USA > Massachusetts > Essex County > Newbury > Reminiscences of a nonagenarian > Part 27
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The new church gave great satisfac- tion, and for several years was crowded every Sunday. This society counted amongst its members many eminent persons. Patrick and Nathaniel C. Tracy, Judge Parsons, and his law students, amongst which was John Quincy Adams, the discarded lover of Miss Mary Fraiser, the daughter of Moses Fraiser, esq., whose pew was in close contiguity, to that occupied by young Adams, whom the Fraiser fami- ly did not consider a sufficiently bril- liant parti for the lovely Mary, then one of the celebrated beauties of the day. There were the Carters, Daven- ports, John Bromfield, the Cross fami- lies, Michael Hodge, Nicholas Brown, Col. Edward Wigglesworth, Joseph Marquand, Gen. Jonathan Jackson, David Moody, Jonathan Greeley, Judge Greenleaf and his son Col. Greenleaf, Major Joshua Greenleaf, the Balches,
Stones, Johnsons, Noyeses, Toppans, Coffins, Jenkins, Mr. Prout, Mr. Israel Young, Dr. Micajah Sawyer, Captain Hudson, and many other distinguished persons and families.
The triangular piece of land on which the old meeting-house stood, was sold to the town for eight thousand dollars. The citizens subscribed thirty-five hun- dred of this sum. From this land Market square was formed, the well dug, and the town pump placed very nearly on the site of the pulpit of the old meeting-house.
CHAPTER XL.
In 1729 the inhabitants of the upper part of the second parish in Newbury petitioned the General Court to divide the west parish into two precincts. A map drawn that year shows that there were one hundred and eighty-four hous- es in the parish, and the families num- bered one hundred and eighty-three.
March 20, 1781, the second parish voted " to desire the General Court to confirm the setting off of the fourth par- ish from the second," which was done by a committee, February 22, according to a vote passed by the second parish, January 6th, consenting to the division.
April 15th, 1729, the inhabitants of the upper part of the west parish, made an agreement " to build a meeting-house fifty fect by thirty-eight, and twenty foot stud." This was the old meeting- house on Meeting-house hill. The Rev. William Johnson was ordained over the new parish, September 15th, 1731.
The Johnsons arc an old English
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family. The first ancestor on record was Maurice Johnson, esq., M. P. for Stamford in 1523. He had two sons, Robert and Francis.
Robert Johnson, archdeacon of Lei- cester, married Maria -; died in 1625, leaving one son, Abraham, born in 1577.
Abraham Johnson married Anna Meadows in 1597 ; they had one son, Isaac. Mrs. Johnson died young, and in 1602, Abraham Johnson married a second wife, Cicerly Chadderton, by whom he had eleven children: Lau- rence, Maurice, Robert, William, Ed- ward, Ezekiel, Nicholas, Francis, Hen- ry, Cicerly, and Elisabeth. Mr. John- son removed with his family from Mil- ton Bryan to Canterbury, county of Kent.
Isaac Johnson, the son of Abraham Johnson by his first wife, in 1623 was united in marriage with the Lady Ara- bella Piennes. This couple with two sons by the second wife, William and Edward, emigrated from Canterbury to America. The early death of Lady Arabella Johnson, which cast so deep a gloom over that infant colony in the wilderness, has become indelibly inter woven in the early history of the Mas- sachusetts settlement.
William Johnson settled in Charles- town in 1630, and his brother Edward in Woburn. William Johnson in 1633, married Elisabeth Storey of Charles- town ; they had five children : Rahan- na, Elisabeth, Joseph, Jonathan and Nathaniel.
Nathaniel was married in 1668, to Joanna Long of Charlestown ; they had three children : Nathaniel, William and John.
William Johnson, son of Nathaniel and Joanna Johnson, came from Charles-
town to Newbury in 1698. Nov. 9th, 1702, he married Martha, third daugh- ter of Captain Daniel Pierce of the " Pierce " farm, Newbury. They had six children : Isaac, William, born May 31, 1706; Eleazer, Elisabeth, Martha and Lydia. William Johnson died in 1741, aged 70 years.
