History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire, Part 83

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia [Pa.] J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1520

USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire > Part 83
USA > New Hampshire > Belknap County > History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire > Part 83

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All the woods usually found in this latitude are to be found in the town, as also are all the fruits growing here in large quantities.

The scenery of the town is very fine as a whole. From the hills around some fine views may be taken in. From the summit of Craney Hill a magnificent view is to be had. Several villages and innumerable farm- houses dot the landscape as far as the eye can reach. On a clear day the snowy peak of Mount Washington is to be seen. From the northernmost step of Federal Hill the eye takes in one of the finest panoramas of nature that exists in this vicinity. The valley can be seen for miles, through which can be traced the Contoocook in its various windings, the intervales and the plains, in the summer clothed with the most luxuriant green ; while close under the feet, as it were, stands the main village of the town, with its snowy-white buildings embowered behind the beauti- ful maples which adorn the streets. A little to the left can be seen the pretty little village of West Henniker, buried, seemingly, in shade. The town has become a popular resort for summer tourists, on ac- count of its pleasant location and its varied land- scape. None better are to be found anywhere.

The sons and the daughters who have gone out from these hills and these valleys, and have made themselves homes in different parts of the world, ever revert with pleasure to the good old town which gave them birth, and love it yet as the dearest spot on earth.

First Grant of this Township by the Province of Massachusetts .- Iu 1690 the colonies in New England and New York, being aroused at the unpro- voked atrocities committed upon some of the in- habitants of the frontier towns during the year pre- vious by Indians aud Canadian allies, determined upon a speedy revenge, and united in an effort to invade Canada and, if possible, to conquer it. With this end in view, two expeditions were sent against that province-one, a land expedition from the New

York colonies, was sent against Montreal ; the other, a naval expedition, against Quebec. This latter expedition was furnished wholly by the Massachu- setts colony, and consisted of thirty-four vessels and two thousand men, under the command of Sir Wil- liam Phipps, a native of Pemaquid (now Bristol), Me. Finding the city strongly fortified and an attack with .the forces at his command useless he returned to Bos- ton, and the expedition was a failure.

The soldiers in this expedition were paid for their services in paper money, the first ever seen in New England, which soon became so depreciated in value as to become almost worthless. Nearly forty years afterwards the soldiers of this expedition then living, petitioned the General Court of the province of Massachusetts for an additional compensation for their services in grants of land, which petitions were generally granted. Eight townships in New Hamp- shire, from territory claimed by Massachusetts, were granted these different petitioners.

One of the companies in the expedition in 1690 was composed of men from Middlesex and Worcester Counties, Mass., and was commanded by Captain Andrew Gardner. A large number of the men com- posing Captain Gardner's company were from Stowe, Marlborough and Westborough, Mass., and these men, headed by John Whitman, Esq. (at that time one of the most prominent men of Stowe, and a grandson of John Whitman, who was in Weymouth, Mass., be- fore 1633), petitioned the General Court of Massachu- setts in 1728 for a grant of land six miles square. After various delays, for which the most trifling reasons were given, in 1734 the attention of the General Court was again directed to the prayer of these petitioners, and on January 14, 1735, the petition was referred to its appropriate committee, which committee, on the day following, January 15, 1735, reported through its chairman, Edward Quincy, as follows :

" January 15, 1735, William Dudley, Esq., submitted a report frem the Committee on the Petitions for Townships, &c. Ordered a survey of the lands between Merrimac & Connecticut Rivers, from the North East Corner ef Rumford on the Merrimuc to the Great Falls ou the Copa., at least 12 miles in breadth, and a committee of 11 was chosen to lay out the land iate townships of six miles square, ne township to be more than six miles square from East to West, to make reperte as soon as con- venient.

"That John Whitman, Esq., and others that have not been heretofore admitted Grantees or settlers within the space of seven years last past, of, or in, any former or other Grant of a township or particular Grant on condition of settling, and that shall appear and give security to the value of Forty Pounds to perform the Conditions that shall be enjoy ned by this Court, may, by the majer part of the Committee, be admitted Grantees into one of the said Township, the Committee to give publick notice of the time and place of their meeting to admit Grantees, which Committee shall be empowered to employ surveyors and chain-men to assiet them in surveying and Inying out said toweship, the Province to be at the charge and be repaid by the Grantcee (whe may be admitted) the whole charge they shall advance ; which Committee we apprehend are to be directed and impowered to admit sixty settlers in each Township and take their bonds payable to the Committee and their successors in the said trust, to the use of the Province, for the performance of the Conditions of the Grant, viz .: That each Grantee build a dwelling-house of eighteen feet square and seven feet stud at the lonst en their respective House Lots, and fence in and break up for ploughing, or clear

