History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire and representative citizens, Part 8

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 8

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GEO Boyd. .

17/88 J.melcher 1823

K. Jaques 1712 GYO QUETS 17351

8. Polly 1709

R Pinhallow 1712 Capt RGerrish 1712 Amachlin ablaker 1730

17 Jas Haslett 1788 13

milcher Carton 5 Tread well 1823

3. Booth 1700

T Shirtunit. 1730 46 Robl Trail 1779. Keith Spense 1788 Thisspenst 1523

& Pindexter 7128 Regering 1709 Edi Pennester 1730 25 32 JOS and Window Miman 179

Kinhe CARD Gyo Turner 178

W. Barnabez 1823

Vesting 1817 Bowls5 1823

Queen St now Steet St.

almshouse Lot frasidito loune for 999 years for 15 whats present it demanded Difded to town in 1836 for 75 by no Church Wardins Court House Erected 1836

J Parcs 1730 DROGEYS 1788 17

Jawb099 :113 TCrockett 1730 J Gilmore178640 5 mmf Clintock 182 Pa 833 for velrast

Jaffrey 1700 John Pearce 17.30 Nr Tread well ijss

J Davenport 1825

J.Davenport 1826

Jhos Peirce 1730. D Rogers 1788 41

J Pitman 1709

Dr J Brackett 17/88

S. Weeks 1712 Chas Story 1709 20 Chastreadwell 1729-80

Mmendum 1712 H Sherburne 1712 Thos Groot 113ds. do

J Low 1712

9 Loud 1738

PLAN

J Brackett 17/88.

21 Daniel

Phipps. 1730 ROGERS 178 9

Rovarthay Brown 1755

Rnybrid 1712 manichianin 109 SSherburne 1729 43 granted

GLEBE LAND

John Soud Hoy m Whidden 1709 5. Bass 1788 36 and 1823

+ Church of ! England. 1745

J Pearce 12 3 Pacner19 35nella S Packer 1730. @30sail pr year O Whipple and 13 Partey 1788

1902.

Col J. Plaisted

Sinhallow 1709

Qcased to Richt. Wybird

1711.1730 BENJ Gamling

1709 1730

Hon Daniel

Jobbene Haven 15/24

Sam! Hale 1788

17:30 Wm/Knight 17/88

PORTER 124hallow

meeting House for ConveyEd by de Ed to Parishing Town in 1836

CONGRESS STREET

Rev DeSan! Langdon 1750

Court St now Pleasant SI

Creek St King St. now Congress St.

Church Lane

53× 75

bagGa Hazlett

-North

COURT

Episcopal Chapel 1685

north Church Parsonage 1792

and 1823 4

1788 15Sh pr Stay 1

SOKSO

Rental pleased in 1821 15 and 140 for past vint.

Pond Sane Siner dane Warren St now Poner Sie

SSLavey 1709. George Walker 1730 Doctor Culler 1788 and 1823

Sow St Jaffrey SI now Court St

im Crawford | Seach 1713 Sand Ry hills 1734-88 D Brown Semesi x Pine 1823

44 ..

30, "I Whipple rss . Sherburne and 1123

1730-88

Capt Red napp 3 Capteurner J.Sherburne" 1786 Wmihail 1523 730-8

45 Jona Ungers 1788. 38 O. C. Blunt 1523

Wentworth 175 GayErs 1779 Ir Langdon 1779 51 a sha wo 1801 and 1823

alms House 1716 to 1756

Thus Phipps 1730

Baptist M Ho 1803

Capt. J Parioli s ]

Broad St. now State St

.48

Wim P Phipps 112 Thomas

& Palmer 178 m woodward 1788 of portion of Badams 1823

50 Capim Woodward 1788 John Haven 1824,

S& oud 1738- 88

BGatchell. 1712/ G Jaffrey 1709 22 Hunking Wentworth 17301788 999 years rental cancelled 8 in 1803 for 17.50

1640. platted in1705 Compiled

Josdillon 1709 J Wentworth Jos. Mas26 1730 1709 18 Moses Dean 1788 and Lowd 1823.