William, son of William and Martha (Pierce) Johnson, graduated at Har- vard in 1727. Soon after his ordina- tion, he married Betty, daughter of Dr. Humphrey Bradstreet. They had nine children : Sarah, Martha, Mary, Do- rothy, Anna, Hannah, William, Daniel and Bradstreet.
Sarah married Mr. David Chase, who resided on his farm near the pres- ent Rocks bridge.
Martha became the wife of Dr. Wil- liam Hale of Old Rowley.
Mary married my grandfather, Jo- scph Little.
Dolly was twice married ; first to William Folsom, of Newmarket, N. H., who died young ; second to Squire Blanchard of Chester, N. H.
Anna married Dr. Tenney of Brad- ford ; he died the second year of his marriage from the small pox, which he took in performing the duties of his profession. He was a most promising young man, and his death was sincerely mourned throughout the community. The widow Tenney married Mr. Joseph Moody of Amesbury.
Hannah married Master Simeon Chase.
William, Daniel and Bradstreet set- tled in business in Newburyport. Wil- liam married Temperance Little ; their two daughters, Temperance and Mary, died unmarried. The only son, Wil- liam, went to Amesbury and engaged in the carriage business.
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Daniel married Hannah Woodman of Newbury, June, 1764; they had two daughters, Hannah, who married Mr. Stephen Frothinghamn, and Betsey, who married Mr. Thomas Beck, and went to Portland, Me. Daniel John- son's second wife was Mary Horton, to whom he was married Feb., 1787.
Bradstreet Johnson married Susan- na Brown, and died childless.
Madam Betty Johnson died August 2d, 1756, in the 43d year of her age. Parson Johnson married a second wife, a widow Sargent, from Amesbury. He died February 22d, 1772, in the 40th year of his ministry, aged 66 years. The stone erected by the parish to his memory bears this inscription :
" He was a gentleman of good under- standing, of uniform piety and vir- tue, of a very amiable temper, ten- der and affectionate in his family connections, a benevolent and faith- ful friend."
Parson Johnson was reverenced and beloved in an unusual degree both in his family and the parish. My mother was his especial pet; she could recol- lect standing between her grandsire's knees, while he taught her the alphabet, and though only five years old at his decease, she could read the Bible quite fluently.
Eleazer, my great-grandfather's youngest brother, married Elisabeth Pearce. They had nine children, Eleazer, William Pearce, Nicholas, Jo- seph, Philip, Jane, Sarah, Elisabeth and Martha. Mrs. Johnson died soon after the birth of Martha, and Mr. Johnson in 1766, was married to Sa- rah Bailey. They had one son, John Bailey Johnson. My great uncle, Eleazer Johnson, died in 1792.
Eleazer Johnson jr., married Han- nah Greenleaf in 1777. Their children
were Eleazer, Joseph, Hannah, Abi- gail and Jacob Greenleaf.
William Pearce Johnson married Sarah Greenleaf Oct. 1770. Their children were Mary, Catharine, Wil- liam Pearce, Sarah, Eleazer 4th, and Jonathan Greenleaf.
Nicholas, the third son, married Mary, daughter of Matthew and Anna Greenleaf Perkins, Dec. 1776. Their children were Nicholas, Anna Green- leaf, Mary Perkins, Elisabeth, Sarah, Philip, Abel Greenleaf, Benjamin Greenleaf, and Henry.
Joseph, the fourth son, married Elisabeth Dole. Their children were Joseph, born 1769, died 1785 ; Richard, born 1771, lost at sea with Capt. Whitcomb and crew in 1718 ; Eleazer, born May 9th, 1773, married Sarah Newman June 11th, 1797 ; Elisabeth, born July 1775, married Richard Dole. Philip, the youngest son, married Dolly Noyes in 1773. Their children were Dolly, Sally and Philip.
