USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Hampstead > A memorial history of Hampstead, New Hampshire, Congregational Church 1752-1902, Volume II > Part 19
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After this vision, we are swiftly transported through space and over one hundred and fifty years of time. Let us now revert to the records and traditions of the past.
The thirty years that Rev. Mr. True was pastor of the church were years of trying experience to minister and people. Early in his work the New Hampshire Provincial army was calling for recruits to protect the colonies against the invasion of France. From 1755 to 1762 thirty-three stalwart sons and fathers from the parish, who had been taught the qualities and traditions of the soldier, true to their ancestral training, marched to Lake George, Crown Point, or other places of defence. Rev. Mr. True, as their good shepherd, went with them as chaplain in 1759, and again in 1762. His " Journal of Events," as he arrived home, reads : " May I never forgit ye goodness of ye Lord, in ye land of ye living," rejoicing that he was once more among his people.
In 1756 a " mortal fever " prevailed, and thirty or more members of the church died. The migrations to the " northern country " from 1762 to 1770 took one hundred or more inhabi- tants of Hampstead. Among them were some of the most influ- ential families, but their places were quickly filled by others imbued with the same religious zeal.
Most of the early settlers of Hampstead were said to be " rough and hardy, like the soil." Men of that iron mould were quick to see that a vigorous enforcement of the laws were car-
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ried out by the town officials, whereby every inhabitant was required to attend divine service and to give due observance to the ordinances of religion.
With one faith and with one form of worship, it was an ideal church, with none to gainsay its rights, to dispute its doctrines, or to criticise its methods.
For nearly twenty years Rev. Mr. True's pastorate continued. with only one voice of dissent, and that was in the action of John Hogg, Esq., who is supposed to have been a Quaker, and who, in 1752, and years following, caused some trouble by re- fusing to pay his proportion of the rates towards the support of the ministry and of building the meeting house. under pretence of " his being of a different persuasion from the church and congregation of the town : " but it was voted in town meeting " to instruct the selectmen to make distress on him for his rates," and it was agreed " to stand by the constable and pay reasonable charges for so doing."
From 1765 to 1775 an insatiable thirst for liberty spread over the colonies. The " stamp act " aroused the people to indepen- dence, and with the determination to sever allegiance from the British crown and from all political connection with Great Britain. a constantly growing number in the State Church of New England were demanding liberty from the burdensome exactions of the church, believing that not only a free govern- ment should prevail, but that religious worship should be volun- tary and free to the choice of every man according to the dictates of his own conscience.
Rev. John Kelly, in his sketch of Hampstead, in 1835, says : " About twenty years after Rev. Mr. True's settlement in town, Baptist ministers came into the place, and by zealous and loud speaking they produced a great commotion, but no revival among the people, who were very sanguine and versatile in their dispo- sitions," which " did not unsettle the good minister, or sully his character in the views of any man, but it reduced his salary and reduced the number of his hearers, and greatly injured the char- acter of the people, for almost all of the followers of the new teachers became downright infidels."
In 1762 the town voted " to keep the meeting house doors
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shut against all such preachers, whose principles are such that neither Congregational nor Presbyterian churches amongst ns can hold communion with or admit as preachers."
John Hogg, Esq., Lient. Peter Morse, John Muzzey, Esquire Plummer, Deacon Joseph French, Nathaniel Heath, John Kent, Samuel Brown, Daniel Emerson. Joseph Noyes, Edward Pres- cott, and Reuben Harriman were among the leaders in asking for freedom from the minister rates. They were freed from paying their rates by a vote of the town from 1768 to 1779.
Rev. Mr. True died May 22, 1782. Of the first one hundred members before 1760 all had gone, by death or removal from town, save one, Thomas Williams, who was then eighty years of age.
Eighty-three persons had been added to the church rolls in spite of these serious obstacles, which doubtless were a cause of great grief to the pastor, and may be, hastened his sudden and untimely death at the age of fifty-six years. He was a person whose piety, integrity, learning, and ability none can question.
The next ten years were evidently the darkest days in the history of the church. The depreciation of the currency had made the people poor, and according to the writings of Rev. Mr. Kelly, " this town contained more infidels than any other town in the state, who gave themselves up to reproaching the saints and blaspheming the name of the Saviour."
