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 9
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HISTORY OF CANDIA.
a new, elegant hearse was purchased by the selectmen, and a new hearse house was built on a spot on the north side of High Street, opposite the cemetery. The new hearse was used for the first time at the funeral of Thomas Bean.
At the present date, nearly all the space in the old ceme- tery is occupied, and other land adjoining must be added or another lot must be secured elsewhere.
NORTH ROAD CEMETERY.
In the early part of the present century, a small plot of ground on the farmof J. Chase Smith, upon the North Road, was laid out for a cemetery. The remains of quite a num- ber of the people who had resided in this section of the town, are buried here. "Of late years, however, an inter- ment at this place has been very rare.
On September 28, 1820, Josiah Prescott, who had resided in the neighborhood, died of a fever, and his remains were buried at this cemetery. During the begining of the follow- ing year, it was suspected that Prescott's body had been taken from the grave for dissection by some of the students of Dr. William Graves, a distinguished physician and sur- geon, of South Deerfield, about four miles distant from the cemetery. On the 13th of May, 1821, the grave was opened, and it was found that the body had been removed. Pres- cott left a widow and four children. Upon the facts be- coming known, the people of Candia and the neighboring towns were greatly shocked, and much indignation was felt towards the suspected parties. The case was thorough- ly investigated, but no positive proof of the guilt of any person could be obtained. The great event was celebrat- ed in a long poem, which was said to have been written by Elijah Smith, of Candia North Road.
The following stanzas will give some idea of the genius displayed by the writer. If he did not demonstrate that he was a great poet, it was no fault of his own, for it was ev- ident that he didthe very best that he possibly could :
" But here among the cells of clay, An awful scene has been displayed,
Miscreants bold have stol'n away
A subject which has here been laid.
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Beneath the covert of the night, They did commit this shameful act.
That none might bring their crime to light, Or dare to charge them with the fact.
Yet in the resurrection day, When all in judgment shall appear,
Prescott will then without delay, Meet those who stole his body here.
Then hear and tremble at the thought, Ye perpetrators of the deed,
That you in judgment must be brought, Then guilty of the crime to plead.'
Among the students who were instructed by Dr. Graves at the time referred to, were Dr. Isaiah Lane, of Candia, and Dr. Noah Martin, of Pembroke, afterwards of Dover and Governor of the State. Neither of these men ever suf- fered any loss of reputation on account of the affair. It is related that on the occasion of the marriage of Ezekiel Lane to Polly Rowe, which took place in 1824, Isaiah Lane, his brother, was one of the guests who witnessed the ceremo- ny at the residence of Nathaniel Rowe, the bride's father. At the dinner which followed, some of the gentlemen pres- ent were requested to carve the turkey; but the most of them were very shy and bashful, and respectfully declined. At last, Sally Wiggins, afterwards . Mrs. Nehemiah Hardy, of Hooksett, who was assisting as a waiter at the table, stepped up boldly to Dr. Lane and exclaimed, " Doctor, you know all about dissecting, and are just the man to cut up that turkey." All of the guests laughed heartily at this. keen thrust, and none more heartily than Dr. Lane, who in- stantly arose from the table, carved the turkey in a very scientific manner, and Sally Wiggins was happy.
At the time when it was found that the body of Prescott had been exhumed, it was feared that the remains of sever- al persons, which had recently been interred in the old cem- etery, had been removed. Several graves were accordingly opened, but no signs or their having been tampered with were discovered.
CEMETERY ON THE NEW BOSTON ROAD.
When Benjamin Lang, one of the first settlers on the New
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HISTORY OF CANDIA.
Boston road died, his remains were buried in a field belonging to his farm, a short distance from his dwelling house. His wife, who died in 1830, was also buried there. Since that time, the remains of a few other members of the family have been buried in the lot; but of late years an interment in this cemetery has been a rare occurrence, as many of the people in that section of the town have, for a number of years, buried their dead at either the old cemetery or that which is located in the village.
The grounds at the Lang cemetery, which have always been kept in good condition, are well adapted for a burial place.
THE REYNOLD'S CEMETERY.
