USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Mattapoisett > Mattapoisett and Old Rochester, Massachusetts : being a history of these towns and also in part of Marion and a portion of Wareham. > Part 15
USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Rochester > Mattapoisett and Old Rochester, Massachusetts : being a history of these towns and also in part of Marion and a portion of Wareham. > Part 15
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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
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a deeper sense of the importance and privilege of infant baptism than he had. He was a man of great liberality of feeling. Among his people he was a peacemaker. Such was the efficacy of his own example in this respect and the affectionate earnestness of his solicitude that he could hardly fail to prevent contention, or to reconcile such as were alienated. In this connection I would add that he has been greatly improved in Ecclesiastical Coun- cils and highly useful in preventing and healing divisions in churches. In his social character, Mr. LeBaron possessed a very happy talent in conversation; always cheerful he was interesting to every one and his conversa- sation was seldom other than profitable. In the war of the Revolution he fully shared in the dangers, the toils and privations of his people. His known character abroad was often useful in enabling them to procure necessary supplies. Our lamented friend has been favored with an uncommon degree of health during his long ministry, regularly performing his pastoral duties and seldom absent from home."
A number of the "old minister's" sermons are in the possession of the writer, and they indicate clearly that he was familiar with shorthand, and inserted sections of it everywhere in his sentences. It also appears that paper was a scarce and valuable commodity. One sermon is written on the wide margin of a Thanksgiving proclama- tion, another on the back of a letter received from Valley Forge; all are of four-page length, the pages averaging about 32 by 22 inches in size, with a neat margin at the left in which the text reference and dates of preaching are inserted. From these minute manuscripts, however, the preacher, as Wilson Barstow wrote, "occupied the time,"
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and another of that generation used to say that in his youth he never acquired the proper meaning of the word "finally," for Minister LeBaron having passed by his "fourteenthly" or "fifteenthly" used to then have a "lastly," a "finally," and a "to conclude," and the "to conclude " was longer than all that had gone before.
Of the church during this long pastorate, one genera- tion had passed on and another had become active. Dea- cons Constant Dexter, Ezekiel Clark, Timothy West, Elihu Shearman, and Thomas Tobey had died; and Isaac Bowles, Nathan Cannon, Amittai B. Hammond, and Nathaniel A. Crosby stood in their places. The com- munity had grown and the church increased in numbers, even after the establishment of other denominations. Those who were carried away by Elder Hix's itinerant preaching had, however, to be reclaimed and dealt with. As early as July 23, 1773, "The Chh met to consider what was dutiful to be done with John Curby, Widow Lydia Bowles, Abigail Southworth, Mary Bowles, and Lydia Cushing, who have for some time absented themselves from our communion, being inclined to the Antipedo- baptist sect." and Elder Barlow and sundry brethren were appointed to confer with them. Nathaniel Hammond, who was baptized by Elder Hix the first Sabbath of Sep- tember, 1793, began in January following to receive delegations of Orthodox brethren, followed by letters of admonition, until in July, 1784, he was cut off from com- munion "for his Instability in the Christian Profession." Gideon Dexter, Alden Dexter, and Thomas Dexter later became unstable, and in 1809, Philip Atsatt having gone over to the Baptists was considered "a covenant breaker and no longer a member of this church."
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Those who sought membership were encouraged, as in 1774 Enoch Hammond and Solomon Young were named to see Theophulus Pease Jun., who " had applyed for ad- mittance but was discouraged by hearing that there would be Objections laid in against him." A certain Mr. and Mrs. Hammond "perpetually were quarrelling, he abus- ing her shamefully with his tongue," and this domestic affliction had the church's attention for some years. A few cases of unchastity had to be dealt with. Of the " blacks" in the catalogue of members of 1772, Tom, who dwelt with Noah Hammond, was the only one blameless in this respect. In 1782 complaint was brought against one Dexter, "for cruelly scourging a little boy who lived with him, and that on the Lords Day." " The offender condemning his conduct and expressing his sorrow for it, the Chh voted to restore him to former Charity." Nine years later it is recorded: "Voted the acceptance of sd Dexter's confession which he offered to the Chh for his Intemperance, but poor man, 2 Pet. ii. 22." This refer- ance was, from a different appearance of the ink, ap- parently added later. Perhaps on September 28, 1808, when after much consideration and investigation it being shown that "he still continued to indulge himself in the sin of Drunkunness, voted unanimously that he be unto us as an heathen man and a publican, agreeable to the direction of our Lord Jesus Christ, Mat. 18, 17 and that a coppy of sd Vote be sent to said Dexter. N.B. a coppy was sent." There were other cases of intemperance, but on the whole the instances of discipline are rather few for the long period the records cover.
