USA > New Hampshire > Strafford County > Dover > Landmarks in ancient Dover, New Hampshire > Part 23
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
than once in the Burnham records of last century as " the cellar " and " the cellar house." At one end of the garrison cellar a depression marks the place of the " little barn," also spoken of in the same records. The house had a frame of huge timbers of white oak, some of which were used in the construction of the present farm buildings. There is a never-failing spring near the foot of the hill. A growth of young pines on one side of this hill now screens the sum- mit from the river. Through the branches you catch here and there a . glimpse of the water, and before they sprang up Oyster river was in full view, especially up-stream, in the direction of Durham falls.
The chief point in favor of this being the real site of the Burnham garrison of 1694 is the proximity of the Pitman land. Directly beneath the hill, on the lower side, is the field known from time immemorial as the " Pitman field," where still remain several trees of the Pitman orchard, which was much more extensive a few years ago. The county records show that this very land was con- veyed to Wm. Pitman and his son Ezekiel, Nov. 23, 1664. The inven- tory of Ezekiel's estate, Jan. 2, 1709- 10, mentions his orchard, but not his house, it having been burned by the Indians, and apparently not rebuilt. William Pitman, son of Ezekiel, sold this land to John and Robert Burn- ham, March 14, 1717-18. The deed of conveyance repeats the bounds exactly as given in the deed to his father and grandfather in 1664. This land is now in the possession of the heirs of the late Joseph Burnham, a descendant of the above Robert.
There seems to have been only one Burnham garrison in 1694, in which year, from July 25 till Nov. 24, "Jeremy Burnam " had two soldiers stationed at his garrison. Jeremiah Burnum's account for boarding sol- diers from Nov. 2, 1695, till March 6, 1696, amounted to 4£. 9s. (N. H. Pror. Pap., 17 : 645, 658.)
The large Burnham house, now deserted, that stands on a ridge at the lower side of the Gibbons meadow, is also said to have been a garrison. The frame is of white oak timbers, still undecayed, fastened together with large oak pins, and one end is lined internally with a brick wall, originally pierced with loop-holes. This house was probably built by John Burnham, son of the above Jeremiah.
X. DREW'S GARRISON. This gar- rison, destroyed in the Indian attack of 1694, no doubt stood near Drew's Point, on the south side of Oyster river, where William Drew owned land as early as 1648. He died the " last of April," 1669. The inven- tory of his estate mentions his dwell- ing house, one cannon, his fishing boats, the Hopewell and the Increase, and a great amount of fishing tackle, showing that he was chiefly engaged in fisheries. His widow Elizabeth married Wm. Follet. Wm. Follet of Dover and Elizabeth his wife con- veyed to Thomas Drew, June 20, 1680, "a dwelling-house, barn, and other out housen buildings," stand- ing on a piece of land that was first Darby ffield's, who conveyed it to Wm. Roberts, and he to Wm. Drew, adjoining unito and between the land of Thomas Stevenson and ye land that formerly belonged to Matthew Die addonda. p. 279.
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
Giles. It was probably this Thomas Drew (some say it was Franeis) who surrendered the garrison in 1694, on the promise of quarter, and was mak- ing his escape to the Adams garri- son, which stood below, when he was slain. His widow married Richard Elliot of Portsmouth. Richard Elliot and wife Mary, formerly ye relict of Thomas Drew, and administratrix of his estate, quit claim, Nov. 15, 1706, to the estate of Wm. Drew, in favor of his son John, who, May 10, 1712, conveyed to Stephen Jenkins all his rights in the real estate of his father, Wm. Drew of Oyster River, deceased, which had been mortgaged by his mother Elizabeth, relict of said Will- iam, and administrator of his estate, to Thomas Drew, uncle of said John, July 8, 1671. Stephen Jenkins and wife Elizabeth conveyed to James Langley, Nov. 5, 1714, all the lands, tenements, and messuages, he bought of John Drew, and Drew of Richard Elliott, which property was " the estate and possession of William and Thomas Drew, on the south side of Oyster river." James Langley peti- tioned in 1715 for a road to the high- way as he was " penned up by Bar- tholomew Stevenson." This road was laid out the next year, " begin- ning at Will Drew's old possession." (See Langley's Point.)
