USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Grafton > History of Grafton, Worcester county, Massachusetts, from its early settlement by the Indians in 1647 to the present time, 1879. Including the genealogies of seventy-nine of the older families > Part 16
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After Mr. Seandlin's deeease; Rev. CHARLES H. TINDALL was the next settled pastor, from September, 1872, to Sep- tember, 1875. He was born in New Brunswick, N. J., October 17, 1841. He received his early education in the private and public schools of his native city, entering at nineteen the Seminary at Pennington, N. J., for a mathe- matieal and elassieal course. After leaving this institution he engaged as a writer on the New York press, and in school-teaching, for two years, when he passed examination and was regularly admitted as a member of the New Jer- sey Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and stationed as the minister of the Methodist Church at Eaton- town, N. J. His theological views having changed, he with- drew his official connection with the Methodist denomina- tion, and entered the Divinity School of Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., taking there a full course, and graduating . in June, 1872. He was called to the pastorate of the Uni- tarian Society immediately upon his graduation. He mar- ried the only daughter of Rev. George R. Noyes, D. D., professor of Biblical literature, Harvard University, and assumed the pastorate the following autumn. The ordina- tion services were held September 5, 1872, and were accord- ing to the order as follows : Voluntary and anthem ; invo-
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FIRST UNITARIAN CHURCH.
cation by Rev. Ivory F. Waterhouse, of Clinton, Mass .; reading from the Bible, by Rev. F. L. Hosmer, minister at Northborough, Mass .; Congregational hymn, beginning " Mysterions presence, source of all"; the sermon was preached by Rev. Prof. Charles Carroll Everett, D. D., of Harvard University ; anthem ; the ordaining prayer was made by Rev. Prof. Oliver Stearns, D. D., the dean of the Theological Faculty of Harvard University ; the charge to the candidate was made by Rev. Rush R. Shippen, secretary of the American Unitarian Association ; the right hand of fellowship was given by Rev. Charles Noyes ; the hymn was then sung beginning with the line, "O God, thy children gathered here "; the address to the people was made by a former pastor, Rev. Edmund B. Willson, of Salem, Mass .; the concluding prayer was made by Rev. Joseph Allen, D. D., of Northborough, Mass. The Doxology was then sung, after which the pastor dismissed the congregation with the benediction. Mr. Tindall was called to the pastorate of the Fall River Society, and closed his work in Grafton in August, 1875, to enter npon his ministry there.
Rev. WILLIAM SMITH BURTON, the present minister, was born in Norwich, Vt., September 29, 1832. He was named after his father, who was a merchant at that place. His mother's name before marriage was Naney Russell. Mr. Burton was graduated at Norwich University, and for a time published and edited The True American, and The Adams Transcript, at North Adams, Mass. His taste leading him to the ministry, he studied therefor with Rev. O. D. Miller, and his first settlement was as an independent minister over the Universalist Society, at Dayton, Ohio. He was preaching in Michigan when the war of the rebel- lion broke ont, and left his work temporarily to accept the position of major in the Third Michigan Cavalry. He was honorably discharged near the close of the war, and return- ing to Michigan engaged for a time in fruit raising at South Haven, preaching Sundays there and at neighboring towns.
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HISTORY OF GRAFTON.
Meanwhile he had married Evelyn S., the danghter of Rev. A. W. Mason, of Michigan. In the autumn of 1867 he re- turned to New England, and in the following June was ordained and installed over the Unitarian Church at Athol, Mass. After laboring here about five years lie accepted a call to the Unitarian Society at Clinton. He began preach- ing to the Unitarian Society of Grafton, in January, 1876, and is still acting as its pastor.
DEACONS, FIRST CONGREGATIONAL (UNITARIAN) CHURCH.
Chosen.
Isaac W. Wood,
Aug. 9, 1832.
Augustns S. Heywood,
. Oct. 3, 1847.
Gilbert C. Taft, .
Feb. 28, 1858.
Elijah B. Knowlton,
. Sept. 24, 1860.
Willard S. Wood,
May 1, 1867.
Col. Charles Brigham,
Nov. 1, 1867.
George M. Dunn,
Jan. 3, 1868.
The Baptist Church.
The first Baptist church in 1767-The meetings held at the houses of the members-The church letter to the Warrin Association-The church building-Its locality-Rev. Elkanah Ingalls-The church disfellowshipped .- The Upton church-Rev. Simeon Snow-The covenant- The members .- The Grafton church re-established- Their covenant-The second church building near Saundersville- The present church edifice .- Rev. Thomas Barrett. - Rev. Otis Con- verse .- Rev. John Jennings .- Rev. Calvin Newton .- Rev. Benja- min A. Edwards .- Rev. D. L. McGear .- Rev. Joseph Smith .- Rev. J. M. Chick .- Rev. De Forrest Safford .- Rev. A. C. Hussey, A. M. -The brethren licensed .- The deacons.
