History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 102

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1818

USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 102

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Capt. Ansel B. Randall.

Hosea S. Packard.

Lieut. Albert Tilden.

Patrick MeCourt.

Mason A. Hill.

Michael E. Roach.

Thomas Duffy.

John Duffy.

John Goulding.

Seth T. Dunbar.

Peleg F. Randall.

J. Manley Tinkham.

Seth Ramsdell.

Charles L. Britton, Jr.

Addison A. Lothrop.

Daniel Donovan.

Cornelius Slattery.

Richard Seavers.

John D. Haney. James McCullough.

Samuel II. Gilmore.

Charles Bellows.

Edward W. Hansel.

James A. Humphrey.

Charles II. Willis.

Michael Milleric.

Minot E. Phillips.

Calvin A. Marshall.

Theodore Mitchell.

George H. Davis.

Phineas A. Randall.

Benjamin Boodry. John Randall.

Major Crockett.

Henry T. Drew.

William A. Lothrop.

John Mullen.

George A. Tilden.

John Phillips.

William M. Packard.

Martin Cunningham.

John Richards.

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HISTORY OF BRISTOL COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

E. Granville Howard. Franklin Godfrey. H. Frank Poole.

Charles S. Torrey. Jason F. Eldridge.

Ecclesiastical .- From 1711 to 1725 the territory now embraced in the town of Easton was part of the town of Norton. In 1717 the inhabitants of this ter- ritory, being in sufficient number, as they judged, to establish a religious society and to support a minister, petitioned the General Court to be set apart as a sep- arate precinct. This permission was subsequently granted, and on June 5, 1718, what is now the town of Easton was set apart as the East Precinct of the town of Norton. Soon afterwards a church was built. Instead of being, as at first proposed, in the centre of the town, it was built near the easterly boundary of the town, the reason for this being that many of the parish lived over the Bridgewater line. It was the most central of any place, so far as the population was concerned, for the east part of the town was more generally settled earlier than the west part. But this question of the location of the meeting- house is the great bone of contention which caused trouble for many years, at one time creating a bitter contention in the parish, dividing the church, and even threatening to permanently divide the town. The meeting-house was soon built, and after some time spent in hearing candidates the church and parish settled upon Rev. Matthew Short as the min- ister of the Church of Christ in the East Precinct. Rev. Matthew Short was born at Newberry, March 14, 1688. He graduated from Harvard University in 1707. In November, 1712, he was ordained a min- ister at Attleborough, and remained there three years. Subsequently he preached in Saco and Biddeford, Me., and was settled in the aforesaid East Precinct of Norton about 1722. Three years after this, in December, 1725, this precinct was incorporated as a town with the name of Easton. The rapid increase of inhabitants soon made it necessary to build a new church. Work was begun in 1728, and the new meet- ing-house was slowly constructed, and after consider- able altercation concerning the management of the committee appointed to oversee the work it was fin- ished. This was in 1730. Two years before a severe epidemic passed over this section. Mr. Short was brought near to death's door, and after his recovery he preached two sermons, which he calls " A Thank- ful Memorial of God's Sparing Mercy." These were published, and one copy of them has been in the hands of the writer. Mr. Short died in Easton, April 16, 1731, in the forty-fourth year of his age, after a peaceful ministry of about nine years.

He was succeeded in his ministry in Easton by Rev. Joseph Belcher, who was probably from Braintree, and who graduated from college in 1723. He was set- tled here Oct. 6, 1731. Not much is known of him or of his life in this town. He began after a while to show signs of insanity, one of his peculiarities being that of preaching several sermons in immediate suc-

cession, regardless of the fact that his congregation had gradually dispersed, leaving him addressing the bare walls. On the 16th of April, 1744, after a pas- torate of nearly thirteen years, he was dismissed from the church. He lived several years afterwards.

At this time there began the most earnest conten- tion relative to the location of the meeting-house. The west part of the town had increased in the num- ber of inhabitants, and when it was necessary to build a new place of worship they very naturally desired that it should be located nearer them. On May 24, 1744, an exciting town-meeting is held. Two factions are developed, which are designated respectively as the "town party" and the "party of the east part." The town party proves the stronger. It is voted to build the meeting-house in the centre of the town. It is voted to make a survey in order to determine the centre, and fearing no committee of Easton men would be sufficiently unprejudiced to be trustworthy, a committee of Taunton, Bridgewater, and Norton men is chosen. The survey is made at a cost of two pounds, nine shillings, and sixpence.

At a town-meeting in January, 1745, it is voted to build the new meeting-house " at or within twenty rods of ye senter," and that it shall be finished in two years. But the disagreement is so strong that nothing is done about it until 1749. Meantime the church and parish had agreed in giving a call to Rev. Solomon Prentice. Mr. Prentice was born at Cambridge, May 11, 1705, and graduated from Har- vard College in 1725, in a class in which were Hutch- inson and Trumbull, afterwards Governors. He was settled in Grafton in 1731. Had the Church of Christ . in Easton consulted the antecedents of Mr. Prentice before giving him a call, they would have learned that he was no man to pour oil on the troubled waters and to reconcile and unite the two factions that were developing here. He was a man of mark, positive in his character, and belonged to the party at that time known as "New Lights." These were the persons who sympathized with Whitefield, con- cerning whose merits, doctrines, and methods the New England clergy were in great disagreement. Mr. Prentice warmly espoused his cause, invited him into the Grafton pulpit, and scandalized his people not only by inviting itinerants to preach for him, but also on account of the extreme and fanatical opinions he avowed. Councils were called, the breach healed for a while, but no lasting union could be effected, and accordingly on July 10, 1747, he was dismissed. Only two months afterwards, on September 14th, he received a call at Easton, and was installed pastor November 18th. He finds things at loose ends here, and immediately begins to set them right. The church records, if any had been kept by his prede- cessor, are not discoverable. He immediately begins new records. No covenant can be found. He imme- diately draws one up, and it is signed by one hun- dred and thirteen persons. The question as to who

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are proper subjects of baptism is then earnestly dis- cussed and disposed of. Various personal dissen- sions are adjudicated. Then with these minor mat- ters out of the way, the field is clear for the great conflict concerning the location of the meeting- house. The new house is ready for occupancy, and the town party, by summary action, pull down the old one, that no more services may be held there. A majority of the church, but a minority of the whole parish, vote that services shall be held in private houses, and not at the new meeting-house. Though Mr. Prentice, with the advice of a council that had been called to heal this difficulty, had once agreed to worship there, he changed his mind. The town party sends a petition to the General Court. A coun- ter petition follows from the party of the east part. The General Court appoints a committee to come and view the situation. This committee reports that the meeting-house is already in the most convenient place for the whole town. A proposition is then made to divide the town, and a survey is made for that purpose. The proposition is defeated. Mr. Prentice then refuses to preach in the new meeting- house and preaches in private houses.

The party of the east part then, acting under the determined lead of Mr. Prentice, separate from the town parish and form a new church after the model of Scotch Presbyterianism. They begin to build a meeting-house, raise the frame, cover it in, but never finish it. Mr. Prentice finally gets into trouble with the Presbytery, and is deposed in 1754. His church gradually died out. This controversy led to many personal altercations, some of which involved a good deal of church discipline, and it left the religious life of the people at a very low ebb. Religion suffered most in the house of its friends. Mr. Prentice left town in 1755. For several years before this the meet- ing-house at the centre had for much of the time been unoccupied. In 1754, while Mr. Prentice was preaching to his Presbyterians, on pleasant days in the unfinished Presbyterian meeting-house, and on stormy days at private houses, Mr. George Farrar sup- plied the regular pulpit. He had been a schoolmaster at Dighton, and was just beginning to preach. Mr. Farrar was born in Lincoln (then a part of Concord), Mass., on Nov. 23, 1730. He was ordained at Easton, March 26, 1755, though not without a vigorous protest on the part of the Presbyterians. He was minister of the church for nearly two years, but died at Lin- coln, Sept. 17, 1756, at his father's home.

Still the bitter contention goes on. Town-meetings are disorderly. At one of them the two factions or- ganize, each claiming to be the regular meeting. By petition and counter petition the subject is referred to the General Court; a committee is appointed, and decision is rendered again adverse to the party of the east part and favorably for the town party, who are fortunate in having Edward Hayward, Esq., as a leader, a man who headed the opposition at all times

against Mr. Prentice. Rev. Messrs. Vesey and Vinal, who preach temporarily during the aforesaid church difficulties, are without their pay for several years ; the schoolmaster asks for his wages in vain, and the town-meetings give ample evidence that the town is badly demoralized. This state of things lasts for over thirteen years.

In March, 1763, after a day spent in solemn fast- ing and prayer, a call was given to Rev. Archibald Campbell. He was ordained August 17th. Mr. Prentice has carried away his church records (which were, however, recovered some years later), and a new book was begun. A new covenant was drawn up and signed, but it is signed by only about half the number that had signed the covenant of sixteen years before. There is nothing especially eventful in the ministry of Mr. Campbell until near its close. Trouble, of course, there must be. An opposition gradually developed, one element of which was a vile slander against his character. He was a man more sinned against than sinning, was unfortunate in his wife, and in a son who was said to have been hung while on the St. Clair expedition. Mr. Campbell left Easton December, 1782, and preached temporarily in various places. But his spirit was broken, and, un- fortunately, he had neither philosophy nor religion enough to enable him to stem the tide of ill fortune that had set against him. He and his wife were said to have fallen into intemperate ways. He died a pauper in Stockbridge, Vt., July 15, 1818.

The next ministry of Easton was peaceful and profitable. The minister chosen for Mr. Campbell's successor was Rev. William Reed. He was born June 8, 1755. In 1776 he enlisted as a soldier in the Continental army. Two years afterwards he entered Harvard University, and graduated in 1782. In August, 1783, he was invited to settle as minister in Easton, and was ordained there April 21, 1784. One of the best proofs of the good character and success of his ministry is that there is so little of interest for the historian to record. He was an earn- est, practical preacher, with a character not only above reproach, but strong also in moral and sympa- thetic power. His ministry in Easton closed only at his death, which occurred Nov. 16, 1809. His esti- mable wife lived to the age of eighty-three. Her death occurred March 26, 1850, and "her eight surviving children, at the average age of fifty-four, after thirty- five years of separation, gathered around her bier at the old homestead to mingle their tears and prayers, and to lay her precious dust beside that of their hon- ored and lamented father."

Before speaking of his successor we must retrace our steps to 1762, when a Baptist Society was formed in what is now North Easton. At that time Rev. Ebenezer Stearns was ordained as minister of this society. It had only a struggling existence, but it made itself felt in town affairs, first by protests against being assessed for the support of the preaching in the

426

HISTORY OF BRISTOL COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

town meeting-house, and secondly by a lawsuit grow- ing out of the refusal to pay the ministerial tax. In this lawsuit the town was worsted, and an agreement was made that all those Baptists who were in covenant relations with the Baptist Society should be exempt from the payment of the ordinary ministerial tax. As the expenses of the Baptist Church were very low, there was a temptation to enter into those relations simply to evade that tax. Eseck Carr succeeded to the ministry of this society, a service which was not sufficiently exhausting to prevent his conducting the coopering business during the week. In fact, his cooper-shop served on Sunday as a meeting-house for his little flock. This movement dragged on until two or three years before Mr. Carr's death, which occurred in 1794. At this time the Methodist movement was beginning, and as it had more elements of real life in it, and served equally well the purpose of evading the town ministerial tax, it absorbed the Baptist Society, and we hear nothing further about the latter.

In the town church and parish, Rev. Luther Shel- don was the successor of Rev. Mr. Reed. Mr. Shel- don was a native of Rupert, Vt .; was born in 1785, graduated at Middlebury College in 1808, and was or- dained at Easton, Oct. 24, 1810. He was a man of strong character and exceptional ability ; was con- servative in his theology, resolute and tenacious in support of any principle and method that he had adopted.

In 1816 a new meeting-house was built, a little way behind where the church stood that was erected in 1750. The old building was moved away and used for a town hall. At the time of Mr. Sheldon's settle- ment the movement was in progress, which, some years later, resulted in the division of the old churches of Massachusetts into two parties. There was a steady growth of sentiment adverse to the rigid Cal- vinism that had so long held sway in New England, there being a so-called liberal and conservative party in nearly all the churches. These two elements were long in coming into any open collision. But the ministers of the two opposing parties began to under- stand each other, and to draw more and more aloof. The conservatives were naturally and conscientiously, of course, very reluctant to allow those who held what they esteemed unsound and dangerous doctrines to preach in their pulpits.

In the neighboring town of Norton was a minister, Rev. Pitt Clarke, who had been accustomed to ex- change with Mr. Reed. He had espoused the so- called liberal ideas, and Mr. Sheldon was unwilling for this reason to exchange with him. This displeased a portion of the Easton congregation, who much ad- mired Mr. Clarke, and June 8, 1830, the following action was taken : " Voted, that it is the wish of the Parish that neighboring Congregational ministers in regular standing should minister with this society as was formerly the practice." As this vote had no effect, in November of 1831 the parish formally re-

quested their minister " to exchange pulpit services with neighboring Congregational ministers indis- criminately, agreeably to the practice that prevailed at the time of his settlement." A committee was ap- pointed to wait upon Mr. Sheldon, and they reported that he refused to reply to them, and he did not make the exchange as requested. This was now April, 1832. The dissension increased. The parish pro- posed a mutual council in order that the connection between pastor and people might be dissolved. As Mr. Sheldon took no notice of this proposal, his op- ponents called an e.c-parte council, who voted that sufficient cause existed for the dismissal of the minis- ter. Mr. Sheldon denied the jurisdiction of the coun- cil. His opposers, however, notified him that his ser- vices would be dispensed with, and provided another clergyman to preach on the following Sunday. Fully believing that he was not legally dismissed, a belief justified by the final result, Mr. Sheldon prepared to maintain his position. Fifteen minutes before the usual time of service he took possession of the pulpit and began the services. In the afternoon the other clergyman was first in the pulpit, and when Mr. Sheldon appeared and would have gone into the pul- pit his approach thereto was blocked by a man as de- termined as himself. He thereupon called upon his adherents to follow him to the chapel near by. A large part of the audience, including the major part of the church members, followed him, and thus the open rupture was effected. It must be stated that at all times a majority of those who were in the habit of attending church favored Mr. Sheldon, while a majority of those legally entitled to vote upon parish matters were found among his opponents. These were, however, in some cases those who had no in- terest in the parish. There were a few such who voted upon the other side, each party summoning all the votes it could by any means secure.

This open rupture did not cure the strife. The parish voted to discontinue the salary of Mr. Shel- don. At the beginning of 1834 he brought suit against the trustees for the payment of his salary. This suit was hotly contested, but went against the trustees. Finding themselves obliged to pay his salary, the parish demanded his services, hoping to embarrass his connection with his own flock, to whom, since the division, he had been preaching. Such a state of things was too exasperating to con- tinue; and, in 1838, the parish accepted a propo- sition, made by Mr. Sheldon, as a basis of settlement. In consideration of the sum of three thousand dol- lars, he and his friends discharged the parish from all liabilities and claims they might have against it. On Nov. 19, 1838, forty-one members of the parish formally withdrew all connection with it and organ- ized themselves into the "Evangelical Congrega- tional Society of Easton." The legal aspects of this controversy were very important and interest- ing. The underlying question was, "Whether a

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refusal to exchange with another minister could be made a just ground for refusing to pay a minister's salary or for dismissing him." Mr. Sheldon acted in accordance with the advice of the association of orthodox ministers. Some of the best legal talent in the State urged him to take this position, and what seemed like obstinate silence on his part was merely obeying the instruction of his lawyer. Though his opponents appealed from the first decisions, which were adverse to them, these decisions were sustained by the full bench, a majority composing which were Unitarians and opposed to Mr. Sheldon's theological position.

The concluding history of the old parish is easily told. It became at last distinctively Unitarian. In 1839, Rev. William H. Taylor received and accepted a call. Mindful of the past, the parish make a three months' notice (after the first year) the only neces- sary condition for dissolving the pastoral connection. Mr. Taylor did not remain long. In 1845 the church was remodeled and rededicated, Rev. Paul Dean hav- ing been settled the same year. He continued pastor for five years, and was succeeded in 1851 by Rev. William Whitwell, who preached here for seven years. Rev. George G. Withington was settled in 1858, and remained pastor of the churchf for twelve years, re- signing in 1870. Regular services were henceforward discontinued, except that occasionally in summer preaching has been sustained for a while.

