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RAMBLES  ABOUT  PORTSMOUTH, 

SECOND     SERIES. 


SKETCHES 


OF 


PERSONS,      LOCALITIES 


AND 


INCIDENTS    OE    TWO   CENTURIES: 


PRINCIPALLY   1ROM   TRADITION   AND    UNPUBLISHED    DOCUMENTS* 


IBy     Cliarles    "W.    Brewster. 


WITH    A 

BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCH  OF  THE   AUTHOR, 

BY  WM.  H.  Y.  HACK.ETT. 


i    m  »  »    » 


PORTSMOUTH,  N.  H. 

PRINTED   AND   PUBLISHED   BY   LEWIS   W.    BREWSTER, 

rortpmonth  Journal  Oflice. 

.  1BG9. 


D  A 
*3L 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  dongross,  iu  the  year  1869,  by 
LEWIS  W.  RREWSTER, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  New-Hampshire. 


iPREir^cii;. 


<£ 


The  compilation  of  this  Second  Series  of  the  Rambles  About  Portsmouth  was  mostly 
the  work  of  the  author,  as  is  stated  in  the  biographical  sketch  by  Hon.  Wm.  II.  Y. 
Hackett,  his  life-long  friend,  that  composes  the  first  chapter.  Slight  changes  in  the  text 
and  arrangement  were,  however,  left  to  the  discretion  of  the  editor,  who  has  endeavored  to 
adhere  as  closely  as  possible  to  the  original  details  of  the  work,  studying  in  all  particulars 
to  give  them  in  accordance  with  the  judgment  and  taste  of  the  writer. 
£f»  The  plan  of  the  Second  Series  is  in  all  respects  similar  to  that  of  the  First.  Gratified 
I                by  its  kind  reception,  the  author  continued  his  Rambles  until  the  closing  days  of  his  life 


with  little  if  any  change  in  their  character.  In  the  rortsmouth  Journal,  his  newspaper, 
in  which  they  first  appeared,  apt  writings  of  others  were  adopted  as  part  of  his  series.  In 
this  book  credit  is  due  to  Air.  John  Henry  Bowles,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  (the  Journal's  corres- 
pondent '•Hoooe,*')  in  whole  or  in  part  for  Rambles  85,  96,  113,  126, 131, 132, 140  and  141, 
Others  of  his  Interesting  productions  are  omitted  for  want  of  room. 

LEWIS  W.  BREWSTER. 
Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  Nov.  1, 1869. 


C  O  1ST  T  E  1ST  T  .S  . 


KAMBLE.  PAGE. 

Biographical  Sketch  of  the  Author.  9 

84.  Site  and  Associations  of  the  New  City  Rooms — Brick  Market  and  Jefferson  Hall.  23 

85.  Odiorne's  Point — The  First  House  and  First  Cemetery  in  New  Hampshire 85 

80.    Marquis  de  Chastellux's  Visit  in  1782— French  Fleet— Views  of  Portsmouth,  &c 33 

87.    Sketch  of  Henry  Sherburne  and  Descendants 44 

83.    Langdon  and  Sherburne  Families 53 

89.  Lafayette  Road— Langdon  Farm— Family  Monument— New  Rank  of  American 

Nobility 58 

90.  Atkinson's  Silver  Waiter— The  Record  of  Deaths  in  Portsmouth— Lady  Went- 

worth's  Picture,  &o 62 

92.  Theodore  Atkinson's  Estate — Will  of  Susanna,  widow  of  George  Atkinson 75 

93.  Peter  Livius  the  Loyalist — Building  of  the  North  Bridge  and  Mill  — Chief  Justice 

of  Quebec— His  efforts  to  win  Gen.  Sullivan  to  the  British  Cause 78 

94.  Legislation  in  Portsmouth  in  1G99— First  Prison — Mark  Noble 83 

95.  The  Old  Stavers  Hotel— The  Party— The  Daniel  Street  Apparition— The  Dance— 

A  Fragrant  Interruption 86 

96.  Sketches  from  an  ancient  copy  of  the  N.  H.  Gazette 90 

97.  Christian  Shore— Freeman's  Point— The  Ham  House — The  Waterhouse  Family 95 

98.  The  Pickering  Family 103 

99.  Pickering  House  in  Vaughan  Street— Edward  Hart— Gen.  Peabody's  Terfldy— Capt. 

Cullam,  Ac 10G 

100.  More  of  Pickering's  History— Col.  Atkinson — Woodbury  Langdon — Revolutionary 

Incidents ".  Ill 

101.  ThingB  of  1790  to  1800— Old  School  Gentlemen— Eespect  by  Youth— Minor  Offen- 

ces— Prompt  Punishment  of  Criminals — Justice  |Penhallow's  Impartiality — 
First  Pavement — Buck-Street  Promenade — North  and  Southenders — Smoking 
not  Allowed— Edward  Hart  elected  Police  Officer — His  Success, and  what  pro- 
duced it 117 

102.  The  Hart  Family— Quint  and  the  Wolf. 123 

103.  The  Sheafe  Family 126 

104.  James  Sheafe -Jay's  Treaty— The  Effigies— The  Riot— The  Arrest-The  Trium- 

phal Procession,  &c 132 

105.  Insurrection  in  New  Hampshire,  1786 138 

106.  The  Cutts  Family 142 

107.  Residence  of  Richard  Cutts— Capt.  Thomas  Leigh's  Sea  Adventure — William 

Bennett,    the  Hostage  — His  Fate 147 

108.  The  Cutts  and  Penhallow  Cemetery  on  Green  Street 151 

109.  The  Residence  of  Dea.  Samuel  Penhallow 153 

110.  The  Old  Clock— The  Four  George  Jaffreys— The  Jaffrey  House 156 

111.  Rev.  Samuel  McClintock, 160 

112.  Sketch  of  Newcastle 1G6 

113.  Newcastle  Reminiseuces  of  Forty-Five  Years  Ago 174 

114.  The  Court  Martial  at  Fort  Constitution  in  1814— The  Providential  Witness 177 

115.  Fort  Constitution— The  Explosion  in  1809 182 

116.  The  Sparhawk  Family 185 

117.  Centennial  Celebration,  1823— The  Parchment  Unrolled 188 

118.  The  Yellow  Fever  of  1798 193 

119.  Old  Land  Proprietors— The  March  Farm -The  Family 195 

120.  Incendiary  Sketches— Pilgrim  Day— The  Great  Fire  of  1813— The  Incendiary 201 

121.  Central   Portsmouth  previous  to  the  Great  Fire — Portsmouth  rier-New-Hamp- 

Fhire  Hotel— Jacob  Sheafe's— Daniel  Webster's— North  side  of  Buck  Street — 
The  Haunted  House 207 


6 


CONTEXTS. 


P.AMEI.E.  PAUE. 

122.  Central  Portsmouth  before  the  Great  Fire»-Nicholas  Ronsselet- The  Museum- 

Sailor  Anecdote,  Ac 214 

123.  Central  Portsmouth  before  the  Great  Fire — Nicholas  Rousselet's  Courtship — The 

eccentric  Josiah  Shackford— His  Unparallelled  Feat  of  crossing  the  Atlantic 
alone— The  Founder  of  Portsmouth,  Ohio 218 

124.  Central  Portsmouth  before  the  Fire  of  1813— North  Side  of  Buck  Street 223 

123.    Central  Portsmouth  before  the  Fire  of  1813.— James  Sheafe's  Residence — Abra- 
ham Isaac,  the  Jew— Jonathan  M.  Sewell,  the  l'oet 229 

126.  Central  Portsmouth  before  the  Fire  of  1813. — Stories  of  Escapes,  Rescues,  &c\  . .  233 

127.  State  Street  in  1793— Drown  Family— Dr.  Lyman  Spalding— Capt.  Teter  Coues— 

Samuel  E.  Coues 239 

128.  Seizure  of  Arms  and  Powder  at  Fort  William  and  Mary— The  finale  of  Provincial 

Government  in  Now  Hampshire 243 

129.  The  Navy  Yard 254 

130.  Capt.   Daniel  Fernald— Residence— Ownership  of  the  Navy  Yard— War  Adven- 

tures—Diddling the  Spencer  74— Putting  a  British  frigate  on  the  rocks 258 

131.  Shapley's  Island— Small  Pox  Parties— Incidents  and  Pastimes 262 

132.  The  Old  Spring  Market— The  Neptune  and  River  Nymphs  of  the  Piscataqua 270 

133.  A  step  over  the  River— The  Celebrities  of  Kittery  in  former  days — The  Spinney 

Family 282 

134.  Our  Wharves— rrivateering— The  Portsmouth  Record 285 

135.  Our  Wharves — West-India  Trade— Capt.  Gilman— Admiral  Nelson— Emperor  of 

Russia.  &c 290 

136.  The  Old  Welch  House  on  Bridge  Street— Johnny  Cunningham 294 

137 .  John  Simes  and  his  Descendants 296 

138.  Toppin  Maxwell—"  Commodore  "  Mifflin 298 

139.  My  Brother  Bob 307 

140.  The  Brick  School  House  in  State-Street— Teachers,  former    and  recent— School 

Dramatic  Exhibitions— Struck  by  Lightning 316 

141.  School-House  Hill — School  Books— Amusements  — Slides — Mrs.  Maloon's  Shop— 

The    Catastrophe— Parson    Walton's  Meeting-House— Services— The   Bdoved 
Disciple , 326 

142.  The  Old  South  Church 332 

143.  The  Old  Bell  Tavern 330 

144.  Witchcraft  in  Portsmouth  and  Newcastle— Death  of  Molly  Bridget— Stone  Throw- 

ing  Devils  of  Newcastle 343 

145.  The  Former  Men  of  Portsmouth— Ancient  Furniture 354 

146.  The  Episcopal  Church  Yard 35b 

147.  Tho  Oldest  House  in  our  State 353 

148.  The  Dead  Elm  on  South  Road 360 

149.  Fifty  Years  in  a  Printing  Office— Our  Own  and  the  World's  Progress 303 


-•-+- 


INDEX     OF     NAMES 


All  the  names  used  in  the  Rambles  are  intended  to  be  printed  in  tills  index,  except  the 
following  lists : 
For  those  engaged  in  the  Centennial  Celebration,  1823,  see  pages  1S9  and  190. 
For  list  of  Master  Taft's  Scholars,  see  pages  319  and  320. 
For  list  of  "The  former  men  of  Portsmouth,"  see  page  355. 


Abbott,  71   240 '329   365'         lAlden,  174  351  354 
Ahercrombie.  124  (Alien,  66  128  161 

Adams,    24    72    92    101   202; Amizeen,   347  352  333 
230   304  320  S35  352 1 Andrews,  227 


354  366  371  374 
Akernim,  15  221  a  I J  360 
Albertz,  1£4 


Andrnss,  66 
Anntble,  79 
Applelou    tj  77  1S5  1SS 


Arnold,  94  I  Badser,   113 

Arundel,  55  I  Bailor,  178  to  1«J  367 

Atkinson,    49  50  62  77   112  Bainbridse,  32i 


185    191  j  219    253  357 

Audubon,  10 
Austin,  90 
Avtrs,  201 


Hampfylde.  56 
Hincrnfi,  353 
Binfttlif.  58  to  CO 
K»rber,  353 


INDEX; 


Barefoot.  351  352 

Barnes  366 

fiarnum,  94 

Barrell,  -19  57  60  263 

Barry,  2?0 

B.irsa.'ee.  280 

Bass,  50  225 

Kanlett,  II   12   16  31  1S2  :E6 

366 
Heck,  224 

Belcher,  60  125  144  862 
Relfour,  179 
K.lkna;.,  Ill 
Uell,  171  12A  336 
Bellif-ont.  v4 
Bennett  148  to  150 
Berry,  196 
Herthier,  92 
Berlliullrt,  .'-It 
Betlenham,  226 
Birelow.  93 
Killings.  27  367 
Hire,  40  41 
B  shop  3o6 
Hlaisiiell,  77  240  270 
hi  ay  362 
Blunt,  110  242 
Bold,  45 

Bonapar'e,  92  371 
II  mien,  351 
liorlaiul,  144 
Hirlliwick    59 
Bourne,  320 
So  Ales.  27  B0  93  136  233  263 

277  316  322  367 
Bivd.  137  295 

Bri.kelt,    42  44  105  195  196 
Brailtv,  115 
Bray  69  71  73 
Bre'wser,      9  to  21  52  60  99 

100    109   201   341  354 

366 
Briar,  146 
Hri.nl.  201 
Bridget,  341 
Brierly,  93 
Brown,     49  159  260  236  287 

335  341  358  367 
Bruce,  230 
Brummel,  266 
Buchanan  371 
Buckmuusier,  39  195  259  318 

366 
Burgnyne.  £2  163 
Burke,  114 
Burnet  362 
Hurr,  161 

Burroughs,  II  358  364 
Bailer,  45  143 
Call,  153  294  366 
Campbell,  324 
Carr,  2b6 
Carter,  32  271 
Caswell,  339 
Chidbonrne  224 
i  hadwick    341 
I  hainberlaiii.  105 
Chambers,  65  73 
Champernooiie,  146 
Chandler,  215  272 
Charlton.  45 
Chase,  146  201    202  209  3  T, 

321 
Chastellux,  38 
Chauncey,  136 
Cheever,  31 
Cheney,  68 
Cheslev,  72 
Childs.  II 
Chipman,  188 
Christie.  226  310 
Cilley,  112 
(  la;gett,    12 
Clapharn.  230 
Clapp,  110 
Clark,  10  52  224  343  351  S52 

366 
Clay  374 
Cleaves,  t!0 
Clifton,  66 
dough  362 
Cochran.     H'0    16S   210    252 

2)3  321 


Collin.  49  93,293 

I  dggeihall,  287 

Cogswell.  75 

Colbath,  20o  207 

Colby,  101 

Coleman,  74  104 

Coleridge,  277 

Cpok,  351 

Cooper,  287 

Cotlon,  97  127 

Coues,  240  to  217 

Cuwfield,  45 

Craigie,  90 

CrautiLlJ,  157 

Crawford,  144  374 

crockett,  1  2 

Cromwell,  145 

Crooker,  179  180 

Cullam,  100  103  109 

Cunuigham,  295 

Currier,  12  103  224 

Cushing,  75  228 

Cushu-an,  12 

Cult,  43  49  69  70  97  I42IO  153 

Cutis,    i2  31   117  142  to  149 

192  195  248 
Cuttet,  12  31  7  7  107  108  183 

194   195  200  268  317 

363  366 
Cutting    12 
Da^uerre  371 
Dalby,  83 
IT  Allemagne.  92 
Dame,  91  223  224 
Daniel,  61  69  144 
Darling,  164 
Dartm  .uth,  251  253 
Davenport,  ls2  223  229 
Davidson,  184 
Davis.  222 
Diy,  235 
Dvau  366 

Dearborn.  II  28  366 
Deering.  131  2j1 
Delande,  212 
DeMovau,  244 
Dennett,  101  196  254  260 
Dodge,  328 
uoig,  91 
Dow,  214  362 

Downing,  64  65  67  71  74  106 
Drake,  196  359 
llrisco,  335 
Drown,  15  31  114  132  133  136 

ISO  182  224  240  tu  244 
Dudley,  57  128 
Dummer.  144 
Dushan,  41 
Dwight,  231 
Eastman,     15  310 
Eaton   74  127  223 
Edwards,  2U3  225 
Elliot,  69  144  146  246 
Elwyn,  12  C-8 

Emerson.  72  129,130  192  337 
Emeiy,  335 
Eudicot.  53 
Evans,  60 

Fabyan,  104 

Fairbanks,  93 

Farmer.  Ill 

Felt,  353 

Fenton,  252 

Fernald,  11  15  56  59  98  19', 
212  217  253  2lj2  27 1 
283  2-6  238  297  333 
335  366 

Fillmore  371 

fisher,  24  154  231 

Fitcb,  335 

Fitzgerald,  16  366 

Flag?,  100  193 

Flanders.  271 

Folsona.  195  250  366 

F  ird,  229 

Foss.  E9  to  101  109  340 

Fourcrov.  244 

Fowle,  90  91  95 

Fianklin,  327 

Freeman,  12  62  191 

Fremont,  371 

French, 28 


Frink,  297 

Frost,  64  69  146  171  258 

Frye,  343 

Fulton,  371 

Furber,  104 

furbish,  271 

Fuibisher  99 

Furniss,  225 

Fursell,  340 

Gage,  250  252 

Gains,   26  27  99  100  195  207 

339  355  366  367 
Gambling,  65  74  144  151  191 
Gardner.  224  259  295  357 
Geddis,  209 
Gee,  111 

Gerrish,  145  201  ?40  366 
Gibbins,  45  51  to  53  111 
Gibbons,  53  57  71 
Gibson,  52 

Gibbs,  127  to  129   365 
Gillett,  279  280 
Gilman,    12  49  65  73  92  141 
Gilpin,  370 

223  291   292  324   335 
342 

Goddard,  231  366 

Goff,  124 

Goldsmith,  176 

Goldihwaite.  57  60 

Goodrich,  126  158 

Goodwin,  16 

Gorges,  1 1 1 

Gotham,  100 

Gould,  272 

Gove,  23  60 

Grace,  232 

Gralforth,  144  316 

Grant  374 

Graves,   144  250  253 

Gray,  11  226  292 

Green,  93  94 

Greenleaf,     116  137  155  285 

340 
Gregorv,  224 
Griffis,  334 
Griffin,  239 
Gross,  144  _ 
Grouard,  25 
Grow.  105 

(Hackett.  12  1C4  133  141   310 

320 
Haines.  196  359 
Hale,  50  317  321 
Hall,   57    59   60  66    109  1S4 

199  200  209  357 
I  Halliburton,  366 
Ham,  9    96  98    101    156  202 

224  306  329  366  367 
Hammond.  145 
Hancock    27  302 
Handy    286 
Hardy,  100 

Hams,    195  211  293  320 
Harrison.  371  374 
Hart,  106    to    103     122  tol25 

130    147    153   154  296 

334  335 
Harvey,  144  310 
Hatch,  230 
Hathaway,  320 
Haven,  .i  12  93  127  179  181 

188  192  203  215  to  2:6 

292  363  365  366 
Hayes,  99  310 
Hende.son,  90  130  132  223 
Hick«,  99 
Higginson.  127 
Hill,  18  57  60  110;236  365 

366 
Hilliard.  85 
Hilton.  36  75 
Hirst,  72 
Hizeures,  41 
Hobbs,  75 
H<dges.  185 
Hoes,  145 
Holmes,  209 
Holvoke.  188 
Hor'nv   221  225 

iioMtoo,  nil 
Howe,  115 


Hoyl,  C6  280 

Hubbard,  56  59  68 

Hughes,  291 

Hull,  204  261  262  328 

Humphreys,  76  77  203 

Huuking,  73 

Hunt,  223 

Huntress  209 

Huskc,  64  67 

llukhings,  113 

Hulcliiugs,  71 

llu'chn.gson,  128 

Huzzy  351 

living,  251 

Isaacs,  208  230 

Jackson.    10  49  91  93  97  102 

135  196  199  2(>9  215  222 

223  246  263268  269  310 

334    338   343   366  371 

374 
Jaffrey,     49  64  68  69  70  1 17 

128  156  to  159  191   2W> 

352  357 
James,  272 
Janvrm,  106  157  230 
Jarvis,  186  187 
Jay.  134  135  371 
Jelftrson,  29 
Jeffries,  68  69  70  159 
Jenness,  44  57  59  155  T41 
Jennniiigs.  351 
Johnson,  196  212  241  371 
Jones,75  77  109  226  230  297 

325  326  340 
Jose,  67 
Keese,  67 
Kelley,  111 
kennard,  16 
Kenney.  67 
Ketlle,  241 
Kimball,  320 
Kiiu,  75  76  1S5  365 
Kneill,  112 
Knight.    46  52  72  74  97  144 

151 
Ladd,  145  188  230  247  318 
Laighton,356  59  24o  297 
Lake,  152 

Lakenian,  10  209  366 
Laua^an,  225 
Lang,  93  334 
Laugdon     41  42  46  to  60  73 

116    125    134    149   196 

241    334   335   MS  366 
Langford,  28 
L.ikiu,  93 
Lash'ey,  261 
Lavoisier,  244 
Lear,  46  52  53  56  59  63 
Leach,  259 
Leavitt,  291 
Leigh,  93  148  149  150 
Lewey,  279 
Lilb-'v,  239 
Lincoln,    61  371 
Little,  195 
Livermoie,  134    135  140   153 

156  334  333 
Livius,  73  to  83 
Llovd,  71 
Locke,  343  353 
Logging.  65 

Long,  12  93  147  209  24' 
Lord,  24  1 14  231  340    366 
Lovering,  1 73 
1-owe,  153  209  211 
Lowell.  146 
Lowd,  343  367 
Lunt,  297 
Lyman,  14S  IS2 

MacCobb,  57  60 

MacDonnugh,  251 

Macklin,339 

Macpheadris.  65 

Madison,  327  371 

Manning,  136  137  155  2">9  339 

357 
March.  61  71  196  to  200"339 

340  344 
Mirinei.  176  272  2-3 
Marsh,  130  2r>2  .157 
Marshall,  136  170  219  223 


INDEX. 


Mirslon,  154  310  iPembeiton,  114 

Mirtin,  79  80  263  Penha.lnw,  33  47    74  90  US 

Miriyn,5356  119  143  146  151  lo  154 

Mason,     12  31  53  78  111  154'  157  191 

155  158  159  168  199  260  Perkins.  1(14  144. 


Masaena,  92 

Masse; ,  297 

Mather,  53  345  US 

Matthew,  269 

Maul,  351 

Maxwell,  298  lo  303  307 

May,  83 

Maynard,  227 

McClintock,      160  to  163  193 

209  296 
McDaniels,  184 
Mcintosh,  366 
Mclulyre,  93 
McNeil,  227 
McPhededris,69 
Mel  chrr,  91  227  366 
Meudum.    11  71  219  296  297 

363 


Perry,  328 

Pepperell,   64  69  71  73  101 

185  186  192 
Pettigrew,  53 
Pnilbnck,  59 
Philpot,  323 
Pbips,  144 
Pickering,    36  60  74    103  to 

115    12,    130    184    193 

196   210   232  242  336 

340  361 
Pierrepnint,  230 
Pike,  66  225 
Pinkham,  115 
Piaisted,  67  217 
Plummer,  64  65  101  194  223 

2*0 
Polk,  371 


Meserve,  65  72  79  124  226  239  Pomeroy.  S3  227 


Metlin,  367 
Middletnn,  45 
Mifflin.  304  to  307 
Miller,  11  12  298    363 
Mills,  14S149 
Mitchell.  77  184 
Moif'att,  146  192  215  218 
Montgomery,  162  164  192 
Monroe,  37! 
Mondy,  157  354 


Porter,  185  328 
Potter,  117  209  320  343 
prescott,  188 
I'rince,  186 
Pritchard.  343  367 
Furcell,  49 
Putnam,  178  188 
Quincy,  67  145 
Quint,  124  224 
Rand,  170  196 


Moore,  64  70  91  111  144  146  Randolph,  352 


196 
M'irrell,  56  59 
Morrison.  296 
Morse,  317  343 
Mortegues,  41 

M.ses,46  99  196  203  242  340 
Moulton,  24 
Mountford,  224 
Mowatt,  187 
Mudfe,  286 
Mussel.  168 
Neil,  £3,  226,^227  228 
Nele,  51 

Nel  sou,  99  291  292  325 
Nrwmarch,  65  73  192  339 
Nichols,  2.M  259 
Noble,  85  93  186  194  297 
Norris,  60 
North.  90 

Nutter,  201  212  227  297 
(leell,  12 
Odiorne,  35  36  37  49  64  65  Ruspert,  39  43 

68  69   73  146  196  216  Russell.  145  194  235 
Odlin,  64  68  73  Rust,  145 

Orcutt,  136  Rymes,  49  64  66  357 

tlrne,  185 

Packer.  65  66  73  104  196        Sailer,  334 
Parish,  820  Saltonstall,  145 

1'arker.   PO  150   186  194  296  Sandeman,  243 


Rea.  343     367 

Bedford.  66 

Heding.  11  365 

Reed    136  241 

Reid,  287 

Reuiick,  194  272 

Revere,  92  248 

Rice,  195  231  366 

Rmge,  64to6S  74  104  110  337 

Rioms,  39  41 

Robinson,  11  211  343  366 

Rochambeau,  38 

Roarers,  49  65  192  335  366 

Rollins,  104  335 

Ropes,  77  185 

Rousselet,  215  to  218  223 

Rowe,  343 

Rowland,  140 

Rovall,  186 

Ruck. 74 

Rundlett,  93 


297 
Parrott .  166 
P<rrv,  S3  209  226  297 
Parsons,  72 
Partington,  304  342 
Pavne,  194 
Favsnn,  320 


|  Sands,  57 
Schaft'er,  279 
8chuvler.  80 
Sco't,  374 
Scrivener.  146 
Seavey.   59   60  105   129  130 
I  1S6 

Peabody.107  116  1SS  259  291  Seaward,  97  212  225  239 
Pearse,  69  .  Sera',  217 

Pearson.  64  70  ISewell,  30"95  231  to:233 

Peavy,  297  Shackford,  74  219  lo  223  240 

Peduzzi,  367  I  Shakespeare,  324 

Peirce,  12  49  56  59  64566  68  shannon,  73' 

to  70  196  199   200  310  Shapley,  56  59  93  209  269 
335  337  371  Shaw,  230  286  2j7  288 


Sheate,  33  67  90  93  105  100 
126  to  136  193  194  204 
210  226'22S  to  230  292 
293  337  358  366 

Sheldon,  28 

Shepherd,  2S 

Shepwav,  143 

Sherburne,  44  lo  59  60  64  tr. 
73  152  192  201  202 
209  212  214  219  239 
357 

Sherive,  212. 

Sherman,  314 

Shillaber."304  307  to  315 

Shores.  222  223  -366 

Shorlridge,  43  44 

Shurtlcrt',  333  335  336  33S 

Mber,  41 

Sigouruev,  165 

Simes,  10  11  110  207  223  226 
296  297  298 

Simpson,  57  60  67 

Sinclair,  2s6 

Sise.  227 

Slade,  64  67 

Sloper,  46  51  52  56  144  151 

Smart,  286 

Smith,  II  12  63  66  72  13 
139  202  204  211  244  320 

Snell,  320 

Solley,  64  68  69  70 

Someiby.  367 

Sowersby,  336 

Spalding,  11-3  244  245   246 

Sparbawk.  76  77  78  93  185 
166  1S7  192 

Spinney.  99  274  278  232  283 
284 

Spofford,  68 

Stark,  113 

Slavers,  85  135  226 

Stevens.  214  320  323 

Stewart,  202 

Still,  229 

Stone,  104  366 

stoodler,  75  212  366 

Storer,  57  59  60  209  263  306 

Story,  325  366 

Stover    112 

Stow,  332 

Mrong,  73  333  to  336 

Sullivan,  50  57  60  79  81  140 
141  155  156  169  219 
250 

Sumner,  92 

Taft,  10  31  316  318  321 

Tailor,  66 

Tappan,  318  321 

Tarlloo,  227 

Tash,  65  72 

Tasker.  320 

Taylor  49  371  374 

Tetherly,  323j 

Thitcher.  127  128 

Thomas,  92  242' 

Thompson,  12   42  166  193 

Thornton.  113 

Tilton,  341,  343 

Tomson,  36 

Toppati,  74  242 

Towi.send,  286 

Treadwell,  69  SO  242   366 

Trecothie,  70 

Tredick,  126  136  230 

Trefethen,  136>170  184 

Tripe.  223 

Tripyear,  272 

Trumbull,  162 

'i'ruudy,  .11 


Tjckerman,  98  367 
Turell,  10  II  227  272  279  363 

1  uruer,  186  317 

I  yler,  168  371 

1'sher,  69 

Vau  Pureu,  371  374 

Varnev,72 

Van-ell,  209  211  212 

Vassell,  144 

Vandreuil,  39  to  43 

Vaughan.  64  69  71  144  to  147 

150  152  153;  191  195 
Victor,  324 

Veaton,  136  203  223  239 
Vouug,  100" 

Wadleigh.,  365 

Wainwrigbt    200 

Walhach, 276  179  to  284 

Walden,  155 

WaMron,  64  66  70  71  72  143 
145  153  191  366 

Walker.  12  64  6S  128  256  2C9 
337  338  342 , 

Wallingford,  65  75 

Walls,  143 

Walton,  64  60  129  330  331 
345  347  350  353  367 

Wannertim,  11 1 

Ward,  183 

Warner,  46  65  117  122  235 

Warren,  91  160 

Washington.  50  92  1 14  133  163 
169(232  361 

Waterhouse,  98  to  102  117  284 

Waters,  116 

Watkins,  73 

Watson,  2*6  2?9 

Weare,  60  100  | 

Webb,  127 

Webster.  31  113  203  210  3G0 
374 

Weeks,  105  196  358  to  366 

Welch,  228  294  295 

Weld,  45  54 

Wendell,  47 

Weutworth,  30' 41  42  44  46 
49  50  54  60  62  to  69 
71  to  75  90  S3  112  116 
119  129  131  154  156 
190  191  W9  203  219 
243  248  251  253  263 
316  357  362 

Westbrook.  64  68  71 

Wheeler,  227 

Wherten,  272 

W hidden,  59  60  153  196 

Whipple.  41  93  112  113  1 16 
162  210  230 

White,  12  60  374 

Whitefield,  127 

Whtil-am,  1F4 

Whyddon,  56 

Wibiid,  64  66  191 

Wildes,  3b6 

Wi;gin,  197  325 

Willard,  131 

Wilhams.  53 

Willis,  112  114  115 

Wilson,  64  70 

Windmill,  156 

Winklev.59  74  99  144  ; 

Winn,  217  239 

Winslow,  77  185 

Winihrop,  53  55 

Wise,  335 

Woodbury,  12  31  57  ~~i 

Woodward.  203  207  239 

Wyatt,  203  242  336 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCH   OF  THE   AUTHOR: 

PREPARED    AT   THE   BEQUEST   OP    HIS   FAMILY, 

BY    ^VVrLLLAJVI    H.    Y.    HACKETT. 


Is  offering  to  the  public  the  second  and  concluding  volume  of 
the  "  Rambles  about  Portsmouth,"  it  has  been  thought  appro- 
priate to  accompany  it  with  a  sketch  of  the  life  and  character  of 
the  Author.  This  idea  was  suggested  by  the  circumstance  that 
the  finishing  of  this  volume  and  the  close  of  his  life  were  con- 
temporaneous. This  volume  not  only  comprises  his  last  work  ; 
but  his  last  days,  so  far  as  his  failing  strength  would  allow, 
w-ere  occupied  and  solaced  by  a  .careful  revision  and  prepara- 
tion of  it  for  the  press. 

Charles  Warren  Brewster  was  born  September  13,  1802,  in 
Portsmouth,  in  the  house  on  Islington  Street,  a  few  rods  north  of 
that  in  which  he  died.  He  was  the  son  of  Samuel  and  Mary 
(Ham)  Brewster,  and  a  descendant  of  Elder  William  Brewster, 
who  came  over  in  the  Mayflower. 

Few  have  exemplified  better  than  Mr.  Brewster,  in  life  and 
conversation,  the  principles  and  character  of  his  distinguished  an- 
cestor. Few  have  ever  more  fully  embraced,  and  lived  by,  those 
precepts — religious  and  political — which  made  Elder  Brewster 
and  his  associates  exiles  from  home,  and  the  founders  of  a  great 
nation.  Few  have  more  firmly  and  successfully  shaped  for 
themselves  alife  and  character  independent  of  surrounding  circum- 
stances. So  much  did  his  life  spring  out  of  inward  principles,  that 
he  was  to  some  exteni  unmoved  by  the  enterprises  and  fashions  of 
the  times  in  which  he  lived  and  labored.  It  was,  perhaps,  owing 
to  this  circumstance  that  his  life  was  what  is  usually  regarded  as 
an  uneventful  one.  Although  it  was  one  of  .ceaseless  and  syste- 
matic toil,  it  was  wanting  in  that  restless  and  expansive  activity 
which  have  made  or  marred  so  many  fortunes.  He  always  had 
his  home  in  one  and  the  same  spot,— ^-rarely  went  abroad  ;  and 
this  turn  of  mind,  in  connection  with  the  regularity  required  and 
2 


10  RAMBLES   ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

formed  by  the  publication  of  a  weekly  journal,  centered  and  in- 
tensified his  interest  in  his  occupation,  his  home  and  town.  It  was 
because  he  did  not  roam  abroad,  that  he  rambled  so  perseverino-ly 
and  so  satisfactorily  at  home.  It  was  because  he'lived  so  entire- 
ly by  the  inward  light,  that  he  avoided  those  foibles  which  check- 
.  er,  and  those  enterprises  which  modify,  the  lives  of  most  men. 
It  was  because  he  delighted  and  to  some  extent  lived  in  the  past, 
that  the  public  are  favored  with  this  and  the  preceding  volume. 
It  was  because  in  his  tastes  and  aspirations  he  was  unlike  most 
men,  and  sought  a  fact  as  resolutely  as  he  would  adhere  to  a 
principle  ;  because  he  hesitated  at  no  toil  which  would  establish 
a  date,  or  illustrate  a  character  5  because  he  would  take  as 
much  pains  to  authenticate  an  anecdote  as  Audubon  to  find  anew 
bird, — that  we  have  an  accurate  and  trustworthy  account  of  the 
men  and  events  of  past  times— a  work  which  will  inseparably  con- 
nect the  name  of  Charles  W.  Brewster  with  the  history  of  Ports- 
mouth and  the  State. 

I  applied  to  the  schoolmates  of  Mr.  Brewster  for  some  ac- 
count of  his  boyhood  and  youth.  One  of  them  replied,  that  it 
"  was  so  even  that  there  was  nothing  to  relate,  except  that  he 
was  better  and  more  sedate  than  the  other  boys."  Another  said: 
"  His  boyhood  was  as  even  and  regular  as  his  subsequent  life." 
He  first  attended  the  school  of  "Aunt  Betsey"  Lakeman,  a  well 
known  teacher  of  young  children,  sixty  years  ago.  He  then  at- 
tended the  North  School,  taught  by  Deacon  Enoch  M.  Clark, 
and  subsequently  the  school  taught  by  Mr.  Taft,  in  what  was 
then  called  the  Brick  School-house,  on  State  Street.  The  last 
school  he  attended  was  that  of  the  late  Henry  Jackson,  in  1817. 

Having  completed,  under  the  tuition  of  Mr.  Jackson,  his  school 
education,  in  his  sixteenth  year,  on  the  lGth  day  of  February, 
1818,  he  began  to  learn  the  business  of  a  printer  in  the  office  of 
the  "Portsmouth  Oracle,"  then  published  by  Charles  Turell, 
and  his  connection  with  that  paper  continued  from  that  day 
until  his  death, — a  period  of  more  than  half  a  century.  At 
the  end  of  that  time  Stephen  H.  Simes  was  the  only  person 
then  remaining  in  business  on  Market  Street,  who  was  in  business 
there  in  the  early  years  of  his  apprenticeship  on  that  street. 

The  first  manuscript  he  put  in  type  was  an  article  written  by 


BIOGRAPHICAL    SKETCH.  11 

the  late  Dr.  Burroughs,  who  afterwards  became  a  frequent  and 
valued  contributor  to  his  paper. 

Mr.  Brewster  was  one  of  the  earliest,  as  well  as  one  of  the  most 
valued  acquaintances  that  I  made  when  I  first  came  to  Ports- 
mouth in  April,  1822.  He  was  at  that  time  foreman  in  the 
office  of  the  Portsmouth  Journal,  then  edited  by  Nath'l  A.  Haven, 
Jr.,  and  published  by  the  late  Mr.  Turell.  About  that  time  his 
intimate  associates  were  Tobias  H.  Miller,  who  then  kept  a  book- 
store on  Congress  Street  ;  Ammi  R.  H.  Fernald,  then  a  clerk  in 
the  store  of  Shadrach  Robinson,  Jr.,  on  Bow  Street  ;  George 
Dearborn,  then  a  clerk  in  the  book-store  of  Harrison  Gray  &.  Eben 
L.  Childs,  on  Pleasant  Street;  Bray  U.  Simes,  a  elerk  in  the  store 
of  M.  B.  Trundy,  on  that  part  of  Market  Street  then  called  Fore 
Street  ;  and  the  writer  of  this  sketch.  Two  other  gentlemen, 
who  afterwards  became  distinguished  members  of  Congress, 
about  this  time  also  were  our  acquaintances, — Francis  O.  J. 
Smith  and  John  R.  Reding,  the  latter  of  whom  was  for  a  short 
time  in  the  office  of  the  Portsmouth  Journal,  and  the  former  then 
published  a  paper  to  which  Mr.  Brewster  occasionally  contributed. 

The  entrance  to  the  office  of  the  Portsmouth  Journal  was  from 
what  was  then  Lunt's  Court,  opening  into  Market  Street,  about 
where  C.  H.  Mendum  &  Co.'s  store  now  is.  At  this  time  it  was 
the  fashion  for  apprentices,  as  well  as  law-students,  to  work  even- 
ings. It  was  my  practice,  upon  leaving  Mr.  Bartlett's  office 
toward  ten  o'clock  on  Friday  evenings,  to  go  into  the  Journal 
office  and  make  a  friendly  call  upon  Mr.  Brewster  ;  see  him  "wrork 
off"  (as  he  called  it,)  the  inside  of  the  Journal,  and  ascertain 
if  any  article  which  he  or  I  had  previously  written  had  passed  the 
editorial  ordeal.  He  had  schooled  himself  in  writing  for  the  press 
before  he  began  to  edit.  He  worked  a  hand  press,  which  required 
two  energetic  pulls  for  each  impression,  and  three  or  four  hours  of 
severe  labor  to  print  the,  whole  inside  of  the  paper.  He  usually 
worked,  on  Friday  evening,  till  midnight,  and  the  paper  was  dis- 
tributed on  Saturday  morning.  When  making  such  calls,  it  oft^n 
happened  that  one  or  more  of  the  above-named  friends  were 
present,  and  one  at  least,  at  times,  aided  him  in  his  work  and  was 
quite  expert  in  inking  the  types.  During  his  apprenticeship,  and 
Tantil  he  became  proprietor  of  the  Journal,  in  his  walk  from   the 


12  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

office  to  his  home,  he  passed  by,  or  in  sight  of,  every  Law  office, 
in  town.  That  of  Jeremiah  Mason  was  over  the  southern  part  of  the 
First  National  Bank,  with  Geo.  M.  Mason,  Lory  Odell,  John  Elwyn, 
Charles  W.  Cutter,  S.  P.  Long,  Hampden  Cutts,  Thomas  Currier,  and 
Win.  A.  Walker,  as  students  at  law ;  Levi  Woodbury's,  over  the 
northern  part  of  the  same  Bank,  with  Franklin  Peirce,  John  Thompson 
and  Jos.  W.  White  as  students  ;  Ichabod  Bartlett's,  at  the  corner  of 
Market  and  Bow  streets,  with  Wm.  H.  Y.  Hackett  and  Francis  0. 
J.  Smith  as  students ;  Nathaniel  A.  Haven,  Jr.'s,  at  the  corner  of 
Market  and  Congress  streets,  with  Alfred  W.  Haven  as  a  student ; 
Edward  Cutts's,  on  the  same  corner,  with  J.  Trask  Woodbury  as  a  stu- 
dent, and  Wm.  Claggett's,  with  Jonas  Cutting  as  a  student ;  Samuel 
Cushman's,  where  the  Aqueduct  Company's  office  now  is,  on  Market 
Square ;  and  James  Smith's,  in  the  Piscataqua  House.  Peyton  B. 
Freeman's  office  was  then  a  littje  north  of  the  Journal  office. 

Several  of  these  young  gentlemen  contributed  to  some  one  of  the 
newspapers  in  town,  and  in  this  way  became  acquainted  with  Mr. 
Brewster.  During  his  apprenticeship  he  wrote  more  frequently  for 
other  papers  than  for  that  with  which  he  was  connected.  He  took 
pains  with  his  articles,  regarding  the  exercise  as  a  preparation  for 
the  position  of  an  editor.  lie  put  most  of  Mr.  Haven's  editorial  ar^ 
tides  into  type,  and  had  an  admiration  for  his  style  as  a  writer,  and  a 
veneration  for  his  character  as  a  man,  traces  of  which  were  seen  in 
his  subsequent  writings  and  life. 

In  July,  1825,  Mr.  Brewster  and  Tobias  H.  Miller  assumed  the 
joint  proprietorship  of  the  Journal.  This  connection  was  maintained 
for  about  ten  years,  when,  in  1835,  he  became  sole  proprietor  and  ed> 
tor.  In  1853  he  associated  with  him  his  son,  Lewis  W.  Brewster,  in 
these  positions,  who  upon  his  father's  death  became  sole  proprietor. 

Mr.  Brewster  married,  May  13,  1828,  Mary  Gilman,  daughter  of 
Ward  and  Hannah  Gilman.  They  had  nine  children.  His  wife  and 
four  of  their  children,  Lewis  W.,  Charles  G.,  Mary  G.  and  Helen  A, 
G.,  survive  him.  At  about  the  time  of  his  marriage  he  became  a 
member  of  the  North  (Congregational)  Church,  a  position  which  he 
adorned  through  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

To  the  Journal  he  gave  his  thoughts,  his  labors  and  his  talents. 
The  forty-three  volumes  of  that  paper,  commencing  in  1825  and  end- 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCH.  1 


o 


ing  in  1SG8,  are  at  once  the  record  of  his  industry,  the  illustration  of 
his  taste,  the  photograph  of  his  character,  his  real  biography.  Dur- 
ing the  whole  of  that  period  he  was  the  principal  writer,  and  every 
volume,  every  number,  shows  his  taste  as  a  printer,  his  ability  as  a 
writer,  and  his  discriminating  judgment  in  making  selections.  It 
has  been  well  remarked,  that  the  success  of  an  editor  depends  quite  as 
much  on  what  he  keeps  out  of  his  columns,  as  on  what  he  puts  into 
them.  It  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  newspaper  more  free  from  every 
thing  offensive  to  good  taste.  He  aimed  to  make,  and  he  did  make, 
his  Journal  a  good  and  valued  family  paper.  Although  it  was  always 
decided  in  its  political  principles,  yet  it  supported  them  in  a  manner 
so  free  from  bitterness,  and  was  in  other  respects  so  judiciously 
managed,  that  it  went  into  many  families  in  which  there  was  no  sym- 
pathy with  its  politics. 

Although  his  paper  was  the  organ,  in  this  part  of  the  State,  of  the 
party  to  which  he  belonged,  and  although  he  gave  to  his  party  a  firm 
and  uniform  support,  yet  he  found  more  satisfaction  in  getting  up  the 
miscellaneous  than  the  political  part  of  his  paper.  I  have  called 
upon  him  more  than  once  in  the  midst  of  an  exciting  political  cam- 
paign, and  found  him  absorbed  in  writing  a  "  Ramble,  "  or  delighted 
with  an  ancient  manuscript,  or  some  scrap  of  history  or  biography. 
In  the  early  part  of  his  editorial  experience,  while  the  matter  for 
his  paper,  during  the  week,  was  being  put  into  type,  he  was  arranging 
in  his  mind  the  location  of  it  for  the  making  up  of  his  paper.  Every 
article  was  thus  assorted  and  located,  by  a  rule  as  inflexible  as  that 
by  which  the  naturalist  classifies  animals.  And  when  on  Friday  he 
began  to  make  up  his  paper,  each  article  fell  into  its  assigned  place 
as  regularly  as  the  types  of  which  it  was  composed  fell,  when  dis- 
tributed, into  their  proper  boxes. 

Mr.  Brewster  did  not  regard  his  paper  only  or  chiefly  as  a  means 
of  making  an  income,  but  he  viewed  it  as  an  instrument  through 
which  he  was  to  perform  impoi'tant  social  duties.  He  felt  as  much 
responsible  for  the  influence  that  his  Journal  exerted  upon  the  com- 
munity as  for  his  personal  example  in  his  family  or  upon  his  employ- 
ees. And  he  used  every  available  means  to  make  his  influence  felt  for 
good.  He  thought  not  only  the  tone  of  his  paper  should  be  pure,  but 
he  believed  that  a  correct  style  in  arranging  the  matter,  and  beauty 


14  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

in  the  printing,  aided  in  improving  the  taste  and  elevating  the  morals 
of  his  readers.  He  not  only  made  the  duties,  toils  and  routine  of  life 
minister  to  the  formation  of  his  own  high  character,  but  he  also  made 
them  the  medium  of  a  healthful  and  beneficent  influence  upon  others. 

The  publication  of  a  weekly  newspaper  for  a  half-century  tends  to 
form  habits  of  regularity  and  routine.  In  him  the  tendency  to  regu- 
larity pre-existed  ;  his  occupation  merely  developed  and  established 
it.  The  idea  that  he  could  be  away  from  his  newspaper  appeared  not 
to  have  occurred  to  him.  It  would  be  safe  to  say  that  in  forty-three 
years  he  was  not  absent  from  his  office  on  Friday  at  the  making  up 
of  his  paper,  more  than  a  dozen  times.  He  allowed  himself  no  relaxa- 
tion. He  did  not  seem  to  desire  any.  He  found  his  pleasure  in  his 
toil,  his  relaxation  in  his  duty,  and  his  happiness  in  his  home.  He 
did  not  carry  the  cares  of  business  or  the  unfinished  labors  of  the  day 
to  the  fireside.  Like  most  editors,  he  worked  most  easily  and  freely 
at  his  office-desk.  His  office  was  but  a  little  more  than  two  thousand 
feet  from  his  house,  and  yet  he  walked  more  than  the  distance  round 
the  globe  between  those  two  localities.  He  was  rarely  seen  in  any 
street,  except  in  that  which  led  either  to  the  church  or  to  his  office. 
He  was  as  regular  in  attending  church  on  Sunday,  as  he  was  in  pub- 
lishing his  paper  on  Saturday.  Although  not  averse  to  improve- 
ments, his  tendency  was  to  adhere  to  old  habits,  old  principles,  old! 
friends,  old  books,  and  old  ways  of  making  money.  For  more  than 
forty  years  he  occupied  the  same  office,  and  the  same  dwelling-house. 

He  recently  said,  in  his  "  Fifty  Years  in  a  Printing  Office,"  that  one 
of  the  first  paragraphs  he  ever  put  into  type  was, — "  The  follies  of 
youth  are  drafts  on  old  age,  payable  forty  years  after  date,  with  in- 
terest." Few  men  so  successfully  escaped  this  kind  of  drafts.  His 
youth  was  as  free  from  foibles  as  his  manhced  from  faults. 

Through  life  he  avoided  every  thing  unbefitting  a  good  man,  as  well 
from  taste  as  from  principle.  He  loved  the  beautiful  in  nature,  art, 
and  character.  To  him  it  was  another  name  for  purity.  No  one 
among  us  exerted  a  better,  few  a  wider  influence.  It  was  not  so 
much  a  demonstrative  power,  a  sudden  effort  which  invited  public 
attention,  as  a  quiet,  persevering,  effective  influence,  which  gained  and 
grew  with  advancing  years — the  blended  influence  of  character  and 
action,  which  benefitted  the  object  more  than  it   revealed  the  cause. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCH.  15 

To  the  benevolent  organizations  he  gave  his  sympathy  and  cordial- 
and  liberal  co-operation.  For  more  than  half  his  life-time  he  was 
the  Secretary  of  the  Howard  Benevolent  Society,  one  of  the  best 
charitable  organizations  in  the  city,  and  for  many  years  Treasurer  of 
the  Portsmouth  Bible  Society.  He  was  for  some  time  Superintendent 
of  the  Sunday  School  connected  with  the  North  Church. 

The  "Bambles  about  Portsmouth"  were  a  labor  of  love,  and,  while 
indicating  the  direction  of  his  reading,  they  afford  a  fair  and  favora- 
ble specimen  of  his  style  and  taste.  Plain  Anglo-Saxon  language 
flowed  naturally  from  his  pen.  He  commanded  an  easy  and  direct 
mode  of  expression,  which  formed  an  excellent  narrative  style.  A 
pleasing  story  or  a  bit  of  romance  always  attracted  him.  He  rescued 
it  from  the  past,  and  lent  it  fresh  charms  by  the  simple,  graceful 
mould  in  which  he  cast  it.  It  is  worthy  of  marked  commendation, 
however,  that  he  avoided  the  temptation  of  giving  credence  to  pure 
fiction.  Whatever  was  of  doubtful  origin  never  gained  currency 
from  him  without  being  stamped  as  such.  There  was  the  quaint  hu- 
mor of  the  chronicler,  the  fidelity  of  the  historian. 

His  labor  in  obtaining  biographical  facts,  anecdotes  and  incidents, 
as  materials  for  history,  was  such  as  no  man  would  perform  unless  his 
heart  were  in  his  work.  These  articles  were  originally  prepared  for 
and  published  in  his  paper,  and  were  compiled,  through  many  years, 
from  all  accessible  sources,  manuscripts,  letters,  family  records,  city 
records,  old  newspapers,  old  deeds,  wills,  tombstones,  and  the  recol- 
lections of  aged  people  who  have  passed  away.  He  was  a  long  time 
in  collecting  the  materials— some  parts  of  a  "  Ramble  "  would  be 
prepared  years  before  a  fact  or  incident  necessary  to  complete  it  was 
obtained.  He  compared  the  statement  of  one  aged  person  with  that  of 
another,  and,  when  to  be  found,  consulted  contemporaneous  accounts 
and  incidents  as  well  as  collateral  facts.  Among  others,  he  often 
conversed  with,  and  obtained  important  facts  from,  the  following 
named  persons : 

Capt  Daniel  Fernald,  born  Nov.  19, 17G7,  died  Ma*.  7, 1866,  age  99. 

Eenald  Fernald,  born  Apr.  13,  1752,  died  Apr.  10,  1844,  age  92. 

Daniel  P.  Drown,  born  June,  1784,  died  Mar.  24,  1863,  age  80. 

Benjamin  Akerman,  born  Feb.  3, 1776,  died  Feb.  20, 1867,  age  91. 

Mary  Brewster,  born  Feb.  15,  1775,  died  May  2,  1866,  age  91. 


16  RAMBLES    ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

Richard  Fitzgerald,  born  Sept.  14, 1771,  died  Nov.  24, 1858',  age  87. 

Oliver  P.  Kennard,  now  living. 

George  Gr.  Brewster,  now  living. 

From  these  and  other  sources  he  obtained  merely  the  elements, — 
the  data  and  crude  material  from  which  he  worked.  But  as  piled  up 
on  his  desk,  stowed  away  in  drawers,  or  bound  up  for  future  use,  they 
no  more  resembled  a  "Ramble,"  as  the  reader  now  sees  it,  than  the 
paper-maker's  uncleansed  rags  resembled  the  fair  sheet  upon  which  it 
is  printed.  Those  unacquainted  with  like  undertakings  can  form  no 
adequate  idea  of  the  labor,  patience  and  perseverance  necessary  to 
prosecute  such  a  work, — of  the  interruptions  and  delays  which  attend 
it, — the  research  and  discrimination  requisite  to  discover  and  repro- 
duce a  trait  of  character,  a  telling  anecdote  or  incident,  or  to  confirm 
or  confute  a  tradition.  In  all  this  the  family  and  friends  of  Mr. 
Brewster  saw  him  often  employed  for  years.  But  much  of  the  inward 
work,  which  was  from  time  to  time,  amidst  the  cares  and  toils  of  life, 
moulding  the  matter  thus  elaborated  into  narratives  so  life-like,  so 
attractive,  so  genial,  as  often  to  remind  one  of  the  writings  of  Wash- 
ington Irving,  gave  no  outward  token  of  its  process.  The  structure 
of  these  narratives,  which  is  the  blending  of  history,  biography  and 
romantic  incidents,  and  constitutes  the  great  merit  and  attractiveness 
of  both  volumes  of  the  "  Rambles,"  was  in  preparation  while  the 
writer  appeared  to  others  to  be  doing  something  else,  or  nothing,-^- 
walking  the  street,  making  up  his  paper,   or  sitting  by  the  fireside. 

Mr.  Brewster  was  a  man  of  marked  ability,  untiring  industry,  and 
high-toned  character,  but  of  diffident  and  retiring  habits.  He  was 
called,  literally  called,  to  fill  several  positions  of  trust.  At  the  time 
of  his  death  he  was  one  of  the  Trustees  of  the  Portsmouth  Savings 
Bank.  He  served  for  two  years  as  President  of  the  Mechanics  and 
Manufacturers  Association.  He  was  for  thirty-four  years  Secretary  of 
the  Howard  Benevolent  Society,  was  for  several  years  in  one  or  the 
other  branch  of  the  City  Government,  was  Representative  in  the  State 
Legislature  in  184G-7,  and  in  1850,  with  Gov.  Goodwin  and  Ichabod 
Bartlett,  was  a  deles-ate  from  his  ward  to  the  Convention  to  amend 
the  State  Constitution.  He  declined  being  candidate  for  other  posi- 
tions, among  them  that  of  Mayor.  In  these  and  the  other  positions 
which  he  filled,  he  discharged  his  duties  with  diligence  and  ability, 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCH. 


17 


and  to  general  acceptance.  He  occasionally  delivered  addresses  before 
the  Lyceum,  the  Association  of  which  he  was  President,  and  other 
public  bodies.  These  addresses  were  always  heard  with  pleasure,  and 
were  marked  by  good  taste  and  sound  thought. 

He  was  not  only  a  good  writer,  as  his  forty-three  volumes  of  the 
Portsmouth  Journal  and  his  two  volumes  of  Rambles  will  abundantly 
show,  but  he  was  an  historian,  a  lecturer,  a  biographer  and  a  poet.  His 
favorite  reading  was  biography  and  poetry.  He  was  very  discriminat- 
ing and  just  in  his  biographical  sketches  of  prominent  men  and  of  his 
townsmen.  He  had  considerable  poetic  ability  which  he  exercised 
too  rarely.  He  occupies  a  prominent  position  in  the  "  Poets  of 
Portsmouth,"  from  which  volume  is  selected,  as  here  appropriate,  the 
following  Ramble  in  rhyme  : 

THE    "VAJNTEl    OE    THE    INTOrtTH    CHURCH. 
The  vane  of  the  North  Church  bore  the  date  of  1732,  when  it  was  put  up.    It  was  not 
gilded  until  1796.      When  destined  to  come  down,  in  1854,  the  vane  is  thus  personified,  to 
enable  it  to  tell  its  story. 


I  can't  come  down— I  can't  come  down  ! 

Call  loudly  as  you  may  ! 
A  century  and  a  third  I  've  stood; 

Another  I  must  stay. 

Long  have  I  watched  the  changing  scene, 

As  every  point  I  've  laced. 
And  witnessed  generations  rise, 

Which  others  have  displaced. 

The  points  of  steel  which  o'er  me  rise 
Have  blanched  since  I  perched  here — 

For  Franklin  then  was  but  a  boy, 
Who  gave  the  lightning  gear. 

The  day  when  Cook  exploring  sailed, 

I  faced  the  eastern  breeze; 
Stationed  at  home,  I  turned  my  head 

To  tue  far  western  seas. 

I '  ve  stood  while  isles  of  savage  men 

Grew  harmless  as  the  dove; 
And  spears  and  battle  axes  turned 

To  purposes  of  love. 

I  looked  on  when  those  noble  elm3 

Upon  my  east  first  sprung. 
And  heard,  where  now  a  factory  stands, 

The  ship-yard's  busy  hum. 

When  tumult  filled  the  anxious  throng, 

I  found  on  eveiy  side 
The  constant  breezes  fanned  a  flame, 

And  freedom's  fire  supplied. 

William  anil  Mary's  fort  I  've  oft 
Through  storms  kept  full  in  view — 

Quern's  Chapel  in  the  snow  squalls  faced, 
And  west— looked  King  street  through. 


Fort  Const itv Hon  now  takes  place 
To  nlee't  my  south-cast  glance; 

The  shrill  north-easters  from  St.  John's, 
Up  Congress  strcti  advance. 

In  peace  I  once  felt  truly  vain  — 
For  'neath  my  shadow  stood 

The  iilni  whom  all  the  people  loved, 
George  Washington  the  good! 

I  've  seen — oh.  may  I  ne'er  again  ! 

The  flames  thrice  round  me  spread, 
And  hundreds  of  familial  homes 

Turned  to  a  light  ash-bed  ! 

But  why  recount  the  sights  I  've  seen  ? 

You  '11  say  I  'm  getting  old  — 
I  '11  quit  my  tale,  long  though  it  be, 
And  leave  it  hall  untold. 

The  fame  of  Rogers,  Fitch  and  Stiles, 

And  Buckmiuster — all  true; 
And  later  men,  whom  all  do  know, 

Come  passing  in  review. 

Their  sainted  souls,  and  hearers  too— » 
Your  fathers — where  are  they? 

The  temple  of  their  love  still  stands—- 
It's  mem'ries  cheer  your  way. 

Till  that  old  oak ,  among  whose  boughs 
The  sun  my  first  sh.ide  cast, 

Lavs  low  in  dust  his  vig'rous  form, 
A  respite  1  may  ask. 

This  little  boon  I  now  must  crave — 

(Time's  peltings  1  will  scorn)  — 
'J'lU  coward-like  1  turn  my  head, 
Lit  me  still  face  the  storm. 


18  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

It  was  formerly  the  custom  among  the  publishers  of  newspapers, 
to  circulate,  in  or  with  the  number  of  the  paper  issued  on  the  first  of 
January  in  each  year,  a  poetical  address  to  their  patrons,  called  the 
Carrier's  Address.  Many  years  ago,  and  while  the  late  Isaac  Hill 
published  the  New  Hampshire  Patriot,  he  offered  a  set  of  Sir  Walter 
Scott's  Poetical  Works  for  the  best  "Carrier's  Address"  for  the  then 
approaching  first  of  January.  Mr.  Brewster  with  several  others  com- 
peted for  this  prize.  Among  the  many  Addresses  offered  was  one  to 
which  Mr.  Hill,  himself  a  poet,  gave  the  decided  preference,  and  it 
was  the  same  to  which  the  Committee  afterwards  awarded  the  prize. 
Mr.  Hill,  supposing  the  successful  Address  to  have  been  the  produc- 
tion of  a  lady,  remarked  that  this  circumstance  would  somewhat  mod- 
erate the  disappointment  of  the  unsuccessful  competitors.  When  the 
award  was  made  and  the  opening  of  the  envelope  revealed  Mr.  Brews- 
ter as  the  writer,  Mr.  Hill  was  quite  as  much  disappointed  as  any  of 
the  authors  of  the  "rejected  addresses."  He  was  not  more  surprised 
to  find  that  the  prize  was  not  to  be  given  to  a  lady  than  that  it  was  to 
be  given  to  an  editor  and  a  political  opponent.  The  reader  will  see  that 
he  judged  much  better  of  the  merits  than  of  the  source  of  the  success- 
ful Address.  The  prize  was  duly  forwarded,  and  is  now  a  cherished 
treasure  in  the  library  of  the  family  of  Mr.  Brewster. 

This  successful  Address  was  the  "  History  of  News — Birth  of  the 
Press;"  and  it  is  presented  here  as  being  appropriate,  alike  from  its 
origin  and  subject,  to  the  profession  of  the  writer,  and  as  giving  a  fair 
specimen  of  his  poetical  writings. 

IHSTORY    OF    HSTK^VS. TJIItTPI    OF    THE    PRESS. 

Lo  !  when  the  Eternal  planned  his  wise  design, 
Created  earth,  and,  like  his  smile  benign, 
With  splendor,  beauty,  mildness,  decked  the  skies, — 
Waked  from  eternal  sleep,  with  wondering  eyes 
Man  viewed  the  scene,  and  gave  to  News  its  rise. 

New  of  himself,  to  Adam  all  was  new, — 
The  concave  canopy,  the  landscape's  view; 
The  murmuring  rivulet,  and  the  zephyr's  sound; 
The  songster's  carol,  and  the  deer's  light  bound; 
The  fruit  luxuriant,  where  no  brier  sprung; 
No  weary  toil,  from  morn  to  setting  sun ; 
But  every  gale  sweet  odors  wafted  on, 
His  joys  to  freshen.    Though  he  yet  was  lone, 
This  news  was  good  indied  :  such  riches  given, 
Enough  almost  to  make  of  earth  a  heaven. 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCH.  19 

But  bettor  news  by  far  did  Adam  hear, 
When  woman's  voice  first  hailed  his  raptured  ear,— 
News  which,  in  later  days,  full  well  we  know, 
Lightens  life's  load  of  many  a  heavy  woe. 

But  scarce  our  common  parent  rose  from  earth, 
Inhaled  the  breath  of  life,  and  Eve  had  birth, 
When  twined  the  nioDster  round  the  fatal  tree, — 
Dispelled  their  joy,  content,  and  purity: 
Then  agonizing  Nature  brought  to  view  i 
Ills  which  in  Eden's  bowers  they  never  knew; 
Then,  at  that  hour  accursed,  that  hour  forlorn, 
Bad  News — the  demon's  first  bequest— was  born. 
But,  though  ignobly  born,  to  seek  we  're  prone 
The  bad  as  well  as  good,  and  make  our  own 
The  knowledge  of  the  griefs  and  woes  of  all 
On  whom  the  withering  frowns  of  Fortune  fall. 

Bad  news  abundant  since  has  filled  our  world;  \ 
War's  bloody  garments  oft  have  been  unfurled,— 
The  kindly  parent  oft  been  called  to  yield 
His  earthly  hope  to  dye  the  ensanguined  field  ; 
Disease  oft  torn  our  dearest  hopes  away, 
Tyrannic  princes  borne  despotic  sway; 
And  every  clay  the  reckless  bearer  'sbeen 
Of  evil  tidings  So  the  sons  of  men. 

But  change  this  picture  of  a  darkened  hue  ; 
Let  scenes  more  bright  now  open  to  the  view  : 
Though  things  may  change  with  ever-varying  flow, 
They  do  not  bring  to  all  unmingled  woe. 
Do  millions  mourn  a  kingdom's  fallen  state  ? 
A  Caesar  hails  the  news  with  joy  elate. 
Does  drought  or  frost  destroy  the  planter's  hope, 
And  climes  more  genial  yield  a  fruitful  crop  ? 
Enhanced  by  contrast,  these  delight  the  more 
In  the  good  tidings  of  their  bounteous  store. 
Does  "the  insatiate  archer"  claim  a  prize? 
The  weeping  friend,  the  heir  with  tearless  eyes, 
Show  joy  is  oft  the  associate  of  grief, 
And  pain  to  some,  to  others  is  relief. 

Full  many  ages,  centuries  rolled  along, 
Ere  news  a  record  found,  the  press  a  tongue. 
From  sire  to  son,  tradition's  tale  was  told. 
Or  musty  parchment  spoke  the  days  of  old; 
No  minor  incidents  of  passing  time 
Ere  filled  a  page  or  occupied  a  rhyme; 
No  wars  of  politics  on  paper  fought, 
And  few  the  favored  ones  by  science  taugbt. 
Minerva  saw  the  dreary  waste  below, 
And  urged  the  gods  their  bounties  to  bestow, 
The  mind  ol  man  to  chaste  refinement  bring, 
And  ope  to  alMlie  pure  Pierian  spring 
The  gods  convened  ;  but  still  lllnerva  frowned: 
Not  one  of  all  their  gifts  her  wishes  crowned, 


20  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

Till  Vulcan  thus,— and  simple  the  address,— 
"  My  richest  gifts  behold,— the  types  and  press!" 
The  goddess  smiled,  and  swiftly  Mercury  flies 
To  bear  to  earth  the  god's  most  favored  prize. 
Auspicious  hour!  hail,  morn  of  brighter  day! 
Ages  of  darkness,  close !  to  light  give  way ! 

The  morn  is  past,  the  splendid  sun  is  high  ! 
The  mist  dispelled,  and  all  beneath  the  sky 
Feel  Its  kind  influence;  and  its  cheering  ray 
Enlivens  all,  and  shines  in  brilliant  day. 
The  Bacred  writ,  which  once  was  scarcely  known 
To  teachers,  now  (almost  a  dream  !)  is  thrown 
Into  a  book, — all,  in  one  little  hour, 
Alike  in  king's  and  lowest  menial's  power; 
And  bounteous  given — scarce  is  felt  the  task — 
In  every  work  which  use  or  fancy  ask. 
Thousands  of  years  a  dreary  ni^ht  had  been, 
Ere  Vulcan's  art  surpassed  the  tedious  pen,— 
Ere  down  from  heaven  this  precious  gift  was  broughi 
To  lend  the  speed  of  lightning  unto  thought. 

From  necessity  and  practice  Mr.  Brewster  early  acquired  the  habit 
of  writing  rapidly.  He  also  had  the  power  of  abstraction,  and  the 
current  of  his  thoughts  and  the  preparation  of  his  editorial  matter 
were  not  disturbed  or  impeded  by  the  clatter  of  a  printing  office.  He 
wrote,  as  he  lived,  from  the  light  within.  Sedate  and  retiring  as  he 
was,  he  had  a  fund  of  humor  and  wit  which  he  sought  rather  to  repress 
than  exhibit,  but  which  at  times  enlivened  his  friends  and  his  paper. 

His  habits  and  tastes  made  him  averse  to  uewspaper  controversy. 
What  editor  in  the  country,  of  his  extended  experience,  has  so  gener- 
ally avoided  it  ?  When  forced  into  it,  however,  he  was  quick  to 
"make  the  opposer  beware"  of  whom  he  had  attacked.  His  criticisms 
were  pungent,  his  wit  not  seldom  caustic.  He  undoubtedly  possessed 
great  powers  of  sarcasm.  That  they  were  used  so  sparingly,  and  never 
by  way  of  display,  but  invariably  in  defence  of  what  he  was  convinced 
was  the  right,  or  in  exposing  error  and  deceit,  is  characteristic  of  the 
man. 

Mr.  Brewster,  like  many  of  our  prominent  and  able  men,  was  edu- 
cated in  a  printing  office  and  at  the  editor's  desk.  There  is  something 
in  the  constant  and  powerful  pressure  upon  an  American  editor — obliging 
him  to  record  and  comment  upon  the  events  as  they  occur,  and  to 
discuss  those  principles  which  are  growing  and  ripening  in  the  public 
mind  and  bringing  him  daily  to  a  searching  examination  of  the  moral, 


BIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCH.  21 

.social,  economical  and  political  problems  which  crowd  and  succeed  each 
other  with  such  rapid  succession — that  tends  to  quicken  his  powers  and 
concentrate  his  energies  ;  to  give  a  decisive  and  practical  cast  to  his 
character,  and  to  force  him  into  prominence  and  success. 

This  pressure  developed  Mr.  Brewster.     He  was  naturally  retiring — 
unwilling  to  be  before  the  public.     His  position  compelled  him  to 
write;  and  he  was  found  in  this,  as  well  as  in  all  other  positions  in 
which  he  was  placed,  equal  to  the  demands  made  upon  him.     This 
discipline  made  hyn  a  good  and  able  writer  and  author  and  a  successful 
business  man,  and  gave  him  the  tastes  and  habits  of  a  scholar,  a  wide 
influence  and  a  high  position.     The  life  of  an  editor  makes  some  per- 
sons   aggressive    and   irritable.     But   Mr.  Brewster   yielded   to   no 
such   influence.     He  never   alienated  a  friend  or  made   an  enemy. 
He  early  formed  a  plan  of  life,  and  faithfully  acted  upon  it  to  the  end. 
He  was  more  anxious  to  be  right  than  to  be  thought  so ;  more  intent 
upon  doing  his  duty  than  in  obtaining  the  reward  for  it  ;  thought 
more  of  publishing  a  good  than  a  profitable  paper — more  of  being  a 
useful  than  a  prominent  man.     And  at  his  death  the  universal  feeling 
of  respect  for  his  memory,  was  his  best  eulogy. 

But  the  great,  rounded  and  ripened  feature  in  Mr.  Brewster's  char- 
acter, that  which  as  years  passed  over  him  in  his  quiet  walk  of  labor 
and  usefulness,  gained,  deepened  and  fixed  the  public  confidence  and 
respect,  was  his  integrity  and  purity.  He  was  a  remarkable  man, 
not  only  for  his  industry  and  ability,  his  purity  and  success,  but  for 
his  self-culture  and  wise  self-control.  His  life  was  harmonious  and 
symmetrical.  His  impulses  were  so  under  subjection  that  he  appeared 
not  so  much  to  resist  temptations  as  to  avoid  them.  He  was  so  dili- 
gent in  the  line  of  duty  that  he  had  as  little  opportunity  as  inclination 
to  depart  from  it.  Such  a  life,  sweetening  and  cementing  the  domes- 
tic and  social  relations,  was  as  full  of  happiuess  as  of  beauty.  He 
died  as  calmly  and  serenely  as  he  had  lived,  in  the  enjoyment  of 
the  affectionate  respect  of  his  townsmen  and  of  the  public. 

To  a  neighbor,  and  life-long  friend,  who  in  taking  leave  of 
him  a  few  evenings  before  his  death  referred  to  his  approaching 
end,  he  said,  "It  matters  not  whether  to-morrow  finds  me  in  this  world 
gv  the  next."  A  few  hours  before  his  death,  as  I  approached  his 
bed-side  to  take  leave  of  him,  he  made  me  sit  down,  and  then  with 


22  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

labored  breath  reminded  me  of  our  life-long  intimacy,  and  of  the 
pleasure  it  had  been  to  him.  And  as  he  calmly  gave  me  his  hand  and 
said,  "Good  bye,  I  shall  not  be  alive  to-morrow,"  he  was  the  only  one 
unmoved  in  the  room.  His  appearance  indicated  that  the  prayer  of 
his  youth,  uttered  in  a  poem  from  which  the  following  is  extracted, 
was  fulfilled: 

•  e  o  o  •  « 

"  0  how  sweet,  when  the  curtain  of  twilight 's  o'erspreading, 
And  weary  nature  is  sinkingto  rest, 
0  how  sweet  to  recur,  with  conscience  undieading, 

To  scenes  where  fond  pleasure  illumin'd  the  breast: 

Those  scenes  where  friendship  waked  anew, 

Misconduct  past  forgiv'n — 
Where  hatred  fled,  like  morning  dew 

By  warming  sun-beams  driv'n. 

O  how  sweet,  when  the  last  ray  of  twilight  is  gleaming, 

And  gathering  shadows  remind  'of  the  tomb, 
O  how  sweet  to  behold  Luna  radiant  beaming, 

In  majesty  mild,  dispersing  the  gloom. — 

Thus  when  shades  of  death  come  o'er  us, 

And  earthly  joys  are  riven, 
Star  of  Bethlehem,  rise  before  us — 

The  wand'rer  lead  to  Heaven." 


iitoufli  tkhttfati. 


RAMBLE   LXXXIV. 

Site    and    .Associations    of  the   Kew   City  Rooms — Brick 
Market    and    Jefferson    Hall. 

Mr.  Mayor  and  Gentlemen  : 

I  am  called  upon  to  give  a  historical  sketch  of  the  site 
and  associations  of  the  New  City  Rooms,  which  have  to- 
night,* for  the  first  time,  been  thrown  open  for  the  use  of 
the  City  Government.  As  we  have  passed  from  room  to 
room  it  has  been  a  matter  of  surprise  to  many  of  us  that 
the  old  Jefferson  Hall,  spacious  though  it  seemed,  co«id 
have«been  transformed  into  so  many  capacious,  well  propor- 
tioned, cleanly  and  pleasant  rooms — all  just  large  enough 
for  the  purposes  for  which  they  are  needed;  and  ap. 
proached  too  by  an  easy  flight  of  stairs,  instead  of  winding 
up  as  heretofore  around  spiral  columns.  The  whole  inter, 
nal  arrangements  are  such  as  rest  pleasantly  upon  the  eye, 
and  do  credit  to  our  city. 

In  the  history  of  our  ancient  town,  there  is  no  period 
more  marked  by  public  enterprise  than  the  five  years  at 
the  close  of  the  last  century.  In  1798,  of  the  six  hundred 
twenty-six  dwelling  houses  in  Portsmouth,  there  were 
only  sixteen  of  three  stories.  In  three  years  after,  there 
were  five  of  the  latter  class  of  houses  added.     In  1795  the 

"Note.— This  address  was  made  at  the  request  of  the  City  Government  of  Portsmouth, 
by  the  Rambler,  at  the  celebration  of  the  opening  of  the  new  City  Rooms,  Thursday  evening, 
.Nov.  10. 18G4. 


24  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

Portsmouth  Pier  Company  was  incorporated.  Their  block 
of  fourteen  stores,  three  hundred  twenty  feet  long  and 
three  stories  high,  was  said  to  have  no  equal  in  New  Eng- 
land. Seventeen  vessels  for  foreign  trade  were  built  here 
in  the  year  1801.  It  was  in  1709  that  this  spirit  of  enter- 
prise brought  the  Aqueduct  into  Portsmouth;  and  our 
home  enterprise  was  also  the  means  of  building  Piscataqua 
Bridge  about  the  same  time.  It  was  then,  too,  that  the 
Salt  works  were  constructed  on  our  river. 

It  was  in  this  age  of  enterprise,  nearly  seventy  years 
ago,  that  our  fathers  came  to  the  conclusion  that  a  second 
public  Market  House  was  needed  in  a  more  central  posi- 
tion; and  in  1794  the  town  purchased  of  John  Fisher,  of 
London,  for  the  sum  of  <£450,  the  land  on  which  the  Brick 
Market  House  now  stands.  The  condition  of  the  sale  was, 
that  the  land  shall  be  "used  and  occupied  for  a  public  mar- 
ket place  for  the  town  of  Portsmouth  forever.'7  Fisher 
purchased  this  lot  with  a  house  upon  it,  of  Josiah  Moult  on, 
in  1744. 

Previous  to  1744,  the  whole  of  the  land  now  occupied 
by  nie  Exchange  Buildings,  and  about  100  feet  deep,  was 
owned  by  Capt.  Nathaniel  Adams,  the  lather  of  the  late 
Nathaniel  Adams,  Annalist  of  Portsmouth.  In  1744,  John 
Fisher  bought  of  the  heirs  of  Adams  about  two-thirds  of 
their  land  on  the  north  side.  Up  to  1813,  the  Fisher  man- 
sion stood  on  the  site  of  the  Rockingham  Bank ;  was  a 
gambrel-roofed  house  very  nearly  resembling  the  residence 
of  Samuel  Lord  on  Middle  street,  and  like  that  house  its 
end  was  toward  the  street,  within  an  open  fence,  and 
facing  a  garden  on  the  south.  There  was  then  no  house 
between  Fisher's  and  Adams's.  The  latter  was  of  two 
stories,  on  the  corner  of  State-street ;  outside  of  the  pres- 
ent corner,  19  feet  on  Pleasant,  and  12  feet  on  State  street. 
A  row  of  large  elms  grew  on  the  outside  of  the  unpaved 
,sid,e-walk  between  the  two  houses.     Lender  these  trees  was 


JEFFERSON   HALL.  25 

a  place  of  much  resort  in  the  summer.  Here  the  military 
companies  found  a  place  for  drilling  in  the  shade  ;  and 
these  military  displays  doubtless  gave  the  name  to  the 
Parader  as  Market  Square  was  formerly  called. 

On  the  spot  where  the  Market  House  now  stands  was  an 
old  two-story  house  occupied  by  James  Grouard,  who 
kept  a  hat  store  in  front,  and,  in  a  one-story  building  ad- 
joining on  the  north,  manufactured  his  felts  and  cocked 
hats.  This  old  house  was  furnished  with  a  large  chamber 
fronting  on  the  Parade,  which  was  rented  for  public  uses. 
Here  day-schools  were  kept,  and  here  were  held  the  even- 
ing singing  schools  some  of  our  mothers  and  grandmoth- 
ers delighted  to  attend.  We  know  little  of  Mr.  Grouard 
excepting  that  he  was  a  matter-of-fact  sort  of  man,  fond 
of  good  living,  and  blessed  with  a  good  appetite — for  to 
him,  he  said,  a  roast  goose  was  a  very  awkward  dish,  being- 
more  than  he  could  comfortably  eat,  but  not  enough  to  ask 
a  friend  to  dine  with  him. 

A  few  rods  to  the  northwest  of  this  house  was  the  old 
State  House,  where  the  General  and  County  Courts  were 
held,  and  all  public  meetings  for  elections  and  other  pur- 
poses were  called.  Here  too,  in  the  lower  room,  the  inde- 
pendent military  companies  held  their  meetings, — while 
the  Masons  held  convivial  sessions  in  the  East  Chamber. 
The  lower  room  of  the  old  State  House  was  also  burdened 
by  the  hooks,  ladders  and  other  apparatus  of  the  fire  de- 
partment. 

Notwithstanding,  the  need  of  a  public  Hall  as  well  as  a 
Market  House  was  so  apparent,  the  committee  appointed 
in  1799,  to  take  into  consideration  the  expediency  of 
building  a  Market  House,  reported  that  it  was  expedient 
to  erect  a  building  for  a  Market,  on  the  lot  purchased. 
The  building  to  be  80  feet  long,  30  wide,  aSi  one-story 
high,  with  a  roof  supported  by  pillars,  and  projecting  four, 
feet   on    each   side.     The    pillars   to  be  of  brick,  and  so 


2G  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

constructed  that  the  building  may  be  cool  and  airy  in 
summer,  and  that  the  northerly  side  may  be  closed  by 
doors  against  the  storms  in  winter.  The  expense  was 
estimated  at  one  thousand  dollars. 

This  report,  it  appears,  did  not  meet  the  public  approba- 
tion ;  so  after  further  consideration,  at  a  town  meeting 
held  on  the  7th  of  April,  1800,  it  was  decided  to  erect  a 
Market  House  and  Hall  over  it.  The  building  to  be  80 
feet  long  and  35  feet  wide.  The  lower  story  12  feet  high, 
and  the  upper  14 — intended,  as  was  said  at  the  time,  for  "a 
commodious  and  elegant  Town  Hall."  The  town  passed  a 
vote  that  the  Market  roof  be  covered  with  tar  and"  gravel 
to  protect  it  from  fire.  As  we  find  one  hundred  dollars 
were  expended  for  shingles,  it  is  probable  that  this  vote 
was  not  regarded. 

In  four  days  after  the  vote  to  build  was  passed,  the 
building  committee,  of  which  Col.  Gains  was  chairman, 
advertised  for  bricks,  lime,  stone,  &c.  Soon  the  land  was 
cleared,  and  the  work  commenced ;  and  it  is  recorded  as  a 
remarkable  fact  for  those  times,  that  in  39  days,  all  the 
bricks,  amounting  to  145,000,  were  laid.  We  find  that  no 
less  than  eighty-nine  persons  were  employed  in  construct- 
ing the  building,  of  whom  only  two  are  now  living.  It  is 
not  probable  that  the  work  proceeded  as  noiselessly  as 
that  on  Solomon's  Temple,  for  we  find  among  the  bills  one 
of  $129,  for  a  hogshead  of  rum,  and  also  a  bill  of  $70  for 
brads,  lead  and  rum.  This  is  some  indication  of  the  spirit 
of  those  times.  The  whole  expense  of  the  building,  aside 
from  the  land,  was  $7,565.90. 

The  chairman  of  the  building  committee,  who  superin- 
tended the  work,  brought  in  no  bill  for  his  services,  bui 
left  the  matter  with  the  town.     The  town  readily  votei1 
to    give  vol.  George  Gains  $150.      He  gave  his  receipt 
accordingly. 

Here  a  word  for  that  father  of  Portsmouth,  who  so  Ioh 


JEFFERSON   HALL.  27 

retained  his  popularity  with  the  people.  Col.  Gains  was 
an  honest,  upright  man,  somewhat  self-willed ;  but  a  high 
sense  of  justice  was  his  predominant  trait.  With  a  single 
eye  to  the  public  good,  be  would  readily  take  responsibili- 
ties which  others  would  Toe  slow  to  assume — doing  himseli 
the  business  which  belonged  properly  to  a  whole  board. 
He  was  in  fact  the  Selectman.  ' 

As  he  never  abused  the  confidence  placed  in  him,  to 
promote  his  own  pecuniary  interest,  the  public  kept  him 
continually  in  office.  For  thirty  years  he  was  regularly 
elected  a  Selectman,  and  as  many  years  a  Representative 
to  the  General  Court.  One  of  the  keys  to  his  popularity 
"may  be  found  in  the  above  matter.  Leaving  the  town  to 
fix  his  compensation,  instead  of  bringing  in  a  bill — which 
if  ever  so  small  some  might  object  to — shows  that  he 
knew  how  to  promote  his  own  interest  as  well  as  preserve 
the  public  favor. 

In  November,  18.00,  we  find  the  Market  is  ready  for 
occupancy,  and  Richard  Billings  (who  had  been  a  clerk  to 
John  Hancock)  was  appointed  Clerk  of  the  Market.  He 
gives  public  notice  that  he  will  be  happy  to  accommodate 
all  his  country  friends  with  convenient  stands  in  the  new 
Brick  Market,  and  insure  them  good  prices  and  quick  sales 
for  their  provisions.  "  This  Market,"  he  says,  "  has  been 
built  at  great  expense  to  shelter  people  from  the  weather. 
He  is  sorry  to  observe  at  this  inclement  season  persons 
shivering  in  their  open  sleighs,  when  they  could  be  more 
comfortable  in  the  house — and  he  is  sorry  to  observe 
gentlemen  of  the  town  hovering  round  the  sleighs,  when 
they  ought  to  recommend  the  general  use  of  the  Market, 
and  prevent  forestalling." 

Mr.  Billings,  a  citizen  of  some  distinction,  was  clerk  but 
one  year,  when  his  place  was  filled  by  Deacon  Samuel 
Bowles,  who  died  in  1802. 

Forestalling,  to  which  Mr.  Billings  refers,  was  in  those 


28  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

days,  as  in  previous  years,  regarded  as  a  grievous  offence. 
It  was  for  a  time  finable  for  any  storekeeper  to  offer  meat 
to  sell  before  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  thus  reserving 
to  those  who  brought  in  meat  or  poultry  from  the  country 
for  sale,  the  right  of  retailing  until  the  dining  hour  had 
passed. 

AVe  find  among  the  series  of  rules  adopted  for  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  Market,  that  no  meat  of  any  kind  should  be 
carried  into  the  west  front  arches  of  the  Market;  that  no 
meat  of  any  kind  should  be  left  in  the  Market  over  night, 
on  penalty  of  forfeiture ;  that  the  market  be  closed  at  4  p. 
m.  except  on  Saturdays  ;  and  that  the  regular  market  days 
be  Tuesday,  Thursday,  and  Saturday.  It  would  appear  by 
this  that  at  first  the  Market  was  opened  only  three  days  in 
the  week. 

There  were  six  stalls  for  regular  merchants,  and  four 
stalls  at  the  east  end  for  the  use  of  the  country  traders. 
Among  the  first  regular  occupants  were  Anthony  Lang- 
ford,  Joseph  and  Isaac  Shepherd,  Asa  Dearborn,  John 
French,  Amos  Sheldon,  and  Capt.  Edward  Gove. 

The  New  Market  House  and  Jefferson  Hall,  with  their 
good  finish,  had  hardly  been  soiled  by  use  when,  on  the 
26th  of  Dec.  1802,  its  internal  work  and  roof  were  con- 
sumed in  the  first  great  conflagration  in  Portsmouth.  For 
a  time  its  standing  walls  and  open  arches  on  every  side 
presented  the  appearance  of  some  ancient  ruin, — but  such 
it  was  not  long  left  to  remain. 

In  1804  it  was  rebuilt  and  in  use  again,  with  the  same 
appearance  as  before  the  fire.  The  roof  of  the  Hall,  by  a 
vote  of  the  town,  was  better  protected  against  fire,  by 
being  covered  with  tin.  The  roof  at  that  time  was  quite 
flat,  and  hipped — the  handsomely  projecting  eaves  in  the 
front  and  rear  of  the  building  being  on  a  line  with  those 
on  the  sides.  The  roof  of  the  Piscataqua  Bank  building- 
was  made  in  imitation  of  that  of  the  Market.     This  good 


JEFFERSON   HALL.  29 

architectural  symmetry  was  wholly  destroyed  when,  about 
twenty  years  ago,  the  roof  was  raised  and  slated,  and  the 
eaves  drawn  in.  Up  to  1826,  the  arches  of  the  Market,  on 
the  north  and  south  sides,  were  filled  with  large  loose  doors 
without  lights.  In  the  coldest  weather  the  doors  Avere 
kept  open  through  the  day,  and  the  hardy  butchers  kept 
their  blood  warm  by  stamping  the  feet  and  thrashing  with 
the  arms — for  a  stove  in  the  Market  had  never  been  thought 
of.  In  1826  the  arches  were  contracted  by  brick  work, 
and  tight  doors  put  in,  with  windows  over  each  to  admit 
the  light.  For  a  quarter  of  a  century  the  only  light  to 
the  Market  when  it  was  closed  had  been  that  from  the 
semi-circular  window  over  the  front  entrance,  which  is  still 
retained  there.  This  desire  for  light,  as  well  as  the  ar- 
rangement made  for  warming,  the  Market,  were  certainly 
evidences  of  progress. 

Now  we  will  leave  the  Market  for  the  room  over  it, 
which,  like  many  children,  was  several  months  old  before 
it  had  a  name.  In  Jan.  1801,  we  find  it  spoken  of  as  "  the 
Town  Hall."  At  the  annual  town  meeting  held  in  the 
Court  House  March  25,  1801,  it  was  voted,  that  the  cham- 
ber of  the  Brick  Market  be  hereafter  called  Jefferson  Hall. 
Thus  it  appears  that  Jefferson  Hall  received  its  name  just 
three  weeks  after  Thomas  Jefferson  had  taken  his  seat  as 
President  of  the  United  States.  The  first  public  use  of 
the  Hall  we  can  find  was  on  the  24th  of  June,  1801,  when 
the  Grand  Lodge  of  New  Hampshire  convened  at  Jefferson 
Hall  on  St.  John's  Day,  and  after  proceeding  to  St.  John's 
Church  returned  to  Jefferson  Hall,  where  an  elegant  repast 
was  partaken. 

On  the  4th  of  July,  1801,  a  company  dined  in  Jefferson 
Hall.  We  find  no  record  of  any  other  use  of  the  first  Jefl 
ferson  Hall  until  the  next  4th  of  July,  in  1802.  In  that 
year  there  were  celebrations  by  both  political  parties. 
The  Federalists  dined  at  Piscataqua  Bridge,  in   Washington 


30  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

Hall,  and  the  Republicans  took  their  dinner  at  Jefferson 
Hall.  We  have  the  original  odes  sung  by  both  parties  on 
that  day.  That  sung  at  Jefferson  Hall  was  by  Johx 
Wentworth.     One  verse  will  serve  as  a  specimen: 

That  man  so  revered,  so  virtuous,  so  great, 
Who  saved  a  whole  people,  and  tbeu  saved  a  State, 
By  wisdom  and  Brmness, — 't  is  him  we  extol, 
And  ring  Jefferson's  praises  through  Jefferson  Hall. 
Deny  Down,  etc. 

The  other  ode,  sung  at  Washington  Hall,  was  from  the 
pen  of  J.  M.  Sewell.  It  shows  a  rather  bitter  party  feel- 
ing in  classing  the  room  over  the  Market  with  the  shambles 
below,  and  calling  it  Jefferson's  stall.  One  verse  will  suf- 
fice : 

But  ah !  what  dire  planet  o'ershadovrs  the  day 
On  which  Freedom's  Sun  lately  beam'd  forth  benignant? 

What  comet  portentous  sheds  death  and  dismay? 
'T  is  Jffferson's  orb,  like  the  dog  s'ar,  malignant. 
But  decreed  is  its  doom  ! 
The  blest  period  will  come 
"When  the  Day  Star  of  Reason  will  scatter  the  gloom! 
Away  then  to  Freedom!  leave  Jeffeu60n's  stall! 
And  court  the  bright  goddess  in  Washington  Ham,! 

♦ 

It  appears  that  the  first  Hall,  through  feelings  of  preju- 
dice arising  from  the  name,  was  used  by  one  party  only 
for  meetings  decidedly  political.  The  Hall  was  kept  very 
carefully  as  a  public  ornament,  the  Selectmen  being  unwill- 
ing to  devote  it  to  any  common  purposes.  There  was  at 
first  some  difficulty  experienced  by  the  Artillery,  Light 
Infantry,  and  Gilman  Blues  (the  independent  companies  of 
that  day,)  in  obtaining  it  for  drill  meetings.  A  town  meet- 
ing was  called  on  the  subject,  and  they  voted  to  give  the 
companies  the  use  of  it.  In  August,  1802,  we  notice  a. 
meeting  there  of  the  Artillery  Company — and  this  is  the. 
last  meeting  recorded  in  the  first  Jefferson  Hall,  before  the 
fire  not  only  cleared  away  all  that  was  combustible,  but  also 
purified  the  partisan  animosity  which  its  name  had  so 
unwisely  created.  Nobody  after  the  fire  appears  to  have 
objected  to  the  name  of  Jefferson  Hall. 


JEFFERSON   HALL.  31 

The  entrance  to  Jefferson  Hall  was  originally  in  the  east 
end,  by  two  easy  flights  of  stairs,  and  through  ante-rooms. 
It  was  for  many  years  the  place  from  which  public  proces- 
sions were  formed — the  place  for  4th  of  July  and  other 
public  dinners,  and  for  meetings  of  citizens  on  public  oc- 
casions;  but  it  was  not  until  1818  that  it  was  used  for 
town  or  state  elections.  Up  to  that  year  all  meetings  for 
election  took  place  in  the  Old  State  House.  In  1814,  after 
the  third  great  fire,  the  boys'  high  school,  under  Master 
Tuft,  was  kept  there  for  about  a  year.  In  1819  it  was  for 
one  season  used  as  the  great  Sabbath  School  Room  of 
Portsmouth,  which  the  children  of  all  parishes  attended. 

Of  the  scenes  of  the  last  forty  years  which  Jefferson  Hall 
has  presented  on  town  meeting  days,  many  of  you  must 
have  vivid  recollections.  The  turmoil  which  arises  where 
party  spirit  is  inflamed  by  other  spirits,  (we  speak  of  other 
days,)  has  often  burst  forth  here  like  a  volcano.  For  some 
men,  who  are  sedate  all  the  year,  will  somehow  get  excited 
on  these  occasions,  where  every  man  knows  that  his  vote 
is  of  as  much  value  as  that  of  any  one  else.  Jefferson  Hall 
has  been  the  forum  where  native  eloquence  has  flourished. 
Here  have  been  heard  the  voices  of  Webster,  Mason,  Wood- 
bury, Cutts,  Bartlett,  Cutter,  Cheever,  Drown,  and  a  host  of 
those  now  living  who  were  ready  with  the  voice  of  wisdom 
to  guide  their  fellow  citizens — and  there  might  be  enume- 
rated another  class  of  orators,  whose  rough-hewn  arguments 
never  lacked  fire  and  quaintness.  The  life  of  Jefferson 
Hall  on  election  days  was  however  almost  extinguished  by 
the  adoption  of  the  City  Government  in  1849.  The  North 
and  the  Southwards  withdrew  the  leading  spirits,  and  since 
that  time  the  Old  Hall  has  seemed  to  say  to  the  voters  on 
election  day,  as  they  silently  come  and  go,  Where  is  the 
spirit  of  the  former  day?  It  seems  to  have  expired  with 
"that  night''  which  followed  March  13,  1849,  when  for  only 
once  in  the  history  of  Jefferson  Hall,  the  morning  sun  rose 
with  the  Moderator  of  the  former  day  yet  in  his  chair. 


32  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

But  old  Jefferson  Hall  has  occasionally  presented  a  bet- 
ter spectacle.  Arrayed  in  the  flags  of  various  nations,  with 
well  covered  and  well  attended  tables,  many  a  visitor  has 
been  made  happy,  according  to  the  number  of  shillings  he 
has  bestowed  for  some  object  of  benevolence.  Here  too 
has  been  the  pleasant  promenade,  where  the  band  and 
songsters  have  imparted  life  to  the  gathering. 

Unlucky  was  the  effort,  three  years  since,  of  that  well- 
meaning  individual*  who  attempted  in  Jefferson  Hall  a  State 
Mechanics  Fair  on  his  own  responsibility.  A  temporary 
addition  in  the  rear,  nearly  as  capacious  as  the  Hall,  was 
erected.  The  expected  articles  for  exhibition,  however,  did 
not  appear.  It  was  a  sad  failure ;  but  the  manager,  too 
honest  to  wrong  any  one,  at  once  enlisted  in  the  army,  and 
with  his  bounty  money  paid  his  debts.  In  a  few  months  he 
rested  with  the  honored  dead. 

Whether  the  spirit  of  this  noble  soldier  still  hovered 
around  the  scene  which  was  the  disturbing  cause  of  his 
earthly  comfort,  we  cannot  say ;  but  a  military  spirit  was 
visible  in  Jefferson  Hall  soon  after  his  death,  when  the 
Hall  became  a  barrack  for  soldiers — and  to  this  service  of 
the  country  its  last  days  were  mainly  devoted.  In  what 
more  appropriate  service  could  that  Hall,  which  for  sixty- 
three  years  has  borne  the  name  of  Jefferson,  be  closed, 
now  that  it  will  bear  that  name  no  more  forever ! 

In  its  place,  what  have  we  seen  to-night?  We  have 
passed  up  an  easy  stairway  and  through  a  wide  entry  to  a 
series  of  five  capacious  rooms,  each  independently  warmed 
and  lighted,  and  fitted  for  its  particular  purpose.  As  we 
pass  under  the  City  Safe,  we  cannot  overlook  it.  We 
really  have  at  last  a  soft.  For  more  than  200  years  the 
manuscript  records  and  documents  of  great  value  have  had 
less  care  taken  of  them  than  almost  any  merchant  takes  of 
his   day-book.     In  the  great  fire  of  1813,  the  town  clerk's 

0  Uenry  M.Carter. 


JEFFERSON   HALL.  33' 

room,  which  was  in  the  northeast  corner  of  the  Brick 
school-house  on  State  street,  was  burnt.  In  this  room,  in  a 
wooden  chest,  were  the  old  and  new  records  and  papers  of 
the  town,  which  but  for  the  thoughtfulness  and  efforts  of  an 
individual,  Hon.  Hunking  Penhallow,  would  have  been 
consumed."  Had  he  not  timely  entered  the  room  and  se- 
cured the  papers,  we  should  now  have  been  without?  any 
town  record  previous  to  that  time.  Yet  even  after  this 
narrow  escape,  the  town  and  city  records  have  never,  until 
now,  been  deposited  a  single  day  in  a  place  secure  against 
fire.  The  expenditure  of  $20,000  for  a  city  hall,  or  any  other 
public  purpose,  would  have  been  a  small  item  in  comparison 
with  the  loss  of  the  city  papers,  which  are  safe  at  last. 

The  door  of  the  west  room,  in  which  the  safe  opens,  is 
labelled  "  City  Clerk."  This  important  city  official  is  al- 
ways expected  to  be  on  hand,  and  so  the  most  pleasant 
room  is  assigned  him.  At  that  table,  filled  with  books  and 
papers,  the  unwearied  pilot  of  the  City  Government  may  in 
all  future  time  be  found,  called  often  to  the  exercise  of  the 
grace  of  patience,  which  will  fit  him  for  enduring  any  of 
tl;e  varied  evils  of  life. 

In  another  room,  with  scarcely  less  of  care,  but  cheered 
by  the  current  of  money  which  at  particular  seasons  flows 
through  that  channel,  may  be  found  the  Collector  and 
Treasurer,  sitting  at  his  receipt  of  customs,  seemingly  as 
unconscious  as  the  dentist  extracting  teeth,  of  the  pain  felt 
by  those  who  pay  over  their  hard-earned  money  for  the 
support  of  the  city.  Only  a  small  proportion  of  the  visitors 
will  leave  this  room  richer  pecuniarily  than  they  entered, 
but  every  patriot  will  feel  richer  in  the  consciousness  that 
his  arm  aids  in  keeping  in  motion  the  machinery  which 
protects  his  property,  -his  rights  and  his  life,  and  keeps  a 
good  house  always  in  reserve  for  him. 

In  another  room,  for  a  century  to  come,  may  be  found 
the   man  whom   the  city    delights  to    honor,   filling    the 


34  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

dignified  position  of  the  Mayor's  chair.  The  room  is  well 
finished  and  furnished, — but  his  presiding  seat  in  the 
adjoining  room,  and  the  tasteful  chairs  and  desks  of  the 
Aldermen,  with  the  whole  finish  and  decorations,  make  it 
almost  equal  to  an  Italian  Senate  Chamber.  Around  the 
walls,  instead  of  the  works  of  the  old  masters,  the  portraits 
of  the  "past  Mayors  are  displayed,  and  vacancies  are  kept  to 
be  filled  by  the  long  train  of  honorables  who  are  to  succeed 
the  present  worthy  incumbent.  In  the  eight  easy  chairs 
and  at  that  desk  the  consolidated  wisdom  of  the  City  will 
be  annually  placed  by  the  public  voice  ;  and  to  them  will 
be  committed  the  very  hard  task  of  pleasing  everybody. 
If  this  is  not  done,  faint  will  be  the  praises  they  may  expect 
to  receive  from  those  whom  they  do  not  obey. 

In  that  great  room  in  the  east,  over  the  door  of  which 
the  bust  of  the  eloquent  Webster  is  placed,  will  the  people 
be  represented  by  a  Common  Council,  who  will  hold  the 
purse  strings  and  the  check  reins,  and  do  all  manner  of 
wise  things  to  regulate  the  machinery  of  the  City  Govern- 
ment. Here  the  germs  of  eloquence  will  be  developed 
upon  all  sorts  of  appropriations;  and  scrutinizing  commit- 
tees will  often  think  they  discover  measures  introduced  to 
promote  some  party  purpose  of  their  opponents.  Here  the 
practice  of  vigilance,  in  a  right  spirit,  will  ever  promote 
the  public  good.  Long  may  the  interest  of  the  people 
here  be  .rightly  represented  ! 

We  are  now,  Mayor  and  gentlemen,  done  with  Jefferson 
Hall  and  its  surroundings.  May  the  future  doings  of  the 
City  Rooms  of  Portsmouth  be  marked  with  that  wisdom 
and  harmony  of  action  which  will  give  it  a  pleasant  record 
in  future  history. 


odiorne's  point.  35 


RAMBLE  LXXXY. 

Odiorne's    Point  —  The  Thirst  House  and  First  Cemetery 

in  IN"ew  Hampshire. 

"  Ilere  the  dark  forest's  midnight  6hade  began 
To  own  the  power  of  cultivated  man  ; 
Here  is  the  shore,  whose  wide-exteDded  breast 
First  gave  its  borders  for  the  wanderer's  rest." 

The  locality  which  should  be  the  most  venerated,  not 
only  by  our  own  townsmen,  but  by  every  citizen  of  New 
Hampshire,  is  certainly  where  the  first  emigrants  landed, 
and  the  spot  on  which  was  erected  the  first  house  in  New 
Hampshire.  How  many  associations  cluster  around  this 
beginning  of  the  history  of  our  State.  Less  sacred  they 
may  be  than  those  which  surround  the  Plymouth  Rock, — ■ 
for  the  first  settlers  of  New  Hampshire  came  here  to  trade 
and  fish,  while  the  Pilgrims  landed  there  for  the  enjoyment 
of  religious  freedom. 

This  place,  of  so  much  historic  interest,  is  only  about 
three  miles  from  Market  Square,  and  an  hour's  walk  through 
interesting  scenery  -will  find  you  there.  It  may  seem 
strange  to  residents  elsewhere  that  any  direction  is  needed 
from  us  to  point  out  the  spot  to  our  home  readers, — but 
when  it  is  known  that  probably  not  fifty  of  our  population 
of  ten  thousand  ever  visited  the  spot  with  any  distinct 
knowledge  of  the  several  localities  connected  with  our 
early  history,  that  wonder  will  cease. 

From  the  Sagamore  House,  on  the  south,  is  the  road 
which  leads  to  Odiorne's  Point.  On  this  road  is  but  one 
house,  which  is  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant.  It  is  owned 
and  occupied  by  Mr.  Eben  L.  Odiorne,  Avho  inherits  the 
farm  which  extends  to  the  Point,  where  his  ancestors  re- 
sided for  more  than  two  centuries.  We  find  the  name  of 
John  Odiorne  occupying  this  locality  in  1660.  Forty-three 
acres  were  then  owned  by  him.     He  was  a  citizen  of  Ports- 


36  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

mouth  in  1657,  and  probably  then  resided  there ;  but  of  this 
we  are  not  certain.  He  gave  name  to  the  Point.  Coun- 
cillor Jotham  Odiorne,  who  died  in  174:8,  at  the  age  of  73, 
was  the  son  of  John. 

Odiorne's  Point  should  be  respected  as  our  Plymouth 
Rock.  Here,  in  1623,  the  little  band  landed,  who  were 
commissioned  by  the  Laconia  Company  in  England  to  found 
a  plantation.  In  a  ramble  to  the  Point  a  week  or  two 
since,  we  found  enough  of  tradition  in  the  occupant,  and 
visible  remains  left,  to  locate  the  spot  where  the  first  house, 
called  Mason's  Hall  or  the  Manor  House,  was  erected, — to 
designate  also  the  locality  of  the  first  smith's  shop.  The 
well  of  the  Manor  House  is  yet  to  be  seen  in  the  field — 
and  the  cool,  fresh  water  running  from  beneath  the  ledge 
on  the  shore,  scarcely  above  the  tide  water,  flows  as  freely 
now  as  when  Tomson,  the  Hiltons  and  their  companions 
quenched  their  thirst  at  it  two  hundred  and  forty-six  years 
ago.  Perhaps  this  inviting  spring  decided  to  them  the  site 
of  their  habitation. 

The  present  proprietor  of  the  ancient  Manor  does  honor 
to  his  ancestors  in  presenting  well  cultivated  land  and  a 
handsome  farm  residence.  He  seems  however  not  much  to 
pride  himself  upon  his  ancestry  or  the  externals  of  his  lo- 
cality. So  little  of  inquiry  has  been  made  of  late  years, 
that  even  the  "  garrison  field "  and  "fish  flake  field"  are 
spoken  of  as  names  that  were  formerly  used. 

Just  before  reaching  the  house,  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  road,  is  a  lane  which  leads  nearly  to  the  beach.  The 
site  of  the  old  smith's  shop  was  on  the  north  side  of  this 
lane,  on  the  highest  point  of  land.  Pieces  of  iron  are  now 
occasionally  turned  up  in  ploughing  there.  It  is  near  the 
end  of  this  lane  on  the  beach  that  the  spring  flows.  Here 
in  former  times,  when  the  memory  of  the  spot  was  more 
regarded,  might  be  seen  the  Sheafes,  the  Pickerings  and 
others,  enjoying  a  social  remembrance  pic-nic  and  drawing 


odiorne's  point.  37 

their  libations  from  the  ancient  fountain  of  the  first  resi- 
dents. 

But  where  was  the  site  of  Mason's  Hall?  Come  this 
way,  said  Mr.  Odiorne.  And  he  led  us  through  his  spacious 
and  shady  farm  yard,  and  down  about  twenty  or  thirty  rods, 
in  a  southwest  direction,  from  his  house.  Here,  on  a  spot 
now  covered  with  cabbage  plants,  tradition  says  the  first 
house  in  Xew  Hampshire  Avas  erected.  Pieces  of  brick 
are  yet  turned  up  in  ploughing,  a  small  piece  of  ancient 
brown  ware  we  picked  up,  and  pieces  of  metal  are  here 
sometimes  found.  Although  no  monument  designates  the 
spot,  yet  here  undoubtedly  the  Manor  House  stood.  On 
the  south  of  this  site,  a  few  rods  distant,  is  the  old  well  of 
the  Manor ;  and  eight  or  ten  rods  on  the  north  is  the  rest- 
ing place  of  those  who  first  sank  beneath  the  toils  and  pri- 
vations incident  to  emigration  to  a  new  country. 

This  first  cemetery  of  the  white  man  in  New  Hampshire 
occupies  a  space  of  perhaps  100  feet  by  GO,  and  is  well 
walled  in.  The  western  side  is  now  used  as  a  burial  place 
for  the  family,  but  two-thirds  of  it  is  filled  with  perhaps 
forty  graves,  indicated  by .  rough  head  and  foot  stones. 
Who  there  rests  no  one  now  living  knows.  But  the  same 
care  is  taken  of  their  quiet  beds  as  if  they  were  of  the  pro- 
prietor's own  family.  Large  trees  have  grown  up  there — 
one  of  them,  an  ancient  walnut,  springs  from  over  one  of 
the  graves.  In  1631  Mason  sent  over  about  eighty  emi- 
grants, many  of  whom  died  in  a  few  years,  and  here  they 
were  probably  buried.  Here  too  doubtless  rest  the  re- 
mains of  several  of  those  whose  names  stand  conspicuous 
in  our  early  State  records. 

"  History  numbers  here 
Pome  names  and  Bcenes  to  long  remembrance  dear, 
And  summer  verdure  clotbes  the  lowly  breast 
Of  the  small  hillock  where  our  fathers  rest. 
Theirs  was  the  dauntless  heart,  the  hand,  the  voice, 
That  bade  the  desert  blossom  and  rejoice; 


.38  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

Their  restless  toil  subdued  the  savage  earth, 

And  called  a  nation  into  glorious  birth  ; 

Their  living  floods  with  tides  extending  still, 

Poured  o'er  the  vaies  and  climbed  the  highest  hills; 

And  now  the  cottage  that  o'erlooks  the  scene 

Or  jouthful  revels  on  the  village  green  ; 

The  laughing  fields  where  earliest  verdure  springs, 

And  Nature  glories  in  the  gifts  she  brings; 

The  flocks  that  gather  in  the  peaceful  shade, 

Where  once  the  deer  in  careless  freedom  played, 

The  spires  that  redden  in  the  rising  sun — 

All  these  will  tell  you  what  their  hands  have  done." 

Were  there  a  locality  of  similar  historic  interest  north 
of  the  White  Mountains,  many  an  annual  pilgrimage  it 
would  receive,  its  locality  would  be  designated  by  some 
enduring  monument,  and  a  pebble  from  the  first  cemetery 
would  be  treasured  as  a  mantel  curiosity.  But  now,  within 
a  pleasant  foot  ramble,  it  is  rarely  visited,  and  seems  to  be 
almost  unknown.  When  will  some  proper  Monument  be 
erected  to  identify  the  spot,  and  secure  to  posterity  a 
locality  which  will  with  years  increase  in  interest  ? 


EAMBLE    LXXXVI. 


Marquis  cle  Chastellux's  "Visit  in  17©3  —  French    Fleet--- 
"Views  of  Portsmouth,  «Scc. 

The  year  1782  was  noted  locally  as  that  in  which  the 
French  fleet  laid  in  our  harbor.  We  have  already  in  pre- 
vious  rambles  given  a  record  of  some  of  the  events  whicl; 
occurred,  and  now  present  a  few  more  sketches,  mainlv 
gathered  from  the  account  the  Marquis  de  Chastellux  gave 
of  his  visit  to  Portsmouth  while  the  fleet  was  lying  in  oui 
harbor.  The  Marquis  was  a  Major-General  in  the  French 
army,  serving  under  the  Count  de  Rochambeau,  with  whon? 
he  came  from  France  to  this  country  in  1780.  In  1782,  in 
November,  having  some  leisure,  he  left  Hartford  on  a  visit 


MARQUIS   DE   CHASTELLUX's   VISIT.  39 

to  Massachusetts  and  New  Hampshire.  His  route  brought 
him  through  Andover,  Haverhill  and  Exeter.  He  speaks 
highly  of  the  general  appearance  of  the  latter  town,  and 
goes  on  to  say  : — 

"  We  stopped  at  a  very  handsome  inn  kept  by  Mr.  Ruspert, 
which  we  quitted  at  half  past  two  ;  and  though  we  rode 
very  fast,  night  was  coming  on  when  we  reached  Ports- 
mouth.    The  road  from  Exeter  is  very  hilly.     We  passed 
through  Greenland,  a  very  populous  township,  composed 
of  well  built  houses.     Cattle  here  are  abundant,  but  not  so 
handsome  as  in  Connecticut,  and  the  state  of  Massachusetts. 
They  are  dispersed  over  fine  meadows,  and  it  is  a  beautiful 
sight  to  see  them  collected  near  their  hovels  in  the  evening. 
This   country   presents,  in  every   respect,  the    picture  of 
abundance  and  of  happiness.     The  road  from  Greenland  to 
Portsmouth  is  wide  and  beautiful,  interspersed  with  habita- 
tions, so  that  these  two  townships  almost  touch.     I  alighted 
at  Mr.  Brewster's,  where  I  was  well  lodged ;  he  seemed  to 
me  a  respectable  man,  and  much  attached  to  his  country. 

"In  the  morning  of  the  10th  of  Nov.  I  went  to  pay  a  visit 
to  Mr.  Albert  de  Rioms,  captain  of  the  Pluto,  who  had  a 
house  on  shore,  where  he  resided  for  his  health;  he  invited 
me  to  dinner,  which  he  advised  me  to  accept,  as  the  Comte 
de  Vaudreuil  was  in  great  confusion  on  board *his  ship,  the 
mizzen-mast  of  which  had  been  struck  by  lightning  five 
days  before,  and  which  penetrated  to  his  first  battery ;  but 
he  offered  me  his  boat  to  carry  me  on  board  the  Auguste. 
In  returning  for  my  cloak,  I  happened  to  pass  by  the  meeting, 
precisely  at  the  time  of  service,  and  had  the  curiosity  to 
enter,  where  I  remained  above  half  an  hour,  that  I  might 
not  interrupt  the  preacher,  and  to  show  my  respect  for  the 
assembly  ;  the  audience  were  not  numerous  on  account  of 
the  severe  cold,  but  I  saw  some  handsome  women,  elegantly 
dressed.  Mr.  Buckminister,  a  young  minister,  spoke  with 
a  great  deal  of  grace,  and  reasonably  enough  for  a  preacher. 


4.0  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

I  could  not  help  admiring  the  address  with  which  he 
introduced  politics  into  his  sermon,  by  comparing  the 
christians  redeemed  by  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ,  but  still 
compelled  to  fight  against  the  flesh  and  sin,  to  the  thirteen 
United  States,  who,  notwithstanding  they  have  acquired 
liberty,  and  independence,  are  under  the  necessity  of 
employing  all  their  force  to  combat  a  formidable  power, 
and  to  preserve  those  invaluable  treasures.  It  was  near 
twelve  when  I  embarked  in  Mr.  Albert's  boat,  and  saw  on 
the  left,  near  the  little  Island  of  Rising  Castle,  the  America, 
(the  ship  given  by  Congress  to  the  King  of  France,)  which 
had  been  just  launched,  and  appeared  to  me  a  fine  ship.  I 
left  on  the  right  the  Isle  of  Washington,  on  which  stands  a 
fort  of  that  name.  It  is  built  in  the  form  of  a  star,  the 
parapets  of  which  are  supported  by  stakes,  and  was  not 
finished.  Then  leaving  Newcastle  on  the  right,  and  Kit- 
tery  on  the  left,  we  arrived  at  the  anchoring  ground,  within 
the  first  pass.  I  found  Mr.  Yaudreuil  on  board,  who  pre- 
sented me  to  the  officers  of  his  ship,  and  afterwards  to 
those  of  the  detachment  of  the  army,  among  whom  were 
three  officers  of  my  former  regiment  of  Guienne,  at  present 
called  Viennois.  He  then  took  me  to  see  the  ravages 
made  by  the  lightning,  of  which  M.  de  Eire,  who  then 
commanded  the  ship,  M.  de  Yaudreuil  having  slept  on 
shore,  gave  me  the  following  account:  At  half  past  two 
in  the  morning,  in  the  midst  of  a  very  violent  rain,  a  dread- 
ful explosion  was  heard  suddenly,  and  the  sentinel,  who 
was.  in  the  gallery,  came  in  a  panic  into  the  council  cham- 
ber, where  he  met  with  M.  Bire,  who  had  leaped  to  the 
foot  of  his  bed,  and  they  were  both  struck  with  a  strong 
sulphureous  smell.  The  bell -was  immediately  rung,  and 
the  ship  examined,  when  it  was  found  that  the  mizzen-mast 
was  cut  short  in  two,  four  feet  from  the  forecastle ;  that  it 
had  been  lifted  in  the  air,  and  fallen  perpendicularly  on  the 
quarter-deck,  through  which  it  had  penetrated,  as  well  as 


MARQUIS  DE  CHASTELLUX'S   VISIT.  41 

the  second  battery.  Two  sailors  were  crushed  by  its  fall, 
two  others,  who  never  could  be  found,  had  doubtless  been 
thrown  into  the  sea  by  the  commotion,  and  several  were 
wounded. 

"At  one  o'clock  we  returned  on  shore  to  dine  with  M. 
Albert  de  Rioms,  and  our  fellow  guests  were  M.  de  Bire, 
who  acted  as  flag  captain,  though  but  a  lieutenant ;  M.  de 
Mortegues,  who  formerly  commanded  the  Magnifique  (lost 
at  the  same  period  at  Lovel's  Island  in  Boston  harbqjr)  and 
was  destined  to  the  command  of  the  America;  M.  de  Siber, 
lieutenant  en  pied  of  the  Pluto;  M.  d'Hizeures,  captain  of 
the  regiment  of  the  Viennois,  &c.  After  dinner  we  went 
to  drink  tea  with  Mr.  Langdon.  He  is  a  handsome  man, 
and  of  noble  carriage  ;  he  has  been  a  member  of  Congress, 
and  is  now  one  of  the  first  people  of  the  country  ;  his 
house  is  elegant  and  well  furnished,  and  the  apartments 
admirably  well  wainscotted  :  he  has  a  good  manuscript  chart 
of  the  harbor  of  Portsmouth.  Mrs.  Langdon,  his  wife,  is 
young,  fair,  and  tolerably  handsome,  but  I  conversed  less 
with  her  than  with  her  husband,  in  whose  favor  I  was  pre- 
judiced, from  knowing  that  he  had  displayed  great  courage 
and  patriotism  at  the  time  of  Burgo}7ne's  expedition. 

"  On  leaving  Mr.  Langdon's,  we  went  to  pay  a  visit  to  Col. 
Wentworth,  who  is  respected  in  this  country,  not  only 
from  his  being  of  the  same  family  with  Lord  Rockingham, 
but  from  his  general  acknowledged  character  for  probity 
and  talents.  He  conducted  the  naval  department  at  Ports- 
mouth, and  our  officers  are  never  weary  in  his  commenda- 
tion. From  Mr.  Wentworth's,  M.  de  Vaudreuil  and  M.  de 
Rioms  took  me  to  Mrs.  "Whipple's,  a  widow  lady,  who  is,  I 
believe,  sister-in-law  to  General  Whipple ;  she  is  neither 
young  nor  handsome,  but  appeared  to  me  to  have  a  good 
understanding,  and  gaiety.  She  is  educating  one  of  her 
nieces,  only  fourteen  years  old,  who  is  already  charming. 
Mrs.  Whipple's  house,  as  well  as  that  of  Mr.  Wentworth's, 
4 


42  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

and  all  those  I  saw  at  Portsmouth,  are  very  handsome  and 
well  furnished. 

"I  proposed,  on  the  morning  of  the  11th,  to  make  a  tour 
among  the  islands  in  the  harbor ;  but  some  snow  having 
fallen,  and  the  weather  being  by  no  means  inviting,  I  con- 
tented myself  with  paying  visits  to  some  officers  of  the 
navy,  and  among  others  to  the  Count  de  Vaudreuil,  who 
had  slept  on  shore  the  preceding  night ;  after  which  we 
again  met  at  dinner  at  Mr.  Albert's,  a  point  of  union  which 
was  always  agreeable.  After  dinner,  we  again  drank  tea  at 
Mr.  Langdon's,  and  then  paid  a  visit  to  Dr.  Brackett,  an 
esteemed  physician  of  the  country,  and  afterwards  to  Mr. 
Thompson.  The  latter  was  born  in  England  ;  he  is  a  good 
seaman,  and  an  excellent  ship-builder,  and  is  besides  a  sen- 
sible man,  greatly  attached  to  his  new  country,  which  it  is 
only  fifteen  years  since  he  adopted.  His  wife  is  an  Ameri- 
can, and  pleases  by  her  countenance,  but  still  more  by  her 
amiable  and  polite  behavior.  We  finished  the  evening  at 
Mr.  Wentworth's,  where  the  Count  de  Vaudreuil  lodged  ; 
he  gave  us  a  very  handsome  supper,  without  ceremony, 
during  which  the  conversation  was  gay  and  agreeable. 

"The  12th  I  set  out,  after  taking  leave  of  M.  de  Vaudreuil, 
whom  I  met  as  he  was  coming  to  call  on  me,  and  it  was 
certainly  with  the  greatest  sincerity  that  I  testified  to  him 
my  sense  of  the  polite  manner  in  which  I  had  been  received 
by  him,  and  by  the  officers  under  his  command. 

