USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Royalston > Reflections on Royalston, Worcester County, Massachusetts, U.S.A > Part 29
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When I had the list of pastors of the First Congregational Church, given on page 112, well outlined, I sent it to the Clerk of the church for verification and the addition of missing dates, and it was returned with the word "recognized" substi- tuted for "installed" after the name of Rev. Charles G. Fogg.
This leads to a little explanation relating to the formalities by which Congre- gational pastors become connected with their "charges."
"Ordination" is the formal ceremony by which a candidate is qualified to serve as a preacher and pastor, and takes place preceding and usually on the occasion of his installation over his first charge.
"Installation" is the ceremony by which the pastor is connected with a church after he has been made eligible by ordination. A pastor duly installed over a church remains its pastor for an indefinite time, and until his service is terminated as a result of his resignation, by disability or death, or for some other reason.
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Congregational churches choose their pastors without dictation or control by any outside higher ecclesiastical authority (see page 125). The ceremonies of ordi- nation, installation and dismissal are usually conducted with the assistance and ap- proval of "councils" called for the purpose, consisting ordinarily of delegates,-the pastors and 2 members from each of a number of neighboring churches. These councils have no real "authority," but act in a sort of advisory capacity, examining candidates as to their theological qualifications, considering the reasons for the ter- mination of pastorates, and assisting in the formal exercises.
Rev. Charles G. Fogg was "recognized" by a formal council, and was engaged for a term of 5 years, at the end of which he was allowed to retire.
He married, Jan. 12, 1898, Nellie Marie Burnham, of Somerville, and they had one child, Edwin Willard Fogg.
REV. CLARENCE PIKE.
Rev. Clarence Pike was born in North Waterford, Maine, a son of a physician, who afterwards became a Congregational minister. His early life was passed in several towns in Maine, and later he lived in New Hampshire. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1880, spent one year at Union Theological Seminary at New York, and graduated from Andover Theological Seminary in 1883, later taking a fourth year of study at Andover. His pastorates have included the Union Church, Amesbury, Mass., 1884-1891; a double charge in Underhill and Jericho, Vt., 1891- 1895; First Church of Mansfield, Conn., 1895-1907, and for 7 of those 12 years he was Acting Visitor of the schools of that town; Ashland, Mass., 1907-1911; Milton, N. H., 1911-1915.
Mr. Pike began his service as pastor of the First Congregational Church in Royalston July 4, 1915. Sept. 15, 1915, he was "recognized" by a council as pastor for a term of 5 years, and since the end of that term he has been re-engaged each year, including the year of this printing, 1925. His relations with the church and people have been harmonious and pleasant; pastor and people have gone on to- gether in the usual lines of religious and social work, and there have been no sen- sational changes. Hampered by the difficulties that beset many country churches, arising from the loss of the older people by death and the young by removal, the inevitable results are a diminishing congregation and a shortening membership roll; yet a goodly number have been added to the list of church members during the min- istry of Mr. Pike. He says: "In my presentation of the Gospel, I have tried to preach it as it is taught in the Scriptures and as it has been held in all ages by the evangelical church. It has been my aim to bring it home to all families and indi- viduals, and apply it to the conduct of life and to the comfort of sorrowing hearts."
The Sunday-school has been well sustained, under the long continued able su- perintendence of Dr. Frank W. Adams. The church has done its part in sustaining the benevolent, missionary and reform work of the churches, at home and abroad.
People who were reared in Royalston but who have removed, still continue to hold a warm interest in the town and church of their early years, and assist in many ways. In the summer, many of the old families return to their ancestral home for longer or shorter periods, and felicitously increase the number and inter- est in the congregations, as well as assist materially in bearing the financial bur- dens of the parish.
Mr. Pike married Caroline E. Thompson, of Durham, N. H., July 6, 1887; she came to Royalston with him, and after a prolonged period of invalidism, she died, Sept. 12, 1918. Their daughter, Florence, graduated from Wellesley College in 1912, and became a teacher in the high schools in Salem and Delhi, N. Y .; follow- ing which she accepted a position in Norristown, Penn., from which she went to a private school in Tarrytown, N. Y., where she suffered a bad nervous break- down, and had not been able to resume work prior to January, 1925.
Mr. Pike married, second, on Nov. 10, 1923, Mrs. Hattie Hallowell, of Clifton- dale, Mass., whom he had known as a schoolmate as Hattie Holton.
