USA > Massachusetts > Hampshire County > Amherst > The history of the town of Amherst, Massachusetts, pt 1 > Part 6
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF AMHERST, MASS.
Again under date of August 27, 1733 :
" Voted That our East Inhabitants may have Liberty to hire a minister Preach among them six months this year and that if they so do they shall abated one half of their rate to our minister: and so in Proportion for the ti they Hire not Exceeding six months."
It would thus appear that the east inhabitants had hired a minis. previous to 1731, but who this minister was there is nothing in the recor. to show. The inhabitants of Hadley first precinct were willing that t. new settlers should hire a minister, but at the same time desired that th. should continue to contribute to the support of Rev. Mr. Chauncey. Th. naturally, was little to the liking of the east inhabitants, who found the": selves subjected to two ministerial rates. There was but one means I. which this injustice could be remedied ; that was by forming a separa: precinct, and in June, 1734, John Ingram and others signed a petitic. which was presented to the General Court, praying that such a precin might be set off. In the General Court Records under date of June (. 1734, the following appears :
"A Petition of John Ingram and a Great Number of other Inhabitants of : Tract of Land lying in and near the Township of Hadley Bounded Easterly o. the East bounds of said Town Northerly on Sunderland Southerly on Mour: Holyoke & Westerly from the east bounds of Hadley about two miles and three Quarters Showing their distance from the place of Publick Worship in said Tow: and theirAdvantageous Situation for their being made a precinct and therefor praying that they be constituted a separate precinct accordingly-
In the House of Representatives Read & Ordered That the Pet's serve the first precinct in Hadley with a Copy of the Petition that they shew cause if any they have on the first Thursday of the next Sitting of the Court why the prayer thereof should not be Granted.
In Council Read & Concurred."
The Hadley records under date of June 26, 1734, contain the : following entry :
" At a Legal meeting of the First Precinct Voted Dea Eastman Moderator fo: said meeting it being put to vote whether we are willing to set off our East Inhal. itants a separate Precinct and it past in the negative.
Voted that they will make answer to the Petition to the General Court to shew the unreasonableness thereof. Voted Elez" Porter Capt. Smith Leut Moses Cook Dea Eastman and Job Marsh a Committee to draw up something in order to send to the General Court against said Petition and left to their discretion to send a man down if they think Best to manage that Business to the General Court a: the Town's Charge."
The "something " drawn up by this committee was carried to Boston by Capt. Luke Smith and proved such an effective argument that the petition was not granted at the time. A later minute in the records shows that :
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HADLEY THIRD PRECINCT SET OFF;
"Ebenezer Kellogg, John Wells, Nath' Church, Peletiah Smith and Nath Smith do enter their Decent against paying of Capt. Smith for going to Boston upon the Town Business Respecting a Petition of the East Inhabitants."
December 10, 1734, a second petition headed by Zechariah Field and signed by the east inhabitants, praying that they might be set off a separate precinct, was presented to the General Court. This petition is missing from the state archives. In the General Court Records under date of December, 1734, is found the following :
"On the petition of Zechariah Field and others of the town of Hadley praying as entered the 10th Currant .--
Ordered That the prayer of the petition be Granted, and the Lands hereafter bounded and Described with the Inhabitants thereon be and hereby are Erected into a Seperate and Destinct Precinct Accordingly ; The precinct being of the Contents of ten miles and three Quarters in bredth and Seven miles in length; Bounded westerly on a Tract of Land Reserved by the Town of Hadley to ly as Comon forever, Southerly on Boston Road, Easterly on the Equivalent Lands and northerly on the Town of Sunderland And the petit's and Inhabitants of the said Precint are hereby obliged and Enjoyned within three years to Build a Convenient House for the Publick worship of God, Settle a Learned orthodox Minister among them (one of Good Conversation) & provide for his handsome & honorable Support ; and the better to Enable them to proceed herein. It is hereby further Ordered that the Lands Lying and being within the said Precinct belonging to Non Resi- dent proprietors (not belonging to the old Precinct in Hadley) be and hereby are subjected to a Tax of two pence per acre-for the Space of Six years next coming. to be applied for the Support of the ministry there."
