USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Plymouth church records, 1620-1859 > Part 29
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Members dyed
Anna Lettice, widow, July {: in her eighty first 'yeare, or thereabouts. Mris Elizabeth Howland, the Relict of Mr John Howland, dyed at
1 Above "March," which is not crossed out, is written, apparently in a differ- ent hand, "Feb.," which is underscored.
" Here a word is crossed out. ' The figure "91" is uncertain.
4 The words " eighty first " are written above a word crossed out.
-
261
SAMUEL DANFORTH ORDAINED AT TAUNTON, 1687
Swanzey, December, 21st, in her 81st yeare. Deacon Robert Finney, January, 7: being 80 yeares old within a moneth.
Letters were sent to our church to desire us to attend the ordination of Mr Samuel Danforth to the office of a Pastour 1 in the church at Taunton; they particularly requested the Pastour & Elder, & a messenger to be sent; because the Elder could not goe, the church chose two bretheren, viz, George Bonum & Nathaniel Wood, who both attended the Pastour to that solemnity, on September, 21: the Proceedings in the management whereoff, the Pastour gave an account of unto the Church the Sabbath following, Sep: 25:
Letters of dismission were desired by our sister Mris Bithiah Howland to the church at Bristoll, which were granted, Sep: 25:
October, 9: the Elders propounded publickly to the church & congregation to set apart a day of Thangsgiving to God, 1: For con- tinuance of our Gospel mercies:' 2: For Gods gratious blessing on our labours by sea & land, giving a very seasonable yeare & plentifull harvest: 3: For our health: 4: For gratious restoring of Liberty to Gods people in o: E: by the Kings Proclamation. This was left to Consideration till the next sabbath.
oct: 16: the church concluded to set apart, oct: 26: & then did attend that duty. [14] Anno, 1688:
March, 7: was observed as a day of Fasting & Prayer.
Lords supper Administred, March, 11: April, 22: May, 20: June, 24: July, 29: September, 2: october, 7: November, 4: December, 2: February, 3:
Susanna Cole (who was Grey) was on April, 1: called before the church openly for fornication with John Cole before her marriage to him, she exprest some penitential words, & was laid under Admo- nition by the vote of the church, pronounced by the Elder & then seconded by the Pastour:
Members admitted.
John Churchel, & Rebekah his wife: Elizabeth, wife of Alexander Kenedy, she was then Baptized also: Deborah, wife of John Bennet, dis- missed to us from the church at Beverley Joshua Prat &" Mary his wife. Abiel Wood: Susanna, wife of Josiah Morton. Mr. Rowland Cotton; Mris Elizabeth Cotton, the Pastors children. John Prat.
! Here the words "& they" are crossed out.
' Written above a word crossed out.
262
PLYMOUTH CHURCH RECORDS: VOLUME I, PART V
May 3:1 was appointed & kept a Fast for the great Drought God sent great raine that day & after in answer to prayer.
Rebekah, the wife of our Brother Thomas Clarke, dyed, April, 4: she was not in full communion, a child of yarmouth church, & left in her owne hand-writing many gratious words, that did fully evi- dence God was gratiously at worke with her soule, & that she was preparing for church-fellowship: her pious parents are living: her Grand-parents were blessed Mr Miller, Pastour of yarmouth, Mr Josiah Winslow, Deacon of Marshfeild, they & their wives all in heaven.
Children Baptized.
Elizabeth, daughter of John & Rebekah Churchel. Josiah, son of Elkanan Cushman: Isaac, son of Samuel & Sarah King. Mary, daughter of Mary Rickard: Elizabeth daughter of Joshua & Mary Prat. Samuel, son of Esther Tinkham: Elizabeth, daughter of Elizabeth Tinkham. Hannah, Elizabeth, Jane the 3 children of Elizabeth Kennedy. Nathan- iel, son of Deborah Burden, of the church at Barnstable. John, son of Samuel Holmes, of the second church in Boston. Samuel, son of Samuel Rider: Samuel, son of Margarett Jackson. Elnathan, son of Abiel Wood.' Josiah, son of Susanna Morton. John, son of James Warren. Eliezer, son of Mercy Holmes. Hannah, daughter of Hannah Harlow. Benjamin, son of Abigail Bryant. Rebekah, daughter of Lydia Cooke.
