1960Joseph Varney, the elder son of Moses [N.B. dgw: conflicts with Otis], was born Jan. 24, 1771. Very early in life he exhibited a spirit of enterprise, and when twenty-three years old had in his possession eighty acres of land, which was unquestionably situated on the east side of the main road, opposite the Lucas lot. Here he erected buildings, but subsequently removed them to the valley below, where there was a stream with volume and fall sufficient to run a bark-mill -- a location most desirable for a tannery, and occupied as such for a century. Soon after his majority, Mr. Varney began the business of tanning, at first in a small way, as his means were quite limited. What he lacked in money, however, he made up in energy. He purchased of the farmers such hides as he could obtain, or manufactured them into leather on shares. Shoes were then quite generally made by itinerant cordwainers at the homes of their customers, who were expected to provide the stock; hence, leather was sold almost entirely at retail, his customers being from the neighboring inhabitants. After a while he sommenced making boots and shoes.
Mr. Varney was not content with his first purchase of land, but increased the number of his acres, until they bordered on both the Pine Hill and main roads. He made a success of farming. His land was well adapted for cultivation, and his taannery furnished fertilizers for it. Besides, he had unusual facilities for securing laborers, Many of his customers had more muscle than money, and were quite willing to exchange it for his goods. Working by the day was quite a common affair with many of them, and even some who were in well-to-do circumstances would occasionally spare a day to the tanner; hence, when his farm work dragged, he could by judicious management obtain assistance from the occasional laborers.
Mr. Varney's combined enterprises rendered him a very busy man, and for several decades he probably employed more laborers, did more business, and accumulated more wealth than any other citizen of Wolfeborough. Like other thrifty men of his time, he speculated somewhat in lands, purchasing such as were owned by the town and Masonian proprietors, and reselling them to others, generally in smaller quantities. In 1809, through the agency of Nathaniel A. Haven, of Portsmouth, he bought of Edward B. Long and his wife, Mary Long, a grand-daughter of John Tomlinson, who were lving in England, the four large islands lying near Wolfeborough harbor, which contained seventy-nine acres. These islands weew then within the limits of Alton, but have since been annexed to Wolfeborough. In 1820, he and Ichabod Libbey sold the George Jaffrey lot, which was numbered twelve in the Masonian proprietors' division, to Jeremy Towle. It contained three hundrew acres, and the price paid was eight hundred dollars.
Mr. Varney belonged to the society of Friends, or Quakers, as they were formerly generally called, and his house was a free hostelry for the traveiling members of that sect. This afforded him an opportunity to become acquanted with such men as Whittier, the Cartlands, and other early reformers. On moral questions, his family was pretty sure to be on the right side.
Joseph Varney married Hannah, the daughter of John Bassett. They had twelve children; Huldah, Susan, Almira, Lydia, Moses, Ruth, Richard, Mary B., Isabel, Agustus C., Joseph E., and Joseph. |