USA > New Hampshire > Strafford County > Durham > History of the town of Durham, New Hampshire (Oyster River Plantation) with genealogical notes, Volume 1 > Part 6
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The land between the grant to Ambrose Gibbons and the Sullivan place was originally granted to Benjamin Matthews. June 26, 1682, John Mighell of Newbury sold to John Davis, junior, forty acres which he bought of Benjamin Matthews, 2 January 1673, which deed is not recorded. John Davis, junior, was here killed by Indians, with wife and two children, in the massacre of 1694. Jeremiah Burnham was made admin- istrator of his estate in 1702. He left a daughter, Sarah, who returned from captivity in Canada and married Peter Mason. She conveyed to John Sullivan, 26 September 1771, thirty acres of the homestead on the south side of the highway from the parsonage house to Durham Point. See Landmarks in Ancient Dover, by Miss Mary P. Thompson, p. 260.
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The fact that Benjamin Matthews owned this land is further evidenced by a town record, dated 9th of 9th month, 1661, when the lot of land granted to Ambrose Gibbons was laid out to Robert Burnham, "from the head of the creek near William Pitman's house," 380 rods long, "and it lieth from Benjamin Mathews his lote sid south so west," the breadth being one hun- dred rods.
The early history of the next lot north of John Davis' is best told in the following citation from a deed, dated 29 March 1682. John Mighell (pronounced M-i-l-e) of Newbury sold to Samuel Burnham "a certain house Lott with a Dwelling house on it ye Lott is Layd out & bounded for ten acres as will appear by the return of it of ye Lott Layers, according to ye grant of ye sd Towne, this dwelling house wth ye Lott & all other priviledges & apptnances there unto belonging with a grant of four acres more adjoining to ye sd ten acres at ye south end of it, if it be to be found in ye records of ye Town of Dover aforesd. This Lott was granted to Joseph Field by ye Town of Dover & by him sold to James Smith of ye same town & ye sd James Smith sold this portion of land to Thomas Mighell as doth appear by a bill of sale under his hand the 28th day of 8th mo 1668 & this bill of sale was assigned to Jnº Mighell his brother to be as good to him, his heirs & success's as it was to Thomas Mighell." Witnesses, James Huckins and William Johnson. N. H. Prov. Deeds, II1, 173b.
This John Mighell took oath as constable of Dover 30 June 1674. He witnessed a deed in 1669 and was a juror in 1672. The Mighell family still has representatives in Rowley, Mass.
April 24, 1718, James Burnham, son of the Samuel Burnham just named, sold to Samuel Smith eighteen acres which were sold by John Miles to Samuel Burnham, except one and a half acres sold to Hugh Adams. October 22, 1718, James and Mary Burnham sold to Jonathan Crosby land and buildings south of Oyster River, which had been sold by John Miles to Samuel Burnham. August 7, 1717, James Burnham and wife Mary sold to Hugh Adams, minister of the Gospel, one acre and a half "near to ye new meeting house near the falls," bounded "northward on the sd Oyster River, northwest on ye Landing place adjoining to and behind the sd meeting house by a straight line running from ye Corner of ye same at the sd River south
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westerly to an heap of stones by a pine bush distant from the south east corner of the said meeting house just two rods five feet and one inch, southwestward by other lands belonging to me" nine rods, then northeastward twenty-eight rods, thence seven or eight rods northwest by north to a flat rock at the edge or brinke of the River. Witnesses, Nathaniel Hill, John Smith, and Joseph Buss. N. H. Prov. Deeds, X, 325.
April 12, 1720, Dr. Jonathan Crosby and wife, Hannah, sold to "Hugh Adams Cler. minister of the Gospel, one and three quarters acres 'near ye uper Meeting house at ye first falls,' three rods to the eastward of his said land and two rods to ye southward thereof, from the southeast corner of his home- stead land one and a half rods east southeast unto a Larg Pitch Pine, thence twenty-three rods to a Larg Black Oak, thence north and by west thirteen rods to the river, thence three and a half rods to a flat rock." Witnesses, Humphrey Sullivan, Thomas Wille, William Pitman. N. H. Prov. Deeds, X1, 402.
