History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire and representative citizens, Part 73

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

USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire and representative citizens > Part 73

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"You are hereby required forthwith to apprehend John Waldron Smith, of said Raymond, Yeoman, who, by information, has appeared inimical to the United States, having uttered sundry expressions tending to discourage the people and otherwise to injure the common cause, and bring him before the General Court, if sitting, or in their recess before the Committee of Safety, that he may be examined touching the premises.

"M. WEARE, President."

We have not found any record of the results of the case.

Second War with England, 1812-15 .- Josiah Davis, Amos Davis, Theo- philus Stevens, David Dolbier. Amos Davis, killed; Theophilus Stevens, died.

During the same war the following were for a time at the fort near Ports- mouth. The most part were there in the autumn of 1814. There was a draft for soldiers. It was called "taching." The true word was the military one detach. Some went as volunteers, some detached, and some as substi- tutes. A British fleet lay off the harbor, and it was designed to give the vessels and soldiers a warm reception if they came in.

Henry Osgood, ensign: Francis Folsom, David Glidden, John Lane, Ben- jamin Poor, Ebenezer Brown, Samuel Bacheldor, David Robie, Daniel Scrib- ner, Amos Kimball, Jonathan Holman, John Brown, Jr., corporal; William Towle, Jr., Daniel Robie, Jr., Gilman Lovering, James Bagley, Moses C. Magoon, Thomas Leavitt, Josiah Smith, Josiah Moulton, James Dudley, Jr., Isaiah Cram, Phineas Healey, Harry Morse, Supply Morse, Elisha Towle, Jr., Eliot Healey, Gideon Currier, Jr., David Gile, Henry Clifford, Samuel Roberts, Healey True, Jeremiah Chandler, Nathan Brown, musician; Samuel Moody, David Clifford, David Brown, Jr., Moses Healey, Nathaniel Towle, John Smith, Joseph Robie, Nathan Poor, Daniel Towle, Henry Clifford.

War with Mexico, 1846-48 .- George Mace.

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Civil War, 1861-65 .- Sewell D. Tilton, capt .; John E. Cram, Ist lieut. ; Geo. B. Cram, regular service; George H. Tilton, John Brown, Oren T. Dodge, Samuel G. Bartlett, Warren True, Augustus A. True, Elias True, Jr., Elbridge G. Moore, William B. Green, Hazen Currier, George P. Sar- gent, sergeant; George S. Fullonton, J. Francis Fullonton, Henry Robinson, David T. Osgood, George D. Rowe, Daniel R. Bean, Andrew C. Nowell, Gilford F. Gilman, George S. Gove, Ist lieut .; Charles H. Edgerly, John H. Dearborn, David W. Towle, Elisha Towle, Nathan W. Magoon, Nathaniel Emery, Richard Abbott, Rufus A. Tilton, Daniel W. Osgood, Nathan Nor- ton, Jonathan P. Holman, Abraham Healey, William H. Ferren, Charles H. Abbott, William H. Keniston, Alvin Fogg, James Pecker, John H. Hill, Franklin P. Morrison, Horatio G. C. Morrison, Daniel W. Norton, Laomi G. Warren, George C. Johnson, James Card, Charles Dow, Jonathan F. Brown, Timothy Gleason, George W. Healey, Samuel H. Robinson, James K. P. Morrison, Jesse F. Morrill, Thomas R. Tuttle, Isa. G. Young, Chase O. Wallace, William A. Wallace, George W. Gilman, William Y. Griffin, Leonard G. Tilton, Cyrus W. Dwight, James G. Scribner, Charles E. Dodge, Joseph Gleason, Hiram Gleason, Edward Gleason, Charles H. Perkins, John D. Folsom, Daniel Robinson, John D. Brant, Robert P. Kennard, J. Anson Littlefield, Samuel M. Heath, Josiah W. Lane, George M. Brown, Samuel C. Nay, J. Lawrence Stevens, John Marsh, Samuel Spaulding, Abner Lowell, Charles L. Rundlett, Cyrus E. Poor, sergeant; William H. Thurston, Charles Jones, David S. Healy, George Tripp, Joshua Smith, Oren B. Cram, Samuel G. Healey, John M. Smith, Daniel Bachelder, James Welch, Ist lieut .; Thomas Morrison, James Buchanan, David L. Magoon, Charles Davis, H. D. Kidder, Aroy Q. Roberts, William Smith, William Cash, Elisha T. Gile, Greenleaf C. Kenniston, Thomas G. Judd, Anton Kemp, Nicholas Priss, Albert Wilson, John L. Gilman, Joseph Goodwin, William Lamereen, Samuel S. Fox, Jo- seph Witham, Asa Bly, John F. Worthen, Asa T. Worthen, Samuel Healey, Charles Poor, Robert Hill, William Hill, Andrew J. Roberts, G. Bradbury Robinson, Thomas Currier, Charles Payson, Charles Conway, John Mc- Gowen, John Orr, Issacher W. Smith, 2d lieut .; Julius Adams, John Canner, John Harmon, Joseph Kelly, William Parrott.

