Rev. Jeremiah Clough was born in Loudon, New Hampshire, February 3, 1792, and was the eldest of the five children of Jonathan and Betsy Clough. His grandfather, Jonathan Clough, Sr., moved from Salisbury, Massachusetts, to Loudon about the year 1771, with five children, and located on that tract which has been known as "Clough's Hill," then a wilderness. He was born in 1724, and married Elizabeth Thompson in 1756. His children were named Joseph, Nathan, Sarah, Jonathan, Jr., and Love. Mr. Jonathan Clough, Sr., was a man of large business capacity, and was chosen clerk of the parish for 17 years and selectman for four years. He was a blacksmith by trade, working both iron and steel. He married three times, but had no children that lived by either of the last two marriages. Jonathan Clough, Jr., married Betsy Clough, of Epping, New Hampshire and had five children, named Jeremiah, Joseph and Benjamin (twins), Jonathan and Sally.
Rev. Jeremiah Clough married Sabrina Clough, daughter of Levitt Clough, of Canterbury, in 1813, by home he had a family of eight children. Six of them died in infancy and before maturity. The two youngest or named Jeremiah L. and Charles C. Mr. Clough married, the second time Deliverance Hodgdon, of Northfield, New Hampshire, Sept. 10, 1840. They had one daughter, named Christiana, who is the only living representative of the nine children born to the Rev. Mr. Clough. After his marriage he moved to Canterbury, with his wife's father, and was, for several years, a large and successful farmer. He acquired a large property, and was an industrious and robust man. He was early taught to labor, and during his whole life was industrious and economical in all his purposes.
In 1819 he professed religion, and was licensed as a preacher of the gospel in 1835. He was ordained in 1838, and preached as an evangelist, for 10 years, the doctrine of the Free Will Baptist denomination. He was chosen pastor of his own church in Canterbury in 1848, and continued in this relation until the year 1872, when he suffered a partial shock of paralysis, and retired from the active labors of the ministry. During his labors with this church a large number were added to it, and it became one of the strongest in the Quarterly Meeting. In the meantime a new and commodious church edifice was erected, to which Mr. Clough was a large contributor. It was dedicated about the year 1853, Rev. Mr. Clough preaching the ordination sermon. He was a man of great natural ability, and processed fully the characteristics required in a man of so strong purposes. He was widely known as an humble and Christian man, devoid of all ostentation and display. His Christian life was above reproach, while he had the most profound reverence for the house of God and all its ordinances, making his worship at all times spiritual and full of devotion. He was full of Christian charity, zeal and unending love for his church in Canterbury; for Christian ministers, making large donations to destitute churches, aiding in building houses of worship; the cause of education and missions; and was always a true friend of the destitute and needy. His word was never doubted nor his veracity questioned.
He was a man of large social qualities, possessing true affability of manners, which made his home social, agreeable and always pleasant to his family, and full of hospitality to friends and strangers. The words of advice and counsel which fell from his venerable lips were wise, safe and full of consolation, especially in times of affliction and trouble. His services were largely sought in affliction by death of friends, to which his words were as "healing balm". He always refused remuneration for all religious service throughout his entire life.
His family trials were severe in the loss of his children, but were borne with Christian fortitude. One of the greatest questions of his life was to decide whether to devote his life work to the ministry or not. This he decided upon his knees in the pasture, beneath a tree, which still lives, and spreads its few branches over the monument of stones which he erected, as a seal of the vow of consecration which he made to his God more than 50 years since. His last act of baptism was performed at the age of 82 years. The Rev. Jeremiah Clough received the honors of his town by being chosen to office and representing it in the Legislature. About 25 years since he moved from Canterbury to his native town of Loudon, where he died at the advanced age of 87 years. Jeremiah L. Clough married Clara Clough, daughter of the Honorable Joseph Clough, of Loudon, and had two children, named Lucy S. and Jeremiah J.
Charles C. Clough married Mary E. Osgood, daughter of Ira Osgood, Esq., of Loudon, and had one child, named Charla E., who lives at the old Clough Homestead in Canterbury. Charles C. Clough died in July, 1861, a noble and highly esteemed citizen and Christian man. His widow married, the second time, the Rev. A. D. Smith, of Laconia, who succeeds the Rev. J. Clough in the ministry at Canterbury.

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