USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Jaffrey > Jaffrey centennial : proceedings of the centennial celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the incorporation of Jaffrey, N.H., August 20, 1873 > Part 2
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*I note, however, that the inducements to the traveller to "stop over," may not, within the law, be in all respects quite as numerous as those held out by a poetical landlord, who kept a tavern north of Keene village, some three-quarters of a century since. They ran in this wise :
"Why will ye pass by, both hungry and dry, Good brandy, good gin, please to walk in,
Good baiting, good bedding,
Your humble servant, Thomas Redding."
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eleven other persons, who afterwards became known as "the Ma- sonian Proprietors."
Acting under a vote of these Masonian Proprietors, passed June 16, 1749, Joseph Blanchard, of Dunstable, as their agent. on the thirtieth of November of that year, conveyed to Jonathan Hubbard and thirty-nine others, all the Right, Possession and Property of the Proprietors, to this township, then called the Middle Monadnock, or Number Two, -several of the grantees taking more than one share, the number of shares being in fact fifty .* The deed contained a provision by which the land should be divided into seventy-one shares, three shares being " granted and appropriated, free of all charge, one for the first settled minister," "one for the support of the ministry, and one for the school there forever,"t the grantors reserving for themselves eighteen shares, acquitted from all duty and charge until improved. And it was provided that each share contain three lots, equitably coupled together, and drawn for, at or be- fore the first of July next, in some equitable manner.
One of the provisions of the deed was that cach of the grantees should, at the executing of the instrument, pay twenty pounds old tenor, to defray the necessary charges arisen and arising in said township.#
*See Appendix A.
+Grants of townships by the Governor and Council outside of the limits of the Masonian Proprietors, sometimes contained provisions giving shares to the Church of England, and to the society for the propaga- tion of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, with a large share for his Excellency personally.
#The actual amount to be paid was but a small proportion of the nom- inal sum thus set down: - the old tenor being a paper currency issued long before by the Province, which, not having been redeemed according to its tenor, had greatly depreciated. Massachusetts had three emissions of paper currency, which became known as old tenor, middle tenor, and new tenor. The old tenor had depreciated in 1753, so that twenty shll- Jings of it were worth only two shillings eight pence lawful money. It may be safely inferred that the currency of New Hampshire was not better. Probably it was worse. Belknap, speaking of a controversy between Governor Benning Wentworth and the Assembly, in 1749. respecting the representation of the towns, says : - " The effect of this comroversy was injurious to the governor, as well as to the people. The public bills of credit had depreciated since this administration began, in the ratlo of thir- ty to fifty-six, and the value of the governor's salary had dechned in the same proportion."
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There are conditions respecting clearing, building, and set- tlement, to be performed within certain specified times, by the several grantees, - a condition that a good convenient meeting- house should be built, as near the centre as might be with conve- nience, within six years from date, and ten acres of land reserved for public use :- another, that the grantees, or their assignees, by a major vote, in public meeting, should grant and assess such further sums as they should think necessary for carrying for- ward the settlement, - with a provision for the sale of so much of any delinquent's right as should be necessary for the payment of a tax, by a committee appointed for that purpose; - and a further provision that if any of the grantees should neglect or refuse to perform any of the articles, he should forfeit his share and right to those of the grantees who should have complied on their part, - with power to enter upon the right of the delin- quent owner, and oust him, provided they should perform his duty as he should have done, within a year.
There were provisions by which the grantors undertook to defend the title, to a certain extent.
We are interested in these conditions and provisions only as matters of history, serving to show the measures taken by the Masonian Proprietors to secure the settlement of the townships which they granted, this among others.
It seems probable that none of the conditions were strictly complied with. They could not well be at that time. But so long as there were attempts, in good faith, to make settlements; it was not for the interest of the grantors to enforce forfeitures. Their shares became more valuable as the others were improved, and the enforcement of forfeitures, when there were attempts to perform, would have injured themselves.