STATE St.

PLAN OF GLEBE LANDS, PORTLAND, N. H.

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

after a long debate on the constitutional right of the governor to make the appointment.

In the Republican State Convention of 1880 the delegates, with an unanimity never before equaled, selected him as their candidate for governor. Their opponents were preparing for an aggressive campaign with a most popular nominee for the presidency, and their prospective candidate for gubernatorial honors was regarded as simply invincible. After a canvass probably never equaled for thoroughness on both sides, Mr. Bell was trium- phantly elected, receiving the largest number of votes ever polled for any candidate of any party at a New Hampshire state election.

Governor Bell devoted much time to historical research, and especially to the history of the state from its settlement. He was the author of a "Memoir of John Wheelwright," a work that is the only approach to a complete biography of this sturdy old Puritan pioneer yet written, the material being collected from every known source of information on the subject in this country and England, also author of "The Wheelwright Deed of 1629: Was It Spurious?" "Exeter in 1776," "Men and Things of Exeter," and "Biographical History of the Bench and Bar of New Hamp- shire.

In the spring of 1871, Mr. Bell assumed editorial charge of the Exeter News-Letter, which he retained till 1875, about four years. He has occu- pied the grand master's chair of the Masonic fraternity of this state. For a dozen years or more he was president of the New Hampshire Historical Society, which has been instrumental in interesting the public in the history of the state, and has brought to light many important facts bearing on this subject. Dartmouth College at the commencement in June, 1881, conferred upon Governor Bell the degree of LL.D.

Edwin G. Eastman was born in Statham, N. H., November 22, 1847. Graduate of Dartmouth College. Began practice of law at Exeter, N. H., in 1876, was associated with Gen. Gilman Marston and became his partner in 1878.

A member of the New Hampshire Senate in 1889 and Constitutional Convention in 1901. Solicitor of Rockingham County four years and attorney-general of New Hampshire since 1902.

GREENLAND

John Samuel Hatch Frink was a resident of Greenland with office in Portsmouth. Born at Newington, N. H., November 9, 1831, the son of Simes and Sarah Hatch Frink. He prepared for college at Hampton Academy and graduated at Bowdoin College in 1851. He married Lucretia Morse Frink in May, 1859. He was admitted to the bar in 1855, was county solicitor of Rockingham County in 1874-75. He was appointed judge of the Supreme Court in 1871 and again in 1878, but declined both appointments.

He was United States district attorney for New Hampshire 1885-90 and president of Portsmouth Savings Bank in 1895-1905. He died August 31, 1905.

HISTORY OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY

At the January, 1906, term of the Supreme Court of Rockingham County a lawyer, who was better acquainted with Mr. Frink than perhaps any other man, said in part of him "You all know how extensive and varied his prac- tice was; no lawyer ever loved his profession more than Mr. Frink. He was wedded to it for better or worse and he never allowed any other busi- ness to interfere with his practice. No lawyer ever loved his brother lawyers better. His generosity was without ostentation and almost unbounded. He was a man of many sides, to be judged by no one of them but taken altogether, they made him one of the noblest of men, one of the most delightful companions and one of the best lawyers, it has ever been my good fortune to know.

William Pickering, a son of William Pickering, was born in Greenland, and received his academical education at Phillips Exeter Academy and Harvard College, from which he graduated in 1797. He pursued his legal studies in the office of Hon. William K. Atkinson, of Dover, and com- menced practice in his native place. He served for a time as deputy secretary of state, and was in 1816 chosen state treasurer, an office which he retained until 1828, and again held in 1829. The next year he was appointed collector of the United States revenue at Portsmouth, and removed to his former home in Greenland. The office of collector he resigned in 1833, and continued to reside in Greenland until his decease in 1850. He also represented that town in the Legislature of the state.

