History of Rockingham and Strafford counties, New Hampshire : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 134

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1714

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 134
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 134

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Mr. Wilson died in Boston, January, 1721, less than two years after the first settlement, and four months after his land was allotted to him. His widow, "Eliza- beth (Fulton) Wilson, and Mary, her daughter," were allowed all further rights; and Mary, born, according to the record, on board a pirate ship on the passage over, July 28, 1720, lived till Feb. 13, 1814,-an in- terval between the death of the first and last pro- prietor of ninety-three years. "Ocean-born Mary" was the grandmother of Hon. George W. Patterson, of New York, and the late Capt. Thomas Patterson, of Londonderry.

Nichols, John Barr, all had lots near Humphrey's ITill, in Derry. James McKeon's Jot was a little west of these, where Mrs. W. Hixon lives. He had large influence in the colony. Mr. W. O. Noyes resides on James Morrison's lot. He was the ancestor of Leon- ard A. Morrison, the historian of the Morrison family and of Windham.

Following the order of the lot-layers going west, there were in the south part of the Double Range ten lots assigned to men of whom not much is known. On the north side of this range Jonathan Cate lives, on Capt. James Gregg's lot. Ile was probably the most wealthy of all the emigrants. Henry Humphrey lives on a part of the Gregg lands. Miss Jennie Clark resides on the lot of her ancestor, James Clark. Mrs. Thomas Pillsbury lives on the Allen Anderson place. The lots of John Morrison, Sammuel Allison, Thomas Steel, and John Stuart were united to make the Prentice estate, now Col. George W. Lane's.

Around no place in old Londonderry cluster more historie memories. The original owners were all men of note. John Morrison was the father of Jona- than, the first-born male child in Londonderry, and who in the next generation enjoyed with Capt. Samuel Allison the honor of being the best publie speaker in town. John Morrison's daughter, Elizabeth, married William Smith, of Peterboro', N. H., and become mother of Ilon. Jeremiah Smith, one of the most gifted of the sons of New Hampshire.

Hon. Samuel Livermore lived in a stone house on the place, just opposite the mansion of Col. Lane. IIon. John Prentice, who came after him, built the main part of the present house. Besides these several other eminent men made their homes here. Two judges of the highest court in New Hampshire were born on the place, -- Arthur Livermore and Charles Doe.

John Richey settled on the Nowell place, and the widow of Calvin Morrison lives on one of the lots originally Rev. James McGregor's. It is well known that here was built the first framed house in town. The Montgomery lot is now Mr. Beede's, and Mr. Rand lives on the Alexander McNeil place. George MeMurphy resides on the lot of John McMurphy, Esq., a man of much note in his day. This is one of the only two places in the old township now owned by descendants of the original proprietors and in the same name, the other being James Clark's. Robert Boye's lot was next east from McMurphy's. His house was burned in 1733, while he was absent in Ireland seeking for a minister. Hon. W. H. Shepard owns and occupies the land of John McNeil, who re- moved early to Derryfield, and William Campbell re- sided between there and Beaver Pond. In the South Range were the Wilson lots and the lot of John More, who was born in a malt-kiln the night after the mas- sacre of Glencoe, 1692.

Dismemberment of the Town. - The original William Humphrey, Jonathan Tyler, Alexander township of Londonderry has been divided into

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HISTORY OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

several parts. Windham, including a part of Salem, was detached Feb. 12, 1742, and upon the incorpora- tion of Derryfield, now Manchester, Sept. 3, 1751, a large tract along its northern border was taken off and added to that town. March 6, 1778, another part of Londonderry was cut off and united to Notting- ham West, now Hudson, by act of the New Hamp- shire Legislature. July 2, 1827, the remaining part of the old town was divided by the incorporation of Derry.

Earthquake .- "On Tuesday, Nov. ye 18, 1755, at foure'o'clock in the morning & ten minutes there was an Extrornary Shock of an Earthquake, & continuous afterwards with smaller shocks." It is said that bricks were thrown from the top of the chimney of the Gregg house, now Mr. Cate's.

