By Muriel Bristol (Transcriber) | February 17, 2019
In this year, we encounter some large steer, the departure of Rev. Frank Haley, the reopening of the Brierly felt mill, the death of Rev. Daniel B. Goodwin’s adult daughter, and the destruction by fire of Milton’s entire business district.
AGRICULTURAL BREVITIES. James B. Downs of Milton, Three Ponds, N.H., has a yoke of red Durham steers, 4 years old, that weigh 4300 pounds (Vermont Record and Farmer (Brattleboro, VT), April 10, 1874).
This particular pair, or yoke, of shorthorn steer were notable for their great size and weight. A modern pair would be considered to be of “marketable” size at 2,300 pounds.
RELIGIOUS NEWS. Congregational. Rev. Frank Haley who has supplied the church in Milton. N.H., for the last four years, has removed to Macon, Georgia (Vermont Journal (Bellows Falls, VT), April 25, 1874).
New Felting Mill. – The well-known and enterprising manufacturing firm of Messrs. E. Brierly & Son, Milton Mills, New Hampshire, whose felting mill was burnt on the 12th of June, 1873, has already rebuilt, and the new mill is one of the most thoroughly constructed establishments in the United States. It is already in operation, though not to its full capacity. Felting mills are not numerous in this country, but there is a steadily increasing demand for felt goods on account of their superior weight and durability. The Messrs. Brierly have been in business here for twenty years. Their new mill is brick-lined throughout, and every precaution has been taken against the recurrence of fire. There are nine tubs under the roof containing as many thousand gallons of water, with three hydrants and sprinklers in every room, so that in case of fire each apartment can be flooded almost instantly. There is also a vigilant watch on the premises. The mill stands just over the State line in Acton, Maine, on the Salmon Falls River, which supplies the Great Falls Manufacturing Company with water power. The river drains several large ponds. In case of drought the mill is provided with a steam-engine of 150-horse power. Wood is cheaper here than coal, costing only $4 per cord, and is used in the mill. The establishment bas 12,000 feet of steam and water-piping. Among the goods manufactured by the Messrs. Brierly are Petersham’s beavers, embossed skirts, table and piano covers, felts for lining India-rubber boots and shoes, Ulsters and over coatings, a soft flannel for children’s wear, etc., etc. The beavers are superior in weight and durability to the best woven cloths, and are of great beauty. They consist of drabs, dark greens, and blues, olives. Oxfords, dark olives, smoke browns, etc. The Petershams, Ulsters and other over coatings are water-proof, and of superior weight and stoutness. The cloth for boot linings is called “grizzly bear skin.” Messrs. Brierly & Son manufacture some $400,000 worth of felt goods annually and find a ready market for it even in these dull times. The felting machinery is English and of twice the working power of any American felting machinery. In the carding room are thirteen carding machines preparing the bats, and there are nine embossing presses printing the skirts, table and piano covers. Altogether Milton Mills, N.H., is one of the most enterprising villages in the Granite State, and its prosperity is largely due to the energy and public spirit of Messrs. E. Brierly & Son. It has several churches and is connected with the Eastern Railroad at Union Village by a coach (Boston Post, October 12, 1874).
DIED. In Somerville, Nov. 6, Martha S., wife of Benjamin Fitch and daughter of Rev. D.B. Goodwin of W. Milton, N.H., 33 yrs. 10 mos. (New England Farmer (Boston, MA), November 14, 1874).
Martha S. Goodwin was born in Middleton, NH, circa 1841, daughter of Daniel B. and Susan R. Goodwin.
Martha S. Goodwin married in Milton, NH, December 17, 1863, Benjamin Fitch, he of Boston, MA, and she of Milton. Benjamin Fitch was born in in Bedford, MA, September 20, 1838, son of Nathan and Louisa Fitch. Rev. Ezekiel True performed the ceremony. (True was then Free-Will Baptist minister of Farmington, NH; Rev. Daniel B. Goodwin was not yet fully ordained as West Milton’s Christian Church minister).
Benjamin Fitch, a provisions dealer, aged thirty years (born MA), headed a Somerville, MA, household at the time of the Ninth (1870) Federal Census. His household included Martha Fitch, aged twenty-eight years (born NH), May Fitch, at home, aged three years (born NH), Louis Fitch, at home, aged two years (born NH), Charles Cotton, clerk in store, aged nineteen years (born NH), and Abbie Cotton, a domestic servant, aged sixteen years (born NH). Benjamin Fitch had real estate valued at $5,500 and personal estate valued at $8,000.
Martha S. (Goodwin) Fitch died in Somerville, MA, November 5, 1874, aged thirty-three years, ten months, and thirteen days. Benjamin Fitch died in Lexington, MA, in 1921.
Milton had a serious fire near the end of the year that destroyed its business district.
NEWS OF THE WEEK. Wednesday, Dec. 2d. A fire broke out about five o’clock this morning which destroyed the entire business portion of Milton, N.H. The losses aggregate $97,000, two-thirds insured. The principal loss is the Whitney House, which is $25,000, the remainder is divided among twenty-five losers in sums of $500 to $10,000. The insurance companies most heavily represented are the Home of New York, Hartford and Phoenix of Hartford, and the New Hampshire State (Buffalo Weekly Courier, December 9, 1874).
HARTFORD AND VICINITY. Brief Mention. The insurance companies have adjusted the losses at Milton, N.H., paying about $60,000; the Hartford loses $20,000, and the Ætna $1,500 (Hartford Courant, December 21, 1874).
The Milton Board of Selectmen (BOS) have posted their agenda for a BOS meeting to be held Wednesday, February 20.
This meeting is scheduled to begin with a Non-Public session beginning at 5:30 PM. That agenda has one Non-Public items classed as 91-A:3 II (a).
91-A:3 II (a) The dismissal, promotion, or compensation of any public employee or the disciplining of such employee, or the investigation of any charges against him or her, unless the employee affected (1) has a right to a meeting and (2) requests that the meeting be open, in which case the request shall be granted.
The agenda has the additional notation that, in this case, the Non-Public session concerns “Employee Compensation.”
The BOS intend to adjourn their Non-Public BOS session at approximately (*) 6:00 PM, when they intend to return to Public session.
The Public portion of the agenda has New Business, Old Business, and some housekeeping items.
Under New Business are scheduled seven agenda items: 1) Approval of Motor Vehicle Registration Fees Abatement (M. Beauchamp/D. Owen), 2) Annual Wastewater Operator Contract Renewal (Dale Sprague), 3) Approval of Town Planner to Serve as Spokesperson for Bridge Projects (D. Owen), 4) Approval of Town Planner to Serve as Spokesperson for Transportation Advisory Committee for Strafford Regional Planning (Dave Owen/Bruce Woodruff), 5) Sale of Old Fire Station 460 White Mountain Highway (Dave Owen), 6) Snowmobile Club Winter Beach Access (Andy Lucier), and 7) RFP For Legal Services.
Motor Vehicle Registration Fees Abatement. Wonders never cease.
Town Planner to Serve as Spokesperson for Bridge Projects and Town Planner to Serve as Spokesperson for Transportation Advisory Committee for Strafford Regional Planning. By now, most will have heard that the Milton-Lebanon bridge replacement has been put off by the State for a predicted two years. (Sympathies for the store owner who needed the new bridge as soon as possible). The Town proposes and the State DOT disposes. What are planners to do?
Sale of the Old Fire Station. If this time the BOS really means it, they will be accepting finally a market-clearing price. Assuming someone will make such an offer again. Time for selling near a peak is running out for this, as the current housing bubble cannot last forever.
Snowmobile Club Winter Access. One assumes the same beach-access fees apply in winter as they do in summer. Or perhaps all such fees are hereby cancelled.
RFP for Legal Services. Previous Town Lawyers have had some interesting legal opinions. One thought that Town edicts, rather than those of the State, have legal pre-emption. Another thought that the Town could impose parking restrictions on a State highway. And other novel ideas. Now we are shopping for other advice.
Under Old Business are scheduled three items: 8) Review and Approve Adjusted 2019 Town Warrant (Dave Owen), 9) Review and Approve 2019 Voters Guide (Dave Owen), and 10) Discussion of Town Owned Properties Available for Disposition (Dave Owen).
Adjusted 2019 Warrant. Tune in for the final adjustments. One supposes budgets and taxes have not been adjusted downwards.
Approve 2019 Voters Guide. Presumably held for final adjustments to the warrant.
Town-Owned Properties Available for Disposition. When last seen, the Little-Endians seemed to be having the best of the argument.
The boxed item list entitled Outstanding Items, as held over from prior BOS sessions, is no longer present. Its Town-Owned Property item appears under Old Business, elements of the Town Report item appear under Old Business, and the Website Update item presumably dropped off because the Town Website was updated.
The last BOS meeting informed us that Milton has no hand to play in the matter of Atlantic Broadband. One hopes at least that the contract term is a short one, allowing for future developments.
The Property Maintenance Code item, as well as the Recreation Revenue and Office Discussion item, were Selectman Lucier’s particular hobby horses, unlikely to have much traction without him.
The Property Maintenance Code was particularly ill-advised. You knew something dreadful was afoot when Selectman Lucier introduced it with, “Yes, I know, that whole ‘Live Free or Die’ thing, but …” And that “but” tells a tale. He evidently thinks there is a third choice that is neither freedom nor death: slavery, perhaps? Hopefully, it will never again see the light of day.
The Junkyard and NH Listens items might continue in some form.
The Town Deposit Location Policy was to be sorted out by department heads before the end of January. One of the proposed solutions had the Town Clerk, an elected official in her own right, being forced to break her own campaign promises regarding office hours. Let us hope that was not the solution.
Finally, there will be the approval of prior minutes (from the BOS meeting of February 4, and the Deliberative Session of February 9), the expenditure report, Public Comments “Pertaining to Topics Discussed,” Town Administrator comments (on the Town Election), and BOS comments.
The BOS will disappear into yet another Non-Public session at the conclusion of the Public session. The reason was not fully coded, so it might be any one of the coded reasons under which they justify these secret sessions.
Ms. McDougall has called a seventh meeting of her Milton Advocates group. It will take place again in the Nute Library’s Community Room, on Saturday, February 23, at 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM. All town residents are invited. Bring your best manners. (Not her words).
According to Scales’ History of Strafford County, Milton’s Free-Will Baptist church reactivated (or revived) itself, through construction of a church building in 1859 and reorganization in the Spring of 1860:
Although for the lack of pecuniary ability to build a meeting-house and support the regular preaching of the gospel, this little church was obliged for the time being, to give up its organization, many of its members continued to feel a lively interest in the cause, and in 1859 succeeded in building the present very neat and tasty meeting-house, which was dedicated on the 25th day of December of that year.
On the 17th day of May, 1860, a new church was organized under the supervision of Revs. Daniel I. Cilley, Ezra Tuttle, and E.P. Gerrish, with twelve members, viz.: Ezra Tuttle, Samuel Jones, N.B. Varney, Eli G. Downs, Eleanor Hubbard, Martha A. Varney, Luther Hayes, Benjamin Scates, Fred H. Tuttle, Mary H. Tuttle, Francis Jones, Mary A. Jones.
Luther Hayes was chosen clerk, and has continued in that position to the present time.
Samuel Jones was chosen deacon, and Rev. Ezra Tuttle was called to the pastorate, and remained in charge of the church nearly three years, resigning April 26, 1863. He was succeeded by Rev J.M. Bedell, May 1864, to May 4, 1865; Rev. N.C. Lathrop, Dec. 3, 1865, to Dec. 2, 1867; Rev. I.C. Guptill, May 2, 1868, to April 3, 1869; Rev. Ezra Tuttle, April 10, 1870, to Jan. 6, 1872; Rev. J.P. Jay, Aug. 31, 1872, to June 6, 1874; Rev. E.G. York, Sept. 28, 1878, to April 5, 1879; Rev. C.L. Plumer, Aug. 12, 1879, to July 2, 1881. Rev. E. Owen of Portsmouth preached one-half the time from April 1, 1876 to Dec. 30, 1877, but was not settled over the church. His labors resulted in much good sixteen members being added to the church during his term of service (Scales, 1914).
Ezra Tuttle – First Pastorate
Ezra Gardner Tuttle was born in Nottingham, NH, July 16, 1817, son of Nicholas and Rachel (Lucy) Tuttle.
