USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Royalston > Reflections on Royalston, Worcester County, Massachusetts, U.S.A > Part 15
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Rev. Whitman Jacobs, 1770-1786. Rev. Tilson, 1878.
Rev. Moses Kenney, 1789-1796.
Rev. L. F. Shepardson, 1878.
Rev. Isaac Kenney, 1797. Rev. W. F. Slocum, 1879.
Rev. Levi Hodge, 1801-1819.
Rev. J. H. Parmelee, 1881.
Rev. Joseph M. Graves, 1821-1824.
Rev. E. Hatfield, 1882.
Rev. Asaph Merriam, 1825-1830. Rev. J. T. Smith, D. D., 1883-1887.
Rev. Thomas Marshall, 1831-1833.
Rev. Andrew Dunn, 1888-1891.
Rev. Henry Tonkin, 1835-1837. Rev. John W. Denno, 1891-1892.
Rev. Silas Kenney, 1837-1858.
Rev. George L. Ruberg, 1892-1897.
Rev. S. Cutler, 1859-1861.
Rev. E. O. Taylor, 1897-1901. Rev. H. T. Slocum, 1901-1906.
Rev. Lorenzo Tandy, 1861-1865.
Rev. Joel D. Miller, 1866-1867.
Rev. C. B. Williams, 1906-1909.
Rev. Charles Brooks, 1867-1868.
Rev. W. J. Halse, 1910-1914.
Rev. L. Wheeler, 1869.
Rev. Z. W. Kemp, 1871.
Rev. A. V. Clark, 1874-1878.
Rev. Harold W. Curtis, 1914-1915. Rev. R. C. Eaton, 1915-1918.
In November, 1919, Rev. Clarence Pike, pastor of the First Congre- gational Church, began supplying the pulpit, officiating at the Center mornings and at the West Baptist afternoons.
Hon. Rufus Bullock, at his death in 1858, left this society a fund of $2,500, the income from which is devoted to the support of preaching.
About 1887, Samuel Chester Gale, of Minneapolis, Minn., a native of Royalston, presented a parsonage and grounds to the society.
Joel H. Gates, previously mentioned, donated a library, part religious and part secular, to this society, and maintained it by annual remittances for 15 years during his life, and by the income from a fund of $2,000 pro- vided by his will.
This church has not, at least since 1860, had more than 50 members, it is said; but it has sent out into the world a large number of influen- tial and honored people who have filled important places in promoting the welfare of their country and the world. The list includes a governor of a state, 29 clergymen, 6 clergymen's wives, 168 public-school teachers, 9 soldiers in the Revolution, 16 in the War of 1812, 31 in the Civil War, and several in the World War with Germany; and scores of others who have become prominent in professional and business life.
The Shepardson family was perhaps one of the largest and strongest families connected with this church; it furnished 5 clergymen, born in Royalston, and others among their descendants born elsewhere. Many members of the family have been prominent educators, and some of them have been founders of educational institutions.
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THE "UNION" SOCIETY.
In his Centennial address in 1865, as published in the 1865 Memorial, Hon. Alexander Hamilton Bullock said:
"A Union Society, so called, was organized here in 1839, out of a branch of the Baptist Church in the west and some Universalists of Athol. They erected a good-looking meeting-house at the southeast corner of these public grounds, where the two denominations alternately controlled the service. This was an abnormal condition of things which could not possibly endure. And so the Baptists at length bought out the property and for some years kept up a church quite large in its numbers, having at one time 120 members. But this enterprise was against the public want, and accordingly stopped running in 1854, and in 1863 they permitted the house to be sold and moved away; leaving this common training-field and churchyard of the forefathers just as it began 100 years ago, with one meeting-house, whose spire shall always rise to catch the first gilding of the rising sun and to scatter over these hills and valleys the radiance of one patriotic hope, one Christian faith, one common destiny. And so this day of the living and the next day of the coming shall echo back response and sympathy to those who gave us the birthright and then passed to the ages of everlasting rest."
From the notes published in relation to Mr. Bullock it appears that he was away from his home on Royalston Common, attending college or teaching school, when this society began operations, and may not have been absolutely correct in all of his statements. Other authorities give dates which indicate that the "enterprise," as Mr. Bullock called it, was under way earlier than 1839. And the compilers of the Memorial, in cor- rection of Mr. Bullock's remark that the Baptists united with "some Universalists of Athol," stated, on page 138, that "most, if not all, of those who composed the second party to that union, were citizens of Royalston."
