USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Candia > History of the town of Candia, Rockingham County, N.H., from its first settlement to the present time > Part 30
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CHOIRS AT THE FREE WILL BAPTIST.
For many years after the Free Will Baptist Society was es- tablished in Candia there were no regularly organized choirs in their meetings at the church on Sunday or at any other
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religious assemblies. The hymns were sung to tunes that were learned mostly by rote and all the people of the con- gregation that had a gift for music were free to join in the exercises.
About the year 1830, some of the members of the society gave some attention to the study of sacred music upon scientific principles. A choir was organized and the mem- bers met from time to time for practice. The choir was lo- cated at the east end of the old church; but no instruments. of any kind were introduced until about the year 1840. Previous to that time the Free Will Baptist ministers, as a general rule, were strenuously opposed to the use of mus- ical instuments in any of their religous meetings. They argued that when instruments were used the people were. prevented from understanding the words and could not, therefore, sing with the spirit and the understanding also. They believed with Rev. Dr. Adam Clark, the famous Meth- odist divine and commentator on the Bible, who declared that "the use of instruments of music in the church is without sanction and opposed to the will of God; that they are subverters of the spirit of devotion." Rev. David Marks, a famous Free Will Baptist preacher of sixty years ago who visited many towns in the vicinity of Candia, made a sol- emn vow that he would not announce or read a hymn in any meeting when he knew it would be sung in connect- ion with musical instruments.
The bass viol was at length introduced into the Free Will Baptist church at the Village aud one of the first to perform on the instrument was William Turner.
In 1849, Robie Smith was leader and played on the vio- lin. Moses Carpenter also played upon the violin and Lew- is Buswell played upon the bass viol. Jason Godfrey, John Prescott and wife, J. Wesley Lovejoy and wife and J. Har- vey Philbrick and wife were the principal singers.
The next leader was Alvin D. Dudley. Among the sing- ers besides Mr. Dudley were Ira Godfrey and wife, Jason Godfrey, Mrs. A. D. Dudley, Charles Page, Angeline Towle, Carr B. Haines, E. R. Ingalls and wife, Luna Noyes, Susan Godfrey, Clara and Bell Philbrick and Tenny Dearborn.
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Ira Godfrey was leader of the choir for some time. He was followed by John Foster, who is the present leader.
Among the recent singers were Abbie Fitts, Mrs. John Foster, Jane Fitts, Flora Moore, Clara Rowe, Cora Bean, Clara Fisk, Mary Prescott, Lillian Young, Nellie Rich, Dr. Grant and wife, Moses Critchett. Arthur Critchett, Oscar Fisk and Anna Robinson. Joseph C. Cram was leader for awhile and played upon a seraphine and a reed organ. The reed organ has also been played upon by Abbie Fitts, Flora Moore, Clara Rowe, Nellie Rich, Julia Towle, Cora Bean and Clara Taylor.
In March, 1848, there was a musical festival under the direction of Joseph C. Cram, the music teacher of Deerfield, at the church. Dr. J. Allen Tebbetts of Deerfield delivered a lecture upon the occasion and Rev. Arthur Caverno the pastor made some remarks.
THE CHOIR OF THE METHODIST SOCIETY.
Among the singers at the Methodist church were Robie Smith, who was leader of the choir, Lewis Buswell, Gilman Bean, T. Benton Turner, and Sarah and Ruth Bickford. The choir was accompanied by a fine cabinet organ.
BANDS.
The first regular band in the town was called The Wash- ington Band. It was organized in 1838, and the following are the names of some of the members .:
J. Sullivan Brown, leader, Stephen C. Merrill, Thomas Wheat, Henry Clough, Frederick Smyth, Charles H. Butler, William Hoitt, Richard Emerson, Dearborn French, Jesse Fitts, Abraham Fitts. The organization was kept up a few years when it was disbanded.
During the spring of 1839, Frederick Smyth and Thomas Wheat, members of the Washinton Band, were students at the Phillips' Teachers Seminary at Andover, Mass. All the students of the seminary over eighteen years of age were warned to appear for military duty at the annual May training that year. The majority of the students were on-
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ly temporary residents of the town. Notice was given out that none of the students would obey the summons to train; whereupon the military authorities threatened to arrest them in case they failed to apppear on the day appointed.
To show their independence and spirit the students de- termined to get up a May training on their own account. Frederick Smyth came up to Candia post-haste and engaged all of his fellow members of the Washington Band to go to Andover and furnish the music for the contumacious boys as they marched through the streets of that ancient town. The students trained to the music of the Candia band ac- cording to their program; but no arrests were made as the boys had the law on their side.
