Hillsborough County
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Manchester lies in the eastern part of the county, and is bounded as follows:
On the north by Merrimack County, on the east and south by Rockingham County,
and on the west by Bedford and Goffstown.
This territory was originally
occupied by the Amoskeag Indians, a tribe subject to the Penacooks, who dwelt
around Amoskeag Falls. The Native Americans, however, did not remain here until
the arrival of the English colonists. Probably forty years elapsed between the
time that the Native People left their much-loved fisheries at the falls, before
the first permanent resident from the English colonies arrived.
The fisheries at Amoskeag Falls became famous throughout the adjacent
country early on. There salmon, shad, the alewife and lamprey eel were
found in great abundance. Judge POTTER, in his "History of Manchester,"
related the following:
"The fishing at Amoskeag was of greatest
importance to the people. Tradition has it that the Rev. Mr. McGREGORE
was the first person of the Londonderry settlement to visit the Falls,
led thither by curiosity, and prompted by information obtained at
Andover as to their grandeur and the abundance of fish to be found near
them at certain seasons of the year. From this fact originated the
custom of presenting Mr. McGREGORE and his successors the first fruits
of the fishing season. The first fish caught by any man of Londonderry,
salmon, shad, alewife or eel, was reseerved as a gift to 'the minister.'
"As early as 1729, a road was laid out and built from Ninian
COCHRAN's house (in Londonderry), 'then keeping by or near the old path
to Amosceeg Falls.' And another road was laid out at the same time
intersecting the 'Ammosceeg road,' for the accommodation of other
sections of the town. This undertaking of building a road some ten miles
through the wilderness, in the infancy of that colony, shows of how
great importance the fishing at Ammosceeg was considered by the people
of Londonderry; and it was natural that they should be strenuous in
maintaining their claim to the lands adjacent. Accordingly, we find
their claim to the lands and the subject of the fisheries connected with
them matters acted upon in their town-meetings at an early date."
On the day of the meeting, April 22, 1731, the following action was
had...:
"4thly. That in order to the safety of our town's people
at the fishing at Ammosceeg the selectmen is empowered to allow and pay
out of the public charge or rates of the town three pounds in Bills of
credit to such person or persons as shall be obliged to make two good
sufficient canoos, the selectmen obliging the aforesaid undertakers to
serve the Inhabitants of the town the whole time fishing before any out
town's people, and shall not eceed one shill per hundred for all the
fish that they shall ferry over fromt he Islands and the owner of the
fish and his attendants is to be ferried backwards and forwards at free
cost."
The settlers took the fish with spears, scoop-nets and
seines, and in large quantities; so that people coming from the
surrounding country with their wagons and carts could get them filled
sometimes for the carting the shad away, to make room for the salmon,
and always for a mere trifling price. Immense quantities of shad were
taken at one haul or drag of the seine. The New Hampshire Gazette, of
May 23, 1760, had the following item under its editorial head:
"One day last week, was drawn by a net at one Draught, Two Thousand Five
hundred odd Shad Fish, out of the River Merrimack near Bedford, in this
Province. Thought remarkable by some people."
Among the names
given to the various fishing-places were the following: Eel Falls, Fire
Mill, Todd Gut, Russ Ray's Hooking-Place, South Gut, Thompson Place,
Watching Falls, Little Pulpit, Mudget Place, Slash Hole, Point Rock,
Black Rock, Swine's Back, Snapping-Place, Pulpit, Hacket's Stand,
Sullivan's Point, Crack in the Rock, Bat Place, Dalton Place, Puppy
Trap, Pot Place, Patten Rock, Setting Place, Maple Stump, The Colt,
Salmon Rock, Eel Trap, Salmon Gut and Mast Rock.
During the French and Indian War, which began in 1746, the settlers
of Amoskeag took an active part and a fort was erected at the outlet of
what became known as Nutt's Pond. There were soldiers from this town
also in the French War in 1755, this locality sending three companies.
