USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Derry > The history of Londonderry : comprising the towns of Derry and Londonderry, N.H. > Part 25
USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Londonderry > The history of Londonderry : comprising the towns of Derry and Londonderry, N.H. > Part 25
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Matthew inherited his father's farm in Londonderry. He married Margaret Anderson, by whom he had four sons and three daughters ; namely, James, Samuel, Matthew, John, Margaret, Mary, and Elizabeth.
Eleanor married Robert Hemphill, of Windham, and had a family of sons and daughters.
FAMILY OF ROBERT CLARK.
ROBERT CLARK, of the Scotch colony, in Ireland, came to Londonderry about the year 1725, and settled on the height of land northwest of Beaver Pond. He died in 1775. Letitia, his wife, was the daughter of John Cochran, of Londonderry in Ireland. She died in 1783. Their children were as follows : -
William, who married Anne Wallace, and settled in New Boston, N. H., in 1766. His children were Robert, John, Ninian, Rebecca, Anne, and Letitia.
John, who married Nancy Stinson, lived in Londonderry, and died in 1808. His children were Robert, David, Letitia, Polly, Alexander, William, Jane, Betsey, and John.
Samuel, who married Sarah Holmes, and subsequently, Janet Barnett, and died in Londonderry, in 1791. His children were Robert, Daniel, Sally, Moses, William, John, and Janet.
Ninian, who married Mary Ramsey, settled in New Boston, N. H., and died in 1808. His children were Wil- liam, Lydia, Robert, Hugh, Hamilton, Letitia, David, Jona- than, and Samuel.
Jane, who married James Crombie, and resided in New
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Boston. Her children were William, Robert, John, Letitia, Jane, James, Samuel, and Clark.
Letitia, who married Samuel Wallace, and subsequently Robert Moor, of Londonderry, and died in 1832, at the age of eighty-nine. Her children by her first husband were Annis, Letitia, Rebecca, and Sarah ; by her second husband, Jane, Mary, and Samuel.
Agnes, who married William Anderson, and lived in Lon- donderry. Her children were Hugh, Robert, Marianne, James, William, Letitia, Elizabeth, and John.
Elizabeth, who married Andrew Mack, of Londonderry. Her children were Jane, Letitia, Elizabeth, John, Isabella, Robert, Andrew, and Daniel.
FAMILY OF JOHN CROMBIE.
JOHN CROMBIE emigrated from the north of Ireland, and settled in Londonderry, about the year 1720. He married Joan Rankin, November 17, 1721, and by her had four sons and five daughters ; namely, Hugh, William, James, John Elizabeth, Mary, Jane, Nancy, and Ann.
Hugh lived in Chester, N. H., married, and had a family.
John married Rebecca Barnett, by whom he had three sons and two daughters ; namely, William, Moses, John, Mary, and Huldah. He was for several years one of the selectmen of Londonderry.
James married Jane Clark, by whom he had six sons and two daughters, as follows : 1. William, who married Betsey Fairfield, and settled in the State of New York, where he still lives. 2. Robert, who married Mary Patterson, and lived and died in New Boston, N. H. 3. John, who married Lydia Clark, and lived and died in New Boston. 4. James, who married Joanna Jones, studied medicine with Dr. Jones, formerly of Lyndeborough, N. H., and commenced practice in 1798, at Temple, N. H. In 1820, he removed from Temple to Francestown, N. H., where he continued the
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practice of medicine, until 1850, when he removed to Derry, where he now resides with his son, James H. Crombie, M. D. 5. Samuel, who married Mary Cooledge, and re- moved to Waterford, Me., where he was engaged in the practice of medicine until his death. 6. Clark, who married Lucy Dean, lived for many years in New Boston, and after- wards removed to Lowell, Mass, where he still resides. 7. Jane, who married James Cochran, and still lives in New Boston. 8. Letitia.
In 1783, James Crombie, Sen., removed from London- derry to New Boston. All his children were born in Lon- donderry, with the exception of Clark, who was born in New Boston.
