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 6
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Met. Clark
Sct !
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Hopeful for the days to be, Forward all his dreams are cast, But his memories of the past, One and all, Lie in lands beyond the sea : For, but lately, from abroad, To light up the Derry weavers,
54
WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
Honest men and true believers, Came this " candle of the Lord."
Matching well his dauntless mien, On his temple is a scar, (You can see it just as far As his wig Or the man himself is seen,) Bravely won when, Heaven's own liege, Mid the groans of starved and dying, He had fought, on God relying, In the Londonderry siege.
Still that memory remains ; And a sound of martial strife, Beat of drum, or shriek of fife, Makes the blood Thrill and tingle in his veins : And his heart grows young again, Thinking of the vanished glory Of those days renowned in story, Days of triumph and of pain,
When, his cold breath on each brow, Brave men, without doubt or dread, Looked in Death's stern eyes and said, Gravely firm,
" We are stronger far than thou ! Friends of Truth, and foes of Guilt, Wounded, starving, fainting, breathless, We are God's, and God is deathless, -- Take us, leave us, as thou wilt !"
But today the air of spring Breathes around a peaceful calm, And his thoughts are like a psalm, " Praise to God!" Sung by Israel's shepherd king : And around him Fancy paints Here the budding rod of Aaron, There the mystic rose of Sharon, And the lilies of the saints.
And the wind that softly steals From the orchard trees in bloom, Laden with their sweet perfume, Seems to him Blowing from celestial fields. Priest and teacher of the town, Long as stands good Londonderry, With its stories sad and merry, Shall thy name be handed down As a man of prayer and mark, Grave and reverend Matthew Clark!
A WEDDING IN THE OLDEN TIME was an extremely lively affair. The guests were all invited at least three days beforehand ; guns were fired in the respective neighborhoods of bride and groom on the morning of the wedding day, and at the appointed hour the groom and his friends set out from his house. About half way to the bride's dwelling they were met by her male friends, and each company chose one man to "run for the bottle," to the house of the bride. The one who returned first with the bottle gave a toast and drank to the bridegroom's health, after which the beverage was of course passed around. Then the whole party proceeded, firing their muskets as they went by the houses on the way. Arrived at the bride's home, the bridegroom's company were placed in a room by themselves, and it was consid- ered an act of impoliteness for any of the bride's friends to intrude. Just before the ceremony was to begin the best man entered the bride's apart- ment, led her into the room, and, placing her at the right hand of the groom, took his station im- mediately behind, as did also the "best maid." After the ceremony all the men kissed the bride, and all the women kissed the groom. Dinner fol- lowed, and then came dancing and other amuse- ments.
GEORGE W. KIMBALL'S RESIDENCE, NORTH LONDONDERRY.
55
WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
J. WARREN BAILEY was born June 3, 1846, daughter. His second wife was Miss Jennic N. on what is known as the Chester road, in the Loud, of Plymouth, Mc. English Range district, being the eldest son of Jere- miah and Harriet N. (Magoon) Bailey. Therc he ELDER JOHN PINKERTON, who opened, passed his boyhood days, attending the distriet school and, later, Pinkerton Academy. At the age
J. WARREN BAILEY.
of nineteen he accepted a position as officer at the Rhode Island state prison, remaining at this insti- tution, and at the Massachusetts state prison, about six ycars, a portion of the time as deputy warden. Since then he has been engaged in mercantile pur- suits in Boston, for the past ten years at No. 108 Tremont street. In Somerville, Mass., where for more than twenty years Mr. Bailey has resided, hc has been prominently identified with public affairs, having represented his ward in the city council for several years, and his city in the legislature for two terms. He is at present a member of the state board of prison commissioners, president of the West Somerville Co-operative Bank, and a director in the Somerville bank. In 1872 Mr. Bailey married for his first wife Miss Emma R. Clark, of Derry, who died in 1884, leaving one
about the year 1750, the first store of foreign and domestic goods in Londonderry, possessed uncommon financial ability, uniting in his char- acter Scotch prudcenee with Yankee enterprise. Hc and his brother James were the principal bank- ers and moncy lenders of the town, and they were particularly careful in making loans to have the very best of security. They generally wanted more than two names on a note, and if only one indorser was presented, the elder would insist on another, saying, " A threcfold cord is not easily broken; you may give me another namc."
