---EARLY HISTORY OF TOWN OF MADBURY, 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#Madbury 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 =================================== From: The Statistics & Gazetteer of New Hampshire, compiled by Alonzo J. Fogg, Concord NH, D.L. Guernsey, 1875 page 236 MADBURY. STRAFFORD COUNTY. The surface is generally even and the soil productive. In the valleys it consists of a portion of clay, on the uplands, a mixture of sand and loam. Much of this land is excellent for hay, of which large crop are annually produced. STREAMS AND PONDS. Its extreme southeasterly point extends to the tide-water, on or near the Piscataqus. Bellamy Bank River, coming from Barrington and passing through the northeasterly part of Madbury, is the only stream of note; and Barbadoes Pond is the principal body of water. MINERALS. Bog iron ore, and red and yellow ochre, in considerable quantities, are found in several localities. EMPLOYMENTS. The people are almost exclusively devoted to agriculture. Dover, three miles distant, affords an excellent market for the disposal of their surplus productions. RESOURCES: Agricultural productions, $50,980; stocks and money at interest, $14,746; deposits in savings banks $60,593 CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS. Congregational, Rev. M. Leese, pastor. There are four schools, of which only one averages twelve scholars through the year. Average length of schools through the year nineteen weeks. FIRST SETTLEMENT. Madbury was originally a part of Dover, and its early history is connected with the history of that ancient town. It was incorporated May 31, 1775, and at that date contained a population of 677. In 1870 it had 408 inhabitants. FIRST MINISTERS. Rev. Samuel Hyde commenced preaching in 1758, and remained til 1770. Rev. Eliphaz Chapman preached from 1771 to 1773. BOUNDARIES. This is a small, triangular-shaped town, and is bounded north-east by Dover, south-west by Durham and Lee, and north-west by Barrington. Area, 7600 acres; improved land 46000 acres. DISTANCES. Thirty-six miles north-east from Concord, and three south from Dover. RAILROAD. Boston and Maine Railroad passes through the eastern part of the town in a northerly and southerly direction. ============================== From: History of Rockingham and Strafford counties, New Hampshire : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men - Hurd, D. Hamilton, Philadelphia 1882 EXCERPTS ONLY MADBURY: (page 660 ) http://archive.org/stream/historyofrocking00hurd#page/640/mode/2up The town of Madbury lies in the southern part of the county and is bounded as follows: on the north by Dover and Barrington, on the east by Dover, on the south by Durham and Lee, and on the west by Durham and Lee and Barrington. Madbury is a small, triangular-shaped town, with a generally even surface and fertile soil. ORGANIZATION OF TOWN--Madbury was incorporated as a parish from Dover and Durham, May 31, 1755, and as a town May 26, 1768. In a document dated 10th day of May 1743, the following individuals signed a petition for a parish by "sundry persons inhabitants of the westerly part of the town of Dover & the northerly part of Durham in said Province..." Thomas Wille, John Roberts, Samuel Davis, Samuel Chesley, Thomas Bickford, Daniel McHame, James Huckins, Ralph Hall, William Bussell, Azariah Boody, Timothy Moses, John Demeret, Zachariah Edgerly, Joseph Daniel, Francis Drew, Daniel Young, William Twombly, Isaac Twombly, Joseph Evans Junr., John Evans, Henry Bickford, Henary Bussell, Joseph Hicks, John Tasker, Derry Pitman, Paul Gerrish Jr., John Busskell, Job Demeret, David Daniel, James Chele, Reuben Chesle, Henery Tibbetes, John Huckins, James Jackson, Zachariah Pitman, Ely Demerit, John Foay Jr., Solomon Emerson, Jacob Daniel, Joseph Rines, Benjamin Hall, William Demeret, William Allen, Nathiel O. Davis, Samuel Davis Jr., Jonathan Hanson, Robert Evens, Jonathan Daniel, William Hill, Stephen Pinkham, Benjamen Wille, John Rowe, Hercules Moony, Joseph Twombly, Abraham Clark, Joseph Jackson, James Clemens, William Dam Jr., Morres Fowler, Robart Wille, Abel Leathers. On 5 May 1743 in Dover, the petitioners for a parish in Madbury and what they paid in that year included names of: Thomas