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HISTORY OF MERRIMACK COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

and stock with English Grass, five Acres of Land witbin three years next after their admittance, and cause their respective Lots to he inhal)- ited, and that the Grantees do, within the space of three years from the time of their being admitted, build and finish a Convenient Meeting- House for the publick Worship of God and settle a learned Orthodox Minister-and in case any of the Grantees shall fail or neglect to per- form what is enjoined as ahove, the Committee shall be obliged to put the bonds in suit and take possession of the Lots and Rights that shall become forfeit, and proceed to grant them to other Persons that will ap- pear to fulfil the conditions within one year next after the said last- mentioned Grant. And if a sufficient number of Petitioners that have had uo Grant within seven years as aforesaid, viz .: sixty to each Town- ship, do not appear, others may be admitted, provided they have ful- filled the Conditions of their former Grant, the Committee to take care that there be sixty-three House Lots laid out in as regular, compact and defensible manner as the Land will allow of, one of which Lots shall be for the first settled Minister, one for second Minister and one for the School, to each of which an equal proportion of Land shall accrue in all future divisions. Per order of the Committee.

"EnMUND QUINCY."

This was concurred in in the Council the same day, J. Belcher, Governor. The following order was passed the same day :

"Ordered, that Joseph Gerrish, Benjamin Prescott, Josiah Willard, .Joh Almy, Esqs., Mr. Moses Pierson and Capt. Joseph Gold, with such as the honorable Board shall join, be a Committee to all Intents and Purposes, to effect the business projected by the report of the Committee of both Houses, to Consider the Petitions for Townships, which passed this Day, viz., on the proposed Line between Merrimac and Con- necticut Rivers, and on both sides of Connecticut River; and that there be granted and allowed, to be paid out of the publick Treasury after the rate of fifteen Shillings per diem to each one of the Com- mittee for every day he is in the Service in the Woods, and subsistence ; and ten Shillings per diem for every day to each one of the said Committee while in the Service in admitting Settlers into the said Towna, and subsistence."

The proposition to oblige the petitioners or grantees to give a bond for fifty pounds was afterwards stricken out, and the commonwealth assumed all expense under that sum. This committee caused the necessary survey to be made in accordance with the above order, and made their report at the next session of the Pro- vincial Assembly.

The townships thus surveyed were assigned to the several parties petitioning, and this township, known then as No. 6 in the line of townships, was assigned to Johu Whitman, Esq., and others, of Stowe and Marlborough, as witness the following :

"On the petition of John Whitman, Esq., and others, of Stowe and Marlborough, &c., praying for Lands, as entered the 2d of December, 1732, and referred, which was read and accepted, and the House came into the Grant of a Township of the contents aforesaid, in some suitable place on the Contoocook River, on the same Conditions of Settlement with the former. Sent up for Concurrence Dec. 13th, 1735."

Upon this order the grant was made as above giveu. Before completing all the necessary arrangements for the settling of this township the Provincial As- sembly adjourned, and it was not until December 4, 1736, that the following order was passed :

" December 4, 1736-John Whitman, of Stowe, Esq., is hereby al- lowed and impowered to assemble and convene as soon as misy be the Gran- tees or Proprietors of No. 6, lying in the Line of Towns between the Rivers Conn. and Merrimac, to choose officers and divide their lauds and make return of the same to the Court."

The petitioners met at Concord, Mass., in Sep- tember, 1737, at which time sixty grantees were ad-

