USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Peterborough > History of the town of Peterborough, Hillsborough county, New Hampshire > Part 61
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ISAAC D. WHITE. He lived on the old homestead of the family, and was the only descendant of the ancestor, John White (Pond), that owned any of the original farm. He m. Timnah Mansfield, Rindge, March 28, 1839. He d. July 5, 1875, æ. 63 yrs., 2 mos.
60 61
Martin V. B., b. June 24, 1840 ; m. Melissa Hill ; one ch., Freddie.
Daniel M., b. May 4, 1843 ; m. Martha Billings, Oct. 18, 1866, b. March 8, 1840.
His early life was spent on the farm. He received his education at the district schools and the neighboring
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AGNES JEAN WHITE.
academies, having attended the latter entirely at his own expense. In the war of the Rebellion, he enlisted in 1864 in the Ist Regiment of the New Hampshire Cav- alry, and was promoted to the lieutenancy before he was discharged, July 15, 1865, at the close of the war. In 1872, he enlisted and organized a company of cavalry in town of sixty-five members, the only company of cavalry in the State. It has the name of being the best cavalry company in the New England States, and is an honor to the town and the State.
In March, 1869, he commenced reading law with Ezra M. Smith, Esq., in Peterborough, and was admitted to the Hillsborough County bar, May 12, 1874, and com- menced in town the practice of law the June following. Anthony W., b. Sept. 21, 1845 ; d. Aug. 13, 1851, æ. 6 yrs.
Nathan L., b. Feb. 18, 1848 ; d. July 28, 1851, æ. 3 yrs., 5 mos.
Irving M., b. March 28, 1853.
Isaac L., b. Aug. 5, 1855 ; d. Sept. 10, 1856, æ I yr.
Herman A., b. March 3, 1858.
Milly f., b. Sept. 7, 1861.
STEPHENWHITE m. Phebe Greenfield, Dec. 25, 1842 ; b. Sept. 5, 1820.
Adelaide H., b. Jan. 23, 1844 ; m., Nov. 8, 1866, N. G. Whittemore; r. Fitchburg; one ch., Frank E., b. March 6, 1870.
James M., b. Dec. 19, 1845.
Clarinda M., b. April 2, 1848 ; d. Sept. 14, 1849, æ. I yr., 5 mos.
Delia I., b. July 14, 1850 ; m. George Shattuck, Nov. 14, 1872. . Clarence E., b. Jan. 30, 1855.
JOHN MILTON WHITE m. Mary Fitts, of New Ipswich.
Fremont, b. -; m. Mary Difley, New Ipswich. Fosie, b. - (75) Ida, b. -.
JOHN KELSO WHITE. He settled on his father's place, but upon the decease of both of his parents he re. to Hanover, Ill., where he now resides ; m. Mary H. Swan, dau. of James W. Swan, Dec. 19, 1844.
Agnes Jean, b. Nov. 17, 1845 ; m. Arthur B. Leighton, Feb. 17, 1864. She d. at Macomb, Ill., Sept 9, 1872 ; four ch.
75
62 63 64 65 66 67 14- 44 68 69 70 71 72 14- 46 73 74 17- 50
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MARY ANNA WHITE.
76
Mary Anna, b. July 31, 1850.
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SAMUEL G. WHITE. Is a machinist ; m. Nancy Car- ter, Nov. 15, 1866, b. July 25, 1844.
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M. Gertrude, b. May 2, 1868. Nellie C., b. May 26, 1870.
JOHN WHITE. This is another branch of the White family. John White was the brother of Patrick White, and son of John and Elizabeth White, of Lunenburg, where he was b. We do not know the exact date of his emigration to Peterborough, but before 1762, when Jere- miah Gridley and John Hill deeded to John White a lot of land, two hundred and sixty-eight acres, May 5, 1762. We find that he was tithing-man in 1763 and 1776; selectman 1764, '73, and on the Committee of Safety 1777, '79. He began the "White place," so called, now in possession of Nathaniel H. Morison, Esq., as a sum- mer residence. He m., Dec. 9, 1747, Molly Wallace, b. April 3, 1724, dau. William and Elizabeth Wallace, of Lunenburg. She d. May 14, 1800, æ. 78 yrs. He d. Feb. 24, 1796, æ. 77 yrs.
