USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Royalston > Reflections on Royalston, Worcester County, Massachusetts, U.S.A > Part 14
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In many cities and towns in Massachusetts churches have become incorporated under the law as single, independent organizations, abolish- ing the parishes, and placing all business responsibilities on the member- ship of the churches; but this has not been the case with the Royalston church.
PASTORS.
Following is a list of the pastors of "The Church of Christ in Royals- ton" and "The First Congregational Church of Royalston," with such data as has been obtainable with relation to their terms of service.
REV. JOSEPH LEE, ordained Oct. 19, 1768; died Feb. 16, 1819.
REV. EBENEZER PERKINS, ordained and installed Feb. 17, 1819; dis- missed at his own request in 1846; died Nov. 26, 1861.
REV. NORMAN HAZEN, installed March 22, 1847; died Feb. 13, 1852.
REV. EBENEZER WATERS BULLARD, installed Sept. 2, 1852; offered his resignation in the autumn of 1869; the Clerk of the Church wrote that the record states that he "closed his year's labor July 17, 1870;"' he died Feb. 4, 1898. (Something more may be said about Mr. Bullard and some of the other pastors elsewhere.)
REV. JOHN P. CUSHMAN, installed Nov. 30, 1870; resigned or dis- missed Dec. 4, 1872.
REV. WILBUR JOHNSON, installed June 3, 1874; resigned or dis- missed Sept. 2, 1883.
REV. MILTON G. POND, ordained and installed Oct. 2, 1884; died Sept. 23, 1885.
REV. JUDSON WADE SHAW, ordained and installed June 30, 1887; resigned June 16, 1889; closed his services July 30, 1889.
REV. AUGUSTUS M. RICE, installed in 1890; the Clerk of the Church wrote in relation to the date of his installation: "I find no record of his installation except the year 1890, and that I did not find in the records. I spent considerable time in hunting." Mr. Rice was dismissed May 1, 1893.
REV. FRANCIS J. FAIRBANKS, installed Dec. 20, 1893; dismissed by council Sept. 20, 1909.
REV. CHARLES G. FOGG, "recognized" June 14, 1910; resigned or dismissed May 1, 1915.
REV. CLARENCE PIKE, installed Sept. 15, 1915; serving in 1919.
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DEACONS.
The following list of deacons of "The Church of Christ in Royalston" and "The First Congregational Church of Royalston," is probably a com- plete list. The Clerk of the Church assisted with dates which had not otherwise been secured, but when obvious vacancies appeared was unable to look up the names and data to fill them. A previous Clerk kindly took up the matter and completed the list.
It is probable that the early deacons were chosen to serve without time limit. In 1891 a by-law was adopted providing that one deacon be chosen each year to serve three years.
Dea. John Fry, chosen Nov. 8, 1768; died March 14, 1814.
Dea. Benjamin Woodbury, chosen Nov. 8, 1768; resigned March 10, 1779.
Dea. John Bacheller, chosen April 7, 1779; resigned Jan. 8, 1802.
Dea. Isaac Nichols, chosen June 7, 1781; resigned March 18, 1787.
Dea. Ammi Faulkner, chosen Oct. 5, 1785; resigned March 12, 1821.
Dea. Issac Gregory, chosen Jan. 5, 1795; died Sept. 15, 1808.
Dea. Samuel Goddard, Jr., chosen Aug. 23, 1802; resigned Aug. 6, 1809.
Dea. Levi Thurston, chosen Nov. 3, 1808; resigned Dec. 9, 1819.
Dea. Amos Jones, Jr., chosen June 11, 1812; resigned Jan. 24, 1832. Dea. Salmon Goddard, chosen Jan. 3, 1820; died Feb. 9, 1842.
Dea. Thomas J. Lee, chosen Oct. 11, 1821; resigned Oct. 14, 1827.
Dea. Solomon Crocker, chosen April 7, 1831; resigned
Dea. Henry Goddard, chosen Oct. 2, 1835; died
Dea. Ebenezer Pierce, chosen May 22, 1840; died Dec. 20, 1863.
