Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 9.djvu/149

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

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men of their own energetic stock, who, refusing all political preferment, have given comprehensive abilities, sterling integrity, and sagacious industry, to the development of business, many New-Hampshire towns owe an imperishable debt. John McDuffee's record is in the prosperity of Rochester.

The name itself suggests that strong Scotch-Irish blood which endured the siege of Londonderry, in which were Mr. McDuffee's ancestors, John McDuffee and his wife Martha, honored in tradition. John and Martha McDuffee had four sons; viz., Mansfield, Archibald, John, and Daniel. Mansfield went to London, England; the other three came with their parents to America in the emigration which gave New Hampshire the powerful stock of Derry and Londonderry. John, the father of these sons, settled in Rochester, in 1729, on land on the east side of the Cocheco River, adjoining Gonic Lower Falls,—the farm of eighty-five acres remaining without break in the family, and now owned by the subject of this sketch. The Rochester settler was, as just stated, the father of Daniel McDuffee, and also of Colonel John McDuffee, a gallant officer in the old French and Revolutionary wars, lieutenant-colonel in Col. Poor's regiment, who, never marrying. adopted his brother Daniel's son John, and eventually made him his heir. John, the colonel's heir, was a farmer in good circumstances, married Abigail, daughter of Simon and Sarah (Ham) Torr, and was father of John McDuffee, the subject of this sketch, who was born on the farm once the colonel's, about a mile and a half from Rochester village, on the Dover road, Dec. 6, 1803.

Of course, while working on the farm more or less, he had for five or more years the advantage of a good school.

In 1818, at the age of fifteen, the boy entered Franklin Academy, in Dover. In 1821, at the age of eighteen, he went into the store of his uncle, John Greenfield, at Rochester.

After two years' experience, he began the same business for himself on the same square; was successful, and, after two years, took into partnership his uncle, Jonathan H. Torr. During this period he was commissioned postmaster of Rochester, being not of age when appointed; and he held this office until removed on Jackson's accession to the presidency.

In the spring of the year 1831 he went to Dover, and began the same business on a broader scale. Steady success continued to reward his energy and industry. In February, 1833, he