February 4, 1741, Hugh Adams and wife, Susanna, sold to John Adams of Boston, merchant, a parcel of land at "ye Land- ing place near the meeting house, bounded southerly on land belonging to Daniel Rogers and Samuel Smith, beginning two rods and five feet from the southeast corner of the meeting house, on a straight line and southeast course twenty-two rods easterly to a pine tree, thence northerly by a stone wall sixteen rods, thence westerly by a straight line to the landing place twelve feet distant from ye south end of ye house belonging to Samuel Adams, thence on ye landing place southwesterly to ye first bounds by ye meeting house, with ye Dwelling house, Barn, orchard, etc." N. H. Prov. Deeds, XXV, 467.
This was sold, 3 October 1764, by John and Annee Adams of Boston to Joseph Drew, who had married Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev. Hugh Adams, and Joseph Drew sold it, 4 October 1764, to Daniel Warner.
June 2, 1743, Hugh and Susanna Adams, for fifty pounds, sold to Samuel Adams, physician, "all ye remainder part of my homestead Lot or Tract of Land lying & being in Durham nigh ye falls Meeting house." bounded "by land I sold to my son Jnº on ye South, by land of Samuel Smith Esq on ye East, ye River on ye North, & westly by ye High way or Landing place so called, on which my sd son Sam1 has built an house
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& barn." Witnesses, Joseph Drew and Elizabeth Drew. N. H. Prov. Deeds, XXVIII, 143.
Dr. Samuel Adams lived here, in a house which he himself built, till his death in 1762. His widow, Rebecca Adams, 19 December 1764, sold to John Sullivan, for 2300 pounds, old tenor, three acres bounded "Northwesterly on the high Way or landing place, South Westerly on lands in Possession of Joseph Drew, South easterly on lands of Joseph Smith Esq" Easterly by Oyster River (so called), with the Buildings & appurs thereunto belonging." Witnesses, Joseph Smith and Winborn Adams.
Thus we have the history of the lot of land on which stands the old Sullivan house so-called, built by Dr. Samuel Adams some time before 1741.
James Smith and his descendants lived on the west side of the road that ran in front of the meeting house after it was built about 1716, and here his son, John, kept an "ordinary." Later Winborn Adams bought a small lot here and he, too, had an ordinary. The Smith land extended toward Broth Hill, where Valentine Hill's "seven Scots" had a small grant, extending down to the "freshet" or mill-pond. Here lived John Hudson, Edward Patterson, Henry Brown, James Oar and other Scotch- men. Later James Smith acquired all this land. Still further west, on the road to Lamprey River, now Newmarket, we come to Denbow's Brook, near which lived Salathiel Denbow, or Dinsmore, as later generations write their surname.
The land at the mouth of Oyster River, on the north side, was granted to Valentine Hill, 5 May 1643, "land from a Creeke over against Thomas Stephenson at Oyster River that hath an Island in the mouth of it to the head of that Creeke in Royalls Cove, to yt part of the North East of Mr. Roberts his marsh, reserving to Mr. Roberts Marsh and twenty acres of Upland, all the rest of that Neck we give to Mr. Hill & one hundred acres more up in the country." The first grant included what is now known as Tickle Point, where the boundary lines of Durham, Madbury and Dover converge to a point. The place is called in old records "Hills Neck." The second grant to Hill was at Wheelwright's Pond, in what is now Lee.
The neck of land between the mouth of Oyster River and Roy- all's Cove was acquired in part by John Meader by purchase
GOAT ISLAND, SEEN FROM FOX POINT, NEWINGTON Beyond is "Hills Neck," or Tickle Point, and Atkinson hill is on the horizon
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HISTORY OF DURHAM
from Valentine Hill, 20 September 1660, and a part was a grant to him and William Sheffield in 1656. On the northeast were lands of Thomas Leighton. Here John Meader had a garrison house and here lived several generations of the Meader family, many of whom were Quakers. The adjoining Leighton farm stretched toward what is now called Atkinson's Hill, from the top of which is gained one of the most beautiful views in New England.
