---EARLY HISTORY OF TOWN OF LEE, STRAFFORD COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE--- THIS INFORMATION (PDF FILE) IS LOCATED ON THE WEB SITE: “HISTORY & GENEALOGY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE AT SEARCHROOTS” located at http://www.nh.searchroots.com/strafford.html Web Site Owners: PLEASE DO NOT LINK DIRECTLY TO THIS FILE, and use my bandwidth. INSTEAD LINK TO MY WEB SITE AT: http://www.nh.searchroots.com/strafford.html#Lee THIS WEB SITE AND ITS CONTENTS, INCLUDING THIS FILE, ARE PROTECTED UNDER COPYRIGHT LAWS. Janice A. Brown / Copyright © 2004-2013 / ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. VARIOUS SOURCES LISTED BELOW =================================== The New England gazetteer containing descriptions of all the states, counties and towns in New England; 14th ed.; published 1841 by I. S. Boyd and W. White, J. Hayward in Concord, N.H, Boston. [Excerpts] page 223 Lee, New Hampshire is in Strafford Co. In the North part of the town lies Wheelwright's Pond, containing about 165 acres and forming the principal source of Oyster River. This pint is memorable for the battle which was fought near it in 1698, between a scouting party of Indians, and two companies of rangers, under Capts. Floyd and Wiswall. The engagement lasted two hours. Wiswall, his lieutneant, sergeant, and 13 men were killed and several wounded. Floyd continued to fight till his mnen wearied and wounded, drew off and obliged him to follow. The enemy also retreated. Lee is 28 miles E.S.E. from Concord and 12 S.W. from Dover. From the N.E. extremity of Epping, Lamprey River enters Lee, and after a serpentine course of about 7 miles, it passes into Durham. Other parts of the town are watered by Little, North, and Oyster Rivers. Lee was originally part of Durham, and was incorporated 1766. Population in 1830, 1,609. ========================= Old home week, Lee, New Hampshire, August 23, 1916 : two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of settlement of the territory : one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of incorporation of the town (1916) by John Scales, http://archive.org/details/oldhomeweekleene00scal The first immigrants built their village on Dover Neck, on the hill north of Dover Point. By the way, that locality is called the "Neck" because it lies between three rivers,--the Newichawannock on the east,--the Pascatqua on the south,--and Back River on the west. When they had got well housed on the Neck, they commenced to branch out in business...Old Dover was still part of Massachusetts, being a town in Norfolk County until 1680. They gave a grant to Samuel Symonds of Ipswich, MA of 640 acres of land at the second falls in "Lamperele" River, June 3, 1657... this was grante din the presence and with the consent of Moharimet, the Indian sagamore of the region, whose home was on Moharimet's Hill in Madbury, also called Hick's Hill. May 3, 1669 Robert Wadleigh was received as an inhabitant in the town of Dover, [where he] received the grant of what has ever since been known as "Wadleight's Falls," being the same that Massachusetts had granted to Mr. Symonds.... Old Dover included all of the present city and Somersworths, Durham, Newington, Lee, Madbury and Rollinsford. Lee remained part of Durham until 1766. "I guess, but do not know, that he took the name Lee from the town of that name on the River Lee, now in greater London." [original document has record of early mills. Names mentioned in the town's early history (more in original document) include Patrick Jemison, Captain Samuel Emerson, Nathaniel Randall, Nathaniel Lamos, Robert Huckins, William Clay, Captain John Layn, John Thompson Sr., Jethro Furber, Josiah Bartlett, George Chesley, Ephraim Foulsham, Major/Colonel Peter Gilman, Joseph Smith, Samuel Smith, Capt. Jonathan Thompson, Capt. Reuben Hill]. INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN 3 September 1764, at a Publick Town meeting, held at the Meeting house at The Falls in Durham, Joseph Atkinson Esq was chosen Moderator. Names mentioned in this document included: Paul Chesley, Lieut. Joseph Sias, Mr. Miles Randel, Mr. Nicholas Duda, Capt. Benjamin Smith, Capt. Stephen Jones, Mr. Thomas Chesley, John Smart. The document was signed by Stephen Jones, Benjamin Smith, Nicholas Duda, Miles Randel, Joseph Sias and Thomas Chesley, Committee. on 18 November 1765 a petition was dated at Durham to the General Assembly requesting that a new town to be formed [they do not mention a name] : It was signed by Hercules Mooney, Gideon Mathes, Elijah Denbo, Samuel Jackson, Joseph Thompson, James Hall, Jonathan Runnels, Samuel Pitman, John Follett, Benjamin Bradley, Joseph Jackson, Josiah Johnson, Timothy Davis, Thomas York, Mason Rendel, Joseph Clay, Nathaniel Stevens Jr. Stoten Tuttle, Miles Randel, Samuel Langley, Zacheus Clough, John Davis, James Giles Bunker, Robert York, Bartholomew Smart, Nicholas Tuttle, Samuel Burley, Nathaniel Randal, Reuben Hill, Clement Davis, James Watson, Nathaniel Frost, Samuel Watson, Josiah Durgin, John Durgin, Joseph Shaw, Benjamin Woodman, Samuel Sias, David Munsey, Benja Clark, Eben Jones Jr., Moses Davis Jr., William Waymoth, James Davis, Hanary Tufts, Nathaniel Watson, Andrew Watson, Isaac Small, Joseph Hicks, John Sanborn, Edward Hill, Thomas Snell, Eli Clark Jr., Moses Dam, Joseh (Joseph) Doe, Benja Durgin, Eben Randel, Micah Emerson, Joseph Clark, Joseph Sias, John Elliot, Joshua Woodman Jr., John Giles, Joseph Meder, Thomas Huckins, Nicholas Duda, Eben Lethers, William Renely, Francis Eliot, Benjamin Bickford, Isarel (Israel) Randel, Francis Durgin, Joshua Brunum, Samuel Carter, Thomas Huckins Jr., Solomon Sias, Francis Allen, Edward Scales, William Cashey, Samuel Bickford, William Rendel, Job Runels, John Clark, David Davis, Jonathan Stevens, Ebenezer Dow Jr., Nathaniel Watson Jr., Joseph Huckins, John Shaw Jr., Ichabod Denbow, Thomas Wille, John Snell, Eli Clark, Hunkin Dam, Thomas Noble, Ebnezer Jones, Nathaniel Sias, Nathaniel Stevens, George Tutle. Organization of the Town The act of incorporation authorized Joseph Sias to call the first town meeting, to be held 18 March 1766. The voters met and chose Miles Randall for moderator and clerk; Robert Thompson, Ely Clark, and Nicholas Duda for selectmen. Zacheus Clough was appointed to inspect into the affairs of Rev. Samuel Hutchins, who later was continued as minister. The locality where the town house was known as "The Hill." The old Pascataqua Bridge was completed in 1794; the New Hampshire Turnkpike was opened for travel from there to Concord about 1802 and its route was through Lee. Early people and families: Edwin B. Nealy arrived about 1810, he m. Sally True; Elijah Cartland who m. Abigail Scales; Description of Lee NH men before the American Revoltion, and a list of Garrisons they built. LEE MEN IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR http://archive.org/stream/oldhomeweekleene00scal#page/28/mode/2up SOLDIERS OF LEE IN THE CIVIL WAR http://archive.org/stream/oldhomeweekleene00scal#page/30/mode/2up MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL JEREMIAH SMITH GRANGE--PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY ROADS IN LEE in 1804 BIG TAX PAYERS IN LEE in 1804 ========================= From: The Statistics & Gazetteer of New Hampshire, compiled by Alonzo J. Fogg, Concord NH, D.L. Guernsey, 1875 page 224 LEE is in STRAFFORD COUNTY NH. The soil of Lee in some portions is hard, but by careful cultivation is made very productive, and the farmers are well rewarded for their efforts by good crops of corn, oats, barley &c. RIVERS AND PONDS It is well watered by Lamprey, Little, North and Oyster Rivers. These rivers furnish abundant water power. Oyster River has its source from Wheelwright Pond in the north part. This pond is the largest body of water in town, covering 165 acres. It is memorable on account of a battle foung on its shores between a body of Indians and two companies of rangers, under Captains Floyd and Wiswell in 1680. Captain Wiswell and twelve men lost their lives in this engagement. EMPLOYMENTS. Agriculture is the principal employment of the inhabits. There are excellent clay beds here, for the manufacture of brick, which is carried on pretty extensively, 725,000 feet of boards &c and 160,000 shingles are annually sawed; 6,000 pairs of shoes are annually manufactured. RESOURCES. Productions of the soil $63,895; mechanical labor, stocks and money at interest, deposits in savings banks, stock in trade, from summer tourists, $2,000. CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS. Congregational Church, Rev. J.W. Lees, pastor; Union Church, Rev. A.G. Cummings, pastor. There are severan schools in town. Average length of schools for the year, nineteen weeks. LIBRARIES. Lee Hill Sunday School Library, 700 volumes. FIRST SETTLEMENTS. Lee was originally part of Durham and was incorporated January 16, 1766. FIRST MINISTER: Rev. Samuel Hutchins, settled in 1792. BOUNDARIES. North by Barrington and Madbury, east by Durham, south by New Market and Epping, and west by Nottingham and Barrington. Area, 11,625 acres; improved land 8,993 acres. DISTANCES. Thirty-one miles south east from Concord and twelve south west from Dover. RAILROADS. Four miles to New Market station. The Nashua and ROchester Rilarod to be completed in 1874 will pass through this town. ============================= History of Rockingham and Strafford counties, New Hampshire : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men (1882) by Hamilton D. Hurd http://archive.org/stream/historyofrocking00hurd#page/n1045/mode/2up LEE was taken from Durham and incorporated as Lee parish by act of the Provincial General Court, Jan. 16, 1766. A warranted signed by Joseph Sias called the first town meeting March 18. [LIST OF SOLDIERS of LEE DURING THE WAR OF THE REBELLIOn (CIVIL WAR) ********************************* (end)