Sullivan County NH

Biography of Captain Harry C. Fay

Captain Harry C. Fay, editor-in-chief of the National Eagle, a bright and thoroughly up-to-date newspaper published in Claremont, was born in Richmond, Vt., November 30, 1830, son of Captain Nathan and Polly (Colby) Fay. Stephen Fay, his great-great-grandfather, was an early settler in Bennington, Vt., and was the father of eight children. His son John kept the Catamount Tavern, which during his day became a meeting-place for many great statesmen, who formed a legislative body, and held there meetings known as “Councils of Safety.” He, John, fell in the battle of Bennington. His son, Nathan Fay, served as a Colonel … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Alanson Cooper

ALANSON COOPER, son of Silas and great-grandson of Dea. John Cooper, a Methodist clergyman of much talent and influence, is a Presiding Elder in the Montpelier District, Vt., and is one of the Commissioners to locate the Methodist school.

Ebenezer Cole

6. EBENEZER4 COLE (Stephen3, Ebenezer2, Ephraim1) was b. Sept. 14, 1808; m. first, June 2, 1830, Mary Brewster Kimball of Cornish, dau. of Eliphalet and Selinda (Ripley) Kimball, b. Dec. 2. 1806, d. Nov. 29, 1854; m. second, Jan. 1. 1856, Rebecca Tracy of Cornish, dau. of Stephen and Betsey (Boardman) Tracy, b. Aug. 25, 1818, and d. Nov. 16, 1893. Mr. Cole was a prominent man in Cornish; was selectman three years; represented the town in the legislatures of 1848. 1849. 1850 and 1851. He left town soon after he lost his first wife and went to Lebanon, where … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Dea. Nathaniel Wheeler

DEA. NATHANIEL WHEELER, son of Nathaniel Wheeler, was born in Sutton, Mass., in 1753. He married Mehitabel Haven. He came to Croydon in 1775, and died in 1840, at the age of eighty-seven years. He settled in the wilderness and cleared up what was long known as the ” Wheeler farm” in the southerly part of the town, since occupied by H. Jacobs. He was an extensive and thriving farmer, and a soldier in the Revolutionary war. He was mainly instrumental in building the once flourishing Church at Northville, in Newport, and was a consistent and worthy deacon of the … Read more

Barker Brewster Churchill

2. BARKER BREWSTER7 CHURCHILL (Lewis6, Nathaniel5-4, Williams3-2, John1) was b. Feb. 4, 1815, in Cornish. A farmer and carpenter; rem from the farm to the Flat in 1861. He enlisted in the Civil War. (See Military.) After the war he continued at his trade through life. He m. first, in 1842, Mary A. Angier, b. in 1824, and d. May 26, 1861; m. second, Jan. 21, 1867, Mrs. Mary J. (Westgate) Britton, b. May 2, 1831, and d. Aug. 5, 1907. He d. Oct. 15, 1879, aged 64. Children, all b. in Cornish: i. A child, b. March-, 1843, and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Thomas Whipple

THOMAS WHIPPLE, son of Daniel Whipple, and greatgrandson of Moses Whipple, an intelligent farmer and practical surveyor, has long taken a deep interest in the cause of education, and for many years has had the general charge of the schools in Charlestown, N. H., his place of residence. He has a well educated family, some of them graduates at Meriden. He is a correct business man ; was a candidate for County Treasurer in 1856, receiving the full vote of his party.

Biography of Captain Eleazar L. Sarsons

Captain Eleazar L. Sarsons, a well-known resident of Acworth and a veteran of the Civil War, was born in Lyme, N.H., August 9, 1836, son of Leon and Flora Ella (Prue) Sarsons. His father, who was born in France in the year 1800, emigrated to Canada in 1828, and in 1834 moved to Sheffield, Vt. He was a shoemaker by trade, and followed this handicraft in connection with farming for some time. He later plied his calling in Lyme, N.H., and other places; and in 1871 he came to Acworth, where he spent the rest of his life. He married … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Jacob Ames

JACOB AMES and SIMON AMES settled on farms on the north-east slope of the Pinnacle. The former had previously been a saddler, at which occupation he had amassed quite a handsome little fortune. He married Sally, daughter of Darius Hall, and died at Newport, leaving a large family.

