USA > New Hampshire > Strafford County > Dover > Landmarks in ancient Dover, New Hampshire > Part 3
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
Watson, who converted it into a grist- mill. At a later day it was used for other purposes, and was finally ac- quired by Mr. Augustus Richardson toward the middle of this century. A grist-mill now stands here, owned by the proprietors of Sawyer's mills.
The mill privilege on the opposite side of the river was leased for four- teen years to Nathaniel Watson, Jan. 15, 1830, by Stephen, Abijah, Mar- tha, and Anna Hanson. Watson's mill is mentioned Ap. 3, 1839, when Stephen and Abijah Hanson conveyed to Augustus Richardson a tract of six acres, beginning at the division of the roads to Lee, Dover, and the Bellamy district ; also another parcel of land, known as Watson's mill priv- ilege on said river, which tract was a square, measuring nine rods each way, beginning in the centre of said river, four rods below the dam, and thence running up the centre nine rods, and turning to the right, at right angles, and running nine rods, and so on, till the square was com- pleted, being all the land owned by the said Hanson, on the north side of the river, or between the river and the Lee road ; the saw-mill standing on the tract last described being ex- cepted from the sale. This was of course the mill leased to Watson.
The Great Falls Manufacturing Co. acquired control of the water power in the Bellamy district by various purchases in 1823-24. In a deed from Jesse Varney (who had obtained a part of the old Dudley privilege) to Isaac Wendell, agent of the above Company, Ap. 2, 1823, mention is made of the cotton factory at Bellamy. This was the Hanson factory, built by Zaccheus Hanson,
father of the above Stephen and Abi- jah, at a dam just below Dudley's falls, where the present saw-mill stands. It was bought and removed by Alfred I. Sawyer in 1832. The saw-mill here was erected some years later by Mr. Augustus Richardson, who acquired the whole water privi- lege at Bellamy by various deeds be- tween 1839 and 1850. He also had a grist-mill, and established other works.
Richardson's mills and privilege were acquired by Wm. Hale by dif- ferent conveyances. The final one seems to have been in 1867. A few years later he conveyed them to the proprietors of Sawyer's mills. There are still two dams here. At the up- per one, the old Dudley privilege, is a grist-mill on the south side of the river. At the lower dam, where the cotton factory once stood, is a saw- mill on the north side. The highway passes between these two mills.
The remaining falls in the Bellamy are below Libbey's bridge, now Saw- yer's bridge. They are three in num- ber. A grist-mill stood at the upper falls, near the bridge, before 1711, when the road from Lamprey river to Salmon Falls is mentioned as running past Field's garrison to " Capt. Ger- rish's grist-mill as ye way now goes to Cochecho." (N. H. Prov. Pap., 17 : 710.) It is again spoken of in 1735, as will be seen below. At the beginning of this century it was own- ed by Benjamin Libbey.' Libbey's mill and bridge are often mentioned in the Dover records. Enoch Libbey conveyed to Andrew Pierce, March 22, 1822, "a certain mill privilege and grist-mill owned and occupied by my late father Benjamin Libbey ; also
10.12.5
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
the whole right I have of erecting a dam on the southerly side of said river, on said privilege, and below the same," with the understanding that any overflow or damage done by erecting a dam below said privilege should be paid for. This purchase was made for the Great Falls Man. Co. The privilege here was leased to Alfred I. Sawyer in 1824. He gave notice July 27, 1824, that on the 1st of September following, he should "carry on the business of cloth- dressing at the place formerly known as Libbey's mills." He also ran the grist-mill, and a few years later es- tablished a flannel mill. He bought the rights of the Great Falls Man. Co. in 1845. After his death in 1849 the business was continued by his brothers. In 1858 they purchased the Moses mill at the lower falls, so named from C. C. P. Moses, who bought this privilege from the Great Falls Man. Co. in 1845, and built on the site of the Osborne foundry a paper-mill, which he converted into a flannel mill in 1855. From these two woollen mills have sprung up, through the able management of the Messrs. Sawyer, the present extensive mann- factories of fine cloths and suitings. Their company was incorporated in 1873. There are three dams at Saw- yer's mills. The lowest has a fall of 20 ft. and 80 horse power. This is at the head of tide water, to which point barges and small schooners can ascend Back river. The other two dams have a fall of 12 ft. and 50 horse power.
