USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Whately > History of the town of Whately, Mass., including a narrative of leading events from the first planting of Hatfield, 1661-1899 : with family genealogies > Part 15
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60
The town voted, 5 December, 1796, "To raise three hundred pounds for repairing the meeting-house," and appointed a com- mittee to carry out the vote. In January following, twenty pounds additional was granted, and in the spring the work was commenced. In the course of the year 1797 the house was thoroughly repaired
The outside was clapboarded and painted, the vacant win- dows of the upper story, which had afforded access to the swal- lows for so many years, were glazed and paneled doors were put in. The inside was also "finished," galleries put up and pews built. The pews were square, enclosed with paneled work, according to the fashion of the times. The pulpit, situated as before, was a plain structure, very high, square corners and pro- jecting center, with a hexagonal sounding-board suspended above.
No formal consecration of the house appears to have been made at its first opening in 1773. But now that it had been made more seemly a day was specially set apart and it was solemnly dedicated to God.
SEATING THE MEETING-HOUSE. At the town meeting, held Dec. 4, 1797, it was voted not to sell the pews and, instead, a committee of nine persons was chosen, "To seat the meeting- house," i. e., to assign to each family the particular pew they were to occupy for a year or longer as the case might be. The principle of "seating," at first adopted, is not known. The practice prevailed in some years of seating by age and some- times by property. At a town meeting, held 19 May, 1800, it was voted, "That in seating people, one year in the age of a person shall be reckoned equal to one dollar on the list."
This custom, which prevailed for upwards of twenty years, was the occasion of much strife and many jealousies and heart- burnings. Individuals and families, disliking their seat mates, would sometimes absent themselves entirely from meeting, and, in one instance, an individual made an appeal to the town at a regular meeting of the inhabitants, and a vote was passed assign- ing him a given pew. The pews and internal fixtures erected at this time remained in the same state and fashion till 1843.
16[
In the spring of 1819 the town voted, "To sell the pews in the meeting-house," and in this and the following years, a large number of them were sold. Of the avails of this sale of pews, a steeple was built upon the south end of the house and a bell purchased. This was done in 1821-22. The people now for the first time heard the sound of the "church-going bell.
In the early days of the town, perhaps till 1795, it was custo- mary to call the people together on the Sabbath, by blowing a conch. (In 1795, it was voted, "'I'hat the town will not improve anybody to blow the conch as a signal for meeting." The iden- tical shell is now in possession of Porter Wells.) It was blown once an hour before the time of service, and again as the minis- ter was approaching the house. From 1795 to 1822 no public signal was given, the people assembling at their pleasure.
In 1843 the meeting-house was entirely remodeled, but the original frame erected by Master Scott in 1773, being found per- fectly sound, was left unaltered.
After the reunion of the First and Second parishes this house was sold and taken down (1867) and the united congre- gation removed to the house built by the Second parish, stand- ing just south of the old parsonage.
STATISTICS. The original number who subscribed and assented to the covenant of the church was forty-three. The number of person admitted to full membership during Rev. Mr. Wells' pastorate, i. e., up to 1822, was, according to the church records, 374. But as many who were received to "covenant privileges" were accustomed to partake of the sacrament some names were unintentionally omitted from the records, and the actual number in communion is believed to be 488. The total number of members received to church fellowship, from 1771 to 187 1 is 740.
REV. MR. WELLS. In accordance with the customs of the times Mr. Wells managed the affairs of a large and productive farm in connection with his ministerial duties. He was emi- nently successful in both callings. His accounts, often quoted from in these pages, filled a large sized folio of 285 pages. He also acted as conveyancer and counselor in drawing up con- tracts, filling deeds and writing wills. His charge for drawing up a lease or writing a will, was one shilling ; for drawing up a bond, two shillings. After the death of his first wife, in 1796, to whom he was tenderly attached, he suffered for a time from mental depression which amounted to partial insanity. While
162
he was in this state, by advice of the Association a day of fast- ing and prayer was appointed by the church, as it appears, with- out consulting the pastor. It was arranged that Rev. Mr. Tay- lor of Deerfield should preach in the morning, and Rev. Mr. Porter of Ashfield in the afternoon. Mr. Taylor prepared a ser- mon on the subject of mental derangement not expecting that Mr. Wells would attend the meeting. But just before the ser- mon was to commence, he entered the meeting-house and took a seat. The preacher was a good deal disconcerted and begged of Mr. Porter to preach in his stead. But the latter declined and insisted that Mr. Taylor should preach the sermon which he had prepared. It proved to be a wise arrangement. Before this Mr. Wells had not realized his mental condition, but thought that his friends treated him strangely and acted like enemies. Towards the close of the afternoon service, which he also attended, while pondering the question why his friends had thus treated him, he was led to the conclusion that something was wrong in himself, that he was in fact deranged. A reac- tion at once began and his mind recovered its former tone and strength.
