Weymouth New England Genealogy

Joseph Varney, the elder son of Moses [N.B. dgw: conflicts withOtis], was born Jan. 24, 1771. Very early in life he exhibited aspirit of enterprise, and when twenty-three years old had in hispossession eighty acres of land, which was unquestionablysituated on the east side of the main road, opposite the Lucaslot. Here he erected buildings, but subsequently removed them tothe valley below, where there was a stream with volume and fallsufficient to run a bark-mill -- a location most desirable for atannery, and occupied as such for a century. Soon after hismajority, Mr. Varney began the business of tanning, at first ina small way, as his means were quite limited. What he lacked inmoney, however, he made up in energy. He purchased of thefarmers such hides as he could obtain, or manufactured them intoleather on shares. Shoes were then quite generally made byitinerant cordwainers at the homes of their customers, who wereexpected to provide the stock; hence, leather was sold almostentirely at retail, his customers being from the neighboringinhabitants. After a while he sommenced making boots and shoes.Mr. Varney was not content with his first purchase of land, butincreased the number of his acres, until they bordered on boththe Pine Hill and main roads. He made a success of farming. Hisland was well adapted for cultivation, and his taanneryfurnished fertilizers for it. Besides, he had unusual facilitiesfor securing laborers, Many of his customers had more musclethan money, and were quite willing to exchange it for his goods.Working by the day was quite a common affair with many of them,and even some who were in well-to-do circumstances wouldoccasionally spare a day to the tanner; hence, when his farmwork dragged, he could by judicious management obtain assistancefrom the occasional laborers.Mr. Varney's combined enterprises rendered him a very busy man,and for several decades he probably employed more laborers, didmore business, and accumulated more wealth than any othercitizen of Wolfeborough. Like other thrifty men of his time, hespeculated somewhat in lands, purchasing such as were owned bythe town and Masonian proprietors, and reselling them to others,generally in smaller quantities. In 1809, through the agency ofNathaniel A. Haven, of Portsmouth, he bought of Edward B. Longand his wife, Mary Long, a grand-daughter of John Tomlinson, whowere lving in England, the four large islands lying nearWolfeborough harbor, which contained seventy-nine acres. Theseislands weew then within the limits of Alton, but have sincebeen annexed to Wolfeborough. In 1820, he and Ichabod Libbeysold the George Jaffrey lot, which was numbered twelve in theMasonian proprietors' division, to Jeremy Towle. It containedthree hundrew acres, and the price paid was eight hundreddollars.Mr. Varney belonged to the society of Friends, or Quakers, asthey were formerly generally called, and his house was a freehostelry for the traveiling members of that sect. This affordedhim an opportunity to become acquanted with such men asWhittier, the Cartlands, and other early reformers. On moralquestions, his family was pretty sure to be on the right side.Joseph Varney married Hannah, the daughter of John Bassett. Theyhad twelve children; Huldah, Susan, Almira, Lydia, Moses, Ruth,Richard, Mary B., Isabel, Agustus C., Joseph E., and Joseph.