In 1840, the Washington Band performed for a very large delegation of the citizens of Manchester who marched in the procession at the great state mass meeting of the Whigs at Concord, during the log cabin and hard cider campaign a few months before the election of Gen. William H. Har- rison, the Whig candidate for the Presidency. At that date there were no militaay bands in Manchester.
About the year 1855, the Candia Cornet Band was organ- ized. In 1858, it was re-organized. Stephen B. Fitts was leader. Among the members were J. Franklin Fitts, Jona- than C. Hobbs, Dana Fitts, Charles Fitts; Isaac Fitts, Moses French, Charles H. French, Asa Dutton, John H. Foster, T. Benton Turner.
About the time the band was re-organized in 1858, Abra- ham and Beniah Fitts, who were engaged in business at Worcester, Mass., bought a quantity of second hand brass band instruments, consisting of bugles, cornets, ophyclides, trombones, etc., paying therefor only what they were worth for old junk. Jesse Fitts, their brother, who was vis- iting them at the time, took the whole lot off their hands and brought it to Candia. The instruments, which were in good order, were turned over to the members of the newly organized band for a mere song.
In 1861, at the breaking out of the war, this band was re-organized as follows:
Joseph Franklin Fitts, leader; members, Stephen B. Fitts, Alfred Dana Fitts, Isaac Fitts, Jonathan C. Hobbs, John
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Foster, David Bean, Carlos E. Fitts, Nathan Correy Fitts, Charles H. French, George E. Eaton, Webster Varnum, Samuel Hubbard, Moses T. French, Frank Swain, Charles Frederick Fitts, Joseph Durant, Charles M. Lane, John K. Nay, J. Meader Young, T. Benton Turner, Gilman A. Bean, C. H. Turner, Isaac Fitts, Charles O. Merrill, Orlando Brown, George B. Emerson, and Joseph Rollins and Jo- seph Young of Deerfield.
The following are the names of the members of the band as it was re-organized in 1866:
Oscar Merrill, leader; N. Corey Fitts, John H. Foster, Jonathan C. Hobbs, Moses T. French, P. M. Swain, Isaac Fitts, C. H. Turner, George E. Eaton, Frederick F. Emer- son, T. Benton Turner, Jesse M. Young, Dana T. Dudley, Edmund R. Ingalls, Edmund J. Godfrey, J. K. Nay, Web- ster Varnum, Gilman A. Bean, Charles H. French and Luther Monroe.
About the year 1878. the band was again re-organized and John H. Foster was chosen leader and other members were added.
TEACHERS OF MUSIC.
The following are the names of some those who have taught singing schools and given instruction in vocal music.
Nathaniel Burpee, Master Moses Fitts, Nathan Fitts, Dr. Nathaniel Wheat, Francis D. Randall of Deerfield, Dr. Kit- tredge of Pembroke, Henry E. Moore of Concord, Dr. Isa- iah Lane, Charles H. Butler, Col. Samuel Cass, Dea. Dan- iel Fitts, Joseph C. Cram of Deerfield, John K. Nay, Ben- jamin Thompson of Deerfield, John Willard and J. M. San- born of Manchester. Mr. Cram of Deerfield taught singing schools in Candia at various intervals during a period of nearly forty years. He was not only an excellent teacher but a very pleasing vocalist.
Ephraim K. Eaton, son of Peter Eaton, very early in life showed more than ordinary talent for music, and he per- formed upon the bass viol and other instruments with much skill. About the year 1835, he became a member of a band
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attached to a United States frigate and visited various ports in Europe and elsewhere. Upon his return he became the director of bands connected with various great circus companies and visited many cities and towns in the Union. He has been a resident of Gloversville, N. Y., for several years. He is an eminent composer of music.
Asa Fitts taught singing schools several years in Boston and various other places in Massachusetts. He also pub- lished several elementary works upon music and two or three books consisting of collections of songs and tunes, some of which were composed by himself. As a teacher he was quite popular, especially with the younger class of pupils.
FIRST MELODEONS AND PIANOS.
Emma Lane, afterwards Mrs. Frederick Smyth, owned the first melodeon which was used in Candia. It was an- instrument about twenty inches long and the bellows were operated by rocking the instrument upon the table with the elbows.
Among the first pianos brought into town were those owned by Mary Bean, daughter of Joseph Bean, Ellen Ea'- ton, daughter of Henry M. Eaton, Mary B. Lane and the daughters of Rev. E. N. Hidden and Dea. W. J. Dudley.
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CHAPTER XXVIII.
