USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Marlborough > History of the town of Marlborough, Cheshire County, New Hampshire > Part 3
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* 10 Acres of this lot to be taken out for publick use by Charter.
+ And north half of No. 11.
# And south half of No. 11.
|| And north half of No. 6.
§ And south half of No. 6.
-
1
-
col
David Church Jona. Blanchard
Noah Church Jacob Felton
Saml. Mori-on
Abraham How Junr.
Saml. Allison Jr. Archd. Dunlap John Gilmore Saml. Steel
John Woods John Taylor
25
10
9
6
91
90
1
8
Jona. Blanchard
David Morrison
30
42
1
7
8
3
1
80
Robert Clark
31
8
2
75
85
6
5
3
8
3
7
64 acres.
85 acres.
133 acres.
87 acres.
40 acres.
100 acres.
79 acres.
Beach, 15 miles Mark.
92 acres z.
No. 100
No. 99
No. 98
No. 97
No. 9€
No. 95
No. 94
No. 93
No. 92
No. 91
15 acres }. 31 rods.
No. 81
No. 82
No. 83
No. 84
No. 85
No. 86
No. 87
No .. 88
No. 89
No. 90
86 acres }.
acres.
No. 79
No. 78
No. 77 GE
No. 76
No. 75
No. 74
No. 73
No. 72
No. 71
No. 70
88} acres.
No. 80
66 acres.
No. 59
No. 60
No. 61
No. 62
No. 63
No. 64
No. 65
No. 66
No. 67
No. 68
No. 69
92 acres z.
922 rds. 84 acres }.
No. 58
No. 57
No. 56
No 55
No. 54
No. 53
No. 52
No. 51
No. 50
No. 49
No. 48
97 acres.
15 rods.
No. 37
No. 38
No. 39
No. 40
No. 41
No. 42
No. 43
No. 44
No. 45
No. 46
No. 47
98 acres.
27 acres.
No. 36
No. 35
No. 34
No. 33
No. 32
No. 31
No. 30
No. 29
No. 28
No. 27
No. 26
No. 25
65 acres.
49 acres }.
No. 13
No. 14
No. 15
No. 16
No. 17
· No. 18
No. 19 GE
No. 20
No. 21
No. 22
No. 23
No. 24
89 acres.
No. 12
No. 11
No. 10
No. 9
No. 8
No. 7
No. 6
No. 5
No. 4
No. 3
No. 2
No. 1
19 acres 3.
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
42 acres.
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1 Rang. 2.
58 acres.
13
12
11
10
9
8
6
5
4
3
2
1
Rang. 3.
73 acres.
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Rang. 4.
82}.
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
10
4
3
2
1
Rang. 5.
99 acres.
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Rang. 6.
65 acres }.
13
12
11
10
9
8
6
5
4
3
2
1
Rang. 7
112 rods.
51 acres.
62 acres.
78 acres,
126 rods.
83 acres,
102 acres.
15 acres.
31 acres.
43 acres.
105 rds. 55 acres,
134 rds. 73 acres,
107 acres.
This is a Plan of Township in Mason's Patent, in the Province of New Hampshire, called Monadk No. 5, lotted out into hundred acre lots, excepting the lots on the outside of the Town, and them lots it is sot down against each lot the number of acres contained in each.
Surveyed by JONA LIVERMORE and NOALI CHURCH, in ye year 1762.
Marlborough, Dec., 3d, 1768.
A Copy, examined by EBENEZER DEXTER, Propts Clerk.
Beech Tree.
North 80 A. 966 rods.
No. 101
No. 102
No. 103
No. 104
No.
105
6 each.
G
5
4
3
2
1
Rang. 8.
126 rods.
Center Line. Rang. 1.
NORTH.
21
THE MASONIAN CHARTER.
lay out the road in the manner they thought best, for the benefit and advantage of the Proprietors.
