USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newburyport > Genealogical address : giving a brief history of the parishioners and founders of the Federal street church, from 1745-6 to 1862, with the names of their descendants, now parishioners, delivered before the Ladies' and gentlemen's association of the parish, May 29, 1862 > Part 1
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5
GENEALOGICAL ADDRESS,
GIVING A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE
PARISHIONERS AND FOUNDERS
OF THE
FEDERAL STREET CIIURCII,
FROM 1715-6 TO 1=62,
WITH THE
NAMES OF THEIR DESCENDANTS, NOW PARISHIONERS,
DELIVERED BEFORE THE
LADIES' AND GENTLEMEN'S ASSOCIATION OF THE PARISH,
MAY 20, 1502.
BY MOODY D. COOK. OF NEWBURYPORT.
PUBLISHED FOR SUBSCRIBERS.
NEWBURYPORT: WILLIAM IL. HURE & CO., PRINTERS, 12 STATE STRENI.
162/20 108
INTRODUCTION.
The following Address was written, and delivered before an Association of the First Presbyterian Parish, without any design of literary display, but simply to pass an hour socially in review of the past. It was not contemplited by the author that a copy would be solicited for the press; ant under these circumstances he trusts that the reader will look with candor upon any errors that may occur.
The names of individuals are not placed alphabetically, but in the Line of seniority ; and it was necessary, in delivering the address, to abridge the history of individuals.
The names of the descendants of the oll puishioners are given who belong to the pari-h, anl no others ; there miy le omissions, but they are not intentional, as il was the design of the author to give a true history, irrespective of individual standing and character.
Tut Arruor.
ADDRESS.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN :-
Que of the prominent features in the character of mankind, is a desire to become acquainted with the works and character of those who have prece led them on the stage of life. Every place which has had a bearing upon the weal or woc of individuals or communitios, is eagerly visited, and pilgrims-near and remote, wond their way to stand on the spot or obtain relies hallowed by the associations of the past. Hence Plymonth Rock, where our puritan fathers landed, and the various battle-fields in which, in later times, the battles for freedom have been fought and won, have become the theme of poets and orators, and hou- hold words in every family. We revere the places and people of the past, and this characteristic is developed among all people, civil- ized and barbarous. The Israelite, on whatever spot of earth he makes an habitation, is homeless, for far off in the land of Palestine are the graves of his fathers; every mountain, every valley is sacred in his memory ; every breeze waft to his cars the songs of Judea's daughters. Jerusalem, the Holy City, once the Jews' pride and glory, is inhabited by strangers. The Tem- ple, from whose dome onee wave I the symbol of their nationality, has given way for the Mosque of Omar, from whence float the er zcent of the Mu zulman, and all along the valleys and up to the mountain's summit, is borne upon the air the wail of desolate 01 - for the loss of their father-land. And yet ages have inter- vened since the light of their glory went out. So of the
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aborigines of our own country : the rivers upon which their fathers glided their frail canoe ; the hill-tops where their council fires gleamed along the sky ; the valleys where they sounded the war-whoops or smoked the calumut of peace ; the forests where they hunted the wild beasts ; the margins of the rivers where they pitched their tents ; the water-falls, all and every thing around, is sacred in their memories, because their ancestors once inhabited this land now lost to them.
All around the circumference of the earth rise monumental shrines, emblems of past greatness, transmitting to future ages the character of those who have preceded them. Every country has a Thermopyla, every land heralds forth the achievements of their ancestry. So we, possessing the same feeling in kind, though not in degree, have assembled this evening to converse of the past, of our ancestors and their descendants, of those who reared this temple, and of those who in later times have wor- shipped here. Unlike the Jewish temple it remains and points its shaft to the skies, and its portals are still open for the de- scendants of its founders and all others who from choice would draw water from this spiritual fountain. True, the hand of the artizan has changed its ancient appearance, so that the early pro- prietors, were they permitted to visit it, would fail to recognize the work of their hands. Yet the music of the same bell still floats on the air, calling hither the worshippers, that sent forth its notes in their day.
