USA > Massachusetts > Bristol County > Norton > History of the town of Norton, Bristol County, Massachusetts, from 1669 to 1859 > Part 41
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There is a Sunday school connected with this church, of nearly sixty scholars; and a library of about five hundred volumes.
The Wesleyan-Methodist connection originated in a secession from the Methodist-Episcopal Church on ac- count of slavery and church-government, and differs from them principally in the following particulars : -
In the Methodist-Episcopal Church, slaveholders, and the makers, venders, and drinkers of intoxicating liquors, are allowed to be members. Three orders in the ministry are practically recognized. The entire government of the church is in the hands of the ministry. There is but one church throughout the United States.
The Wesleyan Methodists exclude from membership all slaveholders and apologists for slavery, and all dis- tillers, dealers, and drinkers of ardent spirits. They acknowledge but one order in the ministry. Laity, as well as ministry, take part in the government of the church; and the churches in different localities are distinct churches.
1 There are some Methodists who reside in the north-easterly part of the town, and attend meeting at one of the Methodist churches at East Mans- field.
There are also some Nortonians who attend meeting at the Christian Church in West Mansfield; and Jason F. Alden, of this town, is one of the deacons of that church.
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CHAPTER XXXVII.
COLLEGIATE HISTORY.
" Oh, this learning! - what a thing it is ! " - SHAKSPEARE.
IN this chapter, we give a short notice of the graduates of college who were born in Norton, or spent a por- tion of their early years here. Where no place of birth is mentioned, it is to be understood that they were born within the present limits of the town. We have abbreviated a few words that are often repeated : viz., H.U., Harvard University ; B.U., Brown Univer- sity ; D.C., Dartmouth College; Y.C., Yale College ; grad., graduated. We have been obliged to condense these sketches more than we originally intended.
Rev. NATHANIEL LEONARD (grad. H.U. 1719) was the first graduate from this town. He was the son of Major George and Anna (Tisdale) Leonard; and was born March 9, 1700. He was called to settle as pastor of the First Church in Plymouth, Feb. 13, 1724; and was ordained on the 29th of July following. On ac- count of ill health, he resigned in the spring of 1756 ; and in June, 1757, he removed with his family to Norton, and resided at Barrowsville till his death, June 11, 1761. The slab that covers his grave is sunk almost beneath the surface of the earth. Oct. 22, 1724, he married Miss Priscilla Rogers, of Ipswich, by whom he had sixteen children. " He was a gentle- man more inclined to the active than the studious life, but should be remembered for his useful services as a minister, and for his exemplary life and conversa- tion." 1
Rev. SAMUEL VEAZIE (grad. H.U. 1736) was the
1 History of Plymouth.
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son of Samuel and Deborah (?) Veazie, and is sup- posed to have been born at Braintree, Jan. 8, 1711. His father resided at Norton at the time he entered college, and for some years subsequent to his gradua- tion. He married, Aug. 6, 1742, Deborah Sampson ; and had two or more children. Oct. 31, 1739, he was ordained at Duxbury. During the Whitefield revival, he became a convert to the "new-light" doctrines, which caused dissatisfaction in his church, and finally led to his dismissal, April 18, 1750. He was settled at Hull, April 12, 1753; and died Dec. 3, 1797, - one account says at Hull ; 1 another, at Brunswick.2 For further account of him and some anecdotes, we refer the reader to the " History of Duxbury."
