USA > Maine > York County > Kittery > Old Kittery and her families > Part 14
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30. Ebenezer More. And that ye Inhabitants & familys from John Ingersol to Wm Tucker Inclusively Lodge therein.
31. Joseph Crockett. And that Francis Smart, Nathl Hix, Jno Norton, Alexandr Macquinery, with ye young men that now doe duty there, and ye family's Lodge therein.
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32. Henry Barter. And that Thomas Ball, James Grendal, Ebenr Emory, Zacheus Beal, Wm Roberts & Widdow Crockett, with their familys Lodge therein.
33. Collo Wm Pepperrell. And that ye Inhabitants and familys from Thomas Dearings to Kittery Point Meeting house Inclusively Lodge therein.
34. Roger Mitchell. And that ye Inhabitants and familys from Wm Racklifts to Clement Dearings Inclusively Lodge therein.
35. Saml Ford. And that ye Inhabitants and familys from his own house to Foyes Inclusively Lodge therein.
36. Joseph Mitchell. And that ye Inhabitants & familys from Joseph Billings to John Whitney Inclusively Lodge therein.
Ordered that Chas. Frost, Esq. Robert Eliot, Esq, Mr. Richd Cutt, James Chadbourne, and Richd Mitchell be admitted to keep their Own houses, Provided they make them Defencible At their own Charge & keep up Watching & Warding there-
Given under our hands this 17th Septr, 1722.
William Pepperrell
Jos. Hammond
Wm Pepperrell Junr
John Leighton
Nicho Shapleigh
Elihu Gunnison
James Chadbourne
John Adams
Jos. Curtis
Wm Leighton
Jos. Hammond Junr
Wm Fernald
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XI.
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY.
It has been supposed by some that Maine was settled by a godless sort of people, who cared little for the Sabbath and ordinances of worship. Some of the early Puritan writers spoke rather disparagingly of the state of morals and religion in Maine as compared with the piety and strict orthodoxy of the settlers at Plymouth and in Massachusetts Bay. It used to be said that, if one could not find a religion to suit him in Mass- achusetts, he might go to Maine. Another saying, attributed to the early settlers of the Isles of Shoals and of the neighboring coast, was that "they came to fish and not to pray." It was probable that for a few years, while fishermen were often moving from place to place and lived chiefly in their boats and without the companionship of wives and children, religious services were infrequent. But as soon as settlements began upon the main- land, due attention was paid to the ordinances of worship. Capt. John Mason sent over with his first colonists in 1631 a communion set, besides a "great Bible and twelve Service Books" thinking doubtless to establish a church of the Episcopal order. Whether such a service was held at Newichawannock or not does not appear on record.
As early as 1640 the Court imposed a fine for violation of the Sabbath, showing what the custom of the people was. In 1650 several were presented at Court for absenting themselves from religious services. Oct. 23. 1653. Hugh Gunnison was indieted for allowing his daughter, Sarah Lynn, to stay at home whole months from religious services. This indicates that reg- ular religious services were held at Kittery Point before that date. Oct. 16, 1649, the following record was made, "It is ordered by the court and the power thereof, that all gode people within the jurisdiction of this province who are out of a church way and be orthodox in judgment and not scandalous in life shall have full liberty to gather themselves into a church estate,
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provided they doe it in a Christian way; with the due observa- tion of the rules of Christ revealed in his words; and every church hath free liberty of election and ordination of all her officers from tyme to tyme, provided they be all pious and ortho- dox." Just what constituted orthodoxy the Court did not define. This was before Maine came under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts. and it is probable that considerable liberty of worship was allowed. We read of no persecutions till some years later.
Under date of July 4, 1659, the location of Meeting-Houses is alluded to in the following Court record, "In reference to the settling of all future differences among the inhabitants of Kit- tery concerning the placing of their meeting house, the court having heard both portions and finding that by the extreme length of the town it would be impossible for the inhabitants to meet in one place. decided that Franks Fort be ye pe'tition bounds, and that the meeting house for the upper part of the town be located on the north east of the bounds of Sturgeon Creek in the most convenient place : and those families in Long Reach be at liberty to go the meeting house they may choose : then to be free from contributing to that part below the river. And that the public income of the town by mills, etc., should redound to such place as was first provided with an able minis- ter, until both places be supplied : and that during the time that both places were provided. the said income should be equally divided." It seems, then, that before 1659 there was no church edifice north of Kittery Point. That there was one at the Point appears by a record made July 4, 1671, to the effect that the Meeting House for the lower division of Kittery, from Sturgeon Creek to Braveboat Harbor, should be set at the Point, "near where the old meeting house stood." Likewise a committee consisting of Richard Waldron, Edward Rishworth, John Davis and Job Alcock, appointed by the Court, made its report Oct. 12, 1669, to the effect that the new Meeting House be built at the Point, "where now the old meeting house stands." There must, then, have been a Meeting House very early, to be called old in 1669 and in need of being replaced by a new one. It was ordered also in 1671 that the inhabitants resident in the lower division pay a just proportion of the expense of building the house, provided that if the inhabitants that live from Spinney's
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Cove upward shall erect a meeting house among them and maintain a minister, then those inhabitants in the lower part of the parish, who had received help from the upper part to build a Meeting House at the Point, should return back the same amount of money for building the Meeting House between Thomas Spinney's and Sturgeon Creek. That the old Meeting House at the Point was badly out of repair is shown by the fact
CHURCH AT KITTERY POINT, BUILT 1730.
