The history of Gilmanton : embracing the proprietary, civil, literary, ecclesiastical, biographical, genealogical, and miscellaneous history, from the first settlement to the present time : including what is now Gilford, to the time it was disannexed

Preface

The History comprised in this volume, is a compilation of facts derived from various sources, both oral and written. The materials have been accumulating on the hands of the writer for nearly twenty years, and under such circumstances as to render it both inexpedient and impossible to refer in all cases to the authorities. Moreover such a reference would greatly have encumbered the margin, and increased the expense of publication without enhancing the value of the work to the readers.

Oral and traditionary testimony have been relied on only where written documents failed. The written authorities which have been used are the Proprietary and Town Records, Prescott's Sketch of Gilmanton, N. H. Hist. Col. Vol. I. p. 72, Farmer's Genealogical Register, Belknap's History of N. H. with Farmer's Notes, Whiton's History of N. H., Adams' Annals of Portsmouth, Allen's Biographical Dictionary, Felt's History of Ipswich, &;c.

In the Biographical notices a free use has been made of the facts recorded in these works, and sometimes the very language has been used in an abridged or varied form. In the Proprietary and Civil History also, the language of the record has not unfrequently been employed to express the course of events, as bein^ both the most convenient and the best suited to the object the writer had in view, viz. a plain narrative of facls.

Imperfection is the lot of all human effort. The present History has come very far short of what the writer intended to make it. Notwithstanding much care, many errors, especially in the

IV PREFACE.

dates, have occurred, some few of which only have been referred to in the errata.

The Genealogical History is much more limited than was originally intended by the writer. To a great extent the dates of births and marriages in the different families are left out, and I many families are omitted altogether. This became necessary on account of the limited patronage given to the work. A full schedule of the marriages and deaths from the first settlement of the town, is also crowded out by the abrupt close to which the writer has been obliged to bring the work, or suffer pecuniary loss. These materials may at a future time be thrown into an appendix to this History, should encouragement be afforded.

The Map prepared to accompany this work, will be found an interesting and valuable appendage. The whole has cost an amount of labor, which none can estimate but those who have made similar attempts. Should the readers be interested, instructed and benefitted, and a love of their native place be thereby cherished in the bosoms of his townsmen, at least one object of the writer will be accomplished.

August, 1845.

ERRATA.

l'a"e 40 transpose the last two lines.

58 line 2, for sister of John Nelson, father, &c. read sister of Gen. Nathaniel Folsom and of the mother of Jonathan Nelson. 30 10, for second rango, read second range.

131 7, for John Lougce, jr. read Samuel Avery.

137 14, for John F. Williams, read Adam Williams.

157 11, from bottom, for Nov. 3, 1805, read Nov. 3, 1825.

Kid 2, from bottom, for Hon. John Lord, read Nathaniel Lord, Esq.

15, do. for one year, read two years.

228 I, for Dr. Abraham Silver, read Dr. James Silver.

272 transfer the notice of Joseph Jones Gilman to page 253.

282 transfer the notice of Daniel J. Parsons to page 255.

285 transfer the notice of Dyer H. Sanborn, Esq. to page 255.

274 3, from bottom, for 17!)5, read 1705.

278 13, from bottom, for they had Susan, read he had Susan, &c^

Index

Academy, 148, Charter of, 149, Preceptors of, 164, 165, Preceptresses of, 165, 168, Trustees of, 156, Village, 136.

Adams family, 255, Joseph, 59.

Alumni of the Seminary, 177.

Atkinson, Theodore, 32.

Badger, Joseph,57, 70, 234, Jo seph, jr. 242, William, 247.

Bachelder, Ebenezer, 58.

Bean, Aaron, 250, Joshua, 250, Simeon, 241, Stephen, 249

Belknap, Jeremiah, 186.

Bell, James, 225.

Births, 292.

Bird, Isaac, 221.

Block houses built, 39, rebuilt, 44, location of, 60.

Bodwell, Abraham, 162.

Bouton, Nathaniel, 163.

Burnham, Abraham, 174.

Burns, Thomas, 246.

Butterfield, William, 226.

Canterbury line, 46.

Carpenter, Josiah, 193.

Casualties, 296.

Cart path from Epsom, 46.

Caveriy, John Lee, 253.

Centre Church, 196.

Childs, Rufus, 219.

Chipman, John, 26.

Church, Baptist, 199, gathered 83, Christian Baptist, 203 1st Congregational, 83, 192, Freewill Baptist, 202, Iron Works, 197, Methodist, 202

Citizens' mills, 130.

