USA > Massachusetts > Norfolk County > Dover > Narrative history : a history of Dover, Massachusetts, as a precinct, parish, district, and town > Part 3
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Nathaniel Chickering became a deacon in the church at South Natick, Joshua Ellis at Needham, while Na- thaniel Wilson held the same office in the church at Dedham. Neither the petition to the town of Dedham nor that made to the General Court has been preserved, consequently it is impossible to give a complete list of early inhabitants ; but it is evident from the apportion- ment made by the General Court that there were thirty- three ' families in 1729. Fortunately we have the first tax-list of the Springfield Precinct, which was made in May, 1732, the names on it probably not differing very much from those signed to the petition four years
I The Wilson family attended church at Dedham.
26
HISTORY OF DOVER
previous to be made a precinct, except it may contain the names of some non-residents. The tax-list is as follows : -
Aaron Allen. Widow Jonathan Gay. Thomas Mason.
Benjamin Allen.
Abraham Harding. David Morse.
Eleazer Allen.
Ebenezer Knapp.
Nathaniel Morse.
Hezekiah Allen.
Samuel Leach.
Mattis Ockinson.
Moses Allen.
Joseph Merrifield.
Jonathan Plimpton.
Jonathan Battle.
Nathaniel Bullard.
Ebenezer Robinson. John Rice.
Jonathan Battle, Jr.
John Bullin.
Nathaniel Battle.
Eliphalet Chickering.
Ephraim Ware, Jr.
Widow Battle.
Nathaniel Chickering. Jonathan Whiting.
John Bacon.
Samuel Chickering.
David Wight. Ebenezer Mason.
John Bullard.
John Draper, Jr.
Jonathan Mason.
Jonathan Bullard. Joseph Draper.
Seth Mason.
Jonathan Ellis. Ralph Day.
Seth Mason, Jr.
James Ellis. Benjamin Ellis. Ephraim Wight.
John Fisher.
Caleb Ellis.
Samuel Wight.
Joshua Fisher.
Eleazer Ellis.
Nathaniel Wilson.
Michael Bacon.
John Draper.
For twenty years the people were content to worship in other towns, but it was the earnest desire of most of them to have a meeting-house of their own and to settle a minister.
In 1747 the residents renewed their appeal to the General Court to be made a distinct precinct, but their efforts met with opposition from some of those who attended church at Medfield and South Natick. The following persons persisted in their opposition, and sent a petition in remonstrance to the General Court in April, 1748 : Michael Bacon, Nathaniel Battle, Eleazer Allen, Aaron Allen, Josiah Fisher, Ephraim Bacon, John Jones, Eleazer Allen, Jr., and Timothy Guy.
27
THE BEGINNING OF PARISH LIFE
Later in the year 1748, having won some over from the opposition, they renewed their appeal to the General Court in the following petition : -
To his Excellency, William Shirley, Esq., General and Governor- in-chief in and over his Majesty's Province of Massachusetts Bay in New England ; to the Honorable his Majesty's Coun- cil and House of Representatives, now sitting, April 5, 1748 :
The petition of the westerly part of Dedham humbly showeth
That, whereas your petitioners presented a petition at a legal town meeting in Dedham, March 3, 1728, praying that we and our estates might be set off into a distinct precinct with the fol- lowing bounds,- namely, beginning at Bubbling Brook, where it crosses Medfield road, and from thence taking in the lands of Samuel Chickering, and from thence to the westerly end of Na- thaniel Richards's house lot and so down to Charles River, with all the lands and inhabitants westerly of said line, which was granted and voted at said meeting November 19, 1729,-
We presented a petition to the Great and General Court, pray- ing to be set off and be made a distinct precinct with the above mentioned bounds. Said petition was committed to a committee, who reported that we with our estates should be freed from pay- ing to the minister rate of Dedham during the pleasure of the Honorable Court, and ordered us to pay our ministerial taxes to the several ministers of the other towns where we attended public worship. And said report was accepted by said Court, and we have to this day cheerfully and thankfully complied therewith. But, being sensible of the great difficulty we labor under in attending public worship in the respective places where we have enjoyed the same these many years, and considering with what ease and comfort we can meet together among ourselves, pro- vided we were vested with parish privileges, we, thinking ourselves through the divine blessing in some good measure able to build a meeting-house and support a minister, we therefore humbly pray your Excellency and Honors to take our case into your wise con- sideration and free us from any further charge in those places where we were ordered to pay, and grant that the lands and in-
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HISTORY OF DOVER
habitants to the westward of the above mentioned line in Ded- ham be set off into a distinct precinct : and your petitioners, as in duty bound, shall ever pray.
