USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Clinton > History of the origin of the town of Clinton, Massachusetts, 1653-1865 > Part 37
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In 1856, Daniel W. Kilburn, a second-hand in the cloth room at Lancaster Mills, was elected superintendent of the Sunday School, an office which he held for three years. Mr. Kilburn was a constant attendant at religious services, and all delighted to hear his voice at the prayer meetings. Hc received a license to preach, although he never entered into the ministerial profession. He afterwards resided in Boston. George W. Perry was superintendent in 1859, and Henry S. Robinson in 1860, and both entered the army, together with about forty other members of the school. During the next five years, Charles L. Swan, Henry C. Kendrick, Daniel W. Kilburn, John F. Howell and Charles L. Swan again were successively superintendents .*
LIST OF SUPERINTENDENTS.
1840-1. Horatio N. Bigelow. 1860. Henry S. Robinson.
1842-7. Joseph B. Parker. 1861. Charles L. Swan.
1848. Jotham D. Otterson. 1863. Henry C. Kendrick.
1849. William W. Parker. 1864. Daniel W. Kilburn.
1850. Horatio N. Bigelow. 1865. John F. lIowell.
1856-8. Daniel W. Kilburn.
1859. George W. Perry.
1865. Charles L. Swan.
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FIRST EVANGELICAL CHURCH.
In 1860, a Green Street mission school was established by Miss Mary C. Sawyer.
It was the first of December, 1862, before a regular preacher was secured. At this time, the Rev. Benjamin Jud- kins, a man "of excellent voice and many friends," was hired for a year at a salary of one thousand dollars. In Novem- ber, 1864, it was increased to twelve hundred dollars. He lived at first on Pleasant Street, and later, in the Worcester house on Walnut Street. He remained acting pastor until December 1, 1867. He was a native of Boston and had been previously settled at Nantucket and Somerville, Mass,, and at Allentown, Penn. After leaving Clinton, he became a pastor in a Presbyterian Church at Keokuk, Iowa. He then became an Episcopalian and was settled in a church in Con- necticut. He served also as rector at Dedham, Mass. He died at Houghton, Colorado, December 26, 1893, at the age of seventy-three.
Before the close of the war, the church had some four hundred and fifty names on its rolls. About two-fifths of these had been admitted by profession and three fifths by letter. Through dismission and death, over one hundred and , seventy names had been dropped from the rolls, so that the membership was about two hundred and eighty .*
* The clerks were: A. H. Parker, 1844-9: W. N. Peirce, 1850-56; C. F. W. Parkhurst, 1857-8; C. L. Swan, 1859-65. The clerks of the Society were: William Eaton, 1844-47; H. A Pollard, 1847-48; W. W. Parker, 1848-55; C. F. W. Parkhurst, 1855-59; D. W. Kilburn, 1859-65; W. E. Parkhurst, 1865.
Among the names most prominent for service, as given in the church records, we find in order of mention those of J. B. Parker, Levi Hough- ton, Haskell McCollom, Hiram Morgan, A. H. Parker, Anson Lowe, C. K. Sawyer, Ira G. Childs, James Orr, H. N. Bigelow, G. W. Wakefield, Levi Greene, Alvan Hall, James Patterson, J. D. Otterson, William Orr, B. R. Smith, Chas. Jewett, W.W. Parker, Gilbert Greene, A. R. Marshall, C. H. Morgan, William Malcolm, D. W. Kilburn, C. L. Swan, G. W. Perry, Waldo Winter, Amos Stearns, Edwin Andrews, H. C. Kendrick.
Among other names that have not been prominently mentioned, there
461
THE LADIES' BENEVOLENT SOCIETY.
Jasper Howe was for many years a leader of the choir and the musical center of the society. He was born in Hol- den in 1827. He learned the trade of boot making, but on coming to Clinton in 1852, entered the Carpet Mills, where he has so long been an overseer. Before his coming hither, his brother, E. W. Howe, had been interested in the church music.
The Ladies' Benevolent Society connected with the Con- gregational Church held its first meeting May 16, 1844, at the house of H. N. Bigelow. The meeting was adjourned until May 29th, when a constitution was adopted and the society organization completed. The preamble to the con- stitution states: "Impressed with a sense of our obligation to that Being from whom we receive all our blessings, both spiritual and temporal, and realizing our accountability for the improvement of the talents committed to us, we would form ourselves into an association for the purpose of social and moral instruction, that we may be prepared to discharge faithfully our duties to ourselves, our fellow creatures and our God."
