| Brewster's History Rambles |
RAMBLES ABOUT PORTSMOUTH
His two-volume "Rambles About Portsmouth" are a time capsule to life in early Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Charles Brewster, a mil-mannered 19th century newspaper editor rarely traveled outside his home town. Lucky for us. We are continually adding selections from his 855-page history. A great resource for genealogists too.
See all articles
SCROLL DOWN FOR 150 ESSAYS (in progress)
Read the complete Ramble where clickable
BONUS ARTICLES
About Charles Brewster (1802-1869)
Putting Brewster Online
The Day They Took the Statehouse
Our man Brewster was on the scene
Brewster Poem: Locomotive & the Snowflake
Brewster Poem: Vane of the Old North Church
BREWSTER'S ENTIRE "RAMBLES" 1868, 1872
1. Pring's Visit to the Piscataqua - Smith's Discoveries on the Coast - Vision of the Future - Early Scenery
2. Visit of M. Champlain at Odiorne's Point - The Manor House erected - Gorges and Mason - Emigrants - The Great House - Stock of the Plantation - Relics - Garrison Houses - Early Water Courses
3. Adoption of the names of Portsmouth and Town Lines Hubbard's Sketch of the Early Settlements
4. Fines for Cutting Timber - The Distribution of Town Lands - Names of Inhabitants in 1657 - Portion assigned to each
5. The Cutt family - John the first President of New Hampshire - The Estates of John and Richard - Their Wills - Murder of Ursula - Providential escape of the Waldron Family
6. The Glebe Land - Its Location and Occupancy
7. John Pickering - His sons, John and Thomas - Great Bay Farm - Descendants - The Old South Church - Point - of - Graves Cemetery - The Foot Path
8. The Pickering Family - Incidents of John's Life - Captain, Lawyer, Moderator, Carpenter - Prowness of Thomas - The first South - end Meeting House
9. Tythingmen of Portsmouth - Names of Inhabitants in 1678 - Designation of Neighborhoods
10. The First Meeting House - Seating of the Occupants - Old Inhabitants - Moody and Cranfield - Rogers - Emerson - Scenes at the Old Meeting House
11. Indian Wars on the Plains - Old Roads - Military Scenes - Indian Massacre of 1696 - The Surprise - Scalping of Mary Brewster - List of Killed and Wounded - The Retreat - Pursuit - Breakfast Hill
12. Bridget Graffort - Gift of Daniel Street - Lot for the First Town School House - Ichabod Plaisted - Early School History - Samuel Keais - Style of the Early Town Records
13. Newcastle - The Jaffrey Residence - Atkinson - Church Yard - The Old Cemetery - John and Abigail Frost - Rev. John Blunt - Funeral Items - Captains John Blunt and Family - Cromwell Anecdote - Newcastle Pastors
14. Rev. John Emerson - Rev. William Shurtleff - Trials of a Pastor - Rev. Job Strong and his Successors at the South Church
15. Old House on the Corner - High School House Site - Daniel House - Mark Hunking and Hunking Wentworth
16. The Creeks - First Wentworth House - Samuel and John Wentworth
17. Gov. Benning Wentworth - His Seat at Little Harbor - Its Present State - Molly Pitman - Romantic Marriage of the Governor with Martha Hilton - Col. Michael Wentworth - Washington's Visit there - Cushing Family - Residence of Gov. John Wentworth, 2d
18. Atkinson House - Theodore Atkinson - His Style of Life - Descendants - Legacy to the Church
19. Theodore Atkinson, Jr. - His Marriage - Death - Funeral - Gov. Wentworth's Attentions - Mrs. Atkinson a Widow but Ten Days Style of the Times - Their Town and Country Residences - Lake Story - His Character - Illustrative Anecdote - Departure for England
20. Col. Joshua Wentworth - His Offices - Incidents of his History - His Descendants - George Jaffrey
21. Factory Site - Nathaniel Adams's Seat - Discovery of Lady Stanley's grave - her husband William Parker - Sketch of the Parker family: William, John, Samuel, Matthew Stanley, Noah John 2d
