Celebrating the 300th Anniversary of the 1719 Founding of Nutfield
Celebrating Nutfield's 300th Anniversary
The year 2019 marks 300 years since the First Settlers arrived in the Nutfield Grant and established the community that eventually became the towns of Derry, Londonderry, and Windham, and the Derryfield neighborhood of Manchester.
Anniversary preparations are underway through the historical societies, libraries, schools, churches and other groups in all four towns.
These pages will describe the 300th plans as they develop, and provide related resources and information:
Events — view tentative and scheduled events in list or calendar format.
Planning — access details on the planning work underway in all towns.
Descendants — if you are part of an early settler family or otherwise interested in the genealogy of the Nutfield families or early residents, please let us know on this page.
Help — learn how you can volunteer or provide financial support.
Be sure to also Like the 300th Facebook page. To get more info as it develops, sign up for our eventual Nutfield History Newsletter:
Key Dates
Celebration activities will run over several months so that every group can conduct their own 300th activities without schedule competition. Initial thoughts for the beginning and end of the Nutfield 300th Celebration are:
Celebration activities kick off at First Parish Church in East Derry (where the first settlers first settled) in April, 2019 (the anniversary of when they arrived).
Major town activities are foreseen around June for WIndham's Strawberry Festival, July 4th for Derry, and August for Londonderry's Old Home Days.
Celebration activities conclude in conjunction with DerryFest in September.
Nutfield Celebration Ideas
A growing list of brainstormed events and activities from various sources.
Pantograph plate of the commemorative medal from the Nutfield 250th Anniversary. It was designed by Mrs. Patricia Verani of Londonderry, and struck by the Robbins Company of Attleboro, Mass. Each town—Derry, Londonderry, and Windham—had its own design on the other side. (Courtesy of the Derry Museum of History; donated to the Museum by Mrs. Diana Duval in loving memory of her husband Vernon Duval, who handled the entire coinage process for the 250th anniversary committee.)
Commemorative coin, ornament, or other keepsake
Illustrated children's book telling the Nutfield founding story
Highland games exposition
Regional culmination with joint fireworks etc.
Beard contest
Incorporation in local school curriculums
Parades, possibly multiple, in different communities and/or themed
Commemorative service and Founder's Day activities at First Parish in East Derry
History lecture series
Scottish clan gatherings
Ancestoral families outreach
Printed program(s)
Art show or contest
Enactments, of town separations, depictions of early life, military events, etc.
Related Blog Posts
Key points in the first twenty years of settling Nutfield.
A film crew producing the Family Matters TV show for BBC Northern Ireland visited Derry NH with descendants of the 1719 founder of Nutfield The Rev. James MacGregor.