Chapter V: Part 5

Next to him in our army was Brigadier-General R. C. Tyler, an Irishman by birth and an American by adoption. Gen. Tyler was living in Memphis as a levee contractor when the war broke out and enlisted as a private, became quartermaster of his regiment, went with it into the battle of Belmont, its first engagement, and so distinguished himself that it was but a short time until he was made colonel, and on its consolidation with the Thirty-seventh he became colonel commanding the consolidation. The regiment was assigned to General Bate’s original brigade and Tyler was a part of it as colonel until after the battle of Chickamauga, in which he again distinguished himself and under the recommendation of General Bate he was made brigadier-general and put in command of his old brigade, Bate having been in the meanwhile promoted to a major-generalship.

General Tyler was wounded at Missionary Ridge and being unfit for field duty, was assigned to the command at West Point, Ga. He was in command of the fort there when the surrender of Generals Lee and Johnston’s armies took place. When General Wilson with his cavalry demanded a surrender of the fort, Tyler refused to give it up, though with but a handful of men against thousands, and fell while defiantly fighting against such odds rather than surrender.

Col. Grace, of the Tenth Tennessee, was an Irishman, a splendid soldier, and was killed at the head of his regiment at the battle of Jonesboro’, Ga. Lieutenant-Colonel O’Neil, of the same regiment, a brave soldier, survived the war but died since. Company E of the Second Tennessee Regiment was a company composed of Irishmen enlisted by Captain Casper W. Hunt and served most gallantly throughout the entire war. This company and the Tenth and Fifteenth regiments were all in Gen. Bate’s command and composed of Irishmen, and no command made better records than did they.

Senator Bate says the grandest and greatest Irishman in the Confederacy was John Mitchell. He who was banished in “Lurid—’48” and condemned to fourteen years’ imprisonment. He was sent to an English penal colony from which he subsequently escaped and came to the United States by the Pacific route and finally settled down near Knoxville, Tenn.

When the war broke out he was editing a paper in Knoxville, and was appointed an assistant secretary to one of the governmental departments at Richmond by Jefferson Davis. He had three sons, two of whom were killed in the armies of the Confederate states and one who still lives in New York City.

Mitchell was a brilliant writer and author and was imprisoned by the Federals at Fort Warren at the close of the war. He was finally released and after a few years returned to Ireland and was elected by the “Bloody Tips” to the British Parliament, but was denied his seat. He was reëlected and died during the pendency of his contest for the seat.

Thomas W. Wrenne, president of the Irish-American Centennial Association, has furnished me with information relative to the troops Tennessee gave to the Confederate cause and to the Union army:

To the Confederate states Tennessee gave (all volunteers), 108,000.

To the Federal government Tennessee gave (all volunteers), 31,092.

Possibly, excepting North Carolina, Tennessee gave more troops to the Confederate states in proportion to the population than any other.

It is worthy of note that North Carolina is populated in a great measure like Tennessee with Irish-American people. You know that most of the Tennessee early settlers came over from North Carolina and both have always been patriotic.

You will be agreeably surprised with the number of Irish-Americans among the great men of Tennessee. Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, Davy Crockett, Sam Houston (I think Andrew Johnson), and General John Adams were Irish-Americans.

The father and mother of General John Adams came direct from Ireland and settled in Nashville. Their son was graduated from West Point. When the last war began he gave his services to the C. S. A. He was a gallant and brave soldier. His death on horseback on the top of the Federal breastworks at Franklin was as remarkable a piece of heroism as the war witnessed.

HUGH CARGILL, A FRIEND OF LIBERTY.

BY THOMAS F. O’MALLEY, SOMERVILLE, MASS.

Hugh Cargill was born in Ballyshannon, Donegal, Ireland, about 1739, and came to Boston in 1774, “in connection with the British troops”[25]—probably a soldier in one of the regiments. Concerning his early life in Boston little is known other than that he soon espoused the cause of the patriots and left the British service. April 19, 1775, found him at Concord, Mass., with the Provincial forces. When the enemy fired the court house and endangered the records, Cargill, with one Bullock, assisted in removing them to a place of safety.[26]

The events of that day hastened the recruiting of companies and the formation of regiments. Cargill at once joined Capt. Abishia Brown’s company which had been raised in the region around Concord and Lexington. His military experience and training made him a valuable man in the newly-organized command, and he was at once made a non-commissioned officer, being the fourth in the list of sergeants of the company.[27]

Captain Brown’s company was attached to Colonel Nixon’s Middlesex County regiment and was one of the few companies of that command engaged at Bunker Hill.

At the conclusion of his service in the army Mr. Cargill settled in Boston and engaged in the business of a taverner or inn-keeper. In the first Boston Directory (1789) he is described as a “retailer” with a place of business on Cambridge street. After many years of close application to business, and by careful management and economy, he accumulated considerable money.

In 1790 he purchased from David Hyde the estate in which he carried on his business.[28] The property consisted of a two-story house on the westerly side of Cambridge street and bounded southerly on Alden lane. In 1798 at the time of the levy of the direct tax it was valued at $3,300.[29]

While in business, Mr. Cargill was active in the affairs of the community and was especially interested in the local fire companies. On April 26, 1786, he was proposed to the selectmen, by Capt. Edward Ridgeway, for membership in his engine company, and “approved.”[30] Ridgeway’s company was known as No. 6 and was a noted one at that time. Cargill remained with this company for some years, for as late as 1790 we find his name on the list of members returned to the selectmen.[31]

During the early part of the year 1790 Mr. Cargill retired, and sold his business to one Smith Coleman, evidently a fellow-countryman. In June, 1790, we find the latter applying for a license to sell spirituous liquors at the house on Cambridge street “which was licensed last year under the improvement of Hugh Cargill who is removed.”[32]

After his retirement from business Mr. Cargill spent some years in Boston, during which he invested in lands in Woburn, Westford, Carlisle and other surrounding towns.

