USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > Sunapee > The story of Sunapee > Part 2
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have been the "Junior" Oliver Corey, and that his father had probably died and the "Junior" was no longer used.
At any rate it seems reasonably certain that the three Coreys for whom Corey's Town derived its name enlisted in the War, and never appeared in Saville, or Wendell there- after. They probably sold their shares of land in Saville to John Wendell, as he is said to have bought out many of the grantees.
In connection with the story of the Coreys, Charlestown, where they enlisted in the War, was about fifteen miles from Sunapee Pond, via a "Unity trail," and it was then much larger than Newport or Claremont. It was the head- quarters of Colonel Bellows' Regiment under whom served Captain Gunnison of Saville. General John Stark passed through Charlestown on his way to the Battle of Benning- ton. Maybe the Coreys went with him. There was a log fort at Charlestown, the most northern frontier outpost, for protection against invasion from the north.
Our conclusion about the Coreys is that they had lived at Charlestown for a time prior to 1768, perhaps worked there while exploring their way up from southern New England; that they were prospecting for a place to settle, and had been going to Sunapee Pond during certain seasons of each year, camping, trapping for skins and pelts, hunting and fishing. They may have continued to follow this sort of roaming life until the War broke out. They could not have remained in Saville very long, for they were hustled off to war. Concerning these most worthy Revolutionary heroes who really first visited our region, we have much to learn, but we wish to honor them as the explorers and promoters, and, perhaps, the founders of our town, leastwise, our first Lake admirers.
Since writing the foregoing and while our copy was in the printer's hands, we discovered two plans of Saville-Wendell- Sunapee which bear upon the Coreys.
One of these plans, which is identical with the plan first published herein as the first and original plan of Saville, bears on its face a date of 1764 and is "attested by I. G.
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Rindge, Sy" as a "Copy of an original plan or survey" of "Corey's Town," the plan being made by "Wm. Haywood and Leonard Whiting."
The other plan discovered shows the proprietor's allot- ments of land with the name of each allottee on each lot.
This plan purports to be of Saville and not Corey's Town, but the most conspicuous thing on it is marked "Cory Road." This runs from Newport line to the east line of Saville, pass- ing close to, but by, a pond, or what seems to be the edge of a pond (not marked). It looks as if it was the Edgement pond (or Chandlers). This road is about a mile south of the "minister's" and "school" lots near the centre of the town (not the "minister's" lot at the south end). It does not look as if it was the present road from Newport to Sunapee. It may be the road from Newport (East Mountain) to Newbury, or possibly the road over Young's Hill. At any rate it is the only road on the plan.
There are about 180 lots marked out on this plan with a name on each lot, mostly names of the original grantees, but there are some other names in addition. Oliver Corey had a lot on Corey Road, so had John Sullivan, and 21 others. There was a "school lot" at what is now Georges Mills. Oliver and Samuel Corey had lots near it. None of the first 18 settlers had lots, except George Lear. John Wendell had six lots. Theodore Atkinson, Secretary of State, had a lot on Corey Road. A. Corey, Jr. had a lot. Matthew Thorn- ton had a lot.
These old plans show that the Coreys, or Corey's Town, were not, as some infer, myths.
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CHAPTER IV SAVILLE'S THIRTEEN YEARS OF EXISTENCE
During those thirteen years (from 1768 to 1781) which marked the birth, protracted infancy, and exit of Saville, let us inquire what was happening in the world about her? In other words, amid what surroundings was Saville born? First and foremost, a great war was coming on. Our nearest neighbor, Newport, we read, had "six heads of families" from Kellingworth, Connecticut. These were the beginning of a first settlement on her section of Sugar River. That would be while the Coreys were in Corey's Town. These first "heads" at Newport bore the names of: Powers, Davis, Moses, Nash, Spofford and McNeil.
World news? In 1766 the angering "Stamp Act" was passed by the British Parliament, and was being resisted by speech and riots in our own Portsmouth-an early rumble of the approaching Revolution.
Again, about one year after the Saville grant, the active young Governor, John Wentworth, founded Dartmouth Col- lege, and, later, attended her first graduation with a large official party. This small school for Indians was moved up the river from Connecticut to Hanover, and named for the English "Earl of Dartmouth."
Again, history records that about seven years after the Saville grant, John Sullivan himself-one of the ninety grantees of Saville, organized a posse of revolutionists and seized many barrels of the King's powder from Fort William and Mary, at Newcastle. This became one of the first "overt acts" of the Revolution.
