USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Derry > Willey's book of Nutfield; a history of that part of New Hampshire comprised within the limits of the old township of Londonberry, from its settlement in 1719 to the present time > Part 10
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I JOLNEY H. MOODY was born March 26, 1859, at Tunbridge, Vt. He obtained a com- mon school education, supplemented by a few terms at the high schools of Chelsea and Royalton in the same state. He remained at work upon the farm until he was twenty-one years of age. In the fall of that year, 1880, he went to Derry Depot and obtained employment in the cutting room of the shoe factory under the management and super- intendence of Col. W. S. Pillsbury. Here he re- mained for eight years, when he found an oppor- tunity, in 1888, to purchase an interest for himself in the store next west of the railroad and on the north side of Broadway, with the firm of Pillsbury & Parmerton. In a short time he disposed of his interest there, and bought another interest in the store immediately opposite, with G. B. Smith, re- taining this position until Jan. 1, 1890, when he was enabled to secure the ground floor and suitable accommodations for the large business he has built up in dry and fancy goods. The business has steadily increased under his management, each year requiring more space for the display and handling of his goods. He has found it necessary to occupy more room and with larger accommoda-
90
WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
tions he has greatly increased and improved his platforms. In social and political circles Mr. display of goods. Mr. Moody was married, Sept. 3, 1885, to Nancy J. Gage of Derry, daughter of John A. and Martha (Tenney) Gage. To this union was born Howard G. Moody, July 30, 1887. The immediate ancestors of Mr. Moody are Flor-
VOLNEY H. MOODY.
entinc D. and Mary (Cram) Moody of Tunbridge, Vt. During Mr. Moody's residence in Derry, he has become identified with whatever movement tended toward the development of a new com- munity and the general welfare of the eitizens. The importance of this new community in Derry Depot has been felt by the larger consensus of the township and appreciated in the eleetion of more of these citizens to the offices of the town. Mr. Moody was one of the seleetmen in 1890, '91 and '92. In 1891 and '92 he was chairman of the board. At the town meeting of 1894 a large ma- jority voted for him to be the town's representa- tive in the General Court at Concord. His politi- cal opinions are coincident with the republican
Moody has aimed at the recompense of reward that is found in conscientious attention to the duties of one's position, and this carefulness in detail has been the occasion of his promotion. He is a mem- ber of the Masonic order, represented in St. Mark's Lodge. He is also in honor among the Indepen- dent Odd Fellows and has passed all the chairs.
THE ELDERS OF THE CHURCH in the early days exercised a most rigid supervision over the flock, their authority extending even into private and domestic affairs. If there was a rumor of trouble in a family, the elders would at once in- vestigate and some action on the case would be taken. The first matter of this kind to engage their attention was a report that Jamcs Doake had bcaten his father. The elders promptly investi- gated and reported "that after a great deal of pains taken, they cannot find it proven that Jamcs Doakc did beat his father, yet the session agreeth that James Doake should be rebuked before them for giving his father the lic, and to be exhortcd to respect and honor his parents in words and actions."
T' THE FUNERAL OBSERVANCES of the early settlers were of a character in some respects peculiar. When death cntered their homcs all work ceascd in the neighborhood, and the people gathered at the house of mourning to observe a custom which they had brought with them from Ireland. These wakes often exhibited an incongruous mixture of solemnity and hilarity which we should find it difficult to understand. After the reading of the Scriptures and prayer, liquor would be handed round, and before dawn the joke and the laugh would break in upon the slumbers of the dead. There was always a large attendance at a funeral. Sermons were rarely de- livered on the occasion, but before the prayer strong drink was served to the mourners and to the whole congregation. The same was done after prayer and at the grave, as well as at the house after the burial. Many a family bccame seriously embar- rassed in consequence of the heavy cxpenses in- curred by the funeral services.
91
terian churches they should attend, the feud
could not agree which of the two good Presby-
THE LONGEST COURTSHIP on the rec- ords of Nutfield is that of Gabriel Barr and
property of the Reids, and the Tyler homestead
Clark later became the
George and Thomas
The land laid out to
Gov. Wentworth's farm.
laid out to Jonathan Tyler and west of Lieut.
boundary of the farm
werc near the eastern
end of Leveritts' brook
but those at the upper
sented on these maps,
of mcadow laid out to him and Abraham Blair. The position of meadows generally cannot be repre-
July 12, 1723, of one acre
early, as there is a record
father was here quite
them. Gen. Stark's
watched over some of same mothers reared and
and in childhood the
roof with the men that led the colonists to battle,
found at least temporary shelter under the same
after the Revolution. The proscribed loyalists
Not far from the meadows two distinguished gencrals-Stark and Rcid - were born (see pages 15, 165, and 293), and extremes met in this same region of contentions, and so it remained until
thus necessary to have strong and courageous men
on the ground.
meadows of Levcritts' brook the people of Havel-
Ezekiel's
Cod out in Autfuld
Archibald Stark
septi warded October +, 1720
13
meadows
Sive Slang flor
Jonathan ?
an Tyler
acus Schlumber 30. 1710.
