USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Peterborough > Historical sketches of Peterborough, New Hampshire : portraying events and data contributing to the history of the town > Part 23
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Whole number of communicants belonging to the Presbyterian Church, under the ministry of Rev. James R. French at the present time, is 203. There has been in the Church since January 1, 1842, two deaths, four dis-
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missals, and one excommunicated. Admission during the year 1842 were 59 (60?); 24 males and 35 females, viz., Lucy A. Wilkins, Henry Field, Jane Richardson, Sarah B. Dennis, Joseph Holt, Hannah Cragin, Betsey C. Stearns, Ephraim Wood, Harriet Cary, Sarah Merriam, George Allen, Louisa Oliver, Susan R. Stacy, George Jewett, Mary Hunt, Eliza A. Stacy, Levi Nichols, Jerusha Stevens, Abigail E. Stacy, M. D. Farnsworth, Lois Field, Abigail Bruce, Francis Cragin, Eliza Stacy, Mary Leathers, Solon Mansfield, Eunice Field, Sarah A. Mansfield, W. W. Cragin, Minerva Cudworth, Delana Watson, Charles Barber, Eunice H. Wood, Betsey Edes George W. Stevens, Nancy M. Stev- ens, Joseph Carter, Mrs. Ashael Howe, John Carter, Timothy Russell, Jesse B. Watson, John Vose, John Thorning, Diocletian Melvin, Joel Hadley, Mrs. Melvin, W. H. Hadley, Rebecca Richardson, W. H. Puffer, Sarah Jane Dunbar, Edwin Puffer, Mrs. Kimball, Elizabeth Edes, Anna Swan, Nancy Edes, Lucy Kimball, Elizabeth Mc- Coy, Sarah P. French, Lydia Wheeler, Elmina Taggart. Of the whole num- ber, 203, 51 do not reside in Peterbor- ough, leaving residents, 152.
The whole number of persons be- longing to the Congregational Church in Peterborough, under the pastoral care of Rev.Curtis Cutler, is 98. Living in Peterborough, 94; in Sharon, 4; 35 were admitted during the year 1842. Twelve males, thirty-three females. Namely, Timothy K. Ames, Hepsibah, wife of J. Longley, Samuel McCoy, Miss Sarah T. Moore, Wm. Follans- bee, Miss Betsy J. Follansbee, Miss Clarinda Scott, Mrs. Follansbee, Wid- ow Hepsibah Fairbanks. John Hadley, Mrs. Mary S. Fuller, (since dead), James Walker, Nancy Ann Mille., George Walker, Sarah W., wife of J. Damon, Eleanor, wife of E. Fairbanks; Dorcas, wife of J. Green-
wood, Elizabeth, wife of S. G. Smith, Samuel Miller and wife, Miss Ellen Smith, Luther Nichols and wife, Elizabeth Brackett, William E. Tread- well, Lydia Lucretia Hunt, Betsey, wife of N. Whittemore, Lucy Caroline Hunt, David F. McGilvray, Julia Ann Richey, Miss Agnes W. Robbe, Betsey M. White, Frederick S. Ains- worth, Isaac Green and wife. Added to the Church since January 1, 1843, five persons, to wit, Wm. M. White and wife, Samuel Nay and wife, and Jonathan Felt. Whole num- ber since January 1, 1842, 40; fifteen males and twenty-five females. Only two members are now living in the church who signed the original cove- nant Oct. 24, 1799, viz., Samuel Moore and Nancy Smith, widow of Dr. Jonathan Smith.
The whole number of Communi- cants belonging to the Baptist Church, under the charge of Rev. Zebulon Jones, is 130. Members added since January 1842 are 30. Thirteen males and seventeen females, namely: Abra- ham Shattuck, Moses A. Fairbanks, Franklin Spalding, Charles Carter, William Thayer, John Wait, Sargent Bohonon, Abner Haggett, Thomas McCoy, Abisha Tubbs, Thomas Mc- Coy Jr., John Clough, Thomas Had- ley Jr., Benjamin Shattuck, Augusta Pierce, Sarah Davis, Justina Tubbs, Jane Perkins, Harriet Perkins, Mrs. Hayes, Miss Davis, Temple, Mary Hayes, Sarah Whitcomb, Louisa Pierce, Mrs. Spalding, Mrs. Whit- comb, Mary Trevis, Mary Whitcomb, Julia Shattuck. Mary Smith.
