USA > Vermont > Windham County > Londonderry > The history with genealogical sketches of Londonderry > Part 11
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Londonderry, April Ist 1783.
MET and opened the Annual town meeting according to adjourn- ment. Voted and chose Joseph Mack Selectman in the Room of Cap't Edward Aiken who Refused serving. Voted on the article of Raising money for hireing Preaching for the Ensuing year to Raise it by Sub- scribtion and them that Subscribe to give their Note for what they Subscribe to the Selectmen.
Meeting Adjourned till the third Tuesday of this Instant-at one O'Clock P.M. then to meet at this place.
In addition to the foregoing records of town meetings the manuscript con- tains what is one of the earliest records in existence relative to the town's highways, viz:
A true Description of the Highway from the West Line of Londonderry to the East Line Adjoining Thomblinson Beginning att the West Line at a Yellow Burch with a Crotch upon the top Marked with R-O on the East side standing in a Swamp then running South 18 Degrees East 92 Rods through the State's Land to Robert Miller's West Line
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The History of Londonderry
then Runing South 18 Degrees East 114 Rods upon William Mack's North Line then Running East 56 Rods through Robert Miller's Lot then Running through Robert Montgomery's Lot South 18 Degrees East 150 Rods then Running South East 20 Rods to Hugh Montgom- ery's West Line then Running South 18 Degrees East 24 Rods to West River then Running from West River through Moses Grimes' Land North E. 104 Rods then Running East 180 Rods through Henry Mont- gomery then Running East 60 Rods through the State's Land then Running South East 120 Rods through Daniel Millar's Land then Run- ning South East 100 Rods through the State's Land then Running East 40 Rods in Robert Millar's Land then Running No. East 20 Rods then Running North 80 Rods then Running East 40 Rods then Running East 80 Rods through John Miller's Land then Running North East 100 Rods through Rachel Patterson's Land then Running North East 100 Rods through James Patterson's Land then Running Eastwardly 40 Rods then Running Eastwardly 60 Rods through John Patterson's Land then Running Eastwardly 560 Rods through the State's Land then Running Eastwardly 180 Rods through John Mack's Land then Running Eastwardly 180 Rods through James McCormick's Land then Running South East 136 Rods through John McCormick's Land then Running Eastwardly upon the North side of Sactions River so called 266 Rods in the State's Land to the East Line of Londonderry Ad- joining Thomblinson.
Londonderry, February ye 4th 1783.
Received a Draft of the above mentioned Highway of ye Selectmen of the aforesaid Town.
Examined & Recorded Pr. me
ROBERT MCCORMICK, Town Clerk.
There is one more page of records in this manuscript but it is so badly torn, worn and soiled as to be illegible.
At the time of the recent discovery of this manuscript there were found with it three disconnected sheets of different size containing five pages of records similar to those in the stitched manuscript and deemed equally authentic, viz:
These are to Notify and warn the freeholders and other inhabitants of the town of Londonderry State of Vermont that are Qualified by Law to vote in town affairs that they assemble and meet at the grist
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Ancient Town Records
mill in sd town on Thursday the sixt Day of at ten o'Clock A.M. then and there to act on the following articles, Viz.
to Chuse a moderator to govern said meeting.
2ly to Chuse town officers for the ensuing year
3ly to see if the town will Do anything relative to haveing Preaching or paying preaching allready had.
4ly to see if the town will Do anything relative to schooling.
sly to see if the town will agree to have our town meetings or any Part of them Nearer the East Part of the town.
6ly to act on any other business that the town at their meeting shall think Proper. Given under our hands this fifteenth Day of February Annoque Domini one thousand seven hundred and Eighty Eight.
EDWARD AIKEN Selectmen
ABIEL EDDY of
EDWARD AIKEN Londonderry
March 6, 1788
met according to warrant.
