First Social Security

Like cider promised to Hugh and Jane by Alexander and Daniel (Photo:www.atthebarn.com)

(from http://www.somejamesons.com/)
Hugh and his wife, Jane, were both still living November 15, 1782, as appears from the following bond given by their sons, Alexander and Daniel, in consideration of a deed to them of his farm in Dunbarton, NH.

A Bond from Alexander and Daniel Jameson to Hugh Jameson

Know all men by these that we, Alexander Jameson and Daniel Jameson both of Dunbarton in the State of New Hampshire and County of Hillsborough yeomans of joyntly and Severally Bound unto Hugh Jameson of Dunbarton in State and County afore said, Cordwainer, in the Just Sum of a thoughsand Pounds Lawfull money to which Payment well and truly to be made we Bind ower selves Heirs and assigns firmly by these Presents sealed with ower seals this fifteenth Day of November A.D. 1782.

The conditions of the above Bond is such that of the above Bound Alexander Jameson and Daniel Jameson Do we well and Truly Provide and Deliver unto the above named Hugh Jameson and Jane Jameson his wife the following articles that is to say--

Stores of grain and beans (Photo: www.bbc.co.uk/)

firstly to have and Use at their own Discretion the Southwest room in the Dwelling house and Seller under said room and Chamber over said Room with Liberty to Pass from the above Room to Seller and Chamber During there natural life.

Also, to Deliver yearly unto Said Hugh and Jane During there Lives the following articles yearly at their Request, to wit:

Twelve Bushells on Good Indian Corn and Six Bushells of good Rye and one hundred and Eighty wate of Good Pork well salted and sixty wate of good Beef, well salted with a Sufficient Quantity of good Sace such as the farm Produces yearly withy a Sufficient Quantity of Cider as the Farm shall Produce also fifty wate of good flax well Drest such as the farm Produces and Twelve Pounds of good Sheep's wool, and to keep two good Cows for the said Life and in Case of old age or Sickness to find sufficient help to work and all other Things So that they be comfortably Looked after and not Suffer also Suficient Quantey of good fire-wood at the Door Redy Cut for one fire, in Compliance with the above Condition, then the above Bond to be void otherwise to Stand and Remain in full force and Veature.

Signed, Sealed and Delivered in Presents of--

The true intent and meaning of the above Bond is such that if either the above Hugh or Jane his wife Should Die then the one half of all the above articles to be Taken off and not Paid --

Jereh Page

Martha Copp

We know that both Hugh and Jane were alive when they signed the bond and it appears that only Hugh was still alive (and living with Daniel) at the time of the 1790 Federal Census.

On September 23, 1788, Alexander and Danel divided their father's farm. Hugh is mentioned in the division and so is presumed to be still alive, but Jane is not, and so probably was deceased.

It is said that Hugh Jameson aided his third son, Thomas, with his education, at Darmouth College - Class of 1797, in lieu of a stake in the farm.

Alexander Followers Hugh into the Revolution

Alexander's payroll card as a New Hampshire Volunteer after the battles of Bennington and Saratoga

Alexander Jameson (1760-1820) was the first child of Hugh and, his second wife, Jane. He was also the first son born in America to Hugh. Alexander was born in Dunbarton, likely on the homestead, and remained there well after he had a family of his own, having shared the farm with his brother Daniel.

Alexander followed his father into the ranks of the Continental Army (though he enlisted directly into Moore's Regiment of the the New Hampshire Militia). Both father and son could likely and honorably avoided service because it was voluntary and their ages: Hugh was 62 at the time of the Battle of Bunker Hill and Alexander was 17 at the time of the Battles of Saratoga.

As indicated by the Payroll Card (above):
Alexander Jameson
Moore's New Hampshire
Regiment
(Revolutionary War)
================================
Private and discharged as a private



(other side of card)

J Moore's Regiment N.H.

Alex r Jameson

Appears with rank of Pvt on a

Pay Roll

of a Company of Volunteers commanded by Capt.

John Duncan in Col. Daniel Moore's Regiment,

which marched from Bedford, Sept. 1777, to

join the Northern Continental Army,

(Revolutionary War)

dated..........Bedford...................

