| EXCERPTS FROM THE DUSTON-DUSTIN FAMILY compiled by The Duston- Dustin Family Association Genealogists. Thomas Duston son of Thomas, b. about 1652, probably in Portsmouth, N.H. but perhaps Kittery Me.; d. before Nov. 17, 1732; m. Dec. 3, 1677, Hannah Webster, dau. of Michael and Hannah (Webster), Emerson and granddaughter of John and Mary (Shatswell) Webster, b. Dec. 23, 1657, Haverhill, Mass.; d. before March 6, 1736. Thomas Duston(2) moved with his parents to Portsmouth, N.H., after their house in Kittery was burned in 1690. His father died in 1662, and a year later his mother married Matthias Button of Haverhill as his fourth wife, and with her children Thomas and Mary( Elizabeth was possibly already married to John Kings berry), went to live with him in Haverhill. Button was about the same age as her first husband,and had several minor children, at least five being under ten years of age. He was a man of wide experience, having come to this country with the first Governor of Massachusetts (Endicott) in 1628, lived for some years in Boston, removed to Ipswitch in 1639, and to Haverhill in 1646. He was possessed of a considerable amount of property, and undoubtedly imparted considerable of his business sagacity to Thomas Duston(2), who also probably got his schooling with the Button's own children at the school taught by Thomas Wasse. Button bequeathed one hundred acres of land to his widow. Thirty acres of this she gave to her son Thomas that he might not "trouble" John Amerideth, who had bought the property in Kittery which she had sold to John Cutts after the death of Thomas Duston(1). ( New Hampshire wills, Thomas Duston, 1678). The records of this case are not available to the writer, but there was evidently some flaw in the transaction, for Thomas Duston(2) was, on June 8, 1703, granted administration " on the estate of his father, Thomas Durston of Kittery, Me.," and on December 14, 1733, according to the Kittery records, "twenty acres, granted to Thomas Duston 19 June, 1654" were laid out to Timothy Duston, John Watts, and others,heirs of Thomas Duston, proof that the transactions of 1660 and 1662 with John Cutts must have contained some flaw. This land was given to Thomas(2) by his mother before Dec. 7, 1673, as on that date she deeded " twenty acres of upland" to her son Peter Green (second husband of her daughter Elizabeth), "near hawks meadow", bounded by land of Peter Green, by Aquilla Chase, by a pine tree, and by "land of Thomas Duston." On April 7 and June 23, 1673, Thomas was a witness in two cases before the Quarterly Court of Essex County, one concerning the estate of Matthias Button, and on Feb. 14, 1674, payment of two pounds to Thomas Duston from the estate of Matthias Button was allowed by the Salisbury Court. It was probably on the thirty acres which he recieved from his mother that Thomas built the house mentioned on Jan. 25, 1675, in the Haverhill records as being one of those built "which fall under the law made in 1660 which prohibits them from privileges in Common lands". Here he probably lived with his mother for about two years untill March 15, 1675, when he deeded to Peter Green fourty- five acres of upland " with the House and orchard and fence and timber and topertenances belonging thereto" in consideration of exchange of land. This land was on Hawks Meadow highway.(Essex Deeds, 20/2) This deed was not recrded untill March 1, 1706/7, and this may be the parcel of land which Thomas Duston, on March 15, 1677-78, acknowledged having sold to Samuel Gild, Jr, of Haverhill, "deceased", which was sold by Peter Green to Nathaniel Merrill "of Nubery", and gave security of five hundred pounds that Thomas Duston nor his heirs "or his mother ,Elizabeth Button or heirs molest said Merrill".(Essex Institute Historical Collections, Old Norfolk County records", Vol. 60, p. 231) On June 24, 1676, Thomas Duston is listed as a private in Lieut. Benjamin Swett's Haverhill Company ( Benjamin Sweet is also an ancestor through Eunice Hubbard, Levi's Grandmother) in King Philip's War, the amount of pay due him L00 17s 10d. As this amount was advanced by the town and afterwards collected from the Province Treasury, on Aug. 24, 1676, he assigned the above wages to the town of Haverhill. (N. E. Register, Vol. 43, pp. 198 and 275.) on Nov. 28, 1677, Thomas Duston took the " oath of allegance to his Majestee & fidelitie to ye country" in Haverhill. ( N.E. Registar, vol. 6, p. 203) Early in 1677 he bought from Thomas davis of haverhill " about eighteen acres of land in Haverhill, bounded by ye sawmill river and land of Robert Ford and Onesiphorus Nash". (Essex Inst. Hist. Coll., Vol.60, p. 306) Here he built a house listed on Feb. 1, 1677, in the Haverhill Town Records as one of those built since Jan. 26, 1675, coming under the law prohibiting them from privileges in the common lands, and this is also the lot which he deeded to his son ,Nathaniel, in 1717. On Sept. 12, 