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�THE
F A l ' I L Y
of
BENJAMIN and AEIO-AIL (PRAY) HAM
of
FARFINaTON, E.K.
Compiled t y t h e i r G-randdaughters
Louise (Stone) Jones,and K a t h a r i n e Ham Stone
1940
Presented by the author to the FarminstonjN.H.
H i s t o r i c a l S o o i e t y , January,1953
F a t h a r i n e Ham Stone
�7mm OP CQwmm
Fag®
Omk^4ll»irr fUm
.<.....<>..»..o..,
1
Hazy Am (Annia} I'lm Bunkar.......................... 9
Abnar Hm.....
...o...............<....,..,,....,.11
fiffi
.13
B^uas-iln ftraaklia lim.,
.....17
CImrles Has..
20
JUbigail fSm Btom
21
Gwaftalogloal Matarlal
26
Appandlxt
iap of Ram i ^ r t ^ r t y
twmaerlpt of Co-art Racorda
Jmihm
WlX
Fray's Q«aardiaa Account
of ^€)tm Bm
laveatoiy of JaUm ISae** JS»tat«
Daad of Abigail
IISB
to Jiinoch Bunlcor
A Mote on W i l l i a m Ham ( i n Aiaerica 1636-1672)
�Th« B o u r o e s of i n f o r m a t i o n f o r t h i s s k e t c h ares<*
X*
F i l e s of t h e Farmington, H* H. Hews
a r t i c l e s hy A d e l a i d e C i l l e y Waldron*
S»
A H i s t o r y o f E a r l y Portsmouth, H* H*
by R a l p h May.
!•
1926
Family L e t t e r s and i n f o r i a a t i o n fromA h i g a i l Ham Stone*
4*
F i l e s of t h e Farmlngton, N. H. News
f o r laaOe & 1890s.
�Banjaain Has was of the f i f t h ganersticaa i n descant froa WHliaa Has
i»ho asm
trm
Sngland to Haw Bigland and was i n liseter i n 1644,
Portsmouth in 1646.
He reached
I n 16^2 ths salectraon of Str«B«to®rry Bank, as Portsmouth
nas then eailod, e x a i ^ e d the old town records and crossed off what was not
approved by thm,
Amnp, the entiries that r^aaiaed was the following» «It
is granted timt each itdiahitant i s to have l o t s of lara! according to the
order written,* and eimmg, the nmos i s that of W i l l i a a Has (spelled Haisie)
for tifiir acres. Lator reoorrls ahm
that hs was a land owner i n 1660.
His son Matthflfw settled on the I s l e s of ^ o a l s , ten s i l e s off PortaBouth arid had two aona^Joha and fhcasas.
Jdin settled i n Sfewington, H. H., and had sovewO. sons, one of whoa
was John J r . w^»o was ow
ijiroat-grarwlfathar. Tradition says that he went
trm Portwao>ith to i#iat i s now the v i l l a g e of Fanaington taking h i s worldly
goods on f wheelbarrow altlioxii^ tJmt s « 3 a an l ^ o s s i b i l i t y .
eat
He took t*p or
bought a l l ths land on which the v i l l a g e of Paraingtcffli now stands. The l i t t l e
ssttlousnt was then known as The Dock, f ^
date of h i s a r r i v a l there i s not
knoim but i t was \indoti5tedly while tliat region was a part of the northwsst
parish of Rooi^^rter, for i t was not m t i l 1798 that the town of Famington
TO5 incorporated, fb& torn l i e s I n the v a l l e y betw9«si Miltoa Bldge and ISew
Durfiaa Rid|«e, about eigjiteen Ejtles northwest of Dover, on the road to Lake
HnxMpesat&ee, which i s
BOE»
t i n JSJiles further m .
His house stood m
tl»
h i l l north of
Bo^, a f i n e locatimi whioSi vmrndmA
ths sarly 190(^.
i s "vm & farxaer and a press^rous nan for those tliaes, as
i n the faadJly t m t i l
the invsntory of his pjroperty totaled $3,&}6,n. He had f i v e s^ms, Thomas,
Jesej^, Abnar, Benjamin and Woam,
miA two dati^tters, a a r ^ and Mary.
t d l l i s dated Jur© 29, 1011, and the inventory of h i s property was
at tha probate court held i n Dover on Daem^T
IS, 1§12, when h i s am
Ms
recorded
Joseph,
�w o ^?aa eswcutor, mi&». oath tlmt t « irivaatoiy ewitaiaa a l l tha estate of
h
!»
thi said John Bam that had ecm to hfii knowledge. l E s w i l l i s interesting
for iw gave hia land to his sons Biems, Joseph, Ben^asKln and Mos»S| to h i s
sm Hbmr he g«re |200 and one good f e a t ^ r bed and bedding, Abrwr prmp^
..
b8to<ft: himself to Mtweiotrth, Maine, uSiere he laarried and had e i ^ t <^ldren.
The tare daughters mm
and to Mary flOO
gi-ren ueemy, to Mrah
1300 aad householri f^ralahingi
IXsmlshingi. T o d ^ i t i s a«»iiag to note tJ» axaet
^vinim of bads, bedding (ineluKllng the c o r i s ) , and o t i w household goods
but thaw things had been aotplrod by
wwk «id were of p w t mLue,
In the divlsism of h i s land he j p w h i s mm fhmm
the land i a th®
waitom part of h i s holdinpi, wttere the Bostcm md Maim Hallroad mod to be.
Be is said to hmm b&m
mi «a«^-g«L«g fsasier with a l a r i e f«ily of ehUdreii.
Joseph (generally knosm as Col. Joseph} Imd tise land lying wsst of the ProviiMje
road, tm Horth aain Street. B a a j w i a and »>«as had tim hcn^stead east of t h i s
rosd, with the house and f a m bxdldings.
and Imd a l l the stook m&
Tmy mm
also t t e resid^iary legattWMi
f a m tj^plSMints. flm inventory of great»gr^»ifathsr's
pro|)erty shows t M t Benjasdis had 97 acre® of land and K«Mie8 7S acres, I siigspose
th« two farwB Tmm
o a r r l M on as a unit, for Wemm. mm
tarded child. I rtJSMft^r hi» as a burly mm
what today we e a U a r e -
dressed i n overalls with a red ban-
danaa around his neck. Aftor h i s falrf-ier's death he lived, witii h i s brother Thossas,
but as he wis not w e l l oared f o r tl»re his mphm
iOimmt (our Uno2^ Doctor) t&tk
hia to tl» hewatead itlmm ho livcsd toe rest of h i s l i f e and was a t»efal mmAim
of tJi0 fMi3y for -ho di4 the chox^ss, dioppad w o ^ arai did farm work* lis used
aai^ quaint ^ r e s s i o s j s and o j was to preface hi.s 3»ark8 witdi the word '•Hke."
i©
O o SuiKiay TOmlaf h® was chopping woost ami Atatt Annie r w l M e d h i a that i t wsas
n
Stoday, •Well," to said, »»llke you didii't hxm beans t h i s aoming,"
in 186? at the ago of seventy and was buried i n the faaKlly mm%&rj
After his death hi® fars. was soM and the mmmy
divided mmmg
He died
m the farm.
h i s heirs.
�Our grandfather, Benjaain Ban, was Iwam i n 1?92.
I n I S l ? ha married
Mgail Pray^ of Lebanon, Maine, and %imy had s i x oiiildr^Mi, Uaxf Am
, Abi^r,
Susan, BeaJaEiin, Charles and Abigail (our aottor).
From a sketch of the history of Farwingtoa we learn that i n 1 7 ^ The Dock
ms a l i t t l e hamlet of less than one hundred people, suzrounded by the primeval
forest. The roads iswre tm
md
very poor^ travel was either on horseback or by
ox teaaj there was no ohurch or post office m)d t t e school was c^ned only the
yaar bsfora. llm houses were either log cabins or o)»~ateiry fraaa.
Banjafflin prctoably attended the l i t t l o school, but whether he }iad any further
aducation i s not rocorded.
lie fouglit i n the War of 1812, f o r i n her l a t e r lif©
hia yriiim received a pension for h i s soj-vic® i n that war.
its died i n Howaatoer,
1S25, at the ago of ^ l i r t y - t h r e a , leavijig his wife and s i x ohildrea, the youngest
(our mother) bora a few acHtitha aftor he died. He was working i a the woods getting
out logs. 1 ^ snow was deep and i t was cold so that he took a heavy cold which
davsloped into typhoid pneueu^nia.
The oldest daughter
.
^
ifttfy Arm was teen i n her s i ^ ^ year and was the only cm
A
to reasaiber hitt i^Laarly*
S^m once told har ixlece Louise that with t ^ f i r s t
MBsy she aarDed ahu bought a bead-stone f o r hie grave.
^owy
of the children
figitt^ froa tlio distant past.
To us he i s only a
��- 4-
Abigail Fr&jf the daughlwsr of Benjimin Pray
boni in Lebanon, Malsw,
^tt>lgall (Llbby) P i ^ ,
Ctetober 10, 178?, one of twelve children.
We
k o nothing about her father (Benjaisin Pray) but after tim deat^ of her f i r s t
nw
huaband Abigail Ilbby Pray m r r i a d a
Hayes of Faraington and he was
k w as S i r IJayos, wiiioh s»y be an abbreviation tar Qrandair.
nm
Sie l i v e d to be
over ninety and waa auch loved by her grandcliildren. She taught Eary Ann to sew,
knit and cook. During h»r l a s t illnofis a nei^itoor was talking with her about her
•{^roachiug death myi she said, "fttH, death i s m>lmioholy.*'
W know but l i t t l e of our israndteiother Em^s mrlj
a
JXt& for she seldom talked
of har child; jood, but she rsascabered tha death of Wasliington and said i t took s i x
woeks for the mm
to reacti thm, a^id when i t eane the people oried, Washington
is daad, iVasliington i s deadl"
also r««WBa4wred tJje hardships which Jefferson's
wbargo bro'jght to than wiien trade was at a s t a i u l s t i l l .
She renesiberad a dark day
(an acllpse?) and tlie year tJiore w a s a f r o s t every moMth.
In 1817 she s m i l e d Benjasdn Mm of faredngton, H. H., and i t w a s said that
aha ims the handscmst g i r l who went into the mmtlixg house. She wa^ a Baptist and
always explained that s^ie was a Fx^owiU Baptist and not a Hardshell,
B)b had a
g o alto voi(^ and sang i n ths choir. I rwimber her when ahe was w a l l over
od
eighty Bitting by tlw window hcxLdiiig her lijaaxibook dose to her ayes end singing
her favorite hQwrns i n a quavering voi«».
Isft a widow at t l ^ age of t l i i r t y ^ a i x , with s i x childraa, the oldest i n her
eighth year ard the youngest bom
few months a f t e r ti» death of her husband, with
a Saw Hamjahir© fara for their st^port, the outlook ims not easy,
but she was not
daunted by i t and worked liard to bring up Iter family. The children wsre Mary Ann
(called Arjiie), bom 163Jj Abaor, bom i B l g j Susan, bom 1821 j Benjmin Franklla,
bom 1523; Charles, bom
and Abigail, bom Slamh 1 , ::^26,
Bmidss the fana a?id the house there was a ©d,st-«iill, which was taken frflo
�\lbm by
of t>i® Mam rolativea by what QrandiaotlMir t h o u # t wera unfair
practices. The house was beyoiKl repair so l a 1829 Orandaothor b u i l t a naw
horn® m the site of the old one, on t!ie .knoH north of %im v i l l a g e .
a itm» house, a story and a h a l f , with an tmfinished a t t i c .
