USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newbury > Ould Newbury: historical and biographical sketches > Part 36
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Notwithstanding this favorable recommendation, the peti- tion was dismissed by the General Court.
June 1, 1749, another petition was addressed to Governor Shirley and the General Court, signed by Charles Peirce and ninety-three others, stating that they had left their former parishes and formed a distinct society, and called and settled an Orthodox, learned and pious minister ; that they had ap- plied for dismission and exemption from taxes in said parishes, and had been refused ; that said parishes continue to tax and imprison them, though well able to support their ministers without the subscribers' help ; that they consider in matters of conscience they should be allowed to judge for themselves as well as the Quakers, etc .; and, as they have more than a thousand souls who attend their meeting, they ask that their case be considered (Massachusetts Archives, volume 12, pages 680-682).
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THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN MEETING-HOUSE
A copy of the above petition was sent to the members of the First and Third parishes, with a notice that the General Court would give a hearing on the subject on the eleventh day of August. After listening to the conflicting testimony presented by the friends and opponents of the new society, the petition was dismissed, and the desired legislation was postponed until fifteen years later.
In 1763, another effort was made to secure relief from the burden of double taxation. A bill authorizing the proprietors of the Presbyterian meeting-house to levy a tax on the owners of pews was refused a second reading in the General Court. June 14, 1764, however, " An act to impower the proprietors of the meeting house in the town of Newburyport, where the Reverend Mr. Jonathan Parsons officiates, to raise money to defray ministerial and other necessary charges," was passed, and approved by the governor.
This act was rendered necessary by the incorporation of the town of Newburyport in the month of January, 1764. The meeting-house where Rev. Mr. Parsons officiated was within the limits of the new town. In order to provide for the changed conditions and to prevent, if possible, further controversy and confusion, the proprietors were authorized by this act "to tax the owners of pews in said meeting house, whose polls or estates are taxed nowhere else, for the support of the public worship of God." The act expired by limitation in 1767, but was renewed from time to time until the year 1780, when the constitution of the State was adopted.
Meanwhile strong efforts were made by influential mem- bers of the society to secure additional legislation ; and April 26, 1770, "the inhabitants of the town of Newburyport be- longing to the several religious societies within the limits of said town" were authorized and empowered by the General Court to raise money for ministerial and other religious pur- poses, and were released from the payment of "taxes and charges for the support of any minister of any society except for the support of the minister where they usually attend publick worship." These rights and privileges, however, were not extended to the inhabitants of Newbury.
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May 24, 1770, Benjamin Pettingell and many others peti- tioned the town of Newbury for liberty to attend public worship in any part of Newbury or Newburyport, "where they choose, ... and pay where they attend and no where else." This request was granted by the town ; and Nathan Pierce, Joshua Coffin, and Samuel Greenleaf were elected " a committee to petition the general court to confirm the above · vote by a law of the province."
At a legal meeting of the freeholders and other inhabitants of Newbury held May 23, 1771, the above committee was dismissed from further service. Five days later, however, the vote dismissing the committee was reconsidered ; and Messrs. Pierce, Coffin, and Greenleaf were "instructed to use their utmost influence to get said vote passed into a law at the next session of the General Court, agreeable to said petition, which was read in the House of Representatives last session, and put over to the next session for further consideration." At the same meeting a motion to instruct Joseph Gerrish, Esq., representative from Newbury, to use his influence to secure the passage of an act granting the liberty asked for, was submitted, and decided in the negative. Apparently, no further action was taken by the town or by the General Court in regard to this matter for twenty-five years.
When the constitution of the State of Massachusetts was adopted in 1780, the third article of the declaration of rights provided "that the several towns, parishes, precincts, and other bodies politic or religious societies shall at all times have the exclusive right of electing their public teachers and contracting with them for their support and maintenance. And all moneys paid; by the subject to the support of public worship, and of the public teachers aforesaid, shall, if he require it, be uniformly applied to the support of the public teacher or teachers of his own religious sect or denomination, provided there be any on whose instructions he attends. Otherwise it may be paid toward the support of the teacher or teachers of the parish or precinct in which said moneys are raised." This provision of the constitution 'did not relieve the members of the First Parish in Newbury from taxation, neither did it settle the question beyond dispute.
