Sullivan County NH

Biography of Charles Lewis Perry

Charles Lewis Perry, for twenty-five years a successful tailor of Claremont, Sullivan County, N.H., was born in Charlestown, N.H., March 4, 1823, son of Charles and Mary (Putnam) Perry. At the age of seventeen Mr. Perry came to Claremont, where he learned the tailor’s trade, and then began business for himself. Devoting his entire attention to custom work, he became prosperous, and in 1857 built the handsome business block known as Perry’s Block, where he located until obliged to retire on account of failing health. He was succeeded in business by his son, Charles Eugene. Mr. Perry was a business … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Calvin Hall

CALVIN HALL, son of Capt. Edward Hall, a popular man and extensive farmer, after enjoying many honors in his native town, removed to Lowell, Mass., where he now resides.

Alexander Barker

ALEXANDER BARKER was b. in Scotland June 1, 1814. The date of his coming to America is unknown. He was a flax-dresser and farmer; m. -, Elizabeth Mercer of Cornish, dau. of William and Elizabeth Mercer, b. , 1810, and d. in 1896. He d. in Cornish Oct. 9, 1893. Their children, all b. in town were: i. ALEXANDER L., b. , 1839. Always res. in town; unm. ii. MARY, b. -, 1841; m. -, John Smith of Andover, Mass. She d. -. iii. GRACE, b. , 1843; d. in 1865; unm. iv. JULIA, b. -, 1845; m. -, William … Read more

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 David Frye

DAVID FRYE, the father of the Fryes, came to this town from Worcester County, Mass., and settled in the west part of the town, near the Mountain.

History of Acworth, Sullivan County, New Hampshire

The town of Acworth lies in the southern part of the county, and is bounded as follows: North, by Unity; east, by Lempster ; south, by Cheshire County; and west, by Charlestown and Langdon. This town was first granted by Governor Bentin, Wentworth, December 28, 1752, to Colonel Sampson Stoddard, of Chelmsford, Mass., and sixty-nine others, by the name of Burnet, probably in honor of Governor William Burnet. At this time white people could. not live safely in this vicinity at any great distance from the fort at No. 4, (now Charlestown), on account of the Indians; and the town, … Read more

Biography of William Hall

William Hall, the enterprising proprietor of Langdon Creamery, Langdon, N.H., and dealer in butter, cream, milk, eggs, chickens, pork, and other farm and dairy products, was born in Claremont, this State, March 23, 1850. He is a son of Jonathan and Caroline L. (Leet) Hall and a descendant of one of the oldest families in Sullivan County. Both his grandfather and his great-grandfather Hall bore the Christian name of Jonathan. Grandfather Hall was born August 25, 1776, in Spencer, Mass., whence he came to Langdon when a young man. He afterward removed to Claremont, where he died in 1854. In … 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

Biographical Sketch of Rev. N. R. Nichols

Rev. N. R. Nichols

Rev. N. R. Nichols was pastor of the Congregational church at Norwich village from February, 1880, to May, 1904, after completing a seven years’ pastorate at Barnet, Vermont, which was preceded by brief pastorates at Westfield, Massachusetts, and Acworth, New Hampshire. During his term of nearly a quarter of a century here in Norwich, Mr. Nichols faithfully cared for the interests committed to his charge, as the one hundred and ninety-five accessions to his church during his pastorate amply indicate. Not alone to matters connected with his church did he give his attention, but, as well, to those of a … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Dennis Powers

DENNIS POWERS, son of David Powers, was born May 24, 1808; graduated from Amherst College, Mass., in 1835, and from Theological Seminary at Andover, Mass., in 1838. He was ordained and settled over the Congregational church and society of East Randolph, Mass., December 5, 1838. At his own request he was dismissed from this church and people April 15, 1841. On the 29th of September, 1842, he was installed as pastor of the church and society of South Abington, Mass., and remained there until 1850, when he accepted an appointment to an office under President Fillmore, and removed to the … Read more

John Cole

JOHN and JEMIMA COLE (pedigree unknown) lived in Cornish near the close of the 18th century. There is no trace of the family remaining on tombstone, or elsewhere, except the following list of children. The census of 1790 credits the family with three boys and one girl beside the parents. Children:     i. BETSEY, b. Sept. 18, 1783.     ii. JOHN, b. Jan. 8, 1785.     iii. EBENEZER, b. Nov. 23. 1786.     iv. GIDEON, b. Oct. 1, 1788.     v. ASA, b. Aug. 29, 1790.     vi. JUDITH, b. July 21. 1792.