The following board of officers was chosen: Mrs. Polly Bigelow, president; Mrs. Betsy Stone, vice-president; Eme- line Jewett, secretary; Eliza Sawyer, Emily Bigelow, Eliza J. B. Eaton, directors; Susan Parker, treasurer. Twenty-three gentlemen and thirty-five ladies became members during the first year. Twenty-three meetings were held at the house of various members. The attendance varied from two to sixty.
The proceeds of the society from the time of its organi- zation were largely given to benevolent purposes. Some of them passed through the hands of the American Home Mis- sionary Society. Occasionally, the ladies found cases of
appear on the books of the society those of W. T. Merrifield, J. R. Stew- art, E. W. Goodale, N. A. Boynton, Jonas Hunt, J. T. Sawyer, G. H. Ken- dall, Jason Gorham, J. T. Dame, E. B. Frost, J. H. Vose, Jeremiah Fiske, J. R. Robinson, A. E. Bigelow, A. C. Dakin, W. H. Haskell, Henry Eddy.
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FIRST EVANGELICAL CHURCH.
poverty inside of their own community, and in all such cases gave the needed relief. Yet they were provident and laid by a part of their income to be devoted, when an emergency should arise, to some special purpose. At times, those who entertained the society were too liberal in their provision for supper, and it was voted in 1851; "But one kind of cake should be provided, * * and whoever should provide more, should pay a fine of fifty cents." Any lady who wished to work upon her own sewing at the society meetings was allowed to do so on condition that she "paid six and a quar- ter cents."
Until 1853, the records of the society were made for the most part by Mrs. M. B. Carleton and Mrs. Emily Parker. In the latter year, the society was apparently in a very pros- perous condition and had ninety-one names on its rolls, but for some reason no further records of the proceedings were kept until October 1, 1857, when the society was reorganized. There was much need of charitable offerings in our com- munity during the " Hard Times," and the society did all in its power to help the poor at home, besides sending clothing to a home mission station in the West.
The next year, the fitting up of the new church de- manded the special attention of the society. Cushions and carpets were provided, and thus all the accumulated funds, five hundred and fifty-seven dollars and twelve cents, were expended. H. N. Bigelow's generosity in helping to furnish the carpet saved the society from a heavy debt. As soon as the building was finished, the ladies held their meetings in a room which had been fitted up for them in the vestry.
January 23, 1862, a box of hospital stores which had been prepared during the preceding weeks, was forwarded to the seat of war. Although the Clinton Soldiers' Aid Society, which was composed of ladies from the town as a whole, did most of the work for the relief of suffering caused by the war, yet there were some cases where the relief could be best given by the benevolent societies of the churches. In all
463
THE LADIES' BENEVOLENT SOCIETY.
such cases there was a ready response. The excitement, the anxiety and the sorrow which prevailed throughout the community during the war, lessened the attendance at the society meetings. As soon as the war was over, however, the attendance increased again and the society entered upon a new career of usefulness .*
* Officers of Congregational Benevolent Society from 1844-65, as far as recorded.
Presidents.
Mrs. H. N. Bigelow.
“ J. M. R. Eaton.
" Hiram Morgan.
" Wm. H. Corning.
Mrs. W. W. Parker.
" J. B. Parker.
" B. R. Smith.
Mrs. G. H. Kendall.
" C. W. Worcester.
Mrs. J. T. Dame.
" C. G. Stevens.
Miss L. S. Morgan.
W. W. Winchester.
Miss H. M. Haskell.
" E. Harris.
Miss C. L. Pevey. Mrs. D. W. Kilburn.
" J. B. Parker.
" C. L. Swan.
Miss L. J. Derby.
" S. Judkins.
Miss H. S. Kendrick.
" Gilbert Greene.
Secretaries. Emeline Jewett. Mrs. A. S. Carleton.
Miss A. W. Goodale.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF CLINTON.
AMONG those who lived within the present limits of Clinton in the first quarter of the nineteenth century there were several earnest Baptists. Four of these, Charles Chace, Charles Chace, Jr., Levi Howard and John Burdett, belonged to the Baptist Church in Harvard. They and their friends of the evangelical persuasion may have held meetings here for religious worship in accordance with their beliefs, long before there was any attempt to organize a society in this community. In 1816, when the "New Brick Church" was being built, and the people began to grumble about the consequent taxes, those who wanted Baptist preaching saw their opportunity to organize a society for that purpose. A constitution was prepared, which was signed both by those who wished for Baptist worship for its own sake and by those who wished to belong to an organization supported by subscriptions rather than pay large church taxes. The following document is self-explanatory :
"March 18th, 1816.
