History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire and representative citizens, Part 82

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

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We your Petitioners does further humbly beg leave to inform yours honors of our ill convenences, being laid some times to one town & some times to another & all wayes a great distance from the Publick worship of God; with submission we would pray your honors to consider which is most reason-Whether those men which lay near Greenland should joyn with us your petitioners, or all we availl to them: We submitt to your honors pleasure.

Dated this tenth day of January Inst. 1718

Simon Wiggin Stephen England

Benjamin Palmer

Andrew Wiggin John Haniford

Moses Rallins

Thomas Vezey William Powell

Aaron Rallins

William French Owen Runals, senor

James Robison

Jonathan Wigens

Owen Runalls, juner

Samll Green

Moses Leavitt juner James Palmer

Edward Fifield

Richard Calley

Edward Maservy

Thomas Rallins

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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

David Robison

John Searll

Jonathan Clark

Joseph Rallins

James Keniston

Nathaniel Folsom

Arthur Benitt

Richard Crockett

Richard Morgan

Joseph Hoitt

John Satchell

Nathaniel Stevens

John Mead

John Sinkler

John Robarts

Matthew Tomson

Joseph Mason

James Dorety

William Moore

Samuel Piper

Daniel Leavitt

George Veasey

Gillies Brier

Abraham Stockbridge

Thomas Wigins senr

Thomas Toms

John Jones

Thomas Wigens, junr

John Pett

Widow Leavitt

John Wigens

Thomas Brier

Israel Smith

Daniel Moody

William Scamon

Benja Leavitt.

John Mason

Satchell Rundlett

The first town meeting in Stratham was held April 10, 1716. Capt. Andrew Wiggin was chosen moderator; David Robinson, town clerk. A committee of five was appointed to build a meeting-house. The committee consisted of Capt. Andrew Wiggin, George Veasey, Nathaniel Ladd, Joseph Rollins, and William Scammon. It was voted that the house be forty-eight feet long, thirty-six feet wide, and twenty feet stud. At a subsequent meet- ing it was voted to raise the meeting-house on land of Daniel Leavitt. (This was near the site of the present Congregational Church.) At a legal meeting held August 15, 1716, William Moore was chosen to represent the town in the General Assembly, January 2, 1717. Andrew Wiggin was chosen to represent the town in the General Assembly. It appears by the record that he served as representative until 1744 (and David Robinson as town clerk forty-seven years, or until 1763). At the same meeting it was voted that Capt. Andrew Wiggin and Thomas Rollins shall entreat with a minister to preach three or four Sabbaths in the year by way of contribution.

March 25, 1717, it was voted that Mr. Rust shall preach in the town, if he be willing, for a quarter or half a year.

April 24, 1717, a committee appointed for the purpose, report an agree- ment with the Rev. Henry Rust to come and settle among them as a minister of the gospel. The first year to give him sixty pounds, second year, seventy pounds ; third year, eighty pounds; one-third to be paid in corn, pork, and beef, the other two-thirds in money, and one hundred pounds in money, to be paid in four years toward building him a house.

The Rev. Henry Rust, upon the consideration of the terms was engaged to settle.

March 25, 1718, voted that the Rev. Mr. Rust shall be ordained as soon as convenient, and the providing for the ordination be done by contribution, and that Capt. Andrew Wiggin's house shall be the place for the people to carry on and provide for the ordination. It was voted that Capt. Andrew Wiggin shall have liberty to set in whatever seat he pleaseth.

It is stated in Bouton's provincial papers that Mr. Rust died in 1740; this is a mistake; he died in March 20, 1749. At a town meeting that year it was voted that the reverend ministers, who were his bearers, should each preach one-half day in the meeting-house. At the same meeting it was voted to pay his son Henry, who was the executor, £163, old tenor, as soon as pos- sible, he to give acquittance unto said town from all demands of his father's salary from this day.

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HISTORY OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY

At a meeting held October 4, 1716, it was voted, "That every man In the town Shall Bare his one charge toards the Raising of the said meeting- house." There were nine individuals who "entred thare decents" against this vote. The meeting-house was built in 1718. The pews being "built with winscot worke and all of a kind." Each man was obliged to build his own pew, keep it in repair, to maintain all the glass against it, and he.must build, too, on the spot assigned him. The 1718 meeting-house was replaced by a new building in 1768, and that in turn by the present one in 1837.

The town voted, "that when the cometey have seatid the meeting house every person that is Seatid shall Set in those Seats or pay five shillings Pir day for every day they set out of there Seates in a disorderly manner to ad- vaince themselves higher in the meeting house."

