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 75

Author: Cochrane, Warren Robert, 1835-1912
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Manchester, N. H., Mirror Steam Printing Press
Number of Pages: 942


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 75


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William C., (b. Oct. 9, 1875.)]


6. FRANCIS, [b. Oct. 18, 1839; m. Emily Smith, Nov. 7, 1865, and lives in Cambridge, Mass. He was a member of the First N. H. Regiment, and afterwards of the Seventh N. H. Regiment, in the late war, and was promoted to first lieuten- ant. His children are : -


Albert E., (b. Nov. 5, 1866.)


William H., (b. June 20, 1870.)]


DAVID O. WHITE, son of David (a Revolutionary soldier) and Sa- rah (Dutton) White of Peterborough, grandson of Patrick (who studied for a Catholic priest in Ireland, but fled to this country on renouncing that doctrine) and Jane (White) White, and great-grandson of John and Elizabeth White of Ireland, - was born Nov. 18, 1809; married Mary Ann Carr of Antrim, Dec. 13, 1838, and came on to the homestead of her father, William Carr, in 1850. Their children are: -


1. NANCY A., [b. Aug. 23, 1841 ; m. George Sanders of Epsom in 1875.]


2. ANDREW D., [b. Nov. 4, 1845 ; m. Clara Ann Appleton, April 4, 1877, and lives on the homestead with his father.]


WILLIAM WHITE, son of William White of Stoneham, Mass., was born in 1797; married Mary Wilson in Deering, April 22, 1823, and came to Antrim from that town on to the Kendall or John Gibson place in


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1851. After living here about fifteen years he moved over the line into Hillsborough, and there died Jan. 16, 1869, aged seventy-two. His widow survives. Their children are : -


1. LAWSON A., [b. in Greenfield, Aug. 18, 1825 ; m. Caroline C. Gould of Deering, and lives on the place next west of the Gibson place, having children thus : -


Ellen F., (b. Dec. 1, 1851 ; m. Frank E. Lovering and lives at Hillsborough Bridge.)


Leonard P., (b. Oct. 10, 1853.)


Martha A., (b. in 1855 ; d. Dec. 27, 1870.)


Alma S.


Mary T., (b. Dec. 25, 1860.)


Charles F., (b. Oct. 20, 1864.)


Harvey A., (b. July 20, 1867.)]


2. LOEL F., [b. in Deering, May 22, 1828; m. Zoa L. Ward of Ashby, Mass., and lives in Hillsborough.]


3. HARVEY L., [b. Dec. 29, 1830 ; lives unm. in Hillsborough near Antrim line.]


4. CAROLINE L., . [b. May 5, 1832 ; is unm.]


5. REBECCA S., [b. March 7, 1835 ; m. Samuel D. Hastings, May 5, 1853, and lives at Hillsborough Bridge.]


WHITELEY.


EDWARD WHITELEY, son of William H. and Louise (Jury) Whiteley, and grandson of William and Lydia (Garfitt) Whiteley of Morley, Yorkshire, England, was born in Islington, near London, Nov. 11, 1824; married Betsey H. Blanchard of this town in Boston, Sept. 15, 1853. He lives on the Miltimore or Blanchard place, but does business in Boston. Is a thinking man, a machinist and inventor, having taken out nine patents in this country, chiefly for heating and cooking apparatus. Some of these inventions are highly useful, as well as creditable. Was one of the donors of the Center vestry. Has children : --


1. M. LOUISE, [b. July 23, 1854 ; m. Charles F. Belcher of Cam- bridge, Mass., Jan. 27, 1876.]


2. MARY E., [b. July 12, 1856.]


3. NELLIE M., [b. Dec. 21, 1858.]


4. ALBERT E., [b. Dec. 26, 1861.]


WHITNEY.


CYRUS J. WHITNEY, son of Jonah and Jane (Stone) Whitney, was born in Henniker, April 26, 1812; married Mary J. Morrison of War- ner in 1836; moved to Antrim in 1843, and has since lived on the then- so-called Weston place. Their children are : -


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1. SUSAN C., [b. Feb. 28, 1837 ; d. in Manchester, Oct. 4, 1856.]


2. ELIZA J., [b. Oct. 30, 1838 ; m. David W. Boutelle.]


3. GEORGE G., [b. Feb. 6, 1840; m. Elizabeth Bowl of Louis- ville, Ky., and now resides in that place, or vicinity.]


4. MARY M., [b. Dec. 2, 1842; m. Samuel A. Holt, Aug. 15, 1861.]


5. CYRUS J., [b. Sept. 27, 1844 ; m. Louisa E. Allds, Oct. 17, 1875, and lives on the Prescott Parmenter or Cram place. They have one child : -


Roscoe. (b. March 18, 1877.)]


