USA > Connecticut > Middlesex County > Chester > For two hundred years the same, an intimate and revealing account of the beginning and growth of the town of Chester, Connecticut, and the Protestant churches therein > Part 3
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Large families were the rule in those days, and the sons and daughters of some of the newcomers to town had good voices and longed to use them. These young people, furthermore, had little patience with the old, set ways of the members of the Fourth Society in Saybrook, and, much against the approval of some, formed a sing- ing school and learned to sing Watts' Psalms properly. Naturally
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they wanted to use the new method. Fathers were beseiged at their homes and the subject became such a thorn in their sides that they called a parish meeting, wherein it was voted "the Young people shall sing in the Congregation once every Sabbath according to the rules they have learned until the last Monday of January next, and that Jonathan Benjamin shall lead in the Tunes while he stays among them." This being the end of December, the young people may possibly have had four Sabbaths in which to sing once during a service. It was a wedge, however, and we may be sure the younger members persisted in their efforts until further permission was granted.
The church fathers, intent on keeping every aspect of parish affairs under their control, next passed a vote "that the Choirister Shall Tune the Psalms in the Lower part of the Meeting house." Justus Buck, Noah Baldwin, John Silliman and Jared Clark were elected Choiristers "during the pleasure of the Society", or, we suspect, until they got too broadminded as to the tunes used. Shortly thereafter, however, the vote was amended so that "the Choiristers Shall Sit where they Shall think it most conveient in the Meeting house to Tune the Psalms."
Increased interest in the singing led to a desire for Psalm books for all the singers, and, after the new meeting house on the green was built, the Society voted that the trees near the "Lord's Barn" should be sold and the fund thus obtained let out at interest "for the benefit of Singing as the Society Shall hereafter Direct." Music in the Chester parish was here to stay, but it had to be music suitable to the ideas of all the congregation. It was voted, therefore, that "the Choirister who Shall be appointed to Lead in Singing in the Congregation ought to be under the control and Direction of the Leader of the Church and worshiping Assembly."
So from the hill there rolled out over the little parish ever increasing melody as more and more singers found their voices. Older members who clung to the few dreary tunes of their childhood passed on to their reward, and gradually music became a very important part of the life of the church. Both churches had their choirs who led the singing, and, on occasion, offered special selec- tions. Although there were still two services of worship on the Sab- bath, morning and evening rather than morning and afternoon, both were shortened. The Sabbath School had come into being, and there the scholars received early instruction in singing which helped them
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take their places in the choirs of the churches. The Ecclesiastical Society of the Congregational Church still controlled the books to be used, for in 1845 they authorized the New Congregational Psalm Book to be used in public worship. It took a long while for the stern minded folks to abandon their Puritan heritage in favor of the more stirring hymns of the church.
Although the use of musical instruments was gravely opposed, as time passed they crept into the meeting house. The melodeon and bass viol of the second meeting house were transferred to the third meeting house by the Congregationalists, and the Baptists also had a melodeon in the gallery of their first building. The sale of the old trees around the Lord's Barn to start a music fund was followed by appropriations of money for singing. The first sum noted in the records was in 1845, when $25. was appropriated for the coming year. Several years later the Society voted to "hire a room in the Racabite Hall for the use of the Singers provided it can be obtained at a reasonable rate", and three years later a new melodeon was pur- chased for the sum of $60.
Personalities in the musical life of the churches began to appear. The first organist recorded is mentioned in a vote of the society in 1857, when Miss Sarah Beach was thanked "for her performance on the Melodean the past year" and it was decided "to make her a Suitable present for her performance". (The next year she received thanks, but no present!) Not until early in 1900 is there any mention of a salary for the organist, but at various times gifts and testi- monials were given certain outstanding singers for their services.
