History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 218

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1538

USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I > Part 218

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818

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

and State, was that the church preceded the State, the organization of the State being apparently to maintain and perpetuate the church, and therefore we find it made the basis of appeals from commu- nities for incorporation as towns. Under that system the civil law was the source of the strength of the church, and the Boxford petitioners then said to the General Court, when asking for town rights, "now we have no way to compel any person to do his duty, if he will not doe it of himself" and to have the power to compel a person, they asked for separate sovereignty, and it was granted. When town incorporation was not thought advisable parishes were established. This word happily becoming obsolete in the New England signification, and probably in its primal meaning (that of the source of a benefice or supply), was first considered as feasible in what is now Georgetown in 1701.

December 16th, of that year, a religious service hav- ing been established, perhaps for a year or more westerly of Rye Plain Bridge, the families located there asked Rowley to have their rates abated. This was partially granted, the vote being to abate one- half of the minister-rates of Jonathan Wheeler, Ben- jamin Plumer, Samuel Brocklebank, John Browne, Nathaniel Browne, Jonathan Look, James Chute, Andrew Stickney, Henry Poor, Duncan Stewart, Ebenezer Browne, Ebenezer Stewart, John Lull, James Tenney, John Plumer, Richard Boynton and Josiah Wood.

This petition and the partial response implies some action already taken, perhaps a meeting-house raised and covered, in which services were held, and on the completion of it the vote of the town, March 16, 1702-3, was passed, which verbatim is this : "The Inhabitants of ye Rowley living on the Northwest side of the bridge called Rye plain bridg, and on the North west side of the hill called Long hill, and Joyned with the farmers of Newbury that doth border on us, in building a new meeting house for the worship of God, Shall be Abatted their Rattes in the ministry Rate in the Towne of Rowley, if they do maintain with the help of our neighbors of Newbury, an Otthoxdoxs ministry to belong and teach, in that meeting-house that they have built, until Such time as it is judged that their is asufishant Number, to maintain a minister in the North west part of our Towne, without the help of our neighbors of Newbury, that doth border upon us, whose names are as fol- loweth :" (The seventeen as above, with Lionel Chute added.) When the population would warrant, another parish was to be formed, exclusively of Rowley families. The first meeting-house in this parish was near where the present house stands. This part of Newbury was the " Falls," and this part of Rowley was "Rowlhery."

In the records of the Rowley church the parish was called Byfield in 1706, and yet that year it was incor- porated as "The Falls." Hon. Nathaniel Byfield, of

Boston, perhaps connected with some of the families in the parish, may have aided in building the meet- ing-house, and some proposed giving it his name. After his gift of a bell, it was decided to call it Byfield in his honor. An endeared name to multitudes living and dead.

Rev. Moses Hale, of Newbury, was ordained No- vember 17, 1706, as the first minister. A graduate of Harvard in 1699. Died January 16, 1744-45.

The records of the Church, to the death of Mr. Hale, are lost. Perhaps a search might be successful. In 1707 the parish lines were established. This in- cluded from Rye Plain bridge, up an ancient way near Francis Nelson's house, over Long Hill, across Elder's Plain, by Deacon Brocklebank's (now M. G. Spofford's), and to the Bradford line, including within its limits all of the Lambert farm, near Pentucket Pond, being in all one-half of the area now Georgetown. It probably being "judged that there is asufishent Num- ber to maintaine a minister in the Northwest part of our Town," in the language of the Rowley records, steps were taken, perhaps as early as 1727, prepara- tory to petitioning for incorporation as a separate parish. Since 1700, and especially since 1725, as is seen in Chapter LI, a rapid settlement had gone for- ward. We can imagine John Spofford and the Plum- ers, in earnest conversation with their near neighbors on the question, and some strong assertions that the time had come to build a meeting-house here.

There is no doubt such important action was dis- cussed for at least one or two winters around the broad hearth and in the light of their hickory fires, some confident, others doubting, until at a meeting in some one of the old-time kitchens, it was decided that in the coming winter of 1728-29, they would sled to the Harriman & Plumer mill on Rock Pond Brook, logs for the lumber needed for the house. The Brockle- banks were interested, suggested the lot below Pen Brook on Main Street, at the corner of the early opened road, near where David Brocklebanks' hou.e stands, and the heavy oak frame was provided, squared, and in June 1729 was raised, soon boarded in, and the first rude meeting-house completed. This was a pro- prietors' building ; some in the vicinity were not then interested, and the erection of this first meeting-house was not a general affair. There were no dedication ceremonies, that is an innovation of much later times. The name was properly meeting-house, and at that day it meant nothing more. There was no sacredness in the building itself, for that savored of the Episco- pacy they ahhorred. In most cases there was no burial of their departed friends in the shadow of these New England houses for meetings.

