Hampton, New Hampshire
Rockingham county, lies on the sea-coast, bounded N.E. by North-Hampton, S.E. by the Atlantic, S.W. by Hampton Falls, N.W. by Hampton Falls and part of Exeter. Distant 13 miles S.W. from Portsmouth, 7 S.E. from Exeter, and 50 S.E. from Concord. The soil is well adapted to tillage and mowing, and about one fifth of the territory is a salt marsh. Hampton is pleasantly situated, many eminences in the town affording romantic views of the ocean, Isles of Shoals, and sea-coast from Cape Ann to Portsmouth. Its beaches have long been the resort of invalids and parties of pleasure, and are little inferior to the famous Nahant beach near Boston.
Boar's Head is an abrupt eminence extending into the sea, and dividing the beaches about half way between the river's mouth and the N.E. corner of the town. On the N. beach are numerous fish-houses, from which the winter and summer fisheries have been carried on with much success. Great quantities of the winter fish are carried frozen into the interior, and to Vermont and Canada.
The Indian name of this town was Winnicumet; it was first settled in 1638 by emigrants from the county of Norfolk, England. The first house was erected in 1635, by Nicholas Easton, and was called the Bound-house. The town was incorporated in 1636, and then included within its limits what now constitutes the towns of North Hampton, Hampton Falls, Kensington, and Seabrook.
This town was formerly the scene of Indian depredations. On the 17th Aug., 1703, a party of Indians killed 5 persons in Hampton, among whom was a widow Mussey, celebrated as a preacher among the Friends.
The Hon. Christopher Toppan died here in Feb., 1819, aged 84: he was a very useful and distinguished citizen. Population, in 1830, 1,103.