Members dyed
Esther Jordan, May, 26: in her 42ond yeare, Samuel Edey at Swanzey November 12: in his 87th yeare. George Watson, January, 31: being 87 yeares of age.
[16] 1688:
June, 17: the Elders stayed the church after the publick worship was ended, & propounded to them, that seeing divers men who offered themselves to church fellowship were very bashfull & of low voices, & therefore not able to speake in publick to the ædification of the congregation, nor to the hearing of the whole church who should be satisfied before they vote for their Admission, it was expedient the Bretheren should expresse what way they Judged best for helpe & satisfaction herein; the Elders & whole church exprest themselves man by man, & the generall conclusion of the body of the church was ' that those that could speake to hearing, should soe doe in the
1 Written above a date crossed out.
' This word has apparently been altered.
263
RELATIONS MAY BE MADE IN PRIVATE, 1688
publick congregation as formerly, but if the Elders Judged any man not capable thereoff, they should call the church together in private to heare such make their relations, but voting their Ad- mission & covenanting with them should be deferred 1 to be done before all in publick; Sundry of the Bretheren desired that the Re- lations of such might by the Elders be made knowne to the whole congregation at their Admission as Judging it would be for the ædification of others, which Proposall though it was not opposed by any, yet was left undetermined, & as God directed in the partic- ular cases, soe for us to doe as should be Judged for the best.
June, 21: a private Fast kept by about 50 of the church, on short warning, on account of our Bretheren & neighbours that day before the councill: God speedily answered & sent them home next day.
Deborah Fish (who was Barrow) living now at Sandwich, was July, 15: declared guilty of Fornication with her now husband before marriage, & a letter read before the church to be sent to her from the Elders in their name to admonish her for her sin, the church consented thereunto.
october, 14: Mris Anne Morton, widow was dismissed to the church at charlestowne.
oct: 28: the Elders propounded publickly to set apart, Tuesday following oct: 30: as a day of Fasting & prayer. 1: That God would put a stop to the rage of the Heathen who had murthered sundry English & give peace. 2: Inasmuch as great sickness & death was at Boston, that God would heale there & continue our health. 3: For a gratious issue of our owne troubles, divers of our bretheren & neigh- bours being that day to attend the Court: the motion was consented to & accordingly attended.
[16] Anno, 1689:
[L]ords supper, March, 3: April, 7: May, 5: June, 2: July, 7: August, 4: September, 1: [O]ctober, 6: November, 3: December; 1: February, 9:
March, 3: the Elders propounded to the church at conclusion of the sacrament to set apart the Thursday following, 7th Instant as a day of publick Thanksgiving for the mercies of the yeare past, continuance of our Gospel-liberties, with peace, health, plenty of the
1 Here a word is crossed out.
264
PLYMOUTH CHURCH RECORDS: VOLUME I, PART V
fruits, of the Earth, & Gods gratious answering our prayers in a solemne day of fasting & prayer last May for raine in time of drought; the motion was accepted universally, & the duty attended at the time mentioned, the Elders giving notice of it to the whole Assembly on the Sabbath evening.
Children Baptized.
