USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Manchester > Willey's semi-centennial book of Manchester, 1846-1896, comprised within the limits of the old Tyng Township, Nutfield, Harrytown, Derryfield, and Manchester, from the earliest settlements to the present time > Part 32
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28.1
WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
the better to fill the position of brigade surgeon
Robert Hamilton. Samuel Clark was one of nine during the Civil War. Near the close of the children, and was but seventeen years of age when Rebellion he returned to Manchester, where he has since resided and built up a large and lucrative practice. In 188t he was a member of the state legislature. Dr. Ferguson married Eleanor, only surviving daughter of Michael and Eleanor Hughes, who belonged to an old and wealthy family of New York city. Four children have been born to this union: Eleanora, born on Staten Island, married William Goggin of Man- chester, January, 1889 ; Alfred, born in Manehes- ter, died in 1872 ; Mary C., and John D. Dr. For- guson is a member of the New Hampshire Medical Society, and among his professional brethren stands high as a skilful practitioner, while in social life he is a thorough gentleman of the old school. his father died ; yet being possessed of great energy and an iron constitution, combined with good judgment, he readily assumed the management of the farm and shared with his mother the respon- sibility of rearing several younger brothers and sisters and had the satisfaction of seeing them all become worthy citizens. In 1831 he purchased the farm on the shore of Tsienneto lake, now in posses- sion of his only son, and here he remained, success- fully tilling his acres until his death, which occurred March 10, 1884. Hc had a wonderfully retentivc memory, and his conversation was always enter- taining. Kind and sympathetic by nature, he was cver attentive in time of sickness or distress. During his long life he was a constant attendant at the First Parish church, and was decply inter- ested in the welfarc of his native town, which he SAMUEL CLARK, son of Robert Clark, was born in the English Range, Derry, Dec. 27, 1798. He was of Scotch-Irish descent. Feb. 26, served as selectman. His son, Robert H., was born in Derry, Nov. 8, 1842, inheriting many of his father's traits of character. March 1, 1862, he married Frances Choate of Lowell, Mass., and their children are: George Choate, Lillian May, Emily Bertha, Edith Lucy, and Emma Josephinc. Although Mr. Clark and his son George are suc- cessfully engaged in farming and carpentering, he has been active in town affairs, having served as town treasurer in 1875-77 ; as selectman 1887-89, - and '93 ; as member of the board of appraisers in 1892, and as representative to the general court in 1895.
SAMUEL CLARK.
1829, he married Eliza Ann, daughter of Ebenezer Gregg of Derry. She was born July 26, 1804, and dicd Nov. 20, 1881. Their children were : Mary Ann, Lucinda, Eliza Ann, Mary Franees, and
W ITCHCRAFT. - Probably most of the descendants of the Nutfield colony are familiar with the small tree or shrub that grows abundantly over all parts of the township and is commonly called the witch-hazcl. It furnishes an inexhaustible supply of aromatic and pungent oils for the manufacture of a large variety of medicinal remedics. At the present time one establishment for the manufacture of witch-hazel oil exists in Derry, and the forests are thoroughly searched for the shrub, which in its crude form has no commer- cial value, and the owners of woodland are gener- ally quite willing to part with all their witch-hazcl at the pleasure of the proprietor of the establish-
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inclined to certain superstitions concerning the power of this shrub. The covenanters took exceedingly literal views of the meaning of the Holy Scriptures and had a lively imagination to conceive of the possession and operations of unseen spirits. As the nature and influence of the unseen powers were inexplicable, so the means of guarding against their machinations were also beyond the scope of reason, and now the mere recital of our ancestors' belief in witches, and credulity in charms for protection against their evil intentions is enough to ereate doubts of their mental sanity and lead to investigation of other peculiarities for which they were noted. About a hundred years ago there were several persons residing in the town of Londonderry who werc commonly reported as possessed of occult powers and in collusion with satanic agencies that ren- dered them peculiarly dangerous to the community, and especially liable to inflict bodily injurics or torments under any exciting cause. The safety of the common people was believed to be conserved best by maintaining peaceful relations with the witches and avoiding all occasions for revenge. For the sake of those who might trace relationship to some of these characters and resent the personal allusion, it will serve the reader equally well to omit names in the following instances of alleged witchcraft in Londonderry, although in the present state of enlightenment on the subject of posses- sions and the curative arts it is no unworthy reflcc- tion to remember the absurdities that werc per- fectly natural to the men and women of the last century.