Rev. Ezra Tuttle
Ezra Tuttle, Free Baptist, son of Nicholas and Rachel (Lucy) Tuttle, was born July 16, 1817. Licensed to preach by the Deerfield and Nottingham Quarterly Conference, at Deerfield, May 1843. Supplied the Methodist Church, West Newbury, Mass., 1843-5; Charlestown, Mass., 1845-6. Ordained an evangelist, Nottingham, Sept. 6, 1846. Laboring as an evangelist, 1846-7; Pastor, South Boston, Mass., May 1847-53; Deerfield, July 1853-60; Milton, May 1, 1860-3; Deerfield, May 1, 1863-5. Without charge, Richland Centre, Wis., Oct. 1865-6, Organized a church there and was pastor, May 1866-70; Pastor, Milton, April 10, 1870-2; North Lebanon, Me., Jan. 1872-3; Second Church, Strafford, Nov. 11, 1873-4; West Lebanon, Me., Nov. 1874-7; Without charge, Lebanon Centre, Me., meanwhile acting briefly as domestic missionary, March 11, 1877, & Pastor Second Church, Strafford, May 1878-82; North Berwick, Me., May 1, 1882-5; Without charge, Providence, R.I., 1885-8. Member of the executive boards of Education, Home, and Foreign Missionary Societies many years, clerk of the New Durham Quarterly Meeting, and often moderator; town treasurer, Richland, Wis., one year; member of school board, Deerfield, Milton, and North Berwick, Me. Died Providence, R.I., June 7, 1888. Married Mary Harris Savage, at Charlestown, Mass., April 5, 1842 (Carter, 1906).
Religious Intelligence. Rev. Ezra Tuttle, who for five years has been pastor of the Free Will Baptist Society in South Boston, has accepted an invitation to settle in Deerfield Centre, N.H. (New England Farmer, July 30, 1853).
Ezra Tuttle, of the Freewill Baptist church, of Deerfield, NH, signed the anti-slavery Memorial of 3050 New England Clergymen of all denominations in April 1854 (Washington (DC) Sentinel, April 29, 1854).
Ezra Tuttle, a clergyman, aged forty-three years (b. NH), headed a Milton household at the time of the Eighth (1860) Federal Census. His household included Mary H. Tuttle, aged thirty-nine years (b. NH), F.H. Tuttle, aged seventeen years (b. NH), P.E. Tuttle, aged five years (b. NH), A.C. Tuttle, aged one year (b. NH), and Abbie Ayer, aged fifteen years (b. NH). Ezra Tuttle had real estate valued at $500 and personal estate valued at $500. His household appeared next to that of L.L. Leighton, with unoccupied buildings on either side of them.
He moved next to Deerfield and then Wisconsin, returning to Milton in 1870 (see below).
Samuel P. Fernald
Fernald, Rev. Samuel P., was born in North Berwick, Me., May 25, 1809, and died in Melvin Village [Tuftonboro], N.H., June 9, 1888. His parents were Tobias and Sally (Pray) Fernald. He became a Christian at the age of twenty-one, received license to preach Oct. 23, 1831, and was ordained at East Wolfborough, N.H., May 26, 1833, by Rev.’s H.D. Buzzell, James Emery, Samuel Knowles, and Hiram Holmes. He itinerated a few years in Maine and New Hampshire, and had several revivals. He then settled with the East Tilton and Second Belmont churches. He organized the latter with fourteen members, and saw it increased to sixty-four members. He settled at Northwood in 1838. A large number were added, a house of worship built and equipped. He was pastor at Candia, at Gilmanton Iron Works, nine years, and three years at Bristol, where, in 1850, the church edifice was built. Returning to Northwood, fifty were added to the church, and a parsonage built. His next pastorates were in Portsmouth, Wakefield, Union, Gorham, Me., White Rock, and in Moultonborough and Tuftonborough, N.H. The church of these towns was increased from ten to fifty members, and a house of worship erected. He closed a four years pastorate here in 1870. After serving the Holderness and Centre Harbor church, one year, and the Water Village church, two years, and the Third Holderness, one year, he ceased his public labors on account of ill health. He has baptized about three hundred. He married March 28, 1838, Miss Hannah E. Palmer of Tuftonborough, N.H. who died July 1, 1888. They leave two children: Prof. O.M. Fernald of Williams College, Mass., and the wife of G.B. Files, Principal of the High School at Augusta, Me. She graduated from the Maine State Seminary at Lewiston, and taught in the Maine Central Institute, six years (Burgess, et al., 1889).
Samuel P. Fernald, a clergyman, aged sixty-one years (b. ME), headed a Tuftonboro, NH, household at the time of the Ninth (1870) Federal Census. His household included Hannah E. Fernald, keeping house, aged fifty-nine years (b. NH). Samuel P. Fernald had real estate valued at $1,000 and personal estate valued at $220.
Rev. Samuel P. Fernald died in Tuftonboro, NH, June 9, 1888. Hannah E. (Palmer) Fernald died a month later, July 1, 1888.
J.M. Bedell
Bedell, Rev. I.M., son of John and Mary (Mills) Bedell, was born in Springvale, Me., July 11, 1820. He studied at Parsonfield Seminary, and in the Biblical School at Whitestown, N.Y. Converted in 1834, he was licensed in 1850, and the next year ordained by Rev.’s G.P. Ramsey, W.H. Littlefield, C.B. Mills, and L.H. Witham. Among his pastorates have been Woolwich, Farmington, and Topsham, Me., and Meredith, Belmont, and Strafford Centre, N.H. He has seen revivals in seven of the churches with which he has labored, and one church organized June 1, 1846; he married Ella E. Roberts and has three children. He retired on account of ill health and resides in Lynn Mass. (Burgess, et al., 1889).
Isaiah M. Bedell of the 1st FW Baptist church, of Upper Gilmanton, NH, signed the anti-slavery Memorial of 3050 New England Clergymen of all denominations in April 1854. Peter Clarke, of Upper Gilmanton’s 1st Baptist church; James Polley, of its Christian church; and R.U. Sergeant, of its Centre Congregational church, signed also (Washington (DC) Sentinel, April 29, 1854).
Isaiah M. Berdell, a clergyman, aged fifty years (b. ME), headed a Gorham, ME, household at the time of the Ninth (1870) Federal Census. His household included Ellen C. Berdell, keeping house, aged forty-five years (b. ME), Lula A. Berdell, teaching school, aged twenty years (b. ME), Vianna O. Berdell, at school, aged eighteen years (b. ME), Felinda M. Berdell, at school, aged fifteen years (b. ME). Berdell has real estate valued at $1,200 and personal estate valued at $500. They resided next door to a hotel managed by Samuel B. Brown, aged seventy-two years (b. VT).
Isiah M. Bedell, no occupation, aged fifty-nine years (b. ME), headed a Lynn, MA, household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. His household included Ellen E. Bedell, housekeeping, aged fifty-five years (ME), Lilla A. Bedell, works in shoe factory, aged twenty-seven years (b. ME), Vienna O. Bedell, works in shoe factory, aged twenty-five years (b. ME), Fida M. Bedell, a music teacher, aged twenty-three years (b. NH), and a boarder, Frederick Jones, works on ice cart, aged twenty-two years (b. ME). They resided on Rockingham Street.
Ella E. (Roberts) Bedell died in 1880. Rev. Isaiah M. Bedell died in Lynn, MA, February 9, 1893.
Nathan C. Lothrop
Lothrop, Rev. Nathan C., son of Solomon and Fanny (Chase) Lothrop, was born in Norton, Mass., June 19, 1839. He was converted at the age of seventeen under the labors of Rev. S.D. Church, in Taunton, Mass., and two years after was baptized and united with the church at Taunton. He graduated from the New Hampton Institution in 1861, and from the Theological School in 1864. In September following he was ordained at South Berwick, Me., where he was pastor eighteen months. He was pastor at Milton NH, two years, Pelham over two years of the Second Strafford church, three years of Caudia Village church, four years where he baptized thirty six and added fifty to the church. During the next four years he was at Bristol, where he baptized thirteen and twenty-six were added to the church. He then settled in Deerfield for nearly five years, and baptized thirty-seven, receiving forty-two into the church. In all he has baptized 101 converts. He is now settled at West Lebanon, Me., 1887. He was married Nov. 16, 1865, to Miss Sarah J. Lovejoy of Laconia NH, and has a son and daughter (Burgess, et al., 1889).
Nathan C. Lothrop appeared as Milton’s Free-Will Baptist minister in the Milton business directory of 1867-68.
Nathan C. Lothrop, a clergyman, aged thirty years (b. MA), headed a Strafford, NH, household at the time of the Ninth (1870) Federal Census. His household included Sarah J. Lothrop, aged twenty-six years (b. NH), Ormsby A. Lothrop, aged two years (b. NH), Fanny B. Lothrop, aged one month (b. NH; in May), and Josephine Woods, a domestic servant, aged twenty-nine years (b. NH). Nathan C. Lothrop had personal estate valued at $300.
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Rev. Nathan C. Lothrop died in Bristol, NH, February 15, 1920. Sarah J. (Lovejoy) Lothrop died in Bristol, NH, April 30, 1930.
I.C. Guptill
GUPTILL, Ira Clark, M.D., of Northborough, is a native of Maine, born in Cornish, York County, April 9, 1844, son of Obadiah True and Harriet Newell (Cilley) Guptill. His ancestors on both sides were closely connected with the early history of the Pine Tree State. His great-grandfather, Daniel Guptill, was a native of North Berwick, Me., where he married Miss Sarah Morrill, and they reared a large family of children. His maternal grandfather was Benjamin Cilley of Limerick, Me. Dr. Guptill’s early education was obtained from the common high schools, and the classical institutes, and his collegiate training at Bowdoin and Dartmouth. He graduated from the medical department of Dartmouth College, November 4, 1874, and further fitted for his profession through clinical practice in connection with the office of his instructor, Dr. Alvin Brawn, who was city physician of Biddeford, Me. Soon after his graduation he settled in Manchester, N.H., and was in active practice in Manchester and Auburn for three years, when on account of poor health he travelled for a while. Upon his return he resumed practice in his native State, and in October 1879 removed to Northborough, where he has since remained in the enjoyment of an extensive practice and a very pleasant home. He is a member of the Worcester District Medical Society, and a Fellow of the Massachusetts Medical Society. He has read several papers before the societies, has been concerned in a number of literary works, and has also contributed poems to magazines and newspapers, which have been quite extensively copied. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity, the Odd Fellows, to the Royal Society of Good Fellows, and is president of the Fredonia Club of Social Fellows. He has been a lifelong Republican, and has served on the town committee. In his professional work, by offices of kindness and gratuitous service, he has done much often, at a sacrifice, to ameliorate the condition of the poor and unfortunate, which has been the pleasure of his ambition. Dr. Guptill was married November 4, 1871, to Miss Jennie J. Jones, of North Lebanon, Me., a graduate the West Lebanon Seminary and a very successful teacher. No children have been born to them (Bacon, 1896).
Ira C. Guptill is said to have been in Milton as a minister in 1868-69. I.C. Guptill was pastor in North Lebanon, ME, in 1870-71.
Ira C. Gubtail, a clergyman, aged twenty-six years (b. ME), headed a Lebanon, ME, household at the time of the Ninth (1870) Federal Census, in June 1870. His household included Mira L. Gubtail, keeping house, aged twenty-seven years (b. ME). Gubtail had real estate valued at $400 and personal estate valued at $200.
The York conference report of for 1871 stated that his North Lebanon church had 26 additions by baptism, 3 additions by letter [transfers], 1 dismissal [by letter, to another congregation], 1 exclusion, 0 deaths, 129 resident members, 12 non-resident members, 141 whole number, and 95 scholars (FWB Printing, 1871).
What followed next was certainly unusual. Ira C. Guptill obtained a divorce from Almira L. (Allen) Guptill in York County, ME, in September 1871. He then married (2nd) in Biddeford, ME, November 4, 1871, Joanna Jones, he of Biddeford [and she of North Lebanon, ME]. These events likely explain his dropping the ministry and returning to school. He went next to Dartmouth College, where he took a degree in medicine. (His ex-wife, Almira L. [(Allen)] Guptill, married (2nd) in Sanford, ME, December 21, 1873, John A. Dennett, both of Sanford).
