History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire, Part 84

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 84
USA > New Hampshire > Belknap County > History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire > Part 84

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

" That In Case an Indian War Shall happen before the Experation of aney of the said terms Limeted for Doing Aney of the Said Matters and things aforesaid, the like term of time Shall be allowed after that Im- pediment Shall be Removed.

" Lastly, the Granthes Shall, as soon as may be Don with Convenience, hold a Regular Meeting and pass a Vote In Writing that they agree, assent and Consent to Accept of this Grant to hold the Premises on the Terms hearin Expressed, and to Ratify and Confirm this agreement and Ingagement on their Parts and Behalf Accordingly und Transmit an attested Copey thereof to the Grantors.

"Copey of Record Ecamined and Attested per Geo, Jaffrey, Propr. Clerk.

" Recorded and Examined feberaary the 7th, 1754.

"Pr. ROBERT WALLACE, Grantces' Clerk."

Upon the receipt of this grant, the grantees held a meeting July 20, 1752, and took action as follows :

"At a legal meeting, Legally named and held by the Grantors of No. 6, the 20th day of July, 1752.

"I. Voted, for Moderator, Capt. Andw. Todd.

"2ly. Voted, that the Grantees Do Accept off and Consent to Receive their Charter on the tearms prescribed and set forth in the Charter.

"3ly. Voted, for Clerk, Roh. Cochran.

"4ly. Voted, that Capt. Barr be treasurer this year, and he is to be al- lowed Reasonable wages for bis trouble.

"5ly. Voted, for Counters, John Duncan, John Mack and Robert Wallace.

"Gly. Voted, that their shall be a Comtee, now Chosen to Lay out the town, and their wages is to be I P, 105. old tenor pr. Day each of them

while they are Gone, they fitting and finding themselves ; their is to be five men in the Comtee Besides a survior, and the Comtee, must agree with the survior, and they are to have Liberty to hire a hand some Days if needful ; the Comtes Chosen to cary on Said afair is Capt. Andw. Todd, Capt. Sam1. Barr, David Archibald, James Willson & Sam !. Todd,

" 7ly. Voted, that this Comteo, is Impowered that in case that any of them (viz.), the Comteo., shall be taken sick or lame, that then the Comtee, shall bire hands to finish the Bussiness before they Come home. "Sly. Voted, that each Grantee Shall pay five pounds old tenor in the following manner, viz. : two ponods ten shillings by the last of August next, & two pounds ten shillings more by the Last of September next.

"9ly, Voted, for a Comitee to call or warn meetings, Robert Cochran."

The surveyors employed were Matthew Patten, of Bedford, and Daniel Leslie, of Londonderry. Several meetings of the grantees were held before the sur- vey was completed, and on July 11, 1753, the committee drew the lots at Portsmonth. Some changes had been made in the number compo- sing the grantees, but the lots were drawn for sub- stantially those petitioning for the grant. Prepara- tions were at once made for erecting a saw-mill and making settlements in the township; paths were cleared, but the French and Indian War, which in- volved the colonies in all the calamities of a war with the Indians of Canada and the neighboring tribes, suspended operations for years. Up to 1761 no settlement had been made in the township. A good many of the original proprietors were dead, some had disposed of their rights, while others still took but little interest in the grant. It is a singular fact that but one of the proprietors, Jamcs Peters, ever settled in the town. In the spring of 1758 a foundation was laid for the first saw-mill in the township, to use the water from Long Pond. Tradi- tion says that when the mill was near its completion Indians appeared, and the workmen left for their homes in Londonderry, and the project was aban- doned.

First Settlers .- In the spring of 1760, Rev. James Scales, having come into possession of some land in the easterly part of the township, built a log cabin under the hill known as Foster Hill. Mr. Scales was a native of Roxford, Mass. He graduated at Harvard in 1733, settled in Rumford in 1737, and was teacher of the first school taught in that town. He was shortly afterwards licensed to preach, and was the first min- ister at Canterbury. He moved from that town to Hopkinton, and was the first preacher in that town, being ordained as pastor of the church there Novem- ber 23, 1757. It was while he was residing in Hop- kinton that he built his log house in this town. He resided here some six months, then disposed of his claim and resumed his residence in Hopkinton. The hill near his cabin was known for half a century as "Scales' Hill." In the spring of 1761, Mr. James Peters and his family moved into town from Hopkin- ton, and built a log house near the one occupied by Mr. Scales. There were no neighbors nearer him than on Putney's Hill, Hopkinton, and no mill or store nearer than Rumford, fifteen miles east. To the westward a few families had commenced a settle-

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ment in Hillsborough, while to the north it was an unbroken forest for fifty miles.

