The history of Nantucket County, island, and town : including genealogies of first settlers, Part 63

Author: Starbuck, Alexander, 1841-1925
Publication date: 1924
Publisher: Boston [Mass.] : C.E. Goodspeed & Co.
Number of Pages: 900

USA > Massachusetts > Nantucket County > The history of Nantucket County, island, and town : including genealogies of first settlers > Part 63

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tOn the 28th, 9 mo. 1709, appears the following entry showing what was probably the first marriage solemnized by the Nantucket Meeting-"Ebenezer Gardner & Eunice Coffin appeared before. this Meeting & signified their intentions of Takeing Each other in Mar- riage." * * * Stephen Coffin Jr & Jethro Starbuck are appointed to in- quire into ye Man's Clearness from al others, & Regular proseeding in al Respects, as Consent of parents &c." The committee reported on the 26th 10mo 1709, that everything was all right and the mar- riage was then formally solemnized.

#The records say under date of 27th 5 mo 1713 "a percel of stich'd books were sent to this meeting from ye last Quarterly Meet- ing held at Rhoad Island (ye 10, 5 mo last) were very Kindly ac- cepted."

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The new Society must have prospered and outgrown its origi- nal building for on the 30th of the 2d mo 1716 the Monthly Meet- ing voted to enlarge the meeting house by adding 20 feet more" "in length ye same breadth & height and Nathaniel Starbuck Jr and Jethro Starbuck were appointed to oversee the work." It would seem to have been the intention to change only the length of the building, leaving the height and width as before.

Just where this Meeting-house stood is a matter of conjecture. Henry B Worth Esq, who has examined into the real estate con- veyances very extensively, has found nothing bearing on this par- ticular subject, but he states as his opinion that the land on which it was erected was owned in the Starbuck family and verbally trans- ferred for the purpose. If his conjecture is correct, and it certainly is plausible, it probably was located in the vicinity of Hummock Pond .*

The Nantucket Meeting appears to have prospered and by 1730 had outgrown the extension decided upon in 1716 for at the Meeting held 22d 12 mo 1730-1 Jethro Starbuck, Batchelor Hussey, Jabez Bunker, John Macy, Richard Macy, Jethro Folger and Sil- vanus Hussey were appointed a committee to choose a site for a new Meeting-house.t At just what time the Meeting-house was finished or when it was first occupied, the records are silent. On the 26th 12mo 1732-3 the record shows that Jethro Starbuck was authorized to collect money and "pay it to Silvanus Hussey to- wards building ye Meeting House and make returns to the next Monthly Meeting. Jethro and Paul Starbuck are appointed to make up and settle accot with Silvanus Hussey Concerning building the Meeting House and make returns there of to the next monthly meeting." On the 26th 1 mo. 1733, Silvanus Hussey reported that £11, 14s. 8d had been collected from the Men's meeting and £34 from the Women's meeting towards the new Meeting-house.

It was in these early days that the Society of Friends in Nan- tucket placed themselves on record as opposed to human slavery. At the Meeting of 26th 9mo. 1716 it was recorded as "not agree- able to Truth for friends to purchase slaves & keep them Term of liffe." Under date of 29th 2 mo. 1717, the record says: "our aged friend John Farmer presented this meeting with an epistle concerning negroes which was read as also his Certificate (from England) was read to this meeting to satisfaction also he desiring one from this meeting which was wrote and signed by ye meeting giving an account of his service & labour of love among us."

*If this opinion is correct the natural query then would be, where was the burying ground located? The vote of 28th 4 mo. 1708 indi- cates they were on the same lot. By vote of the Town 28th 1 mo. 1709-10. Nath'l Starbuck was given "Liberty to take up one acre of Land on exchange for to Sett a meeting house on to the eastward of his son Nathl Starbuck whereon ye timber now Lieth."

At a meeting held 28th 7 mo 1730 a request to contribute to the building of a meeting-house abroad was declined "for ye reason we are about to build one ourselves."

