USA > New Hampshire > Strafford County > Durham > History of the town of Durham, New Hampshire (Oyster River Plantation) with genealogical notes, Volume 1 > Part 5
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There were granted to John Hill, in 1655, "six acres between the land of John Ault on the southwest and land of Jonas Bines on the northwest, joining to a point of land bought of Charles Adams." Here we meet with Jonas Bines again. Apparently about 1648 he had not only a grant near Branson's Creek, as we have seen, but also "One house and In lott conteyning sixe acres or there aboutes which hee bought of Thomas Stephenson being next to the point at the entrance into Oyster River, Compassed wth the river evrie way only the South side and that joines uppon the land of Mr. ffrancis Matthewes, . alsoe a Little Island conteyning two acres or there aboutes being at the en- trance into the little Bay over against a point called by the name of Charles point." On the 10th of the 8th month, 1653, Jonas Bynes had a grant of ten acres of "upland in the head of the Creeke, joining to his Marsh, on the east side of the Creeke," and he had ten acres more granted the IIth of the 2d month, 1654. These grants were on Johnson's Creek. Thus he had at least five small pieces of land widely scattered over the planta- tion of Oyster River. He seems to have lived on a small lot of land nearly opposite Ambler's Islands. I have found no record of the administration of his estate, nor of transfers of his lands, nor of any family.
Charles Adams bought of John Ault, 10 April 1645, "a mes- suage or tenement in the plantation of Oyster River," for £20, and also "so much marsh ground as will keep three cows in the winter time." This seems to be the land sold by Adams to John Hill, and here probably Charles Adams first lived and gave his
48
HISTORY OF DURHAM
name to "Charles Point," later called "Ambler's Point." Tra- dition locates one or more old habitations here, opposite Ambler's Islands, which three islands are spoken of in old deeds as one island of two acres, the division into three having been made by erosion of connecting lands by the waves.
In 1685 Joseph Hill sold to John Smart the farm which he bought of his father, John Hill, "by ye Little Bay between the plantations of Joseph Kent and John Ault." Joseph Smith, attorney for John and Elizabeth Smart of New York, conveyed, 26 March 1703, to John Ambler land and buildings which said Smart bought of Joseph Hill, on the westerly side of Little Bay. Here lived the Ambler family for a long time. The cellar of the house probably built by John Hill and lived in by John Ambler is easily found, in the edge of a grove in Hon. Jeremiah Lang- ley's field. The site is sufficiently elevated to afford a fine view of the bay and the opposite shore.
January 10, 1739, John Ambler conveyed to his son-in-law, Ephraim Libby, of Kittery, all his lands including the "home place" and Island, and, 27 March 1776, Ephraim Libby sold the same to his son-in-law, Thomas Langley, Jr.
Next north of the Hill-Ambler farm was the homestead of Thomas Willey, that descended to his son, Stephen, to grandson, Thomas, to great grandson, Stephen, and to great, great grand- son Stephen. Thomas Willey, who married Margaret Crawford, deposed in 1680 that he had lived at Oyster River forty years. This takes us back to 1640, and he must have been one of the first settlers. He was twenty-three years old in 1640 and may have lived in the family of Darby Field. Traces of his dwelling place are pointed out in the field now belonging to Mr. Edward I. Langley, perhaps thirty rods from the shore of the bay. The road to Oyster River Falls is sometimes called the highway from Wil- ley's Creek, sometimes the highway from Bickford's Ferry. In 1658 Thomas Willey was appointed to keep the "ordinary" in place of John Bickford. Three of the Willey family were car- ried into captivity in 1694, and the house where Thomas Willey lived may then have been burned.
Much research has been made to thus make plain the loca- tions of Branson's Creek, Long or Mill Creek and Plum Swamp Brook, because Miss Mary P. Thompson, in her indispensable Landmarks in Ancient Dover, has made these Creeks the same as
N.
ROAD TO COCHECHO
DOVER
W.
· JOHN MUNSEY
CAPT. SAMUEL CHESLEY
ROB'T THOMPSON
WVWGOON
GAR.
W. JACKSON
GAR .
BUNKER
·GAR.