BUNKER GARRISON
Valentine Hill conveyed the rest of his land on the north side of Oyster River and next west of Meader's land, sixty acres, to John Davis of Haverhill, Mass., 14 August 1654, "beginning at the mouth of a creek and extending west southwest to Stoney Brook Cove." The cellar of his garrison house that his son, Col. James Davis, successfully defended in 1694 is easily found close to the west side of a little creek and on elevated ground. The family burial ground is in the field near by.
Next west of John Davis was a grant of forty acres, made to Matthew Williams, who sold it to Joseph Smith, 14 September
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DETAIL OF DOORWAY SCALE 1-2%1'
EAT ELEVATION
WEST ELEVATION
BUNKER GARRISON HOUSE DURHAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE SCALE 1-4'=1'
DRAWN FROM MEASUREMENTS MADE - DECEMBER 5 TH.1910.
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GROUND FLOOR PLAN SCALE 1-8 *- 1'
SOUTH ELEVATION
NORTH ELEVATION
CHARLES R WAIT
ARCHITECT
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1660. On the 3Ist of the 7th month, 1660, there were "given and granted unto Joseph Smith his heirs and assigns one small parcel of wast land on the north side of Oyster River for a house lot, provided it intrench not upon anie former grant, which sayd land lyeth Between the lott of Matthew Willyames and the lot of Wm Willyames Juner." In 1693 he had a grant of ten acres more adjoining his land on the northwest.
William Williams, junior, had his grant of twenty acres 10 August 1653, beginning at the mouth of a creek below Oyster Point. It is now known as Bunker's Creek. Oyster Point lies between the west side of this creek and the river. Here and on the opposite side of the river were the oyster beds that gave name to the river and plantation. Oysters may be found here at the present time.
The land between Bunker's Creek and Johnson's Creek was granted 10 August 1653, to James Bunker and William Follett and later it all came into the possession of the Bunker family, containing 236 acres. The remains of the old Bunker garrison on the hill west of Bunker's Creek are sadly visible. It is a shame to let such a historic landmark go to ruin.
Johnson's Creek was so named from Thomas Johnson, who sold a lot on Dover Neck to William Pomfret in 1639. He had a grant of one hundred acres of upland next to Philip Chesley's land. Ambrose Gibbons had permission to erect a saw mill at the head of this creek in 1652. Johnson died intestate and left no children, and his land was regranted to Stephen Jones in 1672, and thereafter the lower portion of the creek was called Jones' Creek. William Storey, or Storer, had one hundred and forty acres on the east side of the creek, not fronting on the river, one hundred acres of which were owned later by Joseph Jenkins, neighbor to Nathaniel Lomax, Lamos or Lummis, and the rest was bought by Abraham Clark.
Jones' garrison stood on the upper, or west side of the creek, not far from the river. It was burned before 1732. The site of the garrison is made known by a depression containing broken bricks, pieces of pottery and of flint. It is about five or six rods north of the road leading to "Piscataqua Bridge" and about ten or twelve rods from the Chesley division line, on the plain below the walled burial place of the Jones family. The present house on the Jones farm was built about one hundred years ago. The
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farm is now owned by Dr. Alice Chesley of Exeter, whose mother was Harriet Dustin Jones, wife of Lafayette Chesley.
