USA > Massachusetts > Nantucket County > The history of Nantucket County, island, and town : including genealogies of first settlers > Part 66
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The Ecclesiastical Council invited to take charge of the ordi- nation of Mr. Swift over the Society convened on Friday, April 27, 1810.1 Rev. Joseph Thaxter was chosen Moderator of the Council and Rev. Enoch Secretary. Four persons appeared, Nathaniel Bar- rett, Matthew Pinkham, Thaddeus Coffin and Henry Riddell, on behalf of the new organization. To them the Covenant previously mentioned was read, and having expressed their assent they were received into full communion. The clergymen present and assist- ing at the ordination were Rev. Joseph Thaxter of Edgartown; Rev. John Simpkins of Brewster; Rev. Jotham, of Barnstable; and Rev. Enoch Pratt, of Barnstable. Although Mr. Gurney's name is not included it is more than likely he was present.
The Church was regularly gathered and established by the Council and the following compact signed:
"We, whose names are undersigned, having professed the Christian religion and received baptism, and being mutually de- sirous of enjoying Christian fellowship and communion, Christian advice and admonition and fellowship, all the ordinances and priv- ileges of the Gospel, according to the orders and regulations es- tablished by Christ and His Apostles, do, for the purposes afore- said, and in conformity to the common usage of Congregational churches in New England, now associate and form ourselves by solemn agreement and covenant into a religious Society, common- ly called, a Church of Christ, promising as individuals and as a society of Christians of whom Christ is the acknowledged head, to watch over, advise and admonish each other as brethren, as becometh members of the same body and agreeably to the rules settled by Christ in His visible kingdom. In testimony whereof we now subscribe our names to this religious agreement and cove- nant as aforesaid." The only signatories to this compact at this time were Rev. Seth F. Swift, Matthew Pinkham, Nathaniel Barrett, Thaddeus Coffin and Henry Riddell. Messrs. Barrett and Riddell were subsequently (May 27, 1810) unanimously elected Deacons.
"In those days," says Rev. J. F. Meyer; "the distinction be- tween the Parish or Society and the Church was rigidly main-
*The bell, with its remarkable silvery tone which has charmed so many was not added until 1815. It was purchased in Lisbon by Capt. Charles Clasby and brought to Nantucket in 1812 on the schooner William &Nancy, Capt. Thomas Cary. It was one of a chime of six, designed for a convent but had not been consecrated. It was pur- chased for the Unitarian church in 1815. The story is told, that the musical qualities of its tone were noted by the agents of the Old South church in Boston who sent word to Nantucket that they had a very fine clock in their tower but had been so unfortunate as to have their bell broken, and asked at what price the Unitarians would sell this bell, to which the Unitarians replied that they had a very fine bell in their tower and at what price would the Old South agents sell their clock.
tHistory of the Unitarian Church, Meyer, p. 3.
İHist. Unitarian Church, p. 5.
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tained .* Whatever the size of the Parish may have been the Church membership was very small, for it consisted only of these five signers, who were all men, but it is probable that these five men went through the form of signing this agreement of associa- tion and adopting a Covenant in order to form a nucleus round which a Church might be gathered."
Early in the Church's history (May 1810) Hall, Thaxter & Co. presented it with six pieces of Church plate. It does not ap- pear just why this was done. In June 1810, Mr. Edward Cary presented it a set of table linen and in July Mr. William Lovering Jr. gave a pulpit Bible.
At a Church meeting held April 3, 1812, it was voted "that all those who have a desire to walk agreeably to the institutions of the Gospel, and bring up their children in the nurture and admoni- tion of the Lord, shall be entitled, with their children, to the Sac- rament of Baptism, on confessing the Covenant." On the 27th of June of the same year, at a Church meeting, it was voted: "That it is expedient and necessary to have a discipline for this Church, and that the one submitted by the Pastor be accepted and adopted, and that in connection with the Church Covenant it be printed for the use of the Members." It was voted to have 100 copies printed at the expense of the Church. Mr. Meyer says that "no record of this discipline seems to have been preserved."t
Even in the early days of the new Church there seems to have been some divergence from the strict letter of the law, for Rev. Mr. Meyer records (p. 4) that "on December 12, 1813," it was voted "that Edmund Gale, having offended against the principles and practise of our order and of this Church, be for the present, suspended from communion with this Church." But Mr. Gale evidently did not seek to mitigate his punishment nor palliate his offence for on June 20, 1814 at a Church meeting it was unani- mously voted "that Edmund Gale be ex-communicated; first, be- cause he has for some length of time neglected or refused to wor- ship with this Church, with which he covenanted, and secondly,
*It would seem then that it was not a modification of this rigidity that led to the separation.
