USA > New Hampshire > Strafford County > Dover > Landmarks in ancient Dover, New Hampshire > Part 32
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Trickey's cove is on the Newing- ton shore, between Knight's Ferry and Trickey's Point, otherwise Zaek- ey's. It received its name from Thomas Trickey whose uame is on the Dover rate-list of 1648. He died before June 16, 1680, on which day his widow Elizabeth, " out of natural affection, and parental love, and re- spect to her beloved son Zachariah," resigned to him all right, title, and interest in her plantation, and to the ferry belonging to said plantation. This was Trickey's ferry, afterwards Knight's. And May 19, 1682, his three daughters, Deborah, Lydia, and Sarah, with the consent of their hus- bands, William Shackford, Richard Webber, and Joshua Crocket, con- veyed to their brother, Zachariah
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Trickey, all right and title to their father's plantation, on which he lived before his decease.
TRICKEY'S POINT. This point is on the Newington shore, at the upper side of Trickey's Cove. It is men- tioned Ap. 7, 1713, when Zachary Trickey sold to Samuel and John Shackford 33 acres of land at a point commonly called Trickey's point, between Bloody Pt. and Stephen's Pt., together with his dwelling-house, etc. The cellar of this house can still be traced. This point is now owned by Mr. Valentine M. Coleman, who inherited it from his father. It is otherwise called Zackey's Point and Orchard Point. (See Zackey's Point.)
TROUT BROOK. This name is now sometimes given to a brook in New- ington that take its rise at a spring near Sam Roe's Hill and empties into Laighton's cove. It was in early times called Harwood's creek, Stony brook, etc. (See Herod's Creek. )
TRUMBELOW SWAMP, otherwise THOMBELOW. This swamp was appar- ently at the east end of Cochecho Log swamp, not far from Plum Pudding hill. It is mentioned Jan. 1, 1668, when Peter Coffin conveyed to John Church one fourth of 75 acres, bounded E. by Thomas Downs, and W. by a swamp called Thombelow. James Coffin's land lay east of this " fourth," and Nathaniel Stevens's at the west. Peter Coffin " of Cochecha in the township of Dover, in ye county of Dover and Ports- mouth," conveyed to Nathaniel Stevens, Ap. 1, 1673, "a quarter part of a tract of land near Cochecha, bounded on ye north by the highway yt goeth from Muchadoe to plumpud-
ding hill, and on ye east by land now in possession of Thomas Downs, and so upon a straight line from ye rock 126 perches towards ye swamp called Trumbelow." This land is otherwise stated to be bounded east by the land of John Church. Nathaniel Stevens of Stratham (son of the above Nathaniel), and others of the family in Exeter, conveyed to David Wat- son, March 21, 1716-17, two tracts of land in Dover-one between the land of James Coffin and that of Tristram Coffin, deceased (see Plum Pudding Hill) ; the other between the lands of John Church and Mark Giles. A part of this land was conveyed by David Watson to Ebenezer Varney, March 30, 1724, 80 ft. long and 40 ft. broad, " beginning near an apple tree standing where old Thomas Downs formerly had a house," thence running 80 ft. " by ye road yt leads from Tolend." (See Quaker Meeting- Houses).
The Giles land, above referred to, is mentioned Ap. 1, 1673, when " Peter Coffin of Cochecha in ye town- ship of Dover, in ye countie of Dover & Portsmº.," conveyed to Mark Giles six acres of land " neere Cochecha, where ye now dwelling house of ye sd Mark Giles now, standeth, being com only called or known by ye name of plumpudding hill, being bounded on ye north by ye Great Mast way going to ye swamp, (see Mast Paths) and on ye east by ve land of sd peter Coffin fortie five pearch, and on ye south by ye land of ye sd peter Coffin fortie three pearch, the wh six acres of land being Moity & pte of a tract of land which was granted & Laid out to me ye sd peter Coffin by a Town Grant, for and in consider-
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acion of what charge I have been out unto John church concerning the child of Naomi Hull, as by the record bearing date ye fifth of March in ye yeare 1667."
