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- Many of the Lords of New Hampshire trace their descent to Robert, theimmigrant, who since he settled in New England before 1650, is entitledto be called a pioneer. Sterling worth and upright in character have beenattributes of the Lords as a family, and many of them have attainedpositions of prominence in manufactures, trades and the professions.
Robert Lord, the immigrant, was born in England in 1603, and appears tohave been the son of widow Catherine Lord, who was residing in Ipswich,Massachusetts, in 1637, and was a commoner in 1641.
Robert Lord took the freeman's oath at Boston, March 3, 1636. His houselot on High street was granted to him February 19, 1637, which propertyremains a possession of his descendants. He was one of Denison'ssubscribers in 1648; had a share in Plum Island, in 1664; and was a voterin town affairs in 1679. He was on a committee with Richard Saltonstalland others, empowered to grant house lots to settlers, in 1645. He wasrepresentative in 1638; selectman in 1661 and many years after; and wasappointed "searcher of the coin" for the town of Ipswich in 1654. He waslong town clerk, and also clerk of the court till his decease. The latteroffice included the duties now performed by the clerk of probate andregister of deeds.
He served more than twenty years in the Indian wars and became so inuredto camp life and exposure that he could never afterwards sleep upon afeather bed. He is said to have been below the medium stature, but ofpowerful mould and one of the most athletic, strong, and fearless men inthe Colonial service. There is a tradition that the Indians themselves atone time, when confronted by Lord's rangers, proposed to decide thebattle that was anticipated by an encounter between the champions of thetwo parties; to this the whites agreed, and Robert Lord walked to thefront. The Indians selected the most powerful of their tribe, a perfectgiant, full seven feet in stature. The two men were to meet at full runand take the "Indian hug" as they closed. The savages anticipated an easyvictory.
They came together with a tremendous shock, but in an instant the redskinlay stretched upon the earth, and the shouts of the Colonial scouts rangout in the forest. Not satisfied with a single experiment, they wererequired to rush and clinch again. In this encounter Lord took the"hip-lock" on his antagonist and threw him with such force that a bloodvessel was ruptured in the fall. The Indians took him up and carried himfrom the arena, fully acknowledging themselves defeated. They afterwardreported that some whiteman's devil invested Lord with supernaturalstrength.
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Bef 1602 - 1683 (~ 81 years)
