USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Hillsborough > The history of Hillsborough, New Hampshire, 1735-1921, Volume 2 > Part 30
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Lieutenant McColley enlisted when a boy in his teens in the service of the King of England, taking part in the French and Indian War in some of the most desperate encounters, as scout under Rogers, performing one of the most remarkable feats rec- orded in the sanguine warfare, when with a single companion he undertook the arduous task of conveying a message from General Howe at Lake George to General Montgomery at Quebec, making the long and arduous journey on foot through a pathless wilder- ness across the states of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, accomplishing the wonderful feat in safety and in less than a month, delivering his message and returning to the scene of battle. When the War of the American Revolution broke out he was again in action, and was with the troops that were called out to meet Burgoyne's army. Notwithstanding all of the dangers and hardships that he met he came through the wars without a scratch. By his correct habits, his benevolent disposition and integrity of character he kept through a long life the confidence and esteem of his fellow-townsmen. He was one of the first Selectmen chosen after the incorporation of the town, a position he held for seven years. He was also Town Clerk one year, having been chosen to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Enos Town. He d. Dec. 22, 1834, at the advanced age of 92 years, and rests in an un- marked grave at the Centre cemetery. The date of his wife's death is not known by the writer.
III. CHILDREN.
1. William, b. April 6, 1767; emigrated to New York state about 1812, and reared a large family, but nothing further is known of him.
2. John, Jr., b. August 13, 1769. (See)
387
MCCOLLEY.
3. James, b. November 5, 1771; m. Hannah Wilkins and set. in Mont Vernon, where he kept a toll gate for many years. An in- teresting incident is related that one morning a stranger passing through the gate refused to pay toll, and was in the act of whipping up his horse to drive on, when the young toll taker sprang nimbly into the wagon and seizing the traveler's hat leaped back to the ground, leaving him to ride on bare- headed if he chose to do it rather than pay his toll. He quickly concluded he had met more than his match, and handed over the small sum demanded, to receive back his hat, driving on a slightly poorer and perhaps a slightly wiser man. James McColley and his wife had no child of their own, but they adopted an infant boy, whom they gave the name of James. They d. and were buried in Mont Vernon.
4. Anna, b. July 10, 1773 ; m. James Miller. (See)
5. Martha, b. August 9, 1775 ; d. October 8, 1854, unm.
6. Margaret, b. April 2, 1778 ; d. in infancy.
7. Nathaniel, b. March 6, 1780; was a soldier in the War of 1812; d. in Hillsborough in 1833, unm.
8. Elizabeth, b. April 31, 1782; m. William Hastings, of Mont Vernon.
JOHN, JR., s. of Lt. John and Elizabeth (Gibson) McColley, was b. August 13, 1769; m. Mary Hutchinson.
IV. CHILDREN.
1. Polly, b. June 13, 1800.
2. Patty, b. May 6, 1802; m. Joseph Dickey. (See)
3. Clark H., b. July 17, 1804 ; m. Dec. 31, 1835, Caroline Gibson. (See)
4. Lucy H., b. January 20, 1807.
5. Jane S., b. September 17, 1808.
6. John, b. March 6, 1814.
7. Hiram, b. December 5, 1815. (See)
CLARK H., was b. July 17, 1804, and lived on a farm on the east side of Sulphur Hill. His gt. grandmother was the only woman in town during the first year of its settlement; his grand- father and grandmother were the first children born in town, and on their marriage, received as a gift, the farm on which his father and himself were born, only a short distance from the one he owned, and on which the greater number of his 80 years of up- right life were spent. He m. Dec. 31, 1835, Caroline, dau. of William and Rachel Gibson; was a Representative to the Leg- islature in 1854 and 1855; w. d. Mar. 27, 1879 ; he d. Nov. 7, 1884.
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HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH.
v. CHILDREN.
1. Charles E., b. in September, 1839 ; m. December 28, 1864, Hester M., dau. of Benjamin F. and Sabrina S. (Burns) McIlvain, of An- trim. He succeeded to the homestead. He d. April 26, 1889 ; wid. d. April 2, 1910. No children.
2. Emily C., b. April 7, 1842; m. September 9, 1863, Henry H. Griffin, of Antrim; lived at Templeton, Mass .; one child, a dau., Grace E., b. June 12, 1872.
