USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Hanover > Historical sketch of the town of Hanover, Mass., with family genealogies, 1853 > Part 6
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1742, May 7. " The church took a vote to see if the Society would sing in the new way, and it passed in the affirmative, nem. con. Then being desired to bring in their votes for a TUNER, Mr. Ezekiel TURNER was chosen by a considerable majority." Previous 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, who could
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HISTORY OF HANOVER.
sing, joined in the performance. By this vote, Sternhold and Hopkins' version of the Psalms was rejected, and Tate and Brady's adopted.
1748, April 8. £14 15s. were collected, " to buy good books with, 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 Epistle to the Colossians, by Nicholas Byfield."
The ministry of Mr. Bass, which was quiet and undisturbed, passed peacefully on, until terminated by his death, which took place May 23, 1756, in the 63d year of his age, after a settle- ment of 27 years, 5 months, and 15 days, during which period 83 persons joined the church, and 588 were baptised.
The remains of Mr. Bass, with those of his wife, who died Feb. 25, 1772, lie in the south-east corner of the old burying ground ; and the grave stones, which mark the spot, are still in a state of tolerable preservation, though that of Mr. Bass appears to have been broken, and re-set. The inscriptions on the same are simple, and can be easily deciphered.
Our materials, for a sketch of the life of this first servant of the Church, are quite scanty. In vain have we sought for some notice of his career in the papers of that day. From his writings, he appears to have been a man marked more by common sense, than by brilliancy of diction, withal a little inclined to facetious- ness, yet open-hearted, and frank, and laboring diligently for the welfare of his people. He was often consulted by neighboring Churches, and acted as Moderator in Ecclesiastical Councils ;1 and, in the midst of the excitement which prevailed, during the latter years of his ministry, occasioned by the preaching of White- field, and the rise of the " New Lights," as they were termed, he preserved his own hold on the good-will of 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 wel-
1 Winsor, Hist. Duxbury, 196, and 199.
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SETTLEMENT OF MR. BALDWIN.
comed. He took great interest in the children of his parish, and never passed a child, in the road, without noticing it. And 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 curtesies, while smiles of joy illumined their faces. His grandson, Elisha, has, at his house, the wedding dress of Mrs. Bass, which was a cream colored, brocade silk, of considerable beauty, - also a silk apron, of a sage color. A lady, whom I saw there, Oct. 18, 1852, informs me, as an illustra- tion of Mr. B's facetiousness, that having received an invitation to settle at Eel River, Plymouth, and on being asked if he should accept, he replied, " No, Eel River may do for small fish, but it is not large enough for a Bass."
After the decease of Mr. Bass, Ezekiel Turner, Esq., Joseph House, and Michael Sylvester, were chosen a committee by the town, June 14, 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. Samuel Baldwin for their pastor, the town concurred in the choice, and voted as his salary £73 6s. 8d., lawful money. Mr. B. declining to settle for this sum, it was voted, Oct. 11th, to give him £80 lawful money, and to build him, within the space of 18 months, " a dwelling-house 40 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 17 feet be- tween 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 feet long, and 14 feet wide, pointed, &c., and every thing, both inside and outside, both wood work, iron work, and joiners' work, with two Bofatts (cupboards) and as many closets in said house 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 the . said Mr. Baldwin, and this to be a free gift as a settlement, to which proposal Mr. B. gave his answer in the affirmative." Feb. 7, the dimensions of the house were altered to 38 by 32 feet ; and it was voted to pay for the building in money, and to give Joseph Curtis £160, lawful money, for building and completing it. March 5, 1759, Mr. Baldwin acknowledged the receipt of the house as his settlement gift.
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HISTORY OF HANOVER.
October 18, 1756, " Voted that Mr. Baldwin be ordained Dec. 1, if the Thanksgiving be not on that week, but if it is, the ordination to be on the second Wednesday of said December." Also, " Voted to give Captain Joseph Josselynn £16, in lawful money, to provide handsome and suitable entertainment for the ordination, and he agreed to do it for that sum."