mitted. Thus, after a delay of some ten years after the petition of Mr. Whitman and others was received by the Provincial Assembly, this tardy act of justice was done. These petitioners were well advanced in years when the grant was made, for nearly half a century had passed away since they were soldiers in the ill-fated expedition in which they were engaged. John Whitman was a grandson of John Whit- man, of Weymouth, Mass., who was in New England before 1633, and was the ancestor of the Whitman family in America, and settled in Stowe, Mass., about 1675-80. He was a prominent man of the town, being a justice of the peace, and was empowered by the General Court of Massachusetts to settle all difficulties arising amongst the settlers about him, particularly those relating to land titles. He died in Stowe shortly after receiving this grant, and was the immediate an- cestor of the Whitman family, which has existed in this town, Henniker, for nearly a century. There is no record yet discovered of the action taken by these grantees, but as will be seen further on, improvements were made in No. 6,-roads were laid out, which were "paths" through the wilderness, and preparations were made to erect a mill, and tradition says one was operated for a short time, but there is no definite proof of it. A few settlers came into the township, but the exact locality of their settlement is not known. Mr. Crane, with a large family, resided on the north shore of the pond south of Craney Hill, which hill was named for him; but he, as well as the other set- tlers, were driven from the township by Indians. One or more settlers made a clearing in the southeast part of the township, and others in the southwest part, near Hillsborough line and in close proximity to the few settlers then in that town. None of the grantees of the township ever settled within its borders, and they were evidently deterred from doing so be- cause of the dispute between Massachusetts and New Hampshire as to the southern boundary line of New Hampshire which was in dispute from the early part of the eighteenth century until its final settle- ment, in 1740 ; and the French and Indian War followed so closely upon this settlement that perma- nent settlers were deterred from entering the township. By the terms of the settlement, all of the line of towns that had been surveyed were inclosed in New Hamp- shire, nearly all of the land in dispute being claimed by the heirs of Captain Mason, who finally succeeded in establishing their claim, and then disposed of their interest to a company of gentlemen of Portsmouth and vicinity, who were known afterwards as the "Masonian Proprietors."

After the trouble between New Hampshire and Massachusetts had been adjusted, some of the grantees, whose titles to township had been vitiated by the cession of lands in this State back to the State, petitioned the General Court for township within its jurisdiction.

Among those who made application were the heirs

343

HENNIKER.

and assigns of the first grautees of this township. Under date of February 26, 1774, they petitioned the General Court of Massachusetts, as follows :

" PROVINCE OF THE MASSACHUSETTS BAY.

" To his Excellency, Thomas Hutchinsou, Captain General and Com- mander-in-Chief in and over this Province. To the Honorable His Majesty's Council and to the Honorable Honsa of Representativea io General Court aforesaid Assembled, Feb. 26th, 1774. Tha petitions of the subscribers in behalf of ourselves and others, grantees of the town- ship No. 6, in the line of towns, humbly showeth that the great and general Court of this Province, at their session 1735, granted a township of the contents of aix miles square, No. 6, in the lines of towns between the Connecticut and Merrimack Rivers; that the granteea were at coo- siderable expense in clearing its roads, building mills, &c., in said town- ship ; that by the late running of the line between this government and the government of New Hampshire the said township was taken into the government of New Hampshire, and your petitioners and their as- sociates have lost their interest therein, together with the money ex- pended for bringing forward the settlement of the township. Your petitioners humbly request that your Excellency and honors would, in your known wisdom and practica, grant petitioners and other grantees and proprietors of No. 6, in lieu thereof, a township of the nuappropriated lands in the eastward part of the Province, or otherwise relieve your petitioners as your excellency and your honors in your wisdom shall think proper, and your petitioners, as in duty hound, shall ever pray.

" JOHN GARDNER. " STEPHEN MAYNARD.

"SETH RICE."

In answer to this petition was the following:

"Resolved, That in lian thereof there be granted to the proprietors and legal representatives or assigns of the original grantees, who were aufferers by losing their lands, a township seven miles square in the un- appropriated lands balonging to this Province."

This towu is now known as Waterford, Me.

The Masonian Grant and Charter .- November 29, 1748, a meeting of the inhabitants of London- derry was held at the house of Joseph Scobey, to take action relative to a grant of land upon which to settle. At this meeting Captain Todd was chosen moderator, Captain Barr treasurer, and Robert Coch- ran clerk. Sixty-one persons joiued the organiza- tion and paid the fee required of them towards defray- ing the necessary expenses that would be incurred in procuring the grant. Twenty more were admitted as members shortly after. The names of these men were, ----

"John McMurphy, Esq., Capt, And". Todd, Capt. Sam". Barr, S. Will- sun & Son, James Todd, Sam". Todd, Alex". McCollom, Joseph Willson, John Hillanda, Henry Erwin, William Forest, Robt. Parkison, Sam". Allison, junr., Rob, Wicar, Joseph Hammell, John Robie, Thus, Coch- ran, Wm. Nickels, Jas. Thompson, Joseph Stewart, Black James willson, George Addison, James Addison, George Robertson, James Robertson, Nath. Hvalma, John Scobey, John Pinkerton, John Duncan, Matth. Taylor, Senr., Tho". Davidson, Sent., Wm. Duncan, Geo. Doncan, Joseph Bell, James Cochran, John Archibald, James Willson, South; Lent. John Humphra, James Humphra, Tho". Boyes, Nat". Hoalma, jr., Wm. Ayers, Robt. Cochran, Wm. Marten, David Scohey, David Aiken, Heury Dyer, Tho". McCleury, Roht. Riddal, James Rodgers, Eli Boyd, Jamea Petter- aon, Henry Parkisou, Ww. Gault, James Wallace, Rob'. Fairservice, James Ewins, Willm. Rodgers, Sent., Hugh Montgomery, Rob. Rodgers, Ja". Alexander, Blacksmith ; Newell Hammell, Roh. Livingston, Robt. Mcl'urdy, Isaac Brewster, John Leggan, John Mack, David Hopkin, Sam". Moore, Ww. Hoalma, Alext. McCollom, jr., Matthew Pinkerton, John McCollom, Nath" Aiken and two sons, John McMurphy, jr., Ja .. Wallace, Seur., Joseph Boyea, Jamea Smitlı."

