USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Rehoboth > History of Rehoboth, Massachusetts; its history for 275 years, 1643-1918, in which is incorporated the vital parts of the original history of the town > Part 20
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39
On the twelfth of March, Mr. Blood presented eight articles of faith, embodying the strict principles of the Calvinistic Bap- tists. These articles were signed by the following persons, who thereby constituted themselves a church: Seth Talbot, Isaiah N. Allen, Benjamin Munroe, Charles C. Munroe, Sally Talbot, Ann F. Allen, Ruth Munroe, Sybil Peck, Peddy Peck, Joanna Horton, Polly Bowen, Nancy Bowen, Fanny L. Williams, Olive Wheeler, Joanna Wheeler, Lucy Horton and Jane Snow.
This church was publicly recognized by an ecclesiastical council which assembled at Lewis' hall, April 1, 1840, Rev. A. Fisher of Swansea preaching the sermon. The following day was set apart by the church as a day of special fasting and prayer, and meet- ings were held almost daily for several weeks, resulting in num- erous conversions. April 26th, Danforth G. Horton, John Davis, Jr., Thomas Carpenter, and several others were baptized.
On the third of June, Mr. Caleb Blood was ordained by an ecclesiastical council which met at Lewis' tavern, Rev. Asa Bronson of Fall River preaching the sermon. Mr. Blood was en- gaged to supply the pulpit for the sum of three hundred dollars a year. His pastoral labors were greatly blessed, and the church at the close of the first year numbered forty-three mem- bers. Mr. Blood was born July 4, 1815, at Rodman, N.Y. He graduated at Brown University in 1844; was married April 10, 1844, to Miss Martha Baker of Rehoboth, by whom he had five children. He died Nov. 21, 1881, at Independence, Mo. While pastor of this church Mr. Blood organized the Sunday- school which flourished for many years.
The new meeting-house was dedicated Nov. 25, 1840, with the sermon by Mr. Blood, from Isaiah 60:13.
Up to 1883 the church had fifteen pastors and acting pastors, whose names and terms of service follow: Rev. Caleb Blood, 1840-41 (died Nov. 21, 1881); Rev. David M. Burdick, 1841-43; Rev. Henry C. Coombs, 1843-47; Rev. Silas Hall, 1847-49; Rev. Samuel A. Collins, 1850-52; Rev. Zalmon Tobey, 1852-53; Rev. J. J. Thatcher, 1854-59; Rev. Henry C. Coombs, 1860-64; Rev. Samuel C. Cheever, 1865-68; Rev. John Coombs, 1868-69; Rev. J. M. Mace, 1870-73; Rev. Norman B. Wilson, 1873-75;
209
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY
Rev. L. F. Shepherdson, 1875-78; Rev. O. P. Bessey, 1878-80; Rev. D. C. Bixby, 1880-83.
In 1870 the church was presented with a house and lot for a parsonage, the gift of Mrs. Delight C. Reed, of Taunton, only child of Christopher Carpenter of Rehoboth. In 1878 the church received a bequest of five hundred dollars from Mrs. Nancy Baker.
An important revival was enjoyed under the labors of Rev. Samuel A. Collins, and many were added to the church. An- other revival occurred during the pastorate of Mr. Bessey, the Congregational Church joining in special services during the winter of 1879-80.
After Mr. Bixby came Rev. E. A. Goddard, whose personal influence vitalized all branches of the church and led to increased attendance and activity. A conveyance was furnished each Sun- day to bring the people to church and Sunday-school from the outlying districts, and the whole community felt the awakening. This was a last great effort to save the church from a decline which was inevitable. So many had died or moved away that the church ultimately became weak in membership and finances.