CAPT. HIRAM, youngest s. of John and Mary (Hutchinson) McColley, b. Dec. 5, 1815, lived with his sis. Patty after the death of her husband, Joseph Dickey, on road from turnpike toward Sulphur Hill, acquired his military title from commission in state militia. He d. unm., May 14, 1894. He erected a beautiful and substantial granite monument in Pine Hill cemetery in memory of his grandparents, the two first white persons born in town, and who lie in unknown graves in the yard at the Centre.
McCOY.
ALEXANDER, s. of Ensign John and Margaret (Boyd) Mc- Coy, b. in Antrim, July 21, 1786 ; m. April 2, 1823, Catherine, dau. of Capt. Samuel and Margaret (McColley) Gibson, b. Sept. 24, 1794; d. Sept. 18, 1866. He rem. from Antrim to H., and kept a general store at the Upper Village for many years, where he d. Sept. 24, 1872, at the home of his wife's nephew, Mark McClin- tock. No children.
ROBERT, a bro. of Alexander, was a trader with his bro. at. the Upper Village, and d. there June 19, 1866. Childless.
McKEAN.
SAMUEL E., s. of Nathaniel and Betsy (Heath) Murdough, b. in Deering, August 18, 1820, was adopted when young by Eben Mckean, of Deering, and he took that name; m. Sept. 15, 1847, Sabrina, dau. of Dr. James S. and Mercy (Preston) Burtt, b. Feb. 19, 1822. He res. in H. more than fifty years, an industrious. citizen ; d. Oct. 25, 1895.
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MCKEAN -MCKELLIPS-MCMURPHY.
III. CHILDREN.
1. Emma L., b. August 11, 1848 ; m. first, Frederic B., s. of Edward N. and Jane A. (Corrigan) Jones ; they had one son, Edward N., b. March 1, 1866. She m. second, Charles Yorke, of Manchester.
2. Mary Elsie, b. August 2, 1851; m. Albert W. Draper.
3. Abbie F., b. September 25, 1853 ; m. Horace Muzzey ; she d. April 1, 1916.
MCKELLIPS.
HARVEY J., b. in 1843, in Weare, s. of Silas and Mary (John- son) and grandson of Stephen and Judith ( Peaslee) Mckellips. Was a soldier in the 14th New Hampshire Volunteers ; m. Ella V. George of Weare; d. June 16, 1912, în H.
IV. CHILDREN.
1. Cora I, b. in 1867.
2. Helen E., b. in 1870.
3. Maud H., b. in 1873.
McMURPHY.
DANIEL, s. of Alexander and Jean McMurphy, b. July 8, 1731 ; m. Mary Tolford. He was the pioneer in the Second Settle- ment, coming here from Cheshire, now Chester, in 1762, with his wife, fixing their home on West Hill, since known as Bible Hill. He afterwards rem. to Hill and later joined his brother-in-law, Joshua Tolford, in Alexandria. Mr. McMurphy was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, doing duty in the battle of Bunker Hill, and received a bullet in his right breast, though not aware of the fact until the blood was gushing from his boots! The ball was cut from his back, the next day, and as wonderful as it may seem he was in the field again as active as ever in less than a month.
III. CHILDREN.
1. William, of whom no record has been found.
2. Alexander (called "Sanders"), who m. a Mary Palmer, and had two children, a s. named Daniel, and a dau. Alexander served in both the Revolutionary War and War of 1812. In 1777 the town of Alexandria made him a grant of 50 acres of land.
3. Isabel.
4. John T.
5. David.
6. Molly, of whom no further records have been found.
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HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH.
NOTE.
Since writing Vol. I of this History I have run across the deed recorded at Exeter, by which Mr. McMurphy disposed of his property in Hillsborough. I have not found the name of Otterson anywhere in the records of the town, so judge he did not come here to live.
DANIEL McMURPHY of Hillsborough, Yeoman, to GEORGE OTTERSON of Londonderry, Husbandman.
