USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Lincoln > Historical manual of the Church of Christ in Lincoln, Mass > Part 3
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EPHRAIM FLINT, THOMAS GARFIELD, JR., Committee."
" Voted, That the Report of the Committee to order out the pews be accepted.
" Voted, That Deacon Benjamin Brown, Lieut. Thomas Gar- field, Messrs. Ebenezer Cutler, Nathan Brown, Judah Clark, and Thomas Brooks, have liberty to remove the two hindermost seats in the body of the meeting-house, and to build three pews on each side of the middle alley, extending in the whole thirteen feet and a half foot, each way from said alley, and five feet and one-half foot deep from the back of the remaining standing seats, and to build them by the time prefixt for building the other pews ; also, Voted, That if Mr. Thomas Brooks refuse to build his pew in said time, and attend the public worship in said Precinct, then Mr. George Pierce shall have liberty to build said pew, and have convenient time to build it in."
While Lincoln, as a town organization, is not one of the old
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towns of the State, yet as being from the very earliest period of colonial history, in part, a portion of the ancient town of Watertown, and in part, a portion of Concord, in which the first settlement was made in the fall of 1635, it may claim an inter- est in the history of these towns until it became a separate municipality.
The town of Lincoln, named by Chambers Russell, after Lincolnshire, England, the residence of his ancestors, was in- corporated, April 23, 1754.
By a warrant issued by James Minott, J. P., directed to Ebenezer Cutler, the first town-meeting was held on the 26th day of the same month.
Hon. Chambers Russell, was chosen Moderator.
Ephraim Flint, Town Clerk and Treasurer.
Ephraim Flint, Ephraim Hartwell, Ebenezer Cutler, Samuel Farrar, and John Hoar, Selectmen.
At an adjourned meeting of the Town, held March 17, 1755, the matter having been before the Town the previous year and left without decision, it was " voted that eight of the lowest seats in the body of the meeting-house in said Town, viz. :- four on each side of the middle alley, shall be removed, and eight of the proprietors of the highest valuation in real and personal estate, exclusive of such persons as have pews already, shall have liberty to build eight pews in the place thereof, pro- vided they do it within three months after the seventeenth day of March, current." A Committee was also appointed, at this meeting, " to estimate the expense of building a steeple for the hanging a bell for the Town's use." The Selectmen were also instructed to report at an adjourned meeting respecting roads, to be laid out for the convenience of the inhabitants.
At the adjourned meeting, held on the 31st of March, two roads, beginning on the road leading from Concord and Lex- ington, one, beginning on the road leading from Concord to Weston, and a short road, beginning at a certain causeway easterly from the meeting-house,-all converging at the meeting- house, are defined, with the conditions on which they are to be built, and are accepted by the Town.
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At a meeting, held on May 7th, 1755, it was voted,
" That the Town of Lincoln build a steeple at the west end of said meeting-house, adjoining thereunto, to hang a bell upon, to the height upon which the deck is to be laid, whereon the spire is to stand ; " and that
" The Hon. Chambers Russell, Ephraim Hartwell, Ebenezer Cutler, Samuel Farrar and Timothy Wesson, be a Committee to build said steeple."
That this action was not quite satisfactory, is evident from the fact that, at a meeting of the Town on the 18th of July, following, it was " voted to build a spire with the steeple, adjoining to the meeting-house." "And granted the sum of thirteen pounds, six shillings and eight pence toward erecting the same." The same sum had been previously granted. At the same meeting, it was also voted that the Selectmen proceed in finishing the laying of the floor in the gallery in the meeting- house, and setting up the seats, that were removed from the body of the meeting-house, in the most suitable manner. The following somewhat remarkable vote was also passed : " Voted Lieut. Samuel Dakin liberty to make a window in the meeting- house, to accommodate his pew, upon consideration of his maintaining the same." The only other instance of a like vote was in 1804, when Mr. Amos Bemis was voted liberty "to put a window in his pew in the gallery as requested."
On the 3d of Oct., the Town granted six pounds, lawful money, " to make provision for the subsistence of those that raise the steeple at the meeting-house in said Town, and that the Committee, appointed to build the steeple, provide for the subsistence of those persons that raise it."
