USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Bristol > History of the town of Bristol, Grafton County, New Hampshire, Volume I > Part 10
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1810. It was voted to hold the town meetings one-half of the time at the meeting-house on Bridgewater hill, and the other half at Bridgewater village, now Bristol village. I812. It was voted to allow seven cents per hour for labor on the highway, and one hour's time for each two miles of travel.
1814. It was voted this year to lease Ministerial Lot No. 75, Second Division, for nine hundred and ninety-nine years. Robert Craig, William Pingrey, John Harriman, Simon Harris, and Ichabod C. Bartlett were elected a committee to sell the same. On an expression of the voters on the revision of the constitution, there were one hundred and ninety votes against it and none in favor.
The case of Moses Lewis came up this year in town meet- ing. The town had brought suit against "Moses Lewis and others " to recover on their bond, and John Fellows was elected a committee to prosecute the case. Moses Lewis was an exten- sive business man. He opened the first store in town in con- nection with his residence at the corner of Central square and Spring street. He owned the tannery and built a saw-mill and grist-mill on the south side of the river, and engaged in other enterprises. In 1807, suit was entered against him for the foreclosure of a mortgage, by Jonathan Howard, of Boston, on which a writ of ejectment was issued in October, 1808. For tlie next six years reverse followed reverse, until all his property was swept away and he was stripped of everything except the very few articles exempt by law at that time. A few cooking utensils were saved from the relentless grasp of the law by the kindly warnings of neighbors when the sheriff came to town. Mr. Lewis was thrown into jail for debt; the last and perhaps the only case of the kind that ever occurred in town. His failure produced wide-spread distress in this section, and muchi bitterness against him existed for many years in the community. There is, however, no evidence to show intentional wrongdoing on his part. It was claimed that the depression of business, previous to the War of 1812, was the chief factor in his failure.
75
BRIDGEWATER AND NEW CHESTER
As Mr. Lewis at this time could not have had any property within the reach of the law, the action of the town was evidently brought against "Moses Lewis and others" hoping to recover from the "others." We are not told what the result of the action of the town was.
1817. The subject of the creation of a new town, which had lain dormant for seventeen years, again came up for action this year in Bridgewater. Since the town last acted on this subject, public sentiment had undergone a change, and now the vote was forty-six against, and forty-two in favor of the division of the town. The next year (1818) the town voted to instruct its representative to oppose the division of the town, and to em- ploy an attorney to assist him if necessary. Walter R. Webster, a constable, was directed to canvass the town north of the proposed division line, and ascertain how many voters were opposed to the division.
1819. At the annual meeting this year, John Harriman, Humphrey Webster, Daniel Brown, and Ichabod C. Bartlett were elected a committee on the division of the town. As a majority of the voters were opposed to a division, only one, the last on the committee, was elected from that part of the town favoring the incorporation of a new town. This committee made a report at an adjourned meeting May 6, and its report is here given in full; but it will be noticed that Mr. Bartlett did not sign the report.
We, the Subscribers, a Committee to see how and where the town of Bridgewater should be divided and report our opinion the most suitable place.
The Committee think best not to divide the town at any place, but if the town must be divided we think the most suitable place would be to begin at the most southeasterly corner of Lot No. 38, in the First Division of lots in Bridgewater by the river; thence on the southerly side line of said Lot Westerly to the most Southwesterly corner of said lot; thence Northerly to the westerly end line of said lot the same course till it strikes the most southwesterly corner of Lot No. 71, second Division, thence Westerly on the Southerly end line of said lots No. 71, 70, 69, 68, 67, 65, 64, and by the Southerly end line of Lot No. 89, in the second division by the pond.
John Harriman, - Committee Simeon Harris, to divide
Humphrey Webster, the town.
This report was accepted.
We will now leave the history of Bridgewater and follow the course of events during the same time, 1788 to 1819, in
NEW CHESTER
The first year after the division of New Chester, in1 1788,
76
HISTORY OF BRISTOL
four town meetings were held, and this was about the average number during the first twenty-five or thirty years of the existence of the town. The first of these four was the an- nual meeting, held March 17, 1788, at the house of Capt. Cutting Favor. Before the division most of the meetings had been held at the dwelling of Col. Peter Sleeper, at Jonathan Ingalls's, or at Abner Fellows's, near the center of the old town. After the division, the meetings were held most of the time till 1798 at Cutting Favor's. At this first meeting in 1788, Nason Cass was, chosen moderator. Only twenty-two voters were present, but the usual routine work was accomplished-officers elected, committees chosen to look after the public lots, the matter of raising money for schools and for preaching disposed of, highways provided for, and the pay of laborers on the highway fixed at three shillings per day. One vote was "that Lieut. John Smith Should be cleared from all other highway tax so long as he lives where he now does with his keeping the plank, the covering of Smith's bridge, so called, in good repair at his own cost." There could have been but little political excitement, for of the twenty-two votes cast, twenty-one were for John Langdon for president of the state, and one for Josiah Bartlett.
