.^' ^o .>•* °- -.»^^®',' J? -nj- - WW.' S'" '^ -m , > " -^ f: v-s' <- %-^^c^^/ ^> -n.-o^ ^0 4 O ► ^ '' " t ' " "^ -^.=,^'' ^.^ ^'\ 'WM' W * r .^^^ .0' ■ ''^-. '° ''^•9'' <= . V' '\ 7 * .*'"-^. » -• >y(fV ^1" "^ «>^ vX *-^,<.* "<"^^ .S «P J' 0^ .*•* °^ '# ^ ^'^ .^- o • ^0 O ,0 <* ^ . , ^^^ ■^q. ?.^ s • ^* ^ ^'. -5^ .1 '^^^ -> vT^ ^1- - v.- .-^ iu/mill#'\ X, « y> y ^i.-- '.,-v JOHN SCALES OLD HOME WEEK LEE, NEW HAMPSHIRE August 23, 1916 TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF SETTLEMENT OF THE TERRITORY ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN ADDRESS BY JOHN SCALES, A. B., A. M. f^^ X^^^^ 5?- THE TOWN OF LEE First Settlement 1 666 Incorporated 1 766 The territory of Lee was a part of the old town of Dover, which began to be settled at Dover Point in the spring of 1623, two hundred and ninety-three years ago. Just when the first settler struck this part of Old Dover is not known, but we do know that it was at a very early date. The early emigrants from England to Dover were always on the look- out for the best localities, and they found some of them in this section of it ; and those good places have remained here ever since, and some of their descendants still hold posses- sion. You speak of your town as one hundred and fifty years old, but the first settlers here antedate that number by a hundred years, so really you are celebrating your two hun- dred and fiftieth anniversary. Do you appreciate what that period of time means? Two hundred and fifty years, — No doubt the young folks who are here think a person who is fifty years old, is "old" indeed, yet the Civil war closed before such persons were born, and Lee began to be settled two hundred years before that war began. The ancestors of some of you were soldiers in the war of 1812-15, which war closed one hundred years ago, but the settlement of Lee began a hundred and fifty years before that war closed. All of you think of the Revolutionary War as a very long time ago, yet your town began to be settled a hundred years before that war began. From these illustrations I think you get an appreciative idea of the meaning of two hundred and fifty years ; you have occasion to feel that your town is old, this day of celebration. The first immigrants built their village on Dover Neck, on the hill north of Dover Point. By the way, that locality is called the " Neck " because it lies between three rivers, — 4 the Newichawannock on the east, — the Pascataqua on the south, — and Back River on the west. When they had got well housed on the Neck, they commenced to branch out in business. The whole country from here to Canada was a vast forest; the trees had to be cut and the ground cleared for farms. Saw mills were the first mills to be erected, to cut logs into lumber, for which there was a ready sale in the West Indies and in England and in European countries. In those days they did not have portable saw mills as the lumber men now have, but used the water falls to produce power; hence there was a great demand for sites for saw- mills. The town owned everything, and the people had to get grants from the town before they could set up a mill, or cut any trees for the mill. Another point should be kept in mind; Old Dover was a part of Massachusetts, being a town in Norfolk County, till 1680 ; there was not any " New Hampshire " till that date ; so Lee is about a quarter of a century older than New Hampshire. Being under Massa- chusetts rule the authorities in Boston thought they had the right to make grants of land to its citizens; not knowing the precise southern boundary line of Old Dover, they gave a grant to Samuel Symonds, of Ipswich, Mass., of 640 acres of land at the second falls in " Lamperele " River, June 3, 1657, two hundred and sixty years ago. This was granted in the presence and with the consent of Moharimet, the Indian sagamore of this region, whose home was on Moharimet's Hill in Madbury, also called Hick's Hill. When the Selectmen of Dover found this out they pro- tested, on the plea that the falls were in their town, and that none but the town had any right to make grants of land within its boundaries. But Mr. Symonds held posses- sion ten years, or more. Probably he had a mill there, but I do not know. Dover kept on protesting against the action of the Boston authorities for making a grant of their terri- tory; the result appears in the Dover Town Records, as follows : May 3, 1669, Robert Wadleigh was received as an inhabi- tant in the town of Dover, " according to ye tenure of ye last inhabitant received." At the same town meeting he received the grant of what has ever since been known as " Wadleigh's Falls," being the same that Massachusetts had granted to Mr. Symonds, which shows the town regarded the Symonds grant as of no legal value. The grant reads as follows: "At a general town meeting held in Dover, March 3, 1669, — Given and granted unto Robert Wadleigh, as accom- modation for the erection and setting up of a saw mill, or mills at the uppermost falls upon Lamperele River, common- ly called by ye name of ye Cleland falls ; with an accommoda- tion of timber thereunto belonging, ye bounds of ye timber are as follows: Yt is to say, — all ye timber on ye south side above sd falls as farr as ye towns bounds doth goe, and on ye north side all ye timber yt is within the River above sd falls as farr as ye Towne bounds doth goe, with one hun- dred acres of land on ye south side of ye sd River and twenty acres of land on ye north side of ye sd River adjacent unto ye sd falls, on both sides ; all which falls, timber and land is granted unto ye sd Wadleigh and his heires, executors, and adminst, and assigns, provided it doth not intrench upon any former grant, either in part or whole. In consideration of sd grant of ye falls, timber and land, ye sd Robt. Wadleigh doth engage himselfe, heires, executors, and adminstr. to pay, or cause to be paid unto ye Towne of Dover ye sum of ten pounds per an. in merchanta. pine bords at price curran'c at the ordinary landing place on Lamperele River lower falls, as long as he or they doe keepe possession there, of which payment is to begin ye last of August next insueing this instant, to be made unto ye Selectmen of Dover, or their order, and further it is agreed and ordered that if any pt. thereof be taken away by any former grant then ye Towne is to abate of ye rate proportionally. And alsoc ye Towne doth reserve free egress and regress for any transportation of timber, either by land or water ; and ye Inhabi lance have ye same Liberty in sd Grant as they have in other Mill grants." Soon after the town grant was made the authorities of the Massachusetts Bay Colony confirmed the grant to Mr. Wadleigh, and he had a saw mill running there that year; in due time there was a gristmill, and mills have been there ever since. In the old Dover records Wadleigh's falls are frequently mentioned, in land transfers and otherwise. There has been a settlement there two hundred and fifty years, perhaps that is the oldest place in Lee; there is much interesting history connected with it, which cannot be mentioned at this time. Old Dover included all of the present city and Somers- worth, Durham, Newington, Lee, Madbury and Rollinsford. For a hundred years all of the town meetings were held on Dover Neck, and the town business was transacted there; the courts were held there; there was the jail, the stocks, the whipping post, and meeting house, to which the people had to travel when they attended church. When the settle- ments in other parts of the old town grew large they estab- lished parishes, in which religious meetings could be held, but they all had to go to Dover Neck to attend town meet- ings. When the parishes grew in inhabitants, they were granted town privileges, for convenience in the management of local affairs. Newington was the first to be granted the rights of a town, in 1714; up to that time it was called " Bloody Point in Dover." Durham was the next to be cut oflf and made into a town ; that was in 1732 ; up to that time it was called " Oyster River in Dover." That, you under- stand, included Lee. Somersworth was made a town (which included Rollinsford) in 1754. Madbury followed in 1768 Thus Old Dover was reduced to its present limits. Lee remained a part of Durham till 1766, when, after a lot of preHminary legislation, on January 16, the act for the new town of Lee became a law, and the new town was born. The petitioners did not give it that name, in fact they did not suggest any name ; it was probably the gift of Governor Benning Wentworth. The reasons for the division of Dur- ham were the same as those which led to the incorporation of the other towns ; that is to afford better accommodations for the management of local affairs. Why did Governor Wentworth select the name " LEE " for this town ? He named a large number of new towns, and gave them very appropriate names, but none better than this excellent town has borne for one hundred and fifty years. There is no record of his reason for so naming it. In selecting the English town names he took those in which his friends and acquaintances lived, the residences of dis- tinguished persons. I guess, but do not know, that he took the name Lee from the town of that name on the River Lee, now in greater London. During the hundred years, from the first settlement at Wadleigh's Falls, about 1666, to the time the territory was set off from Durham and made a town, a great deal of business was done in this territory ; there is a record of some things, but a great many more have no record, only tradition. Let us consider some of them, and thus see how the territory grew to be a town. As already mentioned the first settlement in the future town was at a saw mill, at Wadleigh's Falls. The money making propositions then consisted chiefly of the lumber business ; saw mills were necessary for cutting the trees into plank, boards, and dimension timber; all the large timbers of houses, and buildings in general, were hewn by skilful workmen with broadaxes. You older men here remember how it was done ; they snapped a chalk line from end to end of the log, and then hewed to the line, straight as an arrow. ^0 saw mills were built wherever there was a water fall; there were several of them in the territory of Lee. The second one appears to have been built on the first fall of the river that is the outlet of Wheelwright's Pond ; the last J. heard of it they said it was Layn's mill. But at the begin- ning of things there, 250 years ago, or more, it was Jemi- son's mill, and not long after that the locality a^'ound it was ^nown as New Town ; if I am not mistakened, it is so called at the present