Dea. Joseph Sawyer, chosen May 22, 1840; removed to Templeton probably about 1851, where he died without having tendered his resigna- tion. (See page 76.)
Dea. Seth Holman, chosen April 4, 1851; died Nov. 26, 1860.
Dea. Maynard Partridge, chosen April 12, 1861; resigned Jan. 29, 1870.
Dea. Elmer Newton, chosen April 9, 1864; resigned July 6, 1878.
Dea. Joseph Walker, chosen Feb. 12, 1870; died June 16, 1888.
Dea. Maynard Partridge, chosen Aug. 31, 1878; died Sept. 22, 1884.
Dea. Levi H. Whitney, chosen 1884; resigned May 11, 1893.
Dea. William Bailey Goddard, chosen June 30, 1888; died April 5, 1893. Dea. Colin Mackenzie, chosen Oct. 29, 1891; term ended Jan. 18, 1894.
Dea. John Milton Partridge, chosen Jan. 19, 1893; resigned Feb. 26, 1903. Dea. Francis W. Adams, chosen May 11, 1893; serving in 1919.
Dea. William A. Frye, chosen Jan. 18, 1894; term ended Jan. 18, 1900.
Dea. Colin Mackenzie, chosen Jan. 18, 1900; serving in 1919.
Dea. Henry S. Wood, chosen Feb. 26, 1903; died April 17, 1913.
Dea. Herbert O. Smith, chosen April 30, 1914; serving in 1919.
MEMBERSHIP.
The Church was "embodied" Oct. 13, 1766, with 16 members, 12 males and 4 females. Despite the fact that every one of the first set- tlers was pledged to support religious worship and ministry, it seems that only 12 of those settlers and the wives of 4 of them were ready to accept the creed of the Church. When Rev. Joseph Lee became pastor, Oct. 19, 1768, the list of members had been increased by 5, including the pastor, making a total of 21, 15 males and 6 females.
Oct. 19, 1818, in his semi-centennial sermon, Mr. Lee placed the num- ber of members at "about 200."
Jan. 1, 1847, the membership as reported in the "Minutes of the Gen- eral Association of Massachusetts," was 148, 45 males and 103 females.
Oct. 14, 1866, in his centennial sermon, Rev. E. W. Bullard gave the membership as 131, 39 males and 92 females.
In 1897, in a list of members printed in a "Manual," the names of 107 are given, 38 males and 72 females.
On Oct. 14, 1919, Royalston correspondence in the Athol Transcript stated that the membership was 64, with but 38 resident in the town.
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CHURCH BUILDINGS.
The Proprietors built the first meeting-house, and it was ready for use in 1764. It became the property of the town, and in it were held the business meetings of the voters as well as religious meetings. In those early days, and even down to the middle of the 19th century, the people "went to meeting" in the meeting-house on Sundays, and not to church.
In 1797 a new meeting-house replaced the one built by the Proprie- tors. This one was built by the Town, and, like its predecessor, was lo- cated well out on the Common, somewhat in the position indicated at 19C on the map on page 73. This building was said to have been the home of the Angel Gabriel, referred to on page 77. .
In 1831 the Parish was established and took over from the Town the business management of the Church. In 1840 a new church was built by the Parish to supercede the old meeting-house of 1797. This building was placed back at the edge of the Common, and its location, with the horse-sheds on three sides of it, will be readily found on the map.
The church building of 1840 was destroyed by fire on Jan. 15, 1851. Steps were soon taken to rebuild, with such good results that the present imposing edifice had arisen phoenix-like from the ashes of the previous one and was dedicated on the anniversary of its destruction, Jan. 15, 1852.
THE PARSONAGE.
Rev. Joseph Lee undoubtedly built his own home, on the lot, or one of the lots given him at the time of his settlement. Its location is indi- cated at 1C on the map, and the only picture of it, with an addition, in existence, is given on page 92, and interesting remarks regarding the place will be found on pages 53 and 93. Probably no clergyman ever re- sided in that house after the death of Mr. Lee.
