amos fortune the man and his legacy

8/2/2019 Amos Fortune The Man and His Legacy

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was researched, written, and

designed by Peter Lambe, a native of Jarey, New Hampshire, and a graduate of Keene Sate College. The idea of a booklet bringing together the

facts, legends, and documents reating to Amos Forune had been discussed

for some time by wo dierent groups: the Tustees of the Jarey Pubic

Library custodian of the Amos Forune papers and of the funds le to he

town in his estae, and he Amos Fortune Form which organizes a summer lecure series honoring he memory of Jaffrey's famous citizen The Library

convened a commiee o oversee the project and recruied Peer Lambert to do

the job. The Forum hen agreed o fund the project, as wel as manage the

editing and prining process. Finaly the Library wil distribute the booket to

teachers and others interesed in earning more abou Amos Forune's life .

Many individuas heped produce his booklet Thanks go to Mary o Marvin

for her editoria expertise, to Professo David Leinster of Keene State Colege

for reviewing the manuscript, and to Angea Robie, executive edior of q the newspaper o Keene Sate Coege, for technica assisance A

specia thanks mus go to Eizabeh Yaes, who brough Amos Fortune to he

world's aention in her book, and aso carefu-

y reviewed this manuscrip Others who en invauable suppot include

Margaret Bean, Wiliam Driscol, Cynthia Hamion, Margare Johnson, and

Joan Knigh, Jarey's Libray Director

Printed by Savron Graphics, Jarey, New Hampshire

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ContentsM ap f 8 t e t u r y N e w E g l a d . ... . . . .. .. . . . ... . . . . . . . . . .. Pag e

e S r y f A s Fr t u e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .Pag e 2

E i l g u e . . . . . .. . . .. . .

e M y e r y f e l y d i a

N t e s .

Pi u r e s

B i g r ap y

M a r S u r e s .

M ap f 1 8 t e u r y affr ey . .

D u e s & r a s r i pt i s ... . .

U s i g e d 1 7 6 3 M a u m i s s i S i ar t e r Ag r e e e t

R i ar d s Ag r e e m e t . . . . . .

W u r L a d e ed . . . . .

P w er f Att r ey fr P p ey B ak a.

Pu r as e L y di a

Pur ase f V i l ae

S i Pet e App r e t i es i p

ar l e s T t ak e r Ap p r e t i e i p

V ai u s R e e i p t s .

S a u e l G e r g e R e e i p .

A s F r u e ' s W i l l . . . . .

A u t i g f E s t at e .

. . . . . . . Pag e 1 5

. . . . . . ag e 1 7

. . .Pag e 1 8

. . . . . . . . Pag e 1 9

. . . age 2 1

. . ag e 2 3

. . . . . . . . . . ag e 2 5

Pag e 2 7

. . . Pag e 2 7 Pag e 2 9

. . Pag e 3 1

.. Pag e 3 3

. . . Pag e 3 5

. . Pag e 3 7

Pag e 3 9

. . Pag e

Pag e 3

. ..Pag e 5

Pag e 7

. .. . .Pag e 9

.Pag e 5

V i s i i g J affr e y M ap & D i r e i s . . . . . . . . . . _. .. . .Pag e 5 3

NOTESThis booket endeaors to reea the true story of Amos Fortune - his e his famiy and thetime period in hich he ied.

The Documents section incudes images of many documents that payed part in AmosFortunes ife, along ith a transcription ofeach The documents ere transcribed in 1988 by

Lisa R. Bearce then a ibrarian in Jarey

Items in the time ine in itaicized print reate directy to Amos Fortune. Items in reguar print areother noteorthy nationa eents Precedence has been gien to eents that took pace in Nengand or that deal ith sae in America.



+ Mo,1 /oad,k

Jaffrey. f Amhers •

• New Ipswich

Lunenburg •Fithbrg .

Nasha Rv.

MSSCHUSETTS

Worester •

Map oNEWENGLAND

Circa 0

Shw g hse aeas a s pme he l Ams Fe.

MNE(P ch)

Exeter •

• Londonderry

• Andove

Redng. Wobrn •

• Lexngton

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O



The Sor Amos Forune

Introduction

2

Peraps no resident o aey New ampsire past or presen as eer captured te hearts and mnds o as many people as Amos Forune. Brought as a slae omAica he purchaed s own liber and a o his wies was a successl tanner

and became one o 18th cenur ae's mos prominen ciizens is sory as been related in seeral books suc as Aexander Magoun's ctiona biograpy Amosorune's Choice, and Elizabe Yates' Newber awardwinning children's tale Amosortune ree Man Yates' work rst published in 950 has neer gone out of pnt t has been translated ino seeral languages and is read and aught in countless schools trough-ou te nation and around he world. The story of Amos Forune a man wo died 00 ears ago continues o inspire milions

But wat do we reall know abou Amos Foune? Ocial records om he 18 cen-tu r y a re e w , info rma ion I��-"==;-is someimes skecy and

conictng accouns addto e conusion Woowned mos Fortune?Wen was e made a eeman? ow many wiesdid he ae? Whaeer

happened o is "daug-ter Celyndia?

Een aer exhaustie esearc auhors o the books on Amos Forune were le o ll in te gapsusing ter imaginaionsAltoug te maerialmade or great sories andte books hae epedspread mos Forune's ame te hae aso ledto misinformation and A e map o We Aa Amo Fore mos lie ame om he

rego alog he Ala oa ow a Giea.mys

Amos Fortune boin Afrca

Geoge owed igo Eglad

Smalpox epideii Boo

Geoge owedg o Eglad

1713 17 17I 1716 1717 1718 1719 1720 1721 1722 1723 172 172 1726 27 1728 1729 1730



3

Born in Aica, a Slave in America1710 - 1768

Amos Fortune was probably bo around 1710 a date reached by calculating bacfrom his recorded deah in 1801 at age 91 is tombsone holds the only clue to his place of birh, saying Bo free in Afica Forune's homeland was prb-

ably weste Afica in the aeas then known as Guinea or the Gold Coast (now cn-�sisting of such countries as Nigera,Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Ghaa)since his was he prncipal area fe-quented by slave traders frmEngland and is colonies in America

Nohing is known abou his life in

Africa, and i is cerainly not knon whether he was a ribal prince, as da-matically described by Yaes in heopening chapter of Amos ortueree Mn Even his original name remains a mystey Yaes goes on totell of white slavers capuring ateenage Amos Fortune in a raid o a

village, bu ie many Afcan slaes he may have been captured by a rial ribe and sold to European save raders

No mater who captured AmosForune or where, he mus surely have endured he horrendous ouey o Amerca

nown as he Mddle Passage. The name of the ship tha brough him to America isunnown, but i was probably a ypical slave ship of the day Slaves were crammed ioevery available space on the ship The decs tha held he slaves were generally 35 fet

high, and each slave was given abou one foot of horizontal space. Diseases were ram- pan, and perhaps anywhere from 10 to 30 percent of he slaes, lierally paced in liesardines, would die dung he voyage

The Middle Passage aen by he Africans was one of he most important Alanic rade roues and a leg of he riangula rade hat was so vial to colonial merchans, ese- cially New Englanders A ship laden with slaves would leave Africa and sail to he

English sugargrowing colonies in he Wes Indies such as Anigua, Barbados, andJamaica. There the slaves would be auctioned for a handsome prot o be applied to heGeoge Wahgo Soo lave New Hamphre gve New Egader cap

bo ebe lo goveor e Lobog

76 748 749 70



purchase of molasses, he produc of West Indian sugar. The molasses would then beshipped o New England to be made into rum This um sered as payment for moreslaes on he retu rip o Africa

The slaes who landed in the West Indies were subeced to harsh and cruel rea-

men by planation owners deermined o get he maximum amoun of labor ou of theirinestment. More than a million saes were shipped to the Wes Indies beween 1666and 1780. oweer between he years 708 and 1735 (most likey he period during which Amos Forune would hae been brough o Norh America) the populaion of

CU

Africans in he Wes Indies grew onlyfrom 4000 to 46,000. Of he 85,000slaes imported into he region during

� his same peod, more than 80,000appear o hae pershed on he planta

ions Slaery in he American South(Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia)

appears o hae been less harsh han in he West Indies Neerheless, mostsaes there worked ong days in intense

I= heat in obacco, indigo, and rice elds.The ide o a lave hip Amos Fortune well deseres the

name gien o hm for he was indeed lucky to be spared the est Indian and Souheexperience and o wind up in New England. Slaery in he New England colonies wasquie derent han in the South No large plantaions existed in the Noh, eliminaingthe need for large slae populaions to work the elds. What slaes here were (and i isesimaed hat during the 18 century only 5% of he norhe popuation was black) worked alongside their masters and whie laborers on small rms, or leed trades inshops in the larger owns

