USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Sudbury > The history of Sudbury, Massachusetts, 1638-1889 > Part 40
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4. That, as the management of our foreign relations is delegated to the councils of the nation, it is inexpedient for the State legislature to interfere.
In 1812, the number of soldiers reported to be in readiness was eighteen. "Voted to give them $1.25 per day while in service and doing actual duty." The following persons from Sudbury were in service a short time during the war : Aaron Hunt, Jonas Tower, James B. Puffer, Josiah Puffer, John Carr, Cyrus Willis, George Barker, Leonard Dutton, Otis Puffer, Jesse Puffer, John Sawyer. Warren Moore was in the naval service on a privateer, was taken prisoner and spent some time in Dartmoor prison.
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467
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
In the militia the officers were chosen by the men and received their commission from the Governor of the State, as in later times. In 1806, Caleb Strong gave a commission to Jesse Goodnow as captain of a company in the 4th Regiment Infantry, 2d Brigade, 3d Division Militia. To an extent, it was customary to hold the meetings for the election of militia officers at the taverns. The following is a specimen of the "Company Order " of the times.
COMPANY ORDER.
" To Reuben Gleason Corp1
" You are hereby ordered and directed to warn and notify all the men, Commissioned Officers and soldiers whose names are hereafter mentioned belonging to the company under my command, to appear at Mr. John Stone's Tavern in Sud- bury, on Friday, the 18th day of March Inst. at 1 o'clock P. M., for the purpose of electing a Captain, and filling such other vacancies as may then happen.
" By Order of Ephraim Plympton Lieut. Col. Dated at Sudbury, March 14, 1814."
ECCLESIASTICAL EVENTS.
In 1814, the town settled a new pastor, Rev. Jacob Bige- low having become infirm. In 1810, Rev. Timothy Hilliard had been invited to preach as a candidate, and June 1, 1814, he became colleague pastor at a salary of six hundred and fifty dollars and five hundred dollars to begin with. The ministers, with their churches, who comprised the ordaining council were Rev. Messrs. Kellogg of Framingham, Newell of Stow, Adams of Acton, Ripley of Concord, Stearns of Lincoln, Lovering of Andover, and Dr. Kirkland of Harvard College who preached the sermon. The next year Mr. Hilliard " resigned his office as clergyman of the religious Society of Sudbury." His resignation was accepted, and he was recommended to the churches on a vote of thirty-eight to eight. A council was held for the purpose of ratifying the doings of the church and town " in dissolving the Cove- nant with Rev. Mr. Hilliard." He was dismissed Sept. 26,
468
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
1815. The following is the bill allowed to Mr. Asahel Wheeler for the entertainment of the council : -
To eleven dinners and Suppers with wine $6
To Horse keeping
2
To Liquors 2
-
10
Also allowed Mr Daniel Osborn for Notifying the Council and for attendance $3
After leaving Sudbury, Mr. Hilliard practised medicine in his native town, Kensington, N. H., and also engaged some in teaching. He was a scholarly man and a graduate of Harvard College in 1809. He also studied divinity at Cam- bridge. During his short ministry forty-three united with the church, nineteen males and twenty-four females. Soon after the pastorate became vacant, the town took measures to secure another minister. May, 1816, it was " voted, at the request of Dea. Puffer, to set apart a day for fasting humil- iation and prayer to the Supreme Governor of the Universe for his direction and guidance in those measures that shall be most conducive to the harmonizing us in the reestablish- ment of a gospel minister amongst us." The day appointed was November 3. It was voted to invite some minister to preach on that day, and also to invite the attendance of other ministers. Soon after this the town " voted to hear Mr. Hurlbut and two others on Probation." At a town- meeting Dec. 16, 1816, "it was moved to see if the town would request the church in this place to give Mr. Rufus Hurlbut a call to settle with them in the gospel ministry, and being put to vote, it passed in the affirmative by 58 for and 9 against it." The church having voted to extend the call, on December 23 the town expressed its concurrence by a vote of thirty-four for and six against. "It was then voted that Mr. Hurlbut's creed be read before the town, which was produced and read agreeable to said vote." A committee was chosen by the town to confer with the church ; and they recommended a salary of seven hundred dollars while he was in active service without the improve- ment of the ministerial land, "which " their late minister
469
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
Rev. Mr. Bigelow had the improvement of during his life." Mr. Hurlbut declined to accept of the sum specified, if he was only to be allowed it while in actual service ; giving as a reason for his refusal, that, in case of inability to preach at any time, by a reduction or withholding of his salary he would be left without a means of support. The matter was, therefore, reconsidered, and an offer made of six hundred and fifty a year so long as he should continue to be their pastor. This offer was accepted. A committee or agent was appointed to receive a quit-claim of Mr. Hurlbut of all the ministerial land.