Rev. Ebenezer Perkins, who was settled as minister before the fu- neral of Mr. Lee, probably built his own house, at 18C on the map, and which appears on pages 59 and 60. There he lived until his death, many years after he ceased to be minister.
The next pastor, Rev. Norman Hazen, probably lived all of the nearly 5 years of his pastorate in the Raymond-Goddard house at 66C on the map, a picture of which appears on page 58.
In 1852, when Rev. Ebenezer W. Bullard became pastor, or soon after, he acquired the Solomon Tenney place, located at 53C on the map. This was his home during his pastorate of nearly 18 years, and the home of his successor, Rev. John P. Cushman, during the two years of his pas- torate.
Rev. Wilbur Johnson's service began in 1874, and during that year the former home of the first pastor was purchased and presented to the Parish by Miss Candace Bullock. The old building was removed (see page 94) and a new house erected, which has since been the parsonage and home of all the pastors except perhaps Mr. Pond, who was unmar- ried and probably made his home elsewhere during the short time that he served before he was removed by death. A picture of this parsonage appears on page 111, and another view of it with its surroundings on the Common on page 93. This parsonage cost between $5,000 and $6,000, which was paid by popular subscription. A list of the largest contribu- tors has been published, but there were others who, to use a scriptural expression, gave "more than they all."
BENEFACTIONS.
Rufus Bullock, who died in 1858, left a fund of $5,000, the income from which is to be perpetually used by the First Congregational Society in maintaining public worship.
In 1863, Mrs. Emily Bullock Ripley, daughter of Rufus Bullock, pre- sented the organ which has since occupied a position in the gallery of the church; the cost was said to have been about $1,000.
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SECOND CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
The growth in population at South Royalston and vicinity made it desirable that a church be established there, and on Feb. 22, 1837, the "Second Congregational Church" was constituted, with 30 members, 15 of whom withdrew from the First Church, and within a year several others made a similar change of membership. This church grew in num- bers quite rapidly, so that in 1865, at the time of the anniversary of the parent church, it was credited with about 125 members. Later, however, its membership, like that of the church at the Center, gradually declined, so that at the close of 1916 it was given as 60, of whom 37 were resident and 23 non-resident.
SECOND CONGREGATIONAL .CHURCH, SOUTH ROYALSTON. Built in 1837. Destroyed by fire Oct. 25, 1904.
From the story of this church in Mr. Caswell's book it appears that it has had 38 acting pastors, of whom 25 served one year or more. The names and terms of service of the 25 are given as follows:
Rev. J. F. Stone, 1837-1838. Rev. Edwin Seabury, 1858-1862. Rev. F. D. Austin, 1863-1867.
Rev. S. H. Peckham, 1838-1844.
Rev. J. L. Merrill, 1874-1875.
Rev. Samuel D. Darling, 1844-1846. Rev. Walter Rice, 1868-1874. Rev. J. H. M. Leland, 1847-1849. Rev. George Goodyear, 1849-1854. Rev. E. G. Stone, 1875-1878. Rev. Charles Kendall, 1854-1856. Rev. J. W. Healey, 1856-1857.
Rev. C. L. Twomblin, 1878-1881. Rev. P. F. Barnard, 1881-1883.
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Rev. H. M. Holmes, 1883-1884. Rev. James A. Bates, 1898-1903.
Rev. F. B. Knowlton, 1885-1886.
Rev. G. W. Lawrence, 1903-1904.
Rev. E. J. Beach, 1887-1890. Rev. W. P. Clancy, 1904-1906.
Rev. J. W. Hird, 1890-1894.
Rev. Samuel Holden, 1906-1908.
Rev, G. E. Chapin, 1894-1895.
Rev. Francis J.Fairbanks, 1908-1916.
Rev. John Eyers, 1895-1898.
Although it is stated in Mr. Caswell's book, issued in 1918, that Rev. Francis J. Fairbanks "finished his labors as pastor at the close of 1916," Mr. Fairbanks has remained as pastor up to the time of this printing, in November, 1919; but he has spent his winters elsewhere since 1916.