For nearly forty years, from 1731-2 to 1771-2, the only church in town was the First Congregational, the town itself being the only religious society or parish. It was about the year 1774 that the second church was formed, composed of Baptists, although preachers of the Baptist denomination began to visit Grafton and hold meetings here at least as early as 1758. Samnel Hovey, of Mendon, preached here several times that year. But it was not till June 17, 1767,
217
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.
that a church was gathered. At that time a couneil met, "consisting of Elder Alden's church in Bellingham, and Elder Backus' in Middleborough, when a Baptist church was regularly formed." Four persons-Joseph Whipple, Jacob Whipple, Ebenezer Wheeler and Robert Leathe [Lathe], were dismissed from a Baptist church in Leicester to join this .* Mr. Wheeler, and probably the others, had previously been accustomed to attend worship at Leicester, twelve or fourteen miles distant.
The number originally gathered into this church we do not know, but it must have been small, for it was some time before they were able to have a preacher statedly with them. In the year 1773, it was " voted to get Elder Winchester to preach," which was accordingly done. But two years after they were destitute, "having no under Shepherd." At this time, September, 1775, there were "about twenty-eight living members."f They had no regular place of worship,
* Rev. Nathaniel Green was the pastor of the Leicester Baptist Church at the time of the dismissal .- Backus' History of the Baptists.
t " A copy of a letter to the Association of Churches met at Warrin, from a letter from the Church of Christ in Grafton to the Association of Churches meet at Warrin, written by me, Priscilla Wheeler." She was daughter of Col. Jonathan Wheeler :-
" SEPTEMBER ye 2, 1775.
Unto the churches, or association of churches, which are set or set- ting at Warrin, that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, that call upon the name of Christ Jesus our Lord, we wish grace, mercy and peace from God, the Father, and from our Lord Jesus, be multiplied to you and to all the saints, for we believe that our God Is comming in flaming fire to take vengance on them that know not God nor believe the Gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and we believe also that God is about to purge His owu church that are here upon carth, and He will shake the Hevens and the Earthi that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. We verily believe the time is at hand, for our Lord will not delay His comming. O saints lift up your heads and reioyce, for your redemption draweth uy. O is not the time come. O is not the set time come to Saviour Zion.
* * * * * ** * Our God, in whome we trust, bath been with us in sum mesure, and hath not left us comfortless. Amen. Praise our God we meet this
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HISTORY OF GRAFTON.
but met from house to house, a few Sabbaths at a place .* In March, 1779, it was "voted to get Elder Eustiek to preach." He remained with them more than three years, and enjoyed a good degree of prosperity, reporting in the year 1780 " a prosperous state of affairs."
About three years later, October, 1784, Rev. ELKANAH INGALLS, from Rehoboth, was employed as pastor. He re- mained in this connection three years,t when embracing, or more probably only publicly declaring what he had pre- viously entertained-the doctrine of universal salvation- his ministry to the church abruptly terminated. As soon as it became generally known that he and some of the mem- bers of the church had embraced this view, this church was disfellowshipped by the Warren Association, to which it belonged, at their annual meeting in the year 1788, and his- tory says that Mr. Ingalls shortly after removed back to Rehoboth, where he died a common drunkard. As early as the spring of 1784, and probably some years earlier, they ' had a meeting-house, which stood at the junction of the old roads leading from Farnumsville and Saundersville to the centre of the town, on the triangular plot of land formed by the angles of the road, opposite and a little above the residence of G. Fred Jourdan.
The latest entry made in the record book is dated June 10, 1787. The church probably did not continue in exist-
day and chose two of our breathern to send to the Association setting at Warrin, namely, Joseph Rice and Ebenezer Wheeler. We have no presant difficulty among us, only we have no under Shepard. We have had six members added to our church sence the last Association. We have lost non-sence we have now about twenty-eight living members.
JOSEPH RICE, Moderator."
* " November 10, 1777, then they kept a meeting at the hous of Eben- ezer Wheeler, and they meet there four Sabath days and a thanksgiv- ing, and thanksgiving was ye 18 day of December, 1777, and then they moved the meeting to Phinehas Pratt's, in order to have it keept there four Sabaths."-From a record in possession of Hon. Jona. D. Wheeler, under the head of " The Baptist people's meetings."
t His name is not found in the church records after March 19, 1786.
