USA > Vermont > Windham County > Londonderry > The history with genealogical sketches of Londonderry > Part 18
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Lydia married Oscar Bennett and died Oct. 20, 1844.
Sem, Jr., married Eliza Howard, of Londonderry, and had three sons and two daughters: Frank O., Feb. 24, 1854; Willie -, died in childhood; Mary A., May 27, 1858; William Harry, Mar. 16, 1871, and Addie Geneive.
He served in Co. D, 16th Vt. Vols. and was at the Battle of Gettys- burg.
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After his discharge he returned to his home in this town and engaged in business, for a time being senior partner in the firm making carriages and sleighs at the lower part of the South village, later was a farmer and a Station Agent at the "Winhall Station," about three miles below that village. He moved back to the village and there spent the last years of his life, dying July 25, 1916.
Aurilla married John C. Cutter and resided in Winchendon, Mass.
Leland H. died Mar. 31, 1853, unmarried.
William Ward was an infant when his mother died and was taken into the family of his aunt, Phyletta who married Merrick Woods. He married Lizzie Stone and had three children: Phyletta -, Nov. - , 1868; Josiah Q., Mar. 24, 1870, and Bertha A., Oct. 3, 1883.
He enlisted in Co. I, 4th Vt. Vols. in the Civil War, was promoted to the office of Ist Lieut. Co. B, of the same regiment, and was later com- missioned as Captain, but was not mustered as Captain owing to the then early close of the war. He was wounded in the service and was a prisoner in the hands of the enemy from June 23, 1864 to the 17th of December following, when he was exchanged. He died at So. Londonderry, Dec. 23, 1890.
Nehemiah, second son of that name, married Jane Shumway and, after her decease, Marcia A. Eddy. He had issue by each wife, and died at Spring- field, Ill., Mar. 25, 1873. He was a Baptist clergyman of high standing and at the time of his death was pastor of a Baptist Church in the city where he died.
Marion Ida was twice married; first to Charles H. Miller and later to Thomas K. Hamilton.
Edward W. died Aug. 5, 1845; Edward Orion died Oct. 3, 1847, and Lydia Maria died Oct. 23, 1861.
Frank O., son of Sem, Jr. and Eliza (Howard), married Ruth Cone and they have two sons: Lyle O., Apr. 23, 1877, and Loren R., Dec. 26, 1878.
Mary A. resides in town and is unmarried.
William Harry married Mabel Cudworth, of Winchendon, Mass., and has made his home in that town. They have no child.
Adda Genevieve died Sept. 30, 1869.
Lyle O. married Orrie Davis, of Londonderry, who died childless, at South Londonderry, -, and he married Mrs. Ethel (Lippincott) Patterson. Some years prior to his first marriage he Went to Florida, and is still in business at Tampa in that state.
He has no issue, but adopted Lois, daughter of his second wife by her former marriage.
Loren R. married Louetta Burgess, of Nashua, N. H. and has one child, Harold L. He studied law at South Londonderry with Addison E. Cud- worth, with whom he there practiced, as partner, for several years and
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then removed to Woodstock, Vt. where he is in practice of his profession. Upon the entry of the United States into war with Germany, in the "World War," he enlisted, and served over-seas as Lieutenant in a regiment of Pioneers until the close of that war.
Phyletta, daughter of William Ward and Lizzie (Stone), married Oscar A.
Pease, of Weston, Vt., and had three sons, and a daughter who did not survive the day of her birth. She died Sept. 30, 1919.
Josiah Q. married Nettie Pease, of Weston, Vt., and died without issue. Bertha A. died Dec. 23, 1892.
SHERMAN PIERCE was a long time resident of this town, and here he died, Apr. 18, 1855.
It is impossible to connect him with either Sergeant Thomas or Captain Michael, and equally impossible to fix the date of his coming. His name first appears in our town records as the grantee in a deed of a small tract, dated Jan. 24, 1806, wherein he is described as "of Londonderry," but the date does not aid in determining when he became resident, for the deed begins the boundary of the tract conveyed at a tree "about eighteen rods east of said Pierce's saw-mill," showing that he was already established here. While the location of the mill mentioned cannot be positively stated, it was, most probably, at the old stone foundations remaining at Thomson- burg on the southerly side of the brook just below the "Captain James place." His name next appears in these Land Records as grantee, in 1813, of fifty acres in a different part of the town and no record discloses how or when he acquired title to the premises purported to be conveyed. The best attainable information, secured from a grand-daughter, is that he came from England when about twelve years of age, unaccompanied by parents, and lived for some years after his first marriage at Cherry Valley, N. Y., from which place he came to Londonderry. He was a soldier in the War of 1812.
