About Pembroke

Pembroke's history began in 1725 when Captain John Lovewell (sometimes Lovell) and his intrepid band of Indian fighters, recruited from the towns around Dunstable, Massachusetts, decided to drive the Indians out of what is now New Hampshire.

In 1728, The Honorable House of Representatives of His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England granted six square miles of land to the survivors and heirs of non-survivors of Lovewell's band of Indian fighters. This land area became known as the original Suncook. On December 9, 1730, the Suncook Proprietors drew for their first division of lots, the least to contain forty acres and all others to be of equal value, regardless of the number of acres.

According to best available information, Francis Doyen, one of Lovewell's soldiers and his wife were the first white inhabitants who ever wintered in the township, 1728-1729, and they may have been the first permanent settlers.

Basically, there are three grants of land covering the same area in varying degrees. The Bow grant was granted in May 20, 1727. The Mason grant, presently known as the Masonian claim of 1621 was granted by the "Council of New England" established in Plymouth, County of Devon, England. The Suncook grant of August 6, 1728 was granted by His Majesty's Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England in General Court. The inhabitants of Buck Street and Bow, having boundaries adjacent to the Suncook boundary line, became discontented with the Township of Bow. They petitioned the New Hampshire House of Representatives to be joined with Suncook.

In 1736, members of the Congregational church chose Reverend Aaron Whittemore to be pastor. Sometime near the period of incorporation, the Presbyterians built their own meetinghouse "on a little knoll covered with a pine grove on the west side of Pembroke." The first pastor was Reverend Daniel Mitchell. Eventually the Congregational and Presbyterian churches were reunited in Pembroke.

Incorporation of Pembroke was granted on November 1, 1759, "authorizing the levying and collecting such Province Tax as shall be imposed upon them by law as any other Town or Parish in this Province." On the passage of the act of incorporation, the Plan- tation of Suncook ceased to be and the Town of Pembroke took her place in the fair sisterhood of the Commonwealth of New Hampshire to enjoy all the rights and privileges belonging to towns.