USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > History of the churches and ministers, and of Franklin association, in Franklin County, Mass., and an appendix respecting the county > Part 3
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5. Rev. Alvah Lilley was born in Ashfield, Dec. 19, 1797; removed to Buckland in 1805; removed to Hawley in 1809; graduated at Williams in 1824; studied theology at Auburn ; was licensed by the Cayuga Presbytery, N. Y., in June, 1827; was ordained as an Evangelist, at Franklin, N. Y., July 15, 1829 ; has supplied various churches in New York ; installed pastor at Newfield, N. Y., June 11, 1835; dismissed from Newfield, Sept. 10, 1839; preached in Gorham, N. Y., from 1839 to 1844; and since 1844 has been preaching in Pewaukie, Wisconsin, and in neighboring places, under the Home Missionary Society, and now resides in Pewaukie, Wis.
6 .* Rev. Elijah Paine was born in Ashfield, Dec. 9, 1797; graduated at Amherst in 1823; studied theology with Dr. Humphrey, then President of Amherst College; ordained pastor at Claremont, N. H., April 1, 1829, and the sermon was by Rev. John Richards; dismissed from Claremont in 1834 ; installed at West Boylston, Nov. 13, 1834, and Rev. Thomas Shepard preached on the occasion ; and died while pastor at West Boylston, Sept. 14, 1836, in his 39th year. His funeral sermon was preached by Rev. Josiah Clarke, of Rutland.
The following obituary notice of Mr. Paine, written prob- ably by Rev. Mr. Clarke, of Rutland, was published in the Boston Recorder, Nov. 4, 1836 :-
" By this mournful event, the wife and children have lost a kind husband and father ; parents, brothers, and sisters, one who was a worthy pattern of filial and fraternal affec- tion ; and the church and people an able and faithful pastor. On no occasion have we witnessed a more decp and univer- sal expression of sorrow, than was manifested by an over- flowing congregation at his funeral. In his brief ministerial
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course, he has left imperishable memorials of his faithfulness and devotedness to his work. During the five years he was in Claremont, N. H., his preaching and labors were remarkably blessed ; and the church there gave an united and full testi- mony of his being 'a workman that needeth not to be ashamed.' Soon after his installation in West Boylston, in No- vember, 1834, a powerful and extensive revival commenced. His soul was in that work. It was too mighty for his already shattered frame, and accelerated the terrific disease that ter- minated in his death. He thought it not expedient to dis- tract the minds of his people by the voice of strangers, and therefore had little foreign aid. The peculiarity of his preaching was a lucid, argumentative, and forcible exhibi- tion of truth. There was no attempt to produce excitement, except through the medium of the understanding ; and no encouragement given, except to those who were ready to give a reason of their hope. Hence the revival was still, solemn, and uniform in its progress, permanent and salutary in its influence. He had greatly endeared himself to the children and youth of his parish, by kind attention and re- ligious instruction, and was, in the strength of Jesus Christ, rearing up a generation of intelligent and efficient christians. It would be difficult to describe the sensation caused by this mournful event, among the younger part of the congregation. They showed by their grief, that an impression had been made upon their minds, which would not soon be erased, and that the attachment to their instructor was of no ordi- nary kind.
" His brethren in the Association to which he belonged, consider that they have lost one of their brightest ornaments. He stood high among them as a scholar, as a theologian, as one of sound judgment, of firm principles, and of that inde- pendence and integrity of mind, which can be formed only by being thoroughly imbued with the spirit of Christ."
The following brief extracts are from a sketch of him in the American Quarterly Register for the year 1837, vol. 10, p. 143 :-
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" The good of his people and the glory of God were the all-absorbing objects which occupied his whole soul. * * * Though endeared to his family, friends, and society, death checked the career of his extensive usefulness in the midst of his days. * * * He possessed that independence and moral courage, that he was not afraid, nor ashamed, to go wherever his duty called. Rarely occurs an occasion, where deeper sympathy and mourning were manifested, than when the solemn group consigned his mortal remains to the tomb."
