History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 10

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1672

USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II > Part 10

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The meeting of March 6th was called of "those that live without or below ye Village line that are Duely Qualified according to law for voteing." This call excluded the voters of Salem Village, who were probably deemed not to be interested in the separation of the middle precinct from the First Parish. The result was that the petitioners were in the minority, and the meeting was dissolved without action, as the record says, "because all the persons preluded by the Petitioners had not signed the petition."

The persons excepted lived in North Salem.

It is evident that this informality was merely a pretext scized upon by the majority to prevent far- ther action at that time, and that a very decided opposi- tion to the separation of the new precinct was de- veloped at this meeting; for immediately on this rebuff'in the town meeting, the same petitioners de- cided to change their plans, to address the General Court, praying to be set off' as a separate precinct, and to ask of the town of Salem simply a lot of land on which to build their meeting-house. As the next general town-meeting was to be held on March 20, they induced the selectmen to insert an article in the warrant authorizing the grant of a lot of land condi- tionally on the precinct's being established, there being at the time no petition or proceeding on foot, other than the one which had just been refused a hearing, before either the town or the General Court. Captain Samuel Gardner was a representative that year to the General Court, with Captain Jonathan Putnam, (they were paid £ 9 6s. apiece for their sixty-

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two days' service at the assembly), and it is very likely that he felt more confident of success in the General Court than in the town-meeting. The fol- lowing is the list of the Petitioners, as given by Han- son. Samuel Marble, John Nurse, Abraham l'ierce, James Houlton, Samuel Cutler, Ebenezer Cutler, Samuel King, Samuel Stone, James Gould, William King, Stephen Small, Ezekiel Marsh, Benjamin Very, Ezekiel Goldthwaite, Nathaniel Waters, John Jacobs, Richard Waters, Samuel Cook, David Foster, Na- thaniel Felton, John Waters, Israel Shaw, Jacob Read, John Trask, Nathaniel Tompkins, William Osborne, Jr., John O. Waldin, Anthony H. Need- ham, John Marsh, Benjamin Marsh, Samuel Stacey, Sr., Samnel Stacey, William Osborne, John W. Bur- ton, Benjamin C. Procter, Elias Trask, John Giles, John Gardner, George Jacobs, John Felton, Robert Wilson, Eben. Foster, Jonathan King, Skeltou Fel- ton, llenry Cook, Joseph Douty, Thorndike Procter, Samuel Goldthwaite, Samuel Goldthwaite, Jr., John King, John King, Jr., Samuel Endicott.

The article in the warrant issued Mareh 8, 1709-10, is "To answer the petition of severall of ye Inhabi- tants of this Towne, that live without ye bridge and be- low ye Village line, To grant them a Quarter of an acre of land to Set a Meeting-house upon Nigh Sam1 Golthrit's Jun. between that and ye widow Parnell's in Case ye Towne or General Court See Cause to Set them off."

The inhabitants of the village parish appear to have been in sympathy with the promoters of the new precinet, and the petitioners were able to secure a majority at the general town-meeting. A motion to proceed at onee to the vote for granting one-fourth of an acre to the petitioners prevailed, and it was then voted that the land asked for be granted. A protest was immediately drawn up and signed by several of the most prominent citizens of the "Body of the Town," and was entered on the records. Its terms are curious and interesting. The grounds of the protest were that the inhabitants of the new pre- cinct "have never been sett of, nor any Precinct or District for a Parish Prescribed by the Towne, and altho' this matter of theire petition was now nrged and moved as preposterous and irregular, & that there- fore ye Towne might have time to Consider of it till another Towne meeting "; " Wee therefore " say the remonstrants, " Doe hereby dissent from and Protest against the Said Precipitate and Irregular vote or act therein for ye reasons following, viz :

"1 .- Because two of the Selectmen that order'd the Inserting this matter in the warrant were Livers without the Bridge, & one of them a Petitioner in said Petition, and both Subscribers for the there Intended meeting house,

"2 .- Because two More of the Selectmen that were of the Village Parish ware absent from their Brethren when the said Petition was or- dered in the warrant.

"3 .- Because the Three Selectmen that are Livers within the Bridge at ye Time of the Agitation about itt Declared against the other Two Inserting sd Petition in the warrant & Brings itt forward at this time.