Town and Parish Records .- Much interest apper- tains to these various records. All the early records of the East Parish Society, now East Derry, and the early church records of the West Parish, now Lon- ' donderry. The former were found a few years ago, and again lost; the latter were loaned during the pastorate of Rev. J. R. Adams to Rufus Choate, the eminent lawyer, and are said to have been burned with the Concord, Mass., court-house a few years ago. The books of the Congregational Church formed in East Parish after the settlement of Rev. Jonathan Bow are now at the rooms of the New Hampshire Historical Society at Concord, N. H. The following are some of the many curiosities of these records : Oct. 3, 1727. " Thomas Smith being cited doth appear, & John Morrison & John Mitchel being called doth witness that they saw him get several beaver skins of the Indians for Rum without their value." 1730. " Voted that the town hath agreed to let Hugh Wil- son be prosecuted for an idler." 1730, 8th article in town warrant. "To see what the town will do with John More." Record. "Deferred by reason John More is dead."

Fisheries .- The charter of Londonderry inclosed a strip of land extending from the northwest corner | of the main body of the town, one mile wide and three miles long. From that point the course was "N.N.E. three miles, then E.S.E. one mile, then S.S.W. to the S.W. angle of Chester." It extends across Hanover Street in the city of Manchester one mile northerly to the place known as the Hall Place. The bill as originally drawn for a charter gave these long lines a north-northwest direction, thus including Amoskeag Falls, but for some unexplained reason the bill was engrossed giving these lines a north-northeast course. The object of this singular addition to the territory of the town was to secure the Amoskeag fisheries at the falls, then of very great value to the people of Londonderry as a means of sustenance, hard pressed as they often were for the necessaries of life before their small clearings afforded a comfort- able living. In this way Londonderry lost possession of these valuable fishing-grounds. They nevertheless

asserted their rights, and were measurably successful in maintaining them.

It is an indication that the fishery was of much consequence to the people that one of the earliest roads was laid ont to "Ammosceag Falls." There were a large number of rocks among the surging waters of the falls that offered favorable opportunities for catching fish. These places were highly prized. and the strifes of the bokl, courageous, and athletic men contending for them, added to the foaming waters rushing around the rocks, often occasioned accidents, many of which were fatal. "Todd Gut" derived its name from the fact that John Todd, son of Col. Andrew Todd, was drowned there white fish- ing in company with his cousin, John Bell, of Lon- donderry. Before the dams were built at Lawrence, Mass., vast quantities of shad, alewives, and eels were annually caught, and often a fine salmon. This royal fish must have been abundant, as many charges are found on the town.books like the following: "To John Goffe, Jr., for 98 lbs. salmon at £10 48. Od .; " "To Hugh Morrison, for carrying salmon to Ports- mouth, £1 108. Od." If a favor was to be asked of the Governor, some prominent man was dispatched to Portsmouth on horseback with a salmon in his saddle- bags for his Excellency. Large quantities of fish were taken at Thornton's Ferry. Within the memory of living persons, many families regarded their barrel of shad of equal importance with their barrel of beef or pork. With the settler fish was a healthy and grate- ful change from the inevitable samp and barley broth, which was their staple diet.

Indian History .- From some cause, not fully un- derstood, the town suffered but little in the various Indian wars that distressed the people of other towns of New Hampshire. It is not known that a single person from Londonderry lost his life at the hand of the savage tribes that carried desolation and death to many homes in the State. Parker ascribes this ex- emption " to the influence of the Rev. Mr. McGregor with the Marquis de Vaudreuil, the French Governor of Canada. It is said they were classmates at college, that a correspondence was maintained between them, and that at the request and representation of his for- mer friend the Governor caused means to be nsed for the protection of the settlement."

Probably the Wheelwright deed had much to do in saving the settlers from harm, as the following incident from the legends of the town would indicate. Shortly after the arrival of the settlers an Indian who evidently had enough of the English language at com- mand to be able to talk, read, and write came along from out his forest haunts and demanded by what right the Scotch-Irish had planted themselves on that spot. The reply was that all the territory then in possession of the new-comers had been bought for a consideration, and that they held a good, valid deed from the Indians, which was on record at Portsmouth. The Indian sud- denly disappeared and was never seen again. The

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next Sunday, however, traces of a camp were found a little south of the church in the present cemetery, and it was conjectured that an ambush and a massacre had heen avoided in consequence of the Indian going to Portsmouth and seeing the record above alluded to, and returning to his companions with the intelligence.

A further illustration of the friendliness of the In- dian tribes is related as occurring in the family of Arch- ibald McMurphy, Esq., who lived in the north part of the West Parish, on the farm known as the David R. Leach place. McMurphy and wife, one Sunday when two miles on their way to church, met eight Indians going to Amoskeag, and in the direction of their house, where were several small children. The mother became alarmed, and proposed to turn imme- diately back to protect their helpless family. The father replied that the Indians were too strong for them, and asked her what she could do. Said she, " I ean die with the weans if I can't do better." On their way back they found the remains of a deer, and on their arrival home the savages were broiling and roasting the venison and giving the young McMur- phys a delicious repast.