His first wife was - Tinkham, and it is understood that she bore him several children, only one of whom, his son Sheldon, is said to have come here with his father. His second wife was Polly Thompson (See Thompson Family Sketch), by whom he had a large family. Of these were; Joel T., Clarissa, Calvin, Asenath, Samuel, Mary Ann, Truman, Judson, Jackson, Dianna, Jane, but the order of their births is uncertain and the list may have included still others, as it is said the fruit of his two marriages was twenty-one children, and no public or family record or even family tradi- tion, can be found to determine the number borne to him by either wife. Sheldon married Joanna Herrick and remained a resident of town until his death, -. His children were: Sherman and George (twins) who died in early infancy; Achsa L. who died young, and Rebecca J. who married Thomas E. Hill.
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Joel T. was twice married. His first wife, Amanda Sweet, had a son, Horatio S., and a daughter, Lorana. His second wife was Polly Reed and they had four children; Laurin, John, Mary Jane and Allie. Horatio S. mar- ried Caroline Farnum and they had a son, Alva T., who married Hattie Thompson; and a daughter, Etta L., who married William Grover. Lorna married Tift. Laurin married, first, - Pettengill and,
second, Mrs. ( - -) Walker. He lived, and died, in Ludlow, Vt. Clarissa married Mansfield Amsden and lived in Chester.
Calvin married Amy - and they had a daughter, Sarepta.
Asenath married Ichabod Chase and had a large family.
Samuel married Mary Amsden. He died in -, leaving three young children who were separated and found homes where they were brought up, somewhat widely apart. They were; Clarissa, who later was known as Clara, married Densmore, and still lives in Brattleboro; Phyletta, who married Alvaro D. Peck, of Weston, and, surviving him, resides on the old homestead in that town; and Harvey W. who still resides in town where he has spent his whole life. He has been twice married but has no child. His first wife was Celestia Thompson (See Thompson Family Sketch); and his second was Mrs. - - (Hart) Thompson, widow of a brother of his first wife.
Mary Ann was three times married; to Mark K. Staples, 2nd, to Dea. Hiram Davis, and, rather late in life, to Elisha White. She had but one child, fruit of her first marriage, Edna A., who married James E. White, whose father was Mary Ann's third husband.
Truman died young.
Judson never married.
Jackson married Abigail Towns and had a son, Charles, and perhaps others. Dianna married Jeremiah Clark, a "seafaring man," of New Bedford,
Mass., who moved to Andover, Vt. and became a farmer. They had three sons and two daughters.
Jane married Harvey Upham.
Others bearing the name of Pierce are mentioned in our Land Records and marriage records, none of whom can be definitely traced to any of the family stocks already mentioned. Among these of the earlier period are Augustus, Comfort, Jeremiah, Philemon, Abel.
Some of these are believed to be children of Sherman, but the belief really lacks material evidence for its support.
Rogers
COLONEL JAMES ROGERS, one of the grantees named in the original char- ter of KENT, and later sole proprietor of the township, was the son of James and Mary (McPhartridge) Rogers.
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He came from Londonderry, N. H. to make his home in Kent, but it is not certain that his parents ever had their home in that town.
His father, in 1738, purchased land in the territory later called Starks- town, N. H., being described in the deed as "of Methuen, Mass .; " and in the next year moved to this lot. Some years later he was driven away by the Indians and his improvements destroyed. Still later he returned and resided there until his death, by accidental shooting.
His mother remained in Starkstown, (now Dunbarton) for a time after his father's death but it is doubtful if that was at any time his home after he left the paternal roof. In 1761 the proprietors of Starkstown endeavored to induce him to settle in their town and formally voted that, "in case Capt. James Rogers make present settlement on James Evans' right in Starks- town he shall receive thirty-five pounds, old tenor, out of the treasury for Starkstown, or the same sum that the said Evans paid for his not settling." It is not probable, however, that he accepted this proposition for, about this time, he married Margaret McGregor, of Londonderry, N. H., and in 1762 had a son, David, who died four years later, and his son James, also was born in that town. His wife was the daughter of Rev. David McGregor and grand-daughter of Rev. James McGregor the first pastor in London- derry, N. H., who came over from Ireland with his flock to whom he bore the same relation prior to their emigration.