that in 1670 the town of Kittery was presented at Court "for not providing a convenient place to worship God in upon the Lord's Day." Doubtless the first Meeting House was a rough structure within, having nothing better than pine benches for seats, unplastered and unheated. The second was somewhat better. In 1674 Thomas Withers gave to his daughter, Eliza- beth, "a debt that is due unto me from the Town of Kittery of Twenty two pounds or thereabouts, wch I payd for the Meeting house & the land."1 Perhaps he was the builder. In 1695 this was reported at Court as "very much out of repair soe yt it is very uncomfortable to meet in." and the Court ordered that it be repaired. A new church was built in 1727 which was
1York Deeds, II. 185.
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burned about 1730. The present Meeting house at the Point was built immediately after that date. It stood out in the present street and faced the west, having a tall belfry. It was moved, turned toward the south and repaired in 1874.
Though the Court in 1659 decreed that there should be two Meeting Houses in Kittery, the inhabitants evidently thought there ought to be three, for at a town meeting held July 17, 1660. it was "agreed and fully and freely consented unto that this town of Kittery is by free consent divided into three parts for settling of three ministers, one in the east part as followeth, one at Nichewanick which bounds are to come down unto Thompson point brook formerly called the black Brook and from that Brook the second division it is to go downward to the great cove below Thos. Spinney's Point and the third division is to go down from the great cove unto Brave Boat Harbor with Capt. Champernown Island, all which three divisions according as they are divided each division to bear their own charges for the maintainance of their own Minister." The northern divi- sion was early called the Parish of Unity1 and later Berwick. The middle division became the town of Eliot over one hundred and fifty years later. After the town of Berwick was set off from Kittery in 1713. then what was before the middle parish became the upper parish of Kittery, and the middle parish was that at the head of Spruce Creek.
The inhabitants along the river above Spinney's Cove were permitted by order of the Court to attend church at Portsmouth or at Dover and to pay one-half of their rates at the place where they worshiped, but it seems that as early as 1671 the people at Long Reach were agitating the matter of building a Meeting- House for themselves. The edifice was not erected till nearly thirty years later. but they had regular religious services on the Sabbath at some private house. At a meeting of the lower parish, held 13 Feb. 1693-4, it was voted that "ye minister shall preach one Sabbath at ve Point Meeting house & ve other Sab- bath at some convenient place at ye Long Reach." Accordingly services were held there, though the long talked of church edifice had not been erected. At a legal meeting of the lower division
'The name is found in Court records in 1668.
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of Kittery, dated Sept. 26, 1699, Capt. William Fernald, Mr. Elihu Gunnison, Lieut. John Shapleigh, Mr. Roger Deering and Mr. Joshua Downing were chosen a committee "to agree with the minister for his yearly Sallary and for the place or places to meet in for ve publick worship of God." The' committee made their report to the people on the tenth day of November following.
"We the subscribers being Chosen by the Inhabitants of the Lower Devision of the Town of Kittery to answer Mr. New- march's proposals made to ye sd Inhabitants and for any other thing necessary and beneficial for the Town relating to the Set- tlement of the Minister, places of meeting, &c
Ily In reference to the places of Meeting we doe mutually agree that there be two places of meeting for the publick worship of God as formerly for the Term of four years from ye first day of June next and if it doth not consist with the interest of the min- ister and people so to continue then to take some other Methods that may be thought more beneficial and convenient for both.
2ndly That the house agreed upon to be built and ye land to be fenced in at ye ministry land at Spruce Creek Shall be pro- ceeded in and carried on by the Committee chosen and appointed for that affair, and till that be finished the Inhabitants are to pro- vide a convenient house for the minister.
3rdly We do agree that ve Ministers yearly Sallary Shall continue to be as much in the pound as now makes sixty pounds till it amounts to eighty pounds per year.
