USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Hanover > History and records of the First Congregational church, Hanover, Mass., 1727-1865, and inscriptions from the headstones and tombs in the cemetery at Centre Hanover, Mass., 1727-1894. Being volume I of the church and cemetery records of Hanover, Mass > Part 1
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UCSB LIBRARY X-71208
10 Florina (alla) trave Llersmore Briggs 1921
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2007 with funding from Microsoft Corporation
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FOURTH AND PRESENT MEETING-HOUSE OF THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH IN HANOVER. ERECTED A. D. 1864.
HISTORY AND RECORDS
OF THE
FIRST
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, HANOVER, MASS., 1727-1865,
AND INSCRIPTIONS FROM THE HEADSTONES AND TOMRS IN THE CEMETERY AT
CENTRE HANOVER, MASS.,
1727-1894.
BEING VOLUME I. OF THE CHURCH AND CEMETERY RECORDS OF HANOVER, MASS.
BY
L. VERNON BRIGGS,
AUTHOR OF "HISTORY OF SHIPBUILDING ON NORTH RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS," MEMBER OF THE OLD COLONY COMMISSION (HISTORICAL) BY APPOINTMENT FROM GOV. GREENHALGE IN 1895, MEMBER OF THE NEW ENGLAND IIISTORIC- GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY, AND OF THE BOSTONIAN SOCIETY.
1
BOSTON, MASS .: WALLACE SPOONER, PRINTER, 17 PROVINCE STREET. 1895.
COPYRIGHT BY L. VERNON BRIGGS, 1895.
-
DEDICATED
IN
AFFECTIONATE RESPECT TO
Clifford Ramsdell,
WHO FROM YOUTH
HAS BEEN
EVER A PATIENT, FAITHFUL AND
TRUE FRIEND.
V
vi
PREFACE.
the oldest date is that erected to "Mr. Thos. Ramsdell, A. D. 1727," the same year that the town was incorporated and the church estab- lished here. There were undoubtedly many burials in this cemetery prior to that date, and on the older graves may yet be seen heaps of stones, placed there to keep the wolves and dogs from digging up the bodies. Little is left in these graves. In 1886, when making some improvements in the cemetery with money raised by concerts, I had occasion to have one or more of the old graves opened. A streak of black earth, a tuft of hair, and in one instance a few kernels of parched corn where the stomach ought to be, was all that was found by Mr. Andrew T. Damon, who opened the graves. I am indebted to Mr. Damon for many favors and much kindness during my acquaintance with him, extending over many years. No one now living knows more about the old cemetery than he.
In closing this preface I wish to especially commend this volume to all who have time to make a careful study of it. Many will find much to give them light on the characters who lived in this country town a cen- tury ago, and who had such difficulty in getting the wayward members back to the fold, in keeping the small boy quiet, and in raising enough money to support the minister. They were responsible for the present generations; do we all realize that we are equally responsible for the coming generations.
AUGUST, 1895.
L. VERNON BRIGGS.
CONTENTS.
For Index of Names See End of Volume.
CHAPTER I.
PAGE.
Formation of Church and Biographies of Its Ministers
1-51
CHAPTER II.
"Of the gathering of the church ordination and church meetings "
.
52-69
CHAPTER III.
Admitted to the church - 1728-1864
.
.
70-86
CHAPTER IV.
Marriages Performed by the Pastors of the First Congregational Church - 87-106 1728-1827
CHAPTER V.
Births-1730-1819
107-116
CHAPTER VI.
Baptisms - 1728-1866
. 108-166
CHAPTER VII.
Dismissions, Suspensions and Excommunications from the church as re- corded - 1757-1865 . 167-178
CHAPTER VIII.
Deaths Entered on the Records of the First Congregational Church - 1728-1867 · 179-213
CHAPTER IX.
Inscriptions from the Stones and Tombs in' the Cemetery at Centre Han- over - 1727-1895 · 214-309
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
PAGE.
