Person Page 641

From "History of Hampton, New Hampshire, by Dow, Vol. 1"

From "A collection of Sanborn Family Genealogies" by Elmer C. Sanborn, page 17

He was a quaker and this article is great about him. From the DowRootsweb

From Shannon and her information on Ancestry.com dated 11 2001

From : Ancestors of Karen R. Brooks: Dows; Has the following info:

Jeremiah, lived through and in his person typified the culmination of the Quaker movement. In his young manhood every person in his community was Quaker and regular attendance at all meetings was universal. He lived to see the loss to Quakerism of every one of his children, to see himself left absolutely alone, deserted, impoverished almost to the point of pauperism, to see the uncared for home in which he died at the age of about 96. Until father Joseph died all went fairly well. He was able to fend off all harm and the even more powerful Captain saw to it that no man injured his brother's family. Trouble began in 1701, when the authorities decided to levy forcibly upon the Quakes for their share of the Minister's tax. No Quaker would pay for the support of what he considered the greatest of abominations, hiring ministry. There was a poll tax, from which one was free by servicing in the militia. Consequently, every man of proper age served in the militia. The Quakers were willing to pay this poll tax, but the authorities decided to administer fines for refusing to perform military service. Constables took the guns from those fined and that is why there were free guns when the great Indian raid 1703 occurred. Jeremiah's debts grew and part of his farm was sold. His wife and sister and all his children died before him.

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In 1701, John Collins, Henry Dow, Jeremiah Dow and Joseph Dow, Jr., members of the Quaker Society, were living in that part of Seabrook, over which the town of Salisbury then exercised the right of jurisdiction and taxation. “And this year, Isaac Morrill, Jr., constable for the year 1700, took from Jeremiah Dow a quart pot, a pair of fire-tongs, a tray and a cake of tallow, to satisfy the Hireling Minister, Caleb Cushing, for preaching.” The same day he took a gun from Richard Smith, “to pay the priest for preaching in Salisbury.” After a few years the Quakers were exempted from paying a minister’s rate.

The following text is taken from The Book of Dow, pg 91-92:

Half of the men of Hampton had come from England to escape from persecution on account of their religious beliefs by those who adhered to the Established Church, many fleeing to Holland to save their own lives and limbs. Yet, in less than a full generation, these very men (all the ruling class of them) had become persecutors of those who differed in faith, much more relentless, much more barbarous than their own persecutors had been. It must be imagined that there were a few in Hampton who looked upon this infamous whipping with horror, who in an uncharitable age held some vague notion of the milk of human kindness. Nothing makes religious converts like persecution. No one dared open his mouth in remonstrance, much less express sympathy with a new, strange faith which carried humility and forgiveness to an incomprehensible extent. But :-many thought it over. It was 30 years before it was legally safe to become a Quaker, and even after that it was suicidal for any ambitious man. It precluded service in army or militia, it was a bar to all political life, depending on popular election or not. It was social ostracism. Town and church were a unit, the minister the central figure. He above all fought the man or woman who did not yield blind subservience to him. Against the Quaker, also, was discrimination in everyday business; the non-Quaker would not trade if he could find another market.

Yet, the very night of that whipping there were waverers; in a dozen years a dozen citizens had more or less secretly embraced the faith. The leading spirits were Joseph Dow, sturdy and ever unafraid, and Abraham Perkins, son of Abraham, styled the Father of Hampton. Tradition says that Joseph joined in 1675, when he was 34. His wife was equally an enthusiast. In 1683 came trouble. Joseph and other jury-men, all Quakers were passing the Governor's house (the notorious Cranfield), were invited in and friendly received, but on asking the question whether they might not when sworn (as before they had done) hold up their hands instead of kissing the Book, the Governor fell into a rage and asked them how they came there, to whom Dow replied "at your honor's invitation." Mr Cranfleld complained of this matter to the next court as a riot. Dow was forced to give 100 £ bonds for his appearance next session. When Dow appeared nothing was alleged against him, he was discharged and his arms restored; but at another session, after Dow was called again on the same bond, and the penalty was enforced against him, he was forced to flee out of the province with his wife and nine children, leaving his house and goods, with the corn in the ground, to the Governor.

This paragraph is in the words embodied in the complaint against the Governor. It is only one in a hundred. Capt Henry Dow framed it and many others, taking up cudgels for his brother with diplomatic caution. It may be remembered that the two pages torn out of his secret diary are just of the dates to cover these matters. The two Dows and Mr Weare held many conferences, and Mr Weare undertook the journey to London, where he was at least half successful. Cranfleld was at once transferred to a West Indian post, but the colony ran much risk of having as his successor the notorious Walter Barefoote.