The journal of Benjamin Bacheller Bartlett, previously mentioned, gives definite information relating to the time of the building of this Union meeting-house. He wrote:
"May 28, 1838. - To-day have been engaged drawing stones into town for the new meeting-house. The stones which I drew are to set the pil- lars on in front of the house.'
"June 8, 1838. - In the afternoon went into town to help raise the Union meeting-house. After the hands got there Elder Simonds offered up a prayer, and about one o'clock the work of raising commenced. The work went on well."
As the meeting-house was built in 1838, we may believe that the so- ciety was organized earlier than 1839, as stated by Mr. Bullock.
ROYALSTON CENTER BAPTIST CHURCH.
Mr. Caswell, in his History of Royalston, gave the origin of this church as follows:
"Owing to the trouble in the West Royalston Baptist Church 11 members of that church including the church clerk, were granted letters of dismission March 27, 1836. These with 7 others sought membership in the Athol Baptist Church, and were received May 11, 1836. The same day these with 5 others asked to be established as a branch of the Athol Church in Royalston Center, and the request was granted. Elder Simonds, pastor of the New Boston (Royalston and Winchendon) church, assumed pastoral charge over them and continued until his death 17 months later. *
* This church severed its connection with the Athol church Oct. 27, 1839, and on Nov. 14, 1839, a council met and duly estab- lished the church."
From the various reports it appears that this Center Baptist Church continued in active existence for about 18 years. Its members gradually
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changed their relationship over to the West Royalston, Athol and New Boston churches, from which many of them had come, and the houses of worship were probably nearer their homes than the Center church.
I have a vague recollection of having attended, with my mother, a religious service in that Baptist meeting-house, and the time must have been around 1853 or 1854. And I have positive recollection of having seen in that building an exhibition of a moving panorama of Bible scenes a little later in my life. But the building stood unused for several years. The bell on it, however, was not allowed to remain altogether idle, for, in spite of the protests and efforts of the citizenry to prevent it, the young patriots of the town could not be kept from ringing that Baptist bell, the Congregational bell and the schoolhouse bell "to their hearts' content" from an extremely early hour on nearly every Fourth of July.
The picture on this page, showing the Perkins house at the left and the Dr. Willis-Miller house at the right, gives an idea of the location of the Union and Baptist meeting-house, the little pointer indicating the
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place, which was just east of the Willis-Miller house, and indicated as 16C on our map on page 73. The little house in the middle of the picture was for a time, if not originally, the Captain Isaac Nichols place.
THE UNIVERSALISTS.
It is probable that the Universalists had some form of organization and had held meetings, perhaps in schoolhouses and dwellings, prior to the building of the union church in 1838. But there is little information as to who were the prominent figures in the movement. I remember that I heard a good man in a Congregational prayer-meeting deplore the fact that a Nichols family, with whom he lived in his youth, were Uni- versalists. In my childhood I knew Deacon Ainger, who lived on the Athol road; he was not a Congregational deacon; perhaps he had been a Universalist or a Baptist deacon. There are indications that the Bart- lett family had an interest in the work, although I have no recollection of ever having heard that fact mentioned by anyone inside or outside of the family.
That journal kept by Benjamin Bacheller Bartlett for less than four months in 1838 throws some light on ecclesiastical conditions in Royalston at that time, and shows to some extent how a young man's mind was
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affected by differing theologies. His father, Jonas Bartlett, died June 21, 1837; a sister died April 29, 1838, and another sister July 4, 1838; three deaths in his immediate family within only two weeks more than a year were enough to arouse in his mind and heart a keen interest in "the other world" and "the life beyond."
His mother was the daughter of Dea. John Bacheller, who had been a deacon of the First Church for 23 years; and undoubtedly he had at- tended that church regularly; it was the only church at the Center that had a building and the facilities for regular services up to the time when he wrote in his journal. He wrote at the end of his first entry:
"May 6, 1838. - It being rainy, I did not go to church, but improved my time in reading."
"May 13, 1838. - It being pleasant, we all went to meeting."