By infidels he evidently referred to all the followers of the Methodist, the Baptist, or the Universalist preachers who had visited the town. He says, " The goodly number of sober peo- ple of the Orthodox faith were in trouble, longing to have a minister to speak the word of truth, and to break the bread of life to them," and that " they sometimes had preaching, but they had not the courage to give any man a call for four years." In 1786 they were obliged to insert in the warrant for town meet- ing an exemption from paying a minister tax to all those who in other years had been freed by a vote of the town.
September 11, 1786, a call was extended to Mr. Tillison Howe from the Church of Christ at Dartmouth College. He ac- cepted the terms and preached several months in town and
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united with the church here, but the people judged him as ",morally unsuitable " and withdrew the call.
October 11, 1787, Mr. Joshua Langdon was called, but de- clined the invitation on account " of the small salary, and open infidels." Mr. Jacob Cram was called the next JJune, but he was invited elsewhere at a larger salary. February 19, 1789, Rever- end John Wilbur was invited, but would not accept the situa- tion. Rev'd Abishai Allen was asked to become their pastor, but later both parties were willing to relinquish the call.
These men were all graduates from either Dartmouth or Har- vard Colleges, and were eminently fitted for the duties of the ministry, but the prospects for a living were so meagre that they gave principally that reason for declining to enter the work.
The salary offered was $200 in money annually, the use of the parsonage, two cows and six sheep.
The three following years the people could not get a vote to raise one cent for maintaining a minister, as the agitation for the repeal of the law which recognized only the Orthodox sect, in 1791, shook New Hampshire from seaboard to mountain.
Early in 1792 a subscription was taken for the object of hir- ing a minister, and this measure opened the way for a unani- mous vote of the town to call John Kelly, A. M., of Amesbury Mass., a graduate of Dartmouth College, and a student of Theology under that eminent scholar and divine, Rev. Moses Hemmenway D. D., of Wells, Me.
Mr. Kelly said, " he feared neither poverty or the infidels of Hampstead, and that his death, if not his life, might be the sal- vation of this people." He was ordained Dec. 5, 1792. His teacher Dr. Hemmenway preached the ordination sermon from Philippians, third chapter, sixth verse: "Count all things as lost, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord."
That Mr. Kelly led a busy and eventful life, cannot be doubted as we read in his Autobiography, of his preaching three thousand written sermons, and many unwritten ones, attending five hundred and three funerals in town, and half as many more in other parishes, uniting nearly two thousand persons in mar- riage, attending thirty ordaining or other councils, publishing
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twenty sermons, discourses or reports, taking an active part in the various Bible, tract, missionary or educational societies of New Hampshire, contributing various articles to the newspapers, teaching the youth abundantly, aiding with his voice in the service of song, uniting one hundred and sixty-eight persons to the fellowship of the church, burying or dismissing all except Deacon Job Kent of the members, and all but Jonathan C. Lit- tle and Mr. Hezekiah Ayer of the voters in town, when he was ordained. besides, as he says, " gaining a victory over the infidels and enemies of the church."
In 1793 the porch and steeple were added to the meeting house, mostly by subscription, and numerous repairs were made to the building, which was in a wasting and miserable condition.
A social library was formed, with a good number of valuable and interesting volumes, in 1796.
Through the efforts also of Rev. Mr. Kelly, the " Paul Revere " bell, which rings from the town hall tower, was secured and placed in position Dec. 19, 1809.
Rev. Mr. Kelly was the leader in the " Moral Society of Hampstead, Atkinson and Plaistow." This society was organ- ized in Hampstead, Dec. 29, 1814, at the house of John True Esq., with John True, chairman, and Rev. Mr. Kelly, as secre- tary, and continued until about 1822.
The society was composed of a very select membership of seventy-eight men from the three towns, whose duties as members were to exert their influence to suppress immorality of every description, particularly Sabbath breaking, profanity, intemper- ance, falsehood and gaming, and to see that tythingmen of ie- spectable character, in sufficient numbers be chosen and qualified to carry the law respecting the Christian Sabbath into effect, " and to openly and dividedly to discountenance profane lan- guage, and the improper and unnecessary use of ardent spirits at funerals and other occasions, and by their example and advice to encourage the rising generation to a constant atten- dance on the public worship of God, and in habits of sobriety, morality and industry."
