History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 81

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 81

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The population of Gloucester at different periods, has been :

1704. By catimate. 700

1755. 41 2745

1765. " Colonial Census 3763

1775. " estimate 4945

1,90.

" U. S. Census. 5317

1800.

5313

151(, **

5943

1820.

6384

1×30. 4

7510

1×10. 4

6350

The falling off' in 1840 is accounted for in the loss of 2650 residents of the territory set off to form the town of Rockport. This portion of the Cape, al- though the latest settled part of the territory, was far in advance of other portions in its growth during the first forty years of the present century. The interest and convenience of the people seemed to demand a separation several years before it was accomplished. The subject was brought into town meeting in 1818, and a committee was chosen to consider it, but, fail- ing to agree, nothing further was attempted till 1827, when, from inability to agree among themselves, the matter ended as before. The act for the incorpora- tion of the town of Rockport passed both branches of the Legislature, and received the approval of the Governor on the same day, the 27th of February, 1-40. The territory set off to the new town included all of the Fifth Parish and that portion of the Third adjoining it, situated on the northeast end of the Cape. It contained about two-sevenths of the prop- erty of the old town, and about one-fourth of the in- habitants.

The population of Gloucester since the division has

15 By | S. ConAus 7786

18 . 4

10,904

15,389

10: 29

At the May town-meeting ib Isti the citizens by a vote of 201 to 82, voted to petition the Legislature for a city charter. The petition was granted, and a charles submitted to the people at a town-meeting

in the summer of the same year, was rejected ; yeas, 249; nays, 477. A second attempt for a city charter grew from a special town-meeting held on the 20th of February, 1873, at which, by a vote of 394 against 48, it was decided to petition the Legislature there- for. A charter was granted, and on the 15th of May, it was accepted by 689 yeas, against 353 nays. The city government went into operation January 1, 1874, with Hon. Robert R. Fears, mayor ; who served two years. His successors have been, Allan Rogers, 1876- 77; J. Franklin Dyer, M.D., 1878; William Wil- liams, 1879; Joseph Garland, M.D., 1880-81 ; Wil- liam Williams, 1882; William H. Wonson (3d), 1883- 84; John S. Parsons, 1885-86; David I. Robinson, 1887.

There has been but one city clerk, John J. Somes, elected in 1874. The city treasurers have been John Corliss, elected in 1874; Franeis Bennett, elected 1875; Edward Dolliver, elected 1879.

CHAPTER CVI.

GLOUCESTER-(Continued).

Ecclesiastical Affairs.

THE FIRST PARISH .- As has been previously not- ed, the Dorchester Company, in attempting to estab- lish themselves permanently at Gloucester, provided a minister for the settlement, the Rev. John Lyford, in 1625. On the breaking up of the settlement the following Spring, he went to Virginia, where he died. Rev. Mr. Forbes, in his sermon preached in September, 1792, already eited, says of the successful attempt at permanent occupancy in 1633, that "the first settlers of Cape Ann were early solicitous to set up and maintain the public worship of God among them. Though they were few in numbers and strang- ers in the land, yet, like Abraham, as soon as they pitched their tent, they set up an altar ;- i. e., they agreed on a place where they might meet for the public worship of God on the Sabbath." "So long ago as in 1633 the first settlers of this town consecrated a house for public worship." The town records are silent about the erection or location of this first meeting-house, although they show that there was a place of worship. Thomas Lechford, who was in Boston in 1639, but soon returned to England, where he published a book, says in it: "At Cape Ann, where fishing is set forward, and some stages builded, there one Master Rashley is chaplain." Of him but little is known, except that he was at one time mem- ber of the church in Boston, and subsequently was officiating as minister at Bishop-Stoke, England. Probably his stay at Gloucester was brief.

The organization of a church was the work of Rev. Richard Blynman, in 1642. It was the nine-

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GLOUCESTER.