Edwin T. Ayers

EDWIN T.4 AYERS (Levi3, Thomas2, John1) b. Feb. 17, 1831. A farmer who lived near Claremont town line, by the “Red School House” and Creamery Station; m. April 16, 1857, Julia A. Freeman, dau. Of Forest and Nancy (Penniman) Freeman, b. Oct. 12, 1837. Mr. Ayers d. May 11, 1893. One child, b. in Cornish: 1. JULIA ETTA, b. May 26, 1858; m. May 13, 1886, Frank W. True of Plainfield, where they res. No children.

Moody Chase

6. MOODY5 CHASE (Moses4, Daniel3, Moses2, Aquilla1) Was b. Oct. 10, 1770, in Cornish; m. first. Jan. 28. 179:3, Rebecca Chapman of Cornish, dau. of Capt. Benjamin and Jemima (Gates) Chapman, b. -, 1771 (‘.), d. June 10. 1794, aged 2:3; m. Second, Jan. 28. 179:3. Rhoda Cook of Claremont (?), b. , 1769 (‘.), d. Feb. 21, 1796, aged 27; m. third, Lucy Farnham, b. -. d. -. Mr. Chase d. April. 1845. Children by Rebecca Chapman: 13. i. BENJAMIN CHAPMAN, b. Sept. 8, 1793. ii. Infant, b. -, d. June S, 1794, two days before the mother d. … Read more

Elias Bingham

2. ELIAS5 BINGHAM (Lemuel4, Samuel3, Thomas2-1) was b. Sept. 28, 1753; m. first, Nov. 2S, 1776, Vashti Elderkin of Windham, Conn., b. July 19, 1753, at Norwich, Conn., and d. Sept. 3, 1804, in Cornish, aged 51; m. second, -, 1805, Hannah T. b. -, 1764, d. Dec. 10, 1827 aged 63. He d. May 17, 1829. He, with both wives, is buried in Cornish. By first wife he had ten children and one by second wife. The first three were b. in Windham, Conn., the rest in Cornish. i. LUTHER, b. April 5, 1775; m. March 1, 1801, Polly … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Moses Humphry

MOSES HUMPHRY was born at Hingham, Mass., in 1807. At the age of twenty-four he was married to Lydia Humphry, daughter of John Humphry, one of the early settlers of Croydon. At fourteen he commenced going to sea, and at nineteen was appointed Master of a vessel, which position he held until he left the sea at the age of twenty-five. He was the first man that commenced the manufacture of mackerel kits by machinery, which business he has pursued with ever-increasing energy since, at Hingham, at Croydon nine years, and now at Concord. In 1853, when Concord adopted the … Read more

Levi Nichols Barnard

LEVI NICHOLS BARNARD was b. Aug. 25, 1809, in Springfield, Vt., and spent most of his life in his native town. He came to Cornish in 1847 and settled on the Isaac Wellman farm where he remained a few years. He m. July 19, 1849, Eliza Wellman, dau. of Isaac and Mercy (Colton) Wellman. They had one child, a son, Isaac Wellman, b. Sept. 10, 1852, whose name was afterwards changed by act of the legislature of 1878 to Elroy Wellman Barnard, 2d. Concerning the son it is said that he was an active special correspondent for several papers both … Read more

Biography of Almon W. French

Almon W. French, of Plainfield, Sullivan County, represents the third generation of the Frenches in this town. The family is of English origin, and members of it were pioneers of New England. Its founder in Plainfield, Nathaniel French, the grandfather of Almon W., came here when about twenty-two years of age, at the time when much of the district was an unbroken wild. Having done his part in rendering the place habitable, he died at the age of eighty-nine. His wife, Alice Back French, had eight children, of whom one died in infancy. The others were: Liman, George, Hezekiah, John, … Read more

Biography of Norman A. Deming

Norman A. Deming, a leading farmer of Cornish, Sullivan County, N.H., is a native of the town. He was born July 18, 1824, son of Harvey and Eunice (Ford) Deming. His paternal grandfather, Ebenezer Deming, came to this State from Connecticut. He was a school teacher of great success, and taught for forty-six consecutive winters. Harvey Deming, son of Ebenezer, was born at Cornish, December 6, 1769. He owned a farm of four hundred acres, and carried on farming on an extensive scale, raising a large amount of stock, and producing great quantities of hay and grain. In politics he … Read more

Biography of Alfred Woodman

Alfred Woodman, a successful farmer of Plainfield, Sullivan County, N.H., and a veteran of the Civil War, was born in Newburyport, Mass., March 9, 1834, son of Daniel and Sarah (Hall) Woodman. His grandfather, Joseph Woodman, was a native of Newbury, Mass., and a cabinet-maker by trade. He was twice married; and his second wife was Abigail Atkinson, of Newbury, who reared the following children: William, Edna, Abbie, Jane, Hannah, Betsey, Phoebe, David, John, James, Joseph, and Daniel. William Woodman became a prominent business man of Dover, N.H., was a man of strict integrity, and for a period of fifty … Read more