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A few years later, on the 23d 12mo 1729-30, it is recorded that "our frd Elihu Coleman offered a smal peice of Manuscript to this Meeting which was read & approv'd in & by this meeting & order'd to be carried to ye Quarterly Meeting at Rhode island which was a testimony against making slaves of men etc."*

The records of the Society at this period contain several quite interesting entries showing the spirit of friendliness among the members of the sect. It would appear to be quite a common circumstance for a local Meeting, endeavoring to build a meeting- house of its own, to solicit assistance either directly or through the Quarterly Meeting. The record shows that on the 27th 5 mo. 1713, in accordance with a vote by the previous Quarterly Meet- ing 30 shillings were contributed to build a Friends' Meetinghouse at Dover; on the 30th 3 mo. 1720 the record says-"pursuant to ye Conclusion of ye last Quarterly meeting this meeting doth desire Nathaniel Starbuck to take five pounds money out of ye Collection money belonging to this meeting & Carry or send it to ye Yearly Meeting at Rhoad Island next ensuing this meeting to help de- fray ye Charge or toward finishing friends Meeting house at Salem,"t on the 25th 5 mo., 1726, contributed £5 towards building a Meet- ing house in Providence Town; similarly on the 29th 5 mo. 1728, the Meeting contributed £10, towards building a Meeting-house in Mendon.

There were other activities calling for financial aid to which the attention of this little Society was called in its early days and to which the response seemed prompt and, considering the conditions, generous. On the 25th 5 mo. 1726, the sum of £12 was appropriated to the Rhode Island Meeting for Thomas Richardson (a preacher) "towards defraying Charge friends are at in England Concerning a law in New England by which friends suffer perceecution & are greatly oprest by ye prisbiterians or ye government."# On the 25th 7 mo. 1727, the Meeting voted to purchase 30 copies of Robert Barclay's Apologies and at the same session appropriated £15 "in helping our friend Tho Hatha- way (towards repairing his late loss of his house by fire.)"

The building of the new Meeting-house must have proved quite an undertaking, for so late as the 23d 12 mo. 1735-6, in response to a request to assist the Friends in Free Town towards building it was decided that "this Meeting having Considered the matter think we may be Excused by reason we have lately built a large Meeting house & have not finish't it."

With this new building it becomes possible to fix definitely localities. It appears to have been located at the corner of Main

*See section on Anti-Slavery. ¡Occasionally some seemingly irrelevant matter finds its way into the record as the following under date of 30th 8 mo. 1727-"there was last night between tenn & eleven a Clock an earth Quake yt shook ye earth pretty much which was awfull. it was al over ye Country." ¿They seemed to be more austere than the Quakers and less liberal than the Pilgrims.

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and Saratoga streets and doubtless on the easterly side of the lot. now known as the Friends Burial Ground. Here they wor- shipped until 1793. It would seem as though the needed inter- ments of the dead must have continued in the ground laid out for the purpose about 1710, for according to the record the first adult interment in the new ground was that of Nathaniel Barnard, which occurred in 1760 .*

From the Journal of John Fothergill, who appears to have visited Nantucket in 1737, after an attendance of four days at the Yearly Meeting at Newport, we learn that "On the 24th, (4th mo.) the Yearly Meeting began at Nantucket. It was large and continued four days to true satisfaction, and the name of the Lord was glorified."

A few years later, under date of 6th mo. 28th, 1765, Samuel Fothergill, writing from Nantucket, says-"Here is a very large meeting of professors upon this island, which is, with respect to its soil, a sand-bank in the sea. about fifteen miles long and three broad. The Yearly Meeting finished here this day was very large, the place considered; being more than fourteen hundred, principally professors of truth, at meeting, and about four hundred out at sea fishing for whales. A convincement there was formerly amongst them, and a body of good Friends remains; but as the richest part of the inhabitants embraced the principles of truth from convincement, the others thought the expense of main- taining a priest would be too heavy for them, and have turned Quakers to save money ; though I hope, even amongst them, the power of the begetting word is in a degree at work, to give a surer title to the family of Christ."

There seems to have been continued progress for many years. Several recognized members of the Society during the War of the Revolution allowed their patriotic fervor to overcome their religious scruples and under the discipline of the Society were disowned but the general increase in member appeared to be steady.

At a meeting held 11th mo. 28th, 1791, it was decided that the location of the Meeting-house was inconveniently remote from the center of population, which was concentrating nearer the main harbor, and two questions for greater convenience were presented -to move the building then occupied to a more satisfactory loca- tion and to divide the membership if a second house for worship seemed advisable.

At the meeting in January, 1792 the committee to whoni the matter had been referred reported recommending both projects and their report was referred to the February meeting for further consideration, the members in the meantime being "desired to invest their minds with due attention to the subject." At the

*There was still needed work to be done on the Meeting-house so late as 1739, for the Meeting decided on the 28th 3 mo of that year that "Richard Macy is Desired to get a Platform made & Steps at the fore door at the Meeting House & to set up some posts &c. & to pave round the house."

