Dennett Family - Ourfolk

John, b. Dec. 15, 1675;
Amy, b. April 9, 1679, (m. John Adams);
Joseph, b. July 10, 1681;
Ephraim, b. Aug. 2, 1689. He d. May 1, 1709, 'ae. 63 years.
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Alexander Dennett who settled about 1670 at Newcastle, N. H. is believed to have been a brother of John.

Will signed ('John Dennet') March 17, proved Aug. 1, 1709. Wife 'Ammi,' sons John, Joseph and Ephraim, dau. 'Ammi' Adams; gr. dau. Margaret Adams; gr. dau. Mary Dennet 'who is blind.'

From an article researched and written by Bruce E. Ingmire in 'The Portsmouth Press' dated July 7, 1993: 'Two Dennett brothers, Alexander and John, came to Portsmouth at the end of the 17th century. It is believed their father followed them and that the Dennett's stayed on the Maine side of the Piscataqua during the Cranfield era 1682-1685. All were carpenters. Around 1680 Alexander settled on Great Island, and John Dennett settled on Christian Shore. Alexander had a son of the same name. They live on both sides of the Piscataqua.
John married Amy Sherburne and had four children who appear on the records as John, Amy, Joseph and Ephraim. John and Amy invested in propertyand built a house with a beehive chimney on the highest part of Christian Shore. It became the family seat and remains at the end of Prospect Street. The Dennett home has not received a great deal of attention in these years of gentrification, probably because it abuts 'gasoline alley'.
John Dennett built private houses and performed 'civic' construction. He built a school house and made repairs to the parsonage chimney of Joshua Moodey. Elias Stileman carried the bill forward. In 1693-94, John Dennett was given land adjacent to Richard Martyn's 'Boiling Rock' land in exchange for his services for Portsmouth. Dennett's new land on the road to Bloody Point was called Gravelly Ridge.
Following the Glorious Revolution of 1689, with the beginning of King Williams War, Portsmouth underwent growth. There was a building boom, assettlers came to Portsmouth to escape Indian attacks and built garrisons. The Dennett sons joined their father and lumbered the Gravelly Ridge forests to the northwest of Portsmouth. Part of the site became Frank Jones' estate in the last century. Today's malls are located in the region of the forest where the Dennetts cut. The lumber was milled at the North Mill of the Cutt family.
With land and lumber to sell, John Dennett became wealthy and used hisincome to provide each child land as he became of age and married. Nineteen year old John Dennett was given a farm in Kittery. The other sons, Ephraim and Joseph Dennett farmed Gravelly Ridge after it was cleared. Today Gravelly Ridge extends from the Schoolhouse Restaurant to the Omne Mall. Just before John Dennett died on May 5, 1709, he confirmed a grant to Portsmouth for a road past the Jackson house to the Piscataqua. This is Northwest Street.

John Dennett's will was dated March 17, 1708/09, and gives insight into the thinking of the Englishmen who settled in New England. English landowners left their holdings to the eldest son. Women, wives or daughters, did not receive land generally. The Englishmen like John Dennett who came to New England and became landowners changed this thinking. Dennettemployed an egalitarian point of view, dividing his wealth among his children and confirmed the gifts of land in his will. He left his wife a share of the land, which reverted to their youngest son upon her death. This was an important transformation from the English traditions and represents principles that became American. Private land was most commonly divided among heirs. This became an important element in the free American society.

(from Boucher/Henderson family trees
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