HISTORY of NEW BOSTON

Approval was gained and a committee was appointed with Jeremiah CUMMINGS the surveyor who laid out the township. Chainmen were Zacheus LOVEWELL and James CUMMINGS. Zacheus LOVEWELL lived in Dunstable (now Nashua) and was said to have attained the oldest age of any man that ever lived in New Hampshire.

The earliest New Boston settler was Thomas Smith. Click here to read an interesting article about him. After Smith came Thomas COCHRAN, Thomas WILSON, James HUNTER and James CALDWELL, settling the east part of the town. On the west side was George CRISTY, and to the south was John McALLISTER. William BLAIR and John BLAIR lived in the northern section. Between the years 1742 and 1748, most all of the settlers were Scotch-Irish, who came to New Boston from Londonderry, Rockingham Co., NH. Directly from Scotland came the settler John McALLISTER. Others came a little later, also from Londonderry - the CLARKS, CROMBIES, McCOLLOMS, and the McCURDYS to name a few. The 1756 and 1790 census for New Boston can be viewed here, showing many of these same names.

Early New Boston settlers were desirous of a preacher and the records indicate that on 28 Nov 1758, the proprietors agreed to send a letter by John McALLISTER to Thomas COCHRAN to convene the settelrs, and agree upon a site for the meeting house and also a suitable location for a public "Burying-Place". Lot 79, on the northern slope of the hill, was selected as a desirable spot for the meeting-house. Land near Andrew WALKER's was sold to defray expenses for one hundred acres of property. Some disagreements arose as to exactly where the meeting house would be, but eventually they settled for a committe composed of the following: Matthew PATTEN, John CHAMBERLAIN, Samuel PATTEN. This committe wrote: "Pursuant to the vote and desire at the meeting held at Dunstable, in the Province of New Hampshire, the 14th of September, 1762, We, the subscribers, have attended the business therein mentioned at said meeting, desiring us to choose a proper place to build a meeting-house in New Boston; we viewed the place or premises, heard the reasonings of the Proprietors and inhabitants of said town and do report to the said Propriety that Lot 79, in the second division and near the centre of said lot, on the south side of Piscataquog River, south of a Red Oak tree marked with letter C, near the grave of a child buried there, is the most proper place or spot to build meeting-house on in town, according to our judgement".....signed 24 Jul 1763 by the committe named above.

New Boston was incorporated by the government of New Hampshire on 18 Feb 1763. The town citizens petitioned Col. John GOFFE to call the first town metting to choose the town officers, to gather money for the town services, and to pay for a preacher. That first town meeting was held 10 Mar 1763 in Deacon Thomas COCHRAN's home. These were the choices determined from the old record: Moderator-Thomas COCHRAN; Town Clerk-Alexander McCOLLUM; five Selectment - Thomas COCHRAN, James McFERSON, Nathaniel COCHRAN, John McALLISTER and John CARSON; Constable - Thomas WILSON; Highway Surveyors - Matthew CALDWELL, John SMITH, James WILSON, George CRISTY, Thomas BROWN; Tithingmen - Abraham COCHRAN, Samuel NICKLES; Hog-Reeves - William GRAY, John BURNS; Deer-Keepers - John CARSON; Commissioner of Assessments - John COCHRAN; Pound-Master for the Mill - Thomas COCHRAN; Accountant - Matthew CALDWELL, James WILSON.

1776-REVOLUTIONARY WAR-1783