PRESENT MEETING-HOUSE of the First Congregational Church. From a photograph by L. Vernon Briggs . Frontispiece SAMUEL STETSON HOUSE, where meetings were first held. From a photograph by L. Vernon Briggs 2
PLAN of the parts of Scituate and Abington that were incorporated as Hanover, June 14, 1727. From an original drawing 7
HOUSE occupied by Rev. Samuel Baldwin during his pastorate. From a photograph by L. Vernon Briggs 8
HOUSE occupied by Revs. Mellen, Chaddock, Chapin, Smith, Duncan, during their pastorates. From a photograph by L. Vernon Briggs 14
MAP of Hanover, A. D. 1794. From an original drawing 24
REV. ABEL G. DUNCAN. From a photograph owned by his son 34
PRESENT PARSONAGE, built A. D. 1855, on land purchased of Sam'l Stetson 48
SHIP "Cronstadt." From " History of Shipbuilding on North River " 51
FIRST MEETING-HOUSE. From Barry's " History of Hanover " .
86
SECOND MEETING-HOUSE. From Barry's " History of Hanover" I16
THIRD MEETING-HOUSE. From Barry's "History of Hanover " 166 PORTRAIT of Keoni Kalua 260 STONE ERECTEI) to Mr. Thos. and Mrs. Sarah Ramsdell, 1727-1773. From a photograph by L. Vernon Briggs 273
STONE ERECTED to Dea. Joseph Stockbridge and Mrs. Margaret, his wife, 1732-1773. From a photograph by L. Vernon Briggs · STONE ERECTED to Mr. John Stockbridge, 1768. From a photograph by L. Vernon Briggs . 284
STONE ERECTED to Dea. Joseph and Mrs. Anna Stockbridge, 1783- 1783. From a photograph by L. Vernon Briggs 286
280
STONE ERECTED to David Stockbridge, Esq., 1788. From a photo- graph by L. Vernon Briggs 294
STONE ERECTED to Mr. Lewis White, 1813. From a photograph by L. Vernon Briggs 298
HISTORY OF THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, HANOVER, MASS.
CHAPTER I.
FORMATION OF CHURCH AND BIOGRAPHIES OF ITS MINISTERS.
T' "HE early history of Hanover is identified with that of Scituate, to which town its territory belonged until 1727, excepting only a small portion which was taken from Abington. Therefore the church history, prior to 1727, of the people living in the territory, now known as Hanover, is to be found mainly in the church records of Scituate. This territory was settled in 1649; the part of Scituate lying about the harbor was settled in 1628, thus making Scituate the second settlement in Ply- mouth Colony, though not the second incorporated town.
When the inhabitants of Hanover, then numbering about three hundred souls, decided to petition to be set off a town by themselves, they were met with considerable opposition from the inhabitants of Abington, though the inhabitants of Scituate gave them no trouble. The General Court, receiving the remon - strance, appointed a committee, consisting of Lieut. Gov. Tailor and Elisha Cook, of the Council, and Ezra Bourne, Maj. Tiles- ton, and Edward Arnold, of the House, to view the territory, and they reported in favor of its corporation, although they al- lowed it would
"Put the inhabitants of Abington under some difficulties respecting the supporting the public worship of God, for that several large tracts of land within the town did not pay towards the maintenance of the ministry."
2
REV. DANIEL DWIGHT.
It was decided to call the new town Hanover, probably after the Duke of Hanover, who had lately been called to the English throne, under the title of George I, and as yet the Colonies had seen little to give them cause to be otherwise than loyal to their Island government.
In the act incorporating the town of Hanover, June 14, 1727, it was stipulated as one of the conditions of the grant
"That the inhabitants of the said town of Hanover do within the space of two years from the publication of this act erect and finish a suitable house for the Public Worship of God, and as soon as may be procure and settle a learned Orthodox Minister of good conversation and make provision for his comfortable and honorable support, and that thereupon they be discharged from any further payment for the maintenance of the ministry &c., in the towns of Scituate or Abing- ton for any estate lying within the said town of Hanover."
In pursuance of this proviso one of the first steps taken by the town was to provide for the support of Public Worship, and July 17, 1727, Mr. DANIEL DWIGHT, who had already preached in the town, was chosen to dispense the Word of God for three months.
