Full text of "History of Hudson, N.H. : formerly a part of Dunstable, Mass., 1673-1733, Nottingham, Mass., 1733-1741, District of Nottingham, 1741-1746, Nottingham West, N.H., 1746-1830, Hudson, N.H., 1830-1912"

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KIMBALL WEBSTER

HISTORY

HUDSON. N. H.

FORMERLY A PART OF DUNSTABLE, MASS.. 1673-1733

NOTTINGHAM, MASS., 1733-1741

DISTRICT OF NOTTINGHAM, 1741-1746

NOTTINGHAM WEST. N. K, 1746-1830

HUDSON, N. H., 1830-1912

KIMBALL WEBSTER

EDITED BY

GEORGE WALDO BROWNE

MANCHESTER, N.H.

GRANITE STATE PUBLISHING CO.

19 13

W>-f

\A g-^^-^i-

Price, $3.50

DEDICATION

TO THE INHABITANTS

OR FORMER INHABITANTS

OF THE TOWN OF HUDSON

ESPECIALLY ALL THOSE ANCIENT PIONEER
FAMILIES THAT WERE SETTLERS

IN OLD NOTTINGHAM

WHEREVER AT PRESENT LOCATED

THIS HISTORY

IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED
BY THEIR FRIEND OR KINSMAN

THE AUTHOR

^-S^N

INTRODUCTION

It has been said that to write a good town history was
the work of a lifetime. It requires, beyond question, just
as other tasks exact, a great amount of patient research
and careful study in order to accomplish satisfactory re-
sults. The haste with which some works of this kind are
prepared prove in their failure the truth of this statement.

While the writer of this History of Hudson cannot
claim as much for his undertaking, yet he has been collect-
ing data relating to the town, to some extent, for a great
many years. At first he had no thought of attempting a
work of this kind, but possessing a historical temperament
he prepared such historical material as he thought would
be useful to some one who might attempt to do it.
These early gleanings and savings eventually reached a
porportion which seemed to make the compilation of a his-
tory, if not easy, at least within his grasp.

In December, 1884, while canvassing the county of
Hillsborough, N. H., for a history to be compiled and pub-
lished, D. Hamilton Hurd, Philadelphia, suggested that I
should prepare a brief account of the town of Hudson for his
work, to be published as the sketches of the other towns
were to be given. He allowed me twenty pages of space,
but before my article was finished I found I had material
enough for more than double that number of pages. Mr.
Hurd finally allowed me twenty-five pages, which were
filled with solid historical matter. My part of the work in
the book was almost entirely a labor of love, the compen-
sation being very small.

It is possible this effort was an unconscious stimulant
towards causing me to attempt a more ambitious work.

2 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Until that time, and for some years since, my life has been
a very busy one. However I might have seen the neces-
sity of a comprehensive town history of Hudson, or what-
ever willingness I might have felt towards undertaking the
task, I could not find the time to accomplish it. Still, an-
ticipating that some one, if not myself, might in the future
carry out the work, I felt it a duty I owed the citizens of
Hudson, and especially to the early settlers, including sev-
eral of my immediate ancestors, to treasure up and preserve
all of the valuable and interesting local incidents that I
was able to discover. Accordingly I made copious extracts
from the early town records, including all of the births,
marriages and deaths, arranging each item alphabetically,
so as to be easy for reference. I copied the laying out of
the highways, the tax lists, as far as could be found during
the first century, and transcribed the inscriptions found in
the cemeteries. I also copied the records of all the most
important business transactions of all the town meetings
held in town, until I had the substance of the records of
Hudson in my own office. Nor did I stop here, but I
thoroughly investigated all of the church records I could
find and copied and arranged them for ready reference.
This placed within my use all of the records of Hudson
as far as it was possible.

In addition to these collections of official and personal
facts, I conversed with many of the most intelligent aged
people of the town, who many years since passed away.
In these ways, and other opportunites that came my way,
for more than thirty years I collected and arranged the
material, much of which has been embodied in this work.

And yet, until recently, or within a few months, I did
not expect to ever accomplish the task of the publication
of a town history, but the opportunity came and I improved
it. No attempt has been made to prepare genealogies of
the different families, but considerable history of the older
families has been given ; enough, I trust, in many cases to
materially enable the descendants who wish to trace their

INTRODUCTION 6

lineage. In writing this work my chief aim has been to be
accurate as far as lay within my power. That errors have
crept in is inevitable, but I cannot help thinking that, as a
whole, the book will compare favorably with others of its
class. The book has grown to larger proportions than was
really intended at the outset, but from the abundant material
at hand, I did not feel like omitting any considerable portion,
so it must must meet public recognition as it stands.
Aware of its imperfections, I hope there will be sufficient
of common interest and value found to make it an accept-
able product.

My thanks are due to those who have so kindly assisted
me in one way or another, and not least among these I wish
to speak of Messrs. C. E. Paine and C. W. Barnes for the
photographs they have so kindly furnished to embellish
the work. My thanks are also due to Elwin O. Hathaway
for assisting me in the preparation of the map, which lends
additional value to the text.

So, not without some hesitation and a few misgivings,
this history is offered to the present inhabitants of Hudson,
many of whom are descendants of those early settlers who
broke this wilderness, and long since passed to their re-
ward. They were honest, rugged, true-hearted men and
women, and it is impossible for us to know so much of
them as we could wish. They labored faithfully and well
for the common good, as they saw it. They builded even
better than they knew. All honor to the memory of those
worthy pioneers.

K. W.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

Natural Features 17

Boundary — The Merrimack River — Wicasuck Island — Surface of the
Town — Soil — Forests — Early Meadows — Pioneer Families — Stone
Walls — Denizens of Forest and Stream — Deer Wardens — Fish
Wardens — Ponds — 'Sawmills — Water Power — Agriculture.

CHAPTER H
Aboriginal History 26

Tribes of Indians — Pennacook Confederacy — Character of Three Great
Sachems — Farewell of Passaconnaway — Petition for Land to Gov-
ernor Endicott — A Niggardly Recompense Made to the Aged Peti-
tioner — Brenton's Farm.

CHAPTER HI
When Hudson Was a Wilderness 35

Descendants of Passaconnaway — Wonnalancet — His Distress — Petition
for Relief — Professes Religion — King Philip's War — Good Service
of Wonnalancet — His Plight and Lonely Fate — Changes Wrought
in the Landscape by the Woodman's Axe.

CHAPTER IV
Dunstable in the Indian Wars 46

King Philip's War Followed by King William's War — Dunstable the
Outpost Through Half a Century of Conflict — Queen Anne's War —

6 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Prayer of Cotton Mather — An Interval of Peace — Towns in Xew
Hampshire Chartered — Scotch-Irish Appear on the Scene — Indian
Depredations Are Renewed — Norridgewock P^xpeditions — Father
Rasle Slain— Settlement of Indians at Pequawket Demand Atten-
tion — Bounty on Indian Scalps Increased — Fatality of Lt. French
and His Party at Nashua — Loss of Life in Old Dunstable — Love-
well Deposition.

CHAPTER V
Lovewell's Men 60

The Lovewell Expeditions — Names of Men in Last Scout — Journey to
the Saco Valley — The Ossipee Fort — Surprise of Both Friends
and Foes — Opening of the Memorable Fight — Death of Captain
Lovewell, Frye and Others — Paugus Slain — Cessation of Hostili-
ties — The Dreadful Retreat — Colonel Tyng Sent to Relief of Fugi-
tives — Summary of the Ill-Fated Battle.

CHAPTER VI
First Settlers of Hudson 74

The Hills Grant — Danforth Survey — Boundary of First and Second
Tracts— " Hills Meadow"— " Burns Hill"— Joseph Hills— His Fam-
ily — Disposition of his Estate — Three Sons — Their Families — Hills
Garrison — Thomas Blodgett — and Descendants — Taylor Garrison
• — Taylor Family — Taylor's Falls — Fletcher Garrison.

CHAPTER VH
Grants and Counter Grants 88

The Boundary Dispute — Grant of Old Dunstable — Grant of London-
derry — Character of Scotch-Irish — Names of First Comers — Wheel-
wright Deed. — Industries of Scotch-Irish — The Londonderry Claim
— Pioneers of Rival Towns — Petition of Certain Inhabitants to be
Set off into a Separate Township — Charter of Nottingham — First
Town Meeting — First Tax List.

TABLE OF CONTENTS " 7

CHAPTER VIII
Pioneer Families 98

Settlers of "Hills Farm" — Isaac Cumniings and Descendants — Deed to
Eleazer Cumniings — Cummings Farm — Gathering Turpentine — Vis-
its of the Indians to Nashua River Island — Burying Ground of the
Indians — Cummings Ferry — Cummings Tavern.

CHAPTER IX
Pioneer Families, Continued 107

Nathan Cross Settles Next to Cummings — Deed of Land — Cross Fam-
ily — William Cummings Farm — He and His Descendants^John
Taylor Garrison Place — Eleazer Cummings, Jr., Homestead — Jabez
Davis Farm.— Edvvrard Spalding F'arm — Spalding Family — Farm of
Ebenezer Spalding — Origin of Thornton's Ferry — Josiah Cummings
— Hills Ferry.

CHAPTER X
Settlers of Hills Farm 118

Pollard Family — Winn Family — Winn Homestead — Thomas Colburn —
Colburn Deed — Colburn Family — Maj. Zaccheus Lovewell — Love-
well Farm — Ephraim Cummings — John Butler — -Thomas Cum-
mings — His Family — Ens. John Snow — Site of ^His House — Lt.
Joseph Snow — Snow Family — Descendants of the Pioneers.

CHAPTER XI
"Hills Row" 129

Brenton's Farm — List of Proprietors Living in Nottingham — Boundary
of Litchfield — Area of Nottingham — Nathaniel Hills — Ezekiel
Greeley — ^His Homestead — Hills Family — Joseph Pollard — The
Marsh Family — Nathaniel Hills, Jr.— Hills Deed— Tyng Land —
Settlers of Hills Row.

8 HISTORY OF HUDSON

CHAPTER XII
The Boundary Dispute 137

Confusion Caused by Early Surveys — Mistake in Regard to the Course
of the Merrimack River — Perplexities of King and Courts — Notting-
ham Becomes Involved in the Tangle — Made into a District — Dis-
trict Meetings — Old Bounds — The Boundary Pine — Old Dracut
Line.

CHAPTER XIII
"Londonderry Claim" 147

The Boundary Dispute Becomes a Three-Cornered Fight with Nottingham
— Spirit of the Times — Double Taxation — Petitions and Counter-
Petitions — Annexation — Name of District made into Nottingham
West to Distinguish it from Another Grant under the Title of Not-
tingham — Area — List of Added Tax-Payers — New Boundary Line
of Nottingham West — Population of Town at Various Dates —
Adoption of Name of Hudson.

CHAPTER XIV
Nottingham West and Families 159

Charter of Township — New Boundaries — Effect on Litchfield, Pelham,
and Dracut — Family Sketches — Ebenezer Blodgett — Samuel Bur-
bank — George Burns — Thomas Burns — John Caldwell — Joseph
Caldwell — Ezekiel Chase — Roger Chase — Isaac Cummings — Eben-
ezer Dakin — Charles Darrah — Arthur Darrah — Josiah Dutton —
Daniel Simonds — William Taylor — Benjamin Tyng — James Wason.

CHAPTER XV
The First Meeting House 183

Early Action Towards Public Worship — The First Minister — Efforts to
Select a Site for a Meeting House — The Difficulty to Please All —
Voted to Build on North Site — Location of First Meeting House —
Pew Lots — Change in Boundary of Town Upsets Calculation of the
Builders of Old First Meeting House — Disposal of Building.

LOND ONDERRY.

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•Town of Hudson

INCLUDING

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TABLE OF CONTENTS \)

CHAPTER XVI
The Second Meeting House 192

Renewed Difficulties in Regard to Fixing Site for New House — The
Upper Meeting House — Possibly the First in Town — Location of
Hills Farm House — Site of "Second" Meeting House — ]>uilding
the House — Pew Lots — Churchyard — When the Union of Town
and Church Affairs Began to Cause Trouble — Rev. Nathaniel Merrill.

CHAPTER XVn
The Presbyterians and North Meeting House . 202

Rival Religious Tenets — Discussions and Litigations that Arose from
Church Differences — The Presbyterian House of Worship — Site of
the Building — \rchitecture of the Interior — Fatality at the Raising
— First Pastor — Minister's Tax Becomes a lione of Contention —
Purchase of North Meeting House.

CHAPTER XVHI
Some Early Church History 213

A Lull in the Rehgious War — Vote to Repair North Meeting House —
Call to Rev. John Strickland Dismissed — Rev. Jabez Pond Fisher —
List of Those who Opposed Him — His Friends — Letter from Mr.
Fisher — Better Feelings Engendered — Crisis in Religious Matters
— The South Meeting House — Baptist Society — The North Meeting
House Again — Pew Holders.

CHAPTER XIX
French and Indian Wars 225

Old Militia Law — Savage Warfare — Rogers' Rangers — Men from Not-
tingham West in the Service, 1744 to 1760 — Resident Taxpayers,
1775— Tax List, 1779.

10 HISTORY OF HUDSON

CHAPTER XX
Nottingham West in the Revolution 236

beginning of the War — Association Test — Signers — Capt. Joseph Kel-
ley — The Town's Only Tory — Committee of Inspection — Conti-
nental Money — Current Prices — Awards for Service to Portsmouth and
Bennington Men — To the Volunteers — Other Awards — Deprecia-
tion of Currency Causes Hardship — Beef Tax — Corn Rates — Bill
of Rights.

CHAPTER XXI
Dark Days of the Revolution 250

The Little Republics — The Lexington Alarm — Minute Men of Notting-
ham West — Muster Roll of 1775 — Personal Sketches — Men at Bun-
ker Hill — -Ticonderoga Alarm — Men in Expedition to Number Four
— Nottingham West Soldiers at Bennington — Volunteers to Rhode
Island in 1778.

CHAPTER XXH
Soldiers in the Revolution and War of 1812 . . 264

List of Men and Their Service — Second W^ar with Great Britain — Mus-
ter Rolls Incomplete — Nottingham West Men in the Army.

CHAPTER XXni

Hudson in the Civil and Other Wars 27g

Hudson Loyal to the Cause — Action Relative to Bounties — Soldiers'
Aid Society — Beginning of Hostilities — Hudson Soldiers in the
War — First New Hampshire Regiment — Third Regiment — Fourth
Regiment — Sharpshooters — Company G Sharpshooters — Seventh
Regiment — Eighth Regiment — Ninth Regiment — Tenth Regiment
Twelfth Regiment — Thirteenth Regiment — Important Battles — First
N. H. Heavy Artillery — Hudson Men Who Served Elsewhere —
Amount of Bounties — Entire Enlistments — Mexican War — Spanish.
American War.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 11

CHAPTER XXIV
Tax Lists and Homesteads, 1793 293

Invoice of 1793 — Summary — Area of Land^Family Sketches — North
End Settlers — South End Settlers.

CHAPTER XXV
History of the Schools . 316

Initiatory Movements Towards Support of Schools — School Houses — Re-
port of District Committee — Description of the Ten Districts — Earl)
School Houses — School Report, 1847 — School Statistics, 1855-1910
— Town School System. — Smith School — Webster School — Burning
of Smith School House — The Center School House.

CHAPTER XXVI
Customs of the Early Settlers 331

When Neighbors Were Neighbors — Fireplaces — Oldtime Cooking —
Middle Names — First Shoemakers — Homespun Clothes — Cider
Mills — Lights and Lamps — Soap Making — Modes of Travel — Bean
Porridge — Farm Tools — Clocks — Sheep Washing — Roots and
Herbs — The Open Well — Sugar Making — Wheat Flour — Spiritu-
ous Liquors — Tramps — Social Ways — Breaking Roads — Beards or
Smooth Faces — Title of Mister — Justice of the Peace — Publishing
the Banns — Highway Fences — Farm Methods — "Old" and "New"
Tenor.

CHAPTER XXVII

Items of Interest and Local Names 362

Saw Mills, Grist Mills and Shops — Pine Tree Law — Pine Tree Riot in
Weare — Dark Day of 1780— Cold Summer— Cold Friday — Sep-
tember Gale — Solar Eclipse of 1806 — Old Style and New Style —
Organization of Hillsborough County — Lafayette's Visit — Pounds —
Tarnic Pond — Robinson Pond — Barrett's Hill — Bush Hill — Hills
Row — "The Farms" — Taylor's Falls Bridge — School Districts and

12 HISTORY OF HUDSON

School Houses — Thurston's Jump — Moose Swamp — Town Com-
mons — Stocks — " Potash Corner" — " Lawrence Corner" — Library
Park — Warning People Out of Town — Murders

CHAPTER XXVIII
Great Storms and Freshets 391

The Merrimack a Mountain Stream — Freshet of 1818 — Freshet of 1824
—Freshet of 1839— Great Freshet of 1841— Freshet of 1843— Fresh-
et of 1852— Highwater of 1862— Great Freshet of 1896- Great Snow
Storm of 1888.

CHAPTER XXIX
Ferries and Bridges 399

Cummings Ferry — Hills Ferry — Hardy's Ferry — Taylor's Falls Bridge.

CHAPTER XXX
Cemeteries and Burial Grounds 411

Hills Farms Cemetery — Ford Cemetery — Blodgett Cemetery — Old Hud-
son Center Burying Ground — Senter Burying Ground — Hudson Cen-
ter Cemetery — Sunnyside Cemetery — Catholic Cemetery — Ceme-
tery of the Unknown.

CHAPTER XXXI
Foster Fund — Surplus Revenue 423

John Foster, Jr., Legacy to the Worthy Poor — Surplus Revenue — Its
Distribution.

CHAPTER XXXII
Additional Church History 428

Congregational, Presbyterian Churches — Later History of Church Prog-
ress — Ministers Since 1842— The Baptist Church and Society—

TABLE OF CONTENTS 13

Founders of Society in Hudson — Pastors Since Its Organization in
1805 — Centennial Anniversary. — Resume of Church Work — Metho-
dist Episcopal Church and Society — Work of the Founders — Fletch-
er Fund — Bequest of Mrs. Tinker — Donation of Lucinda W. Floyd-
Bequest of Mrs. Electa Atwood — Woodbury Contribution — Wood-
bury Parsonage — Quarter Centennial — Bequest of Mr. Tolles —
Honored Names — Pastors 1839-1912 — AlvirneMemorial Chapel.

CHAPTER XXXIII
Public Libraries 461

The Nottingham West Social Library — The Greeley Public Library —
Lot for New Library Secured — Hills Memorial Library Building —
Gift of Dr. Alfred K. Hills — Memorial Tablet to Memory of Hud-
son's Soldiers and Sailors — Librarians of Hudson's Free Public
Library.

CHAPTER XXXIV
Secret and Fraternal Orders 473

National Grange — Grange of New Hampshire — Hudson Grange — Char-
ter Members — Masters — Places of Meeting — Odd Fellowship in
Hudson— Building of I. O. O. F. Hall— Echo Rebekah Lodge-
Hudson Commandery.

CHAPTER XXXV
Highways and Byways 483

Early Roads. — Derry Road — County Road — Province Line to Pelham —
Corliss Hill — Nacook Brook — Back Lowell Road — Belknap Place
— Rocky Hill Road — From County Road to Pelham — Bowman
Road— Old Daniel Smith Road— Smith Road— Bridle Road— Wa-
son Road — Seavey Road — Ferry Street — Lowell Road — And Many
Others — State Highways.

CHAPTER XXXVI
Steam and Electric Railroads 502

Steam Railroads — Electric Railways — Lowell and Nashua Line — Hud-
son, Pelham and Salem Route — Rapid Transit Between Nashua and
Manchester.

14 HISTORY OF HUDSON

CHAPTER XXXVII
Hudson Village 509

Story of the Growth and Business of Hudson's Leading Hamlet — The
Center — Resources of the Town — Hudson Water Works.

CHAPTER XXXVIII
Resident Physicians 530

Dr. Ezekiel Chase — Dr. John Hall — Dr. Joseph Gray — Dr. Apolos
Pratt— Dr. Paul Tenney — Dr. Nathaniel P. Marsh — Dr. Daniel
Tenney — Dr. Dustin Barrett — Dr. Elijah Colburn — Dr. Zaccheus
Colburn — Dr. Henry M. Hooke — Dr. James Emery — Dr. David
Onslow Smith — Dr. Herbert L. Smith — Dr. Henry O. Smith.

CHAPTER XXXIX
Voting Lists of Hudson 540

First Printed Check List— Check List for 1874— Check List for 1909.

CHAPTER XL
Official Roster 551

Lists of Moderators of Annual Town Meetings — Selectmen — Town
Clerks — Delegates to General Court and Conventions, 1775-1913
— Representatives to the General Court, 1775-1913 — Votes for
Governors — Post Offices and Post Masters — Population.

CHAPTER XLI
Personal Sketches 569

George G. Andrews — John Julian Baker — William Wallace Baker —
Henry C. Brown — W^illis P. Cummings — Charles E. Cummings —
Dea. Moses Greeley — Reuben Greeley — Alden Hills — Hiram Marsh
— Walter H. Marsh — James B. Merrill — John A. Robinson — Reu-
ben Spalding — Kimball Webster — Nathan Pierce Webster — Wil-
lard H. Webster.

ILLUSTRATIONS

GENERAL VIEWS

OPP.
PAGE

Alvirne, Summer Residence of Dr. Alfred K. Hills . 528

Alvirne Memorial Chapel 457

Baptist Meeting House, 1841 441

Congregational Church, 1842 193

Davis, Asa, or Morrison House, 1780 305

Garrison House, about 1720 80

Hills Memorial Library, 1909 465

Hudson Center 489

Hudson Center School Building, 1908 316

Hudson Shore above Bridge 17

Hudson Town House, 1857 209

Library Park, 1910 385

Library Park from the South-west 393

Map of Hudson 8

Methodist Church, 1880 513

Odd Fellows' Building, 1895 480

Old Town Pound 369

Page, Abraham, or Timothy Smith House 297

Post Office Square 509

Robinson's Pond and Barrett's Hill 24

Scene looking up the Merrimack River from the

Bridge 552

Tarnic or Otternick Pond 377

Taylor's Falls Bridge, 1827—1881 401

Taylor's Falls Bridge, 1881—1910 504

Taylor's Falls Bridge, 1910, two views 409, 545

Taylor's Falls Bridge, 1912 225

Webster School Building, 1896 328

16 HISTORY OF HUDSON

PORTRAITS

OPP.
PAGE

Andrews, George G 569

Baker, John J 497

Baker, William W 570

Brown, Henry C 560

Cummings, Charles E 105

Cummings, Willis P 573

Greeley, Dea. Moses 169

Greeley, Mrs. Mary Derby 172

Greeley, Reuben 433

Hills, Alden 129

Hills, Alfred K., M. D 136

Hills, Mrs. Ida Creutzborg 468

Hills, Mrs. Nancy Kimball 132

Marsh, Hiram 176

Marsh, Walter H 580

Merrill, James B 185

Robinson, John A , 153

Smith, David O., M. D 444

Smith, Henry O., M. D 320

Smith, Herbert L., M. D 537

Spalding, Reuben 584

Webster, Kimball Frontispiece

Webster, Nathan P. . 520

Webster, Willard H 591

ERRATA

On page 15, next to last line, for 225 read 425.

On page 455, 14th line, after "He died," read Novem-
ber 3, 1866.

On page 507, 4th line from bottom, change "Senter"
to "Center."

On page 586, top line, for 1744 read 1744-5.

On page 645, 25th line, Jesse S. Webster should read
Jesse S. Weston.

On page 646, after Weston, James, add Jesse S., 407,
410, 550, 557 (4), 561.

16 HISTORY OF HUDSON

PORTRAITS

OPP.
PAGE

Andrews, George G 569

Baker, John J 497

Baker, William W 570

Brown, Henry C 560

Cummings, Charles E 105

Cummings, Willis P. 573

Webster, Nathan P 520

Webster, Willard H 591

HISTORY OF HUDSON

CHAPTER I

Natural Features

The beautiful town of Hudson, N. H., is situated on
the east bank of the Merrimack River, and borders upon
the Massachusetts Hne. It is bounded on the north by
Litchfield and Londonderry, east by Windham and Pelham,
south by Tyngsborough, Mass., and west by Nashua and
Litchfield. One of the most delightful sections of the
Merrimack River, which is here from three hundred and
fifty to five hundred feet in width, marks its western boun-
dary from Litchfield to the Massachusetts state line, a dis-
tance of about six and one-half miles.

The extreme length of the town from north to south
is a little more than eight miles; its average width is three
and one-half miles. Exclusive of its area of water, Hudson
contains seventeen thousand, nine hundred and fifty-one
acres, as nearly as can be ascertained.

The surface of the water of the Merrimack along this
part of its course has been raised by the Proprietors of the
Locks and Canals dam at Pawtucket Falls, Lowell, from
four to seven or eight feet above its original height. This
flowage of the river extends as far north as Cromwell's
F"alls, Merrimack, and displaces all the falls that formerly
existed between those points.

In the days when the Merrimack followed its natural
descent there were at least three rapids or waterfalls worthy
of mention and of utility to the early settlers. About four

18 HISTORY OF HUDSON

miles above Pawtucket, where the river swept around a
considerable island by the same name, was Wicasuck Falls,
noted as good fishing-grounds among the Indians and the
early white settlers. The island was a scene of interest
and importance during the perilous years of King Philip's
War, when Capt. Jonathan Tyng overlooked a party of
" praying Indians" that lived on the island for about ten
years, thus keeping them from mingling in the bitter strife
being waged between the colonists and the red men. In
consideration of this valuable service the General Court of
the Massachusetts Bay colony granted the plot of land to
him December 5, 1683, and it became known as Tyng's
Island.

About eight miles above Wicasuck Falls, and one mile
below the junction of Nashua River with the Merrimack,
was a series of rapids known as Taylor's Falls, so called for
an early settler. Of less consequence than Wicasuck Falls,
they were about half a mile below Taylor's Falls bridge,
which spans the river between Hudson and Nashua, and
which received its name from that waterfall. Other minor
rapids or falls marked the course of the river, but there
were none that attracted the attention of the pioneers until
Cromwell's Falls, already mentioned, were reached. To-
day the unrufifled surface of the river gives no indication
of the existence of any falls between Pawtucket and Crom-
well's Falls.

The surface of the westerly part of Hudson is com-
paratively level, and bordering upon the Merrimack are
some fertile intervale lands, very productive and easy of
cultivation. This is especially true of the northerly por-
tion, where the Indians cultivated, in their primitive way,
fields of maize, melons and vegetables long before the Eng-
lish came hither to drive them away. There are smaller
sections of land along the river that are sandy, and less
productive, while tracts of light land are found in the
interior.

The easterly part of the town is hilly, and the greater
portion is rocky and hard to cultivate. Still the soil is

NATURAL FEATURES 19

good, if meagre, and in many of the valleys, and on the
hillsides are numerous excellent farms, which are well
adapted to raising grass, apples, other fruits, and for graz-
ing purposes. The sandy soils and rocky hills, many of
which are entirely unfit for cultivation, are prolific in the
growth of wood and valuable timber, which, being conven-
ient to a good market, have long been, and will probably
continue to be for many years in the future, sources of
profit and income to the farmers of Hudson.

By far the most profitable of all the species of timber
grown in town is the white pine. This thrives best on
sandy soil, but excellent pine forests are to be found grow-
ing upon the rocky hillsides. The early settlers found ex-
tensive tracts of white and yellow pine, which had no
doubt occupied those places more than a thousand years.
But these have all vanished, so that to-day only an oc-
casional giant stump remains to remind us of their de-
parted greatness. The stony hillsides and broken valleys
are better adapted to species of hard woods, and here
abound several varieties of the oak, white and silver leaf
maple, white and gray birch, poplar, elm, ash and chestnut.
Spruce and hackmatack grow in the swamps.

When the first settlers arrived they found an almost
unbroken wilderness of pine and hard woods. Consequent-
ly portions of this had to be cleared before they could pro-
duce any crops from the land. Fortunately there were
natural meadows and strips of land along the river bank
that afforded a rank grass upon which they fed their cattle
during the long winters. These meadows were originated
by the work of the busy beaver, in a large measure, through
building their dams across the smaller streams, so as to
flow the adjacent land for a considerable distance. Event-
ually these small ponds became filled with debris, over
which grew the coarse grass, that proved of such benefit to
the pioneers. Yet, from the best evidence we have been
able to obtain, we have no doubt that those natural grasses
grown upon those boggy meadows, in primeval days, were

20 HISTORY OF HUDSON

far superior in quality as well as quantity to the grasses
produced upon the same unimproved meadows in later
years, after having been cropped for generations with noth-
ing returned to aid in sustaining or renewing the fertility
of those cold, acid soils. In the territory comprising Old
Dunstable and Londonderry these wildwood meadows were
numerous.

As it is to-day, from forty to fifty per cent of the area
of the town is covered with forest growth, more or less
valuable, much of it young, and very little that has been
growing more than fifty years.

The story of the clearing and removing of the primeval
forests in a large degree has an almost pathetic interest,
and seems like a shameful waste of good material. But
beyond building his humble cabin and cattle-shed, all of
which really required but little timber, the pioneer had no
use for the dense primitive growth covering the land.
What he needed most were plots of land to cultivate his
scanty crops, grazing spots for his stock, and an opening
in the great damp forest to let the sunlight in upon his
home. Thus he went about his task with little care for
the value or utility of the timber he sought to destroy.
Giant trees that to-day would be sources of much value
were felled, cut into convenient lengths, pulled together
and burned as so much refuse. Other tracts were submit-
ted to a slower, if not more cruel fate, by being girdled and
left to death and decay. Where the land did not promise
good returns, or the location for other reasons was not de-
sirable, portions of the beautiful, majestic forests were suf-
fered to remain, so the last of these did not disappear until
about the beginning of the 19th century.

The hewers of those homes out of the primitive wil-
derness were a sturdy, fearless yeomanry, and with those
who followed a little later, have left enduring monuments
in many forms, that meet our gaze at almost every turn.
Their rugged dwellings are all gone, and while some of
them have been replaced by more modern houses, we see

NATURAL FEATURES 21

?iere and there, in all parts of the town, some of them un-
reached by a public road, others overgrown by an encroach-
ing forest, depressions in the ground that denote the an-
cient cellars marking the sites of the happy and thrifty
homes of these early pioneers. Large families of frequent-
ly twelve or fourteen children were born and raised, many
of them going out into the world to become influential cit-
izens far from the scenes of their childhood.

When we visit the ancient burial grounds — of which
we have five in town — we behold the humble mounds where
repose the earthly remains of those same pioneers and their
families. Standing at the heads of a comparatively few of
these now leveled mounds are old, antique gravestones,
with their quaint, almost hideous, carvings, upon which we
may, by reading the moss-covered inscriptions, learn whose
ashes lie beneath.

Another landmark is to be seen in the hundreds of
miles of those massive, enduring stone walls which we
find inclosing fields and pastures, running up and down
hill, through forests that have sprung into existence where
once were cultivated lands, or winding through the valleys
wherever rocks were abundant. These fences became re-
ceivers of waste material as well as means of keeping with-
in bounds the cattle and horses of the farmers. Some of
these walls have partially fallen down, some have been re-
moved by the modern farmer, but many still remain in-
tact, four feet or more in height, bulwarks that have with-
stood stubbornly and successfully the wars of the elements,
in several instances for more than one hundred and fifty
years.

The moose, deer, wolf, beaver, mink, muskrat, marten,
squirrel, rabbit, wild turkey, partridge, quail, wood-cock,
bear, wild duck, pigeon, and other wild creatures were
found more or less plentifully in the forests, while salmon,
shad, alewives, lamprey eels and other migratory fishes as-
cended the Merrimack in almost countless numbers.

22 HISTORY OF HUDSON

The wildwood game afforded considerable sustenance
for the early inhabitants, and very soon after the appear-
ance of the first settlers, we find them making provisions
for the protection of the same, especially for the deer. At
a town meeting held December 25, 1739, Edv/ard Spaulding;
and Jonathan Perham were chosen " to care for the preser-
vation of the deer." At the annual meeting the following
year, March 4, 1740^ Joseph Hamblet, Jr., and William
Cummings were chosen "preservers of Deer."

March 9, 1747, Edward Spaulding and Benjamin Frost
were chosen " to take care that the Deer are not destroyed
out of season, as the law directs."

"Deer Keepers," as they were called, were elected at
the annual town meetings, with more or less regularity,
until 1784, after which time we find no record of their
election.

March 2, 1752, at the annual meeting, "Voted to give
£Q old tenor for every wolf that shall be caught and killed
in this town the ensuing year."

December 25, 1752, "Allowed Dea. William Cummings
for killing wolves in 1751. 12 — — 0."

At the annual town meeting March 9, 1772, "Chose
Deacon Ebenezer Cummings to take care that the fish are
not obstructed in their passage up Wattannock Brook, so
called, this present year."

March 4, 1774, " Chose Dea. Ebenezer Cummings &
Jonathan Emerson to take care that the fish are not ob-
structed in their passage up Wattannock Brook, so called,
into the Pond."

March 16, 1778, " Chose Dea. Ebenezer Cummings,
Page Smth, Wm. Gibson and David Tarbell to take care
that the fish are not obstructed in going up Wattannock
Brook."

At a meeting November 2, 1778, the following account
among others was allowed : "To Abraham Page for get-
ting a Bill drawn at Court in relation to fish in Watana-
nick Brook 1—10—0."

NATURAL FEATURES 23

The fish that passed from the Merrimack up Watan-
anick Brook, as it was then called, to the pond by the same
name, now known as Otternick, were alevvives, which, in
the spring of the year, migrated in great numbers. The
writer has heard it said by old people, long since deceased,
that the alewives passed up the brook in such quantities
that the water was almost black with them, and that they
could have been very easily taken from the brook in al-
most any quantities desired. Barrels of them were salted
and used for food by nearly every family in town.

The distance of the meanderings of this brook, from
the River Merrimack to Otternick Pond is a little over one
and one-fourth miles.

The obstructions to the passage of the fish up the
stream feared by the people were probably dams being
built across the brook for the purpose of holding back the
water to furnish power for mills.

The last moose known to have been in this town was
killed by Asa Davis, Esq., at Moose Swamp, situated at the
easterly end of Hill's meadow, sometime about the begin-
ning of the 19th century, though the exact date is not
known. One of the horns of this animal has been care-
fully preserved by the descendants of Mr. Davis, and may
still be seen at the old Davis homestead, now owned and
occupied by his great grandson, Augustus R. Morrison.

Barrett's Hill, situated in the easterly part of the town,
south of Little Massabesic or Robinson's Pond, is the most
conspicuous elevation. Its height is substantially five hun-
dred feet above sea level, and a little more than four hun-
dred feet above the Merrimack River at Taylor's Falls
bridge. The elevation of the east summit of Bush Hill, not
very far west of the line between Pelham and Hudson, is
also very near five hundred feet.

Three ponds are within the limits of the town. Little
Massabesic, or Robinson's Pond, lies in the north-east part,
and, until the annexation of a portion of Londonderry in
1778, was wholly within that township. This sheet of

24 HTSTORY OF HUDSON-

water has an area of about one hundred and twenty acresF,
and its outlet flows into Beaver Brook one and one-fourth
miles to the east. Otternick, more commonly called "Tar-
nick," lies about one mile east of the Merrimack, contains
thirty-eight acres, and empties into the river by Otternick
Brook about eighty rods below Taylor's Falls bridge, and
one-half mile below the junction of Nashua River with the
main stream.

Several mills have been erected on this brook at vari-
ous times, and in several places along its course from the
pond to the Merrimack.

The first saw mill in town is said to have been located
at or near the outlet of Otternick Pond at an early date in
its settlement, but who built this mill or at what date can-
not be easily determined.

No machinery of any kind is at present operated by
the waters of this brook.

The present name of Otternick, which applies to the
pond and brook, was derived from the Indian name various-
ly spelled in the early records as Watananoc, Wattannick,
Watananock, Watananuck, Watannack, Watananick, etc.

Another small pond containing but a few acres, situ-
ated in the south section of the town, is now called Mus-
quash Pond. A considerable stream flows from this pond
and empties into the Merrimack a short distance below the
state line, in Tyngsboro, Mass. This stream has furnished
power for a grist and saw mill from the days of the early
settlement to recent times. These have all gone to decay,
and the brook now flows unobstructed from source to out-
let. The early records give the name of this stream as
Nacook, which is undoubtedly of Indian origin and was
probably applied to the pond also.

The water power in this town is very limited, and no
extensive manufacturing interests have ever been located
within its bounds. Thus the inhabitants of Hudson have
always been, and still are engaged in the pursuit of agricul-
ture. While perhaps it could not be classed among the

NATURAL FEATURES 25

best in the county of Hillsborough, it certainly is as good
or better than the average.

The city of Nashua furnishes a very convenient mar-
ket for much of the products of the town, including milk
and cream, which are produced in large quantities, while
Lowell, Mass., with a population of nearly one hundred
thousand, is only five miles distant from its southern boun-
dary.

CHAPTER 11

Aboriginal History

Not long previous to the landing of the Pilgrims at
Plymouth Rock and the little band of iishermen at the
mouth of the Pascataqua River, the most powerful Indian
confederacy in New England north of the Pcquots in the
southern part, were the tribes or families occupying the val-
ley of the Merrimack and the adjacent territory. Like the
Iroquois of the West, these red men were devoted quite
largely to agriculture. They cultivated, in their primitive
manner, the fertile intervales along their favorite river,
caught the fish that abounded in its waters, hunted the
game of this rich region, and were examples of content-
ment.

The principal tribes of this association of warriors
banded together in order to protect themselves from the in-
cursions of the warlike Tarratines on the east and the fierce
Mohawks on the west, each of which seemed to have cov-
eted their abundant domain and contended with them for
its possession from time immemorial, were the Agawams,
the Wamesits, or Pawtuckets, Nashuays, Souhegans, Nat-
ticooks, Pennacooksand Winnepesaukees. These different
bodies occupied all of the country from around the mouth
of the Merrimack back to its source in the mountains.
The tribes living in this vicinity were the Nashuays, located
along the river that bears their name, the Souhegans to
their north, and the Natticooks living on the intervales of
Litchfield and Merrimack. The dominant tribe was the
Pennacook, which had furnished the ruling sachem for sev-
eral generations. There were other tribes pledging alle-
giance to the Pennacook, if not for actual friendship, in or-
.der to obtain the protection of this stronger party, which

ABORIGINAL HISTORY 27

for many generations seems to have been controlled by
wise and fearless chieftains.

These Indians inhabiting the interior were known to
those living along the sea coast as Nipmucks, or fresh wa-
ter Indians. The English, however, applied the general
term of Pennacooks to them, and made their treaties with
Passaconnaway, who was the head of this confederacy.

While this confederation, under the sagacious council
of the astute Pafsaconnaway, was disposed to treat more
fairly with the English than some of the other bodies of
Amerinds located in New England, the Pennacooks were
very much broken in spirit and reduced in numbers at the
time of the appearance of the whites upon the scene. A
few years before a terrible disease, the nature of which has
never been clearly indicated, broke out among the tribes of
Northern New England and greatly decimated their num-
bers. Speaking of this depopulation, Capt. John Smith, who
visited the coast in 1614 and later, wrote : "They had three
plagues in three years successively near two hundred miles
along the sea coast, that in some places there scarce re-
mained five of a hundred. ***** It is most certain
there was an exceeding great plague among them ; for
where I have seen two or three hundred, within three years
after remained scarce thirty." So, subdued in spirit as
well as lessened in numbers, the English had far less to
contend with than they might otherwise have been com-
pelled to meet.

Owing to this calamity and the encroachments of the
English, as early as 1685, the Pennacook was the only sur-
viving tribe of this powerful confederation. The entire
story is one of pathetic and mournful interest. The char-
acters of Passaconnaway and his successors, Wonnalancet
and Kancamagus, and the abuse they suffered at the
hands of their conquerers, is told at considerable length
in Potter's History of Manchester, of which the following
is an extract :

28 HISTORY OF HUDSON

"The sagamores of the most note among the Penna-
cooks were Passaconnaway, Wonnalancet, his son, and Kan-
camagus, usually called John Hogkins, his grandson. These
chiefs were successively at the head of the Pennacooks, and
each in his way, was a man of mark in his time.

" Passaconnaway's name indicated his warlike charac-
ter, and meant 'The child of the bear.' This name he
doubtless received at mature age, according to the custom
of the Indians, from his supposed resemblance in courage
and bravery to that ferocious animal. We first hear of
him in 1627 or 1628, and it is possible that he was met by
Christopher Levett in the neighborhood of the Pascataqua
in 1623."

Referring to the accounts of him by the early writers,
Mr. Potter continues : " From which marvelous story we
are to infer that Passaconnaway was a clever juggler as well
as brave warrior. In fact he held his people in awe of him,
the Indians supposing him to have supernatural powers ; to
have control over their destinies ; that he could make a dry
leaf turn green ; water burn and then turn to ice ; and
could take the rattlesnake in his hand with impunity. With
such reputed powers, his acknowledged ability as a warrior
and wisdom as a sagamore, Passaconnaway became the ac-
knowledged head of the most powerful confederacy east of
the Mohawks, and as such received the title of Bashaba, a
title of much the same import as that of Emperor. * * * *

"In the planting season Passaconnaway had a residence
at Pennacook Island in the Merrimack, and another upon
the island in the Merrimack a mile north of the mouth of
the Souhegan ; while his principal residence was at Namas-
keag. ***** Here, without a doubt, he sat in royal
state, held his council fires, determined upon his warpaths,
gave his royal feasts, and performed those feats that held
his wondering followers as with the spell of enchantment.

"Passaconnaway early saw the superiority of the Eng-
lish, and with his usual sagacity he realized the entire hope-
lessness of the attempts of his people to subdue them. His

ABORIGINAL HISTORY 29

policy was to make terms of peace with them, and it was
in pursuance of this policy that he disposed of his lands to
Wheelwright, reserving alone his right of fishing and

hunting.

* # * * *

"In 1642, upon suspicion that a conspiracy was form-
ing among the Indians to crush the English, men were sent
out to arrest some of the Indian chiefs. Forty were sent
to secure Passaconnaway, but aided by a storm he escaped.
Wonnalancet, his son, was not as fortunate. He was taken
by a party, while his squaw escaped into the woods." Not
only was Wonnalancet seized and borne away as a captive,
but he suffered indignities at the hands of his captors that
must have aroused the proud spirit of this prince. At any
rate the whites sought immediately to make some amends,
and invited Passaconnaway to come and talk with them.
Had the aged sagamon been in his younger years his re-
ply might have been more warlike. As it was he showed
something of the fire of other days, when he sent this short
but decisive answer :

"Tell the English when they restore my son and his
squaw, then will I talk with them, and not before."

Wonnalancet was set free soon after, but the wound
rankled in the old sagamon's breast, for in 1647, when Fa-
ther Eliot sought to address him among a vast number of
the Indians who had collected at Pawtucket, he withdrew
with two of his sons, saying " He was afraid the whites
would kill them!" But the following year he seems to have
relented, for we find him with a great concourse of his peo-
ple listening to the words of the good man, and he became
a convert to the Christian religion. During the next twelve
years little is heard of Passaconnaway. He doubtless went
back and forth between his favorite fishing places, Paw-
tucket and Amoskeag, until in 1660 he made his last ap-
pearance upon the stage of action. The word had gone
forth that he was to deliver upon this occasion his farewell
address, and confer his mantle upon his son Wonnalancet.

30 HISTORY OF HUDSON

This was not an unusual proceeding, but owing to the pres-
tige of the aged chieftain it was looked upon with uncom-
mon importance. And, as he stood there before his fol-
lowers on that fair spring day, he presented the most pic-
turesque figure that ever addressed an audience in New
England. At first his voice was low and trembled with
the emotion that filled his being, but slowly it grew plainer
and louder, while he briefly related some of the leading
events in his long life, and pictured the former glory of his
people, until at last he came to utter these stirring and im-
mortal words ;

" Hearken ! to the words of your father. I am an old
oak, that has withstood the storms of more than a hundred
winters. Leaves and branches have been stripped from
me by the winds and frosts ; my eyes are dim ; my limbs
totter ; I must soon fall ! When young and sturdy I de-
lighted in war. The whoop of the Pennacooks was heard
upon the Mohawk, and none louder than Passaconnaway's.
The scalps upon the pole at my wigwam told the story of
Mohawk suffering.

"Hearken! the English came. They found us few and
weak. In vain, did I try my arm against them ; in vain,
my sorcery. I, who can make the dry leaf live again; who
dares the rattlesnake and defies the thunder ; who has com-
muned with the Great Spirit, can read the sign in the fall-
ing leaf.

''Hearken, my children, to what I say. I listen; the
Great Spirit bids me say this to you : ' Peace, peace is the
only hope for your race. I have given fire and thunder to
the pale-faces ; I have made them plenty, as the leaves of
the forest ; and still they come. Your meadows they turn
with the plow ; they build their villages upon your fishing
places ! '

" The Great Spirit says these words, and they must
be true. We are few and helpless before them ! We must
bend before the storm ! The wind blows hard ! The old
oak trembles! Its branches are gone ! Its sap is frozen ! It

ABORIGINAL HISTORY 31

bends; it falls! Peace, peace with the white men, is the
command of the Great Spirit, and the wish^the last wish
— of Passaconnaway."

Two years later following this memorable farewell ad-
dress, on the 9th of May, 1662, the venerable chieftain pre-
sented the following petition to Governor John Endicott
and the General Court of Massachusetts :

To the honored John Etidicot Esqr. together with the rest of the hon-
ored General Court now Assembled in Boston the petition of Papisseconnewa
in behalf of himself as also many other Indians who now for a longe time
oW selves oW progenitors seated upon a tract of land called Naticot.

Wheras this land is now in the possession of Mr, William Brenton of
Rode Island marchant; and is confirmed to the said Mr. Brenton to him
his heirs and assigns according to the Laws of this Jurisdiction, by reason
of which tracte of land being taken up as aforesaid, and thereby your Pore
petitionr with many oth (ers) in an onsetled condition and must be forced
in a short time to remove to some other place.

The Humble request of yr petitionr is that this honored Court wolde
pleas to grante vnto vs a parcell of land for or comfortable cituation ; to
be stated for or Injoyment ; as also for the comfort of oths after vs ; as
also that this honored Court wold pleas to take in to yr serious consid-
eration the condition and also the requeste of yr pore Suplicant and to
apoynte two or three persons as a Committee to arrange with some one or
two Indians to vew and determine of some place and to lay out the same,
not further to trouble this Honored Assembly, humbly craving an expected
answer this present session I shall remain yr humble Servante
Wherein yu Shall Commande,

PAPISSECONEWA.

Boston: 8: 3 mo 1662.

Passaconnaway's petition was not made in vain. The
court seems to have taken into consideration the valuable
services the aged chieftain had done for the colonists, and
performed only an act of justice when it returned the fol-
lowing reply :

In answer to the petition of Papisseconneway, this Court judgeth it
meete to grant to the saide Papisseconneway and his men or associates
about Naticot, above Mr. Brenton's lands, where it is free, a mile and a
half on either side of Merrimack river in breadth, three miles on either
side in length, provided he nor ihey do not alienate any part of this grant
without leave and license from this Court, first obtained.

32 HISTORY OF HUDSON

The court appointed John Parker and Jonathan Dan-
forth, surveyors, to lay out the tract of land to Passaconna-
way and his associates, a territory that only a few years
since had been theirs by a title as good possibly as that of
the English. In a few days less than a year these survey-
ors made the following report :

According to order of Honord General Court, there is laid out unto
the Indians Papisseconneway and his associates the inhabitants of Nati-
cott, three miles square, or so much (eather) as containes it in the figure
of a romboides upon Merrimack River; beginning at the head of Mr.
Brenton's Lands at Naticott, on the east side of the River, and then it
joineth to his line, which line runs halfe a point North West of the east,
it lyeth one mile and halfe wide on side of ye river and somewhat better,
and runnes three miles up the River, the Northern line on the east side of
the river is bounded by a brook (called by the Indians) Suskayquetuck,
right against the falls in the river called Pokechuous, the end line on both
sides of the River are parallells ; the side line on the east side of the River
runes halfe a point eastward of the No : No : east and the side line on
the west side of the river runes Northeast and by North all of which is
sufficiently bounded and marked with I, also ther is two small islands in
the River, part of which the lower end line crosses. One of them Papis-
seconneway had lived upon and planted a long time, a small patch of in-
tervale Land on the West side of the River anent and a little below ye
islands by estimation about forty acres, which joyenth their land to Sou-
hegan River, which the Indians have planted (much of it) a long time, and
considering there is very little good land in that which is now laid out un-
to them, the Indians do earnestly request this Honord Court to grant
these two small Islands and ye patch of intervale as it is bounded by the
Hills.

This land was laid out 27, 3d mo 1663.

By JOHN PARKER and JONATHAN DANFORTH

Surveyrs

this worke was done by us at our charge wholly, at the request of
the Indians, who was important and as we were informed by the order of
this Honord Court respecting ourselves. Hence we humbly request this
Honord Generall Court (if our services are acceptable) that they would
take order we may be considered Sd the same, so we shall remain yr

Humble Servants as before

The deputies approve of said return and do order the Indians pay
the Surveyors what is justly due for the Laying out the same the Honora-
ble Magistrates consenting thereto.

WILLIAM TORREY, Clerk,

ABORIGINAL HISTORY 33

This grant, it will be seen by examination of the boun-
dary, included parts of Manchester, Londonderry and Litch-
field on the east side of the river; and Bedford and Merri-
mack on the west. At the northern boundary of the tract,
at the mouth of Suskayquetuck Brook, as called by the In-
dians, now known as Cohas, is situated a considerable fall
in the river, the Indian name of which was Pokechuous, re-
named by the English settlers as Goffe's Falls. While per-
haps not equal to Amoskeag and Pawtucket Falls, this was
a favorite fishing place with the Indians, and they were
especially anxious the grant should cover these falls. They
were also anxious the grant should include the islands and
intervales "which he (Passaconnaway) had lived upon and
planted a long time." No doubt they were keen enough
to know the truth as expressed by the surveyors in their
return, "and considering there is very little good land in
that which is now laid out to them." Is it a wonder if an
undercurrent of bitterness should pervade the reply of the
great sachem, who had been a true and trusted friend of
the English, in peace and in war, and who in his old age
had provided for a continuance of this good faith through
the efforts of his son .-'

Further down the river the grant had been made to
William Brenton, of Rhode Island, for a trifling service
done the government, of a tract of nearly six square miles
of territory comprising the rich intervale lands on both
sides of the Merrimack, while this grant to Passaconnaway
and his associates of mostly worthless land was made with
the reservation, "provided he nor they do not alienate any
part of this grant without leave and license from this
Court, first obtained." So it was not granted to them as
their land in fee, but set off for their use for the time be-
ing. And to add still further to the injustice and inconsist-
ency of the transaction the court made the following
order: "The deputies do approve of said return and do
order the Indians pay the Surveyors xohat is justly due for
the Laying out of the same the Honorable Magistrates con-
senting thereto.'!''

34 HISTORY OF HUDSON

The italics are ours, to bring out more forcibly, if pos-
ble, the underlying spirit of this whole action. Well might
"the Honorable Magistrates consent thereto."

With the closing of this affair the history of Passacon-
naway ends and his name does not reappear. It is cer-
tain that five or six years later he was dead, but where he
spent his last years of loneliness and where he was finally
laid to rest, none of his race ever disclosed. It seems
wrong that the name of this great and illustrious man, in
his time, should not have been better perpetuated than it
has been. Mr. Potter, in his history of Manchester, says :

In less than twenty years from the time Passaconnaway submitted
himself to the colonists, and put himself under their protection, he and
his tribe were reduced to beggary. The Bashaba of the Merrimack valley,
and the rightful owner of all its broad lands, had become " a pore peti-
tioner" for a plantation of pine plains, and "did earnestly request the
Honered Court to grant two small islands and ye patch of intervale " to
him, receiving them doubtless with all due submission, if not humility!
Old age, as well as contact with civilization, must have done its work upon
the spirit of this haughty sagamon for him thus to have meekly asked his
usurpers to grant him what was properly his own. * * * In reflecting up-
on the character of the Merrimack sagamon, the conviction forces itself
upon one, that at the head of a powerful confederacy of Indians, honored
and feared by his subjects, and capable of moulding their fierce passions
to his will, the history of New England would have been told as another
story than the triumph of our Pilgrim Fathers, had Passaconnaway taken
a different view of his own destiny and that of his tribe. * * * * ♦ Prov-
idence seems to have tempered the fierce savages for the reception and
triumph of the Anglo-Saxon race in the New World.

CHAPTER III

When Hudson Was a Wilderness

Passaconnaway left at least four sons and two daugh-
ters. The oldest son, Nanamocomuck, was sagamon of
the Wachuset tribe of Indians living about the mountains
by that name. This chief did not seem to have the forgiv-
ing qualities of his father to that extent which enabled him
to forget the wrongs thrust upon him. At one time he
was seized and put in prison at Boston for a debt due one
John Tinker from another Indian, and for which he had
become responsible. Unable to pay the claim the chief
was in a sorry predicament, when his younger brother,
Wonnalancet, came to his assistance by offering to sell the
home island in the Merrimack a few miles above Lowell.
This was no mean sacrifice, as it was here the chieftain
held his royal court, and resided with a dignity becoming
his station. The court granted this permission, as if it
were bestowing a great favor upon the unfortunate owner,
and one PZnsign John Evered, sometimes known as Webb,
purchased the tract of over sixty acres, so the imprisoned
chieftain was set free.

But Nanamocomuck had incurred a fear if not a dis-
like for the English, and he sought an alliance with the
Ameriscoggin Indians in Maine, who had acknowledged
fealty to the Pennacook confederacy in the days of its
wide-spread power. Here he seems to have died about the
time of his father, so that the government of the Penna-
cooks fell upon the shoulders of his brother, Wonnalancet.

Passaconnaway had a daughter older than Wonnalan-
cet, who became the wife of Nobhow, the sagamon of Paw-
tucket, who was quite prominent in the affairs of the whites
and Indians. Another daughter married Montawxampate,
the sagamon of Saugus. This was prior to 1628, and it

36 HISTORY OF HUDSON

was around the difference that arose between this chief and
his illustrious father-in-law, our poet Whittier wove his ro-
mance of the unfortunate Weetamoo.

The names of the other sons were Unanunquosett and
Nonatomenut, both of whom dwelt about Pawtucket, and
proved friendly to the English.

Wonnalancet, the successor of Passaconnaway, was
born about 1619, and it seemed fortunate that he should
have succeeded to the important position that he did, else
the English might have had far more trouble in overcoming
their enemies. Notwithstanding the indignities that one
of his proud spirit and position must have suffered at the
hands of the whites, and the sacrifices that he was called
upon, time and again, to make, he always maintained a
friendly attitude towards them. "His name," says Mr,
Potter, " is indicative of his character, meaning literally
breathing pleasantly, derived from Won7ie or W-uyine-,
'pleasant,' and Nangshonat, * to breathe.' This name,
after the Indian custom, he received when he arrived at the
age of manhood, and he had shown to his tribe such quali-
ties as deserved it ; and he ever proved himself worthy of
this flattering cognomen."

He doubtless succeeded his father in 1668, as he left
his fort at Pennacook about that time and appeared at
Pawtucket in the spring of 1669, where he built a fort to
protect his people from their dreaded enemies, the Mo-
hawks. It seems likely that some of his people continued
to live at Pennacook, but he evidently preferred the coun-
try about Pawtucket. So he and his followers continued
to plant and fish along the Merrimack between those places.
Following the permission to sell Wickasauke Island
and the grant of a hundred acres to the west of Chelms-
ford, "because he had a great many children and no plant-
ing ground," he desired to recover their favorite resort.
Hence the following petition was sent to the court :

WHEN HUDSON WAS A WILDERNESS 37

To the most worship/til Richard Bellingham, Esq., Govr and to the rest of
the Honord General Court.

The petition of us poore neibor Indians whose Names are hereunto
subscribed, humbly sheweth that wheras Indians severall years since we
yr petit's out of pity and compassion to our pore brother and Countryman
to redeem him out of prison and bondage and whose name is Nanamoco-
muck, the eldest son of Passaconnaway, who was Cast into prison for a
•debt of another Indian unto John Tinker for which he gave his word : the
redemption of whome did cost us our desirable posetions where we and
ours had and did hope to enjoy our Livelihood for ourselves and our pos-
terity : namely an Island on Merrimack River called by the name of
wicosurke which was purchased by Mr. John Web; who hath Curtiously
Given Vs leave to plant vpon ever since he hath possessed the same, we
doe not know whither to Goe, nor where to place ourselves for our Lively
hood in procuring vs bread: having beine very Solicitous wh Mr. Web to
lett vs enjoy our said posetions againe he did condescend to our motion
provided we would repay him his charges but we are pore and Canot so
doe — or request is mr Web may have a grant of about 5 C acres of land
in two places adjoying his owne Lands in the wilderness, which is our
owne proper Lands as the aforesaid Island ever was— —
10: 8: 65

NOBHOW in behalf of my wife and children.

VNANUNQUOSETT

WANALANCETT

NONATOMENUT.

If the Court please to grant this petition then yr petitionr Wanalan-
cet is willing to surrender up ye hundred acres of land yt was granted him
by the Court.

The court looked with favor upon this humble peti-
tion, as well it might, considering the generous offer, and
the following reply was sent within a week :

In Ans. to this petition the Court grant Mr. John Evered (Webb)
five hundred acres of land adjoining to his lands upon condition hee re-
lease his right in an Island in the merrimacke river called wicosacke which
was purchased by him of the Indian petitioners — also upon condition
wonalancet do release a former grant to him of an hundred acres and the
court do grant said Island to petitioner — John Parker and Jonathan Dan-
forth are appointed to lay out this grant of five hundred acres to John
Evered.

EDWD RAWSON, Secy.
Consented to by the Deputies.

14 Oct. 166.5. (Mass. Archives, Vol. 30, p. 130.)

38 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Wonnalancet resumed the occupation of his beautiful
island home at Wickasauke, which he continued to make
his abode until 1675. During this period, besides such cul-
tivation as he could do at his island, he planted the clear-
ings at Souhegan and Pennacook, and fished at Namos-
keag. He seems to have stopped at these last named plac-
es only long enough to secure his harvests of crops and
fish, though he did maintain a fort at Pennacook in order
to defend himself and followers from any depredations of
enemies.

It seems rather singular that, while his father had em-
braced the Christian faith, more than a quarter of a cen-
tury before, and he had lived a peaceful life, listening fre-
quently to the word of God as preached by good Father
Eliot, Wonnalancet should have refused to accept its teach-
ings until in May, 1674. Mr. Gookin says that he and Mr.
Eliot visited Pawtucket on the 5th of May, when large
numbers of Indians were gathered at the place looking af-
ter their fisheries. That evening Mr. Eliot preached to
them in the wigwam of Wonnalancet. During the service
the sagamon appeared grave and sober. The next day Mr,
P^liot approached him and inquired if he did not feel like
praying to God. Then Wonnalancet stood up with the
grave decorum for which the red man was noted, and look-
ing upon the preacher with great deliberation, finally re-
plied in a slow, thoughtful manner:

"Sirs, you have been pleased for years past in your
abundant love to apply yourselves particularly unto me and
my people ; to exhort, press and persuade us to pray to
God. I am thankful to you for your goodness. I must not
deny I have all of my days been used to pass in an old ca-
noe ; and now you exhort me to change and leave my old
canoe and embark in a new one. I have heretofore been
unwilling; now I yield myself to your advice, and enter in-
to a new canoe. Hereafter I engage to pray to God."

We have every reason to believe that Wonnalancet
kept the faith, though he was many times sorely tried.
Gookin in 1677, in speaking of his conversion, says :

WHEN HUDSON WAS A WILDERNESS 89

** I have charity and faith to believe him to be an hon-
est Christian man, being one that in his conversation walks
unswervably to his knowledge. He prays in his family,
and is careful of keeping the Sabbath ; loves to hear God's
words ; sober in conversation."

King Philip's War broke out in 1675, and Wonnalancet
found himself confronted by a serious problem. The wily
Philip had sent his most trusty followers, or gone himself,
to every tribe in Northern New England, hoping to form
a confederacy that could crush the English. Wonnalancet
firmly refused to ally himself and people in this far-reaching
combination. Still past experience told him that, even if
he remained neutral, he would be constantly open to sus-
picion, and the work of hostile Indians would be attributed
to his people. In this dilemma he quietly withdrew to
Pennacook, and from thence, with some of his closest fol-
lowers, retired to the St. Francis lodge in New France, now
Canada.

This movement alarmed the English, and emissaries
were sent to entreat him to come back. This he declined
to do, though he kept well posted in regard to what was
being done by the enemies of the English, and frequently
warned them of impending attacks by hostile forces. In
the midst of this trying situation, many of the Indians of
Northern New England who had joined King Philip de-
serted him and returned to their former companions, Pen-
nacooks, Sokoki and Ossipees. One reason for doing this
was that they expected to escape punishment for their re-
cent disloyalty by being under the protection of Wonna-
lancet, who had remained faithful to the whites. These
Indians promised future good behavior, and as many as
four hundred, under the influence of Wonnalancet, were
admitted into Dover at one time under the pretence of
forming a treaty with them. But the order came from Mas-
sachusetts to seize all of these Indians, and in spite of the
advice of Major Waldron, these red men were betrayed,
and those who were not killed were taken captives, and

40 HISTORY OF HUDSON

eight of them were hung in Boston, while the rest were sold
into slavery.

Wonnalancet, who had been summoned hither, and his
followers were suffered to go free, and they returned tO'
their home at Wickasauke. Perhaps feeling that there was
reason for an outbreak among these Indians, the General
Court, ever alive to suspicion if not justice, ordered Won-
nalancet and his companions to be placed under the guard-
ianship of Jonathan Tyng of Dunstable. This veteran
frontiersman, with more faith in his princely prisoner than
the men who had invested him with the power to watch
him, allowed the chieftain comparative liberty. Still the
proud spirit of Wonnalancet rebelled against this indigni-
ty, and he felt that he could no longer trust the English.

While he had been away the English had taken posses-
sion of his planting ground, so he had nowhere to raise the
crops so essential to his living. Mr. Eliot in speaking of
the situation, says :

He (Wonnalancet) was persuaded to come in again ; but the English
having plowed and sown all of their lands, they had but little corn to sub-
sist by. A party of French Indians, of whom some were of the kindred
of this sachem's wife, very lately fell upon this people, being but few and
unarmed, and partly by force and partly by persuasion carried them away.

Wonnalancet showed his friendship for the English by
calling upon his old friend and teacher, the Rev. Mr. Fiskc,
to inquire in regard to what had taken place since he had
been away. Mr. Fiske replied that they had been highly
favored: for which he desired "to thank God."

" Me next," declared the shrewd sagamon, who felt,
and not without reason, that a share of the credit belonged
to him.

In spite of the suspicious attitude of the whites against
him, at least twice during the period of the war warning
them of impending harm from unfriendly men of his race,
Wonnaloncet remained at Wicasauke, or in the vicinity, un-
til the following autumn, as if he was loath to leave the
scenes of the brightest years of his troubled life. The

WHEN HUDSON WAS A WILDERNESS 41

Merrimack and its tributaries, abounding with fish, and
the rich intervales along its banks easy of cultivation, had
been a favorite country of his people for many generations.

Such spots, combining a rich light soil, with productive fisheries,
were always chosen ; and the choice was a wise and beautiful one. The
Indian was a child of Nature, and he gazed upon her charms with filial
admiration, knowing the plains as their harvest land, the mountains as
the abode of the Great Spirit.

Towards the last of September, 1677, he retired again
to St. Francis, and again his enemies reproached him with
the old story of unfaithfulness towards those for whom he
had professed a life-long friendship. In spite of these
charges he went quietly about his own affairs, to live them
down as he had before. Major Gookin, his fast friend,
gives five reasons why the sagamon should have adopted
this course, any one of which was sufficient. He concludes
by saying:

" The wonder of it is that Wonnalancet had not retired
long before, and made common cause with the enemies of
the English, as they and portions of his own tribe had re-
peatedly urged him to do."

He did not re-appear at his old haunts until the close
of King Philip's War, and a treaty of peace with the East-
ern Indians, and not to be active then. About this time
the son of his older brother, Kancamagus, came into the
leadership of the Pennacooks and allied tribes. As this
relative was of a more warlike nature, and was inclined to
harass the English, it was natural the older sagamon should
have little if any interest with him. In fact, his retirement
to St. Francis was considered by the followers of the grand-
son of Passaconnaway as an abdication of his rule.

Wonnalancet was beginning to feel the weight of his
years — he was verging upon seventy — and finding that he
would receive little further benefit from them, he resolved
to sell his interest in the lands about Wamesit, Pawtucket,
Nashuay and Naticook. This was the last important rec-

42 HISTORY OF HUDSON

ord that we have of him, and a sale was effected early in
1686, and Jonathan Tyng became the owner of the last of
the Pennacook possessions in the valley of the Merrimack.
The entire purchase money paid amounted to only twenty-
four pounds ! As a result of this transaction, the pur-
chasers petitioned the court under date of July 12, 1686,
praying that the land bought of Wonnalancet be set apart
as a new county to be called Merrimack.

Upon making this sale Wonnalancet again retired to
St, Francis, where he seems to have remained for ten
years, as there is nothing in the records here to show that
he was in the Merrimack valley. But in his extreme old
age the desire to return to the scenes of his early life
seemed to direct his footsteps back to Wamesit, a poor,
forlorn old man. With the handful of his followers that
kept with him, he was placed under the protection of Jona-
than Tyng, who lived in that part of Old Dunstable now
comprised in the town of Tyngsboro. He lived with Mr.
Tyng a little over a year, the province paying the latter
twenty pounds for that service. And this act of charity,
about the only kindly deed done him, closes the life record
of that grand and good man.

In reviewing the lives of Passaconnaway and Wonna-
lancet one cannot help feeling they suffered many abuses
that should have been spared them. Had one or both ex-
ercised the powerful influence at their command to arouse
their followers instead of restraining their natural proclivi-
ties, the early history of New England would have been
stained with blood where their honesty and magnanimity
averted the strife. In return for this good work they were
most cruelly ill-treated and insulted, which to them was
harder to bear than the former. Their lands were taken
from them, and they were at times almost reduced to a
state of starvation — obliged to plead for a little land upon
which to subsist.

Nor were theirs isolated cases. King Philip and many
other sagamons had similar grievances. Contrast the

WHEN HUDSON WAS A WILDERNESS 43

peaceful results of the kind and honorable treatment ac-
corded to the Indians by Roger Williams, in Rhode Island ;
William Penn, who settled Pennsylvania, and others, not
forgetting Father Eliot.

The Indians were strangers to the higher influence of
the civilized life, yet there were many great and noble men
among them — men of honor, ability and principle. Passa-
connaway and Wonnalancet stood well towards the head of
this class.

We believe the blackest page upon American history
is the record of the ill treatment of the aborigines — the
poor Indian ! — which treatment began with the discovery
of the western continent by Columbus, and with greater or
lesser cruelty, has continued to the present time. An
anonymous poet expresses the plain truth in forcible lan-
guage when he makes the heart-broken chieftain say :

I will go to my tent and lie down in despair;
I will paint me in black and sever my hair ;
I will sit on the shore when the hurricane blows,
And reveal to the God of the tempest my woes.

I will weep for a season on bitterness fed,

For my kindred have gone to the mounds of the dead ;

But they died not of hunger or wasting decay,

For the steel of the white man has swept them away!

Let us pause for a moment in retrospection, and pic-
ture to our minds the condition of the region now included
in the town of Hudson, as it appeared two and a half cen-
turies ago— in the days when the settlements of the whites
began to creep up the Merrimack Valley. Where we now
behold the placid waters of the beautiful river, as they f^ovv
gently along our western border, calmly seeking the bosom
of the broad ocean, as if they had never witnessed any
wilder scene, then the royal canoes of the powerful wildwood
confederacy of Passaconnaway, passed and repassed on
the way to and fro between his summer lodge to the
north or his winter quarters at Pawtucket.

Here, too, peradventure, upon the shady banks be-
neath the giant trees of the primeval forest, whose branches

44 HISTORY OF HUDSON

had withstood the storms and tempests of hundreds of
years, he reared the conical walls of his regal wigwam,
watched the talking smoke of his council fires, as it curled
lazily upward, and performed his feats of necromancy that
were both the wonder and the terror of his followers. From
this same bank of the grand old river the Indians caught
the salmon, shad, alewives and eels in almost countless
numbers.

Here, upon these productive, alluvial intervales, they
planted their scanty crops and under the harvest moon held
their forest festival in the autumn. Or it might be, under
the mighty canopy of oaks, pines and other primeval giants
of that period covering almost all these hills and valleys,
the Indian hunter, armed with his bow and quiver of flint-
pointed arrows, his tomahawk and spear, pursued the state-
ly moose, or ran down the timid deer. Here also he encoun-
tered the obstinate bear, outwitted with his imitation call
the cautious turkey, snared the partridge, squirrel or wild
pigeon.

Since then what a change the white man has wrought.
The woodman's ax, with the help of fire, long since leveled
the beautiful original forest. The dams of the manufac-
turers sometime since stopped the migratory flight of the
finny denizens of the river. The game has mainly fled
from such forests as remain ; ay, the dusky hunter himself
has vanished !

Let us drop the tear of pity upon the ashes of this race
whose representative welcomed the Englishmen to their
wild shore, and preserved them when famine was at their
door: — those sons of the forest, though savages, possessing
many of the most worthy and noble traits of character —
that people scattered over all this broad land, and who ac-
knowledged fealty to the Great Spirit only. Could the old
rocks and hills, the mountains, valleys and streams relate
the scenes that they have witnessed of treachery, oppres-
sion and destruction committed in their presence, in the
process of building one race upon the ruins of another,

WHEN HUDSON WAS A WILDERNESS 45

possibly the weight of evidence would show that when it
was all balanced the poor Indian may have been as much
sinned against by his white neighbors as he was guilty ot
sinning: against them.

:; CHAPTER IV

Dunstable in the Indian Wars

From the date of the landing of the Pilgrims at Ply-
mouth, in 1620, soon after which Samoset, an Indian chiei
belonging to the Wampanoag tribe, suddenly appeared in
their midst and greeted them with the friendly exclama-
tion : "Welcome, Englishmen! Welcome, Englishmen !"
the colonists had little trouble with the aborigines for more
than fifty years, that they did not provoke themselves. It
is true there were wars and rumors of wars along the en-
tire frontier, the most notable of which was the Pequot
struggle in 1634-1637, when that warlike faction was prac-
tically exterminated, the crisis coming with the last des-
perate stand made by King Philip in 1675. Judging them
from the conclusions drawn of their character by the earlier
English writers, the patience and toleration with which
they bore the treatment of these new-comers seems re-
markable. There is little doubt that peaceful relations
might have continued indefinitely had the colonists treated
them fairly and honestly.

King Philip's bloody resistance against the English
was a combined attempt to exterminate the colonists, and
broke out with little warning in the summer of 1675. He
was the grandson and successor of Massasoit, with whom
the Plymouth colonists had made a treaty of peace in 1621
■—a covenant that remained inviolate with the red men for
that long period. The war was brought to a sudden close
by the treachery of one of Philip's own followers, who shot
him in the back as he was leading his forlorn hope. From
this time the alarms of war came from the north instead of
the south, and the danger rose more from small scouting
parties of the Indians than from united tribes battling for
a common cause.

DUNSTABLE IN THE INmAN WARS 47

Simultaneously with this change of scene of action a
Yiew element entered into the prolonged strife. England
and France were almost constantly at war for a century^
and always the bitterness of the contention was transplant-
ed to the shores of the New World. Seeing in them pliant
allies of destruction, the French sought and won the confi-
dence and assistance of the untutored red men. The teach-
ers of this system of warfare were the Jesuits, who by kind
treatment and ingenious training prepared them for the
war-trail against an enemy they had no slight reason to
fear and to hate.

King William's war in the old country was swiftly fol-
lowed by an Indian outbreak in New England, lasting from
1689 to 1698, Scarcely had the news of peace reached the
colonists here than Queen Anne's war followed in 1703,
continuing for ten years. The history of the frontier from
east to west was a series of bloody encounters and massa-
cres. And during those dark and bloody years Old Dun-
stable was the outpost of the New England colonists, as
her fortress had been the watch-tower during King Philip's
uprising. From her homes went forth some of the bravest
and strongest of the sturdy yeomanry, building for them-
selves homes in the wilderness of this ravaged country.

During the brief cessations of armed hostilities the pio-
neers were not wholly exempt from the attacks of a foe
that never seemed to sleep. Thus a constant vigilance and
watchfulness had to be maintained by the early settlers of
Dunstable. Yet the censure does not wholly lie against
the people who were causing this trouble. Fox, in his
History of Dunstable, says truthfully, "The treatment of
the Indians by our forefathers generally, and of Wonnalan-
cet especially, was not Christian and scarcely human." He
might have gone farther and said with equal truth that
these brave families who were made to suffer most were
not the originators of this unhappy situation. To find
these we must seek them among the disciples of the Mathers
and their associates. Speaking of the efficiency of prayer.

48 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Dr. Increase Mather, the leading minister of his time, said :
*'Nor could they cease praying to the Lord against Philip
until they had prayed the bullet into his heart !" The last
" prayer " should have been spelled with an "e" where an
"a." is usually placed. But we need not prolong this dis-
cussion, if that can be called a discussion where the argu-
ment is all on one side.

A decade of comparative peace succeeded Queen
Anne's war, during which interval the first settlements
were commenced in Hudson. But these pioneers had
barely established themselves in their new homes before
another alarm of war awoke them to renewed danger and
warlike activity. These ten years had also seen a change
in the government of New England. Queen Anne had
died in 1714, and was succeeded by George I. A change
of rulers at home always resulted in a change of policy in
regard to the management of the affairs of the colonies of
England. In the hope of averting this result, the English
colonists of Massachusetts and New Hampshire petitioned
to have Governor Dudley remain at the head in New Eng-
land. This request was ignored, and Samuel Shute was
appointed Governor of Massachusetts, while George
Vaughan was made Lieutenant-Governor and virtual ruler
of New Hampshire. This last became a fact, inasmuch
as Governor Shute did not arrive until the other had held
his office a year.

A question then arose between the two as to the ex-
tent of Lieutenant-Governor Vaughan's power. He claimed
that he was ruler of New Hampshire whenever the other
was not in the province. As Governor Shute intended to
make his home in Boston, this left him but little to do with
the government of New Hampshire. The dispute waxed
so bitter that Vaughan was recalled and John Wentworth,
destined to act an important, and not altogether unfavora-
ble, part in affairs was sent to fill his office.

So, while the colonists were active in pushing deeper
and deeper into the wilderness, hewing out new homes and

DUNSTABLE IN THE INDIAN WARS 49

establishing new townships, internecine troubles that were
to have considerable bearing upon their fortunes, were re-
peating themselves in the government both here and in
England. It was during this period that Londonderry,
Chester, Barrington, Nottingham and Rochester were
chartered and incorporated, the signing of these charters
in 1722 being the last official act of Governor Shute, who
was succeeded in Massachusetts by Governor Dummer,
while Lieutenant-Governor Wentworth became the head
of the government in New Hampshire.

During this period a new element of population entered
into colonial life. This factor was the Scotch-Irish, so
called, immigrants from Scotland finding their way to
America after being driven out of that country by the Eng-
lish into the north of Ireland. They settled the township
of Londonderry granted them by Governor Shute. Com-
ing at this time, and scarcely in friendly communication
with their neighbors, the English, they did not participate
in the border warfare that was disturbing the settlers along
the Merrimack and about the Pascataqua River. In fact,
though brave to a fault, I have been unable to find that
they acted any important part in the long series of wood-
fighting that followed their arrival in America. This does
not reflect upon their patriotism, as we find them active
enough during the seven years of the Revolutionary War.

At no interval of this cessation of hostilities were the
Indians wholly quiet, but occasional acts of violence took
place, until in the summer of 1722 were begun those strug-
gles that became the fiercest in all the long and sanguinary
warfare of Northern New England.

At this time Sebastian Rasle, S. J., one of the most
zealous of the French missionaries in New France, estab-
lished his mission at Norridgewock, on the Kennebec Riv-
er, near where is now the town of Farmington, Maine.
The simple red men looked upon this black-robed man of
God as a true father, and he in turn encouraged them to
lift the hatchet against that race which he had been taught

50 HISTORY OF HUDSON

to hate since childhood. Realizing that if they could de-
stroy this stronghold of the French it would be a powerful
blow towards winning their own safety, the English re-
solved to march against it. In the winter of 1722, Colonel
Westbrook of York, Me., led an expedition up the Kenne-
bec River, but was unsuccessful in his purpose. This
seemed to give the French priest an excuse for greater ac-
tivity, and the settlements in Maine, which then belonged
to Massachusetts, were the first to suffer, Merry-Meeting
Bay and Brunswick among them. Governor Dummer then
declared war, a conflict which afterwards bore his name,
while it has been equally as well known as Lovewell's War,
for reasons to be made plain later.

As usual Dover was the first town in that section of
New Hampshire to feel the dread attack of the dusky ene-
mies. Then Lamprey River, now Newmarket, Oyster
River (Durham), Kingston and Chester shared in this cruel
warfare. In 1724 a second expedition against Norridge-
wock was planned and carried into effect that summer by
Captains Moulton and Harmon at the head of over two
hundred men. This body was divided into four companies,
and besides the leaders mentioned were Captains Bourne
and Bane, or Bean according to later spelling. This party
was piloted by a friendly Mohawk chief known to the
whites as Christian. The raid was victorious. The In-
dians were not only surprised and completely routed, but
their beloved adviser. Father Rasle, was slain, the chapel
burned, the plate and furniture brought away as trophies
of their victory by the conquerors.* Thus perished at 68
years of age Father Rasle, in a cause to which he had de-
voted over thirty years of his life with an earnestness
equalled only by his zeal. If the taking of his life was to
be justified or not, it is certain his teachings made a dan-

* When the mission village of Norridgewock was attacked by the New England men,
the women and children were made to suffer the fate of warriors. The scholarly missionary,
Kasles, author of the Abnaki Dictionary, was shot down at the foot of the cross, where he
was afterwards found with his body riddled with balls, his skull crushed and scalped, his
mouth and eyes filled with earth, his limbs broken, and all of his members mutilated — and
this by white men. — American Ethnology, Vol. 19.

DUNSTABLE IN THE INDIAN WARS 51

gerous element in the midst of the English settlers in New
England, and neither he nor his slayers can be correctly
judged under any other light than the spirit of the times.

While the glory of the valiant Canibas tribe of red
men had forever flown with this rout at Norridgewock, and
the survivors were compelled to seek refuge at St. Francis,
in Canada, instead of striking terror to the remaining In-
dians as had been expected, it awoke, if that were possible,
a fiercer spirit of hatred for the race they could not help
seeing was destined to become their destroyers. Thus the
New England frontier from the intervales of Old Dunsta-
ble to the meadows of the Madawaska rang with the war-
hoop of the dusky avengers, while the torch of terror light-
ed the nights of horror. Profiting by the mistakes of the
past the Indians were now more cautious in their attacks
and more cunning in their retreats, so they were difficult
to hunt down. The English sent scoutingparty after party
into the wilderness to strike a retaliating blow, and check
these depredations, with only meagre success.

Where the Saco River makes a bold bend to the north-
east so as to almost double on its track, after leaving the
gateway of the mountains, dwelt a tribe of Indians known
as the Sokoki, with another encampment lower down this
stream where it is joined by the Ossipee. This place was
an ideal spot for these hunters and warriors of the wilder-
ness, A wide circuit of rich country afforded them rare
hunting-grounds, while the river and ponds near by abound-
ed with 'fish. In their canoes they could follow the devious
windings of the Saco for a distance of over forty miles, and
at the end of this pleasure trip find themselves but a little
over a mile from their starting point, and easy portage
back to their lodges.

The Sokoki had been settled at this place known to
them as Pequaket* hard by the river at the foot of the

* Pequaket — Pequawket — Pigwacket— means, or is from Paqui-auk-ei, meaning "at
the open land." There was an Indian town here longer than any historian has been able to
tell.— Trumbull.

52 HISTORY OF HUDSON

"Pine-Tree Hill," longer than tradition attempts to tell.
They were originally a numerous tribe, good fighters, and
while fiery and furious when aroused, less inclined to treach-
ery than some of the other families of red men. Like the
Pennacooks, they had suffered fearfully at the hands of the
Mohawks, and in wars with them and other tribes had dwin-
dled away. Their last great sachem was the noted Squan-
don ; their last great captain, Paugus.

Following the rout of the Canibas at Norridgewock,
the Sokoki became unusually active against the English.
It was known that the Governor of Canada had asked the
King of France to furnish these Indians with arms, ammu-
nition and blankets, which explains in part this unwonted
activity. Fear and excitement reigned throughout the en-
tire frontier settlements, and it began to look as though
the whole border would be desolated.

In this plight the court of Massachusetts increased the
bounty on Indian scalps from fifty to one hundred pounds
each, and sought to encourage men to undertake expedi-
tions against them. In extenuation of this course it was
claimed, with apparent truthfulness, that the French were
doing the same, and what was of even greater potency, of-
fering high rewards for the possession of captives that
might be made useful in a country where laborers and ser-
vants were only too scarce. These facts, together with
the savage barbarity shown by the dusky warriors towards
the helpless whites, were sufficient excuse for the act, when,
as has been remarked, the spirit of the times is taken into
consideration. But it cannot condone a wrong, nor bright-
en the stern countenances of those civilized men silhouetted
against a background of aboriginal darkness. If the fol-
lowers of Canibas and Paugus were cruel, and there is no
gainsaying the fact, when they had been urged and driven
to desperation, there is no excuse for their educated con-
querors to practice similar cruelties. The beheading and
quartering of the mutilated body of King Philip is ample
evidence that it takes more than a change of scene to re-

DUNSTABLE IN THE INDIAN WARS 5S

move the glut of vengeance from a people whose kin at
home exulted in exposing to the public gaze the heads of
those who had been unfaithful to the government they
■deemed tyrannical, as was done in London at Temple Bar
for many years. Darker yet than these deeds perpetrated
upon warlike men was the sending into bondage in faraway
Bermuda the wife and little son of King Philip under
sanction of the church.

Indian warfare was conducted almost wholly along the
rivers of the country, and those settlements upon the
banks of the different streams were thus made certain tar-
gets for their enemies. Thus the old town of Dunstable,
lying on both sides of the Merrimack, became the scene of
some bitter hand-to-hand combats.

September 4, 1724, two men by the names of Nathan
Cross and Thomas Blanchard were surprised by a party ot
Indians and taken captives while at work preparing turpen-
tine from pines growing on the bank of the Nashua River.
As they did not return from their work as usual that even-
ing, their friends became alarmed. In the morning a party
consisting of ten under the direction of Lt. Ebenezer
French started in search of the missing men. Upon reach-
ing the scene of the operations of Cross and Blanchard it
was found that the hoops of the barrels containing the tur-
pentine had been cut and their contents had spread upon
the ground. Certain marks upon the trees told them that
their friends had been captured by the Indians, while the
state of the turpentine showed that the captors had fin-
ished their work only a short time before. This encouraged
Lieutenant French and his companions to begin immedi-
ate pursuit in the hope of overtaking them.

Josiah Farwell, a member of the rescue party, advised
taking a circuitous course, lest they should fall into an am-
bush laid by the red men. Lieutenant French not only
scorned this prudent course but accused Farwell of cow-
ardice, himself leading in the path recently taken by the
Indians, his companions following in single file, Farwell in

64 HISTORY OF HUDSOPT

the rear. "Their route," says the historian of Dunstable^
Mr. C. J. Fox, "was up the Merrimack towards which they
bent their course to look for their horses upon the inter-
vals. At the brook * near Lutwych's (now Thornton's)
Ferry they were waylaid. The Indians fired upon them
and killed the larger part instantly. A few fled and were
overtaken and destroyed. French was killed about a mile
from the place of action under an oak tree lately standing
(1840) in a field belonging to Mr. John Lund of Merrimack.
Farwell, in the rear, seeing those before him fall, sprung
behind a tree, discharged his piece and ran The Indians
pursued him. The chase was vigorously maintained for
some time, without either gaining much advantage, until
Farwell passing through a thicket, the Indians lost sight of
him, and probably fearing he might have loaded again, they
abandoned further pursuit. He was the only one of the
company that escaped."

The names of the men, besides those given, were
Thomas Lund, Oliver Farwell, and Ebenezer Cummings of
Dunstable ; Daniel Baldwin and John Burbank of Woburn,
and a Mr. Johnson of Plainfield, Mass. Messrs. Cross and
Blanchard, the captives, succeeded eventually in escaping
from their enemies after being taken to Canada.

A search of their friends resulted in finding the bodies
of eight of the unfortunate men, and these were conveyed
to the ancient burial ground near the state line. Coffins
were made for them, and with uncommon solemnity and
sorrow the entire party was interred in one grave. Above
this spot a monument was erected, with the following in-
scription copied verbatim et literatim:

MEMENTO MORI

Here lies the body of Mr. Thomas Lund who departed this life Sept.
5th, 1724, in the 42d year of his age.

This man with seven more that lies in this grave was slew all in a
day by the Indians !

* Naticook Brook, the itream which crossed the road just above Thornton's. The
scene of the Ambush must have been near the present highway. — Fox

DUNSTABLE IN THE INDIAN WARS 55

Three other grave stones stand close beside the above,
tlieir inscriptions covered with moss and nearly illegible.
Of these one was erected to Lt. Oliver Farwell, aged 33
years; another to Mr. Ebenezer Cummings, aged 29 years;
the third to the memory of Mr. Benjamin Carter, aged 23
years.

Some of the earlier writers state that the Indians who
committed this act were Mohawks, but this does not seem
likely. The fact that the captives were taken to Canada
would disprove it, as the Mohawks were in no manner
friendly to the French from the days of Champlain to the
end of the French and Indian War in 1760. This party be-
longed no doubt to the Ameriscoggins, the remnants of
which tribe, smarting under the blow dealt them by the
English, were then hovering about the French mission on
the St. Lawrence River.

The critical situation and loss of life to the inhabitants
of Old Dunstable is shown in the following deposition of two
of her most venerable citizens, the parents of Captain John
Lovevvell, the paper having been brought to light from
among the court files of New Hampshire, by Hon. Ezra S.
Stearns in his researches concerning that period, where
it had slumbered more than one hundred and fifty years:

Facts Concerning the Indian Depredations in Dunstable.

The deposition of John Lovewell aged ninety-three and Anna his
wife aged about eighty-three years, who testify & say that in the year 1680
they were Inhabitants and residents in Dunstable & have been Inhabi-
tants and residents there since and that in the said year 1680 there were
3.5 famihes settled in Dunstable beside several single men who were resi*
dent there and owned Lots in said Town & further saith that in the first
ten years War for one summer the Inhabitants all gathered in the garri-
son and that about fifty-five years ago in the month of August in the same
Town there was killed by the Indians Four of the Inhabitants and in
September next following two more was killed and one wounded and
about forty-eight years ago of the same Town there was one killed and
two captivated and about the same time there was one killed or captivat-
ed and about thirty-nine years ago in Dunstable there was eleven Persons
killed and three captivated by the Indians & one House & Garrison
burned down at the same Time and that about thirty-three years ago there

56 HISTORY OF HUDSON"

was one Person killed and one wounded in Dunstable and the year follow-
ing in Dunstable there was one man killed and in the year following there
was one more man captivated & carried to Canada and in the year 1724
there was eight persons killed one wounded and four captivated in Dunsta-
ble and in the year 1725 there was of the Inhabitants of Dunstable five
killed and two wounded all which Mischiefs was done by the Indians in the
time of War — and in the year ICSOthe Revd. Mr. Thomas Weld preached
in Dunstable and continued there until he was ordained there to the work
of the ministry which was about two years after and that from the time-
we first came to Ihinstable the Inhabitants has never drawn off,

bis
John X Lovewei^l

mark ^

her

Anna X Loveweli,
mark

Province of New Hampshire

March 16, 1744.

Then the above named John Loveweli and Anna Loveweli made sol-
emn Oath to the truth of the foregoing Deposition by them signed relat-
ing to an Action of Ejectment wherein one Joseph Kidder is Apellant &
the Proprietors of Londonderry are Apellers to be heard and tried at the
superior court of Judicature to be holden at Portsmouth in said Province
on Tuesday the nineteenth day of this instant March by adjournment
from the first Tuesday of February last past — the Deponents living more
than five miles from Portsmouth where the case is to be tiied & the said
Proprietors of Londonderry the Adverse Party being duly notified was
present by one of their committee for Law suits viz : sworn before Samuel
Emerson.

J, PEACE.

The foregoing deposition throws new light upon the
number of persons killed by the Indians in the ancient
township of Dunstable. It is an important document.
The statement "about fifty-five years ago," probably refers
to 1691, when Joseph Hassel, Anna his wife and Benjamin
his son and Mary Marks were killed September 2, and to
the killing of Christopher Temple and Obediah Perry,
which occurred on the 28th of the same month.

The second statement, that about forty-eight years be-
fore one person had been killed and two captured, while

DUNSTABLE IN THE INDIAN WARS 57

later there was one killed or " captivated," is not mentioned
in the traditions of the town. The death of eleven per-
sons killed and three carried into captivity in 1705, as given
by the Lovewells, mainly occurred in 1706, when Nathan-
iel Blanchard, Lydia, his wife, and one child, and Hannah
Blanchard and Elizabeth, wife of John Cummings, Jr., and
Rachel Galusha were murdered by the Indians and consid-
ering the number of soldiers killed the same day at the
Weld garrison, there is a marked conflict in the traditions
of the town.

The witnesses speak of three captives.

The wife of Captain Butterfield, Richard Samuel But-
terfield and Samuel Whitney, Senior, were captured about
this date.

The statement that in 1711 and the two succeeding
years two were killed, one wounded and one captured is
not found in other mentions, and it is perhaps that a few
of the casualties generally supposed to have taken place in
1706 or immediately preceding occurred at this time.

In 1724 the deponents say eight were killed, one
wounded and four captured. This statement refers to the
losses near Thornton's Ferry. The witnesses do not al-
lege that all of the dead were residents of Dunstable. The
names of the persons killed were Ebenezer French, Thomas
Lund, Oliver Farwell, Ebenezer Cummings, Benjamin

Carter, Daniel Baldwin, John Burbank, Johnson.

The first five were Dunstable men.

All of the foregoing casualties, according to the state-
ments of the Lovewells, occurred in Dunstable. In the
allegation that in the year 1725 there were of the inhabi-
tants five killed and two wounded, there is no mention of
the place where the casualties took place. The venerable
witnesses, mindful of the loss of their son, referred to the
Lovewell fight at Pequaket. The five Dunstable men who
were slain in that memorable expedition were Capt. John
Lovewell, Lt. Josiah Farwell, Lt. Jonathan Robbins, En-
sign John Harwood and Robert Usher. Samuel Whiting,

58 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Jr., was one of the two Dunstable men said to have been
wounded.

It is stated on good authority that during these trou-
blesome times Robert Parris, his wife and one daughter
were killed by the Indians, and that two daughters escaped,
one of whom married a Richardson and the other became
the wife of John Goffe, and was the mother of Col. John
Goffe, a conspicuous character in the annals of New Hamp-
shire. It is well known that John Goffe, generally distin-
guished as Esquire Goffe, married Hannah Parris, some-
times written Parish. Fox, in his History of Dunstable,
says that the massacre of the Parris family occurred some-
time in 1703, but Col. John Goffe was born in 1701, which
leads to the presumption that the Parris massacre was
at an earlier date than that given by Mr. Fox.

The statement that John Lovewell lived to the great
age of 120 years has repeatedly appeared in print. It is
one of those peculiar traditions that the curious seize upon
without investigation. It is admitted that he died about
1752, and it is equally certain that his age did not exceed
102 years.

From this deposition of the Lovewells we learn that
from 1696 to 1725, inclusive, the number of persons killed
by the Indians was thirty-three; wounded, five; made cap-
tives, eleven ; with one either killed or carried away a
captive. This made a total of fifty, all inhabitants of the
little settlement of Dunstable. Fox produces evidence to
show that in twenty years the population decreased fully
one-half, notwithstanding the additions that were made.
The Dunstable settlement extended to the east side of the
Merrimack River, now Hudson, probably not earlier, but
soon after the close of Queen Anne's War in 1713.

Referring to the loss of lives among the colonists, it
was estimated that from 1675 to 1714 the provinces of
Massachusetts and New Hampshire lost six thousand (6000)
young men and male children, including those who were
killed and those who were made captives without ever being

DUNSTABLE IN THE INDIAN WARS 59

recovered. Add to this the loss of men, women and chil-
dren that occurred during the nearly half a century of In-
dian warfare that followed, and, considering the number of
inhabitants, we have an appalling number.

CHAPTER V

Lovewell's Men

This war, after having continued for nearly three years,
was brought to a close by the bloody battle at Pequawket,
May 8, 1725. The leaders in this sanguinary struggle were
the brave Capt. John Lovewell and his intrepid men, and
Chief Paugus and his band of warriors, equally as brave
and fearless. This was one of the fiercest and most fatal
to both sides, of all the battles fought on the old New
England frontier. It was also the end of a succession of
wars, which, with a few cessations, had existed for fifty
years. Judge Potter, in his History of Manchester, gives
the following account of this expedition and its results :

"The expedition started about the 16th of April, 1725,
answering to the 27th of April, New Style. When out but
a short time, Toby, a friendly Indian attached to the expe-
dition, becoming lame was sent back, with great reluctance
on his part.

"At Contoocook, William Cummings of Dunstable,
became so lame in consequence of a wound received from
the enemy sometime previous, that he was obliged to re-
turn home, a kinsman, possibly Josiah Cummings, return-
ing with him to assist him on his way.

" They then marched without any unusual incident to
Ossipee, where one of their number, Benjamin Kidder, of
Nuffield, now Londonderry, being sick, they built a small
fort, as a place of refuge in case of mishap. While the
fort was building a portion of the men were kept out on
scout duty, and discovered the tracks of Indians.

" After a tarry of two or three days, leaving the sick
man, the doctor to take charge of him, and Sergeant Na-
thaniel Woods of Dunstable, with seven men to hold the
fort, Lovewell and his men, now reduced in number to

LOVEWELL S MEN

thirty-four, boldly marched for Pequau
twenty miles.

"The names of these thirty-four

Asten, Abiel,

Ayer, Ebenezer,

Barron, Elias,

Chamberlain, John,

Davis, Eleazer,

Davis, Josiah,

Farrah, Jacob,

Farrah, Joseph,

Farwell, Josiah, Lieut.,

Frye, Jonathan, Chap.,

Fullam, Jacob, Serg.,

Gilson, Joseph,

Harwood, Jno., Ensign,

Hassel, Benjamin, Corporal,

Jefts, John,

Johnson, Ichabod,

Johnson, Josiah,

Johnson, Noah, Serg.,

Jones, Josiah,

Kies, Solomon,

Kittredge, Jonathan,

Lakin, Isaac,

Lingfield, Edward, Corp.,

Lovewell, John, Capt.,

Melvin, Daniel,

Melvin, Eleazer,

Robbins, Jona., Ensign,

Richardson, Thomas, Corp.,

Richardson, Timothy,

Usher, Robert,

Whiting, Samuel,

Woods, Daniel,

Woods, Thomas, Ensign,

Wyman, Seth,

quauke, distant some

men were :

Haverhill

Groton

Concord

Concord
Dunstable

Andover

Weston

Groton

Dunstable

Groton

Woburn

Woburn
Dunstable

Concord

Billerica

Billerica
Groton

Nutfield
Dunstable

Concord

Concord
Dunstable

Woburn

Dunstable

Groton

Woburn

62 HISTORY OF HUDSON

"The company continued their march in a northerly
direction, with great caution, fancying they had been dis-
covered by the Indians.

"On Friday, the 7th of May, they heard a gun as they
approached the Saco, but coming to the river, they met
with no Indians, although they discovered their tracks.
They struck the Saco, probably in the eastern part of Con-
way. Taking an easterly course they passed upon the high
ground down the Saco, and diverging south, struck the
basin of Pequauquauke south of what is now called Stark's
hill. Here they had a full view of the basin and of Saco
pond, just at their feet.

"This was near night, and they cautiously descended
the hill and encamped upon the shore of the pond. In the
night the sentinels thought they heard the noise of In-
dians about the encampment, and alarmed their compan-
ions, but it was very dark and they could make no further
discovery.

"It was probably the noise of some wild animal, a
moose perhaps, as they were near the spot where these
animals usually took to the water. This incident confirmed
their suspicions that the Indians were dogging them, and
these suspicions led to a fatal error, as the sequel will show.

"On the next day. May 8th, (May 19, New Style),
about ten o'clock in the morning, while at prayers, they
heard a gun across the pond, and Captain Lovewell dis-
covered a solitary Indian upon a stony point of land run-
ning out mto the pond from the east. This Indian was
hunting ducks. It is possible he might have gone from
the village duck-hunting, but it is quite as probable that he
was one of a scout of Indians that had been down the
Saco, and had been sent forward at this point to get a shot
at ducks in sight. Be this as it may, Lovewell and his
men, supposing they had been discovered the night previ-
ous and before, at once suspected that he was sent out as
a decoy, and popular tradition has kept up the suspicion,
as the point on which the Indian stood is called 'Decoy
Point ' to this day.

lovewell's men 63

" They accordingly held a consultation to determine
whether they would proceed to attack the enemy, which
they supposed was in waiting for them on the north shore
of the pond, or whether they should retreat. The question
being put, the men boldly answered, says Rev. Mr.
Symmes, ' We came to see the enemy ; we have all along
prayed God we might find them ; and we had rather trust
Providence with our lives, yes, die for our country, than
try to return without seeing them, if we might, and be
called cowards for our pains.'

"It was determined unanimously to fight, and they
commenced preparations in earnest. In order to be entire-
ly disencumbered, Lovewell ordered his men to leave their
packs behind, but without a guard. The spot where they
left their packs was some thirty rods west of the little
brook that enters into the pond southeast of the present
village of Fryeburg, Me.

" Lovewell then led on his men cautiously towards
the Indian, who was seen upon the point, a distance of
about a mile and a half, principally, for the first half of the
way, through a pitch pine wood, clear of underbrush, and
the brakes but just started. The Indian got within four
or six rods before they discovered him, having two guns
and a brace of ducks in his hands.

" Upon discovering him Lovewell and his men squat-
ted upon the ground; but as they did so, the Indian dis-
covered them, and dropping his extra gun and his game, he
quickly fired upon them and with fatal effect, for his gun
being charged with large shot, he wounded Captain Love-
well and Mr. Whiting, the former severely. Ensign Wy-
man then fired upon the Indian and killed him, and Mr.
Frye, the chaplain, and another scalped him.

"Tradition says that young Frye fired at the Indian
and missed him, and that his misfire made him the more
zealous to get his scalp. Meantime a scout of Indians,
some forty in number, under Paugus and Wahowah, com-
ing up the pond from a scout down the Saco, crossed the

64 HISTORY OF HUDSON

trail of Lovewell's men, and following it, discovered their
packs, and finding their number less than their own, they
at once determined to attack them. Accordingly, secur-
ing their packs, they proceeded to the brook before de-
scribed, and under its banks, formed an ambuscade for Love-
well and his party.

" Passing east from this brook, you immediately come
upon the highest part of the pitch pine plain, lying north
of the pond. This part of the plain terminates at the
pond, in a ridge or bold shore, against which are piled up
boulders of rock, evidently the effect of ice. East of this
point of rocks is a ridge of sand, extending parallel to the
water, some fifty or sixty rods to another brook, emptying
into the pond from the northeast, and now known as ' Fight
Brook.'

" This sand ridge was from four to six rods wide, hav-
ing upon it some scattered pines, and limited on the north
the most of its length by a swamp, extending west from
the aforesaid brook, and which, in the spring, is filled with
water, forming of this sand ridge a long, narrow peninsula,
only accessible from the plain at its western extremity,
in the vicinity of the aforesaid point of rocks.

'• Lovewell and his men were leisurely returning upon
their trail, and probably with less caution than usual, as
they had not found the enemy they went out to meet, when
coming to the bank of the little brook before named, the
Indians rose from their ambush and fired upon them in
front and rear, rushing upon them with shouts of defiance.

" Captain Lovewell was killed at the first shot, and
our men were struck with surprise at the suddenness of the
attack. But they immediately returned the fire with dead-
ly effect, killing nine of the enemy upon the spot. The
company then dispersed, each one getting behind a tree
and firing upon the enemy as he got a chance. The firing
continued brisk, but soon Captain Lovewell and eight
others being killed, and Lieutenant Farwell and two others
being wounded, and the Indians attempting to surround

lovewell's men 65

them, the party determined to retreat to the shore of the
pond, hoping to be sheltered by the point of rocks that ran
into the pond.

" Here, behind this ' ridge of land ' and barrier of rocks,
they continued the fight to advantage, gradually extending
themselves across upon the sand before described, and
protecting themselves behind the scattered pines. Here
was an excellent position for an attack, but a very bad one
for a siege, and had the Indians known their advantage,
they could easily have destroyed the whole company. If,
instead of immediate attack, they had quietly seated them-
selves at the only approach to the peninsula, hunger would
have done its work, and not a man of Lovewell's gallant
band could have escaped. But the Indians could not brook
delay, and confident of success from superior numbers,
they continued the attack, firing at any one of the little
band who happened to expose a part of his body.

" Under the direction of Ensign Wyman, the firing
was kept up with spirit on the part of our men, and with
decided effect. The Indians kept up a continual shout, at
one time howling like wolves, and again barking like dogs,
or mimicking other wild beasts. And the English were
nothing loth in this kind of defiance, but returned their
howling with shouts and huzzas.

"Towards the mid-afternoon the Indians ceased firing,
and drew off among the pines, at a little distance, to pow-
wow over their success. They had got earnestly engaged
in the ceremony, when the intrepid Wyman crept up be-
hind the rocks and trees, and firing upon the principal actor
killing him on the spot. This man may have been Waho-
wah, as we hear nothing of him afterwards.

" Be this as it may, the fight was resumed with great
ferocity, under the immediate direction of Paugus. Ensign
Wyman continued to cheer on his men, and they fought with
all their skill and energy of desperation, but with terrify-
ing disadvantage, as the Indians were near twice their
number, and had them completely at their will. To add to

66 HISTORY OF HUDSON

their misfortune, their chaplain, Jonathan Frye, about this
time fell mortally wounded, as also Lieutenant Jonathan
Robbins, who had been wounded at the first fire, and Jacob
Farrar.

" Young Frye, though unable to stand, continued to
pray audibly for the success of his companions, at inter-
vals, during the remainder of the fight. Thus disheartened,
the firing on their part became less brisk ; and the Indians,
confident of their success, came forward, and holding up
a rope, to show that they had them in their power and
ready to be bound, offered them quarter.

"The intrepid Wyman replied that 'they would have
no quarter but what they won at the point of their mus-
kets.' The fight was then renewed, and towards night the
enemy succeded in getting upon the peninsula or beach,
some of them at least. Among this number was Paugus,
their chief, who took refuge behind a pine within talking
distance of John Chamberlain, one of the best shots in
Lovewell's party.

"They looked at each other from behind the trees,
each endeavoring to detect an exposed part in the person
of the other, and at length each one thinking he had the
other at an advantage, aimed his musket to fire ; each gun
flashed in the pan ; and their attempts were in vain !

"Their guns had become foul from frequent firing
during the day, and were useless. In this dilemma, these
bold men, who were acquainted with each other, agreed to
go down to the water side, and cleanse their guns, and
then take their places and renew the fight. No sooner
said than done, and they deliberately went down to the
water and commenced washing their guns, the warriors on
both sides understanding their motives and leaving them
to themselves !

"In cleansing their guns and charging them, Paugus
got the advantage ; his ball was so small as to roll down his
barrel, while Chamberlain had to force his down with his
rod. Paugus, seeing his advantage, quickly said, ' Me kill
you ! ' and took up his gun to prime.

lovewell's men 67

" Chamberlain threw down his rod, and bringing the
breech of his gun a smart blow upon the hard sand, brought
it to his face and fired !

" Paugus fell pierced through the heart !

" Chamberlain's gun being worn from long use primed
itself; and the knowledge of this saved the bold hunter's
life. *

"After the death of Paugus, their chief, the Indians
gradually ceased firing, and soon after sunset drew off into
the woods, leaving the field to our men, who remained quiet

* In embodying Judge Potter's account of Lovewell's figVit, I have asked Mr. Webster's
permission to add a few words of contradiction to the description of the fate of the Sokokis
chief, Paugus, though the story as given has been accepted by several writers, among them
Fox, Bouton, Sanborn, Potter, and others. This version of the incident seems to have orig-
inated with a very unrehable person named Ehjah Russell, seventy-four years after the bat-
tle, and a long time after Chamberlain's death. Fox evidently supposed it to be a true ac-
count, and singularly enough as careful a historian as the Rev. Nathaniel Bouton, in reprint-
ing Rev. Thomas Symmes' sermon upon the aHair, took the Russell fabrication instead of
the original by the Bradford minister, who made no mention of the Chamberlain-Paugus
duel. None of the early writers credit Chamberlain with the deed, as witness four lines from
one of the ballads written soon after the event:

" And yet our valiant Englishmen in fight were ne'er dismayed,
But still they kept their motion, and Wyman Captain made.

" Who shot the old Chief Paugus, which did the foe defeat.
And set his men in order, and brought off the retreat?"

Hill in his "Reminiscences of Old Dunstable," after reviewing several versions of the
incident, says flatly, " The utter absurdity of the story is appaieiit frcni the fact that never
before has it been known that in the midst of deadly battle, the combatants by mutual agree-
ment have ceased to fight in order to ^o and wash out their guns, and the additional fact
that their guns having flashed in the pan, there must have remained full charges of powder
and ball in the barrels, which must be drawn before the washing could be done, and the ex-
treme improbability that either or both of them had, in pocket or pouch, the apparatus need-
ed for this operation; and the further fact, that after their guns had been washed they must
be carefully wiped and dried before they could be in use again, a process requiring time that
could ill be spared in the midst of such a warm and deadly contest, for ihe Cromwellian
maxim ' to trust in God and keep your powder dry' was as imperative in an Indian fight as
in more civilized warfare."

The Rev, Mr. Allen in his centennial address given at Merrimack in 1846, says that John
Chamberlain, of Lovewell's expedition, settled in that town, and built a sawmill on the Sou-
hegan. There is a stirring legend told of an Indian, a son of Paugus, who sought to surprise
the slayer of liis father and avenge his death. But the doughty millman was too cunning for
his foe, who fell by his unerring musket. As matters of fact this Chamberlain was not the
John who fought with Lovewell, but a cousin, who married a daughter of Josiah Farwell, the
only survivor of the scouting party killed by the Indians near Thornton's Ferry; the In-
dians had ceased their predatory warfare in this vicinity; while the only sen of Paugus
known to have escaped the Pequaket slaughter was Philip, a trusted comrade of John Stark
during the Seven Years War, and a patriotic soldier in the American Revolution. — G. W.
Browne.

68 HISTORY OF HUDSON

for some time, fearing their return, or that they were lying
in wait for them. It was supposed and confirmed by reports
afterwards, that the Indians' loss, in killed and wounded*
included the entire party, except about twenty. About
midnight our men, hearing no more from the Indians, as-
sembled together and inquired into their respective situa-
tions.

" It was found that there were twenty-three men upon
the peninsula, of whom Jacob Farrar was just 'expiring by
the pond,' and Lieutenant Robbins and Robert Usher were
unable to travel.

"The Rev. Mr. Symmes says:

"'Lieut. Robbins desired his companions to charge his
gun and leave it with him, which they did; he declaring
that, 'As the Indians will come in the morning to scalp
me, I will kill one or more of them, if I can.' "

"There were eleven more of the English who were
badly wounded, viz.: Lieutenant Farwell, Mr. Frye, Ser-
geant Johnson, Timothy Richardson, Josiah Johnson, Sam-
uel Whiting, Elias Barron, John Chamberlain, Isaac Lakin,
Eleazer Davis, and Josiah Jones ; but they, however, marched
off the ground with the nine others who received no con-
siderable wounds, viz.: Ensign Wyman, Edward Ling-
field, Thomas Richardson, the two Melvins, Ebenezer
Ayre, Abial Asten, Joseph Farrar and Joseph Gilson.

"These all proceeded on their return to the fort, and
did not perceive that they were waylaid or pursued by the
enemy, though they knew our men had no provisions, and
must, therefore, be very faint. Four of the wounded men,
viz.: Farwell, Frye, Davis and Jones, after they had trav-
elled about a mile and a half, found themselves unable to go
further, and with their own free consent, the rest kept on
the march, hoping to find a recruit at the fort, and to re-
turn with fresh hands to relieve them.

" As they proceeded on, they divided into three com-
panies one morning, as they were passing a thick wood, for
fear of making a track by which the enemy might follow

lovewell's men 69

them. One of the companies came upon three Indians,
who pursued them some time ; meanwhile Elias Barron,
one of the party, strayed from the others, and got over Os-
sipee River, by the side of which his gun case was found,
and he was not heard of afterwards.

"Eleven in another party reached the fort at Ossipee,
but to their great disappointment found it deserted. The
coward who fled in the beginning of the battle ran directly
to the fort and gave the men posted there such a frightful
account of what had happened that they all fled from the
fort and made the best of their way home.

"Solomon Keyes also came to the fort. When he had
fought the battle till he had received three wounds, and
had become so weak from the loss of blood that he could
not stand, he crawled up to Ensign Wyman in the heat of
battle, and told him he was a dead man, 'but (said he), if it
is possible I will get out of the way of the Indians that
they may not get my scalp.' Keyes then crept to the side
of the pond to where he providentially found a canoe,
when he rolled himself into it, and was driven by the
wind several miles towards the fort; he gained strength
fast and reached the fort as soon as the eleven before
mentioned; and they all arrived at Dunstable on the 13th
of May at night.

" On the 15th of May, Ensign Wyman and three others
arrived at Dunstable They informed that they were desti-
tute of all kinds of food from a Saturday morning till the
Wednesday following ; when they caught two mouse squir-
rels, which they roasted whole, and found to be a sweet
morsel. They afterwards killed some partridges, and other
game, and were comfortably supplied until they got home.

" Eleazer Davis arrived at Berwick, and reported that
he and the three that were left with him, waited some
days for the return of the men from the fort, and at length
despairing of their return, though their wounds were putri-
fied and stank, and they were almost dead with famine, yet
they travelled on several miles together, till Mr. Frye de-

70 HISTORY OF HUDSON

sired Davis and Farwell not to hinder themselves any
longer on his account, for he found himself dying, and he
laid himself down, telling them he should never rise more,
and charged Davis, if it should please God to bring him
home, to go to his father and tell him that he expected in
a few hours to be in eternity, and that he was not afraid to
die. They left, and this amiable and promising young
gentleman, who had a journal of the march in his pocket,
was not heard of again.

" Lieutenant Farwell, who was greatly and no doubt
deservedly applauded and lamented, was also left by Davis
within a few miles of the fort, and was not afterwards heard
of. But Davis getting to the fort, and finding provisions
there, tarried and refreshed himself, and recovered strength
to travel to Berwick.

"Josiah Jones, another of the four wounded who were
left the day after the fight but a short distance from the
scene of action, traversed Saco River, and after a fatiguing
ramble arrived at Saco (now Biddeford) emaciated and al-
most dead from the loss of blood, the putrification of his
wounds and the want of food. He had subsisted on the
spontaneous vegetables of the forest and cranberries, etc.,
which he had eaten. He was kindly treated by the people
of Saco, and recovered of his wounds.

"Lieutenant Josiah Farwell of Dunstable and EHas
Barron of Groton were wounded and died by the way in
attempting to reach home.

"The soldier who fled from the battlefield so inglori-
ously was Benjamin Hassel, a corporal in the company.
Hassel was of Dunstable, a grandson of Joseph and Ann
Hassel, who were killed by the Indians at Dunstable in
September, 1691. His uncle, Richard Hassel, had also
been taken prisoner by the Indians. Under such circum-
stances it is not surprising that Hassel should not care to
fall into the hands of the Indians, So, in the earliest of
the fight, seeing Captain Lovewell fall by his side, the com-
pany surrounded by the Indians, and becoming separated

lovewell's men 71

from his companions in the retreat to the pond, he made
the best of his way to the fort, and by his imperfect and
exaggerated intelligence so wrought upon the fears of the
soldiers left in charge of the same that they at once deter-
mined upon a retreat. This probably was an act of pru-
dence under the circumstances, although, as it turned out,
it was very unfortunate.

"According to Hassel's account the entire command
of Lovewell had been cut off and the Indians in overwhelm-
ing numbers were in full pursuit. The fort was a mere
temporary affair, with no provisions, forty miles from any
white inhabitant, no prospect of relief in case of attack or
siege, and the little garrison, including Hassel, Kidder the
sick man, and the physician, amounted to but eleven per-
sons all told. Under such circumstances retieat was the
only alternative. At first some little blame was attached
to Hassel, but people soon began to think that he should
be excused, and only two years after, when the grant of
Suncook was made to those who were in this expedition
under Lovewell, Hassel was one of the grantees, without
any exceptions being taken on account of his conduct in,
or subsequent to the battle.

" The men who were left in the fort with Kidder were
Nathaniel Woods of Dunstable, Sergeant ; Dr. William
Ayer of Haverhill ; John Goffe of Londonderry, brother-
in-law of Kidder ; John Gilson of Groton ; Isaac Whitney
and Zachariah Whitney of Concord; Zebediah Austin of
Haverhill ; and Edward Spooney and Ebenezer Halburt of
Dunstable. The party probably arrived at Dunstable on
the 11th, of May, 1725.

" Upon hearing of this disastrous news. Governor
Dummer forthwith dispatched a company under Col. El-
eazer Tyng, of Dunstable, to search for the enemy and to
find and bury the slain. Colonel Tyng marched with his
company on the 17th of May, and encamped at Namos-
keag, now Manchester, the first night. The next day being
rainy they continued at their encampment."

72 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Colonel Tyng having taken all the effective men fronj
Dunstable, leaving the settlers in an exposed situation,
wrote to Governor Dummer the following letter, informing
him of their condition, and asking protection for them :

May it please your Honor:

This day I marched from Amoskeag, having 55 of my own men, and
32 of Capt. Whites (?)

The men are well and proceed with a great deal of life and courage.

Yesterday I was forced to lie still by reason of the rain. I would
humbly offer something to your Honor in the hehalf of our people who
are left very destitute and naked, that you would be pleased to consider
their circumstances and order what you shall think proper for their de-
fense till we return.

I am your Honors Most Ob't Servant,

ELEAZER TYNG.
Amoskeag, May 19, 1725.

Governor Dummer seems to have anticipated Colonel
Tyng's request, as he had already issued the following
order :

To Col. Flagg.

Sir, These are to empower and direct you forthwith to detatch or
impress out of the Reg't whereof you are Lieut. Coll., a sergeant and
twelve effective able bodied men, well armed for his Majesties services,
for the security and Reinforcement of Dunstable, until the return of Col.
Tyng and his company.