I have procured from the Clerk of the Masonian Proprietors, copies of the documents on file in his office relating to this Town- ship. A few items may perhaps be acceptable.
The grantees held a meeting at Dunstable, January 16, 1749- 50, at which a vote was passed that each right be laid out into three lots, and to couple them fit for drawing, to be done by the last day of May ; and that twenty pounds old tenor be raised to
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be raised to cach right, to defray charges incidental thereto.
A plan of the township, seven miles long by five broad, laid out into ten ranges, and twenty-two lots one hundred rods wide to each range, was finished in May, 1750.
The meeting in January was adjourned to the first Tuesday in June, when it was again adjourned to the second Tuesday, at which time the lots were drawn.
It is probable that some of the grantees abandoned their rights, as six shares were sold at this meeting, and the money ordered to be deposited with the Treasurer, to be paid " to the first five men that goes on with their families in one year from this date, and continues there for the space of one year."
There was a vote also for a Committee to lay out a road from another Number Two (Wilton) through Peterboro' Slip, to this township .*
The meeting was then adjourned to November 8th, at which time a vote was passed prescribing the method of calling future meetings,-the provision for notice being the posting of notices at Dunstable, Lunenberg and Hollis. A further vote appointed Joseph Blanchard, Benjamin Bellows, and Captain Peter Pow- ers, " a Committee to manage the Prudentials for this Society."
These last votes give us a clue to the residences of some of the grantees. They of course belonged to the towns where no- tices were to be posted. Captain Peter Powers, who was the grantee of four shares, and the purchaser of four of the six sold at auction at the first meeting, -and who was one of the Com- mittee to manage the Prudentials,-must have been the first set- tler of Hollis, in 1731; - one of the soldiers under the cele- brated Capt. John Lovewell, who fell in the Indian fight at Pig- wackett, in 1725.
At a meeting of the grantees August 4, 1752, a formal vote was passed to accept the title with an acknowledgement that they
*NOTE. - Lyndeboro', including the Northerly part of Wilton, was laid out by Massachusetts under the claim of that Colony, and granted to certain persons, mostly belonging to Salem, in consideration of their sufferings in the expedition to Canada. The residue of what is Wilton was granted by the Masonian Proprietors, in 1749, and was called No. 2. Mason was called No. 1. Peterboro' Slip comprised the towns of Temple and Sharon. 'This gives us the general course of the road.
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held it under the conditions, and limitations, and reservations ; -by some of which there should have been clearings before that time.
Copies of the deed executed by Blanchard, and of the plan ; and a list of the Proprietors, were filed in the office of the grant- ors September 4th, 1753.
It is stated that a settlement was attempted in 1753 by Rich- ard Peabody, Moses Stickney and a few others, who remained but two or three years. The first native was a son of Moses Stickney, born in 1753.
The first permanent settlement was made in 1758, by John Grout and John Davidson.
There is in the files a paper containing, First, a list of settlers on the free lots to the number of nine families. Second, a list of settlers that abide constantly on settling rights, -total 22. Third, " some beginnings on settling rights," number 10. Also a memorandum, " no meeting-house built." This is certified as a true account of the settling rights "carefully examined and humbly submitted " by John Grout and Roger Gilmore. There is no date to it, nor any memorandum when it was received, but pinned to it is a paper signed John Gilmore and Roger Gilmore, dated March 10, 1769, addressed to " Gentlemen Grantors," set- ting forth, that they bought the right that was Paul March's, January, sixty-eight, and the improvements which they have made and intend, and concluding ; " Gentlemen, we beg the fa- vor of you, as you are men of honor, that you will not hurt us in our interest, for we have done everything in our power to bring forward the settlement of this place."
Roger Gilmore is the only one of the earlier settlers that I am sure of having seen. He lived on the hill east of the tannery of John Cutter, - was a man of large frame, and dignified deport- ment, - was highly esteemed, and was much employed as Jus- tice of the Peace, Surveyor and in town offices and affairs.
