USA > New Hampshire > History of New Hampshire, Volume I > Part 29
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Fitzwilliam, or Monadnock Number 4, was granted by the Masonian proprietors, January 15, 1752, to Roland Cotton, Matthew Thornton and others, many of whom were from Dunstable. The conditions were not fulfilled, and so it was regranted, May 2, 1765, to Colonel Sampson Stoddard, Edmund Grouard, Jacob Treadwell, Jr., Jonathan Lovewell and nine- teen others. It was sometimes called Stoddard's Town. Among the first settlers were Brigadier General James Reed, John Fassett and Benjamin Bigelow. It was incorporated May 19, 1773. A portion of this town was included within the limits of Troy, which was incorporated June 23, 1815.
Wilton was granted by the Masonian proprietors, as Num- ber 2, October 1, 1749, to Thomas Reed and others, many of them from Newbury, Massachusetts. It was incorporated as Wilton, June 25, 1762, and reincorporated January 2, 1765. The first settlers came from Danvers, Massachusetts. It is beauti- fully situated among the hills, on the Souhegan river, which supplies, with uniting streams, a considerable water power for varied manufacturies. The oldest part of the town is on ele- vated land, affording beautiful views for many miles around. There are some fine summer residences. The Unitarian and Bap- tist churches here look lonely, but the many horse sheds,
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still kept in repair, indicate that a large farming population keep up the old New England habit of going to church. West Wilton is a gem of a village, and the residences betoken con- siderable wealth. There are too many churches for the present population of the town, but this is true of the majority of towns in New England.
Jaffrey was granted by the Masonian proprietors, November 30, 1749, to Jonathan Hubbard and others. It was known as Monadnock Number 2, or Middle Monadnock. The grant was renewed March 13, 1767, and the town was incorporated as Jaffrey, August 17, 1773, in honor of George Jaffrey of Ports- mouth, one of the governor's council and of the Masonian proprietors. John Grant and John Davidson made the first set- tlements about 1758. The old Congregational church is still standing at the Center, used for a long time as the Town Hall. Several large summer hotels are in this vicinity, and they are a very popular place of resort, even in winter. East Jaffrey, as a manufacturing town, on the Contoocook river. is now the center of population and industry, a beautiful village with four churches and two banks. From every hill-top there is fine mountain scenery.
Marlborough was granted by the Masonian proprietors as Monadnock Number 5 to James Morrison and others, most of whom appear to have been of old Londonberry, May 20, 1752. It contained twenty thousand acres. Many of the settlers came from Marlborough, Massachusetts. The first settlers were William Barker, Abel Woodward, Benjamin Tucker and Daniel Goodenough. Colonel Andrew Colburn, killed in the Revolu- tion, was of this town. It was incorporated December 13, 1776. A portion of the town, with other territory, was incorporated as Roxbury, December 9, 1812. Another portion helped to form Troy.
Dublin was granted by the same proprietors as the above towns, November 3, 1749. It was known as Monadnock Num- ber 3, or North Monadnock. Among the grantees appear the names of Matthew Thornton and Colonel Sampson Stoddard, and they appear among the grantees of several other towns, showing that they were getting land wherever they could, the cost being very little and the hope great. The town was in-
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corporated as Dublin, March 29, 1771, and named for Dublin, Ireland. This town has become the place of summer residence of many wealthy people.
Nelson was granted by the Masonian proprietors as Monad- nock Number 6, May 10, 1752 to John Hutchinson and others. The grant was renewed September 30, 1767 and again February 23, 1774. It was incorporated as Packersfield, February 22, 1774, and named on honor of Thomas Packer of Portsmouth. The name of the town was changed to Nelson June 14, 1814. The first settlement was made by Breed Batchelder and Dr. Nathaniel Breed, in 1767. The southern part of the town, to- gether with the northern part of Dublin, made up the town of Harrisville, in 1870.
