History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 5

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 5

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HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

of business, -- a farmer, a clergyman, a soldier and a legislator. Ile represented the town of Weymouth in the General Court in 1644; was the leader of a military company and one of the Ancient and Hon- orable Artillery Company.

At what time in the ecclesiastical history of Tops- field the first meeting-house was erected cannot be definitely determined. At first it stood not far from the Newburyport turnpike, near the residence of the late Sylvanus Wildes, Esq., in the east part of the town. It was without a pulpit, but was probably a very good edifice for the times.

In 1663 the church was gathered here, and Rev. Thomas Gilbert was invited to settle over it. The church was composed of the Topsfield people and the " villagers " (the Boxford people). Mr. Gilbert agreed to the proposal on condition that the "villa- gers" would engage to assist in his support. This condition was agreed to hy the "villagers" on condi- tion that the meeting-house should be moved so as to be more convenient for them to attend divine service. The meeting-house was accordingly moved into the southeast corner of the cemetery near the residence of Mr. Samuel Todd. Several families in Ipswich, living near Topsfield, were also members of the church, which they helped to support.

The church was organized, and Rev. Mr. Gilbert installed November 4, 1663. He was born in Scot- land, in 1610, and had been a clergyman of the es- tablished church at Chedlie and at Edling, in Eng- land. He was one of the two thousand clergymen who were ejected from their benefices by the Act of Uni- formity ; so that he came almost directly from an English vicarage, or curacy, to minister to the spirit- ual wants of the incipient church in Topsfield. Mr. Gilbert's pastorate here was far from being a smooth onc. In 1666 he was charged with sedition, and in 1670 with intemperance. The latter trial was sadly disgraceful, and he was dismissed from the pastorate. This twice-ejected minister died in Charlestown Oc- tober 28, 1673.

The next minister was Rev. Jeremiah Hobart, of Ilingham, Mass., who was ordained October 2, 1672. He was born in England April 6, 1631, and graduated at Ilarvard College in 1650. Ilis course here was no smoother than his predecessor's had been ; and he was dismissed September 21, 1680. He was afterward in- stalled at Hempstead, L. I., in 1683. where he preached about fifteen years, and finding that his congregation had nearly all left him, he concluded to go also. Ile was next installed at Itaddam, Conn., November 14, 1700, and continued to preach there until his death, which occurred in March, 1715. Ilis age was eighty-three years. Although little sanctity seems connected with this early pastor of Topsfield, he is, however, closely related to several distinguished divines ; and Mr. Brainard, the cele- brated missionary, was his grandson.

In 1682 a pulpit was built in the church, and the

same year Rev. Joseph Capen, of Dorchester, began to preach here. The next year he was invited to set- tle over the church. He accepted the call, and was ordained June 11, 1684. His salary was sixty-five pounds-twenty pounds in silver and forty-five pounds in pork and beef-per year, with the use of the parsonage house.

A " minister's farm " had been early laid out, and a parsonage built upon it for the use of the pastor. The house was situated about one-fourth of a mile west of the residence of the late Dr. R. A. Merriam. The Revs. Gilbert and Hobart probably occupied the house while they preached here, and Mr. Capen moved into it in 1683. The house and its surround- ings were not suited to the aristocratic tastes of Mrs. Capen, and so she pressed her husband to move near- er to the village. The town granted him twelve acres of land near the present Methodist Church, and on this land, about 1686, he built the house in which they afterward resided, and which is now occupied by Mrs. Alonzo Kneeland. The old par- sonage was used as a residence by the schoolmaster, Goodman Lovewell, from 1693 to 1701, when the town voted to dispose of it. The house which Mr. Capen built is one of the oldest, and probably the oldest existing house in Topsfield ; and the following story renders it interesting : In the witcheraft period, Mr. Capen, while preaching one Sunday, experienced a premonition that something was wrong at home, and leaving the congregation in the midst of the ser- vices he went to his house, and there found his worst enemy,-old Satan himself. Mrs. Capen had a ser- vant-girl, who had been reading a book which ought not to have been read on the Sabbath day, and that caused the Devil to appear and claim her for his own. When Mr. Capen understood how matters were, he readily conceived a remedy. Bringing into the room a half bushel full of flaxseed, he turned it upon the floor, and told the old Imp if he (Satan) succeeded in picking up the seed, kernel by kernel, before Mr. Capen could read backward, word by word, what the girl had read, he (the Devil) might have her. But, so the story runs, before the Devil had picked up the seed, Mr. Capen had completed his part of the agreement, and the beaten king of imps had to leave, through a rat hole, it is said, which is plainly visible at the present day.