time. The saw mill was placed there not long After Symonds had his mill at Wadleigh's Falls. It is a ^natter of record that the town of Dover, October 17, 1063, granted Patrick Jemison 120 acres of land, about a mile and 8 a half from Wheelwright's Pond, down the river on both gides, and including the falls. So New Town in Lee is 250 ^ears old. A few years after that the town of Dover had a piast road cut through the woods to New Town, for the accommodation of the lumbermen all along the route, in get- ting the pine trees for masts from their lots to Back River ^n Dover, down which they were floated to Portsmouth and placed on ships and sent to England, for use in the ship J)uilding in general, and in the King's navy in particular. The old Dover records have frequent mention of New Town. For example, — 31 May, 1721, sixty acres of Jemison's grant were laid out to Captain Samuel Emerson, and in de- scribing the bounds it says, — " Beginning below New Town (Orchard, at a red oak on the south side of Oyster River, etc." That shows the place had an orchard, hence had been settled a long time. Captain Emerson bought it of John Webster and wife, Bridget, of Salisbury, Mass. Webster sold the other half of the Jameson grant to Nathaniel Randall, 27 January, 1720 ; in the description of it the record says it was " along side of the Mast Path," leading through Madbury to Dover, at Wingate's slip, at Back River. Nathaniel Lamos had forty acres of land laid out to him 17 May, 1729, " Beginning at Oyster River a little above the mill called New Town mill." A high way " From New Town mill up into the woods," is mentioned 20 October, 1735, when jtwenty-five acres were laid out to Robert Huckins. William Clay conveyed to his sons, Samuel and Joseph, 23 October, 1742, " One full quarter part of a saw mill situated in Dur- ham, upon ye stream, or river called New Town River, being ^e uppermost mill standing upon ye sd stream, and is next yto ye pond called Wheelwright's Pond, out of which sd stream issues." Also " a quarter part of ye running geer, dam, stream, and privileges there unto belonging." Various other land transfers might be mentioned in which Newtown mill is mentioned. About 1800 it began to be called Layn's fnill, from its then owner. Captain John Layn, who was a Resident of Durham as early as 8 March, 1760, when he enlisted in Captain Samuel Gerrish's company. Col. John Goff's regiment, for the Canada expedition. "John Layn of Durham, gunsmith," in a petition 26 May, 1761, states that he was employed as armorer for that regiment and furnished his own tools, but had received no extra pay for his service, hence he petitioned for it, and was allowed four pounds sterling. In the Revolutionary war he was captain of a company in Col. John Waldron's regiment that served in the siege of Boston, being stationed at Winter Hill in 1776. He acquired land at Newtown in 1763, and again in 1766. He has honorable descendants who bear the name. Newtown Plains have a unique history in connection with the mill. It is a sandy and not very prolific part of your good town; it is loose wheeling for teams that occasionally pass through there, on business, not for pleasure. Frequent imention of the plains is made in the old town records. No doubt some of you know a good deal more about it than I do. The Clay family gave it much fame in the 19th century. Other saw mills and grist mills were built elsewhere in the territory before it became a town. Wadlefgh's Falls are in the southwest part of the town, at the south end of the " Hook " in Lamprey river. The river, below the falls turns and runs southwesterly three-fourths of a mile, where it strikes a high hill of gravel and hardpan ; this obstacle turns the water almost at right angles and it flows in a northeast- erly direction almost a half mile, where it strikes the foot of another hill, and is curved in a northerly direction a mile and a half, through a fertile valley until it strikes the foot of the historic Lee Hilly and is diverted in a large circle, flowing easterly out of Lee into Durham. This valley through which the river forms the " Hook," has some of the finest farms in Strafford county. Little river runs into Lamprey river about a quarter of a mile above Hill's bridge, and a like distance from the town house ; on Little river are two falls, in Lee, which were much used in the centuries before the territory became a town. It is frequently mentioned in the early records of Dover and Durham. Its source is Mendum's Pond in Barrington. These mills with that on Lamprey river, at the foot of the 10 hill, made business lively, which in time made the village on the Hill, here; men do not build villages where there is no business going on. John Thompson, Sr., had a grant of land from the town of Dover, April 21, 1694, which included the " Little River Falls," where the first mill was built, soon after. Mr. Thomp- son mentions the saw mill in his will, 12 April, 1733. This mill was at the foot of the high and steep hill, on the sum- mit of which was the home of the Thompson family from two centuries ago to the present time. What is now known as the " Mast road " from the State Collej?e to Lee Hill was built about that time to accommodate the lumbermen, and extended to Little River mill. 23 June, 1701, three score acres of land were granted to Jethro Furber, by the town of Dover, " adjacent to Lam- pereal Little River ; " this was laid out 2 Feb., 1726-7, as follows, — " Beginning on the northeast side of said Little Rive7\ above the old mast ivay." It was called " mast way," because the large pine trees for masts were hauled over it to Oyster River Falls, and then floated down to Pascataqua River and on to Portsmouth, or wherever needed. This grant of land, or part of it, has remained in possession of the Furber family more than two hundred years. The road from The Hill, by Furber's place to Wadleigh's Falls, was laid out 31 July, 1753, but communication with Little River was opened more than two hundred years ago, and log houses, for the lumbermen, began to be built here on the Hill. What is called the North River road, from Little River falls to the falls in North River, where Lee joins Notting- ham, was laid out about 1740, but there was a path up over the Thompson hill, and along by the Cartland farm several years before that. It was the old fashion to build the houses first and then build the roads later. That is why so many of the old roads in New Hampshire go over steep hills, instead of in the valleys, around the hills. A short distance below Little River Falls are what were, in early times, called Thompson's Falls ; Jonathan Thompson 11 had a gristmill and fullingmill there, and in his will, 10 Sept., 1756, he gave these and an acre of land to his son Joseph, who, May 3, 1774, sold them to Josiah Bartlett of Haverhill, Mass. ; the sale included his dwelling house and one acre of adjoining land, and four acres between the fullingmill and the Little River sawmill. Mr. Bartlett lived near his mills and carried on the business there for many years. He was one of the enterprising business men and influential citizens of the town; he had a family of several children, sons and daughters. One of his brothers was Col. Thomas Bartlett of Nottingham, the distinguished patriot of the Revolution- ary War, and whose grandson, Hon. John C. Bartlett, of this town needs no introduction to this audience. He is the only surviving grandson of Col. Thomas, who died on Nottingham Square 111 years ago. Lee " Hook " has no duplicate in New Hampshire, in the windings of any of its rivers. The first " Hook " sawmill was probably built about 1700. The inventory of George Chesley's estate, of Durham, 27 August, 1724, mentions part of the mill " at ije Hook of Lampreel River.'' It is called the " Hook mill " in a deed of 1728, Ephraim Foul- sham, 4 Dec, 1742, conveyed to his son, John, sixty acres of land in Durham, bought of Major Peter Oilman, 8 Dec, 1739, " Lyinge next to ye highway below ye Hook mill, be- ginning twenty rods above ye second brooke from ye house, formerly Captain Oilman, his house, towards ye Hook mill." 2 May, 1749, Peter, John, Samuel, and Noah Oilman con- veyed to Joseph Smith 190 acres " at a place commonly called The Hook, beginning by the side of Lampreel river, in the turn below the falls, where the Hook mill stood." The Durham grants of land at the Hook conflicting with the Oilman claims, Samuel Smith and Capt. Jonathan Thompson were appointed agents of the land proprietors in Durham, 28 Nov., 1748, to agree with Col. Peter Oilman and others, about " the parcel of land in Durham on the south side of Lampreel River, commonly called and known as the Hook land." John Thompson of Durham, " one of ye pro- prietors of ye Hook land, and ye proper owner of one whole 12 share/* conveyed his share, 30 August, 174S, to Abner Clough of Salisbury. Mass. The " Hook road to Northwood " is mentioned on the State map of 1803. It runs from Newmarket through the Hook, and crosses Lamprey river at Hill's bridge near the falls, where have been the Hook mills. This bridge was so called because Capt. Reuben Hill settled near there about 1750 and owned a sawmill and gristmill at the falls. He built, about 17G0. and lived in, the house on the hill, south of the bridge, now known as the Israel Bartlett house. Capt. Hill was one of the leading men in Lee for many years. His mills are mentioned in the records of the town, as also his bridge. He was one of the selectmen several years and performed other official duties. Capt. Hill died in 1794, and his heirs sold the water privilege at the Hook in the first decade of the 19th century, but the bridge still retains his name ; let it be forever *' Hill's bridge." The hamlet here at Lee has been a place of business two hundred years, at least. Much that I have been telling you happened before Lee became a town, by itself: hence as I have already remarked, you are celebrating a 250th anni- versary, as well as the 150th. of historic events, — one the first settlement, and the other the incorporation of the town. THE INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN, 1766 When a century had passed, from the first settling of the town territory, at Wadleigh's Falls, the farm holdings had become quite numerous, and the farmers were complaining of having to travel to Durham Falls to attend town meet- ings ; they had a minister and a meeting house ; the time had come to have their own town meetings ; following is the first step taken in 1764 ; the record is : " Province of New Hamp. at a Publick Town meeting, (Legally Notified) held at the Meeting house at The Falls in Durham, on Monday the third day