History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire and representative citizens, Part 58

Author: Hazlett, Charles A
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago : Richmond-Arnold
Number of Pages: 1390

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Formerly a bridge was built on the southwest side of the town, forming a means of connection between Rye and New Castle, and previous to the building of the new bridges in 1821 all travelers for Portsmouth went by way of the "Old Bridge."

Soon after the settlement of Great Island a fort was built upon Frost Point, to serve as a protection to the harbor. It was an earthwork "made with certain great gunns to it," and in the year 1660 was mentioned in the documents of that day as the means of distinguishing Great Island from other islands in the vicinity. It was several times remodeled, and for many years prior to the War of the Revolution was called Fort William and Mary, named in honor of the king and queen of England. In the eleventh year of the reign of Charles the First, of England, the island, together with the fort, came into possession of Mistress Anne Mason, widow of John Mason, of London, who at the time of his death was engaged in mercantile pur- suits. Portions of the island were afterwards deeded to Robert Mussel and other individuals by her agent, Joseph Mason, of "Strawberry Bank," on the river of the "Pascattaquack."

It is difficult to separate the history of New Castle from the general affairs of the Province of New Hampshire in the early times. For the first seventy-five years it was the capital of the province, and two-thirds of the provincial officials were citizens of the town. No actual local government, independent of the jurisdiction of Massachusetts, was put in operation in

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New Hampshire before 1680-81, so that there is very little doubt the very first representative body ever convened in the state was at New Castle. The date of the first council meeting is "Great Island, January 15, 1683," and every one of its meetings was here until the year 1697. All the members of this first recorded council, including the governor, Edward Cranfield, lived at New Castle.

The town records from 1693 to 1726 were gone, none knew where, but in the autumn of 1873, the postmaster of New Castle, H. M. Curtis, Esq., received a letter from Mr. Henry Starr, of London, informing him that one of his neighbors, a Captain Bokenham, of Cheshunt, in Herfordshire, had in his possession two volumes of the town records of New Castle.

The letter was cautiously answered, inquiry made as to the expenses of getting back the precious documents. The reply was the volumes them- selves, by the next English mail. They proved to be the long-lost records, of the first thirty-three years of the town's corporate existence, in perfect preservation, and in the handwriting of Francis Tucker, an attorney of New Castle. The discovery and return of these records was an almost romantic event for our little town, which had, indeed some vague idea that its ancient history was more remarkable than its modern, but could not hitherto produce any evidence of it. The records were all the more indispensable to its earliest history, inasmuch as those of Portsmouth, which might have shed some light upon it, were known to have been destroyed.

From these records it appears that a meeting-house had been erected at least as early as 1693, for in December of that year an order was put on "ye Meeting-House" for a town-meeting to agree with a "minister and dis- corse other things Necessary for the towne's Benefitt."

Separation of the Town of New Castle .- Until the year 1693 there was but one place of worship, the old South Meeting-house, for the inhabitants within the limits of Portsmouth, New Castle, Rye, Greenland, and a part of Newington.

From the settlement at Odiorne's Point in 1623 the way was easy across the beautiful waters of the Little Harbor to the Great Island (as New Castle is even still frequently called), with its small and pleasant beaches, its higher rocks, with its small and pleasant beaches, its higher rocks, and its securer defenses by nature from the attacks of the Indians. One finds at the present time graves in all parts of the island, and although, by reason of the incon- veniences of the ferries and in the growth of the colony, Portsmouth became more prominent and engrossed nearly all the history of the settlement, we must not forget that for a number of years Great Island was of more importance and the most populous and aristocratic part of the town. Here were the governor's residence, the fort called William and Mary, on the site used ever since for the same purpose, the prison where Moodey and others were confined, the houses of several of the most wealthy and influential settlers, mansions of note for their day.