"  The  following  are  the  ideas  which  I  had  an  opportunity 
of  acquiring  relative  to  the  town  of  Portsmouth.  It  was 
in  a  pretty  flourishing  state  before  the  war,  and  carried  on 
the  trade  of  ship-timber,  and  salt  fish.  It  is  easy  to  con- 
ceive that  this  commerce  must  have  greatly  suffered  since 
the  commencement  of  the  troubles,  but  notwithstanding, 
Portsmouth  is,  perhaps,  of  all  the  American  towns,  that 
which  will  gain  the  most  by  the  present  war.  There  is 
every  appearance  of  its  becoming  to  A^eiy-En gland,  what 


MARQUIS   DE    CHASTELLUX'S   VISIT.  43 

the  other  Portsmouth  is  to  the  Old:  that  is  to  say,  that  this 
place  will  be  made  choice  of  as  the  depot  of  the  continen- 
tal marine.  The  access  to  the  harbor  is  easy,  the  road  im- 
mense, and  there  are  seven  fathoms  water  as  far  up  as  two 
miles  above  the  town  ;  add  to  this,  that  notwithstanding-  its 
northern  situation,  the  harbor  of  Portsmouth  is  never  fro- 
zen, an  advantage  arising  from  the  rapidity  of  the  current. 

"  When  I  was  at  Portsmouth  the  necessaries  of  life  were 
very  dear,  owing  to  the  great  drought  of  the  preceding 
summer.  Wheat  cost  two  dollars  a  bushel,  (of  sixty  pounds 
weight)  oats  almost  as  much,  and  Indian  corn  was  extreme- 
ly scarce.  I  shall  hardly  be  believed  when  I  say,  that  I 
paid  eight  livres  ten  sols  (about  seven  shillings  and  three- 
pence) a  day  for  each  horse.  Butcher's  meat  only  was 
cheap,  selling  at  two-pence-halfpenny  a  pound.  That  part 
of  New  Hampshire  bordering  on  the  coast  is  not  fertile ; 
there  are  good  lands  at  forty  or  fifty  miles  distance  from 
the  sea,  but  the  expense  of  carriage  greatly  augments  the 
price  of  articles,  when  sold  in  more  inhabited  parts.  As 
for  the  value  of  landed  property,  it  is  dear  enough  for  so 
new  a  country.  Mr.  Ruspert,  my  landlord  at  Exeter,  paid 
seventy  pounds  currency  per  annum,  (at  eighteen  livres  or 
fifteen  shillings  the  pound)  for  his  inn.  Lands  sell  at  from 
ten  to  sixteen  dollars  an  acre.  The  country  produces  little 
fruit,  and  the  cider  is  indifferent. 

"  The  road  from  Portsmouth  to  Newbury  passes  through 
a  barren  country.  Hampton  is  the  only  township  you 
meet  with,  and  there  are  not  such  handsome  houses  there 
as  at  Greenland." 

Col.  Wm.  Brewster  at  that  time  kept  the  Bell  Tavern. 
Here  the  Marquis  lodged.  Mr.  Albert's  abode  was  proba- 
bly at  Mrs.  Richard  Shortridge's  boarding  house,  Avhere 
some  of  the  officers  of  the  fleet,  among  them  Vaudreuil, 
boarded.  This  boarding-house  was  in  Deer  street :  the 
house,  remodelled,  was  long  the  residence  of  the  late  Peter 


44:  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH., 

Jenness  and  his  family.  Richard  S.  ie  the  same  individual 
who  was  impressed  by  arrangement  of  Gov.  Benning  Went- 
worth,  with  the  hopes  of  obtaining  his  wife,  as  related  in 
the  17th  Ramble.  Shortridge  received  a  commission  in 
the  Revolutionary  army,  and  died  before  the  close  of  the 
war,  somewhere  in  the  vicinity  of  Lake  Champlain,  when 
returning  from  an  expedition  to  Canada.  He  left  three 
sons,  Richard,  Samuel  and  John.  John  H.  Shortridge,  who 
afterwards  occupied  the  same  house,  was  of  another  family. 

It  is  said  by  those  who  have  a  knowledge  of  the  fact, 
that  the  officers  of  high  grade  of  the  French  fleet  were  in- 
dustrious, and  had  their  knitting-work  ready  to  take  in 
hand  when  in  their  boarding-houses.  They  knit  silk  gloves, 
which  were  bestowed  as  presents  on  the  ladies. 

In  Ramble  No.  50,  an  account  was  given  of  the  murder 
of  a  Frenchman  which  gave  name  to  "  Frenchman's  Lane." 
Since  that  was  written  we  find  a  minute  entered  in  a  manu- 
script Register  kept  at  the  time  by  Dr.  Brackett,  (who  is 
mentioned  by  the  Marquis  in  the  sketch  given  in  this  Ram- 
ble,) at  the  date  of  Oct.  23,  1778,  as  follows: 

"John  Dushan,  a  French-Man,  was  found  murdered  at  the 
creek,  hav'g  his  throat  cutt,  &  robed,  by  night." 

By  this  it  appears  that  the  murder  of  the  Frenchman 
was  four  years  previous  to  the  visit  of  the  French  fleet — 
the  recollection  of  the  old  gentleman  who  gave  the  account 
being  thus  much  at  fault. 


RAMBLE  LXXXVII. 

Slcetch  of  Henry  Sherburne  and  Descendants. 

Richard  Sherburne,  of  Stoneyhurst,  with  others  of  the 
nobility  and  gentry,  was  called  upon  in  the  year  1543  to 
furnish  his  quota  of  men  and  arms  against  the  Scotch,,  un- 


THE   SHERBURNE   FAMILY.  45 

cler  the  Duke  of  Somerset,  and  was  knighted  on  11th  May, 
1544,  then  22  years  old. 

Sir  Richard  married  Maud,  the  fifth  child  of  Sir  Richard 
Bold,  Knight  of  Bold,  in  the  time  of  Henry  VIII.,  by  his 
wife,  Margaret,  daughter  of  Sir  Thomas  Butler,  Knight  of 
Bewsey. 

Sir  Richard  Sherburne,  probably  son  of  first  Sir  Richard, 
died  in  prison  Aug.  6th,  1589,  and  was  succeeded  by  his 
son  Richard,  who  married  Anne,  daughter  of  John  Cow- 
field,  Esq. ;  and  dying  without  issue,  the  princely  mansion 
of  Stoney hurst  and  the  many  mansions  and  lordships 
appertaining  to  it,  devolved  on  his  brother,  Sir  Nicholas 
Sherburne,  Bart.,  who  married  Catherine,  daughter  and  co- 
heiress of  Sir  Edward  Charlton,  of  Wesley  Tidehaust,  and 
had  three  children :  Catherine,  who  died  an  infant ;  Richard 
Francis,  born  1693  and  died  1703;  also  Mary  Winnefrida 
Francisca,  who  married  Thomas,  eighth  Duke  of  Norfolk, 
and  at  his  death  married  the  Hon.  Peregrine  Middleton, 
but  had  no  issue  by  either  marriage.  Sir  Nicholas  Sher- 
burne died  in  1718,  bequeathing  his  large  estates  to  his 
only  surviving  child,  Mary,  Duchess  of  Norfolk,  who  dying 
in  1754,  all  their  estates  were  bequeathed  conditionally 
(that  no  other  heirs  were  living  to  claim  the  estates)  to 
the  issue  of  Elizabeth  Weld,  her  aunt,  sister  of  the  deceased 
Baronet. 

Such  is  the  family  in  England  from  which  it  is  said  the 
Sherburnes  in  Portsmouth  descended;  but  the  connecting- 
link  for  a  generation  we  have  not  at  hand.  We  find  Henry 
Sherburne  in  the  company  which  came  to  Portsmouth  with 
the  early  settlers  in  1631.  He  married  Rebecca,  the  only 
daughter  of  Ambros  G'ibbins,  who  was  of  that  company. 
Henry  died  in  1680.  His  wife  died  in  1667.  The  children 
of  Henry  Sherburne  were  Samuel  and  Elizabeth,  twins, 
born  1638  ;  Mary,  in  1640  ;  Henry,  in  1642  ;  John,  in  1647  ; 
Ambros,  in  1649  ;  Sarah,  in  1651 ;  Rebecca,  in  1651 ;  Rachel, 


46  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

in  1656  ;  Martha,  in  1G57  ;  Ruth,  born  in  1660,  and  married 
Aaron  Moses,  1G77. 

Elizabeth  married  ToLias  Langdon  in  1G5G  ;  their  son 
Honor  (Onner)  Langdon  was  born  in  1664.  Tobias  L. 
died  in  1664,  and  in  1GG7  bis  widow  married  Tobias  Lear, 
and  in  1GG9  their  daughter  Elizabeth  Lear  was  born.  She 
probably  had  other  children  by  each  marriage. 

MaRY  married  Richard  Sloper.  He  died  in  1718,  aged 
85  ;  and  she  in  1718,  aged  78.  Their  children  were  Bridget, 
born  in  1659,  (married  John  Knight) ;  John,  in  1GG1 ;  Mary, 
in  1663  ;  Sarah,  in  1GG7  ;  Susannah,  in  1669  ;  Elizabeth,  in 
1G71  ;  Rebecca,  in  1673;  Martha,  in  1676,  Tabitha,  in 
1679;  Richard  asd  Henry,  twins,  in  1682;  Ambros,  in 
1681. 

Henry  Sherburne,  grandson  of  the  first  Henry,  but  by 
which  son  we  know  not,  was  born  in  1674,  and  was  married 
to  Dorothy  Wentwortb,  born  in  1680,  sister  of  the  first 
Gov.  John.  Henry  Sherburne's  house  was  at  the  head  of 
the  Pier,  on  the  corner  of  State  and  Water  streets,  next 
the  spot  now  occupied  by  the  stone  yard.  It  was  of  two 
stories  and  probably  the  first  brick  house  built  in  Ports- 
mouth. For  many  years  previous  to  its  destruction  by  fire 
in  1813,  it  was  a  public  house,  known  as  "the  Portsmouth 
Hotel."  He  wras  a  Provincial  Councillor,  and  died  in  1757, 
at  the  age  of  83.     His  wife  died  in  1754,  aged  74. 

Henry  Sherburne,  son  of  the  above,  was  born  in  170$, 
and  graduated  at  Harvard  in  1728.  In  1740  he  married 
Sarah  Warner,  daughter  of  Daniel.  He  WTas  for  ten  years 
after  1728  Clerk  of  the  Court.  He  wras  a  Selectman, 
Representative,  and  Provincial  Councillor.  He  was  also  a 
member  of  the  Colonial  Congress  held  at  Albany  in  1754; 
and  a  Justice  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  in  1765.  He 
occupied  his  father's  mansion,  and  died  there  in  1767.  He 
had  eight  sons  and  five  daughters  : — Henry,  Daniel,  Samuel", 
Nathaniel,  Jonathan,  Edward,  Richard,  Andrew,  Sarah,  (the 


THE   SHERBURNE   FAMILY.  47 

wife  of  Woodbury  Langdon),  Hannah  (the  wife  of  Samuel 
Penhallow),  Dorothy  (the  wife  of  John  Wendell),  Mary 
and  Margaret. 

Samuel  Sherburne,  whose  will  follows,  (a  brother  of 
Henry)  died  in  1765,  unmarried.  He  was  the  owner  of 
the  estate  in  North  Portsmouth  where  the  Misses  Sherburne 
(the  daughters  of  Col.  Samuel)- now  live.  That  with  other 
valuable  property  ho  gave  to  his  nephew,  who  bore  his 
name.- 

SAMUEL    SHERBURNE  S   WILL. 

In  the  name  of  God,  Amen. — I,  Samuel  Sherburne,  of 
Portsmouth,  in  the  Province  of  New  Hampshire  in  New 
England,  Esquire,  being  affected  with  bodily  pain  and 
indisposition,  though  at  present  of  a  perfect  mind  and 
memory,  blessed  be  God  therefor,  do  ordain  this  as  my 
last  Will  and  Testament,  as  follows  :  First,  I  give  back  my 
immortal  soul  to  the  Almighty  Giver  thereof,  hoping  he 
will  through  the  merits  and  mediation  of  Jesus  Christ  mv 
Redeemer,  be  graciously  pleased  to  accept  it.  My  body  I 
desire  may  be  entombed  near  the  south-easterly  corner  of 
the  Queen's  Chapel,  in  Portsmouth,  in  a  decent,  but  not 
extravagant  manner  ;  which  unnecessary  expense  I  disap- 
prove of.  Then  as  touching  the  worldly  estate  which  God 
in  his  providence  has  been  pleased  to  bestow  upon  me,  I 
hereby  settle  and  dispose  of  as  follows,  viz  : 

Imprimis.  —  I  direct  that  all  my  just  debts  and  funeral 
charges  be  paid  as  soon  as  may  be  conveniently  done  by 
my  Executors  herein  hereafter  named  in  this  my  will. 

Item.  —  I  give  and  bequeath  to  the  Church  of  England 
as  by  law  established  in  the  town  of  Portsmouth  and  prov- 
ince aforesaid,  £2900  of  the  present  value  of  old  Tenor,  so 
called,  to  be  under  the  care  and  direction  of  the  Vestry 
and  Church  Wardens  of  the  Queen's  Chapel  in  said  town 
for  the  time  being ;  and  this  I  give  for  a  perpetual  fund  for 
that  end,  and  the  interest  and  income  of  the  same  to  be 
appropriated  and  expended  if  necessary,  for  the  support  of 
an  organist  in  said  Church  or  Parish,  without  any  diminu- 
tion of  the  principal  sum. 

Item.  — I  give  and  bequeath  to  the  said  Church  or  Chapel 


48  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

my  moiety  or  half  part  of  a  pasture  or  lot  of  Land  and 
meadow,  supposed  in  the  whole  twelve  acres  more  or  less, 
situated  in  Portsmouth  aforesaid  and  lying  on  the  southerly 
or  south-easterly  side  of  the  highway  leading  from  the  Hay 
market  to  Wibifd's  Hill,  so  called,  which  said  Tract  was 
given  me  by  my  honored  father  in  his  last  will  and  testa- 
ment ;  and  this  bequest  to  be  under  the  direction  of  the 
Church  Wardens  of  said  Parish  for  the  time  being  and  to 
remain  a  perpetual  glebe  to  the  said  Church  aud  Parish  and 
their  successors  forever. 

Item. —  I  give  and  bequeath  to  the  said  Church  or  Chapel 

my  lot  of  land  in  Portsmouth  which  I  bought  of  George 
Allmary,  bounded  and  described  as  per  his  deed  will  ap- 
pear, to  be  under  the  care  and  direction  of  the  Church 
Wardens  and  Vestry  as  above  mentioned  ;  and  this  I  intend 
as  a  place  to  build  a  school  house  upon,  to  have  and  to 
hold  the  same  to  the  Church  Wardens  and  Vestry  for  the 
time  being  forever. 

Item.  —  I  give  and  bequeath  to  my  sister  Ann  Langdon 
during  her  natural  life  the  interest  or  income  of  £2000  old 
tenor,  to  be  paid  to  her  annually  by  my  Executors  hereafter 
in  this  Will  mentioned ;  and  after  her  decease  my  Will  is 
and  I  hereby  give  and  bequeath  the  said  principal  sum  of 
£2000  to  the  Church  of  England  aforesaid,,  to  be  added  to 
the  two  thousand  pounds  old  tenor  bequeathed  to  said 
parish  in  this  my  will  above,  and  to  beheld  and  applied  and 
improved  and  disposed  of  as  in  and  by  this  my  Will  and 
Testament.  The  above  legacy  (to  the  Church)  of  two 
thousand  pounds  is  mentioned  to  be  applied  and  improved. 

Item.  —  I  give  and  bequeath  to  my  said  sister  Ann 
Langdon,  four  pair  linen  sheets,  also  a  pair  of  half  pint 
silver  cans,  also  one  dozen  China  plates  and  three  Dishes, 

all  blue  and  white. 

s 

Item.  —  I  give  and  bequeath  to  Mrs.  Lydia  Cutt  during 
her  natural  life  the  Interest  and  income  of  fifteen  hundred 
pounds  old  tenor,  to  be  annually  paid  her  by  my  Executors  : 
and  after  her  decease  I  give  and  bequeath  the  said  principal 
sum  of  fifteen  hundred  pounds  old  tenor  to  the  above 
mentioned  Church  of  England  in  Portsmouth,  to  be  held 
and  improved  as  in  and  by  this  my  Will,  the  money  legacies 
to  the  said  Church  is  directed  and  mentioned. 


SAMUEL   SHERBURNE'S  WILL.  49 

Item.  —  I  give  and  bequeath  to  the  said  Lydia  Cutt  four 
pair  linen  and  four  pair  cotton  sheets,  and  one  dozen  China 
plates  and  three  dishes,  blue  and  white  ;  I  also  give  her  one 
of  my  silver  cans  which  holds  about  two-thirds   of  a  pint. 

Item.  —  I  give  to  the  children  of  my  sister  Dorothy 
Grilman  deceased,  and  to  be  paid  by  my  Executors,  viz :  to 
Christopher  Rymes,  Nathaniel  Rogers  and  Dorothy  Taylor, 
each  two  hundred  pounds  old  tenor ;  I  also  give  and  be- 
queath to  Nancy  Barrel,  grand  child  of  my  said  sister,  two 
hundred  pounds  old  tenor  —  these  legacies  to  be  paid  to 
the  minors  when  they  come  of  age. 

Item.  —  I  give  and  bequeath  to  Mrs.  Hannah  Atkinson, 
one  pair  of  silver  butter  boats,  so  called. 

Item.  —  I  give  and  bequeath  to  Mrs.  Sarah  Jaffrey  my 
silver  tea  kettle,  lamp  and  stand. 

Item.  —  I  give  and  bequeath  Gregory  Purcel,  Esq.,  and 
to  his  heirs  and  assigns  forever,  a  tract  of  land  of  about 
one  hundred  acres,  more  or  less,  situated  in  Nottingham  in 
this  Province,  near  or  adjacent  to  the  estate  of  Joshua 
Peirce,  Esq.,  deceased,  and  is  that  tract  I  bought  of  Mr. 
Coffin  of  Newbury. 

Item.  —  I  give  and  bequeath  to  Mrs.  Rebecca  Wentworth, 
daughter  of  John  Wentworth  of  Portsmouth,  one  hundred 
pounds  old  tenor. 

Item.  — >  I  give  and  bequeath  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Arthur 
Brown,  two  hundred  pounds  old  tenor. 

Item. — I  give  and  bequeath  to  Miss  Hannah  Jackson, 
daughter  of  Elisha  Jackson  late  of  Portsmouth,  deceased, 
one  hundred  pounds  old  tenor,  and  paid  by  my  executors 
when  she  comes  of  age. 

Item.  —  I  give  and  bequeath  to  Mr.  Thomas  Odiorne  of 
Exeter  in  this  Province,  merchant,  three  hundred  pounds 
old  tenor,  to  be  paid  him  by  my  Executors  hereafter  men- 
tioned. 

Item.  —  I  give  and  bequeath  to  Peter  Gilman  of  Exeter, 
in  this  Province,  Esquire,  three  hundred  pounds  old  tenor, 
to  be  paid  by  my  Executors  hereafter  mentioned. 

Item.  —  I  give  and  bequeath  to  my  nephew  Samuel  Sher- 
burne, Esq.,  all  the  residue  of  my  Estate,  both  real  and 
personal,  of  what  kind  or  nature   soever,  to  have  and  to 


50  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

hold  to  him  the  said  Samuel  and  to  his  heirs  and  assigns 
forever. 

Lastly.  —  I  do  hereby  nominate,  constitute  and  appoint 
Theodore  Atkinson  and  Hunking  Went  worth,  both  of 
Portsmouth  in  the  Province  of  New  Hampshire  aforesaid, 
Esquires,  to  be  the  Executors  of  this  my  last  will  and  tes- 
tament, hereby  impowermg  to  see  the  same  duly  executed 
according  to  the  intent  and  design  thereof.  In  testimony 
whereof  I  have  signed  and  sealed  the  same.  Done  at 
Portsmouth  this  fifth  day  of  February,  Anno  Domini  one 
thousand  seven  hundred  and  sixty-five,  1705. 

SAMUEL  SHERBURNE,  [l.s.] 

In  presence  of  Theodore  Atkinson,  jr. 

Samuel  Hale,  Joseph  Bass. 

This  Will  was  proved  18th  day  of  Feb.  1765. 

Edward  Sherburne,  one  of  the  sons  of  the  Hon.  Henry 
Sherburne,  at  the  commencement  of  hostilities  in  the  rev- 
olutionary war  repaired  to  Cambridge  and  entered  as  a 
volunteer  in  the  service  of  his  country  at  his  own  expense. 
Soon  after  he  became.  Aid  to  General  Sullivan.  At  the 
evacuation  of  Boston,  the  army  being  ordered  by  General 
Washington  to  New  York,  he  proceeded  thither  at  his  own 
expense,  and  was  in  all  the  battles  in  New  Jersey.  When 
the  army  evacuated  New  York  in  consequence  of  the 
enemy  taking  possession,  the  army  was  ordered  to  Phila- 
delphia. At  the  battle  of  Germantown  he  was  severely 
wounded.  While  carrying  orders  in  front  of  both  armies 
lie  received  the  wound  of  which  he  died.  The  General 
commended  him  much  for  his  bravery,  and  said  much  to  his 
family  in  praise  of  his  general  character.  He  spent  most 
of  his  property  in  the  service. 

There  are  several  other  branches  of  the  first  Sherburne 
family  of  Portsmouth  —  from  one  of  which  Judge  John 
S.  Sherburne  descended  —  from  another  the  late  Col.  John 
N.  Sherburne  descended  —  and  from  another  the  late  Joseph 


SHERBURNE    FAMILY.  51 

Sherburne  of  the  Plains  descended.     We  have  ^„ data 

to  give  a  more  connected  genealogy  of  a  family,  which,  if 
any  of  them  come  into  the  possession  of  the  property  in 
England  awaiting  an  heir,  will  become  the  richest  in  New 
Hampshire. 

We  copy  the  following,  verbatim,  from  a  handsomely 
written  old  family  record  on  parchment,  by  Mrs.  Mary 
Sloper,  who  died  one  hundred  ""and  fifty-one  years  ago. 
The  closing  lines,  recording  her  death,  were  added  by 
another  hand.  The  several  families  named  were  located 
between  Sagamore  Creek  and  the  Plains.  There  are 
doubtless  many  families  in  Portsmouth  which  can  be 
traced  back  to  the  early  residents  who  are  recorded 
below.  In  1693,  we  see  Lieut.  Sloper  and  Capt.  Nele  were 
honored  by  having  places  assigned  them  in  the  second  seats 
in  front  of  the  minister.  Ambros  Gibbins,  it  will  be  recol- 
lected, was  the  Assistant  Governor  in  1840. 

An  Acc't  of  the  Birth,  Marriage  and  Death  of  my  Father 
and  Mother,  and  other  relatives  ;  my  husband's  birth  and 
mine,  the  year  we  was  married,  and  the  Births  of  our 
Children. 

My  Father  Henry  Sherborne  and  my  mother  Rebekah 
was  married  the  13th  November,  1637.  My  father  Henry 
Sherborne  died  about  the  year  '80  or  '83.  His  death  we 
was  not  sensible  of. 

My  brother  John  Sherborne  was  born  the  3d  of  April 
1647  and  was  Baptised  at  Newbury  the  4th  of  October 
1657.  Sarah  Sherborne  was  borne  the  10th  January  1651 ; 
and  was  Baptised  at  Hampton  by  Mr,  Cotton.  Rebekah 
Sherborne,  26th  Aprill  1654,  but  was  not  Baptised.  Rachel 
Sherborne  was  borne  April  the  4th,  1656,  but  not  Baptised 
—  dyed  the  28th  December,  1656. 

My  husband  Richard  Sloper,  was  borne  November  1630. 
We  was  married  the  21st  October,  1658. 

My  mother  Rebekah  Sherborne,  dyed  the  3d  June  1667 
about  noon,  and  was  buried  by  four  of  her  children. 
Tobias  Langdon  dyed  the  27th  July  1664,  and  was  buried 


52  RAMBLE3   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

by  his  children.  Martha  Sherborne  dyed  the  11th  No- 
vember, 1658. 

My  grandmother  Elizabeth  Gibbins  dyed  the  14th  May, 
1G55.  My  grandfather  Ambros  Gibbins,  dvedthe  1st  July, 
1656. 

Elizabeth  Sherborne  was  married  to  Tobias  Langdon  the 
10th  of  June  1656.  Onner  Langdon  was  borne  the  30th 
April  1664.  Elizabeth  Langdon  was  married  unto  Tobias 
Lear  the  11th  April  1667.  Elizabeth  Lear  was  born  the 
1st  Feb.  1669. 

Martha  Sherborne  was  born  the  4th  December,  1657.  Re- 
bekah  Sherborne  dyed  the  29th  June  1696,  aged  43  years. 
Ambros  Sherborne  was  borne  3d  August,  1649,  and  baptized 
at  Newbury.  Elizabeth  Sherborne  was  borne  4th  August 
1638,  baptised  by  Mr.  Gibson.  Mary  Sherborne  was  borne 
the  20th  November  1640,  baptised  by  Mr.  Gibson.  Henry 
Sherborne  was  borne  21st  January,  1642  —  went  to  sea  in 
'58  with  Solomon  Clark,  and  coming  home  the  10th  July, 
1659,  dyed  at  Sea  and  was  buried  in  the  Sea.  Ruth  Sher- 
borne was  borne  of  Sunday  3d  of  June  1660.  Samuel 
Sherborne  was  married  to  Love  15th  December  1668. 

Bridget  Sloper  was  borne  30th  August  1659.  —  John 
Sloper  was  borne  13th  January  1661,  being  Sabbath  day. 
Mary  Sloper*  was  borne  on  Tuesday,  the  11th  Feb.  1663. 
Sarah  Sloper  was  borne  of  Thursday  the  26th  July,  1667. 
Susanna  Sloper  was  borne  of  Tuesday  the  21st  March, 
1669.  Elizabeth  Sloper  was  borne  the  26th  June,  1671, 
being  Friday.  Rebeckah  Sloper  was  borne  Wednesday  23d 
October  1673.  Martha  Sloper  was  born  of  Monday  the 
26th  December  1676.  Tabitha  Sloper  was  borne  17th  De- 
cember 1679.  Richard  and  Henry  Sloper  was  borne  of 
Thursday  19th  June  1682.  Ambros  Sloper  was  borne  20th 
January  1684. 

Bridget  Sloper  was  married  unto  John  Knight  29th 
March  1684.  Elizabeth  Knight  was  borne  of  Saturday  8th 
July,  1687.     John  Knight  was  borne  29th  January,  1684. 

Richard  Sloper  deceased  October  16,  1716. 

Mary  Sloper,  [the  writer  of  the  above  record,]  wife  of 
Richard  Sloper,  deceased  Sept.  22,  1718. 

0  She  married  John  Brewster,  jr.,  and  was  scalped  by  the  Indians  at  the  Plains  in  1696. 


LAXGDON   FAMILY.  53 

RAMBLE    LXXXYIII. 

Langdon    and    Sherburne    Families. 

At  the  request  of  the  Rambler,  the  following  family 
sketch  has  been  prepared  by  one  of  the  descendants  of 
Gov.  Langdon : 

The  earliest  English  settlers  to  which  the  Langdons  of 
Witch  Creek  (or  Sagamore  Creek)  go  back,  are  Ambrose 
Gibbon  and  his  wife :  where  in  England  lived  Gibbon,  Gib- 
bons, Gibbens  or  Gibbins,  for  they  spell  his  name  any  way, 
(who  was  the  leading  servant  of  Captain  John  Mason  here 
after  Mr.  Francis  Williams,)  we  cannot  say :  his  name  is  in 
English  books  of  heraldry  spelled  all  four  ways,  also  Gib- 
bines  and  Gibbings,  all  with  mostly  the  same  arms :  but  we 
don't  think  our  revered  forefather  knew  much  about  his 
rightful  armorial  bearings.  He  was,  it  is  like,  the  uncle  or 
elder  brother  of  Edward  Gibbon  of  the  Bay,  a  distinguished 
candlestick  of  the  Bay  puritans,  but  first  was  jailed  by  En- 
dicot  for  the  maypole  business,  with  others  from  Gorges's 
country.  This  Edward  is  the  hero  of  a  long  story  of  Win- 
throp  and  Mather's,  by  which  we  find  that  he  had  lived 
many  years  in  Piscataway,  and  was  a  bosom  friend,  partner 
it  is  like,  of  a  French  protestant  gulf  cruiser  of  Santo  Do- 
mingo and  Piscataway,  already  on  the  seas,  whose  descend- 
ants are  still,  we  think,  amongst  us,  and  write  their  names 
yet  Petgru  or  Pettigrew.  There  was  also  a  James  Gib- 
bins  of  Saco  in  Gorges's  country ;  it  is  like,  one  of  the 
same  lot. 

Ambrose's  daughter,  Rebecca  Gibbon,  married  Henry 
Sherburne,  one  of  his  companions,  and  was  the  mother  of 
Elizabeth  Sherburne  ;  afterwards  Elizabeth  Langdon,  Eliza- 
beth Lear  and  Elizabeth  Martyn  ;  for  she  had  at  least  three 
husbands.  But  before  saying  more  of  her,  we  will  speak 
of  a  Sherburne  claim  that  is  spoken  of  in  the  newspapers. 


51  RAMBLES    ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

As  we  undertand  it,  it  is  to  the  estates  in  the  counties 
of  York  and  Lancaster,  of  the  very  ancient  house  of  the 
Sherburnes  of  Stonihurst,  always  papists,  and  intermarried 
with  leading  papist  families  in  England;  the  last  baronet, 
Sir  Nicholas  Sherburne,  dying  in  1714:  when  they  are  un- 
derstood to  have  gone  to  his  only  child,  the  Duchess  of 
Norfolk,  she  and  the  duke  papists,  and  at  her  death  to  the 
heirs  of  her  father's  sister,  in  1751,  she  having  no  children 
to  take  them,  which  heirs  are  still  the  Welds  of  Lulworth 
Castle,  county  of  Dorset,  always  papists,  of  which  one  was 
the  late  well  known  Cardinal  Weld.     These  estates  are  to 
be  claimed  through  Henry  Sherburne  of  Piscataway,  who 
.  must  have  been  born  not  long  after  Queen  Elizabeth  died. 
The   then   lord  of  Stonihurst  was   Richard    Sherburne, 
who  married  into  a  noble  family.     Now   we  have  first  to 
show  beyond  all  cavil  in  a  court  of  law  that  Henry  Sher- 
burne of  Piscataway  was  the  heir  of  this  Richard,  or  some 
still  earlier  Sherburnes,  if  he  or  they  had  no  descendants  of 
their  own  that  could  take  ;  which  would  be  hard,  for  Rich- 
ard Sherburne  died  a  good  deal  more  than  two  hundred 
years  ago  :  next  also  beyond  all  cavil  in  a  court  of  law  that 
they  have  not  left  a  single  descendant  in  all  that  long  while, 
before  we  can  look  for  the  revered  Henry  to  help  us  out. 
After  all,  then,  we  have  to  look  up  his  male  line,  or  else  we 
can't  get  the  Welds  out  to  save  our  souls.     His  eldest  son, 
Samuel,  was  killed  by  the  Indians  in  Maine  in  1691 :  then  an 
old  man.     Henry,  said  to  be  the  eldest  son  of  Samuel,  mar- 
ried Dorothy  Wentworth,  and  had  three  sons,  Henry,  Sam'l, 
John,  as  we  understand :     Henry  Sherburne,  the  last  one, 
had  a  good  many  children,  and  we  believe  Colonel  Samuel 
Sherburne  of  North  Portsmouth,  commonly  called  of  Chris- 
tian Shore,  was  his  eldest  son ;    he  had  a  son  Henry  we 
think,  who  may  have  left  another,  which  we  do  not  know. 
The  whole  estates  can  only   go  to  one  heir,  if  we  can 
get  the  Welds  and  the  Jesuits  out  of  Stonihurst :  and  though 


SHERBURNE   AND    LANGDON   FAMILIES.  55 

Henry  was  so  persevoringly  their  leading  christian  name 
here,  it  is  only  found  once  in  a  great  many  Sherburnes  of 
Stonihurst.  The  estates  went  rightfully  to  the  heirs  of 
Maria  Winifreda  Francisca  Sherburne,  duchess  of  Norfolk, 
(here  is  a  sounding  name  for  the  magazines,)  and  we  can't 
drive  them  off. 

There  is  a  certain  enticing  plausibility  to  the  business  in 
the  extreme  possibility  that  Henry  Sherburne  of  Piscataway 
may  have  been  a  papist:  he  was  the  church-warden  of  our 
church  of  England  chapel,  1640,  spoken  of  by  Winthrop, 
broken  up  by  the  Bay  puritans,  the  document  about  which  is 
the  only  thing,  if  we  remember  rightly,  left  of  our  early 
town  records,  which  were  burnt  by  the  Bay  puritans  in  the 
civil  wars,  when  they  re-annexed  Maine  and  New  Hampshire 
to  their  empire  :  it  would  look  as  if  he  turned  puritan  though, 
in  the  civil  wars,  and  went  to  meeting,  and  wouldn't  again 
after  the  king  was  brought  back.  His  son-in-law,  Tobias 
Langdon,  is  said  to  be  of  the  ancient  house  of  the  Lang- 
dons  of  Keverel  in  Cornwall,  near  Saint  German's,  which 
whether  he  was  we  cannot  say,  but  his  son  didn't  call 
either  of  his  seven  sons  by  the  family  name  of  Walter. 
The  antiquity  of  those  Langdons  is  indisputable,  whose 
name  at  the  conquest  was  the  Cornish  one  of  Lizard :  for 
€arew  of  Anthony,  the  poet  and  scholar,  speaks  of  them 
as  his  neighbors  of  ancient  lineage,  rather  gone  to  decay  in 
the  days  of  Elizabeth,  That  they  may  have  continued 
papists  very  late  may  be  too,  for  a  Walter  Langdon  of 
Keverel  was  fined  on  his  estate  during  the  rebellion,  taken 
in  arms  for  the  king,  when  he  and  other  gentlemen  of  the 
county  held  out  with  their  wives  and  children  in  Pendenis 
Castle  under  an  Arundel  of  Trerice,  one  of  the  heroic 
actions  of  the  civil  wars.  This  Cornish  Arundel  was  not 
an  open  papist,  but  the  other  great  Cornish  Arundels  of  Lan- 
hearne,  as  the  lords  Arundel  of  Wardour,  are  still,  the  lords 
Arundel  of  Trerice  being  gone.     Arundel  and  Sherburne 


56  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

are  both  papist  names,  and  the  eldest  of  a  Sir  John  Whyd- 
don,  also  from  the  same  corner  of  England,  a  justice  in 
special  favor  with  the  bloody  Mary,  married  the  heiress  of 
Langdon  of  Keverel.  There  was  also  a  Langdon  sent 
here,  to  New  York  we  believe,  by  the  papist  James  the 
second.  And  as  the  second  Tobias  Langdon  got  his  com- 
mission of  ensign  from  James,  it  may  be,  as  he  was  very 
young,  that  it  was  that  the  name  may  not  have  escaped  the 
loyal  ears  of  Sir  Edmund  Andross,  James's  governor  of 
New  England.  There  is  a  possibility  that  Henry  Sherburne 
of  Piscataway  may  have  been  a  papist,  and  a  distant  re- 
lation of  the  great  papist  Sherburnes  of  the  North,  but 
there  isn't  any,  we  think,  that  his  male  line  in  the  States  will 
ever  get  their  estates. 

One  of  Henry  Sherburne's  daughters  married  with  a 
Sloper,  a  race  gone  from  here  in  the  male  line,  but  their 
cellars  and  gravestones  are  left  on  Sloper's  hill  and  Sloper's 
plain.  Another,  Elizabeth,  married  the  young  Mr.  Tobias 
Langdon,  who  died  early ;  next,  Tobias  Lear,  the  ancestor 
of  General  Washington's  Tobias  Lear — the  Lears  lived  on 
the  eastern  side  of  the  Langdons,  and  the  Slopers  on  the 
west,  all  now  in  one  farm — and  next  she  married  Mr. 
Richard  Martyn. 

By  Tobias  Langdon  she  had  four  children :  Tobias, 
Elizabeth,  who  married  with  a  Fernald,  and  Honour  with  a 
Laighton,  both  in  Kittery,  and  Margaret  with  a  Morrel. 

Captain  Tobias  Langdon,  her  son,  who  is  buried  in  his 
field,  married  Mary  Hubbard  of  Salisbury  in  the  Bay,  and 
they  had  at  least  nine  children  ;  that  is  they  had,  if  we  re- 
member, three  sons-in-law,  Bampfylde,  Peirce  and  Shapleigh, 
all  very  ancient  west  country  names  ;  and  they  had  seven 
sons  :  their  eldest  son  Tobias,  we  do  not  know  what  became 
of  him:  Richard,  their  second,  born  1694,  lived  and  died  at 
Newton  on  Long  Island,  and  has  descendants  both  in  England 
and  here,  of  very  good  standing  in  the  world  :  some  of  them 


LANGDON   FAMILY.  57 

were  royalists  and  went  home,  but  Capt.  Joshua  Sands,  once 
written  Sandys,  of  the  American  navy,  who  knows  all  about 
them,  is  his  great  grandson.  Joseph,  their  third  son,  lived 
near  Witch  Creek,  and  has  two  or  three  hundred  descend- 
ants, though  hardly  any  named  Langdon,  some  of  them  at 
least  the  eleventh  generation  of  English  colonists  at  Witch 
Creek,  counting  Gibbon  and  his  wife  for  the  first :  Mark, 
the  fourth  son,  was  a  tanner  at  the  south  end  :  Samuel, 
their  fifth  son,  married  with  a  Jenness  in  the  south  part  of 
Rye,  where  his  gravestone  is  by  the  road,  and  died  there 
young,  of  the  locked  jaw,  a  making  shingles  :  William  was  a 
tanner  at  the  north  end,  their  sixth  son;  and  his  son  William, 
also  a  tanner,  many  people  remember,  a  very  good  look- 
ing, and  a  very  worthy  man.  John,  their  seventh  son,  lived 
and  died  on  the  homestead.  He  married  Mary  Hall  of 
Exeter,  her  mother  a  Woodbury  of  Beverly,  her  father  the 
son  of  Kinsley  Hall  of  Exeter  and  Elizabeth  Dudley,  the 
daughter  of  Samuel  Dudley,  who  has  numberless  descend- 
ants in  New  Hampshire,  who  was  the  eldest  son  of  the 
great  puritan  Thomas  Dudley  of  the  Bay. 

John  and  Mary  Langdon  had  six  children,  Mary  Langdon, 
Woodbury  Langdon,  John  Langdon,  Elizabeth  Langdon, 
Martha  Langdon  and  Abigail  Langdon.  Mr.  Woodbury 
Langdon  and  Mr.  John  Langdon  were  well  known  people. 
Mary  married  three  husbands  in  Maine :  Storer,  Hill  and 
MacCobb ;  Elizabeth  a  Barrel  of  Portsmouth,  a  royalist, 
Abigail  a  Goldthwait  of  Boston,  also  a  royalist,  Martha 
another  Barrel,  next  a  Simpson,  and  lastly  Governor  James 
Sullivan  of  Massachusetts  Bay. 

5 


58  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

RAMBLE     LXXXIX. 

Lafayette   Road-Langilon      ITarinL  —  Family-    Monument- 
Ne~w  Rank  of -Aanerican  Nobility. 

Before  Lafayette  road  was  laid  out  in  1825,  the  way  to 
Newburyport  as  well  as  to  Rye,  was  over  Portsmouth 
Plains.  The  opening  of  Lafayette  road  brought  the  head 
of  Sagamore  Creek  more  directly  in  contact  with  the  city, 
and  within  a  pleasant  walk  of  Market  Square.  The  head  of 
this  Creek  on  the  south  side  is  noted  as  the  locality  where 
the  Langdon  family  first  settled,  over  two  hundred  years 
ago, —  and  from  the  family  that  farm  has  never  been  alien- 
ated. The  seat  of  the  first  Tobias  Langdon  has  descended 
to  the  sixth  generation  and  is  now  owned  by  Hon.  John 
Langdon  Elwyn,  grandson  of  late  Gov.  John  Langdon  who 
was  there  born. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  same  Creek,  bounded  on  La- 
fayette road,  is  the  farm  of  Samuel  Langdon,  Esq.,  a 
descendant  of  the  first  Tobias  Langdon,  also  of  the  6th 
generation,  being  the  son  of  Maj.  Samuel  Langdon,  who 
died  in  1834  at  the  age  of  81,  as  reported  in  the  inscription 
below. 

The  farm  of  Samuel  L.  extends  from  the  South  road  to 
the  Creek,  and  contains  about  150  acres.  The  house  is  of 
good  size,  and  does  not  on  the  outside  show  marks  of  its 
age  —  but  although  in  excellent  preservation  inside,  in  its 
heavy  frame  projecting  into  the  rooms,  it  bears  marks  of 
having  been  built  more  than  a  century  and  a  half.  It 
was  built  by  Capt.  Samuel  Banfield  about  the  year  1700. 
In  1743  Banfield  died,  and  the  property  came  into  Joseph 
Langdon's  possession,  and  it  has  ever  since  remained  in 
the  family. 

In  the  rear  of  the  house  towards  the  South  road,  is  an 
enclosure  for  a  family  burial  place,  in  which  is  visible  to* 
every  passer-by  an  elevated  monument  of  Italian  marble, 


LANGDON   FARM.  59 

erected  as  a  family  memorial   by  the  present  owner  of  the 
premises. 

The  plinth  of  the  monument  rests  on  a  granite  base. 
The  die,  which  is  surmounted  by  a  frieze  and  cap,  is  a 
square  block  of  marble  presenting  four  sides  of  about  21 
inches  in  width  by  42  in  height.  Two  of  the  sides  are 
plain  ;  on  the  other  two  are  the  following  inscriptions,  which 
give  a  very  full  genealogical  history  of  the  family.  The 
monument  is  from  Mr.  Philbrick's  establishment  —  the  let- 
tering deep  and  clear,  in  Mr.  Borthwick's  best  style. 

I.  Tobias  Langdon,  from  England,  died  1664;  married 
1656  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Henry  Sherburne,  (she  after- 
wards m.  Tobias  Lear,)  and  had  Tobias  L.,  born  1660,  died 
Feb.  20,  1725  ;  m.  in  1686  Mary  Hubbard.  Elizabeth,  m. 
William  Fernald.  Oner,  m.  1686  John  Laighton.  Mar" 
garet  m.  Nicholas  Morrel. 

II.  Capt.  Tobias  and  Mary  Langdon  had  Mary,  born  Nov. 
17,  1687,  m.  George  Pierce.  Tobias,  born  Oct.  11,  1689, 
m.  1711  Sarah  Winkley.  Martha,  b.  Mch.  7,  1693,  m.  July 
7,  1715,  Nicholas  Shapley.  Richard,  born  Apr.  11,1691, 
m.  Thankful ,  and  died  at  Newton,  Long  Island.  Jo- 
seph, born  Feb.  28,  1696,  died  Aug.  10,  1767,  m.  Mary, 
daughter  of  Capt.  Sam'l  Banfield.  She  died  Aug.  10,  1753, 
aged  49.  Mark,  born  Sept.  15,  1698,  died  1776 ;  m.  1st 
Mehitable,  who  died  Oct,  7,  1764,  aged  63.  Samuel,  born 
Sept,  6,  1700,  died  Dec.  2,  1725;  m.  Hannah  Jenness. 
William,  born  Oct.  30,  1702,  died  1766.  John,  born  May 
28,  1707,  died  Feb.  27,  1780;  m.  Mary  Hall,  who  died  April 
11,  1789,  aged  72  yrs. 

III.  Capt.  Joseph  and  Mary  L.  had  Samuel,  born  1721,  died 
1779  ;  m.  Sept.  29,  1748,  Hannah,  daughter  of  John  Storer, 
Esq.  Wells,  Me.,  who  died  Sept.  8,  1796,  aged  73.  Mary, 
born  1725,  died  Feb.  23,  1807  ;  m.  Amos  Seavey,  Avho  died 
Feb.  19,  1807,  aged  89.  Hannah,  m.  James  Whidden. 
Elizabeth,  died  July  14,  1804  ;  m.  James  Seavey. 


GO  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

III.  Dea.  Mark  and  Mehitabel  Langdon  bad  Joseph,  born 
1724,  died  Oct.  30,  1749. 

III.  Wm.  and  Sarah  L.  bad  William,  born  1748,  died  Sept. 
30,  1820;  m.  Mary  Pickering,  who  died  Feb.  8,  1802,  aged 
52.  John,  born  1718,  died  May  21,  1789  ;  m.  Mary  Evans, 
died  Mar.  10,  1825,  aged  Gl.     Mary  ra.  Nicholas  Pickering t 

III.  John  Langdon  married  Mary  Hall ;  had  Mary, 
m.  Storer,  Hill  and  McCobb.  Judge  Woodbury  Langdon, 
born  1738,  died  Jan.  13,  1805  ;  m.  Sarah  Sherburne.  Gov. 
John,  born  1738,  died  Sept.  18,  1819  ;  m.  Elizabeth  Slier, 
burne.  Elizabeth  m.  Barrel.  Abigail  m.  Goldthwait.  Mar. 
tha,  m.  Barrel,  Simpson  and  Gov.  James  Sullivan. 

IV.  Capt.  Samuel  and  Hannah  L.  had  Mary,  born  April 
16, 1751,  died  1836  ;  m.  Joseph  White.  Maj.  Samuel,  born 
June  9,  1753,  died  July  5,  1831;  m.  Lydia  Brewster, 
daughter  of  Samuel  Norris,  died  May  21,  1810,  aged  G2. 
Anna  born  Nov.  3,  1755,  died  May  24,  1G90  ;  m.  James 
Whidden.  Rev.  Joseph  L.  born  May  12,  1758,  died  July 
27,  1824  ;  m.  Dec.  9,  1790,  Patience  Pickering,  died  April 
8,  1846,  aged  88.  Elizabeth,  born  March  18,  1761,  died 
1831  ;  m.  Andrew  Sherburne.  Hannah,  born  June,  1766, 
died  1812  ;  m.  Edward  Gove. 

I.  Capt.  Samuel  Banfield  died  1743  ;  m.  Mary  Seavey, 
who  died  1753,  and  had  Mary,  who  married  Capt.  Joseph 
Langdon. 

The  monument  to  Mr.  Langdon's  family  ancestors  is  not 
confined  to  the  burial  enclosure.  Around  the  sitting  room 
of  the  mansion,  displayed  under  glass  in  frames,  are  the  mil. 
itary  commissions  of  his  fathers  for  four  or  five  generations, 
signed  by  Gov.  Belcher,  Gov.  Wentworth,  President  Weare 
and  Gov.  Langdon.  It  is  a  novel  collection,  exhibiting 
three  various  state  seals,  and  showing  too,  that  under  the 
crown  as  well  as  in  Revolutionary  times,  there  never  has 
been  a  lack  of  military  spirit  and  patriotism  at  the  head  of 
Sagamore  Creek. 


NEW    RANK    OP   AMERICAN   NOBILITY.  Gl 

It  is  probable  that  the  royal  ancestry  of  the  family  very 
nearly  corresponds  with  that  of  one  in  the  immediate 
neighborhood,  which  is  illustrated  by  the  following  true 
story. 

A  descendant  of  one  of  the  earlier  families  in  Ports- 
mouth which  resided  between  Sagamore  Creek  and  Great 
Swamp,  was  travelling  in  a  stage  coach  with  a  stranger  who 
found  that  they  both  bore  the  same  family  name.  On 
inquiring  for  descent,  the  stranger,  of  somewhat  high 
notions,  said  he  was  connected  with  the  family  of  Sir  David 
B.,  of  Scotland.  The  native  of  Portsmouth,  who  thought 
his  claims  to  aristocratic  descent  no  less  prominent,  replied 
that  he  was  descended  from  a  family  of  Aldermen. 

"  Family  of  Aldermen"  said  the  sprig  of  nobility,  "  why 
you  must  be  very  ignorant  to  think  that  there  is  any  such 
hereditary  order— it  is  only  a  temporary  city  office,  sir." 

"  You  are  mistaken,"  was  the  reply,  "it  is  an  order  which 
ranks  a  little  higher  than  knighthood.  My  forefathers  for 
five  generations  bore  the  insignia  of  their  high  honors. 
They  wore  the  Aldermen's  aprons  with  as  much  honor  and 
pride  as  any  Knight  Templar.  Those  aprons  were  no 
fragile  silk  or  linen  fabric— they  were  the  pure  hide,  such 
as  were  used  when  the  ark  was  constructed  ;  and  they  date 
their  nobility  at  as  early  a  day.  Perhaps  you  may  yourself 
one  day  arrive  at  the  honors,  and  then  you  will  fully  com- 
prehend them.  These  aprons  they  wore  six  days  in  the 
week — and  the  ravages  they  made  around  Great  Swamp 
and  Sagamore  Creek,  are  now  manifest  in  the  well  cleared 
and  productive  farms  of  their  descendants.  Yes,  sir,  I  am 
a  regular  descendant  of  the  family  of  Aldermen,  and  shall 
never  lose  my  aristocratic  pride,  but  will  endeavor  to  re- 
spect those  who  may  be  of  lower  rank." 

To  be  descendants  of  the  Family  of  Aldermen  should  be 
the  pride  of  American  nobility.  Of  such  was  President 
Lincoln. 


62  EAMBLES   ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

RAMBLE     XC. 

^tlvinson's     Silver    "Waiter —  Tlie    Record     of    Deaths    in 
Portsmouth, — Lady    "Wentworth's    Picture,    &c. 

In  the  18th  Ramble  will  be  found  a  reference  to  the  great 
amount  of  plate  owned  by  Theodore  Atkinson.  Among 
the  articles  was  a  massive  silver  waiter,  which  for  many- 
years  decorated  his  home  on  Court  street,  and  must  have 
been  ever  before  him  in  his  merry  moments,  as  a  memento 
mori.  This  waiter  is  now  owned  in  the  family  of  Hon. 
Asa  Freeman  of  Dover,  where  are  also  the  silver  knives  and 
forks,  and  other  valuables,  formerly  in  the  Atkinson  family, 
inherited  by  Mrs.  F.  from  the  estate  of  the  last  Theodore 
Atkinson,  of  this  city,  she  being  a  daughter  of  the  late 
Hon.  William  K.  Atkinson,  of  Dover. 

There  are  also  portraits  by  Cople}T,  of  Hon.  Theodore 
Atkinson  and  his  lady7  Hannah,  the  daughter  of  Lieut.  Gov. 
John  Wentworth.  Not  the  least  valuable  in  the  collection 
(which  we  recently  had  the  privilege  of  seeing)  are  the 
portraits  of  Theodore  Atkinson,  Jr.  and  of  his  wife,  the 
beautiful  Frances  Deering  Wentworth  (who  in  ten  days 
after  her  husband's  death  married  Gov.  John  Wentworth.) 
They  were  painted  in  17G3,  the  year  after  their  marriage. 
Her  age  was  then  about  nineteen,  and  Atkinson's  about 
twenty-seven.  His  countenance  does  not  denote  much 
force  of  character,  but  his  russet  dress  and  long  embroid- 
ered vest  are  truly  beautiful ;  and  as  a  painting,  it  is  a 
piece  of  superior  workmanship.  The  portrait  of  his  lady 
is  by  Copley,  and  is  one  of  his  best.  Although  it  has  been 
painted  a  hundred  years,  it  now  stands  out  in  all  the  rich- 
ness of  its  early  days.  There  are  some  portions  of  it  which 
have  the  appearance  of  small  cracks  in  the  paint,  which  a 
portrait  painter  a  few  years  ago  wished  to  daub  over  with 
his  brush  :  but  a  close  examination  of  the  work  shows  that 
these  marks  were  carefully  made  by  the  painter,  and  were 


ATKINSON'S   SILVER   WAITER^  63 

necessary  to  bring  out  the  display  in  the  back-ground.  The 
countenance  is  handsome,  intellectual,  full  of  life,  and  a 
little  roguish.  The  painting  as  a  work  of  art  has  been 
highly  valued  by  connoisseurs,  and  five  hundred  dollars 
have  been  offered  for  it. 

But  the  silver  waiter  is  more  particularly  the  subject  of 
this  Ramble.  On  this  waiter  are  inscribed  the  names,  ages 
and  times  of  death  of  48  individuals  who  were  acquaint- 
ances of  the  elder  Atkinson.  Many  of  the  deaths  inscribed 
occurred  before  there  was  any  newspaper  in  New  Hamp- 
shire, and  it  is  probable  that  Secretary  Atkinson  took  this 
as  the  best  means  of  preserving  a  record  of  his  particular 
friends.  The  names  upon  the  waiter  were  in  two  col- 
umns. One  column  was  filled  down,  and  the  other  was  filled 
about  half  way  down,  there  being  room  enough  for  twelve 
or  fifteen  names  more.  From  the  appearance  of  the  en- 
graving of  the  names,  it  is  thought  that  the  inscriptions 
were  made  at  different  times,  as  the  persons  happened  to 
die. 

The  first  date  was  about  eight  years  after  his  marriage. 
His  wife  died  12th  Dec.  17G9.  It  will  be  seen  that  but  two 
names  were  added  after  her  death.  He  died  22nd  Sept. 
1779,  and  the  dates  stopped  eight  years  previous  to  his 
death.  Although  the  last  column  Avas  not  filled  up,  there 
were  many  distinguished  persons  who  died  within  those 
eicrht  years.' 

It  will  be  seen  that  neither  the  death  o'f  his  son  nor  of 
his  wife  is  noticed.  He  alludes  to  the  death  of  one  of  Gov. 
Benning  Wentworth's  sons,  and  omits  those  of  the  other 
two.  He  also  omits  the  death  of  Gov.  Benning's  first  Avife. 
Those  acquainted  with  the  history  of  Portsmouth  will 
notice  that  he  omits  husbands  and  notices  wives,  and  vice 
versa.  Indeed,  the  most  interesting  point  in  this  matter  is 
to  get  at  the  standard  of  qualification  for  record  upon  the 
waiter. 


04  RAMBLES   ABOUT   POKTSMOUTH. 

1.  Benjamin  Plummer,  May  8,  1740  —  24  [age.] 

2.  John  Rindge,  Nov.  6,  1740—45. 

3.  Christopher  Rymes,  April  3d,  1741  —  41. 

4.  Shadrich  Walton,  Oct.  3d,  1741  —  83. 

5.  Joshua  Pierce,  Feb.  7th,  1742  —  72. 

6.  Elizabeth  Wibird,  Feb.  12th,  1742  —  73. 

7.  John  Downing,  Sept,  16th,  1744—85. 

8.  Joseph  Sherburne,  Dec.  3,  1744 — G4. 

9.  Mary  Sherburne,  March  6th,  1745-6  —  61. 

10.  Mary  Huske,  March  8th,  1745-G  —  43. 

11.  Arthur  Slade,  Jan.  12th,  1746  — G4. 

12.  Dudley  Odlin,  Feb.  13th,  1747-8  —  37. 

13.  Jotham  Odiorne,  Aug,  16th,  1748  —  73. 

14.  Ann  Pierce,  Oct.  19th,  1748  —  25. 

15.  Mary  Westbrook,  Oct.  23,  1748  —  75. 
1G.  George  Walker,  Dec.  7th,  1748  —  8(5. 

17.  George  Jaffrey,  May  8th,  1749  — 6G. 

18.  Jane  Frost,  May  22,  1749  —  64. 

19.  Mary  Sherburne,  Nov.  27th,  1750  —  28. 

20.  Elizabeth  Vaughan,  Dec.  7th,  1750  —  68. 

21.  Jotham  Odiorne,  May  19th,  1751  —  48. 

22.  Nicholas  Daniel,  June  24th,  1751  —  31. 

23.  Sarah  Odiorne,  June  23.  1752  —  76. 

24.  Capt.  William  Pearson,  Dec.  2nd,  1752  —  55. 

25.  Mary  Moore,  March  12th,  1753  —  45. 

26.  Elizabeth  Solley,  March  12th,  1753  —  34. 

27.  Mary  Wilson,  April  15th,  1753  —  71. 

28.  Richard  Waldron,  Aug.  23d,  1753  —  GO. 

29.  Dorothy  Sherburne,  Jan.  3d,  1754—74. 

30.  Sarah  Downing,  Jan.  11th,  1754  —  70. 

31.  Mary  Wentworth,  June  13th,  1755—32. 

32.  Henry  Sherburne,  Dec.  29th,  1757  —  83. 

33.  Eliza  Waldron,  Oct,  16th,  1758  —  57. 

34.  Mary  March,  March  22d,  1759  —  80. 

35.  Sir  William  Pepperell,  Bart,  July  6th,  1759  —  63. 


SILVER  WAITER   RECORD.  65 

36.  Mary  Meserve,  Aug.  8th,  1759  —  47. 

37.  Ann  Tash,  Aug.  25th,  1759  —  68. 

38.  John  Wentworth,  Nov.  8th,  1759; —  39. 

39.  Samuel  Smith,  May  2d,  1760  —  74. 

40.  Dorothy  Gilmaii,  Jan.  25th,  1761  —  49. 

41.  Ann  Packer,  Jan.  12th,  1762  —  61. 

42.  Hannah  Sherburne,  Feb.  10th,  1762  —  57. 

43.  Margaret  Chambers,  Aug.  6th,  1762—82. 

44.  Madame  D.  Newmarch,  Jan.  8th,  1763  —  63. 

45.  M.  Gambling,  Aug.  29th,  1764  —  75. 

46.  John  Downing,  Feb.  14th,  1766  —  82. 

47.  His  Ex.  Benning  Wentworth,  Oct.  14th,  1770—75. 

48.  T.  Wallingford,  Aug.  4th,  1771  —  75. 

1.  Benjamin  Plummer,  died  1740,  aged  24.  He  made 
his  will  7th  May,  1740,  the  day  before  he  died.  He  calls 
himself  of  Portsmouth.  His  orders  were  that  his  wearing 
apparel  be  taken  to  Boston  and  there  be  sold  for  the  most 
it  would  bring.  He  speaks  of  no  relative  in  this  country, 
but  wills  the  most  of  the  property  to  his  mother  and  broth- 
ers in  London.  He  makes  Thomas  Plummer,  of  London, 
merchant,  and  Theodore  Atkinson,  of  Portsmouth,  N.  H., 
executors.  He  made  presents  to  Theodore  Atkinson,  John 
Loggin,  and  to  "  my  much  esteemed  friend  "  Mary  Mac- 
pheadris.  The  presents  to  Miss  Macpheaclris  were  so  nu- 
merous and  valuable  as  to  indicate  intentions  of  marriage. 
The  portrait  of  Miss  Macpheadris  can  be  seen  in  the  house 
of  the  late  Col.  John  N.  Sherburne.  She  was  the  grand- 
daughter of  Lt.  Gov.  John  Wentworth  and  wife  of  Hon. 
Jonathan  Warner.  Her  family  is  more  particularly  described 
in  Ramble  25. 

2.  John  Riadge  came  to  Portsmouth  early  in  1700,  from 
Ipswich,  Mass.,  when  a  minor.  He  married  Ann,  daughter 
of  Jotham  Ordiorne,  Sr.  He  was  made  Counsellor  the 
year  he  died.  His  children  were  as  follows  :  Elizabeth  m 
Mark  Hunking  Wentworth  ;    Mehitable  m  Daniel  Rogers  J 


GQ  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

John ;  Jothain,  married  Sarah .     The  widow  of  John 

Rindge  probably  was  Anne,  the  last  wife  of  Sheriff  Packer. 

3.  Christopher  Rymes  was  son  of  Samuel  Rymes,  who 
was  married  sometime  previous  to  December,  1691,  to  Mary, 
sister  of  Lt.  Gov.  John  Wentworth.  She  was  afterwards  the 
wife  of  Dr.  John  Clifton.  Samuel  was  "  Mariner,"  and  was 
dead  as  early  as  1712. 

Their  son  Christopher  had  a  wife,  Dorothy,  who  as  early 
as  1748  had  married  John  Tailor  of  Milton,  Mass.  Chris- 
topher left  property  to  his  son  Christopher  Jr.,  daughter 
Ann,  mother  Mary  Clifton,  wife's  brother  Richard,  brother 
Samuel,  brother  Samuel's  son  Christopher  and  brother 
Samuel's  daughter  Dorothy. 

4.  Shadrich  Walton  may  have  been  son  of  ■  "Walton, 
who  married  Fanny,  daughter  of  Gov.  Samuel  Allen.  They 
had  George,  Shadrich,  Samuel  and  Fanny,  who  married  Wil- 
liam Hoyt. 

5.  Joshua  Pierce.  He  was  the  first  of  the  Pierce  family 
who  arrived  at  Portsmouth  (see  Ramble  30,  page  35G.) 
Mr.  Joshua  Pierce  of  Newbury,  Mass.,  married  Dorothy, 
daughter  of  Major  Pike,  of  Salisbury,  Mass.,  and  had  a  son 
Hon.  Joshua  Pierce  who  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of 
Joseph  Hall  of  Piscataqua,  N.  H.,  who  married  Elizabeth 
Smith,  who  came  here  from  England  upon  the  desire  of  her 
uncle,  the  original  Major  Richard  Waldron  of  Dover.  This 
Elizabeth,  widow  of  Joseph  Hall,  who  died  Dec.  19th, 
1G85,  married  7th  of  August,  1687,  Col.  Thomas  Packer, 
supposed  to  be  the  father  of  old  Sheriff  Packer.  She  died 
at  Greenland,  N.  H  ,  Aug.  14th,  1717,  aged  62  years. 

6.  Elizabeth  Wibird  was  the  widow  Elizabeth  Redford 
when  married  to  Richard  Wibird,  Sr.,  July  10th,  1701. 
She  was  the  mother  of  Hon.  Richard  Wibird,  Jr.,  who  was 
born  July  7th,  1702.  Was  her  first  husband  William  Red- 
ford,  who  was  Register  of  Deeds  at  Portsmouth  1693  to 
1697  ?     Richard,  Sr.  was  one  of  the  King's  Councillors  from 


SILVER   WAITER   RECORD.  67 

1716  to  his  death  in  1732.  He  is  said  to  have  erected  the 
first  brick  house  in  Portsmouth,  and  was  a  very  wealthy 
man. 

7.  John  Downing,  died  1744,  aged  25. 

He  was  one  of  the  Provincial  Counsellors  from  1740  to 
his  death.  Letters  of  Administration  were  granted  to  his 
wife,  Patience  Downing.  He  was  of  Newington.  He 
owned  four  houses  in  Portsmouth  in  1727. 

8.  Joseph  Sherburne,  died  1744,  aged  G4. 

He  was  one  of  the  Provincial  Councillors  from  1733  to 
the  day  of  his  death.  His  wife  was  Mary,  and  he  lived  at 
Portsmouth.  His  son  Joseph  of  Boston  was  his  adminis- 
trator. 

9.  Mary  Sherburne,  died  1745,  aged  61. 

In  her  will  she   gives  property  to  grandson  Nathaniel, 
who  was  son  of  her  son  John,  deceased  ;  also  to  sons  Joseph 
and  Nathaniel  and  daughter  Mary.      He  was  one  of  the  jus  - 
tices  that   tried  Sarah  Simpson   and   Penelope  Kenny  in 
1739,  who  were  executed  for  murder. 

10.  Mary  Huske  was  daughter  of  Ichabod  and  Mary  (Jose) 
Plaisted.  She  was  born  Oct.  6th,  1702,  and  was  sister  to 
Samuel  Plaisted,  who  married  Lt.  Gov.  John  "Wentworth's 
daughter  Hannah,  afterwards  Mrs.  Theodore  Atkinson. 

Salem,  Mass.,  records  give  the  following : — "  Capt.  Ellis 
Huske  married  25th  Oct.,  1720,  Mary  Plaisted.  "  The  will 
of  Ellis  Huske  was  proved  April  30th,  1751 ;  and  from  it  we 
get  his  children  as  follows  :  John,  Olive  married  Daniel 
Rindge,  who  died  childless ;  Ann  married  Edmund  Quincy, 
Jr.,  whose  daughter  Mary  married  Jacob  Sheafe,  Jr.,  of 
Portsmouth;  Mary  married  John  Sherburne,  and  died 
childless  before  her  father. 

11.  Arthur  Slade,  died  1746,  aged  64. 

He  was  from  New  Market.  Letters  of  administration 
were  granted  to  Henry  Keese  and  his  wife  Elizabeth. 
This  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Keese  may  have  been  his  daughter,  but 


68  RAMBLES    ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH, 

nothing  is  shown  by  the  Exeter  records  of  his  having  a 
wife  or  descendants. 

12.  Dudley  Odlin,  died  1748,  aged  37. 

His  will  indicates  that  he  Was  a  physician.  He  was  of 
Exeter.  He  willed  property  to  nephew  John,  son  of  his 
brother  Elisha,  on  condition  that  he  study  medicine  ;  to 
his  father  ;  to  brothers  John,  Elisha  and  Woodbridge  ;  to 
cousins  Winthrop  and  William. 

13.  Jotharn  Odiorne,  Sr.,  lived  at  New  Castle.  Was 
Counsellor  1724,  and  Judge  from  1742  to  1747.  He  had 
son  Hon.  Jotharn,  Jr.,  and  Ann,  wrho  married  John  Pindge 
and  was  mother  of  Mrs.  Mark  Hunking  Wentworth. 

14.  This  Ann  Pierce  has  been  claimed  to  be  the  Ann 
Pierce  born  Oct.  26th,  1723,  and  who  was  sister  of  Elizabeth 
who  married  Samuel  Solley,  and  daughter  of  George  Jaf- 
frey,  who  married  Sarah  Jeffries  of  Boston,  Jan.  10th,  1710. 
She  married  Dec.  20th,  1744,  Nathaniel  Pierce,  and  had  two 
sons  and  a  daughter  Sarah,  who  married  Col.  Joshua  Went- 
worth. Mr.  Pierce  died  Aug.  27th,  1762,  aged  50  years. 
On  the  6th  of  Dec,  1769,  she  married  Leveret  Hubbard 
and  died  Dec.  1790,  aged  67.  So  the  above  must  refer  to 
some  other  Ann  Pierce.  It  is  probable  that  she  was  the 
daughter  of  the  first  Joshua  Pierce  who  came  to  Portsmouth 
in  1700. 

15.  Mary  Westbrook,  died  1743,  aged  75. 

Was  she  not  the  wife  of  Hon.  Thomas  AVestbrook  men- 
tioned in  Ramble  30  as  one  of  the  thirteen  men  who  paid 
the  highest  taxes  in  Portsmouth  in  1727  ? 

16.  George  Walker,  died  1749,  aged  86. 

He  was  of  Portsmouth  and  left  property  to  wife  Abigail 
and  to  Walker  Lear,  eon  of  his  sister  Elizabeth  Lear.  Also 
to  cousins  Ichabod  Cheney  and  Hannah  Spofford.  There 
was  a  Capt.  Walker  in  1727  in  Portsmouth  who  had  four 
slaves. 

17.  George  Jaffrey  was  born  at  Great  Island  (New  Cas- 


SILVER    WAITER   RECORD.  GO 

tie,)  Nov.  22,  1G82,  graduated  at  Harvard  College  1702, 
■was  Counsellor  in  1716.  He  married  Jan.  10th,  1710 
Sarah,  daughter  of  David  and  Elizabeth  (Usher)  Jeffries  of 
Boston,  who  was  born  May  -Uh,  1G95.  She  died  Jan.  12, 
1734:,  and  was  the  mother  of  George,  Jr.  Elizabeth  mar- 
ried Samuel  Solley,  Sarah  married  David  Jeffries,  and  Ann 
married  Nathaniel  Pierce. 

George  Jaffrey  married  for  a  second  wife,  March  9,  1738, 
the  widow  of  Hon.  Archibald  McPhederis,  who  was  Sarah, 
daughter  of  Lt.  Gov.  John  Wentworth,  who  survived  him. 
He  was  only  son  and  child  of  George  and  Anne  Jaffrey  of 
Great  Island,  who  was  Counsellor,  Speaker,  <fec,  and  died  at 
Col.  Appleton's  in  Ipswich,  Mass.,  aged  G9,  May  8,  1749. 

18.  Jane  Frost  was  originally  the  wife  of  Andrew,  son  of 
Col.  William  and  Margarey  (Bray)  Pepperell.  He  was  the 
oldest  child  and  was  brother  of  Sir  William.  She  had  one 
daughter  Margarey,  who  was  the  first  wife  of  Capt.  Wil- 
liam, son  of  Lt.  Gov.  John  Wentworth.  She  had  another 
daughter  Sarah,  who  married  Charles  Frost,  Jr. ;  and  she 
married  his  father  Charles  Frost,  Sr.,  for  her  second  hus- 
band. She  had  by  him  Elliot  Frost,  born  June  29,  1718. 
Her  father  was  Robert  Elliot  of  New  Castle,  who  was 
made  Counsellor  in  1683. 

19.  Mary  Sherburne,  died  1750,  aged  28. 

20.  Elizabeth  Vaughan,  died  1750,  aged  68. 

21.  Jotham  Odiorne,  Jr.,  married  Mehitable,  daughter  of 
Robert  Cutt  of  Kitterjr,  Dec.  29th,  1725.  Among  his  chil- 
dren were  Sarah,  married  (1st)  Henry  Appleton  (2d)  Wil- 
liam Appleton  ;  Mary  married  Peter  Pearse  ;  Mehitable 
married  William  E.  Treadwell. 

22.  Nicholas  Daniel,  died  1751,  aged  31. 

There  is  nothing  at  the  Probate  office  at  Exeter  to  indi- 
cate who  either  of  these-  individuals  were. 

23.  Sarah  Odiorne  is  supposed  to  be  wife  of  Jotham,  Sr.? 
and  mother  of  Jotham,  Jr. 


70  RAMBLES  ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

24.  Capt.  William  Pearson,  died  1752;  aged  55. 

He  made  will  at  Portsmouth  18th  Nov.  1748,  and  states 

that  he  was  born  30th  January,  1G97  in ,  County  of 

York,  England.  He  appoints  his  wife  executor  and  gives 
her  his  property.  In  case  of  his  absence  and  his  wife 
should  die  before  him,  he  appoints  Theodore  Atkinson  of 
Portsmouth,  X.  H.,  and  Barlow  Trecothie  of  Boston,  Mass., 
his  Attornies. 

25.  Mary  Moore,  died  1753,  aged  45. 

The  Probate  records  at  Exeter  indicate  nothing  save 
that  there  was  a  Samuel  Moore  of  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  who 
made  his  will  in  1744  and  died  1749.  He  made  his  wife 
Mary  sole  executor.  She  died  without  a  will  and  Joshua 
Peirce  was  made  her  administrator.  She  must  have  been 
the  Mary  Moore  alluded  to  in  Ramble  80,  as  daughter  of 
Joshua  Peirce,  Si\,  who  died  in  1763,  and  sister  to  Joshua 
Peirce,  Jr.,  who  was  her  administrator. 

26.  Elizabeth  Solley,  born  July  20th,  1719,  was  daugh- 
ter of  George  JafFrey,  who  married  Sarah  Jeffries  of  Bos- 
ton, Jan.  10th,  1710.  She  married  Oct.  20th,  1741,  Hon. 
Samuel  Solley,  who  was  made  Councillor  in  1740.     Solley 

went  to  England  in  1758,  where  his  second  wife  Lucy , 

died  1761.  He  died  in  London  June,  1785.  There  was  in 
Portsmouth  in  1702  Nathaniel  Solley,  who  called  himself 
"formerly  of  London."  Probably  father  of  Samuel.  The 
above  Elizabeth  Solley  was  sister  to  Ann  Jaffrey,  who  mar- 
ried Nathaniel  Pierce.     She  died  childless. 

27.  Mary  Wilson,  died  1753,  aged  71. 
Probate  records  show  nothing  in  this  case. 

28.  Richard  Waldron  was  born  at  Dover,  N.  H.,  Feb. 
21st,  1693,  and  graduated  at  Harvard  College  1712.  He 
was  grandson  of  old  Major  Waldron,  who  was  massacred  at 
Dover,  June  28th,  1689,  by  the  Indians.  He  was  son  of 
Richard  Waldron  who  married  (1st)  Hannah,  daughter  of 
President  Cutt,  who  died  Feb.  14th,  1692,  and  (2nd)  Feb. 


SILVER   WAITER   RECORD.  71 

6th,  1692-3  Eleanor,  daughter  of  Major  William  Vaughan. 
His  father  died  Nov.  3d,  1730.  He  first  lived  at  Dover, 
but  early  removed  to  Portsmouth,  where  he  became  Judge, 
Councillor,  and  Secretary  of  the  Province.  His  wife  was 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Hon.  Thomas  Westbrook. 

29.  Dorothy  Sherburne  was  daughter  of  Samuel  and 
Mary  (Benning)  Wentworth,  and  was  born  June  27th,  1G80. 
She  was  sister  of  Lt.  Gov.  John  Wentworth.  She  married 
Henry  Sherburne,  described  in  another  place. 

30.  Sarah  Downing,  died  1754,  aged  70. 

She  was  probably  the  wife  of  John  Downing  in  Ramble 
46,  as  he  mentions  no  wife  in  his  will. 

31.  Mary  Wentworth  was  daughter  of  Nathaniel  and 
Mary  (Lloyd)  Mendum,  and  wife  of  Ebenezer  Wentworth, 
one  of  the  sons  oi  Lt.  Gov.  John.  This  Ebenezer  had  but 
one  child,  Rebecca,  (who  married  her  cousin  George  Went- 
worth, father  of  Ebenezer,  late  of  this  city.)  He  married 
Dec.  4th,  1746,  and  died  Feb.  3d,  1757.  He  was  born  Aug. 
1714,  and  she  June  18th,  1723. 

32.  Henry  Sherburne  married  Dorothy,  sister  of  Lt. 
Gov.  John  Wentworth.  He  was  son  of  Samuel  Sherburne, 
who  married  Love  Hutchins  of  Haverhill,  Dec.  15th,  1668, 
and  was  killed  at  Casco  Bay  Aug.  4th,  1691.  This  Samuel 
was  son  of  Henry  Sherburne,  who  married  (1st)  Rebecca, 
daughter  of  Ambros  Gibbons,  and  (2d)  Sarah,  widow  of 
Walter  Abbot.  The  Henry  first  alluded  to  was  appointed 
Councillor  in  1728,  and  was  also  Chief  Justice. 

33.  Elizabeth  Waldron  was  only  child  of  Col.  Thomas 
Westbrook.  She  was  born  Nov.  26th,  1701,  and  married, 
Dec.  31st,  1718,  the  above  mentioned  Secretary  Richard 
Waldron. 

34.  Mary  March,  died  1759,  aged  80. 
Probate  records  show  nothing  in  this  case. 

35.  Sir  William  Pepperell,  son  of  Col.  William  and  Mar- 
garey  (Bray)  Pepperell,  was  born  June  27th,  1696.     He 


72  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

married  Mary,  daughter  of  Grove  Hirst,  Esq.,  a  merchant 
of  Boston.  He  was  knighted  for  his  services,  and  his  biog- 
raphy has  been  written  by  a  descendant  of  his  father,  Dr. 
Parsons. 

36.  Mary  Meserve.  died  1759,  aged  47. 

Nathaniel  Meserve  of  Portsmouth  willed  property  to  his 
wife  Mary  and  died  in  1758.  Mary  was  to  bring  up  the 
children  under  age.  He  had  sons  Nathaniel,  John,  George 
and  Hanson;  and  daughters  Annah  Wills,  Sarah  Odiorne, 
Mary  Batson,  Esther,  Jane,  Elizabeth  and  Ann.  See  Ram- 
ble 35.  He  died  at  Louisburg  of  small  pox  in  1758.  It 
is  said  that  his  last  words  to  his  wife  on  leaving  were — 
"Don't  break  my  will."  She  did  break  it,  however,  and  the 
story  is  that  his  apparition  harshly  upbraided  her  in  the 
entry  of  her  place  of  residence,  (the  Boyd  house  by  the 
mill.)     It  appears  that  she  died  the  next  year. 

37.  Ann  Tash,  died  1759,.  aged  63. 

Exeter  Probate  records  give  nothing  about  Tash  until 
1811,  when  John  Tash  of  New  Market  died  at  an  advanced 
age. 

38.  John  Wentworth  was  son  of  Gov.  Benning,  and  was 
born  Jan.  1720.  He  was  never  married.  Adams  alludes  to 
his  death  in  his  Annals.  He  was  christened  at  Boston,  Jan. 
29th,  1720,  as  his  mother,  the  first  wife  of  Gov.  Benning, 
Abigail  Ruck,  was  a  member  of  the  South  Church  there. 
His  portrait  is  now  at  the  house  of  the  late  Ebenezer  in 
this  city. 

39.  Samuel  Smith,  died  1760,  aged  74. 

He  was  a  Provincial  Counsellor  from  1740  to  the  day  of 
his  death.  He  willed  property  to  Mary,  widow  of  Timothy 
Emerson;  Elizabeth  wife  of  Solomon  Emerson;  Hannah,  wife 
of  Richard  Waldron  ;  Temperance,  wife  of  Joseph  Varney  ; 
Sarah,  wife  of  Lemuel  Chesley  ;  Joseph  Knight,  husband  of 
deceased  daughter  Patience  Knight ;  to  his  son  Joseph 
Smith. 


SILVER  "WAITER   RECORD.  73 

40.  Dorothy  Gilman  was  daughter  of  Henry  and  Dorothy 
{Wentworth)  Sherburne,  and  sister  to  the  fathers  of  Wood- 
bury and  John  Langdon's  wives.  She  married  Hon.  Peter 
Oilman  of  Exeter,  who  was  Councillor  from  1772,  and 
Speaker  for  several  years  under  the  colonial  government. 
He  died  Dec.  1st,  1788,  aged  81  years.  Their  daughter 
Abigail  married  (1st)  Dec.  Gth,  1750,  Rev.  John  Strong  of 
Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  and  (2nd)  Oct.  23d,  1755,  Rev.  Wood- 
bridge  Odlin  of  Exeter,  who  died  March  10th,  1776. 

41.  Ann  Packer  must  have  been  a  second  wife  of  Hon. 
Thomas  Packer,  who  was  Sheriff  from  1741  to  the  day  of 
his  death,  June  22d,  1771.  She  was  sister  of  Hon.  Jotham 
Odiorne,  Jr.  The  first  wife  of  Sheriff  Packer  was  Rebecca, 
daughter  of  Lt.  Gov.  John  Wentworth,  who  died  in  1768, 
She  was,  probably,  the  widow  of  John  Rindge. 

42.  Hannah  Sherburne,  died  1762,  aged  57. 

She  was  of  New  Castle.  She  had  grandson  Thomas 
Odiorne  of  Greenland ;  son  Noah,  and  daughter  Catherine 
Odiorne  of  Portsmouth. 

43.  Margaret  Chambers,  die$  1762,  aged  82. 

She  died  a  widow,  of  Portsmouth.  No  will.  Cutts 
Shannon  was  appointed  Administrator.  She  had  70  acres 
of  land  at  Gravelly  Ridge  ;  57>£  acres  in  upper  and  2  in 
lower  marsh,  and  half  an  acre  of  Gore,  so  called.  Her 
estate  was  appraised  £10,972. 

44.  Madame  D.  Newmarch  was  wife  of  Hon.  Joseph 
Newmarch.  He  was  born  Oct.  29th,  1707,  and  was  son  of 
Rev.  John  Newmarch,  who  married  Mary,  widow  of  Mark 
Hunking,  who  was  the  father  of  the  wife  of  Lt.  Gov.  John 
Wentworth. 

Dorothy  was  born  July  23d,  1698,  and  was  daughter  of 
Col.  William  and  Margarey  (Bray)  Pepperell,  and  sister  to 
Sir  William.  She  married  John  Watkins  March  26th,  1719, 
and  had  children  by  him.  She  subsequently  married  Mr, 
Newmarch,  who  was  one  of  the  Councillors  in  1754. 
6 


74  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

45.  Exeter  Probate  records  show  that  there  was  a  Ben- 
jamin Gambling  of  Portsmouth,  who  made  his  will  in  1744, 
and  left  all  his  property  to  his  mother  Mary  Gambling. 

There  is  on  file  a  will  made  April  2nd,  1764,  from  Mary 
Gambling,  which  was  proved  Sept.  26th,  1764,  which  proves 
her  to  have  been  the  M.  Gambling  referred  to  on  the 
waiter.  She  wills  property  to  sister  Elizabeth  Toppan  and 
her  son  ;  sisters  Deborah  Knight  and  Susanna  Winkley ; 
cousins  Samuel  Penhallow,  John  Penhallow,  William  Knight, 
Temple  Knight,  Mary  Knight ;  children  of  cousin  Henry 
Coleman,  children  of  brother  Samuel,  deceased ;  to  Benja- 
min Gambling,  Carter  land  in  Leicester,  Mass.  ;  to  Mr. 
Eaton,  present  minister  of  Leicester,  Mass.,  land  in  Leices- 
ter. Her  estate  was  very  large,  and  the  Exeter  records 
show  nothing  of  her  husband.  She  probably  once  lived  in 
Leicester,  Mass. 

In  1738,  John  Rindge  was  appointed  Councillor  in  place 
of  Benjamin  Gambling  deceased.  There  was  a  Benjamin 
Gambling  who  was  Register  of  the  Council  in  1681. 

46.  John  Downing,  died  1766,  aged  82. 

He  was  supposed  to  be  son  of  John  Downing,  No.  7. 
He  was  of  Newington  and  wills  to  grandsons  John,  Samuel 
and  Jonathan,  who  were  sons  of  his  son  John  deceased  ; 
to  grandsons  Samuel  and  Josiah  Shackford  who  were  sons 
of  his  daughter  Susannah  S.  deceased  ;  to  grandsons  Nich- 
olas, John  and  James  who  were  sons  of  his  daughter  Mary 
Pickering,  deceased;  to  his  sons  Richard  and  Harrison 
Downing. 

47.  His  Excellency  Benning  Wentworth  was  son  of  Lt. 
Gov.  John,  who  was  son  of  Samuel,  whose  grave  stone  is 
still  legible  at  the  Point  of  Graves ;  and  the  fourth  in 
descent  from  Elder  William  Wentworth  of  Dover,  N.  H. 
He  was  born  July  24th,  1696.  He  married  (1st)  Dec.  31st, 
1719,  Abigail,  daughter  of  John  Ruck  of  Boston.  He  had 
had  three  sons,  John,  Benning  and  Foster,  who  died  single 


SILVER  WAITER   RECORD.  75 

and  before  him.  He  married  (2nd)  Martha  Hilton,  and  left 
her  a  childless  widow.  She  subsequently  married  Col. 
Michael  Wentworth  of  England,  and  had  by  him  Martha 
Wentworth,  who  married  John,  son  of  Thomas  and  grandson 
of  Mark  Hunking  Wentworth. 

48.  T.  Wallingford  refers  to  Col.  Thomas  "Wallingford 
of  Somersworth,  one  of  the  wealthiest  men  in  New  Hamp- 
shire. He  lived  near  Salmon  Falls,  between  that  place  and 
the  old  Somersworth  meeting-house  on  the  road  to  Dover, 
N.  H.  His  tombstone  is  still  readable  in  the  old  cemetery 
near  were  the  old  Somersworth  meeting-house  stood.  His 
splendid  mansion  still  exists  to  do  honor  to  his  memory. 
He  was  a  Representative  from  Dover  (Somersworth  not 
then  being  a  separate  town)  as  early  as  1739,  and  a  great 
many  years  thereafter.  He  was  one  of  the  Judges  of  the 
Superior  Court  from  1748  to  the  day  of  his  death,  which 
took  place  at  Mr.  Stoodley's  in  Portsmouth.  About  1855, 
his  youngest  child,  the  widow  of  Charles  Cushing  of  South 
Berwick,  Me.,  died,  aged  nearly  a  hundred  years.  Hon. 
H.  H.  Hobbs,  of  South  Berwick,  married  her  daughter. 
Col.  Wallingford  was  father  of  Lt.  Samuel  Wallingford,  who 
was  killed  on  board  the  ship  Ranger  in  her  engagement, 
under  John  Paul  Jones,  with  the  Drake,  leaving  a  widow 
who  married  Col.  Amos  Coggswell  of  Dover,  and  one  child, 
late  George  W.  Wallingford,  whose  family  still  lives  at 
Kennebunk,  Maine.  Col.  Wallingford  had  three  wives,  and 
at  least  thirteen  children. 


RAMBLE    XCII. 

Theodore    ,A-tkinson's    Estate —Will    of  Susanna,    widow 

of   George    .A-tltinson. 

In  a  former  Ramble  (No.  18,  page  106)  it  was  stated  that 
at  the  time  of  Theodore  Atkinson's  death  in  1779,  his 
property  by  bequest  come  into  possession  of  William  King, 


7G  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

of  Dover,  who  added  Atkinson  to  his  name.  This  we  since 
find  is  not  strictly  correct.  The  property  was  conveyed  to 
George  King,  a  relative  of  Atkinson,  who  changed  his 
name  to  George  Atkinson.  The  entailed  estate  afterwards 
became  the  property  of  William  K.  Atkinson  of  Dover,  a 
nephew  of  George. 

Hon.  George  Atkinson,  who  was  a  man  of  some  distinc- 
tion, occupied  the  mansion  house  of  Hon.  Theodore  At- 
kinson, on  Court  street.  He  was  twice,  we  think,  candidate 
for  Governor  of  New  Hampshire,  and  received  nearly 
votes  enough  to  elect  him.  The  date  of  his  death  we  can- 
not find,  but  it  occurred  not  far  from  1790.  He  married 
Susanna,  the  second  daughter  of  Rev.  John  Sparhawk  of 
Salem.  She  died  in  1796,  without  issue.  We  find  in  her 
will  the  following  bequests,  showing  somewhat  of  her 
style  of  living : 

I  give,  and  bequeath  to  my  nephews,  Wm.  K.  Atkinson, 
John  Sparhawk  and  Thomas  Sparhawk,  all  my  public  secu- 
rities, monies  in  the  funds,  notes  of  hand,  bonds,  debts  of 
every  kind  due  to  me  ;  judgments,  executions  and  mort- 
gages, to  be  equally  divided  between  them  my  said  nephews 
in  equal  thirds,  share  and  share  alike. 

To  Daniel  Humphreys,  Esq.,  my  brother-in-law,  one 
hundred  pounds,  and  my  house  and  land,  shop,  wharf,  ,&c., 
at  Puddle  Dock  in  Portsmouth. 

To  my  beloved  brother  Samuel  Sparhawk,  £40  per  an- 
num during  his  life.  To  his  son  Samuel  Sparhawk,  jr., 
£50,  to  be  paid  in  six  months  after  my  decease.  To  his 
daughter  Eliza  Sparhawk,  £50,  to  be  paid  in  six  months 
after  my  decease. 

To  the  relict  of  my  dear  departed  brother  John  Spar- 
hawk, £30  per  annum  during  life. 

To  my  nephew  John  Sparhawk,  my  dwelling  house,  gar^ 
den  and  all  my  household  furniture  and  plate,  (except  what 
is  hereinafter  bequeathed,)  my  book  case,  books,  my  horses 
and  my  carriages. 

To  my  nephew  Geo.  King  Sparhawk,  my  plain  silver 
oval  waiter,  my  largest  silver  teapot  and  teaspoons  with  the 
■"  King"  crest. 


WILL   OF*  SUSANNA   ATKINSON.  77 

To  ray  nephew  Thomas  Sparhawk,  the  land  fronting  my 
dwelling-  house,  and  also  my  mowing  field  at  the  creek ; 
also  I  give  him  £100. 

To  my  nephew  Samuel  Sparhawk,  my  pasture  land  at  the 
creek. 

To  my  niece  Susannah  Sparhawk,  £40  sterling. 

To  my  nephew  Daniel  Humphreys,  jr.,  the  field  this  side 
the  creek,  with  the  barn  on  it,  and  £S0  and  2  small  silver 
salvers. 

To  my  nephew  George  Humphreys,  the  lot  near  my 
coach  house,  which  is  now  hired  of  me  by  Abner  Blaisdell. 

It  is  my  will  that  my  protege  Eliza  Winslow,  be  suitably 
provided  with  apparel,  schooling,  and  all  other  conve- 
niences, until  she  attains  the  age  of  eighteen  ;  and  at  20, 
or  sooner  if  married,  the  sum  of  £60  sterling. 

To  my  sister  Priscilla,  (widow  of  Judge  Ropes,)  my  suit 
of  black  satin  and  my  black  laced  shade. 

To  my  niece  Peggy  Appleton,  daughter  of  my  sister 
Jane,  my  suit  of  Brussels  and  my  leather  wrought  fan. 

To  my  nephew,  Wm.  K.  Atkinson,  the  family  pictures,  my 
silver  wrought  bread  basket,  my  largest  silver  tankard,  my 
new  silver  plated  tea  urn.  1  case  silver  handled  knives 
and  forks,  my  largest  Wilton  carpet,  also  sundry  books. 

Then  all  the  jewels,  watches,  &c,  are  bequeathed  to 
sundry  persons. 

To  niece  Katy,  my  white  satin  cloak  trimmed  with 
ermine. 

Sister-in-law  Abigail  aforesaid,  my  black  satin  cloak  trim- 
med with  broad  lace. 

To  Deborah,  wife  of  Nath'l  Sparhawk,  my  suit  of  dove 
colored  satin. 

The  rest  of  her  apparel  to  her  nieces. 

All  the  residue  and  remainder  of  my  estate  to  my  nephew 
aforesaid,  John  Sparhawk,  and  his  heirs  forever. 

Nephews  John  Sparhawk  and  Thomas  Sparhawk  to  be 
joint  executors  of  the  will. 

Signed  in  presence  of  A.  R.  CutteH, 

Wm.  Cutter, 
Abigail  Mitchell. 

The  farm  now  owned  by  Hon.  Frank  Jones  in  North 
Portsmouth  was   the  property  of  George  Atkinson,  and 


78  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

thither  their  coach  might  frequently  be  seen  going  in  the 
summer  season.  It  afterwards  became  the  property  of  her 
nephew  Col.  George  K.  Sparhawk  —  although  by  the 
will  it  appears  to  have  been  given  to  his  brother  John 
Sparhawk. 


RAMBLE    XCIII. 


Peter  Ijivius  the  Hioyalist — Building  of  the  INTorth  Bridge 
and  Mill  —  Chief  Justice  of  Quebec  —  His  efforts  to  win. 
Gen.  Sullivan  to  the  British  Cause. 

Our  old  town  was  noted  in  the  Revolution  as  a  place  of 
Loyalists,  or  Tories  as  they  were  called,  as  well  as  for  her 
Revolutionary  Patriots.  At  the  close  of  the  Revolution, 
Portsmouth  came  in  for  its  share  of  proscribed  individuals, 
who  had  left  the  country  to  avoid  any  participation  in  the 
Revolution.  They  were  forbidden  to  return  without  the 
assent  of  the  representatives  of  the  country.  Among 
these  individuals  was  Peter  Livius,  the  subject  of  our 
present  Ramble. 

Peter  Livius  was  born  in  Bedford,  England,  in  1727.  He 
was  the  second  son  of  Peter  Lewis  Livius,  of  a  Saxon 
family  of  distinction,  envoy  to  the  Court  of  Lisbon.  Peter 
Livius  was  married  in  England  to  Anna  Elizabeth,  second 
daughter  of  John  Tufton  Mason,  Esq.,  a  cousin  of  the  Earl 
of  Thanet.  Miss  Mason  was  of  Portsmouth,  a  resident  at 
the  Mason  House,  now  on  Vaughan  street,  and  had  gone  to 
England  to  complete  her  education.  Mr.  Livius  possessed 
a  handsome  fortune,  and  when  he  came  to  this  town,  about 
the  year  1762,  he  not  only  brought  his  coach,  but  also  a 
double  set  of  wheels — 'Supposing  that  the  new  world  had 
not  art  enough  to  make  a  set  when  the  first  gave  out.  Ho 
first  occupied  the  house  next  to  the  North  Mill  which  the 


BUILDING   OF    THE   NORTH    MILL   AND   BEIDGE.  7D 

Meserve  family  had  vacated  ;  and  after  a  few  years  removed 
into  the  house  No.  35  Deer  street,  afterwards  Thomas  Mar- 
tin's, and  now  owned  and  occupied  by  George  Annable.  In 
1764,  he  made  proposals  to  the  town  to  build  a  bridge  over 
the  mouth  of  Islington  Creek,  twenty  feet  wide,  part  thereof 
to  consist  of  a  lifting  bridge  thirty  feet  long,  with  flood- 
gates of  the  same  length,  upon  condition  that  the  town 
would  allow  him  to  dam  the  watercourse  in  the  Creek,  for 
the  purpose  of  erecting  mills.  This  was  granted,  and  was 
the  first  laying  of  the  North  Mill  bridge,  which  was  a 
private  enterprise  of  Mr.  Livius.  He  was  educated  abroad, 
but  received  an  honorary  degree  from  Harvard  University 
in  1767. 

Of  the  members  of  the  Council  of  New  Hampshire,  in 
1772,  seven  were  relatives  of  the  Governor.  Having  been 
left  out  of  commission  as  a  Justice  of  the  Common  Pleas, 
on  the  division  of  the  province  into  Counties,  when  new 
appointments  were  made,  and  dissenting  from  the  views  of 
the  Council  as  to  the  disposition  of  reserved  lands  in  grants 
made  by  a  former  governor,  Livius  went  to  England,  and 
exhibited  to  the  lords  of  trade  several  and  serious[charges 
against  the  administration  of  which  he  was  a  member. 
These  charges  were  rigidly  investigated,  but  were  finally 
dismissed.  Livius  appears,  however,  to  have  gained  much 
popularity  among  those  in  New  Hampshire  who  were 
opposed  to  the  Governor,  and  who  desired  his  removal ; 
and  was  appointed,  by  their  influence,  Chief  Justice  of  the 
Province.  But  as  it  was  thought  that  the  appointment, 
under  the  circumstances,  was  likely  to  produce  discord,  he 
was  transferred  to  the  more  lucrative  office  of  Chief  Justice 
of  Quebec.  Livius  Avas  of  foreign  extraction,  and,  as 
would  seem,  a  gentleman  of  strong  feelings.  He  wrote  to 
General  John  Sullivan  from  Canada,  to  induce  him  to  aban- 
don the  Whig  cause. 

This  letter  presents  in  a  clear  manner  the  arguments  used 


80  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

by  those  who  opposed  the  Bevolution,  and  is  written  with' 
such  openness  that  Livins  seemed  confident  that  his  man 
was  secure.  The  letter  was  sealed  up  in  a  canteen  with  a 
false  bottom,  and  was  taken  out  by  Gen.  Schuyler  at  Fort 
Edward,  June  16th,  1777.  There  is  an  endorsement  on  the 
back  of  the  manuscript  in  Gen.  Sullivan's  writing. 

"  From  Mr.  Livius  to  Gen.  Sullivan.  " 

Sir: — I  have  long  desired  to  write  my  mind  to  you,  on  a 
matter  of  the  greatest  importance  to  you  ;  but  the  unhappy 
situation  of  things  has  rendered  all  intercourse  very  diffi- 
cult, and  has  prevented  me.  I  now  find  a  man  is  to  be  sent 
for  a  very  different  purpose  to  you.  By  him  I  shall  contrive 
to  get  this  letter  to  you,  a  person  having  undertaken  to  put 
it  in  the  place  of  that  which  was  designed  to  be  carried  to 
you.  You  know  me  very  well,  and  are  acquainted  with 
many  circumstances  of  my  life,  and  have  seen  me  in  very 
trying  situations,  that  might  perhaps  have  been  some  ex- 
cuse, yet  I  am  sure  you  never  knew  me  guilty  of  an 
ungentlemanly  action,  I  remind  you  of  this,  that  you  may 
safely  trust  what  I  say  to  you,  as  coming  from  a  person  who 
has  never  trifled  with  any  man.  You  know  better  than  I  do 
the  situation  of  your  Congress,  and  the  confusion  there  is 
among  you,  and  the  ruin  that  impends:  you  have  felt  how 
unequal  the  forces  of  your  own:  people  are  to  withstand  the 
power  of  Great  Britain;  and  foreign  assistance,  I  need  not 
tell  you  how  precarious  and  deceitful  it  must  be.  France 
and  Spain  know  they  cannot  embark  in  your  quarrel  with- 
out the  greatest  danger  of  Great  Britain  turning  suddenly 
against  and  taking  possession  of  their  colonies,  with  so 
great  a  force  collected  and  in  America  ;  besides  their  fears 
of  raising  views  of  independence  in  their  own  colonies,  to 
which  they  are  much  disposed.  But  why  should  I  enlarge 
On  this  subject?  I  am  sure  you  know  the  futility  of  all 
ho  es  of  effectual  foreign  assistance,  and  that  these  hopes 
nave  been  thrown  out  to  keep  up  the  spirits  of  the  deluded 
common  people.  You  therefore  will  not  suffer  yourself  to 
be  deluded  by  them.  The  most  you  can  expect  from  for- 
eigners is,  that  they  will  help,  at  the  expense  of  your  coun- 
tryman's  blood  and   happiness,  to  keep  up  a  dispute  that 


LETTER   OF   PETER  LIVIU8  TO   GEN.  SULLIVAN.  81 

Will  ruin  you  and  distress  Great  Britain.  It  is  "not  the 
interest  of  France  and  Spain  that  America  should  be  inde- 
pendent ;  but  if  it  were  possible  you  could  entertain  any 
thoughts  that  the  hopes  of  effectual  foreign  assistance  were 
well  grounded,  you  cannot  but  know  that  such  assistance 
must  now  arrive  too  late ;  the  last  campaign  was  almost 
consumed  before  the  English  army  could  get  collected  and 
in  a  position  to  act  in  America  ;  but  now  the  campaign  is 
just  opening,  the  whole  army  in  the  greatest  health  and 
spirits,  plentifully  provided  with  everything,  most  earnest 
in  the  cause,  I  do  assure  you,  well  acquainted  with  the 
country,  and  placed  so  as  to  act  briskly  with  the  greatest 
efficacy.  A  few  months  will  therefore  probably  decide  the 
contest ;  you  must  either  fight  or  fly  ;  and  in  either  case 
ruin  seems  inevitable.  You  zoere  the  first  man  in  active  re- 
bellion, and  drew  with  you  the  province  you  live  in.  What 
hope,  what  expectation  can  you  have  ?  You  will  be  one  of 
the  first  sacrifices  to  the  resentment  and  justice  of  govern- 
ment, your  family  will  be  ruined,  and  you  must  die  with 
ignominy  ;  or  if  you  should  be  so  happy  as  to  escape,  you 
will  drag  along  a  tedious  life  of  poverty,  misery  and  con- 
tinual apprehension  in  a  foreign  land.  Now,  Sullivan,  I 
have  a  method  to  propose  to  you,  if  you  have  resolution 
and  courage,  that  will  save  you  and  your  family  and  estate 
from  this  imminent  destruction  ;  it  is  in  plain  English  to 
tread  back  the  steps  you  have  already  taken  and  to  do  some 
real  essential  service  to  your  king  and  country,  in  assisting 
to  re-establish  public  tranquility  and  lawful  government. 
You  know  I  will  not  deceive  you.  Every  one  who  will 
exert  himself  for  government  will  be  rewarded,  and  I  do 
assure  you  firmly  upon  my  honor  that  I  am  empowered  to 
engage  particularly  with  you,  that  it  shall  be  the  case  with 
you,  if  you  will  sincerely  endeavor  to  deserve  your  pardon. 
It  is  not  desired  of  you  to  declare  yourself  immediately, 
nor  indeed  to  declare  yourself  at  all,  until  you  can  dispose 
matters  so  as  to  bring  the  province  with  you  ;  in  order  to 
which  you  should  as  much  as  possible,  under  d'fleront 
pretences,  contrive  to  send  every  man  out  of  the  ;.rovince 
from  whom  you  apprehend  difficulty,  and  to  keep  at  home 
all  those  friendly  to  government  or  desirous  of  peace.  In 
the  meanwhile  endeavor  to  give  me  all  the  material  intel- 
ligence you  can  collect  (and  you  can  get  the  best;)    or 


82  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

if  you   find  it  more     convenient,  you   can  convey  it  to 
General  Burgoyne,  and  by  using  my  name  he  will  know 
whom  it  comes  from  without  your  mentioning  your   own 
name  ;  and  as  soon  as  you  can  do  it  with  efficacy  and  suc- 
cess, declare  yourself,  and  you  will  find  assistance  you  very 
very  little  expect  in  restoring  the  province  to  lawful  gov- 
ernment.    If  you  do  not  choose  to  undertake  this,  another 
will,  and  if  you  continue  obstinate  on  the  ground  you  are 
now  on,  you  may  depend  upon  it,  you  will  find  it  suddenly 
fail,   and   burst   under  you   like   the  springing  of  a  mine*, 
What  I  recommend  to  you  is  not  only  prudent,  safe,  and 
necessary  ;  it  is  right,  it  is  honorable.     That  you  embarked 
in  the  cause  of  rebellion  is  true  ;    perhaps  you  mistook  the 
popular  delusion  for  the  cause   of  your  country,  (as  many 
others  did  who  have   returned  to  their  duty,)  and  you  en- 
gaged in  it  warmly  :    but  when  you  found  your  error,  you 
earnestly   returned,  you  saved  the  province  you  had  en- 
gaged for  from  devastation  and  ruin,  and  you  rendered 
most   essential   services   to   your   king  and  country ;  for 
which  I  engage  my  word  to  you,  you  will  receive  pardon, 
you  will  secure  your  estate,  and  you  will  be  further  amply 
rewarded.      Your  past  conduct  has  been  unworthy  ;    your 
return  will  be  praiseworthy.     What  is  all  this  expense  of 
human  life  for  ?    these   deluges   of  human  blood  ?     Very 
probably  only  to  set  afloat  some  lawless  despotic  tyrant  in 
the  room  of  your  lawful  king,      I   conceive  you  must  be 
surrounded  with  embarrassments  ;    you  may  perhaps  find 
difficulty  in  getting  a  letter  to  me.      Possibly  the  fellow 
who  carries  this  to  you  may  be  trusted  ;    he  thinks  indeed 
he  carries  to  you  a  very  different  letter  from  this,  and  I 
suppose  will   be  frightened  a  good  deal  when  he  finds  the 
change  that  has  been  put  upon  him,  and  that  I  am  in  pos- 
session of  the  letter  he  was  intended  to  carry — yet  I  have 
understood  that  he  has  a  family  here,  and  will   I  suppose 
wish  to  return,  and  knows  well  enough  it  is  in  my  power 
to    procure    him    pardon    and    reward ;    and  I  imagine  he 
thinks  (as  I  trust  most  people  do)  that  I  am  never  forget- 
ful of  a  man   who  does  anything  to  oblige  me.       You  will 
consider  how  far  you  may  trust  him,  how  far  it  is  prudent 
to  do  it,  and  you  can  sound  him,  and  see  whether  he  wishes 
to  return,  and  whether  he  is  likely  to  answer  the  purpose ; 
and  if  you  think  proper  you  may  engage  *to  him  that  I  will 


PETER   LIVlUS;  83 

protect  him,  and  reward  him  if  lie  brings  me  safely  a  letter 
from  you.  I  could  say  a  great  deal  more  on  this  subject, 
but  I  must  close  my  letter  lest  it  should  be  too  late.  Be 
sincere  and   steady,  and  give  me  occasion  to  show  myself 

Your  sincere  friend/ 
Montreal,  2nd  June,  1777.  *****  ****** 

Livius  had  three  slaves  at  his  house,  when  he  lived  in 
Deer  street,  A  man  and  a  wife  might  have  been  seen  one 
day  driven  from  the  house  to  a  vessel  at  the  wharf,  to  be 
sent  to  the  West  Indies  to  be  sold,  crying  aloud  for  their 
child  which  they  were  not  allowed  to  take  with  them* 
And  on  another  day,  a  stout  slave  was  sent  on  board 
another  vessel  on  an  errand,  when  he  was  seized  and  put 
in  confinement  by  the  request  of  his  mistress,  and  sent 
also  for  sale  in  the  West  Indies.  Mr.  Livius  Went  to  Can- 
ada before  his  family,  and  his  wife  paid  off  some  debts 
here  with  her  household  furniture.  The  large  family  bible 
with  the  family  coat  of  arms,  was  given  to  a  next  door1 
neighbor,  and  is  still  retained  there  in  nearly  as  good  con- 
dition as  it  was  when  received  ninety-three  years  ago. 

Peter  Livius  died  in  England  in  1795,  at  the  age  of  68 
years.  He  had  three  daughters — one  of  them  died  unmar- 
ried—the second  married  Mr.  May  of  Blackheath  ;  the  third, 
Capt.  Dalby, 


RAMBLE    XCIV. 

legislation   in   Portsmouth    in.    1G  9  9— First  Prison— Marie 

INTo  Die. 

Portsmouth  was  the  seat  of  Government  of  New  Hamp- 
shire at  the  time  when  the  following  proceedings  took 
place. 

Ancient  documents  in  the    office    of  the    Secretary    of 


84  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

State  contain  the  records  of  the  formation  at  Portsmouth 
of  Bellmont's  government,  and  minutes  of  the  proceedings 
of  the  first  Legislative  Assembly  under  him  in  the  fall  of 
1G99.  Under  the  act  passed  at  this  session,  the  Courts  of 
Justice  were  originated,  and  continued  to  operate  under 
the  organization  for  seventy-two  years.  The  act  is  copied 
at  length  in  the  ancient  records,  being  the  most  ancient 
Legislative  document  in  the  possession  of  the  State.  The 
Assembly  consisted  of  fifteen  members,  three  from  each  of 
the  five  towns — Portsmouth,  Hampton,  Dover,  Exeter  and 
New  Castle.  The  "Lord's  Speech"  at  the  opening  of  the 
Assembly  commences  thus  : 

"  Gentlemen — I  have  called  you  together  at  this  time  to 
give  you  an  opportunity  of  serving  the  common  interest 
of  your  country  by  Redressing  the  Greaveances  this  prov- 
ince lyes  under." 

Among  "  the  articles  to  be   observed  for  regulating  the 

House"  is  one  "  Imposing  a  threepence  fine  for  absence  at 

calling  over ;"  and  another,  "  that  none   smoke  tobacco  in 

the  House  after  calling  over,  on  penalty  of  threepence  for 

Cleark."     Under   date  of  Sept.  15,  1699,  is  the  following 

record : 

"  Complaint  being  made  to  the  Assembly  by  the  sheriff 
that  the  prison  is  not  sufficient,  Voted — That  a  strong  logg 
house  be  built  in  the  Province  for  a  prison  of  thirty  foot 
long,  fourteen  wide,  one  story  of  seven  foot  high,  two 
brick  chimneys  in  the  midst  five  foot  each,  to  be  done 
forthwith,  strong  and  substantial,  the  Treasurer  and  over- 
seer to  be  paid  out  of  the  next  Province  Assessment,  to  be 
sett  in  Portsmouth  in  or  near  the  Great  Fort." 

[This  first  prison  was  built  near  Market  Square.  Church 
Hill  was  called  the  Fort.] 

In  July  1700,  it  was  voted  "  that  Clerk  of  the  Assembly 
receive  18  pence  per  day  to  be  paid  out  of  publicque 
Treasury  for  writing  for  the  Assembly,  finding  paper  and 
registering  its  minutes  in  this  book." 


MARK    NOBLE.  85 

Under  date  IT  July  1701  is  the  following:  "The  Put, 
licque  affairs  of  the  House  being  much  obstructed  by 
persons  sitting  and  leying  on  the  bed — Voted  that  whoso- 
ever henceforward  either  sett  or  lye  down  shall  forfeit 
three  pence  to  the  House  for  a  fine  for  every  such  Default 
after  the  House  is  called  over."  On  the  next  day,  July 
18,  1701,  is  the  following  record:  "Whereas  the  publicque 
affairs  of  this  House  is  much  obstructed  by  reason  of  Sev- 
ern! members  thereof  soe  often  withdrawing  themselves 
into  the  chimney  to  take  tobacco  and  sitt  talking  and  not 
attend  the  affairs  of  the  House,  Voted,  That  whosoever 
shall  soe  doe  for  the  future  shall  pay  a  threepence  fine  for 
every  such  offence  except  leave  be  given." 

At  the  same  session  is  the  following  minute : — d  Mr. 
Timothy  Hilliard  dismissed,  voted  a  person  not  fit  to  be  a 
member  hereof.  Kequest  sent  to  Upper  House  that  notice 
be  given  to  town  to  fill  vacancy." 

In  the  State  records  we  also  find  the  following  letter 
from  Mark  Noble,  asking  for  the  discharge  of  John  Stavers, 
after  the  famous  riot  of  the  Earl-of-Halifax  Hotel.  Noble 
was  an  insane  man  for  forty  years  afterwards. 

Portsmouth,  February  3,  177J. 

To  the  Committee  of  Safety  the  Town  of  Exeter : 

Gentlemen : — As  I  am  informed  that  Mr.  Stivers  is  in 
confinement  in  goal  upon  my  account  contrary  to  my 
desire,  for  when  I  was  at  Mr.  Stivers  a  fast  day  I  had  no  ill 
nor  ment  none  against  the  Gentleman  but  by  bad  luck  or 
misfortune  I  have  received  a  bad  blow  but  it  is  so  well 
that  I  hope  to  go  out  in  a  day  or  two.  So  by  this  gentle- 
men of  the  Committee  I  hope  you  will  release  the  gentle- 
man upon  my  account.     I  am  yours  to  serve. 

Mark  Noble, 
A  friend  to  my^country. 


86  K AMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 


RAMBLE  XCV. 

The    Old    Stavers   Hotel  -  The   3Party  — The   Daniel  Street 
.Apparition—  The  Dance- A.  Fragrant  Interruption. 

The  following  reminiscences  of  the  old  Pitt  Tavern, 
in  Pitt  (now  Court)  street,  presenting,  as  they  do,  a  pleas- 
ant picture  of  social  life  in  the  olden  time,  are  perhaps 
worth  preserving  from  oblivion  ;  not  the  less  so  from  the 
fact  that  the  ancient  hostelry  still  survives,  in  a  vigorous 
old  age,  the  merry  party,  which  on  the  occasion  referred 
to,  were  assembled  within  its  walls. 

On  a  winter  evening,  in  the  latter  portion  of  the  last  cen- 
tury, a  party  of  half  a  dozen  of  the  young  men  of  Ports- 
mouth met  at  the  dwelling  of  one  of  their  number  to  take 
part  in  a  dramatic  representation  he  had  designed  for  the 
amusement  of  himself  and  of  his  friends ;  but  in  conse- 
quence of  the  illness  of  a  member  of  the  family,  it  was 
postponed  until  another  evening.  Feeling  in  a  somewhat 
festive  mood,  it  was  proposed,  by  way  of  mitigating  their 
disappointment,  to  adjourn  to  Stavers'  Hotel,  and  there 
enjoy  a  quiet  supper.  On  proceeding  thither,  the  landlord 
informed  them  that  in  preparing  for  an  expected  sleighing 
party  from  out  of  town  his  larder  was  nearly  exhausted, 
but  he  would  do  the  best  he  was  able  for  them.  As  thev 
sat  around  the  shining  brass  fender  in  the  room  assigned 
to  them,  enjo}Ting  the  genial  warmth  of  a  blazing  wood  fire, 
it  was  suggested  that  while  waiting  for  the  preparation  of 
their  meal,  each  one  in  turn  should  sing  a  song  or  tell  a 
story.  A  majority,  being  good  singers,  were  thus  enabled 
to  fulfil  their  share  of  the  agreement,  and  a  young  sailor, 
who  hac^just  returned  from  a  voyage  to  London,  gave  them 
a  description  of  some  of  the  wonders  of  that  famous  city. 
When  the  last  was  called  upon  to  contribute  his  share  to 
the  general  fund  of  amusement,  he  informed  them  that  he 


GHOST   STORY.  87 

was  neither  gifted  as  a  musician  or  as  an  improvisatore,  but 
he  would  tell  thero  what  might  pass  for  a  ghost  story,  re- 
cently related  to  him  by  a  female  relative.  On  a  summer 
night  some  thirty  years  before,  a  young  friend,  (who  after- 
wards became  her  husband,)  had  been  visiting  her  at  her 
lather's  house,  and  on  his  way  home,  while  passing  through 
Ark  (nowPenhallow)  street,  was  startled  by  a  low  whis- 
tle, and  looking  back  to  learn  its  source,  he  saw  the  figure 
of  a  man  far  above  the  ordinarv  stature,  in  a  huntsman's 
dress,  followed  by  a  troop  of  twenty  to  thirty  dogs.  As- 
tonishment at  so  strange  a  spectacle  nearly  rivetted  him  to 
the  spot ;  and  his  wonder  Avas  still  farther  excited  on  ob- 
serving that  he  could  hear  no  sound  of  footsteps,  nor  was 
the  dust  in  the  least  disturbed,  although  it  was  like  ashes 
in  its  lightness,  and  two  to  three  inches  deep.  Recovering 
somewhat  from  his  surprise,  he  addressed  the  individual, 
who  made  no  reply,  and  proceeding  onwards,  passed  down 
Buck  (now  State)  street,  where  the  young  man  lost  sight 
of  him  in  the  distance.  On  reaching  home,  instead  of 
retiring  at  once  to  rest,  he  seated  himself  in  a  chair  by  the 
side  of  his  bed,  and  fell  into  a  profound  fit  of  meditation 
at  what  he  had  witnessed,  from  which  he  was  aroused  half 
an  hour  afterwards  by  the  entrance  of  his  room  mate,  who, 
in  a  jocular  tone,  inquired  if  "  Molly  had  given  him  the 
mitten  ?"  On  learning  the  cause  of  his  abstraction,  he  re- 
plied, '<  Why,  I  saw  them  myself,  just  as  the  clock  struck 
ten,  while  stopping  a  moment  under  Wentworth's  elms. 
They  passed  me,  and  I  watched  them  until  they  turned 
into  Ark  street.''  Determined,  if  possible,  to  learn  if  se 
unusual  a  visitor,  with  so  large  a  troop  of  canine  compan- 
ions, was  really  in  town,  they  arose  at  an  early  hour,  and 
made  inquiries  at  the  various  places  where  travellers  were 
entertained  in  those  days,  but  could  gather  nothing  then, 
or  at  any  time  afterwards,  that  would  enable  them  to  eluci- 
date the  mystery.     She  further  stated  that  the  moonlight 


88  RAMBLES    ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

on  that  evening  was  of  such  remarkable  brilliancy  that  she 
had  tried  the  experiment  of  reading,  by  its  aid,  the  fine 
print  of  a  pocket  Bible. 

While  commenting  upon  this  curious  story,  supper  was 
announced  as  in  readiness,  and  proving  excellent  in  quality 
as  it  was  abundant  in  quantity,  was  fully  enjoyed.  A  song 
or  two  succeeded,  mingled  with  expressions  of  gratification 
at  the  pleasant  evening  they  had  passed,  when  the  company 
prepared  to  depart  for  their  homes;  but  encountering  in 
the  passage  a  portion  of  the  party  from  out  of  town,  and 
recognizing  a  couple  of  their  school-boy  friends  of  a  few 
years  previous,  they  accepted  an  invitation  to  remain  and 
participate  in  the  dance  about  to  commence  above-stairs, 
for  which  a  colored  professor  of  the  violin  had  been  inclu- 
ded among  the  arrangements  of  the  landlord.  A  further 
addition  was  made  to  their  number  in  the  person  of  a  young 
gentleman,  who  came  to  the  hotel  to  return  a  conveyance 
procured  there  for  an  excursion  to  Boston. 

The  ceremony  of  introduction  being  over,  the  dancing 
commenced  with  great  spirit;  the  unexpected  accession 
.of  so  many  young  gentlemen,  in  providing  them  with  part- 
ners, proving  highly  acceptable  to  the  young  ladies,  who 
had  previously  been  in  a  decided  majority,  They  had  not 
long  enjoyed  their  exciting  amusement,  when  an  odor  of 
onions  became  perceptible  in  the  room,  and  imagining  that 
it  proceeded  from  the  culinary  regions  below  stairs,  the 
doors  leading  into  the  entry  were  closed.  Instead  of 
diminishing  the  perfume,  however,  it  rather  increased,  until 
it  became  quite  overpowering.  The  person  who  seemed 
the  most  annoyed  by  it  was  the  young  gentleman  from 
Boston,  and  while  he  was  endeavoring  to  ascertain  its 
cause,  a  sudden  light  broke  upon  him  which  caused  his 
exit,  for  a  season,  from  the  room. 

His    excursion  to   Boston  had   been  a   combination    of 
ibusiness   and  pleasure,  and  among  many  commissions  he 


FRAGRANT    INTERRUPTION.  89 

had  been  called  upon  to  execute  for  others,  was  the  pur- 
chase of  a  pound  of  that  fragrant  drug  known  as  asafcet- 
ida,  for  an  old  lady  of  his  acquaintance,  a  sort  of  Lady 
Bountiful,  who  went  about  among  the  sick  and  the  needy, 
administering  to  their  various  wants,  spiritual,  temporal, 
and  medicinal.  Receiving  it  from  the  druggist  in  half- 
pound  packages,  it  had  been  laying  in  the  sleigh-box  during 
his  homeward  journey,  from  whence  it  had  been  transport- 
ed to  the  pockets  of  his  coat,  where  it  was  totally  forgotten 
until  it  made  him  aware  of  its  presence,  in  the  heat  of  the 
room  and  the  excitement  of  the  dance.  It  was  soon 
restored  to  its  original  place  of  deposit,  and  the  explana- 
tion given  on  his  return  as  the  cause  of  his  sudden  disap- 
pearance, afforded  the  company  no  little  merriment.  The 
dancing,  interspersed  with  singing,  was  continued  with 
unabated  spirit  until  the  small  hours  of  the  morning,  when 
the  out-of-town  party  took  their  departure,  and  the  Ports- 
mouth delegation  sought  their  various  homes.  It  was  to 
the  latter  one  of  those  unanticipated  seasons  of  enjoyment 
that  leave  behind  so  pleasant  an  impression ;  and  was  not 
forgotten  as  such  by  one  of  them,  at  least,  when  nearly 
fifty  years  had  passed  away. 

