USA > Massachusetts > Dukes County > Marthas Vineyard > The history of Martha's Vineyard, Dukes County, Massachusetts, Volume II > Part 27
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1Nantucket Records, III, 75. His previous marriage and divorce has been noted in this history (I, 474).
2Diary of Rev. William Homes, May 31, 1719.
$Dukes Deeds, I, 372.
"As witness to a deed. York Deeds, I, 103.
5Essex Deeds, LIV, 228.
6Town Records, 12-14.
7Plymouth Colony Records, VI, 65.
8Dukes Deeds, III, 132. Comp. Essex Antiquarian, IV, 32; VIII, 47.
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History of Martha's Vineyard
ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS.
The beginnings of the religious history of this town can probably be dated coincidentally with the coming of the first settlers, although there is nothing of record in the town books touching this subject until ten years after the "first purchase." As was the case at Great Harbor, there was but a handful of settlers in the early years of the town's existence, and the easiest available means of securing ministerial services and a place in which to hold them were adopted by the planters. In the division of the Takemmy purchase, made May 20, 1671, by the original proprietors, Pabodie, Allen, Skiffe and Standish, when they "devided the whole into twelve partes or shares" they provided "one for a minister."1
This lot had already been laid out and its dimensions and boundaries were as follows :-
The Lands & Accomadations which belongeth to the minisstrie in takymmy or tisbury on the vineyard as foloeth
One house Lot with an Adishon of low land unto the house lot the house Lot Leying on the East sid of the brook next northward unto the halfe lot once grannted unto Mr John [Bishop] upon condishon but to be remembrd, there is to be A heye way betwen this Lot And halfe Lot or there A bout most conveniant over the brooke up into the woods East And west so-this lot is to run fourty rods in bredth northward And in length Eastward eightfoor rods and the addishon of low land is all the low land betwen the lot And Simon Athearns fenc but the upland which leyeth betwen Simon Athearns lot and the lot for the minisstrie is left Common
And the seventh part of the great neack as before spoken in the order of the devision of the three necks for an Inhearitanc for ever bareing date the first of february 1671 as also a sixteenth Part of all the undividedd lands and meadows lying within the bounds of said Town ship of Tisbury whether Purchased or to be purchased of the Indians2
MINISTRY OF JOHN MAYHEW.
The Rev. Thomas Prince, the New England chronologist, is our authority for the statement that the Rev. John Mayhew, the youngest son of the ill-fated missionary, was called to preach in Tisbury as soon as he had reached his majority. This was in 1673, when this young man, who more than any of his kindred resembled his gifted father, is described as "of great worth and usefulness and fell not short either of
1Supreme Judicial Court Files, No. 4974.
2'Tisbury Records, p. 5.
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the eminent genius or piety of his excellent progenitors." He had these inherited scholarly inclinations, which were early developed by the aid of his grandfather's teaching and the benefit of his father's library. As his older brothers, Matthew and Thomas, applied themselves to executive and judicial duties, the way was cleared for him as one of the co-heirs of the proprietary, to devote himself to the work of his choice.1
He began his ministry coincident with the establishment of marital relations. He was married in 1672 to Elizabeth Hilyard, orphan daughter of Emmanuel Hilyard of Hampton, N. H., who at the time of her marriage was a little more than seventeen years of age. She was brought to Tisbury by her mother, who had become, after the death of her husband, the second wife of Joseph Merry. With his young bride, he set up a home for himself at Quansoo, where he ever after lived, raised a large family of eight children, the eldest of whom was the celebrated Experience, and there ended his days. It appears that he was "minister of the Gospel to the inhabitants of Tisbury and Chilmark united," as testified by the epitaph on his gravestone, and it can be readily understood that such an arrangement for a joint pastorate would have been the natural plan for the two small communities lying contiguous.
THE FIRST MEETING HOUSE.
Where the services were held first, whether in Chil- mark or Tisbury, is not known, but it can be surmised that the school house, frequently mentioned about that period, may have served for a time as a meeting-house. Situated as it was on the South road, near the boundary line of the two towns, it would admirably serve this purpose That a meeting-house was built before 1700 in this town seems to be a clear inference from the vote of the freeholders: "at a Leagall Town meeting [29 November, 1699] by the maiger part of the town that this meeting house shall be put in Con- venient Repair." This action, however, does not seem to have been entirely satisfactory to "the maiger part" after subsequent consideration, for the next year the town expressed a determination to build a new "meeting-house."2
There are no church records extant covering John May- hew's ministry and our only knowledge of his work, which . 1Indian Converts, p. 302-306.
