USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Hampton Falls > History of the town of Hampton Falls, New Hampshire : from the time of the first settlement within its borders, 1640 until 1900 > Part 22
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The imprisonment of a clergyman for a conscientious refusal to obey the governor's orders, however agreeable these orders may have been with the laws which they were sworn to obey, created much excitement and called into operation that gift of prophecy, which proceeds more often from a malevolent disposition than from any other cause. It is a course which many people take to express their wishes who have not the courage openly to express them, or who conceal them through feelings of shame in wishing evil to happen to their fellow creatures. The base passions of those who took part in the opposition to Mason's claim and to Cranfield's administration were to be gratified by the awful calamities which were hereafter to befall those four judges in consequence of their condemnation of the Rev. Mr. Moody. Their sins committed prior to this decision, as well as their subsequent misdeeds, were over- looked in ascertaining the cause of any accident or misfortune which befell them. They might have hung witches till doomsday, or have imprisoned Quakers till they rotted in their prisons, and still remain unscathed from any awful visitations of Providence hap- pening to them in consequence, and their memories might have been handed down to future generations as being among the most holy in the land, but the fact of their obeying the mandates of the governor, which they may have done conscientiously, did not accord
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with the temper and feelings of a majority of the people of that day, more especially when a popular minister was the sufferer.
The tradition is that these prophecies were literally fulfilled with the exception of Green's fate, who seemed to be wanting in that degree of firmness so necessary in a judge in times of so great excitement, although he was in the main honest. Robie was cxcom- municated and died a drunkard. His friends were obliged to bury him privately, in the night, without any funeral, for fear that his body might be attached by his creditors. His previous habits have not been handed down. The only inference which can justly be drawn is that his drunkenness was caused by his remorse of con- science which the trial of Mr. Moody occasioned him.
"Barefoote fell into a languishing distemper wherof he died." Whether this was consumption or what the complaint might be is not known. People should be careful not to suffer from any dis- order not immediate in its results, lest it may be attributed as a punishment incurred for an error in judgment or for prudently submitting to the powers that be. Neither party could with justice accuse the other of religious intolerance, for these were truly days when "Might made right."
The spirit of fanaticism is more plainly made visible in the record of Coffin's death. "Coffin was taken by the Indians [at Cocheco, 1689], his house and mill burned, himself not being slain but dismissed. The Lord gave him repentance though no signs of it have appeared." Holding this accident up to view as having occurred to Coffin as a punishment for the sentence passed upon Moody is ridiculous, aside from its being a severe reflection upon all who suffered from the incursions of the Indians. Construed in the sense which is meant to be conveyed by the record of it, only one conclusion can be drawn from the premises, and that is that the Indians acted from no self-will but were merely instruments in the hands of a superior being for the punishment of the sins of our forefathers, and the greatest sufferers were the greatest sin- ners, notwithstanding their exposure to these incursions and their power to repel the attacks when made. This was a severe reproach upon the people of Dover who, on account of their. being upon the frontier, were called upon to mourn over the ravages of their Indian enemies. The fact of Parson Moody placing these circumstances on his church record evinces a desire to render these judges infa- mous, and not being content with letting others tell the story of
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his wrongs, he shows a disposition to caution succeeding generations of the fate which will inevitably attend those who inflict the sentence of the strong arm of the law upon clergymen, whether upon a true or false construction.
January 20, 1689, Green and five others were chosen commission- ers to meet with others from Dover, Portsmouth, and Exeter, to confer about some method of government. This committee con- sisted of Green, Nathaniel Weare, Henry Dow. Morris Hobbs, Sen .. Capt. Samuel Sherburne, and Edward Gove. The town clothed them with full power and agreed to abide by the form of govern- ment which a majority of their commissioners should subscribe to, and obliged themselves to yield all ready obedience thereto until his majesty's further order. There were nine who dissented from this vote. March 9, 1692, he was named in Governor Allen's com- mission as one of the council, which office he continued to hold until his death. January 22, 1690, the town chose him with two others to ascertain the expense of the war. From this time until his death he appears to have had much respect shown him. He was chosen to seat the people, and the town voted that he "Shall set in the first seat."
It was claimed that Green favored Mason in his suits against the proprietors to obtain rent. This rendered him unpopular for a time.
In May, 1648, the town granted land to Abraham Perkins and Henry Green in consideration of building a water mill in the town of Hampton at the Falls. Three years later he bought out his partner. April 19, 1679, he was given liberty to set up a second dam, above. The mill was built on the location now known as Dodge's mills, and was operated and owned after his death by his son Jacob, and later by his grandson, Nathan Longfellow, until 1764, when he sold to Col. Jonathan Moulton. Henry Green lived on the south side of the Falls river on the top of the hill, a short distance from the mill. He was the ancestor of the Green families who have since lived in the town.