There is also on file, " an accompt of the settlements in Mo- nadnock No. ? ," certified by Enoch Hale, stating the names of the settlers on the several rights, and the number of the rights, (ten in all), appearing to be delinquent. It is without date, but was " Received March 8th, 1770," and was probably made up
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within a short time previously. From this it appears that there were settlements on thirty-four rights; and twelve lots (addition- al as I understand,) improved ; - and that mills were erected on Right 15, and a saw-mill on 41.
And here, near the close of its unincorporated existence, let us pay a deserved tribute to the enterprise and energy of the carly settlers.
Struggling against obstacles that were all but insuperable, and through hardships which might well have daunted the most de- termined courage, they have, in a few years, brought the town- ship largely above the average of the settlements in the County, and to a position exceeded only by towns of a longer existence, all of which had much greater facilities for access.
The particular obstacles which they encountered, and the de- tails of the hardships which they endured, we cannot know. Of their personal deprivations and sufferings, we fail to form an ad- equate conception. It is difficult to gain even a general appre- ciation of them.
There are, it is true, only forty miles intervening between the head-quarters, if we may so call them, at Dunstable, but twenty or more of them are through a nearly trackless, dense forest, over a rough, rocky surface, with occasionally a small natural meadow.
The pioneers make their slow, painful way, much of it through the thick under-brush, - the husband with an axe on his should- er, and what he can carry of household appendages in a pack on his back, and his wife follows, somewhat similarly loaded, ex- cept the axe. Cheap land, within the reach of their scanty means, has tempted them to endurance. There may be a young man with them. God be thanked we do not see any young children. Weary, worn in spirit, as well as in body, they reach the range and lot of their destination, and their first shelter is constructed of hemlock boughs, with the same material for a bed- stead, and leaves for a mattress.
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A rude log hut follows .* And then comes the hard struggle with the forest, and with privation, - with the winter, its deep snows, and its intense cold. There is no communication with the outward world but by " rackets," (snow-shoes), and pioneers of longer duration are in other towns, miles away. It is not necessary to put wild beasts into this picture.
Is it wonderful that the settlers of '53 found this too great an endurance, even for their brave hearts, and strong arms, and that they abandoned the settlement, when remaining threatened their lives ? Or rather is it not wonderful that they lived to abandon it ? Surely it was not light difficulties which would de- ter persons who had the courage to begin such a work, from the prosecution of their purpose.
But there is another attempt at settlement made under more favorable auspices.
We may suppose that the few pounds voted to be raised to make a road from No. 2 have been expended. The underbrush and some of the stones are cleared away, and trees are blazed along the route; and another small party of settlers start, with oxen, not in yokes, but single file, with such loads as they can carry strapped upon their backs. And there is a. cow there. The small patches of natural meadow furnish food for the ani- mals, and the emigrants arrive with better means of establishing themselves. - The trees fall, - the logs are drawn, piled, burnt, - a small space is cleared, - a shelter is built, - seed is sown, and the vegetation, anxiously watched and tended, gives a scan- ty crop. But sickness comes. Exposure has produced its nat- ural result ; - fever is in the household. There is no physi- cian. The medicines are the few simple remedies brought in the luggage. Acts of neighborly kindness would be cheerfully rend-
*The Jog hut must have been an institution of short duration. So far as I have heard, there is little tradition of log houses in the town. A grist and saw mill were erected in Peterboro' as early as 1751. Another saw mill near the place of the South Factory, in 1758. Rev. John H. Morison, in his very interesting Address at the Centennial Celebration in Peterboro', says : " at this period [1770] log huts were little used. Substantial frame houses, many of them two stories high, had been erected." And we have seen, from the return of 1770, that there were then two saw mills here.
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ered, if there were near neighbors, but are of difficult procurement in this forest of " magnificent distances," and all the hours of at- tendance by the sick bed are so much time withdrawn from what would otherwise have been essentially necessary for labor and for rest. - Alas ! the kindest care, the unslumbering watch, and the fervent prayer, are unavailing, and the sufferer, no longer such, is laid to final rest in some quiet corner of " the clearing."