The ordination took place Dec. 1; " the Rev. Messrs. Gay, of Hingham, Cook, of Sudbury, Storer, of Watertown, Smith, of Pembroke, and Swift, of Acton, laying on hands. Mr. Smith prayed, Mr. Cook preached, Mr. Gay gave the charge, Mr. Storer the right hand of fellowship, and Mr. Swift offered the last prayer. The churches or pastors sent to besides the above, were Wales, of Marshfield, Hitchcock, of Pembroke, Woodward, of Weston, Dodge, of Abington, and Barnes, of Scituate."
Under the ministration of Mr. Baldwin, the meeting-house was soon filled ; and accordingly, June 25, 1764, it was voted, to open the same "in two parts, and to put in a new piece in the middle of 13 or 14 feet in length." This vote was reconsidered, October 22, and it was then voted to build a new house, of the following dimensions : - " 62 feet in length, 43 in width, and 22 feet between joints, according to the plan in the office of the Town Clerk. "
At the same time, it was voted, that " each person enjoy their pews as heretofore, only giving way for the new additional pews to be built ; " and 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 of pay for the work aforesaid." Mr. Joseph Tolman, was the contractor for the erection of the new house ; and May 20, 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 ; and the new house was erected on the site of the old one. It stood facing the South, and the roof pitched North and 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, the powder room, in which the town's
BOSTON FUBLIC LIBRARY
SECOND CENTRAL MEETING HOUSE.
PRESENT CENTRAL MEETING HOUSE.
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SECOND MEETING HOUSE.
stock of powder was kept, during the Revolution. The men's porch, was at the West end, also projecting from the building, and rising above the eaves, with a long, tapering spire, or steeple, 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. The author does not know of any house now stand- ing, from which a perfect idea of this ancient tabernacle could be obtained. Perhaps in internal arrangement, the old meeting house in Carver, near the residence of John Savary, Esq., may be considered as an approximation to that of the second house in Hanover, though externally, the porches and steeple are wanting. It is said, that, while this house was being erected, meetings were held in a pine grove, near by, and here, Mr. Baldwin's daughter Hannah was baptised.
The affairs of the society, from this time forward, until the war of the Revolution commenced, continued in a state of quiet pros- perity, and the salary of Mr. Baldwin was paid regularly and promptly ; but the derangement in the finances of the country in- troduced by that struggle, led to difficulties in many religious societies, and, finally, to a dissolution of the connexion, which had so long and so happily subsisted, between Mr. Baldwin, and the society in Hanover. On the Church records, under date of Nov. 28, 1779, is the following entry by Mr. Baldwin himself: "I preached a farewell sermon to the people of Hanover for the want of support, and on the 8th March following, I asked a dismission for the want of support, which they granted, and it was confirmed by a vote of the town."
Mr. Baldwin remained with the society 23 years, 3 months, and 3 days, during which period, 107 persons joined the Church, and 632 were baptised. As a pastor, his services gave general satis- faction, and as a preacher, his talents were not only highly re- spectable, but his manuscripts evince that he was a ready and eloquent writer, and his discourses display good judgment, keen perceptions, and strong common sense.
Mr. Baldwin early espoused the cause of America, in the strug- gle with Great Britain, and, throughout the continuance of the war
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HISTORY OF HANOVER.
of the Revolution, took a deep and anxious interest in his country's success.
He officiated as a Chaplain in the Army, and gave eloquent ex- hortations to his own flock at home, and to the minute men of the town ; and, so completely was he absorbed in this work, that the intensity-of his devotion, joined with other causes, affected his mind, and for a period of four years, previous to his decease, he was partially deranged, and under the faithful care of his devoted wife.
It is said that on one occasion, during this period, a neighbor, Miss Studley, called at the parsonage, to converse with Mrs. Bald- win, upon the events of the war, not then wholly closed. Mr. B. lay on his bed, apparently unmindful of what they were saying, in his usual state of apathy and indifference. Suddenly he arose, left the room, went to his study, and returned with the manuscript of a discourse which he had delivered to the minute men, and, standing in the doorway, he deliberately read it from beginning to end. Mrs. B. was rejoiced, thinking the balance of his mind was about to be restored. But when he had finished his reading, he carried the manuscript back, returned, and laid himself on the bed in silence.
His death took place December 1, 1784, about one year after peace was declared ; and his remains, with those of his wife, lie in the old burial-ground ; grave stones having been erected to their memory, by vote of the town, March 9, 1796.