I t was
This i s tlMi
houaa that we called th& **old house < .
*
For ysars QrmimiUmr
leased ths f t a k i n g half of the produce for
the rant. Bub she found i t increasingly d i f f i c u l t to e a r o f o r h a r children
and i t was nsi^ssary to soM
awm
of them to l i v e with her x^lativee.
Susan
and Charles went to l i v e with t h e i r IJmlm Charles Fxay i n l ^ m l l , Walm,
BanJaEiln Franklin was sent to h i s l ^ l e Benjaiain i n Ossipee,
she nevar turned ai^ono away w h o was cold or huoigry.
and
Poor a s she was
One atorray night there
US a knock OR the door, Grandiaotlier opened I t and thex^ st^od a stranger
asking for shelter f o r iim n i # t . She took h i a i a afid m d e a bod for h i a m
tha floor before tlie opm
fire.
I n tha aomi^ig fm t r i e d to isxpress h i s thanks
but could not Biak» hiautelf widerstoi^ for Im was a foreigner.
Besides the farm work, Krtiloh even f o r wcetan was Im&vy, Orandtaotl^r did
spinning and weaviiig f o r itjor own faiaHy and for lier neighbors.
3^
laade har
mm deaigis aM dyvtA and spun her ami wool. There are at least three pieces
of har work s t i H l a exiatenoe, on® a oouatorimns i n hlvm and white squares
and two butternut shades (one now used as portieres i n the hcaae of George
Haelwstar Stone), liar old-fasliioned locm was kept i n the l o f t of the
bam for years after she ©eased to um
com
it.
Sh« was often called on to help m i ^ b o r s i n tii» of sickness and both
ito and Awjt Annie were gajwmus i n gtvtjig t h e i r services, and t^oy were s k i l fuj. too,
Sh& studied ths itoaaac carefully and was w e l l wenaed i n t t e phases
of the moon for each one hajtl to be h i s own weathar prophet.
dlotod a change of weather wlnm the mom
**8outhed.'*
often pre-
Another of her
aa^n^
n s that wlmi the tsomi rained porridge luir bowl was always upside do«m.
Ihsa hsr oldest daa^Jtor, Annie, isarrled Grand£aot}ier relinquished tJie
�cars of t . house add farsa ajid laay be said to iiave retired to tha chiimey"«
conjar, alt>M>ugh she s t i l l did a good deal of housework. She knit woollen
atockings for a l l the fsmi>era of the fa»ily aiwi she t r i e d to teach mm to knit
but with ths saail s t i ^ l aaodles and fine yam wliieh she used I aade a botch
of i t .
Althou^ as noted e a r l i e r Orandmt^ier yielded the managment of the house
to her daughter and i t often &&&md
as i f aim wore ordered auround too pereEi-
torily tiwre were %imB when a - asserted herself and tlien her daughter bowi^
l»
to her w i l l .
I n her l a t e r yearti i t was imrd for h&r to walk so that she did not
go out alone and Aunt Annie would often refuse to go «lth her to c a l l on the
aaighbors, but occasionally Qranttether would i n s i s t and she would carry her
point.
Bar grand-daughter Louise tmmdsmra
&o& oooaslcm whan Aunt Annie and Ikither
vent away for the day leavltig Qraridiaotlier, Afum, Susie auid herself a t bona. After
thay were w i l l on tliair way Qrandaotlier oam out of her bedro<m with her best dress
and boiuiet on.
She told tltm tlmt s l ^ was goiiig to see soiae of the nei^bors and
if she did not cma he«© to dinner tl»y aeed not worry. About the ndddle of the.
aftarnoon she ret'Jrned vary happy for she liad made a ausiber of c a l l s ,
put
airay har bonnfct, ehajtiged Imr dreas and said to tlie ohildren, *Tou need not say
anytliiiig about this to your «ot^r or Aunt Aimie" and tlnegrdid not.
like Bany country women of her time she smoked a pipe and took snuff, Sba
said she did this baci^use BM !iad catarrh and she t r i e d aaiiy tlmss to give u > both
|
habits, but without success.
Iter dark hair was flecked with s i l v e r , sJso always wore a lao® cap acul, keratdaf and har dresses were oithar dark gray or black.
She retained her good looks
to the last. Ror great grands(»i,Eab«rt U l l s of Toledo, CMo, looks sMore l i k e her
than any other of her descaiuiaJita,
Although she talked so l i t t l e of her l i f e or her children she was « wonan of
�imp fseliagi the death of her oldaat ®oa Abmr and tJ^e disappearance of
Charlaa, hsr youngest s<m, were aom t r i a l s .
Ihea hsr dati^ter Abigail aarried
and went to iMo to l i v e both Qrui^ulmother and Auant Annie were loal:^ to hama her
go 80 far a^ay for t h e i r world was very s a a l l and Cftiio was then a l i ^ t a frontier
atate. Th» tim cams, i n her later l i f o , when she sade t w v i s i t s to Abigail,
QQt in Marietta and 1 ^ l a s t i n Madis^nvillo.
She spent several winters with
her B » Beajaain i n Iflncheater, Massachusetts, and went s i ^ t - s o e i n g i a «ad
<i
MTowi Bostcari, asmg otter -Wiinpi clisbing th« tewer a t Mt. Atflsum C«B»t©ry,
For WBtm yaart before her death she z^ceived a i^uuiion of |0 a sonth,
bacauss of her husband's aervli>a i n the War of 1Q12.
I doubt i f any of us ean
appraciate tfhat i t aeant to h«r to have t h i s atBall sun a l l hsr own. mmx
I be-
gan t a a ^ n g atu! received $40 a amth Q r ^ ' ^ o l ^ r was worried that one so young
(I was then over t w n t y ) should have so tauoh oonaty to handle aund xat&ad m
m%
to wasta i t .
In lBd3 Aunt Aimle began p r e i ^ a t i o n s to build a new hoxnm on the s i t e
of tho old one. QrandtaKyther did not want a mm houa« but her 9b4e«ti£m8 were
over-ruled and wo2* on t w mm house wsant tai.
J»
I n ^\»» of 'M»t year ( i n h«r
ninety-fourtii j/ear) Qranfeotlier f e l l i l l mid f o r two weeks l a y p a r t i a U y unconacious but not suffering.
A l l tiait tiiae she mm&d
her r i ^ i t haM back and
forth in regular rytte and "Uils oontint;®d u n t i l almost her l a s t breath.
I have
often wojid0i"od i f this was sii)-oonscious, a r e v i v a l of motions which alcm used
to naka in spinning or weaving.
I n hmr Itmg l i f e slus saw raa^y ohangsai l i v i n g
bsoaau far easier than i n Imr youth and her l a s t year^ were f i l l e d with ccmfort.
Ws have reason to bo proud of her fine character, her courage tinder hardahipa and her ability to bring vsp her cMldren so that thay a l l becuEms soeA
ditiMns. The children rscelved t h e i r early education i n tiie d i s t r i c t school
known as tha laldron School whidi waa situated about a saile north of the v i l l a g s .
I t waa a long, cold walk i n winter but a kimlly n e i ^ b o r who lived m
aftan took thm i n to get warn.
that road
Thar® wore a winter and a auMBer t e m wit^
fre-
�- s«
quent c t i ; ® of teachors. I t i s worth noting t^mt each of the children want
!w|#
away to school l a t « r on and that Abner grad\iated fr« Bowdoin College and the
aadical school.
I a each case t h i s sctooling was obtaiMd by ti»ir own e f f o r t s .
��-4um
mil iicmh)
nm
Bmsm
The eldest daughter, koala (Mary Aim), after going to the d i s t r i c t school
want to Wakefield, M. lU, arid attoadM scliool tliere for two years, l i v i n g with
a cousin. In 1818 slie ©arriad Snocl'i Bualcer of Faraaiiigtcai, son of James and
iillaabsth Bunkar.
They went to school together as cliildren.
Tlitjn h& was away
for several ye&ra working with a circus and seldoas sending any word of h i s i^r©abouts.
After a few years he cm& h«e mxl worked on the Vim far», and ttma married
Annie. Tbey had no children but ixtok Am» K i g a l i , whose aether had died, to
bring up. Uncle liiioeh was a good farsM^r and aade the t&m pay.
F i n a l l y he and
Aunt Annie bought out the other teirs, and she made i t ^ r hcaa as long as she
lived.
I rsEsiaber Uncle fiioch was f u l l of fun arai loved to play Jokes on others.
Aunt Annie was tetj^ieramntal, as we say today, but ha would la\agh a t hsr wl^n
aha waa out of sorts and briag her aroujid. He Hked to tease Uncle Moses m&
trould t o l l his Wiat he couldn't count.
"Yes I can," Unci© Moses would reply.
"Then count t!ie bundles of hay," Uncle iinoch would say, asid IMcle loses would
throw th«n down froia the hay nm
sayinij, "lare*8 one, here's another, hare's
one, hare'a anothar,^ u n t i l a l l were account*^ f o r .
Aunt Aimi® died i n Dooeobar, 1895.
I n 18S3 she soM the old houa® and i t
was moved to a now location on Bunker Street where i t s t i l l stands. She b u i l t
a tiTO-story, hip-roof liousa and stable a « raade her h t ^ there. She l o f t the
ri
place to her nephew, George W. Stom, who sold i t to the late Elror Thayer.
Mr.
Thayer enlarged i t and i t i a now the show place of the team.
Tho village grew rapidly i n the »7es and 'BOs, mi
of tha fans for building lots.
Aunt Mni© sold off aoat
By t h i s neans she acquired a cosifortabla sua,
about ten or twelve thousard dollars i n a l l , artd gained tha reputation ammg the
townapeoplo of beiiig wealthy, a reputation stie greatly anjoyad.
In her younger dapt she did t>ie wori: that f e l l to tam wosea, milking, butter*
�- 10 -
Baking and -mm a noted cook. One of h»r fin© quaHtlaa waa har loyalty to
har frianda and thara was mora than one inatajice of her standing by woEaea
who were In trouble and helping thaa ^ t on their feet again.
SLendar and erect with a decisive luaaner, lier nieces and nephew often
^ouj^ht that she was too severe wl'yi thm
but, as one of har sisters-in-Iaar
aaid, Annie arid Ellen (Dr. Ilam's vdfe) i^ight q u m ^ l betwe^ themrelves b«rt
i f trouble touchod any om of the fajaily they prasentad an unbroken front to
tha world.
�m m
mi
Abnar tos, tfm oldeaft son, ism horn i n 1815>.'' 'fk was a«sod for h i s
unclG Abnor Haft, WJMK he i s said to !mve resoabled, being rather ^ l o r t , with
daep set ayes. As a boy he was serious and particular to do things right. I t
vas ha who looked after his IMole Ptoses Em
cared for at his brother Thotaas's,
whea hs found that he was not w e l l
Ife took him to the fasiily hocte and there h»
llvBd until his daath.
Abner was eager for an eduoati<m but ha was not sent away from hc!»a as
younger cJiildrsn were, probably because he was old enough to bo a halp there.
Ha want to Strafford Acadee^ i a a noar-by t<ani and f r o s there to Bo«doin Collega
whara he graduated i n 1844,
During h i s college course he stayed out a year to
aam money to continue h i s studios, teacMng i n Strafford Acadea^, He finished
hia medical eouiwe at Hew XoHc University i a law fork City I n 1947,
Ho practiced aedicin® i n Ffersdngton, Dover afid Boston, md
tl»en bought a
drui^tore i n Carabrldge, Mass., wMch ho carried on a few years. I reaaasber h i a
there as wo llv&d mex
by, and I often wi@ait to the stos^.
chlldron for, so f a r as 1 can r&msAmr,
Ha aust have l i k s d
im was never i i ^ t l e n t with
childish
curiosity. He taught h i s niece I^uiso to walk.