Mr. Goddard finished his work here about 1889, and was fol- lowed by Rev. A. T. Derr from Newton Theological Seminary, who was ordained pastor of the church Jan. 29, 1890, but re- mained only a short time, giving place to Rev. J. H. Balcom in 1891-1893. The pulpit was then supplied by John Watts and Howard Brown, students from Brown University, each for one year; and last of all by Rev. Wallace Gushee. The church was finally closed about the year 1900 after sixty years of struggle and self-denial. At the church reunion on Fast Day, 1886, the statement was made by Dea. Gilbert Bullock that "since the or- ganization of the church in 1840, two hundred and thirty different persons have been members, and the present number is eighty- six." After 1900 the house remained unoccupied for a number of years and some of the Baptists attended the Congregational Church at the Village.
The deacons of the Annawan church were: Seth Talbot, ap- pointed in 1840, John Davis, Jr., 1840; Sylvester Hunt, 1845; John Davis, 1854; Gilbert D. Bullock, 1867; Hale S. Luther, 1883; and G. Gardner Bullock, 1883.
Deacon Luther was for a long time superintendent of the Sun- day-school, a man highly respected for his sterling virtues, and
14
210
HISTORY OF REHOBOTH
likewise Dea. G. D. Bullock, whose zeal and devotion to the church were unfailing. The name of Charles Perry should also be men- tioned as one who spared neither time nor money in the service of the church and Sunday-school.
April 28, 1908, the church people gave their property to the Annawan Grange, which has greatly improved the house, and holds its meetings there.
This is one of the incidental good results of the movement in 1840 to establish a Baptist church near Lewis' tavern. Of the moral and spiritual uplift to those who have felt its influence, only the recording angel can bear witness.
THE IRONS, OR FREE-WILL BAPTIST CHURCH
The Irons Church, so-called, was located in the north part of the town, in an oak grove,1 about half a mile south of the Attle- borough line and not far from Briggs Corner. It was organized Oct. 2, 1777, with thirty-one members. A distinguishing feature of this body was its practice of free communion, and at a very early period it became connected with the Groton Conference of Free Communion Baptists. Elder James Sheldon of Providence was ordained its first pastor, Sept. 6, 1780.
According to Backus, he bought a farm in the neighborhood for sixteen hundred dollars, but owing to the financial distress of 1786, after paying in one thousand dollars, he was obliged to sell it at a loss of seven hundred dollars and moved back to Providence, although he came out and preached until his dismission in 1792, after which he removed to the state of New York.
Elder Sheldon was followed by Elder Jeremiah Irons, who was ordained over the church Sept. 24, 1795. He continued to labor here with great acceptance until his dismission, June 26, 1799. He was born in Gloucester, R.I., Oct. 14, 1765. After leaving Re- hoboth he preached for many years in the West. At the time of his pastorate, and afterward, the church came to be known as "The Irons Church." For several years after Mr. Irons left, the church was supplied by Elders William Northrup, Daniel Hix and others, until 1808, when Elder Samuel Northrup of North Kingston, R.I., became acting pastor until his death, July 21, 1812. Under his ministry the church flourished and increased in numbers and strength.
1 As shown in a pencil sketch preserved by Dr. William Blanding (see p. 4).
211
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY
Again the church was left without a regular pastor for a number of years. Elder Sylvester Round, pastor of the Six-Principle Baptist Church near Stevens' Corner, often preached for them and admin- istered the sacrament. The pulpit was also supplied by Elders Childs Luther, Daniel Hix, Levi Hathaway, and Reuben Allen.
The church enjoyed its greatest revival in the years 1820-22, under the labors of Elders David Sweet and Levi Hathaway, and a large number of worthy members were gathered into it. From this time the church became connected with the Rhode Island Quarterly Meeting, a Free-Will Baptist organization, and was sup- plied mostly by ministers from this association. It was henceforth designated as The First Free-Will Baptist Church in Rehoboth.
