The history of Nantucket County, island, and town : including genealogies of first settlers, Part 64

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 64

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Less than a decade elapsed before there was another secession from the ranks, this time especially affecting the Gurney faction. An earnest effort was made to have Gurney suppressed by the English Friends with whom he was allied. As a leader of this move- ment John Wilbur, of Hopkinton, Rhode Island, was selected. The main point of controversy was whether the Bible or the Holy Spirit should be the religious guide, and Wilbur's position appears to have been a reversion to the principles held by the Orthodox Friends be- fore the Hicksite defection. This reversion struggle began in Ameri- ca in 1838.

In several of the Monthly and Quarterly meetings in New Eng- land divisions took place, each claiming to be the true organiza- tion .; Each naturally claimed the property and records belonging to the Society and eventually the courts, the bete noir of the follow- ers of George Fox, were invoked to determine who were the true custodians of the property and who were usurpers. The decision

*Worth, Quakerism on Nantucket, p. 20.

+"The basis of his (George Fox's) teaching was the belief that each soul is in religious matter answerable not to its fellows, but to God alone, without priestly mediation, because the Holy Spirit is im- mediately present in every soul, and is thus a direct source of illumi- nation. From this central belief flowed two important practical con- sequences * * * one was complete toleration, the other was complete equality of human beings before the law." Dutch and Quaker Colon- ists in America-Fiske, Vol. II, p. 109.

#"Quakerism on Nantucket," Worth p. 22. Mr. Worth has treated this portion of his subject quite at length and exhaustively.

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HISTORY OF NANTUCKET

of the Supreme Court sustained the Gurneyites and declared that the Wilberites had seceded from the parent body .*

Mr Worth records that the Nantucket Friends who continued their allegiance to the New England Yearly Meeting under the ad- vice of the Sandwich Quarterly Meeting (Gurneyites) met at the house of Cromwell. Barnard, calling themselves the Nantucket Monthly Meeting of Friends. Peleg Mitchell having been identi- fied with the Wilburites was adjudged by the dissenters as not

TYPICAL WALKS ON TOPS OF HOUSES

suitable as Clerk, and in his stead was chosen his brother William Mitchell. A formal demand was made on the Fair Street Meeting for the records, building and other property. Naturally no attention was paid to the demand. The new organization appointed Crom-

*Mr. Worth states that the division between the followers of Gurney and of Wilbur in Nantucket occurred at the Sandwich Quar- terly Meeting in July 1845. The Meeting itself was pro-Gurney while the delegates from Nantucket were pro-Wilbur. "When the Meeting was opened," says Mr. Worth, "reports from every Monthly Meeting were presented except Nantucket, * * *. ,When the report of the Nan- tucket Meeting was requested Hezekiah Barnard stated that he had the report but they had concluded to withhold it, adding that "a sep- aration must and would take place." An attempt was then made to appoint Peleg Mitchell as clerk. This was opposed by the Gurney party, as he had been identified with the separatists at the Yearly Meeting at Newport. John Wilbur and his friends when requested would not leave the hall, so the Quarterly Meeting adjourned until 4 o'clock in the afternoon. In the meantime the Wilbur party had re- mained and organized what they called the Sandwich Quarterly Meet- ing. At 4 o'clock, when the adjourned Meeting reassembled, the Wil- burists had gone."

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HISTORY OF NANTUCKET

well Barnard, Obed Fitch and Kimball Starbuck as Overseers. Abram R. Wing, Recorder, Seth Mitchell, Treasurer .*

They secured for their first place of meeting "the house re- cently occupied by Elizabeth Chase on Winter Street, which is in readiness for our meeting tomorrow" (this is recorded under date of 8 mo. 2. 1845). This house, Mr Worth states, stood where the Coffin School now stands. It would seem that they must have out- grown these quarters in a short time, for the record says under date of 1st, mo 1st 1846-"The committee has seen the agent of the Main street house built by the Hicksites, and he had agreed to let this Meeting have it for $150 per year." Accordingly it was leased.

There the Wilburites held their meetings for nearly five years. Later they procured a lot on Center street just north of middle Pearl street and built a new house of worship which was occupied in November. 1850.1

It was essential to discipline that the parent body, the Gurney- ites, should take note of this withdrawal from their ranks, and the exigencies of the case seemed to call for the disownment of those who had followed after the teachings of Wilbur, and that accord- ingly was done.±

The Fair Street Meeting (Wilburites) retained possession of the Meeting House, poor house, burial ground and original records,

*It must be remembered that there were in effect two New Eng- land Yearly Meetings, the original formed before 1800 and the one ad- judged by the Supreme Court as irregular, organized in Newport in 1845 when the Wilburites withdrew from the Gurneyite body and formed an organization to which they attached the same name.