Early in 1796 he took up his residence in historic Concord. There the early days of his life on this side of the Atlantic had been spent; there he saw his first service as an American soldier, and there he was destined to end his days. In April, 1797, he purchased an extensive tract of land “near the middle of the town,” known as the Stratton farm, and made it his home.[33]

On November 27, 1798, he married Rebecca, daughter of Robert Estabrook, of Concord, the knot being tied by the Rev. Ezra Ripley.[34] Mr. Cargill’s wedded life was, unfortunately, brief. Within two weeks after his marriage he was seized with an illness which ended his life on January 12, 1799.[35]

His will, which is on file in the probate office at Cambridge, Mass., bears the date of December 6, 1798, and was witnessed by Jacob Brown, Obadiah Hall and Paul Adams. The last named married the widow.[36]

By the will his widow was given the “free use and improvement of all the real estate,” that he should die possessed of, during her natural life or so long as she remained his widow. Upon her decease or marriage he gave the Cambridge street estate to Samuel Chamberlain, providing he pay to Hugh Cargill Maloney, son of Cornelius Maloney of Boston, and Hugh Cargill Barrett, son of Benjamin Barrett of Carlisle, each the sum of three hundred and thirty-three dollars and thirty-three cents. The remainder of the estate, the will continues:

“I give and bequeath to the inhabitants of the town of Concord and successors forever the residue of my real estate that I shall dye seized of in said Commonwealth of Massachusetts; to come into possession of the same at the decease or marriage of my wife above named and not before and the income thereof to be solely applied for the support of the poor of said town of Concord, and my will is that the care of the principal and income of said estate be under the particular direction of the selectmen of Concord for the time being; and that the said income be uniformly and annually delivered by them to the poor of said town to whom they shall think the proper objects of it; the sale of part of said estate if thought best by the inhabitants of Concord when they are in possession and the interest of the money coming by said sale to be applied as above ordered I am content with: But the farm I give to the town, called the Stratton farm, lying in the middle of the town of Concord, I entail the same to be improved as a poor house and the land to be improved by and for the benefit of the poor; and to be under the special direction and care of the overseers of the poor of the town of Concord for the time being for the purposes afore^{sd} for ever.”

His widow, Rebecca Cargill, on December 27, 1800, in anticipation of her marriage to Paul Adams (which occurred August 2, 1801), executed releases to the town of all her interest in the estate devised, and thus vested the gift.[37] The estate is still used as a poor farm.

Mr. Cargill’s remains rest on the westerly slope of the Old Hill burial ground in Concord, close by the grave of his wife, Rebecca Cargill Adams, who died March 5, 1838. His grave is marked by a slab surmounted by an urn in relief, on which is inscribed the initials of his name. Beneath is the following inscription:[38]

Here lyes Intered the remains
of Mr. Hugh Cargill late of Boston
who died in Concord Jan^ry 12, 1799
in the 60th year of his age
Mr. Cargill was born in Ballyshannon in Ireland
came into this country in the year 1774
destitute of the comforts of life but by his
industry & economy he acquired a good estate
and having no Children he at his death devis’d
his estate to his wife Mrs. Rebecca Cargill
and to a number of his Friends & Relations by
Marriage & Especially a large and Generous
Donation to the Town of Concord for
Benevolent and Charitable purposes.

How strange O God who reigns on high,
That I should come so far to die,
And leave my friends where I was bred,
To lay my bones with strangers dead
But I have hopes when I arise,
To dwell with The in yonder skies.

This is the brief story of an humble Irish emigrant. No diarist has recorded his doings, no writer has extolled his virtues. He lived the quiet life of the ordinary man and performed his duty faithfully. His character as pictured in the affairs and acts of his life shows the man—true and noble-hearted.

THE IRISH SETTLERS OF PELHAM, MASS.

BY MARY LESSEY LINEHAN, HARTFORD, CONN.

Almost every civil war, rebellion, insurrection, and outbreak in Ireland, from the time of the Tudors downwards, arose more or less directly from questions connected with the possession of lands. It was the land question which helped to drive the Presbyterian Irish out, to become pioneer Irish settlers in America. Whole villages of Irish people were depopulated.

These clearances gave vast numbers of Irish settlers to America before the Revolutionary War, and supplied the American army with a body of brave, determined men. Massachusetts received a very large proportion of the Irish in the eighteenth century, and being far the most important of the old colonies, the history of its early settlement is, consequently, interesting.

One of the most interesting inland settlements in the state of Massachusetts is the town of Pelham, situated in the northwestern part of Hampshire county, settled by Irish immigrants in 1738‒9. An historical spot, as it was the dwelling place of that patriotic soldier, Daniel Shea, who, after the Revolution, was one of the leaders in “Shays’ Rebellion.”

In 1738 Robert Peibles, blacksmith, and James Thornton, yeoman, two Irish immigrants, made a contract with Col. John Stoddard of Northampton, Mass., for the purchase of his section of “Equivalent Lands,” with the purpose of establishing thereon a colony of settlers “who shall be such as were inhabitants of the Kingdom of Ireland or their descendants.”

This contract having been carried into effect, Colonel Stoddard sold the land to Robert Peibles, Patrick Peibles, James Thornton, Andrew McFarland and others named in the deed. These with their families became the first settlers of Pelham. Among the early settlers are the familiar Celtic names, McCullough, McCullom, McConkey, Dick, Taylor, Gray, McClain, Breckenridge, Gilmore, Macklan, McLachay, McNutt, McConnell, Cochran, Savage, Hamilton, McMullen, McCartney, Joyce, Rankin, White, McFall, Butler, Felton, Hoar, Griffin, Kelley, McNiell, McLallen, McClintock.

The new settlement was called New Lisburn, after the town of Lisburn in the southern part of County Antrim, on the banks of the Lagan, in Ireland. Some of the settlers coming from Lisburn wished to call their new home after the mother town, and until 1743 the settlement was called New Lisburn, when it was changed to Pelham.

At the time of the purchase the condition of the soil was more fertile than at present. Rye, oats, corn, and barley were raised in abundance, as well as flax. The hills furnished excellent pasturage for cattle and horses. The settlers were a quiet, honest, Godfearing people. The town grew very slowly. In 1776 the population was 729. In 1800, 1,144. Since the latter date it has decreased in population.