Again, about seven years after the Royal Governor, John Wentworth, had given to us our land, river and "Pond," in Saville, he, himself, by a rough turn of fate, was driven from his home and State by threats of violence, never allowed to return though a native son. Saville had only eighteen families at that time, all desperately poor.
The slow progress of population up the Connecticut River valley had reached a point where Saville, at length, became next in order.
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Speculative citizens of the New Hampshire colony, it seems, were eager to obtain land free, but not to settle on it and battle with Indians, bears, wolves, zero and hunger. Those whom the grantees could induce to go to the wilder- ness to settle in permanent abodes, were of a hardier sort. They were rugged pioneers, courageous and poor. Herein lay the reason for many grants defaulting for lack of settlers, as agreed.
The Royal Governors used these grants to make political friends which were needed particularly at that critical time. Some good farming towns became a source of gain to the grantees, but Saville was not in that category.
On the day of Saville's grant there was not a road of any kind from it to any other town-none at all, not even to Newport. There was no cleared land in Saville ready to be planted. There was only water and woods, only an oppor- tunity to camp, "trap and fish," but there was no near market in which to sell anything that might be caught, shot or bagged. The birth of such a town in war times was a tragedy.
If a settler were to take his family with him to remain permanently, he need carry all the essentials of life-for ex- ample, a cow, hens, hay, meal, flour, tools, groceries, shovel, hoe, axe, hammer, nails, lumber, seeds, etc. Otherwise he must go without his family for a while, as some did, to make ready for them to come later. (See Bartlett's "Legend of Ann Smith".) It is not pleasant to picture how ghastly a fate a Saville immigrant faced at first. But it is well to think about it for it steels us to see what stout-hearted folks our antecedents were. It causes us to ask, "Are we now become too soft by too much luxury?"
During the period of the Revolution, while our town was called "Saville," the settlers were barely able to survive at all. They sometimes went hungry. It was the worst period in American history to settle in a wilderness. Eight of those years the people were at war and did not know whether they were living under George the Third, or George Wash- ington. Saville's ranks were depleted by men called to
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arms. Up to 1776 Saville embraced only eighteen families- widely scattered, and five years later it had only twenty- four.
CHAPTER V SECESSION TO VERMONT ATTEMPTED
Fortunately, perhaps, Saville was so small she did not actively participate in an event about which thirty-six of the western towns of the State, West of the "Masonian Curve," so called, held a Convention at Charlestown on January 16th, 1781 and voted to secede from the State and join Vermont. In response to this crisis the Legislature of Vermont voted to accept these towns into that State. The heated Legislatures of each State then voted funds to equip an army to go to war over the tempest-in-the-teapot. George Washington was appealed to, and at once, stepped into the impending trouble and acted to dispel the hot-heads. Washington's diplomatic, though firm, letter to the Gover- nor of Vermont ended the secession movement. The great General suggested force to suppress it, but also hinted to Vermont she might become a State later, if she backed down on this. Vermont did become the fourteenth State.
This story involved Wendell because of the fact that she was located West of the "Masonian Curve," which curve may be seen on the map, and is referred to in the deed, as a line running through Sunapee Pond. If, therefore, the secession movement had succeeded, Wendell would have become a part of Vermont. It is not proven whether Saville actually had a delegate at the Convention or not but she would have been bound by its action. Newport was among those towns which voted to secede from New Hampshire.
The "Masonian Curve," described in the original deed to John Mason's Company, was a curved line drawn from a point sixty miles West of the mouth of the Merrimac River measured on the Massachusetts northern boundary line to a point sixty miles north of the mouth of the Piscataqua River. Such a curve, when surveyed, happened to pass
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through "Sunapee Pond." It was held for years to be the Western boundary line of New Hampshire, but, after much controversy the King took a hand and decreed that the Con- necticut River was the boundary. A majority of the people of the State of New Hampshire were opposed to secession. These Western towns, viz, those between the "curve" and the river became more friendly with the Vermont towns across the river, and, in addition to that, they were jealous of the East, the controlling political centre of the State. They said, in substance, that whether the King ruled them or not it would be all the same to them, for the Portsmouth and Exeter crowd would still rule. So they were a bit cold toward the Revoluntionary War. The Wheelock-Hanover leaders were in this fight to secede. For an expansion of this story see "Vermont in the Making," by Jones; "Revolu- tionary New Hampshire," by Upton; or "A Synoptic History of the Granite State," by Bartlett.
