108 



body, and then allowing it to escape in the fluid. This, 

 repeated many times, converts the fluid into froth. 



Dr. JEREMIAH SPOFFORD * was the next speaker. He 

 retains his vigor in a remarkable degree for one who has 

 reached fourscore and four years, and in his remarks gave 

 an interesting account of the academy of which he was 

 one of the founders, as follows : 



MERRIMACK ACADEMY. 



Merrimack Academy originated in repeated conversa- 

 tions between the Rev. Dr. Perry, then pastor of this 

 church, and myself, who now, after the lapse of half a 

 century have devoted much of my time and care during 

 the last year to rebuilding its ruined walls, destroyed by 

 fire in September, 1870. 



Dr. Perry and myself had then numerous families, in 

 need of better advantages than the place afforded, and 

 others were in the same situation, and some of us not 

 well able to incur the expense of maintaining children at 

 distant schools. These conversations resulted in the 

 drawing up a paper by myself, which was headed by Mr. 

 Perry, and followed by Dr. Benjamin Parker, f Capt. 



* JEREMIAH SPOFFORD, son of Jeremiah and Temperance Spofford, was born at 

 New Rowley [Georgetown] Dec. 8, 1787; married, Oct. 14, 1813, Mary Ayer, daugh- 

 ter of Deacon Eleazer and Mary [Flint] Spofford, of Jaffrey, N. H. First settled 

 in Hampstead in 1813, a physician, and removed in 1817 to East Bradford, now 

 Groveland, where he now resides, having continued in the practice of his profes- 

 sion fifty-five years. Author of a Gazetteer of Massachusetts, " Reminiscences of 

 Seventy Years," a Spofford Genealogy, etc. 



t BENJAMIN PARKER, son of Bradstreet and Rebecca [Balch] Parker, was born 

 at Bradford [Groveland], Nov. 11, 1759; graduated at Harvard College in 1782; 

 Dartmouth in 1812 conferred upon him the honorary degree of M. D. He prac- 

 tised medicine in Virginia about twenty years and returned to his native town in 

 1809, where he resided until his death, which occurred May 12, 1845. Married 

 Hannah Moulton of Hampstead, N. H., in 1816; three sons. 





