History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 157

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1034

USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I > Part 157

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JASHER WYMAN, the first clerk of the proprietors, and who filled that office for more than twenty years, was a man of more than ordinary ability. His spell- ing and language in the records are excellent, and his penmanship good. He came from Woburn. When he lost his property and land in New Hampshire he moved back to one of his lots in Townsend, where he died September 19, 1757.

Captain John Stevens came from Groton, and was an innholder. Some of the regularly called meetings of the proprietors were held at his public-house. He was a justice of the peace, a land surveyor and the owner of more acres of land than any other person in this vicinity.

EPHRAIM SAWTELL came from Groton, and his house and land were on the north side of the Harbor Pond, his house-lot extending northerly to land of Jeremiah Ball. He was strictly puritanical in his

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

views and acts. He was moderator of several of the proprietors' meetings, and lost considerable by the Province line of 1741. .

TIMOTHY HEALD lived in the south part of the town, on the road leading from the first bridge above the Harbor Pond, near the top of the hill, where a trav- eler first begins to lose sight of the Harbor, going towards "South Row." Tradition informs us that he was a disciple of Nimrod, and that he was noted for his destruction of wild beasts. He lived in a garri- son-house, the cellar of which can be seen at the pres- ent time.

JOSEPH STEVENS, who was empowered by the act of incorporation to call the first meeting of the pro- prietors, was a man of considerable wealth and of strict integrity. He lived on the second lot'on the road leading from Jeremiah Ball's house, northeasterly, at the base of the hill, near Pepperell line.

JOHN WALLACE, his brothers and nephews were of Scotch-Irish descent. They settled on Nissequas- sick Hill, which was for a long time known as Wal- lace Hill. At one time there were five or six fami- lies by this name in Townsend, hut at present there is not a voter in town descended from the original settler by the name of Wallace. John Wallace bought his farm from Thomas Phillips in 1734, which was situated on the east end of Hathorn's farm, abut- ting on "the six-rod way." They were coopers, and introduced this branch of industry into this town. This business has, from that time to the present, brought more money into Townsend than all other industries added together. For some reason unknown to the writer, Joseph Stevens waived his right of calling the first meeting of the proprietors after the incorporation of the town, and this duty devolved on Benjamin Precott, Esq., of Groton, who, in His Majesty's name, required and commanded John Stevens to " notify the proprietors of Townshend to meet at the Publick Meeting-House on the last Monday in July," for the choice of town officers and other purposes, which was accordingly done.

DANIEL TAYLOR lived in the south part of the town. He owned a large quantity of land and was a slave-owner, and besides he had much personal prop- erty.

ISAAC SPAULDING came from Chelmsford at an early date and lived on the south side of the Harbor Pond. He was a man of influence and the first deacon of the church in Townsend and one of the selectmen several times. Our limits forbid anything further concerning the settlers and founders of this town, quite a number of whom were military men, some holding commissions under the King, and again under the Commonwealth after independence was obtained.

Something of an incomprehensible character comes down to us from these bold and intrepid men. They appear almost within the environment of romance, rather than human beings struggling for homes where

they could enjoy " freedom to worship God." Some barrier, always overcome, generally interposed he- tween them and success. A wilderness was displaced, and in its stead Ceres and Pomona smiled in the sun- light. A savage foe lurked around their cabins and garrisons, but "the anointed children of education were too powerful for the tribes of the ignorant ;" and when, after a long time, they began to enjoy the fruits of their labors, and hymns of gratitude ascended from their altars, their King taxed them beyond their endurance and compelled them to draw the sword. Then came "the tug of war," in which they were again victorious. Would that the photographer's art could reach back and give us the forms and features of these brave men. But, like the knights of olden times,

" Their sworde are rust, Their bones are dust, Their souls, we trust, Are with the just."

ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS .- Agreeahly to the con- ditions of the charter of the town, the settlers, soon as possible, placed themselves within the sound of the gospel and ordained a " learned orthodox minis- ter of good conversation." Their house of worship had been built three or four years before they were able to settle a minister. Before they had a minister they were accustomed to go to Groton, on the Sab- bath, to hear Rev. Mr. Trowbridge, traveling through the woods on horseback, by couples (man and wife), and crossing the Nashua River at "stony fording- place," where the bridge now is on the main road between Pepperell and Groton. Frequently men went on foot the same route and for the same purpose.