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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.
ence long after. Rev. Peter Whitney, of Northborough, when he wrote his history of the county, in 1793, says there was neither minister nor church of the Baptist denomination in the town, " and very few anabaptist families."
These families however, remained steadfast in the faith and soon after the dissolution reorganized a church, but having removed their place of worship within the limits of the town of Upton, it was called the Upton Baptist Church, over which Rev. Simeon Snow was ordained as the first pastor in June, 1791. There was no regular organized church in town of this denomination until June 20, 1800 ; nevertheless, meetings were held at private residences and converts gathered.
The articles of Faith and Covenant of the first church were as follows :-
" We, the united brethren of the Baptist Church of Christ in Grafton, do solemnly profess to believe and to be ruled and governed by our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious and supreme head of the church, as he hath given us a rule to walk by, in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. And we look upon the printed deelaration and confession of Faith put fourth by the Elders and bretheren of many congregations of the baptized churches in England of the Calvinistical persuasion, to be agreeable to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament; and we agree to walk by them in subordination to the Seriptures. We, whose names are hereunto subscribed, being a number whom we trust, God hath called out of darkness into His marvelous light and revealed His aon in us; whereby we believe the Lord is our God; and having shown to us our duty and privilege as believers not only, to separate ourselves from the world as to doctrine, practice and worship; but also to con- gregate and embody ourselves together in church state; and being through grace well satisfied concerning our internal nearness to the Lord; and standing together in Christ and being brought in some belessed measure into eveness of spirit; being baptized by one spirit Into one body; and being agreed in the great and sublime truths of the gospel; do therefore in the name and fear of the Lord, give up our- selves to the Lord, and to one another by the will of God; to walk together as a church of Christ, in the fellowship of His gospel, aud in the observance and practice of the law and ordinances which Christ hath appointed His New Testament churches to be in practice of; so far as we do know or shall know to be our duty. And as the Lord shall help us, we will frequently assemble ourselves together, as a church of
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HISTORY OF GRAFTON.
Christ, to attend upon our Lord in the services of His house, and especially on the Lord's Day. And as we shall be enabled by His grace, and conducted by his spirit, we will stand together for the truth and canse of Christ, against all opposition raised against it by the world and carnal professions; and by the same help, we will watch one another in the Lord. And as we shall be under the conduct of Jehovah, we will keep the doors of God's house or church open always to be- lievers in Christ, who are bound in the faith, about the salvation of God's elect, as it is by the Father's grace, through the Son's redemption. And as our God will help us we will keep them always. That against visible unbelievers and profligate persons. And now as a testimony of our cordial belief in these doctrines above mentioned, and our holy resolution to walk together in the fellowship of the gospel of Christ, as a church of His, redeemed by His blood and to keep this covenant by his grace assisting us, we not only called heaven and earth to witness, but sign the same with our hands."
MALES. Jacob Whipple. Ebenezer Wheeler. Joseph Rice. James Leland. Thomas Webster.
FEMALES.
Hannah Rice.
Jeresah Whipple.
Rachel Lesure.
Rachel Lesure, Jr.
Priscilla Wheeler.
Robert Leathe.
Priscilla Wheeler, Jr.
Ephriam Wheeler. William Potter. Jonathan Webster. Phinehas Pratt. Jeduthan Fay. Isaiah Lesure. Stephen Bardins.
Lucy Leland. Elizabeth Webster.
Rhoda Lathe.
Mehitable Webster.
Elizabeth Knap.
Catherine Cook.
Samuel Webster. Joseph Lesure. Seth Chase. Bradford Chase. Josiah Chase. James Elliot. Abel Chase. Daniel Hayden. John Noble.
Rachel Winter. Elizabeth Chase.
Abigail Chase.
Hannah Chase. Miriam Flagg. Elizabeth Chase, Jr. Elizabeth Warren. Mehitable Elliot. Jemina Stanford. Mercy Whipple. Elizabeth Huse. Eunice Banss ? Rebecca Elliot. Mary Collins. Submit Hayden. Rebecca Elliot.
221
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.
Accordingly on the 20th of June, by request of several Baptist brethren in Grafton and Sntton, a council composed of the pastors and delegates from the Baptist churches in North Providence, First and Second Sutton and North- bridge, met in the town of Sutton and organized a church, consisting of seven male and eight female members, under the name of the Grafton Baptist Church, now the First Baptist Church. Of this council Rev. Samuel Waters was the moderator, and Rev. Samuel King the clerk, both of the First Sutton Church.
