Category Archives: New Hampshire Women

African-American Soprano and “Queen of Song”: Dover New Hampshire’s Nellie (Brown) Mitchell (1845-1924)

She was born, Nellie Brown, the daughter of Charles & Martha (Runnels) Brown. Her father was a shoemaker turned barber/hairdresser. In the 1850 census, Nellie along with her parents and siblings, are listed as mulatto, which would indicate that both … Continue reading

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An 1872 Manchester NH South Grammar School Autograph Book

This leather-bound autograph book covers several years, from 1870-1874. The ink is quickly fading with age–the beautiful cursive script was written one hundred and forty-six (146) years ago. Each pen stroke is deliberate, created when the inkwell and quill, not … Continue reading

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New Hampshire Tidbits: The Dirty Secret of Colonial Floors

The earliest buildings of New Hampshire had dirt floors. Once they had evolved to wood flooring, the problem arose of how to keep them clean. Rugs and even coarse wool druggets were rare in those early colonial days. Today we … Continue reading

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The Faces and Families of William Leonard Pressey of Bradford MA & Jennie Eliza Stacey of Dover NH

As family history researchers know so well, our ancestors moved around much more than we expected them to. This applies to both the Pressey and Stacy families whose research is presented here. William Pressey’s family lived in Bradford MA, Sutton … Continue reading

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Centenarian, Teacher Extraordinaire, Boston Post Cane Recipient: Merrimack New Hampshire’s Madeline Irene (Nash) Bennett (1914-2014)

New Hampshire’s beloved poet, Robert Frost, once said: “There are two kinds of teachers: the kind that fill you with so much quail shot that you can’t move, and the kind that just gives you a little prod behind and … Continue reading

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