USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Harpswell > History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, including the ancient territory known as Pejepscot > Part 41
USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Brunswick > History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, including the ancient territory known as Pejepscot > Part 41
USA > Maine > Sagadahoc County > Topsham > History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, including the ancient territory known as Pejepscot > Part 41
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". NAHUM PERKINS, per order of Committee."
The ministerial fund of the First Parish amounted at this time to seven hundred and thirty-sixty dollars and sixty-one cents. No parish meetings were held later than this, and the majority of the pew- holders became members of the Unitarian Society. The continnation of the history of the First Parish Church organization will be given further on. under the title of the " Congregational Church." The lat- ter is the direct lineal descendant of the old First Parish Church, though, for reasons given elsewhere, the members of it no longer belonged to the First Parish, but formed a new poll parish.
THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH AND SOCIETY, OR SECOND AND THIRD PARISHES.
The first Baptist preaching in Topsham was by Elder Simon Locke, it is believed, in 1779. On the fifth of June of that year he bap- tized Miss R. Purington, who was the first one in town to receive the ordinance by immersion.
After 1782, Reverend Mr. Potter preached occasionally for several years, but without making many converts. During the years 1783 and 1784, Elders Case and Macomber preached occasionally.1
Reverend Job Macomber also preached here in 1789, 1790, and 1791. These ministers were paid for their services by the voluntary contribu- tion of individuals, as appears from a receipt given by Macomber to Actor Patten, Joseph and Pelatiah Haley, and John Merrill.
The General Court of Massachusetts, by an Act passed in June,
1 From Millet.
420
HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
1794, incorporated John Merrill, Esquire, Stephen Douty, Actor Patten. Hugh Wilson, Robert Cleaves, Jr., James Purington, Jr., Ebenezer Farrin, William Bragdon, John Starboard, Jr., John Hewey, John Duggan, Joseph Jack, Elnathan Hinkley, Alexander Thompson, Elijah White, Benjamin Woodard, Moses Hodgkins, Jolin Sandford, John Ware, William Hunter, Samuel Wilson, Calvin Wade, Thomas Smith, John Starboard, Luther Hall, Thomas Rideout, John Reed. William Malcom, Robert Cleaves, John Wilson, Joseph Haley, Humphrey. Thompson, Willard Sears, Moses Owen, William Colla- more. Nathan Wyman, Hezekiah Wyman, William Wyman, and James Purington into a society by the name of the "Baptist Religions Society in Topsham." 1
The first meeting of this society was held at the house of Actor Patten on February 9, 1795. This society constituted the Second Parish of the town. At this meeting James Purington was chosen moderator, and John Merrill parish clerk. It was voted to build a meeting-house " forty feet long and thirty feet wide, this season, and that it be set between Joseph Haley's house and Benjamin Eaton's." It was to be owned by each proprietor in proportion to the amount subscribed.
This meeting-house, subsequently known as the " old yellow meet- ing-house," was built principally by Joseph Haley, Captain Actor Patten, 1st, John Merrill, Esquire, Captain Pelatiah Haley, and James Purington, the tanner.
April 17, 1797, the parish voted to give Elder Elihu Purington, of Bowdoinham, an invitation to preach for them one half the time. This invitation was accepted.
In the year 1800, Reverend Mr. Williams preached in the meeting- house of the Second Parish.2
The following is the list of members subsequent to the incorporation of the parish, down to April 7, 1808: 1796, James Sampson, Obed Burnham ; 1797, Andrew Whitehouse, Joshua Whitten, Joseph Whit- ten, John Whitten, Stephen Pennell, William Wilson, Jr. ; 1798, Nathaniel Melcher, Benjamin Eaton, Charles Gowell, Joseph Graves, Joshua Graves, Samuel Graves, Moses Plummer, Gideon Walker ; 1799, Francis Douglass, Benjamin Metcalf; 1800, James Potter ; 1803. John Rogers, John Hern, David Work, Jeremiah Staples, Wins- low Staples, Moses Graves, Joseph Berry, James Staples, Thomas
1 Massachusetts Special Laws, Vol. 1, p. 537.
2 Diary of Recerend Jonathan Ellis.
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF TOPSHAM.
