USA > New Hampshire > Strafford County > History of Strafford County, New Hampshire and representative citizens > Part 20
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Smith, Wesley M.
Kingsbury, James A.
Smith, Newton C.
Cole, John W. Colman, Charles. Demeritt, Charles A.
Libbey, J. T. S., lient.
Smith, William P.
Davis, Grandville.
Meserve, John C.
Thayer. W. F., lieut.
Davis, Edgar W.
Otis, John H. Quinn, Peter.
Towle, Jeremy B.
Edgerly, Charles R.
Greenhalgh, Timothy.
Merrill, Isaac K.
Tebbetts, Samuel H.
Rollins, George W.
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HISTORY OF STRAFFORD COUNTY
Berden Sharpshooters .-- George H. Chase, Moses P. Moulton.
Andrew Sharpshooters .- Jacob K. Mudgett, Isaac N. Mudgett, Henry Moulton.
1st Mass. Regiment .- John F. Meader. George Il. Hanscom.
12th Mass. Regiment .- John S. Grant.
13th Mass. Regiment .- John H1. Place, Charles C. Guppy. S. Frank llartford. 17th Mass. Regiment .-- John Tucker.
22d Mass. Regiment .- Edward M. Tucker.
25th Mass. Regiment .- Andrew J. Hughes.
28th Mass. Regiment .- James McCarty.
35th Mass. Regiment .- William H. Hackett. 6th Mass. Battery .- Daniel L. Perkins (died Oct. 16, 1862).
Ist Maine Regiment .- John B. Franklin.
3d Maine Regiment .- Henry Judkins.
7th Maine Regiment .- Patrick Hughes, Wil- liam A. Robinson.
12th Maine Regiment .- Edward Bearer.
16th Maine Regiment .- John F. Harding.
17th Maine Regiment .- Joseph Hughes.
Vermant Regiment .- Alvin Morse.
16th New York Regiment .- Sylvester Ab- bott.
52d New York Regiment .- Patrick Heffer- man.
99th Pennsylvania Regiment .- James Mc- Donald.
N. Y. Battery Light Artillery .- Benjamin F. llolt.
6th Ohio Regiment .- John W. Hussey. 5th Regiment Excelsior Brigade .- Isaac K. Merrill.
Regular Army-4th Regiment .- John Mullen, George Corson.
Invalid Corps .- W. J. Butterfield, Charles Church.
Substitute, 1863, M. McDermott. Substitute, 1864, Patrick Ryan.
l'eteran Reserve Corps .- Thomas B. Pink- ham, George Shackley.
5th Regiment .- Charles H. Gerrish (drafted), Benjamin Hanson (drafted), Charles Lovejoy.
- Regiment .- Oscar A. Mill.
2d U. S. Artillery .- Brearton David.
115th U. S. Colared Infantry .- John R. Ham, surgeon.
Maj. George P. Folsom, paymaster.
Maj. Charles W. Woodman, paymaster.
Capt. Daniel Hall.
Capt. Andrew H. Young, quartermaster.
Lieut. John J. Devin, U. S. army.
Cadet William A. Garland, Military Acad- emy, West Point.
U. S. NAVY.
Thomas G. Salter, chaplain. Drew, Charles W.
Newhall, Eben. W.
George H. Wadleigh, Naval Drew, William.
Oates, Barnard.
School, Newport, R. I. Dunn, Samuel .A.
O'Neal, Owen.
Edward Woodman, Naval Ferguson, Albert. School, Newport, R. I. Finnegan, Peter.
Peaslee, Joseph E.
Adams, Charles W.
Finnegan, Joseph.
Pierce, Henry M.
Agnew, Henry.
Frost, John G.
Place, James H. K.
Agnew, Peter.
Glines, Bradbury.
Place, Alonzo R.
Ashton, James H.
Grimes, Francis.
Rahill, Michael.
Barker, Joshua.
Guppy, George N.
Renshaw, James.
Blaisdell, John. Hemenway, Benjamin.