To meet the expense, a tax was laid of two dollars on each Proprietor's right; at the same time, liberty was given for each one to work out his two dollars on the road at four shillings per day, " he finding himself at his own cost (Noth- ing being allowed for Travel & Expenses out & home)." This road commenced at Keene line on lot No. 58, "and thence across lot No. 57, and through No. 39 and 40; across the corner of No. 32, and through Nos. 31, 30, and 29; across a corner of No. 28, to No. 22; through the south west corner of No. 26, and to No. 23 and 24 to Dublin line." Or, in other words, commencing at the Keene line and run- ning nearly the same as the main street, to the mill of the Monadnock Blanket Company, and thence through the mill- yard to the top of the hill; then following the present road up the hill by the Congregationalist church to the house of Gilman Whitcomb, and thence on to the Blodgett place, now owned by A. T. Woodward.
From this point the road has been very much changed; and it would be a difficult matter to describe all its turnings and windings until it came to the place now owned by Samuel Jones. Here it ran several rods north of Mr. Jones' house, and came out into the present highway at the foot of the hill east of his house, and thence followed the present road by the Stone Pond to the Dublin line.
This was the first road laid out in the township, and when completed was little better than a bridle path through the woods; for up to this time the township was an unbroken forest with the exception of a small clearing on what is now "West Hill" in Troy. At this late day, we can hardly form any conception of the wildness of the scenery at that time. The bark of the wolf and the cry of the catamount, were no unusual sounds; the bear roamed at will through the forest, unpursued by man: the whole forming a striking contrast with that which the eye beholds to-day. The men who performed the labor of clearing this road have left us no record of their transactions. How
22
HISTORY OF MARLBOROUGH.
many there were, the time employed, how they lived or where they stayed, is all unknown to us; but certain it is that it was only through much toil and many privations that they were able to complete the road and make it fit for travel.
At a meeting in August, 1763, the Proprietors voted to "lay out a road from Rowley (Rindge) to Doobleinn Road Leading to Keen." This road led through the south part of the town, but we have no means of knowing the exact location.
CHAPTER II.
SETTLEMENTS, ETC.
WILLIAM BARKER. - ISAAC MCALISTER. - SILAS FIFE. - BENJAMIN TUCKER. - FIRST MEETING IN THE TOWNSHIP. - FIRST SAW-MILL. -FIRST HOUSES. - FIRST CENSUS. - DELINQUENT GRANTEES. - ENOCHI HALE'S RETURN OF SETTLEMENTS. - FIRST GRIST-MILL. - DIFFICULTY OF SETTLING WITH PROPRIETORS' OFFICERS. - BREED BATCHELDER. - PARTIAL ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWN. - TOWN INCORPORATED. - ORIGIN OF THE NAME. - FIRST TOWN MEETING. - TITHINGMEN. - DEER-REEVES AND HOG-REEVES. - INVENTORY OF TAXABLE PROPERTY.
WE have now reached the period in the history of our town in which the first settlement was made. The first to try his fortunes in this hitherto unbroken wilderness was William Barker, a native of Westborough, Mass. According to the best information we have, he first came to Monadnock No. V in 1761. It will be remembered that he was one of the Proprietors, and as such, had drawn several lots of land, and was, no doubt, influenced by the desire to know something of the quality and worth of his newly acquired possessions.
At this time he did little more than to select a location for his future residence, which was lot No. XII in the fifth range, being on what is now called "West Hill," in Troy. In 1762 he returned, bringing with him a quantity of pro- visions sufficient to last him a limited time, and commenced a small clearing which, no doubt, was the first made within the limits of Monadnock No. V.
24
HISTORY OF MARLBOROUGH.
His supply of provisions exhausted, he went back to his native town, having made but little progress in levelling the forest. In 1764 he returned, enlarged his clearing, built a log-house, and made arrangements for removing his family. Early in the fall he set out from Westborough, accompanied with his wife and three small children; he also had an ox-team well laden with stores of provisions and domestic utensils. The roads being in a poor condition, their progress was slow ; but they soon reached Winchendon, from which place there was no road, and they were obliged to be guided by marked trees. This part of their journey was very difficult ; but. after much toil and many slight accidents, they arrived safely at their new home the 17th day of September, 1764, being the first family that settled in Monadnock No. V.