"We, the subscribers, being of the denomination of Christians called Baptists, maintaining the sentiments held by the Warren Association and being desirous of supporting the said denomination, do associate, engage and covenant, to support the articles hereafter subjoined : Viz.
"Art. I. We voluntarily, and in the fear of the Lord, with the sincere hope thereby of promoting the cause of our
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THE FIRST SOCIETY.
blessed redeemer in the world, do form ourselves into a Religious society by the name of the Baptist society in Lancaster, Ms., to be composed of such members as shall from time to time voluntarily join themselves to, and con- gregate with us and conform to such regulations for the due observance of order as the majority may establish.
"Art. 2nd. Such Monies as we shall from time to time agree to raise for the support of Preaching either by sub- scription, or otherwise, shall be appropriated according to the major vote of the Society, it being restricted to the support of Preachers of the Baptist denomination approved by the Church or Church Members."
Then follow articles on the annual meeting to be held in March or April, and the choosing of clerk, treasurer and a standing committee of three .*
The first meeting of the society was held at the school- house in District No. 11, March 18, 1816. Elder Thomas Marshall acted as chairman and John Burdett, Jr., as clerk. The officers chosen in accordance with the constitution, were : Charles Chace, treasurer ; Cornelius Moore, Caleb Houghton and John Burdett, Jr., as committee. John Bur-
* This constitution was signed by Cornelius Moore, Nathaniel Hast- ings, Charles Chace,* John Burdett,* John Wilder, 2d, Caleb Houghton, James Fuller,* Jonathan Ball, Stephen Sargent, William Ball, Silas Cutting, Paul Faulkner, Benjamin Larkin, William Larkin, Moses Chace, Nathan Burdett, Joel Dakin, Silas Houghton, John Wilder, 3d, Abel Wilder, Jonathan Hastings, Alanson Chace,* William Bartlett, Charles Chace, fr.,* William Walker,* Thomas T. Chapin, Henry Moore, Patience Wilder, Oliver Moore, Josiah Rice,* Joseph Butler, Leonard Pollard, Emerson Bucklin, Samuel Dorrison, Daniel Willis, John Low, Nathaniel Low, Joel Peirce, Farnham Plummer, John Burdett, fr. (after- wards a Methodist), Samuel Jacobs, Levi Howard,* Thomas Sargent,* Cyrus Houghton,* Jotham Holt, Amos D. Tucker, Charles Flagg, Zophar Fairbanks, John Gage, Samuel Gage, Daniel Gage.
April 3, 1827, William S. Wilder. April 9, 1827, Abel Allen. April 16, 1829, Abel Farwell. February 27, 1830, John Powers, Benjamin Holt .*
Those starred are known to have been earnest Baptists ; those italicised, to have lived within present Clinton limits.
31
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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.
dett, Jr., acted as permanent clerk, although there is no record of his election. It was voted "that the Committee agree with Elder Luther Goddard to preach once in a month and with Elder Thomas Marshall once a month." As in the meeting held March 27, 1816, there is mention made of "last year's subscription paper," it may be supposed that services had been held before this time, although there is no record of any definite organization. The next year, the same officers were chosen, and it was voted to hire but one minister. Elder Thomas Marshall was employed.
The annual meeting of 1818, was held at the house of Charles Chace, and the subsequent annual meetings were held at the same place until 1829. Joshua Eveleth was hired to preach for the summer months of 1818, and received for fourteen "Lord's Days" thirty-five dollars, or two dollars and a half per day.
In 1819, Caleb Houghton was made treasurer and Abel Wilder, clerk. John Burdett, Charles Chace and Abel Wilder were the committee. Elder Luther Goddard was hired as preacher for the spring and summer months, and "Mr." Benjamin Willard for the fall and winter. . In August, 1819, it was voted by the Harvard Baptist Church to have deacons in the "south part" to serve the church there when they shall have communion. Charles Chace, Jr., and Levi Howard were chosen deacons under this vote, and the organization here may be considered as a branch of the Harvard Church rather than as an independent organization.
In 1821, James Fuller and Cornelius Moore took the place of Messrs. Burdett and Chace on the committee. In 1822, Alanson Chace was clerk; Charles Chace, Jr. treasurer; Charles Chace, John Burdett and Cornelius Moore, com- mittee. In 1824, the officers remained the same, except that James Fuller took the place of Cornelius Moore on the committee. In 1825, there was no change, except that John Burdett became treasurer instead of Charles Chace, Jr. In 1827, Levi Howard was made treasurer and Cornelius Moore,
467
THE FIRST SOCIETY.
clerk. Levi Howard, John Burdett and Charles Chace were the committee. The price set for preaching this year was four dollars per day. In 1828, the officers were the same, except that William Ball took the place of Charles Chace on committee. During the next seven years, Levi Howard, Cornelius Moore and John Burdett held the offices of the society, except that Benjamin Holt became clerk in 1834. At this point, the record ceases. After 1819, the names of the ministers hired are not recorded, but tradition recalls the names of Appleton, Archibald, Branch, Burbank, Fisher, the Morses, Sampson, Wakefield and Winthrop.