Notwithstanding all this, Londonderry furnished at different times men and means to assist in repelling the incursions of the "Indian enemy." There were three men from the town in the famous expedition of Capt. John Lovewell to the Pigwacket country in 1725,-John Goffe, Jr., subsequently Col. Goffe, Ben- jamin Kidder, his brother-in-law, and Edward Link- field. Kidder was taken sick, and was left at a fort by the company at Ossipee Lake. Goffe, with several others, also remained at the fort. Linkfield alone of the three was in the fight which took place May 19th. He was one of the nine that received no considerable wound, and, with Goffe and Kidder, returned home in safety. In the summer of 1745, Capt. Peter Pattee, of Londonderry, "scouted the woods with a small company of cavalry," and the next year Capt. Sam- uel Barr with seventeen men performed a like service. Capt. Andrew Todd also ranged the woods in July, 1746, with twenty-two men. During the year 1755 the town furnished many men at Crown Point, and enlistments were made in 1757 and 1758. In the ex- pedition to Canada in 1760 Londonderry was largely represented. The town furnished one company at Louisburg in 1745. It was under command of Capt. John Moor.

Garrison-Houses .- Notwithstanding Londonderry dwelt in comparative security from Indian attacks, a few garrison houses were built, to which the people could repair should danger impend. The house of Capt. James Gregg, near the mill, was a garrison, and also the house of Samuel Barr, now Mr. Thwyng's. The town paid for a "flanker" round Rev. Mr. Me- Gregor's dwelling, and there were other garrisons in the East Parish. In the West Parish a garrison stood on the spot where now stands the house of Jonathan W. Peabody. Mr. John A. Plumer, who

was born in the old house, remembers, when a boy, of looking through the holes cut in the immense tim- bers, through which an assailed party could thrust their guns. John Woodburn, a proprietor who died in 1780, is said to have lived in a garrison-house.

Town's stock of bullets and ammunition.

In June, 1718, the province of New Hampshire enacted a' law requiring towns to keep on hand one barrel of good powder, two hundredweight of bul- lets, three hundred flints for every sixty listed sol- diers for use in case of an Indian attack. London- derry obeyed the law of the land and always had a full supply of the required ammunition. A few of the bullets are still kept and ready for use. There are payments recorded in the town books like the following :

" To Daniel McAfee for making bulits, £0 48. Od." " To James Alexander for lead for bnlits, £0 28. 0d."

People were paid for taking charge of the town stock. By vote of the town at one time the stock of powder was stored in the attics of the meeting- houses, a pleasant and useful place in case of light- ning during church services. "1745, voted to buy two barrels of gunpowder and lodge one-half in the old meeting-house and the other half in the new."

Early Grist-Mills .- Capt. James Gregg built a grist-mill in 1722, in what is now Derry village, probably on the spot where the mill of W. W. Poor now stands. This is usually regarded as the first in town. There is, however, a record on the town books indieating that the mill of David Cargill, at the eastern extremity of Beaver Pond, may have an earlier date. It is the record of the road running along north of the pond from Samuel Marshall's house to George McMurphy's, dated Feb. 13, 1720. The road crosses " the brook below Capt. Cargill's grist-mill." The Gregg mill was long kept in that family, but since it passed to other hands has had many owners.

In Londonderry the mill privilege of E. C. Kendall has been improved as such since about June 1, 1731. At that time the proprietors granted it to Benjamin Wilson, who built the first mill. It has since been known as Moor's mills and Goss' mills, and now Ken- dall's. Mills were first built in the northeastern part of Londonderry, where the Manter mills now are, by David McAfee.

Early Saw-Mills .- A grant of land was made by the proprietors June 17, 1719, to Robert Boyes, James Gregg, Samuel Graves, and Joseph Symonds, on con- dition that they should build a saw-mill upon Beaver River (Brook), to be ready some time in the month of September of that year. The "privilege of the stream was also granted to them and their heirs for- ever, from the foot of the falls to the upper end of Beaver pond, and James Gregg to build a grist-mill on said stream." It is not known just what time this saw-mill was built, but it must have been before Feb. 20, 1720, as the road between the two villages was laid out at that date, " beginning at the bridge below the

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HISTORY OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

saw-mill." William Gregg was paid in 1721 four pounds for sawing boards for the meeting-house. In 1721 a grant of the privilege of Aiken's Brook and one acre of land was made to the proprietaries in Aiken's Range, on condition that they should build a saw mill. This mill must have stood where is now the mill of Washington Perkins. Horne's mill is on the same stream, lower down.