At a town-meeting in March, 1734, " voted to choose a committee of three to purchiss a lot for the minis- ter." Presumably this minister was the Rev. Phine- has Hemenway, who was preaching as a candidate, for he was ordained on the third Wednesday of the following October. His house stood on the east side of the road, nearly a quarter of a mile northerly from where the meeting-house stood on the hill.

Rev. Phinehas Hemenway was born in Framing- ham, April 26, 1706. His father, Joshua Hemenway, came from Roxbury, where he received a superior ed- ucation for the time. IIe was town school-master the same year that his son Phinehas was born, and a man of decided convictions and an earnest worker in the church. Phinehas, the son, grew up under the in- fluence of such a home, and was graduated at Harvard College in 1730. No traditions as to his person or character are preserved in the family. He was the first native born son of Framingham to graduate at college, and was elected master of the grammar school in that town at the close of his senior year, for which he received the annual salary of £50. He married Mrs. Sarah Stevens, of Marlborough, May 8, 1739, who survived him, and, in October, 1761, she married Daniel Taylor, of Concord. He died May 20, 1760. The church hook of records kept by him is consider-

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ably mutilated, but it contains everything from his pen that has been preserved. It contains the church coveuant, which is the only piece of literature whereby we can judge of his scholarship. The church was organized with sixteen male members, whose names were as follows : Phinehas Hemenway, Joseph Stevens, William Clark, Nathaniel Tailor, Daniel Tailor, Joseph Baldwin, John Stevens, James McDonald, John Wallis, Samuel Manning, Jacob Baldwin, Samuel Clark, John Slowen, Benjamin Tailor, Isaac Spalding, Jeremiah Ball.

Soon after the organization of the church, some of the wives of these men, and others of the same sex, were received into the church. Of this number we find " On March 11, 1739, Sarah Hemenway, ye wife of ye Rev. Phinehas Hemenway, having received a letter of dismission from ye church of Southboro', was received into our church fellowship and communion."

During Mr. Hemenway's pastorate, which covered a period of more than twenty-six years, the church in- creased in numbers from sixteen to seventy-nine. The church book of records contains (or rather contained, for some part of it is gone) a full account of the names of the church members, the baptisms admin- istered and the marriages performed by the pastors, together with some examples of church discipline. The book gives an idea of the state of society as well as the fidelity with which our fathers adhered to their church covenant. Theu the black and white races were amicably associated together.

"On December 14, 1735, was baptized Audrew Not- grass, a servant child of William and Eunice Clark." "On May 19, 1745, Ama, a negro servant of Mr. Benjamin Brooks, was received into full communion with the church of Christ in Townshend."

The second minister was Rev. Samuel Dix, a native of Reading, born March 23, 1736; was graduated at Harvard College in 1758; ordained March 4, 1761, died November 12, 1797, in the thirty-sixth year of his pastorate. Mr. Dix was admirably adapted to the sacred calling which he espoused. He was dignified without coldness or arrogance, cheerful without levity, and strictly courteous and condescending in his de- portment. He gave his undivided attention to his pastoral duties and, with the exception of one or two patriotic sermons delivered during the early part of the Revolutionary War, he labored faithfully for "a crown incorruptable," both for himself and the peo- ple committed to his charge. He was an excellent classical scholar, and as a writer he would lose noth- ing by comparison with his contemporaries in the ministry or those who succeeded him in the church in Townsend.

Rev. David Palmer, the third pastor, was born June 26, 1768, at Windham, Connecticut ; graduated at Dartmouth College, 1799; was preceptor of New Ips- wich Academy, 1798; ordained third pastor in Town- send, January 1, 1800 ; married Chloe Kinsley, of his native town, 1794, and died at Townsend, February