22. The earliest Pauper Work - House, 1716 - Almhouse on Court Street - Clement March and his family - Superintendents
23. King street - John Tufton Mason - his Premises and Family - John Gains - Charles Treadwell
24. Charles Treadwell - his Marriage - Successful Store - Keeping - Building of three Large Houses - Death of Mrs.Treadwell - Her Character
25. The Warner House - Capt. Machpheadris - Jonathan Warner - Paintings Developed - First Lightning Rod
26. Pleasant street - Livermore - The Church - Vestry - Parsonage - Matthew Livermore - Samuel - Edward St.Loe - The Mansion
27. John Sullivan - The House Boy - His First Law Case - His Advancement - His Sail on the Piscataqua
28. Fire of 1802 - N.H. Bank House - Jotham Odirone - His family - William Whipple - The Marriage put aside - His First Declaration of Independence - His Slaves - Prince's Freedom - Dinah - Cuffee - The Garrison House -
29. Description of the Whipple Garrison House - Construction and Use
30. Portsmouth in 1727 - Inhabitants - Property - Location of Neighborhoods
31. Residences on Market and Bow streets - Judge Pickering - John Penhallow - Boyd - J. McDonough - Disappearance on Wedding Night Boyd's Riches
32. G. Boyd's Seat near the North Mill - Grenadier's Heads - Boyd's Early History
33. Ropewalks in Former Times on Islington Road, Elm and Middle Streets - Present Ropewalk on South Street - Improvements in Machinery - Longfellow's Hempen Lines
34. The Old Cellar - Rock Pasture - Myrick's Ropewalk - His Departure - The Buried Gold
35. Vaughan street - The Old Assembly House - Michael Whidden - Nathaniel Meserve - The Stamp Act - George Meserve - Revolutionary Scenes - Liberty Bridge - Occupants of the Meserve House - Old Trees
36. Doctor Moses - Single Tens - Small Glass - Congress at Albany - "Dr. Moses's Bottle" - Conjuration - His Widow
37. Samuel Moses - Samuel, Jr. - Fish Story - Shaving - Theodore Moses
38. Staver's Hotel - John and Bartholomew Stavers - First Stage to Boston - Progress of Travel
39. Earl of Halifax Hotel - Meetings of Royalists - Mob Assault - Mark Nobel Injured - Staver's Escape - John Langdon - French Fleet - Distinguished Visitors - lafayette - Louis Philippe - Washington
40. Scenes on Market Square - William Pottle the Tory - Whipping of a Woman at the Town Pump
41. Residences on Middle Street - Sketch of the eccentric Shepherd Ham - Middle Street - Church Site
42. Sagamore Creek - Origin of Name - Residences - The Bridge - Lear the Hermit
43. Slaves in Portsmouth - Their Standing - Cyrus - Prime Fowle - Cuffee Chase - Sambo Stevens - Peter Warner - Negro Elections - King Nero - Black Court - Continuance of Slavery
44. The Association Test of 1776
45. Capt. Thomas Pickering - Capture of Fort William and Mary - Langdon - Sullivan - Scarborough's Boat Conflict - The Hampden - Death of Pickering
46. Major Samuel Hale - Latin Grammar School in State street - Patriotism - First Province School
47. New Custom House and Post Office - Former Custom Houses - Eleazer Russell - His Peculiarities - Collector and State Postmaster - His Death
48. The Buckminster House - Occupants - Nathaniel Warner's Disappointment - Lettice Mitchel - Wyseman Clagett - The Marriage - Domestic Troubles - Sketch of his Life - Official Acts - Character
49. Eliphalet Ladd - Early Life - Family - The Hercules - The Archelaus - Buildings - Portsmouth Aqueduct - The Challenge - His Death and Character
50. Frenchman's Lane - The French Fleet Three Months at Portsmouth - The Murder - Their Laundry at the Creek
51. Richard Fitzgerald - His Residence - Interview with Com. Hull - His Garden - Old Rose Bush - Love of Flowers - Death of Husband and Wife same day
52. Washington's tour to New Hampshire in 1789 - His own account
