Fitzwilliam New Hampshire

Biographical Sketch of Hosea Platts

Hosea Platts, a descendent of Abel, who came from England and settled in Rindge previous to the Revolution, was born in that town. He married Nancy, daughter of Thayer Smith, of Fitzwilliam, April 16, 1831, and resided in Rindge until 1837, where two sons and two daughters were born. They then moved to Fitzwilliam and located on road 14, where seven more children were born. Of these, John A. Platts, born September 16, 1838, enlisted as a private in Co. K, 6th N. H. Vols., October 28, 1861, and served until July 15, 1865, being mustered out as a first … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Rev. Samuel S. Dudley

Rev. Samuel S. Dudley, a native of Sudbury, Mass., has been a Methodist minister forty-four years, seventeen of which he has preached in this county. He now resides on road 42.

Biographical Sketch of Royal Smith

Royal Smith came here from his native town, Lexington, Mass. He was a carpenter and died here in 1838. His son, Oliver W., was born here, is a farmer and lives on road 1.

Biographical Sketch of Phinehas Reed

Phinehas Reed, a soldier of the Revolution, came to Fitzwilliam, from Westford, Mass., in 1784, built a tannery and conducted the business. His son Charles followed the same trade, and employed a large force of men in the manufacture of shoes, which were sold in the South. About 1838, he met financial reverses, and had to begin life anew. He was a claim agent for about fifteen years after 1850, and died in March, 1866, aged fifty-three years His son, D. H. Reed, was born February 8, 1819, and was brought up on a farm. He enlisted, October 11, 1861, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Daniel Spaulding

Daniel Spaulding, son of Phinehas, of Jaffrey, married Lucinda Perkins. May 11, 1819, and removed to Gardner. Mass., where he remained until 1825 or 1826. He then bought out Luke Richardson, of Fitzwilliam, and opened a store on the corner where Elisha Chaplin now lives. At one time he had John Perkins, his wife’s brother, as a partner, and later, Dr. G. C. Noble, but carried on the business alone most of his life. He was chosen to all the offices of the town, including town representative in 1833 and 1834. He died July 17, 1882, at the great age … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Edward C. Reed

Edward C. Reed, son of Phinehas, was born here, March 8, 1793, and graduated from Dartmouth college, in 1812. He studied law in Troy, N. Y. and settled in Homer, N. Y., in 1816. He was admitted to practice in one court after another, until 1830, when be was admitted to the court of chancery. He was elected to the Twenty-second congress; was district attorney many years, and also judge. He married Amanda Weller, of Pittsfield, Mass., and reared a family of twelve children, four of whom survive him.

Biographical Sketch of Isaac Davis

Isaac Davis, a native of Royalston, Vt., and brought up at Princeton, Mass., came here March 11, 1839. He is a blacksmith by trade, and, in 1877, invented the compound force cartridge, which he patented the same year. It is intended for shooting long distances, and the principal has been acted upon for heavy ordinances for piercing iron-clad vessels. By dividing the charge of powder great accumulative force is gained.

Biographical Sketch of Barzaliel Baker

Barzaliel Baker came to Marlboro from Westminster, Mass., about 1800. He was a farmer and settled upon the farm now occupied by Howard Clark, where he died, at the age of eighty-two. His son Asa was born in Marlboro, where lived until 1833, when he moved, to Jaffrey, where he remained until his death, in October, 1869, at the age of sixty-six years. Edwin C., a native of Jaffrey, came to this town in 1870.

Biographical Sketch of John Shirley

John Shirley, a soldier of the Revolution, was born on board ship coming from England, and was brought up in Boston. He came to Fitzwilliam about 1780, settling in the village, and married Submit Bogle, of Sudbury, Mass. He reared a family of nine children, and died at the age of ninety-three, in the house where his grandson, William H., now lives. His son, Henry, was born in the town, held the office of selectman several years, and died at the same place his father did, at the age of seventy-two. William H., son of Henry, was born in the … Read more