1677, he sold back to Peter Green for thirty-four pounds "secured by bill" about fourteen acres of land in Haverhill, bounding on land of James Kinsbery. Also "ye dwelling house, oarchyard and land as is expressed in sd Green's deed of sale to me of whom I bought ye said land". (Essex Inst. Hist. Coll., Vol. 58, p. 103) This was possibly the land recieved from Peter Green in exchange for the fourty-five acres of upland March 1675. After his marriage to hannah, they lived for a time in a house on the lot by the Sawmill River, probably the one listed on Feb. 1, 1677 above, but evidently soon after a new one was built, for it is noted in the Haverhill Town Records on Jan. 13, 1679, that Thomas Duston 2nd owned one of the cottages built since Feb. 1, 1677, coming under the law prohibiting from privileges in the common lands. This location too must have been found unsuitable, for on Nov. 4, 1679, Theodore Atkinson of Boston, for 20li. conveyed to Thomas Duston "about 18 acres of upland in Haverhill, which I purchased of Daniel Hendrick of Haverhill, bounded by land of Thomas Linford, Edward Emons, Jno. Heath, and by ye comons, which were ye bounds given when I had deed of same in ye yeare 1664" (Essex Inst. Hist Coll., Vol. 70, p.152.) Here he built a new house and was living in 1683, of a strip of meadow containing about one and one-half acres from Jno. Haseltine and wife Hannah to Thomas Duston for 12 li., "bounded by a planting lot of John Eastons, land of Issac Cosins, which part being layd down as is reported by sd Isaac, was after yt taken upon a righ from ye town of David Hendricks, now in possission of or upon which Thomas Duson now hath built his house and now dwells, adjoining ye meadow hereby demised, which I purchased of Edward Yeomans, who bought ye same of sd John Williams, ye first proprietor by towne grant." (Essex Inst. Hist. Coll., Vol. 70, p. 152.) The writer believes that the lot purchased of Theodore Atkinson was Thomas's home at the time of the massacre. Those who wish to investigate this subject further are referred to G.W. Chase's "History of Haverhill," which contains a careful and detailed account of the location as given by Moses Merrill to Mr. Chase. Many are doubtless interested in the ancestry of Hannah Webster Emerson, and having located the position of the home at the time of the massacre, let us digress for a time and give a brief account of this from "The Haverhill Emersons," by C.H. Pope, which goes into great detail. her father, Michael Emereson, bapt. April 19, 1627, Cadney Parish, Lincolnshire England; d. about 1715; m. April 1, 1657, Hannah, daughter of John and Mary (Shatswell) Webster. He was son of thomas Emerson, yeoman, buried Dec. 25, 1657, Cadney, England, who m. Aug 10, 1612, Margaret Froe, spinster, had ten children and was son of Alexander Emerson of Searbye, Lincolnshire, England, yeoman, whose will was dated April 10, 1604, proved Dec. 19, 1605 and Jenytt, dau. of John Hornsey. her will was dated May 24, 1612, and proved June 17, 1612. They had six children. He was son of George Emerson, who was living in Searbye, England, in 1554 and 1567. A full account of the life of Michael Emerson is also given in this volume. He settled in Haverhill in 1656 "near the White House on Mill Street. The grantees offered him a tract of land if he would 'go back into the woods.' He accepted the offer and settled not far from the corner of Primrose and Winter Streets-- the 'Emerson Estate' on the south side of Winter Street is a part of the original tract granted to Michael Emerson." (History of Haverhill, G.W. Chase.) Of Hannah's childhood we can only assume that it was similar to that of any girl of the period. She probably attended the same school as Thomas, but, being five years younger, at a later period. For many years after his marriage, the support of a growing family was Thomas Duston's main occupation, and according to Chase he was a brickmaker and farmer, even writing his own almanacs on rainy days. while he bought no more land till after the massacre, we find him mentioned in a deed dated May 23, 1681, from Tho. Davis of haverhill to Robert fforde of "about half an acre land lying at ye corner of my land, formerly in possession of Thomas Duston"' etc. (Essex Inst. Hist. Coll., Vol. 62, p. 298.) he was also witness to a deed of land from Joseph and Ruth Peasley to Lieut. Geo. Brown of Havrhill on Aug. 22, 1678 (Essex Inst. Hist. Coll., Vol. 59, p. 96.) the following notes are taken from the Haverhill Town Records for the dates as given: Feb. 27, 1682/3, Thomas Duston, Michael Emerson and Daniel Ladd, Jr. were chosen "to receive the account of the selectmen for the preceding year." At this time the location of the new meeting house was in dispute, and on June 13, 1683, Thomas Duston is listed as one of those opposed to "the setting of the meeting-house where the meeting-house now stands (forever) but that this meeting-house that now is may stand