In the year 1693 there appears the following record :

"To the Honorable, ye Lieut. Governor and Councile of this their Majes- ties Province of New Hampshire : the humble petition of the inhabitants of the Great Island humbly sheweth :

"That whereas we, being part of ye towne of Portsmo', and having found for many years great Inconveniences arising thereby in regard of the dis-

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tance we are from the banck, and no way to it but by water, wherein there is great difficulty at any time, but sometimes more especially to the hazard of our healths and lives, in going up to attend the publike worship of God at Strawberry banck and having many poore people amongst us, both men and women and children, which have no convenience of passage, by which means ye greatest part of our people cannot enjoy ye hearing of ye word preached to them, wch causeth many times ye breach of ye Sabbath, and ye dishoner of God's holy worship; as also, our Island being ye mouth of ye harbor and Inlet into ye province, having the King's fort placed here, and all the stores of ammunition, wh. is of great Consequence and ought at all times to be care- fully attended and lookt after; but if the Inhabitants of this Island must be confyned to attend their duty at Strawberry banck upon every publike ocation, the King's fort is left destitute of assistance, and lyes exposed to ye surprizall of ye enemie and our owne destruction; we therefore, the Inhabi- tants of ye Great Island, being a competent number to make and uphold a towneship, do humbly beg and desire of this honorable board ye Governr and Council that we may be constituted a Towneship by ourselves, and that you would grant us the privileges and imunities as their Majestys have bin gratiously pleased to allow sutch a Towneship, . and ye peti- tioners shall ever pray."

This petition is signed by a number of persons, among whom we find names still common at New Castle. Of course there was considerable oppo- sition on the part of Portsmouth to the petition. The selectmen appeared before the Council and confessed it was inconvenient for the inhabitants of Great Island to go to meeting at the Bank, and that the fort and stores ought not to be at any time deserted; but there should be a minister settled on the island rather than a separate town.

The Council, however, decided that Great Island should be made a town- ship, and divided from the Bank, taking in Little Harbor and a part of Rye, and on the 30th day of May, in the fifth year of the reign of William and Mary, 1693, the charter of the Town of New Castle was given. It is written on parchment in black letter, or old English, and preserved with great care among the town papers.

The result was that Mr. (Benj'e) Woodbridge was engaged to be the minister for a year at a salary of sixty pounds and the contribution of strangers. Whence he came and when and why he left there is no record, but he is mentioned two or three times in a strange book written about that time and printed in London in 1698, to which we shall soon refer, and called Mr. Woodbridge, a divine. I judge there was some trouble in regard to the salary, as this is a trouble which seems to run through the record, or the inhabitants felt that they had not been sufficiently consulted, for soon after Mr. Woodbridge was settled his advice was asked in regard to a successor. He named three clergymen, and of course the parish did not agree upon any one of them; but in 1694 Mr. Samuel Moodey was "discoursed," and called by the parish at a salary of seventy pounds, finding himself housing and all other things on his own charge. This Mr. Moodey was a son of Joshua Moodey, the minister of Portsmouth, and was graduated at Har- vard in 1639. He remained until the latter part of 1702, or early in 1703, and thereafter appears at the Shoals, where he is spoken of as "a man of piety and a pathetic and useful preacher." The last record in regard to

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him is on a matter of salary, the town agreeing to pay him not all in money, but part in provisions, and thereafter he is spoken of as the late pastor.

At a town-meeting held on the 24th of May, 1703, it was voted to settle Mr. John Emerson, at a salary of sixty-five pounds and the contribution of strangers; and also to build a minister's house, "when the town is able," and to fence in the land belonging to the "ministry," and to pay the minister the freight on his house goods. Altogether they seem to have begun with Mr. Emerson with a good deal of enthusiasm, perhaps because of his dis- tinguished presence and gifts, which won promises they could not make good in money, for in 1710 Mr. Emerson complains to the town of the poor house in which he has lived ever since he came among them, and puts them in mind of their promise to build a parson's house. This seems to have led to some difficulty, which resulted in the loss of their minister, for although the town voted to build a parsonage, January 18, 1710, the vote was not carried into effect for two years, and on the 17th of September, 1711, Mr. Emerson informed the town that he being sickly of the "ague, and the town not agreeing with him, he thinks it absolutely necessary for his regaining his health to move farther from the sea." He left in 1712, and in 1715 was settled over the South Parish of Portsmouth. When he left New Castle application was made to the president of the college and the minister at Cambridge to procure a minister suitable for the place, and in 1712, Novem- ber 24th, it was voted "that Mr. William Shurtleff shall be ye minister in this town, and that he be called to office and ordained here," and in the same year it was voted "that ye Reverend Mr. William Shurtleff shall have sixty-five pounds per year for his annual salary during the time he lives single, but when his family increases by marriage it is voted that he shall have eighty pounds per year." In 1732 he gave up the parish at New Castle, and on the 21st of February, 1733, was installed over the South Parish, where he had a ministry of great prosperity for fourteen years.