The whole number of persons be- longing to the Methodist Church un- der the care of Rev. Mr. Adams is 100, or near that number. Ten of this number have been admitted since January 1, 1842. namely, P. D. Bad- ger, James Thorning, Roensa Holt, Mary Miller, Nancy Haggett, Anna Miller, Mary Bruce, Sophronia E.
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Peterborough in 1842.
Pressy, Sarah Smiley, Nancy Smith.
The number of persons who have been baptised and have made a pro- * fession of Religion but have not con- neeted themselves with any church, and are now under the charge of Rev. Mr. Harriman, of the Free Will Bap- tist denomination, is 15. Of this num- ber, ten have been baptised by Mr. Harriman within a few weeks-seven males and three females, namely:
Joseph Ames and wife, Alvah Ames, Jonathan Bohonon and wife, John Parker, Miss Julia Buss, E. G. French, Frederick Livingston, Elias Cheney.
The number of persons professing the Catholic religion in Peterborough is three. They have no publie preach- ing.
The whole number who have been admitted into the Church of Latter Day Saints, as given by Jesse C. Little, an Elder in the Church, is 116-48 males and 68 females. I give them in the same order that they were admitted into the Church as given me by Elder Little, viz: Luther Reed, Geo. B. Gardner, Mrs. Pieree, Mrs. Bement, Mrs. Reed, Geo. W. Taggart, Daniel Bailey, Hosea Pierce, Mrs. Gardner, Caroline King, Mrs. Smith, Leonard Hill, Esther Russell, Jesse C. Little, Mrs. Gray, Asahel Howe, G.W. Ryan, Hannah Wilder, Charles A. Adams, U. B. Alexander, Mary Har- low, Fanny Howe, Mrs. Alexander, Charles F. Hill, Elizabeth Barker, Mrs. Holyoke, John Saunders, Sarah Bailey, Mrs. Ward, Jonas Livingston, Hannah Isham, Naney Stanley, Mrs. C. Bement, Oliver Taggart, Nuahmah Carter, Abial Peavey, Bingham Be- ment, Mrs. Livingston, Mrs. Saunders Thomas Mathews, Elizabeth Bailey, Mrs. Bullard, Polly Fellows, Sarah Brown, Sarah Holyoke, Sarah E. Gammon, Wm. B. Holyoke, Mrs. Wheeler, William Page, Mary Bul- lard, Robert W. Marsh, Mrs. Page, Hannah Lamphere, W. T. MeGilvray,
Mrs. Thompson, Luther Twitchell, Abijah Spofford, Harriet Bruce, Mrs. Twitchell, Mrs. Spofford, James Bar- ker, Mrs. Mathews, .Wm. Abbott, Dan Foster, Mrs. Powers, Lydia Abbott, Alonzo Russell, Elizabeth Stewart, Edward Cooke, Mrs. Foster, S. M. Howe, Mrs. Cooke, Mrs. Gerry, Fanny Jane Howe, Mrs. Taggart, Mary Smith, Susan E. Howe, Mrs. Rice, Louisa Mansfield, Pamelia Gerry, Mrs. Marsh, Mrs. Baker, Mrs. Hill, Dorothy Hubbard, Charles W. Thomp- son, Wm. Foster, Mrs. Cummings, Noah Smith, Samuel Bacon, Mrs. Ryan, Washington Taggart, H. Bruce, Nathan Cummings, Mrs. Nay, John Nay, Jr., Simeon Stanley, Elizabeth Foster, Mrs. Stanley, D. D. Barker, Nahum Wood, Horace Eaton, Elias Kidder, John Spofford, E. W. Clark, Naney Isham, J. H. Glines, Louisa Peavey, Mrs. Clark, Elizabeth Pea- vey, Merrill Peavey, George Wilkins, Persea Beals, William Currier, Mrs. Moors, Charles Russell, Charlotte Upton.
