Hi, My name is John Louge. My friends and family just call me JR. I was born in the year 1721. My parents were John and Mary Lougee. I married my wife molly Leavitt in the year of 1744. I was 23 then. In the end of winter in march of 1753. Remember, all we have is horses and sleds for travel in the cold winters. It is 39 miles from Exeter to Gilmanton NH. By automobile, not that I know what one is, it takes just a 39 minutes to an hour drive. On foot, in 1700 in winter it takes days to travel, not by yourself, or just your wife , but with all your children, todlers to teenagers. What a hike.  When I got to Gilmanton N.H. I put in a fulling mill, in connection with Joshua Bean's grist mill, and this was the first fulling mill, which went into operation in the town.

    After settling down I  married the daughter of Samuel Leavitt, and built the large house on Mr. Leavitt's lot, afterwards, I owned and occupied by Samuel Shepard, Esq., in one part of which. Then as time passed, the mill business started to slow down so, at this point I opened a store, and traded for some years. Sadly though,The mill sat their and got abbandoned over time.
               
                                           In the same month of March 1753, my brother Gilman,

 moved to Gilmanton with his family from HarverHill . He though had a harder time getting here. He was first tailor, in our town. He  started from Exeter with an ox team upon a stiff snow crust, but when he arrived at Pleasant Pond, the crust broke under the weight of the cattle and his load, so that he was under the necessity of sending them back, and of getting such articles as he could upon hand sleds, and transporting his beds, and the smallest of his children, then 5 in number, in this way, the whole of the remaining distance. His wife and the older children, accomplished the whole journey from Pleasant Pond on foot.
    

                                     

Just like my dad, I had a big family. And yes, I did marry 3 times, but I was able to live for 94 years. I was giving the ability to raise 16 childres. 10 boys and 6 gilrs.

    By my first wife Molly, I had my first son John in 1747, Nehemiah in 1749, my first daughter Sarah in 1750. Joseph arrived in 1751 and my other son named John was born in 1752. My second daughter, Molly was born in 1755 followed by Jonathan in 1757. My third girl, Elsie arrived in 1759 And my last child my Molly was born in 1761. Sadly, Molly passed away in 1761 while giving birth to William.
    In the same year, needing help raising my children, I meet Susannah Hull. We got married that year and had 6 more children. My first son with Susannah was Henry    in 1763. Then our first daughter together was Shuah in 1765. Our second daughter Susan arrived in 1767 followed by Benjamin in 1772. Then came Sarah in 1774. Then our last child, my last son, Emerson was born in 1778. Now comes the fun part of having 16 children. Watching them get married and having children of their own.
    The first one married was Nehemiah, he was 19 years old  to Mary Marsh who was 18, in 1768.  They raised 7 children.
     Then I was able to walk my daughter, Sarah, who is 25 years old, down the isle to Jothan Gilman, 23 years old. He was born on September 16, 1747. They too had 7 children.
      My next son to marry was Joseph. On November 14, 1780 he married Mariam Fogg. Mariam passed away in 1849 leaving behind 9 children. Joseph remarried in 1771 to Apphia Swazey. She was born on September 9, 1753 and they had 3 children together.
    Jonathan was next in line at the alter to mary Elizabeth Mitchell. Jonathan was 23 and Elizabeth was 17. Sadly, Elizabeth died at age 42 in 1805 and Jonathan lived to be 89 and died in 1846. They raised 7 children through out their live.
    The next bride to be is Molly who was born in 1755. She married Moses Stevens who was born the same year . They tied the knots on October 16, 1783.
    5 years passed until William started his family. He meet Sarah Brown in 1788 and got married on September 25, 1788 and had 1 child.
    3 years passed and Benjamin age 19 married Ruth Folsom age 18. The date was February 7, 1791. Together they had 6 children.
     The next yeay later was Henry. The youngest who married Sarah Mason on Januaray 5, 1792. The were real busy having 10 children.
     Shuah got married to John Pitman but I was ill at the time and cant remember the date.
     Five of my children choose to remain single and they were, Susan, Sarah, Emerson John and Elsie.
      Due to the number of Lougee's living now in Gilmanton, The county called the area where we lived, Lougee Town. We where located on the Western margin of the Pond, that is Lougee Pond. Now Cristal Lake. I enjoyed many summers fishing with the kids and watching them play on the ice in the winter.After 28 years of marriage, my wife Susannah Hull passed away.
     I meet Judith Beale some time after and we got married on November 11, 1789.
     After living a full life of having 16 children, and over 45 grand children, I passed away in the coldness of December 1794 at the age of 73 years. The story does not end here. My son Jonathan Lougee, has one of his own to write in the history of our family adventure.