The earliest saw-mill on the Bella- my is supposed to have stood at the head of tide water. The falls here were granted to John Dam, Thomas
Layton, and Wm. Pomfrett the 23d, 8 mo., 1649, but were afterwards acquired by Thomas Beard, Wm. Follet, Thomas Layton, and Philip Lewis. Thomas Layton conveyed his quarter part of the saw-mill here to Richard Waldron, Ap. 8, 1653. Thomas Beard and wife Mary, con- veyed to Waldron his portion Dec. 6, 1654, together with "ye old planting ground commonly called Bellemies Bank;" Philip Lewis conveyed his quarter June 4, 1657 ; and Wm. Fol- let of Oyster River his part, Ap. 27, 1675. The entire mill and water privilege here, having been thus acquired by Major Waldron, he gave half of it as a marriage portion to his daughter Elizabeth, wife of John Gerrish, which gift he ratified by an indenture of Oct. 17, 1683, confirm- ing unto John Gerrish of Bellamy's Bank one half of said mills, together with a moiety of all housings, lands, tenements, meadows, marshes, pas- tures, gardens, woods, swamps, water courses, mills, dams, head weirs, ponds, fishing, fowling ways, profits, privileges, rights, commonages, he- reditaments, emoluments, and appur- tenances, to him, his heirs, and assigns forever.
John Gerrish afterwards acquired the whole privilege. Here stood the Gerrish mills of early times, near which was no doubt the Gerrish gar- rison. These mills and the privilege were inherited by his sons, Col. Tim- othy Gerrish of Kittery, and Col. Paul Gerrish of Dover, who, Oct. 28, 1735, made a division of the land and water privilege left them undi- vided by their honored father, John Gerrish, Esq. A line was drawn, beginning at a certain rock about
Sac Fronts P. 22
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
four rods from the southerly end of the bridge over Belleman's Bank river, on ye westerly side of the road yt leads over said bridge to Durham, thence running W. S. W. 64 rods to another marked rock, then S. S. W. 148 rods to a beech tree. It was agreed that all the land on the easterly side of the above line should belong to said Timothy, and that on the westerly side to said Paul. It was moreover agreed that " the privilege of ye falls where the gristmill now stands upon Belleman's Bank river shall remain in partnership within ye compass of sª Timothy's land down to the flow- ing of the tide, and yt ye Great Falls in ye sª river, above ye sª gristmill Pond, lying within ye compass of sª Paul Gerrish's land shall remain to said Paul's own use."
Andrew Gerrish, Dec. 1, 1753, con- veyed to Mr. Jonathan Cushing, clerk, ten acres on the east side of Back river, a little below the lower- most falls, where he then had a saw- mill standing, beginning at the river, by the highway that leads across said river below the aforesaid sawmill, thence running down the river 55 rods to Capt. John Winget's land, then E. S. E. by said Winget's land to the road that leads from Dover Neck to Cochechio, etc.
BELLAMY BANK POND. This name is given to Barbadoes pond June 23, 1701, in a grant of land to Edward Evans. (See Ash Swamp.)
BELLAMY HOOK. This Hook is in Madbury. It is a deep bend in the Bellamy river at the mouth of the Mallego. (See Demerit's Mill.)
BENNET'S CROSSING. This crossing is on the Boston and Maine R. R., between the Durham and Newmarket
stations. It is so called from John and Eleazar Bennet, owners of the adjacent land, and descendants of Abraham Bennick of Lubberland. (See Goddard's Garrison.)