...................Dec......16.........................,1777

Time of engagement.....Sept....26....,17...

Time of discharge...Oct....25............,17...

Time in the service.....27.......................days.

Rate per month.....L 4, 10

Amount of wages..L 4,....1

Travel from Bedford and Antrim to Beningtown,

135....m. at 3d......L1, 13, 9

Travel home from Saratoga to Bedford and Antrim,

132...m. at 2d....L 1..,2.....

================================

Rations

Whole number ......................................................

Number received..................................................

No. due at 8d.........................................................

Amount..................................................................

=================================

Whole amount ......................6,.....16,.....9...........

Remarks................................................................

................................................................................

=================================

........................................Feaslis.............

(353i)

Brigadier General John Stark

John Starks was born in Londonderry, New Hampshire. His father had emigrated from northern Ireland and settled in the New Hampshire frontier where he owned extensive tracts of land and was the original proprietor of Dunbarton (originally called Starkstown)

Alexander Jameson served as a private with Colonel Daniel Moore's Regiment of the New Hampshire Volunteers. "They marched from Bedford, NH, to join the Northern Continental Army at Bennington, VT, for what became the battles of Bennington and Saratoga in 1777. The militia were originally created to protect the colonies from attacks by the French and their Indian allies. They had more at stake than the regular army, since they were protecting their own homes.

(http://www.womenhistoryblog.com/)

Colonel Stark and his men (without either Jameson) were dispatched to aid the militias of Massachusetts, who were trying to keep the British in Boston. When they tried to push out of Boston by attacking the colonists, the colonists fought back at the Battle of Bunker Hill (June 17, 1775).

In July, 1777, Stark was offered a commission as Brigadier General of the New Hampshire militia. He accepted with the stipulation that he would be answerable only to New Hampshire, that is, not the Continental Army. Soon after receiving the commission he was ordered to depart New Hampshire to reinforce the Continental Army at Saratoga, NY. He refused. Instead, he led his men to meet the British at Bennington, VT, where Colonel Frederick Baum with about 500 men were about to attack Bennington storehouses to restock their dwindling supplies.

Gen. Stark sent out men to gather recruits. With about 2200 militiamen (some with their own guns and dressed for tending fields) 1400 from NH, the rest from VT, NY, CT and MA. Catching Colonel Baum and the British commanding General Burgoyne. Both colonel Baum's 500 men and 500 re-enforcements sent hurriedly from Burgoyne were soundly defeated. Not more than 100 escaped.

The battles of Bennington, VT and Saratoga, NY are not far from each other

The loss of soldiers and the inability for General Burgoyne to gain supplies led directly to defeats at the battles of Saratoga and the surrender of Burgoyne.

This map indicates the succession of battles and the sequence which run mostly from north to south. The Battle of Bennington, the Battle of Saratoga

Moore's Regiment (the 9th militia) with Alexander Jameson was called up on September 29 and participated in the last battle of Saratoga, October 7, 1777.

With the surrender of General Burgoyne on October 17 (10 days after the final battle of Saratoga) the regiment was disbanded on October 27, 1777.

The surrender of General Burgoyne to General Gates of the Continental Army.

General John Stark gave to Moore's regiment a brass 4 pounder cannon captured at the Battle of Bennington.

Hugh Becomes a New England Patriot

(From Somejamesons.com) Hugh's wife, Christine, likely died in the late 1740s, relatively soon after their arrival in American and the birth of their last child, Molly. It appears that Hugh remarried a half dozen years later in the mid-1750s to Jane McHenry, a Scot like himself. It is likely that he farmed the 150 acres he had purchased in Dunbarton, NH as well as being a shoemaker. Despite, or maybe because of, his previous brush with the law "...he took a prominent part among settlers in public affairs while living in Dunbarton.

"He was one of the foremost in calling meetings of the area's inhabitants and in the transaction of public business. In 1773, Mr. Jameson was chosen costable and town collector." That is, as constable, he was an officer of the peace, with police and minor judicial duties. It was probably a good thing he had some policing authority if he was also a "collector," presumably of taxes. In a small town that likely included treasurer duties.