The  writer  of  this  heard  the  "  ghost  story"  from  its 
original  relator  when  she  had  reached  the  age  of  more  than 
four  score  years,  and  saw  the  fine-print  Bible  from  which 
she  read  in  that  brilliant  moonlight.  She  said  that  her 
husband  and  his  friend  often  alluded  to  the  incident  in 
their  maturer  years,  and  in  such  a  way,  added  to  the  fact 
that  they  were  truthful  men,  as  to  convince  her  of  their 
entire  sincerity.  Modern  science  would  probably  set  it 
down  as  a  case  of  optical  illusion,  which  may  be  a  correct 
solution  of  the  mystery  ;  one  cannot  but  be  puzzled  a  little, 
however,  by  the  fact,  that  it  occurred  to  two  individuals  at 
a  distance  from  each  other. 


90  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 


RAMBLE  XCVI. 

• 

Lying  before  us*  among  the  ancient  newspapers  of 
Portsmouth,  is  the  "  Neiv  Hampshire  Gazette"  from  the 
17th  of  January  to  the  14th  of  April,  1775,  published  by 
its  original  proprietor,  Daniel  Fowle,  and  bearing  at  its 
head  the  British  coat  of  arms.  The  reading  matter  consists 
chiefly  of  the  doings  of  the  Continental  Congress,  and 
items  of  English  and  domestic  news,  relating  to  the  one  all- 
absorbing  topic — the  difficulties  between  King  George  and 
his  American  subjects.  The  number  of  April  7th  contains 
the  well-known  eloquent  and  prophetic  speech  of  the  Lord 
Mayor  of  London  "  on  the  motion  of  Lord  North  for  an 
address  to  His  Majesty  against  the  Americans."  The  fol- 
lowing synopsis  of  the  advertisements  will  show  who  were 
among  the  leading  business  men  of  Portsmouth  the  year 
previous  to  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolution  : 

Jacob  Sheaf e,  Jr. — Malaga  wine,  feathers,  choice  lime 
and  pitch. 

Hugh  Henderson,  at  his  shop  "  opposite  the  Printing- 
Office  " — English  and  India  goods. 

Thomas  Martin — English  goods,  hardware,  groceries, 
china  and  earthern  ware. 

Benjamin  Austin,  at  his  shop  on  Spring  Hill — Hardware 
and  groceries,  with  "  a  genteel  assortment  of  silver-plated 
shoe-buckles,  of  the  newest  fashion." 

Richard  Wibird  Penhallow,  Long  "Wharf — Russia  duck, 
hardware,  steel,  cordage,  <Src. 

Joshua  Wenhvorth — Refined  bar  iron,  anchors,  &c. 

Noah  Parker — New  ship  bread,  New  York  crackers  and 
batter  bread. 

George  Craigie — English  goods,  including  dry  goods  and 
hardware. 

Jacob  Treadwell,  offers  for  sale  an  assortment  of  prime 
moose  hides. 

*  For  this  and  a  number  of  sketches  used  as  Rambles,  we  are  indebted  to  the  -pen  of  Mr. 
■John  II  Bowles,  now  residing  in  Brooklyn,  L.  I. 


OLD    NEWSPAPER   SKETCHES.  !»1 

John  Moore — Day  and  night  school  at  his  residence  near 
the  Lone:  Wharf.  Also  has  for  sale  paper  hangings,  car- 
peting, Holland  tiles*  for  chimneys,  Jacob's  Law  Dictionary, 
onions,  &c.     [Rather  a  miscellaneous  business.] 

George  Doig,  painter,  from  London,  executes  coats  of 
arms  the  neatest  of  any  in  the  Province  of  New  Hampshire. 
Shop  in  King  street. 

Thomas  Warren,  painter,  from  Boston,  paints  coats  of 
arms. 

Notice. — The  person  who  took  a  gun  out  of  Dr.  Hall 
.Jackson's-]-  entry  is  requested  to  return  the  same  to  George 
Dame,  or  he  will  be  prosecuted  as  a  thief.  [This  sharp 
device  for  frightening  a  rogue  into  making  restitution, 
resorted  to  sometimes  in  our  own  dify,  does  not  appear  to 
have  been  very  successful,  as  the  notice  is  continued  sev- 
eral weeks  in  succession.] 

After  a  lapse  of  twenty  years,  during  which  the  battles 
of  the  Revolution  and  of  the  Constitution  had  been  fought 
and  won,  the  Gazette  seems  to  awake,  like  Rip  Van  Winkle 
from  his  long  slumber,  and  finds  itself  reclining  most  lov- 
ingly in  the  arms  of  its  ancient  political  opponent,  the 
"  Oracle  of  the  Da7j."  Its  dimensions  are  considerably 
enlarged,  and  the  name  of  Daniel  Fowle  has  -given  place  in 
the  imprint  to  that  of  his  apprentice,  John  Melcher.  The 
lion  and  the  unicorn  have  disappeared  also,  to  continue 
their  fight  for  the  crown  in  some  more  congenial  sphere. 
As  these  ancient  contestants,  the  Gazette  and  Oracle,  who 
threw  so  many  paper  bomb-shells  into  each  other's  camps 
in  the  olden  time,  lie  so  quietly  together  before  me,  they 
seem  like  a  pair  of  venerable  gentlemen,  who  forgetting 
the  asperities  of  their  earlier  life,  smoke  the  pipe  of  peace 
-together  in  their  declining  years.  May  they  both  live— 
■the  Gazette  under  its  time-honored  title,  and  the  Oracle 
under  that  of  the  "  Journal  "  which  it  has  held  for  forty- 
seven  years — for  many  generations  yet  to  come. 

°  Query.— Were  not  these  "tiles"  the  same  article  still  to  be  seen  in  the  Warner  man- 
sion, ani  others  of  the  ancient  dwellings  of  Portsmouth  ? 

t  Dr.  Hall  Jackson's  residence,  in  its  present  moilerniz3d  form,  is  still  in  existence  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  Court  and  Washington  streets. 


92  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

There  are  some  fifty  or  sixty  copies  of  the  "Gazette"  and 
"Oracle,"  of  various  dates  in  the  years  179G,  '7  and  '8,  con- 
taining a  large  amount  of  interesting  matter,  much  of  which 
has  passed  into  history,  and  much  more  equally  worthy  of 
being  placed  on  permanent  record,  that,  but  for  its  preser- 
vation through  some  such  method  as  this,  would  have  been 
consigned  to  oblivion.  Among  the  state  papers  are  the 
annual  and  other  messages  of  Presidents  Washington  and 
Adams,  and  the  messages  and  proclamations  of  John  Taylor 
Gilman,  Governor  of  New  Hampshire,  and  Increase  Sum- 
ner, Governor  of  Massachusetts.  There  is  also  a  letter  of 
the  Grand  Lodge  of  Massachusetts  to  General  "Washington, 
signed  by  the  familiar  names  of  Paul  Revere,  Grand  Mas- 
ter, and  Tsaiah  Thomas,  Senior  Grand  Master,  with  General 
Washington's  reply — the  original  of  which  is  at  this  day 
one  of  their  most  valued  relics. 

Much  prominence  is  given  to  the  interesting  events  then 
transpiring  in  Europe.  France  was  in  a  transition  state 
between  the  period  known  as  the  Eeign  of  Terror,  and 
that  when  Napoleon  assumed  the  reins  of  government  and 
obliterated  the  last  vestiges  of  what  had  been  little  else 
than  an  empty  name — the  French  Republic.  "  Citizen  Bon- 
aparte, General-in-Chief  of  the  Army  of  Italy,"  was  win- 
ning for  himself  a  name  that  will  exist  through  all  time. 
Many  of  his  official  letters  to  the  Executive  Directory,  the 
then  existing  government  of  France,  are  published  in  full  ; 
among  others,  that  relating  to  the  battle  of  Lodi,  in  which 
while  giving  due  credit  to  Berthier,  Massena,  D'Allemagne, 
and  others  of  his  generals  for  their  heroic  daring  in  the 
passage  of  the  bridge  across  the  Adda,  modestly  omits 
even  the  slightest  allusion  to  his  own  participation  in  that 
world-renowned  event.  I  find  in  these  papers  many  proofs 
of  the  corrections  of  history  in  relation  to  the  Little  Cor- 
poral. Here  is  a  confirmation  of  the  truth  of  one  of  the 
many  anecdotes  respecting  him,  related  by  himself  in  one 


OLD  NEWSPAPER  SKETCHES.  9o 

of  his  despatches  to  the  Directory.  "  The  day  previous 
to  our  affair  at  Lodi,  while  seeing  a  brigade  file  off,  a  light- 
infantry  man  approached  me  and  said,  '  General,  we  must 
do  so  and  so.'  '  Sir,'  said  I,  '  will  you  be  silent  ?'  when  he 
immediately  disappeared.  I  have  since  endeavored  to  find 
him — for  what  he  hinted  was  exactly  what  I  had  secretly 
ordered — but  much  to  my  regret  I  sought  for  him  in  vain." 
The  following  incident  of  Napoleon's  earlier  life  as  a 
soldier,  I  have  never  met  with  before,  and  if  not  new  to 
others,  is  worth  repeating.  On  rejoining  his  regiment  at 
Auxonne,  in  1789,  after  a  term  of  absence,  he  took  with 
him  a  younger  brother  of  but  the  age  of  twelve  years.  On 
being  asked  by  one  of  his  companions  why  he  had  brought 
with  him  a  youth  of  so  tender  an  age,  he  replied,  "  I  wish 
him  to  enjoy  a  great  spectacle— that  of  a  nation  which 
will  speedily  be  either  regenerated  or  destroyed."  He 
little  fancied,  probably,  at  that  period,  in  the  subordinate 
capacity  of  lieutenant  of  artillery,  how  vast  an  influence 
he  was  destined  to  wield  in  the  future  destinies  of  France. 

It  is  very  evident,  from  the  tone  of  these  journals,  that 
the  American  press  were  accustomed  to  regard  Napoleon 
at  this  period  through  the  medium  of  his  own  personal 
merits,  rather  than  the  blurred  vision  of  British  spectacles, 
as  many  were  inclined  to  do  in  later  years  when  the  star 
of  his  fortunes  was  waning,  or  when  his  position  as  arbiter 
of  the  destines  of  Europe,  was  changed  to  that  of  a  pow- 
erless exile  upon  the  rock  of  St.  Helena. 

The  following  are  a  few  of  the  names  that  appear  in  the 
advertisements  of  1798  :  J.  Whipple,  Collector  of  Customs  ; 
Martin  Parry,  Samuel  Larkin,  James  Rundlett,  George 
Long,  Clement  Jackson,  John  Shapley,  Edward  Parry,  Lang, 
Brierly  &  Co.,  Benj.  Bigelow,  Jr.,  •  Nathaniel  A.  Haven, 
Fairbanks  &  Sparhawk.  George  Wentworth,  Leigh  & 
Boudes,  James  Sheafe,  Peter  Coffin,  Joseph  Green,  Neil 
Mclntyre,  John  Noble  &  Co.,  Win.  Neil,  John  Pomeroy,  (in 
Buck  street,,  near  the  sign  of '-'Noah's  Ark.") 


u 


RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 


There  was  no  lack  of  amusement,  it  would  seem,  at 
Portsmouth,  in  the  latter  portion  of  the  last  century,  of 
which  that  venerable  temple  of  Melpomene  and  Terpsi- 
chore, the  old  Assembly  House,  was  the  arena.  At  one 
time  the  advertisements  announce  the  Boston  company  as 
performing  tragedy  and  comedy  ;  and  at  another,  Mrs.  and 
Miss  Arnold,  and  Miss  Green,  of  the  dramatic  profession, 
are  aided  by  Portsmouth  amateurs,  in  the  production  of 
light  comedy  and  farce,  with  an  occasional  attempt  at 
tragedy.  Young  Norval,  in  the  tragedy  of  Douglas,  "  by 
a  young  gentleman  of  Portsmouth."  Old  Pickle,  in  the 
farce  of  the  Spoiled  Child,  "  by  a  gentleman  of  Portsmouth," 
etc.  Here  is  a  portion  of  the  entertainment  for  March 
21st,  1788,  that  from  its  exceeding  novelty  is  worth  bring- 
ing to  light.  It  is  well  for  Barnum  that  he  did  not  flour- 
ish in  those  days;  the  Fejee  Mermaid  or  Woolly  Horse 
would  hardly  have  saved  him  from  being  shorn  of  his  lau- 
rels. "A  favorite  tragic  piece  called  '  The  Babes  in  the 
Woods,'  wherein  will  be  displayed  the  father  and  mother 
lying  on  their  beds,  giving  charge  of  their  children  to 
their  brother,  who  promises  to  take  care  of  them.  After 
the  death  '  of  the  parents,  which  takes  place  before  the 
audience,  the  uncle  hires  two  ruffians  to  kill  them;  they' 
fight,  and  one  of  them  is  killed  ;  also  the  Death  of  the 
Babes;  a  Robin  will  descend  and  cover  them  with  leaves  ; 
being  one  of  the  greatest  curiosities  ever  exhibited.  Like- 
wise an  Angel  will  descend,  uncover  the  bodies,  and  fly 
away  with  them  !  To  conclude  with  the  fatal  end  of  the 
cruel  uncle,  who  is  carried  off  by  a  large  Serpent  11 "  The 
working  up  of  the  final  catastrophe,  the  retribution  that 
Overtook  the  "  cruel  uncle"  through  the  agency  of  that 
u  huge  Serpent,"  Was  a  stroke  of  genius,  never  excelled  in 
the  modern  school  of  sensation  dramas. 

The  most  youthful  and  the  last  of  these  relics  of  ancient 
journalism,  is  uThe  Literary  Mirror"  of  various  dates  in 


OLD    NEWSPAPERS.  95 

• 

1808,  "published  by  Stephen  Sewell,  in  Court  street,  oppo- 
site the  Brick  Market," — neat  and  tasteful  in  its  typograph- 
ical execution,  and  containing  a  judicious  variety  of  origi- 
nal and  selected  matter.  It  was  published,  I  think,  but  a 
single  year,  though  deserving  a  longer  lease  of  life. 

As  I  look  upon  these  ancient  sheets,  especially  those  of 
ante-revolutionary  date  that  have  so  long  survived  the 
generation  who  were  their  first  readers,  the  thought  occurs 
to  me  that  among  the  many  and  great  improvements  time 
has  made  since  they  first  issued  from  the  press,  there  is 
none  greater  than  that  in  newspaper-printing  itself.  Fancy 
presents  to  my  view  Mr.  Daniel  Fowle  standing  by  the  side 
of  the  quaint-looking  structure,  but  little  superior  in  its 
mechanism  to  an  old-fashioned  cider  mill,  on  which  these 
antique  copies  of  the  Gazette,  at  the  rate  of  fifty  to  an  hun- 
dred per  hour,  received  their  impression;  while  that  eccen- 
tric specimen  of  colored  humanity,  Prime,  his  serving  man, 
inks  the  types  with  a  pair  of  sheepskin  balls,  black  and 
glistening  as  his  own  face.  Equally  incredulous  would 
have  been  both  Prime  and  his  master,  to  learn,  that  in  the 
not  far  distant  future  a  piece  of  mechanism  would  be  pro- 
duced, wondrous  alike  for  grace,  beauty  and  celerity,  from 
whence  twenty-five  thousand  sheets,  printed,  folded  and 
counted,  could  be  thrown  in  a  single  hour,  nor  less  so  that 
steam  would  be  the  power  by  which  this  marvellous  ma- 
chine could  be  set  in  motion. 
/ 


RAMBLE  XCVII. 


Christian    Shore-Freeman's    Point  — The    Ham    House  — 
The    "Waterhou.se    Family. 

In  a  former  Ramble  we  said  we  were  unable  to  state  the 
origin  of  the  name  Christian  Shore,  given  to  the  north  part 


96  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

of  our  city.  We  since  learn  that  a  century  ago,  when 
there  were  but  few  families  beyond  where  the  North  mill 
bridge  now  is,  there  were  several  who  were  strict  adher- 
ents to  puritan  principles,  while  others  were  more  loose  in 
their  habits,  and  might  be  found  sometimes  late  at  night  at 
Foss's  Tavern,  enjoying  their  flip,  and  cracking  their  jokes. 
When  the  hour  for  parting  arrived,  "  Well,  we  must  leave 
for  Christian  Shore"  was  frequently  the  jocose  remark ; 
and  from  it  that  part  of  Portsmouth  took  its  name.  In  the 
town  books,  that  part  of  the  town,  two  hundred  years  ago, 
was  designated  as  "the  land  on  the  other  side  of  Straw- 
berry Bank  Creek." 

One  of  the  most  beautiful  locations  in  Portsmouth  for 
river  proximity,  extensive  prospect  and  varied  landscape, 
is  that  above  Portsmouth  Bridge,  known  of  late  years  as 
Freeman's  Point,  but  for  nearly  two  centuries  previously 
as  Ham's  Point.  It  is  approached  by  Cutts's  lane,  and  a 
ride  of  a  third  of  a  mile  from  North  road  brings  you  to  the 
spot  where  the  old  deserted  mansion  house  of  William  Ham, 
with  the  marks  of  where  the  corn-house  and  barn  once 
stood,  remained  until  it  was  taken  down  in  18G8  or  '69  ; 
and  the  enclosed  square  in  its  rear  contains  the  graves  of 
five  or  six  generations.  Kough  stones  mark  the  head  and 
foot  of  each  mound,  but  they  tell  not  a  name  or  date  of 
those  of  olden  time  who  sleep  there. 

It  is  said  that  three  brothers  of  the  Ham  family  came  to 
this  country  previous  to  1616:  we  have,  however,  the 
name  of  William  only,  who  in  1652  had  a  grant  of  fifty 
acres  of  land  at  what  is  now  called  Freeman's  Point, 
where  he  erected  a  dwelling,  which  is  probably  the  build- 
ing now  standing  there.  In  1654,  Matthew  Ham  was  grant- 
ed by  the  town  "a  lot  of  land  next  to  his  father's  new 
dwelling  house."  In  1660,  Matthew  Ham  was  granted 
twenty  five  acres — which  appears  to  have  been  between 
the  Point  farm  and  the  present  main  road.     In  1668,  there 


freeman's    point.  97 

was  a  John  Ham  in  Dover,  who  might  have  been  another 
son  of  William. 

In  1GG4,  it  appears  by  the  town  book  that  "  Wm.  Ham, 
widow  Ham,  and  the  rest  who  live  on  the  other  side  of 
Strawberry  Bank  Creek"  made  complaint  that  William 
Cotton  was  interfering  with  their  rights  by  claiming  his 
division  of  the  public  land  on  that  shore,  whereupon  the 
selectmen  decreed  that  William  Ham  should  have  sixty-six 
acres,  joining  on  the  north-  side  Richard  and  John  Cutt's 
two  hundred  acre  farm.*  That  Matthew  Ham  should  have 
twenty-five  acres,  on  the  west  of  William's,  also  bounded 
on  the  north-west  by  the  Cutt  farm.  Roger  Knight  had 
thirteen  acres,  assigned  between  Matthew  Ham's  and  Rich- 
ard Jackson's.  Richard  Seaward  had  thirteen  acres,  east 
of  Knight's  ;  and  Richard  Jackson  was  decreed  twenty-six 
acres. 

On  the  latter  grant  the  old  Jackson  house  of  two  stories 
now  stands,  which  was  probably  built  as  early  as  1G6I,  and 
is  now  more  than  two  centuries  old ;  probably  the  most 
ancient  house  in  the  city.  It  is  a  rare  specimen  of  the 
architecture  of  the  early  times.  The  roof  on  the  north 
side  extends  to  the  ground,  covering  a  wood-house  in  con- 
nection with  the  dwelling.  The  frame  is  of  oak,  and  the 
timber  which  forms  the  sills  projects  into  the  lower  rooms, 
affording  around  them  a  continuous  and  stationary  seat  for 
the  children  of  six  generations.  It  is  now  owned  by  Mr. 
Nathaniel  Jackson,  a  regular  descendant  of  the  original 
proprietor. 

The  farm  of  the  first  William  Ham  came  down  by  entail- 
ment to  the  oldest  sons  through  four  or  five  generations. 
We  hive  no  early  family  genealogy,  but  as  the  name  of 
William  Ham  is  continued  regularly  in  the  tax  lists  for 
many  years,  there  is  little  doubt  that  the   oldest  sons  for 


•  This  Cutt's  farm  was  that  which  Madam  Ursula  occupied  thirty  years  after,  when  she 
was  killed  by  the  Indians,  and  is  now  the  beautiful  country  seat  of  Mark;  H.  Weni- 
worth,  Esq. 


$8  BAUBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

several  generations  bore  that  name  and  in  succession  in- 
herited the  house  and  possessed  the  form. 

The  OAvner  in  the  year  1700  was  Samuel  Ham.  His  old- 
est son,  "William,  who  was  born  there  about  1712,  married 
Elizabeth  Waterhouse  and  had  seven  sons — Samuel,  who 
inherited  the  homestead)  Timothy,f  George,  William, 
Ephraim,  Nathaniel,  and  Benjamin, — and  one  daughter,  who 
married  Capt.  John  Tuckerman.  The  farm  came  by  right 
of  primogeniture  into  possession  of  Samuel,  who  broke  the 
entailment,  and  more  than  forty  or  fifty  years  since  the 
farm  passed  out  of  the  family. 

It  was  at  a  time  when  the  hostile  Indians  were  prowling 
in  this  neighborhood,  just  after  Madam  Ursula  Cutt  had 
been  murdered  on  the  adjoining  farm,  that  the  Ham  boys 
were  left  at  home  one  Sunday  while  the  family  boat  had 
borne  a  load  to  the  old  mill-dam  meeting.  In  the  midst  of 
the  services,  a  powder  explosion  was  heard.  The  meeting 
was  closed  instantly,  and  the  worshippers,  putting  them- 
selves in  position  to  meet  the  Indians,  proceeded  to  the 
Point.  They  were  agreeably  disappointed  to  find  that  the 
boys  had  affrighted  themselves  as  well  as  the  whole  village, 
by  the  explosion  of  the  great  powder-horn. 


About  a  third  of  a  mile  north  of  the  old  Ham  mansion- 
house  on  the  Point,  between  the  great  elm  and  the  shore, 
in  a  grove,  is  the  cellar  of  the  house  of  Timothy  Water- 
house.  He  was  the  third  son  of  Richard  Waterhouse,  the 
tanner,  who  married  Sarah,  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Renald 
Fernald,  and  owned  and  occupied  Peirce's  Island,  in  1G88. 
The  other  sons  of  Richard  W.  were  Richard,  born  in  1674, 
and  Samuel,  born  in  1G76. 

Timothy  Waterhouse  located  himself  on  this  cove  above 
Freeman's  Point  probably  soon  after   the  year  1700.     He 

t  The  children  of  Timolby  Ham  were  Timothy,  William,  Supply,  Henry,  Elizabeth,  Sarah 
(married  Samuel  Akerman,)  Mary  (married  Samuel  liiewtter),  Thebe  (married  Charles 
Reding),  Aiiu  and  Jaue. 


THE   WATERHOUSE  FAMILY.  99 

was  also  a  tanner  and  shoemaker.  Here  were  his  tan-pits, 
and  his  cultivated  acres.  His  connection  with  the  town 
Avas  by  the  river.  His  wife  was  Miss  Moses.  Their  chil- 
dren were  three  sons — John,  Joseph  and  Timothy  ;  and  six 
daughters, — Margaret,  Mary,  Ruth,  Sarah,  Elizabeth  and 
Lydia.  The  parents  had  the  ability  to  instruct  their  chil- 
dren, and  they  gave  them  a  better  education  at  home  than 
girls  generally  received  in  that  clay.  John  settled  in  Bar- 
rington. Joseph  settled  in  some  town  in  Maine,  and  Timo- 
thy removed  to  Rhode  Island,  where  he  became  one  of  the 
Royal  Council.  Timothy  had  eleven  sons  ;  among  them 
was  the  celebrated  Dr.  Benjamin  Waterhouse,  a  Professor 
at  Cambridge,  and  the  father  of  vaccination  in  this  coun- 
try. [His  own  son  in  the  year  1800  was  successfully  vac- 
cinated for  the  kine  pox  by  him, — the  first  experiment 
made  in  this  country.] 

Margaret  became  the  wife  of  Samuel  Brewster  at  the 
Plains,  and  was  the  mother  of  eight  sons  and  five  daugh- 
ters. Their  first  daughter  Margaret  married  Mr.  Furbisher 
of  Boston.  Samuel  removed  to  Barrington.  31oses  inher- 
ited the  Plains  house.  Timothy  died  at  21.  John  went  to 
sea  and  never  returned.  Abigail  married  Leader  Nelson, 
Mary  married  Samuel  Winkley  of  Barrington,  and  was  the 
mother  of  Winkley  the  Shaker  elder.  Daniel  occupied  the 
house  next  east  of  the  Steam  Factory  previous  to  the 
Revolution — in  1775  removed  to  Rochester,  and  in  1795 
located  in  Wolfeborough.  David  married  Mary  Gains,, 
daughter  of  John,  and  built  the  house  in  Deer  street  in 
17G6.  William  (Colonel)  married  Ruth  Foss,  daughter  of 
Zachariah.  Paul  removed  to  Barrington.  Margaret  2d 
(born  after  the  death  of  the  1st)  married  Joseph  Hayes  of 
Barrington.  Lydia  married  Joseph  Hicks  of  Madbury,  the 
owner  of  "  Hicks'  Hill." 

Mary  married  Mr.  Spinney,  a  ship^carpenter.     She  had 
one  daughter  and  three  sons,  all  of  whom  died  nearly  at 


100  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

the  same  time.  Her  desire  that  her  children  might  be  re- 
stored was  answered — having  again  in  due  time  three  sons 
and  a  daughter. 

Ruth  married  John  Gains,  the  father  of  Col.  George 
Gains  of  the  Revolution,  and  of  Mary  the  wife  of  David 
Brewster.  From  the  latter  descended  Samuel,  Mary  and 
John  G.  Brewster. 

Sarah  was  one  day  visiting  her  sister  Ruth  after  mar- 
riage, when  Capt.  Zachariah  Foss  in  passing  saw  her.  He 
spoke  to  his  associate  on  the  beauty  of  Mrs.  Gains,  when 
he  was  informed  that  he  mistook  the  person.  "  If  that  is 
not  Gains's  wife  she  is  mine,"  was  the  reply.  His  suit  was 
successful.  On  the  total  loss  of  his  property  in  a  few 
years  his  wife  disposed  of  about  ten  dollars'  worth  of  fine 
linen  and  obtained  the  means  for  opening  a  place  of  re- 
freshment on  a  small  scale.  As  their  means  increased,  in 
after  years  they  built  a  large  stage  and  tavern  house  on  the 
spot  on  Fleet  street  now  occupied  by  the  brick  stable  of 
the  Franklin  House.  The  house  afterwards  came  into  pos- 
session of  John  Weare,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Gotham. 

The  children  of  Zachariah  and  Sarah  Foss  were  eight 
daughters.  Sail//,  the  wife  of  Capt.  Cochran  who  had  com- 
mand of  Fort  William  and  Mary  when  captured  by  the 
Patriots  in  1774.  [Mrs.  Charles  Hardy  was  the  youngest 
daughter  of  Capt.  Cochran.]  Mary,  the  wife  of  Joseph 
Young  of  Newmarket.  Elizabeth  married  Thomas  Flagg  , 
of  Chester.  [After  living  together  three  or  four  years  her 
husband  was  detected  coining  money,  and  eloped  with  his 

r 

own  aunt  to  Virginia.  He  took  his  two  young  children, 
and  the  mother  never  saw  her  two  sons  again  until  they 
were  married  men.]  Ruth  married  Col.  William  Brewster. 
JSlargaret  married  Capt.  Cullom.  There  were  also  Joanna, 
Olive  and  Abigail. 

Once  in  her  husband's  absence  at  sea,  Mrs.  Foss  sold  a 
rich  brocade  silk  dress  pattern  and  purchased  the  frame  of 


THE   WATEEHOUSE   FAMILY.  101 

a  house  with  the  proceeds.  The  house  is  now  standing  in 
"Washington  street,  the  Low  house.  What  Foss  acquired 
by  the  industry  and  frugality  of  his  first  wife,  he  lost  by 
the  extravagance  of  a  second,  who  was  a  widow  of  Adams 
of  Boston.  Among  her  bills  contracted  before  the  mar- 
riage was  one  of  several  hundred  pounds  for  sperm  candles.. 
It  took  nearly  all  his  estate  to  pay  her  old  debts. 

Elizabeth  married  William  Ham,  above  referred  to,  and 
lived  on  the  farm  at  Freeman's  Point.  They  had  seven 
sons  and  a  daughter,  whose  names  are  given  elsewhere.     * 

Lydla  married  Capt.  Colby,  who  sailed  in  the  employ  of 
Sir  William  Pepperell.  After  Colby's  death,  Capt.  Ephraim 
Dennett  of  Christian  Shore  took  a  liking  to  her,  and  to 
save  the  trouble  of  frequently  visiting  Kittery  in  the- 
winter,  paid  her  board  at  a  relative's  on  Christian  Shore  by 
furnishing  the  family  with  their  wood  for  the  winter.  In 
the  spring  they  were  ready  to  be  married,  and  took  up 
their  residence  in  the  prominent  Dennett  house,  now  better 
known  as  the  "  Bee  Hive."  After  a  few  years  she  became 
a  widow,  and  her  reputation  as  belonging  to  a  family  of 
smart  girls  brought  her  to  the  notice  of  John  Plummer 
of  Rochester.  For  an  account  of  his  romantic  interview 
when  she  was  dressed  in  her  leather  apron,  the  reader  is 
referred  to  the  75th  Ramble,  345th  page.  Lydia  had  but 
one  son,  Jeremiah  Dennett.  [His  children  were  George, 
Ephraim,  John  Plummer,  Mark,  Jeremiah,  William,  Lydia, 
Susannah,  Ann  and  Catherine. 

Thus  have  we  almost  unwittingly,  while  standing  over 
the  old  Waterhouse  cellar,  conjured  up  an  army  of  which 
the  germs  here  first  had  existence.  We  can  point  also  to 
some  remains  of  the  old  house  which  was  removed  from 
the  cellar  about  92  years  ago.  It  may  be  found  in  the  an- 
cient mansion  house  of  the  late  Timothy  Ham  senior,  at 
the  corner  of  North  and  Dearborn  streets.  But  those  who 
gave  life  to  the  house  a  century  and  a  third  ago,  are  sub- 
jects of  more  interest. 


102  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

There  was  no  little  life  in  that  old  house — which  had 
under  its  roof  six  merry  girls  and  three  roguish  boys  and 
a  slave — and  sometimes  the  staid  old  folks  would  tell  them 
that  they  almost  raised  the  evil  one.  One  winter  evening, 
somewhere  about  1725  the  parents  were  absent  for  the 
night,  the  snow  was  fast  falling,  and  the  boys  and  girls 
resolved  to  have  a  good  time.  So  the  fire  was  enlivened 
with  fresh  wood,  and  the  dance  began.  The  slave  had  a 
good  voice,  and  as  he  capered  round  in  a  "  country  dance  " 
••  merrily  sang- — 

"  Don't  you  see  how  my  Jiead  does  wag — 
I>on't  you  see  how  my  shouldeis  lag — 
Don't  you  see  how  my  hips  do  shake— 
Don't  you  see  what  paius  1  lake. 
In  dancing  of  my  quivering  shake  I" 

In  the  height  of  their  hilarity,  which  would  hardly  have 
been  enjoyed  in  the  old  folks'  presence,  there  was  a  violent 
•.thumping  at  the  door.  In  that  stormy  night,  far  away  from 
any  neighbors,  and  from  any  road,  there  was  something 
frightful  in  that  token.  The  singing  was  hushed,  and  that 
parental  admonition  to  beware  of  "  raising  the  evil  one," 
seemed  to  flash  suddenly  over  their  superstitious  minds. 
Margaret,  the  oldest  and  bravest,  led  the  way  to  the  door, 
but  no  sooner  had  she  opened  it  than  she  saw  what  she 
■thought  Satan  himself.  The  figure  was  white,  with  a  horri- 
ble black  face  deep  in  a  white  lopped  hat,  which  was  hang- 
ing down  over  each  shoulder !  That  the  Old  Scratch  had 
now  come  they  all  hejieved,  Margaret  fainted,  and  it  was 
sometime  before  the  ugly  looking  but  faithful  slave  of 
Nathaniel  Jackson  was  recognized  beneath  his  snow  cov- 
ering,— who  had  "  come  to  get  Massa's  shoes" 

Could  those  nine  children  now  be  recalled  on  this  spot, 
the  fright  of  that  night  would  doubtless  be  one  of  the  first 
events  they  would  bring  to  remembrance. 

The  Rambler  feels  some  personal  interest  in  that  family, 
for  three  of  those  sisters,  Margaret,  Ruth  and  Elizabeth 
Waterhouse,  all  hold  to  him  in  different  lines  the  relation 
of  great-grandmothers. 


THE   PICKERING   FAMILY.  JOS 


RAMBLE   XCVIII. 


Tlie    Pickering    Family. 


James  Coleman  Pickering  died  at  Newington  March 
30,  1862,  aged  .90  years  6  months.  He  was  in  his  man- 
ners, character  and  appearance  a  gentleman  of  the  old 
school.  lie  was  tall,  erect,  of  large  frame,  and  comely  in 
figure  and  feature.  He  owned  and  cultivated  the  ancient 
Pickering  homestead  ;  was  the  oldest  person  in  town,  and 
enjoyed  through  his  long  pilgrimage  the  confidence  and 
respect  of  the  community.  He  was  a  descendant,  in  the 
sixth  generation,  from  Hon.  John  Pickering,  Speaker  of  the 
Colonial  Assembly  and  King's  Attorney  General  of  the 
Province  of  New  Hampshire.*  He  lived  and  died  where  he 
was  born,  in  the  old  Pickering  mansion,  and  where  were 
born  his  grandfather  Joshua  Pickering  (father  of  late 
Ephraim  Pickering)  and  his  uncle,  the  late  Hon.  John 
Pickering,  Chief  Justice  of  the  State. 

By  his  death  his  beautiful  homestead  farm,  which  has 
been  in  this  family  from  the  first  settlement  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, and  descended  from  father  to  son  for  nearly  two 
hundred  years  without  a  deed  in  all  that  time,  will  pass 
into  the  possession  of  another  generation.  Incidents  of 
this  kind  serve  occasionally  as  landmarks  to  indicate  how 
fast  and  far  the  present  generation  are  drifting  from  the 
English  habits  which  for  many  generations  characterized 
the  people  of  this  section  of  the  State. 

He  was  the  last  of  a  family  of  twelve  children,  all  of 
whom  were  alive  at  the   death  of  their  father,  more  than 

°  The  wives  of  the  late  Dr  Nathan  Parker,  Isaac  Lyman.  Wm.  K.  Atkinson,  and  Charles 
Walker,  who  were  sisters,  and  the  late  William  Pickering,  State  Treasurer,  were  descend- 
ants of  the  same  John  Pickering  as  are  Thomas  B  Aldrich  of  Boston,  James  F.  Joy  of 
Detroit.  Wm.  P.  Haines  of  Biddeford,  Wm  P.  Weeks  of  Canaan,  Albert  R.  Hatch  and  John 
S.  H.  t'rink  of  Portsmouth,  the  wife  of  Josiah  Minot  of  Concord,  and  the  wife  of  Wm.  H.  Y. 
Hackett  of  Portsmouth. 


104  E AMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

half  a  century  ago,  and  followed  him  from  the  same  house 
to  the  grave.     They  were — 

Anna,  the  wife  of  Samuel  Fabyan  of  Newington — born 
Feb.  28,  1758  ;  died  Dec.  26th,  1833,  aged  75. 

Sarah  T.,  wife  of  Valentine  Pickering — born  April  11, 
17G0  ;  died  Jan.  1,  1823,  aged  62. 

Deborah  Rollins,  wife  of  Paul  Rollins  of  Newington — 
born  Jan.  15,  1762  ;  died  March  22d,-  1846,  aged  83. 

Lydia,  the  wife  of  Theodore  Furber  of  Portsmouth — 
born  March  1,  1764;  died  Jan.  3,  1842,  aged  78. 

Olive  Rindge — born  March  22,  1765;  died  Sept.  16, 
1840,  unmarried,  aged  75. 

Joshua  Pickering,  of  North  Hampton — born  March  8, 
1768  ;  died  Jan.  25,  1852,  aged  84. 

Joseph  W.  Pickering,  of  Portsmouth — born  March  15, 
1770  ;  died  May  19,  1850,  aged  80. 

James  C.  Pickering — born  Sept.  30,  1771 ;  died  March 
30,  1862,  aged  90^. 

Mary,  wife  of  Joseph  Perkins  of  Kennebunkport — born 
Nov.  8, 1773  ;  died  Aug.  1,  1849,  aged  76. 

Elizabeth,  wife  of  Jonathan  Stone  of  Kennebunkport — 
born  Oct.  23,  1775  ;  died  July  3,  1834,  aged  59. 

Abigail,  wife  of  Matthew  B.  Packer  of  Greenland  ;  born 
Oct.  4,  1777 ;  died  Sept.  3,  1857,  aged  80. 

Ephraim  Pickering,  of  Newington — born  Sept.  28,  1779  ; 
and  killed  by  an  explosion  of  a  magazine  at  Fort  Constitu- 
tion, July  4,  1809  ;  and  died  in  the  house  now  occupied  by 
Mr.  Hackett,  69  Congress  street,  aged  30. 

The  average  age  of  the  twelve  children  was  73  ;  a  case 
of  family  longevity  rarely  found.  Their  added  ages,  with 
that  of  their  parents,  was  over  a  thousand  years.  Of  the 
eleven  married,  all  except  Ephraim  outlived  their  respec- 
tive wives  and  husbands,  by  many  years. 

Lydia  (Coleman)  Pickering,  the  widow  of  the  late  Col. 
Ephraim  P.  whose  twelve  children  are  above  named,  died 


THE   PICKERING   FAMILY.  105 

in  the  same  house,  February  1G,  1832,  aged  94.  She  was 
the  mother  of  twelve  children,  ten  of  whom  were  alive  at 
her  death  ;  GO  grandchildren,  43  of  whom  were  then  liv- 
ing; 93  great-grandchildren,  81  of  whom  were  then  living; 
and  five  of  the  fifth  generation: — 170  descendants,  139  of 
whom  were  living  at  her  death. 

Mr.  James  C.  Pickering  and  two  of  his  brothers,  Joseph 
W.  and  Joshua,  if  we  mistake  not,  were  subscribers  to  the 
Portsmouth  Oracle  when  it  commenced  in  1793,  and  con- 
tinued to  take  it  when  the  name  of  the  paper  was  changed 
to  the  Portsmouth  Journal,  and  as  long  as  they  lived. 
Whether  that  good  state  of  mind  which  results  from  a 
consciousness  of  dealing  justly  with  others  tends  to  long 
life,  is  a  problem  in  philosophy  we  will  not  attempt  now 
to  discuss, — but  the  fact  that  they  all  three  paid  promptly 
their  annual  subscriptions   our  books  give  evidence. 

The  first  John  Pickering,  of  whom  an  account  is  given 
in  Ramble  VII.  had  two  sons  ;  John,  born  in  1640,  who  in- 
herited Pickering's  Neck,  and  Thomas,  who  had  his  farm  in 
what  is  now  Newington.  Thomas's  first  son  James,  born 
about  1680,  was  the  first  male  Pickering  born  in  Ne wing- 
son.  He  was  a  lieutenant  in  the  French  war ;  was  married 
in  1717.  He  had  three  brothers  and  eight  sisters.  One  of 
his  sisters  married  a  Brackett,  from  whom  descended  the 
Brackett  family  now  living  in  Greenland  ,  one  married  a 
Seavey,  of  Rye,  who  was  an  ancestor  of  the  Sheafe  family — 
the  mother  of  the  wife  of  the  first  Jacob  Sheafe  ;*  another 
married  a  Weeks,  of  Greenland;  one  a  Grow;  one  a  Cham- 
berlain.    From  the  old  Lieut,  sprang  all  the  Pickerings  of 

Newmarket  (some  of  whom  have  emigrated  to  the  South), 

•  We  will  in  this  connection  correct  a  mistake  made  in  a  former  Ramble,  respecting  the 
locality  of  the  mansion  house,  in  which  Hannah  >eavey,  the  wife  of  the  first  Jacob  Sheafe, 
was  born.  The  houeo  was  on  the  beautiful  spot  where  the  new  house  of  Mr.  Ebon  L.  Seavey 
now  stands,  at  the  head  of  Seavey's  Creek,  on  the  road  leading  from  Sagamore  Creek  to 
Wallis's  Sands.  The  old  house  was  taken  down  but  a  few  years  since.  His  grandfather, 
Wm  Seavey,  a  brother  of  Hannah,  inherited  it  from  his  father.  Connected  with  the  house 
is  an  excellent  bathing  house  on  the  C  reek,  and  the  beauty  and  convenience  of  the  locality 
attracts  many  boarders  from  abroad  in  the  summer  months. 

8 


106  E AMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

all  those  in  Rochester  and  Barnstead,  besides  what  remain 
in  Newington.  The  great-grandfather  of  Charles  W.  Pick- 
ering, of  the  U.  S.  Navy,  was  a  son  of  Lt.  James.  Joshua, 
a  brother  of  Lieut.  James,  married  a  Smithson,  from  Ports- 
mouth. He  had  six  sons.  One  of  them,  Judge  Pickering, 
father  of  the  late  Jacob  S.  Pickering,  married  his  second- 
cousin;  a  sister  of  Col.  James  Sheafe.  His  second  brother, 
Thomas,  married  Col.Downing's  daughter  for  his  first  wife; 
a  Miss  Janvrin  of  Portsmouth  for  his  second.  From  him 
descended  all  the  Pickerings  now  living  in  Greenland,  and 
three  or  four  families  now  living  in  Newington.  The  late 
Richard  Pickering  was  his  son.  His  grandson,  Col.  Thomas 
Pickering,  commanded  a  regiment  stationed  on  Peirce's 
Island  during  the  last  war  with  England ;  so  it  seems  up  to 
that  time  the  old  military  spirit  had  not  subsided. 


RAMBLE  XCIX. 


Pickering    House     in     Vaughan     Sti-eet  —  Ed-ward    Hart  — 
Gen.    Peabody's    Perfidy  —  Capt.    Oullam,    <Scc. 

The  Pickering  mansion,  in  Vaughan  street,  was  built  not 
far  from  the  year  1780,  by  Mr.  Edward  Hart,  a  baker,  the  son 
of  Col.  John  Hart,  who  in  an  excursion  to  Louisburg  in  1758 
died  there  of  the  small  pox.  Col.  Hart  left  eleven  sons  by 
three  wives :  Thomas  a  mariner  died  in  Europe,  William  a 
mathematician,  George  a  blacksmith  (father  of  the  late 
George  Hart  of  Deer  street,)  John  a  ropemaker,  Benjamin 
(the  father  of  the  late  venerable  Hanson  M.  Hart,)  Edward 
a  baker,  Richard  who  settled  on  a  farm  at  Newington,  Jo- 
seph, Henry  and  Nathaniel,  blacksmiths,  and  Oliver  a  house 
carpenter.  (Messrs.  Richard  Hart  of  Russell  street  and 
Daniel  Hart  were  their  cousins.) 


PICKERING    HOUSE.  107 

Edward  Ha*t,  as  above  stated,  built  this  house,  and  was 
at  the  time  the  baker  of  Portsmouth.  The  building  on  the 
north  of  the  house,  now  a  livery  stable,  was  built  for  his 
store  and  bake-house.  Between  the  dwelling-house  and  the 
bake-house  was  a  shop  for  selling  bread.  At  that  day 
wheeled  vehicles  were  scarce.,  and  the  hot  bread  was  put 
in  two  large  pannier  baskets,  and  placed  on  the  horse's 
back,  behind  the  carrier.  The  customers  had  to  be  on  the 
look-out,  as  there  was  no  discounting.  In  rainy  weather 
and  in  hot  sunshine,  a  wide-spread  umbrella  was  raised,  and 
the  steam  rising  from  the  baskets  and  the  horse's  heated 
sides,  gave  some  premonitions  of  the  steam  travel  of  later 
days.  It  was  found,  however,  that  horses  could  stand  this 
business  but  a  short  time — the  hot  bread  continually  ap- 
plied to  their  backs,  was  soon  fatal.  Bread  carts  were  af- 
terwards brought  into  use. 

In  a  few  years  after  Mr.  Hart  built  this  house.,  the  Uni- 
■versalist  Society  purchased  the  lot  in  the  rear  and  erected 
the  meeting-house.  Mr.  H.  was  not  pleased  with  its  prox- 
imity to  his  premises,  and  remarked  to  its  projector — "It  is 
no  matter,  I  shall  have  it  for  a  stable  one  of  these  days." 
The  reply  was,  "  Well  it  may  be  so — for  our  Lord  and 
Master  was  born  in  a  stable."  The  house  was  used  for 
public  worship  by  different  societies  during  the  life  of  Mr. 
Hart — although  there  have  been  times  since  when  it  has 
sunk  beneath  the  dignified  name  of  a  stable. 

As  Deputy  Sheriff,  Mr.  Hart's  bondsmen  were  Judge 
John  Pickering  and  Dr.  William  Cutter.  Imprisonment  for 
debt  was  the  law  and  custom  of  those  times — and  anion s: 
the  men  who  would  not  pay  their  debts  was  Gen.  Nathaniel 
Peabody  of  Exeter.  When  on  a  visit  to  Portsmouth,  a 
writ  was  put  into  Mr.  Hart's  hands,  and  he  served  it  upon 
him  taking  him  as  a  prisoner.  "  Money,  bail,  or  jail,"  was 
the  word.  Money  he  could  not  command  —bail  he  could 
not  give — and  so  jail  was  the    only  horn  of  the  dilemma 


108  RAMBLES    ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

left.  Gen.  P.  said  he  preferred  imprisonment  in  Exeter 
jail,  and  so  the  accommodating  Sheriff,  in  respect  for  the 
high  military  position  of  his  charge,  started  with  him  for 
Exeter.  At  Portsmouth  Plains,  the  General  told  him  he 
did  not  like  to  have  the  show  of  so  long  a  ride  in  tire  cus- 
tody of  a  sheriff,  and  if  he  would  allow  him  to  proceed 
alone,  he  would  deliver  himself  to  Hart  the  next  day  at 
Exeter.  Hart  took  his  personal  promise.  Gen.  P.  went 
home  alone,  and  the  next  day  the  Sheriff  was  promptly  on 
the  ground.  Gen.  P.  however  on  arriving  home,  made  his 
house  his  castle,  and  kept  out  of  sight.  This  made  the 
Sheriff  responsible  for  a  large  debt,  and  was  his  ruin. 

The  bondsmen  paid  the  debt,  and  Judge  Pickering  took 
the  house  and  building  in  Vaughan  street,  to  which  he 
removed  when  his  residence  in  Market  street  was  burned 
by  the  lire  of  1802.  Dr,  William  Cutter  took  a  parcel  of 
land  on  the  west  and  north  sides  of  the  North  burying 
ground,  in  consideration  of  what  he  had  to  pay  as  bonds- 
man. This  land  was  afterwards  purchased  of  Dr.  Cutter 
by  the  town,  and  added  to  the  original  acre  which  Mr. 
Hart's  father  had  originally  granted  to  the  town  Tor  a 
burying  ground. 

This  misplaced  confidence  of  Mr.  Hart  was  felt  by  him 
and  his  family  through  life,  which  closed  some  fifty  years 
since. 

We  will  not  resuscitate  the  remains  of  one  who  at  an 
earlier  day  was  an  occupant  of  the  next  house  north. 

When  David  Culiam  came  to  Portsmouth,  we  do  not 
know.  As  early  as  1773  he  was  married  to  a  Miss  Currier. 
She  had  the  reputation  of  being  an  excellent  woman,  and 
he  an  affectionate  and  kind  husband.  Their  offspring  were 
one  son,  who  bore  his  father's  name,  and  died  in  early  life 
unmarried  ;  and  one  daughter,  Amy.  She  Avas  born  about 
the  year  1774.  Her  mother  died  when  Amy  was  not  more 
than  three   years    old.     In  177G  Capt.  Culiam  was  without 


CAPT.  DAVID  CULLAM.  109 

much  property,  ranking  with  the  loAvest  in  tax  assessment. 
In  1777  his  taxes  had  increased  about  four  fold,  and  in 
1779  he  was  one  of  the  rich  men  of  Portsmouth,  being  one 
of  the  twenty  highest  tax  payers.  He  was  a  lieutenant 
with  Elijah  Hall,  under  John  Paul  Jones,  either  in  the 
Reliance,  or  the  Ranger,  or  Bonne  Homme  Richard. 
There  is  a  naval  anecdote  of  Capt.  Cullam  which  one  of 
our  old  citizens,  now  dead,  used  to  relate,  as  told  him  by 
Capt.  Cullam.  When  sailing  with  Jones,  they  had  on 
board  a  large  number  of  green  hands.  One  day  a  number 
of  vessels  hove  insight.  The  number  was  rather  terrify- 
ing to  the  crew.  Have  we  got  to  fight  them  ?  What  are 
they  ? — were  the  general  inquiries.  "  They  are  all  seventy- 
fours,"  said  Capt.  Cullam,  "  we  shall  have  to  fight  them, 
and  they  will  kill  you  all — so  prepare  for  the  worst!'' 
They  did  fight  and  take  them — valuable  merchantmen,  and 
the  five  shares  owned  by  Capt.  C.  as  Lieut,  was  a  fortune 
to  him.  Capt.  C.  had  not  been  much  in  the  habit  of  at- 
tending church.  One  Sunday,  after  he  became  rich,  he 
was  seen  in  his  pew  in  the  North  Church,  and  the  old  gen- 
tleman to  whom  we  just  now  referred,  when  they  next 
met,  referred  to  the  rare  occurrence.  "  0,"  said  he,  "  they 
sent  me  the  devil  of  a  tax  bill  for  my  pew,  and  I  mean  to. 
get  my  money's  worth."  (There  was  a  property  assess- 
ment on  pews.) 

After  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  Capt.  Cullam  broke  up 
house-keeping  and  boarded  at  a  hotel,  kept  by.  Zachariah 
Foss,  on  the  spot  in  Fleet  street  where  the  stable  of  the 
Franklin  House  now  stands.  Foss  had  three  daughters. 
One  of  them  married  Col.  Wm.  Brewster,  and  another  mar- 
ried Capt.  Cochrane  who  had  the  command  of  Fort  William 
and  Mary,  at  Newcastle,  when  it  was  captured  by  the  citi- 
zens in  1775  ;  and  the  other  daughter,  Margaret,  Capt. 
Cullam  took  as  his  second  wife.  She  was  handsome  and 
neat  in  her  personal  appearance,   but  in  disposition  very 


ilO  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

passionate.  They  first  went  to  housekeeping  in  the  man- 
sion on  the  corner  of  Hanover  and  Vaughan  streets, 
afterwards  occupied  by  Col.  Supply  Clapp,  and  now  by. 
the  heirs  of  John  If  ill.  Capt.  C.  removed  into  a  house  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  street,  afterwards  owned  by  Capt. 
George  F.  Blunt,  on  the  spot  where  Samuel  Cleaves'  house 
now  stands.  In  1780  he  lived  in  a  house  on  Deer  street, 
near  where  the  Concord  Depot  now  is.  He  still  followed 
the  sea — but  his  prize  money,  like  that  of  many  others, 
went  as  easily  as  it  came,  and  in  1784  he  was  again  reduced 
to  comparative  poverty — paying  only  a  poll  tax.  He  died 
in  some  foreign  port  about  the  year  1785.  By  his  second 
Avife  he  had  several  children,  all  of  whom  died  in  childhood. 
Amy,  the  daughter  of  the  first  wife,  received  from  her 
stepmother  rather  cruel  treatment.  So  apparent  was  it, 
that  the  friends  of  the  child  interposed  in  her  behalf/  and 
she  was  placed  in  the  family  of  Mr.  Daniel  Eindge,  who 
occupied  a  house  on  the  corner  of  Market  and  Daniel 
streets.  She  became  the  companion  arid  assistant  of  Mrs. 
R.  and  received  the  education  of  a  daughter.  It  was  here 
that  the  estimable  merchant  whose  shop  was  in  close  prox- 
imity to  the  house  on  the  north,  first  became  acquainted 
with  her — and  no  less  fascinating  were  her  attractions  by 
seeing  her,  like  Rebecca,  bringing  water  from  that  well, 
which  is  now  on  the  premises  of  S.  H.  Simes  &  Co.  It 
was  a  remark  one  of  our  reverend  doctors  of  divinity 
used  to'  make,  that  while  he  had  highly  estimable  daugh- 
ters in  his  son's  wives — there  was  none  he  loved  better 
than  Amy. 


PICKERING   HISTORY.  Ill 


RAMBLE  C. 

More    of  Picker-iris's    History— Col.   .A.tkinson— "Woodbury 
Langdo n— Revolutionary    Incidents. 

Soon  after  the  issue  of  the  First  Series  of  the  Rambles, 
the  following  communication  to  the  Rambler  was  received 
from  one  of  the  historians  of  New  Hampshire,  giving  some 
incidents  in  the  local  history  of  Portsmouth,  that  have  not 
before  been  recorded  in  this  publication. 

Concord,  Feb.  13,  18G0. 

My  Dear  Sir  : — Your  "  Rambles  "  have  extended  to  this 
place, — for  which  receive  my  thanks,  as  I  have  been  very 
much  interested  in  them. 

I  have  made  some  notes  and  corrections  in  my  copy, — 
which  as  they  refer  to  other  authors,  as  well  as  to  the 
"Rambles,"   I  subjoin  for  your  perusal. 

On  page  18th  occurs  the  name  Warnerton.  This  name  is 
thus  given  by  Belknap,  Farmer  and  others,  but  it  is  Warc- 
nerton,  as  I  have  the  proof 'in  the  original  letters  of  Mason, 
Gorges  and  Gibbens,  now  before  me.  On  same  page  is  Goc, 
This  word  stumbled  Belknap,  Farmer,  Moore,  Kelley  and 
others,— but  should  not  stumble  you  or  me,  as  we  know  the 
name  still  is  extant  inNewington  and  Greenland.  It  is  Gee, 
as  it  occurs  in — John  Gee  Pickering.  Gee  was  a  familv 
connection  of  the  Pickering's.  It  was  right  in  the 
Appendix  of  Belknap,  but  Dr.  Farmer  altered  it  in  a  foot 
note  to  Goe.  I  have  the  original  letter  of  Ambrose  Gib- 
bens,  of  1633,  given  in  Belknap's  Appendix,  in  which  the 
name  is  unmistakably  Gee.     This  settles  the  question. 

On  page  47,  you  say,  "  as  early  as  1636  John  Pickering," 
&c.  John  Pickering  was  here  as  early  as  1633,  as  I  have 
a  bill  of  his  now  before  me,  the  caption  or  heading  of  which 
reads  thus  : — 

"John  Pickering  Creditor  unto  Mr.  Ambrose  Gibbens  in 
the  yeares  1633  and  1634  as  foil." — 


112  RAMBLES  ABOUT  PORTSMOUTH. 

Then  follows  the  labor  of  Thomas  Crockett  and  the 
altering  of  frame  and  chimney  of  a  certain  house — furnish- 
ing hoards,  nails — and  plastering  a  chimney, — all  amounting 

to  $21 showing  that  Pickering  was  a  carpenter. 

This  work  was  done  at  Newichewannock,  and  the  bill  is 
receipted  thus :  His 

John   I  Pickering. 

Test,  Charles  Kneill.  signe. 

Page  49. — Capt.  Thomas  Pickering  was  killed  at  Annap- 
olis, Nova  Scotia.  So  says  a  petition  from  Mrs.  Pickering.* 
He  married  Dorothy  Stover  of  Cape  Neddock. 

Page  53. — Capt.  John  Pickering  was  also  member  of  the 
Assembly  in  1685  and  speaker  of  the  same — as  I  have  a 
Bill  passed  by  the  House  of  that  date  and  signed  John 
Pickerin,  Speaker.  It  was  non  concurred  in  by  the  Council. 
Page  104. — Col.  Atkinson  also  had  the  command  of  the 
Kegiment  in  the  "  Canada  Expedition,"  so  called,  of  1746. 
A  thousand  men  were  voted  by  June,  and  by  the  first  of 
July  800  men  were  raised  or  enlisted,  and  Col.  Atkinson, 
was  ordered  by  Gov.  Wentworth  to  occupy  and  repair  Fort 
William  and  Mary,  with  his  Regiment.  He  did  as  ordered, 
and  added  many  guns  to  the  batteriesthere  and  at  "Jerry's 
Point."  The  first  of  November,  the  Regiment  went  into 
u  Winter  Quarters"  at  Sanbornton  near  "Union  Bridge" 
where  they  built  a  Fort — which  I  have  called  "Fort  At- 
kinson." The  regiment  remained  there  till  the  fall  of  1747, 
when  the  Expedition  to  Canada  and  the  Regiment  was 
abandoned. 

Page   113. — Gov.  Wentworth  was  Knighted  for  his  ser- 
vices— was  he  not? 

Page  152. — Are  you  not  mistaken  as  to  Gen.  Whipple's 
being  .*;ppointed  General  by  the  Council — or  being  ordered 


o  We  aiv  ba;>py  to  hRVe  this    fact   attested   so    well.     It  is   said  in   the  N.  If.  Historical 
Collections  th  t  Pickering  was  ki< led  by  the  Indians  at    Cafcn.     Mr   Willis,  the  histori an  of 
Portland,  says  th  a  no  such  incident  occurred  at  that  time  at  that  place,    'ihete  it>  now  no 
iloubl  that  il  occurred  at  Annapolis. 


GEN.   WHIPPLE.  113 

with  one-fourth  of  his  command  to  the  North  Western 
Frontier  with  Gen.  Stark?  I  have  thought  such  was  the 
fact — hut  it  was  not  so. 

The  General  Court  at  a  session  of  three  days,  com- 
mencing July  17,  1777,  divided  the  militia  of  the  State  into 
two  Brigades,  and  appointed  Gen.  Whipple  to  the  command 
of  the  first,  and  Gen.  Stark  to  the  command  of  the  second. 
The  same  day  one  quarter  of  Gen.  Stark's  Brigade  and  one 
quarter  of  Colonels  Thornton'-,  Webster's  and  Badger's 
Regiment  in  Gen.  Whipple's  Brigade,  were  ordered  to  be 
drafted  and  sent  to  meet  the  enemy  on  the  North  Western 
Frontier.  Gen.  Stark  was  put  in  command  of  these  forces. 
On  the  19th  they  adjourned.  There  was  none  of  Whipple's 
Brigade  ordered  out  except  the  quarter  of  the  three  Regi- 
ments under  Thornton,  Webster  and  Badger.  These  troops 
gained  (with  the  assistance  of  others  from  Massachusetts 
and  Vermont  joined)  the  battle  of  Bennington.  Now  I 
presume  that  Whipple  and  Ids  troops  were  ordered  out  by  the 
"  Committee  of  Safety"  in  the  recess  of  the  Legislature 
and  before  its  adjourned  meeting  on  the  17th  of  Sep- 
tember— at  which  time  they  resolved  not  to  send  any 
General  Officer  with  their  troops  for  the  defence  of  the 
"  North  Western  Frontier."  This  of  course  deprived  Gen. 
Whipple  of  any  command  there — whether  sent  by  the 
"  Committee  of  Safety,"  or  a  volunteer. 

The  reason  of  this  vote  was,  that  Congress  had  taken 
umbrage  at  their  sending  Stark  with  an  independent  com- 
mand, and  had  lectured  New  Hampshire  by  a  sharp  Resolu- 
tion,— and  after  a  committee  had  been  appointed  to  address 
Congress  upon  the  subject,  this  Resolution — of  not  sending 
any    "  General  Officers  with  these  troops  " — was  adopted. 

Page  222. — Capt.  Thomas  Pickering  fell  in  an  engage- 
ment with  a  British  "Bast  Indiaman  "  of  32  guns, — 21 
nines  and  8  fours. 

Pickering  and  LTutchings   stood   on  Union  Wharf— that 


114  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

formerly  belonged  to  Sampson  B.  Lord,  Esq. — w  hen  they 
fired  upon  the  Scarborough's  barge.  The  bullet-hole  in 
the  east  end  of  the  warehouse  used  to  be  pointed  out. 

Pickering  finally  took  that  barge  and  impounded  it.  The 
crew,  for  fear  of  being  fired  upon  landed  the  Barge  in  the 
slip  below  Pickering's  mill.  "  Tom  "  found  it,  and  hitching 
four  horses  to  it  hauled  it  through  the  various  streets,  he 
standing  in  the  Barge  and  assuming  the  command.  After 
they  had  worn  her  bottom  entirely  off,  they  hauled  her  to 
the  pound  and  locked  her  up.  Deacon  Drown's  wife  (his 
sister)  stood  in  the  door,  and  as  "  Tom  "  rode  past  in  the 
Barge,  cried  out,  "  Tom,  you'll  be  hanged,  for  you're  re- 
belling against  your  King  and  Country."  I  will  add  two 
Other  affairs  of  some  importance  in  which  Capt  Pickering 
was  the  principal  actor. 

Sometime  in  the  night  of  October  1,  1775,  the  British 
ship  "  Prince  George"  came  into  the  "  Lower  Harbor"  at 
Portsmouth,  in  a  storm.  On  the  next  day,  Oct.  2,  Picker- 
ing, with  a  picked  crew  in  a  boat — boarded  and  took  the 
ship,  and  brought  her  up  to  town.  This  prize  was  very 
opportune — as  the  town  of  Portsmouth  and  Washington's 
army  at  Cambridge  were  out  of  flour,  and  the  Prince  George 
Lad  on  board  1891  barrels  of  that  necessary  article.  She 
Was  bound  from  Bristol  to  Boston.  About  50  barrels  were 
kept  in  Portsmouth,  and  the  rest  was  sent  to  the  army  at 
Cambridge,  by  Washington's  request.  His  letter  and  that 
of  the  "  Committee  of  Safety,"  are  on  file  in  the  State 
Secretary's  office — from  which  I  gather  the  main  facts. 

Another.  There  was  a  Privateer  called  the  Warren  and 
commanded  by  Capt.  Burke.  This  was  taken  by  the  Brit- 
ish Frigate  Milibrda  !  turned  into  a  tender  for  that  Frigate. 
This  tender  of  about  30  tons,  commanded  by  Capt.  Willis, 
and  with  a  crew  uf  50  men  all  told,  besides  the  Captain, 
was  a  source  of  great  annoyance  along  our  coast,  from 
'Quoddy  to  Cape  Cod — and  in  November  and  December  of 


TOM  PICKERING  —  THE  FRENCH  FLEET.         115 

1777  took  eight  prizes.  On  Friday,  Dec.  20,  of  that  year, 
she  took  a  wood  Sloop  commanded  by  Richard  Pinkham. 
Saturday,  December  21,  the  valuables  were  taken  from  the 
sloop  and  the  vessel  set  on  fire.  The  25th,  there  came  up 
a  storm  when  near  York  Ledges,  and  Capt.  Willis  being 
drunk,  the  under  officers  and  crew  gave  the  command  of 
the  schooner  to  Pinkham — and  he  pretending  that  he  was 
going  into  Boston  Harbor,  put  her  into  "  Little  Harbor"  at 
Portsmouth  and  ran  her  ashore.  The  next  day  "  Tom  Pick- 
ering" boarded  her  with  a  picked  crew  and  took  vessel, 
officers,  men  and  provision  up  to  town.  She  had  the  Mil- 
ford  stores  on  board  and  was  a  valuable  prize.  Capt.  Willis 
and  the  officers  of  the  George  were  billetted  on  Jonathan 
Eastman  and  Philbrick  Bradley,  Esqs.  in  Concord.  Their 
prisoners  were  exchanged  and  the  names  of  the  prisoners 
and  their  rank  are  upon  the  Cartel  receipt  now  on  file  in 
the  Secretary's  office.  Capt.  Willis  in  his  receipt  modestly 
speaks  of  his  vessel  as  being  wrecked  near  Portsmouth. 
This  was  permitted  to  save  him  a  lady  love,  as  he  was  en- 
gaged to  a  daughter  of  Admiral  Howe.  Willis  however 
concluded  that  this  fiction  would  not  keep  his  conduct  a 
secret,  and  committed  suicide  by  jumping  overboard  in 
Long  Island  Sound,  rather  than  meet  his  Admiral  and 
intended  father-in-law  ! 

Page  243. — You  quote  from  N.  H.  Gazette  of  Nov.  18. 
Either  you  or  I  have  copied  erroneously.  My  extract  is 
noted  thus,  "  Under  date  of  Aug.  1782,  the  N.  H.  Gazette 
has  the  following  item  of  news.  '  Thursday  last  arrived 
in  this  port  an  80  and  two  7-1  gun  ships,  with  a  frigate  of 
32  guns,  being  part  of  a  fleet  of  our  magnanimous  Allies^ 
the  French,  lately  arrived  on  this  coast  from  the  West 
Indies.'  "  The  ship  struck  with  lightning  Nov.  5,  1782, 
was  the  80  gun  ship  'L  Auguste. 

Page  244. — It  may  have  been   soldiers  who  rolled  them- 
selves in  the  chest,   for  I  find  from  an  old  advertisement 


116  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

noted  in  my  note-book,  signed  by  Joshua  Wentworth,  of 
date  Sept.  2,  1782,  in  which  deserters  are  mentioned  from 
the  French  Fleet,  that  "  five  soldiers  of  the  regiment  of 
Venois,  their  clothing  white  cuffed  with  blue"  are  particu- 
larized. 

Page  359. — The  house  moved  by  me  was  not  a  dwelling 

house — it  was  a  pleasure   house.     It  had   a  Dining   Hall 

below,  and  a  Dining  Hall  above,  with  a  Drawing  Room  to 

each,  and  attached  to  the  old  house  by  a  narrow  covered 

walk. 

Page  390.— Woodbury  Langdon  was  taken  prisoner  by 
the  British  and  was  liberated  by  exchange.  When  Judge, 
it  seems  he  did'nt  always  appear  to  hold  courts.  Complaint 
was  made  and  the  House  of  Representatives  voted  and 
attempted  to  impeach  him.  The  Senate  met  on  a  day  ap- 
pointed, but  Langdon  paid  no  more  attention  to  the  order 
of  the  Senate,  than  to  the  Statute  appointing  the  time  of 
holding  the  courts.  The  Senate  adjourned  to  the  follow- 
ing June,  voting  an  order  for  Langdon  to  appear,  but  he 
paid  no  attention  to  them,  and  when  the  Senate  met,  he 
did  not  appear  !  Still  the  Senate  took  no  further  notice  of 
the  matter,  and  the  House  dropped  the  charges.  It  is  prob- 
able that  the  Lobby  or  "  Third  House"  saved  him  harmless' 

I  have  thus  suggested  some  corrections  and  a  few  addi- 
tions to  your  "  Rambles."  I  need  not  add  that  I  have  read 
it  through  with  the  greatest  pleasure,  and  I  hope  for  my 
pleasure  and  that  of  the  public,  as  well  as  for  the  advant- 
age of  our  local  and  general  history,  you  will  continue  your 
Rambles  and  give  us  another  volume. 

By  the  way,  Dr.  Peabody,  upon  the  authority  of  Mr. 
Greenleaf,  has  Charles  Watrous*  (I  think, — I  have   not  a 

♦The  name  of  the  individual  was  Charles  Waters.  He  was  a  foreigner,  an  ingenious 
black  and  white  smith  Many  anecdotes  are  told  of  him— we  have  room  but  lor  one.  A 
smith  wa*  needed  on  board  of  a  public  vessel,  and  several  appeared  at  the  place  appointed 
for  examination.  After  two  or  three  had  been  interrogated,  who  professed  to  be  perfect  in 
their  art,  the  tarn  of  Waters  arrived.  "  Well,  sir."  said  the  captain,  •  what  can  you  do?" 
"  I  don't  know  any  thing, "  was  Waters  reply.  "  How  so  ?  "  '•  Why,  those  m-n  know  every 
thin,'  in  the  world,  and  there  is  nothing  left  for  me— but  just  take  us  to  the  forge."  With 
the  display  of  skill  far  abjro  the  rest,  he  at  once  secured  the  position. 


OLD-SCHOOL    GENTLEMEN.  117 

■copy  at  hand) — should  it  not  be  "Waterhouse?  I  think  so, 
and  I  have  always  heard  the  old  people  speak  of  '  Charley 
"Water'ouse's  coppers/ — the  word  was  clipped  "  a  la  cock- 
ney1' to  Water'oiis.  Portsmouth  people,  as  well  as  their 
forefathers,  having  a  great  dislike  to  the  letter  h.  "  Down 
in  the  wHte  'ouse  near  the  io'arfv  was  a  direction  I  once 
heard  a  Portsmouth  lady  give  a  servant,  and  I  give  it  in 
illustration  of  the  above. 

Yours  respectfully,  C.  E.  Potter. 


RAMBLE    CI. 

Things  of  1700  to  1SOO  —  Old  School  Gentlemen- 
Respect  by  Youth  —  ISlinor  Offences  —  Prompt  Pun- 
ishment of"  Criminals  —  Justice  Penhallow's  Impar- 
tiality —  First  Pavement  —  Buck  Street  Promenade- 
North  and  Southenders  —  Smoking  not  Allowed  — 
Edward  Hart  elected  Police  Officer  —  His  Success, 
and    what    produced    it. 

In  the  last  ten  years  of  the  last  century,  the  inhabitants 
of  the  quiet,  good  old  town  of  "  Portsmouth  upon  the 
Piscataqua"  had  not  entirely  outlived  the  salutary  influence 
of  the  aristocracy  of  the  colonists  of  earlier  times,  when 
scarlet  colored  broadcloth  cloaks,  worn  by  our  Warners 
Jaffreys,  Cutis,  and  other  gentlemen  of  the  old  school  of 
politeness,  good  order  and  decorum,  warned  the  boys  of 
the  severe  reprehension,  if  not  of  rods,  which  awaited  them 
for  any  neglect  of  respectful  recognition  of  the  approach 
and  presence  of  those  august  personage^,  by  the  low  bow, 
or  doffed  hat,  or  by  both,  especially  on  Sabbath  days,  when 
tithingmen  took  due  care  that  none  were  seen  loitering 
about  the  streets  while  the  bells  were  tolling  the  good 
people  to  meeting. 

Nevertheless,   it  came  to  pass,   in  the   course  of  time, 


118  RAMBLES    ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

through  the  remissness  of  the  tithingmen  and  other  corner* 
vatives  of  religion  and  morals,  that  the  good  order  of  the 
town  had  so  greatly  deteriorated  as  to  alarm  the  order- 
loving  portion  of  its  inhabitants,  lest  a  worst  condition  of 
morals  should  ensue.  Though  the  evils  of  which  they 
complained  were  not  in  amount,  a  tithe  of  the  abuses 
for  which  the  good  citizens  of  Portsmouth  now  have  just 
cause  of  complaint,  they  required  the  most  efficient  and 
prompt  measures  to  abate. 

Then,  crimes  such  as  are  now  characterized  as  rowdyism, 
were  unknown  by  the  inhabitants  of  Portsmouth.  If  minor 
offences  against  personal  rights  were  committed,  which  did 
not,  in  the  estimation  of  a  discerning  public,  require  legal 
measures  to  be  resorted  to,  either  to  punish  the  offenders 
or  to  serve  as  preventives  of  a  repetition  of  them,  the 
disapprobation  of  the  good  people  of  the  town  was  a  suffi- 
cient rebuke  and  corrective.  In  thos  e  days  the  offenders 
had  no  apologists. 

Offences  of  graver  consequence  to  the  public,  which 
were  within  the  final  jurisdiction  of  justices  of  the  peace, 
and  which  subjected  the  offenders  to  corporeal  punishment, 
were  sure  to  meet  with  prompt  attention  by  our  vigilant 
.officers  of  the  law.  Instance  the  case  of  a  hostler  employ- 
ed in  one  of  the  stage  stables,  who  in  the  night  next 
preceding  his  detection,  stole  a  water  bucket  full  of  West 
India  rum  from  the  cellar  of  his  employer.  He  was  arrested 
the  next  morning,  upon  a  warrant  issued  by  Justice  Pen- 
hallow — arraigned— tried — found  guilty,  and  sentenced 
by  him,  to  suffer  the  infliction  .of  ten  lashes  upon  his  bare 
back,  which  in  about  thirty  minutes  thereafter  were  faith- 
fully applied  at  the  town  pump,  in  the  presence  of  many 
witnesses ;  and  before  the  town  clock  struck  the  hour  of 
eleven,  the  convict  was  again  at  work  in  the  stable  of  his 
employer  !  Such  was  then  the  majesty  of  the  law,  and  the 
promptness  of  its  execution. 


THE   IMPARTIAL   JUSTICE.  11Q 

Justice   Penhallow  was  a    u  strict  constructionist,11    and 
fully  agreed  with  Chief  Justice  Jay  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  the  United  States,  that  in  conformity  with  the  provisions 
of  the  Constitution,  justice  should  be  administered  " faith- 
fully, impartially  and  without  delay.11 

As  an  instance  of  his  impartiality  in  the  administration 
of  justice,  we  notice  a  case  brought  before  him,  of  a  com- 
plaint for  assault  and  battery.  The  complainant,  who  was  a 
kinsman  of  Governor  John  Wentworth,  set  forth  in  his 
complaint,  that  he,  "  being  in  the  peace  of  God  and  the 
State,"  and  quietly  passing  up  Pleasant  street,  was  then 
and  there  assaulted,  beaten,  bruised  and  wounded  by  two 
persons.  [The  names  of  the  parties  we  will  not  mention. 
One  of  them  was  a  tall  limb  of  the  law  who  had  gained 
some  celebrity  professionally  in  our  courts  of  justice,  and 
subsequently  attained  a  high  distinction  as  an  eminent 
jurist  and  counsellor-at-law  in  a  neighboring  State ;  the 
other  was  a  person  nearly  related  to  one  of  our  most  opu-r 
lent  merchants,  and  afterwards  succeeded  to  an  honorable 
and  lucrative  office  in  Great  Britain  under  the  crown.] 
Upon  complaint  being  made,  Justice  Penhallow  issued  his 
warrant  for  their  arrest  and  arraignment  before  him,  to 
answer  to  said  complaint,  and  they  soon  after  being  brought 
before  him,  he  found  both  of  them  guilty,  and  sentenced 
each  of  them  to  pay  a  fine  for  the  use  of  the  County  of 
Rockingham,  and  to  stand  committed,  (that  is,  to  be  locked 
•up  in  jail,)  until  said  sentence  should  be  performed.  The 
fines  were  paid,  forthwith. 

•'  Thus  jails,  those  iron  agents  of  the  law, 
Keep  many  a  graceless  wretch  in  awe." 

Our  venerable  Justice  recognized  only  two  distinctions 
of  character,  of  those  living  under  and  entitled  to  the  pro- 
tection of  the  laws  of  the  State  ;  namely,  obedience  to,  and 
disobedience  of  those   laws.      Neither   the  possession  of 
wealth,  or  any  adventitious  condition  of  life  of  the  accused., 


120  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

ever  influenced  "  the  old  Deacon,"  (for  he  "was  one  of  the 
deacons  of  the  North  Church)  so  as  to  allow  the  respondents 
to  escape  the  penalty  of  the  law,  if  upon  a  fair  and  impartial 
trial  before  him,  he  found  them  guilty. 

In  those  days  of  which  we  write,  the  subject  of  laying 
side  pavements  began  to  be  agitated  ;  for  until  then,  there 
were  none  in  town  except  very  narrow  ones  in  Paved  street, 
so  called,  now  Market  street,  Avhich  at  that  period  was  only 
about  one  half  of  its  present  width.  Said  side  pavement 
being  a  mere  apology  for  the  absence  of  more  commodious 
accommodations  for  the  ladies  who  resorted  to  the  "Piece 
Good  Stores  "  there  located.  And  although  the  necessity 
of  these  were  admitted  by  all  our  good  ancestors,  they 
could  not  or  woidd  not  agree  upon  a  location  for  the  com- 
mencement of  them. 

The  belligerent  boys  also  had  something  to  do  about 
this  matter.  Strong  prejudices  were  there  operating  le' 
tween  the  "  Southenders  "  and  '•  Northenders,"  and  the 
belligerents  had  made  Buck  street,  now  called  State  street, 
the  line  of  demarkation  between  the  respective  parties. 
They  had  also  made  Buck  street,  by  common  consent,  neu- 
tral ground,  upon  which  declaration  of  war  was  made  and 
parleys  held. 

Had  not  this  practice  and  ill-feeling  of  the  boys  against 
each  other  been  the  result  of  the  influences  originating  in 
older  heads,  if  not  in  implacable  hearts,  the  interests  of  the 
public  would  have  been  better  promoted,  But  the  antipa- 
thies engendered  by  the  revolution  between  the  Whigs  and 
Tories  not  having  fully  subsided,  operated  injuriously  in 
town  affairs,  and  had  prevented  many  improvements  which 
otherwise  the  inhabitants  would  have  enjoyed.  So  it  was 
in  respect  to  the  laying  of  sidewalks.  They  could  not 
agree  upon  the  location  of  the  commencement  of  them. 

At  length,  however,  at  an  annual  town  meeting,  one  of 
our  wise,  far-seeing  and  worthy   townsmen,  seizing  upon 


BUCK   STREET    PROMENADE.  121 

the  neutral  ground  influence  which  the  boys  had  created, 
without  their  fathers  discovering  the  use  he  was  about  to 
make  of  it,  moved,  "  that  the  Northwest  side  of  Buck 
street  be  paved  with  Durham  flat  stones  for  a  side  walk." 
The  motion  prevailed,  and  this  event  constitutes  the  epoch 
of  the  commencement  of  side-pavements  in  Portsmouth, 
and  the  memory  of  the  u  old  Tory"  is  now  blessed.  Such 
was  the  effect  of  prejudice,  and  the  result  of  wisdom  and 
fore-sight. 

As  soon  as  this  convenient  promenade  of  Buck  street 
was  completed,  those  of  our  fair  inhabitants  whose  domes- 
tic relation  confined  them  much  of  the  time  to  their  homes, 
when  the  weather  was  suitable  for  the  purpose,  were  seen 
promenading  this  flat  stone  side  pavement,  enjoying  the 
pure,  invigorating,  health  promoting  and  life  prolonging 
atmosphere.  It  was  indeed  a  luxury,  as  well  to  those  en- 
joying good  health,  as  to  the  feeble  and  the  convalescent. 

At  that  period  of  our  history  the  smoking  of  tobacco, 
either  in  pipes  or  in  the  form  of  cigars,  in  the  streets,  was 
deemed  a  nuisance  and  made  by  law  a  penal  offence. 
Ladies  could  then  enjoy  the  rich  blessing  of  the  invigor- 
ating, uncontaminated  atmosphere  without  being  obliged,  as 
now,  at  almost  every  step  to  encounter  and  even  to  contend 
with  the  odious,  filthy,  sickening  fumes  of  tobacco  pipes  and 
cigars,  and  the  contaminating  odors  of  breath  issuing  from 
the  reservoirs  of  lungs  made  still  worse  by  poisoned 
alcoholic  liquors  imbibed  by  the  smokers. 

But  we  return  to  our  subject  of  reform,  which  our  good 
fathers  had  determined  to  effect.  It  had  become  a  matter 
of  universal  observation  and  discussion,  in  the  streets,  in 
our  work-shops,  in  our  parlors,  in  our  kitchens,  in  some  of 
our  public  assemblages ;  and  when  the  inhabitants  as- 
sembled in  town  meeting  to  decide  upon  the  adoption  or 
rejection  of  by-laws  which  had  been  made  to  meet  the 
emergency  of  the  times,  the  question  was  proposed  by  the 

9 


122  RAMBLES    ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

Moderator,  (the  Hon.  Jonathan  "Warner,)  upon  the  accept- 
ance and  adoption  of  them,  "  Who  shall  execute  these 
laws  ?"  When  profound  silence  had  for  sometime  pervaded 
the  meeting,  the  Moderator  spoke  again,  and  said,  "  Who 
will  you  trust  with  this  important  business  ?  Who  will 
faithfully  carry  your  object  into  effect?"  Silence  again  for 
a  short  time  prevailed,  when  it  was  broken  by  a  simulta- 
neous announcement  from  different  parts  of  the  meeting,, 
of  the  name  of  Edward  Hart!  Edward  Hart ! !  and  thus 
nominated  he  was  thereupon  unanimously  elected  Police 
Officer  for  the  then  current  year.  Some  sketches  are  given 
of  him  in  Ramble  99. 

The  power  which  that  officer  then  possessed  was  simi- 
lar to  those  with  which  our  City  Marshal  is  now  clothed, 
and  his  duties  were  analogous.  A  call  was  then  made  for 
Mr.  Hart,  but  he  was  not  present.  A  constable  was 
sent  to  announce  to  him  his  election,  and  to  request  his 
attendance.  In  a  few  minutes  he  presented  himself,  and 
addressing  the  Moderator  said,  " Mr.  Moderator :  I  have- 
been  informed  by  your  messenger,  that  the  town  has  unan- 
imously elected  me  Police  Officer  for  the  current  year. 
The  duties  of  the  office  are  of  the  highest  importance  and 
responsibility,  and  it  will  require  much  labor  and  perse- 
vering effort  to  perform  its  duties  to  your  satisfaction. 
No  one,  ten  or  twenty  men  can  succeed  acceptably,  if  at  all, 
without  the  cordial  co-operation  of  his  good  feeling  towns- 
men :  but  with  such  aid,  much  may  be  effected  even  by 
one  man.  I  will  accept  the  office  to  which  the  town  has 
elected  me,  and  perform  its  duties  according  to  the 
best  of  my  abilities,  upon  one  cnodition.  That  condition 
is,  that  in  discharging  my  duties  all  my  good  fellow  towns- 
men will  lift  the  helping  hand  !  "  And  rising  on  "  tip- 
toe," suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  extended  his  right 
hand  as  high  as  he  could  reach.  In  an  instant,  as  if  by  the 
power  of  magic,  all  hands  present  were  up-lifted;  which 


EDWARD    HART   ELECTED    POLICE   OFFICER.  123 

being  observed  by  liim  as  he  took  a  cursory  glance  around 
the  room  to  see  what  was  passing,  he  turned  to  the  mode- 
rator and  thus  addressed  him:  "  Mr.  Moderator,  with  this 
assurance  of  the  co-operation  of  my  fellow-townsmen  so 
unanimously  expressed,  I  accept  of  the  office,  and  am 
ready  to  be  qualified."  Which  being  done,  he  left  the 
meeting  amid  the  approving  cheers  of  all  present,  and 
immediately  commenced  active  duties,  in  the  porformance  of 
which  he  made  himself  powerfully  effective,  and  ere  twenty- 
four  hours  had  elapsed,  every  school-boy  in  town;  as  also 
every  offender  against  good  order,  was  fully  apprised  of 
the  appointment  of  the  energetic  officer  with  whom  they 
had  to  deal.  Public  confidence  in  the  ability  and  faithful- 
ness of  their  Police  Officer  was  every  where  apparent;  a 
generous  and  ready  aid  always  offered  him  when  needed. 
Most  of  the  evils  which  had  been  so  obnoxious  to  the  peo- 
ple of  the  town  were  soon  abated,  and  Mr.  Hart  was  very 
highly  respected  and  regarded  as  one  "  sent  for  the  pun- 
ishment of  evil  doers  and  for  the  praise  of  them  that  do 
well." 

The  relater  of  this  sketch  was  present  at  the  election  of 
Mr.  Hart,  and  details  as  far  as  his  memory  enables  him,  his 
remarks  upon  his  acceptance  of  the  office  in  nearly  the 
same  words  used  by  him  on  that  occasion. 


EAMBLE   CII. 

The    Hart    family  -  Qviint    and    the    "Wolf. 

In  Ramble  99  we  say  that  Col.  John  Hart,  the  father  of 
Edward,  died  at  Louisburg  of  small  pox  in  1758.  So  we 
were  informed,  and  stated  in  Ramble  79,  but  we  have  now 


124  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

conclusive  evidence  that  the  fact  is  otherwise.  Col.  Me- 
serve,  a  neighbor  of  Hart,  died  at  Louisburg  that  year, 
and  the  names  were  probably  thus  confounded. 

In  1758,  Col.  John  Hart  took  command  of  a  New  Hamp- 
shire regiment  of  several  hundred  men,  and  marched  with 
them  to  Lake  George  to  join  Gen.  Abercrombie.  His 
forces  were  joined  by  those  of  Col.'Goff;  and  under  com- 
mand of  the  latter  they  were  ordered  down  the  shores  of 
Lake  Champlain  to  cut  off  a  body  of  French  and  Indians, 
who  had  been  in  what  is  now  the  State  of  New  York,  and 
had  done  some  mischief  there.  But  Col.  Goff,  regarding 
discretion  the  better  part  of  valor,  thought  best  to  keep 
clear  of  bullets,  and  so  landed  on  an  island  in  Lake  Cham- 
plain,  drew  his  men  up  in  a  hollow  square,  went  to  prayer, 
and  prayed  that  there  might  be  a  long  and  moderate  war 
and  no  bloodshed.  The  religious  services  were  extended 
to  so  great  a  length  that  the  enemy  had  time  to  and  did 
pass  by, — so  his  prayer  was  answered  in  part,  as  there  was 
no  bloodshed.  Although  we  have  no  knowledge  that  this 
fact  has  ever  before  appeared  in  print,  yet  "  a  long  and 
moderate  war  and  no  bloodshed"  was  a  by -word  brought 
home  by  the  New  Hampshire  militia  men  of  the  French 
war,  which  was  in  common  use  here  during  the  Revolu- 
tion, and  is  yet  familiar  in  the  ears  of  our  old  men. 

Among  the  soldiers  in  this  expedition  was  Joseph  Quint, 
wTho  afterwards,  we  think,  lived  in  Newington.  He  was 
sent  out  on  a  skirmish  in  the  neighborhood  of  Fort  William 
Henry,  and  night  coming  on  he  found  himself  alone  in  the 
woods,  without  sufficient  light  to  find  his  way  out.  He 
gathered  a  quantity  of  leaves  for  his  bed,  and  laying  him- 
self down  was  soon  asleep.  Awaking  in  the  night,  he  saw 
but  a  very  i'ow  yards  from  him  a  large  wolf,  with  glaring- 
eyes  directed  towards  him  !  He  had  his  gun  by  his  side, 
and  while  thinking  what  to  do,  he  saw,  or  imagined  he 
saw,  hundreds  of  wolves'  eyes  glaring  upon  him  in  every 


COURT   SCENE   IN   PORTSMOUTH.  125 

direction!  To  discharge  his  gun  would  be  regarded  as  a 
signal  of  alarm  to  the  fort — so  rising  slowly,  he  took  off  his 
hat,  brandished  it  round  and  then  threw  it  at  the  wolf! 
This  frightened  him  off — and  the  moori  being  now  up,  he 
was  able  to  trace  his  way  back  to  the  fort,  which  was  done 
without  delay,  and  the  adventure  made  a  family  story. 

Col.  John  Hart's  son  Henry  (not  Richard,  as  we  stated) 
settled  in  Newington,  on  the  farm  now  belonging  to  Rich- 
ard Pickering,  Esq.  He  had  a  blacksmith's  shop  standing 
between  the  house  and  the  road.  He  had  a  high  reputa- 
tion as  a  horse-shoer,  and  many  sent  their  horses  from 
Portsmouth  to  him  to  be  shod.  He  had  a  son,  Richard  D. 
Hart.  After  he  had  passed  middle-life,  Henry  removed  to 
Wells  and  there  died. 

When  Edward  Hart  built  the  Pickering  house  in  Vauglian 
street,  about  eighty  years  ago,  the  thatch  where  the  house 
stands  was  as  high  as  a  man's  head.  One  of  our  old  citi- 
zens tells  us  that  he  has  seen  the  tide  from  the  North 
mill-pond  flowing  near  the  spot  where  the  house  stands. 

We  will  close  this  Ramble  by  a  court  scene  in  Ports- 
mouth  ninety-eight  years  ago,  which  contrasts  with  the 
republican  simplicity  of  the  present  day. 

In  1771  the  province  of  New  Hampshire  was  divided 
into  counties,  and  on  the  3d  of  March  in  the  next  year  the 
first  sitting  of  Superior  Court  in  Rockingham  county  was 
held  in  Portsmouth.  On  that  occasion,  when  the  court 
bell  rang,  a  procession  moved  in  royal  dignity  to  the  Court 
House  on  Market  Square,  in  which  the  honorable  Judges 
might  be  seen  in  their  full  bottomed  wigs  and  official  robes, 
and  all  the  members  of  the  bar  following  in  order  with 
their  white  bands  hanging  conspicuously  la  leatli  their 
chins.  Whether  the  Rev.  Dr.  Langdon,  who  was  the 
chaplain  for  the  occasion,  led  or  followed  in  the  procession, 
the  record  does  not  show. 


12G  KAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

RAMBLE  CIII. 

The    Sheafe    FamUy. 

The  late  James  Sheafe  resided  on  State  street,  where  is 
now  the  house  of  J.  M.  Tredick,  Esq.,  and  his  ownership 
extended  over  the  entire  square  south  of  the  City  build- 
ing. The  premises  are  not  yet  alienated  from  the  family. 
Here  too  was  the  residence  of  his  father,  Jacob  Sheafe, 
who  was  born  at  Newcastle.  As  this  family  held  a  prom- 
inent place  in  Portsmouth  for  a  century  and  a  half,  We 
think  our  readers  will  feel  some  interest  in  a  sketch  of  its 
history. 

Samuel  Sheafe  was  of  Cranebrook,  England,  as  appears  on 
the  records  of  the  Herald  Office,  London.  On  an  ancient 
monument  within  the  diocese  of  Norwich,  Norfolk,  Eng- 
land, is  given  the  following  inscription  : 

Here  are  buryecl  under  this  ston 
Thomas  Shefi'and  his  wvff  Marion  ; 
Someiym  we  warr.  as  ye  now  be, 
And  as  we  arr',  so  be  schall  yee  ; 
Wherefore  of  your  charitie, 
Tray  for  us  to  the  Trinitie, 
"      '•     Obiit  (Marion)  MCCC  lxxxxiii. 

At  this  time,  1393,  Richard  2d  was  King  of  England. 
Thomas  Sheff  as  he  was  to  be  prayed  for  after  his  death, 
must  have  been  of  the  Roman  Catholic  religion,  as  all 
English  people  were  at  that  time.  Afterwards,  in  the  reign 
probably  of  Queen  Mary,  from  some  ancient  records  is  ex- 
tracted the  following: 

"  Out  of  this  town  and  places  adjoining,  good  people  in 
neighborhood  met  on  week  clay,  to  pray  melancholy  provi- 
dence to  be  sanctified  to  them  ;  prosecuted  by  a  neighbor- 
ing Justice,  and  by  him  are  fined,  and  for  non-payment  sent 
to  Maidstone  Jail  for  three  months.  Among  the  rest  was 
one  Harmon  Sheaf,  a  man  very  kind  to  his  parish  minister, 
and  who  usually  attended  upon  public  worship  in  the  way 
of  the  Church  of  England.  He  was  imprisoned  for  non- 
conformity."—  [Cranebrook,   Win.  Goodrich's  Notes,  1,  10.] 


THE   SHEAVE    FAMILY.  127 

Edmund  Sheafe  was  born  in  1605,  and  was  married  to 
Elizabeth  Cotton,  daughter  of  Sampson  Cotton  of  Lon- 
don. His  children  were,  Rebecca,  Elizabeth  and  Samp- 
son Sheafe.  Sampson  was  born  in  1650,  soon  after  his 
father's  decease. 

Jacob  Sheafe  was  also  from  Cranebrook,  born  in  1616, 
and  married  to  Margaret  Webb,  born  1625,  died  1693,  aged 
68.  She  was  the  only  daughter  of  Henry  Webb  of  London, 
who  came  over  to  this  country  with  his  father,  of  Salisbury, 
England. 

Two  of  the  children  perished  in  their  house  near  the 
Court  House  in  Boston,  which  was  burnt  in  1655.  It  is 
believed  that  Jacob  Sheafe  came  over  with  Rev.  Henry 
Whitefield,  and  in  1643  was  one  of  the  seven  pillars  in  the 
Church  of  Guilford,  Connecticut,  so  denominated  or  styled, 
to  which  was  gathered  the  body  of  the  Church.  Whitefield 
was  a  member  of  the  Church  of  England,  but  afterwards  a 
conformist  to  the  manner  of  worship  of  the  church  in  New 
England.  He  left  Guilford  with  Mr.  Higginson,  who  came 
to  Salem,  and  in  1650  returned  to  England.  Mr.  Eaton,  one 
of  the  pillars,  remained  in  Guilford,  or  New  Haven;  and 
prior  to  1617,  Jacob  Sheafe  came  to  Boston  and  there  died 
in  1658,  aged  42,  and  was  buried  in  a  tomb  in  the  King's 
Chapel  burying  ground.  This  was  the  first  tomb  made 
there.  He  owned  considerable  landed  estate,  and  361 
ounces  of  plate.  Some  of  the  plate  was  a  few  years  since 
in  the  family  of  Mr.  Henry  Haven,  a  descendant  of  Jacob 
Sheafe.  The  widow  of  Jacob  Sheafe  married  Rev.  Mr. 
Thacher,  and  died  1693,  aged  65.  She  was  buried  in  the 
same  tomb.  Robert  Gibbs,  her  son-in-law,  was  also  buried 
there. 

In  the  first  church,  Boston,  Margaret  wife  of  Jacob 
Sheafe,  merchant,  was  admitted  a  member  15th  of  the  third 
month,  1647.  Jacob  Sheafe  was  also  admitted  4th  of  2d 
month,  1658. 


128  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

Inscription  on  the  stone  over  the  family  tomb  in  the 
burial  ground,  King's  Chapel : 

"  Here    lyeth  inter'd    the  Pocly  of  Jacob  Sheafe  of   Boston,  ard  for  some  time  lived  at 
Cranebrook,  in  Kent,  Ould  England.     He  deceased  22d  March,  1658,   aged  42  years. 

Robeit  Gibbs." 

':  ITor    1  yoth  inter'd  the  body  of  Mrs   Margaret  Tbacher  formerly  wife  of  Jacob  Sheafe  and 
late  Wife  of  tho  Rev.  Thomas  T hacher,  ae  tales  63.     Obiit  29,  Feb.  1695  " 

"  Here  lies  inter'd  the  Body  of  latob  Sheafe,  ivho  departed  this  life  26  of  Dec,  1760,  aged 
72  years." 

Mehitable  Sheafe's  grave  stone,  near  the  tomb  is  now 
destroyed. 

Jacob  Sheafe  left  two  children;  Elizabeth,  born  1G44, 
married  Robert  Gibbs,  the  father  of  Henry  Gibbs  of  Water- 
town.  Mehitable,  born  1G56,  married  Sampson  Sheafe,  the 
son  of  Edmund  Sheafe,  in  year  1G79. 

Sampson  Sheafe  resided  in  Boston,  and  was  a  respectable 
merchant.  In  1G757  he  came  to  Newcastle,  N.  H.,  and  did 
business  there  in  the  mercantile  line,  and  was  at  the  same 
time  Collector  of  the  Customs,  In  1077,  he  (then  living  in 
Boston)  contracted  with  George  Jaffrey  to  proceed  to 
Great  Island  and  take  charge  solely  of  his  goods,  housing, 
■wharves  and  land  and  to  do  no  other  business,  in  consider- 
ation of  40  pounds  lawful  money  of  New  England,  for  two 
years;  and  to  be  found  and  allowed  good  and  sufficient 
meat  and  drink,  washing  and  lodging. 

In  1G98,  Sampson  Sheafe  probably  returned  to  New 
Hampshire,  being  at  that  time  appointed,  under  Gov.  Allen, 
one  of  His  Majesty's  Council  and  Secretary  of  the  Prov. 
ince.  In  1711,  he  was  appointed,  by  Gov.  Dudley  of  Mas- 
sachusetts Bay,  Commissary  of  the  New  England  forces  on 
an  expedition  against  Quebec,  which  failed,  owing  princi- 
pally to  the  disaster  of  the  fleet  under  Admiral  Walker. 
The  first  intelligence  of  this,  savs  Hutchinson  (in  his  history 
of  Massachusetts,)  was  by  a  Liter  of  the  11th  of  Oct.  re- 
ceiv<.  ,1  from  the  Commissary,  Sampson  Sheafe.  He  was  at 
one  time  Collector  of  the  Tort  of  Piscataqua,  where  he  made 
several  seizures  of  vessels,  as  appeared  by  Superior  Court 


THE   SHEAFE   FAMILY.  129" 

records.  lie  remained  in  New  Hampshire  several  years, 
winding-  up  his  mercantile  concerns,  and  then  returned  to 
Boston,  where  he  died,  aged  76.  He  had  two  children  only, 
Jacob,  born  1G77,  and  Sampson  1681. 

While  a  resident  irt  Boston,  Jacob  Sheafe  lived  or  had 
property  in  Salem  street,  then  called  Sheafe  street,  where 
lie  owned  two  parcels  of  pasture  land  which  he  sold  to  his 
brother-in-law,  Robert  Gibbs.  His  heirs  owned  land  near 
the  ferry.  His  property  in  Newcastle  he  gave  to  his  son 
Sampson  Sheafe.  Jacob  Sheafe  the  eldest  son  of  Sampson, 
born  in  Boston  where  he  always  lived,  was  married  to 
Mary.  He  had  foitr  children,  Abigail,  Mary,  Elizabeth  and 
Margaret.  Mary  born  1718,  was  married  to  Sampson 
Sheafe  at  Boston.  T'he  residence  of  Jacob  Sheafe  was 
near  Frog  street,  now  Tremont  street. 

Sampson  Sheafe  of  Newcastle,  second  son  of  Sampson 
of  Boston,  was  born  1681,  educated  at  Harvard  College-1 
where  he  graduated  1702.  His  business  was  in  the  mer, 
cantile  line,  in  the  fishery  and  West  India  trade.  No- 
vember 27th,  1711,  he  was  married  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Emer- 
son to  Sarah  Walton,  the  daughter  of  Col.  Theodore  Walton 
of  Newcastle. 

In  1710  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  King's  Council, 
Bilcher  being  at  that  time  Governor,  and  continued  a  man- 
damus councillor  as  they  were  then  styled,  during  the 
administration  of  Gov.  Benning  Wentworth,  to  the  year 
1761,  when  he  resigned  his  seat  at  the  board  at  the  age  of 
80.  He  died  1772,  aged  91,  leaving  8  children, — Sampson, 
born  1712;  Jacob,  1715;  Henry,  Matthew,  Samuel,  Sarah, 
Mehitablc  and  Elizabeth. 

Jacob  Sheafe  was  born  at  Newcastle,  Oct.  21,  1715, 
where  he  resided  for  27  years.  In  1740  he  married  Han- 
nah Seavey,  whose  home  was  on  the  beautiful  spot  where 
the  house  of  Mr.  Eben  L.  Seavey  now  stands,  at  the  head 
of  Seavey's  Creek,  on  the    road  leading  from   Sagamore 


130  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

Creek  to  Wallis's  Sands.*  She  was  here  born  May  4,  17 19. 
The  name  of  Hannah's  father  we  do  not  know — she  had  a 
brother  Paul,  the  father  of  late  Major  Mark  Seavey,  who 
lived  for  many  years  at  65  Congress  street.  "  Sampson's 
Point,"  at  Little  Harbor,  was  but  a  short  distance  from 
Newcastle,  and  Mr.  Sheafe  sometimes  came  to  Portsmouth 
that  way.  On  one  occasion  in  a  shower  he  took  refuge  in 
the  farm  house  of  Mr.  Seavey,  where  for  the  first  time  he 
saw  Hannah.  He  liked  Hannah  so  well  that  he  felt  inclined 
to  visit  there  in  pleasant  weather  also,  and  finally  she  be- 
came Mrs.  Sheafe. 

In  1742  he  purchased  the  house  and  lot  of  land  next  west 
of  the  brick  school  house  in  State  street,  on  which  Mr. 
George  M.  Marsh's  house  and  the  Episcopal  chapel  now 
stand.  It  had  probably  been  the  residence  of  Rev.  John 
Emerson,  who  died  in  1732,  as  Mr.  Sheafe  purchased  it  of 
his  widow,  for  £550.  How  many  years  he  resided  here 
we  have  no  record,  but  probably  his  house  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  street  was  not  built  until  twenty  or  thirty  years 
after.  He  died  in  1791,  at  the  age  of  7G.  His  wile  died 
in  1773,  at  the  age  of  54.     Their  children  were — 

Matthew,  born  Aug.  13,  1741,  a  shipmaster,  was  lost 
at  sea. 

Abigail,  born  April  26,  1744,  m.  Judge  John  Pickering. 
She  died  Dec.  10,  1805,  aged  G2. 

Jacob,  born  Sept.  6,  1745,  merchant.  Died  Jan.  25,1829, 
a^-ed  84. 

"Sarah,  born  Aug.  1,  1748,  died  June  8,  1839,  a.  91.  She 
married  John  Marsh,  who  died  in  1777.  She  was  the  mother 
of  Matthew  S.  Marsh,  and  g.  m.  of  George  M.  Marsh. 

Hannah,  born  April  26,  1750,  m.  Hugh  Henderson;  after- 
wards Mr.  Hart.     Died  Sept.  1,  1845,  a.  95. 

Thomas,  born  April  16,  1752,  merchant.  He  died  Sept. 
4,  1831,  aged  80. 

~  The  note  at  the  foot  of  pn<;e  105  has  referpnee  to  this  paragraph;  which  is  here  C>r- 
reoU'd  accordingly,  the  Ramble  referred  to  not  having  been  ducoverel  by  the  compiler 
until  the  note  had  passed  through  the  press. 


THE   SHEAFE   FAMILY.  131 

Mary,  born  Nov.  22,  1753,  m.  Pres.  Joseph  Willard,  liar. 
College,  Cambridge.     Died  March  6,  1826,  aged  72. 

James,  born  Nov.  10,  1755,  merchant.  Died  Dec,  5, 
1829,  aged  74. 

William,  born  Sept.  11,  1758,  merchant.  Died  March, 
1839,  aged  81. 

Mehitable,  born  April  12,  1700,  m.  Eben.  Smith,  Durham. 
Died  Sept,  -1,  1843,  aged  83. 

John,  born  July  13,  17G2,  and  died  Jan.  24,  1812, 
aged  50. 

The  average  age  of  nine  of  the  eleven  children  was  over 
81  years.     A  truly  remarkable  case. 

Mr.  Sheafe  was  appointed  by  Gov.  B.  Wentworth  Com- 
missary to  the  N.  H.  forces  at  Louisburg,  in  1745,  soon 
after  his  removal  from  Newcastle  to  Portsmouth.  Being- 
bred  a  merchant,  he  pursued  the  mercantile  business  ex- 
tensively, with  shrewdness,  reputation  and  success,  until 
his  death.  His  principal  place  of  businnss  was  at  the 
warehouses  on  Point  of  Graves,  which  of  later  years  have, 
with  the  wharves  around,  sunk  into  decay.  He  was  elected 
a  Representative  of  the  town  for  1767  to  1774,  when  the 
provincial  government  expired. 

He  was  quick  in  discernment,  and  s  hrewd  in  the  manage- 
ment of  his    business.      Many   illustrative    anecdotes    are 
given   of  him.     One  day,  after  selling  a  customer  a  few 
pounds  of  wool  and  putting  it  into  the   bag,  he  went  into 
his  counting  room,  and  looking  into  a  glass  which  reflected 
the   counter,  he  saw  the  man  slip  in  a  small  skim  cheese. 
Mr.  S.  on  returning  said,  he  thought  he  had  by  mistake  put 
in  more  wool  than  was  ordered,  and   would  just  place  the 
bag  in  the  scale  again.     The  man  objected,  as  he  said  the 
weight  was  all  right — but  Mr.  S.  threw  it  in,  and  finding  it 
some  eight  pounds  heavier,  offered  to  take  back  a  part  of 
the  contents.     The  customer  however  concluded  that  he 
would  take  the  whole,  and  so  to  save  exposure  paid  between 
two  and  three  dollars  for  a  cheese  which  might  have  been 
bought  for  twenty-five  cents. 


132  RAMBLES   ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

On  another  occasion,  after  missing  a  barrel  of  pork  some 
months,  a  man  said  to  him  one  day,  Mr.  Sheafe,  did  you 
ever  Had  out  who  stole  that  pork?  0  yes,  said  Mr.  S. 
Indeed,  who  was  iU?  Nobody  but  you  and  I  ever  knew  it 
was  stolen :  so  pay  for  it  at  once,  if  you  wish  nobody  else 
to  know  about  it.     The  man  paid  for  the  pork. 

It  is  a  singular  fact,  that  of  the  large  number  of  the 
Sheafe  family  who  resided  in  Portsmouth  a  few  years  since, 
there  is  not  now  one  descendant  here  that  bears  the  name. 


RAMBLE   CIV. 


.tames  Sheafe  —  Jay's   Treaty— The  Effigies  —The    Riot — 
The    Arrest-The  Triumphal    Procession,    «Scc. 

There  arc  many  reminiscences  in  the  history  of  Hon. 
James  Sheafe  which  have  a  local  relation,  and  while  stand- 
ing before  his  premises  we  will  bring  up  one  or  two  of 
thein.  He  was  a  loyalist  during  the  Revolution, — but  did 
not,  like  many  others,  leave  his  home.  With  his  brother* 
in-law,  Hugh  Henderson,  he  was  summoned  before  the 
Committee  of  Safety  at  Exeter,  and  Mr.  Samuel  Drown  had 
them  under  charge.  While  Mr.  Sheafe  rode  his  horse  un- 
molested, the  excited  populace  followed  Mr.  Henderson  on 
foot,  and  compelled  him  to  walk  as  far  as  Greenland  Parade, 
pelting  him  with  stones  whenever  he  attempted  to  mount. 
The)'  gave  their  bonds  to  the  Committee  that  they  would 
do  nothing  to  impede  the  progress  of  the  Revolution,  and 
were  dismissed. 

Afi  rr  the  Revolution,  although  Mr.  Sheafe  was  a  very 
popuiar  man  with  his  friends,  and  was  captain  of  a  company 
of  cavalry,  yet  occasionally  lie  was  subject  to  rough  abuse 
from  political  opponents.     One  of  the  strongest  demonstra- 


JAY  S    TREATY.  133 

tions  of  this  sort  was  made  by  a  mob  attack  upon  bis  house 
in  1795,  which,  curious  as  it  might  be,  resulted  in  summon- 
ing the  same  Mr.  Drown  to  Exeter,  although  innocent  of 
the  offence  charged. 

It  was  in  July,  1795,  that  the  memorable  "Jay's  Treaty" 
was  promulgated  before  final  action  was  taken  upon  it  by  the 
Senate.  Its  appearance  created  great  excitement  through 
out  the  country.  The  article  which  forbade  the  trading  of 
American  vessels  of  over  70  tons  with  any  of  the  British 
colonial  ports  or  islands,  was  far  from  being  acceptable ; 
and  it  was  said  that  while  the  treaty  conferred  many  im- 
portant privileges  on  Great  Britain,  it  secured  no  a  Ivan- 
tages  but  what  might  be  claimed  under  the  existing  treaty 
pf  1783.  A  public  meeting  was  called  by  posters  at  the 
corners.     To  show  the  deep  feeling  we  give  the  handbill. 

"  THE  CRISIS  I— To  the  citizens  of  Portsmouth. 
This  (citizens  of  every  description)  is  the  crisis  of  your 
fate.  To-morrow  you  are  warned  to  assemble  at  the  State 
House,  on  the  most  momentous  occasion  of  your  lives. 
Your  all  is  at  stake.  The  Senate  have  bargained  away 
your  blood-bought  privileges,  for  less  than  a  mess  of  pot- 
tage. That  perfidious,  corrupting  and  corrupted  nation 
whom  you,  vanquished  with  your  sword,  are  now  end'avor- 
ing  to  vanquish  you,  with  their  usual,  but  alas,  too  success- 
ful weapon,  British  gold  !  Your  only  remaining  hope  is  in 
the  President!  Assemble  then  to  a  man!  Shut  up  your 
shops  and  warehouses,  let  all  business  cease :  Repair 
to  the  State  House,  remonstrate  with  coolness,  but  spirit, 
against  his  signing  a  treaty,  which  will  be  the  deatli  war- 
rant of  your  trade,  and  entail  beggary  on  us,  and  our  pos- 
terity forever.  If  you  regard  yourselves,  your  children, 
and  above  all  the  honor  of  your  country,  assemble  at  the 
sound  of  the  bells.  Portsmouth,  July  15,  1795." 

This  meeting,  after  voting  that  it  was  inconsistent  with 
the  interest  and  honor  of  the  United  States  to  ad^pt  the 
treaty,  agreed  to  an  extended  address  to  President  Vyrash- 
ington   on  the    subject.     They  voted  thanks  to    Senator 


134:  RAMBLES  ABOUT  PORTSMOUTH. 

Langdon  and  his  nine  associates  for  the  opposition  they 
made  to  the  ratification  of  the  treaty,  and  without  any  op- 
position being  shown,  adjourned. 

Nearly  two  months  after,  a  counter  address  to  the  Presi- 
dent  was  drawn  up,  approving  of  the  treaty,  and  compli- 
mentary to  Senator  Livermore  and  Mr.  Jay.  It  was  pre- 
sented  by  Mr.  Jacob  Sheafe  for  signatures.  As  soon  as  this 
proceeding  was  publicly  known,  the  town  generally,  and 
south-end  in  particular,  was  in  commotion.  On  the  morn- 
ing  of  the  10th  of  September,  1795,  bills  were  posted  at 
the  corners,  stating  that  the  signers  of  the  second  address 
to  the  President,  and  the  gentleman  who  had  circulated  it, 
had  highly  displeased  the  people,  as  the  avowed  design  was 
to  render  the  proceedings  of  the  late  town  meeting  com 
temptible.  As  Mr.  S.  (who  was  called  by  his  opponents 
"  Cunning  Jacob")  received  some  personal  abuse  in  the 
forenoon  of  that  day,  disagreeable  consequences  were  ap- 
prehended from  the  excited  state  of  the  public  mind. 

The  opponents  of  the  treaty,  who  had  just  taken  the 
name  of  Republicans,  held  a  meeting  in  the  vicinity  of 
Liberty  Bridge  in  Water  street,  and  a  committee  was  sent 
to  Mr.  Sheafe,  notifying  him  immediately  to  deliver  the 
paper  containing  the  address  and  signatures,  or  abide  the 
consequences.  This  demand  Mr.  S.  peremptorily  refused 
to  comply  with  :  but  to  convince  them  that  those  who  were 
advocating  the  measures  of  government  were  not  acting  in 
a  clandestine  manner,  he  offered  them  a  copy  of  the  address 
with  every  name  thereto  subscribed.  This  was  received, 
but  was  by  no  means  satisfactory. 

Now  the  blood  begins  to  boil,  and  the  tug  of  war  com- 
mences. In  the  shop  of  William  Deering  the  carver,  on 
Water  street,  were  reposing  two  profile  effigies,  cut  from 
boards,  which  had  been  made  in  July,  when  the  treaty  first 
arrived.  These  were  brought  out  and  nailed  one  on  each 
side  of  a  cart, — and  a  public  crier,  with  bell  in  hand,  was 


THE   EFFIGIES.  135 

sent  through  the  town,  inviting  the  inhabitants  to  attend 
the  execution  of  those  two  "bribed  traitors/'  Jay  and  Liv- 
ermore,  who  were  to  be  hung  and  burnt  in  the  evening  on 
Warner's  wharf.     [Xow  Railway  wharf] 

The  cart  was  rigged,  but  without  a  driver,  when  London, 
a  black  of  William  Stavers,  coming  by,  was  placed  in  the 
cart  and  compelled  to  act  as  driver.  A  drum  and  fife  soon 
gave  the  signal  for  forming,  and  the  procession  proceeded 
to  the  South  Bridge,  up  Pleasant  street,  gathering  in  num- 
bers until,  'three  hundred  strong,  it  passed  over  Market 
Square  and  down  Daniel  street,  to  Warner's  wharf — the 
scene  of  the  execution. 

The  effigies  are  erected  on  a  pole,  and  being  too  high 
for  the  torch,  a  boy  is  held  up  to  apply  the  flame.  It  was 
twilight  when  this  mark  of  contempt  was  completed.  As 
the  evening  came  on,  the  procession  followed  the  drum  and 
fife  to  various  parts  of  the  town,  paying  particular  atten- 
tion to  the  residences  of  the  thirty-nine  individuals  who 
signed  the  second  address.  Groans  and  denunciations 
were  poured  out  in  profusion.  The  residence  of  Jacob 
Sheafe  received  marked  attention.  That  of  his  brother, 
James  Sheafe,  was  assailed,  the  windows  broken  in  by  mis- 
sels, and  Mr.  S.  compelled  to  secrete  himself  from  their 
fury.  The  residence  of  Dr.  Hall  Jackson  was  also  assailed, 
and  the  large  stones  thrown  into  the  chamber  windows 
greatly  endangered  the  lives  of  the  family.  Whether  this 
assault  was  made  by  men  of  Portsmouth  or  of  Rye,  we  do 
not  know ;  but  it  is  probable  that  the  Doctor  was  not  in 
very  good  repute  with  the  inhabitants  of  the  latter  town 
at  the  time,  as  a  story  we  have  heard  will  explain. 

When  the  news  of  the  treaty  arrived,  information  went 
to  Rye  that  the  country  was  sold ;  that  Jay  had  sold  Rye 
with  it,  and  British  gold  would  be  the  cause  of  its  ruin. 
Dr.  Hall  Jackson  was  on  a  visit  in  Rye  at  the  time,  and 
was  well   convinced  that  a  poorer  town  could  not  then  be 


136  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

found  in  the  county — as  utterly  different  in  wealth  and 
prosperity  from  what  it  is  now  as  black  is  from  white. 
The  Doctor  listened  to  the  story  of  being  sold,  and  answer- 
ed as  follows  : 

•  If  Rye  to  Great  Britain  was  really  sold. 
As  we  by  some  great  men  are  seriously  told, 

Great  Britain,  not  Rye,  was  ill-treated: 
For  if  in  fulfilling  the  known  maxim  of  trad*, 
Any  gold  for  such  a  po<>r  purchase  was  paid. 

Great  Britain  was  confoundedly  cheated." 

p 

This  exercise  of  his  ready  wit  perhaps  cost  him  a  few 
panes  of  glass  on  this  occasion. 

There  might  have  been  seen  on  the  Parade  on  that  day, 
sitting  in  his  chaise,  a  lawyer  of  our  town,  taking  down 
the  names  of  those  who  were  in  the  current  of  the  proces- 
sion. And  a  day  or  two  after  Gen.  George  Reed  of  Lon- 
donderry, the  High  Sheriff,  attending  the  Court  then  in 
session  at  Exeter,  visits  Portsmouth  officially,  and  summons 
some  ten  or  twelve  of  the  leading  men  of  Portsmouth  to 
appear  before  the  Court,  on  a  charge  of  being  engaged  in 
a  riot  and  unlawful  assemblage,  and  injuring  the  property 
of  James  Sheafe,  &c.  The  names  of  all  these  individuals 
we  have  not  been  able  to  obtain,  as  the  Court  records  do 
not  present  them  ;  but  among  them  were  the  names  of 
Deacon  Samuel  Bowles  and  Samuel  Drown  (who  passed 
the  Parade  at  the  time,  but  were  not  connected  with  the 
mob.)  Capt.  Thomas  Manning,  Nathaniel  Marshall,  Thales 
G.  Yeaton,  Win.  Trefethen,  Win.  Tredick,  Charles  Chaun- 
cey.  Some  of  them  joined  in  the  afternoon  procession, 
but  none  of  them  were   connected  with  the  evening  mob. 

When  the  Sheriff  saw  who  the  men  generally  were,  he 
took  their  word  for  their  appearance  at  Exeter  on  the 
morning  of  the  next  day.  So,  before  daylight,  they  were 
all  on  the  way,  and  ere  the  Court  opened  in  the  morning, 
the  culprits  presented  themselves  at  the  Court  House. 
Judge  Orcutt  was  on  the  bench.  Their  case  was  stated 
by  Mr.  Drown,  and  readily  understood  by  the  Court,  who 


THE   TRIUMPHAL    PROCESSION.  137 

suggested  that  a  nolpros.  should  be  entered,  and  they  were 
discharged. 

Their  prosecution  and  summons  to  Exeter  for  trial  made 
no  little  excitement,  and  the  news  of  the  speedy  discharge 
no  little  joy.  The  matter  was  well  known  in  the  neighbor- 
ing towns  also,  and  every  vehicle  and  horse  were  in  requi- 
sition to  go  out  and  escort  them  home.  William  Boyd,  no 
less  enthusiastic,  requested  Mr.  Greenleaf,  the  keeper  of 
the  Bell  Tavern,  to  have  refreshments  in  every  room  in  his 
house.  Just  at  sunset  the  carriages  made  their  appearance 
in  town.  In  the  first  was  Thomas  Manning,  who  on  this 
occasion  was  first  called  Commodore,  a  title  which  he 
never  after  lost  among  his  friends. 

