Landmarks in Ancient Dover, New Hampshire by Mary P. Thompson, Durham, N.H. ©1892, Printed by the Republican Press Association, Concord, N.H. LANDMARK:Bellamy Bank River or Freshet, Bellamy River NAMES: HAM, Dr.; BELLEW, William; LAWSON, Christopher; LARKHAM, Thomas; WALDERNE, Wm.; BICKFORD, John; WALDRON, Major Richard; BEARD, Thomas; BELLAMY, John; BELLAMY, Mathew; HALE, Wm.; COFFIN, Peter; WHOOD, Hoope; WIGGIN, Andrew; BRACKET, Joshua; Bellamy River. This river rises at Chesley's lower pond, now Swayne's, in Barrington (See Chesley's Ponds), and flows into Madbury where it is joined by the Mallego at Bellamy Hook. Below the Barbadoes region it re- ceives Church's brook, after which it passesthrough the Bellamy district in Dover. At the head of tide water it takes the name of "Back river," and flows along the west side of Dover Neck, and finally empties into the Pascataqua river. Dr. Ham of Dover ascribes the name of Bellamy to William Bellew, who, in 1644, owned a house and twenty acres of land on the north side of this stream, which he sold to Christopher Lawson. His name is otherwise written Ballew. "William Ballew" is the witness of a deed from Thomas Larkham to Wm. Walderene, Sept. 13, 1642 . (N.H. Prov. Pap., 1 :163.) "William Ballew" is also one of the petitioners concerning Wm. Walderne's estate, Oct. 27, 1647. (Ibid., 1:188-9.) "Will Bellew is a witness to a deed from "Darby ffield" to John Bickford July 17, 1645. He is apparently the "Mr. Belley" who had a grant of six acres in Cochecho marsh in 1648. As his name does not appear in the Dover rate-list of that year, this grant was no doubt made in view of his former rights, and belonged to his assignee. The derivation of the name of Bellamy river from Wm. Ballew is doubt- ful. He was a petty land-owner for a brief period, and has left no proof of his importance but, the "Mr." prefixed to his name in one or two inst- ances. Besides, Wm. Ballew's land seems not to have been on the fresh part of the stream to which the name of Bellamy has always been confined, but lower down, on the part called "Back river." "The fifth of September, Anno Domi, 1644, William Bellew soulde (sold) his house situate in Dover, with ye appurtenances, unto Christopher Lawson, with twenty acres of land on ye back river, and thirty pounds in goods, for thirty thousand of pine staves to be paid the first of August, 1646, etc. (County Records, Exeter.) The supposition that Belleman's Bank is a contraction of Bellewman's Bank" is therefore hardly admissible. Besides, Belleman's Bank was certain- ly not the original name of this stream. The earliest form of the name was undoubtedly Bellamies Bank, greatly varied as to orthography. It is so call- ed as early as 1648, the very year Wm. Ballew had a grant of six acres in Cochecho marsh. "Belleman's Bank" is mentioned in 1658. It is evidently a corruption, and one that is ignoble to the ear. It is, however, frequently found in the old records. It is called "Bellamy's bank" Oct 17, 1683 by Major Richard Waldron, Major Richard Waldron, who was at Dover in the time of Wm. Ballew, and may be considered indisputable authority as to the name. The word "Bank" was perhaps added to the name of the plantation here in imitation of "Strawberry Bank" at the mouth of the Pascataqua. A different origin of the name is suggested by the term of "ye old Planting-ground"¹ in the following deed: ¹ "Old planting-ground" was an expression generally applied to the land planted by the Indians. "Runacwitt's old planting-ground" in Kittery is mentioned in the York records. The "Squammagonake old planting-ground" is mentioned in 1686, in a deed from Hoope Whood and other Indian sagamores to Peter Coffin. "Mahermit's planting-ground" in the Packer's falls district, Durham, is mentioned Oct. 9, 1735. (See Pendergast Garrison.) Andrew Wiggin of Quamscot conveyed to Joshua Bracket, Sept. 1, 1719, a tract of land "bounded att a clump of trees standing in a piece of old planting-ground nearly forty rods below Sandy Point, beginning at a stake in a piece of the old Indian ground 15 rods from high-water mark about 40 rods below Sandy Point." Other instances might be given of the Indian corn grounds, which were generallly near the falls or some other important point on the rivers. Thomas Beard of Dover, Aug. 6, 1654, conveyed to Richard Waldron a quarter part of the saw-mill (on Bellamy river), with all the iron works, ropes, wheels, and all implements and housings, with all the logs and the grant of timber by the town, and likewise ye old planting-ground, commonly called Bellemies Bank, With 20 acres more granted, by the town of Dover (See Bellamy Falls.) There were, however, people of the name of Bellamy in New England as early as 1644, when mention is made of John Bellamy of New Haven, merchant, who two years later was lost at sea, on his way to London. Mathew Bellamy of New Haven is mentioned in 1658, and again in 1675, when he had a grant of land at Saybrook, Conn. Bellamy bank, as a locality, is mentioned May 31, 1675, when the commons above Little John's creek were set apart "on ye west side of ye way ye goes to Belamyes bank." The disuse of the word "Bank" is ascribed to Wm. Hale after he acquired the falls next above Sawyer's mills. The name of Bellamy is now given to the district around these falls as well as to the falls themselves. PG 19-20 - Submitted by C. Parziale **************************************************************************** * * * * Notice: Printing the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter informa- tion is included. 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