At .a meeting held Sept. 17, following, Peter Sleeper and Carr Huse were chosen a committee to settle all affairs between New Chester and Bridgewater.
In December, 1789, the selectmen of New Chester and Bridgewater jointly sent the following petition to the legis- lature :
State of New Hampshire
To the Honourable the Senate and House of Representatives convened at Portsmouth the fourth Wednesday of December AD 1789
The Petition of the inhabitants of the Town Ships of New Chester and Bridgewater in said State Humbly Sheweth that your Petitioners have been and Still are at great Cost to clear and maintain Highways in Said Town Ships and by Reason of great Freshits have been obliged to alter Clear and Make new Roads in Many places and have built several large Bridges which are costly to Maintain which Makes the burden heavy upon us as our number of Rateable polls is but Small, therefore your petitioners humbly pray that your Honours would grant that all the lands in said Town Ships may be taxed one penny upon an Acre Public lots Excepted for three years next Ensuing for the purpose of Clearing and Repairing high ways in Said Town Ships and your Peti- tioners as in Duety Bound will Ever pray.
New Chester December 16th 1789
Reuben Wells Michael Mosher Jonathan Carlton
Theophilus Sanborn
Thomas Crawford
Select Men For and in Behalf of Said Towns.
77
BRIDGEWATER AND NEW CHESTER
The authority asked for was granted by an act of the legislature, passed Jan. 14, 1790.
At the January session of the legislature, in 1791, the selectmen of New Chester and Bridgewater jointly petitioned the General Court that they be allowed to again tax the unim- proved lands for the benefit of the highways. An act was passed authorizing a tax of three pence to be imposed on each acre of land one year for this purpose.
Carr Huse was one of the selectmen in 1793, as in many other years. We present his itemized bill for services for that year, which is in marked contrast with the present custom of the selectmen in charging a lump sum :
The Town of New Chester to Carr Huse, Dr.
£ s.
Pence
April 2, 1793. To one day at taking inventory Dr. To one day at assessing the polls and estates with the assessors
2
6
Dr. To one day at making highway tax
2
6
Dr. To one day at coppying the high way Tax & wrighting warrant for the surveyors of high ways
2
6
Dr. To two Days My Self & horse to Holderness I and to the back part of New Chester to find out whither Molly Clark had been legally warned out of town
I2
Dr. To one day my self and horse to Sanbornton & through Northfield and Salisbury to hire money for the town of New Chester To one Day at settling with the Constables To one Day at Notifying Andover Selectmen to perambulate the line
6
2
6
August Dr to Two days at Making the Town and School taxes Drawing the warrant & for Coppy- ing the Taxes and Warrant 5
2
6
to Two Days at Settling with the Collectors
5
Sept Dr to one day at laying out highways
2
6
December to 5 Days at Running the line between Alexandria and New Chester, I IO
To 5 days settling highway work I2
Dr. To 2 days at Running the line between New Chester and Andover I2
2
6
The incorporation of Bridgewater did not entirely satisfy those who favored the formation of a town from the central part of the old town of New Chester. They wished to see New- found river the center of a town instead of the dividing line between two, and the agitation of the subject of another town was renewed at this time in New Chester. One article in the
' The trip to Holderness was for the purpose of obtaining the legal advise of Samuel Livermore on the Molly Clark case, for which $I was paid. This case is described in the chapter on "The Town's Poor."
78
HISTORY OF BRISTOL
warrant for the annual meeting in 1793 read as follows: "To see if the Town will Vote a part of the Town may be set off agreeably to a petition which they have Drawn and Signed to Send to the General Assembly." A similar article was in the warrant of the town of Bridgewater the same year. The vote in New Chester was "No"; that in Bridgewater, "Yes." Not satisfied with this expression, the same question came up again the next year, with the same result. Again in November, 1800, almost the identical article was inserted in the warrant, and again the vote of New Chester was in the negative.