"4 .- Because Some of the voters were Livers without the Bridge,

& Some Quakers, and cheifly those elso belonging to the Village Perrish whome we humbly conceive ware not propper voters in this matter. Wee therefore pray this, onr Protest, may be Entred with yo said vute in the Towue Records."

Benjamin Lynde, Jonathan Corwin, William Ged- ney and Francis Willoughby were among the signers of this protest.

The next sitting of the General Court was conven- ed May 31, and the petition for the new precinct having been duly presented, the General Court, upon reading it, issued an order of notice directing the pe- titioners to notify the town of Salem, by sending a copy of the petition to the Selectmen, to appear and show reason on the 16th of June, why the prayer of the petitioners should not be granted.

On the 8th of June, the selectmen ealled a meet- ing of freeholders below the village line, for the 12th. At this meeting, which was merely to give an oppor- tunity to the remonstrants to appear against the petitioners, "at the motion of the moderator and Severall other gentlemen the Petitioners Liveing with- out the Bridge Drew of before voting. It was " voated that the Towne will Choose a Comitte or agents to Shew Reason why the Prayers of the Petitioners our Neighbours without the Bridge should not be Granted." A committee consisting of Major Samuel Browne, Benjamin Lynde, and Josiah Wolcot, was chosen to show reason in the town's behalf against the petition. The arguments of the remonstrants were filed in writing, and contain evidence of warm feeling. The committee for Salem do not hesitate to say to the General Court "Wee Cannott Butt think that Thatt Honourable Court will never want Buis- ness and Trouble If such Hasty and forward Peti- tioners be Enconraged and have their Desires." They also declare that "There was no such design until our Church had Chosen Mr. George Corwin for an assistant in the ministry to our Revd. Mr. Noyes, which not being pleasing to One, or Two of the Chief of ye Petitioners has occasioned this new undertak- ing, and a great unhappiness in the Town." It was objected also that the separation would take from the body of the town, so far as concerned parish matters, three fourths of all improved lands, and the best part of the common lands, and it would with- draw eighty or ninety families from the First Church.

On the 19th of June, the General Court referred the whole matter to the next session, and appointed a committee to repair to Salem, and upon a full hearing of the petitioners, and the selectmen and others in behalf of the town, and after taking a view of the place proposed for the new building, "to offer their opinion of the most convenient place for a new con- gregation, Making report upon the whole to this Court at their next session."

Tuesday, the 12th of September, was set for the hearing before the committee of the General Court in Salem. The selectmen determined to make the visit of the committee an agreeable one, for at a meeting of

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the selectmen, September 9th, it was "ordered that John Pratt hee spoken to make Sutable Entertain- ment for ye Comitte apointed by ye General Court to come to Salem refering to ye precinct petition for without ye Bridge & that the Towne will defray ye Charge thereof."

John Pratt was for many years the proprietor of the famous "Ship Tavern" on Essex Street, nearly opposite Centre Street, on the site afterward occupied by the Mansion House. He afterward removed, about 1750, to a honse on the corner of Essex and Washington Streets, About 1773 another house of entertainment, on the corner of Washington and Church Streets, was called the Ship Tavern.

The meeting of the committee was probably held in the Town House, in the upper part of which was the court-room, and which was situated in the mid- dle of Washington Street, anciently School Street, facing Essex Street, about where the eastern end of the tunnel now is.

At this hearing fresh papers were filed by the parties ; the petitioners rejoined to the arguments of the respondents, and pointed out that the new parish would take only about one-fourth of the families of the First Parish, and that owing to the small means of those who lived by husbandry, compared to the merchants and tradesmen of the town, it would take away but "a little more than a fifth part of ye pro- portion rated to the minister."

The full discussion has not been preserved, but it was doubtless animated, for these were people who took a deep interest in everything of public concern, and who were accustomed to vehement debate.

