Canterbury New Hampshire

Biography of James S. Elkins

James S. Elkins, a prominent citizen of Canterbury, N.H., was born in Rye, N.H., December 24, 1809, son of James and Mehitable (Rand) Elkins. His paternal grandfather, Samuel Elkins, was a native of Rye, where he was engaged in agriculture during the active period of his life. James Elkins was a farmer and fisherman, following the first-named occupation in Rye, where he was born May 3, 1777. He died in Canterbury, November 29, 1855. His wife, Mehitable Rand Elkins, was born in Rye, June 19, 1787, and died in Canterbury, July 20, 1859. James S., the subject of this sketch; … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Milo S. Morrill

Milo S. Morrill, a prominent lumberman and farmer, was born in Canterbury, January 20, 1846, son of Captain David and Sallie (Peverly) Morrill. Reuben Morrill, was a well-known farmer of Canterbury. The father was also a farmer, and largely interested in lumber. He was a Captain in the militia. His wife was the widow of John Kimball, and his children were: George P., who married Abbie Emery; and Milo S., the subject of this sketch. He died April 6, 1893. Mr. Morrill received a common-school education. He lived at home, taking care of his parents on the old farm. Upon … Read more

Biography of Albert Stevens

Albert Stevens, a farmer of Concord, was born at Canterbury, N.H., January 24, 1833, and is a representative of the third generation of the Stevens family born in this town. His paternal grandfather, whose name, it is believed, was Simeon Stevens, was a farmer and lifelong resident of Canterbury. He attained an advanced age, and was the father of six sons and four daughters. Three of the sons-Moses, John, and Thomas -went West, and settled in Princeton, Ill., where they grew prosperous and married. John Stevens had a son who became extremely wealthy, and two of the sons of Simeon … Read more

Biography of James Dodge

James Dodge, who cultivated a good farm in Pembroke, and owned considerable real estate in this and other towns, was born in Goffstown, N.H., November 14, 1829, son of John G. and Polly (Tallant) Dodge. His great-grandfather, Antipas Dodge, who lived to be one hundred and one years old, and died on Independence Day, was a native of Haverhill, Mass., and an early settler in Goffstown. The first wife of Antipas, Margaret Boise Dodge, was the mother of James Dodge, grandfather of the subject of this sketch. The names of his second wife and her children are unknown. James Dodge, … Read more

Biography of John M. Fletcher

John M. Fletcher, a prominent and successful dentist of the city of Concord, N.H., was born in Canterbury, N.H., July 24, 1832. He is the son of John and Nancy (St. Clair) Fletcher. His grandfather, John Fletcher, Sr., was a native of Dunstable, Mass., born January 25, 1770. He removed to Loudon, N.H., and there spent his remaining years as an agriculturist, dying December 15, 1853. He was fortunate in choosing his partner for life, a lady of high moral worth as well as of great natural ability, a conscientious Christian, a devoted mother, and a loving wife. Her maiden … Read more

Biography of Daniel B. Sanborn

Daniel B. Sanborn, a successful farmer of East Concord, Merrimack County, was born in Webster, N.H., April 12, 1840, son of Daniel and Sally (Batchelder) Sanborn. Mr. Sanborn’s grandfather, Tristam Sanborn, came to Webster with his wife and her parents, and took up land on what is now known as Sanborn and Clough’s Hill. He lived to be quite an old man, and remained in this place until his death. He had a large family of children, of whom Daniel, father of the subject of this sketch, was the youngest but one. Daniel Sanborn moved to Canterbury when his son … Read more

Biography of Edmund Silver

Edmund Silver, a thriving farmer of Boscawen, N.H., was born in Bow, this State, September 10, 1834. His parents, Edmund and Sallie (Dow) Silver, who resided in Bow for the greater part of their lives, died when their son Edmund was quite young. They had nine children-Lewis, Laura, Cyrene, Leonard, Gideon, Sullivan, Daniel, Edmund, and George. Lewis died in March, 1897. Daniel is engaged in farming in Salisbury, N.H. George is in Penacook; and the others, except Edmund, the subject of our sketch, are deceased. Edmund Silver received his education in the district schools, remaining at home with his parents … Read more