R EV. MATTHEW CLARK, who succeeded Mr. MacGregor as pastor, was sometimes sensational in his pulpit methods. It is related of him that on onc occasion he took his text from Philippians iv. 13, and thus began his sermon : " I can do all things'- ay, can ye, Paul ? I'll bet ve a dollar on that," and he drew a Spanish dollar from his poekct and placed it on the desk. "Stop ! let's scc what Paul says: 'I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me.' Ay, so can I, Paul; I draw my bct," and he thereupon put the dollar back into his poekct.
CHARLES MCALLISTER'S RESIDENCE, LONDONDERRY.
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WILLERS BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
RA HI. ADAMS, M. D., the son of Jarvis and him, and who trust that the impairment of his Ennice (Mitchell) Adams, was born Aug. 10, usefulness is but temporary.
1846, in Pomfret, Vt. His early education was obtained in the public school of his native town, and, later, at Meriden, N. IL., where he was fitted for college. He studied medicine at Bowdoin and Dartmouth medical colleges, graduating from the latter institution. In 1874 he began practice in Ilooksett, removing later to Derry Depot, where he has since resided. August 31, 1875, he was married to Miss Louise S. Perley, of Lempster, N. H. Two children have been added to the family : Richard Herbert, born June 10, 1876, and Jennie Louise, born Sept. 15, 1881. Dr. Adams has attained high honors in Odd Fel- lowship, having unit- ed with the order in 1875, at Suncook, and having been pro- moted successively through all the de- grees to grand patri- areh, and grand rep- resentative to the sovereign grand lodge. Dr. Adams's pronounced success as a physician has been due not less to his broad and sympa- thetie mind than to the many years of hard and faithful work which he has devoted to the profession. Realizing that medicine is as yet more of an art than a science, and that its principles are not all summed up in dry formulas, he has carried every- where into his practiec the indispensable element of personal sympathy, which in many cases is more efficacious than any drug. The natural consc- quence of this trait in his character has been over- work, and the taxing of his physical powers to such an extent as to render necessary a relaxation of his professional labors. Of such a man it is but scant praise to say that he is "popular," for Dr. Adams is loved and respected by all who know
H' ENRY PARKINSON, who was General Stark's quartermaster and intimate friend, came with his parents from Londonderry, Ireland, to Londonderry in 1744. He received a thorough classical education, graduating in 1765 from Nas- sau hall, now Princeton college. His parents in- tended him for the Presbyterian ministry, but he could not accept the doctrine of "election " held by that church, and so he devoted himself to teach- ing. When the news came from Lexington in April, 1776, Parkin- son immediately en- listed in a company of ninety-nine min- ute men, under Capt. George Reid, and soon joined the American army. Marching as a private to the field, Parkin- son was immediately called by Stark, who was well acquainted with him, to the quar- termastership of his regiment, sharing with the hero the honors of Bunker Hill and Bennington, and continuing in ac- tive service as quar- termaster through-
DR. ADAMS'S RESIDENCE, DERRY DEPOT.
out the war. The intimacy between the general and his quartermaster lasted throughout life, and after the old hero, in his great age, was confined at home, Parkinson visited him every year. On retiring from the army, he returned at once to his former work of teaching, and established a classical school at Concord, which attained a wide reputa- tion, and which he conducted for many years. About 1800 he removed to a farm in Canterbury, and divided his remaining years between farming and teaching. His death occurred in 1820. His wife was Jenett McCurdy, and one of his chil- dren, Mrs. Daniel Blanchard, born in Concord,
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WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
DR. ADAMS AND FAMILY.