Quarterly meetings were held in Hampstead at the homes of John True, Rev. Mr. Kelly, Dr. Jeremiah Spofford, Mr. Jesse Gordon, and Benjamin Garland.
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Annual sermons were given alternately in the three towns in the meeting houses by Rev. Samuel Harris of Windham, Rev. Stephen Peabody of Atkinson, Rev. Edward L. Parker of Lon- donderry, Rev. John H. Church of Pelham, Rev. John Kelly, and others.
Their favorite texts were " Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people ; " and " One sinner destroy- eth much good."
Similar societies were formed in Portsmouth, Exeter, Con- cord, Chester, Londonderry, Candia, and Salem in New Hamp- shire, and Bradford and Rowley in Massachusetts.
June 13, 1815, it was voted by the society to determine what vice was the most prevalent in Hampstead, and that the secretary consider ways of petitioning Congress to prevent the carrying and opening of the mail on the Lord's day.
September 14, 1818, it was voted " that Silas Tenney be a collector of a subscription to purchase tracts to be distributed among themselves, which was so much of a success that the next December at a meeting at the house of Josiah Grover in Atkin- son, Hon. John Vose of that town and Rev. John Kelly were selected to purchase tracts for the public," "that it would be desirable to purchase them from the New England Tract Society of Andover, Massachusetts," and that " the tracts should all treat of the importance of the sanctification of the Sabbath, and should contain as many disasters happening on that day to those who have profaned the Sabbath as can well be collected from authentic records."
August 4, 1819, 7000 tracts were purchased for the $7.00 col- lected, and were distributed in each town according to the num- ber of the inhabitants. And again in 1820 a great number of tracts were likewise obtained and used.
It was voted, March 13, 1821 " that it would be expedient for the members of the " Moral Society to refrain from the use of ardent spirits at their meetings."
We would hope that this action did not lead to the disband- ing of the Society, but so few members attended the next meetings that early the next year they voted "to divide the subscription on hand to the Sabbath schools of the three towns."
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The religious toleration bill, which had been pending in the New Hampshire Legislature for several years, through the weighty efforts of Ichabod Bartlett, the young and talented lawyer of Portsmouth, became a law in 1819, and all religious denominations in the State, by the enactment of that law, were given equal rights and privileges, in face of the declaration of the opposer, Mr. Hubbard, who said, " Pass this bill, and the temples now consecrated to the worship of the Saviour of the world will soon be deserted and forsaken."
By the passing of that law believers in the doctrines of the Methodists, the Baptists, and the Universalists in Hampstead, asked to have their minister tax for the support of Rev. Mr. Kelly abated, and they claimed from the town the right to have ministers of their own faith to occupy the meeting house a part of the time.
This seems to have been a sore trial to Rev. Mr. Kelly and his friends. The church records show repeated efforts to reclaim some delinquent members of the parish or family who had gone over to what was termed " false doctrines "; and January 28, 1828, the church appointed twelve of its members " to visit every family in Hampstead to call the attention of the people to the consciences of their souls, and to pray with them from house to house." " Deacon John Emerson and Jacob Irving to begin at Enoch Tewksbury's, including all of Kent's farm, Mr. Davis', Mrs. Stevens', and Mr. Bartlett's families." " Deacon Jonathan Kent and Thomas K. Little beginning at Nathaniel Heath's and ending at Mr. Knight's, on the Harriman farm." "Mr. Jesse Davis and Lyman Worthen to begin at Lieut. Poor's and end at John Currier's, including the Island." " Mr. Phineas Balch and Francis Sawyer to begin at the widow Brown's and come around to Jesse Davis', including James Brickett's." " Mr. Jonathan Brickett and David Little to take all of the 'Peak ' and ' Han- dle,' so called."
For a period of eighty-three years from the incorporation of Hampstead the salary of the minister was assessed by the select- men, and the town collector gathered the assessments and paid the money and delivered the wood to the minister.
After March 5, 1832, the Congregational Church and Society,
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for the first time, held their meetings and transacted their busi- ness without a town meeting, and separate from the affairs of the town, and soon made their plans to build their own church, where the present church now stands.