I have been able to learn of but one of his productions that was printed, - his address before the Pilgrim Society, delivered in 1775.
The house in which Mr. Baldwin lived is still standing, on Han- over Street, not far from the residence of the late Dr. Joshua Studley ; and it is a fair specimen of the style of building here one hundred years ago. It is still in decent repair, and promises yet to stand for many years, a memorial of the past, and one of the few relics of olden time, becoming rarer every year.
After the withdrawal of Mr. Baldwin, several candidates for the pastorship of the society were heard, and some time elapsed before a settlement was effected.
Rev. Joseph Litchfield, subsequently of York, Maine, a de-
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SETTLEMENT OF MR. MELLEN.
scendant of Lawrence Litchfield, of Barnstable, Massachusetts, was one of these candidates ; and a call was given him, with a salary of " £90 per annum, in silver money, at 6s. per dollar, or gold equivalent, or in paper bills at the rate or value the General Court or Assembly shall settle the same, and 12 cords of firewood at his door, within a mile from the meeting-house ; " and December 27, 1780, was fixed upon as the day for his ordination ; Capt. Joseph Soper to provide entertainment for the Council. The Council met, and, it is said, were in session two or three days ; but Mr. L. was not ordained, many of the society being opposed to his settlement. Tradition says, that the objections urged against him were of the most trifling character ;- one being, that he wore stockings, " footed up " with yarn of a different color from that in the " tops ;" and this was " beneath the dignity of the clerical of- fice ; " - and the second, and perhaps the most frivolous of the two, affirming, that, on a certain occasion, in making a call, instead of entering the yard by the gate, as a clergyman should have done, he " clambered over the rails of the fence, much to the lowering of the dignity of his profession. "
We suspect, however, that political, or other differences, were the real grounds of objection against him.
But though not settled when first called, a second attempt was made to effect that object ; which resulted as before, in his rejection and withdrawal.
Finally, after hearing several other candidates, to some of whom a call was given, a more unanimous request was sent, in 1783, to the Rev. John Mellen, of Sterling, to come and labor among them ; and this call was successful. He was settled in Hanover, Feb- ruary 11, 1784 ; Capt. Joseph Soper making the entertainment for the Council. "Six churches were sent to on the occasion, but Cambridge failed by reason of the aged and Reverend Dr. Ap- pleton's death on the same week. Rev. Mr. Hitchcock, of Pem- broke, gave the charge ; Rev. Mr. Barnes, of Scituate, the right hand of fellowship ; his son, Rev. Mr. Mellen, of Barnstable, preach- ed the sermon ; Rev. Mr. Prentiss, of Reading, began with prayer ; and Rev. Mr. Niles, of Abington, concluded. Anthems were sung by the choir, on entering and leaving the Meeting house. "
In 1785, the Society received, of Col. Joseph Josselynn, a dona-
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HISTORY OF HANOVER.
tion of $100, which they agreed " should go towards buying a bell, if there can be enough subscribed to make up the rest; " and November 29, 1785, the bell was purchased, of Col. Aaron Hobart, of Abington, and a committee of twenty, " with all the rest of the town that see cause to assist," were chosen to "hang it."
This bell was broken, not long after, through want of skill on the part of the person appointed to ring it ; was re-cast, and when re-hung, December 18, 1788, Dea. Bass, Dea. Robbins, and Ben- jamin Stetson were chosen to " give the sexton directions how to ring the bell. "
In 1789, it was voted to paint the meeting-house ; " the walls to be stone yellow, the roof spanish brown, and the corner boards and window frames and sashes white." May 30, 1791, "Voted to give Capt. Timothy Rose, £3, to take care of, and sweep and sand the meeting house, and ring the bell the present year."
October 14, 1793, a Committee chosen " to get the meeting- house underpinned, and to procure a stock lock for the door. " June 9, 1797, a Committee was chosen to seat the singers; and alterations were made in the house to provide for their accommo- dation. The same year, $300 were voted as the salary of Mr. Mellen, and from that time forward, his salary was paid in Federal, instead of Sterling, currency. In 1802, the bell was re-hung ; and in 1803, Capt. Albert Smith presented to the town a number of Lombardy poplar trees, which were set out near the meeting house. Not one of these is now standing. The last was cut down, a few years since, by Mr. Samuel Stetson.
