USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Antrim > History of the town of Antrim, New Hampshire, from its earliest settlement to June 27, 1877, with a brief genealogical record of all the Antrim families > Part 10
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A curious vote is put on record in 1781, which was as follows : " Voted that the Comitee Chuse a man to assist Esqr. Beetin, [perhaps Patten] with the Pillion.". The pillion was a soft pad, or cushion, extending back from the saddle, on which it was customary for a woman to ride. To bounce the solid ladies on to this pillion was perhaps, too much for the worthy captain alone; or it may be that others were more than willing to render him aid. It was not fair that one man should monop- olize this noble work.
Having on petition (1778) been granted land for a burial- place, but failing to get land for a common, Samuel Gregg, then in good circumstances, came forward, bought the land known as the "Old Common," and presented it to the town. This seems to have taken place in 1779, and in that year and 1780 much was done to clear up this land. At the town meeting, Aug. 22, 1780, an article was in the warrant "To See what the Town will do with the improvement at the Center." As no record is made of any vote on this article, it is probable, as Dr. Whiton has it, that they all " volunteered " a day's work, and finished up the clearing of burial-ground and common. In 1782 this burial- ground was inclosed by a neat log fence, but 1781 was probably the year of the first burial on the hill. This being the first sum- mer after the ground was fixed upon and cleared and burned, they made haste to remove thither some of the bodies of the children previously buried on the Whitney place. The first deatlı of a white adult in Antrim was that of Asa Merrill, who was killed by a fall in Dea. Aiken's mill, some time in the year 1781. He was from Hudson, and it is not known whether his body was buried on the hill, or removed to that town.
62
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS.
The year 1782 opens with a town meeting, which for a long time occurred almost as often, if not as regularly, as a club meet- ing, or that of brokers' board. The convention of 1781 having prepared a "Systim of laws or Plan of Government," it was sent down to the towns for acceptance. Jan. 8, 1782, the citizens of Antrim met at Samuel Gregg's, and having chosen Capt. Thomas Nichols moderator, they selected a committee of five, viz., James Aiken, Capt. Nichols, John Duncan, Thomas Stuart, and Daniel Nichols, " To inspect the Systim of laws or Plan of Government Proposed and to make proposals for some amendment," and then adjourned till Friday, Jan. 11. But at this adjourned meeting the record shows no action concerning the constitution, and after some talk about local matters, they " Voted this meeting is desolved."
It may not be out of place here to say that there had been a previous convention, which met at Concord, June 10, 1778, to form a constitution. In this convention, Henniker, Hillsborough, Antrim, etc., were represented by Isaac Andrews, who was chosen representative also to the assembly near the close of the same year, although Antrim, by itself, " Voted that Wee Do Not Send a Deleaget." The constitution which they framed was voted upon in 1779, and was rejected by the people. The con- stitution of 1781 was framed by a small convention, many towns like Antrim not sending. And the House of Representatives voted, Jan. 10, 1782, to recommend to the convention to adjourn, and " in the mean time to issue precepts to the Towns & places not represented in said Convention to send Delegates thereto." But of this second call for delegates Antrim seems to have taken no notice. The constitution of 1781 was rejected by the people in January, 1782. The convention, having adjourned till August, sent out another constitution in the fall of 1782, which also was rejected. Then the convention adjourned till June, 1783, when they proceeded to draft a third constitution, and this last effort the people approved. Our town voted, March 11, 1783, " The present form of Government To Stand as it is Till June Eighty four." And when the constitution of 1783 was sent out for approval, they " Voted to Not Act." But in the State at large it was adopted, and for several years was the supreme law in . this commonwealth. By it, this territory, formerly called by various names, as colony, province, and so on, and in regard to which it had been voted, Sept. 10, 1776, " That this Colony
63
CONSTABLE AND COLLECTOR.
Assume the Name & Style of New Hampshire," was forever to be known as the STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. In common remark this is known as the constitution of 1784, as it did not go into operation till June of that year. The convention which formed it was a remarkable one, having been in existence nearly two · and one-half years, and having had seven sessions, some of them at great length.
A town meeting was called on " the last monday of January " to choose a juryman, and James Steele has the honor of first rep- resenting Antrim in that position. For many years we have records of little town meetings to choose men for jury, - a very laborious and expensive way of selecting men for this duty. By it, however, they may have secured better men than by the present system.