A certain lot of land lying in Hillsborough so called aforesaid being the Lot No. Fifty in the East Range in the second division, con- taining by estimation one hundred acres more or less, bounded South- erly by Lot No. Forty nine & Northerly by Lot No. Fifty one. The said grantee to do & perform an equal & his proportional part with the other settlers in said township as to erecting a meeting house in said town, settling a gospel minister, making & repairing bridges & high- ways together with all public incident charges for promoting & en- couraging the settlement of said township. The grantor reserving the privilege of a road through the premises where it shall be most con- venient.
Dated April 17, 1764.
Witnesses, James Brown Jno Shepard, Junr
Daniel McMurphy ( [L. S.]
Acknowledged April 17, 1764, Before
Jno Shepard, Junr Justice of Peace.
McNIEL.
If not of the nobility the early McNiels were proud and defiant, especially wherever their honor was at stake. The first records we have of the family are written on the bloody pages of Scottish history in the days of civil and religious oppression. There is a tradition that the first one of the family to come to this country was a refugee from the wrath of an aroused lord, who had sworn that he should die for an injury done him. This un- fortunate member of the family named Andy, visiting one day a friend who lived on a nobleman's estate, was presented with a stout young sapling which had grown in a shape so as to make it an ideal scythe snath. While returning with this piece of wood he was met by the lord of the estate who immediately accused him
39I
MCNIEL.
of stealing it. Of course Andy McNiel denied this and so stoutly that the lord flew into a passion, called him a liar and wound the long lash of his serviceable whip about the other's limbs and body. The hot temper of McNiel was instantly aroused and the accused dealt the assailant a blow with his cudgel which felled the other at his feet. Upon discovering that his blow had been fatal, Mc- Niel did the only thing he could to save his life-fled the coun- try, coming to New England, where he became the ancestor of a long and widely scattered list of descendants.
CAPT. DANIEL, s. of John and Christian McNiel, of Derry- field, formerly of Londonderry, and a lineal descendant of Daniel McNiel one of the council of the city of Londonderry, Ire., who with twenty-one others placarded the resolution on the market house which led to the successful defense of the city, came to H. the year before its incorporation (1772), and set. on the farm afterwards occupied for many years by Dea. Tristam Sawyer. On the incorporation of the town he was chosen one of the Select- men, holding the office for four years. In 1776 he was appointed on the committee to select the most feasible crossing place for a bridge over the Contoocook River, and again in 1778 he was placed on the committee. He was also active in building the meet- ing house and served on various committees. He served in the Revolutionary War two or more years. He was drowned in the Contoocook River in 1790.
III. CHILDREN, TWO FIRST BORN IN DERRYFIELD. .
1. John, b. March 6, 1757. (See)
2. Daniel, Jr., b. January 28, 1764; m. December 25, 1788, Martha Parker. He is supposed to have occupied the homestead of his father ; was employed as architect to rebuild the bridge across the Contoocook in 1809. The records regarding his family are very obscure.
IV. CHILDREN.
1. Daniel, 3rd, b. March 24, 1792.
2. David, b. March 31, 1794.
LIEUT. JOHN, s. of Daniel and Jeanie McNiel, was b. in Derryfield, in Mar., 1757, and came to H. with his parents. He served in the Revolution, and was in the battle of Bunker Hill,
392
HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH.
in Captain Baldwin's Co., being one to help bear that unfortunate officer from the field when he fell mortally wounded. He was also at the battle of Bennington. He m. Lucy, eldest dau. of Dea. Isaac and Lucy (Perkins) Andrews. (See) He d. Sept. 29, 1836.
IV. CHILDREN.
1. Mary, b. July 6, 1779, m. James Wilson.
2. Solomon. (See)
3. John. (See)
4. Lucy, b. in April, 1786; d. in infancy.
GEN. SOLOMON, s. of Lt. John and Lucy (Andrews) McNiel, b. January 15, 1782 ; m. Feb. 16, 1815, Nancy M., dau. of Benja- min and Anna (Kendrick) Pierce, b. Nov. 2, 1792. She was the eldest sister of Gen. Franklin Pierce. He was Brigadier-General in the N. H. Militia from 1828 to 1832. He kept a general store at Lower Village for many years, but finally rem. to his father's homestead and became a successful farmer. She d. April 27, 1837 ; he d. April 30, 1863.
v. CHILDREN.