They must be posted at the Garrisons of Joseph Bloghead, Nath'l
Hill, John Taylour, and John Lovewell, and three Centinels in each Gar-
rison, and the sergeant in that of the four that is nearest to the centre.
The sergeant must be very careful to keep the men well upon their duty,
so as to be a good Guard and protection to the People, and you must
give him directions in writing accordingly. Let this matter be effected
with all possible dispatch.

WILLIAM DUMMER.
Boston, May 19, 1725.

" Col. Tyng and his party went to the place of action
where they found and buried the following men, viz. : Capt.
John Lovewell, Ensign Jonathan Woods, Ensign John

lovewell's men 73

Harwood and Robert Usher of Dunstable ; Jacob Fullam
of Weston ; Jacob Farrar and Josiah Davis of Concord ;
Thomas Woods, David Woods and John Jefts of Groton ;
Ichabod Johnson of Woburn ; Jonathan Kittredge of Bil-
lerica.

" Col. Tyng found where the Indians had buried three
of their own men, which were dug up, and one of them was
known to be the bold Paugus, who had been a great scourge
to Dunstable."

Paugus was a frequent visitor at Hill's garrison before
Lovewell's War, and was always treated kindly by Mrs.
Ann Hills, who often ted him when hungry. These kind
acts seemed to have been reciprocated by him, and he is
said to have always treated her with respect — sometimes
furnishing her with a delicious piece of bear meat, or doing
some other kindly act.

These traditions came down through the writer's
grandmother, Mrs. Sarah Cummings, whose mother, Sarah
(Hills) (Severance) Hale, daughter of Nathaniel and Ann
(Worm) Hills was born in the Hills garrison October 2,
1731, only six years after the memorable campaign of Cap-
tain Lovewell and his men.

CHAPTER VI

First Settlers of Hudson

The first and only grant of land within the present
precinct of this town, made prior to the incorporation of
Dunstable, which included Hudson, as far as I have been
able to learn, was five hundred acres laid out to Joseph
Hills, of Maiden, Mass., and surveyed by Jonathan Dan-
forth in 1661.

This survey was not satisfactory to the court by reason
of its being "in three places and so much length on the
river."

This grant was made, as stated by Mr. Hills in his re-
quest for a second survey, "on a double consideration, for
jC^S 6s 8d laid down in England, and for services to the
country." A second survey was ordered by the General
Court of Massachusetts, and the following return made :

According to the order of the General Court the 11th day of the 4th
month, 1662, There is added to the farm of Mr. Joseph Hills, of Maiden,
One Hundred Acres of land joining to the former Parcel, Backward from
the River; thence the Butting and Bounding of the farm are as follows:

Laid out to Mr. Joseph Hills, of Maiden, 500 acres of Land in the
Wilderness, On the Easterly side of the Merrimack River.

One Parcel of the same containing 450 Acres, Joineth to said River;
Beginning at Wattiannack Right Over Against the Island which Lyeth
at the mouth of Nashuay River, Running up Merrimack 450 poles by the
River; thence running half a point Northard of the East 148 Poles, cut-
ting Across a small Brook which Bounds it on the North, near Merri-
mack ; thence Running South and by East 406 Poles unto a Pine Tree
marked H ; from thence the closing line to the Merrimack is 106 Poles,
all of which is sufficiently Bounded by Marked Trees, the form of which
Does Better appear by a Plot Taken of the same.

Also one other Parcel of the same, about 50 Acres of Meadow, Lyeth
South East of the former Parcel, about 2 Miles Distant from it. Lying
under the North East end of a great hill called Discovery hill. Also
Bounded by other great hills on the North West and North East; a
Brook running through the Same.

FIRST SETTLERS OF HUDSON 75

Also there is Another Meadow added unto this Parcel. This was
Laid out By

JONATHAN DANFORTH,

Surveyor.

The first tract of this land as described, containing
four hundred and fifty acres, commenced at the river about
twenty-five or thirty rods south of the house of Kimball
Webster, and about sixty rods above Taylor's Falls bridge,
and extended to the river to the small brook that crosses
the road a little south of the house of Pearl T. Thomas,
and included the most fertile intervale lands in town.

The second tract of fifty acres was a part of the large
meadow still known as "Hills' Meadow." The fifty acres
of the meadow set off to Mr. Hills was the north and west
part of the same. The great hill called "Discovery Hill"
is now designated "Burns' Hill." The last tract, which
was not described by Mr. Danforth, was on the brook that
enters Otternick Pond at the east end, formerly called
Hale's Brook, but the exact boundary is unknown.

This Joseph Hills was born in the parish of Great
Burstead, Billericay, Essex, England, where he was bap-
tised in March, 1602. Not later than March, 1632, the
family moved to Maldon, also of Essex. In 1638 he came
to this country in the ship "Susan and Ellen," which ar-
rived in Boston July 17th of that year. He first located in
Charlestown. He soon became active in public affairs ;
was selectman of the town in 1644, and in 1646 represent-
ed it in the General Court. Re-elected in 1647, he was
chosen Speaker of its House of Deputies.

That part of Charlestown north of the Mystic River,
where he resided, was later set off as a separate township
and was doubtless named by him Maiden, for his last dwel-
ling place in Old England.

He was a lawyer, a leader of the militia, and held many
important offices while a resident of Maiden. Later he
removed to Newbury.

76 HISTORY OF HUDSON

In 1645, Joseph Hills was the first person named on a
committee "to set out lots to the settlers of Nashaway
plantacon."

In 1650 he was second of a committee, of which the
governor was chairman, appointed to draw up instruments
for Massachusetts delegates to a gathering where "the
commissioners of all the colonics shall meete." He was a
member of numerous other committees of equal or greater
importance.

His greatest public service was that of a leading mem-
ber of the committee which in 1648 reported to the General
Court the first codification of the laws of the colony. Mr.
D. P. Cory, one of his descendants, in a history of Maiden
published in 1899, says : " He was the actual compiler of
the laws, that he prepared the copy for the press and sup-
ervised their printing." The colony recognized the great
value of his services by money payments, and also by the
grant of lands already described, and the remission of his
taxes in his old age.

Rose Clark, the first wife of Joseph Hills, died at Mai-
den, March 24, 1650, and he married June 24, 1651, Hannah
(Smith), widow of Edward Mellows, of Charlestown, who
died about 1655. In January, 1656, he married Helen, or
Elline, or Eleanor, daughter of Hugh Atkinson, of Kendall,
Westmoreland, England, who died between the dates of
January 8, 1661, and November 10, 1662. Following the
example of Governor Bellingham, who married himself in
1641, Joseph Hills, a magistrate "for the trial of small
causes," performed the ceremony that made Miss Atkin-
son his wife, in January, 1656, but he did not escape cen-
sure, as witness the following:

The records of the court for Middlesex County show
that, April 1, 1656, "Mr. Joseph Hills of Mauldon being
presented by the Grand Jury for marrying of himself, con-
trary to the law of this Collony page 38 in ye old Booke.
Hee freely acknowledged his offense therein, and his mis-
understanding the ground whereon he went which he now

FIRST SETTLERS OF HUDSON 7/

confesseth to be unwarrantable, And was admonished by
the Court."

March 8, 1665, he married at Newbury, Ann, the widow
of Henry Lunt, of that town, and until his death made
her dwelling his home. He was totally blind the last four
years of his life, which ended February 5, 1688.

The children of Joseph and Rose (Clark) Hills : Mary,
baptised G. Burstead, Eng., November 13, 1625 ; died at
Maiden, Mass., November 25, 1674. Elizabeth, baptised
G. Burstead, October 21, 1627 ; died at Maiden. Joseph,
baptised G. Burstead, August 2, 1629; died at Maiden,
April 19, 1674. James, baptised G. Burstead, March 6,
1631 ; probably died young. John, baptised Maiden, March
21, 1632; died at Maiden, June 28, 1652. Rebecca, bap-
tised at Maiden, April 20, 1634 ; died at Maiden, June 6,
1674. Steven, baptised at Maiden, May 1, 1636 ; died at
Maiden before 1638. Sarah, baptised at Maiden, August
14, 1637; died at Maiden, August 14, 1637. Gershom,
born at Charlestown, Mass., July 27, 1639 ; died at Maiden,
between 1710 and 1721. Mehitable, born at Maiden, Jan-
uary 1, 1641 ; died at Maiden, July, 1653.

The children of Joseph and Hannah (Smith-Mellows)
Hills: Samuel, born at Maiden, July, 1652; died at New-
bury, Mass., August 18, 1732. Nathaniel, born at Maiden,
December 19, 1653; died in Maiden in 1664. Hannah,
born at Maiden; date of death unknown.

The children of Helen (Atkinson) Hills: Deborah,
born at Maiden, March — , 1657; died at Maiden, October
— , 1662. Abagail, born at Maiden, October 6, 1658; died
at Maiden, October 9, 1662.

Samuel Hills, son of Joseph and his second wife, Han-
nah Smith, born in Maiden, in July, 1652, was sergeant in
the Indian war with King Philip, and was at the Battle of
Bloody Brook, September 18, and of Narragansett, Decem-
ber 19, 1675. He married at Newbury, May 20, 1679, Abi-
gail Wheeler, daughter of David and Sarah (Wise) Wheeler
of Newbury.

78 HISTORY OF HUDSON

The children of Samuel and Abigail (Wheeler) Hills:
Samuel, born in Newbury, February 16, 1680; died irj
Rehoboth, Mass., July 27, 1732. Joseph, born in Newbury,
July 21, 1681; died in Newbury, November 6, 1745. Na-
thaniel, born in Newbury, February 9, 1683; died at Not-
tingham West (Hudson), N. H., April 12, 1748. Benja-
min, born in Newbury, October 16, 1684; died, Chester, N.
H., November 3, 1762. Abigail, born in Newbury, Sep-
tember 2, 1686; died in Newbury, August 11, 1688. Hen-
ry, born in Newbury, April 23, 1688; died in Nottingham
West, N. H., August 20, 1757. William, born in Newbury,
October 8, 1689; died in Newbury before January 20, 1724.
Josiah, born in Newbury, July 27, 1691; died in Newbury,
April 26, 1724. John, born in Newbury, September 20,
1693; died after 1734. Abigail, born in Newbury, June
27, 1695. James and Hannah, twins, born in Newbury,
February 25, 1697; died in Nottingham West after 1769.
Daniel, born in Newbury, December 8, 1700; died in colo-
nial service October 28, 1756. Smith, born at Newbury,
April 10, 1706; died in Leominster, Mass., August 23,
1786.

By the lengthy and explicit will of Joseph Hills, dated
September 14, 1687, less than five months previous to his
death, he disposed of his "Farm" in Dunstable in the fol-
lowing manner:

To his daughter Hannah, the wife of Abiel Long, he
gave ninety acres of upland at the south end and ten acres
of meadow.

To his son-in-law, John Waite, who married his eldest
daughter Mary, who died November 25, 1674, he gave forty-
five acres of upland, next to that he gave his daughter
Hannah, and five acres of meadow, with the little island at
the mouth of Nashua River, and his six-acre piece of
meadow southeast of Otternick Pond.

To his grandchildren, Hannah and Elizabeth Blanch-
ard, children of his daughter, Elizabeth (Hills) Blanchard,
he gave forty-five acres of upland and five acres of meadow
ground next to that he gave John Waite.

FIRST SETTLERS OF HUDSON 79

To his son Gershom he gave a like quantity of upland
and meadow, joining the land of said Blanchards.

To Hannah Vinton and Samuel Green, children of his
daughter Rebecca, who married Capt. Thomas Green, he
gave forty-five acres of upland and five acres of meadow
apiece next to that he gave his son Gershom.

To his granddaughter Elizabeth, daughter of Gershom,
he gave forty-six acres of upland and five acres of meadow
next to that he gave his grandchildren Vinton and Green.

All of the remainder of his "Farm " in Dunstable, both
upland and meadow, he gave to his son Samuel. This
tract of land lying on the river according to the measure-
ment of the noted surveyor, Jonathan Danforth, contained
four hundred and fifty acres.

The number of acres of this land devised, according to
his will, to his children and grandchildren by Joseph Hills,
with the exception of that portion given his son Samuel,
contained three hundred and sixty-one acres. Provided the
measurements were made correctly, the amount devised to
Samuel at the north end of the "farm" was eighty-nine
acres, besides ten acres of meadow. The land was proba-
bly not divided by actual survey to correspond with the
provisions of the will until many years later.

Three of the sons of Samuel Hills, according to tradi-
tion, were the first settlers in what is now the town of
Hudson. Their names were Nathaniel, Henry and James.

Samuel Hills, by his will, which was dated August 5,
1732, only thirteen days previous to his decease, gave his
property to his wife and seven of his sons who survived
him.

In that instrument his sons, Henry and James, are not
mentioned, which omission is explained by two deeds dated
August 22, 1721.

In one of these where Henry is the grantee his father
recites: "The natural love and affection which I have and
do bear unto my well beloved son Henry Hills * * * *
and in full of his portion of my estate," as the considera-

80 HISTORY OF HUDSON

tion for the conveyance to him of "one-half part of all * *
* * lands and meadow * * * in the town of Dunstable, in
the county of Middlesex * * * * on the easterly side of
the Merrimack River * * * which land and meadow was
granted to my honored father, Mr. Joseph Hills, late of
Newbury, deceased, and conveyed to, me by the late will
and testament of the said Joseph Hills."

For the same consideration he gave to his "well-beloved
son James Hills" the other half of the same lands. This
James Hills, the younger of the three brothers, on the 11th
of January, 1723, a few days subsequent to his marriage,
reciting in his deed that he was a resident of the new set-
tlement, sold the land he had received from his father Sam-
uel, then in Dunstable, describing it as containing sixty
acres, to Samuel Whiting, of Dunstable, one of Captain
Lovewell's famous war-party, and who was probably killed
at Pequaket, May 9, 1725, a little over two years after this
purchase.

The tract of land sold to Samuel Whiting was the
southerly part of the Samuel Hills land, and was later the
northerly portion of the Pierce farm.

The Hills brothers, Nathaniel, Henry and James, erect-
ed a garrison and settled on the land willed to their father
Samuel, and conveyed by deeds to the two last named,
Henry and James. The exact date of the building of this
garrison is not known. Mr. Fox, in his History of the Old
Township of Dunstable, page 216, says: "Hudson was
not settled until after 1710, although several tracts of land
within its bounds were granted before 1660,"

If these brothers did not commence the settlement
here until after the land was conveyed to the two younger
ones by their father Samuel, August 22, 1721, certainly
tradition is in error, and they could not be credited with
being the first settlers in what is now Hudson.

Nathaniel Hills, the eldest of the three brothers, born
in Newbury, Mass., February 9, 1683, married (published)
in Newbury, October 24, 1709, Ann Worm, Their chil-

(72
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FIRST SETTLERS OF HUDSON 81

dren were: Enoch, born March 16, 1711. Anna, born
May 5, 1712. Mary, born September 23, 1713. Martha,
born January 6, 1715. Nathaniel, born April 28, 1716.
Thaddeus, born September 20, 1718; died in Newbury,
October 12, 1718. Abner, born ; died young. Abra-
ham, born ; died young. Samuel, born September

2, 1725. Oliver, born November 18, 1727. Sarah, born
October 7, 1731.

All but the last three of these children were born in
Newbury, Mass., and these in Dunstable, N. H.

Nathaniel Hills, Sr., died in Nottingham West, now
Hudson, April 12, 1748. His wife Ann died at the same
place in 1786, said to have been aged 102 years.

Henry Hills, the second of the three brothers in point of
age, born in Newbury, Mass., April 23, 1688, married, Haver-
hill, Essex Co., Mass., September 3, 1715, Hannah, daughter
of Henry and Berthia (Emery) Bodwell, born in Methuen,

Mass., September — , 1696. He married 2d, Abigail ;

3d, in Newbury, November 11, 1736, Dorcas Thurston.

The children of Henry and Hannah (Bodwell) Hills:
Ezekiel, born in Newbury, Mass., April 11, 1718. Henry,
born in Newbury, October 22, 1719.

The children of Henry and Abigail Hills were: Eliza-
beth, born in Dunstable, now Hudson, N. H., April 17,
1726. (.?) (Dunstable Records.) Ebenezer, born in Dunsta-
ble, February 20, 1727; Jonathan, born in Dunstable, Feb-
ruary 15, 1729.

Child of Henry and Dorcas (Thurston) Hills: Benja-
min, born in Litchfield, N. H., in that part now Hudson,
December 10, 1740. There may have been other children
of this couple.

Henry Hills died August 20, 1757, aged 69 years.

James Hills, the youngest of these three brothers, and
the twin of Hannah, was born in Newbury, Mass., Febru-
ary 25, 1697. He came here and lived in the garrison be-
fore his marriage to Abigail, daughter of Daniel and Es-
ther Merrill, December 26, 1723, and then returned to
Newbury.

82 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Children of James and Abigail (Merrill) Hills: Abi-
gail, born September 5, 1725 ; died October 5, 1725. Jere-
miah, born March 1, 1727. James, born August 10, 1728;
died September 1, 1729. William, born May 23, 1730; died
September 25, 1734. Hannah, born September 25, 1731 ;
all of Newbury. Sarah, born July 2, 1735 ; married Joseph
Winn, Jr.; died August 24, 1753. Edna, born August 3,
1736; died September 1, 1753. Elijah, born March 15, 1738.

James Hills returned from Newbury as early as 1737,
and settled on a farm of about one hundred acres, which he
bought of his brother Nathaniel, and which was a part of
the nine hundred acres Nathaniel had bought of Jonathan
Tyng. This tract of land was located between the north
end of Joseph Hills* "farm" and the "Brenton Farm,"
which bounded it on the north, and extended east from the
river more than two miles. This included all that was
later known as "Hills Row." The probable reason why
Samuel Hills gave all of his land in Dunstable to his two
sons, Henry and James, and no part to Nathaniel, was that
the latter had already bought the Tyng land.

The Hills garrison stood about twenty-five rods east
of the Litchfield road, on the farm now owned by J. H.
LeGallee. A granite boulder, with the following inscrip-
tion, marks the location:

Site of the Hills Garrison.

The first settlement of Hudson, about 1710.

Erected by Kimball Webster, 1901.

Nathaniel Hills died April 12, 1748, aged 65.
Henry Hills died August 20, 1757, aged 69.

It is possible and perhaps probable that Hills garrison
was erected and the settlement commenced several years
previous to the removal of the families of Nathaniel and
Henry Hills, permanently, from Newbury.

Captain John Lovewell, with his company of forty-
six brave soldiers spent the first night after starting upon
their march to Pequawket at Hills garrison, where they
were fed by Mrs. Ann Hills with rations she had prepared

FIRST SETTLERS OF HUDSON 83

for them — cooked in a large iron kettle. She was a very
brave woman, and once saved the garrison from capture by
a party of Indians by strategem.

Three other garrisons were built in what was later the
town of Nottingham, two of which, the Joseph Blodgett,
and the John Taylor garrisons, were all built in what is
now Hudson, and the Fletcher garrison was a short dis-
tance south of the state line, in what is nowTyngsborough,
Mass. These garrisons were all built as a protection
against the Indians, either before, or during the time of
Lovewell's war, and it is the more probable that they were
all built previous to that time. The Joseph Blodgett garri-
son was located about two and one-half miles below the
mouth of the Nashua River, nearly half way between the
present river road and the Merrimack, on the farm now
owned by Philip J. Connell, which is a part of the original
Joseph Blodgett farm.

Joseph Blodgett was one of the first settlers on the
east side of the river, in what was then Dunstable.

A granite boulder with a bronze tablet marks the site
of the garrison. The inscription on the tablet is as follows :

Site of Blodgett Garrison —

Joseph and Dorothy Blodgett.

Their eldest son, Joseph, born here February 9, 1718, being the first
white child born in this town.

Kimball Webster,
1904.

Thomas Blodgett, born 1605, the emigrant ancestor of
the Blodgett Family of New England, sailed from London
in the "Increase," April 18, 1635. The family consisted
of "Thomas Blodgett, glover, aged 30 ; his wife, Susan, aged
37; a son, Daniel, aged 4; and a son, Samuel, aged 1 1-2
years." He settled in Cambridge, Mass., and was one of
the original members of Rev. Thomas Shepard's company
which founded the first church in Cambridge. He was
made a freeman in 1636, and received a grant of land. He
died in 1642, aged about 37. His will is dated August 10,

84 HISTORY OF HUDSON

1641, and was probated 1643. His widow, Susan, married
second time, February 15, 1643-4, James Thompson of
Woburn.

Samuel Blodgett, son of Thomas and Susan, born in
England, settled in Woburn.

Daniel Blodgett, son of Thomas, born in England, mar-
ried September 15, 1653, Mary Butterfield, daughter of
Benjamin and Ann Butterfield of Woburn, and Chelmsford,
Mass. He removed from Cambridge to Chelmsford, and
there his children were born. His wife, the mother of
seven children, died September 5, 1666; he married, second,
March 10, 1669, Sarah Underwood, who was the mother of
two sons. He died January 28, 1672.

Thomas Blodgett, son of Daniel ^ born in Chelmsford,
June 25, 1654, lived in Chelmsford. He married June 29,
1682, Mary Parkhurst, daughter of Joseph Parkhurst; she
died September 9, 1694. He married, second, July 8, 1696,
Mary Druse of Groton, Mass.

Joseph Blodgett, son of Thomas ^ and Mary (Park-
hurst) Blodgett, born in Chelmsford, October 10, 1689;
married Dorothy Perham, daughther of Joseph Perham,
born July 9, 1696. This is the same Joseph Blodgett that
built the garrison, sometime previous to the beginning of
Lovewell's war, and where his eldest son was born, prob-
ably February 9, 1718, athough the records place it one
year later. This was the first white child born in this
town.

The old Dunstable records give the births of children of
Joseph and Dorothy Blodgett as follows: Joseph Blodgett,
born February 9, 1719; Ebenezer, born January 3, 1720;
Jeremiah, born July 20, 1721; Dorothy, born Febuary 18,
1723-4; Rebecca, born February 3, 1728; Jonathan, born
December 5, 1730.

We also find recorded on the Nottingham records an-
other birth, James, born February 17, 1734. They prob-
ably had another daughter, Abigail, who married in this
town May 27, 1744, Samuel Greeley, son of Samuel and

FIRST SETTLERS OF HUDSON 85

Ra'chel Greeley, born May 11, 1721. They resided in this
!tovvn until about 1767 when they removed to Wilton. After
his death his widow, Abigail, returned here, where she
died March 18, 181S, in the 95th year of her age. (Inscrip-
tion, Blodgett Cemetery.)

The date of the birth of Joseph Blodgett, given as
February 9, 1719, on the Dunstable records, is believed to
be an error of one year. The inscription on his head stone
in the Blodgett Cemetery gives the date of his death on
August 16, 1801, in the 84th year of his age, which would
place his birth as in the year 1718.

Again, the record places the birth of his brother, Eb-
enezer, January 3, 1720, which would leave less than eleven
months between the two births, which might be possible
but not very probable.

The date upon the tablet at the site of the Blodgett
garrison, for the birth of Joseph, is February 9, 1718, which
is believed to be correct.

In my experience with the ancient town records I have
observed very many similar errors of one or more years in
the dates of births and deaths, in cases where the age is
given at date of death.*

Dorothy Blodgett, born February 18, 1723-4; married
first — Thompson, second Onesipherous Marsh of this town.
They resided here until about 1755, when they removed to
Hollis, and later to Plymouth, N. H. Rebecca Blodgett,
born February 3, 1728, married Samuel Merrill, Jr., son of
Samuel and Susanna Merrill of this town. He died Sep-
tember 16, 1758, and is said to have been killed in the
French and Indian war.

The Joseph Blodgett farm, upon which the garrison
was built, extended from the Merrimack River to Hills
meadow, a distance of more than one and a half miles, and
contained about 200 acres, including the farm now owned
by Hannah E. Connell, the summer home of Herman A.

* Kimball Webster.

86 HISTORY OF HUDSON"

Morse, a part of the farm of the heirs of Luther Pollard,
and lands of Austin J. and Vinnie Blodgett and Susan C,
Greeley, and possibly others.

The descendants of Joseph and Dorothy Blodgett be-
came very numerous, among which have been, and at pres-
ent (1912) are, many distinguished men of New Hampshire,
Massachusetts, and other states.

He died December 3, 1761. His wife, Dorothy, died
March 6, 1778. They were buried in the Blodgett ceme-
tery, where the inscriptions upon their head stones may be
easily read.

Tradition says that he was a small, wiry man, and that
he moved up the river to his farm in a canoe.

The John Taylor garrison was located upon that part
of the Joseph Hills farm, containing forty-five acres, that
was willed to Gershom Hills by his father, Joseph, which
farm is now owned and occupied by Charles W. Spalding,
and was situated about equal distance between the Derry
road and the Litchfield road as they at present exist.

The exact location where it stood is still known, and
has been pointed out to the writer. Some pieces of timber
that entered into the construction of this garrison are still
preserved by Mr. Spalding.

Very little is know of this John Taylor. He was as-
sessed here from the date of the incorporation of Notting-
ham in 1733 to 1741, inclusive. He probably removed from
this town about 1742, or possibly he may have died about
that time, as we find no further reference in relation to
him upon the records. The Dunstable records give births
of children of John and Sarah Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor,
born December 10, 1710, and that a son was born to them
January 16, 1726; the first of which probably took place
while he resided on the west side of the Merrimack, before
he built the garrison.

The falls in the Merrimack, about one mile below his
farm, now covered by flowage from the dam at Lowell,
called Taylor's Falls, probably derived the name from this
John Taylor.

FIRST SETTLERS OF HUDSON 87

The Fletcher garrison, also in Nottingham, was situ-
ated a little south of the line as established in 1741, be-
tween the provinces of Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
It was located near the River road, a short distance south
of the state line, now Tyngsborough, Mass., and was occu-
pied by Capt. Robert Fletcher.

Thus it will be seen that the Hills garrison was situ-
ated very near the north line of Nottingham as it was in-
corporated in 1733. John Taylor's garrison was situated
about one-half a mile south of the Hills garrison, and the
Joseph Blodgett garrison was located about three miles
southerly from the Taylor garrison, and the Fletcher gar-
rison was situated nearly three miles southerly from the
Blodgett garrison, no one of which was more than one-half
a mile from the Merrimack.

Probably during Lovewell's war there may have been
a few other families residing on the east side of the river,
who depended upon the garrison houses for protection in
case of trouble with the Indians.

CHAPTER VI r

Grants and Counter Grants

The early histories of all the towns in lower New
Hampshire and northern Massachusetts are largely taken
up with the settlements of boundary disputes, arising mainly
in the beginning from a misconception regarding the true
course of the Merrimack River, which was supposed to be
from the west, no one dreaming of the abrupt bend made
by the river three miles below the present line between
the states. The records of the Massachusetts Bay Com-
pany, after describing the country to the south of the
Merrimack, says:

And also all singular the lands and preditaments whatsoever which
lie, & be within the space of three English miles to the Northward of said
river Called " Monomack," alias " Merry mack," or to the northward of
any and every part thereof.

Owing to this misconception dual grants were made
by the rival provinces which made much trouble and cre-
ated in some instances bitter feelings on the part of the
colonists, many of whom were in no way responsible or to
blame for the situation. Though escaping, in a measure,
the rancor arising among the inhabitants of the grants up
the river, the settlement of Hudson, or Nottingham, as it
was first known, was influenced by this state of affairs.

The first grant affecting the condition of Hudson, how-
ever, was free from this influence. This was the grant of
the old township of Dunstable by the General Court of
Massachusetts Bay Colony, October 16, 1673, which em-
braced a very large tract of land, and included within its
bounds the following towns and parts of towns: Hudson,
Nashua, Hollis, portions of Amherst, Milford, Merrimack,
Litchfield, Londonderry, Pelham and Brookline, in New

GRANTS AND COUNTER GRANTS 89

Hampshire; Dunstable, Tyngsborough, and portions of
Pepperell and Townsend, in Massachusetts.

The first inroad made upon this extensive territory
was attempted when Governor Shute of New Hampshire
granted to the Scotch-Irish colony the township of Lon-
donderry, and which included a part of the present town of
Hudson, and which was made to John Moore and one hun-
dred and seventeen others upon June 21, 1722.

These colonists were of a distinct type from any who
had previously settled in New England. They were of
Scottish descent, with a character founded during the
stormy period of the early struggles of Scotland against
the royal and ecclesiastical tyranny of England. Finally
their situation becoming more and more unsatisfactory and
hopeless, a considerable number of them emigrated to the
northern counties of Ireland, which had been almost de-
populated through the devastations of war. This was iij-
1612, and these refugees soon learned that the same op-
pression was to wreak its work upon them here. Thus,
after a bitter conflict lasting over a hundred years in that
country, their descendants began to look towards New
England as their haven of refuge. One of their number,
the Rev. William Boyd, came as an advance agent, and his
account was so flattering that about seventy-five, under the
leadership of Rev. James McGregor, landed in Boston,
August 14, 1718.

Flattering prospects were held out to induce them to
settle on the Maine coast, and hither about twenty of them
removed soon after their arrival. The balance remained
in Boston during the fall and winter. In the meantime
they had been seen by Capt. John Goffe and John Moore,
who encouraged them to settle in what was known as "The
Nutfield Country," from the great abundance of chestnuts,
walnuts and butternuts growing there. These two men
had begun negotiations for land there, and the first of
April sixteen families went to Haverhill, Mass., reaching
that town the second day of the month. From thence

90 HISTORY OF HUDSON

some of the men, under the guidance of Captain Goffe,
pushed forward into the new country. They were so well
pleased with the prospect, that they immediately began
the construction of rude dwellings for themselves, and on
April 11 they had removed their families hither, to begin
housekeeping at once.

The names of the male members of this hardy little
band of pioneers were Rev. James McGregor, Alexander
McGregor, Alexander Nichols, James Nichols, James Blair,
Alexander Walker, Robert Boyes, Samuel Graves, Joseph
Simonds, David Cargill, David Cargill, Jr., Archibald Cien-
denin, James Nesmith, James Clark, Elias Keyes, John Bar-
nett, James McKeen, James Gregg, James Morrison, John
Morrison, Allen Anderson, Thomas Steele and Robert
Weare. The seven last named had been among those who
went to Casco the fall before, but had not been satisfied with
the prospect there.* To this list of twenty-three should
be added the name of John Goffe, who, though of English
descent, linked his fortune with the others. I only wish I
had the names of the brave and equally energetic women
who accompanied their husbands into this wilderness.

The following September a petition was sent to the
Court of New Hampshire for the "power of government
and town privileges." Anxious to secure a valid title to
their possessions, in October, 1719, Mr. James McGregor
and Samuel Graves were chosen to obtain a sale of the
land from Col. John Wheelwright of Wells, Maine, a grand-
son of Rev. John Wheelwright, who claimed to have pur-
chased of the Indians a tract of land extending from the
Pascataqua River to the Merrimack, and from the Massa-
chusetts line thirty miles northward. This was the famous
Wheelwright deed, which has caused so much discussion
in regard to its being genuine or not, and upon which his-

* From the fact that these people had come here from Ireland, where they and their an-
cestors had lived for over a century, they were largely known as " Irish " among the early
English settlers. Later they were termed " Scotch-Irish," which name has clung to them,
though opinions differ as to whether it is correct or not. — G. W. B.

GRANTS AND COUNTER GRANTS 91

torians are not yet agreed. It was purported to have been
signed by Passaconnaway, Sagamon of the Pennacooks;
Runnawit, Chief of the Pawtuckets; Wahhangnowit, Chief
of the Swampscots; and Rowls, Chief of the Newichewan-
nocks, and dated May 17, 1629.

The deed from John Wheelwright to the Londonderry
colonists was dated October 20, 1719, and specified "Unto
James McGregor, Samuel Graves, David Cargill, James
McKeen, James Gregg, and one hundred more mentioned
in a list, by virtue of a deed or grant made to my grand-
father, a minister of the gospel, a tract of land not to ex-
ceed tenn miles square, and bounded as follows," etc.

There was some delay in getting the charter, but this
was granted June 21, 1722, in the name of George the
First, and signed by Samuel Shute, Governor of New
Hampshire. It covered a tract of land about ten miles
square, incorporated under the name of Londonderry, so
called from the city in Ireland from whence many of them
had come.

The first comers to Londonderry settled along West-
Running Brook, now Beaver Brook, and the energy with
which they went to work is shown by the fact that within a
year a two-story dwelling house was built for the minister;
inside of two years a meeting house and four school houses
were erected. In that space of time, too, they had con-
structed mills, and begun the manufacture of linen, an im-
portant product in that day. So they became the pioneer
manufacturers in this country. In fact, before this time
they had begun the manufacture of linen cloth in Boston,
arousing the people to the importance of that industry, and
inaugurating what was known as "the spinning craze," car-
ried to such an extent that work was carried on at Boston
Common, and the whirl of the wheel was heard from sunrise
to sunset, while the folk went about proudly clad in gar-
ments of their weaving.

Mr. Parker, in his History of Londonderry, speaking
of this industry, says: "To the hand-card, foot-wheel and

92 HISTORY OF HUDSON

the loom, the common implements of manufacture in al-
most every family, was the town principally indebted for
its early prosperity and wealth. Of such superior quality
was the linen, the thread and the fabrics manufactured in
Londonderry, that they commanded not only a more ready
sale, but a higher price than those produced elsewhere."

They raised their own flax, and also introduced the
potato, which had been unknown in this country before.
The complete lack of knowledge concerning this item of
food is shown by the anecdote current at that time, and
told at the expense of some of the good settlers in An-
dover, Mass. A few potatoes left with a family for seed
were planted according to directions, and like Mr. Finney's
turnip, "they grew and they grew," but the raisers were at
a loss what to do with them. Finally, as the little apples
that succeeded the blossoms grew into sizable shape these
were plucked and boiled, but the most ravenous could not
eat them. Then some were baked, and still they proved
anything but palatable. They were stewed and cooked in
all the various ways the ingenious housewife could think
of, and still they failed to be relished. So the little patch
was left to the mercies of the weeds, and, while the potato
might do well for a Scotch-Irishman, it was unsuitable to
the English taste. The following spring the plow turned
out some bouncing specimens which had escaped the win-
ter frosts, and with a suspicion that the previous trial had
been misplaced, these were cooked and eaten with great
manifestations of delight.

The south-western boundary of Londonderry, as de-
scribed in its charter, reached an angle about northeast
from Taylor's Falls bridge, and within two miles of the
Merrimack River. From thence the western boundary
line ran due north by the needle eleven and one-half miles.
This plan included ten thousand acres of the township of
Old Dunstable, which had been incorporated forty-nine
years before by the Massachusetts Bay colony. Four thou-
sand six hundred acres of this territory are within the pres-

'GRANTS AND COUNTER GRANTS 9S

■ent limits of Hudson, so the inhabitants of our town had a
personal interest in this grant to the Scotch-Irish.

This tract became known as the •' Londonderry Claim,"
and a bitter controversy arose between the English settlers
and the Scotch-Irish, the former holding their title from
the Massachusetts courts and the latter from New Hamp-
shire. This civil war continued with increasing bitterness
until the boundary line was fixed between the provinces in
May, 1741, when it was conceded that the charter of Lon-
donderry held the debatable territory. Before this an im-
portant step had been taken relative to the jurisdiction
over that territory now comprising the town of Hudson.

In 1731 the inhabitants of Dunstable residing in that
part of the township lying east of the Merrimack, peti-
tioned the town of Dunstable to be set off as a separate
township; and by a vote passed at the annual meeting of
that town, March 2, 1732, the petition was granted, to take
effect "when the General Court shall judge them capable."

Consent was obtained from the Assembly of Massa-
chusetts, and the new township was incorporated by the
General Court of Massachusetts under the name of Not-
tingham, January 4, 1733, as follows:

Charter of Nottingham, January 4, 1732-3.

Whereas the inhabitants of the town of Dunstable, on the easterly
side of the river Merrimack, labor under great difficulties on their atten-
dance on public worship of God, and therefore have addressed this court
that they may be set off a separate and distinct township, that they may
be vested with all powers and privileges of a town.

Be it therefore enacted by his Excellency, the Governor, Council and
Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the
same :

That all the lands on the easterly side of the river Merrimack, be-
longing to the town of Dunstable, be and hereby are set off and consti-
tuted a separate township by the name of Nottingham, and that the in-
habitants of the said lands be, and hereby are, accordingly endowed and
vested with all the powers, privileges, immunities and advantages which
other towns of this Province by law have and enjoy.

And the inhabitants of the said town of Nottingham are hereby en-
joined and required, within the space of three years from the publication

94 HISTORY OF HUDSON

of this Act, to procure and settle a learned Orthodox minister of goorf
conversation, and make provision for his comfortable and honorable sup-
port.

Passed January 4; Published January 6, 1732-3.

By the terms of this charter the township of Notting-
ham included "all the lands on the easterly side of the
river Merrimack belonging to the town of Dunstable," and
extended from the Dracut line on the south, up the Merri-
mack, about seventeen miles, to near Reed's Ferry, and
included the greater part of Litchfield, about one-third of
Pelham, nearly all that part of Tyngsborough, Mass., on
the east side of the Merrimack, and all the present town of
Hudson, excepting the "Londonderry claim," the owner-
ship of which was in dispute between the towns of Dun-
stable and Londonderry.

An order from the General Court of Massachusetts,
dated April 4, 1733 — three months subsequent to the date
of the charter — directed to "Mr. Robert Fletcher, one of
the principal inhabitants of Nottingham," authorizing him
"to assemble and convene the inhabitants of said Town to
choose Town officers to stand until the annual meeting in
March next."

A warrant was accordingly issued by Mr. Fletcher as
follows:

The general court's order directed to me Being date April ye 4, to
notify and warn a Town meeting in obedience to said order. I have noti-
fied ye free Holders and other Inhabitants of ye town of Nottingham To
meet at ye Hous of Insign John Snow, in Nottingham one Tuesday ye
first day of May 1733, at ten of ye clock in ye forenoon to choose Towi»

officers as ye Law directs.

ROBERT FLETCHER.

The inhabitants of Nottingham met and made "choys
of Cpt. Robert Fletcher Moderator for this inst'"8 In ye
year 1733 May ye first day, ye free Holders and other in-
habitants at a general Town meeting at Insign John Snows

"Henry Baldwin Town Clerk. Henry Baldwin first
Selectman, Capt. Robert Fletcher ye Second Selectman,
John Taylor ye Third Selectman, Joseph Snow ye Fourth

•GilANTS AND COUNTER GRANTS 95

Selectman, John Butler ye Fifth Selectman. Joseph Ham-
^tet Constable. Insign John Snow Town Treasurer. Na-
thaniel Hills Tythingma-n.

James Perham, )

Joseph Winn, V Surveyors.

Eleazer Cummings. )

Thomas Colburn, ) t- ^r-

Samuel Butler. | ^^"^ Viewers

Edward Spalding, ) i-- , , r-. ■
Jonathan Perham.[^^^^^^"^^^^-
Phineas Spalding, } jj r,
John Hamlet. I "^^ ^^''^^'

Henry Baldwin, Town Clerk."

The first tax-list for 1733 was made up of the following
names:

Captain Robert Fletcher, Ezekiel Fletcher,
Daniel Fletcher, Joseph Perham,

Jeremiah Colburn, Jonathan Perham,

Zaccheus Spalding, Deacon Joseph Perham,
James Perham, Captain Joseph Butterfield,

Hugh Richardson, Samuel Gould,

Ensign John Snow, Phineas Spalding,

Zaccheus Lovewell, Thomas Pollard,

Eleazer Cummings, William Cummings,
Eleazer Cummmgs, Jr., Ebenezer Spalding,

Nathaniel Hills, Ephraim Cummings»

Joseph Snow, Thomas Colburn,

Joseph Blodgett, Nathan Cross,

John Taylor, Jabez Davis,

Henry Hills, Edward Spalding,

Benjamin Adams, Aquilla Underwood,

Samuel Moores, Thomas Wartels,
Capt. Robert Richardson, Ebenezer Wright,

Edward Lingfield, John

John Butler, John Butler, Jr.,

Samuel Butler, Joseph Hamblet, Jr,

Josiah Winn, Henry Baldwin,

HISTORV OF HUDSON"

Thomas Cummings,
James Walker,
Jonas Proctor,
Joseph Winn,
William Harwood,

Joseph Wright,,
Joseph Hamblety
John Hamblet,
Benjamin Hassel,
Samuel Murdough,

Robert Walker.

This tax-list contains fifty-five names, of which the
first twelve, and also Phineas Spalding and Samuel Mur-
dough, were all residents of that part of the town which by
the settlement of the Province line in 1741 fell into Massa-
chusetts, and later became a part of the town of Tyngs-
borough. The eight next following the names of Henry
Hills and Edward Spalding were residents in what is now
Litchfield. Nine inhabited the east part of the town that
was taken into Pelham as incorporated July 6, 1746. These
tax-payers were:

John Butler, John Butler, Jr.,

Samuel Butler, Joseph Hamblet, Jr.,

Josiah Winn, Joseph Hamblet,

John Hamblet, Henry Baldwin,

Joseph Wright.

Six of those assessed in 1733 were either transients or
non-residents, as they were not assessed here after that
year. These names were:

Thomas Cummings,
James Proctor,
Joseph Walker,

Robert Walker,
Benjamin Hassel,
William Harwood.

Thus it appears that the total number of tax-payers in
1733, residents in that part of Nottingham that is now
within the present limits of Hudson, was but eighteen.

The names of those men were:
Ensign John Snow, Zaccheus Lovewell,

Thomas Pollard, Ebenezer Cummings,

William Cummings, Eleazer Cummings, Jr.,

Ebenezer Spalding, Nathaniel Hills,

GRANTS AND COUNTER GRANTS

Ephraim Cummings,
Joseph Winn,
Joseph Blodgett,
John Taylor,
Henry Hills,

Joseph Snow,
Thomas Colburn,
Nathan Cross,
Jabez Davis,
Edward Spalding.

The most thickly settled part of the town included
what was formerly the Joseph Hills grant already men-
tioned, upon which ten of the eighteen families above enu-
merated were residents.

CHAPTER VIII

Pioneer Families

A brief sketch of these eighteen men, the pioneer set-
tlers of Hudson, the ancestors of many of its present resi-
dents, showing so far as is known the places where they
settled, may not be uninteresting in this connection.

First, the settlers of "Hills Farm," beginning with
Eleazer Cummings.

Isaac Cummings, the emigrant, was a resident of
Watertown before 1636, where he was the owner of land.
Later he became a permanent resident of Topsfield, where
he was deacon of the church for many years. He died in
May, 1667, aged 66 years. His children were: John'^, born

1630; Isaac^, born 1633; Elizabeth'^ born ; married

John Jewett of Rowley, April 2, 1661; Ann^ born ;

married John Pease of Salem, October 8, 1669; John Cum-
mings*^, (Isaac^), born 1630; married Sarah, daughter of
Thomas and Alice (French) Howlet, of Ipswich, Mass.
He received by his father's will the homestead, con-
sisting of 40 acres, with houses, barns, orchards and fences,
and in 1680 sold the same to Edward Kneeland. About
1658 he removed to Boxford, Mass.

Both he and his wife were members of the church in
Topsfield, December 7, 1685, when, they were dismissed
"to the church to be shortly gathered at Dunstable."
(Topsfield Church Records.)

He removed with his family to Dunstable about 1680.
He died December 1, 1700. Sarah, his wife, died Decem-
ber 7, 1700.

Children: — John^ born , 1657, in Boxford; Thom-

as^ born October 6, 1658; Nathaniel, born September 10,
1659; Sarah^ born January 27, 1661; married Lieut. Sam-
uel French, December 28, 1682; Abraham^ born ;

PIONEER FAMILIES 99

*Isaac^ born ; died November 2, 1688; *Ebenezer^

born ; died November 2, 1688; tWilliam^ born August

6, 1671; died March 30, 1672; tEleazer^ born August 5,
1671; Benjamin^ born February 23, 1673; SamueP, born
December 28, 1677.

John Cummings^ (John^ IsaacS) born in Boxford,
1657; married September 13, 1680; Elisabeth Kinsley,
born in Braintree, November 22, 1657. She was called
"Goody" Cummings. They settled on the Nathan Cutler
place, on the Lowell road, about one mile north of the
south line of Nashua, where "Goody" Cummings was killed
by the Indians, July 3, 1706. He was also wounded, hav-
ing an arm broken, but escaped to a swamp about one-half
a mile south, where he remained in hiding until the next
morning when he escaped to "Farwell's Block-house."

Children: John^ born July 7, 1682; Samuel*, born
October 6, 1684; Elizabeth'', born January 5, 1687; married
Joseph French, son of Samuel and Sarah (Cummings)
French, born March 10, 1687; Hannah^ born May 20, 1690
in Groton; Ebenezer'*, born in Woburn, September 17,
1695; died September 5, 1724, killed by the Indians with
seven others; Anna*, born September 14, 1798; Lydia*,
born xMarch 24, 1701; died April, 1701; William*, born
April 24, 1702; settled in Hudson.

Thomas Cummings", (John-, Isaac^), born in Boxford,
October 6, 1658; married December 19, 1688, Priscilla,
daughter of Samuel and Mercy (Swan) Warner, born Sep-
tember 25, 1666. He died October 23, 1722, and was,
buried in the ancient cemetery at South Nashua, where his
head stone still remains.

Children: Priscilla*, born October 1, 1689; died Sep-
tember 13, 1728; Mary*, born April 25, 1692; married Lieut.
Oliver Farwell, born 1691, who was killed by the Indians
at Natticook, September 5, 1724, aged 33; Thomas*, born

* Killed by the Indians and remained unburied until November 28.
t Twins.

100 HISTORY OF HUDSON

October 24, 1694; died June 2, 1695; Sarah*, born Septem-
ber 15, 1696; Ann*, born February 6, 1699; Thomas*, born
April 10, 1701; Jonathan*, born July 3, 1703; settled in
Merrimack, N. H. ; Ephraim*, born March 10, 1706, settled
in Hudson; Samuel*, born April 12, 1708.

Nathaniel Cummings'', (John^ Isaac\)born in Boxford
September 10, 1659; married April 14, 1697, Abigail Park-
hurst, of Chelmsford, and settled in Dunstable. His widow
was living February 23, 1729, with her son John, who gave
a bond for her support.

Children: John*, born January 14,1698; Nathaniel*,
born September 8, 1699; Eleazer*, born October 19, 1701;
Joseph*, born May 26, 1704.

Abraham Cummings^, (John^, Isaac\) born in Boxford,
removed with his father to Dunstable about 1680. He
married February 28, 1687, Sarah Wright, of Woburn,
where the births of his children are recorded, with the ex-
ception of Josiah's, which is recorded in Dunstable.

Children: Abraham*, born October 7, 1690; Joseph*,
born September 1, 1692; Sarah*, born February 10, 1694;
Jacob*, born January 3, 1696; Josiah*, born July 12, 1698;
Eleazer*, born April 9, 1704.

Eleazer Cummings*, (NathanieP, John^ IsaacS) born
in Dunstable, October 19, 1701, settled on the southerly
end of the Joseph Hills farm which was willed to Hannah
Vinton and Samuel Green, containing ninety acres.

The deed dated August 1, 1728, was as follows:

To all people unto whom this Deed of sale shall come, Benjamin
Long, Hannah Rogers and Thomas Rogers, Jun., Husband of i-aid Han-
nah Rogers, all of ye town of Newbury, in ye County of Essex, in ye
Province of ye Massachusetts Bay in New England, sendeth greeting.

Know ye that for and in consideration of ye sum of two hundred and
fifty Pounds money to us in hand paid, and by bond secuied to us before
the signing and sealing hereof, Have given, granted, bargained, sold, and
do by these presents fully, freely and absolutely give, grant, sell, alienate,
confirm and make over unto Eleazer Cummings, Sen., in ye County of
Middlesex in ye Province above named, A certain parcel of land lying in
ye township of Dunstable, being ninety acres of upland and ten acres of

PIONEER FAMILIES 101

Meadow, being originally the land of Mr. Joseph Hills, late of Newbury,
deceased, which land and meadow is at that end of said Hills farm lying
next to Chelmsford, and was given to our honored mother, Hannah Long
by ye last will and te«tament of her Honored father Joseph Hills.

The said ten acres of meadow is bounded as followeth. Viz. South-
westward by meadow about eighteen poles, Southeasterly by upland
about fifty poles and about 11 poles by meadow, bounded northeasterly
by meadow about 38 poles, bounded westerly by upland in crooked lines
about fifty-two poles to a white oak tree marked by a rock, thence it is
bounded by upland in a crooked line about 36 poles. The Southeast and
Northeast cornors are stakes, the South west and North west corner.s aie
rocks and stones layed upon them.

To Have and to Hold all of the above mentioned ninety acres of up-
land and ten acres of meadow together with all the pti\iltges and apper-
tenances thereon or in any ways thereunto appertaining, to him the said
Eleazer Cummings his heirs Executors Administrators assigns forever, to
his and their proper use, benefit or behoof forever.

And we the said Benjamin Long, Hannah Rogers and Thomas Rog-
ers, for ourselves our heirs executors administiators, do promise, covenant
and grant to and with the above said Eleazer Cun mings, his heirs Ex-
ecutors Administrators and a.ssigns, that before ye signing and sealing
hereof, we are the true sole and lawful owners of all ye above bargained
premises, and have ourselves good right, full power, and lawful authority
to make this sale in form and manner as aforesaid. And that ye said Elea-
zer Cummings, his heirs and assigns shall have, hold, use, occupy, possess
and enjoy all ye above demised premises, with the appurtenances, free
and clear from all former or other sales, gifts, grants, thirds dowers, wills,
mortgages, or any other incumbrances whatever.

And furthermore we the above said Benjamin Long, Hannah Rogers
and Thomas Rogers, for ourselves and our heirs Executors and Admin-
istrators do covenant and promise to and with the above named Eleazer
Cummings his heirs Executors Administrators and assigns to secure war-
rantise maintain and defend all and every part of je above demised prem-
ises against the lawful claims of any person or persons whatsoever.

In witness and for confirmation of all above written we the above
named Benjamin Long, Hannah Rogers and Thomas Rogers have here-
unto set our hands and seals, this first day of August, in ye second year
of ye reign of our Sovereign Lord, George ye Second, King of Great
Britain, &c. Anno Dom. 1728.
signed sealed and delivered Benjami.n Long, [seal]

in presence of us Witnesses.

Hannah Rogers, [seal]

John Huse,

Thomas Rogers, Jr. [seal]
Mary Rogers.

102 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Essex, Newbury the first day of August, 1728, the within nanied Ben-
jamin Long and Hannah Kogers and Thomas Rogers, Junior, Personally

acknowledged this instrument, and Sarah long • gave up her right

of dower in and to the same, before me

EDWARD SARGENT

Justice of the Peace.
Sarah Long above named is the wife of Benjamin Long, acknowl-
edged before me

BENJAMIN SARGENT

Justice of the Peace.
Cambr, July 15, 1730.

Received and entered in the Registry of Deeds for said County I ib.
31 Pa 450-1.
Attest

IRA FOXCROFT.
Reg.

This farm of ninety acres, and later known as the Cum-
mings farm, was bounded southerly by the south line of
the Joseph Hills grant, commencing at the Merrimack
River about 60 rods above Taylor's Falls bridge, thence
easterly to near the south-west corner of the Spruce Swamp,
so called, about 106 rods. It included the farm of Aldon
E. Cummings, which was the north half of the oiiginal
farm, and also the greater part of the homestead of Kim-
ball Webster, with the north part of the homestead of the
late Mrs. Sarah H. Whittier.

Mr. Cummings invested all his capital in the purchase
of his farm, and did not immediately erect a house. He was
engaged quite extensively, during that part of the year
suited to the business, in gathering turpentine.

This was done by "boxing" the large white pine trees
with a hatchet made for that purpose, and called a "turpen-
tine hatchet." These boxes, as they were called, were made
by cutting a cavity into the trunks of large trees in such a
way that it would hold a considerable quantity of the liquid
turpentine, which would gather in them in warm weather,
in the spring and summer season.

This was removed from the boxes, stored in barrels,
and sold for use in the Royal Navy of England.

PIONEER FAMILIES 103

Mr. Cummings, then a single man, while engaged in
the turpentine business, improving his land for a farm, and
erecting a two-story dwelling house for his future residence
boarded with Mr. Nathan Cross, on the farm adjoining his
own upon the north.

How long this continued is not known, but probably
two or three years, or until he had completed his house so
far as to be habitable. After the completion of the build-
ing, and until his first marriage, which may have been two,
or more years, he resided in his new house alone, being his
own cook and housekeeper.

At that time a band of friendly Indians resided, at least
a part of the time, on the small island at the mouth of the
Nashua river, which at that period, and for more than a
hundred years later, was an island in fact, but v^^hich now
forms the point between the Merrimack and the Nashua.

He related that many nights while alone in his house
he could hear the Indians carousing all night, and on cross-
ing the river in his canoe the next morning he would find
nearly the whole band intoxicated.

Possibly it is now known to but very few, that a band
of Indians from Maine, said to have been of the Penobscot
tribe, visited the same island in 1834. They paddled their
bark canoes along the coasts of Maine and New Hamp-
shire, and up the Merrimack river.

There was a considerable number of men, women and
children, and they remained a long time during the summer
and autumn of that year. The writer, then about six years
of age, distinctly recalls the fact of crossing the river in a
boat with his mother, and visiting the Indian camp com-
posed of quite a number of real Indian wigwams. She
traded ears of green corn for small fancy baskets made
by the squaws. Here, about the junction of the two rivers
— the Merrimack and the Nashua — and on both sides of the
Merrimack, had long been a favorite location for the Indi-
ans, and fields upon these fertile alluvial intervales had
been cultivated by them for many years for the production

104 HISTORY OF HUDSON

of corn and other vegetables, especially on the east side of
the river.

Here also they buried their dead. The writer, in
1859, when excavating for the cellar over which his house
was built, and where he now resides, 1912, soon made the
discovery that he was at work in an ancient Indianburying
ground. This is situated nearly opposite to, but a little be-
low the mouth of the Nashua, on a sandy knoll not more
than twelve or fourteen rods from the east bank of the
Merrimack.

It is very true that human remains were in but few of
the many graves discovered — probably not more than half
a dozen. No account was taken of the number of graves
opened, but I believe we dug out more than thirty in all.
They were nearly all of a comparatively uniform length and
depth — from two and a half to thee feet deep and from four
to nearly five feet in length. There was seen a thin streak
or vein of a black substance at the bottom of the graves
opened, which would seem to indicate that after a grave had
been opened a fire was first kindled in it before the body
was placed therein. The black vein in the bottom made it
very easy to discover the ancient graves, even when noth-
ing else remained visible.

The material of the earth throughout the entire exca-
vation was fine sand.

The legs of the bodies buried were folded back at the
knees, as I have found to be true of all Indian burials that
I have discovered in this section of the country. This ac-
counts for the shortness of the graves.

In one grave, I found the bones almost perfect, and
covered with pine bark which was in a good state of pres-
ervation. When the bark was lifted the straight, black hair
was plainly to be seen about the head, but after exposure
it soon disappeared, or immediately turned to dust. In
another grave was the skeleton of an adult almost perfect.

In several others, traces of bones were visible. Buried
a few inches above such remains of bones or charcoal in

CHARLES E. CUMMINGS

PIONEER FAMILIES 105

one of the graves was found the back part of a box tortoise
shell which was in perfect condition, and which may have
been used as a drinking vessel by the Indians, or for some
other domestic purpose. In several graves were found
chips of flint and in several others round or oval, smooth
stones of from one to two pounds weight, each of which
was slightly nicked on four sides, as though having been
slung as a war club or for some other purpose.

Probably this spot had been used by the Indians on
both sides of the Merrimack as a burial place for their
dead, perhaps for many generations. Only a small portion
of the burying ground was dug over. How far it extended
outside of that I have no means of knowing.

Many stone implements have formerly been found
upon this sandy knoll, which extends north and south par-
allel with the Merrimack for several hundred feet. Con-
siderable quantities of pottery have been found by the
writer along the bank of the river.

Mr. Cummings, finding, as he did, these corn fields all
ready for the plow, had a comparatively easy task, during
the first years of his settlement here, to produce corn and
other vegetables sufficient to supply his needs. He mar-
ried first, July 28, 1734, Mary Varnum, born in Dracut,
June 28, 1706, O. S. The house erected by Mr. Cummings
was located very nearly opposite the mouth of the Nashua
River upon a rise about twenty rods almost directly north
of the present dwelling house of Kimball Webster. The
house was of solid construction, two stories high on the
front or south side, and one story on the back side. It
was about forty feet long and thirty feet wide, and was in-
habited until 1847, and was demolished in 1848. A de-
pression is still plainly visible where it stood.

Mr. Cummings very soon established a ferry across
the Merrimack, which was probably the first public ferry
in this town. The ferry landing on the east side of the
river was almost directly opposite the point of land be-
tween the two rivers at their junction, where a depression

106 HISTORY OF HUDSON

is Still noticeable in the bank. The old ferry road up the
river bank on the west side, just below the mouth of the
Nashua, is also very plain to be seen.

He also opened a tavern at his house, which he kept
for several years.

At that time the road from the Cummings' ferry passed
easterly, south of Mr. Cummings' house, and still easterly
to the next rise, and then northerly to near the place where
Mr. Cross' house stood, which will be described later, and
then easterly across the small spring brook, thence north-
erly and easterly to what is now the Derry road, a little
north of the Catholic Cemetery. His wife died "Septem-
ber 17, 1759, aged 53 years 2 months and ten days." "We
lived together twenty and five years and 1 month and 20
days." (Copy of original record written by Eleazer Cum-
mings).

They had no children.

He also recorded on the same paper: "July 12 day
1764, married to my second wife."

He married, second, Phebe, daughter of Josiah and
Phebe Richardson of Litchfield, born January 19, 1728.
They had two children, Eleazer^ born June 16, 1765, and
Phebe^ born July 8, 1768. Mr. Cummings died December
8, 1780, aged 79 years, and his widow, Phebe, died Decem-
ber 27, 1788, aged about 60 years.

They were buried in the Blodgett Cemetery, where
their head stones still stand with inscriptions that are plain
and easy to be read.

He was chosen one of the selectmen at the second
town meeting, March, 1734, and was later chairman of the
board,

Mr. Cummings, while he lived, gave his nephew, Elea-
zer Cummings, son of his brother Nathaniel, whom he
brought up, a farm in Londonderry; and also is said to
have given another young man who had lived with him for
several years — John Carkin — land for a farm, probably in
Lyndeborough.

CHAPTER IX

Pioneer Families, Continued

Upon effecting their release from the Indians, through
their own efforts, Messrs. Cross and Blanchard, as has
been already mentioned, returned to Dunstable. On his
way back, the former went to the hollow log where he had
placed his musket, with his dinner, on the morning of the
attack of the Indians, to find the weapon just as he had
left it. This firearm was long owned by Mr. Levi S. Cross
of Nashua, and has been preserved as an heirloom in the
Cross family.

A few months previous to the captivity of Nathan
Cross, Joseph Butterfield of Dunstable, "in consideration
of the sum of four hundred and Ten Pounds of Good and
Current Money of New England," conveyed to Mr. Cross
that part of the Joseph Hills farm that was willed by him
to his son-in-law, John Waite. This contained forty-five
acres, adjoining the land bought by Eleazer Cummings,
being the next farm north, with meadows and other lands.
The description, copied from the original deed, is as fol-
lows:

A certain Peace or Parcel of Land Scituate Lying and being in the
township of Dunstable aforesd on the East side of Merrimack river Lying
in a farm Commonly Called & Known by ye Name of Hillses farm being
forty-five acres be the same so much more or less bounded as followeth
viz Beginning on Merrimack River at an oak tree Marked B & W and
from thence up sd River about fifty pole to another tree marked so from
thence Running Partly North East to another tree marked so from thence
southerly about forty poles to Mr. Longs Corner thence Westerly by the
Land of Long to Merrimack River to the sd tree where we began or
however the same is otherwise bounded or reported to be bounded, as
also another Distinct Parcel of upland being an Island Lying on the west
side of Merrimack River in the Mouth of Nashua River as it is Common-
ly called being about four acres be the same so much more or less being
bound round by water and also a certain parcel of Meadow Lying in the

107

108 HISTORV OF HUDSON

Town aforesaid on the East side of Merrimack River Containing six
acres l)e the same so nuich more or less and lying near a pond called
Watannanack Pond and is bound round wh Great pines marked with J
and H and on all other points however otherwise bour dad as also five
acres more of Meadow which Lyes in a Great Meadow Commonly called
and known by the Name of H'llses Great Meadow, which is not as yet
Laid out to sd Butterfield.

This deed was dated April 22, 1724, and signed by Joseph and Sarah
Butterfield, witnessed by Eleazer Tyng and Moses Colburn ; acknowledged
before Eleazer Tyng, Justice of the Peace, and "Entered in the Registry
of Deeds for Middlesex, the 26 of May, 1725. Lib. 25, Fol. 85-6"

" Rec'd 26th April, 1748, Province of New Hampshire, Recorded Lib.
35 Fol. 231

D. PIERCE,

Mr. Cross settled upon his land and erected a house
probably as early as 1728. This dwelling was located about
forty rods west of the Derry road, upon a rise of ground,
a little south-westerly and near the bank of the small spring
brook in land now owned by Charles A. McAfee.

Nathan Cross was in Capt. Joseph Blanchard's com-
pany, scouting on the Merrimack and Connecticut rivers,
during the French and Indian war in 1754, twelve weeks
and two days. He was probably twice married, as we find
recorded iti the Dunstable records the births of children of
Nathan and Sarah Cross:

Peter, born September 28, 1729; Sarah, born June 26,
1731; married Joseph Blodgett.

On the Nottingham records is recorded the birth of
John Cross, son of Nathan and Mary Cross, born October
9, 1735.

Nathan Cross died September 8, 1766.

The farm remained in the Cross family for nearly one
hundred and fifty years. The west part of the Catholic
Cemetery covers a piece of what was the Cross farm, and
the land of George H. Abbott was once the north side of
the Nathan Cross farm.

William Cummings*, youngest son of John Cummings^
Jr., and Elizabeth (Kingsley) Cummings, born in Dun-

PIONEER FAMILIES 109

Stable, April 24, 1702, a cousin to Eleazer Cummings*, be-
fore mentioned, settled on the next farm north of that of
Nathan Cross. This homestead contained forty-five acres,
■which was the same devised by Joseph Hills to his grand-
children, Hannah and Elizabeth Blanchard. He probably
settled here after the end of Lovewell's war, and at about
the same time that Nathan Cross settled on his farm ad-
joining.

With his cousin, Josiah Cummings^, he is supposed to
have been in the second expedition of the famous Captain
John Lovewell against the Indians, that left Dunstable,
January 29, 1725, and which marched triumphantly into
Dover, and later into Boston, with ten scalps stretched
on hoops and elevated on poles, for which a bounty of ;£'100
for each scalp was paid.

William and Josiah were both also in the party of
Captain Lovewell, in his last and fatal expedition that left
Dunstable about the 16th day of April, O. S. or April
27th N. S., which numbered forty-six men. After they
reached Contoocook, William became lame, and returned,
with Josiah to accompany him, as has been related in a
former chapter.

He was Deacon of the church for many years, and
was a prominent man in the affairs of the town. He was
elected one of the selectmen in 1736 and in 1748, He mar-
ried Sarah, daughter of William and Esther Harwood, born
in Dunstable June 26, 1706. He occupied the farm until
his death which occured August 29, 1766. His wife died
in 1769.

The old Cummings house stood east of the Derry
road, and a little north of the house of the late Lucien M.
Tolles. It is probable that a temporary house may have
been built by him some forty rods further west, where he
at first resided.

The children of William and Sarah (Harwood) Cum-
mings, as found recorded on the Dunstable records, are:

110 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Sarah, born November 10, 1728; Ebenezcr, born Jan-
uary 29, 1730; John Harwood, born April 24, 1733; Dor-
cas, born December 18, 1737.

And on the Nottingham records are:

Rebecca, born March 17, 1740; Joseph, born October
15, 1742; Thaddeiis, born May 17, 1745.

The next farm north and adjoining the Deacon Wil-
liam Cummings farm was the John Taylor garrison place,
containing forty-five acres, an account of which has already
been given.

Eleazer Cummings^, Jr., as he was designated on the
records, was a son of Abraham Cummings^ born in Wo-
burn, April 9, 1704, and was a cousin to Eleazer and Wil-
liam.

In 1733, when the first tax list was made up, he was a
resident, and was occupying the south half of the ninety
acres of land that Joseph Hills devised to his grand-chil-
dren, Hannah Vinton and Samuel Green.

This farm was next north and adjoining the John Tay-
lor garrison farm, later the Marsh farm, and now, 1912, the
westerly part, and some of the easterly part, being owned
by the heirs of Josiah K. Wheeler. The Elijah R. Reed
house is on a part of the same farm; and a small part of
his farm, and some of the land of James A. Philips, includ-
ing the place where his house stands, also the land of
Menzell S. French.

The Eleazer Cummings, Jr's., house was located just
north of the present highway, at the foot of the hill, be-
tween the house of Josiah K. Wheeler and that of Elijah R.
Reed. The house was quite near the road, not far east from
the present boundary line between Mr. Wheeler and Mr.
Reed, and the old cellar was visible until within recent
years. He married, September 4, 1729, Rachel Proctor of
Londonderry. He seems to have married a second time,
for at his death his widow, Mary, declined to administer
on his estate, and his brother Josiah, then of Litchfield,
was appointed administrator instead, November 19, 1735.

PIONEER FAMILIES 111

Daniel Proctor, of Chelmsford, brother of his deceased
wife, Rachel, was appointed guardian of the two children.
Eleazer of "Actown," one of these, selected the same per-
son as his guardian, as did Abraham of "Chelmsford," Au-
gust 29, 1748. Mr. Proctor made report of his guardian-
ship in 1751.

He was assessed in 1733-4 and 35. His widow, Mary
Cummings, was assessed in 1736.

His estate at the probating of the will is described
as "a homestead of fifty-five acres and one-third of twenty
acres of meadow" — part of the Joseph Hills farm.

The children of Eleazer Cummings, Jr., and Rachel
(Proctor) Cummings as recorded were:

Eleazer, born December 15, 1730; Abraham, born
June 1, 1734; died May 13, 1756.

He died in 1735, but his death is not recorded.

Probably he did not settle here until after his marriage
in 17*29, when he was about twenty-five years ot age.

jabez Davis appears to have occupied the next farm
north of that owned by Eleazer Cummings, Jr., it being
the north half of the ninety acres devised by Joseph Hills
to his grand-children, Hannah Vinton and Samuel Green,
and later the Fitch P. Marsh farm, and still later the Carl-
ton farm. That part of the original farm east of the high-
way has been long separated from the west part, which is
principally intervale land, and is now owned by Abram
Feryall, who also owns the Pierce farm adjoining on the
north.

Jabez Davis was a Quaker, as appears from an article
in the warrant for the annual town meeting for March 10,
1735, which reads as follows:

"To see if the town will vote to abate Jabez Davis of
part of his Rates as towns usually do Quakers."

He was assessed herein 1733-4-5-6 and 7. He proba-
bly removed from this town about 1737.

Upon the record is found the birth of Thomas Davis,
son of Jabez and Ruth Davis, born April 8, 1733.

112 HISTORY OF HUDSON

The date of his settlement here is not known, but evi-
dently it was after the close of Lovewell's War in 1725.

In 1738 and 1739 the farm was assessed to Robert Mc-
Keen, and in 1740 and 1741 to Jeremiah Carlton. The
tax list for 1742, the first year after the settlement of the
Province line between New Hampshire and Massachusetts^
cannot be found, and probably there was none made for
that year.

John Marsh was assessed there for 1743, and after un-
til 1776.

Ebenezer Spalding, son of Edward of Chelmsford,
born January 13, 1683; married Anna and had child-
ren ;

Edward, born March 8, 1708; Bridget, born December
26, 1709; Experience, born March 22, 1711; Reuben, born
March 27, 1715, died young; Stephen, born May 28, 1717;
Sarah, born November 27, 1719; Esther, born February 27,
1722; Mary, born May 4, 1724; Reuben, born July 26, 1728;
Anna, born November 30, 1731.

Edward Spalding, son of Ebenezer, born March 8, 1708,
settled about the time of the incorporation of Nottingham,
on that part of the Joseph Hills farm willed by him to his
grand-daughter Elizabeth, daughter of his son Gershom,
next north of that settled by Jabez Davis, and containing
forty-six acres as stated in said will. This with the six
farms already described, included all the land of the Joseph
Hills farm south of that part willed to Samuel Hills, and
settled by his three sons, Nathaniel, Henry and James.

He married Elizabeth . Children as found re-
corded : Levi, born October 23, 1737; Elizabeth, born No-
vember 26, 1741; Lucy, born June 27, 1744; Esther, born
August 11, 1747; Sarah, born April 6, 1754.

Ebenezer Spalding, father of Edward, born in Chelms-
ford, January 13, 1683, settled on the south part of the
same land that Joseph Hills devised to his son Samuel, and
that Samuel conveyed to his sons, Henry and James, Au-
gust 22, 1721.

PIONEER FAMILIES 113

James Hills, after living in the garrison with his broth-
ers, Nathaniel and Henry, on January 11, 1723, sold his
part of the land to Samuel Whiting of Dunstable, and re-
turned to Newbury. This was the same land settled by
Ebenezer Spalding, and was the next farm north of the
one owned by his son Edward. It was later the north part
of the Pierce farm, and Edward's farm was the south part.
Ebenezer Spalding was the ancestor of nearly all the
Spalding families that have been residents of this town,
and which have been quite numerous.

He resided on the farm until about 1740. He was as-
sessed here from 1733 to 1740, and from 1758 to 1764. Jo-
siah Cummings*, son of Abraham, born July 12, 1698, was
residing on the farm in 1741, and he received a deed of the
same from Ebenezer Spalding, January 10, 1742. Josiah
Cummings had formerly resided in Litchfield, and was
probably proprietor of the first ferry established in that
town across the Merrimack River, called Cummings' Ferry,
and later Lutwyche's Ferry, and since the time of the Rev-
olutionary war known as Thornton's Ferry, having been
owned by the Honorable Matthew Thornton, one of the
signers of the Declaration of Independence, who resided
on the Merrimack side of the river.

This Josiah Cummings was a brother of Eleazer, Jr.
who died in 1735, as already noted, and a cousin of Eleazer
and William. He served under Capt. John Lovewell, but
was not in the bloody fight at Pequawket, May 9, 1725.
The following deed, copied from the original, makes it cer-
tain that he was one of Captain Lovewell's soldiers.

TO ALL PEOPLE to whom thtse Presents shall come, Greeting.

Know ye That I Josiah Cumings of Litchfield, in the County of
Middlesex and Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England, Hus-
bandman. For and in Consideration of the Sum of Ninety Pounds bills
of credit, to me in Hand before the Ensealing hereof, well and truly paid
by Thomas Colburn of Nottingham, in the county and province afore-
said, Husbandman, the Receipt whereof I do hereby acknowledge, and
myself therewith fully satisfied and contented, and thereof, and of every
part and parcel thereof, do exonerate, aquit and discharge him the said

114 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Thomas Colburn, his Heirs, Executors and Administrators forever by
these Presents: Have given, granted, bargained, sold, aliened, conveyed
and confirmed, and by these Presents, do freely, fully and absolutely give,
grant, bargain, sell, aliene, convey and confirm unto him, the said Thomaa
Colburn, his Heirs and Assigns for ever. One full part or Shair of all that
Right Granted unto me the sd Josiah Cumings with Zacheus Lovewell
and others, the whole tract containing two thousand one hundred ninety
acres Granted in Consideration of our serving his Majesty under the
command of ye Late Capt. John Lovewell, and Ordered to be Laid out
Joyning to Suncook or Lovewells Town So Called, on the west Side of
Merrimack River. Sd Colburn fully Complying with and fuUfiling al ye
duties orders and Restrictions ordered to be done on ye whole of the
Grant maid to the Said Josiah Cumings by the Said Gn 11 court &c.

To HAVE AND TO HOLD the Said granted and bargained Premises,
with All the Appurtenances, Priveleges and Commodities to ihe same
belonging, or in any wise appertaining to him the said Thomas Colburn
his Heirs and Assigns forever: To his and their only proper Use, Bene-
fit and Behoof for ever.

And the said Josiah Cumings for my Self Heirs, Executors and Ad-
minstrators, do hereby Covenant, Promise and Grant to and with the said
Thomas Colburn, his Heirs and Assigns, that before the ensealing hereof
I am the true, sole and lawful Owner of the above bargained Premises,
and am lawfully seized and posessed of the same in my own proper right,
as a good, perfect and absolute Estate of Inheritance in Fee Simple:
And have in my Self good Right, full Power and lawful Authority, to
grant, bargain, sell, convey and confirm said bargained Premises, in Man-
ner aforesaid : And that the Said Thomas Colburn, his Heirs and As-
signs shall and may from Time to Time, and at all times for ever here-
after, by Force and Vurtue of these Presents, lawfully, peaceably and
quietly have, hold, use, occupy, posess and enjoy the said demised and
bargained Premises, with the Appurtenances free and clear, freely and
clearly acquited, exonerated and discharged of, from, all and all manner
of former or other Gifts, Grants, Bargains, Sales, Leases, Mortgages,
Wills, Entails. Joyntures, Dowries, Judgments, Executions, or Incum-
brances, of what Name or Nature forever, that might in any Manner or
Degree obstruct or make void this present Deed.

Furthermore, I The Sd Josiah Cumings for myself, my Heiis, Ex-
ecutors and Administrators, do Covenant and Engage the above demised
Premises to him the said Thomas Colburn his Heirs and Assigns, against
the lawful claims or Demands of any Person or Persons whatsoever, for
ever hereafter to warrant, secure and defend by these Presents.

In witness whereof I the said Josiah Cumings have hereunto set
my Hand and Seal this fifth Day of June in the Eleventh Year of His
Majesty's Reign Annoque Domini, One Thousand Seven Hundred and
Thirty p:ight.

PIONEER FAMILIES 115

signed sealed and

Delivered in Presence of JosiAH CUMINGS [seal]

John

John Bell

Middlesex S. S. Dunstable July ye 5th 1738.

The Within Named Josiah Cumings Pers-onally Appearing Acknowl-
edged the Within Instrument to be his free Act & Deed Coram me

JOSEPH BLANCHARD Jus. Peate.
Prov. of New Hampshire.
Recorded Lib. 34. Fol. 271.

Exam'd D. Peirce kecd.

He was assessed in this town from 1741 to 1761. A
Josiah Cummings, who was probably this same Josiah, mar-
ried May 15, 1721, in Woodstock, Conn., Mary Fressell.
His first wife died very likely previous to 1738, for no wife
of his signed the deed he gave to Thomas Colburn, June

5, 1738. He married second, Miriam , probably soon

after 1738.

By his first wife he had one son, JoFiah, Jr., who was
assessed in this town from 1759 to 1784, and who died un-
married.

On October 13, 1784, he conveyed the homestead, and
other lands owned by him, to Richard Marshall, "contain-
ing in all about 90 acres, together with all the personal es-
tate that is in the posession of said Josiah Cumings, or
may be found elsewhere, or any other land now in his
posession or may come in his possession hereafter by pro-
priety."

Miriam, the widow of Josiah Cummings, Sen., proba-
bly died before the date of this sale, as she joined in the
deeds with Josiah in the sale of lands, March 3, 1773. This
deed from Josiah and Miriam Cummings, in consideration
of ninety-two pounds and fourteen shillings, conveyed to
Simeon Barrett "The one-half of all that tract of land in
said Nottingham West which Josiah Cumings purchased
of Ebenezer Spalding as by a deed of the same Dated y=
10th day of January, 1742, that is the River lot containing
50 acres, one half the same and one half the buildings on

116 HISTORY OF HUDSON

the same. Also one half of what Josiah Cumings pur-
chased of Greele joining to the above said land containing
50 acres. Being half of the same what ant sold of it. Also
one half of a wood lot in said Nottingham West, contain-
ing about 40 acres which was purchased of Thomas Marsh.
One half of the other belonged to the River lot, Viz., one
half of the same."

They also conveyed land to Samuel Hills, July 20,
1778.

Josiah Cummings^ Sen., died February 8, 1761, in the
64th year of his age.

The foregoing accounts for eight of the settlers on the
Joseph Hills Farm at the time of the making of the first
tax list in 1733, v/hich does not include the two Hills broth-
ers. Beginning at the southerly end they are as follows:

Eleazer Cummings, Nathan Cross,

William Cummings, John Taylor,

Eleazer Cummings, Jr., Jabez Davis,

Edward Spalding, Ebenezer Spalding.

It is very evident that none of these — with the excep-
tion of John Taylor, who lived in a garrison house — had
settled here until after the end of Lovewell's war. If
there were possibly any such, there certainly could not
have been more than one or two. At that time Henry
Hills lived at the garrison, and, perhaps, Nathaniel also.

Yet it is far more likely that soon after the close of
the war, or before 1733, that Nathaniel Hills had bought
the Tyng land containing nine hundred acres and reaching
from the river easterly about two and one-half miles, and
adjoining the Joseph Hills Farm and the Foxcroft land on
the south and the William Brenton land on the north, and
that he had taken up his residence on this land, about half
a mile north of the garrison and near the bank of the river.
If he had not already removed, he certainly did so previous
to the incorporation of Litchfield, July 4, 1734,

Be this as it may, he settled there on the river bank,
and established a ferry across the river sometime later.

PIONEER FAMILIES 117

which was ever after known as Hills' Ferry, and which was
operated as such until the building of Taylor's Falls Bridge
in 1827. That place was in his possession, and in that of
his posterity, until after the decease of George E. Hill,
which occurred September 16, 1904. Neither did Henry
Hills remain very long at the garrison after the incorpora-
tion of Nottingham. About 1739 or 1740, he sold that
place to Deacon Roger Chase, and removed nearly a mile
and a quarter east, to a farm that was a part of the Na-
thaniel Hills Tyng land.

CHAPTER X

Settlers of Hills Farms

We have seen that at the date of the town of Notting^-
ham's incorporation, in 1733, there existed a compact set-
tlement of some ten families on the Joseph Hills Farm^
occupying the nine farm divisions as they then had been
established, and as they continued to exist substantially for
many years later. Many of these old farm lines remain to
the present day. At that time no permanent settlement
seems to have been founded between that of Mr. Eleazer
Cummings at the south end of the "Hills" settlement and
the Joseph Blodgett garrison nearly two and one-half miles
further down the river, which has already been mentioned.

Thomas Pollard, son of William, of Coventry, Eng-
land, came to Billerica, Mass., about 1692. His mother
was Mary Farnum, sister of Edward. He married in No-
vember, 1692, his cousin, Sarah Farnum, daughter of Ed-
ward. He died April 4, 1724. She died May 3, 1725.
Their children were:

Mary, born August 20, 1693; Edward, born November
4, 1694; Barbara, born December 6, 1695, married Joseph
Pierce, Chelmsford, February 13, 1734; Thomas, born P"eb-
ruary 16, 1697; William, born August 3, 1698; John, born
September 1, 1699; Sarah, born February 16, 1701; Jos-
eph, born May 3, 1702, married Ann Hills; Oliver, born
July 23,1703, married Hannah Hills, July 23, 1736; Sarah,
born December 21, 1704; Nathaniel, born October 18,
1706; James, born October 5, 1708; Walter, born Decem-
ber 28, 1709; Elizabeth, born March 5, 1713; Benjamin,
born August 18, 1715.

Thomas Pollard, Jr., born in Billerica, February 16,
1697, was one of the early settlers of Dunstable, on the
east side of the Merrimack.

118

SETTLERS OF HILLS FARMS 119

His farm was next south of, and adjoining that of Jos-
eph Blodgett, and was bounded on the west by the river.
It was the same as was later the James F. Palmer place,
now owned by Sidney P. Gowing. The present house is
on the west side of the Lowell road, opposite its junction
with the road that bears to the east about two and two-
thirds miles south of Taylor's Falls Bridge. The exact
date of his settlement here is not known. Probably it was
not until about the close of Lovewell's war.

The following is copied from the Dunstable town
records :

At a meeting Monday, March 6, 1731-2, chose Thomas Colburn, Jr.,
Constable for the east side of the river . Also whereas, Thomas Colburn,
Jr., hath been at this meeting legally chosen constable for the ensuing
year, and he hath agreed with Thomas Pollard for serving as constable
in his stead and place, and to clear him the said Colburn as other persons
who by law is exempted from being chosen constable by reason of their
serving as such,

Now therefore voted and agreed that the said Thomas be accepted
in his place, and that he serve as constable in his room for the ensuing
year, said Thomas Pollard complying with the same.

Thomas Pollard was in the French and Indian war in
1756 and also in 1758.

The children of Thomas and Mary Pollard were:
*John, born September 20, 1727; *Ebenezer, born Decem-
ber 4, 1728 ; *Thomas, born September 17, 1732; died May
18, 1756; Dorcas, born January 12, 1735; died September
1, 1736; Amos, born March 2, 1737; Rachel, born March
26, 1739; Molly, born June 10, 1741; died August 24, 1753;
Samuel, born July 10, 1743 ; Timothy, born August 24,
1745.

Thomas Pollard died July 23, 1769.

Joseph Winn, son of Joseph and Martha (Blodgett)
Winn, born in Woburn, Mass., September 9, 1698, with his
brother Josiah, was in Nottingham at the time of its incor-

* Dunstable Records.

120 HISTORY OF HUDSON

poration. Josiah did not remain to become a permanent
resident.

Joseph, soon after, settled upon a farm a short dis-
tance below that of Thomas Pollard, bordering on the
river, a part of which farm has ever since been occupied by
his descendants. At present it is the homestead of Elmer
C. Winn, a lineal descendant in the sixth generation of the
family, as follows: Joseph Winn^ and Martha (Blodgett)
Winn, of Woburn; Joseph Winn^, born in Woburn, Sep-
tember 9, 1698; Joseph Winn^ born November 17,1723;
Joseph Winn^ born April 16, 1760; Paul Tenney Winn^
born August 1, 1805; Elmer C. Winn'', born .

The original Joseph Winn farm included the home-
stead of Elmer C, Winn and also the farm adjoining it on
the north, owned by the late Reuben Spalding.

The first house built by Mr. Winn was on the north
half of the farm, not far from the present location of the
Spalding house. Joseph Winn, Sen., always resided on the
north half of the farm, but Joseph, Jr., had the south half,
or the part ever since owned in the Winn family, and built
a house and other buildings upon it probably as early as
1745. The county road, laid out by the court's committee,
the report of which was accepted at a court holden at Ports-
mouth, the first Tuesday of March, 1749, and which ex-
tended from Litchfield line to the Massachusetts boundary,
in its description has the following:

Thence S 7° W. 26 rods to a stake east of Joseph Winns Barn,
South through said Winns orchard, 18 rods to a stake, which sd 18 rods
the road to be but two rods and a half wide, S. 32° E. 17 rods to a maple
marked, S 15° W 25 rods to a stake near Joseph VVinn, Jr's. corn Barn.

Thus it appears that the distance of Joseph Winn, Jr's.,
buildings from his father's was about sixty rods, or nearly
the same distance from each other as at present are the
Winn and Spalding houses.

Abiather Winn, the youngest son of Joseph, Sen.,
born January 4, 1746, either bought of his father, or inher-
ited the north part of the farm, but he died August 24,

SETTLERS OF HILLS FARMS 121

1783, aged 38. His executors, William Burns and Abigail
Burns, in 1787, in consideration of two hundred and forty
pounds conveyed to Phineas Underwood land containing
seventy acres in Nottingham West, lying easterly on the
public highway and westerly on Merrimack River, north-
erly on Gerrish Lot, so called, and southerly by land of
Joseph Winn.

It is understood that Mr. Joseph Winn, Sen., once
owned the mill on Musquash, or Nacook brook, at the place
near the highway where there has ever since been a saw and
grist mill, until within a few years, long known as Wilson's
Mills.

Mr. Winn died August 25, 1781, in the 84th year of
his age, and his wife, Elizabeth, died in September, 1778,
in the 74th year of her age. They were buried in the
Blodgett Cemetery.

The children of Joseph and Elizabeth Winn were:
Joseph, born November 17, 1723, in Woburn; Benjamin,
born August 6, 1726, in Woburn; Elizabeth, born August
10, 1728, in Woburn ; Katherine, born April 11, 1733, in
Nottingham ; Micajah, born October 24, 1735, in Notting-
ham; Nathan, born October 15, 1738, in Nottingham; Sus-
anna, born, September 10, 1741, in Nottingham; Abiather,
born January 4, 1746, in Nottingham.

The exact date at which he came here is not known.
We find the following record of 1732:

Allowed Joseph Winn, as by certificate of payment of rates in W il-
mington when he was rated in this town, 14s — 3d.

Thomas Colburn, son of Thomas and Mary Colburn
of Dunstable, was born in Dunstable, April 28, 1702

Samuel Sewell, Merchant, of Boston, April 21, 1726,
conveyed to Thomas Colburn, Jr., of Dunstable, in consid-
eration of one hundred and sixty pounds, three tracts of
land in said Dunstable.

The first tract, on the east side of the Merrimack River, containing
by estimation two hundred acres. Bounded westerly by Merrimack Riv-

122 HISTORY OF HUDSON

er, Northerly by Beals land, Easterly on the second division of land, and
Southerly by Robert Parishes land.

One other parcel thereof, also on the East side of the River, 400
acres, more or less. Beginning at a white oak tree nigh Davernpoit's
Meadow, nigh to a run of water that comes out of said Meadow, and runs

easterly by Davernport's land till it with John Blanchard's line, and

runs easterly by him 160 poles to an oak marked J. W. B. and runs by
Mr. Welds line, easterly, to Mr. Howards Farm, and southerly back again,
bounding by the rim of meadow to the said oak where we first began.

The third and last being a parcel of upland containing 100 acres, more
or less, also on East side of River. Bounded Easterly by Mr. Howards
Farm & Northerly by Mr. Welds, and runs easterly by him to a white oak
Marked T. and is bounded Southerly by the Town Common to Mr. How-
ards line and by him to the first corner where we began.

Thomas Colburn .settled on the first described lot, ex-
tending easterly from the river, containing two hundred
acres, more or less, a part of which was until recently owned
by Isaac D. Colburn and Henry T. Colburn, descendants
of Thomas Colburn, of the fourth generation. The Eugene
Donnelly heirs own the better part of the farming lands
and the buildings, occupying the old Colburn house, which
is probably situated at, or near, the place where Thomas
Colburn first settled and made his home. It is west of the
Lowell road about one third of a mile. The farm adjoins
the Joseph Wmn farm on the south. He probably settled
there not very long after he purchased the land of Samuel
Sewell.

We have already seen that he was chosen constable at
a town meeting in Dunstable, March 6, 1732, for the east
side of the river, and that he agreed with Thomas Pollard
"to serve in his stead and place and to clear him the said
Colburn, as other persons who by law is exempt from being
chosen constable by reason of their serving as such." By
which it would appear that he had previously served in
that office.

Captain Thomas Colburn was a prominent and influ-
ential citizen in the affairs of the town in its early settle-
ment. He was one of the selectmen in 1735, and was
chairman of that board in 1740-48 and '54. He was mod-

SETTLERS OF HILLS FARMS 123

erator of the annual town meetings tor nine years between
1740 and 1758 inclusive. He was chosen delegate to the
Massachusetts General Court in 1741, "to procure abate-
ment of county tax, in consequence of the town being di-
vided by the new Province Line."

We find no record of any children by his first wife.
An inscription in a small burial ground in the south part
of the tawn reads:

Hannah, wife of Thomas Colburn,
died March 26, 1756, aged 53—3—6.

He afterwards married Mary ; their children

were: Thomas, born November 12, 1761; Isaac, born Jan-
uary 25, 1763; Zaccheus, born February 16, 1765.

He also had a negro servant, Titus, born April 2, 1742.

The following is copied from the town records:

Captain Thomas Colburn died August 30, 1765, in the 64th year of
his age.

Thomas Colburn, Jr , son of Capt. Thomas and Mary Colburn, died
August 30, 1765, in the 4th year of his age. Both killed by lightning.

The widow, Mary Colburn, so suddenly bereaved of a
husband and son, and left with two small boys, the eldest
about two and one-half years of age, sometime previous to
1769, married Major Samuel Moore, formerly of Litchfield.
They resided on the Colburn farm, where he was assessed
until 1784. Probably Major Moore died about that time.
His widow died August 30, 1818, aged 93 years.

Mr. Colburn's next neighbor south was Zaccheus Love-
well. He was the son of John Lovewell, Sen., and brother
of Captain John, the hero of the Pigwacket fight, who was
killed by the Indians, May 8, 1725. Zaccheus Lovewell
was born in Dunstable July 22, 1701. He was a Colonel
in the French and Indian war. He died April 12, 1772.

Major Zaccheus Lovewell was a resident of Notting-
ham when the first tax list was made up, and lived upon
the farm adjoining that of Thomas Colburn, later and un-
til within a few years known as the Chase place. It is now

124 HISTORY OF HUDSON

owned by Silas T. Steele's sons, Fred G. and George S.
It is not certainly known where the house of Major Love-
well stood, but most probably on or near the site of Mr.
Steele's buildings, and a short distance from the old Col-
burn residence. Possibly it may have been on the west
side of the River road, a little south of its junction with
the Colburn road, and a short distance south-east of Num-
ber Two school house. He was a very capable man in the
affairs of the town. He was a member of the board of
selectmen in 1734, 1739, 40, 43, 45 and 46, being its chair-
man three terms, 1743-45-46. He was moderator of the
annual town meeting in 1746, and was a delegate to the
Massachusetts General Court in 1733 and 1734.

His farm extended from the river easterly as far as
the River road, and probably much farther. The births of
the children of Zaccheus and Esther Lovewell, as found
recorded in this town, are as follows: Esther, born No-
vember 10, 1728; Lucy, born January 12, 1730; Mary, born
May 20, 1732; Zaccheus, born December 16, 1735; Noah,
born April 1, 1742; Sarah, born October 25, 1744; Han-
nah, born February 16, 1747.

Major Lovewell removed, about 1748, from this town
to Dunstable, N. H., now Nashua.

Ephraim Cummings, son of Thomas and Priscilla
(Warner) Cummings, born in Dunstable, March 10, 1706,
married, 1732, Elizabeth Butler, born in Woburn, Mass.,
September 4, 1706, daughter of Deacon John Butler, the
first settler in that part of Nottingham that is now the
westerly part of Pelham.

John Butler bought of Jonathan Tyng, in 1721, two
tracts of land in the east part of Dunstable, containing in
all six hundred acres adjoining what was then- — and until
the settlement of the Province line in 1741 — the Dracut
boundary. He settled there in 1722 and built a log house
in the form of a garrison. It is supposed that this house
stood near the present Mammoth road, at the place for-
merly known as the John Gage place, easterly of Gumpas

SETTLERS OF HILLS FARMS l25

Pond. Deacon John Butler was one of the most prominent
and useful men in Nottingham, previous to the incorpora-
tion of Pelham in 1746, when the east part of Nottingham
became a part of this new town.

Thomas Cummings, the father of Ephraim, was one of
the proprietors of the township of Dunstable, and had a
tract of land laid out to him east of Hills Meadow — now in
Hudson — and running north-easterly one and a half miles,
and about forty rods wide. John Cummings, Sen., also a
proprietor, had a lot of the same dimensions laid out to
him adjoining that of Thomas on the north.

Ephraim Cummings settled upon a part of these lands
that had been laid out to his father and grandfather as a
part of their share of the proprietary land of Dunstable,
more than forty years previous.

He was a cousin to Eleazer, son of Nathaniel, Eleazer,
son of Abraham, Deacon William and Josiah Cummings,
all early settlers of this town.

His house was located on the south side of Bush Hill,
at the foot of the long descent, and on the south side of
the present highway, where two cellars are visible still, a
short distance from each other. There is also another cel-
lar in sight on the opposite side of the highway, a little
northeast from the others, indicating that there have been
at least three dwellings on this farm since its settlement.

It is likely that Mr. Cummings settled there about the
time of his marriage in 1732. At this time, and for a few
years later, his nearest neighbors must have been at the
settlement of his father-in-law, John Butler, near Gumpas
Pond in Pelham. He was another active, substantial, use-
ful man in the affairs of Nottingham.

He was one of the selectmen in 1756, 57, 62, 63 and 1766.
He served as moderator of the annual town meetings in
1762 and 1763, and was elected a delegate to the New
Hampshire General Court in 1760.

The children of Ephraim and Elizabeth (Butler) Cum-
mings, as their births are recorded, were: Peter, born De-

126 HISTORY OF HUDSON

cember 8, 1733; Sarah, born May 12, 1736; married Sam-
uel Page; David, born May 20, 1738; Elizabeth, born Oc-
tober 26, 1740; married Nathaniel Haselton; Ephraim,
born April 19, 1743; Hannah, born April 29, 1745; married
Joseph Cummings; Priscilla, born July 7, 1747; married
Jonathan Lund, Jr.

The farm continued in the possession of his descend-
ants to the third generation. No record of the death of
Mr. Cummings or of that of his wife is found. But an item
exists in the diary of Nathaniel Merrill, stating that he
made a cofifin for Ephraim Cummings, and that his funeral
occurred March 11, 1771.

Ensign John Snow was, in 1733, one of the eighteen
settlers in what is now Hudson.

John Snow, son of John, born in Woburn, Mass., May
13, 1688, married Sarah Stevens, February 13, 1693. He
had children born in Woburn, as follows: Elizabeth, born
March 18, 1695; died June 24, 1698; Joseph, born May 6,
1697; Mary, born August 13, 1699.

He was among the first settlers of this town.

All the town meetings, with a single exception, until
the first meeting house was completed, were held at the
house of Ensign John Snow. The cellar where his house
is said to have stood, was pointed out to the writer many
years ago by Mr. Timothy S. Ford, who owned the farm,
and whose father, Timothy, had owned it before him, and
whose grandfather, James Ford, a captain in the Revolu-
tionary army, resided in the immediate neighborhood long
before that time. This cellar is on the Back road, very
near the highway, and some distance south from the pres-
ent house on the Ford farm, now (1912) owned by James
A. Sanders, and less than half a mile northerly from the
junction of the Back road with the Lowell road. There is
another cellar between the Snow cellar and said junction
which should not be taken for the Snow cellar. The exact
date of his settlement here is not known. He was assessed
for 1733 and 1734 only. He was the first town treasurer of

SETTLERS OF HILLS FARMS 127

Nottingham. The town records give his death as of March
21, 1735. The inscription upon his head stone in the small
burial ground near his former residence does not quite
asjree with the above date, and gives his age as 68-4-3.
This is substantially all that is now known about Ensign
John Snow^.

Lieut. Joseph Snow, the last of the pioneer settlers of
this town to be located, was assessed from 1733 to 1746.
He was the son of the preceding John Snow, born in Wo-
burn, Mass., May 6, 1697. He was among the earliest set-
tlers. His residence was south of Zaccheus Lovewell's, a
short distance north of the state line. His house was one
third of a mile west of the River road, and the cellar, yet
visible, is in the pasture, south of the old Ferry road, and
south-east of the late Sylvanus Winn's house, now owned
by Paul Butler of Lowell. He probably sold this place
about 1741, to Dr. Ezekiel Chase, the first resident physi-
cian of this town, who occupied the same farm for many
years. He later owned the farm on the north side of the
Bush Hill road at the Chase hill, so called, a short distance
west of the Haselton road, where the old cellar is visible.
He died there May 7, 1747, aged 61 years, and was buried
in the small burial ground before referred to. His widow,
Bridget Snow, was assessed for the estate until 1761, after
which she removed, with her younger children, to Ply-
mouth, N. H., where she died December 3, 1773, aged 73
years. Joseph Snow was chosen constable for the east
side of the river, by the town of Dunstable, March 2, 1724.
He was one of the selectmen of the township of Dunstable
for 1725.

The births of Joseph and Bridget Snow's children are
recorded in Dunstable as follows: Bridget, born July 29,
1719; Joseph, born March 19, 1721; John, born January
11, 1723; Henry, born November 17, 1725.

Besides the above, though their names do not appear
on the records, were: Sarah, who married James Blod-
gett; Rebecca, who married Rev. Zebediah Richardson;

128 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Elizabeth, who married Edward Evans; Mary, who married
James Harvell.

These eighteen pioneer settlers of our town, with few
exceptions^ were young men in the full vigor of manhood.
At the date of the charter of Nottingham, in 17oB, the
youngest of them was Edward Spalding, who was twenty-
five years old, Ephraim Cummings was twenty-seven;,
Eleazer Cummings, Jr., twenty-nine; Eleazer Cummings,,
William Cummings, Thomas Colburn and Zaccheus Love-
well were thirty-one; Joseph Winn was thirty-four; Thom-
as Pollard, thirty-six; Joseph Snow, thirty-seven; Joseph
Blodgett, forty-three; Henry Hills, forty-five; Ebenezer
Spalding and Nathaniel Hills, fifty; Ensign John Snow,
sixty-seven; and the ages of John Taylor and Jabez Davis
are unknown. The age of Nathan Cross is not known, but
he was a young man, not much above thirty.

These early settlers generally had large families of
children, who intermariied, one family with another, and
their descendants became very numerous. Especially is
this true of the families of Cummings, Hills, Pollard, Blod-
gett, Winn, Spalding, Cross and Colburn.

All of which names are still borne by some of our
most worthy citizens; while very many of the representa-
tives of these same families, bearing other names, have
their homes here, altogether forming a large peicentage of
the present population of Hudson. The Snow family also
became quite numerous, and among the present residents
of our town, the descendants of Ensign John Snow and
Lieut. Joseph Snow, by other names are still numerous.

There are also Davises, representing an ancient family
of the town, but no connection can be traced between that
family and Jabez Davis, the Quaker settler here.

ALDEN HILLS

CHAPTER XI

"Hills Row"

In 1656 Massachusetts granted to William Brenton, a
fur-trader, and at one time Governor of Connecticut, a'
tract of land which embraced nearly all of the present town
of Litchfield, and extended into Londonderry and Merri-
mack. This grant was called by the Indian name Natti-
cook (meaning "open place of the deer"), or "Brenton's
Farm." It was included within the boundaries of Dunsta-
ble, as chartered in 1673, and all of that part lying east of
the Merrimack River became a part of Nottingham under
its charter of 1733.

"Brenton's Farm" was divided among its sixteen orig-
inal proprietors in 1728, and was settled soon after that
date. In the first tax list of Nottingham, 1733, we find
but eight names that were inhabitants of " Brenton's Farm."

These were Benjamin Adams, Capt. Robert Richard-
son, Aquila Underwood, Ebenezer Wright, Samuel Moore,
Edward Linkfield, Thomas Wartels and John Barret. A
petition was presented to the General Court of Massachu-
setts, in May, 1734, by Aquila Underwood, in behalf of the
petitioners for the incorporation of a separate township to
include the Natticook lands, or "Brenton's Farm." The
petition was granted July 4, 1734, and a charter issued for
the incorporation of the town of Litchfield.

Under this charter the town of Litchfield was bounded
as follows:

Beginning at Merrimack River, half a mile south of where Natticook
south line crosseth said River, running from thence west two miles and a
half, then turning and running the general cour.«e of Merrimack River to
Sowbeeg (Souhegan) River, making it a straight line, thence running by
Sowbeeg (.Souhegan) River, to Merrimack River again two miles and a half.

Also, that the bounds dividing between Natticook and Nottingham
begin at the lower line or south bounds of Nathaniel Hills' lands on

129

132 HISTORY OF HUDSON

of Alden and great-grandfather of Dr. Alfred K. Hills, the
present owner of the old homestead of his father, including
the Ezekiel Greeley land, and also now including the great-
er part of what was the Ezekiel Hills farm, contaming alto-
gether about 230 acres, all of which was a part of the Na-
thaniel Hills Tyng land.

Henry Hills resided there until his death, which oc-
curred August 20, 1757. Four or five years later the farm
was conveyed to Elijah Hills.

Ezekiel Hills, son of Henry, born April 11, 1718, set-
tled upon the next farm east, where he lived until his de-
cease. May 14, 1790, and which was later the home of his
son Thomas, and his grandson Amos Hills.

Joseph Pollaid, brother of Thomas, born in Billerica,
Mass., May 3, 1702, owned and occupied the next farm
east, and adjoining Ezekiel Hills' place. His wife Ann
was the daughter of Nathaniel Hills, born in Newbury,
Mass., May 5, 1712. He settled upon this farm while it
was a part of Litchfield, and previous to 1746. The farm
contained about one hundred acres. He removed to New
Ipswich about 1770. This farm was later owned by War-
ren Hills, a brother of Alden, and at present by Justin E.
Hill, a son of Warren.

The adjoining farm on the east, also containing about
one hundred acres, was owned by James Hills, one of the
three brothers that first built and lived in the garrison, and
who sold his interest in that property January 11, 1723, to
Samuel Whiting, and returned to Newbury, Mass. Com-
ing back from Newbury, with his wife and four small chil-
dren in 1737, he settled on this farm, a part of which is
now owned by Charles W. Hills, one of his descendants in
the fifth generation. He lived on this place until his death,
which we do not find recorded, but his name appears on the
tax lists until 1769. His son Jeremiah, born in Newbury,
March 1, 1727, also resided upon the same farm during his
life. He died ApriU, 1810.

Col. William Hills, son of Jeremiah, born July 14,
1777, and who died September 3, 1858, was also a life-long

Mrs. nancy KIMBALL HILLS

"HILLS row" 133

occupant of the same farm, and at his decease left it to his
son, Granville Hill, the father of Charles W., already men-
tioned. A part of the old farm is at present owned by the
Enoch Cummings heirs.

The next adjoining farm east, which contained one
hundred acres, was conveyed by Nathaniel Hills to his old-
est son Enoch, born in Newbury, March 16, 1711. It is
not known that Enoch Hills ever occupied the farm, or re-
sided in town after his majority. His name does not ap-
pear upon the tax lists of Nottingham, or of Nottingham
West. An ancient head stone in the old cemetery at
South Nashua bears the following inscription in part:

Mrs. Ruth Hill, wife of Enoch Hill, who died February 7, 1747, aged
36 yrs.

Probably this was the wife of Enoch Hills, and if he
lived here at any time it must have been previous to 1746,
at the time the town of Litchfield included that part of
this town.

In laying out a highway May 12, 1747, the record de-
scribed it as "running by Thomas Marshes' Dwelling house
and so running by John Marshes' house and James Hills."
This John Marsh was John, Jr., and a brother to Thomas.
After the removal of the Marshes from this farm, probably
after 1750, it was owned and occupied by Deacon Roger
Chase until about 1762, when Henry Hills, son of Henry,
Sen., occupied it until his decease. He was born October
22, 1719, and died October 21, 1773. His widow Hannah
continued to occupy the place, with her son William, son
of the last named Henry, born in Litchfield, March 3, 1754.
No record of the death of this widow, Hannah Hills, is
found, but William Hills occupied the place for many
years — certainly until later than 1804. It is the same
farm owned for a long time by the late Stephen D. Gree-
ley, and at present, 1912, by George W. Dooley.

The northern half of the next farm on the east was
conveyed by Nathaniel Hills to his son, Nathaniel Hills, Jr.,
born in Newbury, April 28, 1716, and is another of the

134 HISTORV OF HUDSON

Hills farms that has been transmitted from father to sor»
for several generations, and which is now owned by Frank-
lin A. Hills, a descendant in the fifth generation from Na-
thaniel, Sen., as follows: Nathaniel, Nathaniel, Jr^., Sam-
uel^ born February 6, 176-9, Abijah*, born May—, 1806,
Franklin A. Hills^ the present owner.

Nathaniel Hills, Jr., married Susanna Baldwin of Pel-
ham, daughter, probably, of John and Sarah Baldwin,

born March 8, 1733. They had children — Elizabeth, Sim-
eon, Abijah, Nathaniel, Samuel, born February 6, 1769,
Betsey, Sarah, Jane, Rebecca, Aviah, Abigail and James.
Simeon had a Revolutionary war record, and Abijah was a
sea-faring man,

rJEED.

To all People to whom these Presents shall tome Greeting.

Know ye. that I Nathaniel Hills of Litchfield in the County of Mid^
dlesex within his Majesty's Piovince of Massachusetts Bay in Is'ew Eng-
land, Yeoman, for the Love and Good-will and natural affection 1 have
and do bear unto my well beloved son Nathaniel Hills for his full portion
out of my Estate. The receipt whereof I do hereby acknowledge, and my-
self fully sati-iified & contented, Have Given Gianted, Eaigained, Aleined,
Released, Conveyed, and Confirmed, and by these presents do Freely,
Clearly and Absolutely, Give, Grant, Bargain, Aleine, Release, Convey
and Confirm unto him the said Nathaniel Hills his Heirs and Assigns
for ever, one Moeity or tract of lard, Lying in Litchfield afoiesaid, part
of my Land I now enjoy — fifty acres of of the Northerly end of the next
Lot above the Lot that I gave to my son Enoch Hills which fifty Acres
being divided by a three Rod way a thirt il. where the Path is now, or
near there about. Bounded as followeth

Northerly on Natticook and Easterly on my own I and and Souther-
ly on my own Land and Westerly on my son Enoch Hills' Land. Being
well bounded at every corner by stakes and stones, or marked trees, — be-
ing divided by sd three Rod way across it as aforesaid, so that what I
give to my aforesaid son Nathaniel with said way shall contain fifty acres
the one full half of the Northerly end of the fourth Lot of Land from
Daniel Hills cross Lot that he bought of me the sd Nathaniel Hills.

To Have and to Hold the before Granted Premises, with the Appur-
tenances and Privileges unto him my sone Nathaniel Hills his Heirs, Ex-
ecutors Administrators and Assigns forever, to his and their own
proper use Benefit and Behoof forever. And I the said Nathaniel

*■' HILLS row" 135

Hills my self — my Heirs, Executors, Administrators, do Covenant, Prom-
ise and Grant unto and with the said Nathaniel Hills, his Heirs and As-
signs forever, That before and until the Ensealing hereof I am the True,
Sole Proper and Lawful Owner and Posessor of the before Granted
Premises with the Appurtenances. And have in myself good Right, full
Power and Lawful Authority to Give, Gram, Bargain, Aleine, Release,
Convey and Confirm the same as aforesaid ; and that Free and Clear, and
Freely and Clearly Executed Acquitted and Discharged of and from al
former and other Gifts, Grants, Bargains, Sales, Leases, Mortgages,
Wills, Intails, Joyntures, Dowries, Thirds, Executions and Incumbrances
whatsoever.

And F"urthermore I the said Nathaniel Ilills, for myself and Heirs,
Executors and Administrators, do hereby covenant and engage the before
Granted Premises with the Appurtenances unto my said sore Nathaniel
Hills, his Heirs and Assigns forever to Warrant, Secure and Defend
against the Lawful Claims of any Person or Persons whatsoever.

In Witness whereof I the said Nathaniel Hills have hereunto set my
hand seal, this — day of March Annoque Domnio One Thousand Seven
Hundred and Thirty Eight Nine

(Signed) NATHANIEL HILLS [seal]
Signed Sealed and
delivered in presence of
Ebenezer Taylor

David Lawrence.

Middlesex SS Jan"- ye 5th 1739

The above named Nathaniel Hills appeared & acknowledged this in-
strument to be his free act and Deed.

Before me

JOSEPH BLANCHARD

Justice of Peace

Recorded Feb. 20 1802. Vol. 54 Page 512. Hillsborough County
Records.

This farm, together with the south half, was in Litchfield
from 1734 to 1746, and in Londonderry from 1746 to 1778,
when it became a part of Nottingham West.

One other farm east of the last mentioned was a part
of the Tyng land. This place was occupied for many years
by Charles Center, and a part of it was recently owned by
Anson A. Osgood. The east line is now different from the
original east line of the Tyng land, and it is not known how
many acres the original farm contained, but it is very prob-
able that it was not much less than one hundred acres.

136 HISTORY OF HUDSON

For several generations the settlement on the Derry
road from the Alden Hills place, northeast, for about twa
miles was known, and is to some extent to the present
time, as "Hills' Row," and the name was very appropriate.

Taken in their order was the old Henry Hills farm,,
later owned by Elijah and his descendants; then Ezekiel
Hills homestead, kept in the family for many years; Joseph
Pollard's place, whose wife was Ann Hills; the James Hills
farm, still in the family; the Enoch Hills place, owned out-
side the family for several years, but purchased by Henry
Hills, Jr., about 1762, and in the family as late as 1820; the
home of Nathaniel Hills, Jr., in possession of a descendant
to-day.

The Joseph Hills farm, as it was called, and the Na-
thaniel Hills Tyng land, containing altogether 1600 acres,
after they had been divided and settled, were known collec-
tively as "the Hills Farms," which name they retained to
a very recent date.

Many portions of these lands were fertile, easy of cul-
tivation, producing abundant harvests, and have always
constituted a very important part of the settlements of Not-
tingham, Nottingham West and Hudson, each in their turn
as regarding the number of inhabitants, wealth, intelli-
gence and influence of its citizens.

The Joseph Hills farms were settled previous to the
incorporation of Nottingham in 1733. The Nathaniel
Hills Tyng farms, about ten in number, were principally,
or all settled between 1733 and 1746.

ALFRED K. HILLS, M. D.

CHAPTER XII

The Boundary Dispute

Mention has already been made of the dispute over
the boundary line between the provinces of Massachusetts
and New Hampshire, and its origin briefly described. The
Plymouth Council, March 19, 1627-8, granted to Sir Henry
Roswell and his associates the land between the Charles
River and the Merrimack and all land "which lye * * *
within the space of three English miles to the northward
* * of the Merrimack or to the northward and every part
thereof." This act was confirmed the following year, by a
charter given by King Charles I to the Massachusetts
Company, and the error of this claim does not seem to
have been discovered until the Gardner survey was made
in the summer of 1638. Even then, with that stubborn-
ness peculiar to the spirit of the times, it was not acknowl-
edged by the Massachusetts colony.

A second survey was made by the Massachusetts
court fourteen years after the one mentioned, which re-
sulted in the Endicott memorial, and the contention be-
tween the provinces waxed earnestly as the years went by.
To hold the territory Massachusetts began to grant to
those who had participated in the Indian wars, and others
who had claims against the province, townships in the de-
batable country, not forgetting the three mile strip claimed
on the east bank of the Merrimack. Tyng Township,
granted to the party of wood scouts led by Capt. William
Tyng in a winter expedition against the red men in 1702-3,
and beginning at the northern limit of Litchfield, extend-
ing north six miles, was one of these grants. Krenton's
Farm was another. Old Dunstable, lying on both sides of
the river, completed the lower section.

137

138 HISTORY OF HUDSON

New Hampshire was not idle in trying to hold what
she believed to be justly her own. Of course the border
towns suffered most, not the least of which was the bitter
enmity it incurred among those who should have been
friends. The Scotch-Irish of Londonderry had obtained
their charter of New Hampshire, but trying to hold the
territory to the Merrimack River on the west, brought them
into sharp rivalry with the English colonists who had re-
ceived their grants from Massachusetts. Commissions
were appointed to settle the dispute, but these hesitated
and delayed and wrangled over the matter. Demand was
met by counter demand; one party was looked upon by the
other as "foreigners," these considered their rivals as "in-
truders."

Courts and commissions failing to settle the controver-
sy, appeals were made to the king by both sides, setting
forth their grievances in long petitions. Fees were paid
counsel, and obligations to the courts had to be met, so, to
say nothing of the vexation and hindrance to colonization,
great expense and loss of time was sustained.

Finally, Edmund Ouincy and Richard Partridge were
appointed Agents by the Massachusetts Assembly "to join
with Francis Wilks, in the prosecution of their claim be-
fore the King. New Hampshire intrusted its interests to
Capt. John Tomlinson, of London, with Mr. Parish as his
solicitor.

March 5, 1740, a hearing upon the appeals of both
provinces, respecting the lines, was secured and the deter-
mination of this long controversy was made on entirely dif-
ferent grounds from those previously submitted. Ignoring
old charters and grants made when the country was unex-
plored, the new consideration declared:

That the course of the river, though unknown, was supposed to be
from west to east, therefore it was deemed equitable that as far as the
river flowed in that course, the parallel line at three miles distance should
extend. But, as on the other hand, if by pursuing the course of the river,
up into the country, it had been found to have a southern bend, it would
have been inequitable to have contracted the Massachusetts grant ; so on

THE BOUNDARY DISPUTE 139

the other hand when it appeared to have a northern bend, it was equally
inequitable to enlarge it. Therefore it was determined ; that the northern
boundary of the Province of Massachusetts be, a similar curve line, pur-
suing the course of Merrimack river, at three miles distance, on the north
side thereof, beginning at the Atlantic Ocean, and ending at a point due
north of Pawtucket F"alls ; and a straight line drawn from thence due
west, till it meets with his Majesty's other governments.

This determination exceeded the utmost expectations of New Hamp-
shire ; as it gave them a tract of country fourteen miles in breadth, and
above fifty in length, more than they had ever claimed. It cut off from
Massachusetts twenty-eight new townships between the Merrimack and
Connecticut rivers ; besides large tracts of vacant land, which lay inter-
mixed ; and districts from six of their old towns, on the north side of
Merrimack; and if, as was then supposed, the due west line were to ex-
tend to twenty miles east of Hudson river, the reputed boundary of New
York; a vast tract of fertile country, on the western side of the Connecti-
cut river was annexed to New Hampshire, by which an ample scope was
given, first for landed speculation, and afterward for cultivation and
wealth.

When this determination was known, the politicians of Massachusetts
were chagrined and enraged. They talked loudly of injustice, and some
of the more zealous proposed trying the merits of the cause upon the
words of the charter, before the Judges in Westminster Hall, who it was
expected would upon their oath reverse the judgment, and tell the King
that he had mistaken the meaning of the royal charter.

This would have been indeed a bold stroke. But a more moderate
and pusillanimous scheme was adopted, which was to send a new agent
to petition the King, that he would re-annex to their government the
twenty-eight townships, which had been cut off, and the districts of the
six towns.

It was also thought prudent that the whole Province should not open-
ly appear in the affair; but that petitions should be drawn by the inhabi-
tants of these towns, and that the agent should be chosen by them.

Accordingly town meetings were held; petitions were prepared and
subscribed; and Thomas Hutchinson was appointed agent, and sent over
to England, when he formed those connections which afterwards served
to raise him to the chair of government in his native Province.

About the same time Governor Belcher procured a pe-
tition from his six friends, of the Council of New Hamp-
shire to the King, praying that the whole Province might
be annexed to the government of Massachusetts. Suc-
ceeding events proved that the action was taken at an in-
opportune time, and their petition was promptly rejected.