The committee were taken to the proposed site of the new meeting-house, and they were entertained by the town with great liberality; for John Pratt's bill "for Entertainment of ye Committe & ye Company that attended & accompanied them " for "Two din- ners, expenses, &c.," amounted to £4 78. 6d., a very considerable sum for a junket in those days, which was approved the following January without com- ment, so far as the records show; perhaps because at the same meeting of the selectmen their patriotic ardor was stirred by an order to pay to the same land- lord " For expense on Major Lee & his pylot bring- ing ye first news of port Royalls being taken," amount- ing to 12s. 10d. It is probable that the item of "ex- penses, &c.," included a hospitable supply of liquors. The use of the same word in the order to pay for the celebration of the victory at Port Royal, shows that it had an ascertained meaning, like that of the word " sundries" in bills for celebrations of more recent date. It is interesting to note that in one respect at least we are more puritanical than our forefathers, for a town officer would hardly venture now to " treat " at the expense of the town in celebration of a victory.

setting off the new precinct. The report was read in the council and left upon the board. The next day the report was again read and debated. On the 3d, upon the question "Whether the Council will now vote the said report," there was a tie. It was not till the 10th of November that the report was finally accepted. The recommendation of the committee was that "The said Precinct do begin at the great Cove in the North Field so to run directly to Trask's Grist Mill, taking in the Mill to the new Pre- einet; from thence on a Strait Line to the Mile Stone on the Road to Salem Meeting-house, and So along the Road to Lyn by Lindsay's; and then along the Line between Salem and Lyn Northward, till it comes to Salem Village line, & along by that line to Frost Fish River, & then by the Salt Water to the great Cove first mentioned ; and that the Meeting-house be erected on that Piece of Land near Gardner's Brook, already granted by the Towne for that End."

The report of the committee, which was signed by Penn Townsend for the committee, was read and ac- cepted by both houses and consented to by Governor Dudley the same day, November 10, 1710.

It seems that although the committee, in their re- port, speak of a piece of land as already granted by the town, there had been no location of the grant, which was indeed, by its terms, conditional.

On the 28th of December a formal vote was passed at a meeting of the selectmen, ordering that Captain Jonathan Putnam, Mr. Benjamin Putnam and Mr. John Pickering or any two of them be a committee to lay out the quarter of an acre and make return thereof.

It was undoubtedly a shrewd proceeding on the part of the petitioners to obtain the conditional grant in advance, and then locate it by the recommenda- tion of the committee of the General Court before the layers-out had been appointed. The fact that the land had already been granted may be fairly sup- posed to have had some weight in the deliberations of the committee.

CHAPTER LXVIII.

PEABODY (Continued).

The Middle Precinct-Building the Meeting-house.

ON the 28th of November, 1710, a general meeting of the inhabitants of the Middle Precinct was held. Captain Samuel Gardner was chosen moderator, and John Gardner was chosen "Clark." It was voted " That there be A Convenient Meeting hous Built for ye Publick Worship of God wth all convenient Speed in this Middle Precinct, and that it be Erected on ye place of Ground granted by the Town for that

On November 1, 1710, the legislative committee submitted a report, dated October 31, in favor of End." The committee chosen to have charge of the

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building of the new house were " Capt Sam" Gardner, M' Jnº Trask Sen', Mr James Holton, Mr Sam" Cut- ler, M' Jnº Nurse, Mr Jon" Mash, Mr Jnº Felton, Mr Willm King, Mr Thorndick Procter, Mr. Abell Gard- ner, Mr Abrm Pearse, M' Jnº Waters."

The site chosen for the new meeting-house is that now occupied by the South Congregational Church in Peabody. It is mentioned in the proceedings at the centennial celebration of the incorporation of Danvers that the original grant of a quarter of an acre was in some way increased to abont an acre.

The committee on the building, which is common- ly spoken of in the parish records as "ye grate com- mity " met, with brief delay, on the 30th of Novem- ber, and it was " Agreed that ye Building be 48 feat Long and 35 feat wid and 24 feat stud so as to have two Galaris." It was " Agreed That M' Sam" Cutler M' Robert Willson M' Jnº Waters Be undertakers for ye workmanship of ye Hous and are to have 25 9ª Day for so many days as thay work from the present time till ye 10 day of March next and then 38 { day so Long as ye Committy sees good. Agreed That other carpenders have 28 6ª per day for so many days as they work, and men that work with A Narro Ax to have 25 ? day."

