USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Clinton > History of the origin of the town of Clinton, Massachusetts, 1653-1865 > Part 40
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April 4, 1858, Rev. Jared M. Heard was engaged to preach. He belonged to the Heard family which is so prominent in Wayland. He graduated from Brown Uni- versity in 1852. On account of ill health, he was obliged to give up his studies for a time, and he made a journey to India. He did not fully recover his health, however, but was always subject to physical infirmity. He graduated from the 33
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Divinity School at Cambridge. He was not ordained until August 25th. His salary was fixed at eight hundred dollars. Rev. Edmund H. Sears, the former pastor of many of the members of the society, preached the ordination sermon. His closing words contain a reference to the earlier life of Mr. Heard: "More than all the glittering prizes of wealth and ambition are the satisfactions that await you if only the living Christ be the soul of your endeavors; for that will make all your burdens light and turn your work into song. Having known through what struggles, trials and dis- appointments you have persevered unto the end, and finally brought your powers as a whole offering to this work, I may utter this word of hope and gratulation. May the aspira- tions of years, often baffled, be realized now. And may the blessing be yours, my brother, which always waits on single- ness of purpose in the highest work which God has commit- ted to man."
Mr. Heard lived at the house on Water Street afterwards occupied by J. T. Dame, Esq. Mrs. Heard, whose maiden name was Balch, came originally from Providence. They had one child. Both Mr. Heard and his wife were people of a high degree of social and intellectual culture, and their presence in the community was an inspiration to attainment in these directions. He is also spoken of as "a great lover of nature, acquainted with all her secrets." Mr. Heard was a tall, slim man of nervous temperament. He was intensely enthusiastic in whatever he undertook. He was a man of great eloquence, and many who were not regular parishioners went to hear his sermons. He was a leader in moral re- forms. In the early days of the Civil War, he was so full of patriotism that he could hardly be restrained from enlisting in the ranks, and he was anxious to find a place as chaplain. But it was agreed by all that he could serve his country best by staying at home and keeping alive the fires of patriotism by his stirring appeals. He served this district in the legis- lature in 1862, He resigned his pastorate in 1863, for, as one
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of his parishioners said: "he was too big a man for the place." He accepted a call to the church in Fitchburg. There he entered into his work with his accustomed energy. After a few months, he had an attack of diphtheria from which he died. His wife soon followed him to the grave.
Again we quote from Rev. C. M. Bowers: "Rev. Jared M. Heard was a man of positive, strong personality. If it had a moderate element of bluffness in it, there was no lack with it of a real manly heart. He was richly endowed with intellectual force, and had his life been spared to a full maturity he would have ranked among the best minds of his denomination in all this region. In early youth, he passed through the excitement of a Methodist experience, but his more advanced thinking carried him over to what he re- garded as a truer philosophy of religion. Mr. Heard gave free, honest utterance to his convictions, never for a moment supposing that the liberalism he rejoiced to repre- sent meant any trimming, uncertainity, indistinctness or withholding of his real belief. * He did not think loud and then speak low, but his strongest thought took its strongest word to express it." George A. Torrey said of him in an article in the Christian Register : "Deeply imbued with Christian principles, he was not satisfied with teaching them from the pulpit, but endeavored to show them in his daily walk and conversation. Of strong religious views, he was practical and earnest, without a particle of hypocrisy ; zealous in the faith, he was yet without bigotry, but embraced the whole brotherhood of man in the bonds of Christian fellowship."
September 8, 1864, the society voted to call Rev. James Sallaway at a salary of nine hundred dollars. He was born in Queen Anne's County, Maryland, May 21, 1828. His father, Henry Sallaway, was a carpenter. His mother's maiden name was Elizabeth Faulkner. James Sallaway spent his childhood in Maryland and Ohio. When he was not at school he worked upon the farm and in a grist-mill.
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He prepared for college at Oberlin, Ohio. He graduated at Antioch College during the presidency of Horace Mann. He also graduated from the Divinity School at Cambridge, Mass. He preached in Billerica, where he married Nellie S. Bacon. The earnest call of the society in Clinton and Mr. Sallaway's desire to preach to a large and growing parish led him to come to Clinton.