#Now (1919) used as a dining room for the "Roberts" House.

#Those disowned were:

Frederick Arthur,

Rachel Hussey,

John Boadle,

Benjamin Hussey.

Susan Barnard,

Hepsibeth C. Hussey,

Joseph G. Coleman,

Lydia Monroe,

Susan Coffin,

David Mitchell,

John Franklin Coleman,

Susan Mitchell,

James B. Coleman,

Eunice Paddack,

Sally Easton,

John Paddack,

Lydia Folger,

Hezekiah Swain.

Mary Gardner,

Eunice Swain,

Elizabeth Gorham,

Richard G. Swain,

Elizabeth Hussey,

James Austin,

Mary Barnard,

Lydia G. Hussey,

John L. Coffin,

Moses Mitchell,

Rebecca Coffin,

Mary S. Mitchell,

Elizabeth Coffin,

Deborah Paddack

Anna Clark,

Mary Paddack,

Elizabeth Clark,

Micajah Swain,

Obed B. Swain,

Joseph B. Swain,

David G. Hussey,

Hezekiah Barnard.

Alexander G. Coffin,

Phebe Coffin,

Alice Mitchell.

Peleg Mitchell,

Mary Macy,

Laban Paddack,

Sarah Paddack,

Lydia Swain,

Margaret Swain,

John G. Coffin,

Eliza Coleman,

Lydia Coleman,

Eliza Ann Easton,

Hannah Maria Gardner, Benjamin Gardner,

John Folger,

Prince Gardner, Rachel Gardner,

Mary Arthur,

Gorham Hussey,

Nancy Hussey,

Lydia M. Hussey,

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HISTORY OF NANTUCKET

with about $7.000. The only way by which the Gurneyites could acquire complete or partial possession was through a law suit, a method opposed to the principles of the Friends but in this case the more objectionable inasmuch as it became almost a family af- fair .* In 1864 the Meeting House and land on Fair street were sold and the proceeds as well as the cash funds were divided by agree- ment between the two Meetings. The Wilburites were allowed to continue to use the burial ground but were restricted to the south part of the ground while the Gurneyites used the north section.

In May, 1850, a lot on Center street was selected and a build- ing erected at a total expense, including site, of $2.000. Among those who joined their meeting was Christopher C. Hussey, who was the most eloquent preacher among them. Many out of the Meet- ing gathered there on Sundays to hear him speak. His tendency, however, was to greater liberalization and in 1860, after being three years with them, he withdrew and became a prominent preacher of the Unitarian faith.

Here the members of the Meeting continued to worship un- til 1866 with a steadily diminishing membership becoming so re- duced at that time that it was considered advisable to discontinue regular services. The last regular meeting was held there January 10, 1867, at which it was decided to be dissolved and transferred with its property to the New Bedford Monthly Meeting.

The Wilburites, who after the separation held their meetings in the Fair Street Meeting House, could not consistently consider the Gurneyites as entitled to seats among them and they quite promptly disowned those from whom they had separated.}

The cleavages, however were not yet complete. One Joseph Hoag, a noted minister of the Society of Friends, wrote a journ- al of his experiences. The first draft alluded to one Job Otis, a one-time resident of New Bedford, in a manner not particularly complimentary to his judgment. Otis subsequently removed to Scipio, New York, and the subject matter was brought to the at- tention of the Central New York Meeting at Scipio. Mr Otis was a

*Worth "Quakerism on Nantucket."

1Worth. Mr. Worth says its property at the time of dissolution consisted of the Meeting House, an interest in the Friends' Asylum, one share of the Old North Wharf, an interest in the Friends' Burial Ground and $450 cash.

ĮMr. Worth enumerates the following as among the disowned:

Elizabeth Austin, Abigail Allen,

Cromwell Barnard,

Matthew Barney,

Lydia Bunker,

Susanna Coleman,

Deborah Coffin,

Lydia Coffin,

Robert Coffin,

Heman Crocker,

George Easton',

Lydia Fish,

Obed Fitch,

Hannah Gardner,

Robert B. Hussey,

Lydia Hosier,

Hannah Hussey,

William Hosier,

Judith Hussey,

Cyrus Hussey,

Lydia Hussey,

Benjamin Mitchell,

William Mitchell,

Miriam Starbuck,

Kimball Starbuck,

Rachel Swain,

Abram R. Wing,

Lydia Worth,

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HISTORY OF NANTUCKET

very strict constructionist of the Friends theories of religious discipline. Mr Hoag, while maintaining similar views, was not so vehement in asserting them.