In 1835, a number of people of the town were afflicted with small-pox. The Reynolds family, who lived on the road leading from the Corner to Raymond, were the great- est sufferers. Mr. Reynolds and one or two daughters died, and their remains were buried in a small lot of land situated on the south side of the highway, about a quarter of a mile west of the upper end of the Langford road. The lot, which was walled, is very near the highway.
CEMETERY AT EAST CANDIA.
Previous to the year 1818, the people of the Langford Dis- trict, or East Candia, as it is now called, buried their dead at the old cemetery, near the Congregational Meeting House, more than three miles distant. During the winter of that year, Miss Sally Clifford died in the neighborhood. The following evening, the subject of the funeral was talked
over by several citizens at Abel Follansbee's store. The trouble of reaching the old cemetery in cold and stormy weather was referred to, when Benjamin Edgerly, who was present, remarked that he would set off from his farm a lot for a cemetery, provided other citizens would enclose it by a good stone wall. Upon this, David Heath, William Clif- ford and Jeremiah Bean agreed to build the wall and put the grounds in order. The land was immediately staked out, and the remains of Miss Clifford were the first to be buried there. Some years ago the grounds were enlarged, and various improvements were made.
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THE FIRST VILLAGE CEMETERY.
About the year 1815, a lot of land containing upwards of an acre, was laid out for a cemetery in Candia Village. The lot, which was walled in, was situated on the northwestern side of the mill pond and a few rods from the Free-Will Baptist Meeting House. The remains of a considerable number of the people in that section of the town were bur- ied there during a period of nearly forty years. In 1851, the remains of most of those buried there were removed to the new cemetery, which had been established in another section of the village. At the present date, there are very few graves or grave stones remaining in the old village cemetery.
THE CEMETERY AT THE ISLAND.
Many years ago, a cemetery was established at the Is- land near the Raymond line, and a few rods below the vil- lage. The remains of the Bean family, for several genera- tions, are deposited here, including those of Abraham Bean and wife, Joseph Bean and wife, Gordon Bean and wife, and David Bean and wife. The remains of many of the members of other prominent families in that neighborhood, are also buried in this cemetery. The lot, which contains about an acre of land, is well laid out and walled in. Many of the monuments erected in this cemetery, are very beautiful in design and finish. It is probale that the re- mains of one hundred persons have been buried here.
THE NEW VILLAGE CEMETERY.
In 1850, a company, with a capital stock of 150 dollars in shares of three dollars each, was incorporated by the legislature of 1850, for the purpose of establishing a new cemetery at Candia Village. The following are the names of the most of the original associates and stock-holders :
Elihu Chase, Benjamin Taylor, J. B. Richardson, C. B. Haines, J. W. Lovejoy, L. F. Buswell, J. G. Turner, J. G. Richardson, A. D. Dudley, E. S. Bean, P. W. Sanborn, A. E. Morrison, David F. Clay, D. B. Dearborn, A. Gilchrist, J. Godfrey, N. Brown, Samuel Fisk, E. Davis, O. G. Critch.
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HISTORY OF CANDIA.
ett, Samuel Colcord, Cyrus T. Lane, F. J. White, J. W. Bean, M. D. Richardson, J. P. Godfrey, S. G. Moore, D. S. Bean, J. Hall, Thomas Robinson, Thomas J. Morrison, Jacob Morrill, Lorenzo Hoitt, Jefferson Griffin, John Moore.
The cemetery is beautifully situated in a grove in the south part of the village, a few rods from the east side of the main road. The grounds have been laid out in excel- lent taste. In 1880, the cemetery was enlarged, so that the lot now contains three acres.
THE CEMETERY AT THE CORNER.
In 1878, Mrs. Sarah Holbrook, of Lowell, Mass., bought a lot of land containing about five acres, which was form- erly a part of the farm which belonged to the late Captain Jonathan Pillsbury. It is situated near Candia Corner, the west side of the road leading from Chester to Deerfield. The west side of the lot, containing about two and a half acres, was laid out for a cemetery. Subsequently, a sub- stantial receiving tomb was erected upon the grounds. A considerable number of lots have been sold, and the re- mains of about thirty persons have been buried in the cem- etery.
THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD.
For many years after the settlement of the town, the dead were prepared for burial in the most simple and inex- pensive manner. The body was dressed in plain under- clothes and wrapped in a linen or cotton sheet, which was arranged in a manner so that the head could readily be . covered or uncovered as might be desired. The coffin was generally made of white pine boards, by some joiner in the neighborhood of the family of the deceased. The lid was attached to the cover by leather or iron hinges. For a long time there was no inside lining to the coffin, but in the course of years plain cotton cloth was used for that purpose. Until about the year 1826, coffins were painted usually with lamp black mixed with boiled skim milk. In this way the paint dried in a very short time. The whole expense for coffins for adults, was one dollar for a long pe-
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riod. In an account book kept by John Lane, Senior, from 1784 to 1801, he invariably charged only four shillings for an adult, which was about equal to one dollar in Amer- ican currency.
Coffins were universally painted black until 1826, when red became the favorite color. In November of that year, a daughter of Samuel Sargent died in Dedham, Massachu- setts, and the body, which was brought to Candia for buri- al in the old cemetery, was enclosed in a coffin of bright red color. About that time, it became the custom to make coffins of better materials and better workmanship. About 1830, they were painted of a mahogany color. The color in a few years afterwards, was changed to that of rose- wood. .
Caskets made of veneered mahogany or rosewood, or in imitation of those kinds of wood, came into vogue about the year 1855. A few years afterwards, caskets covered with black broadcloth, richly lined with satin and furnished with heavy silver plated handles, were introduced.
The custom of dressing the corpse in a plain black robe, was introduced about the year 1830, and it was not until about the year 1845, that the dead were to any great extent arrayed in their very best and most costly apparel.
The costly funerals in the cities and towns of New Eng- land, are in wide contrast to those of seventy five or one hundred years ago. Then there were no undertakers, ex- cept in the largest cities and towns. The neighbors, who had cheerfully alternated with each other in watching with the sick, when a death occurred, volunteered to assist in laying out the remains. One neighbor would notify the rela- tives and friends of the sad event and the time of the fune- ral, while two or three others would dig the grave, and still another selected the bearers and made arrangements for the funeral. „Until within about ninety years, there were no carriages tn the town, and the dead were borne to the grave upon a rude bier made for the occasion, and the bier was carried by a double set of bearers, who alternated with each other, in case there was a long distance between the house of mourning and the cemetery or grave yard, as it was then called. The coffin was covered with a black pall
Sketch, page 503.
STEPHEN SMYTH.
DOROTHY SMYTH.
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or grave cloth, which was furnished by the town and kept for such purposes. After the grave had been filled, the bier was placed over it, where it often remained for many years in a state of decay. Sixty-five years ago, there might have been seen in the old cemetery many biers of various sizes in all stages of decay. All this was changed for the better when biers were provided at the public expense.
During the first seventy-five years after the town was set- tled, the expenses of a funeral were merely nominal, ex- cept for mourning apparel. . Now-a-days, the cost of what is deemed a respectable funeral for people in ordinary cir- cumstances in our country towns, ranges from twenty-five to seventy-five dollars; while in the cities and large towns it is double that sum, and those of the 'very rich classes range from two hundred to one thousand dollars. Under these circumstances, a funeral becomes a great burden to people of limited means. In view of these things, it has been said that many people were so poor that they could not afford to die.
The custom of wearing the symbols of mourning is much less common than formerly, and some of the people of Candia, in these days, venture to say there is no more rea- son why people should dress themselves in solemn black for two years after the leath of a relative, than that they should clothe themselves in coarse sackcloth, sprinkle ash- es upon their heads, and wail and howl for days together, as was the custom under the same circumstances among our barbaric ancestors, many centuries ago. In this age, many of the wisest and best people regard death as a bene- ficent ordinance of a wise and beneficent Creator, and neith- er a calamity or a curse for some fancied disobedience of the requirements of an angry Deity. Such as these, believe that everything possible should be done to soothe the wounded spirits of those who are called to part with their friends at the portals of the tomb, instead of surrounding them with the emblems of gloom and sadness. Hence they rejoice in the change which has brought flowers to the house of mourning instead of crape, and sweet music in- stead of dismal dirges and the tolling bell. In view of the
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HISTORY OF CANDIA.
fact, that at death all earthly distinctions are at an end and all are equal before the Infinite Father, many good people now believe that the custom of making costiy dis- plays at funerals in token of respect for the deceased, "is more honored in the breach than in the observance."