teenth, in the order of formation, in Massachusetts could afford. The court records show a litigation between two of these in March, 1658. Thomas Millet Colony. Aside from the fact of its organization, it has no recorded history for about sixty years. Mr. then appeared as plaintitl' in an action against Wil- Blynman was in Gloucester, and probably pastor of liam Stevens " for withholding a wrighting of the sub- scription of the inhabitants of Gloster for payment of their several sums to Mr. Millett for his labours among them, & his own proportion included, which is 50 shilling .. " Mr. Babson says: "The jury gave their verdict in favor of the plaintiff; but no perma- nent estrangement between the two brethren was produced, as may be inferred from their appointment by the court, in June, 1659, to exercise their gifts jointly for the edification of the inhabitants, who were ordered to meet in one place together to attend the public worship of God on the Lord's Day, and so to continue till Mr. Emerson should be here or come to settle." (Ifistory, p. 195.) the church, until early in 1650, when, with many who were associated with him in locating in Glou- cester in 1642, he settled in New London, Connecti- cut. Mr. Babson quotes from "an order passed for assigning a piece of land for a burial-ground, Febu- rary 8, 1644," "that, at the end of these lots (viz., Mr. Blynman's, Thomas Jones's, Thomas Kent's and Tho. Skillings's, betwixt and the old meeting-house place) shall be hall' an acre laid out for a common burial-place." "This language," Mr. Babson adds, "will perhaps justil'y an inference that, even at this early period, the second meeting-house had been built, and that the one mentioned in the order was erect- ed by earlier inhabitants than Mr. Blynman and his company. In a grant of land to Sylvester Eveleth, recorded next after a grant bearing date December, 1648, allusion is made to his house on Meeting Hill; and in April, 1653, it is recorded that Christopher Avery and John Collins measured the Meeting-house plain, and found it '39 rods from the ereek and William Evans's fenee; and from the northwest cor- ner of Goodman Wakley's fence to Mr. Perkins's fence, 20 and a half rods; and from Mr. Perkins's garden fence over straight east to Goodman Wakley's fence, 17 1-2 rods.' From these allusions, and other notices of the Meeting-House plain of subsequent date, it appears probable that a house of worship was erected soon after the incorporation of the town, on or near the spot occupied by three successive buildings for this purpose, abont half a mile north of the place indicated as the site of the first one." (History, pp. 191, 192.)

Mr. Blynman's departure from town, accompanied by so many of the former inhabitants, greatly weak- ened the ability of the church to procure another pastor; but the selectmen gave the subject imme- diate attention, and by an order passed December 30, 1649, provided "that 10 acres of upland shall be reserved, and laide out, for a teaching Elder, near to the place of the old meeting-house, upon the plaine lying neere to the Swampe betweene the harbor & the plantation ; and soe to be reserved unto the use of teaching Elders unto all posteritie. Alsoe half an acre of Upland reserved for the Towne to build an house upon for the use of teachinge Elders under the meeting-house where now it stands. Likewise 10 acres of fresh marsh in the marsh yt lyeth above the head of Little River." A year later William Perkins removed from Weymouth to Gloucester, and became the "teaching elder." He remained five years, when he moved to Topsfield, where he died in 1682. How long the church remained without spiritual leader- ship is unknown, but the probabilities are that they soon arranged to avail themselves of such religious assistance as the most gifted of their own laymen

Rev. John Emerson, here alluded to, was negoti- ating with the town with reference to his settlement, as early as 1659, but does not appear to have taken the pastorate till 1661. In July of that year his sal- ary was fixed at sixty pounds per annum as long as he should serve the church ; and the salary was to be paid " in Indian corn, pease, barley, fish, mackerel, beef, or pork." Eleven years later the town voted that one-eighth of the salary should be paid in money. In 1673 the town voted him eighty pounds with which to provide himself a house to dwell in. Possibly disputes arose in regard to the commodities which he received as the largest part of his salary, for in 1684 the town appointed John Fitch, Thomas Judkin and Joseph Allen "to judge of any pay brought to Mr. Emerson for his salary, whether it be merchantable, and fit to pass from man to man." Mr. Emerson graduated at Harvard College in 1656, was ordained ai Gloucester in October, 1663, and continued pastor until his death, December 2, 1700, aged seventy-five years. All that is known to have been furnished by his pen, is a letter preserved in Cotton Mather's Magnalia, vol. ii., concerning " Many wonderful and surprising things, which happened in the town of Gloucester, in the year 1692." This was the period of the witchcraft excitement, a delusion which obscured the reason of some of the most emi- nent men in the colony. There were no executions of the inhabitants of Gloucester, though several were accused and imprisoned. Abigal Somes was charged with being a witch, and was confined in Boston jail from May, 1692, to January, 1693. Ann, wife of Cap- tain William Dolliver, was also accused, but did not become a victim. Four other women were sent to prison on the evidence of accusers from other places. Mr. Emerson makes no mention of these in the letter referred to, but gives a detailed account of several marvelous manœuvres of certain spectral visitors and disturbers of the peace. He tells that in the midsummer of 1692, Ebenezer Bapson [Babson], with the rest of his family heard noises as if persons were running past his house at night; and that coming

