USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Belchertown > Historical sketch of the Congregational church in Belchertown, Mass. > Part 1
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Gc 974.402 B41d 1136775
M.
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
(Hampshire G.)
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01103 9093
E
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/historicalsketch00dool 0
L. S.Punderson. Sc.
Wells, Ioguerrestype
yours Respectfully Marke Doolittle
HISTORICAL SKETCH
OF THE
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
IN BELCHERTOWN, MASS.,
FROM ITS ORGANIZATION, 114 YEARS,
WITH NOTICES OF
THE PASTORS AND OFFICERS,
AND LIST OF COMMUNICANTS CHRONOLOGICALLY ARRANGED,
TRACING GENEALOGIES, INTERMARRIAGES AND FAMILY RELATIVES. ALSO, EMBRACING NUMEROUS FACTS AND INCIDENTS RELATING TO THE FIRST SETTLERS AND
EARLY HISTORY OF THE PLACE.
BY HON. MARK DOOLITTLE.
"I will remember the work of the Lord: Surely I will remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings." "Thy way O God, is in the Sanctuary : Who is so great & God as our God."
NORTHAMPTON, MASS. PUBLISHED BY HOPKINS, BRIDGMAN & CO.
1852.
Entered according to an Act of Congress, in the year 1852, BY HOPKINS, BRIDGMAN & Co., In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Mass.
H. S. TAYLOR, PRINTER. SPRINGFIELD, MASS.
PREFACE.
1136775 -
IN giving the following pages to the pub- lic through the press, a few introductory re- marks seem to me appropriate. In the un- dertaking and progress of collecting materials comprised in this little volume, the thought of giving them to the public in this way never entered my mind. The labor was begun, in a limited way, many years since, and attend- ed to only when other things did not press, as a paramount claim upon my time, and pursued to gratify my own curiosity, having a desire to learn who, in by-gone days, occu- pied the places we now occupy ; whence they were, and what they were in condition, char- acter and pursuits, in life's short pilgrimage. The more I gathered relating to them the greater was my desire to gather more, and extend it to their whole history, political, civil, religious, and social; and this, from all the sources within my reach, records, writings and orally, carefully preserving all that seem- ed to aid me in attaining my object. Some six years since, in looking over my loose
iv
PREFACE.
sheets, I found them more voluminous than I had supposed, and not a little chaotic. I saw that if they were ever to be of any use to anybody they must be arranged in a more systematic manner. This I did, by giving them the form of connected historical narra- tive. Some of the inhabitants here, knowing that I had such manuscripts, desired me to give them in the form of Lectures, to the peo- ple. This I did during the winter of 1846-7, taking such portions of them as were suited to such a course. After these lectures were closed, desires were repeatedly expressed to me to let them go to the public through the press, or particular parts of them, if the whole could not be given. Such requests were made by those connected with some of the public periodical journals of the day, as well as by others. I declined giving them, imag- ining that if the results of my labors would give interest or edification at any period of time, it could be so only in future years, to those that will live after us; that the present generation would take little or no interest in the matter, more especially, as the settlement in this place was some seventy years later than that in some other towns in the County. Nothing has gone out from them through the
V
PREFACE.
press, except a short extract published in the " Historical and Genealogical Register," the April number, 1848, and that was furnished at the request of Rev. Dr. Coggswell, editor of that journal. A few months since, the Congregational Church in this place, whose history is sketched in these pages, took action on the subject, which appears from their vote in the following extract from the church rec- ords, which has been communicated to me. " It being known that the Hon. Mark Doo- little has at much expense of time and labor been gathering facts respecting the early his- tory of the town, with notices of the first set- tlers, and a sketch of the Congregational Church from its organization to the present time, the publication of which might be de- sirable, the church appointed a committee of seven, including the pastor, to confer with Mr. Doolittle on this subject. The committee, re- ported, that conferring with Mr. Doolittle he expressed a readiness to make any disposal of his work which would meet the wishes of the community, and freely submitted his pa- pers to their inspection. From a partial ex- amination of them, they were satisfied that he had prosecuted his researches with great in- dustry and fidelity, and had prepared a work of much interest and value, and in accord- ance with their recommendation, the church unanimously voted that Mr. Doolittle be re-
vi
PREFACE.
spectfully requested to permit the results of his labors to be given to the public through the press; it being understood, that as the author of the work, he alone is responsible for its statements and contents.
A true copy of the records of the church. Attest, SAM'L WOLCOTT." Belchertown, Oct. 4, 1851.