This second James, or Colonel James, was, first of all, a military man, active and adventurous. This, indeed, seems to have been a family trait for his brothers, Robert and Richard, were both members of the celebrated body of troops known in history as Rogers' Rangers. Of this organization his brother Robert was commander, while he and his brother Richard both served as Captains therein. Richard died in service at Fort William Henry (N. Y.) in the spring of 1757.
Robert served with distinction in various military organizations under the English flag and was, for a time, a resident of London, England, where he became a favorite at Court and enjoyed the special favor of his King. He died in 1784.
In the career of Colonel James we have a greater interest. From a pamph- let published by one of his descendants we learn that "as Captain in com- mand of a detachment of his more famous brother, Robert Rogers' regiment, serving, however, independently of the main body, he took part in the campaigns in Cape Breton and Canada, under Wolfe and Amherst. He was present at the successive captures of Louisbourg, Quebec and Montreal, the steps by which Canada passed from French to English rule."
He saw service in the "Seven Years War," as waged in America from the beginning to the end; after which he returned to his New Hampshire home.
In 1765, being then a resident of Londonderry, N. H., he made petition in behalf of himself and others for the grant of Kent.
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Some doubt has been cast upon the truth of the statement in this petition (see appendix) relative to former grants which they had lost, or were likely to lose, by reason of action of New York authority.
This has arisen, in great part at least, from the fact that there is found no grant to Rogers and his associates of land in the locality mentioned among the records of the "New Hampshire Grants," as the same have been pub- lished by authority of the State of New Hampshire.
While no such grant appears to have been made to them collectively, their claim may still have been true and the total extent of territory men- tioned in the petition have been made up in individual grants.
It is certain that such grant was made to Colonel Rogers, covering three thousand acres "between South Bay and Ticonderoga," under date May 30, 1765, the original parchment being still in existence and in the keeping of his descendants.
However the facts may have been, the petition bore fruit and the grant of Kent was duly issued; not until after the preliminary draft of the charter, or grant, made "29th July 1766," had been corrected or modified upon a supplementary petition filed by Rogers, evidently after an inspection of this first draft.
Just at what time he came here to make settlement cannot be asserted, but it is at least probable that something was done in that work the same year (1770) the formal or corrected grant was issued.
Much needed to be done before the families could be brought hither and, without doubt, the summers of 1770 and 1771 saw some of these prepara- tions made. In the spring or summer of 1772 Colonel Rogers brought his family to the farm pitched by him for his homestead. At this time he had one son surviving, but as to there then being other children in the family is not to be stated from data at hand.
He settled upon the farm later known as the Larkin place, near the northern border of the town, his homestead farm lying on both sides of West River, though the greater part was on the easterly side, and extended from about the northerly boundary of the farm of John E. Carleton, above the North Village, and the "Bliss Smith place," so-called, to Weston (then Andover) south line. Here he erected his house on the higher land east of the river and that was his residence until he fled from Kent in 1777, leaving his family on the farm. At that time he had a good sized frame house which had taken the place of the original log building which formed the first home and wherein his son, David McGregor Rogers, was born in 1772, the first born of the children of Kent.
Colonel Rogers early took the prominent position in public affairs that his ability and experience warranted.
In October, 1765, he had joined with eleven others in a petition to New York authorities for the establishment of a County on Connecticut River,
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the date of this petition being three days later than that of his petition for the grant of Kent; and on the 22nd of the same month six of these twelve, Rogers among the number, made further petition to the same source on the same subject.