Willey, John Roberts, Samuel Davis, Paul Gerrish, Samuel Chesley, James Chesley, James Jackson, John Huckins, Job Demerett, John Tasker, David Daniel, Zachariah Pitman, Solomon Emerson, Joseph Hicks, James Huckins, Azariah Boody, Daniel Meserve, Francis Drew, Thomas Bickford, Ralph Hall, John Foy Jr., Henry Tebbets, Dery Pitman, John Bussell, William Bussell, William Demerett, Eli Demerett Jr., Joseph Rines, Jacob Daniel, Timothy Moses, Benjamin Hall, John Demerett, Zachariah Edgerly, William Allen, Joseph Daniel, Nathaniel Davis, Daniel Young, Samuel Davis Jr., Jonathan Hanson, Robert Evans, William Twombly 3rd, Isaac Twombly, Joseph Evens Jr. John Evens, Henery Bickford, Jonathan Daniel, William Hill, Stephen Phinkham, Henry Bussell, Benjamin Willey, John Row, Herkules Mooney, Joseph Twombly, Abraham Clark, Joseph Jackson, James Clements, Reuben Chesley. THE FIRST PARISH-MEETING was held June 23, 1755, when the following officers were chosen: Moderator, Solomon Emerson; clerk, Ebenezer Demeritt; selectmen, John Wingate, Paul Gerrish, and James Davis; assessors, Daniel Hayes and John Roberts; commissioners Daniel Young and James Tasker Jr. John Demeritt was chosen the first representative to the General Assembly, held at Exeter in December 1776. Rev. Samuel Hyde was settled as minister of the parish soon asfter it was incorporated and was succeeded by Rev. William Hooper who was the last settled minister in the town. A meeting-house was erected soon after Mr. Hyde came into the parish, but it has long since been used for a town-house. This town, not unlike its neighbors, suffered severely by Indian wars; and when the Revolution broke out it gaves its mite [sic] towards gaining our independence. The surface is undulating; the soil in the valleys is a mixture of clay, while on the hills are found sandy loam, with very few stones. "Mahorrimet's Hill," now "Hick's Hill," derives its name from an Indian Chieftan of that name. Bellamy River drains the north part of the town and Barbadoes, on the line between this town and Dover, is the only pond, being one hundred and twenty rods long and fifty wide. Madbury Station, on the Boston and Main Railroad supplies the town with all the conveniences of railway communication. SOLDIERS OF MADBURY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION (CIVIL WAR) [Note, only names listed here, see original document for more details on each soldier] http://archive.org/stream/historyofrocking00hurd#page/642/mode/2up William H. Miles, Samuel Willey Jr., George W. Russell, Eben Munsey, Andrew J. Cross, Benjamin S. Hemenway, Daniel Clifford, William H. Miles, Allen Dicks, George W. Hough, Andrew W. Henderson, Ira Locke, Asa Young, Samuel N. Robinson, George E. Bodge, Charles H. Bodge, Llewyllyn D. Lothrop, Stephen H. Richardson, John O. Langley, Samuel N. Robinson, Charles A. Osgood, Daniel W. Furber, John Crystal, Charles Webster, William H. Babb, James H.P. Batchelder, John W. Cheswell, Plummer Fall, Trueman W. McLatchay, George W. Young, Julius Hawkins, Charles A. Berry, William H. Foss, John Vallelly, Charles Bedel, Samuel C. Davis, Tichnor Miles, William H.H. Twombley, William Galbraith, William Haines, Almond Stacy, James Thompson, John Smith. ****BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES**** http://archive.org/stream/historyofrocking00hurd#page/n1053/mode/2up CHARLES WOODMAN HAYES, son of Samuel D & Comfort (Chesley) Hayes, b. 11 Sep 1836. Hayes genealogy included in original document. He married 8 Nov 1866 Ellen Marie Weeks, dau of William and Marie Weeks. She was b. at Strafford Center NH 29 April 1843. Children: HAYES: Nellie Marie Hayes b 4 May 1870; Anne Lillian Hayes b 11 Oct 1873, and Cora Enniette Hayes b 25 Dec 1877, d. 27 Apr 1879. DANIEL TIBBETTS [decendants of Jeremiah Tibbetts] Daniel Tibbetts, son of Daniel Tibbetts, and born 2 March 1809, and d sep 1857. His son Daniel was b. 8 July 1857 and m 22 Jan 1880 to Lizzie Whitehouse. They had a daughter Sarah Tibbetts b. 17 Dec 1880. ********************************* History of Strafford County, New Hampshire, and representative citizens (1914), page 353 http://archive.org/stream/historyofstraffo00lcscal#page/352/mode/2up The name MADBURY antedates the parish and the town by more than a century. It was