Home Lot # 10 was originally drawn by Solomon Dowst of Rye, and is one of the re-located lots, having been originally at the West end before becoming the last lot on the East end. To make matters more confusing, it is still sometimes called Lot #1. It is unclear of the disposition of the 50 acre home lot, though it would appear it was sold to John Blake. John Blake acquired several Epsom home lots for which there are no recorded transactions. These lots were sold or passed on to various sons, some of which then can be traced.
William Blake, a grandson of John (John, John), owned home lot #10 and sold a part of it to George Wallace (who owned the home lot across the street) in 1762, and the rest (as lot #1) to Andrew McClary in 1767. The McClary family held the property until 1789, when the widow of Andrew McClary began to sell parcels of land to help pay off certain debts. The recipient of the lot was Moses Osgood, who had previously bought the adjoining lot, now known as Echo Valley. When Moses Osgood died in 1823, the estate wasn’t fully settled, until finally in 1833, all the heirs signed off the property to Andrew M. Heath. The property included the home lot along with Osgood’s homestead farm. In 1837, Andrew M. Heath sold a small parcel bordering the Mill Road and the main road to Samuel Wells, with the rest of the property later being part of the holdings of Joseph Lawrence. The 1858 and 1892 maps indicate that the Lawrence’s had an additional house on the lot. The West end of the lot is the current Cato Seavy road.
Samuel Wells was the son of Daniel Wells and Lucy Emerson, who lived on the Tarleton Road. It was about this same time that Samuel Wells married Harriet Wicome and the property was mortgaged. In later deeds, this small parcel of land was known as the homestead, and owned by Samuel & Harriet’s son James Lewis Wells. James L. Wells married Abbie L. Merserve in 1860, and the property later passed to their son Harvey J. Wells in 1911.
The thirty-acre lot that was given Solomon Dowst as an owner of a homelot, was given to his daughter Rachel who married Benjamin Marden. PHOTO: The James Wells Homestead
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY DEEDS, HOME LOT #10
68-460 December 9, 1762
William Blake of Epsom, husbandman to George Wallace of Epsom,
One tract of land in Epsom containing by estimation 4 acres which land
is part of ye southeast corner of ye lot where I now dwell which is No.
10 in figures in the plan of aid town’s home lots. – William
and Sarah (her mark) Blake.
79-483 October 6, 1767
William Black of Nottingham, husbandman to Andrew McClary of Epsom,
A certain tract of land in Epsom being one of ye home lots No. 1, range
1 lying on the north side of the main road that leads thro the town and
bounding upon said road where it now goes being 48 acres more or less.
– William Blake.
124-550 February 28, 1789
Elizabeth McClary of Epsom, widow, pursuant to the power given by the
probate court to sell so much of the estate of Andrew McClary, late of
Epsom, to pay his debts, to Moses Osgood of Epsom, gentleman,
A parcel of land in Epsom being part of the estate of the aforesaid Andrew
McClary, deceased, and adjoining the that land where the said Moses Osgood
now dwells, being one of the 50 acre lots in Epsom lying on the northerly
side of the road that leads thro said town, to contain 50 acres and 40
rods. Elizabeth (her mark) McClary.
MERRIMACK COUNTY DEEDS, HOME LOT #10
(M) 35- 463-466 April 1833
The heirs of Moses Osgood to Andrew M. Heath,
All title to the estate of Moses Osgood of Epsom, deceased. Family included:
(466) Lucy, widow of Moses
(465) Ebenezer Griffins of Northwood, two shares set off by committee
to Timothy and Peggy S. Pearson, his wife and heirs of Deborah Seavey,
daughter of the said Moses. Said two shares convyed to me by Elijah Locke
and Frederick Sanborn on the 22nd day of Dec. 1828 and by Mary Seavey,
Catherine Seavey, Moses O. Seavey o the 22nd day of December, 1832
(464) Elizabeth Morrison and Polly Osgood of Epsom, heirs in the estate
of Moses Osgood of Epsom
(464) Thomas D Merrill of Epsom, all the part of the estate that was set
of the David Osgood, also his undivided share in the reversion of the
widow’s dower, together with the dwelling which the said David has
heretofore occupied and his undivided share in all the other buildings
on said farm.
(M) 55-468 September 29, 1837
Andrew M. Heath of Epsom, yeoman to Samuel Wells Junr. of Epsom, cooper,
A tract of land in Epsom beginning at the junction of the mill road (so
called) with the main road leading through said Epsom, near the dwelling
house of David Griffin, and running northerly on said Mill road eleven
rods to a stake and stones – thence easterly on a line parallel with
the main road 5 rods to a stake and stone – thence southerly on a
line parallel with the said Mill road eleven rods to the main road, thence
on the main road to the point of beginning – on condition that the
said Wells shall build and keep in repair a sufficient fence round said
tract so far as it adjoins said Heath’s land. – Andrew M. Heath.
(M) 147-464 August 5, 1856
Joseph Lawrence Jr., of Epsom to Samuel Wells Jr. of Epsom,
A parcel of land in Epsom bounded as follows: beginning at a stake and
stones on the Mill road (so called) leading from Epsom to Pittsfield near
where the Cate House once stood on the side line of land owned by Jonathan
Watson, thence running south by said Watson’s land until you reach
the said Mill road, thence northeasterly on said road to the first mentioned
bounds to contain two acres, being a piece of land severed from the homestead
farm now owned and occupied by the said Joseph Lawrence Jr., by said Mill
road. – Joseph and Lucy M. Lawrence.
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY DEEDS, OUT LOT #5 second range
104-335 October 8, 1770
Solomon Dowst of Rye, husbandman, to my daughter Rachel Marden, wife of
Benjaman Marden Junior of Rye, yeoman,
One half of all my real estate in Rye and in Portsmouth, also my 30 acre
lot of land in Epsom that I was the original proprietor, also the one
half of my personal estate. – Solomon Dowst.
