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JOHN SCALES
OLD HOME WEEK
LEE, NEW HAMPSHIRE
August 23, 1916
TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY
OF
SETTLEMENT OF THE TERRITORY
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY
OF
INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN
ADDRESS BY
JOHN SCALES, A. B., A. M.
f^^
X^^^^
5?-
THE TOWN OF LEE
First Settlement 1 666 Incorporated 1 766
The territory of Lee was a part of the old town of Dover,
which began to be settled at Dover Point in the spring of
1623, two hundred and ninety-three years ago. Just when
the first settler struck this part of Old Dover is not known,
but we do know that it was at a very early date. The early
emigrants from England to Dover were always on the look-
out for the best localities, and they found some of them in
this section of it ; and those good places have remained here
ever since, and some of their descendants still hold posses-
sion. You speak of your town as one hundred and fifty years
old, but the first settlers here antedate that number by a
hundred years, so really you are celebrating your two hun-
dred and fiftieth anniversary. Do you appreciate what that
period of time means? Two hundred and fifty years, — No
doubt the young folks who are here think a person who is
fifty years old, is "old" indeed, yet the Civil war closed
before such persons were born, and Lee began to be settled
two hundred years before that war began. The ancestors
of some of you were soldiers in the war of 1812-15, which
war closed one hundred years ago, but the settlement of Lee
began a hundred and fifty years before that war closed.
All of you think of the Revolutionary War as a very long
time ago, yet your town began to be settled a hundred years
before that war began. From these illustrations I think you
get an appreciative idea of the meaning of two hundred and
fifty years ; you have occasion to feel that your town is old,
this day of celebration.
The first immigrants built their village on Dover Neck,
on the hill north of Dover Point. By the way, that locality
is called the " Neck " because it lies between three rivers, —
4
the Newichawannock on the east, — the Pascataqua on the
south, — and Back River on the west. When they had got
well housed on the Neck, they commenced to branch out in
business. The whole country from here to Canada was a
vast forest; the trees had to be cut and the ground cleared
for farms. Saw mills were the first mills to be erected, to
cut logs into lumber, for which there was a ready sale in
the West Indies and in England and in European countries.
In those days they did not have portable saw mills as the
lumber men now have, but used the water falls to produce
power; hence there was a great demand for sites for saw-
mills. The town owned everything, and the people had to
get grants from the town before they could set up a mill, or
cut any trees for the mill. Another point should be kept
in mind; Old Dover was a part of Massachusetts, being a
town in Norfolk County, till 1680 ; there was not any " New
Hampshire " till that date ; so Lee is about a quarter of a
century older than New Hampshire. Being under Massa-
chusetts rule the authorities in Boston thought they had the
right to make grants of land to its citizens; not knowing
the precise southern boundary line of Old Dover, they gave
a grant to Samuel Symonds, of Ipswich, Mass., of 640 acres
of land at the second falls in " Lamperele " River, June 3,
1657, two hundred and sixty years ago. This was granted in
the presence and with the consent of Moharimet, the Indian
sagamore of this region, whose home was on Moharimet's
Hill in Madbury, also called Hick's Hill.
When the Selectmen of Dover found this out they pro-
tested, on the plea that the falls were in their town, and
that none but the town had any right to make grants of
land within its boundaries. But Mr. Symonds held posses-
sion ten years, or more. Probably he had a mill there, but
I do not know. Dover kept on protesting against the action
of the Boston authorities for making a grant of their terri-
tory; the result appears in the Dover Town Records, as
follows :
May 3, 1669, Robert Wadleigh was received as an inhabi-
tant in the town of Dover, " according to ye tenure of ye
last inhabitant received." At the same town meeting he
received the grant of what has ever since been known as
" Wadleigh's Falls," being the same that Massachusetts had
granted to Mr. Symonds, which shows the town regarded
the Symonds grant as of no legal value. The grant reads
as follows:
"At a general town meeting held in Dover, March 3,
1669, — Given and granted unto Robert Wadleigh, as accom-
modation for the erection and setting up of a saw mill, or
mills at the uppermost falls upon Lamperele River, common-
ly called by ye name of ye Cleland falls ; with an accommoda-
tion of timber thereunto belonging, ye bounds of ye timber
are as follows: Yt is to say, — all ye timber on ye south
side above sd falls as farr as ye towns bounds doth goe, and
on ye north side all ye timber yt is within the River above
sd falls as farr as ye Towne bounds doth goe, with one hun-
dred acres of land on ye south side of ye sd River and twenty
acres of land on ye north side of ye sd River adjacent unto
ye sd falls, on both sides ; all which falls, timber and land is
granted unto ye sd Wadleigh and his heires, executors, and
adminst, and assigns, provided it doth not intrench upon
any former grant, either in part or whole. In consideration
of sd grant of ye falls, timber and land, ye sd Robt. Wadleigh
doth engage himselfe, heires, executors, and adminstr. to
pay, or cause to be paid unto ye Towne of Dover ye sum of
ten pounds per an. in merchanta. pine bords at price curran'c
at the ordinary landing place on Lamperele River lower falls,
as long as he or they doe keepe possession there, of which
payment is to begin ye last of August next insueing this
instant, to be made unto ye Selectmen of Dover, or their
order, and further it is agreed and ordered that if any pt.
thereof be taken away by any former grant then ye Towne
is to abate of ye rate proportionally. And alsoc ye Towne
doth reserve free egress and regress for any transportation
of timber, either by land or water ; and ye Inhabi lance have
ye same Liberty in sd Grant as they have in other Mill
grants."
Soon after the town grant was made the authorities of
the Massachusetts Bay Colony confirmed the grant to Mr.
Wadleigh, and he had a saw mill running there that year;
in due time there was a gristmill, and mills have been there
ever since. In the old Dover records Wadleigh's falls are
frequently mentioned, in land transfers and otherwise.
There has been a settlement there two hundred and fifty
years, perhaps that is the oldest place in Lee; there is
much interesting history connected with it, which cannot
be mentioned at this time.
Old Dover included all of the present city and Somers-
worth, Durham, Newington, Lee, Madbury and Rollinsford.
For a hundred years all of the town meetings were held on
Dover Neck, and the town business was transacted there;
the courts were held there; there was the jail, the stocks,
the whipping post, and meeting house, to which the people
had to travel when they attended church. When the settle-
ments in other parts of the old town grew large they estab-
lished parishes, in which religious meetings could be held,
but they all had to go to Dover Neck to attend town meet-
ings. When the parishes grew in inhabitants, they were
granted town privileges, for convenience in the management
of local affairs. Newington was the first to be granted the
rights of a town, in 1714; up to that time it was called
" Bloody Point in Dover." Durham was the next to be cut
oflf and made into a town ; that was in 1732 ; up to that time
it was called " Oyster River in Dover." That, you under-
stand, included Lee. Somersworth was made a town (which
included Rollinsford) in 1754. Madbury followed in 1768
Thus Old Dover was reduced to its present limits.
Lee remained a part of Durham till 1766, when, after a
lot of preHminary legislation, on January 16, the act for the
new town of Lee became a law, and the new town was born.
The petitioners did not give it that name, in fact they did
not suggest any name ; it was probably the gift of Governor
Benning Wentworth. The reasons for the division of Dur-
ham were the same as those which led to the incorporation
of the other towns ; that is to afford better accommodations
for the management of local affairs.
Why did Governor Wentworth select the name " LEE "
for this town ? He named a large number of new towns, and
gave them very appropriate names, but none better than
this excellent town has borne for one hundred and fifty
years. There is no record of his reason for so naming it.
In selecting the English town names he took those in which
his friends and acquaintances lived, the residences of dis-
tinguished persons. I guess, but do not know, that he took
the name Lee from the town of that name on the River Lee,
now in greater London.
During the hundred years, from the first settlement at
Wadleigh's Falls, about 1666, to the time the territory was
set off from Durham and made a town, a great deal of
business was done in this territory ; there is a record of
some things, but a great many more have no record, only
tradition. Let us consider some of them, and thus see how
the territory grew to be a town.
As already mentioned the first settlement in the future
town was at a saw mill, at Wadleigh's Falls. The money
making propositions then consisted chiefly of the lumber
business ; saw mills were necessary for cutting the trees into
plank, boards, and dimension timber; all the large timbers
of houses, and buildings in general, were hewn by skilful
workmen with broadaxes. You older men here remember
how it was done ; they snapped a chalk line from end to end
of the log, and then hewed to the line, straight as an arrow.
^0 saw mills were built wherever there was a water fall;
there were several of them in the territory of Lee. The
second one appears to have been built on the first fall of
the river that is the outlet of Wheelwright's Pond ; the last
J. heard of it they said it was Layn's mill. But at the begin-
ning of things there, 250 years ago, or more, it was Jemi-
son's mill, and not long after that the locality a^'ound it was
^nown as New Town ; if I am not mistakened, it is so called
at the present time. The saw mill was placed there not long
After Symonds had his mill at Wadleigh's Falls. It is a
^natter of record that the town of Dover, October 17, 1063,
granted Patrick Jemison 120 acres of land, about a mile and
8
a half from Wheelwright's Pond, down the river on both
gides, and including the falls. So New Town in Lee is 250
^ears old. A few years after that the town of Dover had a
piast road cut through the woods to New Town, for the
accommodation of the lumbermen all along the route, in get-
ting the pine trees for masts from their lots to Back River
^n Dover, down which they were floated to Portsmouth and
placed on ships and sent to England, for use in the ship
J)uilding in general, and in the King's navy in particular.
The old Dover records have frequent mention of New Town.
For example, — 31 May, 1721, sixty acres of Jemison's
grant were laid out to Captain Samuel Emerson, and in de-
scribing the bounds it says, — " Beginning below New Town
(Orchard, at a red oak on the south side of Oyster River, etc."
That shows the place had an orchard, hence had been settled
a long time. Captain Emerson bought it of John Webster
and wife, Bridget, of Salisbury, Mass. Webster sold the
other half of the Jameson grant to Nathaniel Randall, 27
January, 1720 ; in the description of it the record says it was
" along side of the Mast Path," leading through Madbury
to Dover, at Wingate's slip, at Back River.