Seventy Glaubtout un
Jonathan Tylen, Archibald Stack-10
Thomas Glark. Thesty acus
Londonderry
May 25 1738
Recorded march 2nd 1733 1151
Thomas black and George black
no black torched
Thomas & Eur
September 26. 720 Recorded Gctoda
Todas 4. 1720
Thomas Glask. George Glas
19
15
11
Thirty dews to Robust miller upout in Nutfelel
JW Bt. Gov John Wentwork
September 20, 17/20 Recorded October 11, 1720
out in tatfullt ?! Recorded Saft afterwards
8.9. he murphy
and drawn
prepared
Ranges
Henry Rock
George Glark Fort Inene arri's land
quit
June 15, 1728.
March 1722 and
148
11 recorded January 3ª 1735
STOL
Matthey Raid
one hundred acres laid out in
Recorded Be
December 24, 1722 dunya man 27/1722
James vreid
occupied by Robert Kennedy
and John morrison
& Recorded November 1 9, 1/2
13
March 1722. Recorded December 15.723
173
Carl gget un
James Jhon Forty acres laid out in london derry match 1722
doutro
June 24 1729. 47
18.1729
of Lamis Stenal
Allen Anderson
att un
Eightyacres Card / 15 1928 Recorded March 19, 173g.
34-
John mitafull one fund
Guide and
James Manual Polvo hundre
John Mitchell. Forty a
I acres laid out in Bonding
This act
204/ 1728 and two weres. 166)
29
Ricordiel May 13, 1726 Recorded gym
8
more
Witham bachram brooks
march 1722march 14, 1723
Recorded December 45 1723
William Nichols
Londonderry
Home lot
Thomas Steele . One hundred acres Londonteury augue Recorded January 7- 1726
25
Bedeutto
James Mc Real T Bondonifury forty acces march 1722.
Recorded
Las. Stirret Eighty aires.
For Wentworth Fife
July 28
Forty.
James morrison ou Lacres
James Nichols
all rights reserved
one hundred rocks
·
One hundred a faches Boyd Sept. 16, 1121 38 -18, 1781 3
Thomas Black the
15 En gal marked
William Nichols, son OF James Nichols and Gotten of alexander Nichols
Alexander Nichols
Forty a eres laid out in any march 1722
William Nutt thirty acus!
Recorded May 14, 1429
Carpentier 20.2720, 22.20
13
Recordul October 4, 1720.
nagual rot
Paidy 20, 1720 Recorded October 4 1720
Thirty acres
19
Surtout in Coup
Clark
provided for Nehemiah Griffin and James Mac-
Glaughlan, servants of James McKeen and James passed to the Starks.
Nesmith, respectively, and other lands were added
later in this part of the town. James McKeen
had two other servants, Thomas Clark and George
Clark, and they also received homesteads adjoin-
ing the other servants' lands. Capt. David Car-
Miller, received homes in the same range, and adjoining the last named. This was a wise
gill's two servants, William Nutt and Robert
his sweetheart to Rev. Mr. McGregor's, and they
belonged to Rev. William Davidson's parish, and
arrangement in many respects, for the territory was on the debatable frontier, and along the fine
DERRY DOCK RANGES.
T
"HIS name seems to have denoted a section of
land docked from the territory of Haverhill, hill were annually carrying away the hay. It was
or possibly it is descriptive of the valley that may have suggested to retired sea captains the figure of
a dock. (See page 307). This area was referred to in the early records as the Leveritts' land, and a stream running through it was Leveritts' brook. The Nutfield settlers soon displaced the former
occupants, and the land was allotted to persons
named in the charter. The name of one of these
charter settlers appears in this article for the first time, in consequence of his home lot being re- mote from other home lots. James Sterrat was mentioned in the list that tradition limited to six- teen names of persons with families who first
settled permanently in
Nutfield, more strictly defined as members of
congregation who had
Rev. James McGregor's
come with him to Am-
erica. Eighty acres of
amendment land were laid out to Sterrat to the right of the pastor's ser- vant, and Sterrat's home lot lay immediately west of this amendment. Home lots were early
acus - James Thekeen
Rond and
5-21-1728
Zorg acres de March 1722
in Londonderry Recorded November
by the Rw
This acres
Rachel Wilson, who "kept company " forty years and finally died unmarried. Love laughs at lock- smiths, but not at religious differences. Gabriel
02
WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
between the two parishes being extremely bitter. The Scotch blood that ran in the veins of the lovers made it impossible for either to yield, and hence the long courtship, ended only by death.
