The history of Weare, New Hampshire, 1735-1888, Part 20

Author: Little, William, 1833-1893. cn
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Lowell, Mass., Printed by S. W. Huse & Co.
Number of Pages: 1240

USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Weare > The history of Weare, New Hampshire, 1735-1888 > Part 20

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).

CAPT. SAMUEL PHILBRICK, from Seabrook, settled just east of the beautiful Mount Odiorne, on lot fifty-seven, range one. He

* ASA SARGENT, from Amesbury, Mass., settled on the east side of lot 23, in the gore, one-half mile east of Cram brook.

MICHAEL SARGENT lived at the same place.

JACOB SARGENT also lived there, and the three were brothers.

JOSEPH WEBSTER settled in the valley of the Piscataquog, on lot 11, range 2.

JOHN CILLEY, from South Hampton, settled on School hill, lot 17, range 6. He with his cousin bought the lot in 1766, of Edward Gove of Hampton Falls, for £30, and divided the land between them, John taking the south half. They did not bring their families to Weare for two years. While alone he boarded with his sister, Mrs. Thomas Evens.

BENJAMIN CILLEY, the cousin, had the north half of the lot. While clearing his farm he boarded himself and lived on potatoes and salt.

JOHN HUNTINGTON, JR., of Amesbury, Mass., located on Barnard hill, lot 67, range 3. He was a blacksmith, kept old bachelor's hall till 1775, and then went away to the war. He sold to Joseph Maxfield in 1781, and settled on the south end of lot 10, range 4.

HENRY TUXBURY settled on the east half of lot 14, range 4, east of Center square. He was an officer in the Revolutionary army.

BENJAMIN PAGE, from Kensington, settled east of Sugar hill, on lot 87, range 7. He bought of William and John Darling, and lived there till his death, Dec. 16, 1782.

PHINEHAS FERRIN bought part of lot 18, range 6, south slope of Sugar hill, of Adonijah Fellows, lived there till 1786, when he sold to Humphrey Eaton of Seabrook, for £270, and having joined the Shakers, soon after moved to their settlement in Enfield.

BENJAMIN COLLINS, 1769, settled on a part of lot 89, range 7, east of Sugar hill. He bought his land of Benjamin Page, and built his house at what is now known as the Stevens' place. He went to the war.

JOSEPH HUNTINGTON built his house on Barnard hill, lot 67, range 3, north of John . Huntington.

ENOCH SWEAT squatted on lot 100, range 7, Page hill. Obadiah Eaton removed him with a writ of ejectment. He was a barber and made fine wigs; one for Col. Nathan- iel Fifield, for which he received $40.

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HISTORY OF WEARE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

[1770.

came early in the season, cleared a few acres, built a substantial cabin and Nov. 12th moved into it with his family. He was an ex- cellent citizen, took an active part in town affairs and was a captain in the Revolutionary army. He died in Weare and was buried in his private graveyard on the south-west slope of Mine hill.

JOHN BLAKE, from Salisbury, Mass., settled on lot forty-seven, range six, and built his house near Center brook, where Joshua W. Flanders now lives. His son, Jesse, came with him and together they built a grist-mill on that stream. Jesse was a man of great strength, and was often known to carry a barrel of maple sap on his shoulder into his sugar camp. Jesse's son, David, caught a wolf in a large steel trap near Purington parade or the present fair ground. They went to hunter Chase and told him what they had got. "Pause ! " said he; "there has not been a wolf in town for ten years." But when he saw the track he changed his mind. The wolf had gone off with the trap on its foot. They followed it with hounds ten miles through Henniker. When they came up with it the dogs did not dare attack it; it would snap at them, making the fur fly. Chase killed it with an axe. Jesse Blake, after many years, sold his place to Oliver Edwards and moved to Lebanon.

CHASE PURINGTON, 1770, one of the many Friends from Ken- sington, settled on lot forty-six, range six, and built his house where Abner P. Collins now lives. During the Revolution he built a saw- and grist-mill where the stocking-mill now stands. About 1800 he moved to Starksborough, Vt., where he was a man of considerable prominence.

LIEUT. SAMUEL CALDWELL, from Merrimack, 1770, settled on lot forty-one, range six, by the Piscataquog, where James Baker now (1886) lives. He bought three lots: twenty-four, forty-one and forty-two; built a saw- and grist-mill, had an immense potash, opened a tavern and kept store, selling much rum. There was some travel by his inn from Deering to Hopkintop, afterwards one of the half- shire towns, and there was more to his store to obtain "the good creature." After him his son William kept the tavern and store, and when he was done with them, they were sold to Thomas Hogg, otherwise Thomas Moore. Mr. Caldwell's sons, James and Samuel, Jr., served in the Revolutionary war, and his daughter married Samuel Brooks Toby and fought more battles during her long life of over ninety-nine years than did both her brothers in the army. Mr. Caldwell was an active business man and one of the first citi-

171

JOHN CHASE.

1770.]

zens of the town. He was much in office. He owned a negro slave who lived with him all her life. When she died she was buried on the meadow near the river. Her grave was to be seen for a long time, but one spring some heedless workmen plowed over it, leveling the mound, and now its precise location can not be found.

JOHN CHASE, a Quaker, from Kensington about 1770, settled on lot ninety-one, range four, Chevey hill. He had a peculiar habit of commencing all his remarks with the word "pause," hence he was often called "Pause John." He was an excellent farmer, as well as a noted hunter. He caught many foxes each season, hunting them with hounds. He carried no gun; but when his dogs drove reynard into its hole, he set steel traps and caught the cunning animal when it came out.

ENOCH BROWN, from Seabrook, 1770, settled on lot eighteen, range six, in the west part of the town near Deering line. He also bought lot nineteen. He was a good, peaceable Quaker, but his five sons, Elijah, Eliphalet, Enoch, Simon and Elisha, all born in Sea- brook but the youngest, were quarrelsome and litigious. Judge Alcock of Deering and our Judge John Robie were often called upon to decide matters between them. Simon would not trust his own father-he knew him of old, he said; they had trouble about some land. Amos Johnson, nicknamed "Horne," an excellent blacksmith and a good shot, lived west of them on the common land. Brown's boys set their great dog on Johnson's cattle, and the latter, standing in his shop door, shot the dog dead forty rods off. Brown said, "Look out, boys, or Captain Horne will shoot a mile and kill one of ye." Many others settled in Weare this year .*

* JONATHAN MARBLE, a Quaker, from Hampton, settled on lot 28, range 4, and built his house where William Tenny now lives. He left in a few years.

ENOCH BARKER, JR., from Hampton Falls, settled on lot 26, range 4, at Weare Cen- ter. He got his land from his father one of the Robiestown proprietors. He sold in 1772, to Zepheniah Breed, who came from Lynn, Mass. The town-meetings were often held at Breed's house, and William Whittle afterwards kept a tavern there.

RICHARD NASON, JR., from Hampton Falls, settled on lot 25, range 4. He also got his land of his father, one of the proprietors. When his brother died he went to Danville to live, and his brother-in-law, Richard Philbrick, who had made money privateering, bought the place. Andrew J. Philbrick, grandson of Richard, now lives there.

DANIEL GOVE, a Quaker, from Hampton, settled on lot 32, range 4, near Clinton Grove.

DAVID GOVE, a Quaker, from Hampton, settled on lot 82, range 3, north-west of Hodgdon meadow.

ASA WHITTAKER, from Plaistow, settled on lot 53, range 3. He was the father of Elder Jesse Whittaker, who preached many years in Weare and neighboring towns. DAVID DOW, a Quaker, from Hampton, settled on lot 44, range 6.

NATHAN G. CHASE, a Quaker, from Kensington, settled on lot 67, range 5, on Chevey hill. He lived to a great age.

EBENEZER BAILEY, from Haverhill, Mass., settled on lot 49, range 1, just east of Currier brook.

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HISTORY OF WEARE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

[1771.

DR. BENJAMIN PAGE, from the parish of Kensington, 1771, settled on lot eighty-eight, range seven. He bought his land, half the lot, of his father, Benjamin Page, who was styled of Weare, and built his house south of the road. He taught the first grammar school, and practised his profession in town till 1780, when he sold to Levi Colby and moved to Sutton. He also bought parts of lots eighty-seven and eighty-nine, seventy-one acres.

