“ He was commissioned by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in New England to study the Indian languages and to preach to the Indians; but he was soon diverted from this work. Removing to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, he there married a daughter of John Cutt (1625-1681) , president of the province of New Hampshire in 1679-1680, a successful merchant and mill-owner, and thus came into possession of considerable property (including much of the present site of Portsmouth) . ”