Soon after the settlement of a new minister, Rev. Jacob Bigelow passed away. He died Sept. 12, 1816, at the age of seventy-five, having filled the Sudbury pastorate for over forty years. He was beloved by his people, and in his last years was granted an annuity. In 1816, two hundred and forty-six dollars and sixty-seven cents was granted " for Mr. Bigelow's salary." This vote, at a later meeting of the town, was reconsidered, probably on account of his death. The town also gave to his widow thirty dollars for the ser- vice that was rendered by the reverend clergy, as a gift to her, by their supply of the pulpit after her husband's death. The funeral expenses were defrayed by the town and the following bills are on record : -
"To Mr. Jonathan Fairbanks Jr. for making the coffin for Rev. Mr. Bigelow, $10.00.
"To Lewis Moore for digging the grave and attending the funeral of Rev. Mr. Bigelow $2.00.
" To Capt. Jesse Moore for beef he provided at the funeral of the Rev. Mr. Bigelow 1-13
" To Mr Ruben Moore for 7 lbs old cheese he found at the funeral of Rev Mr Bigelow.
" To Doctor Ashbel Kidder for dining the clergy & com- mitteee of arrangements &c at the funeral of Rev. Mr. Bigelow $16.20
" To Mr Daniel Goodenow for spirit an sugar &c provided at the funeral of the Rev. Mr. Bigelow, $15.40."
470
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
Mr. Bigelow was a native of Waltham. He was twice married. His first wife was a sister of Dr. Heard of Con- cord. By this marriage he had a daughter. He married for his second wife Mrs. Wells, and had two sons. One of these was Dr. Jacob Bigelow of Boston, a noted physician, and at one time Professor of Materia Medica in Harvard Medical School. He died at the age of ninety. ' An old inhabitant of Sudbury (C. G. Cutler) described Rev. Mr. Bigelow to the writer as being " a large man with a large face, very pleasant and full of jokes." He was said to be affable and social. He built the house now known as the George Goodenow place, about a quarter of a mile from Sudbury Centre, and there he lived and died. He was ordained Nov. 11, 1772. During his ministry one hundred and forty-two were added to the church, fifty-five males and eighty-seven females.
The year of Mr. Bigelow's death the following records were made relating to the enlargement of the Burying Ground : "Bought of Walter Haynes in 1816 about a half acre of land on the whole south side the grave yard for enlarging it." The price paid was one hundred dollars. Among the town debts : "To Walter Haynes for building the burying yard wall and a small gate, $19.50." There are other records relating to placing posts near the yard. The indications are that the yard, at that time, was nearly full, and, probably, the death of the minister called the town's attention to the fact. As Mr. Bigelow's grave is on the southerly side of the yard, it may have been made in the portion that was bought at that time. Besides the addition on the south, in 1800 the town bought a " piece of land for three dollars of Asher Goodenow on the east end of the burying ground." Another matter in this period, pertaining to the burial of the dead, was an order, in 1806, "for a bier for the Burying yard," and in 1818 for building a hearse.
About the time of Rev. Jacob Bigelow's death a move- ment was made to dispose of the land which had been set apart for the support of the ministry, for cash or notes at interest. As has been observed, a committee was appointed at the settlement of Rev. Mr. Hurlbut to obtain of him a
THE BIGELOW PARSONAGE, Sudbury Centre.