When the trouble arose between England and the colonies, the town of Pelham was one of the first to answer a communication from the Committee of Correspondence in Boston. A few literal extracts are interesting:

“To the Committee of Correspondence, Gentlemen: We have considered your Circular letters and are not a little shoked at the attempts upon the liberties of America ... we replied back also upon the unhappy Reign of the Stuart family & bloody Struggles to subdue a free people to Non-resistance and Passive obedience. We have still a more sense of the worth of our Liberties by the total loss of them in the conquered Kingdom of Ireland when altho made of the same one Blood they have a yoke of Iron put upon their Necks and they must serve their conquerors with as much of their money and blood as they are pleased to demand and sustain more intolerable oppressions from these Legislative Masters and unfeeling Landlords than some of the Barbarious Nations compared by the Ancient Romans before the wars of their Empire.

“This so grievous a yoke upon the Western Isle which neither they nor their fathers were able to bear has driven them by hundreds and by thousands to bide a final adue to their otherwise Dear Native Land and seek a peaceful Retreat from the bane of Oppressions in this American Wilderness. Depending upon the faith of the Nation for all the privileges chartered to American Colonies, we cannot therefore but be greatly alarmed at the news of the Incroachments upon the Natural and Chartered Rights of this Province where we have our abode.”

The military history of the town is an honorable one. In the War of the Revolution a large number of the male residents took part. At the close of the Revolution the town came into prominence on account of the part many of its citizens took in “Shays’ Rebellion.” This rebellion was not prompted by any spirit of disloyalty, nor was it designed or plotted to overturn the government. It was the wild and lawless expression of discontent with harsh circumstances, the natural outbreak of those who were suffering and oppressed.

Daniel Shea, one of the leaders in this rebellion, was a remarkable man. Very little is known about his early life. His birthplace has been assigned to Hopkinton, Mass., but this has been disputed. There is a tradition that his parents and young Shea came from County Cork, Ireland, and that they lived for some time on the eastern border of Pelham. He spells his name both “Shea” and “Shays.”

Wherever his birthplace was, one thing is certain concerning him, he hated England and all things English. Little is known concerning his life in Pelham previous to the Revolution except what is traditionary.

After the battle of Lexington he was among the first to join a company of minute men. He was promoted for bravery at the battle of Bunker Hill, and shared in the campaign resulting in Burgoyne’s surrender. Nothing shows more clearly the loyal spirit of Daniel Shea than his conduct during the Revolution. He took a deep interest in a cause which involved the dearest interests of his country.

Shea returned to Pelham at the close of the war, and in 1781 was chosen by the town as a member of the Committee of Safety. He was prominent in other town offices up to the time of the insurrection, and was a respected citizen. The insurrection is a matter of history and need not be dwelt on here. Out of the one hundred and fifty men who were captured, fourteen were tried and sentenced to death, but were afterwards pardoned. After remaining in hiding for some time, Shea was pardoned. Having received his pardon, he went to New York state, where all trace of him is lost.

That Pelham was a distinctively Irish settlement is clearly shown on the occasion of the settling of the first pastor, Rev. Robert Abercrombie, a Scotchman. Rev. Mr. Abercrombie was educated at Edinburgh University and came to this country in 1740 as a licensed preacher. He came to Pelham in 1742. There arose a division at once in the church. One of the reasons for the division was the fact of his being a Scotchman and of his demanding rigid adherence to the doctrines and requirements of the Church of Scotland.

The majority of the members of the Presbyterian church of Pelham wanted an Irish Presbyterian clergyman. After a great deal of controversy Mr. Abercrombie was settled as a pastor. He was unfortunate in having a strong element of opposition to contend against from his first connection with the people of Pelham, as shown by the strong protest against his settlement. After preaching a few years he was compelled to resign his pastorate.

While the Irish Presbyterians predominated, there were some who were members of the Church of England and some Roman Catholics. A spirit of harmony always existed in this community. The people were peaceable, respecting the rights of others and demanding the same respect in return.

These early settlers brought with them many of the customs and traditions of the Emerald Isle, and until after the Revolution they spoke with a rich Irish brogue. In 1765 many of the settlers, who had become dissatisfied with the soil and other existing conditions, moved westward, and joining a colony of settlers from Ballibay, Ireland, helped to found the town of Salem, N. Y.

Among the descendants of the early settlers who became noted were: Ira P. Rankin, collector of the port of San Francisco, appointed by President Lincoln.

Adam Johnson, one of the benefactors of Amherst College, and for whom the “Johnson Chapel” is named.

Dr. Israel Taylor, a leading physician in Amherst, Mass., until his death in 1890.

Ithamar Conkey, for a number of years town clerk of Pelham, and in 1830 appointed judge of probate. His son, Ithamar F. Conkey, one of the leading lawyers of the Massachusetts bar, was a resident of Amherst, Mass., until his death.

There are very few of the descendants of the original settlers living in the town of Pelham to-day.

THOMAS FAWCETT, IRISH QUAKER, AMERICAN PIONEER.

CONTRIBUTED BY THOMAS PLUNKETT, EAST LIVERPOOL, OHIO.

The following article possesses sufficient historical interest, I
think, to merit a place in the JOURNAL of the American-Irish
Historical Society. The article was evidently written by some one
well acquainted with the Fawcett family and appeared in the
_Tribune_ of East Liverpool, Ohio, Aug. 9, 1900. It interested me
and I thought it might also interest my fellow-members of the
Society. I therefore send it to you.[39]

There has just been erected and completed a granite memorial monument in Riverview Cemetery[40] an illustration of which is given below, which is worthy of mention in the _Tribune_. It will be found to the right of the main driveway, and about midway in the section which slopes gently to the south, and faces the city which was founded by Thomas Fawcett about 1800[41] just one hundred years ago. Here, in a beautiful lot, have been placed the remains of these old pioneers, which were buried in the old cemetery now going to ruin, and soon to be abandoned. The _Tribune_ takes pleasure in illustrating the memorial and giving the several inscriptions:

SOUTH INSCRIPTION.