In 1830-31 the church enjoyed another interesting revival un- der the preaching of Elder John Yearnshaw, when twenty-five more persons joined its membership. In 1834-35, Elder Junia S. Mowry was acting pastor. He was succeeded by Mr. David Steere, who was ordained pastor in September, 1836. At this time the church numbered ninety members. His father was a Quaker, who died leaving him, a young lad, with a large fortune. This he soon wasted with riotous living, and worked for a time in a paper-mill in Cumberland, R.I. He was converted in a bar- room. As he was putting a glass of rum to his lips, he seemed to hear a voice saying to him plainly, "David, if you drink that cup, you drink your eternal damnation." He dropped the glass, fell on his knees, and cried to God for mercy. From that hour he was an active Christian. He remained with this church till 1840, when he was dismissed, and went to Newport, R.I. It was during Elder Steere's pastorate that the old first meeting-house was aban- doned and a new one built one-third of a mile further north and nearer Briggs Corner, on the opposite side of the road from the Thrasher house. This church was dedicated July 4, 1837.
Mr. John W. Colwell was ordained pastor of this church in Octo- ber, 1841, and continued for four years. For several years he was overseer in the factory at Hebronville. He preached a while in California, and on his return died at Panama. He left several children. One of his sons was Rev. John W. Colwell, a Con- gregational clergyman.
Mr. Colwell was succeeded by Elder Joshua Stetson, who was ordained over the church in August, 1845, and labored in all about two years, when he removed to Taunton.
212
HISTORY OF REHOBOTH
Mr. Stetson's successor was Elder Gardner Clarke, who was acting pastor from July, 1846, until 1853, during which time there was a revival, and several names were added to the church. Mr. Clarke was born at Highgate, Vt., Aug. 21, 1812. He spent his early days mostly at Bradford, Vt., and received a good education from the academies of his native State. He was ordained at Cabot, Vt., in 1843. He was married in 1837 to Miss Jane R. Deming, of Wethersfield, Conn., by whom he had three daughters. Mr. Clarke resided in Attleborough. He was succeeded by Elder Lowell Parker, of Charlestown, R.I., who remained with the church from 1853 to 1858, when he removed to Portsmouth, N.H .; 1859-62, Elder George W. Wallace; 1863-64, Elder John Pratt, of Newport, R.I .; 1865, Elder Handy. After 1866 the church was supplied for a number of years by students from Brown University. In 1875 there were only seven active members.
In 1880-82, Elder Gardner Clarke preached to this people a second time. After this the services of the church proper ceased. The Methodists held one service each Sabbath for several years, but in 1892 the church was permanently closed. It was finally taken down, and to-day scarcely a stone is left to mark its site. Every vestige of the old Irons Church is gone long since, grove and all.
In 1886 a chapel was built across the line in Attleborough, owned and run by the "Christian Union of Briggs Corner." A Sunday-school was organized and services were held at first, oc- casionally by different ministers, but later the work came under the spiritual care of the Second Congregational Church in Attle- borough, to which many of the communicants belong, and for a number of years its pastor, Dr. J. Lee Mitchell, has preached here regularly. The enterprise is much indebted to the Ladies' "Mite Society" which has a membership of forty-eight.
The following is the list of deacons since the organization of the old church in 1777: Jacob Bliss, David Perry, Edmund Mason, Cyril C. Peck, William Cole, Milton Freeman, George H. Thrasher, William Lane.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
A Baptist Church of the Six-Principle order was formed in the northeast part of the town, not far from Stevens' Corner, about the year 1740. It started with forty members, and ordained Mr.
213
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY
Richard Round as its pastor, July 13, 1743. After some years, he left to preach at Oak Swamp, where he died May 18, 1768, and his tombstone may be seen near Rev. John Comer's in the South Rehoboth burying-ground. After his removal the church he had gathered became feeble and there was no regular preaching for many years.
