The Pine Tree Riot

Each town's charter contained a passage that recognized the King's ownership of the white pines within its borders, despite the fact that the colonists deeply resented it. There was little enforcement of the white pine laws until John Wentworth was appointed Governor in 1766. Unlike the previous Governor, his uncle, Benning Wentworth, John was more concerned about his coffers. He soon realized that a great deal of money was being lost in fines not collected due to lax enforcement of the pine laws. He instructed the Surveyor General to do his job to the letter of the law.

Mill yards were carefully checked. If the Surveyor or his deputies found any white pine logs, the owner was issued a summons to appear in court. He could go to court or pay a "settlement." If he refused to do either, he was fined and his logs were auctioned off. Tensions built as the colonists found themselves forced to comply with a law that placed outside controls on their property and cost them time and money.

During the winter of 1771/1772, the deputy surveyor cited owners of mills in Weare, Dunbarton, and Goffstown. The mill owners hired Samuel Blodgett, Esq. to present their case to Governor Wentworth in hopes that Blodgett would persuade the governor to drop the charges against them. Wentworth liked Blodgett, so much in fact, that he made him a deputy surveyor. Upon returning from his mission, he wrote to the men informing them of his new status and instructed them to pay a "settlement" that he and the Governor had decided upon. Everyone, except the men from Weare, paid Blodgett and their logs were returned.

A Message is Sent - the Pine Tree Riot

Warrants were issued for the arrest of the Weare men. On April 13th, county sheriff, Benjamin Whiting of Hollis, who was very unpopular with the citizenry, and his deputy, John Quigley, set out to arrest Ebenezer Mudgett, owner of the Oil Mill in south Weare, and considered to be the leader of the group of lawbreakers refusing to pay the settlement. Since they arrived in Weare late in the day, they decided to spend the night at Aaron Quimby's inn, the Pine Tree Tavern, and arrest Mudgett the next day. News that they were in town spread quickly. Many of the townsmen gathered at Mudgett's house to decide what course of action should be taken.