USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Hanover > History of the town of Hanover, Massachusetts, with family genealogies > Part 8
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This condition was some-what enhanced by a decision of the
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HISTORY OF HANOVER.
Massachusetts Supreme Court, wherein the opinion, given by Chief Justice Parsons, held that the property of the church be- longed to the Parish, as at that time no church in Massachusetts had any legal existence outside of the parish, which alone was recognized as a legal entity.
If the Parish wished a Unitarian minister to preach to an Orthodox Church, it had the power to compel it. Under this decision, many churches hitherto Orthodox became Unitarian.
Five years without a pastor, the church gave a call, in 1827, to Rev. Ethan Smith, who came here from Poultney, Vermont. He had nine children. He remained here five years and died, 1849. He was a tanner by trade and, after reaching his majority, he fitted for college and graduated at Dartmouth, at the age of thirty. He had been a soldier in the Revolutionary War and was at West Point at the time of Arnold's treachery.
In June, 1833, Rev. Abel G. Duncan was invited to become pastor and accepted. He represented the town six years in the legislature and remained as pastor until 1854. He added sixty members to the church and, during his ministry, two excommuni- cations occurred,-one "for going to the Baptists"; the other for embracing "the heresy of Universalism."
In 1854, just before the resignation of Mr. Duncan, the Society was divided and the Second Church at the Corners was formed.
In 1873, Mr. Duncan gave up his pastoral cares at "Scotland" in Bridgewater, Mass. and returned to Hanover. He lived on King street for about ten months and died, April 23, 1874, aged seventy-two years.
Mr. Duncan was a scholary man, a fine linguist. It is said that he began the study of Hebrew after he was fifty.
Rev. Joseph Freeman was the next pastor. He came here from Stockton, Maine. He resigned July 26, 1869, going to York, Maine.
He was the first pastor to occupy the present parsonage, which had been built, by individual members of the parish, for the oc- cupancy of the pastor. The family moved in, September 18, 1855. · Mr. Freeman was a very tall, dignified, solemn man both in and out of the pulpit, slow in speech as in movement. He was on the Board of School Committee many years. He had three children. It was during his pastorate that the present church edifice was built, to supply the place of the former one, which was burned.
Two years of supply from week to week followed. Rev. Cyrus W. Allen was engaged as permanent supply and began his work
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.
here, March 26, 1871, being permanently engaged, May 1, 1871. He continued to act as pastor until July 12, 1879, when increasing years caused him to give up his charge. He retired and lived with his son, Dr. George O. Allen, at West Roxbury, Mass., until his death by apoplexy April 11th, 1882.
Mr. Allen was born October 28th, 1806, at Taunton, Mass. He graduated from Brown University in 1826. He came to Hanover after many pastorates.
"He was a staunch defender of the faith of the fathers," says Dr. Briggs' Church History. "His preaching was marked by little embellishment but set forth his ideas always logically, always forcibly, yet simply and to the point. The best sermon he ever preached was his own every-day life. No one knew him but to love him. The Spirit of the Master spoke every day from the absolute self-forgetfulness of Mr. Allen's life."
Rev. William H. Dowden, who still resides in Hanover in the old Stetson House opposite the parsonage, came as Mr. Allen's suc- cessor, in January, 1880, continuing one and a half years. He re- turned to Hanover May 1st, 1888, continuing two years. During his pastorate, the Church took on renewed life. The efforts of members was directed largely toward the repair and renovation of the church edifice. It was newly painted and the interior was frescoed. Mr. Dowden was born at Fairhaven, Mass., January 15, 1837. He received his education at Stowe Institute, New Bedford, Mass., and graduated from Andover Theological Sem- inary in 1866. He married Anna R. Green, of Ashburnham, Mass. A daughter is now the wife of William S. Curtis of Hanover, after having taught school in town for many years. Mr. Dowden's pastorates in their order have been, Pelham, Mass .; Caryle, Mass .; Lunenburg, Mass .; East Jaffrey, N. H .; Hanover, Easton, Rowley, Hanover again, all in Mass .; Washington, N. H .; Gill, Mass.
Rev. Samuel E. Evans succeeded Mr. Dowden. His pastorate commenced December 1st, 1882 and continued until July 1887.
