Capt. Ebenezer's Will
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" In 1731, his house and home lot were in better order and he had more land under cultivation than any other in the settlement. From his youth he had been inured to hardships and to bold and daring enterprises. When nine years of age his father's house was destroyed by the Indians. At the age of nineteen he joined the regiment of colonel Wainwright in the expedition against Port Royal.
" In 1711, when the British fleet under Sir Howenden Walker against Canada arrived in Boston, the land forces that were to accompany the expedition were organized with great despatch, and Mr. Eastman, then about twenty-one years of age, had command of a company of infantry, which embarked, with others, on board a transport. In going up the St. Lawrence river they encountered a violent northeast storm, in which eight or nine of the vessels were lost and about 1,000 men met a watery grave. The story as related by Jonathan Eastman, a grandson of Captain Eastman, is that as night came on the orders were that all the vessels should follow the Admiral's ship, which had a large light hoisted at masthead for a signal. Captain Eastman had been somewhat acquainted with the navigation of the river, having sailed up and down before. In the night the light of the Admiral's ship was not to be seen, and it was at the time when the fleet was doubling a very dangerous and rocky point or cape. When the Admiral's fleet had fairly doubled the cape and got into line, the light appeared in such a position as to draw the line of shipping directly on to that dangerous point. Aware of the danger, Captain Eastman went to the commander, and informed him of the peril, and begged him to alter the course of the vessel; but being under the influence of liquor, this the captain positively refused to do, saying that 'he would follow his Admiral if he went to h---.' Captain Eastman replied, 'Well, I have no notion of going there, and if you won't alter the course of the vessel, I will.'
" 'If you do,' replied the captain, 'your head shall be a button for a halter in the morning.'
" Informing his company of the danger and relying on their support, Captain Eastman ordered the captain below and the helmsman to change his course. Thus they escaped the wrecks which befell other vessels of the fleet, by which so many lives were lost. The next morning the humble captain tendered his acknowledgments to his deliverer, and begged his friendship. On the following day the Admiral came aboard, and on seeing Captain Eastman abruptly said, 'Captain Eastman, where were you when the fleet was cast away?'
" 'Following my Admiral, sir,' replied he.
" 'Following your Admiral! You Yankees are a pack of praying devils. You saved yourself, but sent my men to h---!'
"Among the many traditions and anecdotes that are related is one that, soon after settling in Concord, he made a journey to Haverhill on horseback, and purchased a barrel of molasses, which he intended in some way to convey home with him. He contrived what was called a car, that was formed with two shafts, one of which was fastened to the horse and the other to drag on the ground. Lashing the barrel of molasses on his car, he proceeded on his journey homeward along the path through the wilderness. He got along very well until he got to the Soucook river, when, after crossing and ascending the hill, which was very steep, he had got nearly to the top, his horse starting suddenly, the rigging gave way, and down went the barrel full speed, and was dashed to pieces against a tree. The captain, summoning all the patience at his command, exclaimed, 'Oh dear, my wife will comb my hair, yes, and harrow it too!' It was truly a hard case.
" Captain Eastman went to Cape Breton twice, the first time March 1, 1745, in command of a company, and was present at the reduction of Louisburg, June 16, 1745. He returned Nov. 10, 1745. Early the next year he went again, and returned home July 9, 1746. He was also a captain in Col. Sylvester Richmond's regiment, of Massachusetts, Feb. 6, 1744. Mr. Eastman lived on the 'East Side,' was a farmer, and was employed for many years in public affairs. He commenced a two-story house, but died before it was finished. He died July 28, 1748.Capt. Ebenezer Eastman
"Captain Eastman was the first settler in Concord, N. H. There are many interesting facts concerning the part Mr. Eastman took in the settlement of Concord; the services he rendered, and the affairs of trust and honor committed to his charge, were many. Having considerable property, and coming, as he did, at the earliest period of the settlement of the town, with his six sons, the eldest of whom was fifteen years of age and able to do a man's work, it is no wonder that Captain Eastman became in a few years the strong man of the town.
(source: "History & Genealogy of the Eastman Family in America," volume I, by Guy S. Rix, pages 20-26)
"Ebenezer Eastman's team -- 6 yoke of oxen, with a cart -- was the first that crossed the wilderness from Haverhill to Penacook."
(source: "History of Haverhill," Chase, p. 278)
"Genealogy & Family History of the State of Maine," vol. 4, page 1596 says, 'On settling in Pennacook (Concord) his 'house lot' was number 7, second range, on Main Street. In the second survey, in 1727, he had lot No 16, containing four and one half acres, on Mill Brook Range, east side of the river, where he finally settled & had a garrison around his house. He died before he finished a two story house' which was still standing and occupied by Colonel J. E. Ricker when the above was written in 1909. Many visitors enjoy the Eastman Park named in honor of Ebenezer. A Huge monument has the following inscription carved in its base: 'Erected by the Eastman Association in the Memory of Captain Ebenezer Eastman, first settler of Concord 1727. Other markers tell of his importance to the area."