The first meeting-house at New Castle, built in or before the year 1693, gave way to another in 1706, which was furnished with a bell of fine tone sent over from England, decorated with a beautiful altar-piece, and supplied with a silver communion service, to which was added a splendid silver cup, the bequest of a sister of Sir William Pepperell, and on the pulpit was a large folio Bible with illuminated letters, printed at the University of Oxford. This meeting-house was, perhaps, as a whole, finer than the first old South at Portsmouth, standing at the same time.

In these early records there are votes at the town-meetings which show the same general characteristics of the inhabitants in regard to social and religious customs that we have already noticed. We find the same order as to seating the townspeople in the meeting-house. We find it ordered "that one householder or more walk every Sabbath day in sermon time with the constable to every Publick House in ye town to suppress ill order, and If they think conveiniant, to private Houses also." We find the same votes in regard to the entertainment of strangers, and giving their names to the select- men if they remain more than a few days. We find it ordered, "for the prevention of fire or other dangers which may happen by smoking in the Meeting-House, that every person soe smoking at any meeting in the Meet- ing-House be fined." We find it ordered, "for the prevention of charge com- ing on the town by some certain noted common drunkards, that the names

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of such persons be given by the selectmen to every publick house in the town in a paper, and a fine to be inflicted on whomsoever shall sell any drink to persons so noted and named." We find a vote that all the inhabitants shall pass the ferry free on Sabbath days and on all other public days; and we find many votes at various meetings about 1720, and thereafter, in regard to building a bridge over Little Harbor, which was built, fell into decay and disuse, was swept away by the tides. Another was built upon its site, of which almost the last traces have disappeared.

Lithobolia .- The most remarkable incident in the history of Great Island is connected with one of the few cases of witchcraft in our neighborhood, and while one instance of the appearance of the witches at Little Harbor is in all the accounts, this, the far more extraordinary, has been almost entirely lost sight of. There are two roads that lead into the ancient village, one by the water and the other a little farther inland. About a third of a mile east by south of the last bridge, on the latter road and very near to it, per- haps, indeed, on it, as the highway has been opened since the building dis- appeared, and on the land owned by Mr. John Locke, there stood, as early certainly as 1686, a large mansion with a gambrel roof, a hall extending through the lower story, with several spacious chambers above. The house belonged to one George Walton, called a planter, and among the inmates was one Richard Chamberlain, a prominent public functionary under Cran- field, being variously styled justice of the peace, Secretary of State, clerk of the court, etc., and near by was a friend of his, also prominent in provincial matters, Capt. Walter Barefoot. When Chamberlain went home to England he wrote a book, which was printed in London in 1698, of which the follow- ing is the name and its explanation: "Lithobolia; or the Stone-throwing Devil. Being an Exact and True Account (by way of Journal) of the various actions of infernal Spirits or ( Devils Incarnate) witches, or both, and the Great Disturbance and amazement they gave to George Walton's family, at a place called Great Island, in the province of New Hampshire, in New England, chiefly in throwing about (by an Invisible hand) stones, bricks, and brickbats of all sizes, with several other things as hammers, mauls, Iron Crows, Spits, and other domestic utensils, as came into their Hellish minds, and this for the space of a quarter of a year. By R. C., Esq., who was a sojourner in the same family the whole Time, and an Ocular witness of these Diabolical Inventions. The Contents hereof being mani- festly known to the Inhabitants of that province and known of other provinces, and is upon record in his Majestie's Council Court, held for that province, 4to. Dedication 2 pp. 16, London : Printed and are to be sold by E. Whit- lock near Stationer's Hall, 1698."