¿Under date of April 26, 1810, the following named were incor- porated as Proprietors of the Second Congregational Meeting House in Nantucket:
Samuel Barker Reuben Baxter
David Myrick
James Barnard
George Myrick
Jonathan C. Briggs
Thomas N. Mc Cleave
John Brock Jr.
* Aaron Mitchell
Elizabeth Bunker (Eliza)
Matthew Pinkham
Richard Cary
Henry Riddell
Samuel Cary
Samuel Riddell
Thaddeus Coffin
William Riddell
William Coffin
Elisha Raymond
Abel Rawson
Timothy Folger Jr. Albert Gardner
Samuel Swain
* Hezekiah B. Gardner
Wyer Swain
Benjamin Glover
Elisha Starbuck
Zopher Hayden
Ebenezer Watts
Peter Hussey
Daniel Whitney
*Zaccheus Hussey
Jeremiah B. Wood
Those with the asterisks against their names appear to have with- drawn from the Friends' Society and to have been "disowned." Fred- erick C. Sanford gives the following names of men not recorded in the Act of Incorporation but who were also Charter members: Nathaniel Barrett, Edward Cary, Joseph Chase, Jonathan Hall, Nathaniel Hath- away, Elisha M. Hinckley, Martin T. Morton, Zephinia Wood. ( Proceed- ings Nant. Hist. Socy 1910).
Jeremiah Lawrence
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HISTORY OF NANTUCKET
because he has denied the external ordinances, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper, both which he solemnly professed to believe and promised to observe at the time of his connextion."*
A Church Library was started in 1818. The first appropria- tion made. for this purpose was $40.00. The purpose in making the appropriation is thus expressed: "With no ordinary degree of conviction, we feel that a mind well instructed, enlightened and established in the great doctrines and duties of the Christian re- ligion, by reading the sacred Scriptures and well-selected religious books, is the only safe-guard against bigotry, superstition and ex- travagance.'
In 1819 Rev. Abner Morse was ordained Pastor of the North Church. As the South Church assisted in the ceremony it indicates that up to that time at least there had been no essential drifting apart.
In 1821 a Charity Fund was established, the sole and express purpose of which was to assist the poor members of the Church.
In 1823 the Church assisted in two ordinations-Rev. Stephen Bailey to be Pastor of the North Church in place of Rev. Abner Morse who had succeeded in getting himself disliked, and Rev. Orville Dewey to be Pastor of the First Church in New Bedford.
In 1833, after a pastorate of 23 years, the longest in the his- tory of the Church, Rev. Seth F. Swift completed his connection with the Church. According to Mr. Meyert Mr. Swift kept a com- plete record of all the marriages solemnized by him and of the fee received. There are many marriages in the list but the fees are surprisingly small. When we think of what women our fore- mothers were the fee looks like bargain counter prices. It was rarely more than a dollar or two. Frequently it was $1.25 which was doubtless the fee paid the Town Clerk for issuing the license and may have prompted the price. Occasionally some liberal minded citizen unusually well satisfied with his helpmate or be- lieving that even a clergyman laborer is worthy of his hire raised the fee to $5.00 or even to $10.00. Then there were occasions when no fee whatever was received and opposite the name of the wedded couple appear the word "Given." Frequently the word "black" appears in connection with the marriage.
The second minister was Rev. Henry F. Edes, who was in- stalled March 26, 1834. The customary Council was convened with representatives from the Federal Street, Hollis Street, Brattle Street, Second and West Churches of Boston and the Churches at Roxbury, Salem, Sandwich and New Bedford present. Rev. Mr. Pierce, of Newport, was Moderator, and Rev. Chandler Robbins of Boston was Clerk. On the second Sunday in February, 1837, (Feb. 12),after the observance of the Lord's Supper Rev. Mr: Edes
*Mr. Meyer thinks Mr. Gale's act is explainable on the ground that he was at heart a Friend and ultimately joined the Friend's meet- ing. (Hist. Unitarian Church, p. 4).
*Hist. Unitarian Church, p. 6.
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HISTORY OF NANTUCKET
presented some objections to the Covenant then in use. The record shows that "A meeting of the Church was held in the Vestry on Tuesday evening, February 28, for the purpose of taking this sub- ject into further consideration. The Pastor having given his reasons at length, called upon the members to express their opinions. One or two having spoken, all who thought that the present Covenant in its present form had better be set aside, were requested to sig- nify it by rising. But a few retained their seats."
On Sunday March 12, after Communion the form of Covenant used for admission into the Church of Harvard University was read, and on the question of substituting it for the one then in use the substitution was agreed upon by a very large majority .*
The new Covenant read as follows: We whose names are un- dersigned, present ourselves for admission to this branch of the Christian Church, in testimony of our faith in Jesus Christ, our acceptance of His religion, and subjection to His laws. We regard this transaction as an expression of our earnest desire to obtain the salvation proposed by the Gospel, and our serious purpose to endeavor to comply with the terms on which it is offered. We de- sire to commemorate the Author and Finisher of our faith in the manner established in our Church. In an humble and grateful re- liance upon God for the pardon of our sins and assistance in duty, we solemnly take on ourselves the engagements of the Christian profession. We will, as we have opportunity, acknowledge our relation to this Christian community by attention on the services of religion, by the offices of Christian affection, and submission to the laws of Christian order, beseeching the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that being faithful to each other, and to our own common Master, we may enjoy the consolations of our holy religion here, and be accepted to its rewards hereafter, through the riches of Divine favor in Jesus Christ."
Mr. Meyer says that Rev Mr Edes deserves the honor of liber- alizing the Church .; Outgrowing the first Covenant was a gradual process. "In a certain sense, we may say that the Second Congre- gational Church in Nantucket became a Unitarian Church with the adoption of its second Covenant * * * twenty-eight years after the organization of the Church." The original signers of this second Covenant numbered 38.
Rev Mr Edes resigned in 1842 and went from Nantucket to Eastport, Maine. His successor was Rev. William H. Knapp, whose service as Pastor was from 1844 to 1850. During his pastorate the Church Covenant underwent another change, still in the direction of symplification. The third Covenant, adopted in 1847, was as follows: # "Regarding Jesus of Nazareth as the highest spiritual Teacher and Guide, we desire more faithfully to follow Him, to
*Hist. Unitarian Church, p. 6. The Church in Harvard University is the old First Parish of Cambridge.
"Hist. Unitarian Church of Nant., p. 7.
ĮIbid.
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HISTORY OF NANTUCKET
possess more of His spirit, to be true to our age and mission as He was to His, to co-operate with Him in His work in building up His Kingdom on earth, in establishing the reign of righteousness, truth and love among men."
Following Rev Mr Knapp was Rev. Jacob G. Foreman who continued as Pastor two years and four months, from 1851 to 1853. During his ministry the Church, at a regular meeting, voted: "That in addition to the foregoing declaration, applicants for admission may be received by baptism or such other religious ceremony as the Pastor may deem advisable and appropriate, in a public man- ner, and in connection with the observance of the Lord's Sup- per, provided it shall be most agreeable to the applicant to be re- ceived in this manner." His concluding entry in the Parish Records says: "On Sunday, November 13 1853, I delivered my farewell ser- mon to a large congregation from the 51st chapter of Isaiah, the 7th and 8th verses, thus concluding a ministry of two years and four months and a half on this island, during which I enjoyed the confidence and affection of the Church, my pulpit services were attended by good congregations, and I received interesting testi- monials of the good will and friendship of my people, both towards myself, and my wife and children. In taking my leave, I was able to bid them a kind farewell, and to pray for their spiritual and temporal prosperity and happiness." Mr. Foreman went from Nantucket to Sandwich, and the Nantucket Church assisted in his installation.
Mr Foreman's immediate successor was Rev George H. Hep- worth. It was Mr Hepworth's first pastorate as he came to Nan- tucket direct from Harvard Theological School. Rev Dr Ezra Styles Gannett, of Boston was Moderator of the Council that ordained him. He was Pastor for two years, severing his relations with the Nantucket Church September 7, 1857 .*
For the next two years there was no settled minister. In the interim Rev Mr LeBaron an eloquent preacher officiated for a part of the time. He did not continue in the ministry.
The sixth regularly settled minister was Rev Orville Brayton, who was Pastor from 1859 to 1862 .; He was succeeded by Rev John H. Karcher who was settled over the Church July 1, 1863, and continued his pastorate one year and seven months, terminating it February 1 1865. Mr Meyer says "Tradition says he was a very peculiar or eccentric man."}
Rev Thomas K. Dawes was the eighth Pastor. His pastorate began December 2. 1865 and continued to June 11. 1871. Under him a fourth Covenant was adopted. It became operative July 3, 1868, and was as follows: "We whose names are here subscribed do unite ourselves together in order to profess more publicly our
*Mr. Hepworth went from Nantucket to the Church of the Unity, Boston, thence to the Church of the Messiah, New York. Soon after he joined the editorial staff of the New York Herald.