Hunter, Arthur Hunter, Robert Alexander, William Malcom, Jr., John Given, William Reed, Thomas Reed, Robert Reed, David Reed, William Reed Hunter, Timothy Hern, Joseph Quint, Josiah Staples, John Graves, Jr., Jacob Graves, Samuel Staples, Ebenezer Work, William Given, Jacob Stockman, Daniel Gray, Caleb Curtis, Lemuel Thompson ; 1808, Daniel Holden, Nathaniel Green, Jotham Chick, Stephen Harris, James Cook, Samuel Towns, Jonathan Blaisdell, Moses Weymouth, David Foster, Timothy Foster, Gideon Larrabee, Aaron Thompson, John Rogers, Jr., Joshua Haines, Isaac Johnson, Samnel Perkins, Joseph M. Perry, Robert Sager, Nathaniel Quint. James Thompson, John Jameson, Francis Card, James G. Goold, William Frost, Nahum Houghton, Joseph Haley, Jr., David Flagg, Jesse T. Haley, and Peter H. Green.
[1808.] On April 28, 1808, the parish voted to raise four hundred dollars for the support of the ministry, but the vote was reconsidered in June, and two hundred and fifty dollars was then voted. From this time until about 1833, the amount annually raised for the supply of the pulpit and all other expenses was, ordinarily, only one hundred dollars.
[1815.] In September of this year three males and five females belonging to this society were organized into a church at Oak Hill, under the title of ". The Predestinarian Baptist Church of Topsham." It is probable that Mr. Elihu Purington was then ordained as an elder, 1 since the records of the church state that at this time Elder Kendall preached the introductory sermon, Elder Titcomb gave the right hand of fellowship, and Elder Temple made the concluding prayer.
[1818.] On June 4, 1818, Mr. Winslow Staples was ordained by council ; Elder Stearns preached the sermon, Elder Persons offered a prayer, Eller Temple gave the right hand of fellowship, Elder Stinson gave the charge. and Elder Frost made the concluding prayer. The church at this time numbered over fifty members.2
At a meeting held April 18, of this year, the parishi voted that a committee which had been chosen to settle the accounts of the parish should be authorized " to move the meeting " to any part of the town if they judged it expedient. Accordingly, the meetings were held this year in two places, - in the " old yellow meeting-house " and in a school-house.3
[1819.] In April, 1819, the frame of a new meeting-house was
.
1 Adam Wilson's Historical Discourse, p. 10. 2 Villett.
3 Autobiography of Elder Kendall.
422
HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSIIAM, AND HARPSWELL.
raised, and in November the building was completed. It was small, containing only thirty pews.1 This building was the one, opposite the village graveyard, which was afterward used as a town house.
This year " one half of the male and several female members of the church were expelled for intemperance, until only eight were left." 2
[1820.] Elder Staples's pastorate could not have been a very suc- cessful one, as in February 26, 1820, the church and parish, in joint session, passed a vote of censure against him. At a parish meeting, held April 15 of this year, a committee was appointed to confer with Elder Henry Kendall as to the terms on which he would consent to become their settled minister.
At a meeting held April 29, 1820, it was voted to accept Elder Henry Kendall's proposals, and to consider him as their settled min- ister, agreeably to the conditions specified by him. These conditions were as follows : -
"1. It will not be expected by me that the society bind itself to pay me any specified sum for my services as their minister, nor would it be pleasing to me on my settlement that any obligatory grant should be made to me, but that the whole subject should be left with the soci- ety to give me annually much or little as they may consider duty or proper.
" 2. That a committee, to be composed of members of the church and society, be annually raised, whose duty it shall be to confer with me on the subject of my situation and the number of Sabbaths I ought to serve the society for the sum they may by grant or subscription annually raise, and report as soon as may be the result of this con- ference to me and the assessors of the society.
".3. That whenever I shall think it duty to request a dissolution of my ministerial connection with this society, and shall officially make known my desire, the society shall, without any unnecessary delay, . attend to the subject, and if they are not disposed to grant my request they shall join me in choosing a council of the elders and churches of our order, to hear and determine the subject of the request, whose decision shall be binding on the parties.
"4. That whenever a majority in parish meeting, legally called for that purpose, shall by vote declare that my ministerial labours is no longer useful, and vote my dismission, then my ministerial connection shall be considered dissolved."
Up to this time the Second Parish contained both Calvinist and
1 Autobiography of Elder Kendull. 2 Ibid.
423
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF TOPSHAM.
Free-Will Baptists, but a separation now occurred, and in 1821 Joshua and John Whitten were dismissed to the Free-Will Baptist Society.
[1824.] At a meeting held April 17, 1824. the parish voted " to dismiss Elder Henry Kendall from being any longer their settled min- ister, - agreeable to his request." The church records contain a state- ment to the effect that the dismission of Elder Kendall gave rise to some dissatisfaction.
Nothing of importance occurs in the records of the Second Parish subsequent to this date. though the records do not close until the year 1832. As the Baptists withdrew that year. and formed a new society, it would seem as though the Second Parish must thereafter have been composed exclusively of Free-Will Baptists or else that there were two religious societies in one poll parish.