Ira C. Guptill, a physician, aged thirty-four years (b. ME), headed a Northborough, MA, household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. His household included Jennie J. Guptill, keeping house, aged twenty-eight years (b. ME). The Guptills shared a two-family dwelling with the household of Augustus M. Staples, a comb factory worker, aged thirty-six years (b. ME).
Northboro. Mrs. [Harriet N. (Cilley)] Guptill, who makes her home with her son, Dr I.C. Guptill, Main st,, is seriously ill with pneumonia (Boston Globe, January 1, 1904).
Jennie J. (Jones) Guptill died in September 1918. Ira C. Guptill died in Northboro, MA, December 3, 1918.
Funeral of Dr Guptill Saturday. NORTHBORO, Dec 5. The funeral of Dr. Ira C. Guptill will be held Saturday afternoon at 2 o’clock. He was 74 years old and was born in Limerick, Me. He was graduated from Bowdoin College and the Dartmouth Medical School. He came to Northboro 38 years ago. He married Miss Joanna Jones of Biddeford, Me. in January, 1871. She died last September (Boston Globe, [Thursday,] December 5, 1918).
Ezra Tuttle – Second Pastorate
Rev. Ezra Tuttle
Rev. Ezra Tuttle (see details above) returned from Wisconsin for a second Milton pastorate in 1870 through 1872.
Ezra Tuttle, a clergyman, aged fifty years (b. NH), headed a Milton household at the time of the Ninth (1870) Federal Census. His household included Mary Tuttle, keeping house, aged forty-eight years (b. MA), Eldora Tuttle, at school, aged fifteen years (b. NH), Alvah C. Tuttle, at school, aged eleven years (b. NH), and Washington I. Tuttle, at school, aged nine years (b. NH).
Note the name of the third child. Ezra Tuttle and his wife were evidently fans of author Washington Irving (1783-1859).
Ezra Tuttle appeared as Milton’s Free-Will Baptist minister in the Milton business directory of 1871. He performed innocently a Milton marriage in that year that featured later in a sensational bigamy trial of 1886. (The Milton marriage was the first, non-bigamous marriage) (Oakland Tribune, June 9, 1886).
Ezra Tuttle, a minister, aged sixty-three years (b. NH), headed a Strafford, NH, household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Mary H. Tuttle, keeping house, aged fifty-nine years (b. MA), A. Chesley Tuttle, a printer, aged twenty-one years (b. NH), and Irving W. Tuttle, works in a shoe shop, aged seventeen years (b. NH).
Rev. Ezra Tuttle died in Providence, RI, June 7, 1888 (Boston Transcript, July 10, 1888). Mary H. (Savage) Tuttle died in Milton, NH, January 31, 1907.
J.P. Jay
Rev. Joseph F. Joy
Joseph Franklin Joy was born in New Durham, NH, May 15, 1838, son of Samuel and Watie (Pettigrew) Joy.
Joseph Franklin Joy, Free Baptist, son of Samuel and Watie (Pettigrew) Joy, was born May 15, 1838. Graduated at Dartmouth College, 1863. For a time teacher, Rochester, N.Y. Attended medical lectures at Brunswick, Me. 1865. Licensed to preach at Northwood, Jan. 1865. Ordained New Durham, May 1865. Labored in New Durham and vicinity, 1865-72; Milton, 1872-5; New Durham, 1875-83; Without charge, Frankfort Dak 1888-91; Farmington, 1891-6; New Durham, 1896-7; Farmington, 1897-1904. School committee of New Durham, several years. Married Addie F. Berry at New Durham, May 14, 1868 (Carter, 1906).
Joseph F. Joy, a clergyman, aged thirty-two years (b. NH). headed a New Durham, NH, household at the time of the Ninth (1870) Federal Census. His household included Addie F. Joy, keeping house, aged twenty-four years (b. NH), and Anna Joy, aged six months (b. NH). Joseph F. Joy had personal estate valued at $740.
J.F. Joy appeared as Milton’s Free-Will Baptist minister in the Milton business directories of 1873 and 1874. (He served as one of three Superintendents, i.e., Superintendents of Schools, with J.U. Simes and H. Wentworth, in 1874).
Serena O. Berry, keeping house, aged fifty-eight years (b. NH), headed a New Durham, NH, household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. Her household included her daughter, Georgianna O. Berry, a teacher, aged thirty-five years (b. NH). Serena O. Berry shared a two-family dwelling with the household of her son-in-law, Rev. Joseph F. Joy, Rev. Joseph F. Joy, a clergyman, aged forty-two years (b. NH). His household included Serena O. Berry’s daughter, aged thirty-four years (b. NH), and her [grand] daughters, Annie M. Joy, aged ten years (b. NH), Eda O. Joy, aged seven years (b. NH), and Gracie Joy, aged three years (b. NH).
Rev. Joseph F. Joy died in New Durham, NH, June 13, 1912.
E.G. York
Elbridge Gerry York was born in Gilmanton, NH, November 29, 1830, son of Jonathan and Betsy York. He married (1st) in Belmont, NH, October 5, 1858, Laura M. Bowles, he of Gilmanton and she of Whitefield. She was born in Lisbon, NH, circa 1832-33, daughter of Benjamin and Mercy L. (Taylor) Bowles.
Elbridge G. York, Free Baptist, was born Nov. 29, 1830. Began to preach, 1854. Ordained, Woodstock, Jan. 11, 1860, and pastor, 1860-2; Lower Gilmanton, 1862-4; First Church Wolfborough, 1864-74; Moultonborough and Tuftonborough, 1874-9; Nottingham, 1879-81 (Carter, 1906).
Elbridge G. York, an F.B. clergyman, aged twenty-nine years (b. NH), headed a Woodstock, NH, household at the time of the Eighth (1860) Federal Census. His household included Laura M. York, aged twenty-seven years (b. NH), and Edwin K. York, aged three years (b. NH).
Elbridge G. York, a clergyman, aged thirty-three years (b. NH), married, registered for the Class II military draft in Londonderry, NH, in June 1863.
Elbridge G. York, a clerk, aged thirty-nine years (b. NH), headed a Wolfeborough, NH, household at the time of the Ninth (1870) Federal Census. His household included Laura M. York, keeping house, aged thirty-seven years (b. NH), Amy E. York, at home, aged five years (b. NH), Don E.E. York, at home, aged three years (b. NH), and Orland B. York, aged one year (b. NH). Elbridge G. York had real estate valued at $300 and personal estate valued at $400.
E. Tuttle appeared as Milton’s Free-Will Baptist minister in the Milton business directory of 1876. This was an error: the directory should have listed the minister as E. York or E.G. York.
Laura M. (Bowles) York died in Milton, NH, in 1878-79, aged forty-six years and ten months. Her death was “reported for year ending March 31, 1879.”
Elbridge G. York married (2nd) in Exeter, NH, April 24, 1880, Cynthia Abby ((Withee) (Thompson) (Randall)) Ellison, he of Nottingham and she of Exeter. He was a clergyman, aged forty-nine years, and she a domestic, aged forty-eight years. She was born in Skowhegan, ME, circa 1831-32, daughter of Walton and Pathenia Withee. (Yes, Pathenia). This was said to be the 4th marriage for each (It was his second and her fourth).
Elbridge Gerry York, an F.W. Baptist clergyman, aged forty-nine years (b. NH), headed a Nottingham, NH, household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Cynthia A. York, keeping house, aged forty-eight years (b. ME), his daughter-in-law, Carrie Thompson, a table girl, aged eighteen years (b. NH), his sons-in-law, Freddie C. Randall, at school, aged thirteen years (b. NH), and Granville D. Randall, at school, aged eleven years (b. NH), and his children, Amy E. York, at school, aged fifteen years (b. NH), Don E. York, at school, aged thirteen years (b. NH), Arlen B. York, at school, aged eleven years (b. NH), and Lucia A. York, at school, aged seven years (b. NH).
Elbridge G. York died in Taunton, MA, September 7, 1900. Cynthia A. York died in 1903. (She is buried in Exeter, NH, with her first husband, Sylvester E. Thompson, who died in Potomac, VA, while serving with the 12th NH Regiment).
E. Owen
Owen, Rev. Eleazar, was born in Belchertown, Mass., Oct. 11, 1834. His parents were Artemas Owen, of Belchertown, and Betsey Wright, of Hanover, N.H. He was educated in the seminaries of Monson and Wilbraham, Mass., For a number of years he was employed as a mechanic in the U.S. Armory at Springfield. He was ordained by the Advent Christian Conference, of Connecticut, at New Britain in 1867. He organized and became pastor of the church at Westfield, Mass. For several years he was secretary of the Massachusetts Advent Christian Conference. In 1870, he accepted a call to the Hanover Street chapel, Portsmouth, N.H. He resigned his office in the Advent Conference and at his request was dismissed from that body. In 1876, he became stated supply in an abandoned Free Baptist church at Milton N.H. There was a revival, and the church was renewed and has since prospered. After two years he received a call from the Pearl Street church, Portsmouth. He became its pastor after an examination by a council consisting of Rev.’s I.D. Stewart and others. After two years with this church, he resigned and accepted a call to the Lyndon Centre church, Vt. The Lyndon Institute was closed, and the school was passing out of the control of the denomination. Through his efforts, seconded by others, the school was recovered, an endowment of $25,000 was raised, the building repaired, and the school started again in a prosperous condition. He was in the work of endowing the school considerably, for three years, and in the pastorate nearly five years. He settled at Meredith Village, N.H. in July 1885, where he is now pastor. The church there has prospered under his labors (Burgess, et al., 1889).
Eliazar Owen, a clergyman, aged thirty-five years (b. MA), headed a Westfield, MA, household at the time of the Ninth (1870) Census. His household included Mary Owen, keeping house, aged thirty-three years (b. MA), Frederic Owen, attending school, aged eleven years (b. MA), and Eliazar Owen, attending school, aged nine years (b. MA). Eliazar Owen [Sr.] had personal estate valued at $300.
E. Owens appeared as Milton’s Free-Will Baptist minister in the Milton business directory of 1877.
NEW ENGLAND NEWS. NEW HAMPSHIRE. Agreeable to an invitation from the Pearl Street Free Will Baptist Church of Portsmouth, the Council met Tuesday to advise that body in reference to a settlement of Rev. Eleazar Owen as their pastor. Mr. Owen, who was recently an advent preacher, changed his doctrinal views and become a Free Will Baptist. The Council was organized by choosing Rev. O.T. Moulton of 8onth Berwick moderator. and Rev. G.C. Waterman of Dover clerk. After a searching examination of the candidate the Council voted unanimously to recommend him to the fellowship of this church and denomination, and to advise his settlement as pastor of said church. In accordance with the above, Rev. Mr. Owen will commence his pastorate with the Free Will Baptist Church there next Sunday (Boston Post, January 2, 1878).
Eleazar Owen, a clergyman, aged forty-five years (b. MA), headed a Portsmouth, NH, household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Mary Owen, keeping house, aged forty-two years (b. MA), and his sons, Eleazar F. Owen, an apprentice machinist, aged twenty-one years (b. MA), Ellery B. Owen, clothing store clerk, aged nineteen years (b. MA), and Bernard Owen, at school, aged nine years (b. NH).
Rev. Eleazar Owen died November 6, 1896. Mary A. (Walker) Owen died in Concord, NH, January 18, 1917.
Mrs. Mary A. Owen. – Mrs. Mary A. Owen, aged 80 years, died in Concord, N.H., January 18, at the home of her son, E. Scott Owen. She had been ill for several months. She was the widow of Rev. Eleazar Owen, a Free Baptist clergyman, who died in Portsmouth, N.H., 20 years ago. Mr. Owen held pastorates in different places in New Hampshire and Maine and was at one time in charge of the church at Lyndon Center (St. Johnsbury Caledonian (St. Johnsbury, VT), January 31, 1917).
Cyrus L. Plumer
Cyrus Lemuel Plumer was born in Fremont, NH, October 26, 1841, son of Rev. Abraham and Mary Ann (Ladd) Plumer.