Stoddard was granted by the Masonian proprietors, May 10, 1752, to Colonel Sampson Stoddard and others. It was known as Monadnock Number 7 and Limerick. It was re- granted November 4, 1767, and incorporated as Stoddard No- vember 4, 1774. The first settlers were John Taggard, Reuben Walton, Alexander Scott, and James Mitchell, in 1769.
Gilsum was granted December 28, 1752, to Joseph Osgood and others and was known as Boyle. It was regranted July 13, 1763 to Samuel Gilbert, Thomas Sumner and others, and named Gilsum by combining the first syllables of the two sur- names, Gilbert and Sumner. The west part of the town was combined with a portion of Westmoreland to make up the town of Surry, March 9, 1769. The southeast part, with parts of Keene, Stoddard, and Nelson made the town of Sullivan, Sep- tember 27, 1787. The first settlers were Josiah Kilburn, Peltiah Pease, Obadiah Wilcox, Ebenezer Dewey, and Jonathan Adams, in 1764.
Peterborough, formerly known as Souhegan, was granted by Massachusetts, January 16, 1737-8, to Samuel Hayward and others. It was purchased by four men, Jeremiah Gridley, John Vassel, Major John Fowles and John Hill, to whom the Masonian proprietors quitclaimed the land January 26, 1748, reserving to themselves thirty-four hundred acres, or about two hundred acres apiece, not taxable. At the beginning of the first French and Indian war it had about thirty families, many of whom left the town during the war. Before 1748 it had
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mills and a meeting house. It was incorporated as Peter- borough, January 17, 1760. The first settlers were of the Scotch- Irish colony, and their nearest mill was at Townsend, Massa- chusetts, twenty-five miles away. The water power has caused the development of a large manufacturing village, well served by two lines of railroad. From the easterly portion of what was known as "Peterborough Slip," was formed the town of Temple, incorporated August 26, 1768.
Lyndeborough, called first Salem-Canada, was granted by Massachusetts, June 19, 1735, to Captain Samuel King and others. It was granted by the Masonian proprietors, December 5, 1753, to Judge Benjamin Lynde, Jr., and others. It was incorporated April 23, 1764. Farming has always been the chief industry.
Amherst was granted as Narragansett Number 3, December 18, 1728, by Massachusetts, to the heirs of those who had served in the Narragansett war of 1675. Afterward it was called Sou- hegan West. The first settlers were Samuel Walton and Samuel Lampson, in 1734. The Masonian proprietors quitclaimed, De- cember 1, 1759, to the owners of lots their right to the same for a consideration of fifty-four shillings for each share. The first settlers came from the old towns of Massachusetts. Among them were Rev. Daniel Wilkins, the first minister, ordained in 1736. Amherst is the birthplace of Horace Greeley. It was once the most important town in Hillsborough county and the seat of the courts, but is now overshadowed by Manchester and Nashua. It was incorporated January 18, 1760. A portion of the town was combined with a part of Hollis to make up the town of Milford, incorporated January II, 1794. Mont Vernon was set off and incorporated December 15, 1803. Monson, that was incorporated April 1, 1746, a part of old Dunstable, was divided between Amherst and Hollis, July 4, 1770, and then ceased to exist as a separate town.
Bedford was granted by Massachusetts to Narragansett soldiers and heirs February 12, 1733-4, and was called Narra- gansett Number 5, and also Souhegan East. The first settlers were Robert and James Walker, in 1737. Many of the settlers came from North Ireland and were Scotch Presbyterians. Colonel John Goffe, Matthew Patten and Samuel Patten came
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in 1738. The Masonian proprietors confirmed the grant of the town, November 9, 1748, and it was incorporated as Bedford, May 19, 1750, named for the Duke of Bedford. A portion of this town was annexed to Manchester, July 1, 1853.
Goffstown, next north of Bedford, was granted by Massa- chusetts as Narragansett Number 4, February 9, 1733-4. It was also called Shove's Town. The Masonian proprietors regranted the town to Thomas Parker of Dracut and others, December 3, 1748. It was incorporated as Goffstown, June 16, 1761, and named in honor of Colonel John Goffe. Parts have been set off to form Hooksett and Manchester. The grantees were from Chelmsford, Souhegan East, Haverhill, Massachusetts, London- derry, and Brookline, and many Scotch names appear.