When or where a ship carrying Amos Forune aied in New England is unknown, bu Yates sory tells of his sale in Boston Bu he could also hae landed in Porsmouh,New ampshire, another maor New England por and one of the busies in the BritishEmpire

hBoth Boston and Porsmouth had small populations of African descent in the

mid18 century.In her sory, Yates has a Quaker in Boston (whom she names Caleb Copeland) pur-

chase the slae o be called Amos Forune Later records clearly show that Forune could read and wrte, and Yates speculaes that he may hae been taught by Quakers.There were no schools for Africans in New England, bu Quaker women would se up classes to educate the Africans so that slaes and their masters could comunicaeThese women, howeer, had a higher moie. They belieed they could mitigae the eils

of the slae trade if the heathen were educated and Christianized.F owned by Ichabod Gea New Eglad

Richardson Eahaee devaae Unsigned

Boo manumission pape

175 1760 1761

Ichabod Richadson dies



Magoun imagines a dierent scenao in his book wherein Amos Fortune was puchased by a Boston bookbinder named Deacon Fortune his explains how AsFortune leaed how to bind books, which he would later do as a tanne, and i accouns

for the name Fortune since many slaes were gien their masters famly name On theother hand, Yates writes hat Amos was called "Forune because people belieed he was fortunate to hae beneolen ownes Albert Annett, the auho of The Histo oJf beliees that early on Amos was gien the name Fortunatus as a sarcastic reference to his slae status A receip frm later in Amos Fortunes life does refer to himas Mr Fotunatus Annet contends he Biblical name Amos would be bestwed later,

.� __ .__ - by a mre pious maste.The earlies recod we hae

of Ams Fortune daes fromf_"!l 175 when he was owned by

D .UNI .I .� I cha bod Ric hardson, a anne r

who lied in Woburn,Massachusets Richardsosrst will, dated May 11, 175,LJ�;:!13 species that six years following his mastes death, AsFortune is to be freedAn adeeen f a lave acn dan he 1.

What follows presents a confusing recod Dcuments are ssing or unsigned archaic 18th century legal language is dicult to decipher On December 30, 1763, Richardson had a fomal maumission pape drawn up, prosing freedom for Frune four years aer that date, rupon the deah of Richardson should he die before the four years wee oer oweer,the paper was neer signed, and therefoe was not legally biding

Fie days before Richardsons sudden and unexpeced death in 1768, he signed anew will which did not mention Amos Forune or his freedom Since thee was no legalmanumission paper and since the 175 will was supplaned by he later one, Foruneemained legal property which could be sold again But Ams Foune was already 58and not likely to be purchased

He Purchased Libert y. . . .

1769 - 1780

n May 1769 Simon Carter of Woburn, one of Ichabod Richadsons heirs, drafed a document that required Ams Fortune o pay Carter £6 each year for se-

era years Although Amos Forune was egally a slae, these payments wod"ayoff his bond and allow him o lie life more or less as a free man heseMau pap g

11

Jaffreyncpraed

12

F uy la Wu

I

Declaran f F andepedence La

16 1

F alat



6

payments wee set aside as a tust fund, in case Fotune ee became disabled andunable to suppot imself. Te fund tus saed Ricadson's eis, if Fotune ee still a sla� o te town of Wobun, if e wee fee, fom aing to suppotim.

In Noembe 769, a manumission pape was dawn up stating tat AmosFotune was fee etoactie to May 9, 1769, te date of Cate's document Tenew pape meant in eect tat Fotune could wo fo imself but woud be feeony afte te afoementioned payments ad been completed e made te last,- payments in Noembe 770, wen e was 60

yeas od. Amos Foune was at last a fee man.Noting is nown about te ife of Amos

Fotune between 770 and 774 e mayae continued to wo at Icabod

Thy Life to mnd Ricadsons tanney, wic was being un

This Bok atend. by Ricadsons nepew Leonad. e must[= ae eaned some money, fo on uly 0,

, Adm Fl

W fnn a

The Ct doh play 177 4, e s pent £ 6.13s. on a alf a ce of

An a y. land on te Wilmington Road in Wobun on wic e constucted a smal ouse.

� Not only did Amos Fotune ae a ousee also ad seea acquaintances in teWobun aea. One was Pompey Blacmananote Afican sae wo ied in Lexington,Massacusetts. Caling im is "tustyfiend, Blacman autoized Fotune to actas is epesentatie in business mattes in777 Blacman was iliteate (e was unableto sign is name on te document giingAmos Fotune te poe of attoney), so is

tust indicates te ig egad in wic AmosA a w Eglad i Amo Fo F t ld b

poal lad o ad wih h lp o ao une was e y IS pees

pim ad h Bil Fotunes family life as been a matte of contoesy Some esions of is life ae

im pucasing te feedom of tee Afican omen an unnamed woman in 1775 o died; Lydia Someset in 1778, wo aso soon died; and iolate Baldwin in779. Yates names te anonymous 775 woman Lily. oee, te Wobun ecodsdo not sow Amos Fotune maying anyone befoe 778. All maiages and intentons to may ad to be egisteed by aw, so te absence of any efeences would

a to ue out an ealie maiage. rtunes arrve Laa Aiwoh Maah o- US Coio A bulds huse Ppey

n Ja odaid ii aw lav wi & ba dies

18 185 186 186 8 188



he woman who died in 1778 was Amos Fotunes tue st wife, Ldia Somesetof Bileca, Massachusets he pobabl became acquainted because the son f Ldias maste, Josiah Bowes, had maied a gi fom the Richadson fami Lia was man es ounge than Amos Foune, but was a widow with tee daughteOn June 3 1778 Amos puchased Ldia fom he maste fo £50 (a high, but co-mon pice), and he led his intent to ma he with the Wobu town cek the nextda. he wee maied on Jul 8 1778, in Lexington, Massachuses No detais f thei sho maied life ae known, fo Ldia died thee months ate on Octobe 3 77 Pesumabl she is buied in Wobu, but no headstone has been found

Amos Founes second wife, who outlied him, was Vioate Badwin She wasowne b James Badwin of Noth Wobu. Baldwins wife Ruth was IchaboRichadson's st cousin, and both the Badwins and the Richadsons attended theWobu Congegational Chuch he Afcans had a designated section in the balcoy,as was customa in man New England chuches, so the Fotunes ma hae met thee

On Noembe 9, 1779 Amos Foune puchased Vioate Badwins feedom fothe Baldwins fo £50, and maed he the next da in Wobu She was 50 eas old atthe time, and he was 69

.. .Prssed Christianit y Lived Reputab1781 1799

Bi o gh Charle Toothaker Polly Buroogoe ino ee appretce to A e

172 7 175

Jarey Soca

Lbrary chartere

176 177

og Wahngonde

178 7 800



Andoer about 5 miles from Woburn wic a tanner suc as Fortune would ae is-ied Te Pillips wo would later found te Pilips Academies in Andoer and ExeterNew apsire owed large tracts of land in arey and encouraged at last troter famiies to settle tere

Magoun aso specuates tat Fortune may ae been attracted by te possibility of free land for setters in te New ampsire wideess n reaity land was no longerfree in New ampsire a fact Magouns book as ��;-Amos Fortune discoering after arriing in arey.t seems unikey oweer tat e would not aedone is omework and known abou land aail-abiity in New ampsire before moing isfamly tere.

n te summer of 178 te Forunes arried inarey Amos Fortune was 7 years od and Vioate was 52 Soon after teir arria in an incident reat

ed in eery account of Amos Forune tey werer:

"wed out by arey town constable osepTodike Tis incident is sometimes interpretedto mean tat arey residents did not want a back famiy in town an assumption tatis entirey eoneous Te facts are quite dierent Far from being discrimnatory te"waing out was standard procedure

New ampsire towns were ten as now required by aw to support needy fam-lies To spare te town taxpayers from aing to suppor suc peope te town seect-men directed constables to "wa out new arrals teling tem to depar te townfortwit and waing tem tat if tey stayed te town woud refuse to be ed iableif tey became destitute arey records sow tat among tose "waed out were onFitc for wom Fitcburg Massacusetts was named Peter and anna Dais andteir daugter also named anna wo became renowned as te rst bandbox anufacturer and Apeus Crosby wo would become captain of te areyRindgeCaalry Company Te Fortunes were certainy in good company!

t is also unlikey te Fortunes met Constable Todik immediately upon teirrrial in town arey seectmen ad to autorize warningsout wic usualyoccurred anywere from one to tree monts after a familys arrial areys seectmen in 178 (Danie Emery Wiliam Pope and Tomas Mower did not autorizete waingout unti September probaby a mont or two aer te Fortunes arrial

One way or anoter Amos Fortune did not eed Constabe Torndikes warn-ing and became a ardworking respected citizen of arey. n describing teFortunes searc for land Elizabet Yates again creates a scene folowing te "warn-

in out wen Amos meets te Reerend Laban Ainswort in tat arson's newAo Fortn

i

80

ViolatFortn i

803 80

bl Parr rl mpoat savs Fortn tat ivnon Fortn tat bad i to hool

805 806 807 808



9

house This could not have happened arey men rst me Ainsworth at iDartmouth College commencement September 19, 1781, a week after ConstaeThodike recorded wang he Forunes out of own Ainsworth would no becoeJareys ordained mnister until 782, and hs house was not constructed unti 178So Amos Forune robaby welcomed Laban Ainsworh to town, no he oher waaround

