Sidney S. Campbell, now a retired manufacturer residing at Factory Village, was born in Westminster, Vt., and came to this town in 1830. He married Clarissa Daggett, of Westmoreland, who bore him three childrenMary E., Charles S., and Clara Anna.
Samuel Goodrich, son of Abijah, was born in Fitchburg, Mass., September 6, 1788, and married Hannah Cain, of Weymouth, Mass., March 31, 181 r. He settled in Chesterfield about 1813, upon the farm now owned and occupied by Willard Henry, and remained there until his death, January 1, 1877. He was selectman in 1836, 1837, and 1842. He was an influential member of the Methodist church, was deaf for many years, yet occupied his seat at church. His children were Sarah, Hannah, Emily, Joseph C., Abijah, George, and James H. Joseph C., born December 11, 1817, married Hannah F., daughter … Read more
Waitstill Scott was in Westmoreland at the time of the Revolution, and commanded the company that marched from that town on the occasion of the alarm at Ticonderoga. He probably came to Chesterfield between 1815 and 1818. His children were Eunice, Lydia, Waitstill, Rufus, Rhodolphus, Lucy, Lyman, Chester, and Justus. Rhodolphus, born January 7, 1780, married twice, first, Lydia Haven, and second, Mrs. Diantha Hopkins. He had born to him eight children, as follows: Noyes, born October 7, 1803; Horace; Alonzo, born in 1807; Cordelia, born August 9, 1; Rhodolphus, died in infancy; Otis H., born May 14, 1826; Romanzo … Read more
Moses Dudley, son of Nahum, was born October 18, 1794, and married Persis, daughter of Rev. Allen Pratt, of Westmoreland. From 1817 till 1851 he was engaged in tanning at the Center village, and afterwards in farming, having purchased a farm in the western part of the town, where he died, April 16, 1874. He was selectman in 1832, 1833, 1835, 1847, and delegate to the constitutional convention in 1850. His children were Allen Pratt, Hannah C., Charles P., William L., and Persis M. William L., born December 20, 1824, married Mary Caroline, daughter of Thomas B. and Betsey R. … Read more
Chesterfield lies in the western part of the county, in lat. 42° 54′ and long. 4° 40′, bounded north by Westmoreland and Keene, east by Keene and Swanzey, south by Winchester and Hinsdale, and west by the west bank of Connecticut river, and has an area, exclusive of the Connecticut, of about forty-four square miles, or 28,160 acres. In tracing the sketch of the grant of Chesterfield, etc., it is necessary to glance at the trouble attending the settlement of the boundary line between New Hampshire and Massachusetts, which are written up in the sketch of Hinsdale and in the … Read more
John Kneeland, son of Timothy, was born in Gardner, Mass., in 1766 or 1767. He married Polly Johnson in 1791. He came to Chesterfield about 1797 and resided many years on the farm now owned by Charles C. P. Goodrich, Esq., and which has long been known as the “Squire Kneeland farm.”He was justice of the peace for many years, and held the office of selectman sixteen years in all, longer than it has ever been held by any other person since the town was incorporated. He was also representative in 1818,’20, ’22 and ’25. He died February 9, 185o, … Read more
William Bennett married Sally Pierce, and came from Harvard, Mass., about 1788, settling near Chesterfield line in the southern part of Westmoreland, near the farm which George Bennett now owns. He was a Revolutionary soldier and was at the battle of Lexington. His grandson, George Bennett, has in his possession a bullet which his grandfather made. Tradition says he run the bullet and passed it to the soldier who stood beside him, which killed the first British officer in the Revolutionary war. William Bennett, 2d, born in Westmoreland, married for his first wife, in 1807, Catharine Smith, born July 9, … Read more
Ezekiel Porter Pierce, fifth son of Captain John Pierce, was born in Chesterfield, April 20, 1785. He lived at home, working on his father’s farm, attending the common schools and Chesterfield academy, until he learned the carpenter and joineis’ trade. At the age of twenty-one he left home, going to Farmington, Me., where he engaged in drafting and architecture. March 1, 1808, he married Susanna, daughter of Colonel Ezekial Porter, of Farmington, Me., who was born May 4, 1785. He moved here from Maine, to live with his mother, on the John Pierce homestead, in October, 1814. Here he attended … Read more
According to tradition, the first Methodist sermon preached in the town, and probably in New Hampshire, was in 1772, at the house of James Robinson, a Scotch dissenter, who settled in Chesterfield on the farm where his grandson, T. N. Robinson, now resides. Mr. Robinson, hearing from friends in New York of the zealous and devoted Philip Embry, sent a message desiring Mr. Embry to come and preach at his house, setting forth the good he thought might result from his labors. Mr. Embry saw fit to respond, and in the fall or early winter 1772, he came to town, … Read more
WEST CHESTERFIELD is a post village located in the western part of the town near the Connecticut. It has one church (Union), one store, two sawmills, a box-stock factory, two grist-mills, two blacksmith shops, a village-hall, and about twenty dwellings.
