History of the city of Nashua, N.H., Part 8

Author: Parker, Edward Everett, 1842- ed; Reinheimer, H., & Co
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Nashua, N.H., Telegraph Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 652

USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Nashua > History of the city of Nashua, N.H. > Part 8

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

"The men and women were seated separately, on opposite sides of the house, and every one according to his office, or his age, or his rank in society, and his place was assigned by a committee appointed for that purpose. The children and young people at the first seating seem to have been left to find their own places, away from their parents, in that part of the house which was not occupied with seats prepared at the town's expense."

+Governor Hutchinson's Letters.

HISTORY OF NASHUA, N. H.

were glorious times for dignitaries. Among the accounts presented for acceptance, and which were allowed and paid by the town without scruple, we find the following :

"Town of Dunstable to Samuel French, Dr. 1726. To dining the Selectmen 6 meals, fo 6s. od.

for rhum and cyder had at Mr. William Lund's for the Selectmen, 0 12 6."

We are accustomed to look back upon that early period as an age of primitive simplicity and virtue. Vet what would be said of such an account in these temperance days? But their faults were only those of rude and hardy pioneers, and of the age, and we would institute no comparison. They laid a noble foundation for our republic. "Every man who was forty years old," says Belknap, "had seen twenty years of war." Such continual dangers and hardships, although affording no good school for cultivation and refinement, furnished a race of hardy soldiers and sterling patriots for the "times that tried men's souls."

In March, 1727, the town raised "eight pounds for building a boat," and it was directed "that Captain Blanchard should return the boat within the year to the town." This was probably for a ferry-boat over the Merrimack at the Blanchard farm, [now Little's] as Hudson was then included in Dunstable, and a few settlers had located themselves on that side of the river. No bridge existed for a century after.

October 29 and 30, 1727, at night, a shock of an earthquake was felt here. It affected chiefly "the towns upon the Merrimack." "The shock was very loud and was attended with a terrible noise like thunder. The houses trembled as if they were falling. Divers chimneys were cracked, and some had their tops broken off. Flashes of light broke out of the earth, and the earth broke open." The shocks lasted until February, 1728 .*

At this time taverners were licensed by the county court. In the fall of 1727, Captain Joseph Blanchard, who had been the inn-keeper of the town for many years, died, and as the court was not in session in December, 1727, Henry Farwell, Jr., petitioned the general assembly for a license, which was granted.t

In 1728 a boom was built across Merrimack river by the town.

Among the early settlers of New England the principles of jurisprudence were but little known, and there were few lawyers. The jurisdiction of courts of law was limited, and as many of the · judges had received no preparatory legal education to fit them for the bench, but were taken directly from the counting room or camp, all settled rules of law were of course unknown and disregarded. The people, therefore, in all cases of difficulty applied at once to the general assembly, who assumed and exercised jurisdiction in imitation of the English parliament, as a court of errors and of chancery in all cases whatsoever, where their assistance was needed for the purposes of justice.

A committee having been appointed by the town to purchase the ministerial farm of Rev. Mr. Coffin as a parsonage for Mr. Prentice, and refusing to convey it as directed, the town applied to the general court of Massachusetts by a "petition for some redress, if it may be obtained, touching the premises." This was not done, however, without a division, and several persons entered their desent [dissent ] or protest against the proceeding.

The amount of taxes raised from 1726 to 1733, for the general expenses of the town, including the support of the ministry, varied from $250 to $400 per year.

The subject of education was one of deep interest to the early settlers of New England. To them must be awarded the enviable distinction of their being the first to lay down the noble principle, that "every child should be taught to read and write," and the first to establish common schools to carry it into effect. It was ever the custom, and became the law in Puritan New England as early as 1642, that "none of the brethren should suffer so much barbarism in their families, as not to teach their children and apprentices so much learning, as may enable them perfectly to read the English lan- guage." A fine of 20 shillings was imposed for every neglect, and, if after reproof by the selectmen, they still neglected this duty the children were to be taken from them and bound out, males until 21. and females until 18 years of age.

In 1646 it was enacted that "if any child above 16 years old, and of sufficient understanding, shall

* 4 N. H. Hist. Col1., 93.

៛ Mass. Assembly Records, 1727.