Hon. GEORGE LEONARD, LL.D. (grad. H.U. 1748), was the son of Col. George and Rachel (Clap) Leonard ; and was born July 4, 1729. He studied law, and established himself in his profession at Norton. He married, Nov. 27, 1759, Experience, daughter of Hon. Samuel White, of Taunton ; and had two daughters. Until the death of his father, he resided at the house on the high ground beyond his father's. He subse- quently occupied the old paternal mansion, a picture of which we have given on page 86. Mr. Leonard held more and important offices than any other citizen of Norton ; having been Register of Probate, a Royal Coun- cillor, Judge of Probate, Judge, and Chief-Judge of the Court of Common Pleas ; Representative to Congress, State Senator, Representative to General Court, Mode- rator of Town-meetings, Town-clerk and Treasurer, Selectman and Assessor, a Colonel in the militia, &c.3 He died July 26, 1819. Rev. Pitt Clarke, who knew him intimately, says he " was a lively pattern of those regular and virtuous habits, which, in general, are a pledge of a long life." On the probate-books at Taunton, vol. Ivi. p. 85, &c., immediately following his
1 History of Duxbury.
2 Winthrop's Interleaved Triennial Catalogue.
3 See Chapter XX.
[ Grozelier Lith Boston.
George Leonard ju.
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will, is a long notice of him, supposed to have been written by Hon. Frank Baylies, then Register of Pro- bate. From it we learn that he was a genuine speci- men of an American country gentleman, who thought he had other duties to perform besides adding to a mass of wealth more than sufficient for all rational purposes of life. He was a kind and considerate land- lord, and would never raise his rents, regarding his old tenants as his friends. His manners were simple, mild, and affable. He was tenaciously attached to old customs, and wore the short breeches and long stock- ings to the day of his death, looking with disdain upon new fashions and modern innovations. He would never rear merino sheep on his farm, sell his growing rye for the straw-manufacture, allow cotton-mills to be erected on his streams, or speculate in stocks. He ever re- garded agriculture as the noblest employment of man. He was strongly attached to the clergy and to men of letters ; in all his business transactions, was go- verned by the principles of rigid integrity ; and, during his long life, was never guilty of injustice or oppression. He was a man of sound judgment, practical common sense, consummate prudence, and unwavering firmness. Few men ever received more general respect in any community, or deserved it more, than he. Well can it be said of him, " The memory of the just is blessed."
Rev. ABIEL LEONARD, D.D. (grad. H.U. 1759), was the son of Rev. Nathaniel Leonard, already noticed ; and was born at Plymouth, Nov. 5, 1740. At the time of his graduation, his father was a resident of this town; and, of course, the son was also legally a resident. He was ordained pastor of the Congrega- tional Society at Woodstock, Conn., June 23, 1763. At his ordination, £10. 16s. were expended for liquor, sugar, and lemons ; so that the affair must have gone off with a good deal of spirit ! Previous to his settle- ment, he married a Miss Huntington, of Norwich. She soon died, leaving one daughter. His second wife was a sister of Gov. Greene, of Rhode Island, by whom he had five children. In May, 1775, through the influence of
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Gen. Putnam, he was appointed chaplain of one of the Connecticut regiments, which he soon joined with the consent of his parish. I have in my possession a copy of a letter dated " Head-Quarters, Cambridge, 24th of March, 1776," signed by Generals Washington and Putnam, and supposed to have been written by the former, in which Mr. Leonard, and his usefulness in the army, are spoken of in the most flattering terms. He continued with the army till the autumn of 1777; when, either with or without cause, he was dismissed from his position as chaplain, and, on his way home, committed suicide at Danbury, Conn. It is supposed that mortification, on account of his dismissal, made him insane. He was a man of great ambition, fond of popularity and applause, but was greatly beloved by the people of Woodstock. He was a large, fine-looking, remarkably handsome man, an eloquent speaker, and an accomplished gentleman.