Some twenty of these were from other places, put in as substitutes.

In August, 1863, there was a draft for soldiers to fill the quota assigned to the several states. The following were drafted. As the law then was there were many "loop-holes of retreat." Three hundred dollars would ex- empt. Substitutes could be obtained, and if one had a brother in the service, a mother, or motherless children to provide for there was an exemption. The examining surgeon also would excuse for slight disability. And the result was scarcely one, if indeed one, went into the service.

The draft was at Portsmouth by Capt. J. S. Godfrey, provost-marshal. One hundred and three names, thirty-one drawn.

Bounties, etc .- The following votes were passed at the dates given : 1861, September 9th, voted to pay families of volunteers; 1862, August 22d, voted $200 bounty to all who have enlisted since August Ist, and to those who may enlist to fill the quota for 600,000 men: 1863, August 29th, voted a bounty of $299 to drafted soldiers and substitutes; 1863, September 4th, voted $300 to drafted men and substitutes; 1864, May 31st, voted $200 to all who enlist. Voted that the selectmen hire men to enlist, paying not over

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$300 per man; 1864, June 25th, voted that the selectmen pay $300 to hire substitutes for drafted men; 1864, December 29th, voted that $100 be added to the state bounty for volunteers for one year, and $200 for two years.

Died or Killed in This War .- August 4, 1861, William H. Kenniston, aged 21 years, Georgetown, D. C .; May 3, 1862, Jonathan P. Holman, 23 years, Yorktown, Va .; June 27, 1862, John Brown, 20 years, killed near Richmond, Va .; August 22, 1862; Andrew C. Nowell, 33 years, fever, near New Orleans; October 31, 1862, Josiah W. Lane, 19 years, Washington, D. C .; October 27, 1862, Gilford F. Gilman, 29 years, killed, Labadierville, La .; November 6, 1862, J. Franklin Brown, 33 years, New York City; No- vember 9, 1862, John Marsh, 22 years, White Sulphur Springs, Va .; No- vember 13, 1862, Daniel R. Bean, near New Orleans; November 26, 1862, George S. Fullonton, 23 years, Washington, D. C .; December 6, 1862, Timo- thy Gleason; December 13, 1862, Cyrus E. Poor, 31 years, killed, Fredericks- burg, Va .; December, 1862, Charles Perkins, supposed killed, Fredericks- burg, Va .; December 28, 1862, George Brown, near Fredericksburg, Va .; March 3, 1863, James G. Scribner, 24 years, Newport News, Va .; March, 1863, George D. Rowe, Louisiana; May 11, 1863, Charles Jones, Virginia ; May 27, 1863, John K. Hill, 19 years, killed, Fort Hudson; May 27, 1863, George Abbott, killed, Virginia; August 3, 1863, David W. Towle, probably of wounds, Virginia; September 3, 1863, Elisha E. Towle, 25 years, Ports- mouth, Va .; November 24, 1863, John Smith, killed near Knoxville, Tenn .; January 18, 1864, Charles Davis, Washington, D. C .; July 26, 1864, William Smith, 45 years, Portsmouth Grove, R. I .; July 30, 1864, J. Lawrence Stev- ens, 41 years, killed, Petersburg, Va .; August 12, 1864, Nathaniel Emery, 38 years, Hampton, Va .; August 12, 1864, Thomas Currier, 24 years, City Point, Va .; August 12, 1864, David S. Healey, 28 years, killed, Petersburg, Va .; August 12, 1864, Oren B. Cram, supposed killed, Petersburg, Va .; Feb- ruary II, 1864, William Cash, killed.

