The history of the town of Lyndeborough, New Hampshire, Vol. II, Part 22

Author: Donovan, D. (Dennis), b. 1837; Lydeborough, N.H; Woodward, Jacob Andrews, 1845-
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: [Tufts College, Mass.] : The Tufts college press, H. W. Whittemore & co.
Number of Pages: 576


USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Lyndeborough > The history of the town of Lyndeborough, New Hampshire, Vol. II > Part 22


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 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44


688


HISTORY OF LYNDEBOROUGH


tically all of the Carleton farm.) In 1833 he sold part of the farm with the brick house to Amaziah Blanchard, and the rest to James O'Donnell, and in 1834 removed to Francestown, where he lived until 1838, when he removed to Amherst, where he died. Children : -


I. JOHN, b. July 16, 1819, m. May 13, 1858, Mary P., dau. of Abel and Polly (Proctor) Hill of Lyndeborough. She was b. Jan. 15, 1822. One son, John S., b. at Frances- town, May 18, 1861, d. at Amherst, Aug. 14, 1887 .. John Carleton d. in Amherst, July 31, 1891.


2. ELIZA, b. Jan. 27, 1824.


3. MARY LOIS, b. Nov. 12, 1827, m. May 9, 1861, Luther Cog- gin, Jr., of Amherst. Res. at Amherst.


CARR.


CHARLES CARR, and Rosa, his wife, resided in Lyndeborough for a number of years, removing to Wilton. They had two children born in Lyndeborough.


I. C. LORENZO, b. Oct. 25, 1882.


2. Annis R. b. March 4, 1887.


CARSON.


WILLIAM CARSON was the first of that name to settle in Lyndebor- ough. He was born in Scotland in 1722. He was a brother or nephew of John Carson, the first settler in Francestown .* He lived in Francestown for a time, and then removed to Johnson's Corner. He probably came here in 1774 or 1775. He married Isabelle, daughter of John and Mary Johnson, and settled on land which is now the farm owned by Mrs. Kil- burn S. Curtis. He built the house which has been remodeled into the present building. He died in 1818, aged 96. They had four children, some of them said to have been born in Francestown : -


I. WILLIAM, +


2. ROBERT, +


3. MARY, +


4. ASA, +


WILLIAM CARSON, son of William and Isabelle (Johnson) Carson ; born 1754; married Abigail, daughter of Nathaniel and Mary Harwood of Mont Vernon. The father died a short time before the birth of the youngest child, 1797. Children : -


I. JOHN, +


2. WILLIAM, b. 1797, m. Dorcas Russell. They had two chil- dren, Eliza A. and Lafayette. Eliza A., m. Anson French of Wilton. Lafayette d. unm.


*There is a variance of the records furnished me by a descendant of the family (Mrs. W. 1). Hooper of Mont Vernon) and those published in the Francestown History. She insists that John of Francestown never married, and that John, William and Robert were his nephews. It is immaterial to this History to enter into a controversy in regard to it.


689


HISTORY OF LYNDEBOROUGH -


JOHN CARSON, son of William and Abigail (Harwood) Carson ; born Sept. 10, 1792; married 1813, Hannah Austin of Methuen, Mass. They had four children, two dying in infancy and two sons living to man- hood : -


I. JOHN JOHNSON, +


2. ALEXANDER, +


JOHN JOHNSON CARSON, son of John and Hannah (Austin) Car- son, born March 3, 1816; married June, 1840, Sarah, daughter of James and Azubah (Curtis) Hopkins of Mont Vernon. She was born March 12, 1816; died Nov. 18, 1887. He died Sept. 16, 1896. Children : .


I. SARAH F., b. March, 1841, d. July, 1842.


2. EMILY F., b. Jan. 16, 1843, m. David Upton, Sept. 7, 1854. Res. in New Boston.


3. ADONIRAM J., b. March 27, 1845, d. September, 1847.


4. GEORGE J., +


5. HANNAH J., b. Feb. 2, 1851, d. August, 1853.


6. HATTIE J., b. Oct. 19, 1852, m. Ira Parker of Mont Vernon June 24, 1878, d. June 26, 1881.


7. FRANK P., b. March 26, 1855, m. Eda M. Carson, Aug. 24, 1880.


GEORGE J. CARSON, son of John J. and Sarah (Hopkins) Carson, born Oct. 19, 1848 in Mont Vernon ; married June 14, 1877, Laura A., daughter of David D. and Sophronia (Dickinson) Clark of Lyndebor- ough. She was born March 7, 1852; died Nov. 24, 1903. Children :