The statement relating to the use of the new hearse for the first time on page 107, was erroneous. It was at the funeral of Richard H. Bean, a son of Thomas Bean, who died October 4, 1871, that the hearse was first used.
CHAPTER XVI.
THE FIRST POLITICAL PARTIES IN CANDIA AND THE WAR OF 1812.
SOON after the Constitution was adopted and the general government was established, the people of the country were divided into two great political parties. One of them was called the Federal party, and the other was known as the Anti-Federal or Democratic party. From the outset, the members of these parties differed widely in regard to the measures which should be supported in the administra- tion of the government. It has been said that the leaders of the. Federal party were in favor of a strong central gov- ernment, and the introduction of forms and ceremonies for the purpose of dignifying the young Republic, and com- manding the respect and reverence of the people. The Democrats, on the other hand, feared that the rights of the states would be destroyed, and that the government would become costly and aristocratic like those of European na- tions. Washington, Hamilton and Adams belonged to the Federal party, while Jefferson was the great leader of the Democratic party.
In the course of years, the affairs of the United States were placed in a most favorable condition. The financial matters were put upon a sound basis, and there was a pe- riod of peace between the Republic and England.
At length, however, a great war broke out between France and England. A very large proportion of the people of the United States sympathized with France, for the reason that she had been the great ally of the United States in the Revolutionary war, while there was another party who sympathized more with England, on account of the gross outrages which were perpetrated by the people of that country during the reign of terror.
In the course of this war, England issued an order forbid- ding all nations to trade with France. This order was soon followed by an order from Napoleon, who was at the
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head of the French government, forbidding all trade with England. France and England claimed the right to search all vessels engaged in such trade, so that every American vessel was liable to capture by one or the other of the belligerent nations. The result was, that a very large number of American vessels were captured or destroyed by the French and English cruisers.
At about the same time, the British government claimed the right to search all American vessels for English seamen, and to seize any such if they were found. It is said that several hundred seamen were seized in the course of one year. The British frigate, Leopard, attacked the American frigate, Chesapeake, and took from her four seamen on the pretence that they were deserters, one of whom was hanged.
In 1807, Congress passed an act forbidding all American vessels to leave American ports, which was called an em- bargo; but this measure completely ruined the commerce of the United States, and proved more injurious to the peo- ple of this country, than to those of England. There was great opposition to the policy of the general government, especially by the Federal party. Many declared that the injuries committed by England upon the United States, were no greater than those committed by France. The Democrats, on the other hand, were bitterly hostile to England, and were in favor of adopting the severest meas- ures in retaliation for the injuries they had inflicted upon the American people. The act laying an embargo upon the American shipping was at length repealed, but the out- rages upon America by the British government were con- tinued.
About this time, secret political societies were organized by the Federals in a very large number of the towns in New England, called Washington Benevolent Societies. These associations were evidently formed mainly for the purpose of aiding in the overthrow of the Democratic party and the administration of President Madison. The fol- lowing is a copy of the preamble and by-laws of a society of this kind, which was formed by the prominent Federal- ists of Candia, about the year 1811 :
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CONSTITUTION
Of the Washington Benevolent Society, of the Town of Can- dia, County of Rockingham, and State of New Hampshire.
PREAMBLE.
We, the undersigned, having witnessed with pain and deep regret the deep inroads which have been made, and still are making upon the public morals of our beloved country, perceiving also that our invaluable civil institu- tions may soon be shaken to their center by the corrupt conduct and practice of designing men, and unless coun- teracted, they will overwhelm in one common ruin every- thing valuable in society, and produce oppressive and uni- versal distress ; and believing when bad men combine, it is absolutely necessary that good men should unite, that the only effectual mode of opposing the tide of immorality and corruption, which appears to be setting strongly against the best interests of the community, is that of forming as- sociations for the laudable purpose of inculcating upon the minds of men, virtuous principles, disseminating correct and useful information among the people, and by benevolence and brotherly love, fostering and encouraging those immu- table principles of moral obligation, which ennoble human nature, and render the heart a fit receptacle of virtuous im- pressions.