In March, 1794, the town first took action in regard to a pound ; and the town clerk made the following record as a part of the proceedings of the meeting :
Voted to Build a Pound the Present year to Stand Somewhere on Capt. Cutting Favours land Near Plymouth Road Between the Said Favours House and his Grist Mill Major Peter Sleeper has engaged to Build the Pound and to have it built by the last Day of June next to be 8 feet high & to be thirty feet Square built with good pine timber with a good gate hung with iron hinges with a good lock to it and he is to have Seven dollars for building said Pound.
This year the selectmen were allowed eight shillings for one gallon of rum used while running the line between New Chester and Alexandria.
In 1797, able-bodied men were allowed fifty cents per day for labor on the highway; the same was allowed for a yoke of oxen, one shilling for an ox cart, one shilling for a plow, and six and one-fourth cents for an iron bar.
In 1798, it was voted to hold the town meetings one-half the time at Samuel Favor's, and the other half at John Smith's or on New Chester mountain.
Previous to 1794, the method of calling town meetings was similar to that in vogue to-day, the call being made over the signature of the selectmen. Commencing with August, of that year, the warrant was issued by the selectmen as before, but directed to a constable of the town who posted the same over his signature. The following is a copy of a warrant issued under this system :
State of New Hampshire Grafton SS. Warrant for Town Meeting
To Charles Noyes Constable for the Town of New Chester, Greeting
You are hereby Required in the Name of Said State to warn all the Inhabitants and Freeholders in Said Town Qualified by Law to Vote in Town Meeting to Meet and Assemble at the Dwelling House of Samuel Favour in said Town on Tuesday the Fourteenth Day of May Next at two O.Clock P-M. To Act on the following articles
Ist To Choose a Moderator to Govern Said Meeting
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BRIDGEWATER AND NEW CHESTER
2d To see if the town will vote to Sell a Lease of the Public Lot Number Seventy three in the fourth Division in Said Town
3d To See What method the Town will Take with Respect to the Sale of Said Lot whether by Public or private Sale if any Sale is made 4th To act on any other Business Thought Necessary when Met
Hereof fail not and make Due Return of this Warrant with your Doing thereon to the Town Clerk at or before the Said Fourteenth Day of May. AD. 1799.
Given under our Hands and Seal this 20th Day of April 1799
Eben Kimball - Selectmen
Sethus Forbes of
Jona. Dickerson New Chester
According to the within Warrant to Me Directed I have warned the Inhabitants to Meet at Time and place by posting coppies as the Law Directs. New Chester May 14 1799
Charles Noyes Constable
The following is a part of the record of a town meeting held Mar. 16, 1801, at the meeting-house in Hill Center, showing the accounts presented for settlement :
Voted to allow Ebenezer Kimballs account for his servis as a select- man for 1799, which was $14.59
Voted to allow Peter Sleepers account as a selectman 2.75
Voted to allow Willam Searls account as a Selectman, 1.75
Voted to allow Ensign Thomas Favors account as an agent for 1800, .25
Voted to allow Edward Blodgetts account as an agent for 1800 and for a journey to Haverhill 1.83
Voted to allow Carr Huse account for his Servis as Town Treasurer for 1799 & for Recording an inventory & the Taxes for 18co & as Town Treasurer for 1800, 8.00
The constable was instructed that year to post thereafter five copies of the warrants for town meetings-one at the "meeting-house," one at "the street," one "at the mill house over the mountain," owned by Moses Lewis, one at "Murray Hill," and one at "Smith's mill."
All the records of the town in those days were entered in one book, in the order in which the business was transacted. A sample page is here given, following a record of a town meeting :
Ziba Townsend was Married to Nancy Bartlett May 5th 1800 by Carr Huse Just Peace
June 26, 1800 Henry Wells the son of Reuben Wells died.
James Karr his Mark for Sheep and other Creatures is a Cropp off each Ear & a Slit on the end of the right ear.
Jonathan Hunkins the son of Thomas Hunkins was born June the IIth 1799. William Howes Hunkins the son of Thomas Hunkins was born February the First Day 1801.
80
HISTORY OF BRISTOL
William Flanders his Mark for Sheep & other Creatures is a half Cropp off the under side of Each Ear Recorded February 13th 1801.
New Chester Jany ye 12th 1801
Wee the Subscribers License Edmund Bussell of New Chester to Tavernize and Mix liquors of all kinds one year from the above Date under the restrictions of the Law.