471
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
quit-claim to these lands, which act was, doubtless, in antici- pation of the movement in 1818. In 1816, a committee was appointed to apply to the Legislature for leave to dispose of the ministerial land, and it was granted. The following year there was constituted what was called "the Sudbury Ministerial Land Corporation." In March, 1818, the trus- tees of this corporation reported that, in accordance with an act of the Legislature, June 14, 1817, they had sold the land lying near Mr. Elisha Jones', containing by plan seventeen acres and fifty-three rods, on July 24, 1817, in two lots : No. 1 to Capt. Silas Puffer for $67 per acre, No. 2 to the same party for $43 per acre. The first lot contained a little over ten acres, the other a little over six acres. The whole amount received was $996.56. Other lots were as follows : Ministerial river meadow near Mr. Israel Wheeler's was sold July, 1817, in two lots. No. 1 to Lewis Moore for $146.69, No. 2 to Israel Wheeler for $154.40. " The ministerial land laying near the meeting house " was sold August, 1817. It contained about thirty-eight acres, and was disposed of in lots as follows : No. 1 to Walter Haynes and Thadeus Tower for $462, No. 2 to William Moore for $406.87, No 3 to Capt. William Rice for -, No. 4 to Joshua Jones for $372.15, No. 5 to Israel Moore for $336.81, No. 6 to Joshua Jones for $10. " The total sum arising from the sale of the ministerial lands in said town amounts to $3200.96. At the close of this period, March, 1825, the following report was rendered to the town by the Ministerial Fund Corporation : -
Capt Silas Puffer
Note the sum of
996
56
Mr Lewis Moore
146
66 69
Mr. Israel Wheeler
154
66 40
Walter Haynes
66
200 66 31
William Moore
66
406 66
87
Thadeous Towers
200
31
Haman Hunt
66
376
86
Josua Jones
66
382
15
Joel Moore
66 66
336
81
$3200 " 96
The interest on this amount was paid to the Rev. Rufus Hurlbut, agreeable to the act of incorporation,
CHAPTER XXVI.
1825-1850.
History of the Sudbury Methodist Episcopal Church. - Members of a Baptist Society in Sudbury in 1828. - Town Farm. - Town House. - Erection of Tombs. - Ecclesiastical Disturbance. - Formation of a New Parish. - Building of a Meeting-House. - Dedication of it. - Death of Rev. Rufus Hurlbut. - Sketch of his Life. - Settlement of Rev. Josiah Ballard. - The Old Parish. - Settlement of Rev. Linus Shaw. - Sketch of his Life .- Succession of Pastors .- Miscellaneous.
Our theme shall be of yesterday, Which to oblivion sweeps away Like days of old.
LONGFELLOW.
BETWEEN 1825 and 1850, important ecclesiastical events transpired in Sudbury. Measures that resulted in the forma- tion of the Methodist Episcopal Church were taken in the last part of the preceding period, but, as this church became established or largely developed in this period, the history of it properly comes here.
THE METHODIST CHURCH.
In 1823, a class was formed by Rev. Erastus Otis, in connection with the "Old Brick Church " at Marlboro, which consisted of the following members: Varnum Bal- com, leader, Webster Cutting, Buckley Willis, Emerson Brown, Abel Noyes, Samuel Dudley, Miss Abigail Dudley, Mrs. Noah Smith, Mrs. Edwin Cutting, Mrs. A. Noyes, Mrs. Varnum Balcom, and some others. Previous to the formation of this class there were but two members of the Methodist church in Sudbury. In the early stages of the en- terprise, meetings were occasionally held in the school-house of the north-west district ; but, in 1835, the town voted not
472
473
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
to allow the school-houses to be used for religious meetings. After this, preaching services were sometimes held in a hall at the house of Mr. Walter Haynes ; but not long was the little company to be without a church home. A paper was soon started by Emerson Brown, soliciting aid for the erection of a meeting-house. A part of the names are lost : the following are some of the subscribers and their gifts, - Emerson Brown, $500; Edwin Cutting, $500; Isaac Par- menter, $500 ; Marshall S. Rice, $200; Martin Brown, $200 ; Solomon Weeks, $100; Amos Hagar, $50; Noah Smith -.
