A History of Chichester . Written on the occasion of our 250th Anniversary 1727 -1977 CONTENTS Preface. .. 5 The Establishment of Chichester. .. 7 Original Gran t . .. 8 Early Beginnings. .. 10 The Settlement of Chichester. .. 22 The Churches. .. 58 The Schools. .. 67 Old Home Day Celebrations. .. 80 Organizations. .. 87 Town Services. 102 Town Cemeteries. 115 Wars and Veterans. .. 118 3 PREFACE Our committee was formed to put into print some account of our town's history to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the granting of the original charter of our town. The committee has met over the past year and one-half and a large part of the data was obtained from the abstracts of the town records which were kept by Augustus Leavitt, Harry S. Kelley's history notes written in 1927 for the 200th anniversary and from the only sizable printed history of Chichester written by D. T. Brown in Hurd's History of Merrimack and Belknap Counties containing thirty seven pages. In researching we found that a whole generation is missing. It is regrettable that a history wasn't done before now when much that is now lost was within the mem- ory of some living who had the knowledge of our early history. Our thanks to the townspeople who have contributed either information, pic- tures, maps and written reports. It is our hope that the contents will be interesting and helpful to this and future generations. The Chichester History Committee Rev. H. Franklin Parker June E. Hatch Ruth E. Hammen 5 THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CHICHESTER Chichester was one of seven towns granted in New Hampshire in 1727 while Lieutenant Governor John Wentworth administered the affairs of the province, then a part of Massachusetts. It was one of several places in the state named in honor of Thomas Pelham HolIes, Duke of Newcastle and Earl of Chichester, one of the most influential English politicians of the mid 18th century. As Secretary of State during the years following 1724, he assumed charge of the colonial policy and had much to do with relations between the American colonies and England. The Earl's title was taken from the ancient town of Chichester in County Sussex, Eng- land, built on the site of a Roman camp - or castra in Latin, which evolved into English as "Chester". In 895 A.D. it became the capital of the Saxon king, Chissa, Chichester being a combination of the two names. The granting of Chichester, New Hampshire, and the other towns chartered by Lieutenant Governor Wentworth was the result of the outgrowth of several Massa- chusetts towns whose section, or "parishes" asked for additional land to be popu- lated by new settlers, most of them adjacent to land already settled. Chichester be. came a new town because of this movement. Among those receiving Chichester grants were the Gilmans of Exeter, Peter, Nicholas, and Capt. John; William Pepperell Jr.; Capt. Thomas Westbrook; Capt. Paul Gerrish and many others who had participated in the English wars against the French in Canada. The original charter of Chichester served as a pattern for future charters for the undivided portions of New Hampshire providing for the planting and cultivation of land, the building of dwelling houses, roads, and a schoolhouse and church, with a time limit of three to five years. The charge to the settlers was one ear of corn per grantee per year.l THE TOWN OF CHICHESTER On May 20, in the year 1727, John Wentworth, Lieutenant Governor under the Crown of the Province of New Hampshire granted to Nathaniel Gookin (Googins) and others an area covering sixty-four square miles in the interior of New Hamp- shire. The name appearing on the document was Chichester. The Governor anxious to have this section settled also issued charters at about the same time to Barnstead, Bow, Canterbury, Epsom and Gilmanton. In accor- dance with the following document the proprietors set out to fulfill their pledges and thus began the long series of events which were to pave the way for the found. ing of the town. 1 N.H. Town Names and Whence They Came, Elmer Munson Hunt, p. 93. 94. 