USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Wentworth > History of the town of Wentworth, New Hampshire > Part 2
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On Wednesday June 19 the company made good progress and reached the Lower Intervales of Ply- mouth and there camped. The entry for the next day is quoted below in full: ----
"Thursday, June 20. We steered our course, one turn with another which were great turns, west-northwest about two miles
9
POWERS EXPEDITION 1754
and a half, to the crotch or parting of the Pemigewasset River at Baker's River mouth, thence from the mouth of Baker's River, up said river, northwest by west six miles. This river is extraor- dinary crooked and good intervale. Thence up the river about two miles northwest and there we shot a moose, the sun about a half an hour high and then camped."
This camp was not far from the mouth of Stinson's Brook in the town of Rumney. As the entries for the next three days are of peculiar interest to residents of Wentworth, they are herewith inserted in full and in the captain's language.
"Friday, June 21. We steered up the said Baker's river with our canoes about five miles, as the river ran which was extraor- dinary crooked. In the after part of this day there was a great shower of haile and raine which prevented our proceeding any further and here left our canoes, for the water in the river was so shoal that we could not go with them any further."
(They were now in Wentworth and probably near the mouth of the South Branch as it is likely the water would accommodate their canoes as far as that point but not beyond.)
"Saturday, June 22. This morning was dark and cloudy weather but after ten of the clock it cleared off hot, and we marched up the river, near the Indian carrying place, from Baker's River to Connecticut River and there camped and could not go any further by reason of a great shower of rain which held almost all this afternoon."
(This camp was probably on or near the meadow now owned by Elmer Brown.)
.
10
HISTORY OF WENTWORTH, N. H.
"Sunday, June 23. This morning dark and cloudy weather and we marched up this river about one mile and came to the Indian carrying place and by reason of the dark weather we were obliged to follow the marked way that was marked by Major Lovewell and Captain Tolford and others, from Baker's River to Connecticut River and this days march was but about six miles and we camped between the two first Baker Ponds. And it came on a great storm of rain which prevented our marching any further: and on this days march we saw a considerable quantity of white pine timber and found it something large, fit for thirty-inch masts, as we judged. But before this days march we saw no white pine timber, that was very large on this Baker's River, but a great quantity of small white pine fit for boards and small masts. And on this river there is a great quantity of excellent intervale, from the beginning of it to the place where we left this river and it layeth of a pretty square proportion from one end to the other and back of the intervale there is a considerable quantity of large mountains."
As we have now traced the path followed by Pow- ers and his companions through Wentworth and seen them safely encamped between the Baker Ponds, let us hope shielded from the copious showers of "raine and haile," we need not follow them farther on their journey except to say that they visited the "Cowass Intervales," going as far north as Lancaster. Here they found that the men "had almost worn out their shoes" and they decided not to attempt any further northern exploration, but retraced their course and reached Rumford in safety.
It is interesting to note the size of the great pines of Wentworth impressed Powers and his men, and
·
11
BENNING WENTWORTH'S EARLY CHARTERS
those familiar with the meanderings of Baker's River can readily believe the party found it as they state, "extraordinary crooked." Powers also made a note of the fertile intervale land along the banks of the river and makes allusion to the "considerable quan- tity of large mountains" in the background. All in all, his description of the valley is an excellent one and does much credit to the powers of observation and narration possessed by our worthy captain, Peter Powers.
BENNING WENTWORTH'S EARLY CHARTERS
During the most of the Provincial history of New Hampshire, the seat of government was located at Portsmouth, the only seaport and largest and most substantial town in the Province. Here in the year 1741, Benning Wentworth was commissioned by George the Second, King of England, as Governor of the royal Province of New Hampshire.
The family of Wentworth had for many years held a high if not the highest rank among the ruling fam- ilies of the Province. Benning was the son of John Wentworth, the Lieutenant Governor of New Hamp- shire from 1717 to 1730, and a graduate of Harvard College. His career was long, active and distinguished,
12
HISTORY OF WENTWORTH, N. H.
according to one historian at least "during his ad- ministration New Hampshire advanced rapidly in wealth and prosperity. But not as fast as the Gov- ernor did. He laid heavy tribute on the Province and exacted heavy fees for grants of land."