Benajah,1 son of John Prat: Joanna, daughter of Nathaniel & Mary Wood, borne Feb: 27: baptized, April, 7: Feare, daughter of Isaac & Rebekah Cushman. William, son of Lydia Harlow: William, son of Elizabeth Kenedy. William, Samuel, the 2 sons of Lydia Churchel. Eben-ezer, son of John Prat. Joanna, daughter of John & Lydia Nelson. Benjamin, son of Sarah Dotey. Mehetabel, daughter of Judith Faunce. Mercy, daughter of Sarah Churchel. Joanna, daughter of Deacon Thomas Faunce, & Jane his wife. Mary, daughter of Eliezer & Mary Churchel. Rebeckah, of John & Mary Churchel. Josiah, son of Eliza- beth Dotey: Robert, son of Lydia Barrow. Mary, daughter of John Morton: Thomas, son of Susanna Gardner. Mercy, daughter of Samuel Sturtevant: also Samuel, Hannah, Nehemiah, James, in all six children of Samuel Sturtevant: see below under members admitted. Andrew, son of Mary Ring:
March, 31: the Elders propounded to the church to set apart a day for Fasting & prayer; 1: for continuance of our Gospel-liberties, & to be humbled that wee have noe better improoved such mercies for our growth in grace. 2: For a blessing on our labours this yeare by land & sea, that the earth may yeild its increase, that our ? sea- men may be preserved from dangers. 3: For Peace, & that these rumors of trouble may cease. 4: For health to be restored to sick places & continued with us. 5: for mercy & settlement to old England. fixing the day was reserved till the next Sabbath.
April: 7: the wednesday following Apr: 10: was concluded to be the Fast-day, & was accordingly observed. same day, Isaac Lobdel & Sarah his wife were dismissed to the church at Duxbury.
Members admitted.
Nathaniel Morton. Lydia, wife of William Churchel. Elizabeth Bryant since wife of Joseph King: Samuel Sturtevant, he was then Baptized also, & his son, William. Mary, wife of Eliezer Ring.
1 The fourth letter in this name has been altered from "j."
" Here a word is crossed out.
265
OFFENCES OF DOROTHY CLARK, 1689
Members dyed Elizabeth Edey at Swanzey, May 24: in her 82ond yeare, at the end of it. Priscilla Cooper, December, 29: in her 92ond yeare.
[17] Church Records, Anno 1689: continued
June, 23: Susanna, daughter of James & Abigail Clarke, was called before the church in Publick, & charged with the sin of Forni- cation, she manifested much sorrow & heavynesse by words & teares, & the Pastor & Elder giving solemne Admonition to her, the church by silence manifested concurrence & satisfaction.
June, 30: the Elders called upon the church to come together on Wednesday following on some church-occasions.
July, 3: the church met after Lecture at the Pastors house, & after Prayer, the Elder propounded, that there were offences com- mitted by Mris Dorothy Clarke, in full communion with us, as also by Nathaniel Clarke & William Clarke, children of the church, which should be looked after; the church sent Deacon Faunce & Bro: Ephraim Morton Junior to call Mris Clarke to come before us; before she came, the Pastor read a letter from Deborah Fish (whom the church [h]ad sent letters of Admonition unto the last yeare for her fornication) wherein she manifested her Repentance for her sin etc.
Mris Clarke being come, the Elder declared her offences, 1: In particular her violent carriage to a child of the Pastors, full evidence of which was presented to the church: 2: her Joyning with & en- couraging her husband to get Clarks Island1 from the towne & at last setting her hand to the sale of it: she was called to speake, & gave a Narrative of her carriage to the child, & in divers words & carriages showed an evill frame of spirit; the issue was, many bretheren exprest their dissatisfaction at her, & the Elder summed up her offence, in these things, viz, that she was in a passion, when
1 Acting under a warrant from Andros dated February 23, 1688, on March 3 Phillip Wells surveyed and laid out Clark's Island for Nathaniel Clark. On June 22, 1689, the sale of the island was authorized by the town of Plymouth, and in 1690 it was sold to Samuel Lucas, Elkanah Watson, and George Morton. Cf. Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, xxi. 333-334; Records of the Town of Plymouth, i. 192-193, 197-198, 223-224; J. Thacher, History of the Town of Plymouth (1832), pp. 165, 359-361.
' Here a word, perhaps "she," is crossed out.