of September, A. D. 1764, — Joseph Atkinson, Esq., was chosen Moderator, for the well Regulating Said Meeting, — Voted that there should be a Committee Chosen to run Line across said Town of Durham, from Paul Chesley, his house, near madbury line, to the house of John Smart upon Newmarket Line, being according to the request of Sundry of the Inhabitants of Said Town, requesting that, — All the upper, or Western End of said Town, above the aforesaid line may be voted to be Sat off as a Parish. " Voted that Lieu. Joseph Sias, mr. Miles Randel, and mr. Nicholas Duda of the Petitioners and Capt. Benjamin Smith, Capt. Stephen Jones and mr. Thomas Chesley, of the lower Part of the Town, be the Persons to be employed as a Com- mittee for the aforesaid Purpose. " Voted likewise, if the said Committee Don't Think the Line Petitioned for to be Suitable (then) to fix any other Line that they may Unanimously agree upon and make Report thereof Accordingly, to the Town on the 24th inst., — The meeting then adjourned to the 24th day of September, instant, to 2 of the clock in the afternoon. " Met according to adjournment, Sept. 24th and the Com- 14 mittee made the following Report, in writing, under their hands, To the Town: " Whereas, we, the subscribers, were chosen at a Publick Town meeting of the Inhabitants of Durham, the 3d inst. to run a line across said Town, agreeable to a petition. Ex- hibited to said Town by Sundry of the Inhabitants Request- ing the Western Part thereof, to be Sat off into a Parish, it was likewise voted, — That if we the Subscribers Don't Think the line Petitioned for proper, to Fix Some other Line, that we might agree upon, and make Report to the Town accordingly. Pursuant Thereto we have Run the Line Petitioned for, and indeavored to View, and inform our- selves, into the Circumstances of said Town, and do Unani- ]nously agree that a Straight Line (be run) : Beginning one hundred and twenty-four Rods above the dwelling house of Paul Chesley, on Madbury Line, and so to Run a Straight Point across to Newmarket Line, to one mile and a half above the dwelling house of John Smart, may be a suitable Line. " N. B. It is the intent of the above Resolve that the line fixed upon. Run from the house of Paul Chesley, North 6 degrees East, to Madbury Line & then to measure up 124 rods, by said Madbury Line. Stephen Jones, Miles Randel, Benjamin Smith, Joseph Sias, Nicholas Duda, Thomas Chesley, Committee. " The meeting adjourned to the 8th day of October, next, to 2 of the clock in the afternoon, — October 8th, met ac- cording to adjournment, and Voted : That Capt. Benjamin Smith, and Lieut. Joseph Sias, be appointed to draw a vote for the Western Part of the Town to be Sat off as a Parish, and bring it to the Town at some Publick Town meeting. — The Town meeting Dissolved. " November 18, 1765. — At a Publick Town meeting (Le- gally Notified) of the Inhabitants of Durham, held this day at the falls in Durham — Joseph Atkinson, Esq., Chosen mod- 15 erator for Said meeting — Capt. Benjam. Smith, Esqr., and Capt. Joseph Sias Brought the following Vote to the Town in Writing, — That the Western End of said Town of Dur- ham, be voted, to be Sat off as a parish, Agreable to the Result or the Report of a Committee (Chosen and appointed for that purpose) and brought into Publick Town meeting the 24th day of Septmr., 1764 — with this addition thereto, that the said parish (when an act may be Obtained for that Purpose) shall take Their proportionable Part of the Poor now supported by the whole Town, and Likewise That the Said Parish shall not in any Respect Interfere with any Lands belonging to the Proprietors in said Town — Voted that the above Vote, Brought by Capts. Smith and Sias, is agreeable to the Sense of the Town, and that it be Recorded accordingly. " The above & within are True Copyes, as on Durham Town Records. attest — Ebenr. Thompson, T. Cler." Petition to the General Assembly. Captains Smith and Sias had the following petition to the General Assembly all drawn up and ready to be signed when the meeting adjourned, and the men in attendance signed as appears below ; the list is interesting as showing " who was who " in Durham and Lee (to be) at that time. " Province of New Hamp'r, To his Excellency Benning Wentworth, Esqr., Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over his majesty's Province of New Hampshire to the Honourable his majesty's Council and the House of Repre- sentatives, in General Assembly Convened — The Petition of Sundry Inhabitants Sufficient for two Parishes and to maintain and support the charge thereof, — That many of the Inhabitants live more than eight miles from the place of Worship and where all the Town meetings and the Pub- lick Affairs are holden and transacted which Renders it very Difficult for them to Attend there at any time, but more Especially in the Winter Season, that Consequence there- 16 of, it is probable, will be that many of the Youth of Said Town will be brought up in great Ignorance, unless the Difficulties be removed, and the Petitioners are in a great measure prevented the use of their Privileges in their pres- ent Situation. " Wherefore, your Petitioners most humbly pray your Excellency and Honours, that there may be two Parishes in said Town, and that the Dividing Line between the Two Par- ishes, Beginning at Paul Chesles house at Beech Hill, so called, then North Six Degrees East to the Line Between said Dur- ham and Madbury, then running westerly on said line one hundred and twenty-four rods, then Beginning and Running from thence to New Market line to one mile and a half above the Dwelling House of John Smart, which Line was agreed upon by a Committee Chosen by the Said Town of Durham in the year one thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty-Four, and Voted in Publick Town meeting, and so to Include the whole of said Durham above this line. We therefore Hum- bly pray your Excellency and your Honours to take our Case into your wise Considerations and Set said Parish off by said Line, with the Powers and Privileges of Other Towns, or Parishes in this Province, and your Petitioners as in Duty bound shall Ever pray. " Dated at Durham November 18th, 1765. Hercules Mooney -^ Timothy Davis Gideon Mathes thomas York Winthrop Durgin mason Rendel Elijah Denbo Joseph Clay Samuel Jackson Nathaniel Stevens, Jun. Joseph Thompson Stoten Tuttle James Hall Miles Randel Jonathan runnels Samuel Langley Samuel pitman Zacheus Clough John follett John Davis Benjamin Bradley James Giles Bunker Joseph Jackson Robert York Josiah Johnson Bartholomew Smart 17 Nicholas Tuttle Samuel Burley Nathaniel Randal Reuben Hill Clement Davis James Watson Nathaniel Frost Samuel Watson Josiah Durgin John Durgin John Shaw Benjamin Woodman Samuel Sias David munsey Benja Clark Eben Jones, Junr. Moses Davis, Jr. William Waymoth James Davis Hanary tufts nathaniel Watson Andrew Watson Isaac small Joseph Hicks John Sanborn Edward Hill Thomas Snell Eli Clark, Junr. Moses Dam joseh doe Benja Durgin Eben Randel Micah Emerson Joseph Clark Joseph Sias John Elliot Joshua Woodman, Jun. In the above petition no John Giles Joseph Meder Thomas Huckins Nicholas Duda Eben Lethers William Renely francis Eliot Benjamin Bickford Isarel Randel Francis Durgin Joshua Burnum Samuel Carter Thomas huckins, jr. Solomon Sias francis Allen Edward Scales William Cashey Samuel Bickford wilham Rendel Job Runels "^ John Clark David Davis Jonathan Stevens Ebenezer Dow, Junr. Nathaniel Watson, Jun. Joseph Huckins John Shaw, Junr. Ichabod Denbow Thomas Wille John Snell Eli Clark Hunkin Dam Thomas Noble Ebenezer Jones Nathaniel Sias Nathaniel Stevens George tutle mention is made of a name for 18 the new town; the petitioners simply say they wish to be set off from Durham as a parish and that Durham is wilHng for the Assembly to grant their request. Probably Gover- nor Wentworth selected the name, as he did for many other New Hampshire towns, but there is an interesting tradition that has come down in the Cartland family that their an- cestor suggested the name to Governor Wetnworth, as his emigrant ancestor came from Scotland, in which is a town of Lee ; and Sir Walter Scott, in one of his novels, speaks of " the Cartlands of Lee." This is given as an interesting tradition, but the present generation of the family do not claim it is "authority" for settling the question. The Journal of the House (New Hampshire Provincial Assembly) for Wednesday, Jan. 15, 1766, A. M., has the following : "A message was sent to the Council by the Clerk of the House to Enquire what Acts had passed the Council and were consented to by the Governor. " P. M. In answer to the message to the Council by the Clerk in the forenoon Mr. Secretary (Theodore Atkinson) came down and informed that the following Acts were con- sented to by the Governour (Benning Wentworth), viz: " For a new Parish in Durham, — To enable the Treasurer to recover debts, — To revive the Proprietary Act, — To en- able the Selectmen to exchange Roads, — To enable inhabi- tants to call town-meetings, — To dissolve the marriage of Samuel Smallcorn." In passing it is of interest to note that in those days Governor Wentworth performed marriage ceremonies and the General Assembly granted divorces. The records of the Assembly from January 15 to Jan- uary 23 are missing. Perhaps no business was done during that period. But on the 16th of January, 1766, the Act for a new parish (town) of Lee became a law; because the record for January 10th states that the House passed an "Act for incorporating a new Parish in Durham." In that Act the name " Lee " is first mentioned. ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWN The Act of incorporation authorized Joseph Sias to call the first town meeting ; he performed that duty and ordered the meeting to be held on the 18th of March, 1766. The voters met and organized by choosing Miles Randall for moderator and clerk ; Robert Thompson, Ely Clark, and Nicholas Duda were chosen selectmen. Various routine work was then done ; one thing was the appointment of Zacheus Clough to, — '* Inspect into the affairs of Reverend Samuel Hutchins," who was then minister at The Hill, where the first town meeting was held, and where all the rest of the town meetings have been held for one hundred and fifty years. There is no record of when Mr. Hutchins began preaching there, Mr. Clough attended to the duty assigned him and in due time reported that the " affairs of Mr. Hutch- ins " were satisfactory ; whereupon the town voted to con- tinue him as minister. He held the office till about 1800, and appears to have done good work among the people. During the Revolution he was a valiant supporter of the patriotic cause ; and was influential in getting men to serve in the army, and in aiding their families while they were away from home. His successor was Rev. John Osborne, who was minister here thirty-one years, — 1800-1832. The history of the ministers will be considered later in this brief account of Lee. Before the town was incorporated, the locality where the town house is was known as " The Hill," since then it has been " Lee Hill," to outsiders, but for the home dwellers it is, and always will be, — " The Hill." There is no record of the man's name who built the first house on The Hill, but it was built by some lumbermen two hundred years ago. The years went by; business increased; more houses were built; then the store-keeper put in an appearance and kept 20 supplies of what the lumbermen and farmers wanted for their famiy use. Business increased; five roads, or more, came to center here and brought business from all points of compass, and more stores and houses had to be built here to accommodate public demands. So, a hundred years ago. The Hill was quite a village, and a very lively place of business ; it remained so till the Boston & Maine railroad reached Newmarket, in 1841 ; during the seventy-five years since then it has decreased to its present quiet ways of living. During the stage coach period of New Hampshire, which began about 1800 The Hill was one of the centers of travel between the seacoast towns and the upcountry towns to Concord. There is nothing here today to indicate there was such activity ; but history shows it was so. The old Pascataqua Bridge was completed in 1794; the New Hampshire Turnpike was opened for travel from there to Concord about 1802, and its route through Lee made quite a change in conditions of travel ; the Lee families who lived " on the Turnpike " were looked upon by the other farmers as " aristocrats," and taverns sprung up to accom- modate the travelers. But The Hill was the center of busi- ness. Stage coaches were run from Newmarket to the Turnpike to meet the coaches for Concord. Another coach line ran from Dover through Lee, Nottingham Square, Chester, Derry, Windham to Lowell, when they began to build the cotton factories there. They began to build the cotton factories at Dover about the same time. At Notting- ham Square, General Bradbury Bartlett was the agent for the management of this line for a number of years. He was son of Col. Thomas Bartlett ; in his later years he was known as Judge Bartlett. Edwin B. Nealley, brother-in-law of Judge Bartlett, came to Lee to reside on the Hill, about 1810. He purchased the large house that is now standing a short distance north of the present store and post-office, and which was the resi- dence of Simon Otis in the last half of the 19th century. That house was built by Elijah Cartland about one hundred and thirty years ago; he married Abigail Scales, who was 21 born up here on the Scales farm in Nottingham, and they commenced house-keeping in it soon after it was built. Mr. Cartland is great uncle to Mr. Charles S. Cai:tland, cashier of the Strafford National Bank; and Abigail Scales is my father's great aunt. Mr. Cartland was one of Lee's enter- prising business men in the last quarter of the 18th century and the first decade of the 19th century ; he then removed to Maine, and was one of the prominent men there the rest of his life. When I was a boy and used to come to The Hill to private schools, there was a store on the north side of the house, and a hall over the store, the entrance to which was by stairs on the outside of the building. I presume that Mr. Cartland built the store and hall after he built the house ; any way he always had the store and hall, and they were much used. Sullivan Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons held their meetings there, from the beginning of the organization, for a number of years. Private schools were kept there by excellent teachers. Public assemblies were held there, under the management of accomplished dancing- masters, who furnished music with their violins. My recol- lection is that both the day school and the dancing-school were well conducted ; for a brief time I attended both and received profit and pleasure. One of the teachers, when my father was a boy, was Dr. Hilliard ; one of the teachers when I was a boy was B. Van Dame, whom many of you remember. I have said that Edward B. Nealley came here to reside about 1810; this was his home till his death in 1839. He was a very able business man ; a popular citizen ; a first class politician, in the best sense of the word ; there was nothing petty about his work. In 1809 he married Sally True of Deerfield, a most excellent woman ; they raised a remarkable family of children, — four sons and six daughters, all born in that old house, a short distance from the town house. The elder son, Greenleaf, was born in 1810; about 1840 he went to Iowa, and was one of the leading business men in Burlington for a half century. The second son, Edward St. John, born in 1811, was a member of the class of 1835, Bowdoin College ; he became a lawyer and was a resident of 22 Bath, Me., till his death in 1881 ; he was one of the distin- guished citizens of that city ; he was Collector of that port from 1866 till 1881. The third son, Benjamin Franklin, was a merchant in Lowell, Mass., many years. The younger son, Joseph Bowdoin, was a distinguished citizen of Bur- lington, Iowa, and engaged in business with his brother, Greenleaf. The daughters were all excellent women, and well educated. One daughter, Elizabeth Sarah, was the wife of United States Senator James W. Grimes of Iowa, who had been Governor of that State before he was Senator, which latter office he held from 1859 till 1869, when he resigned on account of ill health. He was one of the ablest men in the Senate during the Civil War. Mrs. Grimes' twin sister, Sarah Elizabeth, was the wife of Judge Cyrus Olney of Astoria, Oregon, for many years one of the leading men of that State. Lee has occasion to be proud of its sons and daughters, who have won fame in other States. A granddaughter of Edward B. Nealley was wife of Senator William B. Allison of Iowa. He died but recently, after a service in the United States Senate of thirty years or more. The Nealley burial ground was on the east side of the road, northeast of the house. About 1875 Greenleaf Nealley had the remains of all removed to Burlington, Iowa, and rein- terred in the City Cemetery there, and erected appropriate memorial stones. Lee Hill from being a hustling village during the first half of the 19 th century, has gradually diminished to the proportions of the quiet hamlet it is at the present day, with its meeting-house, town-house, small store with the post- office in it, grange hall, parsonage and a few dwelling houses. In ancient times there were lawyers and doctors in Lee, but for a long time no doctor or lawyer has had an office here ; no need of them. It has too small a population to support more than one religious society; so all combine in one church, regardless of minor religious opinions, in support of a Congregational church, in the altruists sense of the word. In the interim between the stage coach period and the long continued period of present quiet and prosperity, 23 there was a prevalence of intemperance, but vigorous Chris- tian heroism in a few years wrought for the better, and now Lee for many years past, has held the rank, in respect to temperance and sobriety, of being " the banner town of Strafford County." MEN OF LEE IN WARS AND PEACE The men of Lee have a patriotic record in the French and Indian wars and in the Revolutionary war ; and hkewise in the Civil War. During the Indian war period, 1675-1725, the inhabitants had to keep constant guard lest they be attacked by a secret Indian foe, but the only great battle with the Indians in Lee was at Wheelwright's Pond, in July, 1690. On March 18th previous, the Indians had at- tacked and destroyed the settlement at Salmon Falls, now in the town of Rollinsford. The inhabitants there made a brave defense, but were out numbered by the foe, and after thirty of their fighting men had been killed, the rest sur- rendered. In May following, this same party of Indians, with some additions, attacked and destroyed Casco. The Indians then came up to Fox Point, in what is now New- ington, where they burned some houses, killed about fourteen and carried away six as prisoners. On the 4th day of July eight men were killed as they were mowing in a field some- where along Lamprey River, in Lee. A boy was carried away captive. The next day they attacked Captain Hilton's garrison at Exeter. This was well defended and they failed to capture it. They then came back to Lee (territory). They had their camp on the bank of Wheelwright's Pond. Two companies under Captains Floyd and Wiswell were out scouting on the 6th day of July and discovered the tracks of the Indians; they followed the trail and found the Indians engaged in fishing on the west bank of the pond. The savages were taken by surprise, but quickly changed work from fishing to fighting, and a bloody engagement followed for several hours. The pond was surrounded by heavy growth of trees, behind which the warriors concealed themselves as best they could, from the bullets of their opponents. They went from tree to tree and shot as they saw an Indian's head or body. It was a hand-to-hand 25 contest, but dodging from tree to tree. Captain Wiswell's company suffered the worst, and very badly, though his men gave the Indian fighters a severe drubbing. When you visit the pond you can see where the battle took place ; the railway track lies over part of the ground. Captain Wis- well, Lieut. Flagg and Sergt. Walker were killed ; twelve privates of the companies were killed and several were wounded. Captain Floyd kept up the fight for a while after his companion officer was killed, but it was an exceedingly hot day and his men had become so wearied that he had to give up the battle; as he withdrew his men in an easterly direction through the woods, the Indians withdrew in the opposite direction, being too weary to pursue the white men. The Indians took their dead with them to some safe place where they buried the bodies ; they also took their wounded with them. It is not known how many Indians were killed, but it was a drawn battle. That night Captain Conners went to the battlefield and searched for the wounded. He found seven whom he took to the nearest farm houses at " Newtown," or maybe Layne's mill, and had them cared for, about sunrise. The dead were buried among the trees of the forest, by the pond ; of which number were