Some think, however, that Drew's garrison was on the Little Bay shore, where, in fact, Francis Drew had land given him by his father, to whom it had been granted in 1653. The surviving members of the Drew fam- ily no doubt established themselves here soon after 1694, and probably erected defences. The Rev. Hugh Adams, March 3, 1727-8, admitted
into the Oyster River church "Thomas Drew of Little Bay," and Tamsen his wife. They had been recently married, and were living in the old garrison in 1694, when they were carried into captivity. The place where they lived after their redemp- tion was no doubt the land of Francis Drew, above mentioned, and the same now owned by Mr. James Kent, on which an old burial-ground of the Drews is still to be seen. Here, in one grave, lie the above Thomas and Tamsen, and, near by, a part of the fourteen children they were blessed with after their return from captivity. It need not be said that the family is perpetuated to this day.
XI. The ADAMS GARRISON. This garrison was built by Charles Adams, who acquired land at Oyster River as early as Ap. 6, 1645. He was living near the mouth of this river in 1671, when twelve aeres more were laid out to him " behind his house." At the Indian attack of July 18. 1694, his garrison was burned to the ground, and he himself, his son Samuel and wife, and eleven others, were killed. They were afterwards buried in one grave, beneath a mound still to be traced, close to the Mathes burial- ground at Durham Point. This huge grave has always been respected by the owners of the soil. The garrison is supposed to have stood on the ele- vation immediately above. At any rate, it could not have been far off, for the Adams land at Oyster River Point only comprised eighteen aeres. The inventory of the estate of Charles Adams, Senior, consisting of up- lands, salt meadow, a small orchard, ete., as sworn to by his son Charles,
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
Ap. 1, 1695, amounted to sixty pounds in value.
March 4, 1711-12, " Joseph Dudy and Rebeckah his wife, the eldest daughter of Charles Adams (Jr.) de- ceased," sold Francis Mathes for four-score pounds "a certain tract or parcel of land situate in Dover township, lying and being on Oyster River poynt, commonly called and known by the name of Charles Adams his home plantation or house lott, being by estimation eighteen acres more or less, all wthin fence, and now in the tenure and occupation of the aforesaid ffrancis Mathes, bounded on the north wth the highway that leads from Willey's creek to Oyster River falls, on the south wth the aforesaid Mathes his land ; more (over), twelve acres of land begin- ning at a marked tree behind the aforesaid house lott, and runs ab 100 rods by the highway side that leads to Oyster River falls, and from that extent it runs on a straight line west and by south, or thereabouts, to the other corner, all which said home plantation or house lott and twelve acres of land, together with all the fence and growing stuff, and all other the hereditaments, liberties, immuni- ties, commons, water courses, etc. Signed by " Joseph Dowdy, Rebec- her her kah + Dowdy, Esther + Adams." mark
mark
Nov. 23, 1716, " Easter Adams" personally appeared before James Davis, Justice of the Peace, and ac- knowledged the foregoing deed. This Esther Adams afterwards married Thomas Bickford, Jr.
John Meader, Sr., aged about 82 years, testified before James Davis, Justice of the Peace, Jan. 30, 1711-
12, " that Charles Adams, sen', did peaceably possess, build fence, plant and Improve the land within the mouth of oyster River, on the south side, . . . joining to francis mathes, sent, his land, aboue fifty five years ago and Euer since till oyster River weare distroyed, and then the sd Adams was killed and his house burnt by the Enemie."
