Landmarks in Ancient Dover, New Hampshire by Mary P. Thompson, Durham, N.H. ©1892, Printed by the Republican Press Association, Concord, N.H. LANDMARKS: Demerit's Mill NAMES: DEMERIT, Ely, Jr.; Demerit's Mill. This mill is mentioned in the Dover Records Dec, 8, 1734, when a petition was made for a road "from Demerit's mill to the Mallego road at the Saplings. It was built in 1722 by Eli Demerit, Jr. maternal ancestor of the writer. (Mary P. Thompson) It stood in the fork of the Bellamy and Mallego rivers, just above the bridge, and at a later day was called the Hook mill, from a remarkable bend in this part of the Bellamy river. PG 56-57 - 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. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. * * * * The USGenWeb Project makes no claims or estimates of the validity of the information submitted and reminds you that each new piece of information must be researched and proved or disproved by weight of evidence. It is always best to consult the original material for verification. LANDMARKS: Demerit's Mill NAMES: DEMERIT, Ely, Jr.; GERRISH, Capt. TIMOTHY; GERRISH Capt. Paul; DAVIS, Col. James; BUSS, Parson; THOMPSON, John; BUSS, John, Jr.; WALDRON, Maj. Richard; GERRISH, John; DEMERIT, Ely, Sr.; CHESLEY, Samuel; PITMAN, Derry; In the Granite Monthly of Dec., 1881, is an interesting account of a suit brought against Ely Demerit, Jr., "planter," by Capts. Timothy and Paul Gerrish, by which it appears that the said Demerit and other, supposing the Gerrish right to the rivers did not extend to the branches, had begun in May , 1719, to build a dam across the Bellamy, about eighty roads above the mouth of the Mallego. An action for trespass was brought against him, his estate was attached to the value of £100, and he was summoned to appear at the September term of the Court of Common Pleas. The trial came on at Portsmouth, Sept. 3, 1719. One of the judges on the bench was Col. James Davis of Oyster River; and among the witnesses appeared old Parson Buss and his son, and John Thompson, all of the same place. John Buss, Jr., testified that "the Damm in controversy is between six and seven miles above Capt. Gerrish's upper mill as the river runs." This implies that Gerrish then had two mills at the lower falls. The verdict was against Demerit, and he appealed to the Superior Court. But it was a struggle against one of the monopolies of that early day, which had existed from the time when Major Richard Waldron acquired control of the Cochecho, and his son in law, John Gerrish, control of the Bellamy. Demerit lost his case again; but the Gerrishes, by an indenture of May 30, 1722, finally granted Ely Demerit, Sr., Ely Demerit, Jr., Derry Pitman, and Samuel Chesley, four parts in six of the water-privilege in con- troversy, for two years. PG 57 LANDMARKS: Demerit's Mill NAMES: DEMERIT, Ely, Jr.; NOCK, Sylvanus; DEMERIT, Ely, Jr.; DAVIS, Samuel; DEMERIT, Ebenezer; RINES, Joseph; HODGDON, Israel; HANSON, Maul; RINES, Joseph; HILL, William; Ely Demerit strengthened his claims by acquiring the land in the vicinity, ten acres of which were laid out Nov. 1, 1734, "on the north side of Bellamy river, near the hook mill, beginning at a stake by the road that comes down to the wading-place below the mill." And ten acres, part of a grant to Sylvanus Nock, were laid out to Ely Demerit, Jr., June 11, 1735, beginning at a red oak tree "near his land above the hook mill, and tree north of Saml Davis's house." And so persistently did said Ely retain his hold of the mill he built here that it was still in his possession at the time of his death. In his will of Jan. 10, 1758, he gives his son Ebenezer all his "Right Title, and Interest in and unto the saw mill standing upon ye falls in Bellemin's Bank freshet at ye Hook, commonly so called, " and all his right in said freshet. This mill gave an impetus to the lumber business in that part of the township, and promoted its settlement. It long bore the Demerit name, and became one of the prominent landmarks of Dover. "Demerit's mill" is repeatedly mentioned in the early grants and laying out of roads. The name was often abbreviated to Merit. Joseph Rines had 10 acres laid out Ap. 7, 1735, "beginning at a pitch pine tree on the west side of ye road that leads from Merit's mill to the head of the township, two rods from Israel Hodgdon's north corner." Ten acres were laid out to Maul Hanson, May 12, 1735, "at the Sou West side of the road that leads from Merrit's mill to the head of the town at Joseph Rine's." And five acres were laid out to Wm. Hill Ap. 9, 1736, beginning at the west side of the road, about 10 rods S.W. of Merrit's mill, and bounded partly by Merrit's mill-pond. PG 57-58 LANDMARKS: Demerit's Mill NAMES: DEMERIT, Ely, Jr.; A vote was passed at a town meeting "at Cochecha," Aug. 16, 1736, "that a highway be layed out from ye road that leads from Madberry up to ye mill now in possession of Eli Demerit and others, across over to ye way that leadeth from Littleworth to Mallego, said road to be two rods wide." The cost of rebuilding the Hook mill-dam in Oct., 1758,acc- ording to the accounts of Ely Demerit, amounted to 155 £., 15s. for the work alone, without reckoning the materials. It is evident from the above mentioned records that the true Bellamy Hook is at the mouth of the Mallego, and not the bend in the river below. Another "Demerit mill" was built by the same Ely, Jr., about half a mile south of his garrison, on Demerit's brook- a streamlet that empties into Johnson's creek at Back river. This mill was in opreration till the first part of this century, and a portion of the dam still remains. Dishwater mill, on Oyster river, in Lee, is also often called Demeritt's mill, as the name is now written. PG 58