140 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Action upon the town petitions was delayed, putting the
inhabitants to expense and prolonged anxiety over the
matter. In one respect this was a beneiit, as it gave Mr.
Tomlinson ample time in which to prepare his defense, and
the Massachusetts representative found himself out-
matched. Not only was the territory in dispute to remain
under the jurisdiction of New Hampshire, but, in order to
escape any further controversy. Governor Belcher was or-
dered by royal authority to have surveyors appointed from
both provinces to establish the line. Again Massachusetts
demurred, but as provision had been for either party to act
independently of the other, the Assembly of New Hamp-
shire proceeded to appoint their surveyors, and these were
endorsed by the governor. George Mitchell surveyed the
line from the ocean "three miles north of Merrimack River
to a station north of Pawtucket Falls, in the township of
Dracut," following the bends in the river. Richard Hazen
began where his colleague stopped, and continued the west
line across Connecticut River to the supposed boundary of
New York. Ten degrees were allowed for the westerly
variation of the needle. The work was begun in February
and completed in March, 1741. The following May the
court confirmed this action of the surveyors, and so after
over a hundred years of wrangling and disputing the boun-
dary between the provinces was fixed. The grantees of
the towns in New Hampshire that suffered by the failure
of Massachusetts to hold the territory, were given grants
in Maine or elsewhere, but the recompense only covered a
small portion of the expense and hardship they had met.

Among the petitions sent to the King for relief, as per
order of the court of Massachusetts, the following was
voted at a town meeting held, in Hudson, November 21,
1740, this being a fair sample of the others submitted:

Inasmuch as we are informed that his Majesties court determination
of the northern boundary of Massachusetts Province, this town is the
greater part thereof left out of said Province to which they always sup-
posed themselves to belong, therefore voted that a petition be prepared

THE BOUNDARY DISPUTE 141

to the King's Moat Excellent Majesty, setting our most distressed circum-
stances, and praying that we may be united to the said Majesties Prov-
ince, and that Thomas Hutchinson Esq. be fully impowered to prefer
such, our petition at the court of Great Krittian, and for us to appear in
all things touching our petition according to his best discretion.
Nov. 21, 1740.

JONATHAN SNOW,

Toivn Clerk.

At a town meeting the following year, November 22,
1741, it was

Voted that they would send to the General Court to see if the town
could get any abatement of their county tax Rates by reason of our being
cut to Bitts with the Province line. ***** It was also voted to join
with other towns and send a petition to England to be annexed to Massa-
chusetts Bay.

Chose Colonel Thomas Colburn to go to the General Court to get
the county tax abated.

The records of the town do not show that another
town meeting was held until August 9, 1743.

An Act was passed by the General Court of New
Hampshire, dated March 18, 1741-2, for taxing the new
Districts, and to choose town officers to assess and collect
the taxes.

Richard Jenness of Rye, George Walton of Ncwing-
ton, and Eleazer Stevens of Kingston were appointed to
call the first meeting of the inhabitants. The following is
the substance of the report of the committee:

Province of New Hampshire.

Portsmouth, 17th May, 1742-
Wee, the subscribers, being appointed a committee by the Governor,
Council and Assembly, to call the first meetings in the several Towns
within the Province, that falls within the lines according to his Majesty's
determination in Council, in order to their paying a Province tax, do de-
clare that in that part of Salisbury, Amesbury, Haverhill, Methuen, Dra-
cut, Dunstable, litcbfield & Nottingham, people were well satisfied that
they were under no disatisfaction upon any account, but in three or four
of the towns where the Parrishes were divided, which, if they by an act of
both Governments, that is the Province of Massachusetts & New Hamp-
shire they could be enabled to carry on their Parrish affairs, they would
in General be entirely easy.

1.42 HISTORY OF HUDSON

This we declare to be in truth according to the best of our knowledge
before His Excellency, Benning Wentworth, Esq. Governor & Command-
er in Chief of his Majesty's Province of New Hampshire.

Geo. Walton,
Eben' Stevens,

Richard Jenness
Province of New Hampshire.

Acct of Travels of the Committee appointed by the Act of the Gov-
ernment, for viewing the New Districts falling into the Province, lying to
the northward and eastward of the Boundary Lines between this Prov :
and Mass* Bay, & and for qualifying ye officers in ye same.

Apr. 11.

"Wee the Committee opened the meeting att a place called Loggin
Plain at the meeting there between Salisbury and Aniesbuiy, being by in-
formation about 28 miles distant from Court.

A meeting was also held at Haverhill, April 2U, and one
at Methuen, April 21, 1742.

Apr. 22 wee proceeded to Nottingham & opened the nseeting house
there, Distance from Methuen, 12 miles from information.
Voted Capt. Henry Baldwin, Moderator;
Henry Baldwin clerk. Capt. Hen: Baldwin

Zacheus Lovell,
Jno. Snow.

Selectmen.
Thomas Gage, Collector.

Meetings were held in Dunstable April 23; Litchfield
April 24, and Penny Cook, April 27.

The record of the meeting, August 9, 1743, was
headed: "Province of New Hamp: District of Notting-
ham," as all subsequent town meetings were given until
1746.

At a meeting August 24, 1743, "Voted to set up
warning at the meeting house for District meetings, and
and at two public houses in said District."

October 14, 1743, "Fifthly, the District put to vote
to see whether they would move to the Great General Court
to be Incorported into a town according to the limits of the
District, and it passed in the Negative."

January 3, 1744. One of the articles in the warrant
was : "To see if the District will by a vote set off part of

THE BOUNDARY DISPUTE 143

said District as a separate town as follows, Viz: Begin-
ning at Merrimack River at Province line; then by said
line three miles from said River; thence running three
miles distant from said River to Litchfield line; thence by
said line to Merrimack River aforesaid." This article "was
put to vote and passed in the Negative."

At a meeting held October 8, 1744, an article in the
warrant was as follows: "To see if said District will set off
by vote the inhabitants and lands lying on the North End
of the District of Nottingham from Litchfield line down-
ward two miles, thence crossing said District to London-
derry." The article was "dismissed."

March 10, 1745.
Province of New Hampshire

The I^istrict of Nottingham being assembled together at a meeting
this tenth day of March, 1745-6.

By virtue of a warrant issued out by two of his Majesties Justices of
the Peace and Quorum ; They passed sundry votes.

First made choice of Mr. Thomas Cjage Moderator; secondly it was
put to vote to see if the District will signify by a vote that they will be
incorporated into a Distinct Town, and it passed in the affirmative. (The
yeas were as follows): John Hamblet, John Huey, Joseph Caldwell, Eph-
raim Cununings, Joseph Wright, James Gibson, John Mitchell, Samuel
Jewett, Benjamin Frost, Thomas Burns, Thomas Richardson, Hesekiah
Hamblet, Capt. Henry Baldwin, Fhineas Spaulding, Hugh Richard.'-on,
Daniel Merrill, Benjamin Tyng, Abel Meriill, Robert Nevens, Joseph
Hamblet, Daniel Douglass, Samuel Butler, Thomas Gage, Josiah Ham-
blet, John Baldwin, Onesephorus Marsh, Jacob Butler, Ebenezer Dakin,
Joseph Gould, John Butler, James Wason, Joseph Caldwell, Jr. In the
affirmative 32.

Nays: James Barrett, Thomas Pollard, Robert Glover, Joseph Blodg-
ett, Eleazer Cummings, Lieut. Joseph Winn, John Marshall, Jeremiah
Blodgett, Jonathan Hardy, Dr. Ezekiel Chase, Samuel Greeley, Jr., I.ieut.
Joseph Snow, John Marsh, George Burns, Ensign William Cummings,
Samuel Burbank, Samuel Greeley, Capt. Thomas Colburn, Joseph W'inn,
Jr., John Marshall, Jr., Samuel Huston. In the Negative 21.

Thereby it was put to vote to see if the District will split the town
partly north and south and the vote passed in the Negative.

That article in the warrant to set off Hills farms was dismissed by a
vote.

The District chose Mr. Thomas Gage, Mr. Ephraim Cummings and
Mr. John Butler a committee to treat with the courts committee and rep-
resent the circumstances of the District to them.

144 HISTORY OF HUDSON"

A large majority of those voting yea were residents of
the east part of the District, while all those who voted nay,
were residents of that part that became Nottingham West,
and nearly all the leading citizens of the west part of the
District appear to have been opposed to the incorporation,
as was voted for at that meeting.

As has been before stated in this History, Nottingham
included the western part of Pelham. It was bounded eas-
terly and southerly by Dracut according to the lines of old
Dunstable as surveyed by Jonathan Danforth, May, 1674.

Mr. Danforth states in his report, as given in Dunsta-
ble Records:

On the East side Merrimack it begins at a great stone which was
supposed to be near the North East corner of Mr. Brenton's land; and
from thence it runs Sou. southeast six miles to a pine tree marked: F:
standing within sight of Beaver Brook; thence it runs two degrees West
of South four miles and a quarter which reached to the south side of
Henry Kimble's farm at Jeremie's Hill; thence from ye southeast angell
of said farm it runs two degrees and a quarter westward of the south near
to the Head of Long Pond which lieth at ye head of Edward Colburn's
farm." "And thus it is bounded by ye said pond and the head of said Col-
burn's farm ; taking in captain Scarlett's farm so as to close again ; all of
which is sufficiently bounded and described

Nearly fifty years later these bounds were renewed, as
the following copied from the Dunstable Records will
show:

December in ye year 1723

Renewing the bounds between Dunstable and Dracut by order of the
Selectmen of each town. "Beginning at the pine tree on the North side
of Beaver Brook being marked and lettered F. it being fallen down we
have laid stones about it. "From thence running Southward by the old
marked trees, many of them lettered with D.D. until we came near to a
place called Stone dam, then we not finding the old bounds then we
agreed both parties to make a pine which stands on the east side of Bea-
ver Brook four rods from said Dam, which trees is lettered D.D. and
stones by it, which said tree and stones, both parties agreed to be a
bound between said towns-from said corner tree running southward to a
pine tree marked and lettered D.D. So running to a pine tree marked
and stones about it near to a pine tree which is called the South East an-
gle of Henry Kimball's farm, and from said pine tree we renewed the old

THE BOUNDARY DISPUTE 145

b ounds to Long Pond, thence running by the pond part of the way to an
oak tree, thence the said bound being lost both committees agreed upon
a line of marked trees to Tray Rock to be the bounds between said townS)
which trees are lettered with D.D. and then we renewed the old bounds
to Merrimack River. This is our mutual agreement, that the said lines
shall stand good forever and it is agreed that the bounds which we men-
tioned shall be entered in Dunstable and Dracut Town Books.

Joseph Blanchard.

his
Joseph X Butterfield, being the
mark

Major part of the Committee of the town of Dunstable.

Thomas Varnum.'
Joseph Varnum.

Samuel Colburn, being the whole
of the committee for Dracut.

SAMUEL DANFORTH.

Surveyor.

The ancient "pine tree marked F, standing within
sight of Beaver Brook," mentioned by Jonathan Danforth
in his survey of Dunstable in May, 1674, later became the
north-west corner of Dracut, the north-east corner of Not-
tingham and the south-east corner of Litchfield, as these
towns were chartered by Massachusetts, nothwithstanding
that the south line of Londonderry as chartered by New
Hampshire was about two miles south of the aforesaid an-
cient boundary pine.

This corner pine had fallen down in 1723, and its exact
location is unknown at the present time, but approximately
it was about one-half mile north-easterly from Lawrence
Corner, and a short distance north of the point where the
Worcester Division of the Boston and Maine Railroad
crosses Beaver Brook, and on the north-west side of said
"brook.

This old pine was the point at which the joint commit-
tee started to renew the bounds between Nottingham and
Dracut. From thence they run southward on the old
Dunstable line "by the old marked trees, many of them
lettered D.D. (Dunstable, Dracut), until we came near to a
place called Stone dam, then we not finding the old bounds,

146 HISTORY OF HUDSON

then we agreed both parties to make a pine which stands
on the east side of Beaver Brook, four rods from said Dam,
which tree is lettered D.D. and stones by it, which tree
and stones, both parties agreed to be a bound between said
towns." This "Stone Dam" was at North Pelham, where
the line was about four rods east of Beaver Brook.

From thence they followed the old line southward to
a "pine tree marked and stones about it near to a pine
tree which is called the South-east angle of Henry Kim-
ball's farm." This point, which was an angle in the east
line of old Dunstable, was probably about one mile north-
westerly of Pelham Center. From that point they "re-
newed the old bounds to Long Pond." This point was a
little less than one mile east of the present corner between
Hudson and Pelham on the State line.

Thence they ran by the pond to an oak tree on the
west side of the pond. "Thence the said bound being lost
both committees agreed upon a line of marked trees to
Tray Rock." Tray Rock, still one of the bounds between
Dracut and Tyngsbotough, is a large rock, very near the
highway, and on the east side at Lakeview, and a little
southerly of the cottage of the late August Fells. From
there they "renewed the old Bounds to Merrimack River."

The present line between the towns of Dracut and
Tyngsborough is at the mouth of Scarlet Brook, which is
about three-fourths of a mile east of the south end of Tyng's
Island. The line at that point is probably substantially at
the same point where it was in 1723.

These lines and bounds, as run and renewed by the
committees of Dunstable and Dracut in 1723, became the
dividing lines between Nottingham and Dracut in 1733 and
remained as such, until the Province line was established,
in 1741.

CHAPTER XIII

"Londonderry Claim"

Mention has been made of lands, now forming the
north-easterly corner of the town of Hudson, which were
annexed to Nottingham West from Londonderry in 1778.
This section contained about 4,600 acres, and with adjoin-
ing lands was known as the "Londonderry Claim." This
territory was long in controversy between the inhabitants
of that town, who claimed it under their charter from New
Hampshire, while the settlers of Nottingham and Litch-
field sought to hold it under the charter of Dunstable ob-
tained from Massachusetts in 1673. Subsequent to the
settlement of the Province line in 1741, and prior to the
granting of the charters of Nottingham West in 1746, and
of Litchfield in 1749, the occupants of these disputed lands
were greatly annoyed by the levying of taxes by rival au-
thorities, which they were compelled, in some cases, to pay.

The spirit of the situation is illustrated in the follow-
ing petition :

To His Excellency Banning Wentvvorlh Esqr Governor &c. the Hon'b
His Majesty's Council and Assembly in Gen'U Court Convened at Ports-
mouth New Hampshire April 1746.

The Petition of us the subscribers Inhabitants of the tract of land
formerly in town of Dunstable lately incorporated into a District called
Litchfield & in that part of S'd District which Interferes with Londonderry
bounds According to the late running per Mr. Walter Eryant. That yr
Pertitioners settled under ye Grant.s of Massachusetts Bay, And have
continued to pay Rates to Litchfield by whom their poles end Estates was
with Litchfield Envoice Returned to this Hon'b Court, but so it is that
this Last year notwithstanding they were Rated as usual to Liiohfield And
there payed their full proporuon to town Minister And Prov'nce Tsxes
yet they were Rated in Londonderry and by their Cor.stable Distrained
for the same & have paid as Per Rec. which your Petitioners Humbly Ap-
prehended a great Hardship and Know of no Relief unless your Excellen-
cy & Hon'rs should see meet to Reheve us.

147

148 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Therefore your Petitioners Humbly pray You to Consider the prem-
ises & direct that One of the S'd Towns Return the rates Reed, as afore-
said or Otherwise relieve us as may seem meet & ye Pet'rs as in Duty
Bound shall ever pray &c.

(Signed) Ebenezer Spalding Stephen Spalding

William butterfield lamed Comins

Then follow copies of receipts of payment of taxes in
both Litchfield and Londonderry in 1745, all signed by the
constables of the two towns.

Leonard Cummings^ (Samuel*, John^ John-, Isaac^),
was assessed in Nottingham in 1735-6-7 and 1740; in Litch-
field 1741 to 1745 inclusive. He was a "joyner" by trade
and a yeoman. In 1742 he purchased of James Perham of
Nottingham forty acres of land in that part of Litchfield
that was in dispute, and which is now in the north-east
part of Hudson. He lived there until his death in Octo-
ber, 1758. January 25, 1780, the heirs of Leonard Cum-
mings conveyed to Ebenezer Tarbox and Henry Tarbox,
then in Nottingham West, 104 acres of land, which was
undoubtedly the Cummings farm.

The cellar of the Tarbox house may still be seen a
short distance south of the Londonderry town line, some
distance west of the Derry road, and is on land formerly
belonging to the Hudson town farm. At the present time
this land forms the westerly part of the farm of Henry
Morey, it being the first farm south of the Londonderry
line on the Derry road.

A deed covering this property, situated near the south-
east corner of the Curtis farm, so called, describes the
boundaries as

Beginning at a pine tree in the easterly line of said farm from thence

running N. 79° E. by land of Major Coffin hundred rods to a heap

of stones the corner of said Curtises lot, thence the line runs N. 20° E 43
rods by common lands to a pine marked, from thence N. 5° E. by com-
mon land 28 rods to a pine thence N. 10° W. 80 rods to a heap of stones,
from thence S. 79° W. 120 rods to a heap of stones in the line of Brin-
ton's farm, from thence southerly by the said farm line to the pine tree
the first mentioned bound.

"'LONDONDERRY CLAIM" 149

A large majority of the inhabitants of the lands in
controversy were formerly of Dunstable, Nottingham or
Litchfield, and were greatly disappointed by the termina-
tion of the boundary dispute between the two Provinces.
Some of these were so intensely dissatisfied that some
years later, in June, 1754, they petitioned to Governor
Wentworth to be taxed in Nottingham West. This oppo-
sition rose largely from the inconvenience caused them in
attending divine worship. The meeting house, the com-
plaint goes on to say, in Londonderry was nine miles dis-
tant, while they were very conveniently situated to attend
their own church, which had been built when they had sup-
posed they belonged in Nottingham West, and "that we
may be so far sett off and annexed to Nottingham West
as to be taxed with them to the Province charges."* This
petition was signed by the following persons :

Ebenezer Spalding William Butterfield

Noah Kidder Isaac Page

Ezekiel Page Benjamin Melvin

Joseph Kidder Leonard Cummings

James Barret Richard Marshall

Stephen Spalding Moses Barret

George Burroughs Joseph Kidder

Reuben Spalding Ezekiel Chase

John Kidder Moses Lowell

George Burroughs, Jr. Thomas Mash (?)
Nathaniel Hills John Marshall, Jr.

William Hills David Lawrence

Mellen Hills (.?) Samson Kidder

Stephen Lowell
A counter petition was presented by the selectmen of
Londonderry, and the request of the above named citizens
was not answered. Still the matter continued to be agi-
tated, and nearly fourteen years later, at the annual town
meeting held March 4, 1768, "It was also put to vote to

* New Hampshire Town Papers, Vol. II, Page 511.

150 HISTORY OF HUDSON

see if the Town would hear and answer the request of a
number of the Inhabitants of Londonderry Claim to be an-
nexed to this Town."*

While this article received a favorable consideration at
home, it failed to accomplish its purpose, and the matter
seems to have rested for ten years, when the courts of New
Hampshire were again appealed to for relief, by the follow-
ing petition to be annexed to Nottingham West:

To the Honorable Council and Assembly of the State of New Hamp-
shire, convened on the Eleventh day of Feb'y Inst, at Exeter within and
for said State.

The petition of us the subscribers being Inhabitants of the south-
westerly part of Londonderry, Humbly shews that we your petitioners live
very remote from that part of Londonderry where all Business of a public
nature is transacted, nor is it but very seldom that we can hear of the pub-
lic meetings of said Town, and should we hear ot such meetings the dis-
tance is so far that but very few of us could Attend at all, & those who
do, must do it at considerable expense having eight or ten miles to Travel
for that purpose.

That it very often happens, that when any material Business is to be
transacted meetings are held without our knowledge, by which we lose
the privilege enjoyed by Others.

And as our Situation is much Nearer to the middle of Nottingham
West it would be greatly for our Interest to be Annexed to that town,
which we think will not prejudice Londonderry, as we pay no part towards
supporting the (iospel in that town, but do it in the town of Nottingham
West where we have helped to build a Meeting House and settle A Min-
ister, and the chief of Other Town Charges will diminish in proportion to
the deduction made in consequence hereof.

Your petitioners therefore would most humbly pray that your Hon-
ours, will take the premises into consideration and give us leave to bring
in a bill to Annex the south-westerly part of Londonderry as described by
a map of the same to be shown the day of hearing, to the town of Not
tingham West, agreeable to a Vote of the saio town of Nottingham West
for that purpose, or otherwise as your Honours in your Wisdom shall see
meet.

And we your petitioners as in Duty Bound shall ever pray.

Feb. 3d 1778.

Levi Andrews Isaac Page Hugh Smith

John Smith Philip Marshall William McAdams

* Hudson Town Records.

"LONDONDERRY CLAIM" 151

Josiah Burroughs William Graham Thomas Smith

Ebenezer Tarbox Moses Karret Joseph Hobbs

Simeon Robinson W. Eleanor Graham David Lawrence

John Marshall Ezekiel Grele Richard Marshall

Simeon Barret Joseph Steele Sampson Kidder

James Barret David Peabody Benjamin Kidder

William Hood George Burrows.

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.

In the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and seventy eight
An act to annex divers inhabitants of the southerly part of London-
derry to, and incorporate ihem with the Town of Nottingham West.

Whereas Moses Barret, Ezekiel Grele, David Peabody, George Bur-
rows, David Lawrence, Sampson Kidder, Richard Marshall, Benjamin
Kidder, Hugh Smith, William McAdams, Joseph Hobbs, Thomas Smith,
Levi Andrews, John Smith. Josiah Burrows, Ebenezer Tarbox, Simeon
Robinson, Simeon Barret, John Marshall, James Barret, William Hood,
Eleanor (iraham, Joseph Steele, Isaac Page, Philip Marshall, and William
Graham have petitioned the General Assembly for said State setting forth
that they live very remote from that part of Londonderry where ail the
business of a pubUc nature was transactsd, that it was seldom that they
could hear of the public meetings, and when they did the distance was so
great and the expense so very considerable, few could aUend.

Whereby they were deprived of the priviledges others of the Inhabi-
tants of Londonderry enjoyed; that their situation was much nearer to
the Town of N'ottingham West, and that it would be greatly for their in-
terests to be annexed to that Town which they prayed might be granted
them the prayer of which petition upon full hearing or the parties thereon
appearing reasonable.

Therefore be it, and it is hereby enacted by the council and House of
Representatives in General Assembly convened ; That the land contained
within the following bounds. Viz:

Beginning in the South boundary of Londonderry, at the North East
corner of Nottingham West, Thence running North 5 degrees East, fre-
quently crossing Beaver Brook, four hundred and twenty four rods to a
large pine tree marked standing by said Brook. Thence North twenty
degrees west seven hundred forty rods to a large Black Oak tree marked
standing about 4 rods East of Simeon Robinson's House.

Thence North Eighty degrees west six hundred rods to the East side
line of Litchfield, to a Poplar tree marked standing in the edge of Fine
meadow, and including the houses and lands belonging to William Gra-
ham, William Steele, William McAdams, Simeon Robinson, and Ebene-
zer Tarbox, lying to the Eastward and Northward of said tract, according

162 HISTORY OF HUDSON

to the plan thereof exhibited with said petition, and including any landr.
lying contiguous to said North and East Bounds belonging to Samuel
Anderson and Thomas Boyd lying within the same.

Then from said Poplar tree South in the East Bounds of Litchfield
and Nottingham West about two miles and three quarters to a corner of
Nottingham West. Thence East, South East in the South Bounds of
Londonderry and the North Bounds of Nottingham West, two miles and
three quarters of a mile to the place began at.

Which lands as before described with the buildings thereon, and ap-
purtenances thereof, (Except as before Excepted) shall be annexed to
and considered as part of the Town of Nottingham W^est.

And all the inhabitants living upon and within the above mentioned
bounds (except as before excepted) their Heirs and Successors shall be
incorporated with, and belong to the Town of Nottingham West, and
shall be entitled to all Town priviledges as other inhabitants of said Not-
tingham West are.

Provided nevertheless that the inhabitants and lands hereby dis-
annexed from Londonderry and annexed to said Nottingham West, shall
stand chargeable with their part of the State tax until a new proportion
of Slate tax is made, (as well as the tax that is or shall be assessed for
the present proportion of continental soldiers,) and with all taxes made or
charges incurred before the passing thereof, by said Town of I ondon-
derry, as tho this act had not been made, anything herein to the contrary
notwithstanding.

And be it further enacted, that the inhabitants and lands so annexed
to the Town of Nottingham West, shall be deemed and reputed to lie and
be within the County of Hillsborough in the State aforesaid, and not
within the County of Rockingham, as heretofore reputed. And that the
persons so joined to said Nottingham West, their Heirs and Successors
shall belong to the same regiment to which other inhabitants of said Not-
tingham West do or shall belong, and that nothing in this Act be taken
or construed to effect property but only to alter the lines of jurisdiction.

State of New Hampshire.

In the House of Representatives, February ye 28th 1778.
The foregoing Bill having been read a third time. Voted that the
same pass to be enacted.

Sent up for concurrence.

JOHN DUDLEY, Speaker

Pr. Tmp'-.

In Council March 6. 1778 :—

This Bill read a third time & voted that it be enacted.

JOSIAH BARTLETT

President, P. T.

JOHN A. ROBINSON

"LONDONDERRY CLAIM" 153

A true Copy Examined by

E. THOMPSON,

Secry.

A True Entry pr.

SAMUEL GREELE,

Town Clerk *

By the annexation of "Londonderry Claim," March,
1778, the area of the Township of Nottingham West was in-
creased by about four thousand six hundred and twenty-
seven acres, or more than seven square miles, exclusive of
those lands belonging to the farms of certain persons living
near the boundary line, and which were in part east of such
boundary, but which were wholly included within the town
of Nottingham West, as provided by the law of annexation.

The corner described as "a large Pine tree marked,
standing by said brook" (Beaver Brook), was undoubtedly
at or very near the angle in the east line of Dunstable as
surveyed by Jonathan Danforth in May, 1674, and which he
described as "a pme tree marked :F: standing within sight
of Beaver Brook." It had been the north-west corner of
Dracut, previous to the settlement of the Province line in
1741, as claimed and conceded by the committees appointed
to renew the bounds between Dunstable and Dracut, De-
cember, 1723, which has been mentioned.

The line running from this ancient corner, "North
twenty degrees west, seven hundred forty rods to a large
Black Oak tree standing about 4 rods East of Simeon Rob-
inson's House," was probably intended to follow the east
line of old Dunstable as given by Jonathan Danforth in
1674, which reversed would be N. 22 1-2 degrees W.

The number of families was increased by twenty-seven
at least, and the number of tax payers by thirty-nine. The
names of these tax payers, as they are found upon the list
of June 13, 1778, are as follows:

• Hudson Town Records.

154

HISTORY OF HUDSON

Andrews, Levi
Barrett, James
Barrett, Moses
Burroughs, Benjamin
Burroughs, George
Burroughs, Josiah
Burroughs, Josiah, Jr.
Burroughs, William
Graham, Wid Eleanor
Greele, Capt. Ezekiel
Hobbs, Joseph
Hood, William
Hills, Nathaniel
Kidder, Lt. Benjamin
Kidder, Elder Sampson
Lawrence, David
Lawrence, David, Jr.
Marshall, John
Marshall, Philip

Marshall, Samuel
McAdams, Robert
McAdams, William
Ordway, Nehemiah
Page, Ezekiel
Page, Isaac
Peabody, Capt. David
Porter, Daniel
Robinson, Douglas
Robinson, John
Robinson, Peter
Robinson, Peter, Jr.
Robinson, Simeon
Richey, James
Steele, Joseph
Steele, William
Smith, Daniel
Tarbox, Lt. Ebenezer
Tarbox, Henry

Marshal], Richard

With the exception of two minor changes made at the
north-east part of the town, between Hudson and London-
derry, the present boundaries of Hudson remain the same
as were those of Nottingham West, subsequent to the an-
nexation of "Londonderry Claim," in 1778. The first of
these was made by an act of the legislature passed June
27, 1857, which established the south-east corner of Lon-
donderry, and the most easterly corner of Hudson, about
one hundred and twelve rods farther northerly on Beaver
Brook, from the old "Dracut Corner," which was assumed
as a bound between the two towns in 1778. The line run-
ning from the new corner north 27° 12' west, six hundred
and ninety rods to the original corner, established in 1778,
about four rods east of "Simeon Robinson's House," and
from that to the corner at Litchfield line as before.

This change in the boundary line between London-
derry and Hudson, was effected principally for the purpose

"LONDONDERRY CLAIM " 155

of establishing a definite and permanent boundary between
the two towns.

By the act of 1857, all lands adjoining the boundary
lines on the east and north became a part of Londonderry;
and all lands adjoining the same lines on the west and
south became a part of Hudson. There were about two
hundred acres in the tract between the two lines, the
greater part made up of those farms and lands lying east
and north of the boundary lines of 1778, but which were
made a part of Nottingham West by the act of annexation
of that year. In consequence of this situation Hudson ac-
quired very little land from Londonderry by the last
change of boundaries.

By the act of annexation, 1778, "Beginning in the south
boundary of Londonderry, at the North East corner of
Nottingham West, Thence running North 5 degrees East,
frequently crossing Beaver Brook, 424 rods to a large pine
tree marked, standing by said Brook," the line between
Windham and Nottingham West was made straight, each
town including a small amount of land upon opposite sides
of the brook. This remained unchanged until July 2, 1862,
when the legislature established the line between Hudson
and Windham, in the centre of Beaver Brook, from the
north-west corner of Pelham, about 320 rods to the south-
east corner of Londonderry, as established in 1857,

While it is impossible to ascertain at this time the
exact increase in the population of Nottingham West by
the annexation of the "Londonderry Claim," it has been
shown from the records that as many as thirty-nine tax-
payers were added to the list and at least twenty-seven
families.

It would seem to be within the bounds of reason to
estimate the average number in the families, at that time
when larger families than to-day was the rule, at not less
than seven persons each. At this estimation the addition
would be not less than two hundred. The population of
the town at different periods has been as follows:

156 history of hudson

Population

In 1767, a provincial census made the number of in-
habitants 583 whites, with two slaves.

In 1773, a census taken by the order of Governor John

Wentworth, in October, gave the following result:
Nottingham West.

Men, unmarried, from 16 to 60, 41

Men, married, from 16 to 60, 88

Boys, 16 and under, 150

Men, 60 and upwards, 14

Females, unmarried, 179

Females, married, 100

Widows, 16

Male slaves, 2

Female slaves, 2

Total, 592

In September, 1775, another census was taken by or-
der of the New Hampshire Convention, when the town was
credited with a population of 649. Men in the army, 22;
slaves, 4; an increase of 54 persons in less than two years.

In 1786 another census was taken "In obedience to
Resolve of the General Court of ye March 3d 1786 for
numbering ye inhabitants, we have Numbered ye Town of
Nottingham West and find 1010 souls.

Asa Davis

John Haselton, Jr.

Isaac Merrill

Selectmeny

It appears by the two last censuses, September, 1775,
March, 1786, a period of ten and one-half years, which in-
cluded the time of the Revolutionary war, the population
increased 361. If 200 of this number was due to annexa-
tion of the "Londonderry Claim" to Nottingham West,
the excess of births above deaths and by immigration was
161, or an average of 15^^ persons annually.

"LONDONDERRY CLAIM '

157

According to the successive censuses taken by the
United States government since 1790, the population at
the end of each decade has been :

1790, 1064, increase since 1786, 4 years
1267, increase in ten years
1876

1800
1810
1820
1830
1840
1850
1860
1870
1880
1890
1900
1910

1227, decrease "

1282, increase "

1144, decrease "

1312, increase "

1222, decrease "

1066, " "
1045,

1092, increase "

1261, " "

1344, " "

54
203
109
149

55
138
168

90
156

47
169

It will be seen, that, provided the population of the
town in 1800 was twelve hundred and sixty-seven, and that
in 1900, it was twelve hundred and sixty-one, there was a
net decrease of six within the century.

The largest number as shown at any decade was in
1810, when the number of inhabitants reached thirteen
hundred and seventy-six, or one hundred and fifteen more
than in 1900, which shows a net decrease of about eight
and one-third per cent within ninety years.

During tne fifty years from 1850 to 1900, there was a
large decrease in the number of children, with an increase
of the number of adults.

The number of rateable polls as enumerated in 1850 was
269, while in 1900 they had increased to 331, or 2^% per
cent; and in 1905 the number was 373, an increase from
1850 of 104, or about 39 per cent in 55 years — about lb%
per cent of which has been made within the last five years,
which would tend to show quite a rapid increase in the
population of the town at the present time.

158 history of hudson

Adoption of New Name

At the annual town meeting at the North Meeting
house, March 9, 1830, the warrant contained the following
article: "To see if the town will request the selectmen in
behalf of the town to petition the next General Court to
alter the name of this town. "If so to see if the town will
vote that the same be called by the name of Auburn, if not
to designate some other name by which it shall be called,"

Under the article it was "voted to request the select-
men to petition the legislature to alter the name of the
town. "Chose a committee consisting of Col. Joseph
Greeley, Dea. Moses Greeley, Col. William Hills, Dea.
Asa Blodgett and James Tenney to report a name. "Voted
to adjourn this meeting to next Saturday at 10 o'clock in
the forenoon. * * * * "Met according to adjournment.
* * * "Voted to accept the report of the committee chosen
to desiginate a name by which to call the town, which
name was that of Hudson.

"Reuben Greeley,

Town Clerkr

July 1, 1830, Thomas B. Wason, Representative, an
act was passed by the state legislature in answer to the re-
quest of the town to change the name from Nottingham
West, which it had borne for eighty -four years, to Hudson.

CHAPTER XIV

Nottingham West and Families

In answer to the request of a majority of the inhabitants
of Nottingham as expressed by vote at the District Meet-
ing, March 10, 1746, the General Court of New Hampshire,
July 5, 1746, incorporated the town of Nottingham West,
there being already a Nottingham in the east part of the
State.

The following is copied from the original charter:
Province of
Newhampshire.

George the Second by the Grace of
PROVINCE \ God of Great Brittain France and

SEAL OF V Ireland King Defender of the Faith.

NEW HAMPSHIRE ) To all whom these Presents Shall

come Greeting.

Whereas Sundry of our Loyal Subjects Inhabitants of
a Tract of Land within the Ancient Boundaries of a Town
called Old Dunstable in our Province of Newhampshire on
the easterly side of Merrymack River hereinafter described.

Have Humbly Petitioned and Requested of us That
they may be erected and Incorporated into a Township and
Infranchised with the same powers Authorities and Prive-
leges which other Towns within our said Province by Law
have & Enjoy. And it appears to us to be conducive to
the General Good of our Said Province, as well as of the
Said Inhabitants in particular, by maintaining good Order
and Incouraging the Culture of the Land, That the Same
should be done.

Know Yee Therefore, That We of our Especial Grace
certain Knowledge, and for the Encouraging and promot-
ing the Good Purposes and Ends aforesaid. By and with
the Advice of our Trusty and well beloved Penning Went-
worth Esqr., our Governor and Commander-in-chief, and
our Council for Said Province, have Erected Incorporated
and Ordained, and by these Presents for us our Heirs and
Successors, Do will and Ordain That the Inhabitants of

159

160 HISTORY OF HUDSON

the Tract of Land aforesaid (Bounded as follows Viz.) Be-
ginning at the River Merrymack on the East Side thereof
where the line that parts the Province of Massachusetts
Bay and New hampshire crosses the Said River and runs
from Said River East ten Degrees South by the Needle
two Miles and Eighty Rods. Then North twenty Degrees
East five Miles and Eighty Rods to Londonderry South
Side Line. Then by said Londondeiry Line West North
West to the South West Corner of Londonderry Town-
ship, then North on Londonderry West Side Line one
Mile & Eighty Rods, then West by the Needle to Mer-
rymack River, then on Said River Southerly to the place
begun at, and that Shall the Same, be and by these Pres-
ents Are declared and Ordained to be a Town Corporate,
and are hereby Erected and Incorporated into a Body Poli-
tic and a Corporation to have Continuance for Ever by
the name of Nottingham West, with all the Powers and
Authorities, Priveleges, and Imunities and Franchises
which other Towns within Said Province or any of them by
Law Have and Enjoy.

To Have and to Hold the Said Powers and Author-
ities, Imunities and Francheses to them the Said Inhabi-
tants and their Successors for Ever. Always Reserving
to us our Heirs and Successors all White Pine Trees Grow-
ing and being, and that shall hereafter grow and be on the
Said Tract of Land for the use of our Royal Navy.

Reserving also the Power of Dividing the Said Town
to us our Heirs and Successors when it shall be thought
Necessary or Convenient for the Benefit of the Inhabitants
thereof. And as the Several Towns within our Said Prov-
ince are by Laws thereof Enabled and Authorized to As-
semble, and by the Majority of Votes to choose all Such
Ofificers as are mentioned in the Said Laws, we do by these
Presents Nominate and appoint Zaccheus Lovewell, Gen^
to call the first Meeting of Said Inhabitants to be held
within Said Town at any time within thirty Days from the
Date hereof, giving legal Notice of the Time and place and
design of holding Such Meeting.

In Testimony whereof we have Caused the Seal of
our Said Province to be hereunto afifixed.

Witness Benning Wentworth, Esq^, our Governor and
Commander in chief of our Said Province the fifth day of
July in the Year of our Lord Christ one thousand Seven

NOTTINGHAM WEST AND FAMILIES 161

hundred and forty-Six, and in the Twentieth year of our
Reign.

B WENTWORTH
With His Excelencies Command
With advice of Council.

Theodore Atkinson, Secretary.
Entered & Recorded According to the Original, This
16th Day of September, 1746.

P"" Theodore Atkinson, SecVy
Pa 35 & 36.

The boundaries as described in the charter excluded
all of that part of Pelham — nearly one-third — formerly in-
cluded in the district of Nottingham, with about twenty
families by the name of Baldwin, Butler, Douglas, Gage,
Gibson, Hamblet, Nevins, Richardson and Spalding; and
included a part of the south side of Litchfield as previously
bounded, about one mile wide on the Merrimack, but some-
what less at the east end, with the families of Nathaniel
Hills, Henry Hills, Nathaniel Hills, Jr., Henry Hills, Jr.,
James Hills, Ezekiel Hills, Samuel Hills, Thomas Marsh,
John Marsh, Jr., Joseph Pollard, William Taylor, and some
other inhabitants.

In a petition to the Governor and Council, by Nathan
Kendall, in behalf of the inhabitants of Litchfield, August
22, 1746, it is represented.

That by some mistake or misrepresentation, the boundaiies given in
said charter are different from what the intention was, as they conceive,
for part of that which was called Litchfield on the easterly side of said
river is, in fact, taken into Nottingham and incorporated as parcel of that
town, and what is left of Litchfield is much too small for a town and can't
possibly subsist as such, and there is no place to which it can be joined,
nor from which anything can be taken to add to it.

The petition was not a success, and Litchfield has con-
tinued to "subsist" as a town, with very few changes of its
boundaries, from that time to the present.

The town of Pelham, by its charter, included that por-
tion of the town of Dracut that by the settlement of the
Province line fell into New Hampshire, and the east part
of Nottingham, as before described.

162

HISTORY OF HUDSON

The first town meeting under the new charter, called
by Zaccheus Lovewell, was held at the house of Samuel
Greeley, July 17, 1746, at which Zaccheus Lovewell was
elected moderator; Samuel Greeley town clerk; George
Burns treasurer, and Samuel Greeley, Zaccheus Lovewell
and Eleazer Cummings selectmen.

The first tax list under the new charter, dated October
31, 1746, contained the following names:

Ezekiel Chase,*
Capt. Thomas Colburn,*
Thomas Pollard,*
Benjamin Thompson,
Samuel Greeley, Jr.,
Joseph Gould,
Benjamin Tyng,*
Daniel Merrill,*
Ebenezer Dakin,*
Samuel Huston,*
Jonathan Hardy,*
Ephraim Cummings,*
John Caldwell,*
John Mitchell,*
Robert Glover,
Thomas Kenney,*
James Marsh,
Benjamin Frost,*
Ezekiel Page,
Abraham Page,
Josiah Button,
Nathan Cross,*
John Marshall,*
Josiah Cummings,*
Roger Chase,*
William Taylor,*
John Bradbury,
Henry Hills,*
Joseph Pollard,*

Maj. Zaccheus Lovewell,* 1
Lieut. Joseph Winn,* 2

Joseph Blodgett,* 1

Dea. Samuel Greeley,* 1
Thomas Burns,* 1

Samuel Gould,
Dea. Abel Merrill,* 1

Samuel Jewet,* 2

George Burns,* 1

Samuel Burbank,* 1

Joseph Winn, Jr., 1

James Wason,* 1

Joseph Caldwell, 2

John Huey,* 2

Joseph Snow,* 2

Ebenezer Blodgett,
Onesiphorus Marsh,
Daniel Simonds,
Isaac Page,
Ebenezer Taylor,
Eleazer Cummings,*
William Cummings,*
John Marsh,*
Edward Spalding,*
Nathaniel Hills,*
William Casson,
Ezekiel Greeley,*
Isaac Cummings,
James Hills,*

NOTTINGHAM WEST AND FAMILIES

163

Ezekiel Hills,* 1

Thomas Marsh,* 1

Arthur Darrah, 1

Samuel Hills, 1

Henry Snow, 1

David Lawrence, 1
Widow Mary Spalding,
John Woodard,
Zaccheus Spalding,

John Marsh, Jr.,*
Charles Darrah,*
Henry Hills, Jr.,*
Nathaniel Hills, Jr.,*
John Snow,
John Carkin,
William Campbell,
Capt. Robert Fletcher,
Robert Nevins.

Thus it will be seen that eleven of the resident tax-
payers paid twenty-three poll taxes, or for twelve others
more than their own, making the full number of residents
in town subject to be assessed for poll or property tax, to
be seventy-nine.

The names of the twelve whose taxes were paid by
others are not given, but they were probably the sons or
hired men of those to whom the taxes were assessed.

From the list of the resident taxpayers in 1733, Ensign
John Snow and Eleazer Cummings, Jr., had died, and Jabez
Davis, Ebenezer Spalding and John Taylor had removed
from town.

A brief sketch of some of these early resideiits, not
previously noted in this history — who became prominent
and influential citizens of the town, and whose families be-
came numerous — may prove of interest to their many de-
scendants.

Ebenezer Blodgett

Ebenezer Blodgett, son of Joseph, was born at the
Blodgett garrison, January 3, 1720. He was assessed here
from 1744 to 1763, inclusive. His residence, while he re-
mained in this town, was upon a part of his father's home-
stead.

* This list contains seventy -six names, but nine of them were non-residents that owned
some land in this town; twenty-two others were assessed for poll, but no land, leaving forty-
five residents that were assessed for farms or other real estate. The names of these forty-five
resident land owners are marked with an asterisk. The numeral at the end of each name
shows the number of poll taxes paid by each.

164 HISTORY OF HUDSON

He removed to Plymouth, N. H., with his brother,
James Blodgett, about 1764, and became a very prominent
and useful citizen in the management of that town's affairs
in its early settlement. He died in Plymouth in 1802. No
children.

Samuel Burbank

Samuel Burbank settled on the River road, at the
south part of Nottingham, as early as 1742. The old Bur-
bank farm, which remained in possession of the Burbank
family for many years, was the tirst north and adjoining the
old Wilson Mill farm.

We find recorded the births of five children of Samuel
and Eunice (Hardy) Burbank. She died January 10, 1765.
He died after 1778.

George Burns

George Burns, of Scotch origin, born in Ireland in
1696, came to America about 1720, and with John, his
brother, and Thomas, probably his father, settled in this
town about 1736. John Burns removed to Milford, N.
H., in 1742. Tradition says that his removal from this
town was made with a small canoe or boat, which he pro-
pelled up the Merrimack to the mouth of the Souhegan,
thence up that stream to his destination, where he settled
and left a large posterity. He died in 1782.

George Burns settled on a farm at the south part of
this town, east of the Lowell road, which is now, and for
many years past has been, owned and occupied by Robert
Groves. He died in 1779, aged 83 years.

His widow, Mary (Glover) Burns, died February 11,
1811, aged 98. Upon her head stone in the Blodgett Cem-
etery is the following: "This venerable woman had 175
descendants, consisting of 11 children, 62 grand-children,
98 great-grand-children, and 4 of the fifth generation."

George Burns was prominent in affairs relating to the
government of the town. He was Moderator in 1770, and

NOTTINGHAM WEST AND FAMILIES 165

was one of the selectmen six years, being chairman of the
t)oard in 1752, 1768 and 1770.

Thomas Burns

Thomas Burns settled in Nottingham in 1736, and was
assessed until 1764, but no record is found to show that he
had a wife or children. He was probably the father of
George and John — possibly a brother.

John Caldwell

John Caldwell, who may have been from Londonderry,
settled on Bush Hill about 1738, The farm owned and oc-
cupied by him was the next one south, and adjoining the
same farm that was later owned by Asa Davis, and now
called the Morrison farm. A part of the same land re-
mained in possession of the Caldwell family until a very
recent date. He was a land surveyor and a farmer. He
died February 25, 1765.

Joseph Caldwell

Joseph Caldwell, assessed from 1744 to 1756, was
probably from Londonderry, and may have been the father
of John. He also resided on Bush Hill and owned the
farm formerly belonging to John Mitchell, and later to
Asa Davis. February 16, 1769, "James Caldwell, (son of
the preceding,) conveyed to Asa Davis 65 acres of land,
more or less. Beginning at the south-west corner, at a
Black Ash tree Standing in a swamp, it being the N. W.
corner of John Caldwell's, late of Nottingham West, de-
ceased, land; thence North, 68 rods to Colonel Tyngs land;
thence easterly by said Tyngs, a parallel line with the
north line of John Caldwells aforesaid, deceased land 167
rods to John Hueys land; thence south to said Caldwells
land 63 rods, thence westerly on said Caldwells land 167
rods to the bound first mentioned." James Caldwell re-
cited that he received the same by inheritance. This was
the homestead of Asa Davis, Esq., and later of Daniel

166 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Taylor Davis, and now of Morrison. We find no record of
Joseph Caldwell's death.

EzEKiEL Chase

Doctor Ezekiel Chase, the first resident physician of
Nottingham, came here about 1740, and settled on the
same farm that had been occupied by Joseph Snow, it be-
ing situated a little north of the state line and bordering
on the Merrimack River. The cellar is still visible a little
south of the old Ferry road, and the house of the late J. S.
Winn. About 1747, Ezekiel Chase was commissioned a
justice of the peace, and was the first resident of this town
to be honored with that distinction. He was moderator of
the annual town meetings for eleven years. He was town
clerk for 1748, and was one of the selectmen for nine years,
six of which he was the chairman of the board. His wife,
Priscilla, was a sister of Rev. Nathaniel Merrill, the first
minister settled in Nottingham. She died February 22,
1768, in the 59th year of her age.

He married a second wife, Elizabeth .

Doctor Chase seems to have been a man of good abili-
ty and much influence, and a very active citizen. He con-
veyed his farm of one hundred acres, August 9, 1773, to
Samuel Pollard, in consideration of two hundred pounds.
He continued to reside there, or in that vicinity, until about
1780, when he probably removed from the town, as no fur-
ther record of him is found here.

Roger Chase

Deacon Roger Chase, a brother or kinsman of Doctor
Ezekiel, was first assessed in Nottingham as early as 1739,
at about which time he purchased the Hills' Garrison farm,
where he resided until 1754, when he moved to the Enoch
Hills farm on "Hills Row." He remained there until 1762,
when he probably removed from this town, as no further
record relating to him is found. He was twice elected a
member of the board of selectmen.

nottingham west and families 167

Isaac Cummings

The residence of Isaac Cummings was a short dis-
tance north of the north line of Nottingham West, just
in the edge of Litchfield. He was assessed in Not-
tingham West for the years, 1746, 1747 and 1748. It ap-
pears from a petition he made to the General Court of New
Hampshire to have his farm annexed to Nottingham West,
that he had supposed — until the line was surveyed and es-
tablished between Nottingham West and Litchfield, some-
time subsequent to the date of the incorporation of these
two towns — that his residence was south of the line.

It would also seem that the selectmen of Nottingham
West believed he was an inhabitant of that town, as they
assessed him there for three years. When the town line
was surveyed it left more than one-half of his farm, with the
buildings, in Litchfield. Not much is known of this Isaac
Cummings. His wife, Elizabeth, died, October 23, 1763, as
the inscription on her head stone in the Hills' Farm Ceme-
tery will show. Isaac Cummings left no children, but he
had a colored female servant, Nancy, to whom he gave his
farm. She was the mother of Peter Blanchard, who owned
and occupied the place during his life, and later it was
owned by another colored family by the name of Hazzard.
It has long been known as the "Nigger place," but no one
has resided there for many years, and the buildings have
decayed.

Ebenezer Dakin

But little is found upon the records in relation to this
man Dakin, excepting the appearance of his name upon
the assessment lists from 1745 to 1778, inclusive.

There is not much doubt that he was the father of
Levi and Justus Dakin, whose names appear upon the town
records, a little later. His residence was at the south part
of the town, on the Back Road, and probably on what was
later the Zaccheus Colburn farm, and still later the Wason
place.

168' HISTORY OF HUDSON"

April ], 1778, Ebenezer and Levi Dakin, in considera-
tion of nine hundred and thirty pounds, conveyed to Sam-
uel Brown of Newbury, Mass., one hundred and twenty
acres of land, together with the house and barn, orchard,
fences and all appurtenances thereto belonging.

Charles Darrah

Charles Darrah v/as assessed in Nottingham from 1737
to 1747, when he removed — probably to Litchfield. He
owned a part, or all, of the farm formerly belonging to
Eleazer Cummings, Jr., who died in 1734, which farm has
previously been described, and a part of which is now
owned by Josiah K. Wheeler. John Marsh seems to have
come into possession of the greater portion of the farm
somewhere about 1742,

Arthur Darrah

Arthur Darrah, a kinsman to Charles, resided with
him.

Josiah Dutton

Josiah Dutton was assessed in Nottingham and Not-
tingham West from 1743 to 1764, inclusive.

For several years his residence was near what is
now Taylor's Falls Bridge, then the ferry. About that
time the ferry was known as Dutton's Ferry, and it seems
quite conclusive that he owned and operated it, and may
have established it. October 17, 1748, Josiah Dutton,
blacksmith, conveyed to Nathan Cross, twenty-five acres
of land east of the County Road, now Library Street, that
north of the Ferry Road, adjoining land of Eleazer Cum-
mings on the north. There is a very ancient cellar on this
tract, east of the stand pipe, and a little north of the Bar-
ret's Hill road, or Highland Street. More than a hun-
dred years ago, this place was known as "The Old College."
Later he lived one and one-half miles farther north, on the
old Derry road — now discontinued — about forty rods east

Dea. MOSES GREELEY

NOTTINGHAM WEST AND FAMILIES 169

of the present Derry road, and fifty rods south of the Marsh
road, where the cellar is still visible.

Samuel Greeley

Deacon Samuel Greeley removed from Haverhill,
Mass., to Nottingham about 1740, and settled on a farm ex-
tending from the Merrimack River to Hills' Meadow, a
distance of about one and one-half miles. It contained
some two hundred acres, and Vv^as the adjoining farm on
the north of the original Joseph Blodgett Garrison place.

Until within a few years this farm had wholly remained
in the possession of Deacon Greeley's descendants, and a
part is still owned by Samuel A. Greeley, whose house oc-
cupies the identical site on which the original house was
erected by his ancestor in 1740. His children were all born
in Haverhill before his removal to this town.

Samuel Greeley was elected clerk of the District of
Nottingham, August 9, 1743, and was re-elected each suc-
ceeding year as long as it continued a district — until 1746.

He was chosen one of the selectmen in 1743, 5, 6, 7
and 8. He was chairman of the Board in 1746.

March 7, 1748, Deacon Samuel Greeley and John
Marsh were chosen delegates to the New Hampshire Gen-
eral Court, to answer a citation in relation to a petition of
Josiah Cummings and other inhabitants of the town, to be
released from paying taxes for the support of Rev. Mr.
Nathaniel Merrill.

Deacon Greeley was a very influential citizen in the
early affairs of the town.

His wife, Rachel, died September 19, 1758, in the 62d
year of her age. He married a second wife, Jane, who
died June 12, 1762, in her 58th year. This last wife was
buried in the ancient burial yard at South Nashua, where
her head stone still remains. He died May 25, 1771, in his
76th year, and was buried in the Blodgett Cemetery be-
side his first wife, where their head stones may still be seen.

170 HISTORY OF HUDSON

EzEKiEL Greeley

Ezekiel Greeley, brother of Deacon Samuel, born in
Haverhill, October 21, 1725, married Esther, daughter
of Major Zaccheus and Esther Lovewell, born in Dunsta-
ble, November 10, 1728. His residence, as before noted,
was at "Hills Row." He was in Captain John Goffe's com-
pany, scouting between the Merrimack and Connecticut
rivers, from July 30 to August 27, 1745.

He died January 21, 1793. His widow, Esther, sur-
vived him many years.

Samuel Greeley, Jr.

Major Samuel Greeley, the oldest son of Samuel and
Rachel Greeley, born in Haverhill, Mass., May 10, 1721,
came to this town with his father about 1740.

He married, May 27, 1744, Abigail Blodgett, daughter
of Joseph and Dorothy (Perham) Blodgett, and resided up-
on his father's homestead until 1777. Then, leaving the
Greeley farm to his sons, Samuel and Joseph Greeley, he
removed to Wilton, where he died.

It is said that while traveling the highway there on
horseback, a tree fell upon him and caused his death. His
death is not recorded here. After his decease his wife,
Abigail, returned to this town, where she died March 29,
1818, in her 95th year. He was town clerk from 1747 to
1776, inclusive, except for the year 1748. He was a mem-
ber of the board of selectmen for fourteen years — from 1749
to 1757, and for 1761-2-3 and 1766, being chairman the last
four years.

He was captain of a company of sixty-two men who
turned out as volunteers from Nottingham West, at the
time of the battle of Lexington, on the 19th day of April,
1775. He was elected delegate to the General Court of
New Hampshire, to represent the towns of Nottingham
West and Litchfield, January 4, 1762. March 4th of the
same year he was re-elected. He was a member of the
board of selectmen of Wilton.

nottingham west and families 171

Jonathan Hardy

Jonathan Hardy was first assessed in Nottingham in
1743. He resided at the south part of the town, not very
far from the river, though the exact location is not known.
He was probably the first to establish and operate the ferry
that existed for more than eighty years nearly opposite the
South Nashua Railroad Station. This ferry was first
called Hardy's Ferry — later Pollard's Ferry, Corey's P"er-
ry, etc.

March 26, 1747- A Road viewed and laid out three poles wide, run-
ning from the Road by the little Bridge, so called, running over said
Bridge by Huston's fence to Hardy's line, thence between Hardy and
Chase to a marked tree on Hardy's land, thence by marked tree on
Hardy's land to Merrimack River.

EzEKiEL Chase,

John Marshall, Selectmen.

John Marsh.

Another road was laid out to "Hardy's Ferry," Decem-
ber 5, 1757. The old Ferry house cellar is still plainly vis-
ible on the bank of the Merrimack near the northerly line
of land, late of J. Sylvanus Winn, now owned by Paul But-
ler of Lowell.

The ferry was operated as such until the completion of
Taylor's Falls Bridge in 1827. Jonathan Hardy was in
the French and Indian war in 1758, He died about 1778.

Samuel Huston

Samuel Huston, or Houston, was assessed from 1743
to 1747, inclusive, and seems to have resided at the south
part of the town, on what was later the "Wilson Mills"
place.

John Huey

But little is known of this John Huey.

He was assessed in Nottingham as early as 1736. His
residence was at the north side of Bush Hill, and the an-
cient Huey cellar is on the east side of the Morrison farm,

172 HISTORY OF HUDSON

south-west of the bridle path that leads to the old Smith
farm — now abandoned.

Thomas Kinney

Thomas Kinney was assessed here from 1736 to 1762.
His residence was at first at the north side of Bush Hill,
and later not very far from Hudson Center.

He died December 2, 1762.

David Lawrence

David Lawrence was a tax payer here from 1740 to
1785, excepting eight years between 1769 and 1778, when
his residence was in that part of Londonderry that was an-
nexed to Nottingham West in 1778. He resided in the
north part of the town, near the "Hills Farms," until about
1770, when he probably removed to what is now the Alfred
Eaton farm in the easterly part of the town, then in Lon-
donderry, but from and after 1778 in Nottingham West.

He is supposed to have come to this town from Dun-
stable, as the records there show the birth of Sarah, daugh-
ter of David and Sarah Lawrence, born January 31, 1732.
Also recorded in the Nottingham records:

Eleazer, son of David and Sarah Lawrence, born June 9, 1738.

David and Jonathan Lawrence were probably his sons,
and there were doubtless other children. The wife of Al-
fred Eaton, deceased, was a descendant of this David Law-
rence through a daughter of David Lawrence, Jr., who
married James Smith, who occupied the same farm, which
was inherited by their son — known as "Devil Jim" Smith,
and who was the father of Mrs. Eaton.

His son Jonathan also resided a little farther north-
east. "Lawrence Corner" was named for this family of
Lawrences.

John Marshall

John Marshall came to Nottingham in 1742. He was
assessed from 1743 to 1755, inclusive. His residence was

MARY DERBY GREELEY

NOTTINGHAM WEST AND FAMILIES 173

on the John Taylor Garrison farm, which has been previous-
ly described. He was one of the selectmen in 1744-7 and
9, and was chairman of the board for the last year.

He died January 5, 1756. He was succeeded on the
same farm by John Marshall, Jr., who occupied it until
1754, when he removed to that part of Londonderry that
was annexed to Nottingham West in 1778.

Daniel Marshall, another son, continued to occupy the
farm until about 1757, when it came into possession of
Reuben Spalding, son of Ebenezer, born July 26, 1728,
and has remained in the hands of his descendants, either
in part or in whole, to the present time.

The posterity of John Marshall became very numerous,
and many of them, bearing various names, are yet resi-
dents of Hudson.

John Marsh

John, son of John and Lydia (Emerson) Marsh, born
in Haverhill, Mass., August 19, 1693, married December 8,
1718, Sarah Severance of Kingston, N. H., and removed to
Nottingham about 1742.

He purchased the greater part of the farm formerly
owned by Eleazer Cummings, Jr., and probably soon after
erected a new house farther west than was the old Cum-
mings-Darrah house, and which stood on the west side of the
road, a little to the north of the present house on the same
farm owned now by the heirs of Josiah K. Wheeler. Mr.
Wheeler's first wife was the daughter of Thomas Marsh, a
descendant of the fourth generation of John Marsh. She
inherited the farm from her father. It was a part of the
Joseph Hills land already described in a former chapter.

Mr. Marsh was one of the selectmen in 1747 and 1750,
and was chairman of the board for the latter year. He was
a delegate to the General Court of New Hampshire in 1747
and 1748.

He was a prominent and useful man in his town, and his
descendants became numerous here and elsewhere. Very

174 HISTORY OF HUDSON

many of the citizens of this town have descended from this
John Marsh, although a great majority of them are knowD
by other names.

He died November 20, 1777, aged 84 years, 2 months
and 20 days.

His widow, Sarah, died January 28, 1786, aged 87
years, 1 month and 3 days. They were buried in the an-
cient Hills Farms Cemetery.

Thomas Marsh

Thomas was a son of the preceding John Marsh, born
in Haverhill, December 19, 1719.

He married Ann, daughter of Benjamin and Ruth
(Whittier) Greeley of Haverhill, November 17, 1744.

He was first assessed here in 1741, but was not a per-
manent resident until about 1761. He was assessed in 1741,
43, 46, 47, 49, 50, 57, 58, 61, and each year later until 1803.
He and his brother, John, Jr., resided on "Hills Row" for
several years — at first in Litchfield, as before stated.

His permanent settlement upon the Marsh farm —
which, with the exception of a brief period, has remained
in the possession of his descendants, and is now owned by
Walter Hiram Marsh, a great-grandson of Thomas — was
probably not until 1761, though he may possibly have re-
sided there temporarily previous to that time. This place
lies about two miles north of Taylor's Falls Bridge, and is
east of the Derry road.

His wife, Ann, died April 19, 1770. For a second
wife, he married Mehitabel Barker of Pelham, March, 1774.
He died July 3, 1808. He was an elder of the Presbyterian
church for many years. It is said that for some years after
his first settlement upon the farm, he had his residence in
a small house some one hundred rods south-westerly from
the present home of Walter H. Marsh, on a sand hill,
where are still to be seen some traces of the ancient resi-
dence.

NOTTINGHAM WEST AND FAMILIES 175

Mr. Marsh has recently erected a house over the old
cellar where was located the permanent home of his hon-
ored ancester — Elder Thomas Marsh.

John Marsh, Jr.

Some mention has already been made in relation to
this John, Jr., brother of Thomas Marsh. He was born in
Haverhill, March 4, 1725. He married Martha, daughter
of Ezra Rolfe. They lived on "Hills Row," upon the same
farm with his brother Thomas, from 1744 to 1751, when
they moved to that part of Londonderry that was annexed
to Nottingham West in 1778. After the annexation his
name again appears upon the tax lists, June, 1778. He
died in 1779. He resided at the north-east corner of what
is now Hudson, probably on the farm later owned by
Ebenezer Wood and his son.

He was in the company of Captain John Goffe, scout-
ing from the Merrimack to the Connecticut River, from
July 30 to August 27, 1745.

James Marsh

James was a kinsman to John Marsh, born in Haver-
hill, Mass. He was assessed in Nottingham in 1735, 1743,
44, 45, 46, 47 and 48. He married Hannah French. His
residence was at the east part of the town, on or near the
North Pelham road. He died as early as 1749, as his widow
was assessed for his estate that year.

Onesiphorus Marsh

Onesiphorus, son of Onesiphorus of Onesiphorus of
Onesiphorus of George, the immigrant, was a brother of
James, and was assessed here from 1743 to 1754, inclusive.

He married Lydia . She died sometime after 1754,

and he next married Dorothy (Blodgett) Thompson, daugh-
ter of Joseph and Dorothy (Perham) Blodgett, born in this
town, February 18, 1724, by whom he had a daughter,
Sarah, born in Plymouth, N. H., in 1769. She married
John Rideout of Plymouth.

176 HISTORY OF HUDSON

His residence was also at the east part of the towHj.
near that of his brother James, probably on the Captain
John Haseltine farm, later the Jeremiah Smith place, near
the Pelham line. He removed to Monson, now Milford,
N. H., about 1755, and to Plymouth, N. H., in 1765, being
one of the original proprietors of the township. He died
in Plymouth, August 8, 1808.*

Abel Merrill

Deacon Abel Merrill, a kinsman — probably a brother —
of Rev. Nathaniel Merrill, was assessed from 1741 to 1750,
inclusive. His home was at the south part of the town, on
or near the Back road, and not very far from the residence
of the Rev. Nathaniel.

Daniel Merrill

Ensign Daniel Merrill was assessed here from 1740 to
1769, inclusive. He lived not far from the home of Rev.
Nathaniel, to whom he was a relative. His wife, Tamisin,
died January 30, 1755. He next married Mary, daughter
of Henry Hale.

It is said that they removed to Hollis.

Nathaniel Merrill

Rev, Nathaniel Merrill, the first resident minister set-
tled by the town of Nottingham over the Congregational
church of this place, and ordained as pastor, November 30,
1737, — being a clergyman, was not assessed, but was a res-
ident at the date ot the town's incorporation in 1746.

His farm was on the Back road, one-fourth of a mile
north of the site of the first meeting-house. This was later
the Joseph Winn place, the Benjamin Fuller farm, and now
belongs to Leonard B. Marshall of Dorchester, Mass., and
is occupied by him and his family, as a summer residence.

This farm was once a part of Thomas Colburn's land.
Mr. Merrill continued to occupy it as his home until his

* History of Plymouth, N. H.

HIRAM MARSH

NOTTINGHAM WEST AND FAMILIES 17/

decease, which occurred in 1796, fifty-nine years subse-
quent to his settlement as pastor of the church in Not-
tingham.

John Mitchell

John Mitchell was assessed from 1738 to 1748, and after
his decease his estate was assessed to his widow, Jane Mitch-
ell, until 1752. He lived on the north side of Bush Hill,
probably on the farm later owned by James Caldwell, Asa
Davis, and his descendants, and now by Augustus R. Mor-
rison. He died about 1748 or 9, but no record of his death
is found.

Abraham Page

Abraham Page, probably from Haverhill, Mass., came
to Nottingham West in 1746. In the description of the-
laying out of the County Road, from Litchfield to the Mas-
sachusetts line, by the Court's committee, in 1749, called
"The King's Highway," we find the following: "S. 40° W.
40 rods to a stake and stones at the east end of Mr. Page's
Barn."

This was at a point opposite Elmhurst — at the top of
the hill and near the junction of the old road with the pres-
ent Lowell road.

An ancient cellar on the east side of the highway at
this point is still plainly visible, marking the spot were
Abraham Page's house stood in 1749. His barn was on the
west side of the road.

Mr. Page survived but a few years after coming to
this town. He died March 1, 1752, in his 69th year. His
wife, Judith (Worthen) Page, died July 23, 1759, in her 75th
year. They were among the first burials in the Blodgett
Cemetery, where their small, quaint head stones still stand.

EzEKiEL Page

He was undoubtedly a son of Abraham, and came here
from Haverhill with his father in 1746, as did also Isaac,

178 HISTORY OF HUDSON

probably his brother. On February 6, 1749, John Snow
conveyed to Ezekiel Page thirty-six acres of land, more or
less, being thirty and one-half rods wide and extending east-
erly from the river about one hundred and eighty rods.
Hillsboro County Registry of Deeds, Vol. 2, Page 377.
Previous to this, March 6, 1748, Vol. 2, Page 379, John
Marshall conveyed to Ezekiel Page about eleven acres of
land adjoining the foregoing described tract on the north,
and extending from the Merrimack to the highway, which
was later the county road, and bounded northerly by the
Eleazer Cummings farm, which then was the southerly line
of the Joseph Hills land. This deed has the following clause
in the description: "Thence southerly by said road (County
road) to a road laid out for the conveniency of the Ferry,
formerly called Button's Ferry." Probably Mr. Page
owned the ferry for a time, as the first tract of land de-
scribed seems to have always after been owned by the later
owners of the ferry, and contained the Ferry landing. The
east end of Taylor's Falls Bridge is near the center of
the same tract of land. At about 1750, Mr. Page removed
to what is now the north-east part of Hudson, but was then
the south west part of Londonderry. After the annexation
he was again assessed for 1778-9-80 and 1790.

Isaac Page
Probably he was the brother of Ezekiel, and son of
Abraham. He was assessed here from 1746 to 1753, and from
1778 to 1802. He probably took his brother's place at
the ferry until 1754, when he moved to the south-west cor-
ner of Londonderry, which was annexed to Nottingham
West in 1778. His residence at the north-east part of the
town was not far from his brother Ezekiel's. His name
appears in the tax lists from 1778 to 1802.

Abraham Page, Jr.
Abraham Page, Jr., was undoubtedly the son of Abra-
ham, Sen., born about April, 1715. He was assessed here
from 1749 to 1801, inclusive.

NOTTINGHAM WEST AND FAMILIES 179

For several years at the first his residence was at the
east part of the town, near the North Pelham road. After-
wards, and for many years previous to his death, he owned
and occupied the farm later owned by Nathaniel Haselton,
and now owned by Arthur W. Haselton.

The house stood on the east side of the road, a short
distance south of the present house of Arthur W. Hasel-
ton, where the cellar is yet visible. He was a captain of
the militia for many years. He was one of the selectmen
for ten years, eight of which he was chairman of the board.
He was the moderator of eleven annual town meetings, and
was a representative to the General Court of New Hamp-
shire in 1775 and 1776. Tradition says that Captain Abra-
ham Page brought up Nathaniel Haselton, after he was
twelve years old. This Haselton bought the homestead
farm of Captain Page, in consideration of two hundred and
thirty-four pounds — deed dated April 1, 1795 — at the same
time giving Mr. Page a life lease of the premises, to insure
the support of himself and his wife, Elizabeth. March 31,
1773, he conveyed to Timothy Smith a farm of one hun-
dred acres, more or less, which was occupied by Mr. Smith
until his death in 1802. This farm was that which was
later owned by Captain Isaac Winn, afterwards known as
the "Jim" Barrett place. March 18, 1773, he conveyed to
Page Smith a farm of seventy acres, more or less, adjoin-
ing his own farm on the north, which was later the Jeffer-
son Smith homestead, and later still owned by Nathaniel
Wentworth. His wife Elizabeth died March 6, 1782, in
her 68th year.

He married next, December 4, 1784, Dorothy Hadley.

He died April 18, 1802, aged 86 years, 11 months and
27 days.

No births of children of Captain Page are found re-
corded.

180 history of hudson

Samuel Page

Samuel Page, probably another son of Abraham Page,
was assessed from 1751 to 1773, inclusive.

Esther, his wife, died July 30, 1757, in the 28th year
of her age.

He next married Sarah, daughter of Ephraim and Eliz-
abeth (Butler) Cummings, born in Nottingham, May 12,
1736.

After his second marriage, he lived on the south side
of Bush Hill, not far from the home of his father-in-law,
Ephraim Cummings.

He probably removed from this town in 1774.

Henry Snow

Henry, son of Joseph and Bridget Snow, born Novem-
ber 17, 1725, was assessed from 1746 to 1764, when he re-
moved to Plymouth, N. H. He lived in the east part of
the town, not very far from the residence of Onesiphorus
Marsh. He was one of the selectmen in 1760. He died
in Plymouth, May 11, 1770, in his 45th year. His wife,
Miriam, died in Plymouth, May 13, 1813.

John Snow

John, son of Joseph and Bridget Snow, born January
11, 1723, was assessed from 1744 to 1751. After his fa-
ther's death, he resided for a time with his mother at Chase
hill on the Bush Hill road.

Daniel Simonds

Daniel Simonds was assessed from 1743 to 1765. He
resided in the east part of the town. Very little is found
upon the records here relating to him. His wife's name
was Martha, and the records show that they had seven
children born to them while they resided here. They re-
moved from town about 1765.

nottingham west and families 181

William Taylor

William Taylor settled in this town about the time
that it became Nottingham West. He was assessed here
from 1746 to 1772, inclusive, and for the years 1777, 79 and
1781. For a time he owned a farm half a mile below Tay-
lor's Falls Bridge, and bordering on the river opposite
Taylor's Falls. This fall in the river, which was consider-
able, is now covered by the flowage of the water from the
dam at Pawtucket Falls at Lowell, It was probably named
for this William Taylor.

His house was on the east side of Lowell road, a little
distance north No. 2 turnout, where the cellar is yet visi-
ble. This place was owned by the Marshalls for many
years, a large part of it is now owned by Frank M. Winn.
He probably removed from town.

Benjamin Tyng

Benjamin Tyng, son of Eleazer and grandson of Jona-
than Tyng, born in Dunstable, now Tyngsborough, Janu-
ary 26, 1722, resided for a few years at the south part of
the town, near Deacon Abel Merrill's. He was assessed
from 1743 to 1747.

James Wason

James Wason, a Presbyterian emigrant from London-
derry, settled on the east side of the road at the summit of
Bush Hill in 1740, where he remained until his death, which
occurred August 22, 1799, in the 89th year of his age.

His name appears on the tax lists of 1740 for the first
time. The farm was afterwards owned by Samuel Wason,
and for many years was known as the Walker farm, and
still later it was owned by Armstrong.

He was born in the parish of Ballymena, County of
Antrim, in the north-east part of Ireland in 1711, and came
to this country with his brother Thomas in 1736. He was
married in Portsmouth, N. H., to Hannah Caldwell of that
place, in the year of his arrival, 1736. The Cald wells who

182 HISTORY OF HUDSON

settled near him on Bush Hill, probably were kinsmen of
his wife. Hannah, wife of James Wason, died April 16,
1786, aged 80 years. Both are buried in the Blodgett
Cemetery, where their head stones still remain. Mr. Wa-
son was an active citizen in the affairs of the town. He
was one of the selectmen in 1747, and held many other of-
fices. He seems to have been a very firm believer in the
creed of the Presbyterian church, and sometimes refused
to pay taxes for the support of Rev. Mr. Merrill, who
was a Congregational minister, while at the same time
the Presbyterians were taxing themselves for the mainte-
nance of a pastor of their own persuasion, who preached to
them at the North meeting-house.

CHAPTER XV

The First Meeting-House

Under charter of January 4, 1733, "The inhabitants
of said town of Nottingham are hereby enjoined and re-
quired, within the space of three years from the publication
of this act, to procure a learned orthordox minister, of
good conversation, and make provision for his comfortable
support."

If,. by the conditions of the charter, it was understood
that the town was enjoined to settle an "orthordox minis-
ter," within three years from the date of the charter, those
conditions were not strictly complied with.

Yet those inhabitants, though few in numbers, did not
forget their duty to appropriate money and supply a minis-
ter to preach the Gospel. June 12, 1733, they raised sev-
enty pounds "of money for carrying on ye public worship
of God." September 11, 1733, "Voted to have preaching
until March." March 6, 1734, "Voted a Hundred Pound
Rate for to be raised for to hire a minister to preach ye
Gospel."

Samson Stoddard was probably the first minister em-
ployed. We find in the a/:count of John Snow, the first
treasurer of the town, the following: "March 18, 1734,
Paid to Mr. Samson Stoddard for preaching the gospel
35-10-5" "May 11, 1734, Paid to Mr. Samson Stoddard
for preaching the gospel 4-2-0" "Dec. 15, 1734, Paid to
Mr. Samson Stoddard for preaching the gospel 30-7-7"

We also find in the next account which is without
date, but was probably about a year later, the following:

Paid to Mr. Isaac Richardson for preaching the gospel. 16-0-10
Paid to Mr. Thomas Skinner for preaching the gospel., 14-0-0
Paid to Mr. Ebenezer Wyman for preaching the gospel, 12-5-0

183

184 HISTORY or Hudson

Probably these four were the only ministers employed
to preach here, until the settlement of the Rev. Nathaniel
Merrill.

The building of a meeting-house began to be agitated
by the inhabitants of Nottingham very scon after the town
received its charter; but it appears from the records to have
been a difficult matter for them to settle upon a site.

At a town meeting, held at the house of Ensign John
Snow, September 11, 1733, it was "Voted that ye select-
men measure from ye lower end of this town, beginning at
Dracut Line, so up ye River as far as Natticook Line, and
so round ye town, and also to find ye Senter of ye Land."

At the same meeting adjourned to November 5, 1738,
it was "Voted that ye meetinghouse should stand ye East
side of Littlehales Meadow at a heap of stones at ye Root
of a pine tree,"

At a town meeting called for the purpose of locating
and building a meeting-house, and raising money for the
same, held December 26, 1733, at 9 o'clock a. m., "Voted
to adjourn the meeting for one hour and a half for the Town
to go and view ye land in order for setting the meeting-
house and also it was put to vote. Whether the town would
establish and confirm their former vote and build a meet-
ing house on the place voted for the fifth day of November
1733, and the vote past in the negative."

The town also voted to choose a new place "for to set
and build a meeting house on, and also the Town voted
that they would build and set a meetinghouse in Notting-
ham not exceeding fifty poles to the South from the pine
tree that Capt. Joseph Blanchard measured to and marked,
December the 24th day in the year 1733."

"We whose names are underwritten are holly against
and do enter ouer desent against the Towns proseeding to
build a meeting house in the plase voted for December the
26th day 1733.

Capt. Robert Fletcher, Samuel Gould,

Daniel Fletcher, Ezekiel Fletcher,

JAMES B. MERRILL

THE FIRST MEETING-HOUSE 185

Zaccheus Spaulding, Jeremiah Colburn."

All the dissenters above recorded, resided in the south
part of Nottingham, which later, by the adjustment of the
Provitice line, fell into Masj^achusetts. Their protest was
probably due to the vote of the town to locate the meeting-
house farther north than they deemed in justice to all.

Also as the sun was setting the meeting was adjourned for half an
bower; and also the Town voted that they would build a meeting house
forty feet Long and tiiirty five feet wyde and twenty feet between joints;
and also the town made choice of James Perham, Joseph Hamblet Elea-
zer Cummings, Capt. Robert Fletcher & Thomas Colburn a committee to
accomplish and set up the above frame by the time voted for, and also
the town voted that the meeiing house thai be raised by the first day of
May next.

There must have been considerable time spent in dis-
cussion, or otherwise, at that meeting, as it was called for
the special purpose to act upon the matter of building a
meeting-house, and convened at nine o'clock in the morn-
ing, being still in session at sunset.

At the annual town meeting March 6, 1734, after the
election of the necessary town officers, and voting to raise
money to defray the regular expenses, provision was made
to hire a minister "to preach the gospel," it was "Voted
y* ye committee y* was chos to git ye meeting house frame
should put king posts into ye meeting house, and also ye
Town voted they would except ye meeting house frame 21
feet high between joints."

The meeting was adjourned to the following day,
March 7, and after an animated discussion, a recess was
taken for two hours "to view ye land in order to agree upon
a place to build a meeting house on, and also ye Town
voted a rate of 50 pounds to be added to ye 40 pounds y*
was raised for finishing ye meeting house frame, which
forty pounds was raised December ye 26, 1733.

"These two Rates to be made in one Rate: and also
ye Rate above mentioned is to pay for ye meeting house
frame & for finishing ye meeting house.

186 HISTORY OF HUDSON

"Joseph Hamblet, James Perham: Joseph Winn: John
Butler: Zaccheus Lovel: was chosen a committee for to
finish the meeting house.

"Voted yt they would board and clapboard & shingle
& lay the loar flor of ye meeting house, and also glaze ye
meeting house.

"Also voted yt ye committee should accomplish ye
above menshond work by ye last of September.

"It was put to vote wether the Town would build a
meeting house on ye South place voted for, or ye North
place voted for, and ye Town voted y* they would set &
build a meeting house on ye North place voted for, upon a
little hill where was laid up a heap of stones in ye land of
Thomas Colburn not exceeding fifty polls to ye south from
ye Pine tree y* Cap. Joseph Blanchard meashered to and
markt December 24, 1733."

Capt. Joseph Blanchard, a surveyor, was employed by
the selectmen to find the center of the town, and the pine
tree marked by him was undoubtedly considered the cen-
ter, at least running north and south. The road from
Dracut to Litchfield was not laid out at that time, but was
accepted by the selectmen February 15, 1734.

A part of this road is now known as the "Back Road,"
or "Burns Road," and it leads over Burns hill, past the
VVason farm, now owned by J. F. Wilson, and by the old
place of Rev. Nathaniel Merrill, now owned by Leonard
Marshal], across Musquash brook, and by the Timothy S.
Ford place, and past the site of Ensign John Snow's house,
where all the town meetings, with one exception, were held
until the meeting-house was erected, until coming to the
Lowell road laid out in November, 1822.

At a town meeting held May 27, 1734, it was voted to
reconsider action taken at the previous meeting, relative to
to the site of the meeting-house and voted to locate the
house on "ye land of Thomas Colburn, at a heap of stones
that was laid up this day not far from said Colburn's South-
erly Dam." It was decided that the building should be

THE FIRST MEETING-HOUSE 187

raised the 5th of the following June, and the committee
should provide for the raising.

John Taylor, Eleazer Cummings, Nathan Cross and
William Cummings, all of whom lived at the extreme
northerly part of the town, opposed this new location, as
it was half a mile south of the center of the town. Not-
withstanding the opposition, the meeting-house was con-
structed so far that a meeting was held in it October 3,
1734, when the committee was voted one hundred pounds
"for finishing ye meeting house."

At an adjourned meeting held at the meeting-house
December 3, 1735, it was "Voted that they would build a
pulpit and also voted that they would build a body of seats
leaving room for an alley in ye middle of ye meeting house
up to ye pulpit. "Voted that they would leave room round
the outside of ye body seats for to build pews and an alley
round convenient to pass along. "Voted to build stairs up
galleries and lay ye gallerie floors and build a gallerie rail
in the fore seats."

There has been considerable speculation among the
old residents of Hudson, and some difference of opinion
has existed in regard to the exact location of the first
meeting-house of Nottinghani. The only description of
the lot upon which it stood, in addition to what has already
been given, recorded in the town books, is in the record of
a town meeting held at the meeting-house May 20, 1736,
and is as follows :

Mr. Thomas Colburn gave ye Town a piece of land around the meet-
ing house so long as a meeting house may stand upon it, Beginning at ye
North East corner of ye meeting house at a heap of stones, and so run-
ning West to a heap of stones by ye highway laid out to Dracut line, &
so running by said highway South to a heap of stones, so running East
to a rock with stones upon it, and so running North to the first mentioned
bound.

This record proves conclusively, that the building was
located on the east side of the road leading from Dracut to
Litchfield, as laid out February 15, 1734, and now called
the "Back Road."

188 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Four different locations were made by the town before
the matter was settled. This was owing to the difficulty
of fixing a site which would be most convenient to all con-
cerned. The geographical center of the town, as we have
seen, found by Captain Blanchard's survey in 1733, was
about half a mile north of Musquash Brook, in a north and
south line. Finally the location selected, as I believe after
having given the matter considerable study and research,
was on the same lot, and very near the same position now
occupied by school house Number One, which is on the
east side of the Dracut-Litchfield road, a short distance
north of Musquash bridge.*

The meeting-house stood end to the road, and was
forty feet in length from east to west, and thirty-five feet
wide. It was twenty-one feet between joints, with king
posts. There were three entrances or outside doors; one
at the center of the east end, one at the center of the south
front, and a third at the center of the west end. The gal-
leries were on the east, south and west sides. The gallery
stairs for the women were at the south-east corner, and for
the men, at the south-west corner of the house. The pulpit
was at the center of the north side, and the broad aisle ex-
tended from the front door on the south to the pulpit.
This last was elevated several feet, and reached by a short
flight of stairs on the west side.

Pew lots were leased to John Taylor, Henry Baldwin,
Joseph Hamblet and Joseph Snow, on the south side; Elea-
zer Cummings, Joseph Ferham, Ezekiel Fletcher and Dan-
iel Fletcher, on the west side; Robert Fletcher and John
Butler, on the north side; and Joseph Butterfield, Thomas
Colburn and Ezekiel Spaulding on the east. The minis-

* The first location, voted November 5, 1733, was on the east side of Littlehale's meadow.
December 26, 1733, this selection was shown to be unsatisfactory, and it was voted to build a
meeting-house ''not exceeding 50 poles to the south of a pine tree which Capt. Joseph Blanch-
ard measured to and marked Nov. 24, 1733." This was not satisfactory to those living at the
south end of the town. Accordingly, March 7, 1734, a location near the first one selected,
"on a little hill where was laid up a heap of stones in the land of Thomas Colburn" was
voted. Then, May 27, 1734, this decision was reversed, and though there still were dissenters
to the choice, the site described was accepted. — K. W.

THE FIRST MEETING-HOUSE 189

ter's pew was on the north side, west of the pulpit stairs.
An aisle extended around between the pews and the body
of seats. The men's seats were west, and the women's
seats east of the broad aisle. The pews were probably five
feet square, with a few a little longer one way. The own-
ers were required "to seal up the pews six or seven feet,"

Very little reference is made in the town records to
the meeting-house, subsequent to the leasing of the pews in
1736, until after the settlement of the Province line in May,
1741. By this decision more than four thousand acres of
the south part of Nottingham, and many of its most prom-
inent citizens, remained in Massachusetts. By the in-
corporations of Nottingham West, July 5, and Pelham,
July 6, 1746, four thousand and five hundred acres were
also taken from what constituted old Nottingham. On the
other hand, Nottingham West included the northerly part
of "Hills Farms," containing about one thousand acres,
that had formerly been a part of Litchfield, as it was incor-
porated in 1734.

These changes in the boundary lines completely upset
the calculations of the builders of the old Nottingham
meeting-house, which now stood within two miles of the
southern limits of the town, and did not accommodate the
majority of the inhabitants of the town. Accordingly soon
after receiving its charter "The Town voted to move the
Preaching to Mr. Benjamin Whittemore's house in said
Town,"

Benjamin Whittemore at that time owned the farm
now occupied by Augustus F. Blodgett, and which extend-
ed so far north as to include the land now belonging to the
Blodgett cemetery. The Whittemore house is understood
to have been at, or near, the same place where the Blodgett
house now stands.

The town meetings were also moved from the meeting-
house to the houses of Samuel Greeley and Benjamin
Whittemore, until a second meeting-house was built in 1748.

It appears from the records, that considerable difificulty
arose between the citizens of Nottingham West and those

190 HISTORY OF HUDSON

former inhabitants of Nottingham who, through the settle-
ment of the Province line and the incorporation of Pelham,
had become residents of Tyngsborough, Mass., and Pel-
ham, N. H., all of whom had paid their proportionate part
of the cost of building the house of worship. Out of the
thirteen that were granted leases of pew lots, and built
pews in the meeting-house, six had become residents of
Tyngsborough, and three had been placed in Pelham, leav-
ing only four of the original number residents of Notting-
ham West.

At a town meeting held November 24, 1746, it was
"Voted to pull down the old meeting house," and Captain
Colburn, John Marsh, Major Lovewell, John Marshall, Jos-
eph Winn, Roger Chase, George Burns, James Hills and
Eleazer Cummings were chosen as a committee to carry
this vote into effect.

For reasons that may be conjectured this committee,
consisting of nine of the most influential and substantial
men of the town, did not fulfill the purpose of their elec-
tion. So at a meeting September 21, 1747, nearly a year
later, they were commanded to "pull down the old meeting-
house forthwith." In order to clear the way for the ac-
complishment of this purpose, Doctor Chase and James
Wason were chosen to "notify Massachusetts and Pelham
with the Town's interest."

This committee, for some reason failing to succeed,
November 21, 1747, it was "Voted to impower the com-
mittee formerly chosen to treat with Pelham and the Mas-
sachusetts Province which once belonged to Nottingham,
to agree with the several proprietors belonging to said
meeting house." Still unsuccessful, May 18, 1748, the
town chose Ezekiel Chase, Esq., Mr. John Marshall and
Mr. John Marsh "a committee to treat with the proprietors
who are interested in the old meeting house who belong to
Pelham and the Massachusetts Province."

In the meantime action was being taken towards build-
ing another house, as will be explained further on, and at

THE FIRST MEETING-HOUSE 191

the first town meeting held in this new church building,
August 31, 1748, it was

Voted to remove the seats and pulpit & D" (Deacon) seat out of ye
old meeting house & place ym in the new house, and put up some of the
old glass windows. Chose Mr. George Burns, Mr. John Marshall, & Dea-
con Roger Chase a committee to effect ye foregoing work.

October 26, 1748, Capt. Thomas Colburn, Samuel Bur-
bank and James Marsh were chosen to "pull up the old
floor in the old meeting house, and the breast work, and
take out the nails."

At a town meeting, January 30, 1749

A unanimous vote was passed to give the old meeting house, all that
is remaining, excepting window frames, casements & Glass & Pews, (ie)
all their right and interest in and to the same. Excepting what is before
Excepted, as a Present to the Rev. Mr. Merrill, his heirs and assigns.

With this action the records of the town close, as far
as it was concerned in the old meeting-house, but the his-
tory of the old building is revived in the Town Records of
Pelham, where on March 6, 1748-9, it was "Voted to buy
the Nottingham West meeting house of Mr. Merrill," and
April 10, 1749, a committee was chosen to take down the
old structure and remove it to Pelham "by a work rate."
Still no immediate action seems to have been taken, for
two and one-half years later, October 2, 1751, it was again
voted to remove the house. Two weeks later the town
"Voted to board and shingle the meeting house with con-
venient speed." This indicates that in the interval the
building had been moved, and that an effort was being
made to finish it. This was duly accomplished, and the
building was occupied as a meeting-house in Pelham until
1785, or fifty-one years from the date of its being built in
1734.

At a meeting in Pelham, May 27, 1789, it was voted to
sell the old meeting-house at public vendue, "in such a
way and manner as shall be thought most likely to fetch its
full value, in order to pay the town debts." With this pa-
thetic closing of a checkered career, the history of the pio-
neer meeting-house in Hudson is brought to an end.

CHAPTER XVI

The Second Meeting-House

Very soon after the incorporation of the town of Not-
tingham West, in 1746, the question of building a new-
meeting-house, in order to satisfy the requirements of the
altered situation of the inhabitants, began to be agitated.
The same difficulty was met in regard to settling the ques-
tion of the best location, as had to be considered in the
selection of the site of the first house of worship. At a
town meeting October 20, 1746, it was

Voted to choose Major Zaccheus Lovewell, Doct. Ezekiel Chase,
John Marshall, James Hills, Benj" Frost a committee, with Colonel,
Blanchard, to find the center up and down of this Town.

Voted to choose Samuel Huston and William Taylor chairmen for
the same purpose.

The committee seemed to have attended to its duty
promptly, for on November 24, another town meeting was
held, at which the committee reported "That the center,
up and down of this Town, is on the North Easterly side
of Mr. Benjamin Whittemore's Lot, and on the East side
of the way that leads to Litchfield. * * * * The Town
viewed the said place and marked several Pine trees on
said spot and voted said place to erect a meeting house on."

January 12, 1747, it was "voted to build a meeting-
house forty feet long and twenty-six feet in width."

Chose Capt. Thomas Colburn, Major Zaccheus Lovewell, John Marsh,
John Marshall, Plleazer Cummings, James Hills, George Burns a commit-
tee to effeet the same.

From some cause, probably from not being provided
with the necessary funds, the committee did not perform
the duty for which it was chosen; and at a meeting Sep-
tember 21, 1747, the old concern of gettmg a satisfactory
location again came to the front.

192

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o

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H
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THE SECOND MEETING-HOUSE 193

It was again voted to find the "center of land and
travel in this Town." A committee was chosen consisting
of Dr. Ezekiel Chase, James Hills, Benjamin Frost, with
George Burns and James Wason as chainmen. Two months
later a meeting was held, the second article in the warrant
reading, "In relation to viewing the center of land and cen-
ter of travel in this Town."

Nothing definite was accomplished and the matter was
"adjourned." Another meeting was held June 1, 1748,
when it was

Voted to purchase the uper meeting house in sd Town at the value
of 80;^ old tenor.

Voted to raise 80;^ old tenor to purchase fd meeting house.

Made choice of Capt. Thomas Colburn, Mr. John Marshall, Mr.
James Hills, Mr. George Burns, Mr. Stephen Chase a committee to pull
down and remove said meetinghouse and to erect the same at some suit-
able and convenient place, and to effect the same at or before the first
day of July next.

Voted that the committee shall give every man belonging to this
Town liberty to work at pulling down and removing sd house.

Voted that every man who shall work faithfully at the same 10 hours
in a day and find himself, shall be allowed 20s. old tenor per Diem, and
that the same shall be allowed for four oxen and a cart, as for a man,
they working faithfully.

The last committee chosen attended to the duties,
and removed the meeting-house according to the instruc-
tions it had received from the town, as the next town
meeting, August 31, 1748, was held at the meeting-house.

As has been mentioned, the town meetings, subsequent
to the incorporation of Nottingham West, had been held at
the house of Benjamin Whittemore, with one or two ex-
ceptions, when the citizens met at the house of Samuel
Greeley.

The "uper meeting house," which was purchased from
the proprietors, was the "Hills Farms" meeting-house.
Tradition points to this as being the first house of worship
built in what is now the town of Hudson, and as ante-dating
the house built by the town in 1734, as already described.
The following extracts from a petition to the General

194 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Court, made in 1742, and signed by John Taylor and four-
teen others, inhabitants of Nottingham, and Nathaniel Hills
and sixteen other inhabitants of Litchfield, proves that
tradition, in this case, is at fault:

That your petitioners, after a ineetiiig house was built in Notting-
ham, and before any was built in Litchfield, erected a meeting house for
the public worship of God, where both we and our families might attend
upon God in his house, and since that, another meeting house has been
set up in Litchfield ***** y\nd your petitioners have for some con-
siderable time maintained and supported the public worship of God
among us at our cost and charge. * * * Your petitioners therefore do hum-
bly pray that we may be erected into a township, there being a sufficient
tract of land in the Northerly part of Nottingham and the Southerly pait
of Litchfield to make a compact Town, without any prejudice to the
towns of Nottingham or Litchfield. . . ,

This proves beyond any question that the Nottingham
meeting-house was the first erected. The "Hills Farms"
meeting-house was located about twelve or fifteen rods
easterly of the present highway known as the Derry road.
It was situated near the southerly line of land owned now
by Pearl T. Thomas. The site was long covered with a
growth of pine timber and wood, the greater part of which
was cut a few years since. The writer, after considerable
search, identified the location by numerous small pieces of
stones, which were chips from the foundation of the ancient
building, when it was removed. These bits of stones are
quite small, but are unlike any others found in that imme-
diate vicinity.

The committee chosen to carry out the wishes of the
town located the house, constructed from the timber of the
"Hills Farms" building, upon the site voted by the town
November 24, 1746. This was on the "North Easterly
side of Mr. Benjamin Whittemore's Lot and on the East
side of the way that leads to Litchfield." This site was
very near the spot upon which old Number Four school
house stood for many years prior to 1852, when it was de-
molished, and was on the north side of the highway, the
old Blodgett cemetery on the east, north and west sides,

THE SECOND MEETING-HOUSE 195

and was but a short distance from where the present iron
gate of the cemetery is located.

At the first meeting held in the unfinished meeting-
house, August 31, 1748, it was

Voted to lay the lower floor of the meeting house, and to hang the
doors, and to underpin the frame, to board up the upper windows, and to
remove the seats, pulpit and Deacon seat out of ye old meeting house
and place ym in the new house; and to put up some of the old glass
windows, all of which is to be done ys fall.

Chose Mr. George Burns, Mr. John Marshall & Deacon Roger Chase
a committee to effect ye foregoing work.

Voted to have built a tier of Pews in ye front of ye meeting house.

Samuel Greeley, Ezekiel Chase, Thos. Colburn, Henry Hills, Ed-
ward Spaulding & Timothy Emerson were chosen a committee to appraise
the Pews and order their shapes.

Voted that the highest in pay for one pole and other estate for the
present year and two years back shall have his first choice in the highest
priced Pew ground; and so downward, the next highest in pay his next
choice, and so till the Pews are all disposed of; and in case any person
is intitlled to a Pew he shall have the Pew that falls to him by pay or
none; and every person who shall have a pew shall build it in 12 months
and pay his money to the committee in 2 months from the time he re-
ceives his grant of ye same, otherwise he shall forfeit his right to said Pew.

The work on the house seems to have progressed with
satisfactory results, and October 26, 1748, the town

Voted to put up the stairs, put in the slit work, and lay the Gallery
floors, and bring the slit work and the old floors and the breast work to
the place (from the old meeting house) and to put up the breast work, all
to be done this fall.

Mr. John Marshall, Mr. George Burns, & Lt Joseph Winn made
choice of as a committee to effect the same.

The town also voted to straighten or turn the road by or nearer the
meeting house.

Also voted to allow horse stables built on the Town's land near the
meeting house.

The land upon which this building stood, including the
Blodgett cemetery, and all the "common" near the center
of which once stood the "South Meeting House," so called,
and also including the three roads surrounding the common
and called "Town's Land" in the records, was a part of
the Benjamin Whittemore farm, and was probably con-

196 HISTORY OF HUDSON

veyed by him to the town about this time, in 1748. The
record of the deed, however, has not been found. There
must have been four or five acres in the lot.

The next item of record referring to the work on the
meeting-house was April 24, 1749, when it was

Voted to clapboard the meeting house, and put the window frames
and the old glass this year & chose John Marshall, Blodgett, En-
sign Chase & Ebenezer Dakin a committee to efect the same.

Voted to allow Joseph Winn Jr. & Benjamin Winn the privilege of
building two Pews over the stairs, in case they will take it for their right
and interest in the meeting house.

Among the bills allowed by a vote of the town at this
meeting, was one of 13;^ 10s Od, old tenor, to Benjamin Winn
and Ebenezer Blodgett for making the pediments for the
meeting-honse. The dimensions of this building are not
given in the records, but it was probably smaller than the
old Nottingham meeting-house, which was forty by thirty-
five feet. It had three outside doors, one respectively on
the south, east and west side.

There was a gallery, probably on these same sides, and
of sufficient width to allow two rows of seats in front with
a passage-way in the rear.

Pew lots were granted, one each, to Ezekiel Chase,
Joseph Winn, Thomas Pollard, Edward Spaulding, Deacon
Samuel Greeley, Joseph Blodgett, Samuel Merrill, Jr., and
possibly others. The prices paid were from seven pounds,
two shillings to eight pounds, fifteen shillings each, old
tenor.

The next matter that came in for consideration was the
selection and permit of lots for horse sheds, and April 6,
1752, the following action was taken:

Voted to allow to Capt. Thomas Colburn and Ensign Stephen Chaee
the first lot from the south west corner of the meeting house to build a
horse stable on; also voted to Lieut. Joseph Winn and Thomas Pollard
the second lot; also voted to George Burns and Samuel Burbank the 3d
lot; also voted to Ebenezer Dakin and Joseph Gould the 4th lot.

The town also voted and allowed to Eleazer Cummings and James
Hills the first lot North west from the meeting house; also voted to Jo-

THE SECOND MEETING-HOUSE 197

siah Cummings and Ezekiel Hills the second lot; also voted to Abraham
Page and Henry Hale the -Sd lot; also voted to Isaac Page and Ebenezer
Cummings the 4th lot.

The town also voted and allowed to Thomas Kenney and Benj*
Snow the first lot south east from the meeting house.

It was the custom in those times to have a burying
ground for the interment of the dead in the rear, and on
two sides of the meeting-house. The custom was carried
out here, and what became known as the Blodgett ceme-
tery was laid out upon the east, north and west sides of the
house, in the rear of the horse sheds. The most ancient
inscriptions upon the head stones in that cemetery, record
deaths of persons in 1748 or 1749.

Very little reference to the meeting-house is to be
found in the town records for several years, giving the infer-
ence that the people were satisfied with what had been done.
The building stood at a central point between the north
and south boundaries, but it was very near its western lim-
its. Eventually this fact was the cause of complaint, as the
opposite section of the town began to be more thickly pop-
ulated. Finally a town meeting was held Sepember 16,
1760, to consider the matter of a new location

It was put to vote to see if the town would vote to move the meet-
ing house to the center of the town.

Voted in the Negative.

It was put to vote to see if the town would abate the Easterly part
of the town of any part of their rates yearly, on account of their extraor-
dinary travel to the meeting house.

Voted in the Negative.

It was put to vote to see if the town would repair the meeting house.

Voted in the Negative.

There was possibly a squaring of accounts in the settle-
ment of the sentiments of the voters in the above actions,
and the demands of dissatisfied parties increased in power,
so at a meeting held November 11, an appeal was made to
outsiders to settle the matter:

The town chose Capt. William Richardson of Pelham, Capt. Caleb
Page of Dunbarton, aud Mr. Ebenezer Kendall of Dunstable a committee

198 HISTORY OF HUDSON

to view the town in its present situation in regard to said meeting house
where it now standeth, and if they judge it unreasonable, fix a place to
move said meetinghouse to, or to erect a new one on.

Chose Serg. Daniel Merrill, Ensign Kzekiel Hills and Mr. Henry
Snow to assist the committee in viewing this town.

The above committee reported in writing December
18, 1760 "That they had viewed the said town carefully,
and taken all useful means to inform themselves as to its
present situation in regard to the said meeting house, and
are fully of the opinion that for the good of said town in
their present situation, the meeting house should stand
where it now does, or otherwise to erect a new one in the
place where the old one stands."

This report was accepted, but when a vote was taken
August 22, 1761, to see if the old house should be repaired,
a negative vote was given. A special meeting was then
called to convene the 24th of September, "To see if the
Town will erect a new meeting house or in case the Town
do not erect a new meeting house, to see if the Pew men
will give up their rights in the seats. ... To see if the
Town will repair the present meeting house and how far
they will proceed in repairing said meeting house."

It was voted not to build a new house, but to repair
the old one, a committee was chosen and forty pounds, old
tenor, was voted to meet the expense. But this received
such a decided opposition, that it was

Voted to reconsider the above vote in respect to raising the sum to
repair the meeting house and dismissed the committee chosen for the
purpose.

It was put to vote to see if the town would seat the meeting house
for three years.

Voted in the affirmative, and chose a committee of five "to effect the
same."

Eight of the Pew Men agreed to yield up their rights in the seats.

Voted to grant a number of young men : viz. Nathaniel Merrill, Ter-
tius, William Merrill, John Caldwell Jr. Eevi S]ialding, Henjamin Messer,
Eleazer Cummings Jr. to build a Pew in the back of the meeting house, in
the front of the Gallery.

THE SECOND MEETING-HOUSE 199

The matter rested here for over three years, a window,
in the meantime being "set up over the pulpit," and then
the agitation for a new house or removal of the old one be-
gan. November 19, 1764,

Voted to make choice of a surveyor and chairman to find the center
of land in this town, and that they shall be under oath.

Voted to choose Matthew Patten Esq. of Bedford, surveyor, to find
said center of land.

Voted and chose three persons to assist the said surveyor to carry
the chain and Keep Tally, namely, Lt. Joseph Senter, Winkel Wright,
both of Dunstable, and Mr. Benjamin Barker of Pelham ; and also voted
that it shall be done by flat measure, meaning the chain on the ground.

It was put to vote to see if the Town would build a meeting house,
and that it shall be set in the center of land, or in the first convenient
place from the center.

Voted in the affirmative.

The town chose seven men to carry out the purpose
of building a meeting-house, viz.: Henry Hills, Joseph
Gould, Seth Wyman, Samuel Page, Samuel Marsh, Samuel
Greeley, Jr., and Daniel Merrill.

This was a strong committee, representing all sections
of the town, but it did not build a meeting-house at the
center of land or at any other place. After considerable
controversy in relation to the payment of the expense of
the survey by the surveyor and chainman and tally keeper,
amounting to ;^45-7s-9d silver, old tenor, or ii'6-ls-0d-2f
lawful money, it was finally voted to settle the account at
a meeting April 21, 1766. The survey was made in Feb-
ruary, 1765, over a year before.

Two years more the matter dragged along, and then,
September 26, 1768, it was attempted again to raise money
to make repairs, but was voted in the negative.

March 30, 1778, almost ten years after the above vote,
it was decided to sell the old meeting-house, and Moses
Johnson, Ezekiel Hills, Capt. Samuel Marsh, Asa Davis,
Esq., and Capt. Abraham Page were chosen a committee
to act for the town.

200 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Until then the town meetings had been held here, but
on June 24, 1778, it was "Voted to hold the town meetings
at the Rev. Mr. Strickland's meeting house for the future."

The Rev. John Strickland was at that time the pastor
of the Presbyterian church, having been ordained July 3,
1774, and he was preaching at the Morth meeting-house^
which was built by the proprietors belonging to that socie-
ty in 1771. The committee chosen to sell the old meeting-
house evidently attended to their duties without much de-
lay, for at a meeting held at the North meeting-house Feb-
ruary 1, 1779, it was

Voted that the money that the old meeting house was sold for
should be turned into the Town Treasury by the committee that sold it.

This was the last meeting-house built by the town.
The records are silent as to who bought the old building,
or the amount received for it. After its purchase and re-
moval by the town in 1748, and its reconstruction here, it
had stood for thirty years with very little repairs, and it
must have been in very poor condition at the time it was
sold.

The writer has heard it said by people of that vicinity,
who were long since deceased, that the old Number One
school house, which stood upon the same site as the pres-
ent school house, was partly constructed from timber taken
from the old meeting-house. This is probably true, and, if
so, some of the material that entered into the construction
of the "Hills Farms" meeting-house in 1735, continued to
serve most worthy purposes for nearly one hundred and
fifty years.

The pastor of this second meeting-house in Hudson
was the Rev. Nathaniel Merrill, who was ordained and set-
tled here by the town November 30, 1737, and whose civil
contract with the town continued until July 11, 1774, when
it was dissolved. But he continued to preach in the old house
until about the time it was sold and removed. The wor-
shipers here were Congregationalists, and Mr. Merrill had
a large and devoted following, and later, for many years, he

THE SECOND MEETING-HOUSE 201

held services in the south part of the town, in a meeting-
house called in the town records "Mr. Merrill's meeting-
house," and later known as the "Old Gospel Shop."

The second meeting-house, formerly the "Hills Farms"
meeting-house, was sold in 1778 by the committee chosen
for that purpose, and the proceeds turned into the town
treasury, as has been shown, but the records do not inform
us farther as to its later history or ultimate fate.

However, we believe there is very little room for
doubt that it was purchased at the time of its sale by Rev.
Mr. Merrill and his Congregational followers. That it was
taken down the second time and removed to the south part
of the town, when it was rebuilt as early as 1779.

At the annual town meeting, March 6, 1780, the war-
rant contained the following article:

To see if the town will agree to have one third of the Town meetings
held at the Rev. Mr. Merrills meeting-house for the future.

The vote was in the negative, but as a compromise it
was "Voted to have the town meetings held at the house
of Samuel Greeley one-half of the time for the year en-
suing."

The exact location of this building is not known at the
present time ; but it is certain that it was east of the high-
way, on the high ground a little southerly, but not far from
the small, ancient burying ground, some distance south of
Musquash or Nacook Brook, and on land then owned by
Moses Johnson, and later by the Fords.

Mr. Merrill continued to preach there until near the
time of his death in 1796.

CHAPTER XVII

The Presbyterian and the North Meeting-House

Londonderry was settled by Presbyterians of Scotch
origin, who came hither from the north of Ireland in April,
1719, and the town was incorporated by the Province of
New Hampshire July 1, 1722.

The south-west angle of Londonderry, as bounded by
its charter, was within less than two miles of the Merri-
mack River, in a north-easterly direction from Taylor's
Falls bridge. This brought about four thousand and six
hundred acres of land within the present bounds of Hud-
son, which were later annexed from Londonderry.

Nottingham was settled by Orthodox, or Congrega-
tionalists, but in a few years, owing to its close proximity
to Londonderry, many Presbyterians became inhabitants
of the township, and several of these were among its most
prominent and substantial citizens.

These two sects, while their religious tenets were
nearly identical, differed in their form of church govern-
ment. The Congregationalists looked to the town for sup-
port of their minister, and an amount equal to the pastor's
salary was levied annually upon all the polls and estates
within the limits of the town. The meeting-house was
built and kept in repair by the town. The Rev. Nathaniel
Merrill, the minister already mentioned as the head of
the Congregational Church, was ordained and settled
by the town of Nottingham in 1737, and received his sal-
ary from the same source until in 1774. The Presby-
terians were assessed equally, according to the value of
their estates, with the members of the other church. Some
of the Presbyterians attended meetings of their own de-
nomination in Londonderry or Windham, where they paid
their proportion of the minister's tax. It was but natural

202

THE PRESBYTERIAN AND NORTH MEETING-HOUSE 203

these people should honestly believe they were being ac-
corded unjust treatment, when they were obliged to pay a
part of Mr. Merrill's salary. So there were protests en-
tered against this method of taxation, and the records, from
time to time, contain accounts of action in that direction.
At a meeting of the town July 7, 1749:

Voted to release John Huey, James Caldwell, James Wason, John
Caldwell, the Widow Mitchell and Josiah Ciimmings who are profest
Churchmen from paying their Town and Minister's rate the year, 1748

May 15, 1750, It was put to vote to see if the town would make
choice of one man or more to prosecute the affair relating to the pretend-
ed Churchmen. Viz: Joseph Caldwell, John Caldwell & James Wason,
and it passed in the Negative.

August 22, 1750. The town and John Caldwell agreed to leave their
case to three indifferent men. The town and said Caldwell chose Capt.
Andrew Todd of Londonderry their first man. The town chose Lt. John
Varnum of Dracut, for their man, and Mr. Caldwell chose Dea. James
Campbell for his man.

November 18, 1751, a year and a half later, the town
voted to release Messrs. Caldwell and Wason from paying
their rates for the year 1750. Nothing more in regard to
differences of this kind appears on the records for nearly
twelve years, when trouble seems to have arisen again, as
witness the following action taken at a town meeting held
on March 1, 1763:

It was put to vote io see if the town would release and discharge
those persons belonging to this Town who call themselves Presbyterians,
and claim to be exempt from paying the Minister's Rate as assessed, their
proportion thereof.

Voted in the negative.

It was put to vote to see if the Town would discharge said persons
from paying for their poles to said Minister's Rate their proportion as
assessed.

Voted in the Negative.

It was put to vote to see if the Town would join with Pelham to dis-
pute with those persons in the law belonging to their respective Towns,
who call themselves Presbyterians, and refuse to pay their Rates as as-
sessed to the support of the ministry in said Towns, in case they should
prosecute and pursue an action against said Towns,

Voted in the Afifirmative.

204 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Chose Daniel Marshall and Samuel Marsh, to act in behalf of this
Town for the defense against said Presbyterians if there be occasion
therefor.

The Town voted to raise 200 pounds old tenor to enable them or
others to dispute with said Presbyterians in the law and defray the charge
thereof.

The two last votes were reconsidered at a meeting
held September 21, 1763, and at the same date it was
voted "to order the constable for the year 1762, to pursue
such measures as the law directs, to collect the Minister's
Rate (so called as assessed) from such persons as profess
themselves Presbyterians and refuse paying to the support
of the Rev. Mr. Merrill in the Ministry."

This was voted in the affirmative and "Ezekiel Chase
Esq. & Mr. Samuel Marsh (in behalf of the Town) to dis-
pute with said persons in the law, in case they should pros-
ecute and pursue an action against the Town Constable or
Selectmen thereof."

Voted to raise ;i^200 old tenor for said committee to enable them to
dispute with said persons as aforesaid.

A compromise was then attempted between the two
parties, by which to remove the poll tax, and collect that
on the estates. The dissenters refused to accept these
terms, when they were asked what terms they would con-
sider, they replied that if the church and town would
comply with the Cambridge platform they would pay their
proportion of the minister's tax. Action was then taken
to see if the town would reconsider the vote passed Sep-
tember 21, to order the constable for 1762 to collect the
minister's rate of those parties refusing to pay, and the mo-
tion to reconsider was carried. "It was then put to vote
to see if the Town would release and discharge them from
paying their proportion of said Rate. Voted in the Nega-
tive."

The Presbyterians gained ground in their protests,
and on September 25, 1764, it was voted to excuse them
from being obliged to pay towards the support of the Rev.

THE PRESBYTERIAN AND NORTH MEETING-HOUSE 205

Mr. Merrill, "this present year," and when it was tried to
reconsider this action at the next town meeting November
19, the effort failed. But March 31, 1766, when an at-
tempt was made to exempt "those persons who are of the
Presbyterian persuasion" from helping to support the
Congregational minister for the years 1762, as assessed.
"It was then put to vote to see if the Town would raise
^20 lawful money to pursue the affair of their being pros-
ecuted by the constable for their rates at the next Inferior
Court Voted in the Negative."

April 21, 1766, an attempt was made to choose a com-
mittee to treat with Captain Page, James Wason and James
Caldwell in regard to the payment of their minister's rate
for 1762, but this effort failed. October 27, "It was put
to vote to see if the Town would raise any money to enable
the selectmen for the year 1762, to defend and carry on a
law suit, commenced and carried on by Capt. Abraham
Page and James Wason against said selectmen, or settling
the same in law Voted in the Negative."

February 24, 1767, Capt. Abraham Page, moderator,
the question was again before the voters to see if they
would vote to raise money to defray the charges of Samuel
Greeley, Ephraim Cummings and Capt. Samuel Marsh, the
selectmen who had answered Capt. Abraham Page and
Mr. James Wason in their suit against the town, relative
to their minister's rates. It was voted in the negative.
Neither would the town vote to raise any sum of money to
continue the suit.

Here the matter rested until October 9, 1769, when it
was voted to excuse "those persons that are Presbyterians
and attend upon that order from being rated to the minis-
ter's rate in this town." This victory was made more com-
plete October 2, 1770, when the minister's rate for 1768
of Capt. Abraham Page, Asa Davis, James Wason and
Robert Stewart was abated. There was an article in the
warrant at this town meeting,

206 HISTORY OF HUDSON

To see if the Town will pass a vote to have but one sermon per day
from the first of December to the last of February this present year.
The article was dismissed.

The last day of the same year the town voted to pay
back to Captain Page and James Wason their minister's
rates for 1767 and their charges, these gentlemen having
threatened to sue the town for the same. It was also voted
at this same meeting to abate Robert Stewart's minister's
rates for 1767. The following persons were dismissed from
paying a minister's tax for that year: Capt. Abraham
Page, James Wason, Asa Davis, Timothy Emerson, Sam-
uel Wason, Robert Stewart, Robert Glover, Nehemiah
Hadley, Thomas Wason, Simeon Eayrs, Joseph Wilson,
excepting one head to Timothy Emerson.

At the annual town meeting March 12, 1771, the war-
rant contained an article,

To see if the Town will vote to pay Mr. Ephraim Cummings the ex-
traordinary charge he was at in carrying on a Law suit at court upon a
review of a cause with Capt. Abraham Page in ye Towns behalf.

The article was dismissed by a vote of those present.

This year the Presbyterians built a house of worship
for themselves, and in Vol. 43, page 32, of Hillsborough
County Registry of Deeds, is the following description of
the land purchased for the site of this meeting-house:

Know all men by these presents that I Henry IJale of Nottingham
West, in the Province of New Hampshire in New England, Husband-
man : In consideration of two pounds lawful money to me in hand paid
before the delivery hereof by Capt. Al)raham Page, David Tea body, Hugh
Smith, Joseph Wilson and Asa Davis of Nottingham West, and Province
aforesaid, appointed a committee for building a meeting house on said
premises, have given, granted, bargained and sold, and do by these pres-
ents give, grant, bargain, sell, alien, and fully, freely and absolutely convey
and confirm unto them, the Said Capt. Page, Peabody, Smith, Wilson,
Davis, their heirs and assigns forever: a certain piece of land in Notting-
ham West, containing about twenty-three square rods bounded as follow-
eth : Viz: — Beginning at a stake and stones by the Town road: thence
North-easterly by said road thirteen rods to a stake and stones : and
thence West 13 degrees South ten rods to a stake and stones, and from
thence South five rods to the bound first mentioned.

THE PRESBYTERIAN AND NORTH MEETING-HOUSE 207

To Have and to hold

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal, this fif-
teenth day of December, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven

hundred and seventy.

(Signed) HENRY HALE [seal]

Signed sealed and

delivered in presence of

Henry Hale, Jr.

Her

Elizabeth X Hale
Mark

The meeting-house erected upon the foregoing lot, was
built in 1771, and it stood very near the spot now occupied
by the Hudson Town House. It was a building about 50
feet long and 30 feet wide. The pulpit was at the north
side, about the middle. It was quite high and was ap-
proached by stairs. There was a large sounding board over
the pulpit. The house had two rows of windows, and a
gallery on three sides, the east, south and west. The front
door was opposite the pulpit, and the broad aisle extended
from one to the other. Alleys led from this broad aisle in
each direction and around the outside of the body of pews.

The pews were nearly square, with seats on three
sides. During prayer, as well as singing, the people were
always expected to rise and stand. Then they would turn
up the seats, which would make a great noise all over the
room. The noise would be repeated with greater intensity
when the seats were turned down at the close of the ser-
vice. Two seats were arranged for the deacons and elders,
directly in front and near the pulpit, where these officers
sat facing the audience.

