72 High Street

This property was owned by Burnham White who lived next door at 66 High Street and had acquired all the land on Hartigan Court. Burnham sold this corner lot to Mary Ann Clark on April 26, 1866 for $175. The property was conveyed to Mary Ann “without any interference from her husband Joseph H. Clark.”

Mary Ann Bailey was born on in 1819 in Billerica, MA daughter of Benjamin & Nancy (Needham) Bailey. Mary Ann married in Andover on Dec. 31, 1849 to Joseph H. Clark, a carpenter, b. 1802 in Moultonboro, NH. This was Joseph’s third marriage. He was married to Lavinia Bordman b. 1807 in Stratham, NH on Dec. 29, 1825 and they had a son Joseph Warren Clark b. Aug. 24, 1834 in Meredith, NH. Lavinia died in 1845 in Meredith.

Mary Ann and Joseph had one daughter Mary Jane Clark b. Oct. 13, 1850 in Andover. It appears that George L. Abbott & Moses Clement, carpenters, built the house for Mary Ann as they held a loan of $366.23. Mary Ann and Joseph took a mortgage from the Trustees of Punchard Free School for $500 on Jan. 30, 1867. The deed states “with the new dwelling house there on”

Mary Ann died of pneumonia on March 29, 1871 and her daughter Mary Jane inherited the house. On November 1, 1871 Mary Jane sold the property to her half-brother Joseph W. Clark. Mary Jane married on Aug. 11, 1872 to Henry W. Knibbs of Haverhill, MA. Their father Joseph H. died on Sept. 24, 1880.

Joseph W. Clark was also a carpenter, married on May 11, 1856 to Sarah Elizabeth Holt b. June 2, 1839 in Andover dau. of Timothy Parker & Mary H. (Lovejoy) Holt. Joseph & Sarah had four children: Charles W. b. Aug. 15, 1856, Joseph Holbrook b. June 22, 1860, Edwin Ruthven b. Feb 12, 1868 and Eva Morey b. Nov. 2, 1877. Sarah died of heart disease on May 17, 1896.

Joseph remarried on Oct. 5, 1899 to Frances “Fannie” Angeline (Barnard) Chickering, b. Sept. 25, 1850 in Andover, dau. of Edwin H. & Angeline (Lovejoy) Barnard. Widow Fannie was first married to Milton Chickering, a carpenter, b. Oct. 5, 1838 son of Jacob and Sarah J. (McMurphy) Chickering. Milton died of heart disease on June 17, 1894.

Joseph placed the deed on the property to Fannie A. on Oct. 1, 1901. Joseph W. died on June 17, 1908 and is interred in Spring Grove Cemetery. On August 20, 1908 Fannie sold the property to Isaac Cuthill.

Isaac Cuthill was born Mar. 12, 1874 in Invenkeilor, Angus, Scotland son of Alexander Young & Mary (Smith) Cuthill. Isaac immigrated to Boston at age 19 on the S.S. Nestorian from Glasgow arriving on May 25, 1893. He list Andover as his destination. Occupation – Engine fitter. He became a master mechanic at the Smith & Dove Manufacturing Co. Isaac married at Free Church on Sept. 23, 1896 to Mary Ellen Valentine Scrimgeor Hutchinson b. Dec. 25, 1867 in Montrose, Angus, Scotland, dau. of Alexander & Ann (Valentine) Hutchinson. It was a double wedding with Isaac’s brother James Hay Cuthill marring Lizzie Birrell.

Isaac & Mary E. had four children; Eric Stedman b. Nov. 17, 1898, twins Bertha Ruxton & Kenneth b. Mar. 21, 1900 and James Hay b. Dec. 16, 1902. Sadly Kenneth died 7 hours after birth. Bertha graduated from Punchard High School in 1917 and became a stenographer. Bertha lived with her parents, married late in life to Alexander S. Anderson. Eric was a clerk at Tyer Rubber Co. and James a Finisher at Smith & Dove Co., both married.

Mary Ellen died on June 20, 1939 age 71. Isaac placed the deed jointly with daughter Bertha R. Cuthill on Dec. 5, 1950. Isaac died on Aug. 17, 1956 age 82. The Cuthill’s owned the property for 57 years. Bertha rented the house after her father died.

Bertha (Cuthill) Anderson sold the property to Francis “Frank” C. & Barbara J. Casale on April 2, 1965. The Casale family remain owners of record now 54 years in 2019.