USA > New Hampshire > Belknap County > Meredith > Old Meredith and vicinity > Part 9
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13
"The following morning, more in sorrow than anger, he left home, but with a brave spirit undaunted even by these circumstances. He went to Boston, where he established himself as a teacher of penmanship, in which art he excelled. His residence in Boston was not a permanent one.
"His father reconsidered his hasty decision, and earnestly entreated his son to return to his home: and to this request was added the urgent solicitations of the prominent Democrats, who assured him that they appreciated the value of a man who could so persistently stand by his political principles, even though filial rela- tions were sacrificed.
"After careful deliberation, and with a pardonable ambition to return to Meredith and justify the judgement of his political friends, he removed from Boston and became a resident and citizen of the town of his birth, and tilled the ancestral acres. He was elected to many offices in the gift of his townsmen.
"But General Wadleigh's prominence as a public man was not confined to civil affairs; the military organizations claimed his attention in a large degree. He was preeminently a soldier. In manner and bearing. in energy and self-reliance, in the power to command and control men, in quick appreciation of circum- stances and scrupulous attention to details, his mind was essentially military. His rapid promotion from ensign to major-general serves to show his remarkable ability."
General Wadleigh married, in 1831, Mary Ann Wentworth, daughter of Bradley and Nancy "Hannaford" Wentworth of Meredith. They had four children-LeRoy B., a resident of Clinton, Iowa, a very able and successful busi- ness man, who inherited many of his father's characteristics. Abbie (Mrs. Dr. G. F. Brickett) died July 31, 1864; John Dearborn died November 10, 1871; Annie married Frank P. Leffingwell, an attorney of Chicago, Ill. Mrs. Wad- leigh died December 31, 1866, aged 56 years, and like her husband, enjoyed the warmest regards of the community.
Capt. John S. Wadleigh was the grandson of Dearborn, and the only son of Simeon and Nancy (Smith) Wadleigh. He was for years commander of the steamer Lady of the Lake, until the boat was condemned as unseaworthy. His wife was the daughter of Capt. Winborn A. Sanborn of the Weirs.
[ 70]
Captain Wadleigh was a staunch Democrat and his faith in the principles of Democracy remained unshaken through life, although he never cared for political honors.
In private life Captain Wadleigh was a courteous gentleman, a kind friend and neighbor and a man of honor and integrity.
Another Revolutionary soldier was Simeon Wadleigh, who settled in the valley, not far from the Meredith reservoir. He came from Epping and married Abigail Hayes of Sanbornton in 1785. They had four sons all of whom settled not far from their old home. Simeon Wadleigh enlisted in 1775 in Capt. Jeremiah Clough's Company; afterward in 1778 he was mustered into Captain Samuel Dearborn's company to march to Rhode Island. He left many descendants; his great-granddaughter, Mrs. A. F. Hall of Meredith, has kindly helped to untangle some of this ancient history.
Another line of Wadleighs, all of whom were born in Meredith, and whom the writer has not been able to connect with any previously mentioned, sprang from Nathaniel Wadleigh, a Revolutionary soldier, born in 1759 and died in 1834. Nathaniel Wadleigh came from Candia, and his first wife, mother of his son Nathaniel, is said to have been Mary Robinson. Among his great-grandchildren are Mrs. Mary E. Trojano and Mrs. Helen A. V. R. Swain of Laconia, and Will Nathaniel Wadleigh of Brattleboro, Vt. Nathaniel Wadleigh served in Capt. Robert Pike's Company, enlisted to march to Rhode Island.
May the record here given of these early pioneers inspire its readers to higher ideals and nobler living.
THE NEAL FAMILY Mary E. Neal Hanaford
From information gathered from various items, notes, family records and tradi- tion we find that Samuel Neal, who served in the Revolution, was son of the Samuel who served in the French and Indian Wars, and a descendant of Walter Neal of Provincial days, who did so much to help establish New Hampshire as a state.
Samuel Neal, the Revolutionary soldier, lived near "Frying-Pan-Lane," so called, in Stratham, N. H. Among their family of ten children were Joseph and John. Tradition tells us they were poor, as were most of the early settlers, and Joseph was bound out to a Mr. Barker for some years. After serving his ap- prenticeship, Joseph and his brother John went to Boston and worked a short time. Then hearing of good land in Meredith, they walked from Boston and settled in the wilderness on Lot 5, Range 2, and hewed lumber to build a shelter near "The Smile of the Great Spirit."