The officers chosen annually were a moderator, clerk, constable, five selectmen, two assessors, a committee of three to call the selectmen to account, tithingmen, surveyors of highways and fences. It was voted at this meeting that James Palmer's barn be a sufficient pound for the year ensuing. At the annual meeting in 1727, George Veasey, Jonathan Wiggin, and Moses Leavitt were appointed a committee to sell the common land and buy a bell for the meeting-house. In 1730, Andrew Wiggin and Richard Calley were appointed a committee to strengthen the steeple for the safety of the ringing of the bell at the charge of the town. At the same meeting it was voted that there be a committee chosen to appoint a place or places for a schoolhouse or houses in town. At the annual meeting, 1733, voted that there shall be a schoolhouse built by the mouth of the lane by Mr. Jonathan Chase's, by the way that leadeth to Jonathan Clark's, and another the south side of Joshua Hill's house.

At a meeting, in 1733, a committee was chosen to take down the bell, which is broke, and send it to London to be new cast.

"To the Inhabitants qualified to vote in Stratham, Greeting: Inasmuch as there is much uneasiness among the people of this town under the Rev. Mr. Rust's ministry, that they are obliged to go to other towns on Sabbath days to hear the word of God preached to them more agreeable to the won- derful outpouring of God's Spirit of late, and Mr. Rust has been applied to, to call a Church meeting, to but a Church meeting can't be obtained. These are therefore in his Majesty's name to notify you to meet at the meeting- house on Friday, the 30th day of September, at 2 O'clk p. m., to know the mind of the town in respect to the ministry, and to choose a committee to agree with some person qualified for the ministry, and that is a friend to and a subject to the wonderful outpouring of God's Spirit at this day to preach to the people in the meeting-house one half each Sabbath day for as long a time as shall then be agreed on. This by the request of a number of Free- holders in this town. Given under hands at Stratham, Sept. 21, 1746.

"BENJAMIN NORRIS, "NOAH BARKER, "JOSEPH MERRILL, "THEOPHILUS RUNDLETT. "Selectmen of Stratham."

Rev. Joseph Adams, the second minister of the town, it seems by the record, had preached for two or three years, more or less, in town previous to the death of Mr. Rust, for it was voted in town meeting in 1746 that

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Rev. Joseph Adams be invited to settle as a minister of the gospel in Strat- ham. Rev. Joseph Adams died in Stratham, February 24, 1785, aged sixty- six, having served as minister for the town thirty-eight years,-ordained March 20, 1747.

During Mr. Adams' ministry a difficulty occurred respecting the singing in church. The singers wished to break up the old habit of "lining," as it was called-the deacon reading one line at a time for the choir to sing. It was settled by a compromise. The town voted that the deacon should "line" half the time. They had the bass-viol in those days, and the deacon said they had "got a fiddle into the church as big as a hogs-trough."

November 10, 1785, a petition, signed by 101 legal voters, was presented to the selectmen for a town meeting, to see if the town would vote to give Rev. James Miltimore a call to settle as a minister of the gospel in this town. Meeting held November 28, 1785, Hon. Paine Wingate, moderator. Voted to give Mr. Miltimore a call, chose a committee of thirteen to present the call to Mr. Miltimore, and to take into consideration what support he should have.

The committee reported that he have ninety pounds lawful money an- nually as a salary, have the use of the parsonage land and a house at the expense of the town. The report was accepted.

Mr. Miltimore's letter of acceptance, addressed to the inhabitants of the town of Stratham, was read in town meeting, January 2, 1786.

He was ordained February 1, 1786.

Rev. James Miltimore was dismissed from the ministry in Stratham, at his request, by vote of the town October 5, 1807.

List of Pastors .- Henry Rust, Joseph Adams, James Miltimore (grad- uated at Dartmouth College, 1774), Jacob Cummings (Dartmouth College, 1819), 1824 to 1834; William J. Newman, 1836-49 (Joseph R. Whittemore, one and one-half years stated supply) ; John M. Steele, sixth pastor, installed November 30, 1853. He was succeeded by Edward C. Miles, Levi Goodrich, Albert B. Peabody, Geo. W. Savory, Geo. A. Foss, Henry E. Green and Geo. E. Lake.

1791. Voted to have the bell belonging to the town cast over, and that all those of the Baptist Society and the people called Quakers, who object to the vote, may give in their names to the selectmen before the assessment is made and be excused from any tax on account of casting over said bell. It was voted at the annual meeting in 1795 that every man may wear his hat if he pleases.

At the annual meeting in 1799 it was voted to build four new school- houses ; voted to purchase the stuff this year and build them next year. At the annual meeting in 1803 it was voted to raise $300 for schools, and that each district may hire a schoolmistress two months, and pay her out of the said $300.