Some amends for loss of crop were made to Joseph Dow, who returned in the fall of 1683, but this was not by Cranfleld. The Friends met and quickly evolved a plan to sell out in Hampton village and move southward. Another small circle had come into existence in Amesbury, and a move in their direction might be advantageous. The new site had been carefully surveyed by Joseph Dow.

As farm land it was as good as that in Hampton, barring the salt hay crop. It could be bought for a small fraction the cost of similar acreage near Hampton village. About this time Joseph was at the height of his material prosperity, so he bought as freely as his means afforded. He took 20 acres in Salisbury once owned by Francis Dow and about nine pieces in all, from 20 to 50 acres each. At a point just over the Seabrook border the first meeting house was put up, following plans made, no doubt, years previously. Here the community began as wholly Quaker. It made once and for all an impassable gulf between Hampton and Seabrook. Capt Henry Dow, astute political leader, tactful diplomat, could not be expected to show sympathy with the outcast faith; his son Dea Samuel Dow was orthodox of the orthodox. Between Henry and Joseph Dow, however, there was a lifelong brotherly love. No appeal from one to the other was ever disregarded. Thereafter, however, the two great genealogical lines never met. Quaker sought Quaker in marriage and dismissed such as married outside the Society. On the other hand, church people were seldom inclined to risk the social consequences of marrying into a Quaker family.

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The will of Joseph Dow of Hampton, 1703Return to probate indexIn the Name of God Amen

I Joseph Dow of Hampton, in ye Province of New Hampshire in New England haveing through Gods goodness, still my understanding & Memory, in some good measure, * * *

2ly: I give unto Mary my Beloved Wife, my best Bed with all things therunto belonging my best Iron Pot, Iron Kettle, tramell, Bible, warming Pan thre Cyder Barrels and such other of my Household goods as she shall have occation of for hir own use (not heerafter otherwayes Disposed of) for Ever.

Also, I give unto my wife so long as shee shall Remain a Widdo, yearly and Every year hir liveing in the House yt I now live in, withe so much Cham'ber Room, & Cellar Room as shee shall have occation of for hir own use, and also yearly, & Ever year so long as shee Remain a widdo ten bushels of Indian Corn, one bushel of Wheat, one bushel of Rye, two bushels of Malt, one hundred & twenty pound of Pork neat weight Eighty pound of Beef, thirty pound of Mutton, (all good & marchantable) also the milk of two Cows, three Barrels of Cyder, twelve Bushels of Apples for Winter, and what Apples shee shall have occation for in the sum'er, ten load of wood Cut fit for the fire, also ten pound of Cotten Wool & flax, twelve pound of sheeps wool, all to be payd Annually (so long as my wife Remain a widdo) by my son Josiah.

3ly: I give to my beloved son Joseph, beside what I have already given him, Emediately after my Deceass, my part of a Lott of Land neer grape Hill (so Called) layd out to the name of Cobham, my Com'onage in Salisbury, and after my wives Deceas, or marriage one half of my peece of marsh bought of Richard Hubbard, yt is one half of that which layeth to the westward of the Iland of upland Joyning to his own Marsh, to him his heirs & Assignes for Ever.

4ly: I give to my beloved son John beside what he hath alredy had, Emediately after my Deceas, my Lot of Land in the North Division (so Called) being in Hampton, and a Quarter of my share of Cow Com'on in Hampton.

5ly: I give to my beloved Son Henery Emediately after my Deceas; My House, & Barn & orchard at Salisbury, & about Eleven Acres of Land as it is alredy bounded and in his possesion. And after my Wifes Deceas, or Marriage my peece of marsh Laying neer the westerly End of the Cross Beach so Called. to him his heirs & Assignes for Ever he paying such Legecyes as Heerafter mentioned, to be payd by him.

6ly: I give to my beloved Son Jeremiah, Emediately after my Deceas, about thirteen Acres of Land at Salisbury, as it is alredy bounded on which his House, & Barn standeth, & is alredy in his Possession; and my Cross Cutt Saw. And after my wifes Deceas, or Marriage, my Peece of marsh on the southerly side of the Cross Beach Joyning in part to his own marsh to him his heirs and Assignes for Ever.

