Transcription of the John Livingston Family History from Walpole As It Was and As It Is by George Aldrich, The Claremont Manufacturing Co., Claremont, N.H., 1880, page 312.
Jonathan Livingston Portrait from Walpole As It Was and As It Is
LIVINGSTON, JOHN. The Livingston families that have resided in this town, were children of John Livingston, who came from Londonderry, Ireland, some time in the last part of [page 313] the eighteenth century, and settled, or at one time lived, in a house that stood in Westmoreland, on land once owned by Luther Knights, about fifty rods south of the Knights dwelling house, on the old road to Westmoreland village. The family claim to be Scotch-Irish. John Livingston was born in 1734, and died in 1807. There are no direct means of ascertaining the order of succession in which his children were born, nor the births of but few of them. Following is an imperfect account of them. Ch. I. Eleanor, b. in 1762, and died in 1842. II. John, jr., b. in 1768; and died in 1816. He was a blacksmith and gun-smith by occupation. He lived in the house now owned by John C. Brown, and his shop stood a few rods east. It would appear, from statements made by descendants of the Livingston families now living, that the gun-making establishment was of considerable importance. Guerdon Huntington, an uncle of the late George Huntington, was a partner of John Livingston in the gun establishment, and tradition says that from one hundred to one hundred and fifty men were employed in the years from 1793 to 1802. It is also stated, that when the establishment was broken up in Walpole, the tools and machinery were bought by parties in Springfield, Mass., and removed thither, and formed the nucleus of the present armory there. If the foregoing statements are true, it is certainly remarkable that the history of such an extensive business is not more generally known. From what is known of John Livingston he appears to have been a man of great force of character, and one who snapped his finger at the common Observances of society, and made laws unto himself: Following is his marriage, copied from the town records; “This may certify that, on the 25th of August, 1793, John Livingston, jr., and Sally Little came before me: and the said John declared he took the said Sally to be his lawful wedded wife, and the said Sally declared she took the said John to be her lawful wedded husband.” “Attest—Andrew French, Justice of the Peace.” His wife was a hired girl of General Amasa Allen, at the date of the marriage. His children were, 1st, Polly, born probably in 1794. 2d, Eliza, m. a German by the [page 314] name of Emde, and went west. 3d, Harriet, m. Ralph Farnsworth, and lived and died in town. Her children were Sarah, John S., and Mary. 4th, Sally, m. Samuel Hunt, and lives in Lowell, Mass. 5th, John, jr., d. Sep. 29, 1813, aged 3 years. 6th, Henry, d. in infancy, —the two last died of “Spotted Fever.” 7th, Robert, d. young. 8th, David, d. Oct. 15, 1815, of hydrophobia, mention of which has been made in the annals of this work. III. and IV. David and Samuel, were twins. David was a sailor and died in foreign lands. V. Robert, went to Canada and was a Colonel in the English service. VI. Polly, m. — Burt, and went to Canada. VII. Rebecca, m. John Weir, and lived in town. (See Weir.) VIII. William, settled in New Boston, this state. IX. James X. Jonathan, b. 1776; m. Catherine, daughter of Moses and Abigail (Foster) Dorr, of Westmoreland, N.H. He first lived on the place now owned by Levi Ball, in a house where Amherst K. Maynard now lives, and worked at the trade of a black-smith; and where he commenced making steel traps for Bellows & Stone, in about 1816. After remaining in the village four years, he returned to his former place of residence, and for several years continued in the service of his employers, Bellows & Stone. In about 1827 or 8, he purchased the Gen. Aldrich place in Westmoreland, where he lived till his death, which occurred July 2, 1850. He was a man of much individuality of character, and many of his quaint sayings are remembered and repeated. His wife was endowed with superior qualities of mind and heart, and possessed great force of character. She died very suddenly of disease of the heart, July 1, 1839, aged 56. Ch. 1st, David, b. July 14, 1805; m. Sophia W., dau. of Levi and Martha (Earl) Green, of Westmoreland, and had 5 ch., 4 living. 2d, Abby Foster, b. Feb. 27, 1807; m. Lyman Watkins. (See Watkins.) 3d, Emeline, m. Frederick Carlisle. (See Carlisle.) 4th, Catherine, b. Apr. 27, 1811, lives in Westmoreland, unm. 5th, Eleanor, b. in 1813. 6th, Robert Warren, b. Feb. 1817. 7th, Cornelius Dorr, b. in 1823. The last three named died in the fall of 1824, [page 315] of the then prevailing epidemic,—dysentery. 8th, Helen, b. Feb. 7, 1826; m. Alexander S. Watkins, and died in 1856. She possessed an amiable and gentle disposition and was beloved by all who knew her virtues. XI. Caleb, was also a black-smith and had a shop at the south part of the town, near his brother Jonathan’s. He m. Milly, dau. of Thomas Dinsmore, of Alstead, by whom he had five children, 3 sons and 2 daughters, 1st, John, died at the South. 2d, Henry D. m. Dorothy Ann Upham, of Weathersfield, Vt., and had three ch., two daughters and one son; the latter, William, died in the U. S. service, during the Rebellion. One daughter, Georgianna, is still living. Henry Livingston’s first wife died, and he married Emeline Shelly, of Westmoreland; where he soon after died. 3d, William, (son of Caleb) died in 1838. He was a youth of much promise. 4th. Eleanor. 5th, Martha. The two last married and removed to Vt. Caleb Livingston died in 1835, aged 51. His widow m. Loren W. Clark, and died about 1868.