79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87
t Fohn, b. at Lunenburg, Dec. 13, 1748 ; m. Elizabeth Smith.
Charles, b. Feb. 5, 1749 ; m. Sarah Gray.
William, b. Nov. 2, 1751 ; m. Esther Gray.
David, b. Oct. 22, 1753 ; re. to Bristol, Vt. ; owned the Plato place.
Betsey, b. July 1, 1755 ; m. John Burns.
Nancy, b. 1757 ; m. Benj. Alld ; he d. Nov. 4, 1823, æ. 64 yrs.
Polly, b. Nov. 4, 1759 ; m. - , at Dorset, Vt. Susan, b. May 28, 1764 ; m. David Grimes.
Jonathan, b. -; studied medicine ; was talented and capable, but ruined by intemperance ; d. at Carlisle, Penn., in 1812.
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JOHN WHITE, Jr. He succeeded his father on the homestead. He first lived over the river on what has been called the "Bruce place," until the last years of his father's life, when he removed to the old farm. He was tithing-man three years, 1777, 1801, '2 ; selectman 1787. He m. Elizabeth Smith, dau. of John Smith ; she d. April 24, 1822, æ. 68 yrs. He d. Jan. 15, 1818, æ 70 yrs.
ELIZABETH B. WHITE.
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John, b. July 1, 1775; M. Polly Brewer ; r. Kentucky ; d. on his way home. He was a saddler and harness- maker, and carried on the business till 1809 or '10, when he changed his business, and engaged in build- ing the machinery of the first Peterborough cotton factory. He d. Sept. 10, 1822, æ. 47 yrs.
+ Robert, b. Dec. 6, 1776 ; m., Ist w., Ruth Burns ; 2d w., Sally Ingalls.
Mary, b. Oct. 4, 1778 ; m. Jonas Loring, Aug. 11, 1801 ; d. 1852, æ. 74 yrs.
Betsey, b. Aug. 7, 1780 ; m. David Holmes ; d. 1846, æ. 66 yrs.
Fesse, b. Aug. 9, 1782 ; m. Jenny Robbe ; re. to New York ; d. 1854.
Sally, b. April 6, 1787 ; m. Jonathan Mitchell ; d. Jan. 26, 1861, æ. 74 yrs.
Nancy, b. Aug. 31, 1789 ; m. David Scott ; d. Dec. 6, 1819, æ. 30 yrs.
Charles, b. Sept. 10, 1795. Graduated at Dartmouth College, 1816; went to Mississippi to teach, and d. on his return passage, at sea, Aug. 10, 1817, æ. 22 yrs. Charlotte, b. July 20, 1798 ; d. Jan. 1, 1821, æ. 23 yrs.
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ROBERT WHITE. He succeeded his father on the home farm. He was a great reader, and could repeat pages of what he had read from memory. In early life he followed the sea, and had seen much of the world. He was entirely self-educated. He was selectman in 1813, and also held some minor offices in town. He m., Ist w., Ruth Burns ; she d. Sept. 19, 1836, æ. 53 yrs. ; m., 2d w., Sally Ingalls ; she d. March 24, 1845, æ. 54 yrs. He d. March 30, 1845, æ. 69 yrs., 2 mos.
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Charles F., b. Aug. 18, 1812 ; d. Sept. 4, 1831, æ. 19 yrs. Nancy G., b. March 12, 1815 ; m. I. Newton Cuning- ham ; r. Rockford, Ill. He d. Dec. 24, 1865, æ. 59 yrs., II mos. ; ch., Ella ; m. John E. Lakin ; one ch. Joseph A., b. June 19, 1817 ; m., Oct. 11, 1842, Mary Bowers. A graduate of Harvard University, 1840 ; d. Jan. 20, 1843, æ. 25 yrs., 7 mos.
Harriet, b. July 11, 1819 ; m., July 26, 1840, John Spaf- ford ; ch., (I) Katie; (2) Alice; (3) Jennie.
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Caroline, b. April 20, 1822 ; d. Aug. 22, 1824, æ. 2 yrs. Robert B., b. Dec. 20, 1824 ; d. May 10, 1827, æ. 2 yrs. Elizabeth B., b. June 21, 1827 ; m., March 25, 1850, A. Catlin Spafford ; ch., (1) Beel ; (2) Nettie ; (3) Jes- sie ;; (4) George.