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February meeting a committee of 14 was appointed* "to investigate the expense of moving their Meeting-house and to enquire for a suitable place to build." In March the committee reported the expense of removing the original building and constructing a new one would be £900. The records show that the committee's report was favorably received and a committee of "12 was chosen to receive conveyances of the lots and procure materials for a new house." According to the deeds. those lots were conveyed to Benjamin Barney, cooper, Jethro Mitchell, cooper, and Shubael Coffin, merchant, as Overseers, on April 12, 1792.

One lot was at the northwest corner of Pleasant street, and the other next east where the Ocean House now stands. The records show that "The Congregational society having heard that the Friends were contemplating a change and that they might be put to some inconvenience for a place to meet in, passed a vote to offer the use of their meeting-house to the Friends for the purpose of solemn worship whilst said removal might be ac- complishing." To this kindly and brotherly offer the Friends replied: "This meeting imprest with a due sense of their friendly intention & desirous to render them the acknowledgement due to so liberal & benevolent an offer, inform them that the necessity which they apprehend is not likely to take place, this meeting having concluded to build a new house previous to the removal of the old."

It is only by inference that one can approximate at the time when the building and removal was completed. In her diary under date of Thursday, September 13, Mrs. Kezia (Coffin) Fanning wrote, "Went to see new Quaker meeting-house. A large number of people are lathing it. It is a little below Jethro Starbuck Junr's." In some reminiscences in his diary in 1833, Obed Macy wrote that in his early years the Friends' Meeting-house stood near the Burial ground. In 1793 it was removed into Town and the North Meeting- house was built. The Friends' records show under date of 9 mo. 29, 1794. "The building committee reported that they had completed building the new house and had removed the old one and had paid all the cost." We may reasonably infer then that late in 1792 or early in 1793 the new Meeting-house was ready for occupancy and the removal was consummated immediately after.

With the building of the new Meeting-house came a separa- tion into two congregations. Neither of the meetinghouses was large enough to accommodate the entire membership of the Society; and as the intent was the better to care for the wants of

* William Macy, Peleg Mitchell, Samuel Rodman, Walter Folger, Shubael Coffin, Jonathan Jenkins, Paul Gardner Jr., Shubael Barnard, Oliver Spencer, Jonathan Swain, Francis Joy, Tristram Coffin Jr., Richard Mitchell, Jethro Mitchell.

¿Martha Routh, who visited the Friends on Nantucket in 1794, wrote "In the South Meeting were about two hundred and twenty families. We then went to the North, accompanied by Jethro Mitchell (See next page)

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all, the division was effected. The record gives the following as the dividing line: "12mo. 31, 1792. The Society is divided as fol- lows: A line from the old wharf* as far west as Sylvanus Starbuck's dwelling house (including said house with all who dwell on the South side of said street) beyond, taking its course in that direction to the Shearing Pen, with all who dwell to the south of said lim- its, to attend at the old Meeting-house, others to attend at the new Meetinghouse."

For a short time the two organizations transacted business as one, forming one Monthly Meeting, but this condition had its in- conveniences. Possibly the opportunities for friction impressed themselves on the minds of those connected with the North Meet- ing. for the records state, under date of 1mo 27. 1794, that "The subject of a Distinct Monthly Meeting being allowed to the Friends who constitute the North Meeting referred to a Committee." At the meeting on the following month the committee," after solid and weighty attention therein," recommended the division, and, hav- ing had the approval of the Quarterly Meeting the change was ef- fected.

The North Meeting held its first meeting on the 27th, 10th mo. 1794, and organized with William Rotch as Clerk and Jethro Mitchell as Treasurer.i

and Sarah Barnard, two valuable Friends in the station of Elders. In that meeting were about one hundred and thirteen families. Mr. Worth says the new Meeting-house was 56 feet long and 38 feet wide (Quakerism on Nantucket, p. 5).

* The Straight Wharf.