Mr. Wells continued to discharge in full the duties of pas- - tor till 1822, a period of fifty years, when the infirmities of age, then apparently about to break down his constitution, induced him and the people to seek a colleague. At the same time he consented to a reduction of one hundred dollars from his yearly salary. After this date, however, he recovered in a measure his strength and would occasionally exercise the functions of his office till near the time of his death.
His last (recorded) public act was the marriage of his granddaughter, Miss Sarah Wells, to Silas Rice 8 November, 1831. The entry of this in the church record in his own hand, now tremulous and uncertain, forms a striking contrast to the plain, bold penmanship of his early prime. He died 8 November, 1834, in the ninety-second year of his age. The sermon at his funeral was preached by Rev. Nathan Perkins of Amherst, who was then the oldest survivor of Mr. Wells' particular associates.
It would be foreign to my purpose to give an extended analysis of the character of Rev. Mr. Wells. Let it suffice to say that he was a man of undoubted piety, his sermons were largely scriptural and practical, rather than doctrinal ; he rebuked and exhorted with all his long-suffering and gentleness. As a
163
preacher he held a respectable rank among his cotemporaries, as a pastor he was pre-eminently a peace-maker, as a man he was very affable and of good social qualities. He made no ene- mies and was kind and faithful to his friends.
In the course of his ministry Mr. Wells married three hun- dred and five couples and administered baptism to nine hundred and fifty-six persons. He wrote about three thousand sermons, a few of which were printed. His last sermon, written probably with no idea that it would be the last, was on Heb. iv. 9: "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God."
But to return to the thread of our narrative. At a town meeting held 21 December, 1821, Capt. Salmon Graves, moder- ator, it was voted, "To give Mr. Lemuel P. Bates (of South- ampton) a call to settle in the gospel ministry as colleague pas- tor with the Rev. Rufus Wells. Voted, "To give Mr. Bates three hundred and fifty dollars salary per year, during Mr. Wells' natural life and four hundred fifty dollars per year dur- ing his ministry with us after the decease of Mr. Wells."
Voted, "To give Mr. Bates five hundred dollars settlement to be paid in three annual instalments, and if he leaves us before the three years are expired he draws only in proportion to the time he preaches with us."
Voted, "That Mr. Bates have the privilege of being dis- missed, by giving the town one year's notice, and the town have the privilege of dismissing Mr. Bates by giving him one year's notice, provided either party holds that mind during the year."
This last vote was the occasion of some distrust on the part of the ordaining council. Dr. Lyman of Hatfield warmly pro- tested against the conditions therein implied, and it was not till the parties concerned declared it was their understanding, "That Mr. Bates could not be dismissed without the advice of an eccle- siastical council," that the council consented to proceed to the examination of the candidate.
Mr. Bates was ordained 13 February, 1822. The order of exercises was as follows: Introductory prayer, Rev. James Taylor of Sunderland; sermon, Rev. Zephaniah Swift Moore, D. D., president of Amherst college ; consecrating prayer, Rev. Dr. Lyman of Hatfield; charge to the pastor, Rev. John Emer- son of Conway ; right hand of fellowship, Rev. Wm. B. Sprague of West Springfield ; charge to the people, Rev. Henry Lord of Williamsburg ; concluding prayer, Rev. Vinson Gould of South- ampton.
164
It is a somewhat remarkable fact that one of the above council, Rev. John Emerson of Conway, was a member of the council which ordained Rev. Mr. Wells, the first pastor of the church fifty years before.
By the terms of his settlement Mr. Bates could claim but three hundred and fifty dollars annual salary, as the senior pas- tor was still living. But in 1828, '29 and '32 the parish (which was organized separate from the town 30 April, 1828,) granted him one hundred dollars additional. He held the office of pastor for the term of ten years and was dismissed 17 October, 1832.
After the dismission of Rev. L. P. Bates the church remained destitute of a pastor for four years. The pulpit was regularly supplied the while by various ministers and candidates, among whom were Rev. Messrs. Packard of Shelburne and Rev. John Eastman.
The third pastor was Rev. John Ferguson of Dunse, Ber- wickshire, Scotland, previously settled in Attleboro. The terms of his settlement were five hundred dollars annual salary, with the condition, "That the existing connection may be dis- solved at the pleasure of either party by an ecclesiastical coun- - cil." He was installed 16 March, 1836, the sermon being preached by Rev. John Todd of Pittsfield. Mr. Ferguson was dismissed 17 June, 1840.