A. [Abraham] Plummer, a Meth. clergyman, aged fifty years (b. ME), headed a Vinalhaven (Carver’s Harbor P.O.), ME, household at the time of the Eighth (1860) Federal Census. His household included Betsy Plummer, aged fifty-three years (b. NH), and Lemuel C. Plummer, a student, aged eighteen years (b. NH). A. Plummer had personal estate valued at $1,000.
Cyrus L. Plummer graduated from Boston University’s School of Theology, with its class of 1860.
C. Lemuel Plumer married in Concord, NH, June 17, 1863, Henrietta M. “Etta” Harrington, both of Concord. He was a clergyman. She was born in NH, circa 1841-42, daughter of Thomas and Harriet Harrington.
Plummer’s son, Edwin H. Plumer, reported his own birth as having occurred at Mt. Desert, ME, circa 1865-66 (at the time of his own 1892 marriage to Ruth Given).
C. Lemall Plummer, an M.E. preacher, aged twenty-nine years (b. NH), headed a Pembroke, ME, household at the time of the Ninth (1870) Federal Census. His household included Etta M. Plummer, keeping house, aged twenty-nine years (b. NH), Estella L. Plummer, aged six years (b. NH), and Eddy H. Plummer, aged four years (b. ME).
Cyrus L. Plumer, a clergyman, aged thirty-eight years (b. NH), headed a Milton household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. His household included Henrietta Plumer, keeping house, aged thirty-eight years (b. NH), Estella L. Plumer, at school, aged fifteen years (b. NH), Edwin H. Plumer, at school, aged fourteen years (b. ME), and Herbert F. Plumer, aged eight months (b. NH, in October 1879). His household appeared on a “3 Ponds Village” page.
C.L. Plumer appeared as Milton’s Free-Will Baptist minister in the Milton business directories of 1880, 1881, and 1882.
Harriet H. Shapleigh, Calvin L. Hayes, and Cyrus L. Plumer served on the Kittery, ME, school committee in 1884.
Cyrus L. Plummer, Canvasser Broom Co., aged fifty-eight years (b. NH), headed a Braintree, MA, household at the time of the Twelfth (1900) Federal Census. His household included Etta M. Plummer, aged fifty-eight (b. NH), Herbert Plummer, at school, aged twenty years (b. NH), Mabel E. Plummer, at school, aged seventeen years (b. ME).
Cyrus L. Plummer died in Boston, MA, October 1, 1910.
BRAINTREE. The funeral of Cyrus L. Plummer of 29 School st., who died suddenly on the [Faneuil Hall Sq.] Street in Boston last Saturday night, was held yesterday afternoon at his home. The services were conducted by Rev Thomas Simms, pastor of the First Congregational church. Burial was in Lakeside cemetery, South Braintree (Boston Globe, [Thursday,] October 6, 1910).
Bacon, Edwin Monroe. (1896). Men of Progress: One Thousand Biographical Sketches and Portraits of Leaders in Business and Professional Life in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved from books.google.com/books?id=5HFPAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA650
By Muriel Bristol (Transcriber) | February 28, 2019
In this year, we encounter a minister’s departure, a singular woman, and a stereotyper’s heart failure.
NEW HAMPSHIRE. Rev. S.F. Lougee is called to the church in Danbury, and Rev. D.B. Scott to the church at Milton Mills (Vermont Chronicle (Bellows Falls, VT), April 28, 1877).
Rev. Darius B. Scott was not called to the church at Milton Mills. He left there when he was called to the church at Lynnfield, MA. (See his arrival in 1873).
Miss Joanna Farnham died at the American House hotel, on Hanover Street in Boston, MA, May 19, 1877. She was a daughter of the Bunker Hill veteran Ralph Farnham, who drew so much attention in 1860. The story of her passing, and the discovery of her “nesting” trunks, became a viral story that was copied many times across the whole country. (It was even revived in 1894).
1877. March 19. Joanna Farnham, aged 81 years, 11 months, and 56 days, died at Hanover [Street], Boston, female, single, born Acton, Me., daughter of Ralph (born Lebanon, Me.) and Mehitable (born Raymond, N.H.), lung fever, buried Acton, Me., B.F. Smith, informant (Boston Vital Records).
Reduced or deflated rates after the Panic of 1873
A SINGULAR WOMAN. Foster’s Democrat, of Dover, N.H., of the 19tb, ult., gives a singular history of a Milton woman:
A short time since some of the Boston papers noticed the death of Miss Joanna Farnham, about 80 years of age, and for a long series of years known as the housekeeper at the American House in Boston. She went from Milton, N.H., in her early days, and during her long life at the hotel nobody supposed she had any property, and at her death it was not generally known that she had a surplus dollar anywhere. But she had a trunk at the American House, which was opened and found to contain a variety of dry goods, notes for $5,000 against the proprietor of the American House, a bank book of the Blackstone bank, showing deposits of $1700, a small sum of money, and also a piece of paper having a trunk key wrapped up in it, and on the paper was a writing stating that the key belonged to another trunk, which could be found at the house of a relative in Milton. This led to a visit to Milton, and there some very curious developments were made. The trunk referred to as being at Milton was found, opened with the key found in the former trunk, and this second trunk was packed full of all sorts of fine wearing apparel, and contained also a key in a piece of paper, upon which was the statement that this key belonged to another trunk at a certain other place. And so this thing was followed up until twenty very large-sized trunks and three huge packing chests were found, all crammed full of the most expensive articles of ladies’ wearing apparel and house furnishings that the Boston market afforded.
When these trunks and boxes were all collected they loaded down a four-ox team, and were drawn to a large hall in Milton, unpacked and inventoried, preparatory to an auction sale for the benefit of the heirs. Among all these valuables were 89 dresses, new and perfect, made of silk, velvet, satin and all kinds of plaid silks, black and colored thibets, poplins, alpacas, brilliantines, cashmeres, etc., three silk velvet cloaks, 19 shawls, from common to the richest paisley and wrought crape; 106 skirts of all colors; 114 pairs of hose; undergarments of all kinds, too numerous to mention; table linen, towels, handkerchiefs, counterpanes, sheets, coverlets, blankets, live geese feathers; sets of elegant China ware; a large lot of table and teaspoons of best coin silver, silver knives and forks; a fine gold watch and chain, and a large lot of fine jewelry, &c. It is said that the best dress cost not less than $200. All of these goods are perfectly new and in the best order, never having been used. There is enough of the whole to stock a large store, and the strangest legacy ever left by a housekeeper who worked for small wages all her life yet there is said to be no doubt that she came honestly by all, as it has since been ascertained where and of whom she purchased them at various times as she went along. The original cost of the goods was not less than $11000, and the owner while she lived went clad in the very cheapest sort of apparel, the strangest specimen of humanity ever known in these parts (Burlington Free Press (Burlington, VT), June 7, 1877).
The Vermont Journal carried also the same Foster’s story, with an additional detail of the auctioneer.
Park Copp will sell the whole at auction in Milton (Vermont Journal (Windsor, VT), June 2, 1877).
Joanna Farnham, a domestic, aged fifty years (born ME), was a resident employee of a Boston hotel at the time of the Seventh (1850) Federal Census. Lewis Price, hotel keeper, aged forty years, headed the hotel “household,” which included his own family, guests, as well as four resident employees. Price had real estate valued at $137,200.
Joanna Farnham, a domestic, aged sixty-five years (born ME), was a resident employee of Boston’s American House at the time of the Eighth (1860) Federal Census. Lewis Price, hotel proprietor, aged fifty years, headed the American House “household,” which included his own family, guests, as well as 104 resident employees. Price had real estate valued at $230,000 and personal estate valued at $40,000.
Johanna Farnum, a bath room girl, aged seventy-eight years (born ME), was a resident employee of Boston’s American House at the time of the Ninth (1870) Federal Census. Lewis Price, hotel proprietor, aged sixty years, headed the American House “household,” which included his own family, guests, as well as 126 resident employees: bartenders, billiards boys, cashiers, chambermaids, clerks, cooks, domestic servants, errand boys, fireman, gas man, laundresses, nurse, pantry girl, porters, seamstress, steam engineer, stewards, stove girls, sweepers, waiters, and wash girls. Price had real estate valued at $400,000 and personal estate valued at $75,000.
Stephen H. Knight, a stereotype printer (and former shoe factory employee) from Milton, aged sixty-six years, took sick and died in Boston, MA in September.
THE POLICE RECORD. Various Items, Criminal, Accidental and Otherwise, Gathered from the Courts and Police Stations. Stephen Knight, belonging in Milton, N.H., and sixty-six years old, while sitting in a slip in the saloon of Burns, 108 Portland street, was taken suddenly ill about 11 A.M. yesterday. Drs. Snow and Cilley were called, but in spite of their efforts he died shortly before noon. The deceased was a stereotyper by trade, and leaves a wife. He was, it is said, a brother to Dr. Edward Knight, at 618 Tremont street, this city. It is supposed the cause of death was heart disease (Boston Globe, September 5, 1877).
Stephen H. Knight, a shoe factory worker, aged fifty-seven years, headed a Milton (Milton Mills P.O.) household at the time of the Ninth (1870) Federal Census. His household included Louisa C. [(Clarey)] Knight, keeping house, aged fifty years, Adelaide Knight, at home, aged eighteen years, Clarinda A. Knight, at home, aged seventeen years, and Daniel B. Nichols, a shoe factory worker, aged forty-six years. Stephen H. Knight had real estate valued at $600 and personal estate valued at $200.
Louisa Knight, keeping house, aged fifty-nine years, headed a Milton household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. Her household included her children, Elbridge G. Knight works on shoes, aged thirty years, and Clarie A. Knight, does housework, aged twenty-seven years. Both Elbridge G. and Clarie A. Knight had been unemployed for six months of the year.
By Muriel Bristol (Transcriber) | February 10, 2019
In this year, we encounter accounts of a growing boy, a new postal route, a major mill fire, a comic story, a report on the Milton Mills Congregational church, and the destruction by fire of the Nathan Jewett house at Milton Mills. (At the national level, this year closed with the financial Panic of 1873).
It is difficult to say why this merited press attention. It seems as if this sort of information must have originated with the Brown family itself. The boy, presumably Everett E. Brown, may have been large for his age, but, as his height is not mentioned, it is difficult to say. (The average person was smaller then).
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. Robert Brown, of Milton, N.H., has a boy 15 years of age, who weighs 230 pounds (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, January 8, 1873).
Robert Brown, a shoe factory worker, aged forty years, headed a Milton (Milton Mills P.O.) household at the time of the Ninth (1870) Federal Census. His household included Sarah A. Brown, keeping house, aged forty-four years, Everitt O. Brown, a shoe factory worker, aged fourteen years, and Elmer E. Brown, at school, aged nine years. The Brown household appeared next to William H. Huntress’ saloon in the enumeration.
Everett E. Brown lived still with his parents at the time of the Twelfth (1900) Federal Census. He was then an ice handler, aged forty-five years, for which job some measure of size and strength would have been helpful. He died in Milton, July 9, 1921, aged sixty-seven years and twenty-two days.
The Federal Post Office Department established a postal route between Milton Mills and Horne’s Mills in Wakefield.
New Hampshire. A new postal route has been established in this State, between Milton Mills and Haines Mills [Horne’s Mills in Wakefield]. It was ordered last week (Boston Globe, January 17, 1873).
A large-scale mill fire took place at Milton Mills in June. The reported loss was over eight times larger (in unadjusted dollar amounts) than that of the A.S. Howard & Co. mill fire of 1845, and over three times larger than the John Townsend mill fire of 1861.
Crimes and Casualties. The woolen mills of Edward Brierly at Milton, N.H., were burned on June 13. Loss, $100,000 (Netawaka Chief (Netawaka, KS), June 25, 1873).
Edward Brierley was born in Rochdale, Lancashire, England, May 19, 1817, son of John and Mary Brierley.
Edward Brierley arrived in the US at New York, NY, December 24, 1841. He resided in Lowell, MA, when he was naturalized in the local police court there, May 31, 1851.
He married Margaret M. Thompson. She was born in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, in 1812. She died in Milton, July 30, 1888, aged seventy-five years.
Edward Briley, a factory operative, aged forty=three years (born England), headed a Milton Mills household at the time of the Eighth (1860) Federal Census. His household included Hannah [SIC] Briley, aged forty years (born Ireland [SIC]).
