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 29
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JERm LANE
The deed was executed on the 4th of December, 1781, Asa Lane and Joshua Lane witnessing the signature of Jeremiah Lane.
The following are the names of the proprietors who paid for the land. The amount paid by each is recorded upon the town record.
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
Nathan Tilton, Samuel Prescott, Jonathan Tilton, Caleb Tilton, James Prescott, Jonathan Burnham, James Prescott, Jr., Benjamin Tilton, Jeremiah Blake, Henry Blake, Nathan Brown, Widow Saralı Healey, Benjamin Sanborn, Isaiah Lane, Jeremiah Lane, Aaron Wells, Benjamin Pike, Jonathan Cram, Samuel Weare, David Batchelder, Peter Tilton, Pain Rowe, Henry Robie, Henry Robie, Jr., Samuel Lane, Eaton Green. The highest sum paid by any one was 6 shillings; the lowest, 1 shilling 6 pence.
The first person buried in this yard was Deacon Elisha Prescott, who died in 1781, the year the cemetery was laid ont. Rev. Samuel Langdon, who was settled as pastor over the church in 1781, died in 1797. He is buried here. Dr. Langdon was at one time pres- ident of Harvard College, from 1724 until 1780. It seems strange that the college has not erected a suitable monument to mark the resting place of a former president, and not allow his grave to be neglected. By his side repose the remains of Rev. A. M. Bridge, for fourteen years the faithful pastor of the Unitarian church. Mr. Bridge died at Marshfield, Mass., in 1865.
Nearly all the families living in the upper and central parts of the town used this cemetery to bury their dead.
There was a small cemetery adjoining the Baptist church as early as 1840. This has since been enlarged and used by nearly all the families in that part of the town, and is well cared for and kept up in good shape. A new yard has been laid out adjoining the old town cemetery, and the lots are gradually being taken up. We have no knowledge as to when the yard in the upper part of the town was laid out. It must have been a long time ago, as it is nearly filled up by the families who lived in that neighborhood. The yard on the south road near General Nason's is a private one, and must have been used as early as 1825.
Fifty years ago, or more, when the then existing cemeteries had become pretty well filled up, the practice of burying upon the farm and on land owned by the family became quite common, and a num- ber of private yards was the result. After a time this practice was found to be objectionable, as when the premises passed into other hands, who had no interest in the lots, they were often neglected, and there was a very general demand for a public cemetery, where the lots would be cared for even if there were no representatives of the families living, or who might have removed to other places.
In 1861, a committee was chosen to locate and purchase a suit- able place for a town cemetery; also to fence and put it in suitable
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condition for use. This committee spent considerable time in trying to find a proper location. The lots which were mentioned when the committee was chosen were found upon examination to be unsuitable for the purpose. No lot on which the whole town could unite was found and, to the great disappointment of almost every one, this had to be given up. In 1866, two acres of land were purchased on the cross road, opposite the old yard, which was fenced and lotted off. At about the same time the yard near the Baptist church was enlarged, so that enough room for the present at least was made available. When this had been done the propri- etors of the private cemeteries moved those buried in them to one or the other of these places. The doing away with private lots was a move in the right direction, and a great improvement over the former practice, where the resting place of the dead was often neither cared for nor respected when the premises passed into other hands.
EARTHQUAKE OF 1727.
THIS occurred on the night between October 29 and 30. At Hampton, when the noise was first heard, a flash of light was observed at the windows, and a blaze was seen to run along on the ground, and then the shake began. The brute creation ran roaring about the fields in the greatest distress. A spring of water which had boiled over ever since the town was first settled eighty years before and never frozen, was now sunk down so much that they were forced to dig to raise it, but were unable to raise it to its former height, and it now freezes in moderately cold weather. The above spring was on the land of Robert Tuck, and within three or four rods of his house. He lived at Rand's hill, not far from what is now known as the "old yellow house," in Hampton.
