USA > Connecticut > New London County > Groton > Groton, Conn. 1705-1905 > Part 16
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"Resolved -- That we are fully satisfied with the reg- ularity of the proceedings and do heartily rejoice in the union of heart which has now found expression in this external union and we do most cordially extend to this church the fellowship formerly enjoyed by said churches."
Rev. A. C. Bronson, E. A. Hewitt and J. E. Wood, a com- mittee appointed to arrange for the recognition service, recommended that Rev. C. S. Weaver offer the recognition prayer and Rev. Samuel Graves of Norwich preach the sermon. This programme was carried out in the evening and the next day at the session of the Stonington Union Association the church was welcomed into the fellowship of that body. From the annual letter of the church we find that the number of members of the United church was 538.
The building was completed in the early fall and on October 9 was dedicated with appropriate services. The following programme was carried out :
1. Voluntary by the choir: "Wake the Song of Jubilee."
2. Invocation by Rev. C. S. Weaver of Noank.
3. Singing-hymn read by Rev. Ira R. Steward of New York.
* Mystic Pioneer, June 21, 1862.
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4. Reading Ps. CXXII and CXXXII by Rev. S. B. Grant, D. D., of New London.
5. Prayer by Rev. J. R. Baumes of New London.
6. Singing-hymn read by Rev. E. Denison.
7. Sermon by Rev. Henry G. Weston, D. D., of New York. Text Luke XXIII, 33.
8. Dedicatory prayer by the pastor, Rev. A. C. Bronson.
9. Anthem by the choir, "Lift up your Heads, ye Everlasting Gates."
10. Benediction by Rev. Alfred Gates of Lebanon.
The day was perfect, the attendance was large and the church manual says: "It was a great day in Israel." The church edifice was said to be the finest in New London County, and in all its equipment ministered to the comfort of the church and congregation. Its ample vestry housed a Sunday school of 50 teachers and officers and 300 scholars, and its commodious audience room with galleries on three sides comfortably seated the large Sunday congregations.
The church almost from the beginning was blessed with revivals. In the spring of 1863 forty were added to its membership by baptism. This year the church was called upon to mourn the death of Horatio Nelson Fish, for many years a deacon in the Third church, and also of Mrs. Wait- still Fitch, its oldest member. She was baptized in 1787 and had been a member for seventy-six years. On Feb- ruary 6, 1865, the church began a thorough revision of its list of members, with the result that its letter to the Ston- ington Union Association reports their number as 504.
On June 11 occurred the one-hundredth anniversary of the Second church and the pastor preached a historical sermon on the occasion. "Mr. Bronson's sermon* was replete with historical incidents and will probably be pub- lished. (No trace of the sermon can be found .-- C. R. S.) The evening of the Sabbath was given to an account of the long revival of 1809 and to reminiscences of 'Quash,' an eminent colored servant of Christ and a member of the old church, who was converted while a slave, manumitted through Elder Silas Burrows's efforts, a pillar in God's house, and well reputed in all the churches. Quash died in
* Mystic Pioneer, June 17, 1865.
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1830. This centennial, though conducted in a quiet way, has been a memorable occasion and will be productive of good."
November 7, 1865, the "Ministers' Meeting" was held with this church and by request was protracted for a day or two. This was the beginning of a revival that lasted for two and a half years. Eighteen were baptized in December, twenty more in 1866 and, the interest continuing, Rev. Isaac Westcott, D. D., of New York was invited as an evangelist to conduct a protracted meeting-the result of which was an addition to the church by baptism of sixty-six in 1867. This revival occurring in the winter led to the installation of a baptistry in the house of worship.
June 12, 1867, the Connecticut Baptist State Convention met with this church. The next month the great increase in membership led the church to take steps to enlarge the meeting house and a committee consisting of Deacon Wil- liam H. Potter and Brethren John Gallup, William Clift, Benjamin Burrows, Jr., Isaac W. Denison and Pierre E. Rowland, was chosen, which committee spent a year in preparation and in July 1868 work was commenced on an addition of twenty feet to the west end of the building, providing thirty-six additional pews in the audience room and two large rooms in the vestry.
