Founding Families of Rye, NH
The Rye Town Museum is dedicated to the founding families of the village of "Sandy Beach" (Rye), which was begun soon after the original settlement at Odiorne Point in 1623. It was part of Portsmouth, New Castle, Greenland, and Hampton until it became the Parish of Rye in 1726, when the town built its first church on the hill. It finally became an independent town in 1785. The families listed here helped to build the town in the first two centuries. In the late 1700s and 1800s, other families such as Caswell, Green, Saunders, Sawyer, Tucker and others joined the original families. Some of the descendants of these original families are still living in Rye today, a living connection to our heritage.
Rye’s Families: They Persevered
Parsons
Perkins
Philbrick
Rand
Seavey
Shute Sleeper
Smith
Trefethen
Vanell (Varrell)
Walker
Walles (Wallis)
Webster
Wedgewood
Yeaton