15, 1849, aged eighty-one years. This New Year's day, when Mr. Palmer was ordained, was a complete holiday for Townsend. A great company assembled from this and the adjoining towns to witness the cere- monies, and after the exercises closed the citizens generally opened their houses to their friends and visitors and welcomed them to tables well filled with substantial edibles " for the stomach's sake," when the coveted grog and tempting toddy were passed around. This was the last festival of the kind in which all our people participated, for long before Mr. Palmer left the church militant, and before his successor was or- dained it was my church, my minister, my mode of bap- tism, and sectarianism began to unfurl the banner of discord. The town and church made a judicious choice for their third spiritual adviser. Mr. Palmer was decidedly a popular man in all social relations, and his influence as a townsman was felt particularly by the children and youth of the town. During most of his pastorate it was the custom, among their other duties, for the ministers to examine the teachers, and, in part, to superintend the schools. The teachers and scholars were always glad to receive a visit from him. Besides, he was a practical educator outside of the pul- pit. About twenty young men fitted for college with him, some of whom will be noticed further along in this work. He was a successful pastor. During his ministry two hundred and fifty members were added to the church, sixty-two of that number having joined in 1826. He was dismissed in July, 1830, after a pastorate of thirty and one-half years. As a com- pliment to his integrity and from motives of benevo- lence and respect, he was elected by the town a rep- resentative to the General Court in 1833 and 1834. Mr. Palmer lost his position as minister through the influence of two or three men of wealth, who wanted a pastor that would or could better combat the Unitar- ians and their doctrines.

In 1829 there was a disagreement between the Or- thodox and the Unitarians in regard to the use of the meeting-house, both parties wanting it at the same time. A majority of the town, in sympathy with the Unitarians; gave the use of it to them more Sabbaths during the year than was agreeable to the Orthodox. This was resented to such an extent by the Orthodox that, on one Sabbath morning when a man of the Uni- tarian faith came to preach after the congregation had assembled, they left the house in a body and never used it afterward. After the Orthodox seceded from the town's meeting-house the Unitarians had occa- sional preaching in it for a year or inore.

Rev. Warren Burton supplied the pulpit part of the year 1831. He was the author of " The District School as it was," one of the most graphic and faithful pic- tures of that institution. He was learned, eloquent and witty, and "truths divine came mended from his tongue." For the next three years the services at this meeting-house alternated between the Unitarians and the Universalists.

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

In 1836 Rev. Ezekiel L. Bascom preached here and gathered a church consisting of twenty five mem- bers. Mr. Bascom was a man of attractive personality and a Huent speaker. He was formerly settled in Ashby. For six years he held the office of Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachu- setts. Soon after the organization of the Unitarian Church the Rev. Linus H. Shaw received a call to settle, which he accepted, and he was ordained De- cember 21, 1836. There was a drenching rain during all that day, and for this reason there was not a large audience in attendance. The exercises were very in- teresting, as some of the best talent in the denomina- tion took a part. Rev. Andrew P. Peabody, of Ports- mouth, delivered the sermon, and the charge to the pastor was given by Rev. Charles Belbidge, D.D., of Pepperell, who is still among the living.

Mr. Shaw was a good scholar, and his sermons were well written, but as an extemporaneous speaker he failed. This was the cause of his short pastorate of about two years.

From this time till 1852, when the First Parish sold their mecting house to the Methodist society, the Unitarians had no settled minister. Occasionally the Universalists, as well as the Unitarians, occupied the house, and once in a while the Restorationists, and then the Methodists, would have preaching in it. In 1853 the Unitarians bnilt the house of worship which now stands at the Harbor, and the Rev. Still- man Barber preached for them about two years, after which time no money was collected for the support of preaching by the Unitarians. Mr. Barber left, and all interest in the denomination melted away like an Aprii snow-wreath.

In 1852 the Rev. Samuel Tupper and his associates founded the Methodist Episcopal society here, in conformity to the provisions of the statute of the Commonwealth. This church and society has had a large number of pastors, of different grades of ability, who have, most of them, passed their biennial term of service here, and are uow either located in other fields of labor or have joined "the silent majority." In 1876 this church received sixty-eight 'new men- bers, the result of a revival conducted by I. D. John- son, the evangelist.