The gallery was quite broad and built on an incline.
To reach the gallery there was a porch at the center of
each end, large enough to contain the stairs, which were
constructed in the porches, and thus saved much room in
the body of the house, as well as in the gallery. The sing-
ers sat in that part of the gallery opposite the pulpit.

The North meeting-house had no bell or belfry, and
was never painted. It had no chimney, and of course there

208 HISTORY OF HUDSON

was no way of heating the building. Many of the women,
during the cold weather, carried foot stoves with coals in
them for heat. They would sometimes replenish them at
a neighbor's house during the intermission hour at noon.
Sometimes, in a very cold day, the minister would preach
with "great" coat and mittens on. Stoves were introduced
about 1830.

The services in those days consisted of two sermons
of at least an hour's duration each, with singing several
times, and three or four long prayers, which, with the noon
intermission, consumed four or five hours of time.

It is related that at the raising of the frame of the
North meeting-house, a man by the name of Campbell fell
from one of the plates to the ground and was rendered un.
conscious. He was carried to the house of Deacon Henry
Hale, which was later the old Reuben Greeley place, a part
of the house now standing. A sheep was immediately
killed and the hide removed as quickly as possible, and the
injured man was wrapped closely in the hide, flesh side in.
But this treatment did no good, and he lived only a short
time. This incident was told by the writer's grandmother,
Sarah Hale, granddaughter of Dea. Henry Hale, born
April 20, 1767, and who married Eleazer Cummings.

The Rev. John Strickland was probably the first Pres-
byterian minister to preach in the new house, built in 1771,
but the exact date at which he came to town is not known.
But the town records show that he was paid a salary by
his parishioners in 1773. He was ordained and settled
over the Presbyterian church July 3, 1774, and he contin-
ued in that position for more than ten years, when he was
dismissed in 1785, and he removed from town.

The matter of minister's tax was still a mooted ques-
tion in affairs of the town, and at a meeting about three
years after the North meeting-house was built by the Pres-
byterians, the following action was taken by the town :

Voted that all the Inhabitants of this Town that are not assessed to
the Presbyterians should be proportionately assessed so much as they, the

THE PRESBYTERIAN AND NORTH MEETING-HOUSE 209

said Presbyterians paid to Mr. Strickland in ye year 1773. Towards com-
pleting the sum of two hundred dollars to the Rev. Mr. Merrill, and what
shall be wanting when said assessment is made, to complete said sum,
then to be assessed in equal proportion upon the whole town.
Voted in the affirmative.

In March, 1778, about 4,600 acres of the southerly-
part of Londonderry was annexed to Nottingham West,
and the residents upon these lands became citizens of the
latter town. They numbered more than thirty families,
the majority of whom were Presbyterians, and had given
material aid in the building of the North meeting-house,
and support of its pastor.

The last town meeting held at the second Congrega-
tional meeting-house was on March 30, 1778. The suc-
ceeding meeting, held June 24, 1778, was at the house of
James Pemberton, who lived near by. After that the town
meetings were held at the North meeting-house until 1780,
when, for that year and 1781, a part of them were called at
the house of Samuel Greeley, "Innholder." May 13, 1782,

Voted to have half of the town meetings this year at the house of
Timothy Smith.

A similar vote was passed March 16, 1784.

There is no record to show that the town raised any
money for preaching from the time of the final settlement
with Mr. Merrill in 1774, until March 5, 1787, when it was
voted to raise sixty pounds for that purpose, and that
twenty-five of it should be paid to Mr. Merrill, and the bal-
ance to be laid out at the North meeting-house, and that
the selectmen be a committee to procure preaching ac-
cordingly.

Henry Hale, who sold the lot for the North meeting-
house, lived on the Greeley place at what is now Hudson
Center. He owned a large tract of land in that vicinity,
was deacon of the Congregational church, and prominent
in the town's affairs.

It does not appear upon the town records that the
Presbyterians alone ever employed a minister of their own

210 HISTORY OF HUDSON

denomination in this town after the dismissal of Mr. Strick-
land, until after the two churches were united in 1816.

In each of the years of 1787 and 1788, the town "Vot-
ed to raise ;^60 for preaching this year, and that ^^"25 of it
be paid to Mr. Merrill and £'6b to be laid out at the North
meeting-house." A committee was chosen to secure
preaching.

Again the matter of location of a meeting-house be-
came a paramount question, and at a town meeting Decem-
ber 15, 1788, the fourth article in the warrant read:

To see if the Town can agree upon a place or places for the meeting
house to stand on in order for the Public Worship of God.

A committee of ten persons was chosen to take this
matter into consideration and report at the next annual
meeting in March. This committee consisted of Mr.
Moses Johnson, Capt. William Burns, Dea. Isaac Merrill,
Maj. James Ford, Capt. David Cummings, Capt. David
Peabody, Ens. David Lawrence, Lieut. Thomas Smith, Mr.
Daniel Marshall and Ens. Isaac Barrett.

This committee reported at an adjourned meeting on
April 6, 1789, and this report was accepted.

REPORT OF COMMITTEE TO LOCATE A MEETING HOUSE.

The Committee chosen by the Town to agree upon ye place or places
for the meeting house or houses to stand on, beg leave to report: — That
they have carefully searched for ye center of ye Town and find it half a
mile and twenty rods in a straight line and Southardly //«/^ distant from
the North meeting house, — and we consider the present situation and cir-
cumstances of the Town. We judge that the North meeting house place
is at present the most convenient place, and we considering the disadvan-
tage that a number of the inhabitants of the lower end of the Town are
under by reason of the great distance they are from meeting that one fifth
part of the preaching may be at the lower end Meeting house the present
year.
Nottingham West April 6, 1789.

David Lawrence, David Peabody,

David Cummings, Moses Johnson,

Thomas Smith, William Burns,

Isaac Barret Isaac Merrill.

THE PRESBYTERIAN AND NORTH MEETING-HOUSE 211

It will be remembered that this was after the annexa-
tion of a large tract of land with its inhabitants from the
south part of Londonderry in 1778, which shifted the cen-
ter of the town north nearly one and a half miles.

The same amount of money was paid this year for
preaching as had been raised in previous years, £^b to be
paid to Mr. Merrill, and ^35 to hire preaching on proba-
tion, one-fifth of the latter sum to be sent to the south part
of the town. George Burns, Page Smith, Capt. David
Cummings, Ens. David Lawrence and Lieut. Ezekiel Hills
were chosen a committee to attend to the settlement of
this matter.

January 18, 1790, it was voted

That the committee chosen last March to hiie preaching for this year
agree with Mr. Scribner to preach out the money that was voted last
March for preaching, what is behind.

Voted and chose Capt. David Cummings Clerk to set the psalm at
the North meeting house.

Voted Moses Hadley Assistant Clerk.

Voted and chose Mr. George Burroughs to read the psalm at the
North meeting house. . . And Voted and chose Elder Samuel French
Assistant.

At a meeting March 1, 1790, it was voted not to raise
any money to pay for preaching. Four weeks later, the
29th of March, another meeting was held, at which it was
put to vote "to see if the Town will meet at the center of
travel that was found by the committee chosen Decem-
ber 15, 1778." This was not carried, but the town voted to
meet at the North meeting-house.

"Voted to choose a committee of five to agree with
the proprietors of the house, to see how they can procure
said house and make their report on the adjournment of
said meeting."

Dea. Isaac Merrill, Page Smith, Timothy Smith, Ens.
Isaac Barrett and Samuel Marsh, Esq., were selected to
serve on this committee, when the meeting adjourned to
April 12, at 2 o'clock p. m. At this meeting the commit-
tee made the following report:

212 HISTORY OF HUDSON

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PURCHASE OF NORTH

MEETING HOUSE.

We the subscribers being a committee chosen by the Town of Not-
tingham West on the 29 day of March, 17!)0, to agree with the proprie-
tors of the North meeting house in said Town. We have proceeded ac-
cordingly and agreed, that said Town of Nottingham West give good se-
curity to the said proprietors of seventy pounds lawful money, to be paid
in one year from the date hereof.

And that the said proprietors give a good title to the said meeting
house, and the land Deacon Henry Hale gave a deed of to said proprie-
tors to set said house on, to the said Town of Nottingham West.

Nottingham West April 12, 1790.

Timothy Smith, Page Smith

Samuel Marsh Committee.

While this report was accepted, and the committee
was continued to effect the termination of the transaction
and obtain a title, for some reason, which the records do
not disclose, the purchase was delayed.

At this meeting it was "Voted to raise £1^ for the
support of Rev. Mr. Merrill,

CHAPTER XVIII

Some Early Church History

Five years of unsettled action in religious circles fol-
lowed, during which the town records frequently speak of
attempts to satisfy the citizens scattered over a sparsely
settled community, and of efforts to obtain regular preach-
ers. May 31, 1790, it was voted to extend a call to Rev.
Matthew Scribner, but at an adjourned meeting this action
was reconsidered. A few days later, June 21, twenty
pounds was voted to hire a minister on probation, and a
committee was chosen to carry this into effect. December
30, ten pounds more was raised, and it was voted "the
committee agree with Mr. Parrish to preach it out if he
can be had."

March 7, 1791, thirty pounds was voted to be paid
some candidate, and April 11, it was the voice of the meet-
ing that a call be extended to Mr. Ariel Parrish to settle in
town, and that eighty pounds be paid him yearly "so long
as he shall continue a Gospel minister in this town." Evi-
dently this was not considered a sufficient inducement, for
the next section contains the following record:

Voted to give the said Parrish ^f 120 as a settlement in the ministry
in this Town to be paid as follows. Viz /^QO to be paid in one year, and
;^60 in two years after he shall be settled in town.

Voted that six Sabbaths of the preaching be allowed at the south
meeting house, or in that proportion of what preaching shall be hired
yearly.

For some reason Mr. Parrish did not accept the offer,
though he preached in town occasionally.

December 20, Rev. Matthew Scribner was given a call,
and a salary of eighty pounds yearly and thirty pounds at
settlement was offered him, but he declined to come, or at
least he was not settled.

213

214 HISTORY OF HUDSON

At this meeting- it was voted to raise forty pounds t&
repair the North meeting-house, and Joseph B. Wilson,
Page Smith and Henry Hale were made a committee to
superintend the work.

At a town meeting May 7, 1792^ an article in the war-
rant to see if the town would vote to give the Rev. John
Strickland a call was dismissed, but June 4, fifteen pounds
was voted to hire preaching. November 12, forty-five
pounds was raised for preaching, and September 23, 1793,
sixty pounds was voted for the same purpose, but no min-
ister was designated. August 25, 1794, sixty pounds was
again voted, and December 8, it was "Voted to hire Mr,
Thompson four sabbaths more."

August 24, 1795, twenty pounds was the sum fixed to
pay for preaching, and Mr. Foster was the choice for a
minister. On December 14, it was voted to extend a call
to Mr. Jabez Pond Fisher to settle in the town, forty-seven
voting in the affirmative, and apparently outnumbering the
opposition. As a settlement in the ministry he was voted
#400, and #270 a year **so long as he is able to perform the
ministry in this town.'' Then it was

Voted to raise ;^60 to hire preaching and that the selectmen be a
committee to lay it out.

Nottingham West, Dec. 14, 1795.
We whose names are underwritten are informed that said town of
Nottingham West are about voting to give Mr. Jabez Pond Fisher a call
to settle in the ministry in this town in the Congregationalist order, we
do detest against paying any part of his settlement or .salary, or money
that is voted to support that order, as we profess to be of a different pro-
fession, and pray that this detest may be entered on the Town Book of
Records in said town.

Hugh Smith, Jr. John lieseltine

David Cummings Jr. David Cummings

Samuel Ditson Moses Wason

Samuel Caldwell Robert Douglass

Asa Davis John Smith Jr.

Mansfield Smith Robert Stewart

John Caldwell Thomas Senter

Henry Hale Nathaniel Haselton

•30ME EARLY CHURCH HISTORY 215

I3avid Glover Thomas Senter Jr.

Samson Kidder Isaac Marshall

Wilder Greeley Samuel Hills

Moses Greeley Ebenezer Wood
Reuben Sargent ' Eliphalet Hills

Zaccheus Greeley Aaron Tarbox

Peter Robinson William Steele

David Hollis James Smith

Cochran Patten David Peabody

Isaac Page PhiHp Marshall

Benjamin Kidder John Smith

Thomas Hills Alexander Caldwell

Thomas Wason Samuel Wason

Samuel Smith James Caldwell

Joseph Hobbs Josiah Merrill

Hugh Smith Jonathan Tenney

Joseph Steele Thomas Smith

Samuel S. Smith Seth Wyman
Joseph Caldwell

Forty-seven voted in favor of settling Mr. Fisher and
fifty-three protested against it.

January 11, 1796, in spite of the above unmistakable
opposition it was

Voted to accept Mr. Jabez Pond Fisher's answer to the call given him
by this town to settle in the ministry in said town as follows, Viz.

Nottingham West Jan. 11, 1796,

**To the church of Christ in, and inhabitants of Not-
tingham West.

"Bretheren and fellow citizens:

"Having received a call from you to settle with you in
the work of the Gospel ministry, and having looked to God
for light and direction for the way in which to give my an-
swer to you, I feel it my duty to give you an affirmative
answer and do give you an affirmative answer accordingly,
on the following considerations Viz: Instead of what you
have offered me for settlement and salary, you give me
three hundred and ten dollars yearly and every year until
I request you to give me two hundred and seventy dollars
and twenty cords of hard fire wood yearly, instead of the
three hundred and ten dollars, and when requested then to
give the said two hundred and seventy dollars and twenty

216 HISTORY OF HUDSON

cords of hard fire wood yearly & every year instead of said
three hundred and ten dollars.

"This support to be given me as ye manner first point-
ed out from the time of ordination until the connection be-
tween me and you, as pastor and people be dissolved and
no longer.

"When two thirds of the church shall request the pas-
tor to take a dismission he is to take one in a short time
after being thus requested. When the pastor shall request
a dismission he is to have one in a short time after request-
ing it.

"It is however to be understood y* a dismission is not
actually to take place upon being requested by either party
without a mutual council being called to give advice.
Should a dismission take place in consequence of being re-
quested by church or pastor, it is to take place on the first
Thursday of June, and the request shall be made at least
ten months preceding ye said first Thursday of June.

"In case the pastor do anything by which in the opin-
ion of a ministerial council he forfeit his ministerial char-
acter, the time of dismission is to be fixed upon by a min-
isterial council.

"The pastor is to be allowed the privilege of being
absent three Sabbaths in a year without being under obli-
gation to supply the pulpit the said three Sabbaths, and he
is to enjoy the privilege so long as he continues ye pastor
of ye church and people of Christ in this place.

"Bretheren and fellow citizens; I wish you grace,
mercy and peace.

"Jabez Pond Fisher."

Voted and accepted.

Dea. Ebenezer Cummings, Thomas Marsh, Moses
Johnson, Joshua Pierce, Col. James Ford, John Gilson,
Capt. John Pollard and Samuel Marsh, Esq., were chosen
a committee "with Mr. Jabez Pond Fisher to consult on
ways and measures for his ordination."

Nottingham West Feb. 19, 1796.

We whose names are underwritten are informed that the said town
of Nottingham West are about settling Mr. Jabez Pond Fisher in the
ministry in this town in the Congregationalist order. We do protest pay-
ing any part of his salary or any money relating thereunto, as we profess

SOME EARLY CHURCH HISTORY 217

to be of a different persiiasioii, and pray that this protest may be entered

on the Town Book of Records in said town.

his
Ashael Blodgett, Abraham I'age, Jonathan X Blodgett, Phineas

mark

W. Blodgett. Joseph Blodgett Jr., Mansfield Huey, David Campbell, Sam-
uel Richardson, John Tallant, Page Smith, William Ciibson, Robert
Glover, Eliphalet Hadley, Elnathan Searles, Gideon Butler.

These fifteen Protestants added to the former fifty-
three made sixty-eight opposed to settling Mr. Fisher.
Still the minister was ordained, as witness the following
action at a town meeting held September 12, 1796, when it
was "Put to vote to see if the town would allow Joseph
Greeley ;^30 for entertaining the council for ordination."

Voted in the Negative.

This was the continuation of a protracted and bitter op-
position between two or more factions dominating the af-
fairs of the town. January 5, 1797, a committee consisting
of Dea. Isaac Merrill, Captain John Pollard and Joseph
Greeley were chosen to consider the matter of getting pos-
session of the North meeting-house. But this came to
naught, and July 31, another attempt of the kind failed.
October 30, it was

Voted to dismiss all those who have regularly joined either the Pres-
byterian or Baptist society, from paying taxes to the support of Rev. Mr.
Fisher.

At this same meeting it was "Voted to allow Dea.
Isaac Merrill's account for the funeral charges of Rev. Mr.
Nathaniel Merrill, amounting to seven dollars and eighty-
two cents, and pay for a coffin the price not known."

November 27, another effort to get a vote to build a
new meeting-house did not succeed, and again March 5,
1798, an article in the warrant for the annual meeting to
see if the town would build a meeting-house "to stand near
Mr. William Gibson's house,* or otherwise to stand on the

* The site of the house of William Gibson was probably the same as now occupied by
that of J. Frank Harvey.

218 HISTORY OF HUDSON

south side of Mr. Henry Hale's field, against the road that
comes from Mr. William Gibson's, and that each denomi-
nation shall have the use of said house their proportionate
part of the time according to what they pay towards build-
ing the same," was dismissed.

The Rev. Nathaniel Merrill had continued to preach
to the Congregationalists in the meeting-house at the south
part of the town until a short time previous to his decease,
which occurred during the year 1796, the exact day being
unknown. This was the year that Rev. Jabez Pond Fisher
was settled, with so much opposition.

The town had made certain repairs on the old building,
and thus had a part ownership with the builders and pew
owners. As has been seen, the majority ot the Presbyter-
ians were stubborly opposed to having Mr. Fisher settled,
and refused to have Congregational preaching in the house
built for their society. They refused also to bear any part
of the taxation to support Mr. Fisher, and so the contro-
versy waxed fierce and earnest.

The crisis came one Sabbath morning, when the com-
mittee that had been previously appointed by the Congre-
gationalists to open the meeting-house for their service,
met with resistance from the inside of the building. When
the committee attempted to force an entrance with axes,
they were driven away by the force stationed within under
the leadership of Asa Davis, Esq. Finally the attempt
was abandoned, and the service for that day was held in
the open air upon the common during a storm of mist and
rain.

After this stirring episode Mr. Fisher preached at the
old South meeting-house, in private houses, barns, or in
the open air, until the new South meeting-house was built
in 1798, by proprietors connected with the Congregational
church and society. At the time Mr. Fisher, who was a
graduate of Brown University in 1788, was ordained the
members of his church did not number over fifty, and while
he was pastor for about five years, thirty-six were admitted
to membership.

SOME EARLY CHURCH HISTORY 219

June 18, 1798, it was voted to give the proprietors of
the meeting-house then building land for a site on the west
part of the Town Common, "near Josiah Hamblet's on the
east side of the road for to set said meeting house on, so
long as a meeting house shall be continued there." Asa
Davis, Thomas Senter and James Caldwell were chosen a
committee and empovvered to give a deed in behalf of the
town.

The South meeting-house, built in 1798, stood about
one hundred feet east of the Lowell road, and about half
way between the road passing south of the Blodgett ceme-
tery and the highway south of the common. It was not
far from one hundred and fifty feet southerly from the site
of the meeting-house erected in 1748. It was fifty by forty
feet, with the pulpit on the north side in the center, galler-
ies on the east, south and west sides, with a porch for the
gallery stairs at the center of the east and west ends. The
pews were square and the general arrangement or con-
struction of the house was very similar to that of the North
meeting-house. The writer remembers both of these build-
ings.

The South meeting-house remained until about 1844,
when it was sold to James Carnes for one hundred dollars,
and was taken down by him. The dwelling near Taylor's
Falls bridge, now owned by Mrs. Elisha A. Martin, was
constructed from the lumber of the old church by Mr.
Carnes, even to the doors, windows, finish and underpin-
ning, a piece of the last still bearing the date "1798."

The records for the twenty years following the build-
ing of the South meeting-house are plentifully interspersed
with votes in regard to money raised for preaching or ac-
tion unfavorable to it. September 24, 1798, the town de-
clined "to make a tax for the Rev. Jabez P. Fisher."
March 21, 1799, a committee reported:

Minister Rate since yr 1795 not settled,
Nor the Rate tor the ordination supper.

220 HISTORY OF HUDSON

March 3, 1800, it was voted not to raise "$500 to sup-
port the Gospel, or any other sum." September 28, 1801,
favorable action was taken towards raising one hundred
dollars for preaching, to be divided between the two socie-
ties, and Joseph Winn, Jr., Samuel Wason and Joseph B.
Wilson were appointed a committee. March 15, 1802, after
refusing to raise any money for preaching that year, the
following article was considered:

Put to vote to see if the town would pay Mr. Jabez Pond Fisher his
demand that he had sued for.

Voted in the Negative.

Then voted and chose Asa Davis, Samuel Marsh Esq & Dea. Isaac
Merrill a committee to inquire into the cause of the action and see what
is due him if any, and who from, and report as soon as may be.

The meeting was adjourned to Monday, March 22,
when it was voted that "Asa Davis attend the court and
get the said cause, Fisher against said town continued to
September term."

REPORT OF COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE MR. FISHER'S

CLAIM.

We the subscribers a committee chosen by the town for the
purpose of examining into the cause of the action brought against
the town by Mr. Fisher, Report as follows: Viz: We having ex-
amined into the cause of the action, find that Mr. Fisher has received of
the town $662, for his first two years salary and $2. over, and that there
remains $1013.92 for his salary that the Town hath not settled with him.
And that we find by a vote of the Town on Record, that those persons
who were exempted from paying to his support in the year 1797 ought to
be exempted from paying proportionate part of this sum that is now due.
Nottingham West Aug. 30, 1802.

ASA DAVIS,
ISAAC MERRILL Cotnmittee.

Four years passed without any money being raised for
preaching, in which time it is supposed the account of Mr.
Fisher was settled. May 14, 1807, three hundred dollars
was voted for preaching, each taxpayer to pay his money
to that denomination designated by him. April 2, 1808,
two hundred dollars was raised, those persons belonging to

SOME EARLY CHURCH HISTORY 221

the Baptist church being exempted from this minister's
tax, while those of the other denominations were allowed
to pay their tax where they chose. In 1809 and 1810 one
hundred and fifty dollars was raised each year for preach-
ing. August 27, 1810, there was an article in the warrant:

To see if the town will vote to finish the North meeting house in said
town, in case the present owners will first make it the towns property.
Was voted in the Negative.

October 29, 1810, after voting the money to "the Bap-
tists and their accomplices," the money they had been as-
sessed, to be used in their own society, it was

Voted that the Baptists and their accomplices may petition the State
Legislature to incorporate them a Baptist society in Nottingham West.

In 1811, 1812, 1813, 1814 and 1815 one hundred dollars
a year was raised for preaching, exclusive of the Baptists
and their "accomplices." In 1816 and 1817, two hundred
dollars was raised for this purpose, outside of the Baptists.
March 23, 1818,

Voted to give Mr. Willard Holbrook a call to settle as pastor over
the Presbyterian church and congregation.

Chose Dea. Page Smith. Dea. Thomas Hills, John Foster, Capt.
Caleb S. Ford, Esq., Ebenezer Marsh, a committee to consult and propose
a sum for the support of said Holbrook, in case he accept our call as
pastor.

The committee reported in favor of a salary of $400 a
year, or $825 for three-fourths of a year. The first proposi-
tion was accepted, Dea. Isaac Merrill, Dea. Page Smith
and Asa Blodgett were made a committee to wait upon
Mr. Holbrook.

For some reason Mr. Holbrook did not accept the
offer.

The sum of two hundred dollars was raised for preach-
ing in 1819, which is the last entry of this kind in the town
records. March 12, 1825, a movement to build a belfry in
the North meeting-house and make repairs was voted down.

222 HISTORY OF HUDSON

The checkered record of the North meeting-house con-
tains two conveyances that are of especial interest. Janu-
ary 2, 1797, Joseph Wilson of Dracut, Mass., in considera-
tion of ^8, conveyed to Asa Davis of Nottingham West,,
"all his right of land and meeting-house standing on same
and containing about twenty-three square rods." The de-
scription being the same as in the deed of Henry Hale,
December 15, 1770.

November 26, 1811.
Asa Davis & Paul Tenney of Nottingham West, in consideration of
one dollar, paid by the members of the Baptist Incorporation in Notting-
ham West, and such as may become members of the same, their heirs
aud assigns forever, all our right and title in a certain piece of land and
meeting house standing on the same, containing about 23 square rods,
bounded as followeth. Viz: Beginning at a stake and stones by the town
road and thence northeasterly by said road 13 rods to a stake and stones :
thence W 13° S 10 rods to a stake and stones, and from thence south 5
rods to the bounds first mentioned. (Further description refers to Hale
deed.)

March 1, 1842, the old church and lot were again
prominent in conveyance, when the Baptist society, through
their committee, David Burns, Noah Robinson and Reuben
Greeley, deeded the property to the town of Hudson, the
deed not recorded.

A certain tract of land situated in said Hudson with a meeting house

standing thereon Beginning at a stake and stones at

the south west corner of the premi.'^es, on the town road leading from
Reuben Greeley's in said Hudson, to Elbridge Dow's in said Hudson, and
on land of Farmer & Robinson : thence northeasterly by said highway 13
rods to a stake and stones on land of Reuben Greeley, thence W 13" S
10^ rods to a stake & stones on said Farmer & Robinson's land, thence
southerly by said Farmer & Robinsons land to the bound first mentioned;
containing about 23 square rods.

Reserving all the pews in said house except the pew at the right hand
of the pulpit, which pews are understood not to be conveyed by this deed.
Consideration $100.

DEED OF PEWS

Know all men by these presents, that in consideration of one dollar
to us in hand paid by the town of Hudson, in the county of Hillsborough

SOME EARLY CHURCH HISTORY *223

and State of New Hampshire, we hereby sell and convey to said town of
Hudson, all the interest we have in any pew in the North meeting house
5n said Hudson to the said towns use forever.

Hudson Jany 27, 1842.
Reuben Greeley James McCoy

David Bums Noah Robinson

Thomas Marsh Enoch S. Marsh

Hiram Marsh William Hadley

Moses Greeley Amos Hills

David Robinson Elbridge Dow

Abel Pollard Joseph B. Wilson

Sarah Atwood.
Pews given up that were not owned by Baptists :

Alden Hills

Noyes Tenney

Gilman And

rews

Jeremiah Smith

Leonard W;

ymAa

J. P. F. Cross

Daniel T. Davis

Pews not given up:

Zaccheus Colburn,

No. 19

Heirs of J. Corliss, Nc

Phineas Blodgett

" 18

Joseph Blodgett "

Jonathan Hills

" 16t

James Smith 2d "

Col. William Hills,

" 17

Capt. Sprake "

Joshua Pierce

" 15

Jefferson Smith "

Thomas Gowing

" 12

Stairs.

Heirs of Joseph Winn No. 3 & 2

Alexander Caldwell No

James Tenney

" 6

J. Steele & Smith

Asa Blodgett

" 9

Thomas B. Wascn "

Dea. Benjamin Merr

ill " 12

Heirs Philip Hills "

Dea. J. Caldwell

" 14

Widow Burbank "

Hugh Smith

" 17

The foregoing lists are copied from a paper found in
the chest of the Town Clerk, the names of those not giv-
ing up their pews and the pew-owners up-stairs having
been written on the back of the loose sheet. Over forty
pews are thus accounted for in all.

The North meeting-house, built by the Presbyterians
in 1771, was at different periods occupied as a house of
worship by the Presbyterians, Congregationalists and Bap-
tists, and it was the innocent cause of not a little friction.
The town meetings, with a few exceptions, were held here

224 HISTORY OF HUDSON

from 1778 to 1857, when the old, historical building, after
braving the vicissitudes of eighty-six years, was torn down
to make room upon the same site for the present town
house, which was erected that year by Mr. William Ander-
son of Windham, at the expense of the town of Hudson.

CHAPTER XIX

French and Indian Wars

A militia law was enacted by the General Court of
New Hampshire, in 1718, and published the following year.
The law provided that all male persons from sixteen to
sixty years of age, except Negroes and Indians, should per-
form military service, with the following exceptions: Mem-
bers of the General Court, ministers, deacons, physicians,
school masters, ferrymen, justices of the peace, millers, and
such persons as had before held military commissions.

Each private soldier was required to be furnished with
a "Fire-Lock, Knapsack, Cartridge box. Worm and Prim-
ing Wire, One Pound of Powder, twenty Bullets and twelve
Flints, and to train four days in the year, and to muster
once in three years." It was also made the duty of each
town in the province to keep on hand a stock of ammuni-
tion for the town's use, consisting of "One barrel of good
Gun powder, 100 pounds of bullets and 300 flints for every
sixty soldiers."

This law, with but little change, remained in force
until the war of the Revolution.

Nottingham West, which previous to January 4, 1733,
was a part of Dunstable, was, for many years after its set-
tlement, situated on the northern frontier and exposed to
all the dangers of border warfare. This fact caused, of
necessity, almost every able bodied citizen of suitable age
to become a soldier, and not a few shared personally in the
conflicts with the French and Indians. The military spirit
was fostered as a duty, and it has been said that "New
England freedom placed in the hands of every child a gun
as well as a spelUnx) hook, which made necessarily of every
child not less a marksman than a scholar."

225

226 HISTORY OF HUDSON

For thirteen of the nineteen years, beginning with
1744 and ending with 1763, the interval scarcely one of
peace, our ancestors were involved in this savage warfare
for the defence of their homes, their families and their fire-
sides, waged by their enemies with the avowed purpose of
driving the English out of the country.

We now look with pride and admiration to the history
of those years, recognizing as we do that it is wholly owing
to the courage, constancy, endurance and sufferings of
those ancestors that we now enjoy the rich inheritance they
transmitted to us.

We would gladly know much more than it is now pos-
sible to learn, of the personal, history of the citizens of this
town who served as soldiers in those wars — some under the
brave Captain John Goffe, others with the famous '■^Bang-
ers,'" of whom Captain Robert Rogers was the leader, some
with Major Zaccheus Lovewell, a resident of this town until
1748, and others in the regiment commanded by Colonel
Joseph Blanchard of Dunstable, and in other companies.

A period of Indian warfare began in March, 1744, and
lasted until 1749. As in former wars, the Canada and eas-
tern Indians sided with the French, and coming in large
numbers from Canada and Nova Scotia, they prowled
around the defenceless settlements, waylaying, murdering
and scalping, or taking captives to Canada, the settlers of
frontier towns until some of these no farther away than
Peterborough, Lyndeborough and New Boston, became
wholly deserted. In 1754, six years after the treaty of Aix
La Chapelle between England and France was made, the
last French and Indian war begun, which ended intl763,
after the capitulation of Quebec and the final conquest of
Canada. Many men from this town did more or less service
during two cruel wars, in guarding the frontiers and in
other military acts.

The lists of names of Nottingham West men have
been found, principally in Vol. 2, of the Adjutant General's
Report for 1866.

FRENCH AND INDIAN WARS 227

Many others undoubtedly served in these scouting
parties with the Rangers, the muster rolls of whom have
not been preserved.

In the muster rolls of Captain John Goffe's Company
engaged in scouting from the Merrimack River to the Con-
necticut, August and September, 17-15, are the following
names from this town :

Jeremiah Blodgett, Ezekiel Greeley,

John Bradbury, John Marsh,

Nathaniel Hills.

In the muster rolls of Captain John Goffe's Company
of twenty-four men engaged in the same duty in October
and November, 1745, are these names from this town:
Jeremiah Blodgett, Benjamin Thompson,

John Merrill, Benjamin Snow,

Samuel Merrill, Benjamin Davis.

In the Company of Captain John Goffe, engaged in
scouting and guarding the Souhegan, Monson and Stark
garrisons* in 1718, the following names appear with the
times of service :

John Bradbury, April 10 to October 5.

John Carkin, April 14 to October 5.

John Hamblet, June 17 to July 24.

Samuel Houston, June 11 to July 13,

John Hewey, June 17 to September 24.

Moses Lowell, April 10 to October 5.

Isaac Page, June 15 to July 16.

John Pollard, July 14 to August 23.

Joseph Taylor, April 14 to October 4.

Thomas Taylor, April 14 to October 4.

In a detachment from Colonel Joseph Blanchard's
Regiment, "employed in His Majesty's service on the Mer-
rimack River, commanded bv Lieutenant John Goffe," in
1754:

* Souhegan is now Bedford; Monson is now Milford and Stark's garrison was in Dcrry-

field, now Manchester, at the outlet of Nutt's pond, which is about two miles south of the
City Hall and a little east of the Manchester and Lawrence railroad.

228 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Peter Cross, August 23 to November 16.

Stevens Chase, August 23 to November 16.

John Carkin, August 23 to November 16,

Samuel Houston, August 23 to November 16.

Isaac Waldron, August 23 to November 16.

Detached from Colonel Joseph Blanchard's Regiment,
posted on Connecticut River, commanded by Lieutenant
Benjamin Bellows in 1754:

Henry Hewey, August 23 to November 19.

James Hewey, August 23 to November 19.

Henry Hills, August 23 to September 9.

Amos Kenney, August 23 to November 19.

In 1755, New Hampshire raised a regiment command-
ed by Colonel Joseph Blanchard of Dunstable, to aid in the
expedition against the French forts at Crown Point on the
west shore of Lake Champlain. In the fourth Company
of this regiment, commanded by Captain Tash, are found
the following names:

Nathaniel Davis, April 24 to June 17.

Ezekiel Page, April 24 to October 18.

John Pollard, April 24 to October 18.

In Captain James Todd's Company, of Colonel Peter
Oilman's Regiment of three hundred men, raised in 1755,
and which marched to Albany by way of Number Four,
(Charlestown, N. H.) are the names of

James Blodgett, September 22 to December 13.

John Carkin, September 22 to December 18.

Jeremiah Hills, September 22 to December 18.

In 1756, New Hampshire raised another regiment of
seven hundred men for the expedition against Crown Point,
commanded by Colonel Nathaniel Meserve of Portsmouth.
John Pollard served in this regiment from May 1 to Octo-
ber 28.

After the bloody massacre at Fort William Henry on
August 3, 1757, when eighty New Hampshire men out of
two hundred and eighty posted there were killed or taken
prisoners in violation of the terms of capitulation. New

FRENCH AND INDIAN WARS

229

Hampshire raised a battalion of two hundred and fifty men
for the defence of Fort Edward, near Lake George, under
the command of Thomas Tash of Durham. This force
consisted of five companies — three of foot and two of cav-
alry. They were posted at the Fort at Number Four. In
the first company of this battalion are found the following
names:

John Cross, August 21 to October 29.

Timothy Emerson, August 21 to October 22.

William Merrill, August 21 to October 29.

In 1758, New Hampshire raised still another regiment
for "the Crown Point expedition." This numbered eight
hundred men and was commanded by Colonel John Hart
of Portsmouth. In this regiment are found the names of
the following: Nottingham West men :

John Pollard, Ensign, Apr

Joshua Chase, Apr

John Carkin, Apr

Eleazer Cummings, Apr

Jonathan Hardy, Apr

Nathaniel Merrill, Apr

Elijah Hills, Apr

Samuel Houston, Apr

Nathaniel Haseltine, Apr

Joseph Lowell, Apr

John Marsh, Jr., Apr

Amos Pollard, Apr

Thomas Wason, Apr

1 10 to November.
1 10 to October 31.
1 19 to November 3.
1 17 to November 30.
1 28, Lame.
1 24 to October 3.
1 18 to November 26.
1 10, Not able to go.
1 18 to November 15.
1 18 to October 25.
1 24 to November 1.
1 18 to November 19.
1 13 to November 30.

In 1760, a regiment of eight hundred men was raised
for an expedition to invade Canada, under the command of
Colonel John Goffe of Derryfield, now Manchester. This
regiment had its rendezvous in Litchfield, and marched by
the way of Monson (Milford), Peterborough and Keene to
Number Four, and then cut a road through the wilderness
twenty-six miles to the Green Mountains, and from thence
proceeded to Crown Point, following the road that had been
cut mainly by the Rangers under Captain John Stark the
year previous.

230 HISTORY OF HUDSON

They had to clear the road — a mere bridle path — from
Merrimack to Keene. They were forty-four days in cut-
ting the road to the Green Mountains, which they crossed,
packing or hauling their stores over them on horse-barrows.

A large drove of cattle followed them for the army at
Crown Point. In this regiment we find the names of

John Caldwell, April 5 to November 27.

Amos Kenney, April 1 to November 27.

Samuel Kenney, March 14 to November 27.

Stephen Kenney, March 14 to November 27.

In addition to the foregoing names of Nottingham
West men who did military service in the French and In-
dian wars, are the following:

James Wason, Micajah Winn,

Asa Worcester, Sanders Bradbury,

Benjamin Kidder, Jr., John Caldwell.

Resident Taxpayers, 1775

In December, 1775, the year of the beginning of the
Revolutionary war, the number of resident taxpayers in
Nottingham West was one hundred and thirty-five — one
hundred and thirty-one males and four widows, of whom
the following is a list copied from the records:
Adams, Widow Mary, Chase, Stephen,

Barrett, Moses, Chase, Stephen, Jr.,

Barrett, Simeon, Cross, Peter,

Blodgett, Jeremiah, Cummings, David,

Blodgett, Jonathan, Cummings, Deacon Ebenezer,

Blodgett, Jonathan, Jr., Cummings, Eleazer,

Blodgett, Joseph, Cummings, Josiah,

Bradley, Jonathan, ( ummmgs, Peter,

Bradbury, Sanders, Corning, Nathaniel,

Burbank, Samuel, Cutter, Richard,

Burbank, Samuel, Jr., Dakin, Ebenezer,

Burns, George, Dakin, Levi,

Burns, George, Jr., Dakin, Justus,

Burns, William, Davis, Asa,

FRENXH AND INDIAN WARS

231

Caldwell, Alexander,
Caldwell, John,
Caldwell, James,
Caldwell, Samuel,
Caldwell, Thomas,
Campbell, John,
Chase, Ezekiel, Esq.,
Chase, Henry,
Chase, Joshua,
French, Elder Samuel,
Glover, Robert,
Gould, Joseph,
Gould, Joseph, Jr.,
Greeley, Captain Ezekiel,
Greeley, Captain Samuel,
Greeley, Widow Susanna,
Hadley, Eliphalet,
Hadley, Eliphalet, Jr.,
Hadley, Moses,
Hadley, Parrot,
Hadley, Seth,
Hale, Elder Henry,
Hale, Henry,
Hale, John,
Hamblet, Thomas,
Hardy, Daniel,
Hardy, Jonathan,
Hardy, Nathaniel,
Hardy, Richard,
Haseltine, John,
Haseltine, John, Jr.,
Hills, Elijah,
Hills, Lieut. Ezekiel,
Hills, Widow Hannah,
Hills, Jeremiah,
Hills, Oliver,
Hills, Philip,

Davis, Ensign Nathaniel,
Davidson, George,
Durant, Samuel,
Eastman, Ichabod,
Eastman, Nicholas,
Emerson, Elder Timothy,
Emerson, Timothy, Jr.,
Farmer, Edward,
Ford, Lieut. James,
Hills, Samuel,
Hills, William,
Huey, Henry,
Huey, John,
Johnson, Moses,
Kelley, Captain Joseph,
Kenney, Amos,
Kenney, Stephen,
Lowell, Stephen,
Marsh, John,
Marsh, Captain Samuel,
Marsh, Elder Thomas,
Marshall, Benjamin,
Marshall, Richard,
Merrill, Abel,
Merrill, John,
Merrill, Ensign Nathaniel,
Merrill, Nathaniel, Jr.,
Merrill, William,
Moore, Major Samuel,
Page, Captain Abraham,
Pemberton, James,
Perry, Ebenezer,
Pierce, Widow Esther,
Pollard, Amos,
Pollard, Ebenezer,
Pollard, Ensign John,
Pollard, John, Jr.,

232

HISTORY OF HUDSON

Pollard, Samuel,
Pollard, Timothy,
Reed, Abijah,
Richardson, Henry,
Searles, Jonathan,
Searles, Thomas,
Seavey, Andrew,
Smith, Lieut. Hugh,
Smith, John,
Smith, Page,
Smith, Samuel,
Smith, Samuel, Jr.,
Smith, Thomas,
Smith, Timothy,
Spalding, Lieut. Reuben,
Stewart, Robert,

Pollard, Joseph,
Tarbell, David,
Walker, John,
Wason, James,
Wason, Samuel,
Wason, Thomas,
Wells, John,
Whittemore, Benjamin,
Whittemore, Benjamin, Jr.,
Wilson, Joseph,
Winn, Abiather,
Winn, Lieut. Joseph,
Winn, Joseph, Jr.,
Winn, Widow Judith,
Winn, Nehemiah,

Wyman, Daniel,
Wyman, Seth.

Three years and four months later, April 17, 1779, the
list of resident taxpayers contained one hundred and eighty-
three names, an increase of forty-eight, or nearly thirty-six
per cent.

More than half of this increase was due to the annex-
ation, in March, 1778, of that part of Londonderry known
as "Londonderry Claim," an account of which has been
given in a former chapter of this history.

This list of taxpayers copied from the records, is as
follows :

Andrews, Levi,
Barrett, Isaac,
Barrett, James,
Barrett, Simeon,
Bixby, William,
Blodgett, Asahel,
Blodgett, Jeremiah,
Blodgett, Jonathan,

Tax List, 1779

Barrett, James, Jr.,
Barrett, Moses,
Barrett, Captain Moses,
Chase, Micajah,
Chase, Stephen,
Chase, Stephen, Jr.,
Colby, Philbrick,
Coffin, William,

FRENCH AND INDIAN WARS

233

Blodgett, Joseph,
Bradley, Jonathan,
Brown, Samuel,
Burbank, Samuel,
Burbank, Samuel, Jr.,
Burns, George,
Burns, George, Jr.,
Burns, William,
Burrows, Elder George,
Burrows, James,
Burrows, Nathaniel,
Burrows, William,
Butler, Gideon,
Caldwell, Alexander,
Caldwell, James,
Caldwell, John,
Caldwell, Samuel,
Caldwell, Thomas,
Campbell, David,
Campbell, Samuel,
Chase, Ezekiel, Esq.,
Chase, Henry,
Chase, James,
Chase, Joshua,
Greeley, Zaccheus,
Hale, Elder Henry,
Hale, Henry, Jr.,
Hale, John,
Hall, Doctor John,
Hadley, Eliphalet,
Hadley, Eliphalet, Jr.,
Hadley, Enos,
Hadley, Moses,
Hadley, Parrot,
Hadley, Seth,
Hadley, Stephen,
Hardy, Ensign Daniel,

Cross, Lieut. Peter,

Cummings, Deacon Ebenezer,

Cummings, Lieut. David,

Cummings, Eleazer,

Cummings, Josiah,

Cutter, Richard,

Cutter, Seth,

Davis, Asa, Esq.,

Davis, Ensign Nathaniel,

Dakin, Justus,

Durant, Samuel,

Eastman, Ichabod,

Eastman, Nicholas,

Farmer, Edward,

French, Elder Samuel,

Ford, Captain James,

Gibson, William,

Glover, David,

Glover, Robert,

Gould, Joseph,

Graham, Widow Eleanor,

Greeley, Captain Ezekiel,

Greeley, Joseph,

Greeley, Samuel,

Hills, William,

Hobbs, Joseph,

Hood, William,

Huey, Henry,

Huey, John,

Johnson, Moses,

Kelley, Captain Joseph,

Kidder, Lieut. Benjamin,

Kidder, Elder Samson,

Kinney, Widow Sarah,

Lawrence, David,

Lawrence, Jonathan,

Livingston, Isaac,

234

HISTORY OF HUDSON

Hardy, Isaac,
Hardy, John,
Hardy, John, Jr.,
Hardy, Moody,
Hardy, Richard,
Haseltine, Lieut. John,
Haseltine, John,
Hills, Ensign Elijah,
Hills, Lieut. Ezekiel,
Hills, Widow Hannah,
Hills, Jeremiah,
Hills, Nathaniel,
Hills, Oliver,
Hills, Philip,
Hills, Samuel,
Hills, Thomas,
Merrill, Abel,
Merrill, Isaac,
Merrill, John,
Merrill, Ensign Nathaniel,
Merrill, Nathaniel, Jr.,
Merrill, Lieut. William,
Moody, Friend,
Moore, Major Samuel,
Myric, Joseph,
Ordway, Nehemiah,
Page, Captain Abraham,
Page, Ezekiel,
Page, Isaac,

Peabody, Captain David,
Pemberton, James,
Perry, Ebenezer,
Pierce, Joshua,
Pollard, Ebenezer,
Pollard, Ensign John,
Pollard, John, Jr.,
Pollard, Joseph,

Littlehale, Ezra,
Marsh, David,
Marsh, John,
Marsh, Captain Samuel,
Marsh, Elder Thomas,
Marshall, Benjamin,
Marshall, Widow Deborah,
Marshall, Daniel,
Marshall, David,
Marshall, John,
Marshall, John, Jr.,
Marshall, Philip,
Marshall, Richard,
Marshall, Richard, 2d.,
Marshall, Samuel,
Marshall, Thomas,
Searles, Jacob,
Searles, Jonathan,
Searles, Thomas,
Seavey, Andrew,
Seavey, Nathaniel,
Severance, Caleb,
Smith, Lieut. Hugh,
Smith, John,
Smith, Page,
Smith, Samuel,
Smith, Samuel, Jr.,
Smith, Lieut. Thomas,
Smith, Timothy,
Spalding, Lieut. Reuben,
Steele, Joseph,
Steele, William,
Stewart, Robert,
Tarbell, David,
Tarbox, Lieut. Ebenezer,
Tarbox, Henry,
Taylor, William,

FRENCH AND INDIAN WARS

235

Pollard, Samuel,
Pollard, Timothy,
Porter, David,
Robinson, Andrew,
Robinson, John,
Robinson, Peter,
Robinson, Simeon,
Richardson, Henry,
Winn, Joseph, Jr.,

Walker, John,
Wason, James,
Wason, Samuel,
Wason, Thomas,
Wells, John,
Whittemore, Benjamin,
Wilson, Joseph,
Winn, Abiather,

Wyman, Seth,
Wyman, Thomas.

In addition to the one hundred and eighty-three names
given in the foregoing list there were a few others — some
young, unmarried men, sons of farmers, and farm laborers,
whose names do not appear in this schedule, but who were
assessable for a poll tax, which was paid by their employers.

CHAPTER XX

Nottingham West in the Revolution

After the beginning of the Revolutionary war, Septem-
ber, 1775, a census was taken by order of the New Hamp-
shire convention, when the town was credited with a popu-
lation of six hundred and forty-nine. Men in the army,
twenty-two; slaves, four.

Nottingham West in the Revolution

April 25, 1775, Abraham Page was elected to "join
with the congress at Exeter, to act upon such matters as
shall be thought proper and expedient for the public good."

On May 8 he was again chosen to "join the convention
of Delegates that shall assemble from the several towns of
this province to meet at Exeter on the 17th day of May
current at 10 o'clock, and to empower him with the rest to
adopt and pursue measures that shall be judged best to
preserve the rights of this and the other colonies, and that
he may act as he thinks best for himself and his constitu-
ents for six months."

The town also "Voted that the persons who shall en-
list to be ready on any emergency when called for, shall
have forty shillings per Month for their wages."

Association Test

In April, 1776, the Committee of Safety in New
Hampshire, acting in accordance with the wishes of the
Continental Congress, sent to each town a circular, a copy
of which is given below:

In Commitiee of Safety, April 12, 1776.

In order to carry the under written Resolve of ilie Honorable Con-
tinental Congress into execution, you are requested to desire all males
above twenty-one years of age, (lunatics, idiots and Negroes excepted,) to
sign to the declaration on this paper, and when so done to make return

236

NOTTINGHAM WEST IN THE REVOLUTION

237

hereof together with the name or names of all who shall refuse to sign
the same, to the General Assembly or Committee of Safety of this Col-
ony.

M. WE A RE Ckairjnati.

In Congress, March 14, 1776.

Resolved, That it be recommended to the several Assemblies, Con-
ventions, and Councils, or Committees of Safety, of the United Colonies,
immediately to cause all persons to be disarmed within their respective
jurisdictions, who are notoriously disaffected to the cause of America,
or who have not associated, and refuse to associate, to defend by Arms
the United Colonies against the Hostile attempts of the British Fleets
and Armies.

(Copy) CHARLES THOMPSON,

Sec'ry.

In consequence of the above Resolution of the Hon. Continental
Congress, and to show our determination in joining our American breth-
ren in defending the lives, liberties and properties of the inhabitants of
the United Colonies,

We the subscribers, do hereby solemnly engage and promise, that we
will to the utmost of our power, at the risque of our lives and fortunes,
with arms oppose the Hostile Proceedings of the British Fleets and Ar-
mies against the American Colonies.

Every man was required to sign this test or be regard-
ed by his fellow citizens as an enemy to the country.

In this town one hundred and eighteen signed the
pledge, whose names are as follows:

Asahel Blodgett,
Asa Davis,
David Cummings,
John Caldwell,
Daniel Wyman,
James Caldwell,
Alexander Caldwell,
James Caldwell, Jr.,
Samuel Caldwell,
William Merrill,
James Ford,
Abraham Page,
Seth Wyman,

John Haseltine,
Samuel Smith,
Ichabod Esman,
Edward Farmer,
Timothy Emerson,
Robert Stewart,
Samuel Wason,
Jonathan Searles,
Moses Barrett,
Joseph Caldwell,
Thomas Caldwell,
Eliphalet Hadley,
Thomas Wason,

238

HISTORY OF HUDSON

John Haseltine, Jr.,
Henry Huey,
Jonathan Bradley,
Stephen Hadley,
John Campbell,
Thomas Searles,
David Glover,
Nicholas Eastman,
Page Smith,
John Strickland,
Timothy Emerson,
Joseph Watson,
Joseph Gould,
Samuel Moore,
Stephen Chase,
Jonathan Blodgett,
Samuel Burbank,
Samuel Burbank, Jr.,
Amos Kinney,
Nathaniel Hardy,
Timothy Smith,
Amos Pollard,
Richard Cutter,
Nathaniel Lewis,
Sanders Bradbury,
Nathaniel Merrill, Jr.,
Isaac Merrill,
Samuel Durant,
John Merrill,
Abel Merrill,
Justus Dakin,
Samuel Pollard,
Joshua Chase,
Stephen Gould,
Stephen Lowell, Jr.,
Benjamin Whittemore,
Moses Johnson,

Eliphalet Hadley, Jr.,
Moses Hadley,
Parit Hadley,
Samuel Marsh,
Benjamin Marshall,
Eleazer Cummings,
Ebenezer Cummings,
Daniel Hardy,
Samuel Hills,
Philip Hills,
Seth Hadley,
Simeon Barrett,
Isaac Barrett,
Oliver Hills,
Richard Hardy,
Joseph Pollard,
Jeremiah Hills,
William Hills,
Richard Marshall,
Thomas Marsh,
Elijah Hills,
Thomas Hills,
Ezekiel Hills,
Peter Cross,
William Burns,
Jeremiah Blodgett,
Timothy Pollard,
Abiatha Winn,
Jonathan Hardy, Jr.,
Ezekiel Chase,
John Walker,
John Pollard,
Stephen Chase, Jr.,
John Pollard, Jr,,
Samuel Burbank,
George Burns,
Ebenezer Dakin,

NOTTINGHAM WEST IN THE REVOLUTION 239

Nathaniel Merrill, Levi Dakin,

Samuel French, Henry Hale, Jr.,

George Burns, Jr., Henry Hale,

Samuel Greele, John Hale,

Samuel Greele, Jr., Andrew Seavey,

Joseph Blodgett, James Wason,

Joseph Winn, David Tarbell,

Joseph Winn, Jr., Thomas Hamblet,

Ebenezer Pollard, Nathaniel Merrill, Jr..

In obedience to the written Request we have Desired all the Persons
therein to sign, and find none to Refuse Except Captain Joseph Kelley.
Dated Nottingham West this 3*^ day of June, A. D. 1776.
SAMUEL MARSH,

JOHN CALDWELL, } Selectmen of Nottingham West.
WILLIAM BURNS, )

Captain Joseph Kelley previous to that date kept a
tavern at his residence, which stood about four hundred
feet easterly from the present Taylor's Falls bridge, the
northerly half of which was in what is now Main Street,
and the southerly half in Campbell's Avenue. He was
also the proprietor and manager of "Kelley's Ferry," which
crossed the Merrimack a short distance south of where
Taylor's Falls bridge now stands. He was a man of bad
repute, and was feared by his neighbors. He afterwards
removed to Wentworth, in this State, where he became a
pauper, and as such, was the cause of a considerable ex-
pense to this town. He escaped from jail at Amherst, Oc-
tober 14, 1772, which also caused the town of Nottingham
West much trouble and expense.

At a special town meeting, June 12, 1776, " Voted to
make choice of five men as a Committee of Inspection for
this town."

Made choice of Moses Johnson, Samuel Greeley, Elijah Hills, Timo-
thy Smith, and John Haseltine, and also Deacon Ebenezer Cummings
and Asa Davis for said committee.

At the same meeting, Article four of the warrant was
dismissed, which was

240 HISTORY OF HUDSON

To see what measure or measures the Town will take to provide
arms.

At a town meeting September 18, 1775,

Voted to allow John Haseltine, Jr., for attending ye Congress at Am-
herst, ^0—5—9—2.

At an adjourned town meeting September 30, 1776,

Voted to allow Major Samuel Greeley and the selectmen, "Viz.: Asa
Davis, John Haseltine, and William Burns, for expenses on their march
to Lexington fight, five dollars — £\ — 10s. — Od.

At the annual meeting March 10, 1777, "Voted to
choose Lieutenant Ezekiel Hills, Captain James Ford and
Lieutenant David Cummings, a Committee of Inspection
and Safety in this town."

April 7th, Voted to raise eighty dollars as a bounty for each of those
men that should enlist into the Continental Army for three years.

Voted to choose a committee and empower them to set a value upon
what each man hath done in this present war, and to make their return to
the town. Chose Lieutenant William Merrill, William Burns, Lieutenant
John Haseltine, Jr., John Caldwell and Samuel Wason as a committee
to effect the same.

April 15th, Voted to raise twenty dollars for each of those men that
should enlist into the Continental Army, as an additional bounty to what
has been already raised.

Voted to accept the report of the committee last chosen, to set a val-
uation on what has been done in this Town towards carrying on the pres-
ent war.

The report of the committee was not recorded.

During most of the time of the war all the money in
use as a circulating medium of exchange was the Conti-
nental paper money issued by Congress, or the bills of
credit of the States. This currency was issued in such
large quantities, both by the States and Congress, that
from the excessive amount in circulation it began to depre-
ciate rapidly, and to an alarming extent, as early as the
second year of the war. In 1777, the depreciation had be-
come so great that the wages of the soldiers in the army
was nominally more than twice as much as in 1775.

Rye,

4,6.

Butter, "

Indian Corn,

((

3,6.

Coffee, "

Oats,

((

2, 0.

Cotton, "

Peas,

8,0.

Wool, "

Beans, "

6,0.

Flax,

Salt,

10,0.

Pork,

NOTTINGHAM WEST IN THE REVOLUTION 241

The General Court and the people both became
alarmed at this condition of the only currency then in use.
In the hope of arresting or lessening the evil, the New
Hampshire Legislature, early in the spring of 1777, passed
a law, regulating and establishing the prices at which the-
common necessaries of life might be sold. Some of the
more common articles named in this law, with the prices
fixed for them, may be found in the following list:

s.d. s.d. s.d.

Wheat per bushel 7, 6. Cheese per lb. 0, 6. Beef per lb. 0, 3.

0, 10. Tow cloth per yard, 2, 3.

1, 4. Flannel, " " 3, 6.
3,0. Linen cloth," " 4,0.

2, 2. N. E. Rum per gal. 3, 10.
1, 0. W. I. Rum " " 7, 8.

0, 4% Molasses, " " 4, 0.

At a special town meeting, July 14, 1777, "Chose Cap-
tain Abraham Page, Deacon Thomas Marsh, John Cald-
well, Samuel Durant, Lieutenant Peter Cross, Captain
James Ford, Lieutenant Ezekiel Hills, a committee in
order to set prices upon such articles in the Town as they
think fit, agreeable to a late Act of the General Court.

"Chose Deacon Ebenezer Cummings and Seth Wy-
man in addition to the Committee of Safety and Inspection
last chosen."

It appears that the report of the committee chosen "to
set a value upon what each man hath done in this present
war," as returned and accepted by the town, April 15,
1777, was not satisfactory to a majority of the town's peo-
ple, for at a special town meeting held October 9, 1777, a
vote was passed "to reconsider the vote passed to accept
the report of the committee in regard to what each man
had done in the present war." "V'^oted to choose Lieuten-
ant Ezekiel Hills, John Caldwell, John Hale, Lieutenant
William Merrill and Samuel Wason to set a valuation
upon what had been done towards carrying on the present
war, and to make report thereof to the town."

242 HISTORY OF HUDSON

The report of this committee was returned at a town
meeting, December 22, 1777, which report was not record-
ed, but the original report has been discovered, of which
the following is a copy.

Portsmouth Men.

yr. N° mos. N" dollars.

Daniel Hardy, 1777. 1 3.00

Joseph Cross, 1777. 1 3.00

Captain Samuel Marsh, By his son, 1777. 1 3.00

Bennington Men.

yr. No mos. No dollars.

Captain James Ford, 1777. 2 28.00

Ensign Nathaniel Merrill, 1777. 2 28.00

Page Smith, 1777. 2 28.00

Samuel Smith, 1777. 2 28-00

John Pollard, Jr., 1777- 2 28.00

Timothy Smith, By his Son, 1777. 2 28.00

Jonathan Bradley, and | ^r-j^ 2 £8 00
Thomas Hamblet, in equal shares, (

Samuel Wason, 1777. 2 28.00

Joseph Winn, Jr., By his Son, 1777. 2 28.00

Lieutenant Peter Cross, By his Son, 1777. 2 28.00

Ensign John Pollard, By his Son, 1777. 2 28.00

Isaac Barrett, 1777. 2 28.00

EHphalet Hadley, Jr., 1777. 2 28.00

John Hale, 1777. 2 28.00

John Merrill, 1777- 2 28-00

Justus Dakin, 1777. 2 28.00

Joseph Blodgett, By his Son, 1777. 2 28-00

Moses Johnson, By his Son, 1777- 2 28-00

The Volunteers.

Weeks Dollars

Lieutenant David Cummings, 3 7-00

Ensign Elijah Hills, 3 7-00

Asa Davis, Esq., 8 7-00

Sergeant Henry Hale, Jr., 3 7.00

Corp, Samuel Marsh, By his Son, 3 7.00

Deacon Ebenezer Cummings, By his Son, 8 7.00

Samuel Pollard, 3 7-00

Abiatha Winn, 3 7.00

Joseph Greeley, 3 7-00

NOTTINGHAM WEST IN THE REVOLUTION 243

We, the subscribers, being Chosen a Committee to Sett a Value On
the Several Terms of Service Each man hath done in this War, have
agreed as is above described, (Viz.) That those that served one month at
Portsmouth Shall have Each man 3 Dollars. Those at Bennington 2
Months 28 Do. Each, and the Valuation at Stillwater 3 Weeks, 7 Do.
Each. And the men that turned out on the Alarm Last Summer by Or-
der ;^0— 2^— Q-J Pr. Day.

EZEKIEL HiLI.S, ^

John Hai.e, j

Samuel Wason, [^Committee.

William Merrill, j

John Caldwell, J

During the first and second years of the war, many
men from Nottingham West had performed military duty
in the army at Bunker Hill, Cambridge, New York and
other places, whose names are not included in the fore-
going report.

They had probably received payment for their services
through the officers and paymasters of the Continental
Army.

"It was put to vote to see if the Town would accept
of the report of the committee that was chosen to settle
what each man hath done in this Town in this present war.
Voted in the Negative. It was put to vote to see if they
would accept any part of the report of the above commit-
tee. Voted in the Affirmative. It was put to vote to see
if the Town will pay any money back to those persons that
have over done their Rates in the war. Voted in the Neg-
ative. Made choice of Asa Davis, Esq., to collect the war
Rates this present year."

The protracted and sanguine struggle for American
Independence caused the colonists at home, as well as
those at the front of war, much anxiety and distress. Fre-
quent town meetings were held and action taken to meet
the demands of the occasion. Terms of enlistment of the
soldiers were, in many cases short, and hence new calls for
troops had to be made. There was no unified system of
government, which caused great confusion and often entire
lack of harmony between the different provinces. This

244 HISTORY OF HUDSON

fact, coupled with others that might be mentioned, not the
least of the latter being the straits of the colonists to raise
sufficient funds to carry on the conflict, became a leading
topic of the day. At a special town meeting held Febru-
ary 9, 1778, Nottingham West

Voted. To accept of all and every of tlie Articles of Confederation
excepting the first clause of the 9th Article, and the whole of 13th Article.

A little over a month later, at the annual meeting
March 16, John Caldwell, Captain Marsh, Dea. Ebenezer
Cummings, Thomas Smith and George Burns were chosen
a "Committee of Safety and inspection for the present
year." At a special meeting held two weeks later, William
Burns was chosen "to sit in the Convention at Concord, in
order to form a new plan of Government."

At this same meeting it was "Voted to allow Gideon
Butler for the service he has done in the war equal with
others in the Town that served the same term of time."

June 24, 1778, in the midst of threatening rumors in
regard to the movements of the enemy, another special
meeting was called, when "The Town voted to choose a
committee. Viz: Asa Davis, Esq., William Burns, Timo-
thy Smith, Ens. David Lawrence, Dea. Ebenezer Cum-
mings, Ens. Daniel Hardy, Lieut. John Haseltine, Jr. and
Empower them to hire and agree with any men or number
of men, and what sum of money they will give, provided at
any time the militia should be called upon to march in
order to stop our enemy on any sudden emergency."

On November 2, at a special meeting, the town voted
that what was formerly Nottingham West should pay the
six hundred dollars, which had been paid by subscription,
to Richard Cutter and John Campbell for service in the
war during the current year.* Capt. Abraham Page, for
some reason not stated, objected to this action. The fam-
ilies whose heads were in the army were voted two hun-
dred dollars, or thirty-six pounds, each.

* 1778 was the year of the annexation of Londonderry Claim.

NOTTINGHAM WEST IN THE REVOLUTION 245

At the annual town meeting, March 1, 1779, the num-
ber of the selectmen, which had been three each year since
1749, was increased to five. The board chosen at this time
consisted of Capt. Samuel Marsh, Ens. David Lawrence,
Moses Johnson, Samuel Wason and Samuel Greeley, num-
bered among the most able and patriotic men of the town.
This was the darkest period of the Revolution, as related
to the finances of the war, when strong men were needed
as leaders to manage the business affairs of the town. This
explains the increase in the number of the board, as well
as the care with which they were selected. It was only a
little while prior to this that Washington had written:

"Our affairs are in a more distressed, ruinous and de-
plorable condition than they have been since the com-
mencement of the war."

This fact was due largely to the state of the finances.
The currency had depreciated greatly during the last year,
and with but vague hopes of a successful termination of
the war, it was likely to continue its downward tendency.
In the face of this, blindly hoping to help the situation,
Congress voted to issue one hundred and thirty-one mil-
lions of dollars in Continental bills. The very magnitude
of the issue served to depreciate the market value of a dol-
lar, especially with a government lacking credit and divided
in its own management.

"A wagon load of money," Washington wrote to the
President of Congress, "will not purchase a wagon load of
provisions."

The depreciation in the currency during the year 1779
was more than five-fold, and where at the beginning of the
year one dollar had the purchasing power of twelve and
one-half cents, at the close it had fallen to a small fraction
above two cents! In other words, where in January it re-
quired eight dollars to purchase the normal value of one
dollar, in the following December it required $41.50.

In the distress of this period the town voted to take
care of the families of the soldiers. But it refused to pay

246 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Benjamin Whittemore one hundred dollars in behalf of his
son for services in the Continental Army. April 5, a com-
mittee was elected similar to one chosen the year before
to look after "and agree with men as they think proper to
stop our enemy on any emergency." This committee con-
sisted of Timothy Smith, Samuel Pollard, Capt. Moses-
Barrett, Daniel Marshall, Dea. Ebenezer Cummings, Wil-
liam Burns and Samuel Wason.

June 21, the selectmen were allowed their accounts for
money "paid to sundry persons in procuring soldiers for
the Cont' army: Viz: Jonathan Perry, £150, also £Q0 to
James Brown, Likewise £20 to Capt. James Ford." It
was also voted to give the selectmen "discretionary power
to hire and agree with the remainder of our present Cota of
men for the Cont' army during the war." September 13,
the following accounts or bounties were allowed:

What was paid Isaac Foot, Viz : 33 bushels Indian Corn & 30^ in
cash — 277-10-1. Also allowed 50 bushels Indian Corn to Roger Merrill —
^375-00-0. Likewise allowed /^90 that was paid Jon. Cook, it being a
Town Bounty ^7S; also allowed value at ^75 ; Likewise 13 1-2 bushels
of Indian Corn & 6 1-2 do of Rye.

Also allowed to James Pemberton 60 bushels of Indian Corn — ;^450.

At this meeting the town refused to accept the Decla-
ration of Rights and plan of Government, as offered by the
provincial convention, which had recently convened.

November 1, a committee was chosen to state the
prices of articles bought and sold in town, and the names
of this board were Thomas Marsh, Ens. Nathaniel Davis,
Lieut. Ezekiel Hills, Daniel Marshall, John Hale, Lieut.
Peter Cross and Timothy Smith. The report of this com-
mittee was accepted at an adjourned meeting, November
15, but it was not recorded.

At the annual meeting, March 6, 1780, the selectmen
were allowed "the interest money they have paid for pro-
curing Soldiers for the army in the year 1779."

It was also voted at this time to raise eight hundred
pounds of lawful money to repair the highways, "and that

NOTTINGHAM WEST IN THE REVOLUTION 247

labor be set at ;!^4-10s a day per man till the last of Au-
gust, and after that ;^3 Do. and a pair of oxen to be half as
much as a man." This shows the great depreciation of
the currency, when it required four pounds and ten shil-
lings of lawful money to pay a man for a day's labor on
the highway.

July 3, 1780, at a town meeting held at the house of
Samuel Greeley, Innholder,

Voted as a Town to hire six soldiers for the teini of six months to
join the Continental army and chose a committee to effect the same;
Namely, Asa Davis, James Ford & David Lawrence, and likewise gave
the said committee discretionary power to hire and agree with any men or
number of men upon any Emergency, in behalf of the Town for the pres-
ent year.

February 5, 1781:

Voted to raise our Quota of men to fill up the Battalion in the Cont'
army, and choose a committee in order to procure and agree with the men
in behalf of the Town : Namely, Timothy Smith, Captain Samuel Marsh,
Daniel Marshall, Lt. Ezekiel Hills, Lieut. David Cummings.

One month later, at the annual meeting held March 5,
1781, it was voted to give the "committee last chosen dis-
cretionary power to agree with the soldiers for young cat-
tle, and to give them obligations for the same in behalf of
the Town."

Three thousand pounds was voted at this meeting as
the sum to be raised by the town for the repair of high-
ways, and twelve pounds was fixed as the price of labor per
day for a man, and six pounds for a yoke of oxen.

At a special meeting. May 8, 1781, Timothy Smith was
elected to represent the town at Concord, on the first
Tuesday of June following "in order for the forming a plan
of Government."

Received of Hugh Smith, one of the Constables for the year 1780,
four hundred and thirty four bushels, eleven quarts one pint in full of his
Corn Rate.

We say Rec'd by us.

Asa Davis, Selectmen of Nottingham

David Lawrence, West, for ye year 1780.
James Ford.
July ye 12th. 1781.

248 HISTORY OF HUDSON

July 9, 1781, it was voted to pay the beef tax "already
assessed into the State Treasury, as much as is needed to
make up the deficiency of the Cont. tax."

It was voted that the same committee chosen the pre-
vious year should "hire and agree with soldiers in behalf
of ye Town as occasion may require."

At a meeting July BO, 1781:

Voted to choose a committee to raise ye soldiers that is and may be
called for this present year and gave them discretionary power to give
their obligations in behalf of the Town. Voted that said committee con-
sist of three men. Viz. Captain Peabody, I,t. Peter Cross, Ens. Elijah
Hills.

Voted that ye obligations which the committee has given to ye sol-
diers for corn in behalf ye Town, that the rate therefor be made in corn
only without mentioning money.

The corn rate as assessed by the selectmen amounted
to 563 bushels, twenty quarts and one pint.
April 15, 1782:

An article in the warrant at this time to see if the
town would vote to obtain several continental soldiers for
three years or during the war was not carried, but at an
adjourned meeting, April 17, a committee consisting of
Joseph Greeley, Lt. Reuben Spalding and Ens. Nathaniel
Davis was chosen "to hire several Continental soldiers for
three years or during the war, and give them power as they
see fit."

Again May IB, 1782, it was

Voted to choose a committee to raise the Continental soldiers called
for. Namely, Maj. James Ford, Captain Cummings, Ens. Elijah Hills,
Jeremiah Hills, Joseph Blodgett, Ens. Sim. Barrett, Lt. Ezekiel Hills,
Seth Hadley, Henry Hale, I.ef. Hen. Tarbox, Lef. Benj Kidder and Seth
Wicom :

Voted to impower this committee in behalf of the Town to give their
private security for to hire s'd soldiers not to exceed 100 dollars for each
soldier yearly for three years.

Voted to allow Jeremiah Blodgett the depreciation of the town mon-
ey that sunk on his hands.

September 16, 1782.

NOTTINGHAM WEST IN THE REVOLUTION 249

Voted to allow Capt. Marsh and Capt. Cummings the sixty bushels
of corn they engaged to a soldier this year.

Voted and allowed the constable to take one silver dollar in lew of
four New Emission dollars.

November 25, 1782.

Voted to accept the new plan of Government as it now stands, with
two amendments ; to wit'ly :

That every man in the Town or parish shall pay to the support of the
Gospel, where he lives, unless he maketh it appear that he attends else-
where.

The 16th article in the Bill of Rights not accepted.

The corn rates were still causing trouble, and May 26,
1783, Capt. Samuel Marsh was chosen "to see what meth-
od the Town will take to recover the remainder of the Corn
Rate that is due to the Town in the constable's hands."

The foregoing transcripts from the town records con-
tain substantially all of the more important actions of the
town in relation to the Revolutionary war as found upon
the accounts of the forty-five town meetings — annual and
special— held from March 21, 1775, to September 8, 1783.

A study of these records shows something of the deep,
underlying anxiety accompanying the history of those eight
long, dreary years of the Revolutionary period. Despite
the many discouragements and adversities that beset their
attempt, our brave ancestors — few in numbers — there were
only about three millions of inhabitants in the thirteen
United Colonies — with little wealth, and, at the beginning,
no organized army, achieved a wonderful victory against
one of the greatest and most powerful nations of the world.
Great Britain.

CHAPTER XXI

Dark Days of the Revolution

The history of the Revolution, which should be of the
greatest interest to every true American citizen, has been
written and published many times, so it does not seem to
come within the province of this work to enter into its de-
tails, except as it concerns directly the patriotic people of
old Nottingham West now known as Hudson. Mr. Fox, in
his History of Old Dunstable Township, says:

"From the commencement of the Revolutionary diffi-
culties, a deep and universal feeling of indignation pervaded
the community. The men who had settled the wilderness,
and defended their homes from the attack of the Indian en-
emy; and had built them up a great and goodly heritage,
unaided by stepdame England, were not the men to quietly
yield up their dear-bought rights without a struggle.

"Their love for the mother country was never very
strong, for there was little cause for gratitude, and the first
appearance of oppression and wrong was the signal for re-
sistance.

"This feeling was stronger in New England than in
the other colonies, and manifested itself at an earlier date,
because the Puritans, having been forced to leave their
Fatherland by oppression and insults, and having made for
themselves a new home in the wilderness, unassisted and
unprotected, felt it a more grievous and insufferable wrong,
that England should seize upon the first moment of pros-
perity, to heap upon them new oppressions and new in-
sults here.

"The division of New England into townships — those
little democracies as they were aptly called — each self-gov-
erned, where every citizen feels that he is a part of the
commonwealth, has municipal rights and duties, and

250

DARK DAYS OF THE REVOLUTION 251

learns to think and act for himself, was an excellent school
for training up the Fathers of our Republic, and teaching
them the principles of self-government upon a more ex-
tended scale. During the long succession of encroach-
ments, which preceded and caused the Revolution, the in-
habitants of this town were not indifferent. They had
watched the storm as it gathered, and knew its consequen-
ces must be momentous."

What Mr. Fox wrote in relation to the inhabitants of
Dunstable, now Nashua, was equally true of Nottingham
West, and a majority of the other New England towns.
Their interests were identical, and with the exception of a
few Loyalists or Tories in some towns, they arose as one
man and subscribed the pledge that "We, the subscribers,
do hereby solemnly engage and promise that we will, to the
utmost of our power, at the risk of our lives and fortunes,
with arms oppose the Hostile Proceedings of the British
Fleets and Armies against the United American Colonies."

There could be no misunderstanding as to the meaning
of that statement, brief, plain and to the point. And after
a long and bloody struggle of eight years' duration, they
fully redeemed their pledge, winning from the mother
country a full and significant victory, which included a rec-
ognized independence.

From the first the people of New England, who, as
the royalists complained, "had never set a good exam.ple
of obedience," had been apparently desirous and prepared
for a collision. Thus, the news of the clash of arms at
Lexington was no surprise to them, and the swift-footed
messenger who carried the news of battle to the men up
the Merrimack valley was not swifter than they in their
response to the summons.

In that grand rush to the front, the citizens of Not-
tingham West were among the most zealous of the aroused
patriots. The military spirit transmitted from their fa-
thers, re-enforced by their own experience in the frontier
wars, especially by many who had served under Rogers

252 HISTORY OF HUDSON

and Stark throughout the French and Indian conflict, was
awakened into activtiy by the forerunners of the coming
danger.

Shortly before midnight on the 18th of April, 1775, a
detachment of British troops, numbering eight hundred
men, under the command of Lieut. Col. Smith, had been
conveyed across the Charles River from Boston to Cam-
bridge. From this place the body of troops began their
memorable march to Lexington and Concord. The alarm
of this expedition was immediately spread throughout the
country by mounted messengers, some of whom had antic-
ipated the movement.

The distance from Nottingham West by the roads
then traveled was about forty miles. According to tradi-
tion the news reached here before noon of the 19th, and
was quickly sent in every direction by mounted couriers
riding to the most remote sections of the town, and, as they
galloped on their exciting mission, calling out to the inhab-
itants as they sped on their way a warning note of the im-
pending invasion by the British Regulars. So swiftly did
the news spread and so thoroughly aroused were the peo-
ple that on that very afternoon sixty-five men, equipped
for war with their muskets and ammunition, met ready to
march against the enemy.

It is related by the descendants of Asa Davis, as a fam-
ily tradition, that when the messenger arrived at his home on
Bush Hill, he was plowing in the field with his oxen. Upon
listening to the exciting news Mr. Davis, leaving his oxen
to be unyoked and cared for by his patriotic wife, Eliza-
beth, saddled his horse, seized his musket and rode furi
ously to join the Minute Men already gathering on the
common at Hudson Center.

These brave volunteers quickly organized under the
command of Capt. Samuel Greeley, and awaited his order
to march to meet the British Red-coats at Lexington. Un-
fortunately the old military records of this town were lost
long since, or destroyed. Had they been preserved many

DARK DAYS OF THE REVOLUTION 253

interesting facts could have been gleaned from them, which
are now impossible to obtain. Fortunately, however, the
muster roll of this company of sixty-five Minute Men, all
from this town and mustered so quickly that they marched
that very evening for Lexington, has been preserved. The
original muster roll of this patriotic band is in the posses-
sion of the New Hampshire Historical Society at Concord,
of which the following is a copy;

Muster Roll of 1775

A Muster roll of Capt. Samuel Greeleys Compt, who turned out Vol-
lenteers from Nottingham West in New hampshire at the time of Lexing-
ton Battle on the 19th of April 1775.*
Capt. Samuel Greeley
Lieut. Joseph Kelley
Ens. John Pollard
Clerk James Ford
Sergt. Wilm. Merrill
Sergt. Wm. Burns
Sergt. Ebenezer Pollard
Corpl. Justus Dakin
Corpl. Simeon Berrot
Corpl. Jona. Bradley
Corpl. John Pollard
fifer Benj. Marshall
fifer Samll. Currier
Samll. Marsh
Reuben Spalding
Peter Cross
Ebenezer Cummings
Ebenezer Perry
Elijah Hills
Ezekiel Hills
Jeremiah Hills
Samll. Hills
Richard Marshall
Daniel Hardy
Seth Hadley
Abijah Reed

^2 16 4

;^117

424

^16 9 10

2 16 4

424

9 12 4

2 16 4

3 15 10

2 5 8

2 8

2 3 9

2 8

Oil

1 19 16

2 2 8

Oil

1 19 11

2 2 8

Oil

119 8

2 2 8

1 18 2

15 10

2 4

1 18 2

2 2 8

1 18 2

118 2

113 2

8 2

1 18 2

2 2 8

* The first column denotes the number of days in the service; the second, the number
of miles travelled; third, the compensation at 2d a mile; fourth, amount of wages due; filth,
pounds of pork and bread ; sixth, gallons of rum; seventh, sum total.

254

HISTORY OF HUDSON

Richard Cutter

Nehemiah Winn

Benja. Whittemore

Abathar Winn

Stephen Chase, Jr.

Joshua Chase

John Haseltine

David Glover

Oliver Hills

Page Smith

Samll. Campbell

Samll. Smith

Moses Berrot

Richard Hardy

Jona. Blodgett
Joseph Greeley
Samll. Durrent
Samll. Moor
Andrew Seavey

Stephen Chase
James Pemberton
John Osgood
Nat. Hardy
Benja. Marshall
Danl. Marshall
John Walker
Joseph Gould Jr
John Merrill
David Cummings
Thomas Wason
Alexander Caldwell
Thomas Caldwell
Asa Davis
Samll. Wason
Echobad Ea.= man
Abraham Page
Nat. Davis
John Campbell
Henry Heuey

June the 9th 1791
best of my judmend pr.
ley being moved out of

2 2 8

15 10

2 4

118 2

1 18 2

2 2 8

1 18 2

118 2

1 18 2

I 18 2

I 2 8

]

1 18 2

]

I 18 2

]

L 18 2

I 6

]

L 18 2

]

L 18 2

]

L 18 2

]

[ 18 2

]

18 2

! 6

18 2

the above Return is
Joseph Kelley Lieut.
Town.

just & true according to the
the Capt. viz. Samll. Gree-

DARK DAYS OF THE REVOLUTION 255

Rockingham SS.

Personally Appeared the above named Joseph Kelley Lieut, of Sd.
Compt. and after being Duly Caustion made Solemn oath that the above
Return is Just & True According to the Best of his Knowledge

Before me.

JAMES GIBSON

Just. Peace
June ye 9th 1791.

Personal Sketches

Capt. Samuel Greeley was born in Haverhill, Mass.,
May 10, 1721, and was fifty-four years old. Ezekiel Hills
was fifty-seven, and Abraham Page, probably the oldest
man in the company, was sixty years of age. Joseph Gree-
ley, son of Captain Greeley, and David Glover were but
eighteen. The ages of a majority of the company ranged
from twenty-five to forty years. So the entire enlistment
was composed of men in the full vigor of manhood, and a
determined, resolute band.

Little time was lost in effecting an organization, and
the company marched post-haste towards Lexington. Be-
fore reaching their destination they were met by a courier,
who informed them of the retreat of the enemy, thus they
returned to Nottingham West.

Many of these Minute Men immediately enlisted in
the army at Cambridge, and at least sixteen of them fought
at the battle of Bunker Hill on the 17th of June, 1775.
The names of those who figured in that memorable fight
were —

Moses Barritt, Benjamin Marshall,

Robert Bettis, Benjamin Marshall, Jr.,

Josiah Burrows, John Marshall,

Gideon Butler, William Merrill,

Joshua Chase, John Osgood,

Stephen Chase, Jr., James Pemberton,

Thomas Campbell, Timothy Pollard,

Samuel Currier, Abijah Reed, Corp.,

Richard Cutter, John Robinson,

256 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Jonathan Emerson, Caleb Severance,

James Ford, Lieut., Joshua Severance,

David Glover, John Seavey,

Robert Glover, Thomas Senter, Sergt.,

Benjamin Greeley, John Walker,

Joseph Greeley, Benjamin Whittemore,

Simeon Hills, Nehemiah Winn,
David Marsh.

Five of these men, viz.: Josiah Burrows, Simeon Hills,
John Marshall, John Robinson and Thomas Senter, were
residents of that part of Londonderry that was annexed to
Nottingham West in 1778.*

It is not known that any fatalities occurred among the
Nottingham West men at the battle of Bunker Hill. Jos-
eph Greeley was severely wounded and was carried from
the field on the backs of his comrades, when the patriot
troops were forced to retreat. Young Greeley thus es-
caped being made a prisoner, and eventually recovered
from his wound Richard Cutter, who was serving as a
substitute for his son Seth, was also wounded. He and
Seth, his son, who did service in the colonial army at Cam-
bridge the same year, have been sometimes credited to
Pelham. But Richard Cutter was a resident of this town
at that time, and continued to live here until his death
April 8, 1795. Seth, his son, who was only seventeen
years old at the battle of Bunker Hill, was living here in
this town with his father, where he continued to live until
his marriage to Abiah Tallant, of Pelham, September 11,
1781, when he became a resident of Pelham.

Robert Bettis has also been credited to Pelham by
some writers, while Abijah Reed and Jonathan Emerson
have been credited to Nashua. Abijah Reed was assessed

* The New Hampshire Manual, Vol. 6, 1899, also credits to this town James Davis,
Thomas Knnwlton and James Winn, all privates in Stark's Regiment, but the writer cannot
trace them as residents of Nottingham West at that time. It is a well established tradition
in the Marsh family that Jonathan Marsh, brother of David, fought at the battle of Bunker
Hill, and that he killed one of the enemy and captured his gun. — K. W.

DARK DAYS OF THE REVOLUTION 257

here in 1774, and almost continually after that until 1790.
Bettis and Emerson were assessed here in 1774, and for
several years previous.

Ten of these men were in Capt. Archelaus Towne's
company, Col. John Stark's regiment. Captain Towne
was of Amherst. Eight of these men were in Capt. Levi
Spalding's company, Col. James Reed's regiment. Cap-
tain Spalding was a native of this town, born October 23,
1737, and he lived here until 1765, when he removed to
Lyndeborough, where he remained until his death. Six
others of these men from Nottingham West served in Cap-
tain William Walker's company, Colonel Reed's regiment.
Captain Walker was of Dunstable. The other eight men
were in different companies and regiments.

The Ticonderoga Alarm

In June, 1777, General Burgoyne, with his fleet, and
army, advanced up Lake Champlain towards the important
fortress at Ticonderoga, until reaching Crown Point, a few
miles distant, where he halted. The news of this threat-
ening movement spread sw-iftly over the country, and be-
came known as "The Ticonderoga Alarm." A company
was quickly formed at Nottingham West to start to the
scene of war. The officers included, thirty-five men enlist-
ed for this expedition. The heading of the pay-roll of this
company is as follows:

"Pay roll of a number of men Under the command of
Capt. James Ford who marched from Nottingham West
for Ticonderoga in June and July 1777.

"Marched the first time as far as Dublin where we
met an express Odering us home where we Arrived on the
5th of July.

"The 6th we were Ordered out again and marched as
far as Number four where we met Col° Ashley who in-
formed us of the evacuation of the Fort.

"On which we returned home "

258 HISTORY OF HUDSON

The names of these men, all from this town, were as
follows:

James Ford, Captain, Samuel Marsh,

William Burns, Sergt., William Hills,

Jonathan Hardy, Corp^, Moses Hadley,

Thomas Pollard, Thomas Hills,

John Chase, Philip Hills,

Stephen Chase, Samuel P'rench,

Joseph Johnson, George Burns,

Joseph Winn, Isaac Merrill,

James Caldwell, David Cummings,

Amos Pollard, Elijah Hills,

Justus Dakin, Alexander Caldwell,

Joseph Greeley, Samuel Pollard,

Asa Davis, William Merrill,

Jonathan Bradley, John Caldwell,

Page Smith, Nicholas Eastman,

Samuel Smith, Daniel Hardy,

Joseph Cross, Isaac Hardy,
Abijah Reed.

These men received three shillings each, per day for
their services, which, in the depreciated currency of that
date, was not very large wages.

This was one of the dark and discouraging periods of
the Revolutionary War. The condition of affairs in New
England at this time is aptly described by one of its his-
torians in speaking of the military affairs in July, 1777:*

In consequence of the evacuation of Ticonderoga by the Americans,
and the southerly movement of the British force under Burgoyne threat-
ening the subjugation of New England, the Committee of Safety of this
state decided, on the I4th day of July, to call the legislature together for
consultation, and accordingly sent notices to the members requesting
them to meet on the 17th of the month.

In answer to the summons the council and house of representatives
met on the day appointed, and immediately resolved themselves into a
committee of the whole to join the Committee of Safety for a conference.

* Isaac W. Hammond, in "Revolutionary War Rolls," Vol. 2, page 139.

DARK DAYS OF THE REVOLUTION 259

The state was at the time destitute of money and means, and had
done all that the citizens generally supposed it could do in the way of fur-
nishing .troops; but the alternative was before them of assisting to check
the advance of Burgoyne's army by sending a force to Vermont, or of
having the battlefield of the future transferred to their own territory.

On the second day of this special session, the committee of the whole
recommended that the militia of the state be divided into two brigades,
the first to comprise the regiments in the eastern portion of the state
under the command of Brigadier General William Whipple, and the sec-
ond to comprise those in the western portion of the state, and be under
the command of Brigadier General John Stark. The committee also rec-
ommended that four companies of rangers be raised in the second brigade
to scout the frontier, under the orders ot General Staik.

These recommendations were adopted by the legislature the same
day. Letters from Ira Allen, secretary of the Council of Safety of Ver-
mont, earnestly entreating that troops be sent to their assistance, were
then read in the committee of the whole, of which Hon. Mesech Weare
was chairman.

The matter of furnishing men was fully discussed, and it was gener-
ally conceded that the exigency of the occasion required the raising and
forwarding of a portion of the militia at once. The main question was as
to obtaining money to pay and equip them. The treasury of the state was
empty, and no way of replenishing it presented itself, until the patriotic
John Langdon arose and said:

" I have one thousand dollars in hard money. I will pledge my plate
for three thousand more. I have seventy hogsheads of Tobago rum,
which I will sell for the most it will bring. They are all at the service of
the state.

" If we succeed in defending our firesides and our homes, I may be
remunerated. If we do not, then the property will be of no value to me.
Our friend Stark, who so nobly maintained the honor of our state at Bun-
ker Hill, may safely be entrusted with the honor of the enterprise and we
will check the progre.«s of Burgoyne."

This patriotic appeal was received with enthusia.'m, and the legisla-
ture at once voted that one-fourth of Staik's brigade, and one-fourth of
Thornton's, Badger's and Webster's regiments, of General Whipple's
brigade, be drafted and marched immediately for the defense of this and
neighboring states.

This force was to be under the command of General Stark, who ac-
cepted the commission with the understanding that he was to exercise his
own judgment in the management of his troops, and be accountable to
and take orders from the authorities of New Hampshire, and no other.

A draft was unnecessary, men enlisted with alacrity and were for-
warded to Charlestown by detachments, that place having been desig-
nated for rendezvous.

260 HISTORY OF HUDSON

As soon as 500 men had arrived in Charlestown, the impetuous Stark
moved on with them to Manchester, Vermont, leaving orders for others
to follow. They reached that place August 7, were re-enfoiced by some
of the "Green Mountain Boys," and received information of the enemy's
intention to capture the stores at Bennington.

He pressed forward, and reached that town on the 0th, accompanied
by Col. Seth Warner.

The battle occurred on the 16th, and the result, as is well known,
cheered and encouraged the Americans, disheartened the enemy, and led
to the surrender of Burgoyne's army at Saratoga on the l7th of October
following. The brigade under Stark was organized into three regiments,
commanded respectively by Colonels Moses Nichols of Amherst, Thomas
Stickney of Concord, and David Hobart of Plymouth.

Nottingham West Soldiers at Bennington

Capt. James Ford of this town, commanded a com-
pany of fifty-six men at Bennington, which company was
in Col. Moses Nichols' regiment, of Gen. John Stark's
brigade. This body of troops was raised July 20, 1777, and
discharged September 19, with an allowance of nine days
for travel.

The names of men from Nottingham West, as found
in the pay-roll of the company, are as follows:

James Ford, Captain, Stephen Hadley,

John Merrill, Sergeant, Joseph Johnson,

Justus Dakin, Corporal, Jonathan Marsh,

James Pemberton, Corporal, Thomas Pollard,
Joseph Blodgett, Samuel Smith,

Joseph Cross, Caleb Severance,

Seth Cutter, Joseph Winn.

Possibly a few other men from this town served in the
Bennington campaign, but their names are not found in
the pay-rolls. The report of the committee, as submitted
to the town, December 22, 1777, a copy of which may be
found in a former chapter, seems to show that the town
paid for the services of eighteen men, $28 each. The fore-
going list contains h\x\. fourteen names.

In the committee's report the names of Peter Cross,
Joseph Blodgett, Moses Johnson, Ens. John Pollard, Tim-

DARK DAYS OF THE REVOLUTION 261

othy Smith and Joseph Winn, are each credited for the ser-
vices of his son. The names of five of these sons, as they
appear in the pay-roll are Joseph Blodgett, Joseph Cross,
Joseph Johnson, Thomas Pollard and Joseph Winn. The
son of Timothy Smith cannot be traced in the pay-roll.
He may have furnished some other man as a substitute.

The names of Seth Cutter, Stephen Hadley, Jonathan
Marsh, James Pemberton and Caleb Severance appear in
the pay-roll, but are not found in the report of the com-
mittee. They probably served as substitutes for five of
the men whose names are included in the committee's re-
turn.

That report included the following names that are not
accounted for in any way by the pay-roll, Timothy Smith
included: Isaac Barrett, John Hale, Eliphalet Hadley, Jr.,
Jonathan Bradley and Thomas Hamblet in equal shares,
Ens. Nathaniel Merrill, John Pollard, Jr., Timothy Smith,
Page Smith and Samuel Wason.

This would indicate that nine substitutes were fur-
nished by these men, unless some of them served person-
ally, which is not very probable. Five of these substitutes
are accounted for in the pay-roll. This would leave four,
who may have been in Captain Ford's company, but were
residents of other towns, but whose names cannot be iden-
tified.

Captain Ford was severely wounded at the battle of
Bennington, as appears by the Revolutionary War Rolls,
Vol. 3, page 382.

State of New This May certify That James Ford Esq^

Hampshire being a Captain in ye Detachment commanded

by Me upon the Right wing of Genl. Slaiks Brigade in the Battle of Wal-
loomsuck Hill (so called) Near Bennington on the 16th of Aug. 1777, was
Very badly wounded by Two Musket Balls which pass'd through his Two
Thighs.

MOSES NICHOLS Col.

Soon after the discharge and return of Captain Ford's
company, a body of volunteers numbering thirty-five, prin-

262 HISTORY OF HUDSON

cipally from Dunstable and Nottingham West, was raised,
commanded by Lieutenant Samuel Brown, in Col. Daniel
Moore's troops, which company marched from Dunstable
and joined the Northern Continental Army at Saratoga,
September, 1777. The time of service of these men was
from September 29 to October 28, one month, with an al-
lowance for travel of 170 miles each way, to Saratoga and
return. There were nine men from Nottingham West in
this company, as follows:

Elijah Hills, 2d Lieut, Asa Davis,

Joseph Greeley, Sergt,, Henry Hale, Jr.,

David Cummings, Samuel Marsh,

William Cummings, William Gibson,

Richard Cutter.

Nottingham West Volunteers to Rhode Island in

August, 1778

A brigade was raised in the summer of 1778 to re-
inforce the Continental army at Rhode Island in prepara-
tion for an attack upon the British troops then in posses-
sion of the island of Rhode Island. In this assault it was
expected that a powerful French fleet, then on the coast,
under the command of Admiral Count D'Estaing, would
co-operate with the American army.

The first week in August a company of volunteers to
aid in the expedition, was raised from this and adjoining
towns. This company, including ofificers, consisted of
fifty-four men, twenty of whom were residents of Notting-
ham West. These troops were commanded by Capt. Peter
Cross, of this town, and was the fourth company of the
regiment commanded by Col. Moses Nichols of Amherst,
in General Whipple's brigade.

The men were in the service from the 7th to the 27th
and some to the 28th of August, when they were dis-
charged, without having accomplished the purpose of the
campaign, on account of disaster to the French fleet owing

DARK DAYS OF THE REVOLUTION

263

to a coast storm, which prevented it from joining in the
proposed efforts of the land force.

The wages of the private soldier in this expedition
was at the rate of £b per month and 8d per mile for trav-
el one hundred miles each way. These men were also paid
something additional by the town. This was a body of
mounted troops, and each man had to furnish his own
horse. Colonel Nichols' return showed there were fifty-
four horses in the company, and ;^10 each was allowed for
these. The names of the men from this town were

Peter Cross, Captain,
Ebenezer Perry, Ensign,
Samuel Pollard, Sergeant,
Daniel Marshall, Sergeant,
William Cummings, Corporal,
Jonathan Burbank,
Gideon Butler,
John Caldwell,
Samuel Campbell,
Micajah Chase,

Stephen Chase,
Robert Glover,
Isaac Hardy,
Joseph Johnson,
Samuel Marsh,
Joseph Marshall,
David Peabody,
James Pemberton,
Abijah Reed,
Joshua Severance.

CHAPTER XXII

Soldiers in the Revolution and War of 1812

This list of Nottingham West — now Hudson — soldiers
in the Revolution, showing service or term of enlistment,
and where buried so far as can be ascertained, has been
compiled with great care, from "Revolutionary War Rolls,"
edited by Isaac W. Hammond, A. M., town records and
other data, and is believed to be substantially correct. It
is subject, however, to such unavoidable omissions of any
names of soldiers as could not be found upon any of the
rolls examined.

"1775 L.," denotes the minute men enlisted April 19,
1775, for Lexington, in Captain Samuel Greeley's Com-
pany; "B. H.," at the Battle of Bunker Hill; "Cam." Cam-
bridge; "C. A.," Continental Army; "Port.," in garrison
at Portsmouth; "Wh. P.," at White Plains, N. Y.; "N.
A.," Northern Army on the northern frontier and in Can-
ada; "Ti.." Ticonderoga Alarm, June 1777; "Ben.," in
Captain James Ford's Company at Bennington, July, 1777;
"Sa.," Saratoga; "N. Y.," Fort George, N. Y.; "R. I.," in
Captain Peter Cross' mounted company at Rhode Island,
1778; "Blodgett," denotes the Blodgett Cemetery; "Farms,"
the Hills Farms Cemetery; "Center," the ancient ceme-
tery at Hudson Center.

Barrett, Moses, 1775 L., F>. H., Cam., 6 mos.
Barrett, Simeon, Corp., 1776 I.., Center.
Barker, Thomas, 1777 C. A., 3 yrs.
Bettis, Robert, 1775 B. H., Cam., 8 mos.
Blodgett, Ashael, 1777 N. Y., 3 mos.
Blodgett, Jonathan, 1775 L., Blodgett.
Blodgett, Joseph, 1777 Ben., 2 mos., Blodgett.
Bradley, Jonathan, Corp., 1775 L., 1777 Ti., 6 ds.
Bradbury, Sanders, 1777 Serg. C. A., 3 yrs. Died in the army 1779.
Brown, Eliphalet, 1781 C. A., 3 yrs.

264

SOLDIERS IN THE REVOLUTION AND WAR OF l8l2 265

Brown, James, 1779 C. A. For the war. j

Brown, Samuel, 1782 C. A., 3 yrs. ]

Burns, George, 1777 Ti., 8 ds. j

Burns, William, Serg., 1775 L„ 1777 Ti., 14 ds., Blodgett. ,{

Burbank, Jonathan, 1776 Wh. P., 3 mos., 1778 R. I., 23 ds., Blodgett. 1
Burrows, Josiah, 1775 B. H., Cam., 6 mos.
Butler, Gideon, 1775 B. H., Cam., 8 mos., 1778 R. L, 23 ds.

Caldwell, Alexander, 1775 L., 1777 Ti., 8 ds.

Caldwell, John, Serg., 1776 N. A., 4 mos., 1777 Ti., 5 ds., 1778 R. I.,
24 ds.

Caldwell, James, Ti., 6 ds., Blodgett. >

Caldwell, Samuel, 1776 N. A., 4 mos. j

Caldwell, Thomas, 1775 L., 1776 N. A., 4 mos., 1777 Lieut. N. A., I

28 ds. ;

Campbell, John, 1778 R. I., 6 mos.

Campbell, Samuel, 1775 L., 1778 R. I., 24 ds.

Campbell, Thomas, 1775 B. IL, Cam., 8 mos.

Carlton, Ezra, 1781 C. A. For the war.

Chase, Ephraim Chandler, 1776 N. A., 4 mos.

Chase, John, 1777 Ti., 6 ds., 1799 Port., 2 mos., Blodgett. i

Chase, Joshua, 1775 L., B. H., Cam., 8 mos., 1779 N. A., 4 mos. 1779 '

C. A., Blodgett. I

Chase, Micajah, 1776 N. A., 4 mos., 1778 R. L, 23 ds. i

Chase, Stevens, 1775 L. !

Chase, Stephen, Jr., 1775 L., B. H., Cam., 8 mos., 1777 Ti., 6 ds., 1778 |

R. I., 14 ds.

Colburn, Isaac, 1779 Port., 2 mos. ,

Cook, John, 1779 C. A., 1 year. j

Cross, Joseph, 1777 Ti., 14 ds., 1777 Ben., 2 mos.. Port., 1 mo. ;

Cross, Nathan, 1779 R. I., 6 mos., 1781 C. A., 3 mos. '

Cross, Peter, 1775 L., 1778 Captain R. I., 24 ds., Blodgett. i

Cross, Thomas, 1781 C. A., 3 mos.

Cummings, David, 1775 L., 1777 Ti., 8 ds., 1777 Sa., 1 mo.

Cummings, Ebenezer, 1775 L.

Cummings, William, 1777 N. Y., 3 mos., 1777 Sa., 1 mo., 1778 Corp, )

R. I., 23 ds. i

Currier, Samuel, Fifer, 1775 L., B. H., Cam., 8 mos. ,

Cutter, Richard, 1775 L., B. H., Cam., 1 mo.. 1777 Sa., 1 mo., 1778 R. |

I 6 mos. and 20 ds., Wounded at Bunker Hill, Center.

Cutter, Seth, 1775 Cam., 1777 Ben., 2 mos.

Cutter, Thomas, 1780 C. A., 6 mos.. Navy. i

Dakin, Justus, 1775 L., 1777 Ti., 14 ds., 1777 Corp. Ben., 2 mos.. j

Blodgett.

266 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Davis, Asa, 1775 L., 1777 Ti., 6 ds., 1777 Sa., 1 mo., Blodgett.
Davis, Nathaniel, 1775 L., Blodgett.
Durant, Samuel, 1776 L., 1776 Wh. P., 3 mo.

Eastman, Ichabod, 1775 L., 1776 N. A., 2 mos., 1776 Wh. P., 3 mos.

Eastman, James, 1777 C. A., 3 yrs.

Eastman, Nicholas, 1777 Ti., 5 ds.

Emerson, Benjamin Hamden, 1776 Wh. P., 3 mos.

Emerson, Jonathan, 1775 B. H., Cam., 8 mos.

Farwell, Jonathan, 1781 C. A., 6 mos., 1782 Rangers., 4 mos.

Ford, James, Clerk, 1775 L., 1775 Lieut. B. H., Cam., 6 mos., 1777
Capt. Ti., 14 ds., 1777 Capt. Ben., 2 mos. Severely wounded.

Foot, Isaac, 1779 R. I., 6 mos., 1780 C. A., 6 mos.

French, Samuel, 1777 Ti., 8 ds., 1777 C. A., 3 yrs.

Gibson, William, 1777 Sa., 1 mo.

Glover, David, 1775 L., B. H., Cam. 8 mos., Center.

Glover, Robert, 1775 B. H., Cam., 8 mos., 1777 R. I., 24 ds.

Gould, Elijah, 1777 C. A., 3 yrs.

Gould, Joseph, Jr., 1775 L. Died in the Continental Army, January
13, 1776.

Greeley, Benjamin, 1775 B. H., Cam. Died in the army, September
7, 1775.

Greeley, Joseph, 1775 L., B. H., Cam., 8 mos., 1777 N. Y., 3 mos.,
1777 Sa., 1 mo. Wounded at Battle of Bunker Hill. Blodgett.

Greeley, Samuel, Captain Lexington Company, April 19, 1775.

Hadley, Enos, 1776 Wh. P., 3 mos.

Hadley, Moses, 1777 Ti., 6 ds., Blodgett.

Hadley, Seth, 1775 L.

Hadley, Stephen, Drummer, 1776 N. A., 4 mos., 1777 Ben., 2 mos.

Hale, Henry, Jr., 1777 Sa., 3 ws. Blodgett.

Hardy, Daniel, 1775 L., 1777 Ti., 5 ds., 1777 Port., 1 mo.

Hardy, Isaac, 1777 Ti., 5 ds., 1778 R. I., 10 ds.

Hardy, Jonathan, Corp., 1777 Ti., 14 ds.

Hardy, Nathaniel, 1775 L., 1776 Wh. P., 3 mos., 1777 C A. 3 yrs.

Hardy, Perry, 1776 Wh. P., 3 mos., 1777 Port., 2 mos.

Hardy, Richard, 1775 L.

Hamblet, Asa, 1780 C. A., 6 mos.

Haseltine, John, 1775 L., Center.

Hills, Elijah, 1776 L., 1777 Ti., 8 ds., 1777 Lieut Sa., 1 mo., Farms.

Hills, Ezekiel, 1775 L.

Hills, Jeremiah, 1775 L., Farms.

Hills, Oliver, 1775 L., 1776 Wh. P., 3 mos.

Hills, Philip, 1777 Ti., 6 ds.

Hills, Simeon, 1775 B. H., Cam., 8 mos., 1776 Wh. P., 6 mos.

SOLDIERS IN THE REVOLUTION AND WAR OF l8l2 267

Hills, Thomas, 1777 Ti., 6 ds., Farms.

Hills, William, 1777 Ti., 6 ds.

Hills, Samuel, 1775 L.. Farms.

Hobbs, Joseph, 1782 C. A., 3 yrs. Served 4 mos.

Hood, Aaron, 1781 C A. For the war.

Johnson, Joseph, 1777 Ti., 6 ds., 1777 Ben., 2 mos., 1778 R. I. 23 ds.,
Jones, Ephraim, 1777 C. A., yrs.

Kelley, Joseph, IJeut., 1775 L.
Kinney, Samuel, 1777 C. A., 3 yrs.

Kinney, Amos, 1776 N. A., 4 mos., 1777 C. A., 3 yrs. He was killed
in the army previous to June, 1778.

r.owell, John Messer, 1777 C. A. ,3 yrs.
Lowell, Stephen, 1775 Bedel's Rangers, 5 mos.

Marsh, David, 1775 B. H., Cam., 8 mos.

Marsh, Samuel, Jr., 1777 Ti., 6 ds., 1777 Serg. Sa., 1 mo., 1778 R. I.,
24 ds.

Marsh, Samuel, 1775 L., Farms.

Marsh, Jonathan, 1777 Ben., 2 mos. It is a family tradition that he
was also at the Battle of Bunker Hill, and did other military service dur-
ing the war. Farms.

Marshall, Benjamin, 1775 L., B. H., Cam., 6 mos,

Marshall, Beniamin, Jr., 1775 B. H., Cam., 6 mos., 1 77 N. A., 2 mos.

Marshall, Daniel, 1775 L., 1778 Serg. R. I., 24 ds.

Marshall, John, 1775 B. H., Cam., 6 mos.. Farms.

Marshall, Joseph, 1778 R. L. 24 ds., 1781 C A., 3 yrs.

Marshall, Richard, 1775 L., 1776 N. A., 4 mos.

Merrill, Abel, 1779 C. A., 1782 C A., 3 yrs.

Merrill, Isaac, 1777 N. Y., 3 mos., 1777 Ti., 8 ds.

Merrill, John, 1775 L., 1777 Serg. Ben., 2 mos.

Merrill, Roger, 1779 R. I., 6 mos.

Merrill, William, Serg., 1775 L., B. H., Cam., 8 mos., 1776 Lieut. N.
A., 4 mos., 1777 Ti. 5 ds.

Moore, Samuel, 1775 L.

Osgood, John, 1775 L., B. H., Cam., 8 mos.

Page, Abraham, 1775 L., Center.

Pemberton, James, 1775 L., B. H., Cam., 8 mos., 1777 Ben., 2 mos.
1778 R. I., 23 ds., 1779 C A., 1 yr., 1781 C. A., 6 mos.
Peabody, David, 1778 R. I., 24 ds., 1781 C A., 3 yrs.
Perry, Ebenezer, 1775 L., 1778 Ens. R. I., 23 ds.
Perry, Thomas, 1779 C. A. For the war.
Pierce, Daniel, 1781 C. A., 6 mos.
Pollard, Amos, 1777 Ti., 6 ds.

268 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Pollard, Ebenezer, Serg., 1775 L., 1776 N. A., 6 months., Blodgett,

Pollard, John, Kns., 1775 I,.

Pollard, John, Jr., Corp., 1775 L., 1776 N. A.. 4 mos., Blodgett.

Pollard, Timothy, 1775 B. II., Cam., 6 mos., 1776 N. A., 4 mos.

Pollard, Thomas, 1777 Ti., 14 ds., 1777 Hen., 2 mos.

Pollard, Samuel, Serg., 1777 Ti.,5ds., 1777 Sa.,3 ws., 1778 R. I.,23ds.

Reed, Abijah, 1775 L., Corp. B. H., Cam., 8 mos., 1776 N. A., 5
mos., 1777 Ti., 14 ds., 1778 R. I., 23 ds.
Robinson, Amos, 1781 C. A., 3 yrs.
Robinson, John. 1775 B. H., Cam.

Sargent, Abel, 1780 C. A., 6 mos., 1781 C. A., 6 mos., 1782 C. A., 3 yrs.

Searles, Elnathan, 1779 Port., 2 mos,

Searles, Thomas, 1776 N. A., 4 mos.

Seavey, Andrew, 1775 L.

Seavey. John, 1775 B. H., Cam., 6 mos., 1777 C. A., 3 yrs.

Senter, Thomas, Serg., 1775 B. H., Cam.

Severance, Caleb, 1775 B. H., Cam., 1777 Ben., 2 mos.

Severance, Joseph, 1777 C. A., 3 yrs.

Severance, Joshua, 1775 B. H., Cam., 8 mos., 1778 R. I., 23 ds.

Smith, Edward, 1777 C. A., 3 yrs.

Smith, Page, 1775 L., 1777 Ti., 6 ds., Center.

Smith, Samuel, 1775 L„ 177 7Ti., 14 ds., Ben., 2 mos.

Smith, Timothy, 1781 C. A., 6 mos., Blodgett.

Spalding, Reuben, 1775 L., Farms.

Walker, John, 1775 L., Corp. B. H., Cam., 8 mos.
Wason, Samuel, 1775 L., Blodgett.

Wason, Thomas, 1775 L., 1776 Wh. P., 3 mos., Blodgett.
Whittemore, Benjamin, Jr., 1775 L., B. H., 1777 C A., 3 yrs.
Winn, Abiather, 1775 L., Blodgett.
Winn, Nehemiah, 1775 L., B. H., Cam., 8 mos.

Winn, Joseph, 1777 Ti., 14 ds., 1777 Ben., 2 mos., 1778 R. I., 23 ds.
Blodgett.

Wilson, George, 1781 C. A., 3 yrs.

Wyman, Daniel, 1776 Wh. P., 3 mos., 1777 C. A., 3 yrs.

Wyman, Ezra, 1781 C. A., 3 yrs.

The Second War with Great Britain

For several years previous to the breaking out of hos-
tilities between the United States and England, in 1811,
one among the many more offensive and annoying meas-
ures, claimed and exercised by England, was the right to

SOLDIERS OF THE REVOLUTION AND WAR OF l8l2 269

hold up American vessels and seize all sailors, even natural-
ized citizens, who were supposed to be British subjects.

In June, 1807, the insolence of this claim was carried
so far that the British man-of-war, Leopard, stopped the
United States frigate, Chesapeake, off the entrance of
Chesapeake Bay, fired into her, killing or wounding twenty-
one of the crew, and took off four men, three of whom
were Americans. No reparation was made for this out-
rage, but other similar acts followed. Under the last part
of President Jefferson's administration the famous Embar-
go Act was passed by Congress, signed by the President,
and became a law, by which American vessels were pro-
hibited from leaving foreign ports, and foreign vessels from
taking cargoes from the United States, and all coasting
vessels were required to give bonds to land their cargoes
in the United States.

This law became very unpopular, and in March, 1809,
the Non-Intercourse Act went into force, another very un-
popular measure. Party feeling in this country became
very bitter.

P^ngland and the United States grew more irritated
with each other, and in 1811 hostilities actually opened on
sea and land.

In May the United States frigate President hailed the
British man-of-war Little Belt, and was answered by a
shot. The President replied with a shot in turn, and a
sharp action ensued in which the Little Belt was badly
crippled, and lost thirty-one men, killed and wounded.

Tecumseh, the famous Shawnee chief, had gathered a
large force of Indian warriors, and at the instigation of the
British they were attacking the north-western settlements.
General William Henry Harrison marched against them,
and on November 7, he defeated them at Tippecanoe.

The English continued to seize vessels and men.
More than nine hundred American vessels had been seized
since 1803, and several thousand American seamen im-
pressed into British service.

270 HISTORY OF HUDSON

The people of the United States had become exasper-
ated over their losses and their inability to protect them-
selves.

Madison became President in March, ISll, and prep-
arations were begun for hostilities. War was formally de-
clared against Great Britain, June 18, 1812. The war was
prosecuted on land and sea until December, 1814, when final
negotiations for peace took place at Ghent, Belgium, on
the twenty-fourth day of that month. A treaty of peace
was then signed by the two governments' commissioners,
and was promptly ratified.

During this war New Hampshire furnished a large
number of soldiers for the United States army, some of
whom were stationed at Portsmouth, others on Lake Cham-
plain, in New York, and on the frontier between the Uni-
ted States and Canada.

The muster rolls of these men are said to be in Wash-
ington, but are almost inaccessible. Partial copies of them
have been procured and published in the New Hampshire
Adjutant General's Report for 1868.

These lists are very unsatisfactory and seemingly inac-
curate, most probably containing but a part of the names
of the men who served their country from Nottingham
West, now Hudson, during the war of 1812.

After very carefully going through all the rolls pub-
lished in that report, the following are all the men that
could be located in this town, and it seems doubtful if all
of these were actual citizens of Nottingham West.

An order dated at Exeter, September 9, 1814, required:

"That four entire companies of infantry from each of
the Second, Third, Fourth and Twenty-fifth Regiments be
detached immediately, armed and equipped according to
law, and provided, as far as possible, with blankets and am-
munition to march to Portsmouth immediately to serve for
the term of fifteen days from the time of their arrival at
Portsmouth unless sooner discharged."

SOLDIERS OF THE REVOLUTION AND WAR OF l8l2 271

In the company of Captain Josiah Converse of Am-
herst are given the following names and residences:
Jonathan Cate, Jr., 2^ Lieut., of West Nottingham.
♦Alexander Caldwell, 3^ Lieut., of West Nottingham.
William Emerson, Ensign, West Nottingham.

Samuel Leonard, Sergeant, West Nottingham.

Livid Lund, West Nottingham.

Nathaniel Fellows, West Nottingham.

John Johnson, West Nottingham.

*Samuel Steele, West Nottingham.

John Smith, Dunstable.

Cyrus Wilkins, West Dunstable.

The above men were all enlisted September 16, 1814,
for three months.

In Captain James Trevett's company enlisted sixty
days from September 27, 1814:

Henry Eams, Nottingham.

*Hesekiah Hamblet, Nottingham.

*Asa Hardy, Nottingham.

Israel Putnam, Nottingham.

*01iver Sprague, Nottingham.

Rufus Seavey, Nottingham.

*Henry Tarbox, Nottingham. Died November 9.

Captain Joseph Towle's Company :
♦Samuel Hills, September 10 to September 27, 1814.

Captain Joseph Bellows' Company:
James Brown, September 26, for sixty days.
*John Merrill, Jr., Both of West Nottingham.
*John Dutton, September 26, for sixty days, was credited
to Pelham, but was a resident of this town.

The residences of many of these men were given as
West Nottingham, but no town by that name has ever ex-
isted in the state. The town at that date bore the name of
Nottingham West, and there seems little doubt that West
Nottingham as printed in the Adjutant General's Report
is designed for this town.

272 HISTORY OF HUDSON

The residences of a few others are given as Notting-
ham, but several of these at least are known to have been
citizens of Nottingham West.

Those names which are marked with an asterisk are
nearly all known to have been residents of this town, while
several of the others may have enlisted for Nottingham
West and still have been residents of other towns.

CHAPTER XXIII

Hudson in the Civil War and Other Wars

The history of New Hampshire in this war, together
with the numerous and various causes and events transpir-
ing for many years preceding the crisis of 1861, and lead-
ing steadily on and up to a clash at arms between the two
sections of the nation — North and South — has been many
times, more or less impartially, written and published, and
may be found in almost any library in the state.

Suffice it to say here, that during this extended and
bloody conflict of four years' contmuance to save the na-
tion and perpetuate the Union of the States as founded
and transmitted by our Revolutionary ancestors, and for
which they fought and bled through the eight long and
gloomy years of that war. New Hampshire did her full
share. Each call upon the state for enlistments or rein-
forcements was promptly answered, and the New Hamp-
shire regiments in the war compared favorably and honor-
ably with those of any other state for intrepidity, good con-
duct and patriotic devotion to duty.

They bravely fought upon nearly all the principal bat-
tlefields of the war, and the blood of the old Granite State
soldiers— as in the Revolution — mingled freely with that
of the brave troops from other states, and their graves,
thousands of which are carefully marked and numbered,
dot the many soldiers' cemeteries around those old battle
grounds, and at Arlington, while other thousands sleep in
unknown graves.

The people of Hudson during this cruel strife per-
formed their whole duty from the very first, promptly fur-
nishing, on the numerous calls for troops, more than the
quota allotted to them by the state, it appearing at the

273

274 HISTORY OF HUDSON

close of the war that the number of men furnished exceed-
ed the number called for.