2Tisbury Records, 32, 40. The first meeting house was probably built before 1604 as there was at that date a "publique place for religious services. (Ibid, 25)
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continued until his death on Feb. 22, 1668-9, a period of sixteen years, is to be found in scattered contemporary docu- ments, from which this slender thread of facts enables us to weave an equally slender narrative of a long pastorate.
On June 17, 1679, the townsmen of Tisbury took action for the first time, so far as the records indicate, to make pro- visions for the support of the ministry, as expressed in the following vote :--
June the sevententh day: 1679
It is agread and ordred by the touns men of tisbury that from this day and forward that theare shall be two men chosen by this toun to rayse fiveten pounds yearly from year to year for the worck of the ministry by way of a rate apon all that shall attend the publique meteing in this place and the men to be chosen from year to year and that thay shall make the said rate according to theare best descration and shall see the said sum truely paid 1
This provision for the support of the ministry appears to have been (in the absence of any other record) the stipend paid by the town to its minister at this date, and this small amount would equal about three hundred dollars, on the basis of comparative values at the present time. Neverthe- less, this worthy and zealous man accepted this as a sufficient reward for his modestly appraised labors. It is related by a writer touching this point that although "what was allowed him was very inconsiderable indeed yet he went steadily on in this pious work and would not suffer any affairs of his own to divert him from it." In 1687 the Commissioners of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel increased his salary by thirty pounds per annum, in consideration of his additional work among the Indians.
PASTORAL VACANCY, 1689-1701.
The death of this worthy man left a vacancy which was not filled for a number of years, and it is not known that any person regularly held services for a decade following. The oldest son of the deceased pastor, Experience, was but sixteen years old when his father died and therefore not yet ready to walk in his footsteps. As soon, however, as he became of age in 1694, the town passed the following vote :-
"at a town meeting at tisbury the 26 day of october 1694 we the Inhabitants do freely desier you Mr Experience Mayhew to Come to the
'Tisbury Records, 13.
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publique place upon the Lords daye to teach us according to the measure and gift that god hath given you the which we hope and are perswaded will tend to the glory of god and our comfort by Jesus Christ our Lord1
It is supposed that the desired arrangement was effected, although there is no further reference to the subject in the records, either by payment of salary annually or in other ways. The young man was not an educated or ordained clergyman and had only been invited to "teach," which term was used to distinguish this form of ministerial supply from that of a settled pastorate. The community was not, however, entirely without opportunities of attending religious services of a regular character for coincidental with the above request to young Mayhew, the neighboring town of Chilmark had called a minister, the Rev. Ralph Thacher, to be their pastor, and it is not improbable that the people of Tisbury drove over on Sundays to his services, when no one was present to conduct them in this town. But this sort of ecclesiastical poaching on their neighbors' preserves did not satisfy the people of Tisbury and they set about the task of securing a minister who should be regularly settled.2 It appears that they applied to the Rev. Jonathan Russell of Barnstable for advice and help in this matter, and as an expression of the gratitude of the town for his efforts in their behalf the townsmen wrote a letter to him. In it they say :-
We render you hearty Thanks for all the Christian fatherlike Care and pains you have taken for our Better Settlement: and now againe for your Care of and Advice to us8
At a town meeting held on May 28, 1700, the freeholders voted the sum of £20 per annum "towards the support of an orthidox Learned and pious person to be settled our ministerr who is also to Inherit for ever a valluable posesion of Lands saved for him in tisbury: being the first settled ministe: therein in tisbury." Recognizing that this amount was not a temptation to many they expressed the hope that "all such persons of honour as are concerned in power to add unto sd 20 lb. sum other way that such a minister may be able to live upon: for our poverty & other necessary charges is such that we cannot procure above 20 lb. per year."4
1Tisbury Records, 25.
2Three Athearn children were taken to Barnstable for baptism about this time. In November, 1699, the town voted that the meeting-house shall be put in "Con- venient Repair."
3Tisbury Records, 35.
'1bid.
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History of Martha's Vineyard
Reverend Mr. Russell was asked to obtain "Mr. [Nathan- iel] Stone or some other orthodox Lerned and pious person" but Rev. Mr. Stone had just been settled in Harwich and was not available. He recommended another in the person of John Robinson.
The town entered at once into negotiations with him to supply the vacant pulpit and the matter proceeded so far that at a town meeting held on July 23, 1700, it was voted "that Roberbert Cathcart shall go to barnstable a mesenger for this Town to accompany mr John Robinson over in order for setlement in the work of the ministry in Tisbury."