MEADEX
GARE
TICKLE
· JR. 2
JNO.
DAVIS
GOAT
ISLAND
JOHN MOOR
MILL ROAD
ADAMS
WM. ROBERTSO
FIRST CHURCH
A GILES W
Fox POINT
OYSTER
COFFIN'S MILL
MOSES
CHESLEY'S
MILL
MARY SMALL
JAMES SMITH
DA CAOS
HOGH
BURNHAM GAR
WM WILLIAMS
NICH FOLLETTI
CHAS ADAMS
UNO MILLE
SISLANO
UND AMBLER
PLUM SWAMP BROOK
LITTLE
EDWARD SMALL .
WM. WORMWOOD
RANOGAR -
BAY
THO STEVENSON
EDGERIC GARD LONG
CREEK
. NICHOLAS MEADER
JNO. WHEELER.
THO DREW
BRANSON'S
PACKER'S FALLS
JNO. DOE
WELCH
GOVE
WM. DURGIN
MATHES NECK
FURBEA'S POINT
UNO FOOTMAN
CROMMETT'S CREEK
FOOTMAN'S
PENDERGAST GAR. .
ISLAND
UNO PINDER
MORRIS" POINT
CLIFF COVE
PINDER'S POINT
BROAD COVE
DAVID DAVIS GAR. .
GREAT NEEDHAM'S POINT
UNO. SMITH
COVE
DAVIS - SMITH GAR.
SMITH'S
ISLAND
CHESLEY'S
ISLANDS
JNO. GOODARD
GREAT BAY
UNO. MARTIN
RICHARD YORK
OYSTER RIVER PLANTATION
WINE CELLAR ROAD
UND. DANIEL GROMMETT
O. KENT
CREEK
MONT
NEWMARKET
BACK ROAD
SIMONS LANE
.....
SMALL POINT
BENS HULL
LONG POINT.
GODDARD'S
EXETER [Now NEWMARKET]
LAMPREY RIVER
· GAR ESLEY
BEARDS
PHILIP
JONES
JOHNSON'S
WM. FOLLETT
DUNKER'S CREEK
S
THO. LEIGHTON
ROYAL'S
CoVE
ELI DEMERITT .
MAST ROAD
HILLS 500 ACRES
V. HINTS
DAVISJA
UNO
PYD
FT THATTHEWS.
BIENFORO GARD
WILLEYS
RIVER
CREEK
THE WILLEY
FILAMBLER'S
DANIEL MESERVE
DAVIS
JABEZ DAVIS GAR.
LONG MARSH ROAD
NEWINGTON
LEE
SALATHIEL DENBON
THO. STEVENSON V DREW > WM
OYSTER RIVER
POINT
SULLIVAN
. Jas
SMITH
WM.
WILLIAMS I
CAN'T JONATHAN THOMPSON,
DAVID KINCAID
UNO THOMPSON
HUCKINS GAR A
MADBURY
E.
OLT. JONATHAN CHESLEY
CHESLEY
CREEK
CREEK
LAMPREY RIVER
ROAD
49
HISTORY OF DURHAM
the Great Creek, Matthews Creek, or later Crommett's Creek, which is near the outlet of Great Bay. This occasions confusion in locating theearliest inhabitants. When Miss Thompson wrote, the Provincial Records of New Hampshire had not been indexed, which fact sufficiently explains the errors of that painstaking and entertaining writer.
Once at least Matthews Creek is called the Long Creek, when, in 1653, ten acres were granted to John Hill "between Thomas Footmans grant & the long creeke on the Nor west Side of the great Bay."
South of Willey's Creek and some distance from the shore there are traces of graves, and here was probably the burial ground of the Willey and Bickford families.
Next north of Thomas Willey and at the extremity of Durham Point lived as early as 1639 Darby Field, who signed the so- called Exeter Combination and was the first to explore the White Mountains. He was licensed to sell wine in 1644. Doubt- less he kept the ordinary at the Point, since we know that John Bickford did a little later, to whom Field conveyed, 16 July 1645, his house and lot, except the breadth of a lot in possession of Thomas Willey. Here lived several generations of the Bick- ford family. The garrison, that Thomas Bickford successfully defended in 1694, stood near the water, as traces of a cellar indicate, in a place beautiful for situation. Here terminated Bickford's Ferry. Before his door passed the extensive com- merce and travel of a wide region. Some locate the Bickford garrison "a third of the distance from the shore to the brick house, looking from said house toward the west side of the nearest of the Ambler islands."