By  a  concerted  arrangement,  as  soon  as  the  first  carriage 
arrived  in  sight  of  the  Bell  Tavern,  three  cheers  went 
down  the  whole  line  of  the  procession.  When  the  first 
coach  passing  down  State  street  reached  Market  Square,, 
the  Commodore  put  his  hat  out  of  the  window  and  gave 
the  signal ;  another  stationed  where  the  new  Post  Office 
now  is,  repeated  it,  and  on  it  went  up  State  street  to  Mid- 
dle street,  and  up  Middle  street  to  beyond  Wibird's  Hill — 
the  whole  cavalcade  and  procession  giving  such  long  three 
cheers  as  has  scarcely  been  heard  in  our  city  since. 

Of  the  high  go  at  the  Bell  Tavern  that  night,  it  is  only 
necessary  to  say  that  it  was  in  full  accordance  with  the 
"  Spirit?'  of  the  times—  "West-India." 

The  remembrance  of  that  occasion  is  still  held  among 
our  old  inhabitants — but  the  full  record  has  never  before 
been  made. 

10 


138  EAMCLES   ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 


RAMBLE   GV. 

Insurrection,    in    ZSTew  Hampshire,    178G. 

This  incident  in  our  State  history,  although  its  actual 
locality  was  a  few  miles  from  Portsmouth,  yet  from  the 
deep  interest  it  excited  here  at  the  time,  and  the  terror  of 
the  mob  at  the  bare  idea  that  "  Hackett's  Artillery"  from 
Portsmouth  was  marching  upon  them,  is  entitled  to  a  place 
among  the  Rambles. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  year  1785,  the  complaints  of  the 
unhappy  people,  who  had  contracted  debts  during  the  time 
of  the  too  great  plenty  of  mouey,  induced  the  Legislature  to 
pass  an  act,  making  every  species  of  property  a  tender  at  an 
appraised  value.  It  was  soon  however  found  from  experi- 
ence, that  this  answered  no  other  purpose  but  to  prevent 
a  demand  on  the  part  of  the  creditors  and  a  neglect  on  the 
part  of  the  debtors,  to  discharge  their  just  debts.  The 
scarcity  of  money  still  remained  a  complaint;  for  so  far  as 
goods  and  real  property  were  substituted  as  a  medium  in 
commerce,  so  far  specie,  of  course,  ceased  to  circulate ; 
and  credit  being  thus  injured,  the  money  holders  turned 
their  keys  on  that  cash  which  might  otherwise  have  been 
loaned  to  the  needy. 

In  August  a  convention  of  committees  from  about  thirty 
towns  assembled,  and  agreed  upon  and  preferred  to  the 
General  Court  a  long  petition,  setting  forth  their  griev- 
ances on  account  of  the  scarcity  of  money,  and  praying  for 
an  emission  of  paper  bills  of  credit,  in  which  there  is  no 
single  trace  of  an  idea  of  redemption,  or  any  one  attempt 
to  give  the  currency  a  foundation;  but  the  whole  seems 
predicated  on  a  supposition  that  the  General  Court  by  a 
mere  act  of  legislation  by  words  and  signs  could  impress  an 
intrinsic  value  on  paper ;    which  is  as  fully  absurd  as  it 


THE   INSURRECTION.  139 

would  be  to  suppose  that  the  Legislature  had  the  power  of 
Midas,  and  could,  from  a  single  touch,  turn  stones  and 
sticks  into  gold.  Their  great  object  was,  however,  to  have 
this  paper  a  tender  for  all  debts  and  taxes,  and  no  plan  is 
hinted  by  which  the  people  are  to  get  this  money  out  of 
the  treasury  ;  but  it  rather  seems  that  they  expected  the 
General  Court  to  apportion  it  among  the  people  at  large. 

The  Legislature  formed  a  plan  for  the  emission  of  fifty 
thousand  pounds,  to  be  let  out  at  four  per  cent,  and  land 
■security  redeemable  at  a  future  period,  carrying  interest  at 
four  per  cent.,  and  to  be  a  tender  in  taxes  for  the  internal 
support  of  the  State,  and  for  fees  and  salaries  of  the  offi- 
cers of  the  government.  This  plan  was  sent  as  early  as 
the  fourteenth  of  September,  178G,  to  the  several  towns, 
to  collect  their  minds  upon  the  subject. 

The  following  interesting  account  of  the  matter  was 
.drawn  up  by  Judge  Smith  of  Exeter  not  long  before  his 
rdeath. 

' '  It  was  at  this  period  that  the  clamor  for  paper  currency 
.began.  Many  indulged  the  hope  that  a  liberal  emission  of 
bills  of  credit,  and  a  mere  order  on  the  part  of  Govern- 
ment that  they  should  be  received  in  all  cases  as  equal  in- 
value  to  specie,  would  operate  as  an  immediate  and  effec- 
tual remedy  for  all  their  grievances. 

"On  the  morning  of  20th  September,  we  were  informed 
that  a  large  body  of  insurgents  were  on  their  march  tfo 
Exeter,  where  the  Legislature  was  then  in  session ;  and  at 
three  in  the  afternoon  they  made  their  appearance.  I  saw 
them  as  they  passed  down  the  street  by  the  Academy. 
More  than  a  hundred  were  tolerably  well  armed ;  but  the 
rest  (for  they  were  upwards  of  two  hundred  in  number) 
were  mounted,  and  their  arms  consisted  only  of  whips, 
cudgels,  and  s»uch  weapons  as  tradition  has  assigned  to  the 
Georgia  militia.  They  pursued  their  march  over  the 
bridge,  overturning   or  thrusting  aside   all   who  ventured 


140  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

within  their  reach.     In  a  short  time  they  returned,  and  in- 
vested the  court  house.     Judge  Livermore,  who  was  then 
upon   the   bench,   and   the   severity  of  whose  countenance 
was  not  diminished  at  sight  of  the  array,  would  not  permit 
the  business  o'f  the  court  to   be  interrupted,   or  allow  any 
one  to  inspect  the  besiegers  from  the  windows.     In  a  short 
time,  however,  finding  their  mistake,  and  probably  suppos- 
ing it  rather  a  hopeless  business  to  ask  redress  of  griev- 
ances from  a  court  of  law,  they  marched  to  the  meeting 
house,  where  both  houses  of  Assembly  were  met  in  con- 
ference.    The  meeting  house,   at  that  time,   stood  where 
Rev.  Mr.  Rowland's  was  afterwards  erected,  and  the  court 
house  was  just  opposite.     They  here  began  to  load  all  the 
muskets  which  had  not  previously  been  prepared,  and  to 
point  them  at  the  house.     After  spending  some  time  in  this 
parade,  they  sent  in  a  deputation,  to  demand  that  the  Legis- 
lature  should  allow  an   immediate  issue  of  paper,  which 
should  be  made  a  tender  in  all  cases   for  debts  and  taxes  ; 
and  laid  close  siege  to  all  the  avenues  of  the  house,  intend- 
ing to  detain  the  members  until  they  should  see  fit  to  grant 
their  request.     Some  who   endeavored   to  make  their   es- 
cape were  driven  back  with  insult.     It  had  been  publicly 
known  some  hours  before,  that  the  insurgents  were  on  their 
march,  and  a  large  concourse  was  assembled  to  watch  their 
motions.     Some  gentlemen  attempted  to  reason  with  them 
on  the  folly  of  their  conduct,  but  without  effect.     Presi- 
dent Sullivan  soon  came  to  the  door.     He  addressed  them 
with   perfect   coolness;  expostulated  with   them   for  some 
time  ;  assured  them  that  their  reasonable  demands  should 
not  be  neglected  ;  but  that  they  might  at  one  e  abandon  the 
idea  of  forcing  the  government  into  submission:  that  their 
array  was  not  so  formidable  as  to  terrify  an  old  soldier.     It 
was  now  evening,  and  they  still  adhered  resolutely  to  their 
post. 

"  President  Sullivan,  as  I  said  before,  addressed  the  insur- 


ROUT    OT   THE   INSURGENTS.  141   ' 

gents  without  effect,  and  there  seemed  no  mode  remaining 
of  liberating  the  Legislature  from  their  imprisonment  but 
a  resort  to  force,  until  a  plan  was  resorted  to  with  good 
success.  It  was  now  twilight.  The  meeting  house  was 
surrounded  by  a  high  fence,  which  intercepted  the  view  on 
all  sides.  A  drummer  was  summoned,  who  stood  at  a  little 
distance,  and  beat  his  drum  with  as  much  vigor  and  effect  as 
if  a  regular  army  were  advancing  to  the  rescue,  and  a  band, 
rendered  most  formidable  in  appearance  by  the  indistinctness 
of  evening,  marched  toward  the  rebel  forces.  The  surround- 
ing crowd  at  the  same  time  shouted  for  Government,  and 
loudly  expressed  their  apprehensions  that  the  enemy  would 
be  annihilated  by  the  vengeance  of  Hackett's  Artillery. 
The  insurgents,  unable  to  measure  the  extent  of  their  dan- 
ger, needed  no  second  invitation  to  decamp.  Their  whole 
array  was  dissolved  in  a  moment.  They  scampered  through 
lanes,  streets  and  fields,  and  clambered  over  walls  and 
fences  with  a  rapidity  which  nothing  but  fear  could  give 
them,  and  did  not  stop  until  they  reached  a  place  at  the 
distance  of  a  mile,  where  thev  considered  themselves  safe 
for  the  moment  from  the  terrific  host,  whose  sudden  ap- 
pearance had  caused  their  flight.  Here  they  endeavored  to 
rally  their  broken  ranks,  and  encamped  for  the  night ;  while 
the  Legislature  immediately  declared  them  in  a  state  of  re- 
bellion, and  authorized  the  President  to  issue  his  orders  for 
calling  in  the  militia  of  the  neighboring  towns. 

"  A  company  of  volunteers  was  immediately  enrolled  un- 
der the  command  of  Hon.  Nicholas  Gilman,  afterwards  a 
Senator  in  Congress  from  this  State.  They  were  ordered 
to  meet  at  the  President's  quarters  earl}7  the  next  morning. 
I  went  to  the  place  appointed  before  daybreak;  and  the 
first  person  I  met  in  the  streets  w:  ,  President  Sullivan, 
mounted,  and  in  full  uniform.  He  told  me  that  he  was 
about  reconnoitering  the  enemy,  and  immediately  rode 
away.     In  a  short  time  the  militia  began  to  pour  in,  and  by 


142  RAMBLES  ABOUT  PORTSMOUTH. 

the  hour  of  nine,  a  large  body  was  assembled.  Among 
their  officers  was  Gen.  Cilley,  whose  bravery  and  conduct 
in  the  revolutionary  war  is  so  well  remembered.  Many 
distinguished  citizens  also  arrived,  and*  attached  themselves 
to  the  company  of  volunteers  I  have  just  mentioned. 

"  Before  ten,  the  line  was  formed,  and  the  troops  com- 
menced their  march,  commanded  by  the  President  in  per- 
son. The  enemy's  line  was  formed  on  an  eminence  near 
the  western  bank  of  the  river  that  crosses  the  Kingston' 
ground.  When  the  militia  had  advanced  to  a  spot  near  the 
river,  Gen.  Cilley,  at  the  head  of  a  troop  of  horse,  dashed! 
into  the  enemy's  ranks,  which  were  instantly  broken  and 
put  to  flight,  without  firing  a  single  gun.  Many  of  their' 
officers  were  taken  prisoners  upon  the  spot;  and  the  same 
night,' a  small  detachment  seized  several  of  the  ringleaders,, 
and  committed  them  to  goal  in  Exeter,  whence  they  were 
shortly  after  discharged  by  the  Court,  after  a  proper  sub-» 
mission.  The  vigorous  measures  of  Government,  and  the' 
fear  which  they  had  inspired,  rendered  it  unnecessary,  aiss 
well  as  impolitic,  to'  resort  to  severer  punishments.'' 


RAMBLE    CVL 

Th-e    Cutts    ITamily. 


Promixknt  among  the  early  settlers  of  New  Hampshire 
was  the  family  bearing  the  name  of  Cutt,'  which  in  17oG 
added  an  s,  making  the  name  Cutts.  We  have  already  (in 
Ramble  5th)  given  an  account  of  the  emigration  from 
Wales  of  the  three  brothers,  John,  Robert,  and  Richard 
Cutt,  previous  to  1G4G.  John  was  the  first  President  of 
New  Hampshire.  His  residence  was  not  far  from  the  cor- 
ner of  Market  and  Russell  streets,  about  where    the   stone 


THE   CUTTS   FAMILY.  143 

store  now  stands, — the  grave  yard  on  Green  street,  in 
which  lie  was  buried,  being  in  his  orchard  near  his  house. 
There  the  grave  stones  of  his  family  are  still  to  be  seen. 
We  have  procured  a  copy  of  the  inscriptions  on  all  these 
stones,  and  give  them  in  Ramble  108. 

Richard  Cutt  and  John  were  owners  of  at  least  one  half 
of  what  is  now  the  compact  part  of  Portsmouth.  In  1GG0 
the  first  fort  on  the  present  site  of  Fort  Constitution,  New- 
castle, was  erected,  and  Richard  Cutt  was  the  first  in 
command. 

Robert  Cutt  carried  on  ship  building  at  Kittery. 

Among  the  papers  of  the  late  Edward  Cutts,  Esq.,  was 
recently  found  an  old  manuscript,  probably  Written  about 
seventy-nine  years  ago,  giving  the  Cutts  family  genealogy. 
We  give  it  as  a  matter  of  record,  in  which  many  families 
are  interested,  adding  a  few  explanatory  words  in  brackets. 

CUTTS     GENEALOGY. 

John  Cutts,  the  eldest,  afterwards  President. 

Richard,  the  next. 

Robert,  the  third  son. 

A  sister,  whosi  husband's  name  was  Shepway. 

President  Cutts  had  two  wives.  It  is  uncertain  whether 
the  first  came  with  him;  she  left  four  childreu,  viz  : 

Hannah,  Miry,  John  and  Samuel. 

Hmnah  married  Col.  Rich'd  Waldron,  (son  to  Maj.  Wal- 
droQ  who  was  murdered  by  Indians.)  about  1681  or  1682, 
ami  died  at  the  birth  of  her  1st  child,  whose  name  was 
Samuel,  who  lived  11  months  only. 

Mary  married  Sun.  Peuhallow,  Esq.,  (the  celebrated  Jus- 
tice,) and  had  13  children — 5  sons  and  8  daughters.  Sons 
were  Samuel,  John,  Joshua,  Joseph,  Benjamin. 

Sain,  married  in  London,  and  left  children  there. 

John  married  the  widow  Walls  (maiden  name  Butler.) 
had  2  sons  and  1  daughter.  These  sons  are  Sam'l  and 
John,  now  living. 

Miry  died  single,  at  about  23  years  old. 

Joshua    [Penhallow]    died   single;    Joseph  married  and 


144  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

settled  in  London  ;  Benj.  died  young.  Of  the  8  daughters, 
Hannah  married  Benj.  Pemberton,  Esq.,  Boston ;  Mary- 
married  Benj.  Gambling,  Esq.,  Portsmo. ;    Elizabeth, 

Dummer,  Esq.,  Newbury. 

Phebe  had  4  husbands,  viz  :  a  Mr.  Gross,  of  Boston  ;  Mr. 
Vassell,  the  father  of  the  present  Mrs.  Knight;  Dr.  Graves, 
of  Charlestown ;  and  Francis  Borland,  a  wealthy  merch't 
of  Boston.     She  had  only  one  child,  viz  :  Mrs.  Knight. 

Deborah  married  Mr.  Knight,  of  Portsmo.,  merchant,  and 
left  2  sons  (Win.  and  Temple)  and  one  daughter  (Deb'h 
Carter.) 

Olympia  died  single,  at  18  years  of  age. 

Lydia  married  Henry  Slooper,  compelled  by  her  father. 
She  left  one  son,  who  died  at  sea. 

Susannah  married  Wm,  Winkley. 

John  Cutts  [grandson]  married  a  sister  of  Col.  Moore. 
There  was  one  son. 

Samuel  Cutts,  the  youngest,  married  Harvey  [Hannah 
Perkins.]  Had  several  children,  who  settled  in  Boston. 
His  widow  afterwards  married  Phips. 

The  above  are  descended  from  President  John  Cutts. 

Richard  Cutts,  the  second  brother,  married  the  daughter 
of  an  English  officer,  who  left  England  on  account  of  the 
public  commotions  there.  Had  2  daughters,  Margaret  and 
Bridget. 

Bridget  had  2  husbands,  viz  :  Daniel  and  Crawford,  and 
died  without  children. 

[Bridget  Cutts  wrote  the  name  of  her  second  husband 
Graffort.  This  is  probably  another  mode  of  spelling  and 
pronouncing  Crawford,  though  it  is  possible  that  Graffort 
and  Crawford  are  distinct  names.] 

Margaret  married  Maj.  Wm.  Yaughan.  Had  2  sons  and 
6  daughters. 

Cutts  Yaughan  died  at  Barbadoes,  unmarried. 

Geo.  Yaughan,  afterwards  Lieut.  Gov.  of  New  Hamp- 
sl  '  e,  married  Mary  sister  to  Gov.  Belcher,  who  died  with 
hei  first  child  1G99.  He  afterwards  married  to  Elizabeth 
Elliot,  ■  f  Newcastle,  and  had  11  children. 

Wm.  Yaughan,  the  first  son,  was  the  first  projector  of  the 
Louisburg  expedition  in  174-1  to  1746.  He  died  unmarried, 
in  London,  in  1746. 


CUTTs'    GENEALOGY.  145 

Elliot  Vaughan  married  Anna  Gerrish,  and  left  5  chil- 
dren, William,  George,  etc.,  now  living. 

Elinor  Vaughan,  the  eldest  daughter,  was  the  second  wife 
to  Col,  Rich'd  Waldron  (aforementioned).  Had  2  sons  and 
4  daughters.  Rich'd  Waldron,  Esq.,  of  Portsmo.  was  the 
eldest.  He  was  Secretary  of  New  Hampshire,  and  sus- 
tained many  other  offices. 

The  second  son  was  a  minister  at  Boston,  whose  only 
daughter  married  Col.  Josiah  Quincy,  of  Braintree. 

Margaret  Waldron,  the  eldest  daughter,  married  Eleazer 
Russell,  Esq.,  of  Portsmouth,  father  of  the  present  Eleazer 
Russell,  Esq. 

Anna  married  Henry  Rust,  minister  of  Stratham. 

Abigail  married  Col.  Saltonstall,  of  Haverhill. 

Elinor  died  unmarried,  at  19. 

Robert  Cutts. 

He  went  from  England  to  the  West  Indies,  (Barbadoes 
or  St.  Kitt's,)  where  he  married  a  wealthy  widow,  who  died 
soon  after,  when  he  married  a  second  wife,  Mary  Hoel, 
(who  went  from  England  to  Ireland  at  12  years  of  age. 
from  whence  she  went  to  the  West  Indies,)  who  he  brought 
to  America.  He  first  lived  in  Portsmouth,  in  the  Great 
House,  so  called,  at  the  bottom  of  Pitt  street.  He  after- 
wards removed  to  Kittery,  set  up  a  carpenter's  yard,  and 
built  a  great  number  of  vessels.  He  had  2  sons  and  4 
daughters. 

Richard  Cutts,  the  eldest  son,  married  to ,  and  had 

—  children. 

[Richard  had  four  if  not  more  sons.  Samuel,  of  Ports- 
mouth ;  Richard,  of  Cutts' Island ;  Col.  Thomas,  of  Saco ; 
and  Judge  Edward  Cutts,  of  Kittery.  From  the  latter  the 
late  Edward  Cutts,  counsellor  at  law,  of  Portsmouth,  de- 
scended. Samuel  Cutts,  a  merchant  (whose  residence  was 
on  Market  street,  next  south  of  the  residence  of  the  late 
Alexander  Ladd,)  was  t  father  of  Edward  Cutts,  the 
merchant,  and  Charles  Cutts.] 

Robert  Cutts,  2d  son,  married  to  Dorcas  Hammond, 
daughter  to  Major  Joseph  Hammond  (whose  father  left 
England    on    the  death  of  Cromwell,  whose  side    he   had 


146  RAMBLES    ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

taken  in  the  contest  with   King  Charles,  and  here  married 

to  a  daughter  of Frost,  who  had  left  England  before, 

being    an  adherent    of  Charles  the   1st.)     They   had  four 
daughters. 

Mary,  the  eldest,  married  to  William  Whipple.  She  had 
three  sons  and  two  daughters,  and  died  in  1783,  aged  85. 

Katharine  married  John  Moffatt,  and  left  one  son  and 
two  daughters;  and  several  children  died  before  her. 

Mehitable  married  Jotham  Odiorne.  Had  a  number  of 
children,  some  of  whom  died  young.  She  died  in  1780, 
iiged  8(3.     She  left  three  daughters  and  one  son. 

Elizabeth  married  Rev.  Joseph  Whipple,  and  lived  at 
Hampton.  Afterwards  married  the  Rev.  John  Lowell,  and 
lived  at  Newbury,  whom  she  also  survived. 

The  four  daughters  [of  the  first  Robert  Cutts]  were 

1st, ,  married  to Briar. 

2d,  ,  married  to Scrivener. 

3d,   ,  married  to   Moore. 

4th,  Elizabeth,  married  to  Elliot. 

Robert   Cutts'    widow    married   an  English    gentleman, 

named Champernoone,  of  a    respectable  family.     lie 

visited  England  afterward?,  and  carried  his  wife's  daughter 
Elizabeth  with  him  ;  which  daughter  afterwards  married 
to  a  Capt.  Elliot,  with  whom  she  went  a  voyage  by  stealth. 

Champernoone  died.  IJis  widow  went  to  South  Carolina 
with  two  or  three  of  her  daughters,  who  removed  thither. 

There  are  no  descendants  of  President  John  Cutts  bear- 
ing the  family  name. 

Hunking,  Benjamin,  and  John  Penhallow,  were  the  sons 
of  John  P.,  the  grandson  of  President  John  Cutts. 

The  old  house  at  the  corner  of  Market  and  Deer  streets, 
used  for  boarding  by  Mrs.  Chase  in  late  years,  which  was 
taken  down  about  eight  years  since,  was  the  residence  of 
Lieut.  Gov.  George  Yaughan,  the  grandson  of  Richard 
Cutt.  From  the  Lieut.  Gov.  Yaughan  all  the  family  bear- 
ing the  name  in  this  vicinity  descended.  It  was  in  this 
branch  only  that  Richard  Cutt  had  any  descendants.  That 
old  Lc use  was   a  distinguished  scat   in  its  early   days.     To 


RESIDENCE    OF    RICHARD    CUTTS.  147 

it  came  the  sister  of  the  Governor  of  Massachusetts 
as  a  bride, — and  from  it,  in  a  year,  the  imposing  cere- 
monies of  her  funeral  were  displayed.  From  1715  to 
1717  this  house  was  the  residence  of  the  Governor  of  the 
State.  Here,  in  1703,  was  born  William  Vaughan,  the 
projector  of  the  Louisburg  expedition,  which  shed  a 
lustre  upon  American  history.  That  old  house  should 
have  been  daguerreotyped  before  it  passed  away. 


RAMBLE    CVII. 


I^e^iclence  of  Ric'liaixl  Cutts  —  Capt.  Thomas  Leicli'H? 
Sea  Adventure  —  "William  Bennett,  the  Hostage  — 
His    fate. 

In  our  last,  reference  was  made  to  the  old  house  recently 
taken  down  at  the  corner  of  Market  and  Deer  streets,  the 
former  residence    of    Lieut.    Gov.    George    Vaughan.     A 
building;   on  the  north,  bounded  on  Market  street,  was  an 
old    bake    house;    and  a    brewery,  as    early  as    1790,  was 
south-west  of  the  house,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street. 
The  house    where    the   late  George  Long  for  many  years 
resided,  was  built  by  Samuel  Hart,  (father  of  the  late  Rich- 
ard,) more  than  a  century  ago,  on  what  was  then  called  the 
"  Malt  House    Lot,"      The  localities    are    so   nearly  like 
those   referred    to   in   the  Will   of  the   first   Richard   Cutt 
[Ramble  5th,]  that  there   seems  a  probability    that  the  old 
house,  demolished    about   eight  years   since,  Avas  his    resi- 
dence in    1G75,  when  he   made  his  Will, — and  that  George 
Vaughan,  his  grandson,  inherited  it  from  him.     If  so,  Pres- 
ident John  and  his  brother  Richard  lived  in  the  immediate 
neighborhood  of  each  other. 

Elizabeth,  a  daughter  of  Gov.  George  Vaughan,  married 


148  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

George  Bennett.  She  was  said  to  be  a  lady  of  excellent 
education,  and  highly  accomplished  for  her  times.  She 
died  nearly  eighty  years  since,  at  the  age  of  93  years. 
William  Bennett,  referred  to  in  the  following  narrative, 
was  their  son. 

The  residence  of  Mr.  George  Bennett  was  on  the  spot 
where  John  P.  Lyman's  iron  store  now  stands,  opposite 
and  a  little  south  of  the  house  of  Capt.  Samuel  Cutts.  We 
may  imagine,  a  few  years  before  the  Revolution,  a  ship  of 
perhaps  250  tons — a  large  vessel  for  those  times — fitted 
out  by  Capt.  Cutts  at  a  wharf  near  by,  with  a  freight  Tor 
the  West  Indies,  to  proceed  thence  to  Spain  or  the  Medi- 
terranean for  a  return  cargo.  She  is  under  command  of  a 
well-informed  master,  Capt.  Thomas  Leigh.  Young  William 
Bennett,  who  had  been  brought  up  under  the  eye  of  the 
owner,  ambitious  to  be  himself  a  master,  performs  the 
duties  of  the  first  officer  with  a  diligent  and  scrupulous 
attention.  We  may  see  the  opulent  owner  on  the  wharf  as 
the  vessel  departs,  wishing  them  a  prosperous  voyage. 
On  and  on  they  sail,  day  by  day.  After  touching  at  various 
ports,  at  length,  in  a  Spanish  port,  the  vigilant  officer  of 
customs  discovers  an  infringement  of  their  revenue  laws, 
and  the  vessel  is  seized  and  condemned  as  a  forfeit  to  Gov- 
ernment. [Another  tradition  says  that  the  vessel  was 
captured  by  the  Algerines  ;  we  cannot  decide  which  is 
correct.]  In  this  emergency  the  clemency  of  the  captors 
was  extended  in  the  offer  to  Capt.  Leigh  to  release  the 
vessel  on  the  payment  of  several  thousand  dollars,  consid- 
erably less  than  the  real  value  of  the  vessel.  But  how 
could  the  money  be  paid?  There  was  no  way  of  sending 
for  it  direct,  and  to  keep  the  vessel  on  expense  for  months 
was  not  the  policy  of  calculating  men.  Leave  two  of  your 
men  as  hostages,  and  depart,  was  the  offer.  ''Leave  me," 
said  Bennett ;  and  his  friend  Mills  was  also  left,  as  his  com- 
panion.    The  stipulation  was  that  they  should  be  boarded 


WILLIAM  BENNETT,  THE  HOSTAGE.  149 

until  a  specified  time,  ample  for  a  return, — after  that  time 
they  should  be  put  in  close  confinement,  and  after  another 
stipulated  time,  if  no  return,  they  should  be  left  without 
food,  to  die  of  starvation.  For  some  time  the  two  friends, 
confident  in  the  good  faith  of  the  master,  passed  their  time 
in  as  pleasant  a  manner  as  the  circumstances  would  permit. 
At  length  an  opportunity  offered  for  them  to  escape.  Mills 
availed  himself  of  it;  but  no  persuasion  would  lead  Ben- 
nett, who  had  faith  in  the  vessel's  return,  to  join  him. 
Bennett  was  at  once  imprisoned,  when  it  was  found  that 
his  partner  was  gone.  Here  we  will  leave  him  to  follow 
the  vessel  home. 

As  dear  as  his  own  life  was  Bennett  to  Capt.  Le^gh ;  and 
the  security  of  the  lives  of  the  hostages  of  far  more  value 
in  his  estimation  than  a  dozen  ships.  They  arrived  safe  in 
the  Piscataqua,  and  the  Captain,  instead  of  keeping  this 
vessel  (which  then  belonged  to  a  foreign  power)  below, 
until  the  terms  of  the  ransom  were  complied  with,  brought 
her  up  to  the  wharf  and  delivered  her  to  Capt,  Cutts, 
having  acquainted  him  with  the  condition  on  which  she  had 
been  purchased,  and  receiving  the  promise  that  the  condi- 
tions should  be  faithfully  complied  with.  The  lives  of  two 
valuable  men  depending  on  the  fulfilment  of  the  contract. 

The  vessel  is  unloaded,  and  the  cargo  disposed  of — but 
Captain  Leigh  sees  no  movement  towards  paying  the  ran- 
som. The  anxious  parents  of  Bennett  entreated,  and  it 
was  said  that  the  ransom  money  had  been  forwarded. 
There  is  less  anxiety  for  a  time,  but  after  the  elapse  of  the 
earliest  hour  in  which  a  return  is  expected,  the  anxiety 
increases.  Sabbath  after  Sabbath  now  the  notes  of  the 
distressed  parents,  can  be  heard  from  the  pulpit  of  Rev. 
Dr.  Langdon,  asking  prayers  for  a  son  in  bondage  in  a  for- 
eign land.  And  the  blood  of  Capt.  Leigh  boils  to  his  veins 
as  he  contemplates  the  dreadful  result  which  the  failure  of 
the  receipt  of  the  ransom- money  must  produce.     He  meas- 


150  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

ures  the  time,  lie  knows  the  day   when  his  friends  are  to 
enter  their  prison   house — he  marks  with  feverish  excite- 
ment  that  dreadful  day  when  the  pangs  of  starvation  are  to 
commence.     Accounts  received  gave  evidence   that  poor 
Bennett  suffered  the  extent  of  the  penalty  imposed.      This 
was  too  much  for  humanity  to  bear.     Leigh's  mind  feels  .the 
shock — but  it  did  not  at  once  cut  him  off  from  his  regular 
business.     At  length,  however,  he  becomes  insane,  and  the 
name  of  Bennett  is  one  the  most  frequent  on  his  lips   in 
his  ravings.     In  the  last  century  there  were  no  asylums  for 
those  bereft  of  their  reason,  and  the  quarters  of  the  alms- 
house were    the    best  abodes  to   be  found  for  those  who 
could  noj,  safely  be  kept  at  home.      .Sixty  years  ago,  when 
William  Vaughan  took  the    superintendence  of  our  alms- 
house, among  the  unfortunate  persons  under  his  charge  was 
Oapt.  Thomas  Leigh,  who  had  been  a  boarder  in  the  insti- 
tution for  more  than  twenty  years.    His  son,  a  distinguished 
merchant    of  South  Berwick,  who  bore  his  father's  name., 
did  every  thing  for  his  comfort  a  son  could  do,  but  there 
was  no  return  of  that  reason  which  the  dreadful  end  of 
William  Bennett  tended  to  overthrow  ;  the  remembrance  of 
which  was  manifest  in  his  violent  ravings  to   the  close  of 
life. 

The  sister  of  William  Bennett  was  the  grandmother  of 
William  Bennett  Parker,  Esq.,  of  this  city, 

Joseph  Leigh,  who  was  the  only  brother  of  Thomas,  was  a 
Commissary  in  the  Revolution.,  and  afterwards  a  shipmaster. 
He  was  truly  patriotic  in  his  feelings,  and  prided  himself  in 
being  a  citizen  of  the  Republic, — the  title  so  pleased  him, 
that  he  was  better  known  as  "  Citizen  Lee  "  than  by  any 
other  name.     He  die-d  about  fifty-eight  years  ago. 


THE  CUTIS  AND  PENHALLOW  CEMETERY.       151 

RAMBLE     CVIII. 

The    Cntts    ancl    3?enliallow    Cemetery    on   G-reen   Street. 

Thousands  of  the  people  of  Portsmouth  have  never 
noticed  the  fifty  feet  lot  on  the  north  side  of  Green  street, 
enclosed  by  a  Avail  of  "lime  and  stone,"  as  directed  by 
President  John  Cutt  in  his  will  made  in  1680.  It  appears 
that  his  first  wife  Hannah  died  six  years  previous  to  that 
time,  that  several  of  his  children  had  died  and  been  buried 
in  "  the  orchard,''  a  few  rods  west  of  the  President's  house 
which  was  near  the  shore,  where  the  stone  store  now 
stands. 

After  spending,  recently,  an  hour  or  two  in  the  enclosure 
rubbing  off  the  moss  from  the  old  grave  stones  to  decipher 
the  inscriptions,  a  friend  put  into  our  hand  the  result  of  a 
similar  visit  some  years  ago,  so  that  by  comparing  notes 
we  are  enabled  to  give  the  ancient  inscriptions  : 

"ITere  lyes  buried  the  body  of  Mrs.  ITannah  Cxgt.  late  wife  of  Mr.  John  Cutt,  aged  42 
years,  who  departed  this  life  on  the day  of  November,  1674." 

"Here  lies  interred  ye  body  of  Airs.  Mary  Penhallow,  late  wife  to  Samuel  Pen  hallow  of 
rortsmouth,  in  ye  Province  of  New- Hampshire  in  New  England,  Esq.  She  was  born  Nov. 
17th,  1601),  and  died  Feb'y  the  8th.  1713.  ' 

"Here  lies  buried  ye  body  of  the  Honorable  Samuel  Penhallow,  Esq— first  of  His 
Majesty's  Council  of  ye  Province  of  New  Hampshire,  — born  at  St  Mabon,  in  ye  County  of 
Cornwall  in  Great  Britain,  July  2d,  1065— Dyed  Dec'r  2d,  1720— aged  01  years  and  5 
months  " 

"  Here  lyes  interred  the  body  of  the  Hon  Benjamin  Gambling,  Esq  a  Member  of  his 
Majesty's  Council  in  the  Province  of  New-Hampshire,  and  Judge  of  the  Probate  of  Wills  — 
who  departed  this  life  the  tlrst  of  September,  17,57— aged  56  yrs." 

"  Here  lyes  buried  the  body  of  Mr.  Benjamin  Gambling,  who  departed  June  2d,  1744,  in 
the  30th  \ear  of  his  age," 

"Here  lies  buried  the  body  of  Mr  William  Knight,  Merchant  in  Portsmouth— Deceased 
November  16th,  1730,  in  the  37  th  year  of  his  age." 

"  Here  lyes  buried  the  body  of  Mrs  Lydia  Sloper.  late  wifr  to  Capt.  Henry  Sloper— who 
departed   this  life  August  17ih,  1718— aged  16  years  and  11  months." 

"  Here  lyes  interred  the  body  of  John  Penhallow,  Esq,  who  departed  this  life  July  28th  , 
Anno  Domini  1735,  aged  42  years." 

"  Here  lyes  buried  the  body  of  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Penhallow,  the  wife  of  John  Penhallow,  Esq. 
aged  47  years— wtio  departed  this  life  Feb.  25,  1736." 

"Olympia  Penhallow,  1693." 

These  were  all,  with  the  exception  of  those  on  one  or 
two  grave  stones  of  modern  date. 

It  is  a  little  remarkable  that  the  name  of  President  Cutt 


152  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

was  not  placed  upon  the  monument  of  his  wife  Hannah,  for 
which  a  blank  was  evidently  left.  Nor  do  we  here  find  a 
stone  for  Ursula,  the  widow  of  President  Cutt,  who  was 
killed  by  the  Indians,  although  here  she  doubtless  was 
buried. 

The  inscription  on  the  monument  of  Hon.  Samuel  Pen- 
hallow  shows  him  to  be  the  first  of  the  family  that  came  to 
this  country.  The  term  "first  of  his  Majesty's  Council," 
means  that  he  was  President  of  that  body.  We  have  seen 
an  extended  sketch  of  his  life  and  services,  written  by  the 
author  of  the  Annals  of  Portsmouth,  but  not  inserted  in 
that  Avork.  He  built  a  brick  house  which  stood  at  the  head 
of  the  Pier,  where  he  lived  in  a  style  of  much  grandeur  for 
that  day.  This  spacious  house,  which  afterwards  passed 
into  the  hands  of  the  Sherburne  family,  and  eventually 
became  the  iVezy  Hampshire  Hotel,  was  situated  on  the 
south  east  corner  of  State  and  Water  streets,  and  was  con- 
sumed in  the  fire  of  1813. 

His  son,  Samuel  Penhallow,  the  grandfather  of  Hunking, 
Benjamin  and  John,  married  the  sister  of  Sir  Ribye  Lake. 
The  letter-book  of  Samuel,  which  is  still  in  the  family, 
contains  one  letter  in  which  he  writes  to  Sir  Ribye,  and 
among  other  things  for  which  he  makes  himself  indebted, 
is  a  scarlet  cloak  trimmed  with  gold  lace,  that  he  desires 
him  to  purchase  for  his  sister  Elizabeth,  (Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Penhallow.)  This  was  after  he  grew  rich,  for  he  had  many 
troubles  and  much  suffering  in  the  early  times  of  the  coun- 
try— but  his  enterprise,  perseverance  and  upright  course 
were  crowned  with  success. 


The  following  extract  from  a  deed  given  by  Gov.  George 
Vaughan  in  1702,  who  then  lived  in  the  house  at  the  north- 
west corner  of  Market  and  Deer  streets,  will  serve  to  show 
the  localities  of  some  of  the  houses  at  that  time. 

I.  George  Vaughan  of  Portsmouth,  Gentleman,  for  £G1 


THE   RESIDENCE    OF   DEA.   SAMUEL   PENHALLOW.  153 

of  and  from  Michael  Whidden  of  the  same  town,  have  sold 
unto  said  Michael  a  certain  piece  of  land  containing  one 
house  lot  whereon  stands  a  dwelling  house  which  formerly 
was  made  use  of  as  a  bake  house  by  Mr.  Richard  Cutt, 
deceased,  laying  near  said  Vanghan's  mansion  house  on 
Strawberry  Bank,  said  lot  being  -40  feet  fronting  on  that 
highway  which  runs  from  Maj.  Vaughan's  to  Mr.  Waldron's 
house,  carrying  the  same  breadth  back  and  is  100  feet  back 
from  said  street,  is  bounded  with  a  street  known  by  the 
name  of  Dear  street,  which  runs  between  the  said 
Vaughan's  mansion  house  and  that  said  lot. 

I  say  bounded  with  this  street  of  46  feet  wide  on  the 
south  side,  with  Samuel  Hart's  land  on  the  north-west,  and 
with  John  Low's  land  on  the  south-west,  together  with 
the  liberty  of  landing  any  goods,  lumber,  wood,  etc.  on  a 
certain  landing  place,  being  given  by  the  said  Vaughan  for 
the  use  of  any  such  as  may  or  have  purchased  land  abut- 
ting on  the  aforementioned  street  known  by  the  name  of 
Dear  street,  which  is  46  feet  as  aforesaid — together  with 
all  the  privileges  and  advantages  to  the  same  appertaining 
or  in  any  wise  belonging :  to  have  and  to  hold,  <fec. 


RAMBLE  CIX.     ♦ 

The    Residence    of  Dea.    Samuel    3?ennallo\y, 

Another  old  landmark  was  removed  in  1862  to  give 
place  to  the  more  modern  and  sightly  mansion  built  by 
Mr.  Thomas-  E.  Call.  The  old  Penhallow  house,  which  for 
more  than  a  century  formed  the  south-east  corner  of  Court 
and  Pleasant  streets,  is  now  among  the  departed.  The 
exact  date  of  its  erection  we  cannot  ascertain.  It  was 
here  that  the  good  Deacon  Samuel  Penhallow,  and  his  prim 
lady  lived  and  died.  The  little  shop  on  the  corner  afforded 
to  the  public  the  needles,  pins,  thread,  tape,  snuff,  and 
other  useful  and  fancy  articles — while  in  the  adjoining 
11 


154  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

room  on  Pleasant  street,  the  penalties  of  violated  law  were 
decreed  with  all  the  rigor  which  a  sense  of  the  majesty  of 
the  law  required.  This  little  room  of  justice  was  only 
large  enough  to  admit  the  magistrate,  the  culprit,  two 
attornies,  and  four  witnesses — if  .more  appeared  they  could 
only  look  in  at  the  door.  The  smallness  of  the  room 
seemed  to  make  the  law  operations  work  with  more  celerity. 
In  this  room  was  the  trial  of  poor  Cassar  Marston  the  slave, 
who  stole  the  bucket  of  rum  and  received  summary  pun- 
ishment therefor,  as  recorded  on  page  118. 

We  will   give  here  a  more  detailed  account  of  the  inci- 
dent recorded  on  page  119. 

Jeremiah  Mason  came  to  Portsmouth  in  1797.  Not  long 
after  that  time  an  article  appeared  in  one  of  the  papers 
by  inuendo  charging  the  administrator  of  the  estate  of 
Hunking  Wentworth  with  unfair  dealing.  The  article  was 
so  personal  and  so  unjust,  that  the  writer  was  sought  out, 
and  John  Wentworth,  the  lawyer  resident  at  Little  Harbor, 
was  found  to  be  the  man.  Mr.  Mason  and  his  friend  Mr. 
Fisher,  determined  to  chastise  him  for  the  insult ;  and  pro- 
curing cowhides  they  took  a  walk  down  Pleasant  street  at 
the  time  he  usually  came  into  town.  They  met  Wentworth 
near  the  elm  at  the  corner  of  Gates  street,  and  after  the 
application  of  the  hide  for  a  few  times,  he  escaped  by  run- 
ning down  Gates  street. 

South-end  was  then  easily  excited ;  the  sympathy  of 
Water  street  was  raised  in  favor  of  their  Eepublican  friend 
Wentworth,  and  their  wrath  boiled  over  against  the  Fed- 
eralists who  had  assaulted  him.  It  became  at  once  a  party 
matter.  Mr.  Wentworth  entered  his  complaint,  and  Sheriff 
Edward  Hart  arrested  Mason  and  Fisher.  They  promised 
to  appear  the  next  morning,,  agreeably  to  the  summons, 
before  Justice  Penhallow,  and  so  were  released  on  their 
own  recognizances.  The  next  morning  might  be  seen  enter- 
ing that  little  room  the  great  gun  of  the  law,  with  his  friend, 


ARREST    OF   MASON   AND   FISHER.  155 

while  around  the    door   the   sympathizers   of  Wentworth 
might  be  seen  in  hundreds,  awaiting  the  result  of  the  trial. 
After  the  warrant  was  read,  Mr.  Mason  told  the  magistrate 
they  should  not  contend,  and  asked  for  their  fine.      The 
Deacon  made  it  some  six  or  eight  dollars — it  was  paid,  and 
they  were  discharged.      This  was  not  satisfactory  to  the 
Republicans,  who  wished  to  have  them  bound  over  to  the 
County    Court,   and  some    strong  demonstration   was  at- 
tempted to  be  made.      Mr.    Mason,  it  will  be  recollected, 
was  a  man  nearly  six  feet  and  a  half  in  height.      At  that 
time  he  was  much  more   slim  than  in  after  years,  and  his 
figure    did   not  excel  in  gracefulness  as  it  did  in  length. 
Capt.  Thomas  Manning  saw  that  there  was  danger  of  his 
receiving  rough  treatment,  and  having  a  controlling  influ- 
ence over  the  party,  he  sat  in  the  door  of  the  shop,  resting 
on  his  cane,  when  Mr.  Mason  passed  out.     "  Hiss  the  Fla- 
mingo— hiss  the  Flamingo,"  said  he,  (knowing  that  some- 
thing must  be  allowed,)    "  but  don't  lay  a  finger  on  him." 
There  was  a  general  hissing — and  as  Rome  was  once  saved 
by  a  similar  sound,  so  by  it,  Mr.  Mason,  somewhat  affrighted, 
was  protected.      But  it   was  hard  work  for  him  to  press 
through  the  crowd.     At  this  moment,  Mr.  Jacob  Walden,  a 
gentleman   who   had  the    general  respect  of  the  citizens, 
pressed  forward  and  offered  his  arm  to  Mr.  Mason,  which 
was  thankfully  accepted,  and  they  were  able  to  reach  the 
high  steps  of  the  Greenleaf  house,  then  on  the  spot  where 
Hon.  Richard  Jenness  now  resides,  and  going  up  the  steps 
backward    to   keep  an  eye  upon  the  hissing  crowd,  Mr. 
Mason  retired.     The  excitement  was  soon  over,  and  Mr.  M. 
as  he  became  more  generally   known  as  an  able  and  dis- 
tinguished  lawyer,  was    subjected  to  no  further  molesta- 
tion— nor  did  he  ever  give  a  like  exciting  cause  for  it. 

It  was  in  this  little  room,  that  in  about  the  year  1760, 
John  Sullivan,  afterwards  General,  and  President  of  New 
Hampshire,  when  a  student  with  Matthew  Liverrnore,  sue- 


156  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

cessfully  plead  his  first  case — while  Liveruiore,  unknown 
to  Sullivan,  stood  in  the  shop  listening  to  the  ingenuity  of 
his  student's  argument. 

Could  all  the  incidents  of  the  old  house  be  gathered,  they 
would  form  a  Ramble  too  extensive  for  one  week.  It  is  a 
matter  of  regret  that  these  old  landmarks  should  be  torn 
down  and  be  forever  forgotten. 


RAMBLE     CX. 

The    Old    Clods:  —  The    Four   George    JafFreys  -  The    Jaf- 
frey-   House. 

At  the  residence  of  the  late  Mr.  Supply  Ham,  one  of  the 
ancient  and  honorable  clock  and  watch  makers  of  Ports- 
mouth, stands  a  monument  of  time,  seven  feet  in  bight, 
which  notes  the  passing  hours  with  the  same  regularity 
that  the  earth  rolls  upon  its  axis.  It  is  an  excellent  piece 
of  workmanship,  showing  no  marks  of  wear  in  its  ma- 
chinery, although  that  bright  pendulum  for  more  than  five 
thousand  millions  of  times,  has  swayed  "here" — "there" — 
as  in  obedience  to  the  command  of  the  "  tick  "  above  it. 
The  case  is  of  the  English  oak,  handsomely  veneered — the 
key  to  wind  it  up  is  of  fanciful  workmanship,  and  appears 
to  be  an  imitation  of  that  of  the  holy  house  of  Loretto. — 
The  clock,  which  was  made  by  "J.  "Windmill,  London," 
bears  this  inscription  of  its  owners  : 

••  1077— George  JaflYey.  1802— Timothy  Ham. 

1720—  George  Jaffrey,  Jr.    1856— Supply  Ham. 
1749— George  Jaffrey,  3d.     lStU— frauds  W.  Ham  " 

The  first  George  Jaffrey,  who  appears  to  have  been  the 
owner,  was  born  in  1637  at  Newbury,  where  he  lived  some- 
time. There  he  married  Elizabeth  Walker  in  1GG5.  About 
that  time  he  removed  to  Newcastle,  and  Avas  Speaker  of 
the  New  Hampshire  Assembly  which  convened  sometimes 
at  that  place. 


THE  FOUR  GEORGE  JAFFREYS.  157 

But,  as  in  these  clays,  the  people  of  old  made  haste  to  he 
rich  more  rapidly  than  through  the  channels  of  regular 
trade.  Mr.  Jaffrey  was  a  man  of  good  repute,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Moody's  church.  But  in  1684,  for 
some  attempt  to  import  without  paying  regular  duties,  his 
vessel  was  seized  and  put  under  government  charge.  In 
the  night  the  vessel  mysteriously  disappeared.  Mr.  Jaffrey 
took  oath  that  he  had  no  knowledge  of  the  affair. 

Although  there  was  no  doubt  in  the  public  mind  in  this 
respect,  Gov.  Cranfield  was  compounded  with,  and  all  legal 
proceedings  against  Jaffrey  were  stopped.  But  the  consci- 
entious Mr.  Moody  was  not  so  easily  satisfied.  He  preached 
a  sermon  on  false  swearing,  and  had  an  ecclesiastical  trial 
of  Jaffrey.  He  acknowledged  his  crime,  made  a  public 
confession,  and  we  know  not  that  he  afterwards  went  astray. 
This  proceeding  was  an  occasion  of  great  offence  to  Cran- 
field, and  led  to  the  imprisonment  of  Moody.  The  Annals 
of  Portsmouth,  p.  72,  endeavors  to  veil  the  matter  by  using 
the  name  "  George  Janvrin,  '"—the  church  records  however 
give  the  trial  as  that  of  George  Jaffrey.  This  old  clock 
doubtless  witnessed  a  sorry  and  anxious  countenance  fre- 
quently cast  upon  it  in  those  days — wdien  it  occupied  a 
place  in  the  old  Jaffrey  house  at  Newcastle.  That  house 
still  stands  in  the  vicinity  of  Jerry's  Point — originally, 
doubtless,  Jaffrey 's  Point. 

His  son  George  Jaffrey,  Jr.,  (whose  name  appears  as  an 
owner  of  the  old  clock,)  was  born  at  Newcastle  in  1GS3, 
graduated  at  Harvard  College  in  1702,  was  a  mandamus 
counsellor  in  1716,  and  after  the  death  of  Samuel  Pen- 
hallow  in  172G,  was  Treasurer  of  the  Province.  He  was 
also  Chief  Justice  of  the  Superior  Court  to  the  time  of  his 
death  in  1719. 

He  took  up  his  residence  in  Portsmouth  previous  to 
1719 — as  we  find  him  holding  various  town  offices  from  and 
after  that  year — and  built,  probably  as  early  as  1730,  that 


158  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

unique  structure  on  Daniel  street,  occupied  by  the  heirs  of 
the  late  Col.  John  Goodrich,  which  still  retains  the  name 
of  the  Jaffrey  House.  In  the  recollection  of  many,  the 
fine  front  yard  and  elevated  position  of  the  mansion  gave 
it  a  very  inviting  appearance  from  Daniel  street.  This 
yard  and  the  extensive  garden  plot  in  the  rear  are  now 
covered  by  many  houses,  but  the  old  mansion  stands  yet 
conspicuous  among  them  all. 

George  Jaffrey  3d,  son  of  the  above,  was  born  in  1716, 
graduated  at  Harvard  in  1736,  and  in  1746  was  one  of  the 
purchasers  of  Mason's  patent,  and  then  became  an  extensive 
landed  proprietor.  He  occupied  this  house  to  the  day  of 
his  death  in  1802.  If  he  was  ever  married,  the  fact  never 
reached  us.  This  old  clock  was  his  companion  his  whole 
life  of  86  years.  He  was  a  man  of  about  five  feet  seven  or 
eight  inches  in  height,  portly,  and  being  one  of  his  Maj- 
esty's Council  was  very  dignified  in  his  appearance.  His 
red  cloak,  small  clothes,  silk  stockings  and  heavy  gold  shoe 
buckles,  are  well  remembered  by  our  older  citizens.  He  was 
appointed  Clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  17-14,  which  office 
he  retained  until  he  was  admitted  as  one  of  his  Majesty^ 
Council  in  1766.  He  was  also  Treasurer  of  the  Province 
until  the  Revolution.  He  was  strongly  opposed  to  the 
change  in  the  government. 

One  day,  while  mending  his  buckle,  a  goldsmith  re- 
marked, "  I  suppose  you  prizo  this  highly  not  only  for  its 
intrinsic  value,  but  also  for  its  Tower  mark  and  Crown 
stamp."  "  Yes,';  said  he  bringing  down  his  cane  with 
violence,  "  yes — we  never  ought  to  have  come  off." 

The  Jaffrey  mansion  was  kept  in  the  most  perfect  order, 
not  only  externally,  but  also  internally.  On  one  occasion 
no  small  offence  was  given  to  a  neighbor,  who  was  applied 
to  for  some  of  their  cobwebs  to  put  on  a  cut  finger,  as 
none  could  be  found  in  the  premises. 


THE   JAFFREY   HOUSE.  159 

He  was  opposed  to  oral  prayer,  deeming  those  who  thus 
pray  hypocrites.  But  in  church  on  one  Sunday  his  voice 
was  heard  in  response  above  all  others.  He  had  been 
much  annoyed  by  encroachments  on  the  boundaries  of 
some  of  his  extensive  estates  in  the  interior,  and  went  to 
church  with  a  vexed  mind  from  that  cause.  In  the  course  of 
the  service,  when  "  Cursed  be  he  who  removeth  his  neigh- 
bor's landmark  "  was  read — "Amen  !"  said  Jaffrey  with  a 
loud  voice  and  hearty  good  will.  At  one  time,  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Brown  chanced  to  come  abruptly  upon  him  when  he 
was  uttering  a  volley  of  oaths.  "  I  am  surprised,  sir,"  said 
he,  "  that  yon  should  so  soon,  after  denouncing  praying 
men  as  hypocrites,  be  found  offering  to  God  a  petition." 

His  will  was  drawn  up  by  the  Hon.  Jeremiah  Mason, 
whose  kind  efforts  to  alter  some  of  its  controlling  features 
were  ineffectual.  That  will  bequeathed  all  the  real  and 
and  personal  estate  of  Mr.  Jaffrey  to  his  grand  nephew  and 
namesake,  George  Jaffrey  Jeffries,  then  only  thirteen  years 
of  age.  The  inheritance  was  on  these  conditions  ;  that  he 
should  drop  the  name  of  Jeffries ;  become  a  permanent 
resident  in  this  city ;  and  never  follow  any  profession 
except  that  of  being  a  gentleman.  As  an  heir  to  an  estate 
supposed  to  be  immense,  and  destined  to  a  profession  not 
specifically  acknowledged  among  us,  Mr.  Jaffrey  was  of 
course  to  be  furnished  with  the  best  possible  education. 

Mr.  George  Jaffrey  (the  fourth)  accepted  the  name,  and 
occupied  the  mansion  here  for  several  years, — led  the  life 
of  a  gentleman,  and  in  185G  died  at  the  age  of  G<5  years* 
As  he  left  no  son  nor  estate  to  continue  the  name,  the  line 
of  George  Jaffreys  closed  with  him. 

The  old  clock  with  other  old  furniture  was  sold  in  1802, 
and  it  became  the  property  of  the  grandfather  of  the  present 
owner.  It  still  goes  on  undisturbed  by  the  succession  of 
six  generations,  and  its  swaying  pendulum  is  likely  to  say 
u  pass  on.  pass  on,"  to  many  generations  to  come. 


1G0  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

RAMBLE   CXI. 

Rev.    Sairmel    MxsClintoclr. 

In  the  picture  of  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  representing 
the  fall  of  Gen.  Warren,  may  be  seen  in  the  group  a  cler- 
gyman arrayed  in  his  bands,  who  appears  to  be  deeply 
interested  in  the  battle.  That  man  was  the  Rev.  Samuel 
McClintock,  D.  D.  of  Greenland,  N.  II.,  the  father  of  the 
venerable  John  McClintock,  who  died  in  Portsmouth  a  few 
years  since  at  the  age  of  94,  retaining  his  mental  and  phys- 
ical faculties  to  the  last. 

We  have  recently  been  applied  to  for  a  history  of  Rev. 
Dr.  McClintock,  and  have  been  enabled  to  collect  the 
following  from  an  authentic  source,  embracing  some  inter- 
esting facts  which  have  never  before  appeared  in  print. 

William  McClintock,  (the  father  of  Dr.  Samuel  McClin* 
tock,  the  subject  of  this  article,)  was  a  respectable  farmer' 
born  in  Scotland.  From  thence  he  early  removed  to  Lon 
donderry  in  Ireland,  probably  in  the  latter  part  of  James 
the  Second's  reign.  When  his  intrigues,  in  order  to  rein, 
state  Catholicism,  were  creating  great  uneasiness  among  his 
pe'ople,  James  endeavored  by  taking  sides  with  the  Kirk  to 
overthrow  the  Episcopacy,  for  by  thus  pitching  one  party 
against  another  and  holding  the  balance  of  power,  he 
hoped  in  the  end  to  turn  the  scale  and  restore  Catholicism. 
But  the  Presbyterians  were  too  cunning  for  him  :  strong 
as  was  their  hatred  of  Episcopacy,  their  dislike  for  Cathol- 
icism was  greater,  and  uniting  with  their  Episcopal  breth- 
ren, they  showed  themselves  ready  to  receive  his  favors 
but  unwilling  to  filter  into  any  of  his  plans.  The  civil 
wars  of  Charles  the  first  were  not  however  forgotten,  andt 
many  were  fearing  new  chancres,  and  emigrated  from  all 
parts  of  the  kingdom.  Among  these  was  Mr.  McClintock. 
He  went  where  he  found  friends  ;  for  the  eastern  coast  of 


REV.    SAMUEL    M'CLINTOCK.  1G1 

Ireland  and  the  west  of  Scotland  have  in  all  ages  been 
inhabited  by  men  of  the  same  stock.  But  the  war  was 
transferred  to  Ireland,  and  James  sat  down  before  London- 
derry, determined  to  press  it  by  a  slow  siege.  This  was 
one  of  the  most  important  and  most  obstinately  contested 
sieges  during  the  whole  war.  It  continued  from  the  month 
of  December,  1G88,  until  August,  1689.  The  garrison 
suffered  all  the  miseries  attendant  on  a  protracted  siege, 
which  they  bore  with  unflinching  fortitude. 

King  William  at  length  relieved  the  place.  Mr.  McClin- 
tock  with  some  others  emigrated  to  America  when  the  war 
was  over.  Their  fortunes  had  probably  been  dissipated, 
and  they  hoped  to  find  that  religious  peace  and  those 
worldly  comforts  which  they  sought  for  in  vain  in  their 
own  country  across  the  ocean. 

Mr.  McClintock  settled  on  Mystic  river,  but  his  compan- 
ions travelled  on  to  Londonderry  in  this  State,  which  they 
named  after  their  parent  town.  Mr.  McClintock  continued 
quietly  to  till  his  farm  without  entering  into  any  of  the 
politics  of  the  day,  busy  with  Scotch  thrift  in  increasing 
his  property,  and  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  ninet}r.  He 
was  married  four  times,  had  nineteen  children, ^and  left 
by  his  last  wife  one  daughter  and  two  sons. 

Dr.  Samuel  McClintock  was  born  in  1732.  He  was  edu- 
cated at  Princeton  College,  under  the  care  of  President 
Burr,  the  father  of  the  distinguished  Aaron  Burr. 

We  may  suppose  that  he  finished  his  course  with  honor, 
for  his  sermons  bear  the  marks  of  great  mental  discipline, 
and  we  have  been  told  that  throughout  his  life  he  was  dis- 
tinguished as  one  of  the  finest  Latin  scholars  in  New 
England. 

After  having  finished  his  studies,  stopping  on  a  journey 
to  Portsmouth,  he  was  invited  to  preach  before  the  Congre- 
gational Society  of  Greenland,  who  were  in  want  of  an 
assistant  for  their  pastor,  Mr.  Allen,  then  very    infirm  with 


1G2  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

age ;  and  so  favorable  was  the  impression  he  made,  that  he 
was  immediately  invited  to  share  his  labors.  He  soon  after 
accepted  and  entered  upon  his  duties.  It  is  reported  that 
the  charms  of  a  certain  Mary  Montgomery,  of  Scotch 
extraction,  and  who  resided  in  Portsmouth,  had  a  great 
influence  in  inducing  Mr.  McClintock  to  accept  a  charge 
which  offered  so  little  in  a  worldly  point  of  view.  This 
lady  Dr.  McClintock  married,  and  if  she  induced  him  to 
accept  the  offer  of  the  Greenland  Society  he  never  repent- 
ed it.  His  salary  was  but  $300  a  year,  with  the  parsonage, 
a  small  and  not  over  fertile  farm.  This  seems  little  enough, 
when  we  recollect  that  the  Dr.  had  fifteen  children  to  sup- 
port, and  the  tax  upon  his  hospitality  was  somewhat  heavy, 
as  there  were  no  hotels  in  those  days,  and  the  pastor  was 
expected  to  entertain  all  the  travelling  clergymen  of  his 
own  denomination,  and  other  men  of  any  note. 

His  children  have  amusingly  related  that  whether  the 
cow  gave  more  milk  or  less,  the  quantity  was  always  the 
same, — it  was,  to  be  sure;  a  trifle  bluer.  Dr.  McClintock 
had  many  calls  to  richer  churches,  but  he  preferred  his 
own  people,  to  whom  he  was  endeared  by  a  long  ministry 
of  forty-eight  years  of  uninterrupted  usefulness.  During 
the  revolution  he  strongly  espoused  the  side  of  the  people, 
as  his  temper  was  ardent,  and  he  very  easily  broke  the  bond 
of  allegiance  to  a  government  to  which  his  religious  prin- 
ciples were  opposed,  and  from  which  his  ancestors  had 
suffered  so  much. 

His  character  gave  weight  to  his  opinions,  and  we  must 
give  him  credit  for  courage,  since  he  was  so  ready  to  stand 
forth  boldly  in  a  doubtful  cause,  when  in  case  of  defeat  his 
ruin  was  certain.  He  was  Chaplain  at  the  battle  of  Bunker 
Hill,  and  is  represented  in  Trumbull's  picture  of  that  bat- 
tle ;  and  he  has  left  a  sermon  on  the  adoption  of  the  con- 
stitution, exhibiting  the  enlarged  views  of  a  patriot  and 
the  temper  of  a  Christian. 


REV.    SAMUEL   M'CLIXTOCK.  1G3 

But  Dr.  McClintock  suffered  severely  in  the  cause  which 
he  espoused  with  such  boldness.  Three  of  his  sons  perish- 
ed in  the  war.  One  of  them,  Nathaniel,  received  a  colle- 
giate education  at  Harvard,  but  the  war  breaking  out  he 
joined  General  "Washington,  and  was  raised  to  the  rank  of 
Major  of  Brigade.  He  was  in  the  New  Hampshire  line  at 
the  battles  before  the  capture  of  Burgoyne  on  the  19th  of 
September  and  the  7th  of  October.  After  the  capture,  his 
regiment  was  ordered  South,  and  he  was  with  Washington 
at  the  memorable  capture  of  the  Hessians  at  Trenton.  He 
was  then  (although  he  had  not  reached  21  years  of  age,) 
raised  to  the  rank  of  Major  of  the  line,  over  all  the  older 
Captains.  And  as  he  was  therefore  regarded  with  jealousy 
by  those  lower  than  himself  in  rank,  he  resigned  his  com- 
mission and  returned  home.  He  was  induced  to  take  the 
command  of  a  company  of  marines  which  went  out  in  a 
ship-of-war,  the  Raleigh,  and  soon  after  perished  in  an 
engagement.  Another  son  of  Dr.  McClintock  was  an  offi- 
cer at  the  battle  of  Trenton  and  there  slain ;  and  a  third 
was  lost  at  sea,  serving  as  a  midshipman,  and  afterwards  as 
lieutenant  in  a  ship-of-war.  Doctor  McClintock  bore  all 
these  trials  with  christian  fortitude. 

He  was  loved  and  esteemed  by  his  parish,  and  in  the 
latter  part  of  his  life  received  the  Diploma  of  Doctor  of 
Divinity  from  Princeton  College  where  he  was  educated. 

He  enjoyed  uninterrupted  good  health,  and  was  only  ill 
a  few  days  before  his  death,  which  took  place  at  the  age  of 
72.     In  his  writing  desk  were  found  the  following  instruc- 
tions to  his  son  John  : 

I  feel  myself  sinking  in  the  vale  of  years,  near  the  house 
appointed,  and  have  had  for  some  time  a  premonition  that 
the  time  of  my  departure  is  near.  It  may  be  imagined. 
However,  considering  that  I  have  exceeded  tho  stated 
period  of  human  life,  it  must  be  expected  that  I  am  draw- 
ing near  the  great.period.  My  only  hope  of  being  happy 
beyond  the  grave  is  founded  on  the  mercy  of  God  and  the 


1G4  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

merits  of  a  Divine  Redeemer.  May  you,  long  after  I  shall 
be  here  no  more,  enjoy  happiness  in  the  endearments  of  an 
agreeable  companion  and  pleasant  children.  You  know 
that  I  have  appointed  you  executor  of  my  will,  and  that 
therein  I  have  expressed  my  desire  that  the  solemnity  of 
my  funeral  should  be  conducted  in  the  manner  that  is  cus- 
tomary at  the  funerals  of  my  parishioners,  without  any 
parade  or  sermon  which  has  commonly  been  the  custom  at 
the  funerals  of  those  who  have  sustained  any  public  char- 
acter in  life.  If  you  should  think  it  proper,  about  which  I 
am  perfectly  indifferent,  to  erect  a  head-stone  at  my  grave, 
which  in  that  case  I  wish  may  be  quite  a  plain  one,  1  would 
hive  you  inscribe  in  it  the  following  epitaph,  without  an 
addition  or  alteration,  except  filling  up  the  blanks  for  the 
months  and  years  of  my  decease  and  standing  in  the 
ministry. 

To  the  memory  of  Samuel  McClixtock,  D.  D.  who  died in  the  —  year  of  his 

age,  and  —  of  bis  ministry. 

His  body  rests  here  in  the  certain  hope  of  a  resurrection  to  life  and  immortality,  when 
Christ  shall  appear  the  second-time  to  destroy  th>  last  enemy,  Death,  and  to  consummate 
the  great  design  of  his  mediatorial  kingdom. 

The  annual  fast,  which  was  the  19th  of  April,  1804,  was 
the  last  of  his  preaching;  and  what  was  remarkable,  on 
his  return  to  his  family  he  observed  that  he  had  done  his 
preaching.  He  continued  until  the  morning  of  the  27th  of 
April,  when  he  exchanged  this  world  for  another,  and  is, 
we  trust,  reaping  the  reward  of  a  faithful  servant  in  the 
kingdom  of  God. 

His  grave-stone,  inscribed  as  above  with  the  blanks  filled, 
(died  27th  April,  1804,  aged  72— 48th  of  his  ministry,)  may 
be  seen  in  the  Greenland  Cemetery. 

Dr.  McClintock  had  two  wives,  his  first  wife,  Mary  Mont- 
gomery, died  Aug.  4,  1785,  aged  48.  For  his  last  wife  he 
Avas  married  to  a  widow  Mrs.  Darling.  The  match  was 
not  very  congenial.  She  was  not  so  strictly  the  darling  of 
his  heart  as  his  first  love.     She  survived  him. 

Dr.  McClintock's  religious  views  were  strictly  calvinis- 
tical  in  the  early  part  of  his  ministry.  Some  regarded 
them  harsh  and  untempered  by  the  law  of  love.     This  is 


REV.    SAMUEL   Jl'CLINTOCK.  1G5 

not  surprising  when  Ave  consider  the  troubled  times  in 
which  those  men  were  educated  in  violent  struggle  for 
civil  and  religious  liberty,  when  even  their  prejudices 
seemed  sanctified  by  their  blood.  Men  who  had  so  Jong 
followed  the  pillar  of  fire  might  easily  forget  that  there 
were  souls  who  needed  the  refreshing  shadow  of  the  cloud. 
The  opinions  of  Dr.  McClintock  were  however  much  milder 
in  the  later  portion  of  his  life,  but  he  was  always  strenuous 
in  his  appeals,  with  something  of  the  enthusiasm  and  the 
better  part  of  the  perseverance  of  his  Scotch  ancestors. 
Full  of  simplicity  and  honesty,  it  is  not  too  great  praise  to 
say  that  if  his  head  sometimes  erred  his  heart  was  nearly 
always  right. 

History  informs  us  that  during  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill 
this  venerable  clergyman  knelt  on  the  field,  with  hands 
upraised,  and  grey  head  uncovered  ;  and,  while  the  bullets 
whistled  around  him,  prayed  for  the  success  of  the  com- 
patriots, and  the  deliverance  of  his  country.  This  rare 
incident  prompted  the  following  beautiful  ode  from  the  pen 
of  Mrs.  Lydia  H.  Sigourney. 

THE    PRAYER    OUST    IBTjrNTKETi    HILL. 

« 

"It  was  an  hour  of  fear  and  dread — 

High  rose  the  battle-cry, 
And  round,  in  heavy  volumes,  spread 
•     The  war-cloud  to  i-he  sky. 
'Twas  not.  as  when  in  rival  strength. 

Contending  nations  meet, 
Or  love  of  conquest  madly  hurls 

A  monarch  from  his  seat : 

"  Yet  one  was  there,  unused  to  tread 

The  path  of  mortal  strife, 
Who  but  the  Saviour's  flock  had  fed 

Beside  the  fount  of  life. 
He  knelt  him  where  the  black  smoke  wreathed^ 

His  head  was  bowed  and  bare, — 
While,  for  an  infant  land  he  breathed 

The  agony  of  prayer. 

"The  column,  red  with  early  morn, 
May  tower  o'er  Bunker's  height, 
And  proudly  tell  a  race  unborn 


166  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

Their  patriot  fathers'  might: — 
But  thou,  O  patriarch,  old  and  grey, 

Thou  prophet  of  the  free, 

Who  knelt  anions  the  dead  that  day, 

What  fame  shall  rise  to  thee  ? 
« 

"It  is  not  meet  that  brass  or  stone 

Which  feel  the  touch  of  time. 
Should  keep  the  record  of  a  faith 

That  woke  thy  deed  sublime  : 
Wo  trace  it  to  the  tablet  fair. 

Which  glows  when  stars  wax  pale, 
A  promise  that  the  good  man's  prayer 

Shall  with  his  God  prevail." 


RAMBLE     CXIL 

Sketch,    of  USTewcastle. 


The  history  of  Newcastle  is  of  some  interest,  as  the  first 
settlement  in  New  Hampshire  was  made  in  1623,  upon  its 
borders,  by  a  Scotchman  named  David  Thompson.  He  was 
selected  by  the  Company  of  Laconia,  in  England,  to  estab- 
lish a  permanent  settlement  in  this  province.  Shortly  after 
his  arrival  he  built  the  first  house  on  Odiorne's  Point,  a 
few  rods  distant  from  what  resembles  the  remains  of  an 
ancient  fort.  It  was  afterwards  called  Mason  Hall,  in  honor 
of  a  prominent  member  of  the  company  under  whose  au- 
spices the  settlement  was  begun.  The  house  remained 
standing  for  many  years. 

The  original  designation  was  Great  Island,  but  in  1693, 
it  was  separated  from  Portsmouth,  and  incorporated  under 
its  present  name.  At  the  time  of  its  incorporation  a  large 
portion  of  land  on  the  west  was  included  within  its  limits, 
but  in  consequence  of  the  incorporation  of  Rye  in  1719, 
its  area  was  reduced  to  458  acres.  The  soil,  though  thickly 
interspersed  with  rocks,  has  ever  been  made  to  produce 
abundantly  ;  and  owing  to  the  plentiful  supply  of  seaweed, 


NEWCASTLE.  1G7 

the  farmers  need  never  fail  for  want  of  the  proper  means 
of  enriching  their  lands. 

The  original  copy  of  the  ancient  charter,  written  through- 
out in  Old  English  or  Black  Letter,  can  now  be  seen  in  the 
office  of  the  Selectmen,  though  the  seal  has  been  cut  off 
by  some  individual  ignorant  of  its  real  importance.  It  is  a 
very  interesting  document,  written  upon  parchment,  and 
and  is  one  of  the  many  relics  of  antiquity  to  be  found  in 
Newcastle. 

Formerly  a  bridge  was  built  on  the  south-west  side  of 
the  town,  forming  a  means  of  connection  between  Rye  and 
Newcastle ;  and,  previous  to  the  building  of  the  new 
bridges  in  1821,  all  travellers  for  Portsmouth  went  by  way 
of  the  "  Old  Bridge."  Owing  to  carelessness  and  neglect,, 
nearly  all  signs  of  the  "  Old  Bridge"  have  now  vanished. 

It  it  well  known  that  the  annual  meeting  in  Newcastle 
for  the  choice  of  town  officers  takes  place  one  week  before 
the  usual  State  election,  yet  but  few  seem  to  know  when 
this  custom  originated.  By  referring  to  the  charter,  it  is 
found  that  requisition  was  then  made  for  this  matter,  con- 
cerning which  we  make  the  following  extract: 

"  And  for  the  better  order,  rule  and  government  of  the 
said  Towne,  wee  doe  by  these  presents  Grant  for  us  and 
our  Successors  unto  the  men  and  Inhabitants  of  the  said 
Towne,  That  yearly  and  every  year  upon  the  first  Tuesday 
of  March,  forever,  they,  the  said  men  and  Inhabitants  of 
our  said  Towne,  shall  elect  and  choose  by  the  major  part 
of  them,  two  sufficient  and  able  men,  householders  in  the 
said  Towne,  to  be  Constables  for  the  year  ensuing,  which 
said  men  so  chosen  and  elected,  shall  be  presented  by  the 
then  next  preceding  Constables  to  the  next  Quarter  ses- 
sions of  the  peace  to  be  held  for  the  said  province,  there  to 
take  the  accustomed  oaths  appointed  by  Law  for  the  ex- 
ecution  of  their  offices  under  such  penalties  as  the  law  of 
our  said  province  shall  appoint  and  direct  upon  refusall  or 
neglect  therein.  And  we  doe  by  these  presents  Grant  for 
us,  our  Heirs,  and  Successors,  unto  the  men  and  Inhabi- 


108  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

tants  of  the  said  Towne,  That  yearly  and  every  year  upon 
the  said  first  Tuesday  of  March,  forever,  they,  the  said  men 
and  inhabitants  of  our  said  Towne,  or  the  major  part  of 
them,  shall  elect  and  choose  three  men,  Inhabitants  and 
householders  of  our  said  Towne,  to  be  overseers  of  the 
poor  and  highways,  or  selectmen  for  our  said  Towne  for 
the  year  ensuing  with  such  powers,  privileges  and  author- 
ities as  any  overseers  or  selectmen  within  our  said  prov- 
ince have  and  enjoy." 

For  the  privileges  enjoyed  as  an  incorporated  town,  it  is 
further  stated  that  there  shall  be  paid  (l  the  annual  quitt 
rent  or  acknowledgment  of  onne  Pepercorn  in  the  said 
Towne  on  the  five  twentieth  day  of  October  yearly  forever." 

Soon  after  the  settlement  of  Great  Island,  a  fort  was 
built  upon  Frost  Point,  to  serve  as  a  protection  to  the 
harbor.  It  was  an  earthwork  "made  with  certain  o-reat 
gunns  to  it,"  and  in  the  year  16G0  was  mentioned  in  the 
documents  of  that  day  as  the  means  of  distino-uishino- 
Great  Island  from  other  islands  in  the  yicinity.  It  was 
several  times  remodeled,  and  for  many  years  prior  to  the 
war  of  the  Revolution,  was  called  Fort  William  and  Mary, 
named  in  honor  of  the  Jung  and  Queen  of  England.  In 
the  eleventh  year  of  the  reign  of  Charles  the  first,  of  Eng- 
land, the  Island  together  with  the  Fort  came  into  possession 
of  Mistress  Anne  Mason,  widow  of  John  Mason,  of  Lon- 
don, who,  at  the  time  of  his  death,  was  engaged  in  mercan- 
tile pursuits.  Portions  of  the  island  were  afterwards 
deeded  to  Robert  Mussel  and  other  individuals,  by  her 
agent,  Joseph  Mason  of  "  Strawberry  Bank"  on  the  river 
of  the  "  Pascattaquack.'"' 

At  the  time  of  the  passage  of  an  act  in  1774,  by  George 
III.  forbidding  the  exportation  of  gunpowder  to  America, 
the  Fort  was  garrisoned  by  Captain  Cochran  and  five  men, 
and  the  ships-of-war  Scarborough  and  Canseau  were  daily 
expected  to  arrive  with  several  companies  of  British 
.soldiers  to  re-inforce  the  garrison.     .On  receipt  of  the  news 


NEWCASTLE.  169 

a  company  .of  citizens  from  Portsmouth  determined  upon 
seizing  the  anns  and  ammunition  at  the  earliest  period. 
They  procured  a  gondola  at  midnight,  and  anchoring  a 
short  distance  from  the  fort,  waded  ashore  and  scaled  the 
walls.  Shortly  after  their  arrival  they  encountered  the 
Captain,  who  delivered  to  them  his  sword.  It  was,  how- 
ever, immediately  returned,  for  which  favor  he  tendered 
his  thanks.  Having  taken  one  hundred  barrels  of  powder, 
they  started  on  their  return,  and  on  leaving  the  Fort  were 
rewarded  for  the  favor  before  shown  to  the  commanding 
officer,  by  his  giving  them  a  lunge  with  his  sword.  They 
tarried  not  at  the  insult,  but  hastened  on  board  the  gondola 
and  rowed  up  the  Piscataquato  Durham.  On  their  arrival, 
the  ammunition  was  taken  to  the  cellar  of  the  Congre- 
gational Church,  where  it  remained  for  some  time  ;  thence 
it  Avas  taken  to  Bunker  Hill,  where  on  the  17th  June  it  was 
used  to  the  disadvantage  of  the  British.  On  the  following 
day  the  Fort  was  again  entered,  and  "  fifteen  of  the  lighter 
cannon  and  all  the  small  arms  taken  away."  The  Scarbor- 
ough and  Canseau  soon  after  arrived. 

In  the  autumn  of  1775,  fearing  an  attack  upon  Ports- 
mouth, General  Sullivan,  at  that  time  a  resident  of  Durham, 
N.  H.,  was  appointed  by  General  Washington  to  take  com- 
mand of  the  militia  of  this  State  and  to  defend  this  harbor. 
Several  fortifications  had  been  thrown  up,  which  he  strength- 
ened, and  placed  in  them  several  companies  of  militia.  In 
Fort  William  and  Mary  a  company  of  artillery  were  placed 
who  "  were  allowed  the  same  pay  as  soldiers  of  the  Conti- 
nental Army." 

In  1808  the  Fort  was  again  rebuilt  under  the  name  of 
Fort  Constitution,  and  remained  until  a  new  structure  was 
commenced  in  1863,  upon  the  same  spot. 

The   Fort  on  Jaffrey's  Point  at  the  entrance  of  Little 
Harbor,  was  once  thought  to  be  a  very  important  post.    It 
was  garrisoned  in  the  war  of  1812  by  citizens  of  this  anc} 
12 


170  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

other  towns,  under  command  of  Capt.  William  Marshall, 
who  remained  stationed  at  that  post  for  several  years. 
Nine  guns,  G  and  9  pounders,  were  placed  in  position,  and 
on  several  occasions  full  one  hundred  and  twenty  men  were 
stationed  there. 

A  short  distance  from  this  Fort  may  be  seen  another 
Fort,  situated  upon  rising  ground  near  the  bridge  leading 
from  Newcastle  to  Portsmouth.  This  post  was  not  consid- 
ered of  much  importance,  yet  several  cannon  were  held  in 
readiness  to  be  placed  upon  it  at  short  notice. 

During  the  visits  of  the  English  ships  to  this  harbor  in 
1775-6,  a  spirit  of  hatred  seemed  to  prevail  against  the 
British  seamen,  but  by  the  major  part  of  the  citizens  they 
were  respectfully  treated.  The  sailors  would  often  conduct 
badly,  and  if  reprimanded  would  threaten  to  fire  upon  the 
town.  Oftentimes  the  lives  of  the  inhabitants  were  en- 
dangered, and  on  some  occasion,  a  committee  of  citizens 
waited  upon  the  commander  of  the  Scarborough,  offering 
an  apology  for  some  fancied  insult  to  his  men,  to  prevent 
him  from  permitting  the  threats  of  the  sailors  to  be  carried 
into  execution.  Owing  to  the  state  of  public  excitement  at 
that  early  period  of  the  Revolution,  many  citizens  left  the 
town  and  many  more  were  prepared  to  leave  at  a  moment's 
warning. 

In  the  rear  of  the  Congregational  Church  is  a  well  in  which 
some  of  the  citizens  once  placed  their  silver  ware  for  safe 
keeping:  and  near  the  fish  yard  ofYeranus  C.  Rand  may  be 
noticed  a  depression  of  the  ground,  showing  the  site  of  an 
old  revolutionary  house,  which  was  then  occupied  by 
a  Mrs.  Trefethren,  who  was  noted  for  refusing  water  to 
the  British  sailors  on  account  of  her  hatred  to  them.  It 
is  stated  that  notwithstanding  her  positive  refusal  to  permit 
the  sailors  of  the  Scarborough  to  get  water  there,  they  once 
succeeded  in  filling  their  casks  ;  and  leaving  them  near  the 
well,  visited  the  central  part  of  the  town.     No  sooner  were 


NEWCASTLE.  171 

they  out  of  sight  than  she  emptied  the  casks.  Upon  their 
return  they  demanded  of  her  why  she  had  turned  away 
their  water.  She  promptly  replied  that  she  did  not  turn 
away  their  water;  the  water  was  her  oivn.  On  returning 
to  the  ship  they  rewarded  her  by  firing  a  ball  through  the 
room  in  which  her  family  were  sitting.* 

Portsmouth,  in  its  proximity  to  the  ocean,  and  the  many 
convenient  landing  places  between  the  city  and  the  islands 
outside  of  the  light-house,  has  peculiars-advantages  for  the 
water  excursions  that  have  ever  been  so  popular  with  its  in- 
habitants. Newcastle,  previous  to  the  construction  of  the 
bridges  that  connect  it  with  the  city,  was  a  favorite  resort, 
where  they  were  wont  to  cook  their  fish  and  partake 
of  their  refreshments,  generally  at  some  favorable  spot  on 
the  rocky  shore,  or  obtain  permission  to  occupy  apartments 
for  the  purpose  at  one  of  the  dwellings  at  the  water-side. 
A  public  house,  kept  a  Mr.  Bell,  also  received  a  share  of 
of  patronage  on  some  of  these  occasions.  On  the  prem- 
ises was  an  out-door  bowling-alley,  or,  in  ancient  phrase, 
"a  bowling-green,"  of  which  one  of  the  memories  that  sur- 
vive is  the  dilapidated  condition  of  the  pins  from  long  and 
hard  usage,  and  the  reply  of  a  visitor  to  the  landlord  who 
complimented  him  on  his  skill  at  the  game.  "  Oh,"  said  he, 
"  it  does  not  require  much  skill  to  knock  down  the  pins,  but 
if  it  were  as  hard  to  upset  them  as  it  is  to  set  them  up,  I 
should  never  have  got  that  tenstrike."  The  following, 
copied  from  the  graceful  chirography  of  a  former  much 
esteemed  citizen  of  Portsmouth,  is  a  record  of  a  winter 
excursion,  under  unusual  circumstances,  to  Newcastle  : 

"Feb.  17th,  1817. — Inconsequence  of  the  severe  weather 
of  last  week,  I  was  enabled  to-day  in  company  with  my 
brother-in-law,  D****  M*****  to  walk  to  Newcastle  on 
a  substantial  bridge  of  ice.     We  stopped  at  George  Bell's, 

*The  foregoing  portion  of  this  Ramble  was  prepared  by  3Ir.  Thomas  B.  Frost  of  New- 
castle. 


172  RAMBLES    ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

who   furnished  us  with  a  dinner  of  fine  fresh  cod,  taken 
at  the    edge   of  the   ice,   172    yards    from    the   end  of  his^ 
wharf.     We  measured   the  ice  on  our  return,  and  found  it 
18  inches  in  thickness,  over  which  sleighing  parties  were 
merrily  gliding  on  their  way  to  the  Island.  t.  G.  m." 

There  are  few,  if  any,  of  the  natives  of  our  city,  who 
have  not  remembrances,  at  some  period  of  their  lives,  of 
pleasant  hours  passed  upon  the  water.  In  my  childhood  , 
writes  one  whose  early  life  was  passed  on  the  shores  of 
the  Piscataqua,  there  were  five  brothers  in  one  family  circle, 
of  whose  aquatic  adventures,  in  their  youth  at  the  close 
of  the  last  century,  I  never  wearied,  as  they  were  recalled 
when  they  met  at  each  other's  dwellings.  One  fine  sum* 
liner  night,  when  the  moon  was  shining  brightly,  they  went 
to  one  of  the  small  islands  outside  of  the  light-house — 
Wood  Island  I  think — in  pursuit  of  lobsters.  After  setting 
their  nets  they  landed  and  built  a  fire  among  the  bushes  a 
short  distance  back  from  the  beach,  and  making  a  kettle  of 
chocolate,  enjoyed  a  hearty  meal  from  the  stock  of  refresh^ 
ments  always  taken  into  consideration  among  the  requisite 
accompaniments  of  such  expeditions.  This  pleasant  per- 
formance over,  they  went  to  look  for  their  boat,  but  great 
was  their  consternation,  instead  of  finding  it,  as  they  antic* 
ipated,  high  and  dry  upon  the  sand,  to  discover  that  it  had 
got  loose  from  its  moorings,  and  was  fast  travelling,  with 
the  tide,  in  the  direction  of  the  Shoals.  The  misfortune 
was  increased  by  the  fact  that  it  was  a  new  one,  the  prop- 
erty of  a  relative,  who  had  given  them  many  injunctions 
as  to  its  good  usage.  Like  the  man  in  the  play,  they  were 
in  a  peculiarly  perplexing  '  predicament/  but  trusting  as  a 
last  extremity,  to  their  usual  good  luck,  in  the  product  of 
their  nets,  which  were  within  reach  by  swimming,  for  some- 
thing to  eat,  and  in  the  hope  that  some  passing  boat  would 
take  them  off  in  the  morning,  they  took  the  most  philo- 
sophic view  of  the  matter  possible,  and  wrapping  them-- 


; 
NEWCASTLE.  173 

selves  ill  the  rough  overcoats  always  taken  in  their  noctur- 
^nal  voyages,  tliey  retired  again  to  the  shelter  of  the  bushes, 
and  ere  long  were  fast  asleep.  They  awoke  just  as  the 
first  rays  of  the  sun  appeared  above  the  horizon,  and  look- 
ing seaward,  to  their  great  satisfaction  discovered  a  fishing- 
boat  in  the  distance,'  with  another  boat  in  tow,  which  they 
had  no  doubt  was  their  lost  craft,  as  it  eventually  proved 
when  within  hailing  distance.  An  abundant  supply  of 
lobsters  was  found  in  their  nets,  which  were  shared  with 
the  men  who  had  restored  their  boat,  and  they  reached 
home  in  season  to  relate  their  adventures  around  the  family 
•  breakfast  table.  On  their  return  from  another  trip  by 
moonlight  to  the  dominions  of  Neptune,  they  brought  with 
them  a  supply  of  eels,  of  an  unusually  large  size,  which, 
to  facilitate  the  process  of  preparing  for  the  frying-pan, 
were  deposited  in  the  ashes  of  the  kitchen  fire-place.  At 
an  early  hour  of  the  morning,  before  daylight  had  fully 
appeared,  the  family  "  help,"  an  eccentric  and  rather  super- 
stitious specimen  of  feminine  humanity,  descended  to  the 
apartment,  and,  on  opening  the  door,  obtained  a  glimpse  of 
a  dozen  or  more  strange'  looking  animals,  of  serpentine 
form  and  of  a  dusky  hue,  disporting  themselves  among  the 
sand  upon  the  floor.  A  moment  later  the  mistress  of  the 
mansion  was   awakened  from  her  slumbers   by  a  knock  on 

her  door,  and  a  familiar  voice  exclaiming,   "  Oh,  Miss  , 

I  believe  the  old  serjierd  and  his  icltole  family  are  in  the 
kitchen  and  I  am  afraid  to  go  down  there."  A  few  words 
of  explanation  settled  the  matter,  and  in  a  brief  space  of 
time  the  eels  were  retreating  before  energetic  thrusts  from 
a  birch  broom,  that  received  from  its  holder  an  additional 
impetus  for  the  fright  she  had  received.  Two  of  the  broth- 
ers were  shipmasters  in  alter  years,  and  spent  the  largest 
portion  of  their  lives  upon  the  ocean.  They  have  all  sailed 
upon  their  last  voyage,  but  the  legends  of  their  youth  will 
long  survive  them. 


17-A  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

RAMBLE     CXIII. 

3S3"eAVcastle     Eeramisences    of    Forty-Five     Years     .Ago. 

Anterior  to  the  erection  of  the  bridges  that  now  connect 
it  with  Portsmouth,  many  of  the  least  cultivated  among  the 
older  inhabitants  of  Newcastle,  isolated  as  they  were  from 
the  outer  world,  especially  during  the  inclement  seasons  of 
the  year,  were  about  as  primitive  in  their  ideas  as  the  dwel- 
lers at  the  Shoals,  and  scarcely  less  peculiar  in  their  dialect. 
Separated  by  some  three  miles  of  water  communication 
from  Portsmouth,  it  was  no  uncommon  occurrence  to  hear 
quiet,  stay-at-home  bodies  among  the  old  ladies  acknowledge 
that  they  "  had  not  been  to  town  ';  in  ten  to  a  dozen  years, 
and  inquiries  would  be  made  as  to  individuals  they  had 
once  known,  as  if  the  place  were  a  thousand  miles  away. 

A  more  antique  locality,  previous  to  the  consummation 
of  that  achievement  in  the  march  of  improvement,  the 
construction  of  the  bridges,  could  not  have  been  found  in 
all  New  England.  While  many  of  the  dwellings  were 
spacious  and  comfortable,  there  were  very  few  of  modern 
construction  ;  by  far  the  larger  proportion  gave  evidence 
of  having  been  erected  in  the  early  part  of  the  last  cen- 
tury ;  many  were  so  dilapidated  by  age  as  to  be  almost 
untenantable,  and  others  had  reached  that  point  in  their  his- 
tory, and  were  undergoing  the  process  of  being  converted 
into  firewood. 

One  of  the  most  antique  of  these  moss-covered  structures 
of  the  olden  time,  was  the  ancient  church  that  occupied 
the  site  of  the  modern  edifice,  of  which  the  lie  v.  Mr. 
Alden  is  pastor.  Though  sadly  fallen  to  decay,  traces 
existed  to  show  that  taste  had  not  been  omitted  in  its  con- 
struction. Erected  originally  for  the  service  of  the  English 
Church,  the  chancel  remained  in  good  preservation,  and 
relics  survived  of   ornamental  devices  that  had  once  sur- 


NEWCASTLE.  175 

mounted  the  creed  and  decalogue.  The  sills  had  gone  to 
decay,  and  the  floor  had  consequently  sunk  some  inches 
below  its  original  position,  Lut  the  building  served  for 
summer  use,  and  the  people  loving  the  old  place  of  worship 
where  their  ancestors  had  been  wont  to  gather,  continued  to 
to  occupy  it  every  season  until  the  cold  winds  of  autumn 
drove  them  to  the  shelter  of  the  less  spacious  but  more 
comfortable  structure,  where  on  week-days, 

**  The  village  master  taught  his  little  BChool." 

Among  the  many  improvements  upon  the  island  none 
are  more  conspicuous  than  those  visible  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  spot  occupied  at  a  former  day  by  the  ancient  sanctuary. 
The  tasteful  and  well-kept  flower  garden,  with  its  gravelled 
walks,  wrought  out  of  the  once  rough,  uncultivated  ground, 
attached  to  the  modern  church,  has  in  its  season  of  bloom 
a  most  bright  and  cheerful  appearance,  highly  complimen- 
tary to  him  to  whose  good  taste  citizens  and  strangers 
are  annually  indebted  for  so  pleasant  a  feature ;  and  the  neat 
enclosure  around  the  little  cemetery,  with  the  order  in 
which  it  is  kept,  are  a  great  improvement  upon  our  earlier 
remembrances  of  the  place,  when  a  rough  board  fence  or 
dilapidated  stone  wall,  which  the  writer  has  forgotten,  alone 
protected  it  from  the  incursions  of  stray  animals  in  search 
of  pasture. 

At  the  time  of  which  we  write,  there  was  much  of  social 
and  neighborly  intercourse  among  the  people  of  the  island, 
as  they  met  and  discussed  the  news  brought  by  some  one 
who  had  returned  from  a  trip  to  town,  an  event  oftentimes 
not  of  daily  occurrence  in  unpropitious  weather,  especially 
during  a  sharp,  cold  spell  of  mid-winter.  The  receipt  of 
the  Journal  and  Gazette  were  semi-weekly  events  of  rare 
interest,  and  their  contents  from  the  title  to  the  last  line  of 
the  advertisements  on  the  fourth  page,  were  duly  digested. 
A  Boston  paper  was  about  as  much  of  a  novelty  to  the 
inhabitants  as  is  now  one  from  Canton  or  Honolulu. 


17G  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

The  writer  has  some  especially  pleasant  recollections  of 
the  friendly  intercourse  referred  to,  that  seemed  in  a  meas- 
ure a  realization  of  the  scenes  in  rural  life  so  delightfully 
pictured  forth  by  Goldsmith  in  the  Deserted  Village,  and 
in  the  London  story-books  that  then  formed  so  prominent 
a  feature  in  juvenile  literature.  One  place  of  sojourn  was 
at  the  residence  of  the  village  teacher,  still  in  existence  at 
the  summit  of  a  high  bluff  on  the  seashore.  Opposite  the 
house  was  a  large  and  thriving  garden,  and  higher  up,  on 
an  elevation  too  rocky  for  culture,  was  a  delightful  spot, 
embracing  a  view  of  Portsmouth,  and  the  ocean  far  out  to 
sea,  where  the  youth  of  both  sexes  used  to  gather  at  the 
close  of  da}T,  and  on  moonlight  evenings,  and  participate  in 
the  ever-popular  sports  of  childhood. 

One  of  the  incidents  of  life  to  the  people  of  Newcastle 
was  the  frequent  appearance,  during  the  summer  season,  of 
a  fleet  from  Kittery  and  Eliot  upon  their  shores,  for  the 
purpose  of  bartering  vegetables  and  fruit  for  dried  codfish 
and  halibut,  and  other  products  of  the  brisk  fishing  trade 
then  carried  on  from  the  island.  As  a  general  thing  the 
values  of  articles  on  both  sides  were  so  well  understood  as 
to  render  the  business  a  very  simple  one,  but  an  amusing 
scene  occasionally  occurred  between  a  pair  of  sharp  bar- 
gainers, each  affecting  to  depreciate  the  other's  goods,  that 
would  have  done  honor  to  the  parties  in  a  horse-trade. 
Such  a  scone  between  an  attache  of  Hannah  Mariner's 
Squadron,  with  a  stock  of  green  corn  and  whortleberries, 
and  an  old  lady  of  the  island  with  dried  halibut  to  dispose 
of,  each  boasting,  when  the  trade  had  been  concluded,  of 
having  outwitted  the  other,  left,  in  its  oddity,  an  ineffacable 
impression  upon  our  memory. 

Fort  Constitution  imparted  much  animation  to  the  island, 
and  not  a  little  to  Portsmouth,  being  still  under  command 
of  Col.  Walbach,  and  with  a  larger  force  stationed  there 
than  at  any  other  period  within  our  memory.     The   band 


COURT   MARTIAL   AT   FORT   CONSTITUTION.  177 

numbered  every  instrument  then  known  in  martial  music, 
and  with  such  an  attraction,  the  morning  and  evening- 
parades  were  well  worth  attending.  Musicians  were  not 
then  very  plenty  in  our  good  city,  none  making  it  a  pro- 
fession, and  it  was  a  well  appreciated  luxury  when  the  old 
hero,  while  in  the  service  of  his  native  Prussia,  of  twenty- 
six  pitched  battles  against  Bony,  occasionally  came  to  town 
with  his  command,  and  the  fine  band  stirred  up  the  people 
With  such  airs  as  "  Wreaths  for  the  Chieftain,"  "  Washing - 
ton'sMarch,"  "  Paddy  Carey,"  etc. 


RAMBLE    CXIV. 


Xlie    Court    Martial    at    Fort   Constitation   in   1S14  —  The 
^Providential    "Witness. 

Although  now  beyond  our  present  city  line,  Newcastle 
was  once  a  part  of  Portsmouth  ;  and  the  fortification  on  that 
island  being  for  the  defence  of  Portsmouth  harbor,  still 
attaches  it  to  us.  Several  references  have  been  made  to 
the  fortification  in  previous  Rambles — showing  that  at  the 
old  Fort  William  and  Mary,  since  called  Constitution,  was 
the  first  scene  of  seizure  of  British  property  by  the  patri- 
ots at  the  commencement  of  the  Revolution,— a  circum- 
stance Which  should  give  it  a  place  in  history  scarcely  les  s 
prominent  than  Lexington  or  Bunker  Hill. 

Our  present  object  is  to  record  an  event  which  took 
place  in  the  Fort  nearly  half  a  century  ago,  which  did  not 
appear  in  the  papers  of  the  day,  nor  has  it  since  until  now 
been  published. 

In  the  spring  of  1814,  when  our  country  was  at  war  with 
England,  the  40th  regiment  of  U.  S.  Infantry  was  desig- 
nated as  rendezvoused  at  Boston,  but  its  companies  were 


178  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

rarely  if  ever  collected  there  together,  being  raised  prin- 
cipally for  the  defence  of  the  eastern  seaboard.  Col.  Joseph 
Lovering,  jr.  of  Boston,  had  command  of  it,  and  Perley 
Putnam,  of  Salem,  was  Major.  In  this  regiment,  one  com- 
pany of  a  hundred  men  from  Newport,  11.  I.,  commanded 
by  Capt.  Bailey  of  Mass.,  of  which  a  son  of  Capt.  Bailey 
was  Ensign,  was  detached  and  ordered  to  garrison  a  fort  at 
Wiscasset.  Their  most  direct  course  from  Boston  was 
through  Portsmouth.  Soldiers  then  had  none  of  the  pres- 
ent advantages  of  railroad  conveyance,  and  the  marching 
of  a  company  then  meant  that  they  went  on  foot.  The 
marching  through  country  roads  was  done  "  at  ease,"  but 
the  soldiers  were  held  in  such  positions  that  when  they 
approached  any  town  or  village,  they  could  readily  be 
brought  into  regular  sections  at  a  tap  of  the  drum  or  word 
of  command.  It  was  in  this  way  that  Capt.  Bailey's  com- 
pany was  marching  when  it  approached  Greenland  parade. 
Soon  after  the  word  was  given  to  form  rank  and  shoulder 
arms,  Ensign  Bailey  touched  with  his  sword  the  gun  of  a 
soldier  to  remind  him  that  he  should  change  its  position 
to  shoulder  arms,  at  the  same  time  giving  the  order.  Capt. 
Bailey,  hearing  the  order,  stepped  to  the  flank  to  ascertain 
whether  there  was  any  trouble,  when  instantly  a  bullet 
from  a  gun  just  grazed  his  side.  It  appears  that  the  soldier, 
instead  of  shouldering  his  gun,  had  dropped  it  into  a  hori- 
zontal position  on  his  left  arm,  and  pulled  the  trigger.  It 
was  supposed  the  shot  was  intended  for  the  Ensign,  but 
the  lives  of  the  Captain  and  many  others  were  equally  en- 
dangered. The  soldier  was  immediately  arrested,  put 
under  guard,  and  brought  with  the  company  to  Portsmouth. 
Fort  Constitution  being  the  nearest  garrison,  he  was  sent 
there  to  await  the  charges  to  be  made  out  against  him. 
Capt.  Bailey  and  his  company  passed  over  Portsmouth 
ferry  and  proceeded  into  Maine.  In  a  few  days  the  speci- 
fications were  made,  containing  the  names  of  the  four  wit- 


COURT   MARTIAL   AT   FORT   CONSTITUTION.  179 

nesses  to  the  act.  There  was,  however,  too  much  of  other 
service  required  for  officers  to  admit  of  a  court  martial 
being  held  for  several  months,  and  the  prisoner  in  the 
mean  time  was  kept  securely  at  the  fort. 

It  was  on  a  pleasant  day  in  that  summer  that  Col.  Wal- 
bach,  who,  it  will  be  recollected,  for  a  long  time  had  com- 
mand of  the  garrison,  was  walking  with  a  gentleman  around 
the  fort,  that  they  came  to  a  room  in  the  arsenal  in  which 
a  squad  of  soldiers  were  busily  engaged  in  making  musket 
cartridges,  in  great  demand  at  that  time.  As  they  passed 
along,  Col.  W.,  in  a  private  way,  directed  his  guest's  atten- 
tion to  one  of  the  workmen,  who  seemed  to  be  very  active 
and  deeply  interested  in  his  work.  After  they  had  passed 
out  of  the  arsenal  and  were  proceeding  outside  the  fort, 
said  Col.  W.,  "  did  you  notice  that  man  who  was  making 
cartridges  twice  as  fast  as  any  other?  0,  I  pity  him,  for 
that  man,  well  as  he  appears,  is  soon  to  be  shot!  Nothing 
can  save  him,  poor  fellow  !  He  it  was  who  a  few  months 
since  came  near  shooting  two  officers  in  the  Newport  com- 
pany. I  cannot  think  that  he  intended  murder  or  mutiny 
with  which  he  stands  charged, — but  if  such  doings  are 
overlooked,  what  officer  is  safe  ?  It  is  a  pity,  but  poor 
Haven's  fate  is  sealed. 

In  the  fall  of  1814,  a  general  court  martial  was  held  at 
Fort  Constitution  for  the  trial  of  several  cases  which  had 
accumulated  within  course  of  the  season.  Major  Crooker, 
of  the  9th  regiment,  was  President,  and  Lieut.  Belfour,  of 
the  Artillery,  was  Judge  Advocate.  Capt.  Bailey  had  been 
notified  of  the  time  of  the  trial,  and  was  directed  to  send 
the  four  witnesses  mentioned  in  the  specifications  accom- 
pany ing  his  charge  against  the  soldier. 

When  the  witnesses  arrived,  it  was  noticed  that  there 
were  five  soldiers  instead  of  four — but  when  the  witnesses 
were  summoned  before  the  court  only  the  four  appeared. 
They  testified  all  alike,  that  they  were  near  Haven  and  saw 


180  EAMBLES   ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

him  discharge  his  gun  when  it  was  laying  on  his  arm.  The 
prisoner  was  allowed  to  interrogate  the  witnesses :  his 
only  question,  which  was  asked  to  each  of  them  in  turn,  was, 
"Did  you  see  Ensign  Bailey  strike  me  before  I  fired*." 
They  all  replied,  No. 

Just  in  this  stage  of  the  proceedings  the  clock  struck 
three.  In  those  days,  and  we  know  not  but  at  the  present 
time,  no  proceedings  in  a  court  martial  can  be  held  after  that 
hour,  and  so  the  court  adjourned  without  coming  to  the 
fatal  verdict  which,  had  half  an  hour's  more  time  been 
allowed,  would  doubtless  have  been  arrived  at. 

On  this  court  martial  was  the  late  Hon.  Daniel  P.  Drown, 
of  this  city,  then  a  Lieutenant  in  the  army.  When  the  court 
came  together  the  next  morning,  the  case  of  Haven  came 
up  as  it  was  left,  with  every  prospect  that  the  fate  antici- 
pated by  Col.  Walbach  would  rest  upon  him.  At  this  stage, 
Lieut.  DroWn  stated  that  it  appeared  that  five  soldiers  had 
been  sent  here  from  Wiscasset,  instead  of  the  four  detailed 
as  witnesses.  He  made  inquiry  of  the  President  why  the 
fifth  man  had  been  sent.  Maj.  Crooker  could  see  no  reason 
for  making  an  inquiry  on  this  subject,  as  the  specifications, 
which  were  their  only  guide,  made  no  mention  of  any  one 
beyond  the  four  witnesses.  At  length,  however,  it  was 
decided  that  the  fifth  soldier  should  be  brought  before  the 
court. 

After  the  preliminary  questions  as  to  what  regiment  and 
company  he  belonged  to,  when  he  enlisted  into  Capt.  Bai- 
ley's company,  &c,  had  been  satisfactorily  answered,  he 
was  asked — Were  you  in  the  company  when  this  act  of 
mutiny  on  the  part  of  Haven  took  place  ?  I  was.  Was 
you  near  him  when  he  fired?  I  was.  Your  name  is  not 
on  the  detail  of  witnesses,  how  came  you  to  be  sent  here 
on  this  trial  ?  I  don't  know.  All  I  know  of  the  matter  is, 
that  when  the  corporal  who  had  charge  of  the  witnesses 
had  just  left  the  fort  at  Wiscasset,   he  was  ordered  to  halt, 


THE   PROVIDENTIAL   WITNESS.  181 

and  I  was  sent  for  by  Capt.  Bailey  to  como  into  his  quar- 
ters. He  asked  me  if  I  knew  Haven.  I  told  him  I  did — 
had  worked  with  him  at  the  shoe  business  at  Dartmouth, 
Mass.  Capt.  Bailey  said  no  more,  but  ordered  me  to  be 
supplied  with  rations,  and  march  with,  the  squad  to  Fort 
Constitution.  Did  you  expect  that  you  were  coming-  here 
as  a  witness?  I  had  no  instructions,  and  do  not  know  for 
what  purpose  I  was  ordered  here. 

It  now  appearing  to  the  court  that  this  man  might  have 
been  sent  to  give  what  information  he  might  possess  of  the 
prisoner,  he  was  at  once  sworn.  The  witness  was  then 
directed  to  state  what  he  knew  of  the  prisoner. 

He  had  worked  a  year  or  so  with  Haven.  Had  found 
him  a  man  singular  in  his  habits, — sometimes  a  very  talka- 
tive, and  then  a  very  silent  man.  He  was  an  excellent 
workman,  and  careful  in  fulfilling  his  .obligations ;  was  a 
kind-hearted  man,  and  beloved  by  all  his  fellow  workmen. 
The  shoe-shop  in  which  they  worked  was  on  the  side  of  the 
road  opposite  a  stone  Avail.  At  one  time,  when  in  a  des- 
ponding state  of  mind,  he  suddenly  laid  down  his  work  on 
his  seat,  ran  across  the  road  with  great  rapidity,  and  drop- 
ping his  head  as  he  approached  the  wall,  he  ran  against  it 
with  his  full  force.  It  was  thought  he  had  killed  himself. 
He  scarred  his  head  very  badly.  The  court  on  examina- 
tion of  the  prisoner's  head  found  the  deep  scars. 

After  answering  a  few  more  questions,  the  witness  was 
dismissed,  and  the  examination  closed. 

It  should  be  here  stated  that  the  prisoner  had  said  to  the 
court  that  he  had  no  hostile  feelings  against  Lieut.  Bailey. 
He  had  no  doubt  of  the  truth  of  the  statement  of  the  wit- 
nesses that  he  discharged  the  gun,  although  of  the  act  he 
had  no  recollection. 

The  Judge-Advocate  summed  up  the  evidence  which 
went  to  sustain  the  charge  of  mutiny.  The  question  was 
put  by  the  President  to  each  member  of  the  court,  Is  the 


182  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

prisoner  guilty  of  the  crime  with  which  lie  is  charged  ? 
Lieut.  Drown,  being  the  youngest  in  commission,  was  first 
called  upon.  He  replied,  No.  The  other  eleven  replied, 
No.  And  the  President  was  well  satisfied  that  the  verdict 
was  just. 

It  was  found  that,  suffering  as  he  was  under  partial  in- 
sanity, he  was  not  a  safe  man  for  the  army,  and  the  court 
recommended  that  he  be  honorably  discharged  from  the 
public  service. 

No  one  rejoiced  more  than  Capt.  Bailey,  at  the  happy 
result  of  sending  a  witness  not  in  the  specification.  And  fre- 
quently our  venerable  friend  Drown  (who  Avas  the  summer 
guest  of  Col.  Walbach  above  referred  to)  congratulated  him- 
self with  the  thought,  that  if  while  in  the  army  he  never 
killed  a  man,  he  was  by  his  position  instrumental  in  saving 
one  innocent  man  from  being  shot. 


«  — « — — ►- 


RAMBLE   CXV. 

3Tort    Constitution  —  The    Explosion    in    1809. 

In  our  last  Ramble  some  reference  was  made  to  incidents 
occurring  at  this  point  of  our  harbor  defence.  We  take 
this  occasion  to  give  a  sketch  of  a  disaster  which  took 
place  at  this  fort  in  1809,  when  the  garrison  was  under 
command  of  Col.  Walbach.  The  circumstances  will  be  new 
to  many  of  the  present  generation. 

On  the  4th  day  of  July,  1809,  there  wTere  two  public  po- 
litical celebrations  in  Portsmouth.  The  Federalists  marched 
to  the  Old  South  Church  to  listen  to  an  oration  from  Isaac 
Lyman,  Esq.,  and  partook  of  a  dinner  at  the  old  Assembly 
House.  The  Democrats  marched  to  the  North  Church, 
were  addressed  by  Joseph  Bartlett,  Esq.,  and  dined  at 
Davenport's. 


FORT    CONSTITUTION.  183 

There  were  a  few,  however,  who  accepted   an  invitation 
of  Col.  Walbach  to   dine   with  him  at  the    Fort,— among 
them  Dr.  L.  Spalding,    Capt.  Jacob  Cutter,   the  officers  of 
the  Fort,  and  a  few  others.     The   company  were  enjoying 
the   hospitalities  of  the   Colonel  in  his  quarters,  and  the 
outside  visitors  were  just  collecting  on  the  platform  on  the 
northwest  corner  of  the  Fort,  where  a  fiddler  just  arrived 
had  invited  them  to  form  a  contra-dance.     On  the  northeast 
point  of  the  Fort,  two  of  the   24-pounders  had  been   re- 
moved to  make  way  for  a  brass   G-pounder  from  which  it 
was  intended  to  fire  salutes  after  dinner.     Two  ammunition 
chests,  containing  about  350  pounds  of  powder,  and  one 
containing  balls,  were   placed   on  the  side  of  the  platform 
near  the  house  where  the  company  were  at  dinner,  and  on 
the  platform  were  also  seventeen  cartridges  of  two  pounds 
each,  for  the  salute.     The   company  had  been  at  the  table 
about  three-quarters  of  an  hour,  when  a  tremendous  explo- 
sion took  place — the   sides  and  ceiling  of  the  room  were 
driven  in,  the  tables  upset,  and  everything  on  them  shiv- 
ered to  atoms  !     The   company  were  prostrated,  and  the 
lady  of  Col.  W.  came  running  into  the  room,  bloody  from 
slight  injuries.     None  of  the  company  were,  however,  ma- 
terially injured.     They  ran  out  to  witness  the  distressing 
scene  of  men  dead  and  alive,  their  clothes  burning,  and  the 
ground  covered  with  fragments  of  timber  and  boards,  scat- 
tered balls  and  pieces  of  iron  on  every  side.     The  sides  and 
wainscot   of  the  house  were  beaten  in  ;  balls   were   sent 
through  the  windows,  and  five  24-pound  balls  were  carried 
beyond  the  house.     One  poor  fellow  was  carried  over  the 
roof  of  the  house,  and  the  upper  half  of  his  body  lodged 
on  the  opposite  side  near  the  window  of  the  dining  room ; 
the  limb  of  another  was  driven  through  a  thick  door  over 
the   dining  room,  leaving  a  hole  in  the  door  the  shape  of 
the  foot ;  parts  of  the   other  bodies  were  carried  nearly  a 
hundred  yards  from  the   fatal  spot.     Of  the  killed  were 


IS 4  EAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

three  soldiers,  one  citizen  and  three  boys.  Six  soldiers 
and  several  citizens  were  wounded.  The  scene  was  heart- 
rending. Col.  Walbach  exclaimed,  "  I  have  faced  death  in 
its  most  dreadful  form — I  have  witnessed  the  desolations  of 
war,  and  have  mingled  in  all  the  hazards  and  havoc  of  hat- 
ties,  but  never  before  did  I  feel  a  pang  so  terrible  and  in- 
tolerable as  this." 

The  persons  killed  were  Ephraim  Pickering,  Esq.,  of 
Newington,  (a  brother  of  the  late  Joseph  W.  P.  of  this 
city,)  James  Trefethen  and  Joseph  Mitchell,  lads  of  New- 
castle ;  another  lad  named  Paul,  belonging  to  Kitterv  > 
Sergeant  Joseph  Albertz  ;  privates  Peletiah  McDaniels  and 
Theodore  Whit  ham. 

It  appeared  that  the  seventeen  small  cartridges,  which 
were  to  have  been  placed  in  the  ammunition  chest  on  the 
rampart,  the  sergeant  thought  best  to  leave  for  a  short  time 
in  the  sun,  as  he  fancied  they  felt  damp.  A  spark  from  one 
of  the  lighted  linstocks  was  probably  driven  by  the  wind 
to  the  exposed  cartridges,  and  was  the  occasion  of  the  ex- 
plosion. 

We  have  before  us  a  short  record  of  the  event,  made  in 
the  Fort  morning  report  of  the  5th.  It  appears  that  there 
were  stationed  at  the  Fort  at  that  time,  a  captain,  two  2d 
lieutenants,  one  surgeon's  mate,  three  sergeants,  four 
corporals,  four  musicians,  six  artificers,  and  fifty-three  pri- 
vates— in  all  seventy-four. 

The  body  of  McDaniel  was  found  near  the  light-house 
below  low  water  mark.  The  remains  of  the  three  soldiers 
were  buried  with  the  honors  of  war  in  the  same  grave  on 
the  8th  of  July.  The  countersign  given  out  on  the  4th 
was  "  Dreadful." 

Capt.  Davidson,  noAv  at  the  Fort,  is  the  connecting  link 
between  the  days  when  Col.  Walbach  was  stationed  here 
and  the  present  time.  Through  his  gentlemanly  attentions 
we  are  enabled  to  give  such  of  the  above  facts  as  appear 
on  the  records  of  the  Fort. 


THE    SPARHAWK   FAMILY.  185 

RAMBLE   CXVI. 

The    Sparlaawlc    Family. 

In  Ramble  92  we  gave  the  Will  of  the  widow  of  George 
Atkinson,  in  which  most  of  the  bequests  were  made  to 
members  of  the  Sparhawk  family.  This  leads  to  an  inves- 
tigation of  the  family  pedigree,  and  gives  an  opportunity 
for  a  few  historical  sketches. 

In  -a  bundle  of  manuscripts  of  Sir  William  Pepperell  in 
our  possession,  we  find  some  incidents  relating  to  Nathan- 
iel Sparhawk,  who  married  the  only  daughter  of  Sir  Wil- 
liam, and  settled  at  Kittery  Point,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  old 
Meeting  House. 

It  appears  that  the  Rev.  John  Sparhawk,  a  minister  of 
Bristol,  in  Mass.,  who  died  in  1718  at  the  age  of  45,  had 
two  sons.  One  of  them  was  the  Rev.  John  Sparhawk  of 
Salem,  who  married  Jane  Porter,  and  died  in  1755  at  the 
age  of  43.  The  other  son  was  Hon.  Nathaniel  Sparhawk  of 
Kittery,  who  married  Elizabeth,  the  only  daughter  of  Sir 
William  Pepperell. 

The  children  of  Rev.  John  S.  of  Salem  were: 

1.  Priscilla,  who  married  Judge  Ropes  of  Salem,  and 
died  in  1798,  [leaving  three  sons,  John,  Nathaniel  and 
Samuel;  and  three  daughters — Jane,  who  married  S.  C. 
Ward  ;  Priscilla,  who  married  Jonathan  Hodges  ;  and  Abi- 
gail, who  married  William  Orne.] 

2.  Susannah,  who  married  George  Atkinson  of  Ports- 
mouth, and  died  in  179G.  [Her  Will  is  given  in  Ramble 
92.] 

3.  Jane,  who  married  John  Appleton. 

4.  Margaret,  who  married  Isaac  Winslow  of  Boston. 

5.  Katy,  who  married  her  cousin,  Nathaniel  Sparhawk, 
Jr.,  of  Kittery. 

6.  John,  who  married  Miss  King.     [Their  children  were 

13 


186  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

Thomas,  Samuel,  John,  and  George  King  Sparhawk.  The 
latter  spent  most  of  his  days  in  Portsmouth,  and  died  at 
Conway.  He  was  the  father  of  Col.  George  S.  who  died 
at  Kittery  Point  in  1857.] 

The  children  of  Nathaniel  Sparhawk  of  Kittery  were : 

1.  Nathaniel,  whose  first  wife  was  his  cousin  Katy  Spar- 
hawk,  his  second  Miss  Bartlett,  and  his  third  Miss  Parker. 

2.  Mary,  who  married  Dr.  Charles  Jarvis  of  Boston. 

3.  Sir  William  Pepperell,  Bt.,  who  married  Miss  Royall 
of  Medford,  and  died  in  1816,  aged  60. 

4.  Samuel  Hirst,  who  married  in  England.  His  daugh- 
ter, Harriet  Sparhawk,  is  now  living  in  this  city,  his  only 
descendant. 

5.  Andrew  Pepperrell,  who  married  Miss  Turner,  and 
died  in  1783,  aged  30. 

Nathaniel  Sparhawk  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Pepperrell, 
June  10th,  1712.  Her  father  sent  to  England  for  her  wed- 
ding dress,  as  follows: — 

Pascataqua  in  New  England,  ^ 
October  14th,  1741.  j 
Francis  Wilks,  Esq.:  Sir — Your  favors  of  ye  16th  May 
and  24th  June  last,  I  received  by  Capt.  Prince,  for  which 
am  much  obliged  to  you.  Inclosed  you  have  a  receipt  for 
46  ps.  of  gold,  weighing  twenty  ozs.,  which  will  be  deliv- 
ered you,  I  hope,  by  Capt.  Robert  Noble,  of  ye  ship  Amer- 
ica, which  please  to  receive  and  cr.  to  my  account  with  ; 
and  send  me  by  ye  first  opportunity,  for  this  place  or  Bos- 
ton, Silk  to  make  a  woman  a  full  suit  of  clothes,  the  ground 
to  be  white  paduroy  and  flowered  with  all  sorts  of  coulers 
suitable  for  a  young  woman — another  of  white  watered 
Tab//,  and  Gold  Lace  for  trimming  of  it ;  twelve  yards  of 
Green  Paduroy  ;  thirteen  yards  of  Lace,  for  a  woman's 
head  dress,  2  inches  wide,  as  can  be  bought  for  13s.  per 
yard  ;  a  handsome  Fan,  with  a  leather  mounting,  as  good 
as  can  be  bought  for  about  20  shillings;  2  pair  silk  shoes,, 
and  cloggs  a  size  bigger  than  ye  shoe. 

