Glimpses of the Past: History of the River St. John, A.D. 1604-1784

by W. O. Raymond

Of the church organized at Waterborough in 1800, Elijah Estabrooks became the pastor, Edward Coy and Joseph Estabrooks deacons, and Zebulon Estey clerk, “all by a unanimous vote.”

Further particulars of the organization of this church, which was the first of the denomination in western New Brunswick, will be found in Dr. Bill’s History of the Baptists.

The Esteys proved a prolific stock and their descendants on the River St. John are numerous.

ESTABROOKS.

The first of this name in America is supposed to have been Joseph Estabrooks, who was born in Enfield, Middlesex County, England, and came to Concord, New Hampshire in 1660. It is said that he had two brothers, one of whom, Thomas, was at Swansea in 1683, but subsequently went to Concord. Elijah Estabrooks, who settled on the River St. John, had in his lifetime many places of abode. He was probably a native of Haverhill, Massachusetts, where his son, of same name, was born in May, 1756. The family came to Halifax about the year 1763, removing soon afterwards to Cornwallis, and from thence to St. John. On the 18th October, 1765, Mr. Estabrooks entered the employ of Simonds & White. In 1773 he made an agreement with Wm. Hazen and James Simonds to settle in the township of Conway, near the mouth of the river, Hazen and Simonds guaranteeing him a deed of 250 acres of land. An old return, or census, of the township, dated 1st August, 1775, shows that Mr. Estabrooks’ family included a wife, three sons and three daughters. 330 He had cleared and improved seven acres of land and built a log house. His domestic animals were one cow, two young cattle and two hogs. Before he had made more than a good beginning the Revolutionary war brought everything to a stand. We learn from Major Studholme’s report that Elijah Estabrooks was one of those who accompanied Hugh Quinton in the expedition against Fort Cumberland in 1776, and shared in the discomfiture of the party. His predilection for the American cause did not save him from being molested by the “rebel privateers,” and he was obliged in the Spring of 1777 to remove his family from their exposed situation at the mouth of the river to the vicinity of Gagetown. It is a little remarkable that Elijah Estabrooks and his immediate neighbors on the St. John should have come from Cornwallis and other parts of Nova Scotia, although they were in the first instance natives of New England. They seem to have had no legitimate title to the lands on which they settled themselves, while awaiting the issue of the struggle between Great Britain and the colonies in rebellion. The arrival of the Loyalists in 1783 rendered their situation exceedingly precarious. However, they were befriended by Governor Parr, who directed that such lots as were occupied by old inhabitants of the country (although the occupants might not have any legal claim) should not be appropriated by the Loyalists until they had paid for the improvements made by those in possession. This policy was continued, after the formation of the Province of New Brunswick, by Governor Carleton and his council. A valuation of the improvements made at Upper Gagetown by Robert Lasky, Robert Lasky, jr., Elijah Estabrooks, sr., Elias Clark, Arculus Hammond, John Richardson, Samuel Hersey, Francis Grant, Moses Clark, Samuel Kemble and Benjamin Boober was made by Thomas Hart, Samuel Upton and John Hart. As the valuators were old settlers and neighbors, the interests of their friends were not likely to suffer at their hands. They placed the value of the buildings and improvements of the eleven individuals named above at £603.12s.6d. which was more than the Loyalists who had drawn the locations were disposed to pay; consequently the old settlers remained in possession. The valuation put upon the house of Elijah Estabrooks, sr., was £10; that of his “improvements” £46.

Elijah Estabrooks, jr., was led by the visit of Rev. Henry Alline, in 1779, to connect himself with the church formed on “New-light” principles at Waterborough, and a few years later he commenced preaching. In May, 1780, he was baptized by Rev. Joseph Crandall, and his example being followed by several others a small Baptist church was constituted in Waterborough of which Mr. Estabrooks was the pastor. Several of the incidents of his ministry are related in Rev. Dr. Bill’s History of the Baptists. During the years he labored in Waterborough and the adjoining settlements he supported himself and his family by his own industry. He was held in universal esteem by persons of all denominations and all descriptions. Today his descendants and those of his brothers are very numerous on the St. John river.