At the annual meeting, March 12, 1782, this being the third town meeting of the year, Randall Alexander was chosen con- stable. For many years the constable was one of the most important officers in town, it being his duty to keep the peace, and, within the town, to discharge those duties now usually per- formed by the sheriff. He was also collector of taxes; but whether this was a part of his office, or was annually voted to him on accession to said office, does not appear by anything dis- coverable in the records of any town, so far as I know. This office had been filled successively by such men as James Duncan, Joseph Boyd, and Daniel Nichols. The first remuneration noticed for the work of a collector was the following, April 2, 1782: " Voted Six Bushels of Corn to the Constable for ye present Years Service." Each man was expected to perform this service when his lot came, as appears from the record : " Voted that Jams Nasmith Serving as Colector Shall Serve for him as his Turn for Constable." Randall Alexander having asked to be excused from serving, the town voted, at an adjourned meeting, April 2, 1782, to excuse him, "he giving the Town Secqurity for seven Dollars the old Way Equeal to Corn at Three Shillings pr Bushel." Then, having previously tried to have John Smith take the office, they chose Richard McAllister, but, apparently at the request of the latter, they " Voted Thoms English be Constable the Service Being for Richard Mcallestor Excepted by the Town." Thus this office that went a-begging was at last fixed in the hands of English. Perhaps, as the State had assessed a tax on "unimproved lands of non-residents,"
64
ENGLISH'S RASCALITY.
there was an unwillingness to discharge this extra and outside trust. The appointment of English, however, proved unhappy for the town. The State tax (penny an acre) brought too much money into his hands, and he absconded in the fall of 1782, taking two hundred dollars in silver. Probably, with their pov- erty and privation, that loss was as great as would be four thousand dollars to the town now. The people were struck with amazement and alarm. English was a smart young man, had been here three years, was well connected, and had the confi- dence of the people. Immediately, the selectmen attached his land, the matter was carried into court, a town meeting was called for Nov. 25, 1782, and they " Voted Capt Thoms Nichols be Agent To attend at Cort To Carrey on the action Comenced against Thoms. Englishes Estate By the Town." Nichols seems to have been put in possession of said estate soon after by the court, as we find the friends of English's much-respected wife and family coming forward to save her from ejectment. A town meeting was called for Jan. 23, 1783, to hear a proposition of Dea. William Moore of Bedford, father of Mrs. English, to prevent execution of the order of court and " Take It out of the Law." Dea. Moore, now an old and venerable man (member of first board of elders, Bedford, in 1757), came to Antrim in midwin- ter for this purpose. His son, afterwards Dea. William, Jr., was then in the army, though a mere lad, The old man was known to most, or all, the people of Antrim, and held in great respect. This meeting was, therefore, a very sad one. They heard the old man through, and then "Voted The Town Has excepted of Deacon Mooer's Proposals in Setteling Thoms Englishes Affeairs as is mentioned in the Warrant Sª Moore paying The Debt." From this it would seem that Moore made up the deficit while the town paid the cost. At the following March meeting the town " Voted To Give a Deed to English s Wiffe and Childer." I find an old note made by me on this record when first seeing it years ago, which is thus: 1. Default- ers existed in those days. 2. Put 'em through as they did.
But the trouble on account of English did not end here. The tax on wild lands, which, subsequent to the vote of March 9, 1780, had gone to the State, had not been paid, and was resisted, as before, by non-resident owners. English sold many of these lots for taxes. They went at a very low figure, were chiefly bought in by the citizens, and then quit-claimed by them to
65
PAYING FOR LAND TWICE.
new settlers. In other towns, also, there was constant trouble on account of the non-resident tax, and sometimes the State gave relief, as appears by many votes on the House Journal like the following, March 16, 1780 : " Voted to pay the selectmen of Francestown £83 : 12 : 4, for taxes on land of absentees." But · in this town the non-residents recovered their land by technical illegalities in the proceedings of English in selling them. As a consequence, the settlers who received titles through the col- lector, after resisting by law and paying costs, had to purchase their land a second time. One of these, it is believed, was Robert Duncan in the east part of the town, who several years later was sued by owners by previous title, and ultimately had to pay for his land a second time and at a higher rate. Many and probably most of the settlers between 1782 and 1787 were somewhat ,embarrassed in this way, taking their land through English, or through parties to whom he had sold. Being chiefly poor, it was a heavy load for them, and some of them were old men before they completed payment the last time. Thus English was cause of untold trouble. He did not think it best in subsequent years to exhibit himself in Antrim !