He was one of three brothers who were ministers of the Gospel, sons of Hon. Elijah Paine, of Ashfield,-notices of whom here follow.
7. Rev. John C. Paine was born in Ashfield, Jan. 29, 1806 ; never received a collegiate education ; pursued clas- sical studies at Andover, and Meriden, N. H .; received the honorary degree of A. M., from Amherst, in 1843; studied theology at Princeton, N. J., and Andover ; was settled at Rehoboth, June 6, 1837, and Rev. William P. Paine preached on the occasion ; was dismissed from Rehoboth, April 5, 1847; was installed in Gardner, Jan. 12, 1848, and Rev. William P. Paine preached the sermon ; and he still remains pastor at Gardner.
8. Rev. William P. Paine was born in Ashfield, Aug. 1, 1802; graduated at Amherst in 1827 ; was a tutor two years in Amherst ; finished his theological course at Andover in 1832; was ordained in Holden, Oct. 24, 1833, and Rev. Elijah Paine preached the ordination sermon. He is still a pastor in Holden.
9. Mr. Melzar Parker was born in Ashfield, Nov. 7, 1815; removed from there when five years old; returned when eighteen years old, and lived there for some time, and afterwards lived in Hamilton County, N. Y .; graduated at Amherst in 1838; finished a course of theological study at East Windsor Hill in 1842; was licensed in 1841, for four years, by the Windham County Association, at Woodstock, Ct .; and in 1845 his license was renewed for four years, at
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Killingly, Ct., by the same Association. Mr. Parker never was ordained, and when his last license expired, he ceased to preach. In 1843, he went, under the patronage of the Sabbath School in Dr. Todd's society in Pittsfield, as a mis- sionary to Long Lake, N. Y., and spent eighteen months in that vicinity. Notices of this mission of Mr. Parker may be found in the New York Observer, and Evangelist, and Tribune. Mr. Parker afterwards preached at Elizabethtown, N. Y., and Oriskany, N. Y. He removed to Wisconsin in 1850, and has held the offices of justice of the peace and town supervisor. He now resides at Weyauwega, Wapacca County, Wisconsin.
10. Rev. Samuel Parker was born in Ashfield, April 23, 1779; graduated at Williams in 1806; studied theology with Dr. Packard, of Shelburne, and was licensed by Hampshire Association, in October, 1808; finished a course of theological study at Andover in 1810; was employed as a missionary several years in Steuben and Alleghany Counties, N. Y. ; was ordained as pastor at Danby, N. Y., Dec. 24, 1812, and Rev. Hezekiah Woodruff, of Aurora, preached on the occasion, and the services were held in a barn; relinquished his labors in Danby in 1826; acted as an agent for Auburn Seminary for a time ; was settled in Fabius, N. Y., in 1828; was dis- missed from Fabius in May, 1831; installed at Middlefield, Mass., July 11, 1832, and was dismissed from there May 23, 1833; started in 1835, under the American Board, on an ex- ploring tour through Oregon, and returned by the Sandwich Islands, in the spring of 1837, and published an account of his tour, in a volume of some 370 pages. In reference to this journey, Mr. Parker says in a letter to the author of this work: " I crossed the continent by land, explored various parts of the Oregon country, from the head waters of the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean. I lived on game, having no bread or substitute for bread, about five months ; slept on the ground about seven months; several times I was in such dangers, that I did not expect to live from one
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five minutes to another, and yet I was not conscious at any time of having any regret for having engaged in the enter- prise. I found the Indians friendly, and anxious to learn the way to be saved."
Mr. Parker has since labored in behalf of the Bible Soci- ety, and preached in various places. In a state of infirm health, he now resides in Ithaca, N. Y. He has two sons, who are ministers, viz., Rev. Samuel Parker, Jr., and Rev. Henry W. Parker pastor of Bedford church, Brooklyn, N. Y.
