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 55
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THE LEAVITT HOMESTEAD. Now owned by Geo, C Smith
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ton. He was one of the pioneers of the Democratic party in this part of the state, claiming to have cast the first vote ever cast for candidates of that party in this town. He continued to be a zealous member of that party until his death. He was prominent in carry- ing on the lawsuit to exempt the Baptists from paying to the sup- port of the minister settled by the town. He was representative in 1824 and 1825. He understood the principles of breeding cattle. At the time of his death he had a fine herd of grade Short-horn cattle. He was a great reader and was well informed upon histor- ical matters. His son Benson married Abigail Ward and Joseph M. married Eliza Yendell. They were engaged in trade together in Boston for a number of years. Benson was a number of times elected alderman, and was for a time acting mayor of Boston. He died in 1869. Joseph M. died in 1849. His family live in Con- cord, Mass. Anthony Brackett married Fannie Lamprey, lived in Illinois many years, went overland to California in 1849, and died near Sacramento in 1850. Lydia married Aaron Sanborn and died in 1883. Sarah M. married John B. Brown and died in 1896, aged eighty-seven. Hannah, unmarried, died in 1883. Benjamin Leav- itt polled into Seabrook in 1768, and was a delegate to the conven- tion held at Exeter in 1775. He died in 1805. Jonathan Leavitt was the second town elerk of Seabrook. Both lived at the Leavitt farm in this town while holding these offices. In 1875, the farm was sold to William Cannaway, who came from Scotland. He lived here a short time. In 1882, it was again sold to Merrill and Pike, who came from Salisbury. They lived here until 1886, when they sold to Louis Delacroix who remained until 1895. George C. Smith is the present occupant.
'The farm now occupied by John Huff was the homestead of Amos Leavitt, son of Thomas. He was born in 1720, and married Elizabeth Varrel in 1744. His daughter Mercy married Aaron Merrill in 1775. She died in 1826. Amos Leavitt died in 1808. The premises were afterward occupied by Josiah Prescott, who mar- ried a daughter of Michael Tilton. His son Aaron succeeded his father. He was a man of push and energy, and built the sawmill which stood upon the opposite side of the road in 1842. He mar- ried a daughter of James Prescott, and died in 1853. Jeremiah was a stage driver; afterwards conductor on the Eastern Railroad, and then superintendent for a number of years. He died in 1895. Michael lived in Exeter. His daughter Eunice married Captain Woodbury of Newburyport. Mary, a school teacher in early life,
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married a Mr. Guthrie of Missouri. Edwin, son of Aaron, mar- ried Ellen Thompson, and was at one time engaged in business at the oil country in Pennsylvania; afterward in the construction of the postoffice in Boston. He now lives in Arlington, Mass., and lias done considerable business as an inventor and patentee. Emily, daughter of Aaron, married George W. Green and lives in Exeter. John Huff, who came from Cambridge, Mass., has occupied the farm for a few years.
The farm of Albert S. Smith was the homestead of Benjamin Til- ton, son of Nathan, born in 1736. He was a blacksmith, and was succeeded by his son Michael, who married Lucy Burnham, a nicce of Col. Jonathan Burnham, in 1777. One son, Benjamin, was never married. His daughter Betsey married Reuben Batchelder; another daughter married Josiah Prescott. Emery Batchelder, a grandson of Michael Tilton, lived here for a time, and built the house in 1846. Some years later Mr. Francis W. Atkins, a milk contractor from Massachusetts, owned the place, and it was occu- pied by a tenant of his for a number of years. He built an expen- sive barn in 1857. Frank B. Brown, son of Jacob T., lived here about 1867, at which time the house was repaired. He now lives in Hampton. About 1886, the place was sold to A. S. Smith and John Bishop. Mr. Smith is the present owner and has repaired and put the buildings into good condition. He has been very suc- cessful in raising apples from his large orchard.