Renshaw, William H.
Brown, Robert D.
Hughes, James. Hughes, Peter.
Roberts, James A.
Burley, Josiah.
Hurd, Stephen N.
Rogers, William.
Cassily, Patrick.
Jordan, Oscar F.
Rollins, Charles L.
Caton, Patrick.
Keay, Charles M.
Rothwell, Eleazer.
Chamberlain, C. E.
Kimball, Samuel H.
Chandler, Elisha M.
Lock, Jeremiah. McCabe, Patrick.
Rowe, Jesse. Sampson, Charles A.
Cody, John.
McQuade, James.
Sanborn, Andrew J.
Cotter, Patrick.
McQuade, John.
Smith, Newton C.
Davis, Alonzo L.
Merrill, William.
Snell, George C.
Davis, Franklin F Mitchell, Josiah.
Staples, John M.
Chandler, William.
Rhines, William H.
Burley, Charles.
Paul, Charles F.
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Starlin, James. Steele, Thomas M. Thompson, Edward. Tompkins, Charles R.
Webster, William G., Jr. Welsh, Rodman. Wilson, Edward A. York, George.
York, Simeon D. Young, John A. Young, Joseph. Young, Thomas F.
CHAPTER XVIII HISTORY OF DOVER (XIV)
NOTABLE CITIZENS OF DOVER IN FORMER GENERATIONS
In this closing chapter of this outline history of Dover is given brief men- tion of some of the notable men of former generations of Dover citizens. Many others might be included in this list, but the following must suffice for this work.
Judge Edward Hilton. Founder of Dover, at Dover Point, May, 1623. A wealthy Englishman. Member of the very exclusive and aristocratic Fish Mongers' Guild in London. Later he was one of the founders of Exeter, having his residence at Newfields, then a part of Exeter. He was one of the magistrates, under Massachusetts, for holding courts at Dover and Ports- mouth. His burial place is in the cemetery near Rockingham Junction on the Boston & Maine Railroad.
Captain Thomas Il'iggin, founder of the settlement at Dover Neck in October, 1633. Noted for his great business ability as organizer and leader. Chief magistrate at Dover a number of years. Later he settled on the east shore of Great Bay, where he had a large estate and lived in great style as the gentry in England lived at that time.
Major Richard I'alderne, one of the great historical characters of New England. . \ man of great business capacity. He built saw mills and grist mills. He eut huge pine trees for masts and transported them to England for the king's navy. His mill was at the falls east of Central avenue bridge. One of his logging swamps was in what is now called Knox's Marsh. His house (garrison) stood where Melnick's store, in National block, now is, which is famous in history as being destroyed by the Indians June 28, 1689. He was a great warrior. He was Representative from Dover in the Massa- chusetts General Court many years, and Speaker of the House several times. He was one of the chief magistrates in old Norfolk county of Massachusetts, and as such enforced the laws against the Quaker women, which Whittier's poem describes. He was unquestionably one of the foremost and ablest men
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in the first century of Dover's history, and the peer of the greatest men in Massachusetts.
Captain John Underhill, famous in Massachusetts history, was one of the Governors at Dover Neck following the retirement of Captain Wiggin. One of Whittier's very interesting poems deals with Captain Underhill's career at Dover Neck. He was a good warrior as well as ruler. His later years were passed on Long Island, where he founded a town in the neighborhood of Oyster Bay, now famous as the home of Colonel Roosevelt.
Elder William Wentworth, who came to Dover in 1650, was one of the very influential men. An elder in the First Church; preacher, teacher, mag- istrate; diligent and active until he was past four score years old. And noted especially as the founder of the great Wentworth family, three of his de- scendants being Governors of the Province of New Hampshire in succession. His home farm is just across the line in Rollinsford on the Turnpike road and has remained in possession of the family to this day, 260 years.
Hanserd Knollys. First minister of the First Church in Dover. Later returned to England and was distinguished as a minister in active service until past four score years of age. He was minister in Dover two years, 1638-1640.
