History of Rockingham and Strafford counties, New Hampshire : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 96

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 96
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 96

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In 1758 a call was given to Rev. Jonas Eames to settle over the Congregational Society. At a town- meeting held Oct. 30, 1758, they voted to give Mr. Eames one thousand pounds. The meeting adjourned for one hour to confer with the reverend gentleman. He refused the call unless they would add six hundred pounds to their offer. The meeting reassembled and immediately accepted the amendment, and Mr. Eames' answer was in the affirmative.

Thursday, the 7th day of December, was appointed " a day of fasting and prayer in this place, in order for the gathering a church in Newtown," reads the record.

Mr. Eames was ordained the 17th day of January, 1759.

In the first settlement of the town it appears by records and other evidence that there was a Quaker meeting-house in the south part of the town. Some of the Peaslees belong to them.

About 1750 the Baptists built a house of worship iu sight of the other.

The Chases and others from out of town formed a church between the years 1750 and 1755. The build- ing or a part of it was moved into the central part of the town subsequently, was converted into a dwelling- house, and is now occupied and owned by Mr. Archi- bald Dunn.

This church was the first Baptist organization in the State of New Hampshire, and contains at this date, June, 1882, ninety-five memhers.

The Congregationalists raised a meeting-house on the spot where the Town Hall now stands, but were never able to complete it, and finally gave it up, and the town purchased it for their use and the use of the different religious societies in the town.

The Christian Church was formed in the year 1832, and is still continuing.

The Second Baptist Church was formed at the Junction in the year 1875.

Newton has always been very patriotic, furnish- ing men for the different wars the colonies were engaged in. The Revolutionary war, the war of 1812, and down to the great Rebellion she did her whole duty.

At a town-meeting held in 1774 it was voted "to choose two men to go to Exeter and choose a com- mittee to go to Philadelphia to join the Congress." Abraham Kimball and Stephen Butler were so chosen. Also voted to pay one pound, fifteen shillings, to pay the committee that goes to Philadelphia the 10th of May.

Sept. 3, 1775, at a town-meeting, it was voted " to raise some meu to go to Portsmouth to work on the Batteries, by request of the Committee of Safety." Voted to send as many men as will go.

July 11, 1776, voted to give nine men seven pounds, two shillings, lawful money to each man to go to re- inforce Gen. Sullivan at Crown Point.

Dec. 13, 1776, the town voted to give three men three pounds, lawful money, to go to New York to join the Continental army.

April 26, 1779, voted that the selectmen be a com- mittee to go and hire four Continental soldiers dur- ing the war. The above are but a few of the many records in regard to hiring soldiers.

Revolutionary Soldiers .- Lieut. Micah Hoyt, afterwards captain by the death of the captain of the company, Reuben Hoyt, and Wister Sanborn went to Bunker Hill when the British tried to drive the Americans from Breed's Hill. How long they stayed in the service is not known. William Gould, Elliot Jewell, David Goodwin, and others went to Ticou- deroga or Crown Point, and stayed during the war. Thomas Challis was an officer, and many others left their homes for the seat of war that they and their children might be freemen.

During the war of 1812 we find the following names : Enoch Hoyt, Sargent Heath, Moses Huse, Moses Hoyt, William Foot, Job Stevens, William Harveyman, Israel Ingalls, and others.

John Cooper enlisted when the war broke ont as a government soldier, and remained till after the war closed. His family and friends heard nothing from him during the whole war, and supposed him dead. His wife donned her mourning garments and sup- posed herself a widow. What was her surprise one

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HISTORY OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

day at the close of the war to see her husband, dressed in his suit of blue and gilt buttons, enter the house, alive and well. Many such eases no doubt occurred during the war.

Prominent Names in the Town .- Mr. William Rowell was a very prominent man in his day, was first selectman in 1749, and held most of the offices in the gift of the town, sometimes serving as clerk, at others as selectman. His descendants to this day have upheld the integrity of the name, and are our most honored townsmen.

The next name we find is Peaslee. John Peaslee had nine children, the first born in 1734. His de- scendants are among our most prominent men.

The name of Currier is next, and they were very numerous, and quite a number of their descendants still live in the town, and many of them hold offices of trust. The name of Bartlett is next, and they were among the first to hold office in town. Eliphalet Bart- lett, a noted man, and Matthias Bartlett, a surveyor, were often elected representatives, and for many years selectmen. Joseph Bartlett was a noted man, was captured by the Indians at Haverhill in 1708, was held by them four years, settled in this town in 1720. The descendants of the Bartletts are very numerous in the town.