These were commanded by Captain GOFFE and Captain MOORE, of Derryfield,
and the other by Captain ROGERS, of what became Dunbarton.
Captain GOFFE's Roll was as follows:
John GOFFE, Captain; Samuel
MOORE Lieutenant; Nathanial MARTAIN, Ensign;
Jonathan CORLIS,
Sergeant; Jonas HASTINGS, Sergeant; John GOFFE, Jr., Sergeant;
Thomas
MERRILL, Clerk; Samuel MARTAIN, Corporal; John MOOR, Corporal;
Joshua
MARTAIN, Corporal; Benjamin EASTMAN, Corporal; Benjamin KIDDER, Drummer;
William BARRON, John BEDELL, Aaron COPPS, Daniel CORLIS, Ebenezer
COSTON, Caleb DAULTON, William FORD, Joseph GEORGE, Stephen GEORGE,
Thomas GEORGE, Benjamin HADLEY, John HARWOOD, Obadiah HAWES, Amaziah
HILDRETH, Robert HOLMES, Nathan HOWARD, Jacob JEWELL, William KELLEY,
John KIDDER, John LITTELL, William McDUGAL, Thomas McLAUGHLIN, Daniel
MARTAIN, Ebenezer MARTAIN, Joseph MERRILL, David NUTT, Robert NUTT,
James PETTERS, Aaron QUINBY, John ROWELL, Josiah ROWELL, Jacob SILLIWAY,
Nathaniel SMITH, Benjamin VICKERY, William WALKER, David WELCH, David
WILLSON, John WORTLY, Thomas WORTLY, Israel YOUNG.
Captain MOOR's
Roll was as follows:
John MOOR, Captain; Antony EMARY,
Lieutenant; Alexander TODD, Ensign; Matthew READ, Sergeant; Thomas READ,
Sergeant; James MOOR, Sergeant; William SPEAR, Sergeant; Ezekiel STEEL,
Corporal; Samuel McDUFFY, Corporal; John RICKEY, Corporal; John SPEAR,
Corporal; James BALEY, Edward BEAN, James BEAN, Samuel BOYDE, William
CAMPBLE, Mark CARE (or KARY), Edward CARNS, Robert COCHRAN, John CRAGE,
John CUNNINGHAM, Robert EDWARDS, Thomas GREGG, Theophalas HARVEY, Thomas
HUTCHINGS, Michael JOHNSON, Robert KENNADE, William KENNISTON, Barber
LESLY, James LIGGET, John LOGAN, Alexander McCLARY, John McCORDY,
Nathaniel McKARY, Robert McKEEN, John McNIGHT, Samuel MILLER, John
MITCHEL, Robert MORREL, James ONAIL, James OUGHTERSON, Joshua ROWLINGS,
Robert SMITH, Esa STEVENS, Daniel TOWORD, David VANCE, Robert WAWDDLE,
John WELCH.
Captain ROGERS' Roll
The following, mostly
from this neighborhood, were at the battle of Lake George, and wre
subsequently known as the "Rangers:"
Robert ROGERS, Captain;
Richard ROGERS, Lieutenant; Noah JOHNSON, Ensign; James ARCHIBALD,
Sergeant; John McCURDY, Sergeant; James McNEAL, Corporal; Nathaniel
JOHNSON, Corporal; James ADISON, William AKER, Elisha BENNETT, John
BROWN, Matthew CHRISTOPHER, James CLARK, Isaac COLTON, William
CUNNINGHAM, Charles DUDLEY, Rowling FOSTER, John FROST, James GRISE,
John HARTMAN, James HENRY, Timothy HODSDASE, John KISER, John LEITON,
Samuel LETCH, William McKEEN, Piller MAHANTON, James MARS, John MICHEL,
James MORGAN, David NUTT, Jonathan SILAWAY, James SIMONDS, Pileh
SIMPSON, Nathaniel SMITH, Benjamin SQUANTON, Joshua TITWOOD, Simon TOBY,
John WADLEIGH, James WELCH, William WHEELER, Philip WILLS, Stephen
YOUNG.