At the same meeting, in 1755, at which it was voted to build a steeple, the Town also voted "that the petition of Thomas Garfield and others, praying that a Committee may be chosen to seat the meeting-house, in said town, be and hereby is granted, and that age, real and personal estate, slaves ex- cepted, shall be the rule by which the Committee shall govern themselves, in their proceeding in their seating said meeting- house ; " and a Committee, consisting of Capt. Samuel Bond,
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John Headley, and others, was appointed to carry the vote into effect.
On the 26th of Oct., 1756, Mr. Joseph Brooks presented the Town with a bell, which was accepted with a suitable acknowl- edgment.
In the years 1764 and 1765, additional seats were placed in the galleries, and the Town appointed Capt. E. Cutler, Eleazer Brooks, Abijah Pierce, and others, a Committee "to seat the meeting-house," in accordance with the rules which governed the former Committee. In 1772, 1779, 1785 and 1796, Com- mittees were chosen for the same purpose, from which it would appear that the portion of the congregation not possessed of pews, had particular seats assigned them, from time to time, for a term of years.
Pews, however, gradually took the place of seats, until most of the space beside the choir gallery was filled with them.
Mr. Lawrence died April 11, 1780. At a meeting of the Town the next day, Col. A. Pierce, Ensign Edmund Wheeler and Capt. S. Farrar were chosen a Committee, to make suitable provision for the funeral of Mr. Lawrence. Three hundred pounds were voted to Mrs. Lawrence for the purpose of " put- ting herself and family into a suitable mourning dress." The value of this depreciated currency may be seen from the fact that the Town appropriated nineteen hundred and fifty pounds for the salary of Mr. Lawrence for the year ending Aug. 12th, 1780.
On the 5th of Feb., 1781, the Town voted to concur with the Church, in the choice of Mr. Charles Stearns to be their gospel minister.
The salary offered was eighty pounds, annually, in hard money, or other money equivalent, and fifteen cords of wood, with a settlement of two hundred and ninety pounds. On the second day of April, the Town added seventy pounds in hard money to the settlement. Thirty pounds were appropriated for the entertainment of the Council ; the committee having the matter in charge, reported, however, an actual expenditure of not quite one-third of the appropriation.
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It was voted on May 17th, of this year, that "the Town grant liberty to two persons, who pay the highest tax upon real and personal estate, exclusive of such estates, as have already drawn pews, to build pews." In 1787, it was voted that " there may be two pews in the south-east corner of the meeting-house and two in the south-west corner, where the short seats are, and that they should be sold to the highest bidder."
The warrant, for a town-meeting on the 11th of June, 1792, contained the following articles :
" Art. 3. To see what reparation the Town will make to the outside of the public meeting-house." "Art. 4. To see if the Town will build pews in any part of the galleries, in the public meeting-house, and dispose of them and the two pews in the body of said house (now occupied by the singers), and appro- priate the money, which may be received for the same, in whole or in part, for the repairing of the outside of said house, and accommodate the singers in some other seats."
It was voted, upon the third article, to appropriate sixty pounds for the work specified. Hon. Eleazer Brooks, Dea. Edmund Wheeler, and Col. Abijah Pierce, were appointed a Committee to carry the vote into effect. The fourth article was dismissed.
At the next town meeting, instructions were given to the Committee to proceed with the work of repairing the house, beyond what had first been contemplated. The next year, the matter of occupancy of the gallery, by pews, was revived by the following article, which was dismissed: "To see if the Town will in any way dispose of the ground in the back part of the gallery, in the public meeting-house, for the purpose of repairing the inside of said house." The impression, which the records give, is that the privilege, of setting up pews, was not granted, unless there were weighty reasons for it.