The ministry of Mr. Mellen was terminated, by the infirmities of age, in 1805, and he removed to Reading, Massachusetts, where he closed his long and useful life, in the house of his daughter, the relict of Caleb Prentiss, July 4, 1807, aged 85.
His life was an eventful one. He was born in Hopkinton, March 14, 1722, and graduated at Harvard College, in 1741, teaching school the same year for £85, at Sudbury. ' He was ordained the first pastor of the church in Sterling, December 19, 1744, where he continued, probably at the head of the clergy of Worcester County, until November 14, 1774. His connexion with this society, which had continued for thirty years, was dis-
1Barry's History of Framingham, p. 328.
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OPINIONS OF MR. MELLEN.
solved, in consequence of disputes, occasioned by his endeavors to maintain what he considered the true discipline of the churches, and by his adoption of doctrinal sentiments, not wholly in accord- ance with those generally prevailing at the time. "He with others, as tradition says, had sensibly departed from the standard of faith that had been generally received in the New England Churches, and had extended his speculations in such a manner, as to give great offence to some who had not pursued the same course of reasoning. In 1756, he delivered an eloquent series of dis- courses addressed to parents, children, and youth, which contained sentiments highly obnoxious to many of his brethren in the min- istry. These were published, and were extremely well received by his people. In the unguarded hours of social conversation, too, he, as was well understood, rejected many of the articles of the popular faith. Nor were his people dissatisfied with him on this account, but rather for publicly co-operating in the censure of those doctrines which it was supposed he embraced as the truth of the gospel. It was now understood by some of the most intelli- gent of the parish, that their minister was verging towards doc- trines that he had publicly disclaimed. In 1765, he published a volume of sermons on the doctrines of Christianity. These con- tained a learned system of scholastic theology, maintaining a middle course between the two extremes of Calvinism and Arminianism. Upon some of the controverted points it is not easy to understand which side his speculations favor most. The volume is highly creditable to his memory as a scholar and a theologian, and when published was considered an acquisition to the literature of the country. When his people produced their allegations against him in 1773, they urged but few instances of false doctrines, and of these he fully exculpated himself before a council. The principal charge of this character was, that he had said that God was the author of sin. The sermon was produced where it was said to be contained. He stated that he had never held this doctrine in its gross sense, but only that sin was by permission, &c. The council cleared him, as his church had previously. " He is described, in the work from which we have just quoted, as a man " liberally endowed by nature with a strong and energetic mind, which was
1See an elaborate article in the Worcester Magazine, Vol. 2. p. 213, &c.
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HISTORY OF HANOVER.
highly improved by diligent and successful cultivation, and he ob- tained a high rank as a preacher and scholar."
Besides the volume of doctrinal Sermons, to which we have al- ready referred, and his sermons to parents, &c., his other published works, were, a Sermon at the Ordination of Rev. J. Palmer, 1753 ; - a Discourse at a General Muster, 1756 ; - on the Mortal Sick- ness among his People, 1756 ; - on the Conquest of Canada, 1760; -on the Death of Sebastian Smith, 1763 ; - Religion productive of Music, at Marlboro', 1773 ; - a Sermon at the Ordination of Rev. Levi Whitman, 1785 ; - a Discourse before a Lodge of Freemasons, 1793 ; - and a Thanksgiving Sermon, 1795. 1
A few of these, as will be seen by the dates, were delivered after his settlement in Hanover. He is spoken of here, with much affection, by his old parishioners ; and was a man of sociable habits, lively in conversation, fond of a jest, and of ardent feelings. Many anecdotes are related of his ministry ; but we have already extended our sketch as far as will be generally interesting, or we should be happy to introduce them.
October 21, 1805, " Voted to repair the bass viol, and the singers' seats."
