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 Sketches of persons, localities, and incidents of two centuries: principally from tradition and unpublished documents.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

JOHN SIMES AND HIS DESCENDANTS. 297
mother of Capt. Samuel Parker,) children of Humphrey
Fernald, as probably their share of the estate, the house
and land on High street, which has long been known as the
Parker house, and was recently purchased by C. H. Mendum, of the widow of Capt. Samuel Parker. He held other
real estate at the time of his death, which took place before
the Revolution. He left but one son, Joseph Simes-and
five daughters. One of the daughters married Cyrus Frink
of Newington, from whom the extensive family of that
name descended; another married Humphrey Peavey of
Newington; the third married John Nutter of Newington;
the fourth married Moses Noble, from whom the family on
Noble's Island have descended; the fifth married Humphrey
Fernald of Portsmouth, the grandfather of John W. Fernald, who is now the only male descendant in that line.
Joseph Simes was Chairman of the Selectmen of Portsmouth in 1776, and a highly esteemed citizen. He occupied
the homestead on Market street till his death, near the close
of the last century, and after his death the widow continued the dry goods business at the same store in the
house. They had ten children-six sons and four daughters.
The eldest son John was a painter. His shop was in the
rear of the house, approached by an avenue, probably the
same that is now on the north side of Lafayette Laighton's
store. The other sons were Thomas, landholder and livery
stable proprietor, the father of Stephen H. Simes; Mark,
merchant and postmaster, the father of John D. Simes; William, goldsmith, the father of Bray U. Simes; George,
landholder and livery stable proprietor, the father of John
P. and William Simes. Mark, William and George owned
handsome mansions in the same neighborhood on Court
and State streets.
The daughters were Ann, the wife of Capt. Martin Parry,
and mother of the first wife of late William Jones; Mary,
wife of Capt. Thomas Lunt; Hannah, wife of George
Massey; and Elizabeth, who was unmarried.
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