As stated on page 121, Mr. Pike has supplied the pulpit at the West Baptist Church since November, 1919, riding over there for a service each Sunday at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, after preaching and teaching a class in the Sabbath-school at the First Congregational Church.
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ADDITIONAL CHURCH NOTES.
The time that has elapsed since the matter relating to benefactions to the First and Second Congregational Churches was printed, on pages 114 and 118, has brought additional gifts to both.
Mrs. Flora (Emerson) Peckham, a native of Royalston, daughter of William H. and Elvira (Morse) Emerson, who died in 1923, by her will left $1500 to the First Congregational Church of Royalston. She also willed $500 to the Dewey Street Baptist Church, Worcester, and $500 to the Old Ladies' Home, Worcester.
Mrs. Clara M. (Jones) Rice, widow of Homer T. Rice, and a native of Royals- ton, who died in Leominster in 1923, by her will left $1000 to the Second Congrega- tional Church, South Royalston, to be known as the "Aaron Jones Fund"-a memo- rial to her father. She also willed $2000 to the City of Leominster, to be known as the "Bertha G. Rice Fund," in memory of a daughter, the income for the benefit of the Public Library; $500 to the Orthodox Congregational Society, Leominster; $500 to the Ladies Charitable Society, Leominster; and a fund of $2000 for the ben- efit of Mrs. Carrie E. Wilson, and after her death to go to the Orthodox Congrega- tional Church, Leominster.
Mrs. Amelia (Day) Wheeler, widow of Clarence E. Wheeler, in 1923, willed $500 to the Second Congregational Church.
In 1922, Mr. George M. Lemon, proprietor of "High View Farm," well known as the old Jones place, and Mrs. Lemon, presented to the First Congregational Church a silver individual-cup communion service, inscribed: "To the First Con- gregational Church, Royalston, Mass., in memory of Rev. Dr. James Stephen Lemon, September 3, 1922."
Mr. and Mrs. Lemon presented a similar communion service to the Second Congregational Church at about the same time.
Rev. Dr. Lemon had been rector of an Episcopal church in Gardner, and when, in his advanced life, he made his home with his son's family at "High View," he worshipped in these two Royalston churches, preached in them many times, and was honored and loved by all who knew him.
Rev. Clarence Pike, pastor of the First Congregational Church, wrote: "Mr. George M. Lemon and family with his school came to us from "High View" in 1922. This school is one where girls are being trained by practical and original methods for an intelligent and useful womanhood. The family and young people make a welcome and helpful re-enforcement to our congregation and workers."
Extended stories cannot be given about the numerous pastors of the Second Congregational Church-26 in all, covering 88 years of the church's existence. The pastorate of Rev. Francis J. Fairbanks, more fully mentioned on pages 116 and 210, was by far the longest-more than 11 years. There were 2 others of about 6 years each, while the remaining 23 were from 1 year to 4 or 5 years. Only 1 of these pastors was ordained when beginning his pastorate; 4 others were installed; the remainder served as stated supply. In a manual of the church issued in 1919, the terms of some of these pastors are given somewhat differently from those quoted from Mr. Caswell's book, on pages 115 and 116, thus: Rev. C. L. Twomblin, 1878- 1880; Rev. John Eyers, 1895-1896; Rev. Samuel Holden, 1906-1909; and Rev. F. J. Fairbanks beginning 1909.
When Rev. Francis J. Fairbanks, pastor of the Second Congregational Church, began, about 1916, to spend the winters with his sons or elsewhere than in South Royalston, the pulpit of that church was occupied during his absences by Rev. Edmund L. Smiley, of Baldwinville, who has continued as a stated supply pastor since the resignation of Rev. Mr. Fairbanks, in 1920, down to this printing in 1925.
Rev. John Eyers died at Keene, N. H., Nov. 7, 1919.
Rev. James A. Bates retained his residence in South Royalston after the close of his pastorate, and died there Sept. 3, 1916, aged 84 years.
REV. SILAS KENNEY.
Rev. Silas Kenney was the first of the two clergymen who came from Sutton to Royalston, but neither of them came with the early settlers. He was born in Sutton in 1797, and was of Scotch-Irish ancestry. Sept. 3, 1837, he was constitu ted pastor of the West Royalston Baptist Church, and his pastorate extended until
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1858, more than 20 years, being the longest in the history of the church. He was much beloved by the people of his parish, and respected and honored by the towns- people generally. He served on the School Committee for 12 years or more, and represented the town in the Legislature in 1848, where his work was found to be commendable and satisfactory.
THE DOCTORS BACHELLER.