Edward Brierly, a felt manufacturer, aged fifty-three years (born England), headed a Milton Mills household at the time of the Ninth (1870) Federal Census. His household included Margaret Brierly, keeping house, aged fifty-four years (born Scotland), and Edward J. Brierly, a clerk in a felt manufactory, aged twenty-one years (born MA). Edward Brierly had real estate valued at $3,000 and personal estate valued at $2,000.
Brierley was mentioned also in the Vulpes letter of 1864, as well as Milton business directories of 1869-70, 1871, 1873, 1874, 1876, and 1877.
Edward Brierly died in Milton Mills, July 7, 1878, aged sixty-one years.
There was a sort of comic relation of an event that supposedly took place in Milton.
A THOUGHTFUL MAN. A blood relation of the immortal Mrs. Toody dwells in Milton, N.H., He is a much marred man, having recently brought home his fourth wife. This estimable lady, two or three days after installation in her new home, was regulating the furniture according to her ideas of taste and propriety. Accompanied by a boy of seven years, she went into an attic chamber, where she found a pair of newly-made saw-horses, such as carpenters use in cutting lumber. She said: “Sammy, my son, what are these horses for?” “Well, father keeps them horses to put his wives’ coffins on.” Imagine that pair of horses taking a Sam Patch leap from the attic window of the two-story house with: “I guess my coffin won’t ride them this week” (Danbury Reporter (Danbury, NC), August 28, 1873).
Mrs. Toody was a fictional character in To Oblige Benson, an 1854 one-act comedietta by Tom Taylor. (Abraham Lincoln was assassinated at another of Taylor’s plays: Our American Cousin). A Sam Patch leap is a headlong jump from a cliff. (Note the play on words: the husband is much marred, because his wives keep dying, but, on account of that, he is also much married).
The following mention of the Milton Mills Congregational church has been extracted from a larger report on the Strafford Congregational Conference. Despite its name, the conference included also Belknap and Carroll counties, as well as Strafford county.
CONFERENCES. The youngest of our New Hampshire churches, at Milton Mills, has been richly blessed during the year. Its pastor, D.B. Scott, was installed Sept. 1, 1872. He writes: “Some discouragements, but no defeats, for the Lord is on our side. We gratefully acknowledge the good things of the past, and hope for still greater things in the future.” Twenty-three have united with the church on profession, and fifteen have been baptized, – seven infants, – a cheering statement in the too wide-spread neglect of this ordinance, The Sabbath Hymn and Tune Book has been introduced, and a friend has given a rich communion service (Vermont Chronicle (Bellows Falls, VT), September 20, 1873).
This would be the union evangelical Congregational church organized at Milton Mills in September 1871.
Darius Bullock Scott was born in Bloomfield, NY, in October 1843. He died in Los Angeles, CA, November 1, 1932.
He served in the 17th Illinois Cavalry in 1864-65. After the war, he studied at the Chicago Theological Seminary. On a vacation from there, in 1870, he went as a missionary to the Native Americans of Alma, KS. Milton Mills was his first parish in 1872. He subsequently held pastorates in Lynnfield, MA, in 1878; Hollis, NH, 1879-1885; Clinton, MA, from 1885-92; Sioux Falls, SD; 1892-01; Lancaster, MA, 1901-10; and La Canada, CA.
One of Milton Mills’ early homesteads was destroyed by fire in October.
New Hampshire. The house known as the Nathan Jewett House at Milton Mills was destroyed by fire on the 11th inst. Loss not reported. Insured (Boston Globe, October 23, 1873).
Nathl Jewett headed a Milton household at the time of the Third (1810) Federal Census. His household included one male aged 26-44 years (himself), one female aged 26-44 years (Nancy J. (Rogers) Jewett), two males aged 16-25 years, one female aged 16-25 years, and one female aged 10-15 years. The census taker enumerated his household between those of Josiah Witham and Timothy Wentworth.
Nathaniel Jewett’s saw-mill, owned by himself and others, was one of twelve mills in Milton in 1813 (Scales, 1914).
Nathaniel Jewett died in Milton, June 2, 1847, aged sixty-six years, ten months, and nine days.
According to Scale’s History of Strafford County, Milton’s Free-Will Baptist church organized itself at Theodore Lyman‘s house in May 1843.
A Free-Will Baptist Church was organized at the house of Theodore Lyman, on the 11th day of May, 1843, with seventeen members, viz.: Hazen Duntley, Daniel M. Quimby, Luther Hayes, William Fernald, James O. Reynolds, Drusilla Jewett, Betsey Lyman, Mary H. Downs, Mrs. D.W. Wedgwood, William B. Lyman, Theodore Lyman, E.S. Edgerly, Dearborn Wedgwood, Phoebe Duntley, Sophia Quimby, Sally F. Downs, Mrs. A. Hubbard.
Luther Hayes was chosen clerk, and Theodore Lyman deacon. Rev. William H. Waldron was the first pastor, having charge of the church about one year, and was succeeded by Rev. Horace Stanton. Mr. Stanton’s health failing, he was soon obliged to resign the pastorate, and the Rev. Uriah Chase was called for a time.
This church, having no meeting house or suitable place for public worship, soon discontinued Sabbath meetings, but kept up prayer and conference meetings, until May 1, 1850, at which time the organization became extinct.
There were ten members added to the church after its organization. Although for the lack of pecuniary ability to build a meeting-house and support the regular preaching of the gospel, this little church was obliged, for the time being, to give up its organization, many of its members continued to feel a lively interest in the cause, and in 1859 succeeded in building the present very neat and tasty meeting-house, which was dedicated on the 25th day of December of that year (Scales, 1914).
Deacon Theodore Lyman (and his wife, Betsy (Bragdon) Lyman) and Church Clerk Luther Hayes were South Milton neighbors. (Benjamin Cook, the census taker of 1850, enumerated them one after the other). Lyman was a farmer and Hayes was a lumber dealer.
An 1858 Vermont paper undertook to define the various churches then prevalent in New England. As inherent in the name Baptist, the Free-Will Baptists would not have believed in infant baptism. They shared this belief with the Calvinistic Baptists and the Christian Baptists. Beyond that, they were said to have been particular in not being particular.
FREE-WILL BAPTISTS, are a sect who admit all possessing the Christian name to their communion, without particular regard to their particular doctrines (Aurora of the Valley (Newbury, VT), October 16, 1858).
Likely, a theologian could make finer distinctions.
William H. Waldron
William H. Waldron was born in Farmington, NH, July 16, 1817, son of Jeremiah and Mary (Scott) Waldron.
Waldron, Rev. W.H., son of Jeremiah and Mary (Scott) Waldron, born in Farmington, N.H., July 16, 1817. He was educated in Strafford Academy, New Hampshire, and Parsonfield Seminary, Maine, and studied in the Biblical School in connection with the latter. He was ordained Jan. 26, 1843, by E. Place and others. He held pastorates as follows: Farmington and Lake Village, N.H., Lynn, Mass., Springvale, Me., Hampton, N.H., Pascoag, R.I., Ames, Fabius, Fairport, Norwich, Lowville, N.Y., and Milton, N.H. In all these places he had revivals and baptized 175 persons. He has preached at the ordination of several ministers and at the dedication of several churches. He has been a delegate to several General Conferences. He was married 1846 to Miss Mary Green, and in 1856 to Miss Frances Payson (Burgess, et. al, 1889).
Rev. William H. Waldron’s “about one year” in Milton would have been 1843-44. Horace Stanton succeeded him.
He married (1st) in Epsom, NH, November 6, 1846, Mary S. Green, he of Lynn, MA, and she of Epsom. She was born in 1821.
W.H. Waldron, a B. [Baptist] clergyman, aged thirty-three years (b. NH), headed a Dracut, MA, household at the time of the Seventh (1850) Federal Census. His household included Mary S. Waldron, aged thirty years (b. NH), and Mary P. Waldron, aged two years (b. MA). W.H. Waldron had real estate valued at $1,000.
He married (2nd) in Hampton, NH, November 24, 1856, Frances A. Payson, both of Hampton. She was born in Waldoboro, ME, in 1835, daughter of Edward K. and Susan (Pitts) Payson.
William H. Waldron, a F.W.B. clergyman, aged forty-three years (b. NH), headed a Burrillville, RI, household at the time of the Eighth (1860) Federal Census. His household included Frances F. Waldron, aged twenty-five years (b. ME), and Mary F. Waldron, aged two years (b. RI). William H. Waldron had real estate valued at $200 and personal estate valued at $300.
William Waldron, preacher of the Gospel, aged fifty-three years (b. NH), headed a Fabius, NY, household at the time of the Ninth (1870) Federal Census. His household included Frances Waldron, aged thirty-five years (b. ME). He had real estate valued at $900 and personal estate valued at $300.
The Liquor Traffic in New York. The liquor traffic costs the state of New York more than $100,000,000 yearly, and we pay more for tobacco than we pay for bread. Men and women ot empire state, look at this! Your yearly property and money taxes and costs are, for state government, education and religion, $46,000,000 ; for general government and war debt $40,000,000; to spread poverty, disease, and crime, $170,000,000. And the result is, we have hundreds of thousands upon the down grade without a break, whose doom is inevitable, and whose future seems to be sure. A Pacific-coast stage-driver, as he lay dying, spasmodically moved his limbs up and down, and when inquired of as to the cause, he replied: “I am on the down grade and can not reach the brake.” So this vast army of drunkards and tipplers are on the down grade and many of them can not now reach the brake, though they may make spasmodic efforts to reach it. This is true of every old sot who has signed the pledge and can’t keep it and of every young drunkard who is a slave to his appetite and to his drink, who says: ” I have tried but can’t break off; have struggled with the tempter, only to be mastered; there is no hope for me.” Liquor drinking is a down grade, even though you drink but moderately. Gambling is a down grade; so is lying and dishonesty; so is Sabbath-breaking. Every temptation to evil is a down grade. The tempted imagine there will be no difficulty in checking their speed on this grade at any moment when they choose, though every one before them had the greatest difficulty, and many were wrecked. ‘”I’ll drink only once more, says the young man, who fears the consequences of his habits. “I’ll play only this one game more, and this shall be the last” says the one who is aware of his growing passion for games. “I’ll go only this time, mother,” says the confident and innocent daughter. Neither of them seems to be aware of the fact that the one more indulgence may so increase their momentum on the down grade that the brake will be beyond their reach, and useless. Take care, young man. It is dreadful to be upon this down grade with no brake, especially when everything is at stake for time and eternity. And the only safe course is to apply the brake at once. – Rev. W.H. Waldron (Vermont Chronicle, May 17, 1879).
W.H. Waldron, a clergyman, aged sixty-three years (b. NH), headed a Charlestown, RI, household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. His household included Frances E. Waldron, keeping house, aged forty-five years (b. ME).
Frances A. (Payson) Waldron died in Dover, NH, April 21, 1888.
He married (3rd) in Dover, NH, December 15, 1891, Sarah E. Clough. She was born in Farmington, in 1817, daughter of Rev. Philemon and Sally Clough..
Rev. William H. Waldron died in Farmington, NH, July 6, 1894. Sarah E. (Clough) Waldron died in 1922.
NECROLOGY. REV. WILLIAM H. WALDRON. Rev. William H. Waldron was born in Farmington, July 16, 1817, and died in that town July 6. As a highly respected clergyman of the Free Baptist denomination, he had filled pastorates in Rhode Island and New York and in Farmington and Milton. He had been retired from the active ministry for several years, Rev. Mr. Waldron was a descendant of Col. John Waldron of the revolution (Granite Monthly, 1894).
Horace Stanton
Horace Stanton was born in Lebanon, ME, August 27, 1818, son of James and Sabra (Wentworth) Stanton.
Stanton, Rev. Horace, of Lebanon, Me., died Jan. 28, 1848[1847], aged twenty-nine years. Converted in 1838, he was licensed to preach in 1844, and ordained two years later, in August, 1846. Pain could not quench his love for souls. He was a faithful and acceptable preacher and pastor. In the disposition of his property, he remembered the Foreign Mission, Home Mission, and Education Societies (Burgess, et al., 1889).
Horace Stanton succeeded Rev. William H. Waldron, in 1844, while still a preacher. Likely, he was still in Milton when ordained in August 1846. He resigned when his “health failed” and was succeeded by Rev. Uriah Chase.