The following account is from the appendix of Rev. Mr. Gookin's sermon:
The earthquake which was throughout the country in the night between Oct. 29th & 30th 1727, was in this town much as it was in other places, of which there are divers printed accounts, only, as I believe, somewhat weaker here than in those towns that lie upon the Merri- mack river. And from what we can learn it was stronger here than in Boston or the towns thereabouts. The shake was very hard and was attended with a terrible noise something like thunder. The houses trembled as if they were falling. Divers chimneys were cracked aud some had their tops broken off. It was especially so in the south parish (Hampton Falls), where the hardest shake seemed to be upon the hill where the house of God stands. Three houses upon the hill bad their chimneys broken, one of which was Rev. Mr. Whipple's. When the shake was beginning some persons observed a flash of light at their windows; and one or two saw streams of light running on the earth. The flame seemed to them to be of a bluish color. These flashes no doubt broke out of the earth, otherwise it is probable they would have been seen more generally especially by those who were abroad. The sea was observed to roar in an unusual manuer. The earth broke open near the south bounds of the town (as it did in divers places in Newbury) and cast up a fine bluish sand. At the place of eruption there now (about two months after) continually issues out considerable quantities of water, and for a rod around it the ground is so soft that a man can't tread upon it without throwing brush or
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some other thing to bear him up. It is indeed in meadow ground, but before the earthquake it was not so soft but that man might freely walk upon it. There were divers other shocks the same night, yea the sound was heard, and sometimes the shake felt every day for a fortnight after. Afterward it was heard but not so often. On Dec. 24th, at night, just eight weeks after its beginning there were two shocks. The first of which was very loud and jarred the houses. This shock extended from Charles river to Casco Bay. But this was not the last we had. This present year, 1728, is begun with the voice of God to us, it being heard Jan. 1st about two o'clock in the afternoon, and at times Jan. 6th at eight. We heard the sound again on the 16th, and last night Jan. 24th we had two shocks which made our houses tremble, so that the Lord's hand is stretched out still. It is hard to express the consternation which fell both on man and beasts in the time of the great shock. The brute creatures ran roaring about the fields as in the greatest distress, and mankind were as much surprised as they, and some with very great terror.
A short time before the earthquake, Rev. Mr. Gookin had preached a sermon from the text, "The day of trouble is near," which was regarded as prophetic. This sermon was printed and extensively circulated. As no person or animal was injured, except by being much frightened, the force of the sermon would appear to have been weakened, and undue importance given to it. Where the earth broke open was said to have been near Morton hill. The smell of brimstone about the place for some time after gave rise to the name of "Brimstone hill." There is springy land in that neighborhood, which would answer to the description given above.
On Tuesday, November 18, 1755, occurred the third great earth- quake felt in New England since its settlement. (The first occurred in 1643, but did no particular damage.) This was considered more violent than either of the others. It occurred in the morning, about an hour and a half before day. The weather was remarkably serene, the sky clear, the moon shone bright, and a solemn stillness pervaded all nature at the time it commenced. The shaking of the earth was so great that several chimneys were thrown down. The agitation was as perceptible on the sea as on the land. Shocks were frequently felt during the next fortnight. The great earthquake which destroyed Lisbon began November 1, 1755, and was probably a result of the same disturbance.
Light shocks of earthquake have been felt at intervals of a few years; not as heavy as those spoken of above. So far as we can learn, no serious damage was ever done in New England by earth- quakes.
MURDERS.
AT Portsmouth, May 8, 1755, Eliphaz Dow of Hampton Falls was executed for the murder of Peter Clough, of the same place. It appeared upon evidence that a quarrel had existed between them for a long time. On the 12th day of December, 1154, they accidentally met at the house of Noah Dow, where some high words and threats passed between them. Clough challenged Dow to go ont of the house to fight, and went out himself. Dow followed, and as he went out he took up his brother's hoe, which stood in the entry, and with it struck Clough a blow on the side of the head, which instantly killed him. Dow was arrested and examined before the Hon. Meshech Weare, and committed to prison at Portsmouth. At the February term of the supreme court, he was indicted, tried, and convicted, and sentence was pronounced upon him, that he should be "hanged by the neck until he was dead."