11. Rev. Charles S. Porter was born in Ashfield, Dec. 9, 1803; is a grandson of Rev. Nehemiah Porter ; graduated at Amherst in 1827; finished the theological course at An- dover in 1831 ; defrayed, by his own earnings, the entire ex- pense of his education, board, clothing and tuition, through his academical, collegiate, and professional course, except his board at home while preparing for college ; was ordained pastor at Gloucester, and the sermon was by Dr. Beecher ; dismissed from Gloucester in May, 1835; installed over the Second Avenue Church, New York, about 1835, and the ser- mon was by Dr. William Adams ; dismissed from New York in November, 1841; installed at Utica, N. Y., March 23, 1842, and the sermon was by Rev. Dr. Lansing ; dismissed from Utica in November, 1844; installed at Plymouth, May 25, 1845, and the sermon was by Rev. Edward N. Kirk; dis- missed from there Feb. 1, 1854; and was installed pastor of the Phillips Church, South Boston, Feb. 22, 1854.
12 .* Rev. Freeman Sears was born in Harwich, Nov. 28, 1779, and with his parents removed to Ashfield, at the age of seventeen years ; graduated at Williams in 1804; studied theology with Dr. Austin of Worcester, and Dr. Packard of Shelburne ; was licensed by Franklin Association, April 10, 1805 ; preached at Rowe, and was invited to settle there ; was ordained at Natick, Jan. 1, 1806, and Dr. Kellogg, of Framingham, preached on the occasion ; in December, 1810, went to Savannah, Geo., for the recovery of his health, and returned June 2, 1811, in a low and declining state, and died
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June 30, 1811, in his thirty-third year. Rev. Dr. Bates, of Dedham, preached his funeral sermon. Rev. Stephen Palmer, in an occasional sermon preached at Needham, March 22, 1812, says of Mr. Sears : " His talents were re- spectable ; his elocution was pleasing ; and, from early life, he was exemplary and distinguished for piety." Bigelow, in his History of Natick, says of him : " From the acquaint- ance which the compiler had with Mr. Sears, he judged him to be a Calvinist of the Doddridge school; blessed by the Author of every good gift with too much good sense to be an enthusiast, and with too much good nature to be a bigot." He published an oration delivered on the 4th of July, and a letter written to his people while in Georgia. From that kind and affecting letter, the following is an extract :- " On a critical and prayerful review of my ministerial labors among you, I find myself in many respects deficient ; not that I regret the plainness of my preaching, nor the doctrines that I so fre- quently inculcated ; these, together with the threatenings denounced against the ungodly, and the comforting of saints, afford me pleasure to reflect upon. I do not think of any doctrine that I have advanced among you, that I am not willing to seal with my death. I must therefore solemnly exhort you to continue unshaken in all the great and glori- ous doctrines of grace." Rev. Elias Nason, the present pastor at Natick, says of Mr. Sears, "He was much esteemed by his people ; and though his ministerial course was very brief, nevertheless it was attended by the Spirit and the bless- ing of the Lord. He died triumphant in the faith." The fol- lowing is the epitaph on his gravestone at Natick, viz .: "His bereaved flock, from sentiments of gratitude and respect, con- secrate this stone to his memory :-
" To us his flock his death doth speak ; Be wise in time ; your Saviour seek ; He loves his own ; he makes them blest ; They die in peace ; in heaven they rest."
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13 .* Rev. Oliver M. Sears was born in Ashfield, Nov. 29, 1818 ; graduated at Williams in 1842 ; finished his theolog- ical course at East Windsor Hill in 1846 ; preached a year at Chesterfield ; was ordained pastor at Dalton, Sept. 29, 1847; and Rev. Samuel Harris, of Pittsfield, preached the ordination sermon. Mr. Sears died while a pastor at Dalton, Sept. 29, 1853, aged 35. The following extracts are from an obituary notice of him, published in the Puritan Recorder, in October, 1853 :-
" Rev. O. M. Sears, pastor of the Congregational Church in Dalton, died on Thursday, September 29, 1853, the an- niversary of his ordination six years before. His sickness was a violent dysentery, of so short continuance that he rode to Pittsfield on the Saturday before his death.