made a separate parish with town privileges by the Provincial Assembly, May 31, 1755, and was incorporated a township May 26, 1768. An attempt was made in 1743 to secure parish privileges, but the town of Dover and the Provincial Assembly both refused to grant the petition that year, and the petitioners did not obtain this wish until 1733 when the territory was made a parish for ministerial purposes. The town is in the shape of a wedge, in between Dover on the east, Durham and Lee on the west, Barringotn on the north; on the south it comes ot a point with the lines of Dover and Durha, at a ledge called Cedar Point, where one can put his feet in three towns and stand, facing south and look down the Pascataqua river to the Hilton Point bridge. The name Madbury was first applied to the territory west of Barbado pond in the vicinity of the ancient Gerrish mill, on the Bellamy river. Just when it began to be used there is no record, but on March 19, 1693-4 it appears on Dover records when forty acres of land were granted to Francis Pitman "on the N.W. side of Logg hill, on the N.E. side of the path going to Madberry, where he had all Reddy begun to improve." The "Logg hill" referred to is at the Gerrish sawmill, down which the lumbermen rolled the logs into the pond, ready to be used in sawing. At that date the name Madbury had become well established in use among the lumbermen, so they knew where to locate Pitman's grant. Probably the name had then been in use among lumbermen thirty or forty years. The "path to Madberry" referred to above is the present road over the Bellamy river at the mill site. [Additional information regarding the organization of the town, petition for a parish, and the first parish meeting can be found in the original document] --------- EARLY LANDMARKS - French & Indian War era [a brief description here, additional info in original document] http://archive.org/stream/historyofstraffo00lcscal#page/360/mode/2up CLARK'S GARRISON, stood on Clark's plain west of Knox's Marsh road. Built by Abram Clark. It was taken down in 1836. DANIEL'S GARRISON, was near the summer resident of Mr. Charles W. Hayes. David's Lane, so named for David Daniels who built the garrison, extends from Nute's Corner past where the garrison stood. Torn down. DEMERIT'S GARRISON, built by Elit Demerit Jr. abt 1720. It stood on the road between the Clark garrison and the B&M Railroad station. It was taken down about 1836. GERRISH GARRISON, stood on the first hill west of Gerrish's mill, which was at the falls in the Bellamy river west of Barbado's pond. The mill and the garrison was built by Paul Gerrish, son of Capt. John Gerrish and grandson of Maj. Richard Walderne. MESERVE'S GARRISON stood on the summit of Harvey's hill. The land of Daniel Misharvey Jr. (Meservey, Meserve or Harvey)., at a place called Freetown. TARKER's GARRISON, was at the foot of Moharimet's commonly called Hick's Hill. The land originally belonged to Charles Adams of Oyster River....half of which he conveyed (in 1673-74) to his daughter Mary wife of William Tasker. TWOMBLY'S GARRISON stood a few rods above the residence of the late Judge Jacob D. Young. It was probably built by William Twombly, who acquired land there before April 1734. It was taken down in the spring of 1842. MADBURY MEETING-HOUSE. It stood near the present brick schoolhouse, the land being conveyed in 1735 by John Tasker and wife Judah for a meeting-house. (built 20 years before the parish was incorporated). A bigger and better meeting house was built later, and that too was taken down (in 1850). MOHARIMET'S HILL or HICK'S HILL, a noted landmark, directly north of the site of the old meeting-house. It is derived from Moharimet, and Indian sagamore of the seventeenth century. It is mentioned by the name in 1736 when Charles Adams had a grant of 100 of land "at the foot of Moharimet's hill." In 1761 Joseph Hicks obtained ownership of the land on the north side of the hill and later got possession of nearly all of it, the name Hick's Hill then being used in reference to it. http://archive.org/stream/historyofstraffo00lcscal#page/362/mode/2up [Additional brief bio's of various men of Madbury including early preachers included in original document] ********************************* (end)