89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96
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THE WHITTEMORE FAMILY.
THE WHITTEMORE FAMILY.
I
NATHANIEL WHITTEMORE, the son of Nathaniel Whit- temore, who was one of five brothers who came to this country from Hitcham, County of Hertford, England, was b. in Spencer, Mass., March 9, 1756. Hem., Ist w., Lucy Harrington, at Leicester, a few months before he re- moved to Peterborough, probably 1778 ; she d. at Peter- borough, July, 1793, æ. 39 yrs. He m., 2d w., Phebe Waite, of Leicester, Mass. ; she d. June 3, 1834, æ. 77 yrs. He m., 3d w., Mrs. Joanna Hadley, of Dublin, Sept. 29, 1835 ; she d .. He d. June 9, 1839, æ. 83 yrs. ; Ist w., seven ch .; 2d w., four ch. He settled on the spot where he died, which was just beyond the old Alexander Robbe farm, and a short distance east from the junction of the road from West Peterborough with the old county road, as it was called. He here built a house, and subsequently kept a tavern in it. He was a carpenter by trade, and built his own house, which at first comprised but one room, and was afterwards en- larged by several additions. He probably settled there before a road was constructed in that part of the town, as when a proposition for a road was made in town- meeting, some one objected on the ground that it was not needed because only "twa Robbes, twa Hoggs, and a Whatamore " would be accommodated by it.
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Paul, b. Dec. 8, 1780 ; d. April 28, 1834, æ. 53 yrs., 4 mos. t Nathaniel, b. May 21, 1783 ; m. Betsey Dodge, of New Boston.
Fames, b. May 9, 1785 ; d. March 18, 1816, æ. 30 yrs., 9 mos.
t Bernard, b. Aug. 13, 1787 ; m. Jane Holmes.
Lucy, b. May 14, 1789 ; d. June 21, 1789, æ. I mo., 7 dys. Thomas, b. Sept. 3, 1790 ; d. May 23, 1849, æ. 58 yrs., 8 mos.
Fohn, b. April 17, 1793 ; d. Dec. 20, 1795 ; æ. 2 yrs., 8 mos.
9 Lucy, b. July 22, 1795 ; m. William Farwell, of Fitch- burg, Mass., June 2, 1813 ; d. Plymouth, N. Y., March 13, 1818, æ. 22 yrs., 7 mos. ; ch., (1) John W., b. Dec. 20, 1813 ; d. at Port au Prince, West India Islands, November, 1835, æ. 22 yrs. ; (2) Lucy W., b. April 4, 1816; m. Daniel Spalding, of Templeton, Mass., Jan. 2, 1857 ; (3) Nathaniel W., b. in Plymouth, N. Y., March 9, 1818 ; m. Eliza Fletcher, Waltham, Mass., June 5, 1842 ; ch., (1) John W., b. April 17, 1843 ; (2)
·
N.W. Forwell
345
N. W. FARWELL.
Mary Eliza, b. Aug. 6, 1845 ; (3) Evelyn Almena, b. Jan. 23, 1848.
