USA > New Hampshire > Strafford County > History of Rockingham and Strafford counties, New Hampshire : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 107
USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > History of Rockingham and Strafford counties, New Hampshire : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 107
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Benjamin Poor, born Sept. 24, 1795, was seventh of. the children of Ebenezer. He was early taught to work, and from the very limited financial eircum-
Benjamin Poz
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stances of his father had very slight advantages for an education. While yet a youth, in June, 1812, he volunteered to go to Portsmouth as a United States soldier, became a fifer, and was in service there till the November following, when he was mustered out of service. For this he received his bounty lands and also a pension, and is one of the rapidly decreasing few who are "pensioners of the war of 1812." He became a farmer, and at his father's death assumed the responsibility and care. The industry, prudence, and energy of the young man were needed, for he was at the very foot of fortune's ladder, but step by step, slowly and surely, he laid the foundation of success broad and permanent. He has always been thorough in his labors, and has never failed to earry to success- ful completion whatever he undertook. He has never been aught but a farmer, but his success entitles him to be called one of the most substantial farmers of his town.
He married, Dec. 17, 1816, Alice, daughter of Lieut. William Moore, of Chester. Their children were Sarah J. (Mrs. Stephen Moar), Rufus (a promising young man called from earth in his twenty-sixth year), Melinda K., George S. Mrs. Poor died June 13, 1878, in her eightieth year. From a sketch writ- ten by one who knew her well we quote: "The accomplishments, graces, and many excellences she possessed made her a person of great worth, and a shining example in the world. As a wife she was all her husband could desire. He safely confided in her, and says whatever success he has had in life was largely owing to her help, wise counsel, and good di- rection. As a mother she was faithful, tender, and affectionate. She taught her children industry, hon- esty, and goodness. They now ' rise up and call her blessed.' For many years she was a member of the Congregational Church and earnest for its prosperity."
Of positive character, Mr. Poor has been a man of strong convictions, and ever earnest in advocacy of all measures he deemed right and just. He has al- ways been an unwavering Democrat, and it is an evi- dence of the sterling character of the man and the place he occupies in the esteem of his townsmen when we state that in all cases when he has been a candi- date for office a large number of his political op- ponents have given him their support and votes, and he never was defeated. For more than eighty years he has walked the streets of his native town, and dur- ing all those long years he has maintained a high and enviable position in the community. Never caring for office, he has been placed in various honorable positions of trust, and has served several years each as road commissioner, selectman, and member of New Hampshire Legislature from Raymond, where he was called to sit on nearly every prominent committee.
He has been justice of the peace and quorum since 1837, and has filled creditably and successfully every position intrusted to his care. He has always been a leading man in all' matters tending to elevate, im-
prove, or benefit his town, and is to-day, with mind unimpaired, and in possession of vigorous health, a representative of the best class of intelligent New England farmers, and by his business skill and care has now more than a competency of this world's goods, and all this in spite of the lack of education which he has often deplored. He has traveled in various States of the West, invested and dealt in Western real estate, locating many land warrants. He now owns about four hundred broad acres in his native town, on which he has designed and erected one of the finest residences in Raymond ; has lived to see all the com- panions of his youth pass away, and himself the old- est person in town. He has administered on many estates to the satisfaction of all; has been a general business adviser to the community, and his judgment has universally been considered superior to others.
CHAPTER LXVIII.
RYE.
Geographical-Topographical-First Settlements-The First Grant- Names of Pioneers-The First Deed-Indian Depredations-Witch- craft-" Breakfast Hill"-Incidents-Ecclesiastical Hlietory-Petitions, etc .- Congregational Church-Methodist Episcopal Church-Christian Church.
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 Ilampton ; and on the west by North Hamp- ton, Greenland, and Portsmouth. The surface of the town is generally level and the soil fertile.
Early Settlements .- It is believed the first settle- ment of New Hampshire was made within the pres- ent limits of Rye, at a place now called Odiorne's Point, about 1625, and prior to the Mason settlement. 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 proprie- tors it went into public use, and was probably the bridge there in the war of 1812. It has been said the first landing was made at Little Harbor, and that the great harbor of Piscataqua was discovered by the set- tlers by chasing a wild goose around Great Island.