A piece of land for a meeting-house, consisting of sixty rods, was purchased of Luther Goodnow for the sum of one hundred and twenty-five dollars. It was conveyed by deed to Isaac Parmenter, yeoman, and Emerson Brown and Edwin Cutting, shoemakers ; and bears date Sept. 19, 1835. The meeting-house was soon erected, and in 1836 was dedicated. Rev. Abel Stevens, LL.D., preached the dedication sermon. In 1841, a bell was purchased at a cost of three hundred and three dollars and twenty-five cents, Edwin Cutting giving one hundred dollars. The new church was in what was then called the " Needham Circuit." After the erection of the meeting-house, meetings were held five days and thirty- one evenings in succession ; at which time it is supposed about fifty persons were converted. In the early years of the church, E. O. Haven afterwards Bishop Haven, then a young man, taught school in the vestry. The fact that the career of that widely-known and useful man was connected in its early beginning with this quiet spot adds to it a special interest and pleasantness. In that little meeting-house, hard by the margin of the town's common land and one of its old- time burial places, was the spot where at least two of Sud- bury's college graduates now living pursued their early studies. (See College Graduates.) Here, too, at least one worshiper, who afterwards entered the ministry, took the first step that led to that service (Rev. L. P. Frost). Rev. Charles Rogers, who for several years has been Presiding Elder, was one of the later preachers, and at the same time a teacher in the Wadsworth Academy. The very surround- ings of the place are suited to stir to reflection ; and when
.
474
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
nature, in spring-time, clothes with green the shrubbery about it or there rests on it the stillness of the soft summer day, then the scene accords with the associations of the meeting-house, the wayside burial place, and the memories that cluster around the village green. From the time the meeting-house was completed the new church has moved steadily on. At its quarterly meeting, February, 1837, the Presiding Elder present was D. Kilburn. The same year the Conference sent as first pastor, Rev. Elias C. Scott. He taught school for which he received eighty-four dollars, and this, with what he received from other sources, made his salary three hundred and twenty-three dollars and fifty-five cents. Succeeding Mr. Scott are the following pastors of the church with their dates of service : -
Luman Boyden
1837-8
Porter M. Vinton
1863-64
George W. Bates
1839-40
George Sutherland
1864-65
J. S. Ellis
1840-41
Philo P. Gorton
1865-66
P. R. Sawyer
1841-42
J. W. P. Jordan 1866-67
W. Tucker
1642-43
George E. Chapman
1867-69
G. W. Weeks
1843-
Miles R. Barney
1869-71
Benjamin King
1845-46
Walter Wilkins
1871-74
Luther Caldwell
1846-47
John S. Day
1874-75
W. F. Lacount
1847-48
A. M. Sherman
1875-76
Horace Moulton
1848-49
Nathaniel Bemis
1877-79
George Frost
J. Richardson
1879-80
L. P. Frost
J. A. Ames
1880-81
John W. Lee
1852-53
F. O. Holman and M. D. Sill 1881-83
J. H. Gaylord
1853-55
A. R. Archibald
1883-84
M. Leffingwell
1855-57
J. Marcy
1884-87
Wm. A. Clapp
1857-59
Geo. H. Bolster
1887-88
Charles S. Rogers
1859-61
H. E. Wilcox
1888-89
Joseph Scott
1861-63
Nearly a half century ago the little congregation was gath- ered from various parts of the town; the Butterfields came from Lanham, the Parmenters and Noyeses from Peakham, the Battleses from the Gravel Pit district, the Bents and Hayneses from Pantry. Years ago, some of these early worshipers passed from this place of prayer to the temple above. In 1875, Amos Haynes the old sexton died. For thirty-two years he had faithfully stood at his post and rung
475
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
the bell at the hour of prayer. The familiar form of Thomas B. Battles about the same time was missed from the choir. Then the tall, slender form of George Goodnow, who had been a tower of strength, was also called to his reward; and thus, one by one, they have passed away, till now only two remain whose names were on the church records forty years ago. Amid its many vicissitudes the church has never been closed more than one Sabbath at a time. The highest salary ever paid its minister was seven hundred dollars. The ladies have been associated in a society which has aided in all the church enterprises ; and a prominent member among them has been Mrs. George Goodnow who has faithfully planned and labored for the maintenance of the church through many years of its history.