To be nearly central as possible was one thing, to have it open to the public highway for convenience, seems to have been another.

May 27th, 1730, a petition for a distinct parish was signed by forty-two persons and presented to the General Court.

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GEORGETOWN.

· October 1, 1731, it was ordered " That Mr. Benjamin Plummer, a Principal Inhabitant of the precinct Lately set off from the town of Rowley, and parish of Byfield, is Authorized to Notifie the Inhabitants to couvene in some publick Place, to Choose precinct officers, to staud until the Anniversary meeting in March next." J. Quincy was speaker and Jonathan Belcher, governor (later a friend of Whitefield), who approved. The names of Captain John Spofford, Benjamin Plummer and Jonathan Thurston do not appear on the petition. They were, doubtless, origi- nally not favorable to the movement.

"By Virtue of the above Precept the Inhabitants of the New precinct assembled togather ou the fifth of October, 1731."

Lieutenant John Spafford was elected moderator and Jonathan Boynton clerk, to serve until the meeting in March. Lieutenant John Spafford, Elder Jeremiah Chaplin, Ensign Benjamin Plummer, Mr. William Searl and Mr. Aaron Pengry were elected assessors, and Jonathan Thurston and Samuel Johnson, collect- ors. These were the first legal officers of most of the territory now known as Georgetown.

Nearly a year before the church was organized, on October 25, 1731, the parish voted " to call Mr. Daniel Rogers, that hath preached with us, to be our minys- ter." "Nov. 9, 1731, voated that Lieut. John Spafford Should build the Galery Stairs, and Joyce for the Galery flore, and Lay the said flore with Yalow pine boards, and to make three Seats in the frunt Galery, and two Seats on each Side Galierys."

This describes the house in part, a plain building, without steeple or spire, and at this date still unfin- ished.

" Jan. 4, 1731-32, It was a Greed & Voated to call Mr. Chandler of Andover, the Gentleman that hath preached with us of Late, to be our Minister, and it was Voated by every man then Assembled." Salary to be "one hundred and ten pounds pr. year, to be Stated by the Standard, acording as mony Should Grow better or worse," and "three hundred pounds for Settlement." Five parish meetings had been held.

March 27, 1731-32, First annual meeting " voated Mr. Chandler twenty cords of wood a year." August 8, 1732, voted " By the major part of the Builders of the Meeting-House, that the Rest of the people in said parish should have an Equal prevelige with us, in sd. meeting-house, so Long as it stands in the place where it now is." John Harriman dissented. Some were not satisfied with the location, and the same dis- satisfaction continued for several generations.

Mr. Chandler accepted this purely parish call, and it was voted by the parish, September 20, 1732, for the ordination, October 18, 1732. The minister was in this particular instance selected by the parish, which virtually represented the town of to-day.

Three-fourths of a century of independent churches makes it somewhat difficult to have a clear compre-

hension of the conditions of Church and State, as then existed. The law of the colony recognized but one religious organization, and that equally with all other public interests, was sustained and perpetuated by the "law's strong arm." The church was organ- ized just two weeks before the ordination, for which preparations were going on among the thirty or more families with harmony and enthusiasm.

Perfectly united as the parish was in Mr. Chandler, as Jonathan Boynton informs us in his careful record, we can believe that every housewife did her best to make the important affair something to recall with pride, long afterward. Ten pounds was voted to Jeremiah Harriman to make provision for ministers and mes- sengers and "some other Gentlemen that wates on the ministers," colored servants, probably.

The lofty airs common to their class at this period, on occasions of the importance of an ordination, have often been described. The ministers and their attend- ants, doubtless assembled at the Deacon Brocklebank house, where his son Francis then lived. It was voted that " William Fiske have ten pounds, to provide for Scholars and other Gentlemen." The churches of Byfield, Bradford, Boxford, Andover, Rowley, and the Second of Newbury were represented. The sermon was by Mr. Rogers of Boxford, from John 21 : 15, 16, 17; and the services were concluded by singing part of the 132d Psalm.