BETEL'S POINT, otherwise BEETLE'S. This name is given to Ragg's Pt., on the Newington shore of the Long Reach, March 15, 1731-2, when James Rawlins and " Rebeck," his mother, and Deborah, his wife, con- veyed to Josiah Downing a tract of land by ye main river at a certain Point conimonly called or known by ye name of Beetle's Point or Ragg's Point, between ye land of Capt. John Downing and ye land of Samuel Raw- lings, being the whole breadth of James Rawlins' land fronting on the salt water, running up from ye water side into the land of said James, and carrying the whole breadth upward until three acres be accomplished. When this land was conveyed to Jonathan Battishall by Josiah Down- ing, June 25, 1737, the line began "at the main river at Betel's Point or Ragg's Point."
Joshua Downing conveyed to Na- thaniel Mendum of Portsmouth, June 12, 1744, a tract of 50 acres in New- ington, bounded easterly by the Pas- cataqua river, southerly by ye lands of Jona Batteshall and Sam1 Rowlings, decd, westerly by ye road yt leads to Bloody Point, and northerly by the land of Richard Downing.
Capt. Thos Tibbetts of Dover (aged 88 years) testified about 1750 that ever since his remembrance the Point of land where Jonathan Battishal's dwelling-house then stood in Newing- ton was commonly called and known by the name of Jeffry Ragg's Point. (N. H. Town Papers, XII : 715.)
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
Betel's point was on the shore of the Rollins land, just below Patter- son's lane. The name is apparently a contraction of Battishall. (See Ragg's Point.)
BICKFORD'S POINT. Mention is made of " the poynt whearon John Bickford now dweleth," the 7th, 4 mo., 1675. The road from Oyster river falls to Bickford's Poynt is mentioned in a grant to Nicholas ffollett, laid out Ap. 11, 1694. This road is spoken of in a deed from John Downing to Benjamin Mathes, Sept. 7, 1738, as "ye highway yt leads from ye falls to ye ferry called Bickford's Ferry." The Durham rec- ords, Aug. 15, 1754, mention " the highway from Bickford's point to Durham falls."
Bickford's Point was on the shore of Little Bay, near the mouth of Oys- ter river, where the Bickford garrison once stood. It is now owned by Jer- emiah Langley, Esq.
BIG RIVER. The people of South Lee sometimes give this name to the neighboring part of Lamprey river, no doubt to distinguish it from Little river, which in some old deeds is called " Lamprey little river."
BIRCH POINT. A point of this name, on the shore of Goddard's creek, is mentioned June 15, 1734, when Abraham Bennick of Durham conveyed to Joseph Chesley and Elea- zar Bennick "twenty acres in that part of Durham called Lubberland, adjacent to the Lubberland Marshes, beginning at a red oak by ye side of ye marsh over against Burch Point, near where ye fence now stands, and runs N. N. E. over ye old Shop Hill, strait over a large flat rock marked J. E. until it comes to ye path used
to go from Lubberland to ye lower falls, which is near four rods over said rock, from thence to run strait to ye old garrison seller [no doubt the cellar of the Goddard garrison] near E. S. E .- thence strait to a great rock marked J. E. which stands by ye path wh goes to ye landing place. thence to Perkins his salt marsh," and thence to the first bound. This Birch Point is mentioned twice in a deed of Ap. 19, 1745, from Nathaniel Doe to Ralph Cross. (See Doe's Neck.)
Another BIRCH POINT is on the Newington shore of the Pascataqua river, below Bloody Point. (See Pine Point.)
BLACK HALL. Mentioned in the Durham records, July 2, 1740, when a highway was laid out, beginning at a pitch-pine tree standing near the mast way on the south side of the spruce swamp (on Lee Hill), and then running along the old way till it comes to the way that goes to Black- hall, then along that way to the head of the town. Blackhall is near the head of Marston's mill-pond, in Not- tingham, and perhaps was so named in contradistinction to Whitehall in Rochester, to which a road led at the other side of ancient Dover.