It was also voted at the same meeting "that mr John Robinson shall at his Comming Take up his place of Resi- dence at Simon Atherns house."1
It is supposed that this candidate was the Rev. John Robinson, who settled in Duxbury two years later,2 and not connected with the Robinson family of Cape Cod, nor with the early settlers of the name in Tisbury. There is nothing to indicate whether this minister came or preached here. If he did, he remained a very short time. On June 21st the next year a committee consisting of Ebenezer Allen and Robert Cathcart, was appointed "to prossicute the obtaining of an orthodox minister for this Town in way and manner as hath been heretofore prossicuted by this Town."3
SECOND MEETING HOUSE.
While this committee was engaged in this search, and before a candidate was finally selected, the town took practical steps towards building another and undoubtedly larger meeting- house to accomodate the gradually increasing population. On the same day the following vote was passed :-
It is voted and agreed upon by the maiger part of the freeholders and other Inhabitants then met at a Leagall Town meeting that there shall be built in Tisbury a new meeting-house after the manner and dementions of the meeting-house in Chilmark and it is also voted that Simon Athern and Robert Cathcart shall agree with a Carpinter in behalf of This Town of Tisbury to build the said meeting-house as Cheap as they Can '
1Tisbury Records, 36.
2Winsor, History of Duxbury, 185. He was called to Duxbury on Sept. 2, 1700 but did not accept for two years. His salary in Duxbury was £60 annually.
3Tisbury Records, p. 40.
4Ibid.
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Annals of West Tisbury
Concurrent with this the town petitioned the General Court for financial assistance in the furtherance of this object. The petition was favorably considered and on June 26th of the same year the following resolve was passed :-
RESOLVED that the sum of fifteen Pounds be Allowed out of the Publick Treasury to the town of Tisbury for their Assistance in Building a Meeting House.1
At the town meeting held on October 2d following, much important business was transacted relating to the new meeting- house, its location and the settlement of a minister. In the first place it was voted to raise the sum of sixty pounds "for the building a new meeting-house," by assessment on the polls and estates. The location was determined by the gen- erosity of James Allen, who on that day made a gift of land for this particular object. The brief record of this first public gift to the town is as follows :-
Know all men by these preasents that I James Allen of Chillmark do give and grant unto the Town of Tisbury an acker of Land Lying within abigall peses fence for Ever for a burying place and to set a meeting house on free from me my heires or assignes for Ever
October 2: 17012
JAMES ALLEN
The town accepted this donation by passing a vote that a new meeting-house should be "set upon an acker of land which Mr. James Allen granted to this town for a buring place." This lot is the "God's Acre" on the west bank of the Old Mill river, which for two hundred years has been a cemetery for the town and here for one hundred and sixty-five years the townspeople assembled weekly for worship. The "dementions" of this building as first con- structed are not now known, except that it was to be the same as the structure then existing in Chilmark. As no records of that town are extant prior to 1704 we are left without means of determining this interesting point.
MINISTRY OF JOSIAH TORREY.
The committee which os zal Somen had been charged in June previous with the duty of procuring " an orthodox minister," reported that they had secured Rev. Josiah Torrey, whom they recom- mended as a suitable person for settlement as their pastor.
1Mass. Archives, XI, 160.
2Tisbury Records, 40
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History of Martha's Vineyard
The townsmen thereupon passed the following vote :-
Mr Josias Toary shall be the minister of Tisbury according to their former proceedings for the call and setlement of a minister in Tisbury.1
But this action was not unanimous. The call was passed "by the maiger part of the Inhabitants" as it appears of record, yet four of the freeholders, Thomas Look, Joseph Daggett, Edward Cottle and Zachariah Hossuet (an Indian), separately "enters his decent against the above writen vott," but the reasons therefor are not stated. Their objection may have been to his youth, for he was then scarcely entering his twenty- first year. The young clergyman was the son of Josiah Torrey, by his wife, Sarah Wilson, and was born Feb. 9, 1680, in Boston. It is believed that this was his first pastoral charge. He had graduated from Harvard College as Bachelor of Arts in 1698 and thus had received the highest education obtainable at that period. In fact all of his successors in the pastorate during the century which followed were Harvard graduates.
The Selectmen of Tisbury refused to act on the matter of raising the sixty pounds, and at a town meeting held Dec. 2 following, Simon Athearn, Robert Cathcart and Experience Luce were impowered to "assess the Town of Tisbury & precincts the said sum of Sixty Pound."2 During the period while the new house was under construction, services were probably continued in the existing building used for the pur- pose. The new meeting-house was probably completed in the early part of the summer of 1702, for in July of that year the old building was sold at public auction.