I. ROY C., b. in Mont Vernon, Dec. 8, 1879.


2. CORA A., b. in Mont Vernon, Sept. 20, 1881, d. March 5, 1889.


3. HATTIE M., b. at New Boston, Aug. 13, 1883.


ALEXANDER CARSON, son of John and Hannah (Austin) Carson, born Dec. 17, 1822 ; married Dec. 20, 1843, Margaretta C., daughter of James and Azubah (Curtis) Hopkins of Mont Vernon. She was born Dec. 14, 1822. Children born in Lyndeborough :


I & 2. HELEN and ELLEN, twins, b. Sept. 30, 1844. Ellen d. May 3, 1859, Helen d. Oct. 14, 1867.


3. MARTHA A., b. Feb. 28, 1846, m. May 9, 1878, Wallace D. Hooper, and res. in Mont Vernon.


4. JOHN W., b. Nov. 16, 1847, m. Dec. 24, 1884, Julia A. Dodge of Francestown, res. in Francestown.


5. ABBIE L., b. June 9, 1853, d. Oct. 14, 1867.


6. ALWILDA J., b. July 1, 1854, d. Oct. 17, 1867.


7. NETTIE M., b., Feb. 20, 1860, in Mont Vernon, m. March 29, 1898, Nathaniel F. Hooper, res. in Mont Vernon.


690


HISTORY OF LYNDEBOROUGH


8. THERESA D., b. May 6, 1861, in Mont Vernon, d. June 6, 1868.


ROBERT CARSON, son of William and Isabelle (Johnson ) Carson. We have been unable to find any record of his family. He married and raised a family here, living on the Charles L. Perham farm. He is said to have removed with his family to Barre, Vt., and to have been one of the first settlers of that place.


MARY CARSON, daughter of William and Isabelle (Johnson) Car- son; married Amos Wilkins. They had five children, Amos, Mary, Isabelle, Simon and Mark. Mary and Isabelle married two brothers by the name of Stone and went to Swampscott, Mass. Simon and Mark also settled there or in Lynn, Mass. Amos Wilkins left his family for some reason and was never heard from.


ASA CARSON, son of William and Isabelle (Johnson) Carson, married Mrs. Elizabeth (Harwood) Lynch. (This widow Lynch had one daugh- ter, Artemesia, who married Capt. Ebenezer Russell of Lyndeborough.) Asa Carson and Elizabeth, his wife, had seven children born to them, none of them born at Lyndeborough. The Harwood sisters, who mar- ried William and Asa Carson, were sisters of Andrew Harwood of Perham Corner, and daughters of John and Abigail (Hastings) Harwood of Mont Vernon.


CARYL.


JOHN CARYL, born Sept. 16, 1791; married Lucy Clark, May, 1818. She was born Aug. 3, 1800; died May 14, 1835. He died May 30. 1882. Children :


I. JOHN C., b. May 20, 1819.


2. WILLIAM B., b. Dec. 4, 1820.


3. NANCY, b. Jan. 29, 1823.


4. OLIVE, b. June 5, 1825.


5. CHRISTANNA, b. July 16, 1827.


6. BENJAMIN W., b. Dec. 1, 1829.


7. LUCY H., b. June 27, 1832.


CHAMBERLAIN.


The name Chamberlain appears very early in the history of Salem- Canada. Jonathan Chamberlain was the son of Capt. Samuel and Abi- gail ( Hill) Chamberlain of Chelmsford, Mass. He was born there Feb. II, 17II. On May 12, 1737, his father deeded him for "love and natural affection" a number of lots of land in Tyngs Township which "lyeth on the east side of Merrimack river between Suncook or Lovell's town (now Pembroke) and Litchfield." On Aug. 21, 1739, he sold this land to James Anderson of Londonderry. In that same year (1739), he removed to Salem-Canada. In 1740 or 1741 he married Elizabeth, daughter of John and Sarah Cram. They were his predecessors by one or two years in the township. It is evident that he returned to Chelmsford, Mass., and lived there for awhile, for their children are recorded as born in Chelmsford. But Mr. Rufus Chamberlain believes they were born in