1. Ann, b. July 16, 1816 ; m. Hon. Tappan Wentworth, of Lowell, Mass.
2. Solomon, Jr., b. May 28, 1820; went to Ill. when a young man, but ret. East and d. in Lowell, Mass., in 1902.
3. John, b. November 6, 1822 ; educated in the common schools and at Hancock Literary and Scientific Institute, he studied law and practiced for a time in Antrim ; later ret. to H. and res. on his father's farm; was Adjutant of 26th Reg. N. H. Militia three years; represented the town in the State Legislature in 1864- 1865, and afterwards rem. to Concord, and from thence to Winchester, Mass. During President Pierce's administration he was inspector in the Boston Custom House, enjoying the distinction of being the only relative of the President holding an office. At one time he was connected with the Boston & 1 Lowell Railroad, and he was for several years agent of Dart- mouth College in the care of a large property bequeathed to the college by his brother-in-law Hon. Tappan Wentworth. Colonel McNiel was a gentleman of social and intelligent dis- position, and whatever position of honor and trust he held he filled with signal ability and uprightness. He was the confidential adviser of ex-President Pierce in his last years. He m. Cynthia, dau. of Amos and Sarah (Morse) Sawyer, of Methuen, Mass. He d. at Winchester, Mass., April 7, 1885; wid. d. at Dunbarton, April 19, 1910.
393
MCNIEL.
VI. CHILDREN.
1. Annie, b. in Lowell, Mass., March 14, 1854; was educated in a convent in Montreal, Can .; m. February 26, 1878, Charles F. M., s. of John and Caroline J. (Morris) Stark, of Dun- barton, where they res. on the old Stark homestead.
VII. CHILD.
1. John McNiel, b. in Winchester, Mass., in May, 1881; is a lawyer in Concord.
2. Franklin P., b. in 1857; d. in infancy.
3. Frances, b. June 22, 1859; m. in 1878, Gen. John M. Corse, of Winchester, and for a term of years Postmaster of Boston.
GEN. JOHN, S. of Lieut. John and Lucy ( Andrews) McNiel, b. Mar. 25, 1784; m. Feb., 1814, Elizabeth A., dau. of Gen. Ben- jamin and Lucy (Andrews) Pierce, b. Aug. 9, 1788. "His distin- guished military service commencing before actual declaration of war by Congress and continuing through a period of eighteen years, presents a bright page in the history of that contest, and have won for him a name that will be remembered along with the Sullivans, Starks and Cilleys of the Granite State. It is a fact worthy of notice that the gallant Eleventh Regiment in the battles of Chippewa and Niagara or Lundy's Lane should have been commanded by a young Major, and that he in the brief space of twenty days, should have received two brevets for his distin- guished and gallant conduct upon the field of battle. In the dusk of the evening, during the last-named engagement, while at the head of his regiment, cheering them on to the conflict, he was wounded by a cannister shot, which passed through the right knee. From the size of the ball the limb was dreadfully shattered and nearly carried away. Still he remained long upon the ground and did not leave it until fainting with the loss of blood, his situa- tion was observed by his soldiers near him, through whose aid he was sustained in his saddle and taken from the field." (For the military record of this gallant officer see Vol. I, of this work.) In April, 1830, he was appointed by President Jackson Supervisor of the Port of Boston, which position he held till his death. Gen- eral McNiel was a man of striking appearance, being six feet and six inches in height, a good prototype of his grandfather, the
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HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH.
original immigrant, who set. at Amoskeag Falls in Derryfield as a guardian of the fisheries there. He d. in Washington, Feb. 23, 1850.
1
V. CHILDREN.
1. John W. S., b. February 17, 1817, on the Island of Mackinaw; was educated at West Point; commenced the study of law in the office of his uncle Hon. Franklin Pierce at Hillsborough. At the breaking out of the Seminole War in Fla., he was appointed Second Lieut., Second Reg., U. S. Dragoons, June 8, 1836, and joined his reg. in Fla. during the winter. (For his army rec- ord, see Military History, Vol. 1, of this work.) He d. from the effects of a wound received the day previous September 11, 1837, a young officer of great promise. He was buried at St. Augustine, Fla., with the honors of war.