Next northwest of John Bickford and just within the mouth of Oyster River were the six acres granted to Jonas Bines, which he bought of Thomas Stevenson. The place is still known as Jonas' Point, sometimes corrupted to Jones' Point. Thus the name of a comparative nobody is perpetuated, while many great and worthy persons are soon forgotten. What is fame? There is no discoverable trace of a habitation on this point, and the soil is comparatively barren. It was acquired by the Bickford family, and, 8 June 1774, John Bickford conveyed to his son, Winthrop Bickford, his homestead and six acres "commonly called Jonas's Point."
4
50
HISTORY OF DURHAM
Next let us try to locate the garrison house of Charles Adams, who very early lived at Charles Point, or Ambler's Point, oppo- site Ambler's Islands. January 30, 1711/12, Rebecca Edgerly, daughter of John Ault, aged 71, deposed "that Charles Adams did possess land within the mouth of Oyster River joining to Francis Mathes above sixty years ago [about 1650] and ever since till Oyster River was destroyed and then the said Adams was killed and his house burned by the enemie." John Meader, senior, aged 82, testified at the same time to the same effect. In 1656 the town of Dover granted to Charles Adams twelve acres of land. "It beginneth at a marked tree behind his house lot about a hundred Rode by the hieway side that goeth to Oyster River Falls and runneth from that marked tree forty eaght Rod to A marked tree west and from that tree it Runneth south sixty Rode to another marked tree and from that marked tree where it begune it runneth south Twenty eaght Rode and from that tree it Runeth uppon a straight line west and be south or thear aboutes to the other Corner." This was laid out in 1671. On the 10th of 2d month, 1654, there were granted to John Bickford ten acres "behinde the Lott of Charles Adams" and the same day ten acres were granted to Thomas Willey "behinde the Lott of Charles Adams."
In 17II Joseph Dudy, or Durrell, who had married Rebecca Adams, granddaughter of the first Charles Adams, together with his wife and her sister Esther Adams, conveyed to Francis Mathes the home plantation of Charles Adams, estimated to contain eighteen acres, "bounded on the north with the high- way that leads from Willeys Creek to Oyster River Falls," together with the twelve-acre grant of 1656 above described. These conveyances make it perfectly plain that Charles Adams' garrison stood south of the present road, which is the same as the ancient one, and the logical place, indeed the only suitable place for a house, is the site of the brick house built by Washing- ton Mathes and now in ruins. Fourteen of the Adams family perished in the massacre of 1694, and one at least, Ursula, was taken to Canada, never to return. The bodies of the fourteen were buried under a little mound close to the tomb on the cast side of the Mathes burial ground, a pathetic reminder of the hardships and sufferings of those who prepared this beautiful land for us.
5I
HISTORY OF DURHAM
The next lot of land west of Darby Field, or John Bickford, and abutting on Oyster River, originally belonged to William Beard, who conveyed it to Francis Matthews, in June 1640. Francis Matthews was one of Capt. John Mason's colonists in 1634, the same who married, 22 November 1622, Thomasine Channon, at Ottery St. Mary, Devonshire. Since 1640 the land has been in the unbroken possession of the Matthews, now Mathes, family. The first house is said to have stood a little north of the site of the present one. It withstood the attack of the Indians in 1694.
COMFORT MATHES CAMP
Owned by Miss Fannie Pendexter Mathes. Once the residence of the late Benjamin and Comfort (Smart) Mathes
Matthew Giles first owned the next lot up the river, and the middle of the channel of the little creek was the dividing line between the two lots. "Giles old field lying between two creeks" is repeatedly mentioned in old deeds. He died in 1666 and his estate was divided between Matthew Williams and Richard Knight. The latter sold it to William Pitman, who willed it to his son, Francis, and Francis Pitman sold it to Edward Wake- ham, weaver, 2 May 1695. Wakcham had married Sarah Meader from the other side of the river and at its mouth, and
52
HISTORY OF DURHAM
here his son, Caleb, lived till he perished in a storm, in 1770, "supposed to be much in liquor," as Schoolmaster Tate says. The creek on the west side of Wakeham's lot was long known as Wakeham's Creek, earlier as Giles Creek.