The church adopted the following articles of faith :-
Article 1st. - We believe in one God, who is a spirit, infinate, eternal, and unchangeable in His Being, Wisdom, Power, Holiness, Justice, Goodness and Truth.
Art. 2nd. - That there are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, who are the same in substance, equal in power and glory.
Art. 3rd. - That the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the word of God, which He hath given ns for our only rule of faith and practice.
Art. 4th .- That the omniscient and allseeing God hath foreordained that whatever comes to pass, either by order or permission, shall work for the glory of his great name.
Art. 5th .- That God, who created the heavens, and the earth, the sea and all that in them is, npholds and governs the same by the will of his power.
Art. 6th .- That God made man in his own Image, in knowledge, righteousness and true holiness, and made with him a covenant of life, the condition of which was perfect obedience.
On the 8th of November, 1800, the church and society purchased a lot of land, on the bank of the stream, nearly opposite the house of John Hitchins, of Joseph Whipple for the sum of $12, and upon it either in that year or shortly after, they erected and dedicated to the service of God, a commodious and comfortable house of worship, which they occupied till the erection of the present house of worship in 1830. The character of this building is well remembered by the older citizens ; it was very similar in construction to the churches of that day, having a high
222
HISTORY OF GRAFTON.
boxed pulpit, the indispensable deacon's seat, square high backed pews, with the usual claptrap seats and the common destitution of any heating aparatus .* It is also reported that the old church building was sometimes called " the goose-pen " or " the goose-honse" ; whether it received this name because it was the place of worship of a certain denomination or because some made it an escape from the taxation for the support of the gospel, I have not ascer- tained.
Probably the church had no settled pastor until Rev. THOMAS BARRETT Was ordained, June 12, 1816. Prior to this time the pulpit was supplied by the licentiates, Josiah and Luther Goddard; Elisha Cushman and Rev. Job B. Boomer preached for over a year. At the
ORDINATION
services of Mr. BARRETT, Rev. Charles Train, D. D., of Framingham, preached the sermon ; Rev. Jonathan Going, D. D., of Worcester, offered prayer ; Rev. D. Pease, of Belchertown, gave the charge ; Rev. Abial Fisher, D. D., of Bellingham, right hand of fellowship ; Rev. I. Dwinnell, of Ward, prayer.
Mr. Luther Goddard was ordained by this church in June, 1810, as an Evangelist and not as its pastor.
During all these years the church seems to have enjoyed a good degree of both temporal and spiritual prosperity, as is evinced by the fact that in 1819, its membership had increased to 114, besides several who were dismissed to form a Baptist Church in Boylston and one in Shrewsbury. Mr. Barrett, the pastor, was a man of more than ordinary natural ability, possessed of sound judgment, a highly social nature, good common sense and deep piety, and was quite a fluent and pleasing preacher. After serving the
* Captain Benjamin Kingsbury says, however, that measures for warming the church were taken some time earlier than similar ones for heating.
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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.
church five years, he closed his labores, and from this time until 1822 the church was without a pastor; Mr. Ezra Going, a licentiate, performed the pastoral work for this time.
In November, 1822, Mr. OTIS CONVERSE, a licensed preacher, was employed as a supply, and on the 25th of June, 1823, he was ordained as the regular pastor. The ORDINATION services were as follows :- Opening prayer, Rev. James Boomer, of Charlestown; sermon, Abial Fisher, D. D., of Bellingham ; prayer, Rev. Z. L. Leonard, of Sturbridge ; charge, Jonathan Going, D. D., of Worcester; right hand of fellowship, Rev. John Chase, of Brookfield ; address, Rev. Elias McGregory, of Ward; prayer, Rev. J. B. Boomer, of Sutton. Mr. Converse was more generally known as "Father Converse." " He was a preacher of more than ordinary ability. He was physically large and strong; his voice clear, his manner and utterance forcible and impressive. He was deeply interested in the canse of education, and was truly one of the fathers of our denomina- tion in Central Massachusetts. And to this I will add that my own short, but most pleasant personal acquaintance with this veteran preacher, convineed me, of the superiority of his native ability, and that had he enjoyed the advantages of a liberal education, he would have stood as a scholar, preacher and divine in the front ranks of the Christian ministry of New England. It was his loyalty to the truth and his love of souls, however, which gave him such a success as a preacher, and which makes his name so fragrant among us to-day. He died in Worcester, December 1, 1874, aged 78 years."*
The history of the church during his long pastorate was marked by varied and eventful experiences. From 1829 to 1833 the church enjoyed a continnous state of spiritual revival and prosperity. In the year ending 1832, 82 were
* Obituary by Rev. George B. Gow, which was read before the State Convention of Baptists.