+-------------------------------------------------------------------+ | =THOMAS FAWCETT=, | | A QUAKER, WAS BORN IN IRELAND IN 1747; DIED IN 1820. | | | | =ISABELLA SNODGRASS=, | | HIS WIFE, WAS BORN IN IRELAND IN 1754; DIED IN 1825. | | | | These two were married in Ireland in 1772. | | All their children (eight) were born in Pennsylvania. | | They emigrated to Ohio in 1795. | | This pioneer platted “Fawcettstown,” now East Liverpool, in 1798. | | ---- | | This memorial was erected by the fourth generation in 1900. | +-------------------------------------------------------------------+

NORTH INSCRIPTION.

+------------------------------------------------------------+
| =JOSEPH FAWCETT.= =ESTHER WHITE=, his wife. |
| 1773‒1825. 1778‒1829. |
| |
| THEIR CHILDREN: |
| |
| ELIZABETH FAWCETT WARRICK. ROBERT E. FAWCETT. |
| 1801‒1834. 1803‒ ---- |
| |
| NANCY FAWCETT. THOMAS FAWCETT. |
| 1809‒1834. 1813‒ ---- |
| |
| JOSEPH W. FAWCETT, JR. DANIEL W. FAWCETT. |
| 1817‒ ---- 1820‒ ---- |
+------------------------------------------------------------+

WEST INSCRIPTION.

+-------------------------+
| JOSEPH HAMILTON. |
| ---- |
| MARY FAWCETT, his wife. |
| |
| 1780‒1836. |
+-------------------------+

EAST INSCRIPTION.

+-----------------------------+
| JULIA A. HUMRICKHOUSE. |
| 1815‒1878. |
| ---- |
| JULIA FAWCETT-HUMRICKHOUSE. |
| 1848‒1876. |
+-----------------------------+

The late James H. Goodwin, a descendant of Abigail Fawcett, daughter of Thomas Fawcett, had in his possession the oldest record of Thomas Fawcett’s family. He had special interest in matters historical, and gathered all the data he could find relating to the Fawcetts and Smiths. He offered to donate a lot in Riverview cemetery and share the expense of removing these old pioneers to a place where their remains could sleep in peace, and rest undisturbed forevermore.

This matter was very dear to his heart, and he contemplated doing just what has been done, when death claimed him so suddenly the night of President McKinley’s election in November, 1896. He had in his possession the original deed granting to Isaac Craig, of Pittsburgh, Pa., sections Nos. 23 and 24, in range No. 1, township No. 5, bought December 6, 1796, the deed being dated at Philadelphia, Pa., August 30, 1798, signed by John Adams, president.

Also the deed from Isaac Craig to Thomas Fawcett, conveying the same sections of land containing 1,090 75‒100 acres for the consideration of $3,651.00 cash; both deeds are in a good state of preservation, having been written on parchment.

These relics had been in possession of John Fawcett of Wooster, Ohio, and at his death fell into the hands of Mrs. Julia Humrickhouse, thence to her son George, deceased, and through his wife, Mrs. Clara B. Humrickhouse, to James H. Goodwin.

Thomas Fawcett and his wife, Isabella, were among the earliest settlers in Chartier’s Valley, Washington county, Pa., and lived there until about 1795, when they moved to this place, then a part of the Northwest Territory. His daughter, Abigail Fawcett, married Joseph Smith, father of the late Wm. G. Smith, and through this union James H. Goodwin, George S. Goodwin, Henry S. Goodwin, Homer S. Knowles, Mrs. Jno. N. Taylor, Mrs. Esther Thomas, Mrs. Louisa Anderson, Mrs. Susan Harker, and all their children, are descended from Thomas Fawcett.

Thomas Fawcett’s eldest son, Joseph, married Esther White, and their daughter, Elizabeth, married the late George Anderson, on whose farm Riverview cemetery is located. Of their children four are living—Matthew Anderson, John Anderson and Miss Lizzie Anderson of this city,[42] and Joseph Anderson, living in Colorado. The children of Thomas Fawcett Anderson, deceased, also live with their mother in this city. Mary Fawcett, another daughter of Joseph and Esther White, married William Hill, deceased, and two of her children are living here—Mrs. Mary Hill-Andrews, of Seventh street, and George Hill, on the old farm north of town.

Julia Fawcett-Humrickhouse was another daughter, and a sister of Mrs. Anderson and Mrs. Hill. She made her home before her marriage with her brother John, who married Julia R. Larwell. Miss Rest Humrickhouse, daughter of Mr. George A. Humrickhouse, this city, is the only living descendant of this branch of the Fawcett family.

Through Elizabeth Fawcett, who married John Nessly, are descended Mrs. Matilda Wallace of Hammondsville, Mrs. Judith McCoy of McCoy’s Station, Jefferson county, and Mrs. Nancy Nessly Winstanley, who was born in Jefferson county and moved to Cabrey, Ill. Her brother, Rev. John F. Nessly, is a minister of the Pittsburgh M. E. conference.

THOMAS FAWCETT’S FAMILY RECORD.

Thomas Fawcett was born in Ireland, June 11, 1747.

Isabella Snodgrass was born in Ireland, March 1, 1754.

Thomas Fawcett and Isabella Snodgrass were married in Ireland, February 26, 1772.

Their children were all born in the Chartier’s Valley, Pennsylvania:

Joseph was born January 16, 1773.

Thomas was born Sept. 13, 1774.

Abigail was born July 15, 1778.

Mary was born June 30, 1780.

Elizabeth was born April 15, 1782.

John was born January 13, 1784.

Isabella was born June 4, 1792.

Benjamin was born July 2, 1794.

Thomas Fawcett, Sr., died September 19, 1820.

Isabella Fawcett, Sr., died December 4, 1825.

MARRIAGES.

Joseph Fawcett was married to Esther White.

Thomas Fawcett was married to Sarah Hamilton.

Abigail Fawcett was married to Joseph Smith.

Mary Fawcett was married to Joseph Hamilton.

Elizabeth Fawcett was married to John Nessly.

John Fawcett was married to Julia R. Larwell.

Benjamin Fawcett was married to Hannah Zane.

Isabella Fawcett did not marry.

EARLY NEW HAMPSHIRE IRISH; SOME PRE-REVOLUTIONARY DENNISES, CORNELIUSES,
PATRICKS AND MICHAELS.

