USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Ware > History of Ware, Massachusetts > Part 8
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Reference has been made to Mr. Thayer's "settlement." At the church and parish meeting it was voted to give Mr. Thayer a warranty deed of the ministry lot that was received from John Read, Sen., and it was "voted Capt. Jacob Cummings, Deacon Joseph Scott and Mr. Edward Damon be a committe to exauet [execute] in behalf of the parish sd Deed to the sª Mr. Ezra Thayer, on Demand after his ordination among us."
A deed was given by these three men in the name of the Ware River Parish of the original glebe, which lay about half a mile west of the meeting-house, and bordered on the west side of the road over Brimstone Hill. It is the only deed ever given in the name of Ware River Parish,2 and it was wholly illegal, null and void. It is amazing that no one of the parties interested knew that the land could not be alienated in any such manner. Unfortunately it was upon this tract, rather than on the tract east of the meeting- house given him by the Read heirs, that Mr. Thayer chose to make his home. A copy of Mr. Thayer's receipt for the value of the land as previously agreed upon is filed in the Town Records:
1 Coburn's "Historical Address," 1851.
2 Registry of Deeds, Springfield.
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Ware River Aug't 19th, 1759.
Then rec'd of Capt. Cummings, Doctr Damoon & Lieut. Scott, Sixty Six pounds, thirteen Shillings and four pence Lawful money, in part for my Settlement in Ware River. Rec'd pay't
Ezra Thayer.
It was apparently some years before it was discovered that the thrifty action of the parish in selling its glebe was illegal. But when the discovery was made, measures were taken to set the affair right. The first thing to do was to consult their friends and benefactors - the Read heirs. It could not have been an agreeable task, nor could they have reasonably expected relief from that quarter. Yet such was the generosity and large-heartedness of the Reads that they promptly came to the rescue with a gift of the most advantageously situated lot that they had left of the entire Manour.
May 25, 1767.
Deed of the Read heirs, viz John Read Mary Morris Chas. Morris Deborah Paget Henry Paget Wm Read Abigail Miller
For the founding & endowment of a parish ch. in ye district of Ware - Grant to Jacob Cummings & John Davis, the present Deacons of sd Ch. the 4th lott from the South in the 3rd Tier of Lotts from ye East in that part of ye sª district called ye Manour of Peace Bounded Easterly by ye fourth lott of ye Second Tier of lotts one hundred rods wide, & thence extending west & by South half a mile long, and also parcell of ye said fourth lott from ye South in ye Second Tier from ye East whereon ye Meeting house now stands & ye lands adjacent as reserved in & by their Several Deeds of Conveyance of ye rest of ye said lott containing abt. 3} acres. To have & to hold ye sd 4th lot in the 3rd tier, & parcel of sd 4th lot in 2nd tier . .. in special trust to them ye sd Jacob Cumings & John Davis Deacons of the sd Ch. &
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their successors in that office for ever in pure & perpetual alms for ye only uses & purposes hereafter expresst. vizt The said 3} acres parcels of the sd 4th lott in ye 2nd teer for the founding & continuance of a parish Church & Chris- tian Burying place forever, and the said 4th lott in the 3rd Tier of lotts for a Glebe thereunto annexed for the use & improvement of ye Revd Mr. Ezra Thayer now minister of ye sd Parish & his Successors in that Sacred Office towards their Maintenance & support forever in Leiu of Lands formerly granted by John Read Esq" deceased for ye like purposes & now in the Possession of the sd Revd Mr. Thayer.
(Signatures as at beginning.)