In the year 1789 the church was revived under the efficient labors of Elder Sylvester Round and Deacon Aaron Wheeler. They were ordained as associate pastors on the twentieth of April of that year. Elder Wheeler died in 1800, but Elder Round con- tinued its pastor till his death, Oct. 26, 1824. He was a very able and influential man. He was born in this town April 10, 1762, and was married to Mehitabel Perry in 1780. About the year 1800 he built the old tavern-house for his son.
Up to the time of Elder Round's death the church had belonged to the Six-Principle Baptists. The house of worship stood where the school-house now stands. In 1824 the old meeting-house, having fallen into decay, a new one was built on the corner of the road leading to Norton.
In 1826, Rev. Lorenzo Dow Johnson, a Reformed Methodist, from Vermont, visited this place and preached the gospel with great power; the church was revived, and joined the denomination to which Mr. Johnson belonged. It soon became prosperous, and under the preaching of Rev. Benjamin McCloth, Rev. Joseph Eldridge, and others, was favored with several revivals of re- ligion, until in 1834 it had seventy-seven members.
In 1843 the present house of worship was erected, largely through the influence of Mr. Grenville Stevens. Rev. Charles Hammond now became pastor, and remained for several years. After Mr. Hammond left, the Reformed Methodists were mostly merged in the Wesleyan Methodists, and the church could not find preachers for the pulpit. At length certain persons applied to the Providence Annual Conference, and the Rev. William Cone was sent to them in 1849.
Now began a new era in the history of the church, henceforth of the Methodist Episcopal order. It appears that about the year 1798, Rev. John Brodhead, a Methodist preacher, had organized a Methodist class, which in 1810 had forty-five members. Rev. Thomas Perry and his wife were among the earliest members of this class, as were also Mrs. Rebecca Perry and Mrs. Noah Bliss
214
HISTORY OF REHOBOTH
When Mr. Cone came here he succeeded in uniting the remnant of this old class with a few of the members of the Methodist Re- formed Church, together with others who had been converted through his labors, so that at the close of his first year in 1850 he returned a membership of forty-four.
Mr. Cone was succeeded in 1850 by Rev. J. E. Gifford, a zealous laborer, who brought the membership up to sixty-five in 1852. The church debt was wholly paid under his pastorate.
In 1856-57 there was a powerful revival, owing to the efficient labors of Rev. Moses Chace, and many worthy members were added to the church.
A successful Sunday-school has been sustained from the first. In 1883 the church numbered forty-five members. It held reg- ularly a monthly meeting of prayer for missions, for which cause it contributed liberally.
The preachers and the dates of their service have been as follow: William Cone, 1849; J. E. Gifford, 1850-51; W. H. Richards, 1852-53; Arnold Adams, 1854-55; Henry H. Smith, 1856-57; Samuel Fox, 1858-59; Edward A. Lyon, 1860; Abel Gardner, 1861-62; S. W. Cogshall, 1863; Charles Morse, 1864-65; B. K. Bosworth, 1866-67; Caleb S. Sanford, 1868; John Q. Adams, 1869-70; Richard Pony, 1871-72; Elijah F. Smith, 1873; De Witt C. House, 1874-75; S. V. B. Cross, 1876-77; S. P. Snow, 1878; Charles Stokes, 1879; J. A. Rood, 1880-83; John F. Shef- field, 1883-84; George W. King, 1884-85; Charles Hammond, 1885-86; Henry P. Adams, 1886-89; W. Hall, 1889-90; Clark Perry, 1890-91; Samuel F. Johnson, 1891-93; Edward B. Gurney, 1893-94; Nathaniel B. Cook, 1895-96; James Biram, 1896-97; Benjamin F. Raynor, 1898-99; Marsden R. Foster, 1899-1902; Alexander Anderson, 1902-03; William Kirkby, 1904-08; George H. Butler, 1908-12; William McCreary, 1912-13; William F. Martin, 1913-15.