58
WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
in 1788, lived to be nearly too years of age. Park- inson was a fine linguist, and spoke Latin fluently. On a slatestone slab in the cemetery at Canter- bury Centre is his epitaph, which reads as follows :
Here lie interred the remains of Henry Parkinson, A. M., long distinguished as an excellent classical scholar. The follow ing brief epitome of his life was composed by himself: " Hiber nía me genuít, America nutrivít : , ,que laboravi : et nunc terra me occupat, et quiete in pulvere dormio quasi in gremio materno meo: Hue ades, amice mi care, aspice, et memento ut moriendum quoque certe sit tibi. Ergo vale et cave." Abcit 23d Maie A. D. 1820, aet. 79.
The Latin may be rendered into English thus :
Ireland gave me birth, America brought me up; I taught, did military service, and labored with my hands; and now the earth embraces me, and I sleep quietly in the dust as on my ma-
ternal bosom. Come hither, my dear friend, and remember that you also must surely dic. Therefore farewell and beware. Died May 23, 1820, aged 79.
FAMILY PRAYER was regularly observed every morning and every evening in all the rude dwellings of the early settlers, and the Serip- tures were devoutly read. If any family omitted these daily acts of devotion, there would immedi- ately be an investigation by the pastor. It is related that Rev. Mr. MacGregor was one evening informed that a member of his flock had become neglectful of family worship. He went at once to his house, and finding that the family had retired for the night, called up the man and asked if the report was true. The fact was admitted, and the pastor, reproving him sternly for his fault, refused to leave the house until the backslider had knelt and offered up prayer.
W. P. MACK'S RESIDENCE, LONDONDERRY .- VIEW FROM THE SOUTH.
THE ENGLISH RANGE IN NUTFIELD.
BY REV. JESSE G. McMURPHY.
W ITHIN twelve months after the arrival of the first sixteen families, the population of Nutfield, afterward the incorporated township of Londonderry, numbered several hundred, and simultaneously the allotments of homesteads were made to the proprietors under the charter to the number of one hundred and twenty-four and a half shares, exelusive of large awards in land given to some particularly influential persons who had as- sisted the emigrants in seeuring a grant of land. About seven thousand five hundred aeres were laid out in homesteads under the sehedule as recorded with the charter, June 1, 1722, and on the same day one thousand eight hundred and fifty-six aeres were allowed as rewards for special services to thirteen persons directly connected with the pro- euring of elear titles to the land. The largest grants of land for speeial serviees were made to the officers of the erown, who aeted as mediators between the colonists and the king. These loyal- ists were the Lieutenant Governor of His Ma- jesty's Province of New Hampshire in New Eng- land, and that body of followers commonly designated as the governor's suite, with colonels and men of military insignia in the service of the king. These persons received grants of land in proportion to the supposed importance of their rank and services, not alone in Nutfield but in various other settlements over a wide area of land not very clearly defined in early records.
Without controversy the section of the town- ship which was called the English Range em- braeed the most pronouneed Tory faction, and as Englishmen in sentiment, spirit, and religious
opinions the settlers there had a profound eon- tempt for the zeal, piety, and learning of the fugi- tive Covenanters by whose pestiferous preaching the whole of Great Britain was shaken.