He was born in Fitchburg, March 17th, 1841; graduated from Harvard college, 1863, Chicago Theological seminary, 1865, and from Andover Theological seminary, 1866. He was in the ranks of the Sixteenth Massachusetts Regiment, 1863-64. He was or- dained at East Providence, R. I., 1867, where he preached until 1871. He was in the Methodist denomination for ten years follow- ing, serving a number of churches in this state and in Connecticut. He came here from the Congregational Church in Middlefield, Conn., and, after leaving here, was pastor in Duxbury, Mass., and
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HISTORY OF HANOVER.
in Alstead and Langdon, N. H. His last charge was in West Newbury, Mass., 1889-1890, when failing health compelled him to retire from his chosen work. He married, November 28, 1867, Mary Haven Locke, of Boston. He died in the Soldier's Home at Chelsea. Two daughters and a son survive him.
Rev. William H. Dowden served the church a second time, from May, 1888, until July, 1890.
Rev. David Kilburn, of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, supplied the pulpit (being a student at Andover) from August, 1890, until May, 1891.
He was followed by James W. Van Kirk, a student in Boston University, from Cleveland, Ohio, who supplied the pulpit from September, 1891, until June, 1892.
Immediately following him came Rev. George W. Wright. Mr. Wright was born at Beehman, New York, in April, 1848. He received his education at America Seminary, New York; Wil- braham Academy, Massachusetts; Wesleyan University, Middle- town, Connecticut; and Boston University Theological School. He was A. B. in 1872. His ordination occurred in 1877. Before coming to Hanover, he preached at East Greenwich, R. I .; New Bedford, Mass .; Norwich, Conn .; Farragut, Iowa ; and Bethel, Ver- mont. For nearly three years he supplied the pulpit in Hanover. Since leaving here, he has preached in various places, under the direction of the New England Evangelistic Association.
He married Miss Etta Turner of Hanover.
Rev. Edward D. Disbrow became acting pastor in August, 1895 and served until August, 1902. He was born in S. Dakota and attended school at Yankton college in Dakota, Chicago University, and Theological school at Andover. He married Martha A. Man- ning of Andover and has one daughter. Before coming here, he was pastor of the church in Pownal, Maine, and, after leaving here, he accepted the pastorate of the First Church in Farmington, N. H., where he now remains.
Rev. Milledge T. Anderson, born in New Brunswick, July, 1866, 4% received his theological education in the schools at Mt. Hennon and Revere. He accepted the pastorate of this church, in Feb- ruary, 1903.
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.
Second Congregational Church.
The records of the First Church, under date of March 10, 1854, show that
William Copeland,
Sarah Sylvester,
Ebenr. B. Howland,
Julia A. Turner,
James Turner,
Huldah F. Sampson,
Alfred C. Garratt,
Martha A. Sylvester,
Isaac M. Wilder,
Lucinda Copeland,
Robert Sylvester,
Ruth Wilder,
James Tolman,
George W. Eells,
Lucy Copeland,
William T. Lapham,
Mary B. Eells,
Lemuel Freeman,
Priscilla Eells,
Robert Sylvester,
Charles F. Bowman,
Diana Freeman,
Daniel E. Damon,
Lucinda Wilder,
Mary Tolman,
Mary Bates,
Rhoda Ford,
Jane Copeland,
Abby W. Stockbridge,
Abby E. Barstow, Christiana Clark,
Sophia A. Holmes, were dismissed "to be organized into a Trinitarian Congregational Church at the "Four Corners" and, when so organized, they will be considered no longer as members of this Church." This was done, because it was believed that the new church would be an accom- modation to Hanover people as well as those of Norwell (then called South Scituate) and other adjoining towns.
A petition was presented, under the Statute, to Alexander Wood, Esq, one of the Justices of the Peace for the county, that a warrant be given for a meeting in the new meeting-house just erected on Back street at the Four Corners, for the purpose of choosing the necessary officers and of determining the way to call parish meet- ings in the future.
The next step was to procure a pastor and, in July, 1854, they called Rev. William Chapman, to serve them in that capacity. Ill health compelled his resignation. After about one year, Rev. Joel Mann came to them from Kingston, R. I., and remained from 1857 to November 1858. Mr. Mann's salary was $600, while Mr. Chap- man had had $800. On the 16th of July, 1859, Rev. James Aiken was installed as pastor. Mr. Aiken was with the Society for twelve years. During a portion of that time he was a member of the school committee. His successor was Rev. Timothy Dwight Porter Stone. He began in October, 1873, and remained two years. He was principal of Hanover Academy, during his pastorate. Mr.
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HISTORY OF HANOVER.
Stone was a graduate of Amherst in 1834, the class of Rev. Henry Ward Beecher. He died in Albany, N. Y., April 11th, 1887.
He was a man of full figure and in his preaching leaned toward the dramatic. His life had been very largely spent in teaching. He had strong individuality, which in some ways made him often eccentric.