A writer in the Memorial said: "In our early records we have the signatures of the heads of two families by the name of Bacheller,-Dr. Stephen Bacheller and Dea. John Bacheller; but they wrote their sir-name differently. The doctor wrote Bachelder, and the deacon Bacheller. Dr. Stephen Bacheller, Jr., wrote his name after still another orthography, Batcheller. In these notes we have adopted the deacon as our authority, hoping in him, as the middle man, to find the golden mean." The style thus set in the Memorial is followed in these Reflections.
Royalston's first physician was Dr. Stephen Bacheller, who came to the town in 1768, the 3rd year after its incorporation. He experienced great hardships in the beginning of his practice in Royalston and neighboring towns, the lack of roads compelling him to travel by marked trees, frequently at night, often followed by bears and wolves; and he was obliged to ford streams at the peril of his life. But it is said that he never failed to respond to the calls for his services, regardless of the storm, the darkness and danger, or the poverty of the patients. He was noted for his kindness and attention to the poor, from whom he never exacted payment for his services.
Dr. Bacheller was born in 1745. He married Meribah Stratton in 1774. She died in 1827, and he died in 1829. They had at least 10 children:
1. Abigail Bacheller, born in 1774, married Calvin Kendall in 1793.
2. Stephen Bacheller, born in 1776, died in 1777.
5. Stephon Bacheller, Jr., born in 1778. (See more extended notice below.)
4. Anstis, born in 1780, died in 1782.
5. Asa Bacheller, born 1782; married Elizabeth, daughter of William and Anna (Nichols) Clement, in 1805. They lived on the place on the road from the Common toward Winchendon and South Royalston, which was for at least half a century known as the Asa Bacheller place, and for more than another half century as the Franklin H. Goddard place.
6. Mark Bacheller, born in 1784, and died in the same year.
7. Sally Bacheller, born in 1786; married David Peirks in 1806; he died in 1809, and she married Asa Knowlton, in 1816.
8. Lois Bacheller, born in 1788; married Peleg Stratton in 1810.
9. James Bacheller, born in 1791; he married Persis Sweetzer; became a phy- sician, and practiced in Marlboro and Fitzwilliam, N. H., and died in 1866.
10. Mark Bacheller, born in 1793, and died in 1843.
Dr. Stephen Bacheller, Jr., born in 1778, studied medicine with his father and with Dr. Henry Wells, of Montague. In 1800, at the age of 22, he began practice at Truro, on Cape Cod. In 1803, at the request of his father, who began to feel the infirmities of age, he returned to Royalston, to assist his father, and continued in the practice of his profession there for the remainder of his life, the practice of the father and the son in Royalston covering 80 years.
Dr. Stephen Bacheller, Jr., ranked high in his profession, and probably had, for many years, a larger consultation business than any other physician in the county, if not in the state. He was prominent in medical organizations, repre- sented the town in the Legislature in 1826 and 1830, and held various town offices.
He married (1) Sally Stratton, in 1803, who died in 1815; (2) Sally Warland Moore, in 1816, who died in 1826; (3) Martha Butler, in 1827, who after his death became the wife of William Clement, and died in 1881.
Dr. Stephen Bacheller, Jr., died suddenly at the house of a neighbor, where he had called, apparently well, in 1848.
This Bacheller family occupied the place designated at 11C on our map. The place went into the hands of Chauncy Chase, who made extensive improvements, and lived there from 1859 until his death in 1878, and it was occupied by members of his family until 1896; since which time it has had several owners and occupants, among them, Millard W. White, John S. Moore and Alfred C. Turner.
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DR. ISAAC P. WILLIS.
Dr. Isaac P. Willis was born in Winchester, N. H., in 1806. He pursued his studies at Wilbraham, Mass., Castleton and Woodstock, Vt., and at Pittsfield, Mass., receiving his M. D. from the Berkshire Medical School at the last-named place; he also attended lectures at Philadelphia. He began practice in Richmond, N. H., and also practiced briefly in Florida and in Schenectady, N. Y. He came to Royals- ton in 1835, and was first assistant to Dr. Stephen Bacheller, Jr., and then his part- ner for 5 or 6 years. He then set up for himself, and had a large and successful practice, not only in Royalston, but in adjoining towns for many miles around. He was a public-spirited citizen, and served on the School Committee for 11 years.