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June 17, 1796, the General Court passed " An act author- izing the First Parish in Newbury to discharge from taxa- tion, for the support of Public Worship in said Parish, such Persons within the limits of said Parish as attend Public Worship in any other Religious Society, and are willing to be subject to taxation in such society." The preamble to this act reads as follows :-
" Whereas a number of persons within the limits of the First Parish in Newbury, usually attending public worship in some of the Religious Societies in Newburyport, were heretofore exempt from taxation in said First Parish, but doubts have lately arisen as to said exemptions, therefore be it enacted," etc., ... "the said First Parish shall be, and hereby is, authorized to exempt from taxation all those per- sons within the limits of said parish" who produce a certifi- cate from any incorporated religious society stating that they are members of that society, and are willing to be taxed therein. In 1833, the third article of the declaration of rights was amended, and religious societies and parishes were granted the liberties and privileges they now enjoy.
When Rev. Jonathan Parsons was invited, in January, 1745-6, to take charge of the society afterward known as the First Presbyterian Society of Newburyport, a meeting- house had been erected on the easterly side of High Street, near the head of Federal Street. Feb. 27, 1745-6, Mr. Parsons bought of John Adams, son-in-law of Benjamin Morse, a dwelling-house, with land under and adjoining the same, on the westerly side of High Street, near the Blue Anchor Tavern, where he resided for more than twenty years.
Ralph Cross, a prominent ship-builder at that time, deeply interested in the organization of the society, contributed liberally toward the cost of the meeting-house, and probably owned the land upon which it stood. No evidence can be found, however, in the Essex registry of deeds to corrobo- rate this statement.
In 1756, a strong and vigorous effort was made to provide a larger and more convenient place of worship for the pros-
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perous and growing society. A committee was appointed to select a suitable lot of land for the new meeting-house. After careful consideration a lot of land on the corner of Federal and School streets was purchased, and also an adjoining lot on School Street. The title to this property is described as follows : -
In the division of the estate of Deacon Joshua Beck, in 1753, a lot of land on the corner of School and Federal streets was assigned to Jonathan Beck. Sept. 26, 1754, Jonathan Beck sold a portion of this land, measuring five rods on School Street and the whole width on Federal Street, to Parker Noyes (Essex Deeds, book 102, leaf 131).
April 12, 1756, Jonathan Beck sold an adjoining lot, measuring three and one-half rods on School Street, to Enoch Titcomb, Ralph Cross, John Greenleaf, Ebenezer Little, William Allen, Moses Bradstreet, James Jewett, and others, owners of the pews in the meeting-house to be built on said lot (book 142, leaf 304).
April 12, 1756, Parker Noyes sold the land purchased of Jonathan Beck Sept. 26, 1754, "to the pewholders in the meeting house in Newbury to be built on said lot " (book 142, leaf 304).
The timbers for the heavy oaken frame of the new building were promptly provided and made ready for use ; and July 5, 1756, the act of raising and securing them in their proper places began. On the 7th of July the difficult task was completed ; and, in commemoration of the event, Rev. John Morehead, of Boston, a leading member of the presbytery, preached a sermon from the text, " And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for a house of sacrifice " (2 Chron. vii : 12). On the fifteenth day of Au- gust, Rev. Jonathan Parsons preached in the meeting-house for the first time, although it was still unfinished, and the audience were obliged to sit on rough benches temporarily pro- vided for that occasion. On the 19th and 20th of the same month the old meeting-house on High Street was taken down.
Rev. A. G. Vermilye, in a discourse delivered Nov. 28,
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THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN MEETING-HOUSE
1856, on the one hundredth anniversary of the First Presby- terian Church, gives the following description of the building erected in 1756 : " Immense galleries, containing one hundred pews, besides free seats for strangers, covered three sides of
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN MEETING-HOUSE, BUILT IN 1756.
the building. Opposite, on the long side (East), was the pulpit under which Whitefield was first buried. In the pulpit, at the end, sat the sexton. Immediately in front, below, was the Elder's seat,- a large, square pew, elevated three or four steps, with a table. Behind, and a little below them, sat the Deacons. And over all was the sounding-
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board, hung by rods from the ceiling. An aisle run from the pulpit, or rather the deacons' seat, to the door opposite ; and another aisle extended all around the building, in front of the wall pews, which were elevated two steps. One hun- dred and thirty-eight square pews were ranged upon the floor, with a chair in the centre. The seats were hung on hinges to be raised during prayer, and the older people still speak of the noise they made in falling." The steeple was not erected until 1759; and Samuel Pettingell, while at work upon it, on the tenth day of September fell to the ground and was instantly killed.