At the church organization, two weeks previously, Mr. Hale of Byfield constituted and Mr. Balch of second Bradford (now Groveland), preached a sermon, afterwards printed.

The records of the church from this date are in the minute and delicate peumanship of Mr. Chandler. "Nov., 1732, a Desent Seat for Deacons and a Com- munion table ordered to be built." " Mar., 1732-33, Ebenezer Burpee instructed to put up two rails, bools and banisters at the end of the pulpit stairs." "July 17, 1733, voted to Joseph Nelson, twelve pounds, to provide for the raising of Mr. Chandler's house and barn." The house was built just west of the church, on the site of which the house of Humphrey Nelson now stands. This house, built in 1733, was burned on Town Meeting day, April 4, 1825. The cause was a defective chimney. Most of the adult males of the parish were in Rowley at the time.

At this date, 1733, the line between Byfield and this parish was settled " with Leonard Harriman's widow and David pearsons to belong to the west parish of Rowley, and so Jedediah pearsons' Land to belong to Byfield." "Dea. Searl was chosen to go down to the Generall Court, to see what may be gotten of the town rents." December, 1735, the same was chosen to re- ceive the money that the parish is to have of the town, and also the rent of the thatch-bank. This land in Rowley, marsh and upland, was often ditched, leased by the parish every three years, and finally, in 1856, was leased for nine hundred and ninety-nine years. The railroad near the Rowley station was laid

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HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

out over it for a considerable distance, and land dam- age awarded in 1839.

Pews in the meeting-house were not made as yet, bnt in December, 1736, Mr. Chandler had the "Lib- erty of a pew at the west end of the pulpit." It was also voted "to lease that part of Spofford's farm that has been set off to the west parish." This division of the parish land had been made in July, 1735.

The northerly side of the farm, then occupied by Samuel Spofford, had come to the west parish, one- half of Half-moon' meadow, four lots of land in the upper commons, or two freeholds, and the thatch- bank at Oyster Point. John and Jonathan Spofford, nephews of Samuel, occupied the southerly half. March, 1737, the parish voted to lease the wood lots, and voted again to lease their Spofford farm. The Parish farm at that time had been improved by the Spofford family for nearly seventy years. Samnel was nearly ninety years of age and an extensive land- holder, especially in Boxford. He had seen this farm reclaimed from the wilderness by his father, himself and brothers, and now it was, like the parish, to be divided in twain. He had lived to see a meeting- honse, with the houses of energetic farmers, scattered all along the easterly slope below him, and forming in themselves and families the west parish of Rowley. At their first coming this family expected others would soon follow, and no doubt, as the years moved wearily on, with a monotonous tread, and they were still nearly alone, it seemed as if Elders and Fairface plains, the Lambert farm, Red Shanks, the Rocky hills and Baldpate would never have the clearings they so longed to see. He had heard from many a lip the thrilling story of Mrs. Dustin and her Indian captors ; saw, perhaps, the murdered Goodrich family buried near where they were slain; the smoke from the burning homes of his Haverhill neighbors had spoken a tale of horror on that fateful October morn- ing, 1706-and still he and his kindred had been nearly alone, doubtless only the Brocklebanks to re- lieve the solitude. Father and brothers, the only companions of his youth and earlier manhood, had long before passed from this wilderness into the "pleasant land," and still he had lived on, and when an aged patriarch, as the last decade in his life draws near, all at once, as it were, there is the stir of human life on every hand. The sound of the axe and the crash of the giants of the forest is heard, and land grants, transfers and allotments is the animated de- bate that makes it seem like a new world upon which he has entered. This venerable pioneer, soon after the organization of the West Parish Church, was re- ceived into membership, being dismissed from the Rowley Church. He died January 1, 1743, aged ninety- one years.

The farm was leased February 22, 1737-38, for nine hundred and ninety-nine years. Five members of the parish objected.

The divisional parts of the meeting-house were

early called pens, and in the year 1741 the parish voted "to sell the pencs in the gallery to David Nel- son, also to lay out the Rome for the pencs, and sell the Rome for the pencs at the hiest bider." In 1742 an addition to the house of thirteen feet four inches was voted, and Richard Thurston was engaged to build this extension.