Forune dd, however, setle on a piece of land that would evenually become paof Ainsworths estae I was own land reserved for the mnster, bu as Ainswort

had no arrived the selectmen allowed Amos Forune o setle here temorarly Theand is locae west of he Ainsworh house, along Route 124 south of Dubn Roa,aong he banks of a smal brook (a requiremen for a tanner snce water is needed ithe tanning process)

Amos Fortune stayed on Laban Ainsworths land unt 1789 On Aril 25 of tyear he bought 25 acres of and along the road o Sharon (now Amos Fortune Roa)

n the northwes part of lo 18, range 6, from William Tuer for £45 The and ssituated on Tyler Brook, which ows south from Gareld Pond to the ContoocooRiver He dug his tanning pis here, and built a smal house� and a a Both the hose an ba are stil standing, anda sign marks them as the Forune Homestead

Amos Fortune was acknowlege as one of the nesttanners in he area, and indeed in New England Former ciens from Woburn and other owns n easternMassachusets sen her hdes to Jaey, judging by receptssuch as those from Thomas Hapgood of Reading Oher

receipts exist from an labeh Cady of Amherst, NewHampshire; Thomas Brown of New Iswich and others

Amos Forune had anoher person working for him dur-ng he 1780s Pompey lackman, his old frend fromWobu, who eed hs lberty ghting in the RevolutonaryWar and now wen by the name Pompey Freeman nJaey, hoever, he soon was known boh as Freeman andas Pompey Forune Amos Fortune apparenly sen for hisfriend a few years aer he arrve in Jaey Records of Revere nd

"Pom p vsting Benjamin P rescot's ta ve f requen ly L_LbaIlin·wo __ - throughou he 1780s sho him buying rum for AmosFortune and purchasing whisky for himself Pompey worked with his longime frienduntil he died on May 20, 1790 Lke other poor people of the tme, he was probably

buried in an unmarked grave in the Od Burying Groundth his devoted worker gone, Fortune, now an old man nearing he end of hsWa of

gsLa recor of Celyna,

Forune' aope augher Seeple ae o Jarey

Meeing houe

0 1 1 1 14 5 6 17 1 19



career needed help The openng of a compeng annery jus east of he own cener yJohn Cutter n 189 may have also nduced mos ortune o tae on apprencespprenehp was a common pactce at tha tme young man would sgn a con

ract pledgng o wor for a crafsman for a se perod o me wh no paymen exceptfor room and oard In reurn the craftsan woud agree o teach he man eerythng

he new regardng hs chosen professon mos ortune s nown o have taen on woapprentces who certany would have consdered hemseves forunae to e appen-tced to one of he est anners n he area

The frst was Smon Peter of Jaffrey a ac man o furher nformaon has een found relatng to Peer In 193 when Peter's apprentceshp was overortune sgned on another young man Chares Toohaer of unenurgMassachuses Charles father Roger hadr-the contrac drawn up and aced as agentfor hs son for Charles was not of egaage Soon afer Chares ecame an

apprentce the res of the famly decdedto move o Jafey The records show thaton March 10 194 Constae SamueBrant was ordered to "warn out Rogerand Mary Toothaer her daughersuvsa Carona and Poy and sonsSamue len and James They apparent

In ote wods .." a wold such as o today. . is go o rmid

d of a lif such as Amo FO. H livd th oly focha gra tha ay om simpl acio dphatd ov Mods chag t ot vals, ad a hat hstood fo i his day is vital i our thos iaiaighs whos achivmt is par of th log oai wall ar cimig as w mg om ou varos foms ofsavry io th fulss of frdom.

y arrved n Jaffrey n pr193 just one _ lizabeth Yates 1951 onth after Chares apprenceshp con ._____________ ract was sgned Unforunately nothngfurther s recorded regardng any memer of the famly ncudng Charles

mos ortune had oher people vng n hs new house as wel Someme efore 190 Moses Burdoo a lac man ded and ef hs famy destue He hadved orgnay n the exreme southeas of the town nown as Squantum ut

couldnt mae a go of He sod hs farm and oo up acsmthng near the msn Sa Cty Vllage ust souh of the town center The Burdoos proaly werefrends of the orunes as they were oth ac famles and shared a pew n heMeenghouse galery Burdoos second lacsmth shop would aso have eenless than a me away from Fortunes frs tannery at the foo of he hll OnceMoses B urdoo ded hs wfe os was left o suppor her several sons and daugh-ters wth ttle or no ncome Mos of he chdren had een orn n Jaffrey so hetown was responsle for hem mos and Volae Fortune agreed o ae Poly theeldes daughter nto her home

Nat TsRllio

jre Soci brdibnded

Mx icaAmicaWa gis



I

Contrary to a oving scene in Yates book called Auctioned for Freedo Pollys care probably was not auctioned off to the lowest bidder affrey citiesdid not vote to vendue or take bids on the care of the poor nti 1794 a fewyears after Polly was handed over to the Fortnes olly Burdoo was not a very

healthy girl and she died in Deceber 1793 age 15 he following oveberFortune was given £116s for having spported oly She was probably buriedin an unarked grave near the Fortunes graves in the Od Bryig Ground

Aos Fortune was one of the ore proinent and prosperous citiens of theyoung town of affrey He was a full eber of the church and attended the reigious services every Sunday in theMeetinghouse led by Reverend Ainsworth ,.C' lhM--b---.--Church ebership was very iportat in (ure xp those days. T hough most to wnspeople Although nery every peson in a New Engand twn

attended the servi ces, only a handful were attened church sevices (calle meetings), ony a

full c hu r c h mem bers be cause rles go ve rn-select few wer e regar de d a ocial membes of e

ing ebership were very strict Fortune cur�rchurch" ere referrin t a cneatin n a building). T becme a member f e curc a

had b ecom e a m em b e r of th e c hu rch can d date went thr ough exensive questioning by Woburn and upon presenting the neces ter cuc member n tely enan f e

sa ry documents he was a ccepted ito the f th, an knowledge of scriptur es. Boh men a

affrey chrch wme c.ul becme mem�er Cuc membeip

M t· h t d ba reliU a well a Ial benet

ee g ouse pews were ren e y vari ous faiies in affrey with theL_________ wealthiest usually getting the choice seating Aos Fortne did not own a pewin the Meetinghose like any other proinent townspeope It is assed that

he sat in the section that was set aside for the "egroes of affrey his woud have been ocated in the secondfloor bacony in the northwest corner o the building W hile this arrangeent indicates soe racial discriination in affreyit was a coon practice throughout e England However even if AsFortune had been white he stil would not have been able to rent a pew Pews were uch soughtafter and any people in town were unable to afford one

By all acconts and jdging by the inventory of his estate Aos Fortue was a particularly welldressed an He owned silver shoe buckes and several coats including a fur coat for winter After 1799 he ay have gone to theSunday church eeting wearing the bue coat and fur hat he took as collaterafro Sauel George in Keene He owned a siver watch which sod for a arges at action folowing his death A copete listing of his househod ivento

ry can be fond on page 46 of this booklet

rankn Pece eeced Peiden

Ded Sc Laban nswth Civ Wa Decin es e n

Cvi Wa end

Savey aihed inUne Sae

855 856 857 858 859 86 861 86 86 86 865 866 867 868 869



Amo Forne wa inrmenal n fonding Jarey r brary he JareySocal Lbrary had r meeng n 789 b dd no become a forma grop ni796 and hen wa no charered by he ae ni 797 ared wh 22 member

b 30 oher oon oned Among he member.- were Reeren Anworh Abe Parker DrIn oter words... Adonah Howe and olonel Benjamin Preco

Wll don Amo Grn b th t aboyo! You ha t a good nam and hnngamp to a th world W ar prod toclam you as a ctz ad bothrMonadnok wll ot last logr tha thfuc of yo go sprt ad hosthartJary w b a btt ad rhtow for you am

Albet Annett

The Histo ofaey

The meeng were hed Sarday eening aAnworh hoe for he r few year and laerme n one of he ocal aern De were e a$300 a year b collecion wa poradic a beThe ociey had 72 book n 1802, he year aerForne died many deang wh hory and rae oed o remoe eera book of e aue which nclded The Vicar o/Wakeeld andDon Quixote Amo Forne alegedly bond e-

era of he Lbrary bookBy he year 800 Jarey had grown o be a abe own wih a poplaon of 134 peope he

hr New Hamphire pike now Roe 24, had been charered he year beforeand had improed ranporaon hrogh he own Seera ore had been b andmill had prng p a he fledglng Facory Vilage wa a ery deren ownfrom he one Amo Forne had enered n 178