On January 15, 1710-11, the committee called a general meeting of the inhabitants of the parish to petition the town for a lot for the minister, and it was voted "to move or petition for 10 acres of land or as much as ye town sees meet to be laid out between Mr. Sam" Stones and Sam" Goldthrit's for ye use of ye Ministry for this Precinct. The location asked for would be between Washington Street and Foster Street, on the southerly side of Main Street. On March 12, 1710-11 the matter came before the gen- eral town meeting of Salem, and it was left to the select men to propose to the next annual town meet- ing "relating to a Sutable proportion of lands for ye Ministry of ye body of ye Toune and ye other two precincts to be set apart for ye use of ye Ministry of ye severall Districts." It seems that the application of the new precinct for a minister's lot was the occa- sion of the other parishes' asking for lots also, and at the meeting on March 24, 1711-12, the town was asked to grant ten acres to each of the outlying pre- cincts and twenty acres to the First Parish. This the voters refused to do; but it was voted to grant half an acre of land to "the New Chappell lately erected," for the use of the minister. This was short- ly after Mr. Prescott had been called to the Middle Parish.

This grant of one-half acre was not laid out for several years. In 1715 application was made to the selectmen of Salem to lay it out, and they did so the same year, near the meeting-house. The location included the vicinity of the Universalist Church building, extending toward the square. Part of this land was afterward conveyed to the Rev. Mr. Holt, and the remainder continued in the possession of the

ministry until 1818, when it was sold to Matthew Hooper for fifteen hundred dollars. The town of Salem refused to grant more land to the various pre- cincts ; but when in 1714 there was a division of com- mon rights, five acres were granted to the commoners to each of the four churches. These appropriations were located, one above the other, on the left of the old Boston road, going toward Poole's bridge from Salem, between Glasshouse Field and the Sheep Pas- ture. The various church lots lay on the southerly side of the road now leading to Swampscott from Aborn Street, extending in a direction parallel to the Boston road. This land also was sold in 1845 for six hundred dollars and the proceeds of all the ministry lands of the Middle Precinct forms a fund which has at times been invested in a parsonage and at other times kept at interest. In the grants of these lands, in 1714 and 1715, the Middle Precinct is spoken of as Brooksby Parish or Precinct, showing that the ancient name was still in use at that time.

The original dimensions of the new meeting-house were enlarged at a meeting of the Great Committee in March, 1710-11, and it was agreed that the house should be fifty-one feet long and thirty-eight feet broad. The lower part of the "Galari Gurts" were to be eight and one-half feet from the floor ; there were to be six seats in the front gallery and five seats in the end galleries. The pulpit ;was in the middle of one of the long sides, and the principal aisle, or "alley," ran at right angles to the sitters, lengthwise and in the middle of the house. The pews were nearly square ; there were twenty of them, and they were mostly about five feet by six, though Samnel Cntler's pew was more than seven by six feet, and one pew occupied by Samuel and John Gardner was six feet by nine. The scarcity and costliness of window-glass made it necessary to econ- omize greatly in the use of that luxury ; and some of the pew-holders being inconvenienced by the dark- ness of their sittings, it was voted in May, 1712, "That thay which have no windos in their Puse have Leave to cut sum out Provided thay maintain them at their one Charge." If this liberty was largely availed of, it must have produced a picturesque irregularity in the appearance of the structure from the outside. One case, at least, is recorded ; Daniel Marble was given leave to cut a window out of the side of the meeting-house against his pew, to be maintained by him. This was in 1726. In 1765 the proprietors of new pews were given liberty to cut or make windows at the east and west doors.

The building was raised Jnne 6, 1711. Mr. Joseph Green, of the Village Church, has recorded in his diary that he went to the raising "at Col. Gardner's." Captain Samuel Gardner's house was on the nor- therly corner of Central and Elm Streets. The festivities of that occasion were probably paid for by private subscription, for the only item of refreshments which appears in the parish accounts at

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that period is the very modest entry "pd for Syder bread & Cheese when the planck was unloaden, 028."

On October 5, 1711, a day of fasting and prayer was recommended "particularly in ye Calling of A minister," and the wish was devoutly spread upon the record "That God would direct in that Waighty Consearn to such a person as may be a blessing to ye place." A committee was chosen at the same time for granting pews and seating the house; so that the building was probably nearly or quite ready at that time. The record of the first seating is not entered till several years afterward, about 1721. The twenty pews were granted to some of the more important families, and the other seats were given with due consideration to age and rank, the men and women sitting separately. It would seem that even the own- ers of pews did not sit with their wives, for some of the pew-owners had other seats allotted to them, and it is recorded " That Jnº Waters shall have ye Pew to ye westward of Nath' Felton's for his wife and family and that said Waters is seated in ye front fore seat in ye Galary." The women were seated in the east gal- lery and the easterly part of the house below, and the mer had the west gallery and western part of the house. The sittings are described as "ye three short seats before ye pulput," "ye west body of seats," "ye body of long Women's seats belo," "The fore seat of the west end of the men's gallery," and so on.

