USA > New Hampshire > Strafford County > Lee > Old home week, Lee, New Hampshire, August 23, 1916. Two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of settlement of the territory; one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of incorporation of the town > Part 3
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).
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York, Josiah Bartlett, Jonathan Thompson, Edward John Leathers, John Williams, John Layn, Thomas Huckins, John Wiggin, John Sias, Samuel Bodge, John Glover, Samuel Woodman, Edward Woodman, Thomas Hunt, Josiah Burley, Joseph Pitman, Col. Hercules Mooney, and John Mooney, son of the colonel.
Col. Mooney's record is one of the best of New Hampshire men. His farm was what was known, till a very recent date, as the home of your distinguished citizen, Miss Mary A. Hoitt. Other men of Lee have good records, but cannot be mentioned in this brief sketch of the town's history.
The following refused to sign the "Test," as they were " Quakers," or members of the Society of Friends, which opposed all war. They were not " Tories." Robert Thomp- son, Joseph Cartland, William Jenkins, William Jenkins, Jr., Charles Runlet, Joseph Meder, James Bunker, Samuel La- mas, David Muncy, John Snell, William Colwell, Joseph Emerson, Robert Glover, Aaron Hanson.
ICHABOD WHIDDEN,
WILLIAM LASKEY,
Selectmen of Lee.
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SOLDIERS OF LEE IN THE CIVIL WAR
Charles R. Clay: Co. 3d Regt .; enl. Aug. 23, 1861; re-enl. Jan. 23, 1864; disch. Aug. 24, 1865.
Joseph T. Cummings: Co. 3d Regt .; enl. Aug. 23, 1861; re-enl. Feb. 16, 1864; disch. June 19, 1865.
Moses Lovering: Co. D, 3d Regt .; enl. Aug. 23, 1861; re-enl. Feb. 14, 1864; disch. July 20, 1865.
Frank Bridges: Co. H, 5th Regt .; enl. Aug. 18, 1864; died May 5, 1865.
Francis Lovell : 5th Regt .; enl. Dec. 28, 1863; missing April 7, 1865.
Clonen Jean: 5th Regt .; enl. Dec. 17, 1864.
John A. Randall: Co. A, 5th Regt .; enl. Feb. 6, 1865; disch. June 28, 1865.
Miron B. McAlister: Co. A, 5th Regt .; enl. Feb. 4, 1865; disch. June 2, 1865.
Erastus C. Davis: Corp. Co. C, 6th Regt .; enl. Nov. 27, 1861; disch. June 24, 1862.
John F. Jones: Co. C, 6th Regt .; enl. Nov. 27, 1861; disch. Nov. 27, 1864.
Washington Davis: Co. H, 6th Regt .; enl. Nov. 28. 1861; re-enl. Dec. 31, 1863; killed June 25, 1864.
William Hardy: Co. K, 6th Regt .; enl. Jan. 5, 1864; deserted Jan. 31, 1864. Born in Ireland.
William Johnson: Co. E, 6th Regt .; enl. Jan. 5, 1864; captured Sept. 30, 1864.
Andrew Lawrence: Co. C, 6th Regt .; enl. May 18, 1864 ; deserted June 14, 1861.
Hollis S. Peavey: Co. C, 6th Regt .; enl. Jan. 11, 1864; died Sept. 7, 1864.
Andrew Locke: Co. D, 8th Regt .; enl. Dec. 28, 1861; disch. April 10, 1862.
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Nathaniel Glover: Co. I, 8th Regt .; enl. Dec. 20, 1861; re-enl. Jan. 4, 1864, Vet. Bat .; disch. Oct. 28, 1865.
John S. Harvey: Co. H, 8th Regt .; enl. Aug. 28, 1862; trans. to Co. C, Vet. Bat .; disch. Oct. 28, 1865.
Edwin Lamondan: Co. I, 10th Regt. ; enl. Jan. 25, 1864; trans. 2d Regt. Jan. 21, 1865. He is also given as " Edmond Larmandeau " and " Edmond Normandeau ;" born in Canada, age 19. He was a musician and deserted Dec. 5, 1864.
Joseph White: Co. D, 10th Regt .; enl. Jan. 5, 1864; trans. to 2d Regt. Jan. 21, 1865; disch. June 19, 1865.
Dana M. Dicy: Co. G, 10th Regt .; enl. Jan. 5, 1864; killed June 27, 1864.
Charles E. Linscott: Musician, Co. I, 10th Regt .; enl. Jan. 5, 1864; trans. to 2d Regt. June 21, 1865; disch. Dec. 19, 1865.