"May 14, 1838. - In the afternoon, it being very pleasant, I carried Mother down to Sister Lorinda's [at Winchendon]."
"May 20, 1838 .- [The previous day he had written that he had worked most too hard in order to finish planting corn.] Feel the effects of working hard yesterday, but did not feel so miserable but that I went to three meetings."
"May 27, 1838 .- A fine, pleasant morning. Went to meeting; heard three good discourses from Professor Hitchcock of Amherst College." [This was probably the occasion when Prof. Hitchcock was in Royalston getting material for his work on "The Geology of Massachusetts,'' pub- lished in 1841, which may be mentioned again.]
"June 10, 1838 .- Went down to Winchendon. Heard Mr. Wilson preach, a Universalist minister from Jaffrey, N. H. Liked him quite well."
"June 21, 1838. - To-day is the anniversary of my Father's death. One year ago he departed this life, we trust for a better world above the skies. He was a believer in the final restoration of the whole human family to holiness and happiness. I believe he was a sincere Christian. He relied, not upon anything that he had done, for salvation, but wholly upon Christ. He believed that Christ had paid the penalty of the divine law for his transgression, and in consequence that he should inherit eternal life."
"June 25, 1838 .- Yesterday I went down to Winchendon to see Sister Lorinda. Found her in a very weak and low state of health. She is fast approaching the confines of eternity. She is unable to sit up much, and cannot walk a step without help. May the Lord prepare her for the change which so soon awaits her."
"July 3, 1838. - This afternoon Mr. Robbins came up from Winchen- don to let us know that Sister Lorinda was much worse; they did not expect that she would live but a short time. He carried Mother down to see her once more."
"July 4, 1838. - This evening Mother come home with the intelligence that Lorinda was no more. *
* About four o'clock this afternoon her soul took its flight from the body and returned unto the God who gave it. Her trials of this world are ended, her course is run, and she is now- where? We will leave her in the hands of a just and merciful God, who will do all things right."
"July 6, 1838. - This day attended the funeral and paid the last trib- ute of respect and affection to the remains of our departed Sister. And now, dear Sister, farewell, a long farewell. We meet not again till we meet in the world of spirits. There may we unite once more in singing the song of redeeming love, nevermore to cease. I love to contemplate a reunion with my friends beyond the grave; I love to think upon the time when we shall meet to part no more forever. But is it so? Shall we meet in heaven, nevermore to part? If the doctrine of endless misery is true, perhaps we shall not. But we will leave that in the hands of a just and righteous God, who will do all things right."
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Along with the oft-mentioned old account books came down to me a copy of "The New Hymn Book, designed for Universalist Societies," 20th edition, imprint 1838, with the name B. B. Bartlett written in it, - mute testimony that he was a member of that Universalist congregation, and perhaps he remained there through the few years that it continued; but later he was a member of the First Congregational Church, and superintendent of its Sabbath-school, and a generous financial supporter of both, as numerous items in the old expense accounts show.
With the Congregational and Baptist denominations so thoroughly in the ascendancy, there was little chance for the Universalists to ac- quire strength and financial support enough to enable them to maintain regular services and preaching, and they finally discontinued operations and sold their share in the meeting-house to the Baptists.
The Baptists, as related on previous pages, maintained services for a longer time, but discontinued previous to 1855, probably. Mr. Cas- well's statement is that "in 1863 the church building was sold and moved from its original location to near the north end of the Common, where it served for many years as a barn or stable for Col. George Whitney, and is now used as headquarters for the fire department of Royalston Cen- ter." I will say, in amendment to that statement, that the building was purchased by George Pierce and moved to the location indicated at C46 on our map, to replace his barn which was burned in 1861, and was used by him in his farming and stock-dealing operations for many years.
FREE DONATION SOCIETY.
Mr. Caswell states that in 1820 and up to 1827 certificates of mem- bership were recorded of "members of the Religious Society in the Town of Royalston called Free Donation;" and in his story of the Fisher fam- ily he states that Capt. David Fisher was a Quaker and a leader of the "Free Donation Society." We may well suppose that certification of membership in such a society relieved those so certified from taxation for the support of the town church. The Baptists might have been simi- larly exempted, until the law was changed in 1831.
DENOMINATIONAL DISQUISITIONS.
