USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Weymouth > Historical sketch of the town of Weymouth, Massachusetts, from 1622-1884 > Part 13
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REV. ROBERT LENTHAL came to Weymouth in 1637, upon the invitation of many of the inhabitants who had been his parishioners in England, who probably judged the time a favorable one to introduce their own man, in consequence of the troubles then existing. He does not seem to have been in favor with the authorities, for he was forbidden ordination by the governor. He was suspected with a leaning in favor of the views of Mrs. Hutchinson and her adherents, and in consequence was brought before a council, convened at the house of Capt. Israel Stoughton, in Dorchester, Feb. 10, 1639, the result of which left matters pretty much as it found them, Mr. Lenthal " being admonished." Upon this council were Rev. John Wilson and Rev. John Cotton,
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of the church in Boston; Rev. Zechariah Symmes, of the Charlestown church; Rev. John Weld and Rev. John Eliot, from Roxbury ; Rev. Samuel Newman, Rev. Thomas Jenner, Mr. Edward Bates, afterwards ruling elder, and Mr. Stephen French, both from the church in Weymouth; and one private individual, probably Capt. Robert Keayne (a brother-in-law of Mr. Wilson), who took notes of the proceedings, which have been pre- served; also Capt. Stoughton, a magistrate and a prom- inent member of the church in Dorchester.
Mr. Lenthal brought from England a good reputa- tion as a minister, and seems to have done nothing here worthy of censure. In 1640 he removed to Newport, R. I., where he taught school, and afterwards returned to England.
REV. SAMUEL NEWMAN was called to the church in Weymouth in 1639, where he remained four or five years, during which time Mr. Hull, Mr. Jenner and Mr. Lenthal left the town, and he remained master of the situation, which appears not to have been altogether a pleasant one, since he removed about the beginning of 1644-5 to Rehoboth, taking with him a large number of his people. Perhaps the selection of the name for the new town, "the Lord hath made room for us," may furnish a hint for the reason of his removal from Weymouth. He was born in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England, May 10, 1602, and was the son of Richard Newman; matriculate of Trinity College, Oxford, March 3, 1620; obtained his degree of A. B. on the 17th of October following, when he was said to be of St. Edmund's Hall. In 1625 he had a very small benefice at Midhope, a part of the parish of Ecclesfield, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, to which his successor was presented ten years later. He came to New England, where his name is found in 1636 among the members of
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the church in Dorehester. He came over in the ship " James " from London in 1635, and died in Rehoboth, July 5, 1663. He was a man of excellent character and learning, a hard student, and an animated preacher, ardently beloved and long lamented by his people. He compiled a eoneordanee of the Bible, the third at that time, and the best in the English language, and is the foundation of that now known as "Crudens." " While living he was defrauded of the profits of his work, and when dead he was robbed even of the name." He married, Dee. 25, 1623, at Banbury, England, Sybil -, born in that town, Nov. 21, 1604, and died in Rehoboth, Nov. 2, 1672.
They had:
I. SAMUEL, born in England, July 6, 1625 ; married, Dec. 6, 1659, Bathsheba Chickering; lived in Rehoboth; was deacon of the church and also deputy to the General Court several times. He died in Rehoboth, Dec. 14, 1710. II. ANTIPAS, born in England, Oct. 15, 1627 ; married, in 1658, Elizabeth, daughter of Gov. Winthrop. He was minis- ter at Wenham, Mass., and died in October, 1672. His widow afterwards married a son of Gov. Endicott.
III. NOAH, born in England, Jan. 10, 1631 ; married Joanna, daugh- ter of Rev. Henry and Margery (sister of Rev. Leonard Hoar, third president of Harvard College) Flint, minis- ter of Braintree ; succeeded his father as minister at Rehoboth, in which office he dicd, April 16, 1678.
IV. HOPESTILL, born in Weymouth, May 29, 1641 ; married Rev. George Shove, of Dorchester, afterwards third pastor of the church at Taunton, Mass. She died March 7, 1674.