2. Elizabeth A. P., m. October 3, 1843, Hon. Chandler E. Potter. (See, in Vol. 1)
3. Benjamin P.
WILLIAM, s. of Peter and Mary (Stiles) McNiel, b. in New Boston, August 1, 1822 ; m. March 28, 1850, Sarah, dau. of Aaron and Betsy (Cooledge) Barnes ; res. in H. between 1850 and 1858, when he rem. to Clarence, Ia., where he engaged in extensive farming.
III. CHILDREN, THREE BORN IN HILLSBOROUGH AND THREE IN IOWA.
1. Scott, b. March 9, 1851.
2. Kate A., b. January 11, 1855.
3. Frank P., b. October 14, 1856.
4. Fred, b. July 1, 1860.
5. Dora, b. February 26, 1862.
6. Dana, b. November 4, 1864.
MAGUIRE.
WILLIAM J., b. in Boston, Mass., in 1853; m. in 1889, Jo- hanna Grace, of Boston. Own and occupy as a summer residence the Dea. Joseph Symonds homestead on Bible Hill.
II. CHILDREN.
1. Annie, b. in 1889.
2. Catherine, twin, b. in 1889.
3. John, b. in 1892.
4. Anthony, b. in 1895.
5. Leonard, b. in 1897.
6. Walter, b. in 1900.
395
MANAHAN.
MANAHAN.
Under different forms of spelling this is an old and honor- able family in Scottish history, running back as far as the stormy period of Sir William Wallace, but the first of whom we have any particular record is that of Michael Manahan born in the north of Ireland about the time of the beginning of the exodus of the Scotch-Irish to New England. He had at least two sons, the oldest of whom, John, b. in 1744, was educated for the army, which he entered in youth and was sent with a body of troops to the newly acquired possession of the English in America. While stationed at Quebec with his regiment, he was insulted by a sup- erior officer and in his anger struck the latter a blow in the face. To escape inevitable punishment he fled to New England with twenty-nine others, who were tired of army life. As this was in the dead of winter less than half of the unfortunates escaped the rigors of the climate. John Manahan was among these, and eventually he settled in Londonderry, where he married Mary Nesmith, and rem. to Goffstown, in the vicinity of the Taggart place and became a trader. Upon the breaking out of the Revolu- tionary War he became a soldier and participated in the Battle of Bunker Hill. He was with General Arnold in his expedition against Quebec, owing to his knowledge of the country being a valuable member. He was with General Stark at the Battle of Bennington, so he saw his share of service in the American cause. About 1780 he rem. to Francestown upon what was known as the Parker Bartlett farm, where he had descendants living not long since. His wife Mary (Nesmith) Manahan d. Dec. 21, 1811, aged 59 years. He d. May 10, 1818, and their graves may be seen in the old Francestown burial ground.
III. CHILDREN.
1. Elsie, m. first, John Seeton, and m. second, John Nahor.
2. John, m. Ann Scoby, of Londonderry.
3. Mary, d. in infancy.
4. Adam, m. Mary Brewster and settled in Greenfield.
5. James, m. Abigail Dodge.
6. Margaret, m. Edward Brennan.
396
HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH.
ADAM, second son of Michael Manahan, b. in Ireland about 1760, came to New England at the close of the Revolution in search of his brother John, from whom nothing had been heard since his desertion from the army. It was not until he had given up his search as useless that he met by chance on Long Wharf, Boston, Peter Woodbury of Francestown, and incidentally men- tioned his name. Upon his return home Mr. Woodbury related the fact of having met a man by the name of Adam Manahan, when John exclaimed : "It is my brother Adam!" As soon as he could John went to Boston, and found his brother whom he had not seen since the latter was five years old. It is needless to say that the glad tidings were sent to the aged mother in Ireland who had waited so long for the good news. Upon the advice of John, Adam rem. to Deering, with his wife, a dau. of Deacon Gutterson of Methuen, Mass. They were the parents of eleven children : John, Richard, William, Joseph, Stephen, Valentine, Thompson, Mark, Ruth, Polly and Elvira, who m. Solomon S. Bailey of Weare. (See Francestown History.)
JOHN, oldest child of Adam and Ruth (Gutterson) Manahan, was b. at Methuen, Mass., May I, 1792 ; m. Lucinda, dau. of Ben- jamin Felch, of Weare, b. May 17, 1800. They set. in Sutton after their marriage, where they lived until the spring of 1826, when they rem. to New London, where he d. in 1862, a respected citizen ; his wid. d. in Hillsborough, Jan. 16, 1882.