After the C i v i l War to, l i k e wany othears, tteught the South offered groat
opportunities md
h® went to South Carolina to raisid cotton.
contracted mlignant fever aiKi died tinor© i n 1866.
Unfortunately he
I ranaai^r our driving
to
Fftraington when I was a ohild and think i t »ust h a v e b e e n at the tiae the mtm
hia death had been received, for the soene i s clear i a agr »eaory. Qr^iKfeiother
and Aunt Annie were standing i n iJm big bam
door and wmn
Uncle Ben got out of
the carriage Orancteothor throw herself i n h i s arms and wept.
Abner aarrlad KUen Pollard of Great F a l l * , M. H,, l a
&m
child,
Charlaa Abner, lived to grow up, tlie others tlyiag l a infancy. Awit I H e n lived
until 1908, a stately woraan who must have been handsaw i n youth.
of
�Charles was the ^jpl© of Imr eye, as he was of hia Amt Annie's, f o r
was the cmly one to bear the nam of lim. lie was brou#it up i a the expectation of baing Ms aunt's heir.
He jpraduated froa Harvard i a 1873 (1) but
vardT foiJOd any work thereafter which Im cared to do. I t waa, however, tiarough
his sfforts ttaat the pension was secured f o r h i s grandHother,
Bs died of titerculosis i n 1B32.
Aft<sr hia deatli his m>tiier l i v e d i n B(Miton mioh of the t i a e ,
Xt i s wm
of tha fsaily stories that she often read iqp mi scaae st^Ject i n the eai^c0.opsdia to as to have 8<«i©thiiig to talk about a t the boarding-house table. She
was quite deaf, altliou# sho wo-old not adadt i t , and one day startled ev&zytam
at tha table by bx^akiag i n to tl» ooiiverwatioa w|th the questicasi to her r i g l i t hand nai^dsor as to wlmt he thou^t of 8a?)oleon»8 treatment of J o s ^ h i n e , the
reply ia not riscord^, Ariotliwr tiae she was paovsd with her niece Louise and
tittraafter aJbr&ya spoke of her as Mrs, 0, Jmes.
�- X3 -
smm mm
Susan and Charlos wmt to Gorhaa, H. H,, and frcas there to Lovell,
Kaine, to stay with their uncle, Charles Pray,
He got thrnn into the Wood
faaily of that town, wall-to-do coiaitry people, tho f a a i l y consisting of
father, mother afid three bachelor sons.
for coE^any and to educate, JmiMi
They want^ a young boy and g i r l
V/ood, one of the sor^s, sent thea to
achool and afterward aarried Susan, laho vm
aa s» was.
ia
coiuiidered to be very fortunate,
She was tlm best looking of tl*e three g i r l s and was very yotaig
whan aba was aarried. She arai Iter husband had no children but Umiy adopted
a little g i r l , Mary Abbie.
Vlaits to Ltwsll b"- other meimrB
of tiiB family ware rod l e t t e r events,
and ware usually accos^jlished by horse atai buggy oac horse and sleigti. A wm"
orabla trip to &usan*s waaa laade by her brother B e n j a i ^ and his wife i n tha
winter by horse and sleijih f r o s Farraiiigton, 7ln ride to Lovell was delightful
thou^ cold, but idiile tliey were ttere the snow waited and the hoswmrard t r i p
over patches of snow was nsver forgotten.
Susan died i n 1355 j u s t before tlua b i r t h of the niece who was naaed for
har, Susan Wood Stone. Sie had j u s t had tlte parlor and s i t t i n g rotm aadto into
one roaa and had bought new furniture i n Boston, fhe f i r s t t i m the roo« was
uaed was for her fiawral,
A latter fro@ Aunt Susan, whidi i s appended, shows her affocticoi for h&e
faoiily.
�Letter to AbiKsr Hm
trm
h i s S i s t e r Susan (Ham) Wood
Lovell, m,.
Doc, 17, 1842
Dsar Brother
I rec'd your very kind l e t t e r a few d.vB since and was
h^py to hear frc« you after so Img
silence.
I could not iaagine
Mihy you did not write or send a paper i f your t i m was so amch eraployed that you could not write tmlaas you Ixad quite forgotten ma.
However I w i l l not censure you too severely as X aat i ^ t to be negligent nyself.
But ths tlraa sec^sts long since I have seen or l:^ard froa
you.
You say you have tlie prospect of passing the winter pleasantly
in B. (fflust be Boston) and niost sincerely do I hope i t w i l l p r o v e so.
lou have not a friond on earth Dear Brotliar tiiat rejoices EK>re i n
your prosperity axul happiness thaa I do.
Perhaps you w i l l say that
I aa a l i t t l e s e l f i s h because your prosiMCts are now f l a t t e r i n g .
am proud to own you as
terothar
I
and so I acknowledge I am, but s t i l l
a sistar'a affection for ^ brot'ier i s deep and impounding l e t h i s earver
through l i f o be what i t my,
especially when site sees h i a walking i a
the paths of honor and v i r t u s .
lou would l i k o to know I s\;Q)|}ose where Charles i s t h i s wifiterj
as you say you oould not get a school f o r h i a i i i B.
Us l e f t here a
*Bak ago today for Faroingtoa to teach school there. I do not know
idiat d i s t r i c t i t i s . Be has 10 or 12 dollars a month, I m
not sure
vhichj the teachers at CoirMay tcdd hlA that i f ha would continue going to school there t i l l next f a l l lie cotild tlien enter college a ysar
in advance. He has been very studious and made rapid iB^jrovesent, or
al least so h i s teacher says, I s h a l l eocpeot liim here again as soon
�&8 his school closas, I rocoived a l a t t o r frcaa Mary Arm a few days since j
hsr health i s very poor thoug^i am&
better tiian i t was i n the ammssr.
She has baen to Portsmouth to t r y the effect of the s a l t water, thinks
i t was a boiwfit to ter. Abby Ims had a chance to take a school t h i s
winter but thinks i t w i l l be better for IMV to go to school titan to
teach. Mary wrote that Benja i a keeping school i n Dover and report
aays h© i s paying his addrosses to a young lady by tlie name of Bacon
but I do not believe om
word of i t , or to say the least X hope i t i s
not 80, ha i s quite too young $»% to think of laarrylng*
I such rather
bear that he intended to enter college with Charles which I t r y to perauade ayself i s the case.
You oak i f JR>U aay expect to see n» at B. (Boston?) t h i s winter.
I Buat aay no, I hardly think I sliould dare venture so f a r froa horn
thia bitter cold weather. But I hope to see you here as 80<m as you
graduate and you nuat not disippoint me.
I "^dtnk of going to F a j r a i i ^
ton cm a v i s i t i n tha course of t l u ^ or four weeks, wish i t were
poasibla for m
to see you there.
I do not know as I have anything to write that would bo interesting to you.
Things go m. much as tisey did l a s t suiaaer. Charles Pray's
wife is yet l i v i n g and 71m has laovod to C(»sray. You say you have often
thought of the pleasant rides you had with Josiah, I hope you have not
forgotten the one you took with
to Cliathaa, that was a pleasant ride
Indeed.
I t i s growing l a t a and I sust close j l o t m
hear froa you often.
Sand m a pa,p%r I f you oamiot write but at a U events l e t m
you very often.
iiKcuae a l l adstaires as tlsis i s written i n a htirry.
Your affectiojmto s i s t e r
Susan
hear froa
�(Qeorg© W. StiXKj) the l e t t e r I hav< waa copied by Father from the
original and on the back page i a t h i a note by Mother.
Wednesday evening.
lour father has copied tho l e t t e r already
santioned i n sine. The original I twant to keep for i t shows the aiarks
of ags. I t i s f a ^ d and the writing not very distinct now, dated, your
Father says as near as he can make out, i n 1642.
I s l i a l l send your
Aunt laiwi's lettor also as you w i l l be glad to know that Dr. lenard
W o , widely known i n his day, was Prosidont of the college during
od
your Uncle Dr's. course.
I hM
latter was sealed with wax,
f o r g o t t ^ to say that your Aunt Susan's
Envelopes not being used at that t i s e . I t
ms craassqiBBntly torn and your Father f i l l e d i n the aissing words as
beat ha could.
This Kiorning b r o u ^ t ths baby's piettires.
Please t e l l
the young aan i t i s the f i n e s t Valentino we ever received. I s n ' t he
a darling?
He i s »©• w e a t I long to take him tn ay arms. We are
delightewi with ths pictxxros. lie lo<&s so wise mid so good.
aH
Tell
Martha h®r picture i s aa good as i t can be and we are a U glad to have
her with the baby. Of course she w i l l talto good care of i t .
Vary lovingly your Mother
P. S. by George W. Stone. Tha B- I questioned as "Boston" aust be
^Brunswick" wliere Bowdoin college i o .
Hartha was our colored aaid ami nirrso and the baby was Bradford.
��Bonjarain IVanklin, ths s®comi son, was born July 3, 1823.
As a baby
he had rickets and Qrandaotlajr ocnsuLted a doctor who advised the follofidng
troatnentt A tvb of water was drsnn from the w e l l at night and allowsd to
•tand outdoors.
I n the nomiag th® baby was taken fro® h i s warm bed axid
plunged in %\m cold water.
Of course he shrieked but after being wra|^>ed
in a blanket and put to bad again he would go to sleep, ttoe treatiaci^ was
afficacioua, i f heroic, for as a young aan he was quite an athlete.
Whan he wm eigtit years old he tmnt to l i v e with his uncle, Bonjttln
Pray, in 03si|Wie and worked f o r h i s board mx& clothes. He never forgot the
drudgery of hooing potatoes on Ctesipee Mountain. Ho lived at home very l i t t l e
after that for when he was thirteen he went to Ilatick, Mass., as an apprentice
with Stephen Hayes to loam shoroakLng and receive a certain amount of schooling. He worked f o r Hayes a year and by working over tlssae lie earmd eiasugh to
buy his tise.
fhe lainister i n Matlck, Hev. E l l a s liaMm, was Interested i n ths
young nan of the town and loamKi thaa bo^s.
Benjaiain always apck9 gratefully
of lilr. Nason and said he owed liio love of Shakespeare to liim.
Another yoxmg
Ban froo Farsingtcsi oaoe to Matick at that t i s e , Henry Wilson, who was v i c e praaident with Grant.
A debating dub rem £ovmd
by a grotg? of the young laen,
which gav® thaa a good training.
Benjamin F. must have boon a good scholar for wlien ha was i n the d i s t r i c t
school tha teacher offered a prise to the pupil who would coasdt l i M l e y
Hurray's gramar to heart, fib did so and raoeivod a copy of tha hated book
aa the prize.
In IMS ha aarried Catherine Eingabury Bacon of Jlatdck, daughter of John
and Lucy (Sawin) Bacon. 3i9 was a aost attractive young woman, of lovely charleter, always a hel|%mte. Thay had one child who died i n infancy. Sotm a f t e r
their marriagG they went to MUlbury, Mass., to l i v e where Benjaialn and Charles,
hia younger brother, establiabad a store. This waa not a success and BenJ^da
�l&d his wife rotiirnsd to ths Bacon bom
i n Ha t i c k .