In this wilderness Mr. Peters made his home. In June, 1763, Eliakim Howe, Amos Gonld and Thomas Stone moved into town from Marlborough, Mass. They settled in the southeast part of the township, and were joined, in September of the same year, by Jonas Bowman, of Lexington, Mass., who settled near them. In the same year William Peters, a son of James, the first settler, moved into town from Hopkinton, and settled easterly and near his father. He was killed by a falling tree July 5, 1775. Josiah Ward and his family moved into town from Marlborough, Mass., in September of the same year, 1763. In 1764, Deacon Ebenezer Harthorn came from Marlborough, Mass., and was the thirteenth set- tler in the township. In 1765, Annas Campbell came from Hawke (now Danville) and became a large land- owner. He erected the first two-story frame house in the township, in 1766, Deaeon Harthorn erecting the second one in 1768. Eliakim Howe erected the first frame house in the township, one story and a half in height in front, with a long, slanting roof on the back side, reaching near to the ground. In 1765 came Alexander Patterson and his family, including his sons Joseph and Isaac, who settled on what is known as "Goss Hill." Ezra Tucker and family came in this year and settled in the westerly part of the town. Mr. Tucker was from Marlborough, Mass. Cornelins Bean settled near him during the same year.

In 1764, Charles and Jacob Whitcomb moved into town from Stowe, Mass., and Timothy and Jesse Ross, also from Stowe. Francis Withington, also of Stowe, came this same year. In 1766, William Pres- bury came from Stowe, Mass., and settled in the southwest part of the town, where he resided a few years, and then removed to Bradford and was the first settler there. During this year came the three brothers, Ebenezer, Noah and Joshua Gile, from Marlborough, Mass., and settled in the southeast part of the township. Ezekiel Smith and Solomon Childs came from Grafton, Mass .; Hezekiah Newton came from Marlborough, Mass., and Ephraim Merrill from Stowe. The brothers Adonijah and Jephthah Tyler came from Marlborough in 1767. Thomas Howlett came from Stowe in 1766; also William Powers from the same town, and William Eastman in 1765. David Connor settled in the northeast part of the township in 1766, and Silas Barnes came from Marlborongh. Ephraim Goss, in 1767, came from Lancaster, Mass., and Samuel Wadsworth, in 1768, came from Grafton, Mass. Abraham Morrison and Moses Duston came in 1768 from Hopkinton, and Moses Huse in 1766. During the years these settle- ments were being made the proprietors at London- derry held several meetings, and took measures, in co-operation with the settlers here, to lay out roads, raise money, etc., and the last meeting of the propri-

etors was held January 1, 1768, which, without trans- acting any business, adjourned without date.

In 1768, the township having become settled in various places, a move was made for an act of incor- poration of the township, which was secured, under date of November 10, 1768.

PETITION OF THE INHABITANTS TO HAVE THE TOWN IN- CORPORATED, 1768.

"To his Excellency, John Wentworth, Esq., Captain-General, Gov- ernor and Commander-in-chief in and over his Majesty's Provinco of New Hampshire, in New England ; And To his Majesty's Council in the Province aforesaid-

" The Petition of the Inhabitants of the Place called Number Six of the Line of Towns, or New Marlborough, in the Province aforesaid, humbly Sheweth, That wheras your humble Petitioners, whose Names are hereunto subscribed, find ourselves under grent Inconveniences & Difficulties for want of the Powers and Privileges which incorporate Towns in this Province enjoy ; And we, your humble Petitioners, huin- bly pray your Excellency & your Honours to take our Case into your wise and compassionate consideration ; and if you think it proper & necessary, you would incorporate into a Town, indned with the Powers & Privileges of other Terms in the Province, that Tract of Land which is the sixth in Number of the Line of Towns which was first laid out by Or- der of the General Court of the Province of the Massachusetts-Bay, & granted to some of the Inhabitants of Marlborough, in said Province ; and was since granted by the Masonian Proprietors to some of the In- habitants of Londonderry, in this Province of New Hampshire (Said Tract of Land lies between Hopkinton & Hillsborough). We, your humble Petitioners, humbly pray that your Excellency & your Honours would incorporate the said Tract of Land, with the Inhabitants, present & future, their Polls & Estates, into a Town, included within the same Bounds and Limits wherein it was included when it was first granted by the General Court of the Massachusetts Province; and when it was granted by the Masonian Proprietors (not infringing or hurting any private Property) ; and that your Excellency, aud your Honours will be pleased to appoint & impower Mr. Eleakim How, Mr. Ebenezer Hawthorn and Mr. Jonas Bowman (now Inhabitants of said Tract of Land) or any others whom your Excellency & your Honours shall think proper, as a Committee to call the first Meeting of the Freeholders & Inhabitants in said town.