Francis Xavier Chase

17. FRANCIS XAVIER7 CHASE (Bela6, Solomon5, Samuel4, Daniel3, Moses2, Aquilla1) was b. June 23. 1824; m. first, in 18-30, Laura E. Harlow, b. in Charlestown March 4, 1830, and d. May 25, 1862; m. second, in 1861, Jennie E. Wetherbee of Madison, Wis. He was a civil engineer and was employed on different railroads of the west. He d. Sept. 13, 1866, in St. Paul, Minn. Children by first wife: i. FRED WILLIS. b. April 26, 1852; m. Sept. 5, 1876, Almira Stratton of Greenfield, Mass., b. July 13, 1854. Two children. He d. in 189-. ii. MARY ALICE, 1st, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Leister Hall Elliot

LEISTER HALL ELLIOT, Son of Dea. Ezra Elliot, was born August 1, 1835; fitted for college at Essex, Vt.; graduated at the University of Vermont, at Burlington, August, 1861, and at the Union Theological Seminary, New York City, June, 1864. He was licensed to preach by the Brooklyn Congregational Association, April 6, 1864; acted as pastor of the Congregational Church at Colchester, Vt., for one year, and was ordained as pastor of the Congregational Church at Winooski, Vt., May 2, 1866. October 2d, 1866, he was married to Miss Lois M. Johnson, of Greensboro, Vt.

Biographical Sketch of Gardner Winslow Gibson

BUSHROD RICE and GARDNER WINSLOW, sons of William Gibson, were both physicians. The former died at Pomfret, Vt., many years since; the latter entered the army as an officer, and was killed at Cold Harbor. Of the children of Winslow Gibson, OTIS is a missionary at Fuh Chau in China; HENRY graduated at the New York Medical College and went to China, where he died; GARDNER, clergyman, resides at Moira, N. Y.; FRANKLIN, clergyman, died in Connecticut. LIzZIE and MARY W. F., daughters of Willard P. Gibson, made literature a profession. The latter has for several years past resided in … Read more

Harry Chapman

HARRY6 CHAPMAN (Joseph5, Benjamin4, Samuel3-2, Edward1) was b. July 27, 1800; m. Sophia Stone of Plainfield, dau. of David and Ruth (Kenyon) Stone, b. Aug. 24, 1800, and d. June 3, 1887. He d. April 10, 1878. Children: 1. HUBBARD. 2. HARRY, JR. 3. ANGELINE. 4. JONES. 5. FRANK.

Samuel Winch Genealogy

Elizabeth1 Winch, spinster, of Great Alhallows, London, in her will, made 1659, proved 1661, calls herself “bound for Virginia” and names her brothers Richard and John. It is thought that John may have been the father of Samuel of Framingham, Mass. Virginia was often used to mean America. I. Samuel2 Winch was in Sudbury, Mass., as early as 1670. A few years later he settled in Framingham and was an original member of the Framingham church. He was buried, Aug. 3, 1718; m. (1), Feb. 11, 1673, Hannah, dau. of Matthew Gibbs and had seven ch. by her. He m. … Read more

Harvey Benway

2. HARVEY2 BENWAY (Buzzell1) was b. Aug. 23, 1851, in Plainfield; m. in Lempster Jan. 17, 1879, Isabel Mellen of Sunapee, b. Sept. 13, 1868. Came back to Cornish to live in April, 1888. Children: i. HIMAN A., b. April 14, 1881; m. Aug. 25, 1910, Ruth E. Bartlett, dau. of Daniel D. and Rebecca (Bryant) Bartlett. ii. ELENORA C., b. Feb. 29, 1884; m. March 16, 1902, Earl W. Brown of Cornish. Their first child, a dau., was b. Aug. 14, 1903. iii. MABEL H., b. March 15, 1887; m. June 28, 1908, Elmer C. Bartlett of Cornish. Lived … Read more

