Partridge, Dennis N. Croydon New Hampshire Genealogy.
Croydon New Hampshire Genealogy contains the 1850 census of Croydon New Hampshire as well as the general, church, civil, industrial and military histories of the town, including 261 brief sketches of it’s early residents. This is an eclectic collection of material, some of it is original, while others was extracted from a variety of sources.
ROLLINS A. KEMPTON, fifth son of Col. Calvin Kempton, was born Oct. 29, 1826. In addition to the district school, he received the instructions of his father at home, who was an experienced and most faithful teacher, and had been for thirty years Superintending School Committee of the town. His early life was full of poverty and discouragements. At the tender age of nine years he followed his mother to her grave, and was thus deprived of her guardian care and sympathy. His father had been a large farmer and extensive wool-grower, but the revulsions of 1837 swept away his … Read more
REV. LUTHER JACOBS FLETCHER, son of David Fletcher, was born Nov. 25, 1818. His father was a blacksmith by trade, and he, the youngest son, was the “heir apparent” to the bellows and the anvil; but his love for books was stronger than the paternal decree. He pursued his preparatory studies at Unity Academy, and graduated at the Norwich University, 1841. In 1842 be was settled as pastor of the Universalist church in Surry, N. H. The year after, he was chosen Principal of the Mount Ceasar Seminary at Swanzey, but the duties of his two-fold office proving too severe … Read more
JONAS CUTTING, LL. D., son of Jonas Cutting and Betsey Eames Cutting, and grandson of Jonas, senior, was born in Croydon, on the 3d of November, 1800. He prepared for college, principally under the tuition of Otis Hutchins, then Principal of Kimball Union Academy in Plainfield, and entered the Freshman Class at Dartmouth College in 1819. He graduated in 1823, and subsequently read law, first with the late Hon. Henry Hubbard, of Charlestown, and the third year with Hon. Reuel Williams, at Augusta, Maine, where he was admitted to the bar in 1826. Thence he removed to the town of … Read more
CAPT. WORTHEN HALL, son of Darius, and grandson of Lt. Edward Hall, was born July 11, 1802. He had few early advantages ; until he was twenty-five years of age he struggled against all the embarrassments which a deficient education, poor health, poverty and ill-luck, could throw in his pathway. In 1827 he went to sea in a whaling vessel, before the mast, as a common sailor. He was adapted to the business, and was regularly promoted at the end of each successive voyage, until the fall of 1837, when he became Master of the ship, which position he held … Read more
MERRITT, LEMUEL and HENRY POWERS, sons of Zadock, and grandsons of Ezekiel Powers, were clergymen in Vermont.
WILLIAMS BARTON, M.D. was born August 6, 1820. He attended Unity and Kimball Union Academies, studied medicine with Drs. Coburn, Hall and Nichols, graduated at the Medical Department of Dartmouth College in May, 1845, and soon after commenced practice at Croydon, where he now resides. He was three years commissioner of common schools for Sullivan County, and a teacher of elocution at the Teachers’ Institute.
WILLIAM WALLACE KIDDER, son of Amos and Lucinda Barton Kidder, was born Aug. 11, 1845, studied medicine with Williams Barton, M. D.; was with Capt. Ira McL. Barton, as orderly in the 5th Reg. N. H. Vols., and also in the 9th Reg. N. H. Vols.
WILLIAM SHERMAN came to Croydon from Barre, Mass., in 1797, and died Feb. 19, 1855, aged 79 years, leaving a large family. He is remembered as an upright farmer. Of him it, might be said, as of one of old: “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile.”
WILLIAM POWERS, an elder brother of the preceding, was born in 1786, and his means of education were similar to those of his brother. He was assistant keeper of the prison at Auburn, N. Y. Having drawn a superior plan of a prison, he was employed by the government of Canada West to superintend the erection of a penitentiary at Kingston, and in May, 1835, was appointed Deputy Warden of said prison. He is now an extensive farmer in western New York.