With these preliminary remarks, by way of introduction, I will introduce to your notice the subject which has called us together this evening. I shall, in the first place, notice the organization of the church ; secondly, the erection of the build- ing and its interior, and some other matters connected with it ; thirdly, give a history of those who worshipped here in a genea- logical view. I design in this connection to make two classes : the first to embrace all the parishioners who have left descend- ants who are now parishioners, from the earliest gathering up to the year 1800 ; and the second class to 1830.
This church was organized in 1745-6; the founders usually worshipped at the First Church, now the Rev. Mr. Thurston's. The tenets of the church were Armenianism-so called by those who seceded from the church ; they were instigated in their ac-
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tion by Whitefield and others. In articles of faith they adopted the Calvinistie doctrine as the safer to insure to them fature re- wards ; they were called new lights, because their cree I was in opposition to that inculcated by the previous system,-hence the separation. They did not depart in peace, however. They were called upon to pay their proportionate part of the expense in- curred by the First Parish ; and it became so grievous, after try- ing all the means in their power to throw off the bardon, they finally addressed a letter to the King, setting forth their difficul- ties and asking for relief. The letter is as follows :
COPY OF AN ORIGINAL LETTER TO THE KING.
"To the King's most excellent Majesty in council, the petition of the subscribers, being inhabitants of the town of Newbury. in your Majesty's Province of Massachusetts, in Newengland, hum bly showeth
That your petitioners, Loyal, and dutiful subjects to your Ma je-ty, who for the most part are heads of families, and conve- niently situated to attend the public worship of Almighty GOD where they reside, which is the said town of Newbury, and have provided themselves with a minister, to their satisfaction, and maintain him at their own expense.
That your petitioners, being of the profession of those called Presbyterians, do differ in form of church discipline, and divers other respects, of a religious nature, from their brethren of the Congregational or Independent profession, and have seperated from them.
That as inhabitants of said Province your petitioners humbly apprehend they are by Charter, indulged in equal Liberty of conscience, in worshipping God, according to the dictates there- of, in common with others, their fellow subjects, without con- troul, provided the same be not injurious to their neighbors, or dangerous to the State.
That not withstanding the previlege granted by the said Char. ter, there are some laws of said Province, by which, not only a Provincial establishment is asserted, but all in every Parish by asses ment, arc taxed toward the maintenance of their Ministers or Minister of each respective Parish, settled by said majority of the respective Pari hiovers, and are thereby constrained to pay
S
to the support of such ministers, on whose ministry they cannot in conscience attend. That particularly your petitioners are by assessment, of the parishes they dwell in taxed toward the main- tenance of the ministers thereof, although dissenters, and for non- payment of such taxes, which they conscientiously scruple, are liable to severe persecutions, and some already honest and peac- able men, have been hauled to prison, and others daily in fear of the same, by the magistrates of the town, to the great hurt and damage of themselves and family, and if not timely prevented, will probably be attended with yet greater inconveniences. That your petitioners humbly apprehend it unreasonable, and in- convenient with equity, and justice, that they who are dissent- ers, by their profession, and by the laws of Great Britain, are allowed the exercise of their consciences, in public worship, obliged by the taxation act, should notwithstanding be liable to suffer. for their conscientious scruples, by the prosecution of their brethren, who also profess themselves dissenters from the public services of the church of England.
That your petitioners did, or divers of them did in the year past. lay these their grievances in a petition respectively before the legislature, of said province, but without relief, their petition being rejected.
Whereupon your petitioners most humbly pray that your Ma- jesty, would be graciously pleased to compassionate their suffer- ing case, (and it may be their fellow sufferers in said Province), which is for conscience sake, and in your great wisdom, to grant your petitioners such relief, in the premises, as to your Majesty shall seem meet.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
Newbury in Newengland, The tenth day of February, 1749.