On the other side of the road toward Kensington lived a family named Row. Robert Row married Apphia Sanborn in 1726. He was one of the selectmen in 1732. His son, Paine Row, was a Revo- lutionary soldier. He married Ruth Stevens in 1752, and was one of the selectmen in 1769. He was one of the men who helped, with Meshech Weare, to lay out and lot off the town of Robiestown about 1750, and was very active in the unsuccessful attempt to get fam- ilies to settle there. Capt. Robert Row was last rated in 1757. Ensign Paine Row was rated here from 1749 to 1800.
The buildings were located upon the Drew place in 1851. Tim- othy P. Drew was a native of Hampton, and married Louis, daugh- ter of Simeon Prescott. Mr. Drew died about 1880. Mrs. Drew died in 1889, aged upward of ninety years. Miss Abigail Prescott. a sister of Mrs. Drew, lived in the west end of the house. She died in 1886, aged ninety. Mr. Drew had two daughters, Sarah and Eliza, the latter unmarried. Sarah married Samuel Batchelder. He was a soldier, having been drafted in 1863, and he was the only
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man drafted from this town at that time who went into the service. He was wounded, but continued until the close of the war. He was a member of Company D, Fifth New Hampshire Regiment. He was a native of Hampton, and died in 1896.
The Prescott place was formerly occupied by the Swain families. Some of them lived in a house which stood where Warren J. Pres- cott's house now stands. Another family. Dudley Swain's, lived in a house which stood near Kensington line. He was a wheel- wright by trade. The name of Swain appears frequently upon the early records. Some of them moved to Raymond about 1765. The name disappears about 1800. James Prescott, 5th, was the son of James, 4th, son of Elisha, 3d, son of James, 2d, son of James, 1st. James Prescott lived here, and died in 1863. His father, James. was captain of a company in the Revolutionary War. The sword he carried is still in the possession of the family. He was for many years deacon of the Congregational church, and died in 1830. True M. Prescott, son of James, 5th, was born in 1804, and lived upon the homestead. He married Sarah 1., daughter of Joshua Pike, and died in 1899, aged ninety-five. His son built the house he occupies on the site of the old Swain house, and is engaged in the garden and greenhouse business. He was representative in 1897. True M.'s daughter Harriet A. M. is unmarried. Rev. Elvin J. Prescott, son of Warren J., is a Unitarian minister, and has been settled in Littleton, Mass., Kennebunk, Me., and now in Salem. Mass. True M. Prescott built his house in 1833, on nearly the site of that occupied by Stephen Swain, who ceased to be rated here in 1800. John Swain lived where W. J. Prescott now lives, and ceased to be rated before 1787.
Where the cottage house now stands owned by L. B. Brown, on or near the Kensington line, was a house which stood in both towns. A family named Sanborn lived there. The ancestors of the San- borns in Seabrook, Charles, James, and William, lived here. In the contested town meeting in 1770 in relation to the new meeting- house, objection was raised to receiving Henry Sanborn's vote be- cause he lived in that part of his father's house which was in Ken- sington, and he was not allowed to vote. The old house was removed to make place for the present cottage. George B. Sanborn lived here when he represented the town in 1874 and 1875.
Where L. F. and A. D. Prescott live was the homestead of Elisha Prescott and his son, Capt. James Prescott. He cleared up the farm and lived here until his death in 1830. He was succeeded by
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his son Simeon, who died in 1845, aged eighty. Elizabeth, daugh- ter of James, died in 1849, aged eighty-nine. Lucy died in 1847, aged eighty-seven. Robert S., commonly called "Smith Pres- cott," succeeded his father. He married Almira, daughter of Jo- seph Melcher, and had nine sons and one daughter. Three of his sons were in the government service during the war. Joseph E., who enlisted from Exeter, died in the service. The house was built in 1862. Robert S. died in 1888, aged eighty-nine years. Lewis F. and Alvah D., sons of Robert S., are the present occupants. Lewis F. married Miranda Pendergast of Barnstead; Alval D. mar- ried a daughter of Phineas Chase of Stratham. Samuel M., son of Robert S., lives in South Hampton, and has a son who is a teacher in the Massachusetts School of Technology. Thomas C. lives in Brockton, Mass .; Sereno, in Brentwood; George, in Merrimac, Mass. Almon R. died in Havana, W. I., about 1896.