G EORGE ISAAC MCALLISTER was born in Londonderry Dee. 11, 1853, his parents being Jonathan and Caroline (Choate) McAllister. His father, a successful farmer and a prominent eitizen, resides in Lon- donderry, where he was born March 12, 1817. His mother was born in Derry April 8, 1823, and was a daughter of James Choate. He graduated from Kimball Union Academy at Meriden in 1873, from the Chandler Seientifie Department of Dartmouth College in 1877, studied law with Cross & Burnham and Hon. David Cross, was admitted to the bar in March, 1881, and has sinee praetised law in Manchester, where he resides. He was asso- eiated with Hon. Henry E. Burnham as a partner in the practice of the law from April 1, 1881, to Jan. 1, 1884, and has been the candidate of the Demoeratie party for county solieitor. From Nov. 1, 1885, to Dee. I, 1889, he held the office of deputy collector of internal revenue under Collector Calvin Page. Mr. MeAllister has taken a great interest in Free Masonry. Since he was made a Mason, in 1881, he has received the thirty-second degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite in E. A. Ray- mond Consistory at Nashua, has been Worshipful Master of Washington Lodge, A. F. and A. M., and Eminent Commander of Trinity Comman- dery, Knights Templar, of Manchester, is the
GEORGE I. MCALLISTER.
Junior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, and the Grand Cap- tain General of the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of the state of New Hampshire. He is also a member of Ridgely Lodge of Odd Fellows, of Security Lodge, Ancient Order of United Workmen, of the Board of Trade, of the Granite State Club, and attends the First Baptist church. He married Mattic M., daughter of Hon. John M. and Susan E. Hayes, on Dce. 22, 1886. They have two bright children : Bertha Hayes, born Sept. 27, 1887, and Harold Cleveland, born Mareh 28, 1893. Mr. MeAllister is a public spirited eitizen, a good lawyer, and is held in high esteem by his elients and friends. He is an excellent speaker, and has been called upon to deliver orations upon numerous publie oeea- sions.
FDW. L. PARKER, for forty years pastor of the First church in Derry, was born in Liteh- field July 28, 1785. On Sunday afternoon, July 14, 1850, while returning home from a service which he had held in a schoolhouse, his horse stumbled and fell. He alighted from his earriage and went baek to Mr. Clark's, the nearest house, to eall assistance. On returning to the carriage, and while stooping over the horse, he groaned and fell into Mr. Clark's arms, expiring without a struggle. Death was caused by angina pectoris. He was married in 18II to Miss Mehetable Kimball, daughter of Stephen Kimball of Hanover. Four children, two sons and two daughters, were born to them. Mr. Parker was not a great or an eloquent preacher, but it is said that he never delivered a poor sermon.
THE AIKENS RANGE.
BY REV. JESSE G. McMURPHY.
THE position of this section of land, mostly devoted to homesteads, is on the westerly side of Beaver brook, and the lots were laid out in parallelograms whose angles were somewhat oblique, to enable the surveyors to make common headlines and place the farms in one range. The westerly headline of the Aikens Range is the east- erly headline of the Eagers Range. The easterly headline of the Aikens Range is a side line to the fifteen, or even twenty rods. The longer lines also exceeded the reeord by twenty, thirty, and even forty rods. It has been explained by old surveyors in the following manner : The chain bearers added to the length of every chain ; when the fore- most man had drawn his chain straight from the hand of the rear man at the last pin, he took the end of the chain in one hand and a pin in the other hand and stepping as far as he could in advance connected homesteads of the Coghrans (a notable . he reached forward with the pin and dropped it. family whose name is variously written as Cough- This method would increase each chain length about the measure of a man's stature, and the excess for a mile line would be about thirty rods.