The old meeting-house was used as a place of wor- ship until a new edifice was erected, in 1703. The old one was then sold for five pounds, to John Gould, who moved it down to the turnpike, and used it for a barn. It was afterwards removed to the " river mead- ows," where some of its decayed timbers could be seen a few years ago. The pulpit and some of the lumber of the old meeting-house had heen used in the construction of the new one. The new meeting- house was forty-four feet long and forty-two feet wide. The site of this house was that occupied by the present Congregational Church, which was then

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a knoll that had been levelled to some extent for the years. Ilis funeral sermon was preached by Rev. purpose of building the church upon it.

Rev. Mr. Capen continued to preach here for forty-three years. He died June 30, 1725, at the age of sixty-six years. He was born in Dorchester, Mass., December 20, 1658, and graduated at Harvard College in 1677. He was a good pastor, but his abilities as a preacher were moderate.

" Dear Mr. Capen, that revered man, Who did the faith in Christ maintain ; A learned man, and godly, too, None will deny this who him knew."-Epitaph.

Mr. Capen's successor was Rev. John Emerson, who was born in Charlestown, Mass., February 7, 1707, and ordained as pastor of the church here No- vember 27, 1728, at the age of twenty-one years. His labors here closed just before his death, which occur- red July 11, 1774, "having," as his epitaph says, " served God faithfully in the gospel of His Son up- wards of forty-five years."

During Mr. Emerson's ministry a new church had been erected. It was raised in 1759, and finished in 1760. It was fifty-four feet long, and forty-two feet wide, with twenty-six feet posts. It had a steeple, and stood on the site of the old church. For the raising, the town furnished one barrel of rum and eleven bar- rels of cider. The cost of the meeting-house was £743 108. 7ąd. The most interested agent in the erec- tion of the new church was Deacon George Bixby. It is a fact worthy of notice, that a Mr. Ross, of Ips- wich, who was present at the raising of this meeting- house, he being at the time but nine years old, was also present at the raising of the present church edi- fice, more than eighty-three years afterwards.

For five years after Rev. Mr. Emerson's death the society had irregular preaching. Then Rev. Daniel Breck, a native of Boston, was settled over the church. His ordination took place on Wednesday, November 17, 1779, the sermon being preached by the Rev. Mr. Lothrop, of the Old North Church, Boston, from 2d Corinthians iv. 5: " For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake." Mr. Breck was a man of fair talents and a good writer ; but his ability as a preacher was small. He endeavored to introduce some reforms in- to the church, which created a strong feeling against him, and the result was an honorable dismission, after nine years of service, May 26, 1788. Mr. Breck re- moved to Hartland, Vt., where he was settled in the ministry, and died in extreme old age.

Mr. Breck's successor was Rev. Asahel Hunting- ton, whose ordination took place on Thursday, No- vember 12, 1789. He was born in Franklin, Conn., March 17, 1761, and graduated at Dartmouth College in 1786. Rev. Dr. Ilart, of Preston, now Griswold, Conn, preached the ordination sermon. Mr. Hun- tington's useful and acceptable service continued here until April 22, 1813, when, after four days' illness, he died of malignant sore throat, at the age of fifty-two

Isaac Braman of the West Parish of Rowley, now the town of Georgetown. This discourse was pub- lished, and, in connection with it, an unfinished sermon of Mr. Huntington, written on the very day he was seized with the fatal illness. It was from the text : " Be ye also ready ; for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh."

In 1817 the spire of the steeple of the meeting- house was taken down and a eap-tower erected in its place.

A bell weighing 9383 pounds was purchased of Paul Revere & Sons, for four hundred dollars, and suspended in the tower of the church, "to be rung on all public days and tolled for funerals." A cop- per vane was placed upon the steeple.

For seven years after Mr. Iluntington's death the church had no settled pastor. Rev. Rodney Gove Dennis, of New Boston, N. H., accepted the invita- tion of the church and society to settle over them, and his ordination took place on Wednesday, October 4, 1820.

Several religions denominations being now repre- sented in the town, the unanimity of the people in giving their support to the Congregational Church was gone. While affairs were in this state the leading members of the Congregational body petitioned the General Court to grant them a parish charter, which was ac- cordingly done and approved by the Governor, Feb- ruary 19, 1824. The first legal meeting of the parish was held on Monday, March 29, 1824, at which Hon. Nehemiah Cleaveland was chosen moderator; Jacob Towne, Jr., clerk ; David Perkins, Thomas Balch and Samuel Hood, committee; and Samuel Hood, treas. urer. Deacon Daniel Bixby, who died the following year, bequeathed to this parish the farm known as the " Donation farm," for the support of the min- istry. The principal of this fund in 1877 amounted to $5,592.55. The church has beside this fund two hundred dollars, the income of which is to be applied for the support of the ministry.