John Butler, whose father, Josiah, was a nephew of Col. Josiah Willard, the principal grantee of Chesterfield, was born in Hinsdale, February 5.1786, and settled in Chesterfield in 1824. His widow, Lydia (Crowninshield) Butler, survives him, residing on road 27. Mr. Butler reared eight children: Marshall, Warren, Josiah, Ephraim, Erastus, Maria, Roswell, and Otis. Thomas F., son of Otis, resides or road 53. Mervin H., son of Otis, resides also on road 53. Warren H., son of Marshall, resides on road 50.
Edward Jarvis, son of Edward, was born at St. John City, N. B. He married Calista M. Gibson, of that city, September 16, 1856, and came to Chesterfield, June 29, 1860, and lived near the southern boundary line of Westmoreland in the house where Mr. Strobridge lived and died. After two years he went to Swanzey, and engaged in lumbering in California woods. Three years afterwards he removed to Westmoreland, and lived on the farm last owned by Sanford Guernsey, and the house built by Samuel Burt, ist. They lived there fourteen years, when the buildings were destroyed by fire. … Read more
Capt. Samuel S. Brooks was born in Medford, Mass., March 5, 1781. The early part of his life was spent on the sea, he being a sea captain for a number of years. On retiring therefrom he settled at Cambridge, Mass., where he was postmaster four years. In August, 1821, he came to this town and engaged in the manufacture of cotton goods at Factory Village, in which business he continued until 1850. In 1839, however, he removed to Brattleboro, where he died, in April T865. He married Eleanor Forman, June 20. 1807, who bore him a large, family, seven … Read more
George Hawes, son of John, was born in Barre, Mass. He married Eunice M., daughter of Joseph Day, of Chesterfield, N. H., in 1858, and lived in Worcester, Mass., where he was engaged in railroad business about twenty years. He removed to this town in 1870, where he now resides. He has an adopted daughter, Bessie B., who was the daughter of Willis Bemis, of Brattleboro, Vt.
Abner Harris, son of Abner, came to this town from Woodstock, Conn., soon after 1777, and purchased 150 acres of land, the same being a part of the farm which has long been known as the Harris farm. His children were Abner, John, Perley, Elizabeth, Experience, Esther, Tamar, Deborah, Sarah, Lydia, Mary, Thomas, Zerviah and Dolly. Wilder, son of John and grandson of Abner, was born May 11, 1797, married three times, first, Harriet, daughter of John Davis, in 1817,who died November 2o, 1851; second, Mrs. Nancy J. Wood, of Saxton’s River, Vt., July 5, 1854, who died in December, … Read more
Early settlers on or near the shores of Spafford lake were one Ladd, near the northwest shore, hence the name of Lard’s meadow, one by the name of Jewels, on the “Charlier place, “giving the name Jewell’s point, a Mr. Reed, who settled near the east shore, in the vicinity of Reed’s cove, Capt. John Pierce, who settled on the southwest side, purchasing section No. 12, which lot included Pierce’s Island, hence Pierce’s Island and Picnic Point. The first of the pretty private cottages which now peep out from among the trees on its pleasant shores was built by Azor … Read more
Joseph Titus came to Chesterfield in 1777, from Douglas, Mass., soon after his marriage there to Mary Bigelow, and cleared and put in thorough cultivation one of its most rocky, hill-side farms. He was fourth in descent from Robert Titus, who came from near Stanstead Abbey, Hartfordshire, England, in 1635, and finally settled on Long Island. The immigrant was of a family of some note; a brother was the Colonel Titus, of Cromwell’s army, who afterwards espoused the cause of King Charles II., and on the occasion of an attempt upon the life of the Lord Protector, wrote anonymously the … Read more
John Darling came to Chesterfield, from Winchendon, Mass., February 17, 1778, and settled upon a part of what is now known as Barrett hill. He was one of the party that made the famous march to Quebec, in 1775, under command of Benedict Arnold, through the wilderness of Maine. At an early period he built the large two-story house, situated on the road from the Center village to Winchester, long known as the “yellow house,” and at one time owned an extensive tract of timber land in the Winchester woods, from which he cut large quantities of lumber, sawing it … Read more
Asa Britton was among the earlier residents of Chesterfield, and among those who contributed largely to its business and prosperity. He was the son of Ebenezer and Sarah (Bullock) Britton, and was born in Raynham, Mass., April 30 1763. In 1771, with his father’s family, he moved to Westmoreland, N. H., where his early youth was passed, and where, in 1788, he married Sally, eldest daughter of Major Leonard Keep, a son of Experience (Lawrence) and Capt. Jabez Keep. Early in their married life the young couple removed to Lansingburgh, N. Y., where they buried their eldest son, soon after … Read more
Herbert B. was born in the old farm house built by his grandfather, and long since demolished. At the age of fourteen he taught his first school of forty scholars, sixteen of whom were older than himself, and with such success that his services were again sought for the same school Teaching and work upon the farm alternated with study at the academy at West Brattleboro, Vt., Chesterfield and Meriden, until 1854, when he entered Yale college where he remained but a single term, the death of a relative who had promised pecuniary assistance, leaving his way not clear at … Read more