4ly We have agreed and Concluded that there Shall be a meeting house built at ye long reach on or near the ministry land, the Dementions to be as follows, That is to say, Thirty foot in length five and twenty foot in breadth & sixteen foot Stud and to be made fit to meet in by the last of June next and having duly considered that ve meeting house at Kittery Point was built and has constantly hitherto been repaired by the whole Inhabitants by Equall proportion, we doe mutually agree that is shall con- tinue so to be and that it shall be finished & that the meeting house at the Long reach shall also be built and finished and kept in repair by whole Inhabitants by Equall proportion as also ve house and fencing at ve Ministry lands And whereas there has been a Demand of eighteen pounds to be paid by the Inhabitants of the Lower end of this Devision of the town to Some of ve Upper
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and we do by these presents agree & declare that the said eighteen pounds is quitted."
John Shapleigh, Joshua Downing, John Leighton, Elihu Gunnison William ffernald, Roger Dearing.
The meeting-house at Long Reach was erected at once, for under date of March 21, 1700, we read that it was voted that "Joseph Hill shall build a Pound upon his own land, near the Long Reach Meeting House, at his own cost." Also a deed dated May 2, 1702, mentions the "Lane between sd [ Peter] Staples new dwelling house and the meeting house."1 It was built on the ministry land, a plan of which appears on the town records, bounded on the south by Charles Nel- son, on the north by William Tetherly, and on the west by John Lidston, Richard Miller and Peter Staples. The meeting-house was probably never completed. Under date of Nov. 27, 1706. the town voted that the Selectmen "shall with all convenient speed agree with some workmen to finish the Meeting house at ve Long Reach. that is to say, to bring it into the same Capacity as ye Meeting house at the Point is now." But the center of population was shifting. The need of a meeting house was felt further north. This at Long Reach seems to have been abandoned.
Under date of July 8, 1728, the town records allude to a "school in ye old meeting house at Long Reach," and a town meeting was called there in 1732.
May 27, 1684, William Crafts who kept an ordinary at Kittery Point, was directed by the Court to provide beer, victuals and cakes for the refreshment of many people who came from their homes to hear the word of God preached on the Lord's day. Here is another proof that religious services were regularly held. There is no complete record of the early ministers who officiated here. Court records show that Jeremiah Hubbard was pastor at the Point about 1667, and in 1672 thirty-five pounds were still due him, and the Court ordered the Townsmen of Kittery to col-
'York Deeds, VI. 133.
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lect the money and pay Mr. Hubbard. In 1676 twelve pounds were still due him, which he recovered by law suit.
In 1670 John Tucker willed a legacy to "Thomas Wells, Min- ister of the town of Kittery." Wells remained but one year and left through the influence of Mr. Francis Hooke. He was son of John and Sarah ( Littlefield) Wells, was ordained at Amesbury, Mass., in 1672, and died 10 July 1734. The town was without a minister till about 1772, when one Isaac Wells preached a few times and seems to have satisfied all except Mr. Hooke. The inhabitants petitioned1 that Mr. Wells might be settled at Kittery, but the Governor's Council thought he was "not the best able to Discern between sound & unsound doctrine" and so prohibited his preaching any more in Kittery, promising ere long to com- mend "an orthodox & pious preacher." The promise seems to have been unfulfilled. for, 6 July 1675, the Selectmen of Kittery were presented at Court "for not taking care that their children and youth be taught the catechism," and 2 July 1679 the lower end of Kittery was indicted for not getting a minister. The next minister we read of in Kittery was Benjamin Woodbridge.2 in 1688-9. He was son of Rev. John Woodbridge of Andover, Mass., born about 1647, and died in Medford, Mass., 15 Jan. 1710.
In February, 1693-4, it was voted that the minister should have "five & fortie pounds per annum in money and Sutable acommodation for diet." Fifteen pounds a year were allowed for his board. A meeting of the lower division of Kittery was called, 13 May 1695. "in order to ye continuance of Mr. John Newmarch in sd Town."3 This is the first mention of the first ordained min- ister of Kittery, who filled the pulpit at Kittery Point for over half a century. He preached on alternate Sabbaths, during his early
1See Me. Hist. Coll., Vol. IV. pp. 339-342. The petition is signed by John Ball. John Billing. John Billing. George Boren. John Bray. Ephraim Crackett. Thomas Crockett, Robert Cutts. Roger Deering. Roger Deering, Jr .. William Dimond. Robing Edge, Nathaniel fryer, Thomas ffurneld, William ffurneld. Jeremiah Goodrich. Thomas Grant. John Howell. Enoch Hutchins. Digory Jeffrey. Thomas Langley. George Lydden (Lydston), George Liscom. John Liscom, Robert Mendum, Christopher Mitchell, Francis Morgan, John Mededy ( Ameredeth). John Phenicks. John Phil- lips. William Roberts, John Shepard, Francis Teegy (Trickey). Thomas Terey. Henry Toocker, Rice Thomas. Nicholas Weeks. James Wigings, Gowen Wilson. Thomas Withers.