266
PLYMOUTH CHURCH RECORDS: VOLUME I, PART V
[s]he pulled the lad out of the tree with her hand,1 & then threw him over the fence; that she ought first to have told the mother of her 2 childs fault in getting up to the tree & not have toucht him herselfe; that there was violence appeared in her carriage to the child; these things she ought to confesse her evill in, to which was added by some of the Church, too much appearance of untruths in the words, in that she said, she tooke the lad gently downe from the tree & he came downe upon his feete, whereas the evidence did positively assert, the child fell flat upon the ground by her pulling him by the leg: another was, that she told Mr Arnold that Mris Cotton had by putting a key into Josiah's mouth caused his bleeding, whereas she used noe such meanes; Mris Clarke also in her speech before the church [18] did say, she had heard Mris Cotton did put a key into the childs mouth, by a credible person, but would not, though much urged by divers bretheren to it, mention her Author, but presently said, she must study who it was & would speake with them first to see if they would owne it, which gave vehement ground of suspition she therein spake untruly; for these things & her offensive carriage about the Island, it was solemnly declared to her, that the church was offended with her & she should prepare ‘ by Repentance to give them satisfaction, & was then ordered to withdraw: the church then sent Bro: Jos: Dunham & Bro: Ele. Churchel to call Nathaniel Clarke to come to them, the bretheren returned with this answer from him, namely, that he would not come, he had nothing to say to us, nor would have any thing to doe with us: upon which the Pastor de- claring to the church sundry of his scandalous wicked words & practises, & that now he had practically disowned his relation to the church, the church then unanimously agreed in choosing Bro: Harlow & Bro: Bonum to goe to Nath: Clarke & tell him, that the church did require him in the Name of Christ to attend them in the publick assembly the next Sabbath in the afternoone, his answer to them was, he should not come, for he could not speake, because he was under bonds: this meeting was with much peace & comfortable unity in the whole church & was concluded with Prayer.
1 Here some words are crossed out.
" This word has been altered.
' At the top of the page is written "1688."
" Here some words, perhaps "that she," are crossed out.
OFFENCES OF NATHANIEL CLARK AND SAMUEL DUNHAM, 1689 267
July, 7: Nathaniel Clarke made it manifest his Rejection of the church, in that he came not to the publick worship, nor did attend on the church, wherefore after many bretheren had particularly exprest themselves as Judging him worthy to be reiected for his not hearing the church, there was then a vote called for & universally consented to, that he should be disowned; the Elder did then de- clare that whereas Nathanie[l] Clarke had like Esau despised his birthright, by many words & carriag[es] contemned the church, they therefore disowned him & cutt him off fro[m] his relation to the church as an unprofitable branch; the Elder praye[d] after, & the Pastour added a word of counsell & Admonition to all church- child[ren.]
July, 28: the Elders propounded to set apart a day for Fasting & prayer. 1: on account of the drought: 2: Great sicknesse: 3: the Heathen doing mischeife Eastward. 4: our present unsettlement: 5: Distresse of Ireland; the day fixed [u]pon was, Tuseday following, July, 30: & it was then attended: [19] 1689:
November, 17: the Elders appointed the church to meete to- gether on wednesday next after Lecture.
Nov: 20: the church stayed after the Lecture After prayer by the Pastor the Elders then declared matter of offence against Brother Samuel Dunham, partly in that he had taken the Name of God in vaine before many witnesses, in [o]ften saying those words, the curse of God is upon the head & pluck with many other unsavoury speeches; partly by intemperance in drinking which sister Jackson testifyed against him before [t]he Elders to his face, as to the next day after the sacrament in october last; others of the church then testifyed, that it was commonly reported of him, & they had divers times seene him disguised with drinke; said offender though he spake some good words yet not soe as to satisfy the church, & therefore by an universall vote of the church he was laid under Admonition & not to come to the Lords supper till he had manifested his Repentance for his inordinate walking by a reformed conversation, the Elder then concluded with prayer.