so long as it is concenient." On Feb. 24, 1683/4, William Starlin was granted the use of ten acres at the Fishing River, and the right to improve the stream for a corn or fulling mill. Thomas Duston and Daniel Ela dissented "from the whole grant." the name of Thomas is not found in the records for the next ten years. On March 2, 1693/4 he was chosen a fence viewer "on the west side of the Sawmill River on the north part." March 1, 1694/5, he was chosen "constable for the west end of the town"' and his petition for a grant of land at "Hog Hill" was denied. March 2, 1696/7, he petitioned for a "highway over the Sawmill River for the west end of Town" which was denied. We now approach the events in which Thomas and Hannah played so prominent a part. The Indian raids during King William's War, instigated by the French under Count Frontenac, Governor of Canada, as part of his campaign to hold the New World for his King, had been steadily drawing nearer to Haverhill, and on several occasions inhabitants of the town had been taken captive in spite of the fact that soldiers under the command of Col. Nathaniel Saltonstall had been stationed in the town. The capture in August, 1696, of Jonathan Haynes and his four children, while picking beans in the field near Bradley's Mills in Haverhill, was too close for comfort, and six garrison houses were at once designated by the town as rallying points in case of an attack, one of them being the house of Onesiphorus Marsh (or Mash) on "Pecker's Hill"' about a mile from the home in which Thomas and Hannah Duston had been living since 1680. The demands of his growing family were beginning to require more room, and Thomas was planning to shortly move into the new house being built of bricks from his own brickyard about three quarters of a mile to the northwest. On March 9, 1697, Hannah presented her husband with their twelfth child, Martha. Under the care of a neighbor, Mrs. Mary Neff (daughter of George Corliss and widow of William Neff), she was rapidly recovering, and the family must have retired on the eve of March 15, 1697, in a very peacful frame of mind, while in the woods near by a roving band of Indians was preparing a rude interruption to all their plans. Early the next morning, Thomas, at work near the house, suddenly spied the approaching Indians. Instantly seizing his gun he mounted his horse and raced for the house, shouting a warning which started the children towards the garrison, while he dashed into the house hoping to save his wife and the baby. Quickly seeing that he was too late, and doubtless urged by Hannah, he rode after the children, resolving to escape with at least one. On overtaking them, finding it impossible to choose between them, he resolved, if possible, to save them all. A few of the Indians pursued the little band of fugitives, firing at them from behind trees and boulders, but Thomas, dismounting and guarding the rear, held back the savages from behind his horse by threatening to shoot whenever one of the exoposed himself. Had he discharged his gun they would have closed in at once, for reloading took considerable time. he was succesful in his attempt, and all reached the garrison safely, the older children hurrying the younger along, probably carrying them at times. This was probably the garrison on Onesiphorus Marsh on Pecker's Hill. Meanwhile, a fearful sene was being enacted in the home. mrs. Neff, trying to escape with the baby, was easily captured. Invading the house, the savages forced Hannah to rise and dress herself. Sitting despairingly in the chimney, she watched them rifle the house of all they could carry away, and was then dragged outside while they fired the house, in her haste forgetting on shoe. A few of the Indians then dragged Hannah and Mrs. Neff, who carried the baby, towards the woods, while the restof the band, rejoined by those who had been pursuing Thomas and the children, attacked other houses in the village, killing twenty-seven and capturing thirteen of the inhabitants. Finding the baby was making it hard on Mrs. Neff to keep up , one of the Indian's seized it from her , and before it's mother's horrified eyes dashed out it's brains against an apple tree. The Indians forcing the two women to their utmost pace, at last reached the woods and joined the squaws and children who had been left behind the night before. Here they were soon after joined by the rest of the redskins with their plunder and other captives were callously knocked on the head and scalped , but in spite of her condition, poorly clad and partly shod, Hannah doubtless assisted by Mrs. Neff , managed to keep up , and by her own account marched that day" about a dozen miles", truly a remarkable feet. During the next few days they traveledabout a hundred miles through the unbroken wilderness , over rough trails , in places covered by the winter's snow, sometimes deep with mud,and across icy brooks , while rocks tore their