691


GENEALOGIES


Salem-Canada, and there being no township records kept, they were recorded in Chelmsford, Mass. It is a fact that the older children of the daughters of John Cram are recorded in the towns where their husbands came from. April 8, 1768, Jonathan Chamberlain received from the heirs of Joseph Cram of Lyndeborough, a deed of the south part of Lot No. 41, containing seventy-five acres. The consideration being, "the caring for and giving Christian burial to Joseph Cram." This farm is the one where Rufus Chamberlain now lives. Jonathan Chamberlain was a Revolutionary soldier. He, together with his son, Jonathan Jr., enlisted in Capt. Peter Clark's Company, and marched from Lyndeborough for Ticonderoga, July 1, 1777. (See Chap. VII.) He was prominent in shaping the policy and management of the new town, and endured the hardships of frontier life. His wife was born 1721, and died April 30, 1806. He died Jan. 19, 1795. Children :-


I. ELIZABETH, born April 30, 1742.


2. JONATHAN, +


3. SAMUEL, +


4. OLIVE, b. Aug. 16, 1750, m. Benjamin Cram.


5. SARAH, b. April 6, 1753, d. Jan. 5, 1797.


6. MOLLY, b. May 10, 1756.


7. JOHN, +


8. ABIGAIL, b. July 8, 1763.


JONATHAN CHAMBERLAIN, son of Jonathan and Elizabeth (Cram) Chamberlain, born Feb. 26, 1743-4; married July 13, 1768, Margaret, daughter of Benjamin Cram and Elizabeth, his wife. She was born 1748. Like his father he was a soldier in the Continental army. He died April 26, 1815. Children : -


I. BENJAMIN, b. April 7, 1770, m, Joanna Herrick. Rem. to Gardiner, Me.


2. JONATHAN, b. March 17, 1772. Rem. to Hanover, N. H., and was the father of Eliza Chamberlain, who lived at the centre for many years.


3. JOHN, b. March 26, 1774, m. Abigail Brown. Rem. to Hallowell, Me.


4. ELIZABETH, b. June 3, 1776, m. Samuel Woodward. (See Woodward gen.)


5. DAVID, b. Dec. 3, 1778.


6. DANIEL, +


7. MARGARET, b. Dec. 28, 1783, m. - - Cole.


8. OLIVE, b. Aug. 4, 1788, m. Ephraim Woodward. (See Woodward gen.)


9. NATHANIEL, b. March 3, 1791, m. 1816, Mary Knapp. He rem. to Covington, Ky .; later to Hudson, Mich .; d. Toledo, O., March 20, 1857.


692


HISTORY OF LYNDEBOROUGH


IO. ASA, b. April 10, 1793.


II. JOSEPH, b. Nov. 12, 1795, m. - Burton. Rem. to


Mason.


DANIEL CHAMBERLAIN, son of Jonathan and Margaret (Cram) Chamberlain, b. March 6, 1781; married Hannah, daughter of Daniel and Patience Pearsons of Lyndeborough. She died July 29, 1873. He removed to Woburn, Mass., where he died May 5, 1874. Children re- corded as born at Lyndeborough : -


I. HANNAH, b. Dec. 14, 1815.


2. CHLOE, b. June 23, 1817.


3. DIANTHA, b. Aug. 27, 1819.


4. AMANDA, b. Nov. 11, 1824.


5. DANIEL, b. Oct. 30, 1826.


SAMUEL CHAMBERLAIN, son of Jonathan and Elizabeth (Cram) Chamberlain, born April 4, 1745; married first, Hannah, who died Sept. 25, 1784 ; second, Naomi Richardson. He died in 1812 or 1813, and his widow, Naomi, died in 1850 or 1851. He was a soldier in the Continental Army. (See Chapter VII.) Children by first wife : -


I. HANNAH, b. April 28, 1775, m. - Burnham. Rem. to Greenfield.


2. ELIZABETH, b. May 8, 1777, d. June 13, 1780.


3. SAMUEL, +


4. AMY, b. Feb. 14, 1781.


5. BETSEY, b. April 18, 1783.


6. BENJAMIN, b. Jan. 30, 1786, m. New York.


Ordway. Rem. to


7. RACHEL, b. Oct. 6, 1787, m. Thomas Dutton.


8. JOSEPH, +


9. PETER, b. Nov. 9, 1791. Rem. to New York.


IO. NAOMI, b. Nov. 25, 1793.