New Boston was granted by Massachusetts, January 14, 1735-6, to John Simpson and others, mainly inhabitants of Boston. It was sometimes called Lane's Town and Boston Piscataquog Township. It was granted by the Masonian pro- prietors, June 10, 1751, to Job Lewis and others, and was in- corporated as New Boston. February 18, 1763.
Dunbarton was granted by Massachusetts, June 19, 1735, to Captain John Gorham's men and was called Gorham-town. It was granted by the Masonian proprietors, December 18, 1748, to Archibald Stark and others, chiefly of the Scotch-Irish emigrants, and was regranted, March 2, 1752. It was then known as Stark's Town. It was incorporated as Dunbarton, August 10, 1765, named for a town in Scotland. A portion of this town helped to form Hooksett in 1822. The first settlers about 1739, were James Rogers and six sons and Joseph Pudney and six sons, who together owned two thousand one hundred and ninety acres. In 1747 the Indians burned their houses and barns, cut down their orchards and killed their cattle. Other early settlers were Thomas Colburn, Benjamin Gould and Jona- than Parkhurst.
Weare was granted by Massachusetts, June 19, 1735, to Robert Hale for Captain John Raymond's men and was called Beverly-Canada, and also Hale's Town. It was granted by the Masonian proprietors, September 20, 1749, to Ichabod Robie and others, many of whom were from Hampton. It was in- corporated as Weare, September 21, 1764, and named for Hon.
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Meshech Weare. Some of the first settlers were Nathaniel Martin, John Jewell, Thomas Worthley, John Marsh, Stephen George, Caleb Emery, Moses, William and Aaron Quimby, and Timothy Corliss. The last was from Haverhill, Mass.
Mention has been previously made of how Penacook or Rumford was granted by Massachusetts, and Bow by New Hampshire about the same time, both grants covering much of the same territory. This caused a long dispute about the ownership of land by the first settlers, called the Bow Contro- versy. Bow took in the larger parts of Penacook and Suncook and extended into Hopkinton. The grantees were the leading men in Portsmouth, many of them high in office. It was a test case as to the ownership of land, before the boundary line was settled. Benjamin Rolfe presented a petition to the general assembly of New Hampshire, January 24, 1749, for the in- corporation of Rumford according to its original bounds. A counter petition for the incorporation of Bow was presented by the selectmen of that town, February 7, 1749-50. A suit was begun against Deacon John Merrill by the proprietors of Bow, with the intent to eject him from eight acres of land. The proprietors of Rumford took up the case as a test and defended the right of Merrill to land he had cultivated. The sale of common land met the expenses of the trial. In 1760 sundry proprietors contributed fifteen pounds apiece, afterwards recovered, and in 1766 it was voted to raise four hundred pounds to defend their rights. The Rev. Timothy Walker went to England in 1753 to lay the case of the Rumford pro- prietors before the king in council. His petition states that the king had declared that the question of jurisdiction should not affect the rights of owners of private property; also that the petitioners could not obtain a fair trial in the courts of New Hampshire, because the governor and most of the council were proprietors of Bow and that they appointed the judges and the officers to impanel a jury. Mr. Walker visited Eng- land a second and a third time and had for his counselor Sir William Murray, later Lord Mansfield, chief justice of the King's Bench. The decision was that the actual settler and possessor has as good a title under a grant from Massachusetts as under a grant from New Hampshire. Thus the decisions
Rolfe and Rumford Home, Second Oldest House in Concord, N. H.