(Signed)
SAMUEL METCALF.
SETH MASON.
JOSHUA ELLIS.
JOSEPH CHICKERING.
HEZEKIAH ALLEN, Jr.
ELIPHALET CHICKERING.
EBENEZER NEWELL.
JABEZ WOOD.
THOMAS MERRIFIELD.
OLIVER BACON.
JONATHAN BATTLE.
JOHN BACON.
RALPH DAY.
JOSEPH DRAPER.
JOHN DRAPER.
BENJAMIN ELLIS.
SAMUEL CHICKERING.
DAVID WIGHT.
JOSIAH ELLIS.
JOHN CHENEY.
JONATHAN DAY.
JOHN CHICKERING.
NATHANIEL WILSON.
JOHN BATTLE.
EZRA GAY.
JOSIAH RICHARDS,
TIMOTHY ELLIS.
JONATHAN WHITING.
THOMAS BATTLE.
DANIEL CHICKERING.
JONATHAN BULLARD.
JOHN GRIGGS.
THOMAS RICHARDS.
ABRAHAM CHAMBERLAIN.
DEDHAM, March 30, 1748.
This petition was presented to the General Court April 5, 1748, and was granted November 18, 1748, giving the powers and privileges which precincts could enjoy. The first precinct meeting was held in the schoolhouse January 4, 1749, to elect a clerk and precinct committee to call parish meetings. Joshua Ellis was chosen moderator, also precinct clerk. The following precinct committee was chosen : Joshua Ellis, Joseph Chickering, Joseph Draper, Samuel Chickering, and Samuel Metcalf. At a meeting held March 15, 1749, Jonathan Whiting was chosen precinct treasurer. This was the first Dover March meeting, an institution which has come down unbroken to the present time.
CHAPTER III.
BUILDING THE MEETING-HOUSE.
BUILDING COMMITTEE - DIMENSIONS OF THE MEETING-HOUSE - SITE - COMMITTEE ON THE SITE - REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE - DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCEPTED SITE - MEETING-HOUSE, WHEN RAISED - DEDICATION - COM- MITTEE ON SEATING THE MEETING-HOUSE -SEATS FOR YOUNG MEN, YOUNG WOMEN, BOYS - SEATS, HOW DIGNIFIED.
The groves were God's first temples. Ere man learned To hew the shaft and lay the architrave And spread the roof above them, ere he framed The lofty vault, to gather and roll back The sound of anthems, in the darkling wood, Amid the cool and silence, he knelt down And offered to the Mightiest solem thanks And supplication. - BRYANT.
At the precinct-meeting held March 15, 1749, the following committee was chosen to prepare timber for a meeting-house : Capt. Hezekiah Allen, Joseph Draper, Samuel Metcalf, Daniel Chickering, and Jonathan Day. The chairman, Captain Allen, was a carpenter by trade. The committee were instructed to build a meeting-house "forty-two feet long, thirty-four feet wide, and twenty feet high from the top of ye cel to ye top of ye plate "; and when completed it was a building of the plainest style of Puritan architecture, without ·steeple, chimney, or ornamentation, and " no church-bell lent its Christian tone." It was always called "the meeting-house"; for this plain people, like Cotton Mather, "found no just
30
HISTORY OF DOVER
ground in Scripture to apply such a trope as church to a house for public assembly." The work of building was retarded on account of much wrangling over a site. From the very first there was a difference of opinion as to the best location for the new meeting- house ; and, previous to the first precinct meeting called to consider the subject, a majority of the voters signed a statement, under date of March 7, 1747-48, favoring the appointment of an impartial committee from other towns, who should be invited to select a site for the meeting-house. An early survey of the territory was made by vote of the precinct, to ascertain the exact center of the parish.
The plan of the survey was not preserved ; but it was made within the present limits of the town, which have been but slightly changed since the establish- ment of bounds by the General Court in 1729. There was a strong feeling against locating the meeting- house in the exact center of the precinct; and, with an apparent desire to conciliate all parties, the par- ish very early voted not to build in the center of the precinct from its extreme points. At a precinct- meeting March 24, 1748-49, an effort was made to select a site for the meeting-house. Two propositions were made,- one to build on the hill near Morse's swamp (supposed to be near the house of Joseph Chickering), and the other on the hill south of John Battle's, which would be near the present site of the Baptist chapel.