Most of these preachers have belonged to the New England Southern Conference. Two of them became distinguished in the denomination. S. W. Cogshall was a noted scholar and author. He contributed largely to Methodist periodical literature. While at Rehoboth he received the degree of D.D. from the Ohio Wes- leyan University, and was often spoken of as "a walking cyclo- pedia."
G. W. King was one of the ablest preachers among the
215
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY
Methodists, and author of "The Moral Universe" and other books.
Nearly all of these ministers, as far as Mr. Gurney, resided within the parish and devoted their whole time to its interests.
Messrs. Cook, Biram, Raynor, and Foster divided their time between this and the Chartley field.
Messrs. Anderson and Kirkby were pastors at Hebronville and supplied the pulpit here on the Sabbath. Messrs. Butler, Mc- Cleary and Martin resided in Providence.
During the last thirty years the church has lost by death and removals more than it has gained by admissions. It continues under difficulties. The church property is kept in good repair, partly by the aid of an annual clam-bake which has proved bene- ficial both financially and socially. The electric cars have also helped the attendance, although the congregations are small.
ELDER PECK'S CHURCH
Elder Peck's Church was located in the eastern part of Seekonk, at the junction of Lake Street and Lincoln Street, and although the house was taken down more than a hundred years ago (in 1815), the site is still known as "The Meeting-house lot." This church was organized by Elder Samuel Peck (1703-1788), who was its minister for more than forty years. Although Elder Peck was reckoned as a Baptist, he was an independent and liberal Christian who welcomed all followers of Christ to the privileges of his church. The Historian, Backus, speaks of his church as "Congregational." Under the ministry of its large-hearted leader it was a moral and spiritual light in the community. Dr. William Blanding (1773-1857), son of William and Lydia (Ormsbee) Bland- ing, tells us that his grandfather, Abraham Ormsbee, attended Elder Peck's Church and led the singing there. As we have seen, the house was standing some years after the Revolution, but its glory seems to have departed with its founder.
Elder Samuel Peck was the son of Captain Samuel Peck, who was the son of Joseph, one of the earliest settlers on the bank of Palmer's River; the family for several generations resided on a farm within the limits of the Thomas Reynolds farm off Summer Street, and formerly known as the "Covill" place. Elder Peck married Hannah Allen of Barrington, March 23, 1733-4, and "lived near Joshua Smith's."
CHAPTER VII EDUCATION IN REHOBOTH
IN the early days of New England, when the population was mostly of Puritan stock, the children were taught the elements of learning by their parents and by the parish minister, who met them at their homes or in the church. Modern reading-books were unknown, and no spelling-books were prepared before the middle of the eighteenth century. Children were taught to read from the hornbook, a kind of printed tablet covered with thin, transparent horn, or the New England Primer, in use for more than a century with a yearly sale of twenty thousand copies. It contained the alphabet, the Arabic numerals, Scripture verses in- cluding the Lord's prayer, and pious rimes in which children were drilled for the double practice of reading and religion.
"In Adam's fall We sinned all."
"Zaccheus he Did climb a tree His Lord to see."
Moral hints were couched in couplets like this :--
"A dog will bite A thief at night."
The advanced reading-book of the early days was the Bible it- self. A copy was supposed to be in every home, and it was read and conned more than all other books together.
Webster's spelling-book was a great advance over all other el- ementary helps. It was published in 1785, and was in common use fifty or sixty years ago. Many millions of copies have been sold.
Massachusetts claims the honor of having originated the free. public school by a law enacted in 1647. But the Rehoboth pro- prietors, four years earlier, Dec. 10, 1643, at a meeting in Wey- mouth, had voted that "the teacher should have a certain portion from each settler," thus making the first provision on record for free public schools by taxation (p. 21).
[216]
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Erected in 1839
--- -
PRESENT PARSONAGE Built in 1849
OLD PARSONAGE Occupied by Rev. Otis Thompson, 1800-1840.