Lithobolia is a Greek word, signifying a throwing of stones, and is the title given to this book because it describes the intervention of supposed evil spirits whose manifestations took that form. The belief in witchcraft was then almost universal even among legal minds best trained to the examination and sifting of evidence. So easy is it for persons to see what they believe they will see therefore the book begins with a charge against the skeptical, incredulous, and infidel spirit of the age which should venture to disbelieve such well attested things, as with equal reason one might as well deny his very senses, infidelity being always nothing more than the reproach of not accepting the belief of the majority, no matter how much

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stronger or higher our faith may be in something different. The malicious acts of these fiends ceased about the time the governor arrived, so that he insisted upon it that it was only the waggery of some unlucky boys, but this Chamberlain regards as impossible after the sight and testimony of so many considerable persons. These preternatural occurrences were supposed to be caused by the maliciousness of a neighboring woman, who pretended that some land of her field had been taken into the bounds of this George Walton, and who had been heard to say with much bitterness that Walton should never quietly enjoy that piece of ground. It would often be a source of grim satisfaction to many if they could thus call all the evil spirits to their aid in tormenting those who have infringed upon their rights. This true narrative, the writer says, is set down to rectify the depraved judgments and sentiments of such unbelieving persons as reject the operations and being of witches, and convince all who hear without prejudice by the testimony of eye-witnesses almost every day for a quarter of a year together.

One Sunday night, about ten of the clock, this Richard Chamberlain, justice of the peace, lodging at the house of George Walton, heard many stones thrown and hit with great noise against the top and all sides of the house. Walton and his neighbor, Amazeen, an Italian, had gone to examine the gate between their houses, which had a habit of being swung off the hinges and cast upon the ground, and as they returned to the house they were assaulted with a peal of stones, taken, as was supposed, from the rocks hard by the house ( thus always, in spite of their belief in the super- natural and omnipotent agency, persons try to let the attendant circum- stances make it easier for the divine agency) and by human hands as agents.

Everybody in the house was aroused by the strange alarm, and all looked out as sharply as possible, it being a bright moonlight night, but could make no discovery. Then a shower of stones, some of them as big as the fist, came into the entry of the house, whereupon they withdrew into the next room, none being hit save two youths. "Praised be Almighty Providence," says Richard Chamberlain; for certainly the infernal agent, constant enemy to mankind, had he not been overruled, intended no less than death or maim. Forthwith they began a search; they searched the hall, they searched the cellar, and of course the shower of stones began to diminish, but when they came into the room "these unfriendly lapidary salutations" were renewed. The windows were broken, and yet the stones had a way of coming apparently from the inside, forcing the bars and cast windows out, and themselves falling back into the room. One stone they took out of the glass of the window where it lodged itself in the breaking of it, in a hole exactly fit for the stone. Sometimes they scratched the stones, and found that the same ones were taken up and thrown at them again and again.

After four hours of fright Chamberlain concluded to go to bed (thus do the powers of nature overcome the supernatural, and we go to sleep even in the presence of demons), but soon he was again awakened by another battery, when it seemed as if shelves, pictures, books, and everything had been knocked down, and upon all the household rushing to his room, they found a stone weighing eight pounds and a half, which had burst open the door. Soon after the manifestations ceased for that night. It was a dis- turbed night for the household, and in the morning each one had some strange experience to relate, which probably lost nothing in the relation.

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That day while the men were at work in the field, and with Mr. Wood- bridge, the divine, now present to see, the stones came jumping and tumbling on the grass, and upon one person skeptically asserting he was not per- suaded, but that the boys at. work did throw them, the devil rewarded his infidelity by a blow with a stone upon the boy, which convinced the one and set the boy a-crying. That night Chamberlain began to play upon a musical instrument, perhaps to drive away his fears-as boys whistle in the night- when a great stone came rumbling into the room, which, he says, was on a much different account than in the days of old, and of old fabulous enchant- ments, his music being none of the best; and while many gathered at the house on account of the marvelous thing, just as the stones were being thrown about, two youths saw a black cat in the fields, which was shot at, but missed by its changing places, and being immediately at some distance, and then out of sight.