XII. BICKFORD'S GARRISON. This garrison stood at Durham Point, a little below the mouth of Oyster river, but the exact spot is not known. It has often been asserted that this was a mere dwelling-house surrounded by palisades, but the owner speaks of it as " my garrison," Nov. 12, 1694, in a certificate about a soldier stationed here, signed "Thomas Biekford, comander of the gareson." (N. H. Prov. Pap., 17: 645.) Two soldiers are mentioned as serving here from July 25, 1694, till Nov. 24 following, and others from Nov. 2, 1695, till March 6, 1696. (Ibid, pp. 645, 657.) This garrison was de- fended in an admirable manner at the Indian attack of 1694, by Capt. Thomas Bickford, who, warned by the alarm guns at the upper garrisons that the Indians were at hand, had sent his family off by water, and remained to defend his house alone. Shouting forth his orders as if he had a squad of soldiers at his com- mand, and presenting himself every few minutes in fresh guise to blaze away at the enemy, he deceived them so effectually that they speedily gave up the attempt to reduce a hold appar- ently so well manned. This Thomas, whose wife was Bridget Furber, of Welsh Cove, was the son of John Bickford, who was living at Oyster
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
River as early as July 17, 1645, on which day "Darby ffield of Oyster River, in the river of Piscataqua, county of Norfolk, planter," sold John Bickford his dwelling-house at Oyster River, then "in the tenure of said Bickford," with a lot of five or six acres adjoining, and all the land to the creek on the side towards Lit- tle Bay, except the "breadth" on said creek in possession of Thomas Willey. (This was the inlet after- wards known as " Willey's Creek.") June 23, 1684, John Bickford, " with the consent of his wife Temperate," conveyed to his son Thomas " all his houses and lands lying at the poynt of Oyster river."1
The Bickford garrison long since disappeared. The land where it stood, with Little Bay on one side, Oyster river on the other, and, directly in front, the river Pascata- qua, with its verdant isles, swiftly coursing seaward between Newington at the right and the Back River dis- trict at the left, is now owned by Mr. Jeremiah Langley.
XIII. The EDGERLY GARRISON. This garrison was built by Thomas Edgerly, who was taxed at Oyster River in 1665, and admitted freeman in 1672. He was a Justice of the Peace in 1674, and took part that year in the Rev. Joshua Moody's trial for nonconformity, on which occasion he refused to subscribe to Mr. Moody's commitment, and con- sequently lost his commission. Ac-
cording to the Durham tradition, his garrison was destroyed in the attack of 1694, his son Zachariah slain, and he himself taken captive, but soon after made his escape. Belknap says the garrison was evacuated and destroyed, but he shortly after states that Thomas Edgerly, by concealing himself in his cellar, preserved his house, though twice set on fire. That very year, however, not long after the attack of July 18, Thomas Edgerly petitioned the governor and council that-as he and his neigh- bors had been afflicted by the Indians, his dwelling-house burnt, his goods destroyed, and his son wounded-the house of John Rand, deceased, might be made a garri- son for the defence of the re- maining families adjacent, and that six men might be sent to defend it. (N. H. Prov. Papers, XVII : 640.) Either the Rand house took his name, or he erected a new one, for three soldiers are mentioned as sta- tioned at Edgerly's garrison Jan. 6, 1696. Thomas Edgerly was still alive in 1715.
The precise situation of this garri- son is not known, but it could not have been far from the shore of Little Bay. Thomas Edgerly had a " plott" of land at the west end of " Hilliard's field," conveyed to him by his father- in-law, John Alt, Ap. 3, 1674. This " plott " joined land already owned by Edgerly, near Plum Swamp, on the lower side. If the garrison did
1 John Bickford, when he left Oyster River, went to the Newington shore, where he owned several tracts of land-one near Bloody Point, another at Fox Point, and a third near Long Point, where he established himself. His children and grandchildren intermarried with the chief land-owners in Newington; and their descendants are now without number. The name of his wife, usually written Temperance, has for more than two hundred years been perpetu- ated among her descendants in Newington and the neighboring towns-the Harrisons, Down- ings, Knights, Pickerings, Coes, etc. John Bickford and his wife Temperance were the direct ancestors of the writer through her paternal grandmother.