7 ORIGINAL GRANT OF TOWN ye laws and useages of our afforesaid Province with Power, Priveleidges and author- ity of other Towns and Town officers within our afforesaid Province have and Provincial Seal Enjoy, and for ye Notifing and Calling of ye first Town Meeting we do hereby appoint Peter Weare, Esq., John Sanborn and Jacob Freese to be the first Select- "George, by the Grace of God, of Great Britiane, France and Ireland, King men, and thay to continue in Said Respective office as Selectmen untilI ye Second Defender of the Faith, &c. Wensday in ye month of march which shall be in ye yeare of Our Lord one thosand To all people to whome these Presents shall come, Greeting: Seven hundred and Twenty Eight, and untilI other Selectmen Shall be Chosen and Know ye that we of our Special Knowledge and meer motion for the Dew En- appointed in thare Stead in Such manner as is in these Presents Expressed. In Tes- couragement of Setling a new Plantation, by and with the advise and Consent of timony where of wee have Caused the Seale of our Said Province to be hereunto our Council, have Given and Granted and by these Presents as far as us Lyes, do affixed. Give and Grant in Equall Shares unto Sundry of our beloved subjects whose names "Wittness, John Wentworth, Esqr., our Liueftenant Governor of Commander in are Entered in a Schedule hereunto annexed, that Inhabit or Shall Inhabit, within Cheife in and over our said Province att our Town of Portsmouth, in our Said Pro- the said Grant, within our Province of New Hampshire, all that tract of land within vince of New Hampshire, ye Twentieth Day of may, in the thirteenth of our the following bounds, viz: Reigne, anno Domine, 1727. To begin on the Southwest Side of the Town of Barnstead, and from Thence "By order of his honor the Leiftenant Govenor with the advice of the Counsell. Runing South westerly on the head of the town of Nottingham untilI Eight miles be "JOHN WENTWORTH. accomplished, and then North west Eight miles, and then North east Eight miles, and then South east by said Town of Barnstead to the place where it first began, "RICHARD WALDON, Clerk ofye Counsell." and that ye same be a Town Corporate by the Name of Chichester to the Persons affore Said for Ever. To Have and To Hold the Said land to the said Grantees and Chichester is located in Merrimack County and today is bounded on the north their heirs and assigns for ever, and to such associates as they shall admitt upon the by Pittsfield, on the east by Pittsfield and Epsom, on the south by Pembroke and following condition. on the west by Loudon. It is about six miles long and three miles wide and contains (1) That the Proprietors within three years Buld, or Cause to be Bult, Sixty about eleven thousand nine hundred and seventy-eight acres. Dwelling Houses and Settle families in the Same and Cleare three acres of Ground Fitt for Planting or mowing, and that Each Proprietor Pay his Proportion of the Town Charges when and so often as occasion shall Require ye same. (2) That a Meetting house be Built for ye Publick worship of God within the Tearm of four years. (3) That upon Default of any Perticular Proprietor in Complying with the Con- ditions of this Charter upon his Part, such Delinquent Proprietor Shall forfeit his share of ye said land to the other Proprietors, which shall be disposed of according to the major vote of ye said Proprietors att a Legall meeting. (4) That a Proprietor's Share be Reserved for a Parsonage, and another for ye I first minister of the Gospel of that Shall be there settled and ordained, and another Proprietor's Share for ye Bennefitt of a Scoole in ye Said Town, provided nevertheless that ye Peace with ye Indians continue for ye Space of three years, but if itt Should happen that a wan with ye Indians Should Commence before the Expiration of the affore Said Tearm of three years that then ye Said Tearm of three years Shall be allowed the Proprietors after ye Expiration of the warr for ye Perfor- mance of ye affore Said Conditions rendering and Paying therefor to us our heirs and Successors, or Such officer or officers as Shall be appointed to Receive the Same, the annuall Quitt Rent or Acknowledgement of one Pound of Hemp in ye Said Town on ye last wensday in march yearly for Ever if Demanded. Reserving also unto us our heirs and Successors all mast Trees Growing on Said Tract of land according to acts of Parliament in that case made and provided and for ye beetter order Rule and Government of ye Said Town we do by these Presents and for our Selves, our heirs and Successors, Grant unto the Said men Inhabitants, or those that Shall Inhabit Said Town, that yearly and every year upon the Second Wends- day in march for Ever Shall meett to Elect and Chuse by the major part of the Pro- prietors then Present, Constable, Selectmen and other Town Officers according to 8 9 EARLY BEGINNINGS On March 12, 1729 the voters met in the home of Samll Sedons in Hampton to choose officers and voted that Captain John Gilman and Peter Gilman be a com- mittee to meet with the proprietors of Nottingham to see whether they will let us have a way through their town to the town of Chichester.