The picture of the building erected in 1837, shown on page 115, was worked out from this photograph of the north side of Main street, taken by Everard B. Hanson, with the parts that were hidden filled out from
I
NORTH SIDE OF MAIN STREET, SOUTH ROYALSTON, 1903.
imagination. The building cost about $6,500, and was paid for and the society out of debt when it was dedicated in 1838.
This building was destroyed by fire Oct. 25, 1904, in a fire which be- gan in the old chair shop, then used as a picker room for the woolen mill, and destroyed the covered bridge over the river, Mechanics hall and the school-house, and seriously damaged much other property.
Plans for the erection of a new building were soon under way; the insurance on the building burned was $2,000, and by contributions from former and present members and various means enough was raised to build, complete and furnish the handsome church shown on page 117, at a cost of something more than $6,000; and it was dedicated Sept. 11, 1906, with the society free of debt.
The building is 40 by 60 feet, has seats for about 200, and electric lights, and in all its appointments and furnishings, both exterior and in- terior, is very much in contrast with the time-honored building which it replaced.
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Twelve handsome memorial windows bear the names of the follow- ing departed prominent members: Silas Hale, Dea. Jonas M. Turner, Dea. Luther Harrington, Sarah Nourse Harrington, John M. Upham, Matilda Blood Upham, Dea. Aaron Jones, Mary A. Jones, Homer T. Rice, Bertha A. Rice, Dr. Henry O. Adams, Roby R. Safford, Orissa W. Safford, Jeremiah A. Rich, and J. Angeline Townsend.
The bell contains the remnants of the one that went through the fire of Oct. 21, 1904, and was presented in memory of Col. George Whit- ney, by his son, George E. Whitney, and is so inscribed.
SECOND CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, SOUTH ROYALSTON. Dedicated Sept. 11, 1906.
The membership of the Church in 1878 was 124, which was the largest in its history. In January, 1920, the number was 62, of whom 34 were residents and 28 non-residents.
The list of Deacons includes the following, most of whom served for long terms, and the incumbents in January, 1920: Jonas M. Turner, Lu- ther Harrington, Aaron Jones, Elbridge C. Twitchell, Caleb W. Day, Alfred J. Richmond, Harry J. Greenhall.
This Church has been the recipient of a larger amount of trust funds than any other church in town. The total amount of such funds standing to the credit of the Second Congregational Church early in 1920 was $9,500. Some of the larger donations were as follows:
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Hon. Rufus Bullock, who died in 1858, left $2,500 to be held as a fund, the income "to be appropriated annually or semi-annually to the support of gospel preaching;" with the provisions "that whenever, if ever, said society shall fail to support preaching, or to maintain a regularly organ- ized society at South Royalston, or whenever, if ever, that part of Roy- alston now known as South Royalston, shall be set off from said town of Royalston, then, this sum of $2,500 shall revert to and be paid over to my children or their heirs by right of representation.
Mrs. Phebe (Sherwin) Patch, widow of Edwin Patch, was the next largest contributor, leaving a fund of $1,500.
John Wood Stockwell, one of the most generous supporters of the Church, at his death, July 3, 1915, left a fund of $1,000.
Mrs. Maria (Adams) Stockwell, widow of John W. Stockwell, died July 24, 1915, and she left another fund of $1,000.
Dea. Caleb W. Day, who had been a liberal supporter of the Church up to his death on Sept. 16, 1919, at the age of nearly 92 years, added another $1,000 to the permanent funds for its support.
SOUTH ROYALSTON METHODIST CHURCH.
The first step toward the organization of a church of the Methodist Episcopal denomination in South Royalston was preaching by an itiner- ant about 1826 or 1827, it is said. The services were held in the school- house. The next preaching commenced in 1829. It is stated that there was considerable opposition to this work on the part of the Congrega- tionalists connected with the church at the Center, the Second Congre- gational Church not having been organized until 1837. On one occasion the Methodists were locked out of the schoolhouse, and later a paper was circulated for signatures of those who wished to have them debarred from using it, but that object was not achieved.