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HISTORY OF GRAFTON.
baptized, 22 of this number were received by the North- bridge branch of the church, over which Rev. Moses Har- rington had the pastoral oversight. In 1833 a total mem- bership of 268 was reported, the largest number ever returned in the history of the church. In the letter to the association that year, it is stated that an addition by baptism had been received each month, but one, for 27 consecutive months. In the close of the letter was the following :- " The church laments that the shower of grace, which has been falling npon the town for the last three years has passed." Mr. Converse resigned his pastorate, March 31, 1836. It was during his connection with the society that the present Baptist meeting-honse was erected in 1830, and completed on the first day of November of that year, and dedicated the following month .*
On the fourth of Jnne, 1836, Rev. JOHN JENNINGS, a graduate of the Newton Theological Institute, 1834, was called to the pastorate of the church. The call was accepted and his installation took place on the 10th of the following Angust. The INSTALLATION services were as follows :- Introductory, Rev. J. B. Boomer, of Sutton ; reading of Scriptures and prayer, Rev. S. S. Cutting, D. D., of West Boylston; sermon, Rev. B. Stevens, D. D., of Boston ; ordaining prayer, Rev. Mr. Bunson, of Fall River ; charge to candidate, Rev. Jonathan Aldrich, of Worcester ; hand of fellowship, Rev. Mr. Mussey, of Bellingham ; address, Rev. Abishai Lamson, of Southborongh ; prayer, Rev. John Green, of Leicester ; benediction by the pastor. During the first year of Mr. Jennings' pastorate the church was in a prosperous condition and reported to the association an addition of 25 by baptism, making a total membership of 266. The following year, 1839, the membership was greatly reduced by dismissions to form Baptist churches at Millbury,
* The building committee consisted of Perley Goddard, Joshua Har- rington, John Batchelor and Moses Roberts.
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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.
and at New England Village (Grafton) the Second Baptist Church.
In 1840 the church was again increased and in 1841 the interest declined. In December of this year Mr. Jennings received a call to the Pleasant-street Baptist Church in Worcester. He resigned and closed his labors here in February, 1842. The parish very unwillingly consented to his removal. He is said to have been a man of very pleas- ing manners both in and ont of the pulpit, dignified in his bearing, and gentlemanly and engaging in his address. He was a devoted Christian, an excellent pastor. He died in Auburndale, May 26, 1871, aged 61. From the time of Mr. Jennings' dismission until April, 1842, the church was without a regular pastor. At this time Rev. CALVIN NEWTON, a graduate of Union College and the Newton Theological Institute, 1828, and subsequently Professor, was called to the pastoral care of the church and immediately took up his work without any formal installation services. The pastorate of Professor Newton was attended during the first six months, with good results, and 35 were added to the church; this is the largest number baptized in any one year in the church in its entire history except the previous one. In 1843, Professor Newton of his own accord severed his pastoral relation with the church, and it was without any regular pastor for some two years. Professor Newton was probably the most scholarly man and writer ever settled over this church. He died in Worcester, in 1853, aged 53.
In January, 1845, an invitation was extended to BENJAMIN A. EDWARDS, a graduate of Brown University and of Newton Thicological Institute, to become the pastor. This invitation was accepted, and he was ordained as pastor of this church Mareli 19th, 1845. At the beginning of his pastorate he was taken sick, which deprived the church of the services of a pastor. In 1849, Mr. Edwards at his own request was dismissed from his pastoral labors. The church, until December, was without a pastor ; at that time Rev. D. L.
29
226
HISTORY OF GRAFTON.
MoGEAR assumed the pastoral charge. During the first of his ministry there was more than the usual degree of religious interest.
At the association in 1850, an addition of 23 by baptism was reported, also that the church was in a prosperous condition. At the close of this year terminated the pastorate of Mr. McGear. During his term of service he enjoyed a considerable degree of temporal prosperity. At this time the walls of the audience room were frescoed and other internal improvements were made ; the surround- ings of the church building were also improved.
Rev. JOSEPH SMITH, a graduate of Brown University and of the Newton Theological Seminary, was called to the pastoral office in March, 1851, and in the following May entered upon his pastoral duties without any regular installation. In April, 1857, the connection which had been so pleasant and profitable was disolved by the mutual consent of pastor and people. He died in North Oxford, April 26, 1866.
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