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
not stand here, it must have been on the south-west side of Long creek (Crummit's), where Thomas Edgerly acquired land Jan. 28, 1659, on which he appears to have been living May 21, 1700, when he conveyed a part of it to his son Samuel.
XIV. GODDARD'S GARRISON. There appears to have been a Goddard or Symond's garrison at an early day. No mention is made of it in history, however, or in the Durham tradi- tions, unless it was the garrison at Lubberland, mentioned in 1693. (See Lubberland Garrison.) It is referred to March 16, 1735-6, when Abraham Bennick1 (nephew of John Goddard), conveyed to his son Abraham a cer- tain message or tract of land in that part of Durham called Lober- land, being part of ye estate formerly John Goddard's, " beginning at ye old garrison seller [cellar], formerly ye widow Simonds." Mrs. Symonds was previously the wife of John Goddard, of Goddard's Cove, who died about 1660, after which she married Michael Simmonds, or Sy- monds. " Goody Goddard " is stated to have chosen the appraisers of her husband John Goddard's estate, who made the inventory June 27, 1667; and Sept. 16, 1667, " Mrs. Welthen Simonds " appeared before Judge Thomas Packer, and made oath as to the correctness of this inventory. She was still alive Aug. 8, 1705, when John Woodman, Esq., one of her majesty's Justices of the Peace, having been requested by Abraham Bennick, of Lubberland, to receive
her acknowledgment of an act con- veying her homestead lands to her grandson, to the exclusion of her daughter, he went to see her, and, after examining her on this and vari- ous other subjects, he declared her altogether incapable of making such a conveyance, being non compos men- tis, and to the best of his knowledge had been so six or seven years, through much infirmity and exceed- ing old age.
LUBBERLAND GARRISON. This gar- rison is mentioned Ap. 24, 1693, when the government ordered two men to be impressed for the garrison " at Lubarland." (N. H. Prov. Pap., 2: 103.) "A good garrison" at Lubberland is spoken of in a record, supposed to be of 1694, as " cut down and destroyed" the previous summer. (Ibid, p. 147.) This was probably the Goddard garrison.
DURGIN'S GARRISON. William Dur- gin's garrison is mentioned in 1695, when soldiers were stationed there from Nov. 2, till the 6th of March, following. (N. H. Prov. Pap., 17 : 657.) Two soldiers at Durgin's gar- rison are mentioned Jan. 6, 1695-6. (Ibid, 2 : 175.) Wm. Durgin, accord- ing to tradition, lived near the mouth of the Great Bay, on the west side of the Mathes land. His sons certainly owned land afterwards in the vicinity of Crummit's creek. (See Mathews' Creek and Shooting Point.) The Landing-place "at Durgin's, off the west side of Mathews his neck," is mentioned Dec. 11, 1694. (Ibid, 2 : 146.)
1 This is the " Abraham Benwick " spoken of by Belknap as commanding a company of vol- unteers in 1724 to scout for the Indians. The name seems to have been generally written Ben- nick down to the Revolutionary period, when for some unknown reason it was changed to Bennet.
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
DAVID DAVIS'S GARRISON. This garrison was on the Lubberland shore. Two soldiers were stationed at " David Davis's garrison " Jan. 6, 1695-6. (N. H. Prov. Pap., 2 : 175.) And his account is given for board- ing soldiers from Nov. 2, 1695, till March 6, 1696. (Ibid, 17: 657.) The Rev. John Pike, in his Journal, says David Davis was killed by the Indians at Lubberland Aug. 27, 1696. Susanna, his widow, soon after married James Durgin, son of William. Jan. 23, 1699, "Susanna Dorging" was summoned to appear before Lieut. Gov. Partridge to show why she had not administered upon the estate of her late linsband, David Davis, and why Roger Rose, the principal creditor, should not admin- ister. What became of the garrison is not known with certainty, but it is supposed to have been acquired by John Smith, who bought land of Roger Rose and was living in this vicinity March 4, 1701-2. Some conn- tenance is given to this supposition by the record of the Rev. Hugh Adams, who, Jan. 30, 1722-3, bap- tised "two sons of Susanna Durgin, wife of James, at Lt. John Smith's at Loverland." This, of course, was at the so-called Smith garrison.