In 1797 the selectmen laid out a road, described as from a "birch tree, in the 1st Range, by Simeon Cate's corner on the Wares road, to run north on the 'Old Cart Path', thru Joseph Neal's paster, to Joseph Neal's 'Pond Lot' (100 acres)." This "Pond Lot " was the present John Neal farm, on the Daniel Webster High- way. Soon after this another road was laid out, on a "Bridle Path" from the present highway, to pass the Joseph Neal home, to the "Old Province Road."
[ 7] ]
After building a house, Joseph Neal married Hannah, the daughter of Jeremiah Smith, and raised nine children; among them was Joseph, Jr., who was one of the deacons of the first church in Meredith, situated on the Parade. Tradition tells us that at this church they had what was called a "Tidy Man." He had a long pole with rabbits' ears tied on the end. The sermons were lengthy in those days, and the laboring man being weary sometimes fell asleep. It was the duty of this "Tidy Man" to walk around and brush the rabbits' ears across their faces to waken them.
Many Revolutionary soldiers who had meagre government pensions settled in this locality and Joseph Neal, having six oxen, went "to market" twice a year, taking along any provisions that these soldiers had raised to sell, and bringing back supplies needed in their homes, such as salt fish, salt, molasses, tobacco, a barrel of New England rum, and so forth. In those days of "long ago" it was not considered courtesy, if the minister called, not to give him a little tonic. These pioneers also felt that they needed a little in haying time, barn raising, which was quite an event, also at early spring, when they poled rafts of logs to a sawmill, for lumber to build with-work which often lasted until midnight. The men after this hard job usually came home wet from head to foot and chilled; then they partook of a little stimulant.
Another time that it was passed around was at the annual "sheep washing." They had a neighborhood place to wash their sheep on a clean ledge in the Charles Wiggin pasture. After the sheep had their bath, from water run through a wooden spout from a brook near by, they were sheared, and the gude housewife carded the fleeces into rolls by hand, and spun and wove them on hand looms, for clothing, and for knitting hose and mittens.
John Neal, the brother of Joseph Neal, married a daughter of William Ray, a Revolutionary soldier, who served in the 4th company of Meredith, and was sent to Crown Point, N. Y., to help protect the border. William Ray in 1770 lived in a pole house on Lot 3, Range 3; he married a sister of the Neals.
Another Joseph, from Newcastle, then a part of Stratham, N. H., a cousin of the other Neals, came north soon after. This Joseph Neal was a Revolutionary soldier, who enlisted when he was eighteen years old. He settled on the Center Harbor road, just above the William Neal farm where three generations lived after him.
There being two Joseph Neals, living near each other, for distinction the one from Stratham was called "Red Oak Joe Neal," and the other was called "'White Oak Joe Neal." Tradition states these "oak" epithets were used on account of the lumber or wood that grew on their land.
"Red Oak Joe Neal" had the water right at Meredith at that time. He is buried in an old burying ground on his farm, in an unmarked grave. His son, Richard Neal, married Betsy, daughter of "White Oak Joe Neal." George Richard Neal, of Woburn, Mass., is the last Neal of that branch of the family.
A descendant of "White Oak Joe Neal" is William Neal of Meredith, a noted stock raiser. Much of the information given here comes through William Neal. Another is John Frank Neal, who has inherited the old Joseph Neal "Pond lot" of 100 acres from his father, John Neal.
[ 72 ]
--
OLD GILMAN HOUSE
A FEW OLD SETTLERS BELOW THE BRIDGE
Ladd Hill. Although Col. Samuel Ladd moved to Gilmanton in 1764, he was not married to Abigail Flanders of Exeter until 1768, and he did not settle on Ladd Hill, not far from Meredith Bridge, until about 1780. Many of his de- scendants, bearing many different names, are living now in Laconia. His son, John Ladd, married his cousin, Mehitable Gale; among their descendants were Edward E. Taylor. the donor of the Home for the Aged, and Clarence H. Pearson, the lawyer and poet.
Dudley Gilman. On the road crossing from Ladd to Mile Hill, on the very top of the hill where the view is the finest, stands the old Dudley Gilman house. Here lived Corporal Dudley Gilman, who served in Captain Wilson's Company at Bennington in 1777, and Sergeant Dudley Gilman of the War of 1812. There is no Gilman now left in the old house.
Stephen Gale. A little farther from Meredith Bridge, on the Mile Hill Road, Stephen Gale settled in 1780. He came from Raymond, where he had been running mills. He bore the title of Major in the Alarm List. His wife was Susanna Flanders, the daughter of Thomas Flanders of Exeter. Three of his: sons and his daughter, Mehitable, lived in or near Laconia. The Gale Memorial Library was given to the city by his grandson, N. B. Gale.
