A drawing of the estate of Nathaniel Meserve.

"Nathaniel Meserve of Portsmouth willed property to his wife Mary and died in 1758. Mary was to bring up the children under age. He had sons Nathaniel, John, George, and Hanson; and daughters Anna Wills, Sarah Odiorne, Mary Batson, Esther, Jane, Elizabeth and Ann. He died at Louisburg of small pox in 1758. It is said that his last words to his wife on leaving were — 'Don't break my will.' She did break it, however, and the story is that his apparition harshly upbraided her in the entry of her place of residence, (the Boyd house by the mill.) It appears that she died the next year." 6

About three hundred men were enlisted in February of 1745 to aid in the capture of Cape Breton, of which Nathaniel Meserve was Lieutenant Colonel. 10

In 1749 her supervised the building of a ship of war, the America, which was built in Portsmouth for the British Government. 10

"1756: After the death of General Braddock, the command devolved upon Governor Shirley. He proposed an expedition against Crown-Point, and called on the several provincial governments for assistance. New-Hampshire raised a regiment, and gave the command of it to Colonel Nathaniel Meserve. He joined the army with his regiment, and was stationed at Fort Edward, which was committed to his care. The Earl of Loudon arrived in July, and superseded Shirley as Commander in Chief. The conduct of Colonel Meserve in the defence of the fort under his command, met the approbation of the Earl; and the activity of the New-Hampshire troops, and their patience under fatique, attracted his attention. At his express desire, three companies of rangers were selected from them, and placed under the command of Robert Rogers, John Stark, and William Stark." 10

"1757: The time for which the troops had enlisted, having expired, another regiment was raised in this province, and put under the command of Colonel Meserve. He, with the three companies of rangers, and one hundred carpenters, accompanied Lord of Loudon to Halifax." 10

"1758: This year New-Hampshire raised eight hundred men, and gave the command of them to Colonel John Hart, who marched with them to Lake George to join General Abercrombie. Admiral Boscawen arrived at Halifax early in the spring, with a large fleet; on board of which were twelve thousand British troops, commanded by General Amherst. Their first object was the recapture of Louisburg; in which they succeeded. Colonel Meserve was at the seige of that place in 1745, and rendered essential service by constructing sledges, on which the cannon were drawn, through a deep morass. He embarked again with one hundred and eight carpenters, to assist at the seige the second time. Soon after his arrival, his whole party, except sixteen, were seized with small-pox; of which disorder, he and his oldest son died. Colonel Meserve was a gentleman of fine mechanical genius. Being a shipwright by profession, he attained to eminence in his business, and acquired a handsome fortune. His moral and social character was unblemished, and as an officer he was greatly respected. The Earl of Loudon had a high sense of his merit and military talents. He presented him with an elegant silver bowl, on which was inscribed 'From the Right honourable the Earl of Loudon, Commander in Chief of his Majesty's forces in North America, to Colonel Nathaniel Meserve, of New-Hampshire, in testimony of his Lordship's approbation of his good services at Fort Edward in 1756.'10

"In 1749 Colonel Meserve was commissioned by the British government to build a 50 gun ship-of-war, the America, 'a good fifth rate.' The Meserve yard was on the North millpond near the bridge. Two decades later George Boyd was to construct several ships a year on the same site; and in 1851 George Raynes was there to build his proudest clipper, Witch of the Wave. For all the colonel's 'mechanical genius' and eminence as a shipwright, it appears that for some reason, possibly green lumber or hurried construction, the America's career was short and undistinguished. William Pepperrell, appointed to supervise the job, had constantly visited her twice every week to see that the timeber was sound and well worked, and yet, after her maiden voyage to England in 1750 she was found so bad she never commissioned again. She had cost His Majesty's government nine pounds per ton." 1