This request of the Church, " unanimously" expressed, I cheerfully comply with. That portion of my collections contained in this volume relate, to a considerable extent, to the church, and the early religious interests of the place, though not exclusively to these. There is a tribute of respect due to the memory of those who established and sustained the or- dinances of religion here, in the early settle- ment of the place, and we of this day should acknowledge it. In prosecuting my labors, I have found records and writings very few and scanty. I have derived assistance by communications with many individuals, both written and oral; I would express my ac- knowledgments to them for the aid received. To none am I under greater obligations than to SYLVESTER JUDD, EsQ., of Northampton, in permitting me access to his very extensive collection of antique things. In the course of my inquiry, for facts relating to the past, I
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PREFACE.
have been forcibly reminded of the truth of the common remark, that " we live in a day of progress." Truly it is so, and the pro- gress is so rapid that it gives but a moment to witness passing events, and no time to turn a thought to the past. A considerate mind would seem to require some knowledge of the past, that it may the better direct its future movements ; especially so, as we derive'all the materials we can use as directories for the future from the store-house of the past. It is
but by a careful survey of the past that we ob- tain a knowledge of the reality of things- things as they have existed-the truth of his- tory. Truth is all that ever has or ever can benefit men in their existence, or their acts in any thing. There is the same connection be- tween cause and effect now that there ever was. The laws of God's Providence govern- ing the affairs of this world are uniform in their operations, equally so in the moral as in the physical world. The results of the moral influences in the formation of mind and char- acter, are as uniform, and as well established, as any laws governing the movements of the heavenly bodies, or the changing seasons, and can be traced in their effects as surely as rain, sunshine, and genial summer breezes
viii
PREFACE.
can be, in giving life and verdure to the veg- etable kingdom.
A view of the past is both instructing and delightful. Ancient fashions, customs, usages of any sort, are not only objects of curiosity, but furnish substantial assistance to the mind in reasoning from the past to the future. He who would live usefully in the world, to any good purpose, must deal with principles, with facts and with men. There has been no pe- riod of the world's history more richly furnish- ed with all these, and suited to our instruc- tion, than that of the New England Fathers. The single, stern, unyielding puritanic trait that shone conspicuously in their character, regarding the claims of private judgment, the dictates of conscience, and the requirements of God's Laws, in defiance of all arbitrary des- potic power, however marshalled and impos- ing, is to be the touch-stone for testing the moral and religious character of men in all future time, and like the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, destined to fill the whole earth, to achieve the final triumphs of the millennial year.
MARK DOOLITTLE.
Belchertown, Nov., 1851.
1
CO
A
B
INDEX.
-
ALPHABETICAL LIST OF COMMUNICANTS in the Church, and
numbers identifying persons 237 to 249
BELCHERTOWN. Topography .. .13
Equivalent land; Cold Spring; First settlers ; when and whence 16
First Precinct meeting by Legislative authority
84
Town Incorporation. 43
BILLING, REV. EDWARD. First settled minister 18 His ministry, marriage, dismission, sketch of ... 25-30
BRAINERD CHURCH. (See Church).
CATECHUMEN SYSTEM
35-37
CHURCH. First Congregational organized
19
Vote of.
38
Faith of.
38-54
Brainerd organized
68
The two united
70
Alphabetical list of members
237
Chronological list of, with notices
84
CLANCY, REV. JOHN. His call, installation and dismission. .74
COLD SPRING. Township first so called 15
COLEMAN, REV. LYMAN. His call, ordination, marriage, minis-
try, dismission, foreign travels, publications, &c ... 61-66
1
x
INDEX.
COMMUNICANTS in the Church. (See Church).
.84 Chronological list of members
COVENANT. Half way system noticed.
30-37
Controversy relating to it
.28
CURRENCY.
Variation of.
25-26
DEACONS
.80
ENFIELD, Church in organized. (See marginal number 206).
EXPLANATIONS of marginal numbers, &c.
81
FAMILY INSTRUCTION, Religious, &c., its effects
44
FORWARD, REV. JUSTUS. His call, settlement, marriage,
ministry, death; sketch of life, character and
lineage.
38, 54, 56
MRS. FORWARD's death noticed
55
Genealogies of Families, Early Settlers and others.
The John Smith family, (See Appendix A.). .251
" Lyman
B.
253
" Bridgman
C ..
255
" Stebbins
66
D
256
" Towne
E
.258
" Dwight
F
260
" Phelps
G.
263
" Warner
H
264
" Bardwell
I.