Clark family, 260, Peter, 216.

Henry K. W. 253, Ward, 26, William C. 167.

Clement, Jonathan, 164.

Clerical proprietors, 58.

Clifford family, 259.

Coffin, Eliphalet, 24, Peter, 59»

Cogswell family, 259, William, 221, Francis, 163, Francis, 250, Elliott C. 168, Nathaniel, 224, 249, Pearson, 248, Thomas, 248, 239.

Conner, Jere. 24, 68, Jona, 57.

Continental money, 94.

Cooke, Phinehas, 194.

Copp, Timothy, 253.

Corser, Enoch, 162.

Crosby, Asa, 229, Nathan, 224, Dixi,231,Alpheus, 251.

Cross, Abijah, 195.

Currier Family, 260.

Curtis, Jonathan, 174.

Cutter, Ammi R. 104.

Deaths, 293.

Delay of settlement of town, 35.

Dudley family, 260, Nicholas^ 24, Stephen, 70, 237.

Durgin family, 261, Charles C. 254.

East Gilmanton, 133.

Eastman family, 262, Ebenezer, 85, 244, Ira A. 825, 252, Nehemiah, 255.

Election Ser., preachers of, 102.

Emerson, Benjamin, 224.

Employments and products,291 .

Factory Village, 137.

VI

INDEX.

Farrar family,264, Wm. H. 253 Farmers' M. F. I. Co. 302.

Ffrost, John, 34.

Fifield, Edward, 58.

First division of 40 acre lots, 37 of 100 acre lots, 54.

First parish bounded, 53.

First proposals to settlers, 40.

Fitch, Jabez, 31.

Fletcher, Samuel, 166.

Fotro;, George G. 226.

Folsom family, 262, John, 26, Nathaniel, 105, Peter L. 249.

Foster, Abiel, 186, Asa E. 167, Simon, 228.

French family, 263, Otis, 231, Samuel P. 252.

Friends, Society of, 204.

Further proposals to settlers, 46

Gale family, 265, Wm. P. 254.

George, Enos, 195.

Gilford set off from Gilm'n, 123

Gilman family, 267, Andrew,25, Antipas, 236, Daniel, 24, Ed ward, jr. 27, John, 27, 74, John, 23, Josiah, 27, Nathaniel, 27, Nicholas, 72, Nicholas, 22, Nicholas, 3d. 26 Nicholas, 25, Peter, 24, Samuel, 26, Samuel, jr. 57, Sam uel, 3d, 27, Summersbee, 71, 236.

Gilmanton bounded, 37.

Gookin, Nathaniel, 58.

Gould, Joseph, 233.

Graduates, 248.

Grave Yards, 301.

Greely family, 266, Samuel 243, Stephen L. 247, Stephen S. N. 218, 252.

Gunstock, 64.

Hackett family, 273, William H.

Y. 254.

Ham, John, 224.

Hatch family, 272.

Hidden, Ephraim N. 167, Samuel, 147.

Hill, Jonathan, 94, 227.

Hurricane, 138.

Hutchinson family, 273.

Iron Works Village, 134.

Jacobs, Daniel, 228.

JafFrey, George, 33.

Jamestown, 138.

Jones family, 273.

Kelley, Benj., 229, Hall J. 250.

Kelley family, 274.

Knowles, John D. 217.

Ladd family, 274, Samuel, 71.

Lake Village, 139.

Lancaster family, 274, Daniel, 218.

Lawrence, Edward A. 167.

Lawyers, 223,

Libraries, 178.

Lines perambulated, 44.

Livermore, Arthur, jr. 225, Edward St. Loe. 226.

Local divisions and names, 133. '

Local names, origin of, 63.

Location of Proprietors' mills 61

Locke, Edward J. 215.

Longevity, 295.

Loon Pond, 63.

Lord, Nathan, 164.

Lower Gilmanton, 133.

Lyford, Stephen C. 164.

Lougee family, 275.

Mack family ,278, Andrew, 248.

i Magistrates, he. 234.

INDEX.

VU

Mann, Cyrus, 166.

Marsh family, 276.

Martin, Richard, 216.

Marriages, 293.

Mason, John Tufton, 49.

Masonian claim, 46, proprietors, arrangementlwith, 47, deed ol 47, names of, 48, notices of, 49.

McCIintock, Samuel, 186.

McFarland, Asa, 193.

Meredith Bridge Village, 138.

Merrill, Thomas H. 230.

Meserve, Nath'l, 49, Geo. 50.

McGee, Jonathan, 176.

Ministers, 205.

Minot, George, 225.