Amos S. Holman went for Nottingham, but lived here till a short time before enlisting. He died at Aquia Creek, Va., January 29, 1863.

Died After Returning Home of Diseases Contracted in the Army .- C. O. Wallace, November 4, 1865: William A. Wallace, May 17, 1868; George Tripp, July 15, 1869.

Stephen Smith, a native of this town, went from some other town, and was a fireman on board the Kearsarge when its guns sunk the British ship Alabama, June 19, 1864. He died in Portsmouth, September 17, 1865, and was buried here.

Military Fieldofficers .- Josiah Fogg, major, 1776; Daniel Norris, major, 1786; Theophilus Lovering, major, 1807, colonel, 1810; Ebenezer Cram, major, 1816, lieutenant-colonel, 1818; Lyba Brown, major, 1823; lieutenant- colonel, 1825, colonel, 1828; Ebenezer Nay, major, 1829; Daniel Robie, lieu- tenant-colonel, 1830; John Todd, major, 1830; Jonathan A. Lane, major, 1833; Joseph Abbott, major, 1836, lieutenant-colonel, 1837; Henry Tucker, major, 1837, colonel, 1838, brigadier-general, 1840, major-general, 1846; Joseph Blake, Jr., quartermaster, 1840, brigadier-quartermaster, 1841, on General Tucker's staff ; Jacob Elliot, lieutenant-colonel, 1842, colonel. 1843; Levi S. Brown, major, 1842; James Welch, major, 1843, lieutenant-colonel, 1845, colonel, 1846; William P. Tufts, quartermaster, 1844; Sherburn P. Blake, adjutant, 1845; William H. Fellows, quartermaster, 1845; Aaron W.

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Brown, adjutant, 1848; Calvin B. Bacheldor, quartermaster, 1848; Warren Titcomb, adjutant, 1849; David Griffin, major, 1851 ; Gilman H. Tucker, aide to Governor Berry, 1861-62; Sewell D. Tilton, aide to Governor Harri- man, 1867-68.

Population .- 1767, 455: 1775, 683; 1790, 727; 1800, 808; 1810, 898; 1820, 961 ; 1830, 1,000; 1840, 989; 1850, 1,256; 1860, 1,270; 1870, 1,121; 1880, 1,054; 1910, 1,203.

Raymond Free Public Library was established in 1892, with state aid, and in 1906 its 1, 100 volumes were located in a dwelling house.

In October, 1908, The Dudley-Tuck Library was opened and now con- tains 1,701 volumes. The building was erected through the joint efforts of the late Col. Gilman H. Tucker and his wife, of New York and Raymond.

The physicians are G. H. Guptill and F. B. Stevens. J. T. Bartlett is the lawyer.

CHAPTER XLIX

RYE

Geographical-Topographical-First Settlements-The First Grant-Names of Pioneers - The First Deed - Indian Depredations - Witchcraft - Schools-Ecclesiastical History-Petitions, etc .- Congregational Church -Methodist Episcopal Church-Christian Church-Merchants-Physi- cians-Summer Resort-Boulevard-Public Library-Submerged Forest -Military-Gasport-Isles of Shoals.

The town of Rye lies in the eastern part of the county, and is bounded as follows : on the north by Portsmouth on the east by the Atlantic; on the south by North Hampton, and on the west by North Hampton, Greenland, and Portsmouth. The surface of the town is generally level and the soil fertile. Population in 1910, 1,014.