The sheriff was commanded by a warrant from the court to exe- cute the sentence on the 20th day of March following, but in con- sequence of two reprieves from the governor, the execution of the sentence was respited until this day. The gallows was erected on the south road, near the pound, and between the hours of twelve at noon and three in the afternoon, Dow was hanged, and his body buried in the fork of the road a few rods from the gallows on the declivity of the hill.
Matthew Livermore, Esq., was the attorney-general who managed the prosecution and Thomas Packer the sheriff who cansed the sentence to be executed. Sometime abont 1850, while repairing the road, Dow's bones were unearthed.
On the evening of May ?. 1868, as Mrs. Thomas Brown was busy with her work in the kitchen, hearing a knock she opened the door, when she was struck by an ax in the hands of a man, which felled her to the floor, from which she never rose or regained conseious- ness. She died the day following. The assassin passed by her into another room where Mr. Brown was sitting by an open fire
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THOMAS BROWN. 1793. Murdered May 8, 1868 See page 558.
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MURDERS.
reading a newspaper. He struck him a heavy blow upon the head as he sat in the chair, breaking his skull. Mr. Brown lived a few days, dying on the 13th. Before his death he regained conscious- ness and said John Ross, a former hired man, was his assailant. Mr. and Mrs. Brown were aged people, living alone with the excep- tion of the hired man. John Ross had lived with them for a num- ber of months and was well liked. Ile had been kindly treated and had been the recipient of many favors from them. He had left Mr. Brown's employ a few days before under the pretext of going West. The motive of the crime was robbery. Mr. Brown had a short time before sold some oxen, which sales amounted to several hundreds of dollars. This money Ross supposed was in the desk where he had often seen Mr. Brown place money, and he was led to think that at that time considerable money was deposited there. In this he was disappointed, as he found only about eighty dollars. A small amount of money which belonged to a religious society, of which Mr. Brown was treasurer, was in the desk at the time, but escaped his notice.
The next morning, when the hired man, who lived near by, came to work he discovered that something was wrong, and gave the alarm. The community was horror-stricken and started in all directions in pursuit of the perpetrator. It was soon found that Ross had been seen in the neighborhood the afternoon previous. He was found and arrested at Newburyport that morning, about 10 o'clock.
It was then found that the name of "Ross," by which he had been known, was an assumed one. His real name was Josiah Pike, and he was a native of Newburyport, where he was well known as a dissolute and worthless character. Pike was immediately taken to Hampton Falls, where a preliminary examination was held. He was committed to Exeter jail. IIe waived further hearing and was bound over to the October term of court, to be held in Portsmouth, where he was indicted, convicted, and sentenced to be hanged.
By our law, a man sentenced to be hanged must first spend one year in solitary confinement in the state prison. During that time some of Pike's relations who were wealthy and influential made a great effort to have his sentence commuted to imprisonment for life, but were unsuccessful. He was hanged in the state prison in Con- cord, November, 1869. His was the first execution within the walls
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
of the prison after the law was passed making executions nearly a private matter.
During the last month of Pike's life in prison he was visited by many people. The ladies of Concord carried him bouquets and sang to him; a delegation of women sang to him within an hour of his death, and went away weeping. Like many other scoundrels, when cornered he became very religious. He became a hero. These proceedings aroused the people of the state, who were dis- gusted with such foolish and senseless exhibitions over con- demned murderers, so that the next legislature passed a law making it very difficult for any one to see or interview a prisoner waiting under a death sentence. It was also the cause of putting the prison under the strict discipline for which it has since been noted.
RESIDENCE OF THOMAS BROWN. Destroyed by fire June 17, 1885 See page 558.
LIBRARIES.
SOON after 1800, and during the ministry of Rev. Jacob Abbot, a library was established and kept in the parsonage house. It was called the Social Library, and was probably the first library ever in the town. Of how many volumes it was composed we now have no means of knowing, but probably not more than three or four hundred. The writer has one of the books which is numbered 213. The books were of a substantial character and such as were designed to impart useful information, many of them being the standard works of the time. The reading of these books had not a little to do in giving the people of the town the reputation for intelligence and the respect which they enjoyed in the community. The books were composed of biographies, sermons, travels, poems, and a few of the leading works of fiction. At that time fiction did not take the prominent place in public libraries that it does at present.