This addition covered the spring which for many years had furnished an unfailing water supply to the neighbor- hood, especially to the pupils in two adjoining schools. The house was reopened for worship Dec. 20, 1868, Rev. Dr. Westcott preaching the dedicatory sermon from the text Ps. XXVII, 4: "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple."
The revival which began in 1865 had continued until in February 1868 Rev. John D. Potter, an evangelist, was called to conduct a few days' union series of meetings. The interest awakened was followed with union and separate meetings until, March 7, Doctor Westcott was again called
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to labor with the church. As a result, fifty were added to the church by baptism.
April 1, 1869, Rev. Mr. Bronson resigned the pastorate, preaching his farewell sermon on the last Sunday in May from the text Phil. I, 27: "Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ; that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel." Mr. Bronson's ministry ex- tended over a period of twelve years, during which time he had seen the two churches happily united, had baptized about 240 into membership and left them a strong, united church.
The pulpit was supplied by various ministers during the summer and fall. A call was extended to Rev. W. E. Stanton but was declined on account of his health. Novem- ber 28, 1869, a unanimous call was extended to Rev. George L. Hunt. He accepted December 10, and entered upon his pastorate January 1, 1870. His first sermon was from the text in Acts X, 29: "Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for; I ask, therefore, for what intent you have sent for me?" The opening of the pastorate was very auspicious.
We quote from the church manual published in the sum- mer of 1870: "At the annual business meeting January 8 (1870) the gratifying report was made to the church that a balance hitherto unpaid of the cost of uniting the two houses in 1861, together with other debts amounting in all to $3600, and the cost of enlarging the house in 1868 amounting to $3700 additional, had all been cancelled."
Everything pointed to a successful pastorate. In Feb- ruary 1871 a marked revival took place and more than thirty were baptized. Again the next winter the dis- tinguished evangelist Dr. A. B. Earle conducted a union evangelistic service in Central Hall from which a number of converts were received, the number of additions to the church during the year reported to the association in June being thirteen. In February 1876 Rev. Edward W. Whit-
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tier conducted union meetings which resulted in further additions. A week's labor of Rev. H. G. DeWitt at the opening of 1878 resulted in the addition of twenty-six youths from the Sunday school, shortly followed by the addition of six heads of families. As the fruits of a revival in Quiambaug the next year more than thirty were bap- tized. In 1880 Dr. Hunt celebrated his tenth anniversary and in his sermon gave the following statistics :
Sermons preached, 780. Devotional meetings attended, 1804. Marriages, 101. Funerals, 213. Membership in 1870, 590. Baptisms, 233. Deaths, 100. Membership in 1880, 719.
During the last year of Dr. Hunt's pastorate extensive alterations were made to the interior of the church. The organ and choir were removed from the front of the church and placed in the rear of the pulpit and the walls were re- decorated. But the sun which rose in splendor set in a cloud and January 6, 1881, Dr. Hunt resigned, leaving the church in a badly demoralized condition.
Supplies cared for the pulpit until October, when Rev. Charles H. Rowe of Cambridgeport, Mass., assumed the pastorate. In the church letter to the Stonington Union Association in June 1882 mention is made of the baptism of seventeen Sunday school scholars. After an uneventful pastorate, Mr. Rowe resigned Jan. 7, 1884, the resignation to take effect April 1.
He was succeeded by Rev. George H. Miner, who com- menced his labors in June. Though the number of members was not increased during his pastorate of nine years, the church was greatly strengthened both spiritually and materially. The benevolent contributions were more than doubled and the spirit of fellowship greatly improved. In 1886 three additional deacons were chosen, Robert P. Wilbur, J. Alden Rathbun and John O. Fish, the latter of whom served the church as clerk for more than twenty years.
In 1890 Mr. Miner tendered his resignation, to take effect at the close of the sixth year of his pastorate in June. At
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the urgent solicitation of the board of trustees he extended the term of his pastorate until June 1893, at which time he insisted upon the acceptance of his resignation, and it was regretfully accepted. Rev. Archibald Wheaton of New York accepted the call of the church and commenced his labors Sept. 3, 1893. Soon after his settlement the week of prayer was followed by two weeks labor of Evangelist Drew C. Wyman, which resulted in seventy-eight additions, and two years later the evangelistic services of Drs. Barron and Wharton brought ninety-three additions, eighty-three of which came by baptism.
