Landmarks in Ancient Dover, New Hampshire by Mary P. Thompson, 
Durham, N.H. ©1892, Printed by the Republican Press Association, 
Concord, N.H. 

LANDMARKS:Follet's Swamp

NAMES: THOMPSON, John, Sr.; THOMPSON, Jonathan; DEMERIT, Eli; ADAMS, Rev. 
	Hugh; DEMERIT, Ely; DEMERIT, Israel; DEMERIT, Nathaniel; JOHNSON,
	Thomas; CHESLEY, Philip; JONES, Stephen; JONES, Joseph; WOODMAN,
	Jonathan; DEMEREY, Eli; DE MIRET, Eli; JACKSON, Ebenezer; 
	THOMPSON, Jonathan; FOLLET, Ichabod; FOLLET, Prudence; 
	LEATHERS, Robert; FOLLET, Deborah; LASKEY, John; SMITH, Joseph; 
	FOLLET, William; FOLLET, John; 	BRACKETT, Jeremiah; 
	MCDANIEL, James;

	Follet's Swamp.  This swamp is frequently mentioned in the old grants
and deeds at Dover and Exeter, and in the early records of Durham.  Ap. 2,
1694, John Thompson, Sr., had a grant of land from the town of Dover in 
Follet's swamp at Oyster River, on the north side of the mast path.  And 
this John Thompson, in his will of Ap. 12, 1733, gives his son Jonathan his
land at Follet's swamp on the south side of the mast path "where he 
(Jonathan) now dwells."  forty acres of land, granted to Eli Demerit¹ Ap. 
11, 1694, were laid out to him May 31, 1699, at the south-east side of 
ffollet's swamp, bounded north by Jonathan Woodman's land, leaving a path 4
rods wide on one side, for cattle to go into the woods.  Eli Demerit, in 
his will of Nov. 12, 1739, gives his son Ely all his lands "at a place 
commonly called and known by the name of Follet's swamp, in the town of 
Durham."  This land formed part of the estate afterwards inherited by his 
great-grandsons, Nathaniel and Israel, and still owned by their 
descendants.  Thomas Johnson's 100 acre grant near Philip Chesley's, laid 
out to Stephen Jones July 19, 1715, was, when re-surveyed for Joseph Jones,
March 14, 1745-6, declared to be "at a place commonly called follet's 
swamp."  Lieut.  Jones' fence near follet's swamp" is mentioned Ap. 4, 
1752.  His land was above the Demerit farm, on the borders of Oyster river.
This shows that Follet's swamp not only extended along the Mast road, but
up the river, and in the direction of Beech Hill.          
	   This swamp is again mentioned June 5, 1764, when Ebenezer Jackson 
conveyed to Jonathan Thompson 24 acres of land in Durham, "being one half of
the land that belonged to his honored grandfather Ichabod Follet, deceased, 
lying at a place commonly called and known by the name of Follet's Swamp," 
reserving the rights of the widow Prudence Follet during her natural life.  
Robert Leathers and wife Deborah (Follet) conveyed to Jonathan Thompson, 
Nov. 21, 1763, one half of the farm where lived Ichabod Follet, deceased, 
beginning at said Thompson's land, and running along the Mast road to Oyster 
river, then by said river and John Laskey's land to the land of Joseph Smith, 
and by Smith's land to that of Jonathan Thompson, also reserving said Prudence's 
rights. "Follet's Swamp (school) district" is mentioned in the Durham records
of 1794.  It is now called the "Mast road district."                   
	Another Follet's Swamp is in the vicinity of Packer's falls, on the
upper side of Lamprey river, where Wm. Follet had a grant of six acres in 
"Mahomet's Marsh" the 7th, 6 mo., 1661, and another grant of 100 acres of 
upland near "Mohermit's marsh," the 18th, 10 mo., 1663.  (See Moharimet's 
Marsh.)  William Follet was in Dover as early as 1649, and John Follet 
belonged to the Dover Combination of 1640.
	 A third Follet's Swamp is mentioned in the Durham records of 1820, 
when the heirs of Jeremiah Brackett were taxed in Durham for land "at Follet's 
swamp in Packer's Falls."  This land is on the south side of Lamprey river, 
and is now owned by Mr. James McDaniel.  but  in the middle of the last cen-
tury it was  in the possession of a Follet, whose cellar may still be traced.  
The name, however, has been corrupted, and the swamp and a neighboring brook 
are now often called Follard's marsh and 
brook.  (See Follet's Brook.)						



	¹This name, in one record of the original grant, is written (no doubt 
phonetically) "Eli Demery;" and in another record of the same grant "Eli De 
Miret."  The Rev. Hugh Adams, a contemporary of said Eli, writes it "De 
Merit" in his church records.				

PG 73		




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