THE BAPTIST CHURCH SOCIETY.
On January 19, 1824, Henry Kendall. Jabez Perkins. James Cook, Richard Orr, Samuel Wilson, James Wilson, Elijah White, George Ilowland, and Daniel Welch petitioned the legislature for incorpora- tion as a religious society. The petition was granted, and on Feb- ruary 2, 1824, the society met and elected Henry Kendall, moderator, and James Cook, clerk. Jabez Perkins was chosen collector, and Deacon Elijah White and Mr. James Cook as parish committee. The members of this society constituted the third parish of the town.
Joseph Foster, Jr., Daniel Welch. Leonard Blondell, Jabez Per- kins. David Scribner, JJames Cole, John Owen, Charles White, Joshua Haskell, Aaron Hinkley, Charles Hunter. Edward Welch, David Dunlap. William Randall, Jr., Jonathan Baker, James Rogers, Benja- min Hasey, John Hunter, 2d, Benjamin Thompson, Francis Tucker, George Rogers, William Work, and John Mustard joined the society about this time, though a number of them afterwards went back to the First Parish. The members at their first meeting voted to call them- selves by the name of "The Baptist Church Society." They built this year a small meeting-house in the village, at a cost of about six hundred dollars.
[1825.] This year there was a powerful revival in the church, though but little mention is made of it in the records.
[1826.] At a meeting held on April 3. the society voted that as less money than was needed had heretofore been raised, "if the society should not be able to raise by voluntary subscription at least one hundred dollars for Elder Kendall the present year, that they will
424
HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSIIAM, AND HARPSWELL.
not require his ministerial labors beyond a proportion of the time for the sum they shall raise and pay over to him."
[1834.] At a church meeting, held February 22, the subject of building a new meeting-house was discussed, and it was thereupon voted " that Jabez Perkins, David Scribner, Samuel Perkins, Josiah Sanford. and L. Hibbard be a committee to solicit means to carry the same into effect." On October 4, of this year, Samuel Perkins and David Scribner were chosen deacons.
At a meeting of the society, held April 7, it was decided to accept a lot of land for a meeting-house, that had been purchased of Pelatiah and Nancy Haley. Jabez Perkins and David Scribner were chosen a committee to raise subscriptions for and to build a new meeting- house.
[1835.] On April 6, 1835, this committee reported that they had contracted with S. & R. D. Melcher for the erection of a meeting- house. That the whole expense would be $2,250, and that the build- ing would probably be completed in about six weeks. At this meeting Jabez Perkins, Samuel Perkins, and James Cook were appointed a committee to sell the pews, but were instructed to reserve one pew next the desk, on each side. and two floor pews near the stove, for free pews. The society also authorized their agent to sell the old meeting- house if the consent of the pew-owners could be had. It was bought by Deacon Joshua Haskell for the Free-Will Baptist Society. At a meeting of the church, held March 21, Elder Charles Johnson was invited to settle on a salary of three hundred dollars per amum. The next meeting of the society was held May 27 in the new or present Baptist meeting house. At this meeting, Elder Johnson was ordained and the new church building was dedicated. The year was remark- able for a revival in this and the other societies.
[1837.] On February 25, 1837, the church extended a call to Rev- erend Edwin R. Warren, and the amount of salary to be offered him was left to the discretion of the church officers.
[1838.] During the year 1838 a controversy commenced between the committee of management of the " Eastern Baptist " and Mr. E. Brown. It continued several years and caused considerable trouble in this church.
[1840.] At a meeting of the church held October 25, forty-four members were dismissed from this church, in order to be organized into a Baptist church in Brunswick village. There was a great revi- val this year. Meetings were held for more than one hundred succes- sive evenings, and one hundred and fifty-two persons were added to the church by baptism.
425
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF TOPSHAM.
[1841.] On July 25, Elder Warren resigned the pastorate, and Reverend George Knox was invited, November 1, to succeed him on a salary of four hundred dollars. On December 14, forty-nine dele- gates, representing eighteen churches, met in council for the purpose of his ordination. The services were as follows : -
An anthem ; reading of Scriptures, by Elder P. S. Adams ; a hymn ; a prayer, by Elder F. Merriam ; a sermon, by Elder Z. Bradford ; an anthem ; an ordaining prayer, by Elder Z. Adlam ; the charge, by Elder Adam Wilson : a hymn ; the right hand of fellowship. by Elder E. H. Gray ; an address to the church, by Elder H. G. Gott ; an anthem ; a closing prayer, by Elder E. R. Warren ; and the benedic- tion. by the pastor.