Revolutionary Flag of New Hampshire, later adopted in a slightly different form as the state flag

Hugh's sense of civic responsibility and political involvement soon took on a deeper commitment. Tensions with the British were mounting . Unlike the Dakin line of the family, these Jamesons threw their allegiance in with their new countrymen. That allegiance was about to be expressed in their participation in the Revolutionary War.


"Hugh Jameson was a Minuteman from Londonderry, New Hampshire and after the battle of Bunker Hill in 1775, although in his early 60s, marched 90 miles to Boston and back under the command of Robert Wilson and Lieutenant Joseph Hogg." By this account it would appear Hugh didn't see any "action," since his cohort arrived after Bunker Hill was fought and then returned to Dunbarton. That is not true of Alexander whose participation in the Revolutionary War we will consider in the next post.

"Hugh Jameson signed the Association Test at Dunbarton, November 25, 1776 which made him an early and bonefide patriot."

The Association Test Signed by Hugh Jameson

The Sheriff Comes after Hugh

A later version of the courthouse at Portsmouth, New Hampshire (Photo: CW Wycoff)

(somejamesons.com) "In June of 1753, Hugh Jameson and Robert Parinson were summoned into court in Portsmouth, NW, having been sued by Robert Gage of Coleraine, Ulster, Ireland, for not having been paid the monies due per the agreement by Jameson and Parkinson to do so, two years after arriving in America. Although both Hugh Jameson and Robert Parkinson denied owing any money both were found guilty on September 6, 1753 and ordered to pay in the amount of 18 pounds, two shillings and 4 sixpence, new tennor (sic) bills, as damages for both men, including court costs. This was apparently paid as nothing more is (recorded) of this case.

The court summons for Hugh Jameson & Robert Parkinson (Photo: Somejamesons)

"Hugh Jameson arrived in the new world apparently penniless. Documents associated with the above mentioned court case describe how he was nearly pulled off the boat at the very last moment as the ship was actually weighing anchor and about to leave port. Three men arrived unexpectedly demanding money from him. Unable to pay, a collection was taken by several of the other passengers on board to prevent that from happening.

Homestead in New Hampshire

Queen Anne (Photo: CoinLink)

Soon after their arrival in the colony of New England, Hugh Jameson and his family were living in Londonderry in the Royal Province of New Hampshire. If the name of the town sounds a little to familiar there is a reason.

A little historical context from SomeJamesons: At the turn of the century (1700), Queen Anne (1702-1714) evoked the Test Act under which the Scots in Ulster lost every benefit of the Toleration Act (1689) for which William had fought and had been gained under William of Orange (see previous post). The policies included invalidating their marriages and prohibiting them from holding office. Many left Ireland for America settling in New Hampshire in a place called Nutfield which soon became Londonderry. Wouldn't you have changed the name? King William came through again with "exempt farms" for which they paid no money. That is until the Revolutionary War. Hugh and his family, according to one article, made their way immediately upon arriving in America to Londonderry, presumably to join other Jamesons from the Bann Valley.

Dunbarton with Jameson reference at orange spot (photo: SomeJamesons)

In 1748, Hugh was one of several original petitioners to what was known as the Masonian Proprietors, owners of near by mostly unoccupied lands, for the grant of a new Township, northwest of Londonderry. Hugh Jameson's property amounted to one hundred and fifty acres. The terms of the grant were few. First, was that each "right" was with a cost of 30 pounds Sterling. Actual residence on each lot was required of the owner and his family by a certain date, the first of 30 settlers before the end of May, 1752.

Jameson House (Photo: SomeJamesons)

The original house was built in the early 1750's and at least at first may have been quite small, perhaps only about 16 x 16 foot, as was the minimum requirement at that time. We know for certain that by at least 1782 it was a four room house about 30 foot by 30 foot, with a central fireplace. There was a cellar under the structure and a "chamber" above. The current large rambling farm house incorporates in part the original structure as the northwest corner of the house. A floor plan of the current house from 1987 shows it being used as a study and an "L" shaped living room. The original fireplace is still in use.