Signed,
JONATHAN GREENLEAF, RALPH CROSS, and others.
You will perceive that this letter was written four years after they had formed a church organization ; and by this means, and others, they secured an exemption from further taxation in that parish.
The church they erected was located on Norfolk street. now High, a short distance, southerly, from the head of Federal. The founders of the church were Meses. Charles Pierce, Benjamin Pierre, Jonathan Plumer, Moves Bradstreet. Daniel Noyes, Dan- id Goodwin, Edward Prieshey, Major Goodwin, Sylvan us Plan- er. John Brown. Thomas Pike, Samuel Hale, Richard Hale, Don- il Wells, Cutting Pettengill, Benjamin Knight, Joseph Hidden, William Brown, Nathaniel Atkinson. - mineteen in number. They received early accessions to their number, increasing to such an extent that the little building became too small for them, and means were devised to build the present building on Federal stront. The first house was a small building, and withal a plain one, built at a trifling expense : consequently it became in a few years dilapid ited. for in eleven years from the first organization of the society they had built the present one ; and they mn. t have gained lang is in numbers to have built so large a building as this,- the largest church at that time on the continent of Amer- ica. Leaving the former building, we will now introduce you to the present house. The workmen commenced raising it July 5th. 1756, and finished raising it on the 7th, " without," says & biographer, "an oath being heard, or an individual Hurt." The tower, or belfry, was not erected till two years afterwards. While building, call of the workmen, Mr. Samuel Petten gill, cil from the staging to the ground, and was instantly killed.
It will be perhaps interesting to give some information in re- carl to its internal arrangements, previous to its repair in 1920, to those who had never seen it in its original state. The pulpit was placed on the north-east side of the house, more elevated than the prosent one, a sounding-board hung pendant from the wall over the head of the speaker, for the purpose, it was stated, of giving more volume to the voice: at the head of the pulpit stairs, in a recess, was a seat for the exton, who invariably sat there at evening lectures, whose office it was u e wieks of can- lles while burning,-for within our recollection this was the custom : nothing but tallow candles were used in the churchesat that tine. The house, by the light afforded from camiller, gave a cheerlos appearalice; a sombre hue porvadded the croire durch. Dire ty in front and attached to the pulpit, classe1 from the main floor, was a space fet apart for the EMers; in
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front of this were the Deacons' Seats,-and those officers occur- pied those seats. In the gallery, fronting the pulpit, were what were called the singing men and singing women's seats ; the mu- sicians consisted of one who played on the violin, another on the bassoon, a third on the base viol aud clarinet. At the earliest period, however, congregational singing prevailed,-the deacon leading off by reading a line or verse. On the north-west and south-east galleries were some six or eight consecutive slips, and even below, there were several on the broad aisle, designed for free seats. In the west corner a large pew was situated, board- ed up on each side, the front of the same, or as much as was ne- cessary to enable the occupants to see the speaker, was opened. This pew was designed for and occupied by the colored members of the society. The entrances to the galleries were on the north-west and south-east sides, directly over the pulpit as it now stands, and in rear of the organ. In the gallery, near the choir, was a pew occupied by the children of the Asylum, so called, an association of ladies whose charities were bestowed upon fe- male orphans. A noble institution then, but latterly has become extinct, or nearly so.