" For which Goodness, your humble Petitioners, for your Excellency & your Honours, as in Duty bound, shall over pray.

" Dated at No. 6, or New Marlbourgh, aforesaid, the fourteenth Day of March, 1768.

" William Eastman,

Jephthah Tyler,

Jacob Whitcomb, Hezekialı Newton,

Amos Gould,

Thomas Pups,

Jesse Ross,

William Peters,

Ezekiel Smith,

Ezekiel Stone,

Daniel Willson,

Adonijah Tyler,

Eliakim How,

Jonas Bowman,

David Pope,

William Presbury

David McKillip,

Joseph Williams,

Ebenezer Haathorn,

Silas Barnes,

Josiah Ward,

James Joslin,

William Powers,

Timothy Ross,

Joshua Tyler,

John Johnson."

This act of incorporation was as follows :

COPY OF THE CHARTER OF HENNIKER.

" PROVINCE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.

" George the Third, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, and so forth. To all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting. Whereas our loyal subjects, lo- habitants of a Tract of Land within our Province of New Hampshire, known by the name of Number Six in the line of Towns and containing six miles square, and hounded as hereafter mentioned, have humbly l'etitioned & Requested us that they may be erected and incorporated into n Township and infranchised with the same priviloges which other towns within our said Province have & Enjoy by law ; and it appearing unto us to ho conducive to the general good of our said province, as well as of the said Inhabitants in particular, by maintaining good order & encouraging tho culture of the land, that the same should be done ;

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HISTORY OF MERRIMACK COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Know ye, therefore, that we, of our especial Grace, certain Knowledge, and for the encouragement and promotion of the good purposes and ends aforesaid, and with the advice of our Trusty and well-beloved John Wentworth, Esq., our Governor and Commander-in-Chief of our said Province, and of our Council of the same, have erected and ordained, & by theee Presents, for us, our heirs and Successors, Do will & ordain, that the inhabitants of the Tract of Land aforesaid, & others who shall in- habit and improve thereon hereafter, the same being butted and bounded as follows, viz .: Beginning at the North West Corner (nearest) of New Hopkinton so-called, thence on a strait 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 supposed to be six miles; then on a strait line to the south west corner of said New Hop- kinton ; then hy that to the corner where it begins, all of the said lines being supposed to be eix miles each, be and hereby are declared to be a town Corporate, & are hereby Erected into a Body Politic & Corporate, to have continuance forever, by the name of Henniker, with all the powers and Authorities, Privileges, Immunities & Franchises which any other Towns in said Province by Law have and enjoy, to the said In- habitants, or who shall hereafter inhabit there, & their Successors for- ever, alwaye reserving to us, our heirs and successors, all White Pine treee which are or shall be found growing and being on the said Tract of Land fit for the use of our Royal Navy, reserving to ns, our heirs and successore, the power and right of dividing said Town when it shall ap- pear necessary and convenient for the Inhabitants thereof. Provided, nevertheless, & 'tis hereby declared, that this Charter and grant ie not intended and shall not in any manner be construed to affect the private property of the soil within the Limits aforesaid; And as the several Towne within our said Province are by the Laws thereof enabled and authorized to Assemble, and by the majority of the Voters present to chuse all officers & transact such affairs as in the said laws declared, We do by these presents nominate and appoint Eliakim How, to call the first meeting of Said Inhabitants, to be held within the said Town, at any time within three months from the date hereof, giving legal notice of the time and design of holding such meeting, after which the Annual Meeting in said Town shall be held for the choice of said Officers & the purposes aforesaid, on the first Monday of Merch annually.

" In Testimony whereof we have caused the Seal of our said Province to be hereunto affixed.

" Witness our aforesaid Governor and Commander-in-Chief this Tenth day of November, in the Ninth year of our Reign and in ye year of pur Lord Christ, 1768.

"By His Excellency's Command, with advice of Council.

"T. ATKINSON, JR., Sec'y. "J. WENTWORTH.

"Province of New Hampshire, Portsmouth, Nov. 10, 1768.

" Recorded according to ye above in ye Book for recording Charters of Incorporation.

"Attest, " T. ATKINSON, JR., Sec'y."

Captain Eliakim Howe proposed that the name of the new town be New Marlborough, in honor of Marlborough, Mass., from which town and vicinity came so many of the early settlers; but Governor Wentworth overruled him and named it for his friend John Henniker, Esq., a wealthy merchant of London.

No other township in all our wide domain is known hy that name.