By second wife : -


II. SILAS, b. Feb. 20, 1797.


12. SARAH, b. April 10, 1800.


13. PHINEAS A., b. April 4, 1802, d. March 10, 1803.


14. LEVI,, b. June 29, 1804. Rem. to New Boston.


15. OLIVE, b. Oct. 5, 1807, d. young.


SAMUEL CHAMBERLAIN, son of Samuel and Hannah Chamberlain, born May 4, 1779; married first, Olive -; second, Hepsibah Children : -


I. EDA, b. Dec. 21, 1810.


2. WILLIAM, b. Oct. 18, 1812.


693


GENEALOGIES


3. PHILLIP, b. July 25, 1814.


4. HANNAH, b. March 12, 1816.


By second wife : -


5. HEMAN SARGENT, b. Feb. 16, 1820.


JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, son of Samuel and Naomi (Richardson) Chamberlain, born Dec. 12, 1789; married Dec. 27, 1817, Sarah Abbott of Chelmsford, Mass. She was born March 19, 1792; died, May 31, 1857. He died Aug. 30, 1862. After serving in the War of 1812 (See Chapter IX), he went to Milford. He was a brick maker by trade, and came · back to his native town about 1825. Children :-


I. RUFUS, +


2. JOSEPH, b. at Milford, Feb. 22, 1821, m. Oct. 31, 1844, Mary A. Drew of Somersworth, b. April 3, 1824. After many removals he settled in Paxton, Mass., where he died Sept. 18, 1886. His wife d. at Cambridgeport, Mass., Dec. 6, 1886. Children : Horace E., Ella E., George A., Fred W.


3. SALLY, b. at Milford, March 11, 1823, m. July 15, 1847, Charles Blanchard of Milford.


4. OTIs, b. aț Lyndeborough, Jan. 8, 1826, m. first, May, 1849, Clara S. Holt. She d. June 10, 1852 ; second, Nov. 24, 1852, Martha K., dau. of Jonas and Mary (Hall) Wheeler. She was b. Nov. 23, 1834. He rem. from Lyndeborough and for a number of years was engaged in lumbering in Canada. He subsequently settled in Grafton, N. H. Children : Emery O., Woodbury O., Fred W.


5. OLIVE, born at Lyndeborough, Jan. 20, 1828, m. Edwin N. Patch. (See Patch gen.)


6. SUSAN, b. at Wilton, Oct. 29, 1830, d. Aug. 17, 1832.


7. HARVEY, b. at Lyndeborough, March 2, 1833, m. Sept. 21, 1862, Sarah J. Libbey of Warren. Rem. to Rivere de Loupe, Canada, where he d. Sept. 9, 1867. Child : Harry L.


RUFUS CHAMBERLAIN, son of Joseph and Sarah Abbott Chamber- lain, born at Milford, June 5, 1819; married May 20, 1843, Martha Jane Upton. She was born at Lyndeborough, Jan. 21, 1821 ; died May 24, 1892. He is of the seventh generation from Thomas Chamberlain of Woburn, Mass., who is presumed to be the immigrant ancestor of the Chamberlains of Lyndeborough. He is the only descendant in the male line now living in Lyndeborough of the many Chamberlains born here. The rest have emigrated to many parts of the country. In early life he worked in the cotton mills of Lowell, Mass., but returned to Lyndebor- ough and settled on the homestead farm which has been in the family


694


HISTORY OF LYNDEBOROUGH


since 1768. He has always taken a lively interest in the business affairs of the town, and has filled many offices of trust. For nine years he was selectman and helped guide the financial matters of the town during the closing years of the Civil War, when Lyndeborough, in common with most of the towns of New Hampshire, was burdened with a heavy debt. He has been a trusted counsellor of the political party to which he belonged, and whose principles he was ever ready to defend. He was the parish sexton for more than forty years. Children : -


I. EMILY, b. March 3, 1844, m. May 18, 1865, Charles F. Tar- bell. (See Tarbell gen.)


2. WALTER, b. Oct. 2, 1846. Was a soldier in the Civil War, and d. at New Orleans, La., May 7, 1863. (See Chapter X.)


3. ELIZA ANN, b. Oct. 16, 1848, m. Dec. 4, 1867, Charles H. Wilson of Deering. He was b. June 20, 1838. Children : Willis H., Eugene R., Alice M., Walter C.