Eben Kimball ) Selectmen of Peter Sleeper § New Chester
Recorded Jany ye 13th 1801
New Chester Jany ye 12th 1801
This may certify that Mr. David Stevens of New Chester and Mrs. Salla Webber of Plainfield have been lawfully published in this Town for Marriage I suppose Enfield was meant but I was informed Plainfield Attest
Carr Huse Town Clerk.
William Stevens son of Wait Stevens was Born April 25th 1795.
William Stevens died June 5th 1796
Amos Stevens son of Wait Stevens was born July 18th 1799. Recorded Jany 13th 1801
New Chester February 4th 1801
Wee the Subscribers do hereby approbate Mr. Ichabod C. Bartlett as a person Qualified for a Retailor of Spirituous Liquors and recommend him to the inspector for License for that Purpose Peter Sleeper Selectmen of Ebenezer Kimball / New Chester
The disposition of the public lots came up for discussion many times in town meeting, but a vote to sell could not be obtained till 1802, when it was voted to sell at auction all the public lots, except the ministerial lots.
The account of the town officers allowed at the annual town meeting in 1803 was as follows: Town clerk, $2.45 ; treasurer, $5; W. W. Sargent, selectman, $4.42; Ebenezer Kimball, selectman, $3.00; total, $14.87. This year, for the first time, the town voted to elect its officers by ballot.
In 1804, it was voted to allow workmen on the highway sixty-seven cents per day until the last day of September, each man to furnish his own diet and tools; after that date fifty cents per day was allowed.
For a number of years there was some friction between New Chester and Alexandria over the divisional line. Both towns claimed James Murray as a citizen, while he supposed he was a resident of New Chester. In 1803, he was warned to appear at a training in Alexandria to which he paid no atten- tion. Thereupon the commander of the company, Capt. Robt. McMurphy, imposed a fine which Murray paid, and then brought suit against the captain for collecting a fine unlawfully. This action was supported by New Chester in order to have the true line established. The case drifted along till 1811, when the town, tired of delay, petitioned the General Court for the
81
BRIDGEWATER AND NEW CHESTER
appointment of a committee to determine the true jurisdictional line between the two towns. The prayer was granted, and Wil- liam Webster, Broadstreet Moody, and Enoch Colby, Esq., were appointed as the committee. Their report was not placed on record, but it was evidently in favor of New Chester, as William Murray continued to be taxed as a resident of that town.
Nothing escaped taxation in those days, and the taxes were collected with relentless exactness. Here is an account of a tax-collector's sale in 1807 : A wooden bowl, ten cents ; mortar and pestle, twenty cents; saddle bags, ten cents ; bridle, forty cents ; saddle, $2.10; horse, $2.60.
In 1808, the selectmen were instructed to provide "powder, lead, and flints as the law directs."
The poverty of the people and the scarcity of money led to the practice of taking notes in payment for timber sold from the public lots, for the lots when they were sold, and to some extent for taxes due. When money was received by the town, it was loaned in small sums to men in town, often with doubtful security, for want of a better mode of investment. In 1810, New Chester held notes to the value of $2,217, one as small as $68. This system brought into the hands of the town a large number of promises to pay. The collection of the principal and interest was the source of great trouble to the authorities, and this subject frequently came up for consideration in town meet- ing. Carr Huse was made a committee to hold these notes and collect interest and principal when due.
In 1816, there was a proposition before the town of New Chester to exchange that portion of its territory lying west of Newfound river and lake for that part of Alexandria lying south of Smith's river. This exchange would have greatly improved the symmetry of both towns, as will be seen by a glance at the map, but the vote of New Chester was recorded against the proposed change.
In 1816, and again in 1819, the division of the town was considered, and each time the action of the town was against the proposed movement. The latter year, Eben. Kimball was elected an agent to oppose the taking of any part of the territory of New Chester for the new town.
During the thirty-one years and more since the division of New Chester, the old town and the new had made material progress. Two villages had sprung into existence; that now known as Hill village, and Bridgewater village, on the banks of Newfound river, now Bristol. The former had its store, its saw- mill and grist-mill, its carding- and fulling-mills, which brought custom from many miles distant, and a church. Union bridge had been constructed across the Pemigewasset river at Hill vil- lage, and from this point the New Chester and Danbury pike had
6
82
HISTORY OF BRISTOL
been opened to George's mills in Danbury. Public highways had been opened and many new settlers had found homes within the town. The people were intelligent and progressive. For many years a circulating library had been sustained. School- houses stood in various parts of the town, and the schools were generously supported. A post-office had been established and at this time, 1819, Ebenezer Kimball was postmaster.