January 1, 1897, the church changed the method of church support from renting pews to voluntary contribu- tions: Three more deacons were appointed this year, John Green Packer, Elias F. Wilcox and Louis P. Allyn. ' Licenses to preach were granted to John K. Bucklyn and Frank C. Lamb. Mr. Wheaton resigned after a successful pastorate of seven years and was followed by Rev. Byron U. Hatfield, who accepted the call of the church in December 1900.
In the letter to the association in June 1901 mention is made of the receipt of a gift to the church from the estate of the late Stephen Woodward of the sum of $8700, from which was paid the next year the expense of altering the interior of the church, building a new choir gallery, in- stalling a new organ, repainting the house and redecorating the walls. A bronze tablet was placed upon the wall in honor of the memory of Brother Woodward. Blind from early childhood, he was for more than fifty years one of the most faithful members of the church. Always regular in his attendance upon its services, for many years he led the singing in the evening meetings, and the key in which he pitched the tune was a good indication of the interest in the meeting. Mr. Hatfield resigned Feb. 7, 1904, and in July 1904 Rev. Welcome E. Bates entered upon the pastorate.
CHAPTER X
OTHER CHURCHES
T HE SECOND Congregational Church or North Parish was formed in North Stonington (now Ledyard) in 1726. From an unpublished manuscript by Rev. Frederick Denison we get the following facts :
"The initial steps to its formation and the element of opposition in the South Parish to the movement are certified by the town records :
"'At a town meeting held in Groton May 5, 1725. Voated -- That Deacon James Morgan and Lieut James Avery (the present deputy) are chosen agents for the town to answer the petition that is to be proposed to the General Assembly by the North part of the town to be a Society by themselves.'
"The church and parish being virtually established, though not yet sanctioned by law, were supplied with preaching for a few weeks by Mr. Samuel Seabury. Mr. Seabury was a native of Groton, born July 8, 1706. He preached here only ten weeks, four Sundays at Captain John Morgan's, four at William Morgan's and two at Ralph Stoddard's, when to the surprise of the people, he declared himself an Episcopalian. The North Parish settled no min- ister until 1729, when we find these records:
"'In Society meeting August 28, 1729, Voted -- To call Mr. Ebenezer Punderson to be our gospel preaching min- ister and to offer him a settlement of £400 to be paid in two years and a standing salary of £100.'
"'At a session of the General Assembly in New Haven, October 9, 1729. This Assembly grants leave to the inhab- itants of the North Society in the town of Groton to embody into church estate, they first obtaining consent of their neighboring churches.'
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"Mr. Punderson received ordination in the new meeting house, yet unfinished but temporarily fitted for the occasion, December 29, 1729. His ministry proceeded acceptably till January 1733-4, when he announced himself to his parishioners as a 'conformist to the Episcopal Church of England.' Thus the parish was a second time filled with astonishment and regret. Expostulation and arguments were unavailing. His relation to the parish was dissolved by a council, February 5 of this year. Of Mr. Punderson as an Episcopalian we shall have occasion to speak here- after. The church, somewhat disheartened by the defec- tion of two ministers in succession, and not being strong in itself, remained for two years without a minister. They then called Mr. Andrew Croswell and ordained him Octo- ber 14, 1736. Distrusting the stability of men, they added a proviso to their agreement with Mr. Croswell. They offered him a settlement of two-hundred pounds per annum for the first two years and one-hundred and ten pounds per annum afterwards, but 'in case he should withdraw from the established religion of this government to any other persuasion, he shall return two hundred pounds to the so- ciety.'
"Mr. Croswell was orthodox and faithful, and, being of deep piety and an ardent natural temperament, he was ready for every good work. When the great revival broke out in 1710 and 1741, he with his good brother Owen of the South society embraced the work with a true heart. Being gifted with his pen as well as with his tongue he wrote vigorously in defence of Whitefield and even of Davenport with all of his extremes. Nor was he ever con- tent to preach in his own parish simply-he went into various parts preaching the acceptable year of the Lord.
