C.W. Brewster's "Rambles About Portsmouth" [N.H.],

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Document ID 8810050
Date 01-01-1800
Document Type Family Papers
Archive Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
Citation C.W. Brewster's "Rambles About Portsmouth" [N.H.],; PRONI T 1747/1; CMSIED 8810050
23412
                       RAMBLES ABOUT PORTSMOUTH
                            SECOND SERIES.
                      ___________________________
                            SKETCHES
                               ON
                         PERSONS, LOCALITIES
                             AND
                   INCIDENTS OF TWO CENTURIES:
              PRINCIPALLY FROM TRADITION AND UNPUBLISHED DOCUMENTS
                     BY CHARLES W. BROWSTER
                            WITH A
              BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE AUTHOR
                 BY WM. H. Y. HACKETT.
                      RAMBLES ABOUT PORTSMOUTH.
.... Next was a long two-story dwelling house fronting the
street and elevated six or eight feet above its level.  It
extended from the yard of Mr. Staver's house to a narrow
passage way at the western end of it, which terminated in
a goldsmith's shop, occupied by Capt. Martin Parry, who
house.  Capt. Martin Parry died of yellow fever in 1802
which was prevalent in this vicinity at that time and swept
off some of our best citizens.  He was a merchant of hon-
ored standing and the agent of William Gray, Esq., of Salem
whose ships then were loading at our pier for Calcutta Rus-
sia and other places.  Capt. Parry left an only daughter,
Ann, who was the first wife of our respected townsman, the
late William Jones, Esq., who after the fire built the house
now occupied by Rev. James DeNormandie,  near the spot
The eastern half of the house was the residence of Madam
Bettenham, so favorably known and respected as a lady
who never failed to make all happy who had the privilege
of her company.  Her mother, who was the daughter of
George Meserve, ship builder, occupied the same house
before her.  Capt. James Christie, who married the daughter
of Mrs. Bettenham, occupied this house till his death
at Philadelphia in 1812.  His children John and Mary were
born here.  The late William Simes, gold and silver smith,
was an apprentice of Capt. Parry, and after his master
engaged in mercantile pursuits, occupied the shop.
The next buildings was the long two-story of Jacob
Sheafe, Jr. Esq., standing end to the street and fronting on
Washington street.  Many amusing reminisences of this
of this store might be mentioned.  It was once occupied
by Mr. William Neil, an emigrant from Ireland, a gentleman
beloved and respected by all who knew him.  He was the
friend of man in the full and true sense of the word.  He
had a very pleasant manner of address, and at times was
quite amusing, and made very many sensible remarks to
those who traded with him in the store, in which he exposed
for sale a great variety of goods.  He was distinguished
as the seller of Irish linens, of which he was an excellent
judge of quality, so that who bought linen of him was sure
it was wholly of flax.  In teas he was also renowned as a
good judge, so much so that the remark was frequently
made when tea of the right flavor was served at table,
"this is Mr. Neil's tea."  Mr. Neil took a hint from this,
and had some nice wrapping paper prepared for putting up
the tea he sold, and the following neatly printed upon the
package:-
"This is very good tea.  And where did you buy it?
At Mr. William Neil's store.  Buck street, Portsmouth.
You will call and get some of the same."
William Neil was a native of Belfast in Ireland, and a
graduate of Glasgow College.  His children were three
sons and four daughters.  Thomas, Charles and Robert G.;
Ann married George Andrews of Dover; Elizabeth married
Mr. Wheeler of Dover; Sarah, married Daniel Melcher
of Boston, and Magaret was the first wife of John Nutter,
of Rochester.  The children of his son Thomas (who married
Sarah, daughter of Capt. Hector McNeil of the Navy,)
were William, who died single; Mary A; Jane, widow of
S. H. Siso of New York and Thomas, now of this city.
The latter, of the firm of Neil, Tarlton & Co. is the only
descendant which now bears the name of Neil.
The same store was previously occupied for a short
period by Pomroy & Maynard, from England, for the sale
of hard-ware goods.  They soon returned to England.
The vererable William Neil was very sensitive to any
remark which unfavorably reflected upon the Irish or his
native land, Ireland.  So sensitive was he to the publication
of any Irish bull, that for many years when Mr. Turell
had charge of the Oracle, he never admitted any of the
amusing anecdotes of this class, assigning as a reason that
he would not injure Mr. Neil's feelings.  His memory is
still pleasant to those who knew him.
Next was the spacious dwelling-house of Jacob Sheafe,
between which and the store occupied by Mr. Neil, was a
large paved yard, and in the rear of the whole was a fine
garden reaching back to the lane.  Reminisences of much
interest might be related of the occupant of these premiacs,
and of his hospitalities to strangers of distinction who
visited the town, and also of his estimable lady, partilcularly
of her kindness and hospitalities to the distressed,
sick, poor and needy.  Mr. Sheafe, after the fire, occupied
his large brick block on the corner of Market and Daniel
streets, where he died.  Of his large family, Mrs. Charles
Cushing of Little Harbor, only survives.  Next on the east
corner of Ark Lane, now called Penhallow street, was a
square, one story hipped-roof building, occupied as a retailing
piece goods store by William Sheafe, brother of Jacob,
and afterwards by Ward Gilman as a brassfoundry.
On the opposite side of Ark Lane, on the corner of State
street, stood the Ark Tavern, kept by John Davenport.  It
was originally a two-story single house, fronting on State
street.  Mr. Davenport was a silver smith and buckle
maker, and had removed to Portsmouth from Boston, where
he was born.  He had occupied the building on the corner
of Fleet and Congress streets, now owned by the Mechanic
Association, and had served the town as constable several
years.  He made several additions to the house in State
street, one of which, one-story high, covered a small gore
of land on the eastern end, about eight feet in width at the
widest end, in which he himself worked at his trade.  A
connection of Mr. Davenport's wife, (Mr. Welch,) having
at Lynn acquired a knowledge of the ladies' cloth slipper
manufacture, he with him commenced the making of them
in copartnership; at the same time continuing the buckle
making business, which soon afterwards became unprofitable
by the introduction of shoe strings.  Mr. Davenport
then opened his premises as a public house, with the sign
of Noah's Ark, and denominated his house the "Ark Tavern,"
exhibiting in front a fanciful sign of the picture of the
Ark.
Mr. Davenport's wife died in this house while the Superior
Court was sitting in Portsmouth, in the month of February,
and as his house was crowded with boarders, which
made her burial very inconvenient, she was kept until the
court closed its business about three weeks after.
The artist who painted Mr. Davenport's sign, went by
the name of James Still.  His proper name was James
Ford.  Under his real name he had been guiltyof an offence
which cost him a part of his ears.  Although he dropped
the Ford he did the long hair over his ears, yet as his
baptismal name was not changed it remained, he said, James
Still.  Thus in the exercise of his good talent as a
delimeator and painter he continued till the time of his
death under the name of James Still.
                  ___________________________
                         RAMBLE CXXV.
Central Portsmouth before the Fire of 1813, - James
Sheafe's Residence - Abraham Isaac, the Jew - Jonathan
M, Sewell, the Poet.
Next west of Davenport's hotel on State street, were the
premises of Hon. James Sheafe, who occupied the family
mansion of his father.  The house was large, of two stories