USA > New Hampshire > Coos County > Stratford > History of the town of Stratford, New Hampshire, 1773-1925 > Part 4
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The proprietors' meetings, during the latter part of this period, were held in Stratford, while previously they had been held in Connecticut. Josiah Lamkin was moderator until 1791, after
32
HISTORY OF STRATFORD
which the office was filled by different individuals. James Brown was secretary and treasurer, and was succeeded by Isaac Johnson,
Very little is known of the personal history of these proprie- tors. Their names are still perpetuated in the town lots, but only a few became residents. William Thompson was an inn-holder, Hezekiah Tomlinson, a physician. Samuel Averill seemed to be a leading spirit in this colonization project, in the buying and selling of rights in both New Hampshire and Vermont. In the years 1767-8-9 there were as many as twenty changes in the lots and rights of Woodbury, in most of which he was concerned. It is possible that these changes went on until the spring of 1763, when many of the original grantees had removed from Woodbury to Stratford, Conn., so that at the granting of a new charter this New Hampshire township received the name of Stratford.
Among the proprietors of Stratford the following settled here: Jabez and Heth Baldwin, Joseph Barlow, James Brown (son of Captain Isaiah Brown), James, Aaron, and William Curtis (sons of Stephen Curtis), and Isaac Johnson (son of William Samuel Johnson). And it is probable that the Elijah Hinman and John Holbrook mentioned in the list are the same men that settled here. Thus only a small percentage of the men who were granted a char- ter ever were represented in person or by their descendants among the actual settlers of the town. They were probably men of means, and had no wish to leave their comfortable homes. Their purpose was to open up a township in the new country, persuade younger persons to settle it, and perhaps turn a penny or two in the transaction. It is doubtful, however, if many realized any- thing from the venture.
From Connecticut to this new township in the Upper Cohos was a journey of a week or more, a large part of the way through a roadless wilderness. The Revolutionary War came on and dragged along its slow length of seven years, leaving this settle- ment destitute in the extreme. The work of recuperation was slow, and mills had to be built; and there was much feeling among the settlers that the proprietors were a great distance away, and the interests of the town could be cared for as they should be. A few years after the close of the war the records were brought to New Hampshire, and the proprietors' meetings were thenceforth held in Stratford.
A close study of the records and the real estate transfers shows
33
HISTORY OF STRATFORD
that several of the proprietors were here in Stratford at different. times, served on committees, remaining here months at a time; that one of them, Thomas Worcester, was taken prisoner by the Indians in 1780, and that another, Captain Judson, was living here in 1788. The transfers show who were the representatives of these proprietors, the men who by their self-denials and hardships made possible the ventures and far-sighted policy of the original grantees.
The charter was granted to the township of Woodbury June 30, 1762, and the first meeting was called by Samuel Averill at the house of Elijah Hinman in Woodbury, Conn., August II, 1762. At a second meeting Gideon Tuttle, John Garrett, and Eleazer Knowles were chosen a committee "to view and survey the town- ship of Woodbury lately granted in the Province of New Hamp- shire," to lay out said town if they shall think it best for the in- terest of the proprietors, and "to bring back a true account of the. land and deliver it to the proprietors' clerk by the first Monday of December next ensuing. And it was voted that the said commit- tee be paid by the proprietors thirteen shillings and sixpence per day to each man while they were gone on said business, if per- formed according to the above voat."
We should like to know if that report was handed in "according. to the voat, " but no further meetings are reported until December, 1772, when we are given a very important item, namely, "Voted also in sd. meeting that those persons that did ye last summer Proceed to settlement and Improve and shall for the future so con- tinue their Settlements and improvements namely Joshua Lam- kin, Archippus Blodgett, James Brown, James Curtis, Isaac Johnson, Timothy Deforest, Benajah Blackman, and John Smith be paid and receive the sum of three pounds lawful money each for some Reward for their extraordinary trouble and expense in pro- ceeding to settle and make Improvements the sd. last summer." This entry shows us that these men came here before the new charter was granted. Six of these men have descendants now liv- ing in Stratford-Joshua Lamkin, Archippus Blodgett, James; Brown, James Curtis, Isaac Johnson, and John Smith. Later it is recorded that "DeForrest hath deserted our cause, and the benefit is voted to John Burton."
These first settlers built on the meadows, but were driven later to the upper terrace by the high water. Lamkin built on what is
34
HISTORY OF STRATFORD
known as the Guy Burnside place; Blodgett opposite C. D. Platt's present residence; Curtis a little north of the old Platt place; Brown on the present Brown homestead; Johnson on the farm long known as the Isaac Johnson farm; Smith on the Hoskins place, but his family later moved to Brunswick, Vt. We have no record of Blackman or Burton. DeForrest became prominent in Lemington in after years.