In the nomination of Civil Authority for the County of Cumberland, June II, 1766, he was named for "Asst. Justice in the Commission of the Pleas and Justice of ye Quorum," but it is improbable that he was so com- missioned at that time, when he was, without doubt, residing outside Cumberland County. In the list of Judges and other Judicial Officers for the County appointed by commission in April, 1768, his name does not appear, but in the list of Civil Officers for that County in 1772 he is named as "Asst. Justice." In February, 1774, he was made a member of "a stand- ing Committee of Correspondence to correspond with the Committee of Correspondence for the City of New York and other Committees of Cor- respondence elsewhere." Later he was nominated "to be Brigadier for Cumberland, Gloucester and Charlotte Brigade," which office he declined "for political reasons." This nomination, and others made at the same time by the same body, the Cumberland County Committee of Safety, gave rise to remonstrances against their confirmation by the Provincial Congress and to a request that "the sense of people of the County be taken." He partici- pated in one Convention of Representatives from the New Hampshire Grants but, so far as can be ascertained, only on that one occasion.
At times he seems to have been, in a measure, in the confidence of some of the party opposed to the New York pretensions, but the whole weight of evidence would seem to forbid the belief that he, at any time or to any extent, was in sympathy with them in this matter.
Very soon, if not immediately, after his leaving his home here he entered the active service of his King.
In 1779, his brother Robert raised a regiment of two battalions, known as the "King's Rangers," under authority of Sir Henry Clinton, Commander in Chief of His Majesty's forces, and in this regiment he (James) was gazetted Major, June 2, 1779. In September following he and some other officers of these troops arrived by ship at Quebec, whither recruits to the Rangers were sent by the overland route.
Through some mismanagement at headquarters no proper arrangements had been made for support of these recruits and Major Rogers for a time was compelled to furnish their subsistence from his own means.
Finally they were regularly placed upon the military establishment, duly uniformed and sent to garrison the post at St. Johns, guarding the route from Lake Champlain to Montreal. Here he remained until the close of the Revolution, rendering excellent service and gaining some additional dis- tinction through his correspondence with the Commander-in Chief in the Province and his suggestions and recommendations relative to military
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plans. This correspondence is still preserved in the British Museum and War Office Archives in London, England.
In November, 1783, came the King's order for disbanding the Loyalist Troops, and Colonel Rogers prepared to again return to peaceful pursuits and the work of establishing a new home; Vermont having seized upon what had been his estate in Kent. In the spring of 1784, it is said, he came back to this town, which had become Londonderry, to make arrangements for the removal of his family to Canada, and that the family returned with him to St. Johns. That he did make a visit, about that time, to his former home and that he was coldly received by the townspeople is undoubtedly true, but it is doubtful if the family removed in 1784 for his son, James, in his petition to the Vermont Legislature in 1795 alleges that he and the other heirs of Colonel James resided here until 1785.
No later visit of Colonel Rogers was made to this town and he then, with some two hundred of his troops, settled in a tract of land granted to them and known as Fredericksburg, Upper Canada. Here he lived until his de- cease, September 23, 1790, and was the founder of one of the prominent families of that Province, which has maintained its prominence through succeeding generations.
He was succeeded in his position in the settlement by his son, David McGregor Rogers (the first born son of Kent), who for twenty-four years represented his District in the early Houses of Assembly of Upper Canada. One of his descendants, author of the pamphlet before quoted, says of him: "David McGregor Rogers seems to have been a man of considerable force of character, uniting as he did the blood of his soldier father with that of the Highland out-laws, which he owed to his mother whose name he bore as part of his own." He died in 1824 at his Canadian home.
James, another and the older son of Colonel Rogers, who petitioned for and secured the return of the unsold portion of his father's Vermont property, married Mary Allen and had a family of children, some of whom were born in this town. After securing the remnant of his father's estate through Act of the State Legislature, he established his home in London- derry and was for some years its town clerk. While he held that office he entered on the records the names of his children, with dates of their birth. The record is as follows:
Birth of children of fames & Mary Rogers Mary, born at Londonderry 11th June, 1798; Timothy, born Chester 22nd December, 1799; Eliza, born Chester 5th February, 1801; Nancy, born Londonderry, 20th May, 1802; James, born Londonderry, 28th February, 1804; David, born Londonderry, 16th June, 1805.
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These entries were made on records under date January 8, 1806 and at a later date there was added, in the same handwriting, a record of the birth of two other children, both of whom died soon after birth, one in September, 1806, and the other in August, 1807.