Hoyts come next in order. Four of that name were soldiers in the Revolutionary war. The records of Amesbury show that in the year 1776 ten of that name enlisted from that place. Samuel Hoyt was one of the selectmen a number of years, and town clerk for forty years. Micah Hoyt, son of Micah Hoyt, was a prominent man in the time of the Revolution ; was a lieutenant in the army till the war closed. Benjamin and Eli Hoyt held the offices of selectmen and town clerk for many years. John Hoitt, one of their descendants, was selectman for twenty years, and town clerk for fifteen years, and is at this date a hale and hearty man, loved, honored, and respected by all.

The Chases were among the prominent men in the first settlement of the town, were among the first to become Baptists, and helped build the meeting-house in 1750.

Among the Peaslees was one Joseph, who was a Quaker, and, driven from other towns, he took up his abode in the south part of Newton, to worship God according to the dietates of his own conscience, with- out any one to molest or make him afraid. From him sprung the Quaker meeting-house and Quaker

burying-ground, near by where remains the dust of all the Quakers of this town.

At a meeting held July 6, 1780, the inhabitants of Newton met upon "journment," and the meeting In the war of the Rebellion the town furnished as cording to her valuation. She sent eighty-five sol- diers to the army and navy, at an expense of thirty- five thousand dollars. opened, William Rowell for moderator. It put to vote many or more soldiers than any town in the State ac- | to see if said town will give any sum of money for encouragement to hire " mullishia" sokliers to go in the army three months ; voted in the affirmative. It put to vote to see if said town will choose a committee Always ready from the Revolution to the last war to furnish men and money when called upon by their country to protect her rights, would fight her enemies, and maintain her honor as a nation. to hire said soldiers ; not passed in the affirmative. Capt. Robert Stuart, Ensign Daniel Morse chosen a committee to hire said soldiers, and to give any price as they shall think proper. Ye meeting was journed till the tenth day of April instant at five of the clock in ye morning. At the adjournment it was put to vote to see if said town will give five soldiers for three months twenty bushels of Indian corn a month, or make it as good to them in money ; the vote passed in the affirmative, and the meeting was "dismist."

Newton at the present date (1882) contains a popu- lation of about one thousand; over three hundred voters on the check-list.

The Boston and Maine Railroad passes through from south to north, from Plaistow to Kingston. A branch leaves the main track at Newton Junction and passes through the Centre, where there is another station, to Merrimac, Mass. At the Junction, before the Boston and Maine Road was built, there was but one house in sight, now there are over fifty dwelling- houses, besides several stores. A church and a large saw-mill and box-mill has been recently burnt, but will probably be rebuilt.

Newton supports seven groceries, two meat-markets, two hotels. In the matter of hotels the town has fell behind her record, for in 1807, with a population of about four hundred, there were seven licensed taverns in the town.

We have a carriage manufactory doing a large busi- ness, five shoe contractors, several manufacturers of shoes, blacksmiths, house contractors, etc. At the Junction the telegraph-office is situated, and at the village the telephone.

There are three religious bodies in town, two Bap- tist and one Christian.

CHAPTER LX.

NORTH HAMPTON.

Geographical-Topographical-The First Settlements-Garrison-House -Indian Depredations-Petition for Parish Privileges-Organization of Parish-" The North Hill Parish"-Incorporation of the Town- Petition to be Released from Parish Rates-Ecclesiastical History- Miscellaneous-Military Record.

NORTH HAMPTON is one of the coast towns, and is bounded as follows: on the north by Greenland and Rye; on the east by Rye and the Atlantic; on the south by Hampton; and on the west by Stratham.

407

NORTH HAMPTON.

The surface of the town is generally level and the soil fertile.

The early history of this town will be found princi- pally in the history of Hampton, of which North Hampton originally formed a part. The early record history, Revolutionary history, names of early settlers, etc., are incorporated in the history of the mother town.

Settlements began within the bounds of the present town of North Hampton at one of the earliest periods in the history of the State. It was in about the year 1636 that the first intrepid explorer set foot upon this soil, and this was an event of no ordinary magnitude. The Indians were still pursuing their erratic warfare, and the hardy pioneers earned their bread at the con- tinued hazard of their lives.