A partial list of the townships granted by Governor Benning Wentworth is of interest, indicating plainly that a new era in the development of the state had now set in, and also that our good Governor was not only willing but even desirous of a chance to grant lands and issue charters for towns, as witness the following:
* In 1761, Governor Wentworth granted no less than sixty townships on the western side and eighteen townships on the eastern side of the Connecticut River. The whole number of his grants on the western side of the river amounted to one hundred and thirty eight. In each, the Governor reserved a tract of five hundred acres for himself, clear of all fees and charges.
But to resume, we find that in 1761 or '62, charters were granted to Canaan, Enfield, Lebanon, Hanover, Lyme, Orford, Bath, Lyman and Holderness also Cockermouth or Groton; in 1763 to Lisbon (under the name of Concord), Lancaster, Warren (this charter was forfeited), Haverhill, Woodstock and Plymouth; in 1764 to Benton (then called Coventry), Lincoln, Franconia and Piermont; in 1765 to Conway and
*McClintock's History, New Hampshire
13
THE CHARTER
Center Harbor; in 1766 to Bridgewater and Went- worth; in 1767 to Rumney (whose first grant in 1761, was forfeited) and Campton; in 1769 to Trecothick (now Ellsworth); in 1772 to Dorchester, whose two previous charters failed of success.
The above list will serve to show with what avidity the settlers, and possibly a few land grabbers also, were moving into, or at least acquiring title to land in this heretofore unsettled and undeveloped region.
Many settlers from western Massachusetts and Connecticut came up the Connecticut River and oc- cupied the towns in that beautiful and fertile valley.
The Baker's River region was settled generally by those who came from the first settled part of the state and a few from Massachusetts. Only the boldest and hardiest as a rule essayed to become the pioneers of the wilderness and it is probably literally true that only the hardiest could survive in such a struggle.
THE CHARTER
We have now arrived at the interesting period when the history of Wentworth as an organized township may be said to begin.
In the year 1766 our worthy Governor Wentworth granted the township bounded on the north by War- ren, east by Rumney, south by Dorchester and west
14
HISTORY OF WENTWORTH, N. H.
by Orford, to be known as the town of Wentworth. Having given the town his own name, he showed further interest in it by reserving for his own benefit a tract of 500 acres in the northwest corner of the plan of the town.
This was marked "B W" on the plan and for many years was known as the Governor's Reservation.
The Charter is an interesting and important docu- ment, as it is the starting point, at which the history of the town begins, as well as the foundation upon which rests the original title to all the land in town. It deserves insertion in full, and runs as follows: [L.s.]
CHARTER
Province of New Hampshire, George the Third, By The Grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland King, De- fender of the Faith, etc. To all peoples to whom these presents shall come, Greeting, Know Ye, that we of our special grace, certain knowledge and mere motion, for the due encouragement and settling a new plantation within our sd Province, by and with the advice of our trusted and well-beloved Benning Went- worth, Esq., our governor and commander-in-chief of the sd Province of New Hampshire in New England, and all our coun- cil of the sd Province. Have under the conditions and reserva- tions hereinafter made, give and granted and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors do give and grant in equal shares unto our loving subjects; inhabitants of our sd Province of New Hampshire and our other governments, and to their heirs and assigns forever whose names are entered on this grant, to be divided to and among them into sixty-six equal shares, all that tract or parcel of land situate, lying and being within our sd
15
THE CHARTER
Province of N. H. containing by admeasurement 23,040 acres, which tract is to contain 6 miles square and no more, out of which an allowance is to be made for highways and unimprov- able lands by rocks, ponds, mountains and rivers. 1040 acres free agreeably to a plan and survey thereof made by our sd Gov- ernor's order and returned unto the secretary's office and here- unto annexed. Butted and bounded as follows. Viz. Beginning at the N. East corner of Orford thence S. 45° West 6 miles to the S. East corner thereof which is also the N. West corner of Dor- chester; thence running south about 61° East 6 miles by Dor- chester to the N. West corner of Cockermouth which is also the S. West corner of Rumney; thence N. 45° E. 6 miles by Rum- ney extending to the S. East corner of Warren; thence N. 59º West by Warren to the bounds began at. And that the same be and hereby is incorporated into a township by the name of Went- worth and the in habitants that do or shall hereafter inhabit the sd Township, I hereby declare enfranchised with and entitled to all and every the privileges, and immunities that the other towns within our Province have most exercised and injoyed.