1Mr. Meyer says there are no records on the Parish books from Rev. Mr. Hepworth's ministry to the settlement of Rev. Mr. Karcher. įMr. Karcher went from Nantucket to Alleghany, Pa. He joined the Episcopal Church at first and finally became a Roman Catholic. (Hist. Unitarian Church, p. 9).
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HISTORY OF NANTUCKET
faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Saviour of men. We acknowledge the teachings of Jesus to be the Divinely author- ized rule both of faith and of practise, to which it is our duty as Christians to submit. By thus uniting ourselves together, we claim no right to exclude any one from this Communion, on account of difference in doctrinal opinions, nor for any other reason except undoubted immoralty of conduct." This Covenant was signed by 37 persons.
Following Mr Dawes came Rev. Lemuel K. Washburn, (1871 to 1872) Rev Jesse H. Temple who remained less than a year, and Rev Nahum A. Haskell whose ministry began December 7 1873, and continued until October 24, 1875. Under the ministry of Mr. Haskell (in March 1875) still another change was made in the Covenant. This new Covenant, Rev Mr Meyer says was rather in the light of a reversion to the third Covenant, discarding the one adop- ted under Rev Mr Dawes' pastorate. It read as follows: "Regarding Jesus of Nazareth as our spiritual Teacher and Guide, we desire more faithfully to follow Him, to possess more of His spirit, to be true to our age and mission as He was true to His, and to cooper- ate with each other in building up the Kingdom of God on earth and in establishing the reign of righteousness, truth and love among men. For this purpose we join ourselves together." This, Mr Meyer says, "is still the bond of union on which the Unitarian Church in Nantucket is established.
At the end of fourteen months from the time of his resig- nation he was called to the pastorate a second time. He came in December 1876, and continued until May, 1877. He subsequent- ly retired from the ministry.
The next minister was Rev. James B. Morrison, who commenc- ed his pastorate December 2. 1877 and continued it until April 25, 1880 .* Of his service he says: "It has been an exceedingly pleasant pastorate and the Pastor severs his connection with the Parish with love for the people, and regret for the sundering of the rela- tions of Minister and people."
Mr Morrison was followed by Rev John Arthur Savage who began his ministry October 25, 1880, and closed it October 28, 1883.1
Rev. Henry F Bond succeeded Mr Savage. The apparent term of his ministry was from October 28, 1883 to December 1, 1885. There is nothing on the record book concerning his pastorate. The 15th minister of the Church was Rev Cyrus Augustus Roys. The opening Parish record of his ministry makes the following state- ment: "The Church as a working organization had practically ceased. The small body of proprietors was the only working force with administrative functions. There had been but three persons
* Mr. Morrison was born at Haverhill, Mass. Nov. 2, 1847; grad- uated at Meadville, June 17, 1877; was ordained Nov. 26, 1877.
tIn the summer of 1881, through the generosity and love for his native Town, Mr. William Hadwen Starbuck, of New York, a new tower clock was put into the Meeting House, the building newly painted and the dome newly gilded.
For many years the Unitarian Church was locally and familiarly known as the "Steamboat" church, the prominent men in the Steam- boat Co. being identified with it.
1
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HISTORY OF NANTUCKET
admitted to the Church in fourteen years, and no meetings of the Church except for purposes of worship, so far as the records show. The Communion service had been discontinued previous to the com- ing of the present Minister." Only a small number desired it re- vived. A proposition was made to have the proprietors revise their by-laws and make the organization practically a free Church so that the congregation of worshippers should have the business control rather than have it vested in the few proprietors. As this was not done the "Declaration of Purpose adopted in 1847, and afterwards set aside to be re-adopted in 1875 was read and mem- bership was invited on that basis."*
Rev Mr Savage recorded at the close of 1883 "Number of families in the Parish increased somewhat, the attendance at Sun- day services very good and the Society out of debt, in perfect har- mony, and quite active and hopeful." Rev Mr Meyers makes this statement harmonize with that made by Rev Mr Roys by assuming (a very natural assumption) that Rev Mr Savage's term "Parish" included all "who took an active interest in the work or worship of the Church" while Rev Mr Roys included only those who had signed the covenant and had been formally and publicly received into the Church. It was the old time distinction between Church and Parish that Mr Roys referred to. t
Rev Mr Meyer thinks that about this time the disintegration among the Friends resulted in material additions to the Unitarians.
