Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 10.djvu/114

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io8 Camp 1 071, N. H.

is likely that the old system had its But let me tell you, future Exonian^ special defects. The very poor would Hervey, like John Buncle's Ralph certainly find it impossible to pay Hawkwell, keeps an excellent eating- even the reasonable charges of pri- house, where you may enjoy social vate families. There is a growing suppers and get choice things after a belief that an academy faculty might walk out on the Hampton road or a furnish the family influence wanting pull on the river, provided, all the in the dormitories. while, you have the rem., and if you Even Mrs. Ruggles's tart-stand have not, though you were an apostle would not flourish here. The boys of a boy, Hervey would have verj average at least seventeen years, little regard for vou.

��CAMPTON, N. H.

The following letter will explain From this there would seem to be

itself : no doubt that Jabez is either a cor-

New Bedford, Mass., i-^pt tradition, or an error of the

March 25, 1887. copyest. A reference to the original

To the Editor of the Granite Monthly : record, if it is accessible, would show

There is a little point of local his- whether the latter is the case or not.

tory in New Hampshire which may This statement of Mr. Patterson's

be of interest to some of your read- seems also to meet the objections of

ers. All the published accounts of Rev. Mr. Hazen, in his centennial

the settlement of Campton agree in discourse at Plymouth, N. H., in

saying that the original grant of the 1865, as to the early date assigned

township was to Gen. Jabez Spencer, for the settlement of Campton. He

of East Haddam, Conn. Now D. W. refers to the statements in the Gaz-

Patterson, Esq., who is thoroughly eteer, that the first settlers came to

acquainted with the records of East the town in 1763, or, according to

Haddam, and with the history of the Rev. Isaac Willey, in 1762, and says

town, in a recent letter to me, says, — the evidence is not conclusive. But

"You may put it down for certain the fact that Jared Spencer died in

that there was no Gen. Jabez Spen- the latter year, on his return from

cer in P^ast Haddam. There was New Hampshire, is pretty good evi-

Gen. Joseph Spencer, but he served dence that he had visited the site of

through the war, and died in 1808. his grant in that year. The date of

His brother, Jared Spencer, was born his grant was 1761, and although on

Nov. 5, 1718, and died at East Wind- account of his death a new charter

sor, Conn., when forty-four years old, was granted in 1767, it is probable

on his way homeward from New Hamp- that some pioneers had settled in the

shire. Joseph and Hobart (two of town before that date, the early settlers of Campton) were Respectfully etc.,

without doubt his sons, and Hobart Henry Willet.

married, August 22, 1763, Eunice Barnes."

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