In 1789, the Town considered, at a town-meeting, the fol- lowing article : "To know whether the Town will grant the short seats in the body of the meeting-house below, [viz. ] those between General Pew and the broad aisle, and those between Mr. Abbot's pew and the broad aisle, to be converted into pews to accommodate the singers,-agreeable to the request of the
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church, in said Town." The following result was reached : " Voted that the short seats, in the public meeting-house, which are expressed in this article, be converted into pews to accom- modate the singers, during the Town's pleasure, and that the Selectmen be a Committee to convert those seats into pews, agreeable to this article and the request of the Church in said Town." No further changes were effected in the galleries until 1803. On the 12th of December, in that year, the Town voted to make an appropriation "to revive church music," and, at the same time, appointed Samuel Hoar, Esq., Thomas Wheeler, Captain Abner Mather, Elijah Fiske and Eleazer Brooks, Jr., a Committee, to consider the matter of making some changes in the meeting-house, so as "to accommodate the singers with convenient seats," with instructions to report at the next town- meeting. On the 7th of May, 1804, this Committee made the following report : "We, the subscribers, being chosen a Com- mittee, at the last town-meeting, in order to see which is the best way to fix the front gallery, in order to convene the sing- ers, and to take under consideration the first article, beg leave to report as follows ;- It is our opinion that it is best to build a porch in the front of the meeting-house, 12 feet square and 14 feet posts, and to swell the front gallery, and build two con- venient seats for the singers, and to build a row of pews around the galleries, and to alter the porch doors, in the galleries, so as to have them in the centre of the porches, and to have an alley to divide the side galleries ; also to build four pews be- low. We have calculated the probable expense will be 450 dollars, and it is probable the pews will fetch 900 dollars : the balance in favor of the Town is 450 dollars. All of which is humbly submitted."
The report was accepted, and to carry it into effect, a com- mittee was chosen, consisting of Samuel Hoar, Esq., Deacon Samuel Farrar, Major Samuel Hastings, Mr. Isaac Munroe, Dr. Grovesnor Tarbell, Mr. Abner Wheeler and Lieut. Elijah Fiske.
The Committee reported to the Town, on the 27th of August following, that they had made a contract with Abner Wheeler
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to build the porch and make the changes in the house, recom- mended by the former Committee, and accepted by the Town, and that twelve pews had been put into the gallery, and four added to those on the lower floor, and other improvements made in accordance with their instructions, at an expense of four hundred and fifty dollars. A Committee was appointed to sell these pews, which reported, at a subsequent meeting, that they had disposed of them, at public vendue, realizing by the sale twelve hundred and forty-six dollars. The Town then voted to paint the meeting-house, and make other improvements upon it, which were completed in 1806, at an expense of nearly six hundred dollars.
On the third of March, 1794, Mr. Stearns presented a me- morial to the town " respecting his support as a minister of the gospel." The memorial was referred to a Committee, consisting of Hon. E. Brooks, Dea. E. Wheeler, Capt. J. Hartwell, Col. A. Pierce, Dea. S. Farrar, Mı. Aaron Brooks and Capt. S. Hart- well, who made a report on the 15th of May following, and in accordance with the recommendation of the Committee, the town " voted and granted, in addition to the Rev. Mr. Stearns' salary, the sum of twenty pounds for one year, and so forward until the town shall see fit to reduce the same, in whole, or in part." The town also " voted and granted, for the benefit and assistance of Mr. Stearns, the sum of one hundred pounds, to be paid, fifty pounds within one year, and the other fifty pounds within two years from date."
At a meeting of the town held Oct. 6, 1797, the following article of the warrant, being before the house, " To consider a request of the Rev. Charles Stearns, viz., that a contract be made between him and the town, which shall be satisfactory both to him and the town,- the Church having, by vote, con- curred with him in the said request,-and transact any matter or thing which shall be thought expedient relative to said request ;" it was voted " to choose a Committee, consisting of nine per- sons, to take under consideration the said third article, and report their doings to the town at the adjournment."
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At the adjourned meeting on the 6th of November the town received the following report :
" The Committee, appointed to take into consideration the third article in the warrant for calling the town meeting, which stands adjourned to this day, which article is to consider a request of the Reverend Mr. Stearns, that a contract be made between him and the town, which shall be satisfactory, both to him and the town, (the Church having, by vote, concurred with him in the said request,) and transact any matter or thing which shall be thought expedient relative to said request,-have carefully attended to the service assigned them ; and after a full conference with the Reverend Charles Stearns on the sub- ject, do report :- That from and after the 7th day of November, instant, during the time that he shall remain our Gospel min- ister, his annual salary continue to be eighty pounds, at all times, when the current price of Indian corn is at three shillings per bushel, rye at four shillings, and beef at twenty shillings per hundred, and pork at thirty-three shillings and four pence per hundred weight, all of bright, good quality, that the sum, or amount of said salary, shall be increased or diminished, as the current price of those articles shall rise or fall, from time to time, one fourth part of the salary to be computed on each of those articles. And that the Selectmen of the town shall make the said computation with the said Charles Stearns, in the beginning of November, annually ;- this being the contract of the specie part of his, the said Charles Stearns' salary, the allowance of wood, remaining as heretofore allowed by the town ;- and that the payment of the said salary to the said Charles Stearns be made semi-annually by the Treasurer.