.. .And Died Hopl.800 - 80

Amo Forne oo had changed He wa now 90 year od and hi wife wa70 He dd no gn on any new apprenice aer hare Toohaker erm wa oer On Sepember 2, 180, he receed a $1,000 cah morgage from

Deacon Eleaer Spoord who owned he mll aong he onoocook Rier nFacory Vage He alo aked Spofford be he execor of h eae

A h pon he record regarng he Forne nance become confngThe ForneSpoord morgage appear n he hehre ony Regry of Deedn Keene b why Forne needed $1,000 cah a ha me a myery n h

reearch Magon fond ha only a few monh earlier Forne had borrowed $04from Spoord o ele h accon a Joeph Thodike ore (he ame hornke who had warned hm o of own n 78)

Ex-slas grght to ot

US cbatsCtal

87 87 875 87

Peer seice seno Mig

Docas Lacy las Fotdocumts to daght

900 90I 902 90 90 905 90 907



13

Amos Fortune dd buy the land on Tyler rook from Wllam Turner for lttlemoney down bak n 1789 He gave Turner a mortgage of about $50 for the rest

ut ater Amos Fortunes death hs property was apprase at only $566 and asExeutor Spofford sold t for $500,free of all enumbranes All toldAmos Fortunes possessons added upto ony $75929 And yet he was ableto leave large bequests to the hurhand shools There must have been rumstanes reatng to the mortgage of whh there are no reord

n

On November 17, 1801 just 45 Rvnd Ainwh dn.

days after sgnng a wll drawn up by a ia ba d it ting .

Roger Glmore Amos Fortune ded at

age 9 He was bure behnd the Meetnghouse n the Old uryng Ground Thsn tsef was unusual for n many New England towns baks were bured outsdethe emetery walls wth wooden grave markers that would slowy deay overtme

That the Fortunes would be bured nsde the emetery grounds wth largattratve grave markers s qute remarkable It speaks of two thngs Frst thatFortune was prosperous and able to afford stone markers (few other blaks wereas fnanaly solvent) Seond and perhaps most mportant t reets the hghesteem n whh Fortune was held by the townspeope

The full text of Amos Fortunes wll an be found on page 44 He made pro vsons for Volate's housng and wellbeng; Deaon Spofford promsed hm that

she would not be evted after hs deathThe affeton that arey had for Amos Fortune was mathed only by theaeton Fortune had for hs aopted town To ompete hs wll he stpulatedthat wth any money left over from hs estate aer the debts were pad a "hand-some present was to be made to the hurh n affrey Further f any money

remaned that amount should be gven to the town to support Shoolhouse #8Ths small shoolhouse loated on present Nuttng Road ust over a mle east of the Fortune house was where Celynda hs adopted daughter would haveattended shool (or more on Ceyndia see page 17)

Less than a year after Amos Fortunes death Volate also ded and was bure next to hm n the emetery Today vstors of all ages ome to read thensrptons sad to have been wrtten by Reverend Answorth hmsef:

an ln Ttc

n re uses ortue u mo ortue ppers gWd Wa o spekg cotests to Jre

1908 1909 1910 1911 19 2 1913 191 191 1916 1917 1931 1932 193



S aredt te ery

As Frtu new w as b ee i

Ar a asl ave i n Aeri ae pur ased liberty

pressed risti antylved reput ably ad

died pe llyNv , 80

Aet 9

S aedt te ery

Vl ateby s ale te sl ave As Frtu ne by

arr age is w e byer delity is rie nd

ad sl ae se dieds widw

Sept 3 802 Aet 3

Yet Amos Fortune's story was not over Fulling his role as executor EleaerSpoord inventoried Fortune's goods and sold them o He rought in $77020 and

repaid all the estate's dets Aer Violate Fortune's death some of the money was usedto pay for the care she had received during her last days By 1805 Spoord appeared

efore the local proate court and announced that $37004 remained The court was preside over y Jarey's own el Parker who had een wounded at the attle of Bunker Hill and who represented Jarey at the New Hampshire Federal ConstitutionalConvention in 1788

Parker ruled that $100 e given to the Church of Jarey as stipulated in AmosFortune's will This was used to uy a pewter communion service Contrary to ppuar elief a myth perpetuated in Yates' ook Fortune did not give the church a silver service He merely le money, the amount of which was determned y Judge Parker andthe service was pewter not silver He ordered Spoord to purchase gravestones for othFortunes which were engraved y William Fsworh and cost $1 to make and $4 totransport to the cemetery

n 1809 aer all these outlays Spoor still had $23385 from Amos Fortune'sestate Parker uled that this e given to the Town for the support of Schoolhouse 8Because this schoolhouse was no longer in operation a special act of the NewHampshre legislature alowe the money to e used for the suppor of all schoolchildren in Jarey n 928 the Town of Jarey voted t use the money for pries in pulicspeakng contests in the schools When the pulicspeaking contests were discon-tinued years later the money sat idle n 1977 the students of Conant High School inJarey used the funds for a ook of creative writing that was maied to evey householdin the town The fund then remained dormant until it was transferred to the Jarey Pulic Lirary The income is currently eing used to evelop educational materials onAmos Fortune As you read this ooklet, you are a direct eneciary of the generosityand enevolence of one of Jarey's greatest citiens Amos

Fortune

ohn Pooe discovesconion sevie

US etesWorld Wa

NOmandvasio

Aos ForneFo beins

Koea Wa begs

93 93 936 I 7 938 939 90 94 942 943 944 94 1946 97 98 949 90



-EPILOGUELaban Ainsworth, Jffreys miniser coninued o rec in Jrey unil is dein 858 He served o of 76 yers record reoredy unmced by nyCongregion miniser in e Unied Ses Te inscriion on is grvesoe wic lies ess 20 yrds from ose of Amos nd Vioe Forune ends wi Ihave ought a good ght, I have kept my course, I have kept the FAITH"

Judge Abel Parker wo ruled on Amos Forunes will would ler be member of e New Hmsire Gener Cour reresenng Jrey member of e elecol colege in e Presidenil elecion of 82 nd Jreys osmser for ve yesHe died in 1831 nd ws buried ner e Ainswors

Deacon Eleazar Spofford e execuor of e Forune ese sod is mills in 81He ler sold is frm nd moved o Brdford Msscuses in 82 He died i828 nd is buried n Grovend cemeery His widow moved bck o Jrey werese died in 1836

The Jaffrey Social Library, of wic Amos Forune ws crer ember rsferred is membersi fer is de o Jcob Bdwin e Sociey d is lsmeeing in 82 loug i d been defunc for mos 10 yers e books renow ried ossesson of e Jrey Public ibrry ose llegedly bound yAmos Forune sow no deeriorion o is dy

The Manumission Papers nd oer imorn documens Amos Foruneowned cme ino e nds of Dorcs Perkins cy wo rred ino one of e oldJrey fmilies How e cys obined e ers is unknown W en Dorcs cydied in 1905 e er were ineried by er duger Soi Ursul SlsnJreys librrin for severl yers) nd en given o Sois duger CeliFrnces Slson Se doned e Forune ers o e own of Jrey nd enmoved o os Angeles Clifo Te ers remin in secil collection in eJrey Pubic ibrry

The Pewter Communion Service ws used by e Firs Curc of Jrey unl1878 Under e inuence of new miniser wo ws no Jffrey nive e congregon voed o "disose of e old communion service s e PrudenlCommiee nd decons deem bes I ws sen o ome missionry curc

Micign wic didn like is niqued looks nd gve i o risoner is

m Fortune. Fe Maw Newbe Medal

Februa pcamed m Fue Day NH

Presden Kennedassassnaed

m Frtue'Chce pubihed

19 197 198 199 190 191 192 19 19 19 19 197 198 199



6

parishonrs aughtr cid o sll pwr an contac an xpr on antiquccsastical pwrwar. Tis xpr, by an incrib coincinc, happn to bohn War Pool of afry, whos rohr o Poo had bn a mmbr of h Prudnia Cott of t Firs Chuc of affry th yar bfor h srvic wasgivn up Rmmbring his fathrs an brothrs scripion of th communonsrvc, incuding svra faturs unqu to his srvic, ohn Poo insany

rcogni h Michigan pwtr as h Amos Forun s. t is unknown why Pooi not try to bring th srvic back ary (hs fathr "nvr forgav th min-istr for gving up h srvic), but h was a as ab o uncovr ts hsory. Thsrvc s now par of th pwtr coction of th Brooklyn Musum in Brooklyn,Nw York.

The Amos Foune Foum: n 1946 a group of affry Cnr rsins cdd ostart a summr cur sris, nvting ocal prsonaiis to spak on a variy of issus Thy nam th sris th Amos Forun Forum. t coninus to mt on

svn Friay ngs in h affry Mnghous and asts xacy on our Eachspakr is prsn wih a jug of map syrup an a copy of Eliabh Yas AmosFortune, Free Man. Traitionaly, spakrs shou v wthin sight of MountMonanock, hough xcptions ar mad for mn an womn with local connctions Topics ach sason ar libraly varid. Pas spakrs hav incud sci-ntist Harow Shapy, phiosophr ulius Sly Bixlr, wrtrs Thoon Wiran May Saron, historian Hnry S Commagr nvnor Ewn Land, an of cours Eabh Yats an Alxandr Magoun.