Rev. Henry Perkins preached here from January 1, 1876 to 1878. Rev. E. Porter Dyer then supplied the pulpit, until failing health compelled his retirement. Rev. J. W. Brownville succeeded Mr. Dyer, coming to Hanover in 1882. His daughter, Lottie W., mar- ried Fred W. Bowker, a merchant at Hanover Four Corners.
Mr Brownville was succeeded, December 3, 1888, by Rev. Orlando M. Lord. He was ordained, January 30, 1889, and remained until August 31, 1890.
No one was then called, until February, 1891. Then came Rev. Edward Payson Holton of Andover. He remained but a few months and sailed to India, as a Missionary of the American Board of Com- missioners of Foreign Missions in October, 1891. His ordination occurred at Everett, Massachusetts, May 14, 1891. In about two years, he came home to be married and returned to India. He is now at Manamadura, South India.
Mr. Holton graduated from Amherst College, in 1887, obtained his A. M. degree from his Alma Mater in 1891, and the degree of B. D. from the Yale Divinity School, in 1890.
March 1, 1892, Rev. John Wild came and remained until April 30th, 1904, when he accepted a call to Medford, Mass., where he now lives. Mr. Wild was born in Rochdale, Lancashire, England, November 26, 1847. He was a man of great zeal in his calling and distinguished himself particularly in town by his earnestness in advocating the enforcement of the liquor law.
December 24, 1873, he married Susannah, daughter of Abraham and Nancy Wilson, of Rochdale. They have had five children, one of whom, Betsey, born at Rochdale, December 7, 1877, mar- ried Alton M., son of Henry B. Barstow, of Hanover.
Mr. Wild, as a boy, attended the St. John's National day school, (Episcopal) and obtained there his primary education. This he supplemented by attendance at evening schools and a me- chanics institute. Later he studied, in the government science classes in his native town, the Technical school, Manchester, Owens college, Manchester, (the chief college of Victoria university), and the Normal School of Science, London. His theological course of study was taken at Lancashire Independent College,
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Whaley Range, Manchester. For twenty years he was a very suc- cessful teacher of science subjects in the government science schools of Rochdale and the neighboring towns.
From childhood, he was connected with the Smallbridge Con- gregational Sunday school. For fourteen years, he was the teacher of the young men's class in this Sunday school. It was a very large class, having at one time about seventy members. He was also one of the deacons of the church for eight years. For several years before he devoted himself entirely to the work of the ministry, he was engaged almost every Sunday in the Congregational, Bap- tist, and Methodist churches of Rochdale and the surrounding towns and villages. For two years, he was assistant to the Rev. W. Hewgill, M. A., Farnsworth, near Bolton, and had charge of the mission station at Irwell Bank. He left England in November, 1891, and began his pastorate at Hanover, March 1st, 1892.
Bethany Chapel.
In 1886-7, Mrs. Sarah A. Bond determined to erect a chapel at the junction of School and Circuit streets. To acquire the req- uisite funds, she sold pictures, representing one brick, for ten cents each by personal solicitation. Her zeal and devotion ac- complished the purpose she desired. Land was purchased of Thomas M. Bates and a little chapel, designed to seat about a hundred people, was erected. It was dedicated, November 28, 1887, by appropriate ceremonies and has since been used for Union Services, Sabbath School, and neighborhood gatherings. A Board of Trustees have charge of it and it has been recently re- paired. It has been a source of much good, which is the direct result of the devotion of one woman.
The Quakers.
The name by which those commonly called Quakers wish to be known is "The Society of Friends."
George Fox, often called the founder of this sect, first began to preach their peculiar doctrines in England, in 1647. None of his adherents came hither until 1656. Then Mary Fisher and Ann Austin arrived in Boston, coming directly from Barbadoes. In 1657, eight more came from Rhode Island, where the more liberal inhabitants refused to persecute them.
The non-resistance ideas, which controlled the lives of these people in later times, seem to have been lacking in these pioneers.
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HISTORY OF HANOVER.
They sought to proselyte the freshly settled colonies in Mass- achusetts, permitting their zeal to carry them even to the extent of martyrdom.
In their first incursions into the two Massachusetts Colonies, their methods were entirely different from those of the quiet, drab- garmented, peaceful citizens we have all later known.
