Deacon Samuel Wightman Family from Walpole As It Was and As It Is (1880) Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by MLM, Volunteer 0000130. For the current email address, please go to http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00001.html#0000130 Copyright. All rights reserved. ************************************************************************ Full copyright notice - http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm USGenWeb Archives - http://www.usgwarchives.net ************************************************************************ Surname: WIGHTMAN Source: Walpole As It Was and As It Is by George Aldrich, The Claremont Manufacturing Co., Claremont, N.H., 1880, pages 385-387 WIGHTMAN, SAMUEL, Deacon.--The Wightmans have mostly disappeared from town, there being but one family bearing the name now residing here. The following imperfect account is given, owing to the want of proper data in relation to the succession of births. Samuel Wightman came to this town when somewhat advanced in life, from Rehoboth, R.I., in 1801, and purchased, of Isaac Redington, three hundred and fifty acres of land, lying in the vicinity of the mouth of Cold River. The land had been owned previously by Col. John Bellows, and he had erected, on the site of the residence of Thomas N. Keyes, a public house--since burned--for his son Josiah. To this house Mr. Wightman moved his family, and remained there two or three years, and in the mean time built what is now known as the Carpenter stand, near the railroad station at Cold River; removed soon after its completion, and spent the remaining portion of his days there, living with his son-in-law, Zachariah Carpenter, to whom he had deeded that portion of his property. He died Dec. 26, 1827, aged 89; his wife, Amy, died March 12, 1837, aged 98. Deacon Wigtman’s family consisted of eight children,--three sons and five daughters,--of whom Israel was the oldest, who died March 21, 1838, aged 74 years. Ch. I. Israel. The father gave his son Israel the place on the plain, which was the largest portion of his estate, where he lived during life, after coming to Walpole. He m. Frances Allen, of Providence, R.I., and had ten ch.: 1st, Samuel Allen, m. Matilda, dau. of Salmon Bellows, and went to Ashtabula, Ohio. 2d, John, m., first, Laura Guild, of Rockingham, Vt., and had three ch.,--two living,--one of whom, Henry G., m. Harriet E. Gates, May 1, 1851. (See Ap.) John m., second, Martha E., dau. of Henry W. Cooper, of Charlestown, N.H., who was the widow Philips. 3d, Herman, d. young. 4th, Herman, m. a Lovell, of Claremont, N.H. 5th, Sarah, m. Nathan Walker, April 15, 1811, but did not settle in town. 6th, Maria, m. first, John Drown, of Providence, R.I, who left her, and she m. a Sherman. 7th, Hannah B., m. Capt. Aden Henry, Sept. 5, 1820, by whom she had a daughter, Mary R., who m. Loren C. Frost, of Keene, Sept. 29, 1847. Mrs. Henry afterwards m. Elisha Mayo. 8th, Pamelia, m. Dea. Amos Wood, and d. in town. 9th, Content, m. Stephen Johnson, of this town, April 23, 1823. (See Johnson family.) 10th, Frances, m. Gardner Philips, and settled on the homestead of his father-in-law. II. George, m. and went to Chester, Vt. III. Samuel, m. and settled in Providence, R.I. IV. Betsey, never married. V. Lydia, m. Zachariah Carpenter, of Providence, R.I., and lived there a few years, when she, with her husband, came to Walpole and spent their days caring for her aged parents at the old Wightman stand. VI. Nancy, m. Almarian Parker, and d. in town, without issue. VII. Frances, m. Joseph Bridge, of this town, who was by trade a hatter, and had a shop in the building now occupied as a dwelling by Mrs. Kendall. He had two sons who married two daughters of Nathaniel Holland, both of whom went to St. Louis, Mo., and became very wealthy. (See Holland.) Mr. Joseph Bridge subsequently removed to Arlington, Vt. VIII. One daughter, whose Christian name is unknown, m. a lawyer by the name of Kennicut, of Rhode Island, by whom she had a son who became eminent in the profession of his father. Many anecdotes are related of the doings at the old Carpenter stand during the lifetime of Dea. Wightman. The following is given as a specimen: During the time deacon Wightman was keeping the Carpenter tavern, at the foot of the mountain, several lumbermen were boarding at his house, who were cutting timber on the mountain. When it came night they amused themselves by playing pranks on each other or some one else. After supper, one night, one of the party told the deacon that he had found a partridge’s nest that day with sixteen fresh eggs in it, and had brought them down; and if he would find rum and sugar the company should be regaled with egg-nogg, to which proposition the deacon not reluctantly assented. In the meantime one of the party went to his barn and purloined hen’s eggs sufficient for the occasion. The party contrived to break the eggs unseen by the deacon. When the nogg was duly prepared, foaming in the mug, the deacon was presented with it first, in deference to age. He was not loth to accept the proffered courtesy, and grasped the mug and began to sip and taste, sip and taste, till the company began to think that he was imbibing the lion’s share, when he placed the mug upon the counter, at the same time ‘smacking’ his lips. One of the party then asked him how he liked partridge-nogg, when he replied, "Amazing good! Amazing good! but I think it tastes a l-e-e-tle of the wild!"