He was installed November 9, 1864. While here, he served on the school committee. He lived in one of the corporation houses on Chestnut Street. Here, in the later days of his stay in town, a most sad accident happened, for one of his children was burned to death. The responsi- bilities of his office weighed heavily upon him and gave an intense earnestness to his bearing. He lost no opportunity to rebuke sin and point out the path of duty.
After leaving Clinton, he preached for sixteen years in Boston. On account of nervous prostration, he was then obliged to give up preaching for awhile. He spent some sixteen months in Europe and the Holy Land. His health was thus partially restored, and he supplied the pulpit in Mendon for two years, that in Bath, N. H., for one year, that in Brooklyn, Ct., two years. Since then, he has not been well enough to assume the charge of a parish, but has preached occasionally. He is now living in Bedford, Mass.
But little has been said in this account of the Unitarian Society, of the devoted men and women who were connected with it. There have been two reasons for this omission. Most of the leading Unitarians have been so prominent in other directions in the life of the community that it has seemed necessary to dwell upon their biography elsewhere. If the stories of these men* were all told here, many
* The clerks of the society have been Charles S. Patten, 1850-54 ; Augustus J. Sawyer, 1854-55 ; Henry Bowman, 1855-61 ; George W. Weeks, 1861-65. In addition to names already given these also appear prominently during the first fifteen years of the existence of the society: W. H. Harrington, A. A. Jerauld, George F. Howard, Absalom Lord,
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chapters would be required for the completion of our sub- ject. Any one who wishes to study the history of the society in connection with the work of its members, by reference through the index, may be able to understand somewhat of the important part they played in the history of the town. Another reason for dwelling lightly upon the records of these men and women under the head of their religious affiliations, is their own reticence in regard to religion. They preferred that their religion should be known through their deeds rather than through professed creeds, by fruits rather than by words. By this standard, let the religion of Franklin Forbes, Gilman M. Palmer, the Harrises and others like them, devoted servants of God and their fellowmen, be measured.
There was one man, however, whose life was peculiarly associated with that of the church who should be spoken of here : William Stearns, the son of Josiah Stearns and Ruth ( Hunt) Stearns, was born in Leominster, November 18, 1812. His father was a farmer. The boy received a common school education. With the exception of a few years in Stow, his childhood and youth were passed in Leominster. He learned the trade of harness maker. At the age of twenty-one, he went to Lowell, and four years later to Lan- caster. July 12, 1838, he married Mary Ann Brown of Sterling. They had four daughters and one son. He moved from Lancaster Center to Clintonville in 1846. He im- mediately built the harness shop now standing as No. 43 Church Street. He continued the harness business there for nearly forty years, seldom missing a day's work until the last year of his life. He built his residence, now No. 55 Walnut Street, in 1855. He died October 21, 1884. He was
Dr. P. T. Kendall. Joshua R. Brown, W. H. Wellington, E. A. Harris, Eneas Morgan, Milton Jewett, G. M. Palmer, C. C. Stone, R. J. Finnie, C. D. Davis, W. E. Warren, W. T. Freeman, Alfred Clifford, D. A. White, E. S. Fuller, James A. Colburn, Gilman J. Babcock, James Logan, F. E. Carr.
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made deacon of the Unitarian Church in Lancaster in 1843. He continued in this office till 1853, when he became one of the original founders of the Unitarian Church in Clinton. He was the only deacon of this church from that time until his death. In his theology, he belonged to that school of which Channing and Sears were the leaders. Simplicity, purity, integrity, brotherly kindness and all the christian virtues found their fullest expression in his character. All who knew him felt that such a life as his, running so gently through the history of the town sweetened and elevated the whole community.
