Near the southwest corner of the island stands the Wentworth House, a beautiful and spacious summer hotel, built in 1874, but twice enlarged. From its lofty towers, one hundred and seventy feet above the sea, a wide expanse of sea and land is visible the inner and outer harbor of Portsmouth, the many bays and creeks and islands, the Isles of Shoals, many hills in the distance, and, in a very clear day, Mt. Washington, of the White Mountain range, due north, and ninety miles away. The free bridge, close by, across Little Harbor, connects with the main land. Although this is the site of the earliest settlement, but few private houses are now seen, for the village moved to the north side of the island many years ago. Two small islands lie between the northwest corner of New Castle and Portsmouth, and so a bridge connects New Castle and Goat Island, this and Shapley's Island, and this with Frame Point, in Portsmouth. Here is the toll house, where the traveler must stand and deliver when he crosses the Three Bridges.' From these bridges is a good view of Seavey's Island, where Spanish prisoners were kept in the summer of 1898, of Piscataqua river, which is simply an arm of the sea, of the ship channel to the wharves of Portsmouth, and of the United States navy yard, just across the river, but in the state of Maine. In New Castle, near the bridges, is Riverside Cemetery, of modern use, for the early inhabitants were mostly buried in little groups about the island, with no name, nor date, and often with not even a stone to mark the spot.

New Castle was in early times the capital of the Province, the seat of government, and the residence of many prominent men. In 1693, after long effort, it obtained a separation from Portsmouth and became "a Towne Corporate, by the name of New Castle," by a royal charter from William and Mary, dated May 30, 1693. The original charter is now in existence, and a copy is given in Albee's book. The town records from 1693 to 1726 were long supposed to be lost, but in 1873 they were returned from England. When and how they got there no one

can now tell.

The Province House stood on a slight eminence not far from the fort, and its foundations are still visible, and its well is still in use. A part of it was moved away, and is now used as a dwelling-house. Most of the Tarleton homes were near this.

place.

The list of settled ministers of the Congregational church goes back to 1682, and all were educated men. The first church stood very near the fort; it was sold and another built in 1704 near the site of the third and present one, which was built in 1835. In the first house was a bell of remarkably sweet tone, a gift of the English government, which was transferred to the second house. For many years it called the people to worship and to funerals; it sounded out the peace after the Revolution, from sunrise to sunset; it tolled for the death of Washington and for his funeral; it summoned the people to defend their shores in the war of 1812; and, when the news of peace with England in 1816 reached New Castle late one evening, it rang out the joyful news all night long, and in the morning became silentforever. Benjamin Randall was born here in 1749, was converted under the preaching of Whitefield, and joined the Congregational church. About 1780, he began to spread his peculiar views, and became the founder and a noted preacher of the Free Will Baptist denomination. A church of this faith was organized here about 1787, which has since taken the name of Christian church." Schools were early established and well maintained, but at first were only for boys.

The population has not varied greatly for two hundred years, and has seldom been less than five, or more than seven hundred. In 1696, there were one hundred and eight taxable men on the island, and at the next official census, in 1773, there were six hundred and one inhabitants, of whom thirteen were slaves. 1884, there were one hundred and thirty-six houses and six hundred inhabitants, but the census of 1890 gave only four hundred and eighty-eight.

In

The bi-centennial of New Castle was celebrated Aug. 17, 1893. A neat pamphlet gives an account of the services, and the addresses.

SPELLING,

The name first occurs as Walter de Tarleton, Adam de Tarleton, and John de Tarleton, before 1400, but by 1600 the "de" had been dropped. The Tarletons of Liverpool have always retained the “e," but the Tarltons of London generally omitted the "e" after 1600. The early settlers in New Hampshire, and in Maryland, omitted the "e," which is one evidence that they both came from London. Those who live in New Castle, and in St. Mary's county, Md., now omit the "e.” There is no evidence that members of either family in this country used the "e" until after 1800; but since then it has been gradually coming into use, till now the majority spell their name Tarleton. Of those now living, all of the Stileman, William, and James branches use the "e"; also all of the Elias branch, except those living in New Castle and Portsmouth, and all of the John branch, except the descendants of Thomas Tarlton of Portsmouth. All of the Joseph branch omit the "e," except John W. In these records we have tried to spell the name of the individual as we think the person named spelled it, or spells it now, but when using the name generally, we have spelled it Tarleton. In some places the name is pronounced as if spelled Tolton, and this may have given rise to the curious ways in which others have sometimes spelled it-Tarlington, Tarrington, Tarrinton, Toulton, Tolton, Talton, Talten. There is no evidence that any of the name ever spelled his own name otherwise than Tarleton or Tarlton, unless it be Richard, the emigrant. Some of the various spellings of his name seem to be his own use.

FIRST NAMES.

Several names occur so often, especially in the earlier history, that they may be considered family names. The most noteworthy of these is Elias. The father of Ruth (Stileman) Tarlton was named Elias; so was her grandfather, and her greatgrandfather, and probably back still further. She named her first child Elias, and there has been an Elias Tarlton in direct descent ever since. Each of them has made New Castle his home for a part of his life, and all but the first two for nearly all of their lives. Elias', Elias, and Elias", grandfather, father, and son, are now living on the island, near the home of their ancestors. A look at the index shows the partiality for Bible names, while king Richard, and William, and George, and John, and our own presidents, are not forgotten. The name of Stileman Tarlton (sometimes spelled Stilman), borne by at least three persons, points back to the emigrant's wife. Mary occurs twenty-six times, John twenty-four times, William twenty-one times, and George twenty times.

Some were satisfied with two names, but most have a middle name; and one was so generous he gave each of his four children two middle names.

RESIDENCE.

Of the residence of Richard Tarlton', the emigrant, before he came to this country, nothing is positively known, although there are some reasons for thinking that he lived in London. After he came to Great Island (or New Castle, as it is now called), he lived very near to Fort Point, and here his four children, Elias, William, Richard, and Ruth, were born. There is a tradition common in the family that "there were three brothers who

came from England; one settled in Portsmouth, one in New Castle, and one went south." This does not agree with the records at all, but if "se father" is inserted in the blank space above, it agrees exactly. Elias Tarlton2 removed about 1720 to a farm in Portsmouth some three and a half miles from the city, and five or six miles from his old home, where he died in 1785. The farm was owned by his children, and finally sold by his grand children about 1840. Richard2 remained at New Castle, and some of his descendants are now living near the same spot. As we can find no further trace of William2, we accept the tradition that he "went south," but when, and where, and if he had a family, we cannot learn. It is quite certain he is not the ancestor of the Tarltons of St. Mary's county, Md. We only know of Ruth by her mother's will, and do not know if she married, nor where she lived, nor when she died.

Elias3, son of Elias2, returned to New Castle, and some of his descendants have lived there ever since, and so have some of the descendants of John3, son of Richard2. These two branches were united by marriage in 1792, and again in 1853. The first resulted in a numerous posterity, but the second did not.

Probably none of the Tarltons (except William2) lived outside of New Castle and the adjoining towns of Portsmouth, Rye, and Greenland, till about 1760, when William1 went to Piermont in the northern part of the state. Soon after, his brother . Stileman1 removed to what is now Newfields, near Exeter, N. H.