At a meeting of these proprietors, held at the house of William Blair, July 13, 1752, Robert Coch- ran and James Wallace were chosen to go to Ports-

mouth to " Get a Charter." These men attended to their duty at once, and on July 16th, three days after, the following grant of land was obtained, called No. 6:

PROPRIETORS' GRANT.

"PROVINCE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE .- At a Meeting of the Proprietors of the Lands Purchased of John Tufton Mason, Esqr., In the Provence of Newhampshire, held at Portsmouth, in said Provence, on the Six- teenth Day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred fiftay-two. Voted that thar be & hearby is Granted unto Jobu Mac- murphay, Esq., Audrew todd, Gent. ; Samuel Barr, Gent. ; the Revre. William Davidson Clark, Robert Cochrau, Gent .; Robert Liviston, Blacksmith ; Robert Wallace, yeoman ; Nathaniel Aiken, yeoman ; John Mack, Blacksmith ; John MacMurphey, Junr., John Pinkerton, Matthew Pinkerton, Daniet Lesly, James Willson the third, James Ewins, yeo- man ; John Reside, weaver ; John Scobey, Joseph Bell, John Caldwell, William Ayers, taner ; John Loggan, clothiers; John Loggan, Juur., weuver; James Smith, John Duncan, yeoDien ; Isaac Brastor, weaver ; John McCollom, Alexander Mcl'ollom, Alexander McMurphey, James Wallace, John Clarke. Georg Duncan, David Archibald, William Mack, JuDr., John Stuert, Thomas Boys, James humphrey, Robt. Fairsenes, Samuel Allison, junr., James Willson of the South, James Peterson, yeoman ; Robert Wear, Leather Breeches Maker ; Alexander McCollom, juur., James Wilson, Junr., Robert Wilson, Alexander Willsou, Thomas Gregg, Robert McCordey, yeoman ; Hugh Willson, Gent. ; Alexander Craig, James Todd, Sammel Todd, William Ayers, JuDr., yeomen, all of Londonderry, In Said Provence, George Robertsun of Chester, In Said Provenca, Williams holms of Bedford, io seid Provence, yeoman, and William Peters, of a Place called hopkintown, in said Province, In Equall Shares ou the tearms, Conditious & Limitations hereafter Ex- pressed, all the Right, titele, Claim, Inheritance, Estate, Demand of tha said Proprietors to that Tract of Land within the Province aforesaid, Containing Six Miles Square by Estimation, or Equall their to, Bounded as follows, viz. : Beginning at the North East Corpor (nearest) of new hopkintown, So Called ; thence on a Straight Line to the North East Corner of Hillsborough, So Called, Being by Estimation Six Miles ; then by said Hillsborough Line to the South East Corner thereof, Being Sup- posed to be Six Miles; then on a Strait Line to the South West Coruor of said Naw hopkintown ; then by that to tha Cornor where it begins, all the Said Lines being supposed to be Six Miles each, to have and to hold the said Granted Premeses to them, their heirs and assigns in Equal Shares on the following terms, Conditions & Limitations : that is to say that the whole Tract of Land above Described be Divided into Eightey Rights or Equal Shares, and Each Share into three Lots, which ara tu be so Sorted and Juined as to make the Shairs as Equall as Posibal Both for Quality and quantitey; that Land be Left Between the Lots for ('on- venient highways ; that the Whole ba surveyed and so Davided and Laid ont into Lots Reanged & numbered and an Exact Plan therof Made and Returned to the Grantors within Six months from the Deat hearof, and upon the Return of Said Plau the Luts to be Drawn for in the Customary maner in such Cases at Portsmouth aforesaid, under the Derection of the Grantors with this Excepsn-that one Lote belonging to one of the Reserved Shares shall Contain a stream and shutebl Place for Setting a Mill, and be laid out and not Drawn for, to be hereafter Disposed of as the Grantors Pleas ; That Nineteen of the Said Sharea be and bearby are Reserved to the Grantors, their hairs and Assigns ; that one of the Said Shairs be for the first minister of the Gospel who shall be Regularly Settled on the Said Tract of Land and Continue there During his lifa, or untill he be Regularly Dismissed, to hold to his heirs and Assigns ; that one other of Said Shares be for the use of the ministry there forever, and one other of Said Shares for the use & Meutanance of a School after the Said tract of Land Shall be settled, to be kept there forever; that one of the lots of the Share for the use of the Ministrey be laid out in the Most Convenient Place for Building a Meeting hous Withont Drawing for it, and the Meting hous to be built thereon, and Round about the Meeting hous, or nenr tu it (as will be best, having Re- gard to the Place and quality of the Land), there shall be Left ten acrea of the Said lot as a Common field for training, a Burying Place and any other Publick usa ; tbat Eighteen of Said Shares be Exempted and Wholly Exonerated of and from all Charges, Cost & Expenco in Making the Settlement, and whatever charges may arise for the Soport of the Gospel, or otherways by any means or ways whatever until the Same or Some part of Each Respectiva Share Shall be Improved by the owner thereof; that the owners of the other Fifty Nine Shurea maka settle- nient upon the said Tract of Land In Maner following, viz. : that there be ona acre of Lund Cleared, fit for tilling or mowing, on one of the Lotes