Enoch Glover: Co. I, 10th Regt .; enl. Sept. 4, 1862; disch. June 21, 1865.
Adison Osborne: Co. I, 10th Regt .; enl. Sept. 4, 1862; trans. to U. S. Cav. Oct. 25, 1862; mustered out June 21, 1865.
True W. Langmaid: Co. A, 11th Regt .; enl. Aug. 18, 1862; wounded May 6, 1864, Wilderness, Va .; mustered out June 4, 1865.
David H. Lang: Co. A, 11th Regt .; enl. Aug. 19, 1862; killed Sept. 30, 1864, in battle at Poplar Springs Church, Va.
John N. Marsh: Co. A, 11th Regt .; enl. Aug. 28, 1862; disch. June 4, 1865.
Albra Plummer: Co. A, 11th Regt .; Aug. 28, 1862; promoted to corp; disch. June 4, 1865.
Lawrence G. Otis: Co. G, 13th Regt .; enl. Sept. 19, 1862; disch. May 14, 1864.
Daniel S. Randall: Co. E, 13th Regt .; enl. Sept. 19, 1862; trans. to inv. corp, Feb. 15, 1861; disch. June 28, 1865; died April 10, 1872.
Charles A. Fernald: Co. E, 13th Regt .; enl. Sept. 19, 1862; disch. May 16, 1865.
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George W. Hanson: Co. E, 13th Regt .; enl. Sept. 19, 1862; trans. to U. S. Navy April 28, 1864. As an ordinary seaman he served on the "Florida " and "Quaker City ;" disch. June 11, 1865.
Joseph A. Jones: Co. E, 13th Regt .; enl. Sept. 19, 1862; died Feb. 3, 1863, at Aquia Creek, Va.
Richard Randall: Co. E, 13th Regt .; enl. Sept. 19, 1862 ; disch. Sept. 19, 1863.
Bradbury C. Davis: Co. C, 13th Regt .; enl. Sept. 19, 1862; disch. June 10, 1865.
Orrin Dow: Co. E, 13th Regt .; enl. Sept. 19, 1862 ; pro- moted to sergt .; disch. May 7, 1865.
John W. Emerson: Co. F, 13th Regt .; enl. Sept. 19, 1862; disch. April 2, 1863.
True Emerson: Co. F, 13th Regt .; enl. Sept. 19, 1862; disch. April 2, 1863.
Joseph G. Clay: Co. F, 13th Regt .; enl. Sept. 19, 1862; disch. June 21, 1865.
Israel G. York: Corp. Co. D, 13th Regt .; enl. Oct. 8, 1862; disch. Aug. 13, 1863.
Stephen Hilton: Co. D, 15th Regt .; enl. Oct. 14, 1862; disch. Aug. 13, 1863.
Josiah D. Thompson: Co. D, 15th Regt .; enl. Oct. 8, 1862; disch. Aug. 13, 1863.
George W. Demeritt: Co. I, 18th Regt .; enl. Feb. 6, 1865; promoted to sergt. May 18, 1865; disch. July 29, 1865.
Samuel Durgin: Co. F, 12th Regt .; enl. Aug. 31, 1862; born in Strafford; age 44; disch April 16, 1863. He re- enlisted in Vet. Res. Corps, Jan. 5, 1864. He gave his age then as 52. Enl. Jan. 5, 1864; disch. Sept. 9, 1865. His residence was Nottingham, but he enlisted for "Lee."
Frank G. Wentworth: 2d Lieut. Co. F, 7th Regt .; enl. Nov. 7, 1861 ; resigned June 3, 1863; Aug. 25, 1863, he was appointed 2d Lieut. of First Co. Heavy Art .; promoted to 1st Lieut. Sept. 29, 1864; disch. Sept. 11, 1865.
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Josiah D. Thompson : Co. B, H. A .; enl. Sept. 4, 1864; disch. Sept. 11, 1865.
David S. Bennett : Co. D, H. A .; enl. Sept. 4, 1864; disch. Sept. 11, 1865.
Albert S. Cummings :
Co. D, H. A .; enl. Sept. 11, 1864; disch. Sept. 11, 1865.
Joseph B. Davis: Co. D, H. A .; enl. Sept. 11, 1863; disch. June 15, 1865.
Albert W. Davis: Co. D, H. A .; enl. Sept. 11, 1864; disch. June 15, 1865.
Co. B, H. A .; enl. Sept. 11, 1864;
George B. Haley : disch. June 15, 1865.
Charles A. Rollins: Co. D, H. A .; enl. Sept. 4, 1864; disch. May 31, 1865.
Nehemiah Randall: Co. D, H. A .; enl. Sept. 4, 1864; disch. Sept. 11, 1865.