Ha taught school and
studiod lasr i n tha offico of
After being adaittad to the Bar he practiced i n Hatick i n partiwrship
with E. F. Dewing. During ^ s period he was able to build a coafortable
hmiis on Walnut I t t l l i a Matick. I n the late «50s i» was elected Clerk of
Courts of Middlesex County, an offico irtiich he held for ten years or mora
mtil inci^asixig deafness c c ^ l l e d hira to resign. At that Um
last Cambrid^ to l i v e to be mar
he went to
the Court House | while i t i s doubtful i f
hi was d^ply versed i n the law he grasped a legsQ. question quickly and took
the ateps that semed necessary for a solution. After the close of th» C i v i l
far ba axvA Mr. Dewi;^ aoqaismd a sugar plantation i n Louisiana and t r i e d
augar a«king but i t was not successful. I n his l a t e r years he dealt i n
raal estat® i n a saaH way.
lie died i n
18P3.
For many yeans Benjastln was tlm aainstay of the ottier ausabers of the
family for halp i n t i s e of ^ u b l e , eitoar hy advice of finaxieial help.
He
had an alert miM and a good amory. ile read widely and had the habit of
reading aloud to t « faudl;,'' anything that interosted hia. As h i s foster
ha
efaild I have reason to be very grateftil to him for guiding my readiixg. Uy
gratitude i s greater now that wiwn I was a child for then Macaulay's history
of Ji^gland did not interest m» m a r l y so sauch aa the **Frud^'' hooke, buct under
hia watchfTol eye I read Macaulay. Ho lite»d to select passages fro® Webster's
araticBis for m
to speak i n school on Friday afternoons.
M(m$
othor books he
raad alo'jd were Irving »s L i f e of Washington, h i s K^okerl>ocker Jtistory of Wtm
York and Kane's Arctic iaqploratioaB.
Deafnoss clouded his l&tcr years md there were than noiBof tha hearing
aide that aako t h i s a f f l i c t i o n l»arable now. Although he did not always r e aliaa i t , his wife was h i s guidinig star, always loyal atid patient.
Ik! travelled a good deal, aakins ^ sisaer t r i p fo Labrador i n 1864, I t
la interesting to rustethat t!>e conditioxis of l i f e for the fisherssn had not
�changed when Dr. Qrenfell began h i s work there so long afterwards.
went to California i n 1866 going to the isttous of Panaaa
it by r a i l and mbarking m the west side for San Francisco.
He
water, crossing
This t r i p was
partly on business and partly to search for soae traoe of his brother Charles,
w o had not been heard from for years, but no trace was found. His return
h
trip was made overland by stage to the point where the transcontinental r a i l road was met.
The N a t i c k
Gobbler
One of the L i b e r t y s h i p s under c o n s t r u c t i o n a t South
Portland i s to be named f o r the V i c e - P r e s i d e n t
of the U n i t e d
States whom New Hampshire and M a s s a c h u s e t t s both may c l a i m ,
the one as a n a t i v e , the other a s an adopted son.
Wilson's l i t t l e
Henry
shoe shop stands i n N a t i c k as a memorial to the
cobbler who came a f o o t from New Hampshire w i t h h a r d l y , a penny
in his pocket but w i t h r a r e a s s e t s of c h a r a c t e r .
liis
industry
Wits phenomenal, h i s ambition unbounded and i i i s courage e q u a l l y
remarkable.
From the Boston H e r a l d
- 1942
��- 20 -
CHARLES mm
Charles, tt» youngest son, and his s i s t e r Qmm
went to Lovell, llaiiiQ,
to live witJi their micle, Ciiarles Pray. He e a ^ l e t a d h i s education i a Vm
acadffly at W&rih Coraifay, Si»an urged hia to go to college hut he did not do
80. H taught d i s t r i c t school i n Farsingtoa for sciaa time f o r $10 or i l 2 a
e
•onth.
"1^"^
,
Soaetia© i n the li-ite »4Q6 he and Beajasin went to m i i h u r y , Mass., awl
o e o a goiisral store but tho vanture was not saccossful and he decided to
pnd
seek his fortune i n Califorriia.
lie waa urged to go h(M& mxA see h i s mother
and sisters before leaving but he refxised to f o r ho said he oould not withstand
M6 Bother's pleading and i»naie»s and Abbie's tears. When nim found that he
.
cotdd not b© persuaded to do t h i s , his sister-in-law with ths fine Christian
p!ulo8(^i:y she always Iiad t r i e d to sake h i s l a s t days with than as pleasant as
poasibla.
He sailed aroiaid tha Worn, and was nine months i a reaching San Praaciseo.
Several lettars ware received f r m h i s aiiid i n each he ^mgilsiimd of not l^aring
rron hoaa, l a the l a s t one i ® said he was going to sose ffldnss worked hy Haadi
cans aiKi spoko of a doctor as being a good friend. After l e t t e r s fr«M Ida stopp d coEdnc; his aiater ilbigaH ; ^ t fr«xs ths Parmingtcffi post office a l i s t of a l l
o
the post off lets i n C a l i fomia and wrot« to each but never received replies.
Other efforts to trace hl» f a i l e d and >m was one of the mjay gold seekers whose
dlsappearariQe iwa&'i,iaiver solved.
��miQiOL
Abigail Bm, tha yomg&at
nm
of the faRiily, waa bom three months after
hsr father's death, March 1, 1026,
Whan she was old enough to go to school th& other children were either
thro>i#i the d i s t r i c t school or a t school away froa hOEe so she had to take the
aile-long walk alone.
She knew that her a o t l ^ r had hard work to oaks ends steet
and that she was worried about getting t l ^ Koney to pay taxes. The l i t t l e
day^-
ter asked her what taxes were and after her mother explained l i t t l e Abigail
said, " I ' l l watch mid when I see th^ tax Bian oming I ' l l drive the cows and
horses across to the big |)afltura and ha won't Know we have any."
After she was througli tlio d i s t r i c t school slie went to the acactey a t
Cliiaaaton for a year and then taxight i n Imr native town.
She was a great
help at home, being a w i l l i n g worker, and ter s i s t e r Annie discouraged any
attaint to go away J»» teach.
Aunt Annie often took boarders, yoimg m&n wliO worked i n tho v i l l a g e ,
mm
the railroad from Itover to Altcw Bay was b u i l t she took as a boarder a
young c i v i l engtnesr, Stephen W. Stone, not thinking that he wotild carry off
hsr s i s t e r .
The young people becam w e l l acquainted and the frierKiship ripened into
aarriage.
When the railroad was finished a party of townspeople went to Alton
and then over ti» lak» and t h i s was the f i r s t %ijm that Fathor took Mother out.
The young engineer now went out to Ohio (t!Mjn the f a r west) and continued
his railroad work. Ths engagaarant lasted two yo&rs and then he cam back to
be auarried.
The date was set but he was delayed i n jetting back and he stopped
in Boston to order a wedding s u i t .
T ^ n he stiached Fanaington he fotsid tl»
fatally were assffiabled and sorae of 1Aym could wait no longer so the wedding took
place the next day, Sunday, June 4, 1854, but h i s new s u i t was not ready,
for their wedding journey, which was takon * i t h Uncle Knoch's iiorse and
chaise, they v i s i t e d the groom's brothers, Thc^as and Charlos, i n Maine. When
�- 22-
tte golden wedding was celebrated i n 1904 one of tha nieces, Mary Stone
Stearns, wrote to thea t e l l i i i g theia ^ a t an ispression t h e i r v i s i t made on
her, ti^on a l i t t l e g i r l .
After the marriage FatSior rotximed to tftiio, bat as he was not stirs
itmj^ he would be located his bride did not go with him.
As soon as he was
•atablishod he sent f o r her with exj>licit instructions as to where they would
seat. She travelled west with Moaes Baoon ami wife ami Mr. and Mrs. Jennings
1 ^ had j u s t been auu'ried and were going to Cliicago. There i s a story i n ths
B c » family that iiliaiaboth (Bac<m) Jennings was ver^'" loath to leave home aM
a(3
wpt copiously, even a f t e r raacliing tiw railroad station.
F i n a l l y her older
brotoer aaid to har, "As you f e e l so badly about going you mod not do so, but
stay here." Whersupon she stopped crying aru! said indignantly, "Of coarse I'm
^ing.«
The f i r s t day's journey waa to Albany whore tlm night waa passed. Ths
next day thay reached Cleveland where Mother l e f t her frieiKls and went to Goluabus, expecting to meet har husband. He had again boon delayed and was not a t the
train or at the hotel, nor ima there any word f row him.
She told tne hotel clerk
teat she aust g^t to ChillieotJia for she was sure her husband waa s i c k .
The clerk
advised her to go by packet boat and got a stateroom f o r her. About an hour a f t e r
aha l e f t Father arrived, learned wlmt had happened aini hired a horse and driver.
By driving a l l n i ^ t , chaiigiiig horses as he went, he arrived i n Chillicothe i n
iim to meet har aa she stepped off t l ^ boat.
He uaed to t e l l his children that
that waa tho t i s e th&lr motlier t r i e d to run away f rcaa h i a .
The aarried l i f e of Stephen and Abigail was a happy one.
dren, two of #iaa died i n infiincy, Mary and Prank.
They had s i x c h i l -
The ot^ier children were -
Susan Ibod Stone, bom October 2, 1055| Louise iVances, Bom OctoberlS, lS59i
totharins Ham, bom fJovei^r 12, 1660 and George 'Winchester, bom Deosnber 3, 166S.
Most of t h s i r aarriod l i f e was spent in s o t ^ e m CMo, with a b r i e f interlude
i » they cam© back to Massachusetts, and another when they l i v e d i n Crawfordsvillo,
ia
�- 23 -
Indiana. QrandisotJrser and Aunt Annla thought I t was not safa or right f o r
Abigail to go so f a r away froa horn to IXm
letters.
and t h i s was the burden of t h a i r
So tho jreturn to MaaMMehusetts was made ahosit 1856, whan Father went
into tha glue business with h i s bc^ood friend, Noel Woodward, of Sawtoa,
fhis
wnture was a f a i l u r e and father l e f t h i s l i t t l e fa»dly i n iswtoa while he r s tiarned to <3hio to re-establish hlEisalf.
llother had her fourth child, Katharine,
in Soraaber, 1660, soon after Iwr husband l e f t and, am winter was cosing on, her
brother Benjaain, then l i v i n g i n Caabrldge, took the whole f a a l l j to h i s hens
a ^ r s tiiey staysKi a yaw*, u n t i l Father iiad a now ham
time to s t a r t for OMo,
f o r thaHS. Whoa i t was
her brother and h i s wife, whose 5Kily child died i a i n -
fancy, had beocxae attached to the baby and wanted to keep her. Mother found i t
ifflpossiblo to withstand her brother's pleas and f i n a l l y consented, so that l i t t l e
Katharine beoame the foster d a u ^ t e r of her uncle and aunt.
Whan tha faiaily was re-united i n GMo
the hoae was established i n the ehana-
ing old town of Marietta, the f i r s t penaanwit M t t l m a n t i n the lorthwsst T e r r i tory, and here l i t t l o firank and Qeorge were bom.
The children have always lodced
back on the l i f e aiKi the friends there w l ^ deep affection.
I n 1070 QrandBothar Ham ajid Aunt Ajmie made their f i r s t v i s i t to cM.0, a
great event i a their l i v e s .
Thay want to iiarietta and as t!io family was about
to move to GrawfordsviJJL®, Indiana, went with them. Father was to build a r a i l road frm
Logaasport to Rockville but i t was found i^H>ssible to raise the as<^ss-
ary funds for t h i s project and a t the STHI of tiiree years i t was abandoned.