[ This family record is from the Reed Genealogy.]
REV. THOMAS THACHER was the son of Rev. Peter Thacher, reetor of St. Edmund's, Salisbury, County Wilts, England, born May 1, 1620, before his father was indueted into office. The family was probably originally from Somersetshire. He came to America in the ship " James " from Southampton, landing in Boston, June 4,
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1635, with his uncle Anthony. He made his prepara- tory studies with Rev. Charles Chauncey, of Scituate, afterwards president of Harvard College. He was ordained as pastor over the church in Weymouth, Jan. 2, 1644-5, where he remained for about twenty years, when he removed to Boston, and was installed Feb. 16, 1670, as the first pastor of the Third Church (the Old South), in which position he remained until his death, Oct. 15, 1678. He was one of the most eminent schol- ars of his day, and, according to President Stiles, the best Arabic scholar in the country, a faithful pastor, and an interesting preacher. He was also a skilful physician; the author of a paper called " A Guide in the Small- Pox and Measles," the first medical publication issued in this country. "He was a man of prayer and an exemplary ministerial character," but particularly op- posed to the Quakers; and whenever he found any of their books among his people he was careful to take possession of them. He married, first, May 11, 1643, Elizabeth, youngest daughter of Rev. Ralph Partridge, of Duxbury, Mass., by whom he had: THOMAS, RALPH or RODOLPHUS, PETER (born in Salem), baptized July 20, 1651 (graduate of Harvard College, 1671), PATIENCE, and ELIZABTEH, who married, first, Nathan- iel Davenport, the gallant captain killed in the Narra- gansett fight, Dec. 19, 1675. She afterwards married, in 1677, Samuel Davis. Mrs. Elizabeth Thacher died June 2, 1664, and soon after Rev. Thomas married, 1665, Margaret, widow of Jacob Sheaffe, of Boston, daughter of Henry Webb, and removed to that city, where he united with the First Church, Aug. 4, 1667; and when the Old South Church was formed, in conse- quence of troubles growing out of the bringing of Mr. Davenport from New Haven, he was called to be its pastor.
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REV. SAMUEL TORREY, the sueecssor of Rev. Mr. Thaeher, in Weymouth, was the son of Capt. William Torrey, one of the early settlers of that town, and one of the most important names upon its records, who came to Weymouth from England with his family in 1640. Samuel was at that time eight years old, having been born in the old country in 1632. He was edu- cated at Harvard College, entering that institution about 1650, but did not graduate on account of the lengthening of the term of study for one year, with which there was so much dissatisfaction that he, with several others, among whom were Rev. Josiah Wins- low, Rev. Ichabod Wiswell, of Duxbury, agent for Plymouth Colony at the court of England, Rev. Samuel Waterman, of Fairfield, Rev. Mr. Brimsmead, of Marl- borough, all afterwards men of distinction in the colonies, left the college without taking their degrees. The early record of his ministry is somewhat obseure; but he seems to have first preached at Hull, about 1656, where he remained for several years. It appears also that he preached for a time in Weymouth previous to his ordi- nation, in the absence of the pastor, Rev. Mr. Thaeher. He was ordained Feb. 14, 1664-5, and continued as pastor of this church until his death, which occurred April 21, 1707, at the age of seventy-five years, fifty- one of which he spent in the ministry. He was mar- ried, first, May 15, 1657, while residing at Hull, by Gov. Bellingham, to Mary, daughter of Hon. Edward Raw- son. She died without issue, Sept. 10, 1692; and he married, second, July 30, 1699, Mary, widow of Wil- liam Symmes, of Charlestown, who survived him until Mareh 12, 1721. There were no children by this mar- riage.