Jonathan B. Thompson : Co. D, H. A .; enl. Sept. 4, 1864; promoted to corp .; disch. June 23, 1865.
Josiah D. Thompson: Co. D, H. A .; enl. Sept. 4, 1864; disch. Sept. 11, 1865.
Robert McKee: Co. M, H. A .; enl. Aug. 14, 1864; disch. June 9, 1865.
Lawrence Keough: Co. H, 14th Regt .; enl. as substi- tute Aug. 14, 1863; disch. July 1, 1865.
William E. Smith: Substitute; enl. Aug. 19, 1864; U. S. Navy ; served on the " Vandalia," "San Jacinto," " Fort McHenry," and " Muscoota ;" disch. May 20, 1867.
James Fitzgerald: Substitute; enl. Aug. 19, 1864, U. S. Navy ; seaman on the " Vandalia ;" deserted Sept. 6, 1864. Born in Scotland.
James McPherson : Substitute; enl. Aug. 17, 1864; de- serted.
John Powers: Substitute, Co. B, 10th Regt .; enl. Aug. 14, 1863; disch. Feb. 28, 1865.
James McClay: Substitute; enl. Sept. 17, 1863; de- serted.
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John Mullen: Substitute; born in Ireland ; enl. Aug. 14, 1863 ; Co. B, 10th Regt .; wounded Aug. 5, 1864, near Peters- burg; disch. Dec. 19, 1865.
Edwin W.Dalton: Substitute, Co.B, 10th Regt .; enl. Aug- 14, 1863; wounded June 3, 1864, at Cold Harbor, Va .; died Oct. 15, 1864.
G. Singer: Substitute; enl. Oct. 1, 1863 ; deserted.
In the above list are sixty-four names. Could the town if called upon in this year, 1916, furnish sixty-four men for the army, if the President should call for volunteers ?
MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL IN LEE
Lee has not only furnished valiant and patriotic men for war, but it has also furnished men who were equally valiant in the walks of peace. The first minister here was Rev. Samuel Hutchins, who was pastor of the people who assembled in the old meeting house here on the Hill from 1762 till 1797. He signed the Association Test, to aid in carrying on the war, and he not only did good service in his pulpit, in exhorting his parishioners to join in the battles, but he also enlisted and set them an example, which they were not slow in following. In the fall of 1775 and winter of 1776, when it was expected that the British war- ships would attack Portsmouth, and threatened to destroy it, as they had done with the settlement at what is now Port- land, Me., Mr. Hutchins enlisted, with quite a number of his parishioners, one of whom was my great grandfather, Samuel Scales, who lived on the Scales farm in Nottingham, a mile and a half north of your town house. They went to Portsmouth harbor and did duty there till the siege of Boston ended on the 17th of March, 1776.
Rev. John Osborne was Mr. Hutchins' successor. He was born in Newcastle, N. H., March 7, 1769. He died in the parsonage on Lee Hill, Feb. 28, 1832. He was a minister in Newcastle before coming to Lee, in 1800, when he became the settled minister here and remained in office till his death. He was twice married,- first marriage, Nov. 25, 1790, Abi- gail Smith; she died Sept. 18, 1796; second marriage, Nov. 12, 1797, Miss Mary Frost of Newcastle, who survived him some years. In the performance of his duties as pastor he conducted many marriage ceremonies. He kept a record of those marriages, the manuscript of which has been published in the New Hampshire Genealogical Record, vol. IV, in the year 1907. He performed his first marriage Feb. 19, 1801, "Asa Kennison of Nottingham to Susanna Kennison of Newmarket." He married five hundred and thirty-eight
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couples; the last one was Jan. 31, 1832. He died Feb. 28, 1832. The epitaph on the headstone at his grave is as follows :
" Elder John Osborne, born in Newcastle, N. H., March 7, 1769 ; died in Lee, Feb. 28, 1832. As a Christian eminent for piety, and a minister faithful in office, the people, over whom he presided for more than thirty years, erect this stone as a token of their lasting affection and respect."
In his early ministry Elder Osborne was a Congregation- alist, but later he was inclined more to the Free Will Baptist belief ; as they spoke of their ministers as " Elder," instead of " Reverend," the change of belief may have been to the change in style of address. He was known far and wide as " Elder Osborne." Benjamin Randall, founder of the Free Will Baptists, was born in the same village at Newcastle in which John Osborne was, twenty years later. Elder Os- borne's preaching, no doubt, led so many young men in Lee to become Free Will Baptist ministers; not one a Congre- i gationalist.
