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 93
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 93
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sergt .; com. in U. S. C. T. Dec. 5, 1864.
John L. Amazun, Co. C, 13th Regt. ; enl. sept. 19, 1862; trans. to navy April 29, 1864.
Thomas J. Davis, Co. C, 13th Regt .; enl. Sept. 19, 1862 ; killed June 15, 1864.
William Hodgdon, Co. C, 13th Regt .; enl. Sept. 19, 1862; disch. Feb. 5, 1863.
Oscar O. ITodgdon, Co. C, 13th Regt .; enl. Sept. 19, 1862; pro. to corp. March 1, 1865; disch. June 21, 1865.
William T. Holbrook, Co. C, 13th Regt .; eul. Sept. 19, 1862 ; disch. Jan. 23, 1863.
George W. Libbey, Co. C, 13th Regt .; enl. Sept. 19, 1862; disch. June 21, 1865.
Andrew J. Stackpole, Co. C, 13thi Regt. ; enl. Sept. 19, 1862.
Patrick Coleman, Co. A, 13th Regt. ; en1. Aug. 10, 1863.
Robert Oliver, Co. C, 13th Regt. ; enl. Sept. 19, 1862 ; trans. to navy April 28, 1864.
Charles Carle, Co. H, 13th Regt. ; enl. Sept. 2, 1863.
Judson P. Randall, Co. K ; enl. Sept. 20, 1862; disch. May 28, 1865.
Daniel Connor, Co. K, 18th Regt .; enl. March 30, 1865; disch. May 6, 1865.
Edward Gerrahty, Co. E, 1st Cav .: enl. March 29, 1865; disch. July 15, 1865.
Charles D. Foster, Ist Cav. ; enl. March 23, 1865.
John Carey, 1st Cav .; enl. March 23, 1865.
James Miller, Ist Cav. ; enl. March 23, 1865,
John Townsend, Co. G, H. Ait .; enl. Sept. 13, 1864.
Dennis V. Burbank, Co. K, H. Art .; enl. Sept. 17, 1864; disch. June 15, 1865.
John V. Hodgdon, Co. K, H. Art .; enl. Sept. 24, 1864; disch. Juve 15, 1865.
James A. Shaw, enl. March 29, 1865; date of discharge unknown. Charles Flynn, enl. Ang. 31, 1863 ; date of discharge unknown. John Brennan, enl. Sept. 14, 1863 ; date of discharge unknown. Donald Monroe, enl. Sept. 26, 1863; date of discharge noknown. James Merlo, enl. Oct. 10, 1863 ; date of discharge unknown. Isaac Pridham, enl. Sept. 23, 1864 ; date of discharge unknown. George D. Lamson, enl. Sept. 23, 1864 ; date of discharge unknown. Harrison Spurlin, en1. March 29, 1864; date of discharge unknown. William J. Frost, enl. Sept. 2, 1864 ; date of discharge unknown. John S. Frost, enl. Sept. 2, 1864; dlate of discharge unknown.
William T. Holbrook, enl. Sept. 2, 1864; date of discharge unknown. Frederick Bell, enl. Sept. 2, 1864; date of discharge unknown.
CHAPTER LVII.
NEWINGTON.
Geographical-Topographical-Settlement-Indian Troubles-The Mas- sacre of "Bloody Point"-Civil History-Incorporation of Parish- Incorporation of Town-Congregational Church-Military Record.
THE town of Newington lies in the eastern part of the county, and is bounded as follows: on the north by the Piscataqua River, which separates it from Strafford County ; on the east by the Piscataqua and the town of Portsmouth ; on the south by Ports- mouth, Greenland, and Great Bay ; and on the west by Great Bay and Little Bay.
The surface is generally level, and the soil near the water rich and productive.