Your  servant  to  command. 

William  Pepperrell. 


THE   SPARHAWK    FAMILY.  187 

If  the  tale  of  tradition  is  true,  to  the  beauty  of  Mary 
Spafhawk,  who  became  the  wife  of  Dr  Jarvis,  Portsmouth 
is  more  indebted  for  its  protection  in  1775,  than  to  its  forts. 
The  story  goes,  that  Capt.  Mowatt,  of  the  Canceaux,  a 
British  ship  of  16  guns,  connected  with  a  large  armed  ship, 
a  schooner  and  a  sloop,  were  off  our  harbor  in  the  month 
of  October,  1775.  Capt.  Mowatt  went  privately  on  shore 
at  Kittery  Point,  and  was  received  at  the  loyal  house  of 
Nathaniel  Sparhawk.  Here  he  became  so  much  fascinated 
with  Alary  that  the  intent  of  his  voyage  to  destroy  Ports- 
month,  was,  by  her  influence,  changed,  and  he  made  sail  for 
Falmouth  (now  Portland)  and  burned  more  than  400  of  the 
best  houses  and  stores — leaving  only  about  100  of  the 
poorest  houses,  and  they  much  damaged.  How  much  our 
city  is  indebted  to  the  influence  of  the  beauty  of  Mary  we 
can  now  hardly  estimate. 

After  the  death  of  her  husband,  (Dr.  Jarvis  of  Boston,) 
Mary  returned  to  Kittery  Point,  where  she  died  in  1815. 
The  old  mansion  of  Col.  Sparhawk,  east  of  the  village 
church,  is  preserved  in  all  its  primitive  beauty.  The  long- 
avenue  of  noble  trees  through  which  it  was  formerly  ap- 
proached have  disappeared — but  the  mansion  is  yet  one 
of  the  attractive  features  of  the  ancient  town. 

The  following  is  from  the  memorandum  book  of  Rev. 
John  Sparhawk  of  Salem,  relating  to  his  settlement : 

"  Feb.  29th,  1735-6,  I  preached  the  first  time  at  Salem, 
by  the  desire  of  Committee  of  the  Confederate  Society 
of  Salem,  having  been  a  preacher  about  the  space  of  one 
year,  and  by  desire  of  the  same  committee,  engaged  for  a 
term  and  continued  preaching  to  my  call." 

"Aug.  5th,  1736,  I  was  chosen  minister  of  ye  Confederate 
Society  by  a  great  majority  in  the  Society.  Voted  220  oz. 
of  Silver  for  my  salary,  and  afterwards,  upon  my  desire  in 
ye  answer  I  gave  them,  they  added  100  £  Bills  of  the  Prov- 
ince for  help." 

"Dec.  8th,  1736.     On  this  day  was  the   ordination.     Mr. 


1  v  -  RAMBLES    ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

Chipman   began   with   prayers.     Mr.   Appleton   preached, 
Prov.  11:  30.     Mr.  Holyoke  gave  the  charge,  and  Mr.  Pres- 

cott  ye  Right  hand  of  Fellowship.     The  whole  service  was 
performed  with  the  greatest  order  and  decency. " 


RAMBLE  CXYII. 

Centennial  Celebration,  1S23— The  Parchment  Unrolled. 

The  two-hundreth  anniversary  of  the  first  settlement  of 
Xew  Hampshire,  at  Portsmouth,  was  celebrated  here  on 
the  21st  day  of  May.  1823.  It  was  a  matter  of  State 
interest,  and  called  together  the  leading  men  from  many 
distant  as  well  as  adjoining  towns.  The  Collections  of  the 
N.  H.  Historical  Society,  vol.  G,  contains  a  very  full  ac- 
count of  the  whole  proceedings,  embodying  many  historical 
facts,  collected  by  our  late  townsman.  Alexander  Ladd. 
N.  A.  Haven,  Jr.,  Esq.,  was  the  orator  of  the  day,  0.  \V. 
B.  Peabody  of  Exeter  delivered  the  poem,  and  Rev.  Bennet 
Tyler  of  Hanover,  and  Rev.  I.  W.  Putnam  performed  the 
religious  services  at  the  old  North  Church. 

In  the  evening  a  splendid  ball  was  given  at  Franklin  Hall, 
at  which  nearly  four  hundred  were  present.  Grandsires 
and  grandmothers  danced  in  the  same  sets  with  their  chil- 
dren and  grandchildren — and  in  the  numerous  ancient 
portraits,  by  the  best  masters  which  covered  the  walls  on 
every  side,  the  representatives  of  the  past  centuries  seemed 
to  be  mingling  with  their  descendants  on  the  joyous 
occasion. 

Most  of  those  present,  as  well  as  those  who  had  taken 
an  active  part  in  the  services  of  the  day,  inscribed  their 
names  and  ages  on  a  parchment  roll,  which  was  deposited 
m   the  Portsmouth  Atheneum  at  the  time  and  has  there 


THE  PARCHMENT  UNROLLED. 


189 


remained  undisturbed  for  nearly  half  a  century.  As  bad 
ink  was  used  for  some  of  the  signatures,  which  already 
begin  to  grow  obscure,  Ave  herewith  present  a  copy  for 
preservation.  It  will  be  read  with  some  interest  by  those 
now  alive  who  participated  in  the  scenes  and  festivities  of 
that  day,  and  is  a  matter  of  history  worthy  of  preservation 
on  other  accounts. 


Elijah  Fall,  80  years 
Bennet  Tyler 
Timo.  Uphaul 
(  harles  it  Haddock 
Nathan  Parker 
Israel  \V  Putnam.  "6 
Frederick  Clark,  26 
J  Mason 
Dan'l  Webster 
.Jacob  Sheafe,  78 
('lenient  Storer.  G2 
Kdw'd  Cutts  59 
N  A  Haven  Jr,  33 
Jacob  I  utt  r.  5L 
Ohar'es  \V  Cutter.  23 
I'erjamin  Penhallow,  55 
John  Haven.  57 
Joseph  Story 
Samuel  Haitt,  37 
W  Jones,  Jr  .  US 
John  F  rarrntt,  56 
E  G  Parrotl  43 
William  Gardner 
George  Blake 
Joshua  \V  Peiree.  33 
Jacob  Wendell,  34 
J  F  Shores  31 
Samuel  Lai  kin.  53 
Is.ae  Waldron,  49 
Nathan  Hale 
Alex'r  I. add 
Eben  Wentworth,  43 
Kath'l  E  March,  41 
Ichabod  Kollins.  33 
Benjamin  liri-  rly.  43 
'Jh<  3.  T  Hrierly,  23 
John  Ball,  30 
James  Rundiet.  50 
Sa  imel  Larkin,  Jr. 
Hampden  Cutts,  20 
Alfred  Mason 
Joshua  W   Larkin 
John  G  Palfrey 
Bunking  Periha'low,  57 
'J'  W  Penhallow,    9 
Oliver  W  Penhallow,  20 
Henry  Haven.  55 
William  (lav  n,  53 
1  eter  Pearse  56 
Charles  Turell,  36 
i  o'i-i t  Rice,  42 
William  (  laj^ett.  33 
1  angley  Hoard. nan,  43 
Kich'a  ( ■  ilman  . 
Isaac  D  Parsons,  14 
«  vi  ns  P  Smith.  22 
Eucr.  Smith,  Jr.  iJ6 


Wm  Berry.  U  S  N,  26 
John  Sullivan  22 
J'  nathan  Brown,  27 
Oliver  Sheafe.  23 
Harrison  Gray,  28 
Theodore  Shea'c,  27 
Samuel  K  '  ones,  25 
N  >th'l  A  Haven.  60 
Wm  P  Adams,  3S 
Charles  Pushing.  46 
Joshua  II  Hall,  29 
Samuel  T  Gilmau,  22 
John  H  Sise,  27 
Jnofi  Place,  40 
Charles  11  a  rely.  43 
( 'has.  Gushing,  30 
Charles  A  Cneever,  29 
Kben  L  Childs,  24 
William  Smith,  23 
John  A  Haven   3L 
John  M  Whidden.  21 
John  II  Sheaf*-.  27 
Robert  Cross,  22 
John  Hice.  35 
William  Clark.  23 
Jno.  W  Foster.  34 
Kieh'd  Russell  Wnldron,  29 
lienrv  P  Baiter,  2L 
Edw'd  F  Sise.  23 
Charles  Seaver,  26 
M  W  Peiree.  50 
William  Rundiet,  23 
J  M  Tiediek.  20 
Herman  15  Harris,  23 
Aug.  Lord,  25 
Sam'l  P  Long.  24 
J  Woodward  Haven 
Alfred  W   Haven 
w  ashington  Haven,  24 
William  Hill 
J  G  Joy.  36 
Daniel  Taylor,  25 
Hermou  Orne,  20 
Geo.  Meieher,  Jr   25 
Wm.  L.  Pickering,  19 
George  Sparhaw  k,  L3 
■lit'..      Richardson,  33 
tie      ;e  Miard,  U  s  X,  20 
I  b      :l  Sparhawk.20 
Thomas  *  urtls.  23 
Jacob  SUeafe,  Jr  39 
Geo.  Humphreys,  39 
L  G  S  Boyd 
Wm.  Haven.  Jr. 
J  li  Ball  *8 
Jos.  Margaund,  Mass. 
"W  m.  Stone, 


G  Homey,  co 
Thos.  B  Coolidge,  21 
Kdmund  Roberts,  39 
Robert  M  Mason 
Sainuel  Cushman,  JO 
James  Ladd,  41 
Wm  H  Y  Hackett  23 
11  Buflbrd,  43 
N.  Sheafe  Waldron 
Wm  F  Carter 
Chas  C  Adams 
Charles  W  Chauncy 
Wm  Salter,  18 
Edward  Rundiet.  17j 
Thomas  Sheale,  71 
Sam'l  Sheafe,  35 
Enoch  Mudge,  47 
Joseph  Haven,  65 
Ichabod  Harriett,  3.5 
Levi  Bartlett,  3y 
James  flartleit,  29 
Mary  Mason 
Grace  Webster 
Mary  Sheale 
Dorothy  storer 
Mary  li  Cutts 
Eliza  W  Haven 
Miriam  Cutter 
Fiances  Cutter 
Susan  Penhallow 
Ann  Haven 
Sarah  Waldo  Story 
Mary  T  Haitt 
Ann  P  Jones 
Martha  B  Parrott 
Sarah  P  Parrott 
Sarah  Gardner 
Sarah  Olcott  Blake 
Eni'lv  S  Peiree 
Mehitable  R  Wendell 
Elizabeth  Oliver  Shores 
Ann  .)  Larkin 
Mary  C  Waldron 
Sarah  P  Hale 
Maria  T  Ladd 
(  atharine  H  Wentworth 
Sarah  I1  March 
Mary  A  nn  Kollins 
Susan   Briefly 
Ann  K  Brtei  ly 
Jane  S  Ball 
F'ranet  ■  Rundiet 
Sarah  P  LarKju, 
Marj   C'utts 
Mary  E  .Mason 
Aline  C  Larkin 
Mary  Ann  Palfrey 


190 


RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 


Harriet  Penhallow 
Margarett  E  S-'Ott 
Lucy  E  Pen  hallow 
Sarah  Sheafe 
Eliza  Langdon  Elwyn 
Ann  II  Cushing 
Dorothea  Oilman 
M  Jane  Haven, 
Eliza  C  Porter 
Mary  H  Sheafe, 
Ann  Mary  Haven, 
Adaline  llaven 
Charlotte  Ann   Haven 
Margaret  V  Lamb 
Sarah  P  E  Rice 
Sarah  Simes 

Eliza  Delia  Tudor  Toscan 
Caroline  Haven 
Elvira  llaven 
Augusta  Haven 
Eleanor  J  'Williams 
Ruth  W  Cushing 
Louisa  Sheafe 
Elizabeth  P  Abbott 
Charlotte  Sheafe 
V  At  M'Glintock 
C  G  Stevens 
Sarah  P  Hardy 


Lydia  Fernald 

Eliza  C  Melcher 

Georgian  n  a  Toscan 

Sarah  B  B,  ierley 

Elizabeth  Cushing 

Elizabeth  March 

Mary  C  Shapleigh 

Emily  S  Langdon  Elwyn 

Caroline  Jones 

Jane  M  Andrews 

Mary  Jane  Durell 

Mary  L  Storer 

Lydia  foster 

Catharine  M'Clintock 

Lydia  R  Hale 

Susan  W  Haven 

A  T  Cross 

E  W  Shapleigh 

E  W  Hill 

Olivia  Ann  Trescott 

M  E  Long 

M  Cutter 

Eliza  Jane  Larkin 

Ariauna  fmith 

Geo.  Douglas  Ramsay,  USA 

Augusta  Willard 

Eliza  B  Riee 

Lucinda  Willard 


Elizabeth  Glover 
Sarah  J  Wentworth 
Mary  B  Appleton 
Mary  Sherburne  Simes 
Sarah  Ana  Salter 
Sarah  S  Langdon  llaven 
Susan  Sheafe 
Ann  E  i-alter 
Sarah  E  Appleton 
Elizabeth  S  Durell 
Rebecca  J  Wentworth 
L  Hodges 
Caroline  Cross 
Emily  S  Pearse 
Clara  L  Haven 
Mary  Hardy 
Mary  P  1'lodges 
Fiances  L  Brierley 
Ann  M  Simes 
Anna  H  Cutts 
Margaret  Sparhawk 
Susan  Sparhawk 
Mary  Oliver  Larkin 
Mary  appleton 
Margaret  Foster 
L  icy  Clapham 
Harriet  Morris 
Susan  Purcell 


The  ages  of  many  of  the  ladies  are  given  on  the  parch- 
ment,— but  as  a  matter  of  courtesy  to  those  living  we  have 
thought  best  to  omit  them.  One  thing  however  is  pretty 
certain,  that  most  of  them  are  now  full  forty-six  years  of 


age. 


The  following  interesting  account  of  the  distinguished 
persons  whose  portraits  were  exhibited  at  this  Centennial 
Celebration,  taken  from  the  Historical  Collections,  shows 
how  rich  Portsmouth  and  its  neighboring  towns  are  in  por- 
traits of  our  distinguished  ancestors  : 

John  Wentworth,  son  of  Samuel  Wentworth,  and  grand- 
son of  Elder  William  Wentworth.  He  was  a  native  of 
Portsmouth,  and  was  born  January  1G,  1G71.  He  was  a, 
counsellor  from  1712  to  1717,  and  lieutenant  governor 
from  1717  to  his  death,  December  12,  1730.  Of  his  sixteen 
children,  fourteen  survived  him. 

Penning  Wentworth,  son  of  the  preceding,  graduated  at 
Harvard  College  in  1715,  and  afterwards  went  to  England 
and  Spain,  where  he  remained  several  years.  Pie  was 
appointed  counsellor  in  1734,  and  was  governor  from  1711 
to  17G7,  when  he  was  superseded  by  his  nephew,  John 
Wentworth,     He  died  Oct.    14,  1770,  in  his  75th  year. 


PORTRAITS    OF   DISTINGUISHED    ANCESTORS.  191 

John  Wentworth,  son  of  Governor  Wentworth. 

Lady  Frances  Wentworth,  wife  of  governor  John  Went- 
worth. Now  owned  by  the  family  of  Asa  Freeman  of 
Dover. 

Theodore  Atkinson,  son  of  Hon.  Theodore  Atkinson  of 
New  Castle,  where  he  was  born  Dec.  20,  1G97.  He  gradu- 
ate 1  at  Harvard  College  in  1718  ;  was  a  counsellor  in  1734  ; 
subsequently  a  judge  of  the  superior  court  and  secretary 
of  the  province.  He  died  Sept.  22,  1779,  aged  82.  He  is 
painted  with  a  roll  in  his  hand,  with  the  inscription,  "  Ex- 
penses of  Government." 

Theodore  Atkinson,  jr.  son  of  the  preceding,  graduated 
at  Harvard  College  in  1734:;  was  a  counsellor  and  secre- 
tary ;  died  in  1769.  Now  owned  by  the  family  of  Asa  Free- 
man ofDover. 

Richard  Waldron,  son  of  Capt.  Richard  Waldron,  and 
grandson  of  Major  Richard  Waldron,  who  was  killed  by  the 
Indians  at  Dover  in  1689.  His  mother  was  Eleanor 
Vaughan,  daughter  of  Maj.  William  Vaughan.  He  was 
born  Feb.  21,  1691.  He  was  a  counsellor,  and  secretary 
of  the  province  to  about  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1753. 

Thomas  Westbrooke  Waldron,  son  of  the  preceding,  was 
a  captain  in  the  expedition  against  Louisburg — and  died 
in  1785. 

George  Jaffrey,  counsellor  from  1702,  to  his  death  in 
1706. 

George  Jaffrey,  son  of  the  preceding  ;  appointed  a  coun- 
sellor in  1716.  He  was  also  treasurer  of  the  province  ; 
died  in  1749. 

George  Jaffrey,  was  counsellor  in  1766  ;  was  also  treas- 
urer.    He  died  in  December  1802,  aged  86. 

Benjamin  Gambling,  judge  of  probate  and  counsellor 
from  1731.  He  was  born  in  1681 ;  married  a  daughter  of 
Samuel  Penhallow;  died  1737. 

Richard  Wibird,  son  of  Richard  Wibird,  of  Portsmouth, 
was  born  July  7,  1702.  He  was  appointed  collector  of 
customs  for  the  port  of  Portsmouth  in  1730,  and  counsellor 
in  1739.     He  died  1765,  aired  63. 

Thomas  Wibird,  brother  of  the  preceding-,  was  born  at 
Portsmouth,  Oct  1,  1707.  The  father  of  these  brothers 
was  counsellor  from  1716,  and  died  in  1732. 


192  RAMBLES  ABOUT  PORTSMOUTH. 

Col.  "William  Pepperrell,  who  came  from  England  during 
the  reign  of  "William  and  Mary.  He  lived  many  years  at 
the  Isles  of  Shoals  ;  afterwards  removed  to  Kittery  Point, 
where  he  became  an  eminent  merchant.  He  died  Feb.  15, 
1734. 

Sir  William  Pepperrell,  Bart,  son  of  the  preceding,  was 
born  at  the  Isles  of  Shoals.  He  died  at  Kittery,  July  G, 
1750,  aged  63. 

There  were  also  portraits  of  the  mother  of  Sir  William 
and  two  sisters,  one  of  whom  was  Mrs.  Newmarch,  wife  of 
the  Hon.  John  Newmarch. 

Hon.  Henry  Sherburne,  a  counsellor,  and  chief  justice 
of  the  province  from  1735  to  1744. 

Nathaniel  Sparhawk,  a  counsellor  of  Massachusetts,  a 
colonel  of  the  militia,  and  an  eminent  merchant.  Col. 
Sparhawk  married  the  only  daughter  of  Sir  William  Pep- 
perrell, and  died  at  Kittery  in  1776. 

John  Moffatt,  a  merchant  of  Portsmouth.  Born  in 
England  in  1G92.     Died  in  1786,  aged  94. 

Catharine  Cutt  Moffatt,  wife   of  John,  grand-daughter  of 

President  John  Cutt. 

Catharine  Moffatt,  their  daughter,  married  Wm,  "Whip- 
ple, a  signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  Mrs. 
W.  was  living  in  1823. 

Rev.  John  Emerson,  minister  of  New  Castle,  1703;  of 
Portsmouth,  1715;  died  June  21,  1732. 

Madam  Emerson,  wife  of  the  preceding. 

Rev.  Nathaniel  Rogers,  (painted  1623,)  son  of  Rev.  John 
Rogers,  of  Dedham,  in  England,  who  died  Oct.  18,  1G39, 
aged  G7.  The  latter  was  a  grandson  of  Rev.  John  Rogers, 
prebendary  of  St.  Paul's,  who  was  burnt  at  Smithfield, 
1555.  Mr.  Rogers  came  to  New  England  in  Nov.  1636; 
settled  in  Ipswich,  Mass.  1G39  :  died  July  2,  1655,  aged  57. 

Rev.  Samuel  Haven,  D.  D.,  ordained  minister  of  the  2d 
Churchin  Portsmouth,  May  G,  1752:  died  March  3,  1806, 
aged  79. 

Madam  Montgomery,  (painted  in  Scotland  in  1555.)  Ono 
of  her  descendants  came  to  New  England  and  settled  in 
Portsmouth  in  1720. 


THE  YELLOW  FEVER  IN  PORTSMOUTH.        193 

RAMBLE     CXVIIL 

The    Yellow    Fever    of  1708. 

Among  the  dividing  points  of  the  eras  in  Portsmouth  his- 
tory, is  "the  year  of  the  yellow  fever,"  1798.  We  rarely 
pass  among- the  old  houses  at  the  north  end  of  Market  street, 
without  being  reminded  (not  unfrequently  by  the  noxious 
air  of  the  present  day,)  of  the  scenes  which  there  transpired 
about  seventy  years  ago,  when  the  "  Yellow  Malignant 
Fever"  prevailed,  finding  victims  almost  every  day  for 
eight  weeks. 

At  that  time  Thomas  Sheafe,  one  of  the  most  respectable 
merchants  of  the  day,  father  of  the  late  Samuel  Sheafe,  and 
occupant  of  the  house  on  the  corner  of  Market  and  Deer 
streets,  was  largely  engaged  in  commerce.  On  the  22d  of 
July,  1798,  the  ship  Mentor,  belonging  to  him,  of  which 
John  Flagg  was  master,  arrived  in  a  short  passage  from 
Martinique,  where  the  yellow  fever  had  prevailed  to  a  great 
extent.  At  that  time  but  little  regard  was  paid  to  such 
quarantine  laws  as  stood  on  the  statute  book,  and  the  Men- 
tor came  up  immediately  to  the  wharf.  One  or  two  of  the 
crew  had  been  sick  on  the  passage,  but  having  recovered, 
no  precautions  were  taken,  as  in  later  days,  by  cleansing 
the  ship.  The  Mentor  was  fully  laden  with  sugar,  molasses 
and  coffee,  and  discharged  at  Sheafe's  wharf  in  the  rear  of  the 
store  now  occupied  by  Pickering  &  Tompson.  A  laborer 
assisting  in  discharging,  was  the  first  victim  of  that  fever, — ■ 
and  then  another  who  had  worked  on  board  was  taken  down 
with  the  like  symptoms.  The  owner  of  the  ship  was  still 
unwilling  to  believe  that  any  malignant  fever  was  brought 
by  the  vessel :  but  soon  the  'melancholy  fact  was  brought  di- 
rectly home  to  him  by  the  death  of  two  promising  sons — ■ 
Thomas  at  tlie  age  of  14,  and  Horatio  at  the  age  of  G,  and 
an  only  daughter  Sally  at  the  age  17  years.     The  existence 


194  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

of  the  malady  now  became  too  manifest.  The  selectmen 
sent  the  ship  off  and  had  her  properly  cleansed, — but  it  was 
too  late  to  stop  the  pestilence  which  now  began  to  spread 
with  fearful  rapidity  in  the  neighborhood.  The  north  part 
of  the  town  was  soon  depopulated.  Every  family  that 
could  conveniently  remove  left  for  other  places,  and  peo- 
ple from  the  country  abstained  from  visiting  the  town.  A 
strict  guard  was  kept  to  prevent  intercourse  below  the  in- 
fected district  and  other  parts  of  the  town.  The  fever  rag- 
ed principally  in  Green,  Russell  and  the  east  end  of  Deer 
streets,  and  from  Rindge's  wharf  down  Market  street  to  the 
house  next  south  of  late  Thomas  Sheafe's  mansion,  now 
occupied  by  Albert  A.  Payne.  At  that  time  the  widow  of 
Noah  Parker  kept  a  boarding  house  there.  The  victims  in 
this  house  were  her  daughter  Zerviah,  her  neice  Rebecca 
Noble,  and  William  Plummer,  a  merchant.  In  the  house  in 
Russell  street,  now  occupied  by  Joseph  Remick,  Mrs.  Han- 
nah Noble  and  two  daughters,  Eliza  and  Mary,  died — none 
could  be  found  to  bury  them,  and  the  brothers  of  the  girls 
were  compelled  to  bear  their  sisters  and  mother  to  their 
grave.  There  were  some  cases  elsewhere.  Dr.  William 
Cutter  was  dangerously  sick  with  the  fever,  on  Congress 
street.  In  two  months  ending  on  the  5th  of  October,  when 
the  frost  terminated  the  course  of  the  fever,  there  were  96 
cases,  of  which  55  proved  fatal.  In  the  same  time  there 
were  52  deaths  from  dysentery  and  other  diseases,  making 
over  a  hundred  deaths  in  two  months,  and  that  too  at  a  time 
when  our  population  was  only  about  G000,  and  a  large  num- 
ber of  inhabitants  had  fled  to  other  towns. 

Eleazer  Russell,  mentioned  in  the  47th  Ramble,  died  at 
the  time  of  this  fever  but  not  of  it.  He  was  said  to  be  so 
much  in  fear  of  the  fever  of  which  his  skter  died,  that  he 
refused  to  have  any  one  come  to  his  assistance,  and  died 
alone. 

The  sickness  was  not  confined  to  those  who  remained  in 


THE  YELLOW  FEVER  IN  PORTSMOUTH.        195 

Portsmouth.  Moses  Little,  Esq.  who  had  just  married  the 
widow  of  Humphrey  Fernald  of  this  town,  to  escape  the 
danger,  with  his  wife  and  her  only  son,  John  Fernald, 
a^ed  20,  went  to  Dover.  Mr.  L.  and  son  were  soon  attack- 
ed  at  the  same  time  and  died  at  Dover. 

Among  those  who  were  dangerously  attacked  but  recov- 
ered were  Robert  Rice,  Abel  Harris,  Nathaniel  Folsom, 
Thomas  Cutts,  and  many  otkers  with  whose  names  our 
readers  are  not  familiar. 

There  fell  in  that  season  many  who  sacrificed  their  lives 
in  devotion  to  the  sick — whose  good  deeds  yet  rest  in  the 
remembrance  of  our  older  citizens. 

None  or  few  were  seen  in  the  street  where  the  fever 
raged.  Nothing  was  heard  there  but  the  groans  of  the  sick 
and  the  awful  shrieks  of  the  dying.  If  persons  were  met, 
they  would  have  handkerchiefs  to  their  faces  wet  with  vin- 
egar or  camphor,  and  passing  with  hasty  steps.  There 
were  however  some  noble  hearted  men  and  women,  who, 
fearless  of  consequences,  stood  by  the  bedsides  of  the  sick 
and  dying,  to  wet  their  parched  lips ;  and  when  the  spirit 
was  about  quitting,  some  were  there  to  smooth  the  passage 
through  the  dark  valley.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Buckminister,  Col. 
George  Gains  who  at  that  time  was  selectman,  Mr.  Vaughan 
the  sexton,  were  among  those  who  were  ever  faithful  in 
their  duties.  Also  Dr.  A.  R.  Cutter,  and  Dr.  Bracket,  senior. 
These  men  stood  firm  through  the  whole  and  never  took 
any  fever.  In  consideration  of  the  devoted  service  of  Col. 
Gains,  the  town  made  him  a  present  of  $100. 

As  at  the  time  of  the  plague  in  London,  no  bells  were 
heard  at  funerals  ;  and  when  the  fever  abated,  the  tolling 
bell  was  hailed  as  a  signal  of  returning  health.  People 
were  hurried  to  their  graves  hastily.  No  procession  atten- 
ded. Soon  as  the  breath  left  the  body,  and  perhaps  some- 
times before,  it  was  immediately  put  in  a  tarred  sheet  and 
rough  box,  slid  from  a  chamber  window  to  a  cart  or  dray, 


10G  RAMBLES   ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

conveyed  to  the  north  cemetery  and  deposited  in  one 
common  grave  or  trench.  The  grave  of  no  friend  was 
afterwards  found.  Like  the  burial  of  Sir  John  Moore,  they 
were  hurried  off  "  at  dead  of  night,  by  the  lantern  dimly 
burning." 

Such  a  pestilence  had  never  before,  nor  has  since  visited 
our  town,  which  ranks  among  the  healthiest  in  the  Union. 


RAMBLE  CXIX. 

Old    Hiand    Proprietors— The    March    inarm  -  The    IPamily. 

The  possessions  of  ancestors  seem  to  be  made*  more 
sacred  by  the  length  of  time  they  have  been  held  in  a 
family.  The  path  which  a  parentage  of  three  or  four 
generations  has  passed  over,  becomes  endeared  by  the 
associations  which  are  spread  along  it.  This  fueling  has 
kept  no  small  amount  of  landed  estate  around  Portsmouth 
in  the  same .  families  which  took  the  original  grants  at  the 
first  settlement,  more  than  two  centuries  ago,  or  soon  after 
purchased  the  land.  Among  those  families  which  have 
kept  their  first  localities,  are  the  Odiorne,  Pickering, 
Seavey,  March,  Peirce,  Moses,  Whidden,  Langdon,  Dennett, 
Jackson,  Drake,  Johnson,  Berry,  "Weeks,  Haines,  Packer, 
Brackett,  Baud,  and  other  families  which  do  not  occur  to 
us  now,  whose  ancestors  of  the  same  name,  where  there 
has  been  a  line  of  male  descendants,  located  themselves 
two  centuries  ago  on  the  spot,  or  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  whore  their  descendants  now  reside.  Some  who  had 
located  in  Portsmouth  then,  by  a  change  of  town  lines 
have  had  their  farms  transferred  to  the  neighboring  towns. 

If  it  is  pleasant  to  those  who  thus  show  their  veneration 


OLD    LAND   PROPRIETORS.  197 

for  their  ancestors,  it  is  scarcely  less  so  to  those  who  in 
passing  along  can  point  to  the  localities  where  the  labors 
of  five  or  six  successive  generations  have  been  turning  the 
wild  forest  into  a  fertile  garden,  and  the  original  log  cabin 
into  a  palace.  There  are  various  localities  to  which  this 
remark  might  apply,  but  we  shall  in  this  Ramble  speak  more 
particularly  of  one,  which  is  prominent  in  the  eye  of  every 
traveller  who  passes  beyond  the  western  bounds  of  Ports- 
mouth. 

The  farm  now  owned  by  J.  Bartlett  Wiggin,  Esq.,  on  the 
Winicott  road  in  Stratham  has  never  been  out  of  his  own 
direct  family  since  it  was  first  granted  by  the  crown.  No 
deed  has  ever  been  made  or  given  of  said  farm,  but  it  has 
descended  from  father  to  son,  by  will,  to  its  present  owner, 
and  he  will  pass  it  down,  for  he  has  sons;  and  "  that  farm 
is  not  for  sale,"  if  for  no  other  reason,  because  the  owner 
does  not  wish,  nor  has  he  a  heart  or  occasion,  to  dispose 
of  it  out  of  the  family. 

On   the  south  (  side   of  the  road  in   Greenland,  near  the 
Portsmouth  line,  begins  the   farm  of  the  March  family,  of 
two  hundred  seventy-five  acres,  now  owned  by  the  Hon. 
Clement  March,  which  has  been  in  the  family  seven  gen- 
erations.    Its  extent  on  the  road  is  readily  defined  by  the 
handsomest  stone  wall  to  be  found  in  New  Hampshire.     It 
is  built  of  clouded  granite,  from  a  quarry  in  Raymond  be- 
longing to  Mr.  March,  the  foundation  sunk  eighteen  inches 
below  the    surface.      In   front    of  the  house    for   several 
hundred    feet,    the    wall    is    made    of    dimension    stone, 
every   block    beaded.      On  this   wall,   and   even  with  the 
ground  in  front  of  the  house,  is  an  open  iron  fence.     The 
house   of  Dr.  Clement  March  was  burnt   on   this   spot  in 
1812.      Its  place    was  soon  supplied  by  a  large  house   of 
three  stories,  which  was  consumed  by  fire  in  1826.      The 
present  house  was  soon  after  erected  on  the  spot.      Large 
additions   have  been  made  the  present  season,  under  the 


198  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

direction  of  a  distinguished  Newburyport  architect,  ren- 
dering the  mansion,  in  the  extent  of  its  accommodations, 
its  spaciousness,  its  elegant  furnishing,  its  rich  ornaments, 
a  residence  of  which  any  baron  might  be  proud.      The 
improvements,  however,  do  not  here  terminate.      In  the 
several  fires,  the  large  old  barn  on  the  east   of  the  house 
escaped  conflagration.     It  was  built  full  a  century  ago,  as 
its  oak  posts  testify.     Its  place  has  recently  been  supplied 
by  another  of  far  greater  extent,  and  finished  in  the  best 
style.     It  is  several  rods  south  of  the  mansion.     Another 
group  of  buildings  is  also  rising  up  several  rods  west  of 
the   barn — in  one,  stalls   with  iron  hay  racks  for  a  dozen 
horses  may  be  seen — another  is  the  carriage   house—and 
the  third,  resembling  the  first  story  of  an  octagon  pagoda, 
is  a  well  ventilated  corn  house.     The  air  circulates  through 
a  half  inch  opening  under  every  clapboard,  which  is  not 
apparent  without  examination.     The  grapery  is  near  the 
house.     For  the  use  of  the  mansion  and  the  out  buildings, 
water  is  being  brought  from  a  pond   nearly  half  a  mile 
distant,  and,  by  the  aid  of  hydraulic  rams  raised  to  the 
upper  story  of  the  buildings.      It  is  a  matter    of  doubt 
whether  the  beauty  of  the  scenery  from  the  house,  or  the 
richness  of  the  treat  to  those  who  travel  by,  is  most  grat- 
ifying. 

Passing  through  the  curved  avenue  from  the  door  to  the 
iron  gate  on  the  west,  and  crossing  the  road,  we  come  to 
another  iron  gate  which  opens  to  a  wide  tesselated  path, 
made  of  the  largest  sea  beach  stones,  of  variegated  colors, 
making  a  good  mosaic.  The  path  winds  up  a  slight  emi- 
nence, where  on  the  declivity  beyond  is  the  family  tomb, 
"Erected  by  Clement  March  in  1759,  and  repaired  by 
Charles  and  Clement  March  in  1859."  In  it  rest  the  remains 
of  the  family  for  a  century.  The  care  which  is  taken  of 
these  homes  of  the  departed  is  another  link  in  the  chain 
which  holds  the  affection  to  the  names  of  our  ancestors. 


THE   MARCH   FARM.  199 

And  here  we  will  take  occasion  to  trace  the  family  so  long- 
located  on  this  farm. 

This  farm  was  first  owned  and  occupied  by  John  Hall. 
The  date  of  his  grant  we  cannot  find,  but  as  the  road 
through  Great  Swamp  was  opened  in  1663,  it  is  probable 
he  occupied  it  about  that  time.  By  his  will,  dated  in  1677, 
in  the  reign  of  his  "  most  excellent  Majesty  Charles  of 
that  name  the  Second,  by  the  Grace  of  God,  of  France, 
Great  Britain  and  Ireland  King,  Defender  of  the  Faith,  &q., 
we  learn  that  Greenland  was  regarded  as  a  "  Township  of 
Dover." 

His  son  Joseph  Hall,  succeeded  him  as  proprietor.  He 
had  three  daughters.  One  of  them  became  the  wife  of 
Dr.  Clement  Jackson,  and  the  mother  of  the  celebrated  Dr. 
Hall  Jackson  ;  another  married  Joshua  Peirce,  and  was  the 
grandmother  of  the  late  distinguished  John  Peirce  of 
Portsmouth  ;  and  another  was  married  to  Israel  March,  who 
came  from  Massachusetts  somewhere  between  1690  and 
1700,  and  by  the  will  of  his  father-in-law  he  came  into  pos- 
session of  the  farm,  which  for  160  years  has  now  been  in 
the  same  family  name. 

Clement,  the  son  of  Israel  March,  born  in  1707,.  added 
largely  to  his  patrimonial  estate,  and  by  purchase  from  one 
of  the  original  assignees  of  Mason's  Patent  became  one  of 
the  largest  landed  proprietors  in  the  county  or  State.  He 
commanded  the  Horse  Guards  under  Gov.  Benning  Went- 
worth ;  by  whom  he  was  appointed  Aid,  and  also  Judge  of 
the  Court.  He  possessed  great  influence  in  his  vicinity, 
and  represented  the  town  of  Greenland  in  our  General 
Court  for  twenty  years  or  more.  We  recollect  of  hearing 
the  late  Capt.  McClintock  speak  of  being  present  when 
Col.  March,  in  brief  and  emphatic  phrase,  laid  down  his 
functions  as  Representative  :  "Fellow  citizens,"  said  he,  "  I 
have  served  you  to  the  best  of  my  ability  for  many  years  ; 
I  purpose  to  do  so  no  longer;  you  will  now  bring  in  your 


200  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

votes  for  my   son-in-law,  the  Major."     The  Major  was  ac- 
cordingly elected. 

His  son  Clement  succeeded  to  the  estate  in  Greenland. 
He  graduated  at  Harvard  University,  and  studied  medicine 
with  Dr.  A.  R.  Cutter,  of  Portsmouth.  He  married  Miss 
Lucy  Dudley  "Waiuwright,  a  ward  of  the  Hon.  George  Jaf- 
frey,  and  niece  of  his  wife — by  whom  he  had  six  sons  : 

Thomas,  who  died  in  Brooklyn  in  1850,  aged  71.  Charles, 
who  died  in  New  York  in  1855,  aged  74.  Clement,  who 
died  in  St.  Louis  in  1830,  aged  47.  Joseph  Waiuwright 
who  died  in  Greenland  in  1843,  aged  58.  Francis,  who  died 
in  New  York  in  1858,  aged  71.  John  Howard,  who  died 
in  Paris  in  1863,  aged  72. 

Dr.  March  gave  his  children  a  good  education.  All  the 
above  brothers  were  merchants.  Joseph  W.  (the  father  of 
the  present  owner)  although  doing  business  for  some  years 
in  Portsmouth,  remained  as  the  occupant  of  the  homestead, 
while  his  brothers  went  abroad  in  the  world,  acquired  a 
high  standing  as  merchants,  and  accumulated  much  wealth, 
The  youngest,  John  Howard,  was  for  over  forty  years  the 
American  Consul  at  Maderia.  He  was  the  last  deposited 
in  the  family  tomb. 

The  extensive,  and  highly  cultivated  farm  of  Col.  Joshua 
W.  Peirce,  adjoining  the  March  farm  and  extending  to  Great 
Bay,  is  made  up  in  part  of  the  paternal  property  descended 
from  his  ancestor  Hall.  The  original  Hall  house  was  on 
the  premises  of  Col  Peirce.  near  the  spot  where  the  sharp 
roofed  cottage  now  stands. 


INCENDIARY     SKETCHES.  201 


RAMBLE  CXX. 

Incendiary     [Sketches  —  Pilgrim.     Day— The      Gr-reat     Fire 
of  1813  —  The    Incendiary. 

Among  the  most  fearful  pests  of  society,  the  most  reck- 
less of  desperadoes — the  most  fiendish  in  human  form- 
may  be  classed  the  incendiary.  "While  there  is  a  certainty 
of  his  presence  shining  out  from  conflagrations  here  and 
there,  the  whole  community  are  in  disquietude,  each  fearing 
that  his  own  neighborhood  will  be  the  next  visited. 

There  is  a  monomania  pervading  the  incendiary,  which 
shuts  out  all  ideas  of  the  rights  and  safety  of  others.  The 
burning  building  and  the  excitements  of  a  fire  seem  the 
subject  of  the  highest  gratification.  There  are  others  who 
are  guilty  of  incendiarism  from  motives  of  malice. 

In  December,  1804,  the  i&cendiary  torch  was  applied  to 
several  buildings  in  Portsmouth.  On  the  8th,  to  a  large 
barn  belonging  to  Moses  Brewster,  at  the  Plains,  consum- 
ing fifteen  head  of  cattle  and  seventeen  tons  of  hay.  On 
the  10th,  a  barn  of  Samuel  Sherburne  at  the  Plains  with 
valuable  contents  was  consumed..  Eight  days  after,  another 
■of  Mr.  Sherburne's  barns,  with  fifteen  head  of  cattle,  thirty 
tons  of  hay,  etc.,  were  burned.  Efforts  also  were  made 
to  set  fire  to  a  building  near  Joseph  Chase's,  between  Pitt 
and  Buck  streets. 

Large  rewards  were  offered,  but  no  disclosure  was  made. 
.Sometime  after,  an  attempt  was  made  to  fire  the  barn  of 
Mr.  Perkins  Ayers,  who  occupied  the  house  now  of  A.  D. 
Gerrish  in  School  street,  opposite  the  School  House.  The 
incendiary  left  a  tin  pot  in  the  barn,  which  was  exhibited 
to  the  public  to  find  an  owmer.  It  was  recognized  by  Mr. 
Oliver  Briard,  who  occupied  the  house  No.  26  Hanover 
street,  near  the  burn.  Suspicion  rested  upon  the  girl  living 
there,  earned  Sukey  Nutter.  She  had  lived  with  Capt. 
14 


202  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

Joseph  Chase,  on  Pitt  street ;  and  while  attending  Elder 
Elias  Smith's  meetings,  in  which  she  exhibited  a  wonderful 
gift  in  prayer  and  exhortation,  was  guilty  of  bad  conduct 
out  of  meeting,  which  Capt.  Chase  told  her  he  would 
expose  to  the  brethren.  "  If  you  do,  I'll  burn  you  up," 
served  to  keep  the  Captain  quiet,  but  did  not  keep  her  long- 
on  his  premises.  It  was  also  found  that  she  lived  at  Mr. 
Sherburne's,  at  the  Plains,  when  the  barns  were  burnt. 

Such  strong  circumstances  led  to  her  arrest ;  but 
Sukey  being  a  girl  of  great  beauty,  her  facinating  ap- 
pearance saved  her  from  the  stern  clutches  of  the  law. 
Although  one  of  the  investigating  committee  declared  that 
he  would  never  agree  to  a  verdict  of  acquittal,  he  gave 
way  on  condition  that  she  should  leave  Portsmouth  never 
to  return.  Sukey  went  at  once  to  a  town  in  the  upper 
part  of  Strafford  County,  found  a  husband  in  one  Charles 
Stewart,  (by  some  called  Ham,)  who  had  been  arrested  for 
firing  a  barn  of  Nathaniel  Adams  in  1805.  Of  their  after 
life  we  know  nothing,  but  probably  they  became  better 
persons  than  hanging  would  have  made  them.  Whether 
the  political  party  bearing  the  name  of  "Barnburners" 
descended  from  them,  history  does  not  say. 

The  22d  of  December  is  the  anniversary  of  an  event  of 
much  national  importance,  and  is  also  the  anniversary  of  a 
local  calamity  of  a  deeply  appalling  character. 

This  day,  in  1620,  our  Pilgrim  fathers  landed  at  Plymouth, 
and  laid  the  basis  of  those  institutions  which  have  made 
New  England  what  she  now  is — the  abode  of  freedom, — 
freedom  of  conscience, — freedom  from  political  tyranny,— 
and  freedom  from  hereditary  titles  and  power.  On  the 
rich  blessings  we  enjoy  from  the  stern  devotion  of  our 
honored  ancestors,  we  will  leave  the  reader  to  meditate-, 
for  this  is  not  our  present  purpose. 

On  the  22d  December,  1813,  Portsmouth  suffered  a  ca- 
lamity the  effects  of  which  it  took  many  years,  to  hide  from 


THE   GREAT   FIRE   IN   PORTSMOUTH.  203 

sight.  With  the  "  panoramic  view  of  the  burning  of 
Moscow,"  most  of  our  readers  are  familiar.  The  com- 
mencement of  the  fire  in  that  panorama,  and  its  gradual 
extension  until  one  half  the  horizon  presented  one  contin- 
uous flame,  gives  an  idea  of  a  Portsmouth  night  scene 
in  1813. 

About  half  past  seven,  on  that  evening,  flames  were  seen 
bursting  forth  from  the  barn  of  Mrs.  Woodward,  on  the  cor- 
ner of  Church  and  Court  streets,  where  the  Stone  Church 
now  stands.  By  the  brightness  of  the  light  the  citizens 
were  soon  collected,  but  all  their  exertions  were  ineffectual 
to  subdue  the  fire,  which  before  eight  o'clock,  had  so  spread 
over  every  part  of  the  house  of  Hon.  Daniel  Webster  and 
Thomas  Haven  in  Pleasant  street,  between  Court  street  and 
State  street,  and  to  the  house  of  Mrs.  Woodward,  at  the 
corner  of  State  street  and  Church  street,  that  it  was  with 
difficulty  any  part  of  the  property  was  preserved.  From 
the  violence  of  the  wind  and  flames,  immense  flakes  were 
driven  through  the  air  to  a  great  distance,  and  fell  in  show- 
ers upon  the  roofs  in  the  direction  of  the  wind.  The  next 
building  that  took  fire  was  Mr.  Yeaton's  barn  at  the  corner 
of  Chapel  street  and  State  street,  which  was  distant  from 
Mrs.  Woodward's  barn  fifty-six  rods,  about  one-sixth  of  a 
mile.  The  fire  soon  spread  from  Yeaton's  barn,  passing- 
over  thirteen  rods  and  caught  the  house  occupied  by  D. 
Humphreys/at  the  corner  of  Mulberry  and  Daniel  streets. 
This  happened  about  half  past  eight.  The  flames  then  took 
the  shop  of  Miss  Wentworth,  the  Union  Bank  and  the  store 
at  the  corner  of  State  and  Pleasant  streets.  These  were 
scarcely  on  fire  at  half  past  nine  o'clock,  when  the  shop  of 
Mr.  Moses  the  tailor,  at  the  corner  of  Penhallow  and 
State  streets,  the  house  occupied  by  Mr.  Wyatt  in  State 
street  opposite  Mr.  Moses  the  tailor,  the  house  of  the 
widow  Edwards  in  State  street  near  the  corner  of  Chapel 
street,  and  several  houses  on  the  opposite  side  of  it,  and 


204  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

the  bouse  at  the  corner  of  Daniel  and  Chapel  streets,  were 
all  blazing  upon  the  roofs.  By  eleven  o'clock  almost  every 
house  in  State  street  and  on  the  south  side  of  Daniel  street 
was  in  flames.  The  house  of  Jacob  Sheafe,  Esq.,  in  State 
near  Penhallow  street,  was  now  the  only  building  in  State 
street,  east  of  where  the  fire  commenced,  for  the  whole 
extent  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  that  was  not  burning.  This 
however  was  wrapped  by  a  tempest  of  fire  from  the  sur- 
rounding  houses,  but  was  defended  to  the  last  extremity  by 
the  persevering  energy  of  some  generous  souls — among' 
them  Commodore  Hull  and  Captain  Smith  of  the  Frigate 
Congress,  and  other  officers  from  the  Navy  Yard,  who  were 
enjoying  that  evening  the  hospitality  of  the  Navy  Agent, 
and  on  the  top  of  the  house  they  fought  the  fire  as  though 
it  were  the  declared  enemy  of  their  country.  But  the  fire 
insidiously  entered  some  inner  apartment  and  this  building- 
shared  in  the  fate  of  its  neighbors.  The  destruction  of 
the  whole  town  nowseemed  inevitable.  Despair  was  upon 
every  face,  and  each  individual  seemed  to  feel  grateful  for 
his  personal  safety.  A  few  persons  entertained  some  faint 
hopes  that  the  fire-proof  stores  in  Water  street,  between 
State  and  Court  streets  would  have  been  safe  themselves, 
and  would  have  served  as  a. barrier  against  the  fire.  But 
the  heat  was  so  intense  that  it  burnt  through  the  walls,  and 
the  composition  roofs  of  tar  and  gravel  melted  like  ice 
before  the  fury  of  the  burning  flakes. 

The  fire  acknowledged  no  other  barrier  than  the  shores 
of  the  Piscataqua.  It  was  not  until  five  o'clock  of  the 
morning  of  the  23d  that  it  ceased  its  ravages.  That  morn- 
ing presented  in  the  midst  of  our  city  fifteen  acres  of  ruins, 
studded  over  by  hundreds  of  chimneys.,  tottering  walls  and 
charred  stumps  of  fruit  and  ornamental  trees.  There  had 
disappeared  in  one  short  night  108  dwelling  houses  (occu- 
pied by  130  families,)  G4:  stores  and  shops,  and  100  barns, 
&c.}  making  in  the  whole  272  buildings.     From  west  to  east 


THE    GREAT   FIRE   IN    PORTSMOUTH.  205 

the  fire  extended  one  third  of  a  mile,  and  from  north  to 
south,  the  width  of  the  ruins  in  the  widest  part  was  an 
eighth  of  a  mile. 

So  rapid  was  the  progress  of  the  fire,  that  nothing  was 
saved  from  cellars.  Few  people  had  time  to  go  into  their 
upper  chambers,  and  a  vast  amount  of  property  which  had 
been  removed  from  houses  to  what  were  regarded  places 
of  safety,  was  overtaken  by  the  flame  and  consumed. 

On  the  dreadful  night  of  the  fire  numerous  and  painful 
were  the  sensations  experienced.  Many  were  apprehend- 
ing the  entire  loss  of  their  property,  impoverishment  of 
their  friends,  the  blasting  of  their  fairest  hopes,  the  de- 
struction of  some  valuable  acquaintance  and  the  ruin  of  the 
town.  They  saw  the  widow,  deprived  of  her  house  and 
everything  it  contained,  wringing  her  hands  in  agony, — 
they  saw  the  "aged  man  and  bowed  down"  supporting 
himself  on  his  staff  and  crawling  to  some  place  of  safety, — 
they  saw  the  aged  and  diseased  mother  borne  in  a  chair  by 
the  arms  of  an  affectionate  son, — they  saw  the  child  ema- 
ciated by  a  lingering  disorder,  snatched  from  the  couch  of 
maternal  tenderness  to  encounter  the  piercing  wind  of 
night;  and  the  victim  of  distraction  borne  from  confine- 
ment  to  find  a  refuge  from  death.  The  mighty  roaring  of 
the  wind  and  flames,  the  awful  crash  of  the  buildings,  and 
the  shrieks  of  distress,  almost  drove  some  to  distraction. 

None  however  could  fail  to  be  struck  with  the  sublimity 
of  the  prospect  as  viewed  from  the  tops  of  the  buildings . 
The  fire  seemed  a  torrent  of  desolation  rushing  through 
the  midst  of  the  town,  anil  with  humility  they  saw  its 
destructive  energies  mocking  the  impotence  of  man.  Not 
only  this  place,  but  the  whoie  adjacent  country  was  illumi- 
nated with  a  crimson  splendor.  The  deep  and  majestic 
river,  awfully  reflected  the  blazing  deluge  of  ruin,  and  con- 
tributed greatly  to  heighten  the  grandeur  of  the  scene. 

The  atmosphere  wa3  remarkably  clear   on  the  night  of 


206  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

the  fire,  which  could  consequently  be  seen  at  an  immense 
distance.  It  was  seen  at  Boston  and  was  supposed  to  be 
in  Charlestown.  In  Ipswich  and  Gloucester,  thirty-five 
miles  distant,  books  could  be  read  in  the  streets.  It  was 
seen  at  Providence,  about  one  hundred  miles  from  us  in  a 
southwesterly  direction.  It  was  seen  in  a  town  ten  miles 
beyond  Windsor  in  Vermont,  about  one  hundred  miles  from 
us  in  a  northwesterly  direction,  and  was  supposed  to  be 
in  Windsor.  The  persons  who  saw  it  mounted  their  horses 
and  went  to  Windsor  expecting  to  be  of  use  to  people 
suffering  there  from  fire.  It  was  so  light  in  Berwick, 
fifteen  miles  from  us,  they  could  discern  a  pin  in  the 
streets  ;  and  in  Dover,  ten  miles  from  us,  it  was  so  light 
they  could  read. 

A  large  number  of  persons  arrived  from  Newbury  port  in 
season  to  be  useful  at  the  fire,  and  at  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning  forty  men  arrived  from  Salem,  having  come  forty- 
three  miles  in  six  hours,  and  were  in  season  to  afford  effi- 
cient aid.  Eighty  men  from  Newburyport  remained  over 
the  second  night,  to  complete  their  work  of  philanthrophy 
in  watching  the  ruins. 

In  those  days  but  few  persons  had  insurance  upon  prop- 
erty, so  that  the  loss  of  nearly  $300,000  was  severely  felt 
by  our  citizens.  To  a  call  by  the  Selectmen  for  donations, 
there  was  a  noble  response,  not  only  from  neighboring- 
towns,  but  also  from  some  as  distant  as  the  city  of  broth- 
erly love.  Philadelphia  sent  a  donation  of  $13,291,  New 
York  $4,055,  Boston  over  $20,000,  Portland  $1,421,  Provi- 
dence $2,750,  Newburyport  $1,858,  and  from  a  hundred 
other  towns,  in  the  aggregate  making  up  $77,273,  or  about 
25  per  cent,  of  the  whole  loss.  This  sum  was  as  equally 
divided  as  the  circumstances  would  permit. 

For  more  than  forty  years  the  public  were  left  without  a 
kowledge  of  the  cause  of  that  desolating  fire.  It  now 
appears  that  a  girl  who  bore  the  name  of  Col  bath  had  been 


THE     INCENDIARY.  207 

a  domestic  at  the  house  of  Mrs.  Woodward,  and  had  taken 
offence  because  Mrs  W.  had  taken  from  her  some  bottles 
of  wine  which  a  gentleman  boarder  at  the  house  had  given 
her.  She  left  the  house  and  procured  a  place  in  the  kitchen 
of  Mr.  John  Gains,  then  occupying  the  house  where  Mayor 
Simes  now  resides.  She  there  told  her  story,  and  made  an 
avowal  of  revenge — "  I'll  burn  her  out."  She  was  remon- 
strated with  in  vain.  With  a  threat  of  vengeance  upon 
her  lips  she  left  Mr.  G.'s  ho  Use  early  in  the  evening  of  the 
22d  of  December,  and  in  the  course  of  an  hour  there  was 
an  alarm — "Woodward's  barn  is  on  fire  !"  She  never  again 
returned  to  Mr.  G.'s  but  sent  a  messenger  for  her  clothes 
the  next  day.  The  fear  of  experiencing  a  like  revengeful, 
fiendish  act,  led  the  family  to  keep  the  matter  to  them' 
selves, — and  it  was  not  until  her  death,  many  years  after, 
that  the  facts  were  made  known.  This  Colbath  led  a  dis- 
solute life,  and  become  an  inmate  of  our  almshouse. 

It  is  our  intent  in  a  number  of  Rambles,  to  reconstruct, 
as  well  as  the  materials  will  permit,  that  portion  of  Ports- 
mouth as  it  was  before  that  fire,  and  introduce  to  the  stage 
of  life  some  of  the  men  who  might  have  been  seen  in  that 
part  of  our  city  half  a  century  ago. 


■  >■  ■  — 


Ramble  cxxi. 

Central  I?ort.«l:n.outh  previous  to  the  Great  Fire— Ports- 
mouth IPier— Ne-w-JHEaxripsliire  Hotel— Jacob  Sheafe's- 
Daniel      Webster's  —  North,     side      of     Buch      St.  —  The 

Haunted    House. 

Before  the  conflagration  of  1813,  the  principal  business 
mart  of  Portsmouth  was  State  (then  Buck)  street.  At  its 
eastern  termination  was  the  Portsmouth  Pier;  near  it  was 


208  RAMBLES  ABOUT  PORTSMOUTH. 

the  New  Hampshire  Hotel ;  in  this  street  the  Post  Office 
was  located  for  many  years,  and  also  the  Custom  House. 
Here  too  was  the  public  grammar  school  of  the  town.  The 
street  Avas  very  narrow  and  irregular,  not  averaging  much 
more  than  half  its  present  width  of  sixty  feet.  Between 
Washington  and  Atkinson  streets  it  was  only  about  twenty 
five  feet  wide — comparing  well  with  H unking  street  of  the 
present  day.  On  the  north  side  of  the  street,  outside  of 
the  side-walk,  in  front  of  the  Episcopal  chapel,  can  now  be 
seen  the  stone  covering  of  a  well.  This  well  was  in  the 
front  yard  of  Abraham  Isaac's  house  before  the  fire. 
Measuring  the  same  distance  from  the  opposite  side  of  the 
street  so  as  to  reduce  the  width  just  one-half,  will  give  an 
idea  of  State  street  before  the  fire. 

This  street  was  the  first  to  be  furnished  with  paved  side- 
walk.-, and  here  was  the  place  of  promenade  of  the  elite  of 
the  town.  There  were  continual  arrivals  at  the  Pier,,  of 
ships,  brigs  and  schooners ;  and  through  this  street  there 
were  more  goods  transported  than  through  any  other  in 
Portsmouth.  Then  the  commerce  of  our  merchants  was 
extended  to  Europe,  South  America  and  the  East  and  West 
Indies.  We  find  that  in  1800,  no  less  than  twenty-eight 
ships,  forty-seven  brigs,  ten  schooners  and  one  bark  were 
employed  on  foreign  voyages,  belonging  to  Portsmouth. 
Seventeen  of  these  vessels  were  built  here  in  the  year 
1800.     Twenty  coasting  vessels  were  also  employed. 

The  Portsmouth  Tier  in  those  days  was  a  corporation  of 
some  magnitude.  The  company  was  chartered  in  119<>. 
They  constructed  the  Pier  or  wharf  which  still  bears  the 
name,  3-10  feet  in  length  and  averaging  sixty  feet  in  breadth. 
On  the  south  side  of  it  they  built  an  edifice  which 
was  lot  at  that  day  equalled  by  anything  in  New  England, 
no;  excepting  the  warehouses  of  Boston  of  that  da}'.  It 
was  three  hundred  and  twenty  feet  in  length  and  thirty  feet 
in  breadth — three  stories  high.     It  was  divided  into  four- 


PORTSMOUTH   PIER.  209 

teen  stores.  On  the  north  side  of  the  Pier  was  another 
building  of  the  same  height,  divided  into  two  stores.  The 
site  of  the  latter  is  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Hall  Varrell's 
coopery. 

The  occupants  of  the  large  Pier  building  were,  first  on 
the  east  end,  Thomas  Manning,  then  Daniel  Huntress, 
Aaron  Lakeman,  John  McClintock,  Elisha  Lowe,  James 
Shapley,  Theodore  Chase,  Clement  Storer,  Clement  Jack- 
son, Martin  Parry,  Elijah  Hall,  George  Long  and  William 
and  Joseph  Chase.  In  the  third  story  was  Joseph  Walker's 
sail  loft.  Benjamin  Holmes  and  others  occupied  the  other 
Pier  building  for  counting  rooms  and  storage. 

These  stores  at  the  time  of  the  fire  were  full  of  merchan- 
dise— such  as  liquors,  molasses,  sugar,  salt,  coffee,  and  one 
store  was  filled  with  yellow  ochre,  much  used  for  painting 
in  those  days. 

On  the  west  of  the  Pier  edifice  and  nearly  adjoining  it, 
on  the  north  corner  of  Water  street,  was  the  A'eio  Hamp- 
shire Hotel,  a  large  brick  building,  where  ship  masters, 
mates  and  the  public  generally,  found  accommodations.  In 
this  hotel  the  celebrated  ventriloquist  Potter,  whose  fame 
was  world-wide  in  his  day,  was  in  his  early  life  a  servant. 
This  hotel  as  well  as  the  site  of  the  Pier  wharf,  was  for- 
merly the  property  of  the  Sherburne  family — Capt.  Benja- 
min Sherburne  occupied  the  hotel  about  seventy  years 
ago,  and  it  was  disposed  of  by  him  to  the  Pier  Company. 
The  last  landlord  of  the  hotel  was  Mr.  Geddis. 

Water  street  before  the  fire  varied  in  width  from  twenty- 
two  to  thirty  feet.  Daniel  street,  from  Penhallow  street 
east,  was  about  thirty-five  feet  wide.  There  was  a  front 
yard  to  the  mansion  of  Elijah  Hall— and  the  building  oppo- 
site set  out  five  feet  into  the  present  street  line. 

State  street  being  so  narrow,  and  very  compactly  filled 
with  wooden  buildings,  the  fire  extended  through  it  with 
irresistible  fury.     The  Humes  from  both  sides  of  the  street 


210  RAMBLES   ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

uniting  in  a  grand  but  terrific  arch  over  the  centre.  How 
powerless  then  was  the  feeble  force  of  the  only  three  small 
engines  owned  by  the  town ;  and  how  hard  to  collect  a 
company  at  any  point,  when  almost  every  one  thought  his 
own  premises  in  danger.  On,  on  it  swept,  and  its  vora- 
cious appetite  not  only  took  in  all  of  the  edifices  that 
were  combustible,  but  much  of  smaller  matters  that  had 
been  treasured  up  as  invaluable.  Prized  heirlooms  were 
burned  to  ashes  ;  valued  paintings  gave  their  oil  and  color- 
ing to  feed  the  flames ;  treasured  manuscripts,  souvenirs, 
books,  jewels,  all  disappeared  ;  and  those  carefully  hidden 
bank  notes,  or  coins,  laid  up  in  some  hidden  crevice  for  a 
rainy  day,  it  is  vain  to  seek  for  among  the  ruins. 

The  Hon.  Daniel  Webster  lived  in  a  house  on  the  corner 
of  Court  and  Pleasant  streets.  It  was  built  by  Oliver 
Whipple,  about  the  time  and  in  the  same  style  of  the  house 
of  the  late  John  K.  Pickering.  Mr.  Webster  was  enjo}Ting 
the  festivities  of  an  entertainment  at  Jacob  Sheafe's,  whose 
house  was  on  State  street,  near  the  east  corner  of  Penhal- 
low  street.  The  house  was  large,  of  two  stories,  with 
gambrel  roof;  the  capacious  yard  on  the  east  paved  with 
flat  stones.  When  the  cry  of  fire  was  raised,  Mr.  Sheafe 
turned  out  a  fresh  supply  of  his  wine,  and  with  "  we  will 
take  a  parting  glass,  Mr.  Webster,"  the  action  was  suited 
to  the  word ;  and  Mr.  W.  Went  home  to  see  his  house 
already  on  fire.  Not  much  time  intervened  before  Mr. 
Sheafe  found  his  own  house  surrounded  by  burning  build- 
ings. The  efforts  of  his  company,  aided  by  recruits  from 
the  Navy  Yard,  for  some  time  kept  his  premises  a  dark 
spot  amid  the  flames.  The  next  morning,  in  writing  to  a 
friend  in  Boston  an  account  of  the  fire,  with  characteristic 
brevity  lie  said,  "  I  have  lost  about  $50,000  and  my  faithful 
dog  Trim."  Notwithstanding  his  great  loss,  he  headed  a 
subscription  for  the  sufferers  by  a  liberal  sum. 

It  is  worthy  of  note,  that  no  lives  were  recorded  as  lost 


NORTH   SIDE    OF   BUCK   STREET.  211 

of  more  value  than  Trim's.  By  a  remarkable  providence, 
no  person  suffered  severe  personal  injury  except  our  late 
fellow  citizen  John  Smith,  who  exhibited  in  his  walk  ever 
afterwards  the  evidence  of  the  breaking  of  one  of  his 
limbs  on  that  occasion. 

As  in  opening  the  ruins  of  Herculaneum,  not  only  the 
remains  of  edifices  but  also  the  little  details  of  the  furni- 
ture discovered  are  regarded  with  interest,  so  may  some 
of  the  details  of  life,  which  a  half  a  century  ago  would 
have  passed  as  scarcely  worthy  of  comment,  now  be 
brought  out  as  characteristics  or  marks  of  a  former  age. 

We  have  already  spoken  of  the  extent  of  the  ravages  of 
the  great  fire  of  1813,  and  described  some  of  the  buildings 
destroyed.  We  will  now  begin  at  the  river  on  the  north 
side  of  State  street.  Before  the  Pier  wharf  was  built,  more 
than  sixty  years  ago,  the  cap-sill  of  Sherburne's  wharf  on 
that  site  was  nearly  on  a  line  with  the  east  end  of  where 
Mr.  Hall  VarrePs  cooper's  shop  now  stands.  Within  a  few 
feet  of  the  wharf  was  a  carved  statue  of  a  man,  with  ex- 
tended arm,  and  from  his  forefinger  a  stream  of  water  was 
continually  issuing.  This  was  a  f  tnciful  vent  of  the  Ports- 
mouth Aqueduct,  which  had  recently  brought  the  water 
from  a  fountain  two  and  a  half  mile.;  distant. 

On  the  northwesterly  side  of  the  street,  there  was  a  two 
story  store  extending  from  the  river  to  a  narrow  ^passage- 
way for  teams  to  Langdon's  wharf.  The  easterly  end  was 
occupied  sixty  years  sgo  by  Capt.  Elisha  Lowe  as  a  grocery 
store,  and  the  westerly  end  was  improved  for  the  storage 
of  heavy  imported  goods. 

Next  west  of  the  passageway  stood  a  two  story  store 
with  the  end  to  the  street,  which  at  one  time  was  occupied 
by  Abel  Harris,  for  cleaning  flax  seed,  of  which  he  shipped 
several  cargoes  to  Europe.  It  was  afterwards  occupied  as 
a  wholesale  crockery  ware  store  by  Zebulon  Robinson. 

West  of  this  store  was  a  small  two-story  house  occupied 


212  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

as  a  dwelling  by  Mr.  John  D.  Seaward.      In  the  westerly 
end  of  this  house  he  worked  at  shoemaking. 

The  next  was  a  long  one-story  building  which  served  Mr. 
Sam'l  Sherive  for  a  painter's  and  glazier's  shop  and  dwelling- 
house  for  his  family,  consisting  of  himself,  wife  and  twenty- 
two  children  which  she  bore  him,  only  a  part  of  whom 
survived  their  parents.  One  of  the  daughters  (Phebe)  was 
married  to  "  Stephen  Delande,  who  makes  sugar  candy," 
by  which  cognomen,  being  a  confectioner,  he  usually  intro- 
duced himself  and  his  business  to  strangers.  Mr.  Sherive's 
house  was  bounded  westerly  by  a  narrow  passage  way, 
directly  opposite  Water  street,  leading  to  a  small  dwelling 
house  of  Mr.  Joseph  Stoodley*.  The  intervening  lots  from 
the  passage  way  leading  to  Langdon's  wharf  were  after- 
Avards  built  upon  by  Nathaniel  W.  Fernald,  William  Varrell 
and  others. 

On  the  lot  next  to  the  passageway  leading  to  Mr,  Stood- 
ley's  house,  Mr.  George  Nutter,  house  carpenter,  erected  a 
two-story  double  dwelling  house,  in  the  northeasterly 
corner  of  which  he  sold  groceries,  <v/c. 

Next,  on  the  spot  where  Christian  Johnson  now  resides, 
was  a  large  double  two-story  dwelling  house,  occupied  for 
some  years  by  John  Samuel  Sherburne,  attorney  at  law, 
who  subsequently  held  the  offices  of  District  Attorney  and 
Judge  of  the  District  Court.  This  house,  after  Judge 
Sherburne  vacated  it  for  his  residence  next  west  of  the 
Court  house,  was  deemed  by  the  superstitious  to  be  haunted 
by  evil  spirits  and  the  rendezvous  of  witches  and  wizzards 
who  were  supposed  occasionally  to  infest  the  town  and 
dwelling  houses  which  happened  to  be  vacant.  The  super- 
stitious were  therefore  very  careful  about  passing  such 
houses  by  night,  especially  in  dark  and  stormy  weather, 
when,  as  many  believed  in  those  days,  the  witches  would 
sally  out  from  the  house  and  if  successful  in  casting  a 
horse's    bridle   over  the  head  of  any    person   passing  by 


THE   HAUNTED   HOUSE.  213 

would  immediately  transform  the  victim  into  a  horse,  and 
after  having  him  shod  with  iron  shoes,  would  ride  the 
.animal  till  it  became  tired,  and  just  before  daylight  would 
turn  it  loose  in  the  street.  The  persons  thus  afflicted  would 
the  next  day  find  prints  of  the  horse  nails  on  their  hands 
and  on  their  feet,  and  marks  of  the  bridle  bits  on  the  sides 
of  their  mouths.  Such  was  the  story  told  and  believed  by 
the  superstitious,  by  which  relations  many  children,  as  well 
as  some  of  riper  years,  were  greatly  frightened.  Strange 
noises  in  the  night  time  would  be  heard  in  this  house,  and 
•so  many  voices  intermingling  on— siormy  nights  as  to  re- 
semble more  the  abode  of  demons  than  those  of  human 
beings.  On  such  occasions,  it  was  said,  lights  would  be 
seen  passing  quickly  from  chamber  to  chamber,  while  the 
witches  and  evil  spirits  were  carousing  below.  These 
scenes  generally  were  represented  as  taking  place  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  night. 

With  such  superstitious  belief,  a  story  obtained  credit,  of 
a  man  who  had  been  absent  from  his  home  one  night  till 
nearly  daylight  the  next  morning,  occasioning  his  family 
great  anxiety  and  distress.  He  had  been  spending  the 
evening  with  one  of  his  neighbors,  and  as  the  family  sup- 
posed had  gone  directly  home  on  leaving  their  house.  It 
was  a  stormy  night.  On  his  return  to  his  home  next 
morning  he  thus  accounted  for  his  absence.  He  said  the 
moment  he  had  bid  his  neighbor  good  night  at  his  door,  he 
saw  a  woman  walking  before  him  with  a  lighted  lantern  at 
her  side.  He  had  nearly  overtaken  her,  when  she  disap- 
peared, but  the  light  still  moved  on  before  him  and  he  was 
powerless  to  turn  from  it,  and  before  morning  was  led  by 
it  into  an  alder  swamp  near  the  Pound,  worried  and  greatly 
fatigued.  It  at  last  occurred  to  him  that  the  woman  who 
had  preceded  him  with  the  light  was  a  witch,  and  that  if  he 
could  turn  any  one  of  his  garments  he  had  on  inside  out, 
he  would  get  rid  of  her  influence.     So  after  great  exertion 


214  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

he  succeeded  in  getting  bis  coat  off,and,  turning  the  sleeves, 
put  it  on  again,  when  the  light  immediately  disappeared  and 
he  succeeded  in  getting  out  of  the  swamp  into  South  road, 
near  the  place  where  Dow  was  executed,  and  so  found  his 
way  home. 

The  impressions  which  the  story  made  upon  the  minds  of 
the  superstitious  were  of  course  confirmatory  of  their  belief 
in  witchcraft.  Others,  however,  who  were  in  the  secret 
that  the  bewitched  man  had  spent  most  of  the  night  in  a 
gambling  establishment,  had  as  strong  belief  in  evil  spirits, 
but  in  a  different  mode  of  manifestation. 

The  premises  of  the  Judge  however,  were  entirely  ex- 
empt from  the  annoyances  of  those  evil  spirits  when  it 
afterward  became  occupied  by  the  intrepid  Captain  Thomas 
Bell  Stevens,  if  not  before  that  time,  as  also  from  the 
trouble  occupants  were  subjected  to  by  the  frequent  spirit 
knocking  at  the  front  door  by  night,  which  unseen  hands 
occasioned  by  means  of  a  line  attached  to  the  heavy  knocker 
on  the  door  and  passing  over  the  house  to  Daniel  street— 
the  weaker  portion  of  the  line  being  attached  to  the  knocker 
would  break  upon  a  sudden  jerk,  when  there  was  danger 
of  detection,  and  so  elude  discovery. 

Such  freaks  of  the  boys  of  that  day  gave  a  name  to  "  The 
Haunted  House"  which  was  retained  long  after  all  the 
natural  causes  of  the  light  and  noises  were  satisfactorily 
developed,  and  until  it  was  swept  away  in  the  conflagration. 


RAMBLE  CXXII. 

Central    Portsmouth,    before    the    G-reat     JHire.  —  IN"ichola  s 
Rousselet  —  Tlie    Museum  —  Sailor    Anecdote,    &c. 

The  last  number  was  a  ramble  on  the  north  side  of  State 
street  from  the  water  to  where  the  Sherburne  house  stood 
half  a  century  ago. 


CENTRAL  PORTSMOUTH  BEFORE  THE  GREAT  FIRE.   215 

Next  "west  of  the  "  haunted  house  "  was  a  tavern  and 
seamen's  boarding  house,  kept  by  Benjamin  Chandler.  It 
was  an  old  affair,  of  two  stories,  with  an  ell  fronting  on  the 
street,  the  main  body  of  the  house  setting  some  fifteen  feet 
back.  A  mill  stone  with  a  hole  in  the  centre,  was  used  for 
a  door  step. 

On  the  southeast  corner  of  Mulberry  and  State  streets 
was  a  small  two-story  building  occupied  by  Joseph  Jackson. 

Next  west,  on  the  opposite  corner  of  Mulberry  street, 
was  a  large  two-story  dwelling  facing  on  State  street,  with 
a  store  adjoining  extending  on  Mulberry  street.  Sixty 
years  ago  they  were  the  property  of  Nicholas  Bousselet, 
who  came  to  this  town  from  Demerara  as  early  as  1787,  and 
married  Catharine  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Samuel  Moffatt, 
and  sister  of  the  wife  of  the  late  Dr.  N.  A.  Haven.  Mr. 
Rousselet  was  a  merchant,  and  a  gentlemen  of  some  taste 
for  the  curiosities  of  nature  and  art.  He  changed  the 
name  of  Mulberry  lane,  to  Demerara  street,  and  over  the 
store  he  built  on  that  street,  he  commenced  the  Portsmouth 
Museum,  where  he  displayed  all  the  curiosities  he  could 
gather, 

We  have  seen  a  schedule  of  the  leading  articles,  drawn 
up  by  him  in  January,  1800.  Among  them  were  two  en- 
gravings of  Winter  scenery,  two  of  Parker's  dog  Bank, 
two  of  Lord  Howe,  two  of  Cleopatra,  two  of  the  King  and 
Queen  of  France,  engravings  of  an  attack  by  a  Shark, 
group  of  Dogs,  six  Landscapes,  a  full  sized  Lady,  the 
Graces,  the  Distress,  and  painted  Flowers.  The  expense 
of  these  imported  from  London  was  $200.  He  also  names 
a  pair  of  Crystal  Chandeliers,  which  cost  $60,  and  a  "Ma- 
hogany Lady's  Cabinet,"  which  co.st$lG0.  Whether  it  had 
been  the  property  of  some  West  India  mahogany  lady,  the 
schedule  says  not.  This  valuable  Cabinet,  Ave  note  in 
another  place,  was  afterwards  transferred  to  his  brother-in- 
law,  Dr.  Haven.     A  picture  of  Mr.  Rousselet,  and  another 


21G  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

representing  his  being*  cast  away.  Six  representations  of 
Game.  There  was  a  collection  of  the  skins  of  Snakes  and 
Reptiles,  and  a  variety  of  animals.  A  desk  with  seven 
drawers  contained  insects  of  great  variety.  A  Crucifix  of 
Ambergris.  A  Sword  with  agate  handle.  A  trunk  of  cu- 
rious female  apparel.  A  Spy-glass,  and  an  Object  glass  with 
Pictures.  Among  the  books  in  the  Museum  were  52  vols, 
on  Natural  History,  with  illuminated  engravings,  and  about 
one  hundred  other  volumes. 

Nothing  was  added  to  the  Museum  after  the  proprietor 
left  for  Demerara  in  July,  1800,  Avhere  he  soon  after  died. 
He  had  a  daughter,  Lucy  A.  Rousselet,  who  accompanied 
him,  was  married  there,  but  did  not  survive  her  father  ten 
jears.  The  property  here  then  came  into  the  possession 
of  Dr.  N.  A-  Haven. 

The  following  document  shows  that  his  lady's  cabinet 
was  not  neglected  in  preparing  a  Museum  for  the  public 
eye: 

Inventory  of  Jewelry  in  hair  trunk,  taken  April  15,  1709,  after  the  decease  of 
my  wife.  with  the  assistance  of  mu8.  odiorne,  of  k.ittery,  b|3r  sister  : 

A  gold  Watch  with  a  gold  chain  and  a  gold  seal  ; 

A  Whistle,  small  etui,  and  5  otht-r  small  trinkets; 

A  gold  Watch,  sot  in  diamonds,  on  the  back  a  lady  holding  her  head  with  her  left  arm ; 

•2  red  trinkets,  set  in  gold; 

A  gold  Ring,  representing  a  lady  under  a  tree,  with  her  dog  sleeping ; 

1  wilh  two  diamonds  and  coroline  figure  ; 

1  with  small  diamonds;  1  with  coroliues; 

,r>  plain  gold  Wings; 

A  Bmall  Box  with  my  picture  and  gold  chain; 

A  Snuff- Box  with  silver  plate  marked  C.  E.  R.,  containing  a  gold  necklace  and  gold 
locket; 

A  Snuff- Box  as  slipper,  containing  a  gold  necklacoas  a  chain  with  gold  lock  —  weight 
5  oz.  ; 

A  pair  gold  Bracelets,  with  ivory  representations; 

A  silver  Snuff-Box,  marked  C.  E.  K.,  containing  a  pair  gold  bracelets  as  buckles,  with 
black  velvet  strings; 

A  gold  Breastpin  representing  Minerva  and  ship  at  sea; 

1  ditto  representing  a  woman  and  her  dog; 

A  Snuff  Kox  of  turtle-shed,  containing    a  pair  of  sleeve  buttons  and  a  pair  gold  earrings  ; 

A  Snuff- Box  and  glass  motto,  ■'  Look  within,"  containing  a  gold  necklace,  with  mother- 
of-pearl  circles; 

A  small  Box  and  motto,  containing  a  gold  necklace  for  a  child  ; 

A  gold  Tumbler  in  a  green  case  ; 

A  turtla  shell  Ktui,  nith  silver  knife,  scissors,  penknife,  and  a  silver  Bmelling  bottle  rep- 
resenting a  pear ; 

John  Haven  was  tenant  in  this  house  for  several  years, 
up  to  June,  1800,  when  he  removed  to  his  new  house,  built 
by  him  on  Islington  street,  now  occupied  by  George  W. 
Haven. 


SAILOR   ANECDOTE.  217 

The  store  connected  with  the  house  on  Mulberry  street 
under  the  Museum,  was  at  one  time  occupied  as  a  piece 
goods  store  by  Mr.  Timothy  Winn,  the  third,  from  Woburn, 
Mass.,  who  was  esteemed  a  very  estimable  citizen,  but  by 
some  persons  called  "  Three-penny  Winn,"  because  the 
inscription  on  his  sign  was  "  Timothy  Wixx,  3d."  He 
however  enjoyed  the  joke,  and  would  not  alter  the  sign. 

The  last  occupant  of  this  building  was  another  French- 
man named  Leonard  Serat,  a  tailor.  He  used  it  for  a  shop 
and  residence.  Over  his  door  was  an  oval  sign  represent- 
ing two  sailors  displaying  clothes,  with  a  ship  between 
them.  There  was  a  projecting  sign  with  his  name  and 
business — on  one  side  "  Taylor"  on  the  other  "  Tailor." 
When  asked  his  motive,  he  replied — "  If  I  have  not  spelt  it 
right  on  one  side,  it  certainly  will  be  on  the  other."  He 
used  to  say  he  could  spell  his  name  with  one  letter.  He 
might  be  seen  explaining  it,  by  placing  a  rat  on  the  side- 
walk, and  making  a  C  before  it.  He  would  say — "  Dere  is 
de  C  and  dere  is  de  rat — -and  if  dat  don't  spell  Serat,  what 
does  it  spell?"  Although  the  fire  cleared  away  the  prop- 
erty and  his  signs,  as  well  as  the  weather-beaten  "Museum" 
sign,  yet  the  old  gentleman  still  lives  in  Melrose,  Mass., 
works  at  his  trade,  and  takes  snuff  as  bountifully  as  he  did 
fifty  years  ago. 

There  is  one  little  story  illustrative  of  sailor  character, 
which  occurred  in  this  neighborhood.  A  sailor  once  called 
on  a  female  friend  in  the  tailor's  shop  of  Mr.  Nathaniel  Fer- 
nald  on  the  east,  and  chanced  to  break  the  eye  of  a  needle. 
He  made  inquiry  where  he  could  have  it  mended,  and  was 
pointed  over  the  way  to  the  blacksmith  shop  of  a  wag- 
named  George  Plaisted,  who  was  asked  if  he  could  do  the 
job.  Plaisted  looked  at  it,  pronounced  it  rather  difficult, 
but  thought  it  might  be  done  for  ten  cents.  So  he  sent 
George  Beck  to  the  next  shop  for  a  cent's  worth  of  needles, 
blued  the  eye  of  one  of  them  over  the  fire,  rubbed  it,  and 
15 


218  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

Landed  it  over  to  the  tar.  He  examined  it,  said  it  could 
not  Lave  been  done  better  in  England,  paid  the  price  and 
half  a  pint  of  rum  for  Lis  skill,  and  restored  tLe  needle  to  its 
owner.  TLe  little  story  Las  been  so  often  told,  we  think  it 
Las  enougL  of  interest  now  to  Lave  a  locality. 


RAMBLE  CXXIII. 

Central  Portsmouth,  before  the  G-reat  !Fire  —  Nicho- 
las Rousselet's  ("Courtship  —  The  eccentric  Josiah 
Shachford  —  His  "Unparalleled  3Teat  of  crossing  the 
.Atlantic    alone— The    founder    of  ^Portsmouth,    Ohio. 

In  tLe  expiring  light  of  the  old  Museum  the  reader  was 
left  in  our  last.  Let  us  stir  the  embers  a  little  to  throw 
some  light  -on  a  small  romantic  incident  in  tLe  life  of  its  old 
proprietor. 

Nicholas  Rousselet  was  a  man  of  good  exterior,  and  when 
dressed  in  the  official  consular  costume  which  he  wore  on 
public  days,  was  a  man  to  attract  attention.  Of  his  first 
acquaintance  with  Miss  Moffatt,  we  have  no  account,  but 
tradition  gives  the  story,  that  it  was  at  tLe  Episcopal 
CLurcL,  in  service  Lours,  tLat  tLe  most  importnnt  crisis  in 
their  courtship  transpired.  Sitting  with  her  in  her  father's 
pew,  Mr.  Rousselet  Landed  Miss  Catharine  tLe  Bible  in 
which  he  pencilled,  in  the  first  verse  of  the  second  epistle 
of  John,  "  Vnto  the  elect  lady  " — and  the  5th  verse  entire — 
"And  now  I  beseech  thee,  lady,  not  as  though  I  wrote  a 
new  commandment  unto  thee,  but  that  which  we  had  from 
the  beginning,  that  we  love  one  another."  Miss  Catharine, 
fully  comprehending  the  appeal,  turned  down  a  leaf  in  the 
first  chapter  of  Ruth,  beginning  in  verse  16th— "Whither 
thou  goest,  I  will  go  ;  and  where  thou  lodgest  I  will  lodge  j 


NICHOLAS   ROUSSELET'S   COURTSHIP.  219 

thy  people  shall  be  my  people,  and  thy  God  my  God. 
Where  thou  diest,  will  I  die,  and  there  will  I  be  buried : 
the  Lord  do  so  to  me,  and  more  also,  if  aught  but  death 
part  thee  and  me." 

The  Bible  with  folded  leaf  was  returned  to  him ;  and 
after  the  appeal  was  thus  silently  and  favorably  answered, 
the  happy  man  doubtless  "  kissed  the  book." 

After  marriage,  they  became  occupants  of  the  Atkinson 
mansion  recently  taken  down  on  Court  street,  the  residence 
where  Gov.  John  Wentworth  wedded  the  widow  Lady 
Frances,  in  ten  days  after  her  husband's  death.  The 
strange  sounds  which,  it  is  said,  troubled  Mr.  R.  while  resid- 
ing, there  must  rather  be  attributed  to  the  superstition  of 
the  times,  than  to  the  return  of  any  restless  spirit. 

While  in  the  vicinity  of  the  old  Museum,  we  will  pass  to 
another  two-story  residence,  of  some  historical  interest. 

Opposite  Mulberry  street  on  the  south  side  of  State 
street,  stood  the  mansion  house  of  Madame  Eleanor  Shack- 
ford,  built  by  her  father  Nathaniel  Mendum,  probably  as 
early  as  1700.  She  was  twice  married,  and  although  she 
lived  to  the  advanced  age  of  91  years,  she  died  in  the  same 
room  in  which  she  was  born,  and  never  lived  in  any  other 
house.  By  her  first  husband,  named  Marshall,  she  had  four 
daughters — one  of  them  was  grandmother  to  the  late  Col. 
John  N.  Sherburne.  Her  youngest  daughter,  Deborah, 
never  left  her.  They  kept  negro  slaves,  as  was  the  custom 
in  those  days.  The  names  of  the  three  were  Adam,  Marcer 
and  Bess.  Adam  lived  to  be  very  old,  and  one  day  while 
left  alone  he  fell  in  the  fire  and  was  burnt  to  death. 

After  Mr.  Marshall's  death,  the  widow  married  Josiah 
Shackford.  He  had  one  son  then  absent  at  sea,  Capt. 
Josiah  Shackford,  Jr.  When  he  returned  home,  he  sought 
the  residence  of  his  father.  He  met  Deborah  at  the  door. 
As  soon  as  he  saw  her  he  fell  desperately  in  love,  and  de- 
termined in  his  mind  to  make  her  his  wife  :    but  on  making 


220  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

a  declaration,  she  refused  him,  saying  she  had  no  heart  to 
bestow,  as  hers  was  engaged  to  another.  He  however 
persisted  in  his  suit,  declaring  she  was  the  one  who  was 
raised  up  before  him  by  an  astrologer  in  Europe,  and  he 
should  marry  her  or  nobody.  She  being  naturally  of  an 
amiable  and  condescending  disposition,  like  a  dutiful  child 
took  her  parents'  advice  and  married  him.  After  they  had 
been  married  several  years  he  wanted  her  to  remove  with 
him  to  New  York,  as  that  was  the  port  he  always  sailed 
from  and  returned  to,  but  she  refused  to  leave  her  aged 
mother. 

Without  making  known  to  her  his  intentions,  he  left 
his  wife  and  Portsmouth,  and  was  many  years  absent, 
making  no  communications  to  his  connections  here. 

In  the  "  Essex  Journal  and  New  Hampshire  Packet  "  of 
May  2,  1787,  we  find  the  following  announcement,  related 
by  a  gentleman  at  New  York,  "from  such  authority  as  puts 
the  truth  of  it  quite  out  of  dispute  :;; 

"  A  Mr.  Shackford,  sometime  since,  from  Piscataqua, 
having  the  misfortune  of  discontent  with  his  wife,  left  that 
place  for  Surinam.  On  his  arrival  there,  he  left  the  vessel 
he  first  sailed  in,  and  took  the  command  of  one  for  Europe. 
He  performed  his  voyage  and  gave  such  satisfaction  to  his 
owners,  that  the}7  gave  him  a  cutter-built  sloop  of  about  15 
tons.  With  her  he  returned  to  Surinam  alone,  after  a  pas- 
sage of  35  days.  When  he  arrived,  the  novelty  of  the  expe- 
dition excited  unusual  surprise,  so  far  as  to  induce  the 
government  to  take  notice  of  the  fact.  Suspicions  pre- 
vailed of  his  having  dealt  unfairly  by  the  people  who  were 
supposed  to  have  come  out  with  him.  But  he  produced 
his  papers  and  journal,  and  proved  his  integrity  so  far  to 
the  satisfaction  of  his  examiners,  that  they  permitted  him 
to  take  another  man  on  board  and  proceed  to  St.  Barthol- 
omews, where  he  arrived  in  safety,  and  now  follows  the 
coasting  business  from  that  Island." 

We  have  understood  that  the  place  in  Europe  which  he 
left  was  Bordeaux,  in  France.  The  vessel  appears  to  have 
been  a  personal  gift  to  him.     He  engaged  a  man  to  accom* 


THE   ECCENTRIC   JOSIAH   SHACEFORD.  221 

man  to  accompany  him,  wlio  becoming  fearful  when  he  put 
to  sea,  jumped  on  board  the  pilot's  boat,  and  left  Capt. 
Shackford  with  no  other  companion  than  his  dog.  He  was 
a  man  of  too  stern  materials  to  turn  about,  so  he  undertook 
the  voyage  of  three  thousand  miles  alone.  What  a  resolute 
spirit!  See  him  on  the  boisterous  mid-ocean  alone  in  his 
little  bark  a  thousand  miles  from  any  land — without  a 
human  being  to  consult  when  awake,  or  to  aid  in  keeping 
watch  while  he  slept ;  without  a  hand  to  aid  when  the 
storm  beat  about  him,  and  his  little  boat  is  hid  between  the 
mountain  swells  !  With  an  eye  on  the  compass,  a  hand  on 
the  helm,  and  a  firm  trust  in  Providence,  on  he  goes  for  five 
long  weeks,  witnessing  the  moon  pass  into  its  full,  its  sev- 
eral quarters,  and  fulling  again  before  he  came  in  sight  of 
the  land  for  which  he  was  steering  ! 

This  unparalleled  feat  he  successfully  accomplished — the 
statement  of  which,  however,  was  not  readily  believed  by 
the  South  Americans.  To  prove  his  statement,  he  was 
required  to  take  his  vessel  down  the  harbor  of  Surinam 
alone,  and  bring  it  in  again.  This  exhibition  was  so  satisfac- 
torily made,  that  his  story  received  credit,  but  the  govern- 
ment was  not  fully  satisfied  until  a  return  was  made  from 
Europe  confirming  his  statement. 

Some  years  after,  he  returned  to  Portsmouth,  put  up  at  a 
hotel,  and  in  the  afternoon  called  on  his  wife,  took  tea  with 
her,  in  the  evening  returned  to  his  hotel,  and  the  next 
morning  left  again  never  to  return. 

lie  was  next  heard  of  in  Ohio,  Avhere  he  purchased  a 
large  tract  of  land  when  that  State  was  almost  a  wilderness, 
laid  out  a  township,  and  in  commemoration  of  the  place  of  his 
birth  called  it  i  ortsmouth.  He  erected  mills  and  stores,  and 
built  several  houses.  He  lived  alone,  excepting  a  boy,  and 
never  would  suffer  a  woman  to  enter  his  house,  having  his 
washing  and  sewing  sent  out  and  brought  home  by  his  boy. 
His  wife,  after  her  mother's  death,  offered  to  go  and  live 


222  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

with  him.  She  wrote  him  several  letters,  but  received  no 
answer.  He  wrote  to  his  nephews  in  Portsmouth,  and  said 
if  one  would  come  out  and  settle  there,  he  would  make  him 
his  heir.  The  late  Samuel  Shackford,  about  forty  years 
ago,  went  and  visited  his  uncle,  but  returned,  not  liking- 
well  enough  to  remove  there.  At  his  death  he  left  his 
property  to  strangers. 

He  died  about  forty  years  since,  over  80  years  old,  living 
to  see  his  town,  so  beautifully  situated  at  the  junction  of 
the  Scioto  and  Ohio  rivers,  become  a  place  of  note  and  the 
chief  county  town.  He  was  a  studious  man,  intelligent, 
but  of  an  eccentricity  which  to  some  minds  bore  marks  of 
insanity — but  those  who  recollect  him  in  Ohio  will  not  allow 
that  he  was  any  other  than  a  sane  man.  He  was  probably 
convinced  that  astrologers'  sayings  should  never  have  an 
influence  in  the  selection  of  a  wife  ;  and  his  wife  doubtless 
was  satisfied  that  the  heart  which  was  held  by  another 
should  not  be  bartered,  even  by  parental  influence. 

Mrs.  Shackford  still  lived  in  the  old  mansion  which  her 
father  bequeathed  to  her  and  to  a  grandson,  Thomas  Jack- 
son, until  the  fire  of  1813,  which  consumed  it,  and  drove 
them  to  another  habitation. 

Mr.  Jackson  had  been  several  years  an  instructor  of 
youth  in  Portsmouth,  and  was  then  teaching  at  the  South 
School.  He  conveyed  as  many  things  as  he  could  to  the 
school  house  ;  they  were  saved,  but  the  rest  were  burnt  or 
stolen.  The  next  day  he  took  possession  of  the  old  Chaun- 
cey  house  on  the  South  road.  No  one  lived  in  it  but 
an  old  man  named  John  Shores,  who  had  been  put  there 
to  take  care  of  it.  He  told  thrilling  tales  of  the  house 
being  haunted,  and  said  there  was  a  closet  in  the  cellar 
where  a  minister  had  laid  a  spirit  twenty  years  ago,  and  it 
had  never  been  opened  since,  Mr.  J.  and  Capt.  John  S. 
Davis  had  the  curiosity  to  open  it.  Found  two  barrels,  one 
containing  beef  and  the  other  pork,  in  a  good  state  of  pres- 


CENTRAL  PORTSMOUTH  BEFORE  THE  GREAT  FIRE.   223 

ervation.  Three  or  four  dead  rats  were  all  that  indicated 
any  appearance  of  evil  spirits  having  visited  the  closet. 
Mr.  Jackson  and  family  lived  there  unmolested  two  years, 
when  he  built  a  brick  house  on  his  land  in  State  street,  and 
moved  back  on  the  old  spot  again.  Mrs.  Shackford  sold 
her  lot  to  Capt.  Andrew  W.  Bell,  as  it  joined  his  property, 
which  is  now  owned  and  occupied  by  Mr.  George  Hender- 
son. She  lived  to  a  good  old  age,  beloved  by  all  who  knew 
her,  and  would  without  doubt,  like  her  mother,  have 
breathed  her  last  in  the  house  where  she  was  born,  had 
not  the  devouring  element  laid  it  in  ashes. 


RAMBLE   CXXIV. 

Central    Portsmouth    "befox^e     the     Fire    of    1813.  —  [North 

side    of  Buck    street. 

On  the  north  side  of  State  street  we  have  progressed 
from  the  river  to  Mulberry  street,  and  we  will  continue  our 
route  west.  Next  to  Rousselet's  premises  came  the  bake- 
house of  Silas  Hunt,  at  the  time  of  the  fire  occupied  by 
Robert  Yeaton.  This  location  still  remains  a  bakery, 
owned  by  George  W.  Plumer.  Next  was  the  dwelling 
house  and  grocery  of  Nathaniel  Marshall,  owned  at  the 
time  of  the  fire  by  Robert  Eaton. 

The  next  was  a  two-story  gambrel-roofed  house  owned  by 
Major  Seth  Tripe,  the  great-grandfather  of  Mr.  Seth  W. 
Tripe  of  Portsmouth.  This  house  stood  on  the  corner  of 
Chapel  and  State  street-?,  fronting  on  the  latter,  with  a  shop 
in  the  western  end.  This  shop  at  one  time  was  occupied 
by  the  widow  Shores,  the  mother  of  James  P.,  and  at 
another  by  George  Dame  as  a  music  store.  On  the  arrival 
of  Major  Tripe's  son  Samuel  witli  his  family  from  Bristol, 


224:  RAMBLES   ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

England,  lie  vacated  the  house  and  moved  into  Deer  street, 
where  he  resided  till  his  death,  leaving  his  house  in  State 
street  in  the  occupancy  of  his  son. 

On  the  opposite  corner  of  Chapel  street  was  a  two-story 
gambrel-roofed  dwelling  house  in  the  form  of  a  T,  fronting 
on  State  street,  the  easterly  end  of  which  was  owned  and 
occupied  by  Capt.  Gregory,'  the  grandfather  of  Mr.  Albert 
Gregory.  The  western  end  was  owned  by  Major  William 
Gardner,  and  occupied  by  Mark  Chadbourne,  hatter,  Ben- 
jamin Drowne,  gold  and  silver  smith,  Joseph  Clark,  gold 
and  silver  smith,  George  Ham,  watchmaker,  Joseph  Aker- 
man,  Jr.,  collector  of  taxes,  and  others  at  different  periods. 

After  the  decease  of  Capt.  Gregory,  his  widow  was 
distinguished  as  an  instructor  of  small  children.  With  the 
aid  of  her  two  daughters  she  furnished  for  several  years 
the  shipping  of  this  port  with  their  colors  and  national  flags. 

Next  was  the  one-story  shop  of  Mr.  John  Beck,  hatter, 
whose  daughter  was  the  wife  of  Mr.  Mark  Chadbourne. 
He  was  the  father  of  the  late  Henry  Beck. 

Next  to  the  hatter's  shop  was  a  large  two  story  gambrel- 
roofed  house  owned  by  Major  Gardner,  connected  with  a 
two  story  store  endwise  on  the  street.  This  Major  Gardner 
disposed  of  when  he  purchased  the  estate  of  Ichabod 
Nichols,  Esq.,  in  Gardner  street,  who  removed  to  Salem, 
Mass.  The  house  in  State  street,  after  Major  G.  left  it,  was 
occupied  by  Capt.  Gilbert  Horney,  and  at  the  time  of  the 
fire  by  Mr.  Phillip  W.  Currier.  The  store  was  occupied  by 
Mr.  George  Dame,  limner,  as  his  studio,  from  which  point 
of  view  he  painted  a  very  striking  likeness,  (full  stature) 
of  Benjamin  Rowe  Quint,  a  tall  man  who  resided  in  New- 
ington,  but  who  frequer  tly  was  e  ployed  as  a  stone  mason, 
in  building  cell  rs  and  laying  storo  k  s  pavements.  At 
that  time  he  was  laying  stones  in  front  of  the  dwelling 
house  of  Capt.  Timothy  Mountford,  nearly  opposite.  The 
position    of   the    painter's   subject  was  that  of  a  stooping 


NORTH   SIDE   OF   BUCK   STREET.  225 

posture — his  arms  towards  the  ground,  his  hands  clinching 
and  adjusting  a  flat  paving  stone,  his  back  towards  the 
painter,  his  feet  wide  apart,  and  his  aquiline  Roman  nose 
(which  was  of  such  extended  dimensions  that  it  would 
have  placed  him  in  the  highest  estimation  of  Bonaparte,) 
was  visible  beneath  his  body,  extending  like  the  point  of 
a  plough  approaching  the  ground.  The  picture  when 
finished,  which  was  previous  to  the  original  having  finished 
his  labor  in  the  street,  was  exposed  to  view  in  the  Avindow 
of  the  painter;  and  so  nerfect  was  the  likeness  that  no  one 
familiar  with  the  face  of  Mr.  Quint  failed  to  recognize  him 
as  the  original  of  the  picture  ;  and  being  greatly  enraged, 
the  subject  threatened  to  demolish  the  window  with  his 
stone  hammer  if  it  was  not  removed  forthwith.  This  was 
done,  but  it  was  afterwards  exhibited  in  a  private  manner. 
The  ludicrous  position  and  exact  likeness  of  Mr.  Q.  caused 
much  merriment  at  his  expense. 

The  store  attached  to  the  Horney  house  in  State  street, 
was  also  occupied  as  the  post  office  by  Mark  Simes  until 
1805,  when  the  post  office  was  removed  to  the  Bass  house 
in  Broad  street,  on  the  spot  where  the  hay  scales  now  stand. 

Next  westerly  was  the  two-story  dwelling  house  of  Capt. 
William  Edwards,  standing  end  to  the  street  with  the  front 
door  on  the  westerly  side,  approached  through  a  passage- 
way about  eight  feet  wide.  This  house  was  also  the 
residence  of  Misses  Ann  and  Mary  Lanagan,  sisters  of 
Mrs.  Edwards,  and  of  Mrs.  Furniss,  mother  of  William  P. 
Furniss,  Esq.,  now  of  New  York. 

Next  was  a  two  story-dwelling  house  standing  end  to 
the  street,  the  building  of  which  was  commenced  by  Joshua 
Pike,  "barber and  peruke  wig  maker,''"  but  was  completed 
by  Mr.  John  Stavers  of  mail-stage  renown.  It  was  occu- 
pied by  his  son  William,  and  afterwards  by  his  son-in-law 
Capt.  John  H.  Seawards.  It  was  from  this  house  that  the 
hostler,  mentioned  in  Ramble  101,  page  18;  stole  the  bucket 


226  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

of  rum,  for  which  he  paid  the  penalty  at  the  town  pump. 

Next  was  a  long  two-story  dwelling  house  fronting  the 
street  and  elevated  six  or  eight  feet  above  its  level.  It 
extended  from  the  yard  of  Mr.  Stavers'  house  to  a  narrow 
passage  way  at  the  western  end  of  it,  which  terminated  in 
a  goldsmith's  shop,  occupied  by  Capt.  Martin  Parry,  who 
also  occupied  the  other  western  part  of  it  as  his  dwelling 
house.  Capt.  Martin  Parry  died  of  yellow  fever  in  1802, 
which  was  prevalent  in  this  vicinity  at  that  time  and  swept 
off  some  of  our  best  citizens.  He  was  a  merchant  of  hon- 
ored standing,  and  the  agent  of  William  Gray,  Esq.,  of  Salem, 
whose  ships  then  were  loading  at  our  pier  for  Calcutta,  Rus- 
sia and  other  places.  Capt.  Parry  left  an  only  daughter, 
Ann,  who  was  the  first  wife  of  our  respected  townsman,  the 
late  William  Jones,  Esq.,  who  after  the  fire  built  the  house 
now  occupied  by  Rev.  James  DeNormandie,  near  the  spot. 
The  eastern  half  of  the  house  was  the  residence  of  Madam 
Bettenham,  so  favorably  known  and  respected  as  a  lady 
who  never  failed  to  make* all  happy  who  had  the  privilege 
of  her  company.  Her  mother,  who  was  the  daughter  of 
George  Meserve,  ship  builder,  occupied  the  same  house 
before  her.  Capt.  James  Christie,  who  married  the  daugh- 
ter of  Mrs.  Bettenham,  occupied  this  house  till  his  death 
at  Philadelphia  in  1812.  His  children  John  and  Mary  were 
born  here.  The  late  William  Simes,  gold  and  silver  smith, 
was  an  apprentice  of  Capt.  Parry,  and  after  his  master 
engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits,  occupied  the  shop. 

The  next  building  was  the  long  two-story  store  of  Jacob 
Sheafe,  Jr.  Esq.,  standing  end  to  the  street  and  fronting  on 
Washington  street.  Many  amusing  reminisences  of  this 
of  this  store  might  be  mentioned.  It  was  once  occupied 
by  Mr.  William  Neil,  an  emigrant  from  Ireland,  a  gentleman 
beloved  and  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  He  was  the 
friend  of  man  in  the  full  and  true  sense  of  the  word.  He 
had  a  very  pleasant  manner  of  address,  and  at  times  was 


NORTH   SIDE   OP   BUCK   STREET.  227 

quite  amusing,  and  made  very  many  sensible  remarks  to 
those  who  traded  with  him  in  the  store,  in  which  he  exposed 
for  sale  a  great  variety  of  goods.  He  was  distinguished 
as  the  seller  of  Irish  linens,  of  which  he  was  an  excellent 
judge  of  quality,  so  that  who  bought  linen  of  him  was  sure 
it  was  wholly  of  flax.  In  teas  he  was  also  renowned  as  a 
good  judge,  so  much  so  that  the  remark  was  frequently 
made  when  tea  of  the  right  flavor  was  served  at  table, 
"  this  is  Mr.  Neil's  tea.7'  Mr.  Neil  took  a  hint  from  this, 
and  had  some  nice  wrapping  paper  prepared  for  putting  up 
the  tea  he  sold,  and  the  following  neatly  printed  upon  the 
package : — 

"This  is  very  good  tea.     And  where  did  you  buy  it? 

At  Mr.    William  Neil's  store,  Buck    street,    Portsmouth. 
You  will  call  and  get  some  of  the  same." 

William  Neil  was  a  native  of  Belfast  in  Ireland,  and  a 
graduate  of  Glasgow  College.  His  children  were  three 
sons  and  four  daughters.  Thomas,  Charles  and  Robert  G.; 
Ann,  married  George  Andrews  of  Dover;  Elizabeth,  mar* 
ried  Mr.  Wheeler  of  Dover;  Sarah,  married  Daniel  Melcher 
of  Boston,  and  Margaret  was  the  first  wife  of  John  Nutter, 
of  Rochester.  The  children  of  his  son  Thomas  (who  mar* 
ried  Sarah,  daughter  of  Capt.  Hector  McNeil  of  the  Navy,) 
were  William,  who  died  single  ;  Mary  A. ;  Jane,  widow  of 
S.  H.  Sise  of  New  York,  and  Thomas,  now  of  this  city. 
The  latter,  of  the  firm  of  Neil,  Tarlton  &  Co.,  is  the  only 
descendant  which  now  bears  the  name  of  Neil. 

The  same  store  was  previously  occupied  for  a  short 
period  by  Pomroy  &  Maynard,  from  England,  for  the  sale 
of  harcUware  goods.     They  soon  returned  to  England. 

The  venerable  William  Neil  was  very  sensitive  to  any 
remark  which  unfavorably  reflected  upon  the  Irish  or  his 
native  land,  Ireland.  So  sensitive  was  he  to  the  publica- 
tion of  any  Irish  bull,  that  for  many  years  when  Mr.  Turell 
had  charge  of  the  Oracle,  ho  never   admitted  any  of  the 


228  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

amusing  anecdotes  of  this  class,  assigning  as  a  reason  that 
he  would  not  injure  Mr.  Neil's  feelings.  His  memory  is 
still  pleasant  to  those  who  knew  him. 

Next  was  the  spacious  dwelling-house  of  Jacob  Sheafe, 
between  which  and  the  store  occupied  by  Mr.  Neil,  was  a 
large  paved  yard,  and  in  the  rear  of  the  whole  was  a  fine 
garden  reaching  back  to  the  lane.  Reminisences  of  much 
interest  might  be  related  of  the  occupant  of  these  premi- 
ses, and  of  his  hospitalities  to  strangers  of  distinction  who 
visited  the  town,  and  also  of  his  estimable  lady,  particu- 
larly of  her  kindness  and  hospitalities  to  the  distressed, 
sick,  poor  and  needy.  Mr.  Sheafe,  after  the  fire,  occupied 
his  large  brick  block  on  the  corner  of  Market  and  Daniel 
streets,  where  he  died.  Of  his  large  family,  Mrs.  Charles 
Cushing,  of  Little  Harbor,  only  survives.  Next  on  the  east 
corner  of  Ark  Lane,  now  called  Penhallow  street,  was  a 
square,  one-story  hipped-roof  building,  occupied  as  a  retail- 
ing piece  goods  store  by  William  Sheafe,  brother  to  Jacob, 
and  afterwards  by  Ward  Gilman  as  a  brassfoundry. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  Ark  Lane,  on  the  corner  of  State 
street,  stood  the  Ark  Tavern,  kept  by  John  Davenport.  It 
was  originally  a  two-story  single  house,  fronting  on  State 
street.  Mr.  Davenport  was  a  silver  smith  and  buckle 
maker,  and  had  removed  to  Portsmouth  from  Boston,  where 
he  was  born.  He  had  occupied  the  building  on  the  corner 
of  Fleet  and  Congress  streets,  now  owned  by  the  Mechanic 
Association,  and  had  served  the  town  as  constable  several 
years.  He  made  several  additions  to  the  house  in  State 
street,  one  of  which,  one-story  high,  covered  a  small  gore 
of  land  on  the  eastern  end,  about  eight  feet  in  width  at  the 
widest  end,  in  win  h  Ik  himself  worked  at  his  trade.  A 
connection  of  Mr.  Dave;  port's  wife,  (Mr.  Welch,)  having 
at  Lynn  acquired  a  knowledge  of  the  ladies'  cloth  slipper 
n  lufacture,  he  with  him  commenced  the  making  of  them 
in  copartnership  ;  at  the  same  time  continuing  the  buckle 


NORTH   SIDE   OF   BUCK   STREET.  229 

making  business,  which  soon  afterwards  became  unprofita- 
ble by  the  introduction  of  shoe  strings.  Mr.  Davenport 
then  opened  his  premises  as  a  public  house,  with  the  sign 
of  Noah's  Ark,  and  denominated  his  house  the  "  Ark  Tav- 
ern," exhibiting  in  front  a  fanciful  sign  of  the  picture  of  the 
Ark. 

Mr.  Davenport's  wife  died  in  this  house  while  the  Supe- 
rior Court  was  sitting  in  Portsmouth,  in  the  month  of  Feb- 
ruary, and  as  his  house  was  crowded  with  boarders,  which 
made  her  burial  very  inconvenient,  she  was  kept  until  the 
court  closed  its  business  about  three  weeks  after. 

The  artist  who  painted  Mr.  Davenport's  sign,  went  by 
the  name  of  James  Still.  His  proper  name  was  James 
Ford.  Under  his  real  name  he  had  been  guilty  of  an  of- 
fence which  cost  him  a  part  of  his  ears.  Although  he 
dropped  the  Ford  as  he  did  the  long  hair  over  his  ears,  yet  as 
his  baptismal  name  was  not  changed,  it  remained,  he  said, 
James  still.  Thus  in  the  exercise  of  his  good  talent  as  a 
delineator  and  painter  he  continued  till  the  time  of  his 
death  under  the  name  of  James  Still. 


RAMBLE  CXXV. 

Central  ^Portsmouth,  "before  the  Fire  of  1813.  —  James 
Sheafe's  Residence  —  _A.orah.aixi  Isaac,  the  Jew  —  Jon- 
athan   ]M.    Sewell,    the    3Poet. 

Xext  west  of  Davenport's  hotel  on  State  street,  were  the 
premises  of  Hon.  James  Sheafe,  who  occupied  the  family 
mansion  of  his  father.     The  house  was  large,  of  two  stories 


230  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

and  an  ell.  It  somewhat  resembled  in  appearance  the 
Whipple  house,  the  residence  of  the  late  Alexander  Ladd, 
Esq.  on  Market  street,  and  was  built  at  about  the  same 
time.  The  house  was  on  the  site  of  the  present  residence 
of  J.  M.  Tredick,  Esq.  and  connected  with  it  was  the  large 
garden,  now  owned  by  Mr.  Tredick.  Mr.  Sheafe  owned 
the  whole  of  the  square  south  of  the  Market,  excepting  the 
corner  lot,  on  which  a  building  was,  after  the  fire,  erected 
for  the  N.  H.  Union  Bank,  and  now  occupied  by  Albert  R. 
Hatch,  Esq.  and,  C.  N.  Shaw  &  Co.  At  the  time  of  the  fire, 
on  this  corner  lot  was  the  Adams  house,  where  resided  the 
mother  of  Nathaniel  Adams,  the  collector  of  the  Annals  of 
Portsmouth.  In  this  house  at  the  time  of  the  fire  were 
shoe  shops  of  Lewis  Bruce  and  Mendum  Janvrin.  Between 
this  house  and  James  Sheafe's  residence,  was  another 
double  house  belonging  to  him,  and  occupied  in  one  tene- 
ment by  Dr.  J.  H.  Pierrepoint,  the  beloved  physician,  and 
in  the  other  by  the  widow  Rachel  Isaac,  as  a  variety  store 
and  residence. 

Abraham  Isaac  and  his  wife  were  natives  of  Prussia,  and 
Jews  of  the  strictest  sect.  They  were  the  first  descendants 
of  the  venerable  Jewish  patriarch  that  ever  pitched  their 
tent  in  Portsmouth,  and  during  their  lives  were  the  only 
Jews  among  us.  He  was  an  auctioneer,  acquired  a  good 
property  and  built  the  house  opposite  the  Rockingham 
House  on  State  street,  .now  owned  and  occupied  by  Mrs. 
M,  P.  Jones.  Their  shop  was  always  closed  on  Saturday, 
and  on  almost  any  other  day  in  pleasant  weather,  Mrs.  Isaac 
might  be  seen  at  the  counter  or  looking  over  the  half  door 
by  which  the  shop  was  entered.  In  front  of  the  house, 
within  a  foot  of  it,  was  a  pump.  The  well  is  still  kept  in 
order  for  fires,  and  it  may  be  seen  on  the  outside  of  the 
present  sidewalk,  near  the  cross  pavement  which  leads  to 
the  Episcopal  chapel.  Mr.  Isaac  died  on  the  15th  of  Feb. 
1803,  aged  49,  and  on  the  stone  which  marks  his  grave  m 


ABRAHAM   ISAAC,    THE    JEW.  231 

the   North   burying    ground,   may  be  seen  the   following 
model  epitaph,  written  by  our  poet,  J.  M.  Sewall: 

Entomb'd  beneath,  where  earth-born  troubles  ceaB©, 

A  son  of  faithful  Abra'ni  sirens  In  peace. 

In  life's  first  bloom  he  left  his  native  air, 

A  sojourner,  as  all  his  fathers  were; 

Through  various  toils  his  aetive  spirit  ran, 

A  laithtul  steward  and  an  honest  man 

His  soul,  we  trust  now  (reed  from  mortal  woes, 

Finds,  in  the  partriarch's  bosom  sweet  repose. 

A  better  epitaph  can  rarely  be  found.  Raehael,  his 
widow,  for  ten  years  after  his  death  continued  her  variety 
store  in  this  house,  and  after  its  destruction  in  1813,  having 
no  children  of  her  own,  took  up  her  residence  with  an 
adopted  son  who  lived  near  New  Ipswich,  in  this  State. 
He  was  the  agent  of  one  of  the  first  cotton  factories  in  that 
vicinity,  and  at  her  death,  in  that  place,  all  her  property 
became  his  by  bequest. 

Eepassing  again  the  Adams  corner,  we  go  up  what  is 
now  the  front  of  Exchange  Buildings,  undor  the  shade  of 
large  beautifully  spread  elms,  and  nearly  on  the  spot  where 
the  Rockingham  Bank  now  stands  we  can  see  a  large  white 
gambrel-roofed  house,  back  to  the  market,  end  to  the  street, 
approached  by  a  lattice  gate.  In  general  appearance,  po- 
sition, and  garden  on  the  south,  very  nearly  resembling  the 
mansion  of  Samuel  Lord,  Esq.,  on  Middle  street. 

This  house  was  the  property  of  John  Fisher,  Esq.,  who 
owned  the  land  on  which  the  Market  was  built.  The  Fisher 
family  went  to  England  after  the  Revolution.  About 
seventy  years  ago  this  house  was  occupied  by  Jonathan 
Goddard,  Esq.,  the  first  husband  of  Mrs.  Robert  Rice.  It 
was  afterwards  occupied  by  Dr.  Josiah  Dwight  until 
the  fire. 

The  brick  market  checked  the  fire  in  this  direction.  It 
wTas  a  truly  dismal  sight  the  next  morning  from  this  stand- 
point to  see  a  spot  cleared  which  contained  one-fourth  at 
least  of  all  the  buildings  in  Portsmouth,  and  nothing  inter- 
vening between  the  market  and  Portsmouth  Pier  but  naked 
chimneys  and  smoking  ruins  ! 


232  EAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

We  will  turn  from  this  scene  for  a  short  ramble  to  Gates 
street. 

Prominent  among  the  poets  of  the  Revolution,  whose 
verses  carried  spirit  into  the  camp,  and  stirred  up  the  pa- 
triotic fires  of  those  who  performed  the  statesman's  duties 
at  home,  was  that  philanthropic  man,  Jonathan  Mitchell 
Sewell,  Esq.,  whose  home  was  in  Portsmouth,  and  whose 
last  place  of  abode  was  the  house  on  Gates  street  nearly 
opposite  that  of  Capt.  Joseph  Grace. 

An  enquiry  has  been  made  who  was  the  author  of  "  The 
Versification  of  Washington's  Farewell  Address,  by  a  gen- 
tleman of  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  printed  in  1798." 

This  Versification  we  have  before  us.  It  was  written  by 
Mr.  Sewall  and  published,  with  the  author's  characteristic 
modesty,  without  his  name.  The  poem,  if  such  it  may  be 
called,  occupies  forty-four  octavo  pages,  and  is  almost  a 
literal  presentation  of  the  original  in  rhyme — the  author 
endeavoring  to  shun  any  of  the  tinsel  decorations  of  poetic 
ornament,  "not  indulging  to  his  own  fancy  on  such  momen- 
tous subjects,  handled  before  with  such  masterly  per- 
fection." 

Mr.  Sewall  was  born  in  Salem,  Mass.,  in  1748,  and  died 
in  Portsmouth  in  1808.  He  studied  law  with  Judge  John 
Pickering  of  Portsmouth,  became  a  member  of  our  bar, 
and  was  of  high  standing  as  a  lawyer,  but  no  less  eminent 
as  a  statesman  and  poet.  He  was  the  writer  of  the  stir- 
ring song  of  the  Revolution  entitled  "  War  and  Washing- 
ton," beginning  "Vain  Britons,  boast  no  longer,"  &c,  which 
was  sung  in  every  camp  throughout  the  country. 

One  of  our  venerable  citizens  has  recently  given  us  a 
pamphlet  containing  a  Fourth  of  July  Oration  delivered  at 
Portsmouth  in  1788,  "By  one  the  inhabitants."  There  is 
no  clue  in  the  book  to  show  who  that  inhabitant  was.  The 
title  page  presents  as  a  motto  and  apology  for  withholding 
his  name,  the  following  expressive  quotation  from  Pope  : 

"  Who  builds  a  church  to  God,  and  pot  to  fame, 
"Will  never  mark  the  ruaible  with  his  name." 


JONATHAN   M.   SEWELL,   THE   POET.  283 

This  was  the  first  4th  of  July  Oration  delivered  in  Ports- 
month  after  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  The  modest 
author  was  Jonathan  M.  Sewall.  It  was  a  patriotic  produc- 
tion of  much  higher  literary  merit  than  many  public 
addresses  which  have  their  author's  names  in  conspicuous 
capitals. 