Mr. Torrey had the reputation of being one of the ablest ministers of his day. He was of fine personal appearance, with excellent and thoroughly trained intel-
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lectual powers, and a dignity of deportment singularly appropriate to his position as estimated by the require- ments of that period, at the same time cheerful and agreeable in social intercourse. He was a leader, rec- ognized and acknowledged by the greatest minds of his day. Twice he was elected president of Harvard College: first, in 1681, to succeed President Oakes; and second, in 1684, upon the death of President Rogers, but declined the position. Three times he preached the election sermon before the General Court, May 27, 1674, May 16, 1683, and May 29, 1695, all of which have been printed. During his ministry he was much sought after to assist in ordinations, at councils, and upon other public occasions; and it was during his term of service that the old meeting-house upon Burying Hill, having become from age and decay unfit for further use, was taken down, and a new onc erected in 1682 on the site of the present house of worship.
REV. PETER THACHER was called to the pastorate of the church in Weymouth after the death of Rev. Mr. Torrey. He was son of Thomas Thacher, Jr., and grandson of Rev. Thomas Thacher, former pastor at Weymouth; born 1678; graduated at Harvard College, 1696; and was ordained at Weymouth, Nov. 26, 1707. He was a man of excellent abilities and acquirements, of fine personal address, and soon became very popular. For a time his ministry gave promise of great useful- ness and success; but after a few years, it becoming apparent that he might become colleague to Rev. Mr. Webb, of the North Church, Boston, the happy rela- tions heretofore existing with his people at Weymouth became disturbed, and at the end of nearly twelve years he resigned his charge, and was dismissed in 1718, although as it appears in an irregular way, for the man- ner of it caused much ill feeling, not only in the church
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at Weymouth, but also in the North Church, Boston, over which he was installed, Jan. 28, 1723, as colleague with Rev. Mr. Webb; and so great was the dissatisfac- tion in the latter church, that a disturbance occurred at the installation which nearly prevented the service, and resulted in the withdrawal of about fifty members, who formed a new church. Mr. Thacher remained pastor of the North Church, Boston, until his death, March 1, 1739, at the age of sixty-one years, or, as another account has it, sixty-three years. For a few years prior to his settlement at Weymouth, Mr. Thacher taught school in Hatfield, Mass.
REV. THOMAS PAINE, who was ordained as the successor of Rev. Peter Thacher over the church in Weymouth, was the son of James and Berthia ( Thacher- Paine, and grandson of Thomas Paine, who was the first of the family in this country, and who settled in East- ham, in 1639. He was born in Yarmouth, April 9, 1695, O. S., in a house brought from England, and which is yet standing. He received a liberal education, gradu- ating at Harvard College in 1717, having been prepared for that institution by Rev. Jonathan Russell, of Barn- stable. In college he applied himself vigorously to his studies, particularly mathematics and astronomy, in which he excelled, pursuing them mueh beyond the usual college course of that day. In 1718 and 1719 he published almanacs in his own name. He calculated an eclipse of the sun, which was to occur in 1806, which was found to be in exact aceord with later caleulations. He also gave special attention to the study of Latin, Greck, Hebrew and French. In August, following his graduation, he commenced the study of divinity with Rev. Theophilus Barnard, of Andover, and after com- pleting his theological studies he accepted a call to settle as pastor of the church at Weymouth, and was
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ordained Aug. 19, 1719. Here he remained as long as he continued in the ministry, but the unfortunate financial condition of the parish, which had during his administration lost a large portion of its support in the setting-off of the second precinct in 1723, ren- dered his stay not always pleasant. Troubles were constantly arising from difficulty in raising his salary, and this, with ill health, compelled him in 1730 to ask his dismission, which, however, was not granted until April 15, 1734, when his connection with the church and parish was formally terminated. During the later years of his pastorate he resided in Boston, although attending to the duties of his office in Wey- mouth. After retiring from the ministry he engaged in commercial pursuits and carried on a large domestic and foreign trade. He was also extensively engaged in iron manufactures, having foundries in Abington and Bridgewater. In his business transactions he accumu- lated considerable wealth, which was, however, lost subsequently by the perils of war and the fluctuations . of the currency. He married, April 21, 1721, Eunice, daughter of Rev. Samuel and Abigail ( Willard-Treat, of Eastham, and grand-daughter of Col. Robert Treat, for thirty years governor of Connecticut, when she was but sixteen years of age, by whom he had three sons and two daughters, of whom the late Hon. Robert Treat Paine, of national reputation, was one. Mr. Paine was probably second in point of talent and education to none of his predecessors in the Weymouth pulpit, and his kindness of disposition and gentleness of manner were such that had it not been for the unfortunate financial position of the parish, he might probably have remained there during his life. He died in German- town, Quincy, Mass., May 31, 1757, and was buried in the Old North Cemetery, Weymouth. His wife died Oct. 17, 1747, aged forty-two years.
