History of Newbury, Mass., 1635-1902, Part 27

Author: Currier, John J. (John James), 1834-1912. cn
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Boston : Damrell & Upham
Number of Pages: 1518


USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newbury > History of Newbury, Mass., 1635-1902 > Part 27


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Services in the meeting-house on Sundays and lecture days were announced by the ringing of a bell ; but persons living at a distance were not satisfied with that way of calling the in- habitants together, and the town voted, November 8, 1697, to authorize the selectmen "to procure a flagg for the meeting house to be put out at the ringing of the first bell and taken in when the last bell is rung." }


In the month of July following, " the worshipfull Coll Daniel Pierce, Esq. Capt Thomas Noyes and Serj. Stephen Jaques " were chosen a committee to prepare plans and ascertain the probable cost of a new meeting-house.# December 21, 1698, an agreement was made with Sergt. Stephen Jaques to furnish the labor and materials for the new building, to be con- structed according to plans and specifications submitted, for the sum of five hundred and thirty pounds : "Sixty foote in length & fifty foote in breadth and twenty foote in the stud, or post." February 8, 1698-9, it was voted to increase the length of the posts and studs to twenty-four feet, and to pay Sergt. Jaques not over twenty pounds additional for this extra work.§


December 18, 1699 Coll Dan1 Peirce & Majr Thomas Noyes were by vote desired & impowered to imploy ye Honrble Capt Samuel Sewall of Boston, Esq. To procure a good and sufficient meeting hous Bell for the Towne of Newbury suitable for our Towne considering ye Remote- ness of our dwellings.


* Town of Newbury Records.


t Rev. Christopher Toppan was born December 15, 1671, and graduated at Harvard College in 1691. He was a son of Dr. Peter Toppan, of Newbury. July 17, 1718, he purchased of Nathaniel Clark seven and a half acres of land, with a dwelling-house thereon, now owned and occupied by Capt. Moses J. Milliken, Newburyport (Essex Deeds, book xxxvi., leaf 89). April 29, 1746, he sold to his grandson, Christopher Toppan, son of Edward Toppan, of Hampton, N.H., "land in New- bury with the house I now dwell in, bounded westerly on the country road, easterly on New Lane, so called &c." (Essex Deeds, book lxxxvii., leaf 269). The country road, is now High street and New lane is now Allen street, Newburyport.


# Town of Newbury Records, vol. iii., p. 48. § Ibid., p. 50.


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It was also voted yt a new pulpitt should be made for the new meet- ing hous .*


There was evidently some delay in procuring a new bell, and April 22, 1700, the town voted "yt Serjt Jaques shall forthwith hang the [old] meeting-house bell in the New Terrett." t


August 21, 1700 voted yt ye Selectmen are apoynted to desire and imploy Capt Jeremiah Dumer, of Boston, Esqr to procure a good meet- ing hous Bell for the east pt of the Towne of Newbury of about 400 waite.#


October 18, 1700 voted that Coll. Dan1 Pierce, Esq. & Tristram Coffin, Esq. be impowered to procure a meeting house bell for the new meeting house of about four hundred waite.§


April 30, 1701 voted that when the East pt of the Towne of Newbury shall be supplyed wth a new meeting house Bell, that then the present meeting house Bell shall be & remaine to be a schoole Bell & improved for yt use. ||


January 4, 1705-6 voted that the new Bell be hanged in the Terret of the meeting house & yt the selectmen se that it be done with all con- venient speede, also to take care that the Bell be Rung at nine of the clock every night, and that the day of the month be every night tolled.


October 18, 1700, a committee was appointed to assign seats in the new meeting-house to the freeholders and inhabitants of the town ; and the same day " It was also voted yt a pew be built for ye ministers wife next ye pulpit stayrs, ... also yt Coll Dan1 Peirce, Esq. should have his first choyce of a pew & Maj' Thomas Noyes, Esq shall have the next choyce for a pew." § .


In the month of November following, Henry Short, Henry Somerby, Tristram Coffin, Nathaniel Coffin, Capt. Edward Sargent, Dr. Humphrey Bradstreet, and many others were granted liberty to build pews, at their own charge, for the accommodation of their wives and families; and on the sixteenth day of December the committee appointed "to seat the meeting house " reported the names of three hun- dred and thirteen persons, inhabitants of the First parish in Newbury, to whom they had assigned seats. The location of


* Town of Newbury Records, vol. iii., p. 55. t Ibid., p. 58. # 1bid., p. 62. § Ibid., p. 65. Il 1bid., p. 77. f. Ibid., p. 120.


