Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 8.djvu/117

 THE

GRANITE MONTHLY,

A NEW HAMPSHIRE MAGAZINE

Devoted to Literature, Biography, History, and State Progress.

��Vol. VIIL APRIL, 1SS5. No. IV.

��- rt^TITiniWI i n i mtM ,^^.u,m^^.—. L, mr,i..rw,rB^wjsmmrsrBaat^mwM*^n»m.'mi>iw>nj^

��CHARLES CARLETON COFFIN.

Among the emigrants from England for thirsty travellers. The Sheriff had to the western world in the great Piiri- her up before the courts for charging tan exodus was Joanna Tliember Coffin, more per mug than the price fixed by widow, and her son Tristram, and her law, but she went scot free on proving two daughters, Mary and Eunice. Their that she put in an extra amount of malt, home was in Brixton, two miles from We may think of the grave and rever- Plymouth, in Devonshire. Tristram was end Justices ordering the beer into court entering manhood's prime — thirty-three and settling the question by personal years of age. He had a family of five examination of the foaming mugs, — children. Quite lilcely the political smacking their lips satisfactorily, quite troubles between the King and Parlia- likely testing it a second time, ment, the rising war cloud, was the im- Tristram Coffin became a citizen of pelling motive that induced the family Newbury and built a house, which is still to leave country, home, friends, and all standing. In 1660 he removed with a dear old things, and become emigrants portion of his family to Nantucket, dy- to the New World. Quite likely Tris- ing there in 1681, leaving two sons, from tram, when a youth, in 1O20, may have whom have descended all the Coffins of seen the Mayflower spread her white the country — a numerous and wide- sails to the breeze and fade away in the spread family.

western horizon, for the departure of One of Tristram's decendants, Peter,

that company of pilgrims must have moved from Newbury to Boscawen, New

been the theme of conversation in and Hampshire, in 1 7C6, building a large

around Plymouth. Without doubt it set two-storied house. He became a promi-

thc young man to thinking of the unex- nent citizen of the town — a Captain of

piorcd c. ntinent beyond ihe stormy At- the militia company, was quick and

lantic. In i'i32 his neighbors and friends prompt in all his actions. The news of

began to K ave, and in 1642 he, too, the affair at Lexington and Concord

bade farewell to dear old England, April 19, 17 75, reached Boscawen on the

to become a citizen of Massachusetts afternoon of the next day. On the

Bay. twenty-first Peter Coffin was in Exeter

He landed at Newbury, settled first answering the roll call in the Provincial

in Salisbury, and ferried people across assembly — to take measures for the

the Merrimack between Salisbury and public safety.

Newbury. His wife, Dionis, brewed beer His wife, Rebecca Hazelton Coffin,

�� �