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of courts in New Hampshire were reversed and lands in Rum- ford remained in the possession of those first settlers who had come up from Massachusetts. The Massachusetts gov- ernment had contributed one hundred pounds to aid in the law suits, and New Hampshire voted another one hundred pounds to aid Bow. Thus the governor and council helped to tax the whole province to secure their rights to lands which they had granted to themselves in Bow, alias Rumford. The trouble was finally settled by the creation of the parish of Concord with town rights in 1765. It was hoped that the name was prophetic of harmony and peace.1
Hopkinton, or Number 5 in the line of townships from the Merrimack to the Connecticut,2 was granted by Massachusetts, January 16, 1735-6, to men from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, and hence the town was called New Hopkinton. It lies next west of Concord, on the Contoocook river, which affords excellent water power. The first settlement was on Putney hill, where traces of the old fort and cemetery may be seen. The town was granted by the Masonian proprietors, November 30, 1750, to Henry Mellen, Thomas Walker, Thomas Mellen, and such others as they shall admit as their associates. Among the first settlers were Aaron and Jeremiah Kimball. The village was once one of the most important in the State, and the legisla- ture convened here in 1798, 1801, 1806 and 1807, and it was for some time undecided whether the capital of the State should be here or at Concord. The courts for Hillsborough county were alternately held here and at Amherst for forty years, till Merrimack county was formed, in 1823. It was incorporated as Hopkinton, January II, 1765. A portion of Bow was annexed December 13, 1763. Hopkinton contains the flourishing village of Contoocook.
Henniker, or Number 6, was granted by Massachusetts, January 16, 1735-6, to John Whitman and others. Some of the grantees came from Stowe and Marlborough, Massachusetts,
1 See Bouton's Hist. of Concord, pp. 203-226.
2 January 15, 1735, the general court of Massachusetts ordered a survey of the lands between Merrimack and Connecticut rivers, from the northeast corner of Rumford, on the Merrimack, to the Great Falls on the Connecticut, at least twelve miles in breadth, and a committee of eleven men was chosen to lay out the land into townships of six miles square.
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and hence it was sometimes called New Marlborough. It was granted by the Masonian proprietors, July 12, 1752, to Andrew Todd and more than fifty others from Londonderry. It was incorporated November 10, 1768, and named in honor of John Henniker, member of parliament. Among the first settlers were Eliakin Howe, Amos Gould, Thomas Stone, from Marlborough, Josiah Ward and Deacon Ebenezer Hartshorn. These came in 1763-4. The Rev. James Scales of Hopkinton built the first house in Henniker.
Hillsborough was Number 7 in the line of towns granted by Massachusetts, January 16, 1735-6. The first settlement was made in 1741 by James McCalley, Samuel Gibson, Robert McClure, James Lyon and others. The settlement was aban- doned during the Indian war, from 1744, and resumed in 1755. The Masonian proprietors granted this town to Col. John Hill of Boston and others, January 26, 1748-9, and it was named in honor of Hill. The water power has given rise to varied manu- facturies, and several villages dot the town. Here lived Gov- ernor Benjamin Pierce, and his son, Franklin Pierce, fourteenth president of the United States, was born here. The town was incorporated November 14, 1772.
Washington was Number 8 in the above mentioned line of townships, granted by Massachusetts, January 16, 1735-6. It was granted by the Masonian proprietors, December II, 1752, to Captain Peter Prescott and others from Concord and other Massachusetts towns, and a few of the grantees were of New Hampshire. It was called Monadnock Number 8, New Concord, and Camden, until it was incorporated, December 13, 1776, as Washington, named in honor of George Washington. The condi- tions of the grant having been unfilled, it was iegranted, March 17, 1768, to Colonel Reuben Kidder who induced a company of men from Ipswich, Massachusetts, to settle by giving to each settler one hundred acres. The first minister was the Rev. George Leslie, installed in 1780.