He died August 5, 1:00, aged above cighity. His first wife, Mary, was the mother of his children. She died April 26, 1690. March 10, 1691, he married Mary, widow of Thomas Page, who was a daughter of Christopher Hussey. After Green's decease she married Henry Dow.
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Ilis children were as follows:
ELIZEBETH, wife of James Chase; afterward of Joseph Cass. MARY, wife of Peter Green.
HANNAH, married John Acie, of Rowley. ABRAHAM, married Esther Swett.
ISAAC, married Mary Cass. JACOB, married Sarah -; died November, 1226.
ANTHONY STANYAN.
Anthony Stanyan lived in Boston in 1641. He was in Exeter in 1647 and was the town clerk. He moved to Hampton in 1648, where he was one of the greatest men of his day, being dignified with the appellation of "Mr.," a designation seldom bestowed except upon the most respectable. March 25, 1649, he was chosen one of the selectmen and again in 1662, 1668, and 1676. He and his wife had seats assigned them in 1650. The same year he drew a share (No. 63) in the ox common. In 1653, he was chosen com- missioner of the rates, when his tax was £1 2s. 4d. The same year he was chosen to examine into the merits of the case of Maurice Hobbs against the town and was in 1654 chosen one of the agents to manage the same on the part of the town. "19-10-1656, Bro. Shaw, Bro. Page & Bro. Stanyan are chosen to seek out help for the ministry." June 9. 1663, he was the only one who dissented to the laying out of 4,000 acres west of Hampton bounds. June 20, 1665, he was chosen to exchange the town's land with Nathaniel Weare. July 18, 1665, he was a constable. October 12, 1665, he was chosen to lay out the farm of Mr. Cotton at Hogpen plain. July 12, 1667, he was chosen to keep the ordinary. In 1668, lie dissents to the admission of John Lock as an inhabitant. April 12, 1669, he dissents to the bringing a suit against Henry Green. December 14, 1669, he dissents to the giving of forty acres each to those who settle in the new plantation and also dissents to the vote to lay out the waste lands. March 3, 16:0, he had a grant of 160 acres (No. 48). He dissents to Andrew Wiggin taking forty pines from the commons, and is also chosen to prosecute James Rice for the cutting of timber in 1670. In 1671, he dissents to the confirm- ing of Mr. Cotton's farm at Hogpen plain. He was one of the signers of Weare's petition. He was a representative in 1634 and 1680.
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The name of his first wife is not known. She died between 1650 and 1635. He married, November 1, 1655, Ann Partridge. He had a son John, who was born in Boston in 1642, and a daughter Mary, who married John Pickering of Portsmouth, January 10, 1665. We do not find the names of any other children. Mr. Stan- van died in 1688. His inventory was £45 18s. 2d., appraised by Nathaniel Weare and Joseph Smith. He gave his son John his estate by deed before his death. His descendants live in New Hampshire, some of whom spell the name Stanion. He lived south of Taylor's river, on the hill, where Charles N. Dodge now lives. He was succeeded by his son John, who was a signer of Weare's petition, and was selectman in 1692, 1699, 1701, and 1709, and representative in 1705. It is believed that he became a Quaker. He made the motion to have some of the common lands set off to them for a parsonage, which was done February 19, 1711. He had the reputation among his contemporaries of being a very good man. He married Mary Bradbury of Salisbury, December 25, 1663, and had seven children. He died in 1718. In his will he takes especial pains to keep the property in the name of the Stanyans. His son Jacob lived on the homestead and was selectman of Hampton Falls in 1:23 and 1:46. The name disappears from our record before 1787.
JOHN CASS.