Tha town of Manchester, embracing portions of the towns of
Londonderry and Chester, and a tract of land lying on the Merrimack
River, belonging to the Masonian proprietors, called "Harrytown," was
chartered September 3, 1751, under the name of "Derryfield." This name
is said to have been derived from the fact that the people of
Londonderry had been accustomed to pasture their cattle within its
limits. The charter was as follows:
PROVINCE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.
"[LS.]
"George the second by the grace of God, of Great Britain,
France and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, &c., and to all whom
these presents shall come.
"GREETING:
"Whereas, our loyal
subjects inhabitants of a tract of land within our province of New
Hampshire aforesaid, lying partly within that part of our province of
New Hampshire called Londonderry in part, and in part in Chester, and in
part of land not heretofore granted to any town within our province
aforesaid, have humbly petitioned and requested to us that they may be
erected and incorporated into a township, and infranchised with the same
powers and privileges which other towns within our said province by law
have and enjoy; and it appearing to us to be conducive to the general
good of our said province, as well as of said inhabitants in particular,
by maintaining good order, and encouraging the cultivation of the land,
that the same should be done; Know Ye, therefore, that we, of our
especial grace, certain knowledge and for the encouragement and
promoting the good purposes and ends aforesaid, by and with the advice
of our trusty and well-beloved Bennington Wentworth, Esq., our Governor
and Commander in Chief, and of our Council of our Province of New
Hampshire aforesaid, have erected and ordained, and by these presents,
for ourselves and successors, do will and ordain, that the inhabitants
of a (the) tract of land aforesaid, shall inhabit and improve thereon
hereafter butted and bounded as follows, viz.: Beginning at a pitch pine
tree standing upon the town line, between Chester and Londonderry,
marked one hundred and thirty-four, being the bounds of one of the
sixty-acre lots in said Chester, being the South West corner of said
lot; thence running south into the township of Londonderry one hundred
and sixty rods to a stake and stones; thence running west to Londonderry
North and South line; thence running South upon Londonderry line to the
Head line of Litchfield to a stake and stones; thence running upon the
head line of Litchfield to the Bank of the Merimack river; thence
running up said river, as the river runs eight miles to a stake and
stones standing upon the bank of said river; thence running East South
East one mile and three quarters, through land not granted to any town,
until it comes to Chester line; thence running two miles and a half and
fifty-two rods on the same course into the township of Chester, to a
stake and stones; thence running south four miles and a half to the
bounds first mentioned, all which lands within said bounds which lies
within the townships of Londonderry and Chester aforesaid, are not to be
liable to pay any taxes or rates, but as they shall be settled, and by
these presents are declared and ordained to be a town corporated, and
are hereby erected and incorporated into a body politick, and a
corporation to have continuance forever by the name of Derryfield, with
all the powers, authorities, privileges, immunities and infranchises to
them the said inhabitants and their successors forever, always reserving
to us, our heirs, and successors, all white pine trees growning and
being, or that shall hereafter grow and be on the said tract of land,
fit for the use of our Royal Navy, reserving also the power of dividing
said town to us, our heirs and successors, when it shall appear
necessary and convenient for the benefit of the inhabitants thereof, and
as the several towns within our said province of New Hampshire, are by
law thereof entitled and authorized to assemble, and by the majority of
votes to choose all said officers as are mentioned in the said laws.
"We do by these presents nominate and appoint John McMurphy to call
the first meeting of the inhabitants to be held within the said town at
any time within twenty days from the day hereof, giving legal notice of
the time, place and design of holding said meeting in said town, after
which the annual meeting in said town shall be held for the choice of
town officers, and forever on the first Monday in March annually. In
testimony whereof we have caused the seal of our said Province to be
hereto affixed.
