, 1726, 1727, 1729. The bills of each de-
*See Felt's Currency of Mass. p. 64.
274
THE HISTORY OF MANCHESTER.
nomination, in addition to a slight variation in the coat of arms, had upon them a picture of a different animal, the more easy to determine the denomination of the bill. We give a speci. men of the denomination of £3. This was struck off from the original plate now in the Secretary's office at Concord. This plate was well executed for that time and was doubtless done in London. The bill for Is, had upon it a wild boar, that for 1s-6d, a bear, for 4s-6d, a griffin, for 15s, a sturgeon, for 25s, a double eagle, for 30s, a deer, for £3-10s a pine tree. To pre- vent them being counterfeited, a check was printed upon the back side of each bill consisting of the letters N. H. curiously combined. In 1737, another emission of bills of credit was ordered and new plates were furnished, the phraseology of the bills being somewhat varied. The denominations of the emis- sion were 2s, 3s, 5s, and 10s. The bills had upon them the British arms, but no other device. In 1740 another emission was ordered and another set of plates was furnished of the following denominations, £1, £2, £3, and £5. Meantime the depreciation of these bills had continued, so that in 1741, a pound bill would not pass for one quarter of its specifi- ed value.
The Government had taken measures to call in all their bills by the year 1741, establishing their value at one quarter of that expressed upon the face of the bills. This was more than their value in the market. In 1742 the Assembly determined upon a new emission of bills.
Accordingly, a new emission was made in that year, and to distinguish the bills from the old ones, a check was printed upon the back as given in the plate, on which was the year, and the value of the bill acording to the new and old valua- tion. All currency issued prior to 1742 was called "Old Ten- or," while that of 1742 and subsequent, was called "New Ten- or." Hence the origin of the name of "New and Old Tenor" as applied to New Hampshire currency. In 1745, after the taking of Louisburg, there was another emission of bills to pay the expenses of that expedition, although any emission of such bills had been expressly prohibited in Governor Wentworth's instructions from the king. However, the brilliant result of that expedition, covered up any little matter of that sort.
At length the evils of a paper currency had become so rife and embarassing, that Parliament took the matter in hand and passed an act prohibiting Governors from assenting to any bills by the Colonial Assemblies, establishing a paper currency, cases of emergency excepted.
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ARMED POSSESSION OF COOS.
However, during the French war, an emission was ordered in 1755, and issued in 1756. This issue was to pay the expenses of the expedition to Crown Point.
The denominations were 6d, 1s, 3s, 3s-9d, 5s, 7s-6, 10s, 15s, 30s, £3.
These were known as "New Tenor, or Crown Point" Bills, the word Crown Point being printed upon each bill. Fifteen shillings of it were equal to one dollar in specie.
"Of this currency, the soldiers were promised thirteen pounds ten shillings per month; but it depreciated so much in the course of the year, that in the muster rolls, their pay was made up at fifteen pounds. In 1756, there was another emission from the same plates and their pay eighteen pounds. In 1758, they had twenty-seven shillings sterling, In the three succeed- ing years, they had thirty shillings sterling, besides a bounty at the time of their enlistment, equal to one month's pay. At length, sterling money became the standard of all contracts ; and though the paper continued passing as a currency, its value was regulated by the price of silver, and the course of exchange."*
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