HISTORY OF NASHUA, N. II.

curse or smite his natural father or mother, he shall be PUT TO DEATH, UNLESS it can be sufficiently testified that the parents have been VERY UNCHRISTIANLY NEGLIGENT IN THE EDUCATION OF SUCH CHILDREN." This was the Mosaic law, but with an important and characteristic qualification.

" To the end that learning may not be buried in the graves of our forefathers," it was ordered in 1647, "that every township, after the Lord hath increased them to the number of fifty house-holders, shall appoint one to teach all the children to read and write: And when any town shall increase to the number of one hundred families they shall set up a grammar school, the master whereof being able to instruct youth so far as they may be fitted for the university." These provisions, furnishing the best academic education to every child gratuitously, go far beyond the present school laws, and we might do well to retrace our steps. For non-compliance the towns were liable to indictment, and a fine was imposed for the benefit of the school in the next town.

One reason which determined the Puritans upon a removal from Leyden was, "that the place being of great licentiousness and liberty to children, they could not educate them; nor could they give them due correction without reproof or reproach from their neighbors." Their ideas of government, family and national, were all derived from the Mosaic code, and as was said of the Connecticut settlers, they "agreed to take the laws of God for their guide until they had time to make better."

But deeply as the settlers felt the importance of education, it was no easy matter in a frontier town where a fierce Indian war was raging, when the inhabitants dwelt in garrisons and the settlement was every day liable to an attack, to establish common schools. The dense forest, where the quiet of the school room might be broken at any time by the yell of the savage, was no fitting time or place for helpless children ; still at home education was not neglected, as the state of our ancient records every- where attests. So much were the inhabitants scattered that no school was kept in town until 1730. In that year, it seems, the town having increased to the requisite number of "fifty house-holders," and having neglected to provide a teacher according to law, had been indicted by the grand jury. Nov. 3, 1730, it was accordingly voted, that "it be left with the selectmen to provide and agree with a person to keep a writing school in the town directly"; and that "the sum of Ten pounds be granted and raised for defraying the charges in the last mentioned concern and other Town charges." How liberal this provision was we may judge from the fact that the same sum, and even more, had been annually raised for town charges alone, and that Dunstable then included the greater part of Hollis and Hudson within its limits.

How many inhabitants the town then contained we are unable to ascertain. If there were fifty house-holders or families, the number was probably about two hundred and fifty. How slow was the increase and how disastrous must have been the effect of the long Indian wars, we may conjecture when we remember that as far back as 1680, there were thirty families, or nearly one hundred and fifty inhabitants, most of whom were settled within the present limits of Nashua.

After this indictment, however, had been arranged, it appears that the town relapsed into its ancient neglect and no further notice was taken of it. No record of any vote to raise money for the support of schools, or to choose any school committee, or to build any school-house, or any allusion to the subject of schools is found for many years. The town was too much distracted at this period, perhaps, by exciting religious and sectional questions, to attend to or agree upon any general plan of education. The inhabitants of Hollis and Hudson were desirous of being erected into separate townships. Then came the question of erecting "a decent meeting-house," and similar divisions ensued.

The controversies about the boundary line between New Hampshire and Massachusetts, which finally divided Dunstable nearly in the middle, leaving one-half of the territory within the jurisdiction of Massachusetts, and transferring the northern portion, with a large majority of the inhabitants, to New Hampshire, gave rise to an excitement still more intense and protracted. Then followed a suc- cession of sectarian disputes about the Orthodox and New Lights, Congregationalists and Presbyterians, all of which were discussed and decided in town meetings. These, and similar controversies, with their consequent victories and defeats, protests and reconsiderations must have occupied their time sufficiently to prevent their union upon any subject, where there might be conflicting interests or prejudices.

After Lovewell's war, so great was the security felt by the settlers, that they plunged boldly into the wilderness in every direction. In July, 1729, the lands lying three miles north and south on Merrimack river, extending three miles east and four miles west of it, and bounded southerly by the

HISTORY OF NASHUA, N. H.

Souhegan, [now the northerly part of Merrimack ] were granted to Joseph Blanchard and others. Even as early as May, 1726, a settlement was commenced at Concord. In Dunstable the outlands were taken up, and soon the wilderness was alive with population. So numerous had they become that "for greater convenience of public worship," they desired on every hand to be erected into townships.