Rev. Daniel Dwight was a descendant of Michael Dwight, of Dedham, Mass .. He was born October 28, 1707; graduated from Harvard College in 1726, and was never married. He preached occasionally, though for years he engaged in business. He died July 4, 1747, aged 39.
Messrs. Amos Sylvester and Thomas Josselynn were chosen to arrange with Mr. Dwight, and £7 s. 19 were subsequently voted as a remuneration for his services. Meetings were held at this time in private dwellings, and the house of Mr. Samuel Stetson, being nearest the centre of the town, and most con- venient for the public accommodation, was principally used.
August 29th, of the same year, £60 was voted for the support of a minister, and Isaac Buck, Elijah Cushing and Joseph House were chosen to provide one. Nov. 13th, it was agreed to erect a meeting-house at the most convenient place, by the road called the Drinkwater Road, and Elijah Bisbee, Joshua Turner, and
SAMUEL STETSON HOUSE, WHERE CHURCH MEETINGS WERE HELD IN 1727, AND ON DIFFERENT OCCASIONS SINCE THEN.
3
FIRST MEETING-HOUSE.
Aaron Soule were chosen to select the site, and Job Otis was appointed to inform them of the town's desire. Dec. 13th, voted:
" That the size of the house be as follows: Length 48 ft. ; Width 38 ft. ; and height between joints 19 ft. to be completed by October Ist 1728."
Elijah Cushing, Joseph House and Abner Dwelly were chosen a building committee, and to see that the house was done in a workmanlike manner, but as cheap as possible. The house was erected at a cost of £300. Barry says :
"January 22, 1728, Isaac Bush was chosen agent to apply to the town of Scituate for aid in erecting the new meeting-house ; a subscription paper was circulated by him, on which the sum of £90 was subscribed, but of which only £66 Is. 6d., were realized ; and it was agreed that the money thus obtained should be proportioned on the polls and estates, towards defraying the charges. Mr. Buck was also agent to apply to citizens of Han- over for aid. Gifts of land were made by John Cushing, Job Otis, Nicholas Litchfield, Stephen Clapp, Sen., and others of Scituate; Rev. Thomas Barstow, of Taunton : and Joseph Bars- tow, and Samuel Barstow, of Hanover; the lots being laid out for the town by Caleb Torrey, and Stephen Clapp, of Scituate. The land on which the house was built, is said to have been given by Thomas Buck. Isaac Buck was the agent of the town to receive the deeds of the above lots.
"March 23, 1728, the town voted to take their part of the Government loan of £60,000, 'now in the Treasury at Boston,' and Joseph Barstow, Benjamin Curtis, and Samuel Barstow, were chosen to receive the same, and to let it out towards pay- ing the carpenters. Gifts of lumber were made by several per- sons, and what was left, after the house was finished, was sold for the use of the ministry. The whole cost of the house appears to have been about £300.
" This first meeting-house stood on the same spot as the present house, and continued in use until 1765, under the min- istry of Mr. Baldwin, when the second house was built. No
4
REV. BENJAMIN BASS.
records exist from which a correct idea of its appearance can be gained. An old lady, Mrs. Perry, living in Pembroke in 1853, and then 98 years old, born in 1755, and who was ten years of age when the second house was erected, has a distinct recollec- tion of that event, but not of the looks of the original edifice. From the best information I can gain, I learn that it was a plain structure, in accordance with the simplicity of the times, facing the South; without steeple or chimney ; the windows glazed with diamond-shaped glass; the walls unplastered; and unwarmed by stove or furnace ; and here, for about forty years, the fathers of the town, with their wives and little ones, gathered together, from Sabbath to Sabbath, in summer's heat and winter's cold, listening devoutly to the ministrations of the Word of God, and chanting, to the quaint, old-fashioned tunes of the day, Stern- hold and Hopkins' hymns, deaconed off to them line by line."