6. CHARLES F., [b. Sept. 20, 1847 ; lives with his father.]


7. JULIA E., [b. July 9, 1850 ; m. Almus T. Rogers of Antrim in 1873.]


8. CLARA ELLA, [b. Jan. 25, 1853 ; m. Henry A. Rogers of An- trim, Nov. 27, 1872.]


9. EMMA C., [b. Oct. 18, 1855 ; d. June 27, 1861.]


10. JOSEPHINE N., [b. May 31, 1860 ; m. George H. Rogers, Oct. 18,1879.]


11. FREDERICK A., [b. Jan. 4, 1864.]


WHITON.


JAMES WHITON, the first of the name in America, came over from Hingham, England, and settled in Hingham, Mass., in 1647, and married Mary Beals Dec. 30, 1647. His house was burned by Indians, April 20, 1676. He died in 1710, aged ninety years, leaving a large family.


James Whiton, second son of the preceding, was born in 1651, leading a life of quiet industry in Hingham, where he died at the age of seventy- four, leaving a large family. His wife's name is not known.


Joseph Whiton, son of second James, was born in 1687 ; married Martha Power in 1713 ; moved to Ashford, Conn., in 1730 ; was a cooper by trade ; died in 1777 in his ninety-first year, leaving seven children.


Elijah Whiton, son of Joseph, was born in Hingham in 1714. He learned the cooper's trade of his father. He married, first, Priscilla Russ in 1741, who died about 1755 leaving nine children. He married, second, Hannah Crocker, by whom he also had nine children.


Dr. Israel Whiton, son of Elijah and Priscilla (Russ) Whiton, was born in Ashford, Conn., in 1754. He commenced the study of medicine in 1773, enlisted as surgeon's mate in the army in 1776, was a short time orderly sergeant to Gen. Putnam at Boston, and was in the disastrous campaign and retreat at New York in 1776. He began the practice of medicine in April, 1777, in Winchendon, Mass. He made a profession of religion the next year ; married Dorothy Crosby, Oct. 28, 1784 ; was engaged in extensive practice forty-two years ; was deacon in the church ; often representative of the town; was widely known and largely esteemed. He died in 1819. His widow, Mrs. Dorothy Whiton, died in


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Antrim, Oct. 7, 1826. The new bell first tolled for her. Alas, how many since !


REV. JOHN MILTON WHITON, D. D., son of Dr. Israel and Doro- thy (Crosby) Whiton, was born in Winchendon, Mass., Aug. 1, 1785 ; studied at New Ipswich, and Leicester, Mass., and entered Dartmouth College in September, 1801. At his father's wish, he took up his connec- tion at Dartmouth in 1804, and spent his last year at Yale, graduating there in 1805. He was then engaged one year as assistant of James Mor- ris, in his academy at Litchfield, Conn., where he made the acquaintance of Abby Morris, whom he afterwards married. In the fall of 1806, he went to Hanover to attend medical lectures, having in view the physi- cian's profession, on the ground that his voice was not sufficient for pub- lic speaking ; but, on arriving at Hanover, after some struggle of mind, he concluded to commence theological studies under the direction of Prof. Shurtleff. He finished the same under Rev. Samuel Austin, D. D., of Worcester, Mass., and preached here awhile during the summer of 1807. A call was voted him by the town, Sept. 21, 1807, which he declined ; but the call being renewed the next spring he accepted it, and was ordained Sept. 28, 1808. He continued pastor, in active service, until Jan. 1, 1853, being settled at the age of twenty-three and vacating at the age of sixty-eight. He at once removed to Bennington, and was acting pastor there until his death, Sept. 27, 1856. The degree of D. D. was. conferred upon him by Princeton College. Mr. Whiton married Abby Morris of Litchfield, Conn., Oct. 18, 1808. Her grandfather, Dea. James Morris, was born in New Haven, Conn., in 1722. Her father, James Morris, Esq., was a graduate of Yale College ; a captain in the Revolutionary army, being some time on Gen. Washington's staff; and for a long series of years a teacher of distinguished success. He married Elizabeth Hubbard of Middleton, Conn., in 1781, and their daughter, Abby Morris, was born in 1783. Mr. Whiton moved into the old Butler house Dec. 5, 1808, built the Bass house on the same spot in 1812, built the Clark house in 1831, sold his farm in 1835, and moved up to the Cen- ter in 1843. Mrs. Whiton survived her husband, and died April 10, 1865, aged eighty-one.