The name "Congregational," as applied to the Royalston churches, does not describe their creed or belief. Primarily the word refers to form of church government, each Congregational church or society being independent of outside ecclesiastical authority; whereas, Presby- terian, Episcopal, Methodist Episcopal and some other denominations are governed by presbyteries, synods, episcopates, conferences, bishops and other bodies or persons accorded dictatorial powers.
The Church of England was Episcopal in form, and was a part of the governmental order, having its headship vested in the regal crown. Congregationalism grew out of dissension from this order. In the vari- ous changes resulting from this dissension, some of the dissenters, then called "Independents," removed to Holland, and the church they started at Leyden is mentioned as the parent of Congregationalism in England and America. Among its early members were Elder Brewster and Wil- liam Bradford, both afterward famous as "Pilgrim Fathers,"-a name with which it is said they were not honored until 1799, some 179 years after the first "Pilgrims" landed at Plymouth, when it was applied to them by that much maligned patriot, Thomas Paine.
In 1620, a company organized by Elder Brewster and Deacon Carver and numbering 102 persons, sailed from Holland and England for Amer- ica on the "Mayflower;" one member of the party was accidentally drowned, and one child was born on shipboard, so that 102 persons were landed on Plymouth Rock on Dec. 20 or Dec. 21, 1620. It is told that about one-half of them perished from cold and hardship before the next
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spring. Other colonies followed, and it is probable that between 1620 and 1640 upwards of 22,000 Puritans sailed from English and Dutch ports for the New World, and some authorities have set the number as high as 50,000. In 10 to 15 years 50 villages had been planted in New England and 30 to 40 churches built.
These people came to the new country to secure religious liberty. But they had some rather narrow views, which resulted in performances which would be considered very drastic in our time. The Massachusetts Bay Colony permitted no one to vote who was not a Congregationalist, baptized in infancy. Baptists who did not believe in infant baptism were called anarchists, imprisoned, fined, deported. Rev. Roger Williams, an English Baptist clergyman, refused to return to England, and later founded Providence and the state of Rhode Island. Quakers were fined, imprisoned, banished; on first conviction to have one ear cut off, on a second the other ear, on a third the tongue to be bored with a red-hot iron; two Quakers, and some accounts say four, were hanged; Mary Dyar, a mother with several children, was sentenced to be hanged, and one account says she was hanged, while another states that she was re- prieved with the rope around her neck; and four other mothers were scourged for being identified with the Quakers.
But in spite of, and to some extent, probably, as a result of the per- secutions, other denominations grew, and others have sprung up, to the extent that it is reported that there are now more than 200 different religious denominations or cults in the United States.
The early Congregational churches were often called "Churches of Christ," and the first church in Royalston was so designated, apparently, until 1831. . (See page 112.)
About 1750 Unitarian principles began to spread in the Congrega- tional churches in Boston, and from there to other localities. This made a division in many of the Massachusetts and New England Congrega- tional churches, with the result that in many cities and towns there are both Congregational Trinitarian and Congregational Unitarian churches; and in some places it is the Trinitarians who hold the honor of being the legitimate successors of the original "First Parish," while in other places the Unitarians justly hold that honor.
Both the Royalston Congregational churches are Trinitarian, holding in their creeds to the doctrine of the Trinity, -the union of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, in one Godhead, -although probably the word Trinitarian has never appeared on their records or in any official mention of them.
In the list of clergymen in Worcester County in the "Massachusetts Register" for 1853, 63 clergymen were designated as Congregational Trinitarian, and 22 as Congregational Unitarian; and 16 of the C. U. were in places in which C. T. were located.
In Fitchburg, the "First Parish Congregational Unitarian Church" is the title of the inheritor of the prestige and property of the first church, established by the town in 1768. About 1802 there was a division of the church into two societies, and the "orthodox" element built a meeting-house. In 1812 the two societies were reunited. In 1823 a per- manent separation took place, and the "orthodox" element organized the "Calvinistic Congregational Church," and took over the meeting- house built by the element which withdrew in 1802. The name "Calvin- istic" has been retained by the church to the present time, although it is probable that but few of its members know what it means. Much as I would like to "disquis" for a page or two on the topic, I will refrain, and suggest that the interested reader look up in several encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other works, what may be printed under the headings, "Calvin, John" and "Calvinism." I recommend the perusal of several "authorities," because some of them do not bring out all of the interest- ing features that others disclose.
