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 26
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N HOLLAND'S MAP of New Hampshire, published in London in 1784, the only house indicated in the old town of Londonderry is Samuel Thompson's. He was a Revolutionary soldier who enlisted in the first company that went from Nutfield, immediately after the battle of
R AISING THE FIRST CHURCH .- It must have been a royal time which the old worthies had at the raising of the First church in Nutfield in 1769, when a new meeting-house was built, for the records state that the parish voted " that the Committy buy four hundred weaight of Cheas, and two thousand Bisket, and three Barl of Rum & five Barl of Syder for the meeting hous raising." Curiously enough, the erection of the house of worship was immediately followed by a season of great religious awakening.
A F.PERRY
RE DRUG MEDICINE
LOWELL STREET, MANCHESTER .- 1885.
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R EV. O. G. TINGLOF, pastor of the Swedish Evangelical Mission church, Manchester, was born in Sweden in 1856. His parents were in humble circumstances, and although they were
REV. O. G. TINGLOF.
not professing Christians they taught their son to respect the established religion of the country. After becoming acquainted with the religious movement outside the state church of Sweden, Mr. Tinglof was converted to active Christianity in 1874. He ascribes his further enlightenment in religious matters to a book entitled, "The Lord is Right," published the following year, and written by Rev. P. Waldenstrom, D. D., a member of parliament. Some years after his conversion, Mr. Tinglof began to take part in Christian work. Coming to America in 1882, he settled in Boston, where he worked in a machine shop, and preached the gospel to his compatriots on Sundays. In 1888 he returned to Sweden and took a two years' course at Christinehamn in a college supported by the Swedish Evangelical Covenant. In the spring of 1890, while still in college, he accepted a call from the American Congregational Home Mis- sionary Society in Massachusetts to engage in organized the church.
missionary work among the Swedes in that state, and began the work in August of that year. In the spring of 1892 he was called to Manchester by the Swedish Evangelical Mission church. This church was organized Dec. 9, 1889, with twenty- five members, its church polity and crced being similar to that of the Congregational body in the United States. From the start it was partly sup- ported by the Congregational Home Missionary Society of New Hampshire, but in 1892 it became self-supporting, and its work has been prospering and its numbers increasing until now the member- ship is 115. The First Congregational church opened its chapel for the first services of the little congregation, but as it was necessary to have a place of worship where several meetings could be conducted during the week, a room was hired for that purpose in the City Mission chapel, and the mectings are still held there. Since 1893 the church has been working hard to crect a house of worship of its own, and for that purpose a lot of land on Orange street was purchased in the spring of 1893. In the early part of 1895 this land was sold, and another lot, situated on the northwest corner of Pine and Orange streets, was bought for
PROPOSED SWEDISH MISSION CHURCH.
$4,100. The society intends to build a church there the present year, and the people of Manches- ter are generously aiding with their contributions. The first pastor of the society was Rev. P. E. Dillner, who came to Manchester in 1889 and
HON. ALFRED G. FAIRBANKS.
H ION. ALFRED G. FAIRBANKS was born in Francestown, Jan. 16, 1822, and is the son of Deacon Bucknam and Cynthia (Downs) Fair- banks. He was educated in the common schools and academy of his native town. Ilis earliest work was performed on his father's farm, where he laid the foundation of a strong and vig- orous manhood. He came to Manchester in 1843, and began his independent career as a black- smith in the employ of the Amoskeag Corporation. He had learned the trade in his native town. In 1857 he went into trade for himself, and after several years of sueeess purchased a farm in what was then ealled 'Squog, on the Mast road toward Goffstown, and lived there about seven years, engaging in various mereantile pursuits meanwhile. Hillsborough eounty built a new jail at Manchester in 1862- 63 and Mr. Fairbanks was appointed deputy sheriff and jailer in 1864. This position he held nearly ten years, until New Hampshire ehose a Democratie governor and other political affiliations were wanted. General business engaged his attention for several years, and finally he formed the partner- ship with F. L. Wallace, mentioned elsewhere. In every position Mr. Fairbanks has made warm friends and always held the highest respeet and esteem of his fellow-townsmen, among whom he has been a prominent factor for advancement.
Mr. Fairbanks has always taken a lively interest in the politics of the city and state, being first a Whig and later an ardent Republican, and filled various official positions with honor to himself and advantage to the community. In 1881-82 he represented ward 4 in the state legislature, and was one of the eom- missioners of Hills- borough county for a period of six years beginning in 1883, being chairman of the board two of those years. He was a member of the state senate in 1892-93 from the seventeenth distriet, serving on the commit- tees on finance, state prison, insane asylum, and soldiers' home. It has been gracc- fully written of him in this connection :
HON. ALFRED G. FAIRBANKS.