BLACKSNAKE HILL. This hill is in Durham, on the north side of " Oys- ter River freshet," between the Mast road and the B. & M. railroad. It is a part of the farm of the late Ben- jamin Thompson.
BLACKWATER BROOK and MARSH. Blackwater brook rises in the south- ern part of Rochester, flows through the north-western part of Somers- worth into Dover, and empties into the river Cochecho above Hussey's falls. There have been two saw-mills
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
on this brook in the course of the present century. The first one was owned and operated by Isaac Twom- bly, and the other by his son Allen, but neither of them is now standing.
Blackwater bridge, otherwise called Mast bridge because on the Mast road to Whitehall, is mentioned June 23, 1701, in a grant of 30 acres to Tris- tram Heard. That same day Paul Wentworth had a grant of 15 acres of marsh " on the west side of black water marsh." A petition was made to the town of Dover, May 3, 1739, for a road to be laid out " from Scat- terwitt, so called, through Black water woods near Long hill to the Rochester line." Blackwater, as a locality, is often mentioned in the early records, and this name is still given to one of the school districts in Dover.
BLIND WILL'S NECK. This is a point of land in the south-west part of Rochester, near the Dover line, formed by the junction of the Coche- cho and Isinglass rivers. It was here that a friendly Indian sagamore named Blind Will was killed in March, 1677, having been sent with a scout- ing-party by Major Waldron to watch the movements of some hostile In- dians, who fell suddenly upon the party and killed the greater part. This neck is mentioned March 17, 1736, when Samuel Tibbets conveyed to his son Ichabod a part of his second division in Rochester, "at a place called Blind Will's Neck, lying on ye S. W. of a marsh commonly called Long marsh." And again Dec. 3, 1745, when Jonathan Young of Dover conveyed to his son Jona- than a tract of land " at Blind Will's Neck, at or near two marshes called
Long marsh and Great Marsh." Hum- phrey Hanson conveyed to his brother Ephraim, Oct. 8, 1765, "three acres at Blind Will's Neck, so called, in Rochester, on ye very S. E. point of said Neck, nearly opposite the mouth of Blackwater brook, joining partly to the Isinglass portion of the river, and partly to the Squommono- gonnock branch," being the land he purchased of John Smith Ap. 27, 1739.
BLOODSUCKER'S POND. (See Par- sonage Pond.)
BLOODY CORNER. This name has long been given by the popular voice to the corner at the intersection of Washington, Green, and Orange streets, in Great Falls village.
BLOODY POINT. This name was given as early as 1633 to a neck of land between the Long Reach and the western branch of the Pascataqua river, which for eighty years formed part of ancient Dover. The lower bound of this neck originally extended from Canney or Kenney's creek, on the shore of the Long Reach, to Hog- sty Cove at the mouth of the Great Bay. Nearly a year after Bloody Point was made a separate parish, its name was changed to Newington by Gov. Joseph Dudley. This was done May 12, 1714. (N. H. Prov. Pap., 3:562.)
The story generally related to ac- count for the name of Bloody Point seems ridiculously inadequate to an appellation of such tragical import. But the real history, too long to be given here, is not of a mere blood- less encounter between Neale and Wiggin in 1632, but of a far more serious contest about rival patents, that involved the title to all the lands along the Pascataqua. Capt. Wiggin,
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
from the first, was devoted to the in- terests of Massachusetts Bay, which sought control over New Hampshire. Capt. Neale, who was Mason's attor- ney, was strongly opposed to the pretensions of Massachusetts. Their conflict, therefore, was not wholly personal, but represented the strife of contending parties. The Bloody Point region was a kind of debatable ground-a border land between Straw- berry Bank and Hilton's Point, along whose pleasant shores the members of both factions were disposed to lay out lands for themselves ; and their alarm, their sanguinary mood, and their resolution to defend their claims, are all embodied in the name they gave this point as a perpetual defiance to those who would dispossess them-a name far better suited to their temper of mind than to the actual encounter between Walter Neale and Thomas Wiggin.