Rev. Horace Stanton died January 28, 1847.
Uriah Chase
Rev. Uriah Chase was the son of Levi and Sarah (Page) Chase, and was born in Canterbury, September 28, 1820. Educated at the common schools and at Gilmanton Academy; licensed to preach by the New Durham Quarterly Meeting, May, 1843; preached as an evangelist, 1843-50; ordained as a Free Baptist at Parsonsfield, Me., March 14, 1850; pastor at Limington, Raymond, Buxton, Parsonsfield, and Cornish, Me.; also at Alton, Upper Gilmanton, East Andover, Wolfeborough, Nottingham, Strafford, Barrington, and Epsom, N.H., and at Shapleigh, Raymond, Brownfield, Madison, West Buxton, and Hollis, Me. He preached at East Andover from April, 1861, to April, 1863. He died at Waterboro, Me., August 1, 1888. Married, first, October 25, 1855, Harriet Ann, daughter of John and Susan (Weeks) Kimball of Northfield; married, second, February 17, 1863, Lizzie Guilford of Saco, Me. She was a teacher in the academy at East Andover, and was a sister to Rev. Elijah Guilford, who was in charge of the academy at East Andover for a time between 1857 and 1861 (Eastman, 1910).
Uriah Chase signed the Protests and Declaration of Sentiments of Free-Will Baptist Ministers Upon the Subject of Slavery, in March 1848 (The Liberator, March 24, 1848).
Daniel Gilkey, a farmer, aged sixty-three years (b. ME), headed a Limington, ME, household at the time of the Seventh (1850) Federal Census. His household included Betsy Gilkey, aged fifty seven years (b. ME), Reuben Gilkey, a farmer, aged thirty-one years (b. ME), Sarah Gilkey, aged twenty-nine years (b. ME), and Elizabeth Gilkey, aged three years (b. ME); also Almira Edgecomb, aged nineteen years (b. ME), Benjamin F. Stevens, aged ten years (b. ME), and Uriah Chase, a F.W.B. clergyman, aged thirty years (b. ME). Daniel Gilkey had real estate valued at $1,000.
Uriah Chase married (1st), October 25, 1855, Harriet Ann Kimball. She was born in Northfield, NH, April 1, 1836, daughter of John and Susan (Weeks) Kimball.
Uriah Chase, a clergyman, aged thirty-nine years (b. NH), headed a Gilmanton, NH, household at the time of the Eighth (1860) Federal Census. His household included Harriet A. Chase, aged twenty-four years (b. NH), and John R. Chase, aged two years (b. NH). Uriah Chase had real estate valued at $200 and personal estate valued at $500.
Harriet A. (Kimball) Chase died in Gilmanton, NH, November 18, 1862.
Uriah Chase married (2nd) in East Canterbury, NH, February 17, 1863, Elizabeth Guilford. She was born in Saco, ME, daughter of William and Barbara Guilford.
Uriah Chase, a clergyman, aged forty-two years (b. NH), registered for the Class II military draft, in June 1863.
Uriah Chase, a minister, aged fifty-seven years (b. NH), headed a Madison, NH, household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. His household included Lizzie Chase, keeping house, aged forty-three years (b. ME), Mary N. Chase, at home, aged sixteen years (b. NH), and Charles L. Chase, at home, aged fourteen years (b. NH).
Rev. Uriah Chase died in Waterboro, ME, August 1, 1888, aged sixty-seven years. Elizabeth (Guilford) Chase died October 17, 1893.
By Muriel Bristol (Transcriber) | February 7, 2019
In this year, a new congregation assembled at Milton Mills.
Religious News. CONGREGATIONAL. A union Evangelical church consisting of sixteen members was organized at Milton Mills, N.H., Sept 26. The council, of which Rev. Alvan Tobey, D.D., was moderator and Rev. H.M. Stone, scribe (Vermont Journal (St. Johnsbury, VT), October 14, 1871).
The end of the second sentence seems to be missing, and was so in all the reprints.
Scales’ History of Strafford County provided a list of the pastors of Milton’s Christian Church:
The pastors have been Simeon Swett, John Davis, John T.G. Colby, Samuel S. White, Jotham S. Johnson, and A.G. Comings (Scales, 1914).
Continuing from where we left off, John T.G. Colby seems to have resided in Milton, between 1850 and 1857, whereas his named successors were likely itinerant visitors only.
Not included in Scales’ list was Rev. Daniel B. Goodwin, who resided in West Milton, from at least 1850. Goodwin worked as a lay evangelist in the area for many years. He was ordained officially in 1868, and “settled” in West Milton, from 1871 to 1880. He resided there “without charge” until his death in 1888.
Elder John T.G. Colby
John Taylor Gilman Colby was born in Exeter, NH, April 7, 1796, son of Ichabod and Ruth (Norris) Colby.
John Taylor Gilman Colby, Christian, son of Ichabod and Ruth (Rowell) Colby, was born April 7, 1796. Preparatory studies at Hampton and Phillips Exeter Academies. Teaching and preaching in early life. Began preaching in York. Me., 1823. Ordained an evangelist, Durham, May 27, 1827. Labored as an itinerant in Maine, New Hampshire, and Canada East, 1827-32. Acting pastor, Wolfborough, 1832 50; Milton, Mass. [NH], 1850-7; Dover 1857-77. Died there June 5, 1877. Married Camela, daughter of Dea. Jeremiah Horne of Rochester, Nov. 24, 1830 (Carter, 1906).
Brethren John T.G. Colby and John Flanders received ordination in Durham, NH, on May 27, 1827.
On the 25th [May], the New Hampshire conference convened at the house of Elder William Demeritt, Durham, N.H. Many met, and the Lord blessed us in very deed. Elder Elias Smith made another humble and tender acknowledgement of his departure from the truth to Universalism. We held our public meetings at the Falls or Village. The meetings continued three days. On the 27th, and last day of the meeting, brethren John T.G. Colby and John Flanders were ordained to the work of the gospel ministry. In the evening I preached in the Methodist meeting house at Dover (Fernald, 1852).
Itinerant John T.G. Colby preached at a general meeting in Wolfeborough, NH, August 5, 1827.
General Meeting in Wolfborough, N.H. From Elder Joseph Banfield, we have been favored with an account of the General Meeting in Wolfborough. It was held in the east Meeting-house, on the 5th and 6th of August. On the fifth, a discourse was delivered by Elder John T.G. Colby, from Isa. Iv. 3. ”Incline your ear, and come unto me, hear, and your soul shall live.” P.M. a discourse was delivered by Elder John Flanders, from James iv. 14. “For what is your life?” In the evening, meetings were held in different neighbourhoods.
Thursday, A.M. a discourse was delivered by Elder Simeon Swett, upon Isaiah lxii. 10. “Go though, go through the gates: prepare the way of the people, cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.” P.M. a discourse was delivered by Brother Jacob Davis, from Isa. iii. 11. “Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! It shall be ill with him; for the reward of his hands shall be given.”
This was an interesting meeting. The preaching was spiritual, calculated to edify the saints, and awaken the careless.
Elder Banfield further observes, that within a few weeks the Lord has revived his work that town; fifteen or twenty have been brought to rejoice in the Saviour. Our congregations are large, and the prospect is, that the work will spread extensively (Gospel Banner (Woodstock, VT), November 3, 1827).
Elder John T.G. Colby married in Wolfeborough, NH, November 24, 1830, Camela Horne, he of Ossipee and she of Rochester. Rev. Isaac Willey performed the ceremony. (In a duplicate record: he was a clergyman, aged thirty-four years (born Exeter, NH), and she was aged thirty-one years (born Rochester, NH)).
Elder John T.G. Colby formed the Christian Church in East Columbia, NH, December 3, 1831.
Previous to this time, as there were here a few members of the church, they were occasionally visited and some meetings were held in the school-house by preachers from different parts of the state and Massachusetts: among whom Mark Fernald, Joseph Banfield, John T.G. Colby, O.P. Tuckerman, Simeon Sweatt, Daniel P. Pike and Elijah Shaw (Merrill, 1888).
Colby was a close associate of Elder Mark Fernald, whom he succeeded as Wolfeborough elder in 1832. The Colby children John R. Colby, Clarinda Colby, and Harriet R. Colby were all born in Wolfeborough, NH, in 1835-36, August 13, 1837, and May 14, 1846 respectively.
John T.G. Colby headed a Wolfeborough household at the time of the Sixth (1840) Federal Census. His household included one male aged 40-49 years, one female aged 30-39 years, one male aged under-5 years, one female aged under-5 years, as well as one male aged 70-79 years and one female aged 70-79 years. One person in the household was engaged in the Learned Professions or Engineering. The census taker enumerated his household between those of John Fullerton and Silas Whitehouse.
Ichabod Colby, aged seventy-nine years, a Revolutionary pensioner, resided in this Wolfeborough household of John T.G. Colby in 1840.
Elder Mark Fernald attended the NH Conference of the Christian Church in June 1849, presumably held in Milton’s Union Chapel.
In June [1849], I attended the New Hampshire conference, which was held at Milton, New Hampshire, commencing on the 6th. The session was harmonious. On the afternoon of the 6th, commenced the general meeting by a Sermon from Brother Payne, that served as a text the remainder of the meeting, which was attended with good. Visited Wolfborough, Tuftonborough, and Moultonborough. Attended in council for the ordination brother James M. Hodgdon, of Moultonborough, and assisted in ordination on the 19th (Fernald, 1852).
John T.G. Colby, a Christian B. [Baptist] Clergyman, aged fifty-two years, headed a Milton household at the time of the Seventh (1850) Federal Census. His household included Camela Colby, aged forty-one years, John R. Colby, aged fourteen years, Clarinda Colby, aged thirteen years, Harriet R. Colby, aged four years, Harrison Kimball, a shoe manufacturer, aged thirty years, James Winn, a carpenter, aged twenty-two years, and Samuel Cloutman, a carpenter, aged twenty-five years. His real estate was valued at $1,000. The census enumerator recorded his household between those of farmer John S. Hersey and blacksmith Daniel B. Goodwin (see below).
Clarinda Abby Colby died in Milton, NH, on July 21 of the following year (1851).
The Federal government appointed John T.G. Colby as the Chestnut Hill / West Milton postmaster, July 6, 1853. He served as such until April 28, 1854, when he was replaced by John Colbath.
John T.G. Colby, a Clergyman F.B., aged sixty-four years (b. NH), headed a Dover, NH, household at the time of the Eighth (1860) Federal Census. His household included Pamelia Colby, aged fifty-one years (b. NH), and Harriet R. Colby, aged fourteen years (b. NH). He shared a two-family house with the household of Alvah Champion, a shoemaker, aged fifty-eight years. Colby had real-estate valued at $5,100 and personal estate valued at $175; Champion had person estate valued at $75.
John T.G. Colby, no occupation listed, aged seventy-four years (b. NH), headed a Dover, NH, household at the time of the Ninth (1870) Federal Census. His household included Camilla Colby, keeping house, aged sixty-one years (b. NH).
DEATH OF AN AGED CLERGYMAN. Dover, N.H., June 5. Rev. J.T.G. Colby, of the Christian Baptist church, was stricken with paralysis last Friday and died this morning, aged 82 years (Burlington Free Press (Burlington, VT), June 6, 1877).
Camela (Horne) Colby died in Dover, NH, August 4, 1886.
Elder Samuel S. White
Samuel Shepherd White was born in Palmyra, ME, January 1, 1816, son of John and Elizabeth (Jewett) White.
Reverend Samuel S. White married in Marlow, NH, September 30, 1846, Clarissa S. Perkins. Elder Mark Fernald attended the ceremony.
Returned home in a severe cold evening. 23d, had our annual address before the Temperance Society, which was good, and on the 24th, was called from my wood lot to attend the marriage of Elder S.S. White and Clarissa S. Perkins. The year throughout was one of deep depression in the churches of Christ. There were but few revivals of religion, and much backsliding. There was a wicked, cruel war between two republics, the United States and Mexico (Fernald, 1852).