The Unitarian Benevolent Society from the beginning has taken a most active part in the work of the parish. The objects of the organization, as presented in the preamble to constitution, are: "to improve ourselves and do good to oth- ers." The first recorded annual report was for 1852-3. This report shows that the ladies took upon themselves the bur- den of furnishing the new meeting-house, and raised for this purpose five hundred and sixteen dollars and sixty-three cents. The work of making the pew cushions was also done by the ladies. From a great tea party held during the year, they realized over one hundred and ninety dollars. The first recorded president was Mrs. L. J. Livermore. Mrs. Levi Harris was vice-president. Mrs. William Stearns was secre- tary and treasurer. Mrs. Simeon Bowman, Mrs. Daniel Haverty, Mrs. Eliza Stone and Mrs. S. Pease were direct- resses. There were thirty members and thirty-one meetings during this first year.
The meetings were held during the whole period with which our history deals at the houses of the members. From 1861, they were in the evening, although some of the ladies gathered to work in the afternoon. There were often forty present at the evening meetings. The recorded presidents of the society in the following years were: Mrs. Levi Harris, 1854-60; Mrs. P. T. Kendall, 1860-61; Mrs. Franklin Forbes,
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1861-62; Mrs. Sidney Howard, 1862-63; Mrs. William Stearns, 1863-65. Mrs. L. J. Livermore and Mrs. J. M. Heard, the wives of the ministers, served as secretaries during most of this time. Social intercourse, support of parish institutions, and miscellaneous charity were the chief results attained by the ladies previous to 1861. During the next three years, the needs of the soldiers claimed a large share of their atten- tion. Box after box was prepared and sent either directly to our Clinton soldiers in the field or to the Sanitary Com- mission. Thus, in whatever direction there was the most need, whether at home or abroad, the society was always ready to devote itself with the deepest sympathy and great- est efficiency.
Several of the citizens of this community were connected with the Universalist Society of South Lancaster. This society was organized in 1838, although there seems to have been some preaching before that time. At a meeting held January 16, 1838, we find that Sidney Harris was one of a prudential committee of three to raise funds for Universalist preaching. Mr. Harris did not, however, belong to the society when it was definitely organized. On the constitu- tion, which was signed April 30, 1838, are the names of William, James and Lucinda Pitts, Nancy and Eliza A. Dor- rison, and Luther Gaylord. Meetings were held in private houses, the Town Hall and the Academy building until 1848. In that year, a meeting-house was completed and dedicated April 26th. It was situated in South Lancaster. Services were held here for seven years. Rev. John Harriman, 1841-3, and Rev. Benjamin Whittemore, 1843-54, were the principal ministers. In 1858, the building was sold to the state and moved to the grounds of the Industrial School, to be used as a chapel. In 1850, Luther and Laura Gaylord, William, Seth G. and Susan B. Pitts were members of this church.
By 1853, there were Universalist meetings held in Clinton Hall. Rev. Sylvanus Cobb, the novelist, was one of the
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preachers. There was some attempt at a permanent organi- zation, but although there were occasional meetings for many years, the organization never became strong enough to build a meeting-house or support a resident pastor.
The Second Adventists also held meetings in Clinton, in the Deacon John Burdett's Hall. Their meetings were characterized by great fervor, but the Adventists did not attain sufficient numbers or financial strength to build any house of worship.
The Episcopal Society was of later origin.
CHAPTER XXXI.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
THE history of the Catholic Church in Clinton is so closely connected with that of our citizens of Irish descent, that it is impossible to consider the one apart from the other. It is peculiarly unfortunate in this portion of our narrative, that the close of the Civil War has been fixed upon as the end of our work, for, while before the Civil War the Catholic Church in Clinton was still in its mission stage, since the war it has had a development that seems almost marvellous. The growth in wealth, in culture, and in influence among our citizens of Irish descent during the last thirty years, is the most remarkable fact in the history of our town, a fact that no one would have dared to prophesy from those small beginnings of earlier times. The development of later years renders the story of these beginnings of the utmost im- portance.
Tradition states that the Larkins, whose military record in the Colonial and Revolutionary Wars has been the subject of comment, were of Irish descent. Although the Larkin homestead was within the present limits of Berlin, yet some members of that family doubtless resided within present Clinton limits. Philip Larkin, the original settler, is said to have left Ireland about 1716, to avoid service in the English army. Tradition says further, that he was a Catholic, and that when he became an old man, in order that he might dic within the arms of the mother church, he went to Baltimore, Md. In confirmation of this tradition, his grave is said to
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THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
have been found at Poolesville, Md., in 1862. The records of the old Lancaster Church show that his children were baptized as Protestants. Through frequent intermarriages with neighbors of English descent, the family must have soon lost any distinctive race characteristics which it may have originally possessed.