82}

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HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

home late one night, he saw two men come out of his they walked toward him, and by him : neither did door and run into the corn. Getting his gun, he they quicken their pace at all, but went into a parcel started in pursuit, when he came upon the men be- ' of bushes, and he saw them no more." All this and hind a log, whence they ran into the swamp, saying more Mr. Emerson relates in detail, and adds that " the devil and his agents were the cause of all the molestation which at this time befel the town." to each other. "The man of the house is come now, else we might have taken the house." Whereupon Babson got his people up and they went with all During Mr. Emerson's ministry a new meeting- house was erected, though it is probable that it was not occupied till after his decease. In town-meeting, the 23d of December, 1697, there " was discourse con- cerning a new meeting-house of forty foot square, and sixteen foot stud between joynts." The erection of the building was committed to Benjamin Haskell, John Parsons and Samuel Sargent. There was evi- dently delay, as in January, 1699, the committee were empowered to order the dimensions of the building, and the selectmen to assess the first tax towards its cost. Not long after this " the inhabitants did pass an act, that the meeting-house which is now to be erected should be plaistered with lime and hair." Not till May, 1700, was the frame ready to be raised. To accomplish this, the town voted "to provide vitls and drink for as many men as the selectmen should think convenient for the raising." In September the town voted that room should be left in the meeting- house for pews; that the "draught of seats to be built should be after the form of three front seats, as was showed in the meeting-house at the meeting ; and that the women should be seated in the east gallery." And the final action of the town concerning it was ¡ the appointment of the two deacons and three other prominent citizens, to seat the people in the new house of worship. The cost of this structure was £253. It was placed on Meeting-house Green, not worship, as far as known, that had been built on this spot. speed to a garrison near by. Not many nights after, Babson, John Brown and the rest of the men in the garrison saw, within gun-shot of the garrison, hall' a dozen men, whom they pursued and attempted to shoot, but the guns missed fire. Three of the num- ber reappearing, Babson discharged his gun at them; when they all fell; but on going to the place, they all suddenly rose up and ran in different directions. Babson saw one of them getting over the fence, and shooting at him, saw him fall off the fence to the ground, but when he came to the spot he could not find him. So they all made diligent search, and while searching "they heard a great discoursing in the swamp, but could not understand what they said; for they spoke in an unknown tongue." As Babson went to the harbor the next day, to carry the news, he heard a bullet " whiss close to his ear," and turn- ing about, discovered four men coming towards him ; whereupon he went into the bushes, fired at them and then ran away. Not long after this Richard Dolliver and Benjamin Ellary [Ellery ], " creeping down a hill on discovery," saw several men come out of an orchard and strike with a stick upon John Row's deserted house, the noise of which was heard by others at a considerable distance. Ellery counted eleven persons, and Dolliver shot into their midst, where they stood thickest, and "immediately they dispersed, and were quickly gone out of sight." The , far from the old building, and was the third house of people becoming greatly alarmed, sent abroad for help, and were answered by Major Appleton, who sent sixty men from Ipswich. John Day being iu com- pany with Ipswich and Gloucester forces at a garri- son two and a half miles from town, word was brought that guns were being discharged in a swamp not far from the garrison, whereupon he and others ran to discover what they could, when they saw "a

After two unsuccessful attempts to settle a succes- sor to Mr. Emerson, Rev. John White was chosen, and entered on bis duties in September, 1702. His pastorate extended through more than fifty years, be- ing terminated by his death, in 1760. By the terms of his settlement his salary was assured at sixty five man with a blue shirt and bushy black hair run out . pounds for the first year, seventy pounds for the of the swamp and into the woods." Day pursued, second and third years, and eighty pounds per year during the remainder of his ministry. The church at that time had seventy members, twenty-one of whom were males. About this time it adopted the platform of discipline put forth by the Synod of Cambridge, in trying to get a shot at him, but the woods were so thick that he could not, and the man soon disap- peared. When search was made for his track none cockt be found, " though it were a low miry place that he ran over " A week later Babson, being in | 1649, and entered into the following covenant :

the woods locking for his cattle, saw three men standing on a point of rocks overlooking the sea.