Elizabeth married William Blair.
Mary married John Patten, of Chester.
Jane married Robert Clendenin.
Nancy married Deacon Peter Calhoun.
Ann married John Cochran.
FAMILY OF SAMUEL DICKEY.
SAMUEL DICKEY, the ancestor of this family, although not one of the first, was among the early settlers of Londonderry. He settled on the south side of Moose Hill, subduing and occupying the farm now possessed by his grandson, Captain Joseph Dickey. Mr. Dickey was distinguished for his Herculean strength, it being equal to that of two ordinary men. He had two sons and five daughters.
Adam, the elder son, married Jane Nahor, and settled on that part of his father's farm now owned by Warren Coffin, Esq., where he lived several years ; after which he removed to Vermont. In the decline of life, he returned to his native town, where he died.
Betsey, the eldest daughter, married James Betton, Esq., several of whose descendants were among the more respect- able and influential members of the community. Silas Betton,
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son of James, pursued a literary course, and graduated at Dartmouth College, 1787. He settled as an attorney at law, in Salem, N. H. He was for several years a member of the New Hampshire legislature, as a representative, and as a senator. He was a representative of the State in Congress from 1803 to 1807, and high sheriff of Rockingham county from 1813 to 1819. He died January 22, 1822.
The second daughter married Alexander Parker, of Green- field, N. H.
Mary married Robert Boyd. Jenny was a deaf mute.
Martha married John Cochran, of New Boston. They were among the first settlers, and their descendants consti- tute some of the more respectable and influential members of that community.
Robert, the younger son, inherited the homestead, as well as much of that muscular energy that marked the character of his father. Of this, his contemporaries are said to have had effective demonstration, as they engaged in the athletic sports and games of that early period. These practices, which served to test and foster the strength, energy, and courage of the combatants, and which are now passed away, were adapted to the times, when such physical powers and virtues were more requisite than in the present improved state of society. Though Mr. Dickey was not quarrelsome or revengeful in his disposition, yet, in one of those combats so frequent in his day, a stroke of his powerful arm proved, most unhappily, fatal to his antagonist. He married Hannah Woodburn, of whom a brief notice is given in the account of the family of John Woodburn; and from them descended the families of Dickey, now inhabitants of the town, and several others who have removed to distant parts of the country. Mr. Dickey possessed a generous public spirit and kind and hospitable feelings. He died when little past the meridian of life. He had eleven children, all of whom lived to mature life. Ten still survive, the youngest of whom is about fifty years of age.
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These children, while favored with such means of educa- tion as the times then afforded, were early accustomed to habits of labor and industry. They were principally trained to agricultural pursuits, and their devotedness to husbandry, that very useful and honorable employment, forms a distin- guishing feature in their family history. Few have engaged in mechanical or mercantile business, or in professional life.
As these ten children were all settled within a few miles of the paternal home, their local situation, early friendship, and frequent intercourse, have rendered this family, in its several branches, remarkable for the intimacy and harmony which have prevailed among them. . Few circles have en- joyed more social gatherings, or been less broken by the hand of death, than this. "The habits of this family," to use the language of one of its members, "are decidedly domestic, much less disposed to hazardous speculation and scheming enterprise, than to honest toil. Indeed, of all its numerous members, none have as yet discovered any other channel to competence and character, than hard work ; so much so, indeed, that many of them have come to measure character, not so much by moral virtues or intellectual attainments, as by the amount of hard labor performed. Though none of them have shone conspicuously in the public arena, few have reason to blush for their reputation. Though none of them boast large fortunes, yet so much have they been favored by fortune's smiles, that all enjoy a competence, and at no time has any member been dependent, either upon public charity or private munificence."
FAMILY OF GEORGE DUNCAN.
GEORGE DUNCAN was a son of George Duncan who lived and died in Ireland. He came to this country with his second wife, Margaret Cross, and his seven children. They were John, the eldest by a former marriage, and George, William, Robert, Abraham, Esther, and James, by
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the second marriage. He was a man of education, and was a justice of the peace.