These are the formal records of the building of the church and beginnings of the pastorate which continued twenty-two years. Mr. Torrey, following the example of the other ministers to the English, devoted a portion of his time to missionary work among the Indians. Increase Mather, in a letter to the governor of the New England Company, under date of March 2, 1705, speaks of him as "a hopeful young man who had
'Tisbury Records, 42.
2Tisbury Records, 43. "At the same time Peter Robinson and Experience Luce were authorized to "Receive in of the people of the Town and preacincts what they are willing to allow to Mr Tory."
3" July 17, 1702. At a Town meeting held in Tisbury it was voted by the major part then preasant that the ould meeting house should be sould at an outcry: also it was voted that he that bid most at three times going Round should have it and at the last time of biding which was the third Time of asking on the third going Round Robert Cathcart was the bider who bid five pounds six shillings"
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learned the Indian tongue, and begun to preach to them in their own language."1
The records covering the period of his ministry do not disclose anything to indicate other than harmonious relations between pastor and people. He was paid twenty pounds per annum with occasional arrearages until 1717, when it was voted to pay twenty-four pounds "to Gratifie & reward the Reverend Mr. Josiah Torrey for his Labour in the ministrye for the year 1716." The next year, finding themselves unable to meet this charge, they voted at a town meeting "to send a petition to the General Court for their assistance in allowing them sum Relieff in helping them to maintain their minister out of the publique Treasury."2 Whether this was granted does not appear, but at a town meeting on August 11 following, it was voted :-
That Mr Torrayes Salary be raised to thirty pounds per annum provided that he the said mr Josiah Torrey do accept of the same and will be obliedged to tarry with them and preach for Ever in the work of the ministrie in Tsibury 3
Annually thereafter this amount was voted for his salary throughout the remainder of his pastorate. It is evident that he filled his office to the satisfaction of the people, although in recording his death the Rev. William Homes of Chilmark writes in his diary: "it was said that of late he had drunk too freely and too frequently of spirits."4
After an illness of some months, during which he had been "under a bad habit of body," he died on Saturday, Oct. 7, 1723, "in the 43d year of his age," and was buried the next evening. He married Sarah, daughter of Simon and Mary (Butler) Athearn of Tisbury, by whom he had four daughters, Sarah, Susanna, Mary and Margaret, the eldest daughter becoming the wife of Rev. Nathaniel Hancock, his
1In his "India Christiana," published in 1721, Cotton Mather thus speaks of Parson Torrey's labors: "The Rev. Mr. Josiah Torrey, Pastor of the English Church in Tisbury on the Vineyard, has also for many Years Past Preached as a Lecturer unto the Indians on that Island, having for that End learned their Language. He Preacheth in some or other of their Assemblies once a Fort-night, and goes frequently to their Church-Meetings, to advise & assist them."
2Tisbury Records, 68, 69.
3Ibid., 69. This indicated a firm belief that Mr. Torrey had partaken of the "Elixir of Life."
4That he at one time shared a barrel of rum with Paine Mayhew appears in the latter's "Commonplace Book," now in the possession of a resident of the Vineyard, according to a memorandum of a division entered therein, viz .: "in ye small cask 15 g. to be taken out for tory,"
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History of Martha's Vineyard
successor in the pastorate. His personal estate was inventoried at £295-19-10 and his real estate, including the ministerial share, was equally divided in 1730 between his daughters.1 This ministerial share was granted to Mr. Torrey in perpetuity with certain conditions Aug. 16, 1704, as shown by the follow- ing vote :-
That all the ministers lands in Tisbury with all the priviledges there to belonging to Mr. Josiah Torry who is now minister, for an inheritance for ever: he Taking office in the work of ministrie in Tisbury & in con- sideration that if at any time the said ministers Lands be sould that the Selectmen of Tisbury have the Refusall in Proffer to buy said lands for the use of the Town and ministrie, for Ever.2
The town at the annual meeting in March, 1724, voted to raise fifty pounds for the support of a minister, and on May 20, following, Experience Luce was chosen "to go of to the main and to use all proper means to supply the town with a minister that the publick worship of God may be upheld with us."3 It appears that a Mr. Benjamin Ruggles was a candidate in August of that year and he "proposed his willingness to abide and take office in the ministry" in the town if "encurraged with a present settlement of two hundred pounds and seventy pounds pr. annum sallery for sum time and then eighty pound per anum for the futer," but while the freeholders agreed to give the settlement named they would not agree to more than fifty pounds as a salary. Jabez Athearn and Experience Luce were chosen as a committee to treat with Mr. Ruggles and to petition the General Court and the Society for Propagating the Gospel "for sum assistance."4
That the town needed help would appear from the fact that it was already indebted for unpaid salary to their late pastor, and on August roth of that year it was voted to raise £15-16-3, "to clear our Rears that was due to the Rev. Mr. Josias Torey now desesed for his Labours in the ministry." That the committee failed to come to terms with the Rev. Mr. Ruggles, probably for financial reasons, may be con- cluded from a vote passed Nov. 23, 1724, by which Jabez Athearn was chosen "to go over to the main" in quest of an- other candidate.