The Universalist Restorationists formed a society, in 1848, at West Townsend, and Rev. John Pierce, a young man of good abilities, was employed as their minister. He was a native of Lunenburg, and he began preaching when he was quite young. This young man was a good speaker, but he died soon after the Universalists became attached to him, and was much lamented. With much promptness the brick church building now at West Townsend was built in 1848. Some of the Ashby people belonged to this denomination and attended meeting here reg- ularly. The building was dedicated Jan. 25, 1849. Rev. Stillman Clark, of East Jaffrey, N. H., preached the sermon, which was well received by a large audi-

ence. There never was a Universalist Church here, which worshiped in this building, but, in its stead, the Universalist Restoration Society. Rev. Stillman Clark was the first minister, and he was succeeded by Rev. Varnum Lincoln for about two years, when Mr. Clark returned and preached for about a year. They were both much respected, and both were members of the School Committee. Mr. Clark was a member, for Townsend, of the Massachusetts Constitutional Convention in 1853.

In 1853 this society employed a man by the name of R. J. Chapman, who remained here for nearly two years before the wolf' in sheep's clothing was dis- covered.

In June, 1855, Rev. C. C. Clark was settled as pas- tor over this Restorationist society, and this engage- ment continued for four years, when he went to Pennsylvania, and remained there till 1863, when he returned, and was again employed as preacher till about the last of 1865. Since the close of Mr. Clark's connection with this society the Universalists have had no preaching, but at present (and for a few years past) Rev. George S. Shaw (Unitarian), of Ashby, preaches here every Sabbath afternoon.

The Baptists commenced here in 1827, with Rev. Benjamin Dean as minister, although they had a society here as early as 1818. Members of the churches in New Ipswich and Mason, N. H., and Harvard met and formed themselves into a society, which was afterward formed into a church, consisting of Asa Baldwin, Joseph Walker, Solomon Stevens, Joseph Simonds, Levi Ball, Susanna Holt, Chloe Ball, Elizabeth Stevens, Uuity Manning, Lucy Ball, Chloe Stevens and Almira Stevens. At the commencement of the present century there were two or three fami- lies in Townsend of the Baptist faith. These people were obliged, by law, to pay a tax annually for the support of the town's minister, besides being under a moral obligation to contribute towards Baptist preach- ing in the towns from whence they came. At the annual town-meeting, in March, 1805, the following article was put in the warrant: "To see if the town will consider the Baptists, in regard to their paying taxes towards the meeting house and leveling the Com - mon." The tax for moving and finishing the meet- ing-honse on the Common was assessed this year. On this article the town voted to abate the tax set against Joseph Walker to a certain extent. The town also considered the Baptists inasmuch as to grant them the use of the meeting-house a certain number of Sabbaths during quite a number of years. Usually their meetings were (previous to 1834) hield in what was known as the Battery School - house, where they had services part of the time, but not constant preaching.

The church record for May 20, 1833, shows the fol- lowing : "Chose Rev. Caleb Brown our pastor." This gentleman was here until the summer of 1835. The Baptist mecting- house having been dedicated during

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the early part of the previous winter, and the church being increased some in numbers, so that the sur- roundings and circumstances began to be more favor- able to this denomination, an effort was made to secure the services of some one distinguished in the Baptist denomination for a pastor.

In June of this year the church gave Rev. James Barnaby, pastor of the Second Baptist Church in Lowell, an invitation to settle with them at the annnal salary of five hundred dollars. There is nothing in the church records concerning his install- ation here, but the time of his coming is recorded- "Sept. 28, 1835, Mr. Barnaby removed among us and entered on his labors." A large number, compara- tively, attended the meetings during Mr. Barnaby's pastorate, but ihere was no special revival. In 1836 the church contained thirty-seven members.

After the short pastorate of about two years, for certain reasons, he asked his dismission, which was rather reluctantly granted, both pastor and church being minch attached to each other. He wasdismiss- ed October 8, 1837, when he moved to Harwich, where he was installed over the oldest Baptist Church in that part of the State, and where he remained till his death.

Rev. Oren Tracy was the next minister. He came from Newport, New Hampshire, and commenced his labors February 3, 1838. There was a very pleasant intercourse between Mr. Tracy and this church and people. A Baptist Church in Fitchburg, being favor- ably impressed by Mr. Tracy, gave him a call with an offer of a larger salary, when, "his duty " pointing in that direction, he asked his dismission in January, 1841, and soon departed for that place.

In the spring of 1841 the church gave a call to Rev. Charles W. Redding, who was regularly installed soon after. He remained till July, 1844, when the society " voted that the pastoral connection between Rev. Mr. Redding and the church and society be dissolved." The cause of this act is unknown to the writer. He was a good writer and well polished in his manners.

