Artemas Bailey was born in Lunenburg, Mass., January 17, 1800, and married Clarissa Billings. He was a book-binder, and carried on that business in his native place for several years. He moved with his family to Keene, in 1830, and worked at the same business here for several years. He had three children, two of whom, Lizzie A. and Adaline S., live in Keene. He died November 7, 1865, and his widow died February 2, 1893.
Isaac McAlister, born September 25, 1736, married Hannah, daughter of William and Keziah (Cloyes) Goddard, born January 27, 1736. He was one of the proprietors of Monadnock No. 5, and as such he took an active part in the affairs of the town; and it is said that he rendered assistance in the surey of the township, and for his services took his pay in land. His name appears on the proprietors’ book as one of a committee of three to lay out and clear a road from Dublin to Keene in 1763. He was the second settler in town, … Read more
Barton Skinner was born in Westmoreland, N. H., December 19, 1801, and was the seventh of a family of nine children, only one of whom was a girl, and only two of whom survive, aged respectively eighty-two and seventy-eight years. They were a family of remarkable longevity. Barton, who was the first to die, reached the age of sixty-three years, and this age was exceeded by all who have since deceased. Their parents, Timothy and Ruth Warner Skinner, removed from Brookfield, Mass., in 1793 or 94. The nine children were: Warren. born June 2, 1991; Cynthia, born September 10, 1792; … Read more
Joseph Perry was born in Westminster, Vt., May 30, 1788. His father, Silas Perry, married Catharine Hale (both natives of Massachusetts), in 1783. Silas served in the Revolutionary war, and, in 1800, moved with his family o Keene, locating upon a farm on road 4. Joseph prepared for college in the preparatory schools, and graduated from Dartmouth in 1811. He was the appointed preceptor of the academy connected with this college, where he remained until November, 1816. He then went to New York city and engaged in the business of a private classical and mathematical teacher, for which h had … Read more
Ezra Hayden, a native of Sudbury, Mass., came here about 1804 or 1805. locating upon the farm where Ethan Blodgett now lives. He removed to the place now owned by Eli Smith, where he died in 1843, at the age of fiftyeight years. His son, Otis, was born here where he has lived most of his life. His residence is on road 37.
Calvin E. Nurse, son of Benjamin, was born in Keene, March 20, 182 He has resided a number of years in Chesterfield, having previously travel extensively in the United States and Canada as an attach€ of a circus co pany. He is a painter and paper-hanger.
William Yeardley (I), b. in England in 1752, came to Dublin, N. H., in 1776 and died there, June 23, 1805. He m. Sarah Twitchell, dau. of Gershom, b. 1750; d. in Dublin, Jan. 7, 1831. Of their six children the third was William (II), b. 1784; m. 1804, Rhoda Brooks, dau. of Joseph, b. Mar. 3, 1707; d. Apr. 5, 1837. Horace (III), the fifth of the nine children of William and Rhoda (Brooks) Yeardley, was b. in Dublin, Mar. 11, 1814, and m. Sarah Elizabeth Taylor b. Aug. 30, 1822. Their son, William Wallace, 1, was b. in … Read more
Abel Fletcher, one of the pioneer settlers of Chesterfield. N. H., married Phoebe, daughter of Jonathan Hildreth, of Chesterfield, in 1784; for his second wife he married Sally Willard, and for his third Charlotte, daughter of Ephraim Hubbard, who survived him. His will was made in 1816 and proved in 1817. Daniel, son of Abel, born August 8, 1789, married Lucy, daughter of Joseph Converse, and resided many years in Chesterfield, but died in Hills. dale, December 5, 18i5, aged eighty-six years. Joseph C. Fletcher, son of Daniel, born May 27, 1822, died May 31, 1873, aged fifty-seven years. He … Read more
Dr. Samuel A. Richardson was born in Dublin, N. H. He graduated at the Albany Medical college, remained in a hospital one year, and came to Marlboro, July 5, 1855. He remained in practice here until 1862, when he went out with the lath N. H. Vols., and remained in the service until the close of the war. At the time of the surrender of Lee, at Appomatox, the doctor furnished the lunch partaken of by the vanquished and victorious commanders. With this refreshment he managed to furnish some liquor, which he said they drank in silence and with bowed … Read more
Samuel Burt6, (Samuel5) whose portrait appears here, was born Westmoreland, November 5, 1990. He married Betsey, daughter of Josia Jr., and Lena (Holbrook) Penniman, born in Mendon, Mass., April 2,1798 He settled on the road where William Atherton now lives. In the spring 1837 be bought the farm where Rodney Fletcher now lives, west of the village, where he lived until the spring of 1845, when he purchased of D. Walton, what is now Walter Wheeler’s hotel, residing there twenty-two years. In the spring of 1867 he sold the same to Sanford Guernsey, removing to the north side of the … Read more
Amos Kidder, son of Samuel, who came from Massachusetts at an early day and located upon the farm now occupied by Samuel M., died herein 1873, at the age of ninety-four years and seven months. Three of his six children are living, viz: Amos, in Newport; Mrs. John McNeil, in Westminster, Vt. ; and Samuel M., on the homestead farm. The latter, the youngest son of Capt. Amos, was born in Dalton, N- H., December 17. 1811, He has lived in Alstead since two years of age, and has been identified with the Methodist church over fifty years. He has … Read more
Oliver L. Spaulding. was born in Jaffrey, N. H., August 2, 1833, graduated at Oberlin college, Ohio, in 1855; removed to St. Johns, Mich., in 1857. In 1858 he was elected a member of the Board of Regents of the University of Michigan for the term of six years. Served during the war of the rebellion in all the grades from captain to brevet brigadier-general In 1866 he was elected secretary of state for Michigan, and was re-elected in 1868. Was a special agent of the United States treasury department from 1875 till he resigned the position to take his … Read more
Phineas Farrar, son of Josiah and Hannah Farrar, was born in Sudbury, Mass., came to Marlboro in 1768, and died here at the age of ninety-four years. His son William, a native of the town, died at the age of eighty-one years. Calvin, son of William, resides on road 9.
