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 23
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 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51
(4) William, who sympathized with the King in the Ameri- can Revolution, and disappeared.
Alexander MacMurphy's will was proven at probate court June 29, 1763. Robert MacMur- phy, James MacMurphy, and James Craige were the witnesses. All the property was left to his wife, Isabel, for the support of the children.
John McMurphy, second son of Alexander MacMurphy, and grandson of Squire John Mac- Murphy, was born in Londonderry in 1756. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. He mar- ried Sarah Graham of Chester, N. H., and moved to Acworth about 1784. Their children were :
(I) William, born 1784; married Laura Shumway of Charleston : moved to Alstead, and was a farmer the rest of his life, dying in 1859. Children of William and Laura Murphy : (a) Sarah, born 1815, married Rev. Giles Bailey, died in 1848.
(2) Alexander, born about 1786 ; was a soldier in the war of 1812 ; married Esther Chandler of Alstead, where he lived until his death ; he was a farmer ; he had no children.
(3) John, married Theresa Garfield of Langdon, and had these children : Nancy, John, James, Theresa : none married but James, and all dead : James, who was born about 1824 and died about 1851, was a physician, married Miss Hart of Ver- mont and settled in Chester, Vt. ; their children were : James, dead, and Julian, who took the name of his stepfather. Adams. and is in the government service in Washington.
(4) David, born Dec. 28, 1798, married Mary Goss of Dummerston, Vt., in 1833 ; lived in Boston ; was a State House messenger ; died Sept. 26, 1877. His children were : (a) Charles Austin, born Oct. 10, 1834; (b) David, Jr., died at the age of 19 ; Charles Austin married Mary White Ashley of Salem. June 9, 1870, moved to Groton, Mass., and is a farmer ; his children are : (a) Mary Ellen Murphy, born April 2, 1871, a teacher : (b) David Enos, born Nov. 2, 1872, a farmer : (c) Jennie Ashley, born Aug. 30, 1878.
(5) George, born 1801, married Polly Maynard of Orwell, Vt., July 19, 1829, was a carpenter, settled in Claremont, N. H .. died Aug. 6, 1881, leaving two children : (a) George, born Dec. 19, 1830, a carpenter, unmarried : (b) E. Darwin, born June 4. 1834, married Frances K. Dane of Claremont, Nov. 5, 1854. is a pattern-maker and has one son, Charles A. Murphy, who was born Oct. 9, 1867, and was married Jan. 25, 1887, to Ida I. Patrick of Danville, P. Q., is a machinist and has one child, a daughter, Marion Dane, born Dec. 5, 1893.
(6) Polly, married Jesse William's and moved to Theresa, N. Y.
(7) Betsey, married Wales Jewett of Langdon and moved to New York.
(8) Sally, died young.
Children of Giles and Sarah Murphy Bailey : (1) Caroline, died young, unmarried : (2) George W., born March 20, 1848, married Mary Lord of Maine, is a dry goods merchant in Pitts- field, Mass. ; has no children.
Children of William and Sophia Walker Murphy : (I) a son. died young ; (2) Carrie, who married William E. Hutchins of Cambridge, a lawyer ; they have two daughters, May, 11 years. and Helen, 9 years.
Children of Gardner and Hannah Flagg Murphy: (1) Charles E., born 1855, married Marietta Ladd of Boston, is a merchant in Boston, has no children ; (2) Frederick F .. born 1858, unmarried, a merchant : (3) Gardner E., born 1861. mar- ried Louise Emerson of Boston, is a merchant in Boston and has two children: Gardner and Thomas Emerson : (4) Grace E .. born 1863, unmarried.
Children of George S. and Sophia Richards Murphy: (1) Hattie M., born 1860, unmarried. lives in Cambridge, Mass. : (2) Laura Louise, born 1862, died 1865.
18
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, LONDONDERRY.