Elder Israel Chesley was Mr. Osborne's successor, and served for a quarter of a century. His successor was Rev. Mason Moore, who graduated from Andover Theological Seminary in 1855 and commenced preaching on the Hill that year. He remained the minister till 1868. About this time Elder A. G. Comings removed from Mason, N. H., to Lee and was preacher a number of years in the Baptist church, now the Grange Hall.
The present Congregational church was organized Dec. 3, 1867; the present chapel had been built in 1861, for Mr. Moore. The ministers who have followed Mr. Moore, and the dates of their terms of service are as follows: Rev. John W. Lees, 1870-1880; Rev. Lewis D. Evans, 1881-1884; Rev. Richard M. Burr, 1884-1886; Rev. W. A. Forbes, 1886- 1889; Rev. Charles S. Bales, 1890-1892; Rev. Daniel W. Richardson, 1893-1896; Rev. Benjamin A. Willmot, 1896- 1900; Rev. James T. Berry, 1900-1903 ; Rev. George E. Kin- ney, 1904-1909; Rev. Isaac A. Ross, 1911-1913; Rev. Lorenzo W. Multart, 1913-1914; Rev. Arthur Brotherston, 1915.
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The following persons were natives of Lee who became ministers and did good service in other towns. They were all, or nearly all, parishioners of Rev. John Osborne, and he was largely influential in shaping their careers as ministers of the Gospel.
Rev. Jesse Burnham. He was born in 1778, and resided here till 1806, when he removed to Sebec, Me., and began preaching there. His work was satisfactory and he was ordained in June, 1808, at Charlestown, Me. Jointly with Rev. Ebenezer Scales and Rev. Mr. Libby, he organized a church there and remained its pastor seven years. Later he organized Free Will Baptist churches in several Maine towns, and left them in flourishing condition. In 1840 he removed to Janesville, Wis., where he became influential in organizing churches, in various towns around there. He organized the first Free Will Baptist Quarterly Meeting in Wisconsin. He was an able organizer and did extended mis- sionary work. He preached until within four weeks of his death, at Janesville, Dec. 5, 1863.
Daniel Elkins was born in Lee in 1760; removed to Gil- manton in 1797 and began preaching there in 1798, as a Free Will Baptist. He continued doing missionary work till 1804, when he was ordained, as a minister of that belief, at a Quarterly Meeting at Sandwich, N. H. He organized a church in 1809 at Jackson and remained its pastor more than thirty years. He did much missionary work in the mountain towns.
Joseph Foss, Free Will Baptist, was born in I.ee in 1765. He resided in his native town till 1802. He then began hold- ing missionary meetings in the surrounding towns. In 1812, when he went to Brighton, Me., and became pastor of the Free Will Baptist church there. He held that position forty years, and did much ministerial work in towns that had no regular minister. He died in that town in 1852.
Thomas Huckins was born in Lee in 1795. When a boy he removed with his parents to East Canada, and remained there till 1811. In 1812 he was at Portsmouth, N. H., and during the war he was a soldier and sailor, in turn, on the
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American side of the conflict. After the close of the war he returned to East Canada and became a Free Will Baptist minister. He received his " license to preach " before leav- ing New Hampshire, having shown good ability for the work. In due time he was ordained to the ministry. He was the first minister to preach the "Free Will " doctrine in Canada. He remained in that province about ten years and then went to Lexington, Mich., in 1839, where he established a church and was its pastor ten years. He died there in 1853.
Robert Mathes, Christian Baptist, was born in Lee in 1772. When thirty years old he became impressed with the feeling that he must go and preach the Gospel. He soon after removed to Milton and began preaching there. Later he was ordained to the ministry, and did a large amount of itinerant work in New Hampshire and Maine.
Charles Frost Osborne, Free Will Baptist, son of Rev. John and Mary (Frost) Osborne, was born 12 March, 1800. He was a young man of fine ability. He was engaged in business at Alton, and later in Scarborough, Me. He did not engage in preaching until he was thirty-eight years old. He was licensed to preach in 1838, and was ordained in 1840. He was pastor of the church in Scarborough five years. Later he was minister of churches in other towns. He died in Gorham, Me., in 1856.
William W. Smith, Christian Baptist, son of Samuel Smith, was born in Lee in 1811. He was a farmer till he was about thirty, when he received a license to preach, and then continued farming and doing itinerant work as preach- er, but not as regular pastor of a church. In 1849 he went to California, via Cape Horn. He was chaplain of the sailing vessel during the long and tedious voyage. He engaged in mining, farming, and running a gristmill. But he kept un the practice of conducting religious meetings whenever an opportunity was found for him to preach. He was a good speaker and his audiences always gave him close attention. He served in the Navy during the Civil War. After the close of the war he perfected drawings for rapid fire guns.
