Early Residents of Exeter, Rockingham, NH The population made but a very gradual increase, as was to be expected, for there was little in the frontier settlement to attract new comers. It was those who were content to endure hard work and hard fare, in the faith of securing better thing8 in the future, who were the bone and sinew of Exeter. Yet there was a gain in numbers. On the twelfth of October, 1669, the General Court appointed John Gilman lieutenant of the military company, at the same time declaring that there were "about sixty soldiers in Exeter." This, if the usual ratio holds good, would imply that there were about three hundred inhabitants of all classes. A fair proportion of the early settlers had passed their lives in the town, and were succeeded by their children. Others had come in, some for a temporary, others for a permanent residence. The new names that appear upon the town records between 1640 and 1680 will be given here, together with others derived from other sources. No complete list is to be found, on the books of the town, or elsewhere, and it is probable that the fullest that can now be gathered, is quite imperfect. NAMES FIRST ON THE TOWN BOOKS BETWEEN 1640 AND 1680. John Barber, . April 1, 1678 John Bean, . January 21, 1660-1 Thomas Biggs, . September 5, 1643 Nathaniel Bolter, . May 6, 1646 Robert Booth, . February 10, 1647-8 Richard Bray, . October 10, 1664 William Bromfield, . December 1, 1664 John Bursley, . September 5, 1643 Philip Cartee, . March 29, 1668 Philip Chesley, . January 21, 1664-5 John Clark, . August 29, 1661 Jeremy Connor, . October 10, 1664 Thomas Cornish, . January 12, 1648-9 Christian Dolloff, . March 30, 1668 Abraham Drake, . June 10, 1644 Nathaniel Drake, . April 22, 1649 Teague Drisco, . October 10, 1664 Biley Dudley, . April 1, 1678 Samuel Dudley, . May 13, 1650 Tbeophilus Dudley, . December 1, 1664 Eleazer Elkins, . March 3, 1673-4 Ephraim Folsom, . April 1, 1678 Israel Folsom, . October 10, 1664 John Folsom, . November 4, 1647 John Folsom, Jr., . September 28, 1668 Nathaniel Folsom, . October 10, 1664 Peter Folsom, . March 30, 1670 Samuel Folsom, . October 10, 1664 John Garland, . August 26, 1660 Charles Gilman, . September 28, 1668 Edward Gilman, Sr., . May 10, 1652 Edward Gilman (Jr.), . November 4, 1647 John Gilman, . January 12, 1648-9 John Gilman, Jr., . April 1, 1678 Moses Gilman, . February 10, 1647-8 Charles Glidden, . March 30, 1674 James Godfrey, . March 16, 1660-1 Alexander Gordon, . October 10, 1664 Samuel Greenfield, . May 19, 1644 Early Residents of Exeter, Rockingham, NH William Hacket, . October l0, 1664 Page 60 Joseph Hall, . October 10, 1664 Samuel Hall, . March 11, 1678-9 Robert Hathersay (Hersey), . August 5, 1644 William Huntington, . February 27, 1644-6 Edmond Johnson,. August 26, 1650 Thomas Jones, . August 5, 1644 Joel Judkins, . April 2, 1675 Duny (?) Kelley, . October 10, 1664 James Kidd, . March 11, 1678-9 John Kimming, . October 10, 1664 Thomas King, . January 16, 1644-5 Nathaniel Ladd, . February 18, 1678-9 Cornelius Lary, . October 10, 1664 David Lawrence, . March 30, 1674 Jeremy Leavitt, . March 30, 1670 Moses Leavitt, . October 10, 1664 Samuel Leavitt, . September 28, 1668 John Legat, . October 20, 1642 Nicholas Liston, . January 12, 1648-9 Henry Magoon, . April 2, 1664 Thomas Marston,* . January 16, 1644-5 Richard Morgan, . March 29, 1668 Nicholas Norris, . August 30, 1671 George Person (Pearson), . March 18 1679 (about) Thomas Pettit, Jr., . May 20, 1652 Robert Powell, . October 10, 1664 Thomas Rashleigh . May 6, 1643 John Robinson, . April 20, 1652 Jonathan Robinson. March 3, 1673-4 Jonathan Rollins, . October 10, 1664 Thomas Rollins, . March 30, 1670 John Saunders, . January 16, 1644-5 Edward SewaIl, . April 2, 1670 Jonathan SewaIl, . April 1, 1678 Robert Seward, . April 1, 1678 John Sinclair, . October 10, 1664 John Smart, . January 16, 1644-5 John Smart, Jr., . April 22, 1649 Robert Smart, . April 22, 1649 Edward Smith, . March 30, 1670 Nicholas Smith, . March 4, 1658-9 Francis Swain, . March 31, 1645 Nicholas Swain, . December 16, 1646 Richard Swain, . November 4, 1647 And the following additional names are extracted from a list of those who took the oath of allegiance and fidelity to the country, November 30, 1677, at Exeter; all, with a few possible exceptions, inhabitants of the town. John Clark, Jr. David Robinson Early Residents of Exeter, Rockingham, NH James Daniel George Roberts Stephen Dudley Edward Roe Mr. Michael French James Sinclair Daniel Gilman Mr. Richard Smart Jeremy Gilman Robert Smart, Jr. Moses Gilman, Jr. Jonathan Smith Kinsley Hall Mr. John Thomas Armstrong Horn John Wadleigh William