USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Andover > Historical manual of the South church in Andover, Mass > Part 4
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47
SUPPORT OF THE MINISTRY.
under serious consideration, and, comparing it with the then prices of the necessaries of life, supposed it would afford me, with the other things specified in the contract, a comfortable and decent support ; which was all I wanted. Being confident it was your intention, as it was undoubtedly in your power, to make that value good to me annually, and I expected this from you, and supposing the necessaries of life would continue nearly as they were then, upon an average, one year with another, I imagined this would render it unnecessary for me to encumber myself with the entanglements of the world, and enable me, according to the Apostolic direction, to give myself wholly to the work of the ministry, the great object in view. On these prospects I formed my future expectations for a support among you in this great work. I think I may with safety, and in justice to myself, declare, I did not come among you with a view to lay up a worldly inheritance. A comfortable, decent support for myself and family was all I desired. Experience showed me that the provisions you made were adequate to this purpose, and yet were not too much to enable me to afford that time and care for this flock, which the great duties of my calling required. I was well contented, and had things remained in that channel you never would have heard any complaints from me. But circumstances are greatly altered. In 1775, the first year of the War, the articles neces- sary for clothing were raised in their prices twenty-five per cent., which diminished my salary, so far as these articles were necessary, one-quarter part. With the decrease of my salary my expenses increased. Soldiers almost daily fell in upon us, and such entertain- ment as we could we gave them, and they were welcome. In the next year, 1776, not only clothing, but provisions, increased in their prices -- some things doubled, and some things more. But during these years many of the Parish, though not all, with an eye of justice and generosity, considered these things. Some let me have the necessarics of life at the former prices, others considered me in their private kindnesses (of which I kept a true account), so that, on the whole, I was so far from complaining that I gave you a generous and public credit for the same, though I then thought, and still do think, that I sus- tained my full proportion, or more, of the publie burthen, which I was willing to do. Soon after this, in the beginning of the year 1777, a check was thrown upon the prices of things by a regulating bill.
48
HISTORICAL SKETCHES.
Many articles, by that time, particularly clothing, had arisen thribble, and some things, even necessaries, five or six fold. But this act was never complied with by some, and strongly opposed by many, and in a few months was wholly set aside. And by a rapid increase of the prices of things, by the next spring, 1778, the necessaries of life, upon an average, upon a moderate computation, had arisen five or six fold in their demands. My salary decreased in its value in proportion. I found the burden then increasing upon me, and threatening to become insupportable ; and with the best œconomy I could use, my salary fell far short of procuring the real necessaries of life for my family. As I kept an accurate account of my expenses, I acquainted some of my neighbors with the true situation of my affairs, and would as readily have mentioned them to others had convenient opportunity offered, and I had supposed it necessary. In the fall of the year 1777 the people began to talk of making me some consideration more than they had done. A contribution for that purpose was proposed on the pub- lic Thanksgiving, but somehow or other it failed, and was not brought forward as was talked of. The matter being delayed, several came in private and made me an equitable consideration ; but nothing general was done till the public Fast in the following spring, when a collection was made for that purpose, which, with what had been done in a more private way, - together with the kind and seasonable assistance of the ladies in their generous labors - not passing by the kind help afforded me the preceding summer in getting in my hay, and otherwise, in the whole raised my salary in its nominal sum, in proportion to about three for one, falling a little short ; with which I was fully satisfied, and felt grateful to my people for their marks of justice and generosity toward me. And I gave a receipt to the Parish, in full, to the first of April, 1778, still supposing that the part I bore in the public burden was very large, as the necessaries of life had then arisen at least five double.
" What now lies before you, gentlemen, is to determine what consid- eration to make me in addition to the nominal sum of my salary, from that time to the first day of April next ensuing. And I beg leave to say what I have to offer upon the matter now under consideration with the same freedom and openness of heart as I have done respect- ing what has past, desiring nothing but what is just, what is reasona- ble, what my circumstances require, and you are able, and, I trust, willing to do.
49
SUPPORT OF THE MINISTRY.