Voted and Chose Edward Aiken Esqr. moderator. Chose Edward Aiken Esqr. town Clerk, Chose Abiel Eddy town Clerk Protempery Chose John Woodburn first selectman David Cochran 2d and Nehemiah Pierce 3d. Cpt Edward Aiken treasurer Chose Ebenr Patterson town Constable, Listers Joseph mack and Peter Aiken. Chose Archibald Mack Collector. Chose George Macmurphy Lether sealer Chose William Cox grand juror Chose George macmurphy Pound Keeper Chose Joseph oughterson tythingman Chose John Mack hayward Chose Joseph mack fenceviewer. Surveyors of highways Timothy Chase John mack Peter aiken Edward Cox Samuel thompson Moses Grimes David Cochran Sealer of weights and measures Edward Aiken Esqr.
Voted that swine shall be kept in enclosure. Pettit Jurors Edward Aiken Nehemiah how James hopkins Peter Aiken Daniel babbitt Jo- seph oughterson Daniel Aiken George macmurphy Abiel Eddy Saml Eayers Archi mack Ebenr Patterson
Chose Cpt Aiken Lieut Woodburn Abiel Eddy a Committee to take into consideration the 3d article in the warrant and report their opin- ion thereon
your Committee to home the 3d article in the warrant was refered beg leave to report that in their opinion there should be a true account taken of what we already owe, and that it should be known by the
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The History of Londonderry
inhabitants of the town and that there should be a List made out according to the several years it became Due and given to the Collector and that it should be Paid in butter salts Grain flax or Cloath, to be reposited at some certain Place agreed upon by the town and a Com- mitte be Chosen to set a Price on said articles Likways so see that sd articles are Paid in accordingly sd articles to be Paid in as soon as Possable and that there be a Committee appointed hire Preaching for the Present year for such articles as has been already mentioned N.B. those that have Paid more money for Preaching the year Past than their Part shall have it allowed in the List.
Abiel Eddy for Committee.
accepted the above report and voted that the articles be reposited at Cpt Aikens Voted that the town meetings be held at Cpt aikens Chose Cpt Aiken, John Woodburn and Abiel Eddy a Committee to set a Price on the articles mentioned in the report of the Committee on the 3d article in the warrant.
Voted that all roads be Laid four rods wide.
True Coppy from the minuts
EDWARD AIKEN Town Clerk
COUNTY OF WINDHAM State of Vermont
Londonderry Feb. 28, 1789
This is to warn the Inhabitants of sd town that their annual meeting is on Tuesday the 17th of March at ten o Clock in the forenoon at Cpt Edward Aikens then and there to act on the following articels Ist to Chuse a moderator to Govern said meeting 2ly to Chuse town Officers 3ly to see what the town will Do relative to Paying for what Preaching they have had 4ly to see where the meetings will be Held and to act on any other articels that may be thought Necessary when met and this shall be your warrant. Given under our hands this twenty- eight Day of Feb. 1789 Pr Selectmen
DAVID COCHRAN JOHN WOODBURN
NEHEMIAH PERCE
Ancient Town Records
Londonderry March 17: 1789
THE annual meeting oppened according to the warrant Mr James hopkins Chosen moderator Edward Aiken town Clerk James hopkins as Selectman Edward Aiken Abiel Eddy Ditto Hugh montgomery Con- stable Peter Aiken Joseph mack Nehemiah Perce Listers Daniel Aiken Collector George macmurphy Leather Sealer Mr Eddy Grand Furor Jo- seph Oughterson Pound Keeper Cpt Aiken tythingman John Mack hay- ward Cpt Aiken John Woodburn David Cochran Timothy Chase fence viewers Surveyors hugh montgomery Samuel bickford Mr Eddy Nehm How Edward Aiken John Patterson Joseph oughterson John mcCor- mick Benjm Pearce Sealer of weights and measures Edward Aiken Petit Jurors Nathl Aiken Benj Perce Ebenezer Patterson John Woodburn Abiel Whitman James hopkins Nehi Perce Peter Aiken Daniel Aiken Abiel Eddy William Cox Cpt thompson
True Coppy
EDWARD AIKEN, Town Clerk.