Moderators, 139.

MofFatt, John, 51.

Moody family, 276, David, 219, John, 71, 88, 240, Stephen, 223.

Moore, Samuel, 49.

More, William, 28.

Morgan family, 277.

Morril Samuel, 175.

Morrill family, 277.

Morrill, Edward G. 233.

Morrison, Uriah, 216.

Moulton family, 277.

Mudgett family, 278, John, 57, INIrs. Hannah, 66.

Nelson family, 279, John, 249

Notices of members of Convention, 104, of settlers, 56.

Odiorne. Jotham, 50.

Odlin, John, 57, John, 23.

Osgood family, 279.

Original settlers classed, 34.

Packer, Thomas, 50.

Page, John, 56, John C. 232,

Page family, 279, John H.

W. 251.

Parish, Obadiah, 227.

Parkhurst, John L. 166.

Parsons family, 281, William,

Peabody, Nathaniel, 104.

Peaslee family, 282, Charles H.

Pearson, Jethro, 57.

Perkins, Jonathan, 244.

Philbrook, Joseph, 72, 87.

Physicians, 226.

Pickering, John, 104.

Pitman, Joshua M. 168.

Plant, Matthias, 33.

Population, 74, 291.

Porter, Nathaniel, 183.

Powers, Walter, 214.

Prentice, Josiah, 195.

Prescott family, 283, Wm. 230.

Price family, 284, Ebe'r. 248.

Printing presses, 179.

Proposals to settlers, 45, 53.

Proprietors, names of, 20, who

gave bonds for settlement, 55,

proceedings, 36, 180, roads,

62, settlement, summary of,

75, town officers, 76.

Quimby, Michael, 219.

Rand, Asa, 193.

Representatives, 143.

Richardson Jere. 69, Phinehas

217, William, 2-34.

Rocky pond, 63.

Rood, Heman, 219.

Rust, Henry, 24.

SafFord, Charles G. 218.

Sanborn family, 284, Edwin D. 252, Dyer H. 285, John, 238.

VUl

ItfDEX.

Second division 40 acres, 40.

Selden, Calvin, 165.

Selectmen, 141, 77.

Sewall Jonathan M. 104.

Shellcamp pond, 64.

Shepard family, 287, John, 245, John W. 254, Samuel, 246.

Sherburne,Henry,29, Henry ,29.

Sherman, Anthony, 228.

Shute, Samuel, 31.

Silver, James, 228.

Sinkler, Richard, 67, 71.

Smith family, 288, Ebenezer, 161, Ezra C. 254, Francis P. 250, Frederick, 253, Isaac, 207, 184, Richard, 27, Theophilus,27, William,146, 226.

Soucook River, 64.

Spofford,Luke A. 217.

Spotted fever, 123.

State Constitution, 100.

Stearns, Josiah, 183.

Sullivan, John, 105.

Suncook, 63.

Surveyors' divisions, 59.

Tebbetts, Nathan C.231.

Tenney, Ch's, 222, Dan'l, 168.

Test Act, signers of, 98, 100.

Theological Seminary, 169, Visitors, 174, Faculty, 176, 219.

Thing, Barth'vv, 24, Sam'l, 23.

Tilton family, 289, David, 252, Josiah, 58.

Tioga, 138.

Topography of Civil History, 126, of Proprietary Hist. 59.

Town bridges, 130, officers, 139, paupers, 124, roads, 126.

Tucker, Jedediah, 158.

Upham, Timothy, 186.

Waldron, Richard, 31, Richard, jr. 32.

Walker, Timo. 182,Timo. 106.

Wallingford, Thomas, 50.

Walton, Shadrach, 34.

Wears, 64.

Warner, A. 220.

Weare, Ebenezer, 28.

Weather and Climate, 303.

Webster family, 288, Ebenezer, 106, Thomas, 24.

W^eed, Orlando, 57.

Weeks family, 289.

Wells, Nathaniel, 193.

Wentworth, Benning, 30, Benning 30, John, 30, John, 31, Mark H. 30.

Westbrooke, Thomas, 34.

Whipple, Joseph, 59.

Whiton, John M. 175.

Wibird, Richard, 33.

Wight family, 290, Nahum,232.

Williams, Adam, 228, Jacob, 231, Simon F. 159.

Wilson family, 287, Nathaniel, 242, Humphrey, 50, 26, Jeremiah, 247, Thomas, 27.

Wingate, Paine, 105.

Wood, Eliphalet, 146.

Woodman, Joseph, 157.

Young, Joseph , 246. John K, 175.

HISTORY OF GILMANTON.