PHYSICIANS.
For nearly fifty years after the first settlement was made in Candia there were only four or five medical schools in the United States. One of these was located in Cambridge, Mass., in connection with Harvard College; one in New York city; one in Philadelphia; and one established at Han- over, in connection with Dartmouth College, in 1798. In the early days, only a few young men were able to obtain a medical education, except by studying under the direction of some practictioner of experience. It was the custom for : the medical student to become regularly apprenticed to a physician of reputation in full practice. for two or three years. The physician was entitled to the services of his student and in return he was bound to give him instruct- ion in the various branches of medicine.
There was no regularly educated physician in Candia previous to 1760. Samuel Mooers, one of the first settlers at the Corner, had some knowledge of medicine, and some times prescribed in ordinary cases of sickness, extracted teeth and performed minor surgical operations, but, though he was generally called "Doctor Mooers;" he never pre- tended to be a regular physician.
Dr. Coffin Moore came from Stratham in 1760, and prac- ticed as a regular physician, until 1784, when he died. He married Comfort Weeks, by whom he had several children. Jacob B. Moore, one of their sons became a physician, mar- ried a daughter of Ephraim Eaton and settled in Andover.
Dr. Timothy Kelly came to Candia in 1770, and settled on the place on High Street recently owned by Freeman Parker, and now owned and occupied by his widow. He built the first house upon the lot. John Lane, senior, in his account book charged him seven shillings for making a box
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for his saddle bags. and credits him with the sum of two shillings for bleeding his wife. Dr. Kelly removed from the town about the year 1790.
Dr. Samuel Foster, the next physician, was born in Bil- lerica, Mass., and came to Candia in 1789. He bought a part of the School lot on South Road, now owned by Mr. Clow, and built a house that was torn down about twenty years ago. He married Mary Colcord of Brentwood. They had ten children. In 1812, he moved to Canterbury, but returned to Candia in 1815, and after residing here awhile he removed to Brentwood, where he died, in 1826.
Dr. Shaw came to town, in 1807, and practiced one year.
Dr. John Brown also came to Candia, in 1807, and board- ed with Stephen Clay, who lived near the Congregational meeting house. In 1808, Sally Morrill, a young daughter of Samuel Morrill, 2nd, and a sister of the present Samuel Morrill of High Street, while playing in the barn with Sally Clough and her sister Lydia, the late Mrs. True French, broke the bone of one of her thighs in jumping from the high beams to the bay. Dr. Brown attended her and in twenty-seven days she was able to leave her bed. Dr. Brown remained in town one year.
Dr. Nathaniel Wheat was born in Canaan, in 1783. He studied with Dr. Jacob B. Moore of Andover, and came to Candia, in 1809. In 1819, he was married to Sally Fitts, a daughter of Moses Fitts, senior. They had three children, Thomas, and two who died in infancy. Soon after his marriage Dr. Wheat bought of Samuel Dearborn a house on the site of the one now owned by Albert Bean, the next west of the parsonage of the Congregational church. The house, which had a gable roof, was sold to Ephraim George, in 1824, and hauled to the place below the Corner, now owned by Mr. Stanley. The house, which has been recently repaired, is still standing. Dr. Wheat then built the present Albert Bean house. After a very successful practice of about twenty years, he moved to Concord, in 1834. In 1838, he returned to Candia and the following year he removed to Manchester, to practice there more than twelve years. He died in January, 1857.
Dr. Wheat was a very ingenious mechanic, as well as a
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skillful physician. In 1822, he made a pipe organ of moder- ate size. The instrument, which worked well, was set up in Master Moses Fitts' hall, and was often played on by the builder and others. In connection with John Emerson, he made several bass viols, one of which a large double bass was used in the choir of the Congregational church several years. He was the first physician in the town to apply electricity in the treatment of nervous diseases and was the first to own an electric machine.
Dr. Rufus Kittredge, a son of Dr. Benjamin Kittredge of Chester, came to Candia, in 1810, and practiced about one year, when he returned to Chester. . In 1849, "he removed to Cincinnati, Ohio.
Dr. Moses Bagley, a son of Jonathan Bagley of Candia, was born, Nov. 6, 1778. He studied medicine and prac- ticed in town from 1817 to 1823, when he suddenly died at the age of forty-five years. He was married to Judith Cur- rier of Newton, and resided in a house situated about half a mile below the Corner.