IN 1739, twenty years after the arrival of the even social intercourse between the pastors. But first settlers of Nutfield, about forty families living in the western part of the town petitioned to be set off as a separate religious society, and on Feb. 25, 1740, the New Hampshire legislature incorporated the West Parish of Londonderry. The first steps toward its organization had been taken five years before, so that the church actually dates from 1735. This division in the original parish was caused partly by the location of the church cdifiee, which was in the eastern portion of the town, and partly by the dissatisfaction felt by some of the parishioners with Rev. William Davidson, the pastor of the "old church." Rev. David MaeGregor, son of Rev. James MaeGregor, took the pastoral charge of the newly formed church and society. The house in which he generally preached was on Aiken's Range, west of Pinkerton Academy. He occasionally preached, however, in the Hill meeting-house, about a mile west of Aiken's Range. Although the town was
divided into two parishes, east and west, parish lines were wholly disregarded, forty families of the West Parish being allowed to attend and be taxed for worship in the East Parish, and about the same number in the East were allowed to attend and be taxed for worship in the West. This division lasted until the elose of Mr. MaeGregor's ministry in 1777. For many years these families were ae- eustomed to meet and pass each other on their way to ehureh, and sometimes these meetings were attended with ludicrous seenes. Persons would go miles on foot, carrying their shoes in their
hands, and putting them on just before reaching the ehureh. Two or more would use a single horse, eaeh riding a short distance, and then hiteh- ing the animal for the other to ride on when he came up. It is said that two lovers, one belong- ing to the East and the other to the West Parish, though engaged to be married, remained single all their lives and died of old age, be- cause they could not agree which church to
they were Scotchmen, and it was not to be expected that either party would yield. In 1741 Windham was set off as a separate parish from the East Parish. As far as church polity and denomina- tional lines are concerned, the West Parish, now the Presbyterian church, Londonderry, is the lincal descendant of the original Presbyterian ehureh founded in 1719. A new ehureh cdifiee was begun in 1769. It was located near the sehoolhouse in Distriet No. 1, not far from where Frank A. Hardy's residenee now stands. Although the ex- terior was completed the following year, the interior was not finished until 1780. Pews were made in 1787, and sold in the aggregate for more than $5,000. This house stood without mueh alteration till 1845, when it was taken down and removed to the eentre of the town, on the Mam- moth road, and fitted up for a town hall. The session house was also removed and converted into a dwelling on the same road, about two miles north of the new church. In the winter of 1836-37, steps were taken for the ereetion of a new ehureh, the building being completed in the fall of 1837, at a cost of about $4,000. The land for the site, originally laid out to David Morrison, was the gift of Robert Maek. In 1860 the ehureh was repaired at a cost of about $2,000. Rev. David MaeGregor, the first minister of the West Parish, died May 30, 1777. During his ministry the ses- sion consisted of the following men, who were at different periods eonseerated to the office of ruling elder : James MeKeen, James Leslie, James Clark, James Nesmith, James Lindsley, George Dunean, John Dunean, James Taggart, John Gregg, Robert Morrison, John Hunter, John MeKeen, Samuel Anderson, Samuel Fisher, John Aiken, and James Reed. Shortly after Mr. MaeGregor's death the "forty-family quarrel " between the two parishes eame to an end, the legislature in 1778 repealing the law allowing that singular interehange of fam- ilies. Rev. William Morrison, D. D., sueeeeded Mr. MaeGregor as pastor. He was ordained Feb. 12, 1783, and died Mareh 9, 1818, after a pastorate
attend. The division, continuing nearly forty years, was productive of evils long felt in the town, occasioning animosities between the members of of thirty-five years. Rev. Daniel Dana, D. D., the two societies, and preventing ministerial and who had recently resigned the presideney of Dart-
204
WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
205
1817
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, LONDONDERRY.
206
WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
mouth College, was the next pastor. He was master of the Eastern New Hampshire Pomona installed Jan. 15, 1822, and resigned in April, 1826, Grange,-the largest Pomona Grange in New Eng- being succeeded by Rev. Amasa A. Hayes, who was ordained June 25, 1828, and died Oct. 23, 1830. Since that year the pastors of the church have been : John R. Adams, 1831 to 1838; Tim- othy G. Brainerd, 1840 10 1855 ; William House, 1857 10 1873; Luther B. Pert, 1875 to 1879; Ira C. Tyson, 1880 to 1883; Henry C. Fay, 1885 to 1888; Frank E. Mills, 1889 to 1892; Samuel F. French, 1893 to the present time. The church, which is now in a flourishing condition, has a membership of 135. The membership of the Sunday school is 107, and of the Christian Endeavor society, 31. In a sermon preached in 1876, Rev. Luther B. Pert, at that time pastor of the church, notes :
That the Presbyterianism of America, through its Scotch original in the church of Londonderry and others of Ulster origin, may be traced in some elements of its history to the primitive Christian church.
That the Presbyterian church of America is not chargeable with anything real or imaginary respecting the antinomian con- troversy of 1637, nor respecting the witchcraft mania of Salem, culminating about 1692. This latter tragedy was in preparation here nearly at the time when they who founded Presbyterianism in America were defending the faith of Protestantism in the siege of Londonderry, Ireland.