Another meeting was called in January, 1773, in which very decided action was taken in defending their boundary lines. Lan- caster had coveted and seized the broad meadows formerly granted to Northumberland but forfeited by her, and Northum- berland, when a new grant was given her, had pushed up into Stratford's territory. It was probably the uncertainty in regard to boundary lines that had retarded settlement so long. Now Northumberland had brought complaint for trespass. A meeting was held at Portsmouth to which Agur Tomlinson and Joseph Holbrook were sent, and a petition sent to His Excellency, John Wentworth, was signed by a committee from both towns, sub- mitting the question at dispute to his decision. This resulted in boundaries being enlarged and defined for both towns, and a new charter was granted to Woodbury under the name of Stratford, on the 26th of May, 1773.
Business for the settlement of Stratford now began in earnest. James Curtis is added to the committee for clearing the "rode." The Governor's lot is defined. A tax is levied for the expense of taking out the charter and allotting the "River Tear" of lots; and the very interesting item: "Voted that the sum of ten dollars be paid by the proprietors to Mrs. Barlow, wife of Joseph Barlow, on account of this reason only, that she have proceeded with her hus- band and family of children to Coös, our Township of Stratford, and is the first woman that settled upon said Township."
The matter of the first "pitches" was acted upon December 31, 1773, and the following "pitches" were declared "Equitably and Legally made":
No. To No. 10 Stephen Curtis
To
5 Capt. Agur Judson
3 William Thompson
31 Joseph Welton
I Capt. Cam. Beers
47, 48, 49, 18 Arthur Wooster,
29 Mr. Israhiah Wetmore Jabez Baldwin
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HISTORY OF STRATFORD
No. To
No. To
II Samuel Curtis
I9 Samuel Munn
22-25 Capt. Daniel Judson
43 Sam. Wm. Johnson, Esq.
30 Judson Burton
4 Capt. Agur Tomlinson
42 Agur Judson, Jr.
14, 15 Elijah Hinman
24 Hezikiah Tomlinson
7 David Judson
8 Capt. Agur Judson
1152352 32 Stiles Judson
We wish we knew more of those early years. One pretty bit of romance has been preserved for us: the account of the first mar- riage in town. In 1775 we find James Brown, aged 24, and Han- nah Lamkin, aged 16, riding double on horseback to be married by Seth Wales, Justice of the Peace. They began their married life in a log cabin, 130 miles from the seaboard, with only a few settle- ments scattered along the greater part of the way. Their salt, their iron, and other articles of merchandise must be brought on the backs of men or horses. For quite a length of time the nearest grist-mill was at Haverhill, 65 miles away. When the fort was built, this log cabin was connected with it by an underground passage, and James Brown was the commissary of the fort.
Hannah Lamkin Brown was a typical pioneer's wife. She thought nothing of leaping on the back of a horse and riding alone to Lancaster for household supplies. When a detachment of sixty- two soldiers with empty haversacks unexpectedly appeared, she was equal to the emergency, and swung a four-pail kettle over the crane, and fed them bountifully with hasty pudding. At daylight Mr. Brown was up and away collecting cattle for beef. His live stock was sacrificed, until, at the close of the war, "he did not possess even a live hen." Under such circumstances Hannah Lamkin Brown brought up her family of ten children.
Hand in hand with the first marriage in town goes the first death, although I cannot find the date. Betsey Lamkin, aged sixteen, died, and was buried in what is known as the Burnside Cemetery.
6 Thomas Wooster
40, 4I Thomas Wooster, Jos-
eph Wooster, 2nd
12 Joseph Holbrook
17 Ebenel Wooster
9 James Curtis
I3 Isaiah Brown
How many tower a de wars has made to read among the frossos a track & dand as meurthe (30 of merthermantip as the ! we will undmit of versions on we Later this Post was onJanuary MYS the Hand of es les of how only of libaly domanded fritt) haveom inais , vin
nemalyou the First day of January which will to our it quan of our Lord Christ one Howard raven dowird and Soventy sex Onl
CHARTER WITHOUT SEAL
SI
Province of
New Hampshire I beginning at a fem with the dancing on the bank of connecticut Que nich was marked COM by Benjamin Waiting for the Northwest corner of Now thury then' Art fully right degrees lost or miles to sifer ree marked Bysaid this Site Novikerst comer of cold Mondoury
Last Eleven miles & thr hundred twenty rode, thewall Norte Muy per
eighty eight rods on for humberland dine , hence lest wo miles one Hundred & fifty two Rods to Connuticut away thence by said Chiver as that tends to the found beganin contains forty eight thousandsix hundred & tres loves, anding Katiacted from a plan or server of Connecticut Quer and ident
Province of Haus Hampshire'd
Findge &y?