John married Rachel Todd. They brought with them to this country four children ; namely, John, George, Abraham, and William. The latter was born on the passage. After their arrival and settlement in Londonderry, they had five other children ; namely, James, Naomi, Polly, Rachel, and Rosanna. From this stock are descended John Duncan, Esq., of Londonderry, William H. Duncan, Esq., of Han- over, N. H., and several families of that name in Antrim, and elsewhere. George, son of John, married Mary Bell, youngest daughter of John and Elizabeth Bell. They lived at Peterborough, where she died, about 1811, aged eighty- three. Their children were Elizabeth, who married Rev. Samuel Taggart, member of Congress ; Rachel, who married Deacon John Todd, of Peterborough; Sarah; Esther, who married Moses Black, of Boston, Mass .; a daughter, who married Ebenezer Moore, of Peterborough ; Mary, who mar- ried Rev. Mr. Wallace, and George, who married Jane Ferguson, and removed to Western New York, or Ohio. William, son of John, married Jane Alexander, lived many years in Londonderry, and had three children, Rosanna, Rachel, and Ann. Rosanna married Thomas Lamb, and died about 1849, aged eighty-nine. Thomas Lamb of Boston, is. her son. Rachel and Ann left no children. Rachel, daughter of John, married Samuel Archibald, of Nova Scotia, and had several children. Among them was the Hon. Sam- uel G. W. Archibald, attorney-general of Nova Scotia, who lived at Halifax, greatly respected.
George married Letitia. Bell, eldest daughter of John and Elizabeth Bell, and lived in Londonderry. He was an elder in the church, and died about 1780-5, aged about seventy. Their children were as follows : 1. John, who married Mary Duncan, was resident in Antrim, which town he represented in the legislature, was a State senator, and died in 1822,
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aged ninety-one. 2. George, who removed to the West. 3. James, Esq., of Hancock. He represented that town in the. legislature, and died about 1804. 4. Josiah. 5. Elizabeth, who married James Cunningham, of Pembroke. 6. Letitia, (?) who married Alexander Todd.
William married Naomi Bell, sister of Letitia above men- tioned. They lived in Londonderry, where she died, about 1804, aged eighty-nine. Captain Duncan died about 1798, aged eighty-two. Their children were as follows : 1. George, of Acworth, who died unmarried. 2. John, of Acworth, rep- resentative and colonel, whose sons were Adam, John, and Horace. 3. William, who died unmarried. 4. Isaac, of Acworth. 5. Rachel, wife of Major John Pinkerton. 6. Susannah, wife of Joseph Patterson of Henniker. 7. Jane, wife of Abraham Duncan. 8. Elizabeth, wife of Thomas Moore, of Acworth. 9. Margaret, wife of William Adams.
Robert moved to Boston, married Isabella Caldwell, and had several children. Among their descendants, are the families of the late Alden Bradford, and William Stephen- son, of Boston, and William Thomas, of Plymouth.
Abraham married, lived, and died in North Carolina.
Esther married John Cassan, (?) of Connecticut.
James married Elizabeth Bell, third daughter of John and Elizabeth Bell, and was a merchant in Haverhill, Mass. He acquired a large property, and died about 1818, aged ninety-two. His wife died, aged about forty-seven years. Their children were as follows : 1. John, who died unmar- ried. 2. Samuel, of Grantham, N. H., who married a Miss Emerson, and had several children. 3. Robert, who was representative of Grantham, married a Miss Emerson ; had a son, Samuel B., and died in 1807. 4. Abraham. 5. Wil- liam, who lived at Concord, N. H., and represented that town. He married a Miss Harris, and had a son James, a daughter Mehitable, who married Andrew McClary, a daughter, who married the late George B. Upham, of Clare-
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mont, N. H., and a daughter who married a Mr. Shapleigh, of Portsmouth, N. H. He died about 1795. His widow removed to Ohio with her son James, and died in 1835. 6. James, who married Rebecca White, and died about 1822. He had two sons, Col. Samuel, who died about 1824, aged thirty-four, leaving children, and Col. James H., counsellor at law, and representative in Congress, who married Miss Willis, and has a large family. 7. Elizabeth, who married a Mr. Thatcher, a lawyer, and afterwards George Carter, and is living at Boston. 8. Margaret, who is now living, and is the widow of Thomas Baldwin, D. D., of Boston. 9. Mary, and three others.