ABNER JONES, 1771, of Amesbury, settled on lot twenty-two, range six. He bought of Jesse Johnson of Hampstead, for £33 10s. lawful money. He built his house on the top of the south slope of the hill and lived there till 1804. His grandson, Abner Jones, was an excellent mechanic, and made the best of clocks.

JOHN HODGDON, from Kensington, 1771, bought out Joshua Cor- liss and made, for the remainder of his life, a home in the fertile valley of the Peacock. His house was on lot seventy-three, range one, where Moses A. Hodgdon now resides. Mr. Hodgdon was an excellent farmer and soon had one of the best farms in town, cutting

SAMUEL BAILEY, from Haverhill, Mass., settled on lot 54, range 1, near the west braneh of Meadow brook.

DANIEL BAILEY, from Haverhill, Mass., settled on lot 54, range 1. These three men were brothers.

NATHANIEL WEED, from Amesbury, settled on lot 43, range 1, a little west of Mount Misery. JOHN KIMBALL, from Plaistow, settled on lot 2, range 5. He sold to Amos Stoning, in 1781.

MR. WILLIAMS, tenant of Benjamin Baneroft, or a squatter, built his house on lot 59, range 3, about twenty-five rods south-west of the top of Mount William. The re- mains of it were to be seen in 1830.

ISAAC ELLIOTT settled on lot 66, range 3, Barnard hill. He lived there about six years, but the owls made so much noise at night that his wife could not sleep, and he sold to Daniel Gould, and moved away.

MOSES FOLLANSBEE, from Kingston, settled on lot 67, range 3, Barnard hill. He bought of Daniel Little of Hampstead. He was a soldier in the war and never eame baek.

EZEKIEL KIMBALL settled near the north end of lot 14, range 4, on Mount William. ISAAC COLBY settled on lot 90, range 7, Sugar hill. He bought fifty aeres on the south end, and built his house where Henry Foster now lives.

JOHN WATSON, from Hampstead, settled on lot 48, range 6, and lived there many years. His son, Jonathan, traded just south of Roekland bridge.

JOHN FLANDERS settled on lot 65, range 3, a squatter, or a tenant of Thomas Packer, the original owner. He went to the war; the town furnished aid to his family, about which there was some trouble. IIe was drowned in Peaslee's mill-pond, 1784.

LEVI GREEN, a Quaker, from Kensington, settled on lot 67, range 5, Chevey hill.

DUDLEY CHASE, a Quaker, from Kensington, brother to John, settled on lot 91, range 4. In a few years he moved to Deering.

ISAIAH GREEN, a Quaker, from Kensington, settled on lot 39, range 5. He married the sister of Elijah Purington, and lived just east of him.

JOHNSON GOVE, a Quaker, from Hampton, settled on 27, range 4, near Duek pond. He built the house where Dr. James P. Whittle now liyes. He went years after to Montpelier, Vt., where he was a prominent man.

STEPHEN GOVE, a Quaker, from Hampton, settled on lot 16, range 4. Thomas Favour now owns the farm.

EDMOND GOVE, a Quaker, from Kensington, settled on lot 36, range 5. He bought out Capt. George Little. He was a good farmer and tanner.

JOHN GOVE, a Quaker, from Kensington, settled on lot 36, range 5, east of the North Quaker meeting-house. He married a sister of Elijah Purington.

DANIEL PAGE, a Quaker, front Kensington, settled on law lot 23, range 6, Bear hill. He died young leaving two sons and three daughters. A grandson is an eminent Quaker preaeher.

173

JOHN HODGDON.