Rev. John Reyner, sixth minister of the First Church and Parish, who served from 1655 to 1669, dying in office. He was a notable preacher ; it was during his pastorate tliat the Quaker women came to Dover from Boston and caused much disturbance in Mr. Reyner's parish. They were not content to hold their meetings outside of the meeting house, but at times when he was preaching would arise in the meetings on the Lord's day and contradict his opinions expressed. Of course, he was greatly annoyed at their impertinent conduct, but held his temper and gave them stern reply. He was so popular with his townsmen that he received various grants of land, one of which is the land through which flows the much talked of Reyner Brook, advocated as a source of water supply for Willard Pond.
Rev. John Pike, minister of the First Church and Parish from 1678 to 1710, dying in office. He was graduate of Harvard College, and esteemed as an extraordinary preacher.' Not only that; he was popular among his people, serving and assisting them during the most terrible period of the Indian wars in Dover. He rendered a service of greater value to succeeding generations by keeping a "Journal' in which he recorded many important events, no record of which can be found elsewhere, hence are of great historical value.
Job Clements, who came to Dover (Neck) about 1655, built the first tan- nery Dover had; he was an expert in the business, coming here from Salisbury. He was a man of great business capacity otherwise and one of Dover's most 12
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worthy citizens. At the time of his death in 1684 he was one of the Council of the Province of New Hampshire.
Captain John Tuttle, 1640-1720. Farmer (at Dover Neck), mill owner, shipbuilder, lumberman, Indian fighter, town official, Representative in Gen- eral Court, Judge and Councillor. A great man in every way, and staunch supporter of the First Church.
Captain Thomas Millet came to Dover from Gloucester, Mass., about the time Captain Tuttle died. For forty years he was one of the leading business men of the town. He was a famous shipbuilder and quite as noted as a sea captain. He held all of the important offices in the gift of his townsmen, as also offices of importance in the Province of New Hampshire. An apple tree that he set out is yet living at Dover Neck, near where his residence was. His shipyard was on the shore of the river nearby.
Thomas Westbrook Waldron, born 1721; died in 1785. Great grandson of Major Richard Waldron. He was a man of large property, having in- herited the major's homestead on the north side of the Cochecho river and the mills at the falls. He was frequently moderator in town meetings; one of the selectmen a half dozen years; town clerk from 1771 to 1785, dying in office. Representative from 1735 to 1771. His house, which he built in 1784. yet stands on Second street, facing the courthouse. Previous to 1820 it stood directly across what is now Second street. It was swung around and moved back when the street was made.
Col. John Gage was Representative in the Provincial Assembly of New Hampshire 1745 to 1748, and 1771 to his death in May, 1773. He was col- onel of the Second N. H. Regiment of Militia from 1758 till his death. He was the first Judge of Probate for Strafford county, dying in office.
Col. Stephen Evans. Merchant, leader in the First Church, prominent in town affairs, Dover's greatest and most active military officer in the Revo- lutionary war. He was in command of a New Hampshire regiment at the surrender of General Burgoyne at Saratoga in 1777. His house stood on Main street, near School street.
Reverend Jonathan Cushing, tenth minister of the First Church and Par- ish, 1600-1769. Graduate of Harvard College. Minister in Dover from September 18, 1717, till his death, March 25, 1769. His colleague for the last two years was Rev. Jeremy Belknap. He was a great preacher and prudent and judicious pastor. His residence was on Pine Hill, near where the meeting house stood that was built in 1712. It was in that house that he conducted service until the new house was built and dedicated in 1758, where now is the brick meeting house that succeeded it in 1829.
Charles Buckner. In the March town meeting, 1657, Mr. Buckner was
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chosen by vote a schoolmaster for the town. Up to that time the ministers had been the schoolmasters. Mr. Buckner remained in Dover until April. 1668, when he sold his four acres of land to Job Clements, Sr., and removed to Boston. He was grand juryman and held other minor offices. Where he held his school is not known, but probably in private houses.