The pathetic story of Naomi Hull and her child is akin to that of Haw- thorne's "Scarlet Letter." 1 She is said to have been the daughter of the Rev. Joseph Hull, minister at Oyster River in 1662, and afterwards at the Shoals, where he died in 1665. A year or more later, Naomi, perhaps with the hope of concealing her mis- fortune, seems to have taken refuge with one of her father's old flock at Oyster River. But it had been or- dered in 1666 that no person should admit or entertain any inmate, or sojourner, or servant, in his house without giving notice to the select- men within thirty days, under penal- ty of nineteen shillings. Accordingly, at a public town meeting of the 14th, 7 mo., 1668, it was ordered by the selectmen that forthwith the consta- ble (John Dam) should take of Will- iam Williams, Senior, by way of distress, the sum of nineteen shillings for a fine, for a breach of the town order for entertaining Naomie Hull. Overwhelmed by the cruel laws of that time, it is not surprising that Naomi did not long survive the birth
of her daughter. The town, how- ever, was merciful enough to provide for the child. Besides the above mentioned grant to Peter Coffin, it voted, Oct. 3, 1667, to give John Church 60 acres of land, confirmed March 5, 1667-8, with the promise to make it 70 acres, if he would take " Neamy's child," and keep her hence- forward until she be 20 years old. John Church is said to have lived where the old jail on Silver St. was. He was killed by the Indians May 7, 1696. What became of "Neamy's child " does not appear.
TRUNNEL COUNTRY. Mentioned June 23, 1701, when Maturin Ricker had a grant of 30 acres " up in the Trunnill Contrey." It was laid out to his son Joseph Dec. 4, 1721, " at a place called the Trunnill countrey- on the east side of a way that leads from Quamphegan to goldins bridge." Joseph Ricker of Berwick, May 10, 1754, conveyed to Meturin Ricker of " Summersworth," 30 acres of land laid out to said Joseph Dec. 4, 1721, " which land lyeth at a place called ye Trunnal country," beginning at a white oak on the east side of the way that leads from Quamphegan to Gold- ing's bridge. The Trunnel country seems to have been the marshy region in the western part of old Somers-
1A law similar to that in Massachusetts for such infractions of the moral code, was promul- gated in New Hampshire after its separation from that colony, and was still unrepealed at the time of the Revolution. An act was passed by the General Assembly at Portsmouth, N. H., in the June session, 1701, that the persons convicted of such an offence "shall be set upon the gallows by the space of an hour, with a rope about their necks, and the other end cast over the gal- lows; and in the way from thence to the common goal shall be severely whipped, not exceed- ing forty stripes each. Also every person and persons, so offending, shall forever after wear a capital letter A of two inches long, and proportionable in bigness, cut out in cloth of a con- trary colour to their cloaths, and sewed upon their upper garments on the outside of their arm, or on their back, in open view. And if any person or persons, having been convicted and sen- tenced for such offence, shall at any time be found without their letter so worn during their abode in this province, they shall, by warrant from a Justice of the peace, be forthwith appre- hended, and ordered to be publickly whipped not exceeding fifteen stripes, and so from time to time toties quoties." (From Acts and Laws of N. H., printed in Portsmouth in 1771.)
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worth, but the name has not been perpetuated.