Charity  casts  a  veil  over  the  weaknesses  of  his  latter 
years,  since  the  record  of  his  whole  life  showed  him  an 
honest  man,  the  advocate  not  only  of  the  cause  of  his 
country,  but  also  of  the  injured,  however  humble  their 
situation.     His  grave  stone  bears  the  following  epitaph  : 

Tn  rain  shall  worth  or  wisdom  plead  to  save 
Tlte  dying  victim  from  the  destined  grave; 
Nor  charity,  our  helpless  nature's  pride. 
The  friend  to  him,  who  knows  no  friend  beside; 
Kor  genius,  science,  eloquence  have  pow'r, 
One  moment,  to  protract  th'  appointed  hour  ! 
Could  these  united  his  life  have  repriev'd. 
We  should  not  weep,  for  Bewail  still  had  liv'd. 


«    m  *  » — •— 


RAMBLE   CXXVI. 

Central    Portsmouth,    before    the    Fire    of  1813.  —  Stories 
of  Escapes,    Rescues,  <Scc. 

"We  close  the  sketches  of  the  seenes  which  are  forever 
covered  by  the  ashes  of  the  great  fire,  with  the  following- 
sketch,  by  Mr.  John  H.  Bowles  : 

The  stirring  up  you  have  been  giving  of  late  in  the 
"  Bambles,"  to  the  ashes  of  the  great  fire  of  1813,  while  it 
has  doubtless  revived  the  event  in  all  its  freshness  to 
many  who  were  living  at  the  time,  has  recalled  to  a  still 
greater  number  the  impressions  they  received  in  their 
youth  from  others,  who  were  also  eye-witnesses  of  its  manv 
thrilling  scenes.  Names  and  locations  are  forgotten,  in 
many  instances,  but  incidents  remain  ineffacable. 
16 


234  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

To  the  children  of  thirty  to  thirty-five  years  ago,  it  was 
a  theme  that  was  ever  new,  and  never  tired.  Let  us  take  a 
backward  look  to  a  time,  when,  to  all  but  the  more  youth- 
ful generation,  the  great  conflagration  was  an  affair  of  yes- 
terday. It  is  Christmas  eve.  A  merry  group  of  juveniles, 
a  dozen  in  number,  after  an  afternoon  of  unbounded  enjoy- 
ment in  the  spacious  attic,  succeeded  by  a  bountiful  repast, 
are  gathered  in  semi-circular  array,  around  the  hearth-stone. 
An  oak-wood  fire  throws  out  its  genial  heat,  for  the  owner 
of  the  mansion  loves  to  see  the  fire-light  reflected  upon  the 
massive  andirons  and  shining  fender,  and  will  admit  into 
the  sanctum  sanctorum,  the  family  sitting-room,  no  such 
modern  innovation  upon  old-time  comfort  as  a  stove,  though 
it  may  do  very  well  for  the  kitchen,  whose  arctic  frigidity 
nothing  else  would  ever  warm.  When  the  entire  cata- 
logue  of  youthful  romances,  the  "  Cinderillas,"  the  "  Robin 
Hoods,"  etc.  have  become  exhausted,  the  young  lady,  to 
honor  whose  birthday  the  little  party  were  assembled,  sug- 
gested to  "  mother "  to  "  tell  them  the  story  about  the 
great  fire."  "Mother"  thinks  it  is  more  than  a  "thrice-told 
tale  ;"  but  it  is  repeated,  and  listened  to  with  eager  ears  by 
her  youthful  auditors ;  and  the  same  story,  in  substance, 
has  been  told  again  and  again,  on  many  others  than 
Christmas  eve,  and  formed  the  theme  of  many  a  winter 
fireside  chat. 

"Aunty  "  has  a  passage  of  her  own  experience  to  relate, 
and  we  will  let  her  tell  her  own  story  in  her  own  way. 
"  The  china  tea-set  you  saw  upon  the  table,  to-night,  was 
among  the  last  articles  saved  from  my  father's  house,  and 
its  rescue  nearly  cost  me  my  life.  It  was  in  a  back  room 
closet,  whose  contents  amid  the  excitement  were  forgotten, 
when  nearly  all  else  of  value  had  been  removed  to  a  place  of 
safety.  While  I  was  engaged  in  removing  the  china  from 
the  shelves,  some  men  were  tearing  away  an  out  building, 
into  which  the  closet  projected,  in  the  rear  of  the  house, 


/ 


STORIES    OF   ESCAPES.  235 

to  enable  the  firemen  to  obtain  water  in  our  own  and  the 
adjoining  yard  ;  and  as  I  stepped  from  a  chair  to  place  the 
last  remaining  article  in  a  basket,  the  bright  blade  of  an 
axe  came  crushing  through  the  back  of  the  closet,  in  the 
very  position  where  my  head  had  been  but  an  instant  before. 
My  escape  seems  little  short  of  a  miracle  as  I  think  of  it,  to 
this  day.  After  leaving  the  house,  as  we  supposed,  for  the 
last  time,  it  occurred  to  my  brother  that  there  still  remained 
in  the  garret  a  trunk  of  family  relics,  including  some  val- 
uable brocade  dresses,  once  the  property  of  our  grand- 
mother, and  he  expressed  a  determination  to  go  and  rescue 
it.  We  tried  to  dissuade  him  from  the  idea,  but  without 
success,  and  I  went  with  him.  AYhen  we  reached  the  garret, 
the  room  was  in  flames,  a&d  the  heat  was  so  great  that  we 
could  scarcely  breathe.  I  was  afraid  to  go  further  than  the 
door,  but  my  brother  went  onward,  and  seizing  the  trunk 
by  one  of  its  handles,,  was  dragging  it  to  the  stairway, 
when  a  large  portion  of  the  boards  of  the  roof,  burnt  to  a 
cinder,  fell  through  from  the  rafters,  and  covered  the  floor 
with  blazing  coals.  It  was  an  awful  moment,  for  through 
:the  aperture  thus  made  in  the  roof,  the  wind  came  with  the 
force  of  a  tornado,  driving  the  fire  and  smoke  before  it,  but 
my  brother  kept  on  with  his  burden,  after  an  instant's 
.delay,  and  did  not  stop  until  it  was  safe  in  the  street.  Half 
an  hour  afterwards,  the  pleasant  home  where  our  childhood 
had  been  spent  was  one  bright  flame  from  the  foundation 
to  the  ridgepole." 

"  Grandpa,"  who,  in  his  comfortable  chair,  has  been 
reading  the  last  "  Journal,"  and  a  fresh  copy  only  two  days 
old,  of  Major  Ben  Russell's  "Boston  Centinel,"  says,  as  he 
picks  up  the  fallen  brands  and  adds  a  fresh  forestick  to 
the  fire,  that  he  will  tell  them  a  story  of  a  "  nice  young 
man,"  who,  he  has  always  thought,  did  more  good  than  any 
one  else  the  night  of  the  fire.  He  was  here  and  there,  and 
everywhere,   wherever   his   aid  was  most  needed  for  the 


23G  RAMBLES    ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH, 

general  or  individual  good.  At  one  time  be  could  be  seen 
passing  water  in  the  ranks  ;  at  another  helping  some  poor 
widow  to  save  from  her  burning  dwelling  her  little  all ;  here 
he  would  relieve  an  exhausted  fireman  at  the  brakes  of  an 
engine,  and  there  lend  a  hand  in  removing  from  their  homes 
the  sick  or  disabled;  when  the  strength  of  others  was 
exhausted,  his  energies  seemed  to  increase  with  the  amount 
of  labor  he  performed.  About  midnight,  while  resting  for 
a  moment,  and  surveying  the  fire  from  the  roof  of  a  store, 
a  volume  of  flame  suddenly  burst  from  a  barn  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  way,  and  in  an  instant  afterwards  a 
young"  lady  appeared  at  the  second-story  window  of  a 
dwelling  but  a  few  yards  distant,  which  she  attempted  to 
raise,  but  failed  in  the  effort,  and  fell  backwards  out  of 
sight.  Descending  to  the  ground,  he  crossed  the  street, 
and  finding  no  one  below  stairs,  he  ventured  to  knock  at 
the  door  of  the  room  where  he  had  seen  the  young  lady, 
but  receiving  no  answer  he  lifted  the  latch  and  found  her 
lying  insensible  upon  the  floor,  for  she  was  recovering  from 
sickness,  and  through  weakness  and  terror,  had  fainted 
away.  There  was  no  time  to  lose,  for  the  glass  was 
cracking-  in  the  windows  from  the  blaze  of  the  burning 
barn;  and  wrapping  her  in  a  blanket,  which  he  stripped 
from  the  bed,  he  carried  her  in  bis  arms  to  the  residence  of 
a  relative  where  he  had  seen  some  of  the  family  furniture 
conveyed  an  hour  before.  The  next  day  he  was  haunted 
by  a  vision  of  a  pair  of  bright  eyes,  and  felt  a  desire  to 
improve  with  their  owner  an  acquaintance  so  oddly  begun. 
A  few  days  before  he  thought  her  but  a  child,  as  he  lifted 
her  across  a  gutter  on  a  rainy  day,  and  it  was  benevolence 
alone  that  prompted  the  service  he  had  rendered  her  the 
previous  night,  but  as  she  lay  so  helpless  upon  his  breast, 
and  one  of  her  soft  curls  stole  out  from  the  folds  of -the 
blanket  and  rested  upon  his  cheek,  he  fancied  that  she  was 
changed  into  something  more  than  a  child.     There  was  a 


RESCUES.  237 

very  soft  spot  in  his  heart  for  the  girls,  though  he  was 
somewhat  bashful  in  letting  them  know  it,  but  he  mustered 
courage  at  last  to  sro  to  the  house  where  he  had  left  his  fair 
burden,  and  enquire  if  she  had  sustained  any  injury  from 
her  exposure  to  the  keen  air  of  midnight.  He  soon  called 
again  on  the  same  errand,  and  derived  so  much  gratification 
from  his  visits,  that  he  continued  to  repeat  them  for  four 
or  five  years  afterwards,  when  the  family  mansion  had  been 
rebuilt  ia  its  old  location,  and  finally  carried  off  the  young 
lady  to  a  snug  little'home  he  had  built  for  himself  on  one  of 
the  lots  made  vacant  by  the  fire.  "Grandpa"  concludes 
his  story  b}r  adding,  "The  'nice  young  man'  is  living- 
still,  and  ready  as  ever  to  do  all  sorts  of  kind  acts;  ami  I 
shall  not  be  surprised  if  he  comes  here  to-night  for  this 
little  rogue  at  my  side,  who  came  very  honestly  by  her 
bright  black  eyes  and  her  silken  curls." 

The  above  are  a  few  of  the  legends  of  the  great  fire,  of 
which  enough  might  be  collected  to  fill  a  fair  sized  volume. 
In  the  course  of  a  conversation  upon  the  subject  recently, 
with  a  gentleman  who  was  an  eye-witness  of  the  scene  from 
its  commencement  to  its  close,  he  remarked  to  me  that 
the  impression  left  upon  his  memory  of  that  terrible  night, 
alike  from  the  awful  grandeur  of  the  conflagration,  and  its 
many  heart-rending  scenes  of  distress,  were  as  vivid  as  if 
it  had  been  an  event  of  the  previous  week's  occurrence. 
In  many  instances  the  entire  fruits  of  a  life  of  industry 
were  swept  away,  leaving  the  sufferers  at  mid-winter,  with- 
out a  place  of  shelter,  or  a  dollar  to  recommence  the 
world  anew.  The  rapid  advance  of  the  fire  after  it  reached 
the  third  or  fourth  building  from  its  starting  point,  was  like 
the  rushing  of  the  flames  over  a  burning  prairie.  Families, 
who  at  first  looked  calmly  on  at  a  distance,  never  dreaming 
that  danger  could  reach  them,  an  hour  or  two  afterwards 
were  retreating  before  the  devouring  element,  leaving  half 
their  effects  behind  to  be  burned  up  with  their  dwellings. 


238  Gambles  about7  Portsmouth:. 

Furniture  and  other  articles  of  value,  that  had  been  taken 
to  places  of  imagined  safety,  were  afterward©  removed  to 
other  locations7  and  finally  burnt  up  in  the  streets.  Such 
was  the  consternation  when  the  calamity  was  as  its  height 
and  it  was  feared  the  whole  place  would  be  consumed,  that 
many  people  seemed  utterly  bereft  of  their  wits,  causing 
them  to  commit  absurdities  which  it  afforded  them  much 
amusement  to  relate  in  after  years.  One  good  lady,  with 
a  houseful  of  furniture,  and  the  fire  but  two  tenements  dis- 
tant,, was  running  about  in  a  green  baize  dressing-gown 
and  red  woollen  cap  with  an  empty  bottle  in  her  hand,  and 
another  with  three  bonnets  in  her  hand  and  none  upon  her 
head.  A  strange  sight  was  revealed  the  following  morn- 
ing when  daylight  appeared.  The  streets  and  avenues-  lead- 
ing in  every  direction  from"  the  location  of  the  fire,  were 
strewed  with  furniture  of  every  description,  from  that 
fashionable  article  of  the  time,  the  sideboard,  to  the  most 
common  utensil  in  domestic  use  ;  family  stores,  also,  added 
to  the  variety,  even  to  the  pies  that  had  been  prepared  for 
Christmas.  It  was  a  sad  scene,  too,  and  one  that  many 
1'ooked  Upon  with  breaking  hearts,  for  instead  of  the  com- 
fortable homes  of  which  they  were  possessed  when  the  sun 
went  down  the  previous  night,  they  saw  only  a  heap  of 
smoking  ruins. 

The  memorable  passage  in  the  history  of  Portsmouth! 
that  forms  the  subject  of  this  letter,  is  a  most  impressive 
instance  of  the  amount  of  evil  it  is  possible  for  a  single 
wickedly  disposed  individual,  by  a  very  slight  act,  to 
accomplish.  The  Writer  has  a  recollection  .of  seeing,  in 
his  childhood,  the  author  of  this  great  calamity,  b}7  which 
so  many  were  stripped  of  their  entire  earthly  possessions? 
and  when  she  deemed  the  awful  secret  locked  up  in  her 
own  bosom.  A  more  abject,  wo-begone  specimen  of  fallen 
humanity  than  she  appeared  at  that  time,  it  srould  be 
scarcely  possible  to  imagine.      She  applied,  under  an  as- 


STATE   STREET.  239 

sumed  name,  (imagining  that  she  would  be  unrecognized,) 
to  a  lady  who  had  been  familiar  with  her  face  while  she  was 
in  the  employ  of  Mrs.  Woodward,  and  asked  for  some  out- 
of-door  employment,  offering  to  labor  for  a  pittance  that 
would  hardly  have  saved  her  from  starvation.  If  those 
who  had  been  the  greatest  sufferers  from  her  wickedness 
had  looked  upon  her  then,  with  a  knowledge  of  the  fact,  in 
her  utter  wretchedness,  it  would  surely  have  disarmed 
them  of  all  resentment.  Whatever  her  after  life  may  have 
been,  (of  which  I  have  no  knowledge,)  she  was  evidently 
suffering  at  that  period  beneath  a  weight  far  heavier  to  bear 
than  poverty,  even  in  its  most  dire  extreme — an  evil  con- 
science, and  to  such  a  degree,  perchance,  as  sometimes  to 
feel  like  Cain,  that  her  punishment  was  greater  than  she 
could  bear. 


RAMBLE     CXXVII. 


State  Street  in  1793-Drown  Family  —  Dr.  Lyman.  Spald- 
ing—Capt.   Peter    Coues-SamuelE.  Cou.es. 

In  previous  Rambles  we  have  given  sketches  of  State 
street  previous  to  the  fire  of  1813.  Beginning  now  at 
Sherburne's  wharf,  the  eastern  end  of  the  street  on  the 
south  side,  we  will  proceed  west  on  that  side  of  the  street, 
and  give  the  residents  therein  about  seventy  years  ago. 
First  was  Capt.  Benjamin  Sherburne's  N.  H.  Hotel,  on  the 
east  corner  of  Water  street.  On  the  west  corner  was  a 
small  shoemaker's  shop.  Next  was  along  two-story  house 
owned  by  John  H.  Seaward,  occupied  by  Griffin's  cut  nail 
manufactory,  by  John  Yeaton,  tobacconist,  and  Timothy 
Winn,  3d.  ("  Three  Penny  Winn.'")  Next  comes  William 
Meserve's    dwelling     house,    John    Libbey's    shoe-shop, 


210  RAMBLES    ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

then  the  bouse  of  Capt.  Josiah  Shackford,  already  referred 
to  in  a  former  ramble,  as  the  adventurer  who  crossed  the 
Atlantic  alone  in  a  boat.  This  house  was  directly  in  front 
of  Rosemary  street.  Then  came  the  house  of  Timothy 
Gerrish,  with  his  silversmith's  shop  in  front.  Abner  Blais- 
dell's  house  was  next,  and  his  grocery  store  was  on  the 
east  corner  of  Atkinson  street.  On  the  west  corner  was  the 
dwelling  house  and  grocery  and  ship  chandlery  store  of 
Capt.  Peter  Coues.  Nest  west  was  the  dwelling  and  silver- 
smith's shop  of  Samuel  Drown.  These  houses  were  all 
two  stories,  many  of  them  with  end  to  the  street,  and,  as 
will  be  seen,  affording  under  the  same  roof,  a  residence  and 
place  of  business.  The  street  was  very  narrow — from 
Washington  to  Atkinson  streets,  State  street  (then  Buck) 
averaged  onlv  about  22  feet  in  width. 

Mr.  Samuel  Drown  was  the  third  son  of  Rev.  Samuel 
Drown,  the  pastor  of  the  Pitt  street  society.  We  find 
among  our  papers  a  sketch  of  the  family  which  is  worth 
preserving.  It  is  said  that  the  first  of  the  name  was  a 
child  found  at  sea  alone  in  a  boat,  too  young  to  give  any 
account  of  himself,  and  from  his  probably  intended  destiny 
he  received  the  name  of  Drown.  Such  is  the  legend — and 
as  no  mention  of  the  name  is  made  in  the  old  English 
families,  it  may  be  correct. 

Leonard  Drown,  born  1646,  was  a  shipwright  by  occu- 
pation. He  came  from  the  west  of  England  and  married  at 
or  near  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  Elizabeth  Abbott. 
He  lived  to  the  age  of  eighty-three  years,  and  died  in 
Boston,  Massachusetts,  October  31st,  1729.  He  was  blind 
for  seven  years  next  preceding  his  death.  His  wife  died 
in  the  year  1701.  He  married  again  but  had  no  issue  by 
the  second  wife.  He  lived  at  Sturgeon  Creek,  about  seven 
miles  from  Portsmouth,  where  all  his  children  were  born. 
He  carried  on  ship  building  there  till  1G92,  when  on  account 
of  the  Indian  wars,  he  was  obliged  to  remove,  and  went  to 


THE    DROWN   FAMILY.  241 

Boston  with  Lis  family,  where  he  followed  the  same  em- 
ploymeht. 

His  children  were  four  sons  and  two  daughters,  namely  : 
Solomon,  Samuel,  Simeon,  Shem ;  Susanna,  who  married 
John  Johnson  of  Boston,  and  Mary,  who  married  Mr.  Kettle 
of  Charlestown. 

Samuel  died  near  to  if  not  in  Portsmouth. 

Solomon  was  born  January  23d,  1681, his  wife  Aug.  18th 
16SG,  and  they  were  married  November  8,  1705,  in  Bristol, 
R.I.  They  had  eleven  children,  namely  :  Solomon,  born 
October  4,  1706;  Esther,  Oct.  26,  1708;  Elizabeth,  Sept  8, 
1710  ;  Joseph,  Feb.  8,  1715  ;  Bathshebah,  June  10,  1715  ; 
Benjamin,  June  9,  1717;  Mary,  June  7,  1719;  Samuel,  July 
31,  1721  ;  Sarah,  July  23,  1723  ;  Jonathan,  July  29,  1725  ; 
Shem,  June  13,  1728  ;  Solomon,  the  father  of  these,  died 
in  1730,  and  his  wife  in  1711. 

Their  son  Samuel  Drown  was  married  to  Sarah  Reed,  in 
Rehoboth,  Mass.  He  was  a  Calvin  Baptist  Minister  of  the 
Gospel,  but  differing  from  that  denomination  on  account  of 
their  practice  of  close  communion,  he  left  it  and  became  an 
Independent  Congregationalist,  which  sect  were  sometimes 
stigmatized  by  the  name  of  New  Lights,  a  name  which  he 
and  his  brethren  did  not  adopt. 

About  this  time,  several  of  the  members  of  the  First 
Congregational  Church  in  Portsmouth,  of  which  Samuel 
Langdon,  D.  D.,  was  Pastor,  being  dissatisfied  with  the 
indifference  of  that  Church  to  spiritual  improvement,  and 
the  absence  of  that  degree  of  vitality  in  a  large  proportion 
of  the  members  of  the  Church,  which  should,  in  their 
judgment,  have  characterized  them  as  disciples  of  Christ, 
together  with  some  differences  of  opinion  in  respe<  t  to 
church  crscipline,  induced  them  to  secede  from  that  church  ; 
ai  ,  being  joined  by  other  professing  Christians  in  Ports- 
mouth and  from  the  neighboring  towns,  founded  a  new 
Church,    called  the  "  First  Independent  Congregationalist 


242  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

Churchin  Portsmouth,  N.  FL,"  and  invited  Mr.  Drown,  who 
bad  seceded  from  the  Calvin  Baptist  denomination,  to  take 
the  pastoral  charge  of  the  Church;  a  place  or  house  of  wor- 
ship being  erected  in  Pitt,  (now  Court)  street,  on  the  site 
of  the  Unitarian  Chapel,  for  their  accommodation.  The 
invitation  was  accepted,  and  he  arrived  at  Portsmouth  from 
Coventry,  R.  I.  with  his  family,  July  7, 1758,  and  continued 
the  faithful  and  beloved  pastor  of  this  little  flock,  and  by 
none  was  he  respected  and  revered  more  than  by  the  living- 
members  and  succeeding  Pastor  of  the  North  Church,  from 
which,  mainly,  his  church  were  seceders,  until  his  decease, 
which  occurred  January  17,  1770,  leaving  a  widow,  who 
died  September  12,  1784.  They  had  ten  children.  The 
first  four  Were  born  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  the  next  three  in 
Coventry,  R.  I.,  and  the  last  three  in  Portsmouth,  in  the 
present  Moses  house  on  the  east  side  of  Vaughan  street, 
opposite  the  Toppan  mansion. 


Mary,      boru  August        21,  174 1, 

died 

Angust 

31, 

1744. 

William,    " 

•     September  23,  1745, 

i. 

December 

22 

, 1747. 

Sarah,         ' 

•    September    3,  1747, 

ii 

May 

23, 

1820. 

Pamuel,     ' 

'    November    5,  1749, 

(i 

August 

7, 

1815. 

Peter,        ' 

'    January      10,  1752, 

■( 

February 

4, 

1788. 

Betsey,      " 

1    November     9,  1755, 

ii 

November 

9, 

17G3. 

Th»rnas,    " 

April            27,1757, 

1 1 

September 

7, 

1816. 

Benjamin," 

July             14,  1759, 

ii 

December, 

1793. 

Mary, 

July             19,1762, 

ii 

1824. 

Joseph, 

•    Oct.                9,  1769, 

ii 

Nov. 

13, 

1S27. 

Peter  Drown  was  killed  by  Elisha  Thomas,  for  which  he 
was  executed  at  Dover  in  1788. 

Samuel  Drown  married  Mary  Pickering  of  Portsmouth, 
sister  of  Capt.  Thomas  Pickering,  commander  of  the  private 
armed  20-gnn  ship  Hampden,  and  fell  in  battle  with  an 
English  Letter  of  Marque,  in  March,  1770.  The  children 
of  Samuel  were  tii.ee  sons  and  four  daughters.  Thomas 
P.,  Daniel  P.,  and  Samuel.  The  latter  died  in  1797,  at  the 
ago  of  18.  Lydia  married  Ebenezer  Wyatt ;  Sarah  married 
Capt.  Mark  Blunt;  Eli  abeth  n  irried  Charles  Trcadwell. 
Daniel  P.,  born  in  1784,  and  Sarah,  born  in  1788. 


THE   DROWN   FAMILY.  243 

Sometime  in  Mr.  Drown's  ministry  here,  Robert  Sande- 
man  came  to  Portsmouth  and  was  admitted  into  Mr. 
Drown's  pulpit.  He  preached  therein  several  times,  but 
did  not  fully  develop  his  religious  sentiments,  (though  the 
doctrines  he  preached  were  generally  in  accordance  with 
those  of  Mr.  Drown  and  his  Church,)  until  he  more  fully 
announced  them  on  the  occasion  of  his  preaching  from 
Luke  2d :  28-32. 

In  opening  his  discourse,  Mr.  Sandeman  said,  some  per- 
son read  this  passage  in  this  manner — that  he  took  the 
child  in  his  heart,  but  my  bible  says  he  took  him  in  his 
arm*.  Mr.  Drown  from  this  circumstance,  discovered  that 
Mr.  Sandeman  entertained  the  doctrine  which  afterwards 
distinguished  him  and  his  followers  as  a  distinct  religious 
sect.  While  Mr.  Sandeman  was  making  the  concluding 
]  ayer,  Mr.  Drown  selected  from  Watts'  Hymns  13th,  book 
1st: 

"  If  love  to  God  and  love  to  man 

Be  absent,  all  our  hopes  are  vain  ; 
Nor  tongues,  nor  gifts,  nor  fiery  zeal 

The  works  of  love  caue'er  fulfil." 

When  he  had  concluded  his  prayer,  Mr.  Drown  rose  to 
read  the  hymn,  and  as  he  was  proceeding,  Mr.  Sandeman 
took  his  hat.  Mr.  Drown  observing  this,  stepped  to  the 
pulpit  door  before  Mr.  Sandeman  reached  it,  and  held  it 
to,  so  that  he  could  not  pass  until  he  had  concluded.  Mr. 
Sandeman  thus  compelled  to  remain,  repeatedly  exclaimed, 
"  I  hate  the  very  breath  of  it."  After  Mr.  Drown  had  con- 
cluded, he  opened  the  pulpit  door,  saying,  "  Now,  sir,  you 
can  go  if  you  please." 

The  "  New  Lights"  were  held  in  poor  repute  by  Gov. 
We"  tworth,  who  issued  a  special  notice  granting  all  minis- 
ter.- permission  to  perform  the  marriage  ceremony  "  except 
one  Drown." 

S  ;ce  this  Ramble  was  written,  two  aged  members  of 
the  Drown  family  have  departed  this  life,  and  both  were 
bunod  on  the  same  day.     The  young  may  die,  but  the  old 


24  4  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

must.     To  Daniel  P,  Drown  we    are  indebted  for  many 
interesting  incidents  of  old  times. 

Next  east  of  the  Drown  residence  was  that  of  Capt. 
Peter  Cones  ;  a  few  rods  to  the  west,  just  after  turning  up 
Washington  street,  on  the  east  side,  was  the  residence  of  a 
so  i-in-law  of  Capt.  Coues,  Dr.  Lyman  Spalding,  one  of  the 
most  distinguished  men  of  Portsmouth,  as  a  theoretic  and 
practical  physician  and  surgeon,  whose  services  did  much 
in  the  advancement  of  medical  science. 

Lyman  Spalding,  an  American  physician  and  surgeon, 
was  born  in  Cornish,  N.  H.,  June  5,  1775,  and  died  in  Ports- 
mouth, N.  EL,  October  30,  1821.  He  graduated  at  Harvard 
University,  in  1797,  and  commenced  the  study  of  medicine. 
In  1798,  while  still  a  student,  he  assisted  Professor  Nathan 
Smith  in  establishing  the  Medical  School  at  Dartmouth 
College,  collected  and  prepared  a  chemical  apparatus, 
delivered  the  first  course  of  lectures  at  the  opening  of  the 
institution,  and  published  "A  New  Nomenclature  of  Chem- 
istry, proposed  by  Messrs.  DeMovau,  Lavoisier,  Berthollet 
and  Fouicroy,  with  Additions  and  Improvements,"  (1799.) 
nis  medical  studies  were  afterward  continued  at  the  med- 
ical schools  of  Cambridge  and  Philadelphia,  and  he  entered 
upon  the  practice  of  medicine  at  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  in 
1799.  He  devoted  much  attention  to  the  study  of  the 
human  structure,  was  a  very  skillful  anatomist,  and  his 
admirable  preparations,  particularly  of  the  lymphatics,  are 
now  in  the  cabinets  of  our  first  institutions.  In  1812,  the 
college  of  physicians  and  surgeons  of  the  western  district 
of  the  State  of  New  York,  at  Fairfield,  Herkimer  County, 
was  incorporated,  Dr.  Spalding  being  elected  President 
and  Professor  of  anatomy,  and  he  made  annual  visit,  to 
this  school.  In  1813  he  removed  to  the  city  of  New  Y  >rk, 
and,  a  few  years  later,  resigned  his  position  at  the  coll  ?ge. 
With  Dr.  Spalding  originated  the  plan  for  the  formation  of 
the  "  Pharmacopoeia  of  the  United  States,"  by  the  author- 


DR.    LYMAN    SPALDING.  245 

ity  of  all  the  medical  societies  and  medical  schools  in  the 
Union.  In  January,  1817,  he  submitted  the  project  to  tho 
New  York  county  medical  society;  in  February,  1818,  it 
was  adopted  by  the  medical  society  of  the  State  of  New 
York  and  ordered  to  be  carried  into  execution  by  their 
committee,  Dr.  Spalding  being  one  of  the  number.  All  the 
medical  schools  and  societies  appointed  delegates,  who  at 
once  commenced  their  labors,  and  the  first  edition  of  the 
work  was  published  in  1820.  To  keep  pace  with  the 
advancement  of  medical  science,  a  new  edition  is  published 
overs7  ten  years.  Dr.  Spalding  was  a  contributor  to  the 
•'  New  England  Journal  of  Medicine,"  the  "New  York  Medi- 
cal Repository,"  "  Lenoureau  Journal  of  Medicine,"  of 
Paris,  and  other  medical  and  philosophical  journals  ;  and, 
beside  several  lectures  and  addresses,  he  published  "  Re- 
flections on  Fever,  and  particularly  on  the  Inflammatory 
Character  of  Fever,"  (1817  ;)  "  Reflections  on  Yellow  Fever 
Periods,"  (1819,)  and  "  A  History  of  the  Introduction  and 
use  of  Scutellaria  Lateriflora  as  a  Remedy  for  preventing 
and  curing  Hydrophobia,"  (1819.)  Dr.  Spalding  was  active 
in  introducing  into  the  United  States  the  practice  of  vac- 
cination as  a  preventive  of  the  small  pox.  He  Avas  a 
trustee  of  the  only  free  schools  which  New  York  then 
possessed,  and  aided  in  the  establishment  of  the  first  Sun- 
day schools  in  that  city. 

The  above  honorable  mention  of  one  of  the  citizens  of 
Portsmouth,  whose  children  are  now  among  us,  we  find  in 
the  14th  volume  of  the  New  American  Cyclopaedia. 

Peter  Coues,  came  to  Portsmouth  from  the  Island  of 
Jersey  in  the  English  Channel,  and  in  this  town,  Nov.  4th,, 
1735,  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Emanuel  Long.  She  was 
born  at  Plymouth,  Mass.,  .January  19th,  1713.  He  died  afc 
an  advanced  age  about  1783,  at  the  residence  of  his  son 
Peter,  who  was  born  July  30th,  173G,  and  married  Oct. 
25th,  1768,  Mary,  and  Oct.  12th,  1779,  Elizabeth,  daughters 


246  RAMBLES    ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

of  Daniel  Jackson  ;  and  also  married  Rebecca,  daughter  of 
John  Elliott.  Of  his  thirteen  children  all  died  in  infancy, 
but  Elizabeth,  who  married  Lyman  Spalding,  M.  D.,  Anne, 
unmarried,  and  Samuel  Elliott  Coues. 

Among  the  venerable  citizens  of  Portsmouth  of  half  a 
century  ago,  we  well  remember  Capt.  Peter  Coues,  a  gentle- 
man of  independent  circumstances,  who  might  be  seen, 
with  his  cane  under  his  arm  on  State  street,  or  in  the  vicin- 
ity. His  residence  previous  to  the  fire  of  1813,  was  on  the 
southwest  corner  of  Atkinson  and  State  streets,  on  the  spot 
where  "W.  J.  Laighton's  house  now  stands.  In  tli  3  old 
dwelling  house  was  a  store  where  for  many  years  he  kept 
ship  chandlery,  merchandise,  groceries,  <fec.  In  early  life 
■Capt.  Peter  Coues  was  pressed  into  the  British  service. 
He  was  at  one  time  sailing-master  of  the  famous  "Royal 
^George,"  which  was  afterwards,  in  1782,  sunk  in  the  British 
Channel  with  800  men  on  board.  He  also  served  in  the 
capacity  of  midshipman.  After  several  years  service  in 
the  British  Navy  he  returned  to  Portsmouth  before  the 
American  Revolution,  where,  by  that  urbanity  of  mind  and 
simplicity  of  manners  for  which  seafaring  men  of  liberal 
views  are  generally  distinguished,  he  obtained  a  good  stand- 
ing among  his  fellow  citizens,  and  died  on  the  29th  of  Nov. 
1818,  at  the  advanced  age  of  83  years. 

Samuel  Elliott  Coues,  who  died  July  3,  1867,  was  the 
last  survivor -of  the  children.  In  early  youth  he  was  a  lover 
of  books,  and  received  a  good  education  preparatory  to 
mercantile  pursuits — but  it  was  evident  that  his  a*  tive 
mind  was  better  fitted  for  some  profession  where  his  mental 
powers  could  be  brought  into  full  exercise  in  the  literary 
world.  He  early  took  an  active  part  in  promoting  those 
literary  clubs  and  lyceums  which  have  been  so  beneficial  in 
times  past.  A  ready  and  fluent  debator  and  good  lecturer, 
he  was  frequently  called  before  the  public,  and  interested 
his  auditors.     Radical  in  his  ideas,  he  frequently  ventured 


SAMUEL   E.    COUES.  247 

on  ground  where  few  were  reacty  to  follow  him.  He  even 
called  in  question  the  truth  of  the  Newtonian  system  of 
philosophy,  and  published  a  volume  to  prove  the  truth  of 
his  own  peculiar  theory.  He  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  his 
fellow  citizens,  and  was  for  several  years  a  Representative 
in  the  Legislature.  Humanity  was  a  principle  of  his  nature, 
and  in  no  better  way  did  he  ever  display  his  philanthropy 
than  in  his  active  and  successful  efforts  to  establish  the 
Asylum  for  the  Insane  in  this  State.  He  was  a  devoted  ad- 
vocate of  peace  principles,  and  some  of  his  lectures  on  this 
subject  were  the  best  productions  of  his  pen.  On  the  death 
of  William  Ladd,  Mr.  Coues  was  elected  President  of  the 
American  Peace  Society,  which  office'  he  held  for  several 
years.  As  a  member  of  the  School  committee  he  took  deep 
interest  in  our  public  schools,  and  labored  efficiently  sever, 
al  years  for  their  elevation. 

In  1853.,  Mr.  Coues  received  an  appointment  at  "Washing- 
ton, connected  with  the  Patent  Office.  His  health  failing, 
he  returned  to  Portsmouth  in  1866,  to  close  his  life,  sur. 
rounded  by  the  scenes  of  his  early  days.  He  might  not 
always  have  been  right  in  his  philosophy — he  might  not 
always  have  been  judicious  in  his  business  matters — but 
under  the  influence  of  a  strong  nervous  temperament,  his 
active  mind  had  a  keen  perception  of  the  beauties  and 
mysteries  of  nature,  and  the  ever  pervading  feeling  of 
philanthrophy  gave  a  living  vivacity  to  his  conversation,  in 
which  he  ever  exhibited  a  desire  to  make  those  around 
him  happy. 


248  RAMBLES    ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 


RAMBLE  CXXVIII. 

Seizure  of  .A.rm.s  and  Powder  at  Foi't  "William  and 
ZVLary  —  The  finale  of  Provincial  Government  in  Xew- 
Ilaixipsliire. 

The  seizure  of  arras  and  powder  at  Fort  "William  and 
Mary,  (now  Fort  Constitution)  in  Portsmouth  harbor,  was 
the  first  capture  made  by  the  Americans  in  the  war  of  the 
Revolution.  We  give  the  following  extracts  of  letters  of 
Gov.  John  Wentworth,  communicated  to  the  New  England 
Historical  and  Genealogical  Register  of  July,  I860,  by 
Hon.  John  Wentworth  of  Chicago. 

In  a  letter  to  the  Earl  of  Dartmouth,  dated  "  Portsmouth, 
20th  Dec.  1774,"  Gov.  Wentworth  says  : 

"  On  Tuesday,  the  13th  instant  in  the  afternoon,  one  Paul 
Revere  arrived  express  with  letters  from  some  of  the  leaders 
in  Boston  to  Mr.  Samuel  Cutts,  merchant  of  this  town. 
Reports  were  soon  circulated  that  the  Fort  at  Rhode  Island 
had  been  dismantled,  and  the  Gunpowder  and  other  military 
stores  removed  up  to  Providence,  and  an  Extract  of  the 
circular  letter  directing  the  seizure  of  gunpowder  was 
printed  in  a  Boston  Newspaper  of  the  12th  in  consequence, 
as  I  have  been  informed,  of  the  said  letters  having  been 
communicated  to  the  House  of  Assembly  at  Rhode  Island. 
And  it  was  also  falsely  given  out  that  Troops  were  embark- 
ing at  Boston  to  come  and  take  possession  of  William  and 
Mary  Castle  in  this  Harbour.  These  rumors  soon  raised 
an  alarm  in  the  town  ;  and,  although  I  did  not  expect  that 
the  people  would  be  so  audacious  as  to  make  any  attack  on 
the  castle,  yet  I  sent  orders  to  the  captain  at  the  Fort 
to  be  upon  his  guard. 

On  Wednesday,  the  14th,  about  12  o'clock,  news  was 
brought  to  me  that  a  Drum  was  beating  about  the  town  to 
collect  the  Populace  together  in  order  to  go  and  take  away 


SEIZURE   AT   FORT  WILLIAM  AND    MARY.  249 

the  Gunpowder  and  dismantle  the  Fort.  I  immediately 
sent  the  Chief  Justice  of  the  Province  to  warn  them  from 
engaging  in  such  an  attempt.  He  went  to  them,  where  they 
were  collected  in  the  centre  of  the  town,  near  the  town- 
house,  explained  to  them  the  nature  of  the  offence  they 
proposed  to  commit,  told  them  it  was  not  short  of  Rebellion, 
and  intreated  them  to  desist  from  it  and  disperse.  But  all 
to  no  purpose.  They  went  to  the  Island  ;  and,  being  joined 
there  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  towns  of  Newcastle  and 
Eye,  formed  in  all  a  body  of  about  four  hundred  men,  and 
the  Castle  being  in  too  weak  a  condition  for  defence,  (as  I 
have  in  former  letters  explained  to  your  Lordship,)  they 
forced  their  entrance,  in  spite  of  Captain  Cochrane,  who 
defended  it  as  long  as  he  could  ;  but,  having  only  the 
assistance  of  five  men,  their  numbers  overpowered  him. 
After  they  entered  the  Fort,  they  seized  upon  the  Captain, 
triumphantly  gave  three  Huzzas,  and  hauled  down  the 
King's  colours.  They  then  put  the  captain  and  men  under 
confinement,  broke  open  the  Gunpowder  magazine,  and 
carried  off  about  100  Barrels  of  Gunpowder,  but  discharged 
the  Captain  and  men  from  their  confinement  before  their 
departure. 

On  Thursday,  the  loth,  in  the  morning,  a  Party  of  men 
came  from  the  country  accompanied  by  Mr.  [Gen.  John] 
Sullivan,  one  of  the  New-Hampshire  Delegates  to  the  Con- 
gress, to  take  away  the  Cannon  from  the  Fort  also.  Mr. 
Sullivan  declared  that  he  had  taken  pains  to  prevail  upon 
them  to  return  home  again ;  and  said,  as  there  was  no 
certain  intelligence  of  troops  being  coming  to  take  pos- 
session of  the  Castle,  he  would  still  use  his  utmost  en- 
deavours to  disperse  them. 

While  the  town  was  thus  full  of  men,  a  committee  from 
them  came  to  me  to  solicit  for  pardon  or  a  suspension  of 
prosecution  against  the  persons  who  took  away  the  Gun- 
powder.    I  told  them  I  could  not  promise  them  any  such 
17 


250  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

thing;  but,  if  they  dispersed  and  restored  the  Gunpowder, 
which  I  earnestly  exhorted  them  to  do,  I  said  I  hoped  His 
Majesty  may  be  thereby  induced  to  consider  it  an  allevi. 
ation  of  the  offence.  They  parted  from  me,  in  all  appear- 
ance, perfectly  disposed  to  follow  the  advice  I  had  given 
them;  and  having  proceeded  directly  to  the  rest  of  their 
associates,  they  all  publicity  voted,  about  five  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  near  the  Town  House,  to  return  home ; 
which  it  was  thought  they  would  have  done,  and  it  also  was 
farther  expected  that  the  gunpowder  would  have  been 
restored  by  the  morning. 

But  the  people,  instead  of  dispersing,  went  to  the  Castle 
in  the  night,  headed  by  Mr.  Sullivan,  and  took  away  sixteen 
pieces  of  cannon,  about  sixty  muskets  and  other  military 
stores,  and  brought  them  to  the  out  Borders  of  the  town. 

On  Friday  morning,  the  16th,  Mr.  Folsom,*  the  other 
delegate,  came  to  town  that  morning,  with  a  great  number 
of  armed  men,  who  remained  in  Town  as  a  guard  till  the 
flow  of  the  tide  in  the  evening  when  the  cannon  were  sent 
in  Gondolas  up  the  River  into  the  country,  and  they  all 
dispersed  without  having  done  any  personal  injury  to  any 
body  in  the  town. 

They  threatened  to  return  "again  in  order  to  dismantle 
the  fort  entirely,  and  to  carry  off  or  destroy  the  remaining 
heavy  cannon,  (about  seventy  pieces,  and  also  to  seize  upon 
the  Province  Treasury,  all  of  which  there  was  reasonable 
ground  to  fear  they  would  do,  after  what  they  had  already 
done;  but,  on  the  Gunpowder's  being  taken  away,  I  wrote 
to  General  Gage  and  Admiral  Graves  for  assistance  to 
restrain  the  boisterous  temper  of  the  people ;  upon  which 
the  Admiral  ordered  the  armed  ships  Canceaux  and  Scar- 
borough here,  and  they  arrived  (the  former  the  17th  and 
the  latter  on  the  19th)  in  time  to  prevent  the  further 
dismantling  of  the  fort." 

'.Nathaniel. 


FINALE   OF   PROVINCIAL   GOVERNMENT  IN  N.  H.  251 

Further  on,  Gov.  Wentworth  says  the  government  has  no 

power  to  bring  the  offenders  to  punishment. 

No  jail  would  hold  them  long  and  no  jury  would  find 
them  guilty ;  for,  by  the  false  alarm  that  has  been  raised 
throughout  the  country,  it  is  considered  by  the  weak  and 
ignorant,  who  have  the  rule  in  these  times,  an  act  of  self- 
preservation. 

Again  he  says : 

I  tried  to  dissuade  them  by  the  civil  authority,  sheriff, 
magistrate,  &c,  and  did  all  I  could  to  get  the  militia  raised, 
but  to  no  purpose. 

He  had  assembled  the  Council  at  the  beginning  of  the 
tumult,  but  it  was  of  no  avail.  In  his  letter  to  Lord 
Dartmouth,  dated  28th  December,  1774,  he  says  : 

It  is  with  the  greatest  concern  I  perceive  the  unlimited 
influence  that  the  popular  leaders  in  Boston  obtain  in  this 
Province,  especially  since  the  outrage  of  the  14th  instant. 
Insomuch,  that  I  think  the  people  here  are  disposed  to 
attempt  any  measure  required  by  those  few  men ;  and,  in 
consequence  thereof,  are  arming  and  exercising  men  as  if 
for  an  immediate  war. 

In  a  letter  to  George  Irving,  Esq.,  dated  Portsmouth, 

5  January,  1775,  referring  to  the  14th  December,  when  the 

Castle  was  seized,  he  says  : 

The  powers  of  magistracy  have  been  faithfully  and  re- 
peatedly tried.  Governor,  Council,  Chief  Justice,  Sheriff 
and  Justices  of  the  Peace  personally  appeared ;  Procla- 
mation made  according  to  law  for  all  to  desist  and  disperse  ; 
the  militia  ordered  out ;  drums  beat,  &c. ;  yet  all  to  no 
avail.  Not  one  appeared  to  assist  in  executing  the  law. 
And  it  was  impossible  for  me,  with  four  councillors,  two 
Justices,  one  sheriff,  Mr.  MacDonough  and  Mr.  Benning* 
Wentworth,  to  subdue  such  multitudes,  for  not  one  other 
man  would  come  forth.  Not  even  the  Revenue  officers. 
All  chose  to  shrink  in  safety  from  the  storm  and  suffered 

*This  Benning  Wentworth  was  son  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Deering)  Wentworth,  a 
brother  to  Gov.  John  Wentworth'a  wife.  He  was  born  at  boston  loth  .March,  1757,  graduated 
at  .-Oxford,  England,  and  died  at  Halifax,  18  Feb.  1805,  whilst  secietary  to  Gov.  'Wentworth. 
lie  has  uo  descendants  living  iu  the  male  line. 


252  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

me  to  remain  exposed   to    the  folly   and   madness    of  an 

enraged  multitude,  daily  and  hourly  increasing  in  numbers 
and  delusion. 

He  says  Captain  Cochran  and  his  five  men  defended 

A  ruinous  Castle  with  the  walls  in  mauy  places  down,  at 
length  knocked  down,  their  arms  broken  and  taken  from 
them  by  above  one  hundred  to  one,  the  Captain  was  con- 
fined and  at  last  would  not  nor  did  not  give  up  the  keys 
notwithstanding  every  menace  they  could  invent;  finally 
they  broke  the  doors  with  axes  and  crowbars. 

In  a  letter  to  General  Gage,  dated  "Fort  William  and 
Mary,  15  June  1775,"  he  says — 

The   ferment   in    this   province  has  become   very 

general,  and  the  government  hath  been  very  much  agitated 
and  disturbed  since  the  affair  of  the  19th  of  April  last. 
Two  thousand  men  are  already  enlisted,  two-thirds  of  whom 
I  am  informed  are  destined  to  join  the  insurgents  in  your 
province,  and  the  remainder  are  to  be  stationed  along  the 
coast  in  different  parts  between  Portsmouth  and  Newbury. 

The  spirit  of  outrage  runs  so  high  that  on  Tuesday  last 
my  house  was  beset  by  great  bodies  of  armed  men  who 
proceeded  to  such  a  length  of  violence  as  to  bring  a 
cannon  directly  before  my  house,  and  point  it  at  my  door, 
threatening  fire  and  destruction  unless  Mr.  Fenton,  (a 
member  of  the  assembly  then  sitting,)  who  happened  to  call 
upon  me,  and  against  whom  they  had  taken  up  such 
resentment  as  occasioned  him  some  days  before  to  retire 
on  board  the  man-of-war  in  the  Harbour  out  of  their  way, 
should  instantly  deliver  himself  up  to  them,  and  notwith- 
standing every  effort  to  procure  effectual  assistance  to 
disperse  the  multitude,  Mr.  Fenton  was  obliged  to  sur- 
render himself  and  they  have  carried  him  to  Exeter  about 
fifteen  miles  from  Portsmouth  where  he  is,  as  I  am  in- 
formed, kept  in  confinement. 

Seeing  every  idea  of  the  respect  due  to  his  Majesty's 
Commission  so  for  lost  in  the  frantic  rage  and  fury  of  the 
people  as  to  find  them  to  proceed  to  such  daring  violence 
against  the  Person  of  his  Representative,  I  found  myself 
under  the  necessity  of  immediately  withdrawing  to  Fort 
Williain  and  Mary,  both  to  prevent  as  much  as  may  be  a 


FINALE   OF   PROVINCIAL   GOVERNMENT   IN   N.    H.  253 

Repetition  of  the  like  insults  and  to  provide  for  my  own 
security. 

I  think  it  exceedingly  for  the  king's  service  to  remain  as 
long  as  possible  at  the  Fort,  where  I  now  am  with  my 
Family  in  a  small  incommodious  House  without  any  other 
prospect  of  safety,  if  the  prevailing  madness  of  the  people 
should  follow  me  hither,  than  the  hope  of  retreating  on 
board  his  Majesty's  ship  Scarborough,  if  it  should  be  in 
my  power.  This  fort,  although  containing  upwards  of 
sixty  pieces  Cannon,  is  without  men  or  ammunition. 

In  a  letter  to  Paul  Wentworth,*  dated  at  Fort  William 

and  Mary  29  June,  1775,  he  says  : 

Admiral  Graves  has  sent  a  transport  under  convoy  of 
the  Falcon,  sloop-ofwar,  and  entirely  dismantled  this  un- 
p-arrisoned  Castle  of  all  the  ordinance,  stores,  <fcc. 

Besides  the  inconvenience  of  being  crowded  into  this 
miserable  house,  confined  for  room  and  neither  wind  or 
water  tight,  I  am  inevitably  obliged  to  incur  some  extra 
expense  for  my  safety  and  existence  even  here.  Being  of 
necessity  compelled  to  make  some  small  repairs  to  render 
it  habitable  and  to  employ  six  men  as  watches  to  prevent 
my  being  surprised  and  made  prisoner.  These,  with  my 
three  servants,  and  Mr.  Benning  Wentworth,  and  Captain 
Cochran  are  divided  into  three  guards  of  four  hours  each ; 
by  Which  means  I  have  some  security  of  getting  on  board 
the  Scarborough.  The  six  men  are  at  the  expence  of 
Twelve  dollars  per  month  each,  including  their  dieting, 
allowance  of  Rum,  &c. ;  under  which  expence  no  trusty 
man  can  possibly  be  had  for  so  unpopular  a  service  in  this 
time  of  general  opposition  to  Government.  The  repairs 
will  not  exceed  fifty  guineas. 

In  a  letter  to  Lord  Dartmouth,  dated  at  Fort  William 
and  Mary,  17  July,  1775,  he  says:  "  From  five  to  eight 
men  have  been  usually  kept  in  this  Fort  in  time  of  Peace." 

The  latest  letters  dating  from  Fort  William  and  Mary 
are  those  addressed,  17  August,  1775,  to  Hon.  Theo.  Atkin- 


e  This  Paul  'Wentworth  was  a  native  r.f  one  of  the  West  India  Islands;  but  had  passed 
sometime   at  Portsmouth,   N.    11.      He  was  agent  for  the  Province  of  Ko#  Hampshire'  at 

London,  and  had  been  appointed  a  councillor  whil>t  at  London,  but  had  not  returned  to  be 
suoin  in  w  h  n  the  revolution  broke  out.  Dartmouth  confened  the  drgieeof  L.  L.  I), 
upon  him  in  1789.    He  died  at  Surinam  in  December,  1793. 


254  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

son,  of  Portsmouth  N.  H. ;  and   18  August,  1775,  to  the 
Earl  Dartmouth,  London. 

In  Sept.  1775,  from  the  Isle  of  Shoals,  he  dates  his  last 
official  paper  in  New-Hampshire,  proroguing  the  General 
Assembly,  which  was  to  meet  that  month,  to  the  next  April. 


EAMBLE     CXXIX. 

The    Navy    Yard. 


Our  Navy  Yard  is  now  so  completely  a  work  of  art,  that 
it  has  almost  gone  out  of  mind  as  a  work  of  nature ;  the 
days  of  its  youth  are  forgotten,  or  remembered  only  by  a 
few,  and  those  few  not  sufficiently  interested  to  snatch 
from  oblivion  the  record  of  those  early  days. 

The  Navy  Yard  Island,  containing  about  sixty  acres, 
formerly  called  Fernald's  Island,  was  up  to  the  present 
century  used  for  farming  and  drying  fish,  and  had  but  one 
house  upon  it.  In  180G  it  was  purchased  by  the  United 
States  of  Capt.  William  Dennett,  for  $5,500,  for  the  estab* 
lishment  of  a  Navy  Yard.  A  lady  who  has  recollections 
of  the  island  in  past  years,  has  kindly  aided  us  in  a  Ramble, 
by  the  following  interesting  sketch  of  her  recollections. 

My  recollections  of  it  date  from  the  early  years  of  its 
establishment  as  a  naval  post,  when  most  of  it  was  still  in 
a  wild  state ;  and  Ave,  children,  could  gather  wild  straw- 
berries and  black  berries,  bouquets  of  violets  and  white 
everlasting,  and  branches  of  the  glossy-leaved,  fragrant 
bay  berry,  on  every  hill  and  in  every  hollow.  But  years 
have  brought  strange  changes  !  Now  it  has  become  almost 
a  regular  fortification  ;  not  a  furlong  of  its  natural  shore, 
or  a  rod  of  its  original  surface,  is  to  be  found. 

Years  ago  destiny  removed  me  from  the  spot — -but  I  still 


THE   NAVY   YARD.  255 

cling  to  it.  Occasionally,  of  a  summer,  I  go,  for  a  day,  to 
look  with  bodily  eyes  upon  that  "  greenest  spot  in  mem- 
ory's waste  ;"  but  it  is  like  visiting  the  grave  of  one  long 
dead,  whose  quiet  resting  place  it  is  hard  to  find.  Busy, 
ambitious  life  starts  out  upon  me  from  all  the  old  quiet  places 
where  once  we  could  dream  for  hours  undisturbed  ;  the 
fine  brick  quarters  of  the  officers  stand  where  once  was 
"  our  wild  strawberry  patch ;"  the  "  old  house  "  on  the 
hill,  as  we  ascended  from  where  the  landing  now  is,  con- 
taining two  tenements  under  one  roof,  (and  occupied,  as 
necessity  required,  by  the  lieutenant,  surgeon,  sailing  mas- 
ter, or  naval  storekeeper,)  has  disappeared,  and  the  hill 
along  with  it,  from  the  surface  of  the  earth.  -  It  stood 
about  where  the  steps  now  descend  the  declivity  in  the 
basin  of  which  is  the  Dry  Dock  ;  and  just  beyond  the 
house,  on  the  summit  of  the  hill,  was  a  flag- staff  within  a 
hexagon  or  octagon  shaped  enclosure,  built  of  timber,  with 
embrasures  for  cannon  in  time  of  need,  though  no  cannon 
were  in  it  then. 

Behind  the  old  ship  house,  (which  for  half  a  century 
sheltered  the  well  seasoned  Alabama,)  just  on  the  wa- 
ter's edge,  were  two  small,  white-washed,  one-story  houses, 
honored  with  the  name  of  barracks,  and  occupied  by  a 
sergeant  and  .a  small  detachment  of  marines.  And  between 
these  barracks  and  the  blacksmith's  shop  was  an- old  yellow, 
two-storied,  frame  house,  used  as  the  sailor's  lodge:  the 
spot  now  occupied  by  the  brick  lodge  being  then  a  grassy 
hollow,  containing  a  solitary  well,  where  occasionally  the 
marines  came  to  wash  and  spread  out  their  linen  to  dry. 

But  all  this  is  with  the  past,  and  now  I  look  around  and 
feel  bewildered  by  the  change  that  has  taken  place.  The 
old  elm  in  the  enclosure  around  the  Commodore's  house  is 
the  only  object  that  looks  familiar — the  only  old  land  mark 
remaining  unchanged — the  original  proprietor  of  the  soil, 
whose  claims  are  better  grounded  and  of  earlier  date  than 


256  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

Uncle  Sam's.  The  house  itself  is  an  old  land  mark,  but  it 
lias  been  frequently  altered  and  repaired,  till  it  can  hardly 
be  called  the  same.  The  most  striking  feature  of  its  interior 
used  to  be  the  paper  on  the  walls  of  the  two  front  rooms. 
That  on  the  eastern  room,  represented  a  mingling  of  smoke 
and  carnage  on  a  field  of  battle — soldiers  in  scarlet  and 
blue  uniforms,  wounded  and  dead,  prostrate  upon  the 
ground  or  borne  upon  litters,  falling  from  their  horses  or 
trampled  under  foot  by  them.  These  figures  were  a  foot 
in  length,  and  the  horses  were  the  size  of  cats.  I  never 
felt  happy  in  that  room — in  turning  the  eyes  from  one 
scene  of  horror  they  fell  upon  another;  but  in  the  western 
room  it  was  different.  There  the  walls  were  covered  with 
a  series  of  sketches  from  Italian  scenery,  (with  trees  the 
height  of  the  room,)  representing  ladies,  accompanied  by 
gaily  dressed  cavaliers,  stepping  from  marble  palaces  into 
waiting  gondolas,  or  leaning  over  richly  decorated  balco- 
nies ;  public  marts,  where  were  collected  groups  in  all  the 
gay  costumes  of  the  Levant ;  marble  fountains,  from  which 
handsome  peasant  girls  were  bearing  away  pitchers  and 
jars  of  water;  and  lazy  looking  men,  lounging  among  grass- 
grown  ruins,  playing  upon  musical  instruments  ;  while  a 
group  of  both  sexes  were  dnncing.  We  never  tired  of 
looking  at  these  scenes,  and  never  thought  whether  there 
was  furniture  in  the  room  or  not.  Such  paper  must  have 
been  designed  as  a  substitute  for  furniture. 

The  house  now  used  as  a  hospital  is  an  old  landmark, 
but  is  too  shabby  to  be  recognized  as  an  acquaintance 
by  those  who  knew  it  in  better  days,  with  its  well  kept 
though  not  handsome  exterior,  its  highly  cultivated  gar- 
den sloping  to  the  very  water's  edge,  and  when  comfort 
and  profuse  hospitality  reigned  within.  Like  many  a  human 
being,  it  has  fallen,  after  a  long  and  useful  life,  into  a 
shabby  and  neglected  old  age. 

In  those  davs   we  had  no  bridges   connecting  us  wifeh 


THE  NAVY  YARD.  257 

Jenkins'  (now  Bridge's)  Island  to  the  south  and  the  main 
land  to  the  north,  and  making  the  Yard  a  highway  for  the 
multitude.  We  were  a  little  world  to  ourselves,  and  daily 
sent  our  greeting  to  the  neighboring  town  and  islands 
through  the  mouth  of  our  sun-set  gun.  This  greeting  is 
no  longer  necessary,  because  the  bridges  have  made  the 
Navy  Yard  a  sort  of  continuation  of  Portsmouth  and 
Kittery,  which  is  doubtless  a  great  advantage  to  all ;  but  I 
have  less  sympathy  with  its  present  diffusive  and  elaborate 
state,  than  with  its  former  simplicity  and  isolation. 

The  portion  of  the  island  now  occupied  by  the  marine 
barrack  and  parade  ground  was  then  a  tolerably  high  hill, 
rising  abruptly  from  the  shore  on  the  south-eastern  side,  and 
terminated  on  the  top  by  the  powder  house,  built  of  rough 
stones,  white-washed,  and  with  a  conical  roof.  On  this  hill 
we  played,  in  sun  and  rain,  summer  after  summer ;  on  this 
hill  we  used  to  kill  quantities  of  snakes,  trying  to  make  it 
rain  (as  we  had  been  told  we  could) ;  to  the  top  of  this  hill 
we  ran  to  get  a  view  of  the  neighboring  main  land,  with  its 
two  little  straggling  villages  of  Kittery  Point  and  Foreside. 
But  suddenly  there  came  an  order  from  Government  to 
to  build  a  new  barrack,  and  this  hill  was  selected  for  the 
site.  The  powder-house  was  to  be  removed,  and  one  half  of 
the  elevation  to  be  levelled  for  a  parade  ground.  I  was  not 
sorry  to  have  the  powder-house  taken  away,  for  it  wa3  the 
eause  of  some  of  the  most  cheerless  days  of  my  childhood, 
those  days  when  early  after  breakfast  came  an  order  from 
the  commandant  "  to  put  all  fires  out,"  because  powder 
was  to  be  removed,  and  all  the  houses  which  it  was  to  pass 
must  be  tireless,  lest  a  chance  spark  (almost  an  impossi- 
bility) should  fall  among  the  kegs  or  canisters  as  they 
were  carted  by.  And  there  we  sat  shivering,  wrapped 
in  cloaks  and  shawls,  (in  mid-winter,)  until  such  time  as  the 
transportation  was  over,  and  we  could  renew  the  fires,  doff 
out-of-door  garments,  and  make  an  evening  of  unusual  glow 


258  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

and  warmth  compensate  for  a  day  of  gloom  and  chill.  I 
was  glad  to  have  the  recurrence  of  these  days  put  an  end  to, 
but  I  was  sorry  to  have  the  hili,  our  favorite  play-ground, 
taken  from  us.  And  now  I  watched  each  day  the  move- 
ments of  the  prisoner  soldiers  as  they  worked  at  the  level- 
ling of  the  parade  ground,  with  a  long  iron  chain  fastened 
to  their  waist,  to  which  was  attached  a  heavy  iron  ball, 
which  they  had  to  lift  and  carry  wherever  they  went  and 
whichever  way  they  turned.  This  was  the  punishment,  then, 
for  all  attempts  at  deserting.  They  seemed  cheerful  enough, 
laughing  and  talking  among  themselves;  but  I  could 
not  help  pitying  them,  as  I  watched  them  through  a  whole 
summer,  working  with  shovel,  pick  axe  and  wheelbarrow, 
in  the  hot  sun,  with  that  ball  and  chain,  and  I  freely  forgave 
them  for  digging  up  and  wheeling  off  the  soil  which  had 
been  a  little  world  to  us. 


RAMBLE     CXXX. 


Capt.  Daniel  ITernald  —  Residence  —  Ownership  of  the 
Navy  Yard  —  War  Adventures  —  Diddling  the  Spencer 
74  —  Putting  a  British  Irrigate  on  the  rocks. 

A  few  rods  west  of  the  South  Ward  Room,  on  the  comer 
of  Manning  and  Howard  streets,  stands  an  old  gambrel-roofed 
house,  which  numbers  almost  as  many  years  as  the  old 
Church  itself  which  was  removed  from  the  spot  in  1865. 
It  was  in  a  central  part  of  the  town  when  it  was  built, 
and  the  elevated  position  it  then  occupied  must  have 
made  it  a  desirable  residence.  It  was  built  by  Capt. 
Samuel  Frost,  who  died  before  the  recollection  of  the 
late  occupant,  the  venerable  Capt.  Daniel  Fernald,  the 
oldest  person  in  Portsmouth  at  the  time  of  his  death,  which 


CAPT.   DANIEL   FERNALD.  259 

occurred   March   7,   1SG6,  at  the  age  of  98  years  3  1-2 
months. 

About  the  time  of  the  close  of  the  Revolution  the  house 
was  owned  by  Capt.  Nichols,  a  merchant,  brother  of  Nathan 
Nichols  who  occupied  the  Gardner  house,  and  of  Ichabod, 
who  at  the  same  time  occupied  the  Buckminister  house. 
Nathan  and  family  occupied  the  southern  half  of  this  house, 
and  his  mother  and  a  maiden  sister  occupied  the  end  on 
Howard  street.  Rev.  Dr.  Nichols  of  Portland  was  a  son 
of  Nathan. 

In  1788,  Capt.  Daniel  Fernald  married  a  daughter  of 
Samuel  Nichols,  and  became  an  occupant  of  this  house,  half 
of  which  he  purchased,  and  the  other_half  became  his  wife's 
by  inheritance. 

We  called  on  the  old  gentleman  a  few  years  before  his 
death.  He  was  feeble,  and  his  hearing  somewhat  impaired, 
but  he  was  as  warm-hearted,  and  his  recollection  of  early 
events  as  good  as  ever.  The  events  of  the  day  he  was  also 
able  to  keep  in  mind :  for  he  told  us  he  had  attended 
church  a  few  weeks  previous  and  listened  to  his  good 
pastor,  Dr.  Peabody.  To  the  inquiry  what  did  he  preach 
about?  he  readily  responded,  "about  Mary  and  Martha, 
aud  the  one  thing  needful.  I  could  not  hear  all  he  said, 
but  was  able  to  spell  out  much  of  it."  How  few 
church  attendants  there  are  who  are  able  to  repeat  a 
text  a  fortnight  after  listening  to  a  sermon. 

He  showed  us  his  old  long  lost  family  record,  which  had 
recently  been  found,  written  on  the  leaf  of  an  old  bible, 
and  wafered  to  the  cover.  By  it  we  learn  that  his  father 
was  George  Fernald,  who  was  born  on  the  Island  now  the 
Navy  Yard,  in  1724,  and  was  married  in  17G1  to  Anna 
Leach,  born  in  171-1.  He  was  a  regular  descendant  of  Dr. 
Reginald  Fernald,  who  was  one  of  the  first  emigrants  to 
New  Hampshire. 

The  island  was  a  family  inheritance,  and  would  now  be 


260  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

the  property  of  Capt.  Daniel  Fernald,  had  not  the  right  of 
primogeniture  been  abolished  by  the  laws  of  Maine.  The  old 
gentleman  informed  us  that  at  the  time  the  United  States  pur- 
chased the  island,  in  1806,  (when  it  was  purchased  of  Capt. 
Wm.  Dennett  for  $5,500,)  lawyer  Mason  searched  the  records 
ta  Alfred,  Maine,  for  the  title.  He  found  by  the  records  that 
the  island  was  to  descend  to  the  oldest  male  heir  from  gen- 
eration to  generation,  "  so  long  as  the  grass  grows  and  the 
waters  run."  Had  not  the  laws  of  Maine  annulled  all  entail- 
ments, Mr.  Mason  said  he  could  put  Capt.  Fernald  in  pos- 
session of  the  island  at  the  time  for  not  more  than  ten 
dollars  expense.  He  looks  with  some  interest  yet  upon  the 
yard,  for  one  of  those  great  ship  houses  is  Greeted  over 
the  grave  of  his  father  and  family.  Dr.  Reginald  Fernald, 
the  original  proprietor,  says  he  was  buried  near  the  Brown 
place,  on  the  main  land  near  the  Navy  Yard. 

When  a  young  man,  Capt.  Daniel  Fernald  participated  in 
the  Revolutionary  War,  and  also  in  the  war  of  1812. 
He  was  ever  a  kind-hearted,  humble  man,  and  was 
treated  with  respect  by  every  one.  In  the  war  of  1812  he 
was  in  command  of  the  schooner  Sally,  a  coaster,  and  might 
sometimes  take  a  freight  to  Boston,  and  at  others  down  east , 
It  was  in  the  dangerous  days  of  that  War,  when  the  British 
men-of-war  were  off  our  coast,  and  sometimes  in  sight  from 
the  land,  that  Capt.  Fernaldlook  on  board  at  Portland  two 
24-pound  cannons  needed  at  our  Navy  Yard,  and  13,000 
lbs.  of  powder,  [130  kegs  of  100  lbs.]— 100  boarding  pikes 
and  cutlasses.  The  guns  were  placed  in  the  keelson,  and 
the  kegs  of  powder  around  them.  He  then  heaped  spruce 
wood  around  them,  and  piled  some  cords  on  deck  over  the 
hatchways.  With  a  speed  far  inferior  to  steam  he  left 
Portland  for  our  harbor.  Off  Saco  he  was  becalmed.  The 
British  74  Spencer  hove  in  sight.  A  tender  commanded 
by  a  lieutenant  was  soon  sent  alongside.  After  inquiring, 
"Where    from?" —  Portland.      '-'Where  bound?"  — Ports- 


PUTTING   A   BRITISH   FRIGATE    ON   THE   ROCKS.  261 

mouth.  "What  is  your  cargo?" — Firewood — the  Lieu- 
tenant not  satisfied,  ordered  his  men  to  remove  the  wood 
from  the  hatch,  and  see  what  was  in  the  hold.  They 
worked  until  tired,  and  when  within  one  tier  of  the  guns 
left  the  job,  reporting  that  there  was  nothing  but  wood  on 
deck  and  in  the  hold ;  and  as  the  Captain  appeared  so  inof- 
fensive, the  lieutenant,  whose  name  was  Robert  Lashley, 
concluded  to  let  the  Sally  pass. 

The  sailors  were  in  favor  of  making  her  a  prize.  Why, 
said  the  lieutenant  it  would  cost  just  as  much  to  condemn 
this  poor  man's  wood  craft  as  it  would  a  large  ship,  and 
your  prize  money  would  not  amount  to  a  penny  apiece. 
So  saying  they  gave  him  up  his  papers,  told  him  the  way 
they  had  piled  his  wood  was  too  heavy  for  the  bows,  and 
he  had  better  right  it,  and  left  the  Sally  "  a  bone  prize  for 
John  Bull,"  said  Capt.  Fernald,    "if  he  had  but  known  it." 

The  interview  was  seen,  and  news  reached  Commodore 
Hull  at  the  Portsmouth  Navy  Yard  that  the  vessel  was 
captured  by  the  Spencer,  and  the  guns  and  powder  were  of 
course  supposed  to  have  "  gone  off."  But  ere  long  the 
Sally,  slow  and  sure,  appeared  below,  and  the  surprised 
Commodore  speedily  sent  down  his  boats  to  tow  her  up  to 
the  Navy  Yard,  where,  after  the  other  wood  was  removed, 
the  "  big  logs"  and  "  kindlings"  were  rolled  out.  The 
Captain  tells  of  this  escape  with  much  satisfaction. 

On  another  occasion,  when  preparations  were  making  for 
building  the  Washington  74  at  our  Navy  Yard,  Captain 
Fernald  was  sent  to  Portland  for  a  load  of  timber,  &c.  He 
took  on  board  48  knees  and  the  breast  hook  of  the  74,  the 
knees  hanging  over  the  sides  of  the  vessel.  He  pursued 
his  course  as  near  shore  as  practicable,  being  well  ac- 
quainted with  the  whole  coast.  He  was  discovered,  how- 
ever, by  the  British  frigate  Tenados,  and  seeing  his  cargo, 
determined  to  make  the  Sally  a  prize.  They  Avere  ap- 
proaching   Wood   Island,    and    Captain  Fernald  took  his 


202  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

course  so  near  shore  that  liis  men  cautioned  him  that  lie 
"was  among  the  kelp.  No  matter,  says  the  Captain,  throw 
over  a  few  of  the  knees,  and  we  will  bring  all  up  right 
directly.  Four  of  the  knees  were  thrown  over,  and  on 
the  Sally  sailed  between  the  rocks,  while  all  of  a  sudden 
the  frigate  was  resting  upon  them,  and  became  a  fixture  ! 
The  exasperated  Commodore  ordered  two  18-pounders  to 
be  discharged,  to  blow  the  Sally  to  pieces.  The  balls 
however  did  not  hit,  but  one  of  them  struck  upon  the  rocks 
on  shore,'  and  after  he  made  himself  safe,  Captain  Fernald 
went  on  shore  and  found  it.  The  frigate  laid  on  the  rocks 
until  the  rising  of  the  tide  enabled  her  to  back  off,  leaving 
the  Sally  the  victor.  When  the  Sally  came  in,  Commodore 
Hull  inquired  whether  she  had  been  fired  upon.  Capt. 
Fernald  replied  in  the  affirmative,  presenting  the  18-pound 
ball  to  the  Commodore  as  a  token. 

Commodore  Hull  replied,  "  You  are  a  good  fellow,  you 
stand  fire  well — go  up  to  the  Yard  and  we  will  unload  you." 
Some  years  after  the  peace,  Capt.  Fernald  fell  in  with  a 
British  tar,  who  was  on  board  the  frigate  at  the  time.  He 
said  the  Tenados  was  so  much  injured  on  our  ooast  that 
she  leaked  badly,  and  was  compelled  to  return  immediately 
to  Halifax  and  re-copper. 

Other  of  the  old  gentleman's  recollections  have  been 
given  in  previous  Rambles. 


RAMBLE   CXXXI. 


Shapley's      Island  —  Small    IPox      Parties  —  Incidents     and 

Pastimes. 

Before  the  introduction  of  vaccination  for  the  kine  pox, 
which  was  not  discovered  until  just  before  the  close  of  the 
last  century,  all  who  wished  to  be  secure  from  taking  the 


shapley's  island.  2G3 

small  pox  in  the  natural  way,  were  vaccinated  for  it,  and 
withdrew  for  three  or  four  weeks  from  intercourse  with  the 
world.  We  have  before  us  a  letter  in  the  hand-writing  of 
Doctor  Hall  Jackson,  dated  at  the  Essex  Hospital,  Dec.  17, 
1773,  at  which  time  he  was  a  small  pox  patient.  It  was  on 
his  return  that  arrangements  were  made  for  "  a  general  in- 
occulation  in  Portsmouth."  From  that  time  up  to  1797, 
Shapleigh's  Island,  in  this  harbor,  was  used  as  the  "  Pest 
Island,"  and  every  few  years  parties  went  there  to  have  the 
small  pox. 

These  small-pox  parties  were  frequently  made  social  gath- 
erings— there  were  more  who  spent  a  summer  month  in 
this  way  than  at  the  watering  places ;  they  had  one  advan- 
tage over  the  latter  amusement,  for  as  they  could  but  once 
be  of  such  a  party,  it  remained  a  novelty  through  life. 

We  have  before  us  a  letter  from  Joseph  Barrell,  a  mer- 
chant of  Boston,  dated  July  8,  1776,  addressed  to  Col. 
Joshua  Went  worth,  of  Portsmouth,  in  which  is  this  post- 
script : — 

"Mr   Stnrer  has  invited  Mrs.  Martin  to  take  the  small  pox  at  his  house:  if  Mrs.  Went- 
worth  desires  to  {jet  rid  of  her  fears  in  the  same  way,  we  will  accommodate  her  in  the  best 
way  we  can.     I've  several  friends  that  I've  iuvited,  and  none  of  them  will  be  more  welcoma 
han  Mrs.  W." 

What  a  subject  for  so  courteous  an  invitation  !  We  will 
adopt  for  this  Ramble  the  following  interesting  communi- 
cation from  Mr.  Bowles  on  this  subject. 

There  is  a  passage  in  the  history  of  Portsmouth,  at  the 
close  of  the  last  century,  to  which  I  have  never  seen  any 
allusion  in  print,  that  is,  I  think,  worth  preservation  from 
being  entirely  forgotten  ;  at  least  so  far  as  it  may  be  done 
in  the  columns  of  a  newspaper.  I  refer  to  the  time  when 
in  the  months  of  May  and  June,  1797,  the  young  ladies  and 
young  gentlemen  went  to  Shapleigh's  Island  to  receive 
vaccination  for  the  small-pox.  There  are  but  few  living, 
who,  from  personal  recollection  can  recall  the  event,  but 
others,  of  a  later  generation,  still  retain  much  that  was  re- 
lated to  them  in  former  years,  by  those  who  were  partici- 
pants in  it. 


2G4  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

That  little  green  isle  in  the  Piscataqua,  whose  still  life, 
at  the  present  day,  is  disturbed  only  by  its  few  inhabitants, 
and  the  travel  to  and  from  Newcastle  was  for  the  time  a 
scene  of  great  animatiou.  The  flower  of  the  youth  and 
beauty  of  Portsmouth  were  congregated  there,  and  as  noth- 
ing more  unpleasant  was  experienced  than  the  ordinary 
results  from  vaccination,  a  majority  of  them  were  perfectly 
well,  and  remembered  the  affair  as  little  else  than  a  holiday 
festival  of  the  gayest  description. 

A  gentleman  of  Portsmouth,  still  in  the  full  vigor  of  life, 
with  whom  I  conversed  recently  upon  the  subject,  recol- 
lects the  pleasure  he  enjoyed  in  watching  their  sports,  by 
the  aid  of  a  spy-glass  from  the  roof  of  his  father's  residence 
in  Buck  (now  State)  street.  One  of  the  party  then  in  her 
17th  year,  often  said  to  me,  in  her  maturer  years,  that 
those  were  among  the  very  happiest  days  of  her  whole  life. 
There  was  about  an  equal  proportion  of  both  sexes,  and  as 
most  of  them  had  arrived  at  an  age  to  understand  that  or- 
der of  animal  magnetism  referred  to  in  Genesis  xxix.  :  20, 
the  little  knight  of  the  bow  and  arrows,  with  the  benevolent 
idea,  doubtless,  of  giving  them  something  to  occupy  their 
time  during  a  season  of  so  much  leisure,  made  himself  par- 
ticularly busy  among  them.  A  greater  amount  of  that 
species  of  amusement  known  as  "love-making,"  was, 
probably,  never  concentrated  within  a  briefer  space  or 
more  limited  period.  While  some  of  it  lasted  out  a  life- 
time, the  larger  proportion,  tradition  says,  was  of  the 
ephemeral  kind  that  some  crusty  bachelor,  who  probably 
never  knew  anything  from  experience  of  "  the  tender 
passion,  "  has  termed  "  puppy-love,  "  and  did  not  long  sur- 
vive the  change  from  sea*air  to  the  atmosphere  of  the 
metropolis;  still,  it  was  a  very  harmless  pastime,  and 
furnished  a  theme  for  many  a  pleasant  thought  and 
enlivening  Ghat  in  after  years. 

The  following  reminiscences,  that  have  survived  through 


SMALL    POX   PARTIES.  2G5 

a  period  of  more  than  three  score  years,  will  give  some  idea 
of  a  season  that  left  so  agreeable  an  impression  of  itself 
upon  the  young  of  a  past  generation. 

Among  the  evening  enjoyments,  candy-parties  were 
highly  popular  ;  occurring,  by  turns,  at  the  different  dwell- 
ings where  the  patients  were  quartered.  A  ludicrous  affair 
happened  at  one  of  these  saccharine  gatherings,  that  was 
long  remembered.  Afresh  supply  of  molasses  had  been 
procured  from  town,  which  unfortunately  proved  of  an 
obstinate  quality,  still  to  be  found,  that  cannot  be  induced 
to  boil  into  candy.  It  came  off  the  fire  but  little  thicker 
than  it  Avent  on,  and  was  turned  into  a  gallon  punch  bowl, 
which  it  nearly  filled,  and  placed  upon  a  bench  in  the  yard 
to  cool.  A  brother  of  the  young  lad}1-  who  placed  it  there, 
by  way  of  a  joke  removed  it  a  short  distance  to  a  position 
directly  under  the  eaves  of  a  shed,  where  it  had  remained 
scarcely  a  minute,  being  still  in  a  liquid  state,  when 
the  family  cat,  returning  from  an  evening  walk,  leaped  head 
foremost  into  the  bowl,  and  the  next  instant  came  bounding 
into  the  house,  presenting  a  spectacle  at  which  even  the 
most  tender-hearted,  who  sympathized  with  her  in  the  mis- 
fortune that  had  befallen  her,  could  not  help  laughing.  A 
benevolent  young  lady  (who  retained  a  soft  spot  in  the 
heart  for  the  unfortunate  through  a  life-time  of  nearly  fifty 
years,)  procured  some  warm  soap-suds  and  attempted  to 
relieve  her  from  so  uncomfortable  a  predicament ;  but 
pussy  preferred  to  be  her  own  laundress,  and  had  ample 
employment  for  a  week  or  two  thereafter,  in  efforts  to  re- 
store her  sable  garment  to  its  pristine  sleek  and  glossy  ap- 
pearance. 

"Dutch-dolls, "  then  much  in  vogue,  formed  another  of 
their  pastimes.  "With  the  exception  of  its  occasional 
revival  among  the  Christmas  festivities,  of  families  who 
love  to  keep  up  the  ancient  customs,  this  grotesque  inven- 
tion of  a  past  age  is  now  but  seldom  seen.  It  was  of 
18 


2G6  RAMBLES    ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

English  origin,  in  the  younger  days  of  the  Prince  of  Wales 
and  his  friend  Beau  Brummel,  and  its  name  evidently 
emanated  from  the  ever-existent  propensity  of  the  English 
race  to  caricature  their  Teutonic  brethren.  As  it  is  possi- 
ble there  may  be  some  who  were  never  favored  with  an 
introduction  to  a  "  Dutch-Doll,  "  a  few  words  of  explanation 
as  to  their  construction  may  not  be  amiss.  A  round  splint 
broom,  or  something  equally  convenient  for  the  purpose, 
was  enveloped  in  a  dress,  with  a  mask  for  the  face,  a  wig, 
and  surmounted  by  a  bonnet  or  cap.  This  was  elevated  in 
the  hands  of  a  person  who  was  partially  concealed  beneath 
the  skirts  of  the  dress,  and  wholly  so  by  a  sheet  or  second 
dress  below  it.  The  ordinary  height  of  these  gigantic 
"  dolls  "  was  eight  to  ten  feet.  Any  one  who  will  fancy  the 
surprise  it  would  give  them  to  have  their  slumbers  disturbed 
at  midnight,  or  in  the  small  hours  of  the  morning,  and 
discover  by  the  moonlight,  such  an  object  looking  into  the 
window  of  their  second-story  sleeping-room,  can  form  an 
idea  of  what  some  of  the  young  ladies  experienced  during 
their  sojourn  on  the  island.  The  young  gentlemen  all  ac- 
knowledged to  have  seen  "  Dolly  "  during  her  nocturnal 
ramble,  but  the  particular  individual  who  to  "  all  of  which 
I  saw.  "  might  have  added,  "  and  part  of  which  1  was,"  could 
not  be  found. 

On  a  beautiful  evening  in  June,  as  a  party  of  six  were 
enjoying  a  leisurely  stroll  along  the  shore,  a  small  island  in 
the  distance  had  so  much  the  aspect,  in  the  brilliant  moon- 
light, of  fairy-land,  a  wish  was  expressed  to  visit  it,  and  the 
means  for  its  accomplishment  soon  presented  itself,  though, 
as  the  result  will  show,  it  proved  a  somewhat  dangerous 
one.  While  pursuing  their  walk,  a  few  yards  farther  on, 
they  found  a  small  boat  lying  high  and  dry  upon  the  shore, 
and  without  taking  into  consideration  the  possibility  that  it 
might  not  prove  an  entirely  seaworthy  conveyance,  they 
launched   it   into    the   water,    and,  with   pieces  of    board 


INCIDENTS   AND  .PASTIMES.  2G7 

selected  £  rom  drift-wood  on  the  beach,  ,to  serve  as  paddles 
started  on  their  voyage.  It  was  soon  learned  that  their 
bark  was  by  no  means  water-tight,  for  a  little  cascade  was 
visible  at  every  seam,  and  while  two  of  the  young  gentle- 
men were  engaged  in  propelling  it,  the  third  found  full 
employment  in  keeping  it  free  of  water.  They  reached 
their  destination  in  safety,  and,  after  exploring  the  little 
islet  without  meeting  a  Selkirk  or  a  Fernandez,  but  instead 
thereof  plenty  of  bushes  that  gave  promise  of  future 
whortleberries,  they  gathered  a  few  memorials  of  their  visit 
from  the  sand,  and  started  on  their  return.  The  precaution 
had  been  taken  to  haul  their  boat  upon  a  ledge  of  rocks, 
fearing  it  might  take  in,  during  their  absence,  an  inconve- 
nient supply  of  the  briny  element ;  and  in  the  process  of 
setting  it  again  afloat,  some  hard  knocks  were  experienced, 
which,  unlike  Mr.  Weller's  watch,  did  not  have  a  tendency 
to  improve  it,  for  it  leaked  worse  than  ever ;  how  many 
*'  strokes  an  hour,"  as  the  logbook  is  not  at  hand  to  deter- 
mine, cannot  be  stated  with  nautical  precision,  but  the 
young  gentleman  who  took  his  turn  at  bailing  found  it 
(harder  work  than  he  had  fancied,  and  soon  after  leaving  the 
island  met  with  a  mishap  that  placed  the  adventurous  navi- 
gators in  a  situation  on  the  shady  side  of  comfort.  The 
article  used  for  throwing  out  the  water  was  a  broken 
pitcher,  found  in  the  boat,  which  an  unlucky  blow  against 
the  gunwale  shivered  to  atoms,  and  left  them  without  any- 
thing that  would  answer  as  a  substitute.  The  tide  was, 
besides,  against  them,  and  their  progress  necessarily  slow; 
fortunately,  however,  they  reached  in  safety  the  starting- 
point,  but  not  until  the  water  was  a  foot  deep  in  their  craft. 
The  adventure  being  a  contraband  affair,  entirely  against 
the  rules  and  regulations,  their  mysterious  absence,  during 
which  search  was  made  for  them,  remained  unexplained 
until  after  they  had  returned  to  town. 

The  last  of  these  reminiscences  for  which  space  remains, 


2G8  RAMBLES  ABOUT  PORTSMOUTH. 

relates  exclusively  to  the  young  geutlemen.  As  the  sea 
air,  by  which  they  were  surrounded,  naturally  sharpened 
their  appetites,  the  hospital  diet,  prescribed  by  Doctors  Cut- 
ter and  Jackson,  was  to  them  a  sore  trial.  The  supplies  of 
pastry,  etc.,  sent  from  town,  might  do  very  well  for  the  girls, 
but  they  wanted  something  more  substantial.  The  children 
of  Israel  in  the  wilderness  did  not  hunger  more  for  the  flesh- 
pots  of  Egypt,  than  they  for  the  roast  beef  and  similar  viands 
of  Portsmouth.  Pierce's  Island  could  be  reached  then  as 
now,  at  low  water,  by  land,  and  thither  by  way  of  variety, 
they  often  resorted.  One  afternoon,  when  about  a  dozen 
had  assembled  there,  a  Spring  Market  fisherman,  just  re- 
turned from  a  successful  trip  to  the  ocean,  recognizing 
among  them  the  sons  of  some  of  his  customers,  came  along 
side  of  the  island  to  have  a  chat.  The  tempting  display  of 
the  finny  tribe  that  his  boat  presented,  suggested  thoughts 
of  chowder,  and  it  was  proposed,  although  all  amateur  cook- 
ing was  strictly  prohibited,  to  get  one  up  on  their  own 
account.  As  a  preliminary  step,  a  fine  cod  was  procured 
from  the  fisherman's  stock,  and  hid  beneath  a  pile  of  rocks 
in  their  place  of  retreat ;  and  before  they  slept,  a  pot,  and 
and  all  the  other  requisites  for  chowder  making,  found  their 
way  to  the  same  locality.  At  a  specified  hour  the  next 
forenoon,  they  assembled  at  the  rendezvous,  and  set  about 
putting  their  project  into  execution ;  each  one  having  his 
allotted  task  to  perform.  The  result  was  a  complete  suc- 
cess ;  such  a  chowder,  it  was  the  unanimous  opinion,  had 
never  before  been  seen  on  the  Piscataqua.  Each  was  provi- 
ded with  one  of  those  mammoth  clam  shells  everywhere 
found  on  the  Eastern  coast,  with  a  smaller  one  to  serve  as  a 
substitute  for  a  spoon,  and,  all  unconcious  of  the  surprise  that 
awaited  them,  they  had  assambled  around  the  pot  to  do  jus- 
tice to  its  contents  ;  when  a  sound  saluted  their  ears  as  if 
some  one  one  Avas  feeling  his  Avay  with  a  stick  over  the 
rocks,  on  the  other  side  of  the  high  bank  behind  which  they 


INCIDENTS    AND    PASTIMES.  2G9 

were  sheltered  from  observation,  and  a  moment  later  a 
glimpse  was  had  of  a  cocked  hat;  and  Dr.  Jackson  was 
looking-  down  upon  them !  The  rogues  had  been  betrayed 
by  the  smoke  seen  rising  from  their  place  of  concealment, 
which  combined  with  the  continued  absence  of  so  many  of 
them,  led  to  their  detection.  How  the  doctor  took  the 
matter,  history  does  not  say ;  but  we  will  imagine  that  he 
adopted  the  most  sensible  course  he  could  have  chosen,  and 
after  a  gentle  reprimand,  good  naturedly  accepted  an  invi- 
tation to  partake  of  a  compound,  that  no  one  better  than 
himself,  doubtless,  knew  how  to  appreciate. 

The  old  Shapley  mansion,  from  its  capacious  dimensions, 
presented  the  greatest  array  of  inmates,  for  whom  it  ever 
had  the  happiest  recollections.  Its  walls  re-echoed  to  many 
a  scene  of  merriment  in  after  years 

"  Recalled  'mut  memories  of  tlieir  far-off  youth, 
Of  sorrows  past,  and  joys  of  long  ago." 

The  island  was  re-awakened  into  life  some  thirty  years 
subsequently,  when  the  bridges  had  been  built,  by  the 
opening  for  a  time  of  the  Shapley  homestead  as  a  public 
house,  and  the  conversion  of  the  large  warehouse,  still 
standing  at  the  waterside,  into  a  bowling  alley.  On  the 
afternoon  of  a  fast-day  occurring  during  that  period,  a 
large  representation  of  the  youth  of  Portsmouth,  of  the 
male  gender,  were  again  assembled  there,  and  the  amount 
of  the  once  popular  fast-day  beverage,  "  egg-nogg,"  con- 
sumed on  the  occasion  between  intervals  of  base-ball  play- 
ing, would  have  aroused  the  sympathies  of  that  excellent 
man  and  unwavering  friend  of  temperance,  the  late  Father 
Matthew,  of  whom  some  wag  has  related  that  he  proposed 
"  administering  the  pledge  "  to  the  money  market  when  he 
heard  it  was  "tight."  The  ancient  edifice  has  since  disap- 
peared, and  not  a  trace  now  remains  upon  the  spot  to  show 
that  it  once  had  an  existence. 


270  ramble  About  Portsmouth. 


Gamble   cxxxn. 

The  Old  Spring  Market-The  !N"eptune  and  River  NyAiphs 

of  tlie    I?iscata<i\ia. 

In  17G1,  the  town  built  a  Market  house'  on  Spring  Hill. 
The  site  was  that  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Blaisclell's  store, 
No.  2  in  Merchants'  Row,  next  to  the  south  store. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  Market  was  a  pump  in  a  well,. 
and  a  dipper  attached.  Between  thirty  and  forty  years 
after,  when  the  block  of  brick  stores  was  erected  on  the 
spot,  the  Market  was  removed  to  the  wharf  east,  its  present 
site.  In  digging  for  the  basement  story  of  the  southern 
store,  the  well  was  brought  above  ground,  and  a  log  was 
then  laid  to  the  boat-landing  under  the  market,  through 
which  pure  water  has  continued  to  flow  in  an  uninterrupted 
stream  to  the  present  day. 

What  a  host  of  recollections  cluster  around  that  old  site, 
and  how  grateful  the  remembrance  of  that  old  awning  like 
shell,  which  used  to  be  open  on  three  sides, — that  map  of 
business  life  which  fifty  years  ago  and  up  to  a  later  date 
gave  a  town  attraction  to  the  old  Spring  Market.  About 
fifty  years  ago,  an  attic  was  built  over  what  had  been  a 
simple  board  awning, and  the  Market  was  extended  perhaps 
twenty  feet  on  the  east  over  the  water,  to  give  better  ac- 
commodations for  the  sale  of  fish.-  And  twenty  years  since 
the  progress  of  the  age  seemed1  to  require  a  new  market 
house,  so  the  old  one  was  sold  and  removed  to  Coble's 
Island,  where  in  front  of  the  Noble  house  it  still  stands  hi 
all  its  ungraceful  proportions.  It  was  a  great  mistake  to 
change  the  form  of  the  old  free  market ;  where  every  one 
who  had  anything  to  sell  could  find  a  location,  and  any  one 
who  was  desirous  of  purchasing  could  obtain  supplies  from 
first  hands.  The  present  arrangement  of  the  building  for  fish 
dealers  has  driven  the  market  women  from  their  old  favorite 


THE   OLD   SPRING   MARKET.  271 

location — and  the  paltry  sum  received  by  the  city  for  the 
rent  of  stalls,  is  lost  ten  times  over  by  the  prices  which 
individuals  by  monopoly  have  the  chance  of  obtaining. 

One  day  several  years  ago  on  a  solitary  seat  in  the  centre 
of  the  Spring  Market,  with  fish  rooms  on  the  water  side 
and  the  butchers'  stalls  on  the  other,  sat  two  of  the  old 
market  women  of  fifty  years  ago.  Spread  around  them 
were  their  baskets  of  beans,  peas,  berries,  cucumbers,  &c. 
as  of  yore — but  as  their  old  companions  in  trade  had 
ceased  to  appear  so  had  also  their  old  customers — and  we 
stood  alone  before  them,  the  sole  inquirer  for  a  peck  of  peas. 
"  Well,  Mrs.  Flanders,  you  have  been  a  long  while  here." 
"  Yes,  I  am  now  eight-four,  and  I've  traded  here  since  the 
war  times  of  1812."  "Well,  this  young  lady  at  your  side 
is  Mrs.  Furbish,  I  think." — "Oh,  yes,  she  is  only  seventy-four. 
Our  old  associate  Mrs.  Carter,  now  nine-two,  is  at  her  home, 
as  sprightly  as  either  of  us." 

Mrs.  Flanders  and  another  female  had  come  down  from 
Eliot  that  morning  in  their  boat,  through  the  bridge,  in  the 
style  of  former  years, — all  but  the  substitution  of  a  modern 
wherry  for  the  old  style  canoe.  They  conducted  their  craft 
in  seaman-like  manner,  and  landed  their  cargo  in  good 
order.  Their  boat  was  then  the  only  one  which  was  plied 
by  females  to  the  old  market  landing. 

Fifty  years  ago,  the  canoe  "was  the  boat  used  almost  ex- 
clusively by  our  market  folks  on  the  river.  On  a  Saturday 
morning  in  summer,  as  well  as  on  other  days,  might  be  seen 
what  was  called  the  Kittery  fleet,  consisting  of  some  twenty 
canoes,  deeply  laden  with  provisions  of  all  kinds,  mostly 
rowed  b}r  women,  coming  down  the  river,  or  up,  as  the  tide 
served.  These  canoes  were  handsomely  brought  in  to  the 
stairs  near  where  the  spring  was  pouring  out  its  unceasing 
libation  into  the  river.  As  the  boat-rings  became  occupied, 
the  painters  of  the  last  canoes  which  arrived  were  fastened  to 
the  other  boats,  and  over  a  bridge  of  canoes,  the  intrepid  boat 


272  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

women  bore  their  baskets  and  boxes  to  the  landing — and  to 
the  seats  they  were  to  occupy  under  the  canopy  of  the  old 
market  roof.  This  movement  was  not  easily  done  in  silence. 
The  upsetting  of  a  basket  by  the  careening  of  a  boat,  or  a 
slip  on  the  wet  stairs  as  the  heavy  loads  were  borne  over 
them,  would  call  forth  many  a  loud  exclamation.  In  our 
earliest  recollection,  there  was  one  master  spirit  in  that 
company,  whose  voice  was  law,  and  whose  decision  must  be 
respected,  or  fearful  would  be  the  consequences.  Hannah 
Mariner  was  called  "  the  commander  of  the  fleet  on  the 
Kittery  station."  Our  good  old  master  Turell  came  near 
receiving  a  flogging  from  her  once  for  giving  her  this 
respectable  title.  She  was  the  regulator  of  the  position  of 
the  market  occupants,  and  from  her  decision  there  was  no 
appeal."  One  day  a  man  at  the  market  did  not  speak 
respectfully,  as  she  thought,  so  seizing  a  whip  from  the 
hands  of  a  truckman,  she  administered  blows  with  no 
sparing  hand.  The  man  fled,  and  Hannah,  with  whip  in 
hand,  fire  in  her  eye,  cursing  on  her  tongue,  pursued  up 
spring  hill,  lashing  him  as  he  went.  Hannah  was  of  a  noble 
as  well  as  an  independent  spirit.  She  was  the  saleswoman  of 
the  products  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Chandler's  garden — and  of 
course  as  she  did  so  much  towards  the  support  of  the 
ministry  in  Eliot,  she  felt  a  right  to  sustain  her  position 
elsewhere.  There  was  Mrs.  Wherren,  who  kept  her  knitting 
always  by  her,  and  Mrs.  James,  and  Mrs.  Gould,  and  Mrs. 
Tripyear,  and  Mrs.  Remick, — but  to  give  the  names  of  the 
market  women  of  that  day  would  be  a  record  of  the 
mothers  of  many  of  the  enterprising  men  and  thrifty 
housewives  of  the  present  day,  located  on  both  sides  of  the 
river.  It  was  before  the  times  when  the  girls  found  em- 
ployment in  factories — and  when  they  aided  their  mothers 
not  only  in  the  dairy,  and  the  garden  plot,  but  also  in  row- 
ing the  canoes  to  market,  while  their  fathers  devoted  their 
attention  to  their  fields.      No  slight  dexterity  was  often 


THE   OLD    SPRING  MARKET.  273 

exhibited  when  the  mother  took  the  paddle  for  steering, 
while  the  daughter  plied  the  oars  cross-handed.  We 
should  like  to  pit  one  of  these  old  canoes  under  their 
management,  against  the  shells  of  Harvard  or  Yale.  Don't 
think  the  canoe  would  run  in  the  shortest  time  really,  but 
think  it  might  relatively  ;  and  taking  all  disadvantages  into 
account  we  might  hope  to  see  an  Eliot  boat  nymph  bearing 
off  the  silver  cup. 

One  large  sail-boat  from  Sturgeon  creek,  with  twelve 
women,  could  sometimes  be  seen,  with  their  market  cargo, 
all  handsomely  arranged.  When  the  wind  did  not  serve 
for  their  sail  they  would  be  seen  standing  manfully  at 
their  oars. 

But  the  market  women  were  not  all  that  gave  life  to  the 
old  market  house.  It  was  a  time  when  sailors  were  seen  at 
our  wharves— and  they  would  make  no  small  excitement 
among  the  baskets  scattered  around  the  premises.  They 
would  buy  liberally — not  always  because  they  wanted  the 
articles,  but  because  they  liked  to  please  the  market  girls. 
Old  Ben  was  in  the  habit  of  always  getting  boozy  when  he 
came  to  market,  and  on  him  the  roguish  sailor  boys  loved 
to  play  their  pranks.  Never  shall  Ave  forget  one  of  them. 
The  old  man  was  quite  happy,  and  his  jug  quite  empty. 
Huckleberries  were  three  cents  a  quart,  and  pretty  ripe 
and  juicy.  The  tars  borrowed  the  old  man's  hat,  to  give 
him  a  treat.  On  returning  it  filled  with  about  two  quarts 
of  berries,  one  roguish  fellow  put  it  on  his  head,  and  then 
placing  both  hands  on  top  forced  it  down  with  all  his 
might!  The  dark  streams  came  running  down  on  every 
side,  leaving  it  a  matter  of  no  doubt  that  Ben  had  become 
a  Hack  as  well  as  a  blue  man  !  His  empty  jug  they  then 
tied  to  the  wheel  of  a  dray  going  up  the  hill — and  the 
ridiculous  object  was  seen  in  pursuit  of  his  dear  companion, 
exclaiming  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  "  Stop  that  jug  ! — stop 
that  jug!"  Such  was  some  of  the  Spring  Market  life  in 
former  times. 


2 74  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

There  was  also  a  fish  department  in  the  old  market — and 
the  fishermen,  not  hucksters,  sold  in  person  the  avails  of 
their  labors. 

It  has  been  thought  that  Neptune  had  only  an  existence 
in  heathen  mythology — but  fifty  years  ago  there  was  a 
personage  here  who  so  nearly  resembled  the  fabled  sea- 
king,  that  he  bore  the  name.  "Old  Neptune"  and  "Cap 
Spinney"  were  the  names  given  to  John  Spinney,  a  veteran 
of  the  Revolutionary  stock,  who  became  of  age  in  the  time 
of  the  old  war. 

It  is  said  that  Thomas  Spinney  was  the  first  of  the  name 
who  came  to  this  country  from  England,  about  two  hundred 
years  ago.  He  settled  in  Eliot,  on  the  spot  now  occupied  by 
Wentworth  Fernald.  About  thirty  years  after,  Joseph  Spin- 
ney took  up  his  residence  at  Spinney's  Neck  on  the  river. 
They  were  some  months  residents  before  one  day  Joseph 
in  an  excursion  in  the  woods  called  at  a  house  for  refresh- 
ment. They  found  in  the  course  of  conversation  that 
they  Were  of  the  same  name,  and  that  they  were  brothers! 
Thomas  had  left  home  when  Joseph  was  an  infant,  who 
knew  not  in  what  part  the  country  his  brother  had  located. 
From  Thomas  Spinney  the  families  of  Thomas  and  Joseph 
Spinney  in  this  city  descended.  Our  "  Neptune  "  was  a 
descendant  of  the  first  Joseph,  and  lived  on  the  family 
homestead. 

We  knew  Cap  Spinney  many  years,  and  time  and  again 
witnessed  his  arrival  and  departure  from  the  spring  market. 
He  was  portly  in  person,  upright  in  posture,  of  dark  skin, 
long  beard,  and  was  invariably  clad  in  petticoat  trowsers, 
and  a  pea-jacket  so  covered  with  patches  of  every  color 
that  it  was  a  matter  of  doubt  what  was  the  original — -a  blue 
knit  cap  was  drawn  close  to  his  head,  and  red  edging  and 
ear  pieces  turned  up  around.  His  adhesion  to  this  cap 
gave  him  the  above  designating  name.  He  was  a  man  of 
system  and  independence,  and  his  routine  for  business  was 


NEPTUNE   AND    PJVER   NYMPHS    OF   THE   PISCATAQUA.      275 

strictly  adhered  to.  He  would  leave  liis  home  at  Eliot  at 
any  hour  between  midnight  and  day-light,  that  the  tide 
served,  and  alone  in  his  canoe  proceed  to  the  mouth  of  the 
river.  When  the  tide  required  him  to  leave  before  he  had 
done  up  his  sleep,  on  reaching  the  fishing  ground  he  would 
bait  his  hooks,  giving  one  turn  of  his  line  around  the  thole- 
pins, and  then  another  turn  around  his  wrist,  compose 
himself  to  sleep.  When  the  fish  bit,  the  check  at  the 
thole-pin  would  secure  it,  and  the  slight  pull  at  his  wrist 
would  notify  him  to  take  it  in.  He  would  then  rebait, 
redrink,  and  continue  his  nap, — and  in  due  time  he  might 
be  seen  coming  up  the  river  and  rowing  into  the  Market 
landing.  To  the  calls,  "  Have  you  any  fish,"  no  reply 
would  be  made.  As  soon  as  his  painter  was  fastened,  he 
would  raise  his  cuddy  cover,  take  out  his  cocoanut  shell, 
visit  a  particular  shop  near  the  market,  get  it  filled  with 
'•O-be-joyful,"  then  return  to  his  boat,  take  his  seat,  raise 
his  cocoanut  to  his  mouth  and  take  two  or  three  swigs, 
resting  between  each  with  a  smack  of  his  lips — then  de- 
positing  it  safely  in  the  cuddy,  he  uncovers  his  fish  and 
gives  notice,  "  Now,  gentlemen,  I  am  ready  for  business." 
By  the  time  his  fish  were  sold,-  his  shell  would  need  replen- 
ishing, and  then  with  another  swig  he  would  push  off  into 
the  stream,  and  his  boat  proceed  almost  intuitively  to  his 
home.  Thus  year  after  year  he  went  through  the  same 
routine,  until  in  1832,  on  the  4th  day  of  July — a  day  which 
he  regarded  as  worth  a  particular  observance  in  his  way, 
his  boat  struck  against  Portsmouth  bridge,  and  at  the  age 
of  73  he  closed  his  life  in  that  river  in  which  he  had  almost 
lived  for  three  score  and  ten  years.  He  left  about  fifteen 
hundred  dollars  as  the  results  of  his  labors,  and  the  repu- 
tation of  a  friendly  disposition  to  man  and  beast,  as  well  as 
to  his  cocoanut  shell.  His  like  we  have  never  since  looked 
upon. 

This  is  the  last  of  the  Neptune  and  the  River  Nymphs  of 
the  noble  Piscataqua. 


276  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

As  an  additional  item  to  this  account  of  our  Piscataqua 
Neptune,  an  eye-witness  describes  the  following  scene  : 

It  was  nearly  high  water  on  a  very  pleasant  day  in 
autumn,  when  to  save  the  tide  it  was  usual  for  old  Neptune 
to  return  from  his  fishing  ground  to  the  Spring  Market, 
dispose  of  his  fare,  replenish  his  cocoanut  shell,  and  return 
to  his  domicil,  that  his  cap-covered  head,  and  the  upper 
portion  of  his  body  were  seen  from  the  wharves,  about 
midway  between  the  Navy- Yard  and  our  shore,  gradually 
ascending  the  river  without  any  exertion  or  any  use  of  his 
arms  excepting  occasionally  to  lift  his  nut-shell  to  his  mouth 
while  his  head  was  thrown  back  sufficiently  to  receive  its 
contents  into  his  mouth.  Every  beholder  was  satisfied 
that  the  veritable  Neptune  of  Spinney's  Creek,  was  the 
object  of  their  vision.  But,  where  was  his  craft  ?  Had  he 
lost  his  canoe?  And  how  could  he  walk  in  the  water? 
were  questions  they  could  not  solve.  All  were  astonished 
till  a  wight  at  hand,  suggested  that  the  object  of  their 
wronder  and  astonishment  had  by  spiritualization  so  dimin" 
ished  his  specific  gravity,  that  it  had  become  less  than  that 
of  ocean  water,  so  that  he  could  not  sink  if  he  would  !  and 
that  although  he  was  not  the  fabled  Neptune,  he  could 
occasionally  imitate  his  ocean  feats.  B  ut  when  he  neared 
the  port  of  destination  it  became  necessary  for  him  to  use 
his  paddle,  which  he  did  successfully,  and  before  "breaking 
bulk"  proceeded  to  his  Custom  House  to  enter  his  craft 
and  return  with  evidence  of  his  legal  entry,  by  the  replen- 
ished condition  of  the  far-famed  cocoanut. 

The  mystery  was  now  satisfactorily  solved.  A  gondola 
laden  with  wood  on  the  preceding  ebb  tide  had  been  filled 
with  water,  and  a  large  quantity  of  the  wood  with  which  it 
was  laden  was  spilled  and  floated  down  to  the  mouth  of 
the  river,  Taking  advantage  of  this  mishap,  he  piled  as 
much  of  it  on  board  of  his  canoe  as  it  would  hold,  which 
brought  it   down  to   the   gunwale,  so  that  all  was  under 


THE    OLD    SPRING    MARKET.  277 

water,  and  himself  leisurely  setting  on  the  after  seat  as  the 
flood  tide  gently  carried  him  and  craft  up  the  river.  It  is 
needless  to  say  the  salvage  decreed  to  him  by  the  Court 
was  the  whole  amount  of  the  property  saved. 

We  append  to  this  Ramble  the  following  sketch  by  Mr. 
Bowles : 

No  feature  of  the  busy  life  of  Portsmouth,  thirty  to  forty 
years  ago,  is  more  agreeably  impressed  upon  the  memory 
of  the  youth  of  that  period  who  yet  survive,  than  Spring- 
Market.  The  native,  whether  his  home  be  still  at  his  birth- 
place or  far  away,  remembers  with  heartfelt  pleasure,  the 
time 

'•When  with  pole,  aad  hook  and  Btring, 
He  fished  for  pollock  at  the  Spring.'' 

The  scene  is  sadly  shorn  of  its  old-time  glory  since  the 
Kittery  fleet,  under  the  command  of  another  "  ancient  mar- 
iner" than  Coleridge's,  were  wont  to  fill  the  dock  from  side 
to  side;  and  the  substantial  modern  structure  that  has  taken 
its  place,  does  not  compensate  for  the  loss  of  the 

"Grey,  honored,  worn  Venitian  pile," 

(quoting  Mrs.  Partington  again)  once  serving  the  purposes 
of  a  market-house.  Another  change,  by  no  means  for  the 
better,  is  the  absence  of  the  thriving  grocery  trade  that  in 
former  days  surrounded  the  market,  and  extended  along  the 
wharf  towards  Church  Point.  The  exhaustless  crystal 
fount,  from  whence  so  many  generations  have  slaked  their 
thirst,  and  the  lobsters,  good  and  cheap  as  ever,  are  about 
all  that  remain  to  remind  one  of  Spring  Market  in  bypast 
time. 

It  was  a  pleasant  scene  of  animation,  truly,  when  those 
sun-browned  specimens  of  the  feminine  population  of  Kit- 
tery gathered  there  in  such  large  numbers.  No  fruit  to 
the  schoolboy  of  that  day  will  ever  taste  so  good  again,  or 
the  vegetables  that  relished  the  "  Cape  Ann  turkey''"  on 
Saturdays  ever  bear  such  a  flavor,  as  those  that  came  from 


2 J 3  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

their  capacious  baskets.     The  whortleberries,  too,  each  as 

plump  and  round,  and  almost  as    large  as  buck  shot if 

memory.,  which  perhaps  it  may,  does  not  magnify  them 
through  its  perspective  glass — are  not  forgotten.  Bartlett 
pears  were  not  then  known  in  the  world  of  horticulture 
but  there  were  the  St.  Michael's,"  and  plenty  of  the  more 
common' sorts,,  all  as  good  as  they  were  cheap,  A  school- 
boy could  fill  the  pockets  of  his  round  about,  or  the  young- 
ster taking  his  first  lessons  in  trade,  those  of  his  "long- 
tailed  blue,"  for  less  than  it  costs  now-a-days,  in  some  sea- 
sons, to  buy  a  single  specimen  of  the  choicer  pear  varie- 
ties. Those  semi-aquatic  ladies,  who,  from  all  points  on  the 
Kittery  shore  between  Boiling^Rock  and  Pepperell's  Cove, 
drove  their  light  barks  so  skillfully  across  the  Piscataqua, 
hav-e  all  passed  away.  Another  branch  of  the  Kittery 
trade,  distinct  from  that  at  the  market,  was  in  the  line  of 
stocking  yarn  and  milk.  Queer  tricks  were  sometimes 
played  by  young  rogues  upon  the  venders  of  these  neces- 
sary articles,  as  they  journeyed,  through  town,  stopping 
from  door  to  door  to  dispose  of  their  goods.  One  was  to 
attach  a  torpedo  to  the  rapper  of  a  door  when  one  of  them 
was  seen  approaching,  and  enjoy  from  a  distance,  the  start 
of  surprise  that  followed  the  explosion  sure  to  occur. 
(Portsmouth  boys  were  always  sad  rogues.) 

Foremost  among  the  fishermen  was  that  venerable  indi- 
vidual known  as  "  Cap  Spinney."  His  peculiar  taste  in 
dress,  including  bis  woolen  cap,  and  a  pea-jacket,  that  like 
the  garment  of  the  "  Shepherd  of  Salisbury  Plain,"  had  been 
patched  with  so  many  different  colors  it  was  difficult  to  de- 
cide which  was  the  original,  rendered  him  at  all  times  an 
object  of  interest.  He  might  readily  have  been  taken,  in- 
deed, from  his  stalwart  figure,  and  rough,  weather  beaten 
visage,  as  he  landed  from  his  boat,  for  old  Neptune  himself 
had  he  not  brandished,  instead  of  a  tridant,  his  cocoa-nut 
shell.     It  was  a  fixed  principle  with  him,  as  you  state,  un- 


THE    OLD    SPRING   MARKET.  279 

alterable  as  the  laws  of  the  Medes  and  Persians,  never  to 
sell  a  fish  until  that  vessel  had  been  replenished  with  "Santa 
Croix  "  or  "  Old  Jamaica,"  and  he  had  fortified  himself  with 
a  refreshhing  draught  of  its  contents.  That  pleasant  exer- 
cise performed,  he  was  then  ready  for  business  ;  and  as  he 
was  generally  very  successful  in  his  piscatory  excursions  to 
the  ocean,  his  pockets  were  well  lined  with,  cash  on  his 
return  home.  An  intelligent  traveller  from  the  South,  who 
had  visited  the  market  with  the  landlord  of  the  Eastern 
Stage  House,  (now  the  Franklin  House,)  gave  a  sketch  of 
him  in  a  letter  to  a  Southern  journal,  which  was  copied  into 
Turell's  Commercial  Advertiser.  When  it  was  read  to  him 
on  the  morning  it  appeared,  by  a  grocer  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, he  chanced  to  be  in  an  unusually  good  humor,  having 
had  remarkable  luck  in  his  fishing  the  previous  night,  and 
promised  to  "  give  the  feller  a  drink  from  his  cocoanut,"  if 
he  ever  came  again  to  Portsmouth. 

Another  of  the  fixtures  of  the  fish  market  was  Lewey, 
an  Italian,  I  think,  by  birth,  a  small  man,  and  always,  from 
some  infirmity,  seen  in  a  stooping  posture.  One  day  when 
the  market  was  rather  bare  of  fish,  and  Lewey's  stock  con- 
sisted only  of  a  few  perch,  that  inveterate  wag,  George 
Schaffer  accosted  him  with  the  enquiry,  "Why  do  you  have 
so  many  of  these  sharp  fins  in  your  fish  ?  One  might  as 
well  undertake  to  eat  a  paper  of  pins,"  "  I  no  put  de  fins 
in  de  fiss — I  no  make  'em,"  was  the  reply.  "If  you  want 
'em,  I  cut  'em  out."  And  George  having  had  his  joke.,  and 
willing  to  pay  a  trifle  for  it,  acceded  to  his  proposal  to  the 
amount  of  a  dozen,  which  he  gave  away  a  few  minutes  later 
to  a  worthy  old  lady,  with  a  very  light  purse,  who  had  come 
to  market  in  pursuit  of  a  dinner. 

Among  the  habitues  of  the  market,  was  a  lady,  of  ele- 
phantine dimensions,  bearing  the  name  of  Gillett,  who  was 
famed  as  a  vender  of  unusually  long  sticks  of  candy,  the 
advantage  of  which   quality,  was  thought  by  a  portion  of 


280  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

her  youthful  customers  to  be  more  than  overbalanced  by 
the  amount  of  sediment  they  contained.  Her  family  man- 
sion was  situated  not  for  off,  on  the  rear  of  a  lot  on  Bow 
street,  where  she  kept  a  boarding  house  of  a  not  very 
ambitious  order.  Her  name  was  pronounced  6r*71ett,  but  in 
the  fancy  that  some  at  present  have  for  altering  both  the 
spelling  and  pronunciation  of  the  names  of  their  ancestors, 
it  would  now,  probably,  be  styled  Gillette. 

Besides  the  activity  visible  about  the  market,  in  strange 
contrast  with  its  present  deserted  aspect,  the  descent  of 
the  hill  from  Bow  street  was  occupied  on  both  sides  for 
business  purposes.  At  the  left,  near  Slade's  corner,  Eunice 
Hoyt  could  be  seen  with  her  baskets  of  fruit  and  other 
notions.  The  very  first  of  the  earliest  fruits  of  summer, 
and  the  last  of  the  latest  to  be  had  in  the  spring,  could  be 
found  among  her  stock.  She  knew  the  contents  of  every 
fruit  garden  in  Portsmouth  and  vicinity,  and  was  always  on 
the  alert,  with  the  ready  cash,  to  tempt  some  one  of  the 
owners  to  dispose  of  a  portion  of  their  earliest  products. 
Her  store  of  luxuries  had  a  powerful  attraction  for  the 
youthful  fraternity,  who,  when  finances  permitted,  often 
went  far  out  of  the  way  to  pay  her  a  visit  on  their  way  to 
school.  She  did  a  thriving  business,  too,  in  the  essence 
trade,  of  her  own  and  Barsantee's  famous  manufacture  ; 
also  in  the  line  of  the  two-penny  ballads — termed  "vairses" 
by  the  good  people  from  the  rural  districts — any  one  of 
which  she  could  furnish,  from  that  peculiarly  touching  ditty, 
"  The  Major's  Only  Son,"  to  "  Barbara  Allen." 

On  the  other  side  of  the  hill  was  a  range  of  bakers' 
carts — small  vehicles,  drawn  by  hand — bearing  the  names 
of  Plumer,  Clapham,  and  Barry,  kept  there  with  an  eye  to 
the  country  trade.  While  the  general  mauufacture  of  the 
two  former  was  most  in  favor,  the  latter  had  a  monopoly 
of  the  bun  trade,  being  the  only  producer  of  that  article. 
"  Berry's  Buns  "  were  in  high  favor  with  the  boys,  and  in 


THE   OLD  SPRING   MARKET.  281 

after  years,  in  connection  with  the  foreign  accent  of  the 
manufacturer,  were  inseparably  associated  in  memory  with 
those  red-letter  days  of  their  youth,  the  "  general  musters  " 
at  the  Plains. 

Farther  down  the  declivity,  upon  a  primitive  style  of 
table,  was  a  display  of  New  York  oysters,  which  could  be 
had  until  a  late  hour  of  the  evening.  The  proprietor  of  this 
establishment,  were  he  still  living,  could  bear  testimony,  in 
one  instance  at  least,  to  the  roguish  propensities  of  Ports- 
mouth boys.  A  party  of  a  half-dozen  youngsters  were  in 
the  habit  of  meeting  together  for  social  chat  at  a  second 
floor  room  in  Market  street,  and  at  one  of  their  gatherings, 
when  they  were  in  a  greatly  depressed  state  for  want  of 
some  species  of  excitement,  a  member  suggested  that  one 
of  those  mammoth  packages,  a  New  Orleans  sugar  hogs- 
head, which  emptied  of  its  contents  stood  at  a  grocer's 
door  at  the  summit  of  the  hill,  should  be  started  downward 
in  the  direction  of  the  oyster  stand,  which  was  unanimously 
agreed  to  ;  and,  groping  their  way  through  the  Egyptian 
darkness  of  the  evening,  they  proceeded  to  put  the  project 
into  execution.  Some  minutes  afterward,  the  ringleader 
who  chanced  to  go  down  to  the  Spring  for  a  drink,  found 
the  unfortunate  dealer  in  bivalves  in  an  unwonted  state  of 
excitement,  and  after  uniting  with  him  in  bestowing  sundry 
anathemas  upon  the  perpetrators  of  the  outrage,  volunteered 
to  assist  in  re-gathering  his  stock  in  trade,  which  lay  scat- 
tered over  a  large  space  upon  the  ground.  One  lad,  num- 
bered among  the  conspirators,  has  still,  I  think,  a  residence 
at  Portsmouth,  who  will  be  reminded  of  this,  among  the 
youthful  indiscretions  of  his  early  life. 