In 1744 it was voted that the builders of the house should have the two hind seats of the men and the women's below, they giving a bill of sale of the meet- ing-house. Until then, the proprietors had the house under their control. The pulpit was to be painted, and Samuel Harriman had twenty pounds for " Red- ing the meeting-house." A few buildings painted that peculiar shade of red, were to be seen thirty years ago. About that date, the Ipswich farmers (afterwards known as Linebrook), petitioned for some families to be set off to them. The Linebrook parish probably asked for a part of what is now Dodgeville, as the west parish ran easterly of what at present is known as the Phillips' place. To illustrate the spirit of the New England minister at this period, while an improvement was shown in the outward work of the parish, Mr. Chandler suggested, in May, 1747, to prevent profanation of the Lord's Day, and as many live at considerable distance, to have a sermon read between public service, through the summer season. This custom was continued for half a century.

A severe drought in 1749, was a cause for alarm, and a church fast was voted June 4th. The hay crop is said to have been so short, that weeds and almost every imaginable green thing was cured for substi- tutes. The meeting-house needed repairs, and a vote so passed in 1758. The question of removal to the "senter of the parish," was agitated. "Mr. John Brocklehank's corner, near his house," was suggested, the expense to be raised by subscription. In 1759 a motion was made "to get an artice to mesure and draw a plan, to know where the senter of sd parish is." The above motion was promptly negatived. In 1760 the controversy was such, that as some were for re- pairs and others for removal, or a new house, that arbitration was voted. The committee were Caleb Cushing, Samuel Phillips and Captain Thomas Den- nis. Their decision was to continue the house where it then stood. Dudley Tyler, who then owned the Brocklebank house near the meeting-house, was Inn- keeper, and provided for the committee. Only some limited repairs voted, while a pediment over the front door and other attractive improvements had been suggested.

In 1762 it was voted that "those that have taken pains to Learn the art of Singing," may set in the front gallery. The first reference to singing, is in the church records for 1736, viz .: "Mr. Burpee continued to tune the Psalm in Publick Worship."

In 1763 an innovation was made, which was " to admit Dr. Watts' Imitation of David Psalms, but not wholly to exclude ye old Version." In 1765 Mr.

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GEORGETOWN.

John Cleveland (then of Ipswich, Chaplain at Fort William Henry, in 1757), " and other gospel minis- ters, not intending on Mr. Chandler's ministry," are invited to "Prech Lectors." About twenty years he- fore, Whitefield had crossed parish lines, and itine- rated in the open air if the meeting-houses were de- nied him, but before this, whatever the opposition to the multitude of others, that were busy in religious service in an irregular way, Whitefield's abilities were recognized, and his special work seemingly ap- proved. Still, at this late date, there were many ministers and churches, so trammelled by the fetters of the period, that their recognition of Whitefield was but half-hearted.

Tradition says that Mr. Chandler was earnest in persuading Elder Asa Chaplin to attend a service in Georgetown where Whitefield was to preach, and that the elder objected, saying that he had no fault to find with his own minister. "But," said Mr. Chandler, with an emphatic gesture, " Mr. Whitefield does not preach as I do ; he preaches with power."

As early as 1754 Mr. Timothy Symmes began to preach in private houses, and his perhaps intemper- ate remarks, had produced a feeling, which at about that time, in this church, was something more than an annoyance. In 1768 again the old debate came up on repairing the old house, or building a new house, with a more satisfactory location.

April 8, 1768, another meeting, to see whether they would huild on the southeasterly end of Mr. Solomon Nelson Juna house, as near as may be, with conven- iency." Voted in the affirmative. Later in April, met again, to see if the parish would build at Brock- lebank's or Burbank's corner, but the former site had the preference. Meetings were frequently called during the haying season that summer, but the party in favor of building, and of building on Mr. Nelson's land, were always successful. In 1769 the parish or- dered to be purchased and a deed taken. At this date, with a new meeting-house assured, we close the chap- ter.

CHAPTER LIV.

GEORGETOWN-(Continued).

EDUCATION-SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES AND LECTURES.

THE establishing of schools was of colonial action at an early date. In 1637 the college was located ; in 1642 legislation for local schools, and in 1647 it was ordered that every township of fifty families should have a school to teach children to write and read, be- cause, says the act, " It being one chiefe prect of ye ould deluder Satan, to keepe men from the knowledge of ye Scriptures," and "yt learning may not be buried in ye grave of of fathrs, in ye church & commonwealth."