April 22, 1827, Rev. Mr. Dennis asked for his dis- mission, because, as he says in his letter, his success does not justify him in continuing here. The parish refused to dismiss him ; but on a second application, April 9, 1829, his request was granted. The council for his dismission met May 18, 1829. Rev. Mr. Den- nis was born in New Boston, N. 11., April 17, 1791. After leaving Topsfield, he was settled at Somers, in Connecticut.

His successor was the Rev. James Frisby MeEwen, who was installed on Wednesday, May 5, 1830, He was born in East Hartford, Connecticut, August 25, 1793, and graduated at Dartmouth College in 1823. He was first settled at Bridport, in Vermont, where he stayed but a few years. A " root of bitterness," as the parish records call it, sprang up between Mr. McEwen and the church toward the close of the year 1840. A council to consider of his dismission

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HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

was held March 10, and his connection with this society ended May 5, 1841. He went to Rye, New Ilampshire, where he was installed December 1, 1841. lle was settled at Rye but a few years. He then went to West Brattleborough, in Vermont, where he died April 14, 1850.

The next settled minister was Rev. Anson Mc- Loud, of Hartford, in Connecticut, who was ordained here December 8, 1841. He was born in Hartford June 21, 1813. and graduated at Yale College iu 1838.

The present church was erected during the minis- try of Mr. McLoud, in 1842, at a cost of five thous- and dollars. The house was dedicated on Wednes- day, February 22, 1843. It occupies the site of its predecessor.

After a period of twenty-eight years, Mr. Mc- Lond's connection with the ministry here was dis- solved October 1, 1869. He continued to reside in Topsfield, where he died February 21, 1883. His faithful labors here secured for him a large place in the affections of his people, and the fullest respect of the neighboring churches.

Another pastor was soon settled. This was Rev. Edward P. Tenney, of Boston, who was installed on Wednesday, December 1, 1869. Mr. Tenney found the place uncongenial to his tastes and desires, and resigned September 10, 1870. For several years he has been president of Colorado College, the enter- prising aud useful college of that state. Mr. Tenney is the author of those little volumes eutitled " Aga- menticus " and "Coronation."

The next pastor was Rev. James Hill Fitts, of Andover, who was installed June 12, 1871. Mr. Fitts was born in Candia, in New Hampshire, March 3. 1829, and graduated at the Bangor Theological Se- minary in 1858. He was ordained as an evangelist November 2, 1859; and first installed at West Boyls- ton, in Massachusetts, September 3, 1862. Mr. Fitts was dismissed here March 22, 1880. He has since that time preached in South Newmarket, in New Hampshire.

The pulpit here was then supplied until Rev. Lyn- don S. Crawford was installed September 27, 1883. He was a native of North Adams, in Massachusetts, and was ordained as a missionary in 1879, being stationed at Marisisa, in Western Turkey. He was dismissed at his own request, to return to his missionary labors, October 17, 1886, and immediately entered upon his work in Brousa, in Turkey in Asia.

The present pastor is Rev. Charles Washington Luck, of Marion, Mass., who was ordained here ou Wednesday, June 29, 1887. Ile was born in Cleve- land, Ohio, February 2, 1857, and was educated at Harvard College and Andover Theological Seminary, graduating from the latter place in 1887.

The church membership now numbers about one hundred and forty-eight. The Sunday-school in connection with this church, has a membership of

about one hundred and sixty-five, and a library of about one thousand volumes.

The parish has a ministerial fund now amounting to six thousand two hundred and ninety-seven dol- lars, which includes the "Donation Farm " Fund of which we have spoken.

A house was presented to the parish by Mr. Joseph E. Stanwood for a parsonage a few years ago. For some reason it was not used for that purpose, and was afterwards sold to Charles H. Holmes, Esq. In the spring of 1886 the mansion house of Mr. Holmes was purchased by the parish, and has become the parsonage.

The parish of which we have been writing is known as the Congregational Parish, and its denominational religious belief is Orthodox Congregational. The only other parish that ever existed in the town is that of the Methodist Episcopal Church. There used to be quite a number of Baptists here, but no such church was ever established.