Mr. Nathaniel W. Farwell is among the most worthy and successful sons of Peterborough. The following sketch of his life appeared in the Transcript of last year :-
" He has, by his own unaided exertions, raised him- self to an enviable position as to wealth and standing in society, and developed the best traits of a true man- hood. He began life here a poor boy, living with his grandfather, Nathaniel Whittemore, Sen., where he was kindly cared for as circumstances would admit, but had to endure many privations that his companions knew nothing about, who often shunned him on account of the shabby appearance of his clothes. His opportunities for schooling were very limited, confined almost entirely to the short hours of the district school. Thus in early life constant labor seemed his inheritance, by which, with other circumstances, he was often reminded that he was a poor, friendless orphan. The spirit was in him, even then, to be, some day, the equal of his companions, and even more. After working some years in this town at low wages, he went to Waltham seeking employment, being then twenty-one years of age. He first applied to the superintendent of the factories there for the situation of watchman. He was gruffly repulsed with the reply, 'There is no chance, and probably won't be.' He then hired himself to a milkman in Waltham, to work eigh- teen hours per day for the summer. While there the superintendent before applied to, who no doubt had heard of him in this situation, sent for him, and em- ployed him for some years as watchman. In this ser- vice he was on duty half the day and half the night, and the other half-day he sawed wood as he could find work. He here made a beginning of his fortune. Being requested to go into the bleachery as second-hand, he reluctantly consented, with the condition of having his old place if he did not like. He soon had the entire charge of the bleachery department, and acquired much skill in the art. This was the opening event of his great ultimate success. Subsequently he was engaged to plan and manage the Great Falls Bleachery, of which he and his son are now proprietors ; he also planned a bleachery in New Jersey, and the Lewiston Bleachery and Dye Works, of which he was proprietor ten years. He is now largely engaged in cotton manufacture, and is now just starting the 'Farwell Mills,' of twenty thousand spindles, at Lisbon, Me. Always being an energetic man, and with quick perception and ready judgment, his efforts have been crowned with abundant
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N. W. FARWELL.
success, and he has accumulated a large fortune. He surpasses in wealth any emigrant that ever went out of Peterborough, and could now with his own means buy up nearly the whole town. Having little taste for politics, and being engaged in his own extensive busi- ness, he has rarely been drawn into public life. But at the earnest solicitation of the citizens of Lewiston he was induced to represent the city in the Legislature, and more recently, with an almost unanimous vote, to serve as Mayor."
He does not forget the home of his youth, or the associates of his early days, in his great prosperity. He has at various times contributed largely to benevolent objects in town, and always keeps alive a deep interest in its prosperity. The Unitarian society are indebted to him for a large subscription to their organ, of two hun- dred dollars, and his large subscription of ten thousand dollars to the Monadnock Railroad did more than any- thing else to insure its completion.
Phebe Read, b. July 29, 1797 ; m. Elisha Stetson, Med- ford, Mass .; d. Oct. 8, 1870, æ. 73 yrs.
Eliza Waite, b. Oct. 10, 1799; m. William Simmons, Aug. 27, 1829 ; ch., (1) Phebe W., b. Jan. 31, 1822 ; m. Moses Ward ; d. April 13, 1849, æ. 27 yrs., 2 mos .;. (2) Betsey D., b. Jan. 23, 1825 ; d. 1826 ; (3) William H., b. Jan. 30, 1827 ; m. Mary J. Durgin, Northwood ; she d. Nov. 29, 1863 ; m., 2d w., -, Feb. 24, 1872 ; (4) Almira E., b. Nov. 6, 1829 ; d. Nov. 3, 1848, æ. 19 yrs. ; (5) Thirza M., b. Jan. 30, 1832 ; m. John S. Blake, June 4, 1850 ; w. of Wm. Simmons d. at Tem- pleton, Mass., Oct. 14, 1871, æ. 72 yrs.
I2
Thirza W., b. March 5, 1805 ; d. Dec. 24, 1855, æ. 50 yrs., 8 mos.
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NATHANIEL WHITTEMORE, Jr. He went to Boston when twenty-one years of age, without any means, and by his own efforts he accumulated a large property. He re. to Peterborough in 1828, where he remained till 1842, engaged in farming. He bought the Charles Davison farm, the same now occupied by Cyrus Frost and son. He next re. to Rome, N.Y. He d. May, 1860, æ. 77 yrs. ; m. Betsey Dodge, of New Boston, 1808.
I3 I4
John, b. -; m. Lucretia Glover.
James, b. -; m. Jane S., dau. Thomas Whittemore ; d. December, 1860.
15 ¡Nathaniel, fr., b. April, 1818 ; m., Ist w., Charlotte Ames ; 2d w., Sarah A. Damon.
IO II
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NATHANIEL H. WHITTEMORE.
I6 Joseph, b. -; m., 1854, Ist w., Margaret C. Fay ; 2d w., Katharine Hobby, Utica, N. Y. Educated as a lawyer ; was for a time law-partner of James Nye, late Senator of Nevada, then residing in Hamilton, N. Y. He has of late years acquired much reputation as a commercial lawyer. He now resides in Detroit, Mich. Moved there in 1854.
Lizzie, b. -; m., 1857, Clark Moulthrop ; d. 1871.