Meanwhile, successive committees made the rates or solicited funds by way of contribution. Lieut. Dominicus
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Hovey and his successors "kept the meeting-house and swept it twelve times the year Insuing, for 15 shilling," or later on, some, as John Lincoln, Wilbur Southworth, Elijah Clark and Nathan Bessey, agreed to "Ceep the House" each three months. In 1773 the church had " desired Benjamin Hatch, Saml Jenney, Timothy West, Elihu Shearman, Saml. Eldredge & Gideon Hammond to sit in fourth seat in the meeting-house and lead the Church and Congregation in singing Gods praises." In 1781 the precinct voted "For the accommodation of those that lead in singing the use of the two hind seats in the body seats, on the lower flower, both on the mens and Womans Sides, So long as the present method of Singing by Select numbers shall continue. And the said singers may erect doors at the entrances of Said Seets at their own Cost, if they think proper, but not to raise the lower flower higher than it now is."
As to music in this old church, "W" commented as follows in the Enterprise:
"No instruments of music were tolerated in church service. Some were opposed to singing except by the saints. Total depravity couldn't sing praises. Seth Barlow, senior, was very pious at that time, having been converted as he said by Elder Hix. (The Elder said it looked like his work.) He, Seth, could bear no instrument of music, not even a pitch pipe to pitch the tune. On hearing the sound of the pipe, which was some- thing like a graduation between a squeak and a schream, Seth left the church in high dudgeon. The next day Seth asked Noah Hammond how he thought they cast out devils in the old times. 'With a pitch pipe,' says Noah."
The great gale of 1815 1 made some new provision for a
1 "Saturday, Sept. 23rd. - The gale commenced early in the morn- ing and continued with increasing violence until near 12 o'clock.
"At Rochester we are informed the damage done was considerable,
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meeting-house necessary, and the growth of "the shore," due to whaling and ship-building, made it inadvisable to restore the structure on the hill. Deacon Bowles, Capt. Gideon Hammond and Noah Hammond, having been appointed to provide a temporary place of worship, re- ported October 30, "They had agreed for the schoolhouse at the shore for thirty cents per Sabbath when it was occupied by Mr. LeBaron's People, the Precinct to pre- pair the Hous for meeting, & the Hous on Monday mornings to be put in order for Schooles," to which latter duty Gideon Barstow, Jr., was appointed to find some person. March 9, 1816, Precinct meeting was warned to be in this "Olive Branch Schoolhouse" (which is the present "Goodspeed Memorial," then standing at the southwest corner of Church and Pearl Streets) and here the precinct managed its affairs and worshiped until the new meeting-house at "the green " (now occupied as the Grange Hall) was ready.
At first it had been voted "to give Deac'n Tobey $25 for ¿ acre and that the meeting-hous should be Sot on the N. W. Corner of his homestead " (which would have lo- cated it near the Lobdell house), and that it "should be Near the moddle that Thomas Snow presented." Very soon, however, they reconsidered both the site and the "moddle," and appointed William Moore, John A. LeBaron and Joseph Meigs, "to devise a plan for defray-
the salt works belonging to Messrs. Clapp, Nye, Handy, and others with about 3000 bushels of salt were all destroyed. Several vessels were driven on the wharves at Sippican Harbour, and at Mattapoisett 3 or 4 large vessels building on the stocks were driven into the street. The rope walk at that place is all carried away by the tide, the Rev. Mr. LeBaron's meeting-house unroofed, and several other buildings dam- aged." - New Bedford Mercury, Sept. 29, 1815.
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MATTAPOISETT ACADEMY Built as the Third Meeting-house of the Second Precinct in 1816 After 1870 the Barstow School
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ing the cost, etc." It was arranged by a sale of shares in the meeting-house, and January 31, 1816, agreement was made to purchase the lot of, one third acre, from Joseph Meigs for $50, and February 3rd contract was made with Israel Richmond and Calvin Shaw "to build and finish the house in manner and form to that at Titicut, North Middleborough," (which had been erected in 1808) for $1100. Jonathan Kinney agreed "to lath and plaster for $100, he finding and tending himself." William Ben- nett (?) of Bedford was to glaze it, " he finding glass at $14 the Box, and to have 3d. a payn for setting," and Abel House had $2 for drawing down four loads of stone from the old meeting-house, which Thomas Snow had previously agreed to take down, saving the stuff in good order and drawing and straightening the nails for $45.