Of this number eight or ten have absented themselves from the church (one has died, Mrs. Lamphere), fif- teen or twenty do not reside in Peter- borough. The number now in full Communion residing in Peterborough will range about eighty or eighty-five, as near as I can ascertain. This ehureh has sprung into existence in this place within the last eighteen months. It has been for the most of the time under the charge of the Rev. Mr. MeGinn, who first founded it. He has been assisted at different times by Elders Adams, Snow, Mosey, ete.
RECAPITULATION.
Whole number of Communicants belonging to the different Churches.in Peterborough, 647. Number admit, ted since January 1, 1842, 258. Num- ber of males, 105. Number of females, 153. Number of persons who have
1
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made a profession of religion not con- nected with any church, 18. Since January 1, 1842, 10. Males, 7; females 3. Whole number of professors and communicants since January 1, 1842, 268. Males, 112; females, 156. Whole number of professors and communi- cants at the present time is 665. Of this number not residing in town, about 120. Resident professors, 545.
Which is respectfully submitted,
By WM. SCOTT. April 1, 1843.
[The following paper is by Ebenezer Fairbanks. He was born in Dublin, May 28, 1794, and settled perma- nently in Peterborough about 1822, where he resided the rest of his life. He was a carpenter by trade, and was active in the Lyceum for many years. Some of his contributions to its liter- ary exercises are preserved, but the most important one is that here given, which has permanent historieal val- uc. He lived on the south side of the street leading to West Peterborough, some distance west of the old Holmes Tavern.]
Strange as it may appear to many of you, during the period of twenty years past the inhabitants of the Center Village in Peterborough have nearly all changed. The inhabitants who lived here previous to that time have either died or removed to some other place to reside. Twenty-three persons only that live here at present can be now recollected to have had their home in this village twenty years ago, and one-third of that num- ber were at that time small children, and only four of that number live in the same house they did twenty years ago. What a change twenty years hath brought about to change nearly all the inhabitants of this village! And will you believe me if I tell you that, at this time, we number very nearly nine hundred persons. It is a fact that according to the numbers as
taken last week with considerable care there are now living in this village 896 persons, of whom 90 are under four years of age; 324 between 4 and 21 years; 188 between 21 and 30 years of age; 132 between 30 and 40 years of age; 87 between 40 and 50 years of age; 75 over 50, viz., 43 between 50 and 60 years of age; 17 between 60 and 70 years of age; 11 between 70 and 80 years of age; and 4 over 80 years of age, namely, Mrs. Brown, 80; Mr. D. Smiley, 83; Mr. S. Moore, 85; Mr. Thomas Steele, 89 years old.
This village consists of 173 families, 111 dwelling houses, 4 houses of publie worship, 1 town hall, 2 school houses, 1 Academy, 2 taverns, 2 cot- ton factories, the Phoenix employing 101 hands, and the other, 50 hands. One foundry, employing eight hands; 4 stores, 1 jeweller's shop, 2 grist mills, 3 machine shops, 3 blacksmith shops, 2 wheelright shops, 1 cabinet shop, 1 tin shop, 1 stove manufactory, 5 shoc makers' shops, 2 harness shops, 3 tailor shops, 4 milliner shops, 3 paint shops, 1 book store and bindery, 1 hatter's shop, 1 cooper shop, 1 sleigh shop, 4 joiner shops, 1 Reed manufac- tory, 1 lead pipe manufactory, 1 gun shop, 1 livery shop, 1 slaughter house, 3 regular practicing physicians, 1 Botanie physician, and 3 lawyers.
[The last page, excepting the sig- nature, is torn off.]
EBENEZER FAIRBANKS. April 1, 1843.
Annals of Peterborough.