53. Washington's Visit to Portsmouth - Committees - Reception - Reply to Town Address - Attendance at Church - Dr. Buckminster's address - Fishing Little Harbor
54. Gardner and Hunking streets - The Old Linden - The Lear House - Tobias Lear, Washington's Private Secretary - Washington's Family - Wahington's visit to Mrs. Lear - Memorials of the President and his Lady - Tobias Lear's Political Life
55. Andrew and James Clarkson - The Pretender's Ensign - The Tan Yard Rev. John Murray
56. Pierse Long - Early History - Revolutionary Sketch - Family
57. Charles Chauncy - Family History - His Interest in the Revolution - Anecdotes - Character - Descendants - Charles W. Chauncy - Finale of the Old House
58. Market Square in 1789 - First Store of Three Stories - Knight's House - the Robber Discovered - Inspection of Travellers and Goods
59. Auburn street Cemetery - First Training Field - Cotton's Burying Ground - Execution of Ruth Blay - Duel by Frenchmen - Leighton's Poem
60. William H. Rindge - Noble Act of an Unknown Sailor - Mrs. Sigourney's Sketch - Disclosure at Death
61. William Brewster - Display of Dauntless Bravery at New York - The Fatal Disaster on Ship - board - A Model of Self - devotion
62. Paved Street in 1780, by an Old Lady - Location of Buildings on the East and West Sides - Dearborn's School - Dedication of his Academy
63. Market Street - Dearborn's Residence - Its Builder - Romantic Incident
64. Jefferson Hall - Its School Scenes - First Public Female School, Montague's - Only Town Grammar School, Taft's - The first Sunday School
65. Gardner's Arch - Gardner Family - William Gardner's History - Sacrifice's in the Revolution - His Appointment and Removal - Thomas Manning - Gardner's Character
66. Daniel Webster - His Residence in Portsmouth - His last Visit to Portsmouth - Public Reception at Jefferson Hall - Meeting at the Cameneum
67. Stoodley's Hotel - Masonic Hall and Ball Room - Etiquette of Last Century
68. Decorations of Market Square - The Packer House - Deacon Penhallow - The Langdon and Thompson Houses - Great Elm - The Old Man's Sketch Sandemanian Church - Brimstone Hill
69. Rev. Dr. Haven Settlement and Residence - Manufactures - Revolutionary Anecdotes
70. Old North Church - Rev. Dr. Buckminster - Last Service - Pew Occupants in 1812 - The Vane's Appeal
71. Revolutionary Meeting at North Church - Resistance against Tea Importation
72. Town Security against Foreign Paupers - Order's for Strangers to Leave - Promptness of Town Officers - Who Built the Forts
73. Newmarch and Billings House - Bell Tavern - Melcher House - Waldron's Jenny Stewart's - Mary Martins - John Francis - The Privateer Adventure
74. Market Street - Bow Street - Penhallow's garden - Penhallow's family - Theatre
75. Deer street - Why so named - Houses of Newmarch,Collings and Fitch - Christian Shore - Tradition of the Beehive
76. Three Generations of Trees - Lombardy Poplar - Sycamore - Elm and Maple
77. The Three Episcopal Churches, of 1638,1732 and 1808 - Richard Gibson, Arthur Brown, John C. Ogden, Joseph Willard, Charles Burroughs, William A. Hitchcock, Rectors
78. Opening of Middle street - The Naming of Congress street - Thomas Manning - Houses on Congress street - Jail History - The Keeper's Story
79. Gov. Vaughan's Residence - North Burying Ground - Buildings on Market Square
80. Pierce Family - Sketches of Joshua, Daniel and John
81. Langdon Family - Tobias - Family Genealogy - Samuel - Woodbury - John - The Revolutionary Services of John Langdon
82. Badger's Island - The Seventy - Four America - John Paul Jones - Progress of Building - Description - Difficulties - The Final History
83. River Scenery - Navy Yard Island - Trefethren's - Pierce's Shapley's Salter's - John Salter - The Cautious Ferryman - The Close
"Brewster's Rambles" Volume II
Alphabetical Index of Names
Biographical Sketch of the Author.