I7
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BERNARD WHITTEMORE. He resided some years in Boston, and afterwards removed to Peterborough, and was engaged in trading. He d. at Nashua, Aug. 8, 1846, æ. 58 yrs., II mos. He m. Jane Holmes, dau. of Dea. Nathaniel Holmes, Dec. 25, 1815.
18
Bernard Bemis, b. in Boston, May 15, 1817. He was fitted for college at Phillips (Exeter) Academy, and graduated at Cambridge, 1839 ; admitted to Hillsboro County Bar in August, 1842 ; practised law till November, 1846, when he and his brother, F. P. Whit- temore, became proprietors and publishers of the Nashua Gazette, and still continue to publish the same under the firm of B. B. & F. P. Whittemore. He was elected to the State Senate, in District No. 7, in 1852 and '53, and elected one of the Aldermen of the city of Nashua in 1860, and City Treasurer of the same city in 1861.
19
Catharine H., b. July 12, 1819 ; m., Oct. 8, 1840, Gen. Israel Hunt ; ch., (I) Israel T., M.D., b. Oct. 12, 1842 ; (2) Frank W., b. April 26, 1849; r. Nashua. Gen. Hunt d. September, 1875.
20
John, b. Sept. 18, 1821 ; d.
2I
Elouisa C., b. Aug. 28, 1822 ; m., June 8, 1843, David F. McGilvray. He d. at Nashua, Aug. 30, 1871 ; ch., (1) Alice E., b. Jan. 26, 1845 ; d. in Boston, Feb. 22, 1869, æ. 24 yrs. ; (2) David F., Jr., b. at Palmer, March 8, 1847 ; d. in infancy ; (3) Jacob B., b. Nash- ua, Aug. 13, 1850 ; (4) Katharine H. W., b. Boston, May 19, 1855 ; (5) David F., b. Boston, Oct. 5, 1858 ; (6) Irene W., b. Boston, May 21, 1863 ; d. in infancy ; 7) Dexter B., b. Boston, July 11, 1867 ; d. young. Francis P., b. Peterborough, March 29, 1825 ; m., Jan. 27, 1851, Angeline H. Parks, of Palmer ; ch., (1) Helen . A., b. Nashua, Nov. 5, 1851 ; (2) Alice P., b. 1853 ; d. young ; (3) Fred Parks, b. Nashua, Oct. 25, 1855.
22
23 Mary Jane, b, Peterborough, July 29, 1827.
24 Nathaniel H., b. Peterborough, Jan. 22, 1830.
348
ANN FRANCES WHITTEMORE.
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Ann Frances, b. Peterborough, Aug. 16, 1834 ; m., Feb. 22, 1864, Bloomfield J. Beach, at Nashua ; d. at Rome, N.Y., Oct. 18, 1867, æ. 33 yrs., 2 mos. ; one ch., John B., b. at Rome, May 5, 1866.
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NATHANIEL WHITTEMORE, Jr. or 3d, m., Ist w., Char- lotte Ames, dau. of T. K. Ames, Esq. She d. June 2, 1850, æ. 32 yrs. ; m., 2d w., Sarah A. Damon. He has resided in various places ; first at Peterborough, then Boston, Ashby, Rome, N.Y., and Bay City, Mich., where he now lives. He has held for some years the office of Recorder in the Michigan courts ; is now an acting justice of the peace; Ist w., five ch .; 2d w., three ch.
26 27 28 29 30 3I 32 33
Frances D., b. Dec. 9, 1837 ; m. Frank Johnson, Ashby, April 16, 1855.
Catharine B., b. April 7, 1839 ; m. Alfred Hetfield, Oct. 8, 1873 ; r. Chicago. Walter, b. Feb. 9, 1842 ; m., Nov. 26, 1866, Sarah Car- penter ; r. Bay City, Mich.
Joseph F., b. Oct. 26, 1846 ; m., Jan. 21, 1873, Jenny Hannon ; r. in Bay City, Mich.
Charles E., b. Dec. 12, 1849.
Francis E., b. April 10, 1852.
James H., b. May 18, 1859.
Alice R., b. July 17, 1869.
THE WILDER FAMILY.