Alstead, Cheshire county, New Hampshire, with an area of 24,756 acres, lies in the extreme northern part of Cheshire county, in 43º 6′ of north latitude, and longitude 4º 48′ east from Washington, bounded north by Sullivan county, east by Marlow, south by Gilsum and Surry, and west by Walpole and a part of Sullivan county. The territory now lying within its limits was originally granted by Gov. Benning Wentworth, probably in 1761. This history entails sketches of early industry, churches, military, and benevolent societies, as well as biographies and sketches of the early settlers. History of Alstead, New Hampshire … Read more
During the Revolutionary war, the new town performed well her share in the struggle for liberty. The names of her soldiers in that war are as follows: John Swan Thomas Morse Richard Gilchrist John Morse Thomas Green Henry Strongman William Greenwood Eli Greenwood Reuben Morse Richard Strongman Ithamer Johnson Ezra Morse James Chamberlain Nathaniel Bates Samuel Twitchell Lieut. Robert Muzzey Hart Balch James Mills Joshua Greenwood, 1st Jonathan Morse Micah Morse Micah Morse, 2d Jabez Puffer Thomas Hardy John Stone Benjamin Mason In the war of 1812-’15, only one man, George Washington Phillips, enlisted from the town, and died in … Read more
Catholic church. – The Catholics of Keene were first united under the Rev. John Brady in 1857. He built the present church and purchased the cemetery. His successors were Rev. Fathers OHara, Parache, Herbert, Murphy, Holohan and Galvin. The present pastor is Rev. J. R. Power, who has purchased a site and is engaged in erecting a school and convent. The parish embraces the neighboring tows of Marlboro, Fitzwilliam, Troy, Swanzey and Gilsum, and numbers about 2,500 souls.
Lawrence Walton was in Chesterfield as early as 1770, and died here November 28, 1795, aged seventy-eight years. His children were as folio Elisha, Nathaniel, Peru, Sarah, Lucretia, Margaret, Deborah, and Elijah. Nathaniel married, first, Mary, daughter of Eli Partridge, and second, Jemi daughter of John Sanderson. He lived in the “New Boston” district, on the farm now owned by Charles M. Davis, was a blacksmith by trade, and noted for his great strength. His children were Elijah, Azariah, Nathan, Polly, Lovilla and Rachel. Elijah, son of Nathaniel, married Joanna, daught of Shadrack Herrick, and died September 24, 1861. His … Read more
Rowland Stebbins, born in 1594, came from Ipswich, Eng., on the Francis in 1634, landed at Roxbury, but probably went to the Connecticut River the following year with William Pynchon, the founder of the city of Springfield. Thence he moved to Northampton, about 1656, where he died, December 14, 1671. His wife died at Springfield, October 4, 1649, aged fifty-eight years. Elihu Stebbins, whose ancestors resided in Northfield, was a lineal descendant of Rowland. He was born in 1762, settled in Hinsdale, and married, March 24, 1786, Lucretia,. daughter of Eldad Wright, who was taken from him by death, December … Read more
Edward Augustus Todd9, (John D.8, Caleb7, Jehiel6, Stephen5, Stephen4, Samuel3, Samuel2, Christopher1) born Feb. 13, 1840, in Chesterfield, N. H., married May 30, 1872, Mary Elvira, daughter of Walter S. and Emily (Magee) Todd, who was born Jan. 8, 1849. For her ancestry see number 2013. He was a physician and had a practice in Chicago, Ill., but had to give it up on account of ill health and later went to live in Fort Meyers, Fla., where he was living in 1912. Child: 2619. Arthur, b. Aug. 5, 1875, d. March 17, 1888, in Lawtey, Fla.
Cummings Sawyer, son of Josiah, married Elizabeth, daughter of W. Edward and Parnell Young, and has three children. He now resides on the homestead farm, on road 39.