Next west of Jones and between him and William Beard's land was the home land of Philip Chesley. He had a grant of twenty acres near Cochecho in 1644 and still carlier he had a house lot of three and a half acres on Dover neck, which he sold to Thomas Leighton. No evidence has been found that he ever lived at Lubberland, as some have asserted. He had a condi- tional grant in Exeter at an early date but never fulfilled the conditions. In 1664 he deeded to his son, Philip, the "neck of land" whereon he lived, excepting the half already given to son, Thomas. April 23, 1675, there were "laid out to Thomas Ches- ley ten acres of land bought of the Towne at the head of his fathers land upon ye neck on ye north side of ye highway on ye west side of his brothers land joining to his brothers land on the west side and runs in length forty eight rods and ye lines run thirty five rods east and west." The following mutilated record is found in the Dover Town-book: "Laid out unto Philip Chesley Jr. . at the head of his fathers land upon
joins unto Walt Jaxons land in breadth ye line runs
cast and . laid out and bounded by us this ." All of which goes to show that Philip Chesley had a "neck of land" between land of Stephen Jones and land of Walter Jack- son, reaching down to Oyster River. Here was the old Chesley garrison about half way between the Dover road and that to Pascataqua Bridge, twenty rods west from the Jones division wall, on a little elevation in the field of Mr. Daniel Chesley. A door-stone with the name of Alpheus Chesley upon it was taken from this place. The old Chesley burial place is north of this spot, on more elevated land and joining to the westerly side of a stone wall.
Beard's Creek is so called from William Beard, who, as we have seen, sold land near the mouth of Oyster River to Francis Matthews in 1640. His garrison house was east of the creek on the road to Dover. Here he was killed by Indians in 1675. He sold a lot to three Scotchmen, which is thus described in the town records:
Be it knowne unto all men By thes Presence that I William Beard to geather with my wife Elizabeth Beard dwling in the towne of Dover in the County of Norfolke for and in consideration of three and Twinty pounds starling have
5
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HISTORY OF DURHAM
Given granted Barganed and Soold A Sertayne Parsell of Upland and' Meadowelying in Oyster Rever in the presinkes of Dover in the County of Norfolkell unto Robert Junkinge Edward narving and Henrey Browne to them thear heires and asines Exequtores and Adminestratores to have and to hold for Ever. The land yt Bounded by Consent of Evrey of thes parties A Bove minshened the River lyinge on the won end of it about Este and West the won sied of it Bounded by Thomas Johnsons land yt lyinge near North Est and south west the other seid of it is Bounded By the sayd William Beards land and the aforesayd Robert Edward and henrey to have free Egres and Regres therrowe my land toward the Common Witnes my hand and Seall the 9th 12th 1657.
the marke of WILLIAM BEARD.
Sealled and Delivered in the presence of ROBERT BURNUM, the marke of JOHN DIUELL, JOSEPH SMIETH.
This lot was soon in the possession of Walter Jackson, another Scotchman, who had a grant of twenty acres, in 1666, "at the head of his one [own] lot betwixt the Cow path and the swamp."
Walter Jackson sold land to Robert Watson, 14 December 1668, and after Watson was killed by Indians and his widow, Hannah, had married John Ambler they sold this land, 26 March 1703, to Philip Chesley. It measured twenty-seven and a half rods on Oyster River and twenty-five rods on the other end, which bordered on "the Cochecho path," bounded on one side by Philip Chesley and on the other by Walter Jackson's land.
April 10 1675, William Beard and wife, Elizabeth, gave to James Huckins "gratisly and freely" a tract of land near Beard's Creek, adjoining land of John Woodman. There is a mutilated record of a grant to James Huckins, without date, as follows:
James Huckins ten acre lott is layd out and bounded as fol- loweth two joining to ye north end of his whom lott ye south
brook which runs into ye freshet att ye head of ye creek and thence n and by west fifteen rods to a ash tree by ye bridg marked with I. H. and yt tree north north east by ye high way yt comes from Thomas Chesley it come to ye high way yt goes to ye head of Thomas Johnsons Creek eastern corner of his whom lott ye- other eight acres begins att a tree in ye angle of ye high way and runs nor nor east forty two rods by ye high way that goes to Thomas Chesleys to a tree marked with I. H. and from yt tree it runs east northeast forty rods to a tree by ye brook marked with I. H. it runs down ye brook being y. east north east side bound till it come to ye high way yt goes toward ye head of Thomas Johnsons Creek.