And further that the sd Town as soon as there shall be fifty families resident and settled therein shall have the liberty of holding two fairs, one of which shall be held on the - - and the other on the -- annually. Which Fairs are not to con- tinue longer than the respective - - following the sd -.
And that as soon as the said Town shall consist of fifty fam- ilies a market may be opened and kept one or more days in each week, as may be thought most advantageous to the inhabitants.
Also that the first meeting for the choosing of Town officers, agreeable to the laws of our sd Province, shall be held on the sec- ond Tuesday of December, next which sd meeting shall be made notified by John Page, Esq., who is hereby also appointed mod- erator of sd first meeting; which he is to notify & govern agree- able to the Laws and Customs of our sd Province.
And that the annual meeting foreverhereafter, for the choos- ing of such officers for the sd town shall be on the third Tuesday of March annually.
1
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HISTORY OF WENTWORTH, N. H.
To Have And To Hold the said tract of land as above ex- pressed, together with all privileges and appurtenances to them and their respective heirs and assigns forever, upon the following terms and conditions. Viz.
First. That every grantee, his heirs or assigns shall plant and cultivate five acres of land, within the term of five years, for every fifty acres contained in his or their share or proportion of land in sd township, and continue to inprove and settle the same by additional cultivation on penalty of forfeiture of his grant or share in sd township and of its reverting to us, our heirs and suc- cessors to be by us or them regranted to such of our subjects as shall effectually settle and cultivate the same.
Second. That all white or other pine trees within the sd township satisfactory for masting our Royal Navy be carefully preserved for that use and not to be cut or felled without our special license for so doing first had and obtained upon the pen- alty of forfeiture of the land of such grantee, his heirs and as- signs to us, our heirs and successors, as well as being subject to the penalty of any act or acts of Parliament that now are or shall be enacted.
Third. That before any division of lands be made to and among the grantees, a tract of land as near the center of the said town- ship 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.
Fourth. Yielding and paying therefor to us, our heirs and suc- cessors for the space of ten years, to be computed from the date hereof, the rate of one ear of Indian Corn only on the 25th day of December annually. As lawfully demanded, the first payment to be made on the 25th of December 1767.
Fifth. Each prospective 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 sd 25th of December, viz. On the 25th of December which will be in the year of our Lord 1777, one shilling, proclamation money, for every one hundred acres he so owns, settles or possesses and
17
THE PROPRIETORS AND THEIR DOINGS
all in proportion for a greater or lessor tract of the sd land, which money shall be paid by the respective persons above said, their: heirs and assigns in our Council Chamber in Portsmouth or to such officer or officers as shall be appointed to receive the same, and this is to be in lieu of all other rents or survices whatsoever.
In testimony whereof we have caused the seal of our sd Prov- ince to be hereunto affixed. Witnessing, Benning Wentworth, Esq., our Governor and Commander-in-chief of our sd Prov- ince. The first day of November in the year of our Lord Christ" 1766, and in the seventh year of our reign, by his Excellency's command, with advice of council.
T. ATKINSON, JR., Secretary. B. WENTWORTH.
The names of the sixty grantees or proprietors were endorsed on the back of the original charter.
The town of Wentworth was now established, at- least on paper, and launched upon the turbulent tides of the sea of time; we will now endeavor to trace its course so far as we may be able to do so, from the year 1766 to the present time.
THE PROPRIETORS AND THEIR DOINGS
The grantees of Wentworth were sixty in number; they practically all of them lived in Salisbury, Mass., and the town of Hampton, N. H., which then included Seabrook, Hampton Falls and North Hampton. John Page of Salisbury was the first grantee named in the charter; only two of the grantees ever came to live in Wentworth; they were Ephraim and Enoch
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HISTORY OF WENTWORTH, N. H.
Page, sons of John Page. Most of the other grantees probably never saw the town or any part of it; sev- eral of the proprietors of Wentworth were also among the proprietors of Warren, notably Phillips White, who was both kind and liberal to the early settlers during the years they were struggling for a foothold in the wilderness.
The proprietors seem to have been on the whole, a fair dealing company who did as much to promote the welfare of the settlement and insure the comfort of the settlers, as their circumstances would allow.
It does not appear that the proprietors were ever greatly enriched by their venture. It is hard to under- stand how they could ever have received a new dollar for an old one; they had much trouble in complying with the conditions of the charter and were under a heavy expense during the first ten years or more after the charter was granted.