Morgan Joseph Wadleigh James Perkins The following grants were made in 1647: February 16, Mr. [Anthony] Stanyan 20 acres. November 4, George Barlow 40; Nathaniel Boulter 50; Edward Gilman [Jr.] ; Samuel Greenfield 50; William Moore 10; Francis Swain anu Nicholas Swain 100; Richard Swain 80. December 15, Thomas Jones 20; William Moore 30; James Wall, 138; Humphrey Wilson 80. [Page 133] The following grants were made in 1648 : February 10, John Cram 40 acres; Ralph Hall 20; Thomas Jones 40; John Legat 140; Thomas Pet tit 40 ; Anthony Stanyan 300; Balthasar Willix 20. March 4, Thoma Biggs, Godfrey Dearborn, Thomas Jones, 50 each; Henry Roby 20. November 16, George Barlow 4; Mr. Edward Gilman (Jr.] 100; Christopher Lawson 100. At the last named date is the first record of the appointment of lot layers: John Cram and John Legat. On the same day " it was agreed that 500 acres of land next the two great lots above mentioned shall be laid for a common field, to be fenced by the town, planting ground for every man to have his equal share, that are householders." It was also agreed , " that the remainder of that (plain] before mentioned to the corner of John Cram's lot or Bell Willix's, and so unto the fresh river, shall be [laid] out for an ox common, for working cattle and steers and horses, for every man to have his equal share, provided he do his portional share of fencing by the last day of May next, and those who do not fence are to have no right in said common." The following grants were made in 1649: January 12, Thomas Biggs and John Bursley. 10 acres each, "to cut firewood and timber;" Thomas Cornish 10, "to cut firewood;" John Cram 10; Thomas King 100; Nicholas Listen 10, "to cut firewood;" James Wall. The following grants were made in 1650 : March 21, John Legat 1/2 acre. June 26, Samuel Dudley; Gowen Wilson conditionally. August 26, Abraham Drake and Nathaniel Drake 30 each; Thomas King 8; John Legat 10. November 24, Thomas Biggs 20; Thomas Cornish 10; Thomas Crawley 5; Ralph Hall; Nicholas Listen 20; Henry Roby 10; Francis Swain 20; Nicholas Swain 5; Gowen Wilson 10. December 5, John Warren 5. Early Residents of Exeter, Rockingham, NH COMMON PLANTING FIELD. On January 2, 1650-1, it was ordered by the town "that there shall be a common field laid out for planting ground beyond the [Page 134] second river from the town, westward about two miles and a half, for every man that is an inhabitant of the town to have his part laid out by lot, and in quantity according to his rate to the minis- try bearing date the 1 of the 11 month, 1650, viz., for every ten shillings which he pays to have 15 acres of land, laid out together by lot, beginning at the head of the fall and so to but upon the river downward, and every acre to be one rod in breadth, provided that if any man that now is an inhabitant shall leave the town before one whole year after the date hereof be expired, then he is to leave his lot to the town again." The following grants were made in 1651 : January 2, Henry Roby 60 acres. February 19, Samuel Dudley 80. December 29, Samuel Dudley, for grazing, etc. The following grants were made in 1652 : April 20, Samuel Dudley 100 acres; Edward Gilman [Jr.]; John Legat l00; John Robinson, conditionally; Robert Smart. May 10, Thomas Cornish 40; Samuel Dudley 100; John Garland, conditionally; John Legat 100; Nicholas Listen 40; Thomas Pettit 40; Francis Swain 40 and 20; Thomas Taylor 20; John Warren 40 and 20. May 20, Thomas King 100; Thomas Pettit, Jr. 80. July 8, Edward Gilman, Sr., John Leavitt, John Gilman and Moses Gilman 200, "those of them that come not to live with us by the next summer to forfeit their shares again to the town." On May 20, 1652, it was ordered by the town " that all the land within a mile and a half of [ or about] that northeast end of the town that is not already granted out, shall continually lie common for feeding and firewood and the like use." On November 6, 1652, " it was ordered and also granted to Mr. Edward Hilton, in regard that he hath been at charge in setting up of a saw-mill, that he shall enjoy for himself and his heirs forever, a quarter of a mile below his mill, with the land and timber belonging thereunto, and also above his mill a mile and a quarter with the land and timber belonging thereunto. This land and timber is to lie square, only on this side of Piscassock river to come about a stone's cast." *It is be11eved that John Leavitt, who was a son-in-law of Edward Gilman, Sr. never lived in Exeter. He was of Hingham, Massachusetts. Page 135 The following grants were made from 1654 to 1661, inclusive: 1654, February 15, Nicholas Listen 20 acres, conditionally.