C.W. Brewster's "Rambles About Portsmouth" [N.H.],
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SKETCHES ON PERSONS, LOCALITIES AND INCIDENTS OF TWO CENTURIES: PRINCIPALLY FROM TRADITION AND UNPUBLISHED DOCUMENTS BY CHARLES W. BROWSTER WITH A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE AUTHOR BY WM.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 storiesClose