The following were residents of the town at the time ofits incorporation, with their families : Rev. Jacob Rice, Deacon Ebenezer Harthorn, Captain Eliakim Howe, Ezekiel Smith, Thomas Stone, Amos Gould, Moses Huse, Ezra Tucker, John Johnson, Adonijah Tyler, Jephthah Tyler, James Peters, William Peters, Josiah Ward, Charles Whitcomb, Jacob Whitcomb, Timothy Ross, Jesse Ross, Ebenezer Gile, Joshua Gile, Francis Withington, Silas Barnes, Thomas Pope, Jonas Bowman, Alexander Patterson, Samuel Powell, Annas Campbell, William Powers, William Presbury, Moses Duston, William Eastman, David Connor,-

thirty-two families. Ephraim Goss' and Samuel Wadsworth were young men about to be married. The first child born in the township was Persis, daughter of Captain Eliakim and Rebecca Howe, December 3, 1763. She married Fortunatus Wheeler, of Marlborough, Mass., and settled in Hillsborough.

The first meeting of the inhabitants of the town after its incorporation was held November 25, 1768, and Silas Barnes was chosen clerk, and Ebenezer Gile, William Presbury and Jonas Bowman select- men. The first annual meeting in the town was held March 6, 1769, when Amos Gould was chosen clerk, and Ebenezer Gile, Eliakim Howe and Ebenezer Harthorn selectmen.

First Saw-Mill .- By the terms of the grant, one lot was to be given to the party or parties that erected and operated the first saw-mill in the town. The following record was made :

" HENNIKER, January ye 5th, 1769.

"We, the Subscribers, Selectmen for the town of Henniker, In the- Province of New Hampshire, Cartifie that Jona Temple, of Marlboro', in the County of Middlesex, has finished and completed a Good Saw Mill in said Henniker, it being the first Saw Mill in said town ; these are theirefore to signify our approbation of Said Mill, and to Entitle said Temple to the right of land given by Grant. We accordingly order the Town Clark to Record this in the Town Book of Records as witness our Hande,

"EBENEZER GILE, - Selectmen of " JONAS BOWMAN, Henniker."

" WILLIAM PRESBURY,

The township settled quite rapidly, and when the first census was taken, in 1775, the population was found to be three hundred and sixty-seven ; in 1783, seven hundred and forty-nine. During these years many of the most influential men of the town settled within it, including the Wallaces of Londonderry, the Gibsons, the Rices and Wards from Westborough, Mass., and vicinity, Sawyers, Cloughs, Adams, Kim- balls, Bowmans and others.

Ecclesiastical .- In accordance with the terms of the grant, the proprietors held a meeting in May, 1766, at which it was voted to raise half a dollar on each right in township to hire preaching in the town, and in June, 1767, it was " voted to raise six shillings on each right for the supply of the gospel for the year ensuing." But it was not until the summer of 1768 that the settlers subscribed a sum of money to hire a preacher, and Captain Eliakim Howe secured the services of Rev. Jacob Rice, of Northborough, Mass., a relative of his, to preach to the settlers of the town- ship. Several meetings were held at the houses of Silas Barnes and Captain Howe, and at a meeting of the settlers, held September 12, 1768, Mr. Rice was invited to hecome their settled pastor, to which he returned an affirmative answer October 20, 1768, pro- vided the terms of his salary, yet to be determined upon, should be satisfactory to him. Church and state were not yet separate. Ministers were settled by the town, and every person taxed for his support ; but if any person dissented from settling this or that man as a preacher, he was relieved from paying any

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HENNIKER.

minister's tax at his own request. To be valid, his dissent must be given at the meeting at which such action was taken and recorded upon the records of the town.

SETTLEMENT OF FIRST MINISTER .- At a meeting held November 25, 1768, Mr. Rice's salary was established as follows :

" The conditions of his settlement are, thirty pounds settlement and thirty pounds salary for the first four years, and then thirty-five pounds for four years more, and then forty pounds a year till there is seventy families in town, and then to be fifty pounds yearly till there is ninety families in town, then we will give him sixty pounds yearly till there are a hundred and ten families in town, then we will give him sixty-six pounds, thirteen shillings and four pence yearly, when six shillings and cight pence per ounce, and to the full of the sum proposed according as silver what it is at present. Also, that the town allow him two Sahbaths the first year after his ordination to be absent from this town, and then une Sabbath yearly afterwards to he absent from his people during his ministry. Also, that Mr. Jacob Rice began his year to preach with this town October 24th, A. D 1768, and whilst he ie absent in the winter season his wages is to cease till he comes again."