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The following is the record of his family.
Children : -
I. ABIGAIL, born March 6, 1725 ; married Joseph Greenleaf, Oct. 17, 1749 ; died Jan. 15, 1808.
II. ROBERT TREAT, born Oct. 9, 1727 ; died Oct. 21, 1727.
III. THOMAS, born July 3, 1729 ; died Aug. 19, 1730.
IV. ROBERT TREAT, born in Boston, March 11, 1731 ; married Sally Cobb.
V. EUNICE, born May 11, 1733 ; died Feb. 2, 1803 ; unmar- ried.
The first three children were probably born in Weymouth ; the two latter in Boston.
REV. WILLIAM SMITH, of Charlestown, was the successor in the Weymouth pulpit [First Parish] of Rev. Thomas Paine. He was the son of William and Abigail (Fowle- Smith, born in Charlestown, Mass., Jan. 29, 1706-7. He was educated for the ministry, graduating at Harvard College in 1725. He was called to the pastorate of the Weymouth church, and ordained to that office on the first Wednesday of December, 1734, in which position he continued until his death, Sept. 17, 1783, in the seventy-seventh year of his age, and the forty-ninth of his ministry. The charm of his manner and the conciliatoriness of his conduct soon won for him the hearts of his people, which he retained to the last. "He was loved and respected by them, especially the last generation, who grew up and were educated under his ministry." The following inscriptions are copied from the gravestones in the Old North Cemetery, Weymouth, where Mr. and Mrs. Smith lie buried: -
" In memory of | Revd. WILLIAM SMITH, pastor of | the 1st ehh of Ct. in Weymouth | Obt. Septr. 17th, 1783, JE. 77, in | the 49th year of his Ministry. | As a Divine he was eminent | As a Preacher of the Gospel | eloquent and devotional in life | he exhibited the Virtues of the | Religion which he had taught | in Death felt its Supports & | closed a long & useful life | with hopes full of Immortality."
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" Here lies the body of Mrs. | ELIZABETH SMITH, the amiable and | pious Consort of the Revª William | Smith, pastor of the first church of Christ in Weymouth, who died | October the 1st, 1775, in the 54th year of her Age."
" Thus write the voice from heaven.
Proclaims the virtuous dead are
ever blest. Their works immortalize their
Names. Their labors cease and here they rest
till that bright morn shall wake the
beauteous clay to bloom and sparkle in eternal day."
Mr. Smith married (date of publishment, Aug. 3, 1740) Elizabeth, daughter of Col. John and Elizabeth (Norton-Quincy, born in 1722. [The Weymouth rec- ords say Widow Elizabeth.] They had the following children: -
I. MARY, born in Weymouth, Dec. 9, 1741 ; married, Nov. 25, 1762, Richard, son of John and Elizabeth ( Pearse-Cranch, born at Kingsbridge, Eng., November, 1726, and came to Boston in the ship " Wilmington," in 1746. He was a distinguished man in his State, having been deputy to the General Court from Old Braintree, State senator and judge of the Court of Common Pleas. He resided in Quincy.