Rev. William C. Richards was his successor for two or three years, when the services of Rev. Caleb Blood were secured for about two years. He was grand-son of his name-sake, who was a distinguished man in the Baptist denomination.

Rev. F. G. Brown, Rev. Lester Williams and Rev. E. A. Battell supplied the pulpit, each one about the same length of time, from 1850 to 1860.

Rev. George W. Ryan entered upon the labors of pastor of this church in 1860. Mr. Ryan took con- siderable interest in education, and served on the School Committee, in which office he was well receiv- ed. The Baptist pulpit has been supplied at different times by the theological students at Newton for months at a time.

Rev. Willard P. Upham was pastor from 1867 to 1872. He was for a long time associated with the Cherokee Indians as missionary and teacher, and 37

afterwards as pastor of the church connected with that intelligent tribe. He had considerable experience also at other places at the west. 'His pastorate here was the longest of any person in the ministry who labored with the Baptists. He was an exceptionable preacher, a diligent student and a social gentleman. He was an invalid for some time before his death, which occurred in 1877.

Rev. Oren K. Hunt, a graduate of Newton Theologi- cal Seminary, was installed pastor of this church in June, 1874, and he remained until the spring of 1877, when he was followed by Rev. William R. Thompson, who preached very acceptably for this church and con- gregation for three or four years.

Rev. Benoni F. Kellogg, following Mr. Thompson, was the next pastor, and he remained about three years, and was succeeded by Rev. Charles W. Williams, the present pastor.

The early records of the Baptist Church are so meagre and incomplete that it is impossible to give as many facts and dates as are desirable. From its be- ginning to the present time this church has been the recipient of pecuniary aid from " The Domestic Bap- tist Missionary Society of Massachusetts." No diffi- culties have ever disturbed this church, and there has invariably been extreme uranimity among the church members, its friends and its patrons.

On the 8th of February, 1830, the church, which left the town's meeting-honse with Mr. Palmer, as- snmed the name of "The Orthodox Congregational Church of Christ in Townsend."

The first pastor of this church was Rev. William M. Rogers, who was ordained February 16, 1831. This young man was an Englishman by birth, and his father fell at the battle of Waterloo. His name was Kettell, which was changed by an act of the Legisla- ture to Rogers, the name of one of his uncles, who gave him quite a sum of money. He was a man of much discretion-had a winning address-knew just when he had said enough and was a popular preacher. He was dismissed in July, 1835, at his own request, and afterward he settled with a church in Boston, where he died in 1851.

Rev. Columbus Shumway was the second pastor. He was installed January 6, 1836, and in every par- tienlar he was an honorable man and a respectable preacher. Mr. Shumway must have been placed in a delicate position, and experienced all the embar- rassments of being the successor of a first-class man. Undoubtedly too much was expected of him. The notice of his dismission, tendered to him March 28, 1837, was a surprise to him, from the fact that up to that moment everything on the surface indicated unanimity and satisfaction.

Rev. David Stowell, who was installed June 28, 1837, as the third pastor, was a man of good intel- lectual abilities, on account of which he was selected to fill this position. There were some irregularities in his conduct during the latter part of his pastorate,

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HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.

which caused both him and the church considerable excitement and trouble. He was dismissed by order of an ecclesiastical 'council, August 15, 1843.

Rev. Luther H. Shelden, the fourth pastor of this church, was a very active man, prompt to an appoint- ment, and always prepared for any pastoral work to which duty called him. He took an interest in the cause of education, in temperance reform, and in the abolition of slavery, and " he spoke right out in meet- ing" on each of these subjects. He was ordained here August 15, 1844, and continued a successful pas- torate until March 7, 1856. In proof that he has taken good care of himself, it may be noticed that he is now (1890) alive at the age of seventy-five, and preaches a part of the time with the same force of his early years.

Several candidates then entered the field for pro- motion to the pastorate, and April 28, 1858, Rev. Elisha W. Cook was installed. This Cook did not " dispense the bread of life " or flavor his morals with an " extract" that pleased this church, and he was dismissed October 12, 1859.

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History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Vol. I, Part 157

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co Number of Pages: 1034

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co
Number of Pages: 1034