DARLING.

There were twenty-three proprietors of a township, which was originally called “Amesbury” in honor of James Amesbury, a Halifax merchant, one of the grantees. 331 Among the few inhabitants of the township, prior to the arrival of the Loyalists, mention may be made of Benjamin Darling, the first English speaking settler on the banks of the Kennebecasis. Mr. Darling was born at Marblehead, Massachusetts, in 1730, and came to the St. John river a few years before the war of the American Revolution. He used to trade with the Indians and became very friendly with the chief of a small village at Nauwigewauk. Here in early times the Indians used to raise corn and tobacco. They were inclined to resent the intrusion of the whites into their domain but Benjamin Darling, after prolonged negotiation, obtained from the local chief possession of the island, the consideration offered and accepted being two bushels of corn, one barrel of flour, a grindstone, some powder and shot and sundry knives, hatchets and other implements. Darling built himself a comfortable log dwelling, the upper part of which served as a store-room for goods for the Indian trade. After his wife’s death his daughter Hannah became the housekeeper with a young girl friend as companion. The Indians, though otherwise friendly enough, objected to all attempts to clear and till the land and would not even allow the young ladies to beautify their premises by the cultivation of flowers. On one occasion Benjamin Darling went in company with the Indian chief to visit a beaver dam not far away. During their absence an Indian entered the house with the avowed intention of taking one of the girls for his “squaw.” There being no man about the premises the prospect was certainly alarming, but woman’s wit proved equal to the emergency. As the intruder advanced to lay hands upon her Hannah Darling offered to go with him of her own free will, but immediately after leaving the house cleverly eluded the Indian, slipped in again at the door and fastened it. The despicable savage advanced to the window with diabolical threats, whetted his knife before their eyes and finally seized a club to make forcible entry only to find himself confronted at the doorway by the plucky girl with a loaded musket in her hands. Her spirit was now thoroughly aroused; she ordered him off the premises forthwith, and the Indian after glancing at her determined face slunk away. The old chief was greatly incensed at this occurrence, and a day or two later the culprit was brought before the young woman with his hands tied, the chief demanding “shall we kill him?” To which she answered, “Oh, no! let him go.” He was thereupon chased out of the neighborhood and forbidden to return under penalty of death. Hannah Darling, the heroine of this spirited adventure, afterwards married Christopher Watson, and is said to have attained the wonderful age of 108 years.

GAGE.

Among the large land grants on the River St. John, passed in the year 1765, was one of 20,000 acres to General Thomas Gage and nineteen other individuals, most of them residents of New York. The tract included the lower part of the parish of Hampstead and the upper part of Greenwich, extending in front along the river from about the foot of Long Island to Jones’ Creek, a little below Oak Point. Many of the original grantees were related by blood or marriage and the association was in its way a “family compact.” General Gage served in the seven 332 years war in America and was commander-in-chief of the British forces at the Battle of Bunker Hill. His wife was a daughter of Peter Kemble, president of the Council of New Jersey; Stephen Kemble and Samuel Kemble, who were proprietors of the township, also were her brothers.[130] Henry Gage, son of General Gage, although only a child of five years, was one of the proprietors.[131] Other proprietors were William, Samuel and Robert Bayard; they were related to the Kembles. The Bayards were leading Loyalists and among their descendants we have still with us Dr. William Bayard, the nestor of the practising physicians of the maritime provinces. Archibald McCall, a wealthy merchant of Philadelphia, was another proprietor; his wife, Edith Kemble, was a sister of Stephen and Samuel Kemble. Another notable proprietor was John Watts, a member of the Executive Council of New York, a gentleman of wealth and reputation; his daughter married Sir John Johnson, who was also one of the associates in the grants.