Benjamin Sanborn. Nearer to Lakeport than to Laconia was the home of Benjamin Sanborn. A little farther north on the Gilford Road than Stark Street, it could be reached either from Lakeport or from Gilford Avenue. Not far beyond it is. the Quincy Jewett house. To this spot Benjamin Sanborn, the son of Benjamin, and his wife, Judith Tilton, came from Dunbarton. As she rode up on horseback she used a fresh willow switch to urge on her horse, and
[ 73 ]
when she reached her new home, she stuck it into the ground where it grew to be a large tree. It was a lonely spot then; if she wished to visit a neighbor, she mounted her horse and rode to Alton. Their grandson, Albert H. Sanborn of Laconia, gives us this story of the old homestead. Only half of the old house is now left, half having been taken away a few years ago, and everything that made it an attractive home is gone, except the fine view of the mountains.
The Jewett Family. Maximilian and Joseph Jewett, who came from Bradford, Yorkshire, England, were sons of Edward Jewett, who sprang from Henri de Juatt, a knight of the First Crusade 1096-1099. The arms borne by him and brought to this country by his sons, were carefully preserved in old records both in France and England, and bear the motto "Toujours le même." Deacon Maximilian and Joseph Jewett settled in Rowley, Mass., in 1638. Two brothers, Samuel and Jacob, descendants of Maximilian, settled on the Gilmanton side of the Winnepesaukee River. Both were Revolutionary soldiers and both were small men. Samuel's house was removed from its place near the river many years ago. He has left descendants, among whom are the Hon. S. S. Jewett and Mrs. Shannon and Mrs. Garmon, members of the D. A. R. Jacob's house is nearly the same as when first built, and Mrs. Abby Jewett Austin has written at our request a description of this typical old house and of some of its treasures
JEWETT HOMESTEAD
Abby Jewett Austin
Jewett Homestead, Laconia, N. H., was built in the year 1780 by Jacob Jewett who came from Hollis, N. H., the previous year to select the site for his future home, returning later to build the house.
It is well preserved, a story and half high, having the original large chimney, the foundation of which nearly fills the middle part of the cellar. It would seem that this and the foundation of the house were laid for posterity, for two sills are laid parallel all around on the stone foundation and six inches apart, the space between being filled with clay which extends upward between the plastering and the weather boards, making the house very warm. The cellar is dry, and there is no indication of decay in the old potato and apple bins.
It is perhaps needless to say that the timbers of the house are hand hewn and the nails wrought by hand. The builder, Jacob Jewett, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War; he was slightly short of stature but being very anxious to enlist, during his examination he stood on his tip-toes and combed his hair high above his forehead. It is said that the examining officer smiled and said, "What you lack in height you make up in grit, so you may go." The musket which he carried during the war is in a state of perfect preservation, and is now sus- pended above the mantel in the dining room. In olden times this room was spoken of as "the long kitchen." In this room at the right of the large fireplace is the brick oven, and hanging near it, the warming pan.
The small front hall or "entry" has the same wall paper which was put there when the house was built. The wall paper in the "West room" and in the "East
[ 74 ]
room" has been changed from time to time, but there are some small boxes made from some of those ancient wall papers which show the designs.
The house having been in the possession of Jacob Jewett's descendants since it was built, contains many articles of interest to the historian, such as samplers, old books, old-fashioned candlesticks, dishes, furniture and old linens. Among the latter is a table-cloth once owned by Meshech Weare, the first governor of New Hampshire, and used when General Washington and General Lafayette were guests at his home. (The home of Governor Weare is situated at Hampton Falls, N. H.) Among other curiosities is the wedding fan of Mrs. Weare; this fan is made of kid, with sticks of ivory, and painted in color in beautiful designs.
THE JEWETT HOMESTEAD
ON WINNISQUAM
Clarence H. Pearson
On Winnisquam my light canoe
Drifts idly half the June day through, The while I look with half-shut eyes To where the azure of the skies Blends with the mountain's deeper hue;
Or gazing dreamily into
The waters, pure and clear as dew, I watch the ripples fall and rise On Winnisquam.
Green are the shores and fair to view, Content and peace the air imbue; A low-hung cloud of comfort lies Upon the waves, and worry dies, And carking care may not pursue
On Winnisquam.