II. ABIGAIL, born in Weymouth, Nov. 11, 1744 ; married, Oct. 25, 1764, John, son of Dea. John and Susanna ( Boylston- Adams, born in Braintree (now Quincy), Oct. 9, 1735; one of the founders of the Republic, than whom none was more active and influential ; second President of the United States. They were the parents of John Quincy Adams, the illustrious sixth President of his native country.
III. WILLIAM, born in Weymouth, Dec. 1, 1746 ; married, Jan. 3, 1779, Martha White. [Wyman says he married Catherine Louisa Salmon, probably a second marriage.] IV. ' ELIZABETH, born in Weymouth, date not on record, hap- tized April 8, 1750 ; married, first (date of publication Aug. 23, 1777), Rev. John Shaw, of Haverhill ; second, Rev. S. Peabody.
The following notice appeared in the Boston Gazette of Sept. 22, 1783: -
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" On Wednesday last departed this life at Weymouth, aged sev- enty-seven, the Reverend pious and venerable Mr. William Smith, Pastor of the first church in that Town. His remains were very respect- fully interred on Saturday last."
REV. JACOB NORTON, the twelfth pastor of the First Church at Weymouth, was the son of Samuel and Mary . (Porter-Norton, born in Abington, Mass., Feb. 12, 1764. His father (son of Capt. John and Elizabeth ( Thaxter Norton), was a native of Hingham, Mass., and his mother a descendant of Richard Porter, who settled in Weymouth in 1635. He also was a graduate of Har- vard College of the class of 1785, and soon after re- ceived a call to settle as minister over the old church of his maternal ancestor in Weymouth, and was ordained Oet. 10, 1787, where he continued until July 10, 1824, when he was dismissed. This was his only pastorate. He was a man of fine talents and education and a seholar of high rank. He published many controversial works, and his discussions upon theological subjects were conducted with great ability and won for him a high reputation. The early years of his ministry were prosperous, but during the latter portion of his stay with that church his frequent doctrinal changes caused much trouble and perplexity and finally terminated his con- nection with it. The point of greatest difference being upon the question of baptism, changing from a strong pedobaptist to as decided an opponent, in which move- ment he failed to receive the sympathies and support of his people. He afterwards removed to Billerica, where he died Jan. 17, 1858, at the age of ninety-four years lacking twenty-six days, retaining his mental and physical faculties to a wonderful degree until the last. After retiring from the pastorate, he changed his relig- ions views, first to the Unitarian, and later to the Uni- versalist. He was, when settled, an extreme Calvinist.
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He married, Feb. 11, 1789, Elizabeth, daughter of Richard and Mary ( Smith-Cranch (baptized in Wey- mouth, Nov. 27, 1763, by Rev. William Smith, her grandfather), by whom he had the following children: -
I. RICHARD CRANCH, born in Weymouth, March 12, 1790; a graduate of Harvard College of 1808 ; died at Alexan- dria, D. C., Oct. 13, 1821.
II. WILLIAM SMITH, born in Weymouth, Dec. 29, 1791; a graduate of Harvard College of 1812; died at Ports- mouth, N. H., July 19, 1827.
III. JACOB PORTER, born in Weymouth, Dec. 16, 1793 ; mar- ried, Oct. 4, 1818, Harriet, daughter of John and Hannah (Patterson-Holbrook, born in Weymouth, April 26, 1796 ; resided in Boston.
IV. EDWARD, born in Weymouth, Oct. 24, 1795 ; was captured during the war with England, and died in Dartmoor Prison, Sept. 29, 1814.
V. THOMAS BOYLSTON ADAMS, born in Weymouth, Feb. 17, 1799 ; died at Fayetteville, N. C., July 23, 1831.
VI. ELIZABETH, born in Weymouth, May 28, 1802.
VII. MARY CRANCH, born in Weymouth, May 19, 1804.
VIII. LUCY ANN, born in Weymouth, May 13, 1806.
Mrs. Norton died in Weymouth, Jan. 25, 1811; and Mr. Norton married, second (date of publishment in Weymouth, Feb. 20, 1813), Hannah Bowers, 2d, of Billerica.