4. SARAH FLORENCE, b. Sept. 23, 1850, d. Feb. 26, 1853.


5. FRANK, b. Oct. 9, 1852, m. Oct. 23, 1873, Sarah M. Barrett. Res. in Worcester. Children : Mabel Otis, Alton L.


6. WILLIS BROOKS, b. June 25, 1854, m. April 30, 1879, S. Cornelia Maynard of South Lancaster, Mass. Children : Emma C., Marion L.


7. RUFUS WARREN, b. May 11, 1856, m. Dec. 25, 1876, Carrie J. Wallace. Res. at Omaha, Neb. Children : Fred W., Walter, Fannie M., Martha F.


JOHN CHAMBERLAIN, son of Jonathan and Elizabeth (Cram) Chamberlain, born Sept. 16, 1759; married Molly -. Children re- corded as born in Lyndeborough : -


I. MOLLY, b. March 27, 1783.


2. JOHN, +


3. SARAH, b. May 30, 1787.


4. MARTHA, b. March 28, 1789.


5. ABIGAIL, b. June 25, 1791.


6. ELIOT, b. Feb. 1, 1793, d. Jan. 12, 1796.


7. ELIZABETH, b. Feb. 21, 1795.


8. JONATHAN, b. Feb. 8, 1797, d. Feb. 5, 1797.


9. LYDIA, b. April 10, 1798.


IO. CHLOE, b. Aug. 5, 1800.


II. ELIOT, b. May 12, 1802, d. Oct. 10, 1802.


JOHN CHAMBERLAIN, son of John and Molly - Chamberlain, born April 18, 1785 ; married Lucy -. Children recorded as born in Lyndeborough : -


695


.


GENEALOGIES


I. CATHARINE M., b. Dec. 10, 1812.


2. WILLIAM B., b. July 18, 1814.


3. JOHN R., b. Oct. 1, 1816.


4. JOSEPH M., b. Aug. 5, 1818.


CHASE.


HARRY R. CHASE, son of Rufus and Mary A. (Blanchard) Chase, b. Nov. 3, 1865; married Dec. 21, 1897, Alice J., daughter of Henry F. and Mary J. (Simonds) Matthews of Wilton. She was born April 9, 1865. He has been selectman and represented the town in the Legisla- ture, is a prosperous farmer and resides in Perham Corner. Children : - I. HAZEL J., b. Nov. 17, 1898.


2. LILLA B., b. March 8, 1902.


CHEEVER.


WARD N. CHEEVER came to Lyndeborough from Lunenburg, Mass., in 1861, and settled in South Lyndeborough. He has been the "Village Blacksmith " until the present writing. He united the tilling of the soil with the blacksmith's trade and by industry and perseverance turned some of the roughest land into smiling fields and orchards. He was born July 21, 1831; married Amanda E. Chandler of Fairfield, Vt., Nov. 9, 1855. She was born July 3, 1833; died June II, 1902. Children, all but one born in Lyndeborough : -


I. LIZZIE J., b. in Lunenburg, Mass., June 23, 1860, m. Lucas Young of Manchester.


2. WARD E., b. Sept, 13, 1862.


3. WILLIAM H., +


4. HATTIE A., b. Oct. 20, 1871, d. March 27, 1874.


5. HERBERT A., +


WILLIAM H. CHEEVER, son of Ward N. and Amanda (Chandler) Cheever, born June 15, 1864; married first, May Clark; second, Carrie E., daughter of William and Ellen (Karr) Duncklee of Greenfield, March 10, 1887. She was born March 9, 1869. Children born in Lynde- borough : -


I. HARRY W., b. July 5, 1888.


2. ALICE M., b. Feb. 4, 1891.


3. CHARLES E., b. Nov. 14, 1893.


4. PERLEY W., b. Sept. 26, 1897.


5. HOWARD L., b. June 4, 1903.


HERBERT A. CHEEVER, son of Ward N. and Amanda (Chandler) Cheever, born Oct. 10, 1873 ; married S. May, daughter of John C. and Mercy M. (Wood) Miller of Lyndeborough, Oct. 20, 1894. She was born Nov. 19 1863, and died March 7, 1901 ; married second, Jan. 1, 1903, Carrie L., daughter of George L. and Hannah (Gibson) Marsh, born Jan. 1, 1877. Children by first wife born in Lyndeborough : -


696


HISTORY OF LYNDEBOROUGH


I. RALPH J., b. July 4, 1895.


5. SILAS W., b. Feb. 14, 1897.


3. MARY N., b. Aug. 18, 1898. .


CHENERY.