Creeping aniong the bushes till he was within forty vanls of them, he a med his gun at them and snapped at, Imit it misselfire, "and so it did above a dozen tones, till they all came up towards him, walking at A slow pace, one of them having a gun on his back." They took my notice of him, " than just to give him a lo k, though he snapt his gun at them all the while

" We do give ourselves up to that God whose name alone is Jehovah,-Father, Son, and Spirit,-as the only true and living God; and unto our Lord Jesus Christ, as our only redeemer and Saviour ; as the only Prophet, Priest, and King over our souls, and only Mediator of the Covenant of grace; engaging our hearts unto this God in Christ, by the help of his spirit of grace, to cleave unto him as our God and chief good ; and unto Jesus Christ, as our Mediator

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GLOUCESTER.

by faith, in a way of gospel obedience, as becometh his covenant people forever.

"We do also give up our offspring unto God in Jesus Christ; avonching the Lord to be our God and the God of our children, and ourselves, with our chil- dren, to be his people ; humbly adoring the grace of God in Christ Jesns, that we and our children may be looked upon as the Lord's. We do also give up our- selves one to another in the Lord, according to the will of God, to walk together as a church of Christ in all the ways of his worship and service, according to the rules of the word of God ; promising in brotherly love faithfully to watch over one another's souls, and to submit ourselves to the discipline and government of Christ in his church ; and duly to attend the seals and censures, and whatever ordinances Christ hath commanded to be observed by his people, according to the order of the gospel, so far as the Lord hath or shall reveal himself unto us."

In 1716 a new parish was set off for the accommo- dation of the western part of the town, and in 1728 another was granted to meet the convenience of the people on the north side of the Cape. After this last date the affairs of the First Parish ceased to be man- aged in town-meetings. In 1738, the population hav- ing largely increased at the Harbor, seven members of the First Parish residing there-viz., Epes Sargent, Andrew Robinson, Thomas Sanders, Nathaniel Ellery, William Ellery, Philemon Warren, Jr., and William Parsons-erected a new meeting-house, and Mr. White immediately commenced preaching in it. To recon- cile those who resided in the north part of the parish to the removal of public religious services a mile dis- tant from the old location, they were, in 1742, set off and beeame the Fourth Parish. Mr. White's health failing in 1750, Rev. Samuel Chandler was chosen as his colleague. In 1753 the inhabitants of Sandy Bay were set off, and became the Fifth Parish. Mr. Chand- ler continued pastor of the First Parish after the death of Mr. White until his own decease, in March, 1775. Mr. Babson says that his declining days "were ren- dered painful and wearisome by long sickness and suffering ; but no bodily infirmity or distress could move him to sorrow or repine, while his soul was filled with the deepest anxiety and alarm on account of the danger of fearful magnitude that threatened the eter- nal welfare of his beloved flock. A new teacher had come to his people, and, with plausible arguments and captivating eloquence, was 'wresting and tortur- ing the word of God,' and, in opposition to the ven- erable authority of ancient interpretation and univer- sal belief, was proclaiming the final salvation of the human race as a doctrine of the Holy Scriptures. The sick pastor could not send forth from the pulpit a voice of warning against the dangerous heresy ; but he called to his brethren in the ministry to come and sound the alarm, and then, as a last effort of his con- cern for the people of his charge, sent to his pulpit to be read, a few weeks before his death, a short address,

in which he admonished them, as one drawing near the eternal world, to take heed lest they should be drawn away with error, and to beware of the false prophet, who, if it were possible, would deceive the very elect."

The warning here given was against the efforts of Rev. John Murray, Universalist, concerning whose labors in Gloucester we shall speak farther on. The First Parish, in view of the dissensions growing up in their own ranks, and of the threatening aspect of po- litical affairs, deferred the election of Mr. Chandler's successor till the spring of 1776, when they made choice of Rev. Eli Forbes, who was installed on the 5th of June. He remained in charge till December, 1804, when his pastorate was terminated by his death. In the summer of 1805 Rev. Perez Lincoln was set- tled as pastor, on a salary of one thousand dollars, and was ordained on the 7th of August. His health failed him in 1810, and in June of the following year he died of consumption. For four years thereafter the pulpit was supplied by various ministers, but in the summer of 1815 Rev. Levi Ilartshorn was called to the pastorate, accepted and was ordained in Octo- ber. His ministry, like that of his predecessor, was soon terminated by his death. Being on a visit to his father, in September, 1819, he was taken with typhus fever, of which he died on the 27th of that month.