At a special town meeting, October 14, 1861, the town
chose Hiram Marsh, Oilman Andrews and Stephen D.
Greeley, a committee to relieve the families of soldiers, and
gave this committee instructions to pay not exceeding one
dollar a week each for the wives and dependent children or
parents of soldiers serving in the army from this town, or
of such as shall enlist and be mustered into the service of
the United States, provided said sum in the aggregate shall
not exceed twelve dollars per month for any such soldier.

The town voted to raise five hundred dollars for said
purpose.

This committee, during the war, paid to the families
of soldiers the sum of seven thousand, one hundred and six
dollars and forty-three cents.

August 12, 1862, the town voted to pay a bounty of
two hundred dollars to each person who enlisted as a vol-
unteer for three years or during the war, and on Septem-
ber 11, following, a bounty of one hundred dollars each was
voted to volunteers who would enlist for nine months, the
bounty in each case to be paid when such volunteer should
be mustered into the United States' service.

At a special town meeting, September 23, 1863, it was
voted to extend aid to the families of drafted men or their
substitutes, while serving as soldiers in the army.

Also "voted to pay a bounty of two hundred dollars
each to drafted men or their substitutes, ten days after
being mustered into the service of the United States."

December 5, 1863, the town "voted to assume the
Government and State bounties, and pay three hundred
dollars, in addition to these bounties, to each volunteer who
shall enlist to fill the quota allotted to this town under the
late call of the President of the United States."

March 8, 1864. "Voted to pay the drafted men who
were drafted September 2, 1863, the sum of one hundred
dollars each in addition to the two hundred already paid

HUDSON IN THE CIVIL WAR AND OTHER WARS 275

them." "Voted to pay a bounty of two hundred dollars to
men who enlisted in 1S61, and who still remain in the ser-
vice, they having been allowed no town bounty."

June 18, 1864. The town voted to pay all those re-
cently drafted a bounty of three hundred dollars or the
same amount to such drafted men who had furnished sub-
stitutes, and to all who should enlist to fill any quota of the
town, three hundred dollars.

August 29, 1864. The town by vote offered bounties
of eight hundred dollars each to one-year men, nine hun-
dred each to two-year men and one thousand each to three-
year men, including the state and government bounties, to
fill the quota of the town.

At the beginning of the war, April 24, 1861, at a meet-
ing of the citizens held at the town house the amount of
two hundred and twent3'--three dollars was subscribed and
paid for the purpose of furnishing volunteers, who had en-
listed, with necessary outfits, in addition to such as were
furnished by the government.

On the 29th of October of the same year, at another
meeting of the citizens, the Hudson Soldiers' Aid Society
was organized, and continued in action and successful oper-
ation till the close of the war.

The president of this society was Addison Heald; its
secretary, Mrs. Nancy B. Merrill; and its treasurer, Mrs.
Addison Heald; with an executive committee composed of
ten ladies, one from each school district — Mrs. Thomas
Gowing, Mrs. Luther Pollard, Mrs. Samuel Morrison, Miss
Mary Buttrick, Mrs. Daniel M. Greeley, Mrs. Oliver Hill,
Mrs. David Seavey, Mrs. Robert A. Andrews, Mrs. Jack-
son E. Greeley and Mrs. James M. Greeley.

This society contributed, collected, bought material
and manufactured and forwarded, in quantities, to the sol-
diers at the front articles of necessity and comfort, such
as comfortable clothing, bedding, lint, bandages, dried
fruits, comforts for the sick and wounded in the hospitals,
and necessaries for the use and convenience of the men in
field and camp.

276 HISTORY OF HUDSON

These contributions furnished by their friends at home
were greatly appreciated by the soldiers, and did much to
relieve their sufferings and add to their scanty comforts.

The total cash value of all the many consignments for-
warded to the front through the untiring zeal of these no-
ble women and their associates and helpers, cannot be as-
certained, but in the aggregate it was very large, and their
worth to the soldiers could not be estimated in dollars and
cents.

The Beginning of Hostilities

Early on the morning of April 12, 186], the Confed-
erate forces, numbering several thousand men, under the
command of General Beauregard, opened fire with seven
batteries upon Fort Sumter, situated in Charleston harbor,
S. C, which was garrisoned with about seventy United
States soldiers, commanded by Major Robert Anderson.

Late in the afternoon of the 13th Major Anderson ca-
pitulated, and Fort Sumter was evacuated. This immedi-
ately precipitated the crisis that had long threatened the
nation, and made war between the two sections inevitable.

Two days later, on April 15, President Lincoln issued
a proclamation calling for seventy-five thousand volunteers
for three months service. To New Hampshire was as-
signed the furnishing of one regiment.

Hudson Soldiers in the War of the Rebellion

The names of Hudson soldiers, with the dates of their
enlistment or mustering, time of service, and the regiments
and companies in which they served, are presented in the
following lists:

First New Hampshire Regiment

This regiment enlisted for three months, and was
under the command of Colonel Mason W. Tappan of Brad-
ford, with Aaron F. Stevens of Nashua as Major. It was

HUDSON IN THE CIVIL WAR AND OTHER WARS 277

mustered in at Concord on the 4th of May, started for
Washington on the 25th, and on the expiration of its term
of enlistment returned, and was mustered out at Concord,
August 9, 1861.

This regiment for the most of its term of service was
on duty along the Potomac river between Washington and
Harper's Ferry. It was engaged in no battle with the en-
emy except some minor skirmishes.

The Hudson men in the First regiment were:

Abel F. Gould. Age 20; enlisted in Company K, May
7, 1861; mustered out August 9, 1861; re-enlisted in Eighth
New Hampshire Regiment.

Eben Tuttle. Age 28; enlisted in Company K, May
7, 1861; mustered out August 9, 1861.

William L. Walker. Age 21 ; enlisted in Company E,
May 2, 1861; mustered out August 9, 1861; re-enlisted in
Seventh New Hampshire Regiment.

Third New Hampshire Regiment

This regiment, enlisted for three years, August, 1861.
Commanded by Colonel Enoch Q. Fellows, of Sandwich,
who resigned June 26, 1862, and was succeeded by Colonel
John H. Jackson of Portsmouth, who was honorably dis-
charged February 24, 1864, to be succeeded by Colonel
John Bedel of Bath. This regiment was enlisted under
the Act of Congress of July 22, 1861, authorizing the
enlistment of five hundred thousand volunteers for
three years, and was mustered into the service of the
United States, August 26, 1861. It left Concord for
Long Island September 3, thence on the 14th to Washing-
ton, and from Washington on the following 19th of Octo-
ber it was ordered to the seat of war in South Carolina. It
was on duty in that state and in Florida till the spring of
1864. Near the last of April, 1864, the regiment was or-
dered to Virginia.

This regiment was in many battles, some of the most
important of which were:

278 HISTORY OF HUDSON

James Island, S. C, June 8, 1862; Morris Island, S.
C, July 10, 1868; Fort Wagner, S. C, July 18, 1863;
Drury's Bluff, Va., May 13-16, 1864; Petersburg, Va.,
June 9, 1864; Fort Fisher, N. C, January 15, 1865.

The Hudson men in the regiment were:

George D. Carr. Age 30; Company E; wounded June
16, 1862, at James Island, S. C; died in hands of enemy at
Charleston, S. C, June 28, 1864.

Peter Hennessey. Age 20; Company E; re-enlisted
February 13, 1864; promoted to Corporal July 18, 1864.

William F. Millett. Age 24; Company E; Corporal;
wounded May 13, 1864; mustered out August 23, 1864.

George W. Miller. Age 21; Company F; wounded
severely (left arm amputated) at James Island, June 16,
1862; discharged for disability September 13, 1862.

Nathan Caldwell. Age 18; Company F; re-enlisted
February 22, 1864.

Charles A. Wyman. Age 19; Company F; mustered
out August 23, 1864.

William F. Hardy. Age 22; Company F; mustered
out August 23, 1864.

Fourth New Hampshire Regiment

This regiment was enlisted and organized at Manches-
ter, and was mustered in, September, 1861, and left for
Washington, D. C, September 27, under command of Col-
onel Thomas J. Whipple of Laconia. On the 9th of Octo-
ber it left Washington for Annapolis, Md., where it was
encamped until October 19, on which date it left Annapolis
for Fortress Monroe, where it arrived by the steamer Bal-
tic on the 21st. It left Fortress Monroe October 29, and
arrived at Port Royal, S C, November 7, 1861. Here it dis-
embarked and went into camp. It was on duty in South
Carolina and Florida till April, 1864, when it was ordered
to Virginia, and remained in the service in that state and
in North Carolina till the close of the war.

HUDSON IN THE CIVIL WAR AND OTHER WARS 279

Some of the more important battles in which it fought
were the assault on Fort Wagner, July, 1863, the battle of
Bermuda Hundred, Va., May, 1864, and that at Fort Fish-
er, N. C, January, 1865.

The Hudson men in this regiment, enlisted for three
years, in Company B, were:

Caleb Marshall, discharged for disability, at Beaufort,
S. C, March 12, 1863.

Charles A. Robinson, discharged for disability, at Beau-
fort, S. C, October 20, 1862.

Hugh Watts, Corporal, discharged for disability, March
12, 1863.

In Company K:

Samuel F. Coffin, musician, discharged for disability,
February 11, 1863.

Israel W. Young, discharged for disability at De Camp
Hospital, N. Y., June 4, 1864.

Sharp-shooters

The United States Sharp-shooters, armed principally
with Sharp's improved breech-loading rifles, with set trig-
gers, were used commonly by detachments to any position
of the army where skilled skirmishing, sharp-shooting or
strong picket duty was to be done. As skirmishers they
had no equals, and their pre-eminence was due to their su-
perior weapons, skill and drill.

Wherever the picket fire of the enemy became too warm, a detach-
ment of Sharp-shooters was sent and rarely failed to stop it.

Wherever a hostile battery could be reached by a rifle ball, their
heavy guns and sure aim rendered continuous use impossible.

Wherever a reconnoissance was to be made, the "green coats" was
called upon to clear the way; and wherever an important picket line to be
established or re-established, the facility which the Sharp-shooters pos-
sessed in loading and firing their breech-loading rifles rendered them the
willing recipients of orders to perform the difficult task.

Adjutant General's Report, N. H. 1865, Vol. 2.

280 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Three companies of sharp-shooters were raised in this
state — Company E of the First Regiment, and Companies
F and G of the Second Regiment, United States Sharp-
shooters.

Company G, numbering ninety-five men and their offi-
cers, enlisted for three years, was mustered December 10,
1861, and immediately left for Washington. The Sharp-
shooters were connected with the Army of the Potomac,
and fought in many battles. Some of these battles, in
which Companies F and G participated were:

Falmouth, May 11, 1862; Rappahannock Station, Au-
gust 23, 1862; Gainsville, August 29, 1862; Sulphur Spring,
August 25, 1862; Second Bull Run, August 30, 1862;
South Mountain, September 14, 1862; Antietam, Septem-
ber 17, 1862; Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862; Chan-
cellorsville. May 3,1863; Gettysburg, July 2 and 3, 1863;
Wilderness, May 5, 6 and 7, 1864; Spottsylvania, May 12,
1864; Cold Harbor, June 3, 4 and 5, 1864; Petersburg,
June 16, 17 and 18, 1864; Deep Bottom, July 27, 1864;
Deep Bottom, August 15 and 16, 1864.

Hudson Men in Company G, Sharp-shooters

Harvard P. Smith, Sergeant. Promoted to Second
Lieutenant, October 10, 1862; promoted to Captain, No-
vember 1, 1862; wounded May 6, 1864; mustered out De-
cember 24, 1864.

Norris Smith. Promoted to Sergeant; re-enlisted De-
cember 21, 1863; wounded May 31, 1864; promoted to First
Lieutenant, January 16, 1865; honorably discharged.

Dura P. Dow. Promoted to Corporal, January 14,
1863; died of disease February 26, 1863.

Charles H. Hopkins. Wounded severely in the arm
at Antietam, September 17, 1862; discharged on account
of wounds January 7, 1863.

Dustin B. Smith. Re-enlisted February 17, 1864;
transferred to Fifth New Hampshire Volunteers January
30, 1865; mustered out June 28, 1865.

HUDSON IN THE CIVIL WAR AND OTHER WARS 281

Allen Steele. Died of disease at Washington, D. C,
January 28, 1862.

Job F. Thomas. Wounded slightly at Antietam, Sep-
tember 17, 1862; discharged on account of wounds Decem-
ber 14, 1863.

William Henry Thomas. Discharged for disability
February 13, 1863.

Henry Taylor. Died at Washington March 6, 1862.

Joseph Gardner Winn. Killed at Antietam, Md., Sep-
tember 17, 1862.

Joseph F. Floyd. Enlisted as a recruit February 12,
1864; killed at the Wilderness, Va., May 6, 1864.

Charles E. Osgood. Enlisted as a recruit February
25, 1864; wounded May 16, 1864; transferred to Veteran
Reserve Corps January 30, 1865; honorably discharged.

Seventh New Hampshire Regiment

This regiment was enlisted at Manchester for three
years, mustered into the United States service December
14, 1861, and left for Florida, by the way of New York
under command of Col. H. F. Putnam of Cornish, January
14, 1862.

Colonel Putnam was killed July 18, 1863, and was suc-
ceeded in the command by Colonel Joseph C. Abbott of
Manchester.

The regiment was in the service in Florida and South
Carolina till April, 1864, when it was ordered to Virginia.

Some of the more important battles in which this reg-
iment was engaged were: The assault on Fort Wagner,
July 18, 1863, and Oulstee, Florida, February 20, 1864. It
was also engaged in many of the battles near Richmond,
Va.

In Company B of this regiment were the following
Hudson men:

Leander H. Cummings. Age 18; promoted to Cor-
poral, May 6, 1862; wounded and captured July 18, 1863, at

282 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Fort Wagner, S. C; died of wounds July 28, 1863, at
Charleston, S. C.

Albert Campbell. Age 18; discharged January 7,
1862, by civil authority.

William J. Fifield. Age 24; deserted August 6, 1862,
at Nashua.

Harrison Fifield. Age 44; discharged for disability
February 18, 1862, at New York City.

William L. Walker. Age 22; re-enlisted from First
New Hampshire Regiment October 1, 1861; promoted to
Sergeant, August 1, 1864; mustered out December 27, 1864.

Otis A. Merrill. Company H; age 18; enlisted Au-
gust 15, 1862; promoted to Sergeant, January 26, 1865;
discharged June 26, 1865, at Goldsborough, N. C. Award-
ed "Gilmore Medal" by Major General O. A. Gilmore for
gallant and meritorious conduct during operations before
Charleston, S. C.

Andrew J. Berry. Age 21; enlisted August 21, 1862;
killed July 18, 1863, at Fort Wagner, S. C.

Eighth New Hampshire Regiment

This regiment, also, was enlisted at Manchester for
three years, commanded by Hawkes Fearing, and mus-
tered in, December 23, 1861.

It left for Ship Island, Miss., by way of Boston, Janu-
ary 25, 1862, and served in Louisiana and other states bor-
dering on the Mississippi river, till the expiration of its
term of service.

Like some others of the New Hampshire regiments it
saw much hard service, and was engaged in the following
battles and actions:

Georgia Landing, La., October 27, 1862; Fort Bisland,
La., April 12 and 15, 1863; Siege of Port Hudson, La.,
May 25 to July 8, 1863; Natchitoches, La., March 31, 1864;
Piney Woods, La., April 2, 1864; Wilson's Farm, La.,
April 7, 1864; Sabine Cross Roads, La., April 8, 1864;

HUDSON IN THE CIVIL WAR AND OTHER WARS 283

Cane River, La., April 23, 1864; Monett's Bluff, La., April
24, 1864; Bayou Rapid. La., April 26, 1864; Snaggy Point,
La., May 1, 1864; Alexandria (Wilson's Landing,) May 14,
1864; Marksville, May 16, 1864; Bayou De Glaize or Mo-
reauville, May 17, 1864: Yellow Bayou, May 18, 1864.

The following Hudson men were in this regiment:

Levi E. Cross. Company A; age 30; discharged for
disability at Carrollton, La., October 27, 1862.

Robert Douglass Caldwell. Company A; age 40;
mustered out January 18, 1865.

Abel F. Gould. Company A; age 21; re-enlisted
from First New Hampshire Regiment, September 12, 1861;
drowned in Red River, Alexandria, La., May 10, 1862.

James Hales. Company D; age 25; deserted No-
vember 20, 1864, Natchez, Miss.

Charles A. Russell. Company E; age 18; killed Oc-
tober 27, 1862, Labadieville, La.

John Smith. Company E; age 41; mustered out Oc-
tober, 1864.

Amos M. Young. Company C; age 18; transferred
to Company D, December, 1861; wounded June 14, 1863,
at Port Hudson, La.; re-enlisted January 4, 1864, cred.
Nashua; transferred to Company A, Veteran Battalion,
8th N. H. Volunteers, January 1, 1865; mustered out Oc-
tober 28, 1865.

John P. Young. Company D; age 19; transferred to
Veteran Reserve Corps May 1, 1864.

Ninth New Hampshire Regiment

This regiment was organized at Concord, enlisted for
three years, and left for the seat of war, August 25, 1862,
under command of Colonel Enoch 0. Fellows of Sandwich.

The regiment reached Washington on the evening of
the 27th, and the next morning marched across the Long
Bridge into Virginia, where it was assigned to the com-
mand of General Whipple at Camp Chase.

284 HISTORY OF HUDSON

The following are some of the more important battles
in which the regiment was engaged:

South Mountain, Md., September 14, 1862; Antietam,
Md , September 17, 1862; Fredericksburg, Va., December
13, 1862; Wilderness, Va., May 6, 1864; Spottsylvania,
Va., May 12, 1864; Cold Harbor, Va., June 7, 1864; Pe-
tersburg, Va., June 17 to July 27, 1864; Mine Explosion,
Petersburg, Va., July 30, 1864.

Three Hudson men were in this regiment:

Jesse S. Bean. Company C; Corporal; age 26; wound-
ed at Fredericksburg, Va., December 13, 1862; transferred
to Company K, 5th Invalid Corps, January 15, 1864; dis-
charged July 5, 1865, at Indianapolis, Ind.

Thomas P. Conrey. Company C; age 22; captured
May 12, 1862, at Spottsylvania, Va.; died August 28, 1862,
Andersonville, Ga.

Elias L. Foote. Company F; age 18; died of disease
October 3, 1862, at Antietam, Md.

Tenth New Hampshire Regiment

This regiment, enlisted for three years, and composed
mostly of men of Irish birth or descent, was organized at
Manchester, mustered in, September 5, 1862, and left for
the front on the 22d, under command of Colonel Michael
T. Donahoe of Manchester.

The Tenth took part in the battle of Fredericksburg
in December, 1862. During 1863 the regiment was serv-
ing in the neighborhood of Norfolk. In 1864 it joined the
Army of the Potomac, and participated in the battle of
Cold Harbor. The most of its service was with the Army
of the James. The Hudson men in this regiment were:

Charles H. Kershaw. Corporal, Company B; desert-
ed October 29, 1862.

William H. Durant. Company B; discharged for dis-
ability May 20, 1863; enlisted in the Invalid Corps, Sep-
tember 2, 1864; mustered out November 15, 1865.

HUDSON IN THE CIVIL WAR AND OTHER WARS 285

John D. Farnum. Company B; transferred to Veter-
an Reserve Corps, August 15, 1863.

Joseph French. Company B; mustered out June 21,
1865.

Francis Tetro. Company B; mustered out June 21,
1865.

Robert French. Company C; mustered out June 20,
1865.

Twelfth New Hampshire Regiment

On the tenth day of August, 1862, the Governor of
New Hampshire gave permission and issued recruiting pa-
pers to raise and officer a regiment in Belknap and Carroll
Counties, provided it could be done in ten days.

On the sixteenth day of August the Adjutant General
of the State was notified that ten full companies had been
organized and were ready to be mustered into the United
States service, which was done respectively as follows:

Company A, August 30; Company B, August 30;
Company C, September 5; Company D, September 5;
Company E, September 5; Company F, September 5;
(Company F raised in Merrimack County.) Company G,
September 9; Company H, September 9; Company I, Sep-
tember 9; Company K, September 10.

Joseph H. Potter, an officer of the regular army, with
the rank of Captain, was appointed Colonel.

John F. Marsh, a native of Hudson, who had had ex-
perience under Colonel Franklin Pierce in the Mexican war
in 1847, was Lieutenant Colonel, and George D. Savage,
Major.

The twelfth regiment was encamped for drill at Con-
cord, N. H. It was mustered as a regiment September 26,
1862, and left for Washington, D. C.,the next day, arriving
at Camp Chase September 30, where it was joined to Col-
onel Wright's Division of General Casey's command of the
Reserve Army Corps Defences of Washington.

286 HISTORY OF HUDSON

This regiment participated in many hard fought bat-
tles.

We find the following record in relation to John F.
Marsh :

"Marsh, John F. F. & S;

"Born in Hudson; age 34; Res. Hudson, Appointment
Lt. Colonel, Sept. 17, 1862; Mustered in Sept. 17, 1862;
Wd. May 3, 1863, Chancellorville, Va. Disc. Feb. 5, 1864,
to date Jan, 26, 1864, to accept appt. in V. R. C.

"Enlisted June 10, 1861, as private Co. B. 6th Wiscon-
sin Inf. (While in Hastings Minn.) Not mustered as pri-
vate, Appt. Lieut. June 19, 1861. Appt. Capt. Co. D. Oct.
30, 1861 ; to date Oct. 25, 1861; Wd. Aug. 28, 1862, Gaines-
ville; Disc. September 13, 1862; to acct. appt. as Lt. Col.
12 N. H. Vol.; Brevt. Col. U. S. V. to date Mar. 13, 1865;
for gallant and meritorious services in the battle of Chan-
cellorsville, Va.

"Veteran Reserve Corps

"Marsh, John F. F. and S. 24 Inf; b Hudson, age
35, res. Hudson; App. Lt. Col. Jan. 22, 1864; accepted
Jan. 27. 1864; resigned Aug. 17, 1865."

Thirteenth New Hampshire Regiment

The thirteenth regiment, enlisted for three years, left
Concord October 6, 1862, under command of Colonel Aaron
Fletcher Stevens of Nashua. George Bowers of Nashua
was Lieutenant-Colonel. The regiment reached Washing-
ton on the evening of the eighth, and on the ninth crossed
the Long bridge to Camp Chase on the Virginia side of the
Potomac. It served all its time in Virginia, excepting a
few days' march through Maryland.

This regiment had a very honorable record. The Ad-
jutant General's Report for 1865, Vol. 2, page 339, says
of it:

It is but justice to the regiment to say that no officer of the command
has ever been cashiered or dismissed the service ; that one half or more

HUDSON IN THE CIVIL WAR AND OTHER WARS 287

of its officers aie kept on detached service in various capacities in the
army, while the general intelligence and honesty of its men, have won for
the regiment, a character for trustworthiness, efficiency and integrity in
the discharge of their duties, second to none in the service. It has cap-
tured five pieces of artillery in one charge, and with its division taken six-
teen pieces more, has captured three battle flags; and taken more prison-
ers from the enemy than the number of its own ranks; and has never
been driven from the field, or from its position by the enemy.

Some of the more important battles in which it fought
are the following:

Fredericksburg, December 13, 1862; Siege of Suffolk,
April and May, 1863; Walthall Road, May 7, 1864; Swift
Creek, May 9 and 10, 1864; Kingsland Creek, May 12 and
13, 1864; Drury's Bluff, May 14 and 16, 1864; Cold Har-
bor, June 1 and 3, 1864; Battery 5, Petersburg, June 15,
1864; Battery Harrison, September 29 and 30, 1864.

In Company I of this regiment eighteen Hudson men
enlisted September 20, whose names are given below:

James M. Greeley, Sergeant. Age 41; discharged for
disability at Washington, D. C, February 25,1863; en-
listed in Heavy Artillery, September 6, 1864.

Nathan M. Blodgett, Corporal. Age 24; discharged
by order at Portsmouth, Va., November 30, 1863.

Reuben Cummings, musician. Age 32; mustered out
June 21, 1865.

Alden M. Jones, musician. Age 42; mustered out
June 21, 1865.

George W. Batchelder. Age 20; captured October 27,
1864; died of disease at Salisbury, N. C, February 12, 1865.

Henry Butler. Age 35; wounded December 13, 1862;
promoted to Corporal April 1, 1863; mustered out June
21, 1865.

Bradford Campbell. Age 18; mustered out June 21,
1865.

Henry T. Colburn. Age 26; discharged for disability
at Concord, N. H., July 20, 1863.

Gilman F. Chase. Age 27; transferred to Company
C, September 25, 1862; transferred to brigade band Janu-
ary 25, 1863; mustered out June 21, 1865.

288 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Rufus M. Fletcher Age 25; mustered out June 21,
1865.

Lorenzo Fuller. Age 18; mustered out June 17, 1865.

Frederick F. Hickox. Age 38; mustered out May 12,
1865.

Napoleon E. Jones. Age 18; mustered out June 21,
1865.

William B. Lewis. Age 25; promoted to Corporal
April 1, 1863; wounded slightly May 16, 1864; promoted
to Sergeant June 7, 1864; mustered out June 21, 1865.

Jacob Marshall. Age 19; died of disease at Ports-
mouth, Va., August 21, 1863.

Otis R. Marsh. Age 30; wounded severely October
27, 1864; discharged by order May 28, 1865.

Andrew J. Smith. Age 32; killed at Petersburg, Va.,
June 26, 1864.

James G. Smith. Age 20; died of disease at Ports-
mouth, Va., October 3, 1863.

First Regiment New Hampshire Heavy Artillery

Company F of this regiment was recruited in Nashua
by its Captain, Daniel J. Flanders, mustered in, September
6, 1864, and soon after left the state for Washington, where,
after its arrival, it was organized with eleven other Com-
panies, into a regiment, under command of Colonel Charles
H. Long of Claremont.

During the fall and winter this regiment was engaged
in gariison duty not far from Washington, and was mus-
tered out June 15, 1865.

In Company F of this regiment were the following
sixteen residents of Hudson:

Samuel M. Walker, Corporal.

James McCoy, Corporal ; reduced to ranks June 1, 1865.

George W. Berry; appointed musician, December 16,
1864.

Lucius T. Buker, James M. Greeley,

James S. Blodgett, Horace J. Hamblet,

HUDSON IN THE CIVIL WAR AND OTHER WARS 289

Albert A. Campbell, James N. Corliss,

Austin T. Merrill, George S. McCoy,

John W. Fletcher, Frederick F. Smith,

Frank J. Fuller, Willard O. Winn,

Samuel A. Greeley.

The following is a list of other Hudson men who en-
listed into the United States' service during the war:

John H. Phillips. Enlisted for three years in Troop
M, First New England Cavalry; mustered in, September
15, 1862; transferred to Invalid Corps, September, 18(53;
discharged for disability January 27, 1864.

Warren Smith. Enlisted in Troop A, First Regiment
New Hampshire Cavalry; mustered in, March 24, 1864;
promoted to Corporal May 1, 1864; wounded severely Au-
gust 25, 1864, and died of wounds soon after.

Jonathan Burbank. Enlisted for nine months in Com-
pany E, Fifteenth New Hampshire Regiment; mustered
in, October 9, 1862; mustered out at Memphis, Tenn., Au-
gust 13, 1863; sick at Memphis and died soon after.

The following Hudson men enlisted in Company F,
Eighteenth New Hampshire Regiment for one year; mus-
tered in, September 28, 1864.

Levi E. Cross, Corporal. Mustered out June 10, 1865.

Cyrus Cross. Mustered out June 10, 1865.

These men from Hudson enlisted into the United
States' Navy:

James H. Shaw. Enlisted in the navy April 19, 1861,
and was honorably discharged April 19, 1865.

Thomas M. Senter. Enlisted for two years June,
1862; re-enlisted for two years February 27, 1865.

George E. Senter. Enlisted as an Acting Master's
Mate June, 1862; resigned June, 1863.

Joseph W. Wallace, Michael Harney and Samuel L.
Beverly, enlisted in the navy, but the dates of their enlist-
ment are unknown.

Names of Hudson men who enlisted in Massachusetts
regiments:

290 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Almon S. Senter. Enlisted in Sixth Massachusetts
Regiment for nine months; afterwards in Massachusetts
Heavy Artillery, and served through the war.

Aaron B. Frost. Twelfth Massachusetts Regiment.
Jamison Greeley. Company M, Fourteenth Massa-
chusetts Regiment.

Samuel M. Walker. Company C, Sixteenth Massa-
chusetts Regiment.

William Livingston. Thirty-sixth Massachusetts Reg-
iment.

Henry H. Ford. Third Mas.sachusetts Regiment,
Heavy Artillery, November 7, 1863; discharged 1865.

Names of men enlisted in unknown Massachusetts
regiments:

George McQueston, Alexis Baker,

Henry H. Dane, Patrick Bradley,

James O. Dane.
Myron W. Harris and Henry Harris, two brothers,
enlisted in an unknown Maine regiment.

Names of Hudson men drafted in 1863, who furnished
substitutes:

Augustus F. Blodgett, Obadiah F. Smith,
Nehemiah H. Gage, Ira Templeton,

E. Wesley Hill, Willard O. Winn,

John B. Marshall.
In 1864:

Charles H. Grant, Arus H. McCoy,

Edwin S. Gowing, Lucius F. Robinson,

Benjamin H. Kidder, John C. Smith.
List of Hudson men not drafted, who furnished sub-
stitutes:

David Clement, Jr., Alphonso Robinson,

Daniel M. Greeley, David O. Smith,

Franklin A. Hill, Charles Steele,

Emery Parker, Kimball Webster,

Augustus F. Morrison, Willard H. Webster,
Alfred C. Ripley.

HUDSON IN THE CIVIL WAR AND OTHER WARS 291

The names of these twenty-four substitutes, together
with thirteen other recruits furnished by the town, all be-
ing non-residents, and principally aliens, are omitted.

In making up the foregoing lists of soldiers, it has
been the purpose of the compiler to give the names of
those, and those only, who were residents of this town, a
few of which are credited to other towns.

It has also been our endeavor to make the lists perfect
and complete, so as to include the names of all the resi-
dents of Hudson who served in the army or navy of the
United States in any capacity during the war; yet it is pos-
sible that omissions may have occurred in instances of men
enlisting in other states or in the navy; but if there are
any such, it is believed that they are very few in number.

At the close of the war this town was credited at the
Adjutant General's office with twelve more men than its
full quota under all the calls for soldiers, and it was claimed
that twenty-one more men than its quota had been fur-
nished, after allowing all due credits to other towns.

The entire number of enlistments credited to Hudson
by the Adjutant General was one hundred and twenty-five.

The amount of bounties paid by the town, a portion of
which was afterwards reimbursed by the State and United
States, was thirty-six thousand seven hundred and twenty-
five dollars. ($36,725.)

The whole number of different men enlisted, as shown

by the foregoing lists was 106

Of this number one was discharged by civil authority 1

Number of men in the service 105

Re-enlisted 9

Wounded 13

Taken prisoners 4

Transferred to Veteran Invalid Corps . , 6

Killed 4

Died of wounds 3

Died of disease 9

292 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Drowned 1

Discharged for disability 15

Officers 2

Deserted 3

Honorably discharged at end of service .... 68

Mexican War

105

In the war between the United States and Mexico, in
1847, Hudson furnished at least one soldier. He was John
F. Marsh, born here February 1, 1828, who served several
months in the Ninth Regiment of the United States Army,
otherwise known as the New England Regiment, command-
ed by Col. Franklin Pierce under Gen. Winfield Scott.

Spanish-American War

Hudson also furnished one soldier for this war, in 1898,
James G. Wentworth, who served through the war and re-
ceived an honorable discharge.

CHAPTER XXIV

Tax Lists and Homesteads, 1793

Invoice of 1793

In 1793, the selectmen made and recorded a much
more elaborate and detailed invoice than had been cus-
tomary. This showed the number of polls, horses, oxen,
cows, three-year olds, two-year olds, yearlings, acres of or-
chard, tillage and mowing, pasture and wild land and build-
ings, taxable to each resident of the town.

These items were grouped into the North and the
South ends — one hundred and eleven tax-payers in the
South end, and one hundred and twenty-two in the north
end, or two hundred and thirty-three in all, including fifteen
or more non-residents. The summary was as follows:

Polls, 204; horses, 66; oxen, 192; cows, 315; three-
year olds, 142; two-year olds, 134; yearlings, 149. Acres
of orchard, 72; acres of tillage and mowing, 963; acres of
pasture, 544; acres of wild land and buildings, 4,739; total,
6,818.

The returns on the area of lands were not very exact,
SIS the whole number of acres accounted for by the select-
men was but a little more than one-third of the actual num-
ber of acres in the town at that date, as well as at present.

The number of acres returned was six thousand, three
hundred and eighteen, when as a fact there were more than
seventeen thousand acres of land in Nottingham West in
1793.

The selectmen of that year were Asa Davis, Samuel
Marsh and Phineas Underwood.

293

294

HISTORY OF HUDSON

Tax List, 1793

South End Invoice:

Samuel Wason,
Asa Davis,
James Caldvvrell,
Lt. Thomas Wason,
David Cummings,
Elijah Fletcher,
Robert Stewart,
Joseph Gould,
Andrews Seavey^
Theodore Merrill,
Moses Johnson, Jr.,.
Dea. Isaac Merrill,
Abel Merrill,
Frenton Hauck,
Farwell Parker,
John Butler, Jr.,
Jonas Hardy,
Benjamin Chase^
Joseph Winn,
Capt. William Burns,
Stephen Chase,
John Chase,
Benjamin Marshall,
John Ditson,
Joseph B. Wilson,
Ebenezer Burbank,
John Caldwell,
Samuel S. Haywood,
Mansfield Huey,
Jonathan Tenney,
Elnathan Searles,
Lt. Alexander Caldwell,
Eliphalet Hadley,

Moses Wason,
Joseph Caldwell,
James Wason,
Capt. David Camming^,,
Thomas Hamblet,
Benjamin Merrill,
Col. James Ford,
Jonathan Gould,
John Merrill,
Moses Johnson,
Robinson Brown,
George Burns,
Friend Moody,
Zaccheus Colburn,
Dea. Samuel French,
Asa Wyman,
Joshua Chase,
Phineas Underwood,
Joseph Winn, Jr.,
James Pemberton,
Ephraim C. Chase,
Ens. Isaac Colburn,
Lt. John Pollard,
Jonathan Burbank,
Thomas Pollard,
Jonathan Hardy,
John Caldwell, Jr.,
Waldo Haywood,
Robert Glover,
David Campbell,
Dr. George Wood,
Samuel Caldwell,
Enos Hadley,

TAX LISTS AND HOMESTEADS, 1 793

ti95

Wid. Sarah VVinslow Heirs,
'Col. John Tyng,
Lt. Jacob Fletcher,
John Colburn,
Jsmes Sherburn,
James Gibson, Esq.,
Dea. Barnabas Gibson,
John Atwood,
Henry Marshall,
Nathan Winn,
Samuel Brown,
William Gibson,
Parrot Hadley,
Stephen Hadley,
Timothy Smith,
Jonathan Blodgett,
Wilder Greeley,
Samuel Hamblet,
Joseph Blodgett, Jr.,
Lt. Ashael Blodgett,
Ebenezer Pollard,
Lt. Samuel Pollard,

Joseph

North End Invoice:

Seth Wyman,
Capt. John Haseltine,
Andrew Seaton,
John Smith, Jr.,
Wid. Mary Duty,
Samuel G. Smith,
Abraham Smith,
Ens. David Lawrence,
Philip Marshall,
Isaac Page,

Wid. Eleanor Eastman,
Joseph Steele,

Dudley Tyng, Esq.,
Mark Gould,
Lot Spalding,
John Wilson,
Lt. Joseph Butterfield,
Lt. Abial Colburn,
Joshua Hamblet,
Phineas W. Blodgett,
Capt. Joseph Kelley,
Richard Cutter,
William Pease,
Zachariah Hardy,
Kliphalet Hadley, Jr.,
Robert Douglass,
William Smith,
Jabez Blodgett,
Capt. Joseph Greeleyj
Joseph Blodgett,
Jeremiah Blodgett,
Baniah Blodgett,
Ebenezer Pollard, Jr.,
Asa Pollard,
Caldwell.

Seth Wyman, Jr.,
John Ayer,
Samuel Smith,
Mansfield Smith,
Lt. Thomas Smith,
John Smith,
James Smith,
Jonathan Lawrence,
Philip Marshall, Jr.,
Seth Page,
William Graham,
William Steele,

296

HISTORY OF HUDSON

Ezra Burbank,

Capt. David Peabody,

Lt. Benjamin Kidder.

Joseph Hobbs,

Peter Robinson,

William Burroughs,

Hugh Smith, Jr.,

John Hale,

Dea. Samson Kidder,

Elijah Marshall,

James Melvin,

Wid. Rebecca Barrett,

Lt. Isaac Barrett,

David Tarbell,

Dea. Thomas Marsh,

Moses Hadley,

Nathaniel Hale,

Capt. Peter Cross,

Dea. EbenezerCummings,

Lt. Reuben Spalding,

John Gilson,

Ebenezer Marsh,

William Marsh,

John Lewis,

Samuel Hills,

Philip Hills,

Enoch Foote,

Thomas Hills,

Levi Cross,

James Hills,

Daniel Marshall,

William Hills,

Nathaniel Hills,

Samuel Hills, Jr.,

Capt.Ezekiel GreeIey,Heirs,

Levi Andrews,

Moses Greeley,

Simeon Robinson,
Jonathan Butterfield,
Samson Kidder, Jr.,
Josiah Merrill,
David Peabody,
Hugh Smith,
Cofran Patten,
Thomas Hale,
Ens. Nathaniel Marshall,
Wid. Ruth Marshall,
David Glover,
Joel Barrett,
Capt. Simeon Barrett,
Amos Davis,
Jonathan Marsh,
Eleazer Cummings,
Thomas Searles,
Peter Cross, Jr.,
John Cummings,
Lt. Reuben Spalding, Jr.,
Samuel Marsh, Esq.,
Joshua Pierce,
Richard Marshall,
John Peteres,
Samuel Marsh, Jr.,
Ebenezer Hills,
Ens. Elijah Hills,
Wid. Hannah Hills,
Jeremiah Hills,
David Hills,
Isaac Marshall,
John Goodspeed,
Nathaniel Hills, Jr.,
Wid. Esther Greeley,
Noah Greeley,
Thomas Andrews,
Joel Andrews,

TAX LISTS AND HOMESTEADS, 1/93 297

Aaron Hood, Thomas Senter,

John Robinson, Zaccheus Greeley,

Wid. Mehitable Tarbox, Reuben Sargent,

Wid, Sarah Tarbox, Aaron Tarbox,

Lot Marshall, John Marshall,

Henry Hale, Henry Merrill,

Paul Tenney, Jonathan Lund,

Page Smith, Capt. Abraham Page,

Nathaniel Haselton, Amos Wyman,

Ebenezer Richardson, Samuel Richardson,

Gideon Butler, James Corliss,

John Davidson, George Davidson.

North End names, 122; South End names. 111; total,
233. At the South End there were certainly thirteen non-
residents. At the North End probably two non-residents,
and possibly a few others at each section.

Family Sketches and Homesteads

From the preceding lists, with such other knowledge
as the writer has of the localities and the ancient abodes of
the early inhabitants of this town, it is possible at the date
of this writing, 1912, to fix approximately the locations
where many of the leading citizens and tax-payers of Not-
tingham West had their farms and dwellings one hundred
and nineteen years ago.

By dint of extensive study and lengthy and exhaustive
research many facts and data concerning these early fam-
ilies have been gathered, some of which will now be given
in the following items, in the hope that they may prove of
interest to their descendants.

Of course this information cannot, in all cases, be defi-
nite and exact, but it is believed that it at least approxi-
mates correctness.

The North End will be taken first, but not alphabeti-
cally.

2i>8 HISTORY OF HUDSON

North End Settlers

Wyman, Seth and Seth, Jr., lived near Pelham line at
the Captain Henry Butler place, or at the next house
north, where a cellar may be now seen.

Haseltine, Captain John, lived on what was afterwards
the Jeremiah Smith farm, now the Charles Stowell Smith
place, near Pelham line, and on the road to North Pelham.

Lawrence, Ensign David, lived at or near Lawrence
Corner.

Lawrence, Jonathan, is supposed to have been a broth-
er of David and to have lived on the Nashua road from
Lawrence Corner, on what was later known as the "Devil
Jim" Smith farm, and for many years the Eaton place.

Steele, William, lived on the old Steele farm in the
north-east part of the town, which is now occupied by Os-
wald P. Baker.

Steele, Joseph, lived near his brother William, a little
north.

Robinson, Simeon, first resided at the north-east cor-
ner of the town, and when a portion of Londonderry was
annexed to it in 1778, the north-east corner was about four
rods from his house. He later lived on the Howe road,
and in 1793 it is believed that he resided at the place now
occupied by Alphonzo and John A. Robinson.

Peabody, Captain David, probably lived on what was
afterwards the Cummings place, west of the Robinson
farm. An old cellar some eighty rods north of the present
buildings marks the spot where the Peabody house is said
to have stood.

Kidder, Lieutenant Benjamin, is understood to have
resided on what was later the Charles Wood place at the
corner of the old Tiger road, which was laid out in 1793.

TAX LISTS AND HOMESTEADS, I973 299

*' Beginning at the road that leads from Left. Benja-
min Kidder's to Capt. David Peabody's at a Black oak tree
near said Kidder's house."

Kidder, Samson, Jr., probably lived on the farm later
owned by Deacon Benjamin Kidder and Benjamin H. Kid-
der. His father was probably Lieut. Benjamin. Deacon
Samson Kidder, who lived in town, may have been a broth-
er to Lieut. Benjamin, possibly the father of Samson Jr.

Hobbs, Joseph, lived next house easterly from the
Samson Kidder place on the Londonderry road. A cellar
is still visible south of the road.

Merrill, Josiah, probably lived on the place long owned
by Wood, easterly of the Hobbs farm.

Robinson, Peter, lived on the same road near London-
derry line, possibly on the old Simeon Robinson place near
Londonderry corner. He may have been Simeon's son.

Burroughs, William, lived near the old Tiger road laid
out April 3, 1793. The place is now grown up to wood.
The cellar is visible near the old road.

Hale, John, lived on the Blanchard farm, on the hill
north-easterly from the Center, and north of the old road.
His wife was the daughter of Nathaniel Hills, and was born
in the Hills' garrison.

Kidder, Deacon Samson, possibly lived on the farm
now owned and occupied by Clifton E. Buttrick. The
house may have been on the old road north of the present
Buttrick house.

Marshall, Ensign Nathaniel, lived on Barrett's hill, at
what is at present the B. F. Willoughby farm.

Marshall, Elijah, lived, it is almost certain, on Barrett's
hill at the present Melvin place, adjoining the last farm
mentioned. See laying out of the Tiger road, April, 1793.

Marshall, Widow Ruth, lived at the same place as
Elijah.

300 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Melvin, James, lived to the north-east of the present
Melvin farm, where, not many years since, stood a stone
chimney. This was towards the pond some distance to the
east of the old Tiger road.

Glover, David, probably lived on Barrett's hill, but it
is not quite certain just where; if not, it was a little north.
Somewhat later the Glovers owned a small tract on the
north side of the road, which later became the James Mel-
vin place.

Barrett, Widow Rebecca, who was the wife of James
Barrett, lived on Barrett's hill near where the Hiram Cross,
or the Arden C. Cross, place now is.

Barrett, Joel, probably lived north of Barrett's hill on
the old Tiger road, at what was later the Cross, and later
still the Blanchard, place, but it is not certainly known just
where.

Barrett, Lieutenant Isaac, lived on Barrett's hill, on
the Robert A. Andrews homestead.

Barrett, Captain Simeon, also had his home on Bar-
rett's hill near where William A. Andrews now resides.

Tarbell, David, lived on the north-west side of Bar-
rett's hill road, a little east of its junction with the Hiram,
or Walter H. Marsh road, where the ancient cellar may
still be seen. The ancient Londonderry corner, previous
to the annexation of 1778, was on this David Tarbell farm,
some fifty or sixty rods north-east of the buildings.

Davis, Amos, son of Nathaniel, was born in this town
June 8, 1769. His father, Nathaniel, lived at an earlier
date not far from Kelley's Ferry, or Taylor's Falls bridge.
The ancient cellar is still visible on the triangular piece of
land between the Derry road. Library street and Ferry
street. Later he lived at what was more recently the John
M. Thompson farm. Here, also, Amos lived in 1793. This
farm adjoined the Deacon Thomas Marsh place.

TAX LISTS AND HOMESTEADS, 1/93 ^^^

Marsh, Deacon Thomas, was the son of John, Sr., and
brother of John and Samuel. He settled first near a sand
hill on land later owned by his grandson, Enoch S. Marsh.
Not very far from this place, and south of the brook, there
is another ancient cellar. The family removed to a spot
south of the Hiram Marsh house, where Walter H. Marsh
has lately built a cottage. It is not probable that Thomas
Marsh ever resided in the house south of the brook.

Marsh, Jonathan, son of Deacon Thomas, seems to
have resided with his father in 1793, all the real estate
being assessed to him, while his father was assessed for
two cows only.

Hadley, Moses, owned a grist mill — and perhaps a saw
mill — near the outlet of Otternick pond. The cellar where
he lived was north of the road, on the crest of a hill west
of the brook, at the old Messer place, as it was later called,
and where John Cutter afterwards resided. Later on he
had a mill near where Melendy's box shop has been for
several years past, which was situated on the same brook,
but lower down.

Cummings, Eleazer, son of Eleazer, was born June 16,
1765. Eleazer, Senior, bought ninety acres of the south
end of the Joseph Hills farm August 1, 1728. He made a
settlement not very long after. He erected a house on the
higher ground about twenty rods north of the present
house of the writer, Kimball Webster. Here Eleazer, Jr.,
lived in 1793. This house was torn down in 1847.

Hale, Nathaniel, was the twin brother of Sarah, wife
of Eleazer Cummings. He probably worked for Mr. Cum-
mings. He was born April 20, 1767. He was assessed
for no real estate.

Searles, Thomas, was the son of Jonathan, born Au-
gust 28, 1754. He was assessed for no real estate, and had
no permanent home at the south end.

02 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Cross, Captain Peter, was the son of Nathan and was
born September 28, 1729. April 22, 1724, Nathan bought
forty-five acres of land next south of what afterwards be-
came the Deacon William Cummings place, with the island
at the mouth of Nashua river and two pieces of meadow.
He settled on it not very long after.

Cross, Peter, Jr. There were probably two houses on
the Cross farm. Captain Peter and Peter, Jr., were each
assessed for one-half of the real estate. Their houses were
situated a little to the south-west of the Catholic cemetery.

Cummings, Deacon Ebenezer, was the son of Deacon
William, who settled on the farm next south of the Spald-
ing place and next north of the Cross place. Ebenezer
lived on this same place. The house stood on the east side
of the Derry road, a little west of Lucien M. ToUes' barn.
There was also another house west of the Derry road,
nearly opposite this, but a little more south.

Cummings, John, son of Ebenezer, born November 21,
1771, was assessed for a poll tax only.

Spalding, Lt. Reuben, born in July, 1728, was the son
of Ebenezer. He lived on the west side of Derry road,
where Charles W. Spalding now resides. This was the old
Spalding farm, which was first settled by John Taylor, who
had a garrison here, and which afterwards came into the
possession of John Marshall. Lieutenant Reuben was the
father of Reuben, Jr., who owned one-half of the farm.
Reuben, Jr., died November 20, 1798.

Marsh, Samuel, Esq., was the son of John, an early
settler. He was born about 1733, and resided on the old
Marsh farm next south of the Joshua Pierce place, which
seems to have been owned by John Marsh as early as 1743^
By his second wife, Sarah Poole, Samuel Marsh had a son,
Fitch Poole Marsh, who later owned the north part of the
same farm.

TAX LISTS AND HOMESTEADS, 1 793 303

Pierce, Joshua, lived on the old Pierce farm, next north
■of the Marsh place above noted. This was early owned
by Edward Spalding, and was a part of the original Joseph
Hills farm. He died September 25, 1857, aged one hun-
dred and one years. The farm was later owned by his
son, James Pierce, Esq., and later still by Abram Ferryall.

Marshall, Richard, owned a farm adjoining Joshua
Pierce on the north. The house stood on the west side of
the road. This land was purchased of Josiah Cummings,
October 13, 1784, and sold to Joshua Pierce, November 1,
1802, after which it formed the north part of the Pierce
farm.

Lewis, John, appears to have lived on the farm next
north of the Richard Marshall place, on the old Nathaniel
Hills garrison farm where the Hills brothers first settled.
This place was subsequently owned by Clifton M. Hills,
and now, 1912, by J. H. LeGallee. Lewis was first as-
sessed here in 1791, and probably died in 1796 or 1797, as
in the latter year the property was assessed to his heirs.

Hills, Samuel, was the son of Nathaniel, Sr., and was
born in Hills garrison, September 2, 1725. He was as-
sessed in 1746, and probably died about 1799, as the estate
in 1799 was assessed to the ''Heirs of Samuel Hills," and
in 1802 to the Widow Sarah Hills. He lived next north of
the Hills garrison farm, on a place later owned by Oliver
Sptake and Tyler Thomas.

Hills, Thomas, was the son of Ezekiel and Hannah,
born March 30, 1751. He was the father of Amos, and in
1793 probably lived on the farm with his mother, Hannah,
either in the same house or on the opposite side of the
road, at the Amos Hills place — "Hills Row."

Hills, Hannah, was the widow of Ezekiel, grandfather
of Amos, who died May 14, 1790, aged 72 years and 11
months. Hannah died September 27, 1816, aged 97 years.

304 HISTORY OF HUDSON

She lived on Amos Hills' place on the north side of the
Derry road — "Hills Row" — a little west of a small brook.

Cross, Levi, was a non-resident. He lived a little
north of the town line in the edge of Litchfield, on what
was afterwards the Colonel Cross farm and later the Aaron
Cutler place.

Hills, Jeremiah, son of James and Abigail, was born
March 1, 1727. He was the grandfather of Colonel Wil-
liam, and the great-grandfather of Granville Hills. He
lived on the Granville Hills place, and died April 4, 1810.
This place is now owned by Charles W. Hill.

Hills, James, the son of Jeremiah, was born August 3,
1765, and lived on the farm with his father,

Hills, David, also a son of Jeremiah, was born July 15,
1770. He was probably living with his father in 1793.

Marshall, Daniel, lived not far from the Litchfield line
near where John B. Marshall resided, until his house was
burned. He is supposed to have been a descendant of
John Marshall, an early settler in town, and may have been
his son. He must have been seventy years, or more, old
in 1795, since he paid no poll tax in that year.

Marshall, Isaac, was probably the son of Daniel, and
born January 26, 1771. He lived on the same farm as his
father, but possibly not in the same house, as there may
have been two houses on the place.

Hills, William, the son of Henry, and grandson of
Henry, was born March 3, 1751. He married Sarah Smith,
and resided on the farm that had been his father's, and
probably his grandfather's. Later this place belonged to
Stephen D. Greeley, and is now the Dooley farm. He
moved to Antrim, N. H., in 1810.

Hills, Samuel, Jr., was the son of Nathaniel who was
the son of Nathaniel, and was called Junior for the reason
that he had an uncle Samuel Hills living on the Litchfield

C/J

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TAX LISTS AND HOMESTEADS, 1 793 305

road. He lived on the farm later belonging to his son,
Abijah, and afterwards to Franklin Augustus Hills.

Greeley, Widow Esther, who had been the wife of
Ezekiel, probably lived on the south side of the Derry road,
nearly opposite the No. 9 school house, where the old cel-
lar may still be seen. If that is not the exact spot it was
near there.

Greeley, Noah, son of Ezekiel and Esther, lived with
his mother in 1793.

Andrews, Levi, lived on the north side of the Derry
road between the Jackson E. Greeley place and the No. 9
school house. The old cellar is still visible there.

Andrews, Thomas, son of Levi, was born May 2, 1771,
and lived with his father in 1793.

Greeley, Moses, built the Jackson E. Greeley house,
previous to which time the exact location of his residence
is uncertain. He resided in this house until his death on
August 15, 1848, at the age of eighty-four years. He lived
very near the same place in 1793.

Hale, Henry, son of Deacon Henry, was born May 21,
1740. He lived on a portion of the land that had been his
father's near the Center, the exact location of which is not
known.

Merrill, Henry, son of Daniel and Mary (Hale) Mer-
rill, was born July 17, 1763. He lived at the Center on
the farm that formerly belonged to his grandfather, Deacon
Henry Hale, afterwards to Reuben Greeley, Esq., and now,
1912, to John VVentworth.

Tenney, Dr. Paul, who came into this town to reside,
seems to have been a man of ability and a physician of
skill. He lived at Hudson Center, on the south side of the
Pelham road, at what was later Tenney's Tavern, and after-
wards the Dr. James Emery homestead — now owned by
Henry C. Brown.

306 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Smith, Page, son of Samuel and Hannah, was born
February 28, 1750. He married Lydia Haselton, and lived
eighty rods south-east from Hudson Center, on the top of
a hill, and at the south side of the Pelham road, where his
son Jefferson lived later.

Page, Captain Abraham, resided at several places in
town at earlier dates, but in 1793 he lived at what has been
for many years the Haselton farm. In 1793 he was about
seventy-seven years old. At that date there seems to have
been two houses on the place.

Haselton, Nathaniel, lived in 1793, on the farm later
owned by his son, Luther, and later by his grandson,
George W., and now by his great-grandson, Arthur W.
Haselton. Abraham Page owned this place before him.
The old Haselton house stood a short distance south of the
present one, where its old cellar may be seen.

Butler, Gideon, lived easterly of the Haselton road on
a road, now discontinued, but formerly running from the
Haselton place easterly over Corliss hill, and south-westerly
to the Bush hill road west of Chase hill. Beside this old
road the ancient house cellar may still be seen.

Corliss, James, resided at the easterly foot of Corliss
hill, on the North Pelham road from Hudson Center.

Smith, Samuel, the father of Henry, and the grand-
father of Dustin B. Smith, resided near where Henry lived
— now the home of Henry F. Smith.

Smith, Mansfield, son of Samuel and Jeanette, was
born January 17, 1779. He lived near his father.

Duty, Widow Mary, lived on the Duty place at Bush
hill, on the old road leadmg easterly from the Bush hill
road to the place formerly belonging to J. B. Smith.

Marsh, Ebenezer, son of Samuel, Senior, was born
January 13, 1767. He resided at his father's old home-

TAX LISTS AND HOMESTEADS, I793 307

Stead on the Litchfield road, the farm now belonging to
Josiah K. Wheeler heirs.

Hills, Philip, son of Oliver and Abigail, was born
March 2, 1754. He seems to have lived at Hills' Ferry,
where a ferry across the Merrimack was operated for many
years — first by Nathaniel Hills and later by his descend-
ants. This was near the Litchfield road. The place was
owned by the Hills until a few years since, when, as the
estate of George E. Hill, it was sold to J. W. Howard.

Hills, Ebenezer, son of Oliver and Abigail, was born
December 25, 1767. He resided a short distance from
Hills' Ferry, on the farm that later was the home of Os-
good Hill.

Hills, Ensign Elijah, son of James and Abigail, was
born March 15, 1738. He lived on the north side of the
Derry road, two and one-half miles from Taylor's Falls
bridge, and on a farm later occupied by his grandson, Al-
den Hills. The place is now known as the Alverne farm,
owned and occupied by Dr. Alfred K. Hills.

Senter, Thomas, lived on the Derry road. Just where
his house stood is not known to a certainty, but it was not
far from the small Senter burial ground at Potash Corner,
and probably was where the Jeremiah Heath house is now
located. He was a deacon of the church. His death oc-
curred December 25, 1834.

South End

Kelley, Captain Joseph, at one time owned the ferry
near where Taylor's Falls bridge now is, and lived in a
house about thirty rods east of the bridge, at the present
junction of Campbell avenue and Main street. He re-
sided here and operated the ferry for many years, but lived
at several other places in town at different times, and pos-
sibly may have lived a little further south in 1793.

308 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Cutter, Richard, came here from Menotomy, now
Cambridge. He settled on the south bank of Otternick
brook, half a mile east of Taylor's Falls bridge, and nearly
south of the George W. Marshall house. For his second
wife he married, April 6, 1789, Ruth (Hadley) Merrill,
daughter of Parrot Hadley. She afterwards married Aaron
Hamblet.

Douglass, Robert, lived on a farm situated on the
north side of the road leading from the town pound to Bush
hill. This farm later belonged to James McCoy, and now,
1912, to John Lenahan.

Smith, Timothy, lived on the place afterwards known
as the "Jim" Barrett place, near the brook, and near where
Pollard's, later Winn's, mills were located. He was a
prominent citizen of this town for many years.

Smith, William, was the son of Timothy, and lived on
the homestead with his father. They were each assessed
for an equal amount of land of each grade. At one time
there were two houses on the place, one of them just north
of the present one.

Greeley, Wilder, son of Ezekiel and Esther, and broth-
er of Sarah, wife of Joseph, was born February 19, 1771.
When he was twenty-two years of age his son, Moody, was
born, October 7, 1793. At this time he was living near his
brother-in-law, Joseph.

Greeley, Captain Joseph, was born September 29,
1756, and died May 13, 1840. He lived on the farm for-
merly owned by his father, later by his son Samuel, and
now by his grandson, Samuel A. Greeley, the son of Sam-
uel. This farm was situated on the Lowell road, a little
more than two miles south of the bridge, and was the old
Greeley place first settled by Samuel, Senior.

Wason, Samuel, lived a short distance west of the
Wason road, as it is called, on the north side of Bush hill.

TAX LISTS AND HOMESTEADS, 1 793 309

The old cellar is still to be seen there, on the land of Henry
Davis.

Wason, Moses, son of Samuel, was born November 9,
1771, and lived with his father. He paid a poll tax only.

Davis, Asa, Esq., occupied and owned a farm which
later came into the possession of his son, Daniel T. Davis,
later still was owned by his son-in-law, Samuel Morrison,
and now belongs to his grandson, Augustus F. Morrison.
This farm lies on the northerly slope of Bush hill, on the
Pelham road, and near what was No, 3 school house. Pre-
vious to Davis' time it was the property of a Caldwell.

Caldwell, Joseph, probably lived on the north slope of
Bush hill, at or near the place formerly belonging to Wil-
liam Caldwell, and not far from the Asa Davis farm.

Caldwell, James, resided at or near the Moses Smith
place, so called, a little northerly of the summit of Bush
hill. This farm lies on the Pelham road, and is now owned
by George E. Caldwell.

Wason, James, at eighty-three years of age lived at the
top of Bush hill, on the east side of the Pelham road, where
Samuel Walker lived later, and later still Oscar O. Arm-
strong. In 1793 he was assessed only for a horse and cow.

Wason, Lieutenant Thomas, son of James, when about
forty-five years old was assessed for the real estate then,
or formerly, belonging to his father.

Cummings, Captain David, son of Ephraim, was born
May 20, 1738, and lived where his father first settled, in
the early settlement of the town. His wife was Elizabeth
Butterfield. His house stood a little south of the road, at
the foot of Bush hill. At one time there were two houses
on the place a short distance apart.

Cummings, David, son of Captain David, was born
about 1763, and lived with his father. He married Phoebe
Wyman.

310 HrSTORY OF HUDSON

Merrill, Benjamin, son of Ensign Nathaniel and Olive
(Lund) Merrill, was born January 24, 1768. He lived for
many years on a farm in the south-east part of the town,
at the end of a bridle path that turns off from the Back
road near the Burnett place. He died there.

Stewait, Robert, owned and occupied the farm later
owned and occupied by Thomas Gowing, and now by
George T. Gowing. It is in the south-east part of the
town, near the Pelham line and Gumpus pond.

Ford, Colonel James, was assessed here as early as
1763, and up to 1799. Where he came from is not known.
He owned and occupied the Samuel Gowing farm in the
south-east part of the town, now owned by Edwin S. Gow-
ing. He was the clerk of Captain Samuel Greeley's Lex-
ington Company in April, 1775. He was in the army at
Cambridge six months in 1775, and was a lieutenant. Also
he was at the battle of Bunker Hill. He raised a company
of which he was the captain for fourteen days at Ticon-
deroga in 1777; he was the captain of a company at Ben-
nington for two months in 1777, and was severely wound-
ed at the battle of Bennington.

Gould, Joseph, came here in 1748. The old Joseph
Gould place is in the south part of the town on what was
once the Bowman road, now discontinued. It is south-east
of what was formerly the T. S. Ford farm, and not far
from New Found meadow. Once this road could boast of
two houses, but they have long since gone to decay.

Seavey, Andrew, came here in 1762, if not earlier. He
lived at the south-east corner of the town, not far from the
Goulds. He died June 1, 1802, and was buried in the small
cemetery at the south end.

Johnson, Moses, settled here as early as 1770, on the
farm later owned by Timothy Ford, later still by his son,
Timothy S. Ford, and now by James A. Sanders. He was
the son of Colonel William and Abigail (Widow Stickney)

TAX LISTS AND HOMESTEADS, 1 793 311

Johnson, and was born May 13, 1737. April 20, 1758, he
married Anna Moody, daughter of Benjamin and Anna
(Bradstreet) Moody, born January 19, 1737. They had a
large family of children.

Brown, Robinson, resided on the farm once owned by
Grant and later by Hoffman — the first house west of the
Samuel Gowing place.

Merrill, Deacon Isaac, son of Samuel and Susanna,
was born August 20, 1754. February 25, 1779, he married
Olive Merrill, born December 4, 1751, who was probably
the daughter of the Rev. Nathaniel Merrill. He lived on
the Back road, the second house south from the old ceme-
tery, south of Musquash brook, and north of the T. S.
Ford place. In 1777 he was in the army in New York and
served two months. He was also in the Ticonderoga com-
pany eight days.

Burns, George, son of George and Martha, was born
February 5, 1743. He married Elizabeth Adams, and lived
on the Back road at the south part of the town — the exact
location is not known at this time He had a Revolution-
ary War record.

Moody, Friend, is said to have lived at the south part
of the town, on a farm later owned by Elias Barron. It
was the first house on the west side of the road, southerly
from where the old Davenport road intersects the Back
road. He was a prominent townsman for many years.

Colburn, Zaccheus, was born February 16, 1765, and
was the son of Thomas, who was killed by lightning. He
owned a farm on the Back road, which later became the
property of Thomas B. Wason, who married Colburn's
daughter, and which now belongs to James F. Wilson.
The house was the first one south of the junction of roads.
The place was known for many years as the Wason farm.

Chase, Joshua, seems without much doubt to have
lived for many years on the old Chase place, east of the

312 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Lowell road, where his son, Jacob, afterwards lived and
died, and which was later owned by Benjamin F. Chase
Jacob's son. It is a little south of the highway leading
from the Lowell to the Back road.

Chase, Benjamin, son of Joshua, was born August 17,
1765. He resided on the homestead farm with his father.
There were two houses on the place.

Underwood, Phineas, probably moved from Merrimack
to this town about 1785. He was on the board of select-
men for several years, and proved to be a prominent citi-
zen. He lived on the Lowell road, and on the farm next
north of the Joseph Winn farm, which was later owned by
Reuben Spalding, and now belongs to his daughter, Mrs.
John Groves. He died May 9, 1798, aged 45.

Winn, Joseph, was born at Woburn, Mass., November
17, 1723, and came into town with his father, who settled
here at an early date. He lived on the west side of the
Lowell road, next south of the Underwood farm, later
owned by Paul T. Winn, and now by Elmer C. Winn.

Winn, Joseph, Jr., was the only child of the foregoing
Joseph, and remained on the home farm, which has always
been owned by the Winn family since its first settlement
by Joseph. It is the next farm north of the old Colburn
place.

Colburn, Ensign Isaac, lived upon the old Colburn
place settled at an early date by his father, Captain Thom-
as Colburn. It is the next farm north of the Stephen
Chase place, and the house is at the end of the road. It is
now owned by Eugene Donnelly heirs.

Burns, Captain William, son of George, was born Oc-
tober 29, 1744. He lived on the old homestead where he
was born, east of the Lowell road, and which has been
owned and occupied by Robert Groves for many years.

TAX LISTS AND HOMESTEADS, 1793 313

Pemberton, James. He had a long and honorable
Revolutionary War record. He resided for several years
on the west side of the Lowell road near the Blodgett cem-
etery. At this time he lived farther south, near the Burns
place.

Chase, Stephen, lived on the farm so long owned by
the Chases, the house being nearly one-half mile west of
the Lowell road, near where is now the point known as the
"Five Cent Limit" on the Lowell line of the electric rail-
way. He may have been a son of the elder Stephen, who
lived there before him. It was the first farm south of the
old Thomas Colburn homestead. Ephraim Chandler and
John Chase were his sons.

Marshall, Benjamin, lived a little south of the Stephen
Chase farm, probably between the River road and the
river, and possibly at the ferry. The exact location is not
known.

Pollard, Lt. Samuel, purchased of Ezekiel Chase, Au-
gust 9, 1773, a farm of one hundred acres, more or less.
It was the first farm north of Tyngsborough line, and
south of the Ferry road. The cellar may be seen south of
the old Ferry road on a rise of ground near a very large
elm tree. It is nearly south, and some forty rods distant
from the old Ford house now owned by Paul Butler.

Burbank, Jonathan, who married Elizabeth Cummings,
lived on a farm later belonging to Harris, and now to Ed-
ward F. Eayrs, it being the next north from the Wilson
Mills place. It was conveyed to Jonathan by his father,
Samuel Burbank, November 1, 1792. (Recorded Vol. 30,
Page 473.)

Wilson, Joseph B., owned and occupied the farm and
mill on Nacook or Musquash brook. It was the farm next
south of the Jonathan Burbank place, and was long known
as the Wilson Mills, there being a grist mill and saw mill
there.

314 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Haywood, Samuel Smith, lived on the old Haywood
farm on the hill west of Deacon David Burns' place, and
west of the road. The house was at a considerable dis-
tance from the road, and on the south side of the hill —
nearly half way to the Lowell highway. Its cellar is yet
visible. He died April 1, 1801, aged sixty -eight years, and
was buried in the Blodgett cemetery.

Huey, Mansfield, lived on the northerly part of Bush
hill, and east of most of the other Bush hill settlements.
The farm was the same as that later owned by Daniel
Smith, and still later by Daniel Butler Smith. The build-
ings were burned a few years since. There was no public
road to the place. The Huey house was a little further
east than the Daniel Smith house, on a tract of land later
owned by Dustin B. Smith. The old cellar is still visible.

Glover, Robert, the son of Robert and Jane (Burns)
Glover, lived for many years on the north side of Bush hill,
where he seems to have been born July 9, 1741.

Searles, Elnathan, son of Jonathan and Thankful, was
born here May 26, 1763. He lived for many years on the
old homestead of his father, Jonathan Searles, who settled
there in 1741. It lies in the east part of the town, a little
south of the road leading from the North Pelham highway
to Bush hill. It is the same farm that has since been called
the Floyd place, and is now owned and occupied by Aaron
Estey.

Caldwell, Lieutenant Alexander, lived on the west side
of Bush hill, on the farm later occupied by his son, Alex-
ander, Jr., south of the Spear place, and near by where
Fred E. Smith has erected a house. This was the old
Caldwell place.

Atwood, John, was probably the son of William. He
was the father of John, Elizabeth and Sally, by his first
wife, and by his second, the father of David, William, Dan-
iel and Rachel. He lived on the Lowell road, about a mile

TAX LISTS AND HOMESTEADS, I793 315

south of the "Bridge," where, later, his son, David, lived
nearly all his life. The place is now known as Elmhurst.

Hardy, Zachariah, was the son of Nathaniel and Es-
ther, and was born October 12, 17(59. There is a discrep-
ancy of two years in his age as given at the time of his
death. He became an orphan when young, as on April 24,
1777, his father enlisted for three years in the Continental
army, in Colonel Moses Nichols' Regiment, and as no later
report of him appears he probably died in the army. Zach-
ariah was brought up, in the south part of the town, by
Samuel Pollard, who had no children of his own. He lived
for many years at what was afterwards known as the Gillis
place, at the junction of the Lowell road with Library
street.

Blodgett, Jonathan, son of Joseph, Senior, was born
December 5, 1726. He lived on the west side of the Low-
ell road. His farm was a portion of the original Joseph
Blodgett place, and was later owned by John Chase. It
now belongs to Augustus F. and Harry D. Blodgett.

Blodgett, Jabez, son of Jonathan and Elizabeth, was
born January 4, 1767. He married Rachel Pollard, and
they had fifteen children— six boys and nine girls — all of
whom grew to manhood and womanhood and lived each
beyond half a century. He seems to have lived on his
father's home-stead or very near there.

Marshall, Henry, was the father of Samuel and several
other children. He lived on the east side of the Lowell
road, less than a mile from the "Bridge." The place was
later occupied by his son, Samuel, who died April 23, 1852.
The house was burned some time in the forties. The cel-
lar and well may still be seen some twenty rods south of
the brick power-house.

Blodgett, Joseph and Joseph, Jr., lived at the old farm
of the first Joseph, on the Lowell road, two and a half
miles from the "Bridge." The exact location of their
dwelling cannot now be determined, but it seems probable
that it was at the house now belonging to Philip J. Connell.

CHAPTER XXV

History of the Schools

The matter of education was a prominent one in the
minds of the early settlers of New England, and almost
simultaneously with the planting of the church was the
founding of the school. In this respect the province of
New Hampshire was scarcely behind Massachusetts in
prompt and decided action. In 1719 a school law was
enacted, and it remained in force until after the Revolu-
tion, which provided —

That each Town in the Province having the number of fifty house-
holders shall be constantly provided of a school master to teach children
to read and write, and when any town has one hundred families or house-
holders, there shall also be a (jrammar school set up and kept. . . And
some discreet person of good conversation, well instructed in the toufiges,

shall be procured as master thereof Every such school master

to be suitably encouraged and paid by the inhabitants If any

such Town should neglect the due observance of the Law for the space of
six months, it should incur a Penalty of £2Q.

In 1721 this law was amended in respect to towns hav-
ing one hundred families, so, instead of the town being
liable to a fine, it should fall upon the selectmen, if the
town for 07ie month should be without a grammar school.

The records of this town do not show that this regula-
tion in regard to schools was very closely followed. In
fact, the town books are suspiciously silent in relation to
the affairs of education. It was not until the annual town
meeting, March 10, 1766, that we find the first entry of
this kind. Then it was

Voted to raise ^^15 lawful money for the support of a school in this
Town the present year.

A little over two years later, September 26, 1768,

316

HISTORY OF THE SCHOOLS 317

Voted to raise ;^400 Hampshire money, old tenor for schooling this
present year.

At a special meeting October 9, 1769, an attempt to
raise money for schooling was voted down. Two years
later the sum of eight pounds was raised for schooling, this
money to be divided mto four equal parts. In 1772, the
same amount was raised, and the following year this sum
was doubled. At this meeting, November 1, 1773, it was
voted to divide the town mto four school districts, and di-
vide the money equally among these.

At the annual meeting the following year, adjourned
to March 28, 1774, an article in the warrant to see if the
town would maintain a "standing school" in the town, was
voted in the negative. On September 19, sixteen pounds
was agreed upon as a suitable sum to expend for educa-
tion that year, this amount to be divided as heretofore into
four parts. In 1775 eight pounds was raised and in 1776
twelve pounds was raised for schooling. For two years,
the dark period of the Revolution, there is no mention of
money for schooling. November 1, 1779,

Voted to raise ;^300 L. M. for schooling this present year.

September 25, 1780,

Voted to raise ;^450 L. M. for schooling this present year.

September 24, 1781,

Voted to raise ;^36 L. M. for schooling.

This sum was raised successively for six years suc-
ceeding, but in 1788 the sum was increased four pounds, so
it became forty pounds.

September 1, 1785, a committee of three, consisting of
Asa Davis, John Haseltine and Isaac Merrill, was appoint
ed to re-district the town , and there is no doubt that these
gentlemen attended to their duties, and divided the town
into nine school districts, within a reasonable time after
their appointment. For some unknown reason their re-
port was not accepted by action of the town until March

SIS HISTORY OF HUDSON"

21, 1799, more than thirteen years after their election tip
office.

The school division of the town as planned by thi&
committee, with the exception of dividing No. 9 so as to
form another district known as No. 10, remained substan-
tially the same for one hundred years, or until 1885, wheii.
the town became a single school district.

School Houses

March 21, 1799, the first action relative to building
school houses was defeated in the town meeting. A peti-
tion was read, signed by Henry Hale, Page Smith, Moses
Hadley, Henry Merrill, Paul Tenney, Jesse Davidson and
William Gibson, asking to be set off as "a squad" by them,
selves and to have their share of the school money to be
expended as they found it most convenient. This request
was granted. At this meeting, too, the long delayed re-
port of the committee for re-districting the town was adopt-
ed with the exception of the "squad mentioned in the fore-
going page."

Ukpokt of District Co.mmittee

We the .subscribers being chosen a committee to divide the town
into Districts for schooling, and number the same, and report to the town
as soon as maybe, agreeable thereto we have divided it into nine districts
as followeth (Viz.)

The names in No. 1 :

Thomas Hamblet, Silas Gould, John Meriill, Moses Johnson, Dea.
Isaac Merrill, Lt. Wm. Burns, Friend Moody, Eld. Samuel French, Abel
Merrill, George Burns, Jona. Tenney, The place fcirnierly Samuel Brown,
the place formerly Thomas Hamblet, John Butler, Robert Stewart, Maj.
James Ford, Benja. Merrill, Joseph Gould, Andrew Seavey, Jona. Gould.

No. 2. Joseph B. Wilson, Samuel Burbank, Henry Chase, John Pol-
lard, Thomas Pollard, Benjamin Marshall, Stephen Chase, Isaac Colburn,
Joseph Winn, Jane Seavey, Samll. Pollard, James Farmer, Ebenezer Pol-
lard, Jeremiah Blodgett, Joshua Chase, Jonathan Hardy.

No. 3. Ebenezer Kand, Abner Watkins, Capt. David Cummings,
Jos. Bradley, James Wason, Lt. Thomas Wason, James Caldwell, Joseph
Caldwell, Asa Davis, John Huey, Nathaniel Seavey, Wid. Martha Cald-

HISTORY OF THE SCHOOLS 319

'we'll, Kobert Glover, Samuel Wason, Samuel Caldwell, Alexander Cald-
well, Kllphalet Hadley, Enos Hadley, Ichabod Eastman.

No. 4. Joseph Blodgett, Samuel Haywood, John Caldwell, Joseph
<ireeley, Edward Tenney, Jonathan Blodgett, James Peniberton, Timothy
Pollard, Timothy Smith, Parrot Hadley, Eliphalet Hadley, Jr., Stephen
Hadley, Richard Cutter, Wm. Atwood, Abijah Reed, Wm. Gibson, Phin-
€as W. Blodgett, Henry Marshall,

No. 5. Seth Wyman, Lt. John Haseltine, John Ha^eltine, Jr., Jona.
Bradley, Wid. Mary Duty, Samuel Smith, Huey, Jona. Searles,

Elnathan Searles, John Campbell, Gideon Butler, Robert Patten, James
Roby, Page Smith, Capt. Abraham Page, \Vd. Sarah Kenney, Henry
Hale, Lt. Hugh Smith, Lt. Thomas Smith.

No. 6- Capt. Joseph Kelley, Capt. Peter Cross, \Vd. Phebe Cum-
mings, Dea. Ebenezer Cummings, Lt. Reuben Spalding, John Whittle
Wd. Martha Davis, Dea. Thomas Marsh, Capt. Samuel Marsh, Joshua
Pierce, Richard Marshall, Samuel Hills, Samuel Marsh, Philip Hills, Dan-
iel Pierce, Timothy Patch, Thomas Cross, Philbrook Colby, Moses Had-
ley.

No. 7. Ens. David Lawrence, Jona. Lawrence, John Smith, Davixi

Campbell, E Grimes, Wm. Grimes, Robert McAdams, Andrew

Robinson, Philip Marshall, George Burroughs, Isaac Page, Jacob Page,
Jos. Steele, Peter Robinson, Jr., Capt. David Peabody, David Peabody,
Jr., Amos Robinson, Wm. Steele.

No. 8. John Hale, Samson Kidder, Nat. Marshall, Elijah Marshall,
Wd. Ruth Marshall, Benja. Melvin, Thomas Barrett, Moses Barrett, Isaac
Barrett, Ens. Simeon Barrett, David Tarbell, Richard Hardy, Josiah Bur-
roughs, Wm. Burroughs, Nat. Burroughs, Eliphalet Hills, Joel Barrett.

No. 9. Lt. Benja. Kidder, Joseph Hobbs, Joseph Nichols, Wm.
Gibson, Simeon Robinson, Zach. Greeley, John Robinson, Lt. Ebenr.
Tarbox, Lt. Henry Tarbox, John Marshall. Wd. Deborah Marshall,
Thomas Senter, Levi Andrews, Capt. Ezekiel Greeley, Nathaniel Hills,
Daniel Marshall, Wm. Hills, Jeremiah Hills, Doct. Joseph Gray, Lt
Ezekiel Hills, Thomas Hills, Ens. Elijah Hills.

Note : — Wm. Gibson, is set off from District No. 4 to Davidson's

squad.

Nottingham West, Jan, 16, 1786.

ASA DAVIS,

JON. HASELTINE, Committee.

ISAAC MERRILL.

There were twenty names given in list No. 1; 16 in
No. 2; 19 in No. 3; 18 in No. 4; 19 in No. 5; 19 in No 6;
18 in No. 7; 17 in No. 8; and 22 in No. 9; making the
total number of families, according to the report, 1(38.

320 HISTORY OF HUDSON

District Number One covered the south-east corner of
the town, and was known as "Musquash." The school
house was, and is now, on the east side of the Back road,
a short distance north of Musquash brook, and probably on
the site of the Nottingham meeting-house.

District Number Two covered the south-west part of
the town, and was known as "The Red school house Dis-
trict." The house was located on the Chase and Colburn
road a short distance west of the River road.

District Number Three was situated at the east side
of the town, north of Number One, and was known as
"Bush Hill District." The house stood on the east side of
Bush Hill road, near the Asa Davis, since, the Morrison
homestead.

District Number Four was located at the west part of
the town, north of Number Two and east of Number Three
district. The school house for many years, and until about
the middle of the last century, stood in the side of the
Blodgett cemetery, a little north but very near where the
iron gate now is. This was on the site of the second, or
Nottingham West meeting-house. This house was burned
in 1855 and another was built on the west side of the high-
way near "Elmhurst."

District Number Five, called "Hudson Center Dis-
trict," was located east of Number Four and north of Num-
ber Three, and included the center of the town. For many
years the house stood near the summit of Corliss hill, on
the west side of the road. Later it was located on the
north side of the Pelham road, a little less than one-half
mile south-east of Hudson Center,

District Number Six, known as the "Farms District,"
was situated north of Number Four on the west side of the
town, and extended north to Litchfield line. The school
house was located on the west side of the Derry road, and
between that and the highway leading from that to the
Litchfield road, near the junction of the two roads. About
1852 a new school house was built a short distance south-

HENRY 0. SMITH, M. D.

HISTORY OF THE SCHOOLS 321

erly, on the east side of the Derry road, which was changed
into a dwelling house by Menzell S. French about 1898.

District Number Seven, or "Frog Corner District,"
covered the north-east section of the town bordering on
the Londonderry and Windham lines, and including "Law-
rence Corner." The house was located at the junction of
the Steele and Robinson roads, about one-half mile north-
west of Lawrence Corner.

District Number Eight included all of Barrett's hill,
for which it was named, with several families to the south
and west. The school house was situated on the northerly
side of the highway a short distance westerly of the sum-
mit of Barrett's hill.

District Number Nine, or "Kidder District," was sit-
uated west of Number Seven, and was bounded north by
Londonderry line, south by Number Eight, and west by
Number Ten. The school house was at the top of the hill
on the Kidder road, east of the Derry road.

District Number Ten, set off from Number Nine in
1806, was a small district called "Hills' Row," and was sit-
uated at the north part of the town, west of Number Nine
and east of Number Six. The house stood on the north
side of the Derry road, a short distance west of the junc-
tion of the highway that leads to Barrett's hill.

Returning to the town records we find that at a meet-
ing held March 6, 1797, it was voted not to raise any money
to build school houses, and the same result followed an at-
tempt of this kind in 1799, also at a town meeting held
March 16, 1804.

A school house was built in District Number Five, by
the inhabitants of the district, about 1806. It is probable
that school houses were erected in all of the districts not
far from this time, but were built by the respective dis-
tricts. The property of each district was assessed to pay
the necessary expense of building these houses. These
buildings, as the writer remembers them thirty years or
more after their construction, were similar in design, but

322 HISTORY OF HUDSON

they varied somewhat in size, according to the number of
pupils in the district. Their width was nearly equal to
their length. The roof was pyramidical with the vertex in
the center. The entrance was at the middle of the front
of the building. The teacher's platform and desk was on
the other side, directly opposite the entrance.

The seats and desks for the pupils were made of heavy,
hard pine plank and were placed on the two sides of the
school room, at the right and left of the entrance, leaving
a floor space between of sufficient width for recitations and
other purposes.

The seats were built on an incline, ascending as they
reached back to the wall. Those farthest removed from
the floor were larger than the front row, and intended for
the older pupils. The front seats, occupied by the smallest
scholars, had no desks, while those at the other seats were
built with a height in proportion to the anticipated size of
the pupil. But frequently a small child was obliged to oc-
cupy a seat intended for one several years older, or it
might be the case would be reversed. Under either situa-
tion the result was far from satisfactory. The boys were
given the seats on one side of the house, while the girls
had those on the other. So the two divisions sat facing
each other, with neither directly in front of the gaze of the
teacher.

The back seats were built along the wall continuous
the entire length of the building, but the other seats were
built in tiers and stood on sills four inches square or more,
with passage-ways between running down to the recitation
floor. Each bench was long enough to accommodate two
pupils comfortably, but in case of an extra number of schol-
ars three were placed in the room designed for two. This
crowding the pupils into such close quarters was often a
source of great annoyance to the teacher, as they were
more apt to be mischievous and had their attention drawn
away from their studies by the actions of a seat-mate.

There are no statistics at hand to show the number of
pupils attending the schools in town previous to 1847. The

HISTORY OF THE SCHOOLS

323

population in 1810 was given as 1,376, and in 1850, forty
years later, was 1,312, consequently the number of school
children in town since the building of the school houses to
the latter date could not have varied much. The statistics
for 1847, as given by the superintending school committee,
and the number of weeks of school are given in the follow-
ing table:

School Report, 1847

Number
District

<u tn

Number
Scholars

1st.

$ 6.00

2d.

18.00

1st.

6.00

2d.

18.00

1st.

4.00

2d.

6.00

1st.

7.00

2d.

17.00

1st.

6.00

2d.

15.00

1st.

5.66

2d.

18.00

1st.

6.00

13i

2d.

16.50

1st.

5.33

2d.

15.00

1st.

5.68

2d.

16.00

1st.

5.00

2d.

17.50

"The whole number of scholars attending school, win-
ter term, 346; summer term, 273.

"The number who have not attended school is 37 in
summer, and 36 in winter."

From the selectmen's report for the same year, the
following is quoted:

324

HISTORY OF HUDSON

Disbursements of School Money, 1847

Paid Thomas Gowing for Dis

" Samuel Davis, Jr., "

" William Caldwell, "

" Abel Buttrick,

" l.uther Haselton, "

" Alfred Cummings, "

" Elias Burns, "

" Allen Andrews, "

" John Greeley, "

" Jonathan Hill, "

rict No. 1 $48.11

"2 48.11

" 3 38.49

" 4 ....•••.. . 48.11

" 5 48.11

" 6 48.11

" 7 38.49

" 8 38.49

" 9 38.49

"10 3849

)?433.00

It appears from the foregoing statistics that the total
amount of money expended for the year 1847, with 207
weeks of school for the ten districts, having an attendance
of 346 pupils, was only $433.00, or an average of little more
than two dollars per week of school. This was an average
for each pupil attending school of about <^1.25 for the year.

The amount is very small when compared to the an-
nual expenditure for the same purpose at the present time.
For the year 1910 the expense of maintaining the schools
in Hudson reached the following figures:

Paid for teachers and superintendent . ;^2,845.00
Fuel and incidentals .... 1,200.35

Music . . . . , 136.00

Repairs 62.05

A total of ;^4,243.40

The contrast between the sums expended in 1847 and
1910 becomes more significant when we understand that
the number of pupils at the latter time was only 220 com-
pared to 346, sixty-three years ago. To offset the cost per
pupil of $1.25 in 1847, in 1910 it was $19.29, an increase of
$18.04, or a little more than 1400 per cent.

In 1910 the Hudson school district also paid $1,304.85
for tuition for pupils attending high school in Nashua and
other places.

HISTORY OF THE SCHOOLS 325

The following table, prepared as accurately as possible
from statistics found in the annual town reports, shows the
amount of school money appropriated, the number of schol-
ars attending schools, average cost per scholar, and average
number of weeks of school, at intervals of five years from
1855 to 1910, inclusive.

School Statistics

School money Number of schol- Average Average
Year from town ars attending cost per No. weeks

and state

school

scholar

of school

1855

$604.45

307

$1.97

15.3

1860

639.82

283

2.26

19.6

1865

757.63

250

3.03

No Stat.

1870

1,081.63

235

4.60

19.7

1875

1,415.03

205

6.90

22.1

1880

1,439.67

180

8.00

24.2

1885

1,516.01

188

8.06

30.

1890

1,852.79

206

8.99

30.

1895

2,218.97

204

10.87

30.

1900

2,601.54

203

12.81

28.

1905.

3,385.93

208

16.28

32.

1910

4,243.40

220

19.29

33.

Town School System

At the annual town meeting, March 10, 1885, it was
voted to adopt the town system of schools, whereby the
ten existing districts were abolished and one district pre-
vailed for school purposes.

This was a pioneer movement along this line, and
Hudson was one of the very few towns of the state to
adopt this system previous to the passage of the Act by
the Legislature at the June session, 1885, approved Au-
gust 13, of the same year. Among the provisions of that
law were the following stipulations:

326 HISTORY OF HUDSON"

Section 1. The divisions of towns into school districts heretofore ex-
isting is hereby abolished, and each town shall hereafter constitute a sin-
gle district for school purposes; provided however that districts organized
under special acts of the legislature may retain their present organization.

Section 4. The duties heretofore devolving upon superintending and
prudential committees shall hereafter be performed by a school board of
three persons in each town, to be chosen by ballot at the annual school
meeting, and to hold office for three years; provided hoy^tvex, that at the
first election under the act, one person shall be chosen for three years,,
one for two years, and one person for one year, and thereafter one person
shall be chosen each year.

It proved that there were those in Hudson opposed to
the change in the system, so at an adjourned meeting held
March 17, 1885, action was taken to reconsider the vote of
the town passed to adopt the town system of schools.
Seventy votes were recorded in favor and seventy-five
against a reconsideration. A school board was chosen at
this meeting consisting of the following members: Kimball
Webster, for one year; David O. Smith, for two years;
Daniel Gage, for three years.

One of the principal advantages claimed by the advo-
cates of the town system over the old district system was
the consolidation of schools, some of which had become
very small, containing not more than seven or eight schol-
ars each.

Although consolidation of the schools — wherever the
same was adopted — met with bitter and determined opposi-
tion from many citizens, the school board immediately com-
menced the work for which they were elected, and in 1885,
the first year under the new system, the ten school dis-
tricts in Hudson were consolidated so as to form seven, in
consequence of which the average length of schools under
the old system of 21.7 weeks was increased to 30 weeks.

Further consolidation was not practicable until the new
school buildings were erected in 1896. Previous to the
annual school meeting March 17, 1896, the matter of build-
ing two new school houses — one near the Bridge and the
other in the vicinity of Hudson Center — was seriously dis-

HISTORY OF THE SCHOOLS 327

cussed by the citizens of those localities, and the matter
was brought before the annual meeting of the district. A
committee of seven was chosen to investigate the situation
and report at an adjourned meeting. During the next four
weeks the subject met with much earnest discussion, both
in favor and opposition, by the citizens.

As the right of suffrage had been granted to women
in school affairs, they entered as deeply into the discussion
of the question as the men. The result was, at the ad-
journed meeting April 14, there was the largest assem-
blage of voters ever held in the town. Taking both males
and females there were nearly seven hundred names on the
list, and a good majority of these were present. The ques-
tion excited some very animated discussion from both sex-
es, pro and con, but when a vote was taken it resulted in
favor of building the new houses.

A building committee was chosen for each school
house, and the sum of eight thousand dollars was appropri-
ated to meet the expense of constructing the buildings.
Two thousand dollars was to be raised by taxation that
year, and the balance of six thousand to be hired and paid
at the rate of two thousand a year. It was also voted to
locate the house at the Bridge upon the land of William F.
Chase, on Sanders, now Library street, Mr. Chase gener-
ously donating a large lot for that purpose. The commit-
tee on this building was authorized to expend live thou-
sand dollars on its construction and furnishings. This
board consisted of George A. Merrill, Willis P. Cummings
and William F. Chase.

The second school house was first located on land of
David Clement at the Center, but later it was decided to
build on a lot presented to the town by David O. Smith,
and the committee, consisting of Nathaniel Wentworth, El-
mer D. Clement and Henry O. Smith, was authorized to
expend three thousand dollars in building and fitting up
this house.

The larger house was to be two stories, with two rooms
on each floor, and a basement, while the smaller building

328 HISTORY OF HUDSON

was to be of one story, with two rooms. The work pro-
gressed so rapidly that both of these houses were ready for
occupancy before the close of the year, the Center house
for the fall term of school and the other for the winter
term. It was then possible to grade the town schools.

The school near the Center received the name of the
Smith School, in honor of Dr. David Onslow Smith, a na-
tive and life-long resident of the town. Dr. Smith had
been a successful teacher in his younger years, but studied
medicine and became a very skillful physician. He ever
retained his interest in the schools, doing more for them
in his long life than any other man. He was superintend-
ing school committee as early as 1862, serving in that ca-
pacity for many years. When the town system was adopt-
ed he served as a useful member of the board of education
for seven years. Whether he was officially connected with
the schools or not, his interest in them never grew less,
and he visited them often, assisting them with the benefit
©f his ripe experience and sound judgment. He presented
the school house that bore his name a fine bell placed in
the bell tower. Not only in association with the schools,
but in all walks of public and private life Dr. Smith was an
honorable and useful citizen.

The larger school building, situated on Sanders, now
Library street, received the name of the Webster School,
in honor of Mr. Kimball Webster, one of the older resi-
dents of Hudson.

Mr. Webster placed a bell in the tower of the building,
and later purchased about 13,000 feet of land on the north
side of the Webster school lot and gratuitously conveyed
the same to the school district for the use and benefit of
this school.

At the time of the building of the Webster school
house, the committee was not authorized to finish the
rooms on the second floor, as it was not deemed necessary
then. But it soon became evident that the rooms on the
lower floor were inadequate to accommodate all who should
attend that school.

:ml

HISTORY OF THE SCHOOLS 329

Accordingly, at the annual school meeting in 1899,
March 21, ;gl,500 was voted to complete the finishing of
the Webster school building and improve the school lot.
The committee chosen attended to the duty, and expended
^1,781.67 in making the improvements, which action was
accepted by the district.

A town sewer having been constructed through San-
ders, now Library, and School streets to the river, in the
autumn of 1904, at the annual school meeting in March,
1905, it was voted to furnish the Webster school hous^
with a modern sanitary arrangement, v^hich work was com-
pleted during the spring of that year at an expense of
^530.34. The grading about the yards having been com-
pleted and the grounds otherwise made attractive, Hudson
could well afford to boast of her new school houses and
point with pride to her school management.

With the exception of about thirty pupils, living at the
extreme southern and northern sections of the town, in
Numbers One and Nine, all of the children in town attend-
ed the Smith and Webster schools, with the exception of
the pupils at high schools or academies in other places, and
whose tuitions are paid by Hudson under Chapter 96 of
the Session Laws of 1901. The town pays about fourteen
hundred dollars annually for this purpose.

The Smith school house, with all its furnishings, was
consumed by fire on the evening of December 7, 1907.
The building with its contents was insured for $2,200.

At the annual school meeting March 17, 1908, the dis-
trict voted to build a new school house, similar in size to
the Smith building, with two school rooms, without base-
ment. The site selected was on the east side of the Pel-
ham road south-east of Hudson Center, partly on land of
John Wentworth and partly on land of the heirs of Eli
Hamblet. Nathaniel Wentworth, Henry C. Brown and
John A. Robinson were chosen as a building committee.
Nine hundred dollars was appropriated for the purpose in
addition to the amount received from insurance.

330 HISTORY OF HUDSON

The school lot, which contains more than an acre of
land, and is an exceptionally fine lot for the purpose, was
generously donated by its owners — one-half by John Went-
worth and one-half by Arvilla and Souvina Hamblet.

The building committee obeyed its instructions, and
on the 21st of September, 1908, a little more than nine
months after the destruction of the Smith school house, a
suitable, well equipped school building had been erected,
finished and furnished ready for occupancy.

At the time the Smith building was burned, the bell,
in falling, was broken, and Henry C. Brown generously
donated a new one and placed it in the tower of the new
building.

That school is now called the Hudson Center school.

CHAPTER XXVI

Customs of the Early Settlers

The early settlers had few of the conveniences and
comforts that are now considered necessary for the enjoy-
ment of life. They were mainly dependent upon their
farms for the supply of their needs, and this was utilized
by their own labor. Very little food was purchased. Meats
were obtained from the flesh of the domestic animals raised
upon the farm, or from the wild creatures that roamed in
the surrounding forests. Ice for the preservation of these
and other articles of food was not thought of in those days.
Often portions of the animal slaughtered were loaned to
neighbors, who repaid the debt when they replenished their
larder with similar products. By this co-operation families
in a neighborhood were able to have a supply of fresh meat
at almost all times.

Such portions as were not suitable to be eaten fresh
were salted, and in this manner kept for several months.
Every family had its beef and pork barrels, which were
usually filled in the fall or early winter, as a supply for the
following summer.

In the spring, during the fishing season, when shad
and alewives ascended the Merrimack in immense num-
bers, many families salted one or two barrels of catches
of these fish, for summer consumption. Lamprey eels also
added to the summer store.

Fire-places

The chimneys in nearly all the houses built before
1830, were very large, and thus occupied a great amount
of space in the center of the dwelling, standing so that
there were fire-places upon at least three sides. These re-
ceptacles for heating and cooking purposes were made of

331

332 HISTORY OF HUDSON

sufficient capacity to take in wood in four-foot lengths,
often even greater length than that. In the winter a back-
log, a foot or more in diameter, was placed across the huge
and-irons at the extreme rear, while a huge forestick was
placed in front. The space between these was filled with
smaller and lighter wood, and a hot fire resulted as soon as
these sticks had become enveloped in the fiery folds. Not
only did this fire warm the room, but gave it a cheerful ap-
pearance, as well as making it comfortable. Very often a
bar of iron was used for a forestick, especially in warm
weather.

The houses were not made very tight, and good venti-
lation was obtained by the constant current of air passing
up the wide-mouthed chimney.

A long seat made of boards, with a high back as a pro-
tection from the wind, was placed before the fire for the
convenience of the family at eventide. This piece of rough
furniture was known as "the settle." In sitting before one
of these open fires, when the weather was cold and the
winter wind was whirling the snow in great winding sheets,
the backs of those not occupying one of these wide seats
would be shivering while their faces would be almost blis-
tered.

When the hour for retiring came, so much of the fire
as remained was carefully covered with ashes, so that the
coals would keep all night, and in the morning they had
only to be raked apart, when a new supply of wood thrown
upon them would be quickly ignited and the fire for the
day was begun. This task was called "raking up the fire."

In this way fire was seldom lost in cold weather, but
in the summer it frequently happened that the coals got so
low that they could not be restored. Many families had
what was called a "tinder box," with steel and flint, with
which they would strike fire so the tinder would ignite.
Home-made matches, which were made by being dipped in
melted brimstone, were set on fire by touching them to the
burning tinder. By this slow process a fire was started.

CUSTOMS OF THE EARLY SETTLERS 333

Sometimes a fire was kindled by flashing powder in the
pan of a flint-lock musket, with tow held within radius of
the sparks thus made. Friction matches did not come into
general use until about 1836. As strange as it may seem
now they were received with considerable distrust for a
time.

Old-time Cooking

The cooking was done over and before an open fire,
except when the brick oven was used. In the open-fire
cooking boiling was accomplished by suspending kettles
with hooks, which were hung upon the iron crane, or arm,
with which every fire-place was provided. These hooks
were of different lengths, so as to admit of the kettles be-
ing held higher or lower as might be necessary. An ad-
justable hook, which was called a "trammel," was found
upon almost every crane. In early times meat and poultry
were often cooked by being suspended by a cord before the
fire. One end of this cord was attached to the wooden pin
overhead, the object to be cooked fastened to the other
end. A dish was set underneath to catch the drip. The
cord was then twisted, until upon being released it would
unwind, and by the momentum thus gained it would rewind
itself, in which m.anner the different sides of the meat
would be alternately presented to the fire. But finally the
cord would cease to move and at length would become sta-
tionary, when someone must be on hand to give it another
twist, so it would again be set in motion. Meats roasted
before an open fire in this manner were very fine.

Later meats and poultry were roasted in a tin kitchen
of cylindrical form, about two feet in length and fifteen
inches in diameter, open in front and provided with a spit.
The meat was placed upon the spit arranged so that one
end passed through a hole made for the purpose, while the
other was passed through a slot upon the opposite side.
In this way the meat was suspended in the center of the
inclosed space. When prepared the kitchen was placed

834 HISTORY OF HUDSON

before the fire, the bright surface of the tin inside reflect-
ing the heat powerfully upon the meat that was being
cooked. Upon one end of the spit was a small crank
which could be used to turn the roast or to hold it in any
position desired. By careful attention the cooking would
be done evenly on all sides.

There was a door in the back side which could be
opened to allow of the basting of the meat. The gravy
went into the bottom where there was a small spout at one
end. By tipping, this could be turned out into a dish.

Potatoes, and sometimes eggs, were roasted by placing
them in the hot ashes and covering them with coals. Po-
tatoes cooked in this way were much better than if boiled.

The brick oven, located at the right of the fire-place in
the kitchen, was in nearly every house. These ovens were
quite large, and in most families were heated once and
sometimes twice a week. For heating the oven well-sea-
soned pine wood was considered necessary. Beans, Indian
puddings, brown bread and sometimes meats, pies and
other articles of food were cooked in these ovens.

For a time the Dutch oven was used in many families
for cooking bread and many other things. This was a flat,
cast-iron kettle four or five inches deep, with a cover of
the same material. It stood upon legs two or three inches
high, and the cover, which rounded up in the center, had a
rim on the outside about one and one-half inches high.
When the dish was prepared for cooking the oven was
placed upon a bed of live hard-wood coals, and the cover
filled with the same. These coals could be replenished as
often as was necessary. It was sometimes used for frying.

Before cooking stoves came into use, bread, pies, etc.,
were baked in front of the fire in a tin baker. This was
made of the same kind of tin as the "kitchen," and it was
about twenty inches in length, the bottom a foot wide, in-
clining forward considerably, and set on legs. It had a
perpendicular back four or five inches wide; the top was
adjustable and slanted upward. It had a sheet-iron bake

CUSTOMS OF THE EARLY SETTLERS 335

pan suspended between the top and bottom. When the
baker was set before the fire, at a suitable distance, the
very bright surface of the tin had the same effect as in the
case of the tin kitchen. This kitchen and baker came into
use about 1830.

A simpler mode of baking was frequently resorted to
when rye cakes, Indian bannocks, or other thin cakes, were
spread an inch or more in thickness upon a trencher or
hard wood board kept for the purpose, and these plain
plates were placed before the fire on an incline as steep as
the objects baking would allow.

Stoves were made, in limited numbers, in the last quar-
ter of the 18th century, but did not come into general use
until many years later. Box stoves for heating school
rooms and churches came into use about 1820. Previous
to that time school rooms were warmed by open fires, while
meeting-houses were not warmed at all. The only fire in
the churches at that time was carried in foot stoves by
women. Cooking stoves began to be used as early as 1830,
but did not come into general use until ten years later.

The first cooking stove was very simple in construc-
tion, and insufficient in operation, as compared with our
modern cooking ranges.

The Franklin fire-place was invented by Benjamin
Franklin. It was made of iron and set out into the room,
and was connected to the chimney by a funnel about a foot
in diameter. The frame was ornamented with brass. It
had a large iron hearth, on which an open fire was kept.
As it was all within the room less of the heat escaped by
the chimney than did by the fire-place. In other respects
it was not radically different in its results from the fire-
place.

Middle Names

The custom for individuals to have middle names, now
nearly universal, was almost unknown among the early

336 HISTORY OF HUDSON

settlers. The first instance found in the Hudson records
where a child was thus distinguished was that of the son
of WilHam and Sarah (Harwood) Cummings, when they
christened their third child John Harwood Cummings, giv-
ing him his mother's sirname. This child was born April
24, 1783. Other examples were Ephraim Chandler Chase,
son of Stephen L. and Phebe (Chandler) Chase, born Au-
gust 28, 1758; Phineas Wheeler Blodgett, son of Joseph
and Dorcas (Wheeler) Blodgett, born October 9, 1761;
Benjamin Durant Chase, son of Moses and Elizabeth
(Hamblett) Chase, born April 13, 1769; Caleb Swan Ford,
son of James and Sarah Ford, born December 19, 1775;
Daniel Taylor Davis, son of Asa and Elizabeth (Cummings)
Davis, born December 5, 1776; and Thomas Boyd Wason,
son of Thomas and Mary (Boyd) Wason, born November
2, 1785. It will be noticed that usually the child was given
for a middle name the sirname of the mother.

In 1800 but seven double names appear upon the list
of taxes; in 1812, twelve; and in 1830 the number of per-
sons with a middle name had increased to twenty-seven in
a list of 280 names.

First Shoemakers

It was an early practice among the settlers to tan the
skins of the animals killed on the farm for use in making
custom boots for the men and shoes for the women and
children. The process required a year's time to accomplish
the tanning, but most excellent quality of leather was ob-
tained, which after being made into shoes for men, women
and children, while not so fine looking as the modern foot-
wear, was more serviceable.

Itinerant shoemakers, going about the country making
up shoes for different families, were quite common, plan-
ning so as to call on the families that patronized them about
once a year. They would often stop a week at a place,
boarding with the family for whom they were working, and

CUSTOMS OF THE EARLY SETTLERS 337

when their job was done here they would shoulder their kit
and move on to the next family needing their work.

The first shoemaker to settle in this town of whom we
have any record was Thomas Marsh, who lived here as
early as 1741. Top boots were not much worn until after
the beginning of the 19th century, and leggins or buskins
were worn over the shoes to keep the snow out. They
were knit and reached nearly to the knees, being widened
at the lower end so as to fit over the upper part of the
shoe. They were tied on firmly with leather strings, one
passing under the instep and the other over it.

All footwear was sewed by hand, until the beginning
of the 19th century, when pegged boots and shoes were in-
troduced. They were unpopular for a while.

Economy had to be practiced, and in no way more
than in foot-wear. Nearly all the young people and many
of the older ones went bare-foot from about the first of
April to the coming of cold weather in November. Fre-
quently the young people, and older ones too, would carry
their shoes in their hands in going to church on Sunday,
stopping just before reaching the meeting-house and put-
ting them on. In this manner pride and economy were
both satisfied.

Homespun Clothes

Clothing was made from flax and wool produced on
the farm. Most of the women of that day were capable of
taking the wool as it came from the sheep, cleansing, card-
ing, spinning it into yarn, and weaving it into cloth, and
then making this product into clothes for the family. The
carding was done with hand cards until the invention and
introduction of carding by machinery moved by water pow-
er. The rolls that came from these mills were spun into
yarn upon hand spinning wheels. The yarn was woven
into cloth by the hand loom, which was a large, heavy af-
fair, and occupied the larger part of a good-sized room.

338 HISTORY OF HUDSON

The yarn which went lengthwise of the cloth was called
the warp, and had to be drawn into the harness by hand;
that which went the other way was called the woof, weft
or filling, and came from the shuttle. The yarn used in
the shuttle was first wound upon quills about three inches
in length, which were made from pieces of elder with the pith
punched out, leaving it hollow. The yarn was wound upon
these by a "quill wheel," which was a noisy machine.

The winding of the yarn upon the quills was often
done by the larger girls, while the woman of the house was
weaving. This last was hard woric, and five or six yards
were considered a fair day's work. Cotton was sometimes
bought and manufactured in about the same way.

Yarn intended for knitting was generally colored,
either in the wool or after the spinning. The dye pot,
made of brown earthern ware, with a piece of board for a
cover, usually had its place in the chimney corner, just
inside the fire-place. The dye was made of indigo dis-
solved in urine. The yarn to be colored was put into this
liquid where it was allowed to remain for several days, or
until it was thoroughly colored. Butternut bark, maple
bark, and many other things were used for coloring.

The cloth for men's clothes was called "fulled cloth."
After it was woven it was taken to the clothier at a "fulling
mill," where it was fulled, dyed, sheared and pressed. That
worn by women was simply dyed and pressed and was
called "pressed cloth."

Baize, a coarse, woolen cloth with a long nap, dyed in
plain colors, was woven for women's use. Some of the
women wove very elaborate and handsome bed spreads,
who showed much skill and ingenuity in designing and
making the figures upon them.

Flax was also a product of almost every farm. In the
fall it was pulled and placed upon the ground where it re-
mained exposed to the weather for several weeks, until the
woody parts were rotted and the fibre had become pliable.
Then it was broken by an implement called a flax brake,

CUSTOMS OF THE EARLY SETTLERS 339

which broke the woody part into short pieces. It was then
"swingled," which was done by beating it with a hard wood
paddle about thirty inches in length, called a "swingling
knife." This separated the fibre from the useless parts.

The next process was to draw it repeatedly over the
"flax comb," which was made by setting about eighty steel
spikes, seven or eight inches in length, and made very
sharp, into a hardwood plank. The combing took out all
of the small pieces of the woody parts that had been left
after the swingling. This removed also the short sections
of fibre, which was tow, and was sometimes spun into
wrapping twine.

After the flax had been combed and suitably prepared,
it was put upon the distaff and spun with the linen wheel,
operated by the foot resting upon the treadle. This wheel
was about twenty inches in diameter and had two grooves
in the outer rim, one for a band to drive the fliers and the
other to drive the spool with a quicker motion to take up
the thread.

Linen was woven into cloth and made into table cov-
ers, dresses, shirts, sheets, handkerchiefs, strainer cloth
and many other useful articles. Thread for sewing shoes
was also made from linen. In warm weather men and boys
worn linen clothing.

Cider Mills

Many of the farms had a cider mill, where the apples,
mostly natural fruit of poor quality, were made into cider.
Cider made from apple juice and fermented was a common
drink in almost all families, and was among the furnishings
of the table at meal times. A jug of cider was often car-
ried into the field as the beverage for the day. Cider, after
it had been drawn from the barrel and had become warm,
was considered unfit to drmk, so the economical farmer
turned this into the vinegar barrel to help replenish that.

The cider mill in those days, until as late as 1850, was
usually turned to grind the apples by horse power, after

340 HISTORY OF HUDSON

which many of the saw mills run by water power had an
outfit for making cider, where the neighbors would take
their apples, and return home with three or four barrels of
the pure juice obtained from a cart full of the fruit. These
places were great retreats for boys, who delighted to suck
the sweet liquid through straws.

Lights and Lamps

The tallow candle was the principal dependence for
artificial light in those days. The blazing open fire in the
fire-place aided in this direction, and frequently was the
sole dependence. This gave a certain cheerful, hospitable
appearance to a room that cannot be obtained from any
other means of lighting, not even including the bright elec-
tric light of to-day.

The candles were usually called "dips," this term de-
rived from the way they were made. The material from
which the candles were prepared was obtained from the
fatty portions of the creatures killed on the farm, which
were carefully saved for that purpose. The fat was tried
out or rendered by heating over the fire. The liquid tallow
thus obtained was cooled in kettles or pans and kept for
use when needed. To make the candles this tallow was
melted in a large kettle. Wicking made of cotton was cut
into lengths about twice that of the candle to be made, and
was then doubled over a stick made for that purpose,
and these lines twisted loosely together. The sticks or
supports for the wicking were about two feet in length and
three-eighths of an inch in diameter. One-half dozen of
these wicks were placed on each stick at an equal distance
apart. Two long side-poles or supports were placed at a
sufficient space to allow the hanging crosswise of the small
rod with the row of wicks. Then enough of these last
were arranged to make the required number of candles.
These preliminaries arranged, the person who was to dip
the candles would take the first rod with its suspended
wicks and dip it into the hot tallow until the Hquid came

CUSTOMS OF THE EARLY SETTLERS 341

nearly to the rod in his hand. The dripping row would
then be restored to its position, the next line served in the
same way, and so on until the entire length had been made.
Then he would start back with the first one, and go over
the same course again, the tallow that had attached itself
to the wick having cooled by this time. This process was
continued until sufficient tallow had adhered to make the
candle of the required size.

While the candles were being dipped it was necessary
to have them suspended in a position where a cool draft of
air would circulate and thus cause them to cool quickly.
The dipping of them into the hot tallow had to be done
rapidly or more tallow would be melted away than would
be taken up by the performance. As fast as the tallow in
the kettle was taken out by this process so as to become
of insufficient depth to take the whole length of the candle,
hot water would be poured into the vessel, when the tallow
would rise on top, and the work could go on until only a
a thin layer of tallow was left floating on the water. As
simple as this may appear it really required considerable
skill and experience to "dip" candles successfully. This
work was usually done by the women.

While it answered a purpose, the tallow candle made
a poor light, and was unsatisfactory in many respects. It
smoked and flickered, and required frequent "snuffing," or
cutting away the burned section of the wick. If this was
not done the burned portion of the wick would fall over
and melt into the top of the candle causing the tallow to
run down on the side and so drop upon the table. To clip
off this burnt section of the wick a little instrument that
was operated something like scissors was made, with a re-
ceptacle at the top to hold the portion of wick snipped off.
This article was called "snuffers," and this outfit was made
complete by a little tray which sat on the table near the
candle-stick to receive the discarded portions of wick.

A more primitive way of snuffing the candle was by
pinching off the end with the fingers, but this had to be

342 HISTORY OF HUDSON

done quickly and dextrously or burned fingers would be
the result.

Finally an improvement was devised in the making of
candles by having a mould, a hollow tin receptacle of the
correct size for a candle. The wick would be placed in the
center of this and the tube filled with tallow. When this
had cooled, a candle, smoother and better than one made
by the old method, was obtained.

Many kinds of candle-sticks were in use, made of
brass, tin, iron, glass or even wood. Some were highly
ornamented, while, as it may be supposed, others were ex-
tremely plain. Even potatoes and turnips, or some other
substance that would afford a footing for the candle to
stand upon, were pressed into service occasionally.

Eventually whale oil was introduced as a lighting
fluid, and this was considered a great improvement over
the tallow dip. But there were disagreeable features about
this. When allowed to stand too long in the lamp it gave
out an offensive odor, and the outside would be covered
with the oil. The wicks required even more frequent at-
tention than the candle, and they did not light quickly.
Neither was the light very much brighter than that of the
well-trimmed candle.

Several other kinds of oil were used to more or less
extent, but did not come into general use.

A lighting fluid that was to displace all of these others
was on the way. This was kerosene, which began to be
used as early as 1858. This was first obtained from the
distillation of mineral wax, bituminous shale, coal, etc., and
hence was also called coal oil. It sold at first for ;^1.50 a
gallon. A few years later it was made by the distillation
and purification of petroleum in immense quantities and
came into general use for lighting purposes. It has some-
times sold at retail as low as ten cents a gallon.

customs of the early settlers 343

Soap Making

Almost every family fifty years and less ago made
their own soap, known as "soft soap," as it was in liquid
form though very thick. All the good hard wood ashes
made during the year were saved and stored in a dry place.
All the refuse portions of fat and grease were carefully
laid aside for use at the same time. This soap making took
place in the spring as soon as the snow had melted away,
or late in the fall, and it was generally considered to be-
long to the duties of the good housewife, and it was no easy
work that she had on hand. The ashes were placed in a
large tub kept for the purpose, or quite often the half of a
molasses hogshead, which had been sawed in two at the
middle by the farmer. This was called "the leach," and
sticks and brushwood or straw had been strewn over the
bottom, in order to give the liquid that was to form the lye
a chance to run out. Water was brought from some near-
by spring or from the well, and poured into the cask hold-
ing the ashes. After the ashes had become completely
saturated with water the lye would be drawn out at the
bottom. The lye was tested as to strength by placing a
fresh egg in it. If the egg floated on its surface the lye
was of sufficient strength to make a good quality of soap,
and good luck was assured.

The soap grease, with sufficient lye, was placed in a
large kettle and boiled together, and when it was taken out
if it did not separate it was good soap. When, after boil,
ing, the lye and grease separated, it was due to using poor
ashes and weak lye. Sometimes potash was put into the
lye to strengthen it.

Soap making was a hard job for the women, and was
dreaded as much as any undertaking during the year. It
usually preceded the spring cleaning.

m4 history of hudsow

Modes of Travel

In the early times the roads were commonly in poor
repair, bridges and culverts were lacking on many of the
streams, and but few carriages were owned in town. Peo-
ple generally rode on horseback. Often the man rode in
the saddle and the woman on the pillion behind him. To
make it an easier matter to mount and dismount, horse
blocks of wood or stone were used at the church and other
places.

Small articles were carried in saddle-bags, balanced,
one on each side of the horse. Grain was carried to mill
in bags laid over the horse's back, so divided that one-half
rested in each end. In fact, nearly all of the light carrying
had to be done on horseback until wagons became common.

Snow-shoes were in common use among the men, in
traversing the country, hunting or performing winter jour-
neys when the snow was deep. It was not infrequent that
women wore them.

Snow-shoes were made of a light piece of wood, com-
monly ash, bent into an elongated curve, egg-shaped, about
three feet long and a foot wide at the greatest width. The
ends met so as to form a sort of handle. About three inch-
es from each end of the curved bow was a thin, flat piece
of wood; this was connected with the sides and a strong
elastic network of leather strings woven in. This leather
netting made a surface which held up the wearer, the snow-
show being fastened to the feet by means of stout strings
running to the sides and over the instep and around the
heel. The real fastening was at the toe, so that in walking
the forward end of the snow-shoe would be lifted, while the
rear end would drag on the snow. The material of which
it was made being very light the snow-shoe was not bur-
densome, and the elastic network gave such a springy ef-
fect to the step that it not only prevented the person from
sinking into the most fluffy mass to any depth, but it en-

CUSTOMS OF THE EARLY SETTLERS 345

abled him to advance at even greater speed than he could
have walked on the solid ground and with less weariness.

Snow-shoes were much worn by the Indians, who were
adept in making them, and it is supposed the early white
settlers got the idea from them. They are yet worn
extensively in Canada and the British provinces where the
winters are long and snow falls to a great depth.