1771.]

an abundance of hay on his beaver meadows and keeping a large stock. He was also a great dealer in real estate, owned lands in a score of towns, and had many lawsuits. This gave him an exten- sive acquaintance, and he knew all the judges and leading lawyers of the state. Mr. Hodgdon often remarked " that of all his lawsuits he never lost but one, and then the jury were disposed to give him a verdict, but the law did not sustain the equity of the case. He had such luck in his transactions that it was a common saying in Weare that "John Hodgdon's dish is always right side up when it rains porridge." So much land did he buy, that in some neighbor- ing towns the inhabitants were afraid he would depopulate the country. Two Scotch-Irishmen of Antrim one day saw a hawk flying away in the distance, and one said, "The hawk is the chicken's devil." "Yes," said the other, "and the fox is the goose's devil." "Aye," said the first; "I swear that old Mr. Hodgdon is Antrim's devil, for he's buying all the land that joins him."

It is told that several young people were out one night looking at the moon and discussing whether the dark parts on it were land. To settle it, Polly Tuttle said, "I will go in and ask Mr. Hodgdon. He'll know ; for if it is land, he has got a mortgage on it !"

Mr. Hodgdon held many offices of trust; was selectman many times, and Weare's representative in the legislature. In the latter body he once moved to adjourn "till next Third day." A young member jocosely said, "When is that, Mr. Hodgdon ?" "Go home and find out by thy Bible, if thee has got one," he replied.

He was an excellent collector and had but few poor accounts. Once he held a large note against a man who declined to renew it, and it was in danger of becoming outlawed. Riding by his debtor's farm one day he saw him in the field harvesting turnips. He stopped, talked of the weather and the crops, and finally said, "Could thee sell me a bushel of those fine turnips?" The farmer assented and at once put them in the wagon. "Very well; I am obliged to thee," said Mr. Hodgdon. "I have no money with me, but I'll endorse these turnips on thy note!"

ELIJAH GOVE, of Hampton, when a boy, was bound out. On arriving at the age of twenty-one he married, put his young wife on the back of a four-years-old colt, a pair of saddle-bags behind her, loaded all the rest of his personal estate on the backs of his yoke of two-years-old steers, and in that way came to Weare. He settled on the south end of lot forty-three, range one, south-west of Mount

174

HISTORY OF WEARE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

[1772.

Misery. In 1788 he moved to the John Jewell place, west of the Peacock on the mountain road, and there spent a long life. Seven other families came in 1771 .*

COL. SAMUEL PAGE, 1772, of South Hampton, settled on lot one hundred, range seven, Page hill. He bought the land of Obadiah Eaton, for £150. His four sons, Samuel, Jr., Jonathan, Lemuel and John, came to Weare with him. Colonel Page, after coming to town, lived a part of the time at South Hampton.

SAMUEL PAGE, JR., lived on that part of the lot since known as the Osgood Page place. He was evidently a cold water man, as there are the remains of fourteen different wells on the place.

ENOCH JOHNSON, of Kensington, 1772, bought of Richard Clifford, Jr., one hundred acres on the south end of lot ninety-nine, range five, and settled at once. His house stood a few feet south of where Henry Hamilton Leach now lives, in the village of East Weare. Johnson sold his farm, in 1794, to Curtis Felch, and moved to Unity.

EDMUND JOHNSON, from Kensington, 1772, settled on lot one hundred, range five, where is now East Weare village. He came as a tenant of Jabesh Dow. Once he had his buildings burned. He built a grist-mill on the north side of the Piscataquog, and when a freshet cut a channel round between the road and the mill, he erected a saw-mill to fill up the space, and after that all the grists had to be carried in and out through it. Mr. Johnson bought the place in 1776.

EBENEZER BREED, a Quaker, from Lynn, 1772, settled on lot twenty-nine, range four. He was one of the early school-masters,

* NATHAN CRAM, from Hampton Falls, settled on lot 26 in the gore, just west of Cram brook. His three sons, Nathan, Thomas and Ezekiel, eame with him.

SAMUEL EASTMAN, from Newton, settled on lot 3, range 2, one-half mile west of the Otter, where Franeis Eastman now lives. He brought his plow-irons from Newton to Weare on his back. He early turned his attention to raising turkeys. He onee drove a flock to Kingston; he tried to get there before dark the second day; was a little late, so hurried up'; but it was no use, they eame to a piece of woods, when suddenly there was a whirr of wings, and up they all went to roost in the trees.