" His funeral was attended on Monday, Oct. 3. Prayers were offered at the parsonage by Rev. P. K. Clark, of Hins- dale, and at the church by Rev. J. Knight, of Peru, and Rev. J. Todd, D. D., of Pittsfield. The sermon was preached by Rev. S. Harris, of Pittsfield, from Philippians i. 21, 'For me to live, is Christ, and to die, is gain.' The house was crowded ; and there were few of the throng who were not sincere mourners.
" He was a modest and lovely man, a christian eminently humble, a firm and affectionate friend, a sound theologian, an able preacher, a laborious, sympathizing and successful pastor. He was beloved by his whole people with remarka- ble unanimity and cordiality. His death is felt as a severe loss, not only by his family and his congregation, but by all the associated ministers and churches.
" The violence of his sickness was so great that he could say but little. But he was sustained by the doctrines which he had preached, and experienced largely those consolations of the gospel which at the bed of death he had so often of- fered to others. His sickness and death were marked by patient submission, intelligent faith, and heavenly calm- ness and peace."
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The following is an extract from the obituary notice of him published in the New York Observer, of Oct. 20, 1853 : " In the field of labor, from which he has been called, he early won the confidence of his people, and of his brethren in the ministry, as a man of warm and large-hearted piety, a thor- ough scholar, a sound theologian, an acceptable preacher, a wise, judicious and faithful pastor, and reliable on all occa- sions ; and it is not too much to say, that he continued to grow in their confidence and affectionate regards to the last. His end was such as might have been expected from the man-he went down into the valley, having a calm trust in His Saviour, serenity, and peace, and joy of soul." " The tears of a sorrow-stricken people attested their warm attach- ment to their now deceased pastor. Besides those thus be- reaved, Mr. Sears leaves in their loneliness an afflicted widow and two little daughters to mourn his loss."
14 .* Rev. Preserved Smith. See the account of him, in the account given of the Pastors in Rowe.
15. Rev. Preston Taylor was born in Ashfield, Nov. 28, 1793 ; in 1815 was married and moved to Goshen ; without a collegiate education began the study of theology in prepa- ration for the ministry, and, in 1824, pursued his studies with Rev. Walter Chapin, of Woodstock, Vt., and with Rev. Rufus Nutting, of Randolph Academy, in Randolph, Vt. ; was licensed Feb. 8, 1825, by the Royalton Association, Vt. ; preached at Bridgewater, Vt., from 1825 to 1830 ; was or- dained as an Evangelist at Barnard, Vt., Feb. 8, 1826, and the sermon on the occasion was by Rev. Ammi Nickols, of Braintree, Vt. ; installed as pastor in Barnard, Vt., Nov. 3, 1830, and the installing sermon was by Rev. Thomas Shepard ; dismissed from Barnard, Nov. 4, 1834; installed as pastor in the West Parish, Westminster, Vt., April 1, 1835, and the sermon was by Rev. Charles Walker, D. D. ; dis- missed from Westminster, Nov. 9, 1836 ; installed as pastor at Strafford, Vt., and the sermon was by Rev. Phineas Cook ; dismissed from Strafford, Nov. 20, 1838; installed at Waits-
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field, Vt., Jan. 23, 1839, and the sermon was by Rev. Dr. Wheeler ; dismissed from Waitsfield, Aug. 10, 1842 ; sup- plied three years in East Berkshire, Vt. ; since 1845 has sup- plied in Sheldon, Vt., where he still resides. He received the honorary degree of A. M. from Middlebury, in 1850, and was a county judge for Franklin County, Vt., in 1852 and 1853.
16. Rev. Morris E. White was born in Ashfield, April 27, 1803 ; graduated at Dartmouth in 1828 ; finished the theo- logical course at Andover in 1831 ; preached in West New- bury, Greenfield, and North Adams, from the first and last of which places he received invitations to settle ; was or- dained in Southampton as pastor, June 20, 1832, and the sermon was preached by Dr. John Brown, of Hadley ; a council met to dismiss him from Southampton, Dec. 22, 1852, and the dismission took effect Jan. 1, 1853. Mr. White now resides in Northampton.