Senator Fairbanks, though one of the oldest members of the senate, is one of the most vigorous. His long experience in public affairs enables him to secure prominent position in the proceed- ings of the senate. As a conscientious and faithful legislator, Senator Fair- banks stands pre-eminent. His voice is seldom heard in debate, but is never heard without respect and influence. Constant in his attentions upon his public duties, he wins the esteem of his constituents, and faithful in his guardianship of their interests, he adds to his reputation for integrity. In the city of Manchester, where Senator Fair- banks has resided for nearly fifty years, he is justly regarded as one of her leading citizens in all good works. His charity is unostentatious, yet liberal : his friendship not boastful, but cordial. Thrown constantly into association with all classes of society by reason of his business duties, Senator Fairbanks has developed the most sterling qualities of manhood, sympathy, and tact.
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Mr. Fairbanks was married to Harriet A. for young ladies at Ipswich, Mass. They were Dodge of Francestown in 1844, and to them three children have been born : Henry B., a prominent business man in Manchester ; Ellen Cynthia, who lives at home ; and Anna Frances, some years ago deceased. Mrs. Fairbanks died in August, 1891, at the family home on Wilson hill, where Mr. Fairbanks was one of the pioneer settlers twenty- one years ago. He is a member of the Amoskeag Veterans and was quartermaster fifteen years. He is also a member of the Franklin-Street Congrega- tional church, joining soon after its organization in 1844.
A DAMS FEMALE ACADEMY .- Although this institution no longer exists, having been merged into the public school system of Derry in 1887, during its life of nearly two thirds of a cen- tury it was one of the chief educational centres of New England. Being the first incorporated female academy in the state, and among the first in the country in which a regular course of studies was prescribed, the school may justly be called a pioneer in the cause of woman's education in America. There had been a female department in Pinkerton Academy, but the trustees deemed it expedient to separate the boys from the girls, and a female seminary was opened in the building originally erected for an academy. Jacob Adams, who died in 1823, bequeathed about four thousand dollars of his property to endow a female academy, "to be located within one hundred rods of the East Parish meeting-house, in Londonderry." The school was accordingly established, and in April, 1824, went into operation under the charge of Miss Z. P. Grant, who had been a pupil, and was then an assistant, in the seminary of Rev. Joseph Emerson. She was aided by Miss Mary Lyon, who subsequently became distinguished as a teacher at Mt. Holyoke Seminary in carrying out the plan of female education originally adopted at Adams. Under the superintendence and instruction of Miss Grant and Miss Lyon, the academy soon attained a high reputation and attracted pupils from all parts of New England, the attendance reaching one hundred. In 1827 circumstances led the two teachers to sever their connection with the school and open an academy
succeeded by Charles C. P. Gale of Exeter, a graduate of Yale, who remained principal for ten years. One of Mr. Gale's pupils has paid this tribute to his character: "He was a magnetic man, full of candor, hope, and all high ideals. He attracted everybody towards him, made lasting and loving friendships, and rarely failed to create among his pupils strong personal loyalty and affec- tion. Our lessons in Paley's Theology and Evi- dences were often only texts for eloquent and suggestive lectures, quickening and kindling our thoughts, so that when we left his presence we were glowing with a new life." On Mr. Gale's resignation, John Kelly of Atkinson was appointed principal, and remained in charge three years, being succeeded by Miss Laura W. Dwight, who also remained three years. Edward L. Parker, the next principal, resigned in 1848, after a four years' service, and during the next twelve years the academy had nine different principals, as follows : Rev. Eli T. Rowe, Henry S. Parker, Miss Abby T. Wells, Nathanicl E. Gage, Miss E. C. Rubies, Nathaniel J. Marshall, Miss Jennie M. Bartlett, Miss Mary A. Hoyt, and Benjamin F. Warner. In 1860 the trustees were fortunate in securing the services of Miss Emma L. Taylor of Derry, youngest sister of Dr. Samuel N. Taylor of Phillips Andover Academy. . Under her management the school prospered greatly, and the course of study was much extended. She remained in charge many years, her assistants at different times being Miss Mary F. Rowly, Miss Mary E. Burnham, Miss Elizabeth Train, and Mrs. William Crawford.