BY HON. JOHN C. LINEHAN.

Among the Christian names common to the Irish people, especially to those of the Catholic faith, few were more numerous, a century ago, than those mentioned in the caption to this article. They were rare among the Scotch, English, or Welsh. None of them was of Gaelic or old Irish origin. They came to the ancient Irish with their religion, and, like their faith, have become nationalized.

According to Lecky, the conquest of Ireland by Cromwell’s soldiers was not more complete than the conquest of the soldiers by their Irish wives; their offspring assumed Irish given names, and were brought up in the faith of their mothers. This was the subject of a complaint against the Irish government to Henry Cromwell, the son of Oliver. How true this may have been, it is needless to discuss, but the presence of so many in New Hampshire before the Revolution bearing the names alluded to, is in part evidence of the truth of what Lecky wrote, and Prendergast commented on, for not a few of the surnames are English in appearance.

Darby Field came to New Hampshire in 1631. The date is so remote that no attempt has thus far been made to denationalize him. Consequently, he remains on the records as a plain “Irish soldier for discovery.” His home was in Exeter. He is credited with being the first in the English settlements to discover the White Mountains. That he was a useful citizen is evident from the provincial papers. How many American Fields are descended from him cannot be determined, but if there are any, there isn’t much doubt that they will locate the birthplace of their ancestor in Ulster. This fad extends even to some children of the modern Irish. The illustrious “Tim” Campbell, ex-member of congress from New York, has been classified as of “Scotch-Irish” descent, and recently a young man named Quinn, of the first generation born here, said, “His father was a Scotch-Irishman from Kilkenny, in the north of Ireland.” A little rough on the city paved with marble, but such is fad.

A good, sturdy representative of the Fields to-day in New Hampshire, as Irish in blood as Darby Field was, is the Hon. John H. Field, who was a member of the state senate in 1899‒1900. His home is Nashua. He is of the faith of his fathers.

Darby Kelly was the ancestor of many American Kellys. His descendants are almost innumerable. Like Darby Field, he, too, was a soldier, as well as a schoolmaster and farmer. Gen. Benjamin F. Kelly, of West Virginia, was his grandson; the latter acquired distinction in the Civil War. The name Darby Kelly appears on the muster rolls of company and regiment from 1748 to the fall of Wolfe and Montcalm.

Of the Patricks, Patrick O’Flynn possessed a military record his offspring may well take pride in. His name appears quite often in the short wars preceding the struggle for independence. He represented the town of Bedford at Bunker Hill and served through the long war which ended at Yorktown. At its close he went West, dying in Illinois. His name appears on the United States pension rolls for 1825, with his company and regiment.

Another was Patrick Cogan. He was quartermaster of the First New Hampshire regiment, serving in that capacity under Stark, Cilley and Reid. He died in the service in 1778. His regiment was in Sullivan’s brigade at Ticonderoga in 1777. He represented Sullivan’s town, Durham. Stephen Cogan, possibly a relative, was a selectman in the same town in 1780, and with him were Joseph, William and Joseph Cogan, Jr.

A namesake, if not a relative of Darby Field, was Patrick Field, a soldier in the Continental army. Patrick Guinlan was teaching school in Concord before 1770. He is given mention in Bouton’s history of that place.

A well-known town in the south of Ireland is Dungarvan, and a well-known locality in Concord is “Garvin’s Falls,” just south of the city, on the Merrimack. The falls are named for Patrick Garvin, one of the first settlers. His name appears frequently as one of the defenders of the garrison against the Indians.

New Hampshire furnished to Iowa one of her most distinguished sons, in the person of the Hon. James W. Grimes, who acquired a national reputation during the Civil War. One of the first, if not the very first, of that name in New Hampshire was Patrick Grimes.

Patrick Gault was the ancestor of some of New Hampshire’s substantial citizens. His name appears early in the provincial papers. As much can be said of Patrick Taggart and his descendants.

Patrick White was the first of his line in the old Granite state. He came to Peterborough before 1740. Gen. Daniel M. White, commander of the New Hampshire National Guard in 1894, was one of his descendants.

Patrick Orr is a reminder of the slogan of 1798, “Remember William Orr.” Many useful citizens of the Granite state bear this name. It is not now so common as it was fifty or seventy-five years ago. John Orr served seven terms in the state senate, his legislative career ending in 1804.

Patrick Griffin represented a name as common here now as it is in Ireland. Simon G. Griffin, brevet major-general, was a New Hampshire soldier with a fine record in the Civil War.

Cornelius Connor represented a name famous in Ireland’s annals and familiar to the readers of New Hampshire state and provincial papers.

It is first mentioned in 1710. The occasion was the payment of a bill presented by him for moccasins, so it is fair to presume he was a shoemaker. The name Connor, or Conner, has been well known in the town of Exeter for nearly 200 years. An Exeter man, possibly a descendant of Cornelius, was Col. Freeman Conner, who commanded the Forty-fourth New York regiment in the Civil War. He was also assistant postmaster of Chicago under the late James A. Sexton, during the administration of President Benjamin Harrison. J. M. Connor, of Hopkinton, is one of the prominent grangers in New Hampshire, and an authority on agricultural matters.

James O’Conner, a native of Ireland, and a surgeon in the Continental army, was among the first settlers in the town of Sanbornton. One of his descendants went to the East Indies and was traffic manager of the Ganges canal in 1869. Cornelius Connor is the first of the name to appear on the provincial records. The family has been prolific—for the Connors are numerous—and is looked upon now as a distinctive New Hampshire name.

Another of the “Cons” was Cornelius Driscoll. His name appears first in 1715, attached to a petition praying for the settlement of a minister in Dover. The name is spelled Drisco, but there is no question about it being Driscoll, for two reasons: first, the given name Cornelius, as well as there also being a Teage Driscoll; “Tim” is the English of Teage; and second, the word Bristol is spelled Bristo. The name is still spelled Drisco by people bearing it. Later it appears spelled properly, “Driscoll,” in the state papers, but an interrogation mark is placed after the name, which is evidence of the mutilation of Irish names by those not conversant with their character. Teage Drisco’s name appears on the records of the town of Exeter in 1664, Cornelius Driscoe in 1725, and John Drisco in 1710. “Driscoll Hill,” in Francestown, is a locality spoken of in the _Granite Monthly_ for August, 1897. Cornelius Drisco was one of the proprietors of the town of Gilmanton in 1727. Still another “Con,” who appears often in the records, is Cornelius Lary. He was in Exeter as early as 1674. Like other old Irish surnames, it was twisted out of shape by the English scribes, so that in various places it is spelled O’Leary, Lary, and Lear.