Soon after the removal of Mr. Barker and his family, Isaac MeAlister who had previously constructed a log- house on the farm now owned by Ansel Nye, removed his family consisting of his wife-who was a sister of Mrs. Barker-and four children; this was the first settle- ment within the limits of the present town of Marlborough.
These two families consisting of eleven members, were, it is presumed, all the inhabitants residing within the township during the winter of 1764-5.
1765. Silas Fife, a young man from Bolton, Mass .. having heard much of the undeveloped resources and great adaptability of the Monadnock townships for farming pur- poses, together with their abundance of game (a matter of no small importance to the first settlers of our New England forests, as it was necessarily one of the principal sources of food for themselves and families), determined to visit them, with the view of purchasing a tract of land for a farm.
Consequently in the spring of 1765, as tradition has it, with a small quantity of food strapped upon his back, he started for Monadnock, accompanied only with his trusty dog and gun. On arriving at Monadnock No. V, he pur- chased a lot of land in the south-easterly part of the
25
SETTLEMENTS, ETC.
township, including most of the land afterwards owned by Deacon Abel Baker (for many years known as the Baker farm), situated within the territory set off from Marlborough in 1815 to form a part of the new town of Troy. Here he constructed a temporary shelter, near the entrance of which he cooked his food, while within he slept the livelong night, gun in hand, ready at a moment's warning to send Bruin howling from his presence. Young Fife appears to have been an excellent marksman and fond of the chase. The abundance of game in the vicinity of the mountain afforded ample scope for the exercise of his skill. As his supply of food during the first few months of his residence in his isolated home was quite limited, he was obliged to depend upon his favorite amusement for his daily suste- nance ; and whenever he felt the pangs of hunger, the sharp crack of his musket was pretty certain to bring him relief.
For several summers he toiled on mostly alone, clearing his ground and bringing it into a state of cultivation ; in the meantime he built a house, and then, thinking, like many others, that he had experienced fully his share of the sweets of single blessedness, married Abigail Houghton, a young lady from his native town, and took her to his wilderness home.
They were married in Boston, Mass., August 15, 1772. Mrs. Fife was little accustomed to the rude life she had here chosen, and it is, therefore, no wonder that many perplexing incidents should happen to her in the discharge of her duties as housewife ; one of which in after years she often related with great merriment.
A few days after becoming settled in her new home, she undertook to bake some pies, being arranged on pewter plates and placed in the heated stone oven. Shortly after- wards, on looking into the oven, it is perhaps unnecessary to add, she found her plates a liquid mass, rolling about in different directions. But a few such lessons probably served to correct her judgment, and led her to avoid similar unpleasant casualties.
In August, 1765, Benjamin Tucker, with his wife, five
6
26
HISTORY OF MARLBOROUGH.
sons, and two daughters, eame from Leicester, Mass., to Monadnock No. V, and settled on the place formerly owned and occupied by Tarbell and Whitney; the house standing at the top of the hill, a few rods east of the present build- ings. Mr. Tucker was fortunate in choosing this location, for soon after his settlement here the great road from Keene to Boston was laid out directly by his house, which he opened as a tavern, being the first kept in the township; a full description of which will be given hereafter.
Mr. Tueker and his sons proved to be men of enterprise, and did their full share towards forwarding the settlement of the town. The meetings of the Proprietors were for several years held at his house; he was frequently moder- ator of these meetings, and also at different times held the office of elerk, assessor, and treasurer. Mr. Tucker was a man of natural business eapacity; but this was not seconded by a good edueation, as is evident from the manner in which he kept the Proprietors' records, mixing, up his capitals strangely, and using as many letters as possible in spelling.