"In 1742 we find him in different towns in Massachusetts doing a good work, though the standing order charged him with 'irregular zeal.' Desiring a more ample and promising field of labor Mr. Croswell concluded in 1746 to resign his charge. The manner in which he was dismissed was simple and very fraternal. Having made known his desire to the
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society, they 'Voted, August 21, 1746-Whereas Mr. Cros- well is determined to leave this society he thinking himself called of God to do so, which thing we don't approve of, yet we shall not oppose him therein, but leave him to his own choice.' Mr. Croswell then entered his resignation in these words : 'Groton August 21. Whereas I, the subscriber, once took charge of the Society in North Groton, and they having left it to my choice to go away if I saw fit, and felt myself called so to do, I now resign my pastoral office over them, wishing them the best of heavenly blessings and that the Most High God, if he pleases, would give them a pastor according to their own heart. Andrew Croswell.'
"It was not however till April 1748 that the society for- mally voted that Mr. Croswell was dismissed, so reluctant were they in parting with him. He afterwards accepted the pastorate of the Eleventh Congregational Church in Boston, where he was installed October 1748 and where he labored till his death, April 12, 1785, aged seventy-six."
The third settled minister of this parish was Jacob Johnson, who was ordained in 1749 and remained with this church twenty-three years, closing his ministry in 1772,* after which time the church remained destitute until 1810. Its history from that time until the division of the town
* Mills and ferries having been provided with true Pilgrim zeal, attention was immediately turned to the subject of a gospel min- istry and the establishment of schools.
"At a town meeting December 11, 1772, Captain Stephen Fuller was appointed moderator. Voted, To give and grant unto the Rev. Jacob Johnson, and his heirs and assigns forever in case he settle in this town as a gospel minister, fifty acres of land &c."
In August following, feeling themselves more able, a more liberal (for the time it was munificent) provision was made.
At a town meeting held at Wilkesbarre Aug. 23, 1773, Mr. Jacob Sill was chosen moderator, Joseph Sluman clerk. "Voted-That a call or invitation shall be given to the Rev. Jacob Johnson, late of Groton in the colony of Connecticut, who for some time past has been preaching in this place, to continue with us as our gospel minister. 2d. That Mr. Johnson shall be paid sixty pounds the year ensuing, as the present list, and his salary shall rise annually, as our list rises till it amounts to one hundred pounds etc. (Con- necticut currency 6 shillings to the dollar or $333.1-3)."
In laying out the town originally, two lots containing about four- hundred acres of back lands had been set off for the first settled minister, and for schools. One of those lots and the fifty acres
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in 1836 is thus given by its pastor, Rev. Timothy Tuttle :*
"This society, when I came to it, had been without a settled pastor for thirty-nine years. It had truly become a waste place. No organized church was here. No member of the former church was known to be living, though there were some who had been members of Elder Allyn's church, left to be scattered as sheep without a shepherd. Two of them were among the five that were formed into a new church; a few others of them united with us afterwards. This church was formed December 12, 1810, and, as you have been told, with but one male member, Robert Allyn, Esq., a very worthy man and well established in the truth. But he died before another man was added.
"I first came an entire stranger to this place in April 1810 and often have I thought of the dealings of Provi- dence which led me here, but more especially of the circum- stances which caused me to remain. One thing which caused me to remain was the kindness with which I was treated both here and in Groton, and among my friends in
above mentioned, together with a town lot of four acres, will show the liberal provision made for gospel purposes. Mr. Johnson, a Presbyterian clergyman, was a graduate of Yale College and was the grandfather of Ovid F. Johnson, Esq., the present (1842) Attorney General of Pennsylvania.
The Rev. Mr. Johnson now returned (1781) with his family from their exile to Connecticut, having been compelled to fly after the massacre in 1778. Glowing with ardour for religion, liberty and the Connecticut claim, the return was welcomed by his flock and indeed by the whole settlement, with cordial congratulations. Sunday the 17th (June) he preached and thenceforward 'in season and out of season' he went from place to place awakening sinners to repentance, arousing the people to new efforts and exhorting them by all means to adhere to and support their righteous claim to their lands. But the cup of joy in coming to his devoted people was almost immediately dashed from his lips by the death of Mrs. Butler, his daughter, consort of Colonel Z. Butler. She died on the 26th of June (1788).
It is worthy of note that the Rev. Jacob Johnson, already known to the reader, could not or would not suppress the ebullition of h.s Yankee and patriotic ire at the course of proceedings. He made the pulpit echo with his soul-stirring appeals. So open were the denunciations of the pious old man that he was arrested, called before Mckean and obliged to find security for his peaceable behaviour."-History of Wyoming, pp. 143, 296, 438.