TUFTS' BOUNDARY. When the line between Durham and Lee was per- ambulated March 21, 1798, one of the bounds was "a rock marked D. L. in Thomas Turf's pasture, about six rods north easterly from the hook road, said rock being a little east of the line." ( Durham Records) . The Tufts family of this vicinity has acquired an unenviable notoriety from the exploits of Henry Tufts (or " Turf," as the name was generally called in his day), which have made him proverbially infamous throughout New Hampshire. Within the writer's recollection it was common, by way of expressing superlative wickedness, to say " as big a liar (or thief, etc., etc., as the case might be) as old Hen Turf." The bucolic imagination of this region could take no farther flight in the line of total depravity. The utility of perpetuating the mem- ory of so shameless a man may be doubted, but fresh interest in his career within a few years has been excited in this section by Col. T. W. Higginson's "New England Vaga- bond," in Harper's Magazine of March, 1888. He considers Henry Tufts' autobiography to be of some historic and philological value, but others say it contains nothing of the kind which may not be found in less pernicious books. This work is said to have been written by a clever young lawyer of Dover, for Henry Tufts himself-in spite of what Col. Higginson calls the "Brahmin blood," derived from his grandfather, the Harvard divine-was too illiterate to write his own name correctly. Some say, however, it was composed by
Col. Thomas Tash, who in Tufts' early life did not live far distant. But that brave Revolutionary officer was far better qualified to handle the sword than the pen. The details of this work have never been supposed strictly true, but they undoubtedly present a faithful likeness of this de- praved man. The waggery attending some of his most audacious perform- ances unfortunately gave a debasing popularity among the vulgar, not only to the book itself, but to count- less other tales which are still in cir- culation in this part of the state. But some people have a taste for nastiness, as the Zulus have for Ubomi-that is, for carrion with worms in it, a Ubominable mess in- deed, as Henry Tufts' narrative is said to be.
The cellar of the house where Henry Tufts once lived is still to be traced, not far from the above mentioned bound, on land now owned by Mr. James McDaniel, only a few rods southerly from Mr. Bert Thompson's house, on the same side of the road. The name of "Hanary Tufts" is signed to a petition for the separa- tion of Lee from Durham, Nov. 18, 1765. (N. H. Town Pap., XI : 587.) " Henry Tufts " is mentioned as a private soldier on Seavey's Island in Portsmouth harbor, Nov. 5, 1775, in Capt. Smith Emerson's Company ; Elijah Denbow, first lieutenant. (Prov Pap., 14 : 233.)
TURNING POINT. Mentioned the 30th, 10 mo., 1643, when Wm. Fur- ber had a grant of six acres of Marsh "upon ye Great Bay, upon ye south- west side going to Capt. Champer- noone's, ye next marsh to Turney Point." (Dover Records.) Fifteen
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
acres were laid out to Capt. James Pendleton at Greenland, Jan., 1667, one side joining to Dover bounds, next the land of Wm. Furber. Leon- ard Weeks of Greenland, planter, conveyed to his well-beloved son Joshua, Ap. 23, 1706, thirty acres of land adjoining a place called Turn- ing Poynte, with six acres of marsh adjoining, on the west side of Wm. Furber's. Wm. Furber, Sr., of Do- ver, out of paternal love and affec- tion to his well-beloved son Moses Furber of Portsmonth, conveyed to him, Dec. 1, 1696, six acres of marsh on the "S. W. side of ye great bay in Piscataqua river, within ye township of Dover," bounded north by a marsh in the tenure of Wm. Shackford, and on the sonth by "the creek which goes up to the land where Lnke Maloone now dwelleth." Also 30 acres of upland adjoining said marsh, and of the same breadth, running up into the woods till 30 acres be completed. After the death of Moses Furber, Thomas Phipps, the high sheriff of N. H., levied a portion of his estate for debt, and sold to Joshua Weeks, Aug. 17, 1711, six acres of his marsh on the S. side of Great Bay, within the township of Dorer, bounded on the north by a marsh in the tenure of said Joshua Weeks, and on the 'sonth by " the creek that goes up to the land where Luke Maloon for- merly dwelt and now dwelleth : also 30 acres of upland adjoining said marsh on the west side, beginning at the marsh of said Joshna Weeks, formerly Shackford's, and running 50 rods S. W. to a red oak on the S. side of the creek at the head of the marsh, then S. W. and S. 11 rods to a rock by the creek or freshet on the
south side. The name of Turning Pt. has not been perpetuated, but it was evidently on the shore of the Weeks lands in Greenland.