Timn
Father becawe road-«aster of ttia rtjad he Jiad formerly woiiced on, the old Marietta
aiitd Cincinnati Road, which afterward was taken ovar by the Baltimore and Ohio
as the Baltiiaore and cMo SouthRestom.
lis had charge of the roadbed and a l l ths
feridgss on the 26o wile stretch and held i t wxtil hie retiraBsent l a 1S96 or 9 7 .
Wrni the fOTlly ret'-imed to Ohio i a 1873, tim ham
was established i n ths
suburb of MadisonviUe, a t that tlate a clvarning l i t t l e country v i l l a g e .
Here a
liouss was b u i l t on Colunbia Avenue, now called E r i e Avenue, about a quarter of
�- 24 -
a a l i a fros tho railroad s t a t l o ^ v h l c h was tha f a n i l y h<xae as lootf as Father
lived.
He believed i n stibstantial ossuitrtfiStim and carried oat h i s bidlef I n
t h i s house. Susie ustwl to say that a railroad engine could be run t h r o u ^ i t
without jarring i t .
Much of the tlsie Father had fro« 1,606 to 2,000 mm at woi:^ sad thsy wer«
very I t ^ a l to hl» so he had no labor troubles to contend with, tim mm, aost of
whoa Uv^d i n the country, shosed t h a i r feeling f o r him b r 8»i»dii»i 0UUKrous g i f t s
of the produce of th«ilr gardons and poultry yaxxis.
At one tliae an ioportaiitt piece of road work was not going on as w s U as i t
should and i n v ^ t i g a t i o n ehom^ timt
of the sien had a kag of wMidcsy i n h i s
•h&ek. Wttbmit saying ar^fthirig Fathor got an officer i n plain olotliM to go
throtish tha mllroad ump with hira and sure enougj^i, i n Toa SJslly's shack ths
keg was found. Wlusn tm was oxtered to r o l l t)ie keg out, 2lrs. K e l l ^ ««dMd an
axe lying mar
and swinging i t around her head threatened vanij^anoe on aqgrwa*
who touchsd thB keg.
Father and the o f f i c e r waited t i l l she ealiafld dtma a l i t t l e
and than Fathor took the axe asri^ frcm her a^id ordered Tom to r o l l the keg outside which he did. I'ith s o i ^ well-directed blows t\m head was knocked i n and the
whiskey ran out on the prouid. The other mn lodced on but did not interfere
and there was no fartiier trouble.
Xears after h i s retirwaent Father tock a t r i p east and as he was to pass
through ChlHloothe where one of }iis fomer iormmn
lived he wrote asking; the
aaa to meet him at tfm t r a i n as tie would l i k e to sea hSia again. Vvhen he steppsd
off tiM! t r a i n at Chillicothe not only was his foreman there but a group of asn
who had forsterly worked for liia who also wauited to greet MM,
Father was vary quiet but with r e a l force iif charactar and no one oould have
bMm a better mate f o r llother who was rather joerwus and high stnmg, f u l l of
siHtrgy aad aabition.
She waa generous i n her estimate of her friends, did not
gossip about thsB mvi i n return W(m their warn affecttion.
She w»s dtovoted to
har f a a i l y snd asibitious for her ohildren tltat tluiy have a good education and
�- 25 -
take their plaeea i n the world.
She was a good aanagfar, what old-fash-
ioned people callad prudent, a good heljjsato f o r hor husbarsd.
Hiere i o one ©ore ajiocdote of Fattier wl^iioh i s worth recording. Msen
Louise was quite young the pot dog snapped at h i a when ha t r i a d to pat h i a .
Father gave tlw dog a hard blow with a stick ami i t frightened Loxiise who
ran upstairs to her rosaa, t h r w horself cm tha bad and cried.
Soon Father
esM and sat down beside her bed, sayixig as he did so, "Louise, I hare a l ways had a violent t ^ ^ r ami as a young ctan I realiaed that i f I did not
caoquer i t , i t would conquer ae, and I havo aado every e f f o r t to restrain
it."
The grandc^iildrcBi, both H U l s ' mid Joma *, had the good f<»*tune to
tarjow their grandparents w e l l for they a l l spent tmoh tia® under the hospitable roof of the Madisonville Iwm,
For thMi there must be jaaxgr Jtappy
aSffiorias of these unassiuinii; and geniiine people. As the ysars go cm they
i d . l l tova a l^etter understanding, a clearer perspective of ttiose sturdy,
genuine pec^le from whoes they are proud to be dascetuied.
�- 26 mm
(1) W i l l l m fitos cam fros ISaglam!|
gnuitod land I n Fortmonth i n
1646, tarn callod Freaoan'e Point; woiit fjraa iaoaitor to
PortMotjth in 1646,
f i l f s ' s oother wae llaiy lfe|)lot of Loadai.
(2) Had 9m
latthowj aarriod.
Ilad smm
Jokm (3) and Thtaaaa ( 3 )
(3) J<*« sattlod i n SewiricttHi and mrr^-od Judi.th Piteiian.
(4)
JIad 8«n Jtrfin ( 4 ) , J r . , mid others. Ha was oiir groatgrandfathor.
(5) Thoaaa, graifidfathor of John TwdKbly.
X
l^^^-^ y
(5) JowKdi, h i s desoandants went to viakofiold.
>
Col, J<wo|>h a a r c h ^ to Por^saoiith with a cc^5)an2r of
soldiers i n ?larOh, 10 6 2.
(5) iUbnor
v' *
r>
j
^
(5) Eenjanifl, our grandfathori m r r i t ^ Abigail Fray of Lebanon, Mains. I'^&TV^ 1
7
(5) loses (acjn-ccepos,,:
(5) Hary
~
(5) Sarah {mvir
^
aarried)
/
J
(6) A b i p d l
(7) Katharine
m n a a Ha®*© will i a gstetor
«
John I t o ' s w i l l i a iss^tor
Sttooeeding gonorati<^ i n Strafford County, Dover.
�- 27 Tito Praja of Lsbaaon, Main®
Abigail Pray saarrisd Benjasain Has^of Fawsii^on, H. H.
She waa the daughter of
Brothers and S i s t e r s worej
Abraham (eldest)
John, father of Mrs. Ihitter
Boajaain, of Ossipee
Hathaniel, father of Mrs. Weber
i d a i l (youngest)
iiu«
Charles
Joshua, fatoer of Williaa Pray, of iJatick
Ann
Mary, laarried
Feavey
Susan, aarried
^ r e s
llehitable, aarried
Piorco
The aiother of this f m i l y was a itbby before she married a Mr, Pragr,
aad she m r r i e d a seoond tiw», a
Hayes, of Faradngton, N, H,
0raat-grandj3other Hayas was over ninety yeax* old wh«a she died.
��-28-
R e c o l l e o t i o n B of the Old EoiAe a t F a n a i n g t o n , K. H«
I rememher the o l d p l a c e a t F a m i n g t o n
and j u s t how
i t looked when I was a c h i l d .
rery d i s t i n c t l y
The one s t o r y
house,
painted w h i t e , f a c e d tne s o u t h and had the end toward the s t r e e t *
I t was b u i l t I t h i n k , i n 1829 when mother was t h r e e y e a r s o l d .
Her f a t h e r had intended b u i l d i n g a new house but d i e d w i t h o u t doing
80, and Grandmother b u i l t it»
l l o t h e r can remember when i t was
feuilt.
I have heard mother t e l l of the l i v i n g room i n which waa the b i g
f i r e p l a c e , where the cooking was done, around which the f a m i l y g a t h e r e d
in tha evening.
A t one time the baking was done i n the b r i c k oven,
which was heated once a week, and f i l l e d w i t h brown b r e a d , beans,
pies &c«
They a l w a y s had enough to e a t and c l o t h e s to keep them
warm, though not v e r y f i n e ones.
Grandmother b e i n g l e f t a widow
with s i x l i t t l e c h i l d r e n , had r a t h e r a hard time.
out the farm or h i r e i t worked.
She had to r e n t
They a l l worked h a r d , but mother
seems to have p l e a s a n t memories of h e r c h i l d h o o d .
B e i n g the
youneieat, born a f t e r her f a t h e r d i e d , she probably d i d not f e e l
t h e i r p o v e r t y and the h a r d s h i p s BO k e e n l y as the o l d e r ones.
Grandmother had a loom and wove much of t h e i r c l o t h i n g and
hold s t u f f , but I do not know where the loom was kept*
house-
Mother used
to make p l a y houses over i n the p a s t u r e , and keep house w i t h r a g
d o l l s and d i s h e s made out of a c o r r i s .
They walked a i n i l e to
school through the deepest snows i n w i n t e r , and the boys i n the
school had to take t u r n s a c t i n g a s j a n i t o r going e a r l y enough t o
make the f i r e so t h a t the room would be warm when the t e a c h e r
arrived.
When one of mother's b r o t h e r s , Uncle Doctor or Uncle
C h a r l e s j W - s j a n i t o r he took g r e a t p r i d s i n doin^; h i s work w e l l
c.
�-292
g e t t i n g up T s r y e a r l y I n the c o l d w i n t e r morninga, so aa to have
a good f i r e and
the s c h o o l house n i c e l y swept 'before s c h o o l
Mother waa
a cough.
r a t h e r a d e l i c a t e c h i l d and was
As consumption was
the scourge of Hew
thought t h a t she was going i n t o a'^decline" and
the neiejhbors ccwuing i n and
ing
troubled
and
she can remember
t n l k i n i ; to Qrandmotner about h e r ,
he d e c i d e d
stomach, and a oourse of treatment
now 83 y e a r s
with
Sntsland, people
t h a t they d i d not t h i n k she would l i v 3 to j^row up.
a doctor was c o n s u l t e d
time.
say*
Finally
t h a t the ooUfc,h came from h e r
cured
i t entirely.
Mother i s
old.
I n l a t e r y e a r s the aouse was
changed somewhat| a p a r t
of the l i v i n g room was p a r t i t i o n e d o f f and
on the end n e x t the s t r e e t .
two
s m a l l bedrooms made
A d i n i n g room was added on the
side and an entrance made on the west s i d e , towards the
80 t h a t I a l w a y s c o n s i d e r e d
the south s i d e .
The
north
street,
t h a t tae f r o n t of the houae r a t h e r than
s o u t h door opened i n t o a s m a l l e n t r y , from
which the s t a i r s went up i n t o two u n f i n i s h e d rooms under the r o o f ,
one l a r g e r than the o t h e r .
These were a l w a y s used as s l e e p i n g rooms
and I have s l e p t up t h e r e many n i g h t s , and
deli^ihtful place.
atone, and a t one
of my
thought i t a v e r y
Outside the s o u t h door was
s i d e grew a l i l a c bush.
f a v o r i t e spots where I l o v e d to p l a y *
a broad f l a t door
T h i a door s t e p was
one
I n the p a r l o r , w h i c h
was f o r m e r l y the l i v i n g rcos*, atcod a huge s t o v e , c a l l e d a "Copenhagen*.
In t h i s room waa
card t a b l e .
a l s o the b i g s o f a covered w i t h h a i r c l o t h , and
the
The b i g c l o c k u s u a l l y stood i n the d i n i n g room, w h i l e
the o l d s e c r e t a r y was
an old f a s h i o n e d
i n the k i t c h e n .
chest-of drawers.
I n Aunt A n n i e ' s bedroom waa
J u s t below the h i l l
on the souuth
�fide of the house, was t h e a l J w e l l .
I rtawKlier the b i g barn and
the c a r r i a g e house, the barn y a r d and l a n e through which the COWB
were d r i v e n to the p a s t u r e i the garden and t h e woodpile behind t h e
house.
