THE FIRST PLANTING OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Whether the first settlement within the limits of New Hampshire was made at Little Harbor near the mouth of the Piscataqua, or at Dover Neck some six miles up the river, is a question which has long employed the studies and pens of our local antiquaries, and of late has found its way into the discussions and acts of our Legislature. Each of these localities has its warm partizans, who have brought to the controversy research and ingenuity in such equal measure, that the question seems, indeed, to have been buried still deeper in doubt. and obscurity by their confusing speculations. It is much to be regretted that uncertainty should rest over the most interesting of all periods in the history of our state, that of its birth and infancy; and we feel that an effort to clear away this uncertainty and to bring out into the light the truthful picture of those earliest days, will well be worth the making.

The date of the settlement upon the promontory, now called Odiorne's Point, at the smaller mouth of the Piscataqua river, is not a matter of dispute. Mr. David Thomson, a resident of Plymouth, England, having procured from the Grand Council of Plymouth, Nov. 15, 1622, a patent for six thousand acres of land to be selected by him in New England, sailed from Plymouth in mid-winter with a handful of colonists in the good ship called the "Jonathan of Plymouth," (the Mayflower of New Hampshire,) and arrived at the Piscataqua in the early spring of 1623. Mr. Thomson's design was to found a plantation, convenient for trade and the fisheries, somewhere near the mouth of the Piscataqua river, and as he had visited New England in previous years, and was familiar with the coast, it seems probable that the site of his settlement had been determined upon before he left England upon his present enterprise. David Thomson is described by Morton in " The New England Canaan," published in 1637 as being "a scottish gentleman, that was conversant with those people (the natives) a scholar and traveller that was diligent in taking notice of those things, as a man of good judgment."

The original agreement or indenture, under which Thomson came over, was recovered several years ago among the ancient Winthrop papers, and has recently been published by Charles Deane, Esq., accompanied by copious and learned notes. From this it appears

that Thomson had three Plymouth merchants as partners or coadventurers with him in his enterprise, named Abraham Colmer, Nicholas Sherwill and Leonard Pomerie, who were to contribute to the expenses of founding and carrying on the new plantation, and to share in its property at the expiration of the partnership. David Thomson's colony, which first landed with him at Little Harbor, comprised probably not more than ten men.

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The indenture referred to provided that the little colony "so landed, shall and will use their best endeavor (by the direccon of said David Thomson) with as much conveniencie as maye be, to find some fitt place to settle and Builde some houses or buildings for habitacons, on which they are to begin with as muche expedicon as they maye; to the lymits and precincts of which habitacons or buildings soe intented to be there erected, there shall be allotted of the lands next thereunto adjoininge, at or before the end of five years next ensuing the date hereof, the full quantitie of six hundred acres of land or neere thereabouts."

In pursuance of this clause of the Indenture, Thomson and his men selected the Point at Little Harbor as a "fitt place to build their houses for habitacons" and began upon them with as much expedicon as they could. The site selected for the settlement was chosen with excellent judgement. From the Little Harbor fronting the north side of the promontory a salt water creek runs back so far towards the ocean, as almost to convert the enclosed point into an island of about six hundred acres area, which was the precise amount of land required by the Indenture to be allotted to the new plantation. The soil is good, and among the rocks on the harbor shore is a living spring of fresh water. The harbor is safe and accessible at all times to vessels of light draught, and most commodiously situated for the prosecution of the fisheries, as well as for the peltry traffic with the Indians of Sagamore Creek and Piscataqua river. Above all other advantages in those perilous times, the Point, rising on every side towards its center and almost surrounded by water, was easily defensible against the assaults of the savages. These considerations probably determined Thomson in the selection of this site for the new plantation, which he named, perhaps from the Indian appellation, "Pannaway"-a name, which seems however not to have survived the period of Thomson's own occupation and ownership of the plantation.

The principal dwelling house erected at Pannaway was built of stone, and of considerable size. Hubbard informs us that the chimney and some part of the stone wall were standing in his day" (1680). The house, which, a few years after its erection, passed