Isaiah P. Moody originated in York, Me., and in 1820, at the age of fifteen, attended the Phillips Academy at Exeter. He took his degree at Bowdoin College in 1827, and in 1834 set up practice as a lawyer in Hamp- stead. He appears to have remained there until 1841.

Oliver Whipple practiced law in Hampton from about 1794 to 1806. He had previously resided in Portsmouth for more than twenty years, and his biography more properly belongs to that place. He went to Maine after leaving Hampton, and an interesting account of him is to be found in Willis' "Law and Lawyers of Maine."

HAMPTON

Edmund Toppan was the only son of Hon. Christopher Toppan, a man of note in the history of Hampton. He was born September 25, 1777, and graduated from Harvard College in 1796. He studied law under the direc- tion of Hon. Theophilus Parsons, then of Newburyport, and after a short stay at Portsmouth commenced business in Deerfield, his father having built him a house there and presented him with an expensive library. He practiced there till about 1804, when his house and library were accidentally destroyed by fire, and then he returned to his native place, and there remained until his death in 1849. His business in Hampton was necessarily somewhat limited, but he was acceptable to the people, and represented the town in the State Legislature.

Mr. Toppan is said to have possessed by nature rather a brilliant than a logical mind. His learning in his profession and generally was consider- able, he spoke readily and gracefully, and his manners were courteous and attractive.

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

KINGSTON

Francis Peter Smith, son of Rev. Isaac Smith, was born in Gilmanton, August 22, 1795. He read law with Hon. Jeremiah H. Woodman and others, and began practice in Boston in 1819. He was in practice in King- ston in 1822, and afterwards in Ossipee for ten years. He then studied divinity and became a clergyman, having settlements successively in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont.

John Edward Stanyan was a native of Pembroke; the time of his birth was May 17, 1816. For two years or more after his graduation from Dartmouth College in 1840 he was preceptor of an academy, and then studied law. He practiced at Pembroke, Epping, and Kingston, in this state, and at Haverhill and Ashby, in Massachusetts. He was emphatically a rolling stone, and though a man of no little ability, was too irregular and erratic to acquire and retain the respect of those whose good opinion is of value.

William Colcord Patten was a Kingston man by birth, education, and residence. He was gifted by nature with superior powers of mind and a fine and pleasing address. He began life as a teacher and land surveyor, but gradually acquired a taste for the law, and prepared himself for its practice. His aptitude for political life gave him rather a remarkable succes- sion of official positions. He was a representative in the Legislature of 1857, state senator in 1861 and 1862, councilor in 1867 and 1868, and again representative in 1871 and 1872. He died in January, 1873, at the age of about fifty years.

Mr. Patten entered upon the practice of the law rather late in life, but from his experience brought with him much acquaintance with practical affairs and knowledge of human nature. His business was conducted with promptness and sagacity, and he acquired much credit as a practitioner. His ambition ran much in the line of politics, where his popularity was such that he was repeatedly elected to office by his townsmen when the majority was clearly against his party. Had he lived, there was every reason for believing that he would have achieved higher political honors.

His death was sudden, and, occurring while he was in the prime of life and apparently of sound constitution, caused a severe shock to the community.

LONDONDERRY

John Prentice, born in Cambridge, Mass., and a graduate of Harvard College in 1767, read law with Hon. Samuel Livermore, and established himself in business in Londonderry, having purchased the place where his instructor lived, and erected a large mansion thereon. His wife brought him a handsome dowry, and he was thus enabled to live through the period of the Revolution when the law business was at a standstill. Having been an "addresser of Hutchinson" in Massachusetts, he was not intrusted with public business by the friends of liberty, though at their instance or insistance he published a complete recantation of his "loyal" sentiments, both in that colony and in New Hampshire.