With few evasions, this law was obeyed. One hun-

dred householders required a Grammar-school, and churches were also urged, to aid any " pore scholler " to get a collegiate education. Under this system, the schools were essentially parochial, the teachers serv- ing in that office and as ministers' assistants. When Mr. Rogers, of Rowley, added as one of the condi- tions in his will, that the church should always have two ruling elders, or pastor and teacher, his intention may have been to bring the secular instruction of the young, within church limits. The residents of the West Parish, or Georgetown, March 20, 1737, voted to "Bould a Schoal House, & to set it between the Brook by Capt. Bradstreets, and M' ffrancis Brockle- bank's Brook."

The dimensions of this first building erected for schools, was twenty feet long, sixteen wide, with a height of eight feet. The proportions were similar, in all buildings for the same purpose, for a century afterwards. This school-house was on the hill near the Searl place, and was placed there to accommodate Byfield, as well as the West Parish. Later, a vote was passed, " to allow seven shillings and a piney for Rhum, at the Raising of the School House." In- struction on the injurious effects of alcohol on the human constitution would seem rather inconsistent in that school-room.

November 6th Samuel Payson was invited to serve as teacher. Mr. Payson, our first "master," was a son of the Rowley minister, a graduate of Harvard in 1716, and taught in the various sections of the town from 1722 to 1756. Ebenezer Burpee, the carpenter, made the furniture at his house in the Chaplin field, under Vineyard bill, for this primitive school-room, where the sires of our grandparents had their first in- sight into the mysteries of the three " R's." The vote on the bill to pay Burpee, is novel, and was for "meching forms and tables, for said school-house."

The above vote was passed November 3, 1740, and the house was doubtless ready for the boys that month. In November or December was the time for this school to begin, and eight weeks' schooling in winter was the rule for more than a century. Doubtless the meth- ods of Pedagogue Payson were strict discipline as the summum bonum, and his Bible as a leading text-book. This was a boys' school; the daughters in those days did not learn the art of writing, and to learn how to read the Bible and catechism merely, could be taught as well at home. One can imagine the Spofford boys coming down from the hill, David Nelson and the Chaplins from Nelson Street, the Harrimans, Stick- neys and others, with a few from Byfield, all perhaps eager to get the benefit, of this first school.

December 30, 1745, the parish voted another school- house, and to set it at the south end of Francis Brocklebank's Hill, between Mr. Chandler's house and the brook. This was where Edward E. Sher- burne's house now stands, and may partly have been known to the present generation, in the "Poole house," burned many years ago, on the site of which,

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HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

Mr. Sherburn built his house. This school-house was to cost forty pounds, and to be completed by May 1st. A relative of the writer, Aunt Huldah Harriman, taught the girls and children of the parish, in this building, the useful lessous of knitting and plain sewing, with the equally useful reading and spelling, in their rudiments. After her hundredth year, she would tell the story of the gigantic black snake, sud- denly uncoiling itself from the rafters of that same school-house, and dropping into her little company of pupils below. This was known as the "Parish," and the first one built, as the " Upper School-House " for years afterwards.

For several years there was an attempt made to have a school kept in this Parish-House, and in No- vember, 1750, it was voted " that the winter, or writ- ing and Reading School, Should be kept only one- third part of the time at the uper School-House," or the first house. After the parish had employed Mr. Payson as teacher, for some years the town took ac- tion, and Mr. Benjamin Adams taught in 1742 and again in 1746, four months the first year, and six the second, half of the time in Byfield and half in the West Parish.

This is the first mention of a school in the Byfield part of Georgetown, and as a geographical centre, was the first point to be considered, it might be pos- sible to locate it. Perhaps it was near the present location of what might properly be called Cleaveland School or No. 7, possibly, however, in a private house. At a later date, early in the century, this school-honse was located not far from Stickney's Corner, opposite the Pike House. The peculiar site of the first house on Searl Street, was, as a probable centre, of the west part of Rowley. This teacher was doubtless from one of the Adams families, of Rowley or Newbury. He was evidently not a professional in- structor. March, 1753, the parish again took up the question of schools, and voted that the school be kept one-third of the time each, at the Parish, at the Up- per House and at the house at the easterly end and northerly part of the parish. The last named house was built about this time, at some point near the Parker River Woolen Mills.

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History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 218

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1 Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1538

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed. n 85042884-1
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1538