As is well-known, this is one of the great south of Ireland names. It would be of great interest to “Con’s” countrymen had he kept a diary relating his experience in those days. “The Curse of Crummill” was on the lips of many at that time, perhaps on his. Thirty-six years later, in 1710, the names of Daniel, Samuel, Thomas, and Cornelius Lary appear, perhaps the sons of the emigrant. It is still common in Maine as well as in New Hampshire as Lary. Col. Tobias Lear, of Portsmouth, was Washington’s secretary. Whether his name was Leary originally, cannot be determined. He married a daughter of Col. Pierse Long. The latter was the son of Pierse Long who came to Portsmouth from Limerick, Ireland. Colonel Long was with Sullivan at the capture of Newcastle, and commanded a regiment in the Continental army.

McDuffee has been a well-known New Hampshire family name for one hundred and fifty years. Col. John McDuffee commanded a regiment in the Continental army and some of the most substantial business men in the state are of the same clan. The “Cons” were also represented in this family in the person of Cornelius Duffee, whose name appears in the index of the provincial papers.

Of the Michaels, the most distinguished was Gen. Michael McClary. He was the grandson of Andrew McClary, who came over in 1726, to Epsom, and the nephew of Maj. Andrew McClary, who fell at Bunker Hill, and of Lieut. John McClary, who was killed in action at Saratoga. He was an ensign at Bunker Hill, and was appointed captain in the Continental army later. He filled many positions in civil life. He was the first adjutant-general of New Hampshire under the new constitution, and also served as United States marshal. The family was prominent in state affairs. John McClary was a member of the governor’s council five years before 1785, and of the senate six years. Michael McClary served in the senate twelve years, and James H. McClary, two years; Michael was elected, but resigned, and James H. was chosen in convention to fill the vacancy.

The original emigrant, Andrew, came over on the same vessel with James Harney. Their friendship was carried down to the third generation in the name of James Harney McClary. There were others of the same name in the state, but not of the same family. Whether as Cleary, Clary, or Clery—with or without the Mac or the O—the name is as Irish as the shamrock.

Another of the Michaels who, if not as distinguished as the one mentioned, was a useful citizen, was Michael Dwyer, who was one of the first settlers of Holderness, N. H. His name appears frequently in the state records; he was selectman of his town, and represented it in the state legislature, and it is evident that he was prominent in business and political affairs in his section of the state.

A contemporary of his in Holderness was Capt. Bryan McSweeny, a veteran of the old French, Indian, and Revolutionary wars.

Others of the name of Dwyer were in New Hampshire before Michael’s day, for the name of Edward Dwyer appears on the Exeter town records in 1695, also that of James Dwyer. Time has probably changed the name to Dyer.

Michael Johnston was one of the first two settlers of Haverhill, N. H., going there from Haverhill, Mass. His brother, Col. Charles Johnston, in point of character, it is written, was the most prominent of Haverhill’s first settlers. He also had a son Michael. Whether Irish or Scottish, Johnston is the English for McShane or McIan.

The name Carroll, borne by Maryland’s “first citizen,” was represented among the New Hampshire Michaels, in the person of Michael Carroll. A county also bears his name, and it is quite common in New Hampshire. The New Hampshire national bank examiner is the Hon. E. H. Carroll, and the labor commissioner is Col. L. H. Carroll. A brother of the bank commissioner is superintendent of schools in Worcester, Mass.

Michael Annis, perhaps Ennis, bore the name of the man who built the first house in the town of Warner. His father came from Enniskillen “in Great Britain,” so the history reads, but Ireland would be more correct geographically. Adding the Mac and spelling the name properly it would be McGuinis, McInnis, McGinnis, McGuinness, or Magenis.

Michael Chatterton was the first of the Michaels to appear on the New Hampshire records. He was one of the servants sent over by Capt. John Mason, coming at the same time as Darby Field, between 1631 and 1640. With him was William Dermit. Albee, the historian of Newcastle, wrote that Portsmouth’s first settlers were Celts from Devon and Cornwall. There was more or less trade between the colony in its early days and Limerick and Kilkenny, Ireland, Kilkenny rugs and Limerick bacon being spoken of.

Michael Clark represented another widely known New Hampshire family name, well represented at the bar, on the bench, and in the upper and lower branches of congress.

Michael Fitzgerald was one of the great Norman Irish clan which in time became more Irish than the Irish themselves. Edward Fitzgerald, one of the first settlers of Boscawen, was reputed to be well educated and prosperous. Col. John Fitzgerald was Washington’s favorite aid.

As a rule, the New Hampshire descendants of the Fitzgeralds have divided the name. Some are known as Fitzes, others as Geralds.

Michael Kelly was a grandson of Darby Kelly mentioned, and the brother of Gen. B. F. Kelly, of West Virginia, as well as the father of ex-Mayor F. H. Kelly, of Worcester, and of Capt. Warren Michael Kelly, of Donohoe’s Tenth N. H. regiment in the Civil War.

Michael Lyons was a namesake of the impulsive Matthew Lyons, of Vermont and Kentucky (who thanked God, when in congress, that he was not one of “Cromwell’s bastards”), and also of Gen. Nathaniel Lyons, one of the gallant soldiers and martyrs of the Civil War.

Michael Metcalf bore the same surname as the only Knownothing governor-elect of New Hampshire. The latter, maternally, was sprung from a respectable Irish family named Montague, so the historian of the town of Newport wrote, which perhaps accounts for the appearance of Michael among the Metcalfs; and here was also a Michael Metcalf, Jr., which showed that it took one generation to make the name unpopular.