Nathaniel Lamos had forty acres of land laid out to him
17 May, 1729, " Beginning at Oyster River a little above the
mill called New Town mill." A high way " From New Town
mill up into the woods," is mentioned 20 October, 1735, when
jtwenty-five acres were laid out to Robert Huckins. William
Clay conveyed to his sons, Samuel and Joseph, 23 October,
1742, " One full quarter part of a saw mill situated in Dur-
ham, upon ye stream, or river called New Town River, being
^e uppermost mill standing upon ye sd stream, and is next
yto ye pond called Wheelwright's Pond, out of which sd
stream issues." Also " a quarter part of ye running geer,
dam, stream, and privileges there unto belonging." Various
other land transfers might be mentioned in which Newtown
mill is mentioned. About 1800 it began to be called Layn's
fnill, from its then owner. Captain John Layn, who was a
Resident of Durham as early as 8 March, 1760, when he
enlisted in Captain Samuel Gerrish's company. Col. John
Goff's regiment, for the Canada expedition. "John Layn
of Durham, gunsmith," in a petition 26 May, 1761, states
that he was employed as armorer for that regiment and
furnished his own tools, but had received no extra pay for
his service, hence he petitioned for it, and was allowed four
pounds sterling. In the Revolutionary war he was captain
of a company in Col. John Waldron's regiment that served
in the siege of Boston, being stationed at Winter Hill in
1776. He acquired land at Newtown in 1763, and again in
1766. He has honorable descendants who bear the name.
Newtown Plains have a unique history in connection with
the mill. It is a sandy and not very prolific part of your good
town; it is loose wheeling for teams that occasionally
pass through there, on business, not for pleasure. Frequent
imention of the plains is made in the old town records. No
doubt some of you know a good deal more about it than I do.
The Clay family gave it much fame in the 19th century.
Other saw mills and grist mills were built elsewhere in
the territory before it became a town. Wadlefgh's Falls are
in the southwest part of the town, at the south end of the
" Hook " in Lamprey river. The river, below the falls turns
and runs southwesterly three-fourths of a mile, where it
strikes a high hill of gravel and hardpan ; this obstacle turns
the water almost at right angles and it flows in a northeast-
erly direction almost a half mile, where it strikes the foot
of another hill, and is curved in a northerly direction a mile
and a half, through a fertile valley until it strikes the foot
of the historic Lee Hilly and is diverted in a large circle,
flowing easterly out of Lee into Durham. This valley
through which the river forms the " Hook," has some of
the finest farms in Strafford county.
Little river runs into Lamprey river about a quarter of
a mile above Hill's bridge, and a like distance from the town
house ; on Little river are two falls, in Lee, which were much
used in the centuries before the territory became a town.
It is frequently mentioned in the early records of Dover and
Durham. Its source is Mendum's Pond in Barrington.
These mills with that on Lamprey river, at the foot of the
10
hill, made business lively, which in time made the village on
the Hill, here; men do not build villages where there is no
business going on.
John Thompson, Sr., had a grant of land from the town
of Dover, April 21, 1694, which included the " Little River
Falls," where the first mill was built, soon after. Mr. Thomp-
son mentions the saw mill in his will, 12 April, 1733. This
mill was at the foot of the high and steep hill, on the sum-
mit of which was the home of the Thompson family from
two centuries ago to the present time. What is now known
as the " Mast road " from the State Collej?e to Lee Hill
was built about that time to accommodate the lumbermen,
and extended to Little River mill.
23 June, 1701, three score acres of land were granted to
Jethro Furber, by the town of Dover, " adjacent to Lam-
pereal Little River ; " this was laid out 2 Feb., 1726-7, as
follows, — " Beginning on the northeast side of said Little
Rive7\ above the old mast ivay." It was called " mast way,"
because the large pine trees for masts were hauled over it
to Oyster River Falls, and then floated down to Pascataqua
River and on to Portsmouth, or wherever needed. This
grant of land, or part of it, has remained in possession of
the Furber family more than two hundred years. The road
from The Hill, by Furber's place to Wadleigh's Falls, was
laid out 31 July, 1753, but communication with Little River
was opened more than two hundred years ago, and log
houses, for the lumbermen, began to be built here on the
Hill. What is called the North River road, from Little River
falls to the falls in North River, where Lee joins Notting-
ham, was laid out about 1740, but there was a path up over
the Thompson hill, and along by the Cartland farm several
years before that. It was the old fashion to build the houses
first and then build the roads later. That is why so many
of the old roads in New Hampshire go over steep hills,
instead of in the valleys, around the hills.
A short distance below Little River Falls are what were,
in early times, called Thompson's Falls ; Jonathan Thompson
11
had a gristmill and fullingmill there, and in his will, 10 Sept.,
1756, he gave these and an acre of land to his son Joseph,
who, May 3, 1774, sold them to Josiah Bartlett of Haverhill,
Mass. ; the sale included his dwelling house and one acre of
adjoining land, and four acres between the fullingmill and
the Little River sawmill. Mr. Bartlett lived near his mills
and carried on the business there for many years. He was
one of the enterprising business men and influential citizens
of the town; he had a family of several children, sons and
daughters. One of his brothers was Col. Thomas Bartlett
of Nottingham, the distinguished patriot of the Revolution-
ary War, and whose grandson, Hon. John C. Bartlett, of
this town needs no introduction to this audience. He is
the only surviving grandson of Col. Thomas, who died on
Nottingham Square 111 years ago.
Lee " Hook " has no duplicate in New Hampshire, in the
windings of any of its rivers. The first " Hook " sawmill
was probably built about 1700. The inventory of George
Chesley's estate, of Durham, 27 August, 1724, mentions
part of the mill " at ije Hook of Lampreel River.'' It is
called the " Hook mill " in a deed of 1728, Ephraim Foul-
sham, 4 Dec, 1742, conveyed to his son, John, sixty acres
of land in Durham, bought of Major Peter Oilman, 8 Dec,
1739, " Lyinge next to ye highway below ye Hook mill, be-
ginning twenty rods above ye second brooke from ye house,
formerly Captain Oilman, his house, towards ye Hook mill."
2 May, 1749, Peter, John, Samuel, and Noah Oilman con-
veyed to Joseph Smith 190 acres " at a place commonly
called The Hook, beginning by the side of Lampreel river,
in the turn below the falls, where the Hook mill stood."
The Durham grants of land at the Hook conflicting with
the Oilman claims, Samuel Smith and Capt. Jonathan
Thompson were appointed agents of the land proprietors in
Durham, 28 Nov., 1748, to agree with Col. Peter Oilman and
others, about " the parcel of land in Durham on the south
side of Lampreel River, commonly called and known as the
Hook land." John Thompson of Durham, " one of ye pro-
prietors of ye Hook land, and ye proper owner of one whole
12
share/* conveyed his share, 30 August, 174S, to Abner
Clough of Salisbury. Mass.
The " Hook road to Northwood " is mentioned on the
State map of 1803. It runs from Newmarket through the
Hook, and crosses Lamprey river at Hill's bridge near the
falls, where have been the Hook mills. This bridge was
so called because Capt. Reuben Hill settled near there about
1750 and owned a sawmill and gristmill at the falls. He
built, about 17G0. and lived in, the house on the hill, south of
the bridge, now known as the Israel Bartlett house. Capt.
Hill was one of the leading men in Lee for many years. His
mills are mentioned in the records of the town, as also his
bridge. He was one of the selectmen several years and
performed other official duties. Capt. Hill died in 1794, and
his heirs sold the water privilege at the Hook in the first
decade of the 19th century, but the bridge still retains his
name ; let it be forever *' Hill's bridge."
The hamlet here at Lee has been a place of business two
hundred years, at least. Much that I have been telling you
happened before Lee became a town, by itself: hence as I
have already remarked, you are celebrating a 250th anni-
versary, as well as the 150th. of historic events, — one the
first settlement, and the other the incorporation of the
town.
THE INCORPORATION OF THE
TOWN, 1766
When a century had passed, from the first settling of the
town territory, at Wadleigh's Falls, the farm holdings had
become quite numerous, and the farmers were complaining
of having to travel to Durham Falls to attend town meet-
ings ; they had a minister and a meeting house ; the time
had come to have their own town meetings ; following is
the first step taken in 1764 ; the record is :
" Province of New Hamp. at a Publick Town meeting,
(Legally Notified) held at the Meeting house at The Falls
in Durham, on Monday the third day of September, A. D.
1764, — Joseph Atkinson, Esq., was chosen Moderator, for
the well Regulating Said Meeting, — Voted that there should
be a Committee Chosen to run Line across said Town of
Durham, from Paul Chesley, his house, near madbury line,
to the house of John Smart upon Newmarket Line, being
according to the request of Sundry of the Inhabitants of
Said Town, requesting that, — All the upper, or Western End
of said Town, above the aforesaid line may be voted to be
Sat off as a Parish.
" Voted that Lieu. Joseph Sias, mr. Miles Randel, and mr.
Nicholas Duda of the Petitioners and Capt. Benjamin Smith,
Capt. Stephen Jones and mr. Thomas Chesley, of the lower
Part of the Town, be the Persons to be employed as a Com-
mittee for the aforesaid Purpose.
" Voted likewise, if the said Committee Don't Think the
Line Petitioned for to be Suitable (then) to fix any other
Line that they may Unanimously agree upon and make
Report thereof Accordingly, to the Town on the 24th inst., —
The meeting then adjourned to the 24th day of September,
instant, to 2 of the clock in the afternoon.
" Met according to adjournment, Sept. 24th and the Com-
14
mittee made the following Report, in writing, under their
hands, To the Town:
" Whereas, we, the subscribers, were chosen at a Publick
Town meeting of the Inhabitants of Durham, the 3d inst.
to run a line across said Town, agreeable to a petition. Ex-
hibited to said Town by Sundry of the Inhabitants Request-
ing the Western Part thereof, to be Sat off into a Parish,
it was likewise voted, — That if we the Subscribers Don't
Think the line Petitioned for proper, to Fix Some other
Line, that we might agree upon, and make Report to the
Town accordingly. Pursuant Thereto we have Run the Line
Petitioned for, and indeavored to View, and inform our-
selves, into the Circumstances of said Town, and do Unani-
]nously agree that a Straight Line (be run) : Beginning
one hundred and twenty-four Rods above the dwelling house
of Paul Chesley, on Madbury Line, and so to Run a
Straight Point across to Newmarket Line, to one mile and
a half above the dwelling house of John Smart, may be a
suitable Line.
" N. B. It is the intent of the above Resolve that the line
fixed upon. Run from the house of Paul Chesley, North 6
degrees East, to Madbury Line & then to measure up 124
rods, by said Madbury Line.
Stephen Jones, Miles Randel,
Benjamin Smith, Joseph Sias,
Nicholas Duda, Thomas Chesley,
Committee.