The Indian massacre, to which some writers ascribe the name of Bloody Point, from a popular tradi- tion in Newington, if it ever took place at all, must have occurred too long after this name had been given it to be worthy of any consideration.
The early settlers at Bloody Point gave this name, in a restricted sense, to the projection directly opposite Hilton's Point, now the Newington terminus of the bridge across the Pascataqua from Dover Point. A little to the west is the old landing- place of Knight's ferry. This ferry is often called Bloody Point ferry in the early records. It is mentioned in the Diary of John Adams, after- wards President of the United States, who gives an account of a visit to his uncle, the Rev. Joseph Adams of
Newington, June 30, 1770. He says that after " a cheerful and agreeable dinner," he " then set off for York over Bloody Point ferry, and arrived at Woodbridge's half an hour after sun- set."
In connection with Bloody Point and Dover (once called Northam) it might be mentioned that a place near the village of Northam, Eng., has for centuries been known by the name of the Bloody Corner, from a fight with the Danes which occurred there in the reign of King Alfred.
BLOODY POINT PLAINS. Mentioned Dec. 19, 1685. (See Pitch Pine Plains.)
BOILING ROCK. This ancient bound is in the Pascataqua river, off the Eliot shore, above the Narrows. It is mentioned May 26, 1656, when the division of the Squamscot Patent was made-the first division of which comprised " all the land from Bloody Point unto the boyling Rock for breadth." President Cutt, in his will of 1680, speaks of his thirteen acres at Boyling Rock, bought of Jaffrey Currier.
BOOM. The Rev. John Pike, in his journal, speaks of Mr. Waldron's " coming over the Boom" April 28, 1704. This boom was a floating bridge on the Cochecho river, " by Col. Waldron's, above the falls." It was made of three or four pieces of hewn timber laid side by side, wide enough for horses and cattle to pass over in file ; but teams were obliged to ford the river below the falls. (See N. H. Town Pap., XI : 540.) The falls here referred to are in Dover city.
There was a boom across Lamprey river in early times, as well as on the
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
Cochecho. Dec. 15, 1712, the town of Dover voted to give twenty-five pounds " for building a boom over Lampereel river." A tract of twenty- five acres adjoining this part of the river then belonged to Philip Chesley, who sold it to Joseph Duda, reserv- ing for himself four rods for a high- way from ye country boom over Lam- per river on the north side, down to the mill, and one fourth of an acre adjoining said mill, for landing logs. Before this boom was built, there was a ferry across the river. In 1671 Philip Crommet was licensed to keep a ferry across Lamprey river, at the rate of two pence for each person, and six pence for man and horse.
There seem to have been two booms, at least, on the Newichawan- nock. "The upper boom " there, is mentioned Aug. 9, 1731, as 60 rods north of Anthony's brook. Robert and Judith Cole, Sept. 28, 1731, con- veyed to Thomas Wallingford 8 acres of land, beginning at the pier of the upper Boom, about half a mile above ye upper Salmon Falls mills, and thence extending up the river.
BRANDY ROCK. Mentioned in 1709, when a number of the inhabitants " living within the bounds of Quam- scott patent " (the part now called Stratham), but " never yet been joined to any town," petitioned the Governor and Council for the charter of a township, " beginning at a rock called Brandy Rock, near Sandy Point, and to run up to the River by the month of a creek called Wheel- wright's creek," etc. (N. H. Prov. Pap., 3 : 405-6.)
Brandy Rock is one of the bounds between Greenland and Stratham. It is a few rods above the Stratham railway-station, at the side of the road leading from the station to the main road to Exeter.
BRANSON'S CREEK. Mentioned the 10th, 8 mo., 1653, when Wm. Drew had a grant of 60 acres of upland on the north side of Branson's creek, join- ing his marsh next Thomas Willie's land. He afterwards assigned this land to his son, Francis Drew.