Rev. SAMUEL DEAN, D.D. (grad. H.U. 1760), was the son of Deacon Samuel and Rachel (Dwight) Dean, and is believed to have been born in Dedham (during a temporary residence of his father there), Aug. 30, 1733.1 While quite young, his father re- turned to Norton (see Deacons of Cong. Church). The grandfather of Dr. Dean was Samuel, who was the son of John, who was the son of the immigrant John who came from Chard, England, in 1636, and, in 1638, settled at Taunton. From 1760 to 1762, Mr. Dean was Librarian of Harvard University ; and, in 1763, was a tutor there. He was ordained at Fal- mouth (now Portland), Me., a colleague with Thomas Smith, Oct. 17, 1764. He received the degree of D.D.
from B.U. in 1790. He married, in 1766, Eunice Pearson, but had no children. He died Nov. 12, 1814 ; having kept a diary fifty-three years. Dr. Dean was tall and portly, of good personal appearance, of grave and dignified manners. He was possessed of keen wit ; very
1 See History of Dean Family, Genealogical Register, vol. iii. p. 385. An- other authority says he was born July 10, 1733.
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social and agreeable in conversation. "His style of preaching was calm, and without much animation. He aimed more to convince the understanding than to alarm the fears or arouse the passions." 1
Hon. DANIEL LEONARD (grad. H.U. 1760) was the son of Hon. Ephraim and Judith (Perkins) Leo- nard, of the North Precinct of Norton ; and was born May 18, 1740. He was a practising lawyer for some years at Taunton, and a man of fine talents ; but, in an evil hour, he fell under the fascinating influence of Gov. Hutchinson, and became a loyalist. He was appointed a mandamus councillor in 1774; and was finally obliged to flee from the infuriated populace that surrounded his house at " Taunton Green," and only his previous popularity saved him from personal indignities. He was the author of the articles signed "Massachusettensis," published on the eve of the Revo- lution, in Draper's paper, at Boston. From Boston he went to Halifax ; thence to England; and was subse- quently Chief-Justice of the Bermuda Islands, which office he held for many years. He afterwards re- turned to England, and died in London, June 27, 1829, in consequence of wounds received by the accidental bursting of a pistol in his hands. He married, April 2, 1767, Anna, daughter of Hon. Samuel White, of Taunton. His second wife was Sarah Hammock. He had one son, Charles; 2 and several daughters. Mr. Leonard had a great love of display in dress and equi-
1 A more extended account of him, and also his lithograph, may be seen in Smith and Dean's journals, with notes of Portland by William Willis.
2 Ephraim Leonard, the father of Daniel (a copy of whose will may be seen in vol. i. p. 165 of the Records of the Supreme Judicial Court of Probate, at Boston, in the office of the Clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court), bequeathed most of his large estate to his son, provided he should be al- lowed to return and enjoy it, and also be allowed the rights of citizenship; but, if not, then the estate was to go to any of Daniel's children who should come to America and become citizens. Charles did come, and received the property, and, about 1791, entered Harvard College, but did not graduate. He was subsequently under the guardianship of Judge Wheaton; and finally was found dead in the road near Barrowsville, May 4, 1831. His death is supposed to have been caused by an excessive draught of liquor.
41
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page, but was of a " generous temper and affable manners."
Rev. EPHRAIM . BRIGGS (grad. H.U. 1764) was the son of Richard and Abigail (Andrews) Briggs, (grand- son of Richard, one of the first settlers of Norton) ; and was born, April 19, 1736, in the North Precinct. He was ordained pastor of the Congregational Society in Halifax, April 29, 1767. He was a useful and respectable man. His wife was Rebecca Waterman, by whom he had six sons, five of whom were gra- duates of college and settled ministers of the gospel. He died Dec. 22, 1799.
Hon. DANIEL NEWCOMB (grad. H.U. 1768) was the son of Jonathan and Mercy (Everett) Newcomb ; and was born in the Mansfield part of Norton, April 19, 1747. In 1778, he commenced the practice of law at Keene, N.H., and was an eminent counsellor. In 1781, he was a delegate from Keene to the convention for "forming a plan of Government " for New Hamp- shire. He was appointed Chief-Judge of the Inferior Court of Cheshire County, N.H., in September, 1790 ; but resigned his office in the course of a year or two. He was twice a member of the New-Hampshire State Senate. He was at one time quite wealthy ; but died poor, on the 14th of July, 1818. He had a large and expensive family. He was much interested in educa- tion ; and, at his own cost, established what was after- wards called the " Grammar School " at Keene.1
Dr. THOMAS LEONARD (grad. H.U. 1769) was the son of Rev. Nathaniel Leonard ; and was born at Plymouth, April 26, 1744, but lived with his father in Norton for some years previous to his entering college. In Winthrop's "Interleaved Triennial," he is said to have been a physician, and that he died June 28, 1771; but where he died, we are not informed.