The series of parallel homesteads that may properly be designated as the English Range began at the most easterly corner of Beaver pond and extended in the form of a rectangle whose longer side lay in a due northwest line to a point near Shields's upper pond, and the shorter line lay in a due northeast line along the course of the stream above Beaver pond to the limit of Haverhill False Line, so ealled by reason of a elaim that the people of Haverhill made to the part of this town then lying east of a meridional line through that eorner of the English Range. The longer side of the reetangle was about six hundred rods in length and the shorter, the length of a farm or homestead of the common pattern, three hundred and twenty rods. An actual survey of the farms covered by the transcripts of the allotments shows the area of the English Range to have exceeded the amounts indieated in the records. This exeess of land area is not peculiar to this range, for examination leads to the eonelusion that many allowances were made on general principles for irregularities in the sur- face and especially for poor land, or land already partially pre-empted for hay privileges. The meadows were measured and bounded separately from the uplands, and frequently the meadow pri- vileges of a settler would be staked and bounded within the limits and boundaries of his neighbor's farm. The laying out of meadows in the Proprie- tors' Book comprises a large part of the record,
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John Barr Eighty acres laid out in Londonderry march 17221, 281723. Recorded Jany 28, 1723
John Shields Zeventy ucres. Cais out mar. 1722
Landery Jagt, 4, 1721.
James moore Sixty acres laid out in Nutfile 1720 Recorded June 2nd 1721.
John Blair,. Sixty acres laid out in Outfield March 25,7201 Recorded June 2 nd 1721.
W 1
Siim Anderson, Sixty acres laid out in Putfield 1720, Recorded January 165 1721. -
James Leslie., Sixty acres laid out in Nutfield 1720.
Recorded march 23d 1720.
James Lindsey Sixty acres Thardhout in Nulfuld 1720.
Recorded march 22 nd 1720.
matthew Glavi,
Sixty acres laid out in Nutfield 1720. Recorded November 15h 1721.
0 10 25 50
Record any 172
Robert Mckeen
1720 - recorded Ffec 21;)
Sixty acres laid out
March 1720 & recorded July 25, 1720 !!
Sixty acres laid out in butfuld 1720.
y way laud Fejring, 13, 7520
1
mes Blair ... Sixty acres laid out in Nutfield April 3, 1721. Recorded June 2 ne 17 21.
Recorded.
Joseph Simonds
John Robie.
Sixty acres 1720
John Senter
Sixty acres
One hundred rods
1
100
John goffe, sixty tables laid out in Nulfeita march 26,1720. Recorded May 30th 1720.
Joseph Redder . -
Sixty acres laid out in Nutfull April 1720. Recorded November 5th 1720-
John Goffe, 8. Sixty acres in tutfile laid out June 9, 1720. Recorded July 20, 1720.
John Gray's laid out in Nutfuld July 25, 1720. Recorded October 1215 1720.
Stephen Pierce,
Benjamin Ridder.
Fifty apres in hetfield lait oft Jany 2, 1720 Recordfel march 23,1729
Andrew Spalding Forty-eight acus in Nutfuld Paid
Recorded July 26, 1721.
Gol. John Wheelwright of Wells, maine
Sixty acres of land laid out October 20, 1714 in Vutfield and recorded January 9th 1720.
1
Gov. John Wentworth, . Sixty acres laid out in Nutfull Oct-12, 1720 Recorded October 12th 1720.
1
Samuel Houston, Sixty acces laid out in hetfield 1720. Recorded april 6,- 1725.
William Gampbill
David Gargill, Swinty- nine acres laid out in Natfiche July 20 1720. Recorded august- 2-1220
Jolm mcmurphy; butfull Fit. Je out march 25, 1720 ley- one cicuesti
David Gránq. - John Archibald
Recorded Januar 1721.000
Robert BoyEs,.
Sixty acres laid
out 1720.
Recorded
Fee. 31,1724.
Sixty acres laid out may, 1720. Recorded November 5, 1720. Alexander mcneal. sixty y agus in raquel laid out 1720. Recorded July 2, 1721.
Robert morrison
montgomery
Chester Line
S
1
John Grambie. Sixty acres laid out in Nutfuld July 25,1720. Recorded august qrt 1720.
Samuel Graves.
Sixty acres laid out in Nulfilet July 16, 1720. Recorded October 12th 1720.
Samuel er Zaves Sixty acres in Nutfile laid out July 16, 1720 Recorded Oct - 12, 1720.