The terms were satisfactory, save in matter of the standard of silver, Mr. Rice wishing his salary to rise or fall as silver rose or fell, which was quite an important item in those olden days. The town acceded to his request, and at a meeting held De- cember 16, 1768, Silas Barnes, Ebenezer Harthorn and Ebenezer Gile were chosen a committee "to agree and appoint with Mr. Jacob Rice for his Solom Or- dination in this town." June 7, 1769, was the day fixed upon for that purpose, when a council was con- vened, a church embodied, consisting of nine male members and six female, and Mr. Rice was duly ordained their pastor.

The names of the nine males were Rev. Jacob Rice, Silas Barnes, Ebenezer Harthorn, Thomas Howlett, William Presbury, Timothy Ross, Josiah Ward, Charles Whitcomb and Ezekiel Smith ; the names of the females are not known. A church covenant was adopted and signed by all of the members, which continued in use without amendment or alteration until April 1, 1835, a period of sixty-five years. In the spring of 1773, Mr. Rice experienced a severe attack of measles, which impaired his eyesight and otherwise incapacitated him from ministerial labor, and he ouly occupied the pulpit a portion of the time until his dismissal, February 20, 1782. Different persons were employed to preach for many years, months passing at a time without any meeting until after Mr. Rice's dismissal. Among the clergymen that efforts were made to settle were Rev. Aaron Hutchinson, of Grafton, Mass. ; Rev Ebenezer Allen, of Kingston, this State; Rev. Josiah Carpeuter, Rev. Mr. Williams, Rev. Jabez P. Fisher and Rev. Na- thaniel Hall. None of these efforts were successful ; but at a meeting of the town held August 12, 1801, Rev. Moses Sawyer was invited to become the minister. More than one-third of the voters of the town dissented from this vote, and another meeting was held, December 9, 1801, to reconsider the vote, which was not done, although the majority in favor

of the settlement of Mr. Sawyer was small. In con- sequence of the large number of people opposed to settling Mr. Sawyer, his friends determined to sepa- rate church from state, and on this same day formed themselves into a society to be called " The Calvin- istic Congregational Society of Henniker." Over this society and church Mr. Sawyer was regularly ordained May 26, 1802. Those dissatisfied with Mr. Sawyer held another town-meeting, and voted unani- mously to give the Rev. Pliny Dickerson a call ; but he did not see fit to accept it, and that was the last effort made by them to settle any minister.

Mr. Sawyer continued as pastor of the church and society until April 9, 1826, when he preached his farewell discourse, having sustained his relation with the church for nearly twenty-four years.

Rev. Jacob Scales, of Colchester, Ct., was ordained pastor of the church January 17, 1827. Rev. Justin Edwards, of Andover, Mass., preached the sermon, having woolen mittens upon his hands because of the severity of the weather. Mr. Scales was dismissed January 2, 1839, after a pastorate of twelve years, and the pulpit was occupied by different clergymen, none of whom saw fit to accept a call. July 12, 1841, Rev. Eden B. Foster, of Hanover, received a unani- mous call to become pastor, which he accepted, and was ordained August 17, 1841. He was dismissed at his own request January 7, 1847, and December 1, 1847, Rev. Richard T. Searle was ordained, and was dis- missed February 1, 1850. January 6, 1851, Rev. Joseph M. R. Eaton, of Fitchburg, Mass., received a call, which he accepted, and was installed February 6, 1851, and dismissed May 14, 1868, after a pastorate of over seventeen years. September 1, 1870, Rev. Stephen S. Morrill, of Hillsborough, was installed pastor, and dismissed, at his own request, August 18, 1873. Rev. George H. Moss, of Townsend, Mass., occupied the pulpit from November 21, 1873, to July 30, 1876, but was not settled.

Rev. John H. Hoffman commenced preaching for the church June 10, 1877; ordained August 27th, same year, and installed pastor June 7, 1878, and dismissed October 6, 1884, and Rev. F. L. Allen, of White River Junction, was installed pastor.

During the first one hundred years from the em- bodiment of this church more than five hundred per- sons became members of it, and January 1, 1880, the total number then belonging to the church was one hundred and seventy-six.

BAPTIST CHURCH .- Shortly after the Revolution a Baptist Church was formed in this town, which was considered as a branch of the church at Sutton. It prospered for a while, but soon became extinct. February 23, 1832, an ecclesiastical council was con- vened to consider the expediency of forming another Baptist Church in this town, and, after due delibera- tion ten persons were embodied as a branch of the church of Bradford. In September of 1833 this branch was severed from the church at Bradford, and

348

HISTORY OF MERRIMACK COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

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History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire, Part 84

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