In colonial times and during the earlier history of New Hampshire, the title of Esquire was the unquestioned evidence of distinction and honor. The title was assumed by the judges of the courts, sheriffs, coroners, and justices of the peace.
After the organization of Grafton County, and during the two remaining years
that NH was a province under the Crown, the justices of the pease were appointed
by Governor John Wentworth. The executive records of this period are not
preserved, and the official record of the appointments is not available.
From other sources it appears that 18 or more citizens of Grafton County were
justices of the peace before the Revolution. They were: John Fenton
and David Hobart of Plymouth, Asa Porter and John Hurd of Haverhill, Rev.
Eleazer Wheelock and Bezaleel Woodward of Hanover, Moses Little of Campton
Daniel Brainerd of Rumney, Israel Morey of Orford, John Wheatly of Lebanon,
Samuel Gilbert of Lyme, Timothy Bedel of Bath, Joshua Merrill of Warren, Edwards
Buckman of Lancaster, Joseph Peverly and Joseph Holbrook of Northumberland, and
Seth Wales of Columbia.
During the Revolution and while the temporary constitution was in force, the
justices of the peace were appointed by the legislature and commissioned by the
president of the council. In 1776, Samuel Emerson of Plymouth was
appointed a justice of the peace, and the same year, Francis Worcester and James
Harvell were appointed coroners for the county. In 1778, Francis Worcester
was appointed a justice of the peace. It is probable that Moses Dow and
David Hobart were justices of the peace after 1776 and while they were residents
of Plymouth, but a record of their appointment cannot be found. Joseph
Senter, then of Holderness, and later of Plymouth, was appointed in 1776.
Since the adoption of the State Constitution of 1784, justices of the peace for
the term of five years have been appointed by the governor and council.
The following table contains the names of the citizens of Plymouth who have been
appointed, and the date of their first appointment. Several of these
removed from town before their first commission expired, while others, by
reappointments, have hold commissions for many years.
1784 Francis Worcester, Samuel Emerson, and Dr. John Rogers 1785 Joseph Senter 1789 John Porter 1799 Josiah Brown 1804 Phineas Walker 1805 Dr. Jonathan Robbins and Samuel Wells 1811 Stephen Grant 1814 Calvin Clark, Moor Russell, and Samuel C. Webster 1819 Dr. Samuel Rogers 1821 Joseph Kimball 1822 Nathaniel Peabody Rogers 1824 Jonathan Cummings 1826 Jonathan C. Everett 1827 William Coombs Thompson 1828 Stevens Merrill and Jonathan Bliss 1830 John Rogers 1831 Jonathan Dearborn and Timothy Eastman 1835 Walter Blair and Joseph Fifield 1836 Nathaniel P. Melvin 1837 Arthur L. Webster 1839 Dr. Robert Burns, David H. Collins, and Anson Merrill 1840 Thomas Clark, Joseph Powers, and Otis Whitney 1842 William Leverett 1843 William Burns 1844 James McQuesten 1846 William W. Russell 1847 Seth Doton, William Restieaux, and Frederick W.A. Robie 1849 Ellery A. Hibbard and Thomas Perkins 1851 Cyrus Keniston 1852 David H. Currier, John T. Cutter, John Keniston, and Peter Walker 1853 Stephen York and Napoleon B. Bryant 1855 Denison R. Burnham, Joseph Clark, and Arthur Ward 1856 Gilmore Houston, Alvah McQuesten, Samuel N. Rowe, and Charles F. Stone 1857 John A. Putney 1858 Hiram W. Gove 1859 Henry W. Blair, Benjamin Clark, and Joseph C. Fifield 1860 Desevignia S. Burnham, John W. Ela, and Washington George 1862 William W. Russell, Jr. 1863 Joseph Burrows 1864 John G. Langdon, Nathaniel A. Pike, and Joseph M. Burrows 1867 Gilmore McL. Houston 1869 Fisher Ames, Andrew J.C. Barnard, Walter D. Blaisdell, William A. Chandler, Hiram Clark, William C. Hull, Anson Merrill, John Mason, and George F. Merrill 1871 Amasa W. Avery, Manson S. Brown, Daniel W. Burrows, John F. Morton, and Morris W W. Prince 1872 Alvin Burleigh 1873 Charles W. Bolles 1874 Collins M. Buchanan, Samuel P. Chase, Joseph A. Dodge, William G. Hull, Charles A. Jewell, Harvey M. Rogers, and Charles M. Whittier 1875 Horation O. Ladd 1876 William L. Horner and Rodney E. Smythe 1877 George H. Robinson and Winfield S. Robinson 1878 Edgar H. Gove and Frank C. Lougee 1879 George H. Adams and Lemuel L. Draper 1880 Arthur S. Hazelton 1881 Frederick W. Ballou, Chauncey A. Fellows, and William A. Raymond 1882 James A. Penniman 1883 Moses A. Ferrin, Elliot B. Hodge, and Nathan H. Weeks 1884 George H. Bowles, Epes J. Calley, and Charles H. Turner 1887 Myron W. Haseltine, Merrill Greeley, Cyrus K. Kelley, and Joseph C. Storey 1888 John Chandler, Francis A. Cushman, and Daniel P. Donovan 1891 Dean S. Currier, Perley S. Currier, John Keniston, Woodbury F. Langdon, and James N. McCoy 1892 Dr. Robert Burns 1893 Alvin F. Wentworth and Charles C. Wright 1896 Hanson S. Chase 1897 Charles E. Chandler 1899 Isadore N. Lunderville, William J. Randolph, and Frank H. Rollins 1900 Fred W. Downing, Ellsworth W. Holtham, David M. Tenney, and Fred P. Weeks 1901 William M. Brown, William S. Coleman, William A. Kimball, Adin H. Philbrick, and Scott N. Weeks 1902 David P. Burleigh and Joseph P. Huckins 1904 Leon C. Page
The above information was taken from Volume I of Stearns History of Plymouth, published in 1905.