Hon. Peter Coffin was one of the big men at Cochecho; he lived on the south side of the river; his house stood on top of a hill where now is the bowling alley, on the north side of Orchard street. He was a man of wealth and was influential in town affairs. He was one of the selectmen of the town many terms, and one of its Representatives in the Massachusetts General Court several years.
Dr. Walter Barefoot was the first resident physician in Dover. He had grants of land on Dover Neck, and resided there from about 1660 to 1670. He then removed to Great Island (New Castle), and resided there until his death in 1689. He is noted as the second Governor of the Province of New Hampshire, succeeding Governor Cranfield in 1685, and his rule over the province was contemptible in the highest degree.
Thomas Canney was one of the original settlers on Dover Neck, and was one of its staunch citizens who stood by Parson Reyner in 1662, when the Quaker women were so troublesome. His house is yet standing on Dover Neck, in which the Quaker women were held prisoners for a while. He was one of the respected and honored citizens.
Rev. Jeremy Belknap. Pastor of First Church 1767-1787, twenty years; great preacher. Greatest historian of New Hampshire. His house stood where the Belknap school house stands.
Colonel John Waldron, who resided where the Page farm house is on Glenwood avenue, above Garrison Hill. A man who held many times all the important offices in the gift of his townsmen. He commanded a regiment in the Revolutionary war.
Major Caleb Hodgedon was an officer in the Revolutionary war, and a citizen distinguished in many ways.
Dr. Esra Green, Dover's noted physician and surgeon. He not only had great fame as a physician in Dover and the region around here, but was dis- tinguished as the surgeon on the first warship that John Paul Jones sailed from Portsmouth and won such fame in the Revolutionary war. Dr. Green was the first postmaster of Dover, appointed by George Washington, with whom he was personally acquainted. His office was in the Job Burleigh house, on Silver street, near corner of Atkinson street. He lived in the house at the corner of Silver and Belknap streets, where the Misses Richardson lived. He died there in 1847, aged 101 years.
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HISTORY OF STRAFFORD COUNTY
Hon. Andrew Peirce, merchant, leading business man of Dover for half a century. Held important official position in town and state. First mayor of Dover, 1856.
Hon. John P. Hale, lawyer, orator, statesman, United States Senator, ambassador to Spain, champion anti-slavery advocate. Probably the greatest statesman Dover ever had.
Col. Amos Cogswell, who was born in 1752 and died January 28, 1826; served eight years in the army of the Revolution ; enlisting as a private soldier in his brother's company, he came out a major. After the war he resided in Dover and for several years was colonel of a battalion of cavalry. For a number of years he was member of the state Legislature, both as Represen- tative and Senator. He was one of the most popular business men of Dover for forty years. The house in which he lived now stands on the south corner of Angle street and Central avenue, and is well preserved.
John Il'illiams was agent for the first cotton factory built in Dover. The corporation organized at a meeting of the proprietors January 19, 1813, at Mrs. Lydia Tibbett's dwelling house on Silver street, at 5 o'clock P. M. That house is now standing, directly opposite Elisha R. Brown's residence. Mr Williams remained connected with the mills here more than a quarter of a century. He built the brick house on Central avenue, known now as the John P. Hale house, and resided there until he removed to Boston about 1840. The first cotton factory was located at the falls two miles up the river, and ever since known as "Upper Factory."
Hon. Thomas E. Sawyer was a noted man in many ways. A lawyer by profession, a politician by instinct and popular with his fellow citizens. He held various town offices. He was first elected Representative in 1832, and again at ten annual elections, the last year being in 1850. Mr. Sawyer was a Whig all those years. In 1851 the Whig party nominated him as its candi- date for Governor. In his own town he received 719 votes; Samuel Dins- moor, 472; John Atwood, 52. There was no choice by the people, the vote standing Dinsmoor, Democrat, 24,425; Sawyer, Whig, 18,458; Atwood, Free Soil, 12,049. Mr. Sawyer was again the Whig nominee for Governor in 1852, and his Democratic opponent was also a Dover man, Dr. Noah Martin. The vote in Dover this year was, Sawyer 723; Martin 491; John Atwood 126. In the state Martin had 30,807; Sawyer, 19,850; Atwood 9,479, and Martin was elected. The political contest in Dover that year was red hot. There was nothing like it until the Civil war began. Mr. Sawyer was member of the school committee more years than any other man who served on the board. The Sawyer grammar school was named for him. Mr. Sawyer was the second mayor of Dover.