HISTORY OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY

But upon the return of peace and the revival of ordinary business Mr. Prentice began to receive a fair share of professional employment. He was by no means a learned lawyer; he was not a student, and his pro- fessional library hardly contained fifty volumes; yet in those times an accurate knowledge of the law was perhaps less valuable to the practitioner, pecuniarily at least, than practical sense and abundant self-confidence. In these qualities Mr. Prentice must have excelled, for he occupied for a considerable period some of the highest positions in the state, and conducted a large and lucrative law practice besides.

In 1785 he was elected a representative to the State Legislature, and was often re-elected. In 1787 he received the appointment of attorney-general of the state, and held the office until 1793. The next year he was chosen speaker of the House of Representatives. In 1798 he was appointed a justice of the Superior Court, but, perhaps conscious that his qualifications were hardly equal to the position, he declined it. The same year he was elected speaker of the House, and was annually replaced in that position until 1805. While holding that place he was supported by his party for election to the Senate of the United States, but failed to receive the honor.

Mr. Prentice had many of the qualities needed for a lawyer of eminence. With more application and taste for the learning of his profession, he would have led in important causes where he hesitated to trust his own knowledge and judgment, and would, have avoided many of the obstacles which beset his path. But he had an aversion to the use of the pen, and no inclination for book-learning so long as he found that his native powers enabled him to sustain himself respectably. He was fonder of his farm than of his office, and prided himself much on its products. It is a remarkable circum- stance that the place where he lived was the home of Hons. Samuel Liver- more, Arthur Livermore, and Charles Doe, an extraordinary succession of men prominent in the judicial annals of New Hampshire.

Mr. Prentice died May 18, 1808.

George Reid was a son of Col. George Reid, of the Revolution, born at Londonderry, January 29, 1774, and educated at Dartmouth College, graduating in 1797. He studied law, and opened an office in his native town, but removed two years afterwards into Massachusetts. He died in Boston at the age of seventy-four.

Frederick Parker was a native of Bedford, who graduated from Dart- mouth College in 1828, and after the usual period of study of the law established himself, about 1832, in Londonderry, but in a year or two removed to Bangor, where it is understood that he became a teacher, and died May 19, 1834, at the age of thirty-four years.

NEWMARKET

Edward Parsons, a son of Rev. Joseph Parsons, of Bradford, Mass., was born in 1747, and received a collegiate education. He had commenced the practice of the law in Newmarket as early as 1773. He was a member from that town of the Provincial Convention which met at Exeter May 17,

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

1775, and afterwards became adjutant of Gen. Enoch Poor's regiment in the Continental army. He died at Ticonderoga, it is believed, in 1776.

Nathaniel Huntoon was a native of Salisbury, and studied his profession with Hon. Samuel Greene. About 1802 he started in life at Portsmouth, and after remaining there about twelve years changed his residence to New- market. But he did not live long enough to accomplish much there, for he died about 1816.

Amos A. Parker was a son of Hon. Nahum Parker, of Fitzwilliam. He was a graduate of Vermont University in the class of 1815. He has led a varied and active life. He was settled as a lawyer for a time in Epping, then at Newmarket, afterwards at Kingston, and finally in his native town. For a year or two he resided in Exeter also. From 1823 to 1825 he was the proprietor of the New Hampshire Statesman at Concord. In 1835 he went on a tour to the West and Texas, and the next year published an account of his trip in a duodecimo volume, which ran through two editions. He also issued a volume of poems, and a thick pamphlet of reminiscences of Lafayette's visit to New Hampshire in 1824.

William Tenney was the son of Capt. William Tenney, of Hollis, and born September 13, 1785. He attended the law school at Litchfield, Conn .. and was admitted to the bar in Boston in 1811. He first practiced in Pepperell, Mass., then in Salem, N. H., and came to Newmarket in 1815, where he spent the remainder of his days. He is said to have been much interested in political matters, and to have been more ambitious for prefer- ment in that line than for professional advancement. In 1823 he was assistant clerk of the Senate, and in 1829 he received the commission of postmaster of the Lamprey River village. He died in 1838.