MOSES CHENERY was born in Watertown, Mass., Oct. 9, 1796 ; married Nancy A. Haley of Jamaica Plain, Mass. She was born May, 1796; died April 8, 1869. He came to Lyndeborough and bought the farm owned and occupied by a Mr. Webber. The house was built by Timothy Ordway, Sr., where Chas. J. Cummings now lives. Mr. Chenery lived there until his death, June 17, 1861. Children : -


I. HARRIET J., m. Dr. William A. Jones. (See Jones gen.)


2. ALMIRA D., b. Oct. 13, 1838, d. in 1849.


CHENERY.


JOHN CHENERY, born July 7, 1826; married Mrs. Mary D. Well- man of Temple, Aug. 13, 1862. She was born Dec. 8, 1833. He died Nov. 22, 1904. Children : -


I. ELSIE JANE, b. Oct. 6, 1863, d. Aug. 17, 1864.


2. ANGIE F., b. Jan. 8, 1869, m. John W. Follansbee of Mont Vernon, Sept. 6, 1887.


CLAGGETT.


REV. ERASTUS BALDWIN CLAGGETT, (See Church History) born in Newport, May 9, 1815; died at New Fairfield, Conn., May 16, 1877; married Mary A. Paine. We can get no record of the dates of the birth of their children, all born in Lyndeborough. But they were bap- tized as follows : -


I. ERASTUS PRENTICE, b. Sept., 1845, bap. Jan. 1, 1847.


2. SUMNER EVERETT, bap. June 29, 1848.


3. ELIZABETH PAINE, bap. July 1, 1852.


4. CHARLES WENTWORTH, bap. Nov. 7, 1858.


5. HENRY MORRIS, bap. Sept. 4, 1862.


CLARK.


MAJ. PETER CLARK came to Lyndeborough Jan. 23, 1775, from Braintree, Mass. His brother John came the same year from the same place. They were descendants of Hugh Clark, who came to this country from England and settled in Watertown, Mass.


Peter and John were of the fifth generation from Hugh Clark.


Peter was born Feb. 4, 1743; married Hannah Eppes of Braintree, Mass., Oct. 20, 1763. She died Dec. 21, 1814. He died Oct. 14, 1826. He settled on lot 110, second division, where Henry E. Holden now lives. Soon after coming to Lyndeborough he joined the Continental Army, and in 1775 was commissioned a captain in the 9th regiment, N. H. Militia.


Peter Black


697


GENEALOGIES


(See p. 592). After the war he returned home, and was evidently a very useful citizen. He was moderator, town clerk and selectman in 1777, and it would be interesting to know just how he performed the duties of those offices on town meeting day. He was moderator in 1777, 1783, 1788, 1792, 1793, 1796, 1798 and 1800; town clerk, 1777, 1778, 1788, 1789, 1793 ; selectman, 1777, 1778, 1788, 1789, 1793, 1800, and 1801 ; repre- sentative to the General Court in 1790, 1791, 1792, 1794. In politics he was a " federalist," in religion a "puritan." He had a profound regard for the Scriptures, and was very regular in his devotions. He was a strict observer of the Sabbath and regular in his attendance at church. . He was chosen "deacon " of the Congregational church in 1783 and re- tained the office until his death, although he voluntarily ceased to officiate some years before. He was a man of much influence in civil and religious life, and during the early years of his official duties, was one of the very few men in the town of his adoption who were regarded quali- fied to transact the business of the town. He was very systematic in his habits. He wore the long stockings, knee and shoe buckles and the old fashioned cue as long as he lived.


He built a " pottery " and manufactured the brown earthen ware that was in such common use in those days. His son Peter also built a "pot- tery " near where John H. Goodrich lives, and the two did an extensive business. The clay was brought from Amherst, N. H., and the products of the potteries, crocks, jugs, bean pots, etc., were peddled out in the neighboring towns. It is said that more business was done around these "plants" in those days than anywhere else in town. The old pottery was destroyed about fifty years ago. He was one of the few who kept a - diary of events in those days, and we here insert extracts from it of the stirring times of the Revolutionary War; also a letter written to his family from the battlefield of Bennington : -


Jan. 23, 1775 Set out for Lyndeborough with my family


" 25, Arrived at Lyndeborough


Feb. 20, ; Layed out the Highway through my field from the mill to Woodbury's


Mar. 15, " Began to saw at my mill


Apr. 6, Hauled timber for my house


I9, The fight began at Concord


Oct. 25, Hauled timber for barn and shop


Nov. 2,


Raised my house. Killed my ox


Dec. 29, Finished boarding my house


Feb. 1, 1776 " 26, MOVED in to my HOUSE


Began to build my chimney


July 9,


Raised my barn


" 12, " Raised 17 men for Concord


Set out for Bennington


Aug. 10, II,


Arrived at do.