One of these reputed witches lived on the Haverhill road, or very near to it on a bridle path in the southeastern part of the town. Among her neighbors was a farmer with a wife and small children. The farmer owned a wood lot and con- verted his wood and timber into money and domestic goods. In the process of hauling wood he used an ox team. On a certain day he started from his home with a small load of logs on a four- wheeled wagon made by joining two single pairs of wheels, and he had one strong yoke of oxen to draw his load. On the Haverhill road, betwcen
ment. It may not be so generally known or his home and the city, there is onc long hill, and believed that the early settlers of this town were the road lcd straight over the top of it, according to the general custom of building highways in the carlier times. The farmer with his oxen and load of logs was proeceding leisurely up this long hill, and had nearly reached the summit, when the clevis pin sprang out of the spire to the impro- vised wagon and the load of logs began running backward down the hill. Owing to the straight- ness of the road and the dragging of the spirc, like a ship's rudder behind, the load ran to the very bottom of the hill without leaving the ruts. The farmer was somewhat surprised at this unusual accident, and picking up the clevis pin, returned with the oxen to the bottom of the hill, where he attached them again to the load and procceded a second time on his way. Never having suffered from a like mishap before, the farmer could not expect it to be repeated, but he had scarcely reached the same place on the side of the hill when the clevis pin was heard to fall on the ground, followed by the withdrawal of the spire from the ring and staple of the yoke, and the load began running down hill in the same unaccount- able manner, and continued as before to the bottom. The farmer was in a passion, but like all persevering heroes of romance he picked up his elevis pin and went baek for a third trial. As he pondered over the incident on his way down the hill, occasionally venting a little of his temper upon the oxen with his stout goadstick, the thought came to him that a good withe, made from witch-hazel, well twisted and bound around the end of the spire and over the head of the clovis pin. might prevent a further repetition of that partic- ular annoyance. The witch-hazel grows by all roadsides and he had no difficulty in finding just what he wanted, and in a few minutes he had twisted it under his feet until it was as pliable as a rope and fully as strong. After slipping the spire into the yoke ring and putting in the clevis pin. he proeceded to wind the tough withe around the spire between the ring and the clevis pin, and beyond the pin and over its head, and finished by tueking the end through a loop in the branches. When the farmer had completed this work to his satisfaction, he chuckled to himself a little and started up his oxen with a greatly improved temper.
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He passed the hill without further trouble, reached Haverhill, disposed of his load, and reached home about six o'clock, both hungry and tired, he therefore resorted to the expedient of unyoking the oxen and leaving the yoke on the spire until some other time. He had searccly gotten his oxen into the barn when his wife eame from the house and said their neighbor, calling her by name, the person who had the reputation of being a witch, had been suddenly seized with choking and was in great distress, in danger of dying, and had sent over for him to come to her just as speedily as possible when he returned from Haverhill. The farmer began to have a suspicion of the eireum- stances of her choking and the eause, and was thoroughly minded to let her suffer, but as his wife urged him to go and not ineur the resentment of the old woman, he said : " You go over to her and see what condition she is in, and watch her very elosely for fifteen minutes by the eloek, and I will
follow you when I have caten my supper." She went back to the old woman, who was groaning and gasping for breath in great agony, and told her that her husband would arrive in fifteen minutes, and then sat down to watch her. In about ten minutes the witch beeame perfectly quiet and free from pain. Meanwhile the farmer had gone to the barn, removed the witch-hazel withe from the spire and elevis pin, and was on his way to see the old woman. It did not require any words to explain what she desired of him, and he was not slow in giving her to under- stand that he had suspected her of evil influences before, and that she had borne that reputation, that now he had full proof of her witeheraft, and that although at his wife's urgent entreaty he had taken compassion upon a witeh this onee, she might be cautious about playing any of her tricks upon him again, for if she persisted he should certainly strangle her at the next attempt.
ROGER G. SULLIVAN'S RESIDENCE, MANCHESTER.