August 27th, 1728, Benjamin Curtis, Elijah Cushing, William Witherell, Thomas Josselynn, and Benjamin Curtis, jr., were chosen
"To advise with the neighboring ordained ministers as the law directs, in order for the settlement of the REV. BENJ : BASS in the work of the ministry ;"
and subsequently it was voted that the sum of £130 per annum be paid as his salary. Nov. 23rd, 1728, it was voted to ordain Mr. Bass to the work of the ministry; and Amos Sylvester was chosen to make provision for the council. Rev. Benj : Bass was the son of Joseph and Mary Bass, of Braintree, and a descendant of Samuel Bass, who, with his wife Anne and one or two young children, came to New England in 1630, and set- tled first in Roxbury, and afterwards in that part of Braintree which is now Quincy. Benjamin was born in 1694, and gradu- ated at Harvard College in 1715.
The ordination of Mr. Bass took place Dec. 11, 1728. Previ- ous to this, Dec. 5th, was observed as a day of
5
FIRST COMMUNION.
" Fasting and Prayer to implore the Divine Presence and Blessing to attend the ministry of the Pastor elect, Benj: Bass, M. A., who had before this accepted the Town's call to the Pastoral office amongst them."
The church, consisting of ten members besides the pastor elect, was formed on this day, and they then subscribed the Church Covenant. The following names appear in the Church Records of those who constituted the church at this time, and signed the covenant :
Joseph Stockbridge, Elijah Cushing, James Hatch, John Tailor, Samuel Staples, Isaac Buck, Joseph Stockbridge, jr., Thomas Josselynn, Amasa Turner, and Samuel Skiff. The covenant signed by them is found further on in this book.
At the ordination of Mr. Bass the Rev. Mr. Eells, of Scituate, and Rev. Mr. Lewis, of Pembroke, were present and assisted in the services.
At a church meeting, held Jan. 10th, 1729, Joseph Stockbridge and Elijah Cushing were chosen deacons, and it was agreed to raise money by contribution to provide utensils for the Lord's Table. A contribution was accordingly made January 19th, it being the Sabbath, and with the proceeds there were bought
"Three pewter tankards, marked C. T., of 10 s. price each ; five pewter beakers, costing 38. 6d. each, and marked C. B .; two pewter platters, marked C. P .; a pewter basin for baptism ; and a cloth for the Communion Table."
The communion was celebrated for the first time March 2nd, 1729, and the first service plate continued in use until 1768.
Feb. 15th, 1736, occurred the death of John Taylor, one of the original members of the Church.
March 7, 1742, the Church took a vote to see if the Society would sing in the new way, and it passed in the affirmative. Then, being desired to bring in their votes for a tuner, Mr. Ezekiel Turner was chosen by a considerable majority. Previ- ous to this, singing, in most, if not all the New England churches, had been strictly congregational, the lines of the hymns being read off by the Deacon, who usually pitched the tune, and all
6
REV. SAMUEL BALDWIN.
who could sing joined in. By this vote, Sternhold and Hopkins' version of the Psalms was rejected, and Tate and Brady's was adopted. From the first the church steadily increased in num- bers. On Nov. 4th, 1744, Susannah Rose, an Indian, was received by letter from the Indian Church of Mashpee in Sandwich.
The Church chose May 14th Joseph Stockbridge, Elijah Cushing, Benjamin Mann, Thomas Rose, Samuel Barstow, Joseph Ramsdale, and James Torrey, jr., to inspect the manner of the children of the church, as well as such as are in full com- munion, and endeavor when they walk disorderly to bring them to repentance and reformation.
April 8th, 1748, £14. 15s. was collected to buy good books to lend to such of the Society as stand in need of them, and would be glad to read them.
"With the above money," says Mr. Bass, " I bought in less than a week a parcel of books, whose Titles, Authors, and Price in Old Tenor may be met with in a book which is an exposition of the Epis- tle to the Colossians by Nicholas Byfield."
Those who borrowed the books were to return them in two months, and Mr. Bass wrote on the title-page of each book the letters C. B. C. S. H., which stand for Charity Book of the Con- gregational Society in Hanover.
The ministry of Mr. Bass, which was quiet and undisturbed, passed peacefully on until May 23, 1756, when he died, in the 63rd year of his age, after a settlement of 27 years, 5 months, and 15 days. During this period 83 persons joined the church, and 588 were baptized.