SMITH'S GARRISON. This well- known block house at Lubberland, not far from the mouth of Lamprey river, was, it is to be regretted, taken down a few years ago, and without any necessity, for its huge timbers were still sound, and it stood firmly on its base. Tradition says it was the David Davis garrison, men-
tioned in 1695. At any rate, it was no doubt the house mentioned March 4, 1701-2, when orders were given that Capt. Peter Coffin should send two scouting men from Exeter to Lamperill river, to the house of John Smith, and Capt. Woodman was ordered to send two from Oyster River to said Smith's, and so back. This was to be done daily till further orders. (N. H. Prov. Pap., 2 : 363.) The Rev. Hugh Adams speaks of " Lt. John Smith's at Loverland " Jan. 30, 1722-3. (See David Davis's Garrison.) Smith's garrison, at a later period, was sometimes called Frost's garrison, and Blydenburg's garrison, according to the occupant.
The following garrisons at Oyster River were no doubt erected in the first half of last century, or, at least, subsequent to 1694 :
" Philip Chesley's garrison," and " the late Capt. Chesley's garrison," are mentioned Sept. 29, 1707. (N. H. Prov. Pap., 2 : 567.) The latter was Capt. Samuel Chesley, an officer who took part in two expeditions to Port Royal. From the last of these he arrived at Portsmouth in the sloop Sarah and Hannah, Thursday, Aug. 28, 1707, and that same day pre- sented himself before the governor and council for further orders. Three weeks later (Sept. 17) he and his brother James, with six other young men, were slain by the In- dians, while lumbering in the forest, not far from Capt. Chesley's house.1 His widow Elisabeth was appointed administratrix of his estate, Aug. 3, 1708. Forty acres of his land, with
1 These Indians, supposed to have come from Port Royal, were pursued as far as Lake Win- nipesaukee (N. H. Prov. Pap., 2: 566.) The Rev. John Pike says the Indian who killed James Chesley was slain on the spot by Robert Thompson, (great-great grandfather of the present writer.)
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
a house and barn, were acquired by Capt. Samuel Emerson, Ap. 11, 1717, and confirmed to him in 1732 by Joseph, son of Capt. Chesley. This tract included the spot where Capt. Chesley and his companions were slain, now owned by Mr. E. T. Emerson. The other part of Capt. Chesley's homestead lands (33 acres), with his "new dwelling- house," was conveyed to Philip Chesley, July 30, 1719. It is uncer- tain which of the above houses was the garrison. It stood, however, eastward of the Huckins garrison, probably on Buck's hill.
Philip Chesley's garrison is said to have stood near the Chesley house, now in ruins, popularly called " Ben's fort," on the road from Durham village to Dover, perhaps on the same spot.
Another Chesley garrison stood immediately in front of the present school-house in Durham village. It was built by George Chesley, who acquired this land Oct. 16, 1699. According to the family tradition, he was killed by the Indians near the Durham Point meeting-house, on his way to Crummit's mill. The estate of a George Chesley was adminis- tered upon by his widow, Deliver- ance, and his brother Joseph, Sept. 5. 1710. Another George Chesley, as Belknap relates, was killed by the
Indians May 24, 1724, as he was returning from public worship with Elizabeth Burnham, who was mor- tally wounded at the same time.1 A romantic tradition declares them engaged to be married, and a poem is still extant bewailing the fate of the youthful lovers.
