History of Fitzwilliam

First granted as "Monadnock No. 4" in 1752 by colonial Governor Benning Wentworth, this was one in a line of eight towns settled by Scottish colonists.
Incorporated in 1773 by Governor John Wentworth, the town was named for his cousin, William Fitzwilliam, 4th Earl Fitzwilliam.
Two early grantees in Fitzwilliam were Matthew Thornton, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and James Reed,
who would lead the 3rd New Hampshire Regiment at Bunker Hill.

The community claims one of the oldest granite quarries in New Hampshire. Other industries included wood-working and yarn-making.
The railroad entered in 1848.

Fitzwilliam's picturesque common, together with twelve antique houses that surround it, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Town of Fitzwilliam - Town History and Information Page

Fitzwilliam - Historical Society

Cheshire - County Historical Society

New Hampshire - Historical Highway Markers

Cemeteries in Fitzwilliam - Search the two cemeteries in Fitzwilliam, NH

World War II U.S. Navy - S2C John J. Plante - 25 years old - U.S.S. Jacob Jones "Missing in Action " 28 Feb. 1942 - when the U.S.S. Jacob Jones
was hit by a torpedo from German submarine U-578 and sank off the mid-Atlantic coast
U.S. Army - PFC Frank Cieslak - 29 years old - 77th Infantry Division, 307th Infantry Regiment"Killed in Action" 17 Dec. 1944 - Leyte, Philippines

New Hampshire Vital Records

Return to USGenWeb Page

Cheshire Co. GenWeb Project - Founded 15 November 1996
This site maintained by: GN Kidder - E-mail - address
Copyright 1996 by Randall Mitton
Copyright 1996-2023 by GN Kidder

NHGenWeb SC:George Kidder
NHGenWeb ASC:Norma Hass

Last Edited 5 Jan. 2024