That the Presbyterian Church of Londonderry, N. H., if not the first, was among the very first to found Presbyterianism in this country.
That the present Presbyterian Church of Londonderry, N. H., is the only immediate representative of the Presbyterian founders of the town, since the transference of the East Parish to another denomination.
JORACE A. HILL, one of the prominent of- H
fieials and workers in the Eastern New Hampshire Pomona Grange, was born Nov. 14, 1839, on the homestead in Derry where he now resides. He is the son of Charles Hill of Chester and Hannah T. Hanson of Brookfield, N. H. His education was obtained in the distriet sehool and at Pinkerton Academy. In his younger days Mr. Hill engaged to some extent in the lumber busi- ness, but most of his life has been devoted to agri- culture. Ever since the starting of the Grange in New Hampshire he has been an active member. He was master of Nutfield Grange and overseer and
land,- holding each office for two years. He was active in organizing the New Hampshire State Grange Fire Insurance Company, in which he is a director, and he is also a director in the Patrons' Relief Association. He has been the State Grange deputy of the first district for four years, and was assistant marshal three years and chief marshal the last two years of the State Grange fair. Mr. Hill is a member of St. Mark's Lodge, A. F. and A. M. From carly boyhood he has attended the old Pres- byterian church on the hill in East Derry. In polities he is a Republican and so faithful to his eivie duties that he has never missed an elcetion. He has always been a close observer of faets and for years has kept an accurate record of many. things, such as the dates of notable storms, unusu- ally hot or eold days, and other meteorological faets of especial interest to a farmer. Nov. 3, 1869, Mr. Hill was united in marriage with Miss Lizzie H. Fitz, daughter of Luther Fitz of Ches- ter. Mrs. Hill was a teacher in the common sehools previous to her marriage, and has served three years on the school board of Derry. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Hill are: Luther Fitz, born Oet. 11, 1870, died Nov. 17, 1870; Emma Josephine and Ella May, born June 9, 1874, graduated at Pinkerton Academy June, 1894; Albert Lyon, born March 20, 1882.
COUNTY JAIL, MANCHESTER.
207
WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
HORACE A. HILL AND FAMILY.
THE LONDONDERRY TORIES.
A a town meeting held in Londonderry April 29, 1775, it was " voted that a committee of nine men be chosen to inquire into the conduct of those men that are thought not to be friends to the country. Captain Moses Barnett, John Mc- Keen, John Aiken, John Gilmore, Captain John Moor, Ensign James MeGregore, George Dun- can, Jr., Captain Robert Moor and John Bell were this committee. Voted that the aforesaid com- mittee have no pay." In July, Robert MeMurphy, Lieutenant John Pinkerton, John Nesmith, Cap- tain William Alison, James Ramsey and Peter Patterson were added to the committee, making fifteen members in all. The appointment of so large a body shows the vigilanee with which the citizens sought to guard against foes at home. There were only about twenty tories in town, most of them living in the English Range, though a few resided near the First Church. Among them Colonel Stephen Holland was the most prominent. He was a gentleman of good Irish family and had come to Londonderry when a young man and married into a family whose connections were rather numerous. He was a tavern-keeper and merehant, educated, wealthy and influential, and had been representative of the town. Holding as he did at the beginning of the Revolution both eivil and military offices under the erown, he was early suspected of inelining to the cause of royalty. He was a very shrewd man, however, and so took measures to allay the suspicions of his fellow- townsmen. At a town meeting called for the pur- pose he made an eloquent speech denying his attachment to the British eause, and sueeeeded in quieting all fears. By a vote the citizens expressed their satisfaction, and he was invested with new offices of trust. But it was not long before he openly joined the British in Boston, and his estates, including four farms, were confiseated by the aet of Nov. 19, 1778. The same aet also proseribed and banished Richard Holland, John Davidson, James Fulton, Thomas Smith and Dennis O'Hala, all of Londonderry. There is, however, no record of the confiseation of their property. John Clark, a tory living in the English Range, was senteneed to be confined for a time to his own premises, legislature :