Garrison-House .- One of the first acts of the in- habitants was the erection of a garrison-house where all might take refuge in case of an attack by Indians. This garrison-house stood a few rods southwesterly from the site of the first meeting-house, on the sonth- ern border of what was formerly called the "Green."

Notwithstanding the precaution taken by the pioneers, the murderous tomahawk of the red man left its imprint upon the little settlement. June 13, 1677, during King Philip's war, four persons, viz., Edward Colcord, Jr., Abraham Perkins, Jr., Benja- min Hilliard, and Caleb Towle, fell victims to his savage cruelty. With the death of Philip, in 1676, the war in the southern part of New England ceased, but in New Hampshire it raged two years longer, and for a time seemed to threaten the extinction of the whole colony.

With the return of peace the settlement resumed its foriner activity, and not many years elapsed ere it became a prosperous and important element in the colony, and in 1719 we find it petitioning for parish privileges. The Council appointed a committee, by whom the boundaries of the proposed parish were run out, which reported to the court Oct. 29, 1719. The petition, however, was not granted. The next petition relating to the parish of which we have any record was under date Nov. 30, 1730, as follows :

Petition relating to the Parish.

To the Honourable hons of Representatives of this his Majesties Prov- ince of New Hampshire Greeting.

Gentlemen we your honours humble petitioners humbly sheweth that whereas his Honour ye Governor with his Majestys Counsel in aoswer to a petition from hampton did Grant a parish at North Ende of said town as shall appear by a Coppy of sd grant, but it did not com to the bourable hous of Representatives for their concurraoc thearwith Theare- fore we your honours humble petitioners hnoibly crave your concurrance theare with, and in so doing you will much oblege ns your humble Ser- vaots As in dusy bound we shall ever pray,

Hampton November 30, 1730.

Simon Marstoo Thomas Marston

Joseph Dearbu

Maurice Hobbs Timothy Dalton David Pag Simon Darbon

Daniel Sanborn

Widow Sarah Samboru

John Shaw

Joshuay Brown John Godfre

Jonathan Page

Richard Tayler

John Johnson

Joho Marston

John Radman

Joseph Chapman Penjā Thomas

Benjn Roby

Same Darbon

John Wedgwood

William Godfree

Edmund Chapman

Saoıl Marston

Ebenezer Goufrie

Sam1 Bachelder

Rubeo Darbon

Benimin Jolinson

Job Chapman

John Smith

William Palmar John Darbn

Samuel Dearbon

The first petition, however, which was reported favorably, was under date of Nov. 17, 1738, when the parish was organized with power to act in affairs con- cerning the ministry and schools. It was variously named in the town records as the "North Hill Parish in Hampton," "The North Parish in Hampton," etc.

It was incorporated as a town by the name of North Hampton, Nov. 26, 1742.

The delegate from this town to the Constitutional Convention of 1778 was Levi Dearborn, and to that of 1781 was Abraham Drake.

Petition of inhabitants of N. E. part of Hampton to be exempted from minis- ter's tux.

To His Excellency Benqin Wentworth Esq. Governor and Commander in Chief In and over his Majesties Provence of New Hampshire in New England and to the Honourable the Council and honse of Repre- sentatives of said Province Io General Assembly Convened-Noveoi- ber ye 16th 1742.

The Humble petition of us the Subscribers Most Humbly sheweth- that the houses and habitations of your petitioners are in the north eastly part of the town of Hampton at or near Littel Bores Head near Lettel River or near the Sea and that we live most as near upon a Line to the meeting-house at the town as to that of North hill and that it is much easier for us to go to meeting at the town than to North Hill by reason of the Goodness of the way to the town and there not heing any way for us to go to meeting at north hill nor ever like to be unless we travil much farther than to go to the meeting-house at the town :

Your petitioners Humbly pray that your Excellency and Hooours would be pleased to take this petition into consideration and in your grate Goodness exempt us from paying to the support of the ministry at North hill and that we may still remain-and be taxed to the support of the ministry and the other Publick charges of the town as we used to be and your petitioners as in duty bonnd shall ever pray.

John Batchelder Thomas Hlains

Mosies Lamipre

Jeremiah Page

Obadiah Marston Stephen Brown.

In the House of Representatives, 9bx2, 25th 1742.