CHAPTER VI SETTLERS FROM PORTSMOUTH
Three bachelors from Portsmouth came to Saville first to make a beginning of the new town in 1769. This was soon after the grant. They settled on the extreme tip end of the tail of our then alligator-shaped township. These three pio- neers were, Captain Benjamin Rand, William Lang and Daniel Grandell, sturdy yeomen. They were soon joined by others from the seaport town. There were six families from there in 1776, located on the southern tail. There were four- teen in 1791. These settlers were eight miles from the "Centre," where a few other settlers, coming from another direction took root in 1772. The south end had the better land for farming, but, to hold religious, social and other meetings, they naturally sought those nearest to them who proved to be settlers in the adjoining edges of Lempster, Newbury, Unity and Newport. Therefore years later they, with others, asked to be made a new town. The result was Goshen, in 1790. But they and their land were a part of our
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history until 1790, so we must consider them as ours, although seceders later.
An anecdote is related of bachelor Daniel Grandell, one of the first three settlers on the tail, that he soon trailed the woods back to Portsmouth and to Kingston, getting lone- some, we suppose, and brought up a "perfect wife." Her name was "Elizabeth Tandy." Now, it seems that Daniel was obliged to go to Portsmouth, a part of the summers, both before and after the nuptials, to work at his trade as car- penter in order to make ends meet. He would leave his unafraid Betty alone for a spell in the summer, she being willing. The yarn runs that bold Betty, one night, as sole proprietor of Saville shack No. 1, heard a bear picking the lock to the gate of her pig-pen where grunted their pork for the winter. Seizing a white sheet, covering her head, screeching wildly, she flew at the burglarious bruin, who, more frightened than Betty, beat it, galloping madly to the dense woods below. To this story is added the corroborative fact that Aunt Betty lived to be 104 years old.
Captain Rand also married, was a blacksmith, and had a shop in Goshen near Rand's Pond.
The writer did not learn if or when William Lang was cured of being a bachelor.
This may be as appropriate as any place to mention the names of South Saville settlers who had arrived prior to 1776, for, by elimination, it reveals who lived in the rest of the town in 1776. About the same time as the three bache- lors George W. Lear came from Portsmouth with his brother Joseph, and cleared a patch of land near them at the south end. George W. Lear was the only one of the ninety-six original grantees of Saville to become an actual early settler in Saville. He appears to have been an able citizen for he became an officer in the Revolutionary War. He was well connected in Portsmouth, being a nephew of wealthy George Walker, and a cousin of Tobias Lear, Private Secretary to President George Washington.
Daniel Shirbon came, also sometime before 1776. The foregoing arrivals at the south end made six (6) in all prior
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to 1776. This is proven by the fact that these six are shown by the records to have signed the Association Test in 1776, and also later to be among those cut off to form Goshen (1791). To repeat, there were only six settlers in the south end of Saville up to 1776, namely, Benjamin Rand, William Lang, Daniel Grandell, George W. Lear, Joseph Lear and Daniel Shirbon. These men "got there first," but later, went to Goshen.
CHAPTER VII RESIDENTS IN THE PERMANENT SECTION OF SAVILLE
We have shown that six emmigrants from Portsmouth settled in Saville, first. They settled at the "south end" which, in 1790, was cut off for Goshen. Hence, the remain- ing settlers, the twelve who arrived sometime before 1776 can be ascertained and located in the section of the town that remained permanent-this, by eliminating from the Association Test list of 1776 those six families who lived in the "south end." We are able to find no list of Saville settlers before 1776. They came as, when and where, they pleased, and made no record.
The "Association Test" list, being Saville's first list of resi- dents to be found anywhere, was as follows:
Robert Woodward Michael Bowden
William Mack Breney
John Beven
Samuel Gunnison
Ephraim Bradbury
Joseph Lear
George Walker Lear
Elezer Sisco (by mark)
Benjamin Howard (by mark)
Benjamin Thurber
Joshua Gage
Daniel Sherburne
Daniel Grendel
William Lang
William Sisco (by mark)
Samuel Thurber
Benjamin Rand
Samuel Gunnison and Benjamin Thurber, certified as Selectmen, that these eighteen men were all the settlers there were then living in Saville. Not a man refused to sign it. This list is authentic. It is found in "State Papers." It is an historic roll of honor.
