History of Alstead, (Cheshire County) New Hampshire United States of America

Our database does not include an historic photo for Alstead, (Cheshire County) New Hampshire, do you have one you would like to contribute? Contact Us!

Biographies:

Salma Hale, historian, was born in Alstead, N.H., March 7, 1787; son of David and Hannah (Emerson) Hale; grandson of Joseph and Abigail (Smith) Hale, and of Josiah and Sarah Emerson; and a descendant of Thomas Hale who came from Hertfordshire, England, to Newbury, Mass., in 1635. Salma was the third of fourteen children. He learned the trade of printer and prepared an English grammar which was published in Worcester, Mass., in 1804. He revised this work and republished it in New York city in 1831 as "A New Grammar of the English Language." He was married, Jan. 4, 1820, to Sarah Kellogg, daughter of Seth and Susan King of Suffield, Conn. He was editor of the Political Observatory, Walpole, N.H.; served as clerk of the court of common pleas, 1805-13; removed to Keene, N.H., and was clerk of the supreme judicial court, 1817-34. He was a representative from New Hampshire in the 15th congress, 1817-19, where he opposed the Missouri compromise. He declined a re-election. He was admitted to the bar in 1834. He was a member of the general court of New Hampshire in 1828 and 1844; of the state senate, 1824-25; and served as secretary of the commissioners for determining the N.E. boundary line of the United States. He was a trustee of the University of Vermont, 1823-33; president of the New Hampshire historical society, 1830; an organizer of the first agricultural society in the state; and a prominent advocate of temperance, education, the abolition of slavery and the Unitarian movement. He received the honorary degree of A.M. from the University of Vermont in 1824 and from Dartmouth college in 1849. His published works include: The History of the United States of America from Their First Settlement as Colonies to the Close of the War with Great Britain in 1815 (1821), continued to 1845 and then passed through many editions. This work gained a prize of $400, and a gold medal from the American academy of belles-lettres of New York as a textbook. He also published: The Administration of John Quincy Adams and the Opposition by Algernon Sidney (1826); Conspiracy of the Spaniards Against Venice, translated from the Abb? Real and of John Lewis Fiesco against Genoa, translated from Cardinal de Betz (1828); Annals of the Town of Keene from its First Settlement in 1734 to 1790 (1826), continued to 1815 (1851); An Oration on the Character of Washington (1839); and addresses. He died in Somerville, Mass., Nov. 19, 1866.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Sarah (Hall) Boardman Judson, missionary, was born in Alstead, N.H., Nov. 4, 1803; daughter of Ralph and Abiah Hall. She was married to the Rev. George Dana Boardman in 1825 and sailed with him for Calcutta, reaching that port, Dec. 13, 1825. She spent two years in studying the Burmese language, and in April, 1827, removed to Amherst, Burmah, where a mission was established. They subsequently resided in Maulmain and in Tavoy, where in 1828, she started a girl's school. Her husband died, Feb. 11, 1831, but she continued to carry on the missionary work, so far as her health permitted. She was married to the Rev. Adoniram Judson, June 10, 1834, and removed with him to Maulmain, the capital of the province. Her ill-health necessitated a sea-voyage and she embarked with her husband and children for the United States, April 26, 1845, and died on ship-board. She translated the New Testament into the Peguan language; and a portion of "Pilgrim's Progress" and about twenty hymns into Burmese. She died in the harbor of Jamestown, St. Helena Island, Sept. 1, 1845.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Cyrus Kingsbury, missionary to the Indians, was born in Alstead, N.H., Nov. 22, 1786. He was graduated from Brown university, A.B. 1812, A.M., 1815, and from Andover Theological seminary in 1815. He was ordained, Sept. 29, 1815, and was home missionary in Virginia and East Tennessee, 1815-17. In September, 1816, he purchased a plantation at Brainard, Tenn., and engaged in missionary work among the Cherokee and Creek Indians under the auspices of the A.B.C.F.M., 1817-18, and among the Choctaw Indians at Elliot, Miss., 1818-32. He then went with them to Indian Territory, and continued his missionary work. In 1859 the Presbyterian and Southern Presbyterian boards took up the work left by the A.B.C.F.M., and he continued his work under their direction, 1859-70. He received the degree of D.D. from Brown in 1854. He died at Boggy Depot, Ind. Ty., June 27, 1870,

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor