History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 114

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 114

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).

" May 18, 1778. Voted to raise the sum of £720 for the raising of soldiers for the continental army for nine months."

"September 7, 1778. Voted to grant the sum of £463 4s. for clothing, purchased by the selectmen, agreeable to an order of Court, for the con- tinental soldiers that enlisted into the service."

" April 19, 1779. A committee was appointed by the town, to provide for the soldiers' families."

" May 5, 1779. Voted that the sum of £1200 be raised by a tax this spring and paid into the town treasury, to be ordered out of said treas- ury by the selectmen to the committee that take care of the soldiers' families, if needed."

" May 19, 1779. Voted to raise the sum of £3000 for providing men, when called for from the authority, to go into the service as soldiers."

"October 23, 1780. Voted to raise the sum of £26,400 for the pur- pose of raising the town's quota of beef." This quota was 42,106 pounds. These immense sums were required to be raised, in consequence of the great depreciation of the value of the paper currency issued by the Con- tinental Congress. The whole amount of money raised by the town this year for its necessary charges was the sum of £50,527 4s.

" April 1, 1782. Voted that the town treasurer be instructed to sell the new emission money, three dollars for one hard dollar."

This year, from the town, " The Hon. John Hancock had 23 votes for Governour," and " Doct. Joseph Ilridgham had 1I votes for Governonr."

From the "Journals and Resolves of Massachu- setts" we glean the few following additional particu-

lars respecting the number of men, etc., to be fur- nished by Rehoboth at several of the different times when drafts of men were called for: For the rein- forcement voted to be raised in Massachusetts and "sent to the camp at Cambridge or Roxbury, as his Excellency General Washington shall direct," the proportion of Rehoboth was seventy-four men; the proportion of Rehoboth of the men raised by Massa- chusetts " for filling and completing the fifteen bat- talions of Continental troops" was twenty-four; Rehoboth's proportion of the men to be raised " for reinforcing the Continental army," according to a resolve passed June 8, 1779, was twenty-two. In 1781, Massachusetts was ordered to raise 4,626,178 pounds of beef, of which the proportion of Rehoboth was 42,106 pounds. Of the 4726 men voted to be raised by Massachusetts, June, 1780, for three months, for reinforcing the Continental army, the proportion of Rehoboth was 60.

" A muster-roll of Capt. Samuel Bliss' company of minute-men from Rehoboth, from the 19th of April to the 27th,-each eight days' service :

"Samuel Bliss, captain ; Aaron Walker, lieutenant; Joseph Allen, ensign; Aaron Read, sergeant; James Bullock, sergeant ; Noah Allen, sergeant ; Christopher Ormsbee, sergeant; Nathan Wheeler, Jonathan Nash, Elijah Perry, Peter Read, John Brown, Samuel Monroe, William Fairbrother, Benjamin Comer, William Allen, Oliver Jones, Samuel Allen, Joseph Ingals, Thomas Campbell, John Dryer, Christopher Bland- ing, Nathan Turner, Nathaniel Turner, Ephraim Bliss, Levi Lewis, Valentine Wheeler, Jonathan Macomber, Abel Hix, Preserved Bullock, Laban Lake, Jonathan Drowne, Ezekiel IIix, Joseph Allen, Jacob Fuller, Comfort Stanley, Oliver Peck, Amos Bliss, Philip Peck, Solomon Peck, Elnathan Lake, Josiah Perry, Ichabod Wade."

" A muster-roll of Capt. John Perry's company of minute-men, from 19th of April to the 27th, 1775 :

"John Perry, captain; Jolin Paine, lieutenant; James Bucklin, en- sign ; John Wilson, sergeant; John Smith, sergeant; Miles Shorey, Aaron Lyon, Preserved Abell, Caleb Walker, James Hill, William Bridg- ham, Richard Fairbrother, Jonathan Read, Samuel Jones, Enos Walker, Amos Goff, Comfort Hill, William Ingraham, Lemuel Perin, Demos Bishop, James Campbell, Peter Whitaker, Ezra Read, John Williams, drummer; Isaac Fuller, Joseph Wheaton, Jonathan Barney, Simeon Bowen, John Ingraham, Elkanah French, Barzaleel Bowen, James Med- bury, Robert Abell, Eleazer Bowen, Amos Read, William Carpenter."

The following is a list of the officers in Col. Timothy Walker's regiment, enlisted for eight months from April and May of 1775. Col. Walker belonged to Rehoboth, and also a part of his officers :

" Staff Officers .- Timothy Walker, Esq., colonel; Nathaniel Leonard, lieutenant-colonel; Abiel Mitchell, major.

Captains,-John Perry, Samuel Bliss, Silas Cobb, Francis Liscomb, Marcy Williams, Peter Pitts, Caleb Richardson, John King, Oliver Soper, Samuel Tubbs, Jr., Mason Shaw, Jacob Fuller, Daniel l'arker.

Lieutenants .- John Paine, Aaron Walker, Isaac Smith, Matthew Ran- dall, Samuel Lane, Zebedee Raiden, Enoch Robinson, Noah Hall, Simeon Cobb, John Shaw.

Ensigns .- Thomas Bucklin, Joseph Alleu, Isaac Fisher, Seth Pratt, John Cook, Henry Briggs, Solomon Stanley, Abraham Hathaway, Thomas Williams, Joel Tubbs.

The following are lists of two companies in this regiment from Rehoboth :

" A list of men under Capt. Samuel Bliss, who enlisted for eight months from April to May, 1775, in Col. Timothy Walker's regiment :

476

HISTORY OF BRISTOL COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Samuel Bliss, captain ; Aaron Wheeler, lieutenant ; Joseph Allen, en- sign ; Aaron Read, James Bullock, Noah Allen, Christopher Ormsbee, sergeants; Nathaniel Bliss. Nathan Wheeler, Jonathan Macomber, Elijah l'erry, corporals ; James Wheeler, drummer; Cyriel Smith, fifer ; Joseph Allen, Samuel Allen, William Allen, Ephraim Bliss, Charles Bliss, David Bliss, Levi Baldwin, Thomas Baldwin, Preserved Bullock, Isaac Burr, Samuel Baker, Christopher Blanding, Eliphalet Corbin, James Cole, Thomas Campbell, John Dryer, William Fairbrother, Simon Goff, Abel Hix, Joseph Ingals, - Ide, Oliver Jones, Laban Lake, Levi Lewis, Sam- uel Monroe, Jonathan Nash, David Perry, Sylvester Peck, Peter Read, Na- thaniel Round, Richard Round, Comfort Robinson, David Turner, Nathan Turner, Valentine Willmot, Jonathan Drown."

" This roll," says a note appended to it, " was made up to the 1st of August, 1775, and paid by the State, and afterwards was paid by the United States for the other five months."

Samuel Allen was the only one that deserted from this company ; he deserted June 27, 1775.

" A muster roll of the company under command of Capt. John Perry, in Col. Timothy Walker's regiment [torn off], to the 1st of August, 1775, enlisted for eight months :

John Perry, captain ; John Paine, lientenant; James Bucklin, ensign ; John Wilson, John Smith, Miles Shorey, Robert Sutton, sergeants ; Amos Goff, Lemuel Perrin, James Hill, David Lawrence, corporals; John Williams, drummer ; James Bly, fifer; Preserved Abell, James Alger, George Allen, Squire Allen, William Bridgham, Demos Bishop, Isaac Bowers, Charles Bowers, Asa Bowers, Gideon Brown, Sylvester Bowers, Jonathan Barney, Rufus Bucklin, Josiah Blake, Barzilla Bowen, Bar- zaleel Bowen, James Campbell, Thomas Cole, Shubel Chaffee, William Daggett, Richard Fairbrother, Isaac Fuller, William Fuller, Jonathan French, Sylvester Fuller, Jonathan Hays, Stephen Hill, Comfort Hill, William Ingraham, Samuel Jones, Aaron Lyon, John Medbury, John McMullen, Amos Richardson, Ezra Read, Enos Walker, Peter Whitaker, Joseph Wheaton, John Walker, Peter Walker, Caleb Walker, Ephraim Whitaker."

In September, 1776, a regiment was raised in this town and some of the adjoining towns, and marched, under the command of Col. Thomas Carpenter, of Rehoboth, to join the army of Washington at White Plains.

Previous to the battle of White Plains a trifling skirmish occurred between a small detachment of the British and Col. Carpenter's regiment, a few particu- lars of which I had from the surgeon's mate,1 who was present and witnessed it. Col. Carpenter's regi- ment was stationed on a gently elevated hill to watch the movements of a detachment of the British army.

Col. Carpenter's regiment were out on service at this time only three months. One of the companies in this regiment was raised partly in Attleborough and partly in Norton, and was under the command of Capt. Elisha May, of the former town.

From the time that the British first took possession of Rhode Island, in December, 1776, till they finally evacuated it, a period of more than two years, the militia of this town and vicinity were subject to fre- quent drafts of men, and were frequently called out on alarms. Drafts were made in January, February, March, May, June, July, and August of the year

1777. . The men were stationed principally at How- land's Ferry (Tiverton) and at Warwick. One com- pany, if not more, marched from this town to Rhode Island in October, 1777, and served one month in Spencer's " secret expedition."

In Sullivan's expedition on Rhode Isand in August, 1778, Col. Carpenter, with a large detachment of his regiment, marched to join Sullivan's army on the island, and distinguished themselves for their bravery.

Several of the soldiers of Col. Carpenter's regiment belonging to Rehoboth were killed during this expe- dition. The names of three of them were Medbury, Peck, and John Dryer. These three fell on one spot. Benjamin Smith, of Swansea, was wounded by the bursting of a bomb-shell.

From the " list of the six months' men raised to re- inforce the Continental army in the year 1780," we have the following list of names from Rehoboth ; they marched to West Point, and served under Continen- tal officers :

Peter Bannister, IIth division.

Samuel Edwards, IIth division.

Jonathan Robinson, =

Nathan Walker, 12th 66

Comfort Bishop, =

Ephraim Read,

Shubael Peck (fifer),

Samuel Shorey, =

Sylvanus Bishop, =

Obed Robinson,

Nathan Monroe,

Job Freeman,

Timothy Titus,

Constant Perry,

Jesse Whitaker,

Josephi Daggett, =

Benjamin Topp,

John l'ierce,

Thomas Campbell, 32d

Isaac Bowen,

Spencer Bears,

Thomas Pierce,

John Healy,

Francis Fuller,

David (negro),

Arthur Thurber,

John McLean,

Nathan Turner (serg.),

Obadiah Bowen,

Gideon Brown,

Ephraim Bowen,

Samuel Cranston, =

Tho. Carpenter (2d)

Francis Mesuzen,

The following is a list of those who entered the Continental army from Rehoboth, with names of the captains under whom they served :

Names. Captains.

Time.

Barney, Nathaniel.

Slade.

3 years.

Brown, Benjamin.

During war.

Bliss,2 Samuel.

3 years.

Bliss, Allen Cole.

Bliss, Joshua ..

Brown, Daniel.

Bullock, Comfort

Bullock, Jacob.

Buffington, Benjamin

Bullock, David.

15 months.

Bullock, Jonathan

Bly, James.

Carpenter. 3 years.

Burn, Moses.

Bicknell, Turner

Barney, Paul.

Bliss, Elisha ..

Martin.

Bliss, David

Bishop, Oliver.

Hull.

Bowen, Isaac.

Bowen, Thomas.

8 months.

Carpenter, JJohn. Hix.

3 years.

Cole, Isaac .Cole.

Cole, Jacob

Cole, James

1 These facts I had from my grandfather, the late Dr. James Bliss, of Rehoboth, who performed the duty of surgeon's mate in this regiment ( Bliss).

2 Samuel Bliss, who afterwards bore the title of captain, was Gen. Washington's steward at Morristown in the winter of 1777. (Bliss' His- tory.)

Cato Hunt (negro),

Ephraim Emerson,

Ezra Goff,

Jacob Ingalls,

Remember Carpenter,

Bliss, Samuel, jr.

Baker, Samnel

477

REHOBOTH.

Names.

Captains.

Time.

Cole, Zephaniah

Bullock.

15 months.

Campbell, Thomas.

Carpenter.

Chaffee, Shubael

Chaffee, Comfort ...

Chaffee, Noah

Carpenter, William

Campbell, John

Corps, John

Dryer, Israel ..

Cole.

Dryer, Jonathan

Deland, Edward

Carpenter. .6

Franklin, William

Fuller, Amos .. Cole.

Fairbrother, Richard. Carpenter.

Gladding, James.

HIx.

Gladding, James, jr.

Gladding, Ebenezer.

Goff, Israel

Greenwood, Thomas Ilill.

Horton, William

Bullock.

Hicks, Chase.

15 months.

Ilindel, Johr

Carpenter.

During war.

Hill, Stephen.

llill.

3 years.

Ingalls, Joseph

Hix.

Ide, Nathan.

Carpenter.

Jones, John

Bullock.

Lewis, Levi

Ilix.

Lyndley, John, jr.

Bullock.

Lyon, Aaron

Medbury, Ben. Franklin.

Mitchell, ~ Bullock.

MeMellen, John Hill.

Negro, Cæsar Cole.

Newton, Francis. Bullock.

Newton, John .. Martin.

Ormshee, Joseph 66

Hix.

8 months.

Perry, Samuel Cole.

3 years.

Pierce, Jesse .. Bullock.

Peck, Gains.

Carpenter. During war.

Perry, Jesse

Pearce, Philip. Martin.

Perry, Samuel. Hill.

8 months.

Round, John

Hix.

3 years.

Round, Isaac.

Cole.

Round, Wm.

Bullock.

Round, Oin Martin.

Renough, Charles. Hill.

Ryle, Nicholas.

Reves, l'ompey.

Saunders, Jesse

Hix.

Sage, James. Cole.

Turner, Constant. Fix.

Turner, Amos

Thresher, Noah Bullock.

Thresher, Joseph.

Thompson, Edward

Thresher, Charles.

Turner, Allen

True, Solomon Hix.

Whittaker, Nat Franklin.

Wheeler, Sam Hix.

Wheeler, Jesse

Willmarth, Valentine ..

Willmarth, Benj.

8 months.

Waldren, James, jr ..

Bullock.

3 years.

Whittaker, Jo.

Carpenter.

Wheeler, James.

Martin.

Whelen, Luther

Bullock.

15 months.

White, Jabez .. IIix.

3 years.

Walker, Nathan

Wilford, Nicholas.

During war.

Wilson. JDo

3 years.

Whittaker, Rufus.

VOTES, ETC .- In 1784 the town voted, " in addition to the money already granted for schooling. £20 for a grammer school."

"December 25, 1786. The town voted that they wished to have an alteration in the present system of government in the commonwealth of Massachusetts, by a majority of 110 of what then voted."

"January 22, 1787. Voted that the selectmen be instructed to re- move the powder and other town stock, that is now at Col. Thomas Car- penter's, as soon as conveniently may be." Col. Carpenter was a stanch friend of the government.

"The names of the following persons are registered in the town records as having taken the oath of allegiance to the commonwealth, and delivered up their arms during March of 1787. These men be- longed to the party of Shays, and had probably taken arms against the government :

"Joseph Porter, Simeon Round, Nathan Hlx (2d), Cyril Smith, Heze- kiah Smith, Oliver Smith, Benjamin Bowen, Jacob Cole, Ezra Thayer, Jacob Bliss, Israel Hicks, Abiel Horton, Joseph Bowen, James Cole,

Timothy Fuller, Jacob Bliss, Jr., Square Goff, Jr., Benjamin Monroe, Jabez Round (30), Charles Round, James Martin, Isaac Burr, Laben Briggs, Amos Cole. William Fairbrother, Laben Lake, Nathaniel Thur- ber, Daniel Short, James Bullock, Nathan Newman, Samuel Carpenter, Jarvis Peck, Luke Bowen, Asa Bowen, John Hopkins."

November 26, 1787. The town chose Capt. Phanuel Bishop, Maj. Frederick Drown, and William Windsor, Esq., delegates to the State Convention, to meet at Boston the second Wednesday of January, 1788, "to consult on the Federal Constitution recommended by the late Fed- eral Convention, which set at Philadelphia the summer past."

This year " voted to raise £120 for schooling, £20 to be applied to the support of a grammar school."

" March 17, 1788. Voted to provide a work-house for the accommoda- tion of the poor of this town."

April 2, 1792. The town raised for the support of schools, "including the Latin school," £150. Also " voted that the selectmen be empowered to procure such grammar schools as shall answer the law, in the dif- ferent parts of the town, for learning the Latin and Greek languages."

April 1, 1793. The town voted to raise for the support of schools, £150.

" October 6, 1794. Voted that the treasurer of this town be directed to pay to each non-commissioned officer and soldier raised for this town's quota of eighty thousand men, ordered by Congress to be raised, forty shillings each, when they are ordered to march out of this town on a campaign, and forty shillings each to every man aforesaid for every month they shall continue in the camp after one month from the time they shall march, the money to be paid in one month after their return from service."

This army of " eighty thousand men" were raised to repel the threat- ened invasion of France, and Washington was placed at their head.

" February 24, 1794. Voted to remonstrate with the Legislature of Rhode Island against a bridge being built over Kelley's Ferry, near Warren."

May 6, 1795. A motion for petitioning the General Court to incor- porate the west precinct of Rehoboth into a separate town was carried by a vote in the negative. Voted to raise £175 for the support of schools, of which £25 was to be appropriated to a grammar school.

In 1796 the town voted for the support of grammar and common schools, $666.66. The sum of $666 was thence raised yearly for the sup- port of schools till 1804. In 1804, 1805, and 1806, $666.77 was raised for the same purpose, and in 1807, 1808, 1809, 1810, $700 was raised, and in 1811, $800.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

REHOBOTH .- (Continued.)

ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.1

First Congregational Church-Oak Swamp Church-The Hornebine Church-The Irons Church-Methodist Episcopal Church-The Union Baptist Church.

THE following sketches are necessarily imperfect. The writer was given only a few weeks for their preparation, and the work has been done under the constant pressure of professional duties. The diffi- culty has also been increased by the loss in every in- stance of the early records of the older churches. It is probable that some of these have been carried out of town, and it is hoped that they may yet come to light.

First Congregational.Church .- In the year 1643, Rev. Samuel Newman came to the place which is now East Providence, R. I., with a colony from Weymouth, Mass. He gave to this region the name Rehoboth (enlargement), and here the church was established

1 By Rev. G. H. Tilton.

Turner, Nat

Smith, Peck.

Smith, Sam

Peck, Sylvester

During war. 3 years. =

3 years. During war. 3 years.

Weeks, Moses.

478

HISTORY OF BRISTOL COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

(now the First Congregational Church in East Provi- dence).

In the year 1721 the inhabitants in the neighbor- hood of Palmer's River built a meeting-house about half a mile north of the Orleans Factory. The spot is now marked by the remains of the "old burying- ground." The lot included three acres of land given by Jethniel Peck, Capt. Samuel Peck, and Jonathan Bliss. The parent church had been granted by the General Court two hundred and fifty pounds for building a new meeting-house. Of this they relin- quished fifty pounds to aid the church at Palmer's River; they also gave the facing of the galleries and the pulpit of their old meeting-house.

The church was organized Nov. 29, 1721, consist- ing of ten members,-David Turner (pastor), Elisha May, Thomas Ormsby (deacons), Jethniel Peck, Samuel Peck, Benjamin Willson, Solomon Millard, Samuel Fuller, William Blanding, and Joseph Will- son.

Rev. David Turner, the first pastor, was a native of Scituate. He received one hundred pounds for a settlement. His annual salary averaged about eighty- five pounds. During his pastorate of thirty-six years one hundred and seventy persons were added to the church. Mr. Turner graduated at Harvard College in 1718. He afterwards studied medicine, and prac- ticed to some extent during his ministry. He was talented and witty, but eccentric. He had children and grandchildren, but they brought no honor to the name, and it is now extinct. He died Ang. 9, 1757, in his sixty-third year, and was buried in his church- yard, now grown over with trees and bushes. His tombstone bears the following inscription :

" In Memory of the Reverend Mr. David Turner, l'astor of the Second Church in Rehoboth, who departed this Life on ye 9th Day of August, A.D. 1757, in ye 63d year of his Age. " Watch and Pray because You know not the hour."

Mr. Turner resided about one mile north of his church, in a house which stood on the spot now oc- cupied by the house of Mr. Nathan Wheeler.

Until the year 1759 the whole town managed the business and bore the expenses of both churches. On January 2d of that year this church and congre- gation was incorporated by an act of the General Court into a separate society by the name of the Second Precinct in Rehoboth.

Feb. 26, 1759, the precinct united with the church in calling the Rev. Robert Rogerson to be their pas- tor, and voted to give him seventy pounds settle- ment, and sixty pounds for his annual salary. He agreed to take one-third part of his salary "in the produce of the country, provided they bring me such articles as I have occasion for."

March 18, 1773, the precinct "voted that the old meeting-house should be sold or pulled down, pro- vided that a new one can be built upon the plane near Timothy Readways." The site chosen is now known as the village cemetery.