17. Rev. Francis Williams was born in Ashfield, Jan. 2, 1814; living nearer meeting in Buckland, he attended there, and united with the church when fourteen years of age ; graduated at Williams in 1838 ; finished the theological course at East Windsor Hill Seminary in 1841 ; was installed as pastor in Eastford, which is a parish in Ashford, Ct., Sept. 20, 1841, and Rev. Dr. Bennett Tyler preached on the occasion ; was dismissed from there in 1851; was installed as pastor in Bloomfield, Ct., Dec. 31, 1851, and Rev. Dr. Milton Badger, of New York, preached on the occasion. Several sermons of Mr. Williams have, by request, been pub- lished. He is still a pastor in Bloomfield.
A larger number of Congregational Preachers have origi- nated from Ashfield than from any other town in the coun- ty. Of the seventeen preachers reckoned as sons of Ashfield, sixteen were born in Ashfield ; thirteen were graduates ; sixteen have been ordained ; two have relinquished preach- ing, viz., Mr. Melzar Parker and Rev. Anson Dyer ; one was the son of a Baptist minister, and left the Orthodox
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Congregational ministry and became a Unitarian minister, viz., Rev. Preserved Smith ; one became a Methodist minis- ter ; two had sons in the ministry, viz., Rev. Preserved Smith and Rev. Samuel Parker ; and thirteen are now living.
Rev. Lebbeus R. Phillips was born in Ashfield, but as he early removed to Buckland, and continued to live there till manhood, he has been reckoned as a son of that town. Rev. Oliver A. Taylor lived about two years in Ashfield, in early life, before he removed to Hawley.
OTHER DENOMINATIONS.
BAPTISTS. The first Baptist church in Ashfield, the sect being called at first " Separatists," was formed July 2, 1761, with ten members ; in 1853 it had forty-eight members. From 1787 to 1798 this church was divided into two bodies, and Revs. Chileab Smith and Enos Smith were ordained over one of the divisions. Among the preachers who have supplied the first Baptist church are the following, viz., Revs. Ebenezer Smith, Enos Smith, Dana Brown ordained Aug. 25, 1836 ; Edward Hale, William Norris installed Aug. 31, 1842 ; A. B. Eggleston, George Stearns, and Mr. S. H. Amsden in 1853. A second Baptist church was formed June 3, 1830, and, about 1841, ceased to maintain its organi- zation. They were supplied by Revs. Orra Martin and Josiah Loomis. The following Baptist preachers originated from Ashfield, viz., Revs. John Alden, John Alden, Jr., David Alden, Adiel Harvey, and Jesse Hartwell.
EPISCOPALIANS. The Episcopal parish or church in Ash- field was organized June 15, 1820. The following preachers have supplied it, viz., Rev. Dr. Titus Strong, Rev. Lot Jones, Rev. William Withington, Rev. Silas Blaisdale, Rev. Jacob Pierson, Rev. Joseph A. Stone, Rev. Benjamin Austin, and Rev. Charles Cleaveland in 1853.
METHODISTS. The Methodist church in Ashfield was formed probably about 1830. It has been supplied by Revs.
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Asa Niles, George W. Green, John Caldwell, Samuel Heath, Henry S. Shed, and A. S. Flagg in 1853. The following Methodist ministers originated from Ashfield, viz., Revs. John Cross, who was once a Congregational preacher, but united with the Wesleyan Methodists in 1846; Hart F. Pease, who has been, and now is, so successfully employed in doing good at the place called the Five Points, in New York city, and Elijah Ward.
UNIVERSALISTS. The Universalist society was formed Dec. 11, 1841. It has been supplied by Revs. A. W. Mason, Hosea F. Ballou, Earl Guilford, J. A. Kinney, and J. Gifford in 1853. Two Universalist preachers, viz., Revs. Earl Guilford and Barnabas Hall, originated from Ashfield.
UNITARIANS. One Orthodox Congregational minister, who originated from Ashfield, became a Unitarian minister, viz., Rev. Preserved Smith.