The church now continued without a settled ministry five years. The pulpit was supplied during the interim by Rev. Moses Chase, Rev. Sumner Lincoln, Mr. Porter H. Snow, Mr. John W. Salter and the faculty of Amherst college. Mr. Salter was invited to settle 17 February, 1843. Mr. Snow was invited 10 April, 1845, but both declined.
The fourth pastor was Rev. J. H. Temple of Framingham, who was ordained 30 September, 1845, the Rev. Joel Hawes, D. D. of Hartford, Conn., preaching the sermon. The terms of his settlement were "Five hundred dollars a year as a salary as long as he is our minister, with liberty to take a vacation of three Sabbaths a year; that when either party becomes dis- satisfied, one month's notice shall be given, and this contract shall end and the connection be dissolved in the usual way." Mr. Temple was dismissed 24 March, 1852.
The fifth pastor was Rev. Charles N. Seymour of Hartford, Conn., who was installed 9 March, 1853. The sermon was preached by Rev. Nahum Gale, professor in the Theological
165
seminary at East Windsor Hill, Conn. He was dismissed 27 April, 1859.
The sixth pastor was Rev. John W. Lane of South New- market. N. H., who was ordained 17 October, 1860. Professor Austin Phelps, D. D., of Andover Theological seminary preached the sermon, and W. A. Stearns, D. D., president of Amherst college, made the ordaining prayer. Mr. Lane's salary was fixed at eight hundred dollars a year. In the century since its organization the church has had a settled pastorate for eighty- nine years.
COMMUNION FURNITURE. The two flagons and the two tankards were purchased in 1797 from funds bequeathed to the church by Deacon Obadiah Dickinson of Hatfield. The two silver cups and four tumblers were presented to the church in 1822 by Messrs. Francis, Reuben and Aaron Belden. The sil- ver baptismal basin was presented by Miss Judith White. In 1865 two silver plated plates were purchased.
SINGING. Choristers, "To set the psalms in meeting," were chosen by the church till 1821 when they were elected by the choir. The persons first chosen by the church, 16 Oct., 1771, were : John Waite, Jr., John Graves and Elihu Graves. Those chosen by the choir in 1821 were R. B. Harwood and Luther Warner.
In 1798 the town voted, "Twenty dollars to revive singing in the town : That four pounds of it be laid out in the east part of the town for the above purpose, and forty shillings be laid out in the west part to support a ciphering school or a singing school, as the inhabitants of that part shall decide, both schools to be free for all parts of the town and be under the direction of the selectmen."
SABBATH SCHOOL. It is believed that the first effort to gather children into classes on the Sabbath for religious instruc- tion in Whately was made by Misses Chloe Adkins and Ruth Dickinson. This was probably in the year 1820. The children learned verses of Scripture and hymns of their own selection. Mr. Wells was accustomed to go into the centre school on Sat- urday to see if the children had selected and committed to mem- ory the lesson for the next day. No regular school was organ- ized till after the settlement of Mr. Bates-perhaps not till 1826.
The early teachers, besides the two already named, were Lucinda Bates, Ann Edwards, Harriet Frary, Lydia Allis, Dea.
166
James Smith, Dea. Justus White, Spencer Bardwell, Luther Warner, John White. One of the deacons was probably the first superintendent. For a number of years after its organiza- tion the school drew in most of the children and many of the older church members, who formed adult classes for the study of the Bible.
CLERGYMEN WHO ORIGINATED IN WHATELY.
Alvan Sanderson, born 13 December, 1780, son of Thomas and Lucy Sanderson ; graduated at Williams college 1802 ; stud- ied theology with Rev. Dr. Hyde of Lee and Rev. Dr. Lyman of Hatfield ; licensed by Berkshire association 17 October, 1804 ; ordained an evangelist at Westhampton 4 Feb., 1807, (sermon by Rev. Rufus Wells) ; installed colleague with Rev. Nehemiah Porter, Ashfield, 22 June, 1808, died 22 June, 1817.
Pomeroy Belden, born 15 March, 1811, son of Aaron and Sarah Belden; graduated at Amherst college in 1833; Andover Theological seminary 1836; ordained an evangelist at Warwick 8 August, 1837; preached as stated supply at Deerfield from 1837 to 1842 ; installed in Amherst, East Parish, 14 September, 1842 ; died 2 March, 1849.