48,600 Acres
Wentworth.
SEAL AND SIGNATURES ON CHARTER
CHAPTER V
CHARTERS AND PROPRIETORS' RECORD
CHARTER OF WOODBURY
Province of Newhampshire:
George the Third By the Grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith &c.
To all Persons whom these Presents shall come Greeting Know ye that Wee of Our Special Grace certain Knowledge and Meer Motion for due Encouragement of Settling a New Plantation within our said Province, by and with the Advice of our Trusty and Well beloved Benning Wentworth Esq: Our Governor and Commander in Chief of our said Province of New Hampshire in New England, and of our Council of the said Province Have upon the Conditions and Reservations herein-after made given and granted and by these Presents for us our Heirs and Successors do give and grant in equal Shares unto Our loving Subjects Inhabi- tants of Our said Province of New Hampshire and our other Gov- ernments and to their Heirs and Assigns forever whose Names are entered on this Grant to be divided to and amongst them into Seventy equal Shares all that Tract or Parcel of Land situate lying and being within our Said Province of New Hampshire containing by Admeasurement 23,040 acres which Tract is to contain Six Miles Square and no more; out of which an Allowance is to be made for Highways and unimprovable Lands by Rocks Ponds Mountains and Rivers One Thousand and Forty Acres free ac- cording to a Plan and Survey thereof made by our Said Gover- nor's Order and returned into the Secretary's Office and hereunto annexed butted and bounded as follows Viz:
Beginning at a Tree Marked Standing on Easterly Side of Con- necticut River at a Place called the upper Co'os and the North Westerly Corner Bound of Stonington thence Running North Easterly as the said River tends till the Contents of Six Miles upon a Straight Line be Accomplished thence carrying that breadth of Six Miles back South Easterly so far as that a Paralell
38
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HISTORY OF STRATFORD
Line with the Streight Line aforesaid will make the Contents of Six Miles Square And that the same be and hereby is Incorporated into a Township by the name of Woodbury And the Inhabitants that do or Shall hereafter inhabit the said Township are hereby Declared to be Enfranchised with and Intitled to all and every one of the Priviledges and Immunities that other Towns within Our Province by Law Exercise and Enjoy. And further that the s'd Town as soon as there shall be Fifty Families resident and settled thereon Shall have Liberty of holding Two Fairs one of which shall be held on the* and the other on the*
annually which Fairs are not to continue longer than the respec- tive* following the said* and as soon as the s'd Town shall consist of Fifty Families a Market may be opened and kept one or more Days in each as may be thought most advanta- gious to the Inhabitants. Also that the first Meeting for the Choice of Town Officers agreable to the Laws of our said Province shall be held on the 11th day of August next which said Meeting Shall be Notified by Mr. Samuel Averiel who is hereby also ap- pointed the Moderator of the said first Meeting which he is to Notify and Govern agreable to the Laws and Customs of Our Said Province and that the annual Meeting forever hereafter for the Choice of such Officers for the said Town shall be on the second Tuesday of March annually.
To have and to hold the said Tract of Land as above expressed together with all Priviledges and Appurtenances to them and their respective Heirs and Assigns forever upon the following Condi- tions Viz:
I. That every Grantee his Heirs or Assigns Shall plant and culti- vate five Acres of Land within the Term of five years for every fifty Acres contained in his or their Share of Proportion of Land in said Township and continue to improve and settle the same by additional Cultivations on Penalty of the Forfeiture of his grant or share in the said Township and of its reverting to Us our Heirs and Successors to be by us or Them Regranted to such of our subjects as shall effectually settle and cultivate the same,
II. That all white and other Pine Trees within the said Town- ship fit for Masting Our Royal Navy be carefully preserved for that Use and none to be cut or felled without Our Special License for so doing first had and obtained upon the Penalty of the For-
* Blank spaces for location and date probably left to be filled at discretion of proprietors.
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HISTORY OF STRATFORD
feiture of the Right of such Grantee his Heirs and Assigns to Us our Heirs and Successors as well as being subject to the Penalty of an Act or Acts of Parliament that now are or hereafter shall be enacted.
III. That before any Division of the Land be made to and amongst the Grantees a Tract of Land as near the Centre of the said Township as the Land will admit of shall be reserved and Marked out for Town Lots one of which shall be allotted to each Grantee of the contents of one Acre.