Newington was settled in about the year 1670, and soon became an important adjunct to the settlements at Portsmouth and Dover. The year 1690 was a sad one for the little settlement which had been gathered at Fox Point. Although there were not at this time
any formidable tribes of Indians residing in the vi- cinity, still there were strolling bands of savages roaming about, and the pioneer history relates many instances of their barbaric warfare practiced upon the defenseless settlements. Newington was no ex- ception. In May, 1690, a band of these strolling marauders, led by a Sachem named Hapgood, made an attack on the settlement at Fox Point, and de- stroyed several houses, killed fourteen persons, and captured six prisoners. The aroused inhabitants pur- sued the savages, when a severe action occurred, in which the chief Hapgood was wounded. Some of the captives were retaken, and the plunder recovered. From this occurrence the town received the name of " Bloody Point," which it retained for many years.
Newington is one of the old historic places or par- islies of the State. It was embraced in what is called the Squamscut or Hilton's Point Patent. A part of Newington was claimed to lie in Dover, and a part in Portsmouth. The name Newington was given by Governor Dudley, May 12, 1714. Its bounds were settled July 28, 1714, at which time it was called a parish. It had town privileges as early as 1737, but when incorporated is not definitely ascertained. The Jate John Farmer, Esq., said it was in July, 1764.
"Bloody Point" originally belonged to Dover, but soon after the "union," which took place 8th mo. 9, 1641, it was taken from Dover and given to Ports- mnouth. The people did not seem to like this kind of a decision, and in 1643 petitioned to be " reannexed."
This petition was signed by James Jenson,1 Thomas canning,1 Thomas ffursen,1 william fray, Wil- Jiam Jones, Thomas Trickey, John Goddard, Henry Langstaffe,1 John Fayer, Oliver Priminges, Philip Lewis and Radric (unreadable).
The result of this petition was that the court "Ordered that all the marsh and meddow ground lyinge Against the Great bay on Strawberry banck side shall belonge to the Towne of Dover, together with fower hundred Akers of Upland ground Ad- joining and lying as may be most Convenient for the Improving & fencing In of the said Meadow, the Remainder of the said ground to belonge to Straw- berry Bancke, &c." This territory with the terrible name remained in the peaceable possession of "the Towne of Dover" until 1713.
John Pickering was a distinguished son of this town. (See Bar chapter.)
Ephraim Pickering was appointed second major in Col. Whipple's regiment in 1776, and was one of the committee of correspondence the same year, and was representative in 1780-82. He was a selectman in 1775.
Congregational Church .?- The meeting-house used by the Congregational Church in this place was erected 1710. It was repaired and the interior re- modeled about fifty years ago, but with this exception
1 These made their mark.
2 By Rev. George Smith.
BRUSELMAMY
"THE ROLLINS HOMESTEAD." RESIDENCE OF LYDIA ROLLINS, NEWINGTON, N. H.
393
NEWINGTON.
is the same building that was originally erected. After the destruction by fire of the Methodist meeting- house, about 1860, it has continued to be the only meeting-house in town until the present time (1882). Its bell originally came from Newington, in England, being given and sent over the Atlantic by the people of that place. It afterwards cracked, but was recast and is still in use. In former times a sun-dial on the building answered the purpose of a clock.
The church was organized Oct. 26, 1715. The origi- nal record says that on this date " a fast was kept at Newington, and a church gathered, consisting of nine members," five of whom were " formerly members of Dover Church." The first pastor of the church was Rev. Joseph Adams. He was uncle of Hon. John Adams, second President of the United States. On the 15th of January, 1716, he administered the Lord's Supper, which the record says, " was the first sacra- ment ever administered in Newington." He con- tinued his pastorate for a period of sixty-eight years. During these many years the church records were kept in his own handwriting. The book, a small parchment-covered one, is still in existence, though from the effects of time the writing is dim and the pages much discolored. He died May 20, 1783. He was nearly ninety-five years of age.
It may be of interest to notice the kind of terms on which he was settled among his people in those early days. I therefore transcribe from the old book his own statement of what these were. He says, "The record that I took of the agreement I made June 20, 1715, with the committee that were chosen to agree with me about settling in the ministry at Newington. Articles, namely, that my salary be ninety pounds. But as they pleaded the poverty of the people and the great charges they had been at in building the meet- ing-house, I consented to accept of eighty pounds for seven years. And withal I promised on their request that in case I lived bachelor, and had not a family, I would abate the six pounds, and so accept of eighty pounds for the seven years aforesaid.
