Rockingham County
NHGenWeb
This town lies southwest of the center of the county, and is bounded as follows: on the north by Chester and Fremont, on the east by Danville, on the south by Hampstead, and on the west by Derry and Chester.
The surface of the town is uneven but generally fertile. The population is 380.
There are several ponds in the town, the largest of which is Philips, lying in the southern part. It is about three hundred and forty rods long and two hundred wide. Angle Pond in the southeast part, lying partly in the town and partly in Hampstead, is about two hundred rods in length and one hundred in width. The principal stream is Squamscot River.
Sandown was settled in about the year 1736, and among the pioneers were Moses Tucker, Israel and James Huse, James Graves, Thomas Wells. (See list below.)
Sandown was originally a part of Kingston, and was incorporated April 6, 1756. The first vote of the town of Kingston on this subject of which we have any record is under date of September 24, 1764, as follows:
Province of New Hampshire
At a Legall
meeting of the Inhabitants & free holders of Kingstown held the Twenty-fourth of
September 1746, firstly Leiut John Sweat was Chosen Moderator for that meeting
2dly Voted that we do hereby as far as in us lyeth set off
Moses
Tucker
Israel Huse
John Straw
James Huse
Jonathan Colbee
James Graves
Daniel Hibard
John Bond
Daniel Kid
Jacob Wells
Jacob Gurdey
Meshech Gurdey
David Straw
John Straw Jr
Reuben
Clough
William Straw
Israel Huse Jr
Phillips Wells
John Pressey
Jacob Tucker
Benjamin Tucker
Joseph Dow
John Hogg &
Orlando
Colby
Of Kingston abovesaid with a Certain Track of Land in said Town for a distinct Parish or precinct, bounded as followeth Vizt Beginning at the Beech Tree which is the Dividing boundary between Londonderry & Chester said Tree standing on the West Line of said Kingston and running Southerly on said Kingston said line as heretofore settled between said Londonderry & said Kingston to the Island Pond (so called) Then running Easterly South Three miles then Northerly till a North & by West Course will Strike said Kingston Line (where it crosses the mill brook so called) as heretofore setled between sd Kingston & said Chester and from thence Viz. where said line crosses sd mill brook to run Southerly on said line to Beech tree first mentioned.
This is a true Copy taken out of Kingston Book of records
Attest Jedh Philbrick, town Clerk.
Among the first settlers were: Moses Tucker, James Huse, Israel Huse, James Graves, Thomas Wells, Israel Huse, Jr., William Straw, Daniell Kid, Orlando Colby, Paul Chase, Benjamin Tucker, Jacob Tucker, John Pressey, John Hoog, John Bond, Joseph Dow, Philip Wells, Daniel Hebberd, Jonathan Colby, Rolen Clough, John Straw, Jacob Wells, Jacob Gordy, Mesheck Gordy, Daved Straw, John Straw, Jr.
A Congregational Church, embracing fifty-seven members, was formed in 1759. The following description of the old meeting-house was written many years ago:
The edifice is forty-four by fifty feet. The inside has a quaint appearance, with its tall pulpit, the top of which is eleven feet above the floor, and above which is the sounding-board seven and one-half feet square, and nineteen feet above the floor. Directly in front of the pulpit were the deacons' seats, made of two-inch plank, where the good fathers sat and shouted their fervent "amens." There are sixteen pews in the center of the house, and twenty-one wall pews, the former being six and one-half feet square, and the latter half a foot shorter. The sunlight comes through seven-by-nine glass, twenty-eight lights to each window. There are three ten-paneled double doors, and wrought-iron hand-made nails were used in building the structure, both outside and inside. Six marble columns support the gallery, in which are twenty pews, six feet square, and in front of which are four seats made of three-inch plank. The panels in front of the gallery are twenty inches wide by four feet long. The frame is all of white oak ; the braces in the frame are three by ten inches; the beams are ten by twelve inches; the rafters are eight by ten inches, doubled, one foot apart, with a post between, and the corner posts are twenty-eight feet high and twelve inches square.
November 28, 1859, Rev. Josiah Cotton, a descendant of the renowned John Cotton of Boston, was settled in the gospel ministry, and continued his labors until his death, May 27, 1780. Rev. James Colloins, born in Lebanon, Conn., followed him in the ministerial work; was settled December 27, 1780, and dismissed April 30, 1788. Rev. John Webber was settled here March 24, 1795, and dismissed September 15, 1800.
The Methodist Church. — In 1795 Rev. John Webber was pastor of the Congregational Church, and about this time Methodism made its appearance. The first Methodist sermon was preached at the home of widow Abigail Fitts by Elder George Pickering. In 1800 it was voted that the Methodists could preach in the meeting-house week days, but < dissensions arose between the two denominations and Mr. Webber was dismissed. At this time Rev. Jacob Cram came to preach for the Congregationalists. He would not consent to divide the time with the Methodists, so they held their meetings in barns, farmhouses and school house No. 2 until the present church was built and dedicated in October, 1835. Among those who in the early days preached for the Methodists were Rev. John Brodhead, who was once a member of Congress; Jesse Lee, who was chaplain of the House of Representatives at Washington, and two who lived in town, Dr. Abram French and William French. At this time Sandown was considered one of the best appointments in the New Hampshire conference. After a number of years the Methodist Society growing smaller, the Congregationalists had the use of their church half of the time. About 1870 the Methodists thought they could support a pastor all the time, so the Congregationalists had preaching at the old meeting-house for a while, now, only occasionally do they have preaching; but all unite with the Methodists in supporting and sustaining preaching in the town. Among the pastors for the last thirty-five years have been: Revs. Charles H. Smith, William Love, A. F. Bailey, William Thompson, W. J. Atkinson, John N. Bradford, J. H. Knott, Louis N. Fogg, Edwin Young, and A. B. McAllister, under whose able pastorate the church was entirely renovated at a cost of nearly two thousand dollars. It was rededicated on December 9, 1909. An organ was presented by Mrs. E. E. Lake of Hampstead. Rev. C. J. Mekelson came in the spring of 1910, staying one year. The present pastor is Rev. John D. Leach, who at the last conference was returned for the fourth year. A flourishing Aid Society, of which Mrs. J. U. Lovering is the efficient president. Mrs. Nellie S. Sanborn is the superintendent of the Sunday school.
The Sandown Public Library was established with state aid in 1893. It contains 857 volumes. A. S. Sanborn is the librarian.
The societies are: King Philip's Lodge, K. of P.; Sandown Grange and O. U. A. M.
Contributed 2023 Oct 06 by Norma Hass, extracted from History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire and Representative Citizens by Charles A. Hazlett, published in 1915, pages 678-681.
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This page was last updated 12/26/2023