FAMILY OF SAMUEL ELA.
SAMUEL ELA removed from Haverhill, Mass., and settled in Londonderry, about the year 1755, and died in 1784. He had eight children, as follows : -
Edward married a Miss Colby ; had two children, Edward and Nancy, and died in Londonderry.
Clark married a Miss Fulton, and had one son.
David married Nancy, the daughter of Deacon Samuel Fisher, and widow of William Cunningham, and had five children ; namely, Clark, William, Sally, Lois, and Charlotte. He lived and died in Londonderry.
John married Sarah Ferson, and had one child, who died in early life.
Tabitha married Richard Petty, and removed to Thorn- ton, N. H.
Hannah married Jonathan Ferson, and also removed to Thornton.
Mary married Eliphalet Cheney, and removed to Canaan, N. H.
Lois died in childhood ..
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FAMILY OF ROBERT GILMORE.
ROBERT GILMORE was born near Coleraine in Ireland, and married Mary Ann Kennedy, in that country. They emigrated early to Londonderry, where they spent the rest · of their days. His age at his death was eighty. His chil- dren were William, Robert, John, and James.
William married Elizabeth -. The births of four children are recorded upon the town records ; Robert, Mary, James, and Anne.
Robert lived at Londonderry, where he died about 1780, aged eighty. By his first wife, Anne, he had two children, James and Elizabeth; and by his second wife, Elizabeth, he had three sons and two daughters ; John and Roger, both of whom lived in Jaffrey, N. H., William, who lived in Lon- donderry, Meriam, and Jemima.
John died unmarried.
James married Jean Baptiste. They lived in Londonderry, and both died about the same time, of pleurisy. He was about fifty years of age. They had a large family, as follows : 1. John died at Rockingham, Vt., aged about eighty-one, and left a family. 2. Jonathan, who lived at Ira, Vt., married a Miss Hunter, and had several children, of whom James, Robert, William, and Jonathan, were lately living in Ohio. 3. James, who was colonel of the eighth regiment, and who had several children ; James, John of Belfast, Me., Robert, Gawen of Acworth, Baptiste, Jonathan, Jane, Margaret, and Ann. 4. Jane, who married Robert Patterson of Saco, Me., and had eleven sons and three daughters. 5. Margaret, who married George Pattison of Coleraine, Mass., and had six sons and one daughter. 6. Elizabeth, who married Samuel Wilson, died at Londonderry in 1816, aged eighty-five, and had six children; Samuel, Jane (Patterson, afterwards Aiken), Elizabeth (Clyde), Rachel (Gregg of Waterford, N. Y.), Mary Ann (Wilson), Margaret (Anderson). 7.
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Agnes, who married Benjamin Nesmith. 8. Mary Ann, who married John Bell, Esq., of Londonderry. For her descendants, see family of John Bell.
FAMILY OF JAMES GREGG.
CAPTAIN JAMES GREGG, one of the sixteen who first settled in Londonderry, was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, and emigrated with his parents to Ireland, about the year 1690. Previous to his leaving Scotland, he had served as an apprentice to the tailoring business. He married Janet Cargil. They had four sons and one daughter ; namely, William, John, Samuel, Thomas, and Elizabeth. Soon after his marriage he commenced the business of linen-draper, and for several years pursued it with success, and accumu- lated considerable property. In 1718, he embarked with many others for America, and was among those who passed the following winter at Cape Elizabeth, where they endured many privations and much suffering. As Mr. Gregg pos- sessed the means, and also the disposition, he was very efficient in aiding and encouraging this company of settlers amid their trials and wants. He subsequently received a captain's commission, and commanded the first company of soldiers raised in the town.