One of the notable records of faithfulness in the musical life of the churches is that of Fred Silliman, who for thirty-three years was choirister in the Congregational Church, and held the same office with the Baptists for eight years. The son of Daniel Silliman, an earlier choirister of the Congregational Church, he conducted a singing school for the training of the young vocalists, and gave instrumental lessons as well. Musically Chester is greatly in his debt. The name of George Bogart is remembered by the Baptists for the part he played in spurring on the musical efforts and appreciation of that group. Other choir directors worked long and diligently, and in general the music in both churches was unusually good.
The choirs usually occupied places of prominence in the front of the churches. For a short time the Baptist choir used the gallery at the back of the second church building, but upon request of the
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minister (who was lonesome in the front), they moved their melodeon back into the corner at the right of the congregation. In the Congregational church the choir also occupied the right hand corner after the original straight pews were removed together with the "deacons' seats" at either side of the front. The organist at this time was receiving $25.00 a year for her services "and a Vote of Thanks".
In 1872, after the basement of the Congregational Church had been finished and other necessary, improvements made, the musically- minded choir and some of the congregation began talking about a pipe organ. This was a far cry from the good old days when the only music allowable was the "lined-out" psalms. A fund was started to raise $1600., and by dint of hard work, concerts by the singers of the church, suppers by the women, and subscriptions from the church members, within three years the goal was reached. Belatedly it was discovered that in order to have room for the organ it was necessary to add on to the rear of the church building. This meant the raising of another $1500. Undaunted, the people set to work again, and soon the addition was in place and the gaily decorated pipes of the new, hand-pumped pipe organ made a background for the minister and the choir, raised to a new place of prominence directly behind the pulpit.
With the old psalm books discarded and hymn books purchased, music flourished for the next twelve years. In that year something seems to have happened, for a newspaper clipping in 1887, reporting the Easter services in the two Chester churches, remarks that in the Congregational Church "no one could criticize the anthem. It was conspicuous by its absence." Shortly a revival of interest is evident, and the choir and organist began journeying to nearby churches to give concerts and assist with the Sabbath services. In their place a substitute organist and young people's choir provided the music.
Early in 1900 the Baptist church installed a new pipe organ. Instead of building on to the back and recessing the organ, however, their gilded pipes formed a square, protruding into the room. The choir still had its corner on the right, but now it was slightly recessed and guarded by a memorial choir rail, given in memory of George A. Bogart who had done so much for the music of the church.
Now cantatas, anthems, and the good old hymns rang out from the two churches on the hill. On clear Sabbath mornings when the windows of both churches were opened to the gentle breezes from
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the pond at the rear, sweet strains of harmony were wafted across from one building to the other. It was quite possible to keep track of the progress of the service in the adjoining church, and often a particularly well rendered anthem in one church would cause a bit of hard listening in the other. As a rule, however, both choirs performed at approximately the same time.
When water was piped into the Congregational Church it was suggested that they have a new pipe organ with a water motor, thus doing away with the hot, $5.00 a year hand pumping job which became a real task at such times when the choir and organist were trying to outdo each other. In 1908 a new Hall organ with a water motor was installed. Andrew Carnegie gave $800. toward the total cost of $1800. The decorated pipes and ornate woodwork forming the front of the original organ were used. Later the water motor was replaced by an electric blower.
Sabbath music was not the only concern of the choirs of both churches. Many weekday concerts were given, when quartets, soloists, and instrumentalists performed for the benefit of some worthy. cause. The advent of the phonograph was celebrated by a Grama- phone Concert featuring a unique variety of recordings and followed by ice cream. A "Mozart and Cracker Social" provided good music, good food, good sociability and a good addition to the fund then being raised. The Baptist people gave an "Old Tyme Concert", with a program listing the performers in olden style and giving instruc- tions for the behaviour of the audience in a distinctive manner. Costumes, old foot stoves, and quaint songs gave a real antique flavor to the evening.
Singing schools were long popular, and, on occasion, so well attended that the Society meeting being held in the same building had to adjourn to a nearby hall in order to make any progress against the variety of sounds emanating from the would-be singers.