John Cass came to Hampton and married Martha, daughter of Thomas Philbrick, Sen., before 1650. On the 4th of January, 1650, they had seats assigned them in the meeting-house. In 1653, his tax was 9s. 10d .; whole amount raised. £53 2s. 10d. October 15, 1657, he and William Fuller were "chosen to lay out the highway towards Strawberry Bank to the extent of our bounds, as convenient as may be, which they have done according to their discretion." At this time he lived on the Portsmouth road, between Lane's Cor- ner and the former site of the Methodist meeting-house. Soon after he moved south of Taylor's river. December 14, 1669, the road by his house was viewed by Lieutenant Swett and Nathaniel Weare and altered. In 1651, he drew one share in the ox commons. March 3, 1670, he drew share No. 41 in the commons containing one hundred acres. April 5, 1664, he bought Rev. John Wheel- wright's farm, which the town formerly granted Rev. Stephen Bachiler, and situated in what is now the town of Seabrook. He
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and his wife were both members of Rev. Seaborn Cotton's church in 1671. He was one of the selectmen in 1653, 1657, 1668, 1671, and 16:5. He died suddenly in his bed, April 2, 1675. His will was proved April 13, 16:5. The witnesses were Thomas and Sam- uel Philbrick and Joseph Dow. The estate was appraised by Joseph Dow and Edward Gove, and valued at £940 11s .; debts, £96 17s. 6d. This property was of more value than that of any person who died in Hampton prior to 1680. His widow, Martha, died before 1696.
The Hon. Lewis Cass, born in Exeter October 9, 1:82. a United States senator from Michigan, and a member of President Bu- chanan's cabinet, was a lineal descendant of the above John Cass.
The name of Cass appears upon our records until 1767, when it disappears. Probably all living in the town at that time were in the limits of what was afterward Seabrook.
The children of John and Martha Cass:
MARTHA, married John Redman, February 18, 1667. MARY, married Isaac Green.
JOSEPH, married, first, Mary Hobbs; second, Elizabeth Chase.
SAMUEL, married Mercy Sanborn.
JONATHAN, born September 13, 1663.
ELIZEBETH, born July 17, 1666.
MERCY, born August 1, 1668.
EBENEAZER, born July 17, 1671.
ABIGAIL, born January 11, 1674.
THE CLIFFORD FAMILY.
George Clifford descended in a direct line from the ancient and noble family of Clifford in England. He probably came with his wife (Elizebeth) and son John from Arnold Village and parish, Not- tingham county, England, to Boston, in 1644. He was a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company. He moved to Hampton. John Clifford, his son, was born in England. He was three times married, and was one of the signers of Weare's petition to the king in 1683. Israel Clifford, son of John, married, March 15, 1680, Ann Smith. He was a member of Hampton church and was dismissed December 9, 1711, to the Falls church. He had five children. The Hon. Nathan Clifford of Portland, Me., who was one of the justices of the United States supreme court was a great-
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
grandson of Israel Clifford. IIon. John H. Clifford, at one time attorney-general, and afterwards governor of Massachusetts, was a great-grandson of Jacob Clifford, son of John. He was for many years president of the corporation of Harvard College and also pres- ident of the Boston & Providence Railroad Co. The Clifford home- stead and farm was situated on the west side of the Old Mill road. A part of the land is now owned by John T. Batchelder. Some of the family removed to Chester and Kingston. The last of the name, John Clifford, was rated in 1213, but disappears before 1787. He was a Revolutionary soldier.
LIEUT. JOHN SANBORN.
Lieut. John Sanborn's mother was a daughter of Rev. Stephen Bachiler. IIe and his brothers, Stephen and William, came to Hampton, where John had granted to him in 1640 five acres for a house lot, two and one half, or thereabouts, at home and the rest beyond Taylor's river. In 1645 he had two of the 147 shares. In 1650 he and his wife had seats in the meeting-house. In 1651 he was chosen to confirm the old grants. November 21, 1651, he had two shares of the ox commons. His tax was 14 shillings in 1633. January 23, 1654, he was chosen agent for the town in Hobbs's suit against the town. June 30, 1657, he was chosen in the room of William Swain to provide a house for the minister. October 24, 165%. he was to see to the repairs of Mr. Cotton's house. Febru- ary 28, 1658. he was chosen to finish the building for Mr. Dalton. May 29, 1658, he was appointed to confer with Mr. Cotton about his house. July 16, 1658, he and two others were to see to the grants and highways. January 1, 1660, he was chosen one of a committee to wait upon Mr. Cotton about the repairs to be made on his house. March 16, 1660, he was chosen to hire the school- master. January 9, 1663, he was appointed to examine the shares. June 9, 1663, he was one of the men to lay out the four thousand acres west of Hampton bounds, and on April 14, 1663, he was chosen to make a division of the same. September 21, 1664, his power as a wood ward was suspended and other regulations were made. January 24, 1665, he was chosen to collect the arrearages of the constable, and with power to levy fines and take by distress, etc. March 21, 1665, he made a motion to admit Henry Deering as an inhabitant with permission to keep the ordinary. June 20, 1665, he was chosen with Rev. Mr. Cotton and Samuel Dalton to