WILLIAM PLUMMER WHEELER, son of Col. Nathaniel Wheeler, was born at Croydon, July 31, 1812. He lived at home on the Wheeler place in the south part of the town until he was about thirteen years of age, when he went to reside with his uncle James Wheeler at Newport. He remained there until 1836; and, after the death of his uncle, was for a time engaged in the harness making business. He pursued his studies at the Academy in Newport, and afterwards at Kimball Union Academy, where he remained nearly three years. He left there in 1839, and commenced … Read more
WILLIAM P. WHEELER, A.M., born July 31, 1812; graduated at Harvard; was for many years a prominent member of the Cheshire County bar; was twice appointed to a seat upon the bench of the Supreme Court, which he declined; 11 was twice a candidate for Congress; was president of the Keene Savings-Bank, and was a trustee of the New Hampshire Industrial School and of the Agricultural College; died May 10, 1876.
WILLIAM M. WHIPPLE, son of William, was born Aug. 9, 1817. His early life was passed at the homestead and devoted to agriculture. He subsequently engaged in mercantile business. He was Representative from Croydon in 1856. He removed to Sheffield, Bureau Co., Ill. in 1857, where he has been engaged in successful trade and farming operations. He is a man of fine intellect and agreeable manners, and has been the recipient of many public honors.
WILLIAM HENRY HURD, oldest son of Henry and Abigail Gibson Hurd, was born at Croydon on the 30th of August, 1829. Fitted for college at Kimball Union Academy; studied medicine with Dr. McQuestion, of Washington, and Dr. Justus Hurd, of Mississippi; attended lectures at Cincinnati Medical College, and graduated from Hanover in 1854. H2 commenced practice at Wells River, Vt., but removed to Ashton, Canada West, where he remained until 1858. He then removed to Carleton Place, Canada West, where he now resides. He was married May 10, 1859, to Miss Rosalind Rosamond, daughter of James Rosamond, banker of Almonte, … Read more
WILLIAM GIBSON, one of the early settlers of the town, married Abigail Sanger, a daughter of Isaac Sanger. They had eight children. The following includes those of the family, in part, who have turned their attention to literary and professional pursuits.
WILLIAM FREEMAN COOPER is the fourth son of the late Dea. Sherman Cooper, of Croydon. On his father’s side he is descended from the Coopers and Shermans; and on his mother’s, from the Powerses and Lelands. His parents having a large family and but little property, his early life was one of toil. While living with them his means of education were small. At the age of eighteen he left the paternal roof and was thrown upon his own resources. After spending four years at the Newport Academy and in teaching school to improve the state of his finances, he, … Read more
WILLIAM E. MELENDY, Son of Sibley, a soldier in the war of 1812, was born Jan. 2, 1819. In 1845, he removed to Springfield, N. H., where he shared in a good degree the confidence of the community. He was Postmaster six years, Selectman two, and Representative two. Since 1853, he has been engaged in mercantile business. In 1863, he moved to West Andover, N. H., where he now resides. He married Martha P., daughter of Ziba Cooper. ELBRIDGE and ALONZO MELENDY, sons of John, after struggling against all the embarrassments of early poverty, settled at Cohoes, N. Y., where … Read more
WILLIAM BRECK, son of Henry Breck, was born Dec. 17, 1826. At the age of fourteen, he removed with his father to Cornish. At eighteen, he went to Claremont, and was Assistant Postmaster for two years ; at the expiration of which time, on account of ill health, he returned to his father’s roof at Cornish. At twenty-two, he went into trade with his brother John at Cornish, and continued there four years ; at which time, laboring under a severe attack of asthma, he went to California, where he was in active business eight years, when, having regained his … Read more
WILLIAMS BARTON, M. D., son of Bazaleel Barton 2nd, and grandson of Peter Barton, was born Aug. 6, 1820. He received his literary training at Unity and Kimball Union Academies ; studied medicine with Drs. Coburn, Hall and Nichols; graduated at the medical department of Dartmouth College in May, 1845, and soon after commenced practice at Croydon, where he still resides. He was often chairman of the Superintending School Committee, and was three years Commissioner of Common Schools for Sullivan County, during which time he was often employed as professor of elocution, in teachers’ institutes, in different parts of the … Read more
WILLARD P. GIBSON, son of William, born September 2, 1798, studied medicine and graduated at Castleton, Vt., in 1822;’ spent fifteen years in the practice of his profession at Newport and elsewhere, and then turned his attention to theology. He died October 23, 1837, four days after his ordination.