Oct. 30, 1765, Rev. Jonathan Parsons, then living in New- bury, on High Street, near the head of Marlborough Street, bought of Nathaniel Carter fifty-three rods and eighty-five feet of land in Newburyport, bounded southwesterly by a way thirty-two feet wide (School Street), southeasterly by land of Amos Knight, northwesterly by land of Stephen Mighill, and northeasterly by land of Ralph Cross (Essex Deeds, book 122, leaf 95).
On this lot of land Mr. Parsons built a dwelling-house which he occupied with his family for the remainder of his life .*
* After the death of Rev. Jonathan Parsons, his daughter, Phebe Parsons, singlewoman, sold her interest in the house and land, March 23, 1798, to Bishop Norton, of Newburyport, drug- gist (Essex Registry of Deeds, book 172, leaf 267).
Oct. 15, 1803, Jonathan Parsons and Lucy Parsons, children of Rev. Jonathan Parsons, sold their interest in the property to Bishop Norton, of Newburyport (book 172, leaf 266).
Aug. 13, 1817, William Bishop Norton conveyed to George Rogers one undivided twentieth part of land and buildings on School Street, with other property devised to him by the will of his father, Bishop Norton (book 215, leaf 169).
Sept. 3, 1831, George Rogers gave a quitclaim deed to William Alexander "of land and buildings on School Street, Newburyport, formerly owned by Bishop Norton, which I bought of William B. Norton Aug. 13, 1817" (book 263, leaf 45).
Dec. 1, 1830, Mark Coffin sold to William Alexander one-eighth part of land and building described substantially as above (book 276, leaf 115).
Jan. 30, 1834, Jane Burns and others, children and heirs of Bishop Norton, sold to William Alexander seven-eighths of the above-described property (book 277, leaf 108).
Nov. 26, 1838, William Alexander, by Gilman White, Deputy Sheriff, under execution, con- veyed to Hannah Carr, of Newburyport, widow, his interest in this estate (book 308, leaf 170).
March 25, 1851, Hannah Carr gave to Joseph F. Carr, trustee for Hannah Pearson Carr, a deed of all her interest in the above-described house and land on School Street (book 566, leaf 53).
Hannah Pearson Carr, widow of Joseph F. Carr, died Oct. 13, 1890, her husband having died in 1887. In her will, dated April 20, 1877, and proved the fourth Monday in November, 1890, she gave all her real estate to her husband during his life, and the remainder in fee to her adopted daughter, Maria F. Dean, wife of Joseph F. Dean, who is at the present time owner of the house and land in School Street.
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THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN MEETING-HOUSE
In 1770, Rev. George Whitefield visited Newburyport, and preached in the meeting-house on Federal Street September IO and II. The Bible that he used at these services has been carefully preserved, and is still used on special occasions. After a brief visit to Portsmouth and Exeter, N. H., he
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PULPIT IN FIRST PRESBYTERIAN MEETING-HOUSE.
returned to Newburyport September 29, and died suddenly Sunday morning, September 30, at the residence of Rev. Jonathan Parsons on School Street. He was buried in a vault beneath the pulpit of the Federal Street meeting-house. In the same vault now rest the remains of Rev. Jonathan Parsons, who died July 19, 1776, and Rev. Joseph Prince, a blind preacher, who died in Newburyport Jan. 15, 1791.
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The interior of the meeting-house was almost entirely rebuilt in 1829. The large, square pews were removed, the ceiling lowered, and the pulpit transferred from the north- easterly to the southeasterly side of the building. New
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CENOTAPH IN OLD SOUTH CHURCH.
galleries were put in, a new crypt constructed, and a cenotaph erected to the memory of Rev. George Whitefield.
This cenotaph was designed by Strickland. The execution of the work was entrusted to a skilful marble worker in Philadelphia, named Struthers. Professor Ebenezer Porter, D. D., of Andover Seminary, composed the inscription ; and
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THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN MEETING-HOUSE
the cost of the memorial was defrayed by William Bartlet, Esq., of Newburyport .*
A few years previous to this date the main bone of White- field's right arm was surreptitiously taken from its place in the old vault by a visitor, and carried to England. It came into the possession of a Mr. Bolton, a strong friend and ad- mirer of Whitefield, who returned it, in September, 1849, to Rev. Jonathan F. Stearns, then pastor of the Federal Street Society, with a letter disclosing some facts that established its identity beyond question. It was placed, with the other remains of the distinguished preacher, in the newly con- structed vault, and is now more carefully guarded, in order to prevent, if possible, the recurrence of similar depredations.