York Deeds, V 62.
3Town Records, I 46.
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ministry, at the house of Capt. William Fernald and at Long Reach. He also taught school for many years. He was not ordained as pastor till Nov. 4, 1714, and then a Congregational church was organized with eighteen male and twenty-five female members. Mr. Newmarch graduated at Harvard1 in 1690. His ministry was a fruitful one. Both in the church and in the school he was the educator of the people of Kittery. His grave, in a clump of bushes near where he lived, was marked only a few years ago by a marble slab with appropriate inscription. This slab has recently fallen and is broken. The citizens of Kittery owe too
PARSONAGE AT KITTERY POINT, BUILT 1729.
much to this man to allow his grave to be uncared for. So many ancestors who slumber about him with unmarked graves deserve, too, a properly fenced and honored burial-place.
The salary of Mr. Newmarch was eighty-five pounds for the first year and one hundred pounds for every year after. There was from time to time a nominal increase of salary necessitated by the depeciation of currency. In addition he had the use of the ministry lands at Pine Point, on the east side of Spruce Creek, which he had liberty to rent for periods of seven years. In 1729 a parsonage was built near the church at the Point. It was forty foot by nineteen and two stories high. In 1733 the parish voted to dig a well on the parsonage land and to fence the burial place with a stone wall. In 1714 a bell was procured, for which Capt. Stephen Eastwick paid half the expense and had as an equivalent the privilege of building for himself a pew. All others paid five pounds for such a privilege. Mr. Newmarch was granted the
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pew that formerly belonged to Major Francis Hooke. After the fire of 1720 the ruined bell was sent to London to be recast into a bell of about six hundred pounds weight. It was sent again to London to be recast in 1742. In 1728 it was voted to allow Henry Miles six pounds a year "for ringing ye bell, sweeping the meet- ing house and keeping it clean & sanded and keeping ye dogs out."
The male members who subscribed to the covenant in 1714 were as follows, whose names are here arranged in alphabetical order : John Adams, Dea. Henry Barter, Dodav [ ah Curtis], John Dennet, Ebenezer E-, Dea. John Fernald, James Fernald, John Ford, Samuel Ford, Elihu Gunnison, Samuel Hutchins, John Ingersoll, George Jackson, Thomas K-, Joseph Mitchell, John Newmarch, William Pepperrell and Samuel Skillin.
The women who signed the covenant were Margaret Adams, Annie Adams, - Barter, - Barter, Sarah Curtis, Eliz- abeth Curtis, Lois Curtis, - Crocket, - Crocket, Cutt, Sarah Fernald, Elizabeth Fernall, Temperance Fernald, Elizabeth Godsoc, - Gunnison, Charity Hammonds, Ingersoll. Joanna Jackson, Temperance More, Margery Pep- perrell, Mary Rice, Mary Rice, Jr., Elizabeth Rice, Elizabeth Sar- gent, and Joanna Williams.
The Rev. Benjamin Stevens, D.D., who suceeded Mr. New- march, was the son of the Rev. Joseph Stevens of Charlestown, Mass. He was graduated at Harvard College in 1740. In 1769 he was chosen President of Harvard by the Fellows of the Col- lege, but was not confirmed by the Overseers, being suspected of a leaning toward the mother country in the approaching conflict. Tradition says that he was a man of prodigious learning. as well as a faithful and laborious pastor. He was born about 1720 and died 18 May 1791. He was employed as a colleague of Mr. New- march in 1749 and was ordained as sole pastor I May 1751. Hle married 28 Sept. 1752 Mary Remington, daughter of Judge Jon- athan Trowbridge of Cambridge, Mass. She was born 22 July 1718 and died 27 March 1763, leaving only one shild, Sarah, born 7 Sept. 1753, who married, 24 March 1728, the Rev. Joseph Buck- minster, D.D., of Portsmouth.1
The church at Kittery Point declined after this on account of the decrease of population here and the building of too many churches in other parts of the town. In early days everybody
1See Lives of the Buckminsters. by Mrs. Lee. pp. 51-57.