The town, however, proceeded to fulfill their part of the arrangement with Dea. Moore, and March 25, 1783, " Voted John Duncan Esqr. Go to Amherst To Settel With the Lawyers in Regard of Englishs With ye Town." They also chose a com- mittee (Capt. Nichols, James Aiken, and James Dinsmore) " to prefer a petition to the General Court, " - which petition we cannot find, and of whose purport we know nothing. It was supposed to have reference to the troubles with English ; but it may be explained possibly by a vote at a subsequent town meet- ing, that the " Selectmen Signe the petition in Behalf of the Town for a Road to Hillsborough," as if this road were what these several votes were about.
We must not leave the year 1782 without saying that the continental paper was nearly worthless, and transactions were mostly in silver and grain. It is said that Rev. Jonathan Barnes, of Hillsborough, paid the salary of a whole year for a pig four weeks old, though that town subsequently made up the loss to him. Sailors sewed the bills together in jest, and made coats of them for parade. Barbers papered their shops with them. For months, a thousand paper dollars were given for one silver dollar. Two hundred millions thus lost their value. This money had
5
66
CLOSE OF THE WAR.
done great service, caused great inconvenience, and then quietly passed away.
The year 1783 was one of public more than local interest. After the surrender of Cornwallis, Oct. 19, 1781, it had been the general feeling that the war would soon end. There continued to be some severe fighting here and there, but peace was talked of, and after various negotiations a treaty was signed Sept. 3, 1783, between the English and American representatives, at Paris ; and the " United States of America " took its place as a new nation on the earth. This event was hailed on this side of the water with universal joy. The people of this little town had done wonders of sacrifice and hardship in the public cause. As they chiefly were making their settlements, building their roads, and meeting the sacrifices of pioneers, at the very time of the long public struggle, it came especially hard upon them ; and hardest of all upon the women of Antrim, who, being left with the care of the family, had few resources and many hardships. Their perils also were very great. The inhabitants of this little hamlet, therefore, entered into the general gladness with no lack of enthusiasm. All religious minds turned to God with praise. The "Second Thursday of December next " (1783) was set apart by Congress as a day of National Thanksgiving for Peace. The proclamation for this was issued Oct. 18, a few days after the reception of definite tidings of peace ; and the paper itself, drawn up by Elias Boudinot of New Jersey, president of Con- gress, is remarkable for force and beauty, and worthy a place in every reading-book and every school-boy's memory !
And now a bright era opened before the few settlers of Antrim. They had been extremely burdened by taxation for the war, as well as by service in the ranks, and hardships at home. Anxi- eties and perils which we cannot appreciate now, weighed upon them. But after the long struggle these were passed. They had met everything without flinching, their heroism was of the mar- velous and noble kind ; but none the less could they rejoice to be unburdened and to be free. Some citizens of this town were in camp, some were home on furlough, and some were expecting to march if called for, when the glad news came. At home they laid out many roads this year, and planned improve- ments, in the hope of peace ; but they stood to the ranks as though they meant war to the last, - and rejoiced like true heroes at its close.
1
.
67
ELECTION OF REPRESENTATIVE.
The way was now open for the more rapid increase of this settlement. Soldiers returning purchased lots of land, and even in the winter worked more or less, clearing the same and pre- paring to put up their log houses in the spring. Others, seeing hope of being delivered from the perils and costs of war, had · courage to start a home for themselves. Truly, this was a happy hamlet in a happy country !