Rev. GEORGE WHEATON (grad. H.U. 1769) was the son of Dr. George and Elizabeth (Morey) Wheaton ;
1 For more particulars of him, see Annals of Keene, N.II., by Hon. Salma Hale.
Lith.by L. Grozehier
Laban Wheaten
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and was born in the North Precinct, July 6, 1751. He was ordained pastor of the Congregational Society at Claremont, N.H., Feb. 19, 1772. He died at his father's house, in Mansfield, June 24, 1773. He be- queathed to the town of Claremont all his real estate in the town, and also what was due him there, to be used in support of a Congregational minister. He was buried at Mansfield ; and the town of Claremont erected the monument over his grave,1 which says, -
" His genius was bright and promising ; his private con- versation pleasing and instructive; his publick performances devout, manly, and graceful.
"The new Country in which he settled opened a wide field for his useful Labors, In which his readiness to oblige, & fervent zeal for his Master's Cause, urged him beyond ye strength of his Constitution, & brought on the illness of which he died."
NATHAN MOREY (grad. H.U. 1774) was the son of Thomas and Lydia (White) Morey ; and was born Dec. 5, 1747. He was a chaplain in the Revolutionary war, but was never settled as a minister. In the au- tumn of 1777, or the winter of 1778, he and his half- brother Lewis (then a member of Yale College) went on a privateering expedition ; but were taken by the British, carried to Halifax, and put on board a prison- ship; where, having suffered greatly, he died previous to March 26, 1778, when his will was probated at Taunton. He studied divinity with Rev. Mr. Barnum, of Taunton ; and married Mary Price (a sister of Mrs. Barnum), "a stale virgin with a wintry face," but left no issue.
Hon. LABAN WHEATON (grad. H.U. 1774) was a brother of Rev. George, already noticed ; and was born, March 13, 1754, in the North Precinct (?). He pre- pared for college at the Wrentham Academy; and, after graduating at the university, studied theology with Rev. Abiel Leonard, of Woodstock, Conn. He
1 Massachusetts Gazette and News-letter, Oct. 14, 1773.
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preached at sundry places ; and was at Framingham about four years, where he was invited to settle, but declined so to do. He then entered into mercantile pursuits in connection with a classmate, with whom he was connected three or four years, when the firm became bankrupt. When more than thirty years old, he commenced the study of law with Mr. Kent, of Watertown; and, on the completion of his legal studies, opened an office in Milton. In 1788, he removed to his native town, and had here a very extensive practice ; and, with the most rigid economy, acquired a large fortune. He was a man of great intellectual power, deeply versed in legal knowledge, and applied himself most assiduously to his professional duties ; standing for many years at the head of the Bar in Bristol County, and doing much business in the courts of neigh- boring counties. He was eight years a Member of Congress ; also Chief-Justice of the Court of Common Pleas and of the Court of Sessions; several times a Representative to the State Legislature; and other- wise much employed in offices of trust and responsi- bility by his townsmen (see Official History). June 1, 1794, he married Fanny Morey (his cousin), and had four children, two of whom died young. Soon after the death of his daughter (Mrs. Strong, of Boston), in 1834, he conceived the idea of establishing (with the portion of his estate he had designed to give her) a female seminary ; and soon after founded the school at Norton which now bears his name, and appointed a Board of Trustees, of which he was chosen chairman, and held that position till he died, March 23, 1846, at the advanced age of ninety-two years and ten days.1
ISAAC HALL, Esq. (grad. H.U. 1775), was the son of Brian Hall; and was born in Boston, Aug. 16, 1753 (?). His father moved to Norton before Isaac entered col- lege, and ever after resided here. Mr. Hall studied law, and died soon after entering upon his professional
