The History of Manchester, Formerly Derryfield, in New Hampshire

found in the work. Under the circumstances, many of them were inevitable. I was groping in the dark. In some instances, in the early part of the work, facts are given upon the authority of other writers, as to the Indians, which subsequent investigation has shown to be erroneous; tradition in families as to family names and individuals, has been followed, and in some three or four instances, such tradition has been found inaccurate; other mistakes have crept into the work unwarily; many of them have been corrected in notes, and in the errata, or addenda; but others will have escaped my scrutiny, and the indulgent reader will excuse them, while correcting them, the more readily when he learns, that hundreds of the pages of the following work, were written, when the writer was suffering the most excruciating pain, or upon a bed of sickness. It will be seen, that although the work purports to be a History of the town of Manchester only, yet the history of all the leading interests of the city are given in detail to the present time. Thus the history of Manufactures, Mechanics, Schools, Religious Societies, Highways, Canals and Corporations, public and private, are made as complete as circumstances would permit. Biographical sketches are given in the course of the work, of many of our noted and distinguished citizens, but all matters strictly genealogical, are reserved for a more appropriate place and opportunity. And now the greatest source of fault-finding will undoubtedly be,-Omissions; but let those discovering them ask themselves, how many suggestions have we made to, or how many facts have we furnished for the writer of this History? And after answering satisfactorily to themselves, let them furnish them now, as they will be most gratefully received for future insertion or amendment.

It is believed, that the Table of Contents will furnish all needful help in the way of reference. The Table of Contents includes all the Running Titles while the contents at the head of each Chapter, include all the important proper names and subjects treated of in the same. Thus name or subject can be found with the greatest facility. And now to close, I can but hope, that the book will meet the reasonable expectations of the citizens of Manchester and that the reading of it, will afford them as much pleasure, and by far more profit, than the publication of it has the author.