Francis Pitman sold a portion of the old Giles farm to Nicholas Dunn, who was taxed at Oyster River in 1680. On the 18th of October 1699, Elizabeth Dunn, "who was ye wife of Nicholas Dunn," of Oyster River, conveyed to Edward Wakeham land joining to said Wakeham's land, that was bought of Francis Pitman. N. H. Prov. Deeds, X, 369.
The next lot west of Wakeham's Creek was first owned by Darby Field, conveyed by him to William Roberts, and by him to William Drew before 1648. Doubtless Drew was the first one to live here, and the place was long known as Drew's Point. The cellar of his garrison house may be plainly seen and traces of the orchard around it. The house was burned in 1694. Stephen Jenkins acquired this place, 10 May 1712, and sold it to James Langley, 5 November 1714, and here lived several generations of the Langley family. This with the Wakeham farm eventually came into the possession of the Mathes family, who seem to have gradually bought everything that joined them.
Between this lot and the next a road was laid out in 1715 on petition of James Langley. His next neighbor up the river was Bartholomew Stevenson, son of Thomas. On the IIth of the fifth month, 1644, three acres at the Oyster Point were granted to Thomas Stevenson, and the neck of land opposite. September 3, 1680, Thomas Willey, aged 63, and Margaret Willey his wife, aged 65, deposed that they had lived in Oyster River forty years or thereabouts, that Thomas Stevenson cultivated his neck of land forty years ago near the Oyster Bank, commonly called Stevenson's Neck. This carries Thomas Stevenson back to 1640, evidently one of the earliest settlers, who had cultivated land here some years before he received a formal town grant. The western boundary of Stevenson's land was called Stevenson's Creek, into which flowed Stoney Brook from the southwest. Two acres of marsh near the mouth of Stevenson's Creek very early belonged to Joseph Field and is repeatedly mentioned in deeds.
On the neck of land between Oyster River and Stevenson's Creek, at the extreme point is the cellar of Thomas Stevenson,
53
HISTORY OF DURHAM
a deep excavation, with split stone around it and an old wall and apple tree behind it. The gently sloping ledge in front of it served as a convenient landing. The place is now surrounded by woods. On the highest point of this neck of land are found in the edge of the grove bricks and indications that here may have once been a house. The view up the river is one of the very best. In about the center of the spacious field is a low mound, and here are found several rough oblong granite stones similar to those used to mark graves in early times.
Above Stevenson's Creek a lot was granted, 10 August 1653, to John Pillin, called also Pillion, Pillon, and Pelline in deeds, "forty acres of land beinge upon the noe west side of Stoney Brooke." Little is known of John Pillin. John Goddard may have administered his estate, for he sold this lot, 6 April 1659, to William Williams, senior, forty acres on the south side of Oyster River, "butting upon a creek commonly called Stimpsons Creek, which was John Pillions with ye necke of land w.ch lyes betweene Stoney Brooke & the Meeting house Lott." William Williams and wife Agnes conveyed this lot, bounded in like manner, 18 June 1674, to Joseph Field. Zachary Field, brother to Joseph, sold it to John Davis, II December 1710. On the 22d of July 1680 there was an agreement made between Nicholas Follet and Joseph Stevenson about bounds of land "neare to ffollets now dwelling house & adjoining to Joseph Fields marsh · and sª Stevensons land." This appears to be the land lying between Stevenson's Creek and Stoney Brook, not extending down to the river. See N. H. Prov. Deeds, III, 158a.