This third meeting-house had a spire and a wide, straight platform across the front. The projection to the south and the existing belfry date from the time it was remodeled for the use of Mattapoisett Academy. Many now living recall the interior with its high pulpit, square pews, and gallery on three sides. It was evidently easier to care for than the old building. The task of keeping it was struck off to the lowest bidder, and George Denham secured the plum for $2.90 per year, agreeing that "the house be swept 6 times in the year." Later John A. LeBaron agreed to sweep it nine times in the year and was paid $3. In 1828 the job included "Keeping the key and making the fires," and Leonard Hammond under- took the task at $2.75. And thus, after ninety-two years of records, is the first mention made of any heat in the meeting-house. This people sat longer in the cold than they had been warmed since.
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The "Wretched boys," as some records term them, seemed to have required little attention at Mattapoisett. They are first mentioned when in 1740 Gideon South- worth " was chosen to have the oversight of the youth in the meeting-house on the Sabbath Day," and are not again alluded to until in 1826, when the precinct " Chose Nathan- iel Harlow, warden to see to the Boys and girls in the meetinghouse and that there be no behaviour unbecoming the Solemnities of Divine Worship; " and, evidently to give him the best range of observation, directed, "that he have the use of the middle pew in the front gallery next the window."
In 1826 Mr. LeBaron, then in his eightieth year, went to the precinct committee and stated he was "very desirous that a Gospel Minister be settled in the Precinct in his day, and that he would relinquish all demands for pecuniary support being considered the senior pastor of the Church." Amittai B. Hammond, Eliakim Cannon, Abel Hows, Capt. Andrew Southworth, Wilson Barstow, Esq., and Mr. Abisha Rogers "were appointed to provide a candidate, and on December 12th and 13th of that year a council or- dained and installed Rev. Asahel Cobb as colleague pastor. He was the son of John and Anna Cobb of Abington. Dr. Robbins says of him: "He continued in the ministry here three years and a half, and his labors were blessed with a pleasing revival of religion." His salary had been fixed at $400, six cords of wood, and the improvement of the salt meadow. In April, 1829, Messrs. Eleazer Waterman, Ebenezer Cannon, and Calvin C. Cannon called on Mr. Cobb to say that his salary there- after would be $50 less, whereat he gave three months' notice and sought another field for his labors, locating
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first at Sandwich and later with the First Church of New Bedford at Acushnet. He married May 21, 1834, Helen M. Hamblin, and had seven children.1 He died in 1876 and is interred at Sandwich.
As to how the pulpit was supplied following Mr. Cobb, the best information is from a scrap of paper found in Minister LeBaron's portfolio. It reads:
"1830, Nov. 9, Mrs. LeBaron died.
1831, Mar. 3, Mr. Clark here.
May 6, ditto.
July 6, Wm. (his son) taken sick ague fit.
Aug. 2, Wm. very sick,
12, Wm. died - Mr. Clark preacher on the occasion of Wm. death, 1 Cor. v. 55.
Sept. 10, Mr. Clark leaves us.
25, Thos. Robbins preached first sermon.
Oct. 2, Mr. Robbins left us. 21, Mr. Robbins arrived."
The precinct records simply state that "Mr. Clark would stay for a season for $450 per year." Whence he came or whither he went does not appear.
Thomas Robbins, above mentioned, was the nephew of Minister LeBaron, being the ninth child of Elizabeth the daughter of Dr. Lazarus LeBaron and her husband, Rev. Ammi Ruhamah Robbins, who was settled over the church in Norfolk, Conn., for fifty-two years prior to his death in 1813. There Thomas Robbins was born August 11, 1777. He was fitted for college in his own home and at the age of fifteen was entered at Yale. His father was an early trustee of Williams College, and arranged that his son should take his senior year there and also be gradu- ated at Yale. So that Thomas Robbins has the perhaps
1 Of whom were Wendell Cobb, Esq., the well-known lawyer, late of New Bedford, and Mr. George A. Cobb, now living at Lunds Corner.