During Mr. Roys' pastorate he attempted to revive the distinc- tion between the Church and Parish, but any distinction recogniz- ed during his term of service was apparently dropped with his de- parture. During his ministry the Church severed its connection with the Cape Cod Conference with which it had been allied. A „ permanent result of his Church work was the organization of the Unity Club.
Rev. Francis Percival Stuart Lamb was the 16th Minister. His term of service ran from Dec 3, 1893 to April 1, 1898. According to report Mr Lamb was a scholarly man and preacher but neglected his Parish work and was lacking in tact. He was followed by Rev George Henry Badger who was Pastor just one year, from October 1, 1898 to October 1, 1899. In that brief time he made, says Mr. Meyer, "a deep and lasting impression on the people."# Under Mr Badger the Sunday School had dwindled away to nothing and been abandoned; he reorganized it. He seems to have been the direct antithesis of his predecessor. After leaving Nantucket he was made Field Agent of the American Unitarian Association for New England.
The 18th minister was Rev John Frederick Meyer whose pas- torate began January 1, 1900 and ended in 1903. During his term
*Just when the Communion was discontinued does not appear from the records.
tHist. of the Unitarian Church, p. 11.
įHistory of the Unitarian Church of Nant., p. 14.
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of service the Nantucket Unitarian Summer Meetings were held in Nantucket for the first time in the summer of 1901. In July of the same year the Nantucket Branch of National Alliance of Uni- tarian and Other Liberal Christian Women was organized. The Church voted to join the Plymouth and Bay Conference of Unita- rian and other Christian Churches.
Succeeding pastors have been:
Rev Edward Day Rev John Snyder
1904 to 1908
1909 to 1914
Rev H. Van Ommeren,
1914 to 1920
Rev John C. Kent
1921
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
The Methodist Church in Nantucket dates back to the 6th day of April 1797, when Rev Jesse Lee, that veteran war horse of Methodism, first visited the Island. He remained on the Island eighteen days, and during that brief period he preached sixteen sermons. The following year Rev Joseph Snelling, a native of Bos- ton, and at the time stationed on Martha's Vineyard was invited to Nantucket. It is said that "for lack of a room sufficiently large to hold the people, he held meetings in the open air on Mill Hills, where all classes, rich and poor, white and black, assembled to hear the Word."* A large number is said to have been converted and many others were aroused. No society was formed at the time, however. Rev. George Pickering, another man of stalwart Method- ism, was Presiding Elder for the District and, after Mr Snelling, who preached up to June 9, 1799, followed for two weeks by Rev ' Mr. Cannon, he sent to the Island Rev. William Beauchamp under whose guidance a church society was organized. t
Mrs Fanning, who seems to have been favorably disposed to- wards the establishment of Methodism on Nantucket mentions Mr Beecham, (Beauchamp) for the first time July 21, 1799, when she noted in her diary "Mr Beacham preached." Under date of Tues- day July 30 she states that she went to Cromwell Bartlett's school house to meeting. Mr Beauchamp, she writes, performed "water baptism on Susanna Orpin, she is about to become a member of the Methodist Church."
*Souvenir Hist. N. E. Southern Conference Vol. 1, p. 114. From Mrs. Fannings' diaries is the following "Sunday Feb. 3, (1799) Mrs. Johnson and myself went to Town House to meeting. Mr. Cannon (Methodist) preached, Sun. May 26, went P. M. to Town house meet- ing-Mr. Snelling preached. Sunday June 2 Mr. Snelling preached." June 9, 23, and 30 she mentions going to the Town House meeting. Mr. Cannon preached on the 30th. "Sunday July 7, afternoon Mr. Can- non preached."
"The Souvenir Hist. states that on June 24, 1798 he formed the Society in an upper back room on Pearl street. It would seem as though this must be an error in date.
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The entries in Mrs Fanning's diaries, although showing oc- casional breaks, probably give the most accurate statement of con- ditions that is obtainable. They also give quite in detail the names of those who in the early days were connected with the Church' and Society. Quoting from her diaries her record reads :*
Sunday May 26. 1799 Went in the afternoon to the Town House meeting. Mr Snelling preached. Mr Snelling also preached June 2, and June 9 and 23 she records that she went to the "Town House" meeting. On June 30 and on the afternoon of July 7 Mr Cannon preached. July 21 Mr Beacham (Beauchamp) preached and
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
on July 28 Mrs Fanning attended meeting all day under the guid- ance presumably of Mr Beauchamp.
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