" The meeting adjourned to the 8th day of October, next,
to 2 of the clock in the afternoon, — October 8th, met ac-
cording to adjournment, and Voted : That Capt. Benjamin
Smith, and Lieut. Joseph Sias, be appointed to draw a vote
for the Western Part of the Town to be Sat off as a Parish,
and bring it to the Town at some Publick Town meeting. —
The Town meeting Dissolved.
" November 18, 1765. — At a Publick Town meeting (Le-
gally Notified) of the Inhabitants of Durham, held this day
at the falls in Durham — Joseph Atkinson, Esq., Chosen mod-
15
erator for Said meeting — Capt. Benjam. Smith, Esqr., and
Capt. Joseph Sias Brought the following Vote to the Town
in Writing, — That the Western End of said Town of Dur-
ham, be voted, to be Sat off as a parish, Agreable to the
Result or the Report of a Committee (Chosen and appointed
for that purpose) and brought into Publick Town meeting
the 24th day of Septmr., 1764 — with this addition thereto,
that the said parish (when an act may be Obtained for that
Purpose) shall take Their proportionable Part of the Poor
now supported by the whole Town, and Likewise That the
Said Parish shall not in any Respect Interfere with any
Lands belonging to the Proprietors in said Town — Voted
that the above Vote, Brought by Capts. Smith and Sias, is
agreeable to the Sense of the Town, and that it be Recorded
accordingly.
" The above & within are True Copyes, as on Durham
Town Records.
attest — Ebenr. Thompson, T. Cler."
Petition to the General Assembly.
Captains Smith and Sias had the following petition to the
General Assembly all drawn up and ready to be signed when
the meeting adjourned, and the men in attendance signed
as appears below ; the list is interesting as showing " who
was who " in Durham and Lee (to be) at that time.
" Province of New Hamp'r, To his Excellency Benning
Wentworth, Esqr., Governor and Commander-in-Chief in
and over his majesty's Province of New Hampshire to the
Honourable his majesty's Council and the House of Repre-
sentatives, in General Assembly Convened — The Petition
of Sundry Inhabitants Sufficient for two Parishes and to
maintain and support the charge thereof, — That many of
the Inhabitants live more than eight miles from the place
of Worship and where all the Town meetings and the Pub-
lick Affairs are holden and transacted which Renders it very
Difficult for them to Attend there at any time, but more
Especially in the Winter Season, that Consequence there-
16
of, it is probable, will be that many of the Youth of Said
Town will be brought up in great Ignorance, unless the
Difficulties be removed, and the Petitioners are in a great
measure prevented the use of their Privileges in their pres-
ent Situation.
" Wherefore, your Petitioners most humbly pray your
Excellency and Honours, that there may be two Parishes in
said Town, and that the Dividing Line between the Two Par-
ishes, Beginning at Paul Chesles house at Beech Hill, so called,
then North Six Degrees East to the Line Between said Dur-
ham and Madbury, then running westerly on said line one
hundred and twenty-four rods, then Beginning and Running
from thence to New Market line to one mile and a half above
the Dwelling House of John Smart, which Line was agreed
upon by a Committee Chosen by the Said Town of Durham
in the year one thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty-Four,
and Voted in Publick Town meeting, and so to Include the
whole of said Durham above this line. We therefore Hum-
bly pray your Excellency and your Honours to take our Case
into your wise Considerations and Set said Parish off by
said Line, with the Powers and Privileges of Other Towns,
or Parishes in this Province, and your Petitioners as in Duty
bound shall Ever pray.
" Dated at Durham November 18th, 1765.
Hercules Mooney -^ Timothy Davis
Gideon Mathes thomas York
Winthrop Durgin mason Rendel
Elijah Denbo Joseph Clay
Samuel Jackson Nathaniel Stevens, Jun.
Joseph Thompson Stoten Tuttle
James Hall Miles Randel
Jonathan runnels Samuel Langley
Samuel pitman Zacheus Clough
John follett John Davis
Benjamin Bradley James Giles Bunker
Joseph Jackson Robert York
Josiah Johnson Bartholomew Smart
17
Nicholas Tuttle
Samuel Burley
Nathaniel Randal
Reuben Hill
Clement Davis
James Watson
Nathaniel Frost
Samuel Watson
Josiah Durgin
John Durgin
John Shaw
Benjamin Woodman
Samuel Sias
David munsey
Benja Clark
Eben Jones, Junr.
Moses Davis, Jr.
William Waymoth
James Davis
Hanary tufts
nathaniel Watson
Andrew Watson
Isaac small
Joseph Hicks
John Sanborn
Edward Hill
Thomas Snell
Eli Clark, Junr.
Moses Dam
joseh doe
Benja Durgin
Eben Randel
Micah Emerson
Joseph Clark
Joseph Sias
John Elliot
Joshua Woodman, Jun.
In the above petition no
John Giles
Joseph Meder
Thomas Huckins
Nicholas Duda
Eben Lethers
William Renely
francis Eliot
Benjamin Bickford
Isarel Randel
Francis Durgin
Joshua Burnum
Samuel Carter
Thomas huckins, jr.
Solomon Sias
francis Allen
Edward Scales
William Cashey
Samuel Bickford
wilham Rendel
Job Runels "^
John Clark
David Davis
Jonathan Stevens
Ebenezer Dow, Junr.
Nathaniel Watson, Jun.
Joseph Huckins
John Shaw, Junr.
Ichabod Denbow
Thomas Wille
John Snell
Eli Clark
Hunkin Dam
Thomas Noble
Ebenezer Jones
Nathaniel Sias
Nathaniel Stevens
George tutle
mention is made of a name for
18
the new town; the petitioners simply say they wish to be
set off from Durham as a parish and that Durham is wilHng
for the Assembly to grant their request. Probably Gover-
nor Wentworth selected the name, as he did for many other
New Hampshire towns, but there is an interesting tradition
that has come down in the Cartland family that their an-
cestor suggested the name to Governor Wetnworth, as his
emigrant ancestor came from Scotland, in which is a town
of Lee ; and Sir Walter Scott, in one of his novels, speaks of
" the Cartlands of Lee." This is given as an interesting
tradition, but the present generation of the family do not
claim it is "authority" for settling the question.
The Journal of the House (New Hampshire Provincial
Assembly) for Wednesday, Jan. 15, 1766, A. M., has the
following :
"A message was sent to the Council by the Clerk of the
House to Enquire what Acts had passed the Council and
were consented to by the Governor.
" P. M. In answer to the message to the Council by the
Clerk in the forenoon Mr. Secretary (Theodore Atkinson)
came down and informed that the following Acts were con-
sented to by the Governour (Benning Wentworth), viz:
" For a new Parish in Durham, — To enable the Treasurer
to recover debts, — To revive the Proprietary Act, — To en-
able the Selectmen to exchange Roads, — To enable inhabi-
tants to call town-meetings, — To dissolve the marriage of
Samuel Smallcorn."
In passing it is of interest to note that in those days
Governor Wentworth performed marriage ceremonies and
the General Assembly granted divorces.
The records of the Assembly from January 15 to Jan-
uary 23 are missing. Perhaps no business was done during
that period. But on the 16th of January, 1766, the Act
for a new parish (town) of Lee became a law; because the
record for January 10th states that the House passed an
"Act for incorporating a new Parish in Durham." In that
Act the name " Lee " is first mentioned.
ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWN
The Act of incorporation authorized Joseph Sias to call
the first town meeting ; he performed that duty and ordered
the meeting to be held on the 18th of March, 1766. The
voters met and organized by choosing Miles Randall for
moderator and clerk ; Robert Thompson, Ely Clark, and
Nicholas Duda were chosen selectmen. Various routine
work was then done ; one thing was the appointment of
Zacheus Clough to, — '* Inspect into the affairs of Reverend
Samuel Hutchins," who was then minister at The Hill, where
the first town meeting was held, and where all the rest of
the town meetings have been held for one hundred and fifty
years. There is no record of when Mr. Hutchins began
preaching there, Mr. Clough attended to the duty assigned
him and in due time reported that the " affairs of Mr. Hutch-
ins " were satisfactory ; whereupon the town voted to con-
tinue him as minister. He held the office till about 1800,
and appears to have done good work among the people.
During the Revolution he was a valiant supporter of the
patriotic cause ; and was influential in getting men to serve
in the army, and in aiding their families while they were
away from home. His successor was Rev. John Osborne,
who was minister here thirty-one years, — 1800-1832. The
history of the ministers will be considered later in this brief
account of Lee.
Before the town was incorporated, the locality where the
town house is was known as " The Hill," since then it has
been " Lee Hill," to outsiders, but for the home dwellers it
is, and always will be, — " The Hill." There is no record
of the man's name who built the first house on The Hill, but
it was built by some lumbermen two hundred years ago.
The years went by; business increased; more houses were
built; then the store-keeper put in an appearance and kept
20
supplies of what the lumbermen and farmers wanted for
their famiy use. Business increased; five roads, or more,
came to center here and brought business from all points of
compass, and more stores and houses had to be built here to
accommodate public demands. So, a hundred years ago. The
Hill was quite a village, and a very lively place of business ;
it remained so till the Boston & Maine railroad reached
Newmarket, in 1841 ; during the seventy-five years since
then it has decreased to its present quiet ways of living.
During the stage coach period of New Hampshire, which
began about 1800 The Hill was one of the centers of travel
between the seacoast towns and the upcountry towns to
Concord. There is nothing here today to indicate there
was such activity ; but history shows it was so.
The old Pascataqua Bridge was completed in 1794; the
New Hampshire Turnpike was opened for travel from there
to Concord about 1802, and its route through Lee made
quite a change in conditions of travel ; the Lee families who
lived " on the Turnpike " were looked upon by the other
farmers as " aristocrats," and taverns sprung up to accom-
modate the travelers. But The Hill was the center of busi-
ness. Stage coaches were run from Newmarket to the
Turnpike to meet the coaches for Concord. Another coach
line ran from Dover through Lee, Nottingham Square,
Chester, Derry, Windham to Lowell, when they began to
build the cotton factories there. They began to build the
cotton factories at Dover about the same time. At Notting-
ham Square, General Bradbury Bartlett was the agent for
the management of this line for a number of years. He was
son of Col. Thomas Bartlett ; in his later years he was known
as Judge Bartlett.
Edwin B. Nealley, brother-in-law of Judge Bartlett, came
to Lee to reside on the Hill, about 1810. He purchased the
large house that is now standing a short distance north of
the present store and post-office, and which was the resi-
dence of Simon Otis in the last half of the 19th century.
