History of Barnstead

THE l^EW YOT^K PUBLIC LT^^'^^ ASTOR.LEr.-.

'^

TILDEN F0UNDATI0N3 ^ R

j.

f.

yEWETT,

jA. p,

HISTORY

BARN STEAD FROM

ITS

FIKST SETTLEMENT

±727 TO 1873 By

JEREMIAH

P.

JEWETT,

M. D

Since his Decease Revised, Enlarged and Published by

ROBEET

B.

CAVERLY,

OF THE MIDDLESEX BAR.

LOWELL, MASS.:

MARDEN

&

ROWELL, PRINTERS 1872. vy-^:

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year

Robert In the

office

B.

1871,

by

Caverly,

of the Librariaa-of Congress, at Washington.

3^"^^^

TO THE

HON. MARSHALL

P.

WILDER,

PRESIDENT OF THE NEW ENGLAND HISTORIC

GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY,

VENERABLE

IS

IN

FAITH AND GOOD WORKS,

RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED. R. B. C.

BARN STEAD ANNALS or

"It

is

ITS

INHABITANTS

wise for us to recur to the history of our ancestors.

Those,

who

do not look upon themselves as a link connecting the past with the future, do not perform their duty to the world."

Daniel Webster.

;

PREFACE I undertook the revision and publication of this History Dr. Jewett had in his leisure under many discouragements. collected most of its materials, and had hastily arranged them but early in 1870 disease came upon him, of which he soon

afterwards died, leaving the manuscript in a mixed condition me to obtain the means, revise

yet he had anxiously desired

and publish

it.

The town of Barnstead, being involved

in

a war-debt,

whole burden of the outlay, as well as the work itself, was thrown upon its editor, living at a distance and encumbered with other cares. Yet many thanks are due to a citizen of the town. Dr. John Wheeler, who, in sight of the embarrassment, generously volunteered, and has given me much service and good advice in obtaining the means of covering its cash expenses, and in collecting and furnishing a large amount of materials which have refused to aid

its

publication, and thereby the

been used in the work. by whose kind hand the Thanks, also, to Mary brief record of a hundred grave-yards has been copied, communicated, and included in these pages. Grateful acknowledgments are also due to many others who have favored us^ and ,

whose names will be found in the appendix. Ay to my own labor, for which no pay

is

had, performed

mostly late at night, outside the business of a busy profession, " I give and bequeath" it to the generations as yet unborn. shall things here recorded shall be novel to them for, and shall be carried down to the coming ages as mementos of the past, and as gathered from the graves as well

Many

;

be sought as

from the

fire-sides of the fathers, at the

dawn, and in the

midst of a new world. R. B. C. Centralville, Lowell, Mass.,

August, 1872.

TABLE OF CONTENTS. The New "World, New England,

-

its

King Jlassasoit and Samoset, Tisquantum, alias Squanto, New IlanipsUire and its Land

9 10

First Adventurers,

H 12

13

Titles,

19

Indian Tribes,

Passaconaway and Eliot,

23

Wonalancet.— Major Waldron,

25

AVar of 1722, Indian Pastimes, Indian Traces and Remains, Origin and Habits of the Red-man, The Massachusetts Colony,

27 30

32 34 36

Court Trials and Decisions,

37

Curious Court Records,

38

Custom of wearing long hair (barbarism),

41

Money Coined in Massachusetts, Quakers and their Persecutions,

41

Witch-craft,

first,

42 43

-

The Wars,

Barnstead,

its First

45

Grantees,

49-72

Settlements, First,

Meeting-liouse, First Built and

its

Dedication,

....

Meeting-House, Second Built, Eli Bunker, his Donation,

52

54

Meeting-IIouse, Third Built, Baptist,

54

and the Centre Meeting-Houses,

Elder David Knowlton, First Minister, Rev. Enos George, Second Minister,

Clergymen generally, Fashion.s in attending Church,

An

Benjamin Randall, Joseph Boody, sen.,

Early Land Sales, Names

of First Proprietors,

First Settlers, First Families,

56 57

58 -

61

64

Incident,

Freewill Baptist Denomination,

51

53

Dedication of Second Meeting-House, The North, the Freewill

50

67 its

Origin,

67 68

69 71 7.3

74

74-99

CONTENTS. Dimensions of the Town, its Charter,

Vll

100

&c.,

101

Streams, Fishing and Hunting, and First Records,

102 103

Province lload, Soldiers in the Old French

War,

IIG

The Kevolutiox,

104-107

Soldiers of the Revolution,

Records,

-

-

Mason

-

-

Title,

Town

First

'

-

...

116-120 108-116 108 100

Meeting,

Town Town

112

Roads, Records, miscellaneous, Old French War, Soldiers of,

113 -

-

-

116

Revolutionary Soldiers,

117

Ponds and Rivers,

121

Localities, the Parade, &c.,

122 123

Chocorua,

127

Roads and Records, Schools and School-Houses,

129-135

Marriages,

136

The

137

First Grist Mill,

Fii-stMail,

13S

-.

139

First Stage Coach,

liO

Social Library,

War

of 1812 and

its

141

Soldiers,

^'^

Mexican War,

144

Lawyers and the Law,

151

Physicians of Barnstead. College and other Graduates,

157-163

Physicians of Adjoining Towns,

Manufacturing, Hand Labor,

&c.,

Saw

167

169

Bricks, First

159

165

Merchants,

Mill,

169

Shoes,

l''