USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Deerfield > History of Deerfield, Massachusetts: the times when the people by whom it was settled, unsettled and resettled, vol 1 > Part 47
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65
I 13
Feather bed & bolster in the outward chamber, Feather bed & bolster in study chamber, I IO
Bed & bolster in the Hall £4, Ios, do. in the outward room £6,
IO IO
Bedstead, cord & iron rods in study chamb'r,
Do in Hall, 15
5
Do in outward Room,
5 aprons for the children Is 8d, 7 clouts 3s 6d, two infants' waistcoats, Is, 6 alchemy spoons, 2
06
An old cane 3s, spectacles & case 3s, Tobacco 2s, 6d,
2 00
A long fowling piece, Tobacco tongs, &c,
- -
Silver tankard £19, silver cup, buttons & old spoon, 205, 10 silver spoons, 7-10-0, 27 IO
[Of Pewter ware, there were 12 platters, 25 plates, 7 basins, 3 porringers, 3 tankards & I mug. Of wooden ware, 2 wooden platters and 2 knot dishes. Of the live stock, I give :- ]
6 cows £25, yoak of oxen, £14, Dun heifer, £4,
£43 00
A weak backed cow £3, a sparked heifer £2,
5 00
A sparked steer, I 04
15
Bedstead & Cord in outward chamber,
A gun of the old Queen's Arms 40S,
18 commons, 2 acres, 120 rods, at £3 per common,
3 wood lots lying between Deerfield River & Hatfield bounds,
467
CANDIDATE FOR THE VACANT PULPIT.
21 sheep at gs, £ 9 09
Black horse £16, a one-eyed horse £8, a grey mare £5, 29 00
The old Mare & colt £5, Bay Mare & colt, £6, Bay Mare £3, IOS, 14 10
Grey Mare £5, Brown horse £6, young bay horse £2, 13 00
50 00 Legacy from Uncle Smith of Roxbury,
So we leave the kindly patriarch, thrifty, and humane as he sees the light; walking among his children and his serv- ants, and overlooking his herds with tender care for the weak and maimed. The good man and good minister, pipe in mouth and silver mug at hand, poring over his old Latin tomes, and pounding away at thick-shelled theological nuts. The faithful pastor, serenely guiding his flock beside the dark waters, and pointing out the way to the haven of sweet peace and rest beyond. His body was laid beside that of his murdered wife, in the old graveyard. A third grave was inade there when his second wife died, a quarter of a century later. The interesting inscriptions on their gravestones at- tract general attention.
The New Pastor. Five days after the death of Mr. Williams, a town meeting was held to provide for preaching. Acom- mittee was chosen :---
To advise with some of ye neighboring ministers Whoom we shall hire to preach the gospel unto us & make report unto ye town.
July 25, 1729, the town Chose Dea. Sam" Childs to go in quest of a preacher and to advise first with Hatfield Mr. Williams, & get him to write to his Son Mr. William Williams & to Mr. Warham Wil- liams then to Repair to them for advice who to get to preach to us for a small term of time (who is hereby Directed to act Discression- ary upon yr advice).
Rev. Benjamin Pierpont of New Haven, a graduate of Yale in 1726, was meanwhile supplying the people here with apparent satisfaction. August 25th, the town voted "that Dea. Childs shall be stopt in his journey for the present in search of a minister," and a committee was chosen to hire Mr. Pierpont for three months. November 29th, the people took up their burden again, and voted "to go on and finish ye meetinghouse." They realized that even under their great loss, there must be no halting in the affairs of the settlement.
January 5, 1730, they Voted that the Worthy Mr Benj Pierpont shall have a call to Settle among us to be our Pastor & teacher, by a great majority of votes thirty-six for him & fourteen against him.
Voted that Sert Joseph Severance Mr. Ebenezer Sheldon and Doct Thomas Wells shall be a Com'tee to Endeavor to Stay Mr. Benjamin
468
MR. WILLIAMS AND THE MEETINGHOUSE.
Pierpont for ye Present and till we can Conveniently have opportu- nity to agree with him Respecting a Settlement among us & to agree with him for his wages in the meantime.
March 2 they Chose Mr Benjamin Munn, Doct Thomas Wells and Thos French to invite ye Worthy Mr Benj Pierpont to Settle among us in the pastoral office & to propose terms therfor & to Receive his answer & make Report to ye town in a town meeting, of their nego- tiations.
But there was trouble ahead, a growing element of dissat- isfaction in the community. Rev. Mr. Williams of Hatfield, who favored Pierpont's settling here at first, was now busy in trying to prevent it. He gave out hints that he had dis- covered something wrong in the man, and could not in con- science keep quiet about the matter. The minority of four- teen, whom he had influenced to vote against Pierpont's set- tlement, had now increased to eighteen, who did at this meeting " actually Enter their disents against ye proceeding Respecting ye Settling Mr. Benj. Pierpont among us in ye pastoral office," and caused their names to be recorded.
Benjamin Pierpont was a man of the highest social rank ; and was graduated on that basis, the first in a class of twenty- six. He was born in 1707. His father was James Pierpont of New Haven, for thirty years a leading minister in Con- necticut, and his mother, the daughter of Rev. Samuel Hooker. His sister was the wife of the distinguished Jonathan Ed- wards, with whom he was then living. He was endorsed by the associated ministers of New Haven county, and by Elisha Williams, rector of Yale College, third son of the "Hatfield Mr. Williams," who led the opposition. Pierpont urgently pressed Mr. Williams to bring charges and witnesses, that they might be met. The committee seconded the candidate in this demand. At length Mr. Williams put in writing his opinion that Mr. Pierpont "was not of Prudent, Grave & Sober Conversation," but on the contrary "was vain, apish & jovial, particularly among females." He repeated some idle reports he had heard ; one was, that "a girl said she should be as much afraid of him, as she should have been of Mr. Willard of Sunderland ; " and " a say of Mr. Hopkins, when asked his advice concerning his settling in Deerfield; that he didn't know but that he might do, when he had sowed his wild oats, and that he knew he had sowed a good many al- ready." So many, it seems, that they sprung up to block his
469
DIVISION AND DISCORD.
way to our pulpit ; and " Hatfield Mr. Williams" carried his point, as it appears by the following :
At a meeting Oct. 9th, 1730, a committee was chosen " to agree with ye Worthy Mr. Benj. Pierpont for his preaching from ye time that he was paid till ye 4th of October inclusive & give him the thanks of ye town for his services." Pierpont, however, left town with a certificate of good character :-
Ye governing part of ye House-holders, & almost all ye principal men of ye town being moved by the Injuries his Reputation has suf- fered by this means, have given it under their hands that he was ac- counted a person of good character during his abode there, and that as to any Reports to the contrary, they never perceived that they were ever looked upon by Sober & Judicious men as worthy to be regarded.
But the young man seems never to have recovered from the blow dealt him by Mr. Williams. He went to the West Indies, where he died within four or five years.
October 28th, Dea. Childs was directed to seek a preacher "out of ye candidates of Harvard College." He soon return- ed with Mr. John Warren, who gave great satisfaction.
The new meetinghouse was fast approaching completion, and November 20th, a committee was chosen "to sell ye old meetinghouse this night to the highest bidder, reserving only ye benches and liberty to meet in it until next March."
The new house was being finished with benches, and the people were confronted with the grave question, how shall they be occupied? There were evidently two parties, with different views on the matter. It may be the Pierpont dis- cords had not been harmonized. If not, it was the good fortune of Warren, the new minister, to finally bring them into unison.
May 6th, 1731, "ye town conseeded with ye church in ye choice of ye Worthy Mr. John Warren for their pastor and teacher by a universal vote," and a committee was chosen to confer with him in the matter. It appears that Warren de- clined the call. We do not know the reason, neither did the astonished people.
At a town meeting, July 2d, the committee were directed to write,-
Mr. Williams of hatfield & Mr. William Williams of West town, & to M' Warham Williams to desire ym to use their interest with Mr. Warren for us & to enquire into ye cause of his denying our unani-
470
MR. WILLIAMS AND THE MEETINGHOUSE.
mous Request of his being our Minister and send us an account why it is as soon as they can with Mr. Warren's inclinations.
Mr. Warren did not change his mind; and in their ex- tremity a fast was appointed by the church in Deerfield. If our fathers believed the trouble arose from the anger of God, and that He could be placated by their going hungry, or mortifying the flesh in some other form-which was the cen- tral idea, adopted from the heathen-they were only like those all about them, only a part of the times in which they lived.
The advice given by the ministers who assembled at the observance of the fast was to try Mr. Warren again with new proposals. This advice was followed, but with no better suc- cess ; and August 19th, "they chose Dea. Sam'll Childs to go in search of a minister." He probably brought back James Chandler, for October 19th, the town directed Dea. Thos. French, Dea. Childs and John Catlin to hire Mr. Chandler " to preach here some time longer." November 3rd, " they chose ye Worthy Mr. James Chandler to be their pastor & teacher by a great majority." November 21st, "Voted to send for Mr. Chandler ; * * that Capt. Wells should go for him." Capt. Wells " went for him," but in vain ; and Decem- ber 17th, Dea. Samuel Field was sent into Connecticut after a preacher. His success may be inferred by the vote of Jan. 9th, 1731-2, " to invite ye Worthy Mr. Jonathan Ashley to preach the Gospel here a few Sabaths;" while mindful of their former disappointments, they agreed at the town meet- ing to send a man " in search of a minister, and they chose Dea. Sam'll Childs to go on sd business."
February 7, Voted to hire Mr. Ashley two months.
Monday, April 10, 1732, the town chose ye Worthy Mr Jonathan Ashley for there minister by a great majority of votes, therein con- curring with ye church vote:
Justice Wells Dea" Field, Dea" Childs, Mr. Eben" Hinsdel & Capt Wells were chosen a committee [to acquaint Mr. Ashley of this ac- tion, ] and make to him in order to his taking office here, ye propo- sitions as was last mad to Mr. John Waren. * * Thomas French, Jr., did Actually enter his dessent against the vote.
Thursday, August 3, Hauing received Mr. Ashley's answer they Voted yt it should be lodged with Dea Sam1 Childs & y" made choice of Dean Field Dea" Childs and Thos French, Jun, a Com'tee to draw up ye agreement with Mr. Ashley in form agreeing with the former proposals wh he hath accepted * * * and present the same to ye town.
471
SETTLEMENT OF MR. ASHLEY.
Propositions made to Mr. Ashley, and accepted, and under which he was ordained Nov. 8th, 1732 :-
Ist That when he ye sd Mr. Jonathan Ashley shall take office and ye pastoral Care and Charge of this Church and Congregation we promise and agree yt for his Settlement he Shall haue pd by this town three hundred pounds in bills of publick credit sd bills to be Equiv- alent to Silver at eighteen shillings ye ounce which is to be under- stood that one once of Silver shall pay eighteen Shillings of sd Sum; which £300 ye town promiseth to giv ye sd Mr. Ashley within three years after his inauguration, one hundred pounds in each year or if he wants it sooner in case of his buying or building then to pay him one hundred and fifty pounds in each of ye two first years.
2ª This town promiseth to giue him, ye sd Mr. Ashley ten acres of land as convenient as may be found for a pasture
3ly. This town promiseth to giue him ye sd Mr. Ashley one hun- dred and thirty pounds yearly in bills or Silver as aboue expressed in ye £300 Settlement
4thly. This town promiseth to giue to him ye sd Mr. Jonathan Ashley ye use and improvement of ye towns house lot yearly to be continued as ye Sallery
5th. This town promiseth to find him ye sd Mr. Ashley his fire- wood yearly
6ly. This town promiseth that he ye sd Mr. Ashley shall haue ye liberty of ye Commons for his creatures to Run on yearly, as other proprietors haue and to get timber Stone Clay or ye like for his own proper use-provided Allways and it is to be understood by both parties, anything herin contained to the contrary notwithstanding that he ye sª Mr. Jonathan Ashley shall in time convenient after his inauguration signe a Relinquishment of all ye lands in this town Se- questered to ye Ministry, except ye house lot aboue Mentioned ye use of which might otherwise accrue to him by virtue of his being our pastor
This contract seems explicit enough, but never-ending trouble grew out of its provisions.
The meetinghouse of 1729 when finally completed was a structure far exceeding in elegance the country meeting- house of to-day. It stood on the training field, its front rang- ing with the west side of the street, its northeast corner fif- teen rods and nineteen links, from the southeast corner of the present brick meetinghouse. It was forty by fifty feet with a pitch roof, from the center of which rose the steeple, surmounted by a brass cock and ball, which Jonathan Hoyt was directed to purchase, "at a price not exceeding £20." The bell rope hung down in the center of the broad aisle in front of the pulpit. There were three doors, one in the front and one at each end.
472
MR. WILLIAMS AND THE MEETINGHOUSE.
The front entrance was an elaborate affair. The door was double and finely panelled. The surrounding work was of complex character, but highly ornamental, the top being a handsome pediment formed of two long-armed volutes, meet- ing in the center, where, in a niche thus formed, was placed a sort of urn-shaped ball. There were thirteen windows in front ; the lower tier capped with sharp triangular pediments; the upper tier close up under the eaves. The windows on the back side corresponded with those in the front, except that a very large one with round top was built in the rear of the pulpit, . some ten feet from the ground. The interior was finished in fine style, and " the timbers coloured." The galleries, built on three sides, were supported by turned oak pillars with grace- fully carved capitals, specimens of which may still be seen in use, in a porch at the Willard house. The front of each gal- lery was handsomely panelled. The square pews when final- ly finished were also of panel work and ornamented with a row of balusters about ten inches high running around the top, including the panelled doors. The seats were station- ary, not hung on hinges according to the fashion of the times.
The pulpit was on the west side opposite the front door, set well up on the wall, and reached by seven steps, and through a door at its north end. It was about ten feet by four, with a semi-cylinder shaped projection in front, for the reading desk. The front and ends were of fine panel work, running up and down, with a heavy cornice at the top. This and the top of the desk were covered with a green baize cushion, from the outer edge of which hung a heavy fringe. The interior of the pulpit was lined throughout with green baize, the stuff being woven in wales, as was that of the cush- ions on the seat and desk. The lining was held in place by a great array of brass nails.
The semi-circular desk did not extend to the deacons' seat below, but, tapering from the pulpit floor, it was finished off as a richly-carved cornucopia, the point turning up to the left. The whole was painted a dark olive-green. At the rear of the pulpit was a large ornamental window, draped with cur- tains of the same baize, the voluminous folds of which were caught back and held by huge curtain pins at the sides.
The sounding board, also painted dark green, hung upon iron rods directly over the desk. It was circular or octagon-
473
ARRANGEMENT OF INTERIOR.
al, the edge ornamented by a handsome cornice some eight inches wide. The under surface was divided into fan-shaped panels by bars which radiated from an elaborately carved star in the center.
The deacons' seat was in front of the pulpit facing the broad aisle. Upon its panelled front, hung upon hinges the long wide board, which when swung up and fastened, served for a communion table. This pew was entered by a door at the north end.
On the floor at the right of the pulpit were three wall pews, and on the left, two. There were two pews on either side of the three doors. These occupied all the wall space under the gallery, except in the southeast and northeast corners, in which were stairs, respectively, to the women's and men's gallery. The body of the house seems to have been at first occupied by benches, probably those reserved when the old meetinghouse was sold. These were gradually crowded out by pews.
There appears to have been a good deal of friction and trouble in deciding how these pews and seats should be oc- cupied. Votes passed at one town meeting would be recon- sidered at the next, or at an adjournment of the same. The difficulties doubtless grew out of the matter of " seating" the worshipers, or, as it was termed, "seating the meetinghouse," which was a subject of annual debate in the town meeting.
In 1744, under leave of the town, a clock was placed on the spire by individual enterprise, "to be taken care of by the Selectmen." It was put up by Obadiah Frary, a grandson of Samson, our second settler. The hands of this clock and part of the works are still preserved in Memorial Hall.
In 1746, Voted that Elijah Williams be allowed a Liberty to make three Pues out of ye Two on ye South side of ye East Door of the meeting house on his own charge & that ye Reurd Mr. Ashley shall have his Choise of the three pues, and then the said Williams to have the next choice for himself and mother | the widow of Rev. John Williams] he to have the pue no Longer than he shall stay in Town, and no Liberty to alienate the same.
Voted that Messrs Eben'r Wells John Nims John Arms & Daniel Arms be allowed a Liberty to make Three Pues on ye North Side of ye East Door and that on the same terms that Capt. Williams hath the Pue on ye South side of ye Door Ens. Wells and John Nims hav- ing ye first Choice of one of ye Three pues & then John & Dan11 Arms, to have ye Second choice.
474
MR. WILLIAMS AND THE MEETINGHOUSE.
In 1748, four pews were built in the body in front of the six last described. In 1754, at a special meeting it was voted to build six more, which must have covered the rest of the floor. This vote was not carried out in full, for in 1787 the seating committee were directed " to see that pews where the short scats are be erected at the cost of the town."
The steeple or spire appears to have been insufficiently supported ; it sagged, and spread the walls of the building. Ever after 1748, it was a subject of discussion in the town meeting, and committee after committee were chosen to ex- amine it with skilled workmen and repair it. At length in 1767, after several plans had been voted and reconsidered in previous years, the town,-
Voted to Erect a Steeple at the North End of the Meeting house, to be in proportion to the body of the house, in the same proportion as the Steeple of Northfield Meeting house is to the body of that house, & that Lt. David Field & Mr. Joseph Barnard be the Com- mittee to see the same effected, which Committee hereby engage to do the same for the sum of one Hundred Pounds Lawful Money.
The charges for removing the old spire were :-
233 feet of boards at
£o 6 2 1 13 IO O 8 0
2,000 shingles,
2,000 4d nails,
150 Iod nails, O 1 6
3 days' work, I 12 0
For taking down the spire, Samuel Conable was paid, I IO O
O 3 7 Joseph Barnard paid,
David Hoyt, "for a quart of rhum, and 2 Mugs 1/2 of flip," o 2 10
The new steeple was built from the ground, against the center of the house over the north door. It was square, with an entrance on the east side. The bell deck was open, with eight pillars, which supported a tall, graceful spire, sur- mounted by the old cock and ball. This had been sent to Boston for renovation as it appears by the following bill, dated March 2d, 1768 :-
Dr. Mr. David Field to Thomas Drowne:
Gold, & guilding a Weather Cock, Ball & diamond, rectifying Bruises, and fixing new Globe Eyes; for Deerfield Meeting House, £2, 12S.
John Field was paid for "carting weather cock, ball, &c., from Boston," 3 s Iod.
The old rooster kept his perch until the steeple was pulled down in 1824, when the writer witnessed his plunge to the ground and assisted in helping him to his feet. After another
475
NEW SPIRE AND NEW PORCH.
journey to Boston for repairs, he was placed on the spire of the new brick meetinghouse.
