USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Dublin > The history of Dublin, N.H., Volume 1852 > Part 2
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 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40
9
CENTENNIAL ADDRESS.
At a meeting of the proprietors, held Feb. 14, 1764, a committee was chosen "to agree with some person to build a bridge over the Mill Brook (so called), the east side of the town, and also a bridge over the Half-way Brook, by Thomas Morse's, by letting out the same to be done by the great ; and, if that cannot be done, to employ suitable persons by the day, and bring in their accounts."
The two meetings of the proprietors already mentioned were held at Dunstable. In September, 1764, their first meeting in the township was held at the house of William Greenwood. Eli Morse was chosen proprietors' clerk ; and he continued to hold the office ever after, and left a record, which is still preserved, of the doings at their meetings. At this first meeting, it was voted, that six hundred pounds, old tenor, be raised upon the rights subject to taxation ; four hundred pounds to be laid out on the main road and bridges, and the remainder "to be given for the encouragement of the person who shall erect a saw-mill in the town." It is presumed that Eli Morse built the first saw-mill in the town, and received this encouragement money.
In May, 1766, one dollar on each right, making fifty dollars, was voted "for encouragement to Eli Morse for building a grist-mill on the stream near his house, provided he shall get it completed in a year and a half from this time." It is likely that he complied with the condition, and that his grist-mill was the earliest erected in the township. Samuel Twitchell's mill is mentioned in the record of the meeting of Dec. 22, 1768. At this time, a road was granted from Moses Adams's to William Beal's, in the north-west part of the town, and from that road to No. 6 (Packersfield) line ; also a road from that near Samuel Twitchell's to Middle- town (Jaffrey) line. These roads doubtless opened the first communication with the towns adjoining on the north and south.
The first meeting-house was built by the proprietors, by taxes assessed upon their shares. At their first meeting held in the township, in September, 1764, they fixed the place
2
10
CENTENNIAL ADDRESS.
where the meeting-house should stand, " by marking a tree, and cutting down several small trees, near the east line of the eleventh lot in the sixth range, where the land is to be set off for the purpose, as also for a burying-place and training-field." The spot thus selected, and on which the meeting-house was eventually built, is upon the high ground, across the old road, northerly, from the burying-ground. Nothing appears to have been done about the matter the next year, and nothing the year succeeding, beyond choosing a committee to measure off the ten acres, and put up bounds.
A meeting of the proprietors in May, 1767, is stated to have been " warned by Reuben Kidder, Esq., a justice of the peace, according to law." He lived in New Ipswich, and attended and presided at the meeting, at an expense to the proprietors of eight shillings, as appears by his receipt. Probably the importance of the business to be transacted induced them to take this precaution, in order to prevent all chance for calling in question the validity of their doings. At this meeting, they voted to build a meeting-house " fifty feet long, thirty-eight feet wide, and proportionable as to the height ;" and chose Moses Adams, Henry Strongman, and William Greenwood, a committee " to take care to effect the work." They also voted to raise four dollars by tax on each right, to build the meeting-house.
They were not precipitate in entering upon the work, however, it would seem ; since at their next meeting, which was in December, 1768, more than a year and a half after- wards, they tried a vote to see if the proprietors would reconsider their former vote relating to the dimensions of the meeting-house. But they refused to reconsider, and voted to build the house of the former dimensions ; and also raised three dollars more on each share towards building it.
In February, 1771, they granted five dollars on each right, to carry on the building of the meeting-house. These three assessments, amounting to twelve dollars on a share, or six hundred dollars in the whole, are all the money ever raised by the proprietors for the purpose. From a memorandum,
,
11
CENTENNIAL ADDRESS.
headed " An Account of what hath been done toward Building the Meeting-house," and bearing date Dec. 12, , 1772, it appears, that, of the amount then expended (about £1,250, old tenor), above one half was paid to William Greenwood, who was a carpenter, and had the charge of building the house. He was paid in sums varying from ten shillings to fifteen pounds twelve shillings, lawful money, at sundry dates between October, 1769, and October, 1773, as his receipts show, which, to the number of twenty-four, are found among the papers of Eli Morse.
When the meeting-house was so far finished as to be occupied, does not appear. It seems probable, however, that it took at least two years to bring it to that stage. The first town-meeting held in it was Sept. 10, 1771. It was used for public worship the ensuing winter.