BAPTIST SOCIETY.
In 1828, the following persons were members of a Baptist society in Sudbury : -
Leander G. Wiley,
Obadiah Osborn.
Joseph G. Hunt,
Azariah Walker.
James Moore,
John W. Haynes.
Abijah Walker,
Amos Haynes.
Ruth Walker,
Wm Stone Jr.,
Cyrus W. Jones,
Thadeus Tower,
David Lincoln,
Hollis Gibbs.
Marden Moore,
Joel Dakin, Clerk.
TOWN FARM.
March 5, 1832, the town voted to purchase a Town Farm. The place selected was the property of Asa Noyes, situated in the north part of the town, and the same now used for the town's poor. In 1843, the town voted to build a house on the farm, and in 1845 it granted one thousand and seventy-six dollars and sixty-seven cents to pay for it. Some years ago the barn was burned and another was erected soon after.
TOWN HOUSE.
In 1845, the town voted to build a Town House. A committee was chosen consisting of five persons, one from
476
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
each school district, to select a spot, bring in a plan, and estimate the cost. April 20, 1846, the town granted one thousand dollars for the building, and appointed a committee to confer with the First Parish about the terms on which the town could have a spot on the common to set a building upon. At a legal meeting of the First Parish held in April, 1846, it was "voted that sd Parish give to the town of Sudbury liberty to set a town house on the meeting house common, nearly or partly on that part now occupied by the Center school house sufficient for the occupation of sd Town House, and ten feet passage . around it. Provided, sd gift to sd town shall not be construed in any way to injure the title of sd Parish to the remainder of sd common." The town " voted to place the Town House where the school house now stands, provided, said Parish adheres to their agreement." A few years ago an iron safe was procured, in which to keep the town records, and placed in the Town House ; and recently, a fire-proof depository of brick-work. The west part of the Town House was formerly used as an armory of the " Wadsworth Rifle Guards; " and rows of rifles and military accoutrements were ranged on the side of the long, narrow room. A part of this room is now used as a selectmen's office.
ERECTION OF TOMBS.
A petition having been presented to the town by William Hunt and others, for leave to erect a number of tombs on the northerly part of the meeting-house plot, nearly opposite the burying-ground, April 3, 1826, the town granted per- mission, and appointed a committee of five to locate the ground where they should be built, and to confer with the petitioners as to the plan, so as to have them uniform. In November, the committee reported a place, and recommended that leave be given the petitioners to fix upon some uniform plan of building to suit themselves. The report was accepted. April 3, 1830, Luther Goodnow, Asher Goodnow, Tilly Smith and Levi Smith received permission to erect tombs on the east side of the powder house,
477
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
ECCLESIASTICAL DISTURBANCE.
A prominent ecclesiastical event in this period was the formation of a new parish. The causes which brought this about had been at work for some years previously, and were, mainly, the same as those which wrought similar results in other New England towns about that time. In the early part of the century a controversy took place con- cerning certain theological questions, principal among which were the nature and mission of Christ, the measure or extent of human depravity, and man's need of regeneration by a personal Holy Spirit; or, in other words, the Divinity of Christ, the Atonement, Total Depravity, Regeneration and the Personality of the Holy Spirit. The advocates of the liberal movement - among whom were Ware, Buckminster, Norton and Channing -sought to extend the principles of Unitarianism. On the other side, prominent theologians, among whom were Prof. Moses Stuart of Andover and Rev. Lyman Beecher, stoutly set themselves to oppose it. The controversy spread through society. In this part of the country the age became one of theological discussion, and, in the course of a few years, many old churches and parishes were divided into two organizations, one of which took the name of Unitarian Church, and the other of Orthodox Con- gregational or Trinitarian Church. The influence of this wide-spread discussion did not produce any marked result in the Sudbury church till about 1839. There were in the town records, some years before that time, various state- ments which indicate that dissatisfaction prevailed respecting the minister's theological views. The desire was expressed that Mr. Hurlbut would exchange more with the neighboring clergymen, " as formerly ; " and there was querying as to why he did not. Notwithstanding, however, the existence of dissatisfaction there was no outbreak until Mr. Hurlbut, whose health had become feeble, procured the services of another minister to supply the pulpit for a Sabbath. The attitude of the congregation then became clearly defined. On the Sabbath morning two new clergymen appeared on the scene, one provided by Mr. Hurlbut, the other by the
478
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
parish committee. When Mr. Hurlbut and his minister arrived at the steps of the church, he found the door had been fastened, and that the minister whom the parish had provided was within. Says one, who was standing by and witnessed the affair and heard the conversation, " Mr. Hurl- but informed the committee that he would like to introduce his minister. The request being granted, they passed in, and Mr. Hurlbut, after making a few remarks to the people, left the meeting-house. A large share of the congregation left also, and, with their minister, went over and worshiped that morning with the Methodists." Soon after, they hired a hall, which stood on the site of Mr. Sewall Taylor's wheel- wright's shop. It had two stories and a gallery on three sides of the audience room. It was subsequently used as a wheel- wright's shop by Edwin Harrington and was destroyed by fire about thirty years ago.