Alonzo Sanderson, born 24 June, 1808, son of Joseph and Content Sanderson ; graduated at Amherst college in 1834; An- dover Theological seminary in 1837; ordained at Ludlow in January 1839; installed at Tolland 12 July, 1843; installed at Wellington, Ohio, I March, 1854. Mr. Sanderson was born in Bernardston, but regarded Whately as his ancestral home.
William Bardwell, born 13 October, 1813, son of Orange and Euphame Bardwell ; studied at Wesleyan university, Middle- town, Conn .; ordained by Methodist conference May, 1846; died at Northampton 1851.
Perez Chapin, born 29 April, 1783, son of Perez (M. D.) and Elizabeth Chapin; graduated at Middlebury college 1808; studied theology with Rev. Abijah Wines, Newport, N. H. ; licensed in Cornish, N. H., March, 1810; ordained at Pownal, Me., 20 March, 1811 ; died 27 January, 1839. He was a "Model of a minister of Jesus Christ."
Lucius W. Chapman, born 7 January, 1820, son of Isaac and Hannah Chapman; studied at Shelburne Falls academy ; licensed in Westmoreland county, Pa., 5 February, 1842, and ordained as a Baptist minister in Jefferson county, Pa., 14 Octo- ber, 1842 ; became a Presbyterian and was installed pastor of
.
167
the Presbyterian church at Lycoming Centre, November, 1849; residence in 1854 Munroetown, Pa.
Rufus Porter Wells, born 4 February, 1818, son of Thomas and Mary Wells; graduated at Amherst college in 1842 ; gradu- ated at Union Theological seminary, New York, 1845; licensed by Third Presbytery of New York 18 April, 1845 ; ordained an evangelist in Jonesboro, E. Tenn., by the Holston Presbytery 26 September, 1846; installed at Jonesboro 17 August, 1850. When the civil war broke out in 1861 Mr. Wells declined to pray for the success of the new confederacy and lost the sympa- thy of a large portion of his church; and rather than suffer con- fiscation and imprisonment with other Union men, after long and perplexing delays and a journey with his family to Richmond and back, he procured a pass and went through the lines by way of Murfreesboro, Lebanon and Gallatin, Tenn., crossing the Cumberland river in a canoe 27 November, 1862. He preached to the United Presbyterian and Congregational churches of ยท Prairie du Sac, Wis., till March, 1864, then one year to the Second Presbyterian church of Thorntown and the Bethel Pres- byterian church of Boone county, Ind. He spent the year 1865 in labors with the Second Presbyterian church of Knoxville, Tenn. In April, 1866, he commenced gathering a Congrega- tional church at Gilbertsville in the town of Hardwick. The church was organized 7 March, 1867, with thirty-eight members and increased to fifty-three. He left Gilbertsville December, 1868; was installed pastor of the Congregational church at Southampton 5 January, 1869.
George R. Ferguson, born in Attleboro 19 March, 1829, son of Rev. John and Margaret S. Ferguson; graduated at Am- herst college 1849; studied at Andover Theological seminary 1858-59; licensed by Franklin County association July 1858; acting pastor at Northeast, Dutchess county, N. Y., for many years.
Horace B. Chapin, who was installed colleague with Rev. Enoch Hale of Westhampton 8 July, 1829, dismissed I May, 1837 ; installed at Danville, Me., 24 July, 1839, was son of Dr. Perez and Elizabeth Chapin of Whately, but was born after his parents removed to Benson, Vt.
The church was instituted 21 August, 1771.
These may certify that the following named persons, viz .: Salmon White, Simeon Waite, John Waite, Richard Chauncey, Nathan Graves, David Scott, Thomas Crafts, Daniel Morton,
168
Israel Graves, Benjamin Smith, Philip Smith, Elisha Frary, Joshua Belding, John Waite, Jr., David Graves, Jr., Elisha Belding, Oliver Graves are members of the church of Christ in Hatfield in regular standing, and as such are recommended to be embodied in a church state among themselves.
By vote of the church,
OBA. DICKINSON.
Hatfield, 19 Aug., 1771.
In addition to these, the following persons consented to the covenant and were embodied into church state, viz .: Ebenezer Bardwell, Elizabeth Bardwell, Elizabeth Belden, Submit Scott, Abigail Smith, Martha Waite, Eunice Graves, Mary White, Ruth Belden, Mary Waite, Abigail Crafts, Lydia Stiles, Ruth Stiles, Sarah Smith, Sarah Smith, Jr., Abigail Graves, Jemima Scott, Abigail Scott, Anna Belden, Margaret Belden, Sarah Wells, Eleanor Morton, Miriam Frary, Elizabeth Chauncey, Abigail Smith and George Prutt. The latter was a slave be- longing to Richard Chauncey and died 18 Sept., 1794, 75 years of age.
