History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 244

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1706

USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 244

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In 1657, Rev. Samnel Arnold removed to Marsh- field from Yarmouth and became the settled minister. After the death of Mr. Arnold, in 1693, Rev. Thomas Weld received a call to become pastor, but declined. In 1696, Rev. Edward Tompson, of Braintree, a grad- uate of Harvard in 1684, was ordained and continued in the pastorate until his death, March 16, 1705. In 1706 a third meeting-house was erected on the site of the second, and Rev. James Gardner, a Scotchman, was ordained March 14, 1707, and remained con- nected with the church until his death, in 1739. During the pastorate of Mr. Gardner, in 1738, the Second Congregational Society was incorporated in the north part of the town. As early as 1713 an informal organization had been formed, but in the year named an act of incorporation was obtained and a meeting. house built, which the people in the south part of the town within the limits of the old parish denominated the " Chapel of Ease."

Following now the history of the second society, the

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HISTORY OF MARSHFIELD.

increasing population in the north part of the town snor required increased accommodations, and in 1755 an addition was made to its meeting-house by cutting the church asunder and inserting a piece of twelve feet in length. In the year 1793 a belfry was added, and occupied by a bell presented by Capt. Amos Rogers. In 1826 the old meeting-house was taken down, and a new one erected. In 184S the new meeting house was remodeled after plans furnished by Isaiah Rogers, late chief of the Architectural Bureau at Washington. After the incorporation of the so- ciety Rev. Mr. Bryant first officiated in this church, supplying the pulpit for a year. He was followed by Rev. Atherton Wales, a graduate of Harvard in 1726. whos> ministry extended over a period of more than fifty years. Mr. Wales was followed by Rev. Elijah Leonard, who was denominated in his theology an Arminian Trinitarian Congregationalist. He ex- changed at first with Calvinists and Unitarians, bnt finally committed himself conclusively to the doctrines of the Unitarian body. His pastorate continued through a period of forty-eight years. After his death Rev. Luke A. Spofford supplied the pulpit iu 1-33 for a year, at which time the church was nearly equally divided between those of the old and those of the new faith. As, however, in the old church the evangelical portion of the congregation prevailed, so hire the liberal wing predominated, and Rev. George Le nard was setiled, whose ministry courinued more than twenty-five years. As a result of this action a new society was organized in 1535 under the name of the Second Congregational Trinitarian Society. The pulpit of this society was supplied during the first year. from March. 1-35. to June. 1836, by Rev. Eli Smith. Rev. Elbridge G. Howe followed as pastor from July. 1636 to Aug. 19, 1835, and Rev. Daniel D. Tappan from June, 1839. to June, 1851. Rev. Sunner Clark succeeded from October, 1851, to January, 1555. and Rev. Frederick A. Fiske from November, 1654 to July, 1955. Rev. Daniel D. Tappan sup- p'ied the pulpit again from October, 1859, to June, 1865. Rev. Luther Farnham during the winter and summer of 1865-66, and Rev. F. F. Williams from 1-66 to 1869. In 1870, Rev. James C. Seagrave became pastor and continued until 1874. and was fol- bowed by Res. William H. Cutter, whose pastorate extended from 1874 to 1878. Rev. William C. Wood supplied the pulpit from 1878 to 1880, Rev. S. E. Lane from 1881 to 1883, and in January, 1884, Rev. Smith B. Goodenow, the present incumbent, was set- tled. The present pastor of the Second Church, from which the Second Congregational Trinitarian Society acceded, is the Rev. Nathaniel Sever.

An interesting ineident in the history of the Second Congregational Society was the formation of a mili- tary company within its limits during the Revolution, and its records contain the proceedings during the war of " the North Preeinet and Company of Militia."