That house was built by Elijah Cartland about one hundred
and thirty years ago; he married Abigail Scales, who was
21
born up here on the Scales farm in Nottingham, and they
commenced house-keeping in it soon after it was built. Mr.
Cartland is great uncle to Mr. Charles S. Cai:tland, cashier
of the Strafford National Bank; and Abigail Scales is my
father's great aunt. Mr. Cartland was one of Lee's enter-
prising business men in the last quarter of the 18th century
and the first decade of the 19th century ; he then removed
to Maine, and was one of the prominent men there the rest
of his life. When I was a boy and used to come to The Hill
to private schools, there was a store on the north side of
the house, and a hall over the store, the entrance to which
was by stairs on the outside of the building. I presume
that Mr. Cartland built the store and hall after he built
the house ; any way he always had the store and hall, and
they were much used. Sullivan Lodge of Free and Accepted
Masons held their meetings there, from the beginning of the
organization, for a number of years. Private schools were
kept there by excellent teachers. Public assemblies were
held there, under the management of accomplished dancing-
masters, who furnished music with their violins. My recol-
lection is that both the day school and the dancing-school
were well conducted ; for a brief time I attended both and
received profit and pleasure. One of the teachers, when my
father was a boy, was Dr. Hilliard ; one of the teachers when
I was a boy was B. Van Dame, whom many of you remember.
I have said that Edward B. Nealley came here to reside
about 1810; this was his home till his death in 1839. He
was a very able business man ; a popular citizen ; a first class
politician, in the best sense of the word ; there was nothing
petty about his work. In 1809 he married Sally True of
Deerfield, a most excellent woman ; they raised a remarkable
family of children, — four sons and six daughters, all born
in that old house, a short distance from the town house.
The elder son, Greenleaf, was born in 1810; about 1840 he
went to Iowa, and was one of the leading business men in
Burlington for a half century. The second son, Edward St.
John, born in 1811, was a member of the class of 1835,
Bowdoin College ; he became a lawyer and was a resident of
22
Bath, Me., till his death in 1881 ; he was one of the distin-
guished citizens of that city ; he was Collector of that port
from 1866 till 1881. The third son, Benjamin Franklin,
was a merchant in Lowell, Mass., many years. The younger
son, Joseph Bowdoin, was a distinguished citizen of Bur-
lington, Iowa, and engaged in business with his brother,
Greenleaf. The daughters were all excellent women, and
well educated. One daughter, Elizabeth Sarah, was the
wife of United States Senator James W. Grimes of Iowa,
who had been Governor of that State before he was Senator,
which latter office he held from 1859 till 1869, when he
resigned on account of ill health. He was one of the ablest
men in the Senate during the Civil War. Mrs. Grimes' twin
sister, Sarah Elizabeth, was the wife of Judge Cyrus Olney
of Astoria, Oregon, for many years one of the leading men
of that State. Lee has occasion to be proud of its sons
and daughters, who have won fame in other States. A
granddaughter of Edward B. Nealley was wife of Senator
William B. Allison of Iowa. He died but recently, after a
service in the United States Senate of thirty years or more.
The Nealley burial ground was on the east side of the road,
northeast of the house. About 1875 Greenleaf Nealley had
the remains of all removed to Burlington, Iowa, and rein-
terred in the City Cemetery there, and erected appropriate
memorial stones.
Lee Hill from being a hustling village during the first
half of the 19 th century, has gradually diminished to the
proportions of the quiet hamlet it is at the present day, with
its meeting-house, town-house, small store with the post-
office in it, grange hall, parsonage and a few dwelling
houses. In ancient times there were lawyers and doctors
in Lee, but for a long time no doctor or lawyer has had an
office here ; no need of them. It has too small a population to
support more than one religious society; so all combine in
one church, regardless of minor religious opinions, in support
of a Congregational church, in the altruists sense of the
word. In the interim between the stage coach period and
the long continued period of present quiet and prosperity,
23
there was a prevalence of intemperance, but vigorous Chris-
tian heroism in a few years wrought for the better, and
now Lee for many years past, has held the rank, in respect
to temperance and sobriety, of being " the banner town of
Strafford County."
MEN OF LEE IN WARS AND PEACE
The men of Lee have a patriotic record in the French
and Indian wars and in the Revolutionary war ; and hkewise
in the Civil War. During the Indian war period, 1675-1725,
the inhabitants had to keep constant guard lest they be
attacked by a secret Indian foe, but the only great battle
with the Indians in Lee was at Wheelwright's Pond, in
July, 1690. On March 18th previous, the Indians had at-
tacked and destroyed the settlement at Salmon Falls, now
in the town of Rollinsford. The inhabitants there made a
brave defense, but were out numbered by the foe, and after
thirty of their fighting men had been killed, the rest sur-
rendered. In May following, this same party of Indians,
with some additions, attacked and destroyed Casco. The
Indians then came up to Fox Point, in what is now New-
ington, where they burned some houses, killed about fourteen
and carried away six as prisoners. On the 4th day of July
eight men were killed as they were mowing in a field some-
where along Lamprey River, in Lee. A boy was carried
away captive. The next day they attacked Captain Hilton's
garrison at Exeter. This was well defended and they failed
to capture it. They then came back to Lee (territory).
They had their camp on the bank of Wheelwright's Pond.
Two companies under Captains Floyd and Wiswell were
out scouting on the 6th day of July and discovered the
tracks of the Indians; they followed the trail and found
the Indians engaged in fishing on the west bank of the pond.
The savages were taken by surprise, but quickly changed
work from fishing to fighting, and a bloody engagement
followed for several hours. The pond was surrounded by
heavy growth of trees, behind which the warriors concealed
themselves as best they could, from the bullets of their
opponents. They went from tree to tree and shot as they
saw an Indian's head or body. It was a hand-to-hand
25
contest, but dodging from tree to tree. Captain Wiswell's
company suffered the worst, and very badly, though his
men gave the Indian fighters a severe drubbing. When you
visit the pond you can see where the battle took place ; the
railway track lies over part of the ground. Captain Wis-
well, Lieut. Flagg and Sergt. Walker were killed ; twelve
privates of the companies were killed and several were
wounded. Captain Floyd kept up the fight for a while after
his companion officer was killed, but it was an exceedingly
hot day and his men had become so wearied that he had to
give up the battle; as he withdrew his men in an easterly
direction through the woods, the Indians withdrew in the
opposite direction, being too weary to pursue the white men.
The Indians took their dead with them to some safe place
where they buried the bodies ; they also took their wounded
with them. It is not known how many Indians were killed,
but it was a drawn battle. That night Captain Conners
went to the battlefield and searched for the wounded. He
found seven whom he took to the nearest farm houses at
" Newtown," or maybe Layne's mill, and had them cared
for, about sunrise. The dead were buried among the trees
of the forest, by the pond ; of which number were Captain
Wiswell, Lieut. Flagg and Sergt. Walker. No man knows
where their graves are, not even a common field stone being
placed at the heads of their graves. The Indians on their
way westward, in the course of a week, killed between Wad-
leigh's Falls and Amesbury, Mass., not less than forty
people, according to the chronicles of the day. They did
not take any prisoners.
When the news reached Oyster River that a battle was
going on at the pond all of the fighting men made haste to
take their guns and run to the aid of Captains Floyd and
Wiswell. It is recorded that some of the men made such
haste that they fell exhausted by the heat; one man died
of surfeit, but the others got there in season to render
valuable assistance.
GARRISONS IN LEE
Only three garrisons are mentioned as being in the town
of Lee; of course you understand these were long before
the town was incorporated; the red men had disappeared
seventy years before the date of your celebration was on
the calendar of time. There was one at South Lee, on the
North River road, which was built by Joseph Doe, who
bought land there 23 June, 1737, of John Bickford, which
had been assigned to Bickford as his share of the common
lands in Durham in 1734. After the death of Mr. and Mrs.
Doe, the house became the property of their daughter, who
had married Elijah Fox. Up to that time it had been
called the " Doe garrison." Later it came to be called the
" Fox garrison," because Mr. and Mrs. Fox owned it, and
lived there a long time. At the death of Mr. and Mrs.
Fox it passed to the ownership of their granddaughter,
wife of Daniel Cartland, but it never lost the name of " Fox
garrison." After the death of Mrs. Cartland, Mr. Samuel
French bought it and resided there till his death, about
1880. Soon after it was taken down.
The Jones garrison was at " Newtown." This was built
long before the Fox garrison, as there was a settlement at
that locality before 1700, probably two hundred and thirty
years ago, and the garrison was built about that time, as the
Indians were then very troublesome neighbors. It stood
on the Nehemiah Snell farm, and was much resorted to for
safety by the farmers in that section of Old Dover, when
the Indians were reported to be on the warpath at Cochecho
and Oyster River, where the awful massacres occurred in
June, 1689 and July, 1694. The old garrison was taken
down many years ago.
The Randall garrison stood on the Mast road, between
The Hill and where now is the New Hampshire College.
It stood on the south side of the road near what is known
as the A. D. Wiggin house. It was built of logs with the
27
upper story projecting over the lower, with loop-holes in
the walls for the discharge of guns when an Indian might
be seen prowling in the bushes for a snap-shot on some
member of the family. The builder was Captain Nathaniel
Randall, son of Richard and Elizabeth (Tozer) Randall.
Captain Randall's grandfather was Richard Tozer, who mar-
ried Judith Smith in Boston. Governor Richard Belling-
ham performed the marriage ceremony ; of course it was a
fine wedding at the Governor's house, which is now stand-
ing near where the Boston Evening Transcript printing office
is. Later they came to reside at Salmon Falls, where they
were killed by the Indians 16 October, 1675. Captain Ran-
dall, the garrison builder, married Mary Hodgdon of Dover,
one of the old families of that city. He probably built the
garrison about 1720, nearly two hundred years ago. He
took his bride there to live, and that was their home till his
death, 9 March, 1749. His grave is in the old cemtery,
about two miles and a half from The Hill, on that road to
the State College. There is no record, or tradition that the
Indians ever attacked these garrisons, but the dwellers
therein were in constant fear all the time lest an attack
might be made.
LEE MEN IN THE REVOLUTIONARY
WAR
Lee has a good record in the Revolutionary War period.
The first action on their part was to sign the "Association
Test," which was sent out to all the towns, by the Committee
of Safety, in the spring of 1776. This was designed to find
out how many were Tories, or persons opposed to the pro-
posed war with Great Britain, for American Independence.