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Dr. Noah Martin, as above mentioned, was chosen Governor in 1851 and 1852. At that time he had been a prominent citizen and successful physician for more than a quarter of a century. He died in 1863. During his active career he held various positions of trust.
Hon. William Hale, who was born in Portsmouth in 1764, and died in Dover in 1848. At his death, in his eighty-fourth year, he was Dover's oldest, wealthiest, and most respected citizen. He was Representative in Congress, 1809-181I, and four years, 1813-1817, and at different times filled the offices of Representative, Senator and Councillor under the state government. His Father, Maj. Samuel Hale, commanded a company of Dover soldiers at the siege and capture of Louisburg.
CHAPTER XIX HISTORY OF SOMERSWORTH (I)
ORIGIN OF THE NAME
In considering the history of. the interesting and enterprising town and city of Somersworth, it seems proper to bear in mind that up to 1754 Somers- worth was a locality in Dover; furthermore, up to 1849, Rollinsford was Somersworth and its history will be so considered, its individual history beginning only fifty-four years ago.
For nearly a century, when the name Dover appears in the records, it means the settlement on and around Meeting House Hill, on Dover Neck, as it is now called. All other settlements were simply localities in Dover. For a correct understanding of where land grants were made by the town to individuals, these localities had to have names. The origin of the names of some of these places was somewhat facetious. It was not long after 1637 that they began to come into use. These are samples: Cochecho in Dover ; Bloody Point in Dover ; Oyster River in Dover; Summersworth in Dover, etc.
Of course, the inhabitants not being numerous and the Indians not being specially friendly, the settlers advanced slowly and prudently, for their own sake, into the unbroken wilderness. The first settlements in Somersworth, for these reasons, did not begin until about 1700, and those were along the rivers Newichawannock and the Salmon Falls. And they gave it the local name "Sligo," which it retains to this day. It is said, and no doubt correctly, that some of the earliest settlers there were immigrants from Sligo in Ireland and they gave the name of their old home to the new home on the Newicha- wannock river.
Miss Mary P. Thompson, in her book, "Landmarks in Ancient Dover," says : "The name now given to the district in Rollinsford, below Quamphe- gan, appears to have been originally given to the garrison that stood above St. Alban's Cove, not far from the Newichawannock shore." It is men- tioned, March 29, 1708, when Jethro Furber conveyed to Benjamin Wea- mouth twenty acres of land "at or near a place called Sligoe's Garrison, be- tween the highway and the lots formerly David Hamilton's and Nicholas
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Curren's, fronting on the Newichawannock river, being the lot originally granted to Henry Magoon, who sold it to William Laton, by whom it was sold to Edward Cowell, 'grandfather of the donor.' Richard Hussey, Feb- rnary 25, 1710, conveyed to Benj. Weymouth thirty acres of land 'at a gar- rison called Sligoe.' Benj. Weymouth, February 1, 1717, conveyed to Ben- jamin Weymouth, Jr., thirty acres of land originally granted to Richard Hussey, 'lying and being at a garrison called Sligo,' bounded north by Joseph Roberts' land, east by said Weymouth, south by 'a lott called Carroll's,' and west by the Commons." :
The exact site of this garrison is not known, but it is mentioned, May 9, 1709, as on the east side of the highway from St. Alban's Cove to Quam- phegan, between Lieut. Hatevel Nutter's house and that of Sylvanus Nock. This land is now owned by the Garvin family. The name of the Sligo gar- rison soon extended to the surrounding district. Eleazer and Sarah Wyer conveyed to Eleazer Wyer, Jr., September 25, 1738, twenty acres of land, with two dwelling houses and a barn thereon, "at a place formerly called Sligo, bounded N. by the land of Sylvanus Nock, E. by the Newichawannock river, and S. and W. by Benj. Weymouth's land. The town of Somersworth voted April 5, 1756, two years after it became a town, that a 'school be kept three months at Sligo.'"