Returning now to the First Parish, its fifth pastor was Rev. Samuel Hill, a native of Malden, and a graduate of Harvard in the class of 1735. He was ordained on the 16th of July, 1740. During the pastorate of Mr. Hill, a new parsonage was built in 1749, and is still standing, though not used for the purpose for which it was ereeted. After a term of nearly twelve years the pastorate of Mr. Hill elosed, and Rev. Joseph Green, a graduate of Harvard in 1746, was settled Feb. 21, 1753. In 1758, during the pastorate of Mr. Green, a new meeting-house was built on the site of the old one. In 1759 he elosed a six-years' ministry, and was succeeded Sept. 5, 1759, by Rev. Thomas Brown, a graduate of Harvard in 1752. Mr. Brown terminated his ministry Nov. 1, 1763, and was followed by Rev. William Shaw, a native of Bridgewater, and a graduate of Harvard in 1762, who was ordained April 2, 1766. During the pastorate of Mr. Shaw, a Baptist society was organ- ized in Marshfield, a movement in that direction having begun in 1773. In 1734, however, Elder Elisha Callendan, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Boston, baptized six persons; and in 1736 and 1748, still others were baptized by Boston pastors. In 1773, Rev. Isaae Backus, of Middleboro', per- formed some missionary labors, and wrote in his diary concerning his success as follows: "Deaeon Josiah Eames and his wife, Thomas Eames and his wife, David Thomas, Jr., and his wife, Thomas Joyce and his wife, and some others seem not only to be convinced that the parish worship is very cor- rupt, but also that the Baptist principles are right ; were very thankful for my coming, and there is a hopeful prospect of an agreeable society being formed there." The next year Rev. Asa Hunt, of Middleboro', preached in Marshfield for a short season, again in 1781, and again in 1786. In 1788 a Baptist society was formed at the house of Jona- than Joyce, now the house of Hewett Simmons, and a meeting-house was built in the westerly part of the town, and in 1798 the Baptist religious society of Marshfield was incorporated. The constituent men- bers were Thomas Joyce, Lucy Joyce, Zenas Thomas, Abigail Thomas, Ichabod Sherman, Rebeeea Chase, Abigail Joyce, Mary Curtis, Rachel Joyce, Prince Hatch, William Curtis, Lydia Foord, Zaccheus Lam- bert, and Vashti Bryant. In 1850 the meeting-house was remodeled and enlarged. The old house was

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HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY.

moved round and back, an addition made to its rear, a spire erected, and occupied by a bell presented by Henry R. Glover, of Boston, and the new structure was dedicated Jan. 1, 1851, the Rev. W. F. Stub- bert, of Abington, preaching the dedication sermon from Psalms lxxxiv. 1. In 1882 about twelve acres of land adjoining the meeting-house grounds, with a small dwelling-house, were purchased and given to the society by one of its members, and the next year the house was enlarged and renovated and fitted for a parsonage. In 1826 the church voted to consider itself as existing in three branches, one worshiping in the old meeting-house, one in a school-house in Duxbury, and one in a newly-erected meeting-house in North Marshfield. In 1833 the last branch be- eame an independent society. In consequence of this new organization the old society was greatly weakened, and its members were reduced from one hundred and twenty-eight members, in 1829, to forty members in 1837. Previously to this separation several colonies had swarmed away from this church. In 1806 seventeen members were dismissed to form a Baptist Church in Hanover, and in 1825 nine were dismissed to form the Baptist Church in Seit- uate.

The church has never been favored with long pas- torates, and for a considerable portion of its career has depended on neighboring ministers or Newton students for occasional and brief supplies. The or- dained ministers who have served the longest are Joseph Butterfield, who began preaching in 1791; Barnabas Perkins, 1803; Thomas Conant, 1811; Benjamin Putnam, 1829; William W. Hall, 1831 ; E. G. Sears, 1839 ; Samuel Glover, 1841 ; A. E. Bat- telle, 1852; J. H. Seaver, 1855 ; S. Howe, 1856 ; D. B. Ford, 1864; S. A. Cole, 1877; J. H. Wells, 1879 ; J. N. Studley, 1881. " Father" Conant, as he was familiarly ealled, served the church in all more than sixteen years, giving for the most part, however, but three-fourths of his time to this ehureh. Four of the above-named pastors (Messrs. Butter- field, Hall, Battelle, and Cole) were ordained over the church. In 1812, on the 12th of April, the church licensed one of its members, after having "improved before the church," to preach the gospel, the lately- deceased Dr. Aaron Perkins, whose remarkable con- version and success in the ministry are narrated in Father Conant's autobiography.

The following members have served as deaeons of the church : Thomas Joyee, appointed probably in 1788 ; Aaron Sherman and Ebenezer Sherman, 1812; William Eames, 1822; John Collamore, 1827; Charles Bailey, 1839 ; Ambrose Magoun and Amos

Sherman, 1852; Charles Barstow, 1874 ; and Albert Joyce, 1882.

In early times the church had frequent occasion for discipline, arising from the then prevalent habit of drinking. In the beginning of Father Conant's pastorate especially, several of the most influential members were excluded from the church for the " too free use of spirituous liquors." In 1823 an article, prepared by Dr. Charles Macomber, was added to the covenant of the church, pledging its members to " consider themselves a Society for the suppression of intemperance and other vices, and for amelioration of the condition of mankind." Of this society Christ was considered as the president, and the pastor was made ex officio vice-president. It is worthy, too, of note, that the covenant adopted by the church in 1788 had a clause in it against " spending time idly at taverns and ale-houses." In the cause of temper- ance the church, now flourishing under the pastorate of Rev. J. N. Studley, has always from its earliest organization been active and efficient.

