Varnum Family

James Varnum was in Chester, and appears to have had seven children.  One named Abigail married Ezekiel Lane and settled in Raymond.  This was the Ezekiel named as killed in the war of the Revolution.  John, son of James, married Elizabeth Patten, of Candia, and lived in the Wason district in this town.  We find mention of five children.  Martha became the second wife of Alexander McClure.  Peter Varnum was a familar name here forty or more years ago.  “Pete Varnum” he was more generally called.  Though of a stout, healthy and strong appearance, he had no disposition to work or attend to any business.  He roved about, subsisting on such fare as he could get.  Sometimes he would hire out for a few days and get some cast-off clothes, which he would himself mend after a fashion.  He was chargeable to the town, and, for a series of years, he was disposed of by vendue in town meting, the price frequently being as low as five dollars per year.  The one agreeing to secure the town from all expense on his account for that sum would put a notice in a paper, forbidding all persons “harboring or trusting,” &c., and that might be the end of it, as he might not see “Pete” for the year; or if he did happen along, the contractor would set him to work, but after dinner, or the next morning after breakfast, Peter would be missing.  His near relatives were mostly dead at the time of his death, which was Jan. 17, 1860, at the age of 79.  No kind hand was near to smooth the pillow of death.  In fact he had no pillow but the ground, as he died of exposure.

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