The Yearly Meeting, held at Scipio in 1858, decided to pub- lish the Hoag journal and referred the publication to a committee. The friends of Otis desired that the criticism of him be omitted, while the other members of the committee thought the journal should be published as written or not at all. The Meeting was di- vided-and in 1859 each constituted a Yearly Meeting. James Otis being clerk of one and John King of the other .* Each Meeting sought recognition of the Wilbur (New England) Meeting of which Peleg Mitchell was clerk but for a long time the Meeting declined to ally either faction as against the other. The publication of Otis's journal as originally written the only real dividing line was a vexing issue and it eventually proved insurmountable and in 1863 the New England Meeting was again divided against itself "About forty of them," says Worth, t" a small part of the Meeting withdrew and under the leadership of Peleg Mitchell, of Nan- tucket, and Nathan Page, of Danvers, formed a separate Meeting that at once approved and recognized the Otis Meeting of New York."" Those who remained allied themselves with the King par- ty. The Nantucket Meeting, with great unanimity supported the po- sition taken by Mitchell and Page.

The Nantucket Meeting was the only one in New England to favor the Otis side of the controversy, but there were in New England individual families who believed the position taken by the Nantucket meeting was right, such as Nathan Page, of Danvers,. the Oliver family, of Lynn, and the Foster family of Rhode Island. As no other Meeting in New England save that at Nantucket up- held the Otis party they allied themselves with the Island Meeting.

From the establishment of a Friends' Society in Nantucket in 1708 the men and the women had held separate meetings, each having its own records and within prescribed limits transacting. its own business, but the time had nearly arrived for an innova- tion in that method. The Wilburite branch was far from strong and not even, the addition of the members residing away from the Island was sufficient to enable it to continue without much economy. The most feasible way in which to economize was to maintain a smaller house of worship. The Fair Street property was owned or claimed by the Center Street Meeting, but the two Meet- ings came to an amicable understanding and joined in a deed sell- ing the property to a third party in 1864. The Fair Street Meeting purchased the northerly part of the property and made over the school house into a Meeting house,¿ and as their numbers were

* Worth.

Worth "Quakerism on Nantucket," p. 35.

#The John Boadle Schoolhouse, now a part of the property of the Nantucket Historical Association.

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HISTORY OF NANTUCKET

becoming pitifully few it was voted, November 26. 1868, for the men and women to hold their meetings together.

The vanishing point in numbers continued to grow nearer, and nearer until in 1894 but one member of the Meeting was liv- ing on the Island and in June of that year the Meeting House was sold to the Nantucket Historical Association and is maintained by the society as it was in the days when services were regularly held there.

"At this time," (1894) says Mr Worth, "the membership of the Nantucket Monthly Meeting of Friends comprised twenty-three persons, only two of whom were born at Nantucket. One lived at Nantucket, one in Boston, one in Danvers, ten in Lynn, and the same number in Providence."

The books of records, containing information of much value genealogically to Nantucket people, were removed to Lynn and remain in the custody of James W. Oliver .* The Burial Ground is in the direct charge of the Dartmouth Meeting. A sufficient sum of money to provide for its perpetual care was raised by subscription and a contract was entered into with the Town guaranteeing the carrying out of the requirements of such care.

Friends services are held but very rarely now on the Island. In September, 1906 Hepsibeth Hussey, a native of Nantucket, preach- ed to a large audience in the old Friends Meeting House on Fair Street and on June 3, 1919. Job Gidley of Dartmouth, Cyrus Cooper, of Ohio, and Horace Foster of Rhode Island held another Friends Meeting in the old building at which 27 women and seven men were present Gidley and Foster both were moved to speak.

The causes that brought about the decline of the Friends in Nantucket are not difficult to ascertain. No sect could withstand the succession of rifts within its own ranks without being in some measure disintegrated. During the Revolution and following it and during and following the War of 1812 there was a large mi- gration from the Island. The whale fishery as an industry became largely transferred to New Bedford and with the transfer Nantucket Friends with their wealth and influence were involved.

They have been charged with intolerance. Within certain lim- its the charge may have considerable truth, but isn't a certain de- gree of intolerance the natural accompinamint of strong belief? When one has arrived in sight of the promised land is he apt to take kindly to those persons or acts that would prevent his attaining his goal? Were they not consistent? As a rule were they not more law abiding than the average citizen? If they preached a certain course did they not follow it? Did they not practice the Christian virtues of charity, truth and humanity fully as completely as any other sect? Did you ever know one of their number, where they had an or- ganization, to be taken to the poor-house?