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WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
E DWARD P. JOHNSON, son of Jesse and Rebekah (Walker) Johnson, was born in Manchester, at Goffe's Falls, seventy-six years ago. Receiving his education in the public and in private schools, he became a shoe cutter, and for thirty years was engaged in the shoc manufac- turing business, developing and conducting the extensive affairs of Boyd & Cory. Having of the country.
achieved great suc- cess in this industry, he went into business for himself as a coal merchant in the fifties, and for nearly forty ycars his affairs prospered. He car- ried on the business alone for a number of years, and then, taking in a partner, the E. P. Johnson Coal Company was incorporated, with Mr. Johnson as presi- dent. The corpora- tion soon became one of the most im- portant in the city, owning or control- ling a large amount of real estate, ac- quired by Mr. John- son's able and skilful management. Al- though an ardent Republican, Mr. Johnson was never an extreme partisan, and he possessed the confidence of his fellow citi- zens regardless of party lines. He never sought public office but was elected to the board of aldermen, where his marked business ability made him extremely useful in the management of muni- cipal affairs, and where he served on important committees. When he had nearly reached the age of three score and ten, he was chosen, without his solicitation, and by a handsome majority, as member of the state legislature. Mr. Johnson
took a deep interest in fraternal organizations and was the founder of the tribe of Rcd Men in this city, having been initiated into the order in Portsmouth. In 1881 he organized Passaconaway Tribe; he was also Great Sachem of the tribes of New Hampshire and was often a delegate to various conventions of the order in different parts Mr. Johnson was likewise promi- nent in the councils of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, being a member of Hillsborough Lodge for nearly forty years. He was also a member of the Chieftains' League. Mr. Johnson was twice married, the first time to Miss Martha A. Bartlett, by whom he had three children, all of whom are now de- ceased. His second marriage was to Miss Abbie A. Demary, in 1870, Rev. Thomas Borden performing the ceremony. Mr. Johnson's death which occurred in 1892, was mourned by a wide circle of friends and business associates. His widow survives him.
EDWARD P. JOHNSON.
C ADWALLADER JONES was one of the most noted wags of old Nutfield even in his boyhood days. One Saturday at a catechising class Rev. Mr. McGregor put the question to him. " How many covenants arc there?" and Cad replied : "Two; a covenant of works and one of grace, and the former was broken." " Where was it broken ? " asked the minister. "I don't exactly know," said Cad, "but I think it snapped off in the middle."
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, DERRY DEPOT.
THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH of Derry teen,-eight men and six women,-as follows : was organized Oct. 10, 1880. Previous to Rev. A. S. Stowell, Mrs. Ella Stowell, Jonathan that time, for several years, religious services had May, Mrs. Mary May, Henry S. Wheeler, Mrs. H. Maria Wheeler, Margaret H. Morse, Mary Morse, Ira Goodwin, Joseph White, Leonard H. Pillsbury, Mrs. Evelyn S. Pillsbury, Abram Evans, Warren C. Evans. All of these persons brought letters of dismission from Baptist churches of which they were formerly members, excepting the last two, who were received on experience. The first officers of the church were: Pastor, Rev. A. S. Stowell; deacons, Jonathan May, Joseph White; clerk, L. H. Pillsbury ; treasurer, H. S. Wheeler. . This "body of baptized be- lievers " was formally recognized as a regu- lar Baptist church by an ecclesiastical coun- cil called for that pur- pose, and held Nov. 17, 1880. Tuesday, Sept. 14, 1880, a week- night prayer meeting was instituted, which has been continued until the present time, being still held on that evening of the FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH AND PARSONAGE, DERRY DEPOT. week. Realizing that soon a house of worship would be needed, the pastor, with wise forethought, secured on his own responsibility a building lot for that purpose, paying $400 for it. The same lot, without build- ings, would be worth now more than $1,000. May 10, 1882, a " meeting of citizens interested in the erection of a church edifice at Derry Depot " was called, at which over $1,700 was subscribed. A few weeks later a disastrous fire swept through the village, destroying much valuable property, and Smith's Hall, where the little church had been holding its mectings, was burned to the ground. For a few weeks the services were held in the district