Captain Wiswell, Lieut. Flagg and Sergt. Walker. No man knows where their graves are, not even a common field stone being placed at the heads of their graves. The Indians on their way westward, in the course of a week, killed between Wad- leigh's Falls and Amesbury, Mass., not less than forty people, according to the chronicles of the day. They did not take any prisoners. When the news reached Oyster River that a battle was going on at the pond all of the fighting men made haste to take their guns and run to the aid of Captains Floyd and Wiswell. It is recorded that some of the men made such haste that they fell exhausted by the heat; one man died of surfeit, but the others got there in season to render valuable assistance. GARRISONS IN LEE Only three garrisons are mentioned as being in the town of Lee; of course you understand these were long before the town was incorporated; the red men had disappeared seventy years before the date of your celebration was on the calendar of time. There was one at South Lee, on the North River road, which was built by Joseph Doe, who bought land there 23 June, 1737, of John Bickford, which had been assigned to Bickford as his share of the common lands in Durham in 1734. After the death of Mr. and Mrs. Doe, the house became the property of their daughter, who had married Elijah Fox. Up to that time it had been called the " Doe garrison." Later it came to be called the " Fox garrison," because Mr. and Mrs. Fox owned it, and lived there a long time. At the death of Mr. and Mrs. Fox it passed to the ownership of their granddaughter, wife of Daniel Cartland, but it never lost the name of " Fox garrison." After the death of Mrs. Cartland, Mr. Samuel French bought it and resided there till his death, about 1880. Soon after it was taken down. The Jones garrison was at " Newtown." This was built long before the Fox garrison, as there was a settlement at that locality before 1700, probably two hundred and thirty years ago, and the garrison was built about that time, as the Indians were then very troublesome neighbors. It stood on the Nehemiah Snell farm, and was much resorted to for safety by the farmers in that section of Old Dover, when the Indians were reported to be on the warpath at Cochecho and Oyster River, where the awful massacres occurred in June, 1689 and July, 1694. The old garrison was taken down many years ago. The Randall garrison stood on the Mast road, between The Hill and where now is the New Hampshire College. It stood on the south side of the road near what is known as the A. D. Wiggin house. It was built of logs with the 27 upper story projecting over the lower, with loop-holes in the walls for the discharge of guns when an Indian might be seen prowling in the bushes for a snap-shot on some member of the family. The builder was Captain Nathaniel Randall, son of Richard and Elizabeth (Tozer) Randall. Captain Randall's grandfather was Richard Tozer, who mar- ried Judith Smith in Boston. Governor Richard Belling- ham performed the marriage ceremony ; of course it was a fine wedding at the Governor's house, which is now stand- ing near where the Boston Evening Transcript printing office is. Later they came to reside at Salmon Falls, where they were killed by the Indians 16 October, 1675. Captain Ran- dall, the garrison builder, married Mary Hodgdon of Dover, one of the old families of that city. He probably built the garrison about 1720, nearly two hundred years ago. He took his bride there to live, and that was their home till his death, 9 March, 1749. His grave is in the old cemtery, about two miles and a half from The Hill, on that road to the State College. There is no record, or tradition that the Indians ever attacked these garrisons, but the dwellers therein were in constant fear all the time lest an attack might be made. LEE MEN IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR Lee has a good record in the Revolutionary War period. The first action on their part was to sign the "Association Test," which was sent out to all the towns, by the Committee of Safety, in the spring of 1776. This was designed to find out how many were Tories, or persons opposed to the pro- posed war with Great Britain, for American Independence. It reads as follows: " We, the subscribers, do here by solemnly engage and promise that we will, to the utmost of our power, and at the risque of our lives and fortunes, with arms, oppose the hostile proceedings, of the British fleets and armies against the United American Colonies." The names of those who signed this pledge in Lee are as follows: Elijah Dinsmore, Samuel Jackson, Bennan Jackson, John Emerson, Samuel Emerson, Joshua Burnham, Joshua Burnham, Jr., Steven Wille, Joseph Sias, William French, Joshua Woodmarch, Eleson Watson, Philbrock Bar- ker, Moses Runnales, Samuel Hill, Ruel Giles, Cornilus Dins- more, Job Runals, E. Jones, Jr., Jonathan Dow, Isaac Small, Peter Folsom, Josiah Durgien, Miles Randel, Benjamin Dur- gin, John Sanborn, Jonathan Runales, Zacheus Clough, Job Runels, Jr., Enoch Runels, William Goen, Ephm Sherburne, Dimond Fernald, Richard Hull, Samuel Langmaid, Ebenezer Jones, Lemuel Chesley, John Jones, Benj. Clark, George Jones, Benj. Jones, Smith Emerson, Isaac Clark, Simon Rindel, James Bracket, Stephen Stevens, Gideon Mathes, Daniel Chesle, George Chase, Thomas Arlen, Zebelin Wiley, Timothy Muncy, Micajah Bickford, David Shaw, Amos Fer- nald, Edward Scales, Robert Parker, John Mendum, Hunk- ing Dam, John Follett, Ebenezer Randel, Eli Furber, Eben- ezer Burnum, Joseph Brackett, Joseph Follitt, Samuel Stevens, Samuel Bickford, Jonathan Fisk, William Way- 29 mouth, George Tuttle, George Duch, James Watson, Samuel Watson, Timothy Moses, Dennet Waymouth, John Kennison, Josiah Kennison, Wilham GHden, John Putnam, Anthony Fling, John Davis, Clement Davis, Andrew Watson, Thomas Tuttle, Thomas Tufts, Samuel Burley, James Davis, Jere- miah Hutchins, John Davis, Nathaniel Frost, Henry Tufts, Jonathan Stevens, Henry Tufts, Jr., Thomas York, Nicholas Tuttle, Robert York, Eliphalet York, David Davis, Nathaniel Stev^ens, William Stevens, Samuel Durgin, Joseph Watson, Reuben Hill, Sam Hutchins, Josiah Bartlett, Moses Dam, Jonathan Thompson, Samuel Mathes, William Ely, Samuel Langley, Samuel Smith, Nicholas Meder, Mathias Jones, Benj. Jones, Joseph Jones, Tolman Thompson, Zekiel Wille, Edward Leathers, John Leathers, Joseph Doe, John Wil- liams, John Layn, Benj. Brily, Thomas Huckins, Jr., Elijah Fox, John Wiggin, James Clemens, John Sias, Benjamin Bodge, Mark Weder, Mr. Samuel Bodge, John Glover, Ed- ward Hill, Thomas Wille, Ezekiel Wille, Thomas Noble, Samuel Woodman, Edward Woodman, Thomas Hunt, Josiah Burley, Samuel Wille, Joseph Pittman, Samuel Snell, Jr., Thomas Langley. There are one hundred and forty names in the list. Fol- lowing are the names found on the Revolutionary War rolls who actually carried arms in the war. It is a very creditable list for the little town of Lee : Elijah Dinsmore, Samuel Jackson, John Emerson, Joshua Burnham, Samuel Wille, Ezekiel Wille, John Sias, WiUiam French, Moses Runales, John Runels, Enoch Runnels, Samuel Reuben Hill, Ebenezer Jones, John Jones, Benj. Jones, Jos. Jones, Jonathan Dow, Isaac Small, Benj. Durgin, Sam. Dur- gin, Ebenezer Randall, Edward Hill, John Sanborn, Zacheus Clough, Stephen Stevens, Jonathan Stevens, Samuel Stevens, William Stevens, Nathaniel Stevens, Micajah Bick, Samuel Bickford, Daniel Shaw, Robert Parker, Eli Furber, Ebenezer Burnham, Jonathan Fisk, John Kennison, Anthony Fling, John Davis, Clement Davis, James Davis, David Davis, Thomas Tuttle, Henry Tufts, Samuel Burley, Jeremiah Hutchins, Samuel Hutchins, Nathaniel Frost, Eliphalet 30 York, Josiah Bartlett, Jonathan Thompson, Edward John Leathers, John Williams, John Layn, Thomas Huckins, John Wiggin, John Sias, Samuel Bodge, John Glover, Samuel Woodman, Edward Woodman, Thomas Hunt, Josiah Burley, Joseph Pitman, Col. Hercules Mooney, and John Mooney, son of the colonel. Col. Mooney's record is one of the best of New Hampshire men. His farm was what was known, till a very recent date, as the home of your distinguished citizen. Miss Mary A. Hoitt. Other men of Lee have good records, but cannot be mentioned in this brief sketch of the town's history. The following refused to sign the " Test," as they were " Quakers," or members of the Society of Friends, which opposed all war. They were not " Tories." Robert Thomp- son, Joseph Cartland, William Jenkins, William Jenkins, Jr., Charles Runlet, Joseph Meder, James Bunker, Samuel La- mas, David Muncy, John Snell, William Colwell, Joseph Emerson, Robert Glover, Aaron Hanson. ICHABOD WHIDDEN, William Laskey, Selectmen of Lee. SOLDIERS OF LEE IN THE CIVIL WAR Charles R. Clay: Co. 3d Regt. ; enl. Aug. 23, 1861 re-enl. Jan. 23, 1864 ; disch. Aug. 24, 1865. Joseph T. Cummings : Co. 3d Regt. ; enl. Aug. 23, 1861 re-enl. Feb. 16, 1864; disch. June 19, 1865. Moses Lovering: Co. D, 3d Regt.; enl. Aug. 23, 1861 re-enl. Feb. 14, 1864 ; disch. July 20, 1865. Frank Bridges: Co. H, 5th Regt.; enl. Aug. 18, 1864 died May 5, 1865. Francis Lovell : 5th Regt. ; enl. Dec. 28, 1863 ; missing April 7, 1865. Clonen Jean : 5th Regt. ; enl. Dec. 17, 1864. John A. Randall: Co. A, 5th Regt.; enl. Feb. 6, 1865 disch. June 28, 1865. Miron B, McAlister: Co. A, 5th Regt.; enl. Feb. 4 1865; disch. June 2, 1865. Erastus C. Davis : Corp. Co. C, 6th Regt. ; enl. Nov. 27 1861; disch. June 24, 1862. John F. Jones: Co. C, 6th Regt.; enl. Nov. 27, 1861 disch. Nov. 27, 1864. Washington Davis: Co. H, 6th Regt.; enl. Nov. 28 1861; re-enl. Dec. 31, 1863; killed June 25, 1864. William Hardy: Co. K, 6th Regt.; enl. Jan. 5, 1864 deserted Jan. 31, 1864. Born in Ireland. William Johnson: Co. E, 6th Regt.; enl. Jan. 5, 1864 captured Sept. 30, 1864. Andrew Lawrence : Co. C, 6th Regt. ; enl. May 18, 1864 deserted June 14, 1864. Hollis S. Peavey : Co. C, 6th Regt. ; enl. Jan. 11, 1864 died Sept. 7, 1864. Andrew Locke: Co. D, 8th Regt.; enl. Dec. 28, 1861 disch. April 10, 1862.. 32 Nathaniel Glover: Co. I, 8th Regt.; enl. Dec. 20, 1861; re-enl. Jan. 4, 1864, Vet. Bat. ; disch. Oct. 28, 1865. John S. Harvey: Co. H, 8th Regt.; enl. Aug. 28, 1862; trans, to Co. C, Vet. Bat. ; disch. Oct. 28, 1865. Edwin Lamondan : Co. I, 10th Regt. ; enl. Jan. 25, 1864 ; trans. 