266
" Hannum K . 267
" Graves
L
268
" Cowles
M
270
" Henry Smith, Rev.
N
.271
(See marginal numbers (554,) (555), and (565).
0
N
M
6
{
L
Th
INDEX . xi
The Doolittle family, (See Appendix P.). 273
" Filer (See marginal numbers) 380
" Root " 105
" Walker 99
" Montague "
66 1022
LAW, the higher, regarded as obligatory .46
MEETING HOUSE, the first built. 19-27
Second 50
The Brainerd meeting house built
70
MISSIONARY SPIRIT manifested 46
MORTALITY, ratio of. 45
NORTHAMPTON, First Congregational Church in, organized (See marginal number) 105
OVIATT, REV. GEORGE A. His call, ordination over the Brainerd Church and Society .68
His marriage, ministry, installation over the united Church, dismission 70-72
MRS. OVIATT's death noticed .. 73
PASTORS of the Church, periods of their official tenures ....
.78,79
PETITIONS to the General Court. · 17, 27, 46
PORTER, REV. EXPERIENCE. His call, installation, mar- -
riage, dismission, death, sketch of his life and character 56-60
MRS. PORTER's death noticed
59
Also see Appendix N 271
PRECINCT MEETING, the first called in the place by or- der from General Court. See marginal figure (1), John Smith
84
xii
INDEX.
PROPRIETORS, original, of the township 15
RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS, importance of, in the estimation of the early settlers 20
Their vigilance to sustain them 28
Revivals of Religion . 47, 48, 57, 63, 75
REID, REV. JARED. His call, installation, ministry,
dismission, &c. .66
MRS. REID's death noticed 67
REVIVALS OF RELIGION. (See Religion and Religious Institutions.)
REVOLUTION, war of,. 45
French war, (see marginal figures) . 42,87 Also Note B, at the end of the volume, refer- red to from page 29.
SCHOOLS, first in the place. 45
SETTLEMENT, the first in the place 16
SMITH, REV. ETHAN, sketch of. 48
STIPEND connected with ministerial call and settlement .25
WOLCOTT, REV. SAMUEL. His ordination as foreign mission- ary, marriage, travel in foreign lands, death of his wife, return, second marriage, installation and ministry here .75-77
,
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
OF THE
Congregational Church at Belchertown.
·
THE territory, now Belchertown, is situated in the easterly part of the county of Hampshire, Massachusetts, twelve miles easterly of Connecticut river, and fifteen from Northampton, and was never included in any grant made to proprietors of any other township. It was early known and designated as a part of the " equivalent lands," and so known many years before any permanent settlements were made within its limits. This appella- tion was given in consequence of the following histori- cal incidents. The first grant made of lands in Con- necticut by the Plymouth Council to the Earl of War- wick in 1630, and which the Earl soon assigned to Lord Say or Seal, Lord Brook and others, was very indefinite ; the territory conveyed was very imperfectly known. John Mason, as agent for the Colony of Connecticut, in 1661, bought of the Indians all lands which had not been be- fore purchased by particular towns, and made a surrender of them to the Colony. The Colonists then petitioned the crown for a charter confirming their rights to the
2
14
HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF THE
land. In 1662, Charles II. issued his letters patent in compliance with their request, and fixed the boundaries as follows : " All that part of his Majesty's Dominions in New England, in America, bounded east by Narraganset river, commonly called Narraganset Bay, where the river falleth into the sea; and on the north by the line of Massachusetts plantation, and on the south by the sea, and in longitude as the line of the Massachusetts Colony, running from east to west, that is to say, from the said Narraganset Bay on the east to the south sea on the west part, with the Islands thereunto belonging." The north line of this grant, (as well as others) was still undefined ; settlements were beginning in Enfield, Somers, Wood- stock and Suffield, on the line between the two govern- ments ; these towns were supposed to lie within the limits of Massachusetts ; the government of Massachusetts ex- tended its jurisdiction over them, and protected them in the Indian wars. This state of things continued for years, till Indian hostilities had subsided, English settlements multiplied, and lands attained to some value, when it be- came necessary to ascertain the true line between the two governments, with more accuracy than it had been done in the original grants. A survey was had, and it was found that the true line between the two governments was north of these towns; they were within the Connecticut line. In 1648, Enfield was granted by the General Court of Massachusetts to Springfield ; in 1670, a grant was made by the same authority, of the town of Suffield to Maj. John Pyncheon. Lines corresponding with these grants included Somers and Woodstock within Massa- chusetts, and Massachusetts claimed the jurisdiction over them; Connecticut consented to that jurisdiction, upon condition that Massachusetts should grant a jurisdiction
1
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH IN BELCHERTOWN. 15
within its limits to Connecticut, of equal extent, as an equivalent ; such a treaty between the two governments was carried into effect. Ware, Belchertown, and Pelham, comprised the equivalent territory. At that time no grants had been made to any individuals or proprietary within these territories ; they were a part of the public domain. Connecticut continued to hold such jurisdiction within the Massachusetts lines till 1727, when they sold their right to the territory now Belchertown, to seven in- dividuals residing in and near Boston, in six equal divisions ; the first division to Paul Dudley two thirds, and Col. John Wainright one third; second division one sixth to John Caswell ; third division one sixth to Col. Thomas Fitch ; fourth division one sixth to Adington Devenport ; fifth division one sixth to Jonathan Belcher, Esq. ; sixth division one sixth to William Clark's heirs. During the months of October and November of that year, the territory was surveyed, delineated, and plotted on a chart by Col. Timothy Dwight of Northampton. This chart is now in my possession. It is evidently drawn with great accuracy by the hand of a master. Col. Dwight was much employed in his day in surveying and plotting towns in this section of the country. He was the grand- father of Rev. Timothy Dwight, D. D., late President of Yale College. Upon the sale of this territory to these proprietors, the jurisdiction was transferred to Massachu- setts, and the aforesaid towns within the Connecticut lines taken under the Connecticut jurisdiction. The territory now called Belchertown was called Cold Spring. The