In 1731 the inhabitants on the east side of the Merrimack petitioned the town to be set off, which was granted to take effect "whenever the General Court should think it advisable." Leave was obtained accordingly from the assembly of Massachusetts, and the new township was called Notting- ham. On the establishment of the boundary line it fell within the state of New Hampshire, obtained a new charter in 1746, and changed its name to Nottingham-West, there being already a Nottingham in the eastern section of the state.

In 1732 the inhabitants on the northerly side of Nashua river petitioned to be set off also with Brenton's farm, but the petition was not granted by the town. In 1733, however, part of the town lying west of Merrimack river was incorporated by the general assembly into a township by the name of Rumford, but soon after was called Merrimack.

July 3, 1734, Litchfield was incorporated. In the petition for incorporation, dated May, 1734, and signed by "Aquila Underwood for the Town," it is stated, as a reason for the grant, that they have "supported a minister for some time."

While the jealousies and divisions, to which reference has been made, were existing in such strength, "the old meeting house," it seems, had grown so old and out of repair, as not to be "decent." Upon a vote taken in 1732 whether the town "would build a decent meeting house or rectify and mend the old one," it was decided not to "rectify," but to build. After quarrelling a year and holding various meetings, it was voted to build it "about 4 rods westward of where the meeting house now stands," upon which 19 persons, chiefly from that part of the town now lying in Massachusetts, entered their dissent of record against the location.

In 1736 Hollis was set off from Dunstable by the name of "the west parish of Dunstable;" but after the establishment of the boundary line, it received a new act of incorporation from the state of New Hampshire, by the name of Hollis. Its Indian name was Nissitisset. In the mean time settlements were extending rapidly all around, and the forest was bowing before the onward tread of civilization. In 1734 Amherst was settled, and in 1736 a bridge was built across Souhegan river, then the northerly boundary of Dunstable, and a road laid out and built "from the bridge to Dunstable meeting house."

In 1732 Townsend was incorporated, taking in the southerly part of the town, including Pepperell. Thus township after township had become parcelled out from the original body of "old Dunstable," until in 1740 the broad and goodly plantation was reduced to that portion only which is now embraced within the limits of Nashua and Nashville, Tyngsborough and Dunstable. At length, after a long and violent controversy, and against the wishes of the inhabitants, the boundary line between New Hampshire and Massachusetts was established in 1741, severing Dunstable very nearly in the middle, and leaving the present towns of Nashua and Nashville within the limits of New Hampshire. With the exception of a small section set off to Hollis, this portion retains the territory which it had in 1741, and contains by computation, about 18,878 acres.

After the death of Rev. Mr. Prentice, Rev. Josiah Swan received a call to settle over the church and town. He accepted the call, and was ordained Dec. 27, 1738. Mr. Swan is said to have been a native of Dunstable, and graduated at Harvard in 1733. In 1739 he married Jane [Mr. Sperry says erroneously Rachael, ] Blanchard, daughter of Joseph Blanchard, Esq., of this town. In 1741, how- ever, on the division of the town by the new boundary, it became more difficult to support a minister. Not long afterwards the sect then called "New Lights," but since known as Methodists, appeared, and a division in his society ensued. The churches were "infected with lay exhorters, and some ministers who have left their parishes and charges and undertaken to play the bishop in another man's diocese," as the regular clergy complained, and "distracted by such persons exhorting and preaching in private houses without the consent of the stated pastor."*

We have seen that the question of building a new meeting house was discussed as far back as 1732, and a vote taken fixing its location. In November, 1734, John Kendall and others remonstrated

" Allen's Chelmsford, 116.

HISTORY OF NASHUA, N. II.

to the general assembly against its location, and asked for a committee .* The records of the town from 1733 to 1746 are lost, but it is known that the vote was inoperative and the house not built until 1738, when Mr. Swan was settled. It stood near the old burying ground not far from the state line, having been built for the accommodation of the original township. Immediately after the division of the town, it became necessary to erect a new meeting house in a more central situation. But so diverse were the interests and the feelings of our then widely scattered population, that no location was satisfactory. June 20, 1746, the town voted "that the place of preaching the gospel this summer be at Ephraim Lund's barn." After sundry votes, protests and reconsiderations, committees, reports and compromises, the town voted to accept the proposal of Jona. Lovewell and others to build the meeting house on their own account, and to have the liberty of selling all the wall pews for their own benefit.