2d Regt. Jan. 21, 1865. He is also given as " Edmond Larmandeau " and " Edmond Normandeau ;" born in Canada, age 19. He was a musician and deserted Dec. 5, 1864. Joseph White: Co. D, 10th Regt.; enl. Jan. 5, 1864; trans, to 2d Regt. Jan. 21, 1865 ; disch. June 19, 1865. Dana M. Dicy: Co. G, 10th Regt.; enl. Jan. 5, 1864; killed June 27, 1864. Charles E. Linscott: Musician, Co. I, 10th Regt.; enl. Jan. 5, 1864; trans, to 2d Regt. June 21, 1865; disch. Dec. 19, 1865. Enoch Glover: Co. I, 10th Regt.; enl. Sept. 4, 1862; disch. June 21, 1865. Adison Osborne : Co. I, 10th Regt. ; enl. Sept. 4, 1862 ; trans, to U. S. Cav. Oct. 25, 1862; mustered out June 21, 1865. True W. Langmaid: Co. A, 11th Regt.; enl. Aug. 18, 1862 ; wounded May 6, 1864, Wilderness, Va. ; mustered out June 4, 1865. David H. Lang: Co. A, 11th Regt.; enl. Aug. 19, 1862; killed Sept. 30, 1864, in battle at Poplar Springs Church, Va. John N. Marsh: Co. A, 11th Regt.; enl. Aug. 28, 1862; disch. June 4, 1865. Albra Plummer: Co. A, 11th Regt.; Aug. 28, 1862; promoted to corp; disch. June 4, 1865. Lawrence G. Otis: Co. G, 13th Regt.; enl. Sept. 19, 1862; disch. May 14, 1864. Daniel S. Randall: Co. E, 13th Regt.; enl. Sept. 19, 1862; trans, to inv. corp, Feb. 15, 1864; disch. June 28, 1865; died April 10, 1872. Charles A. Fernald: Co. E, 13th Regt.; enl. Sept. 19, 1862 ; disch. May 16, 1865. 33 George W. Hanson: Co. E, 13th Regt.; enl. Sept. 19, 1862 ; trans, to U. S. Navy April 28, 1864. As an ordinary seaman he served on the " Florida " and "Quaker City ;" disch. June 11, 1865. Joseph A. Jones : Co. E, 13th Regt. ; enl. Sept. 19, 1862 ; died Feb. 3, 1863, at Aquia Creek, Va. Richard Randall : Co. E, 13th Regt. ; enl. Sept. 19, 1862 ; disch. Sept. 19, 1863. Bradbury C. Davis: Co. C, 13th Regt.; enl. Sept. 19, 1862; disch. June 10, 1865. Orrin Dow : Co. E, 13th Regt. ; enl. Sept. 19, 1862 ; pro- moted to sergt. ; disch. May 7, 1865. John W. Emerson: Co. F, 13th Regt.; enl. Sept. 19, 1862; disch. April 2, 1863. True Emerson : Co. F, 13th Regt. ; enl. Sept. 19, 1862 ; disch. April 2, 1863. Joseph G. Clay : Co. F, 13th Regt. ; enl. Sept. 19, 1862 ; disch. June 21, 1865. Israel G. York: Corp. Co. D, 13th Regt.; enl. Oct. 8, 1862; disch. Aug. 13, 1863. Stephen Hilton : Co. D, 15th Regt. ; enl. Oct. 14, 1862 ; disch. Aug. 13, 1863. Josiah D. Thompson: Co. D, 15th Regt.; enl. Oct. 8, 1862 ; disch. Aug. 13, 1863. George W. Demeritt: Co. I, 18th Regt.; enl. Feb. 6, 1865 ; promoted to sergt. May 18, 1865 ; disch. July 29, 1865. Samuel Durgin : Co. F, 12th Regt.; enl. Aug. 31, 1862; born in Strafford; age 44; disch April 16, 1863. He re- enlisted in Vet. Res. Corps, Jan. 5, 1864. He gave his age then as 52. Enl. Jan. 5, 1864; disch. Sept. 9, 1865. His residence was Nottingham, but he enlisted for "Lee." Frank G. Wentworth : 2d Lieut. Co. F, 7th Regt. ; enl. Nov. 7, 1861 ; resigned June 3, 1863 ; Aug. 25, 1863, he was appointed 2d Lieut, of First Co. Heavy Art.; promoted to 1st Lieut. Sept. 29, 1864; disch. Sept. 11, 1865. 34 Josiah D. Thompson : Co. B, H. A. ; enl. Sept. 4, 1864 ; disch. Sept. 11, 1865. David S. Bennett: Co. D, H. A.; enl. Sept. 4, 1864; disch. Sept. 11, 1865. Albert S. Cummings: Co. D, H. A. ; enl. Sept. 11, 1864; disch. Sept. 11, 1865. Joseph B. Davis: Co. D, H. A.; enl. Sept. 11, 1863; disch. June 15, 1865. Albert W. Davis: Co. D, H. A.; enl. Sept. 11, 1864; disch. June 15, 1865. George B. Haley: Co. B, H. A.; enl. Sept. 11, 1864; disch. June 15, 1865. Charles A. Rollins: Co. D, H. A.; enl. Sept. 4, 1864; disch. May 31, 1865. Nehemiah Randall: Co. D, H. A.; enl. Sept. 4, 1864; disch. Sept. 11, 1865. Jonathan B. Thompson : Co. D, H. A. ; enl. Sept. 4, 1864 ; promoted to corp. ; disch. June 23, 1865. Josiah D. Thompson : Co. D, H. A. ; enl. Sept. 4, 1864 ; disch. Sept. 11, 1865. Robert McKee: Co. M, H. A. ; enl. Aug. 14, 1864; disch. June 9, 1865. Lawrence Keough: Co. H, 14th Regt. ; enl. as substi- tute Aug. 14, 1863 ; disch. July 1, 1865. William E. Smith: Substitute; enl. Aug. 19, 1864; U. S. Navy ; served on the " Vandalia," " San Jacinto," " Fort McHenry," and "Muscoota;" disch. May 20, 1867. James Fitzgerald: Substitute; enl. Aug. 19, 1864, U. S. Navy ; seaman on the " Vandalia ;" deserted Sept. 6, 1864. Born in Scotland. James McPherson : Substitute; enl. Aug. 17, 1864; de- serted. John Powers: Substitute, Co. B, 10th Regt.; enl. Aug. 14, 1863; disch. Feb. 28, 1865. James McClay: Substitute; enl. Sept. 17, 1863; de- serted. 35 John Mullen : Substitute ; born in Ireland ; enl. Aug. 14, 1863 ; Co. B, 10th Regt. ; wounded Aug. 5, 1864, near Peters- burg; disch. Dec. 19, 1865. Edwin W. Dalton : Substitute, Co.B, 10th Regt. ; enl. Aug- 14, 1863 ; wounded June 3, 1864, at Cold Harbor, Va. ; died Oct. 15, 1864. G. Singer: Substitute ; enl. Oct. 1, 1863 ; deserted. In the above list are sixty-four names. Could the town if called upon in this year, 1916, furnish sixty-four men for the army, if the President should call for volunteers? MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL IN LEE Lee has not only furnished vaUant and patriotic men for war, but it has also furnished men who were equally valiant in the walks of peace. The first minister here was Rev. Samuel Hutchins, who was pastor of the people who assembled in the old meeting house here on the Hill from 1762 till 1797. He signed the Association TesU to aid in carrying on the war, and he not only did good service in his pulpit, in exhorting his parishioners to join in the battles, but he also enlisted and set them an example, which they were not slow in following. In the fall of 1775 and winter of 1776, when it was expected that the British war- ships would attack Portsmouth, and threatened to destroy it, as they had done with the settlement at what is now Port- land, Me., Mr. Hutchins enlisted, with quite a number of his parishioners, one of whom was my great grandfather, Samuel Scales, who lived on the Scales farm in Nottingham, a mile and a half north of your town house. They went to Portsmouth harbor and did duty there till the siege of Boston ended on the 17th of March, 1776. Rev. John Osborne was Mr. Hutchins' successor. He was born in Newcastle, N. H., March 7, 1769. He died in the parsonage on Lee Hill, Feb. 28, 1832. He was a minister in Newcastle before coming to Lee, in 1800, when he became the settled minister here and remained in office till his death. He was twice married, — first marriage, Nov. 25, 1790, Abi- gail Smith; she died Sept. 18, 1796; second marriage, Nov. 12, 1797, Miss Mary Frost of Newcastle, who survived him some years. In the performance of his duties as pastor he conducted many marriage ceremonies. He kept a record of those marriages, the manuscript of which has been published in the New Hampshire Genealogical Record, vol. IV, in the year 1907. He performed his first marriage Feb. 19, 1801, "Asa Kennison of Nottingham to Susanna Kennison of Newmarket." He married five hundred and thirty-eight 37 couples; the last one was Jan. 31, 1832. He died Feb. 28, 1832. The epitaph on the headstone at his grave is as follows : " Elder John Osborne, born in Newcastle, N. H., March 7, 1769 ; died in Lee, Feb. 28, 1832. As a Christian eminent for piety, and a minister faithful in office, the people, over whom he presided for more than thirty years, erect this stone as a token of their lasting affection and respect." In his early ministry Elder Osborne was a Congregation- alist, but later he was inclined more to the Free Will Baptist belief ; as they spoke of their ministers as " Elder," instead of " Reverend," the change of belief may have been to the change in style of address. He was known far and wide as " Elder Osborne." Benjamin Randall, founder of the Free Will Baptists, was born in the same village at Newcastle in which John Osborne was, twenty years later. Elder Os- borne's preaching, no doubt, led so many young men in Lee to become Free Will Baptist ministers; not one a Congre- gationahst. Elder Israel Chesley was Mr. Osborne's successor, and served for a quarter of a century. His successor was Rev. Mason Moore, who graduated from Andover Theological Seminary in 1855 and commenced preaching on the Hill that year. He remained the minister till 1868. About this time Elder A. G. Comings removed from Mason, N. H., to Lee and was preacher a number of years in the Baptist church, now the Grange Hall. The present Congregational church was organized Dec. 3, 1867 ; the present chapel had been built in 1861, for Mr. Moore. The ministers who have followed Mr. Moore, and the dates of their terms of service are as follows: Rev. John W. Lees, 1870-1880; Rev. Lewis D. Evans, 1881-1884; Rev. Richard M. Burr, 1884-1886 ; Rev. W. A. Forbes, 1886- 1889; Rev. Charles S. Bales, 1890-1892; Rev. Daniel W. Richardson, 1893-1896; Rev. Benjamin A. Willmot, 1896- 1900 ; Rev. James T. Berry, 1900-1903 ; Rev. George E. Kin- ney, 1904-1909; Rev. Isaac A. Ross, 1911-1913; Rev. Lorenzo W. Multart, 1913-1914 ; Rev. Arthur Brotherston, 1915. 38 The following persons were natives of Lee who became ministers and did good service in other towns. They were all, or nearly all, parishioners of Rev, John Osborne, and he was largely influential in shaping their careers as ministers of the Gospel. Rev. Jesse Burnham. He was born in 1778, and resided here till 1806, when he removed to Sebec, Me., and began preaching there. His work was satisfactory and he was ordained in June, 1808, at Charlestown, Me. Jointly with Rev. Ebenezer Scales and Rev. Mr. Libby, he organized a church there and remained its pastor seven years. Later he organized Free Will Baptist churches in several Maine towns, and left them in flourishing condition. In 1840 he removed to Janesville, Wis., where he became influential in organizing churches, in various towns around there. He organized the first Free Will Baptist Quarterly Meeting in Wisconsin. He was an able organizer and did extended mis- sionary work. He preached until within four weeks of his death, at Janesville, Dec. 5, 1863. Daniel Elkins was born in Lee in 1760 ; removed to Gil- manton in 1797 and began preaching there in 1798, as a Free Will Baptist. He continued doing missionary work till 1804, when he was ordained, as a minister of that belief, at a Quarterly Meeting at Sandwich, N. H. He organized a church in 1809 at Jackson and remained its pastor more than thirty years. He did much missionary work in the mountain towns. Joseph Foss, Free Will Baptist, was born in Lee in 1765. He resided in his native town till 1802. He then began hold- ing missionary meetings in the surrounding towns. In 1812, when he went to Brighton, Me., and became pastor of the Free Will Baptist church there. He held that position forty years, and did much ministerial work in towns that had no regular minister. He died in that town in 1852. Thomas Huckins was born in Lee in 1795. When a boy he removed with his parents to East Canada, and remained there till 1811. In 1812 he was at Portsmouth, N. H., and during the war he was a soldier and sailor, in turn, on the 39 American side of the conflict. After the close of the war he