schoolhouse, but it was not long before several of the members of the church had united been held at the Depot Village by members of different denominations. There had been a union Sunday school, and also preaching more or less regularly by such clergymen as could be secured from weck to week. Rev. George W. Kinney, then pastor of the Baptist church at Hudson, was the first, perhaps, to call attention to Derry Depot as a favorable location for the planting of a church of that faith and order. Rev. Alfred S. Stowell of Salem also interested himself in the enter- prise, and after reeeiv- ing encouragement from different leading clergymen of the state, these two gentlemen began at once to see what could be done toward the accom- plishing of their pur- pose. Derry was visited for the purpose of learning the num- ber of Baptists living there, and their feel- ing toward the pro- posed movement. From these, as well as from others who were not Baptists, they received such encouragement as to warrant immediate action, and accordingly, on Feb. 29, 1880, the first service was held by Mr. Kinney, under the auspices of the New Hampshire Baptist State Convention. These services were continued from week to week, with preaching by Revs. Kinney, Stowell, and A. Sherwin of Manchester, until Aug. 15, when Mr. Stowell, having finished his pastorate at Salem, assumed full charge of the work. The first Sunday evening service was held August 29, and the Sunday school was organized Dec. 26. Mr. Stowell at once began the work of organizing a church, which was accomplished Oct. 10, with a constituent membership of four-
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in erecting a building for temporary use, in which the meetings were held until July, 1883, when the basement of the new house of worship was ready for use, and in the following spring the auditorium was finished and dedicated May 14, 1884. A clock and bell were afterwards placed in the tower, and a baptistry has since been added. In 1890, a two- story house for a parsonage was erected on the church lot adjoining the meeting-house. In 1892 the interior of the church was beautifully freseoed and the outside newly painted.
During the fifteen years of its history the church has had but two pastors. Rev. A. S.
REV. J. H. NICHOLS.
Stowell served until Oct. 13, 1889, a period of nine years, when he closed his pastorate to accept that of a church at Montville, Conn. Nov. 11 of the same year the church ealled Rev. J. H. Niehols to bceome its pastor, and he assumed the pastorate Dec. I. The following named gentlemen have served the church as deacons: Jonathan May, Joseph White, James Grecley, Henry S. Wheeler, Fred S. Pillsbury, and Calvin H. Bradford, thc three latter now holding that offiee. L. H. Pills- bury, F. S. Pillsbury, A. E. French, and Marshall Martin have served as elerk. H. S. Wheeler has been treasurer from the organization of the church,
and L. H. Pillsbury superintendent of the Sunday school for the samc length of time.
A good degrec of prosperity has attended the church from the beginning. Nincty-eight persons have been received by baptism upon profession of faith, and forty by letter and experience, making, with the fourteen constituent members, a total of one hundred and fifty-two who have been con- neeted with the church. According to the annual reports, ncarly $21,000 have been raised for home objeets and benevolent purposes.
N UTFIELD MILLERITES .- No single ycar in the history of Londonderry has made a deeper and more lasting impression upon the memories of the older inhabitants than the notable year of 1843, when the end of the world and the second advent of the Saviour were expected by a class of people called Millerites from their belicf in the calculations and doctrines of a celebrated leader whose name was William Miller (born in Massachusetts in 1781; died in 1849). The movement in Londonderry began early in the summer of that year, in a series of cottage lectures that attracted onc family after another with rapidly increasing force and influence until cot- tages were not sufficient for the attendance, and camps had to be set up for their accommodation. In the beginning of the season only Sabbath days wcre devoted to these leetures, accompanied by prayer and singing and conducted by outside exhorters or lcaders, but gradually the solemnity of the doctrine and the seriousness of the eon- verts demanded morc time for preparation to meet the dire eatastrophe that was daily coming nearer. and the evenings of the week days were devoted to lecture, prayer and singing at the various houses where the interest was deepest. On the Sabbath a long service was conducted in the open air near somc residenee, where the leaders and visitors from adjoining towns were entertained before and after the services.