Armed with this second gift of a glebe, the parish could go before the General Court and ask that their sale of the first glebe be legalized, - as was in justice due to Mr. Thayer who had made his home and "spent his whole sub- stance " in improvements. The minister himself was directed to proceed to Boston to attend to the business, and the town afterwards reimbursed him for the expense, which amounted to £2,,6,,3. The action of the Court in regard to the matter appears in the following:
Province of the Massachusetts Bay S In council June 1st 1768 upon the petition of Ezra Thayer of the District of Ware Clerk, and the deeds accompanying the same, it appears that the Honble John Read Esqr late of Boston deceased on the 19th of Septem" 1748 for the founding and endowment of a Parish in the Ten Thousand Acres of Equivalent Did Give, grant convey and confirm unto Jabez Olmstead and others the Sixth lott and part of the fifth lott lying in a place then called the Manour of Peace, To have and to hold to them and theirs forever in special trust and confidence, for the following uses vizt for the use of the first minister of God's holy word and Sacramentts as shall be chosen there, and thereupon be lawfully instituted and ordained to that holy office there, and such his successors forever in pure and perpetuall alms, That after the ordination of the said Ezra over the Church and congregation at said Manour of Peace, a committee of said Parish conveyed said lands to the sd Ezra for a valuable consideration in fee simple in consequence whereof he built
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upon said land, cleared and so improved it as that he hath spent his whole substance thereon. It further appears that the heirs of the sd John sensible of the unhappy and ruinous circumstances the said Ezra was brought into as aforesaid from benevolent principles to the said Ezra and to the Dis- trict of Ware, and that their honored Father's design as aforesaid might not in the least be frustrated thot the said Ezra should have the land aforesaid confirmed unto him, Have by deed given granted and conveyed unto Jacob Cummings and John Davis the present Deacons of said Church an Equivalent, or rather more than an equivalent in Lands in said District in pure and perpetual alms for the same uses and purposes as were mentioned in their Father's Deed as aforesaid. Wherefore it is resolved that the Deed of Lands mentioned in said Petition given by Jacob Cum- mings, Edward Dammon and Joseph Scott to the said Ezra bearing date the 14th of August 1759 and recorded in the Registry of Deeds for the county of Hampshire Liber 6 folio 403 shall forever hereafter be held and taken to be effectual and available in Law against the feoffees named in the Deed of the said John Read Esq' in trust as also against all who may claim from by or under the said feoffees or any of them and against any person who may succeed the said Petitioner in the office of a Gospel Minister in said District, and the same shall be as good an estate to the said Ezra and his Heirs in fee simple as if the said John had con- veyed said lands to the said Jacob and others and to their heirs to their own uses.
Sent down for concurrence
A. Oliver Sec'y
In the house of Representatives June 1st 1768 Read and Concurred T. Cushing Speak™ Consented to Fra Bernard
A true copy Examd John Cotton Secrey
Recd September 28th 1768 & Registered from the original сору Edwd Pyncheon Regr
Though it be anticipating, it may here be related that dur- ing the long vacancy after Mr. Thayer's death the parish,
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with extremely poor foresight, petitioned the General Court for permission to sell this new glebe "for the purpose of set- tling a minister." It was represented that "the ministerial lot is wholly wild and uncultivated, and therefore has never been of any service to the ministers." 1 The petition was granted in 1789, though the Court stipulated that the money received should be held intact, "and the annual interest itself thereof shall be appropriated solely for the benefit of the ministry in said town, agreably to the original appro- priation."
For sixteen years the Rev. Ezra Thayer served the Ware River Parish, holding to the end the affection of his people, - a fact that, in those difficult times, speaks much for the man's tact. He undoubtedly was, as several historians as- sure us, a man of "accommodating turn." He was a native of Mendon, and a graduate of Harvard College in 1756. He was undoubtedly an excellent manager and a shrewd busi- ness man, possessing qualities rare in ministers of those days, and which could not fail to make him respected in a struggling community. That his salary was not always paid with the regularity that could be desired appears from the Town Records, but there was good humor on both sides, and doubtless the money was forthcoming eventually. An article in the warrant in 1768 was "to hear what our minister has to Lay Befor you Relative to his Salory not having Ben Sesonably payed him In the Past, and to act upon any proposal that he may make to you." Under this article the meeting adjourned to Deacon Cummings's for ten minutes (we can guess what for), and returning refreshed to the meeting-house took no action in the matter. But who can doubt that things went better afterwards?
Mr. Thayer acquired considerable land during his resi- dence, and must have been regarded as a man of substance. His widow Judith in 1777 sold some 230 acres to Wm. Page, Jr., of Hardwick for £560.
When but forty-two years of age Mr. Thayer's earthly min- istry closed. Hedied Feb. 19, 1775, apparently after a sickness of considerable length, for the parish voted to continue his salary to the time of his death, to bear the funeral expenses,
1 A rather disingenuous statement under the circumstances.
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and to "see about a piller " to put over his grave. It was just before the outbreak of the Revolution, when money was scarce and taxes high, when everybody was in debt and war was filling men's minds. It was hardly a time to give much thought to tombstones, and the matter was allowed to drop for a time. But in 1782 it was brought up again, and finally in 1784 a stone costing £4,,4, was erected at the parish expense, - a tribute to the lasting impression of Mr. Thayer's ministry, and of the affection his people long re- tained. The epitaph upon his headstone in the old burying place at the Centre may still be read:
In Memory of the Rev. Ezra Thayer, the Learned, Pious, Faithful, and Deservedly Esteemed Pastor of the Church in this town, who died Feb. 12, 1775, in the 43d year of his age, and the 16th of his ministry.