FORMATION OF A NEW PARISH.
Shortly after the events just narrated a new religious society was organized. March, 1839, a warrant was issued by Christopher G. Cutler to Israel How Brown, an applicant for the same, requiring the said Brown to notify all the legal voters " who have congregated the year last past for public worship in a building owned by Wm Brigham in said Sudbury to meet at said building" March 25, at one o'clock in the afternoon, for the purpose of " organizing according to law a religious society for the public worship of God." The petitioners for the warrant were Enoch Kidder, A. B. Rich- ardson, Israel H. Brown, Abel Dakin, Joseph Cutter, Roland Cutler and Gardner Hunt. The meeting was held pursuant to warrant, and, in the absence of C. G. Cutler, Esq., and at his request, Lyman How, Esq., presided. Samuel Puffer was chosen clerk and William Brigham moderator. Nahum Goodenow, William Brigham and I. H. Brown were chosen assessors, and William Rice collector and treasurer. The assessors were also chosen as the prudential committee, and the same persons were also appointed to report a name for the new society. It was voted at the same meeting to grant eight hundred dollars for preaching the ensuing year. The
:
479
HISTORY OF SUDBURY.
committee presented the name of The Sudbury Evangelical Union Society, which was accepted and adopted. The word Sudbury was afterwards struck off, leaving the name of the society as it stands to-day. A second meeting was held, April 8, 1839, at which Lyman How, Esq., was chosen moderator. The society at that meeting voted to build a meeting-house "on the plan of the Orthodox Society of Marlboro." A committee chosen at the previous meeting for selecting a suitable building spot reported " that it is expedient to set the house on the ground near the Black- smith's shop owned by Jonas Tower." A building com- mittee was chosen of which Mr. Gardner Hunt was chairman. This committee was instructed to borrow money for building the house on the credit of the society ; and, after the com- pletion of the building, to sell the pews to defray the expense of construction. A contract was concluded May 27, 1839, between Gardner Hunt, William Brigham and Jonas Tower, building committee, and Mr. Jeremiah Flint. Mr. Flint, by the terms of the contract, was to have for the work fifty-seven hundred dollars. The society was to provide the foundation and the steps, and the work was to be completed by the following November. At a meeting Dec. 25, 1839, it was voted to direct the building committee to sell the pews on the appraisal that had been reported, reserving the right to tax to an amount not exceeding five per cent. per annum on the appraised value. Also voted to direct the committee to sell the pews on the day after the dedication of the house, and give deeds of the same. In the sale of the pews, No. 1 was to be reserved for the minister, and the four under the gallery were to be reserved for free seats. The valuation of the pews varied from forty dollars to one hundred and five dollars, and the total amount was forty- seven hundred and five dollars. At a meeting of the society, held Feb. 10, 1840, it was voted to direct the parish and assessors to " circulate a petition for to obtain money to procure a bell." The money was raised and a bell was purchased at Medway. Jan. 1, 1840, the meeting-house was dedicated; Rev. Mr. Horsford of Saxonville preached the
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