Benjamin
Franklin Webster 1824-1916
Richard
Webster and his wife Mary 'Polly'
Philbrick, left Rye and settled
in Epsom, NH to raise their family.
He was a shoemaker by trade. He
later returned to Rye where he had
previously taught school in addition
to farming. The family appears in
Epsom in the 1820, 1830 and 1840
US Census. His third son and sixth
child was born in Epsom September
7, 1824, and was named Benjamin
Franklin Webster. From the Stearns
Genealogy:
"(he)
received his primary education in
the public schools of that town
(Epsom). He was also a student at
Pembroke and in Rye. At the age
of seventeen years he went to Portsmouth
and was employed by Benjamin Norton
as an apprentice to the carpenter's
trade. He was a ship joiner for
several years and since then has
been engaged in building operations
in Portsmouth. His operations have
included the erection of the following
notable buildings: The Kearsarge
House, the Cabot street school house,
remodeled three churches, also built
many residences. In politics he
is an ardent and enthusiatic Republican.
He is a valued member of the Masonic
fraterity, in which he has attained
the thirty-second degree. He was
married, January 2, 1849, to Sarah
A. Senter, and they have a son and
daughter, Merit V, and Stella C.
Webster."
Though
as an adult, Benjamin Webster did
not live in Epsom, he never forgot
his roots there. In three transactions
in 1902, he purchased land of Warren
Tripp, Horace Fowler and Abby J.
Holt, land in the amount of about
26 acres. This land was developed
into a park for town use, not much
different than it appears today.
The original plans still exsist,
showing even the current ball field
as it is today. In his will, he
writes "I give and bequeath
to the Town of Epsom New Hampshire,
or the Old Home week Society of
that town, or in whatever way my
executor may determine (if I have
not previously disposed ofir) the
land at Short Falls in Epsom that
I purchased of Warren Tripp and
Mr. Fowler to have and to hold as
a Park, and if not wanted for that
purpose to revert to my estate."
The town accepted the gift that
same year.
Photo
from Stearns Genealogy of N.H.
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