William B. Small was a native of Limington, Me., and was born May 17, 1817. While he was a child his father removed to Ossipee, in this state, where William passed his youth. He was a pupil of Phillips Exeter Academy, and a student-at-law in the offices of Messrs. Bell and Tuck, at Exeter. During his education he taught school to eke out his narrow means, and showed himself to be diligent, capable, and independent. He commenced practice in Newmarket in 1846, and soon acquired a good position at the bar.

In 1866 he was appointed solicitor of the County of Rockingham, and was again placed in the same position in 1875, holding the office up to the time of his decease.

In 1870 he was elected a member of the State Senate, and while such received the nomination of representative to Congress, to which he was chosen in 1873.

Mr. Small had little taste for political life, but loved his profession, and devoted himself to its study and practice. He was industrious, studious, and persistent, regarding his clients' interest far above his own convenience or comfort: His character for honesty and perfect uprightness was never questioned. He prepared his causes with conscientious care, and tried them ably and vigorously, and took a high rank as a counselor and an advocate. His death, while in the full tide of his usefulness and power, was regarded as a real loss to the community. He died from the effects of a fall, April 7, 1878.

HISTORY OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY

NORTHWOOD

Abraham B. Story, born in Dunbarton, March 22, 1777, was the son of David Story, and graduated at Brown College in 1799. He studied his pro- fession with Hon. Charles H. Atherton, of Amherst, and practiced in 1802 and 1803 in Northwood, but then removed to Washington, where he lived till about 1830, in which year he died, in his native place.

Nathaniel Dearborn was a native of Chester, a son of Deacon John Dearborn. He completed his legal studies with Hon. George Sullivan, and set up in practice in Pembroke in 1806, remaining there till about 1820, when he migrated to Deerfield, and afterwards in 1831 to Northwood, where he lived ever after. He died September 12, 1860. He was an honest, painstaking man of fair abilities.

SALEM

Silas Betton, a son of James Betton, born at Windham, and a graduate of Dartmouth College in the class of 1787, was admitted to the bar in 1793 and settled in Salem. That town was represented by him in the General Court in the years 1797, 1798, and 1799, and in 1810 and 1811. In the years 1800, 1801, and 1802 he was a member of the Senate. In 1803 he was elected a representative in Congress, and served two terms. In 1813 he received the appointment of sheriff of the County of Rockingham, which he held until 1818. He died January 22, 1822, at the age of fifty-eight years.

Mr. Betton married a daughter of Hon. Matthew Thornton, one of New Hampshire's three signers of the Declaration of Independence. He was a man of handsome talents, and much esteemed in the community. He was gifted with some literary taste; many of the poems of Robert Dinsmore, the "Rustic Bard," were addressed to Mr. Betton, and some poetical epistles of his own composition were included in the volume of Dinsmore's pub- lished pieces.

David Woodburn Dickey was born in Londonderry, December 25, 1792, and educated at Dartmouth College, graduating in 1818. He entered upon the practice of law in Londonderry about 1821, and remained there until 1833, when he removed to Salem, where he died January 26, 1837.

SEABROOK

Ebenezer French was born in Newton, April 10, 1802. He graduated at Dartmouth College in 1824, studied his profession with Hon. Daniel French, of Chester, commenced practice in Sutton in 1827, removed to Seabrook in 1828, and there continued about twelve years. Thence he went to Amesbury and to Boston, and served in the custom-house eight years.

WINDHAM

Isaac McGaw originated in Merrimac, his father's name being Jacob, as was that of an older brother, who was a lawyer of distinction in Maine.

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

Isaac was born May 25, 1785, and completed his college course at Dart- mouth in 1807. He opened his law-office first in Bedford, where he con- tinued from about 1811 to 1818, and then took up his residence in Wind- ham. There he was chosen a representative in the Legislatures of 1829 to 1833, inclusive, and of 1838. After a long period of respectable practice in his profession he removed to Merrimac, and passed his last years with his son-in-law, Edward P. Parker, Esq., and there he died November 6, 1863.