The estate of William Beard was divided between his widow, Elizabeth Beard, and Edward Leathers, whose family long lived here. Edward Leathers sold, in 1697, land on the north side of
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HISTORY OF DURHAM
Oyster River to Joseph Smith, and Smith sold the same to Jona- than Chesley. In both deeds it was described as twenty-seven and a half rods on the river and two hundred rods deep, next northerly of Beard's Creek, extending to the brook on which was Huckins' mill, with marsh on the west of Jackson's land. Jona- than Chesley's old garrison house is probably the one now stand- ing on the northerly side of the road to Madbury, a short distance east and on the opposite side of the road from Dea. W. S. Meserve's house. The date, 1716, has recently been found on one of its interior timbers, but the house was probably built before that date. The garrison of his brother, Capt. Samuel Chesley, stood three or four rods cast of Dea. Meserve's house.
The following may be of interest, copied from an old paper in the possession of S. H. Shackford, Esq., of Boston :
Know all men by this presence that I Elizabeth Beard of Oystariver in ye towne of Dover in ye County of Dover & Pouchmoth doc make over my hole Estat which I now poses in Oyster River yt is to say my housing & lands two oxsen too cous three hefers too calves too mears seven sheep six swine unto Robert Burnum of oystar River in ye towne of Dover in ye County of Dover & Porchmoth to improve or let out with my Consent for my uose & benefit in wittness whear of I have set to my hand & Seale in y. year of our Lord : 1676 & on ye 13th day of ye 8: month ELIZABETH BEARD
Her E marke
Sined seld & Delivered
in y' presenc of us witness JAMES HUCKINE EDWARD LETHERS His E marke.
Beard's Creek is fed by a brook that ran through James Huck- ins' land and hence is called Huckins' Brook. From the west it is fed by Stoney Brook (the third brook of that name that we have seen in our rambles about old Oyster River), and between Stoney Brook and Beard's, or Woodman's Creek lay the old estate of Capt. John Woodman, who bought land here of Ben- jamin Matthews in 1663, having had in 1660 a grant of twenty acres, "at the head of William Beard's creek." Here was a public landing place, and south of it, on a commanding hill, may be seen the ruins of Woodman's garrison house.
The tract of land lying between Beard's Creek and Valentine Hill's grant of five hundred acres was originally owned by Wil- liam Hilton, who had a grant here of eighty-eight acres from the town of Dover and sold it, 7 July 1641, to Francis Matthews.
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HISTORY OF DURHAM
The widow of Francis Matthews, with the consent of her son, Benjamin, sold it to Valentine Hill, who conveyed it to Patrick Jameson, II May 1659. Jameson conveyed it to Thomas Mig- hill, 29 July 1669, who with wife, Bethula, sold it to John Web- ster of Newbury, Mass., 29 December 1670. John Webster and wife, Anne, conveyed it to George Chesley, 16 October 1699. At the request of his widow, Deliverance Chesley, and of James Davis the land was rebounded, 21 May 1711, eighty-eight acres on the north side of Oyster River, according to deed from William Hilton to Francis Matthews:
Beginning at a point of land at the Creeks mouth next belo the falls on the north side of Oyster River Running northward towards Jonathan Woodmans and from the aforesd Poynt on the west side of the sd Creeks mouth it Runes near west and be south by the River seventy two Rods to a fence now standing between Land now in the possession of deliverance Chesle and an orchard in the Possession of bartholomew stephenson from thence it Runs nor west 2' westerle six Rods and from that extent it Runes west and be south Twenty nine Rods to the top of the hill on the south side of bartholomew stephensons house from thence Leaving the sd stephensons house on the north side and the Landing Place and highway at the falls with the land joining to the saw mill on the south side of this line and from that Extent it Runs west and be south 4'westerle sixty one Rods to a stake set in the ground and from that Extent it Runes nor nor west ninety six Rods to a stump markt W H and from that stump East and be north to stonie brook on the south side of Jonathan Woodmans orchard and so downe the affore mentioned Creek and from thence the sd creek bounds this Land on the East till it comes to the Poynt where we begun.