IV. Yielding and paying therefore to us our Heirs and Suc- cessors for the space of ten years to be computed from the Date hereof the rent of one Ear of Indian Corn only on the twenty-fifth Day of December annually if lawfully demanded the first pay- ment to be made on the twenty-fifth Day of December 1762.
V. Every Proprietor Settler or Inhabitant shall yield and pay. unto Us our Heirs and Successors yearly and every year forever from and after the Expiration of ten years from the above twenty- fifth Day of December namely on the twenty-fifth Day of Decem- ber which will be in the Year of our Lord 1772 one Shilling Procla- mation Money for every Hundred acres he so owns Settles or possesses and so in proportion for a greater or lesser Tract of the said Land which Money shall be paid by the respective persons above said their Heirs or Assigns in our Council Chamber in Ports- mouth or to such officer or Officers as shall be appointed to receive the same and this to be in Lieu of all other Rents and Services whatsoever. In Testimony whereof we have caused the seal of our said Province to be hereunto affixed. Witness Benning Went- worth Esq Our Governor and Commander in Chief of our said Province the 26th day of June in the Year of our Lord Christ one Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty-two And in the Second year of Our Reign.
By His Excellencys Command, With Advice of Council.
B. WENTWORTH.
THEODORE ATKINSON, JUN'R, Sec'ry.
Province of New Hamps'r June 30th 1762. Recorded in Book of Charters Page 361-362.
THEODORE ATKINSON, JUN'R, Sec'ry.
4I
HISTORY OF STRATFORD
THE NAMES OF THE GRANTEES OF WOODBURY
John Prindle
Eldad King
Israel Beardsley
John Sheel
Matt'w Mallett
Bushnal Benedict
Joseph Trowbridge
David Munn
Benj'a Bunnell
Eleazer Knowles
Sam Brownson
Stephen Brownson
Ebenezer Strong
Abijah Hinman
Agur Tomlinson
Caleb Baldwin, Esq.
Amos Hicock
Caleb Baldwin ye 2d
Francis Hinman
Arthur Wooster
Daniel Smith
John Levenworth
Aaron Down
John Peck
Jacob Glaser
Gideon Porter
Gideon Tuttle
Gideon Hinman
John Garritt
Abijah Tambling
Ichabod Tuttle
Thaddeus Curtis
David Johnson
John Johnson
Jacob Meek
Justice Doyle
Huthwit Tuttle
Elijah Hinman
Gideon Bristol
And'w Coe
Seth Curtiss
Asa Johnson
Peter Nichols
Israel Curtis
Ebenezer Down
Sam Jenner, Jun'r.
Ebenezer Hinman
Justis Hicock
Will'm Bowland
Eli Dunning
Eben'r Brownson
Ezra Dunning
Sam Wheeler
Sam'l Averiel
Gideon Johnson
L. Joseph Wright .
Isaac Stiles, Jun'r
Capt. Jonathan Carlton
Timothy Osburn
the Hon. Joseph Newmarack
Moses Johnson
James Nevin, Esq. &
Hezekiah Porter
William Temple, Esq.
His Excellency Benning Wentworth Esq a Tract of Land to Contain Five Hundred Acres as marked B=W= in the Plan which is to be Accounted two of the within Shares One whole Share of the Incorporated Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts One Share for a Glebe for the Church of England by Laws Established One Share for the first Settled
42
HISTORY OF STRATFORD
Minister of the Gospel & One Share for the Benefit of a school in said Town.
Province of New Hamps'r June 30th 1762.
Recorded in Book of Charters Page 363.
THEODORE ATKINSON, JUN'R, Secy.
EXTRACTS FROM PROPRIETORS' RECORDS, WOODBURY
At a meeting of the Proprietors of the Township of Woodbury Provence of New Hampshire said meeting being by the Governor and Council of said Provence appointed and notified by Mr Sam- uel Averill who was Moderator of said meeting and said meeting being Lawfully warned and held at the House of Col. Benjamin Hinman of Woodbury in Litchfield County in Colony of Connec- ticut on the Eleventh Day of August 1762. Voated and past in said meeting that Joseph Trowbridge be Clark for sd Proprietors and said Trowbridge being chosen and sworn according to Law said meeting dismissed.