lines in Col. Dwight's survey to the above mentioned purchases, contain 27,390 acres. At the time the town was incorporated, in June 1761, by the name of Belcher- town, it included an additional territory on the north, not
16
HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF THE
embraced in Col. Dwight's survey, of about 12,000 acres, a part since incorporated with Enfield. No sooner had these purchasers obtained the Connecticut title to this territory, than an attempt was made to bring forward a settlement; to that time no permanent settlements had been made within its limits. The earlier settlers in the towns on Connecticut river, from Northampton, Hadley and Hatfield, had ranged over these hills and through these valleys for gain; it was a fine hunting ground-game in abundance ; cattle were driven in herds from these places, during the summer season, to browse through these forests; temporary settlements were made for the purpose of boxing the pines, and gathering the turpen- tine, and perhaps for securing a competent supply of candle- wood. An order had passed the town of Northampton in 1699, that no more candle-wood should be collected for use within seven miles of the meeting-house, on forfeiture of the same ; and another order by the same authority in 1700, saying, pine trees were not to be boxed for turpentine within three miles ; these sources of gain must be sought beyond these limits, if sought at all. As a means for bringing forward a settlement here, the Proprietors pro- posed to make gratuitous grants to the settlers in the older towns on the river, of lands, upon condition of re- moval, and permanent settlement upon them. The propo- sals were acceded to, and several families from North- ampton, Hatfield and Hadley removed here in July 1731. The first pioneers were Samuel Bascom, Benjamin Stebbins, and Aaron Lyman, from Northampton, and
John Bardwell and Jonathan Graves, of Hatfield. We
have no local records of their transactions anterior to 1739. From a Petition on the files of the General Court, in the State Archives, dated December 1737, signed by
17
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH IN BELCHERTOWN. 3
the settlers, we learn that settlers were here, and something as to their numbers and names. They say, " they had twenty families, and more expected soon." They pray the General Court to grant them a land tax to aid them, " for they are about settling a minister and build- ing a meeting house." In another Petition presented to the General Court, dated November 1738, the petitioners say, " we have agreed with Mr. Noah Merrick to settle with us in the gospel ministry, and pray for the privileges of a township." Mr. Merrick did not settle here. In January 1739, another petition was presented to the Gen- eral Court, praying for the same privileges. In another petition to the General Court, dated November 1740, the petitioners say, they " are greatly in debt for building a meeting house, outside covered and glazed, and a minister settled ; we are but twenty families, and owe Judge Dud- ley and others over two hundred pounds for lands for our minister's settlement, and to our minister between two and three hundred pounds for salary and settlement. We have sustained preaching five or six years, and have ad- vanced the estates of the proprietors more than our own by settling Cold Spring," and pray for permission to tax non-resident land to aid them. The names appended to these petitions were substantially the same; in addition to the pioneers already named, they were John Smith, Eb- enezer Bridgman, Moses Hannum, Eliakim Phelps, Joseph Bardwell, Nathaniel Dwight, Abner Smith, Joseph Bridg- man, Benjamin Billings, Stephen Crawfoot, Thomas Graves, Joseph King, and Robert Brown. From the Pe- titions above referred to, and from others presented about the same period from the same source, we obtain these facts : that these settlers began to bring forward a per- manent settlement here in July 1731; that between that
2*
18
HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF THE
period and 1736, inclusive, they had increased to twenty families ; that in November 1740, they were but twenty families, and greatly embarrassed with debt ; that they had sustained preaching five or six years with that number and under very severe trials. The first records to be found remaining of the doings here by these settlers, are under date February 1739, and relate to the settlement of the Rev. Edward Billing, the first settled minister in the place. Time or accident has removed a part of the record ; what remains is a part of Mr. Billing's answer to the call of the people to settle with them in the gospel ministry. He says,
"The two hundred acres of land which cost two hundred and - pounds, and one hundred and sixty pounds to be paid in work towards building, at present, and forty pounds more to be paid in eight years, viz. five pounds a year, all which is reckoned as settlement. Af- ter a consideration of the call and invitation which the people of Cold-spring have given me to settle in the min- istry among them, I have, I hope, determined with a sense of my insufficiency for so great a work without di- - vine conduct and assistance, and with a dependence upon the Lord Jesus in that work in this place, and do declare my acceptance of your call. EDWARD BILLING.