" That I was to have my salary agreed upon paid in money, and that at two payments, that is one-half on the last of July, as my salary began on the Ist of February, 1714, and the other half on the last of January, and so yearly.
" It was agreed that I should have the stranger's contributions.
" That 1 should have the parsonage leased for the minister's use and benefit, that is, partly cleared as is common in such cases, and all fenced with a good and sufficient fence, and also to remain for his use and benefit during his natural life.
"That they would give me 60 pounds to help build my house, together with a tract of land lying near Stony Hill, namely, behind one William Withom's lands, which tract of land they promised to give me deed of, that is, upon condition of my settling and being ordained also in the ministry at Newington."
This agreement was signed by Rev. Joseph Adams and seven other men, who are styled, " A committee chosen by the people."
Rev. Joseph Langdon succeeded Mr. Adams as pastor of the Newington Church. He was ordained in 1788, and was dismissed in 1810. At the date of his ordination there were twenty-six members of the church,-seven males and nineteen females. For the sixteen years succeeding the pastorate the church had only occasional supplies. In 1826 the church had become reduced to two members. During the next two years fifteen members were added. From this time there was occasional preaching until 1843, when another interval of fourteen years occurred, during which but little was done. After this Rev. Asa Mann supplied for a season with useful results. Rev. John Le Bosquet succeeded for a period of four years, closing his labors in 1863. Rev. Sewal Hard- ing supplied for the greater part of the next year. Rev. Franklin Davis then labored for eleven years. Again it had occurred that there were only two re- maining members of this ancient church. But in 1870, in connection with the labors of Mr. Davis, the pastor, and visits of the Young Men's Christian As- sociation of Portsmouth, an increased religious in- terest was awakened. The result was an addition to the church in that year of fourteen members. During the following six years sixteen others were added to the church. Rev. F. Davis discontinued his labors in May, 1876. At this time Mr. Willis A. Hadley began to supply the pulpit. He closed his labors in December, 1877, having accepted a call to the Congregational Church in Rye, N. H. Rev. Elijah Roke preached from July, 1878, until November, 1879. The present acting pastor is Rev. George Smith, formerly of Hanover Centre, N. H. The present membership of the church (June, 1882) is twenty-five, five of these being male members. Thus it will be seen that this ancient church has had a changeful history, sometimes one of much trial. Yet it has been, in the main, during the one hundred and sixty-seven years of its existence, a light and a bless- ing in this community.
MILITARY RECORD, 1861-65.
William Bergmann, Co. B, 6th Regt .; enl. Dec. 30, 1863.
Adolph Beck, Co. B, 6th Regt .; enl. Dec. 31, 1861.
August Meier, Co. B, 6th Regt .; enl. Dec. 30, 1863; killed June 16, 1864. William Robinson, Co. D, 6th: Regt. ; enl. Jan. 4, 1864.
Meyer Smith, Co. B, 6th Regt .; enl. Dec. 31, 1863.
Otto Scholz, Co. B, 6th Regt .; enl. Jan. 2, 1864.
August Vritze, Co. B, 6th Regt .; enl. Jan. 2, 1864.
Joseph Simpson, Co. A, 6th Regt .; enl. Sept. 11, 1862; died Sept. 7, 1863.
William Bowlen, Co. C, 6th Regt .; enl. Sept. 3, 1862; pro. corp .; died July 28, 1864.
George C. Williams, Co. C, 6thi Rugt .; enl. Sept. 3, 1862; disch. June 4, 1865.
Thomas Hughes, Co. A, 7th Regt .; enl. Oct. 1, 1864.
Alfred P. Dearborn, Co. K, 13th Regt .; enl. Sept. 20, 1862; pro. to sergt .; disch. July 10, 1865.
Lorenzo D. Drew, Co. F, 13th Regt .; enl. Sept. 19, 1862; disch. May 29, 1863.
394
HISTORY OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
George W. Brown, Co. K, 13th Regt .: enl. Sept. 20, 1862; disch. June 21, 1865.