"Witness, Benning Wentworth, Esq., our Governor
and Commander in Chief of our said Province, the third day of September,
in the year of our Lord Christ, one thousand seven hundred and
fifty-one, and in the twenty-fifth year of our Reign.
"By His
Excellency's Command
with advice of Council,
B. WENTWORTH.
"THEODORE ATKINSON, Sec'y.
"PROVINCE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.
"Entered and recorded in the Book of Charter, this third day of
September 1756, pages 79 & 80.
"PER THEODORE ATKINSON, Sec'y."
This charter covered about eighteen square miles of the southwest
part of Chester, about nine square miles of the northwest part of
Londonderry, including The Peak, and the strip of land between
Londonderry, Chester and the Merrimack River, called Harrytown,
containing about eight square miles.
This charter did not embrace
the whole of what was known as Harrytown, a nook at the north part,
betwixt Chester and the Merrimack being left ungranted. This contained
about two square miles, was called Harrysborough, and was added to
Derryfield in 1792.
The act of incorporation empowered John
McMURPHY to call the first town meeting, which was held at the house of
John HALL, inn-holder, Septembre 23, 1751, as follows:
"PROVINCE
OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.
"At a meeting of the proprietors, freeholders
and inhabitants of Derryfield, assembled at the house of John HALL, in
said town. At this first meeting upon Monday, the twenty-third day fo
September, Anno Dom'o, 1751, by His Excellency's direction in the
charter for said township, dated September the third, 1751, according to
the direction in said charter, by His Excellency's command, I, the
subscriber issued a notification for choice of town officers uon the
afforesaid day, and the afforesaid house, and the people being
assembled,
"Voted, John Goffe, first Selectman.
William Perham,
Ditto Selectman.
Nathaniel Boyd, " "
Daniel McNeil, " "
Elieza
Wells, " "
"3dly, for town clerk, John Hall.
"4thly, Commissioners
for assessment, to examine the Selectmen's account, William McClintock,
William Stark.
"5thly, for constable, Robert Anderson.
"6thly, for
tything men, John Harvey, William Elliot.
"7thly, for surveyors of
highways, Abraham Merrill, John Riddle, John Hall.
"8thly, for
Invoice men, Charles Emerson, Samuel Martin.
"9thly, for Haywards,
Moses Wells, William Gamble.
"10thly, Deer-keepers, Charles Emerson,
William Stark.
"11th, for culler of staves, Benjamin Stevens.
"12thly, for surveyor of boards, planks, joists and timber, Abraham
Merrill.
"Recorded by me,
"JOHN HALL, Town Clerk."
--To John GOFFE, Jr., Edward LINGFIELD and Benjamin KIDDER is
ascribed the honor of having been the first English Colonial settlers
within the limits of the present town of Manchester. They located in
1722 and erected habitations on Cohas Brook.
The excellent
fisheries at this point soon attracted the attention of other
enterprising pioneers, and not many years elapsed before the locality
witnessed a large (for that early era) influx of settlers, anxious to
rear their homes at the "fishing at Ammosceg." Among these were Robert
ANDERSON, Benjamin BLODGETT, David DICKEY, Charles EMERSON, William
GAMBLE, Benjamin HADLEY, John HALL, Thomas HALL, Ephraim HILDRETH,
Benjamin KIDDER, Barber LESLIE, Mr. & Mrs. Michael McCLINTOCK, Alexander
McMURPHY, Jr., John & Christiana McNEIL, Nathaniel MARTIN, William NUTT,
William PERHAM, John RIDELL, Archibald STARK and Benjamin STEVENS.
Of these early settlers nearly all were active, enterprising men,
while some were possessed of marked ability, and subsequently became
thoroughly identified with the public enterprises, of their day, in this
section of the Merrimack Valley. Many of these early settlers were from
Londonderry, and were of Scot-Irish extraction.