From 1763, the population of the township increased with considerable rapidity. New settlers came in from various places, - Sherborn, Natick, Medfield, Holliston, Framing- ham, Temple, Amherst and elsewhere. Of the earlier settlers, by far the greater number came from Sherborn. There is no means of ascertaining what was the population of the town at any date prior to 1775, when it was three hundred and five. A census of New Hampshire was taken in 1767, by the selectmen of each town and place ; but there is no return from this township. There was probably no formal organization existing at that time, and consequently no officers to take the census.
A political organization of the inhabitants was effected in 1768, as appears by a record among the old papers of the town, which recites, that, "at a meeting of the inhabitants of Monadnock No. 3, by order of the General Court," held Nov. 16, 1768, John Goffe, Esq., moderator, the following officers were chosen : Moses Adams, Eli Morse, John Muz- zey, assessors ; Joseph Greenwood, clerk ; Henry Strongman, collector ; Moses Adams, commissioner of assessment. Ap- pended, of the same date, is a certificate of the Justice that the above officers were legally chosen, according to an act
12
CENTENNIAL ADDRESS.
of the General Court, and were sworn to the faithful dis- charge of their respective offices. This John Goffe is pre- sumed to have been Colonel John Goffe, of Bedford. The organization thus established was preserved ; and like officers were chosen, annually, in March, till the town was incor- porated.
The incorporation of the town took place in March, 1771. The petition for the purpose, to the Governor of the Pro- vince, appears to have been signed by Josiah Willard, Jr., as " the agent for and in behalf of the inhabitants and settlers." It sets forth, as the main ground of the application, that Dub- lin is rated among the towns and parishes in the Province for the Province-tax, and that the place " is not legally qualified to raise and collect said taxes, whereby they may be construed delinquents if the same should be omitted." The petitioner also begs leave to suggest to his Excellency, "that the said Dublin is presumed to be sufficiently inhabited and conve- nient for incorporation." The petition was dated March 25th, and a charter was forthwith granted, bearing date the 29th of the same month.
For his services in this behalf, Mr. Willard received from the town thirty-two dollars, as appears by his receipt, dated Keene, Oct. 10, 1771. To meet this expenditure, the town, at the second town-meeting, held May 29, 1771, made a specific appropriation ; though it seems they had not got their ideas up fully to the exigency of the case, as the sum they appropriated was less by two dollars and a half than the amount of the bill. Besides the money paid him by the town, he received, as is shown by his receipt, seven shillings and sixpence, " in full satisfaction for services done the pro- prietors of Dublin in obtaining a charter."
The charter thus granted was, doubtless, substantially the same as was usually granted to towns, in those times. It issues in the name of "George the Third, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, and so forth." It contains a reservation of all white-pine trees upon the land "fit for the use of our Royal
13
CENTENNIAL ADDRESS.
Navy." This reservation of pine ship-timber was 'in pur- suance of Acts of Parliament relating to the preservation of his Majesty's woods in America. We do not, however, learn that any requisition for the article was ever made upon the township, either prior or subsequent to the act of incorpora- tion.
The town was incorporated by the name of DUBLIN. In the petition for incorporation, it is described as the tract of land " commonly called and known by the name of Dublin (or Monadnock No. 3)." When or how long it had been commonly known by the name of Dublin, does not appear. Up to that time, the name does not occur, so far as I have seen, in any of the papers of the proprietors, or of the town- ship. It is commonly understood that the town was named from Dublin, Ireland. Why it should have been is not obvious, as it is pretty manifest that, before the incorporation of the town, all the Scotch-Irish who had ever been resident in it had removed, with the exception of one, - Henry Strongman. But he, it is said, was born in Dublin ; and that circumstance may have settled the point. At all events, it is just as hard to tell why it should not have been so named, since it must necessarily have some name, and it might as well be called Dublin as any thing else.
In the deed of grant from the proprietors, the township was described as "North Monadnock, or Number Three," the names being in the alternative. In the papers of the original proprietors' clerk, Joseph Blanchard, Jr., and others emanating from non-residents, it is styled, pretty uniformly, " The North Monadnock Township." By the residents, it appears to have been called, commonly, " Monadnock No. 3." Sometimes the two designations were run together, making it " North Monadnock Number 3."