From his writings Mr. Bass appears to have been a man marked more by common sense, than by brilliancy of diction, withal a little inclined to facetiousness, yet open-hearted, and frank, and laboring diligently for the welfare of his people. He was often consulted by neighboring churches, and acted as Mod- erator in Ecclesiastical Councils. In the midst of the excite- ment which prevailed during the latter years of his ministry, occasioned by the preaching of Whitefield, and the rise of the "new lights," he preserved his own hold on the good-will of
abbingten
Pembrook The Indian head River
W
The Stear Line
Scituate
Z
S
The whole of this Hat Contains 9983 24 Rd
Frfruntey Road 7. Goes & Burglary
June 5. 1726
The north River
The Third Herring book
a Scale of100 Chaves or 100
MAP OF PARTS OF THE TOWNS OF ABINGTON AND SCITUATE, INCORPORATED AS THE TOWN OF HANOVER, JUNE 14, 1727.
7
ENLARGING THE FIRST MEETING-HOUSE.
his society, and left his people in a state of as great prosperity as was enjoyed in any of the adjoining towns. His habits were simple and his manner of living frugal and unostentatious; yet his was ever a hospitable board, to which his parishioners and friends were cordially welcomed. He took great interest in the children of his parish, and never passed a child in the road with- out noticing it. The children so loved him, that whenever they saw him approaching, they would arrange themselves in a row, and as he drew near, greet him with bows and courtesies, while smiles of joy illumined their faces. As an illustration of his facetiousness, it is related, that having received an invitation to settle at Eel River, Plymouth, and being asked if he should accept it, he replied : "No, Eel River may do for small fish, but it is not large enough for Bass."
After the death of the Rev. Mr. Bass, Ezekiel Turner, Esq., Joseph House, and Michael Sylvester were chosen a committee by the town June 14th, 1756, to join a committee chosen by the Church, to supply the pulpit with preaching, and Aug. 30th, the church having laid before the town their choice of MR. SAM- UEL BALDWIN for their pastor, the town concurred in the choice. It was voted, that he should receive as his salary £73. 6s. 8d. per annum. (He was son of David Baldwin, of Sudbury, gr. son of Henry, and gt. gr. son of Henry, of Devonshire, Eng- land, who settled at Woburn in 1650. He graduated from Har- vard College 1752, and married Hannah, dau. of Judge John Cushing, Jan. 4, 1759, by whom he had nine children.) Mr. Baldwin declined to become pastor for this sum. Oct. 1Ith, it was voted
"to give him {80. and to build for him within 18 months a dwelling- house 40 ft. long, 30 ft. wide, and 17 ft. between joints, with two stacks of chimneys, a plain roof, with a suitable number of windows with crown glass, and to be painted inside and outside, such a color or colors as shall be agreeable to his mind, and to build and finish under the house a cellar 30 ft. long, and 14 ft. wide, pointed &c., and everything, both inside and outside, both wood work, iron work, and joiner's work, with two cupboards and as many closets in said house
-
8
REV. SAMUEL BALDWIN.
as may be convenient, all to be done to the turning of a Key, and to be underpinned in a suitable manner, to the acceptance of Mr. Bald- win, and this to be a free gift as a settlement."
Mr. Baldwin accepted this proposal. Feb. 7th, the dimen- sions of the house were altered to 38 by 32 ft. It was voted to pay for the building in money, and to give Joseph Curtis £160 for building and completing it.
Mr. Baldwin acknowledged the receipt of the house March 5th, 1759, as his settlement gift.
Oct. 8th, 1756, it was voted that Mr. Baldwin be ordained Dec. Ist, if the Thanksgiving be not on that week, but if it is, the ordination to be on the second Wednesday of December. It was also voted to give Capt. Josselynn £16 to provide hand- some and suitable entertainment for the ordination, and he agreed to do it for that sum. The ordination took place Dec. Ist.