" But I need not say much respecting the prices of things at present ; you are all sensible that grain of every kind has arisen, considered in their lowest prices, at least from fifteen to twenty fold higher than when my contract was made. Meat perhaps about seven and a half, and labor eight or nine - every necessary article full as high, -sugar, and every West India article, as much, -every kind of necessary drink, simple water excepted, of which, blessed be God, we are not deprived, have arisen as high as grain. But suppose we take a few articles, and compute the difference, allowing the former prices as high as they would bear, and the present as low. Let us, for instance, take a bushel of rye, call the former price 4s., a bushel of Indian Corn, and call it 3s., 20 wt. of Pork, at 5d. per pound, 20 weight of beef, at 3d. per pound, and the whole of these several articles amount to £1. 0s. 4d. Now take the same articles, and call the bushel of Rye $12,00, the Indian Corn $8,00, the Pork 2s. 6d. per pound, and the Beef 1s. 6d., and they will all amount to exactly£10. So that, com- paring them with the former prices, which I have set very high, and the present, which I have set full low, and, indeed, lower than they are actually sold by some, and the difference is nearly ten for one. And this, any of you, who will give yourselves the trouble to calcu- late, you will find to be the case, upon a low computation, with all the necessaries of life, as they rise one with another. Upon this eal- culation, my salary, which is in the contract £80, is in its value to me now no more than £8. And I presume no one present would engage, for the nominal sum of £80 now, to procure so much by con- siderable as £8 would have procured when this contract was made.
" Now suppose you make the nominal sum of my salary equal in law- ful money to what it was formerly in Old Tenor, - and some Parishes have done this, and some more, - and even then I shall sink one quar- ter part of my annual income, so far as that is paid in money, which is a greater proportion, I presume, than any farmer pays in his rate, be his farm large or small - and much greater than is paid to the sup- port of the public by any day labourer whatever. So that, upon this valuation, a minister sustains a much greater proportion of the public burthen even than if he were rated, and his salary made good.
" The objection, therefore, against paying to ministers their equitable dues because they are not rated, I hope I shall be excused if I cannot consider either as just or reasonable. But suppose a minister's salary
5
50
HISTORICAL SKETCHES.
be made up six for one, which is no more than what is done, as I am informed, by Government, for the Judges of the Court, and what is done for the President, Professors, and Tutors of the College, who are excused from rates in the same manner that the ministers of the gos- pel arc. And then a minister's salary, so far as it is paid in noncy, will be sunk in its value more than one-third part. From these things you may easily discern what consideration in reason and justice ought now to be made me.
" But should it be said the prices have not been so high through the year, - I would observe, if you take a mean proportion between the prices of things in April last, when my year began, and now, you will find they do not fall very much, if anything, short of what I have pro- portioned them at. But admit they have not been so high; yet, when- ever a consideration- is made me, the money can be no better to me than its real value at the time of receiving it, unless the money, before I may have occasion to spend it, should grow better. And should any considerable alteration take place in the money for the better, in the ensuing season, I now declare that I am willing to make a proper allowance to the Parish therefor.
" But should any object against making me an equitable considera- tion, according to the present prices of things, because you may have a large debt to pay hereafter to the public when I may be excused, I would answer : As I desire nothing of you but what is perfectly right and just, and perfectly reasonable, and should be unworthy the sacred character I sustain among you if I were not willing to sympathize with you, and participate of all your burthens and afflictions as well as rejoice in all your prosperity ; I am willing, in these public calamities and burthens, to rise and fall with you ; nor could I be happy to be freed from them myself, and see you burthened, and groaning under them. I am therefore willing to have this matter duly considered. I am willing to have a consideration made me annually or semi-annually, according to the then present circumstances. But if an abatement ought to be made now on account of what may be made hereafter, then justice will require that something be done to secure me from bearing more than my proportion hereafter. If you choose to look forward with respect to the debt hereafter to be paid, though we none of us know who may live to be concerned in that, I say, if you choose this, if any equitable plan can be hit upon, I am as willing as you are
51
SUPPORT OF THE MINISTRY.