7ly: I give to my beloved Son Josiah, Emediately after my Deceas my House & Land I now live upon, Barn, orchard, out houses being in Hampton, Cellars Cyder mill, press, Also my six Acres of marsh bought of Thomas Philbrick, one half of my part of flats at the Beach that is undivided, four Acres of my Lott in Halls farm at the End of my Lott next to Thomas Crams, a small peece of marsh in that Lott I bought of Richard Hubbard, between the Iland and the River, also my Lott of Land in the west Division, my peece of Land bought of Wymond Bradbury, one Quarter of my share of Cow Com'on in Hampton. also all my stock of Cattle, sheep, & swine, all my Implements of Husbandry, & Hat Boate. Also my Broadest Loom, with one half of all the tackleing belong to weaveing, my Books, and Box of wrightings my Chest Dated . . . with what is in it, my biggest Iron Pott, tow Comb, Beding and Bed Cloathes not otherwayes disposed of in this my will, Cyder Cask and such other things belonging to the House as my wife hath not occation of for hir own use all abovesd to him, his heirs, & Assignes for Ever, always Reserving House Room & Cellar Room for my wife as aforesd.

Also I give unto him all Debts Due unto me of one sort or other.

Also, I give unto my son Josiah, the use & Improvement of all my other marsh, & mowing ground, flatts, and the Rest of my Lott in Halls ffarm within fence, so long as my wife shall Remain a Widdo. Always provided, that he doth perform what I have ordered him to do.

8ly I give unto my beloved Son Thomas, Emediately after my Deceas, about thirteen Acres of Land in Salisbury as it is alredy bounded Joyning to the Land given to my son Jeremiah, also my Peece of Land in the great Plain (so Called) if I have not occation to sell that peece in my Life time. also I give unto him one Quarter of my share of Cow Com'on in Hampton. Also I give unto him after my Wifes Deceas, or Marriage my Ditch medow so Called, to him his heirs, & Assignes for Ever.

9ly I give to my beloved son Samuel, at the age of twenty one years about fower acres of Land at the south End of my Lott in Halls farme which is not fenced, my grant of Land at the New Plantation, and one Quarter of my share of Cow Com'on in Hampton, also my Narrowest Loom, & one half of my tackling belonging to weaveing. And after my Wifes Deceas, or marriage, I give unto him the Rest of my Lott in Halls farm (Excepting fower Acres given to Josiah.) and also my Peece of mowing ground on the North side of the Cross Beach which is already Divided to Me, to him, his heirs & Assignes for Ever.

Item, I give to my beloved Daughter Mary, the Bed shee useth to lay upon with all things therunto belonging; also ten pounds in marchantable Pay at mony price, to be payd as followeth: forty shillings in the month of October that shall happen to be six compleat Kallender months after my Deceas: and so Annually in October forty shillings a year untill the ten pounds be payd. this to be payd by my son Josiah.

Itt: I give to my Beloved Daughter Han'ah ffowler, twelve pounds in marchantable pay at mony price, to be payd as followeth: fower pounds in the month of October, that shall happen to be six Compleat Kallender months after my Deceas, and so fower pounds in the month october yearly untill the twelve pounds be payd. this twelve pounds to be payd by Son Henery.

Item, I give to my Beloved Daughter Charity, twelve Pounds in Marchantable pay at mony price, to be payd as followeth: forty Shillings in the month october, that shall happen to be six Kallender months after my Deceas, and so forty shillings every year in the month october untill the twelve pounds to be payd. this twelve pounds to be payd by my Son Josiah. Also it is to be understood that if it be no six Kallander months from the time of my Deceas, to the next following october, then the first payment to Every one of my Daughters is to be the next october following. and no horse Kind to be payd to any of my Daughters without their Consent.

Itt: After my wifes Deceas or marriage, I give unto my sons, Henery, Jeremiah, Thomas, & Samuel the other half of my part of the flats at the Beach that is not yet Divided, (between my sons Joseph & John and myself.) to them their heirs & Assignes for Ever.

It: My Will and Desire is, that my son Samuel should Live with my son Josiah, untill such time as he is twenty one years of Age, my son Josiah finding him Convenient Meat, Drink, Cloathes, washing & Lodging, and Teaching him the trade of Weaveing to the utmost of his Abillity, Also to be helpfull to him in his Wrighting & Arithmatick. And for my grandchild Philip that now liveth with me I leave to his ffather, & my son Josiah to agree Concerning him.

Lastly I Do Constitute, & Appoint my son Josiah, my sole Executor to this my will, & Testament, written with my own hand. And for the further Confirmation therof I have hereunto sett my hand, & Seal, this twenty & ninth day of the first month in the year of our Lord, one Thousand seven hundred & three

Joseph Dow [seal]

Signed, & Sealed in thepresence of us as WitnessesJonathan PhilbrickJohn ffrenchwilliam BrownJoseph mecres

[Proved April 19, 1703.]

[Inventory of the estate of Joseph Dow, who died April 4, 1703; amount, £369.12.0; signed by Benjamin Brown and Moses Swett.].