half shod feet and their poorly clad bodies suffered from the cold - a terrible journey. Near the junction of the Contoocock and Merrimack rivers, Twelve of the Indians, two men , three women, and seven children, taking with them Hannah, Mrs. Neff, and a boy of fourteen years , Sammuel Lennardson (who had been taken prisoner near Worcester about eighteen months before), left the main party and proceeded toward what is now Dustin Island, (one of her statues sits on the spot) situated where the two rivers unite , near the present town of Penacook, N.H. This island was the home of the Indianwho claimed the woman as his captives, and here it was planned to rest for a while before continuing on the long journey to Canada. The Indian family, strange as it may seem, had been converted by the French priest at some time in the past, and was accustomed to have prayers three times a day,-- in the morning , at noon ,and at evening,-- and ordinarily would not let their eat or sleep without first saying their prayers. Hannah's master , who had lived in the family of Rev Mr.Rolandson of Lancaster some years before , told her that " we he prayed the English way he thought that it was good, but now he found the French way better". They tried, however, to prevent the two women from praying, but without sucess, for as they were engaged on the tasks set by their master, they often found opportunities. Their Indian master would sometimes say to them when he saw them dejected, "What need you trouble yourself? If your God will have you delivered , you shall be so!".During the long journey Hannah was secretly planning to escape at the first opportunity, spurred by the tales with which the Indians had entertained the captives on the march, picturing how they would be treated after arriving in Canada, stripped and made to" run the gauntlet", jeared at and beaten and made targets for the young Indians' tomahawks; how many of the English prisoners had fainted under these tortures; and how they were often sold as slaves to the Fench.These stories , added to her desire for the revenging the death of her baby and the cruel treatment of their captors while on the march, made this desire stronger . When she learned where they were going , a plan took definite shape in her mind , and was secretly communicated to Mrs. Neff and Samuel Lennardson. Samuel, who was growing tired of living with the Indians,and in whom a longing for home had been stirred by the presence of the two women , the next day casually asked his master, Bampico, how he had killed the English. "Strike' em dere" said Bampico, touching his temple, and then proceeded to show the boy how to take a scalp. This information was communicated to the women, and they quickly agreed on the details of the plan. They arrived at the island some time before March 30, 1697. After reaching the island, the Indians grew careless. the river was in flood. Samuel was considered one of the family, and the two women were considered too worn out to attempt escape, so no watch was set that night and the Indians slept soundly. Hannah decided that the time had come. Shortly after midnight she woke Mrs. Neff and Samuel. Each, armed with a tomahawk, crept silently to a position near the heads of the sleeping Indians-- Samuel near Bampico and Hannah near her master. At a signal from Hannah the tomahawks fell, and so swiftly and surely did they perform their work of destruction that ten of the twelve Indians were killed outright, only two-- a severly wounded squaw and a boy whom they had intended to take captive--escaping into the woods. According to a deposition of Hannah Bradley in 1739 (History of Haverhill, Chase, pp. 308-309), "above penny cook the Deponent was forced to travel farther than the rest of the captives, and the next night but one there came to us one Squaw who said that Hannah Dustan and the aforesaid Mary Neff assisted in killing the Indians of her wigwam except herself and a boy, herself escaping very narrowly, shewing to myself & others seven wounds as she said with a Hatched on her head which wounds were given her when the rest were killed." Hastily piling food and weapons into a canoe, including the gun of Hannah's late master and the tomahawk with which she had killed him, they scuttled the rest of the canoes and set down the Merrimack River. Suddenly realizing that without proof their story would seem incredible, Hannah ordered a return to the island, where they scalped their victims, wrapping the trophies in cloth which had been cut from Hannah's loom at the time of the capture, and again set out down the river, each taking a turn at guiding the frail craft while the others slept. Thus, traveling by night and hiding by day, they finally reached the home of John Lovewell in old Dunstalble, now a part of Nashua, N.H. Here they spent the night, and a monument was erected here in 1902, commemorating the event. The following morning the journey was resumed