To understand why either the " North " or the " Number " should have been applied, it is to be borne in mind, that " Monadnock " was a name of pretty extensive use in these regions. Thus, Rindge, otherwise called Rowley Canada, was Monadnock No. 1; Jaffrey, called Middle Monadnock,
14
CENTENNIAL ADDRESS.
or sometimes Middletown, was Monadnock No. 2; Dublin, or North Monadnock, was Monadnock No. 3; Fitzwilliam, Monadnock No. 4; Marlborough, called originally New Marlborough, was Monadnock No. 5; Nelson, formerly Packersfield, was Monadnock No. 6; Stoddard, which was Limerick, was, it is presumed, Monadnock No. 7; and Washington, formerly Camden, was Monadnock No. 8.
The meeting for the organization of the town, under the charter, was called, as provided in the instrument, by Thomas Morse, and was held May 6, 1771. Mr. Morse was mode- rator. The first board of selectmen, then chosen, were Thomas Morse, Henry Strongman, and Benjamin Mason. Joseph Greenwood was chosen town-clerk.
Mr. Greenwood, for twenty years or more next after this time, was by far the most prominent business-man in the town. He was town-clerk in 1771, and from 1776 for seventeen years successively, during which time he was also selectman ten years, and town-treasurer some part of the time. He represented Dublin in the Convention of Delegates which met at Exeter, May 17, 1775. He was likewise a noted schoolmaster. Furthermore, he was the first justice of the peace in the town. For some years, they had been obliged to send for a justice of the peace from a distance, when one was required. In the treasurer's account, settled in 1776, is found an item, " Paid Esq. Hale, for swearing town-officers, two years, twelve shillings." Precisely when Mr. Greenwood was appointed, does not appear; but it was before May, 1777. He and Samuel Twitchell and Reuben Morse, were, I conclude, the only justices of the peace in the town, until several years after the commencement of this century. He appears to have been a capable man, and to have done his business usually in a very correct and schol- arly manner.
The subject of raising money to hire preaching was seve- ral times brought before the meetings of the proprietors ; but it does not appear that the proprietors, as such, ever raised and applied any money for that purpose. Whatever
15
CENTENNIAL ADDRESS.
preaching the settlers had, and it must have been very little, before the town was incorporated, was paid for, if at all, by individuals. It is said the first sermon preached in the township was at the house of Eli Morse, in the autumn of 1767, by the Rev. Samuel Locke, of Sherborn, afterwards President of Harvard College.
At the second town-meeting, held May 29, 1771, the town granted fifteen pounds for preaching. The money appears to have been expended in the course of the summer ; as, in September of the same year, they voted to have a month's preaching that fall, and granted nine pounds for the purpose.
On the 17th of October, 1771, the town made choice of Mr. Joseph Farrar for their gospel minister. He was a native of Lincoln, Mass., and graduated at Harvard Col- lege in 1767. They voted to give him, as a settlement, thirteen pounds six shillings and eightpence, in addition to the right of land (three lots) to which, as the first settled minister, he would be entitled under the original grant, and to clear twenty acres of land in one of the lots. The salary was to be "forty pounds ($133.33) the first year, and to rise two pounds thirteen shillings and fourpence a year, till it gets to fifty-three pounds six shillings and eight- pence, so to continue." In January, 1772, the town voted some prospective increase in the salary, which, however, as the case resulted, never became of any practical conse- quence.
Mr. Farrar seems to have experienced considerable diffi- culty in deciding the momentous question. But on the 3d of February, in a letter setting forth, at length, his endeavors, through reflection, prayer, and taking the advice of the rev- erend fathers, to come to a right determination, he expressed his acceptance of the office.
As the laws then were, the freeholders of each town, con- vened in public town-meeting, had the right to agree with a minister for the town, and determine what annual salary should be allowed to him, and such minister was to be
16
CENTENNIAL ADDRESS.
accounted the settled minister of the town; and the select- men were to make rates and assessments upon the inhabitants of the town for the payment of his salary, in the same man- ner as for defraying other town-charges. Only such as were conscientiously of a different persuasion, and constantly at- tended the public worship of God on the Lord's day accord- ing to their own persuasion, were entitled to be excused from paying towards the support of the ministry of the town.