Jane, the oldest daughter, married Nathaniel Nowell; Sarah, Phineas Parker ; and Martha, Capt. Desaunette. Elisabeth, my great-grandfather John- son's oldest sister, married Isaac Hall. Their daughter, Hannah Hall, married Edmund Bartlet ; their children were William, and Hannah who died young. Mr. William Bartlet married the widow Betty (Coombs) Lascom, the daughter of Philip and Lydia Johnson Coombs ; Martha the second sister, mar- ried Ralph Cross ; the youngest, Lydia, Philip Coombs, who came from the is- land of Guernsey, and was the first of the family in Newburyport; it was their daughter Betty who married William Bartlet.
Isaac Johnson, the first of the name in America, and one of the original
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settlers of Massachusetts, arrived at Salem June 12th, 1630, and died Sept. 30th, following. He ranked by virtue of his birth, learning and wealth, next to Gov. Winthrop, and was so placed in the colonial records. His wife, Ar- bella or Arabella, was the daughter of Thomas the 14th Earl of Lincoln. Gov. Winthrop named the ship in which they came to this country for her.
Edward and William, half brothers of Isaac, came to America, in 1630, probably with Gov. Winthrop. Ed- ward was a merchant and historian, as he wrote the "Wonder Working Providence of Zion's Savior," which was a history of New England from 1628 to 1652. It was printed in Lon- don in 1654, and copies of the orig- inal edition are highly prized by bibli- ographers. He was also speaker of the colonial Legislature, and one of the members authorized to treat with the commissioners of Charles II. He resided at Charlestown, and was one of the founders of Woburn, as Isaac was of Boston. Edward, as may be seen from the foregoing, was a man of great note in the colony. He was the first of the family in this town, as it is ' recorded that he traded here about the year 1634. As this was a year prior to the arrival of the party with Messrs. Parker & Noyes, this trade must have been with the Indians, or some isolated pioneers. He kept the town records of Woburn from its foun- dation until his death.
Below I give some extracts from va- rious works regarding Isaac Johnson.
Bancroft, in his "History of the United States," says :
" The zeal of White soon found oth- er and powerful associates in and about London, men of religious fervour : Win-
throp, Dudley, Johnson, Pynchon, Ea- ton, Saltonstall, Bellingham, etc., fa- mous in colonial records."
In another place it says :
" The virtues of Arabella Johnson, a daughter of the house of Lincoln, could not break through the gloomy shadows which surrounded her. and as she was ill before her arrival, grief soon hurried her to the grave. Her hus- band, one of the first men in the colo- ny, zealous for pure religion, in life the greatest furtherer of the plantation, and by his bequests a benefactor of the infant state, was subdued by the force of disease and affliction, but he died willingly and in sweet peace, mak- a most godly end."
Lossing's "History of the United States," says :
"Amongst these was Isaac Johnson, a principal leader of the enterprise, and the wealthiest of the founders of Boston, and his wife, the Lady Arabel- la. a daughter of the Earl of Lincoln. She died at Salem, and her husband did not long survive her."
Blake's Biographical Dictionary eon- firms what I have noted regarding Edward, stating also, that he went to Merrimack in 1632 with a license to trade. Concerning Isaac it says, "Bos- ton was settled under his conduct. He had the largest estate of any of the colonists, and was the greatest fur- therer of the plantation." His lot in Boston was the square between Tre- inont, Washington, Court, and School streets, and he was buried at the upper end of his lot, which gave occasion for the first burial place, to be laid out around his grave. This is the church yard of King's chapel. His house was on a hill near Tremont street.
Thomas Johnson, kinsman of Wil- liam, was amongst the earliest ship- builders on the Merrimack river. He owned the ship-yard near the bottom
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of Ship street, and was one of the first settlers in that locality. His home was on the corner of Ship and Water streets, and at the time it was built there was only the residence of Dr. Humphrey Bradstreet and one other house below on Water street.
William Johnson came from Charles- town and succeeded Thomas in the business, and soon became a wealthy man. In the town records, 1731, we find, "Town voted liberty to William Johnson and others to build a wharf at the foot of Chandler's lane (now Fed- eral street."