The old Sanborn house now owned by John C. Sanborn was built in 1760 by Maj. William Prescott, son of Samuel, who was a grand- son of James, 1st. The farm was afterward sold to John Wadleigh, who married Hannah, daughter of John Prescott of Epping, in 1780. John Wadleigh died in 1795. His widow married Abner Sanborn, son of Timothy, in 198. Abner died in 1863, aged ninety years. He was succeeded by his son, John Prescott, who married a daughter of Lieut. Jonathan Cram. He died in 1881. Mrs. San- born died in 1897, aged ninety-four. Abner's daughter Sally mar- ried Joseph Cram of this town; Betsey married Capt. Jeremiah Brown of North Hampton. John C., son of John P., succeeded to the farm, and built the house in which he lives about 1857. He married a daughter of Aaron Coffin of Hampton, and has three sons and four daughters. He has been selectman a number of times and representative in 1879.
Half-way down the road toward John Huff's lived William Page, commonly called "King Page." From this fact the road has since been called "King street." He was rated from 1757 until before 1787. One of his sons lived in Salisbury, Mass. Tradition says Mr. Page was much annoyed by boys who played pranks upon him, which pleased the boys but did not amuse him to an equal extent. William Page married Abigail Swain in 1763.
Just above the Curtis place, near an old barn now standing, lived Henry Blake, son of Jeremiah. He married Sarah Tilton in 1787, and was rated from 1768 to 1803. After his death a family named Dow, who came from Kensington, lived here. Caleb and Elijah
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Dow were rated in 1809 and a few years later. They were nick- named "Woodchuck Dows."
Where Dr. Curtis lives was the homestead of the Blakes. Jere- miah Blake, son of Jeremiah, who was the son of Joshua, who was the son of Philemon, who was the son of Jasper, was commonly called "Mr. Blake," and was prominent in town matters, having been selectman not less than fifteen years at different times, and repre- sentative in 1817, 1819, 1821, and 1822. He married Molly Rand of Exeter, built the house about 1796, and died in 1825. He had no children, but left the farm to his nephew, Jeremiah Blake, and to his wife's nephew, Sherburne W. Rand. Mrs. Blake died here in 1861, aged eighty-seven. With her death the name of Blake became extinct, people of that name having lived here since the early settlement of the town. Enoch Blake, nephew of Jeremiah, lived here with Mrs. Blake, and carried on the farm for many years. After her decease he removed to Pittsfield, where he died a few years since at the age of ninety years. The farm was sold to George Janvrin, who with Dr. Curtis, his son-in-law, occupied the farm. William W. Curtis was a native of Vermont and has lived here since 1861. He has one son, George J., who was representative in 1895, and a daughter, Sarah, who married Dearborn Marston of North Hampton.
In a small house which stood in the pasture south of the old cemetery on the cross road lived Benjamin Hilliard, son of Jona- than. He married Hannah Sleeper in 1759. He had, previous to coming here, sold his farm to Dea. David Batchelder. He was rated for the last time in 1791, and probably died about that time.
Gamaliel Knowles, whose name appears upon our record from 1768 to 1811, was a man of property. He came from Hampton, and settled upon the Rocks road in Seabrook, back of the house of Rob- ert Dow, near a spring. He was one of the men who with his sons polled from Seabrook to Hampton Falls in 1768. He had five sons, Simon, Moses, Jonathan, John, and Nathan. These names continue upon our record after the polling was done away with in 1791. They appear to have lived about the Fifield place, with whom they seem to have had some connection. Gamaliel Knowles was rated for the last time in 1811. The names of his sons disap- pear before that date.