Out of this darkness comes a brighter dawn. Lumber can be had. The mills are miles distant, to be sure, and the transpor- tation difficult, but perseverance overcomes obstacles. " The road " has been improved. - There is a horse upon the path. - The rider has a young child in her lap, and one somewhat older sits behind. - Her husband drives " the stock." The way is not so toilsome, - there are more articles of housekeeping in the luggage, - more of encouragement, more of hope, more of frui- tion, more of happiness.
We have reached 1770, and there are several families here. The settlement is established on a firm basis.
Let us never fail to do justice to the pioneers, men and women, who with such resolute courage, fortitude, patience and perse- verance, established a civilized society in the midst of a trackless wilderness.
We should do ourselves a great wrong, if we did not express our deep admiration of them.
In 1771, the Province was divided into Counties. Prior to this time all the public offices were in Portsmouth or the vicini- ty, and the Courts were held there.
In an Act for making a new proportion of public taxes, passed May 28, 1773, which included unincorporated places, Monad- nock No. 2 is set down at £3-5s in the £1000. The propor- tion for Cheshire County, which until 1827, included what is now Sullivan County, was £117-8s. There were twelve towns in the County rated higher than Jaffrey, and seventeen towns and places at less. This proportion of the taxation serves to show, in some measure, its relative importance, at that time.
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The Masonian Proprietors had and claimed only a right of property. Their title to the land passed by the deed authorized by them, as a deed passes the title to land at the present day ; but there was no right of town government granted. The provision for taxing the shares, and collecting the tax, could on- ly be made effectual through the laws of the Province. The ju- risdiction was in the Governor and Council, and the Assembly.
The grantees of the lands acted like a corporation for the di- vision and disposition of their lands, and the performance of their duties as a Proprietary, but for nothing beyond. When those things were accomplished, the Proprietary was at an end, - dissolved. And this was true also of the townships granted by the Governor, outside of the limits of the Masonian lines, unless incorporated.
There was no provision in the general laws by which an as- sessment could be made upon the inhabitants of unincorporated places, for which reason the Act apportioning the public taxes, in 1773, contained a provision appointing persons, who were named, to call meetings of the inhabitants of such places, and requiring the inhabitants at such meetings to choose the necessa- ry officers for assessing and collecting the tax, and giving author- ity for that purpose.
And so the time had come when the interests of the people required corporate powers, of a general character, and on the 17th of August, 1773, an Act of Incorporation was granted, nominally by His Majesty, George III, but in fact by the Royal Governor, John Wentworth, with advice of the Council, -the corporate name being found in the name of one of the Masonian Proprietors, who was then Secretary ; and Jaffrey was installed into the great brotherhood of political and municipal incorpora- tions, called Towns ; which have been of such incalculable ben- efit not only to New England, where they originated, and of which they are the glory and the pride, but through it to the country at large.
The centuries of which we usually speak, date from the com- mencement of the christian era,-occasionally from the period
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assigned by Biblical Theology as the time of the creation of the world.
But a century may have its beginning at any point of time. That of which we now witness the close had its inception with this incorporation. If the event be supposed to be one of com- parative insignificance, it was one which has had a greater abso- lute force, for the promotion of the happiness of those persons inhabiting within the limits of the town, than any of the greater ones which have astonished the world.
If we should suspend, for a moment, the consideration of the local interests attached to this incorporation, and which entitle it to mark the commencement of a century, and its anniver- sary to a grateful recognition and celebration, and should turn our attention to the general history of the century which has followed, we should find that this century may challenge a com- parison with any one which has preceded it, whatever date may be assigned for the commencement of the latter.
But we must not undertake the centennial history of the world to-day. On our recollection of it, however, we may surely be pardoned if we exclaim,- Great has been the century which had its commencement in the incorporation of the town of Jaffrey !