It reads as follows:
" We, the subscribers, do here by solemnly engage and
promise that we will, to the utmost of our power, and at
the risque of our lives and fortunes, with arms, oppose the
hostile proceedings, of the British fleets and armies against
the United American Colonies."
The names of those who signed this pledge in Lee are
as follows: Elijah Dinsmore, Samuel Jackson, Bennan
Jackson, John Emerson, Samuel Emerson, Joshua Burnham,
Joshua Burnham, Jr., Steven Wille, Joseph Sias, William
French, Joshua Woodmarch, Eleson Watson, Philbrock Bar-
ker, Moses Runnales, Samuel Hill, Ruel Giles, Cornilus Dins-
more, Job Runals, E. Jones, Jr., Jonathan Dow, Isaac Small,
Peter Folsom, Josiah Durgien, Miles Randel, Benjamin Dur-
gin, John Sanborn, Jonathan Runales, Zacheus Clough, Job
Runels, Jr., Enoch Runels, William Goen, Ephm Sherburne,
Dimond Fernald, Richard Hull, Samuel Langmaid, Ebenezer
Jones, Lemuel Chesley, John Jones, Benj. Clark, George
Jones, Benj. Jones, Smith Emerson, Isaac Clark, Simon
Rindel, James Bracket, Stephen Stevens, Gideon Mathes,
Daniel Chesle, George Chase, Thomas Arlen, Zebelin Wiley,
Timothy Muncy, Micajah Bickford, David Shaw, Amos Fer-
nald, Edward Scales, Robert Parker, John Mendum, Hunk-
ing Dam, John Follett, Ebenezer Randel, Eli Furber, Eben-
ezer Burnum, Joseph Brackett, Joseph Follitt, Samuel
Stevens, Samuel Bickford, Jonathan Fisk, William Way-
29
mouth, George Tuttle, George Duch, James Watson, Samuel
Watson, Timothy Moses, Dennet Waymouth, John Kennison,
Josiah Kennison, Wilham GHden, John Putnam, Anthony
Fling, John Davis, Clement Davis, Andrew Watson, Thomas
Tuttle, Thomas Tufts, Samuel Burley, James Davis, Jere-
miah Hutchins, John Davis, Nathaniel Frost, Henry Tufts,
Jonathan Stevens, Henry Tufts, Jr., Thomas York, Nicholas
Tuttle, Robert York, Eliphalet York, David Davis, Nathaniel
Stev^ens, William Stevens, Samuel Durgin, Joseph Watson,
Reuben Hill, Sam Hutchins, Josiah Bartlett, Moses Dam,
Jonathan Thompson, Samuel Mathes, William Ely, Samuel
Langley, Samuel Smith, Nicholas Meder, Mathias Jones,
Benj. Jones, Joseph Jones, Tolman Thompson, Zekiel Wille,
Edward Leathers, John Leathers, Joseph Doe, John Wil-
liams, John Layn, Benj. Brily, Thomas Huckins, Jr., Elijah
Fox, John Wiggin, James Clemens, John Sias, Benjamin
Bodge, Mark Weder, Mr. Samuel Bodge, John Glover, Ed-
ward Hill, Thomas Wille, Ezekiel Wille, Thomas Noble,
Samuel Woodman, Edward Woodman, Thomas Hunt, Josiah
Burley, Samuel Wille, Joseph Pittman, Samuel Snell, Jr.,
Thomas Langley.
There are one hundred and forty names in the list. Fol-
lowing are the names found on the Revolutionary War rolls
who actually carried arms in the war. It is a very creditable
list for the little town of Lee :
Elijah Dinsmore, Samuel Jackson, John Emerson, Joshua
Burnham, Samuel Wille, Ezekiel Wille, John Sias, WiUiam
French, Moses Runales, John Runels, Enoch Runnels, Samuel
Reuben Hill, Ebenezer Jones, John Jones, Benj. Jones, Jos.
Jones, Jonathan Dow, Isaac Small, Benj. Durgin, Sam. Dur-
gin, Ebenezer Randall, Edward Hill, John Sanborn, Zacheus
Clough, Stephen Stevens, Jonathan Stevens, Samuel Stevens,
William Stevens, Nathaniel Stevens, Micajah Bick, Samuel
Bickford, Daniel Shaw, Robert Parker, Eli Furber, Ebenezer
Burnham, Jonathan Fisk, John Kennison, Anthony Fling,
John Davis, Clement Davis, James Davis, David Davis,
Thomas Tuttle, Henry Tufts, Samuel Burley, Jeremiah
Hutchins, Samuel Hutchins, Nathaniel Frost, Eliphalet
30
York, Josiah Bartlett, Jonathan Thompson, Edward John
Leathers, John Williams, John Layn, Thomas Huckins, John
Wiggin, John Sias, Samuel Bodge, John Glover, Samuel
Woodman, Edward Woodman, Thomas Hunt, Josiah Burley,
Joseph Pitman, Col. Hercules Mooney, and John Mooney,
son of the colonel.
Col. Mooney's record is one of the best of New Hampshire
men. His farm was what was known, till a very recent
date, as the home of your distinguished citizen. Miss Mary
A. Hoitt. Other men of Lee have good records, but cannot
be mentioned in this brief sketch of the town's history.
The following refused to sign the " Test," as they were
" Quakers," or members of the Society of Friends, which
opposed all war. They were not " Tories." Robert Thomp-
son, Joseph Cartland, William Jenkins, William Jenkins, Jr.,
Charles Runlet, Joseph Meder, James Bunker, Samuel La-
mas, David Muncy, John Snell, William Colwell, Joseph
Emerson, Robert Glover, Aaron Hanson.
ICHABOD WHIDDEN,
William Laskey,
Selectmen of Lee.
SOLDIERS OF LEE IN THE CIVIL WAR
Charles R. Clay: Co. 3d Regt. ; enl. Aug. 23, 1861
re-enl. Jan. 23, 1864 ; disch. Aug. 24, 1865.
Joseph T. Cummings : Co. 3d Regt. ; enl. Aug. 23, 1861
re-enl. Feb. 16, 1864; disch. June 19, 1865.
Moses Lovering: Co. D, 3d Regt.; enl. Aug. 23, 1861
re-enl. Feb. 14, 1864 ; disch. July 20, 1865.
Frank Bridges: Co. H, 5th Regt.; enl. Aug. 18, 1864
died May 5, 1865.
Francis Lovell : 5th Regt. ; enl. Dec. 28, 1863 ; missing
April 7, 1865.
Clonen Jean : 5th Regt. ; enl. Dec. 17, 1864.
John A. Randall: Co. A, 5th Regt.; enl. Feb. 6, 1865
disch. June 28, 1865.
Miron B, McAlister: Co. A, 5th Regt.; enl. Feb. 4
1865; disch. June 2, 1865.
Erastus C. Davis : Corp. Co. C, 6th Regt. ; enl. Nov. 27
1861; disch. June 24, 1862.
John F. Jones: Co. C, 6th Regt.; enl. Nov. 27, 1861
disch. Nov. 27, 1864.
Washington Davis: Co. H, 6th Regt.; enl. Nov. 28
1861; re-enl. Dec. 31, 1863; killed June 25, 1864.
William Hardy: Co. K, 6th Regt.; enl. Jan. 5, 1864
deserted Jan. 31, 1864. Born in Ireland.
William Johnson: Co. E, 6th Regt.; enl. Jan. 5, 1864
captured Sept. 30, 1864.
Andrew Lawrence : Co. C, 6th Regt. ; enl. May 18, 1864
deserted June 14, 1864.
Hollis S. Peavey : Co. C, 6th Regt. ; enl. Jan. 11, 1864
died Sept. 7, 1864.
Andrew Locke: Co. D, 8th Regt.; enl. Dec. 28, 1861
disch. April 10, 1862..
32
Nathaniel Glover: Co. I, 8th Regt.; enl. Dec. 20, 1861;
re-enl. Jan. 4, 1864, Vet. Bat. ; disch. Oct. 28, 1865.
John S. Harvey: Co. H, 8th Regt.; enl. Aug. 28, 1862;
trans, to Co. C, Vet. Bat. ; disch. Oct. 28, 1865.
Edwin Lamondan : Co. I, 10th Regt. ; enl. Jan. 25, 1864 ;
trans. 2d Regt. Jan. 21, 1865. He is also given as " Edmond
Larmandeau " and " Edmond Normandeau ;" born in Canada,
age 19. He was a musician and deserted Dec. 5, 1864.
Joseph White: Co. D, 10th Regt.; enl. Jan. 5, 1864;
trans, to 2d Regt. Jan. 21, 1865 ; disch. June 19, 1865.
Dana M. Dicy: Co. G, 10th Regt.; enl. Jan. 5, 1864;
killed June 27, 1864.
Charles E. Linscott: Musician, Co. I, 10th Regt.; enl.
Jan. 5, 1864; trans, to 2d Regt. June 21, 1865; disch. Dec.
19, 1865.
Enoch Glover: Co. I, 10th Regt.; enl. Sept. 4, 1862;
disch. June 21, 1865.
Adison Osborne : Co. I, 10th Regt. ; enl. Sept. 4, 1862 ;
trans, to U. S. Cav. Oct. 25, 1862; mustered out June 21,
1865.
True W. Langmaid: Co. A, 11th Regt.; enl. Aug. 18,
1862 ; wounded May 6, 1864, Wilderness, Va. ; mustered out
June 4, 1865.
David H. Lang: Co. A, 11th Regt.; enl. Aug. 19, 1862;
killed Sept. 30, 1864, in battle at Poplar Springs Church, Va.
John N. Marsh: Co. A, 11th Regt.; enl. Aug. 28, 1862;
disch. June 4, 1865.
Albra Plummer: Co. A, 11th Regt.; Aug. 28, 1862;
promoted to corp; disch. June 4, 1865.
Lawrence G. Otis: Co. G, 13th Regt.; enl. Sept. 19,
1862; disch. May 14, 1864.
Daniel S. Randall: Co. E, 13th Regt.; enl. Sept. 19,
1862; trans, to inv. corp, Feb. 15, 1864; disch. June 28,
1865; died April 10, 1872.
Charles A. Fernald: Co. E, 13th Regt.; enl. Sept. 19,
1862 ; disch. May 16, 1865.
33
George W. Hanson: Co. E, 13th Regt.; enl. Sept. 19,
1862 ; trans, to U. S. Navy April 28, 1864. As an ordinary
seaman he served on the " Florida " and "Quaker City ;"
disch. June 11, 1865.
Joseph A. Jones : Co. E, 13th Regt. ; enl. Sept. 19, 1862 ;
died Feb. 3, 1863, at Aquia Creek, Va.