Early Settlers of Fitzwilliam NH

The name of the grantees of 1765 were as follows: Sampson Stoddard, Nathaniel Treadwell, Thomas Spaulding, Benjamin Edwards, Jacob Treadwell, Jr., Matthew Thornton, Nathaniel Brooks, David Millen, Jonathan Lovewell, John Honey, John Stevens, John Woods, William Earl Treadwell Paul March, Charles Treadwell, Edmund Grouard, Jonathan Blanchard, Sampson Stoddard, Jr., Abel Lawrence, James Reed, Benjamin Bellows, George Libbey, Jonathan Willson and Jeremiah Libbey. The first meeting of the grantees of which a record exists, after the lots had been drawn, was held at the house of Thomas Harwood, in Dunstable, Monday, May 20, 1765, when Sampson Stoddard, Esq., was chosen moderator, … Read more

The First Congregational Church, Fitzwilliam NH

The First Congregational church – The Unitarian denomination has a society under this name at Fitzwilliam village, holding meetings about three months during the summer season, in the town hall. They have no regular pastor.

Biographical Sketch of General James Reed

General James Reed was the only one of the proprietors of Fitzwilliam, named in the charter of 1773, who located here. He organized three com. panies for the Revolutionary war, and was one of the three colonels from New Hampshire, who fought at Bunker Hill. He continued with the army until he was afflicted with blindness, when he returned to Fitzwilliam, but after. wards removed to Fitchburg, Mass., where he died.

Fitzwilliam, Cheshire County, New Hampshire History

Fitzwilliam, one of the southern tier of townships in the county, lies in lat. 42º 45 and long. 4º 54′, bounded north by Troy and Jaffrey, east by Jaffrey and Rindge, south by the state line, and west by Richmond. The town was originally granted by the Masonion proprietors, as Monadnock No. 4, January 15, 1752, to Roland Cotton and forty-one others. These grantees, however, failed to comply with the requirements of the charter and thus forfeited their right to the territory, and it was subsequently, early in 1765, re-granted to Samson Stoddard and twenty-three associates. On May 19, 1773, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Ezra Hayden

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.

Biographical Sketch of John Harkness

John Harkness, born in Smithfield, R. I., in 1767, came to Richmond, N. H., when a child, and lived there until his death. in 1851. His son, James,. a native of Richmond, came to this town when about twenty-six years of age, and is now located on road 19.

Biographical Sketch of John E. Fisher

John E. Fisher was born near St. Johns, N. B., in 1525, on Darling’s Island, which was the property of his grandfather, Captain Darling. His father, Richard, was a blacksmith, and removed to Boston about 1825, and ten years later moved to Quincey, Mass. He was one of the first four abolitionists in the town. His son John served seven years apprenticeship at stone cutting, working on the Boston custom-house. He had worked on government work in Boston about fifteen years before the Rebellion began. About three days after the firing on Fort Sumpter, he was placed in charge of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Silas Morse

Silas Morse came here from Holliston, Mass., with his parents, who settled on a farm near where Samuel Payne now lives, over a hundred years ago. After the death of his father he traded the farm owned by him for one in Sullivan, which he afterwards sold, and moved with his son, Ira L., to Gilsum. He finally returned to this town, where he died January 13, 1859, at the age of eighty-two years. His son, Ira L., was born in Sullivan, came to this town March 28, 1861, and resides on road 29.

Biographical Sketch of Abijah Richardson

Abijah Richardson, who was born in this town, moved to Royalston, Mass., where he died in 1840. His son, Leander, born in Royalston, Mass., came here in 1860, has been deputy sheriff three years and is now a policeman.

Biographical Sketch of Dr. Anson R. Gleason

Dr. Aaron R. Gleason, was born, June 1, 1835, in Warren, Vt., where he lived until twelve years of age, when his father, Windsor, moved to Acworth, N. H. He attended school and fitted for college at Westminster, Vt., and taught for two years, more or less, in the public schools. He studied medicine with Dr. K. D. Webster, of Gilsum, and Dr. George B. Twitchell, of Keene, pursued a course at the medical college at Burlington, Vt., at Washington, D. C., and at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York city. He enlisted in the 2d N. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Dexter Whittemore

Dexter Whittemore, son of John, who came here at an early date, and kept a small store in the cottage where he lived, was born in Fitzwilliam, October 9, 1798. When Dexter became of age he induced his father to buy the store of Dr. Scott, and there engaged in trade, continuing over forty years. He is said to have been the first merchant of Cheshire county to give up the sale of spirituous liquors. He was chosen to many offices of trust, and was very generous and liberal in all good works. He married twice, first, Betsey Wright, April … Read more