The earlier meetings for worship were held in the school- house of District No. II, but soon the private houses of Charles Chace and John Burdett were the special places of meeting. There are some yet living who can remember those old kitchen meetings where some twenty or thirty de- voted people gathered for worship. Those who attended services at the Brick Church were inclined to look down on these Baptists as a contrary-minded band of zealots, but the Baptists themselves felt that in these meetings they received spiritual nourishment such as they had before sought in vain.
The following is taken from a record written by one who attended some of these meetings : "The house of our respected brother, John Burdett, was freely opened as a kind of sanctuary, and was easily filled by an attentive people willing to use pine boards for pews for the sake of enjoying the luxury of hearing 'the truth as it is in Jesus.' Preaching was supplied with a true-hearted and generous devotion to the cause of the Redeemer, partly by students and partly by fathers in the ministry. * * The Holy Spirit was pleased to descend in approval of the labors and sacrifices of God's children, and a revival commenced. * In consequence of the revival and the removal to this place of individuals connected with various churches, it was found that a com- pany of Baptists numbering nearly thirty could be collected."
468
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.
Even after the society organization ceased to exist, meet- ings were held occasionally either at the house of John Bur- dett or at the "Tavern House " of Dea. Levi Howard. This Levi Howard had worked for Poignand & Plant and the Lan- caster Cotton Manufacturing Company while their factory was in operation. It is said that he was well educated and had studied medicine in his youth, although he had never prac- ticed. It may be safely asserted that there were never many consecutive months without Baptist services within present Clinton limits from 1816, or earlier, to the present time.
When the Congregationalists determined to build their new meeting-house on Walnut Street, H. N. Bigelow, as a representative of the Congregationalists, urged the Baptists to begin worship in the chapel. At first, the Baptists, who had been worshiping up to this time with the Congregation- alists, doubted whether they were strong enough to support worship by themselves. But the enthusiasm of the Burdett family and the pecuniary assistance promised by Alanson Chace, decided the question in favor of immediate organiza- tion.
Application for advice and assistance was made to Rev. Harvey Fitts, the state missionary. In answer to this appli- cation, the following letter was received by Dr. G. W. Bur- dett.
"NORTH BROOKFIELD, December 15, 1846.
" DEAR SIR :- Yours of the 10th inst. came duly to hand. I have often thought of Clintonville and have more than once determined I would soon call there. I hope you had an encouraging meeting on Saturday evening. I have re- cently had intelligence that has led me to think that the time is not far distant when it will be found best to build should Providence favor the establishing of a Baptist meeting-house in your village. Still, it would be best, probably, to secure for the present the Congregationalist Chapel and to com- mence meetings as soon as that can be obtained. Engage it
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ORGANIZATION.
for a few weeks with the refusal of it for a year or longer. I will try to be with you the first Sabbath of meeting. * * May the Lord direct in all things. May indeed the good brethren in Clintonville be much in prayer, looking to God for his guidance and be prepared for rich blessings from heaven.
Yours truly,
H. FITTS."
A service was held on the first Sunday in January, 1847, in the brick school-house. Rev. George S. G. Spencer was invited to become the pastor of the few who thus gathered together, but he did not see his way clear to accept this in- vitation. Rev. Charles M. Bowers was then called and con- sented to serve. He began his labors in March at a salary of five hundred dollars. In accordance with his own desire he was never settled over the parish, but engaged from year to year through his long pastorate.
Mr. Bowers was a native of Boston. He was born Janu- ary 10, 1817. His father, Charles Bowers, was a merchant in that city. The son, Charles M. Bowers, fitted for college in the Boston Latin School. He graduated from Brown University in 1838. In 1870, he received the degree of D. D. from the same institution. He pursued his theological studies at Newton, graduating in 1841. He preached for some years at Lexington. When he came to Clintonville, he was in the prime of his youthful manhood and had already established a reputation for ability as a preacher and pastor, for unworldliness, for intense earnestness in all matters pertaining to morality and good citizenship, and for com- plete devotion to the work of his Master. He married Ellen Augusta Damon. He built a house on the southeast corner of Water and Walnut Streets in 1847-8. This house was burned in 1872, but was immediately replaced by another. Mr. Bowers had one daughter and five sons who reached maturity. Three of the sons are now living in Clinton. Another, Arthur F., is city editor of the New York Tribune.