The population was further increased this year by the arrival of Daniel Goodenow, with his wife and four or five children, from Marlborough, Mass. Where he settled is not certain, but it was probably in that part of the township now included in Troy. Abel Woodward also became a settler the same year, but of how many persons his family consisted we are unable to say, as no records have been preserved. He located in what is now the village, on the Joslin place, now owned in part by Murray Fitch; his house standing on the west side of the road between the residence of Joel S. Knight and the sand bank.
1766. November 13th of this year, a meeting of the Proprietors was held at the house of Isaac McAlister, which was the first held within the township. At this meeting Benjamin Tucker was moderator, and Dr. Ebenezer Dexter of Marlborough, Mass., was clerk. The most important business transacted at this meeting related to highways;
27
SETTLEMENTS, ETC.
and the following is a copy of a vote passed in reference to the sixth article of the warrant for this meeting: " Voted that the great Roads so-called Leading from Keen to Doobleinn, and from Keen to Rowly,* and from Swanzey to Stoddard Townt so called, be Layed out Three Rods wide and the other Roads 2 rods wide." The Doctor was, no doubt, a skilful physician, and if the medicine which he dealt out to his patients, was equally strong with his spelling, he must have met with unparalleled success in his practice.
Nothing of importance seems to have been done this year towards bringing forward the settlement of the town- ship, nor does there appear to have been any increase in the number of settlers.
1767. Only one meeting was held this year, and that was at the old Williams Tavern in Marlborough, Mass., on the 19th of May. The most important transaction at this meeting was the provision made for the building of a saw- mill. By the schedule of the lots drawn by the Proprietors, it will be seen that Daniel Harrington drew the "Mill Right." Tradition tells us that this was located at the junction of the brooks, south of the school-house in District No. 4.
Several attempts had been made on the part of the Proprietors to induce Mr. Harrington to erect a mill ; but, either from lack of means or wishing to have the Proprietors bear the greater part of the expense, he neglected to go forward in the enterprise. At the meeting above alluded to, it was voted to "Raise one Dollar on Each Prpts. Right, for the use of Daniel Harrington, in case he compleats a saw-mill fit for sawing of Boards, on or before the first of July Next Insueing; and in case Mr. Harrington Throws up the subscription made at Monadk No. five on the 13th Day of Nov. 1766, Also Mr. Harrington, agrees to allow Half a Dollar to Each Proprietor that lives in sª Township per Day, if they choose to work out said Dollar."
* Rindge. + Fitzwilliam.
28
HISTORY OF MARLBOROUGH.
The mill was completed during the season, and in the autumn the first two framed houses were erected in town. The first of these was built by Jedediah Maynard on the farm now owned by Ivory E. Gates, and is the eastern half of Mr. Gates' house. The second was that of Abijah Tucker, and was located on the site of the Congregational meeting-house.
Previous to this time the houses were mere log-huts with stone chimneys, usually with but one room, no chamber or cellar, and oftentimes with no floor except the hard-trodden earth. The roofs were composed of large poles thatched with bark. Window-glass was at first unknown, but a hole or two cut in the logs with wooden shutters, answered the purpose of windows.
The immigration to the town this year was much larger than the preceding. Among the number were Joseph Col- lins, his wife and seven children; Thomas Riggs who was the first settler on the Sargent place; John Felton and Jedediah Maynard, each of whom was married.
In September the Provincial Legislature ordered an enumeration of the inhabitants, and an inventory of the ratable estate in each town in the province to be made in December. The return of the inventory from Monadnock No. V has not been found, and if any was made at this time, it has been lost. The population of each town was arranged in classes. The returns from this township were as follows : -
Unmarried men from 16 to 60 years of age, 9
Married men from 16 to 60 years of age, 16
Boys of 16 years and under, 25
Men 60 years and above, 1
Females unmarried,
26
Females married, 16
Male slaves,
0
Female slaves, 0
Total, 93
This census is important from the fact that it shows the number of inhabitants in the township at the close of
29
SETTLEMENTS, ETC.
the third year after its settlement. Were it possible, we would like to give the name and age of each inhabitant at this time; but it is impossible, owing to the fact that the descendants of several of those early families are so widely scattered we cannot obtain the necessary statistics. From this time to 1770, the Proprietors held but few meetings, and no business of importance was transacted ; their chief aim seemed to be to increase, as fast as possible the number of settlers, in order to fulfil the conditions of their charter. Some of the grantees, however, failed to perform their whole duty in this respect; and had it not been for the great forbearance and long suffering of the Lord Proprietors, for whose interest it was to forward the settlement of the town, they would, no doubt, have forfeited all claim to the land.