The ship carpenters were then one of the most influential classes in town, and William Johnson was at their head. At his death in 1741 he bequeathed one half of his ship yard, and his homestead, corner of Water and Fed- eral streets, to his son Isaac ; his house corner of Water and Ship streets and the other half of his ship yard to his son Eleazer. He left legacies to his son William, the clergyman, and to his daughter. He was a wealthy man for those times, and possessed two or three farms, well stocked, a number of houses, barns, ware-houses, a long wharf, a ship yard with all the machin - ery, tools and implements of art used in the business, Inmber, a negro girl, etc. The wharf originally cost twenty thousand dollars, and as much more was afterward spent upon it. When it came into the hands of a descendant, and the ship yard merged into John- son's wharf, some thousands were spent in putting a substantial stone wall around it. Here Capt. William P. Johnson, who was first a ship car- penter, then a successful ship master, when the Johnson ship yard was no more, on the Johnson wharf, car-
ried on a large and profitable business. He owned the first ship employed in freighting in Newburyport, the "In- dustry " which was employed in taking tobacco, from the James river to Eu- rope. He can be truly called the father of the freighting business which was such a source of profit to the place. Capt. Nicholas Johnson, Capt. John N. Cushing, and Henry John- son, esq., afterwards owners of the Johnson wharf, there successfully per- sned the same business until their re- moval to the " Cushing wharf, " which is still owned in the family. The Johnson wharf was sold to Mr. Wil- liam Bartlett in 1830 for eight thous- and dollars, and was called the Bart- let wharf. Again in 1855 it was sold for forty-two hundred dollars, and has passed from the family.
William Johnson's vessels constantly arrived at Newburyport, from Hon- duras, the West Indies, the Straits, and the north of Europe. He was . the first person in Newburyport who put blinds to the windows of his house.
Eleazer Johnson led the band that seized the tea and burned it in market square before the destruction of the tea in Boston harbor. The story is as follows : Eleazer Johnson standing one day, upon the timber of his yard, called his men about him, and after a few patriotic words gave the order, "all who are ready to join, knock your adzes from the handles, shoulder the handles and follow me." Every adze in the yard was knocked off, and the stout, athletic man, who would have marched through a regiment of "red coats, " had they stood in his way, taking his broad axe as an emblem of leadership, and for use, marched at the head of
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the company to the powder-house. There that well tried axe opened a way through the door, and each man shouldering a chest of tea, again fell into line. They marched direct to" where Market square is now located, defiling round the old meeting-house. Johnson's axe opened a chest, and box and tea were on the ground together, each man as he came up followed suit, then with his own hand Johnson light- ed the pile and burned it to ashes.
Through the troublous times that fol- lowed, the Johnsons stood at the head of the "Sons of Liberty." Eleazer's sons were, like himself, intelligent, en- terprising, and patriotic. His son Philip volunteered and participated in the battle of Bunker Hill. His son Eleazer, who commanded a " Letter of Marque " in the revolution, the brig " Dalton," was captured, and he and his erew were imprisoned at Plymouth for two or three years, in the famous " Old Mill Prison." His son Nicholas, who commanded the "Count de Grass," was the first to display the stars and stripes from his mast-head on the river Thames. His son William Pearce John- son, master of brig "American Hero," in 1776, hearing, when in one of the French West Indian islands, that war had begun, loaded with arms and am- munition, which he safely landed in Boston. This was the first material aid furnished the patriots. Like his ancestors, William P. Johnson pos- sessed great muscular power. In a test of strength with the late William Bartlett, his neighbor, he lifted eigh- teen fifty-six pound weights, and was declared the strongest man in town. Eleazer Johnson was above the ordina- ry size, with black hair and eyes.
The Johnson coat of arms are :
****
GULES, THREE SPEAR HEADS ARGENT, CHIEF ERMINE. CREST-RAVEN'S WINGS REVERSED.