The Social Library was owned in shares. The shareholders held an annual meeting to consider its welfare. An annual tax of twenty- five cents was collected on each share, for the benefit of the library. Its patrons were mostly those who attended the parish church while the church existed as such. The library continued until 1849, but during its later years received but few additions to its shelves, and its patronage had about ceased, as the books had been very generally read, and a new library had been established and kept at the same place. It was then decided to divide the remaining books among the shareholders, which was accordingly done, each owner receiving an equal number of books, parceled out so as to represent, as nearly as possible, equal values. The father of the writer received among other books four volumes of Hunter's "Sacred Biographies," one volume of sermons by Job Orton, two volumes of "Lewis and Clark's Expedition to the Pacific Ocean," "Telemachus," one volume; "Thomson's Seasons," one volume; "Dick on the Improvement of Society," which appeared to have been written for a scientific work,
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
one volume; "The Addresses of the Presidents," one volume. This appears to have been contributed to the library by Weare Dow, son of Major Joseph Dow and a grandson of Governor Weare. Many of the books which composed the library were rare and valuable works at that time, and showed that a great deal of care had been used in their selection.
During the ministry of Rev. Jacob Caldwell, who lived in the parsonage house, and largely through his efforts, a library was estab- lished and kept at his house called the Ladies' Library. This was about 1845. At first it had only a few volumes. The ladies' sew- ing circle, connected with the Unitarian society, used the money earned by them in purchasing books, quite a good number being added yearly in this way. This library received a few books by donation. It was incorporated by the legislature in 1882, and now numbers about one thousand volumes.
After the removal of Mr. Caldwell, the library was kept by Miss Nancy B. Perkins in the house now occupied by Dr. Sanborn. It continued here until the death of Miss Perkins, in 1863. when it was removed to the house of Charles T. Brown, where it remained for a number of years. It was then removed to the Unitarian church, where it has since remained. This library has. been a credit to those who established and nurtured it. A library- called the School Library, which was kept in the church for a time, the donation of some one in Boston, was afterwards added to and became a part of the Ladies' Library.
An enactment of the legislature in 1891 providing for establishing and aiding town libraries was passed. The towns which accepted the provisions of this act could receive at the expense of the state one hundred dollars' worth of books, which might be selected from a large list which had been prepared by the state library commis- sioners. This act did not apply to those towns which had town libraries at the time it was passed. This town was among the first to accept the provisions of the act, and started out in the winter of . 1892 and 1893 with the books received from the state, in addition to a good number of volumes donated by individuals.
In accepting this aet, a town the size of Hampton Falls agrees to contribute not less than twenty-five dollars annually, to be applied in increasing the number of books. We have appropriated fifty dollars annually for this purpose. The Lend-a-Hand Society con- tributed nearly fifty dollars, raised by them at a levee. In 1896,
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John T. Brown, Esq., of Newburyport, Mass., paid for one hundred dollars' worth of books, which had been selected by a committee chosen for the purpose, and which have since been added to the library. In 1897, Lewis W. Brewster, Esq., of Portsmouth, contrib- uted one hundred volumes.
Mr. E. B. Towle has acted as librarian since its first start. The library is open to the public for exchange of books on each Satur- day afternoon, from 2 till 4, and occasionally at other times. The patronage of the library has far exceeded the expectations of its most sanguine friends, and is still increasing, extending to nearly all parts of the town. There are more than one hundred cards in use all the time, and during some portions of the year this number is much increased. It has been kept in the selectmen's room at the town hall, but from present appearances more commodious quarters must be provided for its accommodation in the near future, if the present interest should continue.
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TOWN HALL.