All of which is humbly submitted, Nov. 6th, 1797."
JOHN HARTWELL, ELEAZER BROOKS, ?
BULKLEY ADAMS, ABIJAH PIERCE,
EDMOND WHEELER, SAMUEL FARRAR,
Committee. SAMUEL HOAR, NATHAN WESTON,
EPHRAIM FLINT,
" The subscriber, by his sign-manual, in the presence of the Committee, gives his consent to the above contract.
CHARLES STEARNS."
" LINCOLN, Nov. 6th, 1797.
Voted and accepted by the Town."
In 1807, Dr. Stearns' salary was $500; in 1810, $560; in 1812, $475 ; from 1814 to 1818, $600 per annnm. Afterwards
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it was somewhat reduced. In 1824 it was $500, and the last two years of his life it was $460.
Dr. Stearns died July 26, 1826, in the 75th year of his age and 45th of his ministry. At a meeting of the Town, held on the 14th of November, following, it was " voted to accept the bill that was exhibited by the Selectmen for the expenses of Dr. Charles Stearns' funeral." To pay this bill and to provide Mrs. Stearns and a daughter mourning apparel, one hundred and twenty dollars were appropriated.
It was also voted to have the salary, paid to Dr. Stearns, continued to Mrs. Stearns, until the following April, on condi- tion that she should be responsible for the supply of the pulpit.
On the 5th of April, 1827, the Town " voted to give Rev. Elijah Demond an invitation to settle over the Church and people of this Town, as their Gospel minister. Also voted to pay him for salary, annually, five hundred and fifty dollars, so long as he performs his ministerial labors in this town, with this provision, that the connection may be dissolved by either party giving the other six months notice." Five individuals offered to make up the sum of fifty dollars, so that the salary should be six hundred dollars per annum.
On the 11th of October, the Town passed the following vote : " That the conditions of the call given to the Reverend Mr. Demond, by this Town, at their last meeting, be so far altered, that a majority of two-thirds of the legal voters shall be neces- sary, on the part of the Town, to cause a dissolution of the connection ; and should such a majority ever be obtained, or should their minister, on his part, give notice of his desire of dismission, in either case, a Council of ministers and delegates, shall be called to advise thereon." A vacation of two Sabbaths, annually, was then voted. Mr. Demond, being present, ac- cepted the call which was given him, and the 7th day of Novem- ber, instant, was fixed upon as the time for his installation.
Major E. Flint provided for the Council and clergy for fifty dollars. Mr. Stetson was paid for preparing the music for the occasion, fourteen dollars, and the singers received refreshments at an expense of $5.56.
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In the records of this year we find the following article be- fore the Town for consideration :
"To know the pleasure of the Town, respecting the stove, lately put up in the public meeting-house, whether the Town will defray the expense of the same, or any part thereof, or give leave to have it remain where it is, or adopt any measures re- specting said stove ; and provide wood for the same ; also pro- vide storage for the wood in the meeting-house, as the town see fit, and say how it shall be taken care of, and by whom."
The action of the Town is thus recorded :
"Voted to have the stove remain in the public meeting- house, in Lincoln, where it now is; and voted the congrega- tion, or religious society, in said Town, pay the expense of said stove ; also voted the Selectmen provide wood and a place for storage of the wood, to be used, or burnt, when necessary to have fires in said stove."
Mr. Demond, it was soon observed after his installation, was making his exchanges only with clergymen of orthodox sentiments. This procedure was highly displeasing to a por- tion of his hearers, as is seen from the following article for a town meeting, Dec. 5, 1828 :
" To see if the Town will choose a Committee, to wait on the Reverend Elijah Demond, and request him to make his ex- changes more general, with the neighboring ministers, and par- ticularly with all that belong to this Association, who have been in the habit of preaching in this place, for many years ; or do anything, respecting communicating any notice to the said Rev- erend Mr. Demond, as the Town thinks best."
