1889 History - Biography - John Demeritt

The Demeritts belong to the old families in the state. They are of English descent and emigrated to this country prior to the Revolution, in which struggle they took part. Some of the name settled at Dover, in that part now Madburv. In 1733 John Demeritt was a large landholder in Dover, and "John Demeritt was chosen the first representative to the general assembly held at Exeter in December, 1776," from Madbury. He was probably the ancestor of the family in Effingham.

John Demeritt was born in Ossipee, July 21, 1813; died at Effingham Falls, June 7, 1883, and was the son of John and Betsey (Leavitt) Demeritt, and the eldest of eight children. While he was quite small his father moved into Effingham, and settled in the vicinity of Effingham Falls.

The only educational advantages which he enjoyed were a few short terms of the district school, which he attended before he was sixteen years old, when his father was drowned while driving logs on Pine river, only a short distance from the place where his brother Daniel was drowned four years previous. This brought the care and support of his mother, brothers, and sister in a great measure upon him. In this school of adversity and necessity he received lessons of great value to him in after life. He went to his task with that determination which meant success and was a leading characteristic of his life.

He kept the family united until all were grown to manhood. They lived and worked together, and had all matters of business in common. They cut oak timber, made it into shook, and drew them to Portland, where they were exchanged for dry goods, groceries, etc., which they brought to their store at the Falls. In 1861, all the brothers except the youngest, having died, they made a division of the property and thereafter lived separately.

From 1838 until his death Mr. Demeritt was engaged in trading and lumbering. For seventeen years he was associated with Josiah Thurston, of Freedom, in operating timber lots, and from 1863 to 1868 he was engaged with his son John L. in the manufacture of heading-shooks.

In polities Mr. Demeritt was born and bred a Democrat, but followed the lead of John P. Hale into the Freesoil, or Abolition, party. He became a Republican upon the organization of that party and was an earnest supporter of its principles. He was a firm friend of the colored man, and many a one has been assisted by him on his way to Canada, through the medium of the great underground railroad. He took an active part in local political affairs, and was several times elected one of the selectmen. He was also town agent for the prosecution of frauds in the management of town affairs during the war. In this investigation he displayed his usual firmness and perseverance, carrying these suits to a successful termination, and bringing back into the town treasury a considerable sum which had been unlawfully taken from it.

He represented Effingham in the legislature of 1868, and was the prime mover in establishing the Ossipee Valley Ten-cent Savings Bank at Freedom and procured its charter from the legislature. He also obtained the passage of the law placing the support of insane criminals upon the state, thus relieving Effingham of the support of Samuel Frost, who had been sentenced to the insane asylum for life for the murder of William H. Day. He held the office of deputy sheriff under appointments from Enoch Remick, Charles H. Parker, and Leavitt H. Eastman, and was appointed sheriff by Governor Person C. Cheney, and held the office until the elections were changed from annual to biennial.

In religion he was a Freewill Baptist, and one of the original members of the church at Effingham Falls, and contributed liberally towards the building of its house of worship. He was a member of Carroll lodge, A. F. and A. M., Freedom.

In 1878 and 1879 Mr. Demeritt, while acting as agent of the Saco Water Power Company, built the canal at Effingham Falls. In this he was under the supervision of Hon. William P. Haines, agent of the Pepperell and Laconia corporations, Biddeford, Maine, and Thomas Quinby, Esq. (father of Hon. Henry B. Quinby, of Lake Village), agent of the Saco Water Power Company. This canal is built through the site of the old ironworks on the upper falls, and is about fifty rods in length, and from fifteen to twenty-five feet in depth. By it the fall in the river is overcome, and the water can be drawn to a level of the water in the eddy below the falls, which will lower the water in Ossipee lake and its tributaries about six feet. A dam is built at the head of the canal in which are six gates, each six by twenty-four.

Mr. Demeritt married Huldah L., daughter of Dearborn and Sarah (Leavitt) Davis, born September 30, 1811, and died January 22, 1875. They had five children: Albronia L., born April 18, 1837; John L., born October 5, 1840; Sarah A., born June 26, 1842; Mary E., born November 24, 1847; Lucy C., born June 24, 1851. Of these John L. is the only survivor.

Mr. Demeritt was a kind and obliging neighbor, equally firm in his friendships and enmities, and although quick to resent infringement on his rights, he was always ready to overlook grievances and rectify errors. Impetuous and generous to a fault, he could acquire better than save. He never resorted to questionable methods, nor took advantage of any one in matters of business. He did not value money except for its use, and any worthy person or object found him ready to lend a helping hand. For his qualities of heart and mind he owed much to the training of a Christian mother, and his care for her was the just pride of his later years. He was fond of argument, and generally carried his point by logical presentation of facts. In all the positions he was called to till, he performed his duties not only faithfully, but creditably both to himself and those who appointed him. He was a shrewd business man and could carry out successfully a line of action, opposition only serving to stimulate him to greater exertion. He always had the welfare of his town and neighbors at heart and could work as hard for them as for himself.

Contributed 2022 Jul 09 by Norma Hass, extracted from History of Carroll County, New Hampshire by Georgia Drew Merrill, published in 1889, pages 557-559.