Sermon preached by Timothy Tuttle, on August 14, 1851, the fortieth anniversary of his ordination.
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both places that kindness has been continued. I was not willing to break away from an attachment thus manifested and to leave the few sheep in the wilderness without a shep- herd, though I often thought in the course of my ministry that I must leave. On the 14th of August, 1811, just forty years ago, I was ordained, and installed the pastor of this church-not, indeed, upon this spot of ground, but in that old forsaken sanctuary the remains of which are still to be seen in Groton; and until the 2nd day of April, 1834, that church as well as this was under my pastoral care. Since that time, as you know, my labors have been confined to this church and congregation exclusively.
"Now, brethren, let us look back upon the way in which we have traveled together. Since our connection was first formed many changes have occurred. "The fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever?' Not only the fathers and the mothers but many of the children, too, are gone into the land of silence. In some families I have buried persons of three, in one four and in one five generations; and in some I have married not only the parents but the children. Now two-thirds at least, perhaps three-fourths, of those who compose this congregation have been born since I came to this place. Many, especially the young and enterprising, go from us to other places, and they do so, not because they cannot obtain a comfortable subsistence here (for this they can do) but because they can do better, at least they think they can, elsewhere. From the fact that other places are more inviting in regard to a temporal welfare, the probability is that here there will not be very soon any great increase of the congregation."
The following account of the ordination of Mr. Tuttle is of interest :
"At an Ecclesiastical Council convened by letters missive at the house of Captain Elijah Bailey in Groton, on the 13th day of August A. D. 1811, for the purpose of setting apart Mr. Timothy Tuttle to the work of the ministry of the Gospel, over the Congregational churches in said town. Present The Rev. Messrs. Jonathan Murdock, Bozrah, Jo-
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seph Vail, Hadlyme, Samuel Nott, Franklin, Walter King, Norwich, Abisha Alden, Montville, David Smith, Durham, Ira Hart, Stonington, Abel McEwen, New London, Horatio Waldo, Griswold.
Delegates, Messrs. Asa Woodworth from the Church of Christ in Bozrah; Mundator Tracy, 1st Church of Christ in Norwich; Ithamar Harvey, Hadlyme, Azariah Huntington, Franklin, Nathaniel Otis, Montville, Dan Parmelee, Dur- ham, Thomas Miner, Stonington, Jedediah Huntington, New London, Andrew Huntington, 2nd Church of Christ in Preston.
Dr. Strong was chosen Moderator and Dr. McEwen Scribe. The council was opened with prayer by the Moder- ator. Adjourned until 2 o'clock P. M. Met according to adjournment. The Council requested and received from Mr. Tuttle and from the committees of the 1st and 2nd churches in Groton, their call to him to settle with them in the work of the ministry of the Gospel, and his answer, also the votes of the two societies relative to their mutual agreement con- cerning his support and the division of his labors between them.
Whereas, This Council having received information that the church in the 2d society of Groton contains but one male member and six females, and the question whether this be a regular church prepared to enter into a pastoral relation with a minister of the Gospel having been referred to this Council.
Voted-as the opinion of this Council that a church of Christ actually exists in the 2d society in Groton and is hereby recognized as such.
Having examined the standing of Mr. Tuttle in the Christian church, his license to preach the Gospel and his attainments in the knowledge of natural theology and of revealed religion, both doctrinal and experimental, the Council voted their unanimous approval of his qualifications for the ministry of the Gospel.
Voted-That the Council proceed to ordain Mr. Tuttle tomorrow at half an hour past 10 A. M.
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The several parts in the solemnities of the ordination were assigned in the following manner :
The Introductory Prayer to the Rev. Mr. King.
The Sermon to the Rev. Mr. Smith.
The Consecrating Prayer to the Rev. Mr. Murdock, who together with the Moderator and Messrs. Vail and Smith were to Impose Hands.
The Charge to the Pastor to the Moderator.
The Charge to the People to Rev. Mr. Vail.
The Presentation of the Right Hand of Fellowship to the Rev. Mr. Hart and the Concluding Prayer to the Rev. Mr. Nott.
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