217
EDUCATION IN REHOBOTH
These early settlers made provision, first of all for religion as the most essential thing, and in the second place for the education of their children. Every community must have its minister to preach the Gospel, and its teacher to instruct the rising genera- tion to "read, write and cipher."
The town fathers set apart certain lots of land known as "Pas- tors' and Teachers' Rights" for the use of the minister and the pedagogue. The teacher's compensation was small, not exceeding forty pounds a year for many years, and often much less.
The following items from this history show the amounts raised for schools from time to time :-
In 1680 Mr. Edward Howard was engaged to teach school for "twenty pounds a year and his diet" (p. 90).
In 1699 Robert Dickson was engaged for six months "to teach both boys and girls to read English and write and cast accounts, for which service he was to have thirteen pounds, one half in silver money and the other half in good, merchantable boards" (p. 98).
In the year 1700 the school committee of the town agreed with the Rev. Thomas Greenwood, their minister, to teach school for the sum of thirty pounds in current silver money (p. 98).
After 1712 the Palmer's River neighborhood received a part of the school money. As the population increased, more money was appropriated for the schools. In 1754, thirty-eight pounds; in 1772, eighty pounds; in 1792, one hundred and fifty pounds, to include a Latin school. After the division of the town in 1812, Rehoboth began by raising four hundred dollars a year; in 1819, six hundred dollars; in 1877, fifty-three hundred; in 1907, the same; in 1913, 1914, and 1915, six thousand dollars; and in 1916, seven thousand dollars. From this is paid the tuition of the eighteen high-school pupils who study out of town.
Up to the middle of the ninteenth century each district fur- nished fuel and the teacher's board free of charge. The districts were authorized by a law enacted in 1789 with the purpose of giving all school children a fair chance by having convenient cen- ters of instruction. Rehoboth was accordingly divided into fif- teen districts. The design of the system was praiseworthy, but its working was defective.
At first the prudential committee was elected by the town, but by a law passed in 1799 the districts were given corporate powers and chose their own moderator, clerk and prudential committee,
218
HISTORY OF REHOBOTH
and neither town nor state had any power to determine their acts. The prudential committee hired the teacher for his district, who must, however, secure from the town's committee a certificate of qualification. This was nearly always given, though not infre- quently against his best judgment. The town and state, thus handicapped, were unable to standardize either rules or text- books. Children moving into a district brought with them such books as they had. School books were the property of the pupils, and they were seldom required to buy a different set. This lack of uniformity multiplied classes and hindered the work of the teacher. Horace Mann says of the system: "I consider the law of 1789 authorizing towns to divide themselves into districts the most unfortunate law on the subject of common schools ever enacted in Massachusetts." The schools of Rehoboth, some of which were poorly equipped, illustrated the working of this system until 1883, when the districts were abolished by the State. This was a long step forward and was followed the next year by a statute requiring all towns to own the text-books and to loan them to the pupils without expense, thereby securing uniformity.
One thing may be said for the district schools. They were managed economically. As the parents boarded the teacher and supplied the wood, the only expense was the teacher's wages, which up to 1850 or later averaged for a man from $12 to $16 a month, and for a woman from $2 to $5 a month, making the total expense for a summer term about $20 and for a winter term about $50. Exceptional teachers were paid more. In the winter of 1840- 41, district number 1, later known as the Harris School, paid Lemuel Morse, Esq., $20 a month; but the next winter William A. King, one of Mr. Morse's pupils, taught the Oak Swamp School for $11 a month.
The school year consisted of two terms of three months each. The summer term began the first Monday in May and was kept by a woman. The winter term began the first Monday in Decem- ber, when the older boys and girls attended, sometimes up to the age of twenty, and was usually taught by a man. Since the civil war of 1861-65, however, no men have come to Rehoboth to teach. For the most part only common branches were pursued, but at the Blanding School (district number 2), Algebra, Physiology, Rhetoric and Latin were also taken up, and in fact, for a number of years this was the most advanced school in town, owing to its
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.