In 1856, extensive alterations and repairs were made on the exterior of the meeting-house, and at the same time some needed improvements within the building were made, practically transforming the old edifice into a new one. All traces of ancient workmanship and peculiarities of construc- tion disappeared, and only the oak frame remained undis- turbed. The half-tone print, however, on page 519, gives a view of the exterior of this structure as it was before these alterations were made.
The pastors of the Federal Street Church have been as follows : -
Rev. Jonathan Parsons, installed March 19, 1746; died July 19. 1776. Rev. John Murray, installed June 4, 1781 ; died March 13, 1793.
Rev. Daniel Dana, D. D., installed Dec. 19, 1794; resigned Nov. 19, 1820.
Rev. Samuel Porter Williams, installed Feb. 8, 1821 ; died Dec. 23, 1826.
Rev. John Proudfit, D. D., installed Oct. 4, 1827 ; resigned Jan. 24, 1833.
Rev. Jonathan F. Stearns, D. D., installed Oct. 16. 1835: resigned Oct. 14, 1849.
Rev. Ashbel G. Vermilye, installed May 1, 1850 ; resigned April 14, 1863. Rev. Richard H. Richardson, installed April 24, 1864; resigned Oct. 28. 1868.
Rev. Charles S. Durfee, installed Sept. 8, 1869 : resigned July 29. 1872.
* Belcher's Biography of Whitefield, page 443.
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Rev. William W. Newell, Jr., installed May 7, 1874 : resigned June 30, 1880.
Rev. Charles C. Wallace, installed May 3, 1881 : resigned Oct. 3, 1888. Rev. Brevard D. Sinclair, installed May 1, 1889; resigned Nov. 21. 1892.
Rev. Horace C. Hovey, installed May 9, 1893.
For additional information in regard to the work and in- fluence of this society the reader is referred to a discourse prepared and published in 1826 by Rev. Samuel P. Williams ; to an address at the centennial anniversary of the organiza- tion of the church in 1846 by Rev. Jonathan F. Stearns ; to a sermon, delivered after the completion of the repairs on the meeting-house in 1856, by Rev. Ashbel G. Vermilye ; and to a pamphlet, now in course of publication, under the su- pervision of Rev. Horace C. Hovey and Messrs. John W. Winder, Prentiss H. Reed, and John T. Brown, containing a full report of the exercises at the celebration, April 7 and 8, 1896, of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the society.
Among the narrative and legendary poems of John G. Whittier is one entitled "The Preacher," which tells of the marvellous power and persuasive eloquence of Whitefield,
" A homeless pilgrim with dubious name Blown about on the winds of fame, Now as an angel of blessing classed, And now as a mad enthusiast."
The closing lines of this poem read as follows : -
" Under the church of Federal Street, Under the tread of its Sabbath feet, Walled about by its basement stones, Lie the marvellous preacher's bones. No saintly honors to them are shown, No sign nor miracle have they known ; But he who passes the ancient church Stops in the shade of its belfry-porch, And ponders the wonderful life of him Who lies at rest in that charnel dim.
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THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN MEETING-HOUSE
Long shall the traveller strain his eye From the railroad car, as it plunges by, And the vanishing town behind him search For the slender spire of the Whitefield Church, And feel for one moment the ghosts of trade, And fashion, and folly, and pleasure laid By the thought of that life of pure intent, That voice of warning yet eloquent, Of one on the errands of angels sent. And if where he labored the flood of sin Like a tide from the harbor-bar sets in, And over a life of time and sense The church-spires lift their vain defence, As if to scatter the bolts of God With the points of Calvin's thunder-rod .-- Still. as the gem of its civic crown, Precious beyond the world's renown, His memory hallows the ancient town."
REV. GEORGE WHITEFIELD.
At Gloucester, England, on the sixteenth day of December, 1714, George Whitefield was born.
On his second visit to America he preached, Sept. 30, 1740, in the Third Parish meeting-house, Newbury, then located in the centre of what is now known as Market Square, and under the pastoral care of Rev. John Lowell. On his return from Hampton, Portsmouth, and York, he preached again in Newbury Saturday morning, Oct. 4, 1740, to an immense congregation.