On leaving the old meeting house to occupy the new church, Oct. 13, 1837, Rev. Mr. Kelly preached the farewell sermon, from the second chapter of Philippians. second and third verses, his topic being, " Union and Communion of Saints," which he dedicated "to the inhabitants of the town of Hampstead, in grateful remembrance of the uniform respect and kindness shown to him for a long series of years."
Hle gave as a reason for leaving the old meeting house of the fathers, " that, like the Congregational Puritan Orthodox people of England, who first settled New England. you wish to have a place to worship God in peace, where you have no temptation to disturb others, nor be intruded on by them."
Mr. Kelly was twenty-nine years of age when he was ordained, and he spent forty-four years as an able minister and faithful friend to the people of Hampstead. He retired from the pastor- ate at the age of seventy-three years, and died in Hampstead at the age of eighty-five.
Rev. John M. C. Bartley was installed as pastor on the day of Mr. Kelly's dismissal, October 12, 1836. Rev. Dr. Daniel Dana, who was for fifty years pastor of the church in Newburyport, Mass., preached the installation sermon on "Ministerial Firm- ness," taking his text from the twentieth chapter of Acts and the twenty-fourth verse.
Rev. Mr. Bartley is remembered by many residents of Hamp- stead, who valued him during his labors of twenty-one years as an affectionate and warm-hearted friend, and as one whose pre- cept and practice were sincere and courteous. Besides fulfilling his bounden duty to the church and to the society, and uniting one hundred and four persons to church membership, he took an active part in whatever would be of benefit to the town. He served sixteen years as superintendent of the public schools, and was instrumental in founding the Emerson High School, as a result of his intimate acquaintance and friendship with Benja- min Dudley Emerson, its benefactor, who was a member of this church under his pastorate.
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January 2, 1860, about one year after he relinquished his labors in town, he was laid to rest, at the age of sixty-one years, in the pleasant cemetery at Kittery Point, Maine, where a granite monument marks his grave.
And now we come to the present times, or to the last forty- three years of the history of the church. We come to the pas- torates of Reverends Mr. Pratt, Bullard, Watson and Gardner, and the present pastor, Rev. Walter H. Woodsum.
Rev. Mr. Bullard died four years ago, at the ripe age of eighty-eight years. His remains rest in the family burial lot in the beautiful Laurel Hill Cemetery at Fitchburg, Massachusetts.
It is not always well to say much of the living. The work of the several pastors and members of the church and society have all been recorded on the church records or impressed on memo- ry's page.
The past few months it has been our privilege to make an exhaustive study of those records, and the results obtained from the study and from personal research of each individual member will, we trust, be published in a " Memorial of the Church."
The church books record a list of 775 persons who have been admitted to the fellowship of the church, 272 males and 503 females. Nearly 1100 children have received the ordinance of baptism.
Among the members there have been twenty-two ordained ministers. Eleven members have adopted the profession of medicine and five have become lawyers. Fifty-six men have been graduated from some college, and twenty-eight ladies have graduated or attended some college, seminary, normal school, or higher institution of learning. Ninety-seven or more members have been teachers in the public schools of the country, and a goodly number of the teachers have occupied prominent posi- tions. Forty-four members have received diplomas from our High school, and forty-three others have been students there and have nearly or quite completed the prescribed course of study.
The Colonial and Revolutionary wars and the State militia have been represented by one general, two colonels, three lieu- tenant-colonels, five captains, four majors, three lieutenants, one chaplain, and nine private soldiers. Eleven have served in the
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civil war, and one member was enlisted as a marine in the Span- ish-American war.
Fifty-eight members have served as selectmen in town, and several other members in other towns. Five members have represented the town in the State Legislature, and the various minor town offices have been often filled from the church ranks.
The present membership of the church numbers one hundred and fifty-three, thirty-six males and one hundred and seventeen females, of whom thirty-seven descend directly from the origi- nal sixty-eight members. Nine members are descended directly from Richard Hazen, fourteen from Deacon Daniel Little, four from James and Jane Mills. Several others of the present zealous church workers can trace their noblest blood from the founders of the church.