Mr. Norton was a tall, erect, spare man of dignified appearance and pleasant address, and, notwithstanding his change of religious belief, the neighboring clergy- men esteemed him highly, although they deplored his heresy.
REV. JOSIAH BENT, JR., of Milton, Mass., was the successor of Mr. Norton, at Weymouth. He was born in Milton, Mass., Oct. 1, 1797; graduated at Harvard University in 1822, and pursued his theological studies at Princeton Seminary, which he entered soon after his graduation at Cambridge. He remained, however, at
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that institution but about a year and left, continuing his studies probably with a private teacher, as was for- merly the eustom. In 1824 he rcecived a eall to settle over the church and parish at North Weymouth, where he was ordained Oct. 13. He remained in this position until Oet. 10, 1833, when he was dismissed on account of trouble arising from the Masonic controversy. He soon after removed to Falmouth, Mass., and was installed as pastor over the church there Feb. 5, 1834, and continued as such until his dismissal, Feb. 22, 1837. On April 19, of the same year, he was installed as pastor over the First Church of Amherst, Mass., where he remained until his death Nov. 19, 1839. He was a remarkably successful pastor, and it is said, that in the fifteen years of his ministry over his three parishes, not less than five hundred persons were converted.
Upon the Weymouth Church records are found the following baptisms of children of Rev. Josiah and Paulina Bent: -
I. JOSIAH, Oct. 2, 1825.
II. PAULINA RICE, June 1, 1829.
III. SAMUEL ADAMS, Aug. 16, 1829.
IV. SUSAN SARANI, Nov. 13, 1830.
V. HENRY K. W., April 1, 1832.
VI. THACHER TUCKER, Oct. 6, 1833.
(The following sketch of Rev. John Charles Phillips, the fourteenth pastor of the church at North Weymouth, Mass., was furnished by his brother, Wendell Phillips, Esq. Mr. Phillips was a descendant of one of the oldest and most prominent families in Massachusetts, and one that has always borne an honorable record: - )
" REV. JOHN CHARLES PHILLIPS was born in Boston, Mass., Nov. 15, 1807, and was the son of Hon. John Phillips, the first mayor of that eity. He was educated at the Boston Publie Latin School, and after passing a ycar at the military academy of Capt. Partridge, at Norwich, Vt., was graduated at Harvard College with
1
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the class of 1826. He studied law with the Hon. Samuel Hubbard, afterwards a judge of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts. After completing a full course of legal study, his inclination drawing him strongly to the ministry, he passed three years at the Andover Theological Institution, and was ordained, Dec. 18, 1833, over the North Parish of Weymouth. There he remained about four years, respected and beloved by his people. He married, Dec. 24, 1833, Harriet, the daughter of Francis Welch, of Boston. On Dec. 26, 1839, he was installed over the First Congregational Church, of Methuen, Mass., and his pastorate there lasted more than twenty years, when the state of his health obliged him to resign and he was never afterwards able to preach.
An extract from the resolutions passed by the church at that time shows how he was valued by his people: -
' Resolved, That the length of his ministry, the uniform kindness of feeling between pastor and people, and between him and the people of other denominations, with the general prosperity of this church and society during that time, will indicate more clearly than language his great worth as a man and the value of his labors and example as a Christian minister.'
He returned to Boston and died there Dec. 5, 1878, having nearly completed his seventy-first year. He left a widow and four children: one son, Mr. John C. Phillips; Margaret W., the wife of A. B. Hall; Miriam W., the wife of Dr. W. H. Rollins; Anna Dunn, unmarried. His intellect was keenly logical; whatever truth he recognized he saw with marvellous clearness, stated it with rare precision, and defended it with quick, close argument, so exhaustive as to leave little to be added. United with this quality was a rare wit, lavish in illustrations, prompt at retort, and dispel- ling angry clouds with the lightning of a fine humor.
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