The lands comprised within the present limits of the township of South Hadley were set off as the second or south precinct of Hadley in 1732 ; the new precinct, or what is now Amherst, thus became by the act of separation " Hadley Third Precinct." It had previously been known as "New Swamp," "Foote's Folly Swamp," "Hadley Farms," " Fast Farms," " Hadley Outer Commons " and " East Hadley." The warrant for the first meeting in the new Precinct was signed by Eleazar Porter, justice of the peace, and was dated .Sept. 22, 1735. It was served by Ebenezer Kellogg and the meeting was held Oct. S. At that time it was the custom to hold two town meetings annually, one in January when ordinary business was transacted, and one in March when officers were. elected for the ensuing year. Previous to 1735, and for many years there- after, the year was considered to end March 25 instead of Jan. 1, and this has frequently caused a confusion of dates in copying and quoting from ancient records. Thus January, February and March up to the 25th were accounted a part of and dated as the preceding year. The Third Precinct adopted the custom of the town in holding its regular meetings in January and March, and also introduced a custom of holding special meetings which has continued up to the present time. Samuel Hawley was chosen moder-
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF AMHERST, MASS.
ator of the first meeting, and together with John Ingram and Samur Boltwood was chosen a member of the committee to call precinct meeting,
CHAPTER V.
DAVID PARSONS, THE FIRST MINISTER .- ORGANIZATION OF THE FIRST CHURCH .- MR. PARSONS' SALARY AND FIREWOOD .- THE FIRST MEETING-HOUSE.
One of the conditions imposed by the General Court in setting off the new precinct was the building within three years of a " Convenient House for the Publick worship of God," another the -settling of a " Learned orthodox Minister among them " and providing "for his handsome and honorable Support." To fulfilling these conditions the inhabitants of the Third Precinct addressed themselves at their first public meeting, appoint- ing a committee to have charge of building the meeting-house and voting to hire a minister half a year. This committee engaged the services of Rev. David Parsons, Jr., who began preaching in the Third Precinct in November, 1735. Mr. Parsons was son of Rev. David Parsons who was settled in the ministry at Malden and afterwards at Leicester, and grand- son of Joseph Parsons, Esq. of Northampton. He was born in Malden .. March 24, 1712, and was graduated from Harvard college in the class of 1729. He married Eunice, daughter of Gideon Wells of Wethersfield. Conn. Three years after graduation he took the degree of A. M. at Harvard, the theme of his thesis on that occasion being " Whether all the Sacred writings are contained in the books of the Old and New Testa- ment," which he answered in the affirmative. He was described by a lifelong friend as " a man of strong intellectual powers, with a penetrating eye, giving token of that shrewd and judicial mind which made his counsel valued ; retaining his classical learning beyond most men of his age. but with ' divinity ' as his favorite study : a doctrinal preacher, reverent in manner, devout in temper and fervent in prayer. His sermons were scholarly and orthodox to a degree." Judd says in his history of Hadley. " April 26, 1761, Mr. Parsons of Amherst preached at Hadley a spring sermon, from the beautiful description of spring in Solomon's Songs 1 : 10-13." And again : " Mr. Parsons of Amherst preached a sacrament- tal sermon at Hadley, March 31, 1754, from Cant. 1 : 12." At a meeting
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1776034
REV. DAVID PARSONS.
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held March 10, 1735, the precinct voted to raise fifteen pounds of money to be paid towards the minister's rate. At a meeting held Sept. 16, 1736, it was again voted to hire a minister six months. The earliest pages of the old Precinct and District records, which up to 1782 were the parish records as well, and which are copied in the last part of this volume, are largely given up to votes concerning the Rev. David Parsons, his salary, his settlement and his firewood, and to votes concerning the building and " seating " of the meeting-house. At the risk of some repetition, it is thought best to present here in connected form the doings of the early inhabitants of the Third Precinct in regard to their first minister and their first meeting-house.
In April, 1737, the Precinct voted to give David Parsons, Jr. a call to settle in the ministry ; the salary was to be {So the first year and £5 to be added yearly until the sum amounted to £100. It was also voted to build him a house, 40 feet in length, 21 feet in breadth and two stories high. and to give him the two lots of land granted by the town of Hadley in 1733. In July of the same year it was voted to try to get more lands for his settlement. In September it was voted to give him £120 pounds salary. These inducements evidently were not sufficient, for in November it was voted to hire a minister for five months and to give him 40 shillings a Sabbath. Mr. Parsons preached in Southampton in 1737 and 1738, but that he also preached in the Third Precinct is shown by bills that were allowed at the Precinct meeting March 16, 1738, including one from John Cowls of five shillings for keeping Mr. Parsons' horse, and eight shillings to Jonathan Cowls for keeping Mr. Parsons upon the Sabbath. December 15, 1738, it was voted to raise {100 for Mr. David Parsons for preaching the year past. Under the same date is found the first vote in relation to Mr. Parsons' firewood, which afterwards proved such an important item in the allowance for his support. July 12, 1739, the inhabitants of the Precinct extended still another offer to Mr. Parsons to settle there in the ministry. They voted to give him the two lots of land granted by the town of Hadley and {175 of money towards building his house. In Sep- tember of the same year they voted as his salary froo the first year and agreed to make yearly additions until the salary amounted to £160. Sept. 28. 1739, Mr. Parsons accepted the call and Nov. 7, 1739, as is learned from the old record book, he was " ordained Pastor of the Church of Christ in Hadley Third Precinct, which was gathered on that Day & con- sisted of the Persons hereafter mentioned."