Previous to 1783 this town had been classed, as will be seen in the list of town officers, with Henniker, Hillsborough, Deering, and Society Land, in the choice of representative to the general court. But this section having increased in population, and Hancock being now incorporated as a town, the assembly, Sept. 10, 1782, " Voted that the towns of Henniker and Hills- boro' be coupled together, and that the precept for a member of the next Court be directed to the Selectmen of Henniker; and that Antrim, Deering, Hancock, and Society Land be formed into one District and the Precept be directed to the Selectmen of Antrim." In accordance with this order, an election was held near the close of 1782, or very early in 1783, but no record of the meeting can be found. The town clerks of Deering and Hancock very kindly searched their records for me, but no trace of this particular meeting could be discovered. But the Journal of the House renders it certain that John Duncan of Antrim was chosen to represent this district, and that he was in due season at his post. I suppose the election was held in Deering, as a courtesy to that older town, but that among so many town clerks the record was not entered in the book of either town, but kept on a loose paper by the clerk chosen for that special occa- sion. Such loose papers would readily be lost, as we have had more recent occasion to regret.
In the Journal of the Assembly for this year the name John Duncan sometimes occurs twice on the same vote, and Dr. Bouton, the State historian, calls attention to this as a mistake. But probably Col. John Duncan of Acworth, cousin of " Hon. John " of Antrim, then represented Acworth and Unity, so that there were properly two of that name in the assembly. This Col. John Duncan represented Acworth and Lempster in the constitutional convention of 1792, and there Dr. Bouton wrongly applies to him some items in Dr. Whiton's biography of Hon. John of Antrim.
As previously noticed, the old common and burial-ground on
68
" WARNING OUT OF TOWN."
the hill had been " chopped " and " cleared " by voluntary labor, from time to time, and had been burned over, but there yet remained a large amount of half-consumed logs. Sometime in 1782 Dea. Aiken agreed with the town to pile and burn what remained on the whole tract, and " put it into rye " and grass. This tract of several acres was covered in 1783 with a heavy growth of rye, and Dr. Whiton tells us that in hot midsummer it was all reaped in one day by Dea. Aiken " with the aid of two hired men and three daughters." These afterwards noble women were not to be beaten by any reapers in the field !
This year (1783) we find the first record of what used to be called " warning out of town." This, as a sample of many, and as a curiosity at the present time, is here given verbatim : -
State of New Hampshire Hillsborough ss.
To John Warran Constable of Antrim Greeting -
Whereas Samuel Steel & his Wife hath Latly Come into the Town of Antrim and Came last from Lyndsborough Whom the Selectmen of Antrim Refuse to admit ass Inhabitants -
This is Therefore in the Name of the Government and Peopel to Require you to Warn the above Named Persons to Depart out of the Town of antrim forthwith, and make Return of this Warrant to uss With your Doings hereon at or before the Twenty third Day of Octr Nixt, and this Shall be your Warrant
Given Under our hands and Seal at Antrim This Twenty Second Day of July A. D. 1783.
DANIEL NICHOLS
Select THOMAS STUART
JAMES DINSMORE men
Oct": 22: 1783
The Within Named persons haith Been Warned according To Law pr: John Warron Constable.
Persons thus " warned out of town" were not obliged to leave, and were not known to leave on that account. But it was only a legal precaution, according to the law of those days, to avoid the support of any comers that might fall upon the town. This formality having been carried out and put on record, the parties might remain, and generally were desired to remain ; but in case they became a public charge, the town where they previously resided was held for their support. This act, therefore, was simply one of pecuniary lookout, while occasionally those warned off became valuable and wealthy citizens. " Warning off" was made the duty of the selectmen ; and it must have involved both
69
TROUBLE FROM WOLVES.
work and pain, to investigate every new comer, and inflict this warning on every man that had not money. Happily, this law has long since passed away.
As the summer of 1783 wore away, it was found, as before, almost impossible for the people to pay their taxes in specie, and a town meeting was called for Sept. 19, to act on some State affairs, but specially " To See What the Town Will Do Concerning the Colector Taking Grain in pay of Reats." On assembling, their only action was upon this matter, and they " Voted to Take Rye at four Shillings pr Bushel " and to " Take Corn at Three Shillings pr Bushel." Also " Voted Esqr. Dun- cans be a place to Take in ye Grain." (Not a bad idea for the Squire, some one says !) This of course involved cost of . storage, receiving, and dealing out, and a sale had to be sought for much of it out of town, with chance for loss in many ways. But it was the best they could do, and they went on with this hard and inconvenient method, making no complaint.