Richard Randall : Co. E, 13th Regt. ; enl. Sept. 19, 1862 ;
disch. Sept. 19, 1863.
Bradbury C. Davis: Co. C, 13th Regt.; enl. Sept. 19,
1862; disch. June 10, 1865.
Orrin Dow : Co. E, 13th Regt. ; enl. Sept. 19, 1862 ; pro-
moted to sergt. ; disch. May 7, 1865.
John W. Emerson: Co. F, 13th Regt.; enl. Sept. 19,
1862; disch. April 2, 1863.
True Emerson : Co. F, 13th Regt. ; enl. Sept. 19, 1862 ;
disch. April 2, 1863.
Joseph G. Clay : Co. F, 13th Regt. ; enl. Sept. 19, 1862 ;
disch. June 21, 1865.
Israel G. York: Corp. Co. D, 13th Regt.; enl. Oct. 8,
1862; disch. Aug. 13, 1863.
Stephen Hilton : Co. D, 15th Regt. ; enl. Oct. 14, 1862 ;
disch. Aug. 13, 1863.
Josiah D. Thompson: Co. D, 15th Regt.; enl. Oct. 8,
1862 ; disch. Aug. 13, 1863.
George W. Demeritt: Co. I, 18th Regt.; enl. Feb. 6,
1865 ; promoted to sergt. May 18, 1865 ; disch. July 29, 1865.
Samuel Durgin : Co. F, 12th Regt.; enl. Aug. 31, 1862;
born in Strafford; age 44; disch April 16, 1863. He re-
enlisted in Vet. Res. Corps, Jan. 5, 1864. He gave his age
then as 52. Enl. Jan. 5, 1864; disch. Sept. 9, 1865. His
residence was Nottingham, but he enlisted for "Lee."
Frank G. Wentworth : 2d Lieut. Co. F, 7th Regt. ; enl.
Nov. 7, 1861 ; resigned June 3, 1863 ; Aug. 25, 1863, he was
appointed 2d Lieut, of First Co. Heavy Art.; promoted to
1st Lieut. Sept. 29, 1864; disch. Sept. 11, 1865.
34
Josiah D. Thompson : Co. B, H. A. ; enl. Sept. 4, 1864 ;
disch. Sept. 11, 1865.
David S. Bennett: Co. D, H. A.; enl. Sept. 4, 1864;
disch. Sept. 11, 1865.
Albert S. Cummings: Co. D, H. A. ; enl. Sept. 11, 1864;
disch. Sept. 11, 1865.
Joseph B. Davis: Co. D, H. A.; enl. Sept. 11, 1863;
disch. June 15, 1865.
Albert W. Davis: Co. D, H. A.; enl. Sept. 11, 1864;
disch. June 15, 1865.
George B. Haley: Co. B, H. A.; enl. Sept. 11, 1864;
disch. June 15, 1865.
Charles A. Rollins: Co. D, H. A.; enl. Sept. 4, 1864;
disch. May 31, 1865.
Nehemiah Randall: Co. D, H. A.; enl. Sept. 4, 1864;
disch. Sept. 11, 1865.
Jonathan B. Thompson : Co. D, H. A. ; enl. Sept. 4, 1864 ;
promoted to corp. ; disch. June 23, 1865.
Josiah D. Thompson : Co. D, H. A. ; enl. Sept. 4, 1864 ;
disch. Sept. 11, 1865.
Robert McKee: Co. M, H. A. ; enl. Aug. 14, 1864; disch.
June 9, 1865.
Lawrence Keough: Co. H, 14th Regt. ; enl. as substi-
tute Aug. 14, 1863 ; disch. July 1, 1865.
William E. Smith: Substitute; enl. Aug. 19, 1864; U.
S. Navy ; served on the " Vandalia," " San Jacinto," " Fort
McHenry," and "Muscoota;" disch. May 20, 1867.
James Fitzgerald: Substitute; enl. Aug. 19, 1864, U.
S. Navy ; seaman on the " Vandalia ;" deserted Sept. 6, 1864.
Born in Scotland.
James McPherson : Substitute; enl. Aug. 17, 1864; de-
serted.
John Powers: Substitute, Co. B, 10th Regt.; enl. Aug.
14, 1863; disch. Feb. 28, 1865.
James McClay: Substitute; enl. Sept. 17, 1863; de-
serted.
35
John Mullen : Substitute ; born in Ireland ; enl. Aug. 14,
1863 ; Co. B, 10th Regt. ; wounded Aug. 5, 1864, near Peters-
burg; disch. Dec. 19, 1865.
Edwin W. Dalton : Substitute, Co.B, 10th Regt. ; enl. Aug-
14, 1863 ; wounded June 3, 1864, at Cold Harbor, Va. ; died
Oct. 15, 1864.
G. Singer: Substitute ; enl. Oct. 1, 1863 ; deserted.
In the above list are sixty-four names. Could the town
if called upon in this year, 1916, furnish sixty-four men for
the army, if the President should call for volunteers?
MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL IN LEE
Lee has not only furnished vaUant and patriotic men for
war, but it has also furnished men who were equally
valiant in the walks of peace. The first minister here was
Rev. Samuel Hutchins, who was pastor of the people who
assembled in the old meeting house here on the Hill from
1762 till 1797. He signed the Association TesU to aid in
carrying on the war, and he not only did good service in
his pulpit, in exhorting his parishioners to join in the
battles, but he also enlisted and set them an example, which
they were not slow in following. In the fall of 1775 and
winter of 1776, when it was expected that the British war-
ships would attack Portsmouth, and threatened to destroy it,
as they had done with the settlement at what is now Port-
land, Me., Mr. Hutchins enlisted, with quite a number of
his parishioners, one of whom was my great grandfather,
Samuel Scales, who lived on the Scales farm in Nottingham,
a mile and a half north of your town house. They went to
Portsmouth harbor and did duty there till the siege of
Boston ended on the 17th of March, 1776.
Rev. John Osborne was Mr. Hutchins' successor. He was
born in Newcastle, N. H., March 7, 1769. He died in the
parsonage on Lee Hill, Feb. 28, 1832. He was a minister in
Newcastle before coming to Lee, in 1800, when he became
the settled minister here and remained in office till his death.
He was twice married, — first marriage, Nov. 25, 1790, Abi-
gail Smith; she died Sept. 18, 1796; second marriage, Nov.
12, 1797, Miss Mary Frost of Newcastle, who survived him
some years. In the performance of his duties as pastor he
conducted many marriage ceremonies. He kept a record of
those marriages, the manuscript of which has been published
in the New Hampshire Genealogical Record, vol. IV, in the
year 1907. He performed his first marriage Feb. 19, 1801,
"Asa Kennison of Nottingham to Susanna Kennison of
Newmarket." He married five hundred and thirty-eight
37
couples; the last one was Jan. 31, 1832. He died Feb. 28,
1832. The epitaph on the headstone at his grave is as
follows :
" Elder John Osborne, born in Newcastle, N. H., March 7,
1769 ; died in Lee, Feb. 28, 1832. As a Christian eminent for
piety, and a minister faithful in office, the people, over whom
he presided for more than thirty years, erect this stone as a
token of their lasting affection and respect."
In his early ministry Elder Osborne was a Congregation-
alist, but later he was inclined more to the Free Will Baptist
belief ; as they spoke of their ministers as " Elder," instead
of " Reverend," the change of belief may have been to the
change in style of address. He was known far and wide as
" Elder Osborne." Benjamin Randall, founder of the Free
Will Baptists, was born in the same village at Newcastle in
which John Osborne was, twenty years later. Elder Os-
borne's preaching, no doubt, led so many young men in Lee
to become Free Will Baptist ministers; not one a Congre-
gationahst.
Elder Israel Chesley was Mr. Osborne's successor, and
served for a quarter of a century. His successor was Rev.
Mason Moore, who graduated from Andover Theological
Seminary in 1855 and commenced preaching on the Hill that
year. He remained the minister till 1868. About this time
Elder A. G. Comings removed from Mason, N. H., to Lee and
was preacher a number of years in the Baptist church, now
the Grange Hall.
The present Congregational church was organized Dec.
3, 1867 ; the present chapel had been built in 1861, for Mr.
Moore. The ministers who have followed Mr. Moore, and
the dates of their terms of service are as follows: Rev.
John W. Lees, 1870-1880; Rev. Lewis D. Evans, 1881-1884;
Rev. Richard M. Burr, 1884-1886 ; Rev. W. A. Forbes, 1886-
1889; Rev. Charles S. Bales, 1890-1892; Rev. Daniel W.
Richardson, 1893-1896; Rev. Benjamin A. Willmot, 1896-
1900 ; Rev. James T. Berry, 1900-1903 ; Rev. George E. Kin-
ney, 1904-1909; Rev. Isaac A. Ross, 1911-1913; Rev. Lorenzo
W. Multart, 1913-1914 ; Rev. Arthur Brotherston, 1915.
38
The following persons were natives of Lee who became
ministers and did good service in other towns. They were
all, or nearly all, parishioners of Rev, John Osborne, and he
was largely influential in shaping their careers as ministers
of the Gospel.
Rev. Jesse Burnham. He was born in 1778, and resided
here till 1806, when he removed to Sebec, Me., and began
preaching there. His work was satisfactory and he was
ordained in June, 1808, at Charlestown, Me. Jointly with
Rev. Ebenezer Scales and Rev. Mr. Libby, he organized a
church there and remained its pastor seven years. Later
he organized Free Will Baptist churches in several Maine
towns, and left them in flourishing condition. In 1840 he
removed to Janesville, Wis., where he became influential in
organizing churches, in various towns around there. He
organized the first Free Will Baptist Quarterly Meeting in
Wisconsin. He was an able organizer and did extended mis-
sionary work. He preached until within four weeks of his
death, at Janesville, Dec. 5, 1863.
Daniel Elkins was born in Lee in 1760 ; removed to Gil-
manton in 1797 and began preaching there in 1798, as a
Free Will Baptist. He continued doing missionary work till
1804, when he was ordained, as a minister of that belief, at
a Quarterly Meeting at Sandwich, N. H. He organized a
church in 1809 at Jackson and remained its pastor more
than thirty years. He did much missionary work in the
mountain towns.
Joseph Foss, Free Will Baptist, was born in Lee in 1765.
He resided in his native town till 1802. He then began hold-
ing missionary meetings in the surrounding towns. In 1812,
when he went to Brighton, Me., and became pastor of the
Free Will Baptist church there. He held that position forty
years, and did much ministerial work in towns that had no
regular minister. He died in that town in 1852.