The opposition probably helped to strengthen the movement. It had grown to a size that made a meeting-house desirable in 1844, and in that year a site was purchased, at a cost of $625, and Jonathan Stockwell, ·Ira Day, Timothy Lewis and Freeman Stockwell paid for it.
In 1847 a meeting-house was built, at a cost of $2,550, and it was dedicated Jan. 17, 1848. The number of members in full connection at that time was 35. The following were appointed Trustees: Jonathan Stockwell, Ammi Stockwell, Alexander Webster, Timothy Lewis, Free- man Stockwell, Uri Day, John Turner, Ainsworth Knight.
In all there were some 45 preachers and pastors concerned in the work; the last pastor served in 1886, after which there was no regular preaching; and in 1892 the remaining members were transferred to Athol and Phillipston churches.
A general store was kept in the basement of this Methodist Church building for approximately 60 years, ending in 1911, by Benjamin Ward Rich and his son, Benjamin Warren Rich, and the post-office was kept there from 1901 to 1911. The building was purchased by South Royals- ton Grange in 1915, and has been used for society purposes.
CONSULT THE ALPHABETICAL INDEX.
If this work is completed, it will contain, on some of the front pages, a copious alphabetical index, with references not only to names of per- sons and localities, but to records of events, incidents, and various items of matters which the reader may wish to consider without being obliged to make an extended search for them.
This note is inserted here with the hope that in case I leave the work uncompleted, it may meet the attention of someone who will be inter- ested to finish the index, close up the work, and see that it is put in con- dition for circulation. A partially clothed skeleton of the index will be found among my effects.
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WEST ROYALSTON BAPTIST CHURCH.
Many of the early settlers of Royalston, especially of the westerly part of the town, were Baptists in their religious adherence. Rev. Joseph Lee, in his discourse on the semi-centennial of the First Congregational Church, stated that when he came to Royalston in 1767 there were 42 or 43 families, and 10, or nearly one-fourth of them were Baptists.
According to extracts from old records published in Caswell's His- tory of Royalston, these Baptist people met together occasionally from June 19, 1767, to May 5, 1768, with the purpose of "imbodying" as a church. From the first meeting there were some who "feared they were not true believers." But on the latter date, May 5, 1768, there were 8 ready to associate themselves, and what has since been known as the "West Royalston Baptist Church" was "imbodied," with the following members:
Isaac Estey, Thomas Chamberlain, Jr., Elisha Rich, Asa Jones, Jacob Estey, John Chamberlain, Sarah Estey, Charity Chamberlain.
A month later Thomas Chamberlain, Simeon Chamberlain, Lois Cham- berlain and Mary Marsh, and soon after that, Naphtali Streeter and Eliphalet Moore, joined the pioneers, making a membership of 14, which was gradually increased, so that at the end of a century 600 different names had appeared on the membership rolls.
Elisha Rich, one of the first members, was selected as leader and teacher, and filled that position for about two years, after which practice as an elder, he became an ordained preacher elsewhere.
It is stated that some of those Baptist families came to Royalston from Connecticut, and they persuaded their former pastor there, Rev. Wightman Jacobs, to become their pastor in their new home in Royalston. The official historian, in a "sketch" of the "Elder Wightman Jacobs Family," shows that this Wightman Jacobs was a descendant, on his mother's side, from Edward Wightman, the last man burned for heresy in England, and it would appear that the esteemed Elder was named Wightman in honor of his ancestor. But in the church history the same good Elder is always called Whitman Jacobs, without any allusion to the change in the given name. There was another Whitman Jacobs at the west part of the town, probably born in 1809, whose name was unstable, and he was called "Whitty" Jacobs quite as often as Whitman Jacobs.