Biography of Frederic Augustus Briggs

Frederic Augustus Briggs, a well-known hotel man of Claremont, N.H., was born in Charlestown, this State, September 9, 1838, son of Joseph Gilman and Abigail (Woods) Briggs. Some interesting facts concerning the origin of the Briggs family may be found in Burke’s “Peerage” and in the History of the County of Norfolk, England, by Bloomfield. It is shown that before the time of Edward I. (1272 ) the representatives of the family assumed the surname of De Ponte or Pontibus. Many of them from the time of de Ponte de Salle, whose son John was born in 1383, became men … Read more

Samuel Comings

2. SAMUEL6 COMINGS (Samuel5, John4-3-2, Isaac1) eldest son of Samuel5 and Sarah (Spaulding) Comings, b. Nov. 18, 1742, in Westford, Mass.; m. first. Oct. 28. 1765, Sarah Butterfield, b. July 4, 1745, d. Aug. 31, 1804. There is nothing to show when he came to Cornish, as he remained away till all their children were born, the last being in 1789. He probably came soon after this, and lived with his father. They carried on their extensive farm, beside running the mill a large portion of the time. They also increased the capacity of the latter, and added a carding … Read more

Biography of Leonard Wood Peabody, M.D.

Leonard Wood Peabody, M.D., of Henniker, one of the oldest medical practitioners in Merrimack County, was born in Newport, Sullivan County, September 13, 1817, son of Ami and Sarah (Johnson) Peabody. He is a descendant of Francis Peabody, who, born in England in 1614, came to New England on board the ship “Planter” in 1635. This ancestor, after residing in Ipswich, Mass., for a while, removed to Hampton in 1638, and in 1651 settled in Topsfield, Mass. From him the line of descent comes through Captain John Peabody, who was born in 1642, Ensign David Peabody, born in 1678, John … Read more

Biographical Sketch of David Stockwell

DAVID STOCKWELL was born in 1748. He came from Sutton, Mass., to Croydon, in 1772. He was a farmer, served honorably in the Revolutionary war, and died July 16, 1824. All by the name of Stockwell, who have originated in Croydon, have descended from him. STILLMAN STOCKWELL, son of Giles, and grandson of David Stockwell, removed to the West, where he has become a wealthy farmer.

Joseph Chase

3. JOSEPH5 CHASE (Caleb4, Daniel3, Moses2, Aquilla1) was b. March 13, 1757; m. Oct. 16, 1784, Polly Jirauld of Cornish, dau. of Dea. Reuben and Joanna (Spaulding) Jirauld, b. , 1761, and d. July 2S, 1845. Mr. Chase d. Feb. 20, 1834, aged 77. Children, supposed b. in Cornish: i. SOPHIA, b. Aug. 22, 1785; m. March 26, 1809, Daniel Jackson of Cornish. No children. She d. Feb. 12, 1836. 7. ii. JOSEPH, JR., b. Oct. S. 1787. iii. POLLY (or Mary), b. Nov. 16.1789; m. March 21, 1815, Jesse Kimball of Cornish. (See Kimball.) She d. April-. 1878. iv. … Read more

Dea. John Weld

DEA. JOHN6 WELD (Moses5, John4, Joseph3, John2, Joseph1,) was b. Jan. 4, 1752; m. Nov. 26, 1778, Deborah Plympton, b. Oct. 17, 1757; d. Sept. 10, 1830. He d. Jan. 22, 1834, aged 82. He was a thrifty farmer, a devout Baptist and a deacon of that church. He gave $500 to it in its early history, beside other gifts. He built the large brick house in 1812, afterwards owned by the town where their poor were kept. It is now owned and occupied by Freeman A. Johnson. Children, all b. in Cornish: 1. ELIZABETH, b. Oct. 5, 1779; m. … Read more