returned to East Canada and became a Free Will Baptist minister. He received his " license to preach " before leav- ing New Hampshire, having shown good ability for the work. In due time he was ordained to the ministry. He was the first minister to preach the " Free Will " doctrine in Canada. He remained in that province about ten years and then went to Lexington, Mich., in 1839, where he established a church and was its pastor ten years. He died there in 1853. Robert Mathes, Christian Baptist, was born in Lee in 1772. When thirty years old he became impressed with the feeling that he must go and preach the Gospel. He soon after removed to Milton and began preaching there. Later he was ordained to the ministry, and did a large amount of itinerant work in New Hampshire and Maine. Charles Frost Osborne, Free Will Baptist, son of Rev. John and Mary (Frost) Osborne, was born 12 March, 1800. He was a young man of fine ability. He was engaged in business at Alton, and later in Scarborough, Me. He did not engage in preaching until he was thirty-eight years old. He was licensed to preach in 1838, and was ordained in 1840. He was pastor of the church in Scarborough five years. Later he was minister of churches in other towns. He died in Gorham, Me., in 1856. William W. Smith, Christian Baptist, son of Samuel Smith, was born in Lee in 1811. He was a farmer till he was about thirty, when he received a license to preach, and then continued farming and doing itinerant work as preach- er, but not as regular pastor of a church. In 1849 he went to California, via Cape Horn. He was chaplain of the sailing vessel during the long and tedious voyage. He engaged in mining, farming, and running a gristmill. But he kept up the practice of conducting religious meetings whenever an opportunity was found for him to preach. He was a good speaker and his audiences always gave him close attention. He served in the Navy during the Civil War. After the close of the war he perfected drawings for rapid fire guns, 40 armored trains, etc., but some one stole his plans before he could secure patents on them, and others got the benefit of his inventions. He died at Antioch, Cal., Oct. 16, 1899. He was a Christian hero. He was 88 years old, and had been a resident of that State a half century. John G. Tuttle, Free Will Baptist, was born in Lee in 1802. When he was about ten years old his parents removed to Effingham. That was his home till he was nearly thirty years old, and he was a successful farmer. In 1833 he was licensed to preach, having shown good ability for the work, in the presence of the Elders of the Quarterly Meeting. He followed itinerant work till 1837, when he was ordained as regular pastor at Wolfeborough. He served as pastor in churches at Gilmanton, Danville, and South Weare. He died in Lowell, Mass., in 1845. JEREMIAH SMITH GRANGE-PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY The institution in Lee that deserves to be mentioned as second only to the church is the Jeremiah Smith Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, which was organized Feb. 19, 1891, with twenty-four charter members, a good number of whom are now Hving. Your celebration here today is in the twenty- fifth year of its existence, so you might as well count it in as a part of the programme. It has done a prosperous, en- joyable, and beneficent work during a quarter of a century. It has an interesting history, but I cannot enter upon that subject on this occasion, or rather do more than enter by giving the list of names showing who have served as Masters of it. They are as follows: B. Frank Davis, 1891-1892; Frank J. Davis, 1893; B. Frank Davis, 1894-1895; Albert L. Comings, 1896-1897 ; George A. Dudley, 1898-1899 ; Arthur J. Thompson, 1900-1901 ; John C. Bartlett, 1902-1903 ; Ar- thur J. Thompson, 1904-1905; Arthur J. McDaniel, 1906- 1907; George A. Dudley, 1908-1909 ; Frank J. Caldwell, 1910- 1911; Albert B. Dudley, 1912; Eugene L. Moore, 1913-1914; Albert B. Dudley, 1915; Robert H. Hardy, 1916. ROADS IN LEE IN 1804 In 1804 John Rundlett, with chainmen John Ford, Jr., and Andrew Demeritt, perambulated the town lines; and in the same year measured the various roads in the town, and recorded the names of the residents on the roads, and the distances between their houses. November 27, 1804, they made a report to the town, and that report later came into the hands of Tobias Cartland. A few years ago it was given to Mr. Charles S. Cartland, by whose permission I am per- mitted to make the following extracts, which I think you will find interesting. In a way it shows " Who was Who " in Lee one hundred and twelve years ago. Surveyor Rundlett found the following distances on the adjoining towns: The Nottingham Hne, 4 miles, 82 rods; Barrington line, 2 miles, 211 rods; Madbury line, 7 miles, 297 rods ; Durham line, 5 miles, 66 rods ; Newmarket line, 1 mile, 186 rods; Epping line, 2 miles, 305 rods. Total, 18 miles, 187 rods. At this time Lee Hill was called Federal Hill ; who gave it that name or when it was given I do not know. The report says the road from " Federal Hill thro2igh the Hook " to Durham line was 3 miles and 9 rods. The following house- holders lived on the road. Several of their houses are stand- ing now. Starting from the Hill: Abraham Mathes, Sam Mathes, Hill's Bridge, — Sam Thompson. This house is now known as the Israel Bartlett house. It was built by Captairi Reuben Hill, who acquired the falls on the river and the ad- joining farm, in the middle of the 18th century. The house is probably not less than 160 years old. The first bridge was built about the same time, hence was called " HilVs Bridge. " The next house is Lieut. Hilton's. It stood where John C. Bartlett's house now stands, and was taken down to give place to the present house. Lieut. Andrew Hilton was born at Newmarket, August 8, 1763. He was son of Winthrop and Sarah (Smith) Hilton, 43 who was son of Col. Winthrop and Martha (Weeks) Hilton; he was son of Col. Winthrop and Ann (Wilson) Hilton; and this Col. Winthrop was grandson of Judge Edward Hilton, the founder of Dover, in the spring of 1623. The Hiltons were extensive land owners, and lived in what is now New fields ; when they came into possession of the Bartlett farm I do not know, but Andrew Hilton was living there when the first U. S. Census was taken, in 1790, and his family then consisted of two men, four women, and two children. The farm has been in possession of the Bartlett family since 1822, when it was purchased by Hon. Josiah Bartlett, and at his death it passed to the ownership of his son, Hon. John C. Bartlett, the present owner ; so the farm has been in pos- session of two men for nearly a century. The present owner has improved it to such an extent that he raises two spears of grass in his fields where formerly grew only one. It is one of the best farms in Strafford county, and it goes without saying that Mr. Bartlett is one of the best farmers in the county. His father was a good farmer, as well as a valiant officer in the war of 1812-15 ; his grandfather, Col. Thomas Bartlett, was a good farmer in Nottingham, as well as one of the great patriots of the Revolution. The next house beyond Lieut. Hilton's was Josiah Burley, Capt. Tuttle, Capt. Frost, Thomas Tufts, Durham line. Road to Northwood: Begins at Esqr. Leavitt's store, Elijah Cartland's house (now known as Timothy G. Davis, or Simon Otis house). Esquire Leavitt's "M" house, Edward Hardy, Footman house, Nottingham line. Total, 1 mile and 90 rods. Road to Wadleigh's Falls : Began at Leavitt's well (on the Hill), Eli Furber, Furber's bridge, Josiah Durgin. Dis- tance, 2 miles and 72 V2 rods. North River road: Began at one rod west of Leavitt's store (on the Hill) ; then 5 rods to Dr. Guy's house, school- house, Capt. Josiah Bartlett's house, Hunking Dame, at junction of the road to Nottingham, Little River bridge, Peltiah Thompson (at top of the hill), Jonathan Cartland (now Charles S. Cartland's) Friends' meeting house, Levi 44 Runnels, Kelsey road to Nottingham, William Palmer, Moses Huckins, schoolhouse, Lieut. Lang's house, Jos. Burnham, Joseph Ladd, North River mill, Sam Allen. Distance, 3 miles and 156 rods. This road is one of the old highways that antedates the incorporation of the town. The Thompsons were on the Hill there two hundred years ago, and their descendants are there now, but not the original house ; a long series of good farmers on a good farm. The Cartlands have had their home on that road for more than one hundred and seventy years. It has come down from the original settler, Joseph Cartland, who purchased the land for the farm in 1737. He was married and took his bride there to live in 1745. The house that is now standing was built about that time, and the present owner takes pride in keeping it in good repair, as he also keeps the ancestral acres under a good state of cultivation. There are other historic associations connected with the house and farm. The Cartlands were members of the Society of Friends, and leaders in the organization. They were also strong anti-slavery men and women. When the " under-ground railroad " commenced active operation for safe transportation of the colored slaves of the South through the Northern States to the land of freedom in Canada, the Cartland home was one of the " ivay stations" and there were never any " return tickets" delivered for the South-land, at the ticket office there. The Friends' meeting-house that is mentioned in the rec- ord of 1804, was later converted into a schoolhouse, and somewhat enlarged, by Moses Cartland, who was a famous school-master, and kept school there in the middle of the 19th century. This house was the home of the noted " Wal- nut Grove School," which for many years was a fitting school for young men, for business and for college, if they desired to enter the higher institutions. They had interest- ing lectures there, delivered by distinguished speakers, John G. Whittier, the poet, was a frequent visitor at the Cartland home. In its day this school ranked among the best of the New Hampshire Academies. It began work about 1845. It 45 was in a flourishing condition nearly a quarter of a century. The Doe or Fox Garrison was a half or three-fourths of a mile westerly of the Cartland homestead ; the story of it is told on another page. The house was torn down a few years ago. The Quaker Meeting-house near the Cartlands was for the accommodation of the Friends in Lee, who could not conveniently attend the meetings of the society in Dover, whose house is now standing on Central avenue, near Pine Hill Cemetery. There were quite a number of Quaker fam- ilies in Lee. Wadleigh's road, from North