The meeting was adjourned in the morning, in order to give the voters an opportunity to view the two sites ; and, reassembling in the afternoon, a motion was made
3 1
BUILDING THE MEETING-HOUSE
to build on the hill south of Mr. Battle's. The vote, by instruction of the moderator, was counted by the poll, and resulted in a tie vote.
The precinct then voted to leave the selection of the site to the following committee, all of whom were resi- dents of other towns : Thomas Greenwood, Esq., New- ton, chairman ; Capt. Joseph Williams, Roxbury ; Dea. Joseph Hewins, Stoughton ; Capt. Elkanah Billings, Dorchester; Capt. Joseph Ware, Sherborn. The ex- treme carefulness of the people and their desire to have the question intelligently considered and judiciously set- tled is shown in the selection of the committee, which was made up of men distinguished for character and ability in the whole region around.
Thomas Greenwood, Esq., was made chairman by the precinct. Mr. Greenwood was a man of much promi- nence in Newton, which he represented in the General Court for thirteen years, and was town-clerk for twenty- three years, besides holding many other offices and positions of honor and responsibility.
Capt. Joseph Williams was a prominent man of his time, and was much noted and esteemed by the citizens of Roxbury.
Capt. Joseph Ware was the founder of the Ware family in Sherborn, and was a man very active in town affairs, being a member of the board of selectmen for many years. One acquainted with the men of Sher- born says, " He should be long and gratefully remem- bered as one of the most exemplary and useful citizens Sherborn has ever had."
Dea. Joseph Hewins, of Stoughton, now Sharon, was a leading citizen of that town, being town-clerk,
32
HISTORY OF DOVER
treasurer, and selectman for many years. He was deacon of the Second Church, a magistrate from the incorporation of the town, and empowered by the Gen- eral Court to issue his warrant for the first Sharon town-meeting.
Capt. Elkanah Billings was a prominent man, and was born and lived in that part of Dorchester which afterwards became Sharon.
The following residents of the precinct were chosen to wait on the committee and present the facts and arguments of contending parties : Capt. Hezekiah Allen, John Jones, Samuel Chickering, Joshua Ellis, John Battle, and Benjamin Ellis. The committee met on the 6th of April, 1749, and, after viewing the differ- ent localities and holding a deliberative meeting, unani- mously voted to recommend as a site the hill east of Trout Brook.
After much debate this report was accepted by the precinct, and the building committee was instructed to proceed with the building of the new meeting-house on the spot recommended by the committee. But the acceptance of the site did not end the matter, as a majority of the residents felt that a different spot should have been selected. At a precinct-meeting held February 8, 1749-50, it was voted to invite the com- mittee chosen to select the site for the meeting-house to take the matter again under consideration.
They had the good sense to vote at this time " that the place or spot of ground that the said committee pitch upon for our meeting-house shall be ye place for said house to be built." And, as ending the difficulty which had been to this scattered people a very severe
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BUILDING THE MEETING-HOUSE
one, we give the second report of this committee, which, like the first, was unanimous.
DEDHAM, February 17, 1749-50.
We, the subscribers, being met pursuant to the desire of ye West Precinct in said Dedham, and having reviewed several spots of ground prepared and shown by the inhabitants of said precinct as the place most suitable to build their intended meet- ing-house upon, agreeable to vote of said precinct made February 8, 1749-50, and after a full hearing of the several persons and parties interested in and inhabitants of said precinct, they agree and determine as follows, namely: We are of the opinion that the same spot of ground that was formerly pitched upon, and re- ported unto by us, is the most suitable and convenient place for said house to be built upon, all the circumstances being consid- ered. All of which is humbly subscribed and determined by us, day and year first above mentioned.
The building committee was instructed to proceed forthwith to build on the spot selected by the commit- tee. The lot selected for the meeting-house was of a triangular form, containing about an acre of land. The black oak tree, which stood near the Orthodox church until it was blown down in 1893, was the northern corner of this triangle; and, as the only landmark re- maining, it is greatly to be regretted that it has been removed.
" What landmark so congenial as a tree, Repeating its green legend every spring, And with a yearly ring Recording the fair seasons as they flee,- Type of our brief but still renewed mortality ? "
The meeting-house was placed on the line towards the west, facing north. The land was probably donated to the parish. There is no record of a purchase, al-
34
HISTORY OF DOVER
though a committee was chosen, which was authorized to buy a site if necessary.
The church was raised August 30, 1750; and, as the Rev. Mr. Townsend, of Needham, records this fact, he probably conducted the public exercises.