In 1778 Maj. Benjamin Barker and Maj. Mark Wiggin were chosen delegates to attend the first state convention at Concord, to be holden June 10, 1778.

At the annual meeting in 1786, a committee consisting of N. Rollins, Andrew Wiggin, Jr., and Stephen Piper, was chosen to sell the upper par- sonage lot (so called) and apply the money towards the purchase of Capt. Jonathan Wiggins' house and lot for the use of the Rev. James Miltimore.

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HISTORY OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY

At the annual meeting in 1809, Nathan Wiggin, Phinehas Merrill, Esq., and George Wingate were chosen a committee to inspect the schools. This was the first board of superintending school committee in town.

In 1829 it was voted to instruct the selectmen to purchase a farm for the use of the poor in town.

In 1837 the town meeting-house was taken down, the Congregational Society built a new church the same year, and prepared a room in the base- ment for the purpose of holding town meetings. From 1717 to 1837 the warrants for town meetings called the voters to meet at the town's meeting- house.

A petition signed by twenty-four legal voters was presented to the select- men to lay out a cemetery. In accordance with this vote a lot was selected near the Baptist Church, on land of Andrew Wiggin, Esq., at a cost of $300.

At the annual meeting in 1877 it was voted to build a town house, and that the sum of $3,500 be raised for that purpose. Josiah B. Wiggin, Free- man H. Burleigh, James W. Rollins, and Otis B. French were appointed a committee to locate said house, and report at an adjourned meeting. At the adjourned meeting the committee reported in favor of a lot offered by George Wingate, near the postoffice. The report was accepted and adopted. Free- man H. Burleigh, James W. Rollins, and Charles W. Jones were appointed a building committee.

At the annual meeting in 1878 it was voted to sell the town farm, accord- ingly it was sold to E. J. Folsom for the sum of $3,500 by John N. Thomp- son, chairman of selectmen.

Baptist Ministers .- The following is a list of the Baptist ministers from the organization of the church: Samuel Shepherd, Samuel Cook, Samuel L. Gilbert, J. H. Learned, Thomas Archibald, John M. Wedgwood, Benjamin Knight, Charles Newhall, William H. Dalrymple, Jacob Tuck, M. B. Laning, Noah Hooper, Henry Stetson, H. N. Wiggin, I. W. Coombs, Frederick W. Klein, F. J. Franklyn, Wm. H. Thorne, Thomas S. Sparks, Henry Y. Vinal.

The first Baptist church was erected June, 1771. The present church was erected in 1840.

Christian Ministers .- The following is a list of the ministers of the Christian Church from its organization in 1812: Noah Piper, Frank K. Stratton, James L. Pierce, William B. Cottle, John W. Tilton, Henry C. Plaisted, George W. Thompson, George E. Merrill, A. H. Martin, Harriet Freeman, J. H. Mugridge, 1889-90, 1894-97, 1903-13; E. K. Amazeen, 1890-1902; Arthur Varley, 1892-94 ; J. A. Bealright, 1897-99; Geo. H. Kent, 1899-1902: D. C. Crafts, 1902-03.

The Christian Church building was erected in 1840.

The Free-Will Baptist Society ceased to exist and its church building was torn down about 1895.

All the churches in Stratham are now cooperating as the "Federated Churches," holding services in different churches alternately. P. S. Sailor is pastor.

MILITARY RECORD

Revolution .- On April 19, 1775, the British attacked Concord, Mass. One day later, April 20, with no means of communication more rapid than horsemen, the news of the march of the British troops, and that they and

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the patriots were fighting, had reached Stratham, the people had been notified, had assembled in town meeting, had ordered a company of twenty-five men to reinforce their brethren in Massachusetts, had fixed the rate of their com- pensation-eight dollars a month-the town to furnish powder, ball, flints, and provision, and a committee of three, Stephen Piper, Benjamin Barker, and Captain Pottle, were charged with the duty of seeing that those twenty- five men were provided with supplies during the expedition. There are charges in the town books that year for such unaccustomed items as guns, flints, lead, biscuits, pork, etc., bought for the soldiers. A supply of blankets was secured from domestic stocks, and the men hurried away to Massachu- setts. In all the history of that uprising, no town acted more promptly, sys- tematically, and intelligently than ours. In most cases men went forward on their own responsibility with little or no arrangement for sustenance. Stratham men marched under the official authority of their town, paid and · maintained by it.