Michael Smith bore a numerous family surname not confined to any one of the British Isles, but common to all. He was in New Hampshire early, and with him was Patrick Smith. No doubt both were Irish.

Michael Butler represented another great Irish family, whose most distinguished member, produced in New Hampshire, was Gen. Benjamin F. Butler. About the first to appear in the colony was John Butler, who was in Dover in 1647. James Butler was in Woburn, Mass., in or before 1676; his son, John Butler, came to Pelham, N. H., in 1721. They are the ancestors of many of the name in the state.

The foregoing sketches have been written in order to show the kind of men some of those New Hampshire Dennises, Corneliuses, Patricks and Michaels were. A modern Irishman, bearing any of these names, would never have his nationality questioned. All are appended here so as to have them placed on record as another piece of evidence to illustrate the presence of Irish in New Hampshire before the Revolution.

This is a pre-Revolutionary list:

Dennis Andrews, Dennis Bohonnon, Dennis Bickford, Dennis Callahan, Dennis Loughlan, Dennis Hight, Dennis Haley, Dennis McLane, Dennis Johnson, Dennis Sullivan, Dennis Pendergast, Dennis Stanley, Dennis Wood, Dennis Burger, Dennis McLaughlan, Dennis Organ (O’Regan).

Cornelius Bean, Cornelius Brooks, Cornelius Boule (Boyle), Cornelius Blunt, Cornelius Busiel, Cornelius Campbell, Cornelius Cuyler, Cornelius Connor, Cornelius Cook, Cornelius Driscoll, Cornelius Clough, Cornelius Denbow, Cornelius Dunsey, Cornelius Lary, Cornelius Duffee, Cornelius Dinsmore, Cornelius Danley, Cornelius Goodell, Cornelius Innis, Cornelius Kirby, Cornelius Laurence, Cornelius Roberts, Cornelius Sturtevant, Cornelius Thompson, Cornelius Warren, Cornelius Wheeler, Cornelius Johnson, Cornelius Cornell, Cornelius White, Cornelius Cady (Cody), Cornelius Culnon, Cornelius Stowell, Cornelius Davoe, Cornelius Dillingham, Cornelius Neall, Cornelius Uart (Hart?), Cornelius Ludlow, Cornelius Lowe, Cornelius Stratton, Cornelius Osborne, Cornelius Winslow.

Patrick Bourn, Patrick Burns, Patrick Bradshawe, Patrick Campbell, Patrick Cogan, Patrick Clark, Patrick Bonner, Patrick Douglass, Patrick Donnell, Patrick Field, Patrick Furness, Patrick O’Flynn, Patrick Fisher, Patrick Fassett, Patrick Gault, Patrick Guinlon, Patrick Grimes, Patrick Henry, Patrick Jameson, Patrick Kinelty, Patrick Larkin, Patrick Lieless, Patrick McDonnell, Patrick Kennedy, Patrick McMurphy, Patrick Cavanagh, Patrick Furlong, Patrick Madden, Patrick McGee, Patrick McGrath, Patrick McLaughlin, Patrick McMitchell, Patrick Moore, Patrick McCutchin, Patrick Murray, Patrick Murphy 1, Patrick Murphy 2, Patrick Markham, Patrick Garvin, Patrick Tobin, Patrick Melvin, Patrick Landrigal, Patrick Roach, Patrick Tobeyne, Patrick Greing, Patrick Taggart, Patrick Straton, Patrick Jennison, Patrick Manning, Patrick Smith, Patrick Farrell, Patrick Dougherty, Patrick White, Patrick Burt, Patrick McKey, Patrick Pebbles, Patrick Thatcher, Patrick Orr, Patrick Griffin.

Michael Anderson, Michael Bowdoin, Michael Bowler, Michael Barrus, Michael Brown, Michael Arbuckle, Michael Archer, Michael Cook, Michael Carroll, Michael Chapman, Michael Annis, Michael Coffin, Michael Chatterton, Michael Cressy, Michael Carew, Michael Clark, Michael Dalton, Michael Doherty, Michael Doulton, Michael Davis, Michael Dwyer, Michael Doran, Michael Ames, Michael Dearborn, Michael Falker, Michael Fitzgerald, Michael Field, Michael Gordon, Michael Gibson, Michael Grant, Michael George, Michael Gilman, Michael Haley, Michael Hailstock, Michael Heffron, Michael Hoyt, Michael Hilands, Michael Hayes, Michael Hicks, Michael Flanders, Michael Jennings, Michael Keef, Michael Kelly, Michael Lovell, Michael Lanning, Michael Lyons, Michael Lannon, Michael Logan, Michael Ludden, Michael Looney, Michael Larney, Michael Keep, Michael Martyn, Michael Metcalf, Michael Moulton, Michael McClary, Michael Martin, Michael Mann, Michael Miles, Michael McClintock, Michael Metcalf, Jr., Michael Mitchell, Michael Mosher, Michael Poor, Michael Parke, Michael Perry, Michael Quinn, Michael Reade, Michael Ryan, Michael Saunders, Michael Sutton, Michael Stocker, Michael Sargent, Michael Smith, Michael Shalletoo, Michael Tamtor, Michael Thomas, Michael Tebo, Michael Traynor, Michael Tilton, Michael Troy, Michael Tinney, Michael Veal, Michael Salter, Michael Reed, Michael Verli, Michael Wentworth, Michael Worthen, Michael Whidden, Michael Sudrick, Michael Silk, Michael Ward, Michael Vincint, Michael Johnson, Michael Woodcock, Michael Woodcock, Jr., Michael Johnston, Michael Scruton, Michael Fowler, Michael French, Michael Mudge, Michael Herring, Michael Warring, Michael Butler, Michael Burnham, Michael Colley, Michael Dunning, Michael Duff, Michael Farley, Michael Huffuel.

MATTHEW WATSON, AN IRISH SETTLER OF BARRINGTON, R. I., 1722.

BY THOMAS HAMILTON MURRAY.