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I am mixing into these "Reflections on Royalston" considerable mat- ter relating to Fitchburg affairs and people because the two places seem to be quite closely interrelated. Without any statistics on the matter, it seems probable that more Royalston people have become residents of Fitchburg than of any other place, and many of them have become quite prominent and influential in its commercial and civic affairs. On the other hand, a considerable number have gone from Fitchburg to Royals- ton, and some of them have been conspicuous in the affairs of the town.
And perhaps right here is a good place to introduce a little story, which I had intended to use in another connection, about
AN ABOLITIONIST CHURCH.
About 1839 agitation for discussion of the subject of slavery and action by the church upon it was begun in the Calvinistic Congregational Church in Fitchburg. Rev. Ebenezer Waters Bullard, who was pastor of the First Congregational Church in Royalston from 1852 to 1870, was pastor of the Calvinistic Church from 1838 to 1852. He deprecated the agitation of the matter in the church, and presented resolutions in keep- ing with his views, which were adopted. But the abolition sentiment was so strong that in 1843 about 30 members holding radical views on the subject withdrew and organized the "Trinitarian Congregational Church.' The word Trinitarian was used to give a distinguishing name, as the Calvinistic Church was probably also Trinitarian in its theology.
This new Trinitarian Church grew in membership and influence. Its services were held in the town hall at first, and a house of worship was built in 1844. It became the home of radical reform movements, and its pastors were pioneers of reforms. Among them was Rev. George Trask, who became known as the "anti-tobacco apostle."
Roby-R. Safford, who in 1861 became the agent and superintendent of the woolen mill at South Royalston, was the first choristor, -"a man of splendid voice, who sang 'with the spirit and with the understand- ing.'" Some of us Royalston people will always remember his work there in "old folks' concerts" and on other occasions. William M. Leathe, a native of Royalston, was one of the supporters of this church.
There is a bit of interesting history relative to the bell which was placed on this Trinitarian Church building. It had done service on a plantation in Mississippi, calling 125 slaves to toil; during the Rebellion it was sent to New Orleans to be cast into Confederate cannon; was cap- tured by Gen. Benjamin F. Butler, confiscated and sent north; and it was purchased by Benjamin Snow, Jr., a member of the society, and presented to the church, with the stipulation that it should remain silent until it could celebrate the freedom of the slaves. When the news of President Lincoln's proclamation reached Fitchburg the bell rang out the glad tidings of emancipation for the slaves.
As the abolition of slavery was the issue which led to its organization, that accomplished, other factors contributing, perhaps, the church was dissolved and its property sold; $2,000 of the proceeds were presented to its latest pastor, and the balance of some $12,000 was most fittingly given to "The Freedmen's Aid Society." Some of the surviving members re- newed their connection with the Calvinistic Church, and the "Rollstone Congregational Church," organized a little later, and located to the needs of a second Congregational church in the growing town, became a haven for others, as well as many from the Calvinistic, much congested as the only Trinitarian Congregational church. The Rollstone is Trinitarian in creed, and the word Rollstone is not a theological one, but is derived from Mount Rollstone, an apparently solid hill of granite, which stands well in toward the center of the thickly settled part of the city, and on the summit of which a large boulder was left by some ice-flow or other near-miracle of prehistoric times. The name has often been used by or- ganizations, institutions and otherwise as a designation.
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THE TOWN HOUSES.
The meeting-house, built by the Proprietors in 1764, and presented to the Town, and its successor built in 1797, were used for all public meetings, for the transaction of town business as well as for religious meetings. In 1831 the state laws were changed, and the legal control of the affairs of the church passed from the Town to a "Parish." Whether the meeting-house was sold to the Parish or presented to it does not ap- pear; but it is told that town meetings were held in it until April 6, 1840, which was the date of the last one; the Parish having planned the sub- stitution of a new meeting-house for the one built in 1797.
Nov. 21, 1840, the Town voted to build a town house, and it was built in 1841, the location being near the Center school-house and desig- nated 9S on our map on page 73. The building was one story; the hall was probably as large as the auditorium in either of the meeting-houses.
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