Turning to the introduction to the records of the church,
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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.
written by Dr. G. W. Burdett, as clerk, we read: "The aban- donment by our Orthodox friends of their chapel, where for more than a year they had very successfully sustained preach- ing, for a new house, opened the way for a vigorous and, as we hope, successful effort on the part of the Baptists to maintain the doctrines as once delivered to the saints. Favored with a good and attentive congregation, with a few conversions and a spirit of inquiry, and also with an encour- aging number of disciples in the Lord of our name and order, we have for some time felt specially called upon to provide a Gospel church as a means of combining in one those who love a pure illustration of the ordinances."
At a meeting, called April 24, 1847, at the chapel, Rev. C. M. Bowers was chosen moderator, and Dr. G. W. Burdett, clerk. After the reading of seventeen letters from other churches of the same denomination, it was voted: "That we whose letters of recommendation have now been presented and read, being desirous of giving some visible form in this place to the 'faith once delivered to the saints,' and cherish- ing full confidence in each other's Christian character, do hereby associate together in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel under the name of the First Baptist Church of Lan- caster." The seventeen thus voting were as follows: John Burdett, Sarah Burdett, Nathan Burdett, Jr., Mary E. Bur- dett, Thomas Burdett, Sara E. Burdett, George W. Burdett, Elizabeth J. Burdett, Frederick W. Burdett, Tamar Eddy, Otis H. Kendall, Mary W. Kendall, Polly Morgan, Abigail Morgan, Harriet Morgan, Oliver Stone, Lois M. Stone. Within a year, thirty-nine other members were added. At an adjournment of this meeting, held April 30th, Dr. G. W. Burdett was chosen clerk of the Church, an office which he continued to hold, with the exception of one or two years, until 1892. Oliver Stone was made treasurer. John Burdett was made deacon. It was not until a year later, that William Walker was made deacon.
On the 20th of May, the Society organized, with Oliver
47I
ORGANIZATION.
Stone as clerk and Lory F. Bancroft as treasurer. At an adjournment of this meeting, held June 4th, Alanson Chace, Samuel B. Pollard and George W. Burdett were made a pru- dential committee. During the first year, Frederick W. Burdett led the choir with his violin. After he removed to Southboro, James A. Weeks became chorister, and the violin and bass viol gave way to the seraphine.
On the 6th of June, the first baptism and the first com- munion service of the newly organized church occurred. During these early years, it was customary for the baptisms to take place at Coachlace Pond on the farm of Joseph Rice. July 8th, a council was held consisting of delegates from the Baptist churches of Sterling, Bolton, Harvard, West Boylston, Fitchburg and Leominster to consider the recog- nition of the church that had been organized as the First Baptist Church of Lancaster. The recognition service was held in the evening; Rev. Leonard Tracy of West Boylston gave the sermon.
Such was the success of the society, that the chapel soon proved too small to hold the congregation comfortably. As early as August 23, 1847, a meeting of the church consid- ered the subject of building, and "voted to choose a com- mittee of seven to examine a location for a house, to procure a plan and make a probable estimate of the cost of a house." This committee consisted of Oliver Stone, Dea. John Bur- dett, N. C. Martin, W. S. Keyes, G. W. Burdett, Alanson Chace and S. B. Pollard. The society endorsed the action of the church and chose the same committee to solicit funds for building. It was many months after this, however, be- fore the building was begun, and many committees of vari- ous kinds were appointed. May, 26, 1848, the church passed resolutions expressing thanks to H. N. Bigelow "for his late liberal donation to this church and society, a piece of land on Walnut Street for a site for a church." Dea. George Cummings, a cotton manufacturer who made handkerchiefs for turbans, presented a gift to the society of a thousand
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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.
dollars for the meeting-house, with the condition that it should be used for Baptist worship and should have three hundred sittings. This George Cummings was not a mem- ber of the society, but he had three sisters living in Lancas- ter who attended the church services. The meeting-house cost four thousand dollars without bell or furnishings; only about fourteen hundred dollars were contributed by members of the society, and with all the assistance received from out- side parties the society was left twenty-seven hundred and fifty dollars in debt. This debt hung over it with little dimi- nution until 1852, when Dea. George Cummings presented to the society fifteen hundred dollars, the amount of the note he held against it. The people of the parish, encour- aged by this munificent gift, raised enough by subscription to pay the rest of the debt.
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