From the time when the churches had melodeons, they also had volunteer choirs. These were made up of the young people and those of middle age, with a few older standbys who could be de- pended upon to be present. Cantatas for Easter and Christmas were prepared every year, and usually at least one anthem for each Sunday. The number of choir members fluctuated from year to year, depending upon the abilities of the singers and the capabilities" of the organist who in later years was usually the choir director. In
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1898, under the direction of Fred Silliman, the Congregational choir numbered twenty-five regular attendants.
The high point in the music of the churches since the turn of the century came when the United Church choir presented portions of Handel's "Messiah" at Easter in 1946, under the direction of Edward H. Hastings of Dorchester, Massachusetts, a student at Wesleyan University at the time. Old timers in the church and music lovers in the town were outspoken in their praise. Shortly thereafter the Chester choir was host to the choirs of surrounding churches, when a chorus of one hundred and twenty voices participated in a Festival of Music, organized and directed by Mr. Hastings. He gave several brilliant organ recitals which were attended by music lovers from adjoining towns as well as Chester, and his playing was so well liked that the greater part of the congregation would remain in their seats on a Sunday morning to listen to the Postlude, instead of noisily hurrying out of the church.
Thus music came to be a large part of the activities of the two churches, and more and more important to the Sabbath worship in the town, a far cry from the first church service in the Lord's Barn when one doleful psalm was "lined-out" by a deacon and repeated by the congregation, some of whose members had considerable doubts as to the propriety, of such a proceeding.
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CHAPTER V
"Precept upon Precept, Line upon Line
Children's religion two hundred years ago was nurtured at home. Clustered around their mother's knee, or sitting decorously on the settle at one side of the fireplace during morning and evening prayers, the children of our forefathers gained their first knowledge of the scriptures. God to them was not so much a heavenly Father as a stern and righteous judge. They were raised under the doctrine that children were born in sin. The Sabbath was a day of gloom and long tedious church services; smiling in church was a sin punish- able by brisk birching. Adults caught in this misdemeanor were required to make humble confession of sin before the meeting. Even such simple pleasures as walks in the nearby woods were forbidden on the Sabbath. Children were required to learn long passages of scripture together with the catechism and psalms. In short, religion was a stern and awesome thing. The minister was responsible for visiting the homes in his parish to see that the children were being properly instructed, and youngsters, even when only a few weeks old, were expected to go to church.
Thus the children of Chester were raised, grew up, and nurtured children of their own for several generations. In 1819, exactly four- teen months after the first Sabbath School was organized in the State, a similar school was established in the Chester parish. Thirty- three persons met on a warm June day and listened to one of their number describe the schools being held in Hartford and several other progressive places. The idea appealed to the Chester folk. Some perhaps felt that the children were not being thoroughly grounded in the tenets of their religion. Moreover, since Sabbath Schools were not confined to children only, some of the more conscientious elders may have seen in them a chance to improve their knowledge.
The first Sabbath School session in Chester was held on the first Sunday of July, 1819, in the second meeting house on the green, following the regular morning worship. Eighty scholars were present (36 male and 58 female) together with twelve teachers. This number did not include any, very young children. 1759256
The constitution of the Sabbath School Association states "reci- tations shall be in a low voice that the classes may not interrupt each
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other." "In order to continue members of the school the scholars must not be absent from the recitations of the school without suffi- cient excuse; they must be respectful to their teachers avoiding all whispering and other improper conduct." Small classes would gather in the high-backed square pews, almost little rooms in themselves. Larger groups were out on the benches in the front of the room. As the teacher called upon each pupil in turn, he would stand, clasp his hands behind him, and, in a singsong voice, intone the Bible verses, catechism questions, and psalms he had learned during the week. Teachers were required to keep a record each Sabbath of the number of verses recited, the number of questions answered, and the number of hymns learned. All of these records were carefully entered into the secretary's book, year after year. Today we are amazed to read of the achievements of pupils in that early Sabbath School.
In fifteen weeks one scholar recited 358 catechism questions, 568 Bible verses, 115 hymn verses. That was a good record, but even a poor one showed a sizeable number of recitations. At the end of the year the number of recitations was totaled. In 1827 they numbered 8223, with the girls accounting for 6497, the boys for 1726. The following year the girls recited 11,338 times and the boys 4085, for a grand total of 15,423 recitations.