The name of Purington was here before the separation from Hampton. The family lived in what is now Seabrook, near the
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Methodist meeting-house. The name disappears from our record after 1767, when Seabrook became a separate town. Elisha Puring- ton was one of the selectinen of Hampton Falls in 1732 and 1735.
Richard Mace was a ship carpenter, lived somewhere on Murray's row, and was rated from 1763 to 1790. Richard Maee was a Revo- lutionary soldier. He appears to have had a son Richard. We know nothing more of his family.
Ebenezer Knowlton married Mary Cram in 1722. This family appears to have moved to Pittsfield. The name of Ebenezer Knowlton appears from 1747, or before, until 1765. He lived in what is now Seabrook. He signed the petition for a Presbyterian society in 1765, was selectman in 1757, and from the amount of his rates must have been a man of considerable property.
Ephraim Hoyt, whose name appears upon the early records of the town, came from Amesbury about 1700, or before. In 1703, he petitioned for the use of a portion of the public land. He mar- ried, first, April 25, 1695, Hannah, daughter of John Godfrey; second, August 12, 1736, Hannah, daughter of Isaac Godfrey; third, September 4, 1738, Elizabeth Macree, who outlived him. Ilis rates in 1709 amounted to 18s. 11d. In 1727, he was rated for two heads, one horse, eight acres of cultivated land, two oxen, one horse, and one hog. He was rated for the last time in 1757. Some of his family were rated until 1767, after which they were probably taxed in Seabrook. Ephraim Hoyt lived upon the road leading south from the New Boston road toward Amesbury, which was called the Hoyt road. His house was standing until 1830 or later. He had a son, Ephraim, Jr. His daughter Elizabeth mar- ried Edward MeLaughlin of Dover. At that time there was a schoolhouse situated upon the corner opposite the present residence of John Weare. We find that from 1761 until 1768 the school inoney was divided among the schools at Exeter road, Drinkwater road, Byfield, and Hoyt's road. About half as much money was appropriated to Hoyt's road as to each of the others. There were at that time a number of stores near here on the road to Kensing- ton which for those times did considerable business, hence the name "New Boston." One of these stores was kept by Joshua Page, commonly called "Merchant Page." He was rated from 1755 until 1768, when Seabrook became a separate town.
Eben Brown, who came from Seabrook, occupied the blacksmith shop which stood on what is now Mr. Godfrey's lawn. He was a ship smith, and did much work for Nathaniel Healey and others
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who built vessels. He was a man of ingenuity, and devised pat- terns for shoe buckles, etc., and shod the stage horses. He was probably here soon after the close of the Revolutionary War, and was rated the last time in 1789.
September 10, 1768, Joshua Vickery, ship carpenter, was seized by a mob in Newburyport, carried by force to the public stocks and there compelled to sit from three to five o'clock on a sharp stone till he fainted. He was then carried around town in a cart with a rope around his neck, with his hands tied behind him, and pelted with eggs, gravel, and stones till he was much wounded. At night he was carried into a dark warehouse, hand-cuffed with irons, and there compelled to remain without bed or clothing through the Lord's day till Monday morning, and no person but his wife allowed to visit him. On Monday morning the rioters seized a Frenchman named Francis Magro, stripped him naked, tarred and feathered him, placed him in a cart, and compelled Vick- ery to lead the horse about town. The cause of these outrages was Magro's giving information to the officers of customs at Portsmouth against a vessel the owners of which he supposed were engaged in smuggling. Vickery was supected, but was afterward proved to be entirely innocent. This was the second mob in Newburyport. The first occurred in September, 1765.
Joshua Vickery came to this town during or soon after the Revo- lutionary War. He lived on the southeast side of Cock hill, on the south side of the road, upon land now owned by John N. Sanborn. He was said to have been a seaman in his early days. He was a good penman, and reputed to have been a good citizen. His name disappears from the record in 1792.