The Second Baptist Society, alluded to above, built a meeting-house in 1826, and May 8, 1833, was organized with forty-nine members as the North Baptist Church of Marshfield. Of these mem- bers only two are now living. At the time of the organization S. Ripley was ordained as pastor, and served three years and six months. Lincoln Damon, Hatch Tilden, and William Eames were chosen deacons. After the death of Mr. Tilden, in 1861, Nathaniel Damon was chosen in his place. E. G. Sears succeeded Mr. Ripley as pastor, and was or- dained March 20, 1839, remaining two years in the pastorate. In April, 1841, Mr. Ripley became pastor for the second time, and remained two years. Rev. C. T. Tueker was ordained June 14, 1849; and remained until November, 1853, and was followed by S. Cutler, who was pastor from April, 1854, to August, 1857. In April, 1859, N. Chapman became pastor, remain- ing two years, and was succeeded by J. Davis, who began to preach in April, 1861, was ordained June 11, 1863, and continued his pastorate five years and six months. In September, 1869, B. W. Gardner became pastor, and remained until his death, July 6, 1874, since which time the church has had no settled minister, the pulpit having been supplied by various ministers, among whom have been O. L. Leonard, H. Morrow, A. J. Stevens, William P. Bartlett, and S. P. Pendleton, the last of whom has the present charge. During the pastorate of Mr. Shaw another society was incorporated June 9, 1790, by an act of the General Court, which provided that " Sylvanus White, John White, and Ephraim Little, church wardens,

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HISTORY OF MARSHFIELD.

and Noah Hateh, Thomas Little, and James Little, vestrymen, with other proprietors of Trinity Church in Marshfield. be incorporated under the name of the Episcopal Protestant Society in Marshfield." Trinity Church had been an old organization, and the aet of

Before returning again to the First Church it will be as well to complete the list of churches which at various times have been organized in the town. Not many years since. a Wesleyan Methodist Society was formed and built a chapel. which. since the disband- ment of the society, has been owned by the Agricul- tural Society. and is used by that organization in con- nection with its fair and general business. In 1813 a Methodist Episcopal Society was formed, which continued as a branch of the Scituate Methodist dis- trict until 1824. when it erected a place of worship near the central part of the town, which in 1854 gave place to the present structure. The following is a complete list of the ministers who since 1830 have been connected with its pastorate :

1530. Lewis Janson.

1831. Charles H. MeReading.

1852. H. P. Farrington. 1855. Benjamin K. Bosworth.

1857. Robert Gould.

1833. Benjamin Keith.

1×60. Lawton Cady.

1934. A. D. Easterbrook. 1835. William Ramsdell.

1562. Franklin Sears.

1'37. Enoch Beadley.

1864. Josiah C. Allen.

1:38. Elisha B. Bradford.

1866. Benjamin F. Pease.

1539. Samuel Palmer. 1867. Joseph C. Cromack.

1841. Henry Mayo.

1869. Charles S. Morse.

1543. Dixon Stebbins. 1644. William Leonard.

1870. Nelson W. Chase. 1871. Benjamin K. Bosworth. 1973. James H. Humphries.

1546. Lozien Pierce.

1874. Daniel M. Rogers.

1548. John B. Goold.

1876. John H. Alleo.

1849. Samuel Beedle.

1879. Frederick A. Crafts.

1850. Thomas D. Blake.

1881. John F. Sheffield.

1531. Theodore B. Gurney.

The ministry of Rev. Mr. Shaw in the First Church closed with his death, July 1, 1816, at the age of seventy-six years, after fifty years' scr- vice. It was during his ministry that the Uni- tarian movement began, and, though perhaps not an avowed Unitarian, his preaching and influence were in the direction of Unitarian views, and his clerical associates were largely members of the Unitarian body. It is undoubtedly also true that more liberal theological views permeated, under his instructions, the minds of his congregation. It is quite evident that a decisive course of action, either on the part of Mr. Shaw or of his successor, would have carried