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From this list of eighteen, deduct the south-enders (Rand, Lang, Grendel, G. Lear, J. Lear and Sherburne) and we have a dozen who have a different history then the first six. This dozen did not come from Portsmouth. Where did they originate is our problem for they were our real founders, those who lived on our present soil. They were:
Robert Woodward
Michael Bowden
Samuel Gunnison
John Beven
William Mack Breney
Ephraim Bradbury
Elezer Sisco
Benjamin Howard
Benjamin Thurber
Joshua Gage
Samuel Thurber
William Sisco
CHAPTER VIII
SAVILLE SETTLED BY RHODE ISLANDERS
Up to now the only statement that Saville was settled by families from Rhode Island was vague and without proof.
Historian Charlton in his "History of New Hampshire" made the statement that, "A small company of immigrants from Rhode Island settled in Saville in 1772." And William C. Sturoc, made the same assertion later and added that "Granny Howard came up from Rhode Island."
In seeking to prove these unproven statements, we made research. We learned that in 1771 John Wendell adver- tised for settlers for New Hampshire towns in the Provi- dence (R. I.) Gazette, at the suggestion of Governor Went- worth, "with some results." We also found records to show that all of the six brothers, named "Young," who came to Saville and Wendell before 1781, enlisted in the War from, or were born in, Smithfield, Rhode Island, (See Chapter on Saville's War Record). To be sure, they were not of the twelve first settlers. Likewise we also saw a record where Captain John Angel enlisted for the War at Smithfield, R. I. He came to Wendell at the end of the War. These later facts seem to corroborate the general legendary statements, for it is observed that when a small group go to a small place to settle they generally get their home friends and relatives
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to follow them. "Granny Howard" had a rock in Gitchell's Cove, where she fished by the Lake, on which her name was scratched. She may have been Benjamin Howard's widow. Legends sometimes are true.
It may develop later that some of the twelve were not from Rhode Island. Those were days of immigrants churn- ing about, hunting for a home, free, if possible. In fact Saville settlers may have been in America only a short time, never having settled anywhere.
CHAPTER IX SAVILLE AND WENDELL IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR
No record by towns of the Revolutionary War was made in any town. Neither did the State keep any records of the War by towns. Now since Saville was, we might say, a "foundling town" at the time when War broke out, its rec- ords had nothing at all about the War. Unfortunately, some- time after the War the State, ignorant of what Saville had done in the War, unduly imposed a penalty tax on the town. Thereupon Captain Samuel Gunnison led a success- ful appeal effort for relief, making the following report to the Committee of Claims for the State. We produce the re- port below, bad spelling and all.
But first, let us see what and who Captain Gunnison was as shown by "State Papers," Vol. XIII, page 494. We quote:
"By a return of Col. Benjamin Bellows Jr. dated Mar. 15, 1776, the 10th of his regiment was located in Saville, and Commanded by Samuel Gunnison, captain, Ben- jamin Thurber First Lieutenant, William Lang, Second Lieutenant, and George Lear, Ensign."
* AUTHOR'S NOTE: The above named officers of Company 10 were all signers of the Association Test in Saville in 1776. The town, at that time had only eighteen heads of families.
Now in 1885, October 12th, Captain Gunnison wrote a report to the State, and here it is verbatim, ad literatim:
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Captain Gunnison's Report on Wendell's Revolutionary War Record. Made in 1765 Quoted:
"To the Honble the Comite of Claims in and for the Com- monwealth of New Hampshire Gentlemen this may inform your honours of the State and Sittuation of the town of Wen- dell During our late unnateral War. In the first of the War their was fifteen families twenty two poles Laram List and Training Band-And in April 1783-but thurty four taxable poles in the town-which have always Dun their parts & Sum times more in the Common Cause as may appear by the fol- lowing account which I took from the Peopels mouths as to Collect the actual Service the peopel of this town have Done from the Officers Roles they were under I cannot do."
Benjamin Howard in the service 0 years 0
9 months
Elezer Sisco
5
Samuel Gunnison, Jr.
0
71/2
Joseph Lear 0
11/2
Daniel Grindel (for messrs Lears)
0
5
Daniel Woodward
0
2
Wm. Lang, Jr. from beginning and during war
Wm. Sisco
William Mabritton Jun.
66
(three years- 3 0
wounded and died in the service)
Edward Young
0
6
Daniel Grindle (for himself)
0
6
Sam Sisco (for three years) 3
0
The above list are those who were in town and did service for the town
Joshua Gage
0
8
Esek Young
1
2
Abiather Young
1 9
Neamiah Woodward
1 2
Thomas Woodward
0 9
Joshua Whitne 1
8
The above list are those who had just purchased land in the town & made some small improvements and then went volunteers into the armey in Different Depart- ments
"This from your humble and faithful Servant-Errors excepted -Wendell october 12th, 1785- Samll Gunnison Capt."