*Mr. Oliver now lives in Sharon and is still custodian of the records.

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HISTORY OF NANTUCKET

As a sect they have completely removed from Nantucket. Their broad brim hats and quiet colored costumes are no longer to be seen in the streets. The last male member of the sect died a quar- ter of a century ago .* Services have been held at long intervals. Hepzabeth Hussey, of Nantucket birth and an approved preach- er of their faith, addressed an interested congregation in the old meeting house in September, 1906, and on June 3, 1919, Job Gidley, Horace Foster and Cyrus Cooper, all non-residents held a service in the same building, but those attempts only seemed to empha- size the passing on of the Society of Friends in Nantucket. Who can say, however, that although they have ceased to exist as a dis- tinct body, that the impress of their lives is not even now a traceable factor in the every day life of our people?

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

It is a singular fact-for it appears to be a fact-, that it was nearly fifty years after the first English settlement in Nantucket before there seems to be any evidence of a church among the Eng- lish residents. It is all the more singular because of the further fact that the earliest settlers were men of strong convictions, and two of them, at least, had drawn down upon their heads the dis- pleasure of the General Court for breaches of ecclesiastical disci- pline .; Under the laws of the Massachusetts Bay some form of religious organization, based on the established form, would have been required, but their removal made them subject to the laws of the Province of New York, which evidently required nothing of the kind. The Indians had their churches with their ministers, of whom the Mayhews were particularly and zealously prominent. Peter Folger seems also to have been a worker among them, but absolutely no record appears to exist showing any religious activity among the English. This seems to do violence to the theory that they fled the Massachusetts Bay Colony in order to worship ac- cording to their own convictions. One may speculate that differ- ences in doctrinal belief made them determine to let each go his ecclesiastical way and so prevented any united action for Edward Starbuck's punishment had come through his failure to submit to the entire code, while Thomas Macy's was occasioned, not because of an ecclesiastical difference, but because of a breach of the civil law. There were too few of them and too many Indians to admit of dissensions.

In his "Journal," Thomas Chalkley, an English Friend, who visited the Island as stated, mentions finding there a "minister, so- called," resident, and by his request Chalkley preached at his house.

*William Hosier, who died Jan. 4, 1899.

Edward Starbuck and Thomas Macy.

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HISTORY OF NANTUCKET

Rev. Myron S. Dudley in "Churches and Pastors of Nantucket, Mass." thinks the ministers or "priests" mentioned by Chalkley and Story were probably sent from the Congregational churches of Eastern Massachusetts .* Evidently the movement was not self- supporting and there seems to be no record of any organized move- ment among the people. In the meantime the founders of the set- tlement, Tristram Coffin, Thomas Macy, Edward Starbuck, Peter Folger had died. The other particularly assertive spirit, John Gard- ner, still survived, but his religious convictions apparently had little effect on the community at large.

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH Showing the old vestry in the rear.

At what time the activities of what is known as the First Congregational Church began is a matter of conjecture, for there seems to be no documentary evidence. Mr. Dudley inclines to the opinion that the Society had a meeting house there contempo- raneously with the building of the Friend's meetinghouse the erection of which about 1711 is clearly established. t According to the Town's Records Nathaniel Starbuck was granted leave on the 25th of the 5th month 1709 to exchange an acre of land "for to sett a meeting house on to ye eastward of his son Nath'll Star- buck whereon ye timber now Lieth." The Friends' Records, which are continuous from 1708 show that the building was erected and occupied soon after. As additional negative evidence it may be noted that on the 29th of the 11th mo. 1716-17 it was "Voted by

*P. 5.

¿Churches and Pastors p. 5. Timothy White Papers, p. 14. A care- ful study does not justify that opinion.

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HISTORY OF NANTUCKET

ye Town yt for time to come all ye proprietors meetings shall be warned by setting up a Notification on ye Town House & on ye meeting-house." It would appear from that vote that on that date there was but one meetinghouse-the one erected by the Friends. Furthermore, Rev. Samuel Danforth, of Taunton, in a letter writ- ten August 8. 1720, says-"The honoured ministers of Boston have abundantly testified their sincere desires of gospelizing these towns of Freetown, Tiverton, Dartmouth, and Nantucket. *

* * Being in our Province, if this Province do not take care of their enjoy- ment of the gospel light and privilege, who will or can?"* This would seem clearly to indicate a complete lack of church organiza- tion with neither occupants of nor support for a meetinghouse.