On November 6, 1711, a committee was chosen to inquire after candidates and invite them to preach. It was resolved that candidates should be paid by contribution, or by rates if the contributions fell short.

Three candidates are mentioned in the records,- Mr. Benjamin Prescott, Mr. Sutehelif and Mr. Bar- nard. The latter was probably the Rev. John Bar- nard, who was a graduate of Harvard College in 1709, the class of Mr. Prescott. The name Sutchelif does not appear in the Harvard Catalogue ; it may be that the Rev. Wm. Shurtleff was the person meant. On the 4th of March, 1711-12, a general meeting of the parish was held to choose a minister. Of course, on- ly the qualified male voters of the precinct were al- lowed to vote, the qualification being the same as that for voting in town affairs ; but those who could not attend on this occasion were allowed to vote by proxy. The names of the three candidates were brought for- ward, and the clerk makes the brief and important entry, " The person Chosen to be our Minister in Mr. Benj. Prescot." It was agreed " That if Mr. Prescott Cums and settles with us we will pay yearly to him ye sum of Eighty Pounds in Province Bills or in silver money as it passes from man to man, So long as he continues to be our minister."

In February, 1711-12, Mr. Prescott was settled as the first pastor, and it seemed as if the long and bit- ter contest for separation from the First Parish was over. But the people of those days were sturdy con- troversialists, and it was too soon to expect peace.

The officers of the First Parish made out their list of rates, as usual, upon those who had formerly paid rates, although many of them had contributed largely from their slender means for building the new meet- ing-house and settling the new minister. The indig- nant voters of the middle precinct sent a committee to the General Court to acquaint that body with their grievance, and ask relief against the tax, which was being pressed with the full vigor of the law. This committee was chosen October 13, 1712, and they ob- tained speedy justice, for on the 30th of October it was by the General Court

" Resolved and declared that the said Precinct, being set off by Order of this Court, & having worthily performed their Engagement in erect- ing a convenient Meeting House for the Imblick worship of God, & set- tled a learned orthodox Minister & provided an honourable support for him, They are not further chargeable to the support of the Ministry io the Body of the Town, being no longer of the audience there; and the Assessment made lately upon the Inhabitants of the Precinct for the Ministry in the Body of the Town by the Selectmeo and Assessors, & all Warrants issned for the collection and distraining fur the tame be & here- by are superseded and orade null and void."

It was not till 1713 that the members of the First Church who were included in the new parish sent in their request to be dismissed from the mother church.

" SALEM, April 24th, 1713.

" To the Rev'd Mr. Nicholas Noyes, Teacher of the Church in Salem, and to the Church of Christ there :

" Hon'd, Rev'd, and Beloved :

·· WHEREAS it hath pleased our gracious God te smile upon eur en- deavors for the erecting ef an house for the carrying on the public wor- ship of Gud, and settling a minister amengst us, and we being called by divine providence (as we apprehend) to settle a particular church accord- ing to the Gospel, under the ministry of the Rev'd Mr. Benj. Prescot : Our humble request to yourselves is that you will plense te dismiss us and our children with your apprebation aod blessing, to be a church ef ourselves and until we are so, with the consent and approbation of the Elders and messengers of the churches that shall assist at the erdinution of the Rev'd Mr. Prescot, to continue members of Salem Church, and as there shall br occasion assist and help us, especially by your prayers unto the God of all grice, that in so great an affair we may be directed and assisted to proceed in all things according to the will of God, unte whom be glory iu the church by Jesus Christ, throughout all ages, world without end "

" Your unworthy brethren and sisters living within the bounds of the Middle District in Salem.

" Hlaona King. Martha Adams.

Sam'l Goklthwait, sen.

Judah Mackintire. Elizabeth Cook.

Ebenezer Gyles.

Elizabeth Nurse. Sarah Gardiner. Abraham Pierce.

Sarahı Robinson. Elizabeth Gardiner.

Julın Foster.

Ales Shaftlin. Isabel lease.

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History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 10

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co. Number of Pages: 1672

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) ed
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & Co.
Number of Pages: 1672