The persons who thus united to form the first church in Hadley Third Precinct were :
36
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF AMHERST, MASS.
David Parsons, pastor,
Nathaniel Kellogg,
John Ingram,
Samuel Hawley,
Eleazer Mattoon, John Nash,
Pelatiah Smith,
Ebenezer Dickinson, John Cowls,
Aaron Smith,
Ebenezer Kellogg,
Jonathan Smith,
Nathaniel Smith,
Joseph Clary,
Jonathan Cowls,
Richard Chauncey.
These names include those of ten of the IS men who were numbered among the east inhabitants in 1731. Of the other eight, four died previous to 1739 and two had removed. Stephen Smith and Nathaniel Church were residents of the Precinct in 1739 but their names do not appear on the church roll. To these original members of the church there were added Jan. 1, 1740, " by recommendation from other churches," the following :
David Smith, Mehetabel Hawley,
Wid. Abigail Smith,
Hannah Smith,
Mary Cowls,
Elizabeth Mattoon,
Sarah Cowls,
Wid. Hannah Boltwood,
Sarah Hawley,
Martha Boltwood,
Wid. Lydia Ingram,
Elizabeth Kellogg,
Mehetabel Ingram,
Sarah Clary,
Wid. Sarah Field,
Abigail Field,
Rebecca Hawley,
Mehetabel Smith,
Hannah Nash,
Sarah Kellogg,
Abigail Smith,
Elizabeth Smith,
Sarah Dickinson,
Elizabeth Chauncey,
Ruth Boltwood,
Mary Boltwood,
Hannah Murray,
Abigail Moody.
Of these 28 persons all but one were females and were the mothers, wives and daughters of the original members. Of the sixteen original members all but one, the minister, were house-holders. married and had children. Of the women who united with the church there were six whose husbands were not members. The whole number of families represented in the church by either husband or wife was 24, the whole number in the settlement 29. Four days after the church was organized the pastor bap- tized Jonathan, -the son of Jonathan and Sarah Cowls, and in less than a month he baptized three more children. During the first pastorate there were 583 baptisms, nearly all of children. Two of the females who united with the church were young and unmarried, Elizabeth Smith and Ruth Boltwood. The sons and daughters of the families first represented in the church numbered in all over 190, not all living at one time, but there was no lack of a youthful element in parish or congregation.
The salary voted to Mr. Parsons at the time of his settlement was £too for the first year, with an annual increase until the sum should amount to £160. This was to be paid in " Province Bills of ye old Tenour or one-third so much of ye New," until the year 1741. Province bills were first issued in Massachusetts in 1702, to supply a lack of circulating medium. As these bills increased in number their value suffered a corre- sponding decrease. In May, 1736, a new issue of bills was made, which
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THE MINISTER'S FIREWOOD.
was ordered to be equal to coined silver at 6s. Sd. per ounce, or three times as much as the old. Thereafter the first issues were known as " old tenor " and the later one as " new tenor " or " lawful money." In Novem- ber, 1741, there was still another issue, of which one pound was to be equal in value to four pounds of "old tenor." This latest issue then became " new tenor " and that of 1736 was referred to as " middle tenor." The precinct further agreed that after 1741 it would pay Mr. Parsons' salary in money, "if any be passing " or in some commodity equivalent to "money on the footing money now stands." The salary was to be paid annually in the month of March. This salary was to be raised by a rate upon polls and estates ; these as they were recorded in the year 1738 were as follows : Polls 35, each valued at £1, 5s. 6d .; estates £1101, Ios. 6d .; the rate was made at one shilling on the pound. In 1746 it was voted to allow Mr. Parsons 35 shillings the ounce for his salary ; in 1750 this had arisen to £3 the ounce. In 1754 and 1755 the district added each year to Mr. Parsons' salary £92, 10s. " old tenor," and in 1756 613, 6s. Sd. " new tenor." In 1757 the addition was {15 "lawful money." In 1759, 1760 and 1761 the entire salary was for each year £66, 13s. 4d. "lawful money." In 1762 and 1763 the sum of {80 lawful money was voted. In 1764 a committee was appointed to consult with Mr. Parsons in regard. to his salary, and he suggested the sum of {80 lawful money with firewood, or £93, 6s. 8d. without firewood. The latter proposition was accepted. This salary was to be paid in money, or should that be scarce, in grain and other necessaries of life.
