The town of South Berwick was set off from Berwick in 1814; the First parish is at South Berwick, and recently celebrated its two hundredth anniversary with an elaborate and interesting service. In 1754 the present Berwick was established as the North parish, on petition of 39 freeholders (landowners). This petition for an enabling act to choose parish officers was granted by Governor Shirley and the council, April 17, 1754, the house concurring on the next day. One of the 39 signers to that petition was Master John Sullivan. He helped organize the parish and owned a pew in the meeting-house; later two of his sons owned pews there. Because Master Sullivan spent the last 40 years of his life in this parish of Berwick, the writers of cyclopedias, biographical dictionaries, and biographies of his sons have taken it for granted that he always lived there, hence say his sons were born there. If Master Sullivan’s sons were like the ordinary sons of men, nobody would care or take the trouble to inquire whether they were born in Maine or New Hampshire. They are not like ordinary sons; they are extraordinary, and that is why New Hampshire should claim the honor which is its due, just as we delight to boast that Webster and Chase, and a host of distinguished men, are the sons of New Hampshire. The Sullivan family is one of the most notable families in the history of New England. There were five sons and one daughter. I will give a brief summary of their lives. I. Benjamin was born in 1736; he received a thorough education from his father; he enlisted in the British navy and rose to be an officer, when most young men would be only ordinary seamen; he was tall, handsome and brilliant, and walked the decks as one who was born to command. Unfortunately, he and his ship, with all on board, were lost at sea just previous to the Revolution.