In this case, the arrangement was made, substantially, through the ordinary town-meetings. But before the ordi- nation took place, a meeting of the freeholders was held, at which it was voted to concur with what the voters had done with regard to giving Mr. Farrar a call to settle as their gos- pel minister. The ordination was on the 10th of June, 1772. A church was formed at the same time.
The connection between Mr. Farrar and his charge was not of long continuance. In September, 1775, we find a town-meeting, called, upon three days' notice only, by the town-clerk, "by order of the selectmen," as the warrant states, " to consider the unhappy difficulty subsisting betwixt Mr. Farrar and his people, and to agree upon some proper means to settle the same." A committee was sent by the meeting to desire Mr. Farrar to come into the meeting-house, to see if he would join in calling a fast. It is not stated whether or not he came. The meeting voted to send for five ministers named, to come on the first Tuesday of October, and join with them in keeping a day of fasting and prayer, and also to give them advice concerning the difficulty in ques- tion. It does not appear whether such a fast was held. But, on the 26th of October, the town voted " to dismiss Mr. Farrar, upon his request for a dismissal, provided he don't settle the difficulty between him and the town, before the town meet again on adjournment."
These difficulties, growing out of a disordered state of his mind, amounting to partial insanity, led to the calling, by the concurrence of the church and the town, of a council,
17
CENTENNIAL ADDRESS.
which assembled December 6, 1775 ; and its result was de- clared on the next day, and accepted by the parties. In this result, the council state it as their opinion, " that, in the instances complained of, the Rev. Mr. Farrar has given the church real cause of uneasiness, but that it has proceeded from bodily diseases, which have greatly affected his mind, and not from any moral cause." At the end of six months, during which time it is supposed his pastoral duties were suspended, the difficulties still existing, he was, upon his own request, in pursuance of the result of the council, on the 7th of June, 1776, dismissed from his pastoral relation, by both the church and the town.
At a town-meeting, held on the same day on which Mr. Farrar was dismissed, the selectmen were instructed to hire preaching six months, and to procure three preachers, if they could find them. It appears from receipts existing, that they had several preachers ; but they made no choice of a minister till August, 1777, when they voted to settle Mr. Edward Sprague, at a salary of sixty pounds ($200) a year. They voted also to give him, as a settlement, ten pounds a year, until it should make one hundred pounds, - provided he should continue to be their gospel minister for the term of ten years, - and to furnish him thirty cords of fire-wood, annually. By a subsequent arrangement, the hundred pounds settlement-money was commuted, by his taking a lot of land (No. 22 in the 5th range), - he acknowledging payment of it in that way, and giving up all claim to the ministry lands of the town.
Mr. Sprague accepted the call upon the terms stated ; and, on the 12th of November, 1777, his ordination took place. The sermon was preached by the Rev. Samuel Langdon, D. D., President of Harvard College, and was published.
Of the part which the inhabitants of this town took in the Revolutionary War, there is no very accurate knowledge, - though there seems to be no doubt that they cooperated heartily and unanimously in the movement for indepen- dence.
3
·
18
CENTENNIAL ADDRESS.
In March, 1775, the town chose a committee of inspec- tion, who were to see that the Resolves of the Continental Congress be enforced. The only notice I have found of their doings is contained in a paper, which, as it is rather a curi- osity in its way, I transcribe. In form, it appears like a regu- lar legal adjudication upon a matter which would seem to be of private right. It runs as follows : -
" Dublin, July 25, 1775. - Whereas the Committee of Inspection in this town have this day met to consider of the complaint made by Ebenezer Hill against Willard Hunt, wherein said Hill complains that said Hunt hath in an unjust manner seized his property in taking possession of some hay which he had on a meadow belonging to Samuel Ames, Jr. ; and it appears to us by evidence that the hay is Hill's pro- perty, and that Hunt hath seized on it in an unjust and vio- lent manner :
" Therefore, voted that said Hunt immediately desist and let said Hill enjoy his property, or he shall be treated as a disorderly person and an enemy to the peace and good order of society.
" Voted that the above pass as a resolve of this committee. BENJA. MASON, Chairman."
