The Republican journal., 1914-02-26
Old Newbury.
More About Lord Timothy Dexter. Some
Old Homes and Personal Recollecti0ns.


the origin of the letters T. D. on the
widely used clay pipe brought a reply
from one of our old citizens, Mr.. Asa +.
Riggs, that they were the initials OF
Timothy Dexter of Newburyport, an &C.
centric character who assumed the title
of Lord and was sufficiently noted in his
day to hold place in the encyclopedias.
Then was brought to light his deals IN
Belfast real estate, and after the sketch
of him appeared in The journal MISS
Maude Barker brought to the office
colored post card view of the Dexter
house and another showing portion OF
the bridge to Amesbury, with Deer
island, on which Mrs. Harriet Prescott
Spofford. the we'll known author. has her
home. The house was, in the early part
of the last century, noted tavern and
dollhouse for the bridges on either side.
This picture brought to mind the fact
that the present writer has at home
portfolio of pencil sketches made some
sixty years ago, which include the Ames-
bury bridge, some of the homes on High
street, Plum Island from the cupola of
the Wills house, and many other views
of places in and about old Newburyport.
Harriet Prescott was then High school
girl, and her first story, 'In Cellar,
was published about that time in The At
lantic Monthly. Many years later her
husband, familiarly known as ''Dick"
spofford, was we'll known figure at the
National Capitol.
Last week the mail brought an old
time Autograph of the Dexter house, with
all the statues in Race and the person
ages they represented given below, with
the following description, which is copied
literally as printed:
"A view of the mansion of the late
Lord Timothy Dexter on High street
Newbury port, 1910. The statues or
rather images have no pretentions to
correctness of character, but are faith
fully delineated in order to convey just
representation of one of the whims of
this most truly eccentric character, whose
many singularities of Conduct and Specu-
lations by which he acquired from the
smallest beginnings a splendid Fortune
are to be found in the Life Written by
Samuel L. Kap, Esq, & Published at
Newbury Port by John c. Tilton.
In Gould Newbury,' by John T. Cur
rier, it is said that the Dexter house, No.
POI High street, built by Jonathan jack
son in 1772, ard later purchased and ac-
cupied by Lord" Timothy Dexter, was
bought in 1874 by Mr.. George H. Corliss,
the renowned engine builder and occu-
pied by his family for more than twenty
years. 1t is now occupied by sister of
the widow of Mr.. Corliss.
Now it is a curious fact that the an
cestors of a lady not native of, but
now a resident of this city, built the
Dexter house and sold it to Dexter. 1t
also appears that several Belfast fam
lilies were more or less connected with
Newburyport. If we mistake not the
late Mrs. Edward johnson and the late
Calvin Hervey were born there. In
Gould Newbury" we find the following
mention of another old house: ''Pills-
bury place, No. 265 High street, was
first the farm of Edward Rawson, clerk
of the town and member of the House
of Deputies. Later he was for thirty
five years secretary of the Colony of
Massachusetts Bay. In 1857 it was by
him sold to Job C. Pillsbury, who in 100
erected a dwelling house, which was de-
stroyed by fire in 1889, and of which the
present structure, owned and occupied
by his descendants, is a copy" We
have reasons to believe that this state
ment is incorrect as to names. Prior to
1889 the writer attended a family re-
union in Newburyport and visited the
old house. A fire a short time before
had partially destroyed the L, and many
OF the visitors secured pieces of the mas
sive oak timbers to be fashioned into
walking sticks, etc. The writer has a
photograph of the house, framed in this
oak, and on the back of the picture was
written by Miss Getchell, the family
historian: Built by Daniel Pillsbury, A.
d, 100, on land purchased by his grand
father, William Pilsbury, A. D. 1867"
These names are no doubt correct, and
the dates correspond with those given
above.
The writer's paternal grandfather,
Timothy Pilsbury, was born in Newbury-
port, went to sea at very early
age, was master and owner for many
wears, came to Maine and when res
ident of Eastport was an unsuccessful
candidate for Congress. Soon after this
election he went to Texas, then Repub-
lie under President Houston, served in
the legislature, was member of Presi-
dent Houston council, held Judgeship,
and when Texas was admitted to the
Union was twice elected to Congress.
Some of our older readers will remem-
Der when the Washington news in the
Boston Journal was signed Perley, the
pen name of Ben: Perley Poore, who was
born in Newburyport in 1920 on Indian
Hill farm, which had been the home of
his ancestors for many generations. On
hill near the house was an Indian wig
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