III. CHILDREN, FOUR ELDEST BORN IN SUTTON, AND OTHERS BORN IN NEW LONDON.
1. Emily, b. July 2, 1820 ; m. Dea. John A. V. Smith. (See)
2. Lucinda, b. February 25, 1822; m. Thomas A. B. Young, and d. in Sutton, July 10, 1890.
IV. CHILDREN.
1. George, who lives in Me.
2. Walter, who res. in Putnam, Conn.
3. Mary, b. March 4, 1824; d. August 19, 1906, unm.
4. Valentine, b. November 17, 1825; studied medicine with Dr. H. C. Bickford, of New London, and others; graduated from the Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pa., and practised his profession in Springfield, Antrim and Enfield, for over half a century with great success. He m. October 21, 1851, Abbie E.,
WILLIAM H. MANAHAN
397
MANAHAN.
dau. of Reuben Porter, of Sutton; she d. January 5, 1856 ; he d. October 14, 1907. Dr. Manahan educated 'in academical and collegiate course two girls and one boy, only one of the three now living and she is a successful teacher in Bloomfield, N. J. 5. Abby A., b. April 12, 1828 ; m. Beniah Fitts, of Worcester, Mass .. an inventor and mechanic of great skill. She d. October 24, 1894. Their children were: Homer, Carrie, Ellen, Norman and Edson Fitts.
6. Newton, b. September 19, 1830; m. January 1, 1851, Hepsybeth A. Thompson, and res. in New London. He d. May 7, 1884. Chil- dren : Helen, Cora and Lottie.
7. Fannie A., b. January 18, 1835 ; m. T. Newell Turner, of Worcester, Mass .: Mr. Turner d. in 1898.
V. CHILD.
1 Wallace M. Turner, was graduated from Harvard College in 1891, A. B .; A. M. conferred in 1896. Is a successful teacher in Boston.
8. William H. (See)
WILLIAM HENRY, s. of John and Lucinda (Felch) Manahan, was b. at New London, Mar. 31, 1840; was educated in the common schools and Colby Academy and later a business course at Eaton's Commercial College, Worcester, Mass. He m. Mar. 31, 1862, Fannie Harriet, dau. of Charles C. and Harriet (Farn- ham) Chaffin, of Walpole, N. H., and soon after their marriage this young couple took up their permanent abode in Hillsborough, locating at the Lower Village, where he engaged in lumber and milling business, later adding furniture manufacturing at Bridge Village in 1871. About this time Mr. Manahan became interested in real estate, handling property for others upon a commission, appraising same and selling it at public auction. In the latter capacity he soon acquired an enviable reputation for his gift of language and attractive descriptions. Wherever it was known he was to be the auctioner a large crowd was certain to congregate and his sales netted good returns, both to him in commissions and to the seller. Nor was he confined to a local field of operation for he was called into every New England state wherever a large deal was on hand, and he frequently went as far as the South to conduct a big sale. Mr. E. S. Stearns, in a biographical sketch says aptly : "As far back as when he was a boy in school Mr. Manahan could "speak a piece" on exercise day with as good
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HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH.
effect as most of the older pupils, and in later years in conducting land and timber sales his oratorical ability and easy command of language were considerable factors in the remarkable success which attended his efforts in that direction. This quality developed with years, and when he was sent to occupy a seat in the lower branch of the New Hampshire legislature he soon be- came recognized as one of the best public speakers and debaters in the house, and won for him many expressions of admiration."
Never seeking political office at the urgent request of party supporters, he has acted as Moderator at twelve town meetings, and represented the town in the State Legislature in 1885-86, making an excellent reputation not only in debating public ques- tions but as an advocate of safe, conservative Legislative policy. He introduced and championed the bill to prevent double taxation of mortgaged real estate and secured its passage in the face of stubborn opposition. In 1889 he served as a member of the Con- stitutional Convention. An evidence of Mr. Manahan's popular- ity is shown by the fact that he was the first Republican elected to the legislature in a town that had been safely Democratic for one hundred and fourteen years. He has been Justice of the Peace and Quorum for thirty-five years.
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