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unique distinction of having his name stand as an alumnus on the general catalogues of both colleges, for the year 1796. On January of that year, while at Williams, he began his diary, which he continued up to 1854. He occupied himself prior to 1803 in teaching, in fitting for the ministry, and in preaching in various Connecticut towns. In 1803 he went, in the service of the Connecticut Missionary Society, to the new settlement on the Western Reserve, Ohio. From this service he returned in 1806 seriously broken in health. He began preaching again in 1808 at East Windsor, Conn., continuing there until 1827. For a year and a half he was settled at Stratford, Conn. He accepted a call and continued with the church at Mattapoisett from 1832 to 1844, being sole pastor after Mr. LeBaron's death in 1836.
Mr. Robbins never was married. He was fifty-four years old when, in response to the request of this people, having deferred departure to attend the ¢BK meeting and dinner of Yale, he started from Stratford Saturday, September 17, 1831, for his long ride. He complained that his horse traveled heavily, but the following Thurs- day he arrived in town, and his "Uncle LeBaron having left his own house to reside with his daughter Meyhew," he put up with family of his cousin William, lately de- ceased. The following morning he "looked at a fine ship on the stocks," and remarked that the village had increased very much since he was here in 1824. He states in his diary also that "there is a noisy three days' meeting here of the Free Will Baptists." On Sabbath he spoke twice at the meeting-house to a congregation which he thought to be rather small but to appear well, and in the evening preached at a private house. He
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went back again to Connecticut to prepare his things for removal, returning October 21, in time to see a fine, large ship launched the following morning. He preached the three usual times on the 23d, accepted Capt. Seth Free- man's invitation to board at his house, moved thither on Monday, and on Tuesday rode in the stage to Wareham to meet with the Old Colony Association of Ministers. He took pains to call on the widow of Rev. Noble Everett and returned to Mattapoisett Thursday in time to attend the funeral of a child, who died of the canker rash; thus beginning the record of infant mortality which contin- ued throughout his pastorate. The following week he preached at the ordination of Rev. Samuel Utley at North Rochester. Two weeks later he presided at the eccle- siastical council which ratified the separation of the Pacific (Trinitarian) church from Mr. Holmes's parish in New Bedford, and again six months later he preached the sermon for the dedication of the meeting-house of that new congregation. Like minister LeBaron he was "much improved in ecclesiastical Councils."
February 22, 1832, he was in Boston, where was observed the Centennial celebration of Washington's Birthday. "Great firing and ringing of bells. At the State House heard a good oration of one hundred fifteen minutes. The prayers were poor. Attended a splendid Dinner given in Faneuil Hall to about six hundred guests." He tarried with his cousin Dr. Chandler Robbins, and re- ceived, as he says, polite treatment on going into the House of Representatives the following morning. He came home with a new kind of purchase, a "sharp metallic pen." He was in Boston again in May for the Ministerial Convention, and tarrying the night at the stage-house for
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an early call, he rode through to Mattapoisett in the day; "much fatigued," however. He spent some days in Plymouth, and made another visit back to Connecticut before his installation which occurred October 17, 1832. "This day being appointed," wrote Mr. LeBaron in "The Church's Book," "agreeably to a preceding agreement of the Church and Precinct for the Instalment of Rev. Thomas Robbins, the Council consisting of the Ministers and Delegates of the Churches of the Old Colony Asso- ciation met at the house of John A. LeBaron,1 and after forming themselves into a Council and offering up prayer to Almighty God for his blessing and assigning to each one his part in the transaction, proceeded to the meeting- house where in a very solemn manner Rev. Mr. Robbins was installed as Minister of the Second Precinct, and . Pastor of the Second Church of Christ in Rochester, and every part was performed greatly to the acceptance of the audience and it is believed acceptable to God, and we most earnestly pray that the blessing of God may accom- pany the ministry of his servant. N.B. Introductory prayer by P. G. Seabury, Sermon by S. Holmes, installing prayer by J. Bigelow, Charge by Oliver Cobb, Right Hand by Wm. Gould. Address to the People by Samuel Nott."
The diary entry that day reads: "I was solemnly in- stalled the collegiate pastor of this people. All things appear favorably. All proceedings have been unani- mous. Mr. Holmes preached well on Isa. xxiv. 2. The meeting-house was very full and the singing fine. At evening we had a public temperance meeting. Mr. Gould delivered a good address. Fine weather." Prob- 1 Being that of the late Col. Geo. M. Barnard, Jr.