Bean Porridge

A favorite dish among the pioneers, and frequently
seen upon their tables in cold weather, was bean porridge.
In winter times it was made in large quantities. First a
piece of corned beef was cooked and into the broth of this
was put white beans, with a thickening of Indian meal, the
whole properly seasoned and allowed to cook a long time.
This really made a very palatable dish, and left in the ket-
tle to be warmed over and over, from day to day, until the
last of it had been eaten, it was believed to improve in
quality, hence the old time saw that was very popular:

Bean porridge hot;
Bean porridge cold;
Bean porridge best
When nine days old.

Farm Tools

Some of the farming tools were very crude, clumsy
and heavy. Before iron shovels came into use a rude im-
plement to take their place was fashioned out of a piece of
oak plank, sharpened at one edge and this shod with iron.
These were called "shod shovels," and were in common
use until the beginning of the 19th century. Of course
they were heavy and clumsy. Hay and manure forks were
made of iron by the blacksmith. They had large tines,
either round or flat, and bent easily, and were apt to be-
come loose in the handle. Cast steel forks did not come
into general use until 1837. Hoes were also made by the

346 HISTORY OF HUDSON

blacksmith and were on a par with the iron forks. The
eye to receive the handle was welded or riveted on. A
strip of steel was welded on the cutting edge. Some of
the blacksmiths made scythes, axes, knives, and many
other implements used on the farm.

Clocks

Clocks were not in general use until after 1820, the
time of day often being noted by marks on the window ledge
or the front door. There were in some of the more wealthy
families the tall, old-fashioned clock since known as
"Grandfather's clock," which frequently stood in the hall-
way. The face of this was usually ornamented with some
bright pictures, and its bell had a resonant ring, so that
when it tolled forth the hours it could be heard in all parts
of the house. These clocks are now considered valuable
as heirlooms. They were seven feet in height, and reached
from floor to ceiling. Some of them were originally quite
expensive, having been imported from England. They
were in mahogany cases, had brass movements, of hand-
some design, with inlaid faces upon which the day of the
month and phases of the moon were shown, as well as the
hour and minutes and seconds of time. The cost was from
fifty to one hundred dollars, and sometimes higher than
#this last figure.

About 1800 manufacturers in this country began to
make clocks, and they gradually became common in the
families. Many had wooden running gear, but kept very
accurate time, and were not as expensive as the English
clocks. During these periods watches were too expensive
to be very common.

In almost every home were one or more noon marks,
and some had sun dials before clocks came into common
use. In fair weather, by means of these devices, time could
be computed with considerable accuracy; but at night time
or on stormy days or cloudy weather these failed, and the

CUSTOMS OF THE EARLY SETTLERS 347

families were left to calculate the time as best they could
by their judgment as to the swiftness of the passing hours.
The sun, the stars and the planets were also guides to
those versed in the knowledge of astronomy.

Sheep Washing

About the first of June came the annual sheep wash-
ing, when the creatures laden with their winter's growth of
wool were driven to some convenient pond or stream of
clear water, not less than three feet deep, and given a thor-
ough wetting and scrubbing. This task was frequently
turned over to the large boys, who rather delighted in the
performance. The sheep about to be given this washing
was seized, carried bodily into the water, and being careful
to keep the head above the water, the animal was soused
up and down until quite clean. The wool was squeezed be-
tween the hands, until thoroughly washed, and the water
passing through became clear. Running water was con-
sidered better for the purpose than that in a pond which
was still.

The sheep were then turned into the pasture for the
wool to become dry before being sheared. A large fleece
of wool on the sheep before being washed contained an in-
credibly large quantity of dirt. When sold the washed
wool brought a much higher price than the unwashed of
the same quality.

Roots and Herbs

It was the custom with most families to gather and lay
up a stock of roots and herbs for the family use in medic-
inal purposes. Sage, catnip, pennyroyal, thoroughwort,
spearmint, tansy, wormwood, snake root, cherry bark, pip-
sissewa, elder blossoms, and many other roots and herbs
were among those selected. Many of the aged women, who
had reared large families, were skillful in the use of these
simple remedies, and they were often called in cases of

348 HISTORY OF HUDSON

sickness instead of employing a doctor. These herbs,
while generally effective, were not harmful in the influ-
ence upon the general health of the person. Most of the
herbs were gathered when in bloom, and were tied in small
bunches and suspended from the rafters in the attic to dry
and keep in good condition. A pleasant aromatic odor was
thus created in the upper part of the house. This practice
of laying in a stock of nature's remedies by the household
began to wane more than fifty years ago, and to-day very
few, if any, follow up the practice, preferring to send to the
druggist for the extract of the plant they wish to use.

The Open Well

Naturally the first supplies of water for the settlers
were procured from some spring or clear-running brook.
The favorite place was carefully cleared of all rubbish, such
as broken-down branches of trees and dead leaves, when
pure, limpid water was easily secured. But these fountains
were not always convenient to the housewife, who had
usually to bring the supply of water, and again they would
become more or less contaminated as the settlements in-
creased. No one had thought of arranging to have water
running into their sinks. In order to save much of the labor
in bringing the water from long distances, in some cases,
it became the custom to dig wells near the house. This
was a decided improvement over the old way, and as the
water could not be dipped from wells, that were frequently
of considerable depth, a contrivance known as the well-
sweep was devised. This consisted of a large post with a
crotch at the upper end, to receive a long, stout pole fas-
tened with a sort of hinge about midway in its length. The
post was firmly set in the ground about fifteen or eighteen
feet from the well, and it was the rule that this should
stand above the ground to a height two-thirds as great as
the depth of the well. The arm or well-sweep was nicely
balanced and held in place by an iron or wooden pin secur-

CUSTOMS OF THE EARLY SETTLERS 349

ing it at the top of the post. Then the heavy end was
loaded with rocks sufficient to Hft the bucket attached to
the opposite end, when the vessel, filled with the sparkling
water, should be raised from the well. This bucket
was fastened to a slender pole, long enough to reach
from the curb to the surface or even bottom of the water
in the well. Of course the upper end of this small pole
was attached to the small end of the sweep. Though
apparently a primitive affair, this old-fashioned well-sweep
worked very nicely, and it was a comparatively easy task
to raise the large wooden vessel made by the local cooper
from the innermost recess of the well to the top of the rude
curbing. The poet saw the rare exhilaration of this scene
and immortalized it in his song, "The old oaken bucket,
the iron-bound bucket, the moss-covered bucket," as it rose
brimming and tempting from the well. Had he chosen to
picture to us some rustic maid at her morning task of
bringing the water for the breakfast table, he might have
outrivaled VVhittier's delineation of Maud Muller "raking
the meadow sweet with hay."

Eventually pumps made from white pine logs cut upon
the farm, and drilled with huge augers so as to form a hol-
low stem, were utilized for the purpose of drawing water.
Ready made pumps are too modern to need description,
having been sold upon the market since about 1850. Some
farmers installed what was known as "the chain pump."
This was worked by a crank and windlass, over which an
endless chain passed. This chain, with metal buckets at-
tached within eighteen inches of each other, worked
through a wooden tube which rested upon a support near
the bottom of the well, where the chain passed beneath a
small pulley. By means of the crank being turned and the
chain put in motion water was forced up through the tube
to the surface. Chain pumps were common soon after
1850.

350 history of hudson"

Sugar Making

Sug'ar was not used in such large quantities as it is to-
day, and it cost much more than at the present time. A
pound of sugar was worth about the same as a pound of
butter, and was often bartered one for the other at the
country store. Brown sugars of different shades were gen-
erally used on the table and also for cooking. But the
common sweetening was West India molasses.

In some localities sugar from the rock maple sap was
made to a considerable extent, but in this town there were
but a few sugar maples.

Light-brown sugar was supposed to contain the least
dirt and was in the greatest favor. The Havana, which
came in large boxes containing about five hundred pounds,
was called the sweetest. White sugar was but little used,
and that came in cone-shaped loaves weighing twenty-five
pounds each. These were wrapped in strong paper of a
dark-blue color. The loaf was crushed and prepared for
use by means of a hammer and a large, strong knife. La-
ter this sugar came crushed into irregular shapes and small
pieces before offered for trade, and was known as "crushed
sugar."

Refined and granulated sugar began to be used soon
after 1850, but did not come into general use for a decade
later. The retail price of white sugar was about ten cents
a pound, and brown sugar sold for from six to eight cents
a pound, the lightest colored being the highest in price.
During the Civil War sugar was very high, sometimes sell-
ing three pounds for a dollar.

Wheat Flour

Wheat flour was not sold much in barrels until after
the beginning of the 19th century, and was not much used
in most families until many years later. The majority of
farmers raised more or less wheat, which they had ground

CUSTOMS OF THE EARLY SETTLERS 351

and bolted at some grist-mill. This made a sweet, but
dark-colored bread. Rye was also treated in this way and
made into flour. Still very little bread was made from
flour for many years. It was made from rye and Indian
meal mixed and called "brown bread." Bread was also
made from rye, wheat, and Indian meal, and sometimes
barley. The miller was paid for grinding these grains by
taking "toll," as it was called, from the grist. This amount
was fixed by law or custom, and he was entitled to one-
sixteenth, or two quarts from every bushel.

Finally, when Central New York state had become
developed by the settlers, wheat was brought here in bar-
rels from Western New York, and called Genesee flour.
These barrels were easily distinguished from those that
came later from Ohio by being hooped with flat hoops,
while the latter were round, being really half round, having
been made from small poles split in twain. As the inhabi-
tants pushed westward, flour for New England came far-
ther and farther from that direction, until St. Louis flour
became common here. Flour in those days was in some re-
spects much inferior to that of the present time, when the
roller process and other improved methods are employed in
its preparation.

Spirituous Liquors

During the first settlements and for many years after-
wards the use of spirituous liquors was almost universal by
all classes of people. Occasions on which people assem-
bled in numbers were not considered fully satisfactory un-
less liberal quantities of liquor were provided. It was so
at raisings, ordinations, funerals, weddings, log-rollings, and
so on, without distinction as to the class; a good supply of
New England rum, or some other strong drink, was always
supplied and expected. Even the devout minister, who was
supposed to be very near perfection, when he made his pas-
toral calls upon his parishioners, would have felt slighted if

352 HISTORY OF HUDSON

something of that nature had not been placed before him,
as he seldom refused to partake.

Temperance societies on the total abstinence plan were
organized in the early part of the 19th century, and as early
as 1840 the Washingtonian movement swept over New
England. It required the signing of a pledge to abstain
from the use of all intoxicating beverages. This created
considerable excitement at the time, and earnest workers
entered the field.

Tramps

In recent years we have come to know something of
the tramp, the idler who goes about the country seeking to
get his living without working, and frequently making him-
self an object of dislike and dread. Before these appeared
on the stage of action, there was an aimless class of strag-
glers wandering up and down the country, seldom begging
yet ever expecting enough of food to satisfy the inner man,
and, when their clothes became too ragged, an old coat or
other garment with which to replace their own, which at
some time had been given them by another pitying person.

These outcasts were often old men, who, in some
cases, had been too shiftless to lay by money for future
use, or unfortunate, and thus had become footballs of for-
tune, who wandered from one town to another, seeking
alms at the houses they passed, and sleeping at night in
barns or outbuildings. Most of them were fond of cider,
and this in some cases explained their pitiable condition.
Though generally harmless, occasionally they frightened
the women and children on account of their uncouth ap-
pearance. In fact, some of them were mildly insane. The
majority of them were paupers who would remain at the
almshouse during the winter, but when warm weather came
on would start on their periodical trips over the country,
trusting to the generosity of the farmers to get their living.
Usually, older men than the modern tramp, they were more

CUSTOMS OF THE EARLY SETTLERS 353

deserving of pity and help. Among these homeless wan-
derers was occasionally a woman, who had seen brighter
and better days.

Social Ways

In the days of our forefathers, a century or more ago,
the people were much more social than are neighbors at
the present time. This may have been due partly to the
fact that they were more dependent upon each other. At
that time books and magazines and even newspapers were
scarce, so local topics became the news of the day. In the
absence of reading matter and other means of amusement
so common to-day, the neighbors, at the close of the day's
work, would visit each other's homes, where all of the latest
gossip would be threshed out over a mug of cider and a
dish of apples. Here the prospect of the crops was dis-
cussed and the plans for the next quilting bee talked over
by the older members, while the younger ones played check-
ers and other games, cracked nuts and laughed in merry
glee over some joke or good story. Altogether these occa-
sions were pleasant and served to bind the people in closer
ties of friendliness.

Afternoon vi.sits were of frequent occurrence, when
the women would take their sewing or knitting work with
them, and perhaps accomplish nearly as much as they
would if they had stayed at home, besides having a pleas-
ant chat. The inhabitants of the rural districts are much
better educated than in those days, but are less hospitable
and neighborly.

Breaking Roads

Always after a heavy snowstorm, which would block
the roads with drifted snow, so as to make traveling by
single teams difficult, if not impossible, the roads were
broken out and made passable. On these occasions the
farmers would get together with their ox-teams, improving

354 HISTORY OF HUDSON

the opportunity to yoke up whatever unbroken steers they
might have as a good time to "break them in," with their
first lesson in work. Sometimes as many as ten or more
yoke of cattle would thus be hitched to a sled. A log would
sometimes be fastened crosswise under the forward end of
the sled, or a plow or log to the side — perhaps both — a doz-
en or more of the old men would stand upon the sled, the
younger men and boys would start the long team and away
the whole string would go, at times hidden by the snow-
clouds they would send into the air as they plowed their
way through great masses of snow. It was jolly fun for
the boys, but men, oxen, boys and steers would come home
tired and glad it was over, though just as eager for the
merry work when another old-fashioned snowstorm would
follow.

Sometimes the drifts were too solid for the cattle to
trample down and too steep to climb over, when men with
shovels would cut a channel through those places. It has
happened that the snow would be piled so high and solid
that a pathway would be tunneled through like an under-
ground railway. But if the big snowstorms were more fre-
quent and severe in those days, requiring a greater effort
to keep the roads passable, there were no "snow bills" for
the town to pay, as each and every farmer turned out will-
ingly and gladly to the task of "breaking roads."

Beards or Smooth Faces

The frequent change of fashion, in one form or anoth-
er, is shown in the matter of beards. It was almost the
universal custom for men to have clean-shaven faces, or at
least shaven once a week. This was usually done on Sun-
day morning at home, so they would appear at church
properly barbered. A few men, with very heavy, dark
beards, and with more than common pride in their personal
looks, shaved twice a week, but always at home.

The hair, by men and boys, was worn longer than at
the present time. It is doubtful if any one in Hudson ever

CUSTOMS OF THE EARLY SETTLERS 355

wore the powdered wigs that were such a feature among
the gentry of colonial days. The hair was usually cut by
some one in the family.

Long, full beards were worn by very few until after
the days of the "'49er." The California pioneers of that
year, when the gold craze was attracting thousands to the
Pacific slope, during their five or six months' journey across
the continent to the mines of the Golden West, were forced
to allow their beards to grow long and unkempt. Months
in the mines restricted them from returning to the old home
custom, so full beards became the fashion. Upon return-
ing to the East these gold-diggers seemed to have set the
fashion this way, though it was some time before full beards
were looked upon with favor. Some took to shaving a part
of the face, and in this way, side-whiskers, chin whiskers
and the mustache came into vogue. At the present time
there seems to be an inclination to return to the smooth
face. And so the pendulum moves to and fro, continually
changing the customs and fashions.

Title of Mister

Many years ago the title of Mister, commonly ex-
pressed "Mr.," was not applied to all men as at present.
It was then intended as a title of honor to the few rather
than of respect to all. It was almost always placed before
the name of the minister. The term "Goodman" was fre-
quently used in referring to an average person.

Justice of the Peace

In early times more honor and dignity was attached to
the office of Justice of the Peace, or Quorum, and these
officers had larger jurisdictions than at present. There was
generally but one in the smaller towns, and he, in most
cases, really exercised the powers and duties of an attorney
in the fullest sense. Ezekiel Chase, Esq., seems to have
been the first justice resident in this town, and he received

356 HISTORY OF HUDSON

his commission as early as 1747, soon after the incorpora-
tion of the town as Nottingham West. He held the office
for many years.

His son, Ezekiel Chase, Jr., received a commission
about 1760, and held it until his death July 12, 1767, in his
39th year.

Asa Davis was commissioned about 1776, and contin-
ued to hold the office for thirty years. Samuel Marsh was
commissioned'about 1786, and continued as an acting jus-
tice for many years.

Publishing the Banns

When a couple had concluded to marry they made
known their intentions to the town clerk, who posted a no-
tice of their intended marriage in one or more of the
churches. This was called "being published." This notice
was required by law three Sabbaths before the marriage
ceremony was performed, so that if any one knew of any
reason why the couple should not be united in wedlock they
could appear and make it known. This custom was abol-
ished before the middle of the last century.

Highway Fences

Horses and cattle, and sometimes hogs, were allowed
on the highway, which was therefore called "the poor
man's pasture." To protect their fields and crops from
such animals, fences were built and maintained along the
roads by all farmers.

The presence of these creatures feeding upon the high-
ways was very annoying and troublesome, and frequently
the cause of much ill-feeling in the neighborhood. This
practice went out of vogue towards the middle of the 19th
century, and gradually the highway fences have been al-
lowed to go the way of other oldtime customs.

customs of the early settlers 357

Farm Methods

The methods of securing the hay crop have undergone
great changes since the middle of the last century. Much
of the heavy labor done then has been transferred to horses
working with machines. At that time all grass was
cut with hand scythes. It was the custom for the farmer
to rise between daylight and sunrise. The scythes had
been sharpened the evening before, and the mower was ex-
pected to be in the field and ready to start on his first
swath just as the sun would peep above the eastern hori-
zon. In this way the mowing would be done mostly in the
cool part of the day. It was considered also that the grass
cut easier when the dew was on it. About nine o'clock
the boys and old men who did not feel equal to swinging
the scythe spread out the hay to dry. When the sun had
got up so that the ground was thoroughly dry the hay that
had been raked the day before and left in cocks was "shak-
en out," so it would be ready to draw into the barn im-
mediately after dinner.

The grass cut upon that day was raked later in the
afternoon, and left in windrows, or cocks, to be dried
more completely the next day. The day's work in the
hayfield was seldom completed until after sunset, and
cases have been known where it was kept up until after
dark.

Grain was all reaped by hand with sickles. Grain cra-
dles did not come into general use until after the first quar-
ter of the 19th century. "Reaping time" varied somewhat
in different seasons, but rye and wheat were usually cut
between the time of cutting the English grass and the
meadow crop. The grain, after it was reaped, was bound
into small bundles and put into stooks, where it was left to
stand for several weeks until thoroughly cured.

Oats were reaped later, usually before the meadow had
all been harvested, for the products of the lowlands, though
of an inferior quality, was an important portion of the fod-

358 HISTORY OF HUDSON

der for the young cattle. These meadows were often situ-
ated two or three miles away from home. One advantage
of these tracts, of which there were several of considerable
size in this town, was the fact that they did not require any
fertilization except what they got from the flowages of the
streams that ran through them. Very few of the meadows
are now mowed, and most of them have been left to be
covered with a growth.

"Hills' meadow," of which mention has already been
made, consisted of one hundred and fifty acres, and was
divided into sections of from five to ten acres each, owned
by different farmers. This was situated about two miles
south-east of Taylor's Falls. Another extensive tract of
this kind called "The Fine meadow," was located mostly
in Litchfield, but accommodated many farmers at the north
end of this town, who owned a few acres each in it. About
a mile south of the Hills meadow was the Gerrish meadow,
and the Davenport meadow was not far from this last.
Still farther south was "Musquash meadow," and in the
east part of the town near the Pelham line was "The New-
found meadow," which was one of the largest in town.
Like the Hills meadow, they were all divided and subdivid-
ed into lots, so probably every farmer in town owned a
tract of these lowlands, unless he was fortunate enough to
own a smaller meadow on his home farm. These last pro-
duced a better quality of fodder than the larger ones, which
were known as "bog meadows."

These tracts were cut late in the season, after all of
the highlands at home had been harvested, and the day in
the meadow, while it meant long hours and hard work, was
usually the scene of considerable merriment and sometimes
of rough sport. There was the early breakfast, the long
drive in a hayrick in the morning, the long swaths to be
cut, and the frequent potations from the jug filled with hard
cider or something more stimulating. Sometimes the din-
ner would be taken along, at others the boy would go home
to get it, or it might be the farmer's daughter would bring

CUSTOMS OF THE EARLY SETTLERS 359

it into the field. In either case it was not missed, and hard
work made good appetites, so it took a good sized pail or
basket to feed these hungry half-dozen toilers in the mead-
ows. In the afternoon there was the raking and pitching,
and what was known in meadow parlance "poling out."
This consisted of carrying on two stout poles great tumbles
of hay where the bog was too soft to admit of the team
coming to them. It took two men, one at each end of the
poles, which had been placed under the cock to be moved,
and it was considered the hardest part of the day's work.
He who had the forward end generally bore the heavier
portion of the load, but the man at the other end had the
disadvantage of not being able to see just where he was
going. So it was not infrequent for him to fall over some
hummock or hassock in the pathway. It seemed some-
times, though of course it was not so, that he who led
sought the roughest course he could find, instead of follow-
ing the smoothest path. But the height of hilarity and
enthusiasm was reached when the last load was being
drawn out of the meadow. Not infrequently this was the
largest one of the season, and usually the cargo was not in
readiness to be started homeward until long shadows were
creeping across the landscape. To insure its safety it was
usually bound with a stout pole running the length of the
load. As the oxen were started and the great bulky load
was seen to move at last, the welkin would ring with the
shouts of the workmen, who were never too tired to ex-
press their pleasure at that time. Often, in the large mead-
ows, several gangs of hands would be at work at the same
time, in which case there would be an earnest rivalry to
see who should get his tract finished first.

Haying in those days was usually begun the first Mon-
day after the Fourth, and including hay and grain, upland
and meadow, with all hand labor, was not completed until
the last of August or the first of September.

All of the tools used in haying were made by the local
blacksmith and of course were clumsy and heavy. The

860 HISTORY OF HUDSON

light Steel forks, similar to those in use now, were not in-
troduced until about 1840. The horse rake was used by a
very few about 1845, but did not come into general use
until several years later. These rakes had steel spring
teeth without wheels or guides and scratched up so much
dirt and rubbish that they did not find much favor with the
farmers. It required a boy to ride the horse and a strong
man to operate the rake. Another rake that came into
more or less use at that time had wooden teeth, and was
known as the "revolver," which required a man, a boy and
a horse to operate it, though it did more satisfactory work
than the other.

The first wheel rake was made of wood, and was hard
to operate, both for horse and man. This was succeeded
by the spring-tooth rake, which has been greatly improved
since it was introduced nearly fifty years ago.

The first mowing machine used in town was owned by
James Pierce, Esq., about 1863. It had but one driving
wheel, and was very imperfect, as well as hard to operate.
It had a four-foot cutter bar, and did quite good work. A
little later mowing machines were improved and came into
general use.

"Old" and "New Tenor"

The following terms occur frequently in the old records
and histories, when money matters are spoken of: "Old
Tenor," "New Tenor," sometimes "Middle Tenor," "Ster-
ling," "Lawful money," "Continental money," and "Bills
of Credit." They occur in this history, and a little expla-
nation may not be out of place.

"Old tenor" was paper issued by Massachusetts about
1737, and by Rhode Island three years later. Each note
bore the statement that its value was equal to gold or silver
coin. "New tenor" was an issue made by Massachusetts
in 1741. Between these dates the province had issued
what became known as "Middle issue, or tenor." All of

CUSTOMS OF THE EARLY SETTLERS 361

these became very much depreciated after a few years. So
in reckoning it was usual to distinguish between the differ-
ent issues. "Lawful money" was money which by law
was a legal tender for debts and dues.

"Sterling" was an English term, and was gold and sil-
ver coin of standard weight and fineness, so that at all
times it was worth its face value. "Bills of Credit" was
paper issued by authority of the state to circulate as money.

"Continental money" was issued by Congress to
bridge over the financial situation during the Revolutionary
War, and soon became entirely worthless. Hence the ex-
pression, "Not worth a continental."

After the Revolution and previous to 1850, prices were
more generally spoken of in English currency than in that
of the United States. Some of the more common terms of
value then in vogue were "four pence ha' penny," which
was six and one-fourth cents, and "nine pence," or twelve
and one-half cents. There were silver coins, principally
Spanish pieces, which represented these values. When
these coins became worn so that the inscription could not
be read, a cross was made upon each side, after which they
were passed for five and ten cents respectively.

A shilling was 16 2-3 cents; two shillings was 33 1-3
cents; two and threepence, 37 1-2 cents; three and nine-
pence, 62 1-2 cents; four and sixpence, 75 cents; five shil-
lings, 83 1-3 cents; five and sixpence, 87 1-2 cents; seven
and sixpence, $1.25; nine shillings, $1.50; ten and sixpence,
$1.75; fifteen shillings, $2.50; sixteen and sixpence, $2.75.
These terms, almost universally used for so many years,
are now seldom heard.

CHAPTER XXVII

Items of Interest and Local Names

It is impossible to ascertain where or at what time the
first mill in Hudson was built. It appears that Joseph
Winn had a mill not many years after the incorporation of
the town at the place on Musquash brook later occupied
for many years by Joseph B. Wilson. Mr. Wilson operated
a saw and grain mill here, and the same mill was owned
and occupied by Benjamin Merrill, and since him by Ed-
ward F. Eayrs.

Another mill at the privilege of the old Isaac Winn
mill, near the James Barrett place, existed at an early peri-
od. The road from the River road over Bush hill to Pel-
ham line, laid out March 27, 1747, is mentioned in the rec-
ords as "laid out to the Mill brook near the saw mill." It
is not known who built this mill or who owned it at this
time, but some of the Pollards operated it later, if not at
that time. A saw and grain mill was located there for
many years, but the supply of water usually failed in the
summer season.

Near the outlet of Otternick pond on Otternick brook,
tradition claims an older mill than either of the preceding,
a saw mill built about 1710. There is no record to tell who
the builder was, or the exact date. The first settlers need-
ed sawed lumber, and it must have been almost impractica-
ble to have transported it from Dunstable, across the Mer-
rimack, without a bridge or even an established ferry. Un-
doubtedly it was one or more of these early settlers who
constructed this primitive mill.

About 1778, Moses Hadley built a grist mill and prob-
ably a saw mill on the south side of the road upon the
same stream. This mill stood near the site of the one last
described, and twenty or more years later Mr. Hadley

362

ITEMS OF INTEREST AND LOCAL NAMES 363

purchased the Richard Cutter farm, below this place, and
built another saw and grist mill. This site was near that
of the Melendy box shop of the present day. This mill
was operated as late as 1870.

In 1820, and for several years later, a clothing mill,
and probably a carding mill, were located on Otternick
brook about forty rods above its outlet into the Merrimack.
At the laying out of a highway May 15, 1820, we find the
following mention in the selectmen's records: "from the
River road — by request of Capt. Joseph and Oliver Pollard
— to their house near the River. They having paid the
damage." These Pollards at that time were probably own-
ers of the clothing mill. Later it seems to have been
owned by Edward Field for several years. Operations at
this mill seem to have ceased about 1830.

A saw mill stood a little north of the Derry road on
the Thomas Senter place, and near the small Senter bury-
ing ground, for a great many years. It was destroyed by
fire after 1860. It is understood that a grist mill was also
located at the privilege.

Samuel Marshall owned a saw mill located on the sec-
ond brook a little less than one mile below Taylor's Falls
bridge and not far removed from the Merrimack River.
This mill stood for many years, but was finally suffered to
decay and fall to pieces about 1835.

Silas Hills, who lived towards the westerly end of Bar-
rett's hill, erected a saw mill on the small brook north of
his house between 1840 and 1845. He operated this mill
when sufficient water flowed in the brook to give the neces-
sary power. After several years of usefulness this mill
was allowed to fall to ruin and decay.

Cyrus Warren had a shop on the south side of Otter-
nick brook, a little east of the River road, where he manu-
factured planes for many years. His brother William erect-
ed a shop for the same purpose on the north bank of the
brook nearly opposite. Cyrus Warren removed to Nashua
in 1857, and William died May 9, 1861, after which time no

364 HISTORY OF HUDSON

more planes were manufactured in this town. The shops
of the Warren brothers were afterwards converted into file
factories, where John Turner, Samuel Walton, and others
followed that business for a number of years.

At some time a small mill stood at the brook, a little
south of the Litchfield line on the east side of the River
road. But it disappeared long since.

After his death the mill erected by Moses Hadley was
operated for many years by the Willoughbys, Ethan and
Mark. Sometime previous to 1858 the mill was acquired
by Daniel L. French and his son, Edward Payson French.
They installed a large amount of machinery and engaged
in the manufacture of extension tables and other furniture,
an industry they followed with success for several years.
This business was done under the firm name of French &
Gould. Later Albert Shedd & Co., with Warren Spalding
and Jacob F. Spalding, conducted a similar business here.
They were succeeded by George S. Wood, who operated
both the mills and also the table shop, for several years.
The mills were burned in 1874 and rebuilt; they were
again destroyed by fire about 1888.

In December, 1892, George O. Sanders commenced
the building of a box shop on the site of the present factory
of Charles F. Melendy. He operated his mill for a few
years, when it was burned and he rebuilt, to sell it to Mr.
Melendy, who has made extensive additions to the shop and
improvements, doing an increased business in the manu-
facture of boxes.

In 1820. the town contained four saw mills, four grain
mills, two clothing mills and one carding mill.

The Pine Tree Law

It will be remembered by the careful reader of the
Charter of Nottingham West that all ^ch^te pine trees grow-
ing within the territory and fit "for the royal navy" were
reserved to the King for that use. Similar reservations
were made in all the grants of townships throughout the
province made by the royal governors.

ITEMS OF INTEREST AND LOCAL NAMES 365

As early as 1722 the New Hampshire General Court
passed an act making it a penal offense for any person to
cut white pine trees of twelve inches in diameter and over,
a law that remained in force until the Revolution. In fact,
this law had considerable to do with augmenting the trou-
bles that led to the rebellion of the colonists. The fine for
cutting trees twelve inches in diameter was £b; twelve to
eighteen inches, ^10; from eighteen to twenty-four inches,
£20; exceeding twenty-four inches, ;^50. Besides all lum-
ber from trees unlawfully cut was forfeited to the King.

It is evident that this law must have been very unpop-
ular with the farmers whose lands were covered with white
pine forests, whose products were not only useful but need-
ful in the construction of farm buildings and meeting-
houses, and more essential to the inhabitants than to the
King's royal navy.

Persons styled "Surveyors of the King's Woods" were
appointed by the King to see that this law was not broken,
and at the time of the organization of Hillsborough Coun-
ty, Gov. John Wentworth held that office, coupled with the
power to enforce its unpopular aims. It was a part of the
duties of the deputies chosen to help carry out the law to
mark, at the expense of the owner of the land, all the
pines deemed suitable for the royal use, with a "broad ar-
row." This must be done before the settler could begin
his clearing. Then, if one of the King's officers found one
of these trees marked or unmarked, he would seize the log
and sell it for the benefit of the royal treasury. The fol-
lowing incident, narrated in the History of Hollis, by Sam-
uel T. Worcester, is typical of the spirit of the times:

Pine Tree Riot in Weare

"In the spring of 1772 an incident occurred in the
town of Weare, in the northerly part of Hillsborough
County, that well illustrates the bitter, settled hostility of
public sentiment to this odious law.

366 HISTORY OF HUDSON

"A citizen of that town by the name of Mudgett, with
others, had been charged by a deputy surveyor with un-
lawfully cutting the king's trees, the lumber made from
which was then at one of the saw mills in Weare. A com-
plaint was made against the offender and a warrant issued
for his arrest, and put into the hands of Sheriff Whiting
for execution.

"The sheriff, taking with him an assistant, repaired to
Weare and arrested the accused. The arrest being late in
the afternoon, the prisoner suggested that if the officer
would wait until the next morning he would furnish the
necessary bail for his appearance at the next court.

"The sheriff acquiesced in the suggestion, and he, with
his assistants, went to a tavern near by to pass the night.

"The coming of the sheriff, with the nature of his mis-
sion, to Weare, was very soon made known to the towns-
men of the accused, who, to the number of twenty or more,
met together, and during the night made their plans for
bail of a different sort from that understood by the sheriff
the evening before. Very early in the morning, while the
sheriff was yet in bed, he was roused from his slumbers by
his prisoner, who told him his bail was waiting at the door.

"Whiting complained at being so early disturbed in his
slumbers. The proposed bail, however, without waiting
to listen to any complaints of this kind, promply entered
the sleeping room, each furnished with a tough, flexible
switch, an instrument better adapted for making his mark
upon the back of the sheriff than for writing the name of
his bail at the foot of a bail bond. Without allowing their
victim time to dress himself, one of the company, as is said,
held him by the hands, and another by his feet, while the
rest in turn proceeded to make their mark upon the naked
back of the sheriff, more to their own satisfaction than for
his comfort or delight.

"Having in this way, as they said, squared and crossed
out their pine tree accounts with the principal, they after-
wards settled substantially in like manner with his assist-
ants.

ITEMS OF INTEREST AND LOCAL NAMES 367

"Having in this manner satisfied their accounts with
these officers their horses were led to the door of the tav-
ern, ready saddled and bridled, with their manes, tails and
ears closely cropped, and their owners invited to mount
and leave. Being slow to do so, they were assisted upon
their horses by some of the company, and in that plight
rode away from Weare, followed by the shouts and jeers of
the rioters.

"The sheriff was not of a temper to overlook or for-
give such gross abuse and insults. He at once appealed to
the colonels of the two nearest regiments of militia, and
with their aid called out a. posse comitatus who, armed with
muskets, marched to Weare to arrest the offenders. The
rioters for the time disappeared, but afterwards surrend-
ered themselves, or were arrested, and eight of them were
indicted for assault and riot, at the September term of the
Superior Court, 17V2.

"At that term they were arraigned and all pleaded that
they "would not further contend with our Lord the King
but would submit to his Grace." Upon this plea the court
fined them the very moderate sum of twenty shillings each
with cost.

"This slight punishment for such an outrage upon the
high sheriff, when executing the legal process of the court,
indicated that the sympathies of the bench were quite as
much with the prisoners at the bar and common sentiment,
as with the sheriff and the Pine Tree law. This law, as it
was enforced, was more oppressive and offensive to the
people of those times than the stamp act and the tea tax,
and there is little doubt that the attempted execution of it
contributed quite as much as either or both of those laws
to the remarkable unanimity of the New Hampshire yeo-
manry in the hostility to the British government in the
War of the Revolution that soon followed." The incident
just related may be justly claimed as among the very first
overt acts of the people against the King.

368 history of hudson

"The Dark Day," May 19, 1780

The circumstances and appearances which marked
this memorable day, as nearly as can be gathered from
what was long ago related by aged people who witnessed
the phenomenon, were as follows:

The morning exhibited nothing remarkable except a
smoky atmosphere, and a pale glimmering of the eastern
sky. About eight or nine o'clock a thick haze obscured
the sun. The heavens assumed a brassy appearance, some-
thing like the moon under a total eclipse. About ten or
eleven o'clock a gloomy and melancholy darkness involved
all terrestrial objects. The domestic fowls and the birds
and beasts repaired to the retreats of night ; consternation
and terror seized the minds of mortals, who imagined the
final end of all things was near. About noon the darkness
was so great that it was necessary to light candles in the
houses.

This singular darkness and coppery hue of the sky
lasted through the remainder of the day, and the following
night was one of intense darkness. On the succeeding
day the sun rose bright and clear.

The Connecticut state legislature was in session at the
time, and a motion was made to adjourn. A Mr. Daven-
port, a member, arose and said:

"Mr. Speaker, this is either the day of judgment, or
it is not. If it is not, then there is no need of adjourning.
If it is, I desire to be found doing my duty. I, therefore,
move that candles be brought in and that we proceed to
business."

The motion prevailed.

September 6, 1881, was a day of darkness. The weath-
er was warm and the sky began to look yellow in the fore-
noon. Everything had a yellowish appearance, and at
times a greenish cast. It became quite dark. At times
the clouded atmosphere presented a beautiful appearance.
The darkest part of the day was about two o'clock in the

ITEMS OF INTEREST AND LOCAL NAMES 369

afternoon, but the darkness was different from that of
night, it being extremely gloomy. Lights did very little
good. It became normal about four o'clock in the after-
noon.

Cold Summer

The spring and summer of 1816 were very cold and
backward in New England. There were heavy frosts gen-
erally in this section during every month of the summer
season. In the latter part of the season but little rain fell
and crops suffered on that account, as well as from frost.
Most of the farm.ers in Hudson raised but little corn, and
what they did succeed in growing was more or less frost-
bitten, of small size and poor quality.

It was said that there was not a bushel of sound corn,
raised in town that year. A few, among whom was Willard
Cummings, who planted ten acres of corn, were fortunate
in raising a large quantity, and while it was not perfect,
owing to the scarcity it sold at a high price, and was in
great demand.

It was difficult for farmers to procure seed corn for
planting the following spring. There were fair crops of
rye, wheat, potatoes and barley, but the hay crop was light.

The spring of 1817 was normal, and average crops
were raised that year.

Cold Friday

"The Cold Friday" of 1810 occurred on the 19th of
January. In many places the cold was so severe that per-
sons exposed to the elements were frozen to death, though
no fatality of this kind was reported in Hudson. A strong
wind prevailed, domg much damage, blowing down build-
ings and trees. One who remembered it, said, "It was
difficult to stand on one's feet, the wind was so strong."
Thousands of tall trees were blown down, so that great de-
struction was done to the forests. The cold was not so in-

370 HISTORY OF HUDSON

tense as we have had it at other times, as indicated by the
thermometer, the temperature being from fifteen to twenty-
degrees below zero. The mercury is said to have fallen
fifty-five degrees in twenty-four hours, from Thursday to
Friday noon.

The Great September Gale

On the 22d of September, 1815, one of the most vio-
lent tempests ever experienced in New England, as far as
is known, swept over Massachusetts and southern New
Hampshire and vicinity. It raged about four hours, doing
an immense amount of damage. Many houses and barns
were unroofed or blown down, while fruit and other
trees suffered greatly. Millions of feet of timber were
destroyed in the forests. Hudson suffered greatly from
this storm, and it became the most prominent subject
of conversation for some time. Along the seacoast the
tempest raged still more furiously, and the loss to shipping
was great. Many lives were lost at sea.

Solar Eclipse of 1806

The only total eclipse of the sun during the 19th cen-
tury visible in New England, occurred on the 16th of June,
1806, between the hours of 10 a. m., and 1 p. m. The
whole duration of the eclipse was three hours and nine min-
utes, and the time of the total obscuration was two minutes
and twenty-seven seconds.

The day was clear, with scarcely enough wind to move
the leaves upon the trees. At the time of the total eclipse
it was said the planets Mars, Venus and Mercury were vis-
ible, and the larger stars in Orion and Ursa Major. It was
so dark during the eclipse that the bees returned unladen
with sweets to their hives; the fowls went to their roosts;
and the cattle in the pastures ceased grazing. The dark-
ness was so great that objects could be seen only a short
distance, and a considerable amount of dew fell on the
grass.

ITEMS OF INTEREST AND LOCAL NAMES 371

February 12, 1831, an eclipse of the sun, the largest
that had been witnessed since the total one in 1806, took
place between 10.30 a. m., and 2.15 p. m. At five minutes
past one o'clock 11.29 digits of the sun's surface were cov-
ered. The weather was fair, allowing a favorable view of
the phenomenon. At the time of the greatest obscuration
the planet Venus was visible.

Owing to the great distance of the moon from the
earth at the time of the eclipse, it was not total, but the sun
was so nearly covered that it appeared in the form of a
beautiful narrow ring of burnished gold. Many people in
Hudson supplied themselves with pieces of smoked glass
and were delighted at the wonderful and beautiful display.

Old Style and New Style

Julius Caesar, forty-six years B. C, established the mean
length of the year at 365 1-4 days, and decreed that every
fourth year should have 366 days, and the other three years
865 each. This was known as the Julian Calendar. But
this was not correct in its results. The Julian year ex-
ceeded the true solar time by eleven minutes and fourteen
seconds, causing the vernal equinox, in the course of cen-
turies, to fall back several days.

To correct this error and restore the equinox to its
proper place, Pope Gregory XIII, in 1582, directed the days
to be suppressed in the calendar. This was accepted by
the Catholics. The Protestant countries of Europe and
America, however, were unwilling to adopt the new calen-
dar because of its Popish origin, and they continued to re-
tain the Julian system, or Old Style, as it was called.

At length, in 1751, the British Parliament adjusted the
calendar by providing that eleven days should be taken out
of September, 1752, making the third day of that month the
fourteenth, and that the year 1752 should commence with
the first day of January. It was also arranged that every
fourth year a day should be added to February, except such

372 HISTORY OF HUDSON

as were divisible by one hundred and not multiples of four
hundred. This became known "New Style."

Organization of Hillsborough County

Previous to 1771 there had been no division of New
Hampshire into counties. Until that time the sessions of
the General Court had been usually held at Portsmouth for
the entire province. This was inconvenient to the inhabi-
tants to the west of the Merrimack. Complaints were
made by these people of that fact, and as early as 1754, a
large portion of the settlers of the towns between the Mer-
rimack and Connecticut rivers united in a petition to the
General Court setting forth their grievance, and praying
for a division of the province into counties.

Finally, after repeated demands of this kind, the Court
assented on March 19, 1771, and passed an act dividing the
province into five counties, which were designated by the
English names of Rockingham, Strafford, Hillsborough,
Grafton and Cheshire. These names were bestowed by
Governor Wentworth in honor of friends of his in England
prominent in the government.

The County of Hillsborough was organized the same
year, with the county seat fixed at Amherst. Two of the
first Judges of the Court of Sessions were Matthew Thorn-
ton, of Merrimack, and Samuel Hobart, of Hollis. Benja-
min Whiting, also of Hollis, was the first High Sheriff.
Judge Hobart was made first County Treasurer and Regis-
ter of Deeds, his office being at Hollis.

Visit of General Lafayette to Concord

The capital of New Hampshire was visited by General
Lafayette June 22, 1825, when thousands of the citizens of
the state embraced the opportunity of greeting the friend
and companion of Washington, as well as a champion of
the American colonies in the days of their struggle for in-
dependence. Hudson was well represented upon that oc-

ITEMS OF INTEREST AND LOCAL NAMES 373

casion, among those taking the journey being many of the
surviving veteran soldiers of the Revolution.

More than two hundred of the companion-in-arms of
the great French patriot were present. Edmund Parker of
Amherst, was chief marshal of the day, Receiving the
General at Pembroke, the civic escort proceeded towards
Concord, and at the line] between the towns was met by a
military escort called out for the occasion. This was under
the command of Gen. Bradbury Bartlett, a grandson of
Colonel Joseph Cilley of Revolutionary fame.

The procession then marched up Main street to the
North End, then returned to the State house, where the
military company formed on either side of the walk from
the street to the capitol steps. The marshals, committee
of arrangements and guests passed between the lines to
Representative Hall, where the governor, council, senate
and house of representatives were assembled. On entering
the hall the presence of General Lafayette was announced
to the convention, which rose to receive him. He was then
introduced to Governor Morrill, who addressed him briefly
in an appropriate speech, to which he replied. He was
afterwards introduced to the members of the council and
president of the senate by the governor. The president of
the senate introduced him to each of the senators and to
the speaker of the house, who performed a similar duty to
each of the representatives.

He then descended to the area below the hall and met
the Revolutionary soldiers, where he was welcomed in their
behalf by Gen. Benjamin Pierce. A dinner was served in
the state house park, with about eight hundred of the
citizens who assembled to honor the illustrious guest, who
was seated at the right of the chief marshal of the day.

Pounds

Every town was required by law, under severe penalty,
to maintain a good and sufficient pound, in which any per-

374 HISTORY OF HUDSON

son could impound any swine, neat cattle, horses, sheep or
other creatures doing damage in his inclosure, or any such
creature going at large in any highway or common in vio-
lation of any law or by-law of such town.

A pound keeper was chosen annually, as one of the
necessary town officers.

The first mention found upon the town records of this
town in relation to a pound, was that at the annual meet-
ing March 7, 1737, "Voted that Joseph Hamblet, Jr., and
Samuel Butler should have their pay for building a pound
that the town now uses."

This pound was probably in that part of Nottingham
that later fell into Pelham.

October 8, 1744. "Voted to build two pounds, one near
Samuel Greeley's house and one near the house of Henry
Baldwin." Henry Baldwin's house was near Beaver brook
and the house of Samuel Greeley was about two miles
south of Taylor's Falls bridge.

March 9, 1747. "Voted to build a Pound near Mr.
Abraham Page's Dwelling house, and chose Lieut. Joseph
Winn and George Burns to effect the same."

Mr. Abraham Page's house at that time was on the
east side of the Lowell road, about twenty rods southerly
from the first turnout on the street railway.

These pounds may not have been all built, but such as
were made were probably of wood. This last one was ac-
cepted by the town May 18, 1748.

March 5, 1759. "The town voted to erect a Pound to
be set upon the town's land near the meeting-house." This
was probably on the common near the Blodgett cemetery.

March 9, 1772. "The town voted to build a Pound and
set it on ye high land between Nehemiah Hadley's and
Timothy Smith's, and chose Lt. Reuben Spalding, Asa
Davis and William Burns a committee to effect the same,
and also voted to build it with stone, and to be 33 feet
within the walls, the height to be six feet of stone and one
foot of wood, and that it shall be accomplished by the mid-

ITEMS OF INTEREST AND LOCAL NAMES 375

die of September next, and that the wages shall be fifteen
shillings silver old Tenor per day for a man and ten shill-
ings for a yoke of oxen and four shillings and sixpence for
a cart."

The pound was completed by the committee chosen,
and the date of its erection, 1772, was carved upon its eas-
terly gate-post.

At the next annual meeting the town elected Timothy
Smith keeper of the new pound.

The town continued to use it to impound domestic an-
imals at all times when required, for more than one hun-
dred years, since which time it has fallen into disuse.

In 1859 the town paid Silas T. Steele ;^11.58, for a new
gate.

In 1887 — the pound not having been called into use
for several years, and having become slightly out of repair
— some of the citizens of Hudson caused an article to be
placed in the warrant for the town meeting, in substance:
*'To see if the town will vote to sell the Pound."

When it came before the town for action in open meet-
ing, objections were made to its sale, but rather it was
thought that it should be kept by the town as one of its
ancient relics. A vote was passed to put it into repair.
Mark Bachelder repaired it at an expense of ^11. 50.

There it stands today (1912), substantially in good re-
pair; the old gate strong and ready for duty again at
at an instant's notice. The large iron pad-lock, corroded
with time, still hangs at the latch, as it has done in the
past, to secure the entrance from unlawful tramps and in-
truders.

Citizens of Hudson! Behold your ancient pound
where your ancestors placed it, and where it has stood for
one hundred and forty years. It has withstood all the
storms and tempests of the times. It is still strong and
may stand for centuries yet to come. Our fathers taught
us the noble lesson to do good, honest, thorough work.
Then let the structure remain as a monument or relic to

376 HISTORY OF HUDSON

greet our descendants for all time. Desecrate not a single
stone.

In every town are found local names applied to ponds,
hills, streams, etc. It can be shown how a few such names
in this town originated.

"Tarnic Pond"

This name was derived from the Indian name, Wat-
tannock, which applied to a certain extent of territory,
greater or less, situated on both sides of the Merrimack,
near the mouth of the Nashua river; if, indeed, it did not
apply to a small tribe or subdivision of a tribe of Indians
that inhabited this place before the advent upon the scene
of the first white settler, a statement made by some of the
early historians. From the Massachusetts Court records
of 1662, in the description of a grant of five hundred acres
of land laid out to Joseph Hills of Maiden, and surveyed
by Jonathan Danforth, we quote the following:

Laid out to Joseph Hills of Maiden 500 acres of Land in the Wilder-
ness, on the Eastern Side Merrimack River.

One Parcel of the same containing (450) Acres Joineth to said River.

Beginning at Wattannock Right Over Against the Island which Ly-
eth at the mouth of Nashua River, Running up Merrimack 450 Poles by
the River.

Fox's History of the old township of Dunstable, page
22, says:

"The valleys of Natticook, of Salmon brook and the
Nashua, (or Wattannock as it is called in the Court Rec-
ords,) especially near their mouths, were favourite resorts
and abodes of the Indians." Nason's History of Dunsta-
ble, page 61, under the head of "Water Supply," says:

"For about two miles and a quarter along its western,
border flows in a quiet current the beautiful Nashua River,
once the favourite resort of the aborigines. It was an-
ciently called the Watananock."

McClintock's History of New Hampshire, page 131,
says:

ITEMS OF INTEREST AND LOCAL NAMES 377

"During the year 1702 the colonial court of Massachu-
setts built a trading-house for the Indians, and established
a fortified garrison at Watanic — the Indian name of Nash-
ua — which was afterwards called Queen's garrison, and was
situated about sixty rods easterly of Main street in Nashua,
and about as far north of Salmon brook."

In the History of Hillsborough County, N. H., page
458, may be found:

"Otternick (pond), more commonly called Tarnic, —
lies about one mile east of the Merrimack, — contains 38
acres and empties into the river by Otternick brook about

80 rods below Taylor's Falls bridge The name

was derived from an Indian name, variously given in the
ancient records as Wattananuck, Watannuck, Watananock,
Watananuck, Watannack, &c."

New Hampshire As It Is, published in 1856, gives the
names of the ponds in Hudson as "Little Massabesick and
Otternick." New Hampshire Agriculture, 1874, page 428,
also gives the same names to the ponds.

The Statistical Gazetteer of New Hampshire, published
in 1874 by A. J. Fogg, page 203, gives the name "Otter-
nic," the terminal letter being dropped. The United States
Topographical Survey, made in 1904, Manchester quadran-
gle, gives the names of the ponds as "Otternic" and "Rob-
inson's."

The brook flowing from Watannock pond, as it was
formerly named, to the river, afforded the inhabitants of
the town a most bountiful supply of the small fish called
alewives, whose flesh, although containing a large quantity
of small bones, was very delicious and of fine flavor.

This was the most noted brook along the river for the
ascent of this migratory fish in May of each year. Myriads
of them could be seen in it on their way from the river to
the pond — about one mile — to deposit their spawn.

The town appointed wardens "to take care that the
fish are not obstructed in their passage up Wattannock
Brook."

378 HISTORY OF HUDSON

This action was taken for many years, and laws were
passed by the General Court to prevent their obstruction.

Robinson's Pond

The original name of this sheet of water was "Little
Massabesic," an Indian appellation said to mean the place
of much water.

Near the end of the eighteenth century Simeon Rob-
inson settled on the north side of this pond, where some of
his descendants still reside.

During the last half century the name of the pond has
undergone a gradual change until it has come to be almost
universally known as Robinson's Pond.

Barrett's Hill

The old Londonderry line passed over Barrett's hill in
a north-westerly and south-easterly direction, but so as to
leave the majority of the inhabitants there north of the
line. When that portion of Londonderry was annexed to
Nottingham West in 1778, most of the farms on Barrett's
hill were owned and occupied by Barretts, and they and
their descendants continued to reside there for many years
later. Hence the name.

Bush Hill

The name of Bush hill, which is situated in the south-
east part of Hudson, and boasts several good farms, may
be found in the early records of the town. Considerable
research has been made by the writer to ascertain the ori-
gin of the name, but without any success. Probably it will
never become known.

Hills Row

This name was applied to a section of the Derry road
extending from the Alden Hills house about two miles east-

ITEMS OF INTEREST AND LOCAL NAMES 379

erly towards Londonderry. Nathaniel Hills once owned a
tract of land there containing nine hundred acres, which
was divided into farms of about one hundred acres each.
Most of these farms were conveyed to his brothers and sons,
who became residents upon them. As the result the name
of Hills was to be found at nearly every house within the
section mentioned for more than a hundred years.

Two male residents, only, by the name of Hills, reside
there at present.

"The Farms"

This name was given to that section extending from
Taylor's Falls bridge up the Merrimack to Litchfield line,
and included all the farms embraced in the original grant
of four hundred and fifty acres of land to Joseph Hills in
1662.

"Taylor's Falls Bridge"

This locality was named from Taylor's Falls, a slight
fall in the Merrimack some eighty rods below the bridge.
It is supposed that the falls were named for John Taylor,
who was one of the first settlers on Hills farms, or possibly
for William Taylor, who was one of the early settlers near
the falls.

School Districts and School Houses

School house Number One was called "Musquash,"
being situated near the brook bearing that name, the In-
dian name of which was Nacook, and not far from Mus-
quash pond.

Number Two was known as "The Red School House,"
having, in the early part of the nineteenth century, taken
its name from its color.

Number Three — "Bush Hill" — was located on the hill
of that name.

380 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Number Four, formerly known as the "Old South,"
derived its name from the South meeting-house or the
South common.

Number Five, "Corliss Hill," was situated near the
summit of a hill by that name, at the east part of the town.
Near the base of this hill and on the east side, James Cor-
liss settled about 1787, and the Corliss family continued to
occupy the place until recent years. Hence the name.

Number Six, "The Farms," from Hills' farms.

Number Seven, "Frog Corner." The origin of this
name, by which the district has been known from time out
of memory, is not now ascertainable.

Number Eight, "Barrett's Hill."

Number Nine, "Kidder District," was situated near
the farm once owned by Benjamin Kidder.

Number Ten, "Hills Row."

"Thurston's Jump"

This is a precipitous, rocky bluff situated one mile dis-
tant from Hudson Center in a south-easterly direction, and
a short distance north of the Haverhill and Nashua electric
line. It is considered one of Nature's curiosities, and has
been visited by many people. This bluff is of a considera-
ble magnitude.

It was related to the writer many years ago by an aged
person, that this name was derived from the fact that a cer-
tain Mr. Thurston, after duly indulging in the "ardent,"
lost his balance upon the brow of the cliff, fell over the
precipice and rolled to its base. He received some bruises,
but was not seriously injured. A little later a deer, with a
dog close upon its trail, coming to the cliff, went to the
bottom many feet below, with a single bound. The dog
soon followed. The result was that neither dog nor deer
retained a whole limb.

items of interest and local names 381

"Moose Swamp"

This swamp is located at the north-east corner of Hills'
meadow near the Bush hill road. It derived its name from
the fact that the last moose known to have been in this
town was killed by Asa Davis, Esq., at this place, about
the beginning of the nineteenth century.

"Chase Hill"

Quite a lengthy and steep rise in the Bush hill road, a
little north of Moose swamp, has long been known by this
name. An old cellar a short distance north of the high-
way at this place, indicates the site of a former dwelling.
This was the home of Daniel Chase for many years subse-
quent to 1792.

Town Commons

The South Common, as it was formerly called, origi-
nally contained four or five acres when acquired by the
town from Benjamin Whittemore in 1748. A piece of this
land was taken for a cemetery, roads were laid out upon it,
and probably it was otherwise infringed upon until its size
was reduced to less than one and one-half acres. In 1798
a piece of it was given to the proprietors of the South
meeting-house, then building, "to set said meeting house
on, so long as a meeting house shall be continued there."

Soon after the South meeting-house had been sold by
the proprietors and removed from the common, Zaccheus
Colburn, a grandson of Captain Thomas Colburn, one of the
early settlers of the town, sold the common at auction, for
the sum of sixty-seven dollars, Joseph Blodgett being the
purchaser. The conveyance was a deed of quit claim,
dated March 11, 1845, and recorded in Vol. 285, Page 408,
and signed by Zaccheus Colburn, Mary Hills, Lydia Har-
ris, Sarah Colburn, Paul Colburn, Isaac Colburn and Susan
E. Proctor, with their wives and husbands.

382 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Beginning at a small elm tree at the intersection of the roads near
Eben Hadley's; thence northerly across the road leading to Winn's MilE
to Nathan Blodgett's land; thence westerly by said Blodgett's land and
land of Mrs. Doil to the south east corner of the grave yard; thence wes-
terly by the grave yard wall to the south west corner of the yard; thence
northerly by the grave yard wall to Mrs. Doil's land^ thence westerly to
the county road ; thence southerly by the road to land of Joseph and Jos-
eph Blodgett Jr.; thence easterly by said Blodgett's land to the place of
beginning.

Apparently there was some error or misunderstanding
in regard to the ownership of this common. A nephew of
Zaccheus Colburn, Captain Isaac, who died March 5, 1890,
aged 91 years and three months, several years previous to
his decease, in a conversation with the writer concerning
the ancient meeting-houses of the town, stated: That two
meeting-houses were built upon the lands of his grand-
father, Captain Thomas Colburn. That these lots were to
revert whenever they should cease to be used for the pur-
pose for which they were given.

This was true of the lot near Musquash brook where
the first meeting-house was built in 1734, but does not
seem to have been the case with the South common. The
town records plainly show that this common was formerly
owned by Benjamin Whittemore, and seems to have been
acquired by the town from him in 1748. No conveyance
is to be found, yet it may have been recorded in Masachu-
setts. There is no evidence whatever that at any time it
belonged to Thomas Colburn. Hence the supposed error.

The Common at the Center, or North Common, as
well as the old burying ground adjoining the same, are
both located upon land that was included in the farm of
Deacon Henry Hale, though no conveyance of either by
him to the town can be found. The common and burying
ground together form a triangle, surrounded by roads and
lying directly across the highway from the site of the North
meeting-house, erected about 1771.

They are bordered by the Windham road on the north,
by the Pelham road on the south-west, and by a short piece

ITEMS OF INTEREST AND LOCAL NAMES 383

■of road, passing between these two, on the east. The
common contains some two acres.

It is not known whether the common or the burying
ground was the first to be occupied, but it seems probable
that, at the time the North meeting-house was built, or
soon after. Deacon Hale gave this land — surrounded by
roads and thus cut off from the rest of his farm — for a com-
mon and public burying ground both. The burying ground
contains one-half an acre, and was located at the south-east
corner.

However the titles to this land may have been ac-
quired from Deacon Hale, the ownership of the same by
the town is not known to have ever been questioned by
anyone.

The old militia trainings were held upon this common.
At one time a set of hay scales was located upon the south
side, opposite the Tenney tavern, which occupied the site
where Henry C. Brown's house now stands.

In 1859 the near-by neighbors planted the common
with trees, and otherwise improved it. Many of these
trees did not thrive, but several are still alive and flour-
ishing.

Stocks

For the punishment of minor offences stocks were for-
merly in vogue in this town, and perhaps the whipping
post, too, although no record of the latter is found.

The stocks were made of timbers with holes in them
for the feet — and frequently for the hands as well — one-
half of each hole being in each of two timbers, one of which
was above and rested upon the other. The offender was
made to sit at a convenient distance in front of the ma-
chine, and the upper timber was raised until the feet could
pass between them. Then the ankles were placed in the
parts of holes in the lower timber and the other was low-
ered and locked in its place. The process was repeated

384 HISTORY OF HUDSON

with the hands in another set of timbers higher up, and
thus the culprits were confined securely until such time as
they were released by the officer in authority.

On September 21, 1747, at a town meeting held at the
house of Benjamin Whittemore, it was voted "to erect a
pair of stocks."

"Voted three pounds Old tenor money to erect the
same.

"John Marshall was chosen to build said stocks."

It is not known where these stocks were located, but
it seems most probable that they were placed upon the
common soon after its acquisition from Mr. Whittemore.

"Potash Corner"

This corner is situated on the Derry road at the "four
corners" near the small Senter burying ground in the
north-easterly part of the town. It is not known how the
name was derived.

"Lawrence Corner"

Lawrence Corner is situated in the east part of Hud-
son, near Beaver brook, and took its name from a Law-
rence family that resided in that vicinity for many years.

Library Park

For several years previous to 1911 the small triangular
tract of land, containing about an acre and a fourth, or
fifty-four thousand, seven hundred and eighty-seven feet,
situated some sixty rods to the north-east of Taylor's Falls
bridge and on the south-east side of Derry road, had been
under discussion by the citizens of Hudson, residents of
that section, as a public park for the town's use.

On the high ground and not far from the north angle
of this tract, a very ancient cellar, of some historical value,
was situated.

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ITEMS OF INTEREST AND LOCAL NAMES 385

It was undoubtedly the site of Nathaniel Davis' home.
Nathaniel Davis came into this town — probably from Ha-
verhill, Mass. — as early as 1755, and settled near the ferry
— now Taylor's Falls bridge — where he remained for sev-
eral years. At one time he seems to have owned the ferry.
He became an influential citizen, had a large family of chil-
dren, and later removed to what became the John M.
Thompson farm, one and a half miles to the north, and
died there September 18, 1783, aged 58 years.

About 1891 George O. Sanders came into possession
of this triangular piece of land, for which he paid a large
price — said to have been about thirteen hundred dollars.

Later he plotted it into nine or ten small building lots
and offered them for sale, but did not succeed in selling
any of them.

Several years later the title of this land was acquired
by parties living in Nashua, by whom it was divided into
eleven house lots and offered for sale at public auction, of
which two lots, only, were actually sold.

In the early spring of 1911 a party that had acquired
the title to one of the lots sold, began preparations for
for erecting a small house thereon.

It was then apprehended by the inhabitants that,
should a majority of these lots be built upon with buildings
necessarily small and, most likely, of an inferior quality,
it would prove to be of no real benefit to the town, and
might possibly prove to be detrimental.

The matter of acquiring this tract for a public park
had long been in agitation, but no real aggressive move-
ment towards its attainment had ever been inaugurated.

At the annual town meeting in March, 1911, the war-
rant contained an article as follows:

To see if the town will vote to purchase or acquire the triangular
tract of land situated near Hudson Bridge, bounded by Ferry Street, San-
ders Street and the Derry Road, and owned by Charles S. Clement and
others, for town purposes ; raise and appropriate money therefor or take
any other action relating thereto that may be deemed expedient.

386 HISTORY OF HUDSON

This article was by vote indefinitely postponed. Later
a subscription paper was circulated which was signed quite
liberally, and a considerable sum of money subscribed.

In the meantime the small house, which had been be-
gun on one of the lots, had progressed quite rapidly.

A special town meeting was called, to meet on the 15th
day of May, 1911:

"To see if the town will authorize the selectmen to ac-
quire the land by the Right of eminent domain for a public
park."

At that meeting the following resolution was offered
by Dr. Alfred K. Hills, who had always been keenly inter-
ested in the acquisition of this land for a park.

Resolved, That the Board of .Selectmen of the town of Hudson are
hereby authorized to acquire by condemnation or other proceedings, and
grade the triangular piece of land, bounded by Derry Road, Sanders and
Ferry Streets, for the purpose of a public park, to be known as Library
Park, provided there shall be no expense to the town whatever.

The same Board of Selectmen are also authorized to appoint a com-
mission to lay out said park and a superintendent to care for the same,
also without expense to the town.

This resolution was passed by a unanimous vote. Dr.
Hills proposed to bear all the expense for the purchase of
the land and the grading of the park, with such assistance
as the venerable Mrs. Mary Creutzborg might wish to give.

This land was then procured of the several owners at
the expense to Dr. Hills and Mrs. Creutzborg of sixteen
hundred and ninety dollars.

To satisfy the owner of the house which had been
erected, and to compensate him for the small lot upon
which it stood, another much larger and more desirable site
was procured upon which a cellar was constructed, to which
the building was removed. In doing this an expense of
seven hundred and seventy dollars was incurred which
was paid from the fund raised by individual subscriptions
already mentioned.

A little later the tract was surveyed by an engineer, and
properly laid out for a park, soon after which the grading

ITEMS OF INTEREST AND LOCAL NAMES 387

was commenced. When brought to a proper grade it was
heavily surfaced with soil and seeded with lawn grass.
Also the roads upon the east and south sides were lowered
to harmonize with the grade of the park.

An ornamental and enduring little structure, largely
of concrete, and well adapted as a pleasant resting place
for those awaiting the electric cars, is placed at the south-
east corner of the park. A rough granite boulder is locat-
ed near the south-west angle, and facing the south-west, on
whose front is securely bolted a heavy circular bronze tab-
let bearing this inscription:

Library Park
The gift of Mary Field Creutzborg. 1911

This was all completed in 1911 by Dr. Hills and Mrs.
Creutzborg. In the spring of 1912 the park was planted
with ornamental shade trees and shrubbery, and otherwise
beautified.

This is one of Hudson's most valuable assets, and it is
greatly appreciated by her citizens, who feel very grateful
to the donors for their considerate generosity.

Warning People Out of Town

In May, 1719, it was enacted by the General Court of
New Hampshire, "That if any person came to sojourn in
any town in the province and be there received and enter-
tained by the space of three months, and not having been
warned by the constable to leave the place, and the names
of such persons, with the time of their abode there, and
when such warning was given, returned to the quarter ses-
sions; such person shall be reputed an inhabitant of such
town, and the town is liable to maintain such person. It
is also enacted, that any person so warned out, and neglect-
ing for fourteen days to remove, may by a warrant from a
Justice of the Peace be sent from constable to constable
unto the town where he properly belongs, or had his last
residence, at his own charge, if able to pay the same, other-
wise at the charge of the town sending him."

388 HISTORY OF HUDSON

In early times the selectmen were very alert in pre-
venting new-comers from becoming town charges. Incase
they had been legally warned and notified to leave within a
certain time, if later they became so impoverished as to
need aid, the town was not liable for their support, but as-
sistance must be sought at the place from whence they
came. It is not implied that the constable had power to
eject from town the persons notified, but in case of need
the town could not be compelled to assist them. Some-
times persons of considerable means received a warning.

May 15, 1749, William Hills and his family were
warned to leave the town by Thomas Kinney, constable,
by order of the selectmen.

June 17, 1751, Lydia Mansur, with her child, living at
the house of Thomas Brown, was warned to leave town by
order of the selectmen.

October 17, 1751, Mary Cloyd and her child, residing
at the house of John Tarbox, were warned out of town by
order of the selectmen.

April 2, 1755, Mary Lowell was warned to leave town.
(Widow woman late of Londonderry).

October 26, 1758, Nathaniel Jewell, wife and family,
late of Dunstable, warned to leave town by order of the
selectmen.

June 4, 1759, order from selectmen to warn Mark Per-
kins and family and mother, Mary Perkins, to leave town.

August 17, 1759. Like order to Daniel J. Shepard and
his wife.

June 10, 1761. Martha Chase of Newbury, Mass.,
warned to leave town.

June 18, 1761. Jeremiah White, wife and family of
Ipswich, warned to leave town.

July 30, 1762. Elizabeth McMaster, wife of Samuel
McMaster of Pelham, ordered to leave town with her family.

June 30, 1763. Zebediah Richardson, late of Pelham,
warned to leave town by order of selectmen. Also same
date, Mary Lowell, widow woman, warned to leave town.

TTEMS OF INTEREST AND LOCAL NAMES 389

July 4, 1764. Roland Rideout, Judith Rideout, Susan-
na Rideout, Nathaniel Rideout and Abigail Rideout warned
to depart and leave the town.

June 16, 1769. Order to warn Robert Bettys, Hannah
Bettys, Andrew Bettys, Jr., and Esther Bettys to leave
town.

August 28, 1769. Rhoda Lund warned to leave town.

April, 1770. Mary Brown warned out of town by the
constable and returned to the Court of General Sessions.

Also Esther Jarvis and her children warned out and
returned at the same time, by Samuel Greele, Jr.

January, 1771. Rhoda Lund and Esther Blanchard
warned out of town by Jeremiah Blodgett and Samuel Hills
and "returned to ye clerk of ye court of General Sessions."

September 30, 1776. Order to John Hale, constable,
to warn Thomas Campbell to leave the town.

September 30, 1776. Order to John Hale, constable,
to warn Patrick Lanagee and Elizabeth Lanegee, his wife,
to leave town.

March 3, 1777. A like order to warn William Bailey,
a minor, to leave town.

October 27, 1779. Order to warn Joseph Parey to
leave town.

At the annual town meeting, March 1, 1790, the elev-
enth article in the warrant was as follows:

To see if the town will vote to take David Campbell out of the Gould
(Jail) at Amherst where he is confined for his Rates for the year 1788.

It was "Voted, that the selectmen take this article into
consideration and act as they think proper."

Murders

The first murder committed in this town, so far as is
now known, occurred June 26, 1775, when Samuel Davis,
son of Ensign Nathaniel Davis, was slain with an ax in the
hands of Roland Rideout, an insane person.

Davis was engaged in constructing a water hedge at
the shore of the Merrimack river, on the line between his

390 HISTORY OF HUDSON

father's land and the Cummings farm, about sixty rods
north of Taylor's Falls bridge. He was born in this town
December 21, 1757. Probably Rideout was assisting in the
work, as on March 6, 1775, the town voted to give Nathan-
iel Davis four shillings per week, lawful money, for keep-
ing Roland Rideout. Rideout continued to cause the town
much trouble and expense, until 1779, when he was removed
to Wilton at an expense to the town of ;^30-5s-0d lawful
money.

A very sad event occurred in this town June 14, 1873,
in the cold-blooded murder of a beautiful, promising, chris-
tian young woman, which cast a gloom over the entire
community.

A happy family, residents of a humble home in the
north-east section of the town, comprised Charles Wood,
his wife, Louisa (Cummings) Wood, and two daughters,
Ella F., nearly twenty-one years of age, and Emma E., who
was in her twentieth year.

A young man, William H. Jewett, who had no steady
employment, but who traveled upon the road a portion of
the time, selling goods in a small way, had become ac-
quainted with the family, and very much attached to the
elder daughter.

He was very persistent in pressing his attentions upon
her, and continued to do so for a considerable period of
time. Finally, acting in accordance with parental advice,
the young lady rejected the ardent wooer. He immediate-
ly became desperate, and on that beautiful June day, hav-
ing come to her home prepared for the deed, he discharged
his revolver at her point blank. The bullet entered her
forehead and passed through her brain.

From the same weapon he sent a second bullet into
his own head. He died from the wound two days later,
while his victim lived just one week after the fatal shot was
fired. She died on June 21, 1873.

This was a stunning blow to the unfortunate family,
from which they never fully recovered.

CHAPTER XXVIII

Great Storms and Freshets

The Merrimack River, usually so calm and beautiful,
at times is transformed into raging violence and becomes
appalling in its appearance. Freshets at irregular periods
have been recorded when great damage was done. These
floods resulted from sudden thaws, with excessive, warm
rains, melting large bodies of snow, especially when the
ground was frozen, or from long storms when great quanti-
ties of rain fell. Usually the first form proved the most
dangerous, as in addition to the uncommon volume of water
the river would be filled with floating cakes of ice broken
up by the warm weather and rain.

With the present system of storage of surplus water,
and lack of the great forests to hold the snow, great fresh-
ets are not liable to occur as frequently as formerly. Still
it is only a few years since that the Merrimack in forty-
eight hours was transformed from a peaceful river flowing
gently down to the sea into a foaming, roaring torrent car-
rying terror and destruction in its pathway. The proprie-
tors of locks and canals on the Merrimack River were the
pioneers in the matter of retaining, as far as possible, any
overflow to be used in times of drought and low water.
This was done for the benefit of the big mills along the
stream, and by means of dams at the outlet of Lake Win-
nepesaukee, and other bodies near the head-waters of the
Merrimack, hundreds of square miles of country have been
flowed to several feet in depth, and held in reserve to
the time of need. These reservoirs are mostly in Bel-
knap and Carroll counties. This partial control of the sur-
plus water has served to check somewhat the volume of the
floods at the periods of overflows. A few of the most noted
and destructive freshets within the records of those times

391

392 HISTORY OF HUDSON"

are described here. Chase, in his History of Haverhill;.
Mass., gives the following account of a freshet in 1740:

"The summer of 1740 was remarkable for the amount
of rainfall which fell and flooded the country, as the subse-
quent winter was for the severity of the cold. It was prob-
ably the most severe winter that had been known since the
settlement of the country.

"After a very wet summer and fall, November 4th it
set in very cold. On the 15th a foot of snow fell, but on
the 22d it began to rain, and it rained three weeks togeth-
er. This produced a freshet in the Merrimack 'the like of
which was not known by no man for seventy years.' The
water rose fifteen feet in this town and floated off many
houses.

"On the 12th of December, the river was closed by
the severity of the weather, and before the first of January,
loaded teams, with four, six and eight oxen passed from
Haverhill and the towns below to the upper long wharf at
Newburyport."

Freshet of 1818

A destructive freshet occurred in the spring of 1818,
of which Chase speaks in his history, as follows:

"In the spring of 1818 occurred one of the most re-
markable freshets recorded in the history of the Merrimack
towns. The snow had been suddenly melted by a violent
rain, and the water rushed down the valley of the Merri-
mack with the greatest fury, tearing up the ice, which was
nearly two feet thick, with the noise and convulsions of an
earthquake.

"Driven into immense dams the ice rolled and flew
about in every possible direction. The river was raised
twenty-one feet above common highwater mark; the coun-
try around inundated; buildings were removed and de-
stroyed; and ruin spread on every side. The noble bridge
across the Merrimack at Rocks Village became a total

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GREAT STORMS AND FRESHETS 393

wreck, and its fragments were soon lost to sight in the an-
gry and merciless flood. The appalling sublimity of the
great freshet of 1818 will never be forgotten by those who
witnessed its desolating march."

Bouton's History of Concord, N. H., describes the
freshet of 1818 in the following words:

"On Tuesday, May 5th, was an unusual freshet. The
intervale was covered with water, and the river extended
from its usual channel to from one to two miles. Bridges
in the town were impassable for a number of days. No
spring freshet is recollected to have been so high. The
bridge between Boscawen and Canterbury was carried
away."

Freshet of 1824

Bouton's History of Concord, page 771, contains an
extract from the Diary of John Kimball, which speaks of
this freshet as one of great violence. February 10-11 a
great thaw set in, and on the 12th the ice left the river and
carried off Federal bridge.

Freshet of 1839

Another extract from Mr. Kimball's Diary says: "1839,
January 26, Rained for twenty-four hours; the river rose
fifteen feet in fifteen hours, and came within three feet of
the door steps of the house, and to the top of the sills of
the barn, which was occasioned by the river being damned
up by ice.

"It carried off all the bridges on the river except Fed-
eral bridge and that so damaged as to be impassable."

At Amoskeag Falls this freshet created great havoc
and presented a sublime spectacle. Great cakes of ice
went tearing over the dam, and for a time the first cotton
mill which had been recently built on the river bank near
to the brink of the tumbling waters was seriously threat-
ened. It subsided without doing any particular harm.

394 history of hudson

Great Freshet of 1841

In his History of Concord, page 444, Bouton speaks of
this freshet of January 2, 1841, as "one of the most re-
markable ever known on the Merrimack in the winter. On
Tuesday week the cold was excessively severe, the mercury
down to sixteen, eighteen and nineteen degrees below zero
in the morning. Wednesday moderate, eight degrees be-
low zero, and commenced to snow. Thursday, rain and
strong south wind. Friday, as warm as April. At noon
the river had risen four or five feet ; by night its banks
were nearly full.

"About seven in the evening the ice started, and im-
mediately a crashing sound, nearly as loud as the report of
a small cannon announced the destruction of the east part
of the Free bridge, and pier after pier, and section after
section followed, till a little past eight, all but one pier on
the west was carried away.

"One pier of the Federal bridge and two lengths of
stringers were carried away. The ice blocked up the chan-
nel of the stream above the Lower bridge, and turned the
water over the intervale, thus saving the bridge. Fears
were entertained that the river had cut a new channel for
itself, but it soon resumed its old channel.

"The ice betv^een Wattanummons and Federal bridges
was piled up in such quantities that some of it remained
till the following May."

The writer of this — at that time being a boy of twelve
years of age — well remembers the freshet of 1841, together
with the sudden and severe thaw which caused it.

The early winter had been severely cold, and an un-
usual amount of snow had fallen for the season, The
change in the temperature was sudden and radical. The
weather became almost as warm as summer, with south
and southwest winds accompanied by a great fall of rain.
The snow nearly all was quickly melted and this water ad-
ded to the large amount of rain that fell, raised the river to

GREAT STORMS AND FRESHETS 395

an uncommon height. The ice was broken up the whole
length of the river from the lake to the sea, which created
furious onslaughts of the swirling flood and caused much
damage to property, to say nothing of lives that were en-
dangered.

Nearly all of the bridges above that at Taylor's Falls
were swept away.

Freshet of 1843

The winter of 1842-3 was remarkable for its deep
snows and cold weather. The first of April, 1843, about
four feet of snow lay on the ground at Hudson. The melt-
ing of the snow during this month caused a very high river.
Bouton's History, page 453, gives the following account of
this outcome:

"April 27. The freshet in the Merrimack River has
been higher at Concord than has been known for a great
number of years. The water, which a week ago last Mon-
day was the highest, fell some four feet by the last of the
week. Since that time, in consequence of rains and rapid
melting of snow, it has been rising again. A great portion
on the intervale is submerged, and the entrance into Con-
cord from the east over Federal and Free bridges is im-
possible."

Freshet of 1852

A very noted freshet occurred in the Merrimack val-
ley about April 23, 1852. A wooden bridge over the Nash-
ua river in Canal street, Nashua, was carried away. The
water in the Merrimack came up on the boarding of the
Taylor's Falls bridge about twenty inches, rising nearly to
the floor of the bridge. The water overflowed the road
from the end of the bridge nearly to the Concord railroad
station, covered Bridge and Hollis streets, so that it was
necessary to use boats.

39G HISTORY OF HUDSON

HiGHWATER OF 1862

April 20, 1862, the Merrimack River was very high,
but not as high by two or three feet as it was in April,
1852. The ice having left the river earlier, very little dam-
age was done by the high water along this part of the
river.

Freshet of April 16, 1895

A freshet occurred in April, 1895, which raised the
Merrimack to a higher point than any previous for many
years. The river overflowed its east bank opposite the
mouth of the Nashua river, and covered the land as far
east as Webster street. The ice had principally left the
river sometime previous, so that at this time little damage
was done along this section of the Merrimack.

Great Freshet of 1896

On March 2, 1896, the Merrimack was higher at this
point than it had been since 1852. It was not far from the
same height it had reached at the latter date — probably
a little higher. If this is true it was the highest freshet
that has taken place here for about a century, so far as I
have been able to learn by historical evidence or family
tradition.

It rained almost continuously Saturday and Sunday,
February 29 and March 1. The river was rising very rap-
idly on Sunday, and the ice, having been weakened con-
siderably from the warm sun of the previous days, was
broken up and went out on this day before the water had
become extremely high. Before midnight, March 2, the
river gained its highest point, and began, slowly at first, to
recede. The weather turned colder Tuesday, March 3,
and the water fell very rapidly.

At the highest point during this freshet, the water
covered all of the traveled part of Webster street directly

GHEAT STORMS A"ND FRESHETS 89Y

•west of the house of Kimball Webster, so it was just six
feet, six and one-half inches lower than the top of the stone
underpinning of that house near the front door. The sur-
face of the flood was between three and four feet only be-
low the floor of the iion bridge across the Merrimack.
This was two feet higher than the deck of the wooden
bridge that spanned the river at the same point in 1852.
The water was several feet deep in Hollis and Bridge
streets on the west side in Nashua, and it became neces-
sary to resort to boats for transportation between Hudson
and Nashua.

Accounts of other freshets, of greater or less severity,
on the Merrimack might be given, but these few, which are
the most noted and remarkable that are recorded, will
suffice.

Great Snow Storm of 1888

A most remarkable snow storm took place in March,
1888. In the forenoon of Monday, the 12th, snow began to
fall moderately, but increased during the afternoon and
that evening it fell furiously. A strong wind was blowing
from the north-east, and the damp, heavy snow was drifted
badly on the country roads. The storm did not stop until
the morning of the 13th, and as it cleared away all of New
England, New York, Pennsylvania and other sections of
the country were blocked by the storm. The highways
were universally impassable for teams, and a large amount
of shoveling was required before they could be opened.
Almost all of the railroads in New England were complete-
ly tied up for one or two days, and some of them for much
longer.

The annual town meeting in New Hampshire fell upon
Tuesday, but very few were held in the state on that day.
In Hudson a few of the legal voters whose residences were
near the town house — the place of the meeting — met and
legally adjourned until Saturday, March 17. On that date

398 HISTORY OF HUDSON

the town meeting convened, and its regular functions were
performed, officers elected and business transacted as
usual.

A majority of the towns in the state took similar ac-
tion, only a very few being able to carry on the regular
business as intended.

CHAPTER XXIX

Ferries and Bridges

Eleazer Cummings established the first ferry across
the Merrimack of which there is any account. This was
soon after the town of Nottingham was incorporated, and
crossed just below the mouth of the Nashua river. The
ferry was continued at this place by Mr. Cummings until
about 1742, when, as family tradition relates, in considera-
tion of an agreement to convey himself and family over the
river free of expense at all times when practicable, he re-
linquished his rights to another person, who established a
crossing below the present location of Taylor's Falls bridge.
If this person's name was Button or not there is nothing to
show now, but the ferry was called Button's Ferry, for Jo-
siah Button, who owned it at one time.

The old ferry road on the east side descended the river
bank near where the present highway meets the bridge,
and the way to the ferry on the west side was where Crown
street intersects with the river.

February 6, 1749, John Snow conveyed to Ezekiel
Page a certain tract of land in the Township of Bunstable.
now in Nottingham West, containing thirty-six acres, in
consideration of ^460 Bills of Credit, Old Tenor, the deed
recorded in Vol. 2, page 377, Hillsborough County Reg-
istry of Beeds:

Beginning at the south east corner (S W) at a Black Oak tree stand-
ing on the Bank of Merrimack River marked with I. B. being the north
west corner of Joseph Lemon's Esqr's land, thence easterly by marked
trees to a pine marked I. B. being the south east corner. Thence north-
erly by Josiah Cummings land 30 tods and a half to a stake and stones
in the north east corner, thence westerly a straight line to a stake &
stones being about 10 rods from said River, keejjing the same width as at
the east end — that is 30 1-2 rods frnni the south line.

399

400 HISTORY OF HUDSOIST

Thence running north west to Merrimack River to a stake & stones-
on the bank of said River. Thence southerly down said River to the-
first bound.

Bounded northerly by Nathan Cross' and Morgson's land & Easterly
by sa

Witnessed by Eleazer Cummings and Benjamin Snow.

The land conveyed by this deed included all that was-
used for the purpose of the ferry on the east side of the
river, extending northerly of the bridge several rods so as.
to include the Ferry road. Ezekiel Page and his brother
John probably carried on the ferry for many years.

Captain Joseph Kelley owned and operated this ferry
for nearly twenty years, beginning about 1776, and he was
succeeded by Joshua Hamblet, who was proprietor until he
was drowned in 1812. His son Josiah then owned and con-
tinued this ferry until Taylor's Falls bridge was completed,,
when it was discontinued, after a continuous existence of
eighty-five years. It is possible there were other persons
owning the ferry during these many years, but if so it was
only for short periods and the names of the parties have
not been preserved.

Hills' Ferry

Not many years after the incorporation of Notting-
ham, Nathaniel Hills, who had settled about half a mile
northerly of the old Hills garrison place in 1739, established
a ferry across the Merrimack known as the Hills' Ferry,
soon after his settlement here. Mr. Hills died April 12,
1748, and he was succeeded in the ownership of the ferry
by his son Oliver, born November 18, 1727, and died after
1783. His son, Philip Hills, born May 2, 1754, appears to
have been the next owner of this ferry, which he operated
for many years, though he probably resided on the west
side of the river in his later life. There was a ferry
house on that bank. He died July 14, 1841. Oliver, son
of Philip Hills, lived at the Hills Ferry place, where he died
April 6, 1863, aged 56 years. His son, George E. Hills,

FERRIES AND BRIDGES 401

was the last of that family to reside there. He was born
there in 1836 and died in 1904. Hills' Ferry was always
owned and operated by the family, until 1827, when it was
discontinued.

Hardy's Ferry

This ferry was located in the southerly part of the
town, and was established by Jonathan Hardy, who was
first assessed in 1743. The earliest mention of the
ferry in the records was at the laying out of a highway,
March 26, 1746, running from the county road to Hardy's
Ferry. This crossing of the Merrimack was nearly oppo-
site the South Nashua station on the Boston & Maine rail-
road The cellar of the old ferry house may be seen on
the east side of the river.

This was later known as Pollard's Ferry, and appears
to have been owned for many years by Capt. John Pollard,
son of John Sr., who was born November 20, 1752.
Later this was called Corey's Ferry. This ferry, like the
others mentioned, was discontinued about the time of the
building of the bridge at Taylor's Falls.

Taylor's Falls Bridge

As the number of inhabitants increased and the traffic
across the river became greater, the need of a bridge was
apparent. Accordingly, in 1826, some of the more promi-
nent citizens of Hudson and Nashua Village signed a peti-
tion to the State Legislature calling for a charter to build
a bridge, and this was granted to "The Proprietors of Tay-
lor's Falls Bridge" for that purpose. At that time there
was no bridge across the Merrimack between Lowell and
Manchester, though there was one at each of those places.

Taylor's Falls bridge was completed in 1827, and
opened as a toll bridge. The structure was built of old
growth native white pine teamed from New Boston, and
was of lattice work. It was 509 feet in length, with a road-

402 HISTORY OF HUDSON

way about sixteen feet in width, but had no sidewalks.
The sides were covered with boards, and it had a shingled
roof over it. The easterly span was 153 feet and ten and
one-half inches in length ; the middle span was 143 feet and
seven inches; the westerly or Nashua section was 164 feet
and eight and one-half inches, not measuring any part of
the pier or abutments. The piers had one tier of faced
stone on the outside filled with loose stones, all laid dry
without any cement.

The expense of building this bridge was a little less
than twelve thousand dollars. This was no small under-
taking for the stockholders, but it proved a profitable in-
vestment in the end. It should be remembered that Nash-
ua Village, had, but a short time before the building of this
bridge, sprung into existence.

Seven years before the completion of Taylor's Falls
bridge, a few of the leading citizens of that part of Dunsta-
ble now comprising Nashua had conceived the idea of build-
ing mills at Mine Falls on the Nashua river, where a saw
mill had been erected on or before 1700, according to
Fox. This original idea was finally abandoned, and the
present site of the mills was adopted, thus locating the
town three miles east of the position it would have occu-
pied had the first plans been carried out.

In 1823, a charter was granted to Daniel Abbott, Moses
Tyler, Joseph Greeley, and others under the name of the
Nashua Manufacturing Company, with a capital stock of
^300,000, divided into three hundred shares of ;^1,000 each.
The capital stock was afterwards increased to one million
dollars. Within a year considerable of this stock had been
disposed of to capitalists, work was begun on the dam
at Mine Falls, and the excavation of the canal which 'was
to lead to the proposed factories. This canal is about three
miles in length, with a width of sixty feet, a depth of six
feet, with a head and fall of thirty-three feet. In 1824, a
charter was obtained by the Nashua Manufacturing Com-
pany for the purpose of building a "canal with the neces-

FERRIES AND BRIDGES 403

sary dams and locks to connect the Nashua with the Mer-
rimack River." This work was carried out so the way was
open for the transportation of goods in the spring of 1826.
The lower dam across the Nashua river was built at this
time.

The locks, which were near the east end of what is
now Lock street, were of solid stone, twenty-four feet high;
each lift being ten feet wide and eighty-one feet long.
They cost $20,000, while the canal dam added ten thousand
dollars to this sum.

The canal was of great advantage to the growing vil-
lage, which was rapidly becoming the center of business
for the surrounding towns. It was well situated as regard-
ed the transportation of the merchandise of the day. Boats
plied up and down the Merrimack between Concord, Man-
chester and Lowell, while the route was continued to Bos-
ton by the Middlesex canal.

In May, 1825, a portion of the lower water privilege,
now occupied by the Jackson Company, was sold by the
Nashua Manufacturing Company to Charles C. Haven and
others, who were incorporated under the name of Indian
Head Company, for the purpose of erecting woolen facto-
ries. These works went into operation in 1826. The pop-
ulation of Dunstable in 1820 was 1,142, and in ten years it
had increased to 2,417, the gain made mostly at the manu-
facturing village which had come into existence within the
period.

Not many years after the bridge was built at Taylor's
Falls an ice jam and high water pressed so hard against the
Hudson pier that fears were entertained for its safety. To
avoid this danger in the future an ice break was erected in
1834, which is still in its place.

The original bridge was lighted nights by oil lanterns
always hung at the north side. In the winter season, when
snow was on the ground so as to make sleighing, the floor
of the bridge was kept covered with it. The toll-house
was located on the north side about fifty feet west from the

404 HISTORY OF HUDSON

end of the bridge. The gate crossed the road from the
toll-house to a high fence on the south side, and was usual-
ly kept open in the day time, but closed at night and bolted.

Zadok Farmer was the toll-gatherer for many years,
but sometime before it became a free bridge John M.
Sanders held the position. The enterprise proved profit-
able, netting satisfactory returns to the stockholders, and
it continued as a toll-bridge for twenty-eight years, when
under a petition to the supreme judicial court, the county
commissioners laid out a public highway over the bridge
from Nashua to Hudson, and it became a free bridge in
1855.

Eventually the bridge became unsafe for travel, and at
the annual town meeting, March 8, 1881, "Kimball Web-
ster, Stephen D. Greeley, Osgood Hill, James B. Merrill
and Enoch Cummings were chosen a committee to exam-
ine Taylor's Falls Bridge, and to consider what in their
judgment would be best, to repair or rebuild, and to report
at an adjourned meeting the 22d, to which time this meet-
ing was adjourned." At the adjourned meeting the com-
mittee reported that it considered any repair of the old
bridge inexpedient and unprofitable, and it unanimously
recommended the building of a new one, its construction
to be begun as soon as practicable. This committee also
advised the building of an iron structure to take the place
of the wooden one. This report was accepted, and the
committee was authorized to confer with a committee ap-
pointed by the city of Nashua relative to building a new
bridge.

At the annual town meeting March 14, 1882, this com-
mittee reported that after careful investigations, coupled
with the work of the committee for the city of Nashua, they
adopted from among several proposals from different com-
panies that submitted by the Corrugated Metal Company,
of East Berlin, Conn. It also decided that the grade of the
bridge be raised two feet above the old one, which would
make the new stone masonry upon the piers and abutments

FERRIES AND BRIDGES 405

about five feet in height. The contract was awarded to
this company for ;^19,500, the stone work under the bridge
included, and the contractors were to remove the old struc-
ture, having the old material. After the bridge had been
placed in position and opened for travel it was thought best
to add an extra railing on the south side for the further
protection of the public.

The cost of the bridge and the repair of the ice pier,
as far as the town of Hudson was concerned, is shown in
the following report:

Contract with Corrugated Metal Co $9,750.00

Corrugated Metal Co., extra railing 250.00

Corrugated Metal Co., extra railing at end of

bridge 189.00

C. J. Griswold & Son., extra work on pier and

abutment 53.00

C. W. Spalding for stone 132.00

For labor fitting and laying stone 113.45

For sewer pipe, grate, use of derrick, cement,

blacksmithing, etc. 49.30

For grading 69.30

*Services of Engineer, E. H. Hewins, of Boston 75.00

Traveling expenses, postage, etc 29.62

;^10,710.67
This included the total expense of the bridge to
Hudson, excepting the repairs of the ice pier,
which amounted to 99.93

Total expense $10,810.60

Hudson received from Nashua towards the ex-
pense $1,500.00

Hudson received from Londonderry 800.00

Hudson received from Litchfield 1,200.00

Total $3,500.00

Leaving an actual expense to Hudson of .... $7,310.60

* Mr. Hewins was a bridge engineer, and was employed to report upon the strength and
value of the bridge. He did no other engineering in connection with its building.

406 HISTORY OF HUDSON

The bridge was completed so as to be open to public
travel November 29, 1881, though James Ryan had crossed
it with a light team the evening before.

With the exception of new planking once in two or
three years, an occasional tightening of the rods and a new
coat of paint, the bridge received very little repairs for
fourteen years. This was in 1895, and in order to strength-
en it for the passage of the electric cars running between
Nashua and Lowell, the railroad company put in all new
floor beams, and materially strengthened the structure in
other ways at an expense of ;^10,000, all of which was borne
by the company.

In response to a petition from a number of citizens in
the autumn of 1908, the selectmen of Hudson built a wind-
shield on the north side of the bridge to protect those
crossing the river, from the biting blasts of winter that had
a wide sweep down the course of the stream. A similar
petition was presented to the city of Nashua, which was
complied with the following year. These fences were to
be removed during the summer months.

In the summer of 1909 another and more serious ques-
tion asserted itself in the minds of the people, and this was
the safety of the bridge in allowing the passage of the
heavy electric cars, which were more than double the
weight of those first used on the line when the transit of
them was allowed. To settle the matter the city govern-
ment of Nashua called an expert engineer from Boston, a
Mr. Pettee, to test the bridge and report as to his finding.
He found it unsafe and reported accordingly. Not satisfied
with this report another engineer was asked to make an
examination and he corroborated Mr. Pettee's statement.

The selectmen of Hudson immediately issued a call
for a special town meeting, and this was convened Septem-
ber 22, 1909, when it was voted to take action in regard to
building a new bridge of iron or steel. The selectmen were
authorized to confer with representatives of Nashua and
the managers of the Boston and Northern street railway

FERRIES AND BRIDGES 407

relative to what should be done. It was also voted that
Kimball Webster and Sidney P. Gowing should serve as a
committee to act in conjunction with the selectmen.

This committee, with the Board of Public Works of
Nashua, formed a joint committee, which held numerous
meetings, and procured plans and specifications for a new
steel bridge, with a road-bed twenty-eight feet in width and
a sidewalk six feet wide. This structure was to be of sufifi-
cient strength to carry a fifty-ton car. Bids were also pro-
cured for building the bridge above the foundation of stone
work. The lowest bid was from the Boston Bridge Com-
pany, which was for $38,692.00.

At the annual town meeting, March 8, 1910, an article
"to see if the town would vote to raise sufificient funds to
build a bridge across the Merrimack at Taylor's Falls" was
indefinitely postponed.

At this meeting a new board of selectmen, consisting
of Jesse S. Weston, George N. Dooley and Guy A. Hop-
kins, was elected. The plan of building a concrete bridge
instead of a steel structure was now agitated. The select-
men, with the committee on bridge, Messrs. Webster and
Gowing, met with the Board of Public Works of the city of
Nashua, in joint convention to consider the feasibility of
this plan. The result was a warrant for a special town
meeting in Hudson to be held May 14 to act upon the mat-
ter. In order to have the necessary number of voters at
the meeting an earnest effort was made in that direction,
with satisfaction, so when the vote was taken there were
192 voting in favor of the construction of a concrete bridge
and two against it, the entire number of ballots cast being
194.

The selectmen elected in March, with Kimball Web-
ster and Nathaniel Wentworth, were authorized to confer
with the Nashua Board of Public Works, and with them to
procure the construction of a concrete bridge across the
Merrimack in place of the iron bridge then spanning the
river. The joint committees acted promptly, so that June

408 HISTORY OF HUDSON

6, 1910, a contract was signed by the joint committee on
one part and Fred T. Ley & Co., (Limited) of Springfield,
Mass., on the other. This provided for a reinforced concrete
bridge according to the specifications of a plan furnished,,
the structure to consist of five arches, with four piers and
an abutment at each end, the roadway to be thirty feet
clear with an overhanging sidewalk on the north side six
feet in width. The contractors were to provide for the
necessary travel — restricted — over the river during the
construction of the new bridge, at their own expense. Ten
days of cessation of traffic was allowed the builders in
which to remove the old bridge, the new structure to be
finished within 120 days, Sundays and stormy days except-
ed. The cost was fixed by the contract at ;^74,480.00.

The difficulty and expense of the construction of the
foundations on the Nashua half of the bridge very much
exceeded the same on the Hudson end. The abutment
and two piers of the latter were located on solid ledge
foundation, and the water was only a few feet in depth.
The Hudson abutment was in excellent condition and only
needed to be faced in concrete. Both the Nashua piers
were located in water thirteen or fourteen feet deep, with
an unsafe bottom, which needed to be piled to insure an en-
during foundation. The original abutment here had been
set on a treacherous support.

Work was begun upon the Hudson abutment by the
contractors June 14, 1910, and continued with a rapidity
and regularity so that the last pieces of the old iron bridge
were removed November 14. The first teams to cross the
new bridge, which was still unfinished, was on November
17. The electric railroad track was laid through the cen-
ter of the bridge, November 23, and the first electric car to
cross the new bridge passed over about eight o'clock the
same evening. The running of cars over the old bridge
had been suspended about the middle of July. During
this interim of more than 130 days, all passengers going to
or from Nashua by the electric lines were compelled to
walk over the bridge.

FERRIES AND BRIDGES 409

The work upon the bridge was not finished, but was
suspended for that season by the contractors December
19, and was resumed the following sprmg. Later in the
season of 1911 the westerly pier, or pier No. 4, was found
by engineers to be defective, it having places in the interi-
or containing weak concrete. This defect was to be over-
come by reinforcing the pier with a solid concrete wall of
several feet in thickness around it. But the work was begun
too late in the season to complete it, so that it had to be
suspended until the spring of 1912. The Hassam pave-
ment was placed upon the bridge in September, 1911.

The work of reinforcing and strengthening pier No. 4,
as had been recommended by the consulting engineers, J.
R. Worcester & Co., of Boston, Mass., which engineers
have a reputation of being one of the most reliable and
best equipped firms of engineers in New England, was
completed about the first of September, 1912. The engi-
neers made a final report, September 4, 1912, which report
is copied in full and is self explanatory:

Sept. 4, 1912.
Bridge Committee of Town of Hudson and
City of Nashua, N. H.

Gentlemen :

We would respectfully report that the Contractor for the Taylor's
Falls Bridge has completed the work of reinforcing Pier No. 4, to our sat-
isfaction and that we see no reason why the bridge may not now be safely
accepted by the Committee.

When we first examined the bridge about a year ago, we found a con-
dition of the foundation concrete of Pier No. 4, which indicated that it
was not propeily cemented. This condition we considered to be of such
gravity that we recommended that a careful examination be made of this
foundation concrete, not only in Pier No. 4, but also in Pier No. 3.

This further examination having been authorized by you we had va-
rious holes excavated in both these foundations, and found that the con-
dition in Pier No. 4 was very bad, while in Pier No. 3 the concrete was
fairly good. It seemed as if there were danger in allowing Pier No. 4 to
stand as it was through the winter, and a design was prepared by us for
reinforcing the foundation. The execution of this reinforcing was en-
trusted to Fred T. Ley & Company, the Contractor for the Bridge.

410 HISTORY OF HUDSON

The scheme for strengthening consisted in driving a row of piles
around the foundation and enclosing them in a coffer dam about two feet
away from the old foundation. The space between the coffer dam and
the old foundation was filled with first class concrete, and the top was
capped with a heavily reinforced ring of concrete surrounding the old pier
and wholly enclosing all the material of the quality of which there was
the slightest suspicion.

The Contractor was able to get in the piles, the coffer dam and the
most of the concrete before being driven out by high water in December.
This afforded sufficient protection to the pier to prevent any damage. As
soon as the water dropped this summer, the coffer dam was pumped out
and the work carefully examined. No injury being discovered, the cap-
ping of reinforced concrete was applied.

As stated in our report of October 23, 1911, we consider that the
bridge, except for Pier No. 4, which has now been repaired, is free from
defects which impair its strength or durability. The blemishes to its ap-
pearance which we have noted, are not, in our opinion, of structural im-
portance.

We take pleasure in adding that in the matter of repairing Pier No.
4 we have found the contractor desirous of doing everything to our entire
satisfaction, sparing no expense to accomplish a good job; and we believe
in this he has been successful.

Respectfully submitted,

(Signed) J. R. WORCESTER & CO.

A final meeting of the joint committee was held at the
City Hall, Nashua, October 14, at 7.30 p. m., when there
were present, William H. Barry, mayor, president; John
Hagerty, Frank T. Lewis, Joseph Rousseau and Erwin
O. Hathaway, city engineer; clerk of the Board of Public
Works of Nashua, and Jesse S. Weston, George N. Dooley,
Kimball Webster and Guy A. Hopkins, of the committee
of Hudson.

The report of the engineers was read, when it was
voted unanimously that the bridge be accepted and that
the balance due the contractors, Fred T. Ley & Co., be
paid.

CHAPTER XXX

Cemeteries and Burial Grounds

There are in Hudson eight cemeteries or burial places*
These are known respectively as Hills Farms Cemetery,
Ford Burial Yard, Blodgett Cemetery, Old Hudson Center
Burying Ground, Senter Yard, Sunnyside Cemetery, Hud-
son Center Cemetery, and Catholic Cemetery.

While there is no positive proof of the fact, it has long
been conceded by the older inhabitants that the Hills
Farms cemetery is the most ancient in town.

Hills Farms Cemetery

The original part of this cemetery is situated upon
level, sandy land nearly midway between the Derry and
Litchfield roads, bounded northerly by the highway called
Derry Lane, and about two miles from Taylor's Falls
bridge. This section was laid out upon the south-east cor-
ner of the Hills garrison farm, where Nathaniel Hills and
his brothers, Henry and James, settled in the pioneer days
of Hudson.

The exact date of its being laid out, or of the first in-
terment, are not known, but must have been several years
subsequent to the time of the Hills settlement, as two or
three young children of Nathaniel Hills were interred in
the ancient burial ground at South Nashua, near the South
Nashua railroad station, after Mr. Hills and his family had
lived at the garrison house.

The early settlers seldom erected head stones with in-
scriptions at the graves of their deceased friends and rela-
tives, so the markings that are found do not indicate the
earliest interments. It is probable that this place was used
as a burial ground previous to 1730.

411

412 HISTORY OF HUDSON

The first mention of this cemetery to be found in the
town records is under the date of April 4, 1749, when the
town

Voted to change the highway between land of Edward Spalding and
Roger Chase by the Farms burying ground.

It was again referred to December 13, of the same
year, in another lay-out of the same road, Derry Lane,
which "runs the North side of said Burying place." The
most ancient date found upon the head stones in this yard
is that of "Joseph, son of Capt. Ezekiel and Mrs. Esther
Greeley, who died Sept. 18, 1749." The date 1738 is found
upon a common stone at the head of an ancient grave, but
there is no other inscription whatever.

There is no record found to show that this yard was
ever conveyed to the town, but it was used as a public
burial place, and it is it probable that it was given for that
purpose by Nathaniel Hills.

The family names most frequently found upon the
head stones are Hills, Greeley, Spalding, Marsh, Marshall,
Pierce, Cross and Sprake, all of which were numbered
among the early settlers upon the Hills Farms.

About 1873, small additions of one rod in width were
made by the purchase of land upon the south and west
sides, and the yard was soon after inclosed by a stone wall
with iron gates. The additions, with other vacant land in
the yard, were laid out into lots, streets were graded, the
bushes destroyed and other needed improvements made
The yard as inclosed contained a little less than one and
one-half acres.

By Chapter 190 of the Laws of 1885 this yard was in-
corporated under the name of "The Farms Cemetery."
This charter was amended by Chapter 159, Laws of 1905,
by changing the name to "The Hills Farms Cemetery."

Since the extensive improvements made in 1873, the
yard has been under the supervision of officers, who have
kept it in excellent condition.

CEMETERIES AND BURIAL GROUNDS 41'3

Dr. Alfred K. Hills, in view of a needed extension of
these grounds, purchased a large tract of land adjoining on
the east and extending to the Derry road. He has had
about six acres of this land surveyed and bounded, as an
intended addition to the old cemetery. This proposed ad-
dition has a frontage of 330 feet on the Derry road, extend-
ing westerly at a right angle 760 feet on the south side to
the corner of the old cemetery wall. On the north side it
runs 873 feet to Derry Lane. When this addition, with
the proposed improvements, is accomplished, it will make
this yard the most spacious, with the exception of the
Catholic cemetery, and the most accessible, convenient
and attractive in Hudson.

Ford Cemetery

The next burial yard in order of antiquity, and claimed
by some to be the most ancient, is a small cemetery in the
south part of the town, south of and near the location of
the first meeting-house, erected in 1734. It was the usual
custom of the early settlers of New England to have a
burying ground, or church yard, as it was called, adjoining
the meeting-house lot, sometimes extending on three sides.
In this case this could not be done on account of the char-
acter of the land surrounding the house of worship, but a
lot as near by as could be found suitable was selected.
This place was laid out and consecrated to the use of a
burial ground not far from the date of the building of the
church in 1734.

The oldest inscription found in this yard is that of En-
sign John Snow, which is dated March 28, 1735. Ensign
John Snow was assessed in 1734, and the town records give
the date of his death as March 21, 1735.

This is a small yard, containing about one-half acre.
It has been used by a few families, residents of the south
part of the town, and has been carefully kept. It is in-
closed by a stone wall, with an iron gate.

414 HISTORY OF HUDSON

The most frequent names among the inscriptions are
Snow, Merrill, Ford, Fuller, Gowing and Barron. Within
this yard is the grave of Rev. Nathaniel Merrill, the first
settled minister of the town, who preached here more than
half a century.

Blodgett Cemetery

The third burial yard in order of age is the Blodgett
cemetery, which has sometimes been called "The Old
South," and is located near the Lowell road, about one and
one-half miles south of the bridge. It contains about one
acre, and was acquired by the town from Benjamin Whit-
temore for a meeting-house site and for public uses. The
second meeting-house erected by the town in 1748, stood
on the southerly side of the yard and near the present gate
of the cemetery. This burial plot was the church yard
flanking the church on the rear and both ends. As we
have seen, in time the meeting house was moved away, and
a school house. No, 4, was built upon its site. This, in the
winter of 1855, was burned.

Before this time a question seems to have arisen as to
the validity of the town's title to the lot. At a town meet-
ing held at the North Meeting-house, November 28, 1839, a
committee consisting of Jeremiah Smith, Thomas B. Wa-
son and Daniel T. Davis, was chosen "to examine into the
claim the town has to the common and grave yard near the
South meeting house."

At the annual meeting March 11, 1840, the town
"Voted to accept and record the Report in relation to the
boundary line of the burial ground at South meeting house,
Viz:"

The undersigned a committee chosen at a legal Town meeting to es-
tablish the boundary lines of the Burying ground at the South meeting
house in Hudson have attended to the duty of their appointment, ask
leave to report.

The committee met on the 14th day of Feb., 1840, on the premises
together with Reuben Greeley Esq., the owner of the lands on the east &

CEMETERIES AND BURIAL GROUNDS 415

north lines of the said Burying ground, and the said committee and the
said Reuben Greeley Esq. did mutually agree to establish said east &
north lines of said Burying ground as follows, to wit:

Beginning at the south east corner of said Burying ground, at the
corner of the wall, on the north side of the highway, at a stone set in the
ground with stones about it; thence N. 21*' W. 14 rods 17 links in
the direction of the wall which is now partly built, to a stone set in the
ground with stones about it; thence S. 67° W. 16 rods 10 links to a stone
set in the ground with stones about it at the highway.

THOMAS B. WASON,

JEREMIAH SMITH, Committee.

DANIEL T. DAVIS,

As the site of the old meeting-house upon which the
school house stood was a part of the public land bought by
the town of Benjamin Whittemore, in 1748, when the school
lot was abandoned the land reverted to the town, and was
added to the cemetery. A little later a cemetery associa-
tion was organized, and it is understood was incorporated
either by the state legislature or under the revised statutes.
Then the yard was inclosed by a stone wall, with iron gate,
was cleared of bushes and rubbish and otherwise improved.

Family lots were located and laid out upon the vacant
grounds, and, either from carelessness or willfulness, new
lots were plotted upon the mounds of ancient graves, which
were obliterated by this vandalism, which seems to the writer
inexcusable, and lacks the veneration that rightfully be-
longs to the memory of our departed ancestors. Land in
Hudson has not yet become so dear as to make it necessary
to use the same ground more than once for burial pur-
poses.

The most ancient date found among the inscriptions of
this yard is that of Priscilla Chase, who died October 5,
1749.

The names that most frequently appear on the head
stones in this yard are Blodgett, Greeley, Burns, Chase,
Pollard, Winn, Wason, Hale, Caldwell, Page, Wilson,
Cross, Merrill and Burbank.

416" HISTORY OF HUDSaN

Old Hudson Center Burying Ground

The old cemetery at Hudson Center contains about
one-half acre. The land was given for the purpose by
Dea. Henry Hale about 1775. There is a tradition that a
Mrs. Gibson was the first person buried in this yard, but
the date has not been preserved. The oldest inscription is
that of John Haselton Smith, son of Page and Lydia
Smith, who died September 5, 1778, aged two years and
eight months.

This yard, being small, became filled with graves many
years since, and burials ceased to be made there. It was a
public burial place, and after it became filled, it was for
many years neglected, and became overgrown with bushes
and small trees. The question of removing the remains
was at one time agitated, for the purpose of adding the
ground to the public common. A petition was circulated
to call a special town meeting, April 22, 1871, but the at-
tempt to carry out this idea was opposed by a majority,
and the article was dismissed.

The discussion aroused by this action may have at-
tracted the attention of a wealthy son of Hudson, Mr.
John Foster, who had been a merchant in Boston for many
years. A young brother of his, John Hastings Foster,
born December 11, 1811, and died April 26, 1818, and
whose little head stone can be seen now, helped to stimu-
late the sentiment of Mr. Foster to a righteous indignation
over the neglect of the town's people. In 1886 he offered
to pay the town one thousand dollars, to be expended in
clearing up, fencing and improving this yard, the town
agreeing henceforth to keep it in proper condition.

This matter came up for consideration at the annual
town meeting in March, 1887, when the generous offer was
gladly accepted. A committee consisting of Kimball Web-
ster, Daniel M. Greeley and Henry C. Brown was chosen
to build the wall and improve the yard. Later Mr. Foster
increased his gift to twelve hundred dollars.

CEMETERIES AND BURIAL GROUNDS 417

The committee contracted with Mr. Moses Davis, of
Nashua, but a native of Hudson, to build a granite wall,
laid in cement, every stone of which should reach through
the wall, supported by a substantial foundation and capped
with long stones. The wall was completed within the ex-
pense of twelve hundred dollars, but without any profit to
Mr. Davis, who made as good a wall as was possible with
the money regardless of any benefit to himself, on account
of his interest in the town.

The yard was cleared and made as attractive as possi-
ble, and when Mr. Foster came with his only daughter to
see it, he was entirely satisfied with the work in every re-
spect. That he might express this satisfaction in a more
substantial manner he soon after forwarded the committee
three hundred dollars, to be divided equally among the
members, to pay them for their services as building com-
mittee. The citizens of Hudson owe an enduring debt of
gratitude to Mr. Foster for his patriotic generosity, and to
Mr. Davis also.

The names most frequently found in this yard are
Smith, Barrett, Haselton, Page, Marshall, Robinson, Cor-
liss, Glover, Hale and Merrill.

The Senter Burying Ground

A small burial place containing about three-fourths of
an acre, and called the Senter yard, is located in the north-
easterly section of the town, at "Potash Corner," so called
in years gone by. The home of Dea. Thomas Senter,
from whom it probably derived its name, was near by.
The yard lies in that part of the town annexed to Notting-
ham West from Londonderry, in 1778, and from the dates
of the inscriptions it appears to have been a place of burial
for many years previous to the annexation, by several fam-
ilies that formerly resided in the south-east corner of Lon-
donderry, as well as others living in Nottingham West,
now Hudson.

418 HISTORY OF HUDSON

The names most frequently found are Senter, An-
drews, Greeley, Farley, Kidder and Hobbs. The most an-
cient date is upon a stone roughly marked E L e. KID.
Feb. 24, 1759. This may be an abbreviated form for Kid-
der. The next date reads as follows:

Here lyes the body of Mrs. Jean Senter, wife to Mr. John Senter.
She died July 10, 1765. Aged 67 years.

The yard is situated upon very hard, gravelly ground,
where the digging is difficult, but it seems to be nearly
filled with graves, though only a small percentage of them
are provided with head stones and inscriptions.

Many years since this little cemetery was inclosed by
a very respectable stone wall, but as time passed on it was
neglected, until some of the wall had fallen down, so that
cattle from the adjoining pastures could enter here and
feed at their pleasure. Bushes began to grow above the
resting-places of the dead, and altogether the yard became
forsaken and neglected. But in 1897 the selectmen, acting
under the session laws of that year, repaired the wall, set
an iron gate, and transformed the cemetery into a very re-
spectable condition.

Hudson Center Cemetery

When the old cemetery at the Center had become
nearly filled with graves, the necessity for a new yard in
that vicinity became apparent. Accordingly an association
was formed for that purpose in 1849, and at its first meet-
ing, December 24, a permanent organization was effected.
By-laws were adopted and officers chosen. The signatures
to the by-laws were :

Eli Hamblet, Reuben Greeley,

Jefferson Smith, John M. Farnum,

Joseph B. Dane, Jeremiah Smith,

Daniel M. Greeley, James Melvin,

Amory Burnham, Dustin B. Smith,

Thomas Smith, 2d, Henry Smith, Jr.,

CEMETERIES AND BURIAL GROUNDS 419

James Smith, 2d, William F. Lewis,

Noyes Tenney, Kimball Smith.

The officers elected were:

Jefferson Smith, Joseph B. Dane, James Smith, 2d,
Dustin B. Smith, Daniel W. Robinson, Directors; Amory
Burnham, Treasurer; Eli Hamblet, Clerk.

Land for the use and purpose was donated by Reuben
Greeley, Esq., and it was inclosed later by a substantial
stone wall. Tastefully laid out into lots and streets, less
than half a mile westerly from Hudson Center, the new
cemetery is very convenient to the people of that vicinity.
The expense incurred was paid from the sale of lots. After
the Nashua and Rochester railroad was laid out, an addi-
tion was made to the cemetery by the purchase of the land
between the original bounds and the railroad land, making
a total area of about three acres. This cemetery has been
kept in an excellent condition, and a large number of beau-
tiful monuments have been erected here.

SuNNYSiDE Cemetery

This cemetery is situated on the northerly side of the
road leading from the bridge to Hudson Center, about
three-fourths of a mile from the former place. The first
meeting of the Hudson Cemetery Association, as the soci-
ety was named, was held at the house of Ethan Willough-
by, December 6, 1845. Articles of association were signed
at this meeting, and it was agreed to purchase a piece of
land from William Hadley, situated on the north side of
the road leading from the North meeting-house to Mr.
Hadley's dwelling house. This plot was about two hun-
dred feet deep and one hundred and thirteen feet wide, and
designed to be used forever as a cemetery. The articles
of association were signed by

Ethan Willoughby, David Burns,

Paul Colburn, Abiather Winn,

Cyrus Warren, Mark Willoughby,

420 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Nathan Marshall, Benjamin A. Merrill,

William Hadley, William Blodgett,

David Clement.
There is no record found of any meeting being held
for several years after the organization of the association.
Still it is probable that meetings were held, as the follow-
ing account has been preserved :

MuNEY Paid Out

June 1, 1846, paid William Hadley for land $13.00

November 3, 1849, paid order of Cyrus Warren 4.00

" 7, " paid order of Charles W. Clement . . 19.00

January 5, 1852, paid order of Ethan Willoughby .... 25700

" interest on same 6.50

The money paid Mr. Willoughby was undoubtedly for
the stone wall with which he inclosed the ground, as it ap-
pears, in 1851, and incidental expenses.