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draw a writing asserting the claims of the inhabitants to their lands and remonstrating against the claims of Mr. Mason before Sir Robert Carr and the other royal commissioners. The appointment of Sanborn to this duty indicates the high opinion his fellow towns- men had of his talents and integrity, nor did he ever lose this good esteem. October 12, 1665, he was chosen to lay out the farm of two hundred acres granted to the Rev. Mr. Cotton, and was also chosen to lay out the second division. July 25, 1662, he was elected a commissioner to try small causes. May 22, 1667, he was to lay out the land granted Daniel Tilton. March 18, 1668, he was chosen to rectify Anthony Taylor's bounds. April 12, 1669, he was chosen to manage the suits against Portsmouth about the lands at Josslyn's Neck, before the next court at Salisbury. September 5, 1669, he was appointed to run the Exeter line. December 10, 1669, he was to treat with William Fuller concerning the exchange of one hun- dred acres of land at Hogpen plains. December 22, 1669, he was chosen to lay out the land more than four miles north of the meet- ing-house. March 3, 16:0, he had a grant (No. 31) of one hun- dred acres. June 13, 16:1, he was chosen an appraiser of the goods taken by the constable by warrant of distress, May 31, 1671. He was chosen a commissioner to make the rates, April 25, 1672. He was chosen to treat with Mr. Dudley and Mr. Gilman respecting the suit of Exeter against the widow Garland, October 21, 1672. He was elected one of the selectmen in 1650, 1652, 1661, 1665, 1668, 1671, 1674, and 16:8.
He died October 20, 1692. His first wife was named Mary. Her children were:
RICHARD, born November 4, 1654; married Ruth Marston, October 10, 1678.
MARY, born January 19, 1657; died November 4, 1660.
JOSEPH, born January 13, 1659; married Mary Gove.
STEPHEN, born September 11, 1661; died December 24, 1661. Axy, born December 20, 1662; married Samuel Palmer. MARY, born 1664; died, 1664.
NATHANIEL, born November 27, 1665; married, first, Rebecca Prescott; second, Sarah Nason.
BENJAMIN, born October 20, 1668; married, first, Meribah Tilton; second, Abigail Dalton.
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
He married, second, widow Margaret Moulton, daughter of Robert Page. He had one son by her:
JONATHAN, born March 25, 1672; married Elizebeth Sherburne.
Widow Margaret Sanborn died July 13, 1699, aged seventy years. He had a son John who died in 1727, and probably Josiah who was a selectman in 1695. His inventory was £294 14s. In 1722, Rich- ard Sanborn drew one half share in the first division, Ensign John Sanborn one half share in the third division and one share in the fifth division, in the original right of John Sanborn.
Lieutenant Sanborn was one of the most strenuous opponents of the Masonian claims and of Cranfield's administration. He was a signer of Weare's petition to the king in 1683. October, 1683, Robert Mason, Sherlock, the marshal, and James Leach came to San- born's house in order to give Mason possession, when Sanborn not opening the door, Leach, by the marshal's order, broke it open, and gave Mason possession. Sanborn was taken prisoner. In Novem- ber, 1683, Governor Cranfield brought an action against John San- born of Hampton for saying, "I question whether the King ever knew of Edward Cranfield's commission or patent." The damages were laid at £500.
In case pending between the Hon. Edward Cranfield Esquire Plain- tiff, against John Sanborn Defendant the jury find for the Plaintiff, five hundred pounds damage, and costs of Court, Or to make a pub- lic acknowledgment in all four towns both for matter and form, as the Court shall direct. Then he so doing shall pay but ten pounds and costs of court.
The costs were £1 19s. The acknowledgment was made in 1685. He borrowed the money of Richard Waldron, his son Richard, and William Vanghan to pay the above fine, October 24, 1685. His four sons, Richard, Josiah, John, and Joseph, were signers of Weare's petition. Lieut. John Sanborn lived at first on his lot near the residence of the late Alvin Emery, but afterward moved south of Taylor's river. He owned and lived on the farm now occupied by the heirs of Thayer S. Sanborn. The farm has re- mained in possession of the Sanborn family ever since. John San- born's house was situated near where the garden now is, by the lane which leads to the depot road. He was the ancestor of the Sanborn families in this town, where they have been numerous and prominent in town matters.
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
COL. ICHABOD ROBIE.
Col. Ichabod Robie was a son of Henry Robie. He was born November 25, 1664, and died at Kingston May 15, 1:52, aged ninety- two years. Hle resided in the south parish, now Hampton Falls, where he was one of the most useful men, frequently chosen select- man and representative (when the Weares did not wish to go) after their incorporation as a parish.