They early voted that free drinks should be fur- nished to those of the proprietors who attended the meetings of the corporation.
This appears to be about the only salary they ever did receive, and it was at times a long while between meetings.
A list of the proprietors is of interest and is printed below: the reader will note that of the sixty men, ten bore the name of Page.
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THE PROPRIETORS AND THEIR DOINGS NAMES OF THE GRANTEES OF WENTWORTH
John Page, Esq.
Samuel Palmer
Johnathan Greeley, Esq.
Fredk. Batchelder
Jacob Bailey, Esq.
Samuel Dudley
Abel Davis
Jacob Currier
Nathl. Currier
Jacob Hook, Esq.
Ebenezer Page
Dyer Hook
Samuel Page
Capt. Thomas Elkins
Peter Russel
Wm. Parker Jr., Esq.
Rev. Sam'l Webster
Daniel Fogg
Joseph Page
Stephen Scales
William Hackett
Joseph Greeley
Samuel Stevens
Rev. Jeremiah Fogg
Henry Morrill
Nathaniel Greely
John Page
Col. Ebenezer Stevens
Ephraim Page
Ebenezer Stevens, Jr.
Johnathan Evens
Phillips White
Winthrop True
John White
Elijah True
Parker Cooper
Jacob Stevens
Isaac Brown
David Greeley
William White
Stephen Edmons
John Colman
Moses Page
Joseph Eastman, Jr.
David Evans
Jacob Gale
Enoch Page
Capt. Nath1 Batchelder
William True
Eliphalet Coffin
Samuel Page, Jr.
Lt. Nathan Batchelder
Johnathan Page
Col. Marsh
Theophilus Stevens
Josiah Bartlett, Jr.
Thomas True
Col. Atkinson
Jonª. Greeley, Jr.
Capt. Thos. Masters
On March 17, 1767 the proprietors voted to elect a committee to survey the boundaries of the town and divide it into lots.
20
HISTORY OF WENTWORTH, N. H.
Col. Jona. Greeley was "empowered to hire a sur- veyor to go with said committee and run out the lines." Also they were to "lay out a hundred-acre lot to each original proprietor after the boundaries of the town had been fixed."
Mr. Benjamin Loud was employed as engineer.
The surveying party consisted of Samuel Page, Joseph Eastman, Jacob Morrill, Abraham Morrill, Samuel Greeley and Frye Bailey, in addition to the surveyor. They proceeded to Wentworth and in four- teen days established what they supposed to be the boundaries of the town and also laid out sixty-eight one-hundred-acre lots, one for each of the sixty original grantees, the remainder being for public purposes, such as churches and school. This is what is called the first division of lots in town and was made in the fall of the year 1767.
The second division of lots was run out in the year 1770 and like the first, was drawn to the right of each of the original proprietors.
It may be in order here to add the third division of lots was laid out in June, 1794, and allotted to the several proprietors: Jotham Cummings was the sur- veyor at this time.
We shall see later that the town boundaries were afterwards resurveyed and materially altered in places, especially the Warren line.
21
THE PROPRIETORS AND THEIR DOINGS
The proprietors also voted to "clear out" some roads through the town and also in order to encourage the settlement, they decided to build a suitable saw mill on the Pond Brook, thus providing a place where the settlers could obtain some boards.
This mill was built in 1769 or 1770 by William Hack- ett and Joseph Page of Salisbury, Mass .; the proprie- tors of Warren joined with those of Wentworth in this enterprise. The builders of the mill received a bounty of thirty pounds for their services.
This mill stood across the road and nearly in front of the Franklin Eaton house, where the main channel of the stream once ran, there being a steep ledge and high fall at that point, and here on this site, turned the first mill wheel in Wentworth.
In a year or two a makeshift grist mill was added but did not prove to be much of a success; it lasted but a few years and was swept away by a flood; there is not much evidence to show that this grist mill was of much service to the settlers.
The proprietors were now anxious to get some settlers into the town: the terms of the charter re- quired settlement to be made and a certain amount of land to be cleared and tilled inside of five years. This was not forthcoming and anxiety was felt lest the charter might be forfeited.
They now began in earnest to promote the settle-
22
HISTORY OF WENTWORTH, N. H.
ment of the town, offering bounties to those who would go at once.
The proprietors became so fearful lest the charter might be forfeited, they made petition to the Gover- nor for an extension of time and a short reprieve was allowed them.