[1846.] On May 25. 1845, Elder Knox resigned, and on February 1. of the following year, Reverend James Gilpatrick was invited to settle as pastor, on a salary of four hundred dollars. He accepted the call February 5, and was installed April 22, 1846. The services were as follows : -
Reading of Scripture, by Elder J. Hubbard ; prayer, by Elder N. Norton ; sermon, by Elder N. W. Williams ; prayer, by Elder H. Hawes ; charge, by Elder W. C. Grant ; right hand of fellowship, by Elder M. Hanscom ; address to church, etc. by Elder William Bailey ; prayer, by Elder J. Ricker ; benediction, by the pastor.
[1853.] Eller Gilpatrick, having determined to move with his family to Kansas, - then beginning to be settled, - sent in his resig- nation April 2. 1853, and it was accepted by the church to take place in June following. On July 17, Elder A. Robbins was invited to set- tle as pastor, on the same salary as his predecessor. On the twenty- fourth of the following September, however, his salary was increased to four hundred and fifty dollars.
[1859.] On June 5, 1859, Elder Robbins resigned under circum- stances that led many to have doubts as to his fitness for his position. When his resignation was accepted, however, some commendatory resolutions were passed by the church. These resolutions were dis- pleasing to some of the members, and for a time the matter seriously disturbed the church.
[1860.] March 25, 1860, Reverend L. P. Gurney received a call from the church to settle as their pastor, and accepted the invitation the following May.
[1862.] At a meeting held on April 6, 1862, the church was presented by Deacon William Barron with a complete silver commu- nion service.
426
IIISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
[1865.] At a meeting of the church, held July 1, 1865, Reverend L. P. Gurney, Deacons David Scribner and William Barron, William Skolfield, George A. Rogers, and W. E. Haley were chosen a Com- mittee of Arrangements for a semi-centennial anniversary of the for- mation of the church. On September 2 the anniversary was celebrated in an appropriate manner, Reverend Adam Wilson, D. D., delivered an historical discourse, which, in accordance with a vote of the church, was printed in 1866.
[1866-1868.] March 1, 1866, Elder Gurney resigned his charge, and the church was for a time without any settled minister. On Feb- rnary 2. 1867, however, Reverend A. Bryant united with the church and supplied the pulpit until February 11, 1868.
In 1869, Reverend Ira P. Leland, the present pastor, was in- stalled.
THE FREE-WILL BAPTIST CHURCH AND SOCIETY.1
[1783.] The first minister of this denomination who preached in Topsham was Elder Benjamin Randall, who preached once or twice in John Merrill's barn about the year 1783.
[1815.] The Second Parish, as already stated, was made up of both Calvinist and Free-Will Baptists. Their first pastor was Elder Purington. He sympathized in his views with the Free-Will Baptists. In 1815 he baptized six persons, who subsequently joined the Free- Will Baptist Church. The next preacher of this denomination was Elder Benjamin Thorn, who preached one season or more in the " old yellow meeting-house." The precise time that he was engaged with this church is not stated, but it must have been between the fall of 1815 and the fall of 1816.
[1816-17.] In 1816, Elder George Lamb preached a few times and was succeeded by Elder Farwell, who preached to the society in 1817.
[1822.] There was occasional but not regular preaching after this up to about 1822, when Elder Briggs settled for about one year. He preached a portion of the time in the Topsham Court House, and the remainder of the time in a hall in Brunswick village. Why services were not held in the yellow meeting-house is not known. It was not occupied by the Baptists, and the presumption is that the Court House was used because the meeting-house was so far out of the village. About this time the Free-Will Baptists began to leave the Calvinist
1 From a sketch of the same by the late Mr. William Whitten.
427
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF TOPSIIAM.
Baptist Church. As the latter had given up the Second Parish Meet- ing-House, and had been incorporated into a new society, it is by no means unreasonable to suppose that the former constituted then, and are now, the Second Parish.
[1825-6.] In the autumn of 1825, Elders Clement Phinney, Allen Files, and Abizer Bridges came to Topsham and preached occasionally. On December 15, 1825, the church was organized by Elder Bridges, who baptized the eight individuals of which it was composed.
Additions continued to be made to the church, and on Saturday, February 4, 1826, a meeting was held at John Haley's, near the yellow meeting-house. At this meeting Elder Bridges, having been chosen moderator, the church elected Elder Allen Files, pastor ; Andrew Jack and Joshua Haskell, deacons ; and Uriah Jack, clerk.
[1830.] After five years' service, Elder Files resigned, and was succeeded by Elder Dexter Waterman, in 1830. He remained but one year, and after he left the church was without a pastor and had preaching only occasionally, for about five years. During this time the church became very low and feeble. Some of its members had died, others had left towu, and but a few remained who were able to be of much assistance in sustaining a preacher.