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armored trains, etc., but some one stole his plans before he could secure patents on them, and others got the benefit of his inventions. He died at Antioch, Cal., Oct. 16, 1899. He was a Christian hero. He was 88 years old, and had been a resident of that State a half century.
John G. Tuttle, Free Will Baptist, was born in Lee in 1802. When he was about ten years old his parents removed to Effingham. That was his home till he was nearly thirty years old, and he was a successful farmer. In 1833 he was licensed to preach, having shown good ability for the work, in the presence of the Elders of the Quarterly Meeting. He followed itinerant work till 1837, when he was ordained as regular pastor at Wolfeborough. He served as pastor in churches at Gilmanton, Danville, and South Weare. He died in Lowell, Mass., in 1845.
JEREMIAH SMITH GRANGE-PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY
The institution in Lee that deserves to be mentioned as second only to the church is the Jeremiah Smith Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, which was organized Feb. 19, 1891, with twenty-four charter members, a good number of whom are now living. Your celebration here today is in the twenty- fifth year of its existence, so you might as well count it in as a part of the programme. It has done a prosperous, en- joyable, and beneficent work during a quarter of a century. It has an interesting history, but I cannot enter upon that subject on this occasion, or rather do more than enter by giving the list of names showing who have served as Masters of it. They are as follows: B. Frank Davis, 1891-1892; Frank J. Davis, 1893; B. Frank Davis, 1894-1895; Albert L. Comings, 1896-1897; George A. Dudley, 1898-1899; Arthur J. Thompson, 1900-1901; John C. Bartlett, 1902-1903; Ar- thur J. Thompson, 1904-1905; Arthur J. McDaniel, 1906- 1907; George A. Dudley, 1908-1909 ; Frank J. Caldwell, 1910- 1911; Albert B. Dudley, 1912; Eugene L. Moore, 1913-1914 ; Albert B. Dudley, 1915; Robert H. Hardy, 1916.
ROADS IN LEE IN 1804
In 1804 John Rundlett, with chainmen John Ford, Jr., and Andrew Demeritt, perambulated the town lines; and in the same year measured the various roads in the town, and recorded the names of the residents on the roads, and the distances between their houses. November 27, 1804, they made a report to the town, and that report later came into the hands of Tobias Cartland. A few years ago it was given to Mr. Charles S. Cartland, by whose permission I am per- mitted to make the following extracts, which I think you will find interesting. In a way it shows " Who was Who " in Lee one hundred and twelve years ago.
Surveyor Rundlett found the following distances on the adjoining towns: The Nottingham line, 4 miles, 82 rods; Barrington line, 2 miles, 211 rods; Madbury line, 7 miles, 297 rods; Durham line, 5 miles, 66 rods; Newmarket line, 1 mile, 186 rods; Epping line, 2 miles, 305 rods. Total, 18 miles, 187 rods.
At this time Lee Hill was called Federal Hill; who gave it that name or when it was given I do not know. The report says the road from " Federal Hill through the Hook" to Durham line was 3 miles and 9 rods. The following house- holders lived on the road. Several of their houses are stand- ing now. Starting from the Hill: Abraham Mathes, Sam Mathes, Hill's Bridge,-Sam Thompson. This house is now known as the Israel Bartlett house. It was built by Captain Reuben Hill, who acquired the falls on the river and the ad- joining farm, in the middle of the 18th century. The house is probably not less than 160 years old. The first bridge was built about the same time, hence was called " Hill's Bridge. " The next house is Lieut. Hilton's. It stood where John C. Bartlett's house now stands, and was taken down to give place to the present house.
Lieut. Andrew Hilton was born at Newmarket, August 8, 1763. He was son of Winthrop and Sarah (Smith) Hilton,
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who was son of Col. Winthrop and Martha (Weeks) Hilton ; he was son of Col. Winthrop and Ann (Wilson) Hilton; and this Col. Winthrop was grandson of Judge Edward Hilton, the founder of Dover, in the spring of 1623. The Hiltons were extensive land owners, and lived in what is now New fields ; when they came into possession of the Bartlett farm I do not know, but Andrew Hilton was living there when the first U. S. Census was taken, in 1790, and his family then consisted of two men, four women, and two children. The farm has been in possession of the Bartlett family since 1822, when it was purchased by Hon. Josiah Bartlett, and at his death it passed to the ownership of his son, Hon. John C. Bartlett, the present owner ; so the farm has been in pos- session of two men for nearly a century. The present owner has improved it to such an extent that he raises two spears of grass in his fields where formerly grew only one. It is one of the best farms in Strafford county, and it goes without saying that Mr. Bartlett is one of the best farmers in the county. His father was a good farmer, as well as a valiant officer in the war of 1812-15; his grandfather, Col. Thomas Bartlett, was a good farmer in Nottingham, as well as one of the great patriots of the Revolution.