In the galleries were placed the wardens, who were a terror to the boys,-who, whatever their situation in life, would feel the effects of the warden's pole on their person, if their conduct did not correspond with the requirements of the Fathers of the church. The inside of the building has been reduced in length, as you will perceive ; when you enter on the north-west end, the entrance to the main floor was on School street, and as now, on both ends the pews might be termed square boxes, somewhat high, and ornamented by short pales or rounds, which caused some considerable noise, when by design or accident they were moved. The seats were lifted, (being hung with hinges) when the congregation arose for prayers, and this action was the cause of much disturbance, so much so that a printed request was finally attached to cach scat, bearing this inscription : "Per- sons are requested to lift their seats and let them down without noise." There were no stoves in the churches till a late period ; generally every family would have in their pews one or more foot stoves, so called, to obtain a little warmth from them. This custom was attended with disadvantages, for they were being
11
passed from one member of the family to the other during ser- vice, thereby causing a constant motion all over the house. We remember perfectly well the effect of the cold upon us in the winter season. In the thoughtlessness of youth we imagine l our mortal part was more in danger of becoming frigid than the immortal of being lost. At length stoves were introduced. The vote of the parish in regard to stoves, is as follows : " Dec. 29, 1819. Voted $100 to provide stove or stoves to warm the house." The subject of stoves was a matter to be taken under serious consideration, because it was an innovation upon a cus- tom which had from the earliest time existed. Besides there were many in the society who opposed this departure from the habits of the fathers, and they must be conciliated. I remember perfectly well, and many I doubt not of my audience remember, when they were first put up ; there was a large gathering to look upon them, and various remarks were made for and against their use. They were not heated the first Sabbath, not being fully prepared. But one of the opposers was so affected by im- aginary heat, that he fainted and was carried out of the church.
The stoves the society intended to have purchased were ob- tained by Mr. Milton's society. They held their parish meeting one day in advance of this parish, and sent a committee forth- with to purchase them. This action on the part of that society. created for a season unpleasant feelings ; for I will state that stoves of all descriptions were not, as now, in abundance. Fi- nally, the society procured two plain ones ; they were situated on the broad aisle, the pipe extending from the one near the pul- pit along the northeast side under the gallery, and then at the corner turning and running along the south-east side, it found an outlet from the window ; the other, from the stove near the door, took an opposite direction, and thus it may be said the house was encircled by stove pipe.
But a difficulty was experienced at times : the stoves would not draw, the house would be filled with smoke, and refuse matter would gather in the pipe. Various means were adop- ted to clear them ont ; several members suggested that a mom- ber of the feline race be introduced at the end near the stove ; the design wa to let her clear a pas age before her, and at her cgros fion ler Subterranean promenade he would carry before
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her all the impurities which had been collected in the pipe and the same discharged into the street. Be that as it may, chimneys were introduced after a season, placed on the rafters, and the pipe was led up to them.
Before we enter into our second proposition, it will be perhaps interesting to note some two or three individuals who were con- sidered fixtures of the church. I shall not confine myself to par- ticular periods of time in this connection, as the characters I may introduce will be those who were somewhat advanced in life at the present century.
Mr. Ayre preceded Mr. Putnam as sexton, but I can gather nothing of interest concerning Mr. Ayre during his official ca- reer ; enough, however, I learn to show him a worthy man in his department. Dan'l Putnam succeeded Mr. Ayre, and held the office of sexton for a long series of years ; till age in a measure destroyed his usefulness. He had in his employ Titus Pickering,a colored man of real Congo hue and shape. Titus, as he was called, was the bell ringer ; he also made all the graves for the dead of the parish, and was an important help in all matters connected with that department. After he had finished the ringing of the bell he would return to the cage,-for it had that appearance-in the corner, to which we have before alluded to. Titus, as many will remember who now hear me, kept the keys of the gate of Common Pasture, and on no consideration would he open the gate until the clock struck six times. Considering his position in society he was respected by the people.