John Harrison, Co. K, 13th Regt .; enl. Sept. 20, 1862; disch. June 23, 1865.
Alfred P. Derochment, Co. K, 13th Regt .; enl. Sept. 20, 1862 ; disch. Nov. 10, 1862.
John B. Le Bosquet, corp. Co. K, 16th Regt .; enl. Oct. 25, 1862; disch. Aug. 20, 1863.
James McIntire, Co. K, 13th Regt .; enl. Sept. 20, 1862; pro, corp. . Jan. 1, 1865: disch. June 21, 1865.
George Taylor, Co. K, 13th Regt .; enl. Sept. 20, 1862 ; pro. corp. ; disch. May 10, 1865.
John Crystal, Co. K, Ist N. II. Cav .; enl. Sept. 8, 1862; disch. June 5, 1865.
William H. Berry, Co. A, H. Art .; enl. July 2, 1863; disch. Sept. 11, 1865.
Richard Carey, Co. L, H. Art .; enl. Oct. 14, 1864 ; disch. Sept. 11, 1865. William H. 11. Young, enl. Sept. 19, 1862 ; date of disch. unknown. John Grant, enl. Sept. 19, 1864; dale of disch. unknown.
James Skinner, U. S. C. T .; enl. Oct. 3, 1864 ; date of disch. unknown.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
JAMES HOYT.
James Hoyt, son of William Hoyt and Charlotte Pickering, was born in the town of Newington, N. H., Dec. 12, 1804. His ancestors were among the early settlers of Stamford, Conn., and Newing- ton, N. H., and the family has been prominent in several of the States for many generations in relig- ious and political affairs. The family is very numer- ous, and numbers among its members some of the most prominent men in America. There is a family genealogy published, from which may be traced nearly all the Hoyts in this country.
The grandfather of James Hoyt was John, who had four children, viz: Hanson, who settled in Maine and had several children; William, father of James ; and two daughters, one of whom married a James Pickering and the other married Ebenezer Adams.
John Hoyt was a farmer in Newington, N. H. ; lived and died here.
William Hoyt, son of John, was a tailor by trade, but did not work at it much after he married Char- lotte, daughter of Winthrop Pickering. He was prin- cipally a farmer by occupation in Newington. He had nine children,-six sons and three daughters,- viz .: Phebe, Winthrop, Hanson, Charlotte, William, Hannah, Dennis, Thomas, and James, all of whom grew to maturity, and resided in or near Newington, and were farmers generally, and seven of whom had children. All of this large family are dead except James.
William Hoyt died Aug. 2, 1832, aged seventy years, and his wife died Aug. 3, 1840, aged seventy- seven.
James Hoyt received an injury when he was about eleven years of age, which resulted in the ampnta- tion of his left leg. Not being able to work on the farm he was sent to school, and at nineteen com-
menced teaching, which he followed successfully for many years in Portsmouth and adjoining towns. He returned to Newington in 1842, and has since then resided on his farm. July 21, 1833, he married Lydia, daughter of Israel O. Smith, of York, Me. Of this union eight .children were born, viz. : Israel S., Co- rinne, James A., Joseph S. (deceased), Florence, Benjamin S., Mary H. (deceased), and William A. (deceased). In politics, Mr. Hoyt was a Democrat until the Rebellion, since which time he has been a stanch Republican. He has held various town offices with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents. Mrs. Hoyt died Jan. 4, 1876, leaving the impress of a noble life upon the characters of her children, one of whom, James A., resides in Arkansas, and the remainder in Newington.
WILLIAM W. NUTTER.
Matthias Nutter was born in the town of Newing- ton, N. H., in 1740, and died in the same town in 1818. He was a ship-carpenter by trade, and owned a farm in Newington. He was three times married. By his first wife he had eight children, by his second wife six children, and by his third wife, Mary Fol- som, seven children, viz .: Elizabeth, William W., Lovina, Sarah J., Alfred, who died in infancy, and Alfred (2), and Olive P. Mrs. Mary Folsom Nutter died in 1874 or 1875 at the age of ninety-five years.