to come into it, and to bind myself to let my salary every year, so long as it shall please God to continue me among yon, be regulated in proportion to the prices of the necessaries of life, and to your rates to the publie till the debt that has been, or may be, contracted by the present War, shall be discharged. But unless something of this nature is done, I cannot see but that strict justice will allow me to expect a consideration annually, or semi-annually, in some proportion to the necessaries of life, making proper and reasonable abatement for my proportion of the annual public charge. - And an equitable pro- portion, while I live among you (which I hope will be while I live in the world), I am freely willing to bear. In proof of this, if you will pay me my salary in due proportion, in the necessaries of life, for the past year, I will relinquish one third part ;. and instead of £80, for £53 6s. 8d. paid in this way, will receipt the Parish in full for the past year. I cannot promise to relinquish so much in future years, - my circumstances, perhaps, will not admit it, - but for the last year I will do it. Can justice to myself and family, can reason, from one under my circumstances, to a large and able Parish, offer more ? When a sum shall be agreed upon, the manner of raising it is entirely with you. But in case you conclude to do it by a rate - that the poor may not be oppressed by one who is their professed advocate - when the rate shall be made, let it be shown me, and I will cross out of the rates of those whom the assessors shall think most needy, a sum equal to the six lowest rates in the bill ; and if the Parish think this not enough, I will do more.
" Further, where any, from justice or generosity, have made me any consideration in a more private way, for the past year, it is my desire they would call upon me for that purpose, and I will refund it to them again, or give them an order upon the collector therefor ; for it would be unjust and unreasonable to require any who have done anything in this way to pay it again in a rate. And further, as I would remove every color of complaint that I can think of, when the rate shall be made, if done in that way, whoever will pay their propor- tion, of the £80 only, in labour or necessaries of life, as I may stand in need of them, estimating them at the former prices, for two-thirds the quantity they must formerly have paid in such proportion, I will cross their whole rate, be its nominal sum more or less.
" Having thus laid before you, in the most honest and open manner,
52
HISTORICAL SKETCHES.
my mind on this affair, if I have offered any one thing unjust or unreasonable, or bearing upon the l'arish, or any one in it, more than upon myself, I hope you will show it to me, and I will immediately retraet. I hope you will give everything its due weight, and act upon it agreeably to reason and equity, and in so doing you will not only discover an act of justice and generosity toward me, but a regard to the gospel, in affording it a ready and cheerful support among you, and relieve me from many cares and perplexities, and give me abund- antly the better opportunity to discharge the great duties of my office among you, in endeavouring to promote the honor of Christ's kingdom and the spiritual welfare of you, your children, and this whole flock.
" That we may always be enabled and disposed to discharge our respective duties .to God and each other, live in mutual peace and love here, and finally be admitted together into a better country, to the enjoyment, not of a worldly, but heavenly, incorruptible inheri tanee, is the hearty desire of your,
" Though unworthy, " Yet very affectionate Pastor, " JONA. FRENCII.
" Andover, February 19, 1779."
The Parish responded substantially to the proposals of this letter. During the year 1779-80 two eorn-rates were assessed, amounting to 346 bushels. Quite a number also paid their money-rates in corn. These money rates were, in the depre- ciated currency, largely increased.
Mr. Quincy, who boarded in Mr. French's family during this time, says, in a letter to Rev. Dr. Sprague, published in the Annals of the American Pulpit :
" Frugality was the necessity of the time and the law of his household. The only bread we tasted was Indian or Bye, or a mixture of both. Mr. French, on the Sabbath, had the special privilege of white or flour bread, because, as he said, the Rye or Indian gave him the heart-burn. As he took, on that day, no other dinner, he justified himself in indulging in that enviable luxury. Chocolate was the breakfast - our dinners pork and
53
SUPPORT OF THE MINISTRY.
beef, with a plentiful allowance of cabbage and all the usual vegetables farmers cultivate. In the winter frozen cod came along from the sea-coast. Bohea, a tea to modern luxury almost unknown, was onr table resort, with a qualification of milk at supper time." The people did not confine their support to the payment of rates. "When winter approached and farmers began to collect the produce of their farms ..... he had often to suspend as many spare-ribs in his cellar as it had nails to hang them on, besides chickens, now and then a turkey, and wild pigeons without number." From 1796 till his death, the sum voted yearly for his support was $266.67. The Parish bore the expense of his funeral, continued the salary and fire- wood to Mrs. French, and allowed her the use of the parsonage buildings from August to the April following, and the crops of that year; and, while requesting her to entertain preachers, requested her also " to exhibit her bill to the Parish for pay- ment." It should be added, that, previous to his decease, March 1806, the Deacons were authorized to draw from the Treasury the money necessary " to procure preachers at such times when the Rev. Jona. French is unable to perform himself."