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HISTORY OF MERRIMACK COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Belonging to Each of Said Shares within one year from the time of Drawing the said Lote so Cleared and fited within one year after that, and an hous built on the same fit for a family to Dwell in, not less than Sixteen feet Square, or Equall to that Demenshon ; that in one yeare after that one acre more on Each of the Said Lots be so Cleared and fited, and In one year after that there be a Family Living in Each of the Said houses, that is, a family on a Lote belonging to Each of Said Shairs ; that a Meeting hous be Built there, fit for the Publick worship, within one yeare After that ; That there be Constant Preaching Men- tained theire within Six years from this time ; That cach owner of the said Fiftey nine Shares do Duly pay All such Snme & Sums of Money as Shall be at aney time Voted and agreed by the Major part of the said owners to be Raised on Each Shaire to such Person or Persons as they Shall order to Carey on the Setellment, and Shall Do and Perform bis Respective Part and Dutey toward Making the same in maner aforesaid, and in Default of so Dowing, his Right and Shaire who Shall be De- linqnent therein shall be and hearby is Declaired to be forfited to the other owners of Said Shairs who Shall have duly Down and Performed there Respective Parts and Duley Conserning the same in Maner afore- said, and the said Owners in order to Carey on and Perfict the said Settle- ment may, from time to time, as a occasion Shall Require, Make choice of a Clark, a Resever of the Money to be Raised as aforesaid, and any other Persons to aney office, duty and trust Necessary for the Purpose aforesaid, and when Aney of the Said Shares Shall be so forfited for Neglect & omission as aforesaid, the Said owners to whom the same shall be forfited May Proceed to Enter upon and Dispose of Such forfited Share as they or the Major part of them Shall agree.

" That all the White Pine trees fit for his Majesties use & Service for Masts are bearby Reserved and Granted to his Majesty, his Heirs & Successors forever, and in case the Owners of the said fiftey nine Shares Shall fail of Making the Said Settlement of the said Number of familes Within the tearm Granted for that Purpos, and having the honses Bult and Land Cleared by that time, as above mentioned, then the Said tract of Land, with whatever Shall be on there on Short of the Completing the Said Settlement, Shall be forfeited to the Grantors, their Heirs & Assigns, and it Shall and May be Lafull for them or aney Person or Per- sons, in there Name, by their Order, into and upon the Whole or aney part Thereof In the name of the Whole, to Re-enter and Take full Seizin thereof as tho' this Grant had Never been made, that in Case the said Granted Premises Shall be Recovered from the Grantees, or aney part thereof, by any ways or means Whatsoever, the Grantees Shall Receive Nothing over against the Grantors for any Improvements or Labour by them or any of them don or that Shall Be Don thereon. But the Gran- tors hearby Promis and Ingage, npon being Properly Notified, to take upon them Selves the defense of aney action that Shall be brought for the Recovery of the said Premises and aney Pairt Theiroff by any other title than that under Which they hold or from which theirs is Derived against the Grantees or aney of them.

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History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire, Part 83

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Philadelphia [Pa.] J. W. Lewis & co. Number of Pages: 1520

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia [Pa.] J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1520