Samuel S. White, an F. Will Bap. clergyman, aged thirty years (b. ME), headed a Freetown, MA, household at the time of the Seventh (1850) Federal Census. His household included Clarissa S. White, aged thirty-five years (b. ME), Moses P. White, aged five months (b. MA), and Elizabeth Durfee, aged eighty-five years (b. MA). Samuel S. White shared a two-family dwelling with the household of Job Pierce, a trader, aged fifty-nine years. Pierce had real estate valued at $6,000 and Durfee had real estate valued at $800.
Samuel S. White of the Durham Christian Church signed the anti-slavery Memorial of 3050 New England Clergymen of all denominations in April 1854 (Washington (DC) Sentinel, April 29, 1854).
Nothing definite has been found, but it seems likely that Samuel S. White spent such time as he would in Milton, NH, in the late 1850s. He was in the region – Durham in 1854 and Effingham in 1860 – but had not yet been received by the Baptists (despite what it said in the 1850 census).
The American Baptist Almanac for the Year of Our Lord 1860 noted under the heading Ministers Received from Other Denominations that Samuel S. White, of the Christian Church, of Effingham, NH, had been received as a Baptist minister (American Baptist Publication Society, 1860).
Samuel S. White, a Baptist, aged forty-five years (b. ME), headed an Effingham, NH, household at the time of the Eighth (1860) Federal Census. His household included Clarissa S. White, aged forty-six years (b. ME), Moses P. White, aged ten years (b. MA), and George Hobbs, a stage driver, aged twenty-six years (b. NH). Samuel S. White had real estate valued at $500 and personal estate valued at $925.
The New Hampshire Register and Political Manual listed Samuel S. White as a Baptist clergyman in South-Hampton, NH, in 1865, 1867 and 1868.
Rev. S.S. White, late of South Hampton, N.H., has become pastor of the Baptist church at Jamaica (Vermont Chronicle, November 16, 1867).
BAPTIST. Rev. S.S. White has closed his labors with the Baptist church in Jamaica, and accepted a call to the pastorate of the Baptist church in Pondville. Post office address, Williamsville (Vermont Chronicle, January 9, 1869).
Samuel S. White, a clergyman, aged fifty-six years (b. ME), headed a Newfane, VT (Fayetteville P.O.), household at the time of the Ninth (1870) Federal Census. His household included Clarissa S. White, keeping house, aged fifty-six years (b. ME). He had personal estate valued at $1,500.
MECHANICSVILLE. Rev. Samuel S. White of Vershire, Vt., is supplying the pulpit of the Baptist church of Mount Holly until the first of January, 1875, and the church is in hope of securing his services for the coming year (Rutland (VT) Daily Globe, November 10, 1874).
Rev. Samuel S. White died in Somerville, MA, August 3, 1890. Clarissa S. (Perkins) White died in Cambridge, MA, May 6, 1899.
Elder Jotham S. Johnson
Jotham Sewall Johnson was born in Maine, May 31, 1829, son of Elisha and Betsy (Swett) Johnson. His namesake, Rev. Jotham Sewall, was a prominent Maine minister).
Jotham S. Johnson married (1st) in Hancock County, ME, December 19, 1852, Fanny P. Miller. She died October 8, 1868.
The Federal government taxed 3rd-Class Peddler Jotham S. Johnson of Cape Elizabeth, ME, $12.50 in the US Excise Tax of 1865.
Jotham S. Johnson married (2nd) in Portland, ME, September 4, 1869, Elisa C. Parker, both of Portland. Clergyman F. Southworth of Portland, ME, performed the ceremony. She was born in Gorham, ME, February 8, 1835, daughter of Isaac and Ann Parker.
Based upon the census entries, he would seem to have resided in various parts of Maine, between 1854 and 1861; Canada, in or around 1863-64; Maine again, between 1870 and 1871, New York, between 1872 and 1880; Massachusetts, between 1882 and 1883. His closest approach to Milton would seem to have been early in his career, when he was based in Maine.
Jotham Johnson, a clergyman, aged forty-one years (b. ME), headed a Poland, ME, household at the time of the Ninth (1870) Federal Census. His household included Eva [Elisa] C. Johnson, keeping house, aged thirty-five years (b. ME), Millie Johnson, aged sixteen years (b. ME), Samuel M. Johnson, aged fourteen years (b. ME), Ellie Johnson, aged eleven years (b. ME), William M. Johnson, aged nine years (b. ME), and Ellen Johnson, aged six years (born British Province). He lived next door to James Johnson, a farmer, aged sixty-five years, Rachel Johnson, aged sixty-eight years, and Lucy Johnson, aged ten years.
J.S. Johnson, a Baptist church pastor, aged forty-six years (b. ME), headed a Coeymans, NY, household at the time of the New York State Census of 1875. His household included his wife, Elisa C. Johnson, aged forty years (b. ME), and his children, Ella F. Johnson, aged sixteen years (b. ME), Willie L. Johnson, aged fourteen years (b. ME), Eddie H. Johnson, aged four years (b. ME), and Charles A. Johnson, aged three years (b. New York [City]). They resided in a framed house, valued at $3,000.
Jotham S. Johnson was the “present pastor” of the First Baptist Church at Yorkshire, NY, in 1879 (Ellis, 1879).
Rev. J.S. Johnson, Baptist clergy, aged fifty-one years (b. ME), headed a South Bradford, NY, household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. His household included Elisa C. Johnson, keeping house, aged forty-five (b. ME), Edwin H. Johnson, at school, aged nine years (b. ME), and Charles A. Johnson, aged eight years (b. NY).
A Lynn, MA, city directory of 1883 had Rev. Jotham S. Johnson living at 2 Acorn street in Lynn. By 1885, he had “removed to New York.”
Jotham Sewall Johnson died in 1908.
Elder Albert Gallatin Comings
Albert G. Comings was born in Cornish, NH, March 19, 1812, son of Warren C. and Mary (Taylor) Comings.
Albert Gallatin Comings, Christian, son of Warren and Mary Comings, was born March 19, 1812. Preparatory studies at Woodstock, Vt. High School. Began to preach in Upton, Mass. Ordained Boston, Mass., 1837. Labored in Salem, Boston, and Freetown, Mass., 1837-57 and Lee, about 1857-87. Died there, June 8, 1887. Married Cynthia Jewett, daughter of Luther and Lydia Robbins of Mason, June 10, 1839 (Carter, 1906).
A.G. Comings of Mason, NH, attended the N.E. Christian Convention as a Member, when it was held at the Lyceum Hall, on Hanover Street in Boston, MA, May 30, 1837. The convention passed resolutions opposing slavery, intemperance, war, and licentiousness, and supporting freedom of the press (Liberator (Boston MA), June 9, 1837).
He married, probably in Mason, NH, June 10, 1838, Cynthia Jewett Robbins. She was born in Mason, NH, July 28, 1820, daughter of Luther and Lydia (Buttrick) Robbins.
A. Cummings headed a Ward 4, Salem, MA, household at the time of the Sixth (1840) Federal Census. His household included one male aged 20-29 years, one female aged 20-29 years, and one female aged 40-49 years.
A.G. Comings represented Salem, MA, at the First Annual Meeting of the New England Non-Resistance Society, when it was held in the Chardon Street Chapel in Boston, MA, September 25, 1839 (Liberator (Boston MA), October 11, 1839).
Mr. A.G. COMINGS, of Salem, Massachusetts, will PREACH at the DISCIPLES MEETING HOUSE, St. Paul’s street, on TO-MORROW, (Lord’s day) at half past ten in the morning, and at half past seven in the evening. Seats free, and the public are respectfully invited to attend (Baltimore Sun, August 27, 1842).
A monthly periodical, the Millennial Harbinger, advertised two publications by A.G. Comings in 1845. They were the Genius of Christianity, published semi-monthly in Boston, for $1, and the Mirror of Christian Evidences, published in Boston, for 50¢.
Albert G. Cummings, a Christian minister, aged thirty-eight years (b. NH), headed a Mason, NH, household at the time of the Seventh (1850) Federal Census. His household included Cynthia J. Cummings, aged thirty years (b. NH), Joseph T. Cummings, aged ten years (b. MA), Mary L. Cummings, aged six years (b. MA), Albert L. Cummings, aged four years (b. MA), and Cynthia J. Cummings, aged one year (b. NH).
A.G. Comings wrote frequently for the New England Farmer, between 1851 and 1871. He penned articles on potatoes, cows, onions, turnips, etc. He spoke at the Grafton County Cattle Show and Fair, when it was held at Lebanon, NH, September 23, 1853 (The New England Farmer printed a lengthy summary of his remarks in its issue of January 28, 1854).
At two o’clock, a discourse was listened to, (except what it was not listened to, for there was some noise), from the Rev. A.G. Comings, of Mason, Hillsborough County – a Christian minister. Among other things, he showed the wisdom of adapting cultivation to climate, and surface, and other peculiarities. New Hampshire has its own, and requires its own cultivation. The discourse was well received by those who could be interested in an agricultural subject (New England Farmer (Boston, MA), October 8, 1853).
A.G. Comings of the New Bedford (MA) Christian Church signed the anti-slavery Memorial of 3050 New England Clergymen of all denominations (Washington (DC) Sentinel, April 27, 1854).
Jesus in his Offices. Rev. A. G. Comings proposes to publish a volume containing thirty-two discourses on “Jesus in his Offices,” to be issued in four quarterly parts. We have received the first part, containing six discourses. The author may be addressed at Assonet Village, Mass. (October 16, 1858).
A.G. Cumings, a Baptist clergyman, aged forty-eight years, headed a Lee, NH, household at the time of the Eighth (1860) Federal Census. His household included Cynthia J, Cumings, aged forty years, Joseph T. Cumings, aged nineteen years, Mary L. Cumings, aged sixteen years, Albert L. Cumings, aged fourteen years, Cynthia J. Cumings, aged eleven years, Willis J. Cumings, aged seven years, Carrie W. Cumings, aged five years, and Frederick P. Cumings, aged two years.
TRAGEDY IN LEE, N.H. – The funeral of. Mr. Crawford, who was shot by his son at Lee, N.H. Tuesday, took place on Saturday at the old farm in Nottingham, and was attended by a large concourse of people from that, the adjacent towns, where the deceased was well known. A very impressive sermon was preached on the occasion by Rev. A.G.G. Comings, of Lee. The appearance of the afflicted family of the deceased excited much sympathy. His widow and children are overwhelmed with grief, especially the son who shot his father. His sorrow is acute and he has the sympathy or the entire community, who fully justify him In the deed, as committed solely in self-defence. Mr. Crawford (writes a correspondent at Lee) was a man of generous impulse and had many good qualities, but was subject of late to uncontrollable fits of passion, and many of his friends have believed that he was partially insane. The affair has occasioned great excitement, as the family was of the first respectability. – Boston Traveler, July 13 (New York Herald, July 14, 1869).
The NH Prohibitory Party held its convention at Angelos Hall in Concord, NH, December 6, 1871.
After considerable discussion, Rev. A.G. Comings of Lee, having declined a re-nomination, Dr. John Blackmer of Sandwich was nominated for Governor, receiving 42 out of 49 votes cast. Dr. Blackmer accepted the nomination (Vermont Chronicle, December 16, 1871).
The New Hampshire Register business directory of 1873 had A.G. Comings as both postmaster, Christian Church pastor, and Union Church pastor, of Lee, NH.
The Rev. A.G. Comings of Lee, having relinquished his pastorship of the Christian church, the same has been resumed by the Rev. Henry Plaisted of Wells, Maine (Vermont Chronicle (Bellows Falls, VT), October 3, 1874).
Albert G. Comings died in Lee, NH, June 8, 1887, aged seventy-seven years, and three months. Cynthia J. (Robbins) Comings died in Lee, NH, July 8, 1900.
Elder Daniel B. Goodwin
Daniel B. Goodwin was born in Middleton, NH, February 22, 1811, son of Deacon Joseph and Anna (Hanson) Goodwin.
He married in Boston, MA, November 9, 1836, Susan H. Knight, he of Hingham, MA (Columbian Centinel (Boston, MA), November 16, 1836). She was a daughter of Robert and Susan (Kimball) Knight.