.


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these seats and the names of the persons assigned to them were entered in full upon the records of the town .*


January 19, 1702-3, Ensign Jaques and Richard Kelly were appointed a committee " to build a convenient porch to the west dore of the meeting hous heere at the east pt of Newbury and sutible and convenient Gutters to sd meeting house." +


March 17, 1702-3, the town voted that the old meeting- house " be repayred and fitted for a Court House & Schoole House" ; but this vote was afterwards reconsidered, and May 23, 1705, "the old meeting house [was] then Granted to Mr Richard Brown, Junior, wth liberty to remove it."


The new edifice, erected during the summer and winter of 1699, was large and commodious.


The body of the house was filled with long seats. Contiguous to the wall were twenty pews. The spaces for the pews were granted to particular persons, who appear to have been principals. Before the pulpit and deacon's seat was a large pew containing a table, where sat the chiefs of the fathers. The young people sat in the upper gallery, and the children on a seat in the alley, fixed to the outside of the pews. The floor measured 60 by 50 feet. The roof was constructed with four gable ends, or projections, one on each side, each containing a large window, which gave light to the upper galleries. The turret was in the centre. The space within was open to the roof, where was visible plenty of timber, with great needles and little needles pointing down- wards, which served at once for strength and ornament. There were many ornaments of antique sculpture and wainscot. It was a stately building in the day of it, but it was not my lot to see it in all its ancient glory. Long ago a wall was spread overhead, and the floor was occu- pied by pews. The roof was made plain, the four very steep sides ter- minating in a platform which supported a steeple.#


All questions relating to the temporal affairs of the First church in Newbury were discussed and settled at the annual or special meetings of the town, and appropriations of money for the minister or for building the meeting-house were re- corded on the same page with the election of constables, fence-viewers, surveyors of highways, and other officers of the


* Town of Newbury Records, vol. iii., pp. 69-72. t Ibid., p. 92.


# Appendix to a sermon preached September 17, 1806, by Rev. John S. Popkin, of Newbury.


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HISTORY OF NEWBURY


town. But after the Second church was organized and parish lines established, meetings for the consideration of town affairs and meetings of the parish for the consideration of church affairs were held independently of each other, and separate books of record were kept by the town and parish clerks.


Early in the spring of 1722, the inhabitants of the First parish in Newbury invited Mr. Daniel Holbrook "to assist Rev. Christopher Toppan in the ministry." Some objections were made to the proposed settlement of an assistant pastor ; and, April 6, 1722, a committee was chosen to confer with Mr. Toppan and Mr. Holbrook in order to remove the objections, if possible .*


On the twelfth day of July, the church voted to invite Mr. Holbrook to accept the office of teacher, or assistant pastor ; and, on the nineteenth day of September following, the parish voted to unite with the church in the invitation and make an effort to secure a favorable answer.


At this time the division of the parish and the organization of a new church was earnestly advocated by the inhabitants of Newbury living in the vicinity of Greenleaf's lane, now State street, Newburyport.


September 19, 1722 it was voted that If ye Inhabitants at ye west- erly end of said [First] Parish De obtain a meeting house and be orderly set off from this Parish; that then sd Inhabitants at sd westerly end shall be reimbursed what money they shall disburse towards ye set- tlement of the said Mr Holbrook besides his yearly Sallery, and that all the Inhabitants that desire it, on the Northerly side of ye Lane called Chandlers Lane, and from the uper end of said Lane on a Strait Line to ye Northerly side of Capt John Marches, from and thence on a strait Line to John Browns house untill it Comes to ye Line of ye Second Parish In said Towne, Shall Have Liberty to Build a meeting house for them selves In ye most Reasonable Place for the Conveniency of said Inhabitants. And when they are duly Qualified for it In ye Judgment of said Parish To be set off and freed from the ministry In this Part of said Parish (as many of ym as are willing for it and desire it) as to their polls and estates that Lay on ye northerly side of sd Line.t


* Newbury . First Parish) Records, p. I.


+Newbury (First Parish) Records, vol. i., p. 3. Three years later a meeting-house was erected on a triangular lot of land, now known as Market square, Newburyport : and December 18, 1725, the General Court adopted an order establishing the Third . parish of Newbury (" Ould Newbury," p. 430) .