The next Monday Walton went by water to a place called Great Bay, and as the men were at work in the woods felling wood, there came another shower of stones, which they gathered into a pile under a tree, and return- ing after a time found they had disappeared, and were again thrown about. Once again, returning from Great Bay with a load of hay, about midway in the river he found his boat in a sinking condition by the pulling out of the stopple in the bottom-"'a contrivance, a combination," says Richard Cham- berlain, "of the old serpent to have doomed my good landlord and his com- pany." At one time, after a number of prominent persons gathered there had been wondrously affected by these strange things, they offered them- selves to give testimonies, which Richard Chamberlain, Esq., then wrote down, and several signed a paper attesting the truth of their being eye- witnesses of at least half a score of stones that evening thrown invisibly into the field and entry and hall and chamber of George Walton. Among these we find the governor of West Jersey and the deputy governor of Rhode Island and other persons of note. Strange sounds sometimes attended the throwing of the stones, and besides the stones strange things flew about, and familiar things strangely changed their places.

One of the worst days was Friday, the 4th of August, when the fence between Mr. Walton and the neighbor who was supposed to be the witch was maliciously pulled down to let their cattle into his ground, and when he and his servants went to put it up again they were pelted with above forty stones. Walton was hit divers times, and all that day as they were reaping it ceased not, and there fell above one hundred stones. Sickles were bent, and Mrs. Walton going out to make most diligent observation, to dispel the incredulity of some and confirm her own belief, met with a severe blow from the Unseen Power; and Mr. Woodbridge, the divine, and Mr. Jaffrey, the merchant, were all hit and injured.

Thereafter the stony disturbances grew less, and last of all they ended with Mr. Walton, who, going in his boat from the Great Island to Ports- mouth, to attend the Council which had taken cognizance of the matter, he being summoned thither for examination, as if to have a final fling at him (all such things generally ending upon proper examination), the devil hit him sadly with three pebble-stones as big as one's fist. One gash broke his head, which for evidence Chamberlain saw him show to the president of

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the Council, and from the stroke of another he complained afterwards to his death,

The "Lithobolia" closes thus: "Who that peruses these preternatural occurrences can possibly be so much an enemy to his own Soul and irre- futable Reason as obstinately to oppose himself to, or confusedly fluctuate in, the Opinion and Doctrine of Daemons and Spirits and Witches! Certainly he that do's so must do two things more. He must temeraniously unhinge or undermine the best Religion in the world, and he must disingenuously quit and abandon that of the three Theologick Virtues or Graces, to which the great Doctor of the Gentils gave the precedence-Charity-through his unchristian and uncharitable incredulity."

So it was the faith of that day that if witchcraft and a belief in the devil went, Christianity went too; still they have gone, and Christianity remains.

Prominence of New Castle .- At Great Island resided Cranfield and Barefort, and here was the governor's house. Here, too, lived Robert Cutt, the royalist Episcopalian, whose Puritan brothers, Richard and John, at the Bank, took such a prominent part in our early history. Here lived Pendle- ton, Stileman, and Fryer, three leading persons in early church matters, and the first two among the seven names of those who became members at the organization of a church in 1671. Here lived Theodore Atkinson, for a long time foremost in all provincial matters; Richard Chamberlain, holder of several offices, and author of "Lithobolia"; Charles Story, secretary of the province. Here we first find the name of Tobias Lear, whose descendant became a somewhat eminent diplomatist, and the private secretary of Wash- ington.

It would be a serious omission, and would leave this sketch quite incom- plete were I not to mention another name whose descendants have held a prominent place in the town until the present day-

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History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire and representative citizens, Part 58

Author: Hazlett, Charles A Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Chicago : Richmond-Arnold Number of Pages: 1390

Author: Hazlett, Charles A
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago : Richmond-Arnold
Number of Pages: 1390