The next house beyond Lieut. Hilton's was Josiah Burley, Capt. Tuttle, Capt. Frost, Thomas Tufts, Durham line.
Road to Northwood: Begins at Esqr. Leavitt's store, Elijah Cartland's house (now known as Timothy G. Davis, or Simon Otis house), Esquire Leavitt's "M" house, Edward Hardy, Footman house, Nottingham line. Total, 1 mile and 90 rods.
Road to Wadleigh's Falls: Began at Leavitt's well (on the Hill), Eli Furber, Furber's bridge, Josiah Durgin. Dis- tance, 2 miles and 721/ rods.
North River road: Began at one rod west of Leavitt's store (on the Hill) ; then 5 rods to Dr. Guy's house, school- house, Capt. Josiah Bartlett's house, Hunking Dame, at junction of the road to Nottingham, Little River bridge, Peltiah Thompson (at top of the hill), Jonathan Cartland (now Charles S. Cartland's) Friends' meeting house, Levi
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Runnels, Kelsey road to Nottingham, William Palmer, Moses Huckins, schoolhouse, Lieut. Lang's house, Jos. Burnham, Joseph Ladd, North River mill, Sam Allen. Distance, 3 miles and 156 rods.
This road is one of the old highways that antedates the incorporation of the town. The Thompsons were on the Hill there two hundred years ago, and their descendants are there now, but not the original house; a long series of good farmers on a good farm. The Cartlands have had their home on that road for more than one hundred and seventy years. It has come down from the original settler, Joseph Cartland, who purchased the land for the farm in 1737. He was married and took his bride there to live in 1745. The house that is now standing was built about that time, and the present owner takes pride in keeping it in good repair, as he also keeps the ancestral acres under a good state of cultivation. There are other historic associations connected with the house and farm. The Cartlands were members of the Society of Friends, and leaders in the organization. They were also strong anti-slavery men and women. When the " under-ground railroad " commenced active operation for safe transportation of the colored slaves of the South through the Northern States to the land of freedom in Canada, the Cartland home was one of the " way stations," and there were never any "return tickets" delivered for the South-land, at the ticket office there.
The Friends' meeting-house that is mentioned in the rec- ord of 1804, was later converted into a schoolhouse, and somewhat enlarged, by Moses Cartland, who was a famous school-master, and kept school there in the middle of the 19th century. This house was the home of the noted " Wal- nut Grove School," which for many years was a fitting school for young men, for business and for college, if they desired to enter the higher institutions. They had interest- ing lectures there, delivered by distinguished speakers. John G. Whittier, the poet, was a frequent visitor at the Cartland home. In its day this school ranked among the best of the New Hampshire Academies. It began work about 1845. It
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was in a flourishing condition nearly a quarter of a century.
The Doe or Fox Garrison was a half or three-fourths of a mile westerly of the Cartland homestead; the story of it is told on another page. The house was torn down a few years ago.
The Quaker Meeting-house near the Cartlands was for the accommodation of the Friends in Lee, who could not conveniently attend the meetings of the society in Dover, whose house is now standing on Central avenue, near Pine Hill Cemetery. There were quite a number of Quaker fam- ilies in Lee.
Wadleigh's road, from North River road: Began at Moses Huckins' house, Widow Jackson, Tobias Cartland, John F. Meder, Chapman's, John Watson, Esquire Steele's house, Tim Moses, D. Watson, Col. John Folsom, Widow Folsom, Sam Chapman. Total distance, 2 miles, 273 rods.
The Huckins house is now standing and occupied by Mrs. George W. Plummer, who is a granddaughter of Moses Huck- ins. The Esquire Steele house is what was known later as the Gardner Towle house. It was probably built soon after the close of the Revolutionary war by Esq. Steele, who was a prominent and wealthy man in his time. Mr. Towle was also a prominent citizen of Lee for a number of years. In the later part of his life he lived in Exeter. His son, Hamilton Towle, was a distinguished engineer. He was a passenger on the "Great Eastern" on its first voyage across the Atlantic. When about midway of the voyage the stearing gear became disabled, and but for the skill and ingenuity of Mr. Towle the ship could not have reached New York under its own power. He saw what ought to be done and did it, after long persuasion of the Captain to permit him to do the job. Mr. Towle patched the gearing in such a way that it worked the steamship into port. It was regarded as a great engineering feat.