The town of Barrington is picturesquely located in eastern Rhode Island. It has a fine outlook on Narragansett bay and also borders on the Warren[43] river. It was incorporated by Massachusetts in 1718. In 1746‒’47 the territory came under the jurisdiction of Rhode Island, and Barrington was merged with Warren. In 1770 Warren was divided and Barrington again incorporated, this time by Rhode Island. There are several historic sites in the town, many pleasant drives and a number of interesting caves, woods and districts. The present population is between 1600 and 1700.

One of the earliest Irish settlers in Barrington[44] was Matthew Watson. He located there[45] over 175 years ago and reminiscences of his life and times are still current among the people. Matthew was born in Ireland in 1696. His people are believed to have been Presbyterians, an element that has given many sturdy patriots to the cause of Irish nationality.[46] The family left Ireland for America about 1712. They landed in Boston.

What induced them to leave the old country can only be conjectured. It is reasonable to suppose, however, that it was due to causes that compelled thousands of other Irish Presbyterians to emigrate. These causes were the result of English oppression. The Irish Presbyterians were treated with great harshness[47] by various successive governments in England. At one time edicts of banishment were issued against their ministers; at another we find the government wickedly declaring their pulpits vacant and filling them with clergymen of the Established church. When England had a policy of church or state to carry out in Ireland it could be made to bear heavily on the Presbyterian as on the Catholic. England’s repeated suppression of Irish industries also caused great numbers of Presbyterians and Irish Protestants, generally, to emigrate to America.

The Watson family here mentioned consisted of Matthew, his father and mother, four brothers and one sister. Sometime after arriving in Boston the family removed to Leicester, Mass. Matthew came to Barrington in 1722, being then in his 26th year. He entered the employ of John Read, a brickmaker, and rapidly attained great proficiency in the business, winning the confidence of his employer and the esteem of his associates. In the course of time he fell in love with his employer’s daughter, Bethiah. His affection was reciprocated and the two soon became engaged. The fact becoming known, Bethiah’s father earnestly opposed it. She was his only daughter, and he eloquently represented to her the “folly” of throwing herself away on “a little poor Irishman.” His arguments were of no avail, however, and she and Matthew were married at Barrington in 1732.

It was a happy marriage and her father lived to bless the day when the “little poor Irishman” became his daughter’s husband. Subsequently Matthew purchased the farm of his father-in-law and conducted the brick-making business on an extensive scale. He erected a commodious brick mansion house which became known to the country round about as the “Great Watson Mansion,” embellished the grounds and amassed a fortune of $80,000.[48]

By some it is held that Matthew’s father had also located in Barrington. The original Watson property comprised a very large part of the town. The homestead has since been greatly reduced, however, by dividing it among the children, by bequests and by extensive sales to new-comers. The estate at present comprises about fifty acres, tillable and woodland, held by descendants of Matthew. The land is very productive. There is one six-acre lot, nearly as level as a floor, and which produces rich crops of hay, although it has not been dressed in the past thirty years.[49] Underneath the greater part of the estate is a stratum of the best quality of blue clay within four to six feet of the surface.

This stratum underlies nearly the entire town, cropping out on the bay and river shores. The principal industry of Barrington is brick-making, which has been carried on for an indefinite period. At present 30,000,000 are produced annually. The labor in the old brick-yards of the Watson family was done chiefly by slaves of whom Watson owned nearly fifty. All these he manumitted some time before his death. The continuous transportation of brick to the bay, by these slaves, for shipment gradually wore a roadway more than six feet in depth.[50] By plowing and cultivation this has long since been mostly filled in, though there are still places where the old roadway shows two or three feet deep. Some time in the eighteenth century a law was passed ordaining that bricks should be made of certain specified dimensions. Matthew Watson, the settler, considered this requirement as very unjust, and so decided not to change the size of his product. In order to escape prosecution, however, he ceased calling his goods brick, but instead styled them “Watson’s ware.” As there was no law regarding “Watson’s ware” the plan succeeded, and the old gentleman continued making and selling brick at their former dimensions.[51] The “Great Watson Mansion” was for a long period visited by people who had heard of its dimensions and sumptuous furnishings and who desired to feast their eyes upon so much grandeur.

It is said to have possessed some of the earliest wall paper used in America, outside of Boston. The jambs, mantels and hearth were constructed of marble and imported from Amsterdam. The carpet was made from the wool of sheep raised on the farm, and being the first carpet used in those parts attracted visitors from points even forty miles away. A part of the mansion was recently still standing, and occupied by descendants of Matthew. The present is the sixth American generation of the family. Matthew, born in 1696, died in 1807; having completed 110 years of life and started on his 111th.

It is said that up to the day of his death, his faculties were unimpaired, except for blindness. On the day that he was 100 years old he called for his saddle-horse, mounted without assistance and rode off briskly for a couple of miles. Upon his return, the negro servant being absent, and the great gate unopened, he touched up his horse and cleared it at a bound.

Further interesting facts regarding Matthew Watson are found in an article published[52] some years before his death. It was written at Barrington and reads as follows:

“There is now living in this town Matthew Watson, Esq., in the 105th year of his age, in a pretty good state of health, and in the enjoyment of his faculties, except being blind. He was born in Coleraine in the province of Ulster, in the north of Ireland, in March, A. D. 1696, from whence he, with his father and mother, four brothers and one sister, migrated and arrived at Boston, A. D. 1712, from whence they removed to and settled in Leicester, in the county of Worcester (Mass.), where he hath one brother, Deacon Oliver Watson, now living. Mr. Watson came to this town A. D. 1722, where by his industry he acquired a pretty handsome fortune. He hath sustained the office of a Justice of the Peace in the town, and was formerly a Judge of the Court of Common Pleas for the county of Bristol. He hath been a member of the Congregational church in this town between seventy and eighty years without censure. He hath ten children now living, the youngest of whom is fifty-three years of age, all in a married state, except his eldest and youngest daughters, who are widows. He was born in the seventeenth, lived through the eighteenth and is now progressing in the nineteenth century.”

The foregoing extract was found, in 1893, by the writer while engaged in examining files of the _Providence Gazette_ at the rooms of the Rhode Island Historical Society in Providence. As the article was written at Barrington during the lifetime of the centenarian, some, at least, of the facts were probably obtained from his own lips. The extract may therefore be considered as authoritatively settling certain data which have long been in dispute.

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