In 1784 we find the first vote for State officers, as follows : " Voted Thirty one Votes for M Ware for presedan of State." Another curious vote was this (March 15, 1784) : " Voted This Meeting Stand adjurned to there is a Nother Legal Meeting called." Also (Sept. 2, 1784) " Voted the Sixth Articl out of the Warrant." It was this: "To See Who the Town Will Think fit to free of Choping their proportion of the Wood." They made short work of it !
This year, the town, as well as the whole State, was greatly troubled with wolves. They came in about the settlements in vast numbers from the forests to the west and north, starving and ravenous, destroying sheep, and even attacking cattle. Children were in constant danger, and it was perilous for armed men to travel at night. A bounty was paid by the State for killing wolves, but the urgency of the case was so great that the towns took it up, and Antrim " Voted five Dollars of a Dition to the Court Act For Killing of Woolves to be paid by this Town." It was more than a year before this excitement died away, after which gradually these pests disappeared, never to be seen again here in any considerable numbers. But the annoyance and loss from them in the following winter (1784-85) was very great, that winter being very cold and long, and snow very deep. Often were the settlers awakened in the night by the howling of wolves at the door, or about the barns where their little flocks
70
INCREASE OF TERRITORY.
were sheltered. Toward sunset, when men began to hear their yelping in the woods or on the hills, they left work and hurried home. Flocks were sheltered and doors closed at dark. But, happily, this state of things did not long continue.
Early in 1784 a question arose as to taxing a tract of land between Antrim and Stoddard. Stoddard, then being the most populous town in this vicinity, and wishing for the best slices, discovered that there was a strip on her western border not pos- itively claimed by the new towns adjoining. Actuated by the idea that this land on the west was more desirable than that on their east line (though at this day ,it is hard to see much dif- ference), the people of Stoddard laid claim to the former, and ceased to tax a corresponding area adjoining Antrim. This last step was taken to avoid exceeding their charter limits. It was a nice little game, though it is very much to be doubted whether it has been for the advantage of that town. The strip of land disclaimed by Stoddard remained untaxed a year or more. It was nearly a mile wide at the south line and came to a point at the north, and contained about fifteen hundred acres. I cannot discover that it was inhabited by any one at that time. Now the claim of Stoddard to the land west of that town not being refuted, and the charter limits of Antrim extending to Stoddard, it became a question whether this town should accept and tax that enlargement of its bounds. In the fall of 1784 a meeting was called to decide this. The meeting was adjourned and the matter talked over, but it was finally (Nov. 3) " Voted to Tax the Land Dissclaimed by Stodder." And this has since remained a part of Antrim. Probably the income from the tax of this wild land was very much desired, as hereinafter explained ; but it involved large expenditures on the part of the town, in long subsequent years, for roads which were of no advantage to us.
It will be remembered that the tax on non-residents for wild land had been assessed by the town and resisted by the owners, though compelled to pay, or lose their land by non-payment, until, after three or four years, the State, to avoid controversy, took this away from the towns and assessed it as a State war tax. But when' the war was over, the legislature was induced to allow this tax of a penny an acre, within the limits of Antrim, to be used to help build a meeting-house. A petition of the people seems to have been handed in for this purpose, and much was due to the energy and shrewdness of our representative,
1
124 & 126 PEARL STREET, BOSTON.
HELIOTYPE PRINTING CO.,
FIRST MEETING HOUSE IN ANTRIM, 1785.
71
BUILDING THE MEETING-HOUSE.
Hon. John Duncan, of which the town showed some apprecia- tion in that immediately, though there was nothing in the warrant to that effect, they met all extra charges, as appears from this record (March 15, 1784) : " Voted John Duncan Esqr. Three Dollars he Paid out for the Town in Geting the Land Tax." This tax was thus allowed by the State for three years, 1784-85-86. Probably one-half the town was then owned by the Masonian proprietors at Portsmouth, and other non-residents held land purchased from them ; and they all paid this tax for the meeting-house with much reluctance and some scolding. But it brought in quite an amount of specie, without which the settlers could not have built for many years. This was kept separate from the town's money, and the first act upon it was this: " Voted Leut : Dan1: Miltimor Colect the Tax Laid on the Land by the Court for one Year." And thus encouraged they at once proceeded to make preparations to build the following year, - of which a brief record may be found in the chapter on ecclesiastical history. The building was raised June 28, 1785. A drawing of it by F. L. Nay is herein given.
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