The House was built accordingly in the autumn of 1747, "on a spot of rising ground about six rods west of the main road," which is a few rods northerly of the present South meeting-house. It was about twenty-eight feet by forty ; had a small gallery, and was divided like the old one into the "men's side" and the "women's side."

*Ecclesiastical Records, 1734, page 70.

4.3

HISTORY OF NASHUA, N. H.

CHAPTER VII.

INCORPORATION BY NEW HAMPSHIRE. GREAT ROAD TO TYNGSBOROUGH. REV. MR. SWAN

DISMISSED. ANECDOTE OF HIM. NO SCHOOLHOUSE IN TOWN. INDIAN HOSTILITIES. SOLDIERS IMPRESSED INTO SERVICE. FARWELL AND TAYLOR CAPTURED AND TAKEN TO CANADA. REV. MR. BIRD SETTLED. DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH. PROCEEDINGS DECLARED ILLEGAL. MR. BIRD LEAVES DUNSTABLE. "ONE PINE HILL" CONTROVERSY. FULL ACCOUNT BY JUDGE WORCESTER. SCHOOLS RESUMED. BRIDGE OVER THE NASHUA. LOTTERY PROPOSED TO RAISE MONEY. NOT GRANTED. FUNDS RAISED BY SUBSCRIPTION. DEATH OF JOHN LOVEWELL. SKETCH OF HIS LIFE. HIS GREAT AGE. REV. MR. ADAMS PREACHED TWO YEARS. NEW MEETING-HOUSE BUILT.

A PRIL 4, 1746, the town was first incorporated by the State of New Hampshire, having previously acted under their charter, obtained from the General Court of Massachusetts, in 1673. It retained the ancient name of Dunstable. In 1746 the great road to Tyngsborough was started anew and recorded. There would seem to have been but few houses upon this road at that time. The following are all that are mentioned :- Capt. Joseph French's house was eight rods north of the state line; Col. Joseph Blanchard's house, 300 rods north of the state line and 29 rods south of "Cummings's brook ;" Cyrus Baldwin's near Colonel Blanchard's ; John Searles' house 66 rods north of Cummings's brook; Henry Adams's 80 rods north of Searles' house; the old ditch which led to the Fort was 90 rods north of Adams's house; Thomas Harwood's house was 90 rods north of the old ditch ; no other house mentioned between Harwood's and Nashua river, excepting Jonathan Lovewell's, which was 283 rods south of the river, or at the Harbor, south of Salmon brook.

About this time the difficulties with Mr. Swan having increased, he was dismissed. He did not leave town, however, immediately, for we find his name recorded the next year as having voted against a successor. He settled in full with the town March 2, 1747. He did not remain here long, but returned to Lancaster, Mass., his former place of residence. Here he was engaged in the tuition · of a school, which had been his occupation previous to his entrance upon the ministry, and became a " famous teacher." He remained at Lancaster until about 1760, when he removed to Walpole, where he died .*

Of his character little is known and a single anecdote has reached us. From this, however, from his dealings with the town in regard to his salary, and from the amount of his taxes, for he owned a farm, we may infer that he amassed some property, and was a prudent, stirring, thrifty, but not over spiritual man. One Sabbath morning it is said, during the latter part of his ministry, while old Mr. Lovewell was alive, he forget the day and ordered his hired men to their work. They objected, telling him it was Sunday. He would not believe it, but finally, says he, "if it is Sunday we shall soon see old father Lovewell coming up the hill ;" and sure enough, punctual as the clock to the hour, the old man, then more than a hundred years of age, but who never missed a Sunday, was seen making his way to church and Mr. Swan was convinced of his mistake.

At this time there was neither school nor schoolhouse in town. Sept. 29, 1746, it was voted that " Jona. Lovewell be desired to hire a school master until the next March for this town, upon the cost and charge of the town." Two dwelling houses, one in the northern and one in the southern portions of the town, were designated, in which the school should be kept, "if they could be obtained." But one teacher was employed and he was to keep school half of the time at each place. The number of inhabitants was probably about four hundred.

During this year the Indians committed much havoc in the frontier towns around and above us. Many settlements above us were nearly or quite deserted. "The defenceless state they were in obliged them all, namely, Peterborough, Salem, Canada, [Lyndeborough, ] New Boston and Hills- borough, [so called, ] entirely to draw off, as well as the forts on the Connecticut river.t In the

*Willard's History of Lancaster, citing 2 Mass. Hist. Coll., 55.