IN the early days of the town, the meetings were mostly parish meetings. They were held in the church. The most important matters considered were in relation to church affairs, such as the calling and settling of ministers, raising money to pay their salaries, and for repairs and improvements upon the meeting-house, parson- age buildings, and fences. In those days the town affairs held a secondary place to those of the church. Gradually, little by little, the business of the town increased and received more attention, until there came a complete separation of the church and town matters. Then the town meetings assumed much the same form and character that we find in them at the present time. The first parish or town meetings were held in the meeting-house built about 1709, and which was situated near the present site of the Weare monument, on the common. The town meetings continued to be held there until the new meeting-house was built in 1768.
While there was a great deal of opposition to having the church services transferred from the old to the new meeting-house, we do not find by the record that there was any objection made to holding the town meetings there. We find that at the first town meeting ever held in the new house, January 20, 1770, there was a very full vote for moderator, which was a test vote, showing the strength of the old and new meeting-house parties. The new church party pre- vailed, having six majority over their opponents. From that time until this church was demolished, in 1842, the town meetings con- tinued to be held here.
As soon as the old meeting-house was removed and an attempt made to locate and build a town house, the question of location assumed large proportions and a wide difference of opinion in rela- tion thereto developed itself. The town meetings were held from 1844 until the completion of the new town hall, in 1878, in the Christian chapel, which was very near the center of population, or, at least, the roads leading to it made it more convenient for all the voters to go to that point and return than to any other location.
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TOWN HALL.
Those who lived in the upper part of the town wanted the town hall located near where the old meeting-house stood. Those in the lower part of the town wanted it at the hill. With so wide a differ- ence of opinion it was found to be a hard matter to agree upon any point which would be agreeable to all sections of the town.
This condition of things continued to exist for a great many years, with no great agitation of the matter so long as the town meet- ings could be held in the Christian chapel at little expense, although it was small and inconvenient for the purpose. Those who wanted to build a town hall were willing to remain as they were, fearing that the other party might prove the stronger and, when a test vote came, decide upon a location they did not want. Those who were opposed to the expense of building, argued that the present arrangement was much more ecomonical than to build.
The large expenditure by the town, made necessary by the War of the Rebellion, probably kept the matter from being considered as soon as it might otherwise have been. While a town meeting could be held in the chapel and the necessary business done at no very great inconvenience, there were other things which were urged with a great deal of force why some definite action should be taken in the matter.
Since the destruction of the Academy Hall by fire, there had been no place for public assemblies, social meetings, levees, lectures, and dances. Some place for this purpose the young people de- manded, and felt that it was their right to have, without being obliged to go outside the town to obtain it. It was claimed that much of the money which had been expended for such purposes could be kept in the town, where it would benefit our own people, churches, and other things which it might be desirable to aid. It was the culmination of these ideas rather than any demand for a place to do the town business which inaugurated the movement which resulted in the building of the town hall.
At the annual town meeting in March, 1877, after a general dis- cussion of the matter, it was voted by a good majority to build a town hall upon its present location. Warren Brown, James D. Brown, Charles A. Hardy, Henry II. Knight, and Joseph T. San- born were chosen a building committee to carry this vote into effect. An appropriation of $2,500 was made for the purpose. It was not an easy task the committee found before them. The form and size of the house, the style of the building and its internal arrangements, were subjects upon which there was a wide difference of opinion.
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
After a number of meetings of the committee, and consultations with others who were friendly to the project, a plan was agreed upon which was submitted to Isaiah Wilson of Portsmouth, who was an architect, to put in shape, and to make the plans and specifications for the building. When these were received, the committee adver- tised for proposals, which resulted in several bids from different parties, after the consideration of which the committee concluded to let the building to Samuel W. Dearborn of Hampton. The dimensions of the proposed house were forty by sixty feet, with twenty-foot posts. It was found that the sum of $2,500, which had been appropriated by the town, would not be sufficient to complete and finish the house by the plans and in the manner contemplated. The friends of the house advised the committee to finish the house according to the original plans, and agreed to use their influence to have the house accepted and paid for when completed. The entire cost of the house was, when completed, $3,887.34. At the time when it was voted to build, nothing had been said about fur- nishing and lighting. The committee proceeded to light and furnish the hall at an expense of $135.34. The house was well furnished and the lighting was considered better than that of any other hall in the vicinity.
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