January, 26: the Pastour propounded to set apart a day for Humil- iation & prayer, partly for Gods blessing on the Agents1 now in & going for England, that there may be a good Issue of that Negotiation
1 See p. 164 note 4, above.
268
PLYMOUTH CHURCH RECORDS: VOLUME I, PART V
in our settlement on good Foundations: & 2: for prevention of the spreading of the small pox, now increasing in Boston. 3: That God would put an end to the war with the Indians, that the next spring & summer wee might not be afflicted by them: 4: for our aged Elder, that God would heale & succour him, & yet spare him to us; the motion was left to the consideration of the church, & the determina- tion of the time, till the next Sabbath:
February, 2: the Pastour againe propounding the motion, & the time to be Feb: 12: it was by a silent vote unanimously consented to; & then attended.
February, 9: at the conclusion of the sacrament, the Pastour (having formerly propounded it in publick) then moved to the church, the necessity that some Brother should read the Psalmes in the Elders absence, & by a silentiall vote of the church, it was concluded the Deacons should one or other of them doe it; Deacon Morton excused himselfe because aged & the other younger, upon which Deacon Faunce was desired to read the Psalme then & continually whilst without an Elder, he then accepted & attended that service.
[20] 1690:
Lords supper administred: March, 23: April, 27: June, 8: July, 20: August, 17: September, 14: october, 12: November, 9: December, 7: February, 22:
Members admitted
John Bradford & Mercy his wife.
Children Baptized
Sarah, daughter of Patience Holmes. Sarah daughter of Margarett Jackson. Joanna, daughter of M' John Cotton, the Pastors sonne. Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel Rider. Abijah, daughter of Abiel Wood. Priscilla, daughter of Elizabeth Tinkham. Joseph, son of Ruth Skiffe, of Duxbury church. Edward, son of Desire Southworth: Thomas, son of George & Joanna Morton. Samuel, son of Hannah Harlow: Josiah, son of Samuel Sturtevant. Patience, daughter of John & Mary Rickard senior. Elenor, daughter of John & Deborah Bennet. Susanna, daugh- ter of Susanna Morton. Edward,1 son of James Warren. James, son of Lydia Churchel. Deborah, daughter of Elizabeth Mayo of the church at Eastham. Esther, daughter of Joseph Dunham: Joanna, daughter of John Prat.
1 Perhaps "Edwards."
REPENTANCE AND CONFESSION OF DOROTHY CLARK, 1690 269
April, 20: After the Blessing the Elders stayed the Church, & called forth Brother Joseph Howland, & charged him with In- ordinate walking, by excessive drinking at one particular time as well as often formerly; Bro: Howland manifested some Repentance by confession, & owned his miscarriage at that time & many others; Elders & Bretheren did by divers solemne speeches labour to bring him to further Repentance, & the conclusive vote of the church, was to accept of this1 his manifestation, & to waite in hopes of his future Reformation, & soe the church was dismissed with prayer by the Elder.
Members dyed
Martha, wife of Samuel Dunham senior, April, 26: in her 78th yeare. Desire, wife of Nathaniel Southworth, December, 4: in her 39th yeare. Hannah Rickard widow (who was formerly Churchel) December, 22: in her 67th 2 yeare. Lettice, the (second) wife of Andrew Ring, Feb- ruary, 22: about 66 yeares of age.
May, 25: After the blessing the Elders stayed the church, & called forth sister Dorothy Clarke to give publick satisfaction to the church for those offences for which she was left under Admonition, she then manifested her Repentance, in confession of sin, selfe- Judging, desiring Pardon of God, his church, the Pastor & his wife; the Bretheren generally exprest their acceptance & pardon of her; & that being alleadged, that she acted irregularly in offering last sacrament day to speake to the church, the Elders knowing nothing of it before, this also she confest her fault in, & the church forgave her, & were dismissed with prayer by the Elder. [21] 1690:
June, 22: the church granted Letters of dismission to our Brother Jonathan Prat from us to the church at Taunton.
August, 10: the Elders propounded publickly to the church, the scandalous sin of Hannah Silvester, a child of this church, the daughter of Hannah Bartlet, in committing folly with Joseph Silvester many moneths before marriage the child being borne about 3 months after marriage, a Letter of solemne Admonition was read by the Pastor & the church by a silentiall vote consented that the Elders should in their names send it to her to Scittuate where she now lives; which they did.