1Dukes Co. Probate Records, II, 59.
2Tisbury Records, 49, 50. This became the basis of a famous suit for possession as elsewhere related.
3Ibid., 83. "Ibid., 84.
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MINISTRY OF NATHANIEL HANCOCK.
The town adhered to its vote of fifty pounds per annum or a proportionate sum "to such person as shall come upon tryall: . .. . in case there shall not be an agreement made."
Mr. Athearn secured the Rev. Nathaniel Hancock, a young man about twenty-five years of age, the son of Nathaniel Hancock of Cambridge. He was graduated from Harvard in the class of 1721 as Bachelor of Arts, and during the years 1722-3 had taught school in Woburn. He was a second cousin to the celebrated, John Hancock of Revolutionary days. This was the person whom Athearn induced to come forward as a candidate. He began preaching early the next year, and on March 29, 1725, "the town having had Tryal of the abilities of the Rev. Mr. Handcock in the Ministry . and having had the approbation and advice of the reverend neighbouring Ministers," voted to call him at a salary of fifty pounds per annum with two hundred pounds as a settlement.1 But the young clergyman was not disposed to hasten matters, and while he continued to preach regularly he kept himself free from the responsibility of a settled pastor- ate. He was at this time unmarried, and it may be that his mind was more or less concerned with the probabilities of a matrimonial settlement with the young Miss Torrey, who was to become his wife. On Oct. 24, 1725, Jabez Athearn and Experience Luce were chosen a committee to petition the com- mittee on Indian affairs of the General Court, "to se whare they will alow aney incuragement to the Rev. Mr. Handcock in case he doth Learn the Indaen Langueg & preach lectures to them." In this they were not successful.2
On May 23, 1726, the question being still undecided the town renewed its offer for a settlement on the same terms as formerly voted. Still Mr. Hancock hesitated to commit himself, and while he continued to occupy the pulpit as a stated supply for many months, yet it was not until January 26, 1726-7, that he finally decided to accept the town's proposal. The following is his agreeing letter to the terms of settlement and salary :-
To the Church of Christ and Other Inhabitants in Tisbury :-
Having taken Under Consideration the Call you have given me to Settle in the Work of the Gospell Ministry among you as also the Pro-
1Tisbury Records, 86.
?Ibid., 87.
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History of Martha's Vineyard
posalls made to me for the Encouragement Respecting my Outward Sub- sistence with you, Bearing Date 23 May 1726 I have at Length come to the following Thought and Resolutions, vizt :- That the offers you made to me be very low and so the Encouragement in that Regard be very slender, yet considering the smallness of the Place and how few the In- habitants are and that what you offer may be near as much as for the Present you are able to Do for me: Having also Considered the Poor as well as others ought to have the Gospell Preached to them: Relying on the Gracious Providence of God, That God whom I Desire to serve & under him on the Justice & Generosity of the People by whom I am called, I do (you still continuing Desirous of it,) accept of your Call, both as to your offers in my Settlement & Sallery: and as I think, the call of God to serve Him in his work among you; and am content that my former answer (being not yet on Record) should become void, and be Committed to the Fire; this only with your Invitation and Proposals being Preferred and Recorded. And if what is now offered be acceptable and satisfactory to you, I Desire, in the strength of Christ, and under a Deep sense of my own Insufficiency for so Great a work, to devote myself to your Service, Resolving according to the best of my ability, & the measure of the grace of God granted unto me, to endeavor to Promot the good of your souls; Earnestly Desiring and Praying that we may be helped in our Respective Stations, so to Discharge the duties Incumbent on us that we may be Mutual Comforts one to another, here in this World, and Rejoice together in the day of the Lord. So I remain yours in the service of the Gospell.
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