I
MARK WILDER is the son of Abel and Deborah Perry Wilder, who lived in Dublin till late in life, when they re. to Peterborough, and d. here. Mark Wilder was b. Aug. 15, 1806. He carried on the shoe peg business in town many years. He m. Eliza A. Thayer, dau. of Elihu Thayer, April 21, 1835 ; she d. Nov. 28, 1871, æ. 58 yrs.
2 3 4
+ Charles, b. May 13, 1836; m. Mary E. Jones, Aug. 5, 1860. George, b. July 31, 1837 ; m. Sarah B. Hannaford, April 16, 1862.
Elihu, b. Sept. 26, 1838 ; m. Laura Moses, of Portland, Me. ; r. Manchester.
5 William H., b. July 7, 1840 ; m. Frances A. Miller, Aug. 31, 1862 ; ch., Frances Lillian, b. Jan. 16, 1871.
Ann Maria, b. Jan. 28, 1842 ; d. Feb. 14, 1864, æ. 22 yrs. 6
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CHARLES WILDER.
7 Mark A., b. July 17, 1843 ; m. Eva S. Ramsey, June 8, 1870 ; ch., (1) Willie A., b. Feb. 24, 1871; (2) Ed- win M., b. Dec. 12, 1872.
Irving, b. March 13, 1846.
8 9 Ellen B., b. Feb. 4, 1849.
IO Abel f., b. Oct. 12, 1850 ; d. Galesburg, Ill., May 29, 1874, æ. 23 yrs., 7 mos.
Eliza f., b. Aug. 15, 1852.
John F., b. Oct. 15, 1855.
ABEL WILDER, Jr., brother to the above. He was b. July 27, 1808. He m., Nov. 6, 1845, Amna A. Gowing, b. March 17, 1817.
Luena R., b. Aug. 15, 1846.
Ella L., b. Sept. 16, 1855 ; d. Sept. 26, 1856, æ. 1 yr.
JOHN WILDER, a brother of the above, b. Oct. 28, 1822 ; m., Ist w., Diantha Royce, of Marlow, March 30, 1847. She d. Aug. 29, 1865, æ. 43 yrs. ; m., 2d w., Sophia Grant, June 23, 1867 ; ch. by first w. He is engaged in the clothing business in the village.
Elsie E., b. March 4, 1850 ; m. Timothy N. Hunt. Frank H., b. Sept. 28, 1854 ; d. May 7, 1855, æ. 7 mos.
CHARLES WILDER obtained his education in the com- mon schools and at the academy in town. He became a very efficient and popular teacher before he went into business, and for a time was the principal of the acad- emy. He intended to obtain a collegiate education and fit himself for the law, but his father's circumstances becoming deranged, he felt it a duty, as the eldest of the family, to give up his own plans and take charge of the business. After following successfully the shoe-peg business for two years, he purchased the property of the North Cotton Factory, and in August, 1860, commenced in the large building of the same the manufacture of barometers and thermometers. He has struggled through the incipient stage of discouragement and un- certainty in his business, and has now established an important manufactory upon a permanent basis.
Mr. Wilder, through his enterprise and energy, has attained an eminent success in his business, and has be- come an influential and useful citizen in town. He is always found forward and ready in all projects for the advancement of the interests of the town, in all its lit-
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CHARLES WILDER.
erary, moral, and religious aspects, and combines with the live man the sincere Christian. He was Representa- tive in 1869, '70 ; moderator 1869 ; m., Aug. 5, 1860, Mary E. Jones, of Dublin.
17 18 19 20 2I 22
Charles A., b. June 1, 1861 ; d. March 22, 1864, æ. 2 yrs., 9 mos.
Frank f., b. April 23, 1863.
Harry E., b. Sept. 19, 1864.
Mary A., b. Oct. 5, 1869 ; d. Sept. 24, 1870, æ. II mos. John M., b. April 29, 1872.
Grace, b. July 7, 1873.
I
CALEB F. WILDER, a descendant of the Wilders of Leominster, Mass. He came to Peterborough early in life, and m., July 20, 1837, Catharine Templeton, dau. of Samuel Templeton, and granddaughter of Matthew Templeton. They live on the farm occupied by her father and grandfather. He is of a distinct race from the Wilders in town. He d. Jan. 28, 1876, æ. 67 yrs.
