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Deborah(Tasker)Sena_Jackson NH7-24-2010_

BARTLETT FAMILIES

submitted by Marcia Clemons Dolley

Early this spring, (2010) Deborah Tasker Sena contacted the Bartlett Historical Society website asking for help with her genealogical search.   She had been working on her family genealogy and was planning a summer visit to New England in search of her roots.  Dave Eliason asked if I could help her with her search of the Bartlett Taskers, and so we began an email conversation which lasted for many months.     Bartlett was added to her “must see” places to visit once we were able to supply her with gravestone information for Taskers of Bartlett.

 Then on Thursday, July 22, Gary and I drove over to the University of New Hampshire library and enjoyed an ever-so-brief visit with Deborah and her niece, Kim as they were finishing up their day of genealogical research there.   She has compiled an amazing amount of thoroughly documented research on the Tasker family. 

 Deborah is descended through her father, George Waldemere Tasker; her grandfather, Frederick W. Tasker; her great grandfather, George Frederick Tasker; her great, great grandfather, James Bassett Tasker; and, her great, great, great, grandfather, Jonathan Tasker who was married to Belinda Bassett; and, her great, great, great, great grandfather Jonathan Tasker who was married Comfort Seavey and settled in Bartlett on what is now known as the Rogers farm.  Jonathan Tasker, Sr. was a descendant of John Tasker who emigrated from England and settled in Madbury, NH. 

 The Tasker family was located in Bartlett in the late 1700’s, possibly settling there between 1780-1790.  Jonathan, the elder, was moderator at the first town meeting held in Bartlett on July 9, 1790.  Along with John Pendexter and Enoch Emery, Jonathan served as the first board of Selectmen.  In addition to selectman, he also served as town clerk for many years as well as on a committee with Enoch Emery and Samuel Cotton “to look out and locate roads.”  Jonathan is believed to have died ca. 1805 in Bartlett.   The Tasker family of Bartlett married into the Rogers family and the George family of Bartlett as well as the Bassett family of Jackson, among others. 

 Deborah was delighted to be able to photograph the gravestones of her early ancestors at the Garland Ridge Cemetery (also known throughout the years as the Village Cemetery and the Tasker Cemetery.) She also photographed the site of the Tasker homestead, more recently known as the Rogers homestead.  However, since fire destroyed the Harry Rogers house several years ago, her research of the Bartlett Taskers will not be complete until she has a photo of the original homestead.    If any of our members and friends has a photo which they would care to share, Deborah will be ever so grateful.  

 The two Tasker descendants concluded their genealogical journey with a drive through Crawford’s Notch to view the location were David Bassett (father of Belinda Bassett who married Jonathan Tasker) was located in 1790.  

 Deborah’s research can be seen at www.noyesgenealogy.net.  Another Tasker family website can be found at http://taskerfamilyhistory.org/country/usa-willad.html.

Here is an interesting account of the 1834 Willey Slide and Rescue as told by Ebenezer Tasker, who was the son of a member of the rescue party.  Names mentioned are Edward Melcher, Jonathan Rogers, Samuel Tuttle, Abram Allen, Samuel Stillings and Isaac Fall as members of the group.  Reference to Judge Hall's Tavern and Tasker's 116 acre farm. 

This article was published in The New York Times, August 20, 1894.  Here is a link to a PDF version of the story:

New York Times Article

Ebenezer is buried in the Intervale Cemetery.  He is the brother of Jonathan.  Deborah Sena sent us this picture of the cemetery site.

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Ebenezer is buried in the Intervale Cemetery.  He is the brother of Jonathan.  Deborah Sena sent us this picture of the cemetery site.