His name is connected with a singular transaction which occurred in 1:45. It appears that the parishes of North Hampton, Kensing- ton, and Hampton Falls wished to have a share of the parsonage property belonging to Hampton. On the 24th of June, 1:45, the people of Hampton Falls, headed by Col. Ichabod Robie, attended a town meeting in Hampton and undertook to vote, although they had been incorporated as a parish with town privileges for twenty- five years and had ceased to act in any way as inhabitants of the town of Hampton during that time. The meeting was riotous and the Falls voters were compelled to withdraw. They held a meeting July 1, 1745, in which they voted that Col. Ichabod Robie, Jonathan Fifield, and Jonathan Nason should be a committee to consult with a committee of Kensington and North Hampton, to take such measures as they thought best for the recovery of some part of the lands which the town of Hampton bought of Rev. Tim- othy Dalton, and to report their proceedings forthwith. Septem- ber 16, 1:45, the town of Hampton held a meeting in which they voted "That we will prosecute all or some of those persons that came into our meeting on the 24th of June last, and behaved in a riotous and disorderly manner." The selectmen were authorized to prosecute. As an offset to this, the town of Hampton Falls held a meeting September 30, 1745, duly warned for the purpose, and passed a vote choosing Joseph Worth, Benjamin Hilliard, and Jon- athan Swett a committee to "commence an action or actions, against the town of Hampton and to prosecute the same to final judgment for their denying the right of the inhabitants of the Falls parish to vote in the meeting held on the 24th of June last, and also to de- fend any and all the inhabitants against any action which may be brought for their conduct at said meeting." There is no further account of this affair in either of the town records. Probably the good people thought they had already shown proper resentment and suffered the matter to drop.
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
He was probably buried at Hampton Falls, although he died in Kingston. He was dismissed from the church at Hampton to form that at Kingston in 1:25. He returned to Hampton Falls and afterward went back to Kingston.
Col. Robie married Lucy Page, January 4, 1694. Her children:
MERIBAH, born October 6, 1694; married - Currier.
DOROTHY, baptized, 1:00; married, first, Benjamin Prescott; sec- ond, Edward Sanborn.
Lucy, baptized, 1698.
SAMUEL, born May 12, 1705; died young.
His second wife was named Maria. Her children:
RUTH, baptized, 1707; died young.
ANNA, born January 10, 1708; died January 21, 1725.
RUTH, born October 18, 1209; died February 28, 1725. JOHN, born in 1213.
HENRY, born October 19, 1714.
SAMUEL, born October 17, 1717.
His third wife was named Lydia.
WILLIAM, died before August 31, 1757. SUSANNA, married Hezekiah Swain. LYDIA, married Micah Brooks.
RUTH, living single, 1753.
Some of the descendants of Col. Ichabod Robie appear to have lived in Candia and Chester.
ICHABOD ROBIE, ESQ.
Ichabod Robie, Esq .. was born. according to tradition of his fam- ily, in that part of Haverhill which is now Atkinson, about 1679. He was a grandson of Henry Robie of Hampton and a nephew of Col. Ichabod Robie.
His father, John Robie, was killed by the Indians in 1690 or 1691, and his son Ichabod, then thirteen years of age, was carried captive to Canada, where he remained about a year before he was redeemed, or otherwise restored. He settled in Hampton Falls, but at what time is not known. January 10, 1707, he married Mary Cass, and had a numerous family.
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In 1346 Ichabod Robie and his sons John and Henry were among the grantees of the town of Weare, at that time called Robie-town, from Ichabod Robie, who was the first named in the grant. John Robie settled in Weare and was one of the most prominent men, hav- ing been town clerk for twenty-five years, besides holding most of the other elective offices. Some of his descendants still live there.
He made his will, dated October 10, 1752, proved September 26, 1153, when he would be about seventy-four years old. In his will he named his wife, Mary, and his children, John, Henry, Samuel, and daughter Sarah Tilton.
He lived upon the Robie farm in Hampton Falls, now occupied by Nathan H. Robie. Esq., who was a lineal descendant. He was a tanner and currier by trade. His children were:
ANNE, born February 10, 1208; died January 27, 1725.
JOHN, born August 12, 1712: married Ann Williams; settled in Chester.
HENRY, born October 19, 1:14: married Abigail Butler; died in 1807.
SAMUEL, born October 17, 1212; lived in Raymond and Goffstown. MARY, born August 19, 1120.
SARAH, born October 3, 1722: married John Tilton.
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