JOHN GOFFE was an
influential man in the new settlement, and had a son, John, who became a
distinguished officer in the French and Indian War.
BENJAMIN
KIDDER doubtless came here about 1722 with his father-in-law, John
GOFFE, as he was a grantee of Londonderry in that year. He probably was
originally of Billerica. He entered in the company under the famous
Captain LOVEWELL, int he expedition against Pequauquauke, and while on
the march, and inthe neighborhood of Ossipee Lake, was taken sick. It is
probable that he did not long survive the hardships and exposures of
this expedition. His son, John KIDDER, was named as a legatee in the
will of his grandfather, John GOFFE, Esq., made in 1748.
EDWARD
LINGFIELD--Very little is known of Edward LINGFIELD. He married a
daughter of John GOFFE, Esq., and settled in the Manchester area about
1722. He was a corporal in Lovewell's expedition, was one of th
thirty-four men who marched from Ossipee Lake to Pequauquauke, and took
part in that famous battle, where he fought with great bravery. He was
one of the nine men in that battle "who received no considerable
wounds." After his return from that expedition, he received an ensign's
commission as a reward of his heroic conduct in the battle of
Pequauquauke.
ARCHIBALD STARK was born at Glasgow, in Scotland,
in 1693. Soon after graduating at the university, he moved to
Londonderry, in the north of Ireland, becoming what was usually denoted
a "Scotch-Irishman." There he was married to a poor, but beautiful
Scottish girl, by the name of Eleanor NICHOLS, and emigrated to America.
He at first settled in Londonderry, where he remained until some time in
1736, when, having his house burned, he removed to that portion of land
upon th Merrimack then known as Harrytown, upon a lot that had been
granted to Samuel THAXTER by the government of Massachusetts, and which
was situated upon the hill upon the east bank of the Merrimack, a short
distance above the falls of Namaoskeag. Here he resided until his death.
An educated man, STARK must have had a strong desire that his children
should enjoy the advantages of an education; but in a wilderness,
surrounded by enemies, and upon a soil not the most inviting, the
sustenance and protection of his family demanded his attention rather
more than their education. His children, however, were instructed at the
fireside in the rudiments of an English education, and such principles
were instilled into them as, accompanied with energy, courage and
decision of character, made them fit actors in the stirring events of
that period. His education fitted him rathr for the walks of civil life;
but yet we find him a volunteer for the protection of the frontier
against the ravages of the Indians, in 1745. For the protection of the
people in this immediate neighborhood, a fort was built at the outlet of
Swager's or Fort Pond, which, out of compliment to Mr. STARK's
enterprise in building and garrisoning the same, was called Stark's
Fort.
Mr. STARK had seven children--four sons and three
daughters. His four sons: William, John, Archibald and Samuel, were
noted soldiers in the Indian and French wars, and the three oldest had
distinguished themselves as officers in the notable corps of Rangers
prior to their father's death. The second son, John, became the famous
partisan officer in the Revolution, and as a brigadier won unfading
laurels at the battle of Bennington. Mr. STARK died the 25th day of
June, 1758, aged sixty-one years.
JOHN HALL came to this country
probably after 1730. He tarried some time in Londonderry, and then moved
upon a lot of land near the west line of Chester, and in that part of
the town afterwards set off to form the town of Derryfield. He was an
energetic business man, and for a series of years transacted much of the
public business of this neighborhood and town. He kept a public-house
until his death. The original frame house built by him, but added to
according to business and fashion, until little of the original could be
recognized, was standing until 1852, when it was destroyed by fire. It
had always been kept as a public-house, and generally by some one of the
name.
Mr. HALL was the agent of the inhabitants for obtaining the
charter of Derryfield, in 1751, and was the first town clerk under that
charter. He was elected to that office fifteen years, and in one and the
same year was moderator, first selectman and town clerk.