ran, Coghran, Cochran, and Cochrane, and prob- ably to be identified with Coffran). The longer lines of the Aikens Range of homesteads are The next homestead in the range was laid out to William Aiken and comprised the farm now occupied by Mrs. Elizabeth H. Karr and some small pieces that have been deeded to other parties on the eastern end. Edward Aiken had the home- stead now owned by John Folsom, and this also extended originally farther east. The original castern boundary of the Aikens homesteads was a small stream, which shows how much has been taken from the ends of all of these farms. John Wallace had the lot now occupied by L. H. Pills- bury, and Benjamin Wilson's homestead came next in order where Joseph R. Clark owns. Joseph R. Clark also owns the original homestead of Andrew Todd. In the records, owing to the obliquity of the angles, it was represented that each end line was thirty-one rods, but in fact there is none so narrow even in these most excellent lands. John Bell had one hundred acres laid out in one strip beeause he preferred to take his first nearly parallel to the general course of Beaver brook. The homestead lying nearest to the brook leaves a wide space between that was not adapted to immediate settlement. At this part of Beaver brook the meadow margin is very broad, and at the time the homesteads were laid out all the meadow was staked and bounded for the exclusive use of the settlers as they had agreed among themselves. The legal possession of these meadows then be- came fixed by a formal act of the committee for lot laying and the recording of the former transac- tion. James Aiken had the homestead nearest the brook, but that was not nearer than the farm upon which the Bradfords live. The rocky ridge to the southward probably limited the lot in that direction. The general model of the sixty-aere lot was a mile in length and of width to correspond, but if the land was unfit for cultivation or already pre-empted for hay privileges the width often exeeeded the average of thirty-three or thirty-four rods by ten, and seeond divisions together, the homestead of
93
Swamp
The Widow Goghran,. Peter and Ninean Goghran laid out un
forty eight deres and
recorded January 21, 1729.
Recorded Selt ...
Sixty acres laid out in Nuffield in 1720 John Goghran and Peter Goghran,
Samuel, John and Janel- Mckeen. Sixty acres lard out in Nitefield in 1720. Recorded Feb, 15# 1722!
Robert-Mc Keen.
John Senter.
Robie.
1
morrison
John Bell
One hundred acres laid out inLondonderry m. 1722 Recorded March 14, 1722
Andrew Lord, Sixty acres land out in Vielfield m 1720 Recorded March 30, 1721. Benjamin Willson, Sixty acres laid out in Nulfield m 1720 Recorded March 30 1721 1.
John Wallace, Sixty acres laid out im Nulfield in 1720. Recorded March 30, 1721
William Aiken, Sixty acres laid out in Watfield in July 1720. Recorded august 2 nd 1720
Sixty acres laid out une Recorded aug 2nd 1720
meadow Ro
Forty acres.
October 1720.
laid out-ul butfuld
Record Sept. 3, 1722,
W Goghran
John meGlung Elizabeth Wilson
W __ E
Mc Glung.
The Aiken Range. map prepared and drawn by Rud A. S. Mc murphy. all rights reserved.
One hundred rods 0 10 25 50
100
mill bride 1 1
1
S
" Recorded Nov. 11, 1720 .
half acres land, out in Nulfield Nov. 45 1720.
lol- thirty three and one
Robert- Baytés Sawmill
Recorded march 234 1721.
James Gregy's Sawmill lot
Sixty acres 1720
Thomas Blogles
Nov. 2 65 1723
Woodburn -
-
John James
Givean Graig .
William Ejayers .
James Filan, Nutfull July
1
Recorded January 32 1735 out in Londonderry mar, 1722
Goyfran Forty acres land Sohn, Peter me Andrewr
m 1722. Reconcil
Tiondondurig
Forty acres laid out
William Action. Robert Arbuckle.
d 17 Fo Virtual 1720 Fortyacres laid out un Recorded Scht, 3ª 1722. William Goghran
Johne Bell Gerente acres laul Sept. 16, 1728.
Hadow
Road
morrison
morrison
Holmes
1
1
-
a little brook and meadows.
d 1722 .___-------
ـحـ
Feb. 19, 1722.
Londonderry
726.121728
Beaver zuur and meadows Homestead John mc Gonoghy's
House of Jamis Gregg ..
re-
Edward Riken
MAP OF THE AIKENS RANGE.
brook
05
WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
sixty and the second division of forty acres or its equivalent. Beyond this homestead the regu- larity of the plan of allotment is broken and the farms are laid out in such figures as the nature of the ground would best allow. The land north of John Bell's lot was laid out chicfly for second divisions and amendments, but it appears from records of roads and subsequent history of the town that most of these picces of land have been occupied at some time by persons who built houses upon them and made homesteads of them, al- though at present they are mostly deserted and only the marks of former cultivation are apparent in old field walls, garden spots, stumps of orchard trees, wells, and stone foundations for houses and barns.