As the summer wore away, interest in these meetings increased to such intensity that the crowds of people who assembled could not give attention to business of any other kind, and per-
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WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
manent camp-meetings were organized with tents, horses to the preachers who came from other furniture, provisions, and sleeping accommoda- tions and exciting addresses. Continual conver- sions followed by day and by night. Carpenters abandoned their occupation, leaving unfinished buildings. Farmers neglected their corn, and potatoes remained in the field, and cattle were allowed to run at large. In most of these eases of abandonment and negleet the neighbors interposed to save the wanton waste of property. In the instance of the entire abandonment of erops related of the enthusiastie Ralph Nevins, who lived on the farm afterward owned and occupied by Jonathan Dana on the westerly side of Beaver brook, the seleetmen of the town went to him one day and said : "Mr. Nevins, we understand you do not intend to gather your eorn this year." He replied : "I have more important business on hand." The seleetmen added : "Then we will attend to the gathering of your erops, Mr. Nevins, so that they shall not be wasted." The devoted believer tried to remonstrate with them upon the folly of wasting their time in gathering earthly treasures when the consummation of all things was so very nigh, but they were not moved by his arguments, and soon afterwards sent men to do the harvesting.
Early in the summer cottage leetures were delivered at the houses of Ralph Nevins, Joshua Austin, west of the Mammoth road, near Henry Crowell's residence (the widow of Joshua Austin still lives on the old plaee) ; at John Morse's house, where Joseph Eaton now lives; at Stephen Morse's house, which was the old Joseph Paige place, where were numerous other earnest believers and workers; at Jonathan Webster's house, that stood on the hill eastward of the Hardy place ; at the Messer house, where the widow of Cyrus Messer lived, between Albert Tenney and John Merrill's homes, and at Jimmy Lindfist's house, on the road from Cheney village to Windham. Cheney village was the name applied to a eluster of buildings formerly located a little west of Derry Depot. William Cheney was a notorious trader of horses, and it is alleged that during the time when the Millerites were eneamped in great num- bers around the Ralph Nevins buildings, holding serviees day after day, he exhibited some of his.
towns and needed good roadsters, and by exchange and barter, enriched himself to the amount of three or four hundred dollars at the expense of the ministers. At a large camp-meeting held in the woods west of the Messer house, ealled the Watts lot, the good order of the Millerite serviees was disturbed by the boisterous conduet of some of the townspeople who attended the meetings mainly from curiosity, and being rather inelined to humor, saw something ridiculous in the devout Millerites shouting "Glory" when the preacher happened to say something that appealed to their feelings, and shouted also with pertinaeity "Go it !" Three of these noisy persons, Joel Annis, George Boyee, and David Barker, were arrested and taken to eourt at the Lower village to answer to the charge of disturbing the meeting. The defendants in the ease procured the serviees of Squire John Porter, and the Adventist plaintiff in the case em- ployed Squire Joseph Gregg. In the sequel the three disturbers of the peace paid each a small fine as penalty and were sworn to keep good order in the future. To make the keeping of good order more certain afterward, the sheriff, Samuel Marshall, was ordered to be present at the meetings. The Adventists, as they were also named, held meetings in the woods of Robert Jeffers, and some of the citizens retaliated upon the preachers there for the arrest of the three young men by arresting some of them who sold hymn books, familiarly termed Penny Royal Hymns, or other trifles, on the Sabbath day, and they were taken to court and fined. One of the more widely known preachers of the Millerites was Joseph Moore, a man highly respected throughout a long life. From the faet of his having been engaged in the mills at spinning previous to his becoming a preacher, he was very commonly spoken of as Spinner Joe Moore. His widow and daughter are still living in London- derry. Robert Henry Perham was converted to this faith. There was also Father Dustin, who lived on the turnpike above the village, and Father Hazelton, who was at the time pastor of the Methodist society in Derry village. His eonver- sion led him to preach the doctrine of an imme- diate eoming of Christ and the conflagration of the world, which ereated great excitement and for
WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
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a time threatened to dismember the Methodist body in Derry.
The actions of some of the believers were extremely ludicrous, in spite of the seriousness of their faith. Jonathan Webster, at a camp-meeting held around Joshua Austin's premises, related to the audience that he had a revelation to communi- cate from a toad that spoke to him in the field where he was digging potatoes, to the purport that the final catastrophe of the end of the world had been deferred for a little longer to give a farther opportunity for conversions. It caused great merriment from the fact that he went without shoes in summer, and onee, while hoeing in the field, had mistaken his own toe for a toad sticking up through the dirt, and struck it a blow with his hoe, much to his pain and chagrin. From the time of this revelation the name of the medium was inseparably linked to his surname. The interest in these large camp-meetings subsided with the approach of cold weather, and while the more ardent continued to labor, it was deemed inexpedient to attempt the formation of any per- manent organization in the town.
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