At a meeting of the Proprietors of the Township of Woodbury in the Province of New Hampshire, said meeting being lawfully notified and held at the house of Col. Benjamin Hinman in Wood- bury in the Colony of Connecticut on the third of September 1762. Hezekiah Porter chosen Moderator of said meeting. Voated and past to send comtt to view and survey the Township of Woodbury lately Granted in the Province of New Hampshire and to lay out said Town if they shall think it most for the interest of Proprie- tors. Voated and past in said Meeting that Mr. Gideon Tuttle and Mr. John Garret and Mr. Eleazer Knowles be a Comtt for the Purpose above said to go and view and survey the said Town- ship and to lay it out as was expressed in voat above and bring back a true account of the land and deliver to the Proprietors clark by the first MonDay of December next ensuing and said comitee to be paid by the Proprietors 13/6 per day viz. 4/6 each man while they are gone on said business if Performed according to the above voat Voated that this meeting be adjourned to the first Monday December next at this House at 2 of the o'clock afternoon. Test Joseph Trowbridge Clark.
It will be seen that difficulties had arisen about the boundary between Woodbury and Northumberland. It is thought that the cause arose from the following circumstances, viz: it is said that the proprietors of Lancaster, finding that their charter did not contain so much of the Connecticut meadows as they had sup-
43
HISTORY OF STRATFORD
posed, shoved the boundary line northward several lots. This might lead the Northumberland proprietors to claim more land to the northward, hence the difficulty.
January 2Ist 1773 a meeting of the proprietors of Woodbury was held at Wm. Thompson's, Stratford, Conn., innholder.
This meeting was fully attended and much interest was mani- fested.
Capt. Isaiah Brown, father to James Brown one of the first settlers, was chosen moderator.
John Wendell Esqr of Portsmouth was appointed and consti- tuted agent and attorney for the proprietors with full power of authority to appear for and represent the said proprietors in all and any of His Majesty's courts of justice, inferior or superior, and before any and all His Majesty's governors, magistrates, and ministers of justice, whatsoever superior or subordinate to defend to final judgement &c. &c.
The reason of this vote will be seen by the following one, viz:
Voted also at said meeting that whereas the proprietors are informed that there are several actions of trespass commenced and are now depending in the law in behalf of the proprietors of Northumberland against the proprietors of Woodbury on one action in favor of Molton vs Archippus Blodgett for entering upon and cultivating the land within said last townships, it is therefore voted and declared that we will take upon ourselves the defense of their several actions in the most full and effectual manner and the agent for the proprietors of Woodbury, hereby desired and authorized to appear to and defend in said several suits as far as by law he may do to the utmost of his skill and ability and to take every legal method in his power to defend rights and property of the proprietors of said Woodbury.
This action shows legal skill and the utmost determination to fight it out in the courts, defend the settlers and maintain the boundaries of their township. This matter of boundary which came near precipitating a legal war of large proportions was settled by a new charter which was granted May 26, 1773 of Stratford. This change of name, with the law suits pending and the com- mencing in earnest of settling the township was the probable oc- casion of the interest and full attendance in the meeting above noted and which was held January 1773 at Mr. Thompson's.
It is also made certain that persons had been here for settling before the granting of the Stratford charter 1773.
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HISTORY OF STRATFORD
The following action which is incomplete adds to this evidence as it is dated 1772:
"Lands with uplands to be given him out of the Interest of the Proprietors before any division be made and located in such pro- portion when he shall chose, on account and merely for this reason, that he is first settler and improver on our Sd Township, being informed by Mr. Joseph Holbrook, Provided and on this condition only, that he be and continue to be a settler under the Proprietors of Woodbury and not Northumberland."
In this connection the following was passed at the meeting held at Elijah Mills in Ripton Province of Connecticut on the first Tuesday of December 1772 will be of interest. Voted also in sd meeting that those Persons that did ye last summer Proceed to settlement and Improve and shall for the future So continue their Settlements and improvements: namely Joshua Lamkin Archip- pus Blodgett James Brown James Curtiss Isaac Johnson Timo- thy Deforest Benajah Blackman and John Smith be paid and do receive the Sum of three pounds Lawful Money each for some Reward for their extraordinary trouble and expense in proceeding to Settle and make Improvements the sd last summer.
It is a tradition that Isaac Johnson and Archippus Blodgett felled the first trees and that Johnson first pitched in Northumber- land and in the above action of the proprietors it seems that Mr. Blodgett was the trespasser. This leads us to the conclusion that Blodgett is the man and that there was an effort by the Woodbury proprietors to hold him, and perhaps by the same influence John- son was induced to transfer his operations to Woodbury, now Stratford.
Forty of the proprietors of Woodbury out of sixty-three were citizens of Woodbury, Connecticut, while of the seventy-two proprietors of Stratford thirty-two at least were citizens of old Stratford.
This undoubtedly accounts for the name in both instances, the course being almost universally followed by emigrants to name their new home after their old home or some friend.
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