Thomas Huckins was born in Lee in 1795. When a boy
he removed with his parents to East Canada, and remained
there till 1811. In 1812 he was at Portsmouth, N. H., and
during the war he was a soldier and sailor, in turn, on the
39
American side of the conflict. After the close of the war
he returned to East Canada and became a Free Will Baptist
minister. He received his " license to preach " before leav-
ing New Hampshire, having shown good ability for the
work. In due time he was ordained to the ministry. He
was the first minister to preach the " Free Will " doctrine
in Canada. He remained in that province about ten years
and then went to Lexington, Mich., in 1839, where he
established a church and was its pastor ten years. He died
there in 1853.
Robert Mathes, Christian Baptist, was born in Lee in
1772. When thirty years old he became impressed with the
feeling that he must go and preach the Gospel. He soon after
removed to Milton and began preaching there. Later he
was ordained to the ministry, and did a large amount of
itinerant work in New Hampshire and Maine.
Charles Frost Osborne, Free Will Baptist, son of Rev.
John and Mary (Frost) Osborne, was born 12 March, 1800.
He was a young man of fine ability. He was engaged in
business at Alton, and later in Scarborough, Me. He did not
engage in preaching until he was thirty-eight years old. He
was licensed to preach in 1838, and was ordained in 1840.
He was pastor of the church in Scarborough five years.
Later he was minister of churches in other towns. He died
in Gorham, Me., in 1856.
William W. Smith, Christian Baptist, son of Samuel
Smith, was born in Lee in 1811. He was a farmer till he
was about thirty, when he received a license to preach, and
then continued farming and doing itinerant work as preach-
er, but not as regular pastor of a church. In 1849 he went
to California, via Cape Horn. He was chaplain of the sailing
vessel during the long and tedious voyage. He engaged in
mining, farming, and running a gristmill. But he kept up
the practice of conducting religious meetings whenever an
opportunity was found for him to preach. He was a good
speaker and his audiences always gave him close attention.
He served in the Navy during the Civil War. After the
close of the war he perfected drawings for rapid fire guns,
40
armored trains, etc., but some one stole his plans before he
could secure patents on them, and others got the benefit of
his inventions. He died at Antioch, Cal., Oct. 16, 1899. He
was a Christian hero. He was 88 years old, and had been a
resident of that State a half century.
John G. Tuttle, Free Will Baptist, was born in Lee in
1802. When he was about ten years old his parents removed
to Effingham. That was his home till he was nearly thirty
years old, and he was a successful farmer. In 1833 he was
licensed to preach, having shown good ability for the work,
in the presence of the Elders of the Quarterly Meeting. He
followed itinerant work till 1837, when he was ordained as
regular pastor at Wolfeborough. He served as pastor in
churches at Gilmanton, Danville, and South Weare. He died
in Lowell, Mass., in 1845.
JEREMIAH SMITH GRANGE-PATRONS
OF HUSBANDRY
The institution in Lee that deserves to be mentioned as
second only to the church is the Jeremiah Smith Grange,
Patrons of Husbandry, which was organized Feb. 19, 1891,
with twenty-four charter members, a good number of whom
are now Hving. Your celebration here today is in the twenty-
fifth year of its existence, so you might as well count it in
as a part of the programme. It has done a prosperous, en-
joyable, and beneficent work during a quarter of a century.
It has an interesting history, but I cannot enter upon that
subject on this occasion, or rather do more than enter by
giving the list of names showing who have served as Masters
of it. They are as follows: B. Frank Davis, 1891-1892;
Frank J. Davis, 1893; B. Frank Davis, 1894-1895; Albert L.
Comings, 1896-1897 ; George A. Dudley, 1898-1899 ; Arthur
J. Thompson, 1900-1901 ; John C. Bartlett, 1902-1903 ; Ar-
thur J. Thompson, 1904-1905; Arthur J. McDaniel, 1906-
1907; George A. Dudley, 1908-1909 ; Frank J. Caldwell, 1910-
1911; Albert B. Dudley, 1912; Eugene L. Moore, 1913-1914;
Albert B. Dudley, 1915; Robert H. Hardy, 1916.
ROADS IN LEE IN 1804
In 1804 John Rundlett, with chainmen John Ford, Jr.,
and Andrew Demeritt, perambulated the town lines; and in
the same year measured the various roads in the town, and
recorded the names of the residents on the roads, and the
distances between their houses. November 27, 1804, they
made a report to the town, and that report later came into
the hands of Tobias Cartland. A few years ago it was given
to Mr. Charles S. Cartland, by whose permission I am per-
mitted to make the following extracts, which I think you
will find interesting. In a way it shows " Who was Who "
in Lee one hundred and twelve years ago.
Surveyor Rundlett found the following distances on the
adjoining towns: The Nottingham Hne, 4 miles, 82 rods;
Barrington line, 2 miles, 211 rods; Madbury line, 7 miles,
297 rods ; Durham line, 5 miles, 66 rods ; Newmarket line, 1
mile, 186 rods; Epping line, 2 miles, 305 rods. Total, 18
miles, 187 rods.
At this time Lee Hill was called Federal Hill ; who gave
it that name or when it was given I do not know. The
report says the road from " Federal Hill thro2igh the Hook "
to Durham line was 3 miles and 9 rods. The following house-
holders lived on the road. Several of their houses are stand-
ing now. Starting from the Hill: Abraham Mathes, Sam
Mathes, Hill's Bridge, — Sam Thompson. This house is now
known as the Israel Bartlett house. It was built by Captairi
Reuben Hill, who acquired the falls on the river and the ad-
joining farm, in the middle of the 18th century. The house
is probably not less than 160 years old. The first bridge
was built about the same time, hence was called " HilVs
Bridge. " The next house is Lieut. Hilton's. It stood where
John C. Bartlett's house now stands, and was taken down to
give place to the present house.
Lieut. Andrew Hilton was born at Newmarket, August
8, 1763. He was son of Winthrop and Sarah (Smith) Hilton,
43
who was son of Col. Winthrop and Martha (Weeks) Hilton;
he was son of Col. Winthrop and Ann (Wilson) Hilton; and
this Col. Winthrop was grandson of Judge Edward Hilton,
the founder of Dover, in the spring of 1623. The Hiltons
were extensive land owners, and lived in what is now New
fields ; when they came into possession of the Bartlett farm I
do not know, but Andrew Hilton was living there when the
first U. S. Census was taken, in 1790, and his family then
consisted of two men, four women, and two children. The
farm has been in possession of the Bartlett family since
1822, when it was purchased by Hon. Josiah Bartlett, and
at his death it passed to the ownership of his son, Hon. John
C. Bartlett, the present owner ; so the farm has been in pos-
session of two men for nearly a century. The present owner
has improved it to such an extent that he raises two spears
of grass in his fields where formerly grew only one. It is
one of the best farms in Strafford county, and it goes
without saying that Mr. Bartlett is one of the best farmers
in the county. His father was a good farmer, as well as a
valiant officer in the war of 1812-15 ; his grandfather, Col.
Thomas Bartlett, was a good farmer in Nottingham, as well
as one of the great patriots of the Revolution.
The next house beyond Lieut. Hilton's was Josiah Burley,
Capt. Tuttle, Capt. Frost, Thomas Tufts, Durham line.
Road to Northwood: Begins at Esqr. Leavitt's store,
Elijah Cartland's house (now known as Timothy G. Davis,
or Simon Otis house). Esquire Leavitt's "M" house, Edward
Hardy, Footman house, Nottingham line. Total, 1 mile and
90 rods.
Road to Wadleigh's Falls : Began at Leavitt's well (on
the Hill), Eli Furber, Furber's bridge, Josiah Durgin. Dis-
tance, 2 miles and 72 V2 rods.
North River road: Began at one rod west of Leavitt's
store (on the Hill) ; then 5 rods to Dr. Guy's house, school-
house, Capt. Josiah Bartlett's house, Hunking Dame, at
junction of the road to Nottingham, Little River bridge,
Peltiah Thompson (at top of the hill), Jonathan Cartland
(now Charles S. Cartland's) Friends' meeting house, Levi
44
Runnels, Kelsey road to Nottingham, William Palmer, Moses
Huckins, schoolhouse, Lieut. Lang's house, Jos. Burnham,
Joseph Ladd, North River mill, Sam Allen. Distance, 3
miles and 156 rods.
This road is one of the old highways that antedates the
incorporation of the town. The Thompsons were on the Hill
there two hundred years ago, and their descendants are
there now, but not the original house ; a long series of good
farmers on a good farm. The Cartlands have had their
home on that road for more than one hundred and seventy
years. It has come down from the original settler, Joseph
Cartland, who purchased the land for the farm in 1737.
He was married and took his bride there to live in 1745. The
house that is now standing was built about that time, and
the present owner takes pride in keeping it in good repair,
as he also keeps the ancestral acres under a good state of
cultivation. There are other historic associations connected
with the house and farm. The Cartlands were members of
the Society of Friends, and leaders in the organization.
They were also strong anti-slavery men and women. When
the " under-ground railroad " commenced active operation
for safe transportation of the colored slaves of the South
through the Northern States to the land of freedom in
Canada, the Cartland home was one of the " ivay stations"
and there were never any " return tickets" delivered for
the South-land, at the ticket office there.
The Friends' meeting-house that is mentioned in the rec-
ord of 1804, was later converted into a schoolhouse, and
somewhat enlarged, by Moses Cartland, who was a famous
school-master, and kept school there in the middle of the
19th century. This house was the home of the noted " Wal-
nut Grove School," which for many years was a fitting
school for young men, for business and for college, if they
desired to enter the higher institutions. They had interest-
ing lectures there, delivered by distinguished speakers, John
G. Whittier, the poet, was a frequent visitor at the Cartland
home. In its day this school ranked among the best of the
New Hampshire Academies. It began work about 1845. It
45
was in a flourishing condition nearly a quarter of a century.
The Doe or Fox Garrison was a half or three-fourths of
a mile westerly of the Cartland homestead ; the story of it is
told on another page. The house was torn down a few
years ago.
The Quaker Meeting-house near the Cartlands was for
the accommodation of the Friends in Lee, who could not
conveniently attend the meetings of the society in Dover,
whose house is now standing on Central avenue, near Pine
Hill Cemetery. There were quite a number of Quaker fam-
ilies in Lee.
