"As nearly as can be determined, the first residents of Madbury lived in garrison houses. Contrary to popular belief, these were not log houses, but were made from sawed lumber. Water powered mills were set up to saw lumber soon after the first settlers arrived. According to the history of the Gerrish family, John Gerrish married Elizabeth Waldron, daughter of Major Waldron, who in 1699 gave son-in-law part of a mill on the Bellamy River. Just when the mill was erected is not known.

There were eight garrisons about which we have records: Clark, Daniels, Demeritt, Gerrish, Hicks, Meserve, Tasker, and Twombley.

...Tasker's garrison was built about 1695 by William Tasker, who married Mary Adams, daughter of Charles Adams of Durham, who had a grant of one hundred acres of land laid out in November 1672. The house was taken down in 1820 and later another was built near the site by Ebenezer T. Demeritt, who bought it. After the death of Miss Jennie Demeritt in 1936, the house was bought by the Perkins family, who converted the old house and the adjacent barn into apartment houses, now known as the Demeritt Apartments.

...During the half century of French and Indian wars, Madbury suffered its share of the 'brunt of battle" with the enemy. The inhabitants did not appear to have built garrison houses until 1694.

At the time William and Mary Tasker lived in the Tasker garrison, it was attacked by Indians. The Taskers, however, were able to save their lives by fleeing to the Woodman garrison at Durham. During another raid, three Indians set out to attack the garrison. Looking into a small window, one Indian asked if it were not time to get up. Mr. Tasker replied with a shot from his gun and the other two Indians carried the speaker away mortally wounded.

Near the Demeritt garrison, on the side of Pudding Hill, was the home of Nicholas Pearl. He lived in a small hut, which was close to a path where Indians used to travel. This place was sometimes referred to as Pearl's cave. The Indians set it afire and Nicholas was burned alived.

The Davis land was near the Demeritt garrison, on Pudding Hill. Mr. Davis had two men harvesting grain on his farm when the Indians stole between them and their muskets, which they had laid down on the ground while they worked. One man started for the Field's garrison near where the Back River School house at Dover stood; the other ran to the Woodman garrison at Durham. Both men reached these garrisons safely.

In 1694, Eli Demeritt had settled under Pudding Hill, on the east. While gathering his corn, he shot an approaching Indian with his musket. Later, when peace had returned, the Indian visited him and reported that the shot had hit him in the jaw.

Jeremiah Tibbetts, who lived where Charles Jennison and his family now reside, was captured by the Indians and lost his life because he would not tell what was in the nearby Daniel's garrison.

...In the old records, it speaks about John Church, who owned land near Ash Swamp in Madbury, and his wife, Mary. He was killed by the Indians on May 7, 1696. His son, John, who married Mercy Hanson, was later killed by the Indians about 1711.

On a hill was the dwelling of an Indian chief, who controlled a large area of land. He made peace with the white men at what is known as the "Council Rock," which legend says was a meeting place of the Indian tribes presided over the Great Chief Moharimet. The hill where he lived is called Moharimet, or Hick's Hill, named for the (Hix's) Hicks family who came into possession of it.

Council Rock is a large boulder situated in Lane Goss's field, a few hundred yards from his buildings."

"Jennie Maybelle DeMerritt was born June 2, 1863, and died July 29, 1936. She was the third generation to live in the homestead at "DeMerritt's Corner," which was built by her paternal grandfather, Ebenezer Thompson DeMerritt, in 1820 on the site of the Tasker garrison."