The fiftieth anniversary of the academy was celebrated July 1, 1873, the occasion bringing to Derry the alumna from many states of the Union. A very interesting feature of the event was the presence of Mrs. Bannister of Newburyport, the first teacher of the school. She was in her eighty- second year, and had not visited the school since leaving Derry, forty-seven years previously. There were addresses by Rev. Mr. Parker, Rev. Dr. Deriner, Mr. Edward L. Parker, and at the colla- tion which followed in the town hall speeches were made by Rev. Dr. Wellman, Hon. E. H. Derby, Dr. Hooker of Boston, and several others.
In the list of graduates or former pupils of
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the school are the names of the first wife of Ralph Waldo Emerson, the two sisters of N. P. Willis, the poet, one of whom became widely known as " Fanny Fern," the Penhallows and Salters of Portsmouth, the Cilleys of Nottingham, the Derbys of Boston, the Bells, Aikens, Frenches, and Richardsons of Chester, the Tuckers, Thorns, Taylors, Greggs, MacGregors, Farrars, Dows, Parkers, Prentices, Pattens, Adamses, Choates, and Eastmans of Derry and Londonderry. Miss Lucinda J. Gregg, a graduate of the school, read the poem on the occasion of the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary.
With such a long and honorable record of use- town will do about John Moore." Providence, fulness, the academy, to the great regret of its friends, closed its separate existence in 1886. During the last few years the attendance had been very small, owing to various causes, and the trustees felt that the purpose for which the institu- tion was founded could be better carried out by its union with the common school system of the town. Steps were accordingly taken to bring this about, and in October, 1887, the General Court approved the " Act to Establish the Adams School District in Derry." After defining the boundaries of the district and specifying its officers, the act provides that :
The duties of the president shall be to preside at all meet- ings of the district, of the clerk to keep all records of the dis- trict, and of the joint board and of the treasurer to receive any money paid by the trustees of the will of Jacob Adams, late of Derry, deceased, or any other money properly paid to him for school purposes.
The authority of the town under the laws of 1885, chap- ter 43, as to assessing and collecting taxes in said Adams School District and appropriating the same for school purposes shall continue as if this act had not passed. When it shall be decided by the courts of this state, upon application made, that the real estate and the income of the personal property, now in the hands of the aforesaid trustees, can be used and appropriated by said trustees for educational purposes in connection with the district school in the said Adams School District, then the said president, clerk, and treasurer shall constitute a joint board to act with the town school board in selecting a teacher and fixing the compensation, and it shall then be the duty of the board of education of said town to contract with said trustees and pay a reasonable rent for the use of the school building now held by said trustees, with the assent of said joint district board, and any scholars from other parts of the town district may attend the school in said Adams School District free of tuition with the consent of the town board.
Such sum as shall be paid for rent, together with the income of any fund in the hands of said trustees, shall be appropriated as nearly as may be for the education of females, together with all school children of said district, and for increasing the efficiency of the district school at a location according to the will of said Adams.
JOHN MOORE seems to have given the carly settlers of Nutfield no little trouble. Sickness had brought on poverty, and there was no appro- priation for the support of the poor. Accordingly, in the warrant for the annual town meeting in 1730 the eighth article read: "To see what the however, interfered before the meeting was held and saved the town from its embarrassment, for the record says: "8th article deferred by reason John Moore is dead."
SOLDIERS' MONUMENT, MANCHESTER.