Capt. Jonas Locke was the architect and builder of the first steeple. Other carpenters who worked on the building were Thomas and Abraham Billing, Nathan Oaks, Joseph Cham- berlain, Samuel Dwelly, Francis Munn, David Harrington and Benjamin Munn, Jr.
There is a tradition, which I cannot now verify, that one of the workmen engaged in building this steeple fell to the ground and was nearly killed. No one recalls the man's name.
The committee to build the steeple were also directed to build a porch over the south door. This was a very elaborate structure ; in form, the half of a dome-capped cylinder, two stories high and about twenty feet in diameter. Bills for more than £50 expended on the porch are found; among them that of David Harrington for seventy-eight days' labor in summer, at 3s 4d, and twenty-nine and one-half days in win- ter, at 3s; and of Capt. Locke and others for thirty days more. Ens. Childs furnished crooked plank for porch raft- ers; Joseph Wheeler shaved two and a half thousand shin- gles to cover it, and David Hoyt, Landlord of the Old Indian House, supplied "two quarts of rum and eight mugs of flip at the raising."
In the porch, stairs were made to the second floor, from which a door opened into the women's gallery, and in the steeple at the north end, were stairs to the men's gallery. Pews were built, both below and above, in the corners where the stairs had been originally placed. Another committee, consisting of Joseph Stebbins, John Nims, Seth Catlin, Jon- · athan Arms and Thomas Dickinson, had charge of general repairs to the main building. They covered it with new clapboards, and put in new window frames and sashes. The bill of work for the latter may interest mechanics.
David Armses accompt :-
The town of Deerfield, Dr. July, 1769.
To carting bords from Cheap Side to the Meeting House for the
O 2 O O Meeting house sashes,
6 8 Q 2
to making 644 lights of sashes,
to spreading, turning & haking sash timber five weeks,
O 6 0
0
0 4 O to cutting thirteen hundred pieces of tin,
To two days of work making 50 wate of putte,
to fifteen days' work and a half fitting in Sashes, Washing, Set- O 6 S 0
ing, Puting and Tining meeting house glasse, 2 SII O
476
MR. WILLIAMS AND THE MEETINGHOUSE.
By direction of the town, the house was "coloured ; ye Body Dark stone Colour; ye Window frames white; ye Doors a Chocolate." The bell was raised and hung in the new bel- fry by Capt. Locke at a cost of five and a half days' work, 16s; fifty double ten spikes, Is Iod, and one quart of rum, IS 9d; 198 7d in all. John Regular and Isaac Marshall were assistants. Obadiah Frary was paid for putting up the clock and painting the dial £2 12 s, and for fourteen days' board at 8d a day, 9s 4d ; for horse-keeping at 4d a day, 4s 8 d.
The town voted not to put a " Wire or Rod & Points above the weather cock of the Meeting house for the preservation of the same from lightning." This was about fifteen years after the invention of the lightning-rod by Franklin.
The meetinghouse now stood forth to all appearance an entirely new building-no! the old roof with its great patch where the steeple had been taken off was an eye-sore, and marred the effect. Measures must be taken to restore har- mony. The purse-strings of the town had been loosened lit- tle by little, as one item of improvement after another had been called for by those most interested ; but they were now tied in a hard knot, and an extra twist put in. "No more taxes," said the majority, but "if any generously disposed persons are willing to shingle the meetinghouse at their own expense they have free, full and ample liberty." The chal- lenge was accepted. A subscription paper was drawn up, and the undersigned :-
For promoting so laudable purpose, promise to give the several sums affixed to our names in Cash, Wheat, or Rye, and have the same ready, if in Grain at the time the shingles are delivered in Deerfield; if in cash, when the shingling of the meeting house is completed.
Elijah Williams, in Grain,
S20
Sam'll Childs, in wheat, S
Thomas Williams, in Grain,
20 Daniel Arms, in Rye,
15
David Field,
24 Joseph Barnard, Jr.,
S
Joseph Barnard,
24 Jonathan Hoit,
David Hoyt,
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.