Charles Adams had a neck of land granted him in 1656, on the south side of Branson's creek, bounded from the western branch upon a south line to the Great Bay. This land was conveyed to Joseph Kent Feb. 15, 1711-12, by Henry Nock and his wife Sarah, daughter of Charles Ad- ams. Jonas Bine had an "out lot " in 1654, on the S. W. side of Bran- son's Creek, next Charles Adams' lot, and joining George Webb's,1 right over against a place called the hay stack. He sold this land to John Bickford and John Hill in 1668. It is called " Brand's Krick," Oct. 9, 1691, when Francis Drew conveyed to Thomas Drew all his right to 60 acres belonging to the estate of his father, Wm. Drew, late of Dover, de- ceased.
The name of this creek was derived from Geo. Branson, whose name is on the Dover rate-list of 1648. He died before July 2, 1657, on which day certain jurymen were appointed, under oath, to inquire into the cause of his death. John Alte, who seems to have been the foreman, testified
1 George Smythe, administrator of the estate of Geo. Web, deceased, conveyed to Oliver Kente in 1651, " a messuage or tenement in Oyster River plantation, formerly in the possession of sd Geo. Web, but then in the tenure of sd Oliver Kent, containing by estimation one acre and a half."
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
" that Branson went well out of his house, and he (Alte) went after him, and found Branson lying on the ground, crying that the bull had killed him, with one wound up to- wards his shoulders, and another against the small of his back, with his members all brook." (County Records, Exeter.)
John Alt and Richard York were appointed administrators of Bran- son's estate July 2, 1657. Branson's creek is on the Durham shore of the Great Bay, and is now known as Crummit's creek. (See Long Creek.)
BREAKNECK HILL. This hill is south of Cole's pond in Somersworth, on the road from Rocky Hills to Great Falls, after it crosses Tate's brook. It is a mass of round cobble- stones dangerous for teams, and was so named, it is said, because an ox once fell. in descending it with a load, and broke his neck.
BRISTOL. This name was given to the settlement at Hilton's Point as early as 1633, and is mentioned on an old map of 1634. It was derived from the town of Bristol, England, whence came the first pioneers of New Hampshire. The explorers of the Pascataqua nnder Martin Pring in June, 1603, were sent over by the enterprising merchants of Bristol. The Hilton Point settlement of 1623 was also under their patronage. And they formed the greater part of the Plymouth Company, from whom Ed- ward Hilton obtained his patent of 1630, one of the promoters of which was Sir Ferdinando Gorges, who had a house at Bristol. " The Bristol men's plantation in Piscataqua " is
| mentioned March 25, 1633, in a letter from Edward Howes of London to Gov. John Winthrop of Massachu- setts.
The situation of Dover Point and Neck is not unlike that of Bristol, Eng., which stands on the ridge of a peninsula between the Avon and the Frome, and connected with the rest of Gloucestershire by a neck of land.
BROAD COVE. This cove is on the Newington shore, between Fox Point and Stephen's Point, now Bean's. " Broad Cove below foxe poynt " is mentioned in 1659, when a grant of land to Henry Langstar was laid out. (See Dumpling Cove.) And again Oct. 27, 1701, when the town voted there should be " a highway from Mr. Harrison's to broad cove freshett, and so to the highway from bloody poynt Road to Stephen's poynt, or broad Cove, where it should be thought most fitt." (See Stephen's Point.) John Crockett conveyed to John Downing, July 6, 1719, house and land, on the road from Newing- ington meeting-house to Broad Cove, ye house standing on the left-hand side of the road as you go to the water side at Broad Cove; with an- other tract on the right-hand side of the road, joining said Downing's land at the north, and that of John and Richard Carter at the east or north- east, being part of the estate of his father, Joshua Crockett, deceased.1
Another BROAD COVE is on the Lubberland shore of Great Bay, ad- jacent to the Smith lands. (See Red Rock.) It is mentioned Dec. 9, 1679, when John Alt's grant of 80 acres in the Great Bay was laid out, beginning
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