Under the ministration of Mr. Baldwin, the meeting-house was soon filled ; and accordingly, June 25th, 1764, it was voted to open the same in two parts, and put in a new piece in the middle, 13 ft. or 14 ft. in length. This vote was re-considered Oct. 22nd, and it was voted to build a new house of the follow- ing dimensions-
"62 ft. in length, 43 in width, and 22 ft. between joints according to the plan in the office of the town clerk."
At the same time it was voted that each person should enjoy their pews as heretofore, only giving way for the new additional pews to be built. The committee was empowered to dispose ' of the old meeting-house, and the new additional pew room to the undertaker or undertakers of the meeting-house aforesaid, or to any other person or persons in part pay for the work afore- said. Mr. Joseph Tolman was the contractor for the erection of the new house; and May 20th, 1765, it was voted to have a steeple to the meeting house, provided the money for the same can or shall be raised by subscription. This steeple was built,
(THE HOUSE IS NOW OCCUPIED) BY MR. SOPER.) RESIDENCE OF REV. SAMUEL BALDWIN, 1756-1784.
-
-
9
REV. SAMUEL BALDWIN.
and the new house was erected on the site of the old one. It stood facing the south. At the east end was the women's porch extending from the ground to the eaves, and projecting from the building a few feet. In the entry was the stairway leading to the gallery, and overhead jwas the powder-room, in which the town's stock of powder was kept during the Revolution. The men's porch was at the west end, also projecting from the build- ing and rising above the eaves, with a long tapering spire sur- mounted with a vane. This spire was removed about 1784, when a bell was presented to the Society by Mr. Josselynn, and a new steeple with a suitable belfry was erected. Within, the walls were plastered, the pews square, the galleries spacious, and the accommodations for the worshippers comfortable and decent.
While this house was building, meetings were held in a pine grove near by, and here Mr. Baldwin's daughter Hannah was baptized.
On Oct. 30th, 1768, Lord's Day, the Church was presented with four silver cups on the communion table, by orders, and at the expense of Deacon Stockbridge. The cost of each cup being £25, and each bearing this inscription: "The Gift of Deacon Joseph Stockbridge to the Church of Christ in Hanover, 1768."
The affairs of the Society, from this time until the War of the Revolution, continued in a state of great prosperity, and the salary of Mr. Baldwin was regularly paid and promptly; but the derangement of the finances of the country, on account of the war, led to difficulties in many religious societies, and finally to a dissolution of the connection, which had so long and so hap- pily subsisted between Mr. Baldwin and the Society in Hanover. Nov. 28th, 1779, Mr. Baldwin was led to preach a farewell ser- mon to the people of Hanover for the want of support, and on the 8th of March he asked a dismission, which was granted and confirmed by a vote of the town.
Mr. Baldwin remained with the Society 23 years, 3 months and 3 days. During this period, 107 persons united with the Church, and 632 were baptized. As a pastor, his services gave general satisfaction, and as a preacher, his talents were not only
IO
REV. JOSEPH LITCHFIELD.
highly respectable, but his manuscripts show that he was a ready and eloquent writer, and his discourses display good judgment, keen perceptions, and strong common sense.
Mr. Baldwin was led to espouse the cause of America in the struggle with Great Britain, and throughout the war took a deep interest in his country's success. He was a chaplain in the army, and gave eloquent exhortations to his own flock at home, and to the minute-men of the town. His mind became affected, and for a period of four years previous to his death he was partially deranged, but was faithfully cared for by his devoted wife. It is said that on one occasion during this time, one of his neighbors, a Miss Studley, called to converse with Mrs. Baldwin upon events of the war. Mr. Baldwin was lying on his bed, apparently un- mindful of. what they were saying, in his usual state of apathy. Suddenly he arose and went to his study. He returned with the manuscript of a discourse which he had delivered to the minute- men. Standing in the doorway he read it from beginning to end. Mrs. Baldwin, thinking that his mind was restored, was led to rejoice; but when he had finished reading, he carried the manu- script back, and returning laid himself on the bed and became silent as before.
He died Dec. Ist, 1784, about one year after peace was declared. Grave-stones were erected to his memory and to that of his de- voted wife by vote of the town March 9th, 1796.
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