Dr. John Pillsbury was born in Rowley, Mass. He prac- ticed as a physician in Raymond more than twenty years. He came to Candia and practiced about three years, when he moved to Buck Street, Pembroke. While he lived in Candia he resided on the place now owned by Abraham Bar- ker, a short distance below the Corner. While he lived in Raymond he married a daughter of Rev. Nehemiah Ord- way, who-was the acting pastor of the Congregational church in that town three years, ending in 1797. They had a family of children, among whom was Amos, who was a trader in Candia several years. Dr. Pillsbury died in Pem- broke at an advanced age.
Dr. Isaiah Lane, son of John Lane, senior, studied med- icine with Dr. William Graves of Deerfield, and attended lectures at the medical school at Hanover. He received his degree in 1824, and began practice in Candia that year. In November of the same year, he was married to Miss Frances Batchelder of Northwood. They had five children. He resided several years in the east end of the Dea. Fitts' house, now owned by Frank E. Page About the year 1828, he bought the old parsonage place where E. Sylves-
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ter now lives. In 1854, he sold his place and moved to Plainfield, where he died a few months after, aged 57.
Dr. Samuel Sargent came to Candia from Chichester, where he had been in practice, in 1833. His two sons, S. Addison and John Sargent, were clerks for William Duncan several years before that date. Dr. Sargent resided in the Dr. Wheat house. He returned to Chichester, in 1840, and died there, leaving a widow, three sons and a daughter. The latter, whose name was Maria Sargent, by her agreea- ble 'manners, made many friends while residing in Candia. She died very suddenly in Chichester from the effects of an injury she received in jumping from a carriage, about the year 1872.
Dr. Joseph Eastman came to Candia from Hampstead, in 1840. He studied with his brother, Dr. Josiah Eastman of Hampstead, and attended lectures at the medical school at Hanover. He married Miss Ayer of Hampstead, by whom he had a number of children. Upon coming to Can- dia they lived in a part of Pillsbury Colby's house near the Corner. In 1844, he bought the place now owned by Frank E. Page. He left town in 1846.
Dr. Richard H. Page was born in Atkinson and came to this town in 1846, as the successor of Dr. Eastman. In 1848, he bought the present residence of his son, and married Abbie E. Lane, the daughter of John Lane, esq. He had a very extensive practice for nearly thirty years, it being the longest term of any physician either before or since his time. The last two or three years of his life he suffered much from illness. He died in 1875, leaving two children, Frank E. and Abbie Page.
Dr. Luther Pattee, a son of Asa Pattee of Warner, was born in that town, in 1831. He studied medicine with Dr. Leonard Eaton of Warner and Dr. Gilman Kimball of Low- ell, Mass. He attended lectures at the medical schools at Pittsfield, Mass., and Woodstock, Vt., and also at the med- ical college connected with Harvard University. He
graduated at Woodstock, in 1853, after which he practiced medicine a few months with Dr. Kimball at Lowell. He attended lectures at the medical schools of Pittsfield, Mass., and Woodstock, Vt., and also at the medical college con-
ANDREW J. EDGERLY.
Sketch, page 515.
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nec ted with Harvard University. He graduated at Wood- stock, in 1853, after which he practiced medicine a few months with Dr. Kimball at Lowell. He came to Candia in 1853, and practiced five years. In 1857, he removed to Wolfboro, and was in active practice there, until 1863, when he removed to Manchester, where he has resided un- til the present time. In 1870, he opened an office in Bos- ton, in connection with his professional business in Man- chester. After five years' practice in Boston, he devoted himself wholly to the practice of his profession in Manchester.
Dr. Pattee secured a high reputation as a skillful surgeon as well as physician, and has been eminently successful in performing difficult and dangerous capital operations. He has removed a greater number of ovarian tumors than any other surgeon in New Hampshire. In 1855, he was mar- ried to Sarah Richardson, a daughter of the late Gilman Richardson.
Dr. Edward S. Berry was born in Pittsfield, Oct. 29, 1840. He was educated in the public schools and the academy in the town, and studied medicine with Dr. John Wheeler. He attended lectures at the medical school connected with Harvard University and afterwards graduated at Dartmouth Medical College at Hanover. He commenced practice in Candia in 1865, and remained in town until 1873, when he removed to Dover, where he practiced seven years and a half. In 1880, he removed to Concord and resided there un- til his death, in December, 1891. He married Miss Florin- da Elkins of Barnstead. They had one daughter. Dr. Berry was a great sufferer for three or four years before his death from nervous prostration and other diseases.