[1836.] March 22, 1836, Elders George Lamb and Clement Phin- ney were sent by the Bowdoin Quarterly Meeting to visit the church, and try to revivify it. Accordingly, on that day, the church met at the old red school-house and chose Elder Lamb, moderator. At the commencement of the meeting the members were very much discour- aged, and were inclined to give up their organization and join other churches. Elder Lamb, however, said to them, " You ought to be ashamed to let your own fire go out, and then crawl in and warm yourselves by another man's." This and similar remarks served to inspire them with new zeal, and they determined to make strenuous efforts to support a church and society. They at once voted to engage Elder Lamb to preach one half the time. As the society owned no meeting-house. the yellow one being owned by members of both Bap- tist societies, a committee was chosen to purchase one. This com- mittee was, however, saved from all trouble in the matter by Deacon Joshua Haskell, who purchased the former Baptist meeting- house or vestry (the one afterwards used as a town-house) at an expense of about three hundred and fifty dollars. Elder Lamb com- menced his pastoral labors in May. 1836, and remained over the church until his death, which occurred on the fourteenth of the following
.
428
HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
December. At the same time that Elder Lamb was preaching in the village, Elder Charles Bean was preaching in the " Mallett" neigh- borhood. He made many converts, who all joined the church in the village.
In 1836 it was decided to build a new meeting-house. This enter- prise received the hearty encouragement of all the members. and the present building was accordingly completed in August, 1837, at an expense of $3,000. A. C. Raymond, of Brunswick, was the builder.
Previously to the erection of this building a Sabbath school was organized, in which A. R. Bradbury and J. J. Butler, students in Bowdoin College, took an active part.
After the death of their pastor, Mr. J. J. Butler supplied the pulpit for a while. Elder Phinney also preached for a few months, but there was no one settled until May, 1837. On May 20, 1837, Elder Daniel Jackson moved to town with his family, and was settled as the pastor of this church. He remained over them until some time in 1840.
[1842.] He was succeeded in the autumn of that year by Elder Andrew Rollins, who remained until the spring of 1842.
[1843.] Elder Rollins was succeeded by Elder Peter Folsom, who continued until February, 1843, when he was obliged to leave on account of illness.
[1843-1846.] In the summer of 1843, Elder Daniel Jackson was again engaged to take the pastoral care of this church. He remained until some time in the early part of 1846. During his last pastorate, in 1843 and 1844, the " Miller " excitement prevailed in the town. The members of the church, not wishing " to stand against anything that looked like truth," permitted their church to be used for the pro- mulgation of the new views. The result was a loss of some ten or more members, and some disaffection amongst those who remained. The trouble was not, however, of long duration.
Elder Peter Folsom succeeded Elder Jackson, and preached for one year, when he was himself succeeded by Elder Charles Bean, who remained about two years.
[1849.] In September, 1849, E. B. Fernald, a student from the Biblical School at Whitestown, received a call and commenced preaching to this church. He was ordained at the meeting-house in Topsham in October following. He remained pastor of this church about two years and a half.1
1 Mr. Whitten's sketch ends at this point. He intended bringing it down to a more recent date, but his sickness and death prevented, and we are now unable to give a more complete account.
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF TOPSHAM.
Since then the following preachers have been settled over this society : --
Reverend William T. Smith, from 1852 until 1857 ; Reverend M. W. Burlingame, from 1857 until 1863 ; Reverend S. D. Strout, from 1863 until 1864; Reverend A. A. Smith, from 1864 to 1870 ; Reverend E. Manson. from 1870 to 1874 ; J. A. Simpson, for about six months in 1874-5, after which there was no settled minister until June. 1877, when Reverend A. G. Hill, the present pastor, was settled over the society.
ORTHODOX CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH AND SOCIETY.
The Congregational Church was, as stated in the account of the First Parish, the church of that parish, though the society constituted only a portion of it. The following sketch is therefore, so far as it concerns the church, a continuation of that of the First Parish.
[1835.] On May 16, 1835, the church adopted their present con- fession of faith, and this date may be considered as probably the last meeting of the church prior to the dissolution of the First Parish.
[1836.] In May, 1836, Reverend J. T. Hawes, who had been set- tled over the First Parish in 1831, resigned, and was succeeded by Reverend Mr. High, who supplied the pulpit for eight weeks, by Rev- erend Mr. Cleaveland for eleven weeks, and by Professor Smyth, of Bowdoin College, for eight months. A new house of worship' was erected this year by voluntary subscriptions.
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