Go reader mind The better part, Believe the Gospel, Mend thy heart. Go learn to live, Learn to die. For die thou must As well as I.
EXTRACT FROM THE WILL OF EZRA THAYER
Further I will and bequeath unto the Church and Con- gregation in Ware fifty Dollars to be paid to them when they shall have settled a regular Orthodox Learned Congre- gational Minister ordained according to the Ecclesiastical Constitution of this Province, provided my Lands in Ware be sold at that Time, and if my said Lands be not sold at that Time, the said sum is to be secured to their Town Treas- urer whenever said Lands are sold said fifty Dollars is given towards helping them to defray the Charge of his settlement.
Also it is my Will that a certain negro girl named Leah whom I lately sold to Deacon Solomon Rich of Westurn in the County of Worcester for the Term of about nine years & an half, should be freed & set at Liberty at the Expiration of said Term upon the following Conditions viz that she be under the guardianship of said Rich whom I hereby appoint her Guardian, til she has by her sober and industrious Conduct given proper Evidence that she is a Person fit to
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be set at full Liberty. It is also my will that the said Rich should Take a certain Bond I have against William Black- amore Junr of Ware aforesaid for Ten sheep, Which are the Property of said Leah, and I hereby impower said Rich to demand and Receive said sheep when the Time fixed in said Bond is Expired, and to let them out for said Leah to the best Advantage so long as his Guardianship continues. Also I give and bequeath unto the said Leah six Pounds Thirteen shillings and four Pence to be paid into the Hands of her said guardian within six Months after her said nine years & half Service is expired, the said sheep & Money to be given to her when it shall sufficiently appear that she is capable of taking proper Care of herself & her substance, and she is to be entitled to all the Profits of them & of her Earnings while under guardianship - it is to be understood that the above mentioned Legacy to the Church & Congre- gation of Ware and the said six Pounds thirteen shillings & four Pence to said Leah are to be paid by the Person here- after to be named as Executrix of this my last Will & Testament.
The census enumeration of 1765 reports one female slave in Ware. The census of 1790 records no negro as being owned here. So far as the records show, Leah was the only slave ever held in our town.
The library of Mr. Thayer, described in the inventory of his estate, is of interest.
Henery - 2 vols. on the New Testament.
Tillotson's Works, 3 vol.
Cruden's Concordance.
Clark's Sermons, 4 vol.
Lowman on Revelation.
Dycher's Dictionary.
Grove's Works, 2 vol.
Dr. Calemon's Practical Discourses on ye Parable of ye Ten Virgins.
Preceptors, 2 vol. Forten Sermons.
Gordon's Geography.
An Essay on Prayer. Christian Institutes.
Orrery - Life of Swift.
Derham - Astro-Theology.
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Ray's Wisdom of God in the Works of Creation.
Tate and Brady's Psalms.
A Number of Pamphlets.
Henery on Prayer.
12 Latin, Greek & Hebrew Books, 8 Classic Books, one old Dictionary, Greek Testament, Grammar, Cicero's Orations &c.
12 Magazines.
The library was appraised at £20,,7,,3.
Following the death of Mr. Thayer the church was with- out a settled pastor for a period of ten years. They were troublous times, the Revolutionary War sapping the strength of the people and drawing away from their homes the best blood of the community. There was great poverty, and constant anxiety and sorrow. In a material sense it was a dark time for the parish. Spiritually it was otherwise, for such experiences always turn people's hearts back to God. At no time in our history was greater care and anxiety for spiritual ministrations showed than during this period. The records are full of this spirit, and ministerial supply was fairly constant for the whole of the ten years.
In 1777 it was "voted to make proposals to Mr. Chapin to be our minister," and a committee was appointed "to Inquire at Mr. Chapin into his Principals, and Tarms of Settlement." Two years later it was "voted unamustly to give the Revrant Mr. Davenport a call to setel in the gospel minestry, in this place." In 1780 church and parish united in giving Mr. Winslow Packard a call. The terms of pay- ment of his settlement are interesting, and reflect the common custom of the times when money was almost nonexistent, and bills, - even tax bills, - were payable in commodities. Wheat was to be received at five shillings per bushel, rye at three shillings and four pence, Indian corn at two shillings and six pence, pork at three pence half- penny per pound, beef at two pence, wool at one shilling and six pence, butter at seven pence, labor at two shillings and six pence per day in haying-time.