Dr. Edgar L. Carr was born in Gilmanton, May 12, 184 1. He commenced the study of medicine in 1861 with Dr John Wheeler of Pittsfield and attended lectures at Dartmouth Medical College, in 1864. Subsequently he attended lec- tures at Harvard Medical College. He came to Candia in 1866. He practiced in town four years and then moved to Pittsfield. During the war of the rebellion he held the posi- tion of hospital steward in the 15th Massachusetts regiment and assistant surgeon in the 21st and 35th Massachusetts
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regiments. In 1867, he married Miss Addie J. B. Osborn of Loudon. ' They had two children. Dr. Carr is still in practice at Pittsfield.
Dr. Leander J. Young is a native of Barnstead. He came to Candia in 1873, and practiced in the town until 1883, when he moved to Haverhill, Mass.
Dr. L. E. Grant was born in North Berwick, Maine, in 1859. He was educated in the common schools and the high school of the town, and at the age of twenty became a student in the medical department of Bowdoin College. He graduated in 1882, and commenced practice at Ray- mond. In 1883, he came to Candia as the successor of Dr. Young. In 1887, he moved to Great Falls and is still in that place. In 1882, he was married to Miss Georgie E. Ricker of South Berwick, Maine. While they lived in Can- dia they had two children, one of which died in infancy.
Dr. Avery M. Foster was born in the town of Gray, Maine, April 11, 1851. He received his education in the. common schools and high school of his native town and the Latin school at Lewiston, Maine. He attended lec- tures and graduated at the Maine State Medical school con- nected with Bowdoin college, in 1875. He commenced practice at Lincolnville, Maine. In 1887, he came to Can- dia. In 1876, he was married to Miss Mary Drinkwater. In January, 1892, Mrs. Foster died very suddenly of pneu- monia, leaving a young daughter.
Dr. John L. Burnham was born in Goffstown, in 1859. He attended Francestown academy and the high school at Manchester, and studied medicine with Dr. William M. Par- sons of Manchester. He attended lectures at the medical school connected with Dartmouth college and was gradu- ated in 1889. He practiced medicine at Manchester one year in company with Dr. C. F. Flanders and came to Can- dia in 1889. His office was at the residence of Samuel Col- cord, near the Depot Village. After a successful practice of nearly two years, he returned to Manchester, and is now in full practice in that city.
From 1824 to 1840 Dr. Peter Renton, a distinguished physician, was frequently called to Candia in dangerous cases of sickness. He was a native of Scotland and was
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educated at Edinburg. After leaving Concord, he settled in Boston and died there.
About forty years ago, a few persons in the town became interested in what was called the Thompsonian method of treating diseases. The advocates of this method were greatly opposed to bleeding and the use of all mineral med- icines. The body of the patient was at first greatly relaxed by a very warm bath, produced by steam or hot cloths and then treated with purely vegetable medicines, among which lobelia and cayene pepper were the most conspicuous.
Dr. Haines, a practitioner of this kind from Deerfield had a few patients in Candia a few years ago.
About the same time, the "Water Cure" so called, was introduced by a few persons in town. This treatment was totally opposite to the Thompsonian method, for instead of being subjected to steam or warm vapors, the body was wrapped in a sheet wrung out from cold water and covered with dry blankets. If everything worked well sweating set in and the patient was soon in a high state of perspira- tion. Henry Martin Emerson, a son of John Emerson, of High Street, who was far gone in consumption. was treated in this manner as a last resort but he soon afterwards died. "The Water Cure" was very popular in high quarters, both in America and Europe, but little is heard of it now and the same may be said of the Thompsonian system.
Seventy-five years ago the great majority of the physi- cians in the country when called in cases of serious sick- ness, after making a diagnosis were in the habit of first tying a ligature around the arm of the patient above the el- bow; then opening a vein, to take from a pint to two quarts of blood as a preliminary step in the treatment. Then a dose of ipecac or antimony was given as an emetic. When the vomiting, or puking, as it was called in old times, had ceased, a powerful cathartic, consisting of ten grains each of calomel and jalup was administered. During the prog- ress of the disease, the treatment was equally heroic. The. medicines of those times were given in their crude state and in quantities which, at the present day, would be regarde as highly dangerous. Medicines in this form, when given in large doses, were very nauseating and disagreeable to
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the taste, quite unlike the sugar coated pills, the elixirs and extracts prepared by skilled manufacturing chemists and given in small doses at the present day ; many powerful drugs were administered, but few were the cases in which calomel was not regarded as the most important weapon in the combat with disease. Patients, while undergoing the treatment to which they were subjected, were forbid- den to quench their raging thirst with cold water, even when the burning fever had reached its highest point.
Many persons who made no complaint of being ill in any respect were bled in the spring or were accustomed to take large doses of physic to guard themselves from the attacks of disease.
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