Barnstead

History of Barnstead

Barnstead is a town in Belknap County NH which is made up of Center Barnstead, South Barnstead and, Barnstead Parade. Barnstead was incorporated as a town in 1767 by Gov. John Wentworth. The town name was a combination of Barnstable, Massachusetts, and Hempstead, New York, where many of the settlers came from. The town was originally granted May 20, 1727 to Rev. Joseph Adams and others. But settlement did not start until 1767.

The charter of Barnstead, was granted to the Rev Joseph Adams of Newington and others by Lt. Gov. Wentworth, 20 May 1727. There was a delay in the settlement of Barnstead because of Indian hostilities. No lots were sold nor permanent houses built before 1765.

Among the early settlers of Barnstead were Ebenezer Adams, Colonel Richard Sinclair, James Dealing, John Bickford, Arthur Bickford, Charles Hodgdon, John Elliott, John Nutter, Joseph Bunker, Moses Dennett, John Bunker, Eli Bunker, Jacob Pickering, John Peavey, Isaac Garland, John Keniston, Pitt Lougee, P. Daniel, Samuel Caswell, Capt John Drew, Aaron Chesley, John Tasker, Moses Rand, William Lord, Lemuel Hayes, John Pitman, E. Nutter.

The first grist mill was started in 1769 by John Bunker. He also started the first sawmill in Barnstead. Schools are mentioned in 1792 when it was voted to have agents in each school district to build a school house in each district and the following agents were chosen: Samuel Nelson, Dependence Colbath and Charles Hodgdon. The first settles teacher was Cornelius Kirby and his school was in the south part of town.

The Parade Meeting House was erected about 1788. It was the second, but was the first framed church in Barnstead. It was 40x60 and stood on the north side of the common. It was not completely finished until 1799.

The first lawyer in Barnstead was Caleb Merrill in 1811. Later lawyers that practiced at Barnstead were Isaac O. Barnes, Moses Norris, J. Elkins, A. E. Hodgdon, Benjamin Winckley, Charles R. Rogers and H. B. Leavitt. The first physicians were Dr. Joseph Adams and Dr. Jeremiah Jewett Sr. in 1792. Later physicians were Noah J. T. George, S. P. Woodward, William Grover, Charles Whittle, John Wheeler, William Walker, George W. Garland, Mark Walker, B. W. Sargent, A. G. Weeks, Alvin Jenkins, S. S. Wentworth, Jeremiah Blake, Dana Buzzell, J. P. Elkins, James Emerson, G. H. Hawley and William H. Nute.

Citizens who fought in the old French War were John Aiken, Col. Joseph Sinclair and Joseph Bunker. Those in the Revolutionary War were: Ebenezer Nutter, John Clark, Maj John Nutter, Jeremiah Jewett, Anthony Nutter, Joseph Place, Valentine Chapman, Joseph Taker, William Nutter, Thomas Welch, Peletiah Penny, J. P. Dame, James Davis, Samuel Davis, E. Adams, Davis Jacobs, J. Young, E. Tebbetts, H. Nutter, Capt. Jonathan Chesley, Capt. John Drew, Thomas Brown, William Lord, Joseph Sanborn, Capt. Joseph Kalme, Samuel Eastman, Col. Nathaniel Pease, Robert Tebbetts, Samuel Jenness, Ralph Hall, Joseph Huckins, John Welch, Richard Sinclair, Nathan Nutter, Eli Ham, John Pitman, Perry Hixon, W. Ayres, John Aiken, __ Avery, William Hill, Thomas Ayers, James Marden, John Emerson, Samuel Pitman.

Soldiers in the War of 1812 from Barnstead were Capt. John Peavey, J. Davis, F. Chesley, D. Bunker, P. G. Holt, Joseph Foye, John Rand, John Kaime, C. Peavey, Silas Bunker, T. Bunker, James Davis, G. T. Barker, John Place, W. Rand and T. Conner.

In the Mexican war were Nicholas Kenison (who was killed in battle) and Alfred T. Munsey.

There were many in the War of the Rebellion including William B. Aiken, Frank Sleeper, G. H. Bridges, __ Dudley, William Brimage, E. G. Hodgen (killed), Capt. and Maj. H. H. Huse, Lt. J. H. Greenwood (killed), Lt. S. J. Smart (died), D. D. Hanscom, L. W. Jackson (mortally wounded), Rufus Clark, J. E. Bunker, Smith Davis, T. M. Huse, J. S. Hill, Daniel Lewis, J. E. Moores, B. B. Munsey (died), J. T. G. Smart (died), S. G. Shacklford, C. H. Williams, Albert Davis, W. B. Aiken, D. A. Littlefield, J. M. Smart (died), Col. Thomas E. Barker, B. F. Chesley, Calvin Pirman, John McNeal, W. P. Huntress (killed), J. W. Hill (mortally wounded), Assistant Surgeon A. C. Newell, Thomas Moore, J. L. Garland (killed), C. Chesley, G. W. Pitman, J. L. Piper, G. W. Aiken (died), J. N. Bunker (killed), T. J. Pierce (mortally wounded), J. Pendergast (died), A. D. Hall, S. W. Young, W. T. Knight (killed), Moses Bickford, J. M. Tasker, Lt. David Sackett, H. H. Emerson, M. Jenkins, J. H. Edgerly, H. M. Parshley, A. L. Bickford, George Jones, Solomon Clark, J. C. Russell, W. H. Berry (mortally wounded), G. T. Munsey (mortally wounded), Noble Sackett, C. H. Pickering, C. H. P. Young, W. U. Shaw, Lt. H. Edgerly, Horace Munsey (died), L. Place, W. A. Frye, George W. Blake, J. E. Emerson, G. H. Emerson, H. H. Young, J. M. Jones, J. F. Chesley, John Hill (died), D. L. Huse (died), Charles W. Adams, O. F. Chesley, J. F. Parker, Royal Boynton, A. S. Buzzell, Timothy Blake Jr., W. A. Chesley, Jacob Lord, J C Mason (died), H D Nutter (died), H G Shackford, Samuel H. Clark, G. W. Blake, Eli H. Foss, A. O. Adams, W. F. Hanscomb, C. Kaime, Horace Cough, J. C. Kaime, N. Sackett, N. Baisdell, J. C. Ham, J. S. Hayes (mortally wounded), Charles Hill (navy), Surgeons John Wheeler, T. H. Wheeler and L. M. Sanders.

The first meeting house in Barnstead was erected about 1760, and their first preacher was Rev. Joseph Adams. The Parade Meeting House was built about the year 1788 and was the first frame church in town. It was not completed until 1799. The Second Congregational building was erected in 1803. It was demolished in 1848. The North meeting House was erected in 1820 and repaired in 1853. The Centre Church was erected in 1830.

By 1830 the population was 2,047 in Barnstead, with 2,500 sheep. Suncook River provided water power for mills and by 1859 there were several businesses including a woolen cloth factory, seven sawmills, four shingle mills, four clapboard mills, two tanneries.

Sources: History of Merrimack and Belknap Counties, NH and History of Barnstead NH from Its First Settlement in 1727 to 1872