Haverhill False Line.
1720.
Janet-me kun
Johnt makeen
Beaver Pond
Sixty acres laid out in Nutfield, Hee-21, 1720. Recorded January 10th 1721.
ministerial
Edward Procter .. Sixty acres laid out in tutfield 1720, 1
out 1/ 20 and recorded March 31, 1721
1
MAP OF THE ENGLISH RANGE.
Map of the English drawn by E Range prepared and Revet y. S. Mc Murphy
Samuel The Ku
1
Sixty atres laid out in tuttele!
1
Elias Keyes,
Lamis Rogers, Thirty adres Card out in bondton 14,1721. Recorded Sept. 10, 17Is Recorded autojust
61
WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
but in a general review of the limits prescribed in these articles, no particular attention can be given to this feature of the original plan of the land division.
The English Range embraced a beautiful tract of land, with fine glimpses of Beaver pond from almost every part, and some of the farms running completely down to the firm shores were selected for the more noted persons of the community. The map will show the plan of arrangement. The first lot of the series lies just over the stream above Beaver pond, that is, upon the southeast bank, and was assigned to David Cargill, including the privi- leges of the stream for mill purposes. It should be noted that he had a milldam at either end of this farm, and at a very early period of the town's history. He operated two or more mills at these points, twice utilizing the same stream for power. The upper mill was called a fulling mill, and the inlay was very near the roadside just south of the house now occupied by Benjamin Adams and upon the east side of the road where the stream now crosses the highway to run to his sawmill. Cap- tain Cargill's other mill was called a cornmill or gristmill and was continued until the present gen- eration, having been purchased by John MacMur- phy previous to 1755, and remaining in the family for five generations.
The second homestead, joining Captain David Cargill's, was laid out or offered to several persons besides Samuel Houston, who do not appear to have cared much for it. It was once laid out to Col. Wainwright, as may be seen by a reference to the next allotment following. This homestead can easily be identified as the farm upon which Robert Clark now lives.
NOTE .- " At a general town meeting July 2, 1720, the town then voted that Hugh Montgomery shall be written unto to see whether he will come to this town and make a present settlement upon the one half of Capt. Wainwright's lot, the said Capt. Wainwright to keep the other half himself." June 19,1721, Hugh Montgomery refusing to settle on the terms offered, the half lot was put to auction and was sold to William Gilmore and James Rogers, and Samuel Moore advanced ro shillings earnest money for them. May 21, 1722, the half lot granted to Col. Wainwright for good reasons was given to David Craig.
The next farm abutting handsomely upon Beaver pond was laid out to the representative of the Crown.
The following agreement will explain the laying out of some of these lots. It was made at the time when the people of Nutfield had secured a deed of the land, on which they had settled, from Col. John Wheelwright of Wells, Me. :
These presents witnesseth that the Rev. James McGregor and Samuel Graves do in the name of the people of Nutfield and by virtue of being a committee from them agree that the Honor- able Governor John Wentworth of Portsmouth and Col. Wheel- wright of Wells and their heirs forever should have and possess two lots with them in Nutfield, lying to the northward of and butting upon Beaver pond, to wit : Lt .- Gov. Wentworth to have the third and Col. Wheelwright the fourth in order upon that range. together with what second divisions will fall to the said lots throughout the said town, and each of these gentle- men and their heirs to have besides the said lots five hundred acres apiece forever laid out in farms where they shall think fit in the said town.
Recorded this 9th day of January, 1720.
Per JOHN GOFFE, Town Clerk.