In 1652 a grant was made to William Seavey of fifty acres of land, commencing 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 William Berry. Among those who came soon after were Seavey, Rand, Brackett, Wallis, Locke, and Jenness. For nearly
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HISTORY OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
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 Wil- liam Seavy and Thomas Seavy. It appears that Wil- liam Seavy paid for this land before the death of William Berry, but failed to get a deed of it. From this we inter that William Berry died suddenly, per- haps, 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 Sept. 29, 169I, while his son was out fishing. 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 road near Samuel M. Rand's. The tradition is that the stain of blood was to be seen for many years. The rock has since been removed to make a highway. Capt. 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 fishing, 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 appre- hensive of danger and begged him not to go, saying 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 con- sternation 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 Winnepiseogee uear Moultonborough. 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 Es- ther, 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. Tradi- tion 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 "Goodwife Wal- ford" at Portsmouth in 1658. The complainant, Su- sannah Trimmings, 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 eome there. She then left me and I was struck as with a clap of fire on the back ; and she vanished to- wards 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 ex- amined, 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. IIe was born Sept. 16, 1627, and came from Yorkshire, Eng- land, 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 con- tain no evidence that he ever resided or bad a right of land there. From thence in 1852 he is said to have removed to what is known as Fort Point in Newcas- tle. From Newcastle 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 com- mon 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 im- proving 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
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town of Hampton as an inhabitant amongst us, being already settled upon Josselyn's Neck in Hampton bounds, the town hath accepted of ye said John Locke for an inbabitant accordingly." From all which we see that he was a man of firmness and not easily driven from his purpose. At the present time, when men are allowed to become citizens at will, the oppo- sition of the town of Hampton to his settlement among them may not be easily comprehended. But the times were different. A settlement in its infancy would have been very much exposed to injury if no precautions had been taken in regard to receiving in- habitants. 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 inhabitants and of granting them the privileges of freemen was strictly guarded. After the town was once organized, none were admitted from abroad without 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, un- less 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 de- stroy the inhabitants on the sea-coast, which excited their personal hostility ; and they came from Canada, eight in number, with an expressed design, as ap- peared afterwards, to avenge themselves in his death, He was killed while reaping in his field, Aug. 26, 1696, at the age of seventy, though one account says seventy-eight. The first is probably more correct.
The Indian is often spoken of as cherishing a deter- mined spirit of revenge, and we have come to look on him in this respect as differing materially from the white men. But human nature is essentially the same. The difference is owing to circumstances. We have an illus- tration of this thirsting for revenge in the conduct of Capt. Locke's grandson. Though not born until 1702, six years after the death of his grandfather, such was the hostile feeling excited within him by the know]- 'edge of the circumstance that he killed an Indian in peaceful times, alleging that the Indians killed his grandfather, thus visiting the punishment on an innocent representative of the race. This murder was committed on the spot where Deacon Jonathan Locke now lives.
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 Rev. Mr. Porter, in his Half-Century Ser- mon, says that the town from its first settlement re- ceived 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 con- clude that the town received its name from him; it is believed that he came previous to 1660. One ac- count states that he came with Anthony Bracket and Capt. John Locke, but this is a mistake, as the com- ing of the one is known to have preceded by several years the coming of the other. In 1675 lie received a grant of the common lands by the sea from the town of Hampton. He lived near the present residence of Mr. Sheridan Jenness, 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 of Francis Jenness, in the south part of the town. IIe 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 Nov. 7, 1755, in his ninety-third year.
Joseph Brown also is said to have been one of the first settlers of the town of Rye, of which he was selectman in 1728. His grandfather, John Brown, was a baker, came from London, in England, in 1635, was one of the proprietors of Hampton in 1638, after- wards one of the largest landholders in the place.