On the north side of the road above John N. Sanborn's, near the base of the hill, lived a family by the name of Quimby. Rob- ert Quimby married Judith Sanborn in 1725. Eleazer Quimby afterward lived here, and was rated here from before 1747 to 1767, when the name disappears. Some of this family appear to have settled in Hawke (now Danville), and afterward in Weare.
In a house which stood near Quimby's lived a family named Flood. John Flood married Mary Blake in 1741, and was rated from before 1747 till 1773, or later. There are daffodils growing at the present time which came from those cultivated in the garden by either the Flood or Quimby families.
A house which stood upon the east side of King street, near
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William Page's, was occupied by Caleb Swain, who was not rated after 1772. He was living here in 1732.
Samuel Quarles, who was rated in Hampton Falls in 1795, 1796, and 1797, was a partner with Capt. Nathaniel Dodge in the tavern business, under the name of Dodge & Quarles. Their place of business was in the house now owned and occupied by C. N. Dodge. Mr. Quarles removed to Ossipee, where he became a leading citizen. Beside holding the offices in the gift of the town, he was a justice of the quorum, a state senator in 1810, 1811, and 1812, member of the governor's council three years beginning in 1814, was elected a presidential elector in 1824, and again in 1828, casting his vote each time for John Quincy Adams for president. He probably held other offices. Samuel D. Quarles, elected railroad commis- sioner in 1869, was his son.
Edmund Johnson, son of Peter, was born in Hampton in 1671, and married Abigail, daughter of Abraham Green. He lived on the Hogpen farm, now in Kensington, was rated here in 1709, but disappears before 1727. His daughter Abigail married John Brown, son of Benjamin. It was she who gave the negro man, "Cæsar," his freedom in 1757, a notice of which appears elsewhere.
Caleb Haskell, called "Dr. Haskell," lived in the house now occu- pied by C. N. Dodge. He was rated from 1991 till 1795, and was paid for making and entering the rates during some of the years he lived here. He kept a store, and in 1794 had approbation from the selectmen to mix and retail spirituous liquors. We have no further knowledge of him.
Christopher Pottle was owner and occupant. in December, 1695. of the house formerly owned by Capt. Benjamin Swett, on the Falls side of the town. His wife's name was Hannah. He died before the baptism of his son Samuel, who was the first person bap- tized in the Falls meeting-house, June 11, 1711. He had two sons and four daughters. We have no further record of the family.
There are a few places in the town which are still occupied by lineal descendants of the original occupant, but not all bearing the original name, as some have come down in the female line. Mrs. David C. Hawes descended from Samuel Melcher. Janette Moul- ton from James Wall, Dean R. Tilton and Henry H. Knight from the Tiltons, Frank S. and Orin D. Green from Jacob Green. Helen and Sarah Sanborn from Joseph Sanborn, John T. Batch- elder from Nathaniel Batchelder, Jack and Fannie Sanborn from
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PHOTOGRAPH OF AN OBLIGATION GIVEN BY MANUEL HILLIARD AND JASPER BLAKE TO REV. TIMOTHY DALTON, 1654, WITH AN AUTOGRAPH OF REV. JOHN WHEELWRIGHT.
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Lieut. John Sanborn, Edwin Janvrin from Capt. Benjamin Swett, Frank J. Robie from Ichabod Robie, Lewis F. and Alvah D. Pres- cott from Elisha Prescott, John C. Sanborn from Samuel Prescott, and Benjamin F. Weare from Nathaniel Weare.