(source: "William Day and Dorothy Littlefield," by Ina Harris Day, p. 177)
"As an illustration of the force and energy of his character in carrying on his farming operations -- In 1729 Capt. Eastman took a lease of the farm laid off to Judge Sewall, containing five hundred acres, with the island, for a period of thirty years. He was to pay, as rent, ten shillings in good bills of credit, or silver money, the first year; twenty shillings the second year and so to advance ten shillings every year till it should reach fifteen pounds, which sum afterward should be annually paid. As conditions of the lease Capt. Eastman was required and agreed to improve the land, by good cultivation, 'to the value of L100; to build a timber house and barn, which should be worth another L100; to leave on the farm L100 worth of good fences, of stone or timber;' 'to plant five hundred apple trees in a regular manner for an orchard, and, also, to set out one hundred more of fruit trees, as cherry, pear, quince, apple and plum trees.
"Capt. Eastman went to Cape Breton twice -- the first time, March 1, 1745, in command of a company, and was present at the reduction and surrender of Louisburg, June 16. He returned November 10, 1745. Early the next year he went again, and returned home July 9, 1746.
"At the time of the massacre in Penacook {Concord}, August 11, 1746, Capt. Eastman and family were in a garrison, on the east side of the river. Subsequently he erected, on or near the spot, a large two story house; but before the house was finished Mr. Eastman died, July 28, 1748, aged 59.
(source: "History of Concord," Boulton, page 553)
Ashworth, Avent, Barnard, Berry, Blyth(e), Byfield, Calvert, Carr, Carter, Cheribough, Clough, Coffin, Copp, Cowley, Coxon, Davis, Dean, Dow, Dutton, Eastman, Ebert, Eckingham, Evans, Folcord, Greenough, Greyndour, Gunne, Ham, Harwood, Heard, Heath, Hildebrandt, Horne, Hull, Illingworth, Itchenor, Ive, Jackson, Johnson, Kember, Kendall, Knight, Lawrence, Lewis, Lewkenor, Lodge, McMahon, Moorhouse, Moyce, Nichols, Oldroyd, Otis, Peasley, Peson, Pfefferkorn, Pierce, Pitman, Reifel, Reynolds, Ridgeway, Roberts, Roby, Rooke, Spalding, Speed, Starbuck, Stevens, Stephens, Stoughton, Streame, Swaine, Terrell, Thayer, Throckmarten, Upshall, Varney, Warren, Welker, West, Woode, Wright, Wynne, Young
Genealogy of Nicholas Coffin, born 1561, England
Genealogy of Jacob Nichols, born 1789 in Amherst, NH
Genealogy of William Peaslee, born 1570 in England.
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Roby Family Association
Hampton, NH, cemetery records
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Eastman Family Genealogy Forum
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Related Families:
The Eastmans are related to many old New England families, and these are a few I'm researching:The Descendants of Capt. Ebenezer Eastman
Please see my Family Tree Maker page for a Genealogy of Capt. Ebenezer Eastman which you can print out. If you want to know my source for any particular piece of information, please email me.
The strange numbering is due to mutual ancestors. Numbers in brackets
indicate you'll see that person listed more than once.
Twenty years of research and we still don't know who the parents of Jacob Nichols
were. Do you? He married twice, first Sybil Wright and then Hannah Willey.
His son, Jacob Nichols, Jr., was a well known in Lowell, MA, around 1860,
but nothing is known of Jacob Nichols, Sr.
Look for Sarah Peasley, the wife of Ebenezer Eastman near the bottom of page 2.
Look for a report on the Blyth family. They were Gypsies in Yetholm, Scotland!
Also look for a report on John Copp, born 1516 in England.
This is my cousin's page, Ed Lodge, who has given me generations of Lodges!
Early German ancestors of the Reifel family - very nicely done.
You'll find Roby, Robey, and Robie family here.
If you might have an ancestor buried in Hampton, check out this site!
This site is slow to load but worth the wait. You can even find out the county name
for any New Hampshire town.
Looking for a marriage in Maine from 1892-1996? You might find it here.
Sending for a copy of a record will cost a few dollars, but searching is free.
If you're stuck on any Eastmans, be sure to post a message here!CAN YOU IDENTIFY THIS (EAST)MAN?:
it would be my pleasure to include them. Just let me know who they are
and what your sources were. You can email me at vneastman@yahoo.com.
I'll look forward to hearing from you!
This page © Copyright 2009, Virginia Eastman
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