The Indian massacre at Portsmouth Plains and Sagamore Creek was on the 26th of June, 1696. Fourteen were killed and six were wounded. Among the wounded was Mrs. Mary Brewster, wife of John Brewster, Jr., great-grandson of Elder William Brew- ster, who came over in the "Mayflower." She was scalped and deeply wounded by a tomahawk, and was taken up for dead. She afterwards recovered, and became the mother of four sons, and lived forty-eight years, dying Sept. 22, 1744, aged seventy-eight. Five dwelling-houses were burned and nine barns. The attack was made at early dawn, and as the people awoke from their slumbers they were greeted by the light of their burning barns. Capt. Shackford, of . Portsmouth, rallied his military company and pur- sued them ; their direction was through Long Swamp. In a course for Rye about four miles distant from the Plains, Capt. Shackford and his men discovered them with their plunder and captives; they were at break- fast, and had placed tlie four prisoners they had taken in a position to receive the first effect of a discharge of guns should they be suddenly surprised ; they were on the declivity of a hill, near the boundary line be- tween Greenland and Rye, which has been called Breakfast Hill from this circumstance. The company rushed upon the ground, rescued the prisoners and retook the plunder, but the enemy escaped and con- cealed themselves in the swamp till night; then in their canoes, which they had previously concealed in the bushes at Sandy Beach, they took their departure, and made their escape by going outside of the Isles of Shoals.
Another statement is as follows: At the time the
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HISTORY OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
Indians destroyed Portsmouth Plains by fire they landed on Josselyn's Neck, now Straw's Point, by night, and as Capt. John Locke was reading his Bible on Sabbath morning, looking up he observed their canoes concealed in the bushes and scuttled them, which compelled the Indians to retreat by land.
The town of Newcastle-was incorporated in 1693. It embraced, in addition 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, Greenland, Hampton, and Newcastle, and was incorporated April 30, 1726.
Another account says 1718, but this is probably a mistake. At the time of its incorporation Jotham Odiorne and Samuel Bracket were appointed a com- mittee to settle with the selectmen of the town of Newcastle. 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 Rev- olution 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 New- castle 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 ap- pears 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 per- taining to the history of the town in its religious and educational aspects are of course omitted.
1
The town has contributed more largely to the set- tlement of the interior of the State than any other according to its size. Epsom, Rochester, Barringtou, Chester, and many others recognize many of their in- by a complaint before a Justice of the Peace by the habitants 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.
In 1753 scarlet fever extensively prevailed. Many children died, three or four in a family. 1761 the smallpox prevailed extensively.
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 four- teen persons lost their lives in the service of their country, and thirty-eight in the war of the Revolu- tion by sea and land, most of them young men. Mr. Porter says twenty-eight; but this is a mistake, as thirty-eight names are recorded. Capt. Joseph Par- sons raised his own company in the war of the Rev- olution.
1
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 mor- tality 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 inhabitants. The bur- ials were made by night. In the last war with Great Britain, March 18, 1813, an alarm list company of fifty-five officers and privates was formed in this town, of which Jonathan Wedgewood was chosen captain. Ninety-two from the town of Rye were engaged in this war, besides the alarm company. Eleven cav- alry served under Capt. James Colman, and the others in two companies of infantry, under Capts. Ephraim Philbrick and Samuel P. Berry. Sixteen served as privateersmen ; four were captured, two lost. Three-Robert Robinson, Richard R. Locke, and Nathaniel G. Lear-were put in Dartmouth prison. Dr. Joseph Parsons served as surgeon's mate on the ship "Orlando." Forty-eight applied for bounty land, under the act of March 3, 1855.
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 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 school- houses on the Sabbath, under the penalty of one dollar fine for each and every offence, to be collected sexton, Selectmen, 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
1 The following interesting article was contributed by G. H. Jenness, Esq., being an address delivered by bim at the dedication of the town hall in Rye, Nov. 19, 1863.
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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 scat- tered academies afforded opportunities for those who possessed the means to acquire a fair education, but the mass of the people had to be contented with the facilities offered by the " moving schools." * * * * * *
Everything relating to our early school history is left in a very fragmentary and disjointed condition. The searcher after facts finds but few to gather, and those only recorded at irregular intervals.
While the town records are very complete upon the important subject of ringing the bell, and while the town clerks have been commendably faithful in re- cording the names of all the great men who have filled the positions of "hog-reeve" and "fence-viewer," both leave us in blissful ignorance upon the vital sub- ject of education. The earliest date that I have been able to find upon the regular town records concerning school matters is March 23, 1729, when it was " Voted at said meeting that the Selectmen should be empow- ered to hire a schoolmaster and move him several times, as they see cause for the conveniency of the children's going to school."
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