A writer who was present at services in New York con- ducted by the young and eloquent Whitefield, just previous to his visit to New England, describes him as follows : -
He is a man of middle stature, of a slender body, of a fair com- plexion, and of a comely appearance. He is of a sprightly. cheerful temper, and acts and moves with great agility and life. The endow- ments of his mind are uncommon. His wit is quick and piercing, his imagination lively and florid; and, as far as I can discern, both are under the direction of a solid judgment. He has a most ready memory. and, I think, speaks entirely without notes. He has a clear and musical voice, and a wonderful command of it. He uses much gesture, but with great propriety. Every accent of his voice, every motion of his body. speaks ; and both are natural and unaffected. If his delivery be the product of art, it is certainly the perfection of it; for it is entirely concealed.
The vast congregation that listened to his preaching in Philadelphia, numbering from five to fifteen thousand daily, were drawn together, as if by magic, from all classes and conditions of society. Benjamin Franklin, describing these meetings, says : -
Mr. Whitefield's eloquence had a wonderful power over the hearts and purses of his hearers, of which I myself was an instance. . . . I hap-
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REV. GEORGE WHITEFIELD
pened soon after to attend one of his sermons, in the course of which I perceived he intended to finish with a collection; and I silently resolved he should get nothing from me. I had, in my pocket, a handful of copper money, three or four silver dollars, and five pistoles in gold. As he proceeded, I began to soften, and concluded to give the copper ; another stroke of his oratory determined me to give the silver ; and he finished so admirably that I emptied my pocket wholly into the col- lector's dish, gold and all.
On his third visit to America, Whitefield came again to Newbury, and preached to a large congregation July 29, 1747. His letters to friends in England during his fourth visit to America state that he held two services in Newbury Monday, Oct. 21, 1754, and a third service Tuesday morning, October 22, and also state that he had made arrangements to preach there the following Sunday, October 27.
In an interleaved almanac, now in the possession of Mrs. Alexander B. Forbes, at Fatherland Farm, Rev. Moses Parsons, who was then settled at Byfield, wrote under date of Oct. 28, 1754, as follows :-
Monday Mr. Whitefield came, and preached from Luke 19: 14 (But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us), dined here. Preach'd at Rowley P. M., Psalm 51 : II (Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me), then went to Ipswich and preach'd at 4 o'clock, but I did not hear him there.
During Whitefield's seventh and last visit to America he preached in the First Presbyterian meeting-house Sept. 10 and 11, 1770 .* He returned to Boston the following day, where he was detained by illness for nearly two weeks. On the 23d, 24th, and 25th of September he was at Portsmouth, N. H., and afterward visited Kittery and York, Me., returning to Newburyport, by the way of Exeter, N. H., on the 29th.
* In the almanac referred to above, Rev. Moses Parsons wrote under the date of Sept. 10, 1770, " Monday went to Port to hear Mr. Whitefield; dined at Mr. Little's with him."
" Tuesday, September 11, went to (conference) at Amesbury. Mr. Prime preached. Mr. Whitefield preached at N. Port."
" September 12, Wensday went to Rowley to hear Mr. Whitefield."
" Thursday, September 13, cloudy, some rain. Went to Mr. Chandler's to hear Mr. White- field."
HOUSE ON SCHOOL STREET WHERE REV. GEORGE WHITEFIELD DIED.
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REV. GEORGE WHITEFIELD
He was then quite ill and almost exhausted. After an early supper he took a candle, and was hastening to his chamber. Friends and neighbors had assembled in front of the parsonage, and even crowded into the hall to hear and see the wonderful preacher. He paused on the staircase, and began to speak to them. Although breathing with difficulty, he continued to exhort them "until the candle which he held in his hand burned away and went out in its socket." At six o'clock the next morning, Sunday, Sept. 30, 1770, the most popular and powerful evangelist of modern times was dead.
Funeral services were held at three o'clock Tuesday after- noon, Oct. 2, 1770, in the First Presbyterian meeting-house, Rev. Jonathan Parsons preaching the funeral sermon. The pall-bearers were Rev. Samuel Haven, D. D., of Portsmouth, Rev. Jedediah Jewett, pastor of the First Church, and Rev. James Chandler, pastor of the Second Church in Rowley, Rev. Daniel Rogers, of Exeter, Rev. Moses Parsons, of New- bury, and Rev. Edward Bass, D. D., rector of St. Paul's Church, Newburyport. An immense congregation, gath- ered from towns near and far remote, filled the meeting- house to its utmost capacity. He was buried in a vault beneath the pulpit. The cenotaph erected to his memory by William Bartlet, Esq., in 1829, bears, in addition to his name, his age, and other facts connected with his busy life, these words,- " No other uninspired man ever preached to so large assemblies."
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