New Hampshire

Biography of Charles H. Courser

Charles H. Courser, a retired business man of Henniker, was born in Boscawen, now Webster, N.H., May 19, 1827, son of John and Keziah (Shepard) Courser. The first ancestors of the family were English. His grandfather, John Courser, was a resident of Merrimack County. The father passed the greater part of his life in Boscawen, and died there at the age of ninety-two years. The mother, who was a daughter of John Shepard, a native of Derry, N.H., lived to be eighty-two. Of her children the only survivor is Charles H. Charles H. Courser passed his boyhood in attending school … Read more

Biography of George E. Davis

George E. Davis, a prominent farmer of Northfield and a native of Acworth, N.H., was born April 30, 1839, son of Oliver and Harriett Elizabeth (Moore) Davis. The father, a native of Acworth, removed to Surry, and later to Lempster, which was the home of his wife. In Lempster he was engaged in farming until his death in 1881. His wife, Elizabeth, died at Manchester in 1885. Henry J. Davis, the first-born of their nine children, was a surgeon in the army, and died at Baltimore. George E., the subject of this sketch, was their second son. His brother, Jefferson, … Read more

Biography of Ora C. Davis

Ora C. Davis, an esteemed resident of Plainfield, was born in the town of Hartford, Vt., March 8, 1847. His great-grandfather, Jeremiah, was a native of Sutton, N.H. Jeremiah and his father were the first of the name to settle in the part of Grantham, N.H., now called Plainfield. He was a farmer by occupation, and had a family of nine children. The grandfather, Samuel Davis, also a native of Sutton, born in 1776, married Maria Hadley, daughter of Simeon Hadley, and had a family of nine children. These were: Lucy, Isaac, Samuel, Charles, Martin, Alfred, Louisa, George W., and … Read more

Biography of Walter Scott Davis

Walter Scott Davis, a millowner, manufacturer, and inventor, a successful business man of Hopkinton, Merrimack County, N.H., was born in the adjacent town of Warner, July 29, 1834, a son of Nathaniel A. and Mary (Clough) Davis. His paternal ancestry he traces as follows: Captain Francis Davis, called “the pioneer,” was born in Amesbury, Mass., October 26, 1723. He was the son of Francis, second, and Joanna Davis, the former the son of Francis, first, who, it is said, was the son of Philip, the immigrant progenitor. Philip Davis, when twelve years old, left Southampton, England, April 24, 1638, in … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Alva J. Dearborn

Alva J. Dearborn, a prosperous farmer of Canterbury, N.H., was born in this town, October 13, 1851, son of James and Susan (Fellows) Dearborn. James Dearborn, who was a native of Plymouth, N.H., came to this town when a young man, and carried on farming here the rest of his life. He died in December, 1868. His wife, a native of Canterbury, died April 1, 1882. They had five children: Ella, now the C. Wesley Carter, of Boscawen; Alva J., the subject of this sketch; Susan E., who died in March, 1895; and twins, one of whom was named Lyman, … 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 Frank E. Dimond

Frank E. Dimond, a well-known business man of West Concord, was born on the estate he now occupies about thirty-six years ago, son of Elbridge and Jennett (Hoit) Dimond. His immigrant ancestor came from England, and was among the first settlers of this section of the State. Nearly all the descendants of the immigrant are still living in this region. His son, Ezekiel Dimond, was great-great-grandfather of Frank E. Ezekiel had seven sons. Reuben, the great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born in Concord, N.H., on what is now known as Dimond’s Hill. He was a farmer, and … Read more

Biography of James Dodge

James Dodge, who cultivated a good farm in Pembroke, and owned considerable real estate in this and other towns, was born in Goffstown, N.H., November 14, 1829, son of John G. and Polly (Tallant) Dodge. His great-grandfather, Antipas Dodge, who lived to be one hundred and one years old, and died on Independence Day, was a native of Haverhill, Mass., and an early settler in Goffstown. The first wife of Antipas, Margaret Boise Dodge, was the mother of James Dodge, grandfather of the subject of this sketch. The names of his second wife and her children are unknown. James Dodge, … Read more

Biography of Moses Eaton Dodge

Moses Eaton Dodge, late a prosperous and highly respected farmer of Hopkinton, N.H., was born September 20, 1828, son of Henry and Susan (Eaton) Dodge. His parents, after their marriage, settled on the present Dodge farm, which has been in the possession of the family for seventy-five years. He was educated in the common schools, and early became engaged in farming and lumbering, in both of which occupations he was successful, and in the latter of which he did an extensive business, often employing about forty men. He was a man of quiet habits, a great reader, and an intelligent … Read more

Biography of Daniel Downes

Daniel Downes, a well-known resident of Andover, was born in Salisbury, N.H., June 10, 1837. His father was Isaac Downes, who came from Maine, his native State, successively bought a farm in Salisbury and Ellsworth, lived on each for a time, and then removed to Lowell, Mass., where he kept a boarding-house until his death. Isaac married Mary A. Cilly, of West Andover; and their children were: Philip, Leonard, Priscilla, Lydia, Ann, Ellen, Daniel, and Isaac. Philip Downes, who was a soldier in the Union Army, died from the effect of wounds received in the battle of Gettysburg. Leonard was … Read more

Biography of Nathaniel S. Drake

Nathaniel S. Drake, the treasurer and superintendent of the Drake & Sanborn Shoe Company, of Pittsfield, was born here, September 16, 1851, in the house he now occupies on Main Street, son of James and Betsey (Seavey) Drake. His genealogy is traced to Robert Drake, born in the County of Devon, England, in 1580, who came to New England with a family before 1643. Robert was one of the grantees and first settlers of Exeter. He removed in 1651 to Hampton, “where he owned and left considerable estate.” Much respected throughout his life, his death on January 14, 1668, was … Read more