Cold Spring, February 22d, 1739.
This answer was made to a precinct meeting held the same date; a vote followed appointing John Smith, Samu- el Bascom, Stephen Crawfoot, Aaron Lyman and Jonathan Graves, a committee to agree with Mr. Billing about the time of ordination, and to send letters to the several churches to require their assistance. No record remains of the precise time of Mr. Billing's ordination, but from
19
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH IN BELCHERTOWN.
sundry entries on the precinct records relating to him, it is pretty certain that he was ordained in April 1739. A church had been organized here previously, but the ex- actness of that date no record tells us when. From sun- dry acts in their precinct meetings, their provisions for a place of public worship, the necessity they felt resting upon them to sustain the ordinances of the gospel, which appears fully in their doings, as well as the traditionary account of the matter, the evidence is quite satisfactory to my own mind that the church was organized in the spring of 1737. No church records are remaining of any thing anterior to February 26th 1756 ; what we have relating to the church, before that date is gathered from other sources.
Connected with the establishment of the church, early in the year of 1737, was brought up the subject of erecting a meeting house ; preparations were made, in 1738 it was raised, covered, and used as a place of worship, though not finished till 1746, and then done in a manner suited to the embarrassed circumstances of the settlement. A prominent principle that seemed to govern all their doings, was to sustain the ordinances of religion, the ministry, and the stated public worship of God. To sustain these institutions was not a question of policy or expediency to be settled as freak or fancy might lead the way. In their estimation, they constituted the moral aliment of their lives, and were indispensable for their prosperity in all things temporal as well as spiritual. By examining the records of the doings of the inhabit- ants of Cold Spring for twenty years, in the precinct meetings, next following 1741, it will be found they had about seventy meetings, under warrants containing over seven hundred distinct articles to be acted upon; more than one half, exclusive of the organizing the meetings,
20
HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF THE
related to their ecclesiastical concerns. A prompt, per- severing and ever wakeful vigilance to sustain the great truths of the Bible, in doctrine and duty, and to give them efficiency in life, was, in their view, the only con- dition on which blessings could be expected. This was not an original thought with them. It was the Puri- tan doctrine, derived from higher than even Puritan authority. It was taught by Patriarchs, Prophets, and Apostles, and holy men in all ages of the world. It took deep root in the hearts of the great Reformers in the 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. It was the spirit-moving power which brought the Fathers of New England here, and sustained them here, in defiance of all opposition. It is this doctrine, in its results, that has given prosperity and success to the land beyond a parallel in the history of the world. I am not aware that the experiment has ever been made by any government in any age of the world, till it was made by the Fathers of New England, to require its subjects, by legal enactments, to sustain re- ligious institutions and the public worship of God, and at the same time extend equal governmental protection and toleration to all classes and religious denominations. In New England the experiment has been made, and has succeeded to a charm. The necessity of supporting the institutions of religion, and toleration to those of all re- ligious sects alike by government, was an article of the faith of the New England Fathers and of the Patriots of the Revolution. The people of this state in the very outset-in the compact on which hang our civil and reli- gious privileges, so far as governmental agency is concern- ed, recorded this article of their Faith. They say, " As the happiness of a people and the good order and preser- vation of civil government, essentially depend on piety,
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