Early Settlements .- The first settlement of New Hampshire was made within the present limits of Rye, at a place now called Odiorne's Point, in 1623. Sandy Beach was the name to a certain part of Rye, now called Wallis' Sands and Foss' Beach. A bridge was very early built (probably a foot-bridge only ) connecting Rye with Great Island, and which was washed away or went to decay about 1690. We have no account of another bridge being built, though it is probable there was, until about 1760. The money in part, if not all, being raised by a lottery, and a toll-rate established. But as it did not pay the proprietors it went into public use, and was probably the bridge there in the War of 1812.

In 1652 a grant was made to William Seavey of fifty acres of land, com- mencing by the south side of Mill Creek and running west to White Rock. The same land is now mostly owned by the Seaveys.

The name of the first settler was John Berry. Among those who came soon after were Seavey, Rand, Brackett, Wallis, Locke, and Jenness. For nearly one hundred years after the settlement of the town the inhabitants were but thinly scattered and most of them in low circumstances.

The first deed ever given of land included within the limits of the town of Rye was given by Jane Drake, widow of William Berry, in 1669, to William Seavy, Sr., of house, land, and marsh on south side of brook that runs between land then owned by William Seavy and Thomas Seavy. It appears that William Seavy paid for this land before the death of William Berry, but failed to get a deed of it. From this we infer that William Berry died suddenly, perhaps, like others of the early settlers, was killed by the Indians, and that he died about the year 1669, in which the deed was given. Of the first settlers of Sandy Beach who came over in 1631, Thomas Seavy appears to have lived until 1708. The manner of his death is uncertain. Francis Rand was killed September 29, 1691, while his son was out fishing.

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Twenty-one were killed at the same time, among them another of the first settlers. Capt. Anthony Bracket and others were captured, including two young children of the Brackets,-a boy, whom they recovered, and a girl, who was carried to Canada, and there married a Frenchman, and afterwards came back to claim her share in her father's property. One or more of the children killed at the time were dashed against a rock which stood in the Wallis road near the Brackett road. Captain Bracket's house was set on fire. Some of his sons were at work in the salt marsh, and having the guns, went over to the garrison-house at Saunders' Point, now Foss' Beach. Thomas Rand, the son of Francis, who was killed, when he came from fish- ing, being a courageous man, followed them over to Bracket's and fired at them, which frightened them away. Old Mrs. Rand, nearly blind, supposed to be the wife of Francis, was killed by the Indians while her husband had gone to mill. She was apprehensive of danger and begged him not to go, say- ing the Indians would kill her, but he made light of her fears, telling her there were no Indians this side of Lake Winnipiseogee. Great must have been his consternation to find on his return that her fears had been realized. This must have been very near the time that he was massacred. A little girl named Judkins, five years old, was captured in 1691, with her brother. Her brother was frozen to death when crossing Lake Winnipiseogee near Moul- tonborough. She was with them several years, and came near perishing with hunger. She lived to return, and afterwards married a Randall.

She died in Moultonborough. A child named Esther, surname not given, was taken from the cradle about this time by the Indians while its mother was away; her father bought her back with a keg of rum. She afterwards married a Waters, lived to a great age, became poor and deaf, and was supported by the town. Thomas Walford, another of the early settlers of Sandy Beach, who came over in 1631, was killed by Indians on the hill by John S. Remick's. Tradition says that after he was shot he crawled on his hands and knees to where Robinson Foss now lives. His wife was accused of witchcraft. There is still on record an account of the trial of "Good- wife Walford" at Portsmouth in 1658. The complainant, Susannah Trim- mings, testified as follows: "As I was going home on Sunday night, I heard a rustling in the woods, which I supposed to be occasioned by swine, and presently there appeared a woman, whom I apprehended to be Goodwife Walford. She asked me to lend her a pound of cotton. I told her I had but two pounds in the house, and I would not spare any to my mother. She said I had better have done it, for I was going a great journey, but should never come there. She then left me and I was struck as with a clap of fire on the back; and she vanished towards the water-side, in my apprehension, in the shape of a cat. She had on her head a white linen hood tied under her chin, and her waistcoat and petticoat were red, with an old gown, apron, and a black hat upon her head." Several other witnesses were examined, but the case was not then decided, and was probably dropped at the next term of the court. Mrs. Walford afterwards brought an action for slander against Robert Coutch for saying that she was a witch and he could prove her one. The verdict was in her favor-five pounds and costs.

