Ghastly and Ghostly Halloween Stories Gleaned from Old New Hampshire Newspapers

Posted on 29 October, 2015 by Janice Brown

With Halloween quickly approaching in the Granite State, many thoughts turn to ghouls,

A ghoul, from "The Giant Crab and Other Old Tales from India," by W. H. D. Rouse, 1897

A ghoul, from “The Giant Crab and Other Old Tales from India,” by W. H. D. Rouse, 1897

ghost, skeletons, and everything haunted or creepy.  This need to scare ourselves silly is not a modern day occurrence.  In looking back to the ancient newspapers, reporting strange happenings were probably more prevalent–evidence of the early “sensationalism” of the press to increase subscriptions.

In a prior year I wrote about Haunted Houses in New Hampshire and nearby places.  I have also written about strange hauntings, body snatchings, haunted New Hampshire history, and really bad poetry.   Here is a link to a recap of them all.  Meanwhile, I hope you will enjoy the strange, and sometimes gruesome humor in the following real stories gleaned from New Hampshire newspapers. Continue reading →

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Ezra T. Rumery: Carpenter of Strafford, New Hampshire (1805-1865)

Posted on 25 October, 2015 by Janice Brown
Rumery ET watermarked

Ezra T. Rumery (1805-1865)

 

Ezra T. Rumery was born in Effingham, New Hampshire, and lived in Strafford County New Hampshire, locations that is to this day, are still very much rural.  He was a carpenter, and his son (and namesake) apprenticed with him to learn the trade. Carpentry in the Civil War years could cover everything from house building to ship building.

Ezra’s ancestors were from Maine, and for at least a few generations, none of them lived too far from the sea.  He died in May of 1865, a month after the end of the Civil War, of consumption. Continue reading →

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The Face of Addie G. (Whittemore) Tallant of Pembroke New Hampshire (1850-1875)

Posted on 21 October, 2015 by Janice Brown
Photograph of Addie G. (Whittemore) Tallant, taken at MGC Kimball photographer in Concord NH circa 1870

Photograph of Addie G. (Whittemore) Tallant, taken at MGC Kimball photographer in Concord NH circa 1870

A lovely woman sat very still for a profile portrait at M.G.C. Kimball, Photographer, at the corner of Main and School Streets in Concord New Hampshire, probably in the early 1870s. Her naturally curly hair is carefully coiffed. She wears delicate earrings and a chain necklace.

She is Addie G. (Whittemore) Tallant, daughter of Aaron & Arianna S. (Barstow) Whittemore, fourth child and third daughter. Her parents would go on to have six more children. Addie grew up in, married and spent most of her life in the tiny town of Pembroke, New Hampshire.

She married in 1870 to John Gilman Tallant, but sadly she would die in 1875, at the age of 25 after having given birth to three children, the youngest being 5 months old at that time. Her death certificate states she died from pthisis, which is an old term for consumption, or tuberculosis. The disease was prevalent in this time, and took many lives of both young and old. Continue reading →

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Sewall D. Batchelder and Rebecca P. Kilborn of Concord New Hampshire and Other Places

Posted on 17 October, 2015 by Janice Brown
Tintype photograph marked Sewall Batchelder. Civil War Veteran, Co. G. 2nd NH Infantry

Tintype photograph marked Sewall Batchelder. He was a Civil War Veteran, in Co. G. 2nd NH Infantry

The faces of Sewall D. Batchelder and his first wife, Rebecca Page Kilborn gaze out from their photographs with serious faces. Oh yes, I know that in those days people rarely smiled for their formal portrait, however the intensity of these faces seem stronger than usual to me.

In Sewall’s case, perhaps he was a serious man because he had experienced the horrors of the Civil War. He enlisted at the tender age of 18, in Company G, New Hampshire 2nd Infantry Regiment on 21 April 1863. He was mustered out on 19 December 1865 at City Point, VA, still only 20 years old. For much of his life he worked at the serious job of “gate tender” for the railroad. People would die if he was not attentive to his duty. Hand cranked railroad gates started in the year 1874–it was mechanical with chains and cables underground. During his lifetime Sewall spelled his surname various ways, as Batchelder, Bachelder and Bachellor. He was also possibly a bigamist. Continue reading →

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Some Descendants of John Brown of Hampton, New Hampshire

Posted on 13 October, 2015 by Janice Brown
the common hampton falls nh

The Common, Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, from an old postcard.

I can almost see a few of my readers, shaking their heads in dismay, as they look at the title.  Oh no!  Not another Brown family.  The Brown surname in New Hampshire is about as prevalent as leaf peepers in the Fall–they are everywhere, and they look so much alike.  I myself have two Brown connections, only not with the Brown line I am about to present to you.

John Brown was one of the earliest settlers of what is now Hampton, Rockingham County, New Hampshire.  He and his wife, Sarah Walker, had several children.  However, in this article I will follow only one of John Brown’s lines to David Brown, 7th generation who was living in Sanbornton, New Hampshire. Continue reading →

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