John M. Whiton was a man of complete and rounded character. He had no salient points. He had no extreme endowments. There was nothing that could be called brilliant about him. Yet he was so finished and capable in every respect, that he left good impressions of himself everywhere, and the public generally both admired and loved him. Splendid things cannot be written of him; noble and blessed things without number can be. If he was great, it was the greatness of sym- metry. People felt that he was a safe man. He commanded their respect. There was a peculiar grace about him everywhere, which attracted regard and reverence, and seemed as winning by the wayside as in the pulpit. Prof. Baldwin, than whom none knew him better, thus writes of him : "For most other great men, my reverence has dimin- ished with near approach ; but he so combined dignity and gentleness, that in the most familiar intimacy he ever commanded respect, rever-


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ence, and love. All were drawn toward him, and, being in his presence, were not in baste to leave. His life was a gospel of peace to all who were acquainted with him ! "


Mr. Whiton was a very scholarly man. He had what might be called a balanced education. We do not find in him any engrossing admiration of a particular branch. He was not carried away by music, or poetry, or philology ; but he had a clear, strong understanding of all the branches. In common conversation with him, one could see that he was a scholar. He was very clear in his knowledge of the Bible. The whole field of history was familiar ground to him. His language, whether he spoke or wrote, was singularly pure and tasteful. He shunned all colloquial expressions, and never was sharp at the expense of elegance ; but, on the other hand, there was nothing heavy or tiresome in his careful sen- tences. He was a student to the close of life ; and his last sermon, writ- ten but a few days before his death, is suggestive of a mind that was a treasury of rich things ! Mr. Whiton had great charity of opinion. He respected the thoughts of others, and, though he cherished his own opin- ions somewhat strongly, he always held his dissent from others in abey- ance as long as possible. If he expressed a different view, he did it with such gentleness as many times to carry the opposite opinions with him !


Theologically, Mr. Whiton was a man of moderate views. He was a Calvinist, but his presentation of that faith was in exceedingly cautious and gentle terms. Born and brought up a Congregationalist, he is said to have leaned that way during all his ministerial service; yet he was truly loyal to the Presbyterian body, and came to love its character and influence so much, that, in his riper years, he prepared a history of " Presbyterianism in New Hampshire," which he left behind him in manuscript. He preached a full provision of grace in Christ for every soul, and urged the largest meanings of " Whosoever will." He honored the Holy Ghost, and again and again declared if any were lost, it must be froin refusal to come to Christ. His theology and his preaching all centered in Jesus as a Savior from sin. He always wrote good sermons. They had solid meat in them, and there was a plan and a framework in all. The writer has examined many of them; always to find a marked unity and system. The sermon grew out of the text. It was always clear, plain, simple in form, straightforward, and had a definite end. He never ran away from his text. He never spread it out so thin that it lost its force. There must be an application in every sermon. He was called an instructive preacher. He was not an orator, but in some way he gained people's attention. He made almost no gestures, but his eye and the expression of his face made tender enforcement of his words. With feeble voice, he could generally be heard in his large house of wor- ship. His eyes were often open in prayer, as though he were looking round, yet, at the same time, everybody seemed to realize that his soul was with God. As a reader, he made beautiful rendering of Scripture and hymn. In short, his whole appearance in the pulpit was so re- fined and affectionate as to impress every heart! The boldest and plain- est warnings were couched in such terms of love, and spoken in so ten- der a manner, as to take hold of men without offending them. He was


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dignified, agreeable, faithful, and affectionate in the sacred desk. Few men, probably, have excelled Dr. Whiton as a pastor. He visited his people, - knew them, - was familiar with their troubles, and had a kind word for every one! He knew how to adapt himself to any circum- stances, and was at home anywhere. Everybody confided in him, and he was welcome at every fireside. He visited the sick without being sent for; and the sorrowing found in him a most wise comforter. He bent tenderly over the dying bed, and in his long pastorate directed many a closing eye to the "Lamb of God." He was said to be excellent at funerals ; having just the prudent, comforting, guiding words it was best to say! Often he was called out of town to say the last words of earthly tenderness and farewell.