with liberty only to attend church on Sunday. One day he ventured to step across his lines to pick up a hawk which he had shot, and for this he was heavily fined. During the height of the tory excitement there was a barn-raising on the hill in East Derry, and a confliet was feared between the tories of the English Range and the Pinkertons, Aikens and Wallaecs. But friend and foc raised the barn, imbibed the whiskey and departed for their homes in peaec. The women of that day had their intense politieal sympathies as well as the men. It is said that the wife of Dr. Alexander Cummings "wished that the English Range, from its head to Beaver pond, ran ankle-deep in whig blood." After the battle of Bunker Hill many of the tories became ardent patriots. As a elass they were elderly men of wealth, education and respeet- ability, some of them holding office under the erown, and it is not surprising that they should hesitate to go at once into rebellion. After the elose of the war a question arose whether the tories who had fled from the country and given their aid to England should be allowed to return. The feeling against them was deep and bitter, and the popular sentiment was strong in opposition to their being tolerated in the country. In London- derry this feeling was peculiarly strong. The eiti- zens learning that, on the adoption of articles of peace, a elause had been inserted at the request of the British plenipotentiaries, that congress reeom- mend that the several states make some provision for the return of the loyalists and refugees, a town meeting was immediately ealled, "to see if the town will take some effectual measures to prevent those men who have been the cause of so much desolation and bloodshed in the land, to return and dwell among us, and enjoy the blessings of peace and the sweets of liberty." At the meeting thus ealled, May 29, 1783, a unanimous vote was passed, "to instruet the representatives to use the utmost of their power in the General Court, that the refugees have no liberty to come back to this state," and these instructions were drawn up and adopted by the town, and addressed to Col. Daniel Reynolds and Archibald MeMurphy, representatives in the
208
209
WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
H ON. LEONARD ALLISON MORRISON, selectman in 1871 - 72, and in those years became a direct descendant of one of the original families of Londonderry, was born in Windham Feb. 21, 1843. The line of descent is: John Morison,' who was born in Scotland, and with his family endured the hardships and perils of the famous siege of Londonderry, Ireland, in 1688 - 89. He came to Nutfield about 1720 with the first settlers, owned the farm in Derry Dock now occupied by Charles Day, and died there in 1736 at the reputed age of one hundred and eight years. His son was Charter James Mori- son, who came to Londonderry in 1789, and who owned and died upon the farm now owned by Wil- liam O. Noyes in East Derry. The son of James Morison, and the founder of the Windham family, was Lieut. Samuel Mori- son,3 who lived where his great-grandson, Albert A. Morrison, resides in Windham Range. Deacon Sam- uel Morison 4 was the son of the lieutenant and lived on the bor- HON. LEONARD A. MORRISON. dering farm. He was the father of Jeremiah Morrison,5 who married Eleanor Reed Kimball of Bradford, Mass., and they were the parents of Leonard Allison Morri- son,6 who lives upon the homestead. He was educated in the common schools, in the academy at Gowanda, Cattaraugus county, N. Y., and in the seminary now at Tilton. He was always a great lover of books, history being his favorite study. Mr. Morrison takes a strong interest in the public affairs of his town. He served as
a trustee and aided in the establishment of the Nesmith free public library, which contains about 3,000 volumes. Hc presided as moderator at the annual town meetings for fifteen years; has been justice of the pcacc since 1869 ; was an enumerator of the census in 1880, and was one of the county auditors in 1885 -87. He was a member of the Republican state committee in 1880- 82, and of the house of representatives, 1885 - 87, being chair- man of the commit- tee on education and successfully piloting through the house the bill establishing the town system of schools. In 1887-89 he served the London- derry district in the state senate, where he was chairman of the committee on educa- tion and was also a member of the com- mittees on engrossed bills, agriculture, state prison, and industrial school. Since 1861 Mr. Morrison has been a contributor to newspapers and maga- zines, his time, since 1878, having been de- voted to literary work.