Londonderry February 27 1790
NOTICE is hereby Given to the Inhabitants of said town who are qualified to vote in town meetings to meet at the Dwelling house of Cpt Edward Aiken in sd town on Tuesday the 16 day of March Next at ten o Clock in the forenoon to act on the following business (viz) Ist to Chuse a moderator to Govern sd meeting.
2ly Chuse Town Officers for the current year
3ly to see Iff they will Prevent swine from running at Large
4ly to act on any other matters that may be thought Necessary when met
JAMES HOPKINS
EDWARD AIKEN Select-
ABIEL EDDY men
Londonderry March 16, 1790
THE annual meeting opened agreeable to warning. Lut. James hop- kins Hopkins Chosen moderator Edward Aiken town Clerk Edward Aiken Joseph mack and Mr Eddy selectmen Cpt Edward Aiken town Treasurer John Patterson Constable Joseph mack and Peter Aiken Listers John
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The History of Londonderry
Cox collector George Macmurphy Leather Sealer Cpt Samuel thompson Grandjurors, William Cox Poundkeeper James hopkins Tythingman John Cox hayward John Woodburn & Mr. Eddy fence vewers Surveyors John Woodburn James patterson John Williams Benj Cole James hop- kins Ebenr Patterson Saml Bickford Jess Cole Emer hodges David Cochran Saml Thomson Moses Grimes. Edward Aiken sealer of weights &c. Petit Furs Joseph mack David Cochran Mr. Eddy Mr. Patterson Benj. Pearce John Cox Peter aiken John woodburn Ira Babbitt Nathl Aiken Daniel Aiken James Eastman Vote on the Last article that the vote Past March 1788 relative to Paying for Preaching be Persued this Currant year and it be Paid in to Cpt Aikens by the first of January Next and that Mr. Eddy John Woodburn & Edward Aiken be a Co- mittee to set a Price on the articles Voted that there be six Days Preach- ing hired this year and that the Pay shall be the same as in the article of the year 1788 and that Mr. Eddy Mr. Woodburn and Edward Aiken be a Committee to Procure Preaching. Voted to meet at Cpt Edward Aikens for Preaching
True Coppy
Pr EDWARD AIKEN town clerk
Wednesday 23 of March 1792 at the adjournment of the annual meet- ing Voted that there be a tax laid this year of one half Peny on the Pound to Defrey town Charges and that the town Clerk Purchas a town Book for recording Deeds in. Voted on the 3 articel that what money is raisd this year for Paying for Preaching shall be raisd by subcribtion Voted that Edward Aiken Abiel Eddy & James Hopkins be a Committee to Engage Preaching and that the money shall be Paid in to sd Committee.
EDWARD AIKEN town Clk.
(This last or third loose sheet also contains a memorandum as to a meet- ing of the "fifth School District in Windham," held Dec. 2, 1796.)
Genealogical Sketches
Foreword
MANY of the families who early settled in town, other than those named in these sketches, have been omitted though their work and influence in both the earlier and later days more than warrant their inclusion therein. Their omission is to be taken as no indication that they did not fully merit like notice as well as those which are included. As to many, or most, of such, obtainable data was and is so fragmentary and disconnected that no record now possible to make would seem of value or interest.
These sketches, which we cannot claim or hope to be without some errors, are the result of painstaking examination of public records, Histories of New England towns, manuscript and printed genealogical material, old records in family bibles, of much correspondence, and of interviews, almost numberless, with aged residents and former residents of the town; and they are believed to be substantially correct.
When we consider the fact that for about three generations after the date of the original settlement there was no regular registration of any vital statistics required by law in our State, and that death has long been busy among those once possessed of personal knowledge of desired and necessary information demanded in such work, the magnitude of the task of preparing such sketches must be readily recognized.