The brook t h a t flowed through the meadow was a g r e a t a t t r a c -
tion, i n i t we f i s h e d w i t h bent p i n s , and s a i l e d b o a t s .
On t h e h i l l
beyond was t h e f a m i l y b u r y i n g ground., fenced i n , where we gathered
checker b e r r i e s and w i n t e r g r e e n .
A t r i p to t h e b i g p a s t u r e a f t e r
the cows when they s t r a y e d away, o r to p i c k w i l d s t r a w b e r r i e s , was
quite an event, and to c r o s s the b i g brook on s t e p p i n g s t o n e s was
a f e a t not to be l i g h t l y undertaken.
Uncle Moses, my g r a n d f a t h e r ' s b r o t h e r , l i v e d a t t h e
old farm and I can remember him w e l l .
He was a good n a t u r e d , harm-
l e s s o l d man, n o t v e r y b r i g h t a s t o i n t e l l e c t , and I t h i n k he must
nave spent most of h i a time i n the woods p r e p a r i n g t h e f a m i l y f u e l ,
as I remember him coming home i n the evening w i t h h i e a x e on h i s
shoulder.
I don't know when he d i e d , and t h e r e i s no stone to h i s
memory i n the l o t i n the Farmington cemetery to which t h e bodies
were removed from t h e f a m i l y b u r y i n g ground.
mention
I must n o t f o r g e t t o
o l d K a t e , the f a i t h f u l h o r s e , whose l o s s was deplored when
she was s o l d .
The heavy work on t h e farm was done w i t h oxen, and
I used to l i k e to watch them h a u l i n ^ , stone on a " s l e d * ,
the v o i c e of t h e i r d r i v e r .
obeying
I t h i n k t h e i r names were Buck and B r i g h t .
In h a y i n g time my d e l i g h t was to r i d e to t h e barn on t h e l o a d o f
hay.
I a l s o helped t o c a r r y Jugs of w a t e r sweetened w i t h molasses
and|l»avored w i t h g i n g e r , f o r the men to d r i n k w h i l e h a y i n g .
the
00W8
Wh«n
were d r i v e n home a t n i g h t I l o v e d to go to t h e barn and
watch the p r o c e s s o f m i l k i n g , sometimes being a l l o w e d to take a
�-31band i n i t m y s e l f .
4
The h i g b a r n was a d e l i g h t f u l plaoe i n whioh
L p l a y , but we spent most of our time out of doors.
O
Aunt Annie
was a i^ood cook and her doughnuts, r y e pan oakee and o o l d I n d i a n
pudding, which she gave us f o r l u n c h e o n s , t a s t e d v e r y good.
I oan
remember t h a t she made cheese once, but t h a t was not much done i n
my time.
The cheese p r e s s was i n the c a r r i a g e house*
Grandmother
and Aunt Annie taught me to k n i t and would g i v e me a " s t i n s " aa
they c a l l e d i t , which seemed r a t h e r hard to me when I wanted to
play.
I had to k n i t a c e r t a i n number of rounds i n the l e g of a
Btooking.
Grandmother wa.s a g r e a t k n i t t e r and uaed to k n i t our
stockings f o r us when we were c h i l d r e n *
I remember h e r w i t h g r e a t
a f f e c t i o n and I have a l w a y s c o n s i d e r e d h e r a remaerkable woman.
According to the custom of tne times she r e t i r e d from a c t i v e
liie
when the o l d e s t daughter (Aunt A n n i e ) was m a r r i e d , and gave the housekeeping over to h e r *
A f t e r w a r d s Grandmother s a t i n the chimney
corner and k n i t , or helped w i t h the l i g h t e r p a r t of the work.
She
l i k e d to be employed, and would wash d i s h e s a s l o n g a s ehe was a b l e *
Her e y e s i g h t was v e r y poor i n l a t e r y e a r s , but she l o v e d to read
her B i b l e and would s i t and s i n g hymns i n a t r e m b l i n g o l d v o i c e *
For
some y e a r s she drew a p e n s i o n , a s my G r a n d f a t h e r had s e r v e d i n t h a
war of 1812.
She a l w a y s r e t a i n e d h e r membership i n the B a p t i s t
church of Farmington. She went to the farm when ahe was m a r r i e d i n
1817 and i t was her home f o r 66 y e a r s .
She was a widow f o r 58 y e a r s ,
and d i e d i n the o l d house a t the r i p e o l d age of 93.
She had many
sorrows, c h i e f of which being the death o f h e r youngest son, C h a r l e s ,
who went to C a l i f o r n i a i n the e a r l y 'bOs and n e v e r r e t u r n e d .
Nothing
was ever known of the manner of h i s d e a t h and i t must have been a
l i f e l o n g g r i e f to Grandmother*
August, 1909
Susan W.
Hills.
�R e c o l l e c t i o n s of the Old Home a t Farmington,
H.
Among my e a r l y r e c o l l e c t i o n s of Farmington i s t h a t of
the b i g red gate on which I l o v e d to c l i m b and watch the o c c a s i o n a l
passer by.
Another t a i n g I w e l l remember i s tne w i l d c h e r r y
tree a t the c o r n e r of the porch.
palatable f r u i t ,
I l o v e d to eat the sour, un-
stone and a l l and the o n l y reason I can see
why I d i d not have a p p e n d i c i t i s i s t h a t t h i s d i s e a s e was
not
known then to tne m e d i c a l w o r l d .
The broad stone step a t the south door was a f a v o r i t e
haunt of mine and I t h i n k I must have s a t t h e r e by the hour, so
p l a i n l y do I remember the view of the meadow, the v i l l a g e and the
h i l l s beyond.
I was a dreamy c h i l d and I t h i n k I spent many hours
when the other c h i l d r e n were p l a y i n g , i n musing and imagining impossible things.
One
of my e a r l y dreams was t h a t Uncle C h a r l e s
would come home from C a l i f o r n i a w i t h r i c h e s u n t o l d and we would a l l
l i v e happy ever a f t e r .
Another dream was t h a t I would one
day be a c i r c u s r i d e r , I had seen i n a c i r c u s parade a l i t t l e
l i g h t h a i r e d g i r l on a w h i t e pony, d r e s s e d i n a l i g h t b l u e r i d i n g
habit trimmed w i t h s i l v e r s t a r s and to be i n t h i s g i r l ' s p l a c e
was my day dream.
But t h i s i s hot of Farmington.
The woodpile back of t h e house was my p l a y house, here I
gathered c h i p s and stones and made my rooms and f u r n i t u r e .
barn was f u l l of wonderful p o s s i b i l i t i e s .
the
hay mow
The
To c l i m b to t h e top of
f i l l e d toe w i t h d e l i g h t and t e r r o r f o r I was so l i t t l e
that I had to be helped up and then came the f e a r t h a t I should
never get down u n l e s s I jumped.
Once C h a r l e y Ham
t o l d me
if I
would put a horse h a i r i n a b o t t l e of water i t would t u r n i n t o a
snake.
Of course 1 b e l i e v e d him and watched
the b o t t l e f o r days
�only to be d i s a p p o i n t e d ,
I remember when our baby b r o t h e r Prank was b u r i e d , t h a t
we walked from the house over the c a r t p a t h to the l i t t l e
family
grave y a r d , I t h i n k I a c t e d b a d l y on the way f o r f a t h e r took me
by the hand and I walked w i t h him and mother.
I know he looked
Tery s a d .
Behind the b u r y i n g ground was the p i n e woods where we
went to gather c h e c k e r b e r r i e s .
I n e v e r v e n t u r e d f a r i n t o t h e wood
for i t r a n down i n t o a h o l l o w and looked so dark and deep t h a t
I imagined w i l d a n i m a l s and even g i a n t s might l i v e i n i t s gloom
and shade.
Behind the barn was the b a r n y a r d and a l a n e l e d down t o
the p a s t u r e .
When the cows were d r i v e n i n t o the b a r n y a r d I used
to take a c e r t a i n f l o w e r e d cup and watch through t h e b a r s of t h e
fence t i l l Aunt Annie had f i n i s h e d m i l k i n g .
When she came out
she would f i l l my cup w i t h t h e warm m i l k and I would s i t down on
the ground and d r i n k i t .
The horse was Old K a t e and she had a
c o l t named Lady Washington.
little girl.
The c o l t was s o l d when I was a v e r y
Aunt Annie once drove to m i l l and took George and me.
We went v e r y e a r l y i n the morning and w h i l e on the. road I looked
at George and he was bare headed, h i s h a t had blown o f f , but he
was so happy t h a t he d i d n ' t c a r e and had not spoken of i t .
We
had to go back a l o n g d i s t a n c e to f i n d i t .
The brook was our g r e a t d e l i g h t .
C h a r l e y took me f i s h i n g
once and I promised Aunt Annie a f i s h d i n n e r , but a l a s , I t a l k e d
so much t h a t C h a r l e y went o f f ajid f i s h e d a l o n e f o r he s a i d t h a t
I would s c a r e the l i f e
out of any f i s h .
to g e t l o n e l y and then f r i g h t e n e d .
A f t e r he l..Hft I began
My hook was a bent p i n ajid
�-34-
5
ray l i n e a s t r i n g ; a f t e r a w h i l e I swung my l i n e around so t h a t
Waen
my hook caught i n the mouth of a h i g b u l l f r o g .
I
saw t h a t
frog swinging on ray l i n e and k i c k i n g w i t h a l l h i s might I almost
died of f r i g h t but l u c k i l y he k i c k e d l o o s e and s p l a s h e d i n t o the
water and I r a n home a s f a s t a s my s h o r t l e g s would c a r r y me.
When I v/as a v e r y l i t t l e g i r l Uncle Enoch used to g i v e rae h i s h a t
to hang up when he csune i n from the f i e l d .
When I took i t I would
often f i n d a g r a s s hopper i n i t and I guess I screamed
lustily
for g r a s s hoppers were one of the t e r r o r s of my young l i f e .
the
t a o l e I s a t b e s i d e Uncle Enoch.
At
My potato had to be mashed
and smoothed u n t i l i t was w i t h o u t uneveness or I thought I could
not e a t i t .
Uncle Enocn used to s a y t h a t he was going t o make a
machine to prepare my p o t a t o .
One day when we had cod f i s h w i t h
cream g r a v y and my p l a t e had been f i x e d to my s a t i s f a c t i o n , something drew my a t t e n t i o n away.
plate was empty.
When I was ready to e a t a g a i n my
Uncle Enoch had s l i p p e d the food on to h i s p l a t e .
He d i d t h i s not once but many t i m e s , Aunt Annie a l w a y s p r o t e s t i n g
and he w i t h h i s l o v e of a j o k e , doing i t a g a i n when occasion o f f e r e d .
I can j u s t remember when sheep were kept on the farm and
one ram was v e r y c r o s s .
One day when the sheep were d r i v e n
the
barnyard we a l l climbed up on the f e n c e to watch C h a r l e y
the
a n i m a l s up w i t h a s t i c k .
f i g h t to u s .
into
stir
I t was e x c i t i n g a s a S p a n i s h b u l l
Aunt Annie had a f l o c k of Ducks.
A hogshead was
sunk i n the y a r d and f i l l e d w i t h w a t e r f o r them.
We were
told
that we could take the ducks to the brook a f t e r the g r a s s i n the
meadow had been c u t .
C h a r l e y suggested t h a t we d r i v e them down
to show them where the brook was.
When the ducks came i n s i g h t
of r u n n i n g w a t e r they made t h e i r way to i t a s f a s t a s t h e i r s h o r t
�-35-
4
legs could c a r r y them and n e v e r a g a i n d i d they r e t u r n to t h e i r home
by the h a r n .