He married Mrs. Mary Clement Stacy in 1838; she was born in 1807, and died July 28, 1882. They had 3 children:
1. Martha Genette Willis, born July 19, 1840; married Alfred Dwight Ray- mond in 1861, and they had 3 children. Mr. Caswell, in illuminating the Raymond family, failed to inform us what became of Alfred Dwight Raymond and his wife after the birth of their children. Cemetery records show that Martha Genette (Willis) Raymond died Aug. 28, 1868, and Alfred Dwight Raymond died Aug. 14, 1896.
2. Jules Astley Willis, born Dec. 17, 1843. He attended Royalston schools and perhaps some academy, and he probably studied medicine with his father, to the extent that he was allowed to perform vaccinations during a small-pox "scare" in the spring of 1863; I fix the year by the fact that I was employed at the shop where the only victim of the disease was employed and still remember a comment that Jules made as he administered the treatment to me. By the death of his father later in 1863, Jules was deprived of guidance which he probably needed, and was around his home without much apparent aim or occupation, until 1868, (the date I fix by means of remembered associations with him,) when he went away from Royalston, and from that time little was known of his whereabouts or doings by the people generally, if even by his relatives; he certainly did not achieve a place in "Royalston's Hall of Fame" in Mr. Caswell's History of Royalston.
3. Lucy Flora Willis, (omitted by Mr. Caswell, apparently because not found in the Vital Records book,) was born June 22, 1845. After the death of her father she became afflicted with a seemingly incurable disease, which ultimately rendered her practically helpless; but her old friends and schoolmates who visited her found her always patient and cheerful throughout all the long years of suffering. With her mother she removed to Petersham, which had been the home of Mrs. Willis pre- vious to her marriage to Dr. Willis, and there Lucy Flora died, Jan. 15, 1901, having in her invalidism outlived her mother by more than 18 years.
Dr. Willis died June 28, 1863. It was Sunday. It had been known through the day that there was little hope of his recovery from the disease which it was sup- posed that he had contracted from a patient. Near the close of the afternoon service at the First Congregational Church, Mr. George Woodbury stepped in from the vestibule, and having been recognized by the minister, Rev. E. W. Bullard, said: "Dr. Willis is dead." Mr. Bullard closed the Bible on which lay the notes of his unfinished sermon, and said: "Let us pray." And then he poured out from his heart, in words and tears, the great sorrow which he and his audience, and the en- tire community shared. The funeral was held in the church on the following Tues- day, when Mr. Bullard delivered a sermon from the text: "Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there?" On the following Sunday, in accordance with his custom of preaching an appropriate sermon after the death of a parish- oner, his text was: "He saved others, himself he could not save."
DR. HORACE TRACY HANKS.
Dr. Horace Tracy Hanks came to Royalston and began practice soon after the death of Dr. Willis. He was born in Vermont in 1837, acquired a good medical education, and practiced for a year in the Albany City Hospital. In 1862 he was commissioned as Assistant Surgeon with a regiment of New York volunteers, and after a year of service in the field, during which he participated in several notable battles, he was for a time in charge of a hospital in Washington.
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His practice in Royalston extended from 1863 to late in 1868, and was success- ful, and satisfactory to the people. He took a lively interest in public affairs and everything for the good of the community, and served on the School Committee and in other public positions with credit.
In 1864 he married Martha L. Fiske. They lived in the Dr. Willis house, at 2C on our map, and Dr. Hanks became the owner of it when Mrs. Willis and her daughter removed to Petersham. Dr. Hanks and his wife had a daughter, who died a few years later, in New York. An infant child died in the autumn of 1868, and a little later Mrs. Hanks died.
Before the end of the year 1868 Dr. Hanks went to New York City to attend lectures, and took up his residence there, where he went on developing his educa- tion, practice and experience for many years, until in 1898, on account of failing health, he was obliged to retire. In 1372 he married Julia Dana Godfrey, of Keene, N. H., and they had two daughters. He died in 1900.
RESIDENCE OF DR. F. W. ADAMS, SUMMER, 1906.
DR. HENRY A. DEANE.
The only reference to Dr. Henry A. Deane that I have discovered in. Mr. Cas- well's History of Royalston is the statement that Dr. Frank W. Adams "located in Royalston Center in 1869, as successor to Dr. Henry A. Deane."
Dr. Henry A. Deane came to Royalston soon after the removal of Dr. Hanks in 1868, and removed to Athol late in 1869. As Mr. Caswell furnished no infor- mation about him in his Royalston work, I turned to his "Athol Past and Present," and there I read that "Dr. H. A. Deane was a well-known physician in Athol from 1860 to 1879, when he removed to South Hadley and later to Easthampton."