Capt. Nathaniel Stanwood succeed Mr. Putnam. He had been a master mariner, but had by some means been unfortunate in business ; he was an enemy to the boys, and adults, too, if they did not conform to what he conceived to be the right. He had never trodden in collegiate halls or academic bowers, to ob- tain an education, therefore his conversation did not partake of the refinements of the schools, but rather that of a man-of-war's- man. Morose in his disposition, he would blow, as he expressed it, minister and people, and everybody else, up to the moon, if they differed from him in matters of faith. He was the concentrated essence of Calvinism. The longer, and shorter catechism was too liberal to meet his views ; he was not so acceptable to the parish as he might have been, had it not been for these traits of
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character. It was a custom in those days to offer up notes for prayers for going to sea and returning, for sickness, for health, for child birth, &e ; and I have heard it stated, but I will not vonch for the truth of it, that an individual dislocate this jaw, and some of his friends immediately sent for a young physician, or rather an apology for one, now deceased ; upon his arrival he ordered a large supply of burdock leaves, to be applied to the patient's feet, to be renewed every fifteen minutes, to draw it back into position ; and when he left he would call. he sail, in two hours to see what effeet they had. Calling at the appointed honr, he found, as a matter of course, his patient as he left him, and he suggested that a note be offered in church for a blessing upon his efforts. But the age of miracles had passed, and the individual would have remained in that position, burdocks to the contrary notwithstanding, had not another physician been called. who immediately relieved the sufferer. Continnous prayers were offered for one or more persons every Sabbath, as for instance : Hannah Brown (you may consider the name imagi- nary. if you please) desires prayers for being sick and weak ; the next Sabbath for being sick, and the next for apparently drawing near her great and last change : the next Sabbath there would be a little resurrection in her feelings, and the note would read sick and weak. Mr. Stanwood stated that the notes of many of this de-cription were a mockery ; they only offered them, he said, to get the church to maintain them, and then came his u-nal expression, " they ought to be blown up to the moon." How- over, with all his filings he meant right in his actions, and was proverbially an honest man.
Simeon Frazier was one of the wardens. It was deemed ne- cessary in these days to have perfect order in the church, and it would be well to institute some action whereby order coull be had in and around the churches at the present day.
We find by the records. April 29, 1813. Voted, that the stand- ing elmitte, with one or more constables, take one of the box on the Sabbath. One of the committee, on a ertiin sab- Hoff, when one of the parishioners had, through weakness, fillon a-lep. his meal organ being in full exercise, cried out with his net toge of voice. " My friend you Home , long Jannot sleep os-el." Mr. Frazier e tremed it a great honor to hold the po-
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sition of warden ; and many an unlucky boy has felt the effects of the warden's pole on his head. The pole was four feet nine inches in length ; the four feet was painted white, and the nine inches black ; the length was fixed by law,
William P. Lunt succeeded Mr. Frazier. Mr. Lunt was somewhat eccentric. Many of those who now hear me will re- member him and his peculiarities. The position he held had an influence upon him to such an extent that for the time being he was in his own estimation a great man. He wore what was then called small clothes, his hair liberally powdered ; he exci- ted in the boys fear, and in most cases contempt and ridicule; hewas often the victim of misplaced confidence ; and although he filled his pew often with mischievous boys taken from the public scats, so that he could keep them quiet, neverthe- less the pole would often be missing ; by some means or other it had found a passage out of the window,and often when he returned home his family would find divers hieroglyphic characters on the back of his coat, which caused him much annoyance, and the re- sult was, many an innocent boy had to suffer from the effects of Mr. Lunt's anger. Notwithstanding, he was a good citi- zen. and respected in the community.
Before I close this part of my remarks, I would state that the clergy of that day wore very large wigs, as you will notice in an- cient portraits; and in this connection I will relate an anecdote : On one occasion, Mr. Parsons had one of his brethren to assist him part of the day ; during the sermon Mr. Parsons fell asleep, and in that state his wig fell from his head to the floor; it awoke him, and hastily putting it on, he got the back part of the wig on the front of his head ; when he arose to dismiss the meet- ing his ludicrous appearance caused a general laughter all over the house, much to the mortification of the gentleman. No one left the broad aisle in those days, till the minister left the pulpit, and as he walked down the aisle he bowed to cach individual, and they returned the compliment ; after he had passed, they came out of the pews and left the house.
I have reached my third proposition, which was to give a lim- ited history of the early founders and their descendants, from the early organization of the church up to 1800. Among the
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