Aiken
N o history of Londonderry, and no series of family sketches con- nected with the town could be warranted in omitting the Aiken family. The Aikens who were among the earliest settlers of Kent were each named Edward, and were cousins. They were grandsons of that Edward Aiken who came over from the North of Ireland about 1722 and settled in Londonderry, N. H., from which town both these grandsons removed to Kent, then claimed to be in New York territory. In some of the records it is difficult, and in some practically impossible, to determine which of the two is referred to; though, for the most part, they are distinguished as "Deacon Edward" and "Capt. Edward."
While James Rogers stands, in a sense, as the founder and father of the ancient town by reason of his having acquired title to all its area prior to any permanent settlement therein, yet to Deacon Edward Aiken must be given credit for doing the greater work of developing its growth in matters municipal, social, political and religious. None more than he guided and directed its earliest activities along these and all these lines. He was the oldest of the twelve children of Nathaniel and Margaret (Cochran) Aiken, born Nov. 18, 1727, and married Jan. 25, 1752, Margaret Woodburn, daugh- ter of John Woodburn who emigrated from Ireland to Londonderry, N. H., and she was sister, of the half blood, of John Woodburn, one of the earliest settlers of that part of Kent which later became Windham, and of David Woodburn who married Margaret Clark and was the maternal grandfather of Horace Greeley; once the famous editor of the New York Tribune.
As early as the spring of 1772, and possibly in the preceding year, he was in Kent, busy clearing his "pitched" farm and erecting a log house to which to move his family. While engaged in this work he fell ill and his "hired man," Joseph Oughterson, who was with him sent word to his wife at their New Hampshire home as to the Deacon's condition.
She came to him on horseback, it is said with her youngest child in her arms, traversing much of the distance by indistinct paths marked by blazed trees. She was the first woman among those early settlers to take up house- hold duties in the township and, her husband having recovered, soon re- turned, as she had come, to Londonderry, N. H.
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Genealogical Sketches
His was the first log house in that part of Kent which became Windham and, later, he erected the first frame house in that territory. When he brought his family to this new home, in 1773, he came with a daughter of twelve years and his son Peter, aged ten, on foot, while his wife and some or all the other children, assisted by Joseph Oughterson, came on horse- back with bedding and other indispensable articles strapped upon the horses.
Deacon Aiken was a large, strong man in every sense, of impressive pres- ence, sterling character and a natural leader of men. This was early mani- fested by the prominent position he took in the affairs of the town and con- tinued to hold during life. He was the first Town Clerk of Kent and the first representative from the town to the Vermont Legislature, holding that office by successive re-elections from 1778 to 1789 and again from 1791 to 1794 the town being unrepresented in 1790. Previous to that time he had represented the people of Kent in various meetings and conventions during the New York controversies, and was a member of the Convention that adopted the first Constitution of the new State, at Windsor in 1777, though the records do not show that he was present and voting at the adoption of that instrument. In 1780, he was one of the three persons authorized by the Vermont Legislature to sell and convey, for the use of the State, Colonel Rogers' lands in Kent, which was then, for the first time, named London- derry. He continued to hold this trust and, with his associates, Samuel Fletcher and Joseph Tyler, to convey these lands in the interest of the State until the legislature directed the return of the unsold lands to James Rogers, son of the original proprietor, in 1795.
He was one of the delegates to the Convention which ratified the Con- stitution of the United States on Vermont's admission to the Union, and signed the "ratification."
The inhabitants of Kent, in those days of strife over the jurisdiction of the territory now Vermont, had not occasion, as did occupants of the "New Hampshire Grants," to fear the efforts of New York officials to dispossess them, since their title rested on the grant from the Governor of that Colony. Notwithstanding this fact, as the representative of Kent, Deacon Aiken made common cause with the neighboring people of "The Grants" and con- sistently joined in the efforts to establish the independence of the territory which became Vermont. Upon the division of the ancient township his homestead became a part of Windham and most of the members of his immediate family were residents of that portion of the original town so long as they remained within the old boundaries of Kent.