The sale of the first lot recorded is Lot No. 17, to Al-
fred Cummings, April 8, 1851. Previous to 1885 all the
lots in the cemetery had been sold, and during that year
one acre of land on the east side was purchased, and the
wall removed so as to include this addition. The new
ground was then laid out into lots, and since then all of
these lots have been taken up. In 1910, a half acre of land
was secured of George W. Marshall for a second addition,
and this has been improved.

The incorporators at their meeting of organization
voted that the yard should be called "The Hudson Ceme-
tery," and therefore that is the legal name, but of late
years it has been generally known as "Sunnyside Ceme-
tery." It contains many fine monuments, but unfortu-
nately the adjoining grounds do not offer, at present, very
favorable opportunity for further enlargement.

Catholic Cemetery

This cemetery, situated on the east side of the Derry
road, about three-fourths of a mile north-easterly of Tay-

CEMETERIES AND BURIAL GROUNDS 421

lor's Falls bridge, was laid out and consecrated by the
Church of the Immaculate Conception, of Nashua, in or
about 1857.

Ten acres of land were bought for the purpose of a
cemetery, extending easterly from the Derry road about
three-fourths of a mile. Excepting about an acre on the
east side that is swampy and unfit for cemetery purposes,
nearly all of the lots of this yard have been taken up. With
few exceptions, the interments made here are of persons
who were non-residents, principally from Nashua, and num-
ber several thousands. In 1907, a strip of land one hun-
dred feet wide was secured on the north side and an en-
largement made to this cemetery.

Cemetery of the Unknown

In addition to the eight burial places already described,
there is one more in town, humble and unpretentious though
it is, destitute of a monument or head stone to give an in-
scription or record as to the names of those persons whose
bodies filled the graves beneath the many mounds, which
are still visible, but diminishing year by year. This yard
formerly belonged to the old town poor farm, which,
situated on the Derry road at the north-east part of the
town, the second farm on that road south-westerly of the
Londonderry line, was bought by Hudson in 1828, in the
days when the resident poor were kept at the town farm.
The town maintained this farm for forty years, when, in
1868, it was sold and the few paupers boarded out at the
town's expense. So far as it is possible to ascertain from
the records, the number of unfortunate inmates of the alms-
house during those two score years, varied from six to sev-
enteen, the average being from ten to twelve. Many of
these eventually found their last resting-places in unmarked
graves in this Potter's field. Not a few of them had been
prosperous citizens at some time in their lives, but had met
with reverses of fortune, and thus their declining years

422 HISTORY OF HUDSON

were passed in darkness, and the closing scene became one
of pathos and lasting sadness.

The number of deaths at the ahns-house during the
forty years of its occupancy is impossible to be ascertained
at this time, but the average was probably more than one
a year. The remains of these, or at least a majority of
them, were interred in the pasture, some distance west
from the highway, without any identifying marks to dis-
close the name of the person sleeping away the years in an
unmarked grave, where the feeding cattle were allowed to
roam at their will, trampling upon the mounds of those
who once had their friends and loved ones, but whose mem-
ories are now lost to the world.

Beyond dispute this was an inexpensive way to dispose
of the poor worn-out bodies, but would it not have been
much more creditable to the town of Hudson to have had
these unfortunates interred in some ground set apart for
that purpose.'' If there could have been no inscribed head
stones, the town could at least have had the graves num-
bered and recorded, so that in coming years the name of
each occupant might be ascertained if nothing more.

CHAPTER XXXI

The Foster Fund — Surplus Revenue

In our description of the Center cemetery we have had
occasion to speak of the generous assistance given its im-
provement by Mr. John Foster, Jr. John Foster, Sr., who
was an inhabitant of this town, kept a grocery store in the
Eli Hamblet house at Hudson Center for about nineteen
years, from ISll to 1829 inclusive, where he was generally
liked and seems to have had a good business, considering
the size of the place. He removed from town prior to 1830.

Mr. Foster married for his second wife. Miss Lucy
Hastings, of Bolton, Mass. Four children were born to
them while they lived in this town: John Hastings Fos-
ter, born December 11, 1811; Emily Foster, born August
25, 1813; John Foster, born December 30, 1817; George
Foster, born September 23, 1821.

Of these children, the eldest, John Hastings Foster,
died April 26, 1818, in his seventh year, and was buried in
the old cemetery at Hudson Center.

John Foster, Jr., became a wealthy merchant in Bos-
ton, where he died in 1897. Previous to his decease he
executed a will under date of November 21, 1896, in which
he provided for many very substantial bequests to cities,
towns, public institutes, many of them charitable, and for
other purposes. In this will he showed that he still re-
membered his native town:

Twenty-third — "I give and bequeath to the town of Hudson, in the
state of New Hampshire, the sum of five thousand dollars to be held and
invested as a fund, the interest and income of which are to be expended
under the direction of such person or persons as the inhabitants of said
town may from time to time designate, in procuring any needed medicines
and proper delicacies for sick or infirm inhabitants of said town, and in
relieving the wants of worthy poor and needy inhabitants of said town
who are not paupers."

423

424 HISTORY OF HUDSON

This came before the town as one of the articles to be
acted upon at its regular town meeting March 8, 1898.

It was thankfully and unanimously accepted by the
town, and Kimball Webster, Hiram Cummings and Henry
O. Smith were appointed a committee to take charge of
the same.

The amount of the legacy was soon after received
from the executors and was invested by the committee in
the town of Farmington, N. H., four per cent bonds. The
income has since been distributed among the worthy poor
of the town, according to the provisions of Mr. Foster's
will. It has apparently been the means of relieving or pre-
venting much suffering and has caused the happy smile of
gladness to cover many despondent faces, as well as be-
stowing sincere thankfulness for the thoughtful generosity
of Mr. Foster.

Surplus Revenue

In 1836 the United States Congress enacted a law
transferring ^37,468,859.97, the surplus revenue, to the sev-
eral states. This money had accumulated from the sale of
public lands.

The New Hampshire Legislature, at the November
session, 1836, passed an act authorizing the state treasurer
to receive the public funds and give a certificate in behalf
of the state that the amount should be safely kept and re-
paid whenever called for.

In accordance with the congressional provision. New
Hampshire was to receive its share in four regular instal-
ments, January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1, 1837.
The first three, amounting to $669,086.79, were received by
the state, but the fourth was never paid. The state also
piassed an act to deposit this money with the several towns
in the following compound ratio: One-half of each town's
share was to be made out according to its proportion in the
last assessment of public taxes, and the remaining half ac-

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THE FOSTER FUND — SURPLUS REVENUE 425

cording to the number of ratable polls in 1836. The towns
were to receive their several shares after voting to accept
the money, pledging their faith to safely keep and repay it,
and appointing an agent to receive it and execute a certifi-
cate of deposit.

This certificate, to be signed by the town agent, re-
cited, first, that the town had complied with the conditions
of the law; second, that it had appointed an agent, and
third, that the state treasurer had paid him the money.
The agent also certified that the sum had been deposited
with the town, and that the town was legally bound, and its
faith solemnly pledged for the safe keeping and repayment
of the same.

The law compelled the state treasurer to pay over the
amounts on receipt of the certificate from the agent; made
the towns accountable for the money, and provided that in
case they did not repay it on request of the treasurer he
could issue his execution for it and collect it of any citizen
who could have redress from other citizens. It was made
unlawful for the towns to appropriate or expend these funds;
in case they did, double the amount could be recovered in
an action of debt against them, one-half for the county and
the other half for the complainant. However, they might
loan the money, and appropriate the income for such pur-
poses as they saw fit. Naturally the towns were eager for
the money.

At a town meeting February 13, 1837, it was

Voted to accept their proportion of the public money of the United
States which may be deposited with the State.

Voted that the Agent which the town shall choose be authorized to
pledge the faith of the town for the safe keeping and repayment thereof,
by executing a certificate of deposit agreeably to the form prescribed in
an Act prescribing for the distribution of the Public money of the United
States which shall be deposited with this state, passed January 13, 1837.

Chose David Burns agent for this town for to obtain the money of
the State Treasurer and execute the certificate of deposit.

Chose David Burns, Amos Hills and James Pierce, a committee to
put the above mentioned money to use, and to take care of the same; to
continue in office until the annual meeting in March, 1838.

426 HISTORY OF HUDSON

On March 31, 1837, the town "Voted to authorize the
selectmen to borrow two hundred dollars of the surplus
money."

March 14, 1838, the town "Chose James Pierce, agent,
to take care of the surplus money, and that the Inhabitants
have the preference before others."

In town meeting assembled on March 13, 1839, it was

Voted to take JJ5600. of the surplus money — principal — to pay town
debts.

March 10, 1840, it was "Voted that James Pierce shall
have charge of the surplus money.

"Voted to take all the interest money of our Surplus
money for Schools.

"Voted to take ^400. of the Surplus money to defray
town charges."

On June 13, 1840, the town "Voted to repair the road
leading from John Gillis' to Taylor's Falls Bridge.*

"Voted to appoint a committee to repair the road, build
a fence and plant shrubbery, the expense to be defrayed by
taking the Surplus money in connection with the tax from
the Taylor's Falls Bridge.

"Chose William Hadley, Parker Smith & John Gillis
as a committee."

On March 9, 1841, it was voted by the town "Not to
expend any of the Surplus money, neither principal nor
interest."

* The requirement for special repairs upon this road was occasioned by sand being blown
into it to a considerable depth, from the land on the north side, which, at that time, was a
veritable desert of blowing sand from this road to the Ferry road. A tight board fence was
built on the north side of the road, extending from near the Gillis buildings on the east to
near the top of the hill on the west, and a row of willow trees was set out on each side of the
highway. The board fence as constructed was about six feet in height. These willows flour-
ished abundantly, and in a few years became very beautiful as shade trees bordering the
roadside.

Before many years, the south side row, owing to their rapid growth, became detrimental
to the productiveness of the land abutting the road, owned by Mr. Gillis, and they were re-
moved. Those on the north side were removed, a few at a time, as the abutting land was re-
claimed and utilized for building lots. The remaining trees were removed in 1895, when the
electric line was constructed over this road.

THE FOSTER FUND — SURPLUS REVENUE 427

March 8, 1842, "Voted that the surplus revenue be
divided equally among the school districts which shall be
kept as a permanent literary fund until called for by the
state, using annually the interest accruing therefrom. The
2-3 of a District receiving 2-3 as much as a whole District.
Each school District shall be responsible for the money
received."

The school districts received some more than two hun-
dred dollars each

The money was kept by the several districts for a
time, and the interest from it expended annually for school
purposes. After a longer or shorter time most of the dis-
tricts expended their respective shares in constructing or
repairing school buildings.

Number Six received about thirteen dollars interest
annually from the agent who had the funds in charge, until
1853, when the district erected a new school house, and
voted to use the surplus money in defraying the building
expenses. Several other districts expended theirs in a
similar manner, until, in 1885, when the town adopted the
"Town System" of schools, only two of the ten districts
retained their surplus revenue money — numbers Three and
Five.

Collections from the sale of public lands having exten-
sively fallen off about 1837, is said to have been the reason
that the fourth instalment was never paid.

The United States has never called upon the states
for the return of the surplus revenue, and it is not likely
that it ever will do so.

CHAPTER XXXII

Additional Church History

Congregational and Presbyterian Churches

Any original church records that may have once ex-
isted, in relation to the two most ancient churches organ-
ized in this town, of an earHer date than 1796, excepting
such as are to be found in the town records, have been
mislaid or lost.

The founding of the Congregational church November
30, 1737, has been traced in a former chapter. Its first
minister, the Rev. Nathaniel Merrill, was the son of Dea.
Isaac Merrill, and was born in West Newbury, Mass.,
March 1, 1713, graduated at Harvard College in 1732, and
was ordained as pastor over the infant church. The Pres-
byterian church was probably organized at the North
meeting-house as early as 1771, with the Rev. John Strick-
land ordained as its pastor July 3, 1774.

The church records begin with the settlement in the
pastorate of Rev. Jabez Pond Fisher, February 24, 1796.
Elsewhere in this history may be found copious extracts
from the town records relating to the building by the town
of the first and second meeting-houses, the building of the
North meeting-house, by the Presbyterians, and of the
South meeting-house, by the Congregationalists.

At the time Mr. Fisher was ordained, the members of
the Congregational church numbered a little over fifty, and
while he was pastor, about five years, thirty-six were ad-
mitted. At the end of his pastorate in 1801, it was found
that there was an arrears on his annual salary of ;i^310, over
one thousand dollars, or to be exact, $1,013.92. He asked
for a dismissal, which was granted, and the town paid the
deficit, members of the Presbyterian and Baptist churches

428

ADDITIONAL CHURCH HISTORY 429

being exempt from any part of this tax according to a vote
of the town, passed October 30, 1797.

For fifteen years, following the close of Mr. Fisher's
pastorate, the church was inactive and very few members
were added. Preaching was sustained but a small part of
the time, until October 15, 1816, when the Congregational
church united with the members of the Presbyterian de-
nomination and organized a Presbyterian church under the
Londonderry Presbytery. The names of only eleven Pres-
byterians and thirteen Congregationalists are given as form-
ing the union. But soon after the new organization was
accomplished many former members of the old churches
were admitted.

Though there was no settled minister until 1825,
preaching was maintained nearly all of the time, and this
was divided between the two meeting-houses, twenty-four
Sabbaths at the North meeting-house and the balance at
the South house, so as to accommodate the people living in
the different parts. During this period the pulpit was sup-
plied by the Rev. Mr. Wheelock, Rev. Samuel Harris, Rev.
Mr. Starkweather, and others.

November 2, 1825, Rev. William K. Talbot was or-
dained under an agreement that he should remain as pastor
for five years at a salary of four hundred dollars annually.
At this time the church had a membership of about ninety,
but during Mr. Talbot's pastorate at the end of four years,
more than one hundred new members had been admitted.
But his salary was so much in arrears that he requested his
dismissal. The church, claiming that he had agreed to re-
main another year, refused to grant his request. There-
upon he appealed to the Presbytery. The church, still op-
posed to his release, chose Elder Jonathan Hills as a com-
mittee to attend the Presbytery and there oppose his dis-
charge by that body. A lengthy article was submitted
showing why Mr. Talbot should not be allowed to go.
Among these arguments were the following:

"The subject to which we have to call your attention
is one of the deepest moment to us, one which tires our

430 HISTORY OF HUDSON

hearts and brings darkness and discouragement on our
future prospects.

"After being destitute of the settled ministry for
about thirty-six years, through your beneficence we were
blessed with a faithful pastor, whose labors God has been
pleased to own in a most wonderful manner, and we may
safely say that, that union which marked our proceedings
on the day of his consecration has not in the least been
marred by a closer and more intimate acquaintance. . . .
The Rev. Mr. Talbot commenced his ministry and nearly
$350 was subscribed for his support.

"On the 2. of Nov. 1825 he was ordained to the pas-
toral charge of the church and congregation, and the Pres-
bytery then became responsible for only $50.

"The first year we were negligent in collecting the
sum subscribed until the revival of religion commenced
and then neither minister or people had much time to think
of the consequence of an arrearage and another year passed
before much was collected.

"By this time we began to see that unhappy conse-
quences would attend.

"Many had died; out of the town sixty deaths had oc-
curred in one year, and ten or more of the best families
had providentially removed to other places of residence —
five of whom were elders or elders elect.

"We also found that there was not the sum of $350
which could be annually collected by reason of failures,
deaths and removals, and a portion that was subscribed,
because of poverty, could not be collected" The request
of Mr. Talbot was granted by the Presbytery, when he re-
moved from town.

After the resignation of Mr. Talbot the church had no
settled minister for fifteen years, but had irregular preach-
ing by different ministers, among whom were Rev. Samuel
H. Tolman, a Methodist minister, Rev. Samuel Harris,
Rev. Mr. Wheeler, Rev. Mr. Lawrence, Rev. Willard Hol-
brook, and others.

ADDITIONAL CHURCH HISTORY 431

At an ecclesiastical council composed of ministers and
delegates from several Congregational churches convened
at the South meeting-house September 29, 1841, the Pres-
byterian church organization, after an existence of twenty-
five years was dissolved, and its members were organized
into a Congregational church to be called the Evangelical
Congregational Church of Hudson, N. H. The organiza-
tion adopted the articles of faith of that denomination. The
names of twenty-six members were enrolled at the time of
its organization, and sixty others united as members of the
church within the next two years.

A new meeting-house was built in 1842. It was fifty
by forty feet, and was located about one-half mile east of
Taylor's Falls bridge, near the Methodist meeting-house,
erected two years before.

May 31, 1844, the church and society extended a call
to the Rev. William Page, who had been their temporary
minister for a considerable time past. He accepted at a
salary of $450 a year, and was ordained as pastor, August
14 of the same year.

Mr. Page bought land within a short distance of the
meeting-house, upon which he erected a residence, where
he lived while he remained in town. His pastoral relations
continued until 1852, when his request for a dismissal was
granted by an ecclesiastical council, June 28 of that year.
During his administration about thirty members united
with the church.

The Rev. Daniel L. French commenced preaching as
a supply the first Sabbath in November, 1852, and remained
until his decease July 20, 1860. Many united with the
church during his pastorate of eight year.s.

In summing up the vital facts relating to the history
of this church in Hudson, the Rev. D. L. French, in the
History of New Hampshire Churches, has this to say of
this church, beginning with its first pastor:

There was no special revival under Mr. Merrill's ministry, but some
were added to the church by letter, arid some by profession. The princi-

432 HISTORY OF HUDSON

pal difficulty which existed in the latter part of his ministry arose from
disagreement between the Presbyterian and Congregational view of
church polity.

He was considered a good man, although not a great preacher. He
died the same year that Mr. Fisher was settled. Mr. Fisher's ministry
was not blessed with special revivals.

From Mr. Fisher's ministry to the settlement of Mr. Talbot there was
a great deal of division in town, arising from the Baptist and also the
Presbyterian and Congregational views. Some years previous to Mr.
Talbot's ministry the two churches had united under the Presbyterian
form of government. So that the state of things in town seemed more
settled, and there was a good deal of revival interest the four years that
he was here.

A portion of the church was very strongly attached to him, and were
unwilling that he should leave. There was a good deal of excitement
under his preaching, and probably many false hopes indulged. He was
in some respects a peculiar man.

From his ministry to Mr. Page's there was some division. Prior to
Mr. Page's ministry the church agreed to give up the Presbyterian plat-
form and become Congregational. Mr. Page's ministry was blessed with
very pleasant revivals.

From 1861 to 1868 the pulpit was supplied the greater
part of the time by Addison Heald, Rev. Austin Richards
of Nashua, Rev. S. D. Pike of Nashua, Rev. Benjamin
Howe and Rev. Silas M. Blanchard, the last two of whom
became permanent residents of this town, and also mem-
bers of this church.

For eight years succeeding, no preaching was sustained
by this church or society. Then, October 2, 1876, Rev.
John W. Haley began to supply the pulpit. Soon after, the
society applied to the New Hampshire Home Missionary
Society, from which they received material aid. Many
were united with the church. Mr. Haley continued to sup-
ply the pulpit here until November, 1878, when on the 24th
of that month he preached his farewell sermon.

Some difficulties had arisen between Mr. Haley and
his people, upon which they were not able to agree. An
ecumenical council was called, which convened at the meet-
ing-house, December 29, 1878, which gave Mr. Haley a
dismissal.

REUBEN GREELEY, Esq.

ADDITIONAL CHURCH HISTORY 433

Rev. S. D. Austin, of Nashua, commenced to supply
the pulpit soon after the dismissal of Mr. Haley, and he
continued in that position until 1892. Rev. Fred E. Winn,
a native of this town, the son of William F. and Lucy M,
(Richardson) Winn, born December 14, 1863, supplied for
nearly a year following Mr. Austin, 1892-3.

Rev. Franklin P. Chapin became a resident of Hudson
in 1893, and preached here as the Congregationalist minis-
ter until 1907. During the pastorate of Mr. Chapin, in
1906, the meeting-house, which was built in 1842, was raised
several feet, a vestry made in the basement, new windows
supplied, a modern heating arrangement put in, and many
other repairs and improvements made. These improve-
ments incurred an expense to the society of nearly $3,000.

Rev. Edgar F. Blanchard followed Mr. Chapin, and
came here in 1907. He was an unmarried man, but made
his home in this town. He remained here until 1909.

Rev. Lewis E. Perry commenced to supply the pulpit
soon after Mr. Blanchard left. A convenient parsonage,
with modern improvements, was erected on Library street
in the summer of 1910, and Mr. Perry removed his family
there. He remains at the head of this church.

The Baptist Church and Society

The Baptist church was organized May 1, 1805, with
sixty-five members who had been dismissed from the Bap-
tist church in Londonderry, of which they had constituted
a branch for several years, acting in harmony with that
church, but sustaining preaching and the ordinances of the
church.

The church was organized by an ecclesiastical council,
called for that purpose, at the house of Thomas Senter in
the north-east part of the town, and was called "The Bap-
tist Church of Christ of Nottingham West."

The following are the names of the sixty-five members
of the new church:

434

HISTORY OF HUDSON

Joseph Hobbs, Jr.,
Hannah Townes,
George Mentor,
Aaron Senter,
Mehitabel Tarbox,
Esther Senter,
Eunice Senter,
Polly Wood,
Polly Greele,
Joseph Chase,
Mehitabel Taylor,
Moses Hadley,
Tabitha Merrill,
Anna Blodgett,
Ashael Blodgett,
Asahel Blodgett, Jr.,
Susanna Pollard,
Justus Dakin,
Patty Harda,
Hannah Hadley,
Mrs. Douglass,
Mrs. Cummings,
Mrs. Tallant,
Jerusha Wyman,
Lydia Richardson,
Benjamin Abbott,
Joanna Kidder,
Martha Robinson,
Rebekah Robinson,
Hannah Robinson,
Nathaniel Currier,
Hannah Marshall,

Maria Hobbs,
James Eastman,
Zacheus Greelee,
Lucy Greelee,
Polly Sargent,
Thomas Senter,
Ebenezer Wood,
Moses Greele,
Joseph Rowell,
Barnabas Taylor,
Esther Greele,
Mrs. Hadley,
Mrs. Atwood,
Mrs. Blodgett,
Polly Farmer,
Reuben Winn,
Mrs. Dakin,
Stephen Hadley,
Robert Douglass,
David Cummings,
Mrs. Wilson,
Richard Haselton,
Polly Gibson,
Mrs. Tarbell,
Samson Kidder,
David Robinson,
Noah Robinson,
Susanna Davis,
Lucy Dinnis,
Lydia Page,
Betsey Campbell,
Phebe Miles,

Rachel Merrill.
For several years after its organization the church did
not enjoy the labors of a settled pastor, but the pulpit was
supplied by Rev. Thomas Paul, (colored), Rev. Robert
Jones, Rev. Samuel Ambrose, and Joshua Young.

ADDITIONAL CHURCH HISTORY 435

The labors of Rev. Thomas Paul were especially effec-
tive, and many united with the church under his preaching.

The first settled pastor of the church was Rev. Ezra
Kendall, who assumed charge November 3, 1808, and re-
signed March 5, 1810.

It appears that the meetings were held at the North
meeting-house when it was not in use by the Presbyterians
or Congregationalists, and sometimes at the South meet-
ing-house.

After Mr. Kendall resigned, the pulpit was supplied
by Rev. Isaiah Stone, Rev. John Perkins, and others, until
1814.

June 19, 1811, the Baptist society was incorporated,
and all the right of the proprietors to the North meeting-
house and the lot of land upon which it stood, was con-
veyed to it November 26, of the same year. The pews were
owned by individuals as personal property, and their own-
ership was not affected by this conveyance.

Rev. Daniel Merrill, who had several years previous,
probably as early as 1793, preached in town as a Con-
gregationalist minister, was invited to the pastorate of
the church in May, 1814. The following extract is from
the centennial address, delivered by Rev. Brinton M. Web-
ster of Lyme, N. H., May 1, 1905:

"There is a copy of Mr. Merrill's acceptance in the
record book, which occupies several pages and is indeed a
remarkable composition, showing that he was a man of no
small talent. We pause here to say a few words concern-
ing him.

"He enlisted for three years in the Continental army,
and after serving probably that length of time, began a
literary course at the age of nineteen, which extended seven
years and included a course at Dartmouth College, from
which he was graduated in 1789.

"Some time after his graduation he became pastor of a
large Pedo-Baptist church in Sedgewick, Maine, where he
remained for several years; but having, with most of his

436 HISTORY OF HUDSON

church, been converted to the Baptist sentiments, he and
they received baptism at the hands of Dr. Baldwin and
Elisha Williams in 1805, and it became a Baptist church.
Some of the older people of this town have related to some
now living, that Rev. Mr. Merrill was once a Congrega-
tional minister in this place, but that when he changed his
views, the Pedo-Baptists became very bitter against him.

"This accounts for some things that have been said of
him in other histories, that he was a zealous and able de-
fender of the sentiments of the Baptist denomination. His
controversial writings exhibit discrimination, scholarship
and untiring zeal in the cause in which he felt himself par-
ticularly commissioned. He made the distinguishing sent-
iments of the Baptist very prominent, and it was not dififi-
cult for a stranger, having heard him preach one sermon,
to decide with what Christian denomination he had cast
his lot.

"While in Nottingham West, in 1819, he wrote a vol-
ume of two hundred pages at the request of Pedo-Baptist
churches in New York, stating his views of the Baptist
doctrine and his reasons for adopting them.

"During his stay in Nottingham West he was chosen
to deliver the election sermon before the governor, council,
senate and house of representatives of the state of New
Hampshire, June 5, 1817. His subject on that day was
'The Kingdom of God.' His name is found as chairman
of a committee from Maine, then a part of Massachusetts,
who obtained a charter for an educational institution, which
afterwards became Waterville College, and then Colby
University.

"One of his sons, Rev. Thomas W. Merrill, assisted in
starting a school which led to the founding of Kalamazoo,
Michigan, College. Another son, Moses Merrill, was a
missionary to the Indians, writing a history of the Gospels,
in the Indian language for their instruction. Others of
his children settled in this town, Joseph Merrill, and Jo-
anna, a daughter, who married Reuben Greeley.

ADDITIONAL CHURCH HISTORY 437

"After Mr. Merrill had settled it became necessary to
make choice of two deacons, and October 80, 1816, Moses
Greeley and David Burns were chosen, both serving faith-
fully in that capacity for many years. It is said that their
official relations were marked with uncommon unanimity
and entire satisfaction to the church, until their resignation
in 1834, on account of declining years. Dea. Moses Gree-
ley died August 15, 1848, aged 84 years, and Dea. David
Burns died April 20, 1876, aged 87 years and seven months,
about sixty years after he was chosen to the deaconship.

"Dea. Moses Greeley presented the Baptist church
with the first bell hung in this town, and also the commun-
ion set which was used until recently. The bell was cracked
several years ago and replaced by a new one.

"Dea. David Burns presented the church with the
clock over the main entrance.

"At a church meeting held November 22, 1817, it was
voted to allow the use of the meeting-house 'the second
Lord's day in February, May, August and November, and
also the first fifth Lord's day which shall come in any
month of the year,' to the Presbyterians, provided 'we
have their meeting house when they have ours.' Joseph
Winn, Reuben Greeley and Elder Merrill were chosen a
committee to confer with the Presbyterians and inform
them of the action of the Baptist church. It was also pro-
vided that their meeting-house should be accepted by the
former at confirmation times and conference, with the un-
derstanding they should enjoy the same privilege with the
Presbyterian house.

"This exchange of privileges should be explained by
saying that about two years before, on the 15th of October,
1816, the Congregational church united with the Presby-
terians, there being eleven of the latter denomination and
thirteen of the former. These parties owned and occupied
the South meeting-house, and still owned pews and desired
to worship a part of the time in the North meeting-house,
for the accommodation of a part of their people. In Oc-

438 HISTORY OF HUDSON

tober, 1818, a bond was given by the Presbyterians to the
Baptist society, giving them the right to hold services in
their meeting-house at certain times. Thus two denomi-
nations worshipped at both meeting-houses, alternately,
when the Baptists were at the South the Presbyterians
were at the North."

Mr. Merrill resigned in September, 1820, and during
the next two years the pulpit was supplied by Rev. Isaac
Wescott and Rev. Otis Robinson.

In May, 1823, an invitation was extended to Rev. Jos-
eph Davis to take the pastoral charge of the church after
ordination. He accepted and was ordained June 18, 1823.
Under his ministry the church enjoyed a good degree of
prosperity and several persons were baptized. He resigned
November 5, 1824.

Then there was another period of over three years in
which the church had no settled pastor, although the desk
was supplied most of the time. Among the supplies were
Rev. Otis Robinson, Rev. George Evans, Rev. Samuel
Elliott and Rev. John Peacock.

In the winter of 1827 there was an extensive revival,
when sixty-one persons are reported as being baptized in
the year named, it being the largest number in any year
of the church's history.

In April, 1828, Rev. Benjamin Dean assumed the pas-
torate, but the outcome seems to have been an unhappy
one. His ministry is reported as "a dark and trying time
for the church." His connection with the church termi-
nated under painful circumstances June 26, 1830. He was
deposed by an ecclesiastical council and excluded from the
ministry for immoral conduct.

Following this unpleasant experience the church re-
mained "in a tired and desolate state, without an under
shepherd for nearly four years." During the period Rev.
Otis Robinson, Stephen Pillsbury, Amos Haynes and
others supplied the pulpit.

It is only just to say that Mr. Dean afterwards made a

ADDITIONAL CHURCH HISTORY 439

public confession of his wrong-doing, and asked forgiveness
of the Baptist and Presbyterian churches, both of which
were present at the South meeting-house. He had previ-
ously asked forgiveness of the former church. In after
years he was restored to the membership of the Baptist
church.

The next pastor was Rev. Bartlett Pease, who assumed
charge of the church in March, 1834, and his pastoral la-
bors terminated in April, 1839. Thirty-six are reported to
have been baptized during these five years, and in 1838
Enoch S. Marsh and Benjamin Kidder were chosen dea-
cons.

During the summer and autumn of 1839 the desk was
supplied by Rev. Stephen Pillsbury. The succeeding reg-
ular pastor was the Rev. John Upton, who commenced his
labors in November, 1839, and resigned in August, 1841.

The attention of the church and society had been for
several years turned to the object of having a more conven-
ient house of worship, but a difference of opinion respect-
ing location, with some other circumstances, had prevented
any decisive action. In 1841 an agreement was reached,
a suitable site selected, and a deed secured from Reuben
Greeley to the Baptist Society, so that the house was erect-
ed and dedicated that year.

In September, 1841, Rev. Jonathan Herrick assumed
the pastoral care of the church. He was a very zealous
laborer in his calling, and many united with the church
under his ministry. In 1842, forty-one were baptized.

Mr. Herrick was dismissed at his own request, Sep-
tember, 1843, and the desk was supplied for a few months
by William H. Eaton, a student connected with Brown
University. On December 4, 1843, Rev. Joseph Storer
began to preach for the church as a supply, and continued
as such until January 1, 1845, when he became the regular
pastor.

During the year 1845, a joint stock company made up
principally from members of the church, built a parsonage

440 HISTORY OF HUDSON

for the accommodation of the minister, which was a few-
years later presented to the society.

Mr. Storer was a very zealous and faithful minister,
loved by all connected with his church and society, and
universally esteemed and respected by his townsmen. He
was retained in his position as pastor until May, 1855,
longer by nearly five years than any other pastor of this
church, when, in consequence ot failing health, he was com-
pelled to resign. Among the aged and prominent mem-
bers removed by death during his pastorate were Dea.
Moses Greeley, Amos Hills, Abigail Dakin, Betsey Cutter,
Rebecca Hadley and Abigail Pollard. Twelve were bap-
tized in 1849.

It was during the pastorate of Mr. Storer, about 1850,
that the first organ was purchased. Dr. David O. Smith,
then a newly settled physician in town, was chosen as
music director. The following is an extract from a resolu-
tion passed May 27, 1855:

Resolved, That in Brother Storer we realize the enlightened and dis-
criminating Gospel preacher, the devoted and affectionate pastor, whose
sole aim is to promote the kingdom of Christ in the salvation of souls, also
a judicious counselor, a sincere and confiding friend, as well as a beloved
and respected citizen.

In 1853, Isaac D. Colburn was appointed by the church
"to study for the ministry and use his gifts in public." He
became a minister, and served as a missionary in Burmah
for many years, but returned, and died in Nashua in 1907.

Rev. W. H. Dalrymple began to supply the pulpit of
this church in June, 1855, and was settled as its pastor in
the following August, retaining the position until March,
1858. A large number of young people united with the
church under his pastorate.

The next pastor was Rev. George L. Putnam, who was
ordained July 16, 1858, remaining until November, 1863,
when he resigned.

During Mr. Putnam's pastorate, the parsonage, built in
1845, was presented to the society. In 1860, extensive and

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ADDITIONAL CHURCH HISTORY 441

substantial repairs and alterations were made to the audi-
torium of the church, the pastor contributing of his own
handiwork the pulpit.

Following the resignation of Mr. Putnam, Rev. Bart-
lett Pease, a resident minister, supplied the pulpit for
nearly one year.

Rev. Henry Stetson was pastor from October, 1864, to
June 1, 1868, when he was dismissed at his own request.
During his pastorate Dea. Enoch S. Marsh died, December
19, 1865, and Dea. Benjamin Kidder resigned. Hiram
Cummings and John M. Thompson were chosen to fill these
vacancies October 4, 1866.

November 1, 1868, a call was extended to Rev. A. W.
Chafifin, which was accepted by him. Public recognition
services were held December 23.

Mr. Chafifin gained the love and respect of the entire
community. Thirty-three were baptized during his pas-
torate. In 1872, Mr. Chaffin became quite feeble physi-
cally, and his mental faculties were impaired, but he was
retained as pastor until April, 1873. He soon removed
from the town, but his health continued to decline, and he
died soon after his removal.

Rev. George A. Glines, the next pastor, held that posi-
tion from September 1, 1873, to April 1, 1875, when he
resigned.

Rev. George W. Kinney assumed the pastorate Janu-
ary 1, 1876, and resigned in 1879, after which time the pul-
pit was supplied by several ministers until May, 1881, when
an invitation was extended to Rev. William P. Bartlett, who
accepted. He was ordained June 28, 1881, by a council
called by the church, and he was dismissed at his own re-
quest in March, 1883.

Lewis L. Fish was chosen deacon October 12, 1881,
and Eli Hamblet in April, 1882.

Rev. T. M. Merriman was next called to officiate in
May, 1883. He remained with the church a little over
three years, when he resigned October 3, 1886.

442 HISTORY OF HUDSON

A week later, October 10, the Rev. Charles C. Spear
was invited to become the pastor, and he accepted the
offer. During the years 1887 and 1888 extensive repairs
and alterations were made in the auditorium. An alcove
was built for the pipe organ, new pews were purchased, a
pulpit set and colored windows were put in. A new set of
Baptist hymnals was bought. Mr. Spear resigned January
11, 1891.

Rev. David L. Wentworth was next called to the pas-
torate and he was ordained by a council, April 30, 1891.
He resigned on the same day and month two years later.
As an appreciation of his services resolutions were read
and adopted.

During Mr. Wentworth's term William G. Cross and
Marcell H. Smith were chosen junior deacons, June 6, 1892.
Dea. John M. Thompson died January 27, 1893.

October 22, 1893, Rev. C. D. Swett accepted a call to
the pastorate; March 21, 1898, he resigned.

In 1897, a long needed vestry, a two-story building
containing assembly hall, dining-room, kitchen, ladies' par-
lor, and coat room, was erected and presented to the society
by Dr. David O. Smith, his wife, Hannah P. Smith, and
her brother, George W. Haselton, who jointly bore the en-
tire expense of erecting the building.

September 4, 1898, Rev. George W. Kinney, a former
pastor of this church, was called to a second term, and he
accepted, remaining a little more than two years, to re-
sign November 1, 1901.

Rev. Bernard Christopher was the next pastor called,
in January, 1902, and remained a little over five years, re-
signing February 1, 1907.

Centennial Anniversary

On Monday, May 1, 1905, the one hundredth anniver-
sary of the little Baptist church of Christ, organized in
Nottingham West, May 1, 1805, was celebrated with appro-

ADDITIONAL CHURCH HISTORY 443

priate services. Rev. Brinton M. Webster, of Lyme, N.
H., formerly of Hudson, delivered a very interesting his-
torical address. He stated that during its existence of one
hundred years the church had had twenty pastors, of whom
the following were then living: Rev. George Kinney, Rev.
William P. Bartlett, Rev. T. M. Merriman, Rev. Charles C.
Spear, Rev. David L. Wentworth, Rev. George A. Glines,
and Rev. Bernard Christopher, the pastor then serving.

The largest number of members at any time was 167,
in 1828. In 1847, the number was 139; in 1878, 117; in
1885, 125; in 1905, 94. During the century the church
had had thirteen deacons, as follows: Thomas Senter and
Nathaniel Currier, chosen May 7, 1805; Moses Greeley and
David Burns, chosen October 30, 1816; Enoch S. Marsh
and Benjamin Kidder, chosen April 1, 1838; Hiram Cum-
mings and John M. Thompson, chosen October 4, 1866;
Lewis L. Fish, chosen October 12, 1881; Eli Hamblet, in
April, 1882; William G. Cross and Marcell H. Smith,
chosen junior deacons June 6, 1892. Marcell H. Smith re-
signed the office in 1901, and William C. Haselton was
chosen to fill the vacancy, April 6, 1902. Of these, eight
had died at the time of the centennial: Nathaniel Currier,
date not given; Thomas Senter, December 25, 1834, aged
83 years; Moses Greeley, August 15, 1848, aged 84; Enoch
S. Marsh, December 19, 1865, aged 69; Benjamin Kidder,
February 16, 1874, aged 77 years and 7 months; David
Burns, April 20, 1876, aged 88 years and 7 months; John
M. Thompson, February 27, 1893, aged 62; Eli Hamblet,
August 5, 1896, aged 86 years and 2 months. Five of
the deacons were then living: Hiram Cummings, Lewis L.
Fish, (a resident of Windham), William G. Cross, Marcell
H. Smith and William C. Haselton. Of these, Hiram
Cummings died January 10, 1910, aged 88 years and 3
months.

The deacons at the present time (1912) are William C.
Haselton and Charles H. Chase.

Rev. C. R. Upton was pastor from September 22,
1907, to August 27, 1909.

444 HISTORY OF HUDSON

In the spring of 1909, the parsonage erected in 1845
by members of the church and later presented to the soci-
ty, was totally destroyed by fire. A new one was built in
the fall of the same year.

November 1, 1909, Rev. Walter R. Anderson, the
present pastor, began his work with this church.

The number of church members September 1, 1911,
was 119. The average attendance in the Sunday-school
during the year 1911, was 57.

This church has an organ which has been pronounced
by expert organists to be the best for its size to which they
have ever listened. It was built by Woodbury and Harris
of Boston expressly for Dr. David O. Smith, at a cost of
two thousand dollars. Dr. Smith, an expert musician in
almost all of its branches, personally planned the selection
of the various stops. The instrument was installed in
April, 1888, and was presented to the church and society
by Dr. Smith.

Methodist Episcopal Church and Society

Prior to 1830, a considerable number of substantial res-
idents of this town had embraced the religious opinions of
the Methodist denomination. The dismissal of Rev. Mr.
Talbot by the Presbyterians in November, 1829, at his own
request, together with the events which led up to it, left
that society in a weak condition. Thus the members of
that society, in the hope of improving their condition, en-
tered into an agreement with the Methodists to hire the
Rev. Samuel H. Tolman, a minister of the latter profes-
sion, and that gentleman preached here during the year
1830 and probably a part of 1831, occupying the Presby-
terian pulpit at the South meeting-house.

Mr. Tolman may have been instrumental in laying the
foundation of the present Methodist Episcopal church in
Hudson, which was organized in 1840. At any rate the
converts to that form of belief seem to have increased from

^^^^t^ ^

DAVID ONSLOW SMITH, M. D.

ADDITIONAL CHURCH HISTORY 445

that date, and in 1839, Rev. Jared Perkins, the Methodist
minister in charge of the Nashua station, came to Hudson
and lectured and exhorted in the old school house in Dis-
trict Number Four, which stood a short distance north of
the South meeting-house, and near the spot of the present
gate of the Blodgett cemetery. Mr. Perkins also held
meetings in other parts of the town, assisted by J. P. Chap-
man of Nashua, E. A. Rice of Lowell, Rev. Sullivan Hol-
man and others.

A number of persons manifested a desire that regular
meetings be held, and a church be established among them.
The annual conference appointed the Rev. Abraham Fol-
som pastor in charge of this station.

Mr. Folsom was a man of energy and zeal, and his la-
bors were crowned with abundant success in the organiza-
tion of a church which has endured to the present time,
and which has for all these many years been one of the
indispensable religious organizations of Hudson. An ef-
fort was made by him to raise funds for the building of a
house of worship, and twelve hundred and fifty dollars were
subscribed and collected for that purpose. A meeting was
called, trustees appointed and a society legally constituted.

The first board of trustees consisted of Cyrus Warren,
Nathaniel M. Morse, David Clement, Ethan Willoughby
and John Gillis. The meetings for the first year, or until
the house was completed, were held in the South meeting-
house, when not occupied by the Presbyterians. When
this meeting-house could not be obtained, meetings were
held in school houses, private dwellings, and sometimes in
groves.

At a meeting of the society, August 1, 1840, it was
voted to build a meeting-house, to be fifty by forty feet in
size. Land was given for the site by Mr. Abiather Winn.
A plain, modest building was soon after erected, which
was dedicated with appropriate services December 2, 1840.

The location of this house was about one-half mile east
of Taylor's Falls bridge, on the south side of the highway

446 HISTORY OF HUDSON

leading to Hudson Center. The site was a short distance
in a westerly direction from Melendy's box shop of later
years.

At a meeting December 10, a constitution was adopt-
ed and signed by the following persons :

James Wilson, David Clement,

Fred Peabody, Nathaniel M. Morse,

James Ford, Nathan Marshall,

John W. Underwood, Zadoc Farmer,

Fitch P. Marsh, Willard Spaulding,

Zaccheus Colburn, Asa Merrill,

Cyrus Warren, Albert Harris,

Aaron Frost, George W, Kuhn,

James Wellman.
The meeting-house contained forty-four pews, which
were sold at auction, from which sale a sum was realized
sufficient to pay the cost of the building. The amount of
the subscription raised the year before by Mr. Folsom was
refunded to the subscribers.

Two or three years later a small parsonage was erect-
ed at a cost of about four hundred dollars. This was lo-
cated near the south-west corner of the meeting-house.
But this location proved to be unpleasant and inconvenient.
Accordingly a new parsonage lot was secured on the north
side of the highway, adjoining on the east the Congrega-
tionalist meeting-house lot. Since then this site has been
occupied by the house of Miss Winn. The parsonage was
removed to that location, and an ell and small stable added
to the main building.

The exact date of this removal was not recorded, but
it was not far from 1848 The interior of the church was
extensively repaired and remodelled, in 1869, at an expense
of about three hundred dollars. The pulpit was changed
from the west to the east end of the auditorium, and seats
for the singers were conveniently arranged in the rear of
the pulpit. The pews were turned around and made to
face the east instead of the west, as formerly, and numer-
ous other needed improvements were made.

ADDITIONAL CHURCH HISTORY 447

The Nashua and Rochester railroad, now a part of the
Boston and Maine system, which went into operation in
the fall of 1874, was run between the meeting-house and
the highway. The situation of the building was thus made
not only inconvenient but somewhat dangerous. In this
dilemma the trustees voted to remove the house to the
north side of the highway, near to the parsonage and upon
the same lot.

The meeting-house was soon after removed to the new
location, and quite extensive changes made. The house
was raised to a sufficient height to permit the construction
of a commodious vestry in the lower story. An addition
of twelve by twenty-four feet was made to the rear, or
north end, furnaces were put in and other improvements
made. The expense of these improvements, including the
cost of removal, was about $1,500. The meeting house was
rededicated January 24, 1878.

On Sunday, August 3, 1879, a little over one and one-
half years after the dedication of the new church, immedi-
ately after the close of services, the stable connected with
the parsonage was set on fire from the flames of an oil
stove, and that building, the parsonage and the meeting-
house were all very soon reduced to ashes.

The buildings were insured for $1,500, less than one-
half of their real cost and value. The loss was severely
felt, and came near to being a fatal blow to the devoted
church and society.

A small hall near the bridge, owned by Mr. James
Carnes, was the most available place that could be obtained
at that time to hold services, and meetings were held there
until a new house could be erected. This hall was in the
south part of the second story of the building since occu-
pied by Baker Brothers as a store.

When the matter of anew house began to be earnestly
discussed among the members of the society, quite a serious
difference of opinion was found to exist in regard to the
most suitable and satisfactory site for its location. While

448 HISTORY OF HUDSON

some were strongly in favor of rebuilding on the old loca-
tion, many others were equally as firm in believing that a
place nearer the Bridge would much better accommodate
the members, especially those living in the east part of
Nashua, which portion formed at that time a large propor-
tion of the membership, while adding material strength and
prosperity to the little church.

The matter was settled by the majority in the choice
of the location where the brick church was soon after
erected and has since stood. The land was purchased from
James Carnes for five hundred dollars.

Citizens of the town and benevolent persons, some of
whom were former residents gave their support by sub-
scription, and in April, 1880, arrangements were per-
fected for the building of a new meeting-house, 40 by 70
feet, of brick and wood, two stories high, with tower and
spire at the north-east corner.

A building committee was appointed, consisting of
Solomon A. Davis, Kimball Webster, Augustus F. Blodg-
ett, John H. Baker and Abi A. Sanders. This committee
caused the new church to be erected and finished according
to the plans adopted, so that the second meeting-house of
the First Methodist Episcopal church and society of Hud-
son was dedicated December 7, 1880.

The basement or vestry was of brick, and the building
above was of wood with a brick jacket. The church con-
tains an audience room and vestry of ample size, and is re-
puted to be one of the most convenient and pleasing country
churches to be found in the state.

The church edifice, with the cost of the land, aside
from a considerable amount of material and labor contrib-
uted by members of the society, with others not belonging
to the same, cost about $7,000. To meet this sum were
the following resources :
Insurance on the buildings destroyed by fire . . $1,500.00

Old church lot sold 225.00

Individual contributions 1,059,55

ADDITIONAL CHURCH HISTORY 449

Pledged on evening of dedication ^466.00

Donated soon after dedication 512.67

Received from miscellaneous sources 8.30

Amount of available funds ;^3,771.52

To make up this deficiency the trustees voted to pro-
cure a loan from the Church Extension Society of $2,500,
and to obtain the balance through temporary loans.

The earnestness with which the church worked to re-
move this indebtedness is shown by the fact that on Janu-
ary 1, 1882, it had been reduced to $1,027.12. The last of
the indebtedness in building and furnishing the church was
paid May 4, 1887, when the society became entirely free
from debt.

From the date of the destruction of the meeting-house
and parsonage, August 3, 1879, to 1893, the society being
destitute of a parsonage was obliged to obtain such accom-
modations as were possible for the home of the pastor and
his family. This was not always as convenient as could be
wished. As early as 1888 a lot of land was procured by the
trustees on Baker street.

At a meeting of the trustees August 26, 1893, it was
voted that a building committee which had already been
chosen by the Quarterly Conference, "be instructed that
after a sum of $2,200 shall be raised or pledged, including
the funds of the society and Fletcher fund — to build a par-
sonage and stable at a total expense not to exceed $2,500."

These instructions were executed by the committee
during the autumn of that year. The building committee
consisted of Rev. C. H. Farnsvvorth, James G. Walker,
Augustus F. Blodgett and Kimball Webster,

How to obtain the amount of money desired — $2,500
— with which to build the parsonage was an unsolved prob-
lem. The society had on deposit in the savings bank, the
Fletcher fund, so-called, six hundred dollars. The fund
named was a part of the amount bequeathed to the society
by Mrs. Dorinda A. Fletcher under her last will, as
follows :

450 HISTORY OF HUDSON

1st. I will and bequeath to the First Methodist Episcopal society
of Hudson, to be held and applied by the trustees of said society or their
successors, two hundred dollars ($200).

Second. The residue of my property, whether real estate, personal
or mixed, to the First M. E. Society of Hudson, to be held and invested
by them as a permanent fund, the interest thereof to be annually applied
as follows :

One-fifth part to the Missionary society of said church, four fifths to
the support of Christ's cause, as the Official Board of said church shall
direct.

The will was dated March 18, 1879. Mrs. Fletcher
deceased about 1883. July 1, 1883, the treasurer of the
trustees received from the estate of Mrs. Fletcher $799.28.
The amount of ;^600 was deposited as a permanent fund,
and the balance was paid to the Church Extension Society
towards the liquidation of the church debt.

Bequest of Mrs. Tinker

April 20, 1885, Mrs. Rebekah (Hill) Tinker, long a res-
ident of this town, died and the Methodist society became
the residuary under her will. January 1, 1887, the treas-
urer received from her estate the balance of $991.78. The
greater part of this legacy was expended in the cancellation
of the debt incurred in the building of the church in 1880,
as the will placed no restriction upon it.

Donation of Lucinda W. Floyd

Mrs. Floyd was a widow, and a resident of the east
part of Hudson. She owned an estate of less than $2,000
in value. She died April 4, 1888, aged 61 years.

Previous to her death she made a deposit in the New
Hampshire Banking Company of Nashua, a savings bank,
of three hundred dollars in the name of the Methodist so-
ciety of Hudson.

additional church history 451

Bequest of Mrs. Electa Atwood

Mrs. Electa (Haywood) Atwood, widow of William
Atwood, born in this town where she always lived, died
January 27, 1887, aged 82 years and 7 months. She left a
will by which she made the Methodist society of Hudson
the residuary. Her estate in all amounted to a little more
than $500. After another legacy of $200, together with
funeral expenses, charges of settling the estate and other
debts, a balance of $26.19 was paid to the treasurer of the
society September 19, 1888. This was the poor widow's
mite. She gave all she had.

A subscription was taken up by which there was real-
ized towards building the parsonage the sum of $745.

Mr. Abram Woodbury, aside from contributing one
hundred dollars towards the above amount, had previously
deposited in the savings bank, in the name of the society
the sum of five hundred dollars, to be used towards build-
ing a parsonage. This, when drawn with the accumulated
interest, amounted to $530.40,

In addition to this, two other deposits were drawn at
at this time, amounting to $514.99. All of this gave an en-
couraging start towards the new parsonage.

Accordingly, at a meeting of the trustees August 26, it
was voted "That a parsonage shall be built in accordance
with the foregoing vote, that the treasurer be instructed to
draw the Fletcher fund from the Nashua Savings Bank and
apply the same towards the expense of said parsonage and
stable, with the understanding that said fund of $600 shall
remain as a permanent fund according to the terms of the
will of the late Dorinda A. Fletcher, and the income or
;interest thereof, of not less than four per cent per annum,
be paid annually as provided for by said will."

In conformity with the foregoing vote, the Fletcher
fund was drawn January 5, 1894, and expended by the com-
mittee, with the other available funds, in building the par-
sonage and stable. The Fletcher fund at that time amount-

452 HISTORY OF HUDSON

ed to ^624.24. The whole amount received by the building
committee was ^2,419.93.

A convenient and commodious parsonage, with a bath
room and other modern improvements, was erected, with a
stable attached, at a total cost of ;^2,497.96, land and insur-
ance not included.

Mr. Abram Woodbury, a much-honored and very be-
nevolent citizen of Hudson, made it possible at that time
for the society to materialize this long discussed and much
needed acquisition without the necessity of incurring any
burdensome debt, by contributing more than six hundred
dollars towards the expense.

Mr. Woodbury died January 30, 1894, aged 71 years
and 6 months. He died intestate, but it became known
after his decease that he had left a deposit in a Nashua
savings bank in the name of the Methodist society of Hud-
son for the amount of five hundred dollars. This deposit
was without restrictions or conditions, but previous to his
decease he had expressed to his wife a desire that it should
remain for the present as a fund, and not to be expended
in the building of the parsonage.

For several years after the Fletcher fund had been
taken from the savings bank and expended towards paying
for the building of the parsonage, a considerable feeling
seemed to exist with many members of the church and so-
ciety — a part of the trustees included — that the terms of
the will of Mrs. Fletcher had not been strictly adhered to,
and that the Fletcher fund, as it was then managed, ex-
isted in little more than a name. The Woodbury fund had,
in a way, taken its place. And now, ten years after the
decease of Mr. Woodbury, the deposit left the society by
him, with its accumulated interest making it about six
hundred dollars, was still on deposit.

As this matter continued to be agitated, on March 27,
1904, at a meeting of the trustees, it was voted, after a
careful consideration, that the treasurer draw the Wood-
bury fund from the bank, and deposit six hundred dollars
of it upon a new account as the Fletcher fund.

ADDITIONAL CHURCH HISTORY 453

In consideration of this change, and the fact that Mr.
Woodbury had previously given more than six hundred
dollars towards building the parsonage, it was voted that it
should be known hereafter as the "Woodbury Parsonage."

Through a parsonage agent previously appointed by
the Quarterly Conference this change was effected by the
treasurer.

Quarter Centennial

December 7, 1905, occurred the twenty-fifth anniver-
sary of the dedication of the brick church, and appropriate
and pleasing ceremonies were carried out in commemora-
tion of the fact. A little more than two hundred dollars
was collected by the pastor. Rev. Mr. Bragg, for the bene-
fit of the church at this time.

January, 1906, the auditorium and vestry were fur-
nished with electric lights.

In October, 1894, about 2,204 feet of land from the
north-west corner of the church lot was sold to Cummings
Brothers for one hundred dollars, by the Quarterly Confer-
ence and trustees. December 21, 1908, the same party,
for the sum of $285, bought from the westerly and north-
erly parts of the church property 15,720 feet of land, leav-
ing a remainder of 18,540 feet.

The church lot had been covered with a growth of
oak trees, and the grove of these left to stand made a
pleasant protection during the summer months. But these
trees were becoming ancient, and beginning to show signs
of decay. Many of them were white oaks, and seemed the
especial attraction for brown tail moths. Accordingly,
in November, 1908, the trustees voted to have these trees
removed, which was done in the spring of 1909.

In April, of the same year, a steel ceiling was applied
to the church auditorium at a cost, with the painting, of
about $285.

454 history of hudson

Bequest of Mr. Tolles

Mr. Lucien M. Tolles, for many years a resident on
the Derry road in this town, died January 15, 1911. Al-
though a Baptist, Mr. Tolles had generously assisted the
Methodist society at the time of building the brick church
in 1880, and also at the time of building the parsonage.
At his decease he remembered the Methodist society of
Hudson by a bequest of one hundred dollars.

Honored Names

The following list contains the names of a few of the
many persons that were ever ready to give the church and
society substantial aid and assistance; many of them in its
early years, when it was greatly in need of encouragement
and wise counsel, sustaining it when troubles were met and
disasters sometimes threatened its very existence:

Nathaniel M. Morse, John W. Underwood, Zadoc Far-
mer, Nathan Marshall, Franklin Wilson, Fitch P. Marsh,
Cyrus Warren, John N. Marshall, Solomon Chase, Abijah
Hill, Solomon A. Davis, Benjamin F. Buswell, Abram
Woodbury, Mrs. Louisa J. Dudley, Mrs. John N. Marshall,
Mrs. Mary Hills, Harriet P. Wason, Charlotte A. Wason,
Mrs. Dorinda Fletcher, Mrs. Rebekah H. Hill, Mrs. Dan-
iel Moore, Mrs. Miranda W. Chase, Mrs. John W. Under-
wood, Mrs. Harriet S. Hill, Mrs. Clarissa Wilson, Mrs.
Mary J. Woodbury, and many others equally as deserving
names might be added to swell the honored list.

Memorial Windows

At the time of the building of the church in 1880,
eight very handsome and appropriate memorial windows
were put in by the friends of some of the persons who were
formerly very active members of the society. These win-
dows were inscribed with the following names:

ADDITIONAL CHURCH HISTORY 455

Jonathan C. Dudley,

Rebekah H. Hill,

Eben & Mehitable Pollard,

Harriet P. Wason,

Charles T. Spaulding,

J. Gardner Winn,

Harriet S. Hill,

Nathan Marshall.

Jonathan C. Dudley resided near Taylor's Falls bridge
in Hudson. He died March 29, 1865, aged 43 years.

Nathan Marshall was a native of this town, but died
in Nashua, July 6, 1866, aged 44 years and 6 months.

Eben Pollard and Mehitable Pollard, his wife, were
both life residents of Hudson. He died October 3, 1886,
aged 66 years. Mrs. Pollard died September 9, 1891, aged
86 years and 11 months.

The four above mentioned were buried in the Sunny-
side cemetery in this town.

Harriet S. Hill was the wife of Abijah Hill,, and was a
resident of Hills Row. She died August 7, 1873, aged 58
years, and was buried in the Hills Farms cemetery.

Harriet P. Wason was a native of this town, born
April 24, 1825, and died April 19, 1859. She was buried
in the Blodgett cemetery.

J. Gardner Winn, son of Joseph and Margaret (Burns)
Winn, was born in Hudson, and died of wounds received
in the army, September 18, 1862, aged 34 years.

Charles T. Spaulding died in Nashua while a young
man, leaving a widow and one son.

Pastors

During the seventy-three years of the existence of the
church, 1839 to 1912, inclusive, thirty-five pastors have
been stationed here by the conference. The names of
these ministers, with the dates of their service here, are as
follows:

1839. Abraham Folsom, who died in Hampton, N.
H., March 31, 1872, aged 78 years.

456 HISTORY OF HUDSON

1840. Charles H. Chase, who died at Chicago, 111.,
May 19, 1904, aged 86 years and 6 months. He was buried
at Plymouth, N. H.

1841-2. Moses A. Howe.

1843. A. H. Worthing.

1844. Jacob Boyce.

1845-6. Matthew Newhall; died May 4, 1875, in
Greenland, N. H., aged 75 years.

1847-8. Jonathan Hall.

1849-50. Isaac VV. Huntley, who died at Manchester,
N. H., November 6, 1852, aged 31 years.

1851. George F. Wells, who died April 8, 1883, in
North Woodstock, N. H., at the age of 80 years.

1852. Rev. Mr. Gathers.

1853. Kimball Hadley.

1854-5-6. Supplied by students from the Biblical In-
stitute, at Concord, N. H.

1857. R. Edmund Danforth; died at Keene, N. H.,
June 28, 1863, aged 29 years.

1858-9. John W. Johnson, who died at Sunapee, N.
H., April 12, 1862, at the age of 51 years.

1860-1. Lucien W. Prescott.

1862-3. William Hewes, who died at Lawrence, Mass.,
December 17, 1890, aged 82 years.

1864-5. B. W. Chase. During his pastorate an ex-
tensive revival took place, when over fifty people are said
to have been received into the church.

1866-7. Samuel Beedle, who died at Hull, Mass., Jan-
uary 8, 1891, aged 79 years.

1868-70. Otis Cole.

1871-3. Charles A. Cressey.

1874. W. W. Smith.

1875-6. John D. Folsom.

1877-9. Albert F. Baxter.

1880-2. Charles W. Taylor.

1883-4. William Woods.

1885. Frederick C. Pillsbury.

ADDITIONAL CHURCH HISTORY 457

1886. Frederick H. Corson.

1887. George A. Scott.

1888-91. Silas G. Kellogg, who died in Hudson, De-
cember 21, 1891, aged 68 years, 8 months and 27 days.

1892. Sullivan Holman, who died April 15, 1896, at
the age of 76 years.

1893-4. Charles H. Farnsworth.

1895. E. O. Bullock.

1896-7. George VV. Buzzell.

1898-9. John D. Folsom, a second term.

1900-2. William J. Atkinson.

1903-5. Lyman D. Bragg.

1906-12. Francis O. Tyler.
The number of communicants April 1, 1912, are . . 53

Members of Sunday school 112

Members Home Department 15

Members Cradle Class 18

Total membership of Sunday school .... 198

Alvirne Memorial Chapel

The Alvirne Memorial Chapel is located on Derry
road about two miles from Nashua, and takes its place
naturally among the pine trees of the Hills Farms ceme-
tery addition of about twenty acres, purchased by Dr. Al-
fred K. Hills for this purpose. Commenced late in the
year of 1908, it was consecrated on November 12, 1909,
Rev. William Porter Niles of Nashua, and Rev. William
M. Grosvenor or New York, officiating.

It was built by Dr. Alfred K. Hills in memory of his
deceased wife, Ida Virginia Creutzborg. While primarily
a Mausoleum, it also serves as a Mortuary Chapel, and is
of a distinctive character not inconsistent with its monu-
mental purpose. In accordance with the directions of the
donor, it is so arranged that services may be held, from
time to time, by various denominations. The furnishings
include a small organ, which answers an excellent purpose.

458 HISTORY OF HUDSON

The building is sixty-four (64) feet long, and thirty-six
(36) feet wide, built of weathered granite with cut granite
trimmings. The roof is strongly constructed and covered
with heavy graduated slate in various shades of green and
purple; the cornices and trimmings of the roof are of heavy
copper. The exterior walls are rapidly being covered by
beautiful branch ivy.

As far as possible, the chapel has been made fireproof,
the floor being of reinforced concrete, the exterior of the
roof being slated and no exposed woodworic showing on the
outside. The interior finish of the roof is of quartered
oak; the same material is used for all the trusses and beams
in the ceilings and doors, and choir stalls. The floor is red
Grueby tile laid in pattern of hexagons and quatrefoils.
The interior walls are lined with gray brick up to the spring
of the ceiling. The walls of the chancel are lined with
Grueby tiles, many of them made especially for this chapel.
Symbols of the Evangelists and other church symbols are
indicated on some of the special tiles. The floor of the
chancel is of gray Tennessee marble; the altar is of this
same gray marble, on the front of which are the letters "I
H. S." and across in gold; on each side of the chancel
are two tablets to mark the names of the remains of those
in the crypts underneath the chancel floor.

The ceiling of the chancel is panelled in a slightly
richer fashion than the main church ceiling, a little cusping
being introduced in the panelling.

The windows are of stained and leaded glass, contain-
ing church symbols, and are set directly into the stone
mullions, the outside being protected by heavy copper wire
screens. On the east front of the main gable there is a
small belfry containing a cast bronze bell; a granite cross
marks the chancel gable. Two large mullion windows at
each end, and five smaller windows on the side, light the
main church. The color scheme of the glass is peculiarly
pleasing, being in soft warm tones of purple and amber.

There is a small vestry provided, containing a fireplace
and provision for records, with separate entrance on the

ADDITIONAL CHURCH HISTORY 459

southerly side, thus giving an opportunity for processions
at services, if desired. The main vestibule is also on the
southerl)'' side; the entrance is through large folding oak
doors, made extra heavy and thick, panelled and cusped,
and ornamented with heavy wrought iron hinges made from
special designs. Two large leather covered doors studded
with bronze nails and plates, open to the main church.

In designing and building the chapel, the intention was
to have it express a fitting and monumental character, and
at the same time allow of its use for purposes of a mortuary
chapel connected with the cemetery; also a place where
services might be held during the summer months. Every-
thing connected with the building and construction have
been so arranged as to do away with the need of repairs or
up-keeping. The construction was carefully overseen, and
extra effort was taken to have everything made solid and
permanent.

The foundations were made especially large and deep,
and the walls of unusual thickness.

No attempt was made at display, the whole idea being
to erect a quiet, and dignified building, that would take
its place naturally in rather a solemn setting.

All the materials used are practically indestructible in
the high, dry atmosphere of the locality. The granite for
the exterior walls, by a fortunate chance, was found nearby
in an old moss-grown, weather beaten stone wall, and the va-
ried colors, shapes and surfaces give a pleasing and, already
with the lapse of a very short time since completion, anti-
quated appearance.

The building seems to have weathered many bleak
New England winters, and whether this be a virtue or de-
fect, it was attained without striving, by taking advantage
of materials close at hand.

Dr. Hills is constantly seeking to add something to
embellish both the exterior and the interior of the building.
Already, by the planting of evergreen, laurel and ivy, with
a handsome driveway, which circles near the doorway, the
exterior presents a more finished appearance, and the

460 HISTORY OF HUDSON

interior has been embellished by the addition of various
pieces of an ecclesiastical nature, all showing evidences of
careful study and consideration. Recently he has built
an iron fence around the whole tract, including the old
cemetery.

The architect of the building, Hubert G. Ripley, of
Boston, and the builder, John W. Duff, of Boston, studied
the subject carefully, in collaboration with Dr. Hills, in the
endeavor to produce a permanent, dignified and fitting
result.

CHAPTER XXXIII

Public Libraries

No library of a public nature is known to have existed
in this town prior to 1797, when Samuel Marsh, Joseph
Winn, Phineas Underwood, Eleazer Cummings, John Pol-
lard and Joseph Greeley petitioned the Legislature for the
incorporation of a library, and on December 9 of the same
year an act was passed incorporating the same by the name
of the Nottingham West Social Library.

While this was not a free library, strictly speaking,
any worthy citizen of the town could enjoy all the advan-
tages it afforded, on payment of certain small fees and dues
for the purpose of keeping it replenished with books and
defraying its running expenses.

The proprietors, who were among the most intelligent
and influential residents of the town, displayed most excel-
lent judgment in the selection of books, many of which
were standard works of a high order.

This library continued in active existence for nearly
fifty years, to the great benefit of all who availed them-
selves of its privileges; then, by mutual consent, the asso-
ciation was dissolved and the books were distributed among
the proprietors.

In 1856, George W, Haselton, Eli Hamblet, Jefferson
Smith, Daniel M. Greeley, Reuben Greeley, J. O. Dane,
James Emery, David B. Andrews, William F. Lewis, Bart-
lett Pease, Alvan Smith, David O. Smith, Benjamin F.
Sprague, Job D. Thomas and Benjamin Dean formed them-
selves into an association called the "Hudson Center Li-
brary."

They all subscribed and paid into the treasury small
amounts of money, and adopted a constitution, June 20,
1856.

461

462 HISTORY OF HUDSON

November 11, 1856, the following officers were elected:
Bartlett Pease, president; Alvan Smith and George W.
Haselton, vice-presidents; Eli Hamblet, secretary, treas-
urer and librarian.

It appears by the records that the association pur-
chased, as a nucleus for their collection of books, the Cab-
inet Library, a series of twenty volumes by Samuel G.
Goodrich, better known under his pseudonym of "Peter
Parley."

Subsequent records show the addition of only twO'
books, so that it does not appear that this library ever con-
tained more than twenty-two books in all. It was kept at
the home of the librarian, Eli Hamblet, and books were
loaned to its members until 1860, after which its active ex-
istence seems to have come to an end, since no further
record relating to it is found.

A legislative act was approved April 11, 1891, "to pro-
mote the establishment and efficiency of free public libra-
ries."

This act provided for the appointment of a board of
library commissioners by the governor and council, and
further provided that "said board is hereby authorized and
directed to expend upon application of any town having no
free public library owned and controlled by the town, a
sum not exceeding one hundred dollars for books for any
such town entitled to the benefits of this act, such books to
be used by said town for the purpose of establishing a free
public library, and said commissioners shall select and pur-
chase all books to be provided as aforesaid."

At that time very few free public libraries existed in
this state, outside of the cities and large towns.

At the annual town meeting, March 14, 1893, it was
unanimously voted to accept the benefits of this law's
provision, but no library trustees were chosen. A short
time afterwards the selectmen appointed Kimball Webster,
Henry O. Smith and Oswald P. Baker, trustees for the new
library. Before any action had been taken or substantial

PUBLIC LIBRARIES 463

progress made, it was learned that by the will of the late
Adoniram Judson Greeley, five hundred volumes of books,
to be selected from his private library of nearly three thou-
sand, had been bequeathed to the town of Hudson for a
free public library.

Dr. Greeley was a native of this town, being the oldest
son of Reuben and Joanna C. (Merrill) Greeley, and was
born September 10, 1818. He died at Olneyville, R. I.,
September 1, 1893.

At the annual meeting, March 13, 1894, the town by
vote accepted Dr. Greeley's bequest. Through the gener-
ous impulses of his immediate heirs his entire collection of
books was presented to the town, from which eighteen
hundred and seventy-eight volumes were selected for the
benefit of the new library.

In honor of the memory of the donor making this be-
quest, and in consideration of the generosity of the family
making the donation, the library was named the Greeley
Public Library of Hudson, N. H.

The state, through the library commissioners, fur-
nished the new library one hundred books, eighteen hun-
dred and eighty-nine were selected from Dr. Greeley's col-
lection, including eleven purchased with the proceeds of
old books sold, and citizens of the town donated thirty-five
volumes.

Mrs. Emma B. Merrill was appointed librarian by the
trustees, and the library was opened to the town's people
June 20, 1894, at the residence of George A. Merrill, with
two thousand and twenty-four books catalogued and on the
shelves.

The institution was appreciated from the very first by
the citizens of the town. During the eight months of its
first year, ending February 15, 1895, the average number
of books loaned each month was one hundred and eighty-
one and one-half.

The library was kept at George A. Merrill's, until
April, 1895, when, owing to the resignation of the librarian.

464 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Mrs. Merrill, it became necessary to take it to some other
place, and it was moved into what was then called Web-
ster's hall, in the third story over Baker Brothers' store.
Miss Mary N. Webster was appointed librarian.

The library remained here until June 7, 1909, more
than fourteen years, when it was removed into the new
Hills Memorial Library building. The several librarians
during these years, with their terms of service, were as
follows: Mrs. Emma B. Merrill, ten months, to April,
1895; Miss Mary N. Webster, one year and ten months, to
February 15, 1897; Miss Maud S. Andrews, six years and
seven months, to September, 1903; Miss Ina V. Martin,
two years and five months, to February, 1906; Mrs. Eliza
B. Leslie, from February, 1906, to the present time, 1913.

While the advantages afforded by this free public li-
brary might, perhaps, at first have been more fully utilized
by the town's people, yet the patronage steadily increased
and, on the whole, has been quite satisfactory.

During the first full library year, which ended Febru-
ary 15, 1896, the whole number of books loaned was two
thousand, five hundred and twelve, a monthly average of
two hundred and nine and one-third. During the last
library year, previous to its removal, which ended Febru-
ary 15, 1909, the number loaned was three thousand, eight
hundred and eight, a monthly average of three hundred
and seventeen and one-third. In the fourteen years and
eight months, ending February 15, 1909, there were loaned
thirty-five thousand, eight hundred and fifty-one volumes,
or a monthly average of two hundred and three and seven-
tenths for the time.

Ever realizing the great necessity for a permanent,
commodious, and fireproof public library building in Hud-
son, and fully cognizant of the fact that suitable sites con-
veniently located for such a building were fast being taken
up, and anticipating that within a very few years it would
become difficult to procure such a site at any reasonable
price, Kimball Webster, in 1903, purchased land at the cor-

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PUBLIC LIBRARIES 465

ner of Ferry and Sanders, now Library, streets, and on
September 17, 1904, conveyed the same to the town of
Hudson as a site for a public library building.

Deed of Library Lot

Know all men by these Presents.

That I, Kimball Webster, of Hudson, county of Hillsborough, and
state of New Hampshire, In consideration of having long been a resident
of the town of Hudson, and having in common with its other citizens en-
joyed the numerous benefits derived from its wholesome government, and
in view of the future needs of said town of Hudson, and of the welfare of
its citizens, the receipt whereof I do hereby acknowledge, have given,
granted, bargained, sold and conveyed, and do for myself and my heirs,
by these presents, give, grant, bargain, sell and convey unto the said town
of Hudson forever, a certain tract of land situated in said Hudson, con-
taining 32,460 feet, more or less, bounded and described as follows:

From this point the deed proceeds to give a descrip-
tion of the tract in the usual phraseology of such instru-
ments, a verbatim repetition of which would entail a useless
waste of space and time. It should suffice to say that the
circumscribing line commencing at a stone bound at the
junction of Ferry and Sanders streets, runs easterly by
said Ferry street nearly two hundred and twelve feet to a
stone bound at land of Charles H. Hanscom ; thence south-
erly by said land nearly one hundred and thirty-eight feet
to a stone bound on other land of Kimball Webster; thence
westerly by said Webster land nearly two hundred and
fifty-two feet to a stone bound at Sanders street ; thence
northerly by said street to the place of beginning.

This land formerly belonged to the Nashua Coal and
Ice Company of Nashua, and was conveyed to Kimball
Webster by said company, July 9, 1903.

The above described land was given by Kimball Web-
ster to the town of Hudson as a site for a public library
building, on the understanding that such portions of it as
might not be needed for such building, or its proper sur-
roundings, might be used as sites for other public buildings,
or for any proper public uses needed by said town of Hud-
son.

465 HISTORY OF HUDSON

As the chief object in the gift of this land is to provide
a suitable site for a public library, the said lot must front
on Sanders, now Library street, and no building must ever
be erected between the library building and said street, and
there must be given ample space so that it may never be
unduly crowded by other structures.

Also this deed was given upon the condition that
within a reasonable time after the acceptance of this con-
veyance, the town should cause the grounds to be cleared
up and put into a respectable and attractive condition. In
no case was the town ever to sell, dispose of or convey
these premises, or any part of them, to any person or cor-
poration for any purpose whatever.

In case the town should ever sell or convey, or even
attempt to sell or convey, any part or the whole of said
premises, such parts or the whole of the lands so sold or
conveyed, or so attempted to be sold or conveyed by the
town, were immediately to revert to the donor or his es-
tate.

The deed of conveyance was duly signed and sealed
September 17, 1904.

The possession of a location for the future home of the
Hudson free public library was now an assured fact for
all coming time. Hitherto it had been a homeless waif
drifting from one shelter to another. Now it seemed only
to await the erection of a proper structure for a permanent
abiding place.

It had not long to wait.

In every human undertaking the right man to take the
helm seems to appear at the proper time and place; so now
further aid for the Hudson free public library looms above
the horizon in the person of Dr. Alfred Kimball Hills
of New York.

Dr. Hills was born in Hudson, October 23, 1840, the
son of Alden and Nancy Currier (Kimball) Hills, and the
great-great grandson of James Hills, one of the three broth-
ers who are credited with having been the first settlers of
this town.

PUBLIC LIBRARIES 467

Dr. Hills married Martha P. Simmons, June 6, 1865.
She died, childless, in New York, June 8, 1885.

June 11, 1887, he married Ida Virginia Creutzborg of
Philadelphia.

Dr. Hills purchased of his father the old homestead in
Hudson, of nearly two hundred acres, upon which he
erected a fine and spacious summer residence which he
named "Alvirne." Here he and his wife spent the sum-
mer seasons for many years, residing in New York during
the winters.

The two daughters born to them died in infancy. Mrs.
Ida Virginia Creutzborg Hills died May 4, 1908.

She was an educated and refined lady, of a happy,
cheerful disposition and a generous, philanthropic nature,
and was loved and respected by all who came within the
charmed circle of her acquaintance.

For more than twenty years she took much delight in
occupying her beautiful summer home in Hudson, where
she became endeared to a large circle of friends and neigh-
bors.

It is said to have been her cherished design to some-
time procure the erection of a suitable and permanent struc-
ture for the housing of the Hudson public library, which
would be an enduring honor to the town and a perpetual
source of pride to its people.

She died suddenly at fifty-one years of age, in the very
prime of her life and usefulness.

Soon after his wife's decease Dr. Hills began arrange-
ments for carrying her wishes into effect, in the construc-
tion of a building of stone and other indestructible mate-
rial, which should be durable, ornamental and convenient,
such as he knew she had designed to provide for the use
and benefit of the people of her adopted town.

A plan for a library building was procured and sub-
mitted to the selectmen, with the request that they call a
special meeting for its consideration. This meeting was
called for the first day of September, 1908, and the warrant
for the same contained the following article:

468 HISTORY OF HUDSON

To see if the town will vote to accept the proposition of Dr. Alfred
K. Hills to erect a memorial library building on the lot given the town
by Kimball Webster according to the terms embodied in the proposition.

At this meeting, on the afternoon of September 1, the
following proposition was submitted by Dr. Hills:

To the Town of Hudson, State of New Hampshire.

I am moved by many reasons to make the following offer to said
town :

If the town will vote to accept the proposition at a legal meeting of
the voters, I will cause to be built at my own expense a public library
building in said town within a reasonable time on the lot generously do-
nated to the town by the Honorable Kimball Webster, on the corner of
Ferry and Sanders Streets, the building to be essentially like a sketch
which I have exhibited, subject to such improvements or changes as may
occur to me and be more to my taste.

The library shall be known as the Hills Memorial Library, and shall
be so designated and marked in the interior or exterior as may seem most
fitting to me, and I also include the right in some proper way to designate
the generous donation of the site by Mr. Webster.

The library in its use and management shall always be non-sectarian,
and the books now constituting the free library of the town shall be placed
therein, and such books as may be added thereto, to be for the perpetual
use as a free public library.

The town accepts my offer on the foregoing terms and agrees to keep
the library building in suitable repair so long as it exists and to main-
tain it. ALFRED K. HILLS.

"Voted to accept the proposition of Dr. Alfred K.
Hills to erect a Memorial Library Building."

At the biennial meeting of the town, November 3,
1908, the following article from Dr. Hills was read by the
town clerk:

"In behalf of the departed friend in whose memory it
is proposed to erect this library building I accept the
thanks that have been so generously offered.

"Mrs. Hills in her lifetime was a voluminous reader,
and fortunately for her she was generously supplied with
books. This did not, however, prevent her from sympa-
thizing with those who were less fortunate.

"It had been in our minds for some years to erect a
suitable building in this town to supply the needs of a pub-

Mrs. IDA VIRGINIA CREUTZBORG HILLS

PUBLIC LIBRARIES 469

lie library, and we had been collecting books with a view
to properly stocking the same.

"The recent sad event has brought the culmination of
our project sooner than was expected. While it is not my
intention to make promises that may be broken, or to boast
of intentions which may be unfulfilled, I will simply say
that it is our intention to make the tribute worthy the
beautiful character which it is to commemorate.

"It was my intention to have accomplished the pur-
pose single-handed, but I could not resist the appeal of a
saintly, heart-broken mother, to be allowed to join me in its
construction, therefore the work will be done by mother
and husband jointly.

"I think that you will agree with me that the proposed
building is not only artistic in appearance, but convenient
in arrangement and practical in construction.

"The working model was furnished by my own library
at 'Alvirne,' the product of Mrs. Hills' brain in conjunc-
tion with our architect. I want to say in this connection
that our friend, Mr. Ripley, of Boston, has entered into
this work, as one of love as well as of profession. It seems
to me that he has made a most happy hit. If arrangements
can be promptly made it is hoped that the roof may be on
this fall so that the inside finish may be done during the
ensuing winter.

"I shall be glad to see the building dedicated in early
June of next year."

At a town meeting the following resolution was unan-
imously adopted:

Resolved : That we, the legal voters of Hudson in town meeting as-
sembled, with a deep sense of gratitude hereby express our heartfelt
thanks for the generous gift to the town of a magnificent library building
to be dedicated to the memory of Ida Virginia Hills, a woman to whose
memory no higher tribute can be paid than one simple word — beloved.

Our thanks are due Dr. Hills and that venerable mother, for carrying
forward the wish that she so fondly cherished.

This grand gift cannot fail to be a source of pleasure and profit to
the entire community, and of untold value to generations yet unborn, long
after we all here present shall have joined our kindred dust.

47G HISTORY OF HUDSON

The construction of this building was commenced in
October, continued through the winter and completed in
May, 1909.

Two bronze tablets were placed upon the outside fronts
under the portico, inscribed thus:

In memory of Ida Virginia Creutzborg, wife of Alfred Kimball Hills,
This Library is erected by her Mother and Husband.

May Fourth Nineteen Hundred and Eight.

This last inscription indicates the date of Mrs. Hills'
death.

A small brass tablet in the inside bears the following
statement:

The Nucleus, consisting of 1889 volumes, for the foundation of this
Library was donated to the Town by Adoniram Judson Greeley and his
heirs in 1893.

Another similar tablet in the interior is inscribed as
follows:

The land on which this Building stands was donated to the Town by
Kimball Webster.

Hills Memorial Library was dedicated with appropri-
ate exercises on June 11, 1909, it being the twenty-second
anniversary of the marriage of Dr. Alfred K. Hills and Ida
Virginia Creutzborg.

The library room was filled to its utmost capacity.
An invocation was pronounced by Rev. Francis O. Tyler.
The presentation address was delivered by Dr. Hills. The
address of acceptance was given by Kimball Webster. Ap-
propriate music was interspersed throughout the exercises.

A few remarks were made by Rev. C. R. Upton of the
Baptist church; also a short address by Rev. E. F. Blanch-
ard, of the Congregational church.

An able and scholarly dedicatory oration was pro-
nounced by Arthur Stedman Hills, Esq., a prominent Bos-
ton attorney, and a nephew of Dr. Hills.

The library books were removed into the new quarters
and placed upon the shelves, on Monday, June 7. Wednes-

PUBLIC LIBRARIES 471

day following was omitted as a library clay, and the new
building was opened for the first time for the exchange of
books on Saturday, June 12, 1909, the next day after the
dedication.

At the annual town meeting, March 9, 1909, the fol-
lowing action was taken :

"Voted to have the names of all the men from this
town — so far as may be known — who served as soldiers or
sailors, or did other military duty in any Colonial or other
war in which this country has been engaged from 1745 to
1898, and who, at the time of enlistment or service, were
residents of this town, suitably engraved on tablets and
conspicuously placed in the new Hills Memorial Library
building, and that the sum of four hundred and fifty dol-
lars be appropriated to effect the same."

The following committee was chosen: Kimball Web-
ster, Philip J. Connell and Nathaniel Wentworth.

Four metal tablets — three of them large and one small
— were procured, beautifully engraved with three hundred
and twenty-seven names of patriots from this town, and
placed upon the walls of the trustees' room, over the vesti-
bule, in July, 1909, by C. H. Buck & Co., of Boston, at
an expense of four hundred and forty dollars.

The names of these men — the number in each of the
several wars, with other details — are mentioned elsewhere
in this history. They were made up as follows:
Colonial Wars, 1745-1760, 51.

War of the Revolution, 1775-1783, 152.

War of 1812, 1812-1815, 18.

Mexican War, 1847, 1.

War between the States, 1861-1865, 104.

Spanish-American War, 1898, 1.

327^

For the library year ending February 15, 1910, six
hundred and eighty-six books were added to the shelves,
making the total number as shown by the accession list

472 HISTORY OF HUDSON i

at that time to be four thousand one hundred and fifty- j

three, which number included six volumes that had been j

lost or destroyed.

These six hundred and eighty-six new books were sub- j

stantially all donated by parties benevolently inclined, who \

have the welfare of the library at heart.

Dr. Hills presented about six hundred of this number, '

among which were many valuable works. Col. William A. j

Crombie, of New York, a friend of Dr. Hills, donated some
very good books. Hermon F. Dane, of Nashua, a native
of this town, and born near Hudson Center, May 12, 1840, ■

gave a complete set of twenty-three volumes, bound in calf, j

of the "Journal of Proceedings of the R. W. Grand Lodge i

of the United States, and the Sovereign Grand Lodge of
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows," from its founda-
tion, February, 1821, to 1908. Also "Journals of Proceed- •*
ings of the R. W. Grand Lodge of New Hampshire," 2 '

Vols, from 1844 to 1880. j

Mr. Dane had previously given many other valuable
books to the library of his native town.

CHAPTER XXXIV

Secret and Fraternal Orders
National Grange

The National Grange was organized at Washington,
D. C, December 4, 1867, by several men connected with
the Agricultural Bureau there.

The names of the seven founders of this order were:
William Saunders, John Trimble, F. M. McDowell, J. R.
Thompson, W. M. Ireland, O. H. Kelley and A. B. Grosh.

These men were all familiar with the condition and
needs of the farmers and their families throughout the
United States, and realized the great necessity of organi-
zation among them for the promotion of their interests and
the fuller development of their intellectual powers and so-
cial conditions. The grange was designed to meet and
ameliorate these wants.

Grange in New Hampshire

In the summer of 1873, the National Grange commis-
sioned Eben Thompson, of Vermont, a deputy to organize
subordinate granges in New Hampshire.

The first grange organized in this state was Gilman,
No. 1, at Exeter, John D. Lyman, Master, which was insti-
tuted by Mr. Thompson, August 19, 1873.

At the date of the organization of Hudson Grange ten
subordinate granges had been instituted in- New Hamp-
shire, all by Deputy Thompson: Bartlett, No. 2, at Kings-
ton; Amoskeag, No. 3, at Manchester; Merrimack River,
No. 4, at Canterbury; Lovell, No. 5, at Washington; Hales-
town, No. 6, at Weare; Granite, No. 7, at Milford; Sulli-
van, No. 8, at Newport; Claremont, No. 9, at Claremont,
and Souhegan, No. 10, at Amherst.

473

474

HISTORY OF HUDSON

Hudson Grange, No. 11, was instituted in school
house Number Six, on the evening of December 8, 1873, by
Deputy Thompson, with twenty charter members — ten
men and ten women.

Names of Charter Members

Kimball Webster,
Tyler Thomas,
Josiah K. Wheeler,
James B. Merrill,
Charles W. Spalding,
Joseph Fuller,
Lorenzo Fuller,
Lucien M. Tolles,
Henry A. Merrill,
Rossill Hills,

Mrs. Abiah Webster,
Mrs. Eliza A. Thomas,
Mrs. Abbie A. Wheeler,
Mrs. Persis A. Merrill,
Miss Susan Spalding,
Mrs. Belinda Fuller,
Mrs. Carrie S. Fuller,
Mrs. Emily T. Tolles,
Mrs. S. E. Merrill,
Miss Lizzie J. Webster.

The officers elected and installed at the organization
meeting were:

Master,

Overseer,

Lecturer,

Steward,

Assistant Steward,

Chaplain,

Treasurer,

Secretary,

Gate Keeper,

Ceres,

Pomona,

Flora,

Lady Asst. Steward,

Kimball Webster.
Josiah K. Wheeler.
Charles W. Spalding.
Joseph Fuller.
Lorenzo Fuller.
Henry A. Merrill.
Lucien M. Tolles.
James B, Merrill.
Rossill F. Hills.
Abbie A. Wheeler.
Susan Spalding.
Abiah Webster.
Belinda Fuller.

A little later, Joseph Fuller and Belinda Fuller each
resigned from office, and Tyler Thomas and Persis A.
Merrill were elected and installed to fill the vacancies.

Hudson Grange participated in the organization of
New Hampshire State Grange at Manchester, December

SECRET AND FRATERNAL ORDERS 475

23, 1873, at which date the state contained but seventeen
subordinate granges.

Of the twenty charter members assisting in the organ-
ization of Hudson Grange, three withdrew, seven were
suspended for non-payment of dues, and six died as loyal
members on the following dates: Emily T. Tolles, June
18, 1876; Rossill F. Hills, December 24, 1876; Tyler
Thomas, November 24, 1887; James B. Merrill, May 9,
1901; Persis A. Merrill, January 4, 1905; and Josiah K.
Wheeler, June 10, 1911; while four of the twenty — Kimball
Webster, Abiah Webster, Abbie A. Wheeler and Lizzie
(Webster) Martin — still continue as members at this writ-
ing—April, 1912.

Masters

Kimball Webster, 1874, '75, '76, '91, '92, '93, '94, '95,
'96, '97.

Lucien M. Tolles, 1877, '78.

Tyler Thomas, 1879, '80, '85, '86.

James B. Merrill, 1881, '82.

Josiah K. Wheeler, 1883,

Aldon E. Cummings, 1884.

William A. Andrews, 1887, '88.

George H. Abbott, 1889, '90.

Arthur L. Joy, 1898, '99.

Frank A. Connell, 1900, '02, '05.

Charles A. McAfee, 1901.

Frances M. Cummings, 1903, '04.

Arthur S. Andrews, 1906, '07, '08, '09, '10.

Gerry F. Parker, 1911.

Allen B. Andrews, 1912.

Places of Meetings

Subsequent to its organization, December 8, 1873,
three meetings of the grange were held at the house of its
overseer, Josiah K. Wheeler. From January 14, to May 1,
it met at the house of the lecturer, Charles W, Spalding.

476 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Working tools, rituals, regalia and other paraphernalia
were procured, and by-laws prepared and adopted. The
first initiation of a candidate occurred on March 13, 1874.

From about May 1, 1874, until June 30, 1876, the
grange occupied Carnes hall. This was a small, unfinished
room in the second story of a building then owned by James
Carnes, and which now forms the southerly part of the
Baker Brothers' store edifice near Taylor's Falls bridge.
This, after being plastered, made a comfortable home for a
small grange.

At a meeting on January 19, 1876, it being impossible
to arrange satisfactory terms with the owner about the
rent of the hall, it was suggested that the grange build a
hall, and thus have a home of its own. At this same meet-
ing a committee was chosen to investigate and report as to
a suitable location, and also a committee to procure de-
signs.

During its occupancy of Carnes hall — a period of a
little more than two years — the grange held seventy-four
meetings and initiated twenty-eight candidates. It was
fairly prosperous for those early days in grange history,
when it was far more difficult to secure members than it is
at the present time.

At a meeting held on February 16, 1876, the following
resolution was passed.

Resolved that we build a hall provided there are sufficient funds
raised by taking stock, the stock all to be owned by members of Hudson
grange.

A little later this association was incorporated as
"Hudson Grange, No. 11, Patrons of Husbandry," of Hud-
son, N. H.

Subscriptions for stock were secured, a building com-
mittee chosen and all necessary arrangements perfected
for building a "grange home" for the use and benefit of
Hudson Grange.

A location on the land of James B. Merrill, a little
south of the Methodist church, was secured, and building

SECRET AND I^RATERN'AL ORDERS 477

operations were begun in the early spring of 1876; it was
completed and occupied by the grange for the first time,
September 6, 1876.

The building consisted of a basement and two small
tenements — a grange hall with two ante-rooms. The attic
was used as a banquet room. The grange room was not
large, but of sufficient capacity to accommodate the num-
ber of members comprising Hudson Grange at that time —
a little less than fifty. It was moderate in size, and easy
of access, pleasant and admirably arranged, and was a
model "grange home."

It was the headquarters of Hudson Grange for a little
more than fourteen years, during which period it held two
hundred and seventy-three meetings and received by initia-
tion thirty-four members.

From various causes the number of members became
somewhat reduced, and as early as the spring of 1890, sev-
eral of the stockholders, dissatisfied with the amount of
dividends received from their investment, advocated the
sale of the property. Others, including some of the
largest stockholders, were desirous of retaining it for the
benefit of the grange.

In the fall of 1890 this property was sold at auction to
Lucien M. Tolles, in accordance with a majority vote of
the stockholders.

This was a very serious and discouraging blow to the
loyal and devoted members of the little grange.

At a meeting on November 5, a communication was
received from Nashua Grange — which had also become
considerably depleted in membership — suggesting a plan
of consolidation of the Nashua and Hudson Granges. This
project was almost unanimously rejected by this grange.

During these fourteen years the grange membership
included a number of able and interesting debaters, and at
nearly every meeting when the time was not devoted to
some necessary grange work, a debate or discussion was
held on some interesting theme of the day. As a result

478 HISTORY OF HUDSON

nearly all the practical questions of the farm, the house-
hold and the home, and all the live subjects relating to the
town, state and nation, were discussed with interest and
ability.

The first of December, 1890, the grange removed to
the house of James E. Merrill on Central street, and there
occupied a room in the second story of the ell, where it re-
mained for five years.

Those five years included the darkest and most dis-
couraging period in the history of Hudson Grange. Its
membership had dwindled to a number less than twenty.
Fifteen meetings, only, were held, and one candidate initi-
ated, in all that time. A few of the members became de-
sirous of surrendering the charter, and the prospects for
the future looked dark indeed.

Yet, oflficers continued to be elected and installed an-
nually, the dues to the State grange were paid regularly
and promptly, the Pomona grange by invitation was enter-
tained several times at the Methodist vestry, and all neces-
sary expenses promptly paid by a loyal membership deter-
mined to preserve the charter with its original number, and
to await patiently for the dawn of a new and enduring
prosperity.

The realization of these hopes began in 1895. In the
summer of that year George G. Andrews, a merchant at
the Bridge, erected a storehouse thirty by sixty feet, ground
dimensions, and two stories high. By fair prospects of fu-
ture rental he was induced to make the second story of the
structure into a hall, twenty-nine by thirty-eight feet, with
two convenient ante-rooms. A banqueting room with a
small kitchen was installed in the attic.

This hall was of moderate size, but was well arranged
and convenient for a "grange home," or a lodge room.

Hudson Lodge, I. O. O. F., No. 94, was instituted
about the time this building was completed, and occupied
the hall for a lodge room.

SECRET AND FRATERNAL ORDERS 479

Hudson Commandery, No. 139, United Order Golden
Cross, organized May 27, 1881, also occupied the above
quarters.

November 16, 1895, twenty-one applications for mem-
bership in the grange were received and referred, together
with two requests for reinstatement. These applications
were from many of the most substantial citizens of Hudson.

The last meeting at the house of Mr. Merrill was held
on December 4. Two more applications were then re-
ceived, increasing the number to twenty-five.

On December 12, 1895, the new hall was occupied by
the grange for the first time, and the first and second de-
grees of the order were then conferred upon twenty candi-
dates. Two days later three other candidates were given
the same degrees.

From then until the present writing Hudson Grange
has enjoyed an almost uninterrupted season of continued
prosperity, and has steadily, and at times rapidly, increased
its membership.

Soon after the new Odd Fellows building was com-
pleted the grange removed from Andrews hall to that
place, which it occupied for the first time February 23,
1903.

It had remained at Andrews' hall eight years and two
months, where it had held one hundred and sixty-five meet-
ings, and at its removal it had a membership of one hun-
dred and sixty.

At the date of this writing — April, 1912 — it is still oc-
cupying Odd Fellows' hall, where it has held about one
hundred and six meetings, not including any such as were
convened exclusively for the purpose of receiving and as-
signing proposals for membership.

The total number of meetings held by this grange
since its organization is about seven hundred and forty-
eight.

Thus Hudson Grange, after an existence of more than
thirty-eight years, appears to be in a prosperous condition,

480 HISTORY OF HUDSON

and we believe it will continue to increase in influence and
usefulness as well as in numbers.

On September 1, 1911, its membership, as returned to
the secretary of the State grange, was three hundred and
twenty-six, which has since been increased.

Its present master, Allen B. Andrews, its fifteenth
consecutive master, is an energetic young man, born in
Hudson, October 18, 1889, the son of Arthur S. and Lin-
nie F. (Butler) Andrews. He is the third master of Hud-
son Grange bearing the name of Andrews.

Odd Fellowship in Hudson

Prior to 1895, two lodges of Odd Fellows had existed
in Nashua for many years. Quite a considerable number
of the young and middle-aged men of Hudson became
members of these lodges.

For several years previous to the above date the or-
ganization of a lodge in Hudson had been discussed by
these members, but no decisive action had been taken.

Hudson Lodge, No. 94, was instituted October 15,
1895, in the new Andrews hall by officers of the Grand
Lodge of New Hampshire, in answer to sixteen petition-
ers, fourteen of whom were present and became charter
members. The names of these were: Charles C. Leslie,
Charles A. Daniels, Henry F. Lund, Joshua W. Jones,
William Hutchinson, Walter R. Coombs, Elmer D. Clem-
ent, Charles A. McAfee, George H. Abbott, John C.
Groves, Horace A. Martin, Charles H. Bachelder, Walter
F. McOuesten and Willis L. Fuller.

In the evening of the same day twenty-six candidates
were elected to membership and initiated into the order,
the entire number thus becoming forty.

Charles C. Leslie was installed Noble Grand, Joshua
W. Jones, Secretary and George H. Abbott. Treasurer.

As the membership of the lodge increased the build-
ing of an Odd Fellows hall was agitated, which agitation
continued for several years without any practical result.

a:
O

Z
<

SECRET AND FRATERNAL ORDERS 481

In 1902 an association was organized and incorporated
for this purpose. Many members of the lodge, as well as
many outsiders, became stockholders, a lot was purchased
on Centra] street, and a commodious and convenient build-
ing erected upon it. This building contained a large and
well arranged "lodge room," with suitable ante-rooms and
other necessary accommodations, as well as a spacious ban-
queting room, with kitchen connected, in the basement.

Another large hall, called Association hall, was fitted
up in the first story, with a roomy stage and other needed
appointments.

This building was finished, furnished and the lodge
room dedicated ready for occupation, early in 1903, to which
the lodge removed in February of that year, and which it
has since occupied as its home.

It is a living and vigorous organization, with a mem-
bership of about one hundred (1912), and by its brotherly
aid in sickness, and the liberal appropriations from its
funds to the "widow and orphan," is quietly diffusing its
genial influence in Hudson.

Echo Rebekah Lodge

Soon after the organization of Hudson Lodge, No. 94,
I. O. O. F., in October, 1895, the formation of a Rebekah
Lodge was suggested and advocated. Several meetings
were held to discuss the venture, which were addressed by
some of the grand officers. These efforts bore fruit in the
institution of Echo Rebekah Lodge, No. 73, in Andrews
hall, on May 29, 1896, by G. M. Clinton Collins, assisted
by other grand officers.

There were twelve petitioners, eleven of whom pre-
sented themselves and assumed obligations as charter
members of the new lodge. Their names were: Charles
A. Daniels, Willis L. Fuller, Adelia E. Fuller, Lilla J.
Woodward, Helen M. Lund, H. F. Lund, Susie E. Mc-
Afee, S. Rose Nason, Lucy A. Joy, H. Lizzie Blodgett
and Frances M. Cummings.

482 HISTORY OF HUDSON

At the evening session fifty-four candidates received
the degree, making a membership for the new lodge of
sixty-five. Frances M. Cummings was installed Noble
Grand, E. Drusilla Walker, Secretary, and Hannah E. Con-
nell, Treasurer.

It continued to hold its meetings twice each month, at
Andrews hall, until February, 1903, when it removed to
the new Odd Fellows hall, where it still remains.

It is a vigorous organization and has a membership of
one hundred and fifty-seven, (1912).

Hudson Commandery

Hudson Commandery, No. 139, United Order of the
Golden Cross, was instituted May 27, 1881, in the Grange
hall.

It is purely a beneficiary order, and notwithstanding
that it had a fair number of charter members when organ-
ized, and for some years afterwards, and added many mem-
bers by initiation, owing to deaths and withdrawals its
membership has become very much depleted.

It still exists (1912) and has always paid its death ben-
efits fully and promptly, but its future outlook is not en-
couraging.

CHAPTER XXXV

Highways and Byways

Previous to its charter, and while Nottingham re-
mained a part of Dunstable, there is no evidence found of
any highways being laid out on the east side of the Merri-
mack, now in the town of Hudson.

The first tax list for the town of Nottingham, made by
the selectmen in 1733, contained the names of fifty-five
persons, of whom twelve at least were residents in that sec-
tion of the town which now forms a part of Tyngsborough,
Mass., eight, in what is now Litchfield, and about seventeen,
within the present limits of Pelham.

This would show that at that time the population of
what is now Hudson, did not exceed twenty families, nearly
all of which were settled a short distance east of the Merri-
mack, between the town line of Hudson and Litchfield on
the north, and the state line on the south, a distance of
about seven miles.

No roads had been laid out and constructed for the
accommodation of these pioneer settlers, and they traveled
from house to house by paths that had become worn by
common usage. With few culverts or bridges, these crude
roadways wound over many rough places, but served a very
good purpose for their horse-back riding, and for the small
amount of traffic that was done by ox teams.

The first attempt to lay out a public highway by the
town of Nottingham, as found recorded, was February 15,
1784, a little more than one year after the incorporation of
that town.

The selectmen laid out a highway four poles wide from
Dracut line, near Long Pond, to Natticook, (Litchfield)
line. It passed below Musquash dam, and to the north-
east side of Davenport meadow.

483

484 HISTORY OF HUDSON

At the annual meeting, of the same year, the town by
vote refused to accept the road as laid out. A second high-
way was laid out by the selectmen, March 26, 174U-7, from
Litchfield, southerly through the town. At this time the
province line had been settled and adjusted, so the road
ended at the Tyngsborough line.

It began at Litchfield line near the house of John
Robinson, and was laid out southerly, passing near the fol-
lowing residences: Nathaniel Hills, John Marsh, Eleazer
Cummings, John Marshall, Deacon Samuel Greeley, Thom-
as Pollard, Lieut. Joseph Winn, Samuel Burbank, Samuel
Huston, and to the province line. The road was three rods
wide.

At a town meeting, June 8, 1747, "it was voted not to
accept the highway as laid out."

As a large percentage of the inhabitants of the town
lived near this road as laid out, and would seem to have
been well accommodated by it, it is hard to understand at
this time why it should have been rejected.

March 19, 1744, when Nottingham was a district, a road
was laid out at the east side by the selectmen, three poles
wide. This road began near the house of Rev. Mr. Merrill,
and ran easterly over land of Fletcher, Col. Tyng and part
of Kimball's farm, to Samuel Butler's land and to land of
Henry Baldwin and between Baldwin's farm and Kimball's
farm to highway leading to Londonderry. Thence partly
easterly and all on Kimball's farm to Baldwin's bridge over
Beaver brook, and partly easterly through Baldwin's farm
to Dracut line. October 24, Joseph Hamblet and John
Marshall, selectmen, laid out a highway at the east side of
the district of Nottingham, from Dracut line to Joseph
Hamblet's, and Deacon Butler's house, "and so across his
farm and up Beaver creek to Londonderry line. The high-
way is three poles wide from one end to the other."

It will be remembered that at that time the district of
Dracut bounded the district of Nottingham on the east,
and Pelham as incorporated two years later was made up,

HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS 485

about one-third from the east part of Nottingham and
about two-thirds from that part of Dracut that fell into
New Hampshire on the settlement of the province line in
1741. This highway, or so much of it as has not been dis-
continued, is now principally in Pelham.

March 26, 1747, a road was laid out three poles wide
from "the Little bridge, so called, to Hardy's ferry."

The same was again laid out, or changed, December
5, 1757, from Lieut. Winn's field, westerly over the Little
bridge, so called, and so to "the road that is now trod to
Hardy's ferry." "Derry Lane" was laid out March 26,
1747, two poles wide, from the road that leads to Litchfield
to Londonderry road. In 1749, it was voted by the town
to change the above mentioned road "between Roger
Chase's and Edward Spalding's by the Farms burying
ground; running between Ezekiel Greele's and Reuben
Greele's and Samuel Hills'." In 1791, November 6, the
town again changed this road as follows: "beginning at
the north-east corner of the Farms burying place, and
from thence north-easterly two poles wide to the Derry
road."

March 27, 1747, a road was laid out three poles wide
from the highway that leads to Litchfield, near the Blod-
gett cemetery, and running easterly by the Chase hill and
over Bush hill to Pelham line.

The Searles, or Spear road, north of Bush hill was laid
out three poles wide, March 27, 1747, and began at the road
last described. It thence ran easterly over land of Glover,
and at the south side of his house and on Glover's land, and
on land of Searles, and at the north side of the house of
Ebenezer Blodgett, and at the north side of the house of
James Marsh ; thence easterly on Marsh's land to land of
Benjamin Frost; thence running on land of said Frost and
land of Onesiphorus Marsh to Pelham line.

486 history of hudson

Part of Derry Road

May 12, 1747, " A road viewed and laid out three poles
wide. Beginning upon Derry line near Nathaniel Hills
Jr's. From thence running by Thomas Marsh's dwelling
house, and so running by John Marsh's house and James
Hills' and Joseph Pollard's, and Ezekiel Hills' and Henry
Hills' and so running between Ezekiel Greele's house and
barn; Thence running to John Marshall's land, running on
said Marshall's land and on Button's land to a pine tree."

Road Over Musquash Bridge

This road was laid out May 21, 1747, and seems to
have been a piece of the same highway laid out February
15, 1734, and rejected a little later.

County Road, 1749

After a road had been twice laid out by the selectmen,
through the town of Nottingham, north and south, and had
been twice rejected by a vote of the town, a petition by the
selectmen was presented to the Court of General Quarter
Sessions at Portsmouth in 1748, for the appointment of a
committee to lay out such highway. The court appointed
as a committee, John Goffe, Joseph Blanchard and Joseph
French, who were among the most able men in the prov-
ince. The report of the committee was dated February 9,
1749. It was given in detail, with all the bearings and
measurements included. A great part of this detail will be
omitted here, but many of the more important landmarks
will be noted.

The committee said, "that we have attended to the
service, and have laid out a highway from Litchfield through
Nottingham West, southerly, to the province line; as near
the river as we apprehend is of most convenience for the
public and for the best advantage of the inhabitants of said

HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS 487

town of Nottingham West." They began at a pine tree in
the northerly line of said Nottingham West. They ran
from thence to the westerly side of a house William Taylor
built. Thence southerly to Samuel Hill's house; thence
southerly to a stake near Roger Chase's house; thence to
Josiah Cummings' corn barn, and to Mr. Marsh's fence
near his house; thence the committee ran easterly across
the meadow fifty-two rods, which was but two and one-half
rods wide; thence south-easterly to near John Marshall's
barn; thence to the east end of Abraham Page's barn;
thence to an oak by Benjamin Whittemore's house; thence
to an oak near Samuel Greeley's house; thence to a stake
east of Joseph Winn's barn; thence south through said
Winn's orchard, 18 rods, which 18 rods was but two and
one-half rods wide; thence to a stake near Joseph Winn,
Jr. 's corn barn; thence to Stephen Chase's fence; thence
to a stake four rods west of Burbank's barn; thence four
rods west of Burbank's house; thence to a stake four rods
west of Samuel Merrill's house; thence to a dry pine tree
marked south of the ''Great" bridge; thence to the prov-
ince line. The road was laid out three rods wide with the
exceptions before noticed.

This highway, with a few unimportant changes that
have been made, is the same now traveled from Litchfield
by the Wheeler place and by Charles W. Spalding's, the
Derry road and Library street, and following the Bay State
electric railway to Stewart's Corner and Tyngsborough
line.

Province Line to Pelham

June 15, 1749, a road was laid out three poles wide,
beginning at the province line, leading from Captain
Fletcher's to Daniel Merrill's; and running easterly by the
north side of Daniel Merrill's house and to the north side
of Thomas Brown's house, and near the Widow Spalding's
house and to Pelham line. This is the same road that now

488 HISTORY OF HUDSON

crosses Tyngsborough line east of the River road and runs
easterly near the T. S. Ford house, and by Gowing's.

The Daniel Merrill place was probably the same as the
Ford place, the Brown place the same as E. S. Gowing's,
and the Spalding place now the George T. Gowing place.

Nacook Brook and Wind-Mill Hill

June 23, 1749, a road was laid out three poles wide
from near Thomas Brown's, and crossing Nacook brook,
and over Wind-mill hill, and running to Seth Wyman's
corner, and the south side of Hezekiah Hamblet's house.
The greater part of this road has been discontinued.

Wason's Road to Pelham

This road was changed in 1749, and again November
11, 1760, and also September 14, 1764, and again July 6,
1767.

Road over Corliss Hill, and Haselton Road

In 1748, a road was laid out two poles wide, beginning
on Corliss hill, near the house of Thomas Kenney, and
running south-westerly and westerly, and crossing the Has-
elton road a little south of A. W. Haselton's house, and it
continued south-westerly into the Pelham road west of
Chase hill. It has all been discontinued.

The Back Lowell Road

Laid out October 15, 1749, three poles wide. This
road began near the Rev. Mr. Merrill's orchard and ran
northerly, and over the Burns hill to the Lowell road near
the Blodgett cemetery. There has been very little change
in this road.

highways and byways 489

Belknap Place Easterly

October 13, 1749, a road was laid out two poles wide
from the County road near the Belknap place, northerly
from the brook, and running easterly on Page's and Clark's
land to land of Abraham Page, Jr.

October 13, 1749, a road from the last described road
to the road leading to Hudson Center, was laid out two
rods wide.

Rocky Hill Road

This road was laid out two poles wide, October 13,
1749, and began near John Marshall's well (now Charles
W. Spalding's). It ran easterly and over the Rocky hills,
so called, into the Barrett's hill road, then called the Lon-
donderry road. It has all been discontinued.

Rev. Mr. Merrill's Road

October 1, 1751, a road was laid out, partly for the ac-
commodation of Mr. Merrill, from near his house to near
Deacon Greeley's. This road was two rods wide, and a
greater part of it has been discontinued.

From County Road to Pelham

This road began at what is now Library street, at
Ferry street, and was laid out three rods wide, August 31,
1752. Its course was easterly, south-easterly and easterly,
to Hudson Center, and south-easterly over Corliss hill, and
to Pelham line. It is called the Pelham road, and has had
but few minor changes since it was laid out in 1752, and
was accepted March 19, 1753.

490 history of hudson

Bowman Road

The Bowman road, so called, was laid out two poles
wide, January 19, 1754. It extended from the road formerly
laid out, to Joseph Gould's house, at the south-east part of
the town, and has all been discontinued.

Old Daniel Smith Road

This road, which has all been discontinued, was laid
out February 3, 1755, two poles wide. It was on Bush hill
and extended to the Smith place, then owned by John
Huey.

November 9, 1757, the selectmen laid out two roads,
each two rods wide. One was on land of Seth Wyman,
Henry Snow and Hezekiah Hamblet. The other began
near Daniel Simond's house, and ran southerly, on land of
Henry Snow and land of Joseph Butler to the road that
leads from John Hamblet's to Hezekiah Hamblet's. Proba-
bly both of these roads have all been discontinued.

September, 8, 1762, a road two rods wide was laid out
which began at the Pelham road on the south side of Bush
hill and ran westerly and south-westerly by the old Tim
Fuller place, and southerly and south-westerly into the
Back road near the old Elias Barron place, thence by the
old Davenport road to Stewart's Corner. It has been
largely discontinued.

September 14, 1764, a road was laid out two rods wide,
from the road at the south side of Bush hill to Pelham line.

Smith Road

In 1765, a road two rods wide was laid out from Sam-
uel Smith's land, westerly by land of Lieut. Joseph Butler,
and southerly by the James Marsh heirs' land to the tov.^n
road. This was near the Dustin B. Smith place.

In 1765, a road was laid out from Thomas Brown's
house to the province line.

HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS 491

September 26, 1773, a road was laid out from the town
road near Moses Johnson's, south-westerly, to the province
line. This road was three rods wide.

Also another road, three rods wide, beginning at said
last road near a small brook, and running westerly to the
County road. This last has long been known as the Burse
road.

June 29, 1773, a road was laid out from the London-
derry road and town line, near Lieut. Hugh Smith's, to the
Londonderry road which leads by Thomas Smith's. This
was in the Smith district.

November 1, 1774, a piece of road was laid out on the
south side of Bush hill, running westerly and south-westerly,
which has since been discontinued.

1780, the road at the east part of Hudson by the
McCann place, southerly, to Pelham line, was laid out two
rods wide. 1781, a road, two rods wide was laid out from
John Smith's house to the Hugh Smith road, and by
Thomas Smith's cider mill to Samuel Smith's house. This
road was in the Smith district. A piece of this road was
to be exchanged for a piece of road laid out in 1765.

April 19, 1789, a road was laid out from the place now
known as the Donahue place, northerly to the Windham
road near the Patrick Donahue place. This road was dis-
continued November 4, 1844.

October 22, 1791, a road two rods wide was laid out
from the County road, east of the house of Eleazer Cum-
mings, thence easterly to the Ferry road. This has some-
times been called the Haverhill road.

November 20, 1791, a road two rods wide was laid out
from near the house of David Tarbell, southerly, to near
the north end of Otternick pond, and south-westerly to
the road leading to Kelley's ferry. This was a part of
Barrett's hill road.

December 20, 1792, a road was laid out from the Derry
road, two rods wide, southerly, to what is now the Chase
place, and continuing southerly and south-westerly to the

492 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Barrett's hill road and still southerly to Henry Hale's, now
Hudson Center.

April 3, 1793, the Tiger road, so called, was laid out
two poles wide. It began at the Robinson road, near the
house ot Benjamin Kidder, now the Wood, or Batchelder
place, and ran southerly to Barrett's hill near the house of
Elijah Marshall. It has all been discontinued.

February 19, 1797, a road two rods wide was laid out
from the town road near David Tarbell's house, thence
running northerly and westerly, and by various bearings,
by Jonathan Marsh's and Amos Davis' to the Derry road.
This is known as the Hiram Marsh road.

March 8, 1800, a piece of road two rods wide was laid
out near Lawrence Corner.

Bridle Road

An act was passed by the Legislature, June 16, 1801,
authorizing the towns of Nottingham West and Windham
to establish a bridle road over Beaver brook, from Law-
rence Corner to Windham road in Windham. The road
was laid out and built, subject to gates and bars. April
12, 1880, this was laid out as an open road, fifty feet wide.

In 1801, a road two rods wide was laid out near Law-
rence Corner.

March 11, 1806, the Haselton road was laid out two
rods wide from the Pelham road, southerly, to the Bush
hill road, near Daniel Chase's barn.

September 28, 1807, a road two rods wide was accept-
ed from near Ens. David Lawrence's, and running west-
erly and south-westerly to land of Jonathan Lawrence.
(From Lawrence Corner towards Hudson Center.)

August 27, 1810, a short piece of highway was laid out
near the North meeting-house, through land of John Tal-
lant. This was probably the road east of the cemetery
and common.

highways and byways 493

Wason Road

March 12, 1816, "Voted to open a road from the road
leading to Pawtucket bridge to the house of Thomas B.
Wason." Mr. Wason then lived on the south side of Bush
hill where George H. Davis now lives. The road was not
constructed at that time.

The above described road, formerly known as the
"Wason Road," was laid out by a court's committee about
1821, and constructed about one year later.

November 28, 1822, a road was laid out two and one-
half rods wide, from Stewart's Corner, as now known,
south-easterly, until it forms a junction with the Back
Lowell road. This is a part of the Lowell road.

May 15, 1820, a road one and one-half rods wide was
laid out from the County road near Otternick brook, west-
terly, about one hundred rods to the carding mill of Capt.
Joseph and Oliver Pollard. This road was discontinued
March 14, 1837.

August 14, 1824, it was voted to accept the report of
the committee, which was that there should be a road "be-
ginning at Hamblet's Ferry; thence easterly to the road
leading from the North meeting house to Litchfield."
This is now a part of Ferry street.

February 10, 1827, the Howe road at the north-east
part of the town was laid out.

February 10, 1827, the Derry road was straightened
between Elijah Hills' (the Alfred K. Hills place) and Wil-
lard Spalding's. The old road was discontinued March 11,
1828, and March, 1855.

March 13, 1827, "The selectmen were authorized to
lay out a highway from Hamblet's F'erry to the South
meeting house."

June 8, 1827, "Voted to authorize the selectmen to
lay out a highway from Hamblet's Ferry, by Moses Had-
ley's, to the North meeting house." This is the road from
the bridge to Hudson Center.

494 HISTORY OF HUDSON

In 1828, the County road was straightened in several
places between Taylor's Falls bridge and Stewart's Corner.

A part of the Hardy's ferry road was discontinued
March 13, 1832.