Sligo was doubtless so called from the town of that name in Ireland, "Sligo town that lies so snug at the foot of Knocknaria." The name is said to be derived from the Irish word silgeach, which signifies a shelly river, or a place where shells are deposited. The Sligo garrison is said to have been built by a member of the Stackpole family, a descendant of James Stackpole, the immigrant. The name may have been given out of compliment to the Earl of Bellomont, who was appointed Governor of the Province of New Hampshire in 1699. He was born in Sligo, Ireland, in 1636. Orders from King William were sent to him January 19, 1701, to build such forts at Pascataqua, and elsewhere as were necessary for security [N. H. Prov. Papers, Vol. 3, page 130]. His political and religious principles naturally recom- mended him to the favor of our colonists, and he is said to have been very popular during his short administration. He was the grandson of Sir Charles Coots, a noted ruler in Ireland under the reign of Charles I, and he himself was one of the first to espouse the cause of William of Orange, who rewarded him with the title of earl, and appointed him Governor of New York, Massa- chusetts and New Hampshire.
The St. Alban's Cove spoken of in connection with Sligo garrison, is on the western shore of the Newichawannock next below Quamphegan Falls, at South Berwick. The first mention of it on record appears in a grant of the mill privilege on Fresh Creek, February 5, 1652. The name is said to have
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HISTORY OF STRAFFORD COUNTY
been given by Judge John Tuttle of Dover, whose father, John Tuttle, came from Great St. Alban's, Hertfordshire, England. This is the earliest name of the Cove, and should be preserved. . \ later name is Style's Cove.
The first settlement back from the river was at what is now the junction of the Boston & Maine railroad and the branch road from the city of Somers- worth. It began about 1700. It soon grew to a prosperous hamlet. The households were at quite a distance from the meeting house in Dover; they had to travel down the Newichawannock river in their boats to attend service on the Lord's Day. To save travel it was arranged for the minister of the First Church, or some one of his assistant elders to go there and hold meet- ings in a barn, in warm weather, where all could attend, old and young. As these meetings were held in the summer time, and the locality had no name, so somebody, perhaps Rev. John Pike, suggested the name Summersworth. According to Dr. Samuel Johnson, whose large dictionary was published in 1755, Summer is a Saxon word for the warm months of the year, and worth, in the termination of the names of places, means a "court or farin, or a street or road." And "court" is defined as "an open space before a lionse ; a small opening enclosed with houses, distinguished from a street." The above are the meanings of the words as those settlers understood the King's English. That is to say, when the Rev. John Pike, minister of the First Church, on Meeting House Hill, Dover, came here to hold meetings in the summer time, in somebody's house or barn, or maybe out of doors, he would say he was going up to Summersworth, that is, to Summer-town. Mr. Pike was a graduate of Harvard College; he knew the English language thoroughly, hence it may be fairly presumed he originated the name as a matter of convenience.
However that may be, as to the authorship of the name this little hamlet of A. D. 1700 had grown into a respectable village in 1729 and the inhab- itants addressed the General Court of the Province, asking that their section of the town might be established into a parish for the purpose of organizing a regular all-year-round church service. The petition is as follows, and shows that the name Summersworth was then the common and accepted name of the settlement. The result of this petition appears in the following copy from an old book, which has on its cover the words,
"SUMMERSWORTH RECORDS" Anno Regni -Regis Georgii secundi Tertio An Act
for setting off the northeast end of the Town of Dover and erecting a Parish by the name of Summersworth.
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