He died in 1808 in the house he had built on the homestead farm by him selected, cleared and developed from the virgin forest which clothed its slopes when he made choice of the plot; and his body was buried in the little public cemetery lying near and in view of that home.
His children were: Nathaniel, Dec. 18, 1753; Mary, Aug. 19, 1756; Sus-
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The History of Londonderry
annah, May 19, 1758; Naomi, Aug. 9, 1761; Peter, May 8, 1763; John, Mar. 28, 1765; David, Sept. 3, 1757; and James, Mar. 18, 1770.
NATHANIEL married Betsey (Elizabeth) Clark and had eight children: Mary, Nov. 27, 1778; Margaret, Mar. 16, 1780; Calvin, Mar. 11, 1782; Jesse, Feb. 27, 1784; David, May 14, 1786; Samuel Clark, Sept. 21, 1790; Bet- sey, June II, 1793, and Edward, Oct. 15, 1796.
MARY married David Cochran and lived in Londonderry. (See Cochran Family Sketch.)
Of Susannah and Naomi no further information is found.
PETER married Elizabeth Goodhue and lived with his parents on the old homestead, caring for them in their old age and until they died. His chil- dren were: Eliza, Dec. 21, 1798; Henry L., Nov. 15, 1800; Edward R., Mar. 25, 1803; Laura M., May 7, 1805; Maryann, Nov. II, 1807; and Josiah G., Jan. 23, 1812.
JOHN married Anna Griggs and resided in Windham until his death. He was one of the most prominent men of his generation in that community and held various offices in local matters; was a member of the state legis- lature, representing "Londonderry and Windham" at a time when (des- pite the constitutional provision that "each inhabited town" should be entitled to a representative) only one representative was allowed the two towns; the first representative from Windham when each town was allow- ed separate representation; the first postmaster at Windham, and for a time was Assistant Judge of Windham County Court. His children were: David, Mar. 22, 1793; Joseph, Oct. 7, 1794 (died Apr. 2, 1795); Edward, Nov. 4, 1796; Joseph (second of that name), Dec. 26, 1798; Nathaniel G., Jan. 26, 1802; Caroline, Jan. 9, 1804, and John, May 13, 1807.
DAVID died at the age of eighteen years and is buried at Lowell Lake cemetery.
JAMES was, like his brother John, a man of influence and prominence in town, having represented "Londonderry and Windham" in the legis- lature and also been Assistant Judge of the County Court. He conveyed his real estate in Windham in 1808 and, about that time, removed from town. It is said he later became a resident of Pennsylvania and spent the rest of his life in that state. No further knowledge of his history or of his family is found.
Information as to the families of his brothers, Nathaniel, Peter and John, is far from being satisfactory but addition to what we have seems now beyond reach. More is learned of Nathaniel's descendants than of the others though of his three daughters nothing is known beyond the dates of birth and that Mary and Margaret are said to have died in 1853.
CALVIN married Sally Yearley, Sept. 15, 1807, and died in 1841. No more is known of his history.
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Genealogical Sketches
JESSE married Lydia Lawton, Nov. 17, 1819, and died in 1860. He is said to have had a daughter who married Darius Williams of Chester.
DAVID was twice married; first to Rebecca French, who bore him a son, William Leavitt, July 16, 1817, and died leaving no other child. His second wife was Zibia Britnall, by whom he had three sons and five daughters: Jason, June 27, 1824; George Clark, Dec. 15, 1825; Rebecca Zibia, June 27, 1827; Edward Henry, Jan. 31, 1829; Mary Elizabeth, Jan. 12, 1831; Mar- garet Adelia, Sept. 20, 1832; Martha Amelia, May 15, 1834, and Susan Hall, Feb. 2, 1837.
WILLIAM LEAVITT married Fanny Wyman and they had five children: Charles C., George W., Anna A., Edward Webster, and Frank E. None of the sons by the second marriage ever married, Jason and Edward H. having died in boyhood and George C. at the age of 27, in Florida.