Mr. Packard declining the call, it was voted at a later meeting of the same year "to send Deacon Smith to see if Mr. Goodale will incline to settle with us, and if he will to
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Hire him." In 1781 the call to Rev. Winslow Packard was renewed, - again without effect. In 1782 a somewhat per- manent supply was secured in the person of Mr. Tuttle, - an elderly man, who was engaged with the humiliating stipulation that if the town could get a younger man he should give way. But young candidates were scarce, and Mr. Tuttle held the fort in spite of his age for two years or more.
After Mr. Tuttle came Rev. Jeremiah Hallock, a man of deep and fervent piety, to whom a unanimous call was ex- tended to accept a settlement. But Mr. Hallock felt im- pelled to go elsewhere. At his departure he wrote in his diary :
Feb. 1. Visited my pleasant grove, and took my fare- well of Ware. I have been there twelve Sabbaths. When I came the young people were light and gay, but it has pleased God to awaken them so that their frolicks are turned into conferences, and to God's name be all the glory. There are about twelve hopeful converts.
Soon after this it was voted to give Mr. Benjamin Judd a call to settle in the work of the Gospel Ministry. Mr. Judd accepted, and his ordination was set for Oct. 12, 1785. The Rev. Daniel Collins of Lanesboro' was appointed to preach the ordination sermon, the other members of the council being Mr. West of Stockbridge, Mr. Munsel (or Munson) of Lenox, Mr. Baldwin of Palmer, Mr. Perry of Richmond, Mr. Ward of Brookfield, Mr. Appleton of Brookfield, Mr. Forward of Belchertown, and Mr. Williams of Brimfield. Provision for the council was made at the town cost. All this is very commonplace and prosaic, but there was noth- ing commonplace about Mr. Judd's ministry of two years' duration.
It was that critical period following the Revolution in which occurred what is known as "Shays' Rebellion." 1 This was a popular outbreak growing from the oppressive taxes, the heavy individual and town debts, distrust of the govern- ment and other burdens and misfortunes incident to the
1 Shays' Rebellion bore more strongly on the ecclesiastical than the civil history of Ware, and is therefore touched upon in this connection.
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War. It is of especial interest to us, because our town was in the midst of the disaffected territory, and many of our citizens aided and abetted the movement.
A spirit of popular discontent was abroad in Massachu- setts, especially in the purely agricultural communities where the hardships incident to eight years of war were most keenly felt. State, county and town taxes were heavy, and the farmer, who could not by any means conceal his holdings either from assessors or sheriffs, found the burden almost more than he could bear, particularly as the lack of circu- lating medium made his products unsalable for cash, and he had no other sources of income. Gold and silver there was none, and the voluminous issues of Continental paper currency had lost credit. And the country was flooded with counterfeits of even these nearly worthless bills.1 Every- body was in financial straits. Real estate was unsalable. The soldiers had come home poor, sick and discouraged. Everybody tried to enforce the collection of debts, and at- tachments of property, as everyday affairs, wrought the people to a dangerous pitch. No wonder men were ready to resort to force to prevent the sale of goods and lands at the hands of the sheriff. The popular feeling was that the laws were unfair and oppressive, though no one knew in what manner to correct them.2
Conventions to suggest means of relief, or to influence public opinion, were held in various places. Ware was represented in several of these. To a convention at Hat- field Aug. 22, 1786, called "to see if a constitutional way of Relief, or some Legal method cannot be proposed for the security and Safety of the Good people of this Common- wealth against the burdens & Distresses that Prevails at the present Day," Captain Bullen was sent; David Brown, Isaac Pepper and Daniel Gould being appointed as advisory com- mittee. In November a convention for "Redress of Griev- ances " was held at Hadley, to which Isaac Pepper was sent as delegate. Mr. Pepper was also sent to Hatfield in Jan- uary, 1787. Civil war seemed imminent, and in the fol-
1 Allowances for counterfeit bills form quite a percentage of the business of the town meetings.
2 At least three writs were served against Ware in 1784, and there were other town debts.
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lowing month Captain Brackenridge, Mr. Parker and Moses Brown were sent as "a committee to General Lincoln and Capt. Shays to consult on some measures for Peace." 1
There were more or less serious disorders in several places. The popular desire being to prevent the executions that were pending against persons and property, attempts were made to prevent the sittings of the Courts. These attempts were successful at Great Barrington and at Springfield. At Worcester, too, the sessions were broken up by armed men under Captain Shays.