Mention is made above of the fact that Bartholomew Stephen- son lived near the landing at the falls. He seems to have settled here by right of squatter sovereignty, and in 1710 Nathaniel Hill claimed the land that Stephenson was living on. The case in court brought out several depositions that are worth more to the historian than the land. Peter Coffin, aged about 79, tes- tified that Valentine Hill lived on the north side of Oyster River near the Mill and employed a great many men on his 500 acres and that Coffin himself was one of the employees and afterward was agent of Hill's estate.
William Leathers of full age testified, 19 October 1710, that Bartholomew Stevenson built a house upon "ye upland 23 years ago, on land now in controversy between Nathaniel Hill and sd Stevenson, and was never interrupted in sd time."
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The Deposition of Joseph Meader sen' & Stephen Jones both of full age Testifieth & saith that Capt Nath11 Hill built a house & erected Fences upon a Tract of Land att ye head of Oysterriver the salt River on the north side of y. River & lived there Peacably without any molestation by any Persons for twenty eight years ago or thereabouts & when Oysterriver was Part of it cut of by the enemy John Dean was killed by ye enemy who lived in said Hills house & ye sd House was Burned by ye enemy which land sd Hill sueth Barthol- omew Stevenson for & now is in controversy and further saith not. [See Court Files at Concord, N. H. No. 15657.]
February 23, 1709/10:
The Deposition of Capt. Benjamin Matthews of Dover, aged 80 years or thear about, that sixty years ago or thear about my mother asked my consent to sell Valentine Hill that tract of land my father purchased of Mr. William Hilton as appears by a dede of sale under his hand and my mother told me that she sold that land to the said Hill by my consent and by surety of that sale the sayd Hill built upon that land for sixty years ago or theare about and the said Hill lived and died in peacebell possession of that land without any moles- tation by any persons to the best of my knowledge, which land lieth at the hed of Oyster river the sallt river on the north side of that river joining to the saw mill that was bought by Capt. Woodman and Ste. Jones and Nathaniel Hill and furder saith by information Bartholomy Stevenson has bewelt upone and improved part of the same land and furder saith that he never heard that the sayd Hill was molestet in his possession of the fresh meddowe att Whelrits pond and thear about by person or persons. [Court Files No. 17101.]
February 13, 1709/10:
The testimonie of John Medder sen' of Dover beeing eighty years of agge testifieth and saith that the five hundred ackers of Land granted to Mr Valen- tine Hill by the town of Dover at the head of Oyster river adjacent to his sawmill the North Line of yt land running near aboutt the foott path going from the falls to Stoney Brook near Capt. Woodmans orchard soe running up the hill northerly between Capt. Woodmans house and A Littell barn west- erly of the house, I being lately upon the Spote and acquainted to the above premises, aboutte sixty foure years, and further saith the westerly bounds of that land Mr Valentine Hill sold to Patrick Jemison begins at the salt river between a fence and a Littell Hill wher plume trees grow and soe running upon a straight Line to Stony Brook to an elm standing near Capt. Woodman De- cesd orchard And the land wich Mr Valentine Hill sold to Patrick Jemison is noe part of that land wich Capt. Nath 11 Hill and Bartholmew Stevenson is now in controversy with And I asked Mr Valentine Hill why hee would sell that land to Patrick Jemison, Hee answered mee because hee was A usefull man to mee aboutte my mills hee was my Servet and I would have him settled by mee and further saith not. [Court Files, No. 17101.]
It appears from the above that Valentine Hill built a house on the north side of the river and lived in it, that his son, Nathaniel Hill, built another house about the year 1682, that John Dean
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