Warner was Number I in the line of townships, granted at the same time as the above named towns to Thomas Stevens and others, many of whom were from Amesbury, Massachusetts. Hence it was first called New Amesbury, or Almsbury. It was granted by the Masonian proprietors, March 14, 1749-50,
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to Richard Jenness and others from Rye, and hence was called Jenness-Town, or Rye-Town. It was regranted, December 24, 1767, to Jonathan Barnard, Increase Morrill and Ezekiel Evans, on behalf of the proprietors of the town. A road was cleared and a mill built before 1739. It was incorporated as Warner, September 3, 1774, named for Jonathan Warner of Portsmouth. The first settlers were Daniel Annis and his son-in-law, Reuben Kimball, in 1762. These came from Bradford, Massachusetts.
Bradford was in the line of townships above mentioned and was granted by Massachusetts, January 16, 1735-6. The date of its grant by the Masonian proprietors is not known ; indeed in a petition of Matthew Thornton and Stephen Holland, in 1769, they say it was never granted. One of the first settlers was William Presbury. It was named New Bradford by settlers from Bradford, Massachusetts, and was incorporated as Bradford, September 27, 1787.
Newbury was granted by the Masonian proprietors, June 4, 1753, to James Minot, Jr., and others and was originally called Dantzic. The grant of Hereford, August 7, 1754, was afterward included within the limits of Newbury. The town was regranted, February 5, 1772, to John Fisher and was in- corporated as Fishersfield, November 27, 1778. The name New- bury was adopted June 28, 1837, to take effect July 4, 1837. Tracts from this town have been severed and annexed to Goshen and Bradford. Zephaniah Clark was the first settler, in 1762.
Sutton was granted by the Masonian proprietors, November 30, 1749, to Obediah Perry and others, and called Perrystown. The grantees were from Haverhill and Newbury, Massachusetts. The charter was renewed, February 24, 1752, and again August 13, 1773. It was incorporated as Sutton, April 13. 1784, and named from Sutton, Massachusetts. Daniel Peaslee was the first settler, in 1767. Within four years from that date others had come in, viz., Ephraim Gile, Samuel Bean, Cornelius Bean, Jacob Davis and Thomas Cheney.
New London was granted by the Masonian proprietors, June 5, 1753, to William Symes and others, as Heidleburg. It was regranted as Alexandria Addition, July 7, 1773, to Jonas Minot and others. It was incorporated as New London, June 23, 1779, and named for London, England. Portions of Kearsage
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Gore and Sunapee were afterwards annexed. James Lamb and Nathaniel Merrill were the first settlers.
Salisbury was granted by Massachusetts, February 3, 1736-7, and called Baker's Town. It was granted by the Masonian proprietors, October 25, 1749, to Ebenezer Stevens and others and called Stevens-Town. The grantees were mainly from Kingston. Stephen Chase built a saw-mill and a meeting house in 1743. It was incorporated as Salisbury, March I, 1768. Portions of this town and of Andover, Northfield and Sanbornton were combined and incorporated as Franklin, De- cember 24, 1828. Stevens-Town suffered from Indian depreda- tions in the French and Indian war. Hon. Ebenezer Webster was one of the first settlers, and Daniel Webster was born here.
Andover was granted by the Masonian proprietors, Novem- ber 20, 1751, to Edmund Brown and others, most of whom were from Hampton, Hampton Falls, Kensington and Kingston. It was named New Breton, because some of the grantees had taken part in the capture of that place. It is also called Brown's- Town and Emery's-Town. The charter was renewed, November 6, 1771, and it was incorporated as Andover, June 25, 1779. Joseph Fellows is said to have been the first settler, in 1761.
Hill was granted by the Masonian proprietors, September 14, 1753, to a company of men from Chester and was called New Chester; incorporated as such, November 20, 1778. Bridge- water was set off and incorporated February 12, 1788. Por- tions of Hill and Bradgewater were incorporated as Bristol, June 24, 1819. The name of the town was changed to Hill, January 14, 1837, in honor of Gov. Isaac Hill. The first settlers were Captain Cutting Favor and Carr Huse, in 1768.
Alexandria was granted by the Masonian proprietors, June I, 1753, to Joseph Butterfield, Jr., and others. The charter was renewed, March 13, 1767. It was regranted to Jonas Minot and others, July 7, 1773. Danbury was set off and incorporated, June 18, 1795.