The nucleus of the Evangelical Society was the majority of the members of the original church and of the customary attendants upon public worship. This society organized in 1839, but those composing it had been worshiping in the church built by them in 1833. In 1855, Mr. Sheldon relinquished his salary and his active duties, but remained senior pastor until his death, which occurred in 1866. The successor to his active duties was Rev. Lyman Clark, who was pastor seven years. Rev. Charles E. Lord was settled two years, Rev. Charles Mills somewhat longer, Rev. Mr. Richardson four years, and Rev. Mr. Hudson a year and a half. Rev. Luther Sheldon, son of the first pastor, preached as acting pastor about three years, since which time, 1877, the society was without a regular pastor until, in 1882, the present pastor, Rev. William H. Dowden, became the minister. In 1882 the church building of this society was destroyed by fire, and a new church was built in 1883.

The Methodist movement began in town about 1790. The first society was organized about 1796 in the northeast part of the town. Isaac Stokes, a nailer by trade and a kind of local preacher, was one of its founders. The celebrated Jesse Lee and the eccentric Lorenzo Dow occasionally preached here in those early days, the latter within the recol- lection of many now living. The first Methodist Church was built on Washington Street, where the present building now stands. It stood until 1830, when it was replaced by a new one. This society

was at first on the old Warren Circuit, but shortly after 1800 a new circuit was formed including Easton, Stoughton, and four other towns. The first regular preacher sent here by the Conference is said to have been Nehemiah Coy. He was followed by Thomas Perry, and afterwards by Samuel Cutler. Then in 1810 Rev. John Tinkham was minister. Under his administration the church flourished. He was re- turned for another year, at the end of which he de- termined to locate here. He died in 1824 universally respected and beloved, and his remains rest in the Washington Street Cemetery. During his ministry instrumental music was introduced into the service of the sanctuary, much to the indignation of some who regarded all innovations in the old-fashioned usages as likely to disturb the peace and mar the prosperity of Zion. There were various supplies until 1829, when Lewis Bates, familiarly known as " Father" Bates, was appointed for this station. During his stay a great revival prevailed. Father Bates was not an educated man, and even boasted that he did not come out of an "old gospel-shop." About this time Universalists were occasionally allowed to preach in the new building, which had been liberally subscribed to by several persons who sympathized with Universalist sentiments. This led to serious trouble, and was finally prevented by having the church deeded to the Conference.

The revival under Mr. Bates had been followed by a corresponding period of spiritual decline, and in 1840 and 1841, other revivals under Rev. Nathan Payne and Rev. Edward Lyons occurred. About 1843 a portion of the congregation, dissatisfied with the Episcopal form of government, withdrew and formed a Protestant Methodist Church. For about ten years previous to 1856 the Washington Street Society had hardly any connection with the Confer- ence, and the church records state that the "church experienced rather turbulent times." During a part of 1855-56, Rev. Luther Sheldon supplied the pulpit, and then the church was closed. In 1857 it was re- opened with Rev. John B. Hunt pastor. He inau- gurated a powerful revival, the effects of which upon one individual at least will not soon be forgotton.

In 1861, under Rev. L. B. Bates, a division of the society occurred, the minister leading or following those who preferred to have services held in the vil- lage. The village society built a church on Main Street, and worshiped there until 1876. At that time they moved into the church formerly occupied by the North Easton Unitarian Society, which had been pre- sented to the Methodists by Hon. Oliver Ames. The two Methodist societies supported separate ministers until a few years ago, when they united to support one pastor, who should minister to both societies. This arrangement still continues.

In North Easton village the growing shovel busi- ness called together an increasing number of work- men, many of whom were foreigners and Catholics.

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HISTORY OF BRISTOL COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

In 1850 the first Catholic Church, now called " The Chapel," was built upon land presented to the church by Oliver Ames & Sons. The present commodious church was erected in 1865. It was thoroughly re- modeled in 1873. The names of the pastors in their order are Fathers Fitzsimmons, Roach, McNulty, Quinn, Fitzgerald, Carroll, and the present pastor, Father McComb. This church is large and flourish- ing.

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History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 102

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1818

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1818