Another TURNING POINT, between Broad Cove and Dumpling Cove, is mentioned in 1659 (see Dumpling Core) and again Feb. 27, 1718-19, when Eleazar Coleman mortgaged 200 acres of land whereon he then dwelt, beginning at the month of the creek in Broad Cove and extending to a marked tree at John Trickey's, where he lived, thence to a rock a little below turning poynt, and so up the bay to Dumpling Cove. This point seems to have been just above Fox Pt., and perhaps marked the turning of the tide.
TURNPIKE-ROAD. The. First New Hampshire Turnpike-Road properly belongs to this list, as one of its ter- mini was in Durham, at Pascataqua bridge. It was the first turnpike- road incorporated in this state. The act was passed June 16, 1796. Na- thaniel A. Haven of Portsmouth is- sued proposals for its construction Oct. 3, 1800, and the work proceeded rapidly from that time. This road is thirty six miles long, and extends through Durham, Lee, the Two Mile Streak, Nottingham, North- wood, Epsom, and Chichester, to the Concord upper bridge over the Merri- mack. It cost about $900, a mile.
The directors of the First N. H. Turnpike-Road gave notice in the Portsmouth Oracle and Advertiser of March 19, 1803, that they had ex- pended on said road the sums re- quired by law, and would set up the gates and begin to take toll on said road the first day of April following. The toll-gate at Pascataqua bridge
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
did not, of course, belong to the turn- ! pike-road. The first one was just above the bridge across Johnson's creek. The second was a little below Durham corner. The town of Dur- ham, unwilling to endure such an ob- struction to travel, took measures to remove these two gates in 1817. The third gate was at the Mast-road crossing, opposite the present school- house. It is spoken of March 29, 1827, as " Toll-gate No. 2," proba- bly meaning the second from that at Pascataqua bridge. There was no other within the limits of Durham. The only toll-gate in Lee was at the bridge across Oyster river, in Newtown.
TURTLE POND. This pond is in Lee, not far behind the mansion of Mr. . Charles Thompson, between Oyster river and Wheelwright's pond. A record of 1735 speaks of it as near the highway that leads from ye Mast road to Newtown mill. According to a local tradition the battle of Wheelwright's pond began at Turtle pond. It is often mentioned in the early grants and deeds. Ensign John Davis of Oyster River, in his will of May 25, 1686, makes the following bequest : " I do give to my son John Davis the six score acres of land I had by a town grant, situate and lying and being at Turtle Pond in Oyster River." This John Davis, Jr., was killed by the Indians July 18, 1694, together with his wife and several children. Ilis house was also burnt, and two daughters were carried into captivity. One of these, according to a constant tradition in
Durham, became a nun in Canada and never returned. The other must have been the Sarah who inherited her father's land at Turtle pond, and also his homestead on the south side of Oyster river, between the Burnham lands and Durham falls, now owned in part by Mr. Ffrost. Oct. 16, 1702, Jeremiah Burnham was appointed administrator of the estate of John Davis, late of Oyster River, and guar- dian of his daughter Sarah Davis.
Sarah Davis became the wife of Peter Mason, and seems to have re- sided at her own homestead. Feb. 18, 1726-7, Peter Mason sold James Stevens, inn-keeper, thirty acres of land granted by the town of Dover, April 11, 1694, to John Davis, who, he says in the deed, was " ye father of my wife Sarah Mason, formerly Sarah Davis." Her mother appears to have been the sister of Jeremiah Burnham, her guardian. Peter and Sarah Mason, July 1, 1728, resigned in favor of Joseph Smith, all right, title, and interest in the estate of their. grandfather Robert Burnham, espe- cially the hundred aere grant from the town of Dover not yet laid out. The " six score acres " at Turtle Pond which her father inherited is spoken of March 24, 1719-20, as laid out to Ensign John Davis " above forty years agoe." On that day one half of said tract (60 acres) was laid out to Peter Mason. This was afterwards conveyed by Peter and Sarah Mason, Ap. 29, 1736, to their loving son-in-law, William Randall' and his wife Hannah, their
1 Wi liam Randall was the brother of Capt. Nathaniel Randall of Randall's Garrison. He is mentioned Jan. 21, 1712-13, when Richard Tozer, Jr., out of " natural love and affection," gave each of his nephews, Richard and; William Randall, five acres of land in Kittery; and that same day their father gave each of them thirty acres more of a neighboring tract. This was the Richard Tozer who married Elizabeth, daughter of Elder William Wentworth, noted for her heroism in the various Indian attacks at Salmon Falls. She was thrice taken captive and car- ried to Canada.