For the first eight years the school was held only during the fifteen summer weeks, since the second meeting house was unheated during the winter. School began the last Sabbath in May, and closed in October. At first the church Society had little to do with the school, its affairs being managed by the Sabbath School Association of Chester, with a board of five directors, a treasurer, and yearly dues of 50c. The Association held annual meetings, appointed teachers who were required to be of blameless character and "thoroughly intelligent", made provision for the materials for study. which were used, and generally looked after the welfare of the school. Occasionally, the teachers and directors held meetings to discuss ways of making the school more interesting.
After thirty-five years, the church Society evidenced an official interest in the school's affairs, voting in 1844 that "the Westminster Assembly's Shorter Catechism be introduced into the Sabbath School as a text book." Four years later they appropriated the first sum of money, ten dollars, "for books and papers". A few years later the Society treasurer was authorized to make up the deficiency "in the collection now being made for supplying the S School with the
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Youth's Dayspring." In that same year a school library was set up, contributions of books being made by interested persons in the community, with the church Society, providing a book case.
By 1855 the membership of the Sabbath School was approxi- mately one hundred children, and an unstated number of adults. Every year a child's paper, full of gems of Biblical and moral wis- dom, was purchased for each scholar, and the pupils were allowed to take home books from the school library, depending on their behaviour and record of recitations. When the Congregational church moved into its third meeting house the library was increased. The Baptist Sunday School boasted a library also, and apparently exchanged books with the neighboring Baptists in Deep River.
More and more pleasure was being introduced into the lives of the children, although undoubtedly some of the great-grandmothers did not fully, approve. The Baptist Sunday School had picnics as early as 1878. Within a few years these developed into sizeable affairs, the Baptist and Congregational schools combining for trips to Fisher's Island and excursions on the river and sound.
For the first sixty-two years all the officers of the Congre- gational Sabbath School were men, although certain carefully chosen women were allowed the responsibility of teaching the girls' classes. The young children did not belong to the school, and envied their older brothers and sisters. In 1881 Mrs. M. S. Brooks finally per- suaded the Association and the church to allow her to form a primary department. The rolls of this department, which began with fifteen scholars, showed seventy-seven members eleven years later. The church paid tribute to Mrs. Brooks' devotion by, repeatedly electing her "Lady Superintendent of Small Scholars." She was the first woman to hold an office in any of the regular affairs of the Con- gregational Church in Chester.
Mrs. Brooks was succeeded as Superintendent of the Primary Department by Miss Elizabeth Smith who had been a teacher in the school for thirteen years. "Miss Libby", as she is still affectionately known, was superintendent of the Congregational Primary Sunday School for twenty-seven years, retiring in 1938 after forty years of devoted and loving service to the church and children of the town. Two hundred and twenty-five of her former scholars banded together to give her a surprise reception and present her with gifts attesting their regard.
The Baptist Sunday School had its own primary department.
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In 1887 the record book listed 170 members, 6 officers, 14 teachers in the whole school, with an average Sabbath attendance of 86. The minister apparently had a considerable part in conducting the Sab- bath School services, for on several occasions when he could not be present the book records "no school-no preaching, pastor & Superintendent absent". Once during each year in the late 1800's no school was held because "there was a Camp meeting at Tylerville".
Both Congregational and Baptist Sunday Schools gave liberally to various benevolences from their Sabbath collections. One of the items in the Congregational school records reads "A Bible for the desk of a negro church in the South was given by the Baptist Sunday, School here in Chester-and this Sunday School bought a goodly sized, beautiful toned bell" for the same church.
Various concerts were given by each school. The most im- portant was Children's Day in the Spring. These concerts featured elaborate decoration and presentation, and became so popular with scholars and parents that the morning service once a year was given over to the children, and a definite effort made to have the adjoining churches hold Children's Day on succeeding Sundays. The entire congregation of one church moved over to the other edifice to see, hear, enjoy, criticize and praise.