*It is quite interesting to note in connection with the removal of the old and the building of the new Meeting-houses the opinion of a one time very prominent resident who had been in France for sev- eral years. William Rotch in a letter to his son-in-law, Samuel Rod- man, under date of Dunkirk 3 mo 2d 1792, wrote-"The two prepara- tive meetings I must leave those to see the utility of that can see, as also the building another Meeting House. All that I can say on the subject is that I wish every addition or alteration made, that can con- duce to the revival of truth among us. One thing I have been long convinced of and that is if the Meeting House could be moved to the lot of D. C. as once proposed it would be of real advantage in encour- aging many to get out to Meeting who are unable to reach it where it now stands, and would be a means of many others attending who might only make the distance and the disagreeableness of passing the' break hill in winter a pretext for their omission. As to my subscrip- tion thy ideas as just as to my attachment being much weaned from the Island though a part of the Inhabitants I sincerely love, and the mass I feel a regard for as a Christian duty and I desire I may ever contribute to their welfare, when in my power. These considerations do not appear · sufficient to me to do so much as I once might have been willing to do. Nevertheless when I am favored to feel a little of the covering of that Universal love which reaches over seas and land to the whole human race, I feel a willingness to contribute my mite in some manner, to nations kindred and people the world over for the promotion of the cause of righteousness in the earth. Under. this consideration I am willing to subscribe one hundred pounds towards the moving the old Meeting House, and building the new if concluded on provided a sum sufficient for both is subscribed for be- fore either is undertaken. If not enough for both is subscribed I de- sire my money may be wholly confined to the removal of the Old house but under the express condition that the money for fully effect- ing it shall be provided before it is undertaken so as not to saddle the Meeting with any debt, nor yet to apply to the quarterly meeting for any pecuniary assistance." On 12mo 15th 1792 Mr. Rotch writes -"Am pleased to hear the new meeting house is completed and a good model & that the old one is so far forward. Thou has never informed me whether my subscription was needed as once apprehended."

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During the two decades next ensuing the Nantucket Friends : reached the summit of their strength. It may, not unfairly, be said that whatever violently disturbs a community is very apt to show its effects upon the component parts of the community. The Friends' Society emerged from the period of the Revolution still vigorous. Then followed the robbery of the Nantucket Bank. The War of 1812 and the disturbances and law suits among the Proprie- tors of the Common and Undivided Lands. It may be that such causes as those had, in their working out, the elements which made disin- tegration a possibility. They, at least brought antagonisms. That the Friends were rigid in the enforcement of their discipline is true, but so were other sects and the records of the Society tell many a tale of brotherly solicitude to bring the erring one back into the fold. They do not seem to have changed readily or easily their announced principles nor do they appear to have considered ex- pediency in order to attract new converts or to hold the younger members to the faith of their fathers. A popular religion did not seem to appeal to them, nor the acquisition of numbers to induce them to make innovations on what they deemed the foundations of their religious belief. Whether this was wise or not may not be discussed here, but it certainly had the merit of consistency.

At just what period the decline began does not appear, but by 1829 it had increased to such an extent that two meetinghouses were no longer needed and the record says under date of 5 mo. 13. 1829 "The Nantucket Meeting for the Northern District was dis- solved and its property and members transferred to the old meet- ing." There was quite an exodus of Nantucket people to different localities on the continent, between 1820 and 1830 and that doubt- less had a material effect on the membership of the two Meetings .*

It was about this time that an important disintegrating influ- ence showed itself. Elias Hicks, a long approved preacher of the Society of Friends, and an able and eloquent speaker, believed that there were errors in the tenets of the Friends and that it was his duty to combat them .; This he did with quite marked success. He strongly opposed any set creed such as governed to a marked extent the English Friends to which the American organization seemed strongly inclined. So strongly did he urge his views that a rupture ensued in 1827-1828, the followers of what was known as the "Liberal Branch," being called "Hicksites," after their leader, while those who clung to the old organization were known as "Ortho- dox" Friends.

Elias Hicks had been dead several months when the doctrines he enunciated gained a firm foothold in Nantucket. In the summer

*It is estimated that at least 600 people removed in that time carrying with them much wealth.

¡Mr. Hicks was born in Hempstead, N. Y. March 19, 1748, and died at Jericho, N. H. Feb. 27, 1830. One of his tenets was the denial that the necessity of the atonement could be reconciled with the teach- ings of the Son of God.

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of 1830 a follower of Hicks visited the Island and appointed a time for a meeting to be held in a building not a church. Some of the members of the Nantucket Society assisted him and“ publicly gave countenance to this affair by assisting the mnister to procure a meetinghouse other than that of Friends for a meeting called by that person not in unity with Friends, and they attended that meet- ing, for which breaches of order no satisfaction was obtained from them .* The result of the movement was the disownment of those more particularly interested in it. Included in the list were Obed Barney, William B. Coffin, Gilbert Coffin, Roland Hussey, Silvan- us Macy, Thomas Macy, Peter Macy, Obed Macy, Daniel Mitchell, Matthew Myrick, Charles Pitman, Gideon Swain and William Wat- son.