If the facts were proved, the judgment was certainly a righteous one, and very moderate and forbearing towards the delinquent.
In March, 1776, the Continental Congress passed a Re- solve, recommending to the several assemblies, conventions and councils, or committees of safety, of the United Colonies, immediately to cause all persons to be disarmed within their respective Colonies, who were notoriously disaffected to the cause of America, or who refused to associate to defend, by arms, the Colonies against the hostile attempts of Great Britain. A copy of this Resolution was transmitted to the selectmen of the several towns, by the Committee of Safety for the Colony of New Hampshire, with a circular from C. them, bearing date April 12, 1776, of the following tenor : " In order to carry the underwritten Resolve of the honor-
19
CENTENNIAL ADDRESS.
able Continental Congress into execution, you are requested to desire all males above twenty-one years of age (lunatics, idiots and Negroes excepted), to sign the Declaration on this paper ; and, when so done, to make return thereof, together with the name or names of all who shall refuse to sign the same, to the General Assembly, or Committee of Safety of this Colony. - M. WEARE, Chairman."
The declaration referred to was as follows: "In conse- quence of the above Resolution of the Continental Congress, and to show our determination in joining our American brethren in defending the lives, liberties, and properties of the inhabitants of the United Colonies :
" We, the subscribers, do hereby solemnly engage and promise, that we will, to the utmost of our power, at the risk of our lives and fortunes, with arms, oppose the hostile pro- ceedings of the British fleets and armies against the united American Colonies."
The return from Dublin, which is not dated, but which was made probably in May or June, 1776, has appended to the list of names this certificate : "In compliance with your request, we have desired all the males in our town, above twenty-one years of age, to sign to the declaration on this paper, which they all did without any dispute. - Test : JOSEPH GREENWOOD, SIMEON BULLARD, JOHN MUZZEY, Se- lectmen of Dublin."
The list of signers contains fifty-seven names, - which may, therefore, be taken to have been the entire male popu- lation of the town, above the age of twenty-one years, at that time, excepting those, of whom there were doubtless some, that were absent in the military service or otherwise. The unanimity with which the declaration was subscribed may be taken as some evidence of the spirit which animated the people of the town. The circumstances, it must be con- fessed, were not the best adapted to insure an entirely free and independent expression of opinion ; and it may perhaps be doubted whether, in the actual state of the case, it re- quired more moral courage to sign the paper than to refuse
20
CENTENNIAL ADDRESS.
so to do. There is no reason, however, to suppose that the people of Dublin were not unitedly, and of their own free will, ardently attached to the cause of liberty.
How many and who actually served in the war, and when, where, and how long, it is impossible to ascertain with any great precision. Dublin had four men, at least, at Bunker Hill, namely : Jonathan Morse, Richard Gilchrist, Thomas Green and John Swan. The last named of these, it is said by Mr. Dunbar, in his history of Peterborough, was on duty, but not in the battle. Mr. Gilchrist probably saved the life of his friend Green, who was severely wounded, bearing him off upon his back, in a fainting and almost expiring state, from the field of battle, to Medford. Mr. Dunbar puts down Gilchrist, Green and Swan, as belonging to Peterborough. But they were all three taxed for a poll- tax, in Dublin, in 1775, and must, therefore, have resided here on the first of April, of that year. Mr. Gilchrist, it is presumed, never lived in Peterborough.
John Swan appears to have been a very patriotic indivi- dual. I have come across a scrap of paper, without direction, date or signature, which reads as follows : "Whereas Mr. John Swan hath a desire to serve his country in the Conti- nental Army, we, the Committee of Safety in Dublin, can recommend him to be a true friend to the cause of American liberty ; and, if your honors shall see cause to give him any command in said army, we hope he will be of service to the public." In after times he is dignified with the title of Lieutenant Swan. In what service he obtained the distinc- tion, I do not know. It seems that he died soon after 1780. A parcel of bills against his estate may be found among the old papers of the town, which appear to have been presented before some tribunal for allowance. They exhibit some curious particulars. One document reads thus : "Dublin, July the 10, 1783. This may certify that it is our judg- ment that Mr. Barnabas Wood must have six pounds twelve shillings, as a reward for his ox, out of the estate of John Swan. - MOSES ADAMS, BENJAMIN LEARNED."
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.