participants attest the attitude of both Mr. Parris and the people. Of the nine churches taking part in the ordaining eouneil, seven were either then or after- wards became Unitarian, aud only two were Orthodox. Of the clergymen who took part in the exercises, Zephaniah Willis, of Kingston, who preached the sermon, James Kendall, of Plymouth, who made the consecrating prayer, John Allyne, of Duxbury, who gave the charge, and Elijah Leonard, of Marshfield, who gave the right hand of fellowship, were Unitarians, and Nehemiah Thomas, who made the introductory prayer, and Abel Richmond, who made the concluding prayer, were Orthodox. Neither pastor nor people, how- ever, long pursued this uncertain and doubtful course. The current of the pastor's mind ran in harmony with that of the minds of his congregation, and the eur- rent of their minds ran in harmony with his. Some years before the elose of his ministry, which oeeurred in 1636, both pastor and people somewhat retraced their steps, and since that time the old chureh has been definitely settled in its place as a member of the orthodox body. Mr. Parris retired from Marshfield to Kingston, and there died, Nov. 15, 1839, at the age of seventy-three.

Before the successor of Mr. Parris was selected, the condition of the church rendered it necessary to establish definitely its theological position. Twenty candidates were heard, some Unitarian and some Or- thodox, but finally the evangelieal elements of the society prevailed, and Mr. Seneea White, a native of Sutton and a graduate of Dartmouth College in 1818, was installed on the 8th of August, 1838. Mr. White had been previously settled seven years in Bath and five years in Wiscasset, Maine, and mar- ried Elizabeth S. Winslow, daughter of John and granddaughter of Dr. Isaac Winslow, of Marshfield. Previous to his settlement the present house of wor- ship was erected, and the dedicatory and installing services werc mingled. The names of the clergymen who took part on the occasion-Lucius Alden, Rich- ard S. Storrs, Elijah Dexter, Martin Parris, Martin Moore, Paul Couch, and E. G. Howe-suggest the evangelical stand the church had now determined to take. The ministry of Mr. White, though useful, was short, and terminated on the 1st of May, 1847. After his retirement, necessitated by protracted ill health, he lived for a time in Marshfield, and after-

this old church of the Pilgrims over the Orthodox line into the newer faith. On the 29th of January, 1817, Rev. Martin Parris, a native of Halifax, and a graduate of Brown University in 1790, was ordained as the ninth pastor of the church. The character of 1790 provided really for little more than a change of his ordination and the theological complexion of its name. This society no longer worships within the limits of Marshfield ; its church building has been disposed of and its members are merged in the Epis- copal Church at Hanover.

1532. Mark Staples.

1859. Thomas C. Pratt.

1545. O. Robbins.

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HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH COUNTY.

wards in Amherst, N. H. He died in the latter place Jan. 11, 1865, and was buried in the " old burial- ground" in the former, among the graves of the an- cestors of his wife.

The eleventh pastor of the church, Rev. Ebenezer Alden, a native of Randolph and a graduate of Am- herst College in 1839, was installed Oct. 30, 1850, and still, in the full vigor of middle life, is courage- ously bearing the burdens and faithfully performing the duties of his ministry. He may well be proud of his connection with a church whose fountain and current have been such marked features in the life of the Old Colony, and the church may congratulate itself that, at the end of two hundred and fifty years, its dignity is sustained and its prosperity and future welfare arc kept constantly at heart by one so worthy of a place in the line of its ministry.

Before closing this sketch it is only necessary to add such statistics as shall give a general idea of the town and the occupations of its people. In 1776 the population of Marshfield was 1157, in 1855 it was 1876, in 1865 it was 1809, and by the last State cen- sus, 1817, divided into 473 families, occupying 423 dwellings, while 123 dwellings were unoccupied. Of this population 522 were born out of town, 33 were engaged in government and professional work, 532 in domestic labors, 77 in trade and transportation, 216 in agriculture and fishing, 313 in manufactures and mechanical work, 4 were ministers, 2 physicians, 2 teachers, 7 clerks, 6 were in express business, 2 were master mariners, 12 were sailors, 37 merchants, 165 farmers, 9 blacksmiths, 15 bootmakers, 5+ carpenters, 7 painters, 114 shocmakers, 14 ship-carpenters.

Within the last few years the prosperity of the town has been somewhat enhanced by the construc- tion of the railroad connecting it with Boston and Plymouth and by the settlement of summer residents which has been gradually extending along its shores. To the former enterprise the town, in its corporate capacity, subscribed seventy-five thousand dollars, and afterwards sold its interest in the road to the Old Colony and Newport Railroad corporation for the sum of five thousand dollars. For the extinguish- ment of the debt a sinking-fund has been established which is increased annually by an appropriation of the town, and which Feb. 20, 1884, amounted to $13,551.18. While the future material prosperity of the town has been assured, the antiquary and historian will ever turn to it with a decp and increasing interest.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

REV. GEORGE LEONARD.