In Bridgewater, as in New Chester, the hard labor of the husbandman had changed many acres of forest into fertile fields, while at Bridgewater village, manufactures and trade had be- come important adjuncts in the growth of the town. The second story of the first blacksmith shop in town, where is now Cavis's store, was utilized as a hatter's shop ; a second blacksmith shop stood where is now Post-office block ; while a third stood where the Abel block now stands. John Tolford, Jr., and Thomas Dunlap were in trade where is now White's block. Joseph Fowler had opened a harness shop in a small building next to the bridge where a larger one now stands. Ichabod C. Bartlett had outgrown the little room in the log cabin of Sherburn Til- ton, for a store, and was doing a larger and more prosperous business in a wooden building very nearly in the center of the square, while the log cabin itself had given way to a two-story tavern. A saw-mill and a grist-mill had been erected on the south side of the river, and the saw-mill and the grist-mill on the north side had given way to a tannery. Another tannery was in operation on Pleasant street, near the river, in connection with a large shoe shop, and Jonathan Powers was operating a fulling- mill where is now C. N. Merrill's grist-mill. Dr. Timothy Kel- ley and Dr. Benj. Gale had served the people, and removed ; Dr. Walter I. Wardrobe, after a brief practice, had met a tragic fate, and Dr. Samuel Smith attended to the health of the com- munity. A post-office was presided over by Moses H. Bradley, Esq., while this gentleman and Jerahmeel Bowers, Esq., divid- ed the legal business of the town. The Pemigewasset bridge had been erected at the northeast part of the town, and Mayhew turnpike constructed. A church had been erected on the turn- pike, and the construction of the red schoolhouse on Lake street commenced, while twenty-six dwellings furnished homes or the people in the village.
Such is a hasty glance of the growing village of Bridge- water in 1819. A more detailed account of the factors in the growth of the town is given elsewhere, but this sketch shows that along Newfound river were elements of growth which, if united under one town government, were destined to result in a more prosperous community than could be otherwise.
The people of Bridgewater village were a unit in favor of a new town, and meetings of the citizens were held to discuss measures to further the scheme. At one of these meetings Capt.
83
BRIDGEWATER AND NEW CHESTER
James Minot proposed that the new town should be called Bristol, after an English town of that name. Capt. Minot was a man of influence ; no one proposed a better name, and so it was decided then and there that Bristol should be the name of the new town.
When the legislature assembled in June, 1819, a petition was presented praying for the incorporation of Bristol. This petition was favorably acted upon, and June 24, 1819, an act incorporating the southern part of Bridgewater and the northern part of New Chester into a new town by the name of Bristol was passed.
The name of New Chester was changed Jan. 14, 1837, to Hill, in honor of Hon. Isaac Hill, then governor of the state. The town was disannexed from Grafton county July 1, 1868 and made a part of Merrimack county.
CHAPTER VIII
BRISTOL FROM ITS INCORPORATION TILL THE PUBLICATION OF THIS HISTORY
Man, through all ages of revolving time, Unchanging man, in every varying clime,
Deems his own land of every land the pride,
Beloved of heaven o'er all the world beside :
His home, the spot of earth supremely blest,
A dearer, sweeter spot than all the rest. -Montgomery.
The following is a copy of the act of incorporation by which the town of Bristol was brought into being :
State of New Hampshire. L. S.
In the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and nineteen.
An act to incorporate the inhabitants of the northerly part of New Chester and southerly part of Bridgewater into a separate town by the name of Bristol.
WHEREAS, a petition signed by a number of the inhabitants of Bridgewater and New Chester in the county of Grafton praying to be in- corporated into a separate town has been presented to the General Court and the prayer thereof appearing reasonable, therefore
Sec. I. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened that all the inhabitants and lands of said Bridge- water lying south of and comprehended within the following limits viz., beginning at Pemigewasset river at the south east corner of lot 38 in the first division of lots in said Bridgewater, thence running to the north east corner of Lot 66 in the third division, thence northerly running to the easterly side of lots numbered 90 and 78 to the north east corner of lot numbered 78, in the second division, thence to the south east corner of lot No. 69, in the second division, thence northerly to the north east cor- ner of said lot No. 69, thence westerly on the range line to Newfound lake, and also comprehending all that part of New Chester which lies northerly of Smith's river, so called, be and the same are incorporated into a town by the name of Bristol, and the inhabitants who now reside, or shall hereafter reside within the aforementioned boundaries are made and constituted a body politic and corporate and invested with all the powers, privileges and immunities which other towns in this state are en- titled to enjoy.
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