March 26, 1701, Nicholas Follett and wife, Mary, sold to Nathaniel Meader all lands of his father in Oyster River, in- cluding that fenced land he died possessed of, bounded with the land of Joseph Stevenson "on ye east and land of Joseph Field on ye north and ye lands of Thomas Drew on ye south." Meader sold this to Thomas Footman, and it descended to his son, Francis Footman, and from him to his son, Thomas Foot- man, by division of estate in 1774, forty acres bounded on the west by Daniel Davis. This lot now contains the eastern field of Mr. Clarence 1. Smart's farm, and on a little hill in this field may be seen the deep cellar of what tradition says was a garrison house. It is somewhat concealed by a clump of trees. Here, doubtless, lived Nicholas Follett. Not far distant in a
54
HISTORY OF DURHAM
northerly direction and just where Stoney Brook broadens into Stevenson's Creek are plain evidences of an old wharf or landing place, where the boats of Nicholas Follett, mariner, must have been moored.
On the lot originally that of John Pillin and later belonging to Daniel Davis a house once stood on a hilltop in Mr. Smart's field. The cellar has been filled till not a trace remains. At this point of view one looks down upon the slate tombstone in the field, where rests the body of Ivory H. Willey, who died 30 September 1832, aged 22 years and 5 months. As much further beyond one sees a clump of trees and close beside it, at the extreme point of land, is a very old landing place, repaired by Dea. James Munroe Smart in his day. From this place have been shipped to Portsmouth many loads of quarried stone and of brick dug out of this farm.
Not far from the main road and cast of Mr. Smart's house is the cellar of the house where lived Abijah Pinkham, whose burial place with broken down marble tombstones is hidden from view by overgrowing shrubbery. It was walled in, a short distance northerly of where the old barn stood. Here also lies the body of his wife, Rachel (Huckins) Pinkham, and there are indications of several other graves. The inscriptions that can be read appear in the genealogical notes on the Pink- ham family, in this history.
We come now to the meeting house lot. A meeting house was built here by Valentine Hill, in 1655, and a parsonage was built the following year, but the formal grant for the use of the ministry was not made till 20 September 1668. Then sixty acres were granted by the selectmen "for the meeting house and burying place." "It runes from ye water side next to William Williams sener his Lot and it Runs thear along the highway from the water side south west 324 rods to a whit oak tree marked on both Sids and from the tree it Runes south east 35 Rods to a pitch Pine with 4 Rod alowed ye Length for a high way and from that tree it Runs northeast to John Palles Lot and soe by it to the water side by the same point and we have alowed fower Rod in the Length of it for A high way to go across the lot. This is the Towne Lott only exsempting Joseph Fields marsh which is in some part of the front of it." In 1762 there is an article in the warrant for town meeting, "to see whether
55
HISTORY OF DURHAM
the town will choose a committee to settle the boundary of the parsonage Lott near the Oyster Bed where the old meeting house formerly stood." Agreeably to this a committee, con- sisting of Joseph Smith, Jeremiah Burnham, and Ebenezer Thompson, renewed the boundaries of the lot, 7 May 1774. "We began at the River side by a small alder And run South west 324 Rods (going across a Rock near the house formerly Stephen Jenkans Deceased) to a Saplin pine and spotted it on four sides and then South East 35 Rods to a Picked Rock and marked it T. L. and then North East 324 Rods to the River and then to the first bounds and we find that in runing these points we include about one acre of Fields Marsh (so called)."
"We have also run out Two acres of Land for the use of the Town aforesaid that is now in possession of the heirs of Daniel Davis Deceased by their liberty. We began by the water side adjoining said Town lot at the place where was the old Burying place & Run South west 29 Rods, and then began again at said water side and run south 67º East 12 rods then S. W. 25 rods and then to the place where the 29 rods ended." Here, then, were the first church and parsonage and the oldest burial ground in Durham, on a little plot of ground in the part of the parsonage lot that lies close to the river. Here is a slightly elevated ridge of land now covered with a clump of trees and bushes. Search failed to disclose any signs of graves. The first church must have stood near by on the river bank. The parsonage was probably on higher ground, but no trace of a cellar has been discovered. Here lived the Rev. John Buss.