It is a pity to spoil so touching a romance, but the stern necessity of adhering to the truth compels the writer to say that if this was the George Chesley who built the garri- son, he must have been at that time forty-five years of age, at least. This may not lessen our pity for the vic- tims, but it certainly dispels the ro- mance. The inventory of his estate was made Aug. 27, 1724.2
Another Chesley garrison is said to have stood on the Lubberland shore, built by Joseph Chesley, who acquired land there as early as March 26, 1707. (See Chesley's Islands.)
A Davis garrison stood in the Packer's Falls district, the south side of Lamprey river, built by David Davis in the first half of last century. He was no doubt a son of the above David and Susanna. Here five gen- erations of the name of David Davis are said to have lived. This place is now owned by Mr. Ebenezer Davis, who has a son David. The garrison, now gone, stood on a gentle eminence
1 Elizabeth Burnham lived four days after she was wounded. The Rev. Hugh Adams bap- tized her May 27th, the evening before her death, "at her penitent request."
2 That the reader may not be entirely cheated out of his romance, it should be added that the above account has become entangled with a more authentic story of a young Chesley of last century, who was engaged to a Miss Randall, of Lee. They were returning from meeting together, when they were slain by the Indians on the Mast road. The rock on which the maiden fell is said to be stained with her blood to this day, but unfortunately it has been removed from its original position. This legendary rock is referred to in a ballad, published in the N. H. Republican of Dec. 30, 1823:
" Twice fifty summers' storms have beat Relentless on that sacred place;
As many summers' ardent heat;
But could not that red stream efface."
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
opposite the present house, on the other side of the highway.
A fourth Davis garrison, very small in size, is still standing, ad- joining the house of the late Deacon John Thompson, about a mile from Durham village. It was no doubt built by Jabez Davis, son of Moses, on land conveyed to him by his uncle, Sergeant Joseph Davis, Dec. 2, 1723. Like the other small garrisons, it must have depended chiefly on the defences set up around it.
The Mathews garrison, otherwise Mathes, stood at Durham Point, where is now the house of Mr. Mark Mathes. It was no doubt built by Capt. Fran- cis Mathes, who was living in that vicinity in 1712, when he bought the Adams land. (See Adams garrison.) Dec. 20, 1748, he conveyed to Valen- tine and Abraham Mathes, Jr., the homestead where he then lived, " be- ginning at John Biekford's orchard point, so the salt water is ye bounds to Joneses Point (Jonas' Point), and Oyster river, and sd point is on ye northerly side ; and sd point in ye possession of Bickford aforesaid ; westerly by land in possession of Caleb Wakeham ; south by a road that leads to Bickford's aforesaid and his field to ye Orchard Point, just mentioned, together with all build- ings," etc.
Second Falls Garrison. The Rev. Hugh Adams, of Oyster River, re- cords, Jan. 11, 1719-20, the baptism of James, the infant son of James Tilley, at " the Garrison House, sec- ond falls." He undoubtedly referred to the second falls in Lamprey river (see Packer's falls), which belonged to the Oyster River precinct, and at that time were usually called the
" second falls." There were at least two garrisons in this vicinity. One of them, called the Pendergast garri- son, is still standing, and now occu- pied by Mr. Scott. When or by whom it was built is uncertain, but it stood on land sold Oct. 9, 1735, by Eliphalet Coffin of Exeter to "Ste- phen Pendergrass." The deed speaks of it as a tract of eighty-four acres in Durham, adjoining Lamprey river, beginning at the river about twenty rods above " a run of water near ye land formerly called Mahermit's planting ground." A spring is men- tioned as just east of the lower bound, near the river.
The Tilleys do not appear to have owned any land in Durham. Men- tion is made, June 7, 1738, of Sam- uel Tille, collier, and Jane his wife, who conveyed a whole right of land in Canterbury to Stephen Pendergast. A Woodman garrison, probably built by Joshua Woodman, stood not far from Wiswall's mills, on the upper side of Lamprey river. (See Shad Falls.)
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