July 23, 1806, Rev. Calvin Chaddock, late of Rochester, was installed as pastor of the Society ; the entertainment being pro- vided by Lemuel Dwelly, at an expense of $125. Seven churches were sent to on the occasion ; five only attended. Rev. Mr. Strong, of Randolph, offered the Installing Prayer ; Rev. Mr. Niles, of Abington, preached the sermon, and offered the conse- crating prayer ; Rev. Mr. Barker, of Middleboro', delivered the charge ; Rev. Mr. Norton, of Weymouth, the right hand of fellow- ship ; and Rev. Mr. Richards, of Halifax, offered the concluding prayer." During the ministry of Mr. Chaddock, the Academy was built, of which we shall speak in our Chapter on Education ; and of this Academy, Mr. C. had the charge, until his removal from the place, in 1818, after a settlement of 12 years. He is spoken of as a ready preacher, a man of great natural eloquence, fluent in speech, and one whose discourses were generally popular. In the possession of his son, Mr. Ebenezer N. Chaddock, of Boston, is a large sized painting, containing a likeness of Mr. C.,
1 Allen's Biographical Dictionary, and Worcester Magazine.
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MR. CHADDOCK -MR. CHAPIN.
and of his wife, and three of his children, executed nearly 50 years since, by Arad Thompson, and representing him in the atti- tude of imparting instruction to the children.
Mr. Alden, one of the pupils at his school, says of him, that, " with a mind richly gifted by the Father of Spirits, he possessed a native, simple, and truly genuine eloquence. His bosom, a fountain of the tenderest sympathies spontaneously gushing forth, moved him often and copiously "to weep with them that weep." To the afflicted - to the mourner in Zion - his words of consola- tion were the breathings of angelic sweetness ; while the truth of God heard from his lips in tones of deepest solemnity, thrilled the hearts of assembled multitudes. "Of like passions with others - by no means faultless - yea, even specially " compassed with infirmity," - yet in conflict with his spiritual foes "he was more than a conqueror." The peaceful close of his useful life was pass- ed on the sunny plains of Western Virginia. While passing up the beautiful Ohio, of a pleasant summer's morning, many years since, I was providentially thrown in company with some of those who enjoyed his last ministrations ; and thus, from the lips of his personal friends, I received the animating account of his final exit from earth, in the triumph of the Christian faith."1
Rev. Seth Chapin, the sixth Pastor, was the son of Seth and Eunice Chapin, of Mendon, Mass. ; and was born June 25, 1783. His father was an officer in the Revolutionary Army, and was stationed, a portion of the time, in Rhode Island ; being engaged in Sullivan's celebrated expedition. The son pursued his studies, preparatory for College, under the Rev. Dr. Crane, of Uxbridge, entered Brown University, in 1804, graduated in 1808, studied Theology at Andover, which place he left in 1811 ; and in Novem- ber of that year, was installed as pastor of the Church in Hillsboro', N. H. Here he remained until 1816; and the following three years were spent in Rowley, Mass., Mansfield, Conn., and else- where. In 1819, he was settled in Hanover, and remained until 1824, after which he preached in East Haddam, Conn., Hunter, N. Y., Attleboro', Mass., and Granville, Mass. In 1845, he relinquished the duties of his profession, and engaged in agricul-
1 Letter, in the Pamphlet giving an account of the Exercises at the Dedi- cation of the New Academy, p. 12.
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HISTORY OF HANOVER.
tural pursuits, with such ardor, and success, in the language of his son, as to "have the pleasure of matching the wonderful Georgic transformation, and saw,
" Ingens
O-TON PUBLIC
Exiit ad coelum ramis felicibus arbos
Miraturque novas fondes et non sua poma.' IBR ARY
He married Mary Bicknell, second daughter of the Hon. Joshua Bicknell, of Barrington, May 28, 1810, - her father having been, " for more than 50 years, prominent in the councils of the State ; and a man of such unflinching political integrity as to have received the title of " old Aristides." By this marriage he had two sons, the elder of whom, Henry, graduated at Brown Uni- versity, in 1835, received the degree of L.L.B., at Harvard College, in 1838, and is settled as a Physician, in Providence, Rhode Island. The younger son, read law with the Hon. A. C. Greene, of Rhode Island, and settled in Alabama, where he died September 11, 1836, at the early age of 21. Mr. Chapin, the father, died in Providence, Rhode Island, April 19, 1850, æ 67. His widow survives, and is residing with her son, in Provi- dence. As a preacher, Mr. Chapin was earnest, and faithful ; his discourses being instructive, and copiously illustrated. As a scholar, he was diligent, and studious ; and several of his occasional productions were published. He was successful in his calling ; a man of usefulness, and indomitable perseverance ; and he left be- hind him a good name, as an inheritance for his surviving son.
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