William, the eldest son of Captain James Gregg, became the principal surveyor in the town, and laid out its lots. He married Janet Rankin. They had two sons and two daugh- ters ; James and Hugh, Naomi and Frances.
John married Agnes Rankin. They had ten children; namely, James, Hugh, John, William, George, Samuel, Joseph, and Benjamin ; and twin daughters, Elizabetlı and Janet.
Samuel married Mary Moor, by whom he had four sons and three daughters ; James, John, Samuel, David, Margaret, Mary, and Elizabeth.
Thomas married Ann Leslie. They had several sons and daughters. Some of their posterity now reside in Vermont.
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Elizabeth married James Moor. They had three sons and two daughters ; namely, William, Robert, Hugh, Mary, and Elizabeth.
James, the eldest son of John Gregg, and grandson of James, married Mary McCurdy. They had five sons and three daughters; John, Joseph, James, Jonathan, Benjamin, Elizabeth, Hannah, and Mary.
William, the third son of John, married Barbara Aiken, and had two sons and three daughters ; Ebenezer, William, Jane, Rosanna, and Elizabeth.
John, the fourth son of John, married his cousin Mary Gregg. They had three sons and three daughters ; Benja- min, Ebenezer, William, Agnes, Jane, and Mary.
Samuel, the fifth son of John, married Agnes Smiley. They had eight children ; John, Hugh, Samuel, George, Saralı, Ann, Mary, and Elizabeth.
Joseph, the seventh son of John, married Susanna Aiken ; had four sons and seven daughters ; namely, John, Nathaniel, Joseph, David A., Anne, Margaret, Barbara, Susanna, Elizabeth, Jane, and Sarah.
Benjamin, the eighth son of John, married Lettice Aiken. They had two sons and two daughters ; John and James, Lettice and Jane.
FAMILY OF DAVID GREGG.
DAVID GREGG was the ancestor of another family, entirely unconnected with the preceding. He was born in Londonderry in Ireland, in 1685, and was the son of John Gregg, who was also a native of the same city. He married Mary Evans, and with his wife and son, William, who was then eight years of age, emigrated to North America, and settled in the southerly part of Londonderry (now Windham), in November, 1722. After his arrival in this country, he had other children.
William, the eldest son, married Elizabeth Kyle, who was
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born in the county of Antrim, in Ireland, in 1719, and came to this country in 1727. He had six sons and three daugh- ters.
1. One son died while a soldier in the French war, at Schenectady, N. Y., in 1755. 2. William married Isabel Dunlap, and had three sons and six daughters. 3. David married a Miss Gregg, a cousin, and had two sons and one daughter. 4. Thomas married a Miss McCoy, and had one son, Daniel, who lived in Boston, Mass. 5. The oldest daughter, married Richard Sisk, and lived in Massachusetts. 6. Mary, the second daughter, married Hugh McKeen, of Acworth, N. H., had a family, and removed to Genessee county, N. Y. 7. Jane, the third daughter, married James McAlvain, and removed to Francestown, N. H., and had four sons and one daughter. 8. John married Lydia Melvin, and lived for a time in Acworth, but now resides in Claremont, N. H. He had four sons and four daughters. 9. Alexander was a soldier in the army of the Revolution, and also made several privateering voyages during the war. He married Sarah Adams, and removed to Antrim, N. H., in 1786. He had four sons and four daughters. James A. Gregg, M. D., of Manchester, N. H., is one of the sons.
David Gregg was a younger son of David and Mary Gregg. He left his parents at the age of fifteen, went to sea, and did not return until he was thirty years of age. It is related of him, that having been promoted to the command of a vessel, he came into the country to pass the winter, and engaged his board of his father and mother. He was not recognized by them or any of the neighbors, until he hap- pened to meet Molly McCoy, a blind, woman, who no sooner heard his voice, than she exclaimed, " David Gregg has come !" Captain Gregg was an officer in the French war, and commanded the batteaux on the North River. He after- wards settled in Windham, and married a Miss Clyde, by whom he had several children, who are settled in various parts of the country.