That the disownment was felt to be unjust is evident from an expression used by Obed Macy in his Diary in which under date of 1 mo 1833. he briefly describes the houses of worship. He writes "In 1831 the Friends wrongfully discarded by Orthodox Friends built a meeting-house on Main street 45x65 feet .? "

In the latter part of 1832, the Main street meetinghouse used by the so-called Orthodox Friends was found inconvenient and in January 1833± the Society through its Overseers, Samuel Macy, Hezekiah Swain, Zenas Gardner, Cromwell Barnard, Kimball Starbuck, Prince Gardner, Laban Paddock, Peleg Mitchell and Charles G. Stubbs, purchased for $5.000 the Edward Cary house and land on Fair street, between Ray's Court and Moore's Lane for the site for a new building. James Weeks was employed to build the new house which was to be 50x70 feet in dimensions, his price to be $5.000 and the dwelling-house then on the lot. Weeks sold the dwelling-house to Matthew Crosby for $700 conditional on his removing it to the south side of the Commercial Wharf .** The new building was first occupied on the 1st 9 mo. 1833. The old

*Friends Records. *This building had a varied experience. A reduction in the num- ber of worshippers compelled its sale and for a few years it was used as a factory for straw hats. After that it was let for dancing, enter- tainments etc. under the name of Atlantic Hall. In 1883 it was removed to Brant Point and became a part of Hotel Nantucket. When the hotel ceased business it was again sold and once more removed (in 1917) to its present location where it is known as Red Men's Hall. Obed Macy's Diary.

** Ibed. Mr. Macy wrote the following list of names of those re- moving permanently from the Island: In 1823-Josiah Macy, Obed Hussey and family, Jonathan D. Pope and family, Richard G. How- land, Josiah H. Riddell, all to New York, and Porter P. Neder to Ten- nessee; in 1824-Jethro Mitchell and family, Samuel H. Macy and family, Obed B. Hussey, William W. Macy and family, Frederick Cart- right and family, all to New York; in 1825-Isaiah Brayton to South Kingston, John Titus to Kennebeck, John F. Coffin to New York, Ed- ward Clark to Plainfield, Conn., Obediah Coffin and Benjamin Folger locality not named, Reuben Swain to Milton, Obed Folger 2d to Au- burn, N. Y., Elisha Folger Jr., Laban Eunice Macy (widow of Uriah) Daniel Coffin (son of John), and Scotts Wing to Kennebeck, Calvin Bunker, Francis Macy and John P. Macy to New York, Henry. Bunker (son of Nathaniel) to Connecticut, David Giles to Perth Am- boy, Obed Wood to Providence, Alexander Coleman to Halifax, John Clasby Jr. to Portsmouth and Benjamin Barnard (son of Cromwell) to Portland.

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building, which had been removed, was used as a warehouse. The rupture between the two bodies seemed now to be complete, the Hicksites transferring their allegiance to the Quarterly Meeting at Westbury, Long Island.

But a short time elapsed before another cleavage took place from the Orthodox body. John Joseph Gurney the son of an English Quaker of wealth and himself highly educated by a private tutor in the university of Oxford, as early as 1818 introduced an innova- tion into the Friends School at Ackworth .* A leading principle in the faith of the Friends had been that the Inner Light would de- termine whether the man or woman should or should not speak in meeting, and if the Spirit moved one to speak it would also guide the form and substance of what should be said. To formally prepare to speak was a device of the priests and those who were paid for their service. Gurney was a man of eloquence and a forceful speak- er. From his standpoint the position of the Friends was not logi- cal. They believed that preparation for speaking in the meeting was almost sacrilegious; he carried his Bible into the meetings and read from it, and even prepared himself in advance as to what he would say. Hicks and Gurney attacked two fundamental principles of the Friends-the teachings of the Bible as interpreted by the Friends and the belief that the moving of the Spirit alone should be the guide as to when to speak and what to say.t

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The history of Nantucket County, island, and town : including genealogies of first settlers, Part 63

Author: Starbuck, Alexander, 1841-1925 Publication date: 1924 Publisher: Boston [Mass.] : C.E. Goodspeed & Co. Number of Pages: 900

Author: Starbuck, Alexander, 1841-1925
Publication date: 1924
Publisher: Boston [Mass.] : C.E. Goodspeed & Co.
Number of Pages: 900