The salary of Mr. Edwards was $900, with the use of the Parish Pew. Mr. Badger was settled on a salary of $730. March 8, 1832, voted to add $170, for the term of five years. The Parish voted to Mr. Langstroth $900. Mr. Taylor was settled on the same terms. Mr. Smith's salary was $1000, with the privilege of four weeks' vacation. This was raised, in Octo- ber, 1853, to $1200, from the date of his settlement, as an induce- ment for him to remain. But the inducement did not avail. The salary of the present minister is $1200. An annual vaca- tion of four weeks is given. All the ministers, since the build- ing of the present meeting-house, have had the use of a Parish pew. The following letter, with reference to this part of minis- terial support, is a pleasant memento of the past.
5*
54
HISTORICAL SKETCHES.
" To Deacon Zebadiah Abbot, Moderator of the Parish Meeting ; -- to be communicated to the Parish.
" SIR :- The Clerk having presented me with the votes of the Parish for purchasing a pew in the new meeting-house, for a par- sonage pew, giving me the privilege of choosing one for that purpose : I return them my sincere thanks for this renewed mark of their respect, and the polite manner in which they have shown it ; - and have chosen as a parsonage pew that which joins to the broad Ile, next to the women's seats - and hope the choice will be agreeable to the Parish. And as a small token of my respect and affection for the Parish, beg their acceptance of the inseription over the pulpit window, and on the front of the pulpit, done in gold-leaf. Wishing the bless- ing of God on this house, and on this Parish and their posterity to the latest generation, I subscribe their very
" Affectionate Pastor,
"JONA. FRENCHI.
" Andover, December 8, 1788."
The money for the expenses of the Parish has been raised, from the first unto the present time, by taxation. The expenses, except for occasional repair or erection of buildings, were, in the early years, only a few pounds more than the pastor's salary. Even as late as 1770, but £72 and a few shillings covered the yearly expenditure. The rate made for the year 1785, which included the amount needed for providing materials for the present meeting-house, was £224 3s. 1d. 33qr. The additional cost of the house was £100, levied in 1788. The tax of the year 1795, the last made in the Royal currency, was £121 6s. 10d. 3qr. The average rate till 1810, the year when the sale of the parsonage lands commeneed, was $482. From 1810 till 1826, the year of the formation of the West Parish, it was $546. The table which follows will show, errors excepted, the number of polls, the amount paid by each poll, the valuation of real and personal estate, the yearly assessment, and the per- centage on each hundred dollars, from 1830 to 1859 inclusive.
55
SUPPORT OF TIIE MINISTRY.
Years.
No. of Polls.
Poll Tax.
Valuation.
Total Assessm't.
On #100.
1830
311
$ ,32
$181,560
$620,45
.28,8
1831
348
,29
180,872
613,11
.28,2
1832
318
,42
371,550
804,07
.18,
1833
277
,35
360,412
621,31
.15,4
1834
275
,43
360,508
727,05
.17,4
1835
203
,62
287,452
775,56
.19,2
1836
172
1,00
284,335
1041,68
.33,
1837
154
1,12
252,787
1036,93
.34,2
1838
140
1,12
248.431
1043,87
.36,
1839
141
1,00
241,393
837,52
.28,8
1840
136
1,08
258,310
890,99
.28,8
1841
152
1,00
162,192
1043,44
.54,
1842
138
1,10
145,656
938,34
.54,
1843
97
1,50
135,327
943,99
.53,4
1844
122
1,00
131,038
704,71
.44,4
1845
111
1,20
128,766
843,22
.54,6
1846
111
1,10
126,058
704,26
.46,2
1847
106
1,00
129,149
636,17
.40,8
1848
100
1,36
135,132
828,03
.51,
1849
97
1,44
120,316
832,61
.54,
1850
100
1,25
126,738
753,65
.46,8
1851
99
1,20
318,811
751,62
.19,8
1852
97
1,40
405,505
797,32
.20,4
1853
97
1,50
348,417
904,05
.21,6
1854
91
1,50
326,993
943,03
.22,8
1855
86
1,50
342,667
1402,62
.37,2
1856
87
1,50
338,988
1084,96
.28,2
1857
93
1,50
353,900
1178,96
.29,4
1853
90
1,50
353,663
1089,40
.27,
1859
80
1,50
326,999
1090,
.30,
By the above Table it will be seen that there has, within the last twenty-nine years, been considerable fluctuation in the num- ber of tax-payers. It appears that in 1831, the year containing the largest number of polls, the valuation was less by more than $146,000 than in 1859, with the number of polls less by 268 ; and that the assessment on the hundred dollars, in 1859, with eighty polls, only exceeds, by less than two cents, that of 1831, with 348 polls. In later years, too, quite a large number of men, though connected with the congregation, either worship- ping with it or whose families worship with it, have neglected to join the Parish. Some of these have been accustomed to pay what has been named a "voluntary tax."