The new house, fifty feet by forty, was built the following summer, and the pews were sold at public auction Oct. 25, 1773. They were forty in number, and brought in the aggregate £462 10s.

In 1776 a valuable legacy was bequeathed to the precinct for the support of the pastor by Lieut. Ephraim Hunt.

In 1792 a number of the inhabitants of the pre- cinct were incorporated under the name of the Cath- olic Congregational Church and Society.

Mr. Rogerson continued to be pastor of this church until his death, March 20, 1799. His remains lie buried in the older part of the village cemetery. On his tombstone of blue slate is this inscription :

" In Memory of The Revd Robert Rogerson, who descended from a respectable Family in Great Britain. Renouncing the Honors & Emoluments of this world, he devoted himself to the Christian Ministry, from a conviction of its truth & importance. In a pions, exemplary, & faithful discharge of that office he continued near 40 years, And in the hope of a blessed immortality lle departed this life in the 78th year of his Age, March 20th, 1799."

At the age of nineteen, Mr. Rogerson came to America, as an assistant to the collector of the reve- nue in Virginia. In this capacity he served one year, after which he taught school several years in the eastern part of that State, prosecuting in the mean time the study of divinity. Coming to New Eng- land, he received in 1765 the degree of Master of Arts at Harvard University. He commenced his ministry in Brookline, where he preached one year. He then came to Rehoboth, and preached one year in the First Congregational Church, in what is now East Providence, R. I. The next year he began his ministry in this church, and was ordained July 2, 1759. While at East Providence he married a daugh- ter of Col. Thomas Bowen, of that place, then Mrs. Betsey Sweet, a young widow with one child. They had three sons and three daughters. The sons were Robert, Thomas, and John. Robert was a physician, Thomas a wealthy planter in Virginia, and Capt. John Rogerson resided on his father's estate, for- merly the home of Rev. David Turner, till his death in 1835.

Mr. Rogerson was a man of learning and piety, and under his long ministry the church and society were united and prosperous.

Mr. Rogerson was succeeded by Rev. Otis Thomp- son, who was ordained pastor of this church Sept. 24, 1800, and continued in the pastoral office twenty-five

479

REHOBOTH.

years. He was born in Middleborough, Mass., Sept. 14, 1776, and graduated at Brown University in 1798, where he remained two years as tutor. During this period he doubtless applied himself to the study of theology. His call to this church and society was unanimous, and he entered upon his work under the most favorable conditions. He had "a hundred pounds settlement" and a salary of three hundred and fifty dollars, which in 1816 was increased to five hundred dollars. The entire community were at once awakened in religious matters, and forty persons joined the church the first year of his ministry.

For more than twenty years the church and society were eminently prospered. Mr. Thompson's century sermon, preached in 1821, states that the number of members at that time was fifty-six, of whom eighteen were males and thirty-eight females. The whole number that had been enrolled in the list of its mem- bers during the century was three hundred and three. Of those who joined the church under his pastorate only two are living,-Mrs. Abby Carpenter in 1820, and Mrs. Sally Horton in 1822.

In 1825 a serious difficulty arose which greatly dis- turbed the harmony of the church and society. It grew out of a breach of promise suit brought by Mr. Thompson on his daughter's behalf against a gentle- man belonging to one of the foremost families of the church. The people immediately took sides, some for and others against the pastor, and all attempts to reconcile the parties were vain. Two or three eccle- siastical councils were called by the church which advised the dissolution of the pastoral relation, but as Mr. Thompson was settled for life, he paid no at- tention to their advice. The meeting-house was closed against him, but he continued to hold a service every Sabbath, preaching for one year at Wheaton's Hall and afterwards either at his home or in the old red school-house near by. He sued the society for his salary, which they were obliged to pay. Finally he agreed with the society to relinquish all further claims upon it for the sum of one thousand dollars. He afterwards, however, endeavored to revive the old preeinet, and to get possession of other funds belong- ing to the society, but without success.

After he stopped preaching at the meeting-house, Mr. Thompson taught a select school for several terms. Quite a number of theological students also studied with him during his Rehoboth pastorate. He was an excellent scholar; besides editing the Hopkinsian "Magazine" for several years, he published " A Re- view of Mr. Andras' Essay on Divine Agency," and had printed several funeral and ordination sermons.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 114

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