Judd says in his Hadley history : " I never found in any records a minister who consumed so much wood as Mr. Parsons." In 1738 it was voted : "yt Each head & teame be Improved to get firewood for Mr. Parsons." In 1742, 60 loads were provided, each load containing probably from two-thirds to three-fourths of a cord; in 1743, Mr. Parsons received 70 loads of wood, in 1744, 80, in 1749, 90 and in 1751, 100 " good " loads. For a long time the value of wood was only the expense of cutting and drawing it; in 1742 it was valued at eight shillings the load old tenor, in 1750, three shillings per load new tenor, in 1763, 18 shillings old tenor. In 1745 the precinct voted £40 old tenor for providing the wood, in 1747 it paid Dea. Ebenezer Dickinson 536 for furnishing it. In 1749, £122, 10S. was appropriated and in 1750 £13. 10s. " lawful money." After 1764 Mr. Parsons provided his own firewood as per agreement. The early settlers made use of oak, walnut and other hard woods as firewood ; pine, chest- nut and other soft woods were not generally used until a comparatively recent period. The old fashioned fireplaces of generous proportions with the strong draught furnished by the great stone chimneys were great con- sumers of fuel.
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF AMHERST, MASS.
At the first meeting of the Third Precinct it was voted to build a meeting-house and to set it on the hill east of John Nash's house ; a com- mittee was appointed to see to the building. November 25 of the same year it was voted to set the meeting-house near the " Hartling Stake ;" Dec. 25 it was voted to set it upon the east end of Noah Smith's lot, and Nov. 14, 1738 the former votes were revoked and the original location, on the hill east of John Nash's house, was decided on. The house was to be 45 feet in length, 35 in breadth, to be covered with " quarter-boards " of spruce and roofed with spruce shingles " with out sap." March 22, 1737, it was voted to frame, raise and cover the meeting-house that year. Dec. 15, 1738, it was voted to raise {19 for framing the meeting-house and 53, 17s. were voted to Ebenezer Kellogg for rum and sugar which were prob- ably important factors at. this as at all old-time "raisings." The house was built upon the hill where the Amherst College observatory now stands, which was then about the center of the common. It was not completed until 1753, although meetings were held in it before 1742. March 25, 1743, it was voted to provide fastenings for the meeting-house doors and to secure the windows; it was also voted to give Aaron Warner 30 shillings to sweep the meeting-house and to " give a signe " when to go to meeting, for one year. March 16, 1741, it was voted to build a pew for the minister's wife and said pew was to be where " Rev. Mr. David Parsons shall chuse." November 3, 1744, it was voted to build two pews in the meeting-house, one upon the woman's side and one upon the men's side, and also to finish the outside of the house; December 11 the vote respecting the building of pews was revoked and it was voted to build all pews around the sides of the meeting-house. November 16, 1748, {100 was voted for building pews in the meeting-house. August 3, 1749, it was voted to seat the males together and the females together. A committee was appointed to " seat " the meeting-house ; in so doing they were to have regard to age, estate and qualifications. This question of " seating" the meeting-house seems to have been one of the most vexatious problems with which the inhabitants of the Third Precinct had to deal. A person's seat in the meeting-house was to a certain extent an index of his standing in the community. This fact must have occasioned rivalry and jealousy, for although the early inhabitants were a God-fearing people they were not superior to the weak- nesses of human nature. It was no light or agreeable task that the com- mittee on " seating " the house were called upon to perform : however ably or conscientiously they may have accomplished their work the result was bound to awaken criticism. There were certain seats that were regarded as of especial dignity and honor, and these were awarded to persons ou whom wealth or official dignity were esteemed to confer their title. The committee which first seated the house consisted of five persons, but Jan.
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THE FIRST MEETING-HOUSE.
