plumer/Welsh_Samuel.xml at main · BucknellDSC/plumer · GitHub

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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
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         <titleStmt>
            <title>Welsh, Samuel</title>
         </titleStmt>
         <publicationStmt>
            <p>William Plumer Biographies Project</p>
         </publicationStmt>
         <sourceDesc>
            <p>New Hampshire Historical Society</p>
         </sourceDesc>
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      <body>
         <head>Samuel Welsh</head>
            <p><lb/>His grandfather, Philip Welsh, was a native of England, and one
            <lb/>of the first settlers of Ipswich in Massachusetts. His father, Samuel
            <lb/>Welsh, was born at Ipswich, but removed to Kingston, New Hamp=
            <lb/>=shire, with the first settlers of that town. His occupation was that
            <lb/>of a farmer; but was occasionally engaged in public service. When
            <lb/>he was about eighty years of age, he joined the expedition and served
            <lb/>in the seige of Louisbourg; but died soon after his return. His mother lived
            <lb/>nearly a century, one of his sisters almost as long, and a brother more
            <lb/>than ninty years.</p>
<p>            <lb/>The subject of this memoir was born at Kingston before named,
            <lb/>on the first day of September 1710. In his early life he lived on the
            <lb/>paternal farm. His education was slender— he could read and write,
            <lb/>tho he practised but little of either. From Kingston he removed to
            <lb/>Pembroke in the same state, and settled on a small tract of land he
            <lb/>purchased. When he went to that town all the property he owned, ex=
            <lb/>=cept his clothing, was fifty dollars, and a yearling colt.</p>
<p>            <lb/>About the year 1772, he removed to Bow, a town near Pembroke,
            <lb/>where he purchased a small farm, and lived the remainder of his
            <lb/>days. His farm was in an obscure part of the town, his house was
            <lb/>small, and before he died became uncomfortable. His person was
            <lb/>above the middle size—of Grecian features, and dark penetrating eyes.
            <lb/>He married and had four children, of whom only one survived him.
            <lb/>After the death of his wife he married an elderly widow, who outlived
            <lb/>him.</p>
<p>            <lb/>He was a man of a timid disposition, and of a mild temper. He
            <lb/>preferred retirement, to the noise and vexations which attend society.</p>
<p>            <lb/>The place he had selected for his residence was suited to his taste. He lived
            <lb/>a life of strict temperance, and enjoyed sound health. He was
            <lb/>never sick but once, and then had only a slight fever.</p>
<p>            <lb/>He was a man of great industry, and performed much hard
            <lb/>labor. He devoted himself to his family and farm. As late as the year
            <lb/>1815 he cultivated his land, and cut up his firewood. In 1820 he was
            <lb/>able to walk in the fields without asistance; but in 1822 his strength
            <lb/>began to fail, and he was unable to walk in his house, unless he held
            <lb/>himself up by chairs, or the arms of attendants. The smallest
            <lb/>movement made his bones grate in the joints. His hands were dry,
            <lb/>withered, and cold-his veins expanded and full-and his hair of
            <lb/>a clayed whiteness; but his countenance, tho wrinkled, was fair.
            <lb/>His judgment was sound, and his memory retentive. He had
            <lb/>treasured up in his memory every important event that fell within
            <lb/>his scope; and his recollection of those which occurred in early and
            <lb/>middle life were clear and distinct.</p>
<p>            <lb/>In March 1823, his mental faculties continued, but the sense of
            <lb/>hearing was impaired. His memory began to fail, and he found a
            <lb/>difficulty in arranging and connecting his ideas; yet he conver=
            <lb/>=sed, in general, with propriety, and answered most questions promptly.
            <lb/>Tho he had lived more than half the time, that had elapsed from
            <lb/>the landing of our ancestors in Plymouth, yet when speaking of the
            <lb/>events of his early days, he said, his life was but a span. He frequently,
            <lb/>spoke of life as being weary of its brothers, and ready to leave them.
            <lb/>To those who had passed the meridian of life, he observed, &quot;My friends
            <lb/>and acquaintances are gone-they were your fathers and grand
            <lb/>fathers_and it is nearly time for me to follow.&quot;</p>
<p>            <lb/>The even tenor of his quiet life was too uniform to be marked
            <lb/>with any great or distinguishing changes. His death, like his life,
            <lb/>was calm and tranquil. He died on the 5th of April 1813, in the one
            <lb/>hundred and thirteen year of his age.</p>
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