Moun Monadnock: This mounain ss 3165 f abov sa vl n h norh wst quartr of affry. Ahough Amos Fortun nvr ivd on it, nor o w hav proof ha h vr climb t, it id pay an imporant rol in h ary days of affry

and has bn mnion n al ooks raing th a of Amos Forun.Toay Moun Monanock is complly fors xcp for th summit, whichis bar rock. n Amos Fortuns ay this situation would hav n rvrs. Tharly stlrs clar much of th fors on h owr half for pasur and lds. t was icul growing crops on th slops of h mountain, ut thy providd goograng for vsock Som of th ahr from ths anmals migh hav bn annd y Amos Fortun

Th summi, howvr, was complly forst. This islan of dns woos was a rfug for wolvs an bars, whch pry on h farmrs livsock. Thfarmrs s r o h mounain svra ims n h ary 800s in an attmpt oriv out th wolvs and bars. Thy succ, but th so at th op of h mountain hn rod away, aving h bar summi w s oay.

7 7

Jay bratstia

Wou M dedcaesos Foue que

os Foue Fud sfeed oJe ui i

3 7



The Mystery Cendia

Another matter of controersy surrounding Amos ortunes life is that of his"adoptie daughter Celyndia. Yates portrays her as a young girl and thenatural daughter of Violate. Magoun disputes this, owing to the lack of

any records of a preious marriage of Violate or een.of the birth of the child He also cites Violates age asa factor, as she would hae been near or at the end of her childbearing years at the time Celndia would hae been born

The warningout records add to the mystery sur rounding Celyndia Constable Thorndie only records

warning out Amos and Vioate ortune, not CeyndiaOther warningout records include names of children.ness Thorndie made an error it means thaCelyndia was not with Amos and Violate ortune whenthey first moed to town in 1781

The first record of Celyndia is a receipt fromDecember of 1785 certifying that Amos ortune paidDr Adonijah Howe "for Shillings and eight Pence forDctring Celinda [Mary] for a Burst o explanationexists for the use of the name Mary in this receipt

Celyndia probably attended the #8 schoolhouse -dg Abl Pk

the school mentioned in ortunes will in JaffreyMaps of Jaffreys early school districts plainly show the ortune residence inideDistrict 8 and all children were requred to attend the town schools

n his will Amos ortune le Celyndia, his "adopted daughter her bed aspinning wheel and the right to lie in his house as long as she remained sineJudge Abe arer aso ruled that $20 of Amos ortunes estate be gien toCelyndia saying that it was ortunes "intention to do something more forSylinda ortune his adopted daughter than her haing the articles of householdfurniture mentioned.

e also hae mention in Daniel Emerys account boo that Celyndia oed37¢ for gin in 1807 and Dr. Adonijah Howes records indicate Celyndia oed75¢ in 1816 This places her in Jarey as late as 816 but there is no furher

record of her. She probably married and moed out of town



8

Note1 Magoun believes that the mistake stems from a Wobu ci clerk who attempting to decipher

the fading 1 8th centu ink, mistook the 1 778 for 1 775 in the death certcate of the "we ofAmos Forune

Records show that Pompey Blackman/Freman was one of tree blacks fom Lexington whoparticipated in the battles o Lexington and Concord on April 1 9 1 75 Another was nam edEli Burdoo. Any connecton beween him and the Jarey Burdoos has not been found.

3 The other Burdoos did not have an easy le Moses Burdoo J died just seven years aer hissiste Their mother Lois died in 1 847 at the Poor House, whi ch was a farm owned by the townwhere paupers could go to live and work. She as buried in Jarey but the location is unknownThe only member of the family hose hereabouts is known is Sally who was ve when herfather died She too died young in 1 82 and was buried at the old East Hil l grveyard inPeterbough Ne Hampshire She alone has a headstone

4 In Amos Fortune 's day the ton of Jarey contained three main villages: Squantum in theextreme southeast of town Facto Vllage along the Contoocook Rive and Jarey in the middle of the ton. Facto Vllage became knon as Eas Jarey in the 1 9th centu In the mid20th century the name East Jary was changed to Jarey and the former Jarey became JareyCente Squantum has remained uchanged.

c f A F q W, 1 989.



1 9

A F ' b

he d n whch hey e ced hs een ned f Asrtne. he huse s s nhted nd the s s used

T b b

ye B k whch As used hs nnng s seen n he fregund he s A s dug tw the hdes sk were ced ngsde the k



The aey Meenhuse whee he runes wrshed. hey wuld haveneve have seen he seele was n added uni . Ams and Vaeu a burd hnd hs budng.

Researh sny suess ha his s he ewer mmunn sevce he Chuch Jarey urhasedwih he mny quathd y Ams une. he svi s n n he yn Museum.



2

Bibliography

Annett, Albert and Aic e E. E Lehtinen Histo ofJarey. Jarey, NewHampsire: Town o Jarey, 1937

An exceent source for information on the histo oJarey fro the rstEnglish settlement until the 1930s. It includes short biogphies ofseverl prominent Jarey residents, including Amos Fortune This book is the

rst in a four-voume set.

Bailyn, Beard, et a he Great Republic Volume I exington, Massachusetts:

DC. Heath 1992

A textbook written by sever preeminent historians that covers Americanhisto until the end ofSouthe Reconstruction in 1877.

Cutter Daniel Histo of the Town off Concord New Hampshire:Republican Press Association, 1 8 8 1

The rst written histo ofJarey. Although out ofprint for more than 100years, a few copies can stil be found in the Jarey Pubic Lib.

Greene, Theodore "Jarey in Amos Fortune's Day in Amos Fortune Forum -Ft Years Jarey, New Hampshire: The Amos Fortune Form, 1996

A special publication comemorting the 50th anniversa ofthe AmosFortune Forum including a biogaphy ofAmos Fortune and a tnscript ofa

speech on early Jarey

Henretta, James America's Histo. New York City, New York: WorthPublishers, 1993.

Another textbook by noted historians that covers United States history.

Magoun, Alexander Amos Fortune 's Choice Freeport, Maine: he BondWheewright Company, 1964

One ofthe two ajor works devoted to Amos FortuneYates, Eizabeth Amos Fortune Free Man. ew York City, New York EP

Dutton, 1950

The Newbe Awardwinning children s book on Aos Fortune



he w decakg graee e et are the A (et) ad Vae (gh)re Pe reea a hae ee red here a he Meeghe ad hrehed areee he ackgrd. he graee ha r eer ear a f wh eae werr her ee. he grae f dge Ae Parker j ehd he a ehaed graee he rgh he grae f e aa Awrh hw wd e he rgh he edge he cre.

22



23

Ma;·or Sources

Durig the ritig of the precedig rrtive four sources ere ivube i the resercho Amos Fortue d Jrey durig the tu ofthe 1 9th cetu Pubictio iformtio othese four sources c befoud i the bibiogrphy They re isted here i the order i hichthey ere ritte

History of jaffrey D C This hisory w as write nby amember of o ne ofe arly J affreys pomi ne nt f amilies Thoug i nform atio no nmos Fortu ne is limited, tisistory co nt ai ns det ailed bio r aphies of m any of is c o ntempor aries It w as published just afew ye ars after te tow n' s ce nte nni al ( 1873) and i ncludes atr anscript of speeces deliv-ered for t at celebr atio n

History of jaffrey This is e irst book i nthe offici al four-volume set o nte istory of the tow n lbert nnett w as a noted public serv ant i nJ affrey as wel as an avid outdo ors m an and the proprietor of te nnett Box Comp any Whe nedied, ice eti ne nof J affey competed the work o nte fist two volumes This isto-ry is te most compr ee nsiv e cro nic e of affrey' s p as, and per aps te first work todevote aspeci a sectio nto mos Fotu ne Toug i naccur ate i nsome aspe cts , this spe-ci a sectio nw as acompe ndium of te i nform atio nk now n about mos Fortu ne at te timeit w as writte ni n19 3 7

Amos Fortune, Free Man Ez Y Cert ai nly thi s wok i s te m ost f amous ofte ooks writte n about mos Fortu ne and is f amily Eli z abet Y ates Mcre al, aNewYok native wo moved to te Mo nad nock Regio n, s aid th at se atte nded anmos

Fortu ne Foru m and, vis iti ng the Fortu ne gr aves behi nd te Meeti nghouse , w as i nspired bym os Fortu ne 's story Y ates compiled al av ai abe i nfom atio no nmos Fortu ne to writeher book Like any good storyteler, howeve she led i nmissi ng i nform atio nwit erow nim agi natio n Te result w as awidely popul a cilde ns book th at wo nthe Newberw ard for outst andi n meric an chidre n's liter ature i n 1 9 5 1 She freque ntly v isiedsc ool s and g ave t aks o nmos Fortu ne o cildre nwho ad re ad her book It em ai ns avey popul ar book for childre ni nuppe eeme nt ary schoo l Eiz abet Y ates l ate lived iCo ncord , New H ampsir e, and elped review tis m anuscr ipt