2
Lucy Fane, b. May 16, 1838. Martha, b. June 25, 1840.
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4
Rodney H., b. June 30, 1843 ; m., March 6, 1873, Laura G. Hill, of Francestown ; r. Francestown.
THE WILSON FAMILY.
I
ROBERT WILSON (Maj.), the ancestor of the Peter- borough Wilsons, born in Tyrone, Ireland, was the son of William Wilson, who came to this country in the year 1737, bringing a wife, one daughter, and his son Robert. They spent the winter of 1737-8 in West Cambridge, and then removed to Townsend. When he had attained his majority, in 1755, there being a call for soldiers for the French war then raging between the English and French, he enlisted and was among the provincial sol- diers that accompanied Gen. Wolfe in his daring attempt to climb the precipitous cliffs called the Heights of Abra- ham, on the day and night of the 12th of September, 1759, and stood there upon the table-land on the morn- ing of the 13th, ready for the fight. He saw his gallant commander, Gen. Wolfe, fall, mortally wounded ; but the troops fought it out, and gained a glorious victory. The result of this battle was to deprive the French of the possession of the Canadas, and in fact of all their pos- sessions in the north-east part of the American con- tiņent.
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ROBERT WILSON.
Not long after the fall of Quebec, in September, 1759, the provincial troops were disbanded, and Robert Wil- son returned to Massachusetts. In 1761 or '62, he married Mary Hodge, of West Cambridge, and they removed and settled in Peterborough. They resided on the farm now occupied in part by his grandson, James Wilson, on what used to be called the "Main Street Road," and to the business of clearing up and cultivat- ing a farm they added that of keeping tavern to enter- tain strangers. They occupied a house on the west side of the road, about seventy-five or eighty rods to the south-westward of the house now occupied by James Wilson, and some forty rods north of the brick school- house. An old cellar-hole only marks the place.
He was a stout, strong, and vigorous man, about six feet in height. He was very industrious, careful, and prudent in the management of his worldly affairs. By his own hard work and the superior, skilful care and perseverance of his wife they were successful. They ac- cumulated comparatively, for those times, a large fort- une. He had a pitifully poor education. He could read and write a little, but quite clumsily. His means for an education had been very limited ; but nevertheless by his experience in life he was qualified to hold some of the most important offices in town. He was select- man in 1765, '71, treasurer 1786, '87, '88, and one of the Committee of Safety in 1776.
He was a true patriot through the Revolutionary struggle. He was early elected to office in the militia in the town. He was lieutenant in 1771, a captain in 1775, and a major in 1777 .* On the night preceding the 19th of April, 1775, the alarm came to town of the aggressive movements of the British at Lexington, and immediate preparation was made to respond to it, and on the 19th the company under Capt. Wilson were ready to march to Concord and Lexington by noon. "There was no little amusement" (says Gen. James Wilson, a grandson, to whom I am indebted for all the facts here stated) "among the men at the character of the arms some of them bore. Some few had fire-arms, with a meagre supply of powder and ball; some of the arms were the old, heavy, clumsy Queen's arms ; some were light French pieces, called fusees. They probably al- most all came out from Canada at the close of the old French war. Some of the men had pitchforks, some
* It is given above as represented by Gen. James Wilson in his account of his ancestor, Maj. Robert Wilson. The news of the aggressive movements of the British troops could not have reached Peterborough till sometime during the day' of the 19th of April. It only reached Concord, Mass., at 3 o'clock A. M. of that day.
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ROBERT WILSON.
had good, stout shillalahs ; but among them all the most laughable was one Tom McCoy, who had brought with him his grain-flail, with which to give the British a literal thrashing. The men laughed and joked for the oddity of his weapon to fight with, but Tom replied in broad Scotch, 'Gath, I vow, I'll gie a Britisher a devlish good lick o'er the head, an I get in reach of him.' They all knew that Tom would be as good as his word, if it came to trial. The foremost of them got as far as Gro- ton, when they learned the result of the Lexington and Concord fight. They were ordered back to their homes, but to hold themselves in readiness for any further calls that might be made upon them. In less than two months they were ordered to join the patriotic citizens at Bunker Hill, and were equally prompt in responding to the call."
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