THIS INFORMATION WAS OBTAINED FROM THE CONWAY PUBLIC LIBRARY WEBSITE: 

WILLIAM D. TASKER, propiertor of the Fairview house, at Intervale, Carroll County, was born January 28 1852, at lower Bartlett, a son of the late Cyrus A. Tasker.  The following is a brief review of his line of descent. 
John Tasker, the founder of the Tasker family of America, emigrated from England to this country at an early day, settling in Madbury, N.H., where his four sons - Evenezer, Samuel, John, and William - lived for some time.  Ebenezer Tasker served in the French and Indian war.  At one time, when out on scout duty, he stumbled on a camp of Indians, and was discovered by them.  With great courage and presence of mind, he shouted, "Come on, boys!" as though leading an attack, at which the indians took flight and fled.  Settling in Bartlett, about two miles below the present village, he cleared a farm, and there reared his two sons - Ebenezer and Jonathon.  Seargent Jonathan Tasker, the next in his line of descent, served in the War of the Revolution, being in Colonel Reed's regiment and Captain Clay's company.  He reared six children two sons, Jonathan and Ebenezer; and four daughters, namely: Polly, who became the wife of Elder Hazeltine; Lucrieta and Lurana, twins, who married two brothers, Daniel Rogers and Joshua Rogers; and Comfort, who married Benjamin F. George.  Ebenezer Tasker was a lifelong farmer and one of the leading citizens of Bartlett during the greater part of his long life of eighty-four years.  His worth and ability were fully appreciated by his fellow townsmen, who elected him to numerous offices of trust, including those of Selectman, Tax Collector, and Representative to the State Legislature.  He married a Miss Hussum, and their children were: William, Cyrus A. Ebenezer, Eliza, John, Mary, Andrew, and Martha.  William, born in 1813, for nine summers led a horse over the bridle path across Mount Washington, giving to his father the money thus earned, sixty dollars.  Then going to West Newbury, Mass., he began mercantile business on a small scale by peddling combs, in which occupation he soon acquired sufficient capital to open a store there.  The extent of his operations subsequently became so great that he was enabled to corner the comb market and to exchange his stock for the land on which Kansas City now stands, thus acquiring a large fortune.  During the Civil War he suffered financial ruin; but, starting again with a capital of three hundred dollars, he made another fortune.

Eliza, daughter of Ebenezer Tasker, married Hazen Pitman, proprietor of the Pequawket House, at Lower Bartlett.  She died April 22, 1899.  John, who was educated by his brother William, was Quartermaster in the War Department at Washington, D.C.  He married, and reared three children: Herbert Delman, a resident of Providence, R.I.; Ida, now Mrs. Ida Avis, who lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.; and Jennie, wife of Charles McCutcheon, of New York.  Mary, daughter of Ebenezer Tasker, is the wife of Thomas M. Chase, a comb manufacturer, of West Newbury, Mass.  They have two children: Elwood N., who married Anna Noyes; and Emma M., who is the wife of Ezekiel Whitman.  Martha Tasker married, first, W. Silver, and after his death became the wife of George Bennett.  Ebenezer Tasker was a merchant and business man of Bartlett.  He married KeziaLaighton, who bore him five children - Ida, John, Sarah, Mary, and Lydia.John reisded in Newburyport.  Sarah, who is a tailoress at Manchester, N.H., has made a coat for every Governor of the state for the past fifteen years.  Lydia married Frank Locke.

Subject: William D. Tasker bio on society site

 Contributed by:

 Deborah Tasker Sena  9/1/11
 

Noted you posted this bio.  I have seen it elsewhere and believe its from one of the 'Who Who' books about important people in the state. I believe it relies heavily on family contributed stories and lineages without any further documentation or verification.  You will note that my ancestor, Jonathan- brother to Wm's father Ebenezer- is barely mentioned. Some day I will investigate that and why the family property ended up in the female line (Rodgers) instead of going to one of the sons. Anyway, there is a more documented source for the early Taskers in Madbury which has the first Nh documented Tasker as William (probably the father of the John they are referring to) although it is not clear if he was the 1st immigrant or born in the colonies. The earliest documented Tasker is a John referred to in court proceedings in Salem MA in 1647.  He could have been William's father (who was born in about 1656), but that is PURE speculation, no other documentation exists to date.