1 Apparently altered from "that."
" "67th" is written above a word or figure crossed out.
270
PLYMOUTH CHURCH RECORDS: VOLUME I, PART V
September, 7: the Elders desired the church to come together the next day.
Sep: 8: The church met at the Pastors house, after prayer per- formed by the Pastor, the Elder propounded to the church the desires of Samuel Dunham to be reconciled to the church, he being called to manifest his Repentance before the church, did expresse himselfe humbly & ponitently, some bretheren 1 Testifyed that of late they had observed some amendment of his conversation, the Issue was, by the vote of the bretheren he was accepted againe to communion with us.
The Pastor then propounded to the church, the necessity that they should make choice of some more Deacons, & they to take care that his maintenance be duly brought in according to promise, that he might serve God among them without distraction, the Bretheren approved the motion, but left the conclusion thereoff till another time, only chose 4 Bretheren, viz, Deacon Faunce, Isaac Cushman, Ephraim Morton Junior & Samuel Sturtevant to enquire of each one in church & towne what they would ingage to give unto the ministry for this present yeare: the Elder then concluded with prayer, only a motion was made to set apart a day of Fasting & prayer for our Armies gone to Canada & the Eastward, & it was well accepted.
Sep: 14: The Elders renewed the motion for a Fast to the whole congregation, it was then concluded to set apart, Sep: 24: for that service, which was then attended:
January, 25: the Elders, after the publick worship, stayed the church, on behalfe of Samuel Wood, who desired to be reconciled to the church, he was a child of the church & had bin censured for offence, & now by letters manifested his Repentance for what had bin offensive, & his desires [a]lso for full communion, the church by a silentiall vote readily manifested their willingnesse to forgive [& accept him soe that if God should take him out of the world before he had opportunity to prosecute his motion for [f]ull fellowship, the church was reconciled to him & his censure taken off. [22] 1691:
Children Baptized®
Josiah, son of Thomas Clarke, borne December, 15: baptized, March, 1: John, Alice, Abigail, Mercy, Samuel, Priscilla, William, 7 children of
" Here some words, apparently "by the," are crossed out.
DEATH OF ELDER THOMAS CUSHMAN, DECEMBER 11, 1691 271
John & Mercy Bradford. Lydia, daughter of Elizabeth King. Esther, daughter of Mary Rickard. Jabez, Thomas, William, Susanna, the 4 children of William & Susanna Shirtliffe. Mary, daughter of Nathaniel & Mary Wood. Mary, daughter of Lydia Harlow. Mary, daughter of Esther Tinkham: Joshua, son of Joshua & Mary Prat. Benjamin, son of Thomas & Abigail Cushman: Jacob, son of Lydia Cooke. Martha, daughter of Elkanan Cushman. Abiel, son of Abiel Wood. Joseph, son of Samuel Rider: Elkanah, son of Eliezer & Mary Churchel. Joanna, Henry, Ephraim, Samuel, Rebekah, Anne, Jabez, 7 children of Samuel Wood. Joanna, Daughter of John & Mary Rickard senior. John, son of John & Rebekah Churchel. Israel, son of Margarett Jackson.
Elder Thomas Cushman dyed, December, 11: having within two moneths finished the 84th yeare of his life; He was ordained Ruling Elder of this church, April, 6: 1649: he was neere 43 yeares in his office.
Lords supper; April, 5: May, 10: June, 7: July, 12: August, 9: September, 6: october, 4: November, 1: December, 6: January, 31:
Members dyed
John Jordan, March, 14: in his 82ond yeare. Mris Sarah Parke, widow, April, 26: in her 76th yeare. Mris Joane Hart, widow, June 9: being 75 yeares old. And Richard Wright, about two houres after being about 83 yeares old. Patience Whitney, widow, August, 16: in her 77th yeare neere finished. Sergeant William Harlow, August, 25: in his 67" yeare neere finished. Anne, wife of Deacon Morton, Septem- ber, 5: about 64 yeares old. Lydia, wife of John Nelson, September, 11: in her 44th yeare. see above.
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