This placing of Dr. Deane in Athol in 1860 was obviously one of Mr. Caswell's characteristic inaccuracies. From what has been said of Dr. Deane's age, it is ap- parent that he was only 18 or 19 years old in 1860, and there is no reason to suppose that he practiced in Athol until he went there from Royalston in 1869.
During the short term of Dr. Deane's practice in Royalston there was nothing to make a great test of his skill. He mixed in with the social and religious activi- ties at the Center, but was not in town long enough to be called into any public
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office. He was unmarried, and had his office and home at the former Dr. Willis and Dr. Hanks place, then occupied by William W. Clement.
The following, from the Athol Transcript of July 3, 1923, gives interesting in- formation relating to Dr. Deane:
"A visitor in Athol last Sunday was Dr. H. A. Deane of Hartford, Conn., who with his wife and 3 children were on an automobile trip to Greenfield and other places. The Doctor is kindly remembered by old friends, but most of them have passed over now. He is 81 years old, very active in physique, driving his own car . long distances, and though pretty gray and bald, is apparently in the enjoyment of fine health. He practised in Athol over 48 years ago, and was very successful. He moved from here to Easthampton, we think, then to Hartford. His first wife was a sister of the late Albert L. Newman, the banker."
With the intention of corresponding with Dr. Deane, I looked for his address in current directories, but failed to find it, either in the list of physicians in Hart- ford or any other city or town in Connecticut, or among the residents of Hartford; indicating that probably he was not a resident of Hartford at the time when the canvass for those directories was made.
RESIDENCE OF DR. F. W. ADAMS, AUTUMN, 1906.
DR. FRANCIS WAYLAND ADAMS.
Dr. Francis Wayland Adams was undoubtedly named by his parents in honor of Rev. Francis Wayland, an American divine and moral philosopher, who lived 1796-1865. In Caswell's History of Royalston it is stated that he was "popularly called 'Frank' from his childhood;" and it appears that he accepted the shorter name, and adopted it for all his business transactions and correspondence, signing numerous reports as town officer for publication that way, and using it as his legal and authorized name, the only exceptions, perhaps, being in the printed records of his connection with the church and of his marriage, where he appears as Francis.
Dr. Adams was born in Brookfield, Mass., Feb. 18, 1840; his parents were Daniel Emerson and Lucy (Hastings) Adams, and he claims kinship to John Adams and John Quincy Adams, early presidents of the United States; he is also a direct descendant from Primeval Adam, of Garden of Eden fame.
With a good preparatory education, he entered Amherst College in 1858, from which he graduated in 1862. His patriotism stirred by the bombardment of Fort Sumter, April 12, 1861, he added the study of military tactics and drill to the work of his college course, and soon after receiving his degree of Bachelor of Arts he
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enlisted on the quota of his native town as a private in the 51st Regiment of Mas- sachusetts Volunteers; his proficiency in military tactics soon won him a commission as First Lieutenant, under which he served with his regiment in North Carolina. But his health had been impaired by his extra work during his last year at college, and after the march to Goldsboro, and picket duty in the swamps on the river Neuse, he was attacked by malaria, with complications, which resulted in his dis- charge, Jan. 25, 1863, on account of disabilities incurred in the line of duty.
After a time his health recuperated enough to enable him to become principal of Lawrence Academy, Falmouth, Mass., which position he held for nearly 3 years; but with his impaired health he found the confinement of the school work debilita- ting, and he resigned his position as principal, and began the study of medicine.
In 1865, after having received the degree of Master of Arts from Amherst College, he entered the medical department of Harvard University; while studying medicine he held the position of apothecary at the Retreat for the Insane, at Hart- ford, Conn., and after he received his degree of Doctor of Medicine from Harvard, in 1868, he became an assistant physician at the Retreat for the Insane.
A year of hospital work and experience brought to him the need of an open-air life, and he decided to take up general practice. On the advice of his brother, Dr. Henry O. Adams, who had then been in practice in South Royalston for several years, he established himself at Royalston Center, in 1869, very soon after the removal of Dr. Deane. He remained in Royalston about 2 years, during which his home and office was at the place previously occupied by Dr. Willis, Dr. Hanks and Dr. Deane, then occupied by William W. Clement, and since about 1876 by the Joseph T. Nichols family. Dr. Adams fitted in well with the social and religious affairs of the town, established himself in the high esteem of the people, and un- doubtedly selected there the best lady in the land as his life partner.
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