WILLIAM
GAMBLE and MICHAEL McCLINTOCK--William GAMBLE came to this country in
1722, aged fourteen years. He and two elder brothres, Archibald and
Thomas, and a sister, Mary, started together for America, but the elder
brothers were pressed into the British service upon the oint of sailing,
leaving the boy William and his sister to make the voyage alone. William
was saved from the press-gang alone by the ready exercise of "woman's
wit." The GAMBLEs had started under the protection of Mr. and Mrs.
Michael McCLINTOCK, who resided in the same neighborhood, and were about
to emigrate to New England. Upon witnessing the seizure of the elder
brothers, Mrs. McCLINTOCK called to William GAMBLE, "Come here, Billy,
quickly," and upon Billy approaching her, she continued, "Snuggle down
here, Billy," and she hid him under the folds of her capacious dress!
There he remained safely until the gang had searched the house for the
boy in vain, and retired in high dudgeon at their ill sucess.
Upon coming to this country, the McCLINTOCKs came to Londonderry. They
were industrious, thriving people, and Michael and William, his son,
built the first bridge across the Cohoes, and also another across the
Little Cohoes, on the road from Amoskeag to Derry. These bridges were
built in 1738, and were probably near where bridges were still
maintained, across the same streams on the "old road to Derry," ca.
1885. The McCLINTOCKs were voted twenty shillings a year for ten years
for the use of these bridges.
William GAMBLE, upon his arrival in
Boston, went to work on the ferry from Charleston to Boston. Here he
remained two years. During the Indian War of 1745, he joined several
"scouts," and uon the commencement of the "Old French War," in 1755,
having lost his wife, he enlisted in the regular service, and was in
most of the war, being under WOLFE on the "Plains of Abraham."
JOHN McNEIL came to Londonderry with the first emigrants in 1719. The
McNEILS of Scotland, and in the north of Ireland, were men of known
reputation for bravery, and Daniel McNEIL was one of the Council of the
city of Londonderry, and has the honor, with twenty-one others of that
body, of withstanding the duplicity and treachery of Lundy, the
traitorous Governor, and affixing their signatures to a resolution to
stand by each other in defense of the city, which resolution, placarded
upon the market-house and read at the head of the battalions in the
garrison, led to the successful defense of the city.
John McNEIL
was a lineal descendant of this councilor. Becoming involved in a
quarrel with a person of distinction in his neighborhood, who attacked
him in the highway, McNEIL knocked him from his horse, and left him to
be cared for by his retainers. This encounter, though perfectly
justifiable on the part of Mr. McNEIL, as his antagonist was the
attacking party, made his tarry in Ireland unpleasant, if not unsafe,
and he emigrated to America, and settled in Londonderry. Here he
established a reputation not only as a man of courage, but one of great
strength, and neither white or Indian man upon the borders dared to risk
a hand-to-hand encounter with him. Measuring six feet and a half in
height, with a corresponding frame, and stern, unbending will, he was a
fit outpost, as it were, of civilization, and many are the traditions of
his personal encounters during a long and eventful border life. His
wife, Christiana, was well mated with him, of strong frame and great
energy and courage. It is related that upon one occasion, a stranger
came to the door and inquired for McNEIL. Christiana told him that her
"gude mon" was not at home. Upon which the stranger expressed much
regret. Christiana inquired as to the business upon which he came, and
the stranger told her he had heard a great deal of the strength of
McNEIL and his skill in wrestling, and had come some considerable
distance to throw him. "And troth, mon," said Christiana McNEIL, "Johnny
is gone, but I'm not the woman to see ye disappointed, an' I think if
ye'll try mon, I'll throw ye meself." The stranger, not liking to be
thus bantered by a woman, accepted the challenge, and, sure enough,
Christiana tripped his heels and threw him upon the ground. The
stranger, upon getting up, thought he would not wait for "Johnny," but
left without deigning to leave his name.
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