For anyone wanting to read about the early Taskers in Madbury, they can read it online at:
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/historyoftownofd02stac
 
History of the town of Durham, New Hampshire : (Oyster River Plantation) with genealogical notes ([1913])
Author: Stackpole, Everett Schermerhorn, 1850-1927Thompson, Lucien, b. 1859Meserve, Winthrop Smith, 1838-
starting p. 353

Contributed by:

 Deborah Tasker Sena  10/4/2013

Deborah sent us this update to the Tasker Family Tree in the form of a letter.  It mentions their origins in France and three brothers coming to the United States in the early 1800's.  One settled in Dover and the other two went to Bartlett and one operated a hotel in Intervale, NH.  (Correction:  "one operated a hotel in Intervale, NH" is actually referring to a contemporary cousin of the author, not one of the 3 brothers. Rather the descendants who stayed in Barlett. She is referring to the Taskers who owned Fairview Cottage in the Intervale.

Author of letter: Bernice (Tasker) Harris- daughter of Millard Tasker and Annie Barrows, Millard was the son of James Bassett Tasker. One of the five brothers who walked from Bartlett to Haverhill. Bernice was born and lived her whole life in Haverhill. So Elijah Tasker was her uncle to operated the shoe business with her father as mentioned in the letter. (I am descended from Millard's brother, George F.) Although not completely confirmed, we believe the letter was sent to Charles Worthen, son of Lillian (Tasker) Worthen and her husband Herbert, also of Haverhill. Lillian was a daughter of the above mentioned George F.

Read the letter in this PDF attached file:  HERE

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Deborah also wanted to share/comment on the content and claims in the letter and how she has researched them to date.
 
Tasker arrival in Bartlett- This is later than the known facts such as Jonathan Tasker being present for the formation of the town government in 1790.
 
3 brothers, Dover and Bartlett- Elements of what others have determined but a big generational difference with Dover and Bartlett being simultaneously settled.  The more accepted version is that we are descended from William Tasker who arrived in the then called Dover area (Madbury) in the late 1600s. His great grandsons, Ebenezer and Jonathan moved to Bartlett (although there are some versions that start with John, grand father of the pair). 
 
Huguenot orgins- There are assumptions that the Taskers were of English origin but no documentation to that effect.  While Tasker is a fairly known English name it is often explained as coming from the Norman French when they invaded and, therefore, has the same root as the French equivalent name, Tascher.  I found online another researcher claiming the Hugeunot connection but with a timeline more fitting to the Wm Tasker of Madbury origin.  He has not responed to many requests by me and others for the documentation of the claims.  I suspect it has some of the same sources as Berenice's.
 
Is it possible, yes.  Wm's arrival in Dover is very close to the date when the Edict of Nantes was revoked, and its not hard to imagine that conditions were bad just prior to the official revocation. But he would have to had come to the colonies from France, not via England (unless a transient stopover). Also there are records of Huguenot Taschers being in England in the early 1700's.  I did check with the American Huguenot Society and they say some did come directly to the colonies.  They do not, however, have any record in the US of a Tasker/Tascher Huguenot line.
 
Also of interest is that Wm.'s granddson married into another Madbury family, the Demerrits, whose first immigrant Eli has been hotly debated as to his origins, including that he was Huguenot.  It would make sense that coming to the colonies with no resources they would find their way to the new/cheaper land opening up, such as rural NH, and also would settle near/marry into other Huguenot families.
 
But in the end I have more or less concluded its unlikely and possibly the result of skewed/prejudicial genealogy trying to meet people preferences as anglophiles or francophiles.  Possibly with an anti-catholic overlay which makes the Huguenot connection the more acceptable.
 
5 brothers  - Berenice is correct, there is no record anywhere for a Joshua or Joseph Tasker (others of that name have other established ancestry in Nh) including Civil War service/death, etc.  Although I have not probably searched that as thoroughly as possible.  Elijah on the other hand clearly existed and shows up in Haverhill directories as partner with Millard Tasker.  I also found a California state census that recorded an E. Tasker in gold country.  One of these days I will see if I can find a death cert to verify his parents.  He certainly was not buried near any of the other Tasker graves in Haverhill.
 