On June 17, 1719, the town ordcred a sawmill to be built upon Beaver river and entered into an agreement with Robert Boyce, James Gregg, Samuel Graves and Joseph Simonds, whereby they should have the privilege of the river from the pond downward to the bottom of the falls, but James Gregg alone had the right of building the gristmill. The sawmill was built about where Wallace W. Poor's sawmill stands and had an acre of ground for a mill yard for storing boards and lumber. The gristmill was not far from the site of the present gristmill of Lcando Hardy and Gregg's house on the south side of the road as it turns eastward by the gristmill. These men were allowed certain parcels of land as rewards for undertaking to supply the wants of the settlers in respect to lumber and corn meal and other meals at fixed prices. It is seen in reading over the allotment of lands that James Gregg had a forty-acre lot laid out to him in October of the next year on the northerly side of the river opposite to his home- stead and the mill sites, and that parcel of land covered the greater part of the space now occupied by Derry Village; on the river side it joined upon his privilege and the margin by the river which he used for a log yard, the latter being in the vicinity of the spot now occupied by the factory of Benja- min Chase. Robert Boyce had also a forty-acre parcel allotted to him, for similar reasons imme- diately west of that allotted to James Gregg. The actions of the town are not always understood, for it often appears that verbal agreements werc en-
tered into that never obtained the confirmation of a vote. Some agreement had been made with one William Gregg to give him a gristmill lot, but an indignation meeting was held upon the 4th day of April, 1720, and the resolution was passed that William Gregg for good reasons should not have the gristmill lot that was intended for him nor any other interest in the town of Nutfield. At a general town meeting held June 8, 1720, there was a resolution that John Hunter shall not have a lot in this town. Some of these proceedings appear to have been arbitrary and actuated by party spirit and are fully equal to the average wrangling over rights and titles in the frontier settlements of the newer west of the present generation.
As a specimen of the records in laying out the Aikens Range the following is typical of all :
Nutfield July 1720. A lot being laid out to William Aiken in the double range lying on the west of Beaver river containing sixty acres, its bounds and measures are as followeth : beginning at a small pine tree marked, from thence running a due north- north-west line thirty-one rods to another pine tree marked from thence running a due north-east line three hundred and twenty rods and bounding all the way upon Edward Aiken's lot unto a stake set up near a small brook, from thence to another stake near the same brook marked running a south-south-east line thirty-one rods, from thence running a due south-east line three hundred and twenty rods and joining all the way upon James Aiken's lot unto the pine tree first mentioned, together with an interest in the common or undivided lands of the said township equal to other lots in the said town. James McKeen, Robert Wear, James Gregg, John Goffe, Committee. Recorded this 2nd of August 1720.
Pr. JOHN GOFFE, Town Clerk.
The description of William Aiken's homestead is such that the location of both Edward and James Aiken is known. The two western corners of this lot were marked by blazing pine trees. One ae- quainted with the soil of that locality is not sur- prised, although no indications of pine are seen at present within the limits of the farm ; in reality no forest remains upon any part of the land.
The Aikens were widely connected by mar- riages and remained for many generations upon the same homesteads. Many living persons were contemporary with the latest generation of the Aikens that dwelt upon their ancestral lands, and many anecdotes are told of their earlier generations illustrative of the habits and personal peculiarities of the racc that gave a name to the range. The
96
WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
name Aikens Range was not given at the time the tinctions carned by some of the men in the wars of land was laid out to them and their neighbors, but the country have served to fix forever in the mem- in a few months there were so many reasons for ory of the living and perhaps to the coming genera- distinguishing the two double ranges, and also the tions the abode of the Todds. The John Wallace two parts of the same double range, that the two parts were named from prominent men in either part and the term Double Range became restricted to the pair of ranges lying southeast of Beaver river, and the two lying northwest of the river eeased to be associated together or called the double range.
The Bell family continued to live upon the original homestead until the close of the first quar- ter of the present eentury, and the last representa- tive of the name living and dying upon the spot is remembered by some of the present inhabitants of the town.
The town records furnish numerous faets eon- cerning the births, marriages, and deaths of the settlers in this range, and histories of these and neighboring towns contain abundant material for very complete genealogieal sketehes of these old familiar characters. The long residence of the Todds upon their original homestead and the dis-
homestead has made a deep impression upon the memory of many on account of the noble elm trees that have been allowed to grow up around the buildings and the ample yard or lawn in front with so many associations of gentle deeds and gentle people. Many young people have received inspirations from the examples of Christian men and women that have moved and had their being among the quiet shades of those ancestral walks.
All roads led to the great Canadian settle- ments that were older than those of the New Hampshire Provinee, and the settlers travelled be- tween these, trusting to the friendly guidance of the Indians. In the vague geographical knowledge of the times and the real uncertainty of territorial boundaries the early settlers eame to speak of all the northern parts of the province and even of the grant on which they lived as Canada. To add to this confusion of terms there was an emigrant
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