Gradually the classes of older people dissolved, until in place of a school consisting of grandparents, parents and children, that of late years has been given over entirely, to the children. Lessons now are a far cry from the time when a scholar recited "in a low voice" and "whispering and other improper conduct" were causes for dis- barring children from attendance. Educational methods in the Sun- day schools changed to keep pace with those in the public schools. Rooms which years ago held six classes of softly spoken children became overcrowded with six classes of youngsters brought up under the doctrine of self-expression. The old "opening exercises" gave way to a more impressive and devotional worship service, either in a makeshift chapel with a small altar or around a worship center set up in part of the large room. This is a far cry indeed, from the time when the church records state the Sunday School music was to be held at the close of the meeting, at 10:35, "providing the organist be on hand to provide the musical accompaniment."
With the uniting of the Baptist and Congregational churches, and the resulting combination of the two Sabbath Schools, depart- ments were re-arranged to make the best possible use of the available
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space. The Nursery and Primary Department, by far the largest group in the school, took over the former Baptist basement and nursery room. The Junior and Intermediate Department met in the basement of the East Building, a room used by all the clubs and societies of the church, and not really adequate for any of them.
So has the religious education of the children of Chester changed. In 1819 the Sunday Schol was an adjunct to the church and a supplement to the home teaching of the children. Now it is the agency through which most of the religious training and knowledge of the future church members is obtained.
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CHAPTER VI
"Holy Men and True"
While the first few ministers of the infant parish of Chester had their own trials, sometimes they themselves were a trial to the people. The first minister, Rev. Jared Harrison, found it difficult to get the congregation to agree on him long enough to ordain him. Finally, two years after his ordination, he was dismissed from the "soity." [society] with money still owed him. The Prudential Committee, charged with getting "a good Authordock minister," travelled far, consulting with others and bringing in several men for approval. For eight years the struggle went on, while parish members met and disagreed, keeping men in the pulpit for only a few months at a time. Several were not orthodox enough, and one was satisfactory until they discovered that he was preaching other minis- ters' sermons.
Finally a clergyman, Rev. Simeon Stoddard, was found who suited, but still caution prevailed. He was offered a salary of &50 a year for the first three years, ££55 for the fourth year, and £60 for the fifth. The only further increase to be made was the addition of £3 for each £1000 gained in the tax list of the parish. Rev. Stoddard remained as pastor for nearly, seven years, and, we presume, attained the £60 salary. Like his predecessors, he was not always able to collect it, and died "in harness" with both money and provisions owed him by the church.
The next minister, Rev. Elijah Mason, asked for and was promised a salary of £60 yearly. He too, however, found it hard to make ends meet when supplies were not delivered to his door and funds put into his hands. At his death a local young man, Robert Silliman, was approached as to his inclination to preach in Chester. He had had several years of preaching in other towns, was a level-headed person, and requested a salary of £66, as usual one third in cash, the remainder in provision. In addition to being a persuasive preacher he was also a good business man, for he furnished receipts for his year's salary, with itemized accounts of money and produce received together with a list of the donors of each and the dates on which he received their contributions. It is
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amusing to note how soon after the close of each year his itemized receipts are recorded in his own handwriting in the old records.
The War of Rebellion led Rev. Silliman to request an increase in his salary to £70 because of "the Extraordinary rise of the price of Every necessary of Life". After several meetings to discuss the matter the raise was approved, yet it is interesting to note that in the records for the next year is found the first mention of unpaid salary. The following year a meeting voted to rescind the increase previously, granted. Since the poor man hadn't received the greater part of his salary it must have distressed many of the townspeople, for he was beloved by all. When, in the following year, they made a special effort to raise the money and furnish the produce, they voted to ask Rev. Silliman if he would accept ££66 for the amount still in arrears for the past year. He replied "Considering the Distress of the present times [this] is Cheerfully Accepted By me". He never received his back salary, however, for he died within the month.
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