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FAMILY OF ABRAHAM HOLMES.
ABRAHAM HOLMES and wife, with his children, came from Ireland, in 1719, and soon joined the settlement which . had been commenced in Londonderry. He had married for his second wife, Mary Morrison. He was early elected an elder in the First Presbyterian church. He died in 1753, at the age of seventy.
His son John, who was ten years old when he came to this country, was also an elder in the same church, during the long ministry of the Rev. Mr. Davidson. He settled on the farm now owned and occupied by William M. Holmes, in Londonderry. He married Grizel Givean. They had nine children, three sons and six daughters; namely, Sarah, Margaret, Abraham, Eleanor, Robert, Mary, Thomas, Mary Ann, and Martha. 1. Sarah married John Barnett. 2. Eleanor married William Wier. 3. Mary Ann married Thomas Boyd. 4. Martha married Alexander Boyd. 5. Abraham, the oldest son, married and settled in Peter- borough, N. H., and had eleven children, eight sons and three daughters. 6. Robert, the second son, married a Miss Wier, and settled in Jaffrey, N. H., and had a large family of children. 7. Thomas, the third son, married Margaret Patterson, and lived on the farm of his father. He had twelve children. Sarah, who married Amos Page ; John, who married Sarah Anderson for his first, and Mary Adams for his second, wife ; Grizel, who married Thomas Savory ; Peter, who married Olive Graves, and now resides in Hop- kinton, Mass., one of whose sons, Franklin Holmes, gradu- ated at Yale College, in 1845, and has entered the gospel ministry ; Robert, who married Jane Anderson, and died in 1825, leaving a widow and three children; Margaret, who married William Boyd; Thomas, who married Sarah Graves, settled in West Boylston, and there died, leaving a widow and four children; Abraham, who married Esther
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HISTORY OF LONDONDERRY.
Smith, and is settled in Ridgefield, Ct. ; James, who mar- ried Martha Barker for his first, and Susan Webster for his second wife, and resides in Derry ; Matthew, who married Betsey Fitts, remains in Londonderry ; William M., who married Judith Noyes, and lives in Londonderry, on the . homestead ; and Jane F., who is unmarried.
John Holmes, the eldest son of Thomas, was ordained an elder of the Presbyterian church in Londonderry, in 1827, and still officiates in that session. He has four children living, three sons and one daughter. · James, his eldest son, graduated at Dartmouth College, 1838, and at Andover Theological Seminary 1841. He married Miss Amanda Burns, of Milford, in 1841. In 1842, he was ordained and installed pastor of the Presbyterian church in Watertown, Ohio. He resigned his charge in that place, in 1846, and after supplying the church and society in Auburn, N. H. three years, was installed pastor of that church, December 5, 1849.
Caroline, daughter of elder John Holmes, was married, May, 1849,. to Rev. William Murdock, of Candia, N. H.
FAMILY OF JOHN MACK.
JOHN MACK and Isabella Brown, his wife, came from Londonderry, Ireland, in 1732, and settled near the site of the Rev. Dr. Morrison's meeting-house, in the West Parish, where he died, in 1753, at the age of fifty-five. His widow lived until about the year 1770. Their children were William, Janet, John, Robert, Martha, Elizabeth, Andrew, and Daniel.
William remained in Ireland until he arrived at the age of twenty-one years, when, coming to America, he enlisted as a soldier in the "French war," and marrying Mary Hylands, he resided at Amherst, N. H., and subsequently at Londonderry, Vt. His children were Margaret, John, Oliver, Naomi, Ruth, Janet, Andrew, Elijah, Mary, Jane,
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and Jesse. Descendants of this family reside in Washing- ton county, N. Y.
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