Wadleigh's road, from North River road: Began at
Moses Huckins' house. Widow Jackson, Tobias Cartland,
John F. Meder, Chapman's, John Watson, Esquire Steele's
house, Tim Moses, D. Watson, Col. John Folsom, Widow
Folsom, Sam Chapman. Total distance, 2 miles, 273 rods.
The Huckins house is now standing and occupied by Mrs.
George W. Flummer, who is a granddaughter of Moses Huck-
ins. The Esquire Steele house is what was known later as
the Gardner Towle house. It was probably built soon after
the close of the Revolutionary war by Esq. Steele, who was a
prominent and wealthy man in his time. Mr. Towle was also
a prominent citizen of Lee for a number of years. In the
later part of his life he lived in Exeter. His son, Hamilton
Towle, was a distinguished engineer. He was a passenger
on the " Great Eastern " on its first voyage across the
Atlantic. When about midway of the voyage the stearing
gear became disabled, and but for the skill and ingenuity of
Mr. Towle the ship could not have reached New York under
its own power. He saw what ought to be done and did it,
after long persuasion of the Captain to permit him to do the
job. Mr. Towle patched the gearing in such a way that it
worked the steamship into port. It was regarded as a great
engineering feat.
High road : Began at the Epping line, Esq. Sias, bridge
over North river, Joseph Lawrence, at Wadleigh's road. Dis-
tance, 1 mile, 98 rods.
46
Exeter road: Began at Wadleigh's bridge, E. Wiggin,
Epping line. Distance, 224 rods.
Noble's road : Began at Lawrence's corner, Widow Wey-
mouth, Thomas Noble, Jr., Moses Davis. Distance, 252 rods.
Kelsey road: Began at North River road, 20 rods to
Joseph Emerson's, Obediah Davis, Jonathan Thompson, Not-
tingham line. Distance, 194 rods.
In passing it seems well to speak of the Rev. Israel Ches-
ley farm, on the road near Wadleigh's Falls. Elder Chesley
was born November 24, 1788. He was son of Lieut. Benja-
min and Deborah (Randall) Chesley. His birthplace was
in the house that stood where now stands the College Pres-
ident's house. New Hampshire College. October 25, 1812,
he married Betsey Folsom, daughter of Col. John Folsom,
and they commenced housekeeping on the Folsom farm
about that time. It had been in possession of the Folsom
family more than 50 years ; and it has been in possession of
the Chesley family a century, at least, the heirs of Irving
G. Chesley being the present owners. Elder Chesley's
grandfather, Thomas Chesley, was great-grandson of Phil-
ip Chesley, the emigrant ancestor who settled in Old Dover
275 years ago. Elder Chesley was ordained as a Christian
Baptist minister in 1816, at Durham, at the same time
when Elder William Demeritt was ordained, and became
pastor of the Christian Baptist church at Durham. Elder
Chesley was the minister in Lee who succeeded Elder John
Osborne, who died in 1832. Elder Chesley died 29 Sept.,
1866 ; his wife died 23 May of the same year.
The Mast road : Began at Durham line, 4 rods westerly
of Laskey's bridge, then 22 rods to William Laskey's house
(now the Bartlett house), then 16 rods to the Wednesday
Hill road, Lieut. Runals, Capt. Giles, schoolhouse, Capt.
Robert Parker's house, now known as the Hale place. Step-
ping Stones Road, Job Randall, Rev. John Osborne, John
Randall, Mica j ah Bickford, Joseph Follett, Meeting-house,
Jonathan Jenkins, Esqr. Leavitt's house, Sam Furber. Dis-
tance, 2 miles, 154 rods.
47
Capt. Parker was a distinguished citizen of Portsmouth
before he commenced farming in Lee, He built the house
about 1785. His grave is in the old burial ground, below
his house. Before the middle of the 19th century, Hon.
William Hale of Dover bought it for his son, Andrew, and
after Judge Jeremiah Smith, Sr., died his widow came here
to reside with her brother. Her son. Judge Jeremiah Smith,
Jr., passed much of his boyhood here, until he entered col-
lege. I do not need to say that your grange is named for
him, in recognition of the many good things he and his
mother did for Lee. It would make a long and interesting
story to tell it all.
The Laskey house has been in possession of the Bartlett
family for more than a century. Jonathan Bartlett, son of
Col. Thomas Bartlett of Nottingham, married Love, a daugh-
ter of William and Mary (Randall) Laskey, Feb. 2, 1809.
That was their home till his death in 1852. She died Aug.
7, 1884, in the 95th year of her age. The farm is now owned
by their grandson, Charles W. Bartlett of Boston, the dis-
tinguished lawyer, senior member of the great law firm of
Bartlett & Bartlett. William Laskey's father, John Laskey
of Kittery, bought that farm in 1722 and came there to reside
that year " near Wednesday Hill brook ;" so Mr. Bartlett
of Boston and his Bartlett-Laskey ancestors have owned that
farm 194 years. I do not know who built the house, but
probably the senior member, John Laskey of Kittery.
Wednesday Hill road: Began 16 rods west of William
Laskey's house, then 96 rods to William Clough's house, 80
fods to Packer's Falls road, William Jenkins, Capt. Giles,
Widow Langley, Levi Langley, James Jenkins, W. Hill, Jo-
seph Clark, to -the Meeting-house. Distance, 2 miles, 206
rods.
The Clough farm came into possession of Thomas Ches-
ley, brother of Elder Israel, about 1816, and is now owned
by his son, George E. Chesley, who is now in his 84th year,
and has one of the best farms in town, which is accounted for
in part, by the fact that he is one of the best farmers in
Strafford County. The Chesley family has owned the farm
48
one hundred years. The farm was first taken up by Zacheus
Clough, about 1750, and passed from him to his son, William,
who sold it to Thomas Chesley, as above stated.
Stepping Stones road: The surveyor began to measure
at the Barrington line, then to Cotton Dockham, Thomas
Langley, Thomas Langley, Jr., Oyster River, Warner's house,
east end of the pond, cross road to Widow Chesley, Aaron
Hanson, to Mast road. Distance, 2 miles, 11 rods.
Barrington road : Began at Durham line, Davis' house,
Capt. Emerson, Smith, Esqr. Steele, Simon Randall, Capt.
Leathers, Snell's mill, Jones, John Snell, Josiah Bodge, New-
town road, David Munsey, Pinkham, to Barrington line.
Distance, 2 miles, 235 rods.
Tu7mpike road: Began at Durham line, 20 rods to Oys-
ter river, John Jones, Andrew Demeritt, to cross road, Capt.
Giles, John Layne, Edmund Lane, Tollhouse, Oyster river,
Lemuel Chesley, W. Hill, to Barrington line. Distance, 2
miles, 20 rods.
Ash Swamp road: Begins at Capt. Bartlett's house
(North River road) to Thompson hill, 101 rods; bridge, J.
Randall's house, to Nottingham line. Distance, 1 mile, 82
rods.
The Davis farm in the Hook district, has been in the
possession of the Davis family more than one hundred and
fifty years. It was purchased by Lieut. David Davis about
^750 and he settled there soon after that date. From him
it passed to his son, David, who in turn passed it to his son,
Nathaniel Goodrich Davis, who was born in 1836. It is now
owned by Nathaniel's son, Thomas Jones Davis, who was
born in 1859, and is a lawyer in Duluth, Minn. Esquire
Davis has presented to New Hampshire College a tract of
eight acres in Lee and Durham. He planted it to sweet
chestnut trees, and it is called " Davis Park." The college
authorities are taking special care of it. In the not distant
future it will be one of the fall recreations of the college
students to go there and gather the chestnuts.
BIG TAX PAYERS IN LEE IN 1 804
That old manuscript from which the above mentioned
data were obtained, contains other interesting matter, among
which is an inventory of the farms in Lee in 1813. It shows
the number of acres of orchards, arable land, mowing land,
pastures; and the tax rate for that year, which was $1.30.
The following were among the largest tax payers: Capt.
Robert Parker, $23.45 ; Job Thompson, $17.50 ; Joseph Law-
rence, $17.35; David Rundlett, $15.82; Daniel Ladd, $12.80;
Jonathan Cartland, $8.45.
Mention has been made of the Stepping Stones road.
Perhaps the younger people here today may not understand
why that road is so called on the survey, hence a little expla-
nation may be in order.
The stones were so arranged, at an early period in the
settlement, as to afford a safe footing across the channel of
Oyster river, shortly after it leaves Wheelwright's Pond and
across the adjacent marsh. Mention is made of them Nov.
16, 1720, when 50 acres of land were laid out to Nathaniel
Hill on the north side of Wheelwright's Pond, beginning at a
black oak standing near the place called the Stepping Stones,
and thence run E. S. E. 68 rods to the pond. These stones
remained in use till the middle of the 19th century.
Wheelwright's Pond lies between Lee Hill and Newtown.
The name of this pond was derived from Rev. John Wheel-
wright, the founder of Exeter, in 1639. He had his grant of
land from the Indian Sachem who ruled over the territory
here, and this pond was on the boundary line, as Mr. Wheel-
wright understood it ; hence in the disputes with the Dover
authorities about the boundary line between Dover and Exe-
ter, which lasted for many years, Wheelwright claimed this
as his pond. Richard Otis of Dover was authorized by the
town, July 3, 1666, " to cut all the grass about the pond by
Oyster river, which was known by the name of Mr. Wheel-
wright's marsh.'*
50
Whitehorne's plains, in Lee, are along the line of Bar-
rington and Nottingham, near the Lee boundary, and were
often familiarly called Cm^Vs plains, from Curtis White-
horne, a former owner thereon. A highway across the lower
side is sometimes called Whitehoryie's road.
Wednesday Hill is one of the ancient landmarks of Old
Dover. It is on the upper side of Lamprey river. It is east
of Lee Hill, in what was known as District No. 3. Mention
is made of it Nov. 4, 1723, when 30 acres of land were laid
out to Samuel Purkins on the south side of Wednesday Hill.
Capt. Nathaniel Randall's grant of 30 acres on this hill is
mentioned in the division of his estate, April 25, 1750.
There has been much speculation as to the origin of the
name. Why did the settlers about there, two hundred years
ago, give it that name in preference to any other day of
the week? An old tradition asserts that the Indians had a
skirmish with the white men at that hill on some Wednesday,
jbut there is no record of such a fight in Lee anywhere than
at Wheelwright's Pond. Another tradition says it was so
flamed by the early surveyors, who were laying out grants
of land on or around this hill on a Wednesday and took their
luncheons on the top. I think this is the correct solution of
the problem. Those old surveyors had to give names to
localities in order to find the lot of land when the owner went
out to settle on it.
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