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November 6, 1722, the inhabitants of the First parish voted to pay Mr. Daniel Holbrook eighty pounds a year for his services,


. . the said Mr Holbrook to preach a lecture once a month (if the Rev. Mr Toppan agree thereunto) and that he take due care to visit his Parishoners and to see that ye head & masters of families take due care to catachise their children and servants as may be thought need- full .*


Mr. Holbrook evidently entered upon his duties without delay, and would undoubtedly have been ordained assistant pastor of the church at Newbury, had his life been spared. He was seized with a sudden illness, while preaching, on Sun- day, April 14, 1723, and was obliged to leave the pulpit. He died five days later.t


March 22, 1725-6, a committee was chosen to attend to the repairing of the meeting-house and making it more com- fortable ; and, July thirteenth, the parish voted


that the four Gable ends In ye Roof of ye meeting House be Taken Down and that each Part opened thereby be well Timbered and Boarded and Shingled up and made tite & Sound up to ye Platform In ye same form on Each side as ye hip Rafters now stand, and that Mr. James Noyes should undertake and Perform ye above said work. §


It is evident, however, from subsequent votes of the parish that two of these "gable ends " were left standing for ten or fifteen years. May 20, 1729, it was voted to shingle the back side of the meeting-house, divide the large window into two parts, put in new window glass where necessary, and make other needed repairs.


March 13, 1729-30 voted that those who live remote from ye meet- ing house should have liberty to go Into ye schoolhouse on Sabath days for their comfort In wet, cold or hot seasons, as they may have occasion to use.§


March 22, 1730-31 William Ilsley and Joseph Morse, Junior, were chosen and appointed to tune the psalm In ye meeting house In time of Publick worship and take their Turn In that work that it may be done with ye more ease and cheerfulness. And the said Morse is appointed


* Newbury (First Parish) Records, vol. i., p. 4.


t Coffin's History of Newbury, p. 193.


§ Newbury (First Parish) Records.


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to sit in the fore seat of ye south body with ye said Ilsley for ye manag- ing said work .*


May 6, 1740, a committee was appointed to provide an upper floor or ceiling for the meeting-house, "either over' ye Beams or under as the Comttee think most proper " ; and Sep- tember 17, 1740, the parish voted "that the two gables now standing on ye meeting house be taken down and the places where they stand be well timbered, Boarded & shingled as the other sides of said house are," provided the carpenters employed to repair the meeting-house will do this extra work without charge .*


In 1742, the religious excitement in Newbury was intense. Revival preachers attracted large crowds of attentive listeners, and meeting-houses were frequently occupied without the con- sent or approbation of the conservative orthodox ministers of the town. In an anonymous communication, published in the Boston Evening Post, May 3, 1742, "the reverend N. Rogers of Ipswich, Mr. Daniel Rogers and Mr. Bewell, candi- dates for the ministry," are charged with having come into Newbury "and taken possession of Mr. Lowell's meeting house without his knowledge, or asking leave of the proprie- tors of the house, or the consent of the church or congrega- tion. ... An attempt of the like factious nature was made upon the reverend Mr Toppan's meeting house, but Mr. Toppan being present the party was repulsed."


In the Boston Gazette or Weekly Journal, published May 17(?), 1742, the statements made in the communication quoted above were denied. A newspaper controversy fol- lowed that lasted several months. In the Boston Evening Post, July 12, 1742, the facts as stated in the article pub- lished on the third day of May were reiterated, and the truth established by a certificate signed by Abraham Titcomb and Humphrey Richards, and sworn to before Henry Rolfe, justice of the peace.t


Disorderly and irreverent boys occasionally disturbed the sanctity of the Sabbath, and aroused the indignation of the older and more sedate inhabitants of the town.


* Newbury (First Parish) Records.


t See Boston Evening Post ; also, Coffin's History of Newbury, p. 212.


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At a meeting of the selectmen held July 6, 1663 Gyles Cromlom was chosen for this yeare to look that the boyes be kept in order, & take notice of such as are out of order & give notice to the selectmen & he shall have six shillings out of the next towne vote .*


October 9, 1711, voted that ye select men shall forthwith imploy severall persons to take care ye Boyes be kept in order on Sabath days & satisfiesd persons out of ye money of ye parish to which they belong for their service.t


March 25, 1723 Mr Joseph Knight and Mr Nathan Noyes were chosen to take care of ye youth in said Parish that they be kept In order on Sabath Days & Especially In time of Publick worship .;


March 22, 1730-31 Mr. John Lunt was chosen to sit In ye Gallery to take care and keep ye youth still In time of Publick worship and to Inform parents & masters of such as are found to be unruly.§