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WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
JAMES McMURPHY was born in London- a few years after the charter was granted to the
derry July 28, 1733, in the northerly part of the town, by the Massabcsic pond, where his uncle John was granted land for mills. After the death of his father, he purchased the homestead of David and Samuel Morrison, which the descend- ants have occupied ever since. He opened a store for West India goods in one part of his house and sold all such articles as were demanded in the neighborhood. About the time of the breaking out of the Revolution, he built the house now standing on that farm (see page 269). His sympathy was with the crown. He married Mary Wilson, daughter of Nathaniel and Mary (Liggett) Wilson of Londonderry. She was born in 1738 and died May 10, 1818. He died May 30, 1792, leaving a will dated May 16, 1792. They had eight children :
(I) Jane, born Oct. 1, 1766, who was the first wife to John Duncan of Londonderry, to whom she was married Dec. 5, 1795. To this marriage were born eight children, six of whom died in infancy : Hannah, born April 26, 1798, married Thomas Patterson of Londonderry April 30, 1818, mother of John D. Patterson and Mrs. Robert C. Mack ; Mary, born May 9, 1800, married John Jackson of Londonderry. (2) Alexander, born March 21, 1768, of whom a sketch is given on page 276. (3) Jenny, born April 24, 1770, died Feb. 15, 1854, married Deacon Matthew Clark of Londonderry and had three children who never married : Mary, born Jan. 12, 1796, died Oct. 24, 1860 : Matthew, Jr., born Oct. 10, 1797, died Aug. 27, 1873 : Jane, born July 28, 1801, died March 4, 1888. (4) Peggy, born Nov. II, 1772, died unmarried in Londonderry Dec. 10, 1851. (5) Mary, born April 4, 1775, married William Duncan Nov. 14, 1801, lived in Candia, had two children : William H., born Sept. 26, 1807, lawyer, died at Hanover March 29, 1883 ; James, born Oct. 3, 1810, died May 17, 1835. (6) Betsey, born July 31, 1777, died Dec. 4, 1839, married Robert Boyce, children : Jane D., born March 10, 1805 ; Robert M. and Joseph M., born Aug, 31, 1808 ; Benjamin M., born July 18, 1816 ; James, born March 7, 1812 ; Mary, boin June 1, 1813 ; Charles, born June 5, 1821, died young. (7) Benjamin, born April 30, 1779, died Nov. 14, 1859, married Susan Cobb Dec. 25, 1814, and had nine children : James, born Oct. 14, 1815, died young ; James D., born Dec 22, 1817 ; Rebecca C., born June 4, 1820 ; Mary W., born Aug. 21, 1823 ; John B., born Jan 8, 1829, Benjamin F., born July 8, 1825 ; Alice Jane, born Aug. 10, 1831 ; William Adams, born Aug. 25, 1835. (8) Alice, born July 30, 1781, died unmarried in Derry, Sept. 14, 1871.
A LEXANDER McMURPHY was probably not born in this country, as he is found of age to fill public offices and occupy a homestead
town. He marricd Jenct -, and lived in the northerly part of the town by the great pond and had certain mill privileges, died comparatively young from an accident, being drowned at Island Pond in the spring of the year while attempting to ford the river on horseback where the bridge had been washed away. There were certainly these children born to them, and probably others :
(I) John, who left home early and settled in the western part of the state, dropped the " Mc" from his name : may have been a soldier. (2) George, who was a corporal under Capt. Reed in 1775, served to the end of the war. occupied land in Londonderry several years afterward. (3) Jean, born Oct. 27. 1725, married Hugh Ramsey in rather advanced life, having lived with her brother James several years before marriage at the homestead. (4) Alexander, born April 1. 1728, died in middle life, captain, town officer, married Isabel Craig and left children : James. John, William, Alexander, and Jean. (5) Daniel, born July 8, 1731, settled in Hillsboro 1756, moved to Hill, and afterward to Alexandria. where a great-grandson of the same name still lives. He was a lieutenant in the Revolu- tionary War, was wounded at Bunker Hill. His death occurred in 1807. His wife was Mary Tolford, children : William, Alex- ander, Isabel, John Tolford, David, and Molly. (6) James, born July 23, 1733, an account of whom is given elsewhere.
A LEXANDER McMURPHY, the direct an- cestor of all of this name in America, was probably the one who was granted a half lot, second division and amendments, in company with James Liggett. His homestead was in the Three Quarter Mile Range, east of Beaver pond, next south of Gov. Wentworth's and immediately north of a second division laid out to Squire John McMurphy. His wife's christian name was Jean, and her death occurred Jan. 18, 1724. Alexander McMurphy was drowned in the Powell river in Kingston Fcb. 19, 1734, his body was recovered on the 23d, and was buried in the old burial ground by the meeting-house. His family, as known, were :
(1) Alexander, already given. (2) Squire John. born 1682. died in Portsmouth while attending the General Court Sept. 21. 1755, leaving a large estate : an important and influential towns- man, holding many offices : wife. Mary Cargill : children : Mary. born Feb. 5, 1709, married Sir James Leslie : Jean, born Aug. 7. 1711, married Major John Tolford of Chester: Isabel. born July 15, 1713, married Deacon William Tolford of Chester ;
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WILLER'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
Christine, born July 12, 1715, married Alexander Caldwell of Newbury : Alexander, born July 15, 1717, married Sarah Rankin of Londonderry ; John, born Jan. 5, 1720, died young : Robert, born Jan. 8, 1723, married Jane Shirley March 10, 1747, lived in Londonderry, children: John, James, Robert, Jr., Mary, William, Matthew, and Alexander ; Elizabeth, born Sept. 3, 1728, married Matthew Patten. (3) Archibald, who was a weaver and cordwainer, inspector of deer killing, etc., lived in the northern part of Londonderry, married Elizabeth Brown and had James, born Feb. 7, 1727 ; Alexander, born 1729, died 1763 ; John, born July 1, 1732, died 1759 : Elizabeth, born 1730, married Alexander McCollom, settled in New Boston ; Jean, married John Roside; Sarah ; Daniel, born 1737 ; Archibald, born 1744, married Isabel Alds Oct. 23, 1765, and lived in Lon- donderry, children : Samuel, who had a family: Betty, married Wilkins and Joseph Jones ; Martha, married David Reid ; Jane, unmarried : Isabel, married John Thompson ; Mary, married David Brewster and John Duncan ; Archibald, unmarried ; James, married Maria Smith ; Naomi, married William Duncan ; Jenny, unmarried ; Annie, married Ebenezer Caldwell. George, born 1746, married Nancy Ayers. (4) Jean, married William Craige. (5) --- , married Archibald McCurdy. (6) Elizabeth.