It is said that the first family of Irish descent that worked in the mills of this community, was named Quinn. A Mr. Quinn was employed by Poignand & Plant, or their succes- sors, the Lancaster Cotton Manufacturing Company, in the twenties. The family lived in a little building called "The Laundry," on Main Street, north of the house now known as the Parker house. Little reliable information can be gathered of this man or his family.
When the Clinton Company enlarged its plant in 1845, a considerable number of Irish immigrants were employed on the wheel-pit and canal. The christian names of these men are not given on the books. The family names are Barry, Fahey, Durkin, Cummings, Moran, Cain, Finnerty, Donahoe, Burke, and McDermott. Timothy Moran is entered as a dyer during the same year. About the same time, men of Irish birth were employed in preparing for the building of the Lancaster Mills. Within the next few years the number of immigrants from Ireland who had settled in Clinton, reached several hundred.
In order to understand this immigration, we must glance for a moment at the condition of affairs in Ireland. Among the causes which led so many of the inhabitants of that island to leave their native land, was the desire for religious freedom. Through the efforts of the great agitator, Daniel O'Connell, Catholic emancipation had been won in 1829. But, although by this act the Catholics were admitted to Parliament and to civil and military office, yet they were obliged to pay tithes for the support of the established church, and the increase in the property qualification for voting disfranchised six-eighths of the former electors.
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REASONS FOR LEAVING IRELAND.
Certain laws affecting the inheritance of property or lcases by Catholics also tended toward injustice.
In the landlord system, we find the second great cause for emigration. A large portion of the people of Ireland were tenants holding leases under landlords who seldom resided on their estates, and who, from difference of race, had little sympathy with or understanding of their tenants. Under such circumstances, the incentives to industry were small, since the fruits of labor were not secure to the toiler and every avenue to progress was closed. In attempts to collect tithes for the church and rents for the farms from a people impoverished and smarting under a sense of injustice, force was frequently used, and thus the bitterness of feeling was deepened.
The cold, wet seasons from 1845 to 1847, caused repeated failures of the potato crop, which was the chief source of support for the Irish people. A terrible famine came upon the land. Although Ireland at this time was exporting wheat and other food products, yet the laws of trade and the condition of the people kept them from securing the necessities of life. Thousands died of starvation; "the sur- vivors were like walking skeletons, the men gaunt and haggard, stamped with the livid mark of hunger; the child- ren crying with pain; the women in some of the cabins too weak to stand." W. E. Foster, an English eye witness, still further says : "As we went along, our wonder was not that the people died, but that they lived, and I have no doubt that in any other country the mortality would have been far greater; that many lives have been prolonged, perhaps saved, by the long apprenticeship to want in which the Irish peasant had been trained, and by that lovely, touching charity which prompts him to share his scanty meal with his starving neighbor." Famine was followed by an epidemic, that alone destroyed two hundred thousand of the people.
Of course, there was every endeavor on the part of the English government to relieve the distress by public
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work, and from England and America food was sent to the starving ;* yet before the three years of famine was over, the population of Ireland had decreased from eight millions to less than six millions. Landlords, especially those who lived in Ireland, were forced by the involved condition of their affairs to dispose of their estates. The new landlords took every means to eject the tenants whom the famine had made paupers, and thus another cause was added for the great exodus. Many sought homes in England; a hundred thousand went to Canada in a single year, but most of the emigrants found a home in the United States.
