Monadnock Moment No. 164

Era 3: Revolution and the New Nation - 1763 to 1820

Hannah to the Rescue

Most of the early female residents of our region have been overlooked by history. Although historians have recorded a good deal about the lives of the men who settled our towns, we seldom know little more than the names of the 18th century women who shared the burden of settlement.

One local woman who has been remembered over the years is Hannah Merrifield of Surry. Hannah and her husband Benjamin moved to Surry before 1790. They built a modest home and carved a farm out of the wilderness.

Hannah is best remembered for a dangerous encounter which has lived on in local lore for generations. One day she heard a commotion in the barnyard. She rushed out of the house to find a bear trying to capture a squealing pig in the yard. Enraged that the bear should attempt to steal her pig, Hannah took up her fire shovel and went to the rescue. The startled creature turned his attention to Hannah. She dispatched the bear with the shovel and the pig ran to safety.

Although Hannah Merrifield passed away many years ago, the tale of her fight with the bear still lives on, and her trusty fire shovel is still preserved.