We have thought proper, therefore, to adopt the following articles as a constitution, by which we will be governed and directed in the execution of so benevolent a design:
ARTICLE I.
This society shall be known and distinguished by the name of the Candia Washington Benevolent Society.
ARTICLE II.
The officers of this society shall consist of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Stewards, a Standing Committee of seven persons, and Doorkeepers, all of which officers shall hold their offices one year from the first Mon- day of February, annually. The society shall make all elections by ballot, and the candidates having the greatest
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number of ballots shall be declared duly elected ; and if I" any vacancy shall happen in any of the said offices, a new election shall be held at the next regular meeting. The President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, shall be ex-officio members of the Committee, in addition to the several persons elected for that purpose.
ARTICLE III.
The society shall hold a regular meeting on the first Mon- day of each month, and may adjourn from time to time, and at every meeting the President, or in his absence the. Vice President, or in the absence of the President aud Vice President, the senior member of the Standing Committee: shall preside.
ARTICLE IV.
The Secretary shall keep the books and minutes, and re- cord such proceedings as the society shall direct.
ARTICLE v.
The Stewards shall provide a place of meeting for the so- ciety, procure the necessary accommodations, distribute and collect the ballots at the election of members, assist in preserving order, and be the acting officers in the society under the direction of the acting President.
ARTICLE VI.
The Standing Committee shall distribute the Benevolent donations of the society, and attend to such other duties as the society shall direct ; but no donation shall exceed the sum of five dollars to any one person in one month, with- out the consent of the society is first obtained, and they shall make a report to the society every three months what donations they have made, and to what persons, and they shall have power to draw on the Treasurer for such sums as they shall expend.
ARTICLE VII.
The Treasurer shall hold the funds of the society, called the initiative fees and dues of the members, and report ev- ery three months to the society the state of the funds.
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ARTICLE VIII.
Every member shall pay on his initiation, the sum of one dollar, which payment shall entitle him to a copy of Wash- ington's Farewell Address to the People of the United States, containing a certificate of his admission, and each member shall pay the annual sum of one dollar in quarter yearly payments.
ARTICLE IX.
Persons who have been duly initiated into any other so- ciety of a similar nature, on producing their certificate of admission and signing the constitution and by-laws of this society, shall be entitled to all the privileges of a member of this society, and shall be liable to the annual sum as re- quired in the next preceding article, providing no excep- tion be made to his admission by any one of the Standing Committee.
ARTICLE x.
Persons proposed as members must be recommended by two or more of the Standing Committee at a meeting of the. society, and be balloted for with white and black balls, and the balloting may be postponed to any future meeting at the request of one-third of the members present. The Pres- ident shall examine the ballots and declare whether the candidate is admitted. Five black balls shall be sufficient to prevent the admission of any person applying for that purpose, and no person shall be balloted for or any other business done, unless ten members are present.
ARTICLE XI.
The form of initiation and the manner of receiving mem- bers into the society, who have been duly elected, shall be regulated by the by-laws.
ARTICLE XII.
The society shall have power to make such by-laws as may be deemed necessary, but no part of this constitution shall be altered without the consent of a majority of all the members of the society residing within the town.
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BY-LAWS
Of the Washington Benevolent Society, of the Town of Can- dia, County of Rockingham, and State of New Hampshire.
ARTICLE I.
Section 1. The President, or person whose duty it shall be to preside, shall take the chair on each evening or day at the hour the society stands adjourned, and immediately call the members to order, and as soon as ten members are present, including officers, and before entering on any busi- ness, shall direct the stewards to see whether all the per- sons in the room are members, after which he shall direct the minutes of the preceding monthly meeting, and of the special meetings which have been held since the last monthly meetings, to be read. He shall then read in a sol- emn manner, the form of prayer adopted by the society.
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