The Scotch cousins of the name are now found near Ballycastle, County Antrim, Ireland. The family of McMurphy has become numerous and very widely scattered. The spelling of the name in the earliest records is quite as frequent with one capital (Macmurphy) and the prefix in full. It is not improbable that some of the family came to America with the Wentworths, and their residence in the country and on the soil antedates the settlement of the town under chartered rights, as the record of births prior to 1719 may indicate. Before the charter of Londonderry was granted, and before the petition to Gov. Shutc for the settlement of the colony, there were several families already occupying the territory called Nutfield in His Majesty's province of New Hampshire.
NTERSCHOLASTIC CONTESTS .- One of the ways in which the quality of Pinkerton Academy's work is shown, is in the success of its students in interscholastic contests. The most recent of these in New Hampshire occurred in Concord Jan. 31, 1896, when three representatives of Pinkerton Academy debated with a like number from the Concord High School. The question
was: "Resolved, that the United States should own and control all the railroads within its domains." The affirmative was maintained by the following members of Concord High School : George H. Joslyn, class of '97; Edwin L. Page, class of '96; Russell D. Cranc, class of '96. The Pinkerton students, who maintained the negative, were: Perley C. Grant of Auburn, class of '97; Chester A. Richardson of Pelham, class of '96; David B. Mulliken of Candia, class of '97. The judges were Hon. Frank N. Parsons of Franklin, Gen. S. F. Streeter of Concord, and Hon. S. S. Jewett of Laconia. After emphatic commenda- tion of the arguments, as well as the spirit and manner of their presentation on both sides, the judges awarded the victory to the Pinkerton students.
Jan. 19, 1894, a debate was conducted between threc Pinkerton students of the class of '94, and a like number from the Manchester High School, before a board of judges consisting of Principal George N. Cross of Exeter, G. K. Bartlett of Derry, and Judge N. P. Hunt of Manchester. The subject of the discussion was: " Resolved, that Congress should pass more stringent immi- gration laws." Except that this debate occurred in Derry, the conditions were similar to those above described, and the Pinkerton students won.
These are the only occasions in recent years when this academy has come into direct competi- tion with other schools of like grade, except in the essay contest of 1890, when the Boston Herald offered a prize of $600 to that member of the graduating class of any academy or high school in Massachusetts, Maine, or New Hampshire, who, on an appointed day, before a committee of the Herald's choice, should write the best essay on an assigned subject connected with the college requirements in English literature for the year. This prize was won by a student of Pinkerton Academy.
The two debates above described have an his- torical value in the fact that they are among the first interscholastic contests of the kind to occur in New Hampshire. It is believed that only one such occasion preceded them, when a question was publicly discussed by representatives of the high schools of Concord and Manchester.
THE HIGH RANGE AND MOOSE HILL.
BY REV. JESSE G. McMURPHY.
T HE importance of a range is not estimated by the quality of the soil, but by the characteris- tics and persistent economical habits of the pcoplc. The most refractory and inhospitable portions of the township have yielded to sturdy and repeated attacks of the husbandman through many years of working days not limited to ten hours, nor cven measured by the rising and setting sun. Every settler was a proprietor at the beginning, and probably few among these proprietors had any moncy for the hirc of assistants. The greater part of trade consisted in the exchange of products of the land for necessary imports.
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