56
HISTORICAL SKETCHES.
V.
MUSIC IN PUBLIC WORSHIP.
The first notice in regard to singing, which we have found in the Parish records, dates as lately as 1769. At the Annual Meeting of that year it was "put to vote to see if the Parish will sing Tate & Brady or Dr. Watts's Psalms, and it passed on the negative." The Psalm-book used at this time was probably the New England version. In a church-meeting three years afterwards it was voted to sing Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns, three months. For eighty-seven years, then, the people have sung, for the most part, these songs of Zion, the only changes since being the gradual introduction, in addition, of the Select Ilymns of Dr. Worcester.
" The common method of reading the Psalm line by line " at the communion, was " dropped " April 21, 1794. It went out of use in the congregation a short time before this.
In 1779 it was voted by the Parish to consent to the building of a seat in the meeting-house to accommodate singing. This seat was to be " before the seat the Deacons sit in." It is uncertain whether the seat was built. For we find a petition for a Parish Meeting, 1780, to see if the Parish would allow seats for the singing school. No action seems to have been taken on this petition. Another petition of the same kind was presented in 1782, for the use of the three hindmost seats. This petition was refused. At about this time, it is said, a part of the singers sat in the gallery and a part below. When the new house was building, the same question came up again. At one meeting the privilege of sitting together was denied : at a - subsequent meeting it was granted. The seats allowed were in the front gallery.
A Society called the South Parish Musical Society, was in existence in 1809. A committee of this society petitioned the
57
MUSIC IN PUBLIC WORSHIP.
Parish for aid. Aid was promised, but, after adjourning five times, the Parish left the subject to a committee to make a report. What that report was, perhaps was never known. An- other request was made for assistance in 1811: the Parish " regret their inability at the present time to assist."
A Bass-Viol was in use as early as 1800; since that year the Parish appointed "Hermon Abbot to use" it. We find notices of a small viol in 1828, of a flute in 1829, and of two flutes, bass and small viol, in 1830. The organ, purchased by subscription in 1835, for $800, was the following year bought by the Parish. This caused a good deal of unpleasant feeling for several years, and some persons declined being taxed for any share in its cost.
The first appropriation of money by the Parish for music was in 1805. A small sum was then given for the expenses of the bass-viol. In 1818 the assessors were authorized to draw for the singers, not to exceed thirty dollars. The next year, fifteen dollars was voted. Difficulty arising about this time, the sum of five dollars, the next year, was scarcely voted, to save the danger that the singers would leave their seats. In 1826 the money drawn for them was not to exceed twenty dollars. In 1829 fifty dollars was appropriated. Since 1837, $100 has been annually voted.
In regard to the leaders of the singing the account is imperfect. We read concerning Dea. Joseph Abbot, who removed to Wil- ton in 1776, at that time in his seventy-second year, that "he for many years tuned the Psalm, and Dea. Isaac Abbot, his cousin, read it line by line." This would carry us back quite early. At the time of Mr. Quiney's residence, 1778-86, the leader's name was Ames. Somewhat later, Mr. Ballard was the leader. In 1800 the Parish 'dismissed the persons who led the singing, and chose Henry Dane, with Benjamin Abbot as his assistant.' Between this date and 1820 the following persons are remembered as leaders of the singing : Asa Abbot, Ezra Ingalls(?), Enoch Frye and Ralph H. Chandler.
58
HISTORICAL SKETCHES.
The singers' seats were at this time filled with many persons who were not considered suitable members of a choir. As a remedy of this evil, the Andover South Parish Union Singing Society was formed, Oct. 16, 1820. This society, receiving its members by vote, soon became the only occupants of the seats, and has continued to be the choir to the present time. Its President for the time is the chorister. The following persons have been Presidents, from 1820 to 1859.
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