The following communication was found among the papers of the Old Peterborough Lyceum. It was writ- ten by Dr. Abial Abbott, and was probably read before the Lyceum on or about the day of its date, March 5, 1842. It describes fully one of the industries of primitive Peterborough, and so is worthy of a place among
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Annals of Peterborough.
these annals. It is the deseription of an industry that brought larger re- turns of money to the people than any other and that money supplied many things in the domestie and farm economy that could not be obtained by barter. Also, it paid the bills of the sons who were sent to Exeter and Andover Academies and to college. It was the souree out of which the manufacturing industries of the town grew. After the wool left the sheep's baek and the flax the swingling bloek and knife, the work was done by the women of the household, and with the large families of those days, one can easily imagine the vast amount of labor imposed upon the wives and mothers and daughters to change it all into elothing for the members of the household. I well remember all the different tools and implements named by Dr. Abbott, in my old home, safely stored away in the attie or piled up in the shed corners, but never used, except the large wheel and reel for spinning rolls of wool into yarn, in my early childhood. These instruments of toil which meant so mueh to our grandfathers and grand- mothers are now cherished only as curiosities of a remote age, and are not found save in the antiquarian collection of our publie museums. Sueh is the change wrought in a single hundred years of industrial evolution.
"SPINNING WHEEL AND LOOM."
"The making of linen eloth and thread from the early settlement of the town to 1810 was a great and profitable business. Every family was supplied with the foot wheel in proportion to the number eapable of using it, also with the great wheel, and commonly with two looms, one in the eellar for weaving linen and tow cloth, and one above for woolen and coarse eloth. The spinning of one hank, 36 knots, was a day's work, but more was often done. For fine cloth
four hanks were spun from a pound of flax. The spinning of fourteen euts, three knots to a cut, of tow was a day's work; more was often done. Carding for two wheels was performed by one person. Carding tow was often done sometime before it was spun, and the rolls put into the cellar that by borrowing damp, they might run better and smoother. The coarser flax was spun for warp, and filled with tow yarn for shirting and sheeting,and diaper for table eloths, towels, etc. Cheeked linen was made for shirts, aprons, neekerehiefs, ete. Linen warp yarn was filled with eotton for shirt- ing, for bed-tieking and fustian, ete. Children often did the quilling and would spin when ten years old. Yarn was often bleached by bueking with hot lye. This process sometimes rot- ted the yarn, and rendered it tender in the loom and the eloth less durable. The eloth was spread upon the grass for whitening, and wet with pure water warmed by the sun as often as it beeame dry, and sometimes put in weak lye during the night. Weaving five yards was deemed a day's work, but often several yards more were done. The weaving was preformed chiefly by women. A few men, who came from Ireland, were good weavers and employed themselves in the busi- ness.
Very considerable quantity of thread, fine, coarse, white, brown, &e., was made. This produet was more profitable than eloth, but was in quantity more limited.
The ladies in the afternoon visits to their neighbors were aceustomed to carry their flax and foot wheels with them. The cloth and thread were prepared and carried upon a horse and peddled chiefly by women in the country around; sometimes a part was exchanged for flax and grain from Connectieut river and other places. The sales of eloth and thread
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without doubt amounted to more than the sales of all the other products of the town.
Very much is due to the industry, skill and economy of the women for the prosperity of this town and for the education of so many of her sons abroad. The 31st chapter of the Book of Proverbs may be aptly ap- plied to the mothers of Peterborough.
Soon after the Revolutionary war, the manufacturing of linen cloth and thread began to decline, and since the cotton mills have been put in opera- tion, the spinning wheel and loom have become useless.
FLAX was raised on almost every farm and was a profitable crop; the seed would often pay for the cultiva- tion. All that was raised was general- ly worked up in town, and often con- siderable quantity brought from Con- necticut river and other places.
The flax when grown was chiefly pulled by women; the seed was beat off by men. The flax was spread upon the grass for rotting, chiefly by women and when rotted, was taken up into bunches by them, and was bound in bundles by men. It was commonly dressed by men, but some women were expert at dressing it. As the making of cloth and thread declined, the raising of flax gradually declined; so that for twenty or thirty years past very little has been produced, and at the present time, probably, not a hundred pounds in a year. Many of the young men have not seen it grow- ing in the field. While growing, scarcely any crop is so beautiful.