They were noisy, boisterous, blasphemous. The women, in their desire for simplicity, have been known to enter public as- semblies in a state of entire nudity. In short, their conduct then among those pious, God-fearing, and Christ-worshipping colon- ists, was such as would even to-day subject them to arrest and punishment for breach of the peace. Our forefathers, who came hither to the two colonies, furnish examples of the effect of environment upon people of the same race. The doctrine of the Puritans who came to Boston, and the Pilgrims who came to Plymouth, were essentially the same. Calvinism was the basis of the theology of both. They differed, however, but the difference
was one of church polity rather than of theology.
The Puritan
was not a Separatist.
He would drive all into following his
belief. The Pilgrim, on the contrary, held his own opinions and wished only to let alone, to be left to carry on his own worship in his own way, leaving others to follow their own methods, inter- fering with none and unwilling that any should interfere with him.
These characteristics appeared in these differing sects when the New England received those coming from the old England. The Puritans had stayed in England, fighting to establish them- selves at the head of affairs religious. The Pilgrims went to Hol- land, in order that there, in a land of liberal ideas, they should be at liberty to worship God in their own way.
But, to the Pilgrims, this very easy liberality of the Dutch at Leyden seemed, after a while, to offer its peculiar dangers to themselves and their children and they sought, in America, not an asylum from persecution nor a haven of safety from defeat, but a home, where they should not be persecuted for their religion and, on the other hand, where lax ideas should not make flabby the muscles of their conscience.
Then came these disturbing Quakers. The fighting Puritan, stern and unyielding, drove them out, upon penalty of death if they returned.
The Pilgrims, with laws almost as severe, sought to keep them- selves free from the Quakers, but were much less stern in the ex-
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.
ecution of those laws. The former drove away the Quakers be- cause they were in control of a government of which they wished to keep control; the Pilgrims, because, having come here to be alone, they wished to keep themselves alone.
This is the way the Pilgrims met the problem. The Court of Assistants in 1658 passed the following order :
"Whereas, sundry persons, both Quakers and others, wander up and down in this jurisdiction and follow no lawful calling, and also use all endeavors to subvert Civil State, and to pull down all Churches and Ordinances of God. Be it enacted by this Court, that with all convenient speed a House of Correction be erected, that all such vagrants may be put in this House of Correction."
Incidentally it should be remarked, in passing, that this is the first time in our records that the jail is referred to, in any legal document, as a House of Correction,-a title which it bears to- day.
In 1659, a Quaker was to be hung upon Boston Common. The officer of the men detailed as a firing-party, was Edward Wan- ton, a young Englishman, who, tradition says, came from London with his mother prior to 1658. In 1661, he resided in Scit- uate, having landed there in 1660. Mr. Deane says, "He became deeply sensible of the cruelty, injustice, and impolicy of (the repressive) measures; he was greatly moved by the firmness with which they (the condemned Quakers) submitted to death ---. " He returned to his house, saying, "Alas, mother ! we have been murdering the Lord's people," and, taking off his sword, put it by, with a solemn vow never to wear it again; and he never did.
He became a Quaker peacher and, for fifty years, lived and preached their doctrines. His son Michael, succeeded him as a preacher.
Fines, whippings, and imprisonment were the extent of the Quaker persecutions in the old Colony. The voices of many of the most prominent and influential men in that Colony were raised in strong opposition to the repressive action. The names of such men cannot be too often rehearsed nor too long perpet- uated. Capt. James Cudworth, the venerable Timothy Hatherly, and Isaac Robinson, son of the preacher to the Pilgrim Church in Leyden, were especially strong and constant in their opposition ..
To the honor of King Charles II. be it recorded that these per- secutions were all stopped by his command, in 1661.
In 1710 or a little before, Edward Wanton built the first house in the Central part of our town. It was a mile from its nearest
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HISTORY OF HANOVER.
neighbor, and stood where Frank Stockbridge's house is now located.
In the western part of our town, the people of the Society of Friends were quite numerous, but are now entirely gone. Otis Ellis and Zaccheus Estes were two of these who lived longest. "They were always good citizens and unyielding in their opinions. These people were members of the "Meeting" which used the "Quaker Meeting-House" in Pembroke, at the corner where the "Scoosit road" joins the Plymouth road, about a third of a mile south of the North River bridge.
This house of worship is now closed. The younger generation no longer attend "Friends Meeting." Some of them have con- nected themselves with some sect of the "World's People" or, like so many of the present generation, have made no affiliation with any religious organization.
(See note at the close of this chapter by Mr. Dwelley.) Spiritualism in Hanover.