ELIJAH BROWN, from Kensington, settled on lot 100, range 5, School hill. He bought his land of Jabesh Dow, and built his house and spent his days where John L. Leaeh now lives. He had fifty-five acres on the north end of the lot and the west half of the south end.

WINTHROP CLOUGH squatted on lot 63, range 3, west of Barnard hill, by the shore of Lily pond No. 2, and made his garden on an island in the same. He was a poor man, and was warned out of town the year he came.

ISRAEL STRAW settled on lot 94, range 7. He bought his land of Joseph White of New York, for £150, and built his house on the north side of the road where Fred H. Straw lives now.

JOIIN GOVE 2d, a Quaker, from Kensington, settled on lot 34, range 5, and built his house where Nathan Dow now resides.

CALEB PEASLEE, a Quaker, from Newton, settled on lot 45, range 6, where is now North Weare village. George Follansbee resides there. Caleb used to go over to Jolin Gove's to grind his axe, and after a time married John's daughter Mary.

175

EBENEZER PEASLEE.

1772.]

had three sons large enough to attend his school, Ebenezer, Enoch, Stephen, and one daughter, Content. He was an excellent farmer and tanner, and kept a diary of events. Thomas Breed, now living, 1886, and eighty-seven years old, recollects his grandfather, Eben- ezer Breed.

EBENEZER PEASLEE, from Newton, bought, Sept. 25, 1772, of his father, Moses Peaslee, lot four, range five, for £30 lawful money, and at once began work on the same, boarding with his brother Jonathan, who lived on the adjoining lot. For the next eight years he worked part of the time for Jonathan, part for himself, and built a log cabin by Center road, near the middle of what is now Moses R. Peaslee's field. Aug. 18, 1780, he married and began housekeeping. The first year he raised a hog upon the top of a large, flat rock just south-east of his cabin, and sold it for $40. With this money he paid up for his land. In 1788 he moved on to the mill lot, building a new house there. This lot has ever since remained in the hands of his descendants.

JOSEPH PERKINS, from Kensington, settled on lot fifty-nine, range two, on the west slope of Mount Dearborn. He was the father of Benjamin Perkins, who lived to be ninety-eight years old.

SIMON PERKINS, brother of Joseph, from the same place, settled on lot seventy-two, range two, at the north-west side of Mount Odiorne. A few years later, he bought the Jacob Jewell place, south of Mount Dearborn, where he spent the rest of his days.

Joseph and Simon were jokers. Simon came up one Sabbath to visit Joseph when he was alone, neither was very pious, and each had a large dog. They thought they would have some fun, so they yoked up the dogs with the calves' yoke, and set them at liberty, to see how they would maneuver. One pulled one way, the other an- other, they would not pull together. They tipped over the chairs and the table, ran into the old-fashioned dressers, broke some of the crockery, and smashed things generally. Before they could stop them the women-folks came home from the house of prayer and did not seem to appreciate the pleasant fun; they were mad. Joseph afterwards remarked that they then had the most pious time he ever witnessed.

Simon came up across lots through the mowing, one day, to see Joseph. As he went along he stuck up in the grass a lot of stones. The next day Joseph went to mowing in that field with his hired men. Soon each mower hit a stone, dulled his scythe, and saw the

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HISTORY OF WEARE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

[1773.

joke. How they swore. Joe marched straight down to Simon's green wheat-field and mowed two swaths right through it. Simon did not show his head, but his old lady came out and cried with shrill voice : "You are mowing down our wheat!" "You are mowing down our wheat!" " I know it, I know it," shouted back Joe, " and there aint any stones sticking up in it either."

Joseph was alone one Sunday, his folks being at meeting, as usual, and he thought he would try a small, scientific experiment. He turned a little powder on the floor, tipped a large pewter platter over it, sat down on it and touched it off, to see if it would lift him. He hit the ceiling above with his head before he had time to think, and, as he said, " Lord of heavens, when I struck the floor I thought I was dead." Three other settlers came this year .*

LEVI COLBY, 1773, of Sandown, settled on lot fourteen, range six. He bought fifty acres on the north end of this lot, of Ebenezer Collins of Weare, for £22 10s. lawful money, and built his house by the old road that was cut to the mill privilege in 1753.