That summarizes my research to date.  Hope you enjoy the document.  Please let me know when it arrives.
 
Deborah Tasker Sena

October 2013

January 2014 - Deborah Tasker Sena sent this update                               to her research:

Despite seeming to be pretty obvious, born-married-had children (or not)- died, genealogy is never that straight a path and often leads you astray on side roads or you miss a sign for a significant change of direction!  This happened to me lately and I wanted to pass on my updated knowledge to anyone interested in the Taskers of Bartlett, particularly my lineage from Jonathan Tasker, son of Jonathan Tasker.  In the article posted on this website by Marcia Dolley on her research for me on the Taskers of Bartlett, she mentioned my website where the lineage has been posted.  For anyone who may have visited that site, this is an update on the parents of Belinda Bassett, wife of Jonathan Tasker.
 
When I was new to genealogy back in 2010 I worked with the genealogist for the Bassett Family to determine Belinda's parentage and ancestry.  The information was added to my website and indeed helped to form my first genealogical trip to the White Mtn area.  The ancestry we had said her father was David Bassett who was in Hart's Location in the 1790 census.  His wife Suzannah Copp was the daughter Benjamin Copp, the first settler of Jackson. Pretty impressive, I duly visited Jackson (see my pic in the gazebo) as well as Crawford's Notch/Willey house site.  The only problem was Belinda was born in 1795, so not on the census, and there is no other record of David or his family.  But understanding the lack of documentation in rural NH, I figured that was as good as it gets.
 
Fast forward to this week, somehow in searching for other information I may have had on the Bassett ancestry, I came across another email (2010) from the Bassett researcher flagging me that there were alternative parents for Belinda.  How I missed this or why I didn't do something with it earlier, I don't recall, all I know is I am glad I kept it. It was a signifcant change that made much more sense and has more circumstantial documentation (again, as good as it gets).
 
This update proposes, therefore, that Belinda Bassett was the daughter of James Bassett and Ann Walker Durgin (widow of Silas Durgin). James Bassett was in the 1790 census in Bartlett, but he died in 1797. The 1800 census for Bartlett has his wife enumerated as 'wid. Ann Basset'.  More importantly, it shows her with 2 daughters 5-10 years old which fits Belinda's age at the time of the census. The other confirming 'evidence'?  Something I had wondered about as there were no Davids in my Tasker line. But Belinda and Jonathan Tasker's son and my ancestor, was named James Bassett Tasker. Another interesting point is that as the daughter of James, Belinda had a brother Joseph.  This Joseph Bassett named one of his daughters Belinda Tasker Bassett.  In fact, the next generation of that family also had a Belinda T. Bassett.
 
So for now, unless better evidence emerges otherwise, and I welcome all comments, I am adding James and Ann as my ancestors.  A bit sad, as it means I have to say goodbye to all those wonderful local history stories associated with David and Suzannah, although I can still say I am related as a cousin by marriage as David was James' brother. I do have added respect for Belinda, who lost her father at about 2 years of age, died young at 39 (Garland Ridge Cemetary gravestone picture attached) and her relatives who kept her memory alive through others bearing her name (my Tasker line also had 2 generations of Belinda Bassett Tasker).   Not to mention the challenge her mother faced who was 2xs widowed and left with a young family to raise.
 
I do owe Jeffrey Bassett(Bassett Family Historian, 
www.bassettbranches.org thanks for his ongoing efforts to trace the family as well as a Walker family researcher, Eugene Walker (

Eugene Walker, http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~walkerdesc/b241.htm#P241)

 who clued me into Ann's 1800 census. Now I am off to explore all my new Walker ancestors.

Deborah Tasker Sena                          

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The Tasker Family - All We Know

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Jonathan and Belinda Tasker at the GARLAND RIDGE CEMETERY

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Ebenezer is buried in the Intervale Cemetery.  He is the brother of Jonathan.  Deborah Sena sent us this picture of the cemetery site.

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