+Province Records, 1747. 5 N. H. Hist. Coll., 253.

HISTORY OF NASHUA, N. II.

winter of 1745 and 1746 scouts were furnished by this state and Massachusetts for the protection of those towns.

In May, 1747, the inhabitants of Souhegan West, [Amherst, ] and Monson, [a town formerly lying between Amherst and Hollis, afterwards divided and annexed to those towns, ] petitioned Governor Wentworth for a guard, being "in imminent danger." The petition was granted and his "Excellency was desired to give orders for enlisting or impressing fifteen good and efficient men, to scout and guard, under proper officers, said Souhegan West and Monson, till the twentieth day of October next, if need be, and that said men be shifted once a month."

It was about this time, probably, that Jonathan Farwell and Taylor were taken captive by the Indians, while hunting in the south part of this town. They were carried to Canada and sold to the French, where they remained in captivity three years; but finally succeeded in obtaining their release and returned to their friends. A daughter of Farwell, Mrs. Rachael Harris, a granddaughter also of Noah Johnson, one of Lovewell's men, is still living [1840] in this town.

After the dismission of Mr. Swan in May, 1747, Rev. Samuel Bird preached here. August 31, 1747, he received a call to settle and was soon after ordained. By the terms of his contract he was to have "one hundred ounces of coined silver, Troy weight, sterling alloy, or the full value thereof in bills of public credit," or about one hundred dollars, yearly, for his salary, provided, " that he preach a lecture once in three months at least in this town," and "visit and catechise the people." At this choice there was much dissatisfaction, and the town was nearly equally divided.

Mr. Bird was a "New Light," and his ordination was a triumph. His friends, however, at the head of whom was Jonathan Lovewell, stood by him, and by them the new meeting-house, before mentioned, was erected. His opponents, at the head of whom was Colonel Blanchard, complained of the injustice of being compelled to pay Mr. Bird, and all who were dissatisfied were freely excused. But the quarrel was sectarian and could not be appeased. A division in the church ensued, and a new church was organized, which worshipped in the old meeting-house, in conjunction with members from Tyngsborough and Dunstable. Lovewell and Blanchard were both distinguished men and had been much in public life. The question soon assumed a party shape and laid the foundation of political differences, which after the lapse of a century are not entirely forgotten or obliterated.

It was soon discovered by Blanchard that neither by the new charter of the town, nor by any existing law of the state was there any provision for calling the first meeting of the town, after its recent incorporation by New Hampshire. Massachusetts having no legal jurisdiction over the town, any organization under its old charter was illegal and void. He, therefore, petitioned the legislature of New Hampshire that an investigation might be had into the authority and proceedings of the town meeting, which gave Mr. Bird a call, and that all its transactions should be set aside as contrary to law.

An investigation was held accordingly. Much evidence was introduced, and long and learned arguments made on both sides. The petitioners contended that they paid two-thirds of the taxes, and Mr. Bird's friends rejoined that they had a majority of the voters. Finally, it was decided that the meeting was illegal-all its proceedings were set aside, and a special act was passed providing for the call of a new meeting, and the leading organization of the township under its new charter. This was in 1748 .*

After this decision, and the triumph of Blanchard, Mr. Bird left town, and settled in New Haven, Conn., but afterwards became chaplain in the army, in the French war of 1755. At what period he left Dunstable is uncertain. Mr. Farmer says it was in 1751,1 but it was probably earlier. His name is not mentioned in the town records after 1748, nor was any money raised for the support of preaching by the town. In January, 1751, Jonathan Lovewell was at length chosen a committee to hire preaching, and in March, 1751, it was voted that the preaching should then again be held at the new meeting house, formerly occupied by Mr. Bird.

How strong was the feeling about the settlement of Mr. Bird, and how bitter the hostility between his friends and his opponents, we may judge from sundry remarks contained in a petition of the inhabitants of Pine Hill to be set off to Hollis. The petition was dated June, 1763. "Soon after

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of the city of Nashua, N.H., Part 8

Author: Parker, Edward Everett, 1842- ed; Reinheimer, H., & Co Publication date: 1897 Publisher: Nashua, N.H., Telegraph Publishing Company Number of Pages: 652

Author: Parker, Edward Everett, 1842- ed; Reinheimer, H., & Co
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Nashua, N.H., Telegraph Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 652