The work of building the meeting-house went on but slowly. The people were poor, and did not build their meeting-house with one appropriation or by contract, but by the labor of farmers busy with their work of planting or harvesting. This work was taken up when no farm work was pressing. There was no matured plan, and the minutest particulars in reference to the arrangement of the building were made by a vote of the precinct. Thus, in 1757, it was voted to have " an alley left in ye meeting-house from ye front doors to ye pulpit."
The building was not lathed and plastered until the spring of 1758.
Although the meeting-house was not fully finished until seven years afterwards, it was dedicated in the month of December, 1754. The sermon was preached by the Rev. Mr. Townsend, of Needham, from the words of the Psalmist, "The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob."
The aristocracy of the colonial life of New England was most fully manifested within the walls of the meet- ing-house in seating all of the inhabitants in accordance with their rank and position. The attention of the best citizens was directed to the definite arrangement of the congregation, and their best efforts often failed to sat- isfy the people. The social welfare of the parish was often disturbed by differences about apportionment of seats in the meeting-house.
TUE WINDING CLADIDO
35
BUILDING THE MEETING-HOUSE
Seats were erected on the first floor in 1758, which were at first but rude benches. Some of the influential families, however, occupied chairs ; but, as time went on and the people became able to complete their meeting- house, pews were built by the parish, and permission was given to prominent individuals to build others at their own expense, to be enjoyed by them until reim- bursed by the parish. 1147182
The pews were very large, and square in form ; and by vote of the parish none were to be occupied by less than three families, and some were large enough to ac- commodate more. As there were seats on three sides, two-thirds of the occupants did not face the minister. King's Chapel, in Boston, which was built the year that the Dover church was organized, illustrates at present the old-fashioned square pew. The exclamation of a little girl who for the first time attended service in one of the old-fashioned meeting-houses gives a word-picture of its square pews : "What, must I be shut up in a closet and sit upon a shelf ?" The uncushioned seats were hung on hinges and were turned up during the singing and the long prayer, when the people stood up for a change in the long service, to come down with a bang at its close.
The pulpit, which was built by a separate appropria- tion in 1758, was high, and was approached by a flight of stairs. The sounding-board, which was then in uni- versal use, was suspended above the pulpit, and helped, as it has been said, to cultivate the imagination of the boys in their speculations as to what would happen to the minister if the chain should break. This building became a meeting-house in reality ; and, as soon as it
36
HISTORY OF DOVER
was completed, it was used for all public meetings. The first precinct-meeting was held in the meeting- house December 17, 1755.
In 1759 it was voted to put galleries and stairs into the meeting-house, " to be finished in the most prudent and decent manner," and the galleries to be built with only common seats. In 1760 it was voted not to finish the galleries with seats behind, on account of the ex- pense ; but, when a subscription of £6, 19s., 2d., was made towards the expense, it was unanimously voted. It was also voted that the seats in the body of the meeting-house should be widened and otherwise altered, and that pews should be built on the lower floor in all vacant places.
There were galleries on three sides of the meeting- house. In 1776 the singers were given permission by vote of the parish to seat themselves as best suited for singing. They took the gallery in front of the pulpit, which was ever afterwards occupied by the choir. In 1772 the people seemed to have remembered that "a merciful man is merciful to his beast," and Asa Mason and others were given permission to build horse-sheds within the bounds already established on the west side of the parish grounds. Stone steps were voted by the parish in 1773.
What was the vexed question of seating the meeting- house, which was always coming up and never settled ? It is well explained by Mr. Caulkins in his history of Norwich, Conn .: "When the meeting-house was fin- ished, a committee was appointed to dignify the seats and establish the rule for seating the people. Usually the square pew nearest the pulpit was first in dignity,
37 1
BUILDING THE MEETING-HOUSE
and next to this came the second pew and the first long seat in front of the pulpit. After this the dignity grad- ually diminished as the pews receded from the pulpit. If the house was furnished, as in some instances, with square pews on each side of the outer door, fronting the pulpit, these were equal to the second or third rank in dignity. The front seat in the gallery and the two highest pews in the side galleries were also seats of con- siderable dignity."
The rules for seating were formed on an estimate of age, rank, office, estate, and aid furnished in building the house. These lists were occasionally revised, and the people reseated at intervals of three or four years. Frequent disputes and even long-continued feuds were caused by this perplexing business of seating a congre- gation according to rank and dignity.