SUMMARY of Preachers who originated from Ashfield : Orthodox Congregationalists, 17; Baptists, 5; Methodists, 3; Universalists, 2; Unitarians, 1. Total, 28.
BERNARDSTON.
A tract of land six miles square, including what is now Bernardston, Leyden, and a part of Coleraine, was granted, in 1735 or 1736, to the officers and soldiers who were in the Fall Fight at Turner's Falls, in Gill, in 1676. From the fact that this battle was fought at the Falls, the town, for twenty years, was called Fall Town. The original proprie- tors were ninety-nine. The town began to be settled in 1738. The first four houses were built of hewn logs, with port holes through the sides, and served as forts for protec- tion against the Indians. The town was incorporated March 6, 1762, and called Bernardston, in honor of Governor Ber- nard. Provincial Governor of Massachusetts. The population of the town in 1850 was 937. Five churches have been organized among the people of this place, viz., one Congre-
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gational that has become Unitarian, one Orthodox Congre- gational, one Methodist, and two Baptist, and a Universalist society.
ORTHODOX CONGREGATIONALISTS.
FIRST CHURCH. The first Congregational church in town was formed in Deerfield, Nov. 25, 1741, and was originally, and for a long period, of an Orthodox character, but, in the early part of the present century, became Unitarian. The first Meeting-house was built about 1740, on Huckle Hill, and it was "Voted, that a committee be chosen to cut the brush and burn them, ten rods round the Meeting-house." In 1772 the house was removed, and the location decided by a committee from abroad. In 1791 it was again removed. In 1823 it was removed to the present location, and was re- built in 1824, and repaired in 1850. This church, previous to its becoming Unitarian, had three pastors.
PASTORS. 1 .* REV. JOHN NORTON Was the first pastor, and was ordained as pastor of the church at its organization in Deerfield, Nov. 25, 1741, and Rev. Jonathan Ashley, of Deerfield, preached on the occasion ; the sermon was pub- lished, and is in the library of the Antiquarian Society at Worcester. He was dismissed about 1745. Mr. Norton was chaplain at Massachusetts Fort, in Adams, when it was taken, in August, 1746, by an army of 900 French and Indians, under Gen. De Vaudreuil. Mr. Norton was taken and car- ried into captivity, and wrote an account of the captivity, which was published. He was settled as pastor of East Hampton, a parish in Chatham, Ct., Nov. 30, 1748, and died, while a pastor there, with the small pox, March 24, 1778, aged 62. He was born in Berlin, Ct., in 1716, and gradu- ated at Yale in 1737. Mr. Norton was dismissed from Ber- nardston by request of the people, " on account of the un- settled state of the times." His ministry in Bernardston was about four years.
2 .* REV. JOB WRIGHT was settled as pastor in July, 1761. He originated from Easthampton ; was born in 1738 ; grad-
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uated at Yale in 1757 ; lived in Bernardston after his dismis- sion, March 13, 1782, till his death. He was dismissed at his own request, on account of the scarcity of money, and was allowed freedom from taxation in the town for five years, and the usual privileges of settled ministers.
The following notice from Hon. H. W. Cushman, was published in the Greenfield Mercury, Nov. 16, 1833, viz. : " Mr. Wright was a gentleman of an ingenious, sound, and discriminating mind, enriched by habits of studious research. His piety was exemplary and ardent, and his qualities in the circle of domestic and social life endearing. His mind was quick, and his judgment rapid, in the attainment of its object. In his politics, and he devoted considerable attention to the subject, Mr. Wright was ever a firm friend of liberty and equal rights. During the revolutionary war, he was a whig in heart and in deed. He was several times a candidate, but never elected, for the office of senator in the Legislature of this State ; received a commission of a justice of the peace, and filled repeatedly several civil offices in town. Mr. Wright never engaged in controversies upon theological sub- jects, believing, as many others do, that but little good results from it, and that we ought to devote our whole attention to the practice of the religion we profess. As a preacher of the gospel, his sermons were chaste and instructive ; as a man, he was kind and affectionate ; and as a christian, he exem- plified the doctrines of the Bible in a high degree of perfec- tion."
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