As a result of their efforts, one man at least prom- ised he would go in the year 1769 and settle in town; but he appears to have missed his connections, for up to date he has not been reported as having ar- rived.
CHAPTER II-1770-1790
THE SETTLEMENT AND AN ACCOUNT OF SOME OF THE EARLIEST SETTLERS - ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWN AND FIRST TOWN MEETING - THE FIRST RECORDED INVENTORY - FIRST CENSUS - CLOSE OF THE PIONEER PERIOD
THE SETTLEMENT AND AN ACCOUNT OF THE EARLIEST SETTLERS
With the coming of the spring of 1770, actual set- tlement of the town began, as it is known three families arrived during that season. There is nothing in the records to show with certainty which one of these came first. But it is extremely probable one DAVID MAXFIELD was the first to arrive; he settled on what was formerly known as the White farm; this land was later owned by Col. Joseph Savage and Richard Pillsbury and now by Harry Turner. But very little is known of Maxfield and his stay in town was brief as he left after a stay of two or three years.
ABEL DAVIS was the next to arrive. In the Gove Bible, it is recorded that "Abel Davis with his wife Mary, was the second family to settle in Wentworth."
Abel Davis cleared a small piece of land and built
24
HISTORY OF WENTWORTH, N. H.
a log house on the meadow formerly owned by Amos Rollins and now by David N. Eaton. This house was west of the present line of railroad and not far from the river. Davis remained in town but a few years, removing to Vermont.
The third arrival was EPHRAIM LUND, who settled on the East Side and built a log house where the present school house now stands. Lund lived in town five or six years and then removed to Warren, where he afterwards lived as one of the pioneers of that town, and died at an advanced age, leaving descend- ants in Warren.
If we are to continue to mention the families in the order in which it is believed they arrived in town, we should now speak of William Heath, who came late in 1770 or very early in 1771.
The record of the first birth recorded in town read as follows: "Mary Heath, daughter of William and Lydia Heath, born March, I, 1771."
Heath settled and built a log house about on the spot where Gove's cider mill now stands. He also cleared a few acres of land near his house but does not appear to ever have done much farming. He was a great hunter and shot many moose, killing six at one time single handed in a yard over towards Mt. Cube. He served in the Revolutionary Army; after he came back from the war, the tradition is, he drew a barrel of
25
THE SETTLEMENT AND SETTLERS
rum up from Concord on a hand sled and opened a public house: thus he became the first hotel keeper of the town and it is said was a very good customer at his own bar. He finally sold his place to Capt. Ebenezer Gove in 1787 and moved out of town.
The proprietors were obliged to assist the first settlers; in 1771 they bought a horse and loaned it to them jointly "on account of the great distance to a gristmill."
Also the same year they loaned Abel Davis a cow; this was the first cow ever driven to town.
They also helped them to get some food. The pro- prietors voted to "allow Phillips White, I pound, 7 shillings for supplies furnished David Maxfield and 2 pounds for what he furnished Abel Davis in 1771."
They further "voted to give Lund, I pound 10 shillings, for corn he had to buy."
Phillips White was a sort of Santa Claus to the pioneers of Wentworth and Warren and for many years proved himself a very present help in time of trouble.
About the year 1772, ISAAC CLIFFORD moved from Rumney and settled first on the Old Cross Road near what later became Smart's Mill yard lot.
A child of Mr. Clifford's died in the year 1773; this was the first death to occur in town. It was buried near a great rock some distance from the river bank;
26
HISTORY OF WENTWORTH, N. H.
the river later changed its course and washed away all vestiges of the grave and that which it contained.
After living several years on this spot, Clifford ex- changed places with Joseph Cooper, who lived where Ben B. Foster does now, and remained there until he removed to the East Side, where he died, leaving numerous descendants.
About the year 1790 Clifford built a grist mill on the South Branch not far from his buildings: it never did much business and after having been damaged by freshets, was finally abandoned.
The hill on the East Side known as Clifford Hill was so named for this family, many of this race having lived on or in the vicinity of this hill.
EPHRAIM PAGE, one of the proprietors and son of John Page, Esq., the first grantee named in the charter, and his wife, who was Hannah Currier, re- moved to Wentworth from Salisbury, Mass., in the summer of 1773, with his family of ten children; three more children were born to them after they arrived in town, making thirteen in all. Their son Samuel, born in October 1773, is believed to have been the first boy born in the town.
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