Nathaniel Battle, John Jones, Eleazer Allen, Dea. Ralph Day, Samuel Metcalf, Joseph Haven, and Heze- kiah Allen were appointed March 16, 1767, to perform the difficult task of "seating the meeting-house." These gentlemen were among the most prominent and influential people in the parish, for "to dignify seats " required much skill and sense of propriety. Our fathers were great respecters of persons, and very desirous that each person should occupy the seat in public worship to which his position entitled him.
" In the goodly house of worship, where in order due and fit, As by public vote directed, classed and ranked the people sit, Mistress first and good wife after, clerkly squire before the clown,
From the brave coat, lace-embroidered, to the gray frock shading down."
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HISTORY OF DOVER
This committee was instructed to seat all who were inhabitants of the parish, and who paid a tax on real and personal estates. The "fore-seats," which were the seats of honor in a Puritan meeting-house, were desig- nated as follows :
One on the ground floor and one in the gallery above, together with a side seat in the gallery. The young men occupied rows of seats in one gallery, while the young women had corresponding seats in the opposite gallery.
As the long church service was uninteresting to the boys, they had to be constantly watched lest their " breach of the Sabbath " should shock the older people. So they were seated between the poor seats and the side pew, under the inspection of the older people and the young men.
The committee, in "dignifying the seats," made certain seats in different localities equal in dignity with others. They thus satisfied the pride of the people, as all could not be placed in the fore-seats. Pews of irregular shape were built in different parts of the meeting-house. Some were square, others oblong, while common seats occupied the remaining space. Pews were assigned to the poor and later to colored people. The parish voted, out of respect to the aged, "that two years should be regarded as equal to one pound or penny in the single rate." After the seating committee had prepared its list and assigned seats to all the inhabitants, their report was read at a public meeting of the parish May 7, 1767, and, after long waiting and repeated requests "that if any had anything to say, or objections to make, they would speak, and no man
39
BUILDING THE MEETING-HOUSE
speaking one word as to the thing before us, the report of the committee was accepted."
Nevertheless, the people were not satisfied; and in 1769 the parish voted to make alterations in the seating of the meeting-house. About this time the parish was giving more attention to its public schools, and a motion was made to sell the pews to the highest bidder, the money thus raised to be appropriated to the public schools ; but the people were not ready for such a democratic measure.
At an adjourned meeting held March 28, 1769, it was voted " that each person may come and choose his seat according to his age and estate." In accordance with this vote the inhabitants were seated as shown in the plans1 given at the end of this chapter.
March 6, 1772, Dea. Joseph Haven, Dea. Ralph Day, Hezekiah Allen, Jr., Daniel Whiting, Ebenezer Battle, Joseph Draper, Jr., and others were given " liberty to take up one hind seat in the body of seats each side of the alley, and build four pews for their room at their own charge, and enjoy them until said precinct reimbursed the first cost of said pews."
The parish for nearly a half century was constantly considering the perplexing question of "seating the meeting-house"; and on the completion of the new house of worship, in 1812, the inhabitants took this significant action : " Voted to seat the meeting-house for forty years." Families were seated in accordance with the tax paid towards the expense of building. The largest taxpayer had the first choice in his selection, and " so on down."
I No attempt is made to give the exact size and precise location of all the pews.
40
HISTORY OF DOVER
Titles were always prefixed to the names of citizens entitled to them, even in town affairs and in public docu- ments, as they were very proud of any titles they had won.
This is illustrated by the town warrant in 1816 referring to the acceptance of a road laid out by the selectmen " through land of Col. George Fisher's, Licut. Horace Bacon's, and Dea. Ebenezer Smith's."
This meeting-house, which was completed after so much debate, different appropriations, and weary years of toil, served the people comfortably for half a century. In 1809 a committee of seven was chosen to examine the meeting-house and see what repairs were necessary to meet the needs of the people. The committee reported that the building was not worth repairing beyond minor repairs, which the selectmen were author- ized to make, and recommended the building of a new meeting-house at an expense of five thousand dollars. At this time the parish was considering the settlement of a new minister, and many were anxious to have a new meeting-house ; but the people, as usual, were divided in sentiment on the subject. At seven o'clock in the evening of Tuesday, February 13, 1810, the meeting- house was consumed by fire.
Although the selectmen called a district meeting, which was held in the Center schoolhouse on February 21, and a reward of two hundred and fifty dollars was offered for the detection of the person or persons who set fire to the meeting-house, it was an open secret that it was set on fire by the hand of an irresponsible resident of the parish who thought it the best way of settling a difficult question.
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