The road which formed the western part of the meeting house lot was only a bridle path. The next lot was that of William Williams. Just when he settled here is unknown, but he came with Thomas Wiggin to Dover Neck in 1633. There were granted to William Williams, senior, 24 August 1651, twenty acres bounded then by lands of John Bickford and Mr. Am- brose Gibbons, "from William Williams his house to the next creek westward and from his house to the eastward eight rods." In 1665 he had a grant of twenty acres more, "to be joined to his house loot bounded twelve pooll by the water side next to the meeting house and the rest adjoining to his former loot backwards." William Williams and wife, Mary, and Samuel Hill and wife, Elizabeth, 23 March 1686, conveyed
56
HISTORY OF DURHAM
to Stephen Jenkins of Kittery land "on which the aforesaid William Williams now liveth, containing fforty acres as it is bounded between the lands called Roberts his Land on the North west and the High way or the Ministers Lot on the South east, and butting upon Oyster River." Here the Jenkins family lived a long time. Stephen Jenkins' house stood on or very near the site of the old house now standing on the hilltop, and William Williams lived, as the above citation shows, near the river bank, twenty rods west of the parsonage lot. The Mathes brickyard accounts for the disappearance of the cellar.
March 6, 1743/4, John Jenkins and Rebecca, his wife, sold to Valentine Mathes thirty acres which he purchased of his father, Stephen Jenkins, bounded on "ye west or norwest side by land now in possession of Jeremiah Burnham and Robert Burnham, on ye north or northeast side by ye town Lot, on east or south side by a high way yt leads from ye town Lot to a Place called Long Marsh."
William Roberts lived on the next lot west, the same who was killed by Indians in 1675. He sold a piece next to the road, on the back side of his lot to Thomas Doughty, who sold it to John Cutts of Portsmouth in 1667. The place still goes by the name of Cutts' Hill. In 1664 Roberts gave a deed of his remain- ing land to William Pitman, who had been living there since earlier than 1657 and had, perhaps, married Roberts' daughter, Ann. In the sale to "William Pitman & to his Eldest son Ezekiel Pitman" the land is described as adjacent to "Robt Burnhams lands on the north west side of it And Thomas Dow- ties on the South east side to a marked tree at ye lower end of the fresh marsh & from thence along the brow of ye Hill till it meet with Robert Burnhams line and from thence along his line to Oyster River & ye River bounds ye other end." The price was sixteen pounds. Here lived the Pitman family many years. The southerly end of the farm on the south side of the main road is still known as the Pitman field.
The next lot west of Roberts' land was originally owned by Ambrose Gibbons, the leader of Capt. John Mason's colony in the settlement at Great Works, now in South Berwick, Me. He settled here before 1640, and on the 5th of the 10th month, 1652, he had a grant of land adjoining his marsh from the "creek between his land and William Roberts" to the "western creek."
57
HISTORY OF DURHAM
This grant of two hundred acres he willed to Henry Sherburne of Portsmouth, who had married his only child, Rebecca Gibbons. On the 12th of May 1657, Henry Sherburne, for £100, conveyed to Robert Burnham of Oyster River "one dwelling house with the out howses appertayning thereto with all the lands which the said Ambrose Gibbins Dyed possessed off," "betweene the Creeke upon the lands of William Pitman, formerly William Roberts, toward the South East and a certayne Creeke towards the west abutting upon said River called Oyster River towards the east and so runneth up into the woods towards the South to the quantity of about two hundred acres," "and also all the meadow lying in Oyster River aforesaid which the said Am- bros Gibbins Dyed possessed off." See Suffolk Deeds, 111, 17. The original deed is in the possession of S. H. Shackford, Esq., Boston. The land was laid out to Robert Burnham in 1661, one hundred rods on the river and running southwest 388 rods, "from the head of the creeke near William Pitmans house upon a south west line 388 rods long and it lieth from Benjamin Mathewes his lote sid south so west the breadth of this lote," as the Dover records say. The Burnham garrison house,-and probably this was the house of Ambrose Gibbons, stood on the hilltop, where the old cellar may be plainly seen, as well as the cellar of a smaller house or out-building near by. Ezekiel Pitman lived within gunshot at the time of the massacre in 1694 and hearing cries of alarm escaped with his family to the Burn- ham garrison, while his own house was burned. See Landmarks in Ancient Dover, p. 180.
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