I n dismay a t what we had done we spent the morning
tramping up and down the hanks of the brook, t r e a d i n g down the long
grass, t r y i n g to d r i v e the ducks back to the b a r n , but w i t h no
success.
I do not t h i n k Aunt Annie s a i d much about i t tho' i t
was to save the g r a s s she had f o r b i d d e n our doing t h i s .
Once when
Charley took me over to the b i g brook he showed me how I could get
across by jumping from one stone to a n o t h e r .
out
He d i d i t v e r y e a s i l y
when I t r i e d I jumped i n and i n u t t e r contempt of a g i r l
he
pulled me out, shook me w e l l and s a t me up on a rock to d r y , going
off and l e a v i n g me.
One day some men came to the house and Aunt
Annie went out to the barn w i t h them.
then we knew Old K a t e was s o l d .
her
away.
They t a l k e d a long ti:rie and
T h a t n i g h t a man came and took
Anna d i d not e a t any supper but s t a y e d out i n the s t a l l
w i t h her head a g a i n s t Old K a t e ' s neck and c r i e d .
The meadow was most b e a u t i f u l to me and I remember how
the
green, v e l v e t y g r a s s c o n t r a s t e d w i t h the g r a y stone w a l l and
the
dark p i n e s i n the background.
wild s t r a w b e r r i e s here.
I n the e a r l y summer we g a t h e r e d
When the g r a s s was long and the wind blew
i t I imagined i t a green sea w i t h ever moving waves.
I n haying
tiiiie to p i t c h hay, to c a r r y some k i n d of a d r i n k to the men,
r i d e i n the hay wagon, was b l i s s beyond compare.
to
Once Aunt Annie
gave me a f o r k e d s t i c k to p i t c h hay w i t h and I was h u m i l i a t e d
deeply f o r a l l the o t h e r s had p i t c h f o r k s .
I t was i n v a i n she t o l d
me t h a t I would be l i k e l y to put out my eyes w i t h a f o r k , but when
one of the men
t o l d me I could work w i t h him I was s a t i s f i e d w i t h
my home made implement.
The y e a r of the duck epidode one of the men brought
�home a b e a u t i f u l duck b l e e d i n g from a c u t i n the s i d e .
I t had made
i t s n e s t i n the long g r a s s and the mower, not seein^, i t had c u t
into the n e s t ,
me s i c k .
The poor t h i n g was almost dead and the s i g h t made
I t h i n k my c o n s c i e n c e
t r o u b l e d me too f o r my p a r t i n d r i v -
ing them to the brook.
At church we used to stand d u r i n g the s i n g i n g , t u r n i n g ^
about to f a c e tne s i n g e r s a t the back of the church.
A g i r l whom
I knew, I t h i n k she was a Hayes, used to s i t i n the c h o i r w i t h h e r
s i s t e r and I e n v i e d h e r above a l l people f o r d u r i n g the sermon
she could walk about and not be seen.
L o u i s e Prances
1909
( S t o n e ) Jones
�-37-
pmmt
Mp OF iMi
K
M&saa Ham Fam
J«>8e|>h Bm
¥am
as f a r m Waldxtm
mil
milage Bmijm»B
District
Sold before Bas^^aads Kam's
death
fiaalteaa P l a ^
�-38TRAESCIIFT C? COURT RECORDS
Sarali Baa*© 9^1^
adteiisiatar^ llagr %% iBIf,-
;;a: iaa'a aatato a t e l i i i a t o i ^ Hay 19,
.;37
laitsid propartgr va2.«d a t S304.82.
Bwary «rttcl@ of hoa^liotM fuswitur® valtied, piaiaing free
&i0xt cmta to $2.2.50. f ^ t l i e i r l»ed» msis tha aost valtaabla.
ixmntory •sad© J«n»,
fl'ils li'sforsation ooplod frm rseords I n tho Frofcata CSourt
at
S. I I . , byfetttortri©It. Stow.
�-39-
Decambar 7, 1825 - Abigail Ham appointed administratrix of astata of
Benjaain Em,
Bond, 23*000. Suratiea, Thomas Ha»
and Joshua Pray.
Joseph Haa died i n 1825 i n Uonrmbar,
February 3, 1831 - Joshua Pray of Milton appointed guardian of Mary A m ,
Abnar, Susan, Benjamin F., Charles arid Abigail Baa,
children of Benjaadn Haa, J r . , late of Paradngton.
90 acrus of land i n his farm.
Stiretios, John Wingate, Esq., ax-id Thoaas Ham, yaoiaan.
May 14, 1831 -
Joshua Pray authorlaod to s e l l real estate to tha
aaount of $411 for the st^port of h i s wards,
July 1 6 , 1833 -
Guardian authorised to s e l l the g r i s t s i l l .
Land fortaing Benjamin Ham estate bounded on
NorUmest by land of Moses Kaia
liortheast by raiige road
Southeast by land of S. Dme, Mathaniel Bastatan and others
Southwest by the Cochero River
�-40aUARBIAK'S ACCCUKT
Joahia Praor i H e d h i s guardian's account May 1 6 , 1840.
Frors Fsbruary 1 4 , 1S31, to A p r i l 1 8 , 1830, hia asqpanaa
account nas |64.{^.
i s erodita t» hairs itith fl60.53
.ami ohargas $1 f o r sorvlcos myd
1833. - Pttbnjaiy 14
Qm
oixpmmm*
di^
S1.C30
March 14
Jouraay to Itov»r & iuxtm
2.^
May 5
Om
dag| a e l l i a g p r c ^ r t y
1,00
May 14
om
dtoy. Probate Court
2,00
U
mmabmr
Wemat^r
ll/Z
14
1$
Sewaabor 3^
days
caw day a t FarBdjagUm
with Hoad Comittaa
X.OD
Qm dsy a t Famltigtoja
with Eoad CoRi^ttea
X.00
Ooa day a t Stomingtoo
w i ^ load ^oPEdttaa
U 3 2 - March 1?
A p r i l 21
1833 - Potoruary 20
1836 - March 31
A p r i l 10
A p r i l 26
1.50
1.00
Oie day
1,00 and aattla ^ c t s .
Qm
day, s a t t l e accts.
1.00
2/2 da^, settle accts.
One day, s e t t l i n g iiit*k
Barlesr
.50
1.00
mm d«^, proparing f o r
t r i a l with Barker
2.00
fm
days, a a t t l i m n t
with tarla^r
aay 2
I638 - 1 ^ 14
2.00
Two daya, attending ref.
2.00
Om
2.00
day, jourrusy to Dover
July 14
Cash paid out
J u l y 24
Qm
SeptQBbar 1$
Qm day. Probate Court
Rochester
One day, settling acets.
Sept^Oier 30
day, jounnay to Dover
.62
2.50
1.00
.SO
�-41-
1838 (Ceat«d)-D9«art>ar 26
Qm
day, Jouruay
to Oilraanton
1839 -
t2.S0
January 23
Pour days to Dover
4.00
February 2
f o w ' i a ^ framing
3.>*
February 5
1/2 day,
February 5
February 1 5
»
.50
2.00
<iay to Dover
3*34
Fow days, frwiing
February 18
X/2 day
February'23 " "'©ne day to Rochester
L expenses for raising
fraso
.50
1,50
2.00
ditto
1838 -
April
17.00
Paid J . Pearl - cow
Interest
2.06
164.06
1845 -
April I
Pinal acct. of Joshua Pray
rendered
^ ^
Total awmnt
Accepted by
AbigaU lim
Uary A. Bunker
Enoch Bunker
Benjataln F. !te
1^.74
�i n i L OF JoiiH
Zzi the mm
Lord, Qm
of QoA, &mni
mi
The 29th day of July, i a the year of owe
Thoxjsand Sight Hundred and Eloveni I , Jolm Has, of Paraingtcm,
i n tlwi County of Strafford, aad State of flow Haeqpahire, Huabamfeani being
sick and weak i n Body, but of a sound disposing wind and memrj,
bo given iBito God.
thanks
Calling to mind the awrtality of ay body, and knowing
that i t i s appointed for a l l aon once to die, do sake arsi ordain this my
l a s t w i l l and Testament, that i s to sa^, prinoipally and f i n r b , I give and
recoraaend ^y soul unto Cod ixho gave i t to sss, and ny Body unto thst Earth,
to be buried i n a decent Christian-like laanner, at ths Glscration of ay
ixeeutora, and as touching amh
worldly Estate wherewith i t hath pleased
God to bless cie i n this l i f e , I gt-re, daviae and dispoae i n tha following
aanner and fomt~
l e t - I give and bequeath to ay eon Tho»as Ham, a l l the lax:^ that
l i e a on
tlvss
easterly aide of tho Hlver coaaonly called iraldron's Pdver
t!iat belonged to tfm l o t or fa»
I now l i v e on, i t being tha same land
I have deeded to h i a .
2nd - I w i n and bequoath to ay son Jcweph Haa, 40 acres of land
off of tha northwest part of the Fans I now l i v e on.
Beginning at tha
i»»rthsast comer of said l o t and tliesoe running aou^ierly cm the plan
Road between Tiaotl-g- Stewna and said l o t so f a r aa to eontain said 3ft>rty
acres by running a Line westerly pasullel with the l i n e between Land f or»sr3y omiad by David F»»u^ ami said Lot to Waldron's Mver so^oalled,
m
land owned by Thos. Htaai to h i a , Ms heirs ami aaai^ss forever, and l i k e wise one Feather bed axui bedding that he now has i n h i s keeping.
3rd - I w i l l ai\d bequeath to my son Abner Hasi Two Hundred BoLlars
to be paid witliin one ^n^ar after my deoease by ssy Eaeoutor, and &m
good
Feather h&d and bedding ttero-^rith, providad, nevarthelaaa, that i f he.
�-43
ths said Abmtr Ian, should dio bafoz^' I do, I v i l l that the same be
paid to nxy aoii Moses lim.
4th - I w U l and bequeath to ^
Dutiful Daughter Sarah !la®. Three
HuiKired IXOlars i n sonsy to be paid by ay E»outor i d t h i n one ysar after
wy decease. Two good f a t h e r bads and bedding with t ^ two good bedsteads
and cords, with one half of the Household furniture that belmiged to
late s i s t e r Mary I t e , that waa l e f t w l ^ m& a t Uie tiiae of her decease.
Sth - I w i n and bequeath to my laughter Maiy H^, Qm Hundred
Dollars i n aoney to be paid within mm
year after my Jm^mem, by my
l ^ e u t o r , two good feather beds and bedding w i t ^ two good bedsteads and
cords, with tho other half of tJie ho\i®ehold fui^itxire that belonged to
ay s i s t e r Mary Ham aforesaid.
6th • I w i l l and bequeath to my tsro Daughters, namely Sarah and
Maty Han, each of t J ^ a cow and two sheep, to be wintered and auastared
on 3sy farm l^ree and elear of ar^ exs^ense to thaa, f o r thm %o have ths
use and b e i ^ f i t of| one rom
i n tsy house to their duHMiing, with f u e l
sufficient for o i f i r e , f i t l y prepared to the doorj so long as they or
,«
either of than rsnain unmarried.
?th - I w i l l and bequeath to siy Two rwaining ^xm,
Moses Ham, a l l the rmaining part of
BenjasdLn and
Real Estate or landed property,
with a l l ths Stock mti Faming utensils and household Furniture of every
mm
arid nature whatsoever tlmt i s nut bequeatl^ed, to be equally divided
batareen than according to the quantity and quality thereof, with a l l tha
Buildinpi tl^raon and ever/ appurteimnce wimtsoever a t t^ie t i s e of
debase.