It was voted to dismiss the article.
But, though the Town refused to act in the matter, the dis- affection was not allayed.
Persons holding different religious opinions from the pastor, desired to have their own views set forth in the Lincoln pulpit, as will be evident from an article considered in the town meet- ing, March 2, 1829 :
" Art. 9. To see if the Town will grant all the inhabitants of said Town of Lincoln their proportion of the ministerial tax, and their proportion of time in said meeting-house, and to lay out the money for preaching as they may think proper-by re- quest of a number of the inhabitants."
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The following result was reached : Voted to dismiss the article-38 to 28.
The feeling of the minority, or of their leaders, is indicated by the fact that on the 23d day of the same month another town meeting was held, on the basis of a warrant of two articles :
" 1st. To choose a moderator to govern said meeting.
" 2d. To see if the inhabitants of the Town of Lincoln will vote to give the Reverend Elijah Demond notice to leave, ac- cording to contract, or in case the Town do not see fit to vote as above, then to see if the Town will grant liberty to those who are dissatisfied with their religious instructor, to draw their funds for the support of such religious instructor as they shall choose, or do anything respecting the subject, as the Town shall see fit."
At the meeting, article 2d being under consideration, it was " voted to take the first question in said article by yeas and nays." " Yeas 39, nays 40. Then voted to dismiss the meeting."
That an intense feeling existed in regard to the character of Mr. Demond's ministrations, on the part of some of his hearers, is evident from the fact that eight days later, on the 31st of the month, another town meeting was held, the intent being ex- pressed by an article, very similar, though somewhat more defi- nite in its reconstructed form, to that which failed to be sus- tained at the last meeting.
" To see if the inhabitants of the Town of Lincoln will vote to give the Reverend Elijah Demond notice to leave, agreeable to contract, and in case the Town do not see fit to vote as above, then to see if the Town will grant liberty to those, who are dis- satisfied with their religious instructor, to draw their funds in the salary to the minister, and their proportion in the meeting- house, for the support of such religious instructor, as they shall choose, or do anything respecting the subject, as the Town shall see fit."
When the article came before the Town for action, it was " Voted to give the Reverend Elijah Demond notice to leave, agreeable to contract." "Yeas 43, nays 39." " Voted to choose a Committee of five, to wait on the Reverend Elijah Demond and inform him of the doings of this meeting and obtain his an- swer, and report at the adjournment of this meeting." The
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Committee were accordingly appointed, and the meeting was adjourned to the next Monday. The proceedings of the ad- journed meeting are comprised in the following record :
" Met according to adjournment and heard a verbal report, that the Reverend Elijah Demond did not think that the notice required any answer. Then voted to dismiss the meeting."
On the 14th day of April, eight days later, another town meeting was held, the business being " To see if the Town will choose a Committee to confer with the Reverend Elijah Demond and request him to join in calling a Council, mutually, to hear our grievances, and decide whether the contract, between him and the inhabitants of the Town of Lincoln, shall be dissolved, or not ; and in case he should not agree, that said Committee be impowered to proceed, ex parte, for the same purpose." The action of the Town is recorded as follows : Voted, that in tak- ing the question of choosing a Committee, it be taken by poll- ing the house ; for choosing, 35-against, 37. Then voted to dissolve the meeting.
At the next town meeting, on the 4th of May, 1829, the Town "Voted and granted $550 for Reverend Elijah Demond's salary, beginning November 7th, 1828, and ending November 7th, 1829."
This was the last appropriation, by the Town, for a pastor's salary. The next year, when the matter of an appropriation for the salary of Mr. Demond came up, it was " voted to dis- miss the article."
At a town meeting held on the third day of December, 1831, the following article was considered : "To see if the Town of Lincoln will grant to the several denominations of Christians, their proportionable part of the time, in the meeting-house, or choose a Committee to take counsel, or do anything respecting the same." The result reached was the choice of a Committee, of seven persons, " to take into consideration the subject matter contained in the second article, and make a report at the next March meeting."
When the time came for this Committee to report, accord- ing to instructions, the matter was "put over to the next town
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meeting," and so far as appears from the records, the report was never presented.
At a meeting held March 4th, 1833, the following article revived the matter :
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