Landmarks in Ancient Dover, New Hampshire by Mary P. Thompson, Durham, N.H. ©1892, Printed by the Republican Press Association, Concord, N.H. LANDMARKS: Fox Point NAMES: BICKFORD, John; DAVIS, John; BURNUM, Robert; TRICKEY, Thomas; Fox Point. This point is so called Sept. 14, 1642. (See Royall's cove.) It is on the Newington shore of the Pascataqua river, between Little Bay and Broad Cove. It is nearly half a mile long, and is the most prominent headland on that side of the river. Its name is supposed to have been given by the hunters of early times, who drove the foxes they pursued into this long narrow neck, whence it was impossible to make their escape. It is said to have been an old Indian "drive," where the aborigines brought the wild deer to bay in a similar manner. This point was originally owned by John Bickford of Oyster River. "Thirty acres of upland on fox poynt" were granted John Bickford, Sr., by the town of Dover, the 10th, 8 mo., 1653, and laid out by Robert Burnum and John Davis, beginning at a marked tree near Thomas Trickey's marsh on "the letell baye sied," and extending to "a marked tree at the broad cove on the other sied of the necke." PG 74 LANDMARKS: Fox Point NAMES: BICKFORD, John: BICKFORD, Temperance; BICKFORD, Mary; HARRYSON, Nicholas; HARRISON, Nicholas; DOWNING, John; DOWNING, Elizabeth; BURNAM, James; BURNAM, Temperance; HARRISON, Temperance; Fox Point. May 13, 1677, John Bickford and Temperance his wife, "out of love and affection to their daughter Mary, wife of Nicholas Harryson of Oyster River," conveyed to her "twenty acres of land in Dover, bounded on one part by the river of Piscataqua where it leads into Little Bay, said land known by the name of ffox poynt, granted unto said Bickford by the town of Dover." Nicholas Harrison, in his will of March 5, 1707, ¹ gives his son-in-law John Downing and wife Elizabeth, as his eldest daughter, "all his housing, orchards, and lands, at ffox pointe," given him by his father-in-law John Bickford. James Burnam of Oyster River, and Temperance his wife, July 8, 1713, conveyed to John Downing of ffox point in ye township of Dover, two lots at or near ye head of broad Cove at ffox point, one containing 11 acres, and the other 19 acres, which lots were granted by Dover to Mr. Nicholas Harrison, and bequeathed by him to Temperance his daughter. ¹ The Rev. John Pike says, "Nicholas Harrison died strangely insensible of any spiritual good," Ap. 11, 1708. PG 74-75 LANDMARKS: Fox Point NAMES: DOWNING, Richard; DOWNING, Bartholomew; LANGDON, Dr. F.E.; Fox Point. Fox Point was the Newington terminus of the old Pascataqua bridge from the Durham shore. Richard Downing of Newington, Nov. 12, 1793, "for the sum of five shillings, but more especially for the encouragement of building a bridge over the Piscataqua river at and from Fox Point," conveyed to the proprietors of said bridge "one acre, to be laid out in square form, upon any part of my farm at Fox point, now in possession of my son Bartholomew, where said proprietors may think proper to build said bridge and from my farm," on condition that the deed be null and void if the bridge be not commenced within two years and completed as directed by the act of incorporation. Fox point remained in possession of the Downing family till the present century. It is now chiefly owned by the heirs of Dr. F.E. Langdon. The view from the ridge above the Langdon house in fine, with Little Bay at the left; Durham shore, with the intermediate islands, in front; and the mouth of Back river at the northwest, out of which pours a stream to quicken the course of the turbulent Horse Races of the Pascataqua, which may be seen swiftly coursing towards the Long Reach. Dover Point is in full sight. It is a page full of historic interest. PG 75 LANDMARKS: Fox Point NAMES: TUTTLE, Charles W.; VAUGHAN, William; MEADER, Lemuel; KNIGHT, George; KNIGHT, John; WILLEY, Stephen; WILLEY, Stephen, Jr.; Fox Point. Charles W. Tuttle, in his "Historical Papers," pp. 163- 171, endeavors to prove that no Indian attack of Fox Point was made May 28, 1690, as generally believed. His reasoning, however, is wholly negative. On the other hand, Wm. Vaughan, a prominent man of Portsmouth, in a letter written that very night at ten o'clock, asserts that the neighborhood of Bloody Point had that afternoon been ravaged by the Indians under Hopehood, who had been killing and burning within three or four miles of Portsmouth. Belknap, in his History of N.H., gives an account of this attack without expressing the slightest doubt as to its occurrence. And the constant tradition in Newington is supported by the marks of assault on the Downing garrison at Fox Pt., and the tradition of the massacre at Bloody Point, near Langstaffe's garrison. Fox Point ferry ran to Meader's landing at the mouth of Oyster river, on the upper side. It is mentioned Aug. 21, 1771, when Lemuel Meader conveyed his ferry place and privilege to George Knight, son of John Knight of Portsmouth, from whom it was sometimes called Knight's ferry. "Fox Point ferry to Durham Point" is mentioned in 1792, no doubt the same as Bickford's ferry, which is spoken of Aug. 23, 1764, when Stephen Willey conveyed to his son Stephen his homestead at or near this ferry. This land was at Durham Point. PG 75 - 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.