The  last  of  my  schoolboy  remembrances  of  the  neigh, 
borhood,  is  that  of  a  scene  of  merriment  that  occurred 
there  one  afternoon  at  the  expense  of  one  of  a  couple  of 
the  hangers-on  about  the  market,  who  had  devised  a  novel 
mode  of  catching  fish  in  a  basket,  by  means  of  the  hoisting 
19 


282  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

apparatus  connected  with  one  of  the  packet  landings.  On 
the  return  of  one  of  them  from  dinner,  he  was  very  sar- 
castic at  the  want  of  success*  during  his  absence,  on  the 
part  of  his  partner,  in  adding  to  their  stock  of  the  finny 
tribe,  recommending  that  he  should  devote  his  talents 
unless  he  could  do  better,  to  some  other  pursuit.  The 
other  took  it  very  good-naturedly,  and  suggested  that  he 
should  try  himself,  which  he  proceeded  to  do,  re-adjusting 
the  bait  and  ballast,  and  letting  down  the  basket  with 
considerable  flourish  into  the  water.  On  raising  it  again, 
to  his  chagrin  and  the  infinite  amusement  of  a  dozen  by- 
standers, all  it  contained  was  a  mammoth  sculpin,  with  a 
block  of  wood  attached  by  a  string  to  his  tail,  and  one  of 
those  worthless  flounder-shaped  fish,  with  three  caudal 
appendages,  known  as  three-tailed  bashaws. 


RAMBLE    CXXXIII. 


.A.    step    over    the    River — The   Celebrities    of*   Kittery     in 
former    clays — The    Spinney  ITainily. 

David  Spinney  died  in  Eliot  Nov,  24th,  1862,  at  the  age 
of  92  years.  He  was  the  last  of  six  brothers,  who  all  lived 
and  died  old  men,  after  spending  years  of  their  lives  in 
canoes,  and  much  of  the  time  three  or  four  miles  outside 
of  Fort  Constitution,  fishing.  Mr,  David  Spinney  was 
probably  the  last  survivor  of  the  workmen  on  the  U.  S. 
Frigate  Congress,  built  here  on  Badger's  Island,  1799. 
The  pay  roll  for  the  month  of  August  of  that  year  we  have 
before  us.  Mr.  Spinney's  pay  was  583s  cents.  He  was 
then  28  years  old.  The  highest  pay  on  the  roll  of  eighty- 
nine  men  is  two  dollars  per  clay,  and  but  two  master-work- 
men received  that  sum.  The  average  pay  of  the  whole 
was  about  83  cents. 


THE   SPINNEY   FAMILY.  283 

A  remarkable  incident  marked  his  old  age.  Mr.  Spin- 
ney's hair,  after  he  became  advanced  in  life,  for  many  years 
had  been  very  white.  Within  the  last  few  years  it  all  camo 
off,  and  a  new  growth  of  fine  silken  black  hair  grew  out, 
covering  his  head  (except  a  part  which  hftd  been  previ- 
ously bald)  and  so  continuing  until  his  death.  His  wife 
was  Mary  Mariner,  sister  of  that  well-known  market  woman, 
Hannah  Mariner. 

There  were  six  of  these  brothers.,  nearly  all  of  whom 
lived  m  the  same  neighborhood  in  Eliot,  a  mile  or  two 
above  Portsmouth  Bridge.  There  was  Samuel  Spinney, 
who  died  about  half  a  century  since.  His  business  was  to 
catch  lobsters  and  plaice,  and  he  was  ever  punctual  to  his 
post  in  the  market. 

Jeremiah  and  George  were  also  fishermen.  William 
Spinney,  however,  was  not  content  to  be  confined  to  his 
canoe,  and  was  a  skipper  of  a  Chebacco  boat. 

Then  there  was  John  Spinney,  or  as  more  generally 
known  from  the  perpetual  knit  covering  of  his  head,  Cap 
Spinney,  an  account  of  whom  is  given  in  Ramble  132. 

The  first  of  the  Spinney  family  who  came  to  America 
was  born  in  the  interior  of  England,  near  Manchester.  He 
went  to  Wapping  Stairs,  near  London,  and  shipped  to  go 
Cod  Hauling,  (as  fishing  was  then  called,)  to  the  Bay  of 
Chaleur,  on  the  northern  coast  of  America.  From  the 
fishing  ground  he  was  carried  to  the  Piscataway  by  a  Capt. 
Fernald,  and  about  the  year  1630  he  settled  in  Kittery,  Me. 
He  was  the  first  schoolmaster  of  the  place,  and  the  ancestor 
of  all  the  Spinneys  on  the  American  continent,  so  far  as 
known.  [The  first  one  of  the  name  came  from  Normandy 
to  England  with  William  the  Conqueror.  The  name,  ac- 
cording to  English  Heraldry,  was  three  times  knighted  — 
first  "  DeSpiny,"  second  "  Spiny  "  and  third  "  Spinney  "  as 
it  is  now  spelt.] 

There  is  a  legend  in  the  family  that  after  Thomas,  the 


284  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

first  settler,  came  over,  a  brother  who  had  not  seen  him 
from  childhood,  emigrated,  having  no  knowledge  that  his 
brother  was  living.  The  new  comer  landed  at  Kitterv 
Point.  Taking  his  gun  one  day  he  struck  up  through  the 
woods  on  the  sliore  of  the  river  in  pursuit  of  game.  He 
came  to  a  small  house  and  asked  for  refreshments.  They 
were  provided,  and  it  was  not  until  after  some  general 
conversation,  in  which  the  stranger  said  he  came  from  the 
same  town  in  England  in  which  the  host  was  born,  that  the 
name  was  given  and  they  discovered  themselves  to  be 
brothers. 

As  Thomas  Spinney  had  a  grant  of  200  acres  of  land 
and  lived  on  Eliot  Neck,  in  1657,  it  is  probable  that  he  was 
a  son  of  the  first  settler ;  and  as  the  residence  of  the  fam- 
ily is  still  on  the  same  spot,  it  has  probably  never  been 
alienated  from  the  name. 

About  the  year  1G90  there  appears  to  have  been  James, 
Samuel  and  John  Spinney  living  in  Battery.  They  were 
probably  sons  of  Thomas. 

Samuel  had  eight  children,  Samuel,  James,  John,  Thomas, 
Nathan,  David,  Jeremiah,  and  Jonathan.  His  son  John 
married  Mary  Waterhouse  in  1727,  and  their  son  John  was 
the  father  of  the  family  of  hardy  fishermen,  the  death  of 
the  last  of  whom  is  mentioned  at  the  beginning  of  this 
Ramble. 

Thomas  Spinney,  who  died  in  1850,  at  the  age  of  83,  and 
Joseph  Spinney,  who  died  in  1852,  at  the  age  of  83,  were 
the  sons  of  Thomas  Spinney,  and  grandsons  of  (probably) 
John  Spinney  of  1690.  We  cannot  make  out  the  line  dis- 
tinctly from  the  records. 

The  location  of  the  small  cottages  of  the  Piscataqua  tribe 
of  Zebulon  was  at  Eliot  Neck,  near  the  site  of  the  old  Salt- 
works. Their  cottages  which,  a  few  years  since  made  a 
small  village,  are  now  either  enlarged  and  modernized  or 
torn  down,  so  that  the  appearance  of  former  days,  like  the 
inhabitants,  has  passed  away. 


OUR   WHARVES.  •    285 

RAMBLE    CXXXIV. 

Our    "Wharves — Privateering — The     Portsmouth    Record. 

Our  wharves  afford  a  depth  of  water  sufficient  to  float 
the  first  class  ships  at  low  tide  without  grounding.  Church 
hill  is  on  a  bluff  of  perhaps  forty  feet  above  the  water.  In 
former  times  there  were  no  buildings  on  the  north  end  of 
Chapel  street — and  where  Deacon  Day's  store  and  house 
was  afterwards  built,  and  west  of  it,  there  was  an  abrupt 
precipice  open  by  the  roadside  down  to  the  river.  It  was 
about  the  year  1790  that  Stephen,  the  only  son  of  John 
Greenleaf,  the  keeper  of  the  Bell  Tavern,  was  riding  with 
full  speed  in  a  sleigh  from  Chapel  into  Bow  street,  when 
the  sleigh  slid  round  over  the  precipice  and  down  went  the 
horse,  sleigh  and  rider!  Our  informant  was  present,  and 
saw  the  horse  taken  up  at  the  market.  Strange  to  say, 
nobody  was  hurt.  We  shudder  as  we  now  look  at  the 
place. 

At  the  present  day  we  do  not  see  the  busy  wharves,  the 
fleets  of  West  Indiamen,  the  great  piles  of  bags  of  coffee, 
and  the  acres  of  hogsheads  of  molasses  which  we  used  to 
6ee  ;  nor  do  we  see  Water  street  crowded  with  sailors. 
and  the  piles  of  lumber  and  cases  of  fish  going  on  board 
the  West  Indiamen  for  uses  in  the  Tropics. 

But  if  that  day  is  gone  by,  we  have  other  occupations, 
and  the  old  town  seems  as  bright  and  handsome  as  ever. 

The  following  will  recall  to  our  elder  men  a  glimpse  of 
the  stiring  scenes  which  some  of  our  people  had  a  part  in 
at  no  very  remote  day, — and  yet  how  few  can  say  they 
"  freshly  remember"  them  ! 

Here  we  are,  in  the  ever  memorable  year  1812,  standing 
on  the  old  wharf  at  Toint  of  Graves,  beholding  the  first 
privateer  fitting  out  after  the  declaration  of  war.  That 
schooner  is  the  Nancy,  and  that  man  with  two  pistols  in  his 


28  G  RAMBLES     ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

belt,  and  his  vest  pockets  filled  with  loose  gunpowder,  is 
Captain  Smart.  There  is  a  large  company  of  spectators 
on  the  wharf  looking  at  the  little  craft.  But  off  she  goes 
to  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  like  a  small  spider 
entrapping  a  bumble-bee,  she  soon  returns  with  her  prize. 

In  the  last  war  with  England.  Privateering  was  a  great 
pursuit.  The  Privateer  Portsmouth  of  Portsmouth  was  a 
conspicuous  cruising  vessel.  She  was  commanded  by  John 
Sinclair  and  made  a  great  many  valuable  prizes.  His 
widow,  a  very  respectable  lady,  was  still  living  and  resided 
in  Brooklyn,  New  Ifork,  in  185G. 

The  following  are  among  the  Privateers  belonging  tc 
Portsmouth  in  the  war  of  1812 : 


Fox, 

C 

apts.  Handy  and  Brown. 

Gov.  Plumer, 

C 

apt, 

,  Mudge. 

Harlequin, 

it 

E.  D.  Brown. 

Ludlow, 

Mars, 

Macedonian, 

a 

B,.  Townsend. 

Portsmouth, 

a 

Sinclair  &  T.  M.  Shaw 

Science, 

u 

Fernald.. 

Squando, 

a 

W.  Watson. 

Thomas, 

u 

Shaw. 

Nancy, 

u 

Smart. 

Champ  fain, 

Liverpool  Packet, 

a 

Watson. 

The  "Harpy"  hailed  from  Baltimore — but  sailed  one  if 
not  two  cruises  from  Portsmouth. 

The  Harlequin  was  a  promising  craft,  and  among  her 
crew  were  several  who  had  been  ship  masters.  She  was 
aiming  for  great  returns.  They  had  been  out  but  a  short; 
time,  when  a  noble  ship  hove  ia  sight.  The  Harlequin  bore 
down  upon  her,  and  when  at  a  near  approach  the  port  holes 
of  the  enemy  were  thrown  open,  they  played  the  Harlequin 
no  longer.  The  prize,  which  took  them,  proved  to  be  the 
Bulwark  of  71  guns  ! 


PRIVATEERING.  287 

If  any  apology  is  necessary  for  men  fighting  against  the 
common  enemy  "  on  their  own  hook,"  it  may  be  found 
perhaps  in  the  great  disparity  of  forces  of  the  contending 
powers.  The  British  fleet  comprised  1060  men-of-war,  of 
which  800  were  in  commission.  The  American  navy  had 
seven  effective  frigates,  and  12  or  15  sloops-of-war! 

The  disparity  is  absolutely  ludicrous,  and  yet  what  glory 
was  acquired  by  our  gallant  navy  !  The  fights  of  the 
Constitution,  the  Essex,  the  Enterprise  and  their  noble 
compeers,  quite  eclipsed  in  history  the  deeds  of  daring 
performed  by  the  Pox,  the  Portsmouth,  the  Gen.  Arm- 
strong, the  Decatur,  the  young  Wasp,  the  Yankee,  the 
Teazer,  the  Eolla,  the  Globe,  and  a  hundred  others. 

But  in  the  story  of  man's  boldness  and  bravery,  nothing 
excels  the  deeds  of  the  American  Privateers,  in  the  war  of 
1812.  The  record,  however,  so  far  as  we  know,  is  very 
slight.  There  was  published  in  New  York  in  185G,  a  crude 
and  skeleton  sketch  of  them,  entitled  "  History  of  the 
American  Privateers  and  Letters  of  Marque,"  &c.  by  George 
Coggeshall,  captain  of  a  Privateer. 

We  well  recollect,  Capt.  Tom  Shaw  as  well  as  Capt. 
Elihu  D.  Brown,  who  led  two  "  private  armed "  ships 
against  the  commerce  of  Great  Britain.  No  doubt  our 
readers  will  be  interested  in  the  following  extracts  of  the 
work  referred  to.  The  book  is  a  valuable  addition  to  the 
History  of  the  United  States,  though  compiled  by  an  old 
sailor  of  72  years  of  age  from  such  materials  as  he  could 
■command.  Cooper's  Naval  History  perhaps  has  something 
on  the  subject,  but  we  know  of  no  other  History  of  the 
'American  Privateers, — an  ample  detail  of  their  wonderful 
and  romantic  daring,  bearding  the  British  Lion  in  his  den, 
and  capturing  his  ships  on  every  sea,  has  yet  to  be  written. 

The  affair  of  the  General  Armstrong,  Capt.  Reid,  which 
was  attacked  in  the  harbor  of  Fayal  by  two  or  three  Brit- 
ish men-of-war,  has    been  before  Congress  within    a  few 


288  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

years  for  indemnity.  The  enemy  lost  more  men  in  their 
attempt  to  capture  her,  than  in  some  actions  where  fleets 
were    engaged.     She  was  scuttled  by  her  own  crew. 

These  private  armed  vessels  appear  to  have  carried 
almost  invariably  a  "  Long  Tom,"  and  besides,  from  2  to 
18  guns,  and  from  50  to  150  men.  New  York  had  26  afloat, 
scouring  the  seas,  Baltimore  18,  at  one  time,  in  the  early 
part  of  the  war ;  while  Newport,  Charleston,  Boston,  New- 
buryport,  Bristol,  New  London,  Salem,  Portsmouth  and 
other  ports  had  their  share. 

They  were  commissioned  by  the  United  States  "  to  take, 
bum,  sink  and  destroy  the  enemy  wherever  he  could  be 
found,  either  on  the  high  seas  or  in  British  Ports." 

But  the  object  of  this  article  is  merely  to  give  Ports- 
mouth as  recorded. 

1812, — Ship  Richmond,  14  guns,  25  men  besides  officers, 
400  tons,  deeply  laden  with  W.  India  produce,  worth 
8200,000,  was  captured  on  a  voyage  from  Jamaica  to  Lon- 
don, snd   sent  into  Portsmouth  by  the  Privateer  Thomas. 

Ship  Falmouth,  14  guns,  30  men,  from  Jamaica  for  Bristol, 
(E.)  with  a  cargo  valued  at  $200,000,  was  captured  by  the 
Thomas  of  this  Port  and  vsent  into  Portsmouth,  Aug.  18, 
1812.  The  privateer  soh.  Thomas,  Capt.  Shaw,  11  guns  and 
100  men,  and  Privateer  sloop  Science,  Fernald,  sailed  from 
this  port  on  a  cruise.  Two  other  Privateers  were  fitting  out 
at  the  same  time.  Sch.  Phoebus  and  Phebe  sent  into  Ports- 
mouth by  the  Squando  of  that  Port.  The  Squando  was 
only  a  pink  stern  schooner. 

The  English  brig  Resolution  arrived  at  Portland  a  prize 
to  the  privateer  Nancy  of  Portsmouth. 

Barque  Fisher  from  Rio  with  a  very  valuable  cargo  and 
considerable  spice  was  sent  into  Portland  by  the  Fox  of 
Portsmouth. 

1813 — Brig  Mars,  from  Jamaica  for  Halifax,  sent  into 
Portsmouth  by  the  Fox.  [This  was  afterwards  the  priva- 
teer Mars.] 

Ship  Dromo,  12  guns,  from  Liverpool  for  Halifax,  with  a 
cargo  valued  at  $70,000,  was  sent  into  Wiscasset  by  the 
Thomas,  of  Portsmouth. 


THE  PORTSMOUTH  RECORD.  289 

A  Brig  sent  into  Boothbay  by  the  same,  with  a  very  valu- 
able cargo.  It  is  said  these  two  vessels  produced  the 
captors  more  than  $500,000. 

A  Brig  was  sent  into  Portsmouth  by  the  Gov.  Plumer  of 
this  port.  A  Brig  was  captured  and  burnt  by  the  Gov. 
Plumer — she  was  bound  from  Hull  to  Halifax. 

Brig  Daniel  from  Waterford  to  Halifax,  laden  with  provi- 
sions, sent  into  Portsmouth  by  the  Gov.  Plumer,  privateer. 
The  noted  schr.  Liverpool  Packet  of —  guns,  carried  into 
Portsmouth  by  the  Thomas  of  that  port.  Afterwards  fitted 
as  a  Privateer  called  the  the  Liverpool  Packet,  Capt.  Wat- 
son. 

Brig  Nelly,  Cork,  for  Newfoundland,  captured  by  the 
Fox  of  Portsmouth,  and  burnt  after  disposing  of  her  valua- 
ble articles. 

Sloop  Peggy,  Greenwhich,  for  Limerick,  captured  by  the 
same  and  ransomed. 

Schr.  Brother  and  Sister,  captured  by  the  same  and  burnt. 
Brig  Louisa,  captured  by  the  Fox  and  ransomed.  Sloop 
Fox,  from  Liverpool,  for  Limerick,  valuable,  captured  by 
the  Privateer  Fox  and  sent  to  Norway.  (4  more  prizes  are 
recorded  in  this  chapter  to  the  Fox,  but  there  was  another 
of  that  name  from  Baltimore,  and  she  may  have  been  the 
vessel.) 

But  we  grow  weary  of  the  task.  This  was  only  the  first 
vear  of  the  war.  The  oceans  of  the  world  swarmed,  liter- 
ally  swarmed,  with  Privateers,  and  British  ships  were  cap- 
tured by  hundreds.  Our  own  merchant  ships  were  cooped 
up  at  home,  not  daring  to  face  the  gauntlet  of  the  British 
naval  forces.  The  sailors  who  should  have  manned  them, 
gladly  turned  privateersmen,  and  thus  the  war  was  waged 
till  the  Peace  of  1815. 

We  still  in  imagination  see  our  streets  filled  with  jolly 
privateersmen  in  groups,  with  blue  ribbons  tied  around 
their  hats  inscribed  in  large  letters  "  Success  to  the  Fox," 
or  whatever  vessel  they  were  to  sail  in.  And  then  another 
scene,  of  the  sailors  paid  off,  with  so  much  money  that  they 
knew  not  what  to  do  with  it.  It  was  one  of  these  men  who 
one  day  near  Market  Square,  put  his  arm  round  the  neck  , 


290  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

a  cow,  kissed  her,  and  put  a  five  dollar  bill  in  her  mouth  for 
a  cud.  They  might  be  seen,  too,  sporting  their  parasols, 
and  in  dresses  most  ludicrously  fine. 

Some  men  grew  rich  by  the  war — they  piled  thousands 
upon  thousands — but  now,  ere  half  a  century  has  passed 
away,  scarcely  any  mark  of  the  riches  obtained  by  priva- 
teering, is  visible  in  their  families.  Their  mansions  have 
generally  passed  into  other  hands,  and  their  descendants  are 
many  of  them  poverty  stricken.  If  Solomon's  proverbs  on 
fleeting  riches  had  not  been  written  earlier,  they  might  have 
been  based  on  the  results  of  our  privateering  acquisitions. 


RAMBLE  CXXXV. 


Our       "Wharves  —  "West-India       Trade  —  Capt.      Grilmaxl— - 

Admiral    Kelson — Emperor    of  Russia,    Sec. 

The  Navigation  of  Portsmouth  for  twenty  years  previous 
to  1812  was  much  more  extensive  and  employed  a  larger 
fleet  of  vessels,  but  of  smaller  tonnage,  than  are  now  owned 
here.  It  is  true  the  capital  now  invested  is  much  greater 
but  our  ships  now  are  seldom  seen  here  after  they  are  built. 
We  will  for  a  moment  take  a  retrospective  view  of  the 
Navigation  of  Portsmouth  some  seventy  or  eighty  years 
ago.  The  trade  was  then  principally  with  the  West  Indias, 
in  schooners,  and  brigs  of  from  100  to  200  tons.  Some  of 
these  vessels  were  always  at  our  wharves,  either  loading 
or  discharging.  Their  outward  cargoes  were  fish,  lumber, 
beef,  pork,  &c.}  in  the  hold  and  cabin — with  a  deck  load  of 
horses,  mules,  oxen,  sheep,  pigs,  chickens,  geese,  turkeys, 
etc.,  and  would  appear  at  the  wharf  when  loaded,  like  a 
farmer's  barn-yard,  with  hay  piled  up  almost  to  the  lower 
yards.     Live  stock  would  always  pay  largely  when  it  could 


THE    WEST    INDIA    TRADE.  291 

be  got  out  safe ;  but  of  this  there  was  only  one  chance  in 
ten.  Bad  weather  will  soon  clear  the  decks,  and  the  deck 
load  will  soon  be  a-swimming  without  shore  or  bounds. 
The  return  cargoes  were  rum,  molasses,  sugar,  coffee,  &c, 
with  some  specie.  This  trade  was  a  great  advantage  to 
the  laboring  classes,  also  to  coopers,  and  fishermen.  Our 
wharves  from  the  North  End  to  the  Pier,  and  even  to  the 
Point  of  Graves,  were  lined  with  vessels,  and  our  commu- 
nity busy  and  happy. 

This  West  India  trade  was  however  quite  a  lottery. 
Sometimes  good  voyages  would  be  made,  but  oftener  losing 
ones  ;  so  that  few  made  fortunes  by  it,  and  many  became 
bankrupt.  One  voyage  now  in  mind  was  considered  a  good 
one. 

The  brig  Oliver  Peabody,  owned  in  Exeter  by  Gov. 
Gihnan,  Mr.  Peabody,  Col.  Gilman  Leavitt,  and  others  in 
Portsmouth,  the  master  Capt.  Stephen  Gilman  of  Exeter, 
left  here  in  1803,  with  a  full  cargo  of  lumber,  provisions, 
&c.  and  a  deck  load  of  stock,  oxen,  sheep,  poultry,  &c. 

Capt.  Gilman  had  been  about  twenty  days  from  Ports- 
mouth, when,  concluding  by  his  observation  the  day  before 
he  must  be  in  the  latitude  of  the  Windward  Islands,  the  next 
morning  by  day-light  found  himself  surrounded  by  a  large 
fleet  of  men-of-war.  At  that  time,  as  our  vessels  were  daily 
captured  by  a  French  fleet  under  the  command  of  Victor 
Hughes,  he  concluded  it  was  a  gone  case.  He  soon  how- 
ever was  released  from  his  fears,  for  a  cutter  immediately 
boarded  him  from  the  Admiral's  Flag  Ship,  with  an  officer; 
who  stated  to  him  that  the  fleet  in  sight  was  that  of  Admi- 
ral Nelson  blockading  the  French  West  India  Islands,  and 
that  he  was  sent  by  the  Admiral  with  his  compliments , 
saying  that  his  officers  had  seen  him  since  daylight,  and 
they  had  concluded  he  "had  a  deck  load  of  live  stock,  of 
which  they  were  much  in  want ;  and  also  told  Capt.  G.  if 
he  would  go  on  board  with  him,  the  Admiral  would  pur- 


292  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

chase  his  deck  load  at  his  own  price.  He  accordingly 
went ;  the  Admiral  received  him  in  his  cabin  and  treated 
him  with  a  glass  of  wine  and  great  politeness,  and  after  the 
price  of  the  stock  was  settled,  gave  orders  to  his  Purser  to 
pay  him  the  amount,  which  he  did  in  Spanish  dollars. 
Capt.  G.  then  returned  to  his  brig,  and  the  stock  was  taken 
on  board  the  fleet.  Capt.  Oilman  would  often  after  his  re- 
turn home  rebate  his  interview  with  Nelson,  with  much  sat- 
isfaction: said  he  was  a  man  about  five  feet  in  height,  of  a 
very  gentlemanly,  and  polite  appearance,  with  only  one  arm, 
and  limping  considerably  in  walking,  from  a  wound  received 
in  the  knee.  He  said  he  thought  him  a  handsome  man,  and 
considered  him  between  thirty  and  forty  years  old.  This 
was  about  two  years  before  the  battle  of  Trafalgar — where 
Nelson  lost  his  life. 

Admiral  Nelson  told  Capt.  G.  he  had  liberty  to  go  to  any 
Island  and  dispose  of  the  balance  of  his  cargo.  This  ho 
soon  did,  and  returned  home  with  full  cargo  of  West  India 
produce,  and  10,000  Spanish  dollars  for  his  deck  load.  His 
outward  cargo  was  invoiced  at  $5,000. 

It  was  not  unusual  to  see  twenty  or  thirty  vessels  loading 
for  foreign  ports  in  Portsmouth  at  one  time.  We  also  had 
a  number  of  vessels  engaged  in  the  Russia,  South  America, 
and  some  in  the  India  trade. 

In  the  year  1802  William  Gray,  Esq.,  then  of  Salem, 
(often  called  Billy  Gray,)  loaded  a  number  of  ships  here 
for  India.  They  took  in  spars  and  naval  stores.  The 
specie  carried  out  was  brought  from  Boston  in  large  wag- 
ons and  put  up  in  small  iron-bound  kegs.  These  ships 
usually  returned  to  Boston. 

Portsmouth  had  merchants  in  the  India  trade.  Col.  James 
Sheafe  and  Matthew  S.  Marsh,  Esq.,  father  of  George  M. 
Marsh  owned  two  or  three  ships  in  this  line.  They  built 
a  ship  on  Peirce's  Island  in  1804,  and  sent  her  to  India. 
Messrs.  N.  A.  &  J.  Haven  also  sent  one  there  called  the 
Hamilton. 


THE    EMPEROR    OF   RUSSIA.  293 

Nearly  seventy  years  since,  Capt.  Charles  Coffin,  in  con- 
nection with  Thomas  Sheafe,  was  engaged  in  the  Russian 
trade.  In  one  of  his  voyages  he  took  a  black  man  as  a 
steward.  Soon  after  the  vessel  was  in  port,  there  was  a 
grand  military  display  of  troops  to  be  reviewed  by  the 
Emperor.  The  steward  requested  permission  to  go  on 
shore  to  witness  the  pageant.  He  was  not  aware  that  a 
black  man  had  rarely  been  seen  in  Russia,  and  was  surprised 
to  find  that  himself  and  the  Emperor  became  the  observed 
of  all  observers.  Nor  did  the  Emperor  himself  overlook 
him.  The  next  clay  a  messenger  was  sent  to  Capt.  C.  by 
order  of  the  Emperor,  asking  if  the  services  of  the  black 
man  could  be  obtained  for  the  Royal  household.  Capt. 
Coffin  offered  to  dispense  with  the  steward's  services  if  he 
could  better  his  condition,  and  the  black  man  in  due  time 
became  a  Royal  butler,  and  being  faithful,  was  distinguished 
in  his  position.  A  few  years  after,  our  informant  says,  he 
saw  him  in  the  streets  of  Portsmouth,  with  gold-laced  dress, 
silk  stockings,  etc.,  returned  to  take  to  Russia  his  ebony 
wife  and  their  dark  diamonds,  to  sparkle  in  the  outer  court 
of  the  Autocrat. 

The  trade  to  Russia,  Sweden,  South  America,  Liverpool, 
&c.  was  then  good  :  iron,  hemp,  and  duck  were  imported 
from  Russia  and  Sweden,  as  none  of  these  goods  were  then 
of  American  production;  and  hides  and  tallow  from  Monte- 
video and  Buenos  Ayres.  The  trade  to  Liverpool  and 
Bristol  was  considerable.  Messrs.  Abel  &  Robert  Harris 
then  owned  a  ship  called  the  Bristol-Packet,  which  run 
regularly  to  Bristol  with  cargoes  of  flax-seed,  pot  and  pearl 
ashes,  and  some  lumber.  These  men  have  now  all  passed 
away  from  us,  as  well  as  the  trade  they  prosecuted.  Some 
of  them  have  left  large  estates,  which  we  daily  see  in  the 
substantial  brick  buildings  and  stores  built  by  them. 


294  RAMBLES    ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 


RAMBLE    CXXXVI. 

The      Old     "Welcli     House      on     Bridge      Street  —  Johnny 

Cunningham. 

"Who  that  has  been  through  Bridge  street  in  the  past 
century,  has  not  noticed  the  long,  low  black  house,  with  a 
camel-back  ridgepole,  end  on  the  street,  next  South  of  that 
on  the  corner  of  Hanover  street?  Passing  this  spot  one 
day  a  few  years  since,  we  were  surprised  to  find  that  the 
house  had  disappeared,  and  nothing  left  but  a  stout  chimney 
with  bricks  set  in  clay. 

Of  the  exact  date  when  this  old  house  was  built  we  have 
no  record.  The  first  occupant  we  can  find  was  Benjamin 
Welch.  He  was  born  about  1710,  and  probably  he  located 
here  as  early  as  1710.  He  occupied  it  in  the  time  of  the 
Involution.  There  was  no  house  nearer  to  it  on  the  south 
than  the  Call  mansion  ;  and  on  the  North  and  East  were 
none  nearer.  Our  old  folks  can  yet  remember  when  this 
house  set  thus  by  itself,  with  several  handsome  trees  on 
the  north  side,  (where  the  corner  house  now  stands,)  under 
which  the  patriarchal  proprietor  might  frequently  be  seen 
sitting,  enjo}Ting  the  clear  prospect  of  Christian  shore,  before 
any  railroad  depot  or  distillery  was  built,  before  the  first 
grave  was  made  in  the  old  North  Burying  Ground,  or  even 
a  bridge  built  where  the  mill  now  stands.  He  too  could 
see  the  full  tides  by  their  free  ingress,  flowing  nearly  up  to 
his  premises. 

For  many  years  there  was  a  well  curb  just  inside  the 
door  on  the  street,  at  which  the  wayfarers,  from  a  spring 
in  the  cellar,  quenched  their  thirst,  and  the  wants  of  the 
house  were  supplied. 

This  was  a  cottage  of  the  olden  time — and  it  probably 
was  not  wholly  without  its  romance,  although  its  history  is 
not  all  recorded.     Before  that  broad  fire-place  happy  faces 


JOHNNY   CUNNINGHAM.  295 

have  shone,  and  as  the  story  of  the  "Regulars"  has  been 
there  told,  fearful  eyes  have  been  looking  out  to  see  if  they 
Avere  coming.  Here  "olive  plants"  might  be  seen  around 
the  family  board.  Among  the  daughters  was  Betty,  whose 
bright  eyes  and  comely  person,  as  well  as  her  pleasant 
manners,  were  the  attraction  of  the  foreign  gardener  of  Col. 
George  Boyd.  Whether  Johnny  Cunningham  met  Betty 
Welch  first  at  the  well,  or  whether  he  fell  in  love  with 
the  cottage  in  the  distance  as  he  tilled  the  great  garden  of 
Col.  Boyd,  (extending  from  the  mill  to  the  depot,)  history 
does  not  inform  us, — but  the  fact  that  he  here  won  her 
heart  and  hand  is  better  established. 

Johnny  Cunningham,  as  he  was  familiarly  called  when 
the  writer  knew  him,  was  a  small  man,  his  head  generally  tui> 
baned  with  his  handkerchief,  sans  suspenders,  quick  in  his 
movements,  strong  nervous  temperament,  and  very  irritable 
at  small  matters.  He  was  of  Irish  descent,  but  found  in  Eng? 
land  by  Col.  Boyd,  and  sent  here  before  the  Revolution  to 
be  his  gardener — for  which  business  he  had  been  educated. 
As  a  penman  few  could  surpass  him.  "We  recollect  an  illus- 
trative anecdote  of  the  old  man.  He  had  been  at  work  for 
Maj.  Wm.  Gardner  one  day,  and  presented  his  bill.  Maj, 
G.  was  struck  with  the  bold  beauty  of  the  writing,  and 
priding  himself  on  his  own  skill  with  his  pen,  inquired  of 
the  little  rough  man,  who  made  out  his  bill  for  him  !  "Myself, 
sir."  The  Major  expressed  doubts,  and  to  test  him,  asked 
him  to  go  to  his  desk  and  write  his  name.  "  Your  penknife, 
if  you  please,"  said  Johnny.  Having  adjusted  the  nib  to  his 
liking,  the  pen  was  applied  to  the  paper,  and  Maj.  Gardner 
soon  saw  in  the  freedom  and  ease  with  which  his  letters 
were  cut,  a  penman  whom  he  could  not  excel.  The  bill 
was  paid,  and  a  dollar  extra  added  as  an  acknowledgement 
of  his  skill. 

After  Johnny's  marriage,  the  trees  on  the  north  of  the 
house  were  cut  down,  and  he  built  the  two  story  house 


29 6  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

now  standing  there.  How  long  he  occupied  it  we  know  not. 
He  for  many  years  rented  it,  and  lived  in  the  old  house. 
They  had  one  son,  Andrew,  to  whom  he  gave  a  good  edu- 
cation. He  died  in  early  manhood.  After  the  death  of  his 
wife  Betty,  he  chose  to  put  his  effects  into  the  care  of  the 
town,  and  take  up  his  residence  at  the  town  farm,  where  he 
had  opportunity, under  the  charge  of  Superintendent  Morri- 
son, to  follow  his  favorite  pursuit,  gardening,  when  he  had 
the  inclination — and  if  his  hoe  or  a  spade  was  ever  out  of  its 
place  when  he  wanted  it,  there  would  be  no  peace  on  the 
farm  until  the  article  was  found.  That  hitching  up  of  his 
pants,  that  extension  of  the  arm,  that  flash  of  the  eye,  and 
that  quick  expression  of  irritation  when  the  boys  asked  of 
him  the  hour,  none  who  knew  him  will  ever  forget.  He 
died  about  twenty-five  years  ago,  at  the  age  of  94  years. 
Thus  the  old  house  and  its  inmates  have  now  all  passed 
away. 


EAMBLE     CXXXVII. 

John      Sim.es      and.     his      Descendants. 

On  the  lot  of  land  on  Market  street  now  occupied  by  the 
stores  of  C*H.  Mendum  &  Co.  and  Hill  &  Carr,  in  the  last 
century  stood  an  old  fashioned  gambrel-roofed  house,  with 
a  shop  on  the  street,  and  in  which  was  done  as  much  of  the 
dry  goods  trade  as  in  any  other  store  around  it.  The 
house  was  built  by  Mr.  John  Simes,  the  first  of  the  name 
among  us,  who  came  from  England  about  1736,  and  located 
on  this  spot.  His  land  extended  west  to  High  street.  A 
deed  dated  in  17G0  conveys  to  two  of  his  grandchildren, 
Elizabeth  Hart  (afterwards  the  wife  of  Rev.  Dr.  McClintock,) 
and  Mary  Parker,  (widow  of  Capt.  William  Parker,  and 


JOHN    SIMES   AND    HIS   DESCENDANTS.  297 

mother  of  Capt.  Samuel  Parker,)  children  of  Humphrey 
Fernald,  as  probably  their  share  of  the  estate,  the  house 
and  land  on  High  street,  which  has  long  been  known  as  the 
Parker  house,  and  was  recently  purchased  by  C.  H.  Men- 
dum,  of  the  widow  of  Capt.  Samuel  Parker.  He  held  other 
real  estate  at  the  time  of  his  death,  which  took  place  before ' 
the  Revolution.  He  left  but  one  son,  Joseph  Simes — and 
five  daughters.  One  of  the  daughters  married  Cyrus  Frink 
of  Newington,  from  whom  the  extensive  family  of  that 
name  descended;  another  married  Humphrey  Peavey  of 
Newington  ;  the  third  married  John  Nutter  of  Newington  ; 
the  fourth  married  Moses  Noble,  from  whom  the  family  on 
Noble's  Island  have  descended  ;  the  fifth  married  Humphrey 
Fernald  of  Portsmouth,  the  grandfather  of  John  W.  Fer- 
nald, who  is  now  the  only  male  descendant  in  that  line. 

Joseph  Simes  was  Chairman  of  the  Selectmen  of  Ports- 
mouth in  1776,  and  a  highly  esteemed  citizen.  He  occupied 
the  homestead  on  Market  street  till  his  death,  near  the  close 
of  the  last  century,  and  after  his  death  the  widow  con- 
tinued the  dry  goods  business  at  the  same  store  in  the 
house.  They  had  ten  children — six  sons  and  four  daughters. 
The  eldest  son  John  was  a  painter.  His  shop  was  in  the 
rear  of  the  house,  approached  by  an  avenue,  probably  the 
same  that  is  now  on  the  north  side  of  Lafayette  Laighton's 
store.  The  other  sons  were  Thomas,  landholder  and  livery 
stable  proprietor,  the  father  of  Stephen  H.  Simes ;  Mark, 
merchant  and  postmaster,  the  father  of  John  D.  Simes  ;  Wil- 
liam, goldsmith,  the  father  of  Bray  U.  Simes ;  George, 
landholder  and  livery  stable  proprietor,  the  father  of  John 
P.  and  William  Simes.  Mark,  William  and  George  owned 
handsome  mansions  in  the  same  neighborhood  on  Court 
and  State  streets. 

The  daughters  were  Ann,  the  wife  of  Capt.  Martin  Parry, 
and  mother  of  the  first  wife  of  late  William  Jones ;  Mary, 
wife    of    Capt.   Thomas   Lunt;    Hannah,   wife  of  George 
Massey ;  and  Elizabeth,  who  was  unmarried. 
20 


298  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

Our  older  citizens  well  remember  the  mother  of  the  large 
family  when  she  sold  English  goods  on  Market  street, 
not  on  quite  so  large  a  scale  as  some  of  her  descend- 
ants, but  large  for  the  times.  Mrs.  Simes  was  highly 
respected  for  her  many  virtues.  Habits  of  industry  and 
enterprise  had  a  marked  influence  on  the  children  and 
grandchildren  of  this  family,  which  is  not  yet  eradicated. 
Of  John  Simes's  six  children,  and  his  son's  ten  children, 
fifteen  were  married  and  settled  in  Portsmouth  and  its 
vicinity.  Of  their  descendants  many  are  now  located 
among  us,  and  are  making  their  mark  in  the  world — but 
"  our  fathers,  where  are  they." 


RAMBLE     CXXXVIII. 

Toppin     Maxwell  — "  Commodore  "     Mifflin. 

The  following  from  the  pen  of  Rev.  T.  H.  Miller,  gives  a 
true  and  graphic  sketch  to  which  most  of  our  citizens  who 
are  over  fifty  years  of  age  can  attest.  The  tannery  ex- 
tended from  the  foot  of  Deer  street,  near  where  the  Con- 
cord Railroad  depot  is  now  located,  to  Parker  street.  The 
site  of  the  windmill  is  the  very  spot  where  is  now  the 
engine  house  of  the  Concord  &  Portsmouth  Railroad. 

Why  such  a  man  ever  drifted  away  from  sweet  Ireland, 
where  he  was  born,  or  why  he  happened  to  drift  into  the 
old  harbor  of  Piscataqua,  in  which  he  lived,  and  on  whose 
shores  he  died,  your  deponent  knoweth  not  and  therefore 
sayeth  not.  But  the  fact  that  he  did  drift  away  from  the  one 
and  into  the  other  is  about  as  well  established  as  any  similar 
fact  can  be  ;  inasmuch  as  the  writer  in  his  boyhood  has 
often  paddled  in  the  water  (not  to  mention  the  mud)  which 
surrounded  the  Maxwell  mansion,  rendering  the  whole  do- 


TOPPIX   MAXWELL.  299 

main  a  landscape  very  much  like  a  sketch  of  Noah's  view 
from  his  window,  shortly  after  the  ark  rested.  That  he  had 
drifted  up  the  harbor  and  was  moored  to  the  shore  thus, 
rests  on  the  testimony  of  an  eye  witness.  That  he  had 
drifted  away  from  the  green  isle  was  no  less  manifest  to 
every  ear  which  listened  for  once  to  the  richest  and  most 
unctuous  brogue  that  ever  rattled  from  the  tongue  of  a 
native. 

But — but — the  reader  may  ask,  how  and  why  did  he  live 
in  the  harbor  when  land  was  plentiful  all  around  it,  and 
when  a  little  money  would  have  given  him  a  dry  acre? 
The  why  of  this  question  can  .only  be  guessed  at ;  the  how 
will  soon  be  plain  to  the  mind  of  the  reader,  almost  to  his 
eye.  Perhaps  the  reason  why  he  planted  himself  in  a  mud- 
hole  on  the  flats  was,  that  such  a  lot,  being  worth  little,  cost 
little  ;  or  that,  being  a  tanner,  he  was  not  afraid  of  water ; 
or  that,  being  an  old  bachelor,  he  thought  it  was  not  much 
matter  where  he  lived.  It  might  be  any  one  of  these 
reasons  ;  or  it  might  possibly  be  all  of  them  together ;  for 
he  loved  money,  he  was  an  excellent  tanner,  and  he  never 
married.  Or  it  might  be  none  of  them.  For,  as  "  there  is 
no  disputing  about  tastes,"  he  might  deem  his  location  the 
most  delightful  and  desirable  of  all  the  lovely  spots  on  our 
shores.  If  this  was  so,  one  happiness  he  doubtless  en- 
joyed, viz  :  a  home  which  no  one  envied  him  in  the  pos- 
session. And,  though  probably  nobody  else  thought  so, 
he  always  acted  as  if  he  thought  it  the  best  place  in  the 
world. 

Let  no  one  infer  from  the  hint  about  Noah,  that  Maxwell's 
ark  rested  on  Mount  Ararat,  or  any  other  mount,  whence  he 
came  down  at  certain  seasons  to  enjoy  himself  in  the  mud,  or 
disport  himself  in  the  water  like  a  dolphin.  No  sports  had 
lie,  that  his  neighborhood  knew  of,  but  work,  work,  work, 
was  his  practice,  whatever  might  be  his  theory.  And  his 
.ark  was  at  once  shop  and  house,  tannery  and  palace,     The 


300  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

harbor  of  Piscataqua  abounds  in  bays,  great  and  little,  in 
creeks  and  inlets  of  all  sizes.  One  of  these  creeks,  for- 
merly deep  enough  for  ship-building  on  its  banks,  was 
turned  into  a  tide-pond  a  hundred  years  ago,  by  the  erec- 
tion of  Levis's  mills,  and  on  the  shore — no,  in  the  shore  of 
this  pond,  at  its  south  eastern  extremity,  Toppin  Maxwell 
built  his  castle  exactly  at  the  point  which  sailors  call  "  be- 
tween wind  and  water."  Small  and  frail  it  was  at  first,  and 
at  every  spring-tide,  when  the  winds  blew  and  the  floods 
came,  the  neighbors'  eyes  were  turned  that  way  to  see  it 
go  off;  but  it  did  not  go,  and  from  year  to  year,  as 
he  threw  out  much  tan  from  his  pits,  but  sold  none,  his 
land  emerged  from  the  tide,  as  Venus  did  from  the  sea. 
Now  and  then  a  stray  log,  a  waif  from  the  waters  came 
along ;  it  was  moored,  and  very  gradually  but  certainly 
buried  ;  and  by  a  slow  process,  as  some  geologists  describe 
creation,  dry  land  appeared,  drier  and  drier,  wider  and 
wider,  till  a  goodly  lot,  like  Boston  on  a  small  scale,  had 
emerged  from  the  water,  and  none  but  the  highest  tides 
dared  show  their  heads  above  it.  As  land  and  money  grew 
in  his  hands,  so  did  buildings  rise.  Addition  upon  addi- 
tion, patch  upon  patch,  were  hitched  together,  incongruous 
and  inconvenient,  but  the  owner  Avas  a  conservative,  and 
would  throw  nothing  away.  He  built  stronger  and  stronger, 
and  always  at  some  cost,  till  he  had  a  large  building. 
Then  all  at  once  a  new  idea  shot  across  the  mind  ;  he  would 
have  a  wind-mill  to  grind  his  bark.  This  he  had  done  be- 
fore by  a  horse,  and  sometimes  hired  it  done  at  a  water- 
mill ;  but  now,  quoth  he,  "I'll  have  a  wind-mill,  and  grind 
for  meself  and  for  half  the  toon." 

Big  with  this  one  idea,  he  took  no  counsel  of  flesh  and 
blood  as  to  the  expediency  of  the  proposed  measure,  but 
went  about  the  work  like  a  man  determined  to  be  "  su- 
preme over  his  accidents.  Money  would  buy  lumber,  and 
hire  workmen.     He  bought  and  hired  the  best.     But  money 


TOPPIN   MAXWELL.  301 

would  not  buy  true  ideas,  either  in  castle  building  or  the 
building  of  wind-mills.  On  this  latter  subject  Toppin 
Maxwell  had  ideas  of  his  own,  which  he  thought  cost 
nothing,  but  which  in  the  end  proved  to  be  very  valuable, 
if  articles  are  to  be  prized  at  their  cost.  Remonstrances 
from  the  workmen  or  bystanders  as  to  the  style  of  the 
building,  were  overruled  in  a  summary  manner.  He  would 
build  the  mill  to  suit  himself,  and  so  he  did.  It  was  framed 
strongly  enough  for  a  den  of  lions,  and  braced  so  as  to  resist 
the  most  tempestuous  wind.  Should  the  top  of  the  mill  be 
rotary,  so  as  to  meet  all  the  winds,  as  wind-mills  usually 
are  ?  "  No,"  was  the  answer  ;  "  make  it  fast  facing  the 
northwest;  that's  the  strongest  wind  that  blows  here." 
And  so  it  was  done. 

Every  thing  was  finished  to  his  mind  ;  and  when  the 
wind  blew  from  the  favorite  quarter,  the  wooden  sails 
moved  round,  and  turned  the  iron  mill  and  ground  the 
bark — but  it  was  not  perfect.  The  machinery  was  heavy 
and  clumsy  ;  and  except  in  a  high  wind  it  would  scarcely 
move.  The  arms  were  now  made  as  long  as  they  could  be 
without  striking  the  ground,  and  the  width  of  the  fans  was 
doubled.  Now  the  mill  went  well  with  a  high  nor'-wester  ; 
but  too  furiously  with  a  stiff  topsail  breeze  !  What  was 
the  remedy  ?  Take  in  sail,  reef  the  fans,  says  some  green 
reader.  Alas,  that  was  impossible  !  for  two  reasons — 
first,  you  could  not  throw  the  mill  out  of  the  wind  to  get 
hold  of  the  sails  ;  and  second  if  you  got  hold  of  them  you 
could  not  take  them  in,  for  instead  of  cloth  they  were  made 
of  boards,  nailed  fast  to  strong  timbers.  The  only  way  to 
stop  the  mill  was  to  choke  it  with  bark,  rammed  into  the 
hopper  by  armfuls.  Of  course  it  would  not  always 
stay  choked,  but  would  start  off  again  and  run  round 
like  a  thing  of  life,  compelling  Toppin  and  his  work- 
men, or  boys,  not  exactly  to  make  hay  while  the  sun  shone, 
but  to  grind  bark  while  the  wind  blew.     After  a  windy  day 


302  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

sometimes  would  come  a  windier  night,  and  then  they  would 
grind  till  they  were  tired,  choke  the  mill  as  well  as  they 
could  and  go  to  bed.  About  the  time  they  got  warm 
and  dozy,  the  breeze  would  freshen,  the  mill  start,  and  the 
music  begin — jingle,  jingle-rattle,  rattle  —  whiz,  whizr 
whiz-z-z.  "Out  of  bed,  all  hands — the  mill  is  agoing,  it 
will  soon  be  on  fire.;'  "  Will  ye — nill  ye  "  up  they  must 
get,  and  grind  or  choke  as  best  they  could,  while  the 
breeze  lasted. 

In  the  winter,  north-west  breezes  often  swell  to  gales,, 
lasting  two  or  three  days.  One  day  and  one  night  the  milt 
had  ground  and  ground  and  groaned — another  day  passed 
and  a  second  night  drew  on  :  the  pile  of  bark  went  down 
rapidly,  but  the  wind  did  not  go  down  at  all  —on  the  con- 
trary it  seemed  to  rise.  Every  body  was  tired  and  sleepy, 
and  discouraged.  Orders  were  given  to  stop  the  mill;  but 
it  was  easier  told  than  done  ;  however,  in  a  lull  of  the 
wind  the  wheels  were  brought  to  a  stand — the  lights  were 
put  out,  and  all  hands  went  to  bed.  They  might  sleep,  but 
not  long,  for  a  flaw  started  the  mill,  and  the  mill  roused  the 
sleepers.  Wide  awake,  and  cross  enough,  they  choked  and 
clogged  the  machine  as  best  they  could,  and  when  at  last 
it  stood  still,  they  sought  repose  once  more.  But  the  gale 
increased ;  and  as  the  flaws  became  more  violent,  away 
Avent  the  mill  again.  This  was  too  much.  Breathing  out 
threatenings,  the  man  of  the  house  not  only  called  the 
hands,  but  arose  himself,  resolved  like  Don  Quixote,  to 
have  a  tilt  Avith  the  Avind  mill;  but  not  like  the  redoubtable 
Don,  to  come  off  second  best  and  sneak  off  in  his  aatouik1s. 
Xo,  not  he  !  There  Avas  the  machine  with  Avide-spread 
Avings  revolving  in  hot  haste,  hotter  and  hotter,  making  all 
gee  again.  No  time  Avas  to  be  lost.  He  seized  the  first 
Aveapon  that  came  to  hand — a  heavy  iron  ctoav  bar— and, 
poising  it  with  his  stahvart  arm  upraised,  as  lightly  as  a 
dandy  flourishes  his  rattan,  he  stepped  upon  the  platform, 


TOPPIN   MAXWELL.  303 

and,  suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  roared  out,  "There! 
(with  an  oath  too  big  to  put  in  print,)  see  if  I  can't  stop  ye  !" 

Down  went  the  crowbear  among  the  teeth — round  went 
the  mill  one  whole  turn,  swallowing  the  crowbar,  and  bend- 
ing the  strong  iron  like  a  piece  of  cap  wire — but  the  meat 
was  too  hard  to  digest,  and  like  the  Baylonish  Dragon  after 
eating  the  pitch,  the  mill  burst  asunder.  The  shaft  broke, 
one  or  two  fans  broke  and  fell  off,  and  every  thing  came  up 
with  a  jerk.  One  grand  crash  and  all  was  still — so  still  that 
it  never  moved  again.  All  hands  slept  soundly  that  night, 
and  for  all  the  noise  made  by  the  mill,  they  might  have 
slept  till  this  time.  This  was  Toppin's  last  scheme.  He 
went  back  to  the  horse  mill;  backward  in  many  of  his 
affairs  ;  and  without  living  to  be  very  old  or  very  rich,  he 
some  forty  years  since  passed  off  the  stage.  Feace  to  his 
ashes ;  he  made  room  for  greater  men — we  were  going  to 
say  wiser,  but  let  that  pass.  Corporations  which  he  never 
heard  of,  machines  and  inventions  he  never  dreampt  of, 
occupy  his  old  tanner's  paradise.  A  steam  mill  made  of 
his  house  has  since  ground  bark  where  his  wind-mill  broke 
down — a  steam  tannery  now  does  in  a  ~eek  what  he  used  to 
do  in  a  year  —  steam  cotton  mills  are  planted  on  the 
shores  of  his  pond — the  pond  itself  is  cut  up  with  a  mul- 
titude of  railroad  tracks — the  telegraph  near  by  speaks  of 
new  things — and  old  men  and  old  things  are  rapidly  for- 
gotten. 

This  biography  is  written  merely  for  the  love  of  the 
thing — no  chick  nor  child  nor  friend  of  Toppin  is  there  left 
to  reward  the  writer  for  giving  their  relative  a  good  char- 
acter,— nor  foes,  that  we  wot  of,  to  exult  over  a  bad  one — 
but  hundreds  of  men  in  middle  life  there  are,  who  can  see 
his  round,  rosy  face,  and  portly  bulk  once  again,  as  in  a 
glass — and  then,  perhaps,  think  of  him  no  more.  But  then 
lie  had  his  uses,  his  aims,  his  purposes,  his  thought  and 
life — and  who  can  say  that  such  an  one  as  he  had  no  place 


304  RAMBLES    ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

in  the  divine  and  beneficent  plans  of  the  great  overruling 
Providence,  or  that  he  did  not  fill  it?  If  any  think  or  say 
so  let  them  do  it  better. 

A  character,  quite  as  prominent  on  the  shores  of  the 
North  Mill  Pond,  has  furnished  the  subject  for  another 
sketch  from  the  same  writer.  We  refer  to  Commodore 
Mifflin. 

The  title  was  honorary  or  fanciful,  but  the  name  was 
real,  and  Mr.  Mifflin  lived  and  labored  in  Portsmouth 
through  a  long  life  and  died  something  more  than  forty 
years  ago. 

He  lived  in  Eock  Pasture.  Well,  where's  that?  No 
where,  now ;  because  the  Rocks  are  gone,  and  the  pasture 
also,  for  though  the  land  remains,  it  is  now  cut  up  into 
streets  and  squares,  occupied  with  houses,  shops,  mills 
and  iron  Avorks.  But  Rock  Pasture  did  extend,  in  Commo- 
dore Mifflin's  day,  from  where  the  west  end  of  the  Ports- 
mouth Steam  Factory  now  stands,  to  the  westerly  side  of 
Cabot  street,  and  from  Islington  street  to  the  North  Mill 
Pond. 

On  the  bank  of  this  pond  stood  the  Mifflin  mansion, 
on  the  spot  where  is  the  house  and  former  home  of  Capt. 
Robert  Shillaber,  and  close  to  the  Partington  estate  :  for 
strange  as  it  may  seem,  be  it  known  to  the  moderns,  that 
while  the  middle  of  the  pasture  was  bare  of  buildings,  the 
water  lots,  or  rather  mud  lots,  on  the  shore,  were  all  occu- 
pied by  houses,  from  the  Partington  mansion  down  to 
'Squire  Adams's  wharf. 

On  the  pond  swam  and  fished  Mr.  Mifflin's  geese,  that 
healthy,  vigorous,  never-failing  flock,  whose  memory  is 
honored  in  a  poem  of  Benj.  P.  Shillaber,  the  medium 
through  whom  the  Partington  spirit's  utterances  are  given 
to  the  sons  of  earth. 

And  they  fed,  as  they  listed,  on  the  green  grass  which 
carpeted  the  moist  even  surface  of  the  pasture,  during  the 


"COMMODORE"    MIFFLIN.  305 

livelong  summer,  fearless  alike  of  stone  throwing  bo}7s  and 
impertinent  dogs,  both  of  whom  (?)  stood  in  wholesome 
fear  of  the  old  gander's  prowess :  for  verily  he  had  been 
victorious  in  many  a  battle  ere  these  youthful  men  and 
dogs  had  come  upon  the  stage. 

When  the  ground  became  frozen,  or  was  covered  with 
snow,  and  commons  were  short,  the  geese  would  march,  in 
the  most  exact  military  order,  down  through  the  town  to 
the  Parade  (now  vulgarly  called  Market  Square,)  where  in 
those  days  there  used  to  be  many  teams  from  the  country, 
and  where  many  grains,  and  sometimes  quarts,  of  corn, 
oats,  and  hayseed  were  scattered  by  the  oxen  and  horses. 

When  the  geese  had  eaten  what  they  could  find,  and 
sometimes  received  a  few  slashes  from  the  teamsters' 
whips,  they  would  rise  and  fly  to  their  home,  clearing  the 
tops  of  trees  and  houses,  and  arriving  safe. 

But  leaving  the  geese,  let  us  go  back  to  the  Commodore, 
inquiring  what  manner  of  man  he  was,  and  why  he  was 
called  Commodore. 

James  H.  Mifflin,  so  he  wrote  his  name  in  a  plain  and  bold 
round  hand,  was  a  military  man,  an  English  soldier,  said  to 
be  born  in  London,  educated  'in  the  blue  coat  school,  and 
enlisted  in  the  British  army,  in  which  he  fought  at  the 
battle  of  Bunker's  Hill. 

The  story  used  to  run  that  he  was  wounded  there, 
though  we  never  heard  him  say  so  ;  but  by  some  mischance 
he  became  a  prisoner,  and  preferring  to  stay  in  this  country 
he  was  not  exchanged,  but  came  to  Portsmouth,  married 
and  settled  here,  where  he  lived  and  died,  and  where  some 
descendants  now  live. 

His  occupation  here  was  that  of  a  mason's  tender;  i.  e. 
he  made  mortar  and  carried  bricks,  and  in  his  day  was 
deemed  one  of  the  best  in  that  business. 

On  training  days,  when  our  land  forces  took  the  field, 
Mr.  Mifflin,  as  waiter  to  the  field  and  staff  officers,  made  a 


306  RAMBLES   ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

fine  appearance.  Erect  and  soldierlike,  with  hat  in  hand, 
head  well  powdered,  his  clothes  all  antique,  and  his  weli- 
preserved  blue  coat  adorned  with  large  brass  buttons,  he 
was  hardly  less  conspicuous  than  Gen.  Storer  himself. 

Our  hero  lived,  as  the  reader  will  remember,  on  the 
bank  of  the  North  Mill  Pond.  Indeed  in  that  day,  the 
house  was  nearly  at  the  water's  edge,  and  as  he  built  no 
wharf,  a  storm  would  now  and  then  dig  a  hole  in  the  bank, 
and  the  winds  and  waves  threaten  the  mansion  itself;  but 
to  preserve  the  premises  from  these  perils,  the  bank  was 
thickly  planted  with  the  good  old-fashioned  Balm  of  Gilead 
trees,  to  break  off  the  winds,  and  a  great  pine  log,  belong- 
ing  to  Robert  Ham,  was  laid  alongside  at  high  water  mark 
moored  and  staked,  to  break  the  force  of  the  waves. 

In  those  days,  almost  every  housekeeper  carried  or  sent 
his  own  bushel  of  corn  to  the  mill,— -and  several  of  the 
Rock  Pasture  people  had  canoes,  floats  or  skiffs  in  which 
they  navigated  the  pond  for  this  and  other  purposes. 

Mr.  Mifflin  had  a  canoe,  something  like  the  western  dug- 
out of  a  later  day,  which  he  kept  tied  to  the  log,  and  which 
was  shaded  by  the  trees.  The  boys  of  the  neighborhood 
were  apt  to  borrow  boats  without  leave,  and  once  in  a  while 
would  take  his.  When  they  did  so,  his  lion-like  voice  rung 
out  over  the  pond,  and  the  boys  coming  as  near  as  they 
dared,  would  shove  in  the  boat,  and  jumping  overboard,  go 
ashore  elsewhere,  glad  to  escape. 

This  watchfulness  induced  other  owners  to  put  their 
boats  under  his  watchful  eye;  and  thus  quite  a  fleet  was 
moored  to  his  log.  The  joiners'  and  masons'  apprentice 
boys,  among  whom  he  labored  for  years,  dubbed  him  Com- 
modore, and  he  answered  to  the  title.  In  those  days  labor- 
ers drank  spirits ;  and  the  Commodore  labored  and  drank 
heartily.  His  voice,  always  loud,  grew  louder  as  the  day 
declined,  and  at  sundown,  when  any  one,  as  he  passed  ad- 
dressed him  as  Commodore  Mifflin,  he  responded,  Sir!  !  in 
one  that  might  ring  through  a  battalion. 


MY   BROTHER   BOB.  307 

Like  a  true  Englishman,  he  would  not  speak  of  his  mili- 
tary life,  except  in  answer  to  questions, — but  the  military 
steps,  positions  and  motions,  and  habits  of  his  youth,  were 
part  of  his  life,  and  endured  as  long  as  he  lived. 


RAMBLE     CXXXIX. 

My    Brother    Bob. 


The  genuine  truthfulness  of  the  following  story,  from  the 
genial  pen  of  our  old  townsman,  B.  P.  Shillaber,  Esq.,  as 
well  as  its  lively  account  of  no  less  a  character  than  Com- 
modore Mifflin  or  Toppin  Maxwell,  induces  us  to  give  it  as 
one  of  the  Rambles.  Like  the  two  above  named,  "  My 
Brother  Bob  "  had  his  home  on  the  South  shore  of  the 
North  Mill  Pond. 

It  was  the  remark  of  a  distinguished  orator  who  once 
discoursed  about  the  Father  of  his  Country,  that  "  G-. 
"Washington  was  not  a  loud  boy."  I  may,  with  some  pro- 
priety, apply  the  same  remark  to  my  brother  Bob.  He  is 
not  a  "  loud  boy,"  in  the  sense  wherein  the  term  loud 
might  be  supposed  to  apply.  He  does  not  stand  at  the 
street  corners  and  brawl,  to  the  disturbance  of  neighbor- 
hoods; he  has  no  particular  fancy  for  the  boisterous;  but 
he  is  a  quiet  man,  full  of  good  sense,  practical  to  a  fault, 
honest,  plain  spoken,  industrious,  prudent.  He  possesses 
very  little  of  the  ornate  or  ornamental,  and  yet  he  attracts 
by  qualities  the  opposite  of  those  which  usually  control. 
A  hardy,  gnarled,  rough  man,  yet  he  is  respected  more  for 
his  integrity  of  character,  and  the  qualities  enumerated, 
than  hundreds  who  wear  far  better  clothes  and  make  more 
pretension  to  refinement.      Bob  is  not  an  Adonis,  for  per- 


308  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

sonal  grace  is  not  a  quality  much  to  be  vaunted  of  in  our 
family,  compensation  being  found  in  those  excellences 
which  the  best  people  discern. 

My  brother  Bob  is  a  character,  and  from  the  earliest 
point  to  which  my  memory  recurs,  he  has  maintained  the 
same  position  in  the  estimation  of  the  people  as  now.  It 
will  not  do  to  call  him  an  old  man  yet;  and  though  years 
have  severely  tussled  with  him,  and  taken  a  little  away 
from  his  elasticity,  it  has  added  to  his  wisdom,  and  less 
impulsiveness  characterizes  his  speech  and  actions.  For 
instance,  he  would  scarcely  now  do  as  he  did  years  ago, 
when  the  little  boy  was  drowned  in  the  pond  near  which 
he  lived  : — throw  his  clothes  off  piece  by  piece  as  he  ran  to 
the  rescue,  and  almost  naked  venture  among  the  crackling 
and  brittle  ice,  breaking  beneath  his  every  movement,  in 
his  humane  endeavor.  That  half  hour  of  fruitless  effort, 
in  the  eyes  of  the  assembled  town,  covered  him  with 
glory — the  only  covering  he  had,  until  his  clothes  were 
brought  him,  and  he  had  made  his  toilet  on  the  hard-set  ice, 
within  a  few  yards  from  where  the  poor  boy  met  his  fate- 
Neither  would  he  do  as  he  did  at  the  time  the  boys  got  up- 
set in  the  boat,  when  with  no  other  means  of  rescue  than  a 
half-hogshead  tub,  he  gallantly  pushed  from  the  shore  to  aid 
them.  With  a  bold  spirit,  actuated  by  the  warmest  feel- 
ings, Bob  had  no  thought  of  danger  or  reward,  though  he 
sometimes  found  compensation  in  shaking  those  whom  he 
benefitted  for  the  trouble  they  had  caused  him ;  and  there 
were  frequent  opportunities. 

He  was  always  a  favorite  of  the  boys,  and  his  boat  on 
Wednesday  and  Saturday  afternoons  was  an  object  of  great 
competetion,  for  he  had  a  water  privilege  then  on  the  pond, 
which  a  railroad  many  years  since  cut  off,  leaving  Bob 
minus  a  small  income,  and  a  prospective  suit  against  the 
corporation,  in  case  they  refuse  to  compensate.  I  can  re- 
call many  instances  of  juvenile  charter  parties   for  naviga. 


MY   BROTHER   BOB.  309 

tion  upon  the  North  Mill  Pond  at  such  times,  and  Bob  Avas  as 
well  pleased  in  their  sport  as  though  he  were  not  to  receive 
the  dime,  or  less,  in  payment.  Grave  and  busy  men,  often,  in 
referring  to  those  times,  make  mention  of  that  dear  delightful 
sail  upon  the  little  pond;  then,  however,  larger  considerably 
than  the  Atlantic,  and  speak  of  Bob  in  the  kindliest  spirit 
of  remembrance,  recalling  him  by  some  amusing  anecdote 
that  gave  a  zest  to  the  good  old  time.  But  there  were 
times  when  he  would  swear  like  a  tornado,  if  such  express- 
ion may  be  employed,  when  juvenile  depredators  attempted 
to  overreach  him ;  and  it  has  been  said  that  in  his  earlier 
days  there  Avas  more  profanity  in  him  to  the  square  inch 
than  in  any  one  around.  This,  however,  has  changed  for 
the  subdued  temper  that  years  bring  with  them,  and  but 
moderate  scope  is  allowed  for  passion. 

Speaking  of  this,  I  was  wont  to  try  him  fearfully  in  the 
olden  time,  and  well  did  I  rue  it  in  the  lofty  indignation 
that  fired  him  ;  but  now,  a  right  philosophy  that  submits, 
murmurless,  to  destiny,  governs  his  conduct  to  me.  This 
must  be  the  case,  else  would  he  denounce  me  for  my  failure 
to  answer  his  letters,  and  the  other  indignities  of  neglect 
and  silence.  Even  when  he  called  upon  me  in  town  in  the 
drive  of  business,  and  I  begged  him,  for  heaven's  sake/to 
go  till  I  was  at  leisure — a  rudeness  which  I  repented  of  in 
dust  and  ashes — he  turned  without  a  complaint,  and  I  did 
not  see  him  again  for  six  months.  In  reply  to  an  abject 
apology  I  made,  he  said  it  was  all  right ;  he  knew  me  well 
enough  to  believe  that  I  was  actuated  by  right  motives,  and 
he  had  no  cause  to  fret  about  it.  I  wish,  for  myself,  that 
such  understanding  could  more  universally  prevail ;  that, 
when  in  our  honesty  we  use  a  friend  in  this  manner,  he 
might  not  imagine  an  offence  and  abuse  us  for  the  virtue  of 
candor,  which  may  be  the  only  one  we  have. 

Candor  is  a  virtue  which  Bob  especially  possesses.      He 
was  entrusted  for  many  years  with  the  care  of  the  Court 


Q 


10  RAMBLES  ABOUT  PORTSMOUTH. 


House,  in  the  town  where  he  lives,  and  was  intimate  with 
those  comprising  the  Bench  and  Bar ;  Pierce,  Christie, 
Hackett,  Marston,  Hayes,  Eastman,  Harvey,  by  all  of  whom 
lie  was  held  in  high  regard — one  of  them,  who  was  after- 
President,  having  borrowed  money  of  him,  upon  which  he 
based  a  claim  for  an  office  under  his  administration,  that  he 
didn't  get.  He  was,  as  I  have  intimated,  not  a  very  dressy 
person,  therein  proving  an  exception  to  a  rule  of  our  fam- 
ily, and  strangers  underrated  him  on  account  of  it.  A  plain 
suit  of  clothes,  perhaps  a  green  baize  jacket,  his  collar 
turned  back,  cravatless,  revealing  his  stout  neck,  presented 
an  appearance  somewhat  different  from  the  beau  monde, 
but  it  was  tolerated  by  all  those  who  were  not  more  nice 
than  wise.  There  was  but  one  who  ever  attempted  to 
meddle  with  him  on  this  point,  and  he  tried  it  but  once. 
Bob  knew  everything  that  had  ever  transpired  in  town.  It 
was  said  of  him  by  an  admirer,  somewhat  irreverently,  that 
he  was  next  to  Omniscience  in  penetrating  human  secrets. 
He  had  an  intuition  that  was  infallible,  and  could  read  men 
like  a  book.  Concerning  this  one  alluded  to,  Bob  had  ob- 
tained the  fact  that  he  was  owing  a  large  tailor's  bill  in  town, 
about  which  there  was  some  fear.  As  Bob  entered  the 
Court  House  one  morning,  there  was  an  extra  number  of 
lawyers  present,  and  the  individual  named  among  them. 
"  There,  gentlemen,"  said  he,  pointing  to  the  green  jacket 
and  the  open  shirt  collar,  "  there  is  a  dress  in  which  to 
associate  with  gentlemen  !"  "  True,"  replied  Bob  very 
quietly  ;  "  I  don't  dress  very  well,  but  if  I  had  gone  down 
to  Snip's  and  run  in  debt  for  my  clothes,  I  might  have  ap- 
peared as  well  as  you  do."  This  was  a  stunner,  so  to 
speak,  and  Bob  was  declared  the  winner  by  a  full  bench. 

He  was  always  ready  with  replies  that  had  a  salutary 
smart  in  them.  Though  an  early  and  ardent  Jackson  man, 
in  honor  of  whose  inauguration  he  illumined  his  house  from 
attic  to  cellar  in  182J),  and  inheriting  the  Democratic  chart 


MY   BROTHER   BOB.  311 

in  politics,  he  turned  over  to  the  free  soil  side  of  the  ques-  * 
tion,  for  which  he  was  abused  by  those  with  whom  he  had 
previously  acted.  About  this  time  a  movement  was  made 
against  the  banks  of  his  State,  and  Bob,  having  a  few  shares 
of  bank  stock,  took  a  decided  stand  in  support  of  the 
banks,  against  his  old  associates.  "  Well,  Bob,"  said  one  of 
these,  "I  hear  you  have  gone  over  to  the  enemy.  That's 
just  the  way  ;  as  soon  as  a  man  gets  a  dollar's  worth  of 
bank  stock  and  a  house  to  his  back,  off  he  goes  among  the 
aristocracy."  Bob  was  all  the  time  pursuing  his  work  of 
grafting  trees — he  is  a  famous  grafter,  and  buds  will  grow 
if  he  but  look  at  them — and  only  stopped  long  enongh  to 
to  say  :  "Adze,  if  you  paid  less  attention  to  politics  and 
more  to  your  business,  you  might  pay  off  that  mortgage  on 
your  house  in  a  little  while."  Adze  made  no  further 
remark. 

Bob's  idea  of  family  discipline  would  hardly  be  adopted 
3ret,  though  we  are  fast  gaining  on  it.  All.  great  ideas 
have  found  the  course  slow  before  they  are  established. 
He  has  had  a  fine  family  of  children,  though  they  have 
become  divided — some  here  and  there,  and  some  yonder, 
beyond  the  reach  of  earthly  care  and  sorrow.  When  they 
were  young,  he  was  asked  the  question  if  he  ever  flogged 
them.  "  Flogged  them  !"  said  he  in  a  tone  half  indignant ; 
"  no,  that  would  be  too  cowardly,  I  am  going  to  wait  till 
they  are  big  enough  to  strike  me  back,  and  then  pitch  in. 
It  is  mighty  mean  business  to  strike  a  child." 

He  has  filled  offices  of  trust  and  emolument, but  has  been 
more  distinguished  for  those  he  didn't  fill.  He  has  been 
captain  of  an  engine,  fence-viewer,  constable,  and  keeper 
of  the  court-house,  the  latter  of  which  offices  he  now  holds 
in  connection  with  that  of  messenger  to  the  Fire  Depart- 
ment. He  was  invaluable  on  election  days,  before  his  town 
was  divided  into  wards  ;  and  stationed  by  the  polls,  no  man 
passed  that  he  did  not  know — that  face  being  regarded  as 


312  RAMBLES    ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

prima  facie  and  sufficient  evidence  that  the  unknown  one 
had  no  right  to  vote.  They  might  do  away  with  the  check 
list  in  the  town  and  no  inconvenience  be  experienced.  How 
he  does  now,  I  don't  know,  hut  have  no  doubt  that  at  the 
last  election  he  exercised  the  same  watchfulness  over  the 
ballot-box  of  his  ward. 

He  is  well  posted  in  the  news  of  the  day,  but  living  so 
far  from  Boston,  he  receives  his  paper  but  twice  a  week. 
Asking  him  how  he  liked  this,  he  replied  that  he  liked  it 
very  well,  for  he  had  found  that  news  was  like  beef  steak, 
much  better  after  it  had  been  kept  a  little  while. 

This  little  matter  of  personal  biography  may  recall  the 
individual  to  the  memory  of  many.  It  is  the  story  of  a 
little  life,  rather  than  a  large  one,  but  it  has  been  usefully 
and  honorably  spent.  I  know  no  stigma  that  attaches  to 
his  name.  Odd,  rough,  abrupt,  he  proves  in  a  thousand 
ways,  that  sterling  stuff  rests  beneath  the  at  times  forbid- 
bing  exterior  of  My  Brother  Bob. 


When  I  published  the  first  paper  describing  the  peculi- 
arities and  idiosyncracies  of  My  Brother  Bob,  there  were 
those  who  said  I  had  not  given  the  world  the  best  illustra- 
tions of  his  character — each  one  of  them  having  some  pet 
anecdote  of  his  own  that  should  have  stood  luminous  in 
the  foreground.  There  are  indeed  many  such  that  might 
be  told,  and  to  present  a  few  more  features  of  a  similar 
character  I  have  been  induced  to  venture  this  paper. 

I  believe  I  hinted  in  my  previous  sketch  that  Bob  was 
meditating  a  suit  against  a  railroad  for  damages  in  cutting 
off  certain  privileges.  This  he  has  actually  commenced, 
and  a  vigorous  fight  he  is  making  of  it,  with  a  certainty  of 
winning  if  justice  is  at  all  regarded.  The  specifications  in 
his  claim  are  very  funny.  They  are  more  savory  than 
elegant,  and  I  cannot  use  them  here,  but  the  close  is  a  tri- 


MY   BROTHER   BOB.  31 


Q 


umph  of  magnanimity  and  a  number  of  other  virtues.  He 
says  if  the  directors  of  the  road  will  only  come  and  endure 
for  eighteen  or  twenty  years  what  he  has  done — the  villan- 
ous  smells  and  noises  and  sights,  the  interrupted  view  by 
day  and  the  interrupted  rest  by  night — and  then  refuse  to 
allow  him  the  modest  amount  he  demands,  he  will  pay  it  to 
them.  This,  however,  needs  the  choice  strong  words  of 
Bob's  vocabulary  to  give  it  due  force.  His  rhetoric  is 
unapproachable  in  its  distinctness  and  point.  While  on  the 
stand  as  a  witness  in  this  case,  he  was  asked  if  there  was 
not  a  mutual  dislike  betwixt  him  and  some  other  party  of 
the  opposition.  He  said  there  was  not.  "Do  you  deny, 
sir,"  said  the  lawyer  for  the  Road,  "  that  there  is  a  mutual 
dislike  between  you?"  "I  do,"  said  Bob,  "  most  deci- 
dedly ;  he  has  a  dislike  for  me,  but  I  hate  him."  I  am  sorry 
to  record  the  fact,  but  the  distinction  is  very  nice,  and  I 
cannot  omit  the  incident  though  it  tell  against  him. 

One  of  our  most  honored  and  respected  naval  officers 
asked  me  the  other  day  if  I  was  the  brother  of  my  Brother 
Bob,  which  was  at  once  an  introduction  to  a  most  delight- 
ful acquaintance.  Bob  had  been  his  right  hand  man  in 
beautifying  and  adorning  his  grounds,  and  if  a  plant  by  any 
chance  didn't  grow,  it  wasn't  Bob's  fault ;  Nature  had  to 
bear  all  the  responsibility  of  the  failure.  But  they  rarely 
failed.  There  was  such  a  thorough  understanding  betwixt 
him  and  them  that  they  seemed  to  make  up  their  minds  to 
flourish  at  once  after  he  had  looked  at  them.  Like  the 
housewife  who  was  boiling  soap  and  kept  it  from  boiling- 
over  by  the  force  of  her  will,  saying  it  didn't  dare  to,  so 
they  didn't  dare  depart  from  the  directions  he  gave  them. 
There  always  seemed  a  trembling  among  the  more  sensitive 
of  the  vines  when  he  went  through  them  for  fear  that  they 
had  transgressed  in  some  way.  He  is  wonderful  in  graft- 
ing. Grapes  from  thorns  and  figs  from  thistles  are  no 
impossibilities  with  Bob. 
21 


314  RAMBLES    ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  war  when  gold  took  its 
first  start,  Bob  had  some  hundred  dollars  or  so  in  gold 
pieces  that  he  had  put  by  for  a  rainy  day.  No  one  who 
knows  him  will  accuse  him  of  extravagant  practices,  and 
his  economy  has  enabled  him  to  secure  a  respectable  pile, 
the  gold  being  simpl}r  the  dust  that  rolled  off  in  the  piling. 
He  saw  the  rise  one  per  cent,  !  two  per  cent.  !  three  per 
cent.  !  "  It  must  be  down  to-morrow,"'  thought  Bob,  as  he 
counted  over  the  ingots,  like  the  broker  of  Bogota.  But 
no  ;  the  next  day  it  was  four,  and  Bob  grew  nervous. 
Then  it  was  five — six — and,  at  seven,  he  could  contain  him- 
self no  longer,  but  put  his  yellow  boys  in  the  hands  of 
Discount,  the  broker,  who  gave  him  seven  dollars  in  green- 
backs on  the  hundred.  The  next  day  it  leaped  to  ten  and 
in  a  very  short  time  it  was  up  to  fifty,  at  which  time  he  told 
me  the  story  of  his  want  of  shrewdness.  There  was  one 
thing,  however,  to  comfort  him.  As  to  every  deep  there 
is  a  lower  deep,  so  if  we  but  think  that  to  every  misery  or 
disappointment  there  is  a  greater,  we  gain  comfort  and 
thank  heaven  it  is  no  worse.  So  reckoned  Bob.  "Why/' 
said  he,  with  a  tone  of  great  satisfaction,  "  there  were  some 
— —  fools  here  that  sold  at  four" 

The  idea  of  being  outwitted  pained  him  most.  There  is 
one  man  in  his  town  whose  shrewdness  he  holds  in  the  high- 
est respect.  He  marvels  at  the  positive  genius  he  shows  in 
his  operations.  It  is  to  ordinary  shrewdness  what  the 
genius  of  Sherman  is  to  common  clodhoppers  in  the  science 
of  Avar.  It  was  Bob's  fortune  to  sell  him  some  hay  by  the 
lot,  at  the  shrewd  man's  own  valuation,  who  a  few  days 
afterwards  came  to  Bob  with  a  long  face,  telling  him  that 
the  hay  fell  short  about  one  hundred  pounds,  and  asked 
allowance  for  it,  Bob  told  him  he  should  make  none. 
"  Well,"  said  the  genius,  "I  will  tell  it,  all  round  town,  that 
you  cheated  me."  "  Do  it,"  said  Bob,  "  by  all  means  ;  only 
let  it  get  about  that  I  was  sharp  enough  to  cheat  you,  and 
my  fortune  is  made." 


MY   BROTHEK   BOB.  315 

There  is  no  man  more  loyal  than  my  brother  Bob.  He 
has  a  bright  eye  on  the  conduct  of  the  war,  and  criticises 
everyth/iig  with  the  sharpest  discrimination.  No  one  is 
exempt  from  his  strictures,  were  he  a  thousand  times  his 
friend.  At  a  time  of  terrible  inertness  in  the  army,  when 
active  service  seemed  suspended  forever,  Bob  was  terribly 
exercised  about  it.  He  was  engaged  in  his  garden,  and  his 
spade  went  into  the  soil  as  if  he  were  throwing  up  en- 
trenchments. "  Dead  enough,"  said  he,  as  he  worked  his 
spade  by  some  obstacle ;  u  dead  enough  ;  why,  a  defeat 
would  be  better  than  this."  There  were  certain  emphatic 
words  interspersed  that  gave  the  sentence  a  gothic  mas- 
siveness. 

My  Brother  Bob  comes  to  town  but  seldom,  holding  the 
city  in  but  poor  esteem.  The  sun  rises  here,  as  heavers, 
when  he  stops  over  long  enough  to  prove  it,  in  the  south 
■west  and  sets  he  doa't  know  where.  He  has  never  seen  the 
great  organ  yet  and  says  he  don't  want  to,  which  is  an 
.offence  not  to  be  forgiven.  His  early  musical  education, 
however,  was  neglected,  which  may  be  submitted  in  palli- 
ation. When  asked  during  a  vkit  which  he  liked  best, 
Boston  or  his  own  towii,  he  replied  gravely  that  he  liked 
•the  latter  best,  because  he  could  lie  down  there  in  the 
street  and  sleep  with  no  danger  of  getting  run  over,  while 
here  he  was  in  danger  all  the  time  with  his  eyes  wide 
open. 

I  have  written  thus  far  and  my  pen  cleaves  to  the  sub- 
ject, but  I  dare  risk  no  more,  at  present.  I  received  a 
letter  from  him  yesterday,  dated  "  Poverty  Cottage,  High- 
lands, Wibird's  Hill" — the  location  may  be  remembered  by 
some — where  Bob  lives  enjoying  the  otium  cum  dig.,  culti- 
vating a  potato  patch  and  rendering  himself  useful  for  a 
consideration,  taking  care  by  a  judicious  advance  in  the 
value  of  his  service  to  make  a  depressed  currency  go  as 
far  as  ever  he  did. 


31 G  RAMBLES    ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 


RAMBLE     CXL. 

The  ZBi-iclc  School-House  in  State  Street — Teachers 
forme i"  and  recent — School  Dramatic  Exhibitions — 
Struclc    by    Ijightning. 

This  edifice  was  within  the  range  of  the  great  fire  of 
1813,  and  all  of  it  that  was  combustible  was  then  consumed 
by  the  insatiable  devourer.  It  was  a  building  of  no  little 
note,  for  it  was  at  that  time  not  only  the  place  for  two 
schools ;  one  the  High  School  of  the  day,  kept  by  Master 
Eleazer  Taft,  and  the  other  but  a  slight  grade  lower,  kept 
by  Master  Samuel  Bowles, — but  within  the  building  on  the 
north  side,  was  a  room  for  the  Town  Records  and  the  Town 
Clerk's  office,  and  another  for  the  Selectmen.  On  the 
north,  six  feet  from  it,  extending  into  State  street,  was  a 
brick  watch  house  of  one  story.  The  entrance  to  the 
school-house  and  offices  was  by  a  door  on  the  centre  of  the 
north  side  ;  and  where  the  recitation  rooms  have  since  been 
erected  was  an  avenue  to  the  play  ground  on  the  south 
side  of  the  house.  The  building  was  then  symmetrical  in 
form,  surmounted  by  a  belfry,  in  which  a  good  bell  was 
hung.  We  give  the  particulars,  for  it  is  a  matter  of  some 
interest  to  hundreds  now  living,  to  go  back  half  a  century 
to  the  scenes  where  they  were  "  boys  together." 

This  spot  has  been  used  for  a  public  school  house  since 
1735,  previous  to  which  time  the  only  public  school-house 
was  one  below  the  south  mill.  The  house  was  at  first  in- 
dividual property,  belonging  to  the  Wenworth  family,  and 
by  Ebeneazer  Wentworth  was  given  to  the  town  in  1735 
in  exchange  for  a  school  lot  on  Daniel  street,  given  by  Mrs. 
Graffort  for  school  use. 

The  original  house,  probably  with  some  additions,  re- 
mained until  about  eighty  years  ago.  It  was  of  one  low 
story,  built  in  the  style  of  the  old  south  school-house.    We 


THE    BRICK    SCHOOL    HOUSE    IN    STATE    STREET.  317 

can  find  no  record  of  the  early  teachers.  Before  and  after 
the  Revolution,  Major  Samuel  Hale  here  taught  for  many 
years,  and  gave  the  right  bend  to  the  twigs  of  those  days, 
as  the  after  life  of  some  of  our  best  citizens,  "who  have 
continued  with  us  until  the  last  thirty  years,  show.  An- 
other teacher  who  kept  in  the  old  house  after  Major  Hale, 
was  Mr.  Morse,  of  whom  we  only  know  that  he  requested 
such  scholars  as  Dr.  William  Cutter  and  others  of  his  class, 
to  leave  the  school,  as  they  knew  as  much  as  the  master. 

The  last  teacher  who  filled  the  chair  in  that  old  scliool- 
iiouse,  in  about  the  year  1787,  was  Salmon  Chase,  a  recent 
graduate  from  college.  Buys  then,  as  they  sometimes  have 
i>een  since,  were  unruly.  Master  Chase,  who  was  a  portly, 
athletic  man,  had  occasion  one  day  to  chastise  young 
George  Turner  as  he  deserved.  The  boy  looking  out  of 
the  open  window  and  seeing  his  father,  Capt.  George 
Turner,  coming  up  Buck  street,  sprang  out  and  ran  to  him, 
■complaining  of  the  whipping.  Capt.  Turner  was  rather 
excitable,  and  rushing  mto  the  school  room  commenced  a 
torrent  of  abuse.  Master  Chase  was  calmly  seated  at  his 
■desk  preparing  the  boys'  writing  books.  He  looked  up, 
told  one  of  the  boys  to  open  the  door,  and  pointed  the 
visitor  to  it.  He  still  continued  his  abuse.  Standing  up 
at  his  desk,  the  master  raised  his  round  solid  ruler  in  such 
a,  manner  as  to  show  what  he  could  do,  and  bade  him 
depart !  The  old  sea  captain  saw  but  poor  chance  in  a 
personal  contest,  and  departed,  leaving  the  master  to  gov- 
ern his  school  in  his  own  way.  Mr.  Chase  was  a  good 
teacher,  but  did  not  long  remain  here.  lie  removed  to 
Portland,  and  we  think  th^re  studied  law.  He  afterwards 
settled  in  an  interior  town  in  New  Hampshire,  and  in  1'80'S 
was  born  to  him  a  son  named  Salmon  P.  Chase,  who  has 
been  Governor  of  Ohio,  Secretary  of  the  U-  S.  Treasury, 
and  is  now  Chief  Justice  of  the  United  States. 

The  next  teacher  of  whom  we  have  account  was  Deacon 


318  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

Amos  Tappan,  probably  the  first  teacher  in  the  new  brick 
edifice.  The  Deacon  was  a  single  man,  and  the  Selectmen 
of  the  town  thinking  it  desirable  to  secure  his  services 
permanently,  respectfully  requested  bim  to  get  married, 
and  further  they  recommended  him  to  marry  the  sister  of 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Buckininister.  He  doubtless  had  thoughts  of 
the  same  proceeding  before  the  suggestion  was  made. 
The  matter  being  agreeable  all  around,  the  Deacon  was 
married  to  her.  But  it  appears  that  the  principal  marria-ge 
the  Selectmen  sought  was  not  consummated — that  of  being- 
wedded  to  the  town  as  a  schoolmaster.  For  in  those  days 
corporeal  punishment  was  deemed  a  duty,  and  deacon  Tap- 
pan  having  done  his  duty  rather  severely  on  one  of  the 
boys,  his  parents  prosecuted  him.  This  led  the  deacon  to 
leave  the  public  school,  and  open  a  private  school,  which  he 
continued  as  long  as  he  lived,  in  an  old  building  located  or* 
the  west  side  of  High  street,  between  the  mansion' of  C.  H. 
Ladd,  Esq.,  and  the  corner  of  Congress  street.  Soon  after 
the  fire  of  1813  the  west  side  of  Mulberry  street,  near 
State  street,  where  it  now  stands.  He  was  a  successful 
teacher,  although  the  boys  regarded  him  a  severe  dis- 
ciplinarian. 

In  1805  Mr.  Tappan  was  succeeded  by  Eleazer  Taft. 
Mr.  Taft  received  his  classical  education  in  Brown  Uni- 
versity, and  subsequently  officiated  as  a  Congregational 
minister.  Changing  hk  religious  sentiments.- he  renounced 
his  ministry,  and  after  serving  in  the  asm-y  as  one  of  Wash- 
ington's Life  Guards,  became  an  instructer  of  youth,  first 
in  Vermont.  In  1805  he  came  to  Portsmouth  and  suc- 
ceeded Mr.  Tappan  in  the  instruction  of  the  High  School, 
then  kept  in  the  chamber  story  of  the  school-house,  where 
he  remained  until  the  building  was  burned  out  in  the  time 
of  the  great  fire  of  1813. 

We  here  present  the  names  of  all  the  scholars  we  can 
gather  who  attended  Master  Taft'a  school  between' the  years 
1805  and  18U.  when  he  retired  from  the  school 


NAMES    OF   MASTER    TAFT  S   SCHOLARS. 


319 


Leonard  Akernian 

Daniel  AiUvris 
f  upply  J  Akorman 

Joseph  Aycrs 

John  Blunt 
Charles  E  Blunt 
Robert  Klunt 
John  Samuel  Blunt 
Maik  Blunt 
John  Bow  es 
Charles  Bowles 
William  Brian! 
Ge  irge  G  Brewster 

<  harles  W  Brewster 
Joseph  Brewster 
Posea  Ballon 
Masscna  Bailou 
G«*org  •  Blunt 
Enoch  Brown 
Archibald  Bl  usdell 
Robert  Blaisdell 

'I  homas  Brierly 
Wm  BaslKT 
William  TBell 
Ir  i  Brown 
Nchcraiah  K  Butler 
Daniel  J  Bigelow 
Bartholomew  Barri 

Famuel  E   Coues 
Hugh  Clarksoii 
Benjamin  Clarkson 
Nathaniel  furrier 
(  harles  W  Cuii.-r 
i  'harles  Conner 
J  Warner  Conner 
Daniel  ( 'lark 
Benjamin  Cartel? 
William  Coxe 
i  harles  W  I  oxo 
Leonard  Cotton 
Nathaniel  Cottoii 
Stephen  (  hase 
l.habod  Clark 

<  harles  Cutts  jr 
John  Clark 

Theodore  S  Da-is 
George  Dearborn 
Oil  nan  Dearborn 
William  Diriksou 
Joseph  Hodge 

.lames   Dodge 
John  M  Davis 
Thomas  Deveiaon 
James  Drisco 
Joshua  Drisco 
Wm  DeKochemont 

Mark  Ewin 
Joseph  Ivvin 
Richard  Ela 

John     II.'.  ell 

Theodore  Furber 

McT.air-'hliU  Fuiber 
.!  Poster  Plagg 
John  Flagg 

Supply   I'OSS 

Samuel  Foss 
Augustus  Ficthingham 


Arthur  Folsnm 
Simeon  Fernald 

Alphonzo  Gerrish 
William  Ooddanl 
Charles  Goddard 
<  'liver  Gerrish 
Nicholas  Grace 
William  Grace 
.1     ei'h  G  ace 
(  harles  Grace 
Georae  Gerrish 
( reorsre  Gronard 
Edward  Grouard 
Thineas  P  Goodrich 
Alden  Gove 

Tobias  FJarrold 
Benjamin  llarrold 
George  Hill 
J  Brackett  Hntchings 

Pamin-l  Hilton 
John  Hilton 
Morris  Ham 
Oliver  Ham 
Nathaniel  .1  Ham 
■William  Hardy 
Georse  P  flam 
Edward  Hart 
Nicholas  0  Hart 
Daniel  J  Huntress 
Leonard  Holmes 
Oliver  Holmes 
Timothy  Hall 
Themis  Hall 
Theodore  J  Harris 
Abel  Harris 
Herman  Harris 
Lewis  Harris 
Joseph  Hill 
Daniel  Haselton 
Ira  Haselton 
Benjamin  B  Haselton 
Charles  Harratt 
]  laniel  Haslett 
J  Byram  Hall 
Ashton  S  Hall 
Samuel   Ham 
Robert  Ham  3d 
Gilbert  Homey 
Charles  Homey 
Hanson  .U  Man  3d 
(  harles   Humphrey 
Samuel  Hntchings 
Kdwaid  Hardy 
Oliver  Hall 
Joseph  Hall 
Renning  Hall 
E  i.i.'ker  Hill 
J  Marshal  Hill 
William  Haven 
Henry  Haven 
Henderson  Haven 
Howard  Henderson 
William  Henderson 
Wil  ham  Ham 
Samuel  Hani 

,villia'n  Jones 
Thomas  Jones 
Clement  Jackaon  Jr 
Edward  Jones 


James  Jones 
Arthur  Jones 
Zacheus  Jones 
Samuel  Jackson 
Samuel  Jones 

Moses  Locke 
Jesse   Lombard 
Oliver  larkiu 
David  Lyell 
John  I  I  ..mo 
John  Lake 
John  Laighton 
Elias  Lowe 
John  Lowe 
Granville  Lowe 
Sylvester  P.  Lowe 
John  Lowe  2d 
Jermiah  L  Lunt 
John  Collings  Loii" 
Samuel  P  Long 
Samuel  L  Langton 
Samuel  I  arnphire 
William  I.amphiro 
Luke  M  Laighton 
George  D  Libbey 
Oliver  Livermoie 
Joseph  C  Langt'ord 
William  Libbey 

E  Iward  S  Manning 
George  Melcher  Jr 
Henry  McClintocfc 
John  McClintock 
George  Manent 
Charles  Manent 
Benniirg  Morrill 
Joshua  .Morrill 
George  Mori  ill 
Oliver  Merriam 
Gershom  F  Melcher 
Daniel  Melcher 
Nathaniel  Mclntire 
Samuel  Marshall 
John  F  Meiidnm 
Thatcher  Mather 
Nathaniel  J  March 
Samuel  Moses 
Tsaae  Mudge 
Jo-eph  Maim 
Nehemiati  )'  Mann 
Thomas  vtort  n 
George  Morion 
William  M anion 
George  Moore 
Georg-  Moses 
f  amuel  Moore 
John  Moore 
E  Iward  J  Marshall 
Benjamin  Marshall 
Andrew   Marshall 
S  uniiel  Marshall 
Joseph  alar-hall 
Woodbury  Melcher 

William  NowoH 
William  Neil 
William  G  N'owell 
Atuhoay  F  Xowell 

Thomas  Odiorne 
Benjamin  Oiue 


320 

RAMBLES    ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

James  Orne 

Oliver  Sheafe 

William  R  Tappan 

William  Orne 

Samuel  Shaek'brd 

William  Thorn;.--  i 

Herman  Oin« 

Henry  Shaek'brd 

Pben  Thompso  i  Jr 

William  Overton 

Benjamin  Salter 

Hnuh  Tuttle  2,1 

J  Billings  Shepherd 

John  Trnndy 

Oliver  W  Penh  allow 

.1  Marshall  shepherd 

William  S  Tullock 

Samuel  Penhallow 

Oliver  Mmes 

John  Turner 

Huj?h  H  Pearse 

Georse  Sherive 

Benjamin  T  Tredick 

Leonard  Peabody 

Jonathan  W   Sherlncne 

James  Thomas 

Jeremiah  Pike 

William  Sherburne 

\\  illiam  'iho  uas 

John  M  Pillow 

Johu  Sherburne 

Daniel  Peters 

Henry  Schroeder 

Wiiliam  Varrell 

Edward  Parry 

Samuel  Shaw 

Samuel  Wyatt 

Edward  Peirce 

Josep'i  Stiles 

William  Peirce 

Samuel  Sprasrne 

Joshua  P>  Whidilen 

Nathaniel  Teirce 

William  Sprague 

John  M   Wbiddi  a 

Thomas  Simes 

Samuel  W   Watdron 

Samuel  Eowe 

Moses  saffbrd 

Peter  Wtl-on  jr 

Rben   Rowe 

Pharles  StaTers 

George  Wentworth 

Thomas  Roach 

Jame*  S  Stan  wood 

<;  :orj;e  Wentworth  2<i 

Edmund  Roach 

John  Sparhawk 

( leorge  T>V  Walker 

John   K  Boa-) 

Gt-orjre  K  Sparhawk 

William  Walker 

Washington  Sweetser 

Edward  Watts 

Henry  Salter 

Richard  Walker 

Samuel  Smith 

John  Wendell 

.1  aci ib  Swi  etser 

Seth  Tripe 

John  Winkley 

John  N  Sherburne 

Hall  .J  Tjbbetts 

Daniel  Wendell 

11  doskins  seaward 

Henry  B  Tredick 

Parker  Sheldon 

Edward  Tredi-Hs 

Robert  Veaton 

Stephen  H  Simes 

Thomas  Tredick 

(  bai  les  Veaton 

John  P  Simes 

Jlo«es  raft 

William  r  Yealon 

Geui  go  Simes 

Henry  Taft 

Ji  seph  Featon 

John  ii  shc-afe 

Alouzu  Tall 

Richard  C  Yeaton 

The  tuition  of  the  school  consisted  of  reading,  spelling, 
writing,  geography,  grammar,  natural  philosophy,  mathe- 
matics, and  the  Latin  and  Greek  languages.  He  fitted  sev- 
oral  of  his  pupils  for  college,  who  subsequent!}'  graduated 
at  Harvard  University. 

The  reading  of  the  record  above  given  will  bring  back 
to  many  the  names  of  their  early  associates,  many  of  whom 
have  long  since  passed  away.  But  in  those  who  remain, 
there  is  but  one  feeling  for  the  old  master  whose  mildness, 
dignity  and  affection  for  his  scholars  endeared  him  in 
their  memory. 

After  the  rebuilding  of  the  school-house  in  1814,  the 
teachers  were  Messrs.  E.  Hathaway,  Ezra  A.  Stevens,  Wil- 
liam C.   Harris, Snell,  William  II.  Y.   Hackett,  Isaac 

Adams,  Israel  W.  Bourne,  Moses  P.  Parish,.  Chandler  E. 
Potter,  John  T.  Tasker,  Israel  Kimball,  A.  M.  Payson, 
Lewis  E.  Smith,  and  some  others,  we  think,  but  we  have  no 
record  for  reference. 


TEACHERS  FORMER  AND  RECENT.  321 

We  have  before  us  tlie  original  contract  made  in  1748 
between  Samuel  Hale  and  the  Selectmen  of  Portsmouth,  in 
which  he  obligates  himself  to  keep  the  grammar  school  of 
Portsmouth,  and  instruct  in  the  languages  for  five  years  ; 
and  the  selectmen  bind  the  town  to  give  him  an  annual 
salary  of  £45  during  that  time.  Salmon  Chase  received 
about  £80  per  year.     We  find  he  left  the  school  in  1789. 

We  have  seen  Deacon  Tappan's  receipts  in  1791,  written 
in  a  beautiful  hand,  showing  that  his  pay  as  teacher  of  the 
high  school  was  £100  per  year.  He  was  a  keeper  of  the 
school  about  twelve  years.  Between  his  time  and  Mr. 
Tail's  entry  in  1805,  the  school  was  kept  by  Mr.  Peter 
Cochrane.  His  memory  is  vividly  impressed  upon  the 
minds  of  his  scholars — whose  hands  can  almost  feel  the 
tingle  of  that  awful  ferrule,  which  was  in  constant  use. 

In  the  next  generation  some  of  the  boys  were  better 
prepared  for  the  reckoning — especially  when  the  cowhide 
was  the  dispenser  of  punishment  for  playing  truant.  In 
one  of  the  schools  of  a  second  grade  in  those  times,  a  boy 
who  was  certain  of  receiving  punishment  for  truancy  the 
day  before,  went  like  a  martyr  to  his  post,  and  received  his 
punishment  without  flinching,  though  put  on  perhaps  rather 
more  severely  to  overcome  his  stoicism.  He  walks  to  Ids 
seat  without  a  tear,  and  while  the  boys  admired  his  bravery, 
they  pitied  him  for  his  suffering,  as  was  very  evident  from 
the  stiffness  of  his  gait.  There  was  however  a  good  shout 
at  play-time,  when  lie  withdrew  from  under  his  jacket  the 
remains  of  an  innocent  salt-fish  his  sister  had  aided  him  in 
placing  there  to  receive  the  punishment. 

this  same   school,  kept  i-  oom  under  Mr.  Taft's, 

in  the  time  of  the  embargo  in  1809,  the  children  were  taught 
the  first  principles  of  writing,  without  the  use  of  pen,  ink, 
pencil  or  slate.  The  whole  length  of  the  desk,  in  front, 
was  a  level  about  eight  inches  wide,  and  sunk  about  half 
an  inch  below  the  other  part  of  the  desk.      This  place  wa 


322  RAMBLES  ABOUT  PORTSMOUTH. 

covered  with  yellow  sand,  smoothed  by  a  guage  with  pro- 
jections in  it,  giving  the  lines  to  conform  with  those  in  the 
copy  book.  In  this  sand,  with  sticks  formed  like  lead 
pencils,  the  young  urchins  would  make  their  pot-hooks  and 
trammels — and  every  form  their  imagination  suggested,  on 
to  the  mystery  of  joining-hand.  One  of  our  Market-street 
merchants  informs  us  that  in  this  way  he  took  his  first  les- 
sons in  chirography,  without  wasting  a  quill  or  blotting  a 
book. 

Mr.  Bowles  describes   his  recollection   of  the  old  brick 
school  house,  in  the  following  communication  : 

Among  the  ancient  edifices  that  have  been  used  for 
cational  purposes,  there  is  none  where  so  many  of  the  past 
and  present  generations  of  Portsmouth  have  received  their 
earlier  instruction,  and  with  which  so  many  memories  are 
associated,-  as  the  old  Brick  School  House  in  State  street. 
Boys  have  gone  forth  from  its  venerable  walls  not  only  to 
fill  almost  every  station  in  life,  from  the  most  humble  but 
useful  calling  to  the  highest  positions  in  the  state  and 
national  councils  of  the  Republic,  and,  better  far,  to  become 
faithful  watchmen  on  the  walls  of  Zion,  and  to  elevate  the 
American  name  in  other  lands  beside  our  own.  Neither 
have  the  girls,  when  weighed  in  the  balance,  been  found 
wanting.  In  every  place  where  woman's  duty  and  destiny 
call  her,  they  have  acted  well  a  woman's  part — crickets  of 
the  hearthstone,  bringing  joy  and  gladness  to  their  hus- 
bands' firesides — and  better  mothers  never  fulfilled 

"  Life's  highest,  holiest  ta?k  " 

The  scholars  of  some  forty  years  ago,  when  a  bell  upon 
the  roof  rang  out  its  stirring  notes  to  call  them  to  their 
tasks,  had  a  more  extended  play  ground  than  those  of  the 
present  day  enjoy  ;  for  School  House  Hill  was  then  an 
open  thoroughfare  betweeri  Pitt  and  State  streets.  Al- 
though the  school  building  had  risen  Phoenix-like  from  its 


SCHOOL   DRAMATIC    EXHIBITIONS.  323 

ashes,  other  memorials  of  the  great  conflagration  of  1813 
were  visible  around,  in  the  form  of  old  cellars  and  bricks, 
innumerable,  the  latter  affording  an  inexhaustible  fund  of 
amusement  in  recess  time.  Upon  the  summit  of  the  hill, 
on  the  State  street  side  was  an  old  well,  with  the  stump  of 
a  half-burnt  pump  in  the  centre.  It  was  a  hid  eous  trap, 
into  which  it  is  a  miracle  that  more  than  one  unfortumite 
wight  did  not  fall,  during  the  years  its  open  mouth  stood 
ready  to  receive  them.  One  day  it  occurred  to  Master 
Stevens,  in  connection  with  the  above,  that  he  would  bring 
the  boys'  play  to  some  practical  account.  Having  interested 
them  just  before  recess  hour  with  the  incident  in  ancient 
history  where  a  river  is  recorded  to  have  been  filled  up,  by 
each  soldier  of  one  of  the  conquerors  of  old  throwing  a 
stone  into  it,  he  then  suggested  that  they  should  thus  fill 
Tip  ihe  old  well  with  a  portion  of  the  bricks  that  lay  so  pro- 
fusely scattered  around.  It  would  be  such  rare  fun,  they 
were  not  slow  to  act  upon  the  hint  th-tfs  given  them',  and  be- 
fore the  bell  rang  for  their  return,  (delayed  a  little  probably 
in  honor  of  the  occasion,)  the  dangerous  aperture  had  been 
filled  to  the  surface  of  the  ground;  the  last  course'  of  brick 
laid  with  the  smoothness  and  precision  of  a  Huss-pavement. 
Let  us  cast  a  backward  look  to  the  days  when'  school 
dramatic  exhibitions  were  in  vogue,  and  see  what  it  pre 
sented  to  our  view.  It  is  a  winter  evening.  The  first 
floor  of  the  school-house  is  converted  for  the  time  being 
into  a  theatre,  with  a  crowded  audience.  A  partition  ex 
tends  across  the  lower  end  of  the  room,  one-half  the 
enclosed  space  answering  the  purpose  of  that  mystery  of 
mysteries  in  a  theatre,-  the  green  room,  and  the  remainder 
as  a  stage,  with  its  green  curtain.  There  is  no  gas  to  cast 
its  brilliancy  upon  bright  eyes  and  fair  faces,  where  bright 
eyes  and  fair  faces  still  are  seen,  (for  no  visionary  had  ever 
dreamed  of  such  a  corporation  as  the  Portsmouth  Cfas 
Company,)  but  Tetherly's  "dips"  in  tin  candlesticks  su*- 


O.0 


24  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

« 

pendecl  from  the  walls  supplied  the  deficiency,  and  a  range 
of  oil  lamps  furnished  the  "  foot  lights"  for  the  stage.  The 
orchestra,  located  in  the  green  room,  consists  of  Esido- 
Victor,  from  Water  street,  professor  of  the  tainborine,  and 
another  colored  gentleman,  professor  of  the  violin.  The 
bell  rings,  and  the  curtain  rises  to  scenes  from  Shakespeare's 
'•  Midsummer  Night's  Dream."  As  Peter  Quince  calls  over 
the  names  of  his  actors  who  are  to  play  before  the  duke, 
and  "  Nick  Bottom,  the  weaver"  "  Francis  Flute,  the  bel- 
lows-mender," "  Robin  Starveling,  the  tailor,"  and  "  Tim 
Snout  the  tinker,"  severally  answer,  '-Here  !"  the  oddity 
of  their  names,  combined  with  the  ridiculous  dresses  they 
have  assumed,  call  forth  shouts  of  laughter  from  the  juve- 
niles, and  the  humor  of  the  scene  is  well  enjoyed  by  the 
audience  generally.  Nick  Bottom  is  an  especial  favorite, 
and  creates  much  mirth  by  promising,  that  if  permitted  to 
play  the  lion,  lie  will  so  roar  that  the  duke  shall  say.  "  Let 
him  roar  again  !"  nor  less  so,  when,  on  being  told  that  he 
might  frighten  the  ladies,  he  replies  that  he  can,  at  will, 
"  roar  as  gentle  as  any  sucking  dove.'1  The  entrance  of 
Snug,  on  all-fours,  (enveloped  in  a  buffalo  skin)  as  the  lion, 
is  the  signal  for  a  fresh  outbreak  of  merriment. 

Peter  Quince,  bidding  adieu  to  Athens,  retires  to  the 
gentlemen's  dressing-room  in  the  entry,  (under  (he  stairs,) 
transforms  himself,  by  the  aid  of  a  Gilman  Blues'  uniform 
into  a  fine  looking  soldier,  and  reappearing,  recites  with 
much  spirit  Campbell's  stirring  poem  of  "  flohenlinden." 
A  blooming  young  lady  then  favors  the  audience  with  a 
popular  song  of  the  time,  "  Wreaths  for  the  Chieftain,"  and 
is  succeeded  by  a  young  gentleman,  who  in  the  costume  of 
an  American  sailor,  sings  one  of  the  war  songs  of  1812. 
A  very  young  gentleman,  in  a  broad  frilled  ruffle,  (his 
"  first  appearance  on  any  stage,")  then  recites,  with  the  most 
most  approved  accent,  the  somewhat  familiar  lines,  com- 


menciug- 


"  You'd  scarce  e.xpac.t  one  nf  my  n<*a, 
Tu  ,<l>talc  in  public  un  the  stage." 


STRUCK    BY   LIGHTNING.  325 

School  dialogues,  of  a  varied  character,  intervene,  but  en- 
veloped as  they  are  in  the  shadows  of  the  past,  they  present 
a  confused  and  misty  appearance.  Among  other  passengers 
of  less  note,  Queen  Zenobia,  with  a  train  of  attendants, 
appears  in  one  of  them.  The  performance  concludes  with 
an  entire  two-act  play,  entitled  the  "  Military  School  "  very 
well  done',  but  the  special  life  of  the  piece  is  "  Old  Pipes," 
a  decayed  soldier  with  a  crutch  and  a  wooden  leg,  who, 
perpetually  smoking,  perfumes  the  room — not  with  tobacco 
smoke,  but  the  more  agreeable  odor  of  pennyroyal.  Exeunt 
omnes — the  curtain  falls. 

The  scene  changes  now  to  a  day  in  summer.  The  rain 
that  commenced  early  in  the  morning  has  increased  in  vio- 
lence, until  school-house  hill  is  a  fair  sized  cataract,  and  the 
street  at  its  base  a  running  river.  Mingled  with  the  deluge 
of  the  watery  element,  are  thunder  and  lightning  so  terriQc 
and  oft-repeated,  that  the  more  youthful  pupils  hide  in  terror 
beneath  their  desks.  At  last  there  comes  a  shock  more 
terrible  than  all  that  preceded  it — like  a  broadside  from 
Nelson's  fleet  at  Trafalgar,  or  the  Allies'  fire  at  Sebastopol. 
The  room  is  filled  with  sparks,  and  without  the  whole  at- 
mosphere seems  a  blaze  of  fire.  "When  it  has  passed, 
revealing  faces  livid  with  affright,  the  stillness  of  death 
succeeds,  for  simultaneous  with  the  last  great  shock,  the 
rain  has  almost  instantly  ceased,  and  teacher  and  pupils 
rushing  out  of  doors,  discover  that  the  belfry  has  been 
shattered  to  fragments,  one  of  the  chimneys  rent  asunder, 
and  the  bricks  scattered  upon  the  roof  and  the  ground 
below.  Looking  in  the  direction  of  the  residence  of  Wil- 
liam Jones,  Esq.  they  see  that  one  of  the  chimneys  has 
entirely  disappeared,  and  the  windows  of  the  first  floor  are 
in  a  sadly  damaged  condition.  A  man  in  the  door  of 
Wiggin  &  Story's  grocery,  at  the  corner  of  State  and 
Penhallow  streets,  is  telling  some  people  that  while  stand- 
ing in  that  position  a  few  minutes  before  he  saw  in  the  air 


326  RAMBLES    ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

a  large  ball  of  fire,  which  separated,  one  portion  taking  the 
direction  of  the  school-house,  the  other  that  of  Mr.  Jones's 
residence,  and  while  nearly  blinded  and  stunned  by  the 
blaze  and  explosion  that  followed  he  was  suddenly  brought 
to  consciousness  by  a  heavy  blow  upon  his  knee  from  a 
brick  still  lying  upon  the  door  step.  There  is  no  more 
school  for  the  day,  for  the  lightning  has  struck  in  a  dozen 
places,  and  the  boys  are  given  a  holiday  to  enable  them  to 
take  lessons  in  electricity.  Among  other  locations  they 
visit  the  old  South  Church,  and  climb  the  fence  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  way,  to  get  a  peep  at  two  promising 
.spring  pigs,  which  had  been  brought  to  an  untimely  end 
by  the  electric  fluid.  They  think  the  catastrophe  rather  of 
a  comical  character,  yet  it  brings  to  mind  a  fact  the  master 
endeavored  to  impress  upon  them  before  they  were  dismiss- 
ed for  the  day,  that  had  the  classes  recited  that  morning  in 
their  usual  position  beneath  the  belfry,  a  miracle  alone 
could  have  saved  some  of  them  from  being  instantly  killed. 


RAMBLE   CTLI. 

School  House  Hill  —  School  Boohs  —  Amusements  — >- 
Slides — Mj?3-  Maloon's  Shop — The  Catastrophe — Par- 
son "Walton's  Meeting-House — Services — The  Be- 
loved    Disojple. 

If  the  Brick  School  House  has  its  agreeable  associations 
to  the  school-boys  of  past  and  present  generations,  School 
House  Hill,  the  scene  of  their  pastimes  in  recess  hours,  is 
not  forgotten,  pleasant  memories  of  the  old  play-ground 
have  been  borne  away  to  every  spot  on  the  globe  where 
thehomes  ofcivilization  are  seen,  or  commerce  has  ex- 
tended its  enterprise.     We  have  recently  seen  a  venera- 


SCHOOL    HOUSE   HILL.  327 

lile  copy  of  the  "  American  Preceptor,"'  one  of  the  reading 
books  used  in  conjunction  with  "  yEsop's  Fables,"  by  a 
school-boy  of  the  time  of  President  Madison.  It  is  printed 
with  the  long-y*,  that  must  have  caused  much  perplexity  to 
young  beginners  in  distinguishing  it  from  an  f,  I  can  fancy 
one  of  them  just  fledged  from  "  b-a  ba,  k-e-r  ker,  baker," 
puzzling  over  the  following  extract  from  Dr.  Franklin's 
story  of  "  The  Whistle,"  half  oblivious  whether  the  boy 
found  the  whistle,  or  if  it  was  the  sound  that  attracted  him. 
"  I  went  directly  to  a  fhop  where  they  Ibid  toys  for  chil- 
dren ;  and  being  charmed  with  the  found  of  a  whiftle, 
which  I  met  by  the  way,  in  the  hands  of  another  boy,  I 
voluntarily  offered,  and  gave  all  my  money  for  it." 

A  later  day  than  this,  however,  is  embraced  in  the  wri- 
ter's memories  of  the  old  locality,  but  within  the  period 
that  the  avenue  remained  unclosed,  between  Pitt  and  State 
streets.  "While  groups  of  boys  could  then  be  seen  engaged 
in  various  sports  on  the  southern  side  of  the  hill,  others 
never  tired  of  playing  among  the  ruins  on  State  street ; 
standing  the  bricks  on  end  in  rows  or  circles,  to  see  them 
fall  again  in  quick  succession,  or  forming  them  into  furts, 
and  storming  out  imaginary  foes  with  missiles  of  the  same 
hard  material — illustrating  one  of  Mr.  Punch's  "  Facts  in 
Natural  History,"  that  "  among  bats,  the  brickbat  flies  with 
the  greatest  force,  if  not  with  the  greatest' velocity." 

An  exciting  scene  was  visible  on  a  winter's  day,  when 
scores  of  boys  could  be  seen  enjoying  the  fine  slides  the 
hill  afforded.  Although  the  boys  who  lived  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, as  they  worked  out  the  slide  after  each  fresh  fall 
of  snow,  regarded  it  as  their  especial  domain,  they  never 
quarelled  with  any  others  who  came  to  share  it  with  them. 
It  was  the  resort  of  youngsters  from  all  quarters  ;  a  neutral 
ground,  from  its  central  location,  where  the  hatchet  was 
buried  by  "  Northenders  "  and  "  Southenders,"  who  seemed 
to  forget  the  feuds  existing  between  them,  which  ran   so 


328  RAMBLES    ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

high  in  hoop-time,  as  they   went  down  the  declivity  upon 
their  sleds,  side  by  side,  together. 

At  the  foot  of  the  hill,  in  the  old  building  demolished 
ten  or  a  dozen  years  since,  a  widow  lady  kept  one  of  those 
little  shops  so  numerous  at  Portsmouth  in  former  years. 
On  the  outer  shelves  was  an  array  of  crockery  and  earthern 
ware,  the  latter  with  an  especial  eye  to  country  trade,  em- 
bracing, (from  Dodge's  pottery,)  capacious  milk-pans,  pots 
for  beans  or  brown  bread,  jugs  and  pitchers  for  the  haying- 
field,  and  white  mugs  that  would  hold  a  full  quart  of  cider. 
Among  the  older  stock,  were  relics  of  a  former  day,  mugs 
and  pitchers  adorned  with  Porter,  Perry,  Bainbridge,  Hull 
and  other  heroes  of  the  war  of  1812,  and  that  now  almost 
forgotten  personage  "Toby  Philpot."  Behind  the  counter 
were  barrels  and  boxes  of  groceries,  and  upon  the  shelves 
above,  pins,  needles,  thread,  and  other  notions,  with  slate 
pencils,  nuts  and  apples  for  the  school-boys.  A  cheese, 
whose  excellence  could  always  be  relied  on,  occupied  a 
particular  spot  on  the  counter,  and  near  by,  arranged  upon 
a  line,  were  skeins  of  yarn,  stockings,  gloves,  and  mittens, 
taken  in  trade  from  country  customers.  There  was  one 
peculiarity  about  the  mittens,  that,  among  the  reminisences 
of  their  boyhood,  is  not  forgotten  by  some  of  the  wearers 
to  this  day.  No  matter  how  high  upon  the  wrist  they  came 
when  first  put  on,  after  an  afternoon's  service  in  snow-ball- 
ing, they  could  rarely  be  induced  again  to  reach  above  the 
thumb. 

