Rambles about Portsmouth. Sketches of persons, localities, and incidents of two centuries: principally from tradition and unpublished documents. By Charles W. Brewster.

240 RAMBLES ABOUT PORTSMOUTH.
then the house of Capt. Josiah Shackford, already referred
to in a former ramble, as the adventurer who crossed the
Atlantic alone in a boat. This house was directly in front
of Rosemary street. Thern came the ihouse of Timothy
Gerrish, with his silversmith's shop inl front. Abner Blaisdell's house was next, and his grocery store was on the
east corner of Atkinson street. On the west corner was the
dwelling house and grocery a d ship chandlery store of
Capt. Peter Coues, Next west was the dwelling and silversmith's shop of Samuel Drown. These houses were all
two stories, many of them with end to the street, and, as
will be seen;, affording under the same roofa residence and
place of business. The street was very narrow-froli
Washingt on to Atkinson streets, State street (then Buck)
averaged only about 22 feet in width.
Mr. Sam uel Drown was the third son of Rev. Samuel
Drown, the pastor of the Pitt street society. We find
among our papers a sketch of the family which is wortlh
preserving. it is said that the first of the name was a
child found at sea alone in a boats too yowng to give any
account of himself, and fiom his probably intended destiny
he received the name of Drown. Such is the legend-and
as no mention of the name is made in the old English
families, it may be correct.
Leonard Drown, born 1646, was a shipwright by occupation. He came from the west of England and married at
or near Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Elizabeth Abbott.
He lived to the age of eighty-three years, and died in
Boston, Maassalchusetts, October 31st, 1729. He was blind
for seven years next preceding his death. His wife died
in the year 1704. He married again btt had no issue by
the second wife-. ie lived at Sturgeon Creek, about seven
miles from Portsmouth, where all his children were born.
He carried on ship building there till 1692, when on account
of the' Indiani wars, he was obliged to remove, and weint to