William White Nntter was born in Newington, N. H., Sept. 22, 1808. His advantages for an educa- tion were limited to the common schools of his native town. His life work has been that of a farmer. He married Frances I., widow of Isaac Brackett, and daughter of Isaac Dow, in 1873. She died July 15, 1880.
.
Mr. Nutter is a Republican in politics, though in early life he was a Democrat, and afterwards a Free- soiler, casting one of the first votes for that party ever cast in the town of Newington. He has been select- man of his town, and representative to the General Assembly in 1855.
Mr. Nutter is a very social gentleman, a man es- teemed for his many noble qualities of head and heart .. He is charitable towards all benevolent enter- prises, and kind and hospitable to the poor.
PAUL ROLLINS.
Paul Rollins, only son of Paul and Martha (Clark) Rollins, was born on the old Rollins homestead, in the town of Newington, N. H. He was a lineal de- scendant of James Rollins, who was born in England about 1605, came to Ipswich, Mass., in 1632, and was at Dover as early as 1634. The hundred-acre farm which he settled is still in the possession of the family. He owned slaves. He was reprimanded by the Gov- ernor for harboring Quakers. More than twenty-five of his descendants were under arms in the Revolu-
Jamey HBoyd
395
NEWMARKET.
tionary war, and over fifty in the war of the Rebellion, all on the right side. The family name of Rollins, sometimes spelled "Rawlins," is common in England. There are many monuments and memorial tablets of this family in Warwickshire and elsewhere, and one in the church at Stratford-on-Avon. One of his sons, Ichabod Rollins, was born before 1640, was taxed at Newington, then Dover, in 1665, and was killed by the Indians, May 22, 1707. He had a son, Jeremiah, who had a son Hon. Ichabod, who had a son John, who had a son John, who had a son Hon. Daniel G., who is the father of the Hon. Edward A. Rollins.
Samuel Rollins, the grandfather of Paul Rollins, was a farmer in Newington, N. H. One of his sons was named Paul, who succeeded his father as a farmer on the old Rollins homestead, which has been in the Rollins family since its settlement.
Paul Rollins, the subject of our sketch, received a common-school and academic education. He was a farmer by occupation. He married Deborah, daughter of Ephraim Pickering and Martha Coleman, and to them were born four children, viz .: Martha C. (de- ceased) ; Ephraim F. (deceased), who married Abigail Frink, and had two children, one of whom, Mrs. Mar- garet Prescott, is living in Boston, and the other, Wil- liam (deceased), left a daughter, Alice A. ; Lydia3 ; and Daniel4 (deceased ).
Paul Rollins was a Democrat in politics. He held nearly all the important town offices, and was a member of the State Legislature. He died at fifty- nine years of age, and his wife died in her eighty- third year.
Lydia Rollins, the only surviving child of Paul Rollins, is now far advanced in life, but she retains to a remarkable degree her faculties, and now (1882) transacts her own business. She inserts the view of the old "Rollins Homestead" in memory of her ancestors.
CHAPTER LVIII. NEW MARKET.1
NEWMARKET is situated in the northeast corner of Rockingham County, at the head of tide- water, on the Lamprey River and on Great Bay. It is thirty-six miles southeast from Concord, fourteen miles west from Portsmouth, eight miles north from Exeter, and nine miles south from Dover. It is fifty-seven miles from Boston, on the Boston and Maine Railroad, which passes directly through the town. The Ports- mouth and Concord Railroad also passes on and near the southern boundary, crossing the Boston and Maine at the "Junction."
Tradition says that the Lamprey River took its name from a Frenchman by the name of John Lam-
prae, who first settled on its shores. Other tradition has it that the name was derived from the abundance of lamprey eels that formerly thronged its waters.