BARTHOLOMEW GOODALE settled on lot fourteen, range three. He bought the east half of the lot, and fifteen acres on the south end, of Henry Tuxbury. Mr. Goodale lived here many years. Three more families came this season.t

. OBADIAH EATON, of Kingston, 1774, settled on lot ninety-two, range seven. He bought four acres of Ithamar Eaton, for £15, built a house, and lived there the rest of his life. He was a prom- inent man in town, and owned much other real estate.

JOHN ROBIE, of Hampton Falls, 1774, settled on lot forty, range five. He was town clerk thirty-three years ; one of the selectmen about as long, a justice of the peace, issued writs, tried many causes, and was one of the judges of the county Court of Sessions. He married more people than any other man who ever lived in Weare. After performing the ceremony for one couple, he re- marked to the bridegroom : "Oh, ho! I married your father and

* MASTER ROBERT HOGG settled on lot 98, range 7, on Sugar hill, west side. He taught the public schools for several years, and many private ones in his house on lot 89, range 7, where he afterwards moved.

THOMAS DAVIS settled on lot 98, range 5, in the valley of the Piscataquog, east of Choate brook.

JOSEPH HUSE, from Amesbury, settled on lot 95, range 4, south of East Weare. He bought of Ebenezer Loverin of Kensington, for £38 10s. lawful money, and built his house where Thomas Eaton now resides. He was a prominent farmer and dairyman, raising twenty calves a year.

t SAMUEL ORDWAY moved to Weare this year, and resided on lot 62, range 3, where William Smith formerly lived.

JOHN COLBY settled on lot 50, range 1, one-fourth mile west of the Peacock.

TIMOTHY CLOUGH settled on the same lot, about the same distance from the Peacock.

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CAPT. GEORGE HADLEY ; JABEZ MORRILL.

1775.]

mother." " Well," said the man, " if I had known that, you would not have married me." There is a beautiful view from Mr. Robie's old sitting-room windows looking out on Mounts William and Wallingford. Five other men moved to town this year .*

CAPT. GEORGE HADLEY, 1775, was originally from Hampstead, where his father was drowned in Island pond. He came first to Goffs- town, where he lived a few years, and then settled in South Weare, on lot sixty-one, range two. Capt. Jonathan Atwood had begun a clear- ing on this lot several years before. Captain Hadley, when very young, was a soldier in the old French and Indian war. For some cause he did not take kindly to the Revolution, at the outset, and had himself classed as a Friend when the Association Test was carried round ; but later in the war he served a campaign, was a member of the Committee of Safety, and was on numerous committees to furnish soldiers and supplies to the army. He was a prominent citizen, held all the important town offices, and was a member of the General Court. A dim tradition tells that he was holding plow one day, his hired man driving the oxen; all at once he lay right down in the furrow in awful pain, so bad that he groaned. The hired man offered to help him, but no, the cattle must be taken to the barn and he would hobble home. He had found a pot of gold, hidden there by some one, maybe the pirate Kidd, and he did not want his hired man to see it. He soon paid up for his farm, and ever after was well off.

JABEZ MORRILL, 1769, bought lot twenty-three in the gore, of Samuel Nutt, and, in 1775, built his house on the east side of the same. He lived about one-third of a mile east of Cram brook. Mr. Morrill was a member of the Baptist church, filled many town offices, and held numerous positions of trust.

* SILAS PEASLEE, a Quaker, from Newton, settled on lot 78, range 7, Craney hill. He built a saw-mill at the outlet of the great meadow, where it has been proposed to make a reservoir. When lie got excited he would swear, and the Quakers disowned him; then he moved away to Canada. Some of his descendants still live in town.

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The history of Weare, New Hampshire, 1735-1888, Part 20

Author: Little, William, 1833-1893. cn Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Lowell, Mass., Printed by S. W. Huse & Co. Number of Pages: 1240

Author: Little, William, 1833-1893. cn
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Lowell, Mass., Printed by S. W. Huse & Co.
Number of Pages: 1240