and the weary voyagers at last beached their canoe at Bradley's Cove, where Creek Brook flows into the Merrimack. Continuing their journey on foot, they at last reached Haverhill in safety. Their reunion with loved ones who had given them up for lost can better be imagined than described. Doubtless Samuel was the hero of the younger generation for many days. Thomas took his wife and the others to the new house whcih he had been building at the time of the massacre, and which was now completed. Here for some days they rested. In 1694 a bounty of fifty pounds had been placed on Indian scalps, reduced to twenty-five pounds in 1695, and revoked completely on Dec. 16, 1696. Thomas Duston believed that the act of the two women and the boy had been of great value in destorying enemies of the colony, who had been murdering innocent women and children, and decided that the bounty should be claimed. So he took the two women and the boy to Boston, where they arrived with the trophies on April 21, 1697. Here he filed a petition to the Governor and Coucil, which was read on June 8, 1697 in the House (Mass. Archives, Vol 70,p.350), setting forth the above belief and claiming the reward, pleading that "the merit of the Action remains the same" and claiming that "your Petitioner haveing Lost his Estate in that Calamity wherin his wife was carryed into her captivity rendrs him the fitter object for what consideracon the bublick Bounty shall judge proper for what hath been herein done"'etc. The same day the General Court voted payment of a bounty of twenty-five pounds "unto thomas Dunston of Haverhill, on behalf of Hannah his wife"' and twelve pounds ten shillings each to Mary Neff and Samuel. this was approved on June 16,1697, and the order in Council for the payment of the several allowances was pased Dec. 4, 1697. (Chapter 10, Province Laws, Mass. Archives.) While in Boston Hannah told her story to Rev. Cotton Mather, whose morbid mind was stirred to its depths. He perceived her escape in the nauture of a miracle, and his description of it in his "Magnalia Christi Americana" is extraordinary, though in the facts doubtless quite correct and corrobarated by the evidence. In Samuel Sewall's Diary, Volume 1, pages 452 and 453, we find the following entry on May 12, 1697: "Fourth-day, may 12,...Hanah Dustan came to see us;...She saith her master, whom she kill'd, did formerly live with Mr. Roulandson at Lancaster: He told her, that when he pray'd the English way, he thought that was good: but now he found the French way was better. The single man shewed the night before, to Saml Lenarson, how he used to knock Englishmen on the head and take off their Scalps; little thinking that the Captives would make some of their first experiment upon himself. Sam. Lenarson kill'd him. This remarkable exploit of Hannah Duston, Mary Neff, and Samuel Lennardson was received with amazement throughout the colonies, and Governor Nicholson of Maryland sent her a suitably inscribed silver tankard. Monuments have been erected on the island (1874) and in Monument Square, Haverhill (1861), commemorating the exploit, and an enormous boulder marks the site of the house where she died. The first monument, commemorating the fame of a woman, to be erected in the United States was one to Hannah Duston on June 1, 1861, in Haverhill. Samuel Lennardson, on his return to Worcester, found that his father had removed to Preston, Conn., and there he grew to manhood, married Lydia------, and died May 11, 1718, leaving three sons and two daughters. Little is known of Hannah's life or that of Mary Neff after the event. And now, let us return to Thomas Duston after his escape with the children. The fear induced by the massacre caused Haverhill to at once establish several new garrison houses. One of these wa the brick house which Thomas was building for his family at the time of the massacre. This was ordered completed, and though the clay pits were nor far from the house, a quard of soldiers was placed over those who brought clay to the house. The order establishing Thomas Duston's house as a garrison was dated April 5, 1697. He was appointed master of the garrison and assigned Josiah Heath, Sen., Josiah Heath, Jun., Joseph Bradley, John Heath, Joseph Kingsbury, and thomas Kingsbury as a guard. It was about this time that Hannah returned home. After the return from Boston, Thomas remembered that while constable the preceding year he had advanced the sum of ten pounds, fourteen shillings, and eight pence to Col. Nathaniel Saltonstall for money due several men as soldiers under the latter for service in 1695, and received an order from the Province Treasurer as security, which order was destroyed in the fire. At his request, Colonel Saltonstall wrote to the Province Treasurer on May 31, 1697, acknowledging receipt of the money in return for the order which was burned in Thomas's house the preceding March, and the order for payment of this