William Merchant Richardson was born in Pelham, January 4, 1774, and died in Chester, March 23, 1838. He was a graduate of Harvard College in 1797. His father was Capt. Daniel Richardson, a soldier of the Revolution and a farmer, and William would probably have been brought up to the same employment but for an injury received to one of his hands, which incapacitated him for severe manual labor. After leaving college he was employed for a time as preceptor of Groton, Mass., academy, and afterwards entered the office of Hon. Samuel Dana here as a student-at- law. On being admitted to practice he settled in the same town. In 18II he was chosen representative in Congress, and two years after received a re-election. But political life was little to his taste, and in 1814 he resigned his seat and removed to Portsmouth, N. H., and opened an office.

He was at once recognized as a leading lawyer, and upon the reorganiza- tion of the courts in 1816 was appointed chief justice of the Superior Court. The propriety and excellence of the appointment were at once admitted, and never questioned during the twenty-two years of his service on the bench. Through his agency the publication of the series of judicial reports of New Hampshire was begun. He contributed very largely to many of the volumes, and his opinions have always been regarded as admirable in style and of high authority.

His professional learning was first-rate, his perceptions were rapid, and his honesty and fairness above suspicion. By reason of his quickness of apprehension, he was sometimes charged with jumping to conclusions, but he had none of the pride of opinion which closes the mind to argument. and was always ready, for cause shown, to retract a hasty impression.

In 1819, Judge Richardson changed his residence permanently to Chester. He was a good citizen, kind and public-spirited, and was greatly esteemed by his townsmen. His intellectual powers were highly cultivated. He was a great reader both in his own and in other tongues. He acquired several of the modern European languages after his accession to the bench, and the Spanish very late in life. Botany and mineralogy too he made himself master of in theory and by practice. He had always a taste for poetry. His graduation part at college was the English poem, and through- out his life he was accustomed to throw off poetical effusions, some of them of much merit. Dartmouth College conferred upon him the degree of LL.D. in 1827.

New Hampshire has been fortunate in having secured for her highest judicatory a succession of chief justices of extraordinary learning, ability, and integrity, and among these Judge Richardson holds no secondary place.

The senior members of the bar of this county have many of them made

HISTORY OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY

up their records; those still left are soon to follow, and the juniors are to assume their places at the bar and on the bench; to them will soon be committed these great responsible trusts. The perpetuity of our free insti- tutions is committed to the guardianship and keeping of the bar and judic- iary of our free country, for the history of the world teaches, and all free governments illustrate, this truth, that to the profession of the law civil government is indebted for all the safeguards and intrenchments with which the liberties of the people are protected, that legislation is shaped, constitutions enlarged, amended, and adopted by the enlightened adminis- tration of the statesman, both of England and the United States, who have been in both, and are in all free governments, educated for the bar, and, ascending by the inherent force of their disciplined professional life, they become the directors of the destinies of states and nations.

Military chieftains may spring into power, tyrants may for the hour dazzle with the glamour of military parade, the pomp of war, an oppressed and frenzied people, but they turn as the cannonade dies away to the states- manship of the country, and call to the parliaments and congressional halls for final debate the arbitraments of the liberties of the people. From the days of King John to the present hour the bar and the bench have furnished the statesmen who have erected the bulwarks of constitutional law, and extorted from tyrants the Magna Chartas which have secured to the oppressed the guarantee of free institutions. Imbued with the historical traditions of their predecessors, and tracing the paths they have trod, emulating their good example, it should become more and more the resolute purpose of the Rockingham County bar to so walk in the light of their professional teachings that when they are called to follow them to that upper court and file their judgment-roll of the great trial of life with that Supreme Judge from whose bar they can take no appeal,-

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History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire and representative citizens, Part 8

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