18, 1750, it was voted to seat the meeting-house anew and four other persons were added to the committee, making nine in all. July 5, 1753, it was voted to make four pews in the meeting-house, "where the Hind seats are " and to move the other seats forward. March 22, 1754, four persons were granted liberty to build a pew where the " two hind seats " were, and the " Late Seators" were requested to consider if they could reasonably make any alterations in seating the house. March 24, 1755, the committee was desired to make some alterations so as to provide for new comers. March 24, 1760, a committee of five was chosen to seat the meeting-house, and still another committee for the same purpose Feb. I, 1762. Dec. 19, 1763, twelve persons were granted leave to build a pew in the place of the "two hind seats in the upper Teer in the Gallary," but were to resign the same when the district required it. Jan. 5, 1767, the house again required seating and a committee of five was appointed to attend to the matter. March 16, 1768 it was voted that children and "Prentices " should be required to keep their seats. Jan. 21, 1771, it was voted to make some changes in seating the meeting-house. .
Nov. 15, 1750, it was voted to provide glass for mending the meeting- house windows and Dec. 2, 1751, to finish the meeting-house the year ensuing. No picture or likeness of the first meeting-house exists ; it is probable that none was ever made. Drawing and painting were not among the accomplishments of the early inhabitants and the photographer's camera was unknown. It could not have been a very ornamental structure ; the only rules that governed colonial architecture in those days were utility and the covering of a maximum of space at a minimum of expense. It probably was of the dimensions specified in the original vote to build it, 45 feet in length and 35 in breadth. It had galleries, and the seats in these were probably reserved, as was the custom, for persons of inferior estate. It had no bell and the signal for attending worship was the blowing of a conch shell, which was indifferently written as "konk" or "kunk " by keepers of the early records. A salary was voted each year to some able- bodied and strong-lunged person for sweeping the meeting-house and blowing the conch. There was no musical instrument of any kind as an aid to the congregational singing, except it might have been a tuning-fork or pitch-pipe. There was no artificial light or heat, unless some of the good dames brought with them their foot-stoves and filled them with coals at the house of some hospitable neighbor. Carpets were an unknown luxury, and the hard wooden seats, innocent of cushions, were calculated to keep their occupants fully awake to the spiritual admonitions that came from the pulpit.
The officers of the parish were a clerk and deacons. John Nash, the first clerk elected, served for many years. Eleazer Mattoon had the
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WATCH ONCE OWNED BY DR. NATHANIEL SMITH.
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"YE KUNK," THAT FIRST SUMMONED WORSHIPERS TO " MEETING ".
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HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF AMHERST, MASS.
title of deacon in 1739; he may have been a deacon at Northfield. Ebenezer Dickinson was called deacon in 1740, John Nash in 1742, Jona- than Edwards in 1766, Simeon Clark in 1770, Eleazar Smith in 1782. The committees on building and seating the meeting-house were made up of the most influential men in the parish. The original building committee consisted of Samuel Boltwood, Ebenezer Dickinson, John Cowls, Peletiah Smith and John Ingram, Jr. The committee appointed in 1749 to seat the meeting-house included Lieut. Jonathan Smith, Solomon Boltwood. John Nash, Dea. Ebenezer Dickinson and Lieut. Ebenezer Kellogg.
In the church records under date of May 31, 1741, is found the first minute in regard to the use of wine at communion services ; it reads as follows :
" The church voted to raise a contribution of 5s. upon each communicant for purchasing a stock of wine for the year ensuing, and procuring furniture for the communion table, which amounted to the sum of -"
Contributions of 4s. 6d. were voted in 1742 and 1744, and in the records under date of March 26, 1746 is the following:
" At a church meeting regularly warned the church voted that such members of the church as neglected to pay in their part of the contribution within four weeks after it was publickly called, should be together as persons who walk disorderly."
The additions to the church for the first 25 years after its organization numbered as follows: In 1741, 24; 1742, 10; 1746, 6 ; 1747, 2 ; 1748, 2; 1749, 1; 1750, 3; 1751, 2; 1752, 5; 1753, 4; 1754, 9; 1755. 5; 1756, 4; 1757, 2; 1758, 6 ; 1759, 4; 1760, 11 ; 1762, 6; 1763, 7.
In 1735, the year that David Parsons began his ministry in the Third Precinct of Hadley, a great revival of religion had taken place among the inhabitants of towns in the Connecticut river valley. Four years later, or the same year in which the church in the Third Precinct was organized. there was another great religious awakening in which George Whitefield, the evangelist, took part. There can be little question that this arousing of religious interest had a marked effect upon the membership of the new church, adding to its numbers and cementing them more closely in the bonds of Christian fellowship. Under the ministrations of David Parsons the church grew and prospered, with no serious division among its members until his death, which occurred Jan. 1, 1781.
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