Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 5.djvu/220

 194 THE GRANITE MONTHLY.

��THE COUNTRY RESIDENCES OF JUDGE LIVIUS AND

G O V. WENTWORTH.

��We are permitted to take the following extracts from a private letter to a friend, by one of the oldest and best known citizens of Carroll County.

'^ JUDGE PETER LIVIUS, who was one of Gov. John Wentworth's execu- U tive council from 1765, until he left the State about 1772, had a resi- dence in Tuftonboroue;h at a very early date, traditionally before the Governor built his house at Wolfeborough. John Tufton Mason gave the name to the town, whose daughter, Anna Elizabeth, Judge Livius married. He was Chief Justice of Canada from May 31, 1777 to 1786. living at Quebec. He died in England July 23, 1795, aged sixty-eight. His residence was about four miles from Wolfeborough Bridge ; nine miles from Gov. Wentworth's house ; and nine, from Moultonborough Corner. It was upon what was then the main traveled road ; but upon what is now known as the Pond road, about fifty rods from where the river runs into the lake. This river is the outlet of what was once called the Livius Pond, but afterwards known as Dishwater Pond, and now known as Lang's Pond. The land at the outlet of this pond is owned by Hon. John M. Bracket, of Wolfeborough. There was at one time a saw-mill upon the river, the site being about four rods from the lake ; and there was a school-house, store, tan-yard and several dwellings near there. The road to and from Tuftonborough next intersects with the main road (called the South road) at that place. A Mr. Kimball now ownes the lot of land once occupied by Judge Livius, and the old cellar is to be seen. It is between these two intersecting roads. The present main traveled or stage road to Moultonborough, now leaves the Livius place to the left. I was born upon the southerly shore of Smith's Pond, February 8, 1807, at a place then known as "Raccoon Borough, "but now known as ''Pleasant Valley," about two miles from Gov. Wentworth's house. I was on my way to school one morning in the summer of 1820, when I saw a man upon the top of the house, who was trying to stop a small fire with his hoe ; the wind blew it and it caught in many other places. In a few hours the celebrated mansion was in ashes, much to the regret of the people in the vicinity with whom Gov. Wentworth was very popular until the Revolution broke out. It was two stories high, about one hundred feet long and thirty wide. At the time of the fire it was occupied by an English family named Raynard, whose descendants yet control it. The cellar is still to be seen, and there are old poplar trees nearly two feet in thickness. The drive- way from the main road to the house, with shade trees upon each side, still presents a beautiful appearance. The pear trees that the Governor imported are still in a bearing condition. The old road laid out by the Governor through Wolfeborough and Brookfield, can still be traced by the stone bridges and water courses. This road was surveyed and laid out from Portsmouth to Canada. Gov. Wentworth wanted to make Portsmouth a successful rival of Boston for the Canadian trade, and he contemplated a canal from Alton Bay to tide water.

Judge Livius and Gov. Wentworth were warm friends for many years ; but they became bitter enemies at last ; and Judge Livius prepared charges against the (lOvernor and tried to liave him removed. The full particulars of the charges and trial may be found in the first edition of Belknap's History of New Hampshire, Vol. III. Farmer omitted them in his edition.''

�� �