1 For more particulars of him, see Funeral Sermon by Rev. Sylvester Holmes.
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career. His tombstone, in the " common graveyard," informs us that he was an attorney-at-law, and that he died Dec. 14,1779, aged twenty-six. In the "Providence Gazette " of Jan. 29, 1780, may be seen a notice of him, which says, " His learning, abilities as a lawyer, and strict adherence to the principles of virtue, ren- dered him dear to his friends, an honor to his profession, and highly esteemed by all his acquaintance."
Rev. JAMES BRIGGS (grad. Y.C. 1775) was the son of Deacon James and Damaris (White) Briggs, already noticed ; and was born Jan. 17, 1745. His father, being a Baptist (and the son not adopting those notions), declined to assist him in acquiring an education ; and therefore he was thrown upon his own resources. He is believed to have worked at blacksmithing till he was able to meet the expenses of a liberal education. He was settled the first minister of the Congregational Church in Cummington, July 7, 1779; and is supposed to have preached there some two years previous to his ordination. I have been able to learn but little respect- ing him. He is said to have been " a very useful and respectable minister." He married, Oct. 19, 1780, Anna Wiswall, of this town, by whom he had children ; and one of his grand-daughters, Miss C. A. Briggs, is the author of a volume of poems, and is now the wife of Charles Mason, Esq., of Fitchburg. He died Dec. 7, 1825.
Rev. GEORGE MOREY (grad. H.U. 1776) was the son of George, jun., and Mary (Hodges) Morey; and was born Dec. 18, 1750.1 After completing his theological studies, he received invitation to settle at Hanover, Mass., and Oxford, N.H .; which he declined. He was ordained a Congregational minister at Walpole, Nov. 19, 1783 ; where his labors continued till May 21, 1826, when he retired from the active duties of his office. He married, June 22, 1784, Anna Palmer, of this town, daughter of the second minister ; by whom
1 Town-records. In his Funeral Sermon, it is stated that he was born " Dec. 18, 1749, old style."
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he had six children. For second wife, he married, n October, 1818, " Widow Joan Gay." During his mi- mistry, "he was never detained by sickness from the services of the Sabbath more than once, and then by a hoarse cold merely. His mind was strong; his talents were of the useful kind ; while his judgment of men and things was excellent." He died July 26, 1829.1
Dr. SAMUEL MOREY (grad. Y.C. 1777: see Physi- cians).
Rev. JOHN CRANE, D.D. (grad. H.U. 1780), was the son of John and Rachel (Terry) Crane (who were Friends) ; and was born March 26, 1756. He studied theology with the celebrated Dr. Emmons, of Franklin. In 1782, he commenced preaching at Northbridge, and was ordained there as the first Congregational minister, June 25, 1783, where he remained till March 14, 1832, when he resigned his pastoral relations, but was nomi- nally pastor till his death, Aug. 31, 1836. He married Rachel Taft, and had three children. His mind was strong, penetrating, and well cultivated. In addition to his clerical duties, he carried on a farm, taught school many years in his own house, and assisted in preparing more than one hundred young men for col- lege ; wrote about four thousand sermons, and preached about two hundred extemporary ones. For several years, he represented Northbridge in the General Court.2
JACOB WHITE (grad. H.U. 1780) was the son of Isaac and Hannah (Hewes) White, of the North Pre- cinct ; grandson of Deacon Nicholas White; and was born July 31, 1757. The first part of his collegiate course was spent at Yale ; but he left there at the close of his junior year. He died of consumption, at Mans- field, July 19, 1785.
CALVIN CRANE (grad. D.C. 1785) was the brother of Rev. John Crane; and was born May 13, 1764.