Amos Fortune 's Choic.e x M agou nw as aprofessor of Hum anRe atio ns i n ndusy at te M ass achusetts I nstitue of Tec nolog y and anocc asio nal res-ide nt of J affrey C o ncer ned wi th w a e felt w as gr oss is toric al distortio n and pure fc-tio n fou nd i nte writte n accou nts of mos Fotu ne's life, M aou nset out to do more

rese arc and write atrue" accou nt of mos Fortu ne s li fe However, as e feely admit-ted, not e noug is k now nfor are al biog r apy, and yet too muc is av ail abe to i nore"However educ ated is specul aio nm ay be, M agou ns work co nt ai ns as much fctio n as itdoe s f actu al i nform atio n Yet he added to te vou me of rese arc do ne o nmos Fortu ne, and i s w as the st book o nmos Fortu ne not writte nfor chide n It w as pubised i n1964



Danel Cute, ahor of Hito ofjarey (J 880)

Lates cover desg or Yaes' Amos Fortune, Free Mn

HISTORY OF JAE( )K

N E W H A M P S H I R E

A vg unry Tin h

Ht f ew d

B

oIC U

W lb cap G SN N

V M , A PALCHE P DJ L O.

Y TQWN

:X

Ho farey 1937 by Annet and ehinen

Magons o Forne ' Choce

24



Tyle Brok

LtSmelBss 0Ark Brook

Th New Hph pke

r�_Ty

LabJ 4-inswofth Pod

COl0cRvr

Mp of

o Mujn m

JAFFREY, .In Atos Fortune's D"Slab City Mis 0

o Burd i V V2

Se me

NE: Seereide d g r s.

die aer r geer mdem

R Rnge



27



I\'

'

The Unsigned Manumission Paper ( 763)

Know all men by these Presents that I Ichabod Richardsonof Woburn in the county of Mddx: and province of Massachsets-bay in New England Tanner, for diverse good Reasonse hereunto especially moving Have and by these presentsdo Covenant, promse grant and agree to, and wth my Negroe

man Amos, That at the end of our years next nsuingth�s Date (or at y Decease if it should fall within thatTerm) that he the sad Amos sha then be Discharged, Freed,and Set at Liberty fro my Service power & Comandfor ever, and have full Liberty to trade Traick anddispose of hi Sel, n all Respects asd he pleases, and Haveand Enjoy & convert to his own use all the prot of hsown Labour and Industery equal to en that are rebo,and that neither I, nor my Heirs, nor any other person, or

persons acting, or claing by or under me or them, Shallhave, challenge, or Clai any Right to, or in hs personproperty or Labours, but Therefrom shall be Excludedand for ever Declared by orce & vrtue of these presents,In Witness Whereof I the Sd chabod Rchardon have hereunto Set y hand & Seal the thirtieth day of Deceber63 n the fourth year of his majesties Regn &c

Signed Sealed & Delivered

in presence of

28



29



I.Simon Cartr Armnt ( 769)

Know all men By theas presets that I Simon Carterof Woburn i the County of Middelsix ad prvice of the massachusetts.ay in New England yeoman am Bound and rmly holden toAmos Fortue of wobu in the afoarsaid County and provinceCurrer i the full and Just Sume of Six pund Lawfull mony toto e paid him yearly to the which payment well ad truly toe maid I Bind my Self my [hares] or Executors or admiistratiesrmly y these presents Sealed with my Seal dated this nithday of may anno dommy one thousand seve hundred ad Sixty ine

he codition of the aove obligation is that of the aove amedsimon Carter shall pay to the above named Amos Fortne threepouns Lawfull mony the afoosaid amos is obliged y his Bondof Een date wit theas presets to py to the afoorsad Simowhich mony is to Be in Banke for the Said amoses yous if he ShouldBe disenabled y Sicness or one other way the Said mpoy is toEndemnefy the [hares] of the Estate of his deseased masterIcood Richardso a s the to e paid to him or Expended upon himwith Care and prudence and if Said amos Shall not Be disenabledy Sickess or one other way So ut that he Ca ComfortedelySuport him Self then the afoarsaid three pounds is Not to

to Be paid yealy But the Ingrest theirof is to Be paidyealy during the natural Life of the Said Amos But the SaidAmos is at his Deseas to have a Rite to dispose of all the mony he hathput i ake in Said Carters hands In as full and ampel [?]as if he ha a never a have put Said mony out of his [oe hasProvied Never the less if the afoorsaid Simon Shall pay to the afoarsaimony to be put in to his had be the Same more or less thethe aboe obligation is to e oid and of one Efectother wise to Remain and abid in full force and virtueSined Sealed an delierdIn presents of us Simo Carter

James WymaIsaac JohnsoJohn Cutter

30



3 1

Conwealth f sacu

A py rm Rd f Mix S. D Rg d

3 . . Pa e.'-?



2

Richarson Agrmnt (1 770)

now all Mn by ths prsnts that w Hannah Richarson Widow Lonar Richardson yoan Chabod chardson oinr Ovr RichardsonYoan as Guadian for Edund Richardson a Minor hoas Rd Yoan andann is Wif Sion Cartr Yoman and Ssa his Wif and JonasRichardson Gtlan as d to th Estat of chabod RchadsonCuyr lat of Wobu dc all of Wobu aforsaid and osph Rd Hus bndman wit Rlif his wif of Cambdg bing all in th Countyf Middlsx and Provinc of th Massachustts Bay in w Englandnd th irs of th Estat sal nd prsonal of th aforsaid dcasdchabod n Considration of th Many fathl Srvics os Fortun did prfor to th said dcd chabod in his Lif i and hath sinc prformd to

s Rspctivly whrby our Svral ntrsts hav bn gratly incrasddo for ourslvs Rspctivly and our Srvral Hirs Ecutors Giv andGrant unto th said Amos Fortun th ful and fr Librty of his prsonnd Srvis o an aftr th ninth a of Ma Svntn hundrdixty and nin o Hav Hold and Iprov to his own sol Us anhoof forvr in as ll and l a Mannr as any fr bo Man whatvr might or shoul do so that no prson or prsons from by or Undr us orn th a Stad or Right of Us or any or Eithr of us abov na orn h a Stad or Right of our Hirs or of any or Eithr of thfrom and ar th inth day of May 769 aforsaid any Estatntrst Claim or mand ut of and o th sa w and thy ar

nd shall b for [?] Scludd and dba[r]d Futhrmor w ar and achf Us abov nad do Covnant with th said Aos that w hav ull powr and Lawful Authority to Grant unto him th full ands fr Lirty of his prson and Srvics in th For aforsaid and that w norany of Us will Sbjct hi th said Amos to th Bons by Law in suchCas Rquird n Conration whrof and of al abov writtn w havrunto lt our hands and sals this twnty third day of ovmbroin th Elvnth Yar of his Majstys Rign 770 HannahRichardson and Sal Lonard Richardson and Sal chabod Richarsonand Sal homas Rd and Sal Jonas Richardson and Sal Sion Cartr an Sal Josph Rd and Sal Eund Richardson and Sal Rlif Rdand Sal Signd Sal and livrd in prsnc o Jas Wyan saacJohnson ohn Cuttr Ju John Caldwill Enoch Caldwll Francisohnson saac ohnson ?p Eyan saac Johnson Eunic Mansld Stphn Richardson Jnr Rt Richardson



33



Woburn Land Deed ( 774)

now all mn by ha prn ha I Iaac ohnonof Wobu n h Couny of Mddlx and provnc of h MaachuBay n Nw England anrn condraon of Sxn pound hrn hllng and four pncLawfull mony pad m by Amo Forun of Wobu afoorad

34

urrr h Rcp wharof I do hby acknowldg o harby gv gran Slland Convay uno h Sad Amo and h [hou a Cnr [m wag] of LandLyng n Wobu Bng By Emaon abou on half acr BounddWwardly on h Counry Rod Ladng o Wlmngon Souh byparly on Land of Nahan Wyman and parly on Land of many andHannah Codgn o a ak and Son and Eawardly on my own Landwh a Sra Ln up h hl o a fa Rock wh Som Son hronhm Norhardly on my own lan wh a ra ln ll com oa Sak and Son by h [ ] by h RodTo hav and o hold h Sam o h Sad Amo and h har o h andhr Sl u and Bhov forvr and do ovnan wh hSad Amo and h har and [ ] ha I am Lawlly rd n facof h prmac ha hay ar of all ncumbrnc ha I hav

good R o Sll and Convay h Sam o h Sad Amo n mannrafoorad and wll warran and Dfnc h Sam o h Sad Amo and har and [ ] forvr agan h Lawfull Clam and dmandof all pron and udh h wf of h ad Iaac n okn of h Covnann gvng up h Rgh of [ ] and [ ] of hrd o gahr wh h adaac h r day of Aprl n h hrnh y of h Maj Rgn h hand and Sal