Methodist Episcopal Church .- Early in the summer of 1830 Charles Dodge and Ezra Glazier, members of the Methodist Church in Ipswich, held meetings in the North School-house in Topsfield, and also in the barn of Captain John Adams. Rev. Jacob Sanborn, who had charge of the Methodist Church in Ipswich, also preached here occasionally, and a number of conversions occurred. In September, 1830, Rev. William Nanseamen, the first regular minister, was sent here by the presiding elder, and October 20th, in the same year, the society was organized with fifteen members. They erected a house of wor- ship the following year, it being raised October 19, 1831. Timothy Munroe, of Lynn, took the contract for building. Its site was on the Newburyport turn- pike, near Springville. It was dedicated December 28, 1831. It was forty feet square, and cost six huu- dred and three dollars. In 1840, January 9th and 10th, the meeting-house was moved on wheels to land of Richard Phillips by fifty yoke of oxen. The new site was given by Mr. Phillips to the society. It was in the north corner of Mr. John B. Lake's house-lot. The present parsonage of the society was erected in 1850, at a eost of seven hundred dollars. Rev. John G. Cary was its first occupant. The present church was erected in 1853, and dedicated June 14, 1854. The church and parsonage are both free from debt. A fine and large organ was placed in the church in 1868, at a cost of nine hundred dollars. A Sabbath- school is held in connection with the church. The list of ministers who have been stationed here is as follows: William Nanseamen, 1830 ; Asa W. Swiner- ton, 1830-31; R. D. Esterbrooks, 1831; Thomas Stetson, 1832-33; David Culver, 1833-34; Benjamin King, 1834; Charles MeReading, 1834; Henry B. Skinner, 1834-35; John E. Risley, 1836 ; S. E. Pike, 1836; G. F. Pool, 1836-38; George W. Bates, 1838- 39; Chester Field, Jr., 1839-40; L. B. Griffin, 1840- 41; Amos Walton, 1841-42; H. C. Dunham, 1842-43;

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I. J. P. Colyer, 1843-45 ; Moses P. Webster, 1845-46 ; John Poulson, 1846-47 ; William R. Stone, 1847-49; Kinsman Atkinson, 1849-51; John G. Cary, 1851-53; A. F. Bailey, 1853-54, J. W. Bemis, 1854; S. G. Hiler, Jr., 1854-55 ; John C. Smith, 1855-56 ; Frank- lin Furber, 1856-57; Abraham M. Osgood, 1857-58; George Sutherland, 1858-60; J. W. Lewis, 1860-61; A. D. Merrill, 1861-62; E. S. Suow, 1862-63 ; F. G. Morris, 1864-66 ; George E. Chapman, 1866-67 ; Wil- liam D. Bridge, 1867-69; S. F. Chase, 1869-70; J. F. Mears, 1870-72; S. A. Fuller, 1872-73; G. W. Buz- zell, 1873-75; W. H. Meredith, 1875-77; Stephen Louis Rodgers, 1877-79; George H. Clarke, 1879-82; A. C. Manson, 1882-83; N. H. Martin, 1883-86; James T. Docking, 1886-87, and Paul Carnie. 1887.

Some of these pastors were principals of the Tops- field Academy while they preached here. The so- ciety was incorporated by au act of the Legislature, approved by the Governor April 26, 1847. The church has seventy-three members and a fuud of two hundred dollars.

MILITARY HISTORY .- In Topsfield, as elsewhere, the farmers carried weapons, as well as tools, into the field, and armed sentries used to walk around the church when the people were assembled. In 1673, when the church stood in the cemetery near Mr. Todd's house, a massive stone wall of five or six feet in height and three feet wide, was built around it. A space of ten feet, and on the south side, twelve feet, was left between the wall and the meeting-house. On the southeast corner of the wall was built a watch- house ; and a space of four feet was left between the watch-house and the meeting-house, so that the space around the latter would not be obstructed. The watch-house was probably fitted up without windows, and the light was let in through the small loop-holes and the door, when open. It was called in 1706 the " old meeting-house fort." There was a watch-house built to the new meeting-house in 1703, but it was re- moved before 1738.

In 1676 the General Court ordered that each town should "scout and ward," and clear up the brush- wood along the highways, " to prevent the skulking of the enemy," which order was not disregarded, probably, by such men as were the settlers of Tops- field. A garrison-house was built by the early set- tlers, but it is not known that it was ever needed as a place of resort in an attack by the Indians.