Stratham furnished one colonel, one lieutenant-colonel, two majors, four captains, eight lieutenants, two ensigns, and as far as our record shows, 153 privates,-a total of 171 officers and men. The following is a partial list of soldiers from Stratham who died in service during the Revolutionary war: William French, Josiah Piper, William Brasbridge, John Tilton, Thomas Wiggin, Joseph Jewett, John Taylor, Robert Kimball, John Goss, John Foss, Joseph Thurston, Joseph Burleigh, Levi Chapman, Coher Wiggin, Nichols Mason.

War of the Rebellion .- Names of soldiers from Stratham who served in the war of the Rebellion: Horace J. Willey, Levi W. Colbath, Josiah N. Jones, J. Osborne Jones, George H. Rundlett, John H. Chase, Charles H. Chase, Howard M. Chase, John L. Chase, John Murphy, John H. Whidden, Bennet Leighton, Cassius C. French, George W. French, Charles W. French, Daniel J. Wiggin, Alonso Wentworth, William Wentworth, Jeremiah H. Jones, Frank L. Rundlett, George Dearborn, John W. Bride, George Smith, George Chapman, Jacob Wentworth, Lawrence B. Otis, Charles Midwood, John W. Chase, Levi Chase, Alvin S. Wiggin, Henry F. Brown, William M. Upton, Charles H. Plaisted, William H. Hawkins, Oliver S. Pearson, John L. Sinclair, Robert Innis, John W. Mason, Thomas H. Brown, George F. Smith, John Sanborn, Alexander Moore, George B. Wiggin, Jonas Pear- son, William Rodman, Charles A. Lord, Samuel B. T. Goodrich, Samuel M. Pearson, Howard M. Rundlett, Robert Miles, Charles H. Robinson, Thomas Barker, William H. Huntress, Rufus L. Jones, James M. Bowley, Walter S. Weeks, William H. Yeaton, Ezra Bartlett, George WV. Bowley.

Phinehas Merrill, Esq., was perhaps in his day one of the most useful and eminent men that this town has produced, born in 1767. He was repre- sentative several years, and for many years town clerk and one of the select- men. Widely known as a civil engineer, his surveys of land are pronounced by modern surveyors as very accurate. He taught all the schools in town for a good many years, was the author of a series of arithmetics, published a map of the town in 1793 ; also about 1800 a map of Exeter and a map of the state. A very accomplished penman, specimens of his work with the pen compare favorably with the best we see now. He died in the prime of life, 1815.

We have had other distinguished men, such as Paine Wingate, Dr. Josiah

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Bartlett, and the Hon. Judge Daniel Clark, who have been members of Con- gress.

Dr. Josiah Bartlett, Jr .- Probably no man ever lived in Stratham who was more popular and generally respected than he. His fine personal appear- ance, with his cheerful social qualities, made him a universal favorite. His practice was extensive not only in this but surrounding towns. He was for many years one of the main pillars of the Congregational Church. His un- timely death in the midst of his usefulness by drowning on his return from a medical convention in New York, by the giving way of a bridge in May, 1853, was not only a calamity to his family, but to this whole community.

The Stratham Public Library is the outgrowth of a subscription library organization called the Literary and Social Union, started in 1876. Their library books came into the possession of the town in 1891. That year it received aid from the state and occupied a room in the town hall with over two thousand volumes in 1906. Previous to the subscription library, there were several library associations; the first one was organized December 10, 1793. Apparently there was then or had been recently another library in town, as they called theirs "The Stratham New Library," afterward they called it "The Stratham Union Library," until its close in 1822. A similar association was formed January 1, 1863, under the name of the "Stratham Athenaeum."

The Wiggin Library building was erected in 1912 by Mrs. Emma B. Wiggin, in accordance with the wishes of the late George A. Wiggin. Marion Wiggin is the librarian. There are 2,623 volumes on the shelves.

Edward Tuck purchased and gave to the town Stratham Park in 1906. The tablet on the summit of the hill was designed and made by Lester W. Lane of Stratham.

The societies are the Winnecutt Grange, Bunker Hill Council and Junior O. U. A. M.

CHAPTER LV WINDHAM

Geographical-Civil History-Military-Churches-Public Library

Windham is bounded on the north by Londonderry and Derry, on the east by Salem, on the south by Salem and Pelham, on the west by Hudson, Beaver River, or Londonderry. It is thirty-five miles northwest of Boston, Mass., thirty-three southwest of Concord, N. H., ten miles east of Nashua. twelve miles west of Haverhill, Mass., fifteen miles southeast of Manchester, and ten miles northwest of Lawrence, Mass.

The population in 1910 was 651. The acreage of the town is 15,754 acres.