The passage across the ocean was scarcely less destructive than the famine at home. The ships were not subject to sanitary inspection, and they were crowded oftentimes to the utmost degree by men, women and children already worn out by the sufferings they had passed through. It is said that in many cases one-fifth of the steerage passengers died on the voyage, and many more soon after landing. Coming under such conditions, it is evident that the great body of these immigrants had little or no property when they landed on our shores. There were among them a few blacksmiths, a few layers of stone, and a few makers of linen, but in general, they had had no opportunity to learn a trade, and were, therefore, at first obliged, for the most part, to take the position of unskilled laborers. The contrast which may be drawn between the state of these immigrants at the time they became Americans and their present state, affords most conclusive evidence of the hardness of the conditions under which they formerly lived, the progressive character of the people, and the blessings of free government.
Soon after the Catholics began to settle here in any considerable numbers, provision was made for satisfying their spiritual needs. Rev. James Fitton was appointed by
*A large subscription for this purpose was sent from Clintonville and Lancaster Center.
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Bishop Fenwick to visit the Catholics in Worcester in 1834. At first, he said mass there only once a month, but in 1836, a church had been completed, and he became a resident priest in May of that year. In 1837, St. James Seminary was established. In 1842, this was presented to Bishop Fenwick, together with sixty acres of land. Here, on June 21, 1843, the corner-stone of Holy Cross College, where so many Clinton boys have received their higher education, was laid. Father Fitton was followed by Father Williamson the same year. Father Williamson remained only two years. There may have been a very few Catholics in Clintonville who sought spiritual guidance from these Worcester pastors before 1845, but we have no authorized record to that effect.
In 1845, Rev. Matthew Gibson became resident priest in the Worcester parish. He was of English descent, and was born in Hexham, England, May 5, 1817. He was a man of great enterprise and unbounded zeal. He soon laid the foundation of a new and much larger church edifice in Worcester, and extended the mission work into all the towns of the county and its borders where the Catholics had settled in any numbers. In 1845, he said the first mass in Clintonville. As he had so many other mission churches to attend to, he was not able to come here oftener than once each month. The services were held in private houses. Father Gibson remained in Worcester until 1856. He after- wards served his church in Wisconsin, in England and in New Jersey. He has died within a few years. In an ode written to his memory we read :
The hearts that knew him, loved him, The eyes, that missed him, wept When resting from his labors In Death's cold arms, he slept.
In November, 1847, Father John Boyce became an assistant to Father Gibson. The mission work was divided between these two priests, and the Clintonville mission soon came under the charge of Father Boyce. The division of
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the work, and the subsequent appointment of resident priests at Fitchburg and elsewhere, enabled Father Boyce to visit Clintonville twice a month, and finally, after some years, mass was said every Sunday. Although most of the Catholics in Clintonville were so poor that few of them had yet provided suitable homes for themselves, yet it was decided to build a house of worship, and devout followers of the church were ready for the self-sacrifice that this implied. There was some difficulty in getting land, but at last a lot on South Main Street was secured for a church building and a lot west of Sandy Pond for a cemetery. A church was built at once, and was dedicated October 4, 1850. The in- closure of pine trees which today makes the former location of the church conspicuous, was set out under the direction of Father Boyce. At first, this church was much more simply furnished than in its later days. The galleries, the pews, the organ and the furnace were put in as the means of the people increased.
John Boyce was born at Donegal, in the northwest of Ireland, in 1810. He received his education and became a priest before he left his native land. He was a man approach- ing middle age and had already gained much experience before he was appointed to the Worcester Church in 1847. Father Boyce was deeply loved by his people. One who was acquainted with his life has written: "He was like the Good Shepherd, and ever true to the teachings of the Great Master. His wonderful charity was unlimited and unceas- ing. He wanted and kept nothing for himself. No one knew his good works, prompted by the innate nobleness of his nature, and executed so secretly that they were found out, now and again, only by accident. His greatest pleasure was to make others happy, and human suffering in any form touched his kindly heart. In king and beggar alike he saw the stamp of immortality, the seal of the Divine Creator. On more than one occasion, the good priest is known to have given the coat off his back to some poor wretch, who
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appeared to need its warmth more than he. Extremely re- fined and artistic in his tastes, he combined in his character the courtly gentleman and the saintly priest." His parish- ioners in Clinton speak of his broadmindedness, his mod- eration and his calmness, which were shown in the restraint he exercised over his people during the intense excitement of the "Know Nothing" times.
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