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could go to church, though the distance was four or even six miles. Three miles was an easy limit. The unchristian rivalry of denominationalism has scattered the old congregations in the rural districts and small villages. Now people think they must have a church and a minister exactly suited to their perverted tastes and within almost a stone's throw of their homes, in order that they should hear one sermon on pleasant Sundays. One Newmarch or one Stevens in Kittery to-day would be worth sev- eral of the churches and ministers that are now striving to bless that town.
The following ministers have served in succession the church at Kittery Point, Jonas Hartwell 1792-8, William Briggs 1798- 1814, John Dutton, Stephen Merrill 1819-31, vacant 1831-7, Tobias R. Miller 1838-41. In 1840 the church was repaired and rededicated. Reuben Kimball 1841-50, Albion W. Fiske 1850-57, William A. Forbes 1857, Samuel H. Partridge 1859, M. C. Bart- ley 1859-60, William A. Forbes again 1860-63, Thomas L. Ellis 1863-8, Samuel S. Drake 1870. George W. Christie 1872-6.
In 1728-9 a church was built on Gowell's Hill, near the line between Kittery and Eliot, on land now owned by the Fernalds, nearly opposite the house of Henry Cole, facing the road to Spruce Creek. The church lot, five rods by eight, was deeded, 9 May 1728, by Jacob Remick, Jr., to William Gowell, John Gelden, James Fernald, John Fernald, Samuel Spinney, Thomas Rogers, John Fernald. Jr., Joseph Fernald, James Fernald, Jr., Nathaniel Fernald, Samuel Fernald, Robert Cole, Remick Cole, Abner Cole, John Worcester, Tobias Fernald, Jr., Jeremiah Spin- ney, Richard Gowell, Jr., Richard Rogers, John Lydston, Jr., Joseph Hill, Ichabod Remick, Joshua Remick, Jr., Isaac Remick, Samuel Remick, Jacob Remick, William Fernald, John Thomp- son, John Rogers, Peter Staple, William Staple, John Spinney, Gideon Lydston, Thomas Fernald, Peter Dixson, Josiah Paul and Richard Rogers, Jr., and to as many others of the inhabitants of Kittery as "shall contribute and assist in the building of a House for the public Worship of God."1
This church was served from 1729 to 1734 by the Rev. John Eveleth. He was the son of Joseph Eveleth of Gloucester, Mass., and was born there 18 Feb. 1769-70. He graduated at Harvard College in 1689 and was ordained at Manchester, Mass., I Oct.
1York Deeds, XIII. 15.
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1693. He married Mary, daughter of Francis Bowman of Cam- bridge, Mass., 2 Dec. 1692. They had one son, Joseph, who died at the age of eighteen. Mr. Eveleth preached at Stow, Mass., from 1700 till 1717. He served the churches at Kennebunkport and Saco, 1719-29. Mr. Bradbury in his History of Kennebunk- port says that Mr. Eveleth was not only minister and schoolmas- ter, but also blacksmith and farmer "and the best fisherman in town." He died I Aug. 1734, aged 65, and his tombstone may still be seen in a pasture, about half way from where the church stood to Great Cove. His wife died 2 Dec. 1747, aged 75, and was buried in Stow, Mass.1
It has been repeatedly said that this was an Episcopal church, but I find no documentary evidence of it. Mr. Eveleth during all his previous life had been an orthodox Congregational minis- ter. Mr. Jacob Remick was a member of the church at Kittery Point and afterwards of the church at the head of Spruce Creek. All his neighbors, to whom the land was sold, were adherents of the Congregational Church. Moreover, there is a vote of the parish recorded in 1734, the year Mr. Eveleth died, "that there should be a minister called to Preach the one half of his time at the head of Spruce Creek and the other half at Mr. Gowels Hill and so successively the one Sabbath at the one and the next at the other When the meeting house at the head of Spruce Creek is fitt to preach in during the space of twenty years." This vote was reconsidered and negatived at the next parish meeting. This does not look as though the church on Gowell's Hill was a regu- larly constituted Episcopal Church, though Mr. Eveleth may have read the Episcopal service.
We have just seen that the church at the head of Spruce Creek was being built in 1734, though Rev. John Newmarch, by a vote of the parish, 10 Aug. 1724, was to "preach the one half of his time in Mr. Joseph Curtises old house or in some other conven- ient place near the head of Spruce Creek for ye time to come." On another page may be seen a picture of the church built in 1734 as sketched upon the Town Records by Tobias Leighton in 1739. In 1735 the parish voted to employ a minister here and to raise one hundred pounds for his support. There was no regular pas- tor for some years. In 1743 it was voted to pay Mr. Timothy Brown thirty-seven pounds, "he preaching at the head of Spruce
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