84. Site and Associations of the New City Rooms - Brick Market and Jefferson Hall
85. Odiorne's Point - The First House and First Cemetery in New Hampshire
86. Marquis de Chastellux's Visit in 1782 - French Fleet - Views of Portsmouth - &c
87. Sketch of Henry Sherburne and Descendants
88. Langdon and Sherburne Families
89. Lafayette Road - Langdon Farm - Family Monument - New Rank of American Nobility
90. Atkinson's Silver Waiter - The Record of Deaths in Portsmouth - Lady Wentworth's Picture, &c
92. Theodore Atkinson's Estate - Will of Susanna, widow of George Atkinson
93. Peter Livius the Loyalist - Building of the North Bridge and Mill - Chief Justice of Quebec - His efforts to win Gen. Sullivan to the British Cause
94. Legislation in Portsmouth in 1699 - First Prison - Mark Noble
95. The Old Stavers Hotel - The Party - The Daniel Street Apparition - The Dance - A fragrant Interruption
96. Sketches from an ancient copy of the N.H. Gazette
97. Christian Shore - Freeman's Point - The Ham House - The Waterhouse Family
98. The Pickering Family
99. Pickering House in Vaughan Street - Edward Hart - Gen. Peabody's Perfidy - Capt. Cullam, &c
100. More of Pickering's History - Col. Atkinson - Woodbury Langdon - Revolutionary Incidents
101. Things of 1790 to 1800 - Old School Gentlemen - Respect by Youth - Minor Offenses - Prompt Punishment of Criminals - Justice Penhallow's Impartiality - First Pavement - Buck Street Promenade North and Southenders - Smoking not Allowed - Edward Hart elected Police Officer - His Success, and what produced it
102. The Hart Family - Quint and the Wolf
103. The Sheafe Family
104. James Sheafe - Jay's Treaty - The Effigies - The Riot - The Arrest - The Triumphal Procession &c
105. Insurrection in New Hampshire, 1786
106. The Cutts Family
107. Residence of Richard Cutts - Capt. Thomas Leigh's Sea Adventure - William Bennett, the Hostage - Mis Fate
108. The Cutts and Penhallow Cemetery on Green Street
109. The Residence of Dea. Samuel Penhallow
110. The Old Clock - The Four George Jaffreys - The Jaffrey House
111. Rev. Samuel McClintock,
112. Sketch of Newcastle
113. Newcastle Reminiscences of Forty - Five Years Ago .
114. The Court Martial at Fort Constitution in 1814 - The Providential Witness
115. Fort Constitution - The Explosion in 1809
116. The Sparhawk Family
117. Centennial Celebration, 1823 - The Parchment Unrolled
119. Old Land Proprietors - The March Farm - The Family
120. Incendiary Sketches - Pilgrim Day - The Great Fire of 1813 - The Incendiary
121. Central Portsmouth previous to the Great Fire - Portsmouth Pier - New - Hampshire Hotel - Jacob Sheafe's - Daniel Webster's - North side of Buck Street - The Haunted House
122. Central Portsmouth before the Great Fire - Nicholas Rousselet - The Museum - Sailor Anecdote, &c
123. Central Portsmouth before the Great Fire - Nicholas Rousselet's Courtship - The eccentric Josiah Shackford - His Unparallelled Feat of crossing the Atlantic alone - The Founder of Portsmouth, Ohio
124. Central Portsmouth before the Fire of 1813 - North Side of Buck Street
125. Central Portsmouth before the Fire of 1813 - James Sheafe's Residence - Abraham Isaac, the Jew - Jonathan M. Sewell, the Poet
126. Central Portsmouth before the Fire of 1813. - Stories of Escapes, Rescues, &c
127. State Street in 1793 - Drown Family - Dr. Lyman Spalding - Capt. Peter Coues - Samuel E. Coues
128. Seizure of Arms and Powder at Fort William and Mary - The finale of Provincial Government in New Hampshire
129. The Navy Yard
130. Capt. Daniel Fernald - Residence - Ownership of the Navy Yard - War Adventures - Diddling the Spencer 74 - putting a British Frigate on the rocks
131. Shapley's Island - Small Pox Parties - Incidents and Pastimes
132. The Old Spring market - The Neptune and River Nymphs of the Piscataqua
133. A step over the River - The Celebrities of Kittery in former days - The Spinney Family
134. Our Wharves - Privateering - The Portsmouth Record
135. Our Wharves - West India Trade - Capt. Gilman - Admiral Nelson - Emperor of Russia &C
136. The old Welch House on Bridge Street - Johnny Cunningham
137. John Simes and his Descendants
138. Toppin Maxwell - "Commodore"Mifflin
139. My Brother Bob
140. The Brick School House in State Street - Teachers, former and recent - School Dramatic Exhibitions - Struck by Lightning
141. School House Hill - School Books - Amusements - Slides - Mrs. Maloon's Shop - The Catastrophe - parson Walton's Meeting House - Services - The Beloved Disciple
142. The Old South Church
143. The Old Bell Tavern
144. Witchcraft in Portsmouth and Newcastle - Death of Molly Bridget - Stone Throwing Devils of Newcastle
145. The Former Men of Portsmouth - Ancient Furniture
146. The Episcopal Church Yard
147. The Oldest House in our State
148. The Dead Elm on South Road
149. Fifty Years in a Printing Office- Our Own and the World's Progress