About one and a half miles northwest of the vil- lage is what is known as the Chapman Spring; it issues through a large aperture under the roots of a maple-tree at the foot of a gentle declivity. The water is very pure, soft, and limpid. Its flow of water has been gauged, and it was found to discharge 149,610 gallons of water every twenty-four hours, about 6234 gallons per hour, and over 100 gallons per min- ute. As far back as tradition can trace its history it is said that there has not been any perceptible varia- tion in the quantity of water discharged. Whether the seasons are wet or dry, cold or hot, the quantity does not vary. About twenty rods below the spring, across the ravine worn by its waters, a dam has been built and a building for mechanical purposes of vari- ous kinds erected, where quite an amount of business is done by machinery propelled wholly by the waters of this spring. The waters then fall into the Piscassic River, a branch of the Lamprey, about one mile above the village, and constitute one of the main sources of supply to that stream, especially during dry seasons.
The geological formation of Newmarket is mostly a sandy loam with a clay subsoil. Near Newmarket Junction is quite a large area of drift, from which the Boston and Maine Railroad take sand for repairing and building the bed of the road. Ledges of gran- ite crop out here and there with great frequency. There are also ledges of dike or trap-rock, with some quartz and feldspar. A short distance south of the village, near the highway leading to Exeter, is a granite formation known here as Great Hill. In a seam or vein of quartz faced with trap-rock running through this hill gold and silver and other ores have been found; but it has not yet been explored to suf- ficient depth to determine whether they exist in pay- ing quantities.
What is now Newmarket and South Newmarket was formerly, and down to the year 1737, a part of Exeter, and its history prior to that date belongs to the annals of the latter town. Newmarket has no official records extending back further than the year 1784. These records, prior to that date, were seven years since destroyed by fire.
Prior to the incorporation of Newmarket as a sepa- rate town, Exeter extended to the line of Dover, which latter town included Medbury and Durham. For many years quite a controversy existed between Dover and Exeter as to where the boundary line be- tween the two was or should be located, Exeter claim- ing that the line was the Oyster (now Durham ) River, while Dover claimed that the Lamprey River was the dividing line. Finally, about the year 1868, a com- mittee was appointed to settle the question of the bonndary, which they decided to be Lamprey River.
There is now no means of determining who erected
1 By A. L. Mellowa, Esq.
396
HISTORY OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
the first house or commenced the first settlement here. The most that can now be ascertained is that at an early date, probably about the time of the settlements at Exeter, Dover, and Durham, a small settlement was made here. The principal business of the set- tlers at that time was fishing, and the name may have been derived from the fact that a new market was opened for the sale and purchase of fish. Afterwards a saw-mill. grist-mill, and carding-mill were erected, and the place became quite a lumber mart. Much ship timber was cut and carried from here, and at one time, for quite a period, a large ship-yard was in active operation, and ships of the capacity of five hundred tons were built here and floated to Portsmouth, where they were rigged and put in order for sea.
Seven vessels, some of them quite large for those times, have been on the stocks here in process of building at one time, and twenty-one of all kinds have been built here in a single year. Ship-building was also carried on at Newfields village (then a part of Newmarket, now South Newmarket) by Zechariah Beals, Dudley Watson, George Hilton, and others, the West Indies.
In Council, Dec. 14, 1727, it was ordered that the and lumber and shooks were shipped there direct from | prayer of the petitioners be granted, and that the pe-
The first official reference we have been able to find : and that the name of the parish be NEWMARKET. to the site and organization of this town is in the pro- ceedings of the Provincial Legislature, and in the legal proceedings, as found in the records of the courts, for fixing the boundary between Exeter and Dover.
In 1668 one Edward Colcord testifies that the northerly bounds of Exeter, mentioned in an agree- ment made with We-han-now-now-it, the chief saga- more of the Indians located here, was the westerly part of Oyster River, about four miles northerly be- yond Lamperiele River. This (Oyster) river is sev- eral times mentioned as the boundary between Exeter and Dover, Exeter claiming to own a strip of land northerly of the river. Like many early names of localities, rivers, and mountains, we find the name of this river spelled in various ways, as Lamperiele, Lam- preele, Lampreel, Lampeill, and Lamprele. It was claimed to be six miles from Exeter, and six miles from Dover. It is, in fact, about eight miles from Exeter and about nine from Dover.
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