The within Petition Read and considered & voted to be Dismissed Jamies Jeffry Clr. Assm

Moses Leavitt, of this town, was appointed captain in the Continental service, June 13, 1776, and author- ized to raise one hundred men to join the army in New York. He was on a committee of officers at Hampton, in 1777, to petition the honorable commit- tee of safety to take measures for the defense of the sea-coast. In 1778 he was again appointed to enlist soldiers for the Continental army; was appointed lieutenant-colonel of Third Regiment New Hamp- shire militia in 1781, and was representative to the General Assembly in 1782 and 1783.

The Congregational Church.1-Our forefathers were careful to erect the meeting-bouse and provide for the preaching of the gospel as soon as they had

1 By Rev. Thomas V. Haines.

Thomas Marston

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HISTORY OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

formed any distinct and considerable settlement. Many of the townships originally were large, and as the population extended to the borders of the town, a portion of the people were often obliged to travel a long distance to church. The only way to obviate this difficulty was in forming a separate parish when- ever the population became sufficient to support a minister. So it came about that many towns had more than one church of the same denominational order, and not infrequently were there new parishes afterwards incorporated into towns.

Within one hundred years after the first house was built in Hampton a considerable settlement had formed at North Hill, about three miles from the meeting-house. Those settlers suffered mauy trials because of their isolation, the difficulty in clearing the land, and Indian depredations. Their first houses (two of which are now standing) were lined with bricks to make them bullet-proof, and a garrisoned house was built on the green, to which they resorted in time of especial danger. While they felt that they must vigorously wield the axe, and drive the plow, and unceasingly watch the stealthy savage, they grew dissatisfied with their religious privileges, believing that it was needless for them to go three miles on the Sabbath to worship when the preaching of the gospel could be supported in their midst.

to govern the meetings, which all who proposed to attend signed.

Whether this was done as a compromise to quiet the known restlessness is not quite certain. How- ever, it was not sufficient to meet their desires for re- ligious advantages. It rather deepened their sense of deprivation, for, in 1737, they renewed their request to be constituted a distinct parish, but this effort also proved fruitless.

There were persevering men in those days, es- pecially in things which they knew were right. Accordingly, on the 2d of November, 1738, another petition of a similar nature was presented to the General Assembly, then held at Portsmouth. On the 17th of the same month a bill granting the re- quest passed the House of Representatives, was con- curred in by the Council, and received the iudorse- ment of the provincial Governor.

Thus the parish at North Hill was formed, on the condition that they would support a minister and a schoolmaster, and would pay their annual proportion of the grant which the town had made to Dorothy Gookin, widow of Rev. Nathaniel Gookin, who.at his death had been minister of the town twenty-four years.

Although the exact date cannot be determined, yet prior to 1734 a meeting-house was erected a little south of the centre of what is now the common. It was thirty by forty feet, framed for galleries, and was without pews for years, notwithstanding an agreement had been made that one range of pews should be laid out adjoining the walls of the house, to be valued from ten pounds to fifteen pounds, " according to the dignity of the pews." The evidence is only inferential that meetings were held in that house until the parish was legally formed.

With the impression that some steps should be taken towards a better state of things on the 2d of May, 1719, " Samuel Chapman and others presented a petition to the Council Board" that they might be relieved from giving support for the minister at the old parish in Hampton, and be permitted to lawfully sustain the gospel among themselves. This was re- spectfully received, and a committee of four persons was appointed to ascertain "the bounds and limits of a parish in the north end of Hampton." On the The first parish meeting was called by Daniel San- born, on Christmas day, 1738, when a committee was appointed to agree with Mr. Nathaniel Gookin, son of the lamented minister of the first parish, to preach to the society for three months. 29th of May that committee reported that the parish lines should be nearly the same as the present bound- aries of North Hampton, with the exception of a part which has since been set off to the town of Rye. But as the selectmen of Hampton remonstrated, the The first annual meeting which, by act of the Gen- eral Assembly, must occur in March, was held on the 20th of that month, 1739, at which they agreed to em- ploy a minister for one year. But at an adjourned meeting, held on the 8th of May following, they voted to settle a minister within twelve months. To aid in making a right choice, they proposed to follow the usual custom of those days by calling a fast and in- viting neighboring ministers to spend the day with them in prayer and consultation. Agreeable to the advice then given, the parish chose a committee on the 12th of June "to treat with Mr. Nathaniel Gookin to settle with them in the work of the minis- try." They voted to procure for him a parsonage of at least ten acres of land, fence it, and build upon it a convenient house and barn, to furnish him annually sufficient firewood, and to give him one hundred and petition was dismissed, and nothing further of ac- count was done towards effecting a separation until 1734, when, on the 9th of October, thirty-five persons petitioned the General Assembly, praying that the parish bounds might be established agreeable to the report of the committee appointed to define them fifteen years before. This request was carefully con- sidered, but on account of the opposition which the selectmen offered, and a remonstrance signed by twenty-six individuals who lived within the bounds of the proposed parish, they stating " we rather continue as we are, one parish," the bill passed in the negative. At the beginning of the year 1736 several members of the church living near North Hill obtained the consent of their pastor, Rev. Ward Cotton, to hold religious meetings among themselves on Sabbath evenings. He drew up some articles of agreement | ten pounds a year, adding five pounds each succeeding