Rev. Whitman Jacobs continued as pastor of the church until 1786, it is said, when he was dismissed, as a result of a controversy in the church over his position with relation to Shay's rebellion. After occupy- ing pastorates elsewhere, he lived with his son, Joseph Jacobs, at the hip-roofed house on the Jacobs Hill road, and there he died, Mar. 28, 1801. In the 150th Anniversary edition of the Athol and Worcester West Chronicle, June 20, 1912, William G. Lord told this story:
"The Baptist Church of West Royalston was organized in the north- ern part of Athol, Dec. 13, 1770, and was for several years known as the Baptist Church of Royalston and Athol. Elder Whitman Jacobs, their pastor and leader, was a resident of Athol, and dissensions in the Athol Congregational Church added to the strength of his parish. A few years later Elder Jacobs was summarily dismissed from his charge, and the Athol people became estranged from the Royalston church."
While this story seems a little at variance with the previous account of the origin of this church, when we recall that a considerable portion of the territory of Royalston adjoining the Athol line was, previous to 1803 and 1837, located in the northern part of Athol, and allow for Mr. Caswell's statement that "A part of this time [Elder Jacobs' pastorate] his home was in the northerly part of Athol, on Chestnut Hill," we are not inclined to criticise either version very much.
Hon. A. H. Bullock, in his Centennial address, placed the building of the first meeting-house by this society between 1774 and 1784, and located
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it "on the west bank of the Tully." Mr. Caswell's statement is that "it was probably erected some time between 1779 and 1783," and that "it was located upon the margin of those beautiful meadows bordering Long Pond." It is probable that services had been held in dwellings, barns, and sometimes out-of-doors, before this building was provided.
It appears that the West Royalston Baptist Church did not have a regular succession of pastors. Elder Moses Kenney was ordained Oct. 1, 1789, and dismissed Jan. 28, 1796. Rev. Isaac Kenney then served for something like one year. And then the church was dependent on the deacons and brethren who could lead in the services, and on occasional pulpit supplies by available ministers.
In 1798 efforts were made to set up a Baptist church in the adjoining town of Warwick, with the result that 22 members of the West Royals- ton church were dismissed to become members of the Warwick church, which was constituted in 1799.
WEST ROYALSTON BAPTIST CHURCH. Dedicated Feb. 19, 1896.
The West Royalston church gave up its occupancy of the old meet- ing-house in the vicinity of Long Pond, and for a time services were held in a hall in the house of John Jacobs, at the "City," near the junction of the roads, as shown in the lower left-hand corner of Square 13 on the map on page 40.
Elder Levi Hodge was installed as pastor in June, 1802, and about one year later a joint committee of members of the Royalston church and the Warwick church instituted proceedings which resulted in the union of the two bodies into the Royalston and Warwick Baptist Church.
Under the terms of this union a meeting-house was built on the loca- tion which has since been known as the "Baptist Common," at the cross- roads as shown in Square 12 on the map; it was dedicated in January, 1805.
This building served until 1846, when a new one was erected at the "City," previously mentioned, about one mile easterly from the former location. This building was dedicated Dec. 3, 1846, and after having been occupied for more than 48 years, it was destroyed by fire Dec. 23, 1894.
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Plans for a new building were soon made, and on Feb. 19, 1896, the artistic structure pictured on an adjoining page was dedicated. The cost of this building was about $4,000, of which $2,000 was contributed by Joel H. Gates, of Burlington, Vt., a native of Royalston. An organ was presented by Herbert S. Goddard, of Athol, also a native of Royalston, and a clock by Lyman Stone, of Royalston.
This church has had about 30 different pastors; and it has sometimes been without a pastor for a year or more at one time. It has never been located in a village, although its buildings have been in the "City" for many years; consequently it has not had the support of many men en- gaged in mercantile and manufacturing business, who handle more money and, whether they can afford it or not, are generally more liberal con- tributors to the churches and other institutions in their villages than the farming population can afford to be. The salaries of Elder Jacobs and others of the earlier pastors were only $50 per year; and probably at no time has a pastor's salary been large enough to afford him a living with- out additional income from other productive and remunerative labor.
The following list of the pastors, with their approximate terms of service, was gathered mainly from the notes in Mr. Caswell's book.
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