[ 75]
TWO EARLY SETTLERS ON THE BOULEVARD Mary E. Neal Hanaford
LANGLEY COVE
Just across Long Bay or Paugus, as it is called now, is Langley Cove, where Winthrop Langley and his wife, Achsah Quimby, rest. As we pass on the Daniel Webster Highway, an old landmark is in view-a large boulder, and near it a bunch of white birches. On this boulder is what looks like the letter W; was it cut in the stone in memory of Winthrop Langley, or was it worn by the ele- ments? We cannot tell. The boulder is near the site of the old cellar, and rose bushes are growing near. From this spot is a pretty picture of the cove and Quimby Island, formerly part of the mainland.
In the same pasture, on a little elevation beside the highway, under a clump of pines where the wind sings a lullaby, is the last resting place of the Langleys and Quimbys. Here we found twelve graves. Some of the rough headstones had some figures that had mossed and were barely discernible. Winthrop Langley died in 1839, aged 81; his wife, Achsah Quimby, died in 1852. Mr. Libbey, an old neighbor, remembers attending her funeral when a very young lad, but is not sure of the location of her grave.
The name of Winthrop Langley is found in the Revolutionary Rolls. In New Market in 1775 he signed a petition for a change of captains. The petition stated that Captain Folsom was not liked, and the fact that he was known so well " was where the shoe pinched." The name is found among the West Point men in 1780, and in 1833 his name was placed on the pension list.
James Quimby was one of the first settlers in Meredith, living in 1766 in a log cabin nearly opposite Langley Cove and Quimby Island. There were both Quimbys and Langleys living in Gilford in later years. Among them was Stephen Langley of the White Oaks Road, who was drafted, to help protect the Canadian border, in the War of 1812.
THE OLD GILMAN HOUSE
Coming down the Boulevard from Langley Cove, we pass one of the oldest houses in Gilford, called the Hiram Gilman place. It is now almost hidden by filling stations.
Thomas Sewall erected a small log house at the head of the spur of meadow land near Black Brook. He married the widow of Samuel Bartlett, whose maiden name was Dorothy Clement; and their daughter, Alice Sewall, married Hiram Gilman, who was of the fifth generation from Hannah Dustin.
Joseph Gilman, the grandfather of Hiram Gilman, was born in 1748 and mar- ried Hannah Magoon of Exeter, who had been in easy circumstances. Joseph Gilman took his young wife with one child to Sanbornton, and on their arrival they found the cabin full of snow. She sat down and cried-no wonder! He was soon mustered into the Revolution, and, during his absence, she suffered severely,
[ 76]
with no provisions and only the milk of one cow and what wild berries and roots she could gather.
Hiram Gilman learned the trade of blacksmith of Mr. Tucker at Meredith Bridge, later worked in Lake Village and other places, then went to the old Sewall homestead, in Gilford, to care for the old people in their declining years.
As time passed more room was needed, and additions were made, and the old log house was closed into the kitchen part of the present two story home that has stood many decades as one of the oldest landmarks in the vicinity. Miss Alice Gilman, at the Home for the Aged, gave many of these facts.
JOHN ADAMS HARPER
Abby Jewett Austin
About twenty-five years ago the attention of readers of the Laconia Democrat was called to an article entitled "An Unknown Grave" written by the late Frank Edgerly.
The article stated that at the right of the main entrance to the Union Ceme- tery stands a marble slab bearing this inscription:
John Adams Harper Died June 18, A. D. 1816 Age 36
This stone was removed with others from the ancient burying ground on Water Street at the time of the purchasing of land for the Union Cemetery on Academy Street.
John Adams Harper was born in Deerfield, N. H., November 7, 1779, of Scotch-Irish descent. His father, William Harper, had been a prominent figure in the Legislature for a number of years. He removed to Sanbornton, N. H., with his family when the subject of this sketch was quite young. The people of the town recognizing young Mr. Harper's ability made him postmaster when he was twenty-one years old. He was captain of the artillery company, and afterward promoted to colonel. In 1806 he was chosen to the New Hampshire Senate. Like his father he was a lawyer, and in order to better carry on his profession he removed to Laconia, then known as Meredith Bridge. His talents made him a conspicuous figure, as well as his personal appearance, for he is said to have been a very handsome man.
He built a large house on Pleasant Street, which has been remodelled and is now owned by Dr. Huckins (1925). The rise of ground upon which it stands was for a long time called "Harper Hill."
John a Harper
[ 7]
The years immediately preceding the War of 1812 covered a period of great public excitement and political disagreement. In 1811 Mr. Harper was elected a representative to the twentieth Congress, which owing to the alarming con- dition of affairs was convened by proclamation on the 4th of November following the election. In that Congress at the age of thirty-two Mr. Harper took his seat. He came with fixed opinions and settled convictions. The bill declaring war against Great Britain was discussed in Congress for twelve days before being acted upon. To the vigorous prosecution of it he gave the best efforts of his tongue and pen.