As a single description of these homestead lots will suffice to give an idea of all of them, a further quotation from the Proprietors' Book is here given :
Nutfield, October 12, 1720. Laid out to the Honorable Lieutenant Governor Wentworth a lot of land in Nutfield con- taining sixty acres, by order of the committee of said town. bounded as followeth : beginning at a small oak tree standing near Beaver pond, thence running a due northeast line three hundred and twenty rods and bounding upon Captain Wain- wright's lot unto a stake, from thence running a northwest line thirty rods and bounding upon Andrew Spalding's lot unto a white oak tree marked, from thence running a southwest line three hundred and twenty rods and bounding upon Col. Wheel- wright's lot unto a pine tree marked, near the pond, from thence running as the pond runs to the bounds first mentioned, together with an interest in the common or undivided lands within the said township equal to other lots in said town .- James McKeen. James Gregg, Robert Wear, Samuel Graves. John Morrison, David Cargill, John Goffe.
Recorded this 12th day of October, 1720. Per JOHN GOFFE, Town Clerk
The governors of the various provinces in New England were generally of good birth and highly respected by the colonies. The policy of Great Britain for several hundred years has been generally pacific, and silently a conquest of nations is being accomplished without the assistance of armies. The resolution passed by the town of Nutfield, in meeting assembled in 1719, is not without interest :
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WILLER'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
The people of Nutfield do acknowledge with gratitude the obligation they are under to the above mentioned gentlemen, particularly to the Honorable Col. John Wentworth, Esq., Lieu lenant Governor of New Hampshire. They remember with pleasure that his Honor, on all occasions, shewed a great deal of civility and real kindness to them, being strangers in the coun- try, and cherished small beginnings of their settlement and defended them from the encroachment and violence of such as upon unjust ground would disturb their settlement and always
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SECOND FRAMED HOUSE IN NUTFIELD.
gave them a favorable ear and easy access to the government and procured justice for them, and established order and pro- moted peace and good agreement amongst them and reasonable advice, both with respect to the purity and liberty of the Gospel and the management of their secular affairs, and put arms and ammunition into their hands to defend them from the fears and dangers of the Indians, and contributed liberally by his example and experience to the building of a house for the worship of God ; so that under God we owe him as the patron and guardian of our settlement, and erect this monument of gratitude to the name and family of Wentworth to be had in the greatest venera- tion by the present generation and latest posterity.
It appears from contemporary evidence that there was scarcely a resident of the English Range in 1719 who was not titled and serving the govern- ment in some capacity. Their descendants of the next generation were conspicuous leaders in the French and Indian wars. Very familiar are the names of Colonel Thornton, Colonel Barr, Sir James Leslie, Captain Blair, Ensign Blair, Captain Cargill, Colonel Wainwright, Colonel Wheel- wright, and Lieutenant Goffe.
In connection with the locating of some whose names are not on the map, it may be added that
between the English Range and Chester line were a few farms not drawn or outlined; the farm of James Calderwood, between the upper end and the line, at the narrowest place, opposite the lot of John Barr, being a distance of forty rods, and the farm next on the southeast of James Calderwood was laid out to Joshua Thornton and John Mac- Murphy in consideration of their appointment as administrators to the estate of James Hunter of Boston. Continuing along the line, the highway passed through Samuel Penhallow's lot and then through the lots of Samuel Graves, John Goffe, Jr., Stephen Pierce, and Andrew Spalding to the fulling mill.
For the clearer apprehension of the neigh- borly condition of the original settlers in respect to their houses, onc needs only to know that they dwelt along the present Range road and in the order given, that road having been laid out very early. The limits of the Range are George W. Dickcy's lot at the upper end and Benjamin Adams's at the lower cnd. George W. Diekcy owns the lots of John Shields, James Rogers, James Moore, and John Blair. George I. Choate lately occupied the James Blair placc. John F. Bakcr is on the John Anderson lot, Jamcs Sefton on the James Leslie lot. The Cheever heirs oc- cupy the two lots of James Lindsay and Matthew Clark. Nat Palmer was owner of the John Crom- bie lot. A. J. Seavcy occupies the lot of Samuel Graves. The Chase heirs are on the original John Goffe lot, and the next lot east of Chester road is easily identified. To show this identifica- tion more conclusively, the record of the road may be consulted :
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