February 9, 1835, the selectmen were authorized to
lay out a road from near Elbridge Dow's to James Smith's,
3d. This is a part of the Windham road, from a little east
of Hudson Center to the Eaton place.

March 31, 1837, "Voted to authorize the selectmen to
lay out a new highway from James Smith's to the road
near Lawrence Corner." This was also a part of the
Windham road. March 8, 1842, the road between the Bar-
rett's hill road and Hudson Center was straightened. The
road over Swan hill was discontinued by a vote, November
4, 1844. March 9, 1844, the Back Lowell road was straight-
ened, south of the Timothy Ford place to the new Lowell
road, as laid out November 28, 1822. March 10, 1844, the
road on Barrett's hill, near the house of William T. Bald-
win, (now William A. Andrews) was straightened. April
5, 1845, the road was straightened from the "Senter" bury-
ing ground, to near the house of Thomas Senter, Jr., two
and one-half rods wide

September 30, 1852, the highway from the "Senter"
burying ground, northerly, to Londonderry line, was laid
out by the county commissioners, but was not constructed
until 1854.

Bridge Road

A highway over Taylor's Falls bridge was laid out by
the county commissioners, in 1854. This began at a point
in the center of the highway, in the city of Nashua, at the
railroad crossing, northerly of the passenger depot of the
Concord railroad in said city, running south-easterly along
the center line of the existing highway to Taylor's Falls
bridge; thence easterly in the center line of said bridge,
through said bridge, and to a point in said highway in

HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS 495

Hudson, S. 30° 49' E. of an elm tree, and thirty feet from
it; said tree being about three hundred and forty feet from
the easterly end of said Taylor's Falls bridge.

"The above described, is to be the center line of said
new highway." It was laid out "three rods wide the whole
distance, with an addition of seventy feet on the north side
of said center line, through the bed of said Merrimack
River; and with an addition of fifteen feet on the south
side."

The boundary line between the town of Hudson and
the city of Nashua was determined to be in the center of
the bridge, an equal distance between the two abutments.

May 26, 1857, the selectmen, authorized by a vote of
the town, made a change in the road north of the Barrett's
hill road and leading to the Derry road.

May 27, 1857, a road two rods wide was laid out from
near the Congregational church, south-easterly, to near the
pound. It was widened one-half a rod in 1902.

Webster Street

May 6, 1859, the county commissioners laid out the
highway, now called Webster street, three rods wide. This
highway extends from near Taylor's Falls bridge, in a
northerly direction, to the former Litchfield road, near the
house formerly of Josiah K. Wheeler. It is some more
than one mile in lensfth. It was constructed in 18(51.

'to'-

Seavey Road

This road was laid out by the selectmen, September
27, 1862. It began southerly of the house of Simeon Rob-
inson, near the brook; thence running northerly and north-
easterly to near the school house in district number seven;
thence north-easterly and easterly, partly by roads formerly
laid out, to the road leading to Steele's. It was laid out
two and one-half rods wide.

496 history of hudson

Barrett's Hill Road

September 5, 1S73, this road was widened and straight-
ened from the William H. Chase house, (now C. E.
Walch's) south-westerly and westerly, to the Derry road,
near Library street. The easterly part remained two rods
wide and the westerly part was laid out three rods wide.

Part of Library Street

December 12, 1874, a part of what is now Library
street was laid out by the selectmen three rods wide. It
began at the junction of the Barrett's hill road with the
Derry road, and extended southerly to the corner of land
of A, G. Hutchins.

Part of Derry Road

August 26, 1876, a piece of the Derry road, by land of
George O. Sanders, from the junction of Library street to
the junction of Ferry street, was laid out three rods wide.

Litchfield Road

August 21, 1877, the selectmen widened and straight-
ened the Litchfield road, from a stone bound on the west
side of the highway, standing 0)i a line between Hudson
and Litchfield, thence southerly to the house of Josiah K.
Wheeler. The road was laid out three rods wide.

Breakneck Hill Road

A road at Breakneck hill, in the north-east part of the
town, was laid out three rods wide, December 13, 1877.

Ferry Street

Ferry street was widened and straightened December
1, 1886, from land of John E. Hanscom easterly to the
Cutter road. It was laid out fifty feet wide.

JOHN J. BAKER

HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS 497

Baker Street

This street was laid out July 23, 1889. It extended
from the Derry road, northerly to land of the Methodist
parsonage, thence easterly to the Derry road. The first
part was laid out fifty feet wide and the last part was laid
out forty feet wide.

Cutler Road

In June, 1889, the county commissioners laid out a
road from the Londonderry road north of the John Barrett
place, and running south-westerly to the Putnam road, and
westerly over the Putnam road to John D. Marshall's;
thence south-westerly to the Litchfield line, and through a
corner of Litchfield, and partly by the old Cutler road to
Litchfield line, and south-westerly to the Derry road near
Justin E. Hills'. This road was laid out three rods wide.

Derry Road

July 3, 1889, this street was widened and straightened
from the junction of Baker street and the Derry road at
the land of George G. Andrews, westerly, to a stone bound
ten feet south of the Sherman wheelwright shop. It was
laid out fifty feet wide.

Groves' Road

December 1, 1889, the selectmen laid out a highway
two rods wide from near the house of Robert Groves, west-
erly to the Lowell road,

Lowell Road

In 1895, at the time of the building of the electric
street railway from Hudson bridge to the Tyngsborough
line, through Hudson, the selectmen widened and straight-

498 HISTORY OF HUDSON

ened the highway the whole distance. It was laid out three
rods wide and substantial granite bounds were set on the
west line at each angle and curve.

't>'

Library Street

August 10, 1896, a part of Library street was widened
and straightened from the south side of Ferry street to the
north side of Central street, formerly the Lowell road.
The street was laid out three rods wide and was bounded
on the west side.

School Street

This street was laid out November 10, 1897, from Li-
brary street on the south side of the Webster school build-
ing, westerly three hundred feet and was made fifty feet
wide.

June 18, 1899, the highway westerly from the Congre-
gational church was straightened by making an addition
to the northerly side of said highway, for a distance of
three hundred and eighty-one feet.

Water Street

June 26, 1899, Water street was laid out by the select-
men from Library street, easterly, to the north-west corner
of land of William G. Wood. The street was laid out
thirty-three feet wide.

This chapter contains a brief sketch or description of
almost one hundred highways, or streets, that have been
laid out, either by authority of the town or county, from
the date of the incorporation of Nottingham in 1733, to
1900, a period of one hundred and sixty-seven years.
These comprise nearly all of which any record can be
found, and a considerable percentage of this number have
been discontinued. A great part of the highways in the
north-east part of the town, or so much as was annexed

HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS 499

from Londonderry in 1778, were laid out by that town be-
fore the annexation.

State Highways

By the provisions of Chapter XXXV, of the laws of
1905, the state highway law became sufficiently matured in
this state so that some of the towns began to raise and ap-
propriate money for the permanent repairs of some of their
main highways.

To entitle a town of the size of Hudson to receive
state aid in these permanent improvements, the town was
required to raise and appropriate for that purpose one
dollar and fifty cents on every one thousand dollars of its
valuation.

At the annual town meeting in March, 1905, Hudson
voted to raise and appropriate for the permanent repairs of
its main highways the sum of $1,077.

This entitled the town to state aid, which was forty
per cent of the amount appropriated, or ;^430.80. The sum
total of these two amounts was a little more than fifteen
hundred dollars. This was the joint amount to be ex-
pended for permanent improvements of its highways in the
town of Hudson for 1905 by the selectmen, with the con-
sent and advice of the governor and council, and under the
supervision of the state engineer.

Through some misunderstanding or failure to agree
between some members of the governor's council and the
selectmen as to what roads the betterments should be ap-
plied, the permanent improvements of the highways in
Hudson were not commenced, and the appropriation made
for that purpose was held over until the next year.

In March, 1906, substantially the same amount was
raised for state roads as in 1905, which for the two years,
including the state aid, made a little more than ;^3,000 to
be expended.

A contract was made to construct a first-class macadam
road, beginning at the end of Taylor's Falls bridge, thence

500 HISTORY OF HUDSON

through Postoffice square to Derry road, and by the Derry
road as far as the joint fund would pay for its construction.

The construction of the road was finished during the
fall of 1906, from the bridge to near the house of Alden E.
Cummings, some more than one-half a mile. This road
was well constructed and has given good satisfaction, and
after having had six years of constant wear is still a good
macadam road.

In 1907 the amount of ^1,134 was raised by the town
for state roads, which together with the state aid made the
joint amount to be expended ;^1,587.60. The macadam
road was extended on the Derry road as far as the gate at
the Catholic cemetery.

In 1908 the required amount was raised to entitle the
town to receive state aid, and was expended.

As the valuation of the town increased a little from
year to year, so the appropriation for state roads became
proportionately a little greater. For 1908 a macadam road
was constructed, beginning at Postofifice square and follow-
ing Central street as far as the house of Charles E. Cum-
mings.

The appropriation for 1909, together with the state
aid, was about $1,610. This was applied to Central street
and the Lowell road. The macadam road was extended
from the point where it was left in 1908, as far as Otternick
brook, southerly of the overhead bridge. Up to this time
for four years, the state roads in Hudson had been con-
structed by contract each year.

In 1910, a macadam road was constructed from the
Catholic cemetery, where it was left in 1907, following the
Derry road to near the house of Charles W. Spalding.

This year for the first time the construction was done
by the town, through its selectmen under the direction and
supervision of the state engineer.

In 191 1, the macadam road was continued from Charles
W. Spalding's, by the Derry road to the Marsh corner, so
called. This was also done, as in 1910, by the selectmen.

HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS 501

Towards the accomplishment of the construction of so long
a piece of state road in 1911, Dr. Alfred K. Hills gener-
ously contributed the amount of $2,000, and Walter H.
Marsh, another very generous citizen, gave the amount of
1^600 for the same worthy object.

In 1912, the state road was extended from the Marsh
corner, by the Derry road, to the house of Dr. Alfred K.
Hills. Dr. Hills again contributed very liberally towards
good roads in Hudson. He paid ;^1,500 in cash and gave
all the material of which the road was constructed. It was
built by the town, as in 1910 and 1911.

This road was constructed of different material from
that of the macadam roads heretofore made in this town.
It was taken from a gravel bank on the farm of Dr. Hills,
very convenient to the road which was being improved.
The town bought a heavy road roller in 1912. The gravel
was screened and applied in different grades — the coarser
at the bottom and thoroughly rolled, all being done under
the supervision of an experienced road builder.

At this time, September, 1912, the road appears to be
a very good one.

Hudson has now a little more than three miles of state
roads.

CHAPTER XXXVI

Steam and Electric Railroads

At the June session of the New Hampshire Legislature
of 1868, the Portland and Rochester Railroad Company and
the Nashua and Epping Railroad Company— both of which
had been previously incorporated, but neither of which had
done any construction work — were united into one corpor-
ation under the name of the Nashua and Rochester Rail-
road, which road now forms a part of the Boston and Maine
Railroad system.

This, the only steam railroad passing through Hudson,
was constructed, and put into operation in the fall of 1874,
It crosses the Merrimack River at Nashua about sixty rods
below Taylor's Falls bridge, and pursues a north-easterly
course through Hudson Centef to Beaver brook, a distance
of some four miles, and enters Windham.

There is but one railroad station in this town, and that
is at Hudson Center, where Henry C. Brown is station
agent.

By an act of the Legislature passed at the June session,
1883, the Worcester and Nashua Railroad Company and
the Nashua and Rochester Railroad Company were author-
ized to unite upon certain specified conditions, the united
corporations to be known as the Worcester, Nashua and
Rochester Railroad Company. This road forms a contin-
uous line from Worcester, Mass., to Rochester, N. H., a
distance of ninety-five miles, where it connects with the
Portland and Rochester Railroad, making a direct line to
Portland, Maine.

This is a single track road east of Nashua, and has, in
addition to its passenger traffic, numerous freight trains
passing over it daily, which condition has resulted in many
serious and fatal accidents from collisions occurring be-
tween Nashua and Rochester.

502

steam and electric railroads 503

Street Railways

The Nashua Street Railway Company was incorpor-
ated August 14, 1885, with an authorized capital stock of
$50,000, to be operated by horse or other power.

This road, which was of the narrow gauge type, as
originally laid out, passed over Kinsley, Main and Canal
streets to the Concord (now Union) railroad station, and
its motive power was furnished by horses. Quincy A.
Woodward was its superintendent.

Frequent efforts were made by Hudson citizens to in-
duce the management of this street railway to extend its
tracks to the west end of Taylor's Falls bridge, but with-
out success.

In the spring of 1887, some of the leading men of
Hudson were given to understand that if tiiey would raise
one thousand dollars towards defraying the expense, the
management would favor the extension of the tracks to the
Taylor's Falls bridge, and, whenever the corporation char-
ter could be amended so as to permit it, over the bridge
into Hudson.

The following subscription paper was drawn up, cir-
culated and signed:

Hudson, N. H., May 17, 1887.

We the undersigned agree to pay each the sum subscribed below, to
the Nashua Street Railway Company, provided said company will extend
their track from some point as it is now laid, near the Concord Railroad
Station in Nashua, to a point near the west end of Taylor's Falls Bridge,
and to procure an amendment to the charter of said con)pany as soon as
possible, permitting said track to be extended into Hudson, and as soon
as may be thereafter to extend the same across said Taylor's Falls Bridge
into said Hudson.

Said company to operate said extension so as to accommodate the
Hudson travel, making at least one trip each hour for ten hours of the
day, and continue to operate the same indefinitely, all unavoidable deten-
tions excepted.

Kimball Webster, $100. J. M. Cummings, $17.

N. P. Webster, 100. Nathan Cummings, 17.

William F. Chase, 100. Martin Brothers, 25.

50.

Nancy B. Merrill,

50.

20.

G. O. Sanders,

50.

25.

Joseph Fuller,

50.

17.

Aaron Cutler,

50.

25.

E. A. Martin,

25.

10.

504 HISTORY OF HUDSON

James A. Sanders, $26. Cummings Brothers, $2b.

George G. Andrews,

William Hutchinson,

McQuesten & Chase,

F. A. Cummings,

Mrs. A. M. Sherman,

W. H. & C. C. Leslie,

$781

The charter was amended August 17, 1887, authoriz-
ing said company to extend, their street railway across
Taylor's Falls bridge into Hudson, and over and upon the
roads in said Hudson.

The company, however, did not accept the money sub-
scribed by Hudson citizens, nor did it make the proposed
extension, for six years.

In 1893, the track was laid from Nashua Junction
north-easterly through East Hollis street and over the
bridge into Hudson, where it terminated near the east end
of Taylor's Falls bridge.

It was opened for public travel into Hudson, July 22,
1893. Operated as a horse railway, it gave fairly good sat-
isfaction to the people of Hudson for about two years.

In 1894, a controlling interest in this road was acquired
by capitalists connected with the Lowell and Suburban
Street Railway in Massachusetts. In 1895, permission
having been granted by the Legislature, the road was reor-
ganized as a standard gauge electric railway, and under the
supervision of P. H. SuUivan, at that time the manager of
said Lowell and Suburban Electric Railway, which had
been extended from Lowell to Lakeview in Tyngsborough,
Mass., the road was built through Hudson to the state line
— a distance of more than five miles — and from there to
Lakeview.

The line was constructed in a thorough and substan-
tial manner. Also Taylor's Falls bridge was repaired and
improved by substituting for all the old floor girders new
and much heavier and stronger ones. The structure at
that time fourteen years old, was otherwise strengthened

I— I

o
>^

STEAM AND ELECTRIC RAILROADS 505

in its remaining parts, and thoroughly fitted to stand the
strain of the new traffic. All this was done at an expense
to the company of about ten thousand dollars, as has been
described. The road was opened to the public in August,
1895, and from that time has been constantly operated be-
tween Nashua and Lowell with very little interruption, and
has given the public very satisfactory service.

Hourly trips have been made in the winter season, and
half-hourly in the summer. The running time from Nashua
to Lowell is about an hour and ten minutes, and the fare
is twenty cents.

Hudson, Pelham and Salem Electric Railway

Company

This company was incorporated by an act of the Legis-
lature, approved March 7, 1889, with power to construct,
maintain and operate a railway from a point at or near the
Merrimack river bridge in the town of Hudson, over and
upon such highways and lands as may be necessary in the
towns of Hudson and Pelham in the county of Hillsbor-
ough, and Windham and Salem in the county of Rocking-
ham, to some convenient point on the state line in or near
the highway leading from Wilson's Corner, a village or
crossing in the town of Salem, to Ayer's Village at the
Massachusetts line.

The capital stock was not to exceed $200,000, and two
years was given the company in which to construct the
road. However, it was not built within the limit of the
time allowed.

By a legislative act, approved February 5, 1901, the
capital stock was increased to $300,000, and the time of
construction extended two years from March 7, 1901,

It was completed so far as to be opened for public
travel, September 8, 1902.

The road passes from its junction with the Nashua
electric railway near the east end of the bridge, easterly

506 HISTORY OF HUDSON

through Hudson Center, thence south-easterly to Pelham
line, a distance in Hudson of four and a half miles.

Its course continues through Pelham Center, Canobie
Lake Park in Salem, Salem Depot, Salem Village and
Ayer's Village to Haverhill, Mass. Branches are also con-
structed from Pelham Center southerly through Pelham
and Dracut to Lowell, and from Point A., near Canobie
Lake Park, south-easterly through Methuen to Lawrence,
Mass.

During the first year of this road's operation, the de-
sire to make the quickest possible time between the differ-
ent points on its lines resulted in driving its cars at a very
high rate of speed, with little or no diminution of velocity
when descending the steepest grades or rounding the
sharpest curves. So reckless and dangerous did this rapid
running appear to the patrons of the road that disaster was
predicted by some of them, and not a few were actually
afraid to ride over the lines.

On Sunday afternoon, September 6, 1903, a car for
Nashua, heavily laden, principally with excursionists, fam-
ilies and others returning from Canobie Lake Park, while
passing, at a terrific rate of speed, around the long curve
half a mile west of Pelham Center, met a car approaching
in the opposite direction. The inside of the curve at that
time was covered with trees, and the vision so obstructed
thereby that neither of the motormen could see the other
car until the distance separating them was very short.

The cars came together with a terrible impact. Some
of the passengers leaped to the ground, but many who did
not, and especially those sitting in the front ends, were
either killed or badly wounded. The number of those
killed and those who ultimately died of their injuries was
quite large; many others were maimed more or less seri-
ously, and both cars were badly wrecked.

The killed and wounded were largely citizens of
Nashua, though Hudson had to mourn the loss of one of
her most prominent business men, George G. Andrews,

STEAM AND ELECTRIC RAILROADS 507

postmaster, merchant, former town clerk, selectman and
representative. His wife, Mrs. Anabel C. Andrews, occu-
pying a seat with him, was so seriously injured that her
life was despaired of for a long time; she ultimately re-
gained such a measure of health as to be comfortable, but
can never be entirely well again.

Without delay the company began to negotiate settle-
ments of the claims for deaths and injuries resulting from
the accident, and in a short time nearly all were satisfac-
torily adjusted without resort to the courts.

This accident proved very expensive to the company.

As an apparent result the running time was soon
changed, so as to very materially reduce the speed of the
cars over all the lines of the road, and to the present time,
1912, the former high rate has never been restored. Later
the company became insolvent and the road passed into
the hands of a receiver, but the company has since been
reorganized. The line has always been operated with reg-
ularity.

Hourly trips in winter and half-hourly in summer are
made between Nashua, Haverhill, Lawrence and Lowell,

Rapid Transit

The Goffe's Falls, Litchfield and Hudson Street Rail-
way Company was incorporated by an act of the legisla-
ture, March 7, 1903. By a legislative act of 1905, the time
allowed for the construction of the road was extended two
years to March 7, 1907.

An act was passed February 27, 1907, changing the
name from Goffe's Falls, Litchfield and Hudson Street
Railway Company to the Manchester and Nashua Street
Railway.

George W. Clyde of Hudson, Isaac N. Senter of Litch-
field, and the late Wallace D. Lovell of Boston, were fore-
most in obtaining the charter of this road, and later, with a
few associates, they perfected its organization.

508 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Strenuous efforts were made by them to interest capi-
talists in financing the road so as to insure its building, but
they met with no substantial success until 1906.

Early in that year capitalists of Manchester became
interested and obtained its franchises, soon after which the
construction of the road commenced. During 1906 the
road was built from Goffe's Falls in Manchester — where it
connects with the Manchester Street Railway — southerly
through Litchfield and Hudson, to a point near Taylor's
Falls bridge, where it forms a physical connection with the
Hudson, Pelham and Salem Street Railway, and also the
Lowell line of the Nashua Street Railway, as permitted by
its charter. The length of the road is about twelve and
one-half miles.

It was thoroughly constructed, with heavy rails, and
it is nearly all outside of the highways and over private
lands. The grades are very light, and it has very few
curves. There are many long, straight stretches which
permit of "rapid transit," which name the cars bear.

The line was opened to the public January 1, 1907.
Its cars — as also those of the Hudson, Pelham and Salem
electric line — are run on the Nashua Street Railway tracks
from the junction at the east end of the bridge to Main
street in Nashua.

The running time from Nashua to Manchester is one
hour. The distance is about eighteen miles, and the fare
is twenty-five cents. From the bridge at Hudson to Man-
chester the fare is twenty cents, and the running time
forty-five minutes. Hourly trips are made, and in summer
half-hourly in afternoons.

CHAPTER XXXVII

Hudson Village

Let us attempt to picture to ourselves that part of the
town of Hudson with its principal point of radiation near
Taylor's Falls bridge — where now is situated our quiet, at-
tractive little residential village with its one hundred and
seventy-five happy homes — as it existed in the spring of
1834.

There was no village here at that date. The only vil-
lage in Hudson was at Hudson Center — two miles distant
— and that was very small. It contained three small stores,
one tavern, one meeting-house, one practicing physician
and eight or nine residences.

Military trainings in May, required by law once each
year, were held on the town common. Hay scales were
located on the south side of the common.

Only seven years prior to this date, in 1827, the bridge
had been completed by a few of the most enterprising men
then residents of Hudson and Nashua Village, and opened
as a toll bridge, spanning the Merrimack between these
two points.

It was a covered bridge with a road way sixteen feet
broad and no sidewalk. A row of single sash windows
upon each of the sides was inserted when the bridge was
built, each window containing twelve lights of small glass.
The glass, as it became broken by mischievous boys or
from accidents, was seldom if ever replaced. The bridge
was lighted at night by lanterns specially made for the pur-
pose, and after they became broken — which was not very
long — by common glass lanterns which were invented a
short time previous.

The lanterns were filled with whale oil and hung in
their places before dark, and would burn until after mid-
509

510 HISTORY OF HUDSON

night, and sometimes until daylight. A walk through the
bridge in the night time, especially after the lights were
extinguished was a dark and gloomy experience. The
bridge was five hundred and nine feet in length, and the
toll gate was located about fifty feet west of the westerly
or Nashua end.

The fixed rate of toll assessed for crossing the
bridge was for foot people one cent. For a single horse
and carriage it was never less than five cents each way,
and for the earlier years of the bridge, the toll was consid-
erably more. For oxen and all kinds of double teams the
toll was graded according to the number of animals, size of
load and other conditions.

The old Joshua Hamblet ferry house then stood on the
river bank about thirty feet south-east from the present
location of the Martin barn connected with the store build-
ings. This was a small one-story house, without paint,
and had stood for many years. The Hamblet dwelling
house, where Mr. Josiah Hamblet, the former ferry man,
and his family resided, was situated at the present junction
of Derry road and Campbell avenue.

Captain Joseph Kelley formerly kept a tavern at this
place. A long horse shed stood north of the ferry road
where the Martin wheelwright and blacksmith building is
now located. This shed was formerly for the accommoda-
tion of the tavern and the ferry. No other buildings were
located near the bridge.

The old Eleazer Cummings farm house, erected more
than one hundred years prior to that date, stood in the
field, three hundred yards north from the end of the bridge,
and overlooking the Merrimack.

About the same distance in a south-easterly direction
was the old colonial farm house of Zachariah Hardy, later
owned by John Gillis, which remained there until within a
few years, when it was removed and a modern one supplied
its place. This house is now owned by the daughters of
Mr. Gillis.

HUDSON VILLAGE 511

Only two other sets of farm buildings, or buildings of
any kind, were situated within one-half miie of the bridge
in Hudson.

The new road from the bridge to Zachariah Hardy's
house was opened in 1827, seven years previous.

The county road was straightened from Hardy's south-
erly about three miles, and also a little later was straight-
ened and improved from Hardy's Corner to Hudson Cen-
ter.

The old ferry road, now Ferry street, is one among the
the most ancient highways in Hudson, but was very nar-
row and quite crooked.

The Derry road, which included a piece of the old
county road, formed a junction with the ferry road, near
the south-east corner of the present Library Park. Library
street is also a part of the old county road.

Webster street was not laid out until many years later,
1859.

At the date of which we are writing no railroad had
entered Nashua.

The Middlesex canal from Pawtucket Falls to Charles-
town and Boston was completed in 1804. The canal at
Amoskeag Falls at Manchester, with sufficient locks, known
as "Blodget's Canal," was commenced by Hon. Samuel
Blodget in May, 1793, and completed by him about four-
teen years later.

The Merrimack River between the head of Middlesex
canal near Lowell, and Concord, N. H., had been consider-
ably improved by the proprietors of the canal, by removing
obstructions from the channel and by the construction of
locks in several places along the river.

Many canal boats were plying between Concord and
intermediate points by the river and canal, to and from
Boston. The dimensions of those boats were approxi-
mately as follows: length near eighty feet, width nine feet,
depth in center three and one-half feet or more. Their
sides were made in the woods from large, old growth, native
white pine trees, worked into suitable shape and size with

512 HISTORY OF HUDSON

a whip saw and broad axe. A single plank, varying in
thickness at different points, reached the entire length of
the boat. Thi^i gave it great strength.

The boats were propelled down river by long oars,
and when the wind was favorable, by a large square sail,
with which every boat was provided. They were forced
up stream against the current, along near the shore, by
means of strong ash poles made for that purpose, the lower
ends being strongly shod with steel points. It was con-
sidered very hard labor to pole a loaded boat up stream,
especially when the river was swollen by rains above its
ordinary stage.

They were taken through the canal by means of horses
traveling on the tow path and drawing the boats. Three
men furnished an ordinary crew for a boat. These boats
carried wood, shingles, boards, brick, potatoes and other
farm produce, together with almost all kinds of merchan-
dise. On their return trips they would often load with
sugar, molasses and other kinds of groceries, dry goods
and all additional articles needed in the country. Many
of these boats were owned in the towns between Lowell
and Concord.

The canal from the Merrimack to the Nashua river
was opened in 1826, with the necessary dam and locks.
The locks were of solid stone masonry twenty-four feet
high in all. Each lift was ten feet wide and eighty-two
feet long. Sometimes considerable quantities of wood and
lumber were shipped from Hudson to the Boston and
Charlestown markets, including the brick yards at Charles-
town.

The migratory fish were still abundant in the Merri-
mack and its tributaries at the time of which we are writ-
ing.

In the summer of 1835, the ice break, which is still
standing in the river a short distance above the bridge, was
erected by the proprietors to protect the pier on the Hud-
son side, which had previously been considerably weakened
by a severe ice freshet.

HUDSON VILLAGE 513

The first notable change in the condition after 1834,
leading towards the beginning of the development of the
village which was to follow later, was the store building
with its two tenements and stable. The buildings occu-
pied substantially the same location as the present site
of the Martin store near Taylor's Falls bridge. The
main portion or front had formerly stood a little south of
the present Hudson Center school house. It had been the
dwelling house of one of the Tenney family. It was re-
moved to the place described as early as 1837.

December 14, 1837, Joseph Greeley conveyed to Ste-
phen D. Greeley one undivided third part of land and
buildings in Hudson. Beginning on the highway and on
land of Alfred Cummings, a little south-east of Josiah
Hamblet's ferry house; thence westerly and northerly by
said Cummings land to Merrimack River; thence down
said river to land owned by Taylor's Falls Bridge Company;
thence easterly upon said bridge company's land and said
Hamblet's land to the bound first mentioned, excluding
any land belonging to Hamblet and the highway.

The exact date at which the Greeley building was first
opened as a general country store is not known at the pres-
ent time, but it is certain that Mr. Sanborn Sleeper was
the proprietor of a store there as early as 1840, and possi-
bly two or three years previous.

Cyrus Warren, a young man from VVeathersfield, Ver-
mont, married, June 6, 1826, in Nottingham West, Susanna
B. Winn, born in Nottingham West, daughter of Reuben
and Mary Winn. They settled, after their marriage, in
Nashua Village, where their two children, George Henry
and Harriet, were born.

About 1837, Mr. Warren purchased land from his
brother-in-law^, Abiather Winn, and erected a plane shop
with suitable machinery on the south side of Otternick
brook, between the Lowell road and the Hadley mill. Mr.
Warren also built a cottage house on the south side of the
Hudson Center road, north of the plane shop. It was re-

514 HISTORY OF HUDSON

moved by the railroad and is now owned by Mrs. Ellen F.
Bundy.

The plane business conducted by Mr. Warren was not
extensive, but he managed it profitably and acquired an
enviable reputation for making the best planes manufac-
tured in New England. For a time his brother William
was connected with him in the business, but later William
built a plane shop of his own on the north side of the brook.
Cyrus Warren continued to manage the business of plane
making here until 1857, soon after which he removed to
Nashua.

John Gillis settled here on the Zachariah Hardy farm
in 1838. The Willoughby brothers, Ethan and Mark,
came here from Hollis and settled as early as 1838. They
acquired the Hadley mills, formerly built by Moses Had-
ley, and after his decease, September 9, 1829, had been
owned by the Hadley family.

They each built a home soon after settling here, but
the exact date is not known. The house of Ethan was
situated near the mill on the west bank of the mill pond,
and is the same now owned by Charles F. Melendy. Mark
constructed his home north of the Hudson Center road —
a little west of the William Hadley, or Newcomb house —
which is now owned by T. LaQuerre.

October 8, 1838, the Nashua and Lowell railroad was
opened to public travel from Lowell to the large Jackson
elm at Amory street in Nashua. On December 23, of the
same )/ear the bridge over the Nashua river had been com-
pleted and the cars were run to Main street station.

In 1840, a line of stages was operated from Nashua
Village, over Taylor's Falls bridge, on the east side of the
Merrimack, through Manchester — at that time a growing
manufacturing village containing thirty-five hundred in-
habitants — to Concord. This was also the same year in
which occurred the famous campaign and election of Wil-
liam Henry Harrison as president of the United States.
"Tippecanoe and Tyler, too," was the rallying cry.

From Photo by C. E. Paine

METHODIST CHURCH, 1880

HUDSON VILLAGE 515

During the campaign some of the vvhigs of Nashua
had a genuine log cabin constructed and placed on wheels,
which was fully equipped with all the paraphernalia, includ-
ing coon skins, hard cider, and other necessary fixtures.
During the most heated part of the campaign this cabin
was driven from Nashua, through Hudson, Litchfield, Man-
chester, Hooksett and Pembroke, to Concord, making al-
most as good time as the stage coach, which it followed
closely. As it passed along the road many of the patriotic
women residents cheered the company by throwing to the
breeze their red flannel petticoats.

The population of Hudson in 1840 was 1,144.

The following summary is copied from the returns of
the marshal who took the United States census, showing
the products and resources of the town for that year:

Horses, 135; neat cattle, 1,241; sheep, 1,403; swine,
585.

There were raised, 173 bushels of wheat, 377 bushels
of barley, 6,453 bushels of oats, 3,419 bushels of rye, 1,219
bushels of buckwheat, 8,341 bushels of corn, 18,090 bushels
of potatoes, 2,398 pounds of wool, 2,698 tons of hay and
ten pounds of maple sugar.

The value of the products of the dairy for the year
was $6,987.

There were three stores — two at or near the Center
and one at the Bridge — with a capital of $2,600. There
were also two grist mills and three saw mills.

The number of polls in Hudson was 236, and the valu-
ation was $380,614. The town was obliged to pay four
dollars and thirty-one cents out of every thousand dollars
of the state tax.

The first Methodist meeting-house in this town, which
stood near the Hadley-Willoughby mill, was built in 1840.
The Congregational meeting-house, which is still standing,
was built two years later, in 1842.

The building long known as the "Old Ark," which is
still standing between the railroad and Central street, was

516 HISTORY OF HUDSON

removed from near where Charles W. Spalding's house now
is, by Amos Davis, Jr., about 1842. It was a long, narrow,
one-story building. The roof was removed and a second
story added. This second story was much broader than
the original building, and projected six or eight feet on
each side, which formed piazzas the whole length of the
building, about forty feet. Ultimately, a considerable part
of these piazzas was inclosed within the building. A pri-
vate school, or high school, was maintained in this building
for several years.

Mr. Sleeper was succeeded in the Greeley store in
1842 by Hermon Dane. He removed here from Hudson
Center, and after a residence of two years at the Bridge,
removed to Nashua. Mr. Dane and his wife, Clarissa (Bar-
rett) Dane, were the parents of the late Hermon F. Dane,
a popular auctioneer for many years, who was born at Hud-
son Center, May 12, 1840, and who died in Nashua on the
71st anniversary of his birth, May 12, 1911.

In 1840, Willard Spalding built the house on the east
side of Derry road, now owned by Mrs. Mary M. Spalding.
This house replaced a smaller, ancient one on the same
spot, formerly owned by Mr. Joshua Pierce. Paul Colburn
built his home a little west of the Congregational meeting-
house not very long after that church was erected. The
place was owned for many years by John E. Brown, and at
the present time by Walter A. Peavey.

Mr. James Carnes, formerly of Newbury, Vermont,
removed to this place from Henniker, N. H., in 1841 or
1842. In 1844 he bought of the proprietors the old South
meeting-house erected in 1798. From the timber and ma-
terial procured from that building he soon after built him-
self a home, at the corner near the present watering trough
at Postoffice square. Mr. Carnes was a blacksmith and a
wheelwright and proved to be a useful man in the youthful
village. Soon after his settlement he changed the old
Kelley horse shed, before mentioned, into a blacksmith
shop, which was used for that purpose by himself, Jonathan

HUDSON VILLAGE 517

C. Dudley and others, for about fifteen years. Mr. Carnes
also, from the timber resulting from the demolition of the
old meeting-house, a little later built a store building with
a basement. This building occupied a part of the same
site now covered by Cunimings Brothers' wheelwright
shop.

Mr. Carnes for several years, later occupied the build-
ing as a grocery store. About 1851, not having made a
full success of the grocery business, he closed it out and im-
mediately established the manufacture of "Paddy" wheel-
barrows, as they were usually called, being such as were
used by laborers when grading railroads.

The store was changed into a manufactory and the
wheelbarrow business was conducted there by Mr. Carnes
with good success for some years. He employed several
men. Later he changed it into a general wheelwright busi-
ness. The building with all machinery, tools and entire
contents was totally destroyed by fire in 1859. Mr. Carnes
later rebuilt this building and re-established the wheel-
wright business.

John N. Marshall, who had kept a small store at Hud-
son Center for several years, occupied the Greeley store at
the Bridge in 1845, and remained for about two years. He
also returned later and again occupied the same place in
1850 and 1851.

Moses Worcester, with his son, Moses A. Worcester,
occupied the Greeley store in 1847, and remained there
three years. Dana Sargent succeeded Worcester & Son
for a time. Thomas H. Ewins came here from Salem, N.
H., in 1852, and managed a store there, until November
1855. Hills and Marshall— George W. Hills and David
C. Marshall — followed Mr. Ewins in business in the store,
but continued as a firm only one year, when Mr. Marshall,
being in feeble health, withdrew, and the business was
conducted by George W. Hills for more than twelve years,
until 1869.

The streets when mentioned hereinafter will be desig-
nated by their modern names.

518 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Rev, William Page, at that time the Congregational
pastor, built a fine residence on the south side of Central
street, in 1844. It is the same now owned and occupied by
Rufus E. Winn.

William Blodgett also erected his cottage house on the
same side of Central street, and near that of Mr. Page, the
same year. It is now owned by Caldwell Buttrick.

John Cross built a fine set of farm buildings, about
1849, on the east side of the Derry road, it being the same
owned for many years by the late Lucien M. ToUes, and
now by James S. Bannister.

Jonathan C. Dudley, when a young man, came from
Weare, N. H., to Hudson, as a blacksmith with Mr. Carnes,
in whose employ he remained for a time. Later he man-
aged that business on his own account, then, for a time, in
company with William F. Lewis, and later with Thomas
S. Clough.

In 1849, Mr. Dudley bought one acre of land near the
present Methodist meeting-house, to which he removed a
wheelwright shop formerly owned by David W. Burns, and
which stood a short distance south-westerly from the Con-
gregational meeting-house.

Mr. Dudley remodeled this building juito a cottage
house, which was occupied for about two years by Charles
W. Clement, who was also a blacksmith. Mr. Dudley later
occupied it as a home. It is now owned and occupied by
Mrs. Eva M. Emerson, the only daughter, or child, of Mr.
Dudley. Mr. Dudley died March 29, ]865, aged 43 years.

In 1850, John Goss of Londonderry, erected a cottage
house for his son, Henry S. Goss, on the south side of Cen-
tral street, which house is now owned by Rufus E. Winn.
For several years Henry S. Goss operated machinery at
one of the mills for carding wool.

The Hudson postoffice was removed from Hudson
Center to the Greeley store building, September 15, 1853,
and Thomas H. Ewins appointed postmaster.

George W. Hills built his residence on the north side

HUDSON VILLAGE 519

of Central street in 1855. It is now owned by the heirs of
William Hutchinson.

In 1857, James B. Merrill constructed his buildings, a
little west from the house of Mr. Hills, which are now
owned by his daughter, Annie G. Merrill.

In 1856, Josiah K. Wheeler built a fine residence on
the west side of the Litchfield road, now Webster street.

William Warren built a house on the north side of
Central street, about 1854. This house is now owned by
Mrs. James C. Thorning. Mr. Warren died May 9, 1861,
aged 43 years.

Dana Sargent built a fine residence on the north side
of Central street as early as 1860. The house was a short
distance east of the William Hadley house, and was long
known as the Woodbury place.

George W. Marshall, a little later, erected a house
and barn north of Central street, a little west of the Sunny-
side cemetery.

In 1857, Holt and Jones of Nashua, were engaged in
the manufacture of cotton goods at the mill formerly of
Isaac Winn. They remained in business there two or
three years.

In 1858, French and Gould were quite largely en-
gaged in various manufactures at the Willoughby mills,
which was continued by them and other parties for sev-
eral years. At one time, extension tables were manufac-
tured here in large numbers. Albert Shedd & Co., were
engaged in business there in 1867.

About 1857, Nathan Marshall erected a fine set of
farm buildings on the west side of the Lowell road. This
was later known as the Amos Farnum place, and is now
owned by Wilber L. Abare. About the same time Fred-
erick Steele built the buildings on the west side of the
Lowell road, which are now owned by Frank M. Winn.

The highway now known as Webster street, from Tay-
lor's Falls bridge northerly up the river to the Josiah K.
Wheeler house, was laid out in 1859, and constructed two

520 HISTORY OF HUDSON

years later. Kimball Webster removed and rebuilt his
house on Webster street in 1860, after the highway had
been laid out, but one year in advance of its construction.

This house had formerly stood on the east side of the
Derry road, where it was built in 1848 by Alfred Cum-
mings. James Ryan built his house on what was formerly
a part of the Cross farm in 1867. It was on the west side
of the Derry road. This is the same house now owned by
Charles A. McAfee, once owned by George E. Small.

Mr. James Carnes built a store building with a small
hall on the second floor on the west side of Central street
at Postofjfice square. This structure was commenced in the
early sixties, but was not completed for several years. Mr_
Carnes traded here for a few years, and it was occupied at
times by Francis A. Marden, Waldo P. Walton, Willard
H. Webster, and others.

James Carnes died November 29, 1883, aged 69 years
and 6 months. This building was enlarged and improved
by Nathan P. Webster in 1890, and is now owned by Ba-
ker Brothers, John J. and William W. They have occupied
it as a grocery store for twenty-two years, since October
15, 1890.

Charles W. Spalding built his fine residence on the
original John Taylor garrison farm, on the west side of
Derry road, in 1870.

Nathan Cummings removed here from the north-east
part of Hudson about 1872, and erected his house on the
north side of Highland street, it being the first dwelling
there. It is now the abode of Charles B. Gilbert. In April,
1895, the house was practically destroyed by fire. Mr.
Cummings died September 23, 1894, aged 76 years. The
house was rebuilt by James M. Cummings, son of Nathan.

Alonzo G. Hutchins, at that time doing business here
as a blacksmith, built a cottage house on the west side of
Library street in 1872. It is now owned by Walter J.
Harwood.

In the same year, Mrs. Martha Pollard put up her cozy
house on the north side of Central street. This is now

NATHAN P. WEBSTER

HUDSON VILLAGE 521

owned by her niece, Emma M, Taylor. Martha Pollard
died September 9, 1911, aged 93 years and 9 months.

Albert O. Titcomb constructed a small house on the
south side of Ferry street in 1871 or 1872. This is the
same house owned by the estate of the late Nathan Cum-
mings, and occupied by his son, James M. Cummings.

A little later, another small house was built by Oscar
Austin, a short distance east of the last mentioned one.
Later, this was enlarged and improved by Charles H. Bas-
sett, and was destroyed by fire in the spring of 1912. It
was replaced by a cement structure the same year.

In 1873, George M. Clark built a small house on the
east side of Derry road beyond number six school house.
This has since been materially enlarged, and is now owned
by James A. Phillips, the rural mail carrier of Hudson
route number two.

William H. Leslie came to Hudson from East Pem-
broke, N. H., in 1872, and erected a dwelling on the east
side of Derry road. James G. Walker built his house on
the east side of Webster street in 1873. A story was ad-
ded to it in 1898.

George O. Sanders began building his fine residence
on the west side of Derry road in 1873, and finished it two
years later. It is now owned by Harry B. Kenrick.

Charles White erected his dwelling on the high land
overlooking the Derry road and the Merrimack valley, in
1874. It is still occupied by Mr. White, an old veteran.

Hiram Cummings moved and rebuilt his large two-tene-
ment house on the north side of Central street in 1874.
This formerly stood on the Cummings farm at the north-
east part of Hudson. Hiram Cummings died January 7,
1910, aged 88 years.

In 1874, the Nashua and Rochester railroad, now a
part of the Worcester, Nashua and Portland division of the
Boston & Maine system, was opened for traffic through
Hudson, with but one station and that at the Center.

William P. Annis built his home on the east side of

522 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Litchfield road in 1875. This is the same place now owned
by Smith L. Jacobs.

William F. Chase built a fine residence on the north
side of Central street in 1876. It is now owned by the
heirs of William F. Winn. Mr. Chase died March 15, 1899,
aged 67 years.

The grange building on the south side of Central street
was erected by an association made up from members of
Hudson Grange in 1876. It is now owned by the Nashua
Protestant Orphanage Association.

William T. Merrill built his home on the north side of
Central street in 1876. Mr. Merrill died May 10, 1885,
aged 59 years. Aaron Cutler built a house on the east
side of Library street in 1875. A little later he put up
another small one, a little farther south.

The Greeley store buildings before mentioned — at the
time owned by Elisha Z. Martin — were totally destroyed by
an incendiary fire, together with their contents, the post-
office included, on the night of October 21, 1876. Nathan
P. Webster was then proprietor and was also postmaster.
Mr. Webster kept a general assortment of groceries, in-
cluding flour, grain and other goods generally sold in a
retail country store. Mr. Martin, in 1877, rebuilt, and
these are the same buildings now occupied as a store by
Daniels and Gilbert.

Frank A. Cummings erected his house at the corner
of Library and Highland streets in 1877.

The First Methodist Episcopal, or "Brick Church,"
near the Bridge, was erected in 1880.

The iron bridge over the Merrimack, erected to supply
the place of the wooden bridge built in 1827, was con-
structed in 1881.

In 1882, Miss Mary A. Winn built a fine house on the
north side of Central street, near the site where the Meth-
odist meeting-house was destroyed by fire, August 3, 1879.
Mary A. Winn died June 3, 1884, aged 43 years. Since
the decease of Miss Winn, the house has been owned by
her sister, Josephine A. Winn.

HUDSON VILLAGE 523

In 1882, Willis P. Cummings, for Cummings Brothers,
Willis P. and Charles E. Cummings, bought the wheel-
wright shop, tools and lot from James Carnes. Since that
purchase the Cummings Brothers have made several addi-
tions to the real estate, and enlargements to the buildings
and have supplied them with modern machinery. They
employ constantly several men.

Charles M. Woodward built a house at the corner of
Highland and Pleasant streets as early as 1882. It is now
owned by a non-resident.

James A. Sanders commenced the building of his row
of cottages on the south side of Ferry street in 1885, and
added to them from year to year. In 1889 he had built
three. In 1890 he had five completed. In 1892 he had
eight.

Edgar Smith remodeled the George B. Griflfin house,
formerly the "Red House," on the east side of Derry
road, about 1886. It is now owned by Clarence E. Walch.
The next house south now owned by Aldon E. Cummings,
was rebuilt by his father, John Cummings, about 1850.

Mrs. Wilhelmina L. Carnes, widow of James Carnes,
removed a small building which stood near the Carnes
homestead, to the west side of Campbell avenue. This
was about 1884. She had the building reconstructed into
a house, which she occupied for a time, but later sold
it and removed to Derry. In 1911, this house was pur-
chased by Professor Charles L. Norton, and by him was
thoroughly remodeled and improved, and supplied with
all needed modern improvements. It is now occupied by
Joseph A. Torrey.

Willis P. Cummings erected his fine house on the
south side of Central street in 1887.

George G. Andrews erected a fine residence on the
north side of Ferry street, at the corner of Baker street, in
1887. Mr. Andrews succeeded Nathan P. Webster in the
Greeley-Martin store, and also as postmaster, in 1892. He
remained in business there until his sudden and tragic
death, September 6, 1903.

624 HISTORY OF HUDSON

As early as 1888, Drusette S. Annis, wife of William
P. Annis, commenced the building of a home on the north
side of Ferry street. This place is now owned by Sumner
N. Perkins.

James M. Butler, in 1888, built a good house on the
south side of Highland street. It is now owned by his
son, Albert S. Butler.

John H. Baker was the first to build on Baker street.
He located his home on the west side of the street, in 1888.

James E. Merrill erected his home on the south side
of Central street, in 1888.

Frederick Steele built a tine house on the south side
of Ferry street as early as 1888. It is now owned by Clara
M. Albee.

Rev. Silas G. Kellogg, the Methodist pastor here at
that time, constructed a residence on the west side of the
Derry road in 1889. Mr. Kellogg died December 21, 1891,
aged 68 years, 8 months and 27 days. The place is now
occupied by Charles H. Harvey.

Ezra A. Martin built a very fine residence on the west
side of Baker street in 1889. These buildings were a total
loss by fire in September, 1890. William W. Baker built a
residence on the site of the destroyed buildings during the
winter of 1899-1900.

George A. Merrill began the building of his fine home
on the east side of Maple avenue, in 1889.

Mrs. Hannah J. Clyde erected a fine two-tenement
house, suitable for a home for herself and daughter, in 1890.
This is on the south side of Central street.

Abi A. Sanders built his home on the west side of Ba-
ker street in 1890. It is now owned by Edwin H. San-
born. Nelson H. Pease also built his dwelling on the south
side of Highland street in 1890.

Alvirne, the beautiful summer home of Dr. Alfred K.
Hills and his wife, Ida Virginia (Creutzborg) Hills, was
built in 1890. It is situated on the south-east side of the
Derry road, on the former homestead of the late father of

HUDSON VILLAGE 525

Dr. Hills, Alden Hills, which contained 181 acres. This
was a part of the Nathaniel Hills' Tyng land elsewhere
mentioned in this history.

In 1891, George O. Sanders built a block of five tene-
ments at the corner of Library and Highland streets.
This building is now owned by John D. Sullivan of Nashua.

James Ryan erected a home on the east side of Pleas-
ant street in 1891. This place is now owned by Elmer D.
Clement and occupied by Charles A. Shepard.

In 1891, George E. Small built his residence on the
east side of Webster street. Mr. Small died October 29,
1900, aged 63 years and nine months. This place is now
owned by Sanford S. Springer.

John M. Thompson erected a fine house on the north
side of Highland street in 1891. Mr. Thompson died Jan-
uary 27, 1893, aged 61 years and 11 months. The place is
now owned by Herbert L. Boynton.

James E. Parker, in 1892, built his fine home on the
west side of Derry road.

In 1892, Gerry Walker built a house on the west side
of Baker street. It is now owned by Miss Mary E. Gilson
and Mrs. Lucy C, Nichols, sisters.

In 1893, Walter E. Harris built a good home at the
south-west corner of Campbell avenue. The place is now
owned by Professor Charles L. Norton, who has very much
improved and enlarged it. It is one of the most modern,
most convenient, and finest residences in Hudson.

Arthur L. Joy also erected his home on the west side
of Maple avenue, in 1894. A few years later he built a
small store nearby.

During the same year, 1894, George P. Woodward
erected a very fine and expensive house on the west side
of Litchfield road, or Webster street, A few years later
Mr. Woodward removed to Lowell. The place is now
owned and occupied by Abraham Ferryall.

526 HISTORY OF HUDSOrr

Hudson Water Works

In 1891, George O. Sanders was the owner of the
finest and best furnished residence in Hudson. He was a
manufacturer and the owner of a large wood-working plant,
situated on the west side of the Merrimack near the mouth
of the Nashua river. He obtained his supply of water for
domestic purposes at his home from a deep, open well,
raised by means of a wind-mill.

In the spring of the same year he bought land oi Na-
than Cumraings on Highland street, upon which he erected
a stand pipe and began to install water works in a small
way, chiefly to supply his own buildings and premises.
But at the earnest request of a few of his neighbors that
appreciated the great convenience of having a plentiful
supply of good running water for domestic use, he was
induced to enlarge his plant sufficiently to furnish them.

After an unsuccessful attempt to obtain a sufficient
quantity of water from a large well excavated a little north
of the stand pipe, he purchased several acres of swamp
land, situated six or seven hundred feet north-easterly from
his stand pipe, which included a small, muddy pond of
about two acres in area, and which had been known by the
name of Spruce Swamp, or Little Tarnic pond.

He laid a small pipe from the stand pipe to the pond,
and by means of an engine and pump commenced to force
water from the pond into the stand pipe. He laid pipes
from the stand pipe through Highland street and Derry
road to his own residence, and by Derry road and Ferry
street as far west as near Taylor's Falls bridge, and com-
menced to distribute water to supply his own necessities
and also those of a few customers — probably not exceeding
twenty in all.

He also extended a small pipe through the river to his
manufacturing plant in Nashua. This first distribution was
in the fall of 1891. This pond water was much colored and
contained a large quantity of sediment and swamp mud.

HUDSON VILLAGE 527

Yet the pond from its. natural situation must necessarily
be protected from any considerable quantity of surface
drainage.

The Hudson Water Works Company was incorporated
March 9, 1893. A little later it was organized with George
O. Sanders, president, and Linda P. Sanders, treasurer.

The water from the swamp pond proved to be of poor
quality, and unsatisfactory for domestic uses, both to Mr.
Sanders and all his water-takers, and its use was discontin-
ued in less than two years after its distribution was com-
menced.

The old Hadley-Willoughby, or Wood Mill, which was
situated on the bank of Otternick brook, a httle south-east
and near where Charles F. Melendy's box manufactory
now stands — was totally destroyed by fire about this time,
and George O. Sanders purchased its site, containing sev-
eral acres of land, together with all its water rights and
other privileges thereunto belonging.

In the early part of 1893, Mr. Sanders erected a box
shop on the site now occupied by that of Mr. Melendy.
This manufactory was later destroyed by fire and recon-
structed, and has since been greatly enlarged and improved.

In April, 1893, Mr. Sanders conveyed a part of the
land he had recently bought, to the Hudson Water Works
Company, for location of a large well, from which to draw
a supply of water, for a pumping station, and for other
needed uses.

This well, situated on the north side of the brook and
west of the highway — which has since, to a large extent,
supplied the stand pipe with water — was excavated, pipes
were laid through Central street and connected with the
formier system of pipes near Hudson bridge, a pump was
installed at the well, and the water began to be forced
from the new well into the stand pipe by a circuitous route.

The pipe through Sanders, now Library street, through
which the water now passes, and which materially shortens
the distance, was not located until several years later.

528 HISTORY OF HUDSON"

This water from the well, which became available to Hud-
son water-takers in 1893, was far superior in quality to that
formerly drawn from the small mud pond.

The Hudson Water Works Company bonded its plant
for ^20,000 at five per cent interest. These bonds were
held in Nashua for several year.s.

Sometime previous to June, 1901, the water works
were reported to have been sold to parties in Boston, but
those parties, after managing the business for a few months^
failed to make a full success, and George O. Sanders again
became the principal owner of the stock of the company.

Previous to July 1, 1903, all, or nearly all, the stock of
the Hudson Water Works Company was sold and trans-
ferred to parties in Portland, Maine. The bonds of the
company were also transferred from Nashua to Maine, and
were increased in amount to JS25,000, the full amount al-
lowed by the charter.

The Hudson Water Company was incorporated in
1905, act approved February 14, 1905.

With the exception of the names of the incorporators,
a slight change of the name of the company, and a change
in section eight, the chaiter of 1905 is substantially identi-
cal with that of 1893. In the former charter of 1893, sec-
tion eight permitted the company, under certain specified
conditions, to borrow money and issue bonds therefor, not
to exceed the amount of $25,000. Section eight of the
charter of 1905, contained a similar provision, providing for
the issue of bonds, but without limit as to the amount to
be issued.

The growth of Hudson village since the water began
to be distributed among its inhabitants in 1891 — about
twenty-one years — has not been phenomenal, but it has
had a constant, healthy increase from year to year.

It has now one hundred and ninety-two houses, or ten-
ements, five hundred and seventy inhabitants, three stores,
two wheelwright shops, two blacksmith shops, a very exten-
sive box manufactory, employing constantly about one

I— I

K
Q

m
o

I— I
>

HUDSON VILLAGE 529

hundred men, two meeting-houses, two parsonages, and a
modern, well-equipped, four-room school house. It also
boasts one of the most substantial, convenient and beauti-
ful modern public library buildings to be found in this
state, which contains more than 5,000 books. It has three
lines of electric railway service passing through the village,
giving its inhabitants direct and constant communication —
half-hourly in summer and hourly in winter — with the cities
of Nashua, Manchester, Lawrence, Haverhill and Lowell,
and many other points of less importance.

The natural scenery along the beautiful Merrimack,
where it forms the boundary for nearly seven miles between
the city of Nashua and the town of Hudson, presents a
very rare charm, and it is believed that few points in New
England can equal it.

This unpretending little village, nestled upon the bank
of the Merrimack, made up principally of happy, humble
homes of honest industry, is at present increasing in growth
and population much more rapidly than at any former time
in its history.

CHAPTER XXXVIII

Physicians

It has been impossible to obtain sufficient data to give
as full and accurate an account of all the physicians who
have plied their profession in this town, while being resi-
dents of the same, as is desirable, yet the following exhibit
is believed to contain the names of nearly all those who
have practiced the healing art while living here as citizens.

Previous to 1850, several of the Nashua physicians had
considerable practice in this town, and such practice of the
Nashua doctors seems to have steadily increased, until at
the present time they attend patients in Hudson in a large
majority of cases, notwithstanding that our town physicians
have been equally as skillful and trustworthy.

Dr. Ezekiel Chase

Dr. Ezekiel Chase, son of Thomas and Sarah (Stevens)
Chase, was born in Newbury, Mass., November 30, 1707.
He was married in Newbury, May 20, 1729 — then of Gro-
ton, Mass. — by the Rev. John Tufts, to Priscilla Merrill,
daughter of Deacon Abel Merrill of Newbury. Priscilla
Merrill was a sister of the Rev. Nathaniel Merrill, the first
minister ordained in this town. Dr. Ezekiel Chase was
the fourth in descent from Aquilla Chase, who was born in
England in 1618, and came to this country, probably before
he had attained his majority, and settled in Newbury.

He came to Nottingham — later Nottingham West —
about 1740. He was first assessed here in 1741, and for
the last time in 1780, and consequently was a citizen of this
town for forty years.

He was the first resident Hudson physician of whom
there is any record. He probably practiced medicine con-

530

PHYSICIANS 531

tinuously during those forty years. He was the first in-
habitant of this town to hold a commission as Justice of
the Peace, being appointed to that office in 1747.

October 21, 1740, in consideration of three hundred
and sixty pounds lawful money, Joseph Snow conveyed to
Ezekiel Chase, one hundred acres of land in the south part
of Nottingham, on the Merrimack River, a short distance
from where the province line between New Hampshire and
Massachusetts was established in 1741. He was one of
the Hudson selectmen for nine years, moderator of annual
town meetings eleven years and was town clerk.

Priscilla, his wife, died February 22, 1768, in her fifty-
ninth year. Some time aftfer this event he married for a
second wife, Elizabeth .

Ezekiel and Elizabeth Chase conveyed the farm of one
hundred acres, which he bought of Joseph Snow in 1740,
to Samuel Pollard, August 9, 1773. Deed recorded Vol.
10, page 79, Hillsborough County Registry of Deeds.

March 26, 1779, they -conveyed to John Pollard fifty-
four acres of land with buildings, lying near the former
tract and on the Ferry road, with two adjoining tracts.

Dr. Chase was not assessed in Nottingham West after
1780, and no further record in any way relating to him can
be found. Undoubtedly he removed from town about that
time.

Dr. John Hall

Dr. John Hall was a resident of this town in 1779 and
1780. Little is known of him. His residence was with
or near that of Captain Samuel Marsh, about one and one-
fourth miles north of Taylor's Falls bridge on the River
road.

There is a record of the birth of children of John and
Alice Hall: John, born February 26, 1779; Thomas, born
February 21, 1780.

532 history of hudson

Dr. Joseph Gray

Dr. Joseph Gray came into town about 1782, and was
assessed here until 1792. He resided on "Hills Row," near
what later became the Warren Hills farm. We find re-
corded the births of children of Joseph and Lucy Gray:
Lucy, born February 5, 1785; Joseph, born February 9,
1788. He appears to have had a former wife, as there is a
record of the birth of Henry, son of Joseph and /Susan
Gray, May 27, 1783.

Dr. Apollos Pratt

Dr. Apollos Pratt practiced here in 1803 and 1804. In
this town, March 15, 1804, he married Sally Wason, who
was probably the daughter of Samuel and Margaret Wason,
born March 24, 1778, and twin sister to Hannah, who died
young. There is no further record of him.

Dr. Paul Tenney

Dr. Paul Tenney was born in Rowley, Mass., April 11,
1763. On November 2, 1790, he married Sarah Gibson,
born in Pelham, September 26, 1767. He came into this
town as early as 1789, and followed his vocation here for
over thirty years. For two years he lived near the Joseph
Blodgett place on the Lowell road. Afterwards his resi-
dence was at Hudson Center on the south side of the Pel-
ham road, and at the place later owned by Dr. James Em-
ery, and now, 1912, the home of Henry C. Brown.

He owned quite a large farm. His children were:
Noyes, born September 26, 1791, died January 30, 1853;
Kimball, born April 18, 1793, died August 16, 1832; Daniel,
born June 15, 1795, died November 20, 1840; James, born
June 25, 1798, died May 30, 1842; Paul, born March 1,
1802, died December 9, 1842; Silas, born September 4,
1805; Franklin, born January 17, 1808.

PHYSICIANS 533

His wife, Sarah, died October 25, 1818, at the age of
fifty-one. December 2, 1819, he married Sally, who was
the daughter of Elijah and Miriam Hills, and who was born
in this town, April 13, 1774. Dr. Tenney died April 6,
1821, and was laid in a tomb he had constructed near his
residence, where his first wife and several of his children
were also placed. This is the only tomb in Hudson.

He was a man of intelligence and ability, and a physi-
cian of skill.

Dr. Nathaniel P. Marsh

Nathaniel Peabody Marsh, son of Jonathan and Betsey
(Sawyer) Marsh, was born in Nottingham West, August 20,
1791. He studied medicine with Dr. Paul Tenney, and be-
came an educated physician as early as 1817. He settled
in Bow, N. H., where he practiced his chosen profession
with good success for a brief period. He died of consump-
tion December 17, 1819, at the age of twenty-eight years.
"A man of much promise and much lamented."

Dr. Daniel Tenney

Dr. Daniel Tenney, son of Dr. Paul and Sarah (Gib-
son) Tenney, born in Nottingham West, June 15, 1795,
studied medicine with his father and became a practitioner
in this town before his father's death in 1821.

He resided for a time in the John Strickland house,
later known as the Pease house. He continued to prac-
tice his profession here until after 1831, when he removed
to Derry, where he continued to practice until his decease.
This occurred very suddenly in Boston, April 6, 1840,
under most distressing circumstances.

'to

Dr. Dustin Barrett

Dr. Dustin Barrett, son of Isaac and Roxanna (Marsh)
Barrett, was born in this town in 1794. He became a prac-
ticing physician in his native town about 1817. He mar-

534 HISTORY OF HUDSON

ried, June 8, 1826, Hannah Chadwick, of Bradford, Mass.,
and died June 1, 1831, aged 37 years. He is said to have
been a physician of much skill. June 2, 1823, John Fos-
ter conveyed to Dustin Barrett, physician, seven acres
of land a short distance east of the town house, upon which
he built a house. This house has had the reputation of
always having been occupied by physicians.

Dr. Barrett was its first occupant, and after his de-
cease. Dr. Daniel Tenney was its tenant. Dr. Henry M.
Hooke was its occupant from about 1843 to 1848, when
Dr. James Emery for a time lived there. September 21,
1854, Mary E. Barrett, daughter of Dr. Dustin Barrett, of
Bradford, Mass., conveyed it to Dr. David O. Smith. Dr.
Smith occupied it as his home until his decease, February
15, 1906. The family of Dr. Smith still reside at the old
homestead.

Dr. Elijah Colburn

Elijah Colburn, son of Zaccheus and Rachel (Hills)
Colburn, born in this town, September 8, 1795, was gradu-
ated at Harvard Medical College with the degree of M. D.
in 1823.

He began his professional life as a physician in his
native town, but as early as 1825, permanently settled in
Nashua Village, then a part of the township of Dunstable,
containing about one thousand inhabitants. The name of
Dunstable was changed to that of Nashua, January 1, 1837.

Dr. Colburn was one of the first physicians to estab-
lish himself in the new and growing village of Nashua, and
is said to have been the first to travel with a horse into the
adjoining towns, including that ©f Hudson. He had a long
and useful career.

As a physician and surgeon he was among the very
best at that time in Nashua. He married, June 22, 1826,
Sarah Belknap, of Framingham, Mass. He died in Nashua,
January 13, 1881.

physicians 535

Dr. Zaccheus Colburn

The youngest son of Zaccheus and Rachel (Hills) Col-
burn, born January 5, 1801, also became a physician in
Hudson, where he continued as a practitioner for several
years. Previous to 1840 he removed to Manchester, N.
H., where he settled permanently, and where it is said he
acquired an extensive and successful practice, which he
followed for many years. He died in Manchester.

Dr. Henry M. Hooke .

Dr. Henry M. Hooke came to Hudson Center several
years after the decease of Dr. Barrett, probably near 1843.
He remained here, where his practice gave general satis-
faction, until about 1848, when he removed to Lowell,
Mass., and died very suddenly soon after.

Dr. James Emery

Dr. James Emery came into this town as a physician
as early as 1848. He was a young man about twenty-six
years of age. His experience as a physician at that time
was necessarily quite limited. His wife was a daughter of
John Goodspeed of Litchfield.

In 1849, he purchased the Dr. Paul Tenney buildings,
with twelve acres of land, at Hudson Center, which he
continued to occupy as his home for many years. He be-
came popular as a physician and acquired an extensive
practice here.

He continued to practice his profession with good suc-
cess, until about 1879, when by reason of failing health he
was compelled to retire. He died September 30, 1880,
aged 58 years and three months. He left no surviving
children.

536 history of hudson

David Onslow Smith

David Onslow Smith, only child of Alvan and Patty
(Robinson) Smith, was born November 12, 1823, at Not-
tingham West and died February 15, 1906, aged eighty-two.

He studied at Nashua Literary Institute and at Pink-
erton Academy at Derry, New Hampshire. For several
years he taught public and private schools in his own and
neighboring towns with great success. In 1850, he gradu-
ated from Harvard Medical School with honor, winning
the prize offered to the student passing the best examina-
tion in surgery.

After graduation he settled in Hudson in the same
year, and soon had a large practice. He married, August
80, 1855, Mary Hannah Greeley, born October 30, 1832,
and died in Hudson, December 27, 1867, daughter of Reu-
ben and Joanna C. (Merrill) Greeley of Hudson. He set-
tled in the Dr. Dustin Barrett house, situated a short dis-
tance east of Hudson Center, which he purchased Septem-
ber 21, 1854.

They had five children, all born in Hudson: Minnie
Eugenie, born June 5, 1856; Edmund Greeley, born Au.
gust 10, 1857, died March 29, 1869; Martha Robinson, born
July 21, 1859; Herbert Llewellyn, born January 9, 1862;
Henry Onslow, born December 18, 1864. He married
(second) Hannah P., daughter of Luther and Polly L.
(Smith) Haselton, born in Hudson, September 20, 1835.

Dr. Smith was a physician deeply skilled in the vari-
ous branches of his profession. He was always studious,
very industrious, and never allowed himself to neglect his
patients.

His large, long-continued practice extended largely
into the adjoining towns of Pelham, Windham and London-
derry.

Greatly interested in music, he taught singing schools
in several towns, and for a number of years served as con-
ductor of a chorus recruited from several surrounding

HERBERT L. SMITH, M. D.

PHYSICIANS 537

towns. He also composed considerable music of merit.
In early manhood he held the office of captain in the state
militia. In politics he was a Republican and was a mem-
ber of the constitutional convention of 1889.

Dr. Herbert Llewellyn Smith

Dr. Herbert Llewellyn Smith, eldest son of David O.
and Mary H. (Greeley) Smith, was born in Hudson, Janu-
ary 9, 1862. He completed his preparatory course in 1878,
by graduating from the Nashua high school and went from
thereto Dartmouth College, from which he graduated with
the class of 1882. He afterwards entered Harvard Medi-
cal School, where he received the degree of M. D., in 1887.

During his years of student life he assisted in the pay-
ment of his expenses by teaching the village school at
Hanover, 1882-1883, and by teaching English and short-
hand writing in the Boston high school, 1883-1887.

In 1886-87, he was house surgeon in the Boston City
Hospital, assistant superintendent of that institution in
1887-89, and acting superintendent a portion of that time.

Entering the practice of medicine in Boston, in 1889,
he was professor of surgery in the Boston Dental College,
from 1889 to 1896, and surgeon to out patients and assist-
ant surgeon to the Boston City Hospital from 1890 to 1896.
He studied in London, Pari^ and Vienna, in 1891-92; was
secretary of the Suffolk District Medical Society from 1891
to 1896; secretary of the Boston Medical Association from
1892 to 1896; professor of clinical surgery in Tufts Medi-
ical School in 1885-1896, and made special study of frac-
tures of the elbow joint and devised a method of treatment,
which has since been used extensively in hospital practice
and recommended bv authorities.

While at the hospital he invented apparatus and in-
struments now in general use. In 1896, after an attack of
pneumonia, his health failed and he was obliged to give up
work for a year, and remained during that time at the old
home in Hudson.

538 HISTORY OF HUDSON

He opened an office, in 1897, in Nashua, and has since
then been engaged in practice there, where he has taken
high rank in both medical and surgical circles.

He has been a member of the Massachusetts Medical
Society, the New Hampshire Medical Society, the Ameri-
can Medical Association, the New Hampshire Surgical
Club, and the Nashua Medical Association. He is a mem-
ber of the staff of the Nashua Emergency Hospital and St
Joseph's Hospital. In addition to attending to the numer-
ous and exacting demands of a large practice, he has pre-
pared and published various medical papers, including those
on original operations for fractures of the elbow joint and
cleft palate.

Dr. Smith is a member of Hudson Lodge, No. 94, In-
dependent Order of Odd Fellows, Nashoonon Encamp-
ment, and Canton A., of Nashua. He is a member of the
Ancient York Lodge, No 89, Ancient Free and Accepted
Masons; Meridian Royal Arch Chapter, No. 9; Israel Hunt
Council, No. 8; St. George Commandery, Knight Tem-
plars; Edward A. Raymond Consistory, thirty-second de-
gree, of Nashua, and Bektash Temple, Ancient Arabic Or-
der Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.

Dr. Herbert L. Smith married in Charlestown, Mass.,
September 24, 1890, Charlotte S. DeWolfe, born in
Charlestown, April 22, 1867, daughter of Lewis E. and
Louisa (Graves) DeWolfe.

The children of this union have been: Theodora
Lottchen, born in Vienna, Austria, January 18, 1892, and
died in Charlestown, February 18, 1899; David Onslow,
born in Boston, November 22, 1893; Llewellyn DeWolfe,
born in Nashua, April 18, 1898; Marion Louise, born in
Nashua, February 3, 1900.

Dr. Henry Onslow Smith

Dr. Henry Onslow Smith, youngest son of Dr. David
O. and Mary H. (Greeley) Smith, born December 18, 1864,
is the only resident practicing physician in this town at

PHYSICIANS 539

this time. After a thorough education at Dartmouth Col-
lege and Bellevue Hospital Medical College of New York,
toUowed by a year's service as resident physician in a New
York hospital, he began practice under the oversight and
guidance of his father in 1888, at the age of twenty-four
years.

His practice from the first has increased and improved
gradually but steadily until the present, when it is quite
extensive in this town, and also in several of the adjoining
towns.

He is a member of the New Hampshire Medical Soci-
ety, and the American Medical Association. He has been
a trustee of the public library since it was established and
has been its treasurer from the first. He is a director of
the Nashua Protestant Orphanage Association. He is a
member of Hudson Lodge, No. 94, Independent Order of
Odd Fellows, Nashoonon Encampment, and Canton A., of
Nashua. He has been a useful member of the board of
health for sixteen years and has been its chairman for the
greater part of the time, and is still acting in that capacity.
He is also a member of the school board, which office he
has held for several years.

September 4, 1889, he married Marcia A. Deering of
Waterboro, Maine. He and his wife reside near his father's
homestead. They have one son, Deering Greeley Smith,
born in Hudson, June 5, 1896.

CHAPTER XXXIX

Voting Lists of Hudson

The first printed check list used at any election in this
town was at the annual town meeting, March 10, 1874.

For many years prior to that date the law provided
that:

The selectmen shall lodge with the town clerk, and shall also cause
to be posted up in one or more public places in the town, an alphabetical
list of all the legal voters therein, fifteen days at least prior to any meet-
ing for the choice of state or county officers, representatives in congress,
or electors of president and vice president.

The selectmen shall be in session, at some convenient place, for so
long a time as shall be necessary, within three days next preceding any
such meeting, for the purpose of correcting said list; and one session
shall be for two hours at least on the day before the opening of the meet-
ing.

Notice of the times and places of holding said sessions shall be given
upon said lists at the time of posting up the same.

The selectmen shall hear all applications for the insertion of the
name of any person on said list, or the erasure of any name therefrom,
and may examine the party or any witness thereto, upon oath, which may
be administered by any member of the board.

They shall insert the name of every legal voter omitted, and erase
the name of every person not a legal voter.

Previous to 1874, these check-lists had been written
by the selectmen. When the check-list was printed for
the first time in that year, at an expense of six dollars,
some of the town's leading citizens considered it a piece of
extravagance, and predicted that it would never be re-
peated.

However, it proved to be much more convenient for
the clerk when checking the names of voters, and saved
considerable time, permitting the business of the meeting
to be completed at an earlier hour than formerly. The
many names filled much less space in print than when

540

VOTING LISTS OF HUDSON

541

written, and could be more quickly identified and checked
by the clerk. Hence no written check-list has been made
or used in this town since that time.

Check-List for 1874

Allen, William H.
Andrews, George G.
Annis, Parker B.
Atwood, David
Baker, John H.
Barron, Alden H.
Batchelder, Mark
Bennett, Marcus F.
Berry, John VV.
Berry, George W.
Blanchard, Silas M.
Blodgett, Elmer H.
Blodgett, Augustus F.
Blood, John
Bowles, Prescott
Burleigh, Marcellus
Burnham, Amory
Burns, David
Butler, Henry W.
Buttrick, Clifton E.
Caldwell, Robert D,
Caldwell, Thomas
Campbell, Bradford
Carnes, James
Chase, John
Chase, William F.
Chase, Nathaniel
Cheney, George
Clement, David
Clyde, Samuel W.
Colburn, Paul
Colburn, Isaac

Andrews, Gilman
Andrews, Robert A.
Annis, William P.
Baker, Alexis
Barrett, James
Barron, Solomon R.
Belknap, Andrew J,
Berry, Daniel M.
Berry, Edward F.
Blake, Joseph H.
Blodgett, Austin
Blodgett, Warren
Blodgett, Nathan M.
Bowers, Benjamin S,
Burleigh, Freeman
Burnett, James
Burnham, John A.
Burns, Luke
Butler, Moses
Brewin, Barnard
Caldwell, Nathan
Caldwell, George E.
Carlton, Joseph G.
Case, George F.
Chase, Benjamin D.
Chase, William H.
Chase, Samuel
Choate, Joseph
Clement, David, Jr.
Coburn, James M.
Colburn, George P.
Colburn, Henry T.

542

HISTORY OF HUDSON

Colburn, Newton
Connelly Tobias
Connell, John
Corliss, James
Corliss, Austni D.
Cross, William G.
Cross, Levi E.
Cummings, Hiram
Cumming's, Frank A.
Cutter, James
Dane, John O.
Davis, Joseph
Donahoe, Francis P.
Doughty, George L.
Durgin, James A.
Eaton, Alfred
Emerson, Arthur S.
Ford, Thomas J.
Ford, James
Ford, Moses B.
Ford, James C.
Fuller, Joseph
Fuller, Cyrus
Gage, Daniel T,
Gillis, John
Glover, Andrev^ M.
Gowing, Samuel
Gowing, Edwin S.
Greeley, Jackson E.
Greeley, S. Augustus
Greeley, Daniel M.
Griffin, Rufus K.
Groves, Robert
Hamblet, Wilbur
Hamlett, Alvin
Hardy, Joseph
Harris, Myron W.
Haselton, George W.

Colburn, Daniel A,
Connell, Philip
Connor, John
Corliss, James N.
Corliss, Daniel P.
Cross, Hiram
Cummings, Nathan
Cummings, Enoch
Cressey, Charles A.
Dane, Charles F.
Davis, George H.
Donahoe, Timothy
Donnelly, Owen
Durant, George W,
Dutton, John E.
Eaton, James A.
Emery, James
Ford, Timothy S.
Ford, William R.
Ford, David C.
Fox, Henry J.
Fuller, Benjamin
Fuller, Lorenzo
Gage, Daniel
Glines, George A.
Glover, Warren
Gowing, George T.
Greeley, Stephen D.
Greeley, Samuel
Greeley, James C.
Greeley, John
Grover, Asaph
Guyon, Henry M.
Hamblet, Eli
Hamlett, Llorace J.
Harris, Albert
Harvey, Edward
Heath, Jeremiah

VOTING LISTS OF HUDSON

543

Heath, Henry W.
Hill, Warren
Hill, Abijah
Hill, Granville
Hill, Osgood
Hill, George E.
Hills, Alden
Hills, Albert J. F.
Hills, Edwin E.
Hills, Rossill F.
Hills, Joseph A.
Hoffman, George
Hull, James
Hutchins, Alonzo G.
Jaquith, George D.
Kelley, William
Kelley, John
Kidder, Benjamin H.
Lenahan, Thomas
Leslie, William H.
Lewis, Harvey G.
Marsh, Otis R.
Marshall, Frederick O.
Marshall, Albert H.
Marshall, John B.
Martin, Elisha A.
McCoy, James
Melvin, Frank P.
Melvin, William
Merrill, James B.
Merrill, Henry A.
Merrill, William
Miller, William D.
Millet, James
Morrison, Augustus R.
Newcomb, Charles H.
O'Neil, Michael
Pollard, Joseph F.

Hill, Thomas
Hill, Justin E.
Hill, F. Augustus
Hill, Robert D.
Hill, Alonzo
Hills, Henry H.
Hills, George W.
Hills, Silas
Hills, Arthur F.
Hills, Clifton M.
Hodgman, John S,
Hopkins, J. W.
Hunting, Silas

Ingersoll,

Joy, Lemuel T.
Kelley, John H.
Kelley, Bernard J,
Kuhn, George W.
Lenahan, John
Lewis, William F.
Marsh, Hiram
Marsh, Walter H.
Marshall, Henry
Marshall, George W.
Martin, Elisha
Martin, Dwight E.
McDonald, George
Melvin, Tolford D.
Merrill, Benjamin A.
Merrill, William T.
Merrill, George E.
Miller, William W.
Miller, Franklin P.
Morrison, Samuel
Morse, Nathaniel M.
O'Connell, Michael
Poff, Peter
Powell, John W.

544

HISTORY OF HUDSON

Putnam, John P.
Richardson, Elijah
Robinson, John B.
Robinson, Frank P.
Robinson, Henry C.
Ryan, James
Sanford, Wihnot P.
Sargent, Dana
Senter, John L.
Senter, Simon A.
Shaw, James H.
Simpson, Samuel
Smith, Samuel
Smith, Obadiah F.
Smith, Kimball
Smith, Samuel, 2d
Smith, Daniel B.
Smith, Frederick F.
Smith, William H.
Smith, Reuben P.
Smith, David O.
Smith, Norris
Smith, Henry F.
Spalding, Reuben
Spalding, Benjamin
Sprake, Oliver
Stearns, Ephraim
Steele, S. Alpheus
Stewart, Robert S.
Tandy, Ezekiel
Taylor, William H.
Thomas, Tyler
Thompson, Martin V. B.
Thorning, James C.
Towle, William H.
Trow, George W.
Turner, John
Walton, Waldo P.

Putnam, Moses A. S,
Ripley, Alfred C.
Robinson, Simeon
Robinson, Lucius F.
Robinson, Alphonzo
Sanford, John
Sanford, Hamlin B.
Sargent, William F.
Senter, Charles E.
Senter, Eliphalet
Shea, John
Simpson, Samuel R,
Smith, Alvan
Smith, Henry
Smith, Dustin B.
Smith, Daniel
Smith, John C.
Smith, Isaac N.
Smith, Andrew J.
Smith, George A.
Smith, Edgar L.
Smith, Martin
Spalding, Charles W,
Spalding, Jacob F.
Spear, Thompson
Sprake, Jonathan
Steele, Frederick
Steele, Charles,
Sullivan, John
Taylor, Reuben
Templeton, Ira
Thomas, Wellington H.
Thompson, John M.
Tolles, Lucien M.
Towns, Joseph VV.
Trow, Richard
Walton, James D.
Warren, Adams F.

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VOTING LISTS OF HUDSON

545

Watts, Hugh
Webster, Nathan P.
Wentvvorth, Nathaniel
Wiggin, A. C.
WilloLighby, Mark
Wilson, Franklin
Wilson, J. Frank
Winn, J. Sylvanus
Winn, Paul T.
Winn, Amos
Winn, Ira E.
Wood, George W.
Wryn, John
Wyman, Elbridge

Webster, John
Webster, Kimball
Wheeler, Josiah K.
Willard, Peter E.
VVilloughby, Edwin
Wilson, George H.
Winn, John
Winn, Rufus E.
Winn, Joseph
Winn, William F.
Wood, Charles
Wood, George S.
Wyles, William W.

Young, Israel W.
Young, John P.

The list contained three hundred and twenty-one names,
of which two hundred and eighty-four cast a ballot, leaving
thirty-seven that did not vote at the meeting mentioned.

Check-List, 1909

This list, used at the town election, March 9, 1909,
contained three hundred and eighty-four names — sixty-three
more than the list of 1874, thirty-five years before — an in-
crease of about nineteen per cent. On this list are found
forty-nine names that were on the list of 1874, or about
fifteen and one-half per cent in thirty-five years.

Abbott, George H.
Ackerman, William G.
Adams, Prescott A.
Andrews, Howard A.
Andrews, William A.
Annis, Joseph F.
Baker, John J.
Baker, William W.
Barker, Carl E.
Barry, Lawrence M.
Bassett, Joseph E.

Abare, VVilber L.
Ackerman, William H.
Andrew, Arnold
Andrews, Robert A.
Andrews, Arthur S.
Baker, John H.
Baker, Oswald P.
Barker, Eugene L.
Barron, Irvin E.
Bassett, Charles H.
Batchelder, Allen H.

546

HISTORY OF HUDSON

Batchelder, Reuben
Bell, C. P.

Blanchard, Edgar F.
Blodgett, Augustus F.
Blodgett, Elmer H.
Blood, William J.
Boynton, Herbert L.
Bradley, Allen E.
Brown, John E.
Bruce, Elias A.
Burneche, Annide
Butler, Albert S.
Butler, George F.
Buttrick, Clifton E.
Caldwell, George E.
Campbell, Charles E.
Campbell, Osman S.
Campbell, Carl H.
Chandler, Bradish L.
Chase, Charles H.
Chase, William
Clark, George M.
Clement, David
Clement, Harry E.
Clyde, George W.
Cobb, Bert H.
Colburn, Daniel A.
Connell, Robert T.
Connell, Harry J.
Coombs, Walter R.
Corliss, Alonzo
Cram, John F.
Cummings, Hiram
Cummings, Frank A.
Cummings, Charles E.
Cutler, Aaron
Daniels, Charles A.

Davis,

Belevich, Alexander
Blanchard, Henry W.
Blodgett, Harry D.
Blodgett, Austin J.
Blood, George F.
Boyle, John H.
Boynton, John E.
Brown, Henry C.
Brown, Alvin S.
Buchanan, George H.
Butler, Henry
Butler, Henry C.
Buttrick, Leander C.
Buttrick, Caldwell
Campbell, Bradford
Campbell, William H.
Campbell, Frank E.
Chamberlain, Cornelius W.
Chapman, Frank M.
Chase, Samuel
Cheney, George
Clark, Henry
Clement, Elmer D.
Clifford, Patrick
Coates, James G.
Cochran, Frank B,
Connell, Frank A.
Connell, Philip J.
Connell, Otis R.
Coombs, Elmer L.
Cote, Philip H.
Cross, Arden C.
Cummings, Willis P.
Cummings, Aldon E.
Curtis, Ulysses G.
Daniels, William T.
Davis, George H.
George W.

VOTING LISTS OF HUDSON

547

Davis, Henry
Donahoe, Patrick
Donnelly, Charles
Donnelly, Edward B.
Doty, Norman A. D.
Dunklee, Charles E.
Durant, Joel P.
Durivage, Frank
Eaton, Walter D.
Eayres, Winslow P.
Estes, Charles F.
Ferryall, Fred
Fisher, Oliver A.
Ford, Thomas J.
Freeman, Andrew N.
French, Simon
Fuller, Albert A.
Galvin, Dennis F.
Gay, Elbridge
Gay, Warren O.
Gilbert, Charles B.
Girouard, Joseph
Glover, Charles H.
Gowing, Sidney P.
Gowing, Edwin S.
Greeley, Daniel M.
Greeley, John P.
Greenwood, Cyrus N.
Griffin, Charles E.
Groves, Robert
Groves, Robert G.
Gaudette, John B.
Hanscomb, Charles H.
Harvey, Charles H.
Harwood, Walter J.
Harwood, Harry
Haselton, William C.
Hills, Franklin A.

Dodge, Walter D.
Donnelly, Eugene
Donnelly, John
Dooley, George N.
Downs, Edwin P.
Durant, Lucius W.
Durivage, George H.
Eaton, Alfred
Eayres, Edward F.
Emerson, Harry D.
Estey, Aaron P.
Fish, Burton K.
Ford, Charles M.
Foster, Charles W.
French, Menzel S.
Frost, Neil W.
Fuller, Willis L.
Gatz, Arno E.
Gay, Leonard A.
Gester, Albert
Gilbert, Leon A.
Glover, Andrew M.
Goodale, Walt M.
Gowing, George P.
Gowing, Edwin E.
Greeley, Samuel A.
Green, Job W.
Griffin, George E.
Griffin, John E.
Groves, John C.
Groves, William H.
Hammond, Harry L.
Harvey, J. F.
Harwood, Harold J.
Harwood, Walter T.
Haselton, Arthur W.
Hersey, Franklin J.
Hills, Orlando G.

548

HISTORY OF HUDSON

Hoag, David T.
Holt, Eugene A.
Hopkins, Charles H.
Howe, James P.
Hunter, Frank H.
Jacques, Napoleon
Joy, Arthur L.
Jewell, Albert
Kimball, John R.
LeBoufe, Archie
Lemoy, Philip C.
Leslie, Charles C.
Leslie, Eugene W.
Manning, Fred J.
Marshall, Frank E.
Marshall, John B.
Marshall, Dana S.
Marshall, Eugene J.
Martin, Ezra A.
McAfee, Charles S.
McAfee, Alfred H.
McCoy, James
McCoy, Herman R.
McCoy, Elgin L.
Melendy, Charles F.
Melvin, Allen H.
Merrill, James Everett
Merrill, Warren E. S.
Montgomery, Francis
Montgomery, Frank
Morey, Dell E.
Morris, William
Morrison, Augustus R.
Norton, Charles L.
Olney, Edwin
Osgood, Anson A.
Payne, Faybian

Hoag, James H.
Holton, Lewis M.
Hopkins, Guy A.
Howe, James G.
Hutchinson, William
Jacques, Frank A.
Jennings, Wilbur S.
Kenrick, Harry B.
LaQuerre, Joseph
LeGallee, Joseph H.
Leonard, Sidney W.
Leslie, William H.
Lewis, Harvey G,
Marsh, Walter H.
Marshall, Natt W.
Marshall, George W.
Marshall, Herbert W.
Martin, Horace A.
Maxfield, Hayden S.
McAfee, Carl A.
McCann, George W.
McCoy, Arus
McCoy, Daniel G.
McQuesten, Walter T.
Melvin, Augustus J.
Merrill, George A.
Merrill, Benjamin A.
Miller, Charles L.
Montgomery, William J.
Morey, Henry
Morrill, Edwin H.
Morris, Arthur E.
Norris, Herbert L.
Ober, Andrew M.
Orne, Thomas J.
Osgood, Edward C.
Payne, Victor W.

VOTING LISTS OF HUDSON

54'9

Paine, Clinton E,
Parker, Charles C.
Parker, Gerry F.
Parker, Phineas A,
Perham, George A.
Perkins, Basil N.
Phalen, Frank
Pollard, Raymond J.
Questrom, Samuel
Ratte, Peter T.
Reed, Elijah R.
Rich, Forrest A.
Rivers, Eugene
Robinson, Alphonzo
Robinson, Frank P.
Robinson, George W.
Rogers, Frank P.
Roleau, John
Rounsevelle, John
Sanders, Abram
Sargent, Nathaniel
Shattuck, John
Sheldon, David P.
Shores, Fred F.
Simpson, Alfred L.
Simpson, Fred S.
Smith, Osman W.
Smith, Isaac N.
Smith, Hiland
Smith, Irvin A.
Smith, Henry O.
Smith, Fred E.
Smith, Arthur
Smith, Sherman W.
Smith, Elmer F.
Snow, Royal G.
Spalding, Charles L.

Parker, George H.
Parker, James E.
Parker, F. Laton
Pease, Nelson H.
Perkins, Sumner N,
Peterson, Gustave
Phillips, James A.
Pudvah, Charles J.
Rancour, Henry
Ratte, Cyril
Reed, George D.
Rich, Walter G.
Robarge, Joseph E.
Robinson, Henry C.
Robinson, John A.
Robinson, Lester W,
Rogers, Harry E.
Rolland, Fred
Sanborn, Edwin H,
Sargent, Frank W.
Senter, Eliphalet
Shaw, Frank
Shepard, Charles A.
Shores, William F.
Simpson, Edward G.
Sinclair, Henry
Smith, Henry F.
Smith, Charles S.
Smith, Nelson
Smith, Herbert N.
Smith, James
Smith, Marcell H.
Smith, Arthur W.
Smith, Perley B.
Smith, George L.
Spalding, Charles W.
Spalding, Edward A.

550

HISTORY OF HUDSON

Stearns, William W.
Steele, Silas T.
Steele, Frederick
Stevens, George A
Tardy, John
Thomas, Pearl T.
Thompson, George F.
Thorne, Albert
Tolles, Lucien M.
Trow, Wallace G.
Trufant, John M.
Twiss, Daniel L.
Twiss, George W.
Tyler, Francis O.
Vantine, Charles
Vose, George H.
Walch, Chester M.
Walker, James G.
Walker, Henry E.
Webber, George K.
Welch, Henry N.
Wentworth, John
Wheeler, Josiah K.
Wildes, Frank H.
Willoughby, Harvey M.
Wilshire, Frank
Wilson, James F.
Winn, Frank M.
Winn, William F.
Winn, Leon E.
Woodbury, Fred E.

Wyman,

Steele, Charles A.
Steele, George S.
Steele, Fred G.
Stewart, Albert A.
Taylor, William H.
Thompson, Fred W.
Thorne, Charles
Thorne, Arthur
Trow, Arthur A.
Trufant, Albert
Trull, Christopher B,
Twiss, Walter
Twiss, Howard
Upton, Charles R.
Vaughn, Henry E.
Walch, Clarence E.
Walker, Gerry
Walker, Laurentio E.
Watts, William H.
Webster, Kimball
Wentworth, Nathaniel
Weston, Jesse S,
White, Charles
Willoughby, Benjamin F,
Wells, Edward J.
Wilson, Hiram
Winn, Elmer C.
Winn, Rufus E.
Winn, Frank A.
Wood, George H.
Woodward, Charles M.
Fred D.

CHAPTER XL

Official Roster

The following is a list of moderators of annual town
meetings, town clerks and selectmen of the town of Not-
tingham, from 1733 to 1741.

Moderators of Annual Tuvvn Mektings

Captain Robert Fletcher, 1733.
Henry Baldwin, 1734, '37, '38.
John Butler, 1735, '41.
Joseph Snow, 1736, '39.
Thomas Colburn, 1740.

Selectm en

1733, Henry Baldwin, Captain Robert Fletcher, John Taylor, Joseph
Snow, John Butler.

1734, Henry Baldwin, Robert Fletcher, Zaccheus Lovewell, John
Butler, Eleazer Cummings.

1735, John Butler, Robert F'letcher, Thomas Colburn.

1736, Daniel Fletcher, William Cummings, John Butler.

1737, Henry Baldwin, Joseph Hamblet, John Butler.

1738, Henry Baldwin, John Butler, Joseph Hamblet, Joseph Winn,
John Baldwin.

1739, Eleazer Cummings, Zaccheus l.ovewell, Jonathan Snow.

1740, Thomas Colburn, Zaccheus Lovewell, John Snow.

1741, Henry Baldwin, Joseph Hamblet, Thomas Gage.

Town Clerks

Henry Baldwin, 1733, '34, '37, '38, '41.
John Butler, 1735, '36.
Jonathan Snow, 1739, '40.

Until 1741, the town of Nottingham was supposed to
be wholly in Massachusetts, and was under the laws and
jurisdiction of that commonwealth; but upon the settle-
ment of the province line in that year, the town was divid-
ed, and the greater part fell within the limits of New
Hampshire. Nottingham in this state became a district,

551

552 HTSTORY OF HUDSON

and remained as such until 1746. There is no record of
any town or district meeting from November 22, 1741, to
August 9, 1743, at which last meeting the first district of-
ficers were elected.

Moderators of Annual Meetings, Selectmen and Town Clerks of
the District of Nottingham.

Moderators

Henry Baldwin, 1743, '44.
Thomas Colburn, 1745.
Thomas Gage, 1746-

Selectmen

1743, Zacchens Lovewell, Ezekiel Chase, Samuel Greeley.

1744, Ezekiel Chase, Joseph Hamblet, John Marshall.
174.^, Zaccheus Lovewell, Samuel Greeley, Samuel Butler,

Samuel Greeley was elected district clerk at the first
district meeting that is found recorded, and was re-elected
each year afterwards as long as Nottingham remained a
district.

The charter of Nottingham West as a town, as has
been already stated, was dated July 5, 1746, and the first
meeting for the election of officers was held July 17 of the
same year.

The following lists present the names of the persons
who have held the several offices of moderator of annual
town meetings, town clerks and selectmen from the year
1746 to 1913, with the years in which they were respec-
tively chosen :

Moderators

Zaccheus Lovewell, 1746.

Thomas Colburn, 1747, '48, '49, '50, '51, '53, '58.

Ezekiel Chase, 1752, '54, '55, '56, '57, '64, '65, '66, '67, '68, '76.

Abraham Page, 1759, '60, '71, '72, '73, '74, '75, '77, '78.

Daniel Merrill, 1761.

Ephraim Cummings, 1762, '63.

Henry Hale, 1769.

George Burns, 1770.

OFFICIAL ROSTER 553

Asa Davis, 1779, '80, '83, '84, '85, '98, '99, 1800, '01.
William Burns, 1781, '82, '95.
Timothy Smith, 1786, '88, '89, '90.
Samuel Marsh, 1787.
Phineas Underwood, 1791, '92, '93. '94.
Moses Johnson, 1796, '97.
Jesse Davidson, 1802, '03.

Isaac Merrill, 1804, '05, '06, '07, '08, '10, '11, '12.
Robert Patterson, 1809.

Caleb S. Ford, 1813, '14, '15, '16, '17. '19, '21. '22, '24, '2.7, '26, '27,
'28, '29, '32.

Noah Robinson, 1818.

Joseph Greeley, 1820, '23.

Thomas B. Wason, 1830. '31, '33, '34, '35, '36, '37, '38, '39.

Jabez P. F. Cross, 1840, '41, '42, '43, '44, '45, '47, '48.

Jeremiah Smith, 1846.

Ethan Willoughby, 1850, '51.

James Emery, 1853, '54, '59, '60, '66.

James T. Palmer, 1855, '56, '57.

Benjamin F. Chase, 1858.

Timothy S. Ford, 1861.

William H. Chase, 1S62, '63, '64, '65, '67, '68, '69, '70, '71.

Caleb Richardson, 1872.

Jacob F. Spalding, 1873.

Dana Sargent, 1874, '75, '77.

Benjamin A. Merrill, 1876.

Josiah K. Wheeler, 1878, '81, '82, '83, '84, '85, '86, '87, '88, '89, '90.

Stephen D. Greeley, 1879, '80.

Kimball Webster, 1891, '92, '93, '94.

Nathaniel Wentworth, 1895, '96, '97, '98.

George W. Clyde, 1899, 1900, '03, '04. '05, '06, '07, '08, '09.

Henry C. Brown, 1901, '02, '10, '11, '12, '13.

For the years 1849 and 1852 the election of moderator
is not recorded.

Town Clerks from 1746 to 1913

Samuel Greeley, 1746.

Samuel Greeley, Jr., 1747.

Doctor Ezekiel Chase, 1748.

Samuel Greeley, Jr., 1749 to 1776.

Samuel Greeley, Jr., 1777 to 1781. Son of the last Samuel.

Timothy Smith, 1782 to 1784.

Asa Davis, 1785 to 1795 and 1801 to 1807.

554 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Joseph Greeley, 1796 to 1800.

James Gibson, 1808 to 1811.

Joseph Greeley, Jr., 1812 to 1815.

Joseph Pollard, 1816, '17.

Asa Blodgett, 1818 to 1825.

Foster Towns, 1826.

Reuben Greeley, 1827 to 1837.

James Pierce, 1838 and 1839.

Henry M. Hooke, 1840.

Daniel McCoy, 1841.

Uustin B. Farnum, 1842 and 1843.

Paul Colburn, 1844 to 1856.

William H. Chase, 1857 and 1858.

John C. Webster, 1859.

Eli Hamblet, 1860 to 1868.

Josiah K. Wheeler, 1869 and 1870.

Waldo P. Walton, 1871, '72, '74.

James Emery, 1875 and 1877 to 1879.

James G. Walker, 1876.

James B. Merrill, 1873 and 1880 to 1890.

John J. Baker, 1891 to 1883 and 1902 to 1909 and 1911 to 1913.

George G. Andrews, 1894 to 1898.

George E. Merrill, 1899 to 1901.

George W. Clyde, 1910.

Selectmen from 1746 to 1913

1746, Samuel Greeley, Zaccheus Lovewell, Eleazer Cummings.

1747, Ezekiel Chase, John Marsh, John Marshall, Samuel Greeley,
Jr., James Wason.

1748, Thomas Colburn, Samuel Greeley, Ezekiel Chase, William
Cummings, James Hills.

1749, John Marshall, Stephen Chase, Joseph Winn, Henry Hills,
Samuel Greeley, Jr.

1760, John Marsh, Samuel Greeley, Jr., George Burns.

1751, Samuel Merrill, Eleazer Cummings, Samuel Greeley, Jr.

1752, George Burns, Samuel Greeley, Jr., Josiah Cummings.

1753, Samuel Marsh, Abraham Page, .Samuel Greeley, Jr.

1754, Thomas Colburn, Samuel Greeley, Jr., James Hills.

1755, Ezekiel Chase, Roger Chase, Samuel Greeley, Jr.

1756- '57, Ezekiel Chase, Samuel Greeley, Jr., Ephraim Cummings.

1758, Abraham Page, George Burns, James Hills.

1759, Abraham Page, Samuel Greeley, Jr., Roger Chase.

1760, Daniel Merrill, Ezekiel Hills, Henry Snow.

1761, Samuel Greeley, Jr., Eleazer Cummings, Daniel Merrill.

OFFICIAL ROSTER 556

1762-'63, Samuel Greeley, Jr., Ephraim Cummings, Samuel Marsh.

1764, Ezekiel Chase, George Burns, Asa Davis.

1765, Henry Hale, Abraham Page, Ezekiel Hills.

1766, Samuel Greeley, Jr., Ezekiel Chase, Ephraim Cummings.

1767, Abraham Page, Nathaniel Davis, Asa Davis.
176S, George Burns, Nathaniel Davis, Ezekiel Hills.

1769, Abraham Page, Henry Hale, Asa Davis.

1770, George Burns, Samuel Moor, Nathaniel Davis.

1771, Abraham Page, Nathaniel Davis, Nehemiah Hadley.
1772-'74, Abraham Page, Nathaniel Davis, John Haseltine, Jr.

1775, John Haseltine, Jr., Asa Davis, William Burns.

1776, Samuel Marsh, John Caldwell, William Burns.

1777, Samuel Marsh, Timothy Smith, George ]^)urns, Jr.

1778, John Haseltine, John Caldwell, Andrew Seavey.

1779, Samuel Marsh, David Lawrence, Moses Johnson, Samuel Wa-
son, Samuel Greeley.

1780, Asa Davis, James Ford, David Lawrence.

1781, Samuel Marsh, John Hale, Isaac Merrill.

1782 and 1784, Timothy Smith, John Haseltine, Jr., Samuel Bur-
bank, Jr.

1783, Timothy Smith, Nathaniel Davis, Samuel Burbank, Jr.
1785-'88, Asa Davis, John Haseltine, Jr., Isaac Merrill.
1789, Asa Davis, John Haseltine, Jr., Phineas Underwood.
1790-'92, Asa Davis, Phineas Underv^ood, Thomas Hills.
1793-'94, Asa Davis, Samuel Marsh, Phineas Underwood.
1795-'96, Samuel Marsh, Page Smith. Isaac Colburn.

1797, Samuel Marsh, David Lawrence, Isaac Merrill.

1798, Asa Davis, Thomas Senter, Jonathan Burbank.

1799, Jonathan Burbank, Isaac Merrill, Thomas Hills.
1800 and 1804, Asa Davis, Isaac Merrill, Page Smith.
1801, Asa Davis, Page Smith, Eleazer Cummings.
1802-'03, Asa Davis, Page Smith, Jesse Davidson.
1805-'06, Asa Davis, Isaac Merrill, Caleb S. Ford.

1807, Asa Davis, Caleb S. Ford, James Gibson.

1808, Caleb S. Ford, James Gibson, Jeremiah Smith.
1809 '10, Caleb S. Ford, James Gibson, Noah Robinson.

1811, James (iibson, Jonathan Burbank, Moses Greeley.

1812. Jonathan Burbank, Moses CJreeley, Reuben Sargent.
1813-'l4, Moses Greeley, Joseph Greeley, Jr., Jeremiah Smith.
1815 '16, Moses Greeley, Benjamin Merrill, William Hills.
1817-'19, Caleb S. Ford, Thomas B. Wason, Jacob Chase.

1820, Caleb S. Ford, Reuben Sargent, David Burns.

1821, David Burns, William Hills, Noyes Tenney.

1822, David Burns, Jacob Chase, Noyes Tenney.

556 HISTORY OF HUDSON

1823, Noyes Tenney, William Hills, Oliver Pollard.

1824, Oliver Pollard, Noah Robinson, Reuben Greeley.

1825, Oliver Pollard, Noah Robinson, Ebenezer Ford.

1826, Reuben Greeley, James Pierce, William Hills.
1827-'28, Reuben Greeley, James Pierce, Jacob Chase.

1829, Caleb S. Ford, James Pierce, John Burnham.

1830, James Pierce, William Hadley, Joseph Blodgett, Jr.

1831, James Pierce, William Hadley, Thomas B. Wason.

1832, Caleb .S. Ford, Jeremiah Smith, Noah Robinson.

1833, Noah Robinson, Timothy Ford, Jabez P. F. Cross.

1834, Noah Robinson, Jabez P. F. Cross, James Wilson.

1835, Reuben Greeley, Noah Robinson, Jabez P. F. Cross.

1836, Reuben Greeley, Thomas B. Wason, David Robinson.

1837, Thomas B. Wason, Reuben Greeley, Paul Hardy.

1838, Thomas B Wason, Paul Hardy, Dustin B. Farnum.

1839, Paul Hardy, Dustin B, Farnum, Jabez P. F. Cross.
1840 '41, James Pierce, William Hadley, Warren Pollard.

1842, Thomas Marsh, Greenleaf B. Farnum, Oilman Andrews.

1843, Thomas B. Wason, Amos Hills, Paul Colburn.

1844, Thomas B. Wason, Amos Hills, Oilman Andrews.

1845, Jabez P. F. Cross, Oilman Andrews, Alvan Smith.

1846, Oilman Andrews, Alvan Smith, Samuel Morrison.

1847, Paul Hardy, Jabez P. F. Cross, Stephen D. Greeley.

1848, Paul Hardy, Jeremiah Smith, Stephen D. Greeley.

1849, James Pierce, Alvan Smith, Benjamin F. Chase.

1850, Paul Hardy, Calvin Pollard, Stephen D. Greeley.

1851, Alvan Smith, Calvin Pollard, Stephen D. Greeley.

1852, Calvin Pollard, Stephen D. Greeley, George W. Burns.

1853, James Pierce, George W. Burns, George W. Hills.

1854, Stephen D. Greeley, Hiram Marsh, Benjamin F. Chase.

1855, Benjamin F. Chase, Luther Pollard, John Cross.

1856, David Clement, John Cross, James T. Palmer.

1857, James T. Palmer, Eli Hamblet, Granville Hill.

1858, Eli Hamblet, Granville Hill, Samuel Gowing.

1859, Alvan Smith, John P. Pierce, Noah O. Robinson.

1860, Hiram Marsh, Samuel Gowing, Silas Hills.

1861, Eli Hamblet, Samuel Gowing, Daniel T. Gage.

1862, Daniel T. Gage, Samuel Gowing, Caleb Richardson.

1863, Daniel T. Gage, John Chase, Alden Hills.

1864, Eli Hamblet, Alden Hills, Benjamin A. Merrill.

1865-'66, Stephen D. Greeley, Benjamin F. Chase, Josiah K. Wheeler.
1867-'68, Stephen D. Greeley, Benjamin F. Chase, Benjamin A.
Merrill.

1869, Eli Hamblet, Joseph Fuller, John M. Thompson.

OFFICIAL ROSTER 557

1870, Eli Hamblet, John M. Thompson, James K. Merrill.

1871, John M. Thompson, James B. Merrill, Augustus F. Blodgett.

1872, James B. Merrill, Kimball Webster, Otis R. Marsh.

1873, Kimball Webster, Otis R. Marsh, Charles W. Spalding.

1874, Kimball Webster, Reuben Spalding, John Lenahan.

1875, Kimball Webster, Reuben SpaJding, Charles Steele.

1876, Josiah K. Wheeler, John M. Thompson, George W. Trow.

1877, John M. Thompson, Charles Steele, George W. Trow.

1878, John M. Thompson, Lucien M. Tolles, William F. Winn.

1879, Lucien M. Tolles, William F. W^inn, Charles W. Spalding.

1880, Lucien M. Tolles, Charles W. Spalding. William S. Weston.

1881, Charles W. Spalding, Mark Batchelder, Arthur S. Andrews.

1882, Josiah K. Wheeler, William F. Winn, Clifton E. Buttrick.

1883, Josiah K. Wheeler, William F. Winn, Robert A. Andrews.

1884, William F. Winn, James F. Wilson, Daniel A. Colburn.
1886, James F. Wilson, Daniel A. Colburn, George G. Andrews.

1886, Daniel A. Colburn, George G. Andrews, James G. Walker.

1887, George G. Andrews, Edwin S. Gowing, Henry C. Brown.

1888, Edwin S. Gowing, James F. Wilson, Daniel Gage.

1889, James F. Wilson, Daniel Gage, David Clement.

1890, Daniel Gage, David Clement, John M. Thompson.
1891-'92, Philip J. Conneli, James P. Howe, Charles A. Steele.

1893, James P. Howe, Charles A. Steele, Justin M. Sleeper.

1894, Lucien M. Tolles, Henry C. Biown, Jesse S. Weston.

1895, Lucien M. Tolles, Jesse S. Weston, George P. Woodward.

1896, James F. Wilson, Fred A. Coburn, Edward A. Spalding.
1897-'98, James F. Wilson, John A. Robinson, Joseph H. LeGallee.

1899, James F. Wilson, John A. Robinson, George S. Steele.

1900, James F. Wilson, John A. Robinson, Fred H. Daniels.

1901, Arthur S. Andrews, Joseph H. LeGallee, John Wentworth.

1902, George A. Merrill, WiUiam F. Winn, Elmer D. Clement.
1903-'09, James P. Howe, Philip J. Conneli, George F. Blood.
1910, Jesse S. Weston, George N. Dooley, Guy A. Hopkins.
1911-'12, Jesse S. Weston, George N. Dooley, George W. McCann.
1913, Henry C. Brown, Frank A. Conneli, John A. Robinson.

Delegates to General Court, Etc., From 1733 to 1913

1733. Captain Robert Fletcher and Zaccheus Love-
well, delegates to the Massachusetts General Court to get
the non-resident lands taxed for the support of the minis-
try, and to get a proportion of the lands for the town, given
to Dunstable by the proprietors or others.

558 HISTORY OF HUDSON

1734, March. Zaccheus Lovewell, delegate to the
Massachusetts General Court to procure the passage of an
Act allowing the town to assess a tax of ten shillings each,
upon all the cattle driven into the town to pasture, in addi-
tion to the usual rates.

1734, June. Captain Robert Fletcher, Henry Bald-
win, Joseph Snow and Joseph Hamblet, delegates to the
Massachusetts General Court, to answer for the town in
all matters relating to the petition of the people of "Natti-
cook" to be incorporated as a separate township.

1734, November. Captain Robert Fletcher, delegate
to the Massachusetts General Court, to procure a grant of
province lands to aid the town to maintain a public school.

1741. Captain Thomas Colburn, delegate to the Mas-
sachusetts General Court, to procure the abatement of the
county tax, in consequence of the town being divided by
the new province line.

1747. John Marsh, delegate to the New Hampshire
General Court, upon the petition of the town, for the pas-
sage of an Act for the taxing of lands of non-residents.

1748. Deacon Samuel Greeley and John Marsh, dele-
gates to the New Hampshire General Court, to answer to
a citation in relation to a petition of Josiah Cummings and
other inhabitants of the town, to be released from paying
taxes for the support of Rev. Mr. Merrill.

1760, March 17. Ephraim Cummings chosen delegate
to the New Hampshire General Court, to make application
to have the lands of non-residents laid under tax.

1762, January 15. Captain Samuel Greeley chosen
Representative for Nottingham West and Litchfield, to
represent said towns in the General Assembly.

Captain Samuel Greeley was re-elected March 4, 1762.

Captain James Ford, delegate to the Provincial Con-
vention at Exeter, January 25, 1775.

Captain Abraham Page, delegate to the Provincial
Convention at Exeter, May 17, 1775, and to act for the
town for six months.

OFFICIAL ROSTER 559

Captain Abraham Page, delegate to the Provincial
Convention at Exeter, April, 1775.

John Haseltine, Jr., delegate to the County Congress
at Amherst, 1775.

1778, May 30. William Burns chosen delegate to the
convention to meet at Concord, June 10, to form a new
plan of government.

1781. Timothy Smith chosen to represent the town
at a convention to be held at Concord on the first Tuesday
of June, to form a new plan of government.

1786, October 30. Reuben Spalding chosen delegate
to the convention "to make a general plan for Paper
money."

1788, January 28. Ebenezer Cummings chosen dele-
gate "to sit in the convention at Exeter on the second
Wednesday of February next, in order to consult and ex-
amine the Federal Constitution."

1850. Ethan Willoughby, delegate to the convention
to revise the constitution.

1877. Dana Sargent, delegate to the convention to
revise the constitution.

1889. David O. Smith, delegate to the convention to
revise the constitution.

1908. George W. Clyde, delegate to the convention
to revise the constitution.

1912. Henry C. Brown, delegate to the convention to
revise the constitution.

Representatives to the General Court from 1775

TO 1913

Prior to October, 1780, this town was classed with
Litchfield for the election of Representatives.

The names of those elected from this town are given
in the following list :

Captain Abraham Page, 1775, '76.

Asa Davis, 1777, 79, '92, '93, '94, '99, 1800, '01, '02, '03, '04, '05, '06,
'07, '08.

560 HISTORY OF HUDSON

Captain Samuel Marsh, 1784, '85, '86.
Ebenezer Cummings, 1788.

Colonel Joseph Greeley, 1795, '96, '97, '98, 1811, '1
Robert Patterson, 1809, '10.
Isaac Colburn, 1812.
Isaac Merrill, 1813, '14, '16, '17.
Noah Robinson, 1818, '20, '21.
Thomas B. Wason, 1819, '28, '30, '31, '33, '35, '36-
Caleb S. Ford, 1822, '23, '24, '25, '26, '27.
Reuben Greeley, 1829.
Joseph Greeley, Jr., 1837.
David Burns, 1838, '39, '47.
Jabez P. F. Cross, 1840, '41, '42.
WilHam Hadley, 1843, '44, '46.
James Carnes, 1848-
» James Pierce, 1850.
Joseph Storer, 1851.
William Warren, 1852, '53.
James Emery, 1854.
Hiram Marsh, 1855.
Benjamin F. Chase, 1856.
Paul Colbutn, 1857.
Luther Pollard, 1858.
Granville Hill, 1859.
Samuel Morrison, I860.
William H. Chase, 1861.
Addison Heald, 1862.
Samuel Gowing, 1863.
Stephen D. Greeley, 1864.
Eli Hamblet, 1865.
Isaac Colburn, 1866.
Benjamin Kidder, 18G7.
Thomas Gowing, 1868.
Daniel M. Greeley, 1869.
Daniel T. Gage, 1870.
Josiah K. Wheeler, 1871.
Samuel Greeley, 1872.
Dana Sargent, 1874, '75.
James B. Merrill, 1876.
Lucien M. Tolles, 1877.
Waldo P. Walton, 1878.

A constitutional convention assembled at Concord, De-
cember 6, 1876. This convention proposed amendments

l^^^*^'.:

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HENRY C. BROWN

OFFICIAL ROSTER 561

changing the constitution in thirteen particulars, all of
which except two were adopted by the people.

These adopted amendments provided for a change in
the time of the election of all state and county officers,
senators and representatives to the Legislature, from the
second Tuesday of March, annually, to the Tuesday next
after the first Monday of November, biennially.

The tenure of office of all the officers mentioned was
changed from one, to two years.

Under the revised constitution the following men have
been elected representatives, each for the term of two
years :

John M. Thompson, elected November, 1878,
Justin E. Hill, elected November, 1880.
Nathan P. Webster, elected November, 1882-
William F. Winn, elected November, 1884.
Nathaniel Wentvvorth, elected November, 1886.
Charles W. Spalding, elected November, 1888.

The constitution was amended in 1889, providing that
the Legislature should convene on the first Wednesday of
January, biennially, instead of the first Wednesday of June.

William W. Baker, elected in November, 1890.
George W. Haselton, elected November, 1892-
George G. Andrews, elected November, 1894.
Edwin S. Gowing, elected November, 1896.
John J. Baker, elected November, 1898.
Kimball Webster, elected November, 1900.
Philip J. Connell, elected November, 1902.
John A. Robinson, elected November, 1904.
George H. Abbott, elected November, 1906.
George W. Clyde, elected November, 1908.
Jesse S. Weston, elected November, 1910.
Edward A. Spalding, elected November, 1912.

No Representatives were elected for 1787, '89, '90, '91,
1882, '34, '45, '49 and '73.

Votes for State President from 1784 to 1792, Inclusive

1784, Meschech Weare, 45; all cast.

1785, George Atkinson, 42; John Langdon, 5.

562

HISTORY OF HUDSON

1786, John Langdon, 66; all cast.

1787, John Langdon, 86; John Sullivan, 7.

1788, John Langdon, 33; John Sullivan, 9.

1789, John Pickering, 78; John SulUvan. 2.

1790, John Pickering, 88; all cast.

1791, Josiah Bartlett, 80; all cast.

1792, Josiah Bartlett, 72; all cast.

Votes for Governor from 1793 to 1912, Inclusive

1793

1794
1795
1796
1797
1798
1799
1800
1801
1802
1803
1804
1805
1806
1807
1808
1809

1810:

1811

1812

1813

1814

1815

1816

1817

1818,

1819

1820:

1821
1822
1823
1824
1825:
1826,
1827,

Josiah Bartlett, 55 ; all cast.

John Taylor Gilman, 50; all cast.

John Taylor Gilman, 67; all cast.

John Taylor Gilman, 56; all cast.

John Taylor Gilman, 57; all cast.

John Taylor Gilman, 74; all cast.

John Taylor Gilman, 49; all cast.

John Taylor Gilman, 49; Timothy Walker, 3.

John Taylor Gilman, 51; all cast.

John Taylor Gilman, 40; John Langdon, 19.

John Taylor Gilman, 31 ; John Langdon, 28.

John Langdon, 73; John Taylor Gilman, 34.

John Langdon, 72; John Taylor Gilman, 54.

John Langdon, 90; Timothy Farrow, 1.

John Langdon, 96; Justus Dakin, 1.

John Langdon, 69; Thomas Senter