On the northern frontier, east of the Merrimack and stretch- ing to the boundary of Maine, the Masonian proprietors granted a series of towns.
Sanbornton was granted December 31, 1748, to John San- born and others, twenty-three of whom were from Stratham,
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nineteen from Exeter, and seventeen from Hampton. The first settlement was made in 1764, by Samuel Copp, Daniel Fifield, Samuel Sheppard, Andrew Rowen, David Dustin, and Moses and Thomas Danforth. The town was first called First Town- ship. It was incorporated as Sanbornton, March 1, 1770. San- bornton Bridge was set off and incorporated as Tilton, June 30, 1869.
Meredith was granted to Samuel Palmer and others from Hampton, Exeter and Stratham. It was called Palmer's-Town and New Salem, some of the settlers coming from Salem. It is also mentioned as Second Township. It was incorporated December 30, 1768. Laconia was set off and incorporated, July 14, 1855. Hon. Ebenezer Smith was one of the first settlers.
Tuftonborough was granted, December II, 1750, to Captain John Tufton Mason and named for him. It was incorporated December 17, 1795. Several islands of Lake Winnepiseogee have been annexed to it. The first settlers were Benjamin Bean, Phinehas Graves and Joseph Peavey, in 1780.
New Durham was granted, May 5, 1749, to Jonathan Ches- ley and many others from Durham. It was sometimes called Cochecho Township. It was incorporated, December 7, 1762. New Durham Gore was incorporated as Alton, June 16, 1796.
Middleton was granted by the Masonian proprietors, April 27, 1749, as Middletown, to Ebenezer Varney and associates from Dover and Somersworth. The charter was renewed March 21, 1770, and it was incorporated as Middleton, March 4, 1778. Brookfield was set off and incorporated December 30, 1794. There is an interesting letter from Governor Benning Went- worth to the Masonian proprietors, dated February 6, 1770, which shows that he was in habit of traveling through this town at least. He complains of lack of good roads and says that thereby he has suffered five hundred dollars and inore than once had his life endangered. The laborers in the construction of the road were unpaid by the town of Middleton. He intimates that possibly he would pay for the making of the road himself, were it not "merely to indulge and enrich a set of men, whose neglect has been injurious to all that part of the province, and leaves them scarce worthy of any favor from you."3 It would
3 N. H. State Papers, XXVII., 509-10.
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be interesting to know how he was damaged five hundred dollars. It may be that the lack of a good road prevented his granting towns further north and thus getting additional acres to his credit.
Wakefield was granted to John Ham and others from Dover and Somersworth, April 27, 1749. It was known as Ham's- Town, East-Town and Watertown. It was incorporated as Wakefield, August 30, 1774.
Effingham was granted to a company of men mainly from North Hampton, June 28, 1749. The charter was renewed September 29, 1756. It was first called Leavittstown. The northern part of the town was set off and incorporated as Freedom, June 16, 1831.
Thus within five years after the purchase of John Tufton Mason's claim to lands in New Hampshire the purchasers, called the Masonian proprietors, granted thirty-eight townships. Some of these were confirmations of grants already made by Massa- chusetts, but the most of them were new grants, made to peti- tioners, who saw the future value of the unoccupied lands and seized the opportunity to gain for a little what in a few years would be worth much. Thus hardy adventurers who could wield the axe and till the ground poured into the wilderness, taking little with them and getting from the soil both food and clothing sufficient for comfort. Their houses were built of logs, and the furniture was such as almost any one of them could make. Provision at the start was made for a church and a school house, both rough and unattractive, especially inside, but for all that just as good for the advancement of religion and education. The frontier settlers knew, too, that they would have to guard against a savage and cruel foe. Privations, hard- ships and sufferings developed stalwart men and brave women. Economy and thrift soon made the poor rich. The trail became the bridle-path, and this soon gave way to well built roads for teams of oxen and carriages, to be followed by the turnpike and later by the railroad.
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