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
daughter. This land lay on the south side of Turtle Pond. The other half of the six score acres was conveyed by Peter Mason to John Sias, to whom it was laid out, March 24, 1719-20, on both sides of Turtle pond, beginning on the north side of the Mast path, at a pitch pine, " a littel above Naptheli Kinck- et's." This was Napthali Kincaid, son of David, who then lived at Camsoe.
Sarah Mason was a widow April 6, 1747, when she conveyed to Benja- min Bickford all her right to thirty acres on the west side of the way to Little river. She seems to have in- herited the Davis longevity, for she was still alive Sept. 26, 1771, when she sold John ( afterwards General ) Sullivan thirty acres of her home- stead on the south side of the high- way from the parsonage house to Durham Point.
TUTTLE'S MARSH. This marsh formed part of a grant to John Tuttle on the east side of Fresh creek, after- wards sold by his grandson Thomas Tuttle to Thomas Wallingford and others. A plan of Tuttle's marsh in 1767, is to be found in the Exeter registry, Vol. 94 : p. 7.
TWOMBLEY'S BROOK. This is a popular trout stream in Rollinsford that winds down from the hills of Somersworth and empties into the east side of Fresh Creek brook, now Rollins brook. A dam was built and a mill erected on Twombley's brook last century, below the mouth of Warren's brook, which it receives a little below the Boston and Maine R. R. The upper part of Twom- bley's brook-that is, the part above
the road from Salmon Falls to Dover-is called Clement's brook. Joseph Twombley conveyed to his brother Benjamin, May 28, 1725, three score acres of upland and swamp in Dover-half of a grant of six score acres to Ralph Twombley, beginning at a white ash on ye land of Mr. Clement, thence running S. S. E. 128 rods to ye road at Otis's bridge, to a tree on ye west side of ye road yt leads from Co- checho to Salmon Falls. The other half was bought by Gershom Went- worth.
Another TWOMBLEY BROOK rises southeast of Garrison Hill, flows through Benj" Wentworth's land, then across the Portland turnpike road westward of his house, through the Guppy land and Round Swamp, crosses the road from the Gulf to Eliot bridge, runs through Mr. Henry MeDuffee's land, and finally empties into the Cochecho. (See Round Swamp.)
Two-MILE ROAD, and Two-MILE STREAK. The Two-Mile road, men- tioned in the Durham records of last century, is an old thoroughfare in Lee that extends to and across the The Two-Mile Streak. This streak was a slip of land two miles wide at the head of ancient Dover, granted in 1719, and confirmed in 1722, to the proprietors of the iron works at Lamprey river " for their encouragement," and to supply them with fuel. Though really a part of Barrington, it is marked out on Holland's map of 1784 as a separate territory. About 1,000 acres in the western part of the Two- Mile Streak, adjoining Nottingham and the head line of Dover, were laid
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ont in small lots of fifty acres and upwards, 15 of which were granted as early as Oct. 23, 1729. Among them, two lots, of 50 and 120 acres, were granted to Wm. McDonald, and another of 75 acres to Robert Mc- Donald. This land is still owned by their descendants, whose ancient Scotch name has been corrupted to McDaniel. Two other lots of 50 and 75 acres, granted to John Ellis, are still owned wholly or in part, by his descendants, who write their name Ellison. In 1747 there were sixteen families and two garrisons on this Streak. The greater part of it seems to have been monopolized by the leading men of Portsmouth. George Jaffrey owned at least 900 acres. March 10, 1748, John Hayes conveyed to his son Robert 50 acres in the two mile streak, in the town- ship of Barrington, being part of the 900 acres which said John Hayes and Joseph Chesley purchased of. George Jaffrey, Esq., and the 7th lot in said 900 acres according to Capt. Evans' division. The Durham records of April 14, 1757, speak of land in the " Two-Mile Streke," adjoining the head line of Durham, owned by Theo- dore Atkinson, Mark Hunking Went- worth, and Mrs. Mary Osburne. Jeremiah Mason of Portsmouth advertised, March 22, 1803, lot No. 2, in the Two-Mile Streak in Barrington, containing 1,000 acres. The Rev. John Adams of Durham, in his church records of the middle of last century, speaks more than once of administer- ing baptismn at "ye Two-Mile ;" among others, to several of the McDaniels family. The First N. H. Turnpike Road is spoken of in 1800 as laid ont across the Two-Mile Streak.