14,


Marched out of Bennington


16, Battle fought at St. Croix


25 Hooper of New Boston died with his wound


" Marched to St. Croix


Sept. 6, IO, " Marched for Stillwater


698


HISTORY OF LYNDEBOROUGH


Sept. 18, 1776 Set out from Stillwater for home


“ 20, " Set out from Bennington


" 24, Arrived at Lyndeborough


29, " Orders came to raise men


Oct. 4, 1777 Set out to go to the army


7, " Arrived at Bennington


9, “ Marched from Bennington as far as St. Croix


IO, Arrived at Batten Hill


II, Marched for Fort Edward


. 12, Arrived at Fort Edward


14, " Marched at night to Fort George


15,


Returned to Fort Edward


16, " Marched to Saratoga


17, Burgoin and his army gave up and marched off


18, " We set out from Saratoga


19, Lodged at Mrs. Rown


21, “


Lodged in Northfield


22, Lodged in Dublin


23, Arrived at Lyndeborough


Apr. 3, 1779 Fell wood by Richardson's


June 15,


Ruben Bachelder raised his house


July 20,


Went to Goffstown to muster men


Sept. 6,


Raysed men for Portsmouth


Oct. 20,


Esq. Fuller run the line between Mr. Bullock and I School began at Capt. Barron's


May 19, “ dark day at II o'clock as Dark as night


Nov. 25, "


School-house burnt


Dec. 4, 66 Worked on School house


Ang. 14, 1793


Raised school house


Nov. 21, "


Jonathan Barron drowned


May 20, 1797 Had the last newspaper


July 22, “ Began to take the paper


Jan. 12, 1800 Meeting-house dressed in mourning for Gen1 Washington


Nov. 4, " Polly Lewis ran away with Dickerman


Dec. 24, " Town singing school began here


Dec. 2, 1801 Raised horse shed at meeting-house.


The following is a letter written by Capt. Peter Clark to his wife from Bennington, Vt.


Bennington (VT) Aug 18, 1777


These with my love to you and my dear children and Brothers and Sisters. Hoping you are well as I am at present Except something of a cold and much Fatagued with marching and last Saturday's action. We are now about twenty miles east of Stillwater. We came to this Town last Monday from Manchester. last Wednesday the whole Brigade was paraded to march to Stillwater and while under arms the General Received intelligence that there was a Large Body of the enemy coming to Destroy the Stores at Bennington. Where upon the Brigade was Dismissed until towards night, and then sent off Lt. Coll Gray of Londonderry with about two Hundred men who early the next morning Discovered the enemy at a mill about 7 miles from this place, and finding them a Large


Jan. 24, 1780


Benj & Clark


699


GENEALOGIES


body after firing at each other a few times Retreated and met the Brigade about halfway between this mill and Bennington where the Brigade made a stand and threw up a "Slity " brest work, the enemy came down within about a mile & 1/2 of us and made a stand. Their number we could not find out, but it appears by prisoners taken there was about 15 hundred. The next day was Friday and by Reason of Rainy wether noth- ing of any Consequence was done. The next day Saturday Aug. 16 at 20 minutes past three in the afternoon the Battle began in earnest we Being at this time on Every part of them and as near as I can tell I think the battle held about 12 an hour and was Equal to Bunker Hill Excepting there was not as many cannon, the Enemy had two Brass Field pieces, we had none, the Lord of Hosts sent them off in such hast they Left their all and run. However we took many of them but here i must not End for we had another battle much harder than the first for we were all most tired out, and many of our people gone with the Prisoners, and those that pursued those that fled were mett by two Regements of Hessia Regulars about Eight Hundred besides Torys who were all fresh hands who had not been in the first Battle which brought on another Battle, which con_ tinued untill dark, but finally they were obliged to flee before us and leave behind them two more Brass field pieces, small arms, and other things. So God gave us a Compleat Victory over them. Many think it to be all things considered the greatest Victory won since the war by the Americans. Peter Clark.




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