February 6, 1745-6 voted that the stairs that lead into the upper galleries shall be stopped up so that the boys cannot go up in said galleries on Sabbath days and the committee of the parish are hereby impowered to see it done speedily.§


July 16, 1745, Rev. John Tucker was invited to assist Rev. Christopher Toppan in the work of the ministry in the First church in Newbury. This invitation was vigorously opposed by some of the most influential men in the parish, and finally resulted in the withdrawal of a large number of disaffected brethren and the organization of a new religious society. Although greatly perplexed and disturbed by the lack of harmony in the parish, Rev. Mr. Tucker accepted the call October 11, 1745, and on the twentieth day of November following he was ordained assistant pastor of the church.||


January 19, 1745-6, fifteen or twenty persons who had opposed the settlement of the new minister were notified to appear at a meeting to be held four days later, and answer to the accusations brought against them. This notice was evi- dently ignored by the disaffected brethren, and subsequently


* Town of Newbury Records, vol. i. t Ibid., vol. iii., p. 157.


# Newbury (First Parish) Records, p. 7. § Newbury (First Parish) Records.


Il Rev. John Tucker was born in Amesbury, September 20, 1719. The services at his ordina- tion were simple and impressive. After the singing of a psalm, prayer was offered by Rev. William Johnson, of the Fourth church in Newbury, now the Second in West Newbury, which was followed by a sermon from the text (2 Corinthians vi:1) : "We then as workers together with him beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain," by Rev. Payne Wingate, of Amesbury. Rev. Caleb Cushing, of Salisbury, gave the charge to the people, Rev. John Lowell, of the Third church in Newbury, now the First in Newburyport, gave the right hand of fellowship, and Rev. Thomas Barnard. of the Second church in New- bury, now the First in West Newbury, made the closing prayer.


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1


they were solemnly admonished for contemptuous behavior and wilful neglect of public worship by the elders of the church. Every person who had voluntarily abstained from communion, or had openly denounced the doctrinal views of Rev. Mr. Tucker, was called upon to confess his misdeeds and . manifest a spirit of penitence and contrition. The perverse and obdurate brethren, however, persisted in their schismatical opinions, and soon after organized a new church, and invited Rev. Jonathan Parsons, of Lyme, Conn., to become their pastor .*


After this date, the communion service was usually omitted during the winter months, from the first day of December to the first day of April following. The male members of the church were assessed twelve pence and the female members ninepence every year, "to provide bread and wine for the communion table," but the deacons were authorized to excuse all poor and needy persons from paying this assess- ment.


Sins of omission and commission were frequently confessed by penitent transgressors of the moral law at the close of divine service on Sundays and lecture days. In many instances "for a gross breach of the seventh commandment" the offenders were admonished, "restored to charity," and their children admitted to the rites of baptism." ¡


Although a large proportion of the congregation came on foot to the meeting-house, many who lived at a distance rode on horseback. Frequently, the great number of horses tied near the doorway were a serious inconvenience to the devout worshippers ; and March 12, 1751-2, the parish voted that " the sexton inform those People that hitch or tie their horses near the South Door of the meeting House so that they move said horses that they shall not Discomode the women getting on their horses." +


The parish also voted, June 17, 1761, "to make use of Mr. Tates & Dr. Bradys version of the Psalms, together with a number of Dr. Watts Hymns usually bound up there with, in their publick singing," and on the twelfth day of


*"Ould Newbury," pp. 508-525. t Newbury (First Parish) Records.


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November following "voted to build a pew in some con- venient place in the meeting house for the accommodation of the singers."


The reading of the Bible in the pulpit without words of comment or explanation from the minister was considered unprofitable and dangerous ; but April 19, 1769, the subject was thoroughly discussed, and, after a prolonged debate, it was voted " that it is agreeable to ye church the scriptures be read in publick."


Soon after this date extensive repairs were made on the meeting-house. A committee appointed to examine the roof reported in October, 1763, that it was in an unsafe condition, that the "turret " should be removed and the bell taken down. This report, after considerable discussion, was ac- cepted ; and the parish voted, November 28, 1763, " that the bell should be hung in the highway near John Brown, Esq's land & nearly opposite to the porch of the meeting house." On the second day of December, Mr. Brown signed a written agreement giving the parish permission to erect on his land a suitable tower or frame for the support of the bell, "to remain there until removed to some other place by vote of the parish."


In 1772, the roof of the meeting-house was strengthened, and a tower or turret erected thereon, " with a copper weather cock on top of the Piremid." The bell was then hung in the place provided for it in the turret.