Gaentake or Beaver River is the principal stream, which flows out of Tsienneto (Shometo) or Beaver Lake, in Derry, and flows through Wind- ham in nearly a southerly direction, and empties into the Merrimac River at Lowell, Mass. There are six lakes, called ponds, namely,-Spruce Pond, Hittititty, Mitchell's, Golden's, Cobbett's, and Policy.

Cobbett's Pond is two miles in length, is the second in size, and covers 1,000 acres. It lies in a basin, is beautiful for situation, and from its shores in places rise well-cultivated farms or wooded hills. Policy Pond lies partly in Salem, is the largest in area, and extends over ten hundred and seventeen acres. This is also a lovely sheet of water, and is much frequented by pleasure parties from the cities.

Causes for the Settlement .- Windham from 1719 to 1742 was a parish of Londonderry, a part and parcel of that historic town. Consequently the early history of the two towns is indissolubly connected. It will be impossible to speak of the first settlements here and the characters of the settlers with- out speaking of the causes which induced the emigration and settlement of our Scottish ancestors in the wilderness, and of their political and religious influences which aided so powerfully in the development and formation of their minds and characters, giving those characteristics which contributed to the success of the new settlement, to the high honor which has ever been accorded to it, to the remarkable intelligence of its people, and the great influ- ence which has gone out from it during these succeeding generations. The causes were of a politico-religious nature, closely connected with the times in which they lived.

During the reign of King James I, of England, a large portion of the six northern counties of Ireland fell to the king, being the sequestered estates of his rebellious Irish subjects.

To hold in check the wild and turbulent spirits of his Irish subjects he induced a large emigration of his Scotch countrymen to the Province of Ulster, Ireland. This was in the year 1612. In 1613 the first Presbyterian Church ever established in Ireland was established by these Scotch emigrants at

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HISTORY OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY

Ballycorry, County of Antrim. The Scotch emigrants were stern Presby- terians; the native Irish were ignorant Roman Catholics. They were dif- ferent in blood and in religion. The Scotch settled on the lands from which the Irish had been expelled, and in consequence of this fact, the unlikeness of the races in manners and customs, and of the distinctness in race and religion, a bitter feud existed between them. Marriages were not contracted by representatives of the different nationalities.

In 1641 the Catholics massacred over forty thousand Protestants. But a change soon occurred in the government; royalty fell, the protectorate was established, a man was placed at the helm who was both able and willing to protect the Protestants from their enemies.

In 1649 the strong arm of Cromwell bore an avenging sword, punished the Catholics, and brought peace to the country.

On the accession, in 1660, of Charles II to the throne of England, his brother James (afterwards James II) was appointed viceroy of Scotland. He was a bigoted Catholic, and the Scotch Presbyterians were the legitimate objects of his hate. The fires of persecution were rekindled; the sword was again unsheathed and bathed in the "blood of thousands of slaughtered saints."

In consequence of this persecution thousands of the Scotch fled to Ire- land and joined their Protestant countrymen there, and among them were many of the fathers and the mothers of the first settlers of Windham and Londonderry.

In 1688-89 occurred the memorable siege of Londonderry, Ireland. Many Scotchmen from Scotland rallied to aid the Scotchmen of Ireland, then residents of that city. The heroic nature of the defense, celebrated in his- tory, is hardly surpassed in the annals of any people. Many of those who were young at the time of the siege were the sturdy men who came in 1719 and afterward, and helped to found this settlement. They sought in the new world a large degree of religious and political liberty than the old world afforded. They came in manhood's strength, prepared the rude habitations, broke the ground, scattered the grain which the rich and virgin soil would bring forth into abundant harvests. Then the old people came-men who were stalwart and strong during the defense of the city-and shared with them the joys as well as the perils of the new life in the wilderness. Many letters came direct from the "bonnie blue hills" of Scotland.

Such was the nationality and such the education derived in the school of trouble, war, and adversity of the early settlers, and the characteristics thus developed enabled them to triumph over all obstacles in the hard life in the wilderness. From the fact that the early residents were called Scotch- Irish, on account of a prior abode in Ireland, many have supposed that it denoted a mixture of Scotch and Irish descent, but such is not the fact. The blood of Scotia and Erin did not flow commingled in the veins of the first emigrants. "They were of Scottish lineage, pure and simple," and the terms Scotch-English or Scotch-Irish, so far as they imply a different than Scotch origin, are a perversion of truth and false to history.

First Settlements .- The first settlements in Windham were made near Cemetery Hill as early as 1720, and in the locality called Stone Dam. At the latter place, near Butten's mills, in Pelham, David Grigg and Alexander McCoy, each of Scottish blood, the former of Londonderry, Ireland, the

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History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire and representative citizens, Part 82

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