Life of Count Rumford, 41 



The place, unnamed, where Thompson, in his memo- 

 randa, records that he taught school " six weeks and 

 three days," was doubtless the pleasant town of Brad- 

 ford, on the Merrimack. Here he was so well esteemed 

 for faithful services that he was sent for to Concord, 

 New Hampshire, higher up the same river, by Colonel 

 Timothy Walker, and offered a situation in a school 

 of a higher grade, which would secure him a permanent 

 position. Concord, under its Indian name of Pena- 

 cook, had been claimed on its settlement by the Eng- 

 lish as being within the bounds and jurisdiction of 

 Massachusetts. As such it had been incorporated, in 

 J 733~34> as a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, 

 under the name of Rumford, probably from a town 

 of that name, generally called Romford, about twelve 

 miles from London, whence some of the original set- 

 tlers in the New England wilderness had emigrated. 

 The name has interest for us, as it was chosen by 

 Benjamin Thompson for a title when he was made a 

 " Count of the Holy Roman Empire." The name 

 of the town was changed to Concord, to mark the 

 restoration of harmony after a long period of agita- 

 tion as to its provincial jurisdiction and its relations 

 with its neighbors. It was gratitude which prompted 

 Thompson to ma.te the name of Rumford titular, 

 and, as we have seen, he expressed most tenderly and 

 reverently his sense of obligation to the venerated 

 minister of the place, his patron, guide, and father- 

 in-law. 



Thompson had reason for this gratitude and sense 

 of obligation. Had he fallen upon, peaceful times, 

 and made his native country his home for life, the 

 propitious start which he received in Concord and the 