Highways-First Road .- The following is the record of the laying out of road between the villages : "Feb. 13, 1720. A byway laid out from the bridge below the Sawmill, from thence running sou-easterly by Mr. Gregg's hous, from thence turning more east- erly, along by James Clark's new hous, & so up by James Neasmath's & so along as the old way as far as the east corner of Robert Wear's fence." There is no authority given for this, but Dec. 16, 1725, the select- men of that year indorsed it, and added, said road to be " two rods wide & to be open & common without gates & bars." The English Range road from George W. Dickey's to Samuel Marshall's, and along the north of the pond to George MeMurphy's, was laid out about the same time.

The road to " Ammasceegg Falls" was first laid out by Capt. James Gregg and William Aiken in 1724. But a small part of this road is now in use. The roads from the East Church in Derry to the pond, and that running south by the cemetery, and also the highway across the Double Range south of West Run- ning Brook were all worked out by the selectmen June 1, 1723. The Aiken's Range road, Nov. 6, 1723, to be four rods wide across the Aiken lots, and two through the village to the mill. The Chester road was laid out Nov. 17, 1723. The highway be- tween Derry village and the depot, and thence to William P. Nevin's land in Londonderry, three rods wide, was laid out in 1737. Many of the leading highways in Derry were laid out in 1723 and the two or three years following. The Londonderry turnpike was built in 1806. In Londonderry the laying of roads began June 19, 1730, at John Duncan's house, now William Clark's. The road running east to meet the Aiken's Range road was laid out at that time. Jan. 31, 1740, was laid out the highway by Aaron P. Hardy's house, north and south, and west by the graveyard. No roads over the old graveyard hill were laid out till 1739, although there must have been much travel there. The road from W. P. Nevin's land, running west by the house of John Gilereast to Mason Boyd's house, three rods wide, was laid out in 1737, and the main road across Londonderry, east and west to Litchfield, in 1744 and 1745, and from Dinsmore's Corner north to the Baptist Church in 1745. The Mammoth road was built in 1831.

Some laid-out highways were never built, and many years elapsed before even the main portion of them were anything but bridle-paths. In the last hundred years great improvement has been made in both towns in widening and straightening.

Wild Animals .- The early settlers of Londonderry found the forests alive with many kinds of game. Deer and bears were abundant. A moose killed in the West Parish gave name to a hill there of five hun- dred feet elevation. For more than sixty years the town elected men to "prevent the killing of deer out of season." Bounties were paid on wolves' heads, and as late as the Revolution people brought their sheep to the fold every night to guard against the depreda- tions of this fierce animal. Many stories relate en- counters with bears. Probably the last one killed was in 1807. It took fifty men and three days' time to capture him. He weighed two hundred pounds dressed, and his skin afforded the party a whisky- punch and a jollification.

Domestic Animals .- Horses were common in town from the first settlement. The earliest accounts record payments similar to the following : " To Abel Merrill for money due from the town and horse hire, £0 12s. Od. To James Nesmith for his horse £0 88. Od." There was constant use for horses in "going to ye Bank,"-that is, Portsmouth,-with salmon and cloth for the State officials, and in "going down for the elements of the Sacrament ;" and the long distances that had to be gone over by most of the people every Sunday in attending meeting needed the services of this useful animal. Deacon James Reid, the father of Gen. George Reid, lived in the locality called Kilrea, on the extreme southern border of Derry, but was always a regular attendant at the West Parish Church. The McClary family never failed to appear at church in the East Parish, although their resi- dence was in the west part of Londonderry, near the present site of the Baptist Church. Large numbers traveled equally as far to their places of worship, and were constant in their attendance. Just what time oxen came into general use is not known. The fol- lowing extract from the records, dated March, 1722 -23, would indicate that cows at least were abundant, possibly too much so : "Voted that all persons shall have the liberty to bring in cattle to the town, so as to make up the number of six with his own cattle and no more, and those that have cattle of their own have the liberty to bring the number of ten if they bring a bull with them, otherwise to bring in no more." Ilogs were plenty and troublesome, and were allowed to run at large, requiring a by-law that com- pelled their owners to yoke them. 1722, " voted that hogs shall be yoked from the 20th of March to the last of October." The people were often called upon to entertain the Governor and other gentlemen high in office, and when salmon or venison were out of sea- son a sheep or lamb was brought to the block.