Bth - I do a j ^ i n t Sllaa Osne J r . of Eoc)iestor, and Sarah ay Dau^ter,
to be guardians for ^
acoi Moses
to watch and oare for h i a and the
property tlmt I hav® bequeathed to hiss.
�-44f t h - I w i l l and bequeath tlmt a l l tiie reBainlng property i n
money <»i hand and laoney due to ae that oan or aay be collected, be
equally divided between a^y childron (exclusive of $100- I have paid to
Jcweph and ClOO I have paid to Abner to be deducted as may appear by
thsir Receipts) after ay Just Debts, Legacies i n a y l a t e Father's estate
and B y funeral charges are paid b y my Executor,
10th - I do constit\ite and appoint ay son Joseph Ham to be
Sole
Sxecutor of this my l a s t W i l l and Testament, and 1 do hereby utterly d i s allcwr. Revoke and disannx^ a l l and every othsr Will and Testastant dated
prior to thia I Ratifying aisd Gonfiraing t h i s to be EQT l a s t W i l l and Testaissnt.
In Witness wtwreof I hereunto set my hmd and seal, the date and year
before written.
;^gnad, sealed, published, pronounced mvi declared by »e, t)i& said
John Has, i n tim presence of the aubsoriborst
Bajnamin Conoexy
Josiah Edgor3y
Robert £ni|^t
�-45INVENTCRY
A liKrrant issasd l a oc3EE«3a form to John Mijjpita J r . , Bonjwdjj
Conaftiy, mi
Anthoqy Peavey, a l l of Faswingtoa, in
C o m t y of
S t a f f o r d , frooholdora, toti&# an I^ivmitory &a& Appraisal
tha 1 » -
tata of J ^ n Ham, l a t a of aaid FamlngtcKJ, deceased, Taatatei i*io msuS»
rature as f o U a m , to •wttt
Straffoi-d S , S,
fteadngtoa, SxHy l O W i , 1 0 1 2 ,
Agrooable to tha aiiaaassKl narraat m,
tha xjEJcterstj^icK*, hava tak«i
an Inroatoiy of ttio goods aisd BSstata of John Haa, l a t a of aaid Pamirig>ton, d^immaoAf T e a t a ^ , as sham us tsy Jomph
W i l l aad Test»@«t of aaid Jolm Haa, i a wmmmr
ttm, Escecutor of tho l a a t
fallowing, aasialyi-
fha ^Riaataad f&m of said Daoaaami
fbxm
mm
$65j Tm
Stmm
m& pair Stooj^, |25
at 37
Five Cewra at 014 each
four Cattle, one ;^ar o l d , at $7 aach
Cot B t O l , t^fo years ild a t $|J0 ms^
Two Horsoa
I M r l ^ o a tSbm^ and 5 i M b ©
$2833.00
102.
90.
28.
W,
49.
26.
93137.00
�If.
Strafford Couiity Racords
Raceivad Way 17, 1836
Recorded IXber 178 Folio 62
Ex. by £. I„ Whltehaa
Recorder
USED OF ABlQiUL HAM TO SiOGH BU14KER
,
mm
M.L
nm
Wt Tmsas
mMim, That,
I , Abigail Uaa,
of
Faraington i n the Cotmty of Strafford and State of TUm Hampshire,
Widow, for and i n consideruticsn of the mxa. of four hundred dollaiti to IS® i n hand beifore the delivery hereof, w e l l mA
t r u l y paid by
liKJCh B*unker, of the same faraington, teetsan - have reraised, released
•
and forevw quitclaiiaedj and by these praaenta i o re»i»e, release
and ferever q u l t d a i a unto thd said Knooli B^uiakar, his tieizv and
assigns forever, a l l the right i n dower or power of thirds that I
now have of the Far® aad Gristaaill that was tsy late hiisband's,
Beajjfflin Ham's, be the same on which I nm
Hve.
To have mid to hold tJse said rersdsad praaises, with a l l the
privilegea aad ai^pwtanancea thereunto bolmging, to hia Vm
Enoch Broker h i s fwirs and assigns forever.
said
And I do hereby oove-
nant with the said Bnooh Inaiker that I w i l l warrant and defend the
sa!.d prffiaisea to Itia tha said Bnooh tils heirs and assigns, against
the lawful clalas and desaamis of a i ^ person or persons clalMing by,
frm.
r
or under toe.
of
I n witi'scss wfisreof, I have hereunto set my hand aiid s e a l , t h i s
Sixteenth day of V^y,
dred and t h i r t y - o i ^ t .
i n the yeai* of our lord one thooaand eight hun' e> ,
Sigimi, sealed and deliv©r<*d, i n proaerioe of us,
J e r w i a h Itea
Susan A. I u e
^»
STATS Of ms
jtt»igail Haa
KAira-lllS, Strafford S, S.
my
personally ajjpaaring, the. above mmed Abigail !te
16, A.D.
1838
acknowledged the
foregoing instrtasant to bo her volmtary act ajid deed. Before BW,
JeTiWBiali
l.:itms, Justice of %f>» Peace
�-47W I L L I A-' HAM
!'
The New England h i s t o r i c g e n e a l o g i c a l s o c i e t y of Boston has
received from Dr. Saiauel P . Ham of L o s A n g e l e s , C a l i f o r n i a ,
formerly
of t h i s c i t y , the g e n e a l o g i c a l r e c o r d of W i l l i a m Ham, who came to
America i n 1635 to j o i n a company p r e v i o u s l y s e n t from Plymouth,
Eng, hy R o h e r t Trelawney;, t o take p o s s e s s i o n of Richmonda
Island,
Me., and a l a r g e t r a c t of t e r r i t o r y on the a d j a c e n t aminland, g r a n t e d
to Trelawney hy S i r Fernando
Gorges.
Ham remained w i t h the Trelawney company but one y e a r , he
and f i v e o t h e r s , i n June 1636, c l a i m i n g t h a t they were cheated by
the s u p e r i n t e n d e n t , l e a v i n g Richmonds i s l a n d , where they had been
engaged i n f i s h i n g , and coming to P i s c a t a q u a , where they a l l
settled.
Ham was a t E x e t e r i n 1645, and came to Portsmouth i n 1650,
and the town r e c o r d s show t h a t from 1652 to 1665 he r e c e i v e d from
the
town f o u r g r a n t s of l a n d , a g g r e g a t i n g 166 a c r e s , a t what i s
now known a s Freemans p o i n t , where he made h i s home, and where he
died i n 1672.
T h i s p r o p e r t y was owned and occupied by h i s descendants,
and known as Hams p o i n t , u n t i l about 1820, when Peyton R. Freeman,
a lawyer of Portsmouth, h a v i n g come i n t o p o s s e s s i o n of 67 a c r e s
of the extreme p o i n t , the whole g r a d u a l l y came to be known a s
Preemans p o i n t , and not f a r from the same time the i s l a n d , which
from the e a r l y c o l o n i a l
days had been known a s Hams i s l a n d , was
bought by J e r e m i a h and Mark E o b l e , and a c c o r d i n g to custom had i t s
name changed
to Nobles i s l a n d , which i t s t i l l b e a r s , though now owned
by the Boston & Maine r a i l r o a d .
W i l l i a m Ham's houae, b u i l t p r o b a b l y i n 1652, the y e a r he
r e c e i v e d h i s f i r s t g r a n t of l a n d from the town, was l o c a t e d a few
�-482
rods s o u t h w e s t e r l y from where now stands the c o s t l y
office
b u i l d i n g e r e c t e d l a s t y e a r f o r the MHaite Mountain paper company,
and
the o l d Ham b u r y i n g ground, s t i l l n e a r e r the o f f i c e b u i l d i n g
and n o r t h e a s t e r l y from i t ,
i s now p a r t i a l l y covered
by a b u i l d i n g
formerly a barn.
The
o l d house was torn down i n 1368 or '69, being
d i l a p i d a t e d wreck.
then a
Over 200 y e a r s of wind and weather, and y e a r s
of n e g l e c t and decay, n a v i n g reduced i t to r u i n .
I t was a one-
s t o r y b u i l d i n g c o v e r i n g c o n s i d e r a b l e space on the j^round, w i t h an
iiiimense k i t c n e n , and h a v i n g timbers b i g enough f o r a s n i p . I t
was
t e n a n t l e s s f o r many y e a r s before being removed, and t h e r e was
no s i g n t h a t i t nad ever been p a i n t e d .
The g e n e a l o g i c a l r e c o r d on vi^hich Dr. Ham, who i s of the
e i g h t h g e n e r a t i o n i n descent from the iimaigrant W i l l i a m , devoted
mush time and r e s e a r c h f o r some 20 y e a r s , does not attempt to t r a c e
out a l l of W i l l i a m Ham's descendants,
who a r e s c a t t e r e d a l l over
the union, but i t does b r i n g the r e c o r d s of the l o c a l l i n e s of
descendants down to ine p r e s e n t
time.
I n t e r s p e r s e d through i t i s a l a r g e amount of h i s t o r i c a l
matter r e l a t i n g to members of the f a m i l y who have a c h i e v e d prominence
a t d i f f e r e n t times and p l a c e s i n v a r i o u s l i n e s of u s e f u l n e s s ,
and a s i t i s tne only r e c o r d of W i l l i a m Ham's descendants ever
attempted there i s much i n i t of i n t e r e s t to persons wno can t r a c e
t h e i r descent from xiim.
From the Boston ulobe -1925-
��
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Books, Booklets, Ledgers, & Diaries
Object
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Family History Of Benjamin And Abigail Pray Ham 1644-1940
Description
An account of the resource
A bound 48 page book detailing the family history of Benjamin and Abigail Pray- Ham of Farmington. Typed mostly on onion paper and with photos added throughout. Complied in 1940 by their granddaughters Louise (Stone) Jones and Katherine Ham Stone. The book also had a two sided note which has been included as a separate file. Presented by the author to the Farmington NH Historical Society in January of 1953.
Size: 9" x 11.5"
FHS-Kyle Leach
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Complied in 1940 by their granddaughters Louise (Stone) Jones and Katherine Ham Stone
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Complied in 1940 by their granddaughters Louise (Stone) Jones and Katherine Ham Stone
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1940, the books covers 1644-1940
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Donated by Lorraine Meyer
Bacon
books
Bunker
family
Ham
Hills
history
Jones
Kimball
Kingsbury
Pollard
Pray
stone
Waldron
Winchester
Woods
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Tools, General Implements, Utensils, Instruments, & Simple Devices
Object
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Mary Evelyn Kimball Pencil Box & Short Bio
Description
An account of the resource
Mary Evelyn Kimball's wooden, rectangular, pencil box. The box has metal embellishments on the top corners and a metal keyhole in the front of the box.. The box contains a pencil, pen, nib, and two keys.
Mary Evelyn Kimball was born in November of 1867, to Daniel Webster Kimball and Mary Wingate Kimball, in Farmington, NH. She was one of five siblings. Daniel Webster Kimball was one of the pioneers of the shoe industry in Farmington. Mary Evelyn Kimball lived in Farmington her entire life, on what is now known as Pleasant Street. She was musically inclined, was an organist, and was known for her beautiful voice. She was a lifetime member of the Congregational Church in Farmington. She died in early 1935. Her obituary can be found in the March 22, 1935 edition of the Farmington News.
Box Size: 8.5" L x 2.25" W x1.5' H
Condition: Good
FHS-Kyle Leach
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Donated by Sharon & Paul Turner
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
Circa 1860's
Congregational Church
Kimball
metal
music
people
Pleasant Street
shoes
singers
tool
voice
wood
woodwork
writing