River road: Began at Moses Huckins' house. Widow Jackson, Tobias Cartland, John F. Meder, Chapman's, John Watson, Esquire Steele's house, Tim Moses, D. Watson, Col. John Folsom, Widow Folsom, Sam Chapman. Total distance, 2 miles, 273 rods. The Huckins house is now standing and occupied by Mrs. George W. Flummer, who is a granddaughter of Moses Huck- ins. The Esquire Steele house is what was known later as the Gardner Towle house. It was probably built soon after the close of the Revolutionary war by Esq. Steele, who was a prominent and wealthy man in his time. Mr. Towle was also a prominent citizen of Lee for a number of years. In the later part of his life he lived in Exeter. His son, Hamilton Towle, was a distinguished engineer. He was a passenger on the " Great Eastern " on its first voyage across the Atlantic. When about midway of the voyage the stearing gear became disabled, and but for the skill and ingenuity of Mr. Towle the ship could not have reached New York under its own power. He saw what ought to be done and did it, after long persuasion of the Captain to permit him to do the job. Mr. Towle patched the gearing in such a way that it worked the steamship into port. It was regarded as a great engineering feat. High road : Began at the Epping line, Esq. Sias, bridge over North river, Joseph Lawrence, at Wadleigh's road. Dis- tance, 1 mile, 98 rods. 46 Exeter road: Began at Wadleigh's bridge, E. Wiggin, Epping line. Distance, 224 rods. Noble's road : Began at Lawrence's corner, Widow Wey- mouth, Thomas Noble, Jr., Moses Davis. Distance, 252 rods. Kelsey road: Began at North River road, 20 rods to Joseph Emerson's, Obediah Davis, Jonathan Thompson, Not- tingham line. Distance, 194 rods. In passing it seems well to speak of the Rev. Israel Ches- ley farm, on the road near Wadleigh's Falls. Elder Chesley was born November 24, 1788. He was son of Lieut. Benja- min and Deborah (Randall) Chesley. His birthplace was in the house that stood where now stands the College Pres- ident's house. New Hampshire College. October 25, 1812, he married Betsey Folsom, daughter of Col. John Folsom, and they commenced housekeeping on the Folsom farm about that time. It had been in possession of the Folsom family more than 50 years ; and it has been in possession of the Chesley family a century, at least, the heirs of Irving G. Chesley being the present owners. Elder Chesley's grandfather, Thomas Chesley, was great-grandson of Phil- ip Chesley, the emigrant ancestor who settled in Old Dover 275 years ago. Elder Chesley was ordained as a Christian Baptist minister in 1816, at Durham, at the same time when Elder William Demeritt was ordained, and became pastor of the Christian Baptist church at Durham. Elder Chesley was the minister in Lee who succeeded Elder John Osborne, who died in 1832. Elder Chesley died 29 Sept., 1866 ; his wife died 23 May of the same year. The Mast road : Began at Durham line, 4 rods westerly of Laskey's bridge, then 22 rods to William Laskey's house (now the Bartlett house), then 16 rods to the Wednesday Hill road, Lieut. Runals, Capt. Giles, schoolhouse, Capt. Robert Parker's house, now known as the Hale place. Step- ping Stones Road, Job Randall, Rev. John Osborne, John Randall, Mica j ah Bickford, Joseph Follett, Meeting-house, Jonathan Jenkins, Esqr. Leavitt's house, Sam Furber. Dis- tance, 2 miles, 154 rods. 47 Capt. Parker was a distinguished citizen of Portsmouth before he commenced farming in Lee, He built the house about 1785. His grave is in the old burial ground, below his house. Before the middle of the 19th century, Hon. William Hale of Dover bought it for his son, Andrew, and after Judge Jeremiah Smith, Sr., died his widow came here to reside with her brother. Her son. Judge Jeremiah Smith, Jr., passed much of his boyhood here, until he entered col- lege. I do not need to say that your grange is named for him, in recognition of the many good things he and his mother did for Lee. It would make a long and interesting story to tell it all. The Laskey house has been in possession of the Bartlett family for more than a century. Jonathan Bartlett, son of Col. Thomas Bartlett of Nottingham, married Love, a daugh- ter of William and Mary (Randall) Laskey, Feb. 2, 1809. That was their home till his death in 1852. She died Aug. 7, 1884, in the 95th year of her age. The farm is now owned by their grandson, Charles W. Bartlett of Boston, the dis- tinguished lawyer, senior member of the great law firm of Bartlett & Bartlett. William Laskey's father, John Laskey of Kittery, bought that farm in 1722 and came there to reside that year " near Wednesday Hill brook ;" so Mr. Bartlett of Boston and his Bartlett-Laskey ancestors have owned that farm 194 years. I do not know who built the house, but probably the senior member, John Laskey of Kittery. Wednesday Hill road: Began 16 rods west of William Laskey's house, then 96 rods to William Clough's house, 80 fods to Packer's Falls road, William Jenkins, Capt. Giles, Widow Langley, Levi Langley, James Jenkins, W. Hill, Jo- seph Clark, to -the Meeting-house. Distance, 2 miles, 206 rods. The Clough farm came into possession of Thomas Ches- ley, brother of Elder Israel, about 1816, and is now owned by his son, George E. Chesley, who is now in his 84th year, and has one of the best farms in town, which is accounted for in part, by the fact that he is one of the best farmers in Strafford County. The Chesley family has owned the farm 48 one hundred years. The farm was first taken up by Zacheus Clough, about 1750, and passed from him to his son, William, who sold it to Thomas Chesley, as above stated. Stepping Stones road: The surveyor began to measure at the Barrington line, then to Cotton Dockham, Thomas Langley, Thomas Langley, Jr., Oyster River, Warner's house, east end of the pond, cross road to Widow Chesley, Aaron Hanson, to Mast road. Distance, 2 miles, 11 rods. Barrington road : Began at Durham line, Davis' house, Capt. Emerson, Smith, Esqr. Steele, Simon Randall, Capt. Leathers, Snell's mill, Jones, John Snell, Josiah Bodge, New- town road, David Munsey, Pinkham, to Barrington line. Distance, 2 miles, 235 rods. Tu7mpike road: Began at Durham line, 20 rods to Oys- ter river, John Jones, Andrew Demeritt, to cross road, Capt. Giles, John Layne, Edmund Lane, Tollhouse, Oyster river, Lemuel Chesley, W. Hill, to Barrington line. Distance, 2 miles, 20 rods. Ash Swamp road: Begins at Capt. Bartlett's house (North River road) to Thompson hill, 101 rods; bridge, J. Randall's house, to Nottingham line. Distance, 1 mile, 82 rods. The Davis farm in the Hook district, has been in the possession of the Davis family more than one hundred and fifty years. It was purchased by Lieut. David Davis about ^750 and he settled there soon after that date. From him it passed to his son, David, who in turn passed it to his son, Nathaniel Goodrich Davis, who was born in 1836. It is now owned by Nathaniel's son, Thomas Jones Davis, who was born in 1859, and is a lawyer in Duluth, Minn. Esquire Davis has presented to New Hampshire College a tract of eight acres in Lee and Durham. He planted it to sweet chestnut trees, and it is called " Davis Park." The college authorities are taking special care of it. In the not distant future it will be one of the fall recreations of the college students to go there and gather the chestnuts. BIG TAX PAYERS IN LEE IN 1 804 That old manuscript from which the above mentioned data were obtained, contains other interesting matter, among which is an inventory of the farms in Lee in 1813. It shows the number of acres of orchards, arable land, mowing land, pastures; and the tax rate for that year, which was $1.30. The following were among the largest tax payers: Capt. Robert Parker, $23.45 ; Job Thompson, $17.50 ; Joseph Law- rence, $17.35; David Rundlett, $15.82; Daniel Ladd, $12.80; Jonathan Cartland, $8.45. Mention has been made of the Stepping Stones road. Perhaps the younger people here today may not understand why that road is so called on the survey, hence a little expla- nation may be in order. The stones were so arranged, at an early period in the settlement, as to afford a safe footing across the channel of Oyster river, shortly after it leaves Wheelwright's Pond and across the adjacent marsh. Mention is made of them Nov. 16, 1720, when 50 acres of land were laid out to Nathaniel Hill on the north side of Wheelwright's Pond, beginning at a black oak standing near the place called the Stepping Stones, and thence run E. S. E. 68 rods to the pond. These stones remained in use till the middle of the 19th century. Wheelwright's Pond lies between Lee Hill and Newtown. The name of this pond was derived from Rev. John Wheel- wright, the founder of Exeter, in 1639. He had his grant of land from the Indian Sachem who ruled over the territory here, and this pond was on the boundary line, as Mr. Wheel- wright understood it ; hence in the disputes with the Dover authorities about the boundary line between Dover and Exe- ter, which lasted for many years, Wheelwright claimed this as his pond. Richard Otis of Dover was authorized by the town, July 3, 1666, " to cut all the grass about the pond by Oyster river, which was known by the name of Mr. Wheel- wright's marsh.'* 50 Whitehorne's plains, in Lee, are along the line of Bar- rington and Nottingham, near the Lee boundary, and were often familiarly called Cm^Vs plains, from Curtis White- horne, a former owner thereon. A highway across the lower side is sometimes called Whitehoryie's road. Wednesday Hill is one of the ancient landmarks of Old Dover. It is on the upper side of Lamprey river. It is east of Lee Hill, in what was known as District No. 3. Mention is made of it Nov. 4, 1723, when 30 acres of land were laid out to Samuel Purkins on the south side of Wednesday Hill. Capt. Nathaniel Randall's grant of 30 acres on this hill is mentioned in the division of his estate, April 25, 1750. There has been much speculation as to the origin of the name. Why did the settlers about there, two hundred years ago, give it that name in preference to any other day of the week? An old tradition asserts that the Indians had a skirmish with the white men at that hill on some Wednesday, jbut there is no record of such a fight in Lee anywhere than at Wheelwright's Pond. Another tradition says it was so flamed by the early surveyors, who were laying out grants of land on or around this hill on a Wednesday and took their luncheons on the top. I think this is the correct solution of the problem. Those old surveyors had to give names to localities in order to find the lot of land when the owner went out to settle on it. 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