A few years later, however, there is indisputable evidence of a second meetinghouse, for the Town Records state that at a Town Meeting held on the 18th of the 11 mo. 1725-6 it was "Voted yt ye method for ye future to warne ye Town Meetings shall be to set up notification at ye two meetinghouses & ye town house."t. It is not then unfair to assume that the Congregational Meetinghouse was erected about 1725. This building is said to have been located about a mile northwest from the Town until 1765, when it was taken down and reerected on what is known as "Beacon Hill" about on the site of the present Church building.# It is said to have been built of native timber.

The first Pastor in charge of the Church at Nantucket of whom there appears to be any record, was Timothy White. Mr White was not an ordained minister but served under the direction of the "Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, as superintendent of the religious work among the Nantucket Indians, * * * and as preacher to the congregation of the First Congregation- al Church." **

In the absence of convincing evidence to the contrary, it would appear to be a logical and approximately accurate sequence of events that the ministers of Boston and vicinity put forth renewed effort to gospelize Nantucket, as suggested by Rev Samuel Danforth in 1720, and that an organization was effected sufficiently strong, , under the ministrations of visiting preachers, to build a meeting- house, and that Mr White was permanently detailed to the field which seemed ready for the laborer.

*Mass. Histor. Coll. Series IV, Vol. 1, p. 255. Ample confirmation of the contention is found in the diaries of Chief Justice Benjamin Lynde who had occasion in May 1732 to hold Court at Nantucket for the trial of an Indian for murder. Under date of May 11, he records "Lord's Day" Mr. White preached very well at the new-built Presbi- terian Meeting-House." (p. 28). That term would apply very well to a structure but six or seven years old but not to one over twenty.

Rev. Mr. Dudley in his "Timothy White Papers" quotes in a foot note on page 14 a tradition that some one had seen a bill dated 1711 for lumber, against the Congregational Society used in building a meetinghouse. In the face of the above' facts of record the tradition can not be considered as established.

İHist. Sketch 1st Cong. Church of Nantucket, p. 9. ** Churches and Pastors of Nantucket, p. 7.

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HISTORY OF NANTUCKET

Timothy White was born at Haverhill November 13. 1700, the son of John Jr and Lydia (Gilman) White. He married Susan- nah Gardner, daughter of John Gardner, of Nantucket, born at Men- don, Mass., January 12, 1712*, the marriage service being perform- ed at Nantucket, September 27, 1728, by Rev Joseph Baxter, of Mendon, and G. Gardner Esq of Nantucket. His pastoral service at Nantucket began May 9, 1725.1 He was not a regularly ordained minister, evidently so from choice, since the committee at Boston wrote to him in 1727 that if it were "needful you receive Ordina- tion, that you may baptise &c the ministers incline to encourage it."±

The Church seems to have fallen far short of being self-sup- porting. In a letter from the committee on missionary work under date of Boston Oct. 19, 1727. Benjamin Coleman states that the following votes or resolves were adopted in reply to a letter from Mr White, dated September 21: "That one hundred pounds be fort- with advanced to Mr Timothy White, now ministering to ye People of Nantucket, to encourage & bring on his Settlement in ye work of ye Ministry there: & Fifty pounds more at the end of two years; Upon ye following Conditions.

"First that the Said Mr White do willingly devote himself to ye Service of Christ and Souls on that Island; Seriously endeavour- ing by ye help of God, for ye space of five years to come, to intro- duce & establish the Settlement of a Church state there.

"And secondly, That ye People of Nantuckett, to whom he is & has been ministering, do signify to us their desire of Mr Whites continuing & labouring among them to this end."

Those conditions seem to have been met for Mr. White con- tinued his pastorate there for many years, until May, 1750. In the meantime his family was rapidly increasing, tt and the stipend which the committee sent to him was insufficient for his needs for his records tell of his keeping school## and even of his seeking through small investments to increase his income. The committee, in its letter of October 19, very considerately told him "If you receive this hundred & fifty pounds, you apprehend (I suppose) that it is all that you must expect from ye Committee; besides ye making up from March last thirty Shillings & Sabbath." Mr Coleman contin- ues "Dr Mather tells me, That he hopes if you continue at Nantuck- ett that ye Commissioners for ye Indian Service will have some considerations in your favour. I hope you might receive twenty pounds p .annum this way."

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The history of Nantucket County, island, and town : including genealogies of first settlers, Part 64

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