The date of his coming from Canada to take possession of property here was in 1797, between April and October, when he lived in Windham; the next year he was in Londonderry and then followed a short residence in Chester when he again came to Londonderry. He was chosen town clerk of this town in 1805 and held the office by successive re-elections until 1809, when he declined to serve longer. He removed from town in the winter of 1817-18, and in 1820 we know he was a resident of Upper Canada, where he died in 1841.
Locally, Colonel Rogers has never received due appreciation or been accorded the position or credit to which his talents and his worth entitled him. This, doubtless, has arisen from the fact of his having been a loyalist or, as more commonly expressed, a tory, in the days of the Colonies' struggle for independence. To now grant to his memory its just deserts were merest justice, and no lack of patriotism.
Much as we may regret that he did not give his adherence and his aid to the Colonists' cause, we should grant him, as we would claim for ourselves, the right to the exercise of individual judgment and to opinions honestly held. He seems to have been a sincere as well as ardent supporter of his King, and his course was that of an upright and conscientious man holding such views. He was no loitering, sneaking spy who remained among his for- mer neighbors, stealthily aiding their enemies and harassing them as opportunity could be found, but, as a manly and open foe, like the veteran that he was, went openly into the ranks and gave a soldier's service to the cause he espoused. With the removal of this younger James from town, more than a century ago, the family's connection with local affairs and local history came to an end.
Stowell
A GENEALOGY of this family has recently (1922), been published by Hon. William H. H. Stowell, being a bulky volume of 980 pages, and the same is the basis and authority for the greater part of this present sketch. While some of those herein mentioned never had personal connection with the life of Londonderry, it has seemed desirable that they be included, so far as has been done, as of interest, and possible value, in tracing the relation- ship of those who have been residents of the town.
All the members of this family who have resided in Londonderry, and they have been many, trace descent from Samuel Stowell, who was born in England, died in Hingham, Mass., Nov. 9, 1683, and is supposed to have
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come to this country in his boyhood with the colony which settled in Hing- ham in 1635. They all have a common ancestor in Israel, great grandson of Samuel and his wife, Mary (Farrow), whose father and grandfather each bore the same name as his own.
This third, latest born, Israel was three times married and all the Lon- donderry Stowells are included in the descendants of two of his sons, brothers of the half-blood, Luther, the fifth son by first wife, Mary (Butler), and Reuben, the second of three sons by the second wife, Sarah (Carpenter).
Luther Stowell, long known as "Deacon Luther," was born in Winchester, N. H., Oct. 18, 1772, and died in Londonderry, Vt., Nov. 9, 1857.
He married Lydia Clark, of Petersham, Mass., Dec. 25, 1796, and resided in that town for a time, his oldest child being born there, Apr. 30, 1798.
He then moved to Windham, Vt., and thence to Londonderry, in 1818, where he spent the remainder of his life. He was a man of prominence in the town, was postmaster three years, represented the town in the State Legislature three sessions, was twice member of the Constitutional Con- vention (1814 and 1828), and held the office of Justice of the Peace for thirty-four years. As such magistrate he solemnized the marriage of each of his children who lived to maturity, save only Harden who never married. His oldest child was born in Petersham, the two youngest in Londonderry, and all the others in Windham, Vt. They were: Josiah, Apr. 30, 1798; Florinda, Nov. 27, 1799; David Clark, Mar. 15, 1801; Horace, Jan. 10, 1803; Harden C., Apr. 27, 1805; Elizabeth E., Feb. 28, 1807; Luther, Apr. 6, 1809; Avery Bacon, Apr. 12, 1811; Mary B. Nov. 25, 1813; Lydia, Aug. 24, 1818, and Henry C., Apr. 17, 1821.
Josiah, in his early childhood, came to Windham with his father and mother and lived there until twenty years of age, about the date of his first marriage and the time his father's family came to Londonderry. Not long thereafter he had his home in Derry, N. H. and later moved to Manchester, N. H. He was there interested and influential in public and political affairs and is said to have held every office or rank in the N. H. Militia from Ensign to Brigadier General; though the military title borne by him while residing in this town was Colonel. He came here in 1842 and built a large hotel, or a building which he designed for that use but which was converted into a store building, though with small change in its interior, and for many years known throughout the country-side as "Arnold's Store." This venture of his proving a failure financially and leaving him somewhat involved, as it is said, he closed out his interests and moved to Hudson, Mich., where he died, Dec. 11, 1873, having been blind for several years.
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