All persons residing within the limits of the First parish in Newbury were taxed for the support of public worship in that parish. February 4, 1773, the inhabitants " voted not to release any of the pretended churchmen from the payment of taxes." At the Court of Common Pleas held at Ipswich in the month of March, 1773, Rev. Edward Bass, rector of St. Paul's church, Newburyport, brought a suit against the treasurer and collectors of the parish, " to recover taxes paid said parish by Nicholas Short and John Dole both inhabitants of the First Parish in Newbury, but regular communicants of St. Paul's Church." John Lowell, Esq., of Newburyport,


*Newbury (First Parish) Records.


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appeared as attorney for the defendants, and Daniel Farnham, Esq., also from Newburyport, for the plaintiff. The jury ren- dered a verdict in favor of the parish, and the plaintiff appealed to the Superior Court of Judicature for the county of Essex. Upon a review of the case in the Superior Court in the month of June, 1774, the defendants were held liable to pay the sum of £3, 4s. 8d. upon certain conditions, but were al- lowed to deduct witness fees, costs of court, etc.


1


In consequence of the extraordinary high price of wine in 1777, every male member of the church was expected to pay three shillings and every female two shillings and sixpence for the support of the communion table. In 1779, the tax was raised to $6.50 for every man and $5.50 for every woman. In 1780, the men were called upon to pay twenty dollars and the women sixteen dollars each to meet the ex- penses of the communion table for that year.


After the death of James Mirrick, who was sexton of the church for twenty-five or thirty years, the selectmen made the following agreement July 11, 1711 :-


Benj Mors ye 3d is to ring ye Bell and sweep the meeting house for one year, the year to begin the Ist of July 1711, sd Mors is to Ring the Bell at nine of the clock every night and Sabath days and Lecture day and such like. And sd Mors is to winge or Rub down the principle seats the day after sweeping of the meeting hous. And sd Mors is to have for his years service about ye meeting hous eight pound and ten shillings, one half to be paid in money and the other half as money. Also to toule the Bell till the minister comes .*


March 28, 1732, Henry Lunt was chosen sexton, and allowed eighteen pence a week for sweeping the meeting- house and twelve pence a week for ringing the bell. He served until March 15, 1736-7, when Humphrey Richards was elected. Henry Lunt died August 9, 1737.


Humphrey Richards was chosen sexton annually until March 15, 1784, when a committee was appointed to provide a sexton for the year ensuing. Mr. Richards died previous to February 1, 1785.+


* Town of Newbury (Selectmen's) Records, 1693-1728, p. 162.


t Moses Short's Book of Burials.


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Moses Short was probably appointed sexton in 1784. His first burial, according to the record, was made December 30, 1784. He served as sexton until 1836.


Reuben Jackman was sexton from April, 1836, to April, 1841.


Elisha Bean was sexton from 1841 to 1850, and Jeremiah C. Young from 1850 to 1857.


Hiram Young was chosen sexton in March, 1857, and served until March, 1874.


Elisha Bean was sexton in 1874, and Moses Young from 1875 to 1885.


In March, 1885, Albert Tilton was chosen, but declined to serve, and George W. Haskell was appointed to fill the va- cancy. Mr. Haskell retained the office until 1889.


William Rogers was sexton from 1889 to October or November in 1890, when Moses Young was appointed to fill out the unexpired term. From that date to the present Mr. Young has been annually elected sexton of the First parish in Newbury.


Rev. Christopher Toppan died July 23, 1747. After his death, Rev. Mr. Tucker remained in sole charge of the parish for nearly fifty years. In 1766, a few dissatisfied members of the church proceeded to organize a new society, and made preparations to erect a new meeting-house, nearly opposite the old one, on land purchased of Mr. John Brown .* The house was raised and boarded, but for some reason was never finished. In a violent storm of thunder, lightning, wind, and rain it was blown down, February 9, 1771.


In the summer of 1766 an attempt was made to call a council of churches to consider the disorganized condition of affairs in the parish, but the effort was unsuccessful. March 29, 1767, the subject was again discussed, and the re- fusal of the pastor to unite with his unfriendly critics in call- ing a council of churches was sustained.t


* February 24, 1766, John Brown sold to Joshua Coffin, Nicholas Short, Jacob Knight, Samuel Noyes, John Dole, jr., Joseph Jaques, Moses Noyes, jr., Isaac Noyes, and Nathan Peirce a lot of land in Newbury " to erect a meeting house upon for the Publick Worship of God." Essex Deeds, book cxix., leaf 63 ; also, Coffin's History of Newbury, p. 233.




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