Ever since recorded history began, mankind has believed in communication between disembodied souls and those commonly called living. Ever since we have found records, the phenomena now called Spiritualistic or Psychic have, in some form, occurred. Rev. Minot J. Savage, D. D., says that those who believe in this communication include "all the great names from Abraham to Jesus ; all the great names from Jesus to Luther; all the great names in the history of Egypt; all the great names in the history of India; Socrates, Plato, and the greatest names of Greece; the Greek Church from the begnning; the Roman Catholic Church from the beginning; the great Protestant Church in the early centuries ; the Swendenborgian Church."
Thus the historical antiquity and consecutiveness of the belief is established. The Shakers have had marvellous illustrations of it from the time of the foundation of their sect by "Mother Ann."
Modern Spiritualism takes its origin from the so-called Rochester Rappings, which occurred wherever the Fox sisters happened to be. One of these Fox sisters became the wife of Dr. Elisha Kent Kane, the celebrated Arctic explorer. These rappings, evidently guided by intelligence, created an interest in things psychic which spread all over the world. It was but the revival of an old and half- forgotten truth. To-day its believers number at least five million in the United States alone. Learned societies, university profes- sors, statesmen, lawyers, bishops, and laymen are vieing with each
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.
other in investigating its phenomena and, its advocates claim, no» one ever yet, whether scientist or not, honestly and fairly investi -- gated it without becoming a believer. However that may be, it Is, a fact that many of the most learned in any and every profession. are today, either tacitly or openly, believers in its truths.
This wave of new religious investigation reached this part of the: world in the decade from 1850 to 1860. The interest was im- mense. The old Universalist church in Hanson was first used by the Spiritualists of the neighborhood, including Hanover. It: was called Unity hall. It was burnt and then the meetings were: held in the Hanson Town hall, the Hanover Town hall, and Li- brary hall, West Hanover. The list of prominent Spiritualistic speakers who have addressed these meetings includes most of those prominent in the movement for the last fifty years.
NOTE BY JEDEDIAH DWELLEY : While Mr. John F. Simmons is: entirely responsible for this chapter, the writer feels that a word should be spoken by himself of the Quakers. The ties of blood. and friendship link him closely to this sect. He does not believe: that they were blasphemous, but does believe that they were- piously reverent toward God; that they bore reproach, calumny,, torture, and death with sublimity; that their lives, were stainless, and worthy of our reverence, and mark an era in our history ; that no sect has more of which to be proud and less of which to. be ashamed than this.
While Mary Dyer's history is well known, it was not intimately associated with Hanover, although doubtless she was at some time: within its borders, and she spent a season in our county jail. As. hers was perhaps the saddest example of the persecution of her day, a few words regarding her and a brief quotation may be ex- cusable.
When, at the close of the extended trial of Anne Hutchinson, sentence of excommunication was at once passed on her and she- was ordered to leave the Colony, she rose and passed sadly down the aisle of the church, without a look of sympathy from any one,. until she was near the exit, when Mary Dyer arose from her seat and, taking her hand, these two silently passed from the building- with hands clasped.
"Morning o'er the Pilgrim city Breaking still and sweet, Heard the deep and mingled murmur Of the hurrying feet,
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HISTORY OF HANOVER.
And the voices of the people Thronging to the street; From afar the heavy rolling Of the muffled drum, With the measured tread of soldiers And the general hum,
Warned the captive in the prison That the hour had come. All her simple garb arranging with a decent care, Knelt she in a holy silence, Lost in secret prayer,
While her radiant face attested God was with her there.
*
On the scaffold Mary Dyer Standeth silent now,
With the martyr's crown of glory Kindling round her brow: And her meek face bent in pity On the crowd below:
Then Priest Wilson, full of scorning,
Cried : 'Repent ! Repent !' But she answered : 'I have sought you,
By our Father sent; Sought you, cruel persecutors, That you might repent.' "
* *
"Five hundred years will not forgive the death of Mary Dyer."
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PROFESSIONAL MEN.
CHAPTER V.
PROFESSIONAL MEN.
By John F. Simmons.
Edward Foster settled in Kent street, in Scituate, in 1633. He had practised law in England and the town records call him a lawyer. He was a deputy to the first Colony Court in 1639, an assistant in 1637, and died "early." He was constantly employed in public affairs but his early death cut him off from rising to special importance.
John Cushing was the son of John Cushing, who sailed from Gravesend, England, April 26, 1638 and arrived in Boston, August 10, 1638, and settled in Scituate. John Jr., was born April 28, 1662 and died 1737. He lived at Belle House Neck in Scituate, near Little's Bridge. He was Chief Justice of the In- ferior Court of Plymouth, from 1702 to 1710; Judge of the Su- perior Court from 1728 to 1737, and Counsellor of Massachusetts from 1710 to 1728.
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