Rev. George Leonard is a lineal descendant of James Leonard, one of two brothers who came to America in the carly days of the colony from Pon- typool, County of Monmouth, Wales. This James Leonard was connected with the first iron forges erected in America. Both in Europe and America the Leonards have for centuries been prominent, in the iron business, and they were interested in most, if not all, of the iron-works cstablished in America during the first century of its civilization.

The family are descended through two lines from Edward III. of England, through two of his sons,- John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and Thomas Plantagenet, Duke of Gloucester. In America many of the members have risen to prominence in various walks in life, and they are noted for their frankness, honesty, unpretentious lives, and their hatred of all shams and hypocrisies. James Leonard and his sons often traded with the Indians, and were on such good terms with them that when war broke out King Philip gave special instructions to his men "never to hurt the Lconards." Thomas2, the son of James1, came to this' country with his father when a small boy, and worked with him in the forge. He was a physician, deacon, justice of the peace, major, town clerk, and at one time (1702-13) judge of the Court of Con- mon Pleas. His fourth son was Deacon Samuel, who was a man of distinguished piety, and held the offices of deacon, captain, and justice of peace. Deacon Elijah was his son, and resided at Raynham, near the old forge. This Elijah was the father of Rev. Elijah Leonard, who graduated at Yale College (1783), and married, May 13, 1792, Molly Wales Fobes, daugh- ter of Rev. Dr. Fobes, and settled in the ministry at Marshfield, where he was in active service forty-five years, and where he resided till his death. He was succeeded in the ministry by his son, Rev. George Leonard, whose portrait appears in this volume. The following sketch of Rev. George Leonard is from the pen of Rev. Joseph Osgood, who was his associate in the ministry and a life-long acquaintance. It was published in the Christian Register of July 21, 1881 :

" REV. GEORGE LEONARD.

"To the list of worthy Christian ministers who have Intely passed from this earthly scene, the name of George Leonard is to be added, who died in East Marshfield on the 9th instant, in the eighty-first year of his age. He was a graduate of Harvard College in the class of 1823, studied theology in the Cambridge Divinity School, und was ordained in 1836 ns pastor of the First Parish in Enst Marshfield, as successor to his father. After a ministry of twenty-five years, he relinquished volnu-

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HISTORY OF MARSHFIELD.

tarily the charge of his parish, and withdrew from regular professional work. although he at times preached in his old pulpit, assisted his brother ministers, and till his death per- formed much pastoral work iu the parish. It was his custom at the beginning of each new year to preach a sermon to his former parishioners, in which he reminded them of the events and change of the last year, sought to impress on their minds the importance of spiritual realities, and exhort them to piety and virtue. Some of these discourses he had printed. llis father's ministry of forty-five years, added to his of twenty- five, make seventy years as the length of the pastorate of the father and son.

" Mr. Leonard had clearly-defined and firmly-fixed religious convictions, which he was ready to express and defend on every proper occasion. He was a strong Unitarian, a liberal Chris- tian of the old school. He had no taste for metaphysies, for radical criticism. or for theological speculations. He listened with patience and candor to statements essentially opposed to his views of truth when presented in a reverent and sincere way, but anything like flippaney. irreverence, or intolerance in the treatment of what were to him sacred subjects gave him real pain and called forth his indignant protest. Having formed his opinions of religious truth in the Divinity School, under the instruction of the elder Henry Ware, D.D., and Andrews Norton, and from the preaching and writings of Channing. and of leaders in liberal religious thought of that time, they fully met and satisfied his intellectual and spiritual needs. He accepted them as the working forces of his ministry and of his life. And they never failed him. He found them sufficient for all spiritual needs in his pastoral ministrations, and in his own heavy personal afflictions and bereavements they were to him a sufficient ground for trust, faith, submission, and -resigna- tion.

" And in the religious views which he had embraced he found all that was needful for practical morality. While in his preach- ing and in his life he taught and enforced all the common vir- tues, and showed his detestation of all forms of moral evil, he was in strong sympathy with progress in morality, if not in theological speculations, and was deeply interested in the anti- slavery movement, in the temperance reform, in the cause of education, and in the attempts to withstand the tide of political corruption.

" Those who knew him will long remember his rapid utter- ance, his short, direct, unadorned, often quaint sentences, bis practical way of viewing and of speaking of all things, his humility, his friendly feeling, the confidence which he inspired, and his interest in every good cause.

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History of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 244

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & co. Number of Pages: 1706

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Philadelphia, J.W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1706