These delinquent grantees were men of influence, and so controlled the Proprietors' meetings that those who had ful- filled their part considered, these delinquents were hindering rather than helping fulfil the stipulations set forth in the charter. In view of these proceedings, the resident Pro- prietors in 1768 presented the following petition to the Lord Proprietors : -
PROVINCE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.
To the Proprietors of Lands purchased of John Tufton Mason, Esqr in the Province aforesaid, (commonly called the .Lords Proprietors of said Lands).
Humbly showeth to your Honors, -
We the Subscribers, inhabitants of Monadnock No. five (so called) in said Province, lying in said Mason's Patent, that on the twentieth day of May, A. D. 1752, your Honors was pleased to grant said Monadnock, number five to a number of people and gave a Charter of the same to said people, with sundry conditions and restrictions, as mentioned in said Charter. Since which we have purchased of sundry of the Grantees, and settled in said Township, and have fulfilled said Charter, as to our part, as fully as hath been in our power to do. By reason that there is a number of said Grantees that neglect to settle their rights, or do any considerable part of the duty required of them by said Charter, altho' we conceive the time for the settlement on said Rights is long since expired, and said delinquents at our meetings for bringing forward the
30
HISTORY OF MARLBOROUGH.
settlements of said Townships &c., by means of their own votes, the Interest they make, carry the votes as they please to the great damage of the inhabitants of said Township, and to the discouragement of others settling therein &c.
The delinquent Rights are as followeth ; (viz.) Henry. Neal, William Gilmore, Halbert Morrison, Samuel Allison Jr, Robert Allen, Samuel Mitchel, John Moore, Thomas Morrison. We having thus opened our deplorable case to your Honors, as obedient children to their Parents, desire your Honors would take our case into your wise consideration, and if your Honors think proper, grant said delinquents Rights to the inhabitants of said Township, on such conditions as your Honors shall think proper; or otherwise release us, as your Honors in your great wisdom shall think proper. And we as in duty bound shall ever pray. Monadnock, Number five 25th day of July 1768.
Daniel Goodenough, Joshua Tucker, Caleb Tucker,
William Barker,
Isaac McAlister, Stephen Church,
Joseph Collins,
Abijah Tucker, Charles Bigelow,
Abel Woodward,
Moses Tucker, Richard Tozer.
The delinquent grantees now began to bestir themselves, and, fearing that the prayer of the petitioners would be granted, engaged Jonathan Blanchard who was supposed to have great influence with the Masonian Proprietors, to act for them in the matter of opposing the petition of the inhabitants for a new grant. Accordingly in December following, that gentleman presented to the Lord Proprietors the following memorial : -
To the Gentlemen Propr Purchasers of the right of John Tufton Mason Esq. in the Province of New Hampshire.
The Memorial of Jonathan Blanchard of Dunstable in said Province shews, -
That your Memorialist and others are largely interested in the New Township called Monadnock No. 5, granted to your Right some years since. - That they (& other families) have at a large expense been & still are carrying on & completing the Settlement of said Township, as injoined by Grant thereof. -
'That your Memorialist, understands a Petition has been preferred to your Society, (as well as many causeless Insinuations mentioned) Setting forth that a number of the Original Grantees or their assigns are dila- tory, wholly neglect the improvement and settlement of their Rights & Shares. -
That your Memorialist declares (so far as he can find out) that the Representation aforesaid is false, & that there is not one single right
31
SETTLEMENTS, ETC.
in said Township, but that has more or less cleared & Improved on, & that if the whole duty is not already done, as they are perfect of the same, he prayes for your further indulgence & is persuaded that any new Grant cannot hasten the Settlement. That if the Petitioners aforesaid, should again beg for the supposed forfeiture, your Memorialist prays that he may have Notice and Liberty to state the Facts touching the Settlement, before any New Grant takes place, which tho' perhaps cannot take effect yet it may be prejudicial to the Present Claimers & no real service, and your Memorialist as in duty shall ever pray.