sum to Thomas Duston was approved by the Council on June 4, 1697. (Mass. Archives.) In August, 1697, William Starlin, for the sum of one hundred pounds, deeded to Thomas Duston "My Ten Acres of land whe I purchased of ye said Town---lying at a place called ye fishing River neer ye house of Mathew Herriman, the bounds thereof as if is entered in ye Townes books of record, with all ye houses, housing, mills, Damms, streams of water, fences, oarchards, Trees, wood, timber, and all other rights" etc; also "my other Ten acres of Land adjoinging to ye former which I had by grant from said Towne on condition that I and my heirs did build a Corne Mill which might be for ye use of sd Towne." (Essex Deeds, 13/43.) This was the earliest deed to Thomas of property on the east side of Little River and a part of the so-called "Duston Farm" near the northerly end of Primrose Street. (History of Haverhill, Chase.) here Thomas moved soon afterwards, perhaps deciding that the brick garrison house was in too exposed a location. This garrison house stood for over two hundred and forty-one years, and was visited annually by many descendants of Thomas and Hannah Duston. Unfortunately, it was partially destroyed by fire early in the morning of Nov. 14, 1938, while barn and outbuildings were a total. At the town meeting of March 1, 1697-98, Thomas Duston was one of those who volunteered to cut and carry wood for the new dwelling house of Mr. Rolfe, the minister, but for the next four years we find no mention of him in the twon records. He was ecidently establishing himself as a miller with considerable succes, since after 1702 he is mentioned reqularly in these and other records, showing that he had much thime to devote to town affairs. According to the records of the Haverhill town meetings, he was, on the following dates, chosen to hold the offices named for the ensuing year: Jan. 5, 1702, selectman; March 2, 1703, fence viewer; March 6, 1705, tithing man; March 5, 1706, surveyor of highways; March 4, 1707 tithing man; March 1, 1709, tithing man; March 7, 1710, surveyor of highways; March 4, 1712 tithing man; March 2, 1714, selectman; March 4, 1718, tithing man. He was moderator of the special town meetings held on March 2 and Nov. 15, 1708; Dec. 11 and 27, 1710; Sept. 26, 1715 Jan 1, April 9 and May 28, 1717; and Oct. 25 and Dec. 13, 1720. Aside from the reqular town offices held by him, he is mentioned frequently in the records of the town meetings from 1702 to 1720. March 4, 1702, Joseph Poore of Newbury tried to purchase a half acre of land "by highway that leads up to Thomas Duston's mill to build upon", but his request was refused. At this meeting Thomas Duston was chosen on a committee to settle the bounds between Josiah Heath's land and the town common. Nov. 30, 1702, payment of a claim of sixteen shillings was allowed to Thomas Duston. March 2, 1703, he was placed on a committee with three others "to clear any highways in this town that are fenced in." Jan. 3, 1704, payment of his claim of eight shillings was allowed. March 6, 1705, he was chosen one of a committee of three to run lines between " this Town's common and particular men's lands."Dec. 3, 1706, payment of his claim of two shillings was allowed . Dec. 16, 1707, payment of one pound ten shillings was allowed Thomas Duston " for 500 of oak plank for mending of the West Bridge according to his demand." On Aug. 29, 1708, a party of about 250 French and Indians attacked Haverhill. Some thirty or fourty persons were taken captive and sixteen killed . Among the latter were Rev. Benjamin Rolfe, his wife, and one child. Mrs. Nicholas Seaver then preached regularly untill February, 1709. March 1, 1709, Thomas Duston was chosen one of the committee to offer Mr. Seaver twenty pounds in money and fourty pounds in corn annually if he would continue. This committee reported on March 15 and was authorized to increase the offer by one hundred pounds in money to be used " in settling himself with a house and land", payable in two annual installments.this was declined by Mr. Seaver, who must have been well liked, for on June 14 the committee was authorized to offer him four contributions annually and 20 cords of wood in addition to the previous offers. June 21, Mr. Seaver's proposals were " recieved, read and declined". We do not know what they were. Rev. Richard Brown was obtained to act as minister, gave complete satisfaction, and was asked to remin. He declined, however, and was suceeded by Rev. Mr. Joshua Gardner. At this time and untill 1713, the meetings of the Proprietors to divide the common lands, on April 28, 1709, for four pound, purchased "two common rights or Commonages" from Ralph Farnum of Andover and Josiah Heath, Jun., of Haverhill, who had them from William Starlin, who in turn bought them of Stephen Kent, one of the original Proprietors. (Essex Deeds, 24/19.) (CONTINUED ON MARRIAGE NOTES TO SAME) |
Birth
Hannah Dustin
Thomas Dustin