His term of office expired while the war was still in progress, but he lived to see his course justified and his patriotism rewarded by a lasting peace resulting from it.
JONATHAN FOLSOM-1779-1872
Frances E. Smith
(The genealogy of the branch of the Folsom family to which Jonathan Folsom belonged, and an account of his son Albert G. Folsom, can be found in the New Hampshire Genealogy. A more in- timate account of Jonathan Folsom has been written for us by his granddaughter, Miss Smith of Exeter. At least one meeting of the proprietors of Meredith was held in the Samuel Folsom Tavern.)
Jonathan Folsom was born in Dover, N. H., June 12, 1779, the son of Josiah Folsom and Elizabeth Gilman. On his father's side he was the fifth in descent from the pioneer John Folsom, who came from Hingham, England, to Hingham, Mass., about the year 1638, and who, a few years later, removed to Exeter, N. H., and established his home there. His mother was a granddaughter of Judge Nicholas Gilman of Exeter. Their home was in Dover, on rising ground, south- wardly from the village, and had a fine outlook over field and village.
Josiah Folsom was a hair-dresser and wig-maker (wigs were worn by everybody in those days). His income was quite meagre and his home was very humble, but he had rich stores of anecdote and of results of observation, making him one of the most entertaining men of his day.
In the Revolutionary War he was a private in Col. Enoch Poor's regiment, in 1775. He enlisted from Dover, in the Continental Army in 1776 and later joined Col. Joshua Wingate's regiment of volunteers.
His four sons, one by one, early left the cabin-home and went forth into the great world. Jonathan went to live with his uncle, Col. Samuel Folsom, who kept a "public house" in Exeter. To his grandchildren he told many thrilling tales of his life in the Folsom Tavern. It was in 1789, when he was ten years old, that Washington made his memorable visit to Exeter. Grandfather told us of the wonderful horse that Washington rode, of the crowds of people, of the ar- tillery company, in command of Capt. Simon Wiggin, and of the salute of thirteen guns. He told us of the dinner, and how anxious everyone was to see the great commander, and when his visit was over "a cavalcade of gentlemen escorted him to the Kingston border, on his way to Haverhill."
Jonathan Folsom upon coming of age left his uncle's home and went to Gilford,
[ 78]
where he married Sarah Rowe, and soon after moved across the river into what is now Laconia, and settled on a large farm running down to the bay.
He was a tall, large and a thoughtful man, intelligent, righteous and good, be- loved by nephew and nieces as sincerely as by his own family.
THE ABRAHAM FOLSOM FAMILY
In the list of those who had already settled in Meredith in 1766 we find the name of Abraham Folsom. He had a house built on Point Lot 14, and his son Abraham was then living there. Abraham Junior, as he is sometimes called, was the fifth of that name; he was born in Epping April 29, 1744, and his wife was Hannah Folsom. The old Folsom house that he built has been much changed, but still stands facing Franklin Square. In this house his grandson, Joseph Folsom, was born.
Joseph Folsom was the fourth child of the sixth Abraham, born October 8, 1775, and his wife, Mary Libbey. He went to West Point, and after graduating there he was sent by the United States government to California. After a trip of about a month by water, he landed at Yerba Buena, now called San Francisco City, and there for a time he served as quartermaster. Later he was among the forty-niners who went up into the mountains seeking gold, and he was successful. He bought land in several sections of California, and several lots in what is now the city of San Francisco. The town of Alameda and Alameda Bay were named by Captain Folsom for the daughter of one of his sisters. Folsom Street in San Francisco, where he owned most of the land, was named for him, and so also was the town of Folsom near Sacramento.
Joseph Folsom was never married, and left many acres of land to the city of · San Francisco. He lies buried in Laurel Cemetery on Lone Mountain on land given by him to the city. At the time of his death he was the richest man in California, and his funeral was the most impressive military funeral ever held in the state.
We are indebted to his niece Miss Forrest, and to Mrs. Hanaford for many of the facts given here.
Abraham folsom
[ 79]
THE WEEKS FAMILY
Carl F. Blaisdell
Phineas and Ebenezer Weeks bought land in Meredith of Jonathan Bickford in the year 1803, but there is reason to believe that they were in Meredith long before that date. Ebenezer is mentioned as a citizen in 1797, and the first census gives John Weeks and wife with two sons under sixteen years of age. These might be Phineas and Ebenezer.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.