Biography of Charles O. Eastman

Charles O. Eastman, formerly the Postmaster of Claremont, was born October 25, 1824, in Lisbon, N.H., one of the seven children of Nicholas and Hannah (Baker) Eastman. Until he reached the age of twenty-one years he remained with his parents, receiving his education in the district schools and the Methodist Seminary at Newbury, from which he duly graduated. After leaving the seminary, he taught school for several winters. In 1845 he left home to go to Windsor, Vt., where he remained for five years. Coming to Claremont in 1850, he was first employed in the bookbindery of the Claremont Manufacturing … Read more

Biography of Josiah Edwards Dwight

Josiah Edwards Dwight, a member of the noted old New England family to which President Timothy Dwight of Yale College belonged, is one of the leading Concord, N.H. Born in Belchertown, Mass., May 17, 1839, son of Harrison D. and Sophia (Cook) Dwight, he traces his lineage through his mother, also, back to the early days of the New England colonies. On the paternal side his first ancestor to settle in this country was John Dwight, who came from Dedham, England, in 1634, and located in the part of Massachusetts afterward named Dedham. He was the second man of wealth … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Cyrus F. Dustin

Cyrus F. Dustin, a respected farmer and lumberman of Hopkinton, was born in this town, January 25, 1853, son of Daniel P. and Sarah A. (Barnard) Dustin. He has resided here since his birth. In 1891 he married Miss Nellie S. Spalding, daughter of Dustin A. and Samantha S. (Putney) Spalding. Mr. Dustin is prominent in town affairs, and in 1896 was elected Representative to the legislature. He has the best interests of the town at heart, and can always be depended upon to perform his full duty as a citizen and as a representative of the people.

Biography of Horace Perkins Eaton

Horace Perkins Eaton, for many years a resident of Franklin, Merrimack County, and a highly esteemed and influential citizen, was a native of Weare, N.H. He was born August 30, 1811, and was the eldest son of Wheeler and Abigail (Perkins) Eaton. His father, also a native of Weare, was a shoemaker and tanner by trade. He lived for a while in Seabrook, from which place he removed to Franklin, N.H., where he settled in the northern part of the town and engaged in general farming. He spent the rest of his life on this farm; but in his latter … Read more

Biography of Frank Gilman Edgerly

Frank Gilman Edgerly, the efficient High Sheriff of Merrimack County, N.H., was born in Meredith, N.H., on February 19, 1853. His parents were William M. and Lydia (Fogg) Edgerly. His ancestors, paternal and maternal, were of English extraction. Thomas Edgerly, the emigrant progenitor on his father’s side, came to America in 1664, settling near what is now known as Durham, N.H. Thomas Edgerly was a well-educated man, prominent in the early history of New Hampshire, being one of the Justices before whom were tried many important cases involving the civil and religious rights of citizens. Frank G. Edgerly acquired a … Read more

Biography of James S. Elkins

James S. Elkins, a prominent citizen of Canterbury, N.H., was born in Rye, N.H., December 24, 1809, son of James and Mehitable (Rand) Elkins. His paternal grandfather, Samuel Elkins, was a native of Rye, where he was engaged in agriculture during the active period of his life. James Elkins was a farmer and fisherman, following the first-named occupation in Rye, where he was born May 3, 1777. He died in Canterbury, November 29, 1855. His wife, Mehitable Rand Elkins, was born in Rye, June 19, 1787, and died in Canterbury, July 20, 1859. James S., the subject of this sketch; … Read more

Biography of Henry Harrison Edwards

Henry Harrison Edwards, a watchmaker of acknowledged ability, who is now residing in Allenstown, was born in Laconia, N.H., July 28, 1840, son of Nathaniel and Rachel (Ranlett) Edwards. His grandfather, Ebenezer Edwards, who in his earlier years followed the sea, subsequently learned the hatter’s trade, and followed it in Laconia for many years. Another source of income to him was the Martha Watson, a native of Dover, N.H., who also died at the age of sixty-eight. Of their eleven children David, William, Charles, Eben, Mary, and Pierpont are living. Nathaniel Edwards, father of Henry H., was born in Plymouth, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Hiram C. Ellenwood

Hiram C. Ellenwood, a carpenter and undertaker of Charlestown, N.H., was born in Woodward, Vt., November 26, 1826, son of Cyrus and Sally (Draper) Ellenwood. His grandfather, Joseph Ellenwood, was a native of Greenfield, N.H., where he also resided during the greater part of his life, engaged in general farming. He married Mary Punchard, who became the mother of nine children. Their son, Cyrus, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Greenfield, N.H., in 1782. He was a shoemaker by trade, and removed to Charlestown at the age of fifty years. In 1811 he married Sally Draper, … Read more

Biography of Rewell J. Ellis

Rewell J. Ellis, a well-known Grand Army man and a prominent farmer of Cornish, was born at Brandon, Vt., September 5, 1840, son of Seneca and Aurilla (Bagley) Ellis. His grandfather was John Ellis, who married Margaret Holt, and was the father of Seneca and William Ellis. William, who was born at Shoreham, Vt., went West a number of years ago, and has not since been heard from. The family do not know whether he is living or not. Seneca Ellis was born at sea, July 26, 1809. He was educated in the schools at Brandon, Vt., and subsequently followed … Read more