High road: Began at the Epping line, Esq. Sias, bridge over North river, Joseph Lawrence, at Wadleigh's road. Dis- tance, 1 mile, 98 rods.
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Exeter road: Began at Wadleigh's bridge, E. Wiggin, Epping line. Distance, 224 rods.
Noble's road: Began at Lawrence's corner, Widow Wey- mouth, Thomas Noble, Jr., Moses Davis. Distance, 252 rods.
Kelsey road: Began at North River road, 20 rods to Joseph Emerson's, Obediah Davis, Jonathan Thompson, Not- tingham line. Distance, 194 rods.
In passing it seems well to speak of the Rev. Israel Ches- ley farm, on the road near Wadleigh's Falls. Elder Chesley was born November 24, 1788. He was son of Lieut. Benja- min and Deborah (Randall) Chesley. His birthplace was in the house that stood where now stands the College Pres- ident's house, New Hampshire College. October 25, 1812, he married Betsey Folsom, daughter of Col. John Folsom, and they commenced housekeeping on the Folsom farm about that time. It had been in possession of the Folsom family more than 50 years ; and it has been in possession of the Chesley family a century, at least, the heirs of Irving G. Chesley being the present owners. Elder Chesley's grandfather, Thomas Chesley, was great-grandson of Phil- ip Chesley, the emigrant ancestor who settled in Old Dover 275 years ago. Elder Chesley was ordained as a Christian Baptist minister in 1816, at Durham, at the same time when Elder William Demeritt was ordained, and became pastor of the Christian Baptist church at Durham. Elder Chesley was the minister in Lee who succeeded Elder John Osborne, who died in 1832. Elder Chesley died 29 Sept., 1866; his wife died 23 May of the same year.
The Mast road: Began at Durham line, 4 rods westerly of Laskey's bridge, then 22 rods to William Laskey's house (now the Bartlett house), then 16 rods to the Wednesday Hill road, Lieut. Runals, Capt. Giles, schoolhouse, Capt. Robert Parker's house, now known as the Hale place, Step- ping Stones Road, Job Randall, Rev. John Osborne, John Randall, Micajah Bickford, Joseph Follett, Meeting-house, Jonathan Jenkins, Esqr. Leavitt's house, Sam Furber. Dis- tance, 2 miles, 154 rods.
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Capt. Parker was a distinguished citizen of Portsmouth before he commenced farming in Lee. He built the house about 1785. His grave is in the old burial ground, below his house. Before the middle of the 19th century, Hon. William Hale of Dover bought it for his son, Andrew, and after Judge Jeremiah Smith, Sr., died his widow came here to reside with her brother. Her son, Judge Jeremiah Smith, Jr., passed much of his boyhood here, until he entered col- lege. I do not need to say that your grange is named for him, in recognition of the many good things he and his mother did for Lee. It would make a long and interesting story to tell it all.
The Laskey house has been in possession of the Bartlett family for more than a century. Jonathan Bartlett, son of Col. Thomas Bartlett of Nottingham, married Love, a daugh- ter of William and Mary (Randall) Laskey, Feb. 2, 1809. That was their home till his death in 1852. She died Aug. 7, 1884, in the 95th year of her age. The farm is now owned by their grandson, Charles W. Bartlett of Boston, the dis- tinguished lawyer, senior member of the great law firm of Bartlett & Bartlett. William Laskey's father, John Laskey of Kittery, bought that farm in 1722 and came there to reside that year "near Wednesday Hill brook;" so Mr. Bartlett of Boston and his Bartlett-Laskey ancestors have owned that farm 194 years. I do not know who built the house, but probably the senior member, John Laskey of Kittery.
. Wednesday Hill road: Began 16 rods west of William Laskey's house, then 96 rods to William Clough's house, 80 rods to Packer's Falls road, William Jenkins, Capt. Giles, Widow Langley, Levi Langley, James Jenkins, W. Hill, Jo- seph Clark, to the Meeting-house. Distance, 2 miles, 206 rods.
The Clough farm came into possession of Thomas Ches- ley, brother of Elder Israel, about 1816, and is now owned by his son, George E. Chesley, who is now in his 84th year, and has one of the best farms in town, which is accounted for in part, by the fact that he is one of the best farmers in Strafford County. The Chesley family has owned the farm
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one hundred years. The farm was first taken up by Zacheus Clough, about 1750, and passed from him to his son, William, who sold it to Thomas Chesley, as above stated.
Stepping Stones road: The surveyor began to measure at the Barrington line, then to Cotton Dockham, Thomas Langley, Thomas Langley, Jr., Oyster River, Warner's house, east end of the pond, cross road to Widow Chesley, Aaron Hanson, to Mast road. Distance, 2 miles, 11 rods.