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ably the bell rope was lustily pulled that day, for it was an important occasion, and the church bell was a new thing and the first in town. Until August, 1832, in Mattapoisett precinct no pealing call had ever broken the stillness of the Sabbath morn. While the clergy had thus been busy at "the Green" with solemn ceremony, launching the new colleague into his work, around the shore, as usual, had re-echoed the sound of the mallet, the hammer and the saw, and just a week later "a fine live oak ship, over 400 tons," was let down off the stocks into the harbor.
Before the month was out, Mr. Robbins moved down from Captain Freeman's with his two wagon-loads of effects to Nathan Crosby's, - which is at present the house of Bruce F. Shaw, on the east side of North Street. He had his chambers on the north side of the house, and here was his home throughout his stay in Mattapoisett. The old minister's grandson, Lemuel, made him a new pine bookcase, which he said was very good work, but not large enough for all his periodicals; and here, having settled his library, which then consisted of well above a thousand volumes, he called in "Uncle LeBaron" and other relatives and friends, who "much admired his chambers, Mbrary, etc." He himself said they were "good chambers but difficult to keep comfortable." In his accounts is an item of $3.50 for a new-fashioned warm- ing pan which he very suggestively presented to his land- lady. Sometimes even the ink froze in spite of his great stove, with its "duck floor cloth" beneath it, and the plentiful use of wood. To help prepare his fuel, took much of his time. Very often he writes, "Worked at my wood." Sometimes he carried up "thirty armfuls, twenty-
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five before noon," and we can seem to see the frail figure in knee-breeches, toiling, heavily laden, up the long flight of outside stairs which, until quite recently, connected those chambers of his with the middle of the yard below.
He continued to wear "small clothes " as long as he lived, although the rest of the world had adopted panta- loons a good while before. Most who now remember Dr. Robbins says that he was the only person they ever saw who dressed in knee breeches. Once he wrote after a day of shopping, "I have difficulty in finding necker- chefs such as I wear." For a hat he paid $6, and for "new boots made for me of the best kind $10." Con- sidering that he was particular for nice apparel, his diary contains remarkably few references to clothes. Novem- ber 14 of one year, he writes, "Yesterday put on my flan- nel," and the following June 15, "Took off my flannel;" with nothing recorded as to the time between. One year, on the 26th of May, there is this pathetic entry: "Am not able to get off my flannel."
The good man not only felt that the dignity of his position demanded a good appearance, but he also had a high sense of the respect due to the cloth. Little boys whom he met on the street were expected to remove their caps, and girls to politely curtsey. Having thus shown their good breeding, the children found no one who took more notice of them or who was more heartily interested in their welfare. He laid in especial supplies of figs and sweet crackers in anticipation of their calls to wish him "A Happy Independence." Girls used to help him dust his books, and he loaned to them suitable volumes. One of these girls was Wilson Barstow's daughter, Elizabeth, who later became the wife of Richard Henry Stoddard.
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Dr. Robbins says in his diary of June 8, 1833, "Received a present of a valuable box from young Elizabeth Bar- stow."
It is interesting to quote in this connection what Mr. Stoddard in his "Recollections" says of this early friend- ship:
"She had one friend however, a notable man in his way, though he was only the minister of Mattapoisett, where he was considered a queer old fellow. This was the Rev. Thomas Robbins, who was known to antiquarians as the author of "An Historical Survey of the First Planters of New England" and of several sermons preached on special occasions. He took a fancy to Elizabeth Barstow when she was a child, and gave her the range of his library which was a large one for a country minister to have, and which consisted chiefly of the classic works of the eighteenth century.
"She read Addison, Steele, and Dr. Johnson, the Tattler, The Rambler, the Spectator, the delectable writings of Fielding, Richardson, Smollett and Sterne, -- 'Tristam Shandy,' 'Pere- grine Pickle,' 'Pamela,' and 'Tom Jones.' She read 'Sully's Memoirs' and the comedies of Sheridan, and if the comedies of Vanburgh and Congreve were there (but it is to be hoped not) she read those too. She read hundreds, thousands of volumes in the good doctor's library, which was to her a liberal educa- tion, and indeed, the only education she ever had."
Of this library, John Warner Barber, - who on July 2, 1832, had walked about the town with Dr. Robbins, - said in his Massachusetts Historical Collections: "Rev. Thomas Robbins, D.D., the successor of Mr. LeBaron, possesses, it is believed, the most valuable private library in the State. It consists of about 3000 volumes, of which more than 300 are folios. The principal sub- jects on which these volumes treat are theology and his- tory, and many of them are quite ancient. In this col- lection there are 4000 pamphlets some of which are very
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