Sgnd Sald and Dlvrd n prn ofavd homponEbnzr Pk

Iaac ohnonr

udh X ohnonmark



35



Pompey Blackman Power Attorne ( 777)

Know al Men by hese Pesens ha Pompey Blackman o Lexingon in heCouny o Middesex and Sae o Massachuse�sBay in ew England Laboue o divesegood Causes and Consideaions one heeuno movinghave made Odained, Consiued and by hesedo make Consiue Odain and Appoin myusy Fiend, Amos Foune, o Wobun in heCouny Above sd, anne, my ue and LawuAoney, o me, in my ame, and o my

Use, o Ask demand ecove, o eceive o andom al Pesones ndebed o -me he PompeyBackman al Dues Debs and Demands Wheheby oe, Bond, o any ohe way made o appeajusly due o me he said Pompey Giving and byhese Pesens aning o my said Aoney my Soeand ul Powe & Auhoiy o ake pusue and olowSuch legal causes, o he ecoveing eceiving &obaining o he Same as my Sel migh ocould do, wee pesonally pesen, and upon ecep o he same, acquiances and ohe Suicien

Dischages o me & in my ame o make SignSeal & deive and all & Singula hing o hings whichae o may be necessay concening he Pemises asuly & iniely as he Said Pompey Blackman, inmy Own Peson, ough o coud do in and abou hesame, aiying Alowing & Coniming whasoevemy said Aoey shall lawully do, o Cause o be donein and abou he execuion o he Pemises by Viueo hese Pesens in Winess heeo have heeunoSe my and and seal his Second Day o ApilAnno Domini One housand Seven unded andSeveny Seven

makePompey X Blackman

36



37



Purchase dia ( 778) and Violate ( 779)

Bleca Jne ye 23 778hen Recd of Amos otune fty pounds n fl l foa Nego gae Names Lyda Sumesete eng now mypopety the whch I do Sell and Convay to the afoesad Amosand I do Covenant wth the Sad Amos that I have jste andLawfll Rte to Sell and Convy the Sad Lydea n the manneafoasad and I wll waante and Defend the Sas Lyda to hmaganste all the Lawfull Clames and Demands of all pesonsWhat Eve

Snd Sealed and Deleveedn pesents of

heMlesent X Baddon

makIsaac Johnson

Josah Bowes

hs Day Receved of Amos otne fty

ponds n fll fo a Nego Woman NamedVlot beng now my popety whch I nowdo Sell and Convey to the afoe sad Amos andI do Covenaant wth the Sad Amos that have a jst and Lawfull Rght to Sell andConvey the sad Vlot n manne as afoesad and I wll Waant and defend the sadVlot to hm the sad Amos aganst the Lawfll Clams and Demands of all Pesons WhateveDate Wo 9th Novembe 779

Sgned S ealed & Delveen pesents of sSamuel Wllson James BaldwnMay Baldwn

3



39



Simon Peter Apprenticesh (1 790)

This ietre witesseth tat I Sim Peter arey i the Cty Cheshire a State New hamshireNegrma t a bi my Sel as a Aretice tAms Frte arey aresai Taer r a rig theterm three Years r the ate her t be Cmeate aee the twety irst ay uy i the year ur Lre thsa Seve hre a Niety three i rer t earthe art r Mistry Taig a Curryig eather urigal Sai term I te Sai Aretice my sai master sha aithy Serve his secrets kee is Law Cmmas gayevery where bey I wi amage t my Sai master Nr

See it t be e by ther witht Lettig r givig Nticethere t my Sai Master I will t waste my sai Mastersgs r e them awly t ay I wil t Cmmittricati r Ctract matrimy withi the sai term atCars a ice r ay ther uawu Game I wil t aywhereby my sai master may have aage with his gs rth g s thers I wi t abset my Se by ay r byNigt rm my sai masters Service witht his eave buti al thigs behave my Se as a aithu aritice ghtt twar my sai master rig Sai term a the saiAms Frtue th hereby Cveat a rmise t teach aistruct r Cause t be taught a istrcte i the art r

Caig r taig a Crryig the best way a meas hemay r C a the sai aretice rig sai term ig rsai aretice urig Sai term Sitabe meat rikig washigLgig Nursig a hysick Suitabe aarrel rig saiterm a at the e Sai term the sai aretice is t beat Liberty withut ay emas either Sie as t the remisesabvemetie A r the true a aithu errmace al aevery te abve Cveats a agreemets the arties t teseresets a either them bieth himse t the ther irmyI Testimy where the arties t these resets have hereititerchagaby set teir has a Seals this twety irst ay uy i the year ur Lr e thsa seve hre a Nity

Sige Seale a eivere i resece usThaes Bget

Rbert Gilmre

Sim Peter

Ams Frte

40



4



Charles Toothaker Apprenticesh 790

Tis i ne nture Wit nesset t at Rger Tt aker Lu ne nurg i n te Cu nty Wrcester an cm nwe alt M ass acuset ts pysici an at put an t ytese prese nts Vlu nt ariy w is w n ree wi l & accrput an i n is S n C ares Tt aker as Appre ntic et As Frtu ne J arey i n te cu nty Cesire anSt ate New ampsire T anner t e ar n is art tr aer Mystery ater te anner an appre nticesip t Ser ve i r te ay te ate ere r an uri ng te ter u ntil l e S al arrive t te age twe nty ne ye arsDuri ng all wic term te S ai appre ntice is S ai M aster aitul y S all Serve is Secrets keep is l awul C ansg ay every were ey He S all n a age t is s aiM aster nr See it t e ne y ters witut letti ng r

giv i ng ntice tere t is S ai m aster Hes al nt w aste is S ai asters gs nr le n te u n awully

t any He S all nt c it t r nic ati n nr C ntr actM atri ny witi n te S ai ter At c ars an ic e r any n awul G aes e S al nt p ay wer ey i sS ai m aster ay ave am age wit i s w n gs nrte gs tes He S all nt ase nt isel ay nr nigt rm is m astes Se vic e witu t i s e ave r au nt Ae uses T aver ns r pl ay uses ut i n a ti ngse ave isel as a ait ul Appre ntice ug t t uri ng S ai te r An te S ai aster s all use t eUtst is E ne avur t te ac r c aus e t e t augtr i nstructe te S ai Appre ntice i n te tr ae r yst er y e nw llwet an prcre an prv ie r

i Su cie nt me at ri nk App are gi ng anW asi ng tti ng r Suc an Appre ntice uri ng tes ai term an at te e n s ai tp prcur e anpr vie r s ai Appre ntice an give t i neG sui t Ctes an t le ar n i e i s C ap ale e ar ni ng t Re a write an Cyper itti ng r suc an Appre ntice An r te true perr ance al anevery te S ai cv e nants an Agreee nts Eiter teS ai p arties i n temselves u nt te ter y teseprese nts n witt ness Were tey ave i nterc ange aly putteir an an se als tis eleve nt ay arci n te ye ar ur lr ne tus an Seve n u nre an Ni nty tree

Sig ne Se ae an eivere i nprese nce us

Wil TuerJ ane Tuer

Rger Tt aker

C arles Tt aker

2



43

A

B

c

D



A

B

rious Recets

Rndge Ocoe 23 789

M Fone S pease o e M Coon hen]have en pond o Soe eahe and his odeSha e yo dschage o he Same pesone

Dane Lake [ym]

Mach 30 Y 790 hen Recd one pond n o a a comps on demand o Amos FoenRecd y me n

D

c

Sam Adams

Receved o Amos Foneve ponds Sx Shngs

& Egh pence m [a] n o a acops I SayRecev'd y me hs 3 dayo Decm 78

M Foen S Pese o Deveo Benjm Doe my Ca Skn & SheepSkn he pang o Dessng he Same

and yo w oge me yo hme Seven[Sandng oveme Eas hneyhe 787

44



45

E

F

G



E

rious Recets

Jarey ovember the 25 ye 1785For vallue receved I promes to pay toAmos Fortune on order the sum owenty pound ve shilling anden panc on demand with intrest tilpaid as itnes my hand Christopher ManAt as pomp his Freeman

Xmark

Wobu Juy ye 15 1776o Mr Same Zuinse Es Dir please to deiver to Amos Fortunete Barrier o this the note that I deliverd to you o Mr Ephrem Winsh?te prinsape o one is our pounds the other three pounds and he willpay you or your troube and in so doing you wil oblidge

his

your humbel Servent Pompy X BlackmanMarke

Jarey Decmb th 19 1785

his may Certiy that Mr Amos Fortune has Paid meor Shiings and eight Pence or Dctring Ceinda Maryor a Burst day Red by me