Hc is the author of the " History of the Morison or Morrison Family," an octavo volume of 470 pages, published in 18So, which was favorably received by the members of the family and by the press in America and Great Britain, the edition of 1,100 copies being soon cxhausted. In 18So he began the "History of Windham in New Hamp- shire," upon which he spent three years of unceas- ing toil. The work was published in ISS3. Mr. Morrison also wrote a condensed history of Wind-
210
WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
ham for the " History of Rockingham and Strafford Counties." In 1884 he spent several months in Europe in historical research and travel, visiting the Scotch settlements in Ireland, consulting many old records and libraries and making the acquaintance of many distinguished persons in different parts of Great Britain. As a result of these travels and researches, his " Rambles in Europe, in Ireland, Seotland, England, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and France; with Historic Faets Relating to Seoteh-American Families, Gathered in Scotland and the North of Ireland," was published in 1887. He again visited Europe for historical purposes in 1889, travelling exten- sively in Great Britain, France, Switzerland, and Italy, and in 1891 his "Among the Seoteh-Irish ; and Through Seven Countries" was published. He wrote a supplement to the " History of Wind- ham in New Hampshire " (1892) ; prepared " The History and Proceedings of the Celebration of the One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of the Incorporation of Windham in New Hampshire, Held June 9, 1892"; is the author of "The Lineage and Biography of the Norris Family " (1892) ; " History of the Alison or Allison Family in Europe and America " (1893) ; "History of the Sinelair or St. Clair Family in America " (now in press) ; and is joint author with Prof. S. P. Sharples of Cambridge, Mass., of "The History of the Kimball Family in England and America." Mr. Morrison's literary and historieal work has eom- pletely absorbed his mind, and he has engaged in it with great enthusiasm and delight. In reeog- nition of his distinguished services to education, history, and genealogy, Dartmouth College eon- ferred upon him, in 1884, the degree of master of arts. He was made a life member of the New Hampshire Historieal Society in 1893, and is viee- president for New Hampshire of "The Seotch- Irish Society of America," having been elected in 1894 in place of Hon. James W. Patterson, deceased, and re-elected in 1895. Mr. Morrison is unmarried. His home is at Canobie Lake, Windham.
Peak." The triangle of which Merrimack river may be regarded the base, represents the bounds of Haverhill, Mass., or Pentueket, the Indian name of Haverhill, as claimed by the citizens of that town at the time of the settlement of Lon- donderry. It included a large portion of the present town of Derry, and a small slice of Chester, besides several towns in western Rockingham. The part of Londonderry lying within the peak of the triangle was called " Haverhill Peke." Subse- quently the word Derry was substituted for Haver-
CHESTER
PART
OF
LONDONDERRY
MERRIMACK RIVER
hill. Henee the origin of the name of that locality. When the proprietors of Londonderry first began to lay out their lands, they supposed the line of Haverhill, as indicated on the accompanying plan, was the rightful western boundary of that town. Shortly, however, ascertaining that the elaim of Haverhill was not valid, they took possession of the lands to the east of that line and assumed jurisdiction to the full extent of their chartered limits.
T THE SPECTACULAR IN RELIGION was not wholly neglected by those simple- minded old Seoteh settlers of Nutfield. In 1741 the West Parish voted, "that the selectmen raise as much money as shall be sufficient to build a
D ERRY PEAK .- Few persons are aware how this part of Derry got its name. The ac- pulpit equivalent to Dunstable (now Nashua) companying plan illustrates the origin of " Derry pulpit." And they raised about $500.
211
WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
Gentlemen, Whereas, by an article in the preliminaries for peace between the United States of America and Great Britain, it is to be recommended by Congress to the several states to make some provision for the return of the royalists or refugees ; and we conceive that every state in the Union are to act thereon as they think best, and that nothing therein is binding on the part of the state: and as it is our undoubted right, at all times, to instruct our representatives ; we do now solemnly, in town meeting. instruct you to use your influence in the General Court to prevent the return of all or any of the miscreant tories who have gone from this state to the enemy : as the tories have been the principal cause of this long and bloody war. They have murdered our brethren in cold blood; they have burnt our towns, robbed and plundered our citizens, ravished our daughters, and been guilty of every sort of rapine and carnage that can be thought of : and by their lies, continually sent across the Atlan- tic Ocean. the war spun out to so great a length. We expect that you will use your best endeavors. that nothing may ever be done for those infernal wretches, by this state, further than to provide a gallows, halter and hangman for every one that dare to shew their vile countenances amongst us.
Attest, WILLIAM ANDERSON, Town Clerk.
May 29, 1783.
H ON. NATHAN PARKER, son of Deacon Matthew and Sarah (Underwood) Parker, was born in Litehfield Nov. 21, 1808. His mother was a daughter of Judge James Underwood of that town. He was the youngest of six ehildren, and his education was obtained at the public schools and in Henniker Academy. Going into business in Merrimack, he remained therc until 1840, when he removed to Manehester and began to take a leading part in building up the thriving town, which six years later was to become a eity. He and his brother, James U. Parker, raised in Litchfield almost all the $50,000 capital of the Manchester bank, and upon its organization, Feb. 3, 1845, he was chosen cashier, holding that posi- tion until 1865, when the bank was closed and the Manehester National bank organized. He bceame president of the latter institution, in which office he remained until his death, May 7, 1894. The Manchester National bank is an enduring monu- ment to the sagacity and integrity of Nathan Parker and his associates. Upon the organization of the Manchester Savings bank in 1845, Mr. Parker beeame its treasurer and held that position for nearly forty-eight years. At the time of his
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.