We find that a majority of the members have been faithful to the church covenant and faithful to their Christian obligations, and entirely worthy of the honors which have been bestowed upon them. Also,
"We find 'tis true there's blood that's blue That in their veins was flowing, And then we find some other kind, O'er which we do no crowing."
As we continue our research to the village cemetery, we are reminded that,-
" There is a reaper whose name is Death, And with his sickle keen He reaps the bearded grain at a breath, And the flowers that grow between."
There rest the remains of the two earliest pastors, who labored faithfully for the church and town people for eighty-four years, and at least three hundred members of the church, whose lives were characterized by the qualities of true citizenship.
Of the original sixty-eight members, fifty-six or more were buried in town. A goodly number of the deceased members reached the age of seventy years, but we find many of the tiny graves of the children there whose names are on our list of bap- tisms.
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We stand by the tomb that covers the grave of Rev. Henry True, and notice the variety of monuments and other stones, from Nature's simplest boulder to the exquisitely carved granite tablet that marks the family lot. We see the humble monument made of wood, around which the Grand Army of the Republic loyally gather and pay tribute to the memory of their deceased com- rades.
But should it seem unbefitting that in the cemetery we find no special tablet inscribed to the memory of the founders of the Congregational Church ?
It has been said of one of the world's greatest architects, Sir Christopher Wren, who designed St. Paul's Cathedral and eighty-seven churches, besides hospitals, palaces and monuments in London, England, and who died two hundred years ago, at the age of ninety-one years, that when it was asked concerning him. if he had no monument, the reply was given, " Look around thee ; Saint Paul's Cathedral is Sir Christopher's monu- ment : he needs no other."
Would you contemplate the monument to the founders of the Congregational Church in Hampstead, that will stand when many another structure will have crumbled into dust, builded by those noble men and women " whose outward mould was hard- ship and whose inward bliss was piety " ?- ". Look around thee ! " (o first to the old meeting-house, the early shrine where the pioneer worshippers truly went up to their Jerusalem, upon the level crest of a solid ledge, typical of Zion's foundation ! Go to that ancient structure, which has stood more than a century and a half, defiant to storm or decay ! There they organized and constructed the Congregational Church, and there they sub- scribed their names to the covenant ; there they laid the founda- tion of an everlasting monument, whose " pillars are as of lily work."
The Puritan fwith which they planted in Hampstead is their monument. They need no other ! That faith has been cherished through the long vista of the changing years of progress by five generations of members. With industry in their labors, with perseverance and fidelity in all good works, with love, honesty and honor in their hearts, and with loyalty to their God and to
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the established forms of worship, the members have, through education and intelligence, builded higher and higher a monu- ment to Hampstead, the Congregational Church, which will stand to glorify posterity and to remain against the inroads of time, a fitting concomitant to the dear old meeting-house.
And while this great world of ours speeds forever on its course, freighted with human joys and sorrows, hopes, aspira- tions, successes and disappointments, may the present and future members of the Congregational Church and Society deeply feel that it is better to transmit than to inherit a good record of their works.
May they " hold fast to their Puritan heritage," and also may they let the free light of the age,-
" Its life, its hope, and its sweetness add To the sterner faith the fathers had."
The double male quartette-first tenors, Forrest E. Mer- rill, Lowell M. Clark ; second tenors, William H. Davis, John S. Corson : first basses, C. Park Pressey, Albion D. Emerson : second basses, Eugene L. Spinney, H. Clinton Davis-sang " While the Years are Rolling On," which was followed by reminiscent remarks by Rev. Myron P. Dickey, pastor of the Congregational Church at Milton, N. H., and first preceptor of Hampstead High School.
Mr. Chairman and Friends :-
They have a custom in Congress to give leave to print (in the Congressional record) certain speeches for which there is not time for their delivery. I should be inclined at this late hour to ask that privilege if I had any speech to print : not having any prepared speech, I must needs deliver my remarks to find out what they are.
There used to be an eccentric character in my native town of Derry, who insisted that a minister did not need time to study during the week in order to preach Sundays if he preached the truth. "The truth is easy " he said, "it takes. study to preach lies." I have not found it so. Rather has it seemed to me easy for folks to speak and believe things that are untrue and hard to get at the whole truth.
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