The report of Captain Gunnison modestly omits his own record of service throughout the War as Captain of Com- pany 10. It credits Ensign George Lear with no service at Saville, although he did service elsewhere. Likewise as to Thurber and Lang.
It credits Joseph Lear with 11/2 months service at Saville, although he served as a Private and Sargeant under Captain Walker (under Colonel Bellows), marched to New York State served at Stillwater, and was present when Burgoyne
0 0
10
5
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surrendered. He also fought at Ticonderoga. We get this from a deposition of his 2d. wife, Mercy Woodward.
While Abiather Young served only one year and nine months from Saville, yet we find that he came to Saville after he had served five years, enlisting from his old home in Smithfield, R. I. He had served at Bunker Hill, New Jersey and other places.
While Esek Young served only one year and two months from Saville, he had served two years before that at Long Island, White Plains and other places, enlisting with his brothers at Smithfield, R. I.
While Edward Young came to Saville with three of his six brothers (Abiather, Robert and James) in or before 1781, we have seen a deposition of one of them saying all seven of the "Young brothers" served in the War before coming to Saville. From Saville Edward Young served six months. We have not run across where he served before, except the deposition that all of them served in the War.
While Robert Young did no service in Saville after he arrived in 1781, yet before that he had done the same War service as his brother Esek, as above stated. He may have been used up before he came to Saville.
James Young, the youngest brother, enlisted at the old home in Smithfield, R. I., as a "fifer boy," and served twelve months. He had no recorded service from Saville, although he was there in 1781.
Cornelius Young, who came to Saville with his brother Esek, had no recorded service there. But from the Gardner geneology, we find he married Sarah Huntoon and had a daughter, Betsey Young, wife of David Gardner of Wendell. The Gardner family rate Cornelius Young as a Revolution- ary soldier. He was one of the seven Young brothers who enlisted from Smithfield, R. I. We find only six brothers, but believe it probable that all served somewhere, and all six certainly came to Saville before the War was quite over.
Daniel Grindel who is given credit for only ten months service in Saville, enlisted from Saville August 20, 1776, and fought at Fort Ticonderoga, N. Y.
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Samuel Sisco enlisted from Saville and served three years. Fought at Fort Ticonderoga.
William Lang enlisted in Saville and served during the War.
Christopher Gardner enlisted at Portsmouth June 25, 1775, served at Winter Hill and at Peekskill. Went to Wendell after the War.
Samuel George enlisted at Weare, July 1, 1780. Went to Wendell after the War.
John Angell enlisted at Smithfield, R. I. Was made a Captain. Went to Wendell after the War.
Samuel Rogers came to Wendell after the War, having served one year from Hopkinton.
CHAPTER X SAVILLE IN WAR AND POVERTY
The State Papers turn this light on Saville's earliest war history:
"Petition for Arms and Ammunition: addressed to the Coun- cil and Assembly, 1776.
The Petition & Memorial of John Wendell of Portsmouth in the sd Colony Esqr unto your Honours humbly shews-
That your Petitioner by a Vote of the Inhabitants of the Township of Saville in said Colony was chosen to represent them in the late honbl Congress in all Matters that regard their public safety especially to procure them some Powder & Ball for their defence against their Enemies, and as the Gentleman who lately represented said Township wh Other is removed into the Council and is also absent at this Time, Your Memorilist thinks it his Duty to petition Yr Honrs in the Behalf of said Inhabitants, that you would be pleased to grant them such a Supply of Arms & Ammunition as their Situation may require and as it will appear from the Evidence of Capt Samuel Gunnison who commands the Company in said Town, and who is a Person with whom Yr Honours may deposit such Military Stores as you may be pleased to grant them, and for whose Fidelity Yr Petitioner will readily be bound for
Yr Petitioner will not presume to lay before Yr Honours the Urgency of a Supply to the Interior Parts of ye Colony
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as it must occur to You from the late Intelligencies from Canada, yet he humbly begs leave to suggest, that those he now represents are wholly in want ot Powder & are likely to be called on sooner than the others, being most of them Young, able & willing to defend their Country against any hostile Attempts of the Brittish Army-if they should invade the Frontier Towns,-and Your Petitioners as in Duty bound shall ever pray-
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