About the middle of January, 1787, Captain Shays ordered his adherents to rendezvous at Palmer, where he himself joined them. Not less than 1000 men assembled. Other forces of insurgents were gathered at West Springfield and at Chicopee. Shays' plan was to storm the Springfield Ar- senal. He marched from Palmer on January 24, and entered Springfield the next day, having camped for the night at Wilbraham. But at Springfield the militia, under the com- mand of General Shepard, who acted under orders from General Lincoln, was ready under arms. Only one volley was fired. Three insurgents were killed and one mortally wounded, at which Shays and his men fled in confusion. This was the death-blow of the rebellion.
I have said that the movement was of the common people. The better educated and professional classes were most strongly opposed to it. Judges, lawyers and clergymen, as the conservative element in society, were unmeasured in their denunciations. Among these was the Rev. Benjamin Judd. He used his pulpit as a forum from which he denounced the abettors of the rebellion in no measured terms. Deacon Maverick Smith and Abijah Davis left the meeting-house in the midst of public worship "in contempt of the pastor, or what he delivered." They, together with Deacon Thomas Jenkins, Thomas Marsh and Daniel Gould, thereafter ab- sented themselves from public worship. Both these acts were deemed grounds for the exercise of discipline. Counter- charges were preferred against the pastor for harsh ex- pressions both in public and in private.
1 Major General Lincoln was in command of the State troops, Captain Shays of insurgents.
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An Ecclesiastical Council was called to settle the griev- ances and to restore harmony amongst the divided and ex- cited flock, or else to dissolve the relation between pastor and church. The Council convened, consisting of eight ministers and seven laymen from the neighboring churches. Charges and countercharges were laid before the Council. After mature deliberation Deacon Maverick Smith, Mr. Thomas Marsh and Daniel Gould were censured for absent- ing themselves from public worship, their conduct charac- terized as "a flagrant violation of the Divine Laws . .. and of all order in the Church of Christ."
The charge against Deacon Thomas Jenkins, Lieut. Abraham Cummings, Ebenezer Nye and Lieut. David Brown for aiding and assisting in the rebellion was unani- mously supported. The Council characterized the rebel- lion as "most wicked and unprovokable, that it was a crime of ye most aggravated nature," and the four men were de- clared censurable.
The Council's dealings with the charges against Mr. Judd for "harsh expressions " might serve as a model of casuistry. With respect to the expression "Hell-Hound," said to have been delivered but not written, it was declared 'not proven." "For calling the Chh. a pretended one. " These words used by Mr. Judd are capable of, and often used in a sense that is unexceptionable, and it does not appear to this Council but they were so used by Mr. Judd." For saying that "he would as soon pray for the Devils in Hell as for ye insurgents," Mr. Judd is excused because he "immediately explained himself as meaning only for their success and prosperity in their unlawful undertakings." His saying that "if the Devil was Governor or Ruler the People ought to Obey Him," was conceded to be a "rash and unguarded expression."
Enough has been quoted to show the state of affairs; yet the Council refused to sever the pastoral relation, doubtless hoping that bitterness would die as the rebellion itself had died. Mr. Judd was declared to be "an honest faithful minister of Christ," and it was held that "if the Chh & People in this Town will attend to their duty, lay aside all wrath & bitterness, and put on as the Elect of God, kindness
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and humbleness of mind, meekness and gentleness, their Rev'nd. Pastor may be a great Blessing to them."
Much excellent advice was given both to pastor and people, and as to discipline, a return to duty was declared to be a "sufficient satisfaction for past errors and miscon- duct." Any expectation that peace would so easily be re- stored was manifestly Utopian. Two months later the town in legal meeting voted to dismiss their minister, the vote being taken by a division of the house, and standing 63 to 13. Another Ecclesiastical Council was convened in Sep- tember, and the pastoral relation dissolved; Mr. Judd being declared "not to have forfeited his moral or ministerial character." The Council therefore recommends him "to future usefulness in any part of the Vineyard where God in his Providence may call him."
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