From 112 to 2 bushels of seed was sown on the acre, and about 200 lbs. a common crop. John Scott, Esq., sowed 12 bushel of seed on 12 of an acre and had 230 lbs. of dressed flax.
The making of woolen cloth of vari- ous kinds engaged the attention and industry of the women and was a business of much importance. The
family was clothed in home spun. Very little, if any, was sent abroad for sale. Fulled cloth of various quali- ty was made for the men, also flannel, sometimes striped with blue, for shirts and for frocks and for trousers. Blankets, etc., were made. Flannel pressed, and worsted, etc., were made for women's wear. Commonly dyed at home. The supply of stockings and leggings, as they were long, re- quired not a little yarn and knitting. The working of wool was a great and arduous business, as there were no labor saving machines. Wool break- ing into bats to prepare it for carding into rolls was often done by parties in the afternoon. Wages for a girl a week were forty cents, or two pista- reens.
Mr. William Powers, from Ireland, was the first clothier who settled in town on the brook near Mr. Mears, about 1777. Before this, cloth was carried out of town to be dressed. None of Mr. Power's descendants remain in town. Mr. Samuel Smith built his clothier's mill about 1794, and left off that business. Chamber- lain & Perkins built the S. Woollen Factory 1813. Sold to Mr. H. F. Coggswell, which was burned in 1823, and rebuilt in 1824, and has been much improved since. Mr. Thomas Wilson established his mill about 1829. bought of McCrillis, who built the house and shop 1827. The privilege and land bought of Robert White, 1826.
The making of woolen cloth has declined since the commencement of the present century, but not in so great a degree as the linen. The hand card for wool has been laid aside since the introduction of the carding ma- chine. Cloth is still made in most farmer's families.
A number of persons carried on the wheel making business so that wheels etc., were sold abroad. Price of foot
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The Call of the Church to Zephaniah Swift Moore.
wheel, $2.00; of a great wheel, $1.00; with brass box and iron axle, $2.00. The patent head came into use about 1800. It was at first sold for $2.50; but the price was reduced to 50 cents. Quill wheel, $1.00; clock reel, $1.00.
But alas! the great wheel and wheel pin, the little wheel and distaff, the quill wheel, the clock reel and
swifts, the hackel, coarse and fine, the cards for wool, the spools and warping bars, the reeds and harness, the loom and its appendages, all, all are gone into the garret, and the exhilarating buzz of the wheel and the drum thump of the loom are no more heard.
ABIAL ABBOTT.
Peterborough, March 5, 1842.
[ From page 174 to here was published in the Peterborough TRANSCRIPT, Apr. 30, May 7, 14, 21, 1914.]
THE CALL OF THE CHURCH TO ZEPHANIAH SWIFT MOORE.
BY JONATHAN SMITH
Under the ministries of John Mor- rison and David Annan, the religious society at Peterborough became sadly demoralized. Their dissolute conduct and intemperate habits had brought reproach upon the church as an in- stitution and weakened its power as a moral and social force in the com- munity. The elder citizens, who supported it and controlled its tem- poral and spiritual affairs, were still loyal, but with the younger portion, and especially with the unchurched, it had lost heavily as a religious agency to influence the people.
The discord thus created was in- creased by another circumstance which more directly affected the pros- perity and unity of the church itself. Between 1785 and 1795, a new genera- tion had come upon the stage and had begun to take the lead in municipal and church affairs. On the whole, the younger men were abler than their forebears, better read and edu- cated, more fluent talkers, and were filled with the progressive spirit of the time. They cared less for the forms and more for the substance of religion than their fathers. Their first reform was aimed at the music, that power-house of church discord and quarrels in every religious society.
'The singing up to 1788 had been con- ducted in the primitive Presbyterian way-the elder reading the line of a psalm and the congregation singing it after him. This was changed, and an edition of Watt's Hymns intro- duced. The reform was perfected in 1792, when a choir of the young peo- ple to have sole charge of the singing of the church was organized and given seats in "the breasts of the gallery." This daring innovation upon a vener- able presbyterian custom gave great offense to the conservatives and was vigorously opposed. The change was perfected about the time Mr. Annan resigned (1792), and for the seven ensuing years, the church was without a minister. The division thus created did not heal but widened as time went on. Eventually, it led to com- plete separation.