RESIDENCE OF J. W. F. HOBEĆ, NORTH HAMPTON, N. H.

409

NORTH HAMPTON.

year until the amount should reach one hundred and forty pounds, and if it were needful, and they were able, further additions should be made. This was to be given him, even if, because of sickness, he might be unable to perform Sabbath service. Surely such was a generous offer for those times.

After due consideration the call was accepted. In his letter to the parish committee, he said, "I accept your invitation, demanding of you, as you will answer it at the great day, that you give diligent heed to the truths 1 shall bring you from the gospel of Jesus Christ, and practice according to them ; also that you be continually earnest at the throne of grace for me, that I may be a faithful and successful laborer in the gospel among you." Ile at that time was twenty-five years of age, having graduated at Harvard College seven years before.

As yet there was no church organization, but on the 23d of September, 1739, those persons living within the bounds of the new parish who belonged to the First Church made application for letters of dis- mission, that they might organize a church at North Hill, but the purpose was not favorably regarded, and their request was refused. Nothing daunted, the North Hill people called an Ecclesiastical Council, ex- parte, of course, which met on the 30th of October. The Council and brethren sent a declaration to the First Church, but they were not recognized. After- words a public conference was agreed upon and held, yet the church refused to grant the required letters of dismission. Smarting under such treatment, on the day following, the Council and brethren took matters into their own hands, and organized what they called "the Fourth Church of Christ in Hamp- ton," and at the same time ordained Mr. Gookin as pastor. This was a bold stroke, but it proved to be a wise one. The First Church afterwards acquiesced in the movement, and within three years they granted letters of dismission to several persons and recom- mendation to the church at North Hill.

After much perplexity and deep feeling the desire of the people in the north part of Hampton was se- cured so far. But as in all new public enterprises there are many calls for money and labor, so the North Hill parish found many things which needed attention.

In 1741 a parsonage-honse was built, of dimensions twenty-five by thirty feet, with a lower addition on one end. During the same year the first pew in the meeting-house was built, having the extent of five feet on the wall from the pulpit stairs, and five feet front, covering an area of twenty-five square feet. In this the family of the minister sat, while the rest of the people had to arrange themselves as best they could, for there were no other regular seats huilt in the house until 1746. In the year following a par- sonage barn, twenty by twenty-four feet, with twelve- feet posts, was built. This completed the agreement of the society in providing a parsonage. It must

have been at great personal sacrifice that they pro- vided so much; and had not relief been given by their right in some of the first parish property, their struggle would have been very severe and prolonged.

On the 30th of November, 1742, the parish was in- corporated as a town. This act brought up new matters for adjustment between the two parishes. The second minister of Hampton, Rev. Timothy Dal- ton, who died in 1661, left a large ministerial fund for the town. When North Hampton was incorpo- rated the tax-payers felt that they were justly entitled to their proportion of that property, and in a friendly way they requested that it might be conveyed to them. For some unexplained reason the request, which was several times repeated, was not granted ; and it was found necessary to carry the case into court, where, after some delay, it was decided in favor of the complainants. As nearly as can be as- certained, about one-fifth part of the old parsonage property was conveyed to North Hampton. This greatly aided in the support of the minister. Espe- cially helpful was it, since about that time the colo- niał currency began to depreciate in value, so that the parish was obliged to add to Mr. Gookin's salary. At first they increased it five pounds, then twenty, then ninety, afterwards adding more and more every year until it became twelve hundred pounds.

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History of Rockingham and Strafford counties, New Hampshire : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 96

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