The Greenleafs, with whom the Johnsons so frequently intermarried, have been a family of great considera- tion in Newburyport. Three brothers of the name emigrated here. Benja- min, a descendant of one of these, died in 1783, having been a representa- tive in the legislature and otherwise honored with marks of public confi- dence. Jonathan and Benjamin were nephews of the first-named Benjamin. The Greenleafs sprang from the French Huguenots. They removed to Eng- land in the sixteenth century ; thence to America. Stephen Greenleaf, son of Edmund, built one of the earliest wharves in the vicinity of the inar- ket, in 1680. On that spot next the town landing was the yard in which Jonathan Greenleaf, his kinsman, worked as a mechanic. Mr. Green- leaf became the owner of this yard, and furnished many vessels for the mother country before the revolution. He owed all that he was to his industry and natural talents ; having few educa- tional advantages, he became well in- formed, won the confidence of all, and was constantly in some public office.
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He was on the first "committee of safety " in Revolutionary times, was a member of the Continental Congress, of the governor's council, the State senate, and a representative to General Court for many years. In 1782 the town of Newburyport voted thanks for his long and faithful service in Gen- eral Court. He was considered one of the great men of his day; one of the ablest, most eloquent, and most influ- ential men, a man of such persuasive powers that he was commonly known by the designation of "Silver Tongue."
CHAPTER XLI.
The Rev. David Toppan, the succes- sor of the Rev. William Johnson, was ordained April 18, 1774. He married Mary, daughter of Dr. Enoch Sawyer of the west parish. He was appointed professor at Harvard University in 1792, and died August 27, 1803, aged 51 years.
Leonard Woods, D. D., was settled December 5, 1798, and installed at Andover Theological Seminary in 1808.
In 1789, intelligence of the success that had attended the labors of a young English missionary in New Brunswick, having been brought to the Rev. Mr. Murray, pastor of the Presbyterian church, as it was a period of much re- ligious interest, not only in his society but throughout the town, the clergy- man forwarded a most pressing invita- tion to the young divine to come hith- er. The invitation was accepted, and the summer of that year the stranger commenced his ministration in New- buryport.
Charles William Milton was born in London the 29th of Nov., 1767. A pro- tege of Lady Huntingdon, he graduated at the Seminary established by her mu- nificence for the education of young men in the gospel ministry.
Mr. Milton was ordained a mission- ary in Spa Fields Chapel, London, 17th of Feb., 1788, and commenced the labor of his vocation in the British Prov- inces. From his first advent, the young preacher created a great sensation in Newburyport and vicinity. He was in- vited to settle in Amesbury, but his ad- mirers in Newburyport could not per- mit him to go, but formed a new society, the fourth, and settled him as their pas- tor. This measure, so little anticipated by Mr. Murray when he solicited Mr. Milton's presence, must have been gall- ing to the pastor of the Presbyterian church, as the larger part of those forming the new Independent society were seceders from his flock.
As the town refused the society the use of the town house, the members for a while met for worship at the resi- dence of Mr. Anthony Morse in Milk street. In 1793, the present Prospect street church was erected, and Mr. Mil- ton was installed March 20, 1791. His popularity continued for years, the large church being filled, often crowded.
This building was at first built with two towers and belfrys, as now, but the interior was much more massive. There were galleries on three sides, the pews were square, the pulpit like all pulpits in those days, there was a sound- ing board and deacons' seat. Two beautiful glass chandeliers lighted the house ; these, though the church has been modernized, the society has had the good taste to preserve.
I was about fourteen years of age
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the first time I heard Parson Milton preach ; he was in the pulpit when I entered the meeting-house. In those days the seats, which were on hinges, were raised during prayer, in order that the worshippers might stand more con- veniently. As the congregation rose, up went the seats with a clap, and the " amen " was followed by a slam, bang, which rattled the windows and rever- berated through the building in a most anti-reverential manner. Here and there a seat was cushioned for an inva- lid or elderly woman, but it was a rare thing for a pew to be thus furnished throughout, and a carpeted floor had never been thought of. Col. Green- leaf caused a deal of talk by cushioning his pew in the new Pleasant street meeting-house with cushions covered with red velvet edged by fringe.