A military company was formed here very early, agreeably to the laws of the colony, with whom the soldiers in Boxford trained until the incorporation of that town in 1685.

An armory was early erected, of which William Smith was the keeper in 1682.

May 27, 1668, the General Court appoints or sanc- tions Francis Peabody to be lieutenant of the military company here.

October 13, 1680, the General Court order that the

troops in this town be enlisted under Major Nathaniel Saltonstall.

In March, 1678-79, the town made a rate of £41 68. 6d. to procure powder and bullets with. In 1818 the town voted to build a powder house to keep the military stores in.

In 1840 all the old military companies belonging to the State were disbanded, A new company had been formed here, called the "Warren Blues," about 1836, which existed for about ten years. In 1841 the town voted to buildl an armory for them.

Topsfield assisted with the rest of the towns in fur- nishing men and means in carrying on the Indian wars and the French War. Cleaveland, in his bi-centen- nial address, says.

"The Rev. Mr. Barnard, of Marblehead, in his autobiography, makes honorable mention of a Captain Boynton, of Topsfield, who commanded a company in the Red Regiment of General March's Brigade, during the unsuccessful attempt upon Port Royal in 1707. In Gage's . History of Rowley,' I find a notice of Captain Israel Davis, of Topsfield, as com- manding a company in the French War. John Baker . was an officer in the same service. But enongh, -- the story of those wearisome and often bloody campaigns, so far as relates to the soldiers of Topsfield, has not come down to us. We know who and what they were ; and we feel as well assured that they were faithful and brave, as if we had seen the record of their virtues and deeds on the historic page, or on monumental brass."

Several of the Topsfield soldiers perished at Cape Breton in 1744, and others in different services in the French War; while many, from enduring the fa- tigues and sufferings of the expeditions, destroyed their health and future usefulness.

1n 1755 the removal of the French Acadians took place. The people of Nova Scotia, or Acadia, as it was then called, promised to be neutral between the French and English, but they broke their agreement, and the only way to put an end to the assistance they were rendering to the French, it was deemed by the English authorities, was to depopulate their country and seatter them through New England. The story of their sufferings has been told by Longfellow, in his poem, " Evangeline." One family was sent to Topsfield ; it consisted of a man and his wife and five children. The father, aged forty-three years, was named Michael Dugoy ; his wife, aged forty-three, was named Elizabeth Dugoy ; and their children were Armont, aged fourteen ; Mary, aged eleven ; Mod- esty, aged eight; Joseph, aged six ; and Anne, aged four years. They arrived in town October 21, 1756. They resided all the time that they lived in Topsfield in the house of David Balch, which stood a few rods south of the residence of Mr. Charles J. P. Floyd. They were supported, when not able to support them- selves, by the Province. The head of this family was able to do but little work. In the summer of 1760 they removed to Newbury, and in 1767 Topsfield voted to give them thirty-two dollars to pay their passage to Canada and support them on the voy- age.

Cleaveland says, "Tradition long preserved their memory as sad, retiring and inoffensive. Sad they

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HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

might well be, -- torn from their property and happy homes, -- separated from all their kinsfolk and coun- trymen, and cast among people who could sympathize with them neither in language, nor manners, nor re- ligion."

Captain Samuel Smith, of Topsfield, was chosen by the town to confer with the committee of safety in Boston, in 1768. He was also a member of the Pro- vincial Congress in 1775.

The people here were strongly opposed to the Stamp Act of 1765, and grateful to the Crown when it was removed. In 1770 the town votes to encourage and promote all home manufactures, and to " do every thing that is in their power to enable the merchants to continue in their agreement for the non-importa- tion of goods from (treat Britain."

January 20, 1774, the vote which follows was passed by the town : "that we will not buy nor sell any tea that has been or may be exported from Great Britain, until such time as there is a total repeal of the oppressive and unconstitutional act or acts of Parliament for imposing a duty on tea," etc.

October 11, 1774, the following instructions were given to Captain Samuel Smith, to guide him in the deliberations of the Provincial Congress, in which he was to represent the town :

1. "That you use your endeavors that King George ye 3d be acknowl- edged as our rightful sovereign.

2. " That you use your endeavors that all our constitutional and char- ter rights and privileges be kept good and inviolable to the latest pos- terity.

3. " That you do everything to the utmost of your power to prevent any of the late oppressive Acts of Parliament being executed ; provided that you do not act anything that is repugnant to what the Continental Congress may resolve."

As independence seemed more and more certain, the town's people express themselves more openly in favor of the independence of the Colonies.

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History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 5

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