UNCLE SIAII'S CREEK or COVE. This name is familiarly given to the Downing Cove, on the Newington shore, just above Patterson's Lane, from Josiah Downing who once owned the adjacent land. This cove was the upper boundary of the Rollins land in 1696. Above it, Job Clement of Dover had a grant of 110 acres the 28th, 11 mo., 1656, ordered to be laid out adjoining James Rawlins' hundred acres, and next Michael Brawn's lot at the northwest. Job Clement, November 25, 1689, con- veyed to Joseph Hill, "living in the province of Maine," .100 acres on Bloody Point side, formerly granted his father, Job Clement, deceased, 70 poles by ye water side. Joseph Hill of Kittery, Jan., 1699, conveyed to John Downing 140 acres of land, 110 of which he bought of Job Clem- ent of Dover, 70 poles on the river, and joining Michael Brawn's lot on the N. W. side. Of the other 30 acres, 20 were granted to said Hill by the town of Dover, Ap. 2, 1694, at the head of Job Clement's land, and 10 acres he bought of George Braun Jan. 8, 1699, between the Clement land and that of Richard Carter, 30 poles by the river. When the dividing line was run Jan. 7, 1695-6, between Joseph Hill's land and that of the Rawlins family, it be- gan at a beech tree near ye waterside in ye cove, between the houses of said Hill and Rawlins, and thence ran S. W. by W. 240 rods to a hemlock tree. This cove, like most of the others on this shore, is now blocked up and to- tally disfigured by the embankments of the Portsmouth and Dover railway.
UNITARIAN POND. This little pond was formed by enlarging the bed of
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
Coggswell's springs behind the Uni- tarian place of worship in Dover, from which it derives its name. These springs were so called from Col. Thomas Coggswell, a Revolu- tionary veteran, who formerly owned this land. They fed the brook that once ran along Washington street, sometimes called Coffin's brook.
UPPER FACTORY FALLS. (See Co- checho Falls.)
VARNEY'S CORNER. Mentioned March 17, 1710-11, as " against Tris- tram Heard's house," in Dover. It was so called from Ebenezer Varney, who owned land at Garrison Hill, where the road turns in the direction of Rollinsford.
VARNEY'S CREEK. This name is given to Little John's creek on Whitehouse's map of Dover, from a family long established in this vicin- ity. Thirty acres, originally granted to Joseph Austin in 1656, were laid out to " humfrie Varnie " March 11, 1666, on the N. W. side of Little John's creek, bounded S. W. by Back river. and N. N. W. by the common. It is also called Cromwell's creek, from Joshua Cromwell, whose seven children, Ap. 3, 1752, conveyed his homestead estate of 15 acres on Back river to Moses Varney, bounded north by the lands of Abraham Nute, John Pearl, and Nicholas Harford, easterly by the highway, and south- erly by the land of Thomas White- house, deceased. (See Cromwell's Creek and Pearl's Ferry.)
VARNEY'S HILL. This name was given to Garrison Hill for more than a hundred years, from Ebenezer Var- ney, who acquired land here in 1696. In a petition from Paul Wentworth and others, to enlarge the bounds of
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