Dr. Whiton was a man of rare prudence. It was this that gave him so generally the reputation of a peace-maker. He seemed to foresee difficulties, and avoid them. His long pastorate began with some oppe- sition; had some stormy seasons; personal feuds occasionally were bitter among his flock; a few dissatisfactions arose with regard to his course: but he outlived them all, and left with the affection of a united people. He tried no experiments, and was careful not to touch uncertain things. There was a peculiar thoughtfulness and caution in what he said. Ex- ceedingly conscientious and open-hearted, he had a charming faculty of making people attribute these qualities to him. He would have made an admirable judge. Various difficulties were referred to him for settle- ment, because all parties agreed that Mr. Whiton would do right. It was this visible fairness which made him so successful in settling ecclesiastical disputes. He never attempted to manage a case, but his quiet and con- siderate advice generally prevailed. This thoughtful, careful spirit char- acterized the humblest acts of his ministry; wise, even in the words and methods of his farewell ! The one word that would better describe Dr. Whiton than any other, is this word, - prudent. I find that ministers of the olden days characterized Dr. Whiton as a modest man. He was ex- ceedingly courteous, easy-mannered, and unruffled when called upon, and it is said that the first time he was overcome, was when he parted with his people. Nobody ever saw in him any forwardness, or ambition to get noticed. He was qualified for a high place, but he always chose a lowly one. He was no front-seat minister. He wasn't one of the clique that manage the public religious bodies, - always doing the talking and making the motions! He was content to stand back, and let all the airing and small talk fall to the lot of the weaker brethren! Who ever heard of his getting into the newspapers if he could help it? Did he once leave these obscure valleys of Antrim to candidate in the city? It was said of him that he always had his own way, -and probably it was true; yet it was not because of any self-assertion, or forward determination of his, but because his demands were so few and just, so well calculated for, and so modestly asked, that everybody felt like yielding to him. His unpretend- ing ways suited the people.


Mr. Whiton was a man very precisely honest. His honesty was of the conscientious, Christian kind, that reached everything. He kept his word exactly. He was a punctual man. He never took any advantage


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of another. When hay was selling for twenty-five dollars per ton, - equivalent to forty dollars now, - he happened to have a little left, and sold a ton to a neighbor for fifteen dollars. That, he said, was all it was worth, and he couldn't take any more! He was once offered one hun- dred dollars for a horse. "No," said he, "that is too much; if you'll give me seventy-five dollars you may have it!" Wouldn't a little of this sort of honesty work well among us now? There is an honesty about at this time, very popular in the world and in the church, - an honesty that goes according to law. It pays its notes on time, and never gets beyond the statute; but it takes all sorts of legal advantages, waits for exorbitant prices, will help a poor man for a big bonus, and gives just as little as it can for charitable and religious purposes. Mr. Whiton's , honesty was the honesty of principle. He wanted to do right! He was shrewd and cunning in calculation, but never to the disadvantage of anybody else!


Mr. Whiton, like other ministers, grew absent-minded. That word is . only a wicked form of saying that when a man is thinking of the Bible's great themes all the time, he can't be thinking of everything else ! Wrong hours of study, bad habits of study, mental carelessness, and sometimes the pressure of calls that forces a man to do his thinking on the road, or when he wakes up in the night,-have all helped to make us absent-minded. All clergymen that are vigorous students are charged, more or less, with this great sin of forgetting something; and the care- ful Mr. Whiton was no exception, though he was not so guilty as some of us! On one occasion, being called to a wedding which was a little more than common, he told his wife he must dress up to the best advan- tage and would wear his black silk stockings. She gave them to him, and he proceeded to put them on, probably thinking all the time of the dignified words the occasion would demand of him. Having dressed one foot, he asked for the other stocking. Not finding it, they both searched the room, the bureau, and every possible place without avail, and finally gave it up. Taking a common pair to put on, he drew off the silk one, when, to his great astonishment, he found he had got them both on one foot!


Mr. Whiton was a man of sly humor and wit. No man enjoyed a good hit better than he. He was exceedingly cautious and sweet about it at the same time that he was running over. Many, judging from his dignified bearing, might have thought he could never give or take a joke; but he was a master at both! At one time there was a great excitement in town on the subject of temperance. Mr. Whiton held the old-fashioned, conservative views, not quite up to the standard of the church now. John R. Abbott, then worshiping at the Center, was the leader of the radical temperance men. Being on the best of terms, Mr. Whiton called down at Mr. Abbott's one Monday afternoon, and they talked and argued and quoted Scripture a long time. As the doctor rose to leave, Mr. Abbott (playfully alluding to the question in the Sunday-school the day before, whether there were any irony in the Bible) asked: "Well, Mr. Whiton, do you think there is any irony in the Bible?" -" Yes, yes," he replied, I do think of one passage. It is in Job: 'No doubt but ye are the people,


