Historic Tales of Windham

Writing local histories was not a common practice in antebellum America. Undoubtedly, many of the unique stories and persons of small, rural towns have been lost to the ages simply because they were never written down; oral tradition alone was not enough to carry them through the passage of centuries. Fortunately, by the last quarter of the nineteenth century, small-town authors began to publish histories of their hometowns. Not focusing on any one aspect of history in particular, an author would seek to write about everything in town, preserving otherwise ephemeral anecdotes and important pieces of local history for the generations to come. Those researching Windham’s history in modern times have greatly benefitted from the “bible” of Windham history, Leonard A. Morrison’s History of Windham in New Hampshire (Rockingham County), 1719–1883 . Morrison’s book provided an account of the town’s history from its settlement in 1719 until the time it was published in 1883.

The Morrison family’s pedigree can be traced back to the early sixth century when three Morrison brothers, Fergus, Lorn and Angus, left Ireland for the western coast of Scotland. Leonard Morrison gives a short, yet interesting, account of how his surname originated:

In 787, these [the western coast and nearby islands] were attacked by the sons of Morgue, which means “a man from the sea.” They were of Norse-viking race. One of the daughters of Morgue married Kenneth Mhor, or More, who lived in Lewis, and came from Glen Moreson in West Lothian, Scotland, where a battle was fought in the year 640,—Mhor, Mhoir, or More, Meaning “big or large man.” This battle was called “the battle of Big sons of big men in the Glen,” hence the name of “Glen Mhoireson,” or Glen Morrison.”

When the charter for Nutfield was issued in 1719, five of the Morrison men of Scotland found themselves belonging to the group of 119 persons who became the founders of modern Derry, Londonderry and Windham, the five men being Robert, David, Samuel, James and John. John Morrison, the father of the John on the town charter, is the patriarch ancestor of the Nutfield branch of the Morrison family. Believed to have been born around 1628 in Aberdeen, Scotland, Morrison removed to Londonderry, Ireland, sometime before the siege of the city took place in 1688. He and his family survived the siege, and his sons made their way to the Nutfield region of New Hampshire in 1719. John followed his sons, immigrating to Londonderry sometime shortly after 1720. It is reported that he died at the age of 108 in 1736, though there is insufficient information to prove he lived to such an advanced age.

Although John is the patriarchal ancestor of the Morrison family in Nutfield, Lieutenant Samuel Morrison was the progenitor of the family in Windham. He came to town sometime around 1730, shortly after it was laid out, and quickly became involved in local politics. Samuel held a range of positions, including moderator at the first town meeting, town clerk and selectman. There are, of course, countless more ancestors of Leonard A. Morrison who can be found in the annals of town history, many of whom were prominent in the local community. From a Revolutionary War soldier with a remarkable battle story to one of the earliest supporters of the antislavery cause, the Morrison who came to the rescue of Windham’s history certainly had an impressive pedigree to live up to.

Leonard Allison Morrison was born in Windham on February 21, 1843. As a child, Morrison experienced the untimely death of his brothers and was also left with many of the tasks essential to the running of the household due to the poor health of his parents. Despite the time spent taking care of family matters, he was able to obtain education at the schoolhouses of Windham and go on to become a learned man. After completing rudimentary schooling in Windham, Morrison left for Gowanda, New York, to study at the Union School. After returning from New York, he attended the New Hampshire Conference Seminary, which is located in what is now the town of Tilton, New Hampshire. However, Morrison was not satisfied with the traditional education he had received through his years spent in the classroom. Thus, he decided he would supplement the education he had received with self-education obtained by “intercourse with the world” and through private studies. Looking back on his studies, Morrison recollected that he “was always fond of reading… and in [books] found companionship, solace, and delight.”

His love for the written word was not limited to reading. Morrison began contributing to several newspapers at the age of eighteen. Morrison’s thirst for writing was not quenched through his occasional newspaper editorials, though. In 1878, he began work on a book on a subject close to his heart: the history of his own family. First published in 1880, period reviews note that the book was well received, and copies had even made their way to the family’s homeland, Scotland. It was after he finished History of the Morison, or Morrison, Family that he began one of his life’s most important undertakings—preserving the history of Windham, the town his family had called home for over a century.

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An 1883 engraving of Leonard A. Morrison with a facsimile signature. From History of Windham in New Hampshire (Rockingham County), 1719–1883.

There had been no extensive work on the history of Windham published before History of Windham in New Hampshire in 1883. In fact, Morrison lamented that by the time he began writing about the town’s history, it was “too late.” He knew that “a history should have been written fifty years ago.” Even in 1880, many pieces of the town’s early history had certainly been lost with the passing of generations. The older members of the community held with them recollections of interactions with early settlers and the important events of the founding of the town. However, without a strong oral tradition, those memories faded away and can never be replaced. For this reason, Morrison dedicated more than three years of his life compiling every birth record in town, spending countless hours at the local cemeteries and visiting many of the old cellar holes in town.

When Morrison’s monumental undertaking was completed, the result was more than just a book. The tome of over eight hundred pages was set in a simple Victorian cloth binding. As the market was relatively limited, only 725 copies of the book were printed. The only mention of the sale price of the book is that when it was discovered only $300 of the $400 allotted by the town to “aid in the publication” of the book was needed, the price was adjusted accordingly in a ratio to the $300. The town also provided $200 for views of landscapes in town to be added to the book. As the book also provided extensive genealogical records, including those of almost every person to have ever resided in Windham up to the date of publication, the many portraits of various local persons were placed in the book at the expense of the person themselves or their family. In total, it is noted that over $2,400 was spent illustrating the work; in 2016 dollars, this would be approximately $58,000. In his introduction, Morrison wrote that “every copy of the History of Windham, N.H. , contains more than it was advertised to contain.”

Leonard Allison Morrison’s legacy to his hometown is of immeasurable proportions; no one has ever contributed so much in the interest of the history of Windham. Almost everything known beyond the unadorned facts of Windham prior to 1883 would have been lost to history were it not for Morrison. The story of how Windham’s early history was preserved is not just of local relevance. It speaks volumes about the importance of recording history and ensuring local and regional history is kept alive for generations and centuries to come.