Of the above Elizabeth Belden was the wife of Paul, Mar- tha Waite wife of Dea. Simeon, Ruth Belden wife of Dea. Elisha, Mary Waite wife of John, Jr., Abigail Crafts wife of Benoni, Margaret Belden wife of Joseph, Sarah Wells mother of Rev. Rufus, Eleanor Morton wife of Daniel, Abigail Smith wife of Jonathan, Elizabeth Belden wife of Paul and a daughter of Lieut. Ebenezer Bardwell.
There were eighteen males including George Prutt. a pious old slave of Richard Chauncey, and Lieut. Ebenezer Bardwell who seems to have been admitted at the same time, thus increas- ing the number to nineteen male members and twenty-four females, in all forty-three.
To this number was speedily added quite a number of both sexes. Great efforts were made to sustain the preached word for quite a time and quite through the war of the Revolution, the efforts of the people to maintain their meetings. though pinched for the want of ready money, foregoing school as well as dispensing with everything that was deemed a luxury, but which would now be regarded as absolute necessities.
Money raised for the support of the public schools was used to pay Mr. Wells' salary, as well as seventy pounds raised by a tax levy voted at the March meeting in 1788, five years after the close
169
of the Revolutionary war. This was raised to repair the meet- ing-house. This, too, was paid to Mr. Wells.
Mr. Temple well observes, "That Mr .. Wells managed the affairs of a large and productive farm in connection with his ministerial duties." He was eminently successful in both call- ings. He was not personally required to pay a tax on his nice farm. He was an excellent accountant and seemed determined that his book should balance without any loss to himself.
The confession of faith and the covenant are in the usual form in the Congregational denomination. The ordination of Mr. Wells was in the usual form, thirteen churches of the neigh- borhood being invited as a council. They met "And set apart Mr. Rufus Wells to the work of the ministry, being made an overseer of the church or flock of Christ in Whately by the lay- ing on of the hands of the Presbytery, 25 Sept ., 1771." The ser- vices were held under the shade of two large oaks, on the west side of the street, near the residence of the late Dr. Myron Har- wood. The sermon was by Rev. Jonathan Ashley of Deerfield, I Timothy, iv: 6.
The halfway covenant prevailed for many years that per- sons not of scandalous character, could solemnly confess the covenant. This permitted such persons to have their children baptized. It was deemed efficacious in case of the death of the child in infancy, as only such could be saved. This was changed in 1816, and only full fledged church members were accorded the right to have their children baptized.
When one reflects for a moment he finds who among our people was so aggrieved that he could not endure the "grief and offense" that the church should continue the practice of baptiz- ing the children of such persons, and asks, who was Joel Waite? Why a man who sold rum for years at his hotel in the Straits. How often it is that men of this class are very ostentatious in their professions of possessing sensibilities.
At the time of the ordination of Mr. Wells, Capt. Salmon White provided for the council. His house was nearly a mile from the place where the ceremony was performed. And we who live in a different environment are led to wonder at the unusual trouble they took to go so far. Then there were but two houses between the house of Capt. White and the place where the meeting was held, and probably both were small and inconvenient for such a council to convene in. I have often tried to picture that gathering of our grandsires and great-
170
grandsires, with their wives and children, all intent upon per- forming this most important step in building a foundation for our new town, filled. with pious zeal and anxious that this im- portant work should be done well and properly. And with what satisfaction, not to say exultation, they clung to the young man who had cast his lot with them and was, this beautiful autumnal day, made their minister, their friend and guide.
This was the culmination of all their aspirations. They had settled on their farms and had labored and hoped aye, prayed, Oh! how earnestly, for the time when they could wor- ship their God in their own little town. And now looking back upon their efforts to progress to higher and better conditions, we should be ingrates did we not regard their labors with pride and gratification, that they so boldly worked for the upbuilding of religion, of good morals in the community, for without such a foundation to build upon, their organization as a town would have lost its best, its crowning glory.
The next thing was to have a meeting-house. As Mr. Temple has so eloquently told the story of the town's struggles to surmount the various obstacles that for years compelled them to worship in a building not as good as the ordinary barn of to- day, I will only add that my hearty respect for the pluck and endurance of our grandsires can only make me wish that their descendants were equally meritorious.
When the bell was purchased, late in the fall of 1821, the writer was in his fifth year and well recollects hearing it rung when it was swung up on the south plate of Capt. Salmon Graves' woodshed, and it was rung amid the cheers of hosts of men and women, as well as of a crowd of girls and boys. This was on Thursday and it was rung by Mr. Simeon Reed, and that evening the first curfew was rung.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.