The  sun  was  not  more  regular  in  its  course  than  the  pro- 
prietor of  this  establishment.  If  a  neighbor's  time-piece 
stopped,  it  could  be  set  from  her  movements,  about  as  cor- 
rectly as  by  the  Old  North  clock.  Adjoining  the  shop  was 
a  cosy  little  sitting-room,  with  its  antique  furniture — the 
walls  adorned  with  engravings  of  so  old  a  date  they  would 
be  a  rare  prize,  now-a-days,  to  collectors  of  such  curios- 
ities— and  there  she  could  be  found,  when  not  called  to 


MRS.  maloon's  shop.  329 

wait  upon  a  customer,  sitting  upon  the  sama  spot,  year  in 
and  year  out,  engaged  in  knitting  ;  her  favorite  cat  "Tibby" 
lying  upon  the  rug  at  her  side.     It  was  a  cheerful  scene  of 
domestic    comfort  when  a  bright  wood  fire  was  burning 
upon  the  hearth,  for  she  eschewed  stoves,  and  would  admit 
no  such  modern  innovations  upon  her  premises.      She  had 
long   occupied   her  mansion,  and  could  remember  a  time 
whf  n  a  ten-foot  building  stood  upon  the  site  of  Mrs.  Ab- 
bott's dwelling,  and  a  blacksmith's  shop  was  on  the  garden 
in  the  rear.     One  evening,  while  engaged   in  her  occupa- 
tion of  knitting,  thinking  of  the  days  that  were  gone,  and 
of  her  youth  that  wpuld  return  no  more,  her  meditations 
were  suddenly  disturbed  by  the  bursting  in  of  the  door  of 
her  shop  with  a  crash  that  shook  the  house  to  its  founda- 
tion.    On  opening  the  door  to  learn  the  cause,  she  discov- 
ered to  her  astonishment,  as  much  of  a  horse-sled  projecting 
inside  the  shop  as  its  huge  dimensions  would  allow  to  enter, 
a  boy  of  some  six  years  old  clinging  to  it  through  the  aid 
of  a  hole  in  the   centre,  and  no  one  else  to  be  seen,  far  or 
near,  in  the  bright  moonlight.     The  tale  he  had  to  tell,  re- 
lated  with   much  fear  and  trembling,   while  assisting  to 
remove  the  unwieldy  obstruction,  bore  sufficient  evidence 
of  its  truthfulness,  as  it  was  very  clear  that  he,  unaided, 
could  never  have  used  so  ponderous  a  conveyance.     While 
some   of  the    smaller  boys  of  the  neighborhood  were  en- 
gaged in  sliding,  two  of  the  largest  and  roughest  specimens 
of  "  Southenders  "    made  their   appearance  among  them, 
and  after  amusing  themselves  for  a  while  with  borrowed 
sleds,  started  off  in  pursuit  of  something  more   exciting. 
A  few  rods  distant  on  the  northern  side  of  Pitt  street,  was 
a  depot  of  old  gigs,  carts  and  other  vehicles  that  would 
have  done  honor  to  Shepherd  Ham's  collection   of  sadlery 
articles  mentioned  in  Rambles  41.     Selecting  from  among 
them  a   dilapidated    horse-sled,   they    dragged    it   to    the 
summit  of  the  hill,  and  getting  on  themselves,  and  inducing 
22 


330  RAMBLES    ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

the  smaller  youngsters  to  follow  their  example,  they  started 
for  a  slide.  When  once  underway,  it  went  with  locomotive 
speed,  and  as  there  was  no  such  thing-  possible  as  guiding 
so  clumsy  an  affair,  it  finally  brought  up  at  the  point  men- 
tioned above — all  the  others  making  their  escape,  with  the 
exception  of  one  small  specimen  of  young  Portsmouth, 
before  the  final  catastrophe  occurred. 

I  cannot  close  these  sketches  without  at  least  a  passing 
notice  of  the  venerable  church,  known  as  "  Parson  Wal- 
ton's Meeting  House,"  that  in  former  years  adjoined  the 
widow's  residence ;  the  same  structure  that,  afterwards 
remodelled.,  was  finally  torn  down  to  give  place  to  the  new 
chapel  of  the  Unitarian  Society.  It  was  one  of  the  most 
antique  of  the  old  New  England  churches,  now  fast  passing 
away,  and  of  which  not  a  vestige  will  remain,  ere  many 
years  have  elapsed,  in  the  most  sequestered  country  village. 
It  stands  before  me  now,  both  in  its  interior  and  exterior 
aspect,  just  as  it  looked  when  untouched  by  the  hand  of 
modern  improvement.  The  plain  and  unpainted,  but  not 
ungraceful  pulpit,  and  its  faded  velvet  cushion  whose  tas- 
sels swayed  to  and  fro  in  the  summer  breeze ;  the  solemn- 
looking  sounding-board,  exciting  childish  wonder  how  it 
was  ever  raised  to  its  seemingly  lofty  height,  or  what  sus- 
tained it  there ;  the  square  pews,  nearly  large  enough  for 
a  small  family  to  live  in,  city  tenementdiouse  fashion ;  the 
long  galleries,  that  creaked  at  every  footstep  !  the  gayly 
colored  chandelier,  suspended  by  a  painted  rope  from  the 
ceiling;  the  queer  looking  poles,  well  filled  with  hooks  and 
nails,  rising  above  the  pews,  designed  for  coats  and  hats, 
but  looking,  in  more  modern  times,  like  some  arrangement 
for  the  suspension  of  a  clothes-line  ;  the  long  pews,  one  on 
each<side  the  centre  aisle,  where  a  choir  had  once  been 
located,  (the  ladies  occupying  one,  the  gentlemen  the 
other,)  with  seats  that  turned  upward  on  a  pivot  while  the 
occupants  were  standing,  and  elevated  forms  in  the  centre 


parson  Walton's  meeting  house.  331 

for  singing-books;  all  are  da guerreo typed  in  unfading  lines 
upon  my  memory,  mingled  with  remembrances  of  early 
childhood,  when  my  home  was  almost  within  the  shadow  of 
the  ancient  bell-tower.  Nor  is  the  exterior — weather-beat- 
en, black  with  age,  and  moss-covered — less  familiar,  or  the 
belfry,  with  its  spire  and  vane,  that  vibrated  at  ovary  revo- 
lution of  the  ancient  bell.  On  every  Sabbath  day,  and  on 
afternoons  when  "  conference  meetings  "  were  held,  hitched 
to  the  ctmrchrrailing,  might  be  seen  a  horse,  of  very  "cer- 
tain age,"  attached  to  an  antique  pattern  of  a  gig  or  sleigh, 
the  conveyance  of  a  worthy  pair  from  Long  Lane.  When 
absent  in  the  winter-time,  it  was  an  unerring  indication  that 
the  snow  had  fallen  very  deep  in  the  country,  and  that  the 
•roads  must  be  badly  blocked  up.  Accompanying  them  was 
a  long  hound-shaped  dog,  of  iron-gray  color,  who  was  left 
in  charge  of  the  vehicle  daring  church-hours.  If  a  mis- 
chievous boy  attempted  to  invade  his  castle,  he  was  too 
well  principled  to  bark,  especially  if  it  were  Sunday,  but  he 
displayed  a  double  row  of  ivory  that  never  failed  to  send 
the  offender  away  in  terror,  glad  to  escape  at  so  cheap  a 
rate.  Others  too,  who  came  from  far  distances,  seldom 
failed  to  be  seen  in  their  accustomed  places. 

How  many  prayers  ascended  to  the  throne  of  grace  from 
that  sacred  edifice,  and  how  often  its  walls  echoed  to  the 
good  old  tunes  of 'Lisbon,'  'Corinth,'  'St.  Martin's,'  'Mear,' 
•'Coronation,'  that  most  sublime  of  sacred  lyrics  'Old  Hun- 
dred,' and  many  others  not  less  remembered,  or  less  loved. 
But  the  old  church  is  no  more  ;  those  who  offered  up  the 
prayers  have  had  their  "  faith  changed  to  sight,"  and  the 
singers  are  numbered  with  the  choir  who  sing  the  song  of 
"  Moses  and  the  Lamb." 

There  probably  never  existed,  since  the  apostolic  ago,  a 
more  devoted  body  of  Christians  than  those  who  constitut- 
ed  the  church  of  Rev.  Joseph  Walton;    a  people,  truly, 
who  were  "  good  for  goodness'  sake,"  and  whose  daily  life 


332  '      RAMBLES    ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

illustrated  the  truth  and  beauty  of  the  faith  they  professed. 
Many  of  them  long  survived  the  good  man  who  for  so  many 
years  was  their  teacher  in  things  spiritual,  but  all  have 
passed  away  to  those  mansions  where  they  have  laid  up 
much  treasure  for  eternity.  Some  of  their  descendants  yet 
have  homes  at  Portsmouth — others  are  scattered  far  and 
wide  abroad.  Wherever  they  may  be,  it  is  to  be  hoped  the 
good  seed  has  not  become  extinct  within  them,  but  that  it 
has  yet  a  living  principle,  springing  up  and  germinating, 
and  bringing  forth  much  good  fruit.* 


EAMBLE     CXL1I. 

The      Old      South.     Cl-iurch.. 


The  departure  of  time-honored  edifices  creates  a  feeling 
of  regret,  however  dilapidated  they  may  have  become,  or 
by  however  superior  buildings  they  are  to  be  supplanted, — 
for  there  are  associations  connected  with  the  old  which  the 
new  will  be  long  in  giving. 

It  was  about  twelve  years  since  that  the  steeple  of  the  Old 
South  Church,  that  prominent  point  in  our  city  landscape, 
was  cast  upon  the  ground,  after  having  occupied  its  posi- 
tion 132  years.  The  oak  posts  around  the  belfry  which 
supported  the  steeple,  were  as  sound  as  when  first  put  there. 
The  house  was  vacated  by  the  society  in  1826,  when  the 
Stone  Church  was  prepared  for  occupancy.      For  a  short 


°One  of  the  most  distinguished  divines  of  the  American  pulpits  T-ev.  Dr.  Stow  of  Bos- 
ton, in  a  brief  eulogy  at  the  timo  of  the  death  of  one  of  these  good  people,  said,  'His  faith 
in  God  1  never  saw  equalled,  and  I  doubt  ir  it  has  been  surpassed  in  many  instinei  s,  i-inee 
the  days  of  Abraham.  H"  liomlfor  Go./."  Aiming  the  sao.ed  spots  in  the  North  Burying- 
gronnci,  where  the  ashes  of  the  righteous  dead  await  the  resurrection  morning,  there  is 
none  more  so  than  that  wheie  rests  the  dust  of  this  holy  man.  "  That  disciple  wbi  m  Jesus 
loved  "  is  inscribed  upon  the  stone  that  marks  his  giave  with  a  truthfulness  equalled  only 
by  tho  pure  taste  that  iudited  it. 


THE    OLD    SOUTH   CHURCH.  33 


o 


time  the  old  meeting  house  was  occupied  by  a  portion  of 
the  Society  who  did  not  wish  to  leave  the  place  in  which 
their  fathers  worshipped.  It  subsequently  became  the 
property  of  a  member  of  the  Free-Will  Baptist  Church  : 
and  was  occupied  at  several  different  periods  as  a  place  of 
worship  by  that  denomination,  which  afterwards  erected 
the  church  on  Pearl  street.  In  the  intervals  of  this  occu- 
pancy, it  had  been  for  a  considerable  portion  of  the  tim>, 
kept  open  for  religious  worship,  sometimes  by  series  of 
Sunday  afternoon  or  evening  services,  arranged  by  the 
clergymen  of  the  city ;  sometimes  by  regular  services 
conducted  by  the  city  missionary.  Several  years  before 
its  destruction  a  floor  was  laid  between  the  two  tiers  of 
windows.  The  second  story  was  converted  into  an  audi- 
ence-room, with  a  pulpit,  while  the  lower  story  was  divided 
into  a  ward-room  and  two  school-rooms. 

The  first  pastor  settled  after  the  house  was  erected  was 
Rev.  William  Shurtlefl,  in  1733,  who  died  in  1747.  His 
remains,  the  record  says,  were  "  deposited  in  a  grave  under 
the  communion  table."  It  appeared  on  the  removal  of  the 
upper  flooring,  that  a  hole  the  size  of  the  coffin  was  cut  in 
the  under  boards  about  ten  feet  ices',  of  the  communion 
table,  and  that  here  his  remains,  with  those  of  his  successor, 
Rev.  Job  Strong,  had  lain  for  more  than  a  century. 
It  was  not  a  matter  of  great  importance,  but  the  discrep- 
ancy of  the  record  and  the  fact  we  will  explain. 

On  going  from  the  house  about  the  time  it  was  taken 
down,  we  met  standing  on  the  hill,  the  venerable  Captain 
Daniel  Fernald,  who  seemed  to  look  with  much  interest 
upon  the  departure  of  the  place  of  worship  of  his  early 
days.  Amomr  his  interestincr  recollections  of  the  house, 
he  said,  that  originally  the  house  was  some  twenty  ieet 
shorter  than  it  now  is.  Nearly  a  century  ago  it  was  cut 
in  two,  the  eastern  half  moved  about  twenty  feet,  and  a 
new  piece  put  into  the  centre  of  the  house.     This  was  at 


ooi  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

once  an  explanation  of  the  position  of  the  pastors'  graves, 

which  were  actually  beneath  the  communion  table  when 

buried,  but  by  the  enlargement  of  the  house,  the  pulpit,  to 

be  in  the  centre,  was  removed'  several  feet  towards  the 
eastern  end. 

On  the  22(1  June,  17G7,  the  following  vote  passed  in  a 

parish  meeting,   of  which  Daniel  Jackson  was  moderator  :' 

"  Whereas  a  number  of  subscribers  being  desirous  foiv 
their  own  convenience,  and  of  being  accommodated  with! 
pews,  to  have  the  meeting  house  cut  and  made  twenty-four 
feet  longer,  and  the  broad  alley,  pulpit  and  fore  door  to  be' 
in  the  middle  of  the  house  as  near  as  possible-,'  and  the 
addition  proposed  to  be  made  to  be  all  in  readiness  as  soon1 
as  the  house  is  cut  and  moved  to  the  distance  proposed,  to 
be  joined  together  immediately  thro'  frame  and  interlays 
to  prevent  the  house  being  damaged  or  overset  by  any 
sudden  gust  of  wind.  *  *  *  To  be  completed  entirely 
at  their  own  cost  and  charge,  and  they  to  have  the  benefit 
of  the  disposition  of  the  pews  to  themselves.  *  *  *  c 
Voted,  that  Mr.  John  Griffes,  Mr.  Thomas  Hart,  Deaco- 
Mark  Langdon,  Capt.  Titus  Salter,  and  Capt.  Samuel  Lang; 
don,  be  a  Committee  for  the  proprietors  of  this  Parish  to 
receive  the  bond  (£'2,000')  from  the'  subscribers.'7 

Turning  over  the  parish  records,  we  find  the  following 

interesting  entry  made  at  the  time  of  the  death  of  Rev.  Mr. 

Strong,  which  we  copy  verbatim.      It  presents   in  itself  a 

picture  of  the  past. 

October  1.  1751. 
At  a  meeting  of  the  parishoners  of  the  South  Parisb,  in  Portsmo.  as- 
sembled* on  tlie  occasion  of  the  decease  of  our  Rev.  Pasture,  Mr.  Job- 
Strong,  and  to  know  the  minds  of  tlxi  parishoners  with  respect  to  ye  de- 
tent internet  of*  our  deceased"  pasture,  they  proceeded  unanimously  and 
made,  choice  of  Mathew  Litemofe,  Esq.  n'od'r,  and  it  was  put  to  vote- 
■whether  they  would  do  any  thing  at  all  or  not  relating  to  the  funeral,  and1 
it  passed  in  the  affirmative. 

vnted,    Neminfe   contra  dieente,    That   there  be  a  grave  and  dfeBenfl 
£of!ln. 

Voted',  That:  the  bearers  have  rings. 

Voted,  That  the  following  persons  have  gloves,  viz- a 
1st  The  Paul  Holders  and  their  wives, 
-(illy,  The  Under  Bearers. 


THE   OLD   SOUTH   CHURCH.  335 

odly,  The  DocY  and  his  lady. 

4thly,  The  Rev.  Mr.  Brown  and  his  lady. 

5thlv,  The  Watchers. 

Gthly,  That  the  GovernV  and  liis  lady  have  gloves. 

7thly,  The  Saxten  of  this  Parish. 

Sthly,  The  other  two  Saxtens,  if  they  or  either  of  ym  toll  ye  bell,   shall 

Vie  pd  for  ye  service. 
9thly,  Tlie  Ministers  that  attend  the  funeral. 
lOtlily,  That  Sam'l  Hart  Esq  r  &  liis  wife  for  the  paid, 
llthly,  Coll.  Gilman  and  lady  and  three  sisters  of  Mr.  Strong. 
12thly,   The  Tenders. 

Voted,  That  the  widow  of  our  deceased  pasture  have  a  suit  of  mourning. 
Voted,  That  their  be  seventy  pounds,  oldten'r,  given  to  Mad'm  Strong 

to  put  herself  in  mourning. 
Voted,   That  the  grave   be  dug  for  the   iterm't  of  the  remains  of   the 

Rev.  Mr.  Strong,  be  as  near  to  Mr.  bhurtleff's  coffin  as  may  be. 
Voted,  That  Mad'm  Shurtleff  have  a  pair  of  gloves. 
Voted,  That   the  church  wardens  be,  and  hereby  are,  empowered  and 
authorized  to  put  the  above  votes  in   execution,  and  raise  money 
on  the  parishoners   for  effecting   the    same,    together  with  ten  or 
twelve  pounds  old   ten'r,   for  uuforseen  contingences,  if    there  be 
occasion  for  it. 
Voted,  That  Mad'm  Fitch  have  a  pair  of  gloves. 

Voted,  That  the  Rev.  Mr.  Langdon  of  Portsmo,,  Mr.  Addamsof  Xew- 
ington,  Mr.  Wise  of  Berwick,  Mr.  Rogers  of  Kittery,  be  four  of 
the  paul  holders. 
Vote  I,  That  the  other  two  paul  holders  be  left  to  the  appointment  of 
the  friends  of  the  deceased,  and  in  want  thereof,  to  the  church 
wardens. 
Vote  I,  That  the  church  wardens  be  hereby  desired  to  make  provision 
to  have  a  sermon  preached  the  same  day  before  the  interm'lt  of  our 
deceased  pasture.  Matiiew  Livemore,  Mod  r. 

Capt.  Fernaldsays  that  when  he  first  attended  the  meet- 
ing there  was  but  one  house  on  the  square  south  of  the 
church, — a  one  story  house  occupied  by  a  Mrs.  Wyatt, 
nearly  opposite  the  present  residence  of  Ichabod  Rollins, 
Esq.  The  house  of  Mr.  Thatcher  Emery,  near  the  bridge 
was  also  then  standing.  The  square  on  the  North  of  the 
church  was  owned  by  Capt.  Nathaniel  Pierce  at  that  time, 
and  upon  it  was  only  the  Pierce  house  on  the  northwest 
corner,  and  a  barn  on  tlie  southwest  corner.  Capt.  Pierce, 
after  the  Revolution,  sold  to  Capt.  Drisco  the  whole  square, 
excepting  the  small  lot  reserved  for  his  own  residence, 
for  $300. 

It  is  said  that  when  this  church  was  built,  some  of  the 


336  RAMBLES  ABOUT  PORTSMOUTH. 

timber  used  was  cut  on  the  ground.  The  lot  was  presented 
to  the  parish  by  Capt.  John  Pickering,  who  was  a  liberal 
supporter  of  the  ministry,  as  well  as  an  active  citizen  in 
temporal  matters. 

On  the  13th  Sept.  18G3,  we  were  present  at  the  exhum- 
ing of  the  remains  of  Rev.  William  Shurtleff,  who  was  pas- 
tor from  1733  to  1747:  he  died  May  Oth  of  that  year,  and 
was  buried  under  the  communion  table  j — as  were  also  the 
remains  of  his  successor,  Rev.  Job  Strong,  who  died  Sept. 
28,1751,  and  was  buried  by  the  side  of  Mr.  Shurtleff. 

In  the  boards  of  the  under  floor,  as  we  have  stated,  a 
place  of  the  size  of  a  coffin  was  found  cut,  which  indi- 
cated the  position  of  the  graves.  Directljr  under  the  open- 
ing the  remains  of  one  of  them  was  found,  and  by  hid 
side,  the  coffins  probably  touching,  was  found  the  other. 
There  was  a  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  identity,  but  to 
us  it  was  clear  that  the  remains  of  Mr.  Shurtleff  were  re- 
moved to  the  side,  to  admit  those  of  Mr.  Strong  to  be  low- 
ered directly  into  the  grave.  On  first  opening  the  grave, 
which  was  between  three  and  four  feet  deep,  it  was  doubted 
whether  any  remains  were  to  be  found,  after  having  been 
buried  in  the  earth  112  and  116  years.  This  doubt  was 
soon  removed  by  the  disclosure  of  the  skull,  hair,  and  prin- 
cipal bones  of  the  one  whom  we  regard  as  Mr.  Strong. 
Some  of  the  bones  were  undecayed — the  teeth  in  the  section 
of  the  lower  jaw  white  and  apparently  as  sound  as  when  he 
died,  at  the  age  of  27.  The  bones  of  Mr.  Shurtleff,  who  was 
about  40  years  older  when  he  died,  were  more  nearly  ap- 
proaching decomposition — of  the  skull  only  a  piece  of  the 
size  of  a  dollar  was  left.  There  was  but  one  rib  left  in  a 
good  preservation,  and  that  belonged  to  Mr.  Shurtleff.  No 
remains  were  left  of  either  coffin  except  two  little  strips  of 
3  and  6  inches  long,  which  appeared  to  have  been  the  bands 
of  the  coffin  lids  in  which  was  a  row  of  brass  nails,  about  an 
inch  apart.     There  were  two  pine  knots  found,  so  well  pre- 


THE  OLD  SOUTH  CHURCH.  337 

served  by  the  pitch  they  contained,  they  were  as  white  and 
sound  inside  as  new  wood.  An  iron  hinge  in  one  of  tho 
graves  showed  that  the  coffin  lid  was  made  to  turn  down. 

The  remains  of  each,  under  the  direction  of  the  Wardens 
of  the  Stone  Church,  were  put  in  appropriate  boxes,  and 
placed  in  the  Auburn  Cemetery  where  a  suitable  monument 
is  now  erected. 

The  coffins  in  the  Rindge  tomb,  under  the  centre  of  the 
house  on  the  south  side,  have  all  been  removed  to  the  cem- 
etery. This  tomb  must  have  been  built  more  than  a  cen- 
tury ago,  for  when  the  house  was  enlarged  and  the  porch 
erected  in  1TG7,  the  entrance  to  the  tomb  was  covered  by 
the  porch.  The  idea  that  the  entrance  to  the  church  was 
made  over  the  tomb  was  so  abhorrent  to  the  feelings  of  the 
family,  that  they  changed  their  place  of  worship  in  conse- 
quence, to  the  Episcopal  church. 

In  casting  our  eyes  over  the  records  of  the  South 
Church,  we  find  a  few  matters  worth  giving.  The  sub- 
scription paper,  on  which  the  names  are  given  of  those  who 
contributed  to  the  support  of  Rev.  Mr.  Emerson,  for  the 
years  1714,  1715  and  1716  is  summed  up  by  the  committee 
with  the  following  entry  : 

"All  that  we  can  find  that  Mr.  Emerson  has  had  that  we 
can  make  out  at  present  is  £175  2s  2d.'' 

Mr.  Emerson  gives  his  receipt  as  follows : 

"I  allow  of  ye  one  hundred  sevent3T-five  pounds  two 
shillings,  as  so  much  paid  for  my  salary  ye  first  three  years 
after  I  came  to  town."  J.  Emerson." 

1753.  Voted,  That  the  scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testament  be  publicly  read  every  Lord's  day  as  a  part  of 
the  public  worship  in  God's  house. 

1756.  Voted,  That  ten  pounds  old  tenor,  of  the  Charity 
Money  in  the  hands  of  the  Deacons,  be  U»id  out  in  practical 
books  for  the   use  of  the  poor  of  the  Parish. 

Voted,  That  the  hundred  pounds,  old  tenor,  given  by 
Capt.  Geo.  Walker  to  the  church,  and  now  in  the  hands  op 


338  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

the  Deacons  Langdon  and  Jackson,  should  be  laid  out  to 
the  best  advantage  in  silver  and  gold  coin,  that  the  church 
may  sustain  no  further  loss  by  its  lying  in  a  depreciating 
medium. 

1757.  Voted,  That  the  remainder  of  the  proportion  of 
the  charity  money  appropriated  to  purchase  practical  and 
instructive  books,  for  the  use  of  the  poor  in  this  parish,  be 
given  into  the  hands  of  the  Pastor  to  be  laid  out  in  books 
for  said  use. 

Voted,  That  the  £32  in  stock  of  the  church's  money, 
now  in  the  hands  of  Deacon  Jackson,  be  by  him  converted 
into  silver  or  gold  coin. 

Sept.  27,  17G0.  Received  of  the  hands  of  Deacon  Jack- 
son one  silver  tankard,  being  the  gift  of  Mrs.  Mary  Shurtleff 
to  the  South  Church  in  Portsmouth,  for  the  use  of  the  Min- 
ister for  the  time  being. 

17G0.  A  list  of  books  belonging  to  the  South  Parish  in 
rWtsmouth,  for  the  Use  of  the  Minister  for  the  time  bein^r, 
and  to  be  lent  out  among  the  people  under  his  direction  : — 
Pool's  Synoposis,  vol  5,  Dr.  Watts'  Sermons ;  Dr.  Dodd- 
ridge's Rise  and  Progress,  3  vols. ;  Shaw's  Welcome  to  the 
Plague,  &c.  4  vols.  ;    Christian  Piety;    Dickinson's  Letter. 

17G2.  The  church  likewise  voted  that  the  Deacons 
Langdon  and  Jackson  be  and  hereby  are  desired  to  pur- 
chase with  the  silver  money  in  their  hands  (being  the  gift 
of  Capt.  Walker)  a  decent  christening  basin,  as  soon  as  a 
sufficient  sum  shall  be  raised  to  pa}^  for  the  forming  of  said 
basin,  by  subscription,  the  whole  of  the  silver  now  in  their 
hands  to  be  applied  in  the  weight  of  the  basin. 

The  church  likewise  having  further  considered  the  pro* 
posal  made  for  the  introducing  the  use  of  Dr.  WTatts'  ver- 
sion of  the  Psalms  instead  of  the  New  England  version, 
into  their  public  worship,  desired  the  Pastor  to  mention 
said  proposal  to  the  congregation. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  church,  Sept.  9,  1763,  at  the  meeN 
ing  house,  the  church  voted  the  use  of  Dr.  Watts'  version 
of  the  Psalms,  instead  of  the  New  England.  Voted,  like- 
wise, that  the  congregation  should  be  desired  to  make  a 
stop  after  public  worship,  and  that  the  vote  of  the  church 
be  proposed  to  them  for  their  concurrence.  The  congre- 
gation voted  their  concurrence,  and  likewise  that  said 
Psalms  should  be  sung  without  being  read  line  by  line. 


THE    OLD    BELL    TAVERN.  339 

RAMBLE     CXLIII. 

The      Old     Bell     Tavern. 

The  old  landmarks  of  a  city,  i':'  not  of  great  beauty,  have 
an  interest  which  time  gives  to  many  things  of  antiquity. 
Four  or  five  successive  generations  have  been  wont  to 
look  upon  this  old  tavern,  as  one  of  the  matters  which 
formed  the  hub  of  the  busy  wheel  of  Portsmouth.  In  the 
recollections  of  our  older  inhabitants,  the  Court  House,  the 
old  North  Church  and  the  Bell  Tavern  have  an  association^ 
together  with  the  Parade  and  the  old  oak  still  standing, 
which  has  fixed  a  lasting  picture  on  the  mind. 

They  have  revolutionary  associations.  When  the  patriot 
Manning  on  the  west  Court  House  steps  threw  up  his  hat, 
declaring  that  King  street  should  no  longer  bear  that  name, 
but  in  Congress  street  should  in  future  the  Bell  Tavern 
be  found — from  that  day  the  name  of  the  street  was 
changed. 

In  1727,  the  Gains  house  was  built  on  the  west  side  of 
the  Bell  Tavern  lot,  having  a  front  yard  40  or  50  feet  deep. 
In  173S,  a  building  occupied  by  Robert  Macklin,  the'  baker./ 
who  lived  to  the  age  of  115  years,  was  burnt  on  the  pres- 
ent site  of  Congress  Block.  Soon  after,  a  portion  of  the 
first  meeting  house  was  removed  to  the  spot,  from  the  south 
mill  dam^  and  made  a  dwelling  house  for  John  Newmarch, 
a  merchant.  Five  years  after,  in  1713,  Paul  March,  who 
married  a  daughter  of  John  Newmarch,  built  the  Bell 
Tavern.  The  building  was  framed  by  Hopestill  Caswell  of 
New  Market,  a  mulatto,  half  brother  of  Paul  March.  That 
it  was  strongly  made,  the  test  of  a  century  and  a  quarter 
has  shown.  On  the  completion  of  the  work  there  was;, 
according  to  the  custom  of  the  day,  a  merry  gathering  to 
commemorate  it.  Though  Hopestill  had  performed  an  im- 
portant part  of  the  work,  he  did  not  venture   to  approach 


340  RAMBLES    ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

the  board,  until  it  was  decided  by  the  company  that  lie 
should  be  permitted  to  come  in  and  partake  with  them  on 
the  joyful  occasion. 

How  long-  March  occupied  it,  and  whether  it  was  at  first 
a  public  house  we  know  not.  An  old-  lady,  who  saw  the 
house  erected,  once  told  us  that  several  years  after  its 
erection  she  had  seen  the  yard  filled  with  hogsheads  of 
molasses,  rum,  and  such  goods  as  showed  that  March  was 
extensively  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits.  Previous  to 
the  revolution  the  house  was  occupied  by  Mr.  John  Green- 
leaf,  and  the  sign  of  the  Bell  (painted  blue)  was  hanging 
from  the  post.  Whether  or  not  it  was  intended  to  repre- 
sent the  "  Blue  Bells  of  Scotland,"  it  is  not  in  our  power 
to  decide.  At  that  time  there  was  another  public  house 
kept  by  Mr.  Foss  in  the  neighborhood,  on  the  spot  where 
the  stable  of  the  Franklin  House  now  stands. 

To  the  old  Bell  Tavern  the  patriots  of  the  revolution 
used  to  resort,  while  the  tories  made  their  headquarters  at 
the  Earl  of  Halifax.  The  venerable  Theodore  Moses  of 
Exeter,  has  told  us  that  this  was  the  place  for  resort  of 
such  patriots  as  Thomas  Pickering,  who  commanded  the 
Hampden,  and  his  fellows,  and  we  may  well  imagine  the 
nature  and  spirit  of  the  meetings  at  the  bar  room  and  par- 
lors in  those  days,  when  punch-bowls  were  in  fashion. 
Horses  were  kept  at  the  stable  in  the  rear  in  those  days  as 
now.  Mr.  Greenleafs  son,  on  a  winter  day,  was  using  one 
of  his  father's  horses  and  a  sleigh  for  a  ride  round  town. 
After  passing  in  front  of  St.  John's  church,  in  turning  into 
Bow  street,  the  sleigh  went  over  the  bank,  where  the  Day 
building  now  stands,  and  passed  down  some  fifty  feet  into 
river.  Not  much  damage  was  done,  excepting  a  wetting  of 
the  horse  and  driver.     It  was  a  perilous  adventure. 

The  keeper  after  Greenleaf  was  Fursell,  whose  widow 
afterwards  k%pt  a  boarding  house  in  the  present  residence  of 
Samuel  Lord,  on  Middle  street,  where  John  Paul  Jones 


THE    OLD    BELL   TAVERN.  3-il 

boarded.     It  was  also  kept  by  Col.  William  Brewster,  pre- 
vious to  his  occupancy  of  the  house  on  the  site  of  Richard 
Jenness'  mansion.      It  was  also  kept  by  Mr.  Jacob  Tilton, 
the  father  of  the  well  known  idiot  Johnny  Tilton,  who  for 
many  years  was  an  inmate  of  our  almshouse.     Johnny  was 
not  a  very  bright  child,  but  was  not  born  an  idiot.     When 
a  boy  he  was  in  his  father's  stable  in  the  rear  of  the  Bell 
Tavern,   and  seeing  the  hens  fly  out  of  the  loft   window, 
supposed  he  might  do  so  to.     He  stood  upon  the  window 
frame,  and  flourishing  his  arms  in  imitation   of  the  hens' 
wings  commenced  his  flight — but  he  reached  the  ground 
rather  sooner  than  he  expected,  injuring  himself  so  as  to 
affect  his  mental  faculties  during  his  after  life.     He  is  Avell 
recollected  as  seen  carrying  corn  to  the  mill  for  the  alms- 
house, usually   decorated  with  feathers  in  his  bat,  as  if  in 
remembrance  of  the  hen  adventure.     He  died  about  forty 
years  ago.      It  was  he  who  said,  when  asked  at  the  mill 
what  he  knew,      "  Some  things  I  know,  and  some  things  I 
don't  know — I  know  the  miller's  hogs  grow  fat,  but  I  don't 
know  whose  corn  they  fat  on." 

It  was  afterwards  kept  by  Ebenezer  Chadwick,  who  left 
it  to  take  charge  of  the  Jail,  about  1790.  It  was  after- 
wards kept  for  a  time  by  Col.  Seth  Walker,  the  Register  of 
Deeds. 

Early  in  the  present  century,  Nathaniel  Brown,  from  the 
Governor's  farm  in  Wolfborough,  took  charge  of  the  Bell 
Tavern,  and  remained  there  until  1821. 

In  a  letter  from  a  friend  who  had  spent  many  years 
under  its  roof,  during  Esquire  Brown's  administration  and 
afterwarbs,  he  says : 

"It  was  not  a  beautiful  structure— an  architect  would 
not  hold  it  up  as  a  model.  I  don't  think  its  proportions 
are  exactly  laid  down  in  the  books.  It  had  no  stately  col- 
umns, pillars,  dome  or  tower.  But  it  had  a  history,  and 
hallowed  memories  which  are  more  significant  and  enduring. 


342  RAMBLES    ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

On  those  walls,  in  invisible  letters  perhaps,  are  written 
many  a  legend  which  if  compiled  would  swell  to  a  volume 
as  large  as  "Greeley's  Conflict,"  and  some  of  them  perhaps 
quite  as  thrilling.  We  had  come  to  think  it  lire  proof. 
Four  times  it  was  enveloped  in  the  flames  of  its  more 
stately  neighbors,  and  like  Moses'  bush  it  consumed  not. 
It  had  seemed  to  mourn  since  the  demise  of  its  old  com- 
panions, the  North  Church  and  Court  House.  Jt  was  the 
retreat  of  a  little  band  of  Patriots  who  used  to  gather 
.around  the  midnight  lamp,  in  that  quiet  ante-room,  for  the 
double  mission  of  social  improvement  and  political  reform  : 
which  latter,  was  at  that  time  much  needed.  Sometimes 
those  sessions  were  continued  into  the  small  hours  ;  not 
from  want  of  harmony,  but  solely  from  press  of  business.  Im- 
bued with  the  spirit  of  the  times,  self-denying  and  earnest, 
•they  were  bold  to  do  and  dare.  On  its  roll  were  New  Hamp- 
shire's most  honored  sons.  Sad  to  say,  most  of  them  have 
passed  away.  How  much  of  this  recent  glorious  triumph 
had  its  germ  in  that  little  gathering  I  will  not  say.  I  sup- 
pose there  may  be  some  mischief-loving  persons  who  as 
they  pass  will  laugh  at  its  destruction.  Well !  let  them 
laugh — so  did  Nero  on  another  occasion.  For  one,  I  shall 
mourn  its  loss,  and  with  Mrs.  Partington  take  our  cup  of 
tea  and  recite  its  story  in  our  own  humble  way." 

To  those  anniversaries  of  the  "  Oilman  Blues,"  where, 
after  the  evil  spirits  the  bottles  contained  had  disappeared, 
the  bottles  were  arranged  in  a  pyramid  on  the  table  to  be 
made  a  target  for  those  who  were  able  to  aim  a  blow  at 
them — and  the  appearance  of  the  sedate  landlord  to  know 
what  the  "pesky  fellows"  were  doing  with  his  glass 
ware, — it  would  be  well  to  pass  over  in  silence — and  with 
many  other  like  scenes  bury  with  the  ruins  of  the  old 
tavern. 

It  will  be  recollected  that  here  were  held  the  corporation 
meetings — here   in   that  front  parlor,  the   probate  courts 


THE   OLD    BELL    TAVERN.  313 

were  held  for  many  years.  And  who  will  forget  that  pro- 
jecting cellar-case  door,  on  the  east  corner,  in  front  of 
Pritchard's  barber's  shop,  to  which  the  old  truckman  Daniel 
Lowd  was  daily  carried  to  receive  the  alms  of  the  public, 
and  the  terror  he  inspired  in  the  school  boys  at  his  shrill 
call  for  his  dog  Lion,  when  they  annoyed  him  as  they 
stopped  to  gaze. 

It  has  since  been  kept  by  Samuel  Robinson  and  Oliver 
Potter  ;  by  Samuel  Rea,  who  changed  the  structure  from  a 
gambrel  roof  to  a  three  story  building.  A  second  Mr. 
Tilton,  Hiram  Locke,  Jackson  &  Rowe,  and  we  know  not 
but  some  others,  were  the  landlords  after  Mr.  Jlea. 

In  1852,  the  building  was  sold  to  J.  P.  Morse,  Aaron 
Akerman  and  Henry  M.  Clark.  The  old  sign  post  of  the 
blue  Bell  was  soon  cut  down,  and  three  stores  made  in 
front.  Thus  it  remained,  until  the  fire  in  March,  18G7, 
swept  it  away.  Nobody  is  sorry  for  its  departure — as  its 
place  is  supplied  by  the  handsome  three-story  block,  an  or- 
nament to  the  city,  built  by  Messrs.  Henry  M.  Clark,  Aaron 
Akerman  and  Samuel  S.  Frve. 


RAMBLE    CXLIV, 

"Witchcraft  in.  Portsmouth,  and  Newcastle — Death  of 
ZNXolly  Bridget — Stone  Throwing  Devils  of  New- 
castle. 

For  a  large  portion  of  the  century  which  terminated 
some  thirty  years  since,  witchcraft  was  regarded  as  a  relic 
of  ancient  superstition  ;  but  now,  in  the  modern  develop- 
ments of  mesmerism,  spiritualism,  etc.  we  have  again 
brought  up  under  the  auspices  of  a  new  science,  develop- 
ments   everybody    in    olden   time    called  witchcraft   and 


Q 


II  RAMBLES    ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 


charged  to  S;itanic  influence.     It  is  science  now — it  was 
witchcraft  then. 

Although  belief  in  witchcraft  in  late  years  lias  not  been 
general,  yet  at  no  time  has  it  been  without  some  who  have 
had  a  belief  in  it.  There  are  many  stories  given  in  proof 
of  the  agency  of  evil  spirits  in  conferring  superhuman 
powers  upon  those  over  whom  they  had  an  influence. 

In  the  time  of  the  Revolution  when  our  almshouse  was 
kept  by  Mr.  Clement  March,  there  was  among  the  inmates 
a  woman  who  bore  the  name  of  Mollv  Bridget.  She  had 
been  notorious  as  a  fortune  teller.  She  was  regarded  as  a 
witch  in  those  times,  and  to  her  was  attributed  many  of  the 
domestic  evils  of  that  day.  Her  fame  as  a  witch  was  wide 
spread.  Finding  her  way  to  Boston,  the  police  gave  her 
warning  to  leave  the  city  forthwith.  "  Why  ?"  she  asked. 
"  Is  not  your  name  Molly  Bridget  ?"  "  No,  sir,"  she  re- 
plied— "  do  you  think  I  am  such  a  despicable  creature  as 
Molly  ?"  Although  she  denied  the  identity,  she  took  pains 
to  return  by  the  first  opportunity.  It  was  in  the  year  1782, 
when  she  was  at  our  almshouse,  that  there  was  trouble  in 
the  pig  stye.  The  pigs  were  pronounced  bewitched,  and 
the  remedy  resorted  to  was  to  cut  off  the  tips  of  their  tails 
and  ears.  The  evil  spirits  however  were  not  cast  out.  It 
was  then  said  that  those  tips  must  be  burned.  But 
nothing  could  be  found  of  them.  Mr.  March  directed  that 
all  the  loose  chips  and  leaves  in  the  yard  should  be  scraped 
up  and  burned  in  the  several  fireplaces  in  the  house.  After 
the  fires  were  kindled,  Molly  hastened  from  room  to  room  in 
a  frenzied  manner.  She  soon  went  to  her  own  room,  and  as 
the  flames  began  to  subside  her  sands  of  life  began  to  run 
out,  and  before  the  ashes  were  cold,  she  was  actually  a 
corpse.  At  the  hour  fixed  for  her  funeral,  arose  one  of 
those  dreadful  storms  which  are  said  to  occur  when  witches 
are  buried.  These  are  facts — how  far  the  results  were 
induced  by  the  superstitious  feelings  of  that  day,  the  reader 


STONE   THROWING    DEMONS    OF   NEWCASTLE.  345 

is  left  to  judge.  The  poor  creature  might  have  believed 
herself  a  witch,  and  the  expectation  expressed  that  the 
burning  of  the  pigs'  tails  would  kill  the  witch,  might  have 
so  wrought  upon  her  mind  as  to  produce  the  result. 

The  principal  object  of  this  ramble  is  to  bring  up  some 
of  the  strange  developments  which  were  made  in  early 
times  in  what  was  once  a  part  of  Portsmouth,  but  after 
wards  became  the  town  of  Newcastle.  Cotton  Mather, 
who  lived  in  that  age,  refers  to  the  Stone-Throwing  Devil 
of  Newcastle,  and  thus  notices  it: 

"  On  June  11,  1G82,  showers  of  stones  were  thrown  by 
an  invisible  hand  upon  the  house   of  George  Walton  at 
Portsmouth,  [Newcastle.]—  Whereupon  the  people  going 
out  found  the  gate  wrung  off  the  hinges,  and  stones  flying 
and  falling  thick  about  them,  and  striking  of  them  seem- 
ingly with  a  great  force,  but  really  affecting  'em  no  more 
than  if  a  soft  touch  were  given  them.      The  glass  windows 
were  broken  by  stones  that   came  not  without,  but  from 
within  ;  and  other  instruments  were  in  like  manner  hurled 
about.     Nine  of  the  stones  they  took  up,   whereof  some 
were  as  hot  as  if  they  came  out  of  the  fire ;  and  marking 
them  they  laid  them  on  the  table  ;  but  in  a  little  while  they 
found  some  of  them  again  flying  about.     The  spit  was  car- 
ry'd   up  the  chimney,  and  coming   down   with  the  point 
forward,  stuck  in  the  back  log,  from  whence  one  of  the 
company  removing  it,  it  was  by  an  invisible  hand  thrown 
out  at  the  window.     This  disturbance  continued  from  day 
to  day  ;  and  sometimes  a  dismal  hollow  whistling  would  be 
heard,  and  sometimes  the  trotting  and  snorting  of  a  horse, 
but  nothing  to  be  seen.     The  man  went  up  the  Great  Bay 
in  a  boat  onto  a  farm  which  he  had  there  ;  but  there  the 
stones  found  him  out,  and  carrying  from  the  house  to  the 
boat  a  stirrup  iron  the  iron  came  jingling  after  him  through 
the  woods  as  far  as  his  house  ;    and  at  last  went  away  and 
was  heard  of  no  more.     The  anchor  leaped  overboard  sev- 
23 


346  RAMBLES    ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

oral  times  and  stopt  the  boat.  A  cheese  was  taken  out  of 
the  press,  and  crumbled  all  over  the  floor ;  a  piece  of  iron 
stuck  into  the  wall,  and  a  kettle  hung  thereon.  Several 
cocks  of  hay,  rnow'd  near  the  house,  were  taken  up  and 
hung  upon  the  trees,  and  others  made  into  small  whisps,  and 
scattered  about  the  house.  A  man  was  much  hurt  by  some 
of  the  stones.  He  was  a  Quaker,  and  suspected  that  a 
woman,  who  charged  him  with  injustice  in  detaining  some 
land  from  her  did,  by  witchcraft,  occasion  these  preternatu- 
ral occurrences.      However,  at  last  they  came  to  an  end." 

Thus  wrote  the  reliable  Cotton  Mather,  one  hundred  and 
sixty-eight  years  ago.  Although  he  says  these  things  had 
an  end,  yet  there  have  been  some  reliable  witnesses  to 
events  of  a  similar  nature  on  the  Pest  Island,  in  the  vicinity 
of  Newcastle,  nearly  a  century  after.  When  there  were 
but  two  men  on  this  island,  things  were  mysteriously 
moved  about  the  pest  house,  and  unaccountable  noises 
heard.  Later  days  have  shown  as  strange  things  produced 
by  mesmeric  powers,  since  table-moving  has  become  an 
every  day  occurrence. 

A  pamphlet  published  in  London  in  1698,  gives  in  quaint 
style,  a  detailed  account  of  the  strange  proceedings  by  an 
eye  witness.  As  the  whole  account  would  occupy  too 
much  space,  we  make  only  extracts  from  the  work,  which 
bears  every  mark  of  authenticity. 

"I  have  a  wonder  to  relate ;  for  such  (I  take  it)  is  so  to 
be  termed  whatsoever  is  Preternatural,  and  not  assignable 
to,  or  the  effect  of  Natural  Causes.  It  is  a  Lithobolia,  or 
stone  throwing,  which  happened  by  Witchcraft,  (as  was 
supposed,)  and  maliciously  perpetrated  by  an  elderly  wo- 
man, a  neighbor  suspected,  and  (I  think)  formerly  detected 
for  such  kind  of  diabolical  tricks  and  practices  ;  and  the 
wicked  instigation  did  arise  upon  the  account  of  some 
small  quantity  of  land  in  her  field,  which  she  pretended 
was  unjustly  taken  into  the  land  of  the  person  where  the 


STONE  THROWING  DEMONS  OF  NEWCASTLE.      347 

scene  of  this  matter  lay,  and  was  her  right;  she  having 
been  often  very  clamorous  about  that  affair,  and  hoard  to 
say  with  much  bitterness,  that  her  neighbor  (innuendo  the 
forementioned  person,  his  name  George  Walton)  should 
never  quietly  enjoy  that  piece  of  ground.  Which,  as  it 
has  confirm'd  myself  and  others  in  the  opinion  that  there 
are  such  things  as  Witches,  and  the  effects  of  Witchcraft,  or 
:at  least  of  the  mischievous  actions  of  evil  spirits. 

"Sometime  ago  being  in  America,  (in  His  then  Majesty's 
service,)  I  was  log'd  in  the  said  George  Walton's  house,  a 
Planter  there,  and  on  a  Sunday  night,  about  ten  o'clock, 
many  stones  were  heard  by  myself  and  the  rest  of  the  fam- 
ily, to  be  thrown  and  (with  noise)  hit  against  the  top  and 
alS.  sides  of  the  house,  after  he  the  said  Walton  had  been  at 
his  fence-gate,  which  was  between  him  and  his  neighbor 
one  John  Amazeen  an  Italian,  to  view  it;  for  it  was  again 
(as  formerly)  wrung  off  the  hinges,  and  cast  upon  the 
ground  ;  and  in  his  being  there,  and  return  home  with  sev- 
eral persons  of  (and  frequenting)  his  family  and  house, 
about  a  slight  shot  distance  from  the  gate,  they  wrere  all 
assaulted  with  a  peal  of  stones,  (taken  we  conceive,  from 
the  rocks  hard  by  the  House,)  and  this  by  unseen  hands  or 
agents.  For  by  this  time  I  was  come  down  to  them,  having 
risen  out  of  my  bed  at  this  strange  alarm  of  all  that  were 
in  the  house,  and  do  know  that  they  all  looked  out  as 
narrowly  as  I  did,  or  any  person  could,  (it  being  a  bright 
moon-light  night)  but  could  make  no  discovery.  There- 
npon,  and  because  there  came  many  stones,  and  those 
pretty  great  ones,  some  as  big  as  my  fist,  into  the  entry  or 
porch  of  the  House,  we  withdrew  into  the  next  room  to 
the  Porch,  no  person  having  received  any  hurt,  (Praised  be 
Almighty  Providence,  for  certainly  the  infernal  agent,  con- 
stant enemy  to  mankind,  had  he  i.ot  been  over-ruled, 
intended  no  less  than  death  or  maim)  save  only  that  two 
youths  were  hit,  one  on   the  leg  the  other  on  the  thigh, 


318  RAMBLES    ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

notwithstanding  the  stones  came  so  thick  and  so  forcibly 
against  the  sides  of  so  narrow  a  room.  Whilst  we  stood 
amazed  at  this  accident,  one  of  the  maidens  imagined  she 
saw  them  come  from  the  Hall  next  to  that  we  were  in, 
where  searching,  (and  in  the  cellar  down  out  of  the  Hall,) 
and  finding  nobody,  another  and  myself  observed  two  little 
stones  in  a  short  space  successively  to  fall  on  the  floor, 
coming  as  from  the  Ceiling  close  bv  us,  and  we  concluded 
it  must  necessarily  be  done  by  means  extraordinary  and 
preternatural.  Coming  again  into  the  room  where  we 
first  were,  (next  the  Porch)  we  had  many  of  these  lapidiary 
salutations,  but  unfriendly  ones  ;  for  shutting  the  door,  it 
was  no  small  surprise  to  me  to  have  a  good  big  stone  come 
with  force  and  noise  (just  by  my  head)  against  the  door 
on  the  inside;  and  then  shutting  the  other  door,  next  the 
Hall,  to  have  the  like  accident ;  so  going  out  again,  to  have 
another  very  near  my  body,  clattering  against  the  board- 
wall  of  the  House  ;  but  it  was  a  much  greater,  to  be  so 
ne  ir  the  danger  of  having  my  head  broke  with  a  Mall,  or 
great  Hammer  brushing  along  the  top  or  roof  of  the  room 
from  the  other  end,  as  I  was  walking  in  it,  and  lighting 
down  by  me  ;  but  it  fell  so,  that  my  Landlord  had  the  great- 
est damage,  his  windows  (especially  those  of  the  first  men- 
tion'd  room)  being  with  many  stones  miserably  and 
strangely  batter'd,  most  of  the  stones  giving  the  blow  on 
the  inside,  and  forcing  the  bars,  lead  and  hasps  of  the  case- 
ments outward,  and  yet  falling  back  (sometimes  a  yard  or 
two)  into  the  room;  only  one  little  stone  we  took  out  of 
the  glass  of  the  window,  where  it  lodg'd  itself  in  the  break- 
ing it,  in  a  hole  exactly  fit  for  the  stone.  The  pewter  and 
brass  were  frequently  pelted,  and  sometimes  thrown  down 
upon  the  ground;  for  the  evil  spirit  seemed  then  to  effect 
variety  of  mischief,  and  diverted  himself  at  this  end  after 
he  had  done  so  much  execution  at  the  other.  So  were  two 
candlesticks,   after   many  hitting*,  at  last  struck    off  the 


STONE   THROWING   DEMONS    OF   NEWCASTLE.  340 

table  where  they  stood,  and  likewise  a  large  pewter  pot, 
with  the  force  of  these  stones.  Some  of  them  were  taken 
up  hot,  (and  it  seems)  coming;  out  of  the  fire;  and  sonic 
(which  is  not  unremarkable)  having  been  laid  by  mo  upon 
the  table  along  by  couples,  and  numbered,  were  found 
missing;  that  is,  two  of  them,  as  we  retuin'd  immediately 
to  the  table,  having  turn'd  our  backs  only  to  visit  and 
view  some  new  stone-charge  or  window-breach,  and  this 
experiment  was  four  or  five  times  repeated,  and  I  still 
found  one  or  two  missing  of  the  number,  which  we  all 
raark'd,  when  I  did  but  just  remove  the  light  from  off  the 
table,  and  step  to  the  door  and  back  again. 

"  After  this  had  continued  in  all  parts  and  sides  of  the  first 
room  (and  down  the  chimney)  for  above  four  hours,  I, 
weary  of  the  noise,  and  sleepy,  went  to  bed. 

"  In  the  morning  (Monday  morning)  I  was  inform'd  by 
several  of  the  domesticks  of  more  of  the  same  kind  of 
trouble  ;  among  which  the  most  signal  was,  the  vanishing 
of  the  spit  which  stood  in  the  chimney  corner,  and  the 
sudden  coming  of  it  again  down  the  chimney,  sticking  it 
in  a  log  that  lay  in  the  fire  place  or  hearth  ;  and  then,  being 
by  one  of  the  family  set  by  on  the  other  side  of  the  chim- 
ney, presently  cast  out  of  the  window  into  the  back-side. 
Also  a  pressing  iron  lying  on  the  ledge  of  the  chimney 
back,  was  convey'd  invisibly  into  the  yard.  I  should  think  it 
(too)  not  unworthy  the  relation,  that,  discoursing  then  with 
some  of  the  family,  and  others,  about  whit  had  past,  I  said, 
I  thought  it  necessary  to  take  ami  keep  the  great  stone,  as 
a  proof  and  evidence,  for  they  had  taken  it  down  from  my 
chambers;  so  I  carried  it  up  and  laid  it  on  my  tabic  in  my 
chamber,  and  lock'd  my  door,  and  going  out  upon  oc  -a- 
sions,  and  soon  returning,  I  was  told  by  my  landlady  that  it 
was,  a  little  while  after  my  going  forth,  removed  again,  with 
a  noise  which  they  all  below  heard,  and  was  thrown  into 
the  ante-chamber,  and  there  I  found  it  lying  in  the  middle 


350  EAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

of  it ;  thereupon  I  the  second  time  carried  it  up,  and  laid 
it  on  the  table,  and  had  it  in  my  custody  for  a  long  time  to 
show,  for  the  satisfaction  of  the  curious. 

"  August  1.  On  Wednesday  the  window  in  my  ante-cham- 
ber was  broken  again,  and  many  stones  were  plaid  about, 
abroad  and  in  tbe  houser  in  the  daytime,  and  at  night.  The 
same  day  in  the  morning  they  tried  this  experiment ;  they 
did  set  on  the-  fire  a  pot  with  animal  fluid,  and  crooked  pins 
in  it,  with  design  to  have  it  boil,  and  by  thai  means  to  give 
punishment  to  tbe  witch  or  wizard,  (that  might  be  the  wicked 
procurer  or  contriver  of  this  stone  affliction)  and  take  off 
their  own  ;  as  they  had  been  advised.  Tin's  was  the  effect 
of  it:  As  the  liquor  began  to  grow  hot,  a  stone  came  and 
broke  the  top  or  mouth  of  it,  and  threw  it  down,  and  spilt 
what  was  in  it;  which  being  made  good  again,  another 
stone,  as  the  pot  grew  hot  again,  broke  the  handle  off; 
and  being  recruited  aud  filled  a  third  time,  was  then  with 
a  third  stone  quite-  broke  to  pieces  and  split,  and  so  the 
operation  became  frustrate  and  fruitless. 

'•'  Friday  after,  I  was  present,  being  newly  come  in  with 
Mr.  Walton  from  his  middle  field,,  (as  he  called  it)  where 
his  servants  had  been  mowing,  and  had'  six  or  seven  of  his 
old  troublesome  companions,  and  I  had  one  fall'n  down  by 
me  there,  and  another  thin  flat  stone  hit  me  ©M  the  thigh 
with  the  flat  side  of  it,  so  as  to  make  me  just  feel,  and 
smart  a  little.  In  the  same  day's  evening,  as  I  was  walk- 
ing out  in  the  lane  by  the  field  aforementioned,  a  great 
stone  made  a  rustling  noise  in  the  stone  fence  between  the 
field  and  the  lane,  which  seem'd  to  me  (as  it  caus'd  me  to 
cast  my  eye  that  way  by  the  noise)  to*  come  out  of  the 
fence,  as  it  were  pnll'd  out  from  among  the  stones  loose, 
but  orderly  laid  close  together,  as  the  manner  of  such  fen- 
ces in  that  country  is,  and  so  fell  down  upon  the  ground. 

"  Some  persons  of  note  being  then  in  the  field  (whose 
names  are  here  under  written)  to  visit  Mr.  Walton  there, 


STONE  THROWING  DEMONS  OF  NEWCASTLE.      351 

are  substantial  witnesses  of  the  same  stonery,  both  in  the 
field,  and  afterwards  in  the  house  that  night,  viz  :  one  Mr. 
Huzzy,  son  of  a  Counsellor  there.  He  took  up  one  that 
having  first  alighted  on  the  ground,  with  rebound  from 
thence  hit  him  upon  the  heel ;  and  he  keeps  it  to  show. 
And  Captain  Barefoot,  mentioned  above,  has  that  which 
(among  other  stones)  flew  into  the  Hall  a  little  before  sup- 
per ;  which  myself  also  saw  as  it  first  came  in  at  the  upper 
part  of  the  door  into  the  middle  of  the  room ;  and  then 
(tho'  a  good  flat  stone,  yet,)  was  seen  to  rowl  over  and 
over,  as  if  trundled,  under  a  bed  in  the  same  room.  In 
short  these  persons  being  wondrously  affected  with  the 
strangeness  of  these  passages,  offer'd  themselves  (desiring 
me  to  take  them)  as  testimonies  ;  I  did  so,  and  made  a 
memorandum  by  way  of  record  thereof,  to  this  effect,  viz: 

"  'These  persons  underwritten  do  hereby  attest  the  truth  of  their  being 
eye  witnesses  of  at  least  half  a  score  stones  that  evening  thrown  invisibly 
into  the  field,  and  into  the  entry  of  the  house,  hall,  and  one  of  the  cham- 
bers of  George  Walton's,  viz: 

Samuel  Jennings,  Esq.  Governor  of  West  Jarsey. 

Walter  Clark,  Esq  Deputy  Governor  of  Road  Island. 

Mr.  Arthur  Cook 

Mr.  Matt.  Borden  of  Road  Island. 

Mr.  Oliver  Hooton  of  Barbados,  Merchant, 

Mr.  T.  Maul  of  Salem  in  New  England,  Merchant. 

Capt.  Walter  Harefoot. 

Mr.  John  Huzzey. 

And  the  wife  of  the  said  Mr.  Huzzy.'  " 


In  reply  to  some  inquiries  made  by  us  of  Rev.  Mr.  Alden 
of  Newcastle,  we  have  received  the  following  letter,  giving 
some  interesting  historical  memoranda. 

Newcastle,  N.  H.,  Jan.  1, 18G2. 
C.  TV.  Brewster,  Esq. 

Dear  Sir: — Agreeably  to  your  suggestion,  I  would  com- 
municate the  following  in  regard  to  an  article  in  the  His- 
torical Magazine  for  November  last,  purporting  to  be  the 


o 


52  RAMBLES    ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 


reprint  of  a  tract,  entitled  "  Lithobolia,"  by  R.  C.  Esq., 
and  published  in  London  in  the  year  1G98.  The  writer 
states  that  he  had  been  in  America,  at  Great  Island  (now 
Newcastle,  N.  II.)  was  employed  in  His  Majesty's  service 
and  lodged  in  the  house  of  Mr.  George  Walton. 

It  is  an  inquiry  of  some  interest  to  the  antiquary 
whether  this  curious  and  unique  treatise  will  be  found  to 
be  genuine  and  authentic,  on  an  application  of  the  proper 
tests  in  similar  cases  used.  In  the  instance  before  us,  we 
are  furnished  with  a  specification  of  the  names  of  persons 
and  of  places.  An  examination  shows  the  authenticity  of 
the  writer  in  these  respects. 

Prominent  among  the  names  is  that  of  George  Walton' 
Adams,  in  his  Annals,  states  that  in  the  year  1661,  George 
Walton  claimed  the  land  at  Fort  Point,  on  Great  Island,  and 
commenced  building  on  it.  He  subsequently  says  that  one 
of  that  name  here  was  a  long  time  President  of  the  Pro- 
A'incial  Council. 

u  John  Amazeen,  an  Italian."  He  is  well  known  to  have 
been  an  emigrant  from  Europe,  to  have  settled  here  at  an 
early  period.     His  posterity  is  numerous  in  Newcastle. 

" Mr.  Randolph"  in  1680,  was  appointed  by  the  King, 
Collector  of  Customs  for  New  England,  and  in  1683,  ho 
was  Attorney  General  for  the  Province  of  New  Hampshire. 

"  Captain  Walter  Barefoot"  was  Deputy  Collector  under 
Randolph,  and  subsequently  Captain  of  the  fort,  a  judge, 
and  President  of  the  Council. 

"Mr.  Jeffereyv,  a  inzrchcuit." —  George  Jaffrey  was  a 
prominent  citizen  in  this  place  in  1684.  His  ancient  man- 
sion built  nearly  200  years  ago  is  still  standing,  and  this  re- 
view is  being  written  in  one  of  its  chambers. 

"One  Mrs.  Clark." — None  of  this  name  now  reside  here, 
buttradition  says  that  there  was  once  afamily  of  that  name, 
the  proprietors  of  Clark's  Island,  now  so  called,  and  that 
they  resided  at  a  little  distance  from  the  Walton  estate. 


STONE   THROWING   DEMONS   OP   NEWCASTLE.  353 

The  localities  specified.  —  The  traditions  of  many  aged 
persons  concurrently  testify  that  the  estate  of  the  Walton 
family  was  situated  about  one-quarter  of  a  mile  from  New- 
castle Bridge,  on  the  north  side  of  the  road  leading  to  Fort 
Constitution  and  now  owned  by  the  Locke  family.  Some 
of  the  inhabitants  of  advanced  age  recollect  the  mansion 
house,  which  was  spacious — of  two  stories  and  with  a  gam- 
brel  roof;  the  exact  spot  is  known  from  the  remains  of  the 
cellar. 

"The  fence  gale  between  him  and  his  neighbor  John  Ama- 
zeen." — The  Walton  estate  adjoins  that  of  Amazeen  ;  the 
latter  having  been  entailed,  remains  esentiaily  as  it  was  at 
that  period,  and  is  now  owned  by  Capt.  John  Amazeen  of 
the  sixth  generation  from  John  the  Italian. 

"A  Cove  by  his  liouseP — There  is  now  a  small  and  beauti* 
ful  cove  a  few  rods  south  of  the  ancient  cellar  of  the  Wal- 
ton mansion. 

"Great  Bay1"  is  a  well  known  sheet  of  water,  and  a  very 
prominent  locality  in  Rockingham  county. 

"The  Stone  Fence  between  the  Field  and  the  Lane."  —  No 
road  passed  through  the  Walton  estate  till  the  Newcastle 
Bridge^  was  built,  about  the  year  1821.  Previously  the 
only  passage  way  to  Amazeen's  and  Walton's  was  a  lane,  as 
is  well  remembered  by  the  present  inhabitants. 

As  regards  authenticity  of  the  narration,  it  may  be  read- 
ily allowed,  in  so  far  as  relates  to  the  unquestionable  fact 
of  a  popular  delusion  concerning  Witchcraft,  which  at  that 
period  extensively  prevailed  All  who  are  familiar  with 
the  history  of  New  England  in  the  17th  century,  need  not 
be  informed  of  this  fact.  The  occurrences  detailed  in  this 
treatise,  as  absurd  and  ridiculous  as  they  are,  and.  if  al- 
lowed to  be  real,  must  be  classed  with  the  miraculous,  yet 
are  not  more  marvelous  than  those  relating  to  the  same 
subject  as  recorded  in  Bancroft's  History  of  the  United 
States,  Felt's  History  of  Salem,  Barber's  Historical  Notes 


351  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

on  Andover,  Mass.,  and  Adams'  Annals  of  this  Settlement, 
under  date  1G56.  It  is  well  known  that  Rev.  Joshua 
Moody,  minister  here  at  that  period,  stood  almost  alone  in 
opposing  this  pernicious  delusion,  and  was  the  means  of 
saving  the  lives  of  some  persons  of  eminence,  accused  of 
Witchcraft.  And  there  are  now  among  the  older  citizens 
here  traditions  of  this  "  Lithobolia,  or  Stone-Throwing 
Demon"  And  it  is  said,  that  at  a  later  period,  gravel  on 
the  beach  has  been  thrown  at  some  persons,  as  was  sup- 
posed, by  invisible  hands. 

As  regards  the  definite  object  of  the  writer  and  publisher 
of  this  Treatise,  it  may  be  no  easy  matter  to  decide.  On 
supposition  that  the  production  is  spurious,  and  got  up  by 
gome  wag  as  a  hoax  for  the  antiquary,  it  may  be  said  of 
the  author,  he  has  outdone  his  own  hero,  "Lithobolia," 
the  Stone-Throwing  Demon  himself. 

Most  respectfully,  Lucius  Alden. 


RAMBLE     CXLV, 

r.rh.(3    former     Men   of  Portsmouth. — Ancient    Furniture. 

In  18G2,  John  G.  Brewster,  then  in  his  83d  year,  fur- 
nished the  following  record  of  the  deaths  of  old  people  in 
Portsmouth.  He  himself  passed  away  October  10,  1867,  at 
the  age  of  89  years  9  months. 

"  When  the  mind  is  active,  and  we  look  back  to  former 
years,  even  to  our  childhood  and  youth,  and  remember  well 
the  looks  and  appearance  of  many  of  the  aged  men  of 
those  days,  we  can  say  in  the  language  of  the  prophet  of 
old — "  Our  fathers,  where  are  they?  And  the  prophets,  do 
live  forever?"  The  Scriptural  answer  is — "  Few  and  evil 
are  the  days  of  the  years  of  thy  servants  here  on  earth." 


THE  FORMER  MEN  OF  PORTSMOUTH. 


355 


Di'd.  JVame.  As* 

1787— Clement  March 78 

Daniel  Fowle 72 

Noah   Taiker 64 

Edmund  Roberts. .  .46 

1788— Clemont  .Jackson. .  .83 

1791— Jacob  Sheafe 76 

Daniel   Hart  50 

1792— John  Langdon 41 

John  Fornald 50 

1795 — Joseph   Alcock 77 

George  Hart.  Jr 40 

Michael  Wentwoilh  76 

1797— John  -herhurne.  . .  .77 

Hall.  Jackson 58 

Stephen  Hardy 6S 

1798— Eleazer  Russell 76 

Elisha   Hill Si 

] ROD— Jeremiah  Hill 4^ 

1801-John  Noble 66 

1802— Joshua  Rrarkett. .  .1)9 
George  Jafl'rev S6 

1S03— Samuel  lliee  " 59 

John    Fernald 58 

1805— Woodbury  Langdon. 66 

John  Pickering 68 

Thomas  Martin 73 

Stephen  Chase 61 

1806— John    Mendum 68 

Samuel  Haven 79 

Eiiphalet  Ladd 63 

1807— Samuel    Hale 89 

George  Hart 77 

1803— Richard  BillingB 73 

.Jonathan  M  Se.  wall.  60 
Waiter  Akerman. ...  71 

1809-George  Gains 73 

Theodore    Furber. .  .58 

1810 — Nathaniel  Jackson.  .69 

18!l— Supply   Clapp 63 

1813 -Richard   Salter 63 


Profeainn 

Dfrd 

Keeper  AlmS- 

1812- 

l'rinlerfhoute 

Rev.  Univ. 

Sea  Captain 

1813- 

Doctor 

Merchant 

1814- 

Joiner 

Tanner 

1815- 

Founder 

Trader 

1816- 

Laborer 

1817  - 

Gentleman 

1818- 

Merchant 

Doctor 

1819- 

Tailor 

1820- 

Navnl  officer 

Blacksmith 

Joiner 

Keeper  Alms 

1821- 

Doctor  [house 

Merchani 

1822- 

Sea  Captain 

Captain 

1823- 

Merchant 

Judge 

Meichant 

1824- 

Merchant 

Sea  Captain 

1825- 

Rev.  Dr. 

1827- 

Merchant 

18.9- 

School teach'r 

Blacksmith 

Captain 

1830- 

Lawyer 

Tanner 

Town   Agent 

1832- 

Captain 

1838- 

Farmer 

1844- 

Merchant 

1849- 

Captain 

18oi- 

JVamr.  As* 

-Samuel  Hill 67 

>oil  Mclntiro. 63 

Jos  Buckminster. .  .61 
-Timothy  Gerrish. .  ..60 

John  March 55 

-John  leirce 68 

James  Hill 58 

-Kenjamin   Slade....80 

Rich'd  i  hampney.    71 

-JoBeph  Whipple.  .  .  .78 

-William  Cutter 48 

David    Hrewster 79 

Wm.  Hrewster 77 

-John  Langdon 79 

-Wm   Langdon 82 

Ammi  Cutter 86 

Micha'l  Whidden.  .  .87 

Richard   Hart 87 

-George  Massey 70 

'1  iniothy  H  am 79 

-R.  C.  Shannon 77 

Joseph   Walton 80 

-Robeit  Ham 85 

John  Flagg 59 

Nath'l  Kennard 68 

-Jeie'h  1  ibbey 76 

Nath'l  Jackson 60 

-Samuel   Ham 83 

-  Johu  Bowles 72 

-John  Goddard 73 

Gideon  Walker t>3 

Jacob  Sheafe   84 

-Thomas  Sheafa 80 

Clement  >tortr. .  .  .70 

Samuel  Fernald 74 

-Joseph  Akerniar". ..  .92 

-William   Ham 84 

-K'  ndal  Fernald 92 

-'I  homas  Spinney...  .83 
-Mark  Green 89 


Frofemien. 
Meichant 
Tobacconist 

Rev    Dr 

Goldsmith 

Sadier 

Rank  Officer 
Rlacksmuh 
Trader 
Merchant 
Naval  (  llicer 
Doctor 
.'oiuer 
Taverner 
Governor 
Tanner 
Doctor 
Joiner 
Merchant 
Gentleman 
Joiner 
Lawyer 
Revere  ud 
Farmer 
Captain 
Captain 
Gentleman 
Tanner 
Y  aimer 
Captain 
Merchant 
Miller 
Meichant 
Merchant 
Merchant 
'I own  ( lerts 
Cordwalner 
Merchaut. 
White  s^iith 
Laborer 
Boat  builder 


'Tis  but  a  few  whose  days  can  count 
To  three  score  years  and  ten 

And  all  beyond  that  short  amount 
Is  sorrow,  toil  and  pain." 


A  venerable  bureau  was  recently  exhibited  at  a  town 
fair  in  Connecticut,  which  was  brought  to  this   country  at 
its  early  settlement,  and  is  still  preserved  in  the  same  lam 
ily.     A  chair  that  luis  been   in  one  family    lf>0  years,   and 
another  some  200  years  old,  were  also  exhibited. 

We  have  in  daily  use,  and  as  good  as  new,  four  chairs 
made  by  our  great  grandfather,  John  Gains,  in  1728.  lie 
built  the  house  in  the  rear  of  the  Mechanics  Reading  Room 
in  that  year,  and  these  chairs  he  made  for  his  parlor.  The 
Marseilles  counterpane  which  was  in  use  in  the  family  before 


35G  RAMBLES   ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

our  grandmother's  birth,  in  1739,  we  also  have  in  as  good 
condition  as  it  was  a  hundred  and  twenty  years  ago.  A 
looking-glass  which  formed  a  part  of  the  furniture  when 
"  that  old  house  was  new,"  bears  more  the  marks  of  age, 
and  has  for  several  years  reflected  the  countenances  of  the 
inmates  of  the  Journal  office.  When  our  venerated  ances- 
tor used  to  look  in  this  glass,  there  were  but  four  news- 
papers published' in  the  United  States. 

[Note. — The  old  mirror  hung  unharmed  in  the  Journal  office 
until  the  Friday  evening  previous  to  the  death  of  the  writer  of 
these  Ramhlcs.  Then  by  a  singular  coincidence,  just  as  the  last 
number  of  the  last  paper  previous  to  his  decease  was  worked  off, 
the  glass  was  brdken  by  an  accidental  blow.  —  Ed.] 


RAMBLE    CXLVI. 

The      Episcopal      Church     Yard. 

In  the  last  Ramble  is. given  the  names  of  sonie  of  the 
Portsmouth  citizens  who  took  an  active  part  in  public 
affairs  between  the  time  of  the  war  of  the  Revolution  and 
that  of  1812.  The  list  might  be  considerably  extended, — 
but  we  will  not  not  now  attempt  it.  While  thus  marshal- 
ing this  company  of  the  past,  it  is  not  out  of  place  to  enter 
one  of  the  sacred  enclosures  where  some  of  them  are 
resting  from  their  labors 

Among  the  early  cemeteries  of  Portsmouth  was  that  of 
the  St.  John's  Churchyard.  This  was  used  as  a  cemetery 
some  twenty  years  before  the  first  interment  was  made  in 
the  old  North  Burying  Ground.  Within  the  walls  of  this 
Churchyard  rest  the  remains  of  the  principal  and  highest 
in  rank,  in  their  time,  of  the  inhabitants  of  Portsmouth 
previous  to  the  Revolution.     Here  are  the  remains  of  the 


THE    EPISCOPAL    CHURCH    YARD.  357 

Governors,  Counsellors,  and  Secretaries  of  the  Province  of 
New  Hampshire,  in  the  colonial  days — for  it  was  then  in 
the  Church  ofEngland  that  all  felt  obligated  to  worship 
who  held  an  office  under  the  Crown.  So  the  Ground 
around  the  church  was  the  place  where  they  also,  with 
the  humblest  citizens,  mingled  in  one  common  das.t,  at 
death. 

The  Church  that  stood  on  the  spot  where  St.  John's 
Church  now  stands  was  built  in  1732  and  was  called 
"Queen's  Chapel."  About  ten  years  since,  on  rebuilding 
the  wall  around  the  Burying  Ground,  the  tombs  became 
for  a  short  time  exposed.  They  were  large,  and  quite  full, 
some  containing  the  remains  of  upwards  of  one  hundred 
persons.  One  was,  however,  opened  with  the  remains  of 
but  one  person,  in  the  centre  of  the  tomb,  who  no  doubt 
was  the  proprietor.  It  belonged,  according  to  the  records 
of  the  Church,  to  Mr.  Christopher  Rymes,  and  no  doubt 
had  not  been  opened  for  one  hundred  and  twenty  years. 

There  is  also  a  tomb  in  the  middle  of  the  yard  called  the 
Governors'  tomb.  In  this  tomb  were  placed  the  remains 
of  the  several  Governors  Wentworth  (except  the  last),  with 
their  families.  Some  sixty  years  ago  this  tomb  was  opened, 
disclosing  the  coffins  of  occupants,  their  standing  designat- 
ed by  the  escutcheons,  coats  of  arms,  lion,  unicorn,  etc.  tint 
were  on  their  lids.  The  rusty  remains  of  a  highly  polished 
sword,  laid  on  one,  reminded,  with  these  coffin  ornaments, 
of  the  words  of  the  poet: — 

"  Shall   we  build  Ambition  !     Ah,  no  ; 
Affrighted  it  s-hrinkcth  away. 
And  nothing  is  left  but  the  dust  below, 
And  the  tinsel  that  (dimes  on  the  dirk  coffin  lid." 

The  whole  enclosure  on  the  north  of  the  church  is  suffi- 
ciently elevated  to  permit  entrance  to  the  tombs  from  the 
street.  Here  are  the  tombs  of  the  Atkinsons,  the  Sher- 
burnes,  the  Jaffreys,  the  Peirces,  the  Sheafes,  the  Marshes, 
the  Mannings,  the  Halls,  the  Gardners  ;  and  the  remains  of 


358  RAMBLES    ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

many  others  of  latter  days  here  repose, — among  them  hon- 
ored names,  whose  fame  needs  no  tomb-stone  to  perpetuate 
them. 

By  the  liberalty  of  one  of  the  descendants  of  the  Sheafe 
family,  (J.  Fisher  Sheafe,  Esq.  of  New  York,)  a  handsome  and 
substantial  iron  fence  was  erected  on  the  walls  of  this  an- 
cient churchyard  a  few  years  since ;  thus  not  only  making- 
more  secure  the  sacred  depository  of  the  dead  and  confer, 
ring  an  acceptable  present  to  the  Church,  but  also  making 
the  enclosure  a  city  ornament. 

Could  we  in  imagination  go  back  through  a  century, 
we  might  here  see  many  splendid  arrays  of  carriages  with 
footmen,  servants,  and  military  display  paraded  around 
these  tombs,  to  pay  the  last  respect  to  the  illustrious  dead, 
and  hear  the  beautiful  service  of  the  church,  consigning 
them  to  their  last  resting  place,  read  by  the  venerable 
Arthur  Brown,  as  in  later  days  it  has  been  read  by  the 
talented  and    sympathizing   Burroughs  : 

"I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life,  saith  the  Lord:  he  that  belioveth  in   me,  though  he 
were  dead  jet  shall  he  live  ;  and  whosoever  liveth  and  believeth  in  me  sh.ill  never  die." 


RAMBLE     CXLVII. 


The     Oldest     House     in.     Our     State. 

The  oldest  house  now  standing,  built  in  Portsmouth,  is 
the  quaint  brick  house  on  the  Week's  farm  in  Greenland. 
This  is  no  blunder,  although  it  may  seem  like  one — for  at 
the  time  that  house  was  built,  Greenland  was  a  part  of 
Portsmouth.  We  can  find  no  written  record  of  the  year 
of  its  being  built,  but  a  family  tradition  dates  its  erection 
in  1638,  by  the  father  of  Leonard  Weeks.     Leonard  was 


THE   OLDEST   HOUSE   IN    OUR   STATE.  359 

born  not  far  from  that  time,  and  had  four  sons,  John  bora 
1668,  Samuel  born  1G70,  Joseph  born  1671,  John  born  1GT4, 
Mary  and  Margaret.  From  Samuel  the  present  owner  of 
the  farm  descended.  The  house  was  built  on  the  main 
road — but  the  straightening  of  the  road  half  a  century  ago, 
throws  it  on  a  circular  lane  several  rods  on  the  side.  The 
speckled  appearance  of  the  house  is  made  by  having  black 
headers  scattered  among  the  bricks  all  over  the  front.  The 
bricks  were  burnt  in  front  of  the  house.  The  walls  of 
the  house  are  eighteen  inches  thick.  It  is  of  two  stories: 
the  lower  story  is  8  1-2  feet,  the  second  8  feet.  The  win- 
dows were  originally  of  small  diamond  glass  set  in  lead. 
Some  of  them  have  been  in  the  house  within  the  last  fifty 
years.  The-  timbers  used  throughout  the  house  and  for 
the  roof  are  all  of  hard  wood.  The  beams  in  the  cellar  are 
squared  12  by  14  inches.  The  sleepers  are  of  red  oak, 
about  10  inches  in  diameter,  with  the  bark  on.  There  are 
planks  on  the  inside  of  the  walls,  and  the  plastering  is  on 
reft  wood  nailed  to  the  plank.  There  are  marks  of  the 
house  being  injured  by  an  earthquake,  probably  in  1755. 
If  tradition  is  correct,  this  is  the  oldest  house  in  New  Eng- 
land, being  228  years  old. 

In  the  old  records  we  find  that  "  On  the  8th  of  Oct.  16G3, 
at  a  meeting  of  the  Selectmen  (of  Portsmouth,)  at  Green- 
land to  lay  out  the  hiwayes  a  hiwaye  laid  out  from  Winecoto 
river  falls  east  or  thare  aboutes  to  Samuel  Haines  is  house 
and  from  thence  the  hieway  is  to  rune  to  Hamton  hiwaye 
where  it  now  lies  by  Ffrances  Drake  feild  which  is  now 
inclosed,  these  hiwaye  is  to  be  tow  rod  in  bredth. 

"  There  is  also  a  hiwaye  lade  out  over  against  Leonard 
Weikes  house  and  is  to  goe  through  his  land  soue  and  by 
west  or  thare  abouts  until  it  comes  to  the  common  land.'' 

The  same  year  a  contract  was  made  for  making  a  foot 
and  horse  path  through  Great  Swamp. 

It  is  probable  that  the  early  connection  with  Strawberry 


3 GO  RAMBLES    ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

Bank  was  by  the  river.  The  house  was  evidently  built  as 
a  sort  of  garrison,  with  a  view  of  safety  from  being  burnt 
by  the  Indians. 

Feb.  4,  1GG0,  wo  find  "  Leonard  Weikes'  "  account  for 
town  services  allowed-  In  1662,  he  was  a  Selectman  of 
Portsmouth. 


RAMBLE    CXLVIII. 

The    Dead    Elm    on    South.    Royxl. 

Green  and  fresh  as  early  childhood  is  the  general  aspect 
pf  Auburn-Street  Cemetery.  No  wilted  shrubbery,  no  de- 
caying tree,  is  to  be  met  with  in  its  extensive  avenues.  It 
seems  more  like  a  place  of  life  than  a  residence  for  the 
dead.  But  such  is  not  the  aspect  of  the  whole  vicinity 
outside  of  its  walls.  Opposite  its  north-west  corner  on  the 
north  side  of  the  road,  stands  as  a  "  Memento  Mori,  "  a  hu°-e 
skeleton,  sixty  to  seventy  feet  in  height,  with  sinuous  feet 
stretching  far  beneath  the  soil,  and  from  a  body  of  master- 
domsize,  extend  five  long  weather  beaten  arms  far  into  the 
air,  seeming  to  say  to  all  visitors  to  the  spot, 

"  I  am  Old  Mortality— 

As  [  now  am,  Bo  you  must  be  : 
Once  a  fresh  and  vigorous  tree 
Was  this  sear  Mortality.  '* 

That  old  elm,  on  which  the  lightnings  have  so  often 
played,  that  it  has  been  without  a  leaf  for  many  years, 
should  not  pass  away,  as  it  now  appears  to  be  gradually, 
without  a  slight  sketch  of  its  eirly  history.  As  trees 
do  not  travel,  they  have  not  much  to  tell — but  are  content 
with  casting  a  cooling  shade  upon  those  who  may  come  un- 
der their  branches.  Do  you  see  the  peculiar  form  of  that 
old  trunk?     It  has  the  size  of  twenty  feet  in  circumference 


THE  DEAD  ELM  ON  SOUTH  ROAD.  30)1 

up  to  twice  your  height  from  the  ground,  and  then  divides 
off  into  five  branches  of  nearly  equal  size — each  branch  six 
faet  in  diameter,  as  large  as  almost  any  of  our  forest  trees. 
Now  when  that  tree  sprang  up,  about  135  }?ears  ago,  it  was 
as  regular  in  form  as  the  beautiful  elms  generally  are.  So 
it  grew  for  a  few  years.  We  will  look  at  it  in  1732,  per- 
haps on  the  very  day  on  which  Washington  was  born,  but 
for  this  we  cannot  vouch. 

This  was  then  the  Qtaio  road  to  the  Plains  and  Rye,  and 
was  the  principal  thoroughfare.  Here  comes  along  a  man 
on  horseback  with  his  bag  of  meal  from  Pickering's  mills. 
The  horse  is  soon  to  go  up  a  little  elevation  in  the  road, 
and  needs  something  to  quicken  his  pace.  So  the  rider 
approaches  this  young  elm  and  breaks  off,  for  a  switch,  the 
top  of  the  thrifty  tree.  It  is  done  with  a  twist,  leaving  the 
broken  end  fibrous.  Thus  the  main  body  of  the  tree  was 
stopped  in  its  progress,  and  the  five  branches,  which  other, 
wise  would  not  have  appeared,  shot  forth  at  this  place. 

This  old  elm  has  never  parted  with  its  five  venerable 
children,  but  continues  still  to  bear  them  up,  although  they 
are  all  alike  dead,  well  representing  a  decayed  family 
standing  solely  upon  its  high  pedigree.  One  main  branch 
has  become  disintegrated  from  the  main  body— but  seems 
not  ready  to  depart,  for  above  it  interlocks  its  arms  with  its 
old  associates — and  thus  is  left,  perhaps  for  years,  to  be  in 
a  state  of  suspense  ;  if  not  fearful  to  itself,  it  is  to  the  passer 
by.  But  the  branches  are  not  held  up  in  vain,  every  one  of 
them  points  towards  the  cemetery — some  inclining  earth- 
ward and  others  towards  the  sky.  This  Old  Mortality 
thus  appears  in  its  huge  vegetable  skeleton  to  preach  its 
sermon  on  the  transitory  nature  of  earth,  exhibiting  in  its 
own  image  the  changes  which  maybe  made  through  life,  in 
animal  and  moral  as  well  as  vegetable  formation,  by  influ- 
ences in  youth  which  are  hardly  thought  of  by  those  who 
are  the  agents  that  use  them.  Was  there  ever  a  more 
24 


3G2  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

impressive  illustration  of  the  adage — "Just  as  the  twig  is 
bent,  the  tree  is  inclined.  " 

"Within  sight  of  this  tree  have  some  of  the  most  exciting 
local  scenes  transpired.  Here  was  the  training  field  before 
the  Plains  were  laid  out  for  the  purpose.  A  few  rods  west 
of  this  old  tree  was  buried  in  the  road  the  body  of  Eliphaz 
Dow,  who  in  1755  was  hung  on  a  gallows  in  that  neighbor- 
hood for  the  murder  of  Peter  Clough.  And  thirteen  years 
after,  a  few  rods  from  it  was  hung  Ruth  Blay,  also  for 
murder.  By  the  side  of  this  tree  Gov.  Burnet  passed  in 
1729,  and  Gov.  Belcher  many  times  in  years  after,  when 
11  Boston  was  so  distant  from  Portsmouth,  and  the  roads  so 
bad,  that  he  could  only  make  one  annual  visit."  This  tree 
Gov.  Wentworth  made  his  turning  point  when  he  came 
from  his  Little  Harbor  seat  into  town,  and  when  its  shade 
was  larger,  John  Hancock,  George  Washington  and  a  host 
of  eminent  men  passed  near  if  not  beneath  its  shadow. 
And  in  later  years,  as  the  cemetery  gates  are  opened  to  re- 
ceive some  new  comer,  the  huge  skeleton  stands  out  to  the 
mournful  procession  in  its  full  proportions,  like  the 
apocalyptic  angel,  who  proclaims  that  time  shall  be  no 
longer. 

[Note. — Shortly  after  this  Ramble  was  written,  in  1862,  by 
the  hand  that,  after  the  labors  of  a  busy  lifetime,  is  now  at  rest 
in  the  cemetery  just  across  the  way,  the  old  elm  was  felled 
by  the  woodman's  ax.  But  the  Ramble  remains,  and  we  give 
it  an  appropriate  plaoe  at  the  close  of  this  book — Ed~] 


FIFTY   YEARS   IX   A   PRINTING   OFFICE.  3G3 


RAMBLE  CXLIX. 

Fifty     Years     in.    a    Sprinting    Office  —  Our    Own.    and    tlie 

"World's    Progress. 

This  day*  closes  a  half-century  since  the  senior  proprietor 
entered  this  office  as  an  apprentice  to  the  art  and  mystery  of 
Printing.  That  memorable  day  was  the  lGth  Feb.  1818. 
The  paper  was  then  called  the  "Portsmouth  Oracle"  and 
was  published  by  Charles  Turell.  In  1€21,  it  was  purchas- 
ed by  Nathaniel  A.  Haven,  jr.  who  changed  the  name  to 
"  The  Portsmouth  Journal  of  Literature  and  Politics." 
The  plain  style  of  heading  adopted  by  him  has  never  been 
changed.  The  paper  then  had  four  columns  to  the  page,  and 
contained  about  half  as  much  reading  as  now.  After  Mr.  H. 
had  conducted  the  paper  four  years  in  a  manner  which  gave 
it  a  high  standing  in  the  community,  in  July,  1825,  the  Jour- 
nal establishment  was  purchased  by  the  present  senior 
proprietor  in  connection  with  T.  H.  Miller.  It  was  then 
removed  into  the  room  now  occupied  as  the  office,  and  for 
four  years  Col.  C.  W.  Cutter  was  assistant  editor.  In  1833, 
the  present  senior  proprietor  purchased  the  establishment 
and  took  the  sole  management  of  the  paper.  There  has 
been  no  change  since,  except  the  admission  of  his  son  to 
joint-partnership  in  1853. 

The  Oracle  was  published  in  a  chamber  in  Market  street 
on  the  site  of  C.  II.  Mendum  &  Co.'s  store.  As  it  Mas 
removed  to  Ladd  street  in  1825,  the  senior,  who  removed 
with  it,  has  really  been  in  the  same  office  fifty  years — never 
having  worked  a  week  in  any  other  office. 

Note.— In  his  publication  of  the  number  of  the  Portsmouth  Journal  dated  Feb.  15, 
1S6S,  the  Rambler  gives  this  record  of  a  busy  lifetime.  It  is  copied  just  as  written,  and, 
while  more  particularly  prepared  for  his  newspaper,  is  such  a  chronicle  of  individual  and 
general  changes  and  characteristics,  that  it  forms  one  of  the  most  interesting  features  <*' 
.this  book. — Ed. 


364  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

His  relaxations  from  business  in  that  long  terra  have 
been  few  and  short — never  having  been  absent  at  the  pub- 
lication of  two  successive  papers  in  the  whole  time,  ex- 
cepting five  weeks  in  1830,  from  sickness.  Only  on  one  day 
besides,  does  he  recollect  being  absent  from  his  office  from 
indisposition,  in  the  whole  fifty  years.  Twice  to  Bangor, 
thrice  to  the  White  Mountains,  twice  to  New  York,  once 
to  Philadelphia,  and  once  to  Canada,  comprise  the  whole 
circuit  of  his  distant  excursions.  He  has  attended  four 
sessions  of  the  State  Legislature  and  the  State  Constitu- 
tional Convention — but  not  to  the  neglect  of  the  paper, 
spending  some  time  in  the  office  each  week. 

When  he  entered  the  office  in  1818,  he  well  recollects 
the  load  of  wood  it  was  his  lot  to  carry  over  two  flights  of 
stairs,  and  how  grateful  was  the  privilege  of  then  resting 
at  an  old  pied  brevier  case,  on  which  he  took  his  first  lesson 
in  type-setting.  It  was  some  relief,  after  setting  a  column 
of  pi,  to  have  a  regular  paragraph  to  put  in  type.  The 
first  line  for  which  he  explored  the  case  was  this:  "The 
passions,  after  having  been  tyrants,  become  slaves  in  their 
turn." 

Another  early  paragraph  has  never  been  forgotten  :  v  The 
follies  of  youth  are  drafts  on  old  age,  payable  forty  years 
after  date  with  interest."  It  is  as  fresh  to  him  now  as 
though  put  in  type  yesterday,  and  certainly  has  never  pro- 
duced any  injury  in  leading  to  a  total  abstinence  from 
alcohol  and  tobacco. 

The  first  manuscript  he  put  in  type  was  an  article  from 
the  pen  of  Rev.  Dr.  Burroughs,  then  a  young  man  of 
thirty.  His  chirography  has  not  changed  in  the  half-cen- 
tury. It  was  on  the  Lancasterian  system  of  education, 
just  being  introduced.  The  Dr.  finished  the  corrections  of 
his  proof  at  midnight  on  Friday,  and  then  the  printing  of 
the  paper  for  the  morning  issue  was  begun.  This  late  hour 
was  the  custom  of  the  office  in  those  days.     The  whole  of 


FIFTY   YEARS   IN   A   PRINTING   OFFICE.  3G5 

Friday  night  was  usually  spent  in  the  office,  as  our  fellow 
apprentices,  John  T.  Gibbs,  John  R.  Reding  and  George 
Wadleigh,  will  recollect, 

As  he  has  resided  in  the  same  locality  the  whole  fifty 
years,  (only  removing  "  over  the  way"  when  he  commenced 
housekeeping  forty  years  ago) — the  distance  from  his  resi- 
dence to  the  office,  2300  feet,  has  been  walked  at  least  four 
times  every  day  on  an  average.  Thus  has  he  passed  over 
'27,150  miles  in  one  beaten  track,  compassing  more  than  a 
circuit  round  the  world, — and  that  too  without  the  noto. 
riety  a  short  and  hurried  walk  to  Chicago-"  might  give. 

Has  not  this  sameness  been  tiresome  ?  may  be  asked. 
0  no,  it  has  had  its  variety  in  scenery— it  has  its  variety 
also,  in  the  change  of  fellow  travellers. 

The  changes  of  the  seasons  present  in  the  hundred  and 
twenty  trees  daily  passed,  the  bud,  the  blossom,  the  full 
foliage,  the  autumnal  tinges,  and  the  strong  and  muscular 
bare  limbs  of  the  winter  months.  They  are  all  company 
to  him  in  their  associations.  He  has  seen,  in  fifty  years, 
other  trees  in  the  same  spots  where  the  largest  and  loftiest 
elms,  of  eight  or  ten  feet  in  circumference,  now  stand. 
That  at  the  opening  of  Pearl  street,  he  saw  Ricker  Hill 
put  down  when  a  twig.  The  spot  where  stands  the  10-ft. 
elm  in  front  of  Geo.  W.  Haven's,  was  occupied  less  than  fifty 
years  ago  by  a  large  horsechestnut,  which  had  taken  the 
place  of  a  lofty  Lombardy  poplar.  And  that  8-ft.  elm  in  front 
of  the  Academy  has  its  historical  remembrance.  The  Com- 
missioner of  the  Sandwich  Islands  now  at  Washington  will 
recollect  the  day  when  his  father  applied  to  him  the  ferrule 
for  aspiring  so  high  as  to  break  off  the  tree  twelve  feet  from 
the  ground,  where  the  large  branches  now  spread  from  the 
main  trunk.  T.  Starr  King  was  witness  on  the  occasion. 
There  have  been  trees  on  the  way  set  out  by  lady  hands, 
which  are  held  sacred  by  their  departure.     One  might  have 


*  Reference  is  here  made  to  Weston's  wa  k  in  1SGS. 


3G6  RAMBLES    ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

been  seen  a  few  years  since,  which  had  no  claim  to  beauty 
or  vigor,  but  was  for  years  in  a  dying  state,  and  like  a  tomb- 
stone told  only  of  affection  for  the  departed. 

Even  from  the  pavements  over  which  he  walks,  some  as- 
sociations arise.  Passing  fifty  years  ago  over  a  long  grav- 
elly walk  lined  by  a  row  of  posts  on  one  side,  and  the  red 
fence  of  the  Adams  garden  on  the  other,  he  did  not  reach 
any  pavements  until  arriving  at  Mrs.  Buckminister's  prem- 
ises. Thence  the  flat  stones  were  laid  to  Market  street. 
Now  the  brick  walk  extends  the  whole  distance,  and  far 
west.  As  we  pass  the  old  granite  at  the  street  crossings, 
the  mysterious  seams  in  the  rocks  bring  up  thoughts  of 
primeval  times — the  square  and  the  octagon  stone  passes 
bring  up  the  mechanical  contest  of  years  gone  by — and 
when  these  stones  on  a  frosty  morning  display  the  rich 
traces  of  the  frost,  who  cannot  find  '  sermons  in  stones  ? ' 

Of  the  male  heads  of  families  resident  on  Islington  and 
Congress  streets  fifty  years  ago,  there  now  survive  only 
John  P.  Lord,  Samuel  Lord,  James  F.  Shores  and  Henry 
Goddard. 

All  the  old  occupants  of  the  houses  on  these  streets  fifty 
years  ago  have  passed  awa}r,  and  their  places  have  been 
supplied  by  another  generation,  just  then  entering  upon 
manhood.  Tie  can  now  look  upon  these  as  men  of  three 
iscore  and  ten, — but  somehow  they  do  not  look  as  old  men 
did  to  him  fifty  years  ago.  Among  the  old  residents  he 
might  name  Messrs.  Akermans,  Ham,  Jackson,  Fitzgerald, 
Halliburton,  Barnes,  Story,  Fernald,  II.  S.  Langdon,  Hilly 
Folsom,  Haven,  Storer,  Abbott,  Sheafe,  Parrott,  J.  Melch- 
er,  Treadwell,  Dean,  Cutter,  Kogers,  Bell,  Dearborn,  Lake- 
man,  Brewster,  Gerrisb,  Goddard,  Bice,  Webster,  Clark, 
John  Langdon  2d,  N.  Melcher,  Sowersby,  Call,  Eobinson, 
Bishop,  Bartlett,  Mcintosh,  Isaac  Waldron,  Wildes  and 
others.  Only  step  for  an  hour  into  the  shop  of  John  Gaines, 
the  watchmaker,  where  politics  were  always   on  the  tapis, 


FIFTY   YEARS   IN   A   PRINTING   OFFICE.  3G7 

and  you  would  moot  tho  loading-  politicians  of  the  day  dis- 
cussing the  affairs  of  the  nation.  They  are  now  all  gone. 
In  the  shop  next  east  of  John  G-ains's  might  be  seen  John 
Somerby,  apparently  not  five  years  older  now  than  then, 
industriously  engaged  in  upholstery.  Next  comes  the  did 
Bell  Tavern,  where  'Squire  Brown  and  Samuel  Rea  reap- 
pear, with  Jacob  Pritchard  the  barber,  whose  shop  was  in 
that  tavern.  Daniel  Lowd  is  sitting  on  the  cellar  ease- 
ment in  front,  leaning  on  his  stall' — and  Supply  Ham  in  the 
little  shop  behind  his  window  of  watches,  as  regular  as  a 
chronometer,  and  as  reliable.  Then  George  Ham  might  be 
seen  in  the  old  Billings  house,  with  a  magnifier  held  by  his 
eyelids,  and  his  sons  Nathaniel  and  Daniel  aiding  him  in 
regulating  time.  Then  t  he  old  Walker  house,  where  Robert 
Metlin  the  baker  lived,  who  probably  knew  nothing  of  sal- 
eratus,  for  he  died  in  1787  at  the  age  of  115  years.  Then 
came  the  mansion  where  "  Sally  Allen  "  kept  her  millinery 
store — and  next  the  "  fortunate  "  lottery  office  of  G.  \V. 
Tuckerman,  which  afterwards  became  Peduzzi's  confec- 
tionery. There,  too,  is  the  ancient  Court  House  on  Mar- 
ket-Square, and  the  venerable  North  Church  behind  it. 
There  are  now  in  Portsmouth  eight  handsome  Churches, 
ami  four  Chapels,  none  of  which,  (except  the  Episcopal  and 
Universalist  Churches)  were  built  in  1818.  The  two  latter 
were  built  in  1808.  One  other  large  brick  church  on 
Pleasant  street  was  built  about  forty  years  ago,  and  has 
been  made  into  a  dwelling  house.  Fifty  years  ago  the 
Unitarian  Society  occupied  the  Old  South  Church — the 
Congregational  Society  the  Old  North,  in  neither  of  which 
the  parishioners  had  confidence  that  the  cold  blasts  of 
winter  could  be  overcome  by  the  heat  of  stoves — and 
so  only  those  who  could  endure  with  philosophic  firm- 
ness the  cold  house  for  three  hours  on  the  Sabbath,  were 
punctual  in  their  attendance.  The  ladies  were  generally 
provided  with  foot-stoves  and  moccasins —gentlemen  wore 


3G8  EAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

galoches — India  rubber  shoes  had  not  then  been  discovered. 
The  Methodist  Society  then  occupied  the  building  in  the 
avenue  on  Vaughan  street,  now  used  as  a  stable.  The  Free- 
will Baptists  occupied  what  is  now  called  the  Temple.  The 
germs  of  what  after  became  the  Middle-street  Baptist 
Church,  were  gathered  in  the  church  of  the  Independents 
on  Court  street,  on  the  site  of  the  present  Unitarian  Chapel. 
The  Sandemanian  Society  worshipped  in  the  chamber  of 
the  brick  school  house  on  State  street.  The  Society  is  now 
extinct.  •  These  were  all  the  religious  societies  in  Ports- 
mouth fifty  years  ago.  The  Brick  School  house  readily 
designated  a. locality,  for  all  the  other  school  houses  were 
old  wooden  buildings,  better  fit  for  pigs  than  for  children. 
Now  we  have  seven  brick  school  houses — one  of  which 
cost  more  than  all  the  school  houses  in  Portsmouth  fifty 
years  ago.  Not  one  of  the  public  school  houses  of  1818, 
except  that  on  State  street,  now  remain. 

The  only  organ  then,  was  that  in  St.  John's  Church. 
There  were  no  Sunday  Schools,  no  Temperance  meetings, 
no  Lyceum  lectures.  There  was  no  Hearse  in  Portsmouth. 
The  bier  might  be  seen  in  the  entries  of  the  churches,  and 
the  friends  or  neighbors  of  the  deceased  bore  them  to  their 
graves.  There  were  no  carriages  used  for  funerals  then — 
nor  was  there  an  Auburn  street  or  Harmony-Grove  Cem- 
etery. 

Fifty  years  ago  the  present  lower  room  of  the  Athe- 
neum  was  an  insurance  office,  and  the  chamber  over  it  was 
St.  John's  Masonic  Hall.  The  Atheneum  was  just  incor- 
porated, and  its  five  hundred  volumes  were  on  shelves  in 
the  room  over  John  H.  Bailey's  store  on  Congress  street. 
There  were  then  no  bridges  to  connect  Portsmouth  with 
Maine,  or  with  Newcastle,  or  with  Rye  over  Sagamore 
creek.  Lafayette  road  was  not  then  opened,  and  Rye 
Beach  was  less  thought  of  as  a  place  of  resort  than  New- 
i  igton — Piscataqua  Bridge  being  then  the   great  place  of 


FIFTY   YEARS   IN   A   PRINTING    OFFICE.  3G9 

attraction  to  parties  of  pleasure.  The  Assembly  House 
at  what  is  now  Baitt's  Court,  was  then  the  only  place  in 
town  for  public  exhibitions  and  balls. 

Fifty  years  ago,  an  old  dilapidated  building  on  the  pres- 
ent site  of  the  Court  House,  was  the  "  Work  House,"  as  it 
was  called.  In  it  was  "  Union  Hall,"  where  the  Selectmen 
held  their  meetings,  and  enjoyed  an  annual  supper.  That 
noble  brick  edifice  which  now  stands  on  the  City  Farm 
well  supplies  its  place.  The  Stone  Jail  has  been  built  in 
that  time,  and  within  fifty  years  the  iron  staples  have  been 
taken  from  the  top  of  the  corner  of  the  fence  in  front  of 
the  jail,  to  which  we  have  seen  the  hands  of  many  a  culprit 
fastened,  while  his  bare  back  received  the  cat-o-nine-tails, 
every  blow  leaving  a  ridge,  while  the  cries  for  mercy  rent 
the  air.  It  is  but  a  few  years  more  than  half  a  century 
that  these  scenes  were  witnessed  at  the  close  of  almost 
every  term  of  the  County  Courts.  And  we  have  seen  also 
the  branding  process,  when  the  horse  thief  was  pinioned 
down  on  the  broad  stone  at  the  west  door  of  the  jail,  and 
with  a  cork  filled  with  needles,  India  ink  was  pricked  in 
over  his  forehead  and  down  his  nose,  to  form  the  letter  T. 
The  erection  of  our  State  Prison  happily  terminated  these 
legal  barbarities. 

There  was  no  imposing  factory  building  in  Portsmouth 
fifty  years  ago.  The  spinning  wheel  was  then  as  much  more 
common  than  the  piano,  as  the  piano  now  exceeds  in  number 
the  spinning  wheels.  Mrs.  Tucker's  loom  in  Tanner  street 
used  to  do  the  weaving  for  many  families.  There  was  a 
windmill  for  grinding  bark  on  the  spot  where  the  car  house 
of  the  Concord  railroad  stands — and  on  the  spot  where  the 
Concord  station  house  now  is,  stood  that  long  black  build- 
ing, the  Old  Distillery.  On  the  highest  point  between 
Russell  and  Green  streets  stood  Bowles's  windmill  for 
grinding  grain. 

But  enough  of  local  for  our  present  purpose.     To  look 


370  RAMBLES   ABOUT   PORTSMOUTH. 

at  Portsmouth  now  and  compare  it  with  what  it  was  fifty 
years  ago,  no  one  will  deny  that  it  has  made  steady  prog- 
ress in  many  important  particulars — such  as  we  may  well 
be  proud  of. 

The  changes  in  the  outer  world  have  been  as  great  as  in 
any  half-century  since  the  flood.  The  printer's  eye  is 
naturally  cast  first  on  the  progress  of  that  art  which  is  the 
preservation  of  all  arts.  In  1818,  he  put  in  type  a  para- 
graph which  announced  a  new  discovery  in  paper  making. 
In  March  of  that  year,  Messrs.  Gilpin,  on  the  Brandywine, 
gave  notice  of  a  discovery  whereby  paper  can  be  made  by 
machinery,  in  a  continuous  sheet  of  any  length.  Until  then 
every  sheet  of  paper  was  made  singly  by  hand,  and  when 
used  for  paper  hangings,  sheets  were  pasted  together  to 
make  the  roll.  This  discovery  saved  more  than  half  the 
expense  of  labor  in  paper  manufacture. 

Fifty  years  ago  the  most  rapid  Printing  Presses  in  this 
country  could  not  print  more  than  300  impressions  per 
hour.  The  London  Literary  Gazette,  in  March  1818,  an- 
nounced that  a  wonderful  invention  had  just  been  made  in 
England,  whereby  one  thousand  sheets  of  that  paper  could 
be  printed  in  an  hour.  It  says  that  it  is  an  improvement 
on  the  steam  press  of  the  London  Times,  which  had  been 
in  operation  about  three  years.  Now,  30,000  impressions 
are  made  per  hour  by  the  Hoe  presses,  and  only  last  month 
it  was  announced  that  a  new  press  in  Paris  is  sending  out 
600  impressions  per  minute  !  Although  this  statement 
needs  confirmation,  yet  the  known  facts  show  that  the  pro- 
gress of  Printing  in  the  last  fifty  years  has  been  greater 
than  from  the  time  of  its  discovery  in  1429  to  1818. 

Fifty  years  ago  he  thinks  there  was  not  a  City  in  any 
New  England  state,  excepting  Connecticut.  The  town 
of  Boston  contained  about  fifty  thousand  inhabitants. 
The  cities  of  Lowell,  Lawrence,  Nashua  and  Manchester 
had  not  even  received  a  name, — and   the  flowing  waters 


FIFTY   YEARS   IN   A   PRINTING    OFFICE.  371 

of  the  Cocheco  and  Salmonfalls  were  only  used  for  grist 
and  saw  mills.  Boston  then  had  but  one  daily  paper,  the 
Boston  Daily  Advertiser,  three  or  four  years  old.  It  was 
about  half  the  present  size  of  the  Journal.  The  Boston 
Chronicle  <y  Patriot  was  published  on  Mondays  and  Thurs- 
days', the  New  England  Palladium  on  Tuesdays  and  Fridays, 
and  the  Columbian  Centinel  on  Wednesdays  and  Saturdays. 
These  were  all  the  regular  commercial  newspapers  of 
Boston  fifty  years  ago.  The  Daily  Advertiser,  now  the 
first  newspaper  in  New  England,  is  the  only  survivor. 

There  are  but  few  papers  on  our  exchange  list  which 
have  remained  for  fifty  years.  The  Boston  Daily  Adver- 
tiser, the  Salem  Gazette,  the  Salem  Register,  the  Newbury  - 
port  Herald,  the  Keene  Sentinel,  the  Concord  Patriot,  and 
the  Amherst  Cabinet,  were  in  1818  and  are  now  on  our 
exchange  list. 

Fifty  years  ago  the  art  of  Lithography  was  undiscovered. 
He  well  recollects  the  admiration  excited  by  the  first  spec- 
imens of  the  new  discovery.  Daguerre  had  not  then 
dreamed  of  enlisting  the  services  of  the  sun  to  produce 
truer  pictures  than  the  fifty  preceding  centuries  had  ever 
known. 

In  1818,  the  application  of  steam  to  propelling  river 
boats  was  but  just  commenced.  Fulton  made  his  first  ex- 
pedition in  1807,  and  died  in  1815.  In  1818  there  were  on 
the  Mississippi  but  23  steamboats,  where  there  now  are 
over  1G00.  In  1S18  the  first  outside  boat  commenced 
running  between  New  York  and  New  Orleans.  In  1819  a 
company  in  Georgia  built  a  steamer,  called  the  Savannah, 
and  sent  her  to  Europe.  This  was  the  first  time  the  ocean 
had  been  crossed  by  steam  power.  But  nearly  twenty 
years  elapsed  before  any  regular  line  of  steamers  was 
tablished.  In  that  time  the  foreign  news  was  received 
with  no  regularity.  Thirty  and  forty  days  from  Europe 
was  not  unusual,  and  sometimes  we  were  favored  with  the 


372  RAMBLES  ABOUT  PORTSMOUTH. 

latest  dates  by  arrivals  at  Portsmouth.  But  the  regular 
ten-days  trips  of  the  steamers  are  now  put  in  the  distance 
by  another  discovery  of  the  day,  the  Telegraph,  which  will 
make  a  circuit  round  the  world  in  less  than  the  "  forty 
minutes"  of  Shakspeare's  fanciful  imagination. 

Fifty  years  ago  our  golden  fields  in  California,  then  be- 
longing to  Mexico,  were  unexplored — and  the  present  fuel 
of  our  whole  country  laid  in  its  undisturbed  beds  in  Penn- 
sylvania— the  "  great  unknown," — as  was  the  author  of 
Waverly,  then  at  work  on  that  array  of  novels  which  long 
after  were  acknowledged  the  productions  of  Sir  Walter 
Scott. 

In  1818,  Napoleon  Bonaparte  who  had  been  a  terror  in 
Europe,  and  was  still  the  lion  of  the  day,  was  yet  alive,  held 
in  St.  Helena.  His  brother  Joseph  was  in  Philadelphia, 
Louis  in  Rome,  and  Jerome  in  Austria ;  their  mother  was 
also  alive  in  Italy.  Lafayette  and  his  son  were  also  then  in 
France,  and  six  years  after  came  to  America.  All  have 
since  departed  and  passed  into  history. 

Turnpikes  were  the  only  internal  improvements  made 
previous  to  1818.  There  had  been  but  two  inconsiderable 
canals  constructed  in  the  whole  country  previous  to  that 
time — the  Middlesex  canal,  connecting  the  Merrimac  river 
with  Boston,  27  miles ;  and  the  Santee  and  Charleston 
canal  of  22  miles.  The  Champlain  canal  was  constructed 
in  1824,  the  great  Erie  canal  of  365  miles  in  1826,  the  Ohio 
canal  of  300  miles  in  1832,  and  twelve  other  large  canals 
were  constructed  in  the  country  up  to  1832 — when  Rail- 
road facilities  took  the  place  of  many  of  them,  and  stopped 
this  mode  of  internavigation.  The  project  of  connecting 
lake  Winnipisseogee  with  the  tide  water  of  the  Piscataqua 
was  also  abandoned  when  the  steam  horse  promised  to  do 
the  labor  better  and  more  speedily.  These  improvements 
have  all  been  brought  forth  in  the  country  while  the  writer 
has  been  quietly  noting  their  progress  from  his  ''loophole 
of  retreat." 


FIFTY   YEARS    IN    A    PRINTING    OFFICE.  373 

When  he  entered  this  office,  but  one  President  of  the 
United  States  had  deceased.  The  progress  of  the  Repub- 
lic was  then  looked  upon  and  still  aided  by  the  counsels  of 
John  Adams,  Thomas  Jefferson,  and  James  Madison.  Mon- 
roe was  then  the  favorite  President,  whom  no  party  op- 
posed. In  various  positions  were  then  scattered  through 
the  land  the  "  coming  men."  John  Quincy  Adams,  Andrew 
Jackson,  Martin  Van  Buren,  William  H.  Harrison,  John 
Tyler,  James  K.  Polk,  Zachary  Taylor,  Millard  Fillmore, 
Franklin  Pierce,  James  Buchanan,  Abraham  Lincoln  and 
Andrew  Johnson  have  all  since  that  day  been  elevated  to 
the  Presidency,  and  twelve  of  the  sixteen  have  also  de- 
parted this  life  in  the  period  he  has  been  chronicler  of 
public  events. 

In  the  fifty  years,  the  population  of  our  country  has  ex- 
tended from  9  to  36  millions.  The  1,500,000  slaves  of  1818 
had  increased  to  4,000,000  and  then,  a  joyful  event  not 
anticipated  in  our  day,  were  all  made  freemen. 

In  1818,  there  were  only  twenty  States  in  the  Union. 
Since  then  Illinois,  Alabama,  Maine,  Missouri,  Arkansas, 
Michigan,  Florida,  Iowa,  Texas,  Wisconsin,  California,  Kan- 
sas, Minnesota,  Nevada,  Nebraska,  Oregon,  and  West 
Virginia,  have  been  admitted ;  and  the  territories  of 
Arizona,  Dakota,  Idaho,  Montana,  New  Mexico,  Utah, 
Washington  and  Wyoming  will  soon  be  presenting  their 
claims  to  become  States.  But  not  again  will  the  claim  be 
made  as  heretofore,  that  no  free  State  shall  be  admitted 
without  a  slave  State  being  received  as  an  offset.  He  well 
recollects  that  Maine  could  not  be  received  to  the  sister- 
hood, without  Missouri  as  an  offset.  And  so  the  admission 
battle  has  raged  for  half  a  century. 

He  might  go  into  the  public  history  of  times  past,  and 
bring  up  matters  relating  to  the  twelve  Presidential  elec- 
tions which  have  been  the  subject  of  newspaper  record, — 
speak  of  the  party  spirit  which  in    1824  brought  forward 


374  RAMBLES   ABOUT    PORTSMOUTH. 

four  candidates  for  the  Presidency,  Adams,  Jackson,  Craw- 
ford and  Clay,  which  resulted  in  Adams's  election — of  the 
contest  in  1828,  between  Adams  and  Jackson,  in  which  the 
latter  was  elected.  Bat  these  contests  are  a  matter  of 
national  history,  and  need  no  repetition  here.  He  has  only 
to  say,  that  through  the  whole  series  of  Presidential 
elections,  the  Journal  has  sustained  such  candidates  as 
were  esteemed  patriots  of  the  soundest  political  principles 
on  the  side  of  a  righteous  government.  Such  a  man  was 
Adams  in  182-1  and  '28,  and  Clay  in  1832.  In  1836,  the 
anti-masonic  elements  entered  into  the  election.  Van  Bu- 
ren  was  the  Democratic  candidate,  and  Webster,  White  and 
Harrison  from  other  parties.  New  Hampshire  was  so  de- 
cidedly democratic  at  that  time  that  no  opposing  candidate 
was  sustained  in  our  State.  In  1840,  Harrison  was  elected 
by  a  large  majority  over  Van  Buren.  The  effort  in  New 
Hampshire  that  year  gave  Harrison  about  6000  votes  more 
than  Van  Buren  received  in  1836,  but  the  latter  received 
the  vote  of  the  State  by  a  small  majority.  In  1844,  Clay 
was  again  our  candidate.  In  1848,  Gen.  Taylor  was  elect- 
ed. In  1852,  Gen  Scott  was  our  candidate.  In  1856, 
Fremont  was  nominated.  In  1860  and  '64,  the  lamented 
Lincoln  was  elected — and  in  1868,  Gen.  Grant  will  find  his 
election  secure.  None  of  these  men  whom  the  Journal  has 
sustained  is  it  now  ashamed  to  bring  up  in  a  review  of  the 
past. 

The  misfortune  of  the  country  has  been  in  electing  Vice 
Presidents  who  were  not  sound  in  principle.  Beware  in 
the  future. 

While  it  has  .ever  been  the  aim  in  the  management  of  the 
paper  to  make  it  interesting  to  readers,  care  has  been  taken 
to  exclude  such  matters  as  might  not  be  fit  for  reading  in 
any  family  circle.  To  preserve  this  negative  quality  has 
kept  out  many  sensational  articles  which  would  perhaps, 
have  been  more  popular  than  beneG.cial.     Though  at  times 


FIFTY   YEAES   IN  A   PRINTING   OFFICE.  375 

pressed  hard  with  work,  it  never  has  been  performed  in  the 
office  on  Sunday  for  the  halt-century,  except  on  one  occa- 
sion, about    1820,  when  the  paper,  being-   kept  open  for 
the  President's  Message,  was  issued  on  Sunday  morning. 
The  strong  inducement  to  employ  the  leisure  of  Sunday  in 
writing  articles  for  the  paper,  led  to  an  early  resolution  to 
write  nothing  on  that  day.     This  resolution  has   been  so 
strictly  observed  that  he  has  not  written  a  dozen  lines  for 
the  paper  on  that  day    for  forty  years.     This  is  not  stated 
in  any  pharisaical  spirit,  for  he  is  conscious  of  failing  in  far 
more  important  matters,  but  long  experience  has    shown 
that  cessation  from  the  usual  labors  of  the  week  on  Sunday 
gives  vigor  for  the  better  performance  of  duties  through 
the  week. 

When  he  entered  the  office,  the  yearly  Vol.  at  the  head  of 
the  paper  was  XXIX.  After  two  or  three  years  he  made 
up  the  paper  regularby,  and  has  each  year  changed  with  his 
own  fingers  these  characters  until  they  now  stand  LXXIX. 

And  yet  with  all  the  responsibilities,  constant  care,  re- 
quisite close  application  and  unceasing  labor,  the  toil  has 
been  pleasant  to  him,  nor  has  he  ever  had  a  wish  to  change 
it  for  any  other  business.  What  another  decade  may  bring- 
forth  is  only  known  to  Him  who  has  strewed  the  writer's 
path  with  matters  pleasant  to  the  recollection,  and  not  the 
least  among  them  is  the  good  feeling  of  a  large  class  of  the 
community,  many  of  whom  have  travelled  in  his  company 
the  long  term  which  he  this  clay  notes. 

To  show  time's  mutations,  wr-e  present  at  the  close  an 
impression  of  a  fancy  rule,  as  the  only  thing  in  our  office 
which  was  in  it  fifty  years  ago. 


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