The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1891-03-12
HISTORICAL "REMINISCENCES.

in the north of Ireland. Originally they
lived in Argyleshire in the west of Scot
land. They were not in harmony with
the prevailing religious forms of wor-
ship. They were Presbyterians and yet
they were required to pay for the support
of the church of England. Their con-
dition was quite similar to that of the
Puritians and the Pilgrims of England
that led the former to emigrate and settle
near Boston, and the latter at Plymouth,
leaving their homes and country for a
land of larger religious liberty. The
Pilgrims landed in Plymouth in 1920, but
it was nearly hundred years later that
the ancestors of the Londonderry settlers
landed upon the American shores. About
l7lS delegations of these Scotch
Irish Presbyterians landed in Boston and
on the shores of Casco bay, Maine. New
Hampshire was then wilderness as well
as Vermont. Many of these emigrants
found their way there and settled in diff
ferent parts, giving the names of familiar
places to the new settlements. Thus ::
Londonderry, Chester, Windham and
Manchester, all in New Hompshire, re-
ceived their names, when more or less of
them again made move into Vermont,
and established other towns, they called
them by the old names which they still
cherished The towns above mentioned in
New Hampshire are about as near togeth-
er as are the towns of the same name in
Vermont. Chester, N. H., and Chester,
VT, are laid out in similar way, the
principal thoroughfare is wide street
bordered on each side by noble shade
trees.
Two of the earliest of the settlers of
this town bore the name of McMurphy
and Montgomery. The former erected
the first log house in town upon lands
now owned and occupied by E. A.
Brooks; the latter on the farm now
owned and occupied by H. H. Collins.
But little can now be learned of McMur-
ply; he began his work in 1863 but how
long he remained or to whom his farm
decended is not known. 1t came into the
hands of Ebenezer Smith an excentric
unyoked mortal W no in the course of time
built frame house in place of the log
hut. This frame house stood on the pres
ent site of Mr.. Brooks stable. There
was basement story in which the first
school in town was kept.* Miss Nancy
Cochran says she attended school there
81 years ago. Miss Cochran was born
June 16, 1897, and until recently WAC
probably the oldest lady in town. Re-
Gently Mrs. Eliza Mears, who was born
Sept. IA, 1876, has moved into the town
from Bennington county, and consequent
ly takes precedence in point of age. The
teacher who taught in. this school was
Margaret Aiken, daughter of Nathaniel
Aiken and cousin of Miss Cochran. The
room above this was afterwards used as
a school room, and Mrs, Cobb was the
teacher. There was 25 or 80 pupils, but
some of them came several miles.
Ebenezer Smith came from Reading,
Mass, where he had been a member of
the Baptist church, and this circumstance
may account for the fact that Rev, Ger
shom Lane, who was pastor of the Bap-
tist church in this place, lived in this
house for season and Mr.. Smith board
ed with him. MIR. Lanes family consis-
ted of himself, wife and an adopted
daughter. Smith became disaffected with
the Baptists and attended the Congrega-
tional church at middle town, and was
in the habit of holding forth in their
meetings more than was agreeable to the
church, many of which regarded him as a
''little out" Mr.. Brooks has an oil paint
ing of Smith on boards three feet by two
that represents Smith as standing with a
book held in his outstretched hand ad-
dressing an imaginary audience; he has
also an old bible printed in 1853 which is
supposed to have once belonged to the
same party. The painting is said to have
been executed by Asahel Powers who
owned farm that he afterwards sold to
jeremiah Arnold, father of DR.. Arnold
of Londonderry. Powers skill is also
seen on the walls of Mr.. Brooks house
and, also, on those of the Dr. John Glib
son house, now owned and occupied by
Norman johnson. Mr.. johnson has an
old fire board painted by the same artist.
Powers afterwards went west.
Ebenezer Smith built the brick house
about So years ago. He was man of
means and knew how to keep his money,
but the house in those days was consid-
er stylish and costly one. 1t is said that
Smith took but little comfort in it, it was
found that the chimney did not draw
well, and the little man found but little
comfort from the smoke. He lived there
six or seven years, and after he died the
chimney was examined and a number of
brick were found carefully arranged in it
that fully accounted for the lack of
draught, some mischievous hand had
placed them there.
When Mr.. Smith died Avery Stowell
was appointed administrator of the es-
tate, who sold the property to Washing
ton Brooks who had come from Hancock.
N. H. Washington Brooks father had
nineteen children. There is one sister
still living in Michigan, one brother liv-
in Hancock, N. H., and one, the Oldest.
John Brooks, living near Hudson, Mich,
who will be los years old on the 18th of
June, 1891. When he was 100 years old
the children of the town where he lived
made great celebration at which the
venerable man made little speech in
which he said that he chad never used
tobacco, drank intoxicating liquors or ta-
ken the name of God in vain" Washing
ton Brooks died Jan. %, 1887, aged 50
years, respected and beloved by all who
knew him.
Some fifty years ago or more there
stood near the functions of the roads, one
leading to North Derry the other to Mr..