Biography of Joseph Warren Ham

Joseph Warren Ham, a wellknown farmer of Canterbury, N.H., was born in this town, June 18, 1820, son of Joseph and Susan (Sargent) Ham. His grandfather, Joseph Ham, was born in Portsmouth, but came to Canterbury with three brothers in 1783. He settled on a farm near where the subject of this sketch now lives, and spent the rest of his life here. His son Joseph, a man of force and high integrity, was a carpenter by trade, although he devoted himself to the pursuit of agriculture. Soon after his marriage he came into possession of the home farm where … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Alva J. Dearborn

Alva J. Dearborn, a prosperous farmer of Canterbury, N.H., was born in this town, October 13, 1851, son of James and Susan (Fellows) Dearborn. James Dearborn, who was a native of Plymouth, N.H., came to this town when a young man, and carried on farming here the rest of his life. He died in December, 1868. His wife, a native of Canterbury, died April 1, 1882. They had five children: Ella, now the C. Wesley Carter, of Boscawen; Alva J., the subject of this sketch; Susan E., who died in March, 1895; and twins, one of whom was named Lyman, … Read more

Biography of Frank B. Kenney

Frank B. Kenney, a prominent farmer of Loudon and a son of Bradley H. and Nancy (Young) Kenney, was born in Loudon, December 19, 1854. His father, who was a native of New Hampshire, and a cooper by trade, settled in Loudon after his marriage, was thereafter occupied in farming, and died May 24, 1882, on the farm where the subject of this sketch now lives. The first of the father’s two marriages was contracted with Miss Pease, who bore him four children. These were: Mary Ann, who married Joseph A. Foster, and lives in Manchester, N.H.; Clarissa, now deceased; … Read more

Biography of William H. Carter

William H. Carter, a thrifty farmer of Canterbury and a son of John and Lydia (Gill) Carter, was born December 20, 1842. His grandfather, Nathan Carter, who was born in Boscawen, N.H., April 6, 1762, lived in this town all his life. Nathan carried on farming, and conducted a tavern, and died September 21, 1841. His wife, Sarah, died May 8, 1845. They had five children, namely: Judith, born December 5, 1787, who married John French, and died December 13, 1871; Moses, born August 6, 1790, who died May 30, 1851; John, born December 10, 1797, the father of the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Dr. Edward Horatio Foster

Dr. Edward Horatio Foster, formerly a well-known medical practitioner of Concord, was born October 13, 1839, in Canterbury, N.H., son of David M. and Sarah (Bradley) Foster. He is a direct descendant of Reginald Foster, who settled in Ipswich, Mass., in 1635. His grandfather, Asa Foster, served in the French and Indian War, and under General Pepperell was at the capture of Louisburg. During the Revolutionary War Asa was one of General Arnold’s body-guard at the time of the General’s desertion. When he died in Canterbury in 1862, he was ninety-six years old. His son, David M. Foster, a native … Read more

Biography of Charles Horace Fletcher

Charles Horace Fletcher, one of the prominent farmers of his native town, Canterbury, Merrimack County, was born August 3, 1837, son of John and Nancy (St. Clair) Fletcher. John Fletcher was born in Loudon, N.H., March 16, 1795. He married Miss St. Clair, of Canterbury, born October 2, 1799, and settled on St. Clair Hill in Canterbury township, where he became a prominent farmer. His wife’s father, Noah St. Clair, was, it is said, a soldier in the Revolutionary War. He had ten children. Some of them spelled the name St. Clair, and some spelled it Sinclair. If the same … Read more

Biography of Charles N. Clough

Charles N. Clough, Selectman of Canterbury and a well-known farmer, was born here, January 15, 1849, son of Colonel David M. and Almira (Batchelder) Clough. He belongs to an old and prominent family. His great-grandfather, Leavitt Clough, Sr., was likewise born in Canterbury, where he also lived and died. Leavitt Clough, Jr., was a farmer and a Justice of the Peace in his native town. Colonel David M. Clough, popularly known as “Corn King,” who belongs to the third generation of Cloughs in Canterbury, was born June 9, 1805. He was educated in the district schools of his native place … Read more