These incorporated towns had their origin in Plymouth, Dux- bury, and Scituate, in the Plymouth Colony,- followed by Charlestown, Salem and Newton, (since Cambridge,) and Dor- chester, in Massachusetts,-and by Portsmouth, Dover, Exeter, and Hampton, in this state.
It has been suggested that the Town Organization had its ori- gin in the Congregational Church polity,- and in fact the or- ganization of the church, in the carlier settlements of the Pil- grims and the Puritans, accompanied the organization of the town.
But the town grew mainly out of the secular need,-out of the democratic principle of self-government,-as is shown from the fact that changes in the modes and forms of worship, and in the different church organizations, have not affected the Town- ships, and the Towns ; - Whereas Congregationalism had no ex- istence outside of the portions of the country where these Town-
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ships existed. Instead of creating Townships and Towns, it has not itself been created to any extent, where they have not existed. It cannot well exist without them. But they now ex- ist in the Western country, where Congregationalismn has as yet little foothold,- and but for them it would have been long since merged in Presbyterianism, which has been the prevailing form of orthodoxy in all parts of the country where these towns have been unknown .*
Considering the principles and objects of the emigrants, the town system may be said to have been a necessity, in the exist- ing state of things, in the early settlement of this part of the country. It was the only organization by and through which the settlers could best provide for their wants, and have the full enjoyment of the liberty which they prized so highly ;- and they devised it accordingly.
The early settlers of the Plymouth Colony discovered, that the grant of corporate powers to the small separate settlements, and the passage of general laws giving them such powers and privileges as would enable them to provide for their local needs, and subjecting them to the performance of such duties as might be required by the government of the whole Colony, was the best and fittest way for the transaction of the affairs of the different localities, and they so provided. - This conclusion was reached, not through any revelation which perfected the system at once, but by degrees, through their daily and yearly experi- ence ; and the system, inaugurated at Plymouth, commended it- self to the Massachusetts Colony, so that it was adopted there at the outset.
The earliest settlements in this State were commenced in a slightly different manner, Portsmouth, Dover, and Hampton be- ing towns, independent of each other, with separate powers of government, exercised by agreement, without any act of Incorpo- ration. But when the government of the Colony of New Hamp- shire was organized, grants of townships were made and towns , incorporated.
In this organization of towns, the settlements of New Eng- land differed from those of Virginia, and other Southern States,
*See Appendix B.
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and to these towns, providing for local wants, and performing local duties, New England owes much of the prosperity, of which she has had a reasonable share to this day.
The early settlers in this place, like those of other towns, wanted religious teachers and institutions. This is shown, not merely by the character of mankind, the nature of society, and the particular character of the parties, but by the provisions in the grant of the township giving one share for the first settled Min- ister, and one for the support of the Ministry, and by the condi- tion requiring that a good convenient meeting-house should be built near the centre within six years.
Whatever we may think respecting ourselves, at this later day, with our more dense population, and our enlarged means, we may well conclude, that at that period, it was for the benefit of the civil state, that the institutions of religion should be main- tained through some organization having legal power to provide for the support of religious teachers. In fact the authority of the towns to provide for the settlement of ministers and their support, remained until 1819, although the efficiency of the law was much impaired, by religious divisions, at an carlier day. The clergyman had then no need to spend his summer in Eu- rope, or the Adirondacks. His parish being the town, - his parochial visits furnished him with sufficient " muscular christian- ity " for all practical purposes.
They wanted schools, and of course they needed school-houses, - and for the erection of these, school districts. The inhabi- tants of the town, with a full understanding of the local needs of all portions of the town, could arrange these districts, - the people of the several districts could then determine the situa- tion and the size of the house required, with regard to their ac- commodation, and pecuniary ability ; - and the tax voted by the town for the support of schools. being divided in an equitable manner, could then be applied to the purposes of education, in these districts with the greatest possible efficiency. - The poor little school houses would not make a great show by the side of some modern structures, - but they did a work, perhaps quite as useful as if the seats had had cushions, and the desks had been of mahogany.
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