JONA BLANCHARD.
Portsmouth, Dec. 224, 1768.
The Masonian Proprietors wishing to act judiciously in the matter, wrote to Benjamin Tucker requesting that he would forward to them "a just account of the settlement of Monadnock, No. V," and how far they had complied with the conditions of their charter.
They also employed Col. Enoch Hale of Rindge to investigate the matter. As the results of these two investi- gations were rendered at nearly the same time, and were substantially the same, we will give that of Mr. Hale, which is as follows : -
An account of ye Settlements in Monadnock No. five, called New Marlborough * in ye province of New Hampshire.
Dra't.
1. Thomas Wilson, settled by Thomas Riggs.
2. Henry Neal.
3. James Lyon, settled by Joshua Tucker.
4. Thomas Cochran, settled by James Tiffany.
5. William Gihnore, settled by Richard Tozer.
6. Robert Wilson, settled by William Adams.
7. John Warson, settled by Joseph Peck.
8. Halbert Morrison. Jonathan Nicholds made some improvement.
9. Sammuel Morrison, settled by John Felton.
10. Andrew Armer, settled by Isaac McAlister.
11. Isaac Cochran, settled by Abel Woodwart.
12. Samuel Allison, settled by David Warrin.
13. Archibald Dunlap, settled by Bennidick Webber.
14. John Gilmore, settled by Benjamin Tucker.
15. Samuel Steel. Called Duty free.
* This is the earliest date at which the name of Marlborough appears in connection with the township.
32
HISTORY OF MARLBOROUGH.
16. Robert Allen, settled by Jonathan Goodenow.
17. James Moore. Called Duty free.
18. Thomas McClary, settled by Jonathan Shaw.
19. James Wilson, settled by Jonah Harrington.
20. John Morrison, settled by Silas Hooker ; made some improvements.
21. John Wilson, settled by James Crossman.
22. Samuel Mitchel, settled by Thaddeus Hastings; made some improvet.
23. Samuel Cochran, settled by James Brewer.
24. James Morrison, settled by Benja. Tucker, Jr.
25. Hugh Montgomery. Called duty free.
26. John Moor, settled by Richard Robards.
27. Robert Moor, settled by Stephen Church, Single man, 1. acre im- proved some acres girdled.
28. Samuel Wilson, settled by Samuel Bishop.
29. Thomas Morrison.
30. David Morrison, settled by Daniel Goodenow.
31. Robert Clark, settled by Joseph Collins.
32. John Cochran, settled by William Barker.
33. Samuel Allison, settled by Silas Fife.
James Wilson Sent have one single share containing one hundred and fifty acres no duty to be done sooner than the last duties on the double shares, which contains four hundred and fifty acres to each share.
A true account of all the Settlements Errs Except, per
ENOCH HALE.
April 24th, 1770.
This account of settlements is interesting from the fact that it gives us a certain knowledge as to who were the inhabitants of the town at so early a date. Of these set- tlers, twenty-seven in number, all had families except William Adams, Silas Hooker, Thaddeus Hastings, Stephen Church, and Silas Fife ; and of this number, Thaddeus Hastings and Silas Fife afterwards married and raised up large families in this town; the other three remained here but a short time, and then departed, no one knows whither.
This account of Col. Hale seems to have been satisfac- tory and to have ended the controversy, as we hear no more concerning the delinquent grantees ; and it is probable that they seeing the matter was to be investigated, made haste and settled their rights, as we find in this report that several of those who had been complained' of as delinquent, were reported by Col. Hale as settled.
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