Exempt Farms .- A few of the Londonderry set- tlers who were in the siege of Londonderry, Ireland, 1688-89, and who took an important part in the defense of the city, were, in common with all the soldiers en- gaged there, exempted from taxation by an act of the British Parliament. This exemption continued down

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to the Revolution, which terminated all the authority | Joseph Mack, Martin Montgomery, Robert MeMur- of England here. Among the exempts were Rev. Matt. Clark, John Barr, William Caldwell, Abraham Blair, and James Wilson. There were probably more, but their names are unknown. James Wilson lived on the Proctor place, now Mr. Palmer's.

Slaves .- There were a few slaves in town before the Revolution. The census of 1773 enumerated twelve male and thirteen female persons of this class. Rev. Mr. Davidson had two, mother and daughter, named " Poll and Moll." In the West Parish, Deacon James Thompson and Thomas Wallace held property of this kind. The latter owned a negro boy, for whom he had paid one hundred dollars. Toney made a raft and went for a ride on the flowed meadow of the " fourteen-acre meadow brook." The craft proving unsafe, Toney, in fear of drowning, shouted to his owner to come and help him and save his one hun- dred dollars.

Revolution .- Londonderry was not behind other towns of New Hampshire in carrying the burdens imposed upon them by the war of the Revolution. The town entered early into the conflict with men and means, and held resolutely on till the long and severe contest with England was terminated in the treaty of peace in 1783. Mr. Parker, in his history, says, " When the news came that Gen. Gage was marching troops into the interior, New Hampshire at once took up arms and hastened to the scene of action. Twelve hundred of her sons instantly re- paired to Charlestown and Cambridge. Among these was a company from Londonderry. The tidings had no sooner reached the town than the whole com- munity were seized with a warlike frenzy. A num- ber of men, dropping instantly their implements of husbandry, hastened to spread the news, and in a few hours all who could bear arms were assembled on the common at the meeting-house. They were prepared The enlistments in 1777 and 1778 of three years' men numbered about fifty, several of whom had pre- viously seen service. Capt. Daniel Reynolds com- manded a company of seventy men at Bennington, David McClory and Adam Taylor lieutenants, John Smith, John McKeon, John Anderson, and John Robinson sergeants. Lieut. MeClory was killed there, and is said to be the only man from Londonderry who lost his life in battle during the war, although accord- ing to the mnster-rolls the town furnished more men than any other in New Hampshire. Twenty-five men under Capt. Joseph Finlay served for a short time at Saratoga in 1777, and the same year there were five to act. From the two companies of militia in town a large company of volunteers was at once formed. They started instantly on being organized, their pro- visions, ammunition, and whatever was necessary for their encampment and future wants being afterwards forwarded by express. The roll of this company is as follows: George Reid, captain ; Abraham Reid, first lieutenant ; James Anderson, second lieutenant ; John Patten, quartermaster - sergeant ; Daniel Miltimore, John Nesmith, Robert Burnet, John Mackey, ser- geants ; James McCluer, Robert Boyer, Joshua Thompson, George McMurphy, corporals; Robert Burke, drummer; Thomas Inglis, fifer; Matthew , men in Col. Henry Jackson's regiment. In 1778 the Anderson, Robert Adams, Samuel Ayers, Hugh town paid bounties to twenty men for service in Rhode Island. 1779 there were seventeen enlistments; in 1780, thirteen ; in 1781, thirty. Alexander, John Anderson, Alexander Brown, Wil- liam Boyd, John Campbell, Thomas Campbell, Peter Christie, Solomon Collins, Stephen Chase, William Association Test .- At the beginning of the second year of the war there were so many persons in all our towns suspected of Toryism that the New IJamp- shire Committee of Safety, in accordance with a recom- mendation of the Continental Congress, requested Dickey, James Duncan, Samuel Dickey, John Fer- guson, John Head, Asa Senter, Samuel Houston, Jonathan Holmes, Peter Jenkins, John Livingstone, Hugh Montgomery, John Morrison, James Morrison,

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History of Rockingham and Strafford counties, New Hampshire : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 134

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis Number of Pages: 1714

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1714