They were a loquacious people, especially when topics theological were the subjects of debate. Three years after Mr. Annan left,the church called Rev. Abram Moore, but he declined. It was proposed to settle him as a Presbyterian; but when Zephaniah Swift Moore first preached in Peterborough is unknown. Prob- ably it was in the latter part of 1796 or early in 1797. His preaching creat-
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ed a most favorable impression. He was a Congregationalist; and prob- ably his sectarian views soon became known, and emphasized the divisions in the church. There are no records to show how the vote in the church to call him stood or how the call was phrased. At a town meeting held June 27, 1797, under an article in the warrant, "To see if the town would vote to join with the church in giving Mr. Moore a call," the town voted "to join the church in giving Mr. Moore a call in the Congregational way." But later, at the same meeting it was voted to postpone the last clause of the second article ("in the Congregational way"), and it then voted to postpone the whole matter. On the 27th of the next October, and probably after the petition given be- low had been presented, the town voted, 80 to 3, "to give Mr. Zepha- niah Swift Moore a call to settle in Peterborough as a Gospel Minister," and then voted to offer him a "salary of $400 a year if he would accept." It thus appears, at least from all known records, that the only invita- tion to settle "in the Congregational way" was the petition of the citizens under date of September 5. Unless the vote of the church contained this clause, which the town rejected, the petition to settle was informal and unofficial. In his letter, Mr. Moore does not notice this irregularity, at least does not allude to it, and it can- not be said in the absence of the church record and possibly defective town record, that the irregularity really existed. From both his letters it is apparent that Mr. Moore under- stood that he was invited to settle over a Presbyterian church, and to be installed in the "Congregational way." This was not, however, the fatal objection with him, and it does not appear that the people offered to waive any other of their church cus-
toms. Certainly the action of both church and town heightened the dis- cord, and drew the line more sharply between the conservative and radical wings. In those days, church forms and creeds were vital matters with both pastor and people, and the facility with which ministers now step across the theological border and churches settle a man from a differ- ent sect, if otherwise satisfactory, was unknown.
But the Presbyterians would not consent to further waive the forms and tenets of their ancient faith. The everlasting hills of Peterborough were not more fixed and immovable than was the loyalty of these conservatives to their chosen creed.
Mr. Moore was a native of Palmer, Mass., a town largely settled by the Scotch Irish, and he probably well knew the temper and disposition of that hardy race. He realized that the division was on questions which went down to the consciences and convic- tions of a people who could not and would not compromise. In his first reply to the call, he names several other objections. 1st, the situation of the church and its want of repair. but in his letter announcing his ac- ceptance of the call from Leicester, he frankly admits that the situation there was, on the whole, no better. He says much of the mixed mode of church government; but the offer contained in the petition, signed by more than a hundred of the leading people, to settle him as a Congrega- tionalist, obviated this difficulty. The divisions in the church over forms and doctrines remained, and these were inseparable, and were certain to grow more pronounced as time went on. He touches this very gently in his letters, but reading between the lines, it is easy to see that he regarded it as fatal to his accepting the invita-
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The Call of the Church to Zephaniah Swift Moore.
tion and that it was the real ground of his refusal.
Zephaniah Swift Moore was born in Palmer, Mass., Nov. 20, 1770. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1793, and for the three years fol- lowing was a teacher. This call to Peterborough was probably the first he had received. His Leicester pas- torate continued from 1798 to 1811, when he was chosen professor of Greek and Latin at Dartmouth Col- lege. Five years later, in 1816, he was appointed president of Williams College, holding at the same time the Chair of Theology. At the organiza- tion of Amherst College in 1821, he was elected its first President, at the same time filling the professorship of Sacred Theology, Moral Philosophy and Metaphysics. He died at Amherst, Mass., from overwork, June 30, 1823, in the full maturity of his powers and usefulness, at the age of 52 years.
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