I had scarcely become seated when up jumped Parson Milton from the pulpit, in his gown and bands, like a jumping jack out of a box, and, with up-raised hands, gleaming eyes, the thick curls falling to his shoulders, in quick, curt tones, he shouted, " Let's pray." Up jumped the congregation ; slap ! went up the seats. I was scarcely on my feet, or had regained the breath which had been fairly taken from me, when "amen" was pronounced ; down, bang ! went the seats, and a hymn was given out. I doubt not that the sermon was sound and pithy, but the preacher's manner so wrought upon my nerves that I could scarcely listen, and the final amen was hailed with great satis- faction. I was only too glad, as the pew doors were flung wide and the men and boys clattered down the aisle, to follow them into the winter sunshine of the quiet street.
By his good sense, urbanity, and
originality, Parson Milton obtained a strong hold upon the affection of his people. His preaching was bold and energetic, often interluded by the most odd and startling illustrations ; at times he soared into a perfect rhapsody of impassioned eloquence. The manner of the man pointed every word, a man- ner peculiarly his own ; his tones and gestures must be heard and seen to be appreciated ; they were the power by which he swayed the multitude. Whol- ly absorbed in his subject, he often cast/ aside rules and regulations, making a law unto himself.
The sexton of his society was a Mr. Currier. This name, in the then com- mon parlance, was called Kiah. On one occasion, at. an evening lecture, Parson Milton nearly upset the equa- nimity of his hearers, by shouting, in the midst of his sermon, without the slightest pause between the sentences, "The Lord said unto Moses, Kiah snuff the candles !" , Describing one of his church members, who was a dealer in lumber, he said : "Brother - is the crookedest stick that ever grew on Zion's hill." One Sunday, in his ve- hemence, he pushed the Bible from the the desk, and the sacred volume, much to the consternation of the congregation, went, slap! upon the floor in front of the pulpit.
On a warm Sunday afternoon, the Parson espied one of his parishioners asleep in his pew, near the pulpit. This man's christian name was Mark. Leaning forward, in a quick, loud tone he exclaimed, " Mark !" The sleeper started and opened his eyes, when in a lower tone was added, "the perfect man, and behold the upright." He was a true friend of sailors ; every Sunday his invariable petition arose
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" that God would bless our seafaring brethren." Parson Milton died May 1, 1837, aged seventy years.
Several members of the Presbyterian church, being dissatisfied with the set- tlement of the Rev. Daniel Dana as their pastor, withdrew from the society and formed the second Presbyterian church. The society was incorporated November 24th, 1796. That year Harris, Pleasant, Broad and Essex streets were accepted by the town, and the meeting-house erected on Har- ris street by the new Presbyterian society was dedicated in December. The first pastor of this society was the Rev. John Boddily, who was born in Bristol, England, and educated at Lady Huntingdon's college. He was or- dained at Westbury, England, in 1780, and installed in Newburyport, June 28, 1797. Mr. Boddily died in 1802, and was succeeded by the Rev. John Giles. This gentleman, also an Englishman, was born in Caerlon, Monmouthshire, in 1758 ; he was settled over the socie- ty in Harris street, July 20, 1803. Parson Giles was the great Democrat- ic, or, as he was commonly styled, Ja- cobin preacher, rivalling Dr. Parish, of Byfield, his Federalist opponent. Peo- ple would rush to town from all quar- ters to listen to the Democratic dis- courses of Parson Giles, and the meet- ing-house would be thronged, while vice versa, the town folk would go out to Byfield to enjoy the eloquence of the celebrated Dr. Parish's fiery Feder- alist harangues. The church in Harris street was the nucleus of the Demo- cratic society of the place-Dr. Smith of Mount Rural, Capt. Benjamin Pierce, the Williams' family, the Hortons, Capt. Richards, Mr. Samuel Noyes of the "Farms," and other leading families,-
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