Another prominent person among the early settlers of the Town of Rye was Capt. John Locke. He was a carpenter, the son of John Locke, of London, who married Christian French, July 26, 1624. He was born Septem-

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ber 16, 1627, and came from Yorkshire, England, in 1644. Tradition says that he first settled in Dover, where he had a tract of land, but this is prob- ably incorrect, as the earliest records of Dover contain no evidence that he ever resided or had a right of land there. From thence in 1652 he is said to have removed to what is known as Fort Point in Newcastle. From New- castle he removed to Sagamore Creek, where he resided until 1655, when he removed to Josselyn's Neck, afterwards called from him Locke's Neck, now known as Straw's Point, which was then a part of Hampton. Here, as it appears from the records of Town of Hampton, "he sat down on common lands." It appears that the Town of Hampton was indignant at his taking such liberties without so much as saying "by your leave," and May 24, 1666, a committee was chosen to pull up his fence, and March 12, 1667, to warn him to desist from improving the town's land, and to notify him that the town is displeased with his building there. Complaint was made against him as a trespasser, and he was warned to appear at the next meeting and give an account of himself. On the 8th of March, 1667, the town voted as follows : "Upon the motion of John Locke, who desireth to yield himself to ye town of Hampton as an inhabitant amongst us, being already settled upon Josselyn's Neck in Hampton bounds, the town hath accepted of ve said John Locke for an inhabitant accordingly." From all which we see that he was a man of firmness and not easily driven from his purpose. A settle- ment in its infancy would have been very much exposed to injury if no pre- cautions had been taken in regard to receiving inhabitants. Mischievous and disorderly persons might have come in and harassed the settlers. This was foreseen and measures taken to prevent it. The power of admitting inhabi- tants and of granting them the privileges of freemen was strictly guarded. After the town was once organized, none were admitted from abroad with- out the permission of the freemen, so that their treatment of Locke was by no means exceptional, as will be seen from the following vote: "That no manner of person should come into the town as an inhabitant without the penalty of 20s. per week, unless he give satisfactory security to the town."

Capt. John Locke was an energetic, courageous man, very active against the Indians, and instrumental in defeating them in several of their attempts to destroy the inhabitants on the sea-coast, which excited their personal hostility; and they came from Canada, eight in number, with an expressed design, as appeared afterwards, to avenge themselves in his death. He was killed while reaping in his field, August 26, 1696, at the age of seventy.

The first Jenness, according to tradition, appears to have been Francis, a baker, who came with two brothers from Rye, England, he alone settling, here, and from him probably the Town of Rye received its name. The Reverend Mr. Porter, in his Half-Century Sermon, says that the town from its first settlement received the name it now bears, which was given, it is supposed, by reason of some of its first inhabitants coming from the town of the same name in England. Francis Jenness, so far as it appears, was the only one that came from that town, and hence we conclude that the town received its name from him; it is believed that he came previous to 1660. In 1675 he received a grant of the common lands by the sea from the Town of Hampton. He lived near Rye Beach and is said to have died in 1716, aged eighty-two. The name originally was Jennings. The first Philbrick who came to Rye was Joseph, about the year 1700, and settled near the house

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of Francis Jenness, in the south part of the town. He was the grandson of Thomas Philbrick, who came from Lincolnshire, England, with Sir Richard Salsenstall, and settled in Watertown in 1630, and removed to Hampton in 1645, and died in 1667, very aged. Joseph died November 7, 1755, in his ninety-third year.