For nearly six years the parishi was without a set- tled minister, though several attempts were made to unite the church and parish in the choice of oue; but the Unitarian controversy, which had separated many New England parishes from their church relations, was making itself felt in Gloucester and beginning its disintegrating work. The pulpit was not. however, without preachers. Many supplied, and Revs. Albert Barnes, Andrew Bigelow and Orville Dewey each re- mained several months. Rev. Hosea Hildreth was chosen pastor in the summer of 1825, and was or- dained on the 3d of August. Mr. Hildreth had been for many years a teacher in Phillips Academy, Exe- ter, N. II., and he brought to his ministerial work many rare gifts and an earnest, consecrated spirit ; but changes in theological thought prevented that union in the parish which had once made it strong and vigorous. Some of the members were drawn off to the Baptist and Methodist congregations, and seven members of the church, complaining that the preach- ing of their pastor was not sufficiently explicit on doctrinal points which they deemed of great import- ance, withdrew from the communion. Being greatly interested in the cause of temperance, Mr. Hildreth was selected as a publie lecturer and agent by the Massachusetts Temperance Society, and his connec- tion with the parish was dissolved at his own request, December 31, 1833. During Mr. Hildreth's ministry the meeting-house erceted in 1738 was removed, and another, still standing and in use by the parish, was built on the same site. The last service in the old house was held on the 6th of April, 1828, and the new

HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

building was dedicated on Christmas day, the same year.

At the time of Mr. Hildreth's resignation of the pastorate a majority of the parish had become Uni- tarian in their theological opinions, but the male members of the church-seven in number, one being a non-resident- held to the ancient faith. In 1834 the parish extended an invitation to Rev. Luther Hamil- ton to become their minister, and on his acceptance fixed the day for his installation, before seeking the concurrence of the church.

The six resident male members held a meeting September 6th, before the time fixed for Mr. Hamil- ton's installation, and voted to " consider the vote of the Parish asking their concurrence only as a mark of their contempt for the church," and also " voted 2d that no further notice be taken of the said Parish request, only that the scribe be directed to lay a cer- tified copy of the doings of this meeting before the council that may convene for the installation of Rev. THE SECOND PARISH. - The inhabitants of the westerly part of the town had, by reason of their dis- tance from the meeting-house, been put to great in - convenience in attending public worship. Most of them were compelled to travel from three to five miles for this purpose. They therefore petitioned the town, in 1710, for land on which to erect a meeting-house. Their petition was not granted, but the selectmen were instructed that, in engaging a schoolmaster for Mr. Hamilton." A month later five male members of that section, they should endeavor to select a man the church held a meeting, and voted to reconsider the last vote noted above, and also " voted that for the reasons stated in a vote of the church of 6th of Sep- tember last, all connection between this church and the First Parish in Gloucester be now dissolved." At this time the female membership of the church was about seventy-five ; but it does not appear that any of these were present at the church meetings which have been mentioned. The act was clearly illegal, and would have been so if it had been concurred in by the entire membership ; since the highest legal tribunal in the commonwealth had more than once decided that a church organized in a specifically defined parish has no existence separate from the parish. So the First Parish treated this action of the male members of the church, from the first, and the church has never ceused to exist in that parish. The old record- books, which were retained by those who were con- corned in this illegal act, were mysteriously returned by unknown hands to the minister of the First Parish in December, 1862. The last record made by those who had retained them for nearly thirty years was under date of " May 3, 1837." They claimed that at that time the church ceased to exist, and Mr. Babson, in his history (p. 496), adopts their conclusion ; but, beyond question, they were in error, and the church, with slight modification of its covenant, is still con- nected with the First Parish. "who, in the judgment of their reverend pastor, was suitably qualified to preach to them on the Lord's Day, for about three or four months in the winter season, in some convenient place to be designated by the inhabitants." He should be paid out of the town treasury, and the engagement should be made for three years. Mr. Samuel Tompson was selected as possessing the necessary qualifications, and he was engaged to keep a school and preach during three months in the year, beginning January, 1712, for twelve pounds each season. A further agreement was made at the end of the third year by which, for a year's teaching and four months' ministry he should receive £40. In March, 1716, the people petitioned the town that they might be set off as a separate pre- cinet. The town gave consent by voting "that the inhabitants that live on the northwest and westerly side of this line, viz. : beginning at the mouth of An- nisquam River, the river to be the line unto the mouth of Little River, then Little River to be the line unto the head of said river ; from thence on a straight line to the sea, on the easterly side of Kettle Cove ; to be set off' as a precinet, in order to the settling and maintaining a gospel minister among them." The parish was incorporated by the General Court the 12th of the following June. At once a meeting-house was erected, and in October Mr. Tompson was unanimous- ly chosen as their minister, and was ordained on the 28th of November. llis ministry terminated at his death, on the 8th of December, 1724.

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History of Essex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. II, Part 81

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