In 1639, Rev. Timothy Dalton was granted a farm of three hun- dred acres at Sagamore hill, adjoining Taylor's river. Sagamore hill is situated a few rods east of Fred P. Sanborn's barn. The following, from the Hampton records, is in relation to it:
The last of March 1651
itt is ordered and agreed that Mr Dalton our Teacher shall have three hundred akers to his farme according to the evidence brought to the meeting. Voted.
this is ass true a Copia as I can give out of the Old Towne Book. attest SAMII DOW, Clarke.
The: 20: 11 mo 1651.
This wittnessith that wheras as Mr Timothy Dalton our present Teacher hath this farm above mentioned att Salisbury Bounds con- firmed unto him with all privileges belonging ther unto, and likwis his other farm att Sagamore hill with the privileges ther unto, By the Inhabitants of the Town of Hampton upon thes condijons as folow That Mr Timothy Dalton shall free and discharg the Town of hamp- ton in general from all Debts and Deues for his minstrey from his first coming until he had a Sett pay given by the Town unto this I Sett my hand by me
TIMOTHY DALTON
Voted three hundred Acres for a farm two hundred acres of it medow and upland-laying between taylors river toward the north and the farme of John Crosse in pt. and the common in pt. towards the South Abutting upon the aforesaid Taylors river towards the east and the common towards the west more or less as it is
A true Copia attest SAMII DOW, Clarke
Mr. Dalton gave his farm of three hundred acres at Sagamore hill to three of his kinsmen, to each one hundred aeres: To Na- thaniel Batchelder, a son of Rev. Stephen Bachiler, by deed dated August 10, 1657. This included the lower part of Warren Brown's farm and the farm of John T. Batchelder. To Manuel Hilliard. by deed dated January 20, 1654. This was the farm owned by Mr. Hilliard's descendants, and afterward by William Brown and George B. Sanborn, now by Fred P. Sanborn. The remaining hundred acres was given to Jasper Blake, and was situated between that given Manuel Hilliard and the turnpike. The tract of wood-
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land ealled "the farm" takes its name from having been a part of Rev. Mr. Dalton's farm.
Jasper Blake appears to have been a brother-in-law of Mr. Dal- ton. Mr. Batchelder and Mr. Hilliard appear to have married nieces of Mrs. Dalton.
Dea. Samuel Dow, who made the above copy from the Hampton records, was town elerk from 1707 to 1714, and from 1730 till 1756.
John Brown was born in London, of Scottish parents, in 1589. He came to Massachusetts in June, 1635. He married Sarah Walker. He was one of the first company who settled in Hampton, and was married before he came. There is some uncertainty in respect to the place of his abode before he came here, but it is presumed that he came from Watertown, where a person of his name was admitted freeman in 1635, and had a son John born in 1636.
He had a grant of four acres by his house lot, April 30, 1640, and also owned one of "the farms" and had two shares in the commons besides. December 23, 1645, he drew three shares of the ox commons, Nos. 11, 17, and 24. The first share of said commons was to be on the east side of the salt marsh, at John Brown's Point. What is now known as Brown's river was named for him, and also John Brown's river, which ran up to his "farm." He built the first "barque" ever built in Hampton in 1641 or 1642, at the river near Perkins's mill. He became one of the largest land owners in the town. In 1653 he stood third on the tax list, his tax being £2 3s. 1d., in a rate of £53 2s. 10d. He and his sons were engaged in raising cattle. In 1673 and 1674 he and his sons brought suit against the town for not causing a road to be built to his farm. The court decided in his favor and the road was built. December 4, 1663, he was chosen to see that the boys did not play in the gallery. He was one of the seleetmen in 1651 and 1656. March 3, 1670, he drew share No. 18 in the commons, containing one hundred aeres. He died in 1686, aged about ninety-eight years. His wife Sarah died June 6, 1672. Their children were: Sarah, born in 1643, married John Poor; Jacob, born in 1645, married Sarah Brookin; Benjamin, born in 1647, married Sarah Brown; Elizabeth, married Isaac Marston; John, died unmarried; Mary, born in 1655: Stephen, born in 1659, killed at Black Point.
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