1 For further notice, see Funeral Sermon by Rev. Daniel C. Sanders.
2 See Blake's History of the Mendon Association.
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He studied theology with Rev. Mr. Judson, of Taun- ton, but was never ordained. In the spring of 1787, he was appointed tutor of his alma mater, and as- sumed the duties of his office in May of that year, with the privilege of preaching as he had opportunity ; but a pulmonic disease compelled him, in the autumn of the same year, to seek a milder climate. He ar- rived at Charleston, S.C., Nov. 21; but he continued to fail till Dec. 26, 1787, when death claimed its victim. He was never married.
Rev. MASE SHEPARD (grad. D.C. 1785) was the son of Thomas and Content (White) Shepard; and was born May 28, 1759. He was the grandson of Jacob and Mercy (Chickering) Shepard, who settled within the present limits of Foxborough about 1703; great- grandson of Thomas and Hannah (Ensign) Shepard, of Malden.1 Mr. Shepard fitted for college with Rev. William Conant, of Lyme, N.H .; and studied theology with Rev. E. Judson, of Taunton. He was ordained pastor of the Congregational Church at Little Compton, R.I., Sept. 19, 1797; where, after an efficient ministry of thirty-three years, he died, Feb. 14, 1821. He married, July 6, 1788, Deborah Haskins, of Boston, and had nine children. His early years were spent in manual labor on a farm. He was a man of commanding presence, powerful voice, and distinguished for the interest which he won in the affections of all classes of the community in social conversation. He was not a close student, but excelled in his pastoral visits, and in his appeals from the pulpit, which were extemporaneous.2
Dr. OLIVER TIFFANY (grad. D.C. 1786) was the son of Dr. Gideon Tiffany, already noticed ; and was born June 24, 1763. " He was a pleasant, amiable young man, but not distinguished as a scholar." He studied medicine at Philadelphia, Virginia, and Massachusetts, and became quite eminent in his profession. He lo-
1 Letter of L. M. Boltwood, Esq.
2 American Quarterly Register, vol. xii.
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COLLEGIATE HISTORY.
cated at Ancaster, Canada West, where he became very wealthy ; and died, unmarried, May 7, 1835.
Hon. GEORGE TIFFANY (grad. D.C. 1786) was a brother of the preceding; and was born June 20, 1765. He studied law at Albany, N.Y .; and became a pioneer practitioner at Schoharie, N.Y., where he resided many years. Previous to entering upon his professional duties, he taught school at Providence, R.I .; and, with his brother Oliver, had charge of the first academy at Albany, N.Y. He held the office of commissioner and State senator of New York, and a colonel of cavalry. He married Polly Frize (?), and had eight children. Having been some years a widower, he removed to his brother Oliver's at An- caster, C.W .; where he died, Jan. 3, 1842.
OLIVER LEONARD, Esq. (grad. B.U. 1787), was the son of Jonathan and Eleanor (Cambell) Leonard ; half-brother of Hon. Cromwell Leonard (see Official History) ; and was born Feb. 3, 1764. After gradu- ating, he kept store a year or two, near where Mr. Rogerson's store now is; and is believed to have set out the large elms in front of Mr. Rogerson's store, about 1789. He studied law with Judge Paddle- ford, of Taunton, and Stephen Dexter, of Newport, R.I .; and was admitted to the bar in 1791, and soon commenced practice at Taunton, where he remained three or four years. From thence he went to Orring- ton, Me., where he did an immense legal business. He subsequently took up his residence at Bangor, on the opposite side of the river to Orrington. He was a representative in our Legislature several times while Maine was a district of Massachusetts; and was a man of fine talents and an interesting debater, but rather extravagant in his style of living. In June, 1797, while attempting to force open his own house, - which had been taken possession of by an Irish- man, - two balls and a large wad were shot through his body, but did not cause his death. He married, in 1797, Mrs. Sarah Fletcher, of Newport, R.I. (whose first husband, William Fletcher, was a surgeon in one
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