Barrington road: Began at Durham line, Davis' house, Capt. Emerson, Smith, Esqr. Steele, Simon Randall, Capt. Leathers, Snell's mill, Jones, John Snell, Josiah Bodge, New- town road, David Munsey, Pinkham, to Barrington line. Distance, 2 miles, 235 rods.
Turnpike road: Began at Durham line, 20 rods to Oys- ter river, John Jones, Andrew Demeritt, to cross road, Capt. Giles, John Layne, Edmund Lane, Tollhouse, Oyster river, Lemuel Chesley, W. Hill, to Barrington line. Distance, 2 miles, 20 rods.
Ash Swamp road: Begins at Capt. Bartlett's house (North River road) to Thompson hill, 101 rods; bridge, J. Randall's house, to Nottingham line. Distance, 1 mile, 82 rods.
The Davis farm in the Hook district, has been in the possession of the Davis family more than one hundred and fifty years. It was purchased by Lieut. David Davis about 1750 and he settled there soon after that date. From him it passed to his son, David, who in turn passed it to his son, Nathaniel Goodrich Davis, who was born in 1836. It is now owned by Nathaniel's son, Thomas Jones Davis, who was born in 1859, and is a lawyer in Duluth, Minn. Esquire Davis has presented to New Hampshire College a tract of eight acres in Lee and Durham. He planted it to sweet chestnut trees, and it is called " Davis Park." The college authorities are taking special care of it. In the not distant future it will be one of the fall recreations of the college students to go there and gather the chestnuts.
BIG TAX PAYERS IN LEE IN 1804
That old manuscript from which the above mentioned data were obtained, contains other interesting matter, among which is an inventory of the farms in Lee in 1813. It shows the number of acres of orchards, arable land, mowing land, pastures; and the tax rate for that year, which was $1.30. The following were among the largest tax payers: Capt. Robert Parker, $23.45; Job Thompson, $17.50; Joseph Law- rence, $17.35; David Rundlett, $15.82; Daniel Ladd, $12.80; Jonathan Cartland, $8.45.
Mention has been made of the Stepping Stones road. Perhaps the younger people here today may not understand why that road is so called on the survey, hence a little expla- nation may be in order.
The stones were so arranged, at an early period in the settlement, as to afford a safe footing across the channel of Oyster river, shortly after it leaves Wheelwright's Pond and across the adjacent marsh. Mention is made of them Nov. 16, 1720, when 50 acres of land were laid out to Nathaniel Hill on the north side of Wheelwright's Pond, beginning at a black oak standing near the place called the Stepping Stones, and thence run E. S. E. 68 rods to the pond. These stones remained in use till the middle of the 19th century.
Wheelwright's Pond lies between Lee Hill and Newtown. The name of this pond was derived from Rev. John Wheel- wright, the founder of Exeter, in 1639. He had his grant of land from the Indian Sachem who ruled over the territory here, and this pond was on the boundary line, as Mr. Wheel- wright understood it; hence in the disputes with the Dover authorities about the boundary line between Dover and Exe- ter, which lasted for many years, Wheelwright claimed this as his pond. Richard Otis of Dover was authorized by the town, July 3, 1666, " to cut all the grass about the pond by Oyster river, which was known by the name of Mr. Wheel- wright's marsh."
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Whitehorne's plains, in Lee, are along the line of Bar- rington and Nottingham, near the Lee boundary, and were often familiarly called Curt's plains, from Curtis White- horne, a former owner thereon. A highway across the lower side is sometimes called Whitehorne's road.
Wednesday Hill is one of the ancient landmarks of Old Dover. It is on the upper side of Lamprey river. It is east of Lee Hill, in what was known as District No. 3. Mention is made of it Nov. 4, 1723, when 30 acres of land were laid out to Samuel Purkins on the south side of Wednesday Hill. Capt. Nathaniel Randall's grant of 30 acres on this hill is mentioned in the division of his estate, April 25, 1750.
There has been much speculation as to the origin of the name. Why did the settlers about there, two hundred years ago, give it that name in preference to any other day of the week ? An old tradition asserts that the Indians had a skirmish with the white men at that hill on some Wednesday, but there is no record of such a fight in Lee anywhere than at Wheelwright's Pond. Another tradition says it was so named by the early surveyors, who were laying out grants of land on or around this hill on a Wednesday and took their luncheons on the top. I think this is the correct solution of the problem. Those old surveyors had to give names to localities in order to find the lot of land when the owner went out to settle on it.
F84.5522.8
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