REBECCA Z. married Calvin Hinds and died childless.
MARY E. married Aaron Edson and lived for years on the old homestead of her father, in Windham, where she had a daughter, Clara May, and a son, Delbert H.
MARGARET ADELIA married Ransom Sawyer, lived in Muscatine, Iowa, and had two sons and two daughters.
MARTHA AMELIA married Charles Heald and lived in Canton, Ill. She had two sons and four daughters.
SUSAN H. married Dr. Henry Chapin and lived in Cambridgeport, Vt. She had two sons and two daughters.
All the sons of William Leavitt lived to maturity and had families. Charles C. married Emma Daggett, had Albert Leavitt, Guy Delbert, Julia E., Dana C., and Wallace L., and died Dec. 9, 191I.
GUY DELBERT married Villa M. Cates and had Lyle C., Ray D., Frances E., Ruby L. and Wallace L.
JULIA E. married Frank C. Rose, had two daughters, and died Mar. 7, 1923.
DANA C. married Flora E. Riendiau and had Charles A., Maynard D., Myrtie E., Ralph E., Ruth M. and Louis E.
GEORGE W. married Celia J. Nichols and had four children: Carrie E., Florence S., Charles H. and Fred W.
EDWARD WEBSTER married Myra Cook and had five children, all of whom lived to maturity and married.
ANNIE M. married Ira G. Miller; Ralph Edward married Mary Brown.
ETHEL ADDIE married John Lyons; George D. married Beatrice Howard, and Roger M. married Mary J. Turner.
Frank E. married Lucy Page, who died childless, andlater married Florence M. Woodward, by whom he had a daughter, Maud Emily, who married Ray E. Jackson.
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The History of Londonderry
SAMUEL C., fourth son of Nathaniel, graduated from Middlebury College in 1814, later studied theology at Andover Theological Seminary and was regularly ordained. He preached in Utica, N. Y. about twenty years and then went to Cleveland, Ohio.
EDWARD, Nathaniel's youngest son, was also a graduateof Middlebury Col- lege, class of 1815, became a clergyman and preached for a time in Utica, N. Y., until failing health led to his seeking a milder climate. He went to Cuba for some months and thence to Tallahasse, Fla. where he died at the age of thirty-five years.
But scanty information has been found as to the descendants of Peter and Betsey (Goodhue) Aiken and all is lost as to the second generation. Eliza married Silas Barrett and had five children.
Henry L. was a graduate of Middlebury College, class of 1821, and married Emily L. Robins, by whom he had three children: Edward, Henry and Ellen K. He resided in Saratoga, N. Y.
Edward Rodney married Caroline Bliss and succeeded to the title and occupancy of the old homestead of his grandfather, Dea. Edward. Here he remained until his death. He left no child, and by will pro- vided that, after his widow's life estate in the farm, the same should be divided between two named missionary societies, as was done. Laura M. (sometimes written Margaret L.) joined the Choctaw Mission in 1853 and gave not only her time and efforts but the greater part of her property to that mission, remaining there until death.
Maryann married William Arms and moved to "the west," living in various places in Wisconsin and Illinois.
Josiah G. is said to have married Emma Parker, of Putney, and to have had six children; and this constitutes our knowledge of him and his descendants.
Of the children of John and Anna (Griggs) Aiken little more than the dates of birth have been found. David, the oldest, died June 30, 1814 and is buried in the public cemetery near Windham Center, where an inscribed stone marks his grave. There are other graves in what appears to be the family plot there but no stone marks any of them.
The town records show the birth of a son, David Lewis, to Joseph Aiken in 1825, and he was, doubtless, a grandson of John and Anna.
It has been said that John and Anna, his wife, removed to Pennsylvania where he died; and that his brother James married a girl from Putney and moved to Boston, Mass.
Another account or tradition states that it was James, instead of John, who removed to Pennsylavnia, but at this time no clue is found leading to a determination of the truth of either of these statements.
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