The Town of Newcastle was incorporated in 1693. It embraced, in addi- tion to its present limits, Great Island, and also that part of Rye extending from Little Harbor, now called Odiorne's Point, to Foss Beach.

The present Town of Rye was originally taken from Portsmouth, Green- land, Hampton, and Newcastle, and was incorporated April 30, 1726.

At the time of its incorporation Jotham Odiorne and Samuel Bracket were appointed a committee to settle with the selectmen of the Town of New- castle. It was for many years after its formation into a society styled the Parish of Rye in Newcastle. Only since the commencement of the American Revolution has it exercised town privileges. Before that time it acted in conjunction with Newcastle in the choice of representatives and in other usual town business, but a separation from the Town of Newcastle was agitated at an earlier period. March 1. 1758, as appears from the records, a town- meeting was warned, among other things, "to see whether the Parish will for to get off from going to the Great Island to choose Assembly men!" but no action appears to have been taken. The first meeting-house was erected in 1725, and the next year, July 10, 1726, a church was organized. Other matters pertaining to the history of the town in its religious and educational aspects are of course omitted.

The town has contributed more largely to the settlement of the interior of the state than any other according to its size. Epsom, Rochester, Bar- rington, Chester, and many others recognize many of their inhabitants as having been originally from this place, and the churches in a number of these towns were first formed in part by members removed from the Church of Christ here.

Rye Harbor was dug out in 1792; voted May 7th. One hundred and thirty-three days' labor appear to have been given. In the Canada or French war fourteen persons lost their lives in the service of their country. and thirty-eight in the War of the Revolution by sea and land, most of them young men. Capt. Joseph Parsons raised his own company in the War of the Revolution.

Nearly all of them were from Rye. Ninety-five from this town served under him at different times, and at least four other commanders. How many privateersmen there were is not known. July 18, 1774, two deputies, Samuel Knowles and Samuel Jenness, were chosen to go to the convention at Exeter to choose delegates to a General Congress, and at the same time it was voted that the selectmen shall raise three pounds towards paying the delegates, and that the parish will defray the charges of the deputies.

The town was visited with great sickness and mortality in 1803. More than two hundred and twenty persons were seized with diseases of various kinds. Thirty-five died. In 1816 the spotted fever prevailed. The disease was so infectious and the mortality so great as seriously to alarm the inhabi- tants. The burials were made by night.

As early as 1834, as appears from the records, the town committed itself by the following vote in favor of temperance: "Voted, that the selectmen

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shall not grant license to any person to retail ardent spirit in this town the present year." And March 8, 1836, it was further voted, "that no cigars or pipes shall be smoked in or about the meeting-house or schoolhouses on the Sabbath, under the penalty of $1 fine for each and every offence, to be collected by a complaint before a justice of the peace by the sexton, select- men, or tithingmen."

Educational.1-It is not probable that there was any organized school system until some time after the incorporation of the town in 1726, although what is known as the "moving school" is referred to soon after the parish was severed from Newcastle. The "moving school" was an institution peculiar to the early settlements, and was kept at private houses in different neighborhoods, so as to accommodate the children of as many families as circumstances would permit. The family that "entertained" the moving school of course boarded the schoolmaster, who was in those days considered quite a dignitary, second in importance only to the minister and the justice of the peace.

Previous to any organized effort to establish public schools, the smaller children were taught by village dames, which sounds large at first, but which, being interpreted, is generally acknowledged, I believe, to have been used as a genteel expression for "old maids.'

Those who desired to fit for college were generally taken in hand by the minister and prepared as well as their time and talents would allow. A few scattered academies afforded opportunities for those who possessed the means to acquire a fair education, but the mass of the people had to be con- tented with the facilities offered by the "moving schools." * * * * * *

Everything relating to our early school history is left in a very frag- mentary and disjointed condition. The searcher after facts finds but few to gather, and those only recorded at irregular intervals.

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History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire and representative citizens, Part 73

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