Daniel Buzzell Goodwin, Christian, son of Dea. Joseph and Anna (Hanson) Goodwin, was born Feb. 22, 1811. Labored as a lay evangelist at times for many years in Middleton, Wolfborough, Tuftonborough, Moultonborough, and Milton; and in Maine in Lebanon, Sandford, Berwick, and other towns, prior to 1866. Ordained by the Strafford Conference, at Moultonborough, Jan. 1868, and pastor, 1868-71; and West Milton, 1871-80. Without charge there, 1880-8. Residence previously Middleton and Moultonborough. Died West Milton, Oct. 10, 1888. Married Susan Hanson, daughter of Robert and Susan (Kimball) Knight, at Boston, Mass., Nov. 9, 1836. She died Moultonborough, March 6, 1896, aged 89 (Carter, 1906).
Daniel Goodwin headed a Milton, NH, household at the time of the Sixth (1840) Federal Census. His household included one male aged 30-39 years, one female aged 30-39 years, and one male aged under-5 years. One member of the household was engaged in agriculture. The census enumerator recorded his household between those of Sarah Matthews and Tobias Banfield.
Daniel B. Goodwin, a blacksmith, aged thirty-eight years (b. NH), headed a Milton, NH, household at the time of the Seventh (1850) Federal Census. His household included Susan H. Goodwin, aged forty years (b. NH), Edward L. Goodwin, aged eleven years (b. NH), Martha L. Goodwin, aged nine years (b. NH), Emily A. Goodwin, aged six years (b. NH), Clara J. Goodwin, aged two years (b. NH), Ira Nute, a shoe manufacturer, aged twenty years (b. NH), Alvah Wentworth, a shoe manufacturer, aged twenty years (b. ME), and Susan Knight, aged eighty years (b. NH). Daniel B. Goodwin had real estate valued at $1,000. The census enumerator, Benjamin Cook, recorded his household between those of John T.G. Colby, a Christian B. clergyman, aged fifty-four years (see above), and Charles H. Goodwin, a trader, aged twenty-five years (b. NH).
Daniel B. Goodwin, a farmer, aged forty-nine years (b. NH), headed a Milton (West Milton P.O), NH, household at the time of the Eighth (1860) Federal Census. His household included Susan H. Goodwin, aged fifty-three years (b. NH), Edward L. Goodwin, aged twenty years (b. NH), Martha S. Goodwin, aged eighteen years (b. NH), Emily A. Goodwin, aged fifteen years (b. NH), and Clara J. Goodwin, aged eleven years (b. NH). Daniel B. Goodwin had real estate valued at $2,000 and personal estate valued at $100. The census enumerator, Elias S. Cook, recorded his household between those of John E. Goodwin, a shoe manufacturer, aged forty years, and Stephen H. Knight, a shoemaker, aged forty-seven years (b. NH).
Martha S. Goodwin, of Milton, NH, aged twenty-three years (b. Milton, NH), married in Milton, NH, December 17, 1863, Benjamin Fitch, of Boston, MA, a provisions dealer, aged twenty-four years (b. Bedford, MA). Her parents were Daniel B. and Susan H.; his parents were Nathaniel and Louisa. Rev. Ezekiel True “at Milton” performed the ceremony (Boston VRs).
Note that he did not perform the 1863 marriage of his daughter Martha S. Goodwin. The Strafford County Conference ordained him in January 1868 and he did officiate at the 1868 marriage of his daughter Clara J. Goodwin.
Clara Jane Goodwin married in Moultonborough, NH, September 12, 1868. Horace Alfred Smith, both of Moultonborough. He was a boatman, aged twenty-four years (b. Moultonborough), son of Caleb and Azilla M. (Meloon) Smith, of Moultonborough; and she was aged twenty-one years (b. West Milton), daughter of Daniel B. and Susan H. (Knight) Goodwin, of West Milton. Daniel B. Goodwin of West Milton, clergyman, performed the ceremony.
With the advent of Rev. Daniel B. Goodwin, Milton’s Christian Church center seemed to relocate from Three Ponds to West Milton.
Daniel B. Goodwin, a clergyman, aged fifty-nine years (b, NH), headed a Milton, NH, household at the time of the Ninth (1870) Federal Census. His household included Susan H. Goodwin, keeping house, aged sixty-three years (b. NH), Edward F. Goodwin, aged four years, and George E. Peavey, at school, aged eleven years (b. NH). Daniel B. Goodwin had real estate valued at $1,600 and personal estate valued at $1,500.
DIED. In Somerville, Nov. 6, Martha S., wife of Benjamin Fitch and daughter of Rev. D.B. Goodwin of W. Milton, N.H., 33 yrs. 10 mos. (New England Farmer, November 14, 1874).
Daniel B. Goodwin, a clergyman & farmer, aged sixty-nine years (b. NH), headed a Milton, NH, household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Susan H. Goodwin, keeping house, aged seventy-two years (b. NH).
Mr. Goodwin’s Hands. A story comes from Milton, N.H., of an old clergyman named Goodwin. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man and was said to have the largest hands of any man for miles around. One noon a young man named Allen was taking dinner at the elder’s house. It was the elder’s custom to ask a blessing at the table, and Allen had not been used to this sort of thing, for instead of waiting he began to eat. The elder raised his hand with restraining gesture and said: “Pause, young man.” “Paws,” was the reply, “I should think they was paws.” – Chicago Inter Ocean (Funk & Wagners, 1906).
Milton business directories of 1873, 1874, 1876, 1877, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1884, 1887, and 1889 listed D.B. Goodwin as Christian Church pastor of Milton, NH. (They continued to so list him inaccurately in 1892 and 1898).
BROOKLINE LOCALS. The report published by several of the local papers of this vicinity, that the venerable Rev. Daniel Goodwin of Mason, formerly of this place, was dead, proves without foundation, as he is enjoying his usual good health. The mistake doubtless arose from the death of Daniel B. Goodwin of West Milton, N.H. (Hollis Tomes, October 19, 1888).
Daniel B. Goodwin died in Milton, NH, October 10, 1888. Susan H. (Knight) Goodwin died in Boston, MA, March 6, 1896.
With his passing the Milton Christian church seems to have come to an impasse, in that nobody appears to take his place.
Brigham, Theda Page. (1979). Appendix to Descendants of John Page (1614-1687) of Hingham and Haverhill, Massachusetts. Haverhill, MA: Haverhill Historical Society
Brigham, William Irving Tyler. (1912). The Tyler Genealogy: The Descendants of Job Tyler, of Andover, Massachusetts, 1619-1700. Retrieved from books.google.com/books?id=9Zs-AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA267
Campbell, Alexander, and Loos, Charles Louis. (1845). Millennial Harbinger; A Monthly Publication Devoted to Primitive Christianity. Retrieved from books.google.com/books?id=5Z8oAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA420
By Muriel Bristol (Transcriber) | February 4, 2019
In this year, we encounter a chimney fire at John E. Twombly’s Milton Three Ponds grocery and dry goods store.
LOSSES BY FIRE. Other Losses. J.E. Twombly’s grocery and dry goods store, with the post and telegraph offices at Milton Three Ponds, New Hampshire, were burned Saturday evening. Loss $4,000; insured for $1,700 (Hartford Courant, [Friday,] December 30, 1870).
New England Items. NEW HAMPSHIRE. The store of Mr. J.E. Twombly, in Milton Three Ponds, was burned on Sunday last. The post-office, telegraph office were burned. Mr. Twombly lost his entire stock of goods, books, papers, &c. His loss on the stock is $1500; insured for $1300; loss on the building $1500; insured $400. The fire was owing to a defective chimney (Vermont Journal (South Royalton, VT), January 7, 1871).
J.E. Twombly Store & P.O.
John E. Twombly, a merchant, aged thirty-two years, married in Somersworth, NH, July 29, 1868, Annie L. Waterhouse, a lady, aged twenty-eight years, He had been born in Milton, [January 3,] 1836, son of James M. and Eunice Twombly. She had been born in Strafford, [January 4,] 1840, daughter of Benjamin F. and Lydia M. (Tuttle) Waterhouse.
John E. Twombly, a retail grocer, aged thirty-four years, headed a Milton (Middleton P.O.) household at the time of the Ninth (1870) Federal Census. His household included Lydia A. Twombly, aged thirty years, Clarence E. Twombly, aged eleven months, and Ora J. Downs, at school, aged twelve years. John E. Twombly had personal estate valued at $2,335, much of it his stock in trade. The census taker enumerated his household between those of James W. Miller, a shoe factory worker, aged forty-one years, and George W. Peavy, a physician, aged thirty-one years.
Twombly’s house may be seen on the same 1871 map detail (prepared before the fire), six houses further north on the same river or pond side of the street as his store (indicated by a red arrow). He lived more or less across the street from the Academy, i.e., the Milton Classical Institute. Note too that the train station (lower right) is on the other side of the river from the store. (The one depicted in the postcards would not be built until 1873).
John E. Twombly paid the US Excise Tax of May 1866, for being a retail dealer; and he appeared as a merchant in Milton business directories of 1867-68, 1869-70, 1871, and 1873, but not in 1874 or thereafter. We find him next as a stonecutter, who resided at 5 Brick Street in Dover, NH, in the Dover directory of 1876.
The Milton Board of Selectmen (BOS) have posted their agenda for a BOS meeting to be held Monday, February 4.
The agenda has New Business, Old Business, and some housekeeping items. The Dave Owen mentioned is the new interim Town Administrator, introduced at the last BOS meeting.
Under New Business are scheduled three agenda items: 1) Departmental Involvement within Website (Dana Crossley / Dave Owen), 2) Recreation Commission Requesting BOS Approval on Beach Project (Ryan Thibeault), 3) Discussion Re.: Atlantic BroadBand Contract Renewal (Dave Owen).
Departmental Involvement within Website. The BOS determined at the last meeting that postings had to be submitted 24-hours in advance (during business days). On this occasion, the title suggests defining departmental involvement. Whether that refers to developmental involvement, or ongoing involvement in a completed site, is not clear.
Recreation Commission Requesting BOS Approval on Beach Project. Evidently some new initiative from the Recreation Commission.
Atlantic Broadband Contract Renewal. Atlantic Broadband is the worst but, at prior meetings, they were also said to be the only. One hopes at least that our negotiators went for a short-term contract.
Under Old Business are scheduled two items: 4) Town Report Discussion (BOS per 1.28.19 meeting): 4a) Cover Photo, 4b) Selectmen’s Report, and 5) Deliberative Session (BOS per 1.28.19 meeting): 5a) Speaking Assignments and 5b) PowerPoint Presentation Progress.
Town Report Discussion. At the last meeting, the cover photo for this year’s Town Report was discussed. Flags over Veterans’ Park seemed to be favored as a theme, but the particular photograph was still under discussion. Chairman Thibeault, who was out sick, was said to be writing the Selectmen’s Report portion.
Not listed for discussion on this occasion are the new sections for property valuations and Selectman Lucier’s tax delinquent “shaming” list. (Yes, shaming by those that have none).
Deliberative Session Speaking Assignments and PowerPoint Presentation. This was put off at the last meeting due to the Chairman’s illness. Planning of this year’s Washington Monument presentation presumably proceeds apace.
The boxed item list at the margins entitled Outstanding Items, as held over from prior BOS sessions, has disappeared from the agenda. This may be accidental or it may be an acknowledgement that those things will be dropped for the time being. It featured last time: Town-Owned Property, Recreation Revenue and Office Discussion, Website Update (see above), Property Maintenance Code, Town Report (see above), Atlantic Broadband Contract (see above), NH Listens, Junkyard, and Town Deposit Location Policy. In no particular order.
Finally, there will be the approval of prior minutes (from the BOS Meeting of January 28), the expenditure report, Public Comments “Pertaining to Topics Discussed,” Town Administrator comments, and BOS comments.
Ms. McDougall has called a seventh meeting of her Milton Advocates group. It will take place again in the Nute Library’s Community Room, on Saturday, February 23, at 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM. All town residents are invited. Bring your best manners. (Not her words).
large-scale mill fire took place at Milton Mills in June. The reported loss was over eight times larger (in unadjusted dollar amounts) than that of the A.S. Howard & Co. mill fire of 
following mention of the Milton Mills Congregational church has been extracted from a larger report on the Strafford Congregational Conference. Despite its name, the conference included also Belknap and Carroll counties, as well as Strafford county.
Jotham Sewall Johnson was born in Maine, May 31, 1829, son of Elisha and Betsy (Swett) Johnson. His namesake, Rev. Jotham Sewall, was a prominent Maine minister).
Milton Observer 