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and wisdom will die with you!'" Sometimes the witty, pleasant parson got a hit back. He had one parishioner that always paid his minister tax with a skim-milk cheese. On one occasion of receiving it the doctor blandly told the man about the solid and lasting qualities of the preced- ing cheese, and added: "I trust this one will be good." - "I guess it's as good as the preaching," said the man, as he drove away master of the situation! Fearlessly calm was Mr. Whiton in all repartee. No appear- ance of anger ever spoiled it. Nobody could very well be angry with him. It was hard to get him off his balance. You couldn't frighten him into being disconcerted. Once, in the later years of his ministry, one of his neighbors thought he would try the good doctor's pork-barrel. He took a hand with him, one passing the pork out the cellar-window, the other putting it in a basket outside. The doctor heard the noise, and slipped out-doors and round the house, when the man outside ran off without speaking! Silently the doctor took his place and piled the pork into the basket for him. "Would you take it all?" asked the man in the cellar. - " Perhaps you'd better leave a little for them," quietly replied the doctor, in his well-known and pleasant voice! The man, seeing he was caught, at once asked for mercy, and begged that he might not be exposed, - all which the doctor readily granted, on his promising that he would never again steal anything as long as he lived. That promise was never known to have been broken, and the criminal's name was never made public. This story has gone everywhere, and has been credited to other parties; it may be found thus credited in one of Dr. Hall's popular books. But the real hero was Dr. Whiton; the time, it is believed, the fall of 1846; and the house was that now occupied by the writer!


Mr. Whiton should not pass unnoticed as an author. He published a history of New Hampshire in 1834, which was considered, at the time, a valuable work. He also published an account of the ministers of Hills- borough County. His "History of Antrim " is certainly remarkable for the amount of information compressed within small compass. Several published sermons are worthy of being perpetuated; and it is believed that out of his manuscript sermons, volumes might be culled that would compare favorably with known literature of that kind. It has already been stated that he had nearly completed a history of Presbyterianism in New Hampshire; and it may not be generally known that Mr. Whiton occasionally indulged in musical composition. One beautiful piece en- titled " Farewell," printed in the " Boston Sacred Harmony," was sung at his funeral.


Mr. Whiton, with the usual vicissitudes of his position, workfully and patiently held on his way, - called upon for all ministries of counsel and love, till, after forty years of service, he began to feel heavily the burdens of age, and several times conferred with the session with regard to re- signing his pastoral charge. But they would not hear a word to it, until some four years later, May, 1852, taking the matter in his own hands, he read his resignation to the people. In my opinion, the grandest thing in Mr. Whiton's pastorate was its close. His self-surrender, his wise counsel, his fatherly affection, the tender and universal regard of the people, and their long, united experience of his care, - all tended to im-


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part glory to the parting scene ! The men who had welcomed him here were in heaven, and their children were bidding him farewell! Solemn, blessed, tender scene! But when his service in Antrim was over, the good man felt that he must work on in some smaller field. Immediately, in the dead of winter, he went to North Ashburnham and preached two months; receiving an urgent call to continuous labor with that church, and coming home near the close of February to visit his family and ask their consent, he received the call to Bennington, and went there at once, because it was in sight of the town and the home he loved. Then he made frequent visits here ; he lingered among these hills; he visited the aged and the sick; and it touches our hearts to know that his last sickness was occasioned by a visit of this kind, at Mr. Buswell's, Sept. 3, 1856. Sabbath evening, Sept. 14, after prayer, his wife and children, at his request, stood round his bed to hear his parting counsel. He could only whisper; and Morris Whiton bent his ear down to his lips, and repeated his words aloud, - part of which were these: " Your mother and I have kept house nearly forty-eight years, and during that period there has not been a death in the family. . I have thought I saw the shadows of coming changes. . I trust I feel submissive to the divine


will. . It has been my earnest wish that you might all become pious. I trust you will all so live as to meet at last in heaven. I am not able to say more, but I want you all to pray for me, that whatever may be the result of my present sickness, it may be for the glory of God! " These were his last words to his family: How calm and unexcited, and like himself to the last ! In a few days he passed peacefully away. Oct. 1, there was a funeral service at Bennington in the morning, sermon by Mr. Bates; then the long procession started for Mr. Whiton's old church here ; all business was given up in both towns; the bell in Bennington tolled till the bell here returned the sound; and the slow-moving, rever- ent multitude entered this house of God. Rev. Thomas Savage of Bed- ford preached from John xxi. 20: " The disciple whom Jesus loved." After other impressive services and reverent gaze upon the peaceful face of the dead, " Devout men carried him to his burial," and when the coffin was lowered nearly to its bed, they sang these words the good man had used so often for others : -


" Unveil thy bosom, faithful tomb; Take this new treasure to thy trust, And give these sacred relics room To slumber in the silent dust !




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