Follow
This project, Early Settlers of Hinsdale, New Hampshire, is for researching the families that settled in town by 1800 or earlier. With the first settlers arriving in the 1720s, the charter of Hinsdale was granted on September 25, 1753.
About Hinsdale
Like most Cheshire County towns, Hinsdale was settled by families heading north due to the Southern New England land crunch of the 18th and 19th C. Located in the extreme southwest corner of New Hampshire, the town is directly across the Connecticut River from downtown Brattleboro, Vermont and directly north of Northfield, Massachusetts. The good farmland in town and easy access to the industry and services of Brattleboro made it an attractive locale for families looking to improve their circumstances.
Per Wikipedia:
Hinsdale was chartered in 1753. It was named for Colonel Ebenezer Hinsdale, member of a prominent Deerfield, Massachusetts family, whose mother had been taken captive in the famed Deerfield Massacre of 1704. Graduated from Harvard College, Hinsdale was ordained to become a missionary for Indians of the Connecticut River Valley. Instead, he would serve as chaplain at Fort Dummer, an important trading post on the Connecticut River, later enlisting as an officer in the army. Then, in 1742, he established Fort Hinsdale, including a trading post and gristmill, reportedly at his own expense. The town's earliest history recounts Indian assaults, raids and captivities.
Early Settlers
There is no "official" list of early settlers of Hinsdale. Names can be culled from published histories, Census sheets, vital records, and other sources.
Some known settlers are:
- John Alexander, killed in Native attack in 1755
- James Barker, killed in 1746 in Native attack
- Mrs. Mary Beal, mother of Ebenezer Hinsdale
- John Beeman, taken prisoner in 1746 Native attack
- Lt. Jonathan Belding, elected assessor in 1753
- William Bickford, died in Native captivity in 1748
- Capt. Orlando Bridgman, built home in 1742
- Jonathan Colbby, captured in Native attack in 1755
- Aaron Cooper, elected field-driver in 1753
- Robert Cooper, built home in 1727
- David Crowninshield, arrived from Rhode Island "at a very early date"
- Persis Crowninshield, arrived from Rhode Island "at a very early date"
- John Evens, built home in 1741
- Peter Evens, elected fence-viewer and tythingman in 1753
- Nathan French, killed in Native attack in 1748
- John Frost, killed in Native attack in 1748
- Benjamin Gaffield, ambushed in Native attack in 1755
- M. Gilson, wounded in 1746 Native attack
- Hilkiah Grout, ambushed in Native attack in 1755
- John Hardiclay, killed in Native attack in 1755
- Abagail Hinsdale, died in Hinsdale in 1739
- Abigail (Williams) Hinsdale, widow of Ebenezer
- Rev. Ebenezer Hinsdale/Hinsdell, the namesake of the town
- Sgt. Caleb How, elected constable and collector in 1753
- Daniel How, taken prisoner in 1746 in Native attack
- Patrick Ray, wounded in 1746 Native attack
- Joseph Richardson, killed in Native attack in 1748
- William Robbins, killed in 1746 in Native attack
- Jonathan Sawtell, taken prisoner by Native Americans in 1747
- Josiah Sartwell, granted 100 acres in 1738
- Jemima (Sawtelle) Phipps Howe Tute, taken captive to Canada in 1755
- Capt. Daniel Shattuck, built home in 1736/1737
- Daniel Shattuck, Jr., elected hog-reeve in 1753
- Joseph Stebbins, Jr., elected surveyor of highways in 1753
- Sgt. Thomas B. Taylor, elected surveyor of highways in 1753
- Josiah Willard, appointed to public lots committee in 1753
- Lt. Benoni Wright, elected selectman in 1753