GAdonijah owe

46



Recetfom Smuel George ( 799

Keene June 1 7 1 7 9 9 Rece ' of Amos FortuneSix Dolars Sixty One Cent which proiseto pay in Six Moths ad I have recdf sd subscriber a Blue Brod Cloth Cata striped pattern jacket and a fur Hattad a air of Old Shoes which artices . receive as a Collatera security fr theabove Six Ders & Sixty one · Cets and ithe said Articles the prperty f Sa George are notredeeed within Six Mnths as aoresaid the theabove prperty to be the property of Aos Frtune

Attest[W Blac]

hisSa X George

Mar

Aos Frtune

48



49

"-



mos Fortune' Will (1801)

I the ame of God, me, I, mos orte of J arey i the oty of heshire ad St ate ofew H ampshire, T aer, bei we ak i boy bt of sod ad perfet mid ad memory,bessed be lmihty od for the s ame do m ake a pblish this my l ast wi l ad test amet im aer ad form folowi:(Th at is to s ay)irst I ie ad beqe ath to Vilot my beoed wife al the improemets ad prots of my re alest ate ri her atr al life to be ordered ad dispose at the disre atio of my exetorwhom I sh al here aer ameSeody, I order my exetor to to sette ad dish are all the jst debts ad dem ads th atl ays a aist my est ate at my dee ase at sh time or times as sh al appe ar to him to be eess ary ad to m ake of my perso a est ate for th at prpose as f ar as it will o tow ard p ayithe s ameThirdy, I order my exetor at his disretio ad whe it appe ars to him to aswer the bestpr pose to s atisf the jst dem ads th at l ay a aist me ad likewise for the sppor ad m ai-

te ae of the s aid Vilot, to sel my re al est ate toether with the t ay ard ad al t he too s adimplemets I h ae for the t ai ad rryi bsiess a aso my tools a tesi s forhsb adry, ad th at my exetor either resee aroom ad aommod atios for the s aid Viloti my dwelli hose, or i the ryi shop, or otherwise to bild her asm al hose adm ake it oeiet for her as he sh all see t, ad the s aid Viot h ae the improemet of theproees of s ai est ate afer my debts are p ai der the are ad ardi aship of my s aidexetororthly, I ie ad beqe ath to the s aid Viot the se ad improemet of al my hoseholfitre (exept the artiles here after amed) dri her atr a ife, bt ot to sel or disposeof ay oe artile of the s ame withot the order or libery of my exetorifthy, I ie ad beqe ath to elydi aorte my adopted d ahter, the bed she owimproes toether with the ritre thereof ad afoot whee ad aloom a also ahome ithe hose with the s aid Vilot whie she rem ais sile, ad th at the s aid Viot otrbte to hereessitys as she m ay h ae abiity to do

Si xthly, I order my exetor aer my dee ase ad aer the dee ase of s aid Vilot my beloewife th at h adsome r ae stoes be erete to e ah of s if their is ay est ate left for th at prposeSeethly, I urher order my s aid exetor h at after my dee ase ad the dee ase of the s aidVilot th at if their is ay rem aider of my es ate, th at he ie ah adsome preset of the s ame tothe hrh of hrist i thi s tow, ad the rem aii p art if ay their be, he i e as apresetfor the spport of the shool i shoo hose o eiht i this towd l astly I hereby omi ate ad appoit Ee azer Spoord of J aey afores aid etem a thesole exetor of this my l ast wil ad test amet, hereby reoki al former wils by me m ade,r atifyi ad ofirmi this ad o other to by my ast wil ad test ametI witess whereof I h ae hereto my h ad ad se al this thid d ay of Otober D 1 80

Sied se aled pbished ad e ared by the aboe amed mo s ote to be his ast wil mos orte ad test amet i presee of s who h ae here

to sbsribe or ames as witesses i thepresee of the test ator

Roer Gil moreJ aob B aldwiier Jewett

50



5 1

Noe: hs ppsl o he ese ws e n he ol oner sse o Englsh pouns (£), shllngs n pence (Exples: £- = one poun en shllngs; 4/5 our shllngs ve pence). hese gures were hen

rnsle no he new one sse Aercn ollrs n cens



ccount the Fortune Estate 1802)

AnI ne ntory o te Goods and Est ate o Amos Fortu ne l ate o aey Decd as sow nto us te Subsrs by te Executor o is l astwill and test ame nt (Vi)

Te arm togeter wit te t any ard and buildi ngs etc Stock

o ne cow £52/ o ne ye arli ng eier £ 1 1 8/ o ne m are 1 4/F ami ng tools

o ne od plow 1 3/6 o ne coll ar and aye 7/2o ne p air o orse t aces 9/

o ne duc col ar o ne breec b and and e ater li nes £ 1 4o ne coppi ng ax 6/

o ne du ng ork 4/6 two sd soels 3/ o ne oe 1 / o ne pitcork 1 /two Nose iro ns or asl ay 4/3 o ne wetsto ne 37

o ne sm all gri ndsto ne 6/

o ne s addle £ 1 l / o ne bridle 2/5 o ne pidgeo n net 9/.tree b askets 1 2/

o ne p a o stiy ards 5/ oe l ax br ake 1 /6 o ne r ake 1 /6o ne syt and t acl ng 3/ o ne ro n ay ook 3/

Curyi ngTools

$566

$2568

$405

$500$1 59

$ 1 3 8

$890$ 1 3 3$100

o ne curryi ng k nie 6/ two lesi ng k nes 5/ two moo ni ng iro ns 9/ $500sm all tools or curry ng and al amp 16/6 o ne pi nblock 1/6 $450o ne b ar ae 6/ see np apers o l ab bl ack 8/ $234W aeri ng App arelo ne ur at 6/ o ne gre at co at £ 1 1 6/ o ne p air o le ater breeces 1 8/ $900o ne p air o bl ack elet breeces 3/ o ne b ack elet j acket 7/6$ 1 7 5o ne brow nelet j acket 3/ o ne striped w aistcot 2/ o ne p air o boots 2/ $ 1 1 8o ne deep bue s ait bodied co at 20/

o ne ustick colored str ait bodied co at 7/6o ne p air o siler soe buckles 1 2/ o ne siler w atc £3two p airs o boot legs 9/ o ne rigt i nte lbr aryo ne l ambski nsurtout

Houseold ur nitureo ne e ater bed bedi ng and bedste ad £3 two t ables 10/o ne writi ng desk 1 8/ o ne low cest wit o ne dr aw 9/o ne looi ng gl ass 6/ o ne cest wit two dr aws 9/o ne wi ndsor c air 7/6 six ouse c airs 6/ o ne p air o bellows 1/o ne al busel o ne peck and o ne al peck me asuresO ne bedste ad 3/ o ne ceese press 6/ o ne ceese tub 4/6O ne me at b arrel 3/ tre p ails 3/ o ne cur n4/6o ne oot wee l /6 o ne woole nweel 3/two spder b arrels 4/ o ne me at tub 5/ o ne w as tub 3/o ne beer and o ne pickle tub 3/ o ne side s addle £3

o ne pillio n4/ o ne c ase (? ) bottle /Br ass we are

o ne w armi ng p an7/6 o ne kettle £ 1 7

[ not completed]

$459$1200$500$100

$ 1 1 0 0$450$250$242

67$225$ 1 7 5$225$200$l50

8 4

$575

52



Visiting Jafe y

Mount Moadock

Grves

j� Meighouse

N

I mile

Jafrey is ocated in Cheshire ounty, in southwestern NewHampshire. The town is ocated at the ntersecton o US Rote 202and sate outes 24 and 3 .

The Jaffrey Meetinghouse s ocated n the vilage of Jafrey CenteTake Route 24 (Main Street) approximatey 2 m es west o downtownThe meetinghouse is ocated on the rght at the top o the hil.

The Fortune graves are oated n the Old Buria Grond behnd theMeetinghouse Plee be ree f he eeer ree rbbre e le rr er be frm he jreyBr f Seeme

The Jaffrey Public Libray houses the Amos Fotune papers. TheLbrary s ocated on Route 24 West Man Street approximatey 500yards on the right. Plee e he er l bl -ly

Amos Fotune Homesead is ocated on Amos ortne Road Traenoth on Route 37 Noh Steet Tu right on Amos Fortne Roadappoximately one mie nort o downtown) The Amos ortne houseand arn are appoximatey /3 me down he oad on the rght Pleee h ll re reee r re ve

Mou Monadnock: The sate pak is located in the nothwesten parto town Take Route 24 (Man Street) west o appoxmatey 25 miesTurn right o n Dubi n Road Te park gate is two mes away on he et



